Control device, control method, and control program

Abstract

To provide a controller, control method, and control program capable of grouping parking positions according to a user's use situation.SOLUTION: A controller 30 that controls a vehicle which is parked at a predetermined parking position includes an acquisition unit 31 that acquires route information based on which a route to each parking position can be identified, a processing unit 32 that groups two or more parking positions, at least part of whose routes overlap, on the basis of the route information, and a control unit 33 that moves the vehicle to the grouped parking position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

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 transport systems that take into consideration vulnerable transport participants have been gaining momentum. As part of these efforts, research and development is being conducted on driver assistance technologies and autonomous driving technologies for automobiles and other vehicles in order to further improve road safety and convenience.

[0003] For example, a driving assistance technology has been disclosed in the past that groups adjacent parking positions and automatically parks a vehicle in one of the grouped parking positions (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Chinese Patent No. 115503694 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, if adjacent parking locations are uniformly grouped, parking locations that are unnecessary for the user may be grouped together. For example, parking locations that the user does not use may be grouped together with parking locations that the user does use. Therefore, it is desirable to group parking locations according to the user's usage situation.

[0006] The present invention provides a control device, a control method, and a control program that are capable of grouping parking positions according to the usage status of a user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is A control device for controlling a vehicle parked in a predetermined parking position, In the past, the vehicle To each parking spot When you park Route information that can identify the route memory do memory Department and Based on the route information, two or more parking locations whose routes at least partially overlap are grouped. and prioritize grouped parking locations a processing unit for performing the The grouping And Parking position A target parking position is determined based on the priority from the target parking position. and a control unit that moves the vehicle to the

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention is A computer that controls a vehicle parked in a predetermined parking position In the past, the vehicle To each parking spot When you park Route information that can identify the route memory death, Based on the route information, two or more parking locations whose routes at least partially overlap are grouped together; determining priorities for grouped parking locations; The grouping And Parking position A target parking position is determined based on the priority from the target parking position. The vehicle is moved to the destination.

[0009] Another aspect of the present invention is A computer that controls a vehicle parked in a predetermined parking position In the past, the vehicle To each parking spot When you park Route information that can identify the route memory death, Based on the route information, two or more parking locations whose routes at least partially overlap are grouped together; determining priorities for grouped parking locations; The grouping And Parking position A target parking position is determined based on the priority from the target parking position. The vehicle is moved to the destination and processing is executed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The present invention allows grouping of parking locations according to the usage situation of users, which in turn improves traffic safety and contributes to the development of a sustainable transportation system. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle 1 equipped with a control device 30 according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining routes to each parking position. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of parking history information 35b. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the degree of overlap of routes. [Figure 5] 1 is a flowchart (part 1) illustrating an example of processing executed by a control device 30 according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart (part 2) illustrating an example of processing executed by the control device 30 according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart (part 3) illustrating an example of processing executed by the control device 30 according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] An embodiment of a vehicle control device of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The following embodiment does not limit the present invention, and not all of the elements described in the following embodiment are necessarily essential to the present invention. Furthermore, two or more elements described in the following embodiment may be arbitrarily combined without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Note that, below, identical or similar elements are denoted by identical or similar reference numerals, and their description may be omitted or simplified.

[0013] [Vehicles equipped with control devices] First, the vehicle of this embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle 1 equipped with a control device 30 of this embodiment. The vehicle 1 is an automobile equipped with a drive source (not shown) and wheels (not shown) including drive wheels driven by the power of the drive source and steerable wheels. As an example, the vehicle 1 can be a four-wheeled automobile having a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels on the left and right.

[0014] The drive source of vehicle 1 may be an electric motor, an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine, or a combination of an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. The drive source of vehicle 1 may drive a pair of left and right front wheels, a pair of left and right rear wheels, or a pair of left and right front and rear wheels, i.e., four wheels. Either one of the front wheels or the rear wheels of vehicle 1 may be steerable wheels, or both may be steerable wheels.

[0015] The vehicle 1 is capable of autonomous driving and driving assistance, which automatically controls driving operations to drive the vehicle. Autonomous driving, as defined here, refers to a system in which the vehicle recognizes or monitors the driving environment and surrounding conditions, as well as all driving operations such as starting, accelerating / decelerating, steering, and stopping are performed by the vehicle's system. Driving assistance refers to a system in which a part of the driving operations, such as starting, accelerating / decelerating, steering, and stopping, is performed by the vehicle's system, such as an automatic parking system (APS), a lane keep assist system (LKAS), or adaptive cruise control (ACC). In the following embodiment, for example, the vehicle 1 is moved to a predetermined parking position as a target position. Note that there may be multiple levels of driving control in autonomous driving and driving assistance, as is conventionally known, and may be defined, for example, by levels 0 to 5 established by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) in the United States. The higher the level number of the driving control level, the lighter the driver's operational burden (in other words, the higher the level number, the higher the degree of automation). The specific contents of levels 0 to 5 are already known, so a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0016] The vehicle 1 includes a sensor group 10, a navigation device 20, a control device 30, an electric power steering (EPS) system 40, a driving force control system 50, a braking force control system 60, a communication unit 70, and an operation input unit 80.

[0017] The sensor group 10 includes an external sensor 11 that acquires information about the surroundings of the vehicle 1, and a vehicle sensor 12 that acquires information about the vehicle 1. Information acquired by each sensor included in the sensor group 10 (in other words, detected values) is output to the control device 30.

[0018] The external sensor 11 includes, for example, a camera 111, a sonar 112, and a radar 113. The camera 111 is a digital camera that captures an image of the surroundings of the vehicle 1, including the vehicle 1, and outputs image data of the obtained surrounding image to the control device 30. In this embodiment, the vehicle 1 is capable of automatic driving and automatic parking, and therefore has a front camera 111a, a rear camera 111b, a left side camera 111c, and a right side camera 111d to acquire surrounding images in all directions of the vehicle 1. Note that the camera 111 does not need to have all of these cameras 111a to 111d, and it is sufficient to have at least enough cameras to enable automatic driving, automatic parking, etc.

