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

Abstract

To properly execute gradient estimation so as to automatically control a vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device includes: a parking control section which moves a vehicle from a temporary stop position up to a parking position on the basis of a result of detecting a peripheral situation of the vehicle; a getting-off determination section which determines whether an occupant of the vehicle gets off before the parking control section moves the vehicle; and a gradient determination section which measures a gradient value of a road surface positioned with the vehicle thereon and determines whether the gradient value is within a first prescribed range. The getting-off determination section executes the getting-off determination according to a second operation in which a terminal device is used by the occupant of the vehicle. The gradient determination section determines whether the gradient value is within the first prescribed range when it is determined that the occupant got off. The parking control section moves the vehicle from the temporary stop position up to the parking position when it is determined that the gradient value is within the first prescribed range.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a technique for controlling the running of a vehicle according to the inclination angle of the vehicle is known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for detecting the inclination angle of a vehicle and stopping the automatic running of the vehicle when the detected inclination angle is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The technique described in Patent Document 1 uses an inclination sensor to detect the inclination angle of a vehicle. However, the inclination sensor may not have high accuracy in gradient estimation due to the influence of temperature characteristics and deterioration. As a result, in the conventional technology, gradient estimation for automatic control of a vehicle may not be appropriately executed in some cases.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and one of its objects is to provide a vehicle control device, a system, a vehicle control method, and a program capable of appropriately executing gradient estimation for automatic control of a vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The vehicle control device, system, vehicle control method, and program according to the present invention employ the following configuration. (1): The vehicle control device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a parking control unit that moves the vehicle from a temporary stop position to a parking position based on the result of detecting the surrounding situation of the vehicle, a getting-off determination unit that determines whether or not an occupant of the vehicle has gotten off before the parking control unit moves the vehicle, and a gradient determination unit that measures a gradient value of the road surface on which the vehicle is located and determines whether or not the gradient value is within a first predetermined range with zero as a reference. The parking position is set by an occupant of the vehicle performing a first operation using an in-vehicle operation device mounted on the vehicle. The getting-off determination unit executes the determination of getting off in response to an occupant of the vehicle performing a second operation using a terminal device outside the vehicle. The gradient determination unit determines whether or not the gradient value is within the first predetermined range when it is determined by the getting-off determination unit that the occupant has gotten off. The parking control unit moves the vehicle from the temporary stop position to the parking position when it is determined by the gradient determination unit that the gradient value is within the first predetermined range.

[0007] (2): In the aspect of (1) above, when the gradient determination unit determines that the gradient value is outside the first predetermined range and within a second predetermined range, the gradient determination unit releases the braking of the braking device of the vehicle, and based on wheel speed information measured by a wheel-side sensor during a measurement period from the start time of measurement when a first predetermined period has elapsed after the release of the braking until a second predetermined period has elapsed, determines whether or not the gradient value is within the second predetermined range.

[0008] (3) In the aspect of (2) above, the vehicle is provided with an inclination sensor that measures the degree of inclination of the vehicle, and the gradient determination unit determines whether or not the gradient value based on the degree of inclination measured by the inclination sensor is within the first predetermined range. When the gradient value based on the degree of inclination measured by the inclination sensor is outside the first predetermined range and within the second predetermined range, the gradient determination unit determines whether or not the gradient value based on the wheel speed information is within the second predetermined range. When it is determined by the gradient determination unit that the gradient value based on the wheel speed information is within the second predetermined range, the parking control unit moves the vehicle from the temporary stop position to the parking position.

[0009] (4) In any one of the aspects of (1) to (3) above, when the gradient determination unit determines that the occupant has gotten off the vehicle by the getting-off determination unit and the occupant of the vehicle performs a third operation of instructing the parking control unit to park the vehicle using the terminal device outside the vehicle, the gradient determination unit determines whether or not the gradient value is within the first predetermined range.

[0010] (5) In any one of the aspects of (1) to (4) above, the vehicle control device further includes a gradient learning unit that learns the gradient value measured by the gradient determination unit as gradient information, and the gradient determination unit determines whether or not the gradient value is within the first predetermined range based on the gradient information learned by the gradient learning unit.

[0011] (6) In the aspect of (5) above, the gradient learning unit learns the gradient information by associating information indicating whether or not the gradient value is within the first predetermined range, image information of the surrounding situation, and position information of the vehicle.

[0012] (7): The system according to one aspect of the present invention includes the vehicle control device described in any one of the aspects (1) to (6) above, and an application program that operates in the terminal device, receives at least the second operation, and transmits to the vehicle control device that the second operation has been received.

[0013] (8): In the vehicle control method according to one aspect of the present invention, a computer moves the vehicle from a temporary stop position to a parking position based on the result of detecting the surrounding situation of the vehicle. Before moving the vehicle, it determines whether a passenger in the vehicle has gotten off, measures a gradient value of the road surface where the vehicle is located, determines whether the gradient value is within a first predetermined range with zero as a reference, the parking position is set by a first operation performed by a passenger in the vehicle using an in-vehicle operation device mounted on the vehicle, in response to a second operation performed by the passenger in the vehicle using a terminal device outside the vehicle, the determination of getting off is executed, when it is determined that the passenger has gotten off, it determines whether the gradient value is within the first predetermined range, and when it is determined that the gradient value is within the first predetermined range, the vehicle is moved from the temporary stop position to the parking position.

