Control device, control method, and control program

Abstract

To provide a control device, a control method, and a control program which can efficiently execute registration processing of a parking position.SOLUTION: A control device includes an external environment recognition part 55 for acquiring recognition data of an external environment of the vehicle 10, a parking control part 56 for performing parking control to park the vehicle 10 at a parking position selected by a user on the basis of the recognition data, and a registration processing part 58 for registering the parking position as a specified parking position 64. The registration processing part 58 detects feature points 65a to 65f of the parking position when the parking position is selected by the user, starts registration processing for registering the parking position as the specified parking position 64, including verification processing of the feature points 65a to 65f, when acquiring the feature points 65a to 65f, inquires a user whether registration of the specified parking position 64 is necessary after the verification processing starts, and registers the parking position as the specified parking position 64 on the basis of the registration necessity received from the user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

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

[0003] Conventionally, there is known an automatic parking control that detects a parking space and automatically moves a vehicle to the detected parking space for parking. Also known is an automatic parking control in which a designated parking space is registered in advance, the registered parking space is detected, and the vehicle is automatically moved to the parking space for parking. Patent Document 1 describes that after a user touches an operation button for starting the registration process of a parking position and then performs a manual driving parking in which the user himself / herself drives the vehicle and moves the vehicle toward "the parking position where registration is desired", while the vehicle is moving toward the parking position where registration is desired, feature point information is acquired every time a predetermined time elapses and stored in a nonvolatile memory.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, even when the memory registration process is executed based on the user's request, there may be cases where feature points cannot be acquired due to weather, illuminance, or the like. In this case, in the parking support device of Patent Document 1, since the user touches the registration process start button at the parking position at the start of parking, a situation may occur where the parking position cannot be registered even though the user wishes to register. Therefore, for example, a method of inquiring the user whether registration is necessary after the feature points have been acquired and registering the parking position when an answer of "registration required" is received from the user can be considered. However, in order to register the parking position, it is necessary to verify the self-position estimation for parking the user's vehicle at the target parking position based on the acquired feature points, and a predetermined time is required for this verification. For this reason, after receiving an answer of "registration required" from the user, the user must wait for a predetermined time until the registration is completed. However, Patent Document 1 does not describe countermeasures for these points. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the prior art with respect to these points.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a control device, a control method, and a control program capable of efficiently executing a registration process for a parking position. And, by extension, it contributes to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The present invention is a control device for a moving body, an external recognition unit that acquires recognition data of the outside of the moving body, a parking control unit that performs parking control for parking the moving body at a parking position selected by the user of the moving body based on the recognition data, and a registration processing unit that registers the parking position as a designated parking position, wherein the registration processing unit when the parking position is selected by the user, detects feature points of the parking position, and when the feature points can be acquired, starts a registration process for registering the parking position as the designated parking position, including a verification process of the feature points. After starting the verification process when parking at the parking position by the parking control is completed inquire of the user whether or not to register the designated parking position, and register the parking position as the designated parking position based on the registration necessity / non-necessity received from the user, which is a control device.

[0008] The present invention includes an external recognition unit that acquires recognition data of the outside of a moving body, a parking control unit that performs parking control for parking the moving body at a parking position selected by a user of the moving body based on the recognition data, and a registration processing unit that registers the parking position as a designated parking position, and is a control method by a control device of the moving body, wherein a processor of the control device when the parking position is selected by the user, detects feature points of the parking position, when the feature points can be acquired, starts a registration process for registering the parking position as the designated parking position, including a verification process of the feature points, After starting the verification process when parking at the parking position by the parking control is completed inquire of the user whether or not to register the designated parking position, and register the parking position as the designated parking position based on the registration necessity / non-necessity received from the user, which is a control method.

[0009] The present invention is a control program for a control device of a moving body, which includes an external recognition unit that acquires recognition data of the outside of the moving body, a parking control unit that performs parking control for parking the moving body at a parking position selected by a user of the moving body based on the recognition data, and a registration processing unit that registers the parking position as a designated parking position, wherein, in a processor of the control device, when the parking position is selected by the user, detects feature points of the parking position, When the feature points can be obtained, start the registration process for registering the parking position as the designated parking position, including the verification process of the feature points. After starting the verification process when parking at the parking position by the parking control is completed inquire of the user whether the designated parking position needs to be registered, Based on the registration necessity received from the user, register the parking position as the designated parking position. It is a control program for executing the process.

Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a control device, a control method, and a control program capable of efficiently executing the registration process of the parking position.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

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Figure 15

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the control device, control method, and control program of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the drawings are to be viewed in the direction of the reference numerals. In addition, in this specification and the like, for the sake of simplicity and clarity of the description, the front-back, left-right, and up-down directions are described according to the directions seen from the driver of the vehicle 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and in the drawings, the front of the vehicle 10 is shown as Fr, the rear as Rr, the left as L, the right as R, the upper as U, and the lower as D.

[0013] <Vehicle 10 equipped with the control device of the present invention> FIG. 1 is a side view of the vehicle 10 equipped with the control device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a top view of the vehicle 10 shown in FIG. 1. The vehicle 10 is an example of the moving body of the present invention.

[0014] Vehicle 10 is an automobile having a drive source (not shown), drive wheels driven by the power of the drive source, and wheels including steerable steering wheels. In the present embodiment, vehicle 10 is a four-wheel automobile having a pair of left and right front wheels and rear wheels. The drive source of vehicle 10 is, for example, an electric motor. Note that the drive source of vehicle 10 may be an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine, or a combination of an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. Further, the drive source of vehicle 10 may drive a pair of left and right front wheels, a pair of left and right rear wheels, or four wheels including a pair of left and right front wheels and rear wheels. The front wheels and the rear wheels may both be steerable steering wheels, or either one of them may be a steerable steering wheel.

[0015] Vehicle 10 further includes side mirrors 11L and 11R. The side mirrors 11L and 11R are mirrors (rearview mirrors) provided outside the front seat doors of vehicle 10 for the driver to check the rear and the rear sides. The side mirrors 11L and 11R are each fixed to the main body of vehicle 10 by a rotating shaft extending in the vertical direction, and can be opened and closed by rotating about this rotating shaft.