[0019] The front camera 111a is mounted, for example, on the upper part of the windshield or the front bumper inside the vehicle cabin and captures an area in front of the vehicle 1. The rear camera 111b is mounted, for example, on the rear bumper and captures an area behind the vehicle 1. The left side camera 111c is mounted, for example, on the left side mirror and captures an area to the left of the vehicle 1. The right side camera 111d is mounted, for example, on the right side mirror and captures an area to the right of the vehicle 1. Each of the cameras 111a to 111d may be a digital camera using an imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). In the following description, the front camera 111a, rear camera 111b, left side camera 111c, and right side camera 111d will be simply referred to as "camera 111" unless they are particularly distinguished from one another.

[0020] The sonar 112 emits sound waves around the vehicle 1 (for example, in front of, behind, and to the sides of the vehicle 1) and receives reflected sound from objects around the vehicle 1, thereby detecting the distance to the objects, direction, etc. The detected information is transmitted to the control device 30 at predetermined intervals. The radar 113 emits radio waves around the vehicle 1, including in front of the vehicle 1, and receives reflected waves from objects around the vehicle 1, thereby detecting the distance to the objects, direction, etc. The detected information is transmitted to the control device 30 at predetermined intervals. For example, a millimeter wave radar can be used as the radar 113.

[0021] The external sensor 11 may be configured to include a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) instead of or in addition to the sonar 112 or the radar 113. In this case, the LiDAR emits laser light to the periphery of the vehicle 1 including the area ahead of the vehicle 1, and receives reflected light from an object present around the vehicle 1 to detect the distance and direction to the object.

[0022] The vehicle sensor 12 includes, for example, a wheel sensor 121, a vehicle speed sensor 122, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 123, an occupant camera 124, an operation detection unit 125, and a steering touch sensor 126.

[0023] The wheel sensor 121 detects the rotation angle of one or more wheels of the vehicle 1. As an example, the wheel sensor 121 detects the rotation angle of each of the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel. As the wheel sensor 121, for example, an angle sensor or a displacement sensor can be adopted.

[0024] The vehicle speed sensor 122 detects the vehicle speed, which is the running speed (in other words, the moving speed of the vehicle body) of the vehicle 1. For example, the vehicle speed sensor 122 detects the vehicle speed based on the number of rotations of a countershaft (not shown) provided in the vehicle 1.

[0025] The inertial measurement unit 123 detects angular velocities in the pitch, roll, and yaw directions of the vehicle 1, and accelerations in the front-to-rear, left-to-right, and up-to-down directions of the vehicle 1. Note that instead of the inertial measurement unit 123, the vehicle sensor 12 may be configured to include an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration in a predetermined direction of the vehicle 1 and a gyro sensor that detects angular velocity in a predetermined direction of the vehicle 1.

[0026] The occupant camera 124 is a digital camera that captures an image of the interior of the vehicle 1 and outputs image data of the obtained interior image to the control device 30. For example, the occupant camera 124 can be a so-called "driver monitor camera" that is provided so as to be able to capture an image of the head of the driver sitting in the driver's seat of the vehicle 1 from the front (in other words, to be able to capture an image of the face). As with the camera 111, a digital camera using an imaging element such as a CCD or CMOS can be used as the occupant camera 124. Note that in this embodiment, the image data of the interior image obtained by the occupant camera 124 capturing an image of the interior of the vehicle serves as information that can identify the direction of the driver's line of sight.

[0027] The operation detection unit 125 detects operations performed using the operation input unit 80, which is operable by occupants including the driver. In this embodiment, the operation input unit 80 includes, for example, an operation switch (not shown) that accepts an operation to switch the autonomous driving or autonomous parking on (in other words, activated) and off (in other words, not activated). In this case, the operation detection unit 125 can detect an operation to turn the autonomous driving or autonomous parking on or off.

[0028] The steering touch sensor 126 detects whether the steering wheel 46 of the vehicle 1 is being properly gripped. For example, the steering touch sensor 126 is realized by a capacitance sensor or the like. In this case, the capacitance sensor is provided at a portion where the driver touches the steering wheel 46 when the steering wheel 46 is being properly gripped.

[0029] The navigation device 20 includes, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 21, a touch panel 22, and a speaker 23. The navigation device 20 also has a storage unit (not shown) configured with a flash memory or the like. The storage unit of the navigation device 20 stores a map information database (DB) 24 and the like.

[0030] The GNSS receiver 21 identifies the current position of the vehicle 1 (for example, the latitude and longitude of the location where the vehicle 1 is located) based on the signals received from the GNSS satellites. Note that the navigation device 20 may acquire, for example, detection results from the vehicle sensors 12 (for example, the wheel sensors 121 and the vehicle speed sensor 122) via the control device 30, and identify or complement the current position of the vehicle 1 by an INS (Inertial Navigation System) that uses the detection values ​​of the vehicle sensors 12.

[0031] The touch panel 22 functions as an input device that receives various types of information input to the control device 30, and as a display device controlled by the control device 30. The touch panel 22 is configured by combining a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) with a pointing device (e.g., a touchpad). The speaker 23 is configured to be able to output audio to an occupant of the vehicle 1 (e.g., the driver). The touch panel 22 is an example of a "predetermined display unit" in the present invention.

[0032] For example, the navigation device 20 searches for a route from the current position of the vehicle 1 to a destination set by the driver using the touch panel 22 (hereinafter also referred to as a "guided route") by referring to the map information database 24. Then, the navigation device 20 provides route guidance using the touch panel 22 and the speaker 23 based on the searched guided route. The navigation device 20 may also cause the touch panel 22 to display a predetermined information in accordance with an instruction from the control device 30. Specific descriptions of the display will be given later. Furthermore, the navigation device 20 may output predetermined information to the control device 30, such as information indicating the identified current position of the vehicle 1 or information indicating an operation received via the touch panel 22.

[0033] The control device 30 is a computer that has, for example, a processor that performs various calculations, a memory unit 35 having a non-transitory storage medium that stores various information, an input / output unit that controls the input and output of data between the inside and outside of the control device 30, etc. (not shown), and controls the entire vehicle 1.

[0034] The control device 30 is realized by one ECU (Electronic Control Unit) or by multiple ECUs working together. Note that the control device 30 performs driving assistance such as controlling the vehicle on behalf of the driver, and therefore can also be called a control device in a so-called advanced driving assistance system (ADAS ECU). Specific configurations and specific examples of control of the control device 30 including the storage unit 35 will be described later, so explanations thereof will be omitted here.

[0035] The EPS system 40 includes, for example, a steering angle sensor 41, a torque sensor 42, an EPS motor 43, a resolver 44, and an EPS ECU 45.

