Vehicle Control System

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control system capable of suppressing erroneous operation of processing for avoiding collision with a target at the time of backward moving of a vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicle control system includes: an acquisition unit that transmits a transmission wave and receives a reflection wave generated by the transmission wave being reflected by a target to acquire distance information indicating a distance from a vehicle to the target existing in the periphery of the vehicle; a first processing part that performs first processing for avoiding collision with an approaching target at the time of backward movement of the vehicle when the approaching target approaching the vehicle is detected on the basis of the distance information; a drive control part that drives the acquisition unit during a stop period from when a drive mechanism of the vehicle stops to when a predetermined time elapses; and a storage part that stores stop period distance information being distance information acquired by the acquisition unit during the stop period. The first processing part determines necessity of the first processing after the activation of the drive mechanism, on the basis of the stop period distance information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control system. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art There is a system that detects a target, such as another vehicle, approaching the rear of a vehicle when the vehicle is backing up from a parking area or the like, and issues an alarm or the like to avoid a collision with the target. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-106900 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the prior art, there are cases where processing such as issuing an alarm is performed even for targets with no risk of collision.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control system that can suppress malfunctions in processing for avoiding a collision with a target when the vehicle is reversing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a vehicle control system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises an acquisition unit that acquires distance information indicating the distance from the vehicle to a target located in the vicinity of the vehicle by transmitting a transmission wave and receiving a reflected wave generated when the transmission wave is reflected by the target; a first processing unit that, when an approaching target approaching the vehicle is detected based on the distance information, executes a first process to avoid a collision with the approaching target when the vehicle is reversing; a drive control unit that drives the acquisition unit during a stoppage period from when the vehicle's drive mechanism is stopped until a predetermined time has elapsed; and a memory unit that stores stoppage period distance information, which is distance information acquired by the acquisition unit during the stoppage period, and the first processing unit determines whether or not the first process is necessary after the drive mechanism is started based on the stoppage period distance information.

[0007] According to the above configuration, it is possible to use the stop period distance information acquired during the stop period to determine which approaching targets detected after the drive mechanism is started are not at risk of collision, thereby suppressing malfunction of the first process.

[0008] In addition, in the above configuration, the first processing unit may determine that the first processing is unnecessary when the difference between the current movement trajectory of the approaching target estimated based on distance information acquired after the drive mechanism is started and the past movement trajectory of the approaching target estimated based on stop period distance information acquired during the stop period before the drive mechanism is started is equal to or less than a threshold value.

[0009] According to the above configuration, it is possible to accurately determine whether a target poses a risk of collision, and to effectively prevent malfunction of the first process.

[0010] In addition, in the above configuration, the first processing unit may determine that the first processing is unnecessary when the difference between the current speed of the approaching target estimated based on distance information acquired after the drive mechanism is started and the past speed of the approaching target estimated based on stop period distance information acquired during the stop period before the drive mechanism is started is equal to or less than a threshold value.

[0011] According to the above configuration, it is possible to accurately determine whether a target poses a risk of collision, and to effectively prevent malfunction of the first process.

[0012] In addition, in the above configuration, when the vehicle is parked in a parking area in a state that requires it to be reversed out, the first processing unit may determine whether or not the first processing is necessary after the drive mechanism is started based on the stopping period distance information.

[0013] According to the above configuration, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the first process when performing backward leaving the warehouse. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle control system that can suppress malfunctions in processing for avoiding a collision with a target when the vehicle is reversing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a vehicle control system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the vehicle control system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a situation when a vehicle is backing out of a parking lot at a right angle and the RCTA process of the embodiment is executed. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a situation in which the RCTA process according to the embodiment is executed when the vehicle is leaving the parking lot while rearming diagonally. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a situation in which the RCTA process may malfunction. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of processing after the drive mechanism is stopped in the vehicle control system according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of processing after the start of the drive mechanism in the vehicle control system according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The configuration of the embodiment described below and the actions and effects brought about by the configuration are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to the following description.