[0016] Vehicle 10 further includes a front camera 12Fr, a rear camera 12Rr, a left side camera 12L, and a right side camera 12R. The front camera 12Fr is provided in front of vehicle 10 and is a digital camera that images the front of vehicle 10. The rear camera 12Rr is provided behind vehicle 10 and is a digital camera that images the rear of vehicle 10. The left side camera 12L is provided in the left side mirror 11L of vehicle 10 and is a digital camera that images the left side of vehicle 10. The right side camera 12R is provided in the right side mirror 11R of vehicle 10 and is a digital camera that images the right side of vehicle 10.

[0017] <Internal Configuration of Vehicle 10> Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the vehicle 10 shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle 10 includes a sensor group 16, a navigation device 18, a control ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 20, an EPS (Electric Power Steering) system 22, and a communication unit 24. The vehicle 10 further includes a driving force control system 26 and a braking force control system 28.

[0018] The sensor group 16 acquires various detection values used for control by the control ECU 20. The sensor group 16 includes a front camera 12Fr, a rear camera 12Rr, a left side camera 12L, and a right side camera 12R. The sensor group 16 also includes a front sonar group 32a, a rear sonar group 32b, a left side sonar group 32c, and a right side sonar group 32d. The sensor group 16 further includes wheel sensors 34a and 34b, a vehicle speed sensor 36, and an operation detection unit 38.

[0019] The front camera 12Fr, the rear camera 12Rr, the left side camera 12L, and the right side camera 12R acquire recognition data (for example, a peripheral image) for recognizing the outside world of the vehicle 10 by imaging the periphery of the vehicle 10. The peripheral images captured by the front camera 12Fr, the rear camera 12Rr, the left side camera 12L, and the right side camera 12R are referred to as a front image, a rear image, a left side image, and a right side image, respectively. An image composed of the left side image and the right side image may also be referred to as a side image.

[0020] The front sonar group 32a, the rear sonar group 32b, the left-side sonar group 32c, and the right-side sonar group 32d emit sound waves to the periphery of the vehicle 10 and receive reflected sounds from other objects. The front sonar group 32a includes, for example, four sonars. The sonars constituting the front sonar group 32a are respectively provided at the front left diagonal, the front left side, the front right side, and the front right diagonal of the vehicle 10. The rear sonar group 32b includes, for example, four sonars. The sonars constituting the rear sonar group 32b are respectively provided at the rear left diagonal, the rear left side, the rear right side, and the rear right diagonal of the vehicle 10. The left-side sonar group 32c includes, for example, two sonars. The sonars constituting the left-side sonar group 32c are respectively provided at the front of the left side portion and the rear of the left side portion of the vehicle 10. The right-side sonar group 32d includes, for example, two sonars. The sonars constituting the right-side sonar group 32d are respectively provided at the front of the right side portion and the rear of the right side portion of the vehicle 10.

[0021] The wheel sensors 34a and 34b detect the rotation angle of the wheels of the vehicle 10. The wheel sensors 34a and 34b may be constituted by angle sensors or may be constituted by displacement sensors. The wheel sensors 34a and 34b output detection pulses every time the wheels rotate by a predetermined angle. The detection pulses output from the wheel sensors 34a and 34b are used to calculate the rotation angle and the rotation speed of the wheels. Based on the rotation angle of the wheels, the moving distance of the vehicle 10 is calculated. The wheel sensor 34a detects, for example, the rotation angle θa of the left rear wheel. The wheel sensor 34b detects, for example, the rotation angle θb of the right rear wheel.

[0022] The vehicle speed sensor 36 detects the speed of the vehicle body of the vehicle 10, that is, the vehicle speed V, and outputs the detected vehicle speed V to the control ECU 20. The vehicle speed sensor 36 detects the vehicle speed V based on, for example, the rotation of the countershaft of the transmission.

[0023] The operation detection unit 38 detects the operation content by the user performed using the operation input unit 14, and outputs the detected operation content to the control ECU 20. The operation input unit 14 includes various user interfaces such as a side mirror switch for switching the opening and closing states of the side mirrors 11L and 11R, and a shift lever (select lever or selector).

[0024] The navigation device 18 detects the current position of the vehicle 10 using, for example, GPS (Global Positioning System), and guides the user to the destination. The navigation device 18 has a storage device (not shown) provided with map information database.

[0025] The navigation device 18 is provided with a touch panel 42 and a speaker 44. The touch panel 42 functions as an input device and a display device of the control ECU 20. The speaker 44 outputs various guidance information to the user (passenger) of the vehicle 10 by voice.

[0026] The touch panel 42 is configured to be able to input various commands to the control ECU 20. For example, the user can input commands related to the movement assistance of the vehicle 10 via the touch panel 42. The movement assistance includes parking assistance and departure assistance of the vehicle 10. Also, the touch panel 42 is configured to display various screens related to the control content of the control ECU 20. For example, a screen related to the movement assistance of the vehicle 10 is displayed on the touch panel 42. Specifically, on the touch panel 42, a parking assistance button for requesting parking assistance of the vehicle 10 and a departure assistance button for requesting departure assistance are displayed. The parking assistance button includes an automatic parking button for requesting parking by automatic steering of the control ECU 20 and an assisted parking button for requesting assistance when parking by the driver's operation. The departure assistance button includes an automatic departure button for requesting departure by automatic steering of the control ECU 20 and an assisted departure button for requesting assistance when departing by the driver's operation. Note that components other than the touch panel 42, such as information terminals like smartphones and tablet terminals, may be used as the input device or the display device.

[0027] Note that "parking" is synonymous with, for example, "parking". For example, "parking" is a stop accompanied by the getting in and out of passengers, excluding a temporary stop at a traffic signal or the like. Also, the "parking position" is the position where the moving body is stopped, that is, the position where parking is performed.

