Control device, control method, and control program

The control device and method improve automatic parking by estimating vehicle position, checking for additional targets, and user notification, allowing user intervention if necessary, to enhance safety and usability.

JP7783157B2Active Publication Date: 2025-12-09HONDA MOTOR CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2022171192
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2022-10-26
Publication Date
2025-12-09
Estimated Expiration
2042-10-26

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing automatic parking systems fail to accurately determine the parking position when objects not captured in previous images are present, leading to incomplete parking operations and user inconvenience.

Method used

A control device and method that includes an external environment recognition unit, automatic driving control unit, storage unit, and target position detection unit to estimate the vehicle's position relative to a target, check for additional targets, and notify the user before executing automatic driving control, allowing user intervention if necessary.

Benefits of technology

Enhances usability by ensuring safe and seamless automatic parking even when unexpected objects are present, reducing user burden and increasing the reliability of automatic driving control.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Patent Text Reader

Abstract

To provide a control device, a control method, and a control program which can improve usability when performing automatic driving control of a vehicle to a target position.SOLUTION: A control device includes: an environment recognition unit 55 which acquires recognition data of an environment of a vehicle 10; an automatic driving control unit 56 which moves the vehicle 10 to the target position; a storage unit 54 which stores target position information related to the target position; and a target position detection unit 57 which detects the target position on the basis of the recognition data. The automatic driving control unit 56 determines whether or not self-position estimation of the vehicle 10 can be performed relative to the target position on the basis of the comparison between the recognition data and the target position information when the target position is detected, determines whether or not an object 82 that is not included in the target position information is present in the vicinity of the target position when self-position estimation can be performed, performs notification of asking a user whether it is necessary to perform automatic driving control to the target position when the object 82 is present, and executes automatic driving control when the object 82 is not present.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10
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Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] In recent years, efforts to provide access to sustainable transportation systems that take into consideration vulnerable transport participants have been gaining momentum. To achieve this, we are focusing on research and development into autonomous driving technology to further improve traffic safety and convenience.

[0003] Conventionally, automatic parking control that automatically moves a vehicle to a predetermined parking space and parks it has been known. Patent Document 1 describes a vehicle driving assistance device that stores driving operations performed during past parking in a storage means in association with images captured by a camera, and if it is determined that an image captured by the camera when attempting to park a vehicle again is similar to the image stored in the storage means, that is, if parking has been performed in a similar state (same place) in the past, controls the vehicle to park in accordance with the stored driving operations. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-127851 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when determining whether a parking position has been used in the past based on the similarity of images captured by a camera, if an object that was not captured in the image captured during previous parking is captured during a new parking position, even if the parking position has been used in the past, it may be determined that there is no similarity. In such cases, automatic parking cannot be performed regardless of the captured object, which can be a burden to the user. Patent Document 1 does not describe control processing when an object different from the image captured during previous parking is captured. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the prior art in this regard.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a control device, a control method, and a control program that can improve usability when automatically controlling a vehicle to a target position, thereby contributing to the development of a sustainable transportation system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention provides an external environment recognition unit that acquires recognition data of the external environment of the moving object; an automatic driving control unit that performs automatic driving control to move the moving body to a target position; a storage unit that stores target position information related to the target position; a target position detection unit that detects the target position based on the recognition data, The automatic driving control unit 、 before executes a first determination process for determining whether or not a self-position of the moving object relative to the target position can be estimated based on a comparison between the recognition data and the target position information; If the self-position estimation is successful in the first determination process, a second determination process is executed to determine whether or not a target not included in the target position information exists in the vicinity of the target position; When it is determined in the second determination process that the target exists, a notification is sent to a user of the moving body inquiring about whether or not the automatic driving control to the target position needs to be executed; When it is determined in the second determination process that the target does not exist, the automatic driving control is executed. death , If the self-position estimation cannot be performed in the first determination process, the automatic driving control is not executed, If the self-position estimation cannot be performed in the first determination process, a selection of a target position for the automatic driving control is received from a user of the moving body. It is a control device. The present invention also provides an external environment recognition unit that acquires recognition data of the external environment of the moving object; an automatic driving control unit that performs automatic driving control to move the moving body to a target position; a storage unit that stores target position information related to the target position; a target position detection unit that detects the target position based on the recognition data, The automatic driving control unit executes a first determination process for determining whether or not a self-position of the moving object relative to the target position can be estimated based on a comparison between the recognition data and the target position information; If the self-position estimation is successful in the first determination process, a second determination process is executed to determine whether or not a target not included in the target position information exists in the vicinity of the target position; When it is determined in the second determination process that the target exists, a notification is sent to a user of the moving body inquiring about whether or not the automatic driving control to the target position needs to be executed; When it is determined in the second determination process that the target does not exist, the automatic driving control is executed; In the second determination process, it is determined whether or not the target exists based on a comparison between the user's line of sight detection result and history information of the user's line of sight. It is a control device.

[0008] The present invention provides A control method using a control device that acquires recognition data of the outside world of a moving body, performs automatic driving control to move the moving body to a target position, stores target position information related to the target position, and detects the target position based on the recognition data, a processor of the control device 、 before executes a first determination process for determining whether or not a self-position of the moving object relative to the target position can be estimated based on a comparison between the recognition data and the target position information; If the self-position estimation is successful in the first determination process, a second determination process is executed to determine whether or not a target not included in the target position information exists in the vicinity of the target position; When it is determined in the second determination process that the target exists, a notification is sent to a user of the moving body inquiring about whether or not the automatic driving control to the target position needs to be executed; When it is determined in the second determination process that the target does not exist, the automatic driving control is executed. death , If the self-position estimation cannot be performed in the first determination process, the automatic driving control is not executed, If the self-position estimation cannot be performed in the first determination process, a selection of a target position for the automatic driving control is received from a user of the moving body. It is a control method.