[0036] The steering angle sensor 41 detects the steering angle θst of the steering wheel 46 and outputs information indicating the detected steering angle θst to the EPS ECU 45. The torque sensor 42 detects the steering torque TQ, which is the torque applied to the steering wheel 46 of the vehicle 1, and outputs information indicating the detected steering torque TQ to the EPS ECU 45.

[0037] The EPS motor 43 applies a driving force or a reaction force to a steering column 47 connected to the steering wheel 46 in accordance with instructions from the EPS ECU 45, thereby assisting the driver in operating the steering wheel 46. The resolver 44 detects a rotation angle θm of the EPS motor 43, and outputs information indicating the detected rotation angle θm to the EPS ECU 45.

[0038] The EPS ECU 45 is a computer that includes, for example, a processor that performs various calculations, a storage unit that has a non-transitory storage medium that stores various information, and an input / output unit that controls input and output of data between the inside and outside of the EPS ECU 45 (all of which are not shown), and is implemented by one or more ECUs. For example, the EPS ECU 45 controls the EPS system 40 (for example, the EPS motor 43) based on the steering angle θst detected by the steering angle sensor 41, the steering torque TQ detected by the torque sensor 42, the rotation angle θm detected by the resolver 44, etc. The EPS ECU 45 may also control the EPS system 40 in accordance with instructions from the control device 30.

[0039] Furthermore, the EPS system 40 (for example, the EPS ECU 45) may output information indicating the steering angle θst detected by the steering angle sensor 41, the steering torque TQ detected by the torque sensor 42, the rotation angle θm detected by the resolver 44, etc. to the control device 30. Furthermore, the EPS system 40 (for example, the EPS ECU 45) may output information indicating the steering speed ω of the steering wheel 46 to the control device 30. In this case, the steering speed ω can be obtained, for example, by differentiating the steering angle θst with respect to time.

[0040] The driving force control system 50 includes a driving ECU 51 and is configured to control the driving force of the vehicle 1. The driving ECU 51 is a computer that controls the driving force control system 50 and includes, for example, a processor that performs various calculations, a storage unit having a non-transitory storage medium that stores various information, and an input / output unit that controls input and output of data between the inside and outside of the driving ECU 51 (all of which are not shown). The driving ECU 51 is implemented by one or more ECUs. For example, the driving ECU 51 controls the driving force output from a driving source of the vehicle 1 based on the operation amount of an accelerator pedal 52 provided in the vehicle 1 and the detection value of a shift position sensor 53 that detects the shift position Ps of a shift device (e.g., a shift lever or a shift switch) (not shown). Note that the driving source is an internal combustion engine or a motor, as described above, and the driving ECU 51 controls the output of the internal combustion engine or the motor based on the operation amount of the accelerator pedal 52 and the shift position Ps. The driving ECU 51 can also control the driving force control system 50 (e.g., the driving source) in accordance with instructions from the control device 30.

[0041] The braking force control system 60 includes a braking ECU 61 and is configured to be able to control the braking force of the vehicle 1. The braking ECU 61 is a computer that controls the braking force control system 60 and includes, for example, a processor that performs various calculations, a storage unit having a non-transitory storage medium that stores various information, and an input / output unit that controls input and output of data between the inside and outside of the braking ECU 61 (all of which are not shown). The braking ECU 61 is realized by one or more ECUs. For example, the braking ECU 61 controls the braking force of the vehicle 1 by controlling a brake device (not shown) provided in the vehicle 1 based on operation of a brake pedal 62 provided in the vehicle 1. Here, the brake device includes, for example, a brake caliper, a cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, and an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the cylinder. The braking ECU 61 controls the electric motor of the brake device so as to generate a braking force corresponding to operation of the brake pedal 62. The braking ECU 61 can also control the braking force control system 60 according to instructions from the control device 30.

[0042] The communication unit 70 is a communication interface that communicates with the external device 2 in accordance with control instructions from the control device 30. That is, the control device 30 can communicate with the external device 2 via the communication unit 70. Examples of the external device 2 include a driver's terminal device (e.g., a smartphone) and a server device managed by the manufacturer of the vehicle 1. Note that communication between the vehicle 1 and the external device 2 can be achieved using, for example, a mobile communication network such as a cellular line, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0043] [Control device configuration] Next, a specific description will be given of the configuration of the control device 30. As described above, the control device 30 includes the storage unit 35, which stores various data and programs to be executed by the control device 30. For example, the storage unit 35 stores route data 35a.

[0044] The route data 35a is information indicating the route history when the vehicle 1 moves to a predetermined parking position, and the route data is accumulated as the vehicle 1 moves. The route data 35a may include information that can identify the route (hereinafter also simply referred to as "route") that the vehicle 1 took when moving to a predetermined parking position, as well as information about plants, trees, obstacles, etc. that exist along the route. In particular, in this embodiment, when the vehicle 1 moves to a parking position located in an area (e.g., private property) that is not included in the map information database 24, the control device 30 moves the vehicle 1 by referring to the route data 35a.

[0045] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a route for moving vehicle 1 to each parking position (e.g., parking positions P1 to P5). As shown by the arrows in Fig. 2, vehicle 1 can enter private property 210 of a user (e.g., the driver) from general road 200, which is a public road (including expressways, etc.), and move to parking positions P1 to P5, such as garages, provided on private property 210 as target positions.

[0046] A driveway 201, which is a road within the private property 210 (in other words, a private road), is provided on the private property 210. Furthermore, symbols E1, E2, and E3 shown in FIG. 2 indicate entrances to the private property 210 from public roads such as the public road 200. The driveway 201 is provided to connect at least one of the entrances E1 to E3 to parking positions P1 to P5. In other words, the vehicle 1 can enter the private property 210 from at least one of the entrances E1 to E3, travel along the driveway 201, and park at one of the parking positions P1 to P5.

[0047] 2, routes to parking positions P1, P3, P4, and P5 are indicated by various lines, such as solid lines and dashed lines. For example, the solid line route indicates the route from entrance E1, which is one of the entrances to private property 210 from public road 200, to parking position P1. Note that obstacles 202 along driveway 201 are, for example, permanently placed trash cans, plants, etc.

[0048] Information such as the parking history at each parking position P1 to P5 located within such private property 210 and the route taken by vehicle 1 when parking at each parking position P1 to P5 is recorded in memory unit 35 as parking history information 35b.