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

[0029] The calculation unit 52 includes an external environment recognition unit 55 that acquires recognition data of the external environment of the vehicle 10, a parking control unit 56 that performs parking control to park the vehicle 10 at the selected parking position, and a registration processing unit 58 that registers the selected parking position as a designated parking position.

[0030] The external environment recognition unit 55 acquires peripheral images (recognition data of the external environment) of the vehicle 10 captured by the front camera 12Fr, the rear camera 12Rr, the left side camera 12L, and the right side camera 12R from each camera. The external environment recognition unit 55 can also acquire recognition data of the external environment of the vehicle 10 obtained by the sonar groups 32a to 32d or the radar.

[0031] The parking control unit 56 performs parking support for the vehicle 10 by automatic steering that automatically operates the steering 110 under the control of the parking control unit 56. In the support of automatic steering, the operations of the accelerator pedal (not shown), the brake pedal (not shown), and the operation input unit 14 are automatically performed. Further, the parking control unit 56 provides auxiliary support when the driver operates the accelerator pedal, the brake pedal, and the operation input unit 14 to manually park the vehicle 10.

[0032] For example, the parking control unit 56 performs automatic parking control to park the vehicle 10 at the selected parking position based on the recognition data of the external environment of the vehicle 10 acquired by the front camera 12Fr, the rear camera 12Rr, the left side camera 12L, and the right side camera 12R, and the selection of the parking position by the user.

[0033] When the parking position for parking the vehicle 10 is selected by the user, the registration processing unit 58 detects the feature points of the parking position. The registration processing unit 58 detects the feature points of the parking position at the start point of the parking control for parking the vehicle 10 at the selected parking position. For example, when the vehicle 10 temporarily stops and operates the automatic parking button when starting automatic parking in a parking lot, the feature points are detected.

[0034] When the registration processing unit 58 can acquire the feature points of the parking position, it starts the registration process for registering the parking position as the designated parking position. The registration process includes a verification process for verifying the feature points of the parking position. The verification process is a process for verifying the position estimation of the vehicle 10 based on the feature points, that is, a process for verifying whether the relative position of the vehicle 10 with respect to the parking position can be estimated based on the feature points. The registration processing unit 58 starts the registration process of the designated parking position when it can acquire a predetermined number or more (for example, 3 or more) of feature points.

[0035] Note that even when the registration processing unit 58 cannot acquire the feature points of the parking position at the start point of parking control, if it can acquire the feature points during the automatic parking to the parking position, it may start the registration process of registering the parking position as the designated parking position at the time when the feature points can be acquired.

[0036] After starting the verification process of the feature points, the registration processing unit 58 inquires the user whether it is necessary to register the designated parking position. For example, the registration processing unit 58 inquires the user whether it is necessary to register the designated parking position when the vehicle 10 has completed parking at the parking position by parking control after starting the verification process of the feature points. The registration processing unit 58 inquires the user whether it is necessary to register the designated parking position when the position of the vehicle 10 can be estimated based on the acquired feature points. The registration processing unit 58 registers the parking position selected by the user as the designated parking position in the storage unit 54 based on whether the user accepts the registration of the designated parking position.

[0037] When the parking position is selected by the user, the registration processing unit 58 performs control to move the vehicle 10 so that the parking position is located within a predetermined range with respect to the vehicle 10. The predetermined range is a range suitable for detecting feature points for the vehicle 10 to be parked. For example, when the left side camera 12L and the right side camera 12R of the vehicle 10 are cameras suitable for detecting feature points, the predetermined range with respect to the vehicle 10 is the side of the vehicle 10.

[0038] When the registration processing unit 58 cannot obtain the feature points of the parking position at the start point of parking control for parking the vehicle 10 at the selected parking position, after the parking of the vehicle 10 at the parking position by the parking control is completed, it starts the process of verifying the position estimation of the vehicle 10, or does not execute the process of verifying the position estimation of the vehicle 10. The registration processing unit 58 starts the process of verifying the position estimation of the vehicle 10 based on the feature points obtained during the parking of the vehicle 10 at the parking position and after the parking is completed.

[0039] When the registration processing unit 58 receives from the user an answer that registration is not required for the inquiry about whether registration is required, it deletes the data related to the registration process. When the registration processing unit 58 receives from the user an answer that registration is not required for the inquiry about whether registration is required, it may hold the data related to the registration process until a predetermined timing (for example, ignition off), inquire the user again about whether registration is required, or output guidance information about registration to the user. The guidance information about registration is, for example, the merits of parking in the future by registering the designated parking position. The guidance information about registration may be output only when the designated parking position has not been registered.

[0040] The EPS system 22 includes a steering angle sensor 100, a torque sensor 102, an EPS motor 104, a resolver 106, and an EPS ECU 108. The steering angle sensor 100 detects the steering angle θst of the steering wheel 110. The torque sensor 102 detects the torque TQ applied to the steering wheel 110.

[0041] The EPS motor 104 enables operation assistance of the steering wheel 110 by the occupant and automatic steering during parking assistance by applying a driving force or a reaction force to the steering column 112 connected to the steering wheel 110. The resolver 106 detects the rotation angle θm of the EPS motor 104. The EPS ECU 108 controls the entire EPS system 22. The EPS ECU 108 is provided with an input / output unit (not shown), a calculation unit (not shown), and a storage unit (not shown).

[0042] The communication unit 24 enables wireless communication with other communication devices 120. The other communication devices 120 include a base station, a communication device of another vehicle, and an information terminal such as a smartphone held by a passenger of the vehicle 10.

[0043] The driving force control system 26 is equipped with a driving ECU 130. The driving force control system 26 executes the driving force control of the vehicle 10. The driving ECU 130 controls the driving force of the vehicle 10 by controlling an engine (not shown) etc. based on the operation by the user on an accelerator pedal (not shown).

[0044] The braking force control system 28 is equipped with a braking ECU 132. The braking force control system 28 executes the braking force control of the vehicle 10. The braking ECU 132 controls the braking force of the vehicle 10 by controlling a braking mechanism (not shown) etc. based on the operation by the user on a brake pedal (not shown).