[0009] The present invention provides A control program for a control device that acquires recognition data of the outside world of a moving body, performs automatic driving control to move the moving body to a target position, stores target position information related to the target position, and detects the target position based on the recognition data, The processor of the control device 、 before executes a first determination process for determining whether or not a self-position of the moving object relative to the target position can be estimated based on a comparison between the recognition data and the target position information; If the self-position estimation is successful in the first determination process, a second determination process is executed to determine whether or not a target not included in the target position information exists in the vicinity of the target position; When it is determined in the second determination process that the target exists, a notification is sent to a user of the moving body inquiring about whether or not the automatic driving control to the target position needs to be executed; When it is determined in the second determination process that the target does not exist, the automatic driving control is executed. death , If the self-position estimation cannot be performed in the first determination process, the automatic driving control is not executed, If the self-position estimation cannot be performed in the first determination process, a selection of a target position for the automatic driving control is received from a user of the moving body. It is a control program for executing the process. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the control device, control method, and control program of the present invention, usability can be improved when automatically controlling a vehicle to a target position. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing an example of a vehicle equipped with a control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a top view of the vehicle shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the vehicle shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an image displayed on the navigation device when the vehicle is automatically parked. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing an automatic parking process for parking a vehicle at a new target position. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a target position set on an overhead image generated based on an image captured by a camera. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing feature points in the vicinity of the target position shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a map of target positions registered in a storage unit; [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing a process for automatically parking a vehicle at a registered target position. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an inquiry screen when a target that was not registered is detected. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing a first modified example of the process for automatically parking a vehicle at a registered target position. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart showing a second modified example of the process for automatically parking a vehicle at a registered target position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] An embodiment of a control device, a control method, and a control program according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings are to be viewed in accordance with the directions of the reference numerals. For simplicity and clarity, the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions in this specification and elsewhere are described according to the directions as seen by the driver of the vehicle 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2. In the drawings, the front of the vehicle 10 is indicated as Fr, the rear as Rr, the left as L, the right as R, the top as U, and the bottom as D.

[0013] <Vehicle 10 equipped with the control device of the present invention> Fig. 1 is a side view of a vehicle 10 equipped with a 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 a moving body of the present invention.

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

[0015] The vehicle 10 further includes side mirrors 11L and 11R. The side mirrors 11L and 11R are mirrors (rearview mirrors) provided on the outside of the front doors of the vehicle 10 to enable the driver to check what is behind and to the rear sides. The side mirrors 11L and 11R are fixed to the body of the vehicle 10 by a rotation shaft that extends vertically, and can be opened and closed by rotating around this rotation shaft.

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

[0017] <Internal configuration of vehicle 10> Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of vehicle 10 shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 3, vehicle 10 has 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. Vehicle 10 also has 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 also includes wheel sensors 34a and 34b, a vehicle speed sensor 36, and an operation detection unit 38.

[0019] The front camera 12Fr, rear camera 12Rr, left side camera 12L, and right side camera 12R capture images of the periphery of the vehicle 10 to obtain recognition data (e.g., peripheral images) for recognizing the external environment of the vehicle 10. The peripheral images captured by the front camera 12Fr, rear camera 12Rr, left side camera 12L, and 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, rear sonar group 32b, left side sonar group 32c, and right side sonar group 32d emit sound waves around the vehicle 10 and receive reflected sound from other objects. The front sonar group 32a includes, for example, four sonars. The sonars that make up the front sonar group 32a are provided diagonally forward left, front left, front right, and diagonally forward right of the vehicle 10, respectively. The rear sonar group 32b includes, for example, four sonars. The sonars that make up the rear sonar group 32b are provided diagonally rear left, rear left, rear right, and diagonally rear right of the vehicle 10, respectively. The left side sonar group 32c includes, for example, two sonars. The sonars that make up the left side sonar group 32c are provided respectively on the front left side and rear left side of the vehicle 10. The right side sonar group 32d includes, for example, two sonars. The sonars that make up the right side sonar group 32d are provided at the front and rear of the right side of the vehicle 10, respectively.

[0021] The wheel sensors 34a, 34b detect the rotation angles of the wheels of the vehicle 10. The wheel sensors 34a, 34b may be configured as angle sensors or displacement sensors. The wheel sensors 34a, 34b output a detection pulse each time the wheel rotates a predetermined angle. The detection pulses output from the wheel sensors 34a, 34b are used to calculate the wheel rotation angle and wheel rotation speed. The travel distance of the vehicle 10 is calculated based on the wheel rotation angle. 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 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 a countershaft of the transmission.

[0023] The operation detection unit 38 detects the operation content performed by the user 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 that switches the open / closed state of the side mirrors 11L, 11R, and a shift lever (selector lever or selector).

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

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

[0026] The touch panel 42 is configured to allow various commands to be input to the control ECU 20. For example, a user can input commands related to movement assistance for the vehicle 10 via the touch panel 42. The movement assistance includes parking assistance and exit assistance for the vehicle 10. The touch panel 42 is also configured to display various screens related to the control content of the control ECU 20. For example, the touch panel 42 displays a screen related to movement assistance for the vehicle 10. Specifically, the touch panel 42 displays a parking assistance button for requesting parking assistance for the vehicle 10 and an exit assistance button for requesting exit assistance. The parking assistance buttons include an automatic parking button for requesting parking using automatic steering by the control ECU 20 and an assisted parking button for requesting assistance when parking using driver operation. The exit assistance buttons include an automatic exit button for requesting exit using automatic steering by the control ECU 20 and an assisted exit button for requesting assistance when leaving using driver operation. Note that components other than the touch panel 42, such as an information terminal such as a smartphone or tablet terminal, may be used as the input device or display device. Furthermore, a HUD (Head-Up Display) may be used as the display device.

[0027] The control ECU 20 has an input / output unit 50, a calculation unit 52, and a storage unit 54. The calculation unit 52 is configured by, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The calculation unit 52 performs various controls by controlling each unit based on a program stored in the storage unit 54. The calculation unit 52 also inputs and outputs signals to and from each unit connected to the control ECU 20 via the input / output unit 50. The control ECU 20 is an example of a control device of the present invention.

[0028] The calculation unit 52 has an external environment recognition unit 55 that acquires recognition data of the external environment of the vehicle 10, an automatic driving control unit 56 that performs automatic driving control to move the vehicle 10 to a target position, and a target position detection unit 57 that detects the target position based on the recognition data.

