Vehicle control device, vehicle control system, vehicle control method, and vehicle control program

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device, a vehicle control system, a vehicle control method, and a vehicle control program that are capable of reducing a time lag before a door closing operation is initiated, and thereby reduce any uncertainty felt by a user as a result.SOLUTION: When a door-closing instruction is issued, a CPU acquires a determination result of vehicle cabin exterior authentication by an authentication ECU, initiates a door-closing operation when the determination result of the vehicle cabin exterior authentication is affirmative (102-110), acquires a determination result of vehicle cabin interior authentication by the authentication ECU, and stops the closing operation when the determination result of the vehicle cabin interior authentication is affirmative (112-116).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device, a vehicle control system, a vehicle control method, and a vehicle control program for controlling the opening and closing of a vehicle door. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 proposes a vehicle door opening and closing device that includes a kick sensor that detects an object to be detected around the vehicle door, and a door control ECU that performs control to drive the vehicle door closed when the object to be detected is detected by the kick sensor, the exterior matching of the electronic key is determined to be normal, and the interior matching of the electronic key is determined to be abnormal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-122367 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Since the door is closed only after waiting for the results of both a determination as to whether a communication terminal such as an electronic key is within the vehicle cabin and a determination as to whether it is outside the vehicle cabin, there is a time lag between when the user leaves the vehicle and when the door closing operation begins, which could cause the user to feel uncomfortable.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned facts, and aims to provide a vehicle control device, a vehicle control system, a vehicle control method, and a vehicle control program that can reduce the discomfort felt by the user due to the time lag until the door closing operation begins. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the vehicle control device according to claim 1 includes an acquisition unit that acquires each of a determination result of whether a predetermined communication terminal is in a vehicle interior area and a determination result of whether the communication terminal is in an exterior area of ​​the vehicle, and a control unit that, when receiving a command to close a vehicle door, acquires the determination result of whether the communication terminal is in the exterior area by the acquisition unit and determines that the communication terminal is in the exterior area, starts a closing operation of the vehicle door, and acquires the determination result of whether the communication terminal is in the interior area by the acquisition unit after the start of the closing operation and stops the closing operation when the communication terminal is determined to be in the interior area of ​​the vehicle. The control unit starts the closing operation even before determining whether the door is in the vehicle interior area. . The vehicle control device described in claim 2 includes an acquisition unit that acquires each of a determination result of whether a predetermined communication terminal is in an interior area of ​​the vehicle and a determination result of whether the communication terminal is in an exterior area of ​​the vehicle, and a control unit that, when receiving an instruction to close a vehicle door, starts a closing operation of the vehicle door if the acquisition unit acquires the determination result of whether the communication terminal is in the exterior area and determines that the communication terminal is in the exterior area, and controls to stop the closing operation if the acquisition unit acquires the determination result of whether the communication terminal is in the interior area of ​​the vehicle after the start of the closing operation and determines that the communication terminal is in the interior area, and the control unit starts the closing operation when it is determined that the communication terminal is not in the exterior area after it has been determined that the communication terminal is in the exterior area.

[0007] Claim 1 、2 According to the invention described in the item 2, the acquisition unit acquires each of a determination result as to whether a predetermined communication terminal is in an area inside the vehicle cabin and a determination result as to whether the communication terminal is in an area outside the vehicle cabin.

[0008] And in the control section, When a command to close a vehicle door is received, the acquisition unit acquires a determination result as to whether the vehicle is in an area outside the vehicle. When it is determined that the communication terminal is in the area outside the vehicle cabin, the closing operation of the vehicle door is started, and after the closing operation starts, The acquisition unit acquires the result of determining whether the vehicle is in the vehicle interior area. When it is determined that the communication terminal is in the vehicle interior area, a control is performed to stop the closing operation. As a result, when it is determined that the communication terminal is in the vehicle exterior area, the closing operation of the vehicle door is started, so that it is possible to reduce the discomfort felt by the user due to the time difference until the closing operation of the vehicle door is started.

[0009] In addition, if it is determined that the communication terminal is present within the vehicle interior area after the vehicle door closing operation has started, the vehicle door closing operation is stopped, thereby preventing the communication terminal from being locked inside the vehicle.