[0045] <Control example of the control device (operation unit 52) during automatic parking> Next, the registration process of the parking position performed by the operation unit 52 of the vehicle 10 during automatic parking will be described. FIGS. 4 and 5 are flowcharts showing an example of the registration process of the parking position performed by the operation unit 52. When, for example, an automatic parking button displayed on the touch panel 42 is touch-operated, the operation unit 52 starts the process shown in FIG. 4. The automatic parking button is touch-operated, for example, when a user who wants to park the vehicle 10 comes close to a parking lot.

[0046] First, the registration processing unit 58 of the operation unit 52 determines whether an automatic parking start operation for starting the automatic parking of the vehicle 10 has been received (step S11). The automatic parking start operation is, for example, a touch operation on the automatic parking button displayed on the touch panel 42.

[0047] In step S11, when the automatic parking start operation has not been received (step S11: No), the registration processing unit 58 repeats the process of step S11. In step S11, when the automatic parking start operation has been received (step S11: Yes), the registration processing unit 58 displays a parking frame selection screen operable by the user on the touch panel 42 to select a parking position for parking the vehicle 10 (step S12). The operation of the parking frame selection screen will be described later with reference to FIG. 7.

[0048] Next, the registration processing unit 58 determines whether or not a parking frame selection operation on the parking frame selection screen has been received, that is, whether or not the parking position of the vehicle 10 has been selected (step S13). The reception of the parking frame selection operation will be described later with reference to FIG. 8.

[0049] In step S13, when the parking frame selection operation has not been received (step S13: No), the registration processing unit 58 repeats the process of step S13. In step S13, when the parking frame selection operation has been received (step S13: Yes), the registration processing unit 58 detects feature points at the parking position selected by the parking frame selection operation (step S14). The registration processing unit 58 starts detecting the feature points of the designated parking position 64 at the point where the user's parking frame selection operation has been received, that is, at the start point of the parking control for parking the vehicle 10 at the selected designated parking position 64. The registration processing unit 58 detects the feature points at the parking position based on the peripheral images (external recognition data) of the vehicle 10 captured by the front camera 12Fr, the rear camera 12Rr, the left side camera 12L, and the right side camera 12R. The feature points of the parking position will be described later with reference to FIGS. 9 and 13.

[0050] Next, the registration processing unit 58 determines whether or not the feature points of the parking position can be obtained (step S15).

[0051] In step S15, when the feature points of the parking position can be acquired (step S15: Yes), the registration processing unit 58 starts a registration process including a process of verifying the position estimation of the vehicle 10 based on the acquired feature points (step S16). The verification of the position estimation of the vehicle 10 will be described later with reference to FIG. 9.

[0052] Next, when the registration process including the process of verifying the position estimation of the vehicle 10 is started in step S16, the parking control unit 56 of the arithmetic unit 52 determines whether an automatic parking execution operation has been received (step S17). The automatic parking execution operation is an operation for starting the movement of the vehicle 10 in automatic parking, and for example, a touch operation of a movement start button or an operation of releasing the brake of the parked vehicle 10.

[0053] In step S17, when the automatic parking execution operation has not been received (step S17: No), the parking control unit 56 repeats the process of step S17. In step S17, when the automatic parking execution operation has been received (step S17: Yes), the parking control unit 56 starts automatic parking control for parking the vehicle 10 at the selected parking position (step S18). The automatic parking control to the selected parking position will be described later with reference to FIG. 10.

[0054] Next, the parking control unit 56 determines whether the automatic parking control of the vehicle 10 has been completed (step S19).

[0055] In step S19, when the automatic parking control has not been completed (step S19: No), the parking control unit 56 repeats the process of step S19. In step S19, when the automatic parking control has been completed (step S19: Yes), the registration processing unit 58 determines whether the verification process of the self-position estimation of the vehicle 10 based on the feature points in the registration process started in step S16 has been completed (step S20 in FIG. 5).

[0056] On the other hand, in step S15, if the feature points of the parking position cannot be obtained, that is, if the feature points of the parking position cannot be obtained at the start point of the automatic parking control (step S15: No), the parking control unit 56 determines whether an automatic parking execution operation has been received (step S26). The automatic parking execution operation is the same as the automatic parking execution operation in step S17.

[0057] In step S26, if the automatic parking execution operation has not been received (step S26: No), the parking control unit 56 repeats the process of step S26. In step S26, if the automatic parking execution operation has been received (step S26: Yes), the parking control unit 56 starts the automatic parking control for parking the vehicle 10 at the selected parking position (step S27).

[0058] Next, the parking control unit 56 determines whether the automatic parking control of the vehicle 10 has been completed (step S28).

[0059] In step S28, if the automatic parking control has not been completed (step S28: No), the parking control unit 56 repeats the process of step S28. In step S28, if the automatic parking control has been completed (step S28: Yes), the registration processing unit 58 starts the registration process including the process of verifying the position estimation of the vehicle 10 based on the feature points acquired until now (during and after the automatic parking control) when the automatic parking control is completed (step S29).

[0060] Next, the registration processing unit 58 determines whether the verification process of the self-position estimation of the vehicle 10 based on the feature points in the registration process started in step S29 has been completed (step S20 in FIG. 5).

[0061] In step S20, if the verification process of self-position estimation based on feature points is not completed (step S20: No), the registration processing unit 58 repeats the process of step S20. In step S20, if the verification process of self-position estimation based on feature points is completed (step S20: Yes), the registration processing unit 58 determines whether the self-position can be estimated based on the feature points (step S21).

[0062] In step S21, if the self-position can be estimated based on the feature points (step S21: Yes), the registration processing unit 58 displays an inquiry screen for inquiring whether to register the selected parking position on the touch panel 42 (step S22). The inquiry screen for whether to register will be described later with reference to FIG. 12.

[0063] Next, the registration processing unit 58 determines whether an answer of "registration required" has been received from the user in response to the inquiry about whether to register (step S23).