[0014] (9): The program according to one aspect of the present invention causes a computer to move the vehicle from a temporary stop position to a parking position based on the result of detecting the surrounding situation of the vehicle, causes the computer to determine whether a passenger in the vehicle has gotten off before moving the vehicle, measures a gradient value of the road surface where the vehicle is located, causes the computer to determine whether the gradient value is within a first predetermined range with zero as a reference, the parking position is set by a first operation performed by a passenger in the vehicle using an in-vehicle operation device mounted on the vehicle, in response to a second operation performed by the passenger in the vehicle using a terminal device outside the vehicle, causes the computer to execute the determination of getting off, when it is determined that the passenger has gotten off, causes the computer to determine whether the gradient value is within the first predetermined range, and when it is determined that the gradient value is within the first predetermined range, causes the vehicle to be moved from the temporary stop position to the parking position.

Advantages of the Invention

[0015] (1) to (9) According to the embodiments, gradient estimation for automatic control of a vehicle can be appropriately executed.

[0016] (2) According to the embodiment, measurement error can be reduced by canceling the measurement of the gradient value after a predetermined period has elapsed since the braking of the braking device was released.

[0017] (3) According to the embodiment, gradient estimation can be executed with higher accuracy by using both the inclination sensor and the wheel-side sensor.

[0018] (4) According to the embodiment, gradient estimation can be executed with higher accuracy by measuring the gradient value in a state where the occupant has gotten out of the vehicle.

[0019] (5) or (6) According to the embodiments, by determining whether to execute automatic parking using the gradient value measured in the past, the labor of measuring the gradient value of the same road surface can be saved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, embodiments of the vehicle control device, system, vehicle control method, and program of the present invention will be described. Note that the vehicle control device in the embodiments is assumed to be mounted on a vehicle. The vehicle is, for example, a vehicle with four wheels or the like, and its drive source is an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination thereof. The electric motor operates using the electric power generated by a generator connected to the internal combustion engine, or the discharge power of a secondary battery or a fuel cell.

[0022] [Overall Configuration] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle system 1 equipped with a vehicle control device according to an embodiment. The vehicle system 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes, for example, a camera 10, a radar device 12, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) 14, a sonar 16, a surrounding recognition device 18, a communication device 20, a HMI (Human Machine Interface) 30, a vehicle sensor 40, a navigation device 50, a driver monitor camera 60, a driving operator 70, a traveling driving force output device 80, a brake device 82, a steering device 84, and a vehicle control device 100. These devices and apparatuses are connected to each other by a multiplex communication line such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication line, a serial communication line, a wireless communication network, or the like. Note that the configuration shown in FIG. 1 is merely an example, and a part of the configuration may be omitted, or further, another configuration may be added.

[0023] The camera 10 is, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). One or more cameras 10 are attached to an arbitrary location of a vehicle (hereinafter, the host vehicle M) on which the vehicle system 1 is mounted. For example, when imaging the front of the host vehicle M, the camera 10 is attached to the upper part of the front windshield, the back surface of the rearview mirror, or the like. When imaging the rear of the host vehicle M, the camera 10 is attached to the upper part of the rear windshield, the back door, or the like. When imaging the side and the rear side of the host vehicle M, the camera 10 is attached to the door mirror or the like. The camera 10 periodically and repeatedly images the periphery of the host vehicle M, for example. The camera 10 may be a stereo camera.

[0024] The camera 10 further includes a fisheye camera capable of imaging the periphery of the host vehicle M in a wide angle (e.g., 360 degrees). The fisheye camera is, for example, attached to the upper part of the host vehicle M and images the periphery of the moving body M in a wide angle with respect to the horizontal direction. The fisheye camera may be realized by combining a plurality of cameras (a plurality of cameras that image a range of 120 degrees or 60 degrees with respect to the horizontal direction).

[0025] The radar device 12 radiates radio waves such as millimeter waves to the periphery of the host vehicle M, and detects radio waves (reflected waves) reflected by surrounding objects to detect at least the positions (distance and azimuth) of the objects. One or a plurality of radar devices 12 are attached to arbitrary locations on the host vehicle M. The radar device 12 may detect the positions and speeds of surrounding objects by the FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

[0026] The LIDAR 14 irradiates light to the periphery of the host vehicle M and measures scattered light. The LIDAR 14 detects the distance to the target based on the time from light emission to light reception. The light to be irradiated is, for example, pulsed laser light. The LIDAR 14 is attached to an arbitrary location on the host vehicle M.

[0027] The sonar 16 radiates ultrasonic waves to the periphery of the host vehicle M, and detects reflection or scattering by an object existing within a predetermined distance from the host vehicle M, thereby detecting the distance or position to the object. The sonar 16 is provided, for example, at the front end and the rear end of the host vehicle M and installed on a bumper or the like.

[0028] The surrounding recognition device 18 performs sensor fusion processing on the detection results of some or all of the components of the external sensors (for example, the camera 10, the radar device 12, the LIDAR 14, and the sonar 16), and recognizes the positions, types, speeds, etc. of the objects around the host vehicle M. The objects include, for example, other vehicles (for example, surrounding vehicles existing within a predetermined distance from the host vehicle M), pedestrians, bicycles, road structures, etc. The road structures include, for example, road signs, traffic signals, curbs, median strips, guardrails, fences, walls, railroad crossings, etc. The surrounding recognition device 18 outputs the recognition results to the vehicle control device 100. Note that the surrounding recognition device 18 may output the detection results of the external sensors to the vehicle control device 100 as they are. In that case, the surrounding recognition device 18 may be omitted from the configuration of the vehicle system 1. Also, the surrounding recognition device 18 may be included in the vehicle control device 100.