[0010] In addition, when it is determined that the communication terminal is not within the vehicle interior area after starting the closing operation, the control unit may perform control to continue the closing operation.

[0011] The control unit may start the closing operation even before determining whether the door is in the vehicle interior area.

[0013] In addition, the control unit may be configured to start the closing operation when it is determined that the communication terminal is in the area outside the vehicle cabin, and then when it is determined that the communication terminal is not in the area outside the vehicle cabin after it has been determined that the communication terminal is in the area outside the vehicle cabin.

[0014] The vehicle control system may include the vehicle control device, the communication terminal, and a drive unit that is controlled by the control unit and drives the vehicle door to open and close.

[0015] Also, there is provided a vehicle control method executed by a computer, comprising: When a vehicle door closing command is received , the result of determining whether the communication terminal is in a predetermined area within the vehicle interior Get the previous When it is determined that the communication terminal is in an area outside the vehicle compartment, a closing operation of the vehicle door is started, and after the closing operation is started, Obtain a determination result as to whether the communication terminal is in an area outside the vehicle cabin. When it is determined that the communication terminal is within the vehicle interior area, control is performed to stop the closing operation. The closing operation is started even before it is determined whether the door is in the vehicle interior area or not. The present invention may also be applied to a vehicle control method. The vehicle control method may also be executed by a computer, and when an instruction to close a vehicle door is received, a determination result as to whether a predetermined communication terminal is in an interior area of ​​the vehicle is obtained, and if it is determined that the communication terminal is in an exterior area of ​​the vehicle, a closing operation of the vehicle door is initiated, and if a determination result as to whether the communication terminal is in the exterior area of ​​the vehicle is obtained after the start of the closing operation, and if it is determined that the communication terminal is in the interior area of ​​the vehicle, control is performed to stop the closing operation, and if it is determined that the communication terminal is in the exterior area of ​​the vehicle, the method may initiate the closing operation when, as a case in which it is determined that the communication terminal is in the exterior area of ​​the vehicle, it is determined that the communication terminal is not in the exterior area of ​​the vehicle after it has been determined that the communication terminal is in the exterior area of ​​the vehicle.

[0016] Furthermore, the present invention may be a vehicle control program for causing a computer to function as each part of the vehicle control device. Effect of the Invention

[0017] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle control device, a vehicle control system, a vehicle control method, and a vehicle control program that can reduce the discomfort felt by a user due to the time difference until the door closing operation starts. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle door opening and closing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2]2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a verification ECU and a door control ECU in the door opening and closing device according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 3] 1 is a cutaway side view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of processing executed by a door control ECU of the vehicle door opening and closing device according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 5] 6 is a flowchart showing a modified example of the flow of processing executed by a door control ECU of the vehicle door opening and closing device according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] An example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a vehicle door opening and closing device that controls the opening and closing of a vehicle door will be described as an example of a vehicle control system. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle door opening and closing device according to this embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a verification ECU and a door control ECU in the door opening and closing device according to this embodiment. Also, FIG. 3 is a cutaway side view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle according to this embodiment.

[0020] First, a configuration of a vehicle door opening and closing device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle door opening and closing device 10 includes a verification ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 12 and a door control ECU 14.

[0021] 2, the verification ECU 12 is configured with a microcomputer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 12A, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12B, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 12C, etc. Also, an exterior antenna 18, indoor antennas 20A to 20C, and a tuner 22 are connected to the verification ECU 12.

[0022] 2, the door control ECU 14 is also configured with a microcomputer including a CPU 14A, a ROM 14B, and a RAM 14C. An actuator 24 and a kick sensor 26 are connected to the door control ECU 14 as a driving unit. The verification ECU 12 and the door control ECU 14 are each connected to an in-vehicle network 16 such as a CAN (Controller Area Network).