[0064] In step S23, if an answer of "registration required" is received (step S23: Yes), the registration processing unit 58 registers the selected parking position as the designated parking position in the storage unit 54 (step S24). In step S23, if an answer of "registration required" has not been received (step S23: No), the registration processing unit 58 deletes the data of the feature points of the acquired parking position (step S25). The registration of the designated parking position will be described later with reference to FIG. 13.

[0065] Also, in step S21, if the self-position cannot be estimated based on the feature points (step S21: No), the registration processing unit 58 also proceeds to step S25 and deletes the data of the feature points of the acquired parking position.

[0066] Next, the image displayed on the touch panel 42 during the registration process of the parking position in the automatic parking of the vehicle 10 described above will be described. FIGS. 6 to 13 are diagrams showing an example of the screen displayed on the touch panel 42 during the registration process of the parking position.

[0067] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of an overhead image 60 displayed on the touch panel 42 of the vehicle 10 at the start of the automatic parking of the vehicle 10. As shown in FIG. 6, the vehicle 10 is stopped in front of the parking lot P to park the vehicle 10 in the parking lot P. When the registration processing unit 58 of the vehicle 10 receives an automatic parking start operation (for example, a touch operation on the automatic parking button), it displays the overhead image 60 on the touch panel 42.

[0068] The overhead image 60 is a composite image generated based on the recognition data of the external environment of the vehicle 10 captured by the front camera 12Fr, the rear camera 12Rr, the left side camera 12L, and the right side camera 12R. In the overhead image 60 shown in FIG. 6, the parking lot P and a plurality of plantings (obstacles) 61a to 61f existing around the parking lot P are imaged.

[0069] In addition, a rectangular selection parking position 64a used to select a parking position is displayed in the overhead image 60. The user of the vehicle 10 has rented the parking area 62 on the side of the obstacles 61a to 61f in the parking lot P as a monthly parking lot. The vehicle parked in front of the parking lot P is a vehicle image 63 that shows how the vehicle 10 looks when viewed from above and is pre-generated (captured) and stored in the storage unit 54. The overhead image 60 in FIG. 6 is, for example, the overhead image displayed in step S11 of FIG. 4.

[0070] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a parking frame selection screen 69 that can move the display position of the selection parking position 64a when selecting a parking position of the vehicle 10. The parking frame selection screen 69 is displayed overlapping the overhead image 60 in a partial area of the touch panel 42. A cursor indicating the moving direction is displayed on the parking frame selection screen 69, and the display position of the selection parking position 64a can be moved in the arrow direction by operating the cursor.

[0071] In addition, on the parking space selection screen 69, there are a decision button 69a for determining the arrangement of the selected parking position 64a, a reset button 69b for canceling the arrangement of the selected parking position 64a, and a stop button 69c for stopping the arrangement of the selected parking position 64a. The parking space selection screen 69 in Fig. 7 is, for example, the parking space selection screen displayed in step S12 of Fig. 4.

[0072] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the designated parking position 64 selected by the parking space selection operation on the parking space selection screen 69. As shown in Fig. 8, after moving the position of the selected parking position 64a to surround the parking area 62 of the parking lot P, the decision button 69a on the parking space selection screen 69 is pressed. Thereby, the registration processing unit 58 selects the selected parking position 64a moved to surround the parking area 62 as the designated parking position 64. The bird's-eye view image 60 in Fig. 8 is, for example, the bird's-eye view image displayed in step S13 of Fig. 4.

[0073] Note that the user can also select the parking area 62 as the designated parking position 64 by manual selection, for example, by swiping on the touch panel 42. The manual selection of the designated parking position 64 can be made by moving the position of the selected parking position 64a by a swipe operation and moving it to surround the parking area 62 with the selected parking position 64a, and then lifting the finger from the touch panel 42.

[0074] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of feature points detected for the designated parking position 64 shown in Fig. 8. When the registration processing unit 58 selects the designated parking position 64, it starts detecting the feature points related to the designated parking position 64. The feature points related to the designated parking position include the feature points of the designated parking position itself and the feature points around the designated parking position.

[0075] Examples of the feature points of the designated parking position itself include feature points such as the character "Parking" being displayed within the designated parking position. Examples of the feature points around the designated parking position include characteristic buildings and obstacles existing in the vicinity.

[0076] The registration processing unit 58 detects obstacle feature points 65a to 65f and the like indicating the positions of obstacles 61a to 61f existing around the designated parking position 64 from the captured image (camera image) acquired by the external recognition unit 55, as shown in FIG. 9 for example. Further, when the registration processing unit 58 acquires the feature points of the designated parking position 64, it estimates the camera position (the position of the camera that captured the image such as the front camera 12Fr) with respect to the acquired feature points, and starts verification processing for estimating the relative position of the vehicle 10 with respect to the designated parking position 64 based on the estimated camera position. Specifically, the registration processing unit 58 estimates the camera position with respect to the feature points for each time series (maps the camera position to the map of the feature points), and estimates the relative position of the vehicle 10 with respect to the designated parking position 64 based on the camera positions estimated for each time series and odometry or the like. The bird's-eye view image 60 in FIG. 9 is, for example, the bird's-eye view image displayed from step S14 to step 15 in FIG. 4.

[0077] FIG. 10 is a bird's-eye view image 60 showing a state where the vehicle 10 starts automatic parking toward the designated parking position 64. The parking control unit 56 of the vehicle 10 performs automatic parking control to park the vehicle 10 at the designated parking position 64 based on the recognition data of the outside of the vehicle 10 captured by the front camera 12Fr, the rear camera 12Rr, the left side camera 12L, and the right side camera 12R, and the selected designated parking position 64. The bird's-eye view image 60 in FIG. 10 is, for example, the bird's-eye view image displayed in step S18 of FIG. 4.

