Automatic retrieval system and automatic retrieval method

Abstract

This automatic unloading system (20) automatically unloads a vehicle when there is an unloading request (Sb) for a parked vehicle (2). The automatic unloading system (20) comprises a position detection unit (26), an unloading target calculation unit (28), and a vehicle control unit (17). The position detection unit (26) detects a relative position between the vehicle and a communication terminal by processing, according to a communication state, any one of a plurality of detection processings using wireless communications between the communication terminal (21) owned by a user and one or a plurality of sensor units (27) provided in the vehicle body (8). The unloading target calculation unit (28) sets an unloading target position (Pa) from the detection result from the position detection unit, and when, in the middle of the unloading, the position can be detected by highly reliable detection processing, updates the unloading target position on the basis of the detection result. The vehicle control unit (17) controls automatic travel of the vehicle so that the vehicle can be unloaded to the unloading target position.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is based on Japanese Application No. 2021-209843 filed on December 23, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Technical Field]

[0002] The present disclosure relates to an automatic retrieval system and an automatic retrieval method. [Background technology]

[0003] Conventionally, a technology has been known in which a parked vehicle is remotely controlled by a communication terminal to automatically position itself at an exit position (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 determines the exit position of the vehicle based on the position of the parked vehicle and the position of the user who carries the communication terminal. Then, the vehicle is automatically caused to exit toward the exit position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5790696 Summary of the Invention

[0005] Each of the vehicle and the communication terminal calculates its own absolute position using a GPS (Global Positioning System). Then, during the leaving process, the leaving position is determined by calculating the relative position between the absolute position of the vehicle and the absolute position of the communication terminal. For this reason, it is not possible to detect the absolute position indoors, and automatic leaving may not be possible. Furthermore, with absolute position, it is not possible to detect the precise position, which poses a problem in terms of leaving accuracy.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an automatic retrieval system and an automatic retrieval method that can improve the accuracy of automatic retrieval arriving at a location intended by a user. The automatic retrieval system that solves the above problem is configured to automatically retrieve a parked vehicle to a user when a request for retrieval is made for the vehicle, and is equipped with a position detection unit that detects the relative position between the vehicle and the communication terminal by one of multiple detection processes using wireless communication between a communication terminal carried by the user and one or more sensor units installed on the vehicle body, depending on the communication status, an retrieval target position is set from the detection result of the position detection unit, and if, during retrieval, a position can be detected by the detection process with a higher reliability than the currently set retrieval target position, the retrieval target position is updated based on the detection result, thereby calculating the optimal retrieval target position, and a vehicle control unit that controls the automatic driving of the vehicle so that the vehicle is retrieved to the retrieval target position.

[0007] The automatic retrieval method that solves the above problem is a method used in an automatic retrieval system that automatically retrieves a parked vehicle to a user when a retrieval request is made for the vehicle, and the automatic retrieval system detects the relative position between the vehicle and the communication terminal by one of a number of detection processes using wireless communication between a communication terminal carried by the user and one or more sensor units installed on the vehicle body, depending on the communication status, sets a target retrieval position from the detection result of the detection process, and if, during retrieval, a position can be detected by a detection process that is more reliable than the currently set target retrieval position, updates the target retrieval position based on the detection result, thereby calculating an optimal target retrieval position, and controls the automatic driving of the vehicle so that the vehicle is retrieved to the target retrieval position.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, the relative positional relationship between the vehicle to be released and the communication terminal is determined, and the target release position for automatic release is calculated from this relative position. Therefore, even if the vehicle is parked indoors, it is possible to automatically release the vehicle. Furthermore, the target release position, which is the vehicle's driving target for automatic release, is updated, so that the optimal target release position is set each time. Therefore, the target release position is optimized. As a result, it is possible to improve the accuracy of automatic release arrival at the user's intended location. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an automatic retrieval system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 2(a) and (b) are explanatory diagrams of the first distance measurement process; [Figure 3] 3(a) and (b) are explanatory diagrams of the direction detection process; [Figure 4] 4(a) and (b) are explanatory diagrams of the second distance measurement process; [Figure 5] FIG. 5(a) is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of registering a digital key to a communication terminal, and FIG. 5(b) is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of pairing a vehicle and a communication terminal. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an automatic retrieval preparation screen displayed on a communication terminal. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a procedure diagram showing the flow of automatic retrieval. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows a confirmation screen displayed on the communication terminal. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram of an automatic retrieval system according to a second embodiment; [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a specific diagram showing how a parked vehicle is photographed by a communication terminal. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating how relative position information is transmitted from a communication terminal to a vehicle; [Figure 12]FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of automatic removal of a vehicle parked backward in another example; [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a confirmation screen displayed on a communication terminal in another example; [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of another example in which the vehicle automatically leaves the garage so that the rear of the vehicle is in front of the user. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] (First embodiment) A first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. [Overall configuration of Autonomous Driving System 1] As shown in Fig. 1, vehicle 2 is equipped with an automatic driving system 1 that causes vehicle 2 to automatically drive. Automatic driving system 1 causes vehicle 2 to automatically drive to a destination without the driver's operation by having a computer execute the acceleration / deceleration, braking, and steering of vehicle 2. Note that vehicle 2 may be any of an electric vehicle, hybrid vehicle, gasoline vehicle, fuel cell vehicle, and hydrogen vehicle.