[0029] The communication device 20 communicates with, for example, other vehicles existing around the host vehicle M, the terminal device of the user using the host vehicle M, or various server devices by using networks such as a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), and the Internet.

[0030] The HMI 30 presents various information to the user of the host vehicle M and receives input operations by the user. The user includes, for example, passengers such as the driver and passengers who drive the host vehicle M. Hereinafter, unless otherwise distinguished, the description will be made by referring to them as "passengers". The HMI 30 includes, for example, a display unit, a speaker, and a turn signal switch. Also, the HMI 30 may include a buzzer, a touch panel, a switch, a key, a microphone, etc.

[0031] The vehicle sensor 40 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the host vehicle M, an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration, a yaw rate sensor that detects a yaw rate (for example, the rotational angular velocity around the vertical axis passing through the center of gravity of the host vehicle M), a direction sensor that detects the orientation of the host vehicle M, an inclination sensor that detects the inclination angle of the road surface on which the host vehicle M is located, a wheel speed sensor that detects the number of rotations of the wheels of the host vehicle M per unit time and outputs the number of wheel speed pulses indicating the detected number of rotations as a sensor value, a seat sensor that detects the load on the seat of the host vehicle M, and a door sensor that detects the open state of the door of the host vehicle M, and the like. Further, the vehicle sensor 40 may include a position sensor that detects the position of the host vehicle M. The position sensor is, for example, a sensor that acquires position information (longitude and latitude information) from a GPS (Global Positioning System) device. Also, the position sensor may be, for example, a sensor that acquires position information using a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 51 described later. The results detected by the vehicle sensor 40 are output to the vehicle control device 100.

[0032] The navigation device 50 includes, for example, a GNSS receiver 51 and a navigation HMI 52. The navigation device 50 holds map information 53 in a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory. The GNSS receiver 51 specifies the position of the vehicle M based on the signals received from the GNSS satellites. The position of the vehicle M may be specified or supplemented by an INS (Inertial Navigation System) using the output of the vehicle sensor 40. The navigation HMI 52 includes a display device, a speaker, a touch panel, keys, and the like. The navigation HMI 52 may be partially or entirely shared with the aforementioned HMI 30. The navigation device 50 determines, for example, a route from the position of the vehicle M specified by the GNSS receiver 51 (or an arbitrary input position) to the destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI 52 with reference to the map information 53.

[0033] The navigation device 50 further provides an automatic parking function for automatically parking the host vehicle M in cooperation with a vehicle control device 100 described later. In this case, "automatically parking" means that a passenger who has alighted from the host vehicle M automatically parks the host vehicle M by remote operation using his / her terminal device 200 at a position outside and close to the host vehicle M. In other words, "automatically parking" means parking the host vehicle M in a state where no passenger (including at least the driver) is on board. At this time, the passenger performing the operation may be outdoors or indoors in a building (such as a home) close to the parking position. The functional parts provided by the navigation device 50 to realize the automatic parking function will be described later.

[0034] The map information 53 is information in which the road shape is represented by, for example, a link indicating a road and a node connected by the link. The map information 53 may include the curvature of the road, POI (Point of Interest) information, and the like. Further, the map information 53 may include, for example, information on the center of a lane (lane) or information on the boundary of a lane (road marking). Further, the map information 53 may include road information, traffic regulation information, address information (address / postal code), facility information, telephone number information, and the like. The map information 53 may be updated at any time when the communication device 20 communicates with other devices. Further, the map information 53 may be stored in a storage unit 160 described later.

[0035] The driver monitoring camera 60 is a digital camera that uses a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD or CMOS. The driver monitoring camera 60 is attached to an arbitrary location in the host vehicle M at a position and orientation where it can image the head and upper body of the driver sitting in the driver's seat of the host vehicle M from the front (from the direction of imaging the face). For example, the driver monitoring camera 60 is attached to the upper part of a display device provided at the center of the instrument panel of the host vehicle M, the upper part of the front windshield, the rearview mirror, or the like. The driver monitoring camera 60 periodically and repeatedly images, for example, an image including the driver. Further, the driver monitoring camera 60 may image an image including passengers in the vehicle compartment in addition to the driver.

[0036] The driving operation elements 70 include, for example, a steering wheel for the driver to perform a steering operation, and various operation elements such as an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and a shift lever. An operation detection unit that detects, for example, the amount of operation of the operation by the driver is attached to each operation element of the driving operation elements 70. The operation detection unit detects the depression amount of the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal, the position of the shift lever, the steering angle and steering torque of the steering wheel, and the like. Then, the operation detection unit outputs a detection signal indicating the detection result to one or both of the vehicle control device 100, or the driving force output device 80, the brake device 82, and the steering device 84.

[0037] The driving force output device 80 outputs a driving force (torque) for the host vehicle M to travel to the drive wheels. The driving force output device 80 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, and a transmission, and a power ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls these. The power ECU controls the above configuration according to information input from the vehicle control device 100 (for example, a parking control unit 140 described later) or information input from the driving operation elements 70.

[0038] The braking device 82 includes, for example, a brake caliper, a cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the cylinder, and a brake ECU. The brake ECU controls the electric motor according to information input from the vehicle control device 100 (for example, the parking control unit 140) or information input from the operation operator 70, so that braking torque corresponding to the braking operation is output to each wheel. The braking device 82 may include, as a backup, a mechanism that transmits the hydraulic pressure generated by the operation of the brake pedal included in the operation operator 70 to the cylinder via the master cylinder. Note that the braking device 82 is not limited to the configuration described above, and may be an electronically controlled hydraulic braking device that controls an actuator according to information input from the vehicle control device 100 and transmits the hydraulic pressure of the master cylinder to the cylinder.