[0078] FIG. 11 is a bird's-eye view image 60 showing a state where the automatic parking of the vehicle 10 at the designated parking position 64 is completed. When the automatic parking of the vehicle 10 at the designated parking position 64 is completed, the registration processing unit 58 of the vehicle 10 determines whether it can estimate the position of the vehicle 10 with respect to the designated parking position 64 based on the feature points. When the registration processing unit 58 determines that it can estimate the position of the vehicle 10 with respect to the designated parking position 64, it inquires the user whether to register the designated parking position 64 selected by the user as the "designated parking position" of the vehicle 10.

[0079] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of an inquiry screen 70 that asks the user whether or not to register the designated parking position 64. The inquiry screen 70 is displayed on the touch panel 42. As shown in FIG. 12, on the inquiry screen 70, there are displayed, for example, an inquiry message 71 such as "Do you want to register this parking position in memory?", a "Register" button 72 which is an operation button for selecting whether or not to register, and a "Do not register" button 73. The inquiry screen 70 in FIG. 12 is, for example, the inquiry screen displayed in step S22 of FIG. 4.

[0080] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a map M related to the designated parking position 64 registered in the storage unit 54. When the registration processing unit 58 of the vehicle 10 receives from the user an affirmative answer to register the designated parking position 64 with respect to the inquiry screen 70, it registers in the storage unit 54 as a map M information indicating the relationship between the detected obstacle feature points 65a to 65f and the selected designated parking position 64.

[0081] The map M in FIG. 13 is, for example, the map registered in step S24 of FIG. 4. In FIGS. 11 to 13 above, self-position estimation can be performed based on the feature points, and the case where an affirmative answer to register is received from the user has been described. However, for example, when self-position estimation cannot be performed, or when an answer not to register is received from the user even though self-position estimation can be performed, the registration processing unit 58 deletes the feature point data related to the acquired designated parking position 64.

[0082] As described above, when the designated parking position 64 is selected by the parking frame selection operation, the registration processing unit 58 of the arithmetic unit 52 (control device) detects the feature points related to the designated parking position 64, and when the feature points can be acquired, starts a verification process to verify the position estimation of the vehicle 10 based on the feature points. When the automatic parking of the vehicle 10 at the designated parking position 64 is completed, it determines whether the position of the vehicle 10 can be estimated based on the feature points, and when the position estimation can be performed, inquires the user whether or not to register the designated parking position 64.

[0083] According to this configuration, when the position of the vehicle 10 can be estimated based on the acquired feature points, the user is asked whether or not to register the designated parking position 64. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a situation where, despite receiving an affirmative response from the user, the position estimation of the vehicle 10 fails and registration cannot be completed. Also, since the process of verifying the position estimation of the vehicle 10 based on the feature points is started from the time when the feature points regarding the designated parking position 64 can be acquired, before asking the user whether or not to register the designated parking position 64, it is possible to shorten the time from when the registration instruction for the designated parking position 64 is received until the registration is completed.

[0084] Also, the registration processing unit 58 starts detecting the feature points of the designated parking position 64 at the point where it receives the selection of the designated parking position 64 by the user's parking frame selection operation, that is, at the start point of the parking control for parking the vehicle 10 at the selected designated parking position 64. For this reason, if the feature points of the designated parking position 64 can be acquired at the start point of the parking control instead of during the parking control, the process of estimating the position of the vehicle 10 based on the feature points can be started at that time. Thereby, it is possible to shorten the time from when the registration instruction for the designated parking position 64 is received from the user until the registration is completed.

[0085] <Parking position of the vehicle 10 with respect to the selected designated parking position 64> Next, the position where the vehicle 10 stops with respect to the selected designated parking position 64 when detecting the feature points regarding the selected designated parking position 64 will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15.

[0086] FIG. 14 is a diagram in which the vehicle 10 is stopped in front of the parking lot P in order to park the vehicle 10 in the parking lot P. Also, in FIG. 14, the selected parking position 64a is moved by the cursor operation on the parking frame selection screen 69 so as to surround the parking area 62 of the parking lot P, and the position of the selected parking position 64a is selected as the designated parking position 64.

[0087] However, in the designated parking position 64 selected in FIG. 14, a part of its area 81 is in a state of being located outside the predetermined range θ with respect to the parked vehicle 10. The predetermined range θ is a range suitable for detecting feature points such as buildings and obstacles existing around the vehicle for the vehicle 10. The predetermined range θ is, for example, a range corresponding to the viewing angle of the left-side camera 12L mounted on the vehicle 10.

[0088] Therefore, when the designated parking position 64 selected in this way is in a state of being located outside the predetermined range θ with respect to the vehicle 10, the registration processing unit 58 performs control to move the vehicle 10 so that the designated parking position 64 is located within the predetermined range θ with respect to the vehicle 10.

[0089] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a state in which the designated parking position 64 is located within the predetermined range θ with respect to the vehicle 10 by moving the vehicle 10 backward. The registration processing unit 58 starts a process of detecting feature points regarding the designated parking position 64 in a state where the designated parking position 64 is located within the predetermined range θ of the vehicle 10 as shown in FIG. 15.

[0090] In the example shown in FIG. 14, since the vehicle 10 is parked so that the designated parking position 64 is located on the left side of the vehicle 10, the description has been made by representing the predetermined range θ corresponding to the viewing angle of the left-side camera 12L. However, it is not limited to this. For example, when the vehicle 10 is parked so that the designated parking position 64 is located on the right side of the vehicle 10, within the predetermined range corresponding to the viewing angle of the right-side camera 12R; when the vehicle 10 is parked so as to be located in the front, within the predetermined range corresponding to the viewing angle of the front camera 12Fr; when the vehicle 10 is parked so as to be located in the rear, the vehicle 10 may be moved so that the designated parking position 64 is located within the predetermined range corresponding to the viewing angle of the rear camera 12Rr.

[0091] Furthermore, when the left-side camera 12L and the right-side camera 12R of the vehicle 10 are cameras suitable for detecting feature points for the vehicle 10, even when the vehicle 10 stops such that the designated parking position 64 is located in front of or behind the vehicle 10, the vehicle 10 may be moved so that the designated parking position 64 is located within a predetermined range corresponding to the viewing angle of the left-side camera 12L or the right-side camera 12R.