[0011] The autonomous driving system 1 includes a detection unit 3 provided in the vehicle 2 to acquire information about the situation around the vehicle. The detection unit 3 includes, for example, a 360° camera 4, a sonar sensor 5, a vehicle speed sensor 6, and a steering sensor 7. The 360° camera 4 captures images of the area around the vehicle 2. The sonar sensor 5 is, for example, an ultrasonic sensor arranged at the four corners of the vehicle body 8, and detects obstacles that exist around the vehicle. The vehicle speed sensor 6 detects the speed of the vehicle 2. The steering sensor 7 detects the amount of steering of the steering wheel of the vehicle 2.

[0012] The autonomous driving system 1 includes a controller 11 that controls the autonomous driving of the vehicle 2. A detection unit 3 (a 360-degree camera 4, a sonar sensor 5, a vehicle speed sensor 6, and a steering sensor 7) is connected to the input side of the controller 11. A steering control unit 12 that controls the amount of steering of the steered wheels of the vehicle 2, a driving force control unit 13 that controls the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle 2, a braking force control unit 14 that controls the braking force (braking force) applied to the vehicle 2, and a shift control unit 15 that controls the transmission of the vehicle 2 are connected to the output side of the controller 11.

[0013] The controller 11 includes an information acquisition unit 16 that acquires vehicle surroundings information Sa from the detection unit 3. The vehicle surroundings information Sa includes, for example, photographic information Sa1 captured by the omnidirectional camera 4, information about the surroundings of the four corners of the vehicle body detected by the sonar sensor 5, vehicle speed information detected by the vehicle speed sensor 6, and steering information detected by the steering sensor 7.

[0014] The controller 11 includes a vehicle control unit 17 that controls the automatic driving of the vehicle 2. The vehicle control unit 17 controls the steering control unit 12, the driving force control unit 13, the braking force control unit 14, and the shift control unit 15 based on information input from the all-around camera 4, the sonar sensor 5, the vehicle speed sensor 6, and the steering sensor 7, thereby causing the vehicle 2 to automatically drive.

[0015] [Overall configuration of the automatic retrieval system 20] 1, the automatic retrieval system 20 has an automatic retrieval function (automatic retrieval system 20) that automatically retrieves the vehicle 2 from the parking space when a retrieval instruction is issued for the parked vehicle 2. In this example, the automatic retrieval system 20 automatically retrieves the vehicle 2 to the user when a retrieval request Sb for the vehicle 2 is issued. The retrieval request Sb is notified to the vehicle 2 from the communication terminal 21.

[0016] The vehicle 2 is equipped with a vehicle communication unit 22 that performs wireless communication with the communication terminal 21. The vehicle communication unit 22 has, for example, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication function. For Bluetooth communication, it is preferable to use, for example, BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy). The communication terminal 21 is equipped with a terminal communication unit 23 that performs wireless communication with the vehicle 2. The terminal communication unit 23 has a Bluetooth communication function and performs Bluetooth communication with the vehicle 2. The terminal communication unit 23 transmits a departure request Sb to the vehicle 2 via Bluetooth communication. The vehicle 2 receives this departure request Sb via the vehicle communication unit 22.

[0017] The communication terminal 21 is preferably, for example, a mobile terminal. The mobile terminal is, for example, a highly functional mobile phone. The communication terminal 21 is equipped with a user input unit 24 used in operations for automatic leaving the warehouse. The user input unit 24 may be, for example, a touch sensor that detects touches on the screen of the communication terminal 21, or may be a mechanical switch provided on the communication terminal 21.