[0049] 3 shows an example of the parking history information 35b, which includes information on the parking location, route, number of times parked, most recent use, and priority. The route information included in the parking history information 35b may be, for example, the route data 35a described above.

[0050] The parking positions are, for example, information on parking positions provided within the above-mentioned private property 210, and in this embodiment, five parking positions P1 to P5 are provided. Note that these parking positions P1 to P5 are provided at positions predetermined by, for example, a user or the like.

[0051] The route is information indicating the route from the public road 200 into the private property 210 to each parking position (i.e., the route on the driveway 201), and is an example of "route information" in the present invention. For example, the route traveled by the vehicle 1 is recorded. In the example shown in FIG. 4, for parking positions P1, P3, P4, and P5 among the parking positions, the vehicle 1 has a parking history, and therefore routes based on the parking history are recorded. Note that the parking history including the route corresponding to the parking position P2 is not recorded because the vehicle 1 has not parked at the parking position P2. Furthermore, the route is defined by a sequence of nodes N (N1, N2, N3...N8) that indicate the coordinates of the endpoints, branch points, etc. of the route. Because the nodes N are defined in the route data 35a within the private property 210, it is sufficient to simply identify which route was followed; therefore, the nature of the nodes N may be different from that of the nodes defined in the map information database 24. Furthermore, the route may be defined by a sequence of links, etc., in addition to the nodes N. Note that multiple pieces of route information may be recorded for one parking location, because, as described above, there are multiple entrances (entrances E1 to E3) from the public road 200 to the private property 210.

[0052] The number of parking times indicates information on the number of times the vehicle 1 has been parked at each of the parking positions P1 to P5. This number of parking times is a predefined number of parking times, such as the cumulative number of parking times since each parking position was established, or the number of parking times in a predetermined period (for example, one month).

[0053] The most recent use indicates information on whether or not each parking position P1 to P5 has been used recently. The most recent use here may be defined, for example, as whether or not the parking position has been used in the last three uses, or whether or not the parking position has been used within a predetermined period (for example, within the last week). The most recent use information and the number of parking times information are examples of the "usage status" in the present invention.

[0054] The priority order is information indicating the priority order of each parking position P1 to P5, and is determined, for example, based on the information on the number of times the vehicle has been parked or the most recent use. In the example shown in Figure 3, the priority order is determined based on the number of times the vehicle has been parked, and for example, parking position P1 has the highest priority order.

[0055] The parking history information 35b may be updated each time the vehicle 1 is parked at one of the parking positions P1 to P5 (or each time the vehicle 1 is parked a predetermined number of times). That is, the route, number of times the vehicle has been parked, and priority recorded in the parking history information 35b are updated at predetermined intervals. The update process is performed by, for example, the processing unit 32, which will be described later.

[0056] The control device 30 executes various programs stored in the storage unit 35. In this embodiment, the control device 30 executes a process of grouping multiple parking locations, for example, by referring to the parking history information 35b. Conventionally known processes of grouping multiple parking locations include, for example, grouping adjacent parking locations together. In such cases, parking locations that are not used by the user may also be grouped, and it is desirable to group parking locations according to the user's usage status. Therefore, this embodiment is configured to increase the possibility of realizing grouping of parking locations according to the user's usage status.

[0057] Specifically, the control device 30 executes a process of grouping two or more parking positions P1 to P5 as an example of a program recorded in the storage unit 35. The control device 30 includes, as functional units realized by executing the program, an acquisition unit 31, a processing unit 32, a control unit 33, and a display control unit 34. Note that, hereinafter, the processes described as being performed by the acquisition unit 31, the processing unit 32, the control unit 33, and the display control unit 34 are processes realized by the control device 30.

[0058] The acquisition unit 31 acquires information relating to the parking history of each of the parking positions P1 to P5 by referring to the parking history information 35b. For example, the acquisition unit 31 acquires route information to each of the parking positions P1 to P5, information on the number of times each of the parking positions P1 to P5 has been parked, information on the most recent use, and information on the priority order of each of the parking positions P1 to P5.

[0059] Based on the route information acquired by the function of the acquisition unit 31, the processing unit 32 groups two or more parking positions P1 to P5, each of which has a route that at least partially overlaps with the other parking positions. For example, the processing unit 32 refers to the parking history information 35b to identify each route for each parking position P1 to P5 and identify two or more routes that at least partially overlap with the other parking positions. Specifically, the processing unit 32 identifies a node N of the route included in the parking history information 35b and identifies parking positions that are reached through the same node N. For example, in the route information included in the parking history information 35b of FIG. 3, parking positions that have information on the same node N (i.e., a common node N) include the nodes N1 and N2 for parking positions P1 and P2, respectively. Furthermore, by focusing on the node N2, it can be seen that the route to parking position P5 also includes the node N2. Note that the other parking position P4 does not pass through the same node N as any other parking position (parking position P2 is excluded from the target because no route is recorded for parking position P2). Therefore, at this point, parking positions P1, P3, and P5 may be candidates for the same group.

[0060] Furthermore, as described above, the condition for grouping parking positions is that the routes at least partially overlap each other. Here, "the routes at least partially overlap" means that the degree of overlap between the routes is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value α. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the area surrounded by the dashed line in FIG. 2. For convenience, the route indicated by the solid line that reaches parking position P1 is designated L1, and the dashed line route that reaches parking position P3 is designated L2. For example, the route L1 and the route L2 have an overlap degree that is equal to or greater than the threshold value α. Therefore, the route at least partially overlaps each other, and the processing unit 32 groups parking positions P1 and P3, which are reached via these routes, into the same group. Note that the directions (i.e., directions of travel) of the routes L1 and L2 shown in FIG. 4 to parking positions P1 and P3 are the same, but the directions of the routes that overlap at least partially may be different (opposite directions or intersecting directions) regardless of the same direction, as long as the degree of overlap between the routes is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

[0061] The threshold value α may be set as appropriate by the manufacturer or user of the vehicle 1, but is set to a value that excludes grouping of parking positions due to overlapping routes simply crossing each other, for example. The value is set to, for example, several tens of meters or more.

[0062] Furthermore, the route traveled by the vehicle 1 may not necessarily be the same trace line. For example, in the example of FIG. 4, route L1 and route L2 are offset in the vertical direction of the page. This is because the driveway 201 has a predetermined road width, and the vehicle 1 travels within the range of this road width. Therefore, in this embodiment, an effective width is set that allows the vehicle 1 to consider the same route even if the trace lines differ in the road width direction. That is, the processing unit 32 identifies two or more routes that are within the effective width range in the road width direction and have at least a partial overlap of the threshold value α or more, and groups the parking positions reached via the identified routes into the same group.