[0029] The external environment recognition unit 55 acquires, from each of the front camera 12Fr, rear camera 12Rr, left side camera 12L, and right side camera 12R, images of the surroundings of the vehicle 10 (recognition data of the external environment). The external environment recognition unit 55 can also acquire recognition data of the external environment of the vehicle 10 acquired by the sonar group 32a to 32d or radar.

[0030] The automatic driving control unit 56 assists in the movement of the vehicle 10 by automatic steering, which automatically operates the steering wheel 110 under the control of the automatic driving control unit 56. With the assistance of automatic steering, the accelerator pedal (not shown), brake pedal (not shown), and operation input unit 14 are automatically operated. In addition, the automatic driving control unit 56 provides auxiliary assistance when the driver operates the accelerator pedal, brake pedal, and operation input unit 14 to manually move the vehicle 10.

[0031] For example, the autonomous driving control unit 56 controls the autonomous driving to move the vehicle 10 to a specified target position based on the recognition data 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 specified target position specified by the user. The specified target position includes registered target positions registered in the storage unit 54 by the user and unregistered target positions that are not registered but can be used to park the vehicle 10. A registered target position refers to a specific target position for the user, such as a parking space where the user frequently parks the vehicle 10. Examples of registered target positions include monthly parking lots, parking lots at home, and frequently used coin parking lots. The registered target position is detected by comparing "target position information" regarding the location where the vehicle 10 is to be parked. The target position information refers to "feature points" of the target position detected from sensing data from cameras, sonar, and radar.

[0032] The target position detection unit 57 detects the target 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. The target position detection unit 57 detects the target position by comparing feature points of the recognition data of the external environment for the currently detected target position with feature points of the recognition data of the external environment for target positions previously registered by the user. For example, when the target position detection unit 57 determines that the matching rate between the feature points of the current recognition data of the external environment and the feature points of the previous recognition data of the external environment is equal to or greater than a threshold, the target position detection unit 57 detects the currently detected target position as a registered target position previously registered by the user. The detection of the target position is performed, for example, based on position information such as GPS when the vehicle 10 approaches the target position (for example, when it approaches within a radius of 100 m). However, the detection of the target position may be performed continuously while the vehicle 10 is moving.

[0033] Furthermore, the target position detection unit 57 registers the target position specified by the user in the storage unit 54. The target position detection unit 57 registers the target position by associating feature points (target position information) in the recognition data of the external world of the vehicle 10 with the registered target position. Feature points related to the target position include feature points of the target position itself and feature points around the target position. An example of a feature point of the target position itself is a feature point such as the word "parking" displayed within the target position. An example of a feature point around the target position is a distinctive building or obstacle in the vicinity. The target position is registered in the storage unit 54 as a map including feature points in an image of the vicinity of the vehicle 10.

[0034] Specifically, when a target position is detected by the target position detection unit 57, the autonomous driving control unit 56 executes a first determination process to determine whether or not it is possible to estimate the self-position of the vehicle 10 relative to the detected target position, based on a comparison between the current external recognition data of the vehicle 10 and the target position information registered in the storage unit 54. Self-position estimation refers to recognizing the current position of the vehicle 10 relative to the detected target position by matching feature points detected in the current external recognition data with target position information (feature points) of the registered target position.

[0035] When the self-position estimation is successful in the first determination process, the autonomous driving control unit 56 executes a second determination process to determine whether or not a target object not included in the target position information exists in the vicinity of the detected target position. The vicinity of the target position includes the area within the target position and the area outside the target position. The target object is something that can be sensed by a camera, sonar, or radar. It is basically an object (e.g., a person, an object, a bicycle, an animal, etc.), but it may also be a hole (e.g., a crack in the ground, etc.).

[0036] If the automatic driving control unit 56 determines in the second determination process that a target object exists, it notifies the user of the vehicle 10 to inquire about whether automatic driving control to the target position is required, and executes automatic driving control in accordance with the user's response. If the automatic driving control unit 56 determines in the second determination process that a target object does not exist, it executes automatic driving control without inquiring about whether automatic driving control is required.

[0037] If the self-position cannot be estimated in the first determination process, the automatic driving control unit 56 does not execute automatic driving control. If the self-position cannot be estimated in the first determination process, the automatic driving control unit 56 accepts selection of a target position for automatic driving control from the user of the vehicle 10. Even if the self-position cannot be estimated, the automatic driving control unit 56 does not immediately stop automatic driving control, but accepts specification of a target position to which the vehicle 10 is to be moved from the user.

[0038] In the second determination process, the autonomous driving control unit 56 determines whether a target exists based on a comparison between the user's gaze detection result (current gaze) and the user's gaze history information (past gaze). For example, if the current gaze is significantly different from a representative value of the user's gaze history when the vehicle was automatically parked at the same target position in the past, the autonomous driving control unit 56 determines that a target exists. The user's gaze history includes the direction and location the user often looks at when automatically parking (user habits). The representative value of the history may be, for example, an average value of multiple historical values. In the second determination process, the autonomous driving control unit 56 extracts gaze history information for a relative position that is the same as the current relative position of the vehicle 10 with respect to the current target position of the vehicle 10 from the user's gaze history information, and determines whether a target exists based on a comparison between the user's gaze detection result and the extracted gaze history information.

[0039] If the self-position estimation was successful in the first determination process and the history information of the automatic driving control for the target position satisfies a predetermined condition, the automatic driving control unit 56 notifies the user of the vehicle 10 to inquire about the necessity of executing the automatic driving control, even if there is no target. The predetermined condition is that the user has little experience in using the automatic driving control for the target position, such as the number of times or frequency of use.

[0040] Note that "parking" is synonymous with "parking," for example. For example, "parking" refers to a stop that involves passengers getting in and out of the vehicle, and does not include temporary stops at traffic signals, etc. Furthermore, a "target position" refers to a parking position where a mobile object is to be parked. A "parking position" refers to a position where a mobile object is to be stopped, i.e., a parking position.

[0041] 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 a steering wheel 110. The torque sensor 102 detects the torque TQ applied to the steering wheel 110.