[0039] The steering device 84 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor acts on, for example, a rack and pinion mechanism to change the direction of the steered wheels. The steering ECU drives the electric motor according to information input from the vehicle control device 100 (for example, the parking control unit 140) or information input from the operation operator 70, and changes the direction of the steered wheels.

[0040] [Configuration of Vehicle Control Device 100] The vehicle control device 100 includes, for example, a control unit 110, a getting-off determination unit 120, a gradient determination unit 130, a parking control unit 140, a gradient learning unit 150, and a storage unit 160. The control unit 110, the getting-off determination unit 120, the gradient determination unit 130, the parking control unit 140, and the gradient learning unit 150 are each realized, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). Also, some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including a circuit unit; circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be realized by cooperation between software and hardware. The above-described program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device having a non-transitory storage medium) such as an HDD or a flash memory of the vehicle control device 100, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD, a CD-ROM, or a memory card, and may be installed in the storage device of the vehicle control device 100 by mounting the storage medium (non-transitory storage medium) on a drive device or a card slot or the like. The storage unit 160 stores gradient information 162 that has been measured by the gradient determination unit 130 and learned by the gradient learning unit 150 in the past. The storage unit 160 is, for example, an HDD, a flash memory, a RAM (Random Access Memory), or the like.

[0041] [Control by Vehicle Control Device 100] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 2 to 7, an overview of the control executed by the vehicle control device 100 will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a scene where the control by the vehicle control device 100 is executed. FIG. 2 shows a scene where the host vehicle M enters a parking lot PL and attempts to park in an empty parking space. The occupant of the host vehicle M can park by manual driving, but in this embodiment, the occupant parks the host vehicle M using the automatic parking function in the unmanned state provided by the vehicle control device 100.

[0042] First, for example, the occupant selects the execution of the automatic parking function via the navigation HMI 52 of the navigation device 50. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed when the occupant selects the execution of the automatic parking function on the navigation HMI 52. As shown in FIG. 3, in response to the occupant selecting the execution of the automatic parking function on the navigation HMI 52, the control unit 110 extracts a parking space in which the host vehicle M can park based on the surrounding situation recognized by the surrounding recognition device 18. In particular, the vehicle control device 100 can extract a parking space in which the host vehicle M can park based on the surrounding situation recognized based on the fisheye camera included in the camera 10 and the sonar 16.

[0043] Next, when the control unit 110 extracts a parking space in which the host vehicle M can park, the extracted parking space is displayed on the navigation HMI 52. In FIG. 3, as an example, the words "Can be selected" are attached to the parking space where parking is possible, but the display mode of the parking space where parking is possible is not limited to this. For example, the parking space may be indicated as being parkable by a thick frame, a dotted line, a blinking mode, or the like. Also, in FIG. 3, as an example, only one parking space where parking is possible is displayed, but a plurality of parking spaces where parking is possible may be displayed at the same time. The occupant selects a parking space where they wish to park from among the parking spaces where parking is possible displayed on the navigation HMI 52. The selection of the parking space by the occupant is an example of the "first operation".

[0044] Next, when a parking space that can be parked by the occupant is selected on the navigation HMI 52, the control unit 110 causes the navigation HMI 52 to display information indicating the selection of the parking space. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed when the occupant selects a parking space where the vehicle can be parked on the navigation HMI 52. As shown in FIG. 4, when a parking space that can be parked by the occupant is selected on the navigation HMI 52, the control unit 110 causes the navigation HMI 52 to display, in addition to the information indicating the selection of the parking space, the shift position of the host vehicle M set to P (parking), get out of the vehicle, and display instruction information for instructing to start an automatic parking application installed in a terminal device 200 such as a smartphone held by the occupant. At the same time, the control unit 110 generates a parking plan for moving the host vehicle M to the selected parking space. The control unit 110 may output the instruction information as voice information using, for example, the speaker of the navigation HMI 52. The position of the host vehicle M when the occupant sets the shift position to P (parking) and gets out of the vehicle is an example of a "temporary stop position".

[0045] Next, the occupant sets the shift position to P according to the instruction information displayed on the navigation HMI 52 and gets out of the host vehicle M. When the occupant gets out of the host vehicle M, the occupant starts the automatic parking application of the terminal device 200. When the automatic parking application of the terminal device 200 is started, the automatic parking application displays a disclaimer for confirming that the occupant has gotten out of the host vehicle M.

[0046] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a disclaimer displayed on the automatic parking application of the terminal device 200. As shown in FIG. 5, the automatic parking application displays, for example, as a disclaimer, a message for confirming that the shift position has been set to P, all the occupants of the host vehicle M have gotten out of the vehicle, all the luggage of the occupant has been unloaded, and the door of the host vehicle M has been closed. Note that the content of the disclaimer is not limited to the above, and the automatic parking application may display only a part of the above message as a disclaimer.