[0017] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a vehicle control system 1 according to an embodiment. The vehicle control system 1 according to the present embodiment is a system for controlling a vehicle such as an automobile, and includes a sensor 10, a BSM / RCTA / DOW-ECU 13, and a UI (User Interface) 21.

[0018] The sensor 10 includes transmitter / receivers 11A and 11B and a sensor ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 12.

[0019] The transmitter-receivers 11A and 11B are units installed at the rear end of the vehicle body (for example, the right rear end and left rear end of the vehicle body) and transmit and receive electromagnetic waves of a predetermined frequency. Each transmitter-receiver 11A and 11B transmits a transmission wave and receives a reflected wave generated when the transmission wave is reflected by a target present around the vehicle. The transmission and reception method of the electromagnetic wave is not particularly limited, but for example, a millimeter wave radar method, a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) method, etc. may be adopted. Note that the number and installation positions of the transmitter-receivers 11A and 11B are not limited to those described above and should be determined appropriately depending on the type of the vehicle, etc.

[0020] The sensor ECU 12 is a calculation device configured using a CPU (Central Processing unit), memory, etc., and executes predetermined calculation processing according to a program stored in the memory. The sensor ECU 12 generates distance information indicating the distance from a predetermined position of the vehicle (e.g., the installation position of the transmitter-receiver units 11A and 11B) to a target existing around the vehicle, based on the detection signals (e.g., electrical signals indicating the intensity of reflected waves) from the transmitter-receiver units 11A and 11B. Furthermore, the sensor ECU 12 determines, based on the distance information, whether there is an approaching target approaching the vehicle from behind the vehicle, whether there is a possibility that the approaching target will collide with the vehicle, etc. Information indicating the determination result of the sensor ECU 12 is output to the BSM / RCTA / DOW-ECU 13.

[0021] The BSM / RCTA / DOW-ECU 13 is a computing device configured using a CPU, memory, etc., and executes predetermined computational processes according to programs stored in the memory. The BSM / RCTA / DOW-ECU 13 executes BSM (Blind Spot Monitor) processing, RCTA (Rear Cross Traffic Alert) processing, and DOW (Door Open Warning) processing. The BSM processing is a processing for realizing a function of detecting targets, such as other vehicles, present in blind spots not reflected in the side mirrors or the rearview mirror and notifying the occupants. The RCTA processing is a processing for realizing a function of avoiding a collision with targets, such as other vehicles, when the vehicle is backing up. The DOW processing is a processing for realizing a function of avoiding a collision with targets, such as other vehicles, when the vehicle door is opened. For example, when the sensor 10 outputs a signal indicating the presence of a target that may collide with the vehicle when the vehicle starts backing up, the BSM / RCTA / DOW-ECU 13 outputs an alarm instruction to the UI 21 (e.g., a display, a speaker, a side mirror, etc.) to output an alarm for danger avoidance. Furthermore, the BSM / RCTA / DOW-ECU 13 may output instructions to the braking mechanism, steering mechanism, etc. of the vehicle to perform predetermined automatic driving.

[0022] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a vehicle control system 1 according to an embodiment. The vehicle control system 1 according to this embodiment includes an acquisition unit 101, an RCTA processing unit 102 (an example of a first processing unit), a DOW processing unit 103 (an example of a second processing unit), a drive control unit 104, and a storage unit 105. These functional components 101 to 105 may be configured by cooperation between hardware and software (e.g., a program stored in a memory) as illustrated in FIG. 1. Furthermore, at least one of the functional components 101 to 105 may be configured by dedicated hardware (e.g., a circuit).

[0023] The acquisition unit 101 transmits a transmission wave from the vehicle body toward the outside and receives a reflected wave generated when the transmission wave is reflected by a target, thereby acquiring distance information indicating the distance from the vehicle (body) to a target located around the vehicle.