[0042] The EPS motor 104 applies a driving force or a reaction force to a steering column 112 connected to a steering wheel 110, thereby enabling assistance to the occupant in operating the steering wheel 110 and automatic steering during parking assistance. A resolver 106 detects the rotation angle θm of the EPS motor 104. The EPS ECU 108 is responsible for overall control of the EPS system 22. The EPS ECU 108 is equipped with an input / output unit (not shown), a calculation unit (not shown), and a storage unit (not shown).

[0043] The communication unit 24 enables wireless communication with other communication devices 120. The other communication devices 120 include base stations, communication devices of other vehicles, and information terminals such as smartphones carried by passengers of the vehicle 10.

[0044] The driving force control system 26 is equipped with a driving ECU 130. The driving force control system 26 executes 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) and the like based on a user's operation of an accelerator pedal (not shown).

[0045] The braking force control system 28 is equipped with a braking ECU 132. The braking force control system 28 executes braking force control of the vehicle 10. The braking ECU 132 controls the braking force of the vehicle 10 by controlling a brake mechanism (not shown) and the like based on a user's operation of a brake pedal (not shown).

[0046] <Automatic parking using the control device (control ECU 20)> Next, automatic parking of the vehicle 10 by the control ECU 20 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0047] [Image displayed during automatic parking] 4 is a diagram showing an example of an "automatic parking menu" that is displayed on the touch panel 42 of the navigation device 18 when automatically parking the vehicle 10. The image of the automatic parking menu is displayed by touching an automatic parking button 60 that is displayed on the touch panel 42. For example, when a user who intends to park the vehicle 10 approaches a parking lot, the automatic parking button 60 is touched to display the automatic parking menu.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 4, the image of the automatic parking menu displays a new registration button 61 and a registered target position image button 62. The new registration button 61 is a button that is operated when parking the vehicle 10 at a parking position that is to be newly registered as a target position. The registered target position image button 62 is a button that is operated when parking the vehicle 10 at a registered target position that has already been registered. Examples of the registered target position image button 62 include a registered target position image button in which a home parking lot is registered as a target position, as shown in No. 1 image button 62a, and a registered target position image button in which a coin parking lot where parking is frequently performed is registered as a target position, as shown in No. 2 image button 62b. The image displayed on the registered target position image button 62 is an image captured by, for example, the front camera 12Fr of the vehicle 10 at the time of registration.

[0049] [Registering a new target position] First, the process of registering a target position when the new registration button 61 is touched will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0050] Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an automatic parking process for parking the vehicle 10 at a new target position. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a target position 76 set on an overhead image 71 (synthetic image) generated from recognition data of the outside world of the vehicle 10 acquired by the front camera 12Fr, rear camera 12Rr, left side camera 12L, and right side camera 12R. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing feature points around the target position 76 shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a map of the target position 76 registered in the memory unit 54. When the new registration button 61 is touched, the automatic driving control unit 56 starts the process shown in Fig. 5.

[0051] The automatic driving control unit 56 accepts manual setting by the user to set the target position of the vehicle 10 (step S11).

[0052] As shown in FIG. 6, the bird's-eye view image 71 captures the user's residence (building) 73 and multiple plants (obstacles) 74a-74f. A parking lot 72 is provided between the building 73 and the obstacles 74a-74f. The user's vehicle 10 is parked in front of the parking lot 72. The vehicle displayed in the bird's-eye view image 71 is an image showing the vehicle 10 as seen from above, and is a vehicle image 75 that has been generated (captured) in advance and stored in the storage unit 54 or the like. The target position can be manually set by touching the touch panel 42. Specifically, a rectangular dashed-line frame 76a displayed on the bird's-eye view image 71 is touched and moved to surround the parking lot 72 as shown in FIG. 6. As a result, the dashed-line frame 76a that has been moved to surround the parking lot 72 is set as the target position 76.

[0053] In step S11, when the manual setting of the target position 76 is accepted, the autonomous driving control unit 56 detects feature points related to the specified target position 76 from the external recognition data acquired by the front camera 12Fr, the rear camera 12Rr, the left side camera 12L, and the right side camera 12R. The autonomous driving control unit 56 automatically parks the vehicle 10 at the target position 76 based on the detected feature points and the external recognition data acquired by the front camera 12Fr, the rear camera 12Rr, the left side camera 12L, and the right side camera 12R (step S12).

[0054] As shown in the overhead image 71 in Fig. 7, the autonomous driving control unit 56 detects, as feature points related to the specified target position 76, building feature points 77a to 77d indicating the position of the outline of a building 73 closer to the target position 76, obstacle feature points 78a to 78f indicating the positions of obstacles 74a to 74f existing around the target position 76, and the like. Note that Fig. 7 shows a state in which the vehicle 10 is parked at the specified target position 76.

[0055] Next, the automatic driving control unit 56 registers in the memory unit 54 a feature point map that is configured from the target position 76 manually set in step S11 and the feature points related to the target position 76 detected in step S12 (step S13).

[0056] A feature point map consisting of the target position 76 and its feature points is registered as a feature point map 91 as shown in Fig. 8. The feature point map 91 is registered as a map showing the relationship between the detected building feature points 77a to 77d and obstacle feature points 78a to 78f and the manually set target position 76 as shown in Fig. 7.

[0057] As a result, the target position 76 specified by the user is associated with feature points indicating obstacles, etc. present around the target position 76 and registered in the memory unit 54, and is displayed as one of the registered target position image buttons 62 in the automatic parking menu (see Figure 4).

[0058] [Automatic parking at registered target location] Next, automatic parking of the vehicle 10 at a registered target position will be described with reference to Figs. 9 and 10. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of processing for automatically parking the vehicle 10 at a registered target position. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an inquiry screen displayed when a target object that was not present when the target position was registered is detected. The control ECU 20 recognizes the position of the vehicle 10 using, for example, GPS, and starts the processing shown in Fig. 9 when it determines that the vehicle 10 has reached the vicinity of the target position. The following description will be given assuming that the target position at which the vehicle 10 is to be parked is the home parking lot shown in the No. 1 image button 62a of the automatic parking menu in Fig. 4.

[0059] First, the external environment recognition unit 55 acquires 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 (step S21).

[0060] Next, the target position detection unit 57 determines whether or not the target position has been detected, that is, whether or not the parking lot of the home, which is the registered target position, has been detected (step S22). As described above, the target position is detected by comparing the feature points of the recognition data of the external world for the currently detected target position with the feature points of the recognition data of the external world for the registered target positions.