[0047] When the occupant checks the disclaimer displayed on the automatic parking app and presses the confirmation button B1, the automatic parking app transmits information indicating that the occupant has pressed the confirmation button B1 to the vehicle control device 100 via the communication device 20. When the vehicle control device 100 receives the information, the getting-off determination unit 120 determines whether the occupant of the host vehicle M has gotten off. More specifically, the getting-off determination unit 120 may determine whether the occupant has gotten off based on, for example, an image captured by the driver monitor camera 60, or may determine whether the occupant has gotten off based on whether a seat sensor provided behind the seat of the host vehicle M has detected a load, or may determine whether the occupant has gotten off based on whether the seat belt of the host vehicle M is locked. Further, in addition to determining whether the occupant has gotten off, the getting-off determination unit 120 may also determine whether there is no luggage in the passenger compartment of the host vehicle M or whether the door of the host vehicle M has been closed after being opened. The getting-off determination unit 120 can determine whether there is no luggage in the passenger compartment of the host vehicle M based on, for example, the output result of the seat sensor, and can determine whether the door of the host vehicle M has been closed after being opened based on the output result of the door sensor. The operation of the occupant pressing the confirmation button B1 is an example of the "second operation".

[0048] When the getting-off determination unit 120 determines that the occupant of the host vehicle M has gotten off, it transmits a notification to the terminal device 200 permitting confirmation of getting off and execution of automatic parking. When the terminal device 200 receives the notification, the automatic parking app accepts from the occupant the start of execution of automatic parking. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the automatic parking start screen displayed on the automatic parking app of the terminal device 200. As shown in FIG. 6, when the user presses the start button B2 displayed on the automatic parking start screen, the automatic parking app transmits information indicating that the occupant has pressed the confirmation button B2 to the vehicle control device 100 via the communication device 20. The operation of the occupant pressing the confirmation button B2 is an example of the "third operation".

[0049] When the vehicle control device 100 receives information indicating that the occupant has pressed the confirmation button B2, the gradient determination unit 130 measures the gradient value of the road surface where the host vehicle M is located using an inclination sensor, and determines whether the gradient value is within a first predetermined range with zero as a reference.

[0050] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a scene where the host vehicle M moves unmanned from the current position to a parking position designated by the occupant. When the gradient determination unit 130 determines that the gradient value of the road surface where the host vehicle M is located is within the first predetermined range, the parking control unit 140 moves the host vehicle M unmanned from the current position to the parking position designated by the occupant. At this time, the parking control unit 140 moves the host vehicle M at a speed of, for example, several km / h. The control when the gradient determination unit 130 determines that the gradient value of the road surface where the host vehicle M is located is outside the first predetermined range will be described later.

[0051] The gradient learning unit 150 learns the gradient value measured by the gradient determination unit 130 as gradient information 162 and stores it in the storage unit 160. More specifically, the gradient learning unit 150 associates the gradient value measured by the gradient determination unit 130, the image information of the surrounding situation captured by the fisheye camera, and the position information of the vehicle M specified by the GNSS receiver 51, and stores it in the storage unit 160. Thereby, when the gradient determination unit 130 executes automatic parking at the same point again, it is not necessary to measure the gradient value of the road surface again, and based on the gradient information 162, it can be determined whether the gradient of the point is within the first predetermined range.

[0052] [Determination method by gradient determination unit 130] Next, with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10, the method for determining the gradient executed by the gradient determination unit 130 will be described in more detail. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the method for determining the gradient executed by the gradient determination unit 130 using an inclination sensor. As shown at the upper part of FIG. 8, the gradient determination unit 130 determines, as a first predetermined range, whether or not the gradient value measured by the inclination sensor is within the range of -4% or more and 8.5% or less. This is because the gradient value measured by the inclination sensor is assumed to deviate from the true value by -4.5% to +9%, and in order to permit the execution of automatic parking within the gradient range of ±13%, it is preferable to set the first predetermined range to the range of -4% or more and 8.5% or less.

[0053] When the gradient determination unit 130 determines that the gradient value measured by the inclination sensor is not within the first predetermined range, it then determines whether or not the gradient value is within a second predetermined range. As shown at the lower part of FIG. 8, the second predetermined range is set, for example, to the range of -8% or more and 12% or less. When the gradient value measured by the inclination sensor is outside the first predetermined range and within the second predetermined range, this means that the true value of the gradient value may deviate up to the range of -15% to +15% and may be outside the range of ±13%. Therefore, when the gradient value measured by the inclination sensor is outside the first predetermined range and within the second predetermined range, the gradient determination unit 130 re-measures the gradient value based on the number of wheel speed pulses output by the output wheel speed sensor, as described below. On the other hand, when the gradient value measured by the inclination sensor is outside the second predetermined range, the control unit 110 aborts the execution of automatic parking and transmits a notification indicating that to the terminal device 200. When the terminal device 200 receives the notification, the automatic parking application, for example, displays information indicating the abort of the execution of automatic parking and prompts the occupant to move or park the host vehicle M manually.

[0054] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a method for determining a gradient that the gradient determination unit 130 executes using a wheel speed sensor. First, at time t1, the occupant of the host vehicle M sets the shift position of the host vehicle M to P as instructed by the automatic parking application of the terminal device 200, turns on the brake device 82, and gets out of the host vehicle M. After that, when the occupant confirms the disclaimer displayed on the automatic parking application and the getting-off determination unit 120 determines that the occupant has gotten off, the gradient determination unit 130 determines whether the gradient value measured by the inclination sensor is within a first predetermined range. When it is determined by the gradient determination unit 130 that the gradient value is outside the first predetermined range and within the second predetermined range, the gradient determination unit 130 sets the shift position to N (neutral) at time t2 in order to measure the gradient value again using the wheel speed sensor. Furthermore, at time t3, the brake device 82 is turned off for a moment. As a result, if the road surface on which the host vehicle M is located is inclined, the host vehicle M moves due to gravity, so the gradient determination unit 130 can measure the gradient value based on the wheel speed pulses output by the wheel speed sensor.