[0023] As shown in Fig. 3, the exterior antenna 18 receives signals emitted by electronic keys 32 serving as communication terminals that are present within a predetermined reception range 18a in the area outside the vehicle cabin. The indoor antennas 20A-20C each receive signals emitted by electronic keys 32 that are present within predetermined reception ranges 20a-20c in the area inside the vehicle cabin. In this embodiment, the reception ranges 18a and 20c partially overlap as shown in Fig. 3, but they may not overlap. The number of exterior antennas 18 and indoor antennas 20A-20C is not limited to the example shown in Fig. 1 and may be determined appropriately depending on the reception range of each antenna, the required reception accuracy, etc.

[0024] The verification ECU 12 performs verification of the electronic key 32 outside the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "exterior verification") based on a signal from the electronic key 32 received by the exterior antenna 18. The verification ECU 12 also performs verification of the electronic key 32 inside the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "interior verification") based on signals from the electronic key 32 received by each of the interior antennas 20A to 20C.

[0025] Specifically, the verification ECU 12 determines that the exterior verification is abnormal if there is no electronic key 32 within the reception range 18a. The verification ECU 12 also determines that the exterior verification is abnormal if the key ID of the electronic key 32 present within the reception range 18a does not match a key ID that is predetermined as a key ID corresponding to the vehicle. Furthermore, the verification ECU 12 determines that the exterior verification is normal if the key ID of the electronic key 32 present within the reception range 18a matches a key ID that is predetermined as a key ID corresponding to the vehicle.

[0026] The verification ECU 12 also determines that the vehicle interior verification is abnormal if no electronic key 32 is present within the reception ranges 20a to 20c. The verification ECU 12 also determines that the vehicle interior verification is abnormal if the key ID of an electronic key 32 present within the reception ranges 20a to 20c does not match a key ID predetermined as a key ID corresponding to the vehicle. Furthermore, the verification ECU 12 determines that the vehicle interior verification is normal if the key ID of an electronic key 32 present within the reception ranges 20a to 20c matches a key ID predetermined as a key ID corresponding to the vehicle.

[0027] Under the control of the verification ECU 12, the tuner 22 adjusts the reception range 18a of the exterior antenna 18 and the reception ranges 20a to 20c of the indoor antennas 20A to 20C, respectively.

[0028] On the other hand, the actuator 24 opens and closes a vehicle door 30 (see FIG. 3) at the rear of the vehicle under the control of the door control ECU 14.

[0029] 3, the kick sensor 26 is provided inside the rear bumper and detects a detection target around the vehicle door 30. Specifically, the kick sensor 26 is an electrostatic sensor that includes a sensor electrode and detects a detection target within a predetermined detection range 26a by detecting a change in electrostatic capacitance between the sensor electrode and the detection target (the user's foot in this embodiment).

[0030] The kick sensor 26 is not limited to an electrostatic sensor, and may be another member capable of detecting the detection target, such as an infrared sensor or a physical switch. The installation position of the kick sensor 26 is not limited to inside the rear bumper, and may be another position capable of detecting the detection target, such as an undercover or a rear garnish. The kick sensor 26 may be omitted.

[0031] The electronic key 32 is also provided with a switch for instructing whether the vehicle door 30 should be opened or closed, and the vehicle door 30 can be opened or closed by operating the switch.

[0032] Then, the door control ECU 14 controls the actuator 24 to drive the vehicle door 30 to close based on the results of the interior and exterior matching determined by the matching ECU 12 and the switch operation of the electronic key 32 or the detection result by the kick sensor 26.

[0033] In the present embodiment, the door control ECU 14 corresponds to a vehicle control device and functions as an example of an acquisition unit and a control unit.

[0034] Next, specific processing performed by the door control ECU 14 of the vehicle door opening and closing device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the door control ECU 14 of the vehicle door opening and closing device 10 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the processing shown in Fig. 4 is executed by the door control ECU 14 using a program prestored in a ROM. The processing shown in Fig. 4 is started, for example, when the vehicle door 30 is changed from a closed state to an open state.

[0035] In step 100, the CPU 14A judges whether the vehicle door 30 is open based on the state of a courtesy switch (not shown). If the judgment is negative, the process returns to step 100, and if the judgment is positive, the process proceeds to step 102.