[0092] By moving the vehicle 10 in this way so that the designated parking position 64 is located within the predetermined range θ with respect to the vehicle 10 at the start of automatic parking of the vehicle 10, feature points regarding the designated parking position 64 can be appropriately acquired, and it becomes possible to accurately automatically park the vehicle 10 at the designated parking position 64.

[0093] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been explained, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and modifications, improvements, etc. are possible as appropriate.

[0094] For example, in the above embodiment, the case where the vehicle 10 is automatically parked by automatic steering has been described, but it is not limited to this. For example, the present invention may be applied to parking support that assists in parking the vehicle 10 by the operation of the driver.

[0095] Also, in the above embodiment, the case where the overhead image 60 etc. is displayed on the touch panel 42 of the vehicle 10 has been described, but it is not limited to this. For example, the overhead image 60 etc. may be displayed on the display screen of an information terminal (for example, a smartphone etc.) possessed by a passenger of the vehicle 10 via the communication unit 24.

[0096] Also, in the above embodiment, the case where information such as a map including feature points regarding the designated parking position is registered in the storage unit 54 of the vehicle 10 has been described, but it is not limited to this. For example, these information may be registered in the storage unit of another device such as an information terminal or a server that is communicably connected to the vehicle 10.

[0097] In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the moving body is a vehicle (a four-wheeled automobile) has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, vehicles such as motorcycles and Segways may be used. Furthermore, the idea of the present invention can be applied not only to vehicles but also to robots, ships, aircraft, etc. that are equipped with a drive source and can move by the power of the drive source.

[0098] Note that the control method described in the above-described embodiment can be realized by a computer executing a pre-prepared control program. This control program is recorded on a computer-readable storage medium and is executed by being read from the storage medium. Further, this control program may be provided in a form stored in a non-transitory storage medium such as a flash memory, or may be provided via a network such as the Internet. The computer that executes this control program may be included in the control device, may be included in an electronic device such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a personal computer that can communicate with the control device, or may be included in a server device that can communicate with these control devices and electronic devices.

[0099] In addition, at least the following matters are described in this specification. Although the corresponding components, etc. in the above-described embodiment are shown in parentheses, the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0100] (1) A control device (operation unit 52) of a moving body (vehicle 10), An external recognition unit (external recognition unit 55) that acquires recognition data of the outside of the moving body, Based on the recognition data, a parking control unit (parking control unit 56) that performs parking control to park the moving body at a parking position (selected parking position 64a) selected by the user of the moving body, A registration processing unit (registration processing unit 58) that registers the parking position as a designated parking position (designated parking position 64), and The registration processing unit, When the parking position is selected by the user, Detect the feature points (obstacle feature points 65a to 65f) of the parking position, When the feature points can be obtained, start the registration process for registering the parking position as the designated parking position, including the verification process of the feature points, After starting the verification process, inquire of the user whether the designated parking position needs to be registered, Register the parking position as the designated parking position based on the registration necessity / non-necessity received from the user, Control device.

[0101] (1) According to this, when the feature points of the parking position can be obtained, in order to inquire of the user whether the parking position needs to be registered, it is possible to prevent a situation where, despite receiving an affirmative answer from the user regarding registration necessity, the acquisition of the feature points fails and registration cannot be performed, thereby improving usability. Also, since the verification process of the feature points of the parking position is started before inquiring of the user whether the parking position needs to be registered, it is possible to shorten the time from when an affirmative answer regarding registration necessity is received from the user until registration is completed, thereby improving usability.

[0102] (2) The control device according to (1), The registration processing unit inquires of the user whether the registration necessity / non-necessity at the time of completion of parking at the parking position by the parking control after starting the verification process. Control device.

[0103] (2) According to this, since the verification process of the feature points is also performed during the parking control of the moving body, it is possible to shorten the time from when the parking of the moving body is completed until registration is completed.

[0104] (3) The control device according to (1) or (2), The registration processing unit starts the registration process when a predetermined number or more of the feature points can be obtained. Control device.

[0105] (3) According to this, it is possible to accurately perform the verification process of the feature points based on a predetermined number or more of the feature points.

[0106] (4) The control device according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the verification process is a process of verifying the position estimation of the moving body based on the feature points. Control device.

[0107] According to (4), as information on the designated parking position to be registered, information that can estimate the position of the moving body based on feature points is required.

[0108] (5) The control device according to (4), wherein the registration processing unit inquires of the user whether registration is required when the position of the moving body can be estimated based on the feature points. Control device.

[0109] According to (5), in order to inquire of the user whether registration is required when the position of the moving body can be estimated based on feature points, it is possible to prevent a situation where, despite receiving an answer of registration required from the user, the position estimation of the moving body fails and registration cannot be performed.

[0110] (6) The control device according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the registration processing unit detects the feature points at the start point of the parking control. Control device.

[0111] According to (6), if the feature points can be acquired at the start point of the parking control of the moving body instead of during the parking control, the registration process can be started from that point, so that the time from receiving a registration instruction from the user to the completion of registration can be shortened.

[0112] (7) The control device according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the registration processing unit when the parking position is selected by the user, performs control to move the moving body so that the parking position is located within a predetermined range with respect to the moving body. Control device.

[0113] (7) According to, for example, by setting a predetermined range as a range in which it is easy to detect the feature points of the parking position for the moving body, it becomes possible to accurately acquire the feature points of the parking position.

[0114] (8) The control device according to any one of (1) to (7), The registration processing unit, When the feature points cannot be acquired at the start point of the parking control, Start the registration process after the parking is completed at the parking position by the parking control, or do not execute the registration process. Control device.

[0115] (8) According to, when the feature points cannot be acquired at the start point of the parking control, the registration process can be performed based on the feature points acquired after the parking is completed at the parking position.

[0116] (9) The control device according to any one of (1) to (8), The registration processing unit, When the user receives a reply from the user that the registration is not required for the inquiry about the necessity of registration, Delete the data related to the registration process, or hold the data related to the registration process until a predetermined timing and inquire again about the necessity of registration, or output guidance information related to the registration to the user. Control device.