[0055] FIG. 10 is another diagram for explaining a method for determining a gradient that the gradient determination unit 130 executes using a wheel speed sensor. As shown in FIG. 10, after a first predetermined period has elapsed since the occupant turned on the brake device 82 to stop the host vehicle M, the gradient determination unit 130 starts measuring the gradient value based on the wheel speed pulses output by the wheel speed sensor. This is because immediately after the host vehicle M stops, the friction coefficient μ between the brake pad and the rotor varies due to temperature changes and deterioration, so it is desirable for a certain period of time to elapse after the host vehicle M stops in order to accurately estimate the gradient value. When the gradient determination unit 130 measures the gradient value for a second predetermined period, the control unit 110 turns on the brake device 82 to end the measurement. If a pulse count indicating a gradient of a certain level or more is confirmed during the measurement of the wheel speed pulses by the gradient determination unit 130, the control unit 110 turns on the brake device 82 at that time to abort the measurement. through

[0056] ​When the parking control unit 140 determines that the gradient value measured by the wheel speed sensor is within the second predetermined range, it moves the host vehicle M unmanned from the current position to the parking position designated by the occupant. This is because it is determined that the gradient value measured by the inclination sensor is outside the first predetermined range and within the second predetermined range, so there is a possibility that the true value of the gradient value deviates from the range of -15% to +15%. On the other hand, since it is also confirmed that the gradient value measured by the wheel speed sensor is within the second predetermined range, it is confirmed that there is a high possibility that the true value of the gradient value is within the range of ±13%. In this way, by measuring the gradient value using both the inclination sensor and the wheel speed sensor, the estimation of the road surface gradient can be performed with high accuracy.

[0057] [Flow of operations] Next, with reference to FIGS. 11 to 13, the flow of operations executed by the vehicle control device 100 will be described. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of operations executed by the vehicle control device 100.

[0058] First, the vehicle control device 100 determines whether or not the occupant has selected the execution of the automatic parking function on the navigation HMI 52 (step S100). If it is determined that the occupant has not selected the execution of the automatic parking function on the navigation HMI 52, the vehicle control device 100 waits until the execution selection of the automatic parking function is received. On the other hand, if it is determined that the occupant has selected the execution of the automatic parking function on the navigation HMI 52, the vehicle control device 100 then determines whether or not the occupant has selected a parking frame in which the host vehicle M can park on the navigation HMI 52 (step S102). If it is determined that the occupant has not selected a parking frame in which the host vehicle M can park on the navigation HMI 52, the vehicle control device 100 waits until a parking frame in which the host vehicle M can park is selected. If it is determined that a parking frame in which the host vehicle M can park has been selected, the vehicle control device 100 generates a parking plan for moving the host vehicle M to the selected parking frame (step S104).

[0059] Next, the vehicle control device 100 causes the navigation HMI 52 to display instruction information for instructing to set the shift position of the host vehicle M to P, get out of the vehicle, and start the automatic parking application installed in the terminal device 200 held by the occupant (step S106). Next, the vehicle control device 100 determines whether or not it has received from the terminal device 200 confirmation of the disclaimer displayed on the automatic parking application (step S108). If it is not determined that the confirmation of the disclaimer displayed on the automatic parking application has been received from the terminal device 200, the vehicle control device 100 waits until the confirmation of the disclaimer is received from the terminal device 200.

[0060] If it is determined that the confirmation of the disclaimer displayed on the automatic parking application has been received from the terminal device 200, the vehicle control device 100 determines whether or not the occupant has got out of the host vehicle M (step S110). If it is not determined that the occupant has got out of the host vehicle M, the vehicle control device 100 causes, for example, the automatic parking application to display a message for notifying the occupant to get out of the host vehicle M, and waits until the occupant has finished getting out of the vehicle (step S110). On the other hand, if it is determined that the occupant has got out of the host vehicle M, the vehicle control device 100 next determines whether or not it has received from the terminal device 200 information instructing to start the execution of automatic parking (step S112).

[0061] If it is not determined that the information instructing to start the execution of automatic parking has been received from the terminal device 200, the vehicle control device 100 waits until it receives the information instructing to start the execution of automatic parking. On the other hand, if it is determined that the information instructing to start the execution of automatic parking has been received from the terminal device 200, the vehicle control device 100 next determines whether or not it is necessary to check the gradient of the road surface where the host vehicle M is currently parked (step S114). More specifically, the vehicle control device 100 refers to the gradient information 162 in the storage unit 160 based on the current position information of the vehicle M specified by the GNSS receiver 51, and determines whether or not a gradient value corresponding to the position information is stored.

[0062] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of operations executed by the vehicle control device 100 when it is determined that it is necessary to check the slope of the road surface where the host vehicle M is currently parked. When it is determined that it is necessary to check the slope of the road surface where the host vehicle M is currently parked, the vehicle control device 100 determines whether the slope value measured by the inclination sensor is within a first predetermined range (step S116). When it is determined that the slope value measured by the inclination sensor is within the first predetermined range, the vehicle control device 100 unmannedly moves the host vehicle M to the parking space based on the generated parking plan (step S118). On the other hand, when it is not determined that the slope value measured by the inclination sensor is within the first predetermined range, the vehicle control device 100 determines whether the slope value is within a second predetermined range (step S120). When it is not determined that the slope value measured by the inclination sensor is within the second predetermined range, the vehicle control device 100 determines not to execute automatic parking, and for example, displays information indicating the cancellation of the execution of automatic parking on the automatic parking application, or prompts the occupant to move or park the host vehicle M manually (step S122).

