Automatic parking system and automatic parking control device

Abstract

To improve the accuracy of a parking position when automatically parking a vehicle in a parking space without requiring an enormous data capacity.SOLUTION: An automatic parking system includes a vehicle that can be charged from the outside, and an automatic charger that supplies power to the vehicle parked in a parking space, and automatically parks the vehicle in the parking space where the automatic charger is installed. The automatic charger includes a sensor that detects a positional deviation amount between a parking position of the vehicle parked in the parking space and the target parking position. The vehicle has a control device that executes automatic parking control that automatically parks the vehicle in the parking space. The control device automatically parks the vehicle in a predetermined target parking position within the parking space when automatic parking control is started, corrects the target parking position on the basis of the positional deviation amount acquired from the automatic charger, and performs the automatic parking again so as to park the vehicle in the corrected target parking position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic parking system and an automatic parking control device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a system that automatically parks a vehicle in a parking space, and that wirelessly transmits power to the vehicle stopped in the parking space from a wireless charger installed in the parking space and charges the vehicle's battery with that power. In the configuration described in Patent Document 1, when the vehicle is automatically parked, the system guides the vehicle to a position where wireless charging efficiency is optimal based on information from a sensor installed in the wireless charger on the ground. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-141161 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the configuration described in Patent Document 1, in order to improve the accuracy of parking position, information indicating the correspondence between charging efficiency and vehicle position is stored in a storage unit on the vehicle side, and the information is used to perform automatic parking. However, storing the information requires a huge amount of data capacity in the storage unit on the vehicle side, so there is room for improvement.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an automatic parking system and an automatic parking control device that can improve the accuracy of parking position when automatically parking a vehicle in a parking space without requiring a huge amount of data. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The automatic parking system of the present invention comprises a vehicle capable of external charging, and an automatic charger installed in a parking space and supplying power to a vehicle parked in the parking space, and automatically parks the vehicle in the parking space in which the automatic charger is installed. The automatic charger has a sensor that detects the amount of positional deviation between the parking position of the vehicle parked in the parking space and a target parking position, and a first communication device that communicates wirelessly with the vehicle attempting to park in the parking space and transmits the amount of positional deviation detected by the sensor to the vehicle. The vehicle has a second communication device that communicates wirelessly with the automatic charger installed in the parking space in which the vehicle is attempting to park and receives the amount of positional deviation transmitted from the first communication device, and a control device that executes automatic parking control to automatically park the vehicle in the parking space, and when the automatic parking control is started, the control device automatically parks the vehicle in a predetermined target parking position within the parking space, corrects the target parking position based on the amount of positional deviation obtained from the automatic charger, and performs automatic parking again so that the vehicle is parked at the corrected target parking position.

[0007] With this configuration, when parking a vehicle in a target parking position in a parking space, the target parking position can be corrected based on the position deviation amount obtained from the automatic charger, and automatic parking can be performed again. This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of the parking position when automatically parking a vehicle in a parking space without requiring a huge amount of data.

[0008] In addition, after starting the automatic parking control, the control device may send a parking signal to the automatic charger indicating that the vehicle has parked at the target parking position, and if the position deviation amount is obtained from the automatic charger after sending the parking signal, correct the target parking position and automatically park the vehicle in the parking space again so that the vehicle is parked at the corrected target parking position, and if the position deviation amount is not obtained from the automatic charger after sending the parking signal, complete parking in the parking space.

[0009] With this configuration, the vehicle only needs to correct the parking position and perform automatic parking again if it acquires the amount of positional deviation from the automatic charger after transmitting the parking signal.

[0010] The vehicle may have an inlet, the automatic charger may have a charging connector that connects to the inlet, and a connection mechanism that is coupled to the charging connector and automatically changes the position of the charging connector to automatically connect the charging connector to the inlet, and the target parking position may be set to a range in which the inlet is located within a range in which the charging connector can be connected.