[0024] The RCTA processing unit 102 executes RCTA processing (an example of a first processing) for avoiding a collision with the approaching target when the vehicle is backing up, when an approaching target is detected based on the distance information acquired by the acquisition unit 101. The RCTA processing may include, for example, issuing a warning to the driver of the vehicle, automatically controlling the braking mechanism, steering mechanism, etc. of the vehicle, etc.

[0025] The DOW processing unit 103 executes DOW processing (an example of a second processing) for avoiding a collision with an approaching object when the vehicle door is opened, based on the distance information acquired by the acquisition unit 101. The DOW processing may include, for example, issuing a warning to the vehicle driver, controlling the door lock, and the like.

[0026] The drive control unit 104 drives the acquisition unit 101 during a vehicle stop period from when the drive mechanism of the vehicle (for example, an internal combustion engine, a motor, a hybrid system, etc.) stops until a predetermined time has elapsed. For example, if the drive mechanism includes an internal combustion engine, the stop period may be the period from when the ignition switch is turned off until a predetermined time (for example, 180 seconds) has elapsed.

[0027] The storage unit 105 stores stopping period distance information, which is distance information acquired by the acquisition unit 101 during a stopping period.

[0028] Here, an overview of the RCTA process and problems with the RCTA process will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0029] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a situation during right-angle backward exit, in which the RCTA processing of the embodiment is executed. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a situation during diagonal backward exit, in which the RCTA processing of the embodiment is executed. Fig. 3 illustrates an example of a situation during right-angle backward exit, in which a vehicle 2 equipped with the vehicle control system 1 of the embodiment backs up from a parking area PA at a right angle or a substantially right angle to an aisle 5 to exit the parking area. Fig. 4 illustrates an example of a situation during diagonal backward exit, in which the vehicle 2 backs up from a parking area PA at an oblique angle to the aisle 5 to exit the parking area. As illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, if another vehicle 3 is detected as an approaching target by the sensor 10 while the vehicle 2 is backing up, in principle, RCTA processing, such as issuing an alarm to the driver, is executed.

[0030] However, depending on the positional relationship between the vehicle 2 and the other vehicle 3, the movement trajectory of the other vehicle 3, etc., there is a possibility that unnecessary RCTA processing may be performed on the other vehicle 3 that is not at risk of colliding with the vehicle 2.

[0031] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a situation in which the RCTA process may malfunction. FIG. 5 illustrates a situation in which a vehicle 2 is parked in a parking area PA of a store S built along a highway R, and another vehicle 3 is traveling on the highway R. In this situation, when the vehicle 2 attempts to back out of the parking area PA, the sensor 10 may detect the other vehicle 3 traveling on the highway R. Although such another vehicle 3 is considered to be a target that does not pose a risk of collision with the vehicle 2, at a certain point in time it may become a target approaching the vehicle 2 and may be mistakenly recognized as an approaching target that is subject to the RCTA process. If such an approaching target is mistakenly recognized, the RCTA process will malfunction.

[0032] The vehicle control system 1 of this embodiment has a function for suppressing malfunctions of the RCTA process as described above.

[0033] 2, the RCTA processing unit 102 of this embodiment determines whether or not RCTA processing is required after the start of the drive mechanism, based on the stoppage period distance information stored in the memory unit 105. The RCTA processing unit 102 of this embodiment includes an estimation unit 111 and a determination unit 112.

[0034] The estimation unit 111 estimates a first movement trajectory, which is the movement trajectory of the current approaching target, based on distance information acquired after the drive mechanism is started (including at the start of reverse and during reverse). The estimation unit 111 also estimates a second movement trajectory, which is the movement trajectory of the past approaching target (which passed behind the vehicle during a stop period), based on stopping period distance information acquired during a stop period before the drive mechanism is started. The estimation unit 111 may also estimate a first speed, which is the speed of the current approaching target, based on the distance information, and estimate a second speed, which is the speed of the past approaching target, based on the stopping period distance information.