[0061] In step S22, if the target position cannot be detected (step S22: No), the target position detection unit 57 returns to step S21 and repeats each process.

[0062] If the target position can be detected in step S22 (step S22: Yes), the automatic driving control unit 56 performs a process of estimating the self-position of the vehicle 10 relative to the target position (step S23). As described above, the self-position estimation process is performed by matching feature points detected in the current recognition data of the external world with feature points of the registered target position, and recognizing the current position of the vehicle 10 relative to the currently detected target position.

[0063] Next, the automatic driving control unit 56 determines whether or not the self-position has been estimated in the self-position estimation process of step S23 (step S24).

[0064] If the self-position cannot be estimated in step S24 (step S24: No), the automatic driving control unit 56 ends this automatic parking process. Note that if the self-position cannot be estimated, the automatic driving control unit 56 may, for example, notify the user that the self-position relative to the target position cannot be estimated, and then, if the user wishes, execute the registration process of a new target position described in Fig. 5.

[0065] If the vehicle's own position can be estimated in step S24 (step S24: Yes), the automatic driving control unit 56 determines whether or not there are any targets not included in the characteristic points of the registered target position in the vicinity of the target position in the current external world recognition data acquired in step S21 (step S25).

[0066] In step S25, if there is no target that is not included in the feature points of the registered target position (step S25: No), the automatic driving control unit 56 automatically parks the vehicle 10 at the currently detected target position (step S26). This automatic parking process is the same as step S12 in FIG. 5 described above.

[0067] In step S25, if there is a target that is not included in the feature points of the registered target position (step S25: Yes), the automatic driving control unit 56 inquires of the user whether or not automatic parking is required (step S27).

[0068] For example, as shown in FIG. 10 , assume that a target 82 that is not registered as a feature point of a registered target location is detected near a home parking lot. In this case, the autonomous driving control unit 56 displays an inquiry screen 80 as shown in FIG. 10 on the touch panel 42. The inquiry screen 80 displays an image 81 of the current target location (home parking lot) where the detected target 82 is captured, as well as a notification message 83 saying, “A registered target location has been detected.” and an inquiry message 84 saying, “An object that was not present at the time of registration has been detected. Do you want to automatically park the vehicle?” The inquiry screen 80 also displays a “Park Automatically” button 85 for automatically parking the vehicle 10 and a “Do Not Park Automatically” button 86 for not automatically parking the vehicle 10. Note that the detected unregistered target 82 may be recognized as, for example, a “cat,” and an inquiry message 84 such as, “A cat has been detected. Do you want to automatically park the vehicle?” may be displayed. The inquiry screen 80 may also be displayed on a HUD or a smartphone. The message may be output as audio from the speaker 44 or the smartphone.

[0069] Next, the automatic driving control unit 56 determines whether or not a response to the inquiry in step S27 indicating that execution is required (touch operation of the "park automatically" button 85) has been received from the user (step S28).

[0070] If an answer indicating that execution is required is received in step S28 (step S28: Yes), the automatic driving control unit 56 proceeds to step S26 and automatically parks the vehicle 10 at the currently detected target position. If an answer indicating that execution is required is not received in step S28 (step S28: No), the automatic driving control unit 56 ends this automatic parking process.

[0071] As described above, when a target position is detected, the automatic driving control unit 56 of the control device determines whether or not it is possible to estimate the vehicle 10's self-position relative to the target position based on a comparison between the vehicle 10's external recognition data and the target position information, which is a characteristic point of the target position; if it is possible to estimate the self-position, it determines whether or not a target 82 not included in the target position information is present in the vicinity of the target position; if it determines that a target 82 is present, it notifies the user of the vehicle 10 to inquire whether or not automatic parking control to the target position is required; and if it determines that no target is present, it executes automatic parking control.

[0072] According to this configuration, even if the vehicle 10 can estimate its own position relative to the target position, if a target object not included in the target position information is present around the target position, the system queries the user as to whether automatic parking control should be performed. This maintains the safety of the automatic parking control. Even if a target object not included in the target position information is present in the external recognition data, automatic parking control can be performed if a user instruction to perform automatic parking control is received in response to the query. This prevents situations in which automatic driving control cannot be performed at a registered target position for which feature points are stored, unlike when automatic parking is performed based solely on image similarity. This increases the opportunities for automatic driving control to be performed at a registered target position, improving usability. Furthermore, if a target object not included in the target position information is not present in the external recognition data, automatic driving control can be performed seamlessly without querying the user, reducing the burden on the user and improving usability.

[0073] <Modification of automatic parking at a registered target position> Next, a modified example of automatic parking of the vehicle 10 at a registered target position will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0074] [First Modification] 11 is a flowchart showing a first modified example of the process for automatically parking the vehicle 10 at a registered target position. In the first modified example, the vehicle 10 is also parked in the home parking lot shown in the No. 1 image button 62a, as in FIG. 9.

[0075] As shown in Fig. 11, in the first modified example, the processes from step S21 to step S24 are the same as the processes from step S21 to step S24 in the automatic parking process described in Fig. 9. Therefore, the description of steps S21 to S24 will be omitted.

[0076] In step S24, if the vehicle's own position can be estimated (step S24: Yes), the automatic driving control unit 56 detects the user's current line of sight during this automatic parking and determines whether the detected line of sight of the user matches the line of sight of the user during previous automatic parking (line of sight history information) (step S25a).

[0077] For example, before vehicle 10 is stopped and automatic parking begins, the system detects where the user is looking and determines whether the direction and position the user is looking match the direction and position the user was looking at during previous automatic parking. In this case, the automatic driving control unit 56 extracts, from the user's line of sight history information, history information of the same relative position as the current relative position of vehicle 10 with respect to the current target position of vehicle 10, and determines whether the user's line of sight matches. For example, when vehicle 10 is to back into parking at the target position on the left rear, the system extracts from the storage unit 54 history information of the same relative position as that positional relationship and determines whether the line of sight matches.