[0063] When it is determined that the gradient value measured by the inclination sensor is within the second predetermined range, the vehicle control device 100 sets the shift position to N (step S124) and sets the brake device 82 to off (step S126). Next, after the brake device 82 is turned off and a predetermined period has elapsed, the vehicle control device 100 starts measuring the wheel speed pulses by the wheel speed sensor, and measures the gradient value based on the measured wheel speed pulses (step S128). Next, the vehicle control device 100 determines whether the gradient value based on the measured wheel speed pulses is within the second predetermined range (step S130). When it is determined that the gradient value based on the measured wheel speed pulses is within the second predetermined range, the vehicle control device 100 moves the host vehicle M unmanned to the parking space based on the generated parking plan. On the other hand, when it is not determined that the gradient value based on the measured wheel speed pulses is within the second predetermined range, the vehicle control device 100 determines not to execute automatic parking. For example, the vehicle control device 100 displays information indicating the cancellation of the execution of automatic parking on the automatic parking application, or prompts the occupant to move or park the host vehicle M manually. Next, the vehicle control device 100 associates the measured gradient value, the image information of the surrounding situation captured by the fisheye camera, and the position information of the vehicle M specified by the GNSS receiver 51, and stores them in the storage unit 160 (step S132). Thereby, the processing of the flowchart executed when it is determined that the gradient check of the road surface where the host vehicle M is currently parked is necessary ends.

[0064] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of operations executed by the vehicle control device 100 when it is determined that the gradient check of the road surface where the host vehicle M is currently parked is unnecessary. When it is determined that the gradient check of the road surface where the host vehicle M is currently parked is unnecessary, the vehicle control device 100 acquires the gradient value corresponding to the position information of the road surface where the host vehicle M is currently parked (step S134). Next, the vehicle control device 100 determines whether the acquired gradient value is within the first predetermined range (step S136).

[0065] When it is determined that the obtained gradient value is within the first predetermined range, the vehicle control device 100 moves the host vehicle M unmanned to the parking space based on the generated parking plan (step S138). On the other hand, when it is not determined that the gradient value based on the measured wheel speed pulses is within the first predetermined range, the vehicle control device 100 determines not to execute automatic parking, and for example, displays information indicating the cancellation of the execution of automatic parking on the automatic parking application, or prompts the occupant to move or park the host vehicle M manually (step S140). Thereby, the processing of the flowchart executed when it is determined that it is unnecessary to check the gradient of the road surface where the host vehicle M is currently parked ends.

[0066] In the flowchart of FIG. 13 described above, the vehicle control device 100 determines whether the gradient value obtained from the storage unit 160 is within the first predetermined range. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and it may be determined whether the gradient value is within the second predetermined range. Further, when it is not determined that the obtained gradient value is within the first predetermined range, similar to the processing from step S124 to step S130 in FIG. 12, it may be determined whether the gradient value measured by the wheel speed sensor is within the second predetermined range.

[0067] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, it has been described that the vehicle speed at which the parking control unit 140 moves the host vehicle M unmanned is about several km / h. At this time, the parking control unit 140 may change the vehicle speed according to the gradient value measured by the inclination sensor or the wheel speed sensor. For example, when the measured gradient value is within the range of ±4%, the parking control unit 140 may increase the vehicle speed compared to the case where it is not. When the measured gradient value is within the range of -8% or more and less than -4%, or +8.5% or more and less than 12%, the parking control unit 140 may decrease the vehicle speed compared to the case where it is not. Thereby, while ensuring the safety of the occupant, the marketability of the vehicle control device 100 can be enhanced.

[0068] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, as an example, a scenario where the host vehicle M parks in the parking lot PL has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and for example, it can be applied to a scenario where the host vehicle M parks in an arbitrary parking frame such as a garage or a parking space at the occupant's home, or a road shoulder.

[0069] As described above, according to the present embodiment, when automatically parking the host vehicle M unmanned by automatic parking, it is determined whether or not the gradient value based on the value of the inclination sensor is within a predetermined range. When it is determined that the gradient value is outside the predetermined range, it is determined whether or not the gradient value based on the wheel speed pulses of the wheel speed sensor is within the predetermined range, thereby estimating the gradient of the road surface on which the host vehicle M is located, and determining whether or not to execute automatic parking based on the estimation result. Thereby, gradient estimation for automatic control of the vehicle can be appropriately executed.

[0070] The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows. A storage device storing a program, A hardware processor, and Based on the result of detecting the surrounding situation of the vehicle, moving the vehicle from the temporary stop position to the parking position, Before moving the vehicle, determining whether or not the occupant of the vehicle has gotten out of the vehicle, Measuring the gradient value of the road surface on which the vehicle is located, and determining whether or not the gradient value is within a first predetermined range with zero as a reference, The parking position is set by the occupant of the vehicle performing a first operation using an in-vehicle operation device mounted on the vehicle, In response to the occupant of the vehicle performing a second operation using a terminal device outside the vehicle, executing the determination of getting out of the vehicle, When it is determined that the occupant has gotten out of the vehicle, determining whether or not the gradient value is within the first predetermined range, When it is determined that the gradient value is within the first predetermined range, moving the vehicle from the temporary stop position to the parking position, A vehicle control device configured as described above.