[0036] In step 102, the CPU 14A determines whether a door close command has been issued. For example, the CPU 14A determines whether a door close command has been issued by operating a switch on the electronic key 32, or whether a detection target has been detected by the kick sensor 26. Alternatively, if there is a switch or the like other than the kick sensor 26 that issues a command to close the vehicle door, the CPU 14A may determine whether a door close command has been issued by that switch. If the determination is negative, the process returns to step 100, and if the determination is positive, the process proceeds to step 104.

[0037] In step 104, the CPU 14A causes the verification ECU 12 to execute exterior verification, obtains a determination result of the exterior verification performed by the verification ECU 12, and then proceeds to step .

[0038] In step 106, the CPU 14A determines whether the result of the exterior verification obtained in step 104 is normal. If the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step 108, and if the determination is positive, the process proceeds to step 110.

[0039] In step 108, CPU 14A notifies the driver that the exterior matching determination result is abnormal, and then the process returns to step 100 and the above-mentioned process is repeated. Specifically, for example, CPU 14A generates an alarm sound indicating that the exterior matching determination result is abnormal. CPU 14A may notify the driver that the exterior matching determination result is abnormal by flashing a lamp instead of the alarm sound. Alternatively, CPU 14A may notify the driver to leave the vehicle by using both the alarm sound and the lamp.

[0040] On the other hand, in step 110, the CPU 14A controls the actuator 24 to start the closing operation of the vehicle door 30, and then the process proceeds to step 112.

[0041] In step 112 , the CPU 14 A causes the verification ECU 12 to execute the interior verification, obtains the result of the interior verification performed by the verification ECU 12 , and then proceeds to step 114 .

[0042] In step 114, the CPU 14A determines whether the result of the vehicle interior verification obtained in step 112 is normal or not. In other words, it determines whether the electronic key 32 is locked inside the vehicle. If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 116, and if the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step 120.

[0043] In step 116, the CPU 14A controls the actuator 24 to stop the closing operation of the vehicle door 30, and proceeds to step 118. Note that after the closing operation of the vehicle door 30 is stopped, the vehicle door 30 may be returned to the open position.

[0044] In step 118, the CPU 14A notifies the user that the result of the interior matching is normal, and then returns to step 100 to repeat the above-mentioned process. Specifically, for example, the CPU 14A generates an alarm sound indicating that the result of the interior matching is normal and that the electronic key 32 is locked inside. The CPU 14A may notify the user that the result of the interior matching is normal by flashing a lamp instead of by sounding an alarm. Alternatively, the CPU 14A may notify the user that the result of the interior matching is abnormal by both sounding an alarm and turning on a lamp. The notification in step 116 may be the same as the notification in step 108.

[0045] On the other hand, in step 120, the CPU 14A judges whether or not the closing operation of the vehicle door 30 is completed. That is, it judges whether or not the closing operation of the vehicle door 30 continues and is completed. If the judgment is negative, the CPU 14A returns to step 112 and repeats the above-mentioned processing, and if the judgment is positive, the series of processing is terminated.

[0046] By performing the processing in this manner, when it is determined that the electronic key 32 is in the area outside the vehicle compartment, i.e., when the occupant has left the vehicle, the closing operation of the vehicle door 30 is initiated, thereby making it possible to reduce the discomfort felt by the user due to the time lag until the closing operation of the vehicle door 30 is initiated.

[0047] In addition, if it is determined that the electronic key 32 is present in the vehicle interior area after the closing operation of the vehicle door 30 has begun, the closing operation of the vehicle door 30 is stopped, thereby preventing the electronic key 32 from being locked inside the vehicle.

[0048] In the process of FIG. 4, the processes of steps 104 and 112 correspond to an example of an acquisition unit, and the processes of steps 106, 110, 114, and 116 correspond to an example of a control unit.

[0049] Next, a modified example of the process performed by the door control ECU 14 of the vehicle door opening and closing device 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a modified example of the process flow executed by the door control ECU 14 of the vehicle door opening and closing device 10 according to the present embodiment. Note that the same processes as those in Fig. 4 will be described with the same reference numerals.

[0050] In step 100, the CPU 14A judges whether the vehicle door 30 is open based on the state of a courtesy switch (not shown). If the judgment is negative, the process returns to step 100, and if the judgment is positive, the process proceeds to step 102.