[0035] The determination unit 112 determines whether RCTA processing is necessary based on a comparison result between the first movement trajectory and the second movement trajectory estimated by the estimation unit 111. Specifically, the determination unit 112 determines that RCTA processing is unnecessary when the difference between the first movement trajectory and the second movement trajectory is equal to or less than a threshold. The determination unit 112 may also determine whether RCTA processing is necessary based on a comparison result between the first speed and the second speed estimated by the estimation unit 111. In this case, the determination unit 112 determines that RCTA processing is unnecessary when the difference between the first speed and the second speed is equal to or less than a threshold. At this time, it is preferable that the second speed is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed (for example, 40 km / h). This is because it can be estimated that another vehicle 3 traveling at a relatively high speed is traveling in an area other than a parking lot (such as a main road R).

[0036] With the above configuration, when the first movement trajectory, which is the estimated movement trajectory of the currently approaching target, matches or substantially matches the second movement trajectory, which is the estimated movement trajectory of the past approaching target detected during the vehicle's stop period, RCTA processing such as issuing a warning is prohibited. Also, when the first speed, which is the estimated speed of the currently approaching target, matches or substantially matches the second speed, which is the estimated speed of the past approaching target detected during the vehicle's stop period, RCTA processing such as issuing a warning is prohibited. This makes it possible to suppress malfunctions of the RCTA processing.

[0037] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of processing after the drive mechanism is stopped in the vehicle control system 1 of the embodiment. Here, a case where the drive mechanism includes an internal combustion engine will be described. The drive control unit 104 determines whether the ignition switch is OFF (S101). If the ignition switch is not OFF (S101: No), the routine ends. If the ignition switch is OFF (S101: Yes), the sensor 10 (acquisition unit 101) is maintained in the ON state (S102). At this time, the sensor 10 is supplied with power from a continuous power source such as a +B battery. The sensor 10 is also driven by such a continuous power source when the DOW process is executed. That is, the drive of the sensor 10 in this process can be realized by utilizing the post-vehicle stop process executed in the DOW process.

[0038] The sensor 10 acquires stopping period distance information during the stopping period, and the acquired stopping period distance information is stored in the memory unit 105 (S103). Thereafter, the drive control unit 104 determines whether or not 180 seconds have elapsed since the ignition switch was turned OFF (S104). If 180 seconds have not elapsed (S104: No), the process returns to step S101. If 180 seconds have elapsed (S104: Yes), the drive control unit 104 turns OFF the sensor 10 (S105), and this routine ends.

[0039] By the above processing, distance information regarding the movement of other vehicles passing through the area behind vehicle 2 during the stopping period can be stored in memory unit 105, and can be used to determine whether RCTA processing is necessary after the drive mechanism is started.

[0040] 7 is a flowchart showing an example of processing after the start of the drive mechanism in the vehicle control system 1 of the embodiment. The drive control unit 104 determines whether the ignition switch is ON (S201), and if the ignition switch is not ON (S201: No), ends this routine. If the ignition switch is ON (S201: Yes), the drive control unit 104 determines whether the shift lever is in the reverse position (S202), and if the shift lever is not in the reverse position (S202: No), ends this routine. If the shift lever is in the reverse position (S202: Yes), the drive control unit 104 turns on the sensor 10 (acquisition unit 101), and the sensor 10 acquires distance information (S203). Note that power may be supplied to the sensor 10 when the ignition switch is turned ON.