[0018] [Major components of the automatic retrieval system 20] As shown in FIG. 1, the automatic retrieval system 20 includes a position detection unit 26 that detects the relative position between the vehicle 2 and the communication terminal 21 via wireless communication with the communication terminal 21. The position detection unit 26 detects the relative position between the vehicle 2 and the communication terminal 21 by performing one of a plurality of detection processes that use wireless communication between the communication terminal 21 carried by the user and one or more sensor units 27 provided on the vehicle body 8, depending on the communication state. The relative position is, for example, the relative position of the communication terminal 21 as seen from the sensor unit 27. When the vehicle 2 leaves the garage, the position detection unit 26 periodically and repeatedly detects the relative position.

[0019] The sensor unit 27 is, for example, a ToF (Time of Flight) sensor. In this example, the detection of the relative position is performed by UWB (Ultra Wide Band) communication. In this case, each of the sensor units 27 has a communication function for UWB communication. Furthermore, the terminal communication unit 23 has a communication function for UWB communication for detecting the relative position in addition to a communication function for Bluetooth communication.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2(a) and other figures, the sensor unit 27 is disposed at a predetermined position on the vehicle body 8. Specifically, the multiple sensor units 27 are preferably disposed at positions that are symmetrical on the left and right sides of the vehicle body 8. In this example, the sensor unit 27 includes a right front sensor unit 27a disposed at the front right of the vehicle body, a right central sensor unit 27b disposed at the center right of the vehicle body, and a right rear sensor unit 27c disposed at the rear right of the vehicle body. The sensor unit 27 also includes a left front sensor unit 27d disposed at the front left of the vehicle body, a left central sensor unit 27e disposed at the center left of the vehicle body, and a left rear sensor unit 27f disposed at the rear left of the vehicle body.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, the automatic retrieval system 20 includes an retrieval target calculation unit 28 that calculates a retrieval target position Pa based on the detection result of the position detection unit 26. The retrieval target calculation unit 28 is provided in the controller 11. The retrieval target calculation unit 28 sets a retrieval target position Pa (shown in Figure 2(a) and other figures) from the detection result of the position detection unit 26, and if, during retrieval, a position can be detected using a detection process with a higher reliability than the currently set retrieval target position Pa, the retrieval target calculation unit 28 updates the retrieval target position Pa based on the detection result, thereby calculating an optimal retrieval target position Pa as appropriate. The vehicle control unit 17 then controls the retrieval travel of the vehicle 2 so that the vehicle 2 is retrieved to the retrieval target position Pa.

[0022] [Specific example of detection process] As shown in FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b), the detection process includes a distance measurement detection process that calculates the distance d between the communication terminal 21 and the sensor unit 27 via wireless communication to detect the relative position of the vehicle 2 and the communication terminal 21. The distance measurement detection process includes a first distance measurement process that is a distance measurement process using multiple sensor units 27. The first distance measurement process detects the relative position of the vehicle 2 and the communication terminal 21 from multiple distances d calculated via wireless communication between each of the multiple sensor units 27 and the communication terminal 21. The first distance measurement is preferably triangulation, for example. In the case of triangulation, the distance d between each of the multiple sensor units 27 and the communication terminal 21 is calculated, and the relative position of the vehicle 2 and the communication terminal 21 is calculated from a combination of these distances d. The first distance measurement process preferably has a higher reliability of position detection than the second distance measurement process.

[0023] 3(a) and 3(b), the detection process includes a direction detection process for determining the direction Ang of the communication terminal 21 relative to the vehicle 2 through wireless communication and detecting the relative positions of the vehicle 2 and the communication terminal 21. Incidentally, there is a possibility that the position detection unit 26 cannot perform distance measurement (triangulation) due to the influence of obstacles from surrounding parked vehicles. In this case, if distance measurement is not possible but radio waves can be received, the relative position is detected using a direction detection process for detecting the direction Ang of the communication terminal 21 from the radio waves. The direction detection process determines the direction Ang from, for example, the received signal strength (RSSI: Received Signal Strength Indicator) of the radio waves communicated between the communication terminal 21 and the sensor unit 27, angle measurement (AoA: Angle of Arrival), or the like. It is preferable that the distance measurement detection process has a higher reliability of position detection than the direction detection process.

[0024] 4(a) and 4(b), the detection process includes a second ranging process that detects the relative position using the distance d between one sensor unit 27 and the communication terminal 21. The second ranging process detects the relative position of the vehicle 2 and the communication terminal 21 using a change in the distance d obtained by wireless communication between one sensor unit 27 and the communication terminal 21.