[0063] Using this method, it is also determined whether at least a portion of the paths overlap for parking position P5, which is the remaining candidate for grouping. In the example of FIG. 2, the path for parking position P5 enters private property 210 from entrance E3, passes through node N2, which is shared by the paths for parking positions P2 and P3, and arrives at parking position P5. When the degree of path overlap is determined using the same method as for parking positions P1 and P3, it is assumed that the degree of overlap between the path for parking position P5 and the paths for parking positions P1 and P3 is equal to or greater than threshold α. In other words, it is assumed that the path for parking position P5 intersects with the paths for parking positions P1 and P3, but the degree of overlap between the paths is equal to or greater than threshold α. In this case, the processing unit 32 groups parking positions P1, P3, and P5 together.

[0064] Note that the route information recorded in the parking history information 35b may include multiple routes to reach the parking positions. As described above, because there are multiple entrances to the private property 210, there may be multiple routes to each of the parking positions P1 to P5. Therefore, there may be multiple routes recorded, and when multiple routes are recorded, the processing unit 32 groups the parking positions based on the route with the highest usage frequency among the multiple recorded routes. The "usage frequency" here may be defined, for example, by the number of times the route has been used relative to the number of times parking has occurred or the most recent frequency of use (e.g., the frequency of use in the last three parking attempts). In other words, the route with the highest number of times the route has been used relative to the number of times parking has occurred or the route with the highest frequency of use in the last three parking attempts will be the route used to group the parking positions.

[0065] The processing unit 32 also updates the parking history information 35b described above in accordance with the usage status of the parking position. For example, if parking is performed at parking position P1 in the parking history information 35b shown in FIG. 3, the number of times the vehicle has been parked is updated from "10 times" to "11 times." Similarly, the processing unit 32 also updates the route information, information regarding most recent use, and priority information as appropriate. Examples of situations in which the route may be updated include when a detour is necessary due to the growth of vegetation or other factors caused by seasonal changes. In such cases, the route to the specified parking position of the vehicle 1 is changed, and the processing unit 32 updates the route information accordingly. While the parking history information 35b is primarily updated by the functions of the processing unit 32, it may also be updated by user operation. For example, the user can update the route information, etc., by operating a display unit such as the touch panel 22.

[0066] Furthermore, when changing the route in this manner, if the route to one of the two or more grouped parking positions described above is updated, the processing unit 32 updates the portions of the routes to the other parking positions among the two or more parking positions that overlap with the route to the one parking position before the update, based on the updated route to the one parking position. For example, in the above example, if the route to parking position P1 among grouped parking positions P1, P3, and P5 is updated, the processing unit 32 updates the portions of the routes to the other parking positions, parking positions P3 and P5, that overlap with the route to parking position P1 before the update, based on the updated route to parking position P1. That is, for the above grouped parking positions, the processing unit 32 updates the routes of the other parking positions to match the route of the one grouped parking position, based on the updated route to the one grouped parking position, based on the updated route to the one grouped parking position. This is because the processing load on the processing unit 32 (that is, the control device 30) can be reduced compared to when the same part of the route is updated for each parking position.

[0067] The processing unit 32 also references the parking history information 35b and determines the priority of the parking positions for the vehicle 1 among the grouped parking positions based on the number of times each parking position P1 to P5 has been used and the most recent usage status. This priority may be determined, for example, based on information about the number of times each parking position has been used or information about the most recent usage. Alternatively, the priority may be determined by comprehensively assessing the information about the number of times each parking position has been used and the information about the most recent usage. While this priority is preferably determined among the grouped parking positions, when parking the vehicle 1 based on the priority using the function of the control unit 33 (described later), there may be cases where all of the grouped parking positions are being used by other users. In such cases, priorities may be assigned to parking positions that have a parking history among ungrouped parking positions, for example, to allow the vehicle 1 to be parked at a parking position with a parking history. In the parking history information 35b shown in FIG. 3, parking position P4 does not belong to the group of parking positions P1, P3, and P5 described above, but is assigned a priority because of the presence of a parking history.

[0068] The control unit 33 automatically moves the vehicle 1 to a predetermined parking position based on the priority of the parking positions determined by the function of the processing unit 32. Specifically, the control unit 33 performs drive control, braking control, and steering control of the vehicle 1 via the drive ECU 51, brake ECU 61, and EPS ECU 45, and controls automatic driving and automatic parking with a predetermined parking position based on the priority as the target parking position.

[0069] When moving the vehicle 1 based on the priority, there is a case where the parking position with the highest priority is being used by another user. In such a case, the control unit 33 identifies the parking position with the next highest priority based on the determined priority, and moves the vehicle 1 to the identified parking position with the next highest priority as the target parking position.

[0070] The display control unit 34 displays information about the parking position on a display unit such as the touch panel 22. For example, the display control unit 34 displays information about the parking position based on the above-mentioned parking position priority on the touch panel 22. Specifically, the display control unit 34 displays information about the target parking position to which the vehicle 1 will move (or is currently moving) by autonomous driving on the touch panel 22. A user who sees this display can understand information about the parking position to which the vehicle 1 is currently moving or is currently moving. Note that, for example, if the user sees this display and wants to park the vehicle 1 in a parking position different from the target parking position, the user can change the target parking position by operating the touch panel 22.

[0071] [Processing performed by the control device] Next, a flowchart will be used to explain an example of the parking position grouping process for grouping at least two or more parking positions, which is executed by the control device 30. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the process, which is executed, for example, when the information in the parking history information 35b described above is updated.

[0072] First, the control device 30 acquires route information (step S1). That is, the control device 30 acquires route information by referring to the parking history information 35b using the function of the acquisition unit 31.

[0073] Next, the control device 30 determines whether there are any parking positions whose routes overlap (step S2). That is, the control device 30, using the function of the processing unit 32, refers to the route information acquired in step S1 and identifies two or more parking positions whose routes at least partially overlap. If it is determined that there are no parking positions whose routes overlap (No in step S2), the control device 30 temporarily ends the processing of the flowchart shown in FIG. 5.