[0011] The automatic parking control device of the present invention is an automatic parking control device that is mounted on a vehicle capable of external charging and performs automatic parking control to automatically park the vehicle in a parking space.When the automatic parking control is being performed and the positional deviation amount between the parking position of the vehicle and a target parking position is obtained from the automatic charger installed in the parking space through wireless communication between the vehicle and the automatic charger, the target parking position is corrected based on the positional deviation amount, and the automatic parking control device again performs automatic parking in the parking space so that the vehicle is parked at the corrected target parking position.

[0012] With this configuration, the vehicle corrects the target parking position based on the amount of position deviation only when it acquires the amount of position deviation from the automatic charger while executing automatic parking control, and then automatically parks again at the corrected target parking position.

[0013] Furthermore, after starting the automatic parking control, a parking signal indicating that the vehicle has parked at a target parking position is sent to the automatic charger, and if the position deviation amount is obtained from the automatic charger after sending the parking signal, the target parking position is corrected and automatic parking in the parking space is performed again so that the vehicle is parked at the corrected target parking position, and if the position deviation amount is not obtained from the automatic charger after sending the parking signal, parking in the parking space is completed.

[0014] With this configuration, the vehicle only needs to correct the parking position and perform automatic parking again if it acquires the amount of positional deviation from the automatic charger after transmitting the parking signal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] In this invention, when a vehicle is automatically parked in a parking space, information detected by a sensor included in the automatic charger is provided to the vehicle, and the vehicle can correct the parking position and automatically park in the parking space again. This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of the parking position when automatically parking a vehicle in a parking space without requiring a huge amount of data. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an automatic parking system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating automatic parking control. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a calculation process. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a sensor. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a connection mechanism. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating three axes in a connection mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, an automatic parking system and an automatic parking control device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below.

[0018] 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating an automatic parking system according to an embodiment. The automatic parking system 1 includes a vehicle 2 and an automatic charger 3. The automatic parking system 1 includes a system that automatically parks the vehicle 2 in a parking space provided with the automatic charger 3, and a system (automatic charging system) that automatically connects the automatic charger 3 to the vehicle 2 parked in the parking space to supply power.

[0019] The vehicle 2 is an electrically powered vehicle that can be charged with power supplied from an external power source, and is, for example, an electric vehicle (BEV) or a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV). The vehicle 2 is a vehicle that can be parked in a parking space in which an automatic charger 3 is installed. The vehicle 2 includes an inlet 10, a battery 11, a charging ECU 12, an automatic parking ECU 13, and a communication device 14.

[0020] The inlet 10 is a charging port that receives power supplied from an external power source. As shown in FIG. 1, the inlet 10 is provided on the bottom of the vehicle 2. A charging connector 20 of the automatic charger 3 is connected to the inlet 10. When the charging connector 20 is inserted (connected) into the inlet 10, the vehicle 2 can receive power supplied from the automatic charger 3. The vehicle 2 then supplies the power received from the automatic charger 3 to the battery 11 from the inlet 10. The inlet 10 and the battery 11 are electrically connected.

[0021] The battery 11 is an on-board battery that can be externally charged. The battery 11 is a secondary battery that can store power supplied from the inlet 10. The battery 11 is configured, for example, with a lithium-ion battery. The battery 11 stores power supplied from an external power source connected via the inlet 10. The battery 11 also supplies power to a traction motor of the vehicle 2. The traction motor is electrically connected to the battery 11.

[0022] The charging ECU 12 is an electronic control device that executes charging control to store the power received by the inlet 10 in the battery 11. This electronic control device includes a processor and a memory (main storage unit). The processor is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and the like. The memory is composed of a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory) and the like. Signals from various sensors mounted on the vehicle 2 are input to the charging ECU 12. The charging ECU 12 executes charging control based on the signals input from the various sensors.