[0051] In step 102, the CPU 14A determines whether a door close command has been issued. For example, the CPU 14A determines whether a door close command has been issued by operating a switch on the electronic key 32, or whether a detection target has been detected by the kick sensor 26. Alternatively, if there is a switch or the like other than the kick sensor 26 that issues a command to close the vehicle door, the CPU 14A may determine whether a door close command has been issued by that switch. If the determination is negative, the process returns to step 100, and if the determination is positive, the process proceeds to step 104.

[0052] In step 104 , the CPU 14 A causes the verification ECU 12 to execute exterior verification, obtains a determination result of the exterior verification performed by the verification ECU 12 , and then proceeds to step 105 .

[0053] In step 105, the CPU 14A determines whether the result of the exterior verification obtained in step 104 has changed from normal to abnormal. In other words, the CPU 14A determines whether the user has left the vehicle. If the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step 107, and if the determination is positive, the process proceeds to step 110.

[0054] In step 107, the CPU 14A issues a warning to leave the vehicle, and then the process returns to step 100 and the above-mentioned process is repeated. Specifically, for example, the CPU 14A generates a warning sound to notify the driver to leave the vehicle. The CPU 14A may issue a warning to the driver by flashing a lamp instead of the warning sound. Alternatively, the CPU 14A may issue a warning to the driver to leave the vehicle by both the warning sound and the lamp.

[0055] On the other hand, in step 110, the CPU 14A controls the actuator 24 to start the closing operation of the vehicle door 30, and then the process proceeds to step 112.

[0056] In step 112 , the CPU 14 A causes the verification ECU 12 to execute the interior verification, obtains the result of the interior verification performed by the verification ECU 12 , and then proceeds to step 114 .

[0057] In step 114, the CPU 14A determines whether the result of the vehicle interior verification obtained in step 112 is normal or not. In other words, it determines whether the electronic key 32 is locked inside the vehicle. If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 116, and if the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step 120.

[0058] In step 116, the CPU 14A controls the actuator 24 to stop the closing operation of the vehicle door 30, and proceeds to step 118. Note that after the closing operation of the vehicle door 30 is stopped, the vehicle door 30 may be returned to the open position.

[0059] In step 118, the CPU 14A notifies the user that the result of the interior matching is normal, and then returns to step 100 to repeat the above-mentioned process. Specifically, for example, the CPU 14A generates an alarm sound indicating that the result of the interior matching is normal and that the electronic key 32 is locked inside. The CPU 14A may notify the user that the result of the interior matching is normal by flashing a lamp instead of the alarm sound. Alternatively, the CPU 14A may notify the user that the result of the interior matching is abnormal by both the alarm sound and the lamp. The notification in step 118 may be the same process as the notification in step 107.

[0060] On the other hand, in step 120, the CPU 14A judges whether or not the closing operation of the vehicle door 30 is completed. That is, it judges whether or not the closing operation of the vehicle door 30 continues and is completed. If the judgment is negative, the CPU 14A returns to step 112 and repeats the above-mentioned processing, and if the judgment is positive, the series of processing is terminated.

[0061] In this manner, in the modified example, when the electronic key 32 is determined to be in the area outside the vehicle compartment and then determined to not be in the area outside the vehicle compartment, i.e., when the occupant leaves the vehicle, the closing operation of the vehicle door 30 is initiated, thereby making it possible to reduce the discomfort felt by the user due to the time lag until the closing operation of the vehicle door 30 is initiated.

[0062] Also, in the modified example, if it is determined that the electronic key 32 is present in the vehicle interior area after the closing operation of the vehicle door 30 has begun, the closing operation of the vehicle door 30 is stopped, thereby preventing the electronic key 32 from being locked inside the vehicle.

[0063] In the process of FIG. 5, the processes of steps 104 and 112 correspond to an example of an acquisition unit, and the processes of steps 105, 110, 114, and correspond to an example of a control unit.

[0064] 5, the command to close the vehicle door 30 is received by the electronic key 32 or the kick sensor 26, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the process of step 102 in FIG. 5 may be omitted, that is, the vehicle door 30 may be controlled to close when the occupant leaves the vehicle.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the vehicle door 30 at the rear of the vehicle is described as an example of application, but the application is not limited to the rear of the vehicle, and the application may be to a vehicle door at another position.