[0074] On the other hand, if it is determined that there is a parking position where the routes overlap (Yes in step S2), the control device 30 determines whether the degree of overlap of the routes at the identified parking position is equal to or greater than a threshold value α (step S3) using the function of the processing unit 32. If it is determined that the degree of overlap of the routes is not equal to or greater than the threshold value α (in other words, is less than the threshold value α) (No in step S3), the control device 30 temporarily ends the processing of the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0075] On the other hand, if it is determined that the degree of overlap between the routes at the parking location is equal to or greater than the threshold value α (Yes in step S3), the control device 30 determines whether multiple routes are registered for the parking location, and the degree of overlap between the routes is equal to or greater than the threshold value α (step S4). Multiple routes may be registered for a parking location for which it has been determined that the degree of overlap between the routes is equal to or greater than the threshold value α. In such a case, when grouping parking locations in step S6 (described later), it may be unclear which route at the parking location should be grouped based on the overlap between the routes at other parking locations. Therefore, in step S4, the control device 30 refers to the route information in the parking history information 35b to determine whether multiple routes are registered for the parking location. If it is determined that multiple routes are registered (Yes in step S4), the control device 30 proceeds to step S5. If it is determined that the multiple routes are not registered (No in step S4), the control device 30 proceeds to step S6, which will be described later.

[0076] In step S5, the control device 30 identifies the most frequently used route among the multiple routes registered for one parking location. That is, the control device 30 refers to the route information in the parking history information 35b and identifies the most frequently used route among the multiple routes registered for one parking location, for example, based on the number of times it has been used. Once the most frequently used route has been identified, the control device 30 proceeds to step S6.

[0077] In step S6, the control device 30 groups parking locations with overlapping routes using the function of the processing unit 32. Specifically, if it is determined in step S4 above that multiple routes are registered for a single parking location, the control device 30 groups the parking locations based on the fact that the most frequently used route identified in step S5 for the single parking location overlaps with routes for other parking locations. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S4 above that multiple routes are not registered for the single parking location, the overlapping parking locations are each connected to a single route, and the control device 30 groups the parking locations based on the overlapping routes.

[0078] Next, the control device 30 determines the priority of the grouped parking locations (step S7). That is, the control device 30 determines the priority of parking the vehicle 1 among the parking locations grouped in step S6 using the function of the processing unit 32. As described above, the priority is determined based on the usage status of the parking locations, such as information on the number of times the grouped parking locations have been parked and information on the most recent use. Then, the control device 30 records the determined information on the priority in the parking history information 35b.

[0079] Next, an example of a vehicle movement process for moving the vehicle 1 to a predetermined parking position based on the priority of the parking positions determined above in the process of Fig. 5 will be described. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of this process, and this process is executed, for example, when the automatic parking function is turned on or when the vehicle enters the private property 210 from the entrance (entrances E1 to E3) described in Fig. 2 during automatic driving.

[0080] First, the control device 30 acquires information on the priority of parking positions (step S10). That is, the control device 30 refers to the parking history information 35b and acquires information on the priority of parking positions.

[0081] Next, the control device 30 determines whether the parking position with the highest priority is vacant (step S11). Specifically, for example, the control device 30 identifies the availability of the parking position with the highest priority (e.g., parking position P1) by detection by the camera 111 or the like. Alternatively, a sensor (not shown) capable of detecting whether a vehicle is parked may be provided in advance at each parking position, and information based on the sensor may be periodically output to the control device 30 to determine whether the parking position with the highest priority is vacant. If it is determined that the parking position with the highest priority is not vacant (No in step S11), the control device 30 proceeds to step S12. If it is determined that the parking position with the highest priority is vacant (Yes in step S11), the control device 30 proceeds to step S13.

[0082] In step S12, the control device 30 identifies the parking location with the next highest priority. That is, since the parking location with the highest priority is not available, the control device 30 refers to the parking history information 35b to identify the parking location with the next highest priority. After identifying the parking location, the control device 30 proceeds to step S13. Note that if the parking location with the next highest priority identified in step S12 is not available, the control device 30 may identify a parking location with the next highest priority, and repeat the same processes as steps S11 and S12 until an available parking location is identified.

[0083] In step S13, the control device 30 sets a target parking position. That is, if the control device 30 determines in step S11 that the parking position with the highest priority is vacant, the control device 30 sets the parking position with the highest priority as the target parking position. On the other hand, if the control device 30 determines that the parking position with the highest priority is not vacant and the parking position with the next highest priority is identified in step S12, the control device 30 sets the parking position with the next highest priority as the target parking position.

[0084] Next, the control device 30 uses the function of the display control unit 34 to display the target parking position set in step S13 on a display unit such as the touch panel 22 (step S14). This is to notify the user of the vehicle 1 of the parking position. The notification may be made via the speaker 23 of the navigation device 20, in addition to display on the touch panel 22. If the user, who has learned the parking position from the display on the touch panel 22 or the like, wishes to park in a parking position different from the displayed parking position, the user can change the parking position by operating the touch panel 22.

[0085] Next, the control device 30 moves the vehicle 1 to the target parking position (step S15). That is, the control device 30 moves the vehicle 1 to the target parking position set in step S13 by using the function of the control unit 33. Specifically, the control device 30 performs drive control, braking control, and steering control of the vehicle 1 via the drive ECU 51, brake ECU 61, and EPS ECU 45, and moves the vehicle 1 to the target parking position and parks the vehicle.

[0086] Next, the control device 30 determines whether parking at the target parking position is complete (step S16). For example, the control device 30 identifies the position and attitude of the vehicle 1 based on detection by the camera 111 or the like, and determines that parking at the target parking position is complete when the vehicle 1 is within the parking space at the target parking position and the attitude of the vehicle 1 is parallel to the line indicating the parking space. Alternatively, the control device 30 determines that parking is complete when it determines that the shift position Ps of the shift device is in parking (P). Note that the shift position Ps is determined based on a signal input from the shift position sensor 53 to the control device 30, for example. In step S16, if it is determined that parking at the target parking position is not complete (No in step S16), the control device 30 waits until parking is complete.

[0087] On the other hand, if it is determined that parking at the target parking position has been completed (Yes in step S16), the control device 30 ends the vehicle movement process of FIG.

[0088] Next, a route update process for updating the routes of other grouped parking positions together with updating the route of one grouped parking position will be described. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of this process, which is executed, for example, at predetermined intervals (for example, once a month, or at other intervals when a route change is likely).