[0025] However, if the surrounding radio wave environment is not very good, there is a possibility that the first ranging process (triangulation) cannot be performed. In this case, if ranging can be performed by at least one sensor unit 27, the ranging result is used to calculate the relative position of the vehicle 2 and the communication terminal 21. In this example, the second ranging process estimates the angle θ of the vehicle 2 from the change in distance d, the vehicle speed of the vehicle 2, and the steering direction of the vehicle 2, and estimates the direction Ang of the communication terminal 21 as seen from the vehicle 2 from the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the radio waves including those of the other sensor units 27. Then, the relative position of the vehicle 2 and the communication terminal 21 is detected from the combination of the angle θ and the direction Ang.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, when the position detection unit 26 detects a relative position in the first distance measurement process or the second distance measurement process, it outputs distance measurement information Da to the controller 11. Then, the delivery target calculation unit 28 calculates a delivery target position Pa based on this distance measurement information Da. Furthermore, when the position detection unit 26 detects a relative position in the direction detection process, it outputs direction information Db to the controller 11. Then, the delivery target calculation unit 28 calculates a delivery target position Pa based on this direction information Db.

[0027] [Other components of the automatic retrieval system 20] 1, the automatic leaving system 20 includes a status management unit 31 that sets the start and stop of automatic leaving based on a user operation. The status management unit 31 is provided in the controller 11. The user operation is preferably an operation executed, for example, on the user input unit 24 of the communication terminal 21. When the status management unit 31 determines, based on the vehicle surroundings information Sa, that the vehicle is in a state where leaving cannot be performed, it stops the leaving of the vehicle 2.

[0028] The automatic retrieval system 20 is equipped with a validity confirmation unit 32 that allows a user to confirm the validity of the target retrieval position Pa at the start of retrieval. The validity confirmation unit 32 is provided in the controller 11. At the start of retrieval, the validity confirmation unit 32 transmits automatic retrieval information (confirmation information S2': shown in FIG. 8) from the vehicle 2 to the communication terminal 21, thereby displaying the retrieval position or direction on the display 33 of the communication terminal 21 and allowing the user to confirm the validity of the target retrieval position Pa. If the validity of the target retrieval position Pa is confirmed, the status management unit 31 permits the vehicle 2 to leave the vehicle.

[0029] Next, the operation of the automatic retrieval system 20 (automatic retrieval method) of this embodiment will be described. [Digital key settings for communication terminal 21] As shown in FIG. 5(a), when automatic leaving the garage is enabled by the communication terminal 21, a digital key Dky for enabling the communication terminal 21 as a vehicle key is registered in the communication terminal 21 from an external device. The digital key Dky is, for example, a one-time key for which a usage period and number of usages are set. The digital key Dky is, for example, generated as a key specific to the vehicle at the request of a user. The digital key Dky is, for example, downloaded from a server to the communication terminal 21. It is preferable that an application for automatic leaving the garage is also registered in the communication terminal 21 together with the digital key Dky.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 5(b), after the communication terminal 21 acquires the digital key Dky, pairing setting is performed between the communication terminal 21 and the vehicle 2. Specifically, the communication terminal 21 transmits the digital key Dky to the vehicle 2 via the terminal communication unit 23. When the controller 11 receives the digital key Dky at the vehicle communication unit 22, the controller 11 authenticates the digital key Dky and acquires an authentication key that is common to the communication terminal 21. This pairs the vehicle 2 and the communication terminal 21, and thereafter enables wireless communication between the paired vehicle 2 and communication terminal 21.

[0031] The digital key Dky may be a key that is authenticated when obtaining permission to lock and unlock the doors of the vehicle 2. Therefore, if a person possesses the communication terminal 21 in which the digital key Dky is registered, it becomes possible to unlock the doors of the vehicle 2 and get in, or to exit the vehicle 2 and lock the vehicle doors. The digital key Dky may also be a key that is authenticated when obtaining permission to perform a transition operation on the vehicle power supply. Therefore, if a person possesses the communication terminal 21 in which the digital key Dky is registered, it becomes possible to start the engine of the vehicle 2.

[0032] [Automatic Retrieval Procedure] As shown in FIG. 6, the user executes an automatic leaving preparation operation using the communication terminal 21. Specifically, an automatic leaving application is launched on the communication terminal 21 to display an automatic leaving preparation screen 35 on the display 33, and the leaving direction of the vehicle 2 is specified on the automatic leaving preparation screen 35. In the case of the same figure, an arrow 36 indicating the leaving direction is displayed on the automatic leaving preparation screen 35. The user then executes the automatic leaving preparation operation by tapping the arrow 36 of the desired leaving direction. Here, it is assumed that the arrow 36a indicating the user's direction is tapped. When the automatic leaving preparation operation is executed, the communication terminal 21 transmits an automatic leaving start preparation notification S1 to the vehicle 2 from the terminal communication unit 23 via wireless communication.