[0078] In step S25a, if the user's line of sight matches the history information (step S25a: Yes), the automatic driving control unit 56 determines that there are no targets different from the recognized registered feature points around the home parking lot, which is the registered target position, and automatically parks the vehicle 10 at the currently detected target position (step S26). The automatic parking process is the same as step S12 in FIG. 5 described above.

[0079] In step S25a, if the user's line of sight does not match the historical information (step S25a: No), the automatic driving control unit 56 determines that there is a target object other than the recognized registered feature point around the home parking lot, which is the registered target position, and asks the user whether or not to perform automatic parking (step S27).

[0080] The way of making an inquiry in step S27 (see FIG. 10) and the process in step S28 are the same as the processes in steps S27 and S28 described in FIG. 9. Therefore, the description of steps S27 and S28 will be omitted.

[0081] Thus, according to the first modification of the automatic parking control, the automatic driving control unit 56 determines whether a target is present based on a comparison of the gaze detection result of detecting the user's current gaze during this automatic parking with historical information on the user's gaze during previous automatic parking. Therefore, for example, it is possible to determine that a target is present when the current gaze is significantly different from a representative value (e.g., the average value of the gaze history) of the user's gaze during previous automatic parking at the same target position. This allows for accurate detection of targets that were not present during previous automatic parking, depending on the user's characteristics (such as habits) when automatically parking the vehicle 10 at a registered target position.

[0082] Furthermore, the automatic driving control unit 56 extracts historical information corresponding to the relative position between the target position and the vehicle 10 from the gaze history information, and determines whether or not a target exists based on a comparison between the extracted historical information and the current detection result of the user's gaze. Therefore, the presence or absence of a target can be determined by narrowing down the user's gaze history from past automatic parking at the same target position to history in which the relative position between the target position and the vehicle 10 is close to the current relative position. This makes it possible to determine the presence or absence of a target with even greater accuracy.

[0083] [Second Modification] 12 is a flowchart showing a second modified example of the process for automatically parking the vehicle 10 at a registered target position. In the second modified example, the vehicle 10 is also parked in the home parking lot shown in the No. 1 image button 62a, as in FIG. 9.

[0084] As shown in Fig. 12, in the second modified example, the processes from step S21 to step S24 are the same as the processes from step S21 to step S24 in the automatic parking process described in Fig. 9. Therefore, the description of steps S21 to S24 will be omitted.

[0085] If the vehicle's own position can be estimated in step S24 (step S24: Yes), the automatic driving control unit 56 determines whether the automatic parking history information satisfies a predetermined condition (step S25b). The history information satisfies the predetermined condition means that the number of times or frequency of use by the user to automatically park the vehicle 10 at the target position is low.

[0086] In step S25b, if the history information does not satisfy the predetermined condition (step S25b: No), the autonomous driving control unit 56 determines whether or not a target that is not included in the feature points of the registered target position exists around the target position in the current recognition data of the external world acquired in step S21 (step S25c). Note that instead of the processing of step S25c, the processing of step S25a in the first modified example (FIG. 11) described above may be executed.

[0087] In step S25b, if the history information satisfies the predetermined condition (step S25b: Yes), the automatic driving control unit 56 inquires of the user whether or not automatic parking is required (step S27). That is, if the number of times or frequency of use by the user to automatically park the vehicle 10 at the target position is low, the automatic driving control unit 56 inquires of the user whether or not automatic parking is required, regardless of whether or not there is a target object that is not included in the feature points of the registered target position.

[0088] The processes from step S25c onwards and the processes from step S27 onwards are the same as the processes from step S25 onwards and the processes from step S27 onwards described in Fig. 9. Therefore, the description of the processes from step S25c onwards and the processes from step S27 onwards will be omitted.

[0089] Thus, according to the second modification of the automatic parking control, even if the self-position of the vehicle 10 relative to the target position can be estimated, if the history information of the automatic parking control relative to the target position satisfies a predetermined condition, the automatic driving control unit 56 notifies the user of the vehicle 10 as to whether or not to execute the automatic parking control, even if there is no target that is not included in the characteristic points of the registered target position. As a result, for users who are using the automatic parking control for the first time or who have used it infrequently, the automatic parking control can be executed based on the user's response after the notification as to whether or not to execute the automatic parking control, rather than executing the automatic parking control seamlessly. This makes it possible to prevent a situation in which the automatic parking control is executed seamlessly, causing anxiety to the user.

[0090] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and modifications, improvements, etc. are possible as appropriate.

[0091] For example, in the above embodiment, the case where the vehicle 10 is automatically parked by automatic steering of the automatic driving control unit 56 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention may be applied to an auxiliary parking assistance that assists the driver in parking the vehicle 10 through operation by the driver.

[0092] In the above embodiment, the parking position of the vehicle 10 and the surrounding characteristic points are described using overhead images (composite images) from the front camera 12Fr, rear camera 12Rr, left side camera 12L, and right side camera 12R, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the description may be given using an image captured by any one of the front camera 12Fr, rear camera 12Rr, left side camera 12L, and right side camera 12R.

[0093] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the case where the automatic driving control unit 56 displays the overhead image 71 and the like on the touch panel 42 of the vehicle 10 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the automatic driving control unit 56 may display the overhead image 71 and the like on the display screen of an information terminal (e.g., a smartphone) carried by a passenger of the vehicle 10 via the communication unit 24.

[0094] In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which information such as a map including feature points related to the target position is registered in the storage unit 54 of the vehicle 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, such information may be registered in a storage unit of another device such as a smartphone or a server that is communicably connected to the vehicle 10.

[0095] In the above embodiment, the moving body is a vehicle (four-wheeled automobile), but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the moving body may be a motorcycle, a Segway, or other vehicle. Furthermore, the concept of the present invention is not limited to vehicles, and may also be applied to robots, ships, aircraft, and the like that are equipped with a drive source and can move using the power of the drive source.

[0096] The control method described in the above-described embodiment can be realized by executing a prepared control program on a computer. The control program is recorded on a computer-readable storage medium and executed by being read from the storage medium. The control program may be provided in a form stored on 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 the control program may be included in the control device, or may be included in an electronic device such as a smartphone, tablet, or 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.

[0097] This specification also describes at least the following: Note that the components in parentheses correspond to those in the above-described embodiment, but are not limited to these.