[0117] (9) According to, according to the user's request or according to the user's registration history, the data related to the registration process can be effectively processed.

[0118] (10) An external recognition unit that acquires recognition data of the external environment of the moving body, a parking control unit that performs parking control for parking the moving body at a parking position selected by the user of the moving body based on the recognition data, and a registration processing unit that registers the parking position as a designated parking position. A control method by a control device of a moving body, comprising: When the processor of the control device When the parking position is selected by the user, Detect feature points of the parking position, When the feature points can be acquired, start a registration process for registering the parking position as the designated parking position, including a verification process of the feature points, After starting the verification process, inquire of the user whether it is necessary to register the designated parking position, Register the parking position as the designated parking position based on the necessity of registration received from the user, Control method.

[0119] According to (10), when the feature points of the parking position can be acquired, the user is inquired whether it is necessary to register the parking position. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a situation where, despite receiving an affirmative answer from the user for registration, the acquisition of the feature points fails and registration cannot be completed, and the usability can be improved. Also, since the verification process of the feature points of the parking position is started before inquiring of the user whether it is necessary to register the parking position, it is possible to shorten the time from receiving an affirmative answer from the user to the completion of registration, and the usability can be improved.

[0120] (11) A control program for a control device of a moving body, comprising an external recognition unit that acquires recognition data of the external environment of the moving body, a parking control unit that performs parking control for parking the moving body at a parking position selected by the user of the moving body based on the recognition data, and a registration processing unit that registers the parking position as a designated parking position, To the processor of the control device, When the parking position is selected by the user, Detect feature points of the parking position, When the feature points can be obtained, start the registration process for registering the parking position as the designated parking position, including the verification process of the feature points. After starting the verification process, inquire of the user whether it is necessary to register the designated parking position. Register the parking position as the designated parking position based on the necessity of registration received from the user. A control program for executing the process.

[0121] According to (11), when the feature points of the parking position can be obtained, the user is inquired whether it is necessary to register the parking position. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a situation where, although an answer of "necessary to register" is received from the user, the acquisition of the feature points fails and registration cannot be performed, and the usability can be improved. Also, since the verification process of the feature points of the parking position is started before inquiring of the user whether it is necessary to register the parking position, the time from when an answer of "necessary to register" is received from the user until registration is completed can be shortened, and the usability can be improved.

Explanation of Signs

[0122] 10 Vehicle (Moving Body) 55 External Recognition Unit 56 Parking Control Unit 58 Registration Processing Unit 64 Designated Parking Position 65a~65f Obstacle Feature Points (Feature Points)

Claims

1. A control device for a moving body, comprising: an external environment recognition unit that acquires recognition data of the external environment of the moving body; a parking control unit that performs parking control for parking the moving body at a parking position selected by a user of the moving body based on the recognition data; a registration processing unit that registers the parking position as a designated parking position, wherein the registration processing unit when the parking position is selected by the user, detects feature points of the parking position, when the feature points can be acquired, starts a registration process for registering the parking position as the designated parking position, including a verification process of the feature points, inquires of the user whether or not to register the designated parking position when parking at the parking position by the parking control is completed after starting the verification process, and registers the parking position as the designated parking position based on the registration necessity or not received from the user. The control device.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the registration processing unit, when the parking position is selected by the user, detects the feature points at the start point of the parking control, when the feature points cannot be acquired at the start point, starts movement control for moving the moving body to the parking position, and performs the registration process based on the feature points acquired after starting the movement control. The control device.

3. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the registration processing unit starts the registration process when a predetermined number or more of the feature points can be acquired. The control device.

4. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the verification process is a process of verifying the position estimation of the moving body based on the feature points. The control device.

5. The control device according to claim 4, wherein the registration processing unit inquires of the user whether or not to register when the position of the moving body can be estimated based on the feature points. The control device.

6. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the registration processing unit detects the feature points at the start point of the parking control. The control device.

7. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the registration processing unit when the parking position is selected by the user, performs control for moving the moving body so that the parking position is located within a predetermined range with respect to the moving body. The control device.

8. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the registration processing unit when the feature points cannot be acquired at the start point of the parking control, Starting the registration process or not executing the registration process after completion of parking at the parking position by the parking control. Control device.

9. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, The registration processing unit, When receiving from the user an answer indicating that the registration is not required in response to the inquiry about the necessity of registration, Deleting the data related to the registration process, or holding the data related to the registration process until a predetermined timing and inquiring again about the necessity of registration, or outputting guidance information about the registration to the user. Control device.

10. A control method for a control device of a moving body, comprising an external recognition unit that acquires recognition data of the external world of the moving body, a parking control unit that performs parking control for parking the moving body at a parking position selected by the user of the moving body based on the recognition data, and a registration processing unit that registers the parking position as a designated parking position, wherein When the processor of the control device, When the parking position is selected by the user, Detecting feature points of the parking position, When the feature points can be acquired, starting a registration process for registering the parking position as the designated parking position, including a verification process of the feature points, Inquiring the user about the necessity of registering the designated parking position when parking at the parking position by the parking control is completed after starting the verification process, Registering the parking position as the designated parking position based on the necessity of registration received from the user. Control method.

11. A control program for a control device of a moving body, comprising an external recognition unit that acquires recognition data of the external world of the moving body, a parking control unit that performs parking control for parking the moving body at a parking position selected by the user of the moving body based on the recognition data, and a registration processing unit that registers the parking position as a designated parking position, wherein To the processor of the control device, When the parking position is selected by the user, Detecting feature points of the parking position, When the feature points can be acquired, starting a registration process for registering the parking position as the designated parking position, including a verification process of the feature points, Inquiring the user about the necessity of registering the designated parking position when parking at the parking position by the parking control is completed after starting the verification process, Registering the parking position as the designated parking position based on the necessity of registration received from the user. A control program for causing processing to be executed.

Images