[0066] In addition, the processing performed by the door control ECU 14 in each of the above embodiments has been described as software processing performed by executing a program, but this is not limited to this. For example, the processing may be performed by hardware such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), and an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). Alternatively, the processing may be a combination of both software and hardware. In addition, when the processing is performed by software, the program may be stored in various storage media and distributed.

[0067] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 10 Vehicle door opening and closing device (vehicle control system) 14 Door control ECU (vehicle control device, acquisition unit, and control unit) 24 Actuator (drive unit) 30 Vehicle Door 32 Electronic key (communication terminal)

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires a determination result of whether a predetermined communication terminal is located in an area inside the vehicle cabin and a determination result of whether the communication terminal is located in an area outside the vehicle cabin; a control unit that, when receiving a command to close a vehicle door, acquires a determination result of whether the communication terminal is in the vehicle exterior area by the acquisition unit and determines that the communication terminal is in the vehicle exterior area, starts a closing operation of the vehicle door, and acquires a determination result of whether the communication terminal is in the vehicle interior area by the acquisition unit after the start of the closing operation and determines that the communication terminal is in the vehicle interior area, stops the closing operation; Including, The vehicle control device, wherein the control unit starts the closing operation even before it is determined whether the door is in the vehicle interior area.

2. an acquisition unit that acquires a determination result of whether a predetermined communication terminal is located in an area inside the vehicle cabin and a determination result of whether the communication terminal is located in an area outside the vehicle cabin; a control unit that, when receiving a command to close a vehicle door, acquires a determination result of whether the communication terminal is in the vehicle exterior area by the acquisition unit and determines that the communication terminal is in the vehicle exterior area, starts a closing operation of the vehicle door, and acquires a determination result of whether the communication terminal is in the vehicle interior area by the acquisition unit after the start of the closing operation and determines that the communication terminal is in the vehicle interior area, stops the closing operation; Including, The control unit of the vehicle control device initiates the closing operation when it is determined that the communication terminal is in an area outside the vehicle cabin, and then when it is determined that the communication terminal is not in the area outside the vehicle cabin after it has been determined that the communication terminal is in the area outside the vehicle cabin.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit performs control to continue the closing operation when it is determined that the communication terminal is not within the vehicle interior area after starting the closing operation.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the control unit starts the closing operation even before it is determined whether the door is in the vehicle interior area.

5. A vehicle control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit starts the closing operation when it is determined that the communication terminal is in the outside vehicle area, and then when it is determined that the communication terminal is not in the outside vehicle area after it has been determined that the communication terminal is in the outside vehicle area.

6. A vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The communication terminal; a drive unit that is controlled by the control unit and drives the vehicle door to open and close; A vehicle control system including:

7. A vehicle control method executed by a computer, comprising: When a command to close the vehicle door is received, a determination result as to whether the communication terminal is in a predetermined area inside the vehicle is obtained, and when it is determined that the communication terminal is in an area outside the vehicle, an operation to close the vehicle door is started; obtaining a determination result as to whether the communication terminal is in an area outside the vehicle compartment after starting the closing operation, and performing control to stop the closing operation when it is determined that the communication terminal is in an area inside the vehicle compartment; The vehicle control method further includes starting the closing operation even before it is determined whether the door is in the vehicle interior area.

8. A vehicle control method executed by a computer, comprising: When a command to close the vehicle door is received, a determination result as to whether the communication terminal is in a predetermined area inside the vehicle is obtained, and when it is determined that the communication terminal is in an area outside the vehicle, an operation to close the vehicle door is started; obtaining a determination result as to whether the communication terminal is in an area outside the vehicle compartment after starting the closing operation, and performing control to stop the closing operation when it is determined that the communication terminal is in an area inside the vehicle compartment; The vehicle control method further includes starting the closing operation when it is determined that the communication terminal is in the area outside the vehicle cabin, and when it is determined that the communication terminal is not in the area outside the vehicle cabin after it has been determined that the communication terminal is in the area outside the vehicle cabin.

9. A vehicle control program for causing a computer to function as each part of the vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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