[0023] The automatic parking ECU 13 is an electronic control device that executes automatic parking control to automatically park the vehicle 2 in a parking space. The automatic parking ECU 13 has a hardware configuration similar to that of the charging ECU 12. The automatic parking ECU 13 executes automatic parking control based on signals input from various sensors mounted on the vehicle 2, information acquired through communication using the communication device 14, and the like.

[0024] The communication device 14 performs wireless communication with an external device. The communication device 14 performs wireless communication with the communication device 23 of the automatic charger 3. The communication device 14 transmits signals from the vehicle 2 to the automatic charger 3 and receives signals transmitted from the automatic charger 3 to the vehicle 2. When the vehicle 2 attempts to park in a parking space, the communication device 14 receives a radio signal as short-range wireless communication transmitted from the automatic charger 3 installed in the parking space. In other words, the communication device 14 includes a short-range communication device that enables short-range wireless communication and a long-range communication device that enables long-range wireless communication. The communication device 14 may be referred to as the communication device on the vehicle 2 side or the second communication device.

[0025] The automatic charger 3 is installed in a parking space and is equipment that automatically connects a charging connector 20 to a vehicle 2 that has completed parking in the parking space, thereby supplying power to the vehicle 2. The automatic charger 3 includes the charging connector 20, a power supply stand 21, a charger ECU 22, a communication device 23, and a sensor 24.

[0026] Charging connector 20 is a connector that automatically connects to inlet 10. Charging connector 20 is coupled to a connection mechanism 25. Charging connector 20 and connection mechanism 25 are installed on the ground of a parking space. Connection mechanism 25 is controlled by charger ECU 22. Charging connector 20 can automatically change its position by connection mechanism 25. Charging connector 20 is electrically connected to power station 21 via charging cable 26.

[0027] Power station 21 is installed near the parking space. Power station 21 is connected to AC power source 27. AC power source 27 is a power source that supplies power to charging connector 20, and is, for example, a commercial power source or a household power source. Power is supplied from AC power source 27 to charging connector 20. Power station 21 supplies power from AC power source 27 to charging connector 20 via charging cable 26. Power station 21 has a power conversion unit that converts AC power supplied from AC power source 27 into power for transmission and outputs the power to charging connector 20. This power conversion unit is controlled by charger ECU 22.

[0028] The charger ECU 22 is an electronic control device that controls the power supply station 21, the communication device 23, and the connection mechanism 25. The charger ECU 22 has the same hardware configuration as the charger ECU 12. The charger ECU 22 executes various controls based on signals input from various sensors provided in the automatic charger 3, information acquired through communication using the communication device 23, and the like. For example, the charger ECU 22 controls a switching element included in a power conversion unit to adjust the power to be transmitted.

[0029] The communication device 23 performs wireless communication with the vehicle 2 parked in the parking space. The communication device 23 transmits information from the charger ECU 22 to the vehicle 2 and receives information transmitted from the vehicle 2. The communication device 23 is capable of wireless communication using, for example, Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or wireless LAN. The communication device 23 transmits a radio signal as short-range wireless communication targeted at the vehicle 2 that is about to be parked in the parking space. In other words, the communication device 23 includes a short-range communication device that enables short-range wireless communication and a long-range communication device that enables long-range wireless communication. The communication device 23 may be referred to as a ground-side communication device or a first communication device.

[0030] The automatic parking system 1 configured in this manner can automatically park the vehicle 2 in a parking space. When the vehicle 2 attempts to park in a parking space where an automatic charger 3 is installed, the vehicle 2 establishes wireless communication with the automatic charger 3. In other words, the vehicle 2 can communicate with the automatic charger 3 by wireless communication using the communication device 14 on the vehicle 2 side before wired communication occurs when the charging connector 20 is inserted into the inlet 10.