[0098] (1) an external environment recognition unit (external environment recognition unit 55) that acquires recognition data of the external environment of the moving body (vehicle 10); an automatic driving control unit (automatic driving control unit 56) that performs automatic driving control to move the moving body to a target position; a storage unit (storage unit 54) that stores target position information related to the target position; a target position detection unit (target position detection unit 57) that detects the target position based on the recognition data, The automatic driving control unit When the target position is detected, executes a first determination process for determining whether or not a self-position of the moving object relative to the target position can be estimated based on a comparison between the recognition data and the target position information; If the self-position estimation is successful in the first determination process, a second determination process is executed to determine whether or not a target (target 82) not included in the target position information exists in the vicinity of the target position; When it is determined in the second determination process that the target exists, a notification is sent to a user of the moving body inquiring about whether or not the automatic driving control to the target position needs to be executed; When it is determined in the second determination process that the target does not exist, the automatic driving control is executed. Control device.

[0099] According to (1), even if the self-location of a moving object can be estimated, if a target not included in the target position information exists near the target position, the system queries the user as to whether or not to execute autonomous driving control, thereby improving the safety of autonomous driving control. Furthermore, even if a target not included in the target position information exists in the external recognition data, if a user's instruction to execute autonomous driving control is received in response to the query, autonomous driving control can be executed. This prevents situations in which autonomous driving control cannot be executed in locations where target position information has been stored, unlike conventional technologies that perform automatic parking based solely on image similarity. This increases the opportunities for executing autonomous driving control and improves usability. Furthermore, if a target not included in the target position information does not exist in the external recognition data, autonomous driving control can be executed seamlessly (without querying the user), thereby reducing the burden on the user.

[0100] (2) The control device according to (1), The target position information is a feature point of the target position. Control device.

[0101] According to (2), it is preferable to compare the feature points of the target position in order to detect a target that is not included in the target position information.

[0102] (3) The control device according to (1) or (2), When it is determined that the target exists in the second determination process, the autonomous driving control unit issues a notification inquiring about whether or not the autonomous driving control needs to be executed, and then executes the autonomous driving control in accordance with a response from the user of the moving body. Control device.

[0103] According to (3), by executing automatic driving control in response to the user's response, it is possible to prevent situations in which automatic driving control cannot be executed at locations where target position information has been stored, thereby improving usability.

[0104] (4) The control device according to any one of (1) to (3), The autonomous driving control unit does not execute the autonomous driving control when the self-position estimation cannot be performed in the first determination process. Control device.

[0105] According to (4), high safety of the automated driving control can be maintained.

[0106] (5) The control device according to (4), the autonomous driving control unit accepts a selection of a target position of the autonomous driving control from a user of the moving body when the self-position estimation cannot be performed in the first determination process; Control device.

[0107] According to (5), the specification of the parking position can be accepted and registered as a new target position, thereby improving usability.

[0108] (6) The control device according to any one of (1) to (5), In the second determination process, the autonomous driving control unit determines whether the target exists based on a comparison between the user's gaze detection result and history information of the user's gaze. Control device.

[0109] According to (6), for example, if the current line of sight is significantly different from the representative value (e.g., average value) of the user’s line of sight history when the vehicle was automatically parked at the same target position in the past, it can be determined that a target is present. Therefore, the presence or absence of a target can be accurately determined according to the user’s characteristics (habits, etc.).

[0110] (7) The control device according to (6), In the second determination process, the autonomous driving control unit extracts, from the line-of-sight history information, history information corresponding to a relative position between the target position and the moving body, and determines whether the target exists based on a comparison between the line-of-sight detection result and the extracted history information. Control device.

[0111] According to (7), the user's line of sight history when automatically parking at the same target position in the past can be narrowed down to history in which the relative position between the target position and the moving object is close to the current relative position, thereby enabling more accurate determination of the presence or absence of a target object.

[0112] (8) The control device according to any one of (1) to (7), When the self-position estimation is successful in the first determination process and history information of the autonomous driving control for the target position satisfies a predetermined condition, the autonomous driving control unit notifies the user of the moving body to inquire about the necessity of executing the autonomous driving control even if the target does not exist. Control device.

[0113] According to (8), for users who are using autonomous driving control for the first time or who have used it infrequently, the autonomous driving control is not executed seamlessly, but rather a notification is sent to inquire whether the control is required, and then the autonomous driving control is executed based on the user's response. This allows the autonomous driving control to be executed seamlessly, preventing situations that may cause anxiety to the user and improving usability.

[0114] (9) The control device according to any one of (1) to (8), the target position is a parking position of the moving body, The automatic driving control is automatic parking control to the parking position. Control device.

[0115] According to (9), usability can be improved by applying this to automatic parking control of a moving body at a parking position.

[0116] (10) A control method using a control device that acquires recognition data of the outside world of a moving body, performs automatic driving control to move the moving body to a target position, stores target position information related to the target position, and detects the target position based on the recognition data, a processor of the control device, When the target position is detected, executes a first determination process for determining whether or not a self-position of the moving object relative to the target position can be estimated based on a comparison between the recognition data and the target position information; If the self-position estimation is successful in the first determination process, a second determination process is executed to determine whether or not a target not included in the target position information exists in the vicinity of the target position; When it is determined in the second determination process that the target exists, a notification is sent to a user of the moving body inquiring about whether or not the automatic driving control to the target position needs to be executed; When it is determined in the second determination process that the target does not exist, the automatic driving control is executed. Control method.

[0117] According to (10), even if the self-position of a moving object can be estimated, if a target not included in the target position information exists around the target position, the user is queried as to whether or not to execute autonomous driving control, thereby improving the safety of autonomous driving control. Furthermore, even if a target not included in the target position information exists in the external recognition data, if an instruction to execute autonomous driving control is received from the user in response to the above query, autonomous driving control can be executed. This prevents situations in which autonomous driving control cannot be executed in locations where target position information has been stored. This increases the opportunities for executing autonomous driving control and improves usability. Furthermore, if a target not included in the target position information does not exist in the external recognition data, autonomous driving control can be executed seamlessly, thereby reducing the burden on the user.