[0041] Thereafter, the estimation unit 111 of the RCTA processing unit 102 estimates a first movement trajectory corresponding to the currently approaching target based on the acquired distance information (S204), and estimates a second movement trajectory corresponding to the past approaching target based on the stop period distance information stored in the storage unit 105 (S205). The determination unit 112 determines whether the difference between the first movement trajectory and the second movement trajectory is equal to or less than a threshold (S206). If the difference is not equal to or less than the threshold (S206: No), the determination unit 112 executes the RCTA processing (S207). If the difference is equal to or less than the threshold (S206: Yes), the determination unit 112 does not execute the RCTA processing (S208). Note that although the case where the determination of whether or not the RCTA processing is necessary is performed based on the comparison result between the first movement trajectory and the second movement trajectory has been exemplified here, the determination of whether or not the RCTA processing is necessary may also be performed based on the comparison result between the first speed and the second speed, as described above.

[0042] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to determine which approaching targets are not at risk of collision among those detected after the drive mechanism is started, and to suppress malfunctions of the RCTA processing.

[0043] In the above embodiment, the drive mechanism includes an internal combustion engine, but the vehicle control system 1 of the present embodiment can also be applied to an electric vehicle or the like in which the drive mechanism is a motor.

[0044] A program that causes a computer (for example, the sensor ECU 12, the RCTA-ECU 13, etc.) to execute processes for realizing various functions in the vehicle control system 1 of the above embodiment can be provided by being recorded in an installable or executable file format on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R (Recordable), or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk). The program may also be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0045] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above-described embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. This novel embodiment can be embodied in various other forms. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, this embodiment is included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and is also included in the inventions and their equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1...vehicle control system, 2...vehicle, 3...other vehicle, 5...passage, 10...sensor, 11A, 11B...transmitter / receiver unit, 12...sensor ECU, 13...BSM / RCTA / DOW-ECU, 21...UI, 101...acquisition unit, 102...RCTA processing unit (first processing unit), 103...DOW processing unit, 104...drive control unit, 105...storage unit, 111...estimation unit, 112...determination unit, PA...parking area, R...main road, S...store

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires distance information indicating a distance from a vehicle to a target present in the vicinity of the vehicle by transmitting a transmission wave and receiving a reflected wave generated when the transmission wave is reflected by the target; a first processing unit that, when an approaching target object approaching the vehicle is detected based on the distance information, executes a first process to avoid a collision with the approaching target object when the vehicle is reversing; a drive control unit that drives the acquisition unit during a stop period from when a drive mechanism of the vehicle stops until a predetermined time has elapsed; a storage unit that stores stoppage period distance information, which is the distance information acquired by the acquisition unit during the stoppage period; Equipped with the first processing unit determines whether the first process is necessary after the start of the drive mechanism based on the stop period distance information, and determines that the first process is unnecessary when a difference between a current movement trajectory of the approaching target estimated based on the distance information acquired after the start of the drive mechanism and a past movement trajectory of the approaching target estimated based on the stop period distance information acquired during the stop period before the start of the drive mechanism is equal to or less than a threshold value. Vehicle control system.

2. An acquisition unit that acquires distance information indicating the distance from a vehicle to a target that exists around the vehicle by transmitting a transmission wave and receiving a reflected wave that is generated when the transmission wave is reflected by the target; a first processing unit that, when an approaching target object approaching the vehicle is detected based on the distance information, executes a first process to avoid a collision with the approaching target object when the vehicle is reversing; a drive control unit that drives the acquisition unit during a stop period from when a drive mechanism of the vehicle stops until a predetermined time has elapsed; a storage unit that stores stoppage period distance information, which is the distance information acquired by the acquisition unit during the stoppage period; Equipped with the first processing unit determines whether the first process is necessary after the start of the drive mechanism based on the stop period distance information, and determines that the first process is unnecessary when a difference between a current speed of the approaching target estimated based on the distance information acquired after the start of the drive mechanism and a past speed of the approaching target estimated based on the stop period distance information acquired during the stop period before the start of the drive mechanism is equal to or less than a threshold value. Vehicle control system.

3. the first processing unit determines whether or not the first process is required after the start of the drive mechanism based on the stopping period distance information when the vehicle is parked in the parking area in a state where backward exit is required.

3. A vehicle control system according to claim 1 or 2.

Images