[0031] Then, when the vehicle 2 has completed parking in a parking space where the automatic charger 3 is installed, the charging connector 20 can be automatically inserted into the inlet 10 to perform external charging. In the automatic parking system 1, wireless communication is established between the vehicle 2 and the automatic charger 3 when automatic parking is performed, so wireless communication is established between the vehicle 2 and the automatic charger 3 before parking is completed. In other words, before wired communication is established by inserting the charging connector 20 into the inlet 10, the vehicle 2 and the automatic charger 3 can send and receive information via wireless communication. Therefore, when wireless communication is established between the vehicle 2 and the automatic charger 3, the charging connector 20 is automatically connected to the inlet 10, and power is supplied from the automatic charger 3 to the vehicle 2. In the vehicle 2, control is performed to supply the power received by the inlet 10 to the battery 11.

[0032] 2 is a flowchart for explaining the automatic parking control. The control shown in FIG. 2 is executed by the vehicle 2 and the automatic charger 3.

[0033] The vehicle 2 starts automatic parking in the parking space (step S11). In step S11, the automatic parking ECU 13 starts automatic parking control. When the automatic parking ECU 13 starts automatic parking control, it controls the drive device, steering device, and braking device of the vehicle 2 so as to park the vehicle 2 in a predetermined target parking position in the parking space. The target parking position is set to a predetermined position within the parking space where the vehicle is to be parked. The automatic parking ECU 13 can set the target parking position.

[0034] Vehicle 2 completes automatic parking in the parking space (step S12). In step S12, vehicle 2 is automatically parked in the target parking position. The automatic parking ECU 13 can determine whether vehicle 2 is located in the target parking position based on images captured by a camera mounted on vehicle 2 and detection results from radar mounted on vehicle 2. Therefore, when the automatic parking ECU 13 determines that vehicle 2 is located in the target parking position, it completes automatic parking in the parking space. Then, the automatic parking ECU 13 transmits a parking signal to the automatic charger 3 indicating that vehicle 2 has been parked in the target parking position.

[0035] The automatic charger 3 is in a standby state (step S21). In the standby state, the automatic charger 3 is in a state where it can receive signals via the communication device 23. For example, the automatic charger 3 may transition to the standby state when it detects a vehicle 2 that is attempting to park in a parking space. In this case, the automatic charger 3 transitions to the standby state when the sensor 24 detects the vehicle 2. This standby state can also be called a power supply preparation state.

[0036] When the automatic charger 3 in standby mode receives a parking signal from the vehicle 2, the sensor 24 detects the connector position on the vehicle 2 side (step S22). In step S22, the sensor 24 detects the position of the inlet 10. The sensor 24 detects the amount of positional deviation of the position of the inlet 10 from the position of the charging connector 20. In other words, the sensor 24 detects the amount of positional deviation of the parking position of the vehicle 2 from the target parking position. For example, the target parking position is set to a range in which the inlet 10 is located within a range in which the charging connector 20 can be connected.

[0037] The automatic charger 3 determines whether the inlet 10 is located within a range where the charging connector 20 can be connected (step S23). In step S23, it is determined whether the inlet 10 is located within a range where the charging connector 20 can be connected. Upon receiving the parking signal, the charger ECU 22 determines whether the inlet 10 is located within a range where the charging connector 20 can be connected, based on a signal input from the sensor 24.

[0038] If it is determined in step S23 that the inlet 10 is not located within a range where the charging connector 20 can be connected (step S23: No), the automatic charger 3 transmits the amount of misalignment of the inlet 10 relative to the charging connector 20 to the vehicle 2 (step S24). In step S24, information including the amount of misalignment is transmitted from the communication device 23.

[0039] After transmitting the parking signal by the process of step S12, the vehicle 2 receives information indicating the amount of positional deviation from the automatic charger 3 and then calculates a correction amount for the positional deviation (step S13). In step S13, the correction amount for the target parking position is calculated based on the amount of positional deviation acquired from the automatic charger 3. The automatic parking ECU 13 corrects the target parking position using this correction amount. In other words, the target parking position is reset to a corrected target parking position that eliminates the positional deviation.