[0118] (11) A control program for a control device that acquires recognition data of the outside world of a moving body, performs automatic driving control to move the moving body to a target position, stores target position information related to the target position, and detects the target position based on the recognition data, a processor of the control device; When the target position is detected, executes a first determination process for determining whether or not a self-position of the moving object relative to the target position can be estimated based on a comparison between the recognition data and the target position information; If the self-position estimation is successful in the first determination process, a second determination process is executed to determine whether or not a target not included in the target position information exists in the vicinity of the target position; When it is determined in the second determination process that the target exists, a notification is sent to a user of the moving body inquiring about whether or not the automatic driving control to the target position needs to be executed; When it is determined in the second determination process that the target does not exist, the automatic driving control is executed. A control program for executing processing.

[0119] According to (11), even if the self-position of a moving object can be estimated, if a target not included in the target position information exists around the target position, the user is queried as to whether or not to execute autonomous driving control, thereby improving the safety of autonomous driving control. Furthermore, even if a target not included in the target position information exists in the external recognition data, if an instruction to execute autonomous driving control is received from the user in response to the above query, autonomous driving control can be executed. This prevents situations in which autonomous driving control cannot be executed in locations where target position information has been stored. This increases the opportunities for executing autonomous driving control and improves usability. Furthermore, if a target not included in the target position information does not exist in the external recognition data, autonomous driving control can be executed seamlessly, thereby reducing the burden on the user. [Explanation of symbols]

[0120] 10 Vehicles (moving objects) 20 Control ECU (control device) 54 Memory section 55 External world recognition part 56 Automatic driving control unit 57 Target position detection unit

Claims

1. an external environment recognition unit that acquires recognition data of the external environment of the moving object; an automatic driving control unit that performs automatic driving control to move the moving body to a target position; a storage unit that stores target position information related to the target position; a target position detection unit that detects the target position based on the recognition data, The automatic driving control unit executes a first determination process for determining whether or not a self-position of the moving object relative to the target position can be estimated based on a comparison between the recognition data and the target position information; If the self-position estimation is successful in the first determination process, a second determination process is executed to determine whether or not a target not included in the target position information exists in the vicinity of the target position; When it is determined that the target exists in the second determination process, a notification is sent to a user of the moving body inquiring about whether or not the automatic driving control to the target position needs to be executed; When it is determined in the second determination process that the target does not exist, the automatic driving control is executed; If the self-position estimation cannot be performed in the first determination process, the autonomous driving control is not executed, and if the self-position estimation cannot be performed in the first determination process, a selection of a target position for the autonomous driving control is accepted from a user of the moving body. Control device.

2. The control device according to claim 1, The target position information is a feature point of the target position. Control device.

3. The control device according to claim 1, When it is determined that the target object exists in the second determination process, the autonomous driving control unit issues a notification inquiring about whether or not the autonomous driving control needs to be executed, and then executes the autonomous driving control in accordance with a response from the user of the moving body. Control device.

4. An external environment recognition unit that acquires recognition data of the external environment of a moving object; an automatic driving control unit that performs automatic driving control to move the moving body to a target position; a storage unit that stores target position information related to the target position; a target position detection unit that detects the target position based on the recognition data, The automatic driving control unit executes a first determination process for determining whether or not a self-position of the moving object relative to the target position can be estimated based on a comparison between the recognition data and the target position information; If the self-position estimation is successful in the first determination process, a second determination process is executed to determine whether or not a target not included in the target position information exists in the vicinity of the target position; When it is determined that the target exists in the second determination process, a notification is sent to a user of the moving body inquiring about whether or not the automatic driving control to the target position needs to be executed; When it is determined in the second determination process that the target does not exist, the automatic driving control is executed; In the second determination process, it is determined whether or not the target exists based on a comparison between the user's line of sight detection result and history information of the user's line of sight. Control device.

5. A control device according to claim 4, In the second determination process, the autonomous driving control unit extracts, from the line-of-sight history information, history information corresponding to a relative position between the target position and the moving body, and determines whether the target is present or not based on a comparison between the line-of-sight detection result and the extracted history information. Control device.

6. A control device according to claim 1, When the self-position estimation is successful in the first determination process and history information of the autonomous driving control for the target position satisfies a predetermined condition, the autonomous driving control unit notifies the user of the moving body to inquire about the necessity of executing the autonomous driving control even if the target does not exist. Control device.

7. A control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the target position is a parking position of the moving body, The automatic driving control is automatic parking control to the parking position. Control device.

8. A control method using a control device that acquires recognition data of the outside world of a moving body, performs automatic driving control to move the moving body to a target position, stores target position information related to the target position, and detects the target position based on the recognition data, a processor of the control device, executes a first determination process for determining whether or not a self-position of the moving object relative to the target position can be estimated based on a comparison between the recognition data and the target position information; If the self-position estimation is successful in the first determination process, a second determination process is executed to determine whether or not a target not included in the target position information exists in the vicinity of the target position; When it is determined that the target exists in the second determination process, a notification is sent to a user of the moving body inquiring about whether or not the automatic driving control to the target position needs to be executed; When it is determined in the second determination process that the target does not exist, the automatic driving control is executed; If the self-position estimation cannot be performed in the first determination process, the autonomous driving control is not executed, and if the self-position estimation cannot be performed in the first determination process, a selection of a target position for the autonomous driving control is accepted from a user of the moving body. Control method.

9. A control program for a control device that acquires recognition data of the outside world of a moving body, performs automatic driving control to move the moving body to a target position, stores target position information related to the target position, and detects the target position based on the recognition data, a processor of the control device; executes a first determination process for determining whether or not a self-position of the moving object relative to the target position can be estimated based on a comparison between the recognition data and the target position information; If the self-position estimation is successful in the first determination process, a second determination process is executed to determine whether or not a target not included in the target position information exists in the vicinity of the target position; When it is determined that the target exists in the second determination process, a notification is sent to a user of the moving body inquiring about whether or not the automatic driving control to the target position needs to be executed; When it is determined in the second determination process that the target does not exist, the automatic driving control is executed; If the self-position estimation cannot be performed in the first determination process, the autonomous driving control is not executed, and if the self-position estimation cannot be performed in the first determination process, a selection of a target position for the autonomous driving control is accepted from a user of the moving body. A control program for executing processing.

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