[0071] As described above, the embodiments for carrying out the present invention have been described using the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0072] 1... Vehicle system, 10... Camera, 12... Radar device, 14... LIDAR, 16... Sonar, 18... Peripheral recognition device, 20... Communication device, 30... HMI, 40... Vehicle sensor, 50... Navigation device, 51... GNSS receiver, 52... Navigation HMI, 53... Map information, 60... Driver monitoring camera, 70... Driving operator, 80... Travel driving force output device, 82... Brake device, 84... Steering device, 100... Vehicle control device, 110... Control unit, 120... Getting-off determination unit, 130... Gradient determination unit, 140... Parking control unit, 150... Gradient learning unit, 160... Memory unit

Claims

1. A parking control unit that moves the vehicle from a temporary stop position to a parking position based on the result of detecting the surrounding situation of the vehicle; A getting-off determination unit that determines whether or not an occupant of the vehicle has gotten off before the parking control unit moves the vehicle; A gradient determination unit that determines whether or not a gradient value representing the longitudinal gradient of the road surface on which the vehicle is located, measured using an inclination sensor, is within a first predetermined range with zero as a reference; and The parking position is set by an occupant of the vehicle performing a first operation using an in-vehicle operation device mounted on the vehicle; The getting-off determination unit executes the determination of getting off in response to an occupant of the vehicle performing a second operation using a terminal device outside the vehicle; When the getting-off determination unit determines that the occupant has gotten off, the gradient determination unit determines whether or not the gradient value is within the first predetermined range; When the gradient determination unit determines that the gradient value is within the first predetermined range, the parking control unit moves the vehicle from the temporary stop position to the parking position; When the gradient determination unit determines that the gradient value is outside the first predetermined range and within a second predetermined range, the braking of the braking device of the vehicle is released, and within a measurement period from the start time when the first predetermined period has elapsed after the release of the braking to when the second predetermined period has elapsed, based on wheel speed information measured by a wheel speed sensor, it is determined whether or not the gradient value is within the second predetermined range; When the gradient determination unit determines that the gradient value based on the wheel speed information is within the second predetermined range, the parking control unit moves the vehicle from the temporary stop position to the parking position; The second predetermined range is a wider range including the first predetermined range; A vehicle control device.

2. When the gradient determination unit determines that the occupant has gotten off as determined by the getting-off determination unit, and the occupant of the vehicle performs a third operation of instructing the parking of the vehicle by the parking control unit using the terminal device outside the vehicle, the gradient determination unit determines whether or not the gradient value is within the first predetermined range; The vehicle control device according to Claim 1.

3. Further comprising a gradient learning unit that learns the gradient value measured by the gradient determination unit as gradient information; The gradient determination unit determines whether or not the gradient value is within the first predetermined range based on the gradient information learned by the gradient learning unit; The gradient learning unit learns the gradient information by associating information indicating whether the gradient value is within the first predetermined range, image information of the surrounding situation, and position information of the vehicle. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, and An application program that operates in the terminal device, receives at least the second operation, and transmits to the vehicle control device that the second operation has been received. A system comprising.

5. A computer, Based on the result of detecting the surrounding situation of the vehicle, move the vehicle from the temporary stop position to the parking position, Before moving the vehicle, determine whether the occupant of the vehicle has gotten off, Determine whether the gradient value representing the longitudinal gradient of the road surface on which the vehicle is located, measured using an inclination sensor, is within a first predetermined range with zero as a reference, The parking position is set by the occupant of the vehicle performing a first operation using an in-vehicle operation device mounted on the vehicle. In response to the occupant of the vehicle performing a second operation using a terminal device outside the vehicle, execute the determination of getting off, When it is determined that the occupant has gotten off, determine whether the gradient value is within the first predetermined range, When it is determined that the gradient value is within the first predetermined range, move the vehicle from the temporary stop position to the parking position, When it is determined that the gradient value is outside the first predetermined range and within a second predetermined range, release the braking of the braking device of the vehicle, and from the measurement start time when the first predetermined period has elapsed after the release of the braking until the second predetermined period has elapsed, based on the wheel speed information measured by the wheel speed sensor, determine whether the gradient value is within the second predetermined range, When it is determined that the gradient value based on the wheel speed information is within the second predetermined range, move the vehicle from the temporary stop position to the parking position, The second predetermined range is a wider range including the first predetermined range. Vehicle control method.

6. To a computer, Based on the result of detecting the surrounding situation of the vehicle, move the vehicle from the temporary stop position to the parking position, Before moving the vehicle, cause determination as to whether the occupant of the vehicle has gotten off, Cause determination as to whether the gradient value representing the longitudinal gradient of the road surface on which the vehicle is located, measured using an inclination sensor, is within a first predetermined range with zero as a reference. The parking position is set by a first operation performed by an occupant of the vehicle using an in-vehicle operation device mounted on the vehicle. When the occupant of the vehicle performs a second operation using a terminal device outside the vehicle, the determination of getting off the vehicle is executed. When it is determined that the occupant has gotten off the vehicle, it is determined whether or not the gradient value is within the first predetermined range. When it is determined that the gradient value is within the first predetermined range, the vehicle is moved from the temporary stop position to the parking position. When it is determined that the gradient value is outside the first predetermined range and within the second predetermined range, the braking of the braking device of the vehicle is released, and based on the wheel speed information measured by the wheel speed sensor during the measurement period from the measurement start time when the first predetermined period has elapsed after the release of the braking to the time when the second predetermined period has elapsed, it is determined whether or not the gradient value is within the second predetermined range. When it is determined that the gradient value based on the wheel speed information is within the second predetermined range, the vehicle is moved from the temporary stop position to the parking position. The second predetermined range is a wider range including the first predetermined range. Program.

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