[0040] Furthermore, the vehicle 2 calculates a parking trajectory for automatically parking the vehicle 2 again in the parking space (step S14). In step S14, a re-parking trajectory is calculated such that the vehicle 2 will be parked at the corrected target parking position. The automatic parking ECU 13 then automatically parks the vehicle 2 at the corrected target parking position. For this purpose, once the processing of step S14 has been performed, this control routine returns to step S11.

[0041] If it is determined in step S23 that the inlet 10 is located within a range where the charging connector 20 can be connected (step S23: Yes), the automatic charger 3 automatically connects the charging connector 20 to the inlet 10 (step S25). In step S25, the charger ECU 22 activates the connection mechanism 25, adjusts the position of the charging connector 20, and automatically inserts the charging connector 20 into the inlet 10. After the processing of step S25 is performed, the control routine on the automatic charger 3 side ends.

[0042] In addition, if it is determined that the inlet 10 is located within a range in which the charging connector 20 can be connected (step S23: Yes), the automatic charger 3 transmits a completion signal to the vehicle 2 indicating that the inlet 10 is located within the connection range of the charging connector 20.

[0043] When the vehicle 2 receives the completion signal from the automatic charger 3, it completes parking in the parking space (step S15). In step S15, the automatic parking control ends. When the automatic parking ECU 13 receives the completion signal after transmitting the parking signal, it determines that the vehicle 2 has parked in the target parking position and ends the automatic parking control. When the processing of step S15 is performed, the control routine on the vehicle 2 side ends.

[0044] In this way, after transmitting the parking signal, the automatic parking ECU 13 corrects the target parking position based on the amount of position deviation only if it acquires the amount of position deviation from the automatic charger 3, and automatically parks the vehicle 2 again at the corrected target parking position.

[0045] 3 is a diagram showing an example of the calculation process. The automatic parking ECU 13 calculates the deviation between the target parking position in the automatic parking control and the positional deviation amount detected by the sensor 24. The automatic parking ECU 13 sets the calculated deviation as the target deviation and calculates the parking trajectory for automatic parking again based on the target deviation. This target deviation is, for example, the corrected target parking position.

[0046] Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining the sensor. As shown in Fig. 4, the sensor 24 can be configured by a camera or an ultrasonic sensor.

[0047] When the sensor 24 is a camera, the automatic charger 3 has a camera 31. The camera 31 is installed on the ground in the parking space and captures images of the upward and downward direction. Markers 32 are provided around the inlet 10 on the vehicle 2. The camera 31 captures images of the inlet 10, including the markers 32 arranged around the inlet 10. The camera 31 outputs captured image data to the charger ECU 22. The charger ECU 22 processes the image data captured by the camera 31 and calculates the position of the inlet 10.

[0048] When the sensor 24 is an ultrasonic sensor, the vehicle 2 has an ultrasonic transmitter 41, and the automatic charger 3 has three ultrasonic receivers 51, 52, and 53. The three ultrasonic receivers 51, 52, and 53 are installed on the ground and receive ultrasonic waves transmitted from the ultrasonic transmitter 41 on the vehicle 2 side. When the three ultrasonic receivers 51, 52, and 53 on the ground side receive ultrasonic waves, the charger ECU 22 calculates the position of the inlet 10 based on the distances between the three ultrasonic receivers 51, 52, and 53 on the ground side and the ultrasonic transmitter 41 on the vehicle 2 side.

[0049] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the connection mechanism. The connection mechanism 25 is configured to change the position of the charging connector 20 along three axes, including the front-rear axis, the left-right axis, and the up-down axis. As shown in FIG. 6, the connection mechanism 25 has a connection range of ±10 cm in the front-rear direction from a reference position along the front-rear axis. The connection mechanism 25 also has a connection range of ±10 cm in the left-right direction from the reference position along the left-right axis. This reference position is common to the front-rear axis and the left-right axis. The charger ECU 22 can set this reference position as the target parking position.