[0089] As described above, the route to the parking position may change (i.e., be updated) depending on the season, due to the growth of vegetation, etc. Therefore, the control device 30 first determines whether or not the route has been updated (step S20). That is, the control device 30 refers to the parking history information 35b to determine whether or not there is information about an updated route. If it is determined that there is no information about an updated route (No in step S20), the control device 30 temporarily ends the processing of the flowchart shown in FIG. 7.

[0090] On the other hand, if it is determined that there is route update information (Yes in step S20), the control device 30 determines whether the route update is an update of the route of one of the grouped parking positions (step S21).If it is determined that the route update is not an update of the route of one of the grouped parking positions (No in step S21), the control device 30 temporarily ends the processing of the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0091] On the other hand, if it is determined that the route update is for one of the grouped parking positions (Yes in step S21), the control device 30 updates the routes of the other grouped parking positions based on the updated route of the one parking position (step S22). That is, the control device 30, using the function of the processing unit 32, updates the routes of the other parking positions in the grouped parking positions in accordance with the update of the route of the one grouped parking position. That is, the control device 30 collectively updates the information of the overlapping route portions in the grouped parking positions. Then, by performing this update, the route information in the parking history information 35b is updated.

[0092] As described above, in this embodiment, when multiple parking locations are grouped, the grouping is performed based on route information. That is, two or more parking locations where the routes to each parking location overlap at least partially are grouped. By grouping parking locations based on routes in this manner, for example, adjacent parking locations will not be grouped if their routes do not overlap. Conversely, two or more parking locations that appear to be far apart will be grouped into the same group if their routes overlap. That is, it is possible to group parking locations according to the user's usage status, and as a result, it is possible to avoid grouping unnecessary parking locations that the user does not use, for example.

[0093] Furthermore, by grouping parking positions according to the user's usage status, the vehicle 1 is parked based on the grouped parking positions, which makes it possible to avoid parking the vehicle 1 in a parking position that is not used by the user, for example. By performing such processing, the control device 30 can ultimately improve traffic safety and contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

[0094] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in the grouping of parking locations described above, the control device 30 groups two or more parking locations whose routes have an overlapping degree equal to or greater than the threshold value α. Parking locations grouped into the same group are likely to share a common route to a certain extent. This makes it possible to exclude parking locations whose routes have an overlapping degree less than the threshold value α, such as when some of the routes simply intersect, from being grouped together. As a result, it is possible to further increase the likelihood that parking locations used by the user will be grouped together.

[0095] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when multiple routes to a parking location are recorded in the route information in the parking history information 35b, the control device 30 performs the above-mentioned grouping based on the route with the highest usage frequency among the multiple recorded routes. As a result, for parking locations with multiple routes recorded, grouping based on, for example, the route with the lowest usage frequency is not performed, and as a result, parking locations connected to routes according to the user's usage frequency are grouped.

[0096] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control device 30 determines the priority order for parking the vehicle among the grouped parking locations based on the usage status. As a result, the vehicle 1 is parked based on the priority order among the grouped parking locations, enabling parking based on the user's usage status. Furthermore, by determining the priority order in this manner, if the parking location with the highest priority is unavailable, the parking location with the next highest priority becomes a parking candidate, and the vehicle 1 can be automatically parked in that parking location. Because this priority order is based on the user's usage status, it is unlikely that the user will feel uncomfortable if the parking location with the highest priority is unavailable and the vehicle 1 is automatically parked in the parking location with the next highest priority. Furthermore, since the vehicle 1 is parked in a parking location that corresponds to the user's usage status without the user's specification, it is possible to eliminate the user's need to specify a parking location.

[0097] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when a route to one of two or more grouped parking locations is updated, the portions of the routes to other of the two or more parking locations that overlap with the route to the one parking location before the update are updated based on the updated route to the one parking location. In other words, when a route to one of the grouped parking locations is updated, the portions of the route common to the other grouped parking locations are similarly updated. This reduces the processing load on the control device 30 compared to updating the portions of the common route for each parking location.

[0098] Furthermore, in this embodiment, information about parking positions based on the above-described priority order is displayed on a display unit such as the touch panel 22. This allows the user to easily grasp information about the parking position to which the vehicle 1 is moving or the parking position to which the vehicle 1 is currently moving. Furthermore, since the user can also specify a parking position by operating the touch panel 22, for example, if the user wishes to change the parking position displayed based on the priority order, the user can change the parking position by operating the touch panel 22.

[0099] Furthermore, the route information in the parking history information 35b can be updated by the control device 30 or by the user's own operation of the touch panel 22. This allows the user to immediately update the route if the route is suddenly changed, for example.

[0100] [Other embodiments] Next, another embodiment will be described. The grouping of parking locations described in the above embodiment is not limited to one group, and multiple groups may be generated. For example, when there are four or more parking locations, the control device 30 may generate two groups based on two or more parking locations whose routes at least partially overlap. Furthermore, depending on the number of parking locations provided, there may be three or more groups. When multiple groups are generated in this manner, the control device 30 may select a group of parking locations for the vehicle 1 based on the time of day (e.g., morning, night, etc.) and the situation (e.g., taking the vehicle to or from cram school, shopping at the supermarket, etc.) based on the parking history of the user's vehicle 1, and move the vehicle 1 to the specified parking location. For example, when two groups are generated by the above-described parking location grouping process, one group may be generated based on parking locations used in the morning, for example. The other group may be generated based on parking locations used in the evening or night, for example. In this case, the control device 30 may acquire the current time, and based on the acquired current time, move the vehicle 1 to a parking position based on the priority of the group. By performing such processing, it is possible to achieve multiple groupings according to the user's usage situation, and to park the vehicle 1 according to the user's usage scene.

[0101] In addition to using the system differently depending on the user's usage situation, if parking locations are grouped into multiple groups, priority may be determined on a group-by-group basis rather than for each parking location.

[0102] [others] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0103] For example, in the above embodiment, the parking locations are located on private property 210, but the parking locations may be located outside private property for which route information and the like exists in map information database 24. In such a case, control device 30 refers to map information database 24, identifies parking locations whose routes partially overlap, and executes the above-mentioned grouping process.

[0104] 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 a 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.

[0105] This specification describes at least the following: Note that the components in parentheses correspond to those in the above-described embodiments, but are not limited to these.