[0033] 7, in step 101, the status management unit 31 determines whether or not it has received a preparation to start automatic leaving (automatic leaving start preparation notification S1). In this example, the status management unit 31 determines whether or not it has received the automatic leaving start preparation notification S1 sent from the communication terminal 21 at the vehicle communication unit 22. If it has received the automatic leaving start preparation notification S1, it proceeds to step 102, and if it has not received the automatic leaving start preparation notification S1, it waits in step 101.

[0034] In step 102, the delivery target calculation unit 28 executes calculation to set the delivery target position Pa. First, the position detection unit 26 detects the relative position with respect to the communication terminal 21 via wireless communication between the communication terminal 21 and the sensor unit 27, and outputs the detection result to the controller 11. In this example, the position detection unit 26 executes three detection processes: a "first distance measurement process," a "second distance measurement process," and a "direction detection process." In the first distance measurement process and the second distance measurement process, the position detection unit 26 outputs the measured distance information Da to the controller 11. In the direction detection process, the position detection unit 26 outputs the obtained direction information Db to the controller 11.

[0035] The delivery target calculation unit 28 calculates the delivery target position Pa in each of the first distance measurement process, the second distance measurement process, and the direction detection process. The delivery target position Pa in the first distance measurement process and the second distance measurement process is determined from distance measurement information Da acquired from the position detection unit 26. The delivery target position Pa in the direction detection process is determined from direction information Db acquired from the position detection unit 26.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 2(a), in the first ranging process, the position detection unit 26 relatively determines the position of the communication terminal 21 by triangulation. The ranging method is preferably, for example, a ToF (Time of Flight) method that determines the distance d from the difference between the transmission time, which is the timing at which a radio wave is transmitted, and the reception time, which is the timing at which the reflected wave of that radio wave is received. Ranging can be performed by one of the multiple sensor units 27, which has a received signal strength of the radio wave being communicated that is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. In the example shown in the same figure, an example is given in which ranging can be performed by the right front sensor unit 27a to the right rear sensor unit 27c.

[0037] The target leaving calculation unit 28 calculates the target leaving position Pa based on the distance measurement information Da obtained by the first distance measurement process, i.e., triangulation. The target leaving position Pa may be set by monitoring the surroundings of the vehicle 2 with the detection unit 3 and using the vehicle surroundings information Sa obtained from the detection unit 3.

[0038] The target leaving position Pa is usually set to a position such that the driver's door 37 of the vehicle 2 is located in front of the user. However, there may be cases where the distance between the user and an obstacle on the opposite side is narrow or the road surface width is narrow, making it impossible to leave the vehicle 2 such that the driver's door 37 is located in front of the user. Therefore, when the target leaving calculation unit 28 determines, based on the vehicle surroundings information Sa, that it is not possible to set the target leaving position Pa such that the driver's door 37 is located in front of the user, it is preferable to set the target leaving position Pa such that a door other than the driver's door 37 is located in front of the user.

[0039] 3(a), in the case of direction detection processing, the position detection unit 26 detects the direction Ang of the user as seen from the vehicle 2, for example, by measuring the received signal strength of radio waves or the angle. The example in FIG. 3(a) illustrates an example in which the communication terminal 21 can receive radio waves from the right front sensor unit 27a to the left front sensor unit 27d among the multiple sensor units 27, but cannot receive radio waves from the left central sensor unit 27e and the left rear sensor unit 27f. The example in FIG. 3(a) illustrates an example in which the received signal strength of radio waves from the right front sensor unit 27a is the strongest, followed by the right central sensor unit 27b and the left front sensor unit 27d, and the received signal strength of radio waves from the right rear sensor unit 27c is the weakest.

[0040] The delivery target calculation unit 28 calculates the delivery target position Pa based on the direction information Db obtained by the direction detection process. At this point, the position of the communication terminal 21 has not been identified, but the direction Ang in which the communication terminal 21 is estimated to be present is set as the initial delivery target position Pa.

[0041] As shown in Figures 4(a) and (b), the position detection unit 26 cannot perform triangulation, but if distance detection is possible with at least one sensor unit 27, the second distance measurement process can be performed. In the example shown in the figure, distance measurement can be performed only using the radio waves from the right front sensor unit 27a. Note that since the second measurement process requires a change in the measured distance d to detect the relative position, position detection is not performed when the initial departure target is set.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 7, after the target leaving position Pa is set in step 103, the state management unit 31 determines whether there is an abnormality in the surrounding environment of leaving. Specifically, the state management unit 31 determines whether there is an obstacle in the direction of movement of the vehicle 2 based