[0050] As described above, according to the embodiment, the vehicle 2 can correct the target parking position using the positional deviation amount detected by the sensor 24 of the automatic charger 3, and can again automatically park in the parking space. This improves the accuracy of the parking position when the vehicle 2 is automatically parked in the parking space.

[0051] The inlet 10 is not limited to being provided at the bottom of the vehicle 2, but may be provided at the side or top of the vehicle 2. In short, the location where the inlet 10 is provided is not particularly limited.

[0052] Furthermore, the automatic charger 3 is not limited to a charger having a charging connector 20, but may be a contactless charger. When the automatic charger 3 is a contactless charger, the vehicle 2 is equipped with a power receiving device including a power receiving coil. The sensor 24 detects the position of the power receiving coil installed on the bottom of the vehicle 2. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 1. Automatic parking system 2 vehicles 3 automatic charger 10 Inlet 11 Battery 12 Charging ECU 13 Automatic Parking ECU 14. Communications equipment 20 Charging connector 21 Power Station 22 Charger ECU 23 Communication equipment 24 sensors 25 Connection mechanism 26 Charging cable 27 AC power supply

Claims

1. Vehicles that can be externally charged, an automatic charger that is installed in a parking space and supplies power to a vehicle parked in the parking space; An automatic parking system that automatically parks the vehicle in a parking space in which the automatic charger is installed, The automatic charger is a sensor for detecting a positional deviation between a parking position of the vehicle parked in the parking space and a target parking position; a first communication device that performs wireless communication with a vehicle that is to park in the parking space and transmits the positional deviation amount detected by the sensor to the vehicle, The vehicle is a second communication device that communicates wirelessly with an automatic charger installed in the parking space where the vehicle is to be parked, and receives the positional deviation amount transmitted from the first communication device; a control device that executes automatic parking control to automatically park the vehicle in a parking space, The control device When the automatic parking control is started, the vehicle is automatically parked at a predetermined target parking position within the parking space, the target parking position is corrected based on the position deviation amount acquired from the automatic charger, and automatic parking is performed again so that the vehicle is parked at the corrected target parking position. After starting the automatic parking control, a parking signal indicating that the vehicle has been parked at the target parking position is transmitted to the automatic charger; If the position deviation amount is acquired from the automatic charger after transmitting the parking signal, the target parking position is corrected, and automatic parking is performed again in the parking space so that the vehicle is parked at the corrected target parking position. If the positional deviation amount is not acquired from the automatic charger after transmitting the parking signal, parking in the parking space is completed. An automatic parking system characterized by:

2. the vehicle has an inlet; The automatic charger is a charging connector connected to the inlet; a connection mechanism coupled to the charging connector and automatically changing the position of the charging connector to automatically connect the charging connector to the inlet, The target parking position is set within a range in which the inlet is located within a range in which the charging connector can be connected.

2. The automatic parking system according to claim 1 .

3. An automatic parking control device that is mounted on a vehicle capable of external charging and performs automatic parking control to automatically park the vehicle in a parking space, During execution of the automatic parking control, if a positional deviation amount between the parking position of the vehicle and a target parking position is acquired from the automatic charger installed in the parking space through wireless communication between the vehicle and the automatic charger, the target parking position is corrected based on the positional deviation amount, and automatic parking is performed again in the parking space so that the vehicle is parked at the corrected target parking position; After starting the automatic parking control, a parking signal indicating that the vehicle has been parked at a target parking position is transmitted to the automatic charger; When the position deviation amount is acquired from the automatic charger after transmitting the parking signal, the target parking position is corrected, and automatic parking is performed again in the parking space so that the vehicle is parked at the corrected target parking position. If the positional deviation amount is not acquired from the automatic charger after transmitting the parking signal, parking in the parking space is completed. An automatic parking control device characterized by the above.

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