[0106] (1) A control device (control device 30) for controlling a vehicle (vehicle 1) parked at a predetermined parking position (parking positions P1 to P5), An acquisition unit (acquisition unit 31) that acquires route information that can identify a route to each parking position; a processing unit (processing unit 32) that groups two or more parking locations whose routes at least partially overlap each other based on the route information; and a control unit (control unit 33) that moves the vehicle to the grouped parking position. Control device.

[0107] According to (1), for example, adjacent parking locations will not be grouped if their paths do not overlap, but conversely, if the paths of two or more parking locations that appear to be far apart overlap, they will be grouped together. In other words, it is possible to group parking locations according to the user's usage status, and as a result, it is possible to avoid grouping unnecessary parking locations that are not used by the user. Then, the vehicle can be moved to such a grouped parking location.

[0108] (2) The control device according to (1), The processing unit groups the two or more parking locations whose paths overlap each other to a threshold value (threshold value α) or more. Control device.

[0109] According to (2), it is possible to prevent parking locations with routes that overlap less than a threshold, such as routes that simply intersect, from being grouped together, thereby increasing the likelihood that parking locations used by users will be grouped together.

[0110] (3) The control device according to (1), The processing unit When a route to one of the two or more grouped parking positions is updated, a portion of a route to another of the two or more parking positions that overlaps with the route to the one parking position before the update is updated based on the route to the one parking position after the update. Control device.

[0111] According to (3), for example, it is possible to reduce the processing load on the control device compared to when the common route portion is updated for each parking position.

[0112] (4) The control device according to (1), When a plurality of routes to the parking position are recorded in the route information, the processing unit performs the grouping based on the route that is most frequently used among the plurality of recorded routes. Control device.

[0113] According to (4), parking locations for which multiple routes are recorded are not grouped based on, for example, the least used route, and as a result, parking locations connected to routes according to the user's usage are grouped.

[0114] (5) The control device according to (1), The acquisition unit further acquires usage status including the number of times the vehicle has been parked at each of the parking positions, The processing unit determines a priority for parking the vehicle among the grouped parking positions based on the usage status. Control device.

[0115] According to (5), vehicles are parked based on the priority of the grouped parking locations, making it possible to park based on the user's usage status.

[0116] (6) The control device according to (5), a display control unit (display control unit 34) that displays the parking position information on a predetermined display unit (touch panel 22); The display control unit displaying information about the parking position based on the priority order on the display unit; Control device.

[0117] According to (6), the user can easily grasp information about the parking position to which the vehicle is moving or the information about the vehicle's current location.

[0118] (7) The control device according to (6), The display unit is capable of accepting an operation by a user, The route information can be updated through an operation of the display unit. Control device.

[0119] According to (7), for example, if the route suddenly changes, the user can update the route information to immediately reflect the changed route.

[0120] (8) A computer that controls a vehicle (vehicle 1) parked in a predetermined parking position (parking positions P1 to P5) Obtain route information that identifies the route to each parking location, Based on the route information, two or more parking locations whose routes at least partially overlap are grouped together; Execute a process to move the vehicle to the grouped parking position. Control method.

[0121] According to (8), for example, adjacent parking locations will not be grouped if their paths do not overlap, but conversely, if the paths of two or more parking locations that appear to be far apart overlap, they will be grouped together. In other words, it is possible to group parking locations according to the user's usage status, and as a result, it is possible to avoid grouping unnecessary parking locations that are not used by the user. Then, the vehicle can be moved to such a grouped parking location.

[0122] (9) A computer that controls a vehicle (vehicle 1) parked in a predetermined parking position (parking positions P1 to P5) Obtain route information that identifies the route to each parking location, Based on the route information, two or more parking locations whose routes at least partially overlap are grouped together; Execute a process to move the vehicle to the grouped parking position. Control program.

[0123] According to (9), for example, adjacent parking locations will not be grouped if their paths do not overlap, but conversely, if the paths of two or more parking locations that appear to be far apart overlap, they will be grouped together. In other words, it is possible to group parking locations according to the user's usage status, and as a result, it is possible to avoid grouping unnecessary parking locations that are not used by the user. Then, the vehicle can be moved to such a grouped parking location. [Explanation of symbols]

[0124] 1 vehicle 22 Touch panel (display) 30 Control device 31 Acquisition Department 32 Processing section 33 Control Unit 34 Display control unit

Claims

1. A control device for controlling a vehicle parked in a predetermined parking position, a storage unit that stores route information that can identify routes taken when the vehicle has been parked at each parking position in the past; a processing unit that groups two or more parking locations whose routes at least partially overlap based on the route information and determines priorities of the grouped parking locations; a control unit that determines a target parking position from the grouped parking positions based on the priority order, and moves the vehicle to the determined target parking position, Control device.

2. The control device according to claim 1, the processing unit groups the two or more parking locations whose paths have an overlapping degree equal to or greater than a threshold. Control device.

3. The control device according to claim 1, The processing unit When a route to one of the two or more grouped parking positions is updated, a portion of a route to another of the two or more parking positions that overlaps with the route to the one parking position before the update is updated based on the route to the one parking position after the update. Control device.

4. The control device according to claim 1, When a plurality of routes to the parking position are recorded in the route information, the processing unit performs the grouping based on the route that is most frequently used among the plurality of recorded routes. Control device.

5. The control device according to claim 1, The storage unit further stores usage status including the number of times the vehicle has been parked at each of the parking positions, The processing unit determines a priority for parking the vehicle among the grouped parking positions based on the usage status. Control device.

6. The control device according to claim 5, a display control unit that displays the parking position information on a predetermined display unit; The display control unit displaying information about the parking position based on the priority order on the display unit; Control device.

7. The control device according to claim 6, The display unit is capable of accepting an operation by a user, The route information can be updated through an operation of the display unit. Control device.

8. A computer that controls a vehicle parked in a predetermined parking position storing route information that can identify the route taken when the vehicle was parked at each parking position in the past; Based on the route information, two or more parking locations whose routes at least partially overlap each other are grouped, and a priority order is determined for the grouped parking locations; Execute a process of determining a target parking position from the grouped parking positions based on the priority order, and moving the vehicle to the determined target parking position. Control method.

9. A computer that controls a vehicle parked in a predetermined parking position storing route information that can identify the route taken when the vehicle was parked at each parking position in the past; Based on the route information, two or more parking locations whose routes at least partially overlap each other are grouped, and a priority order is determined for the grouped parking locations; determining a target parking position from the grouped parking positions based on the priority order, and moving the vehicle to the determined target parking position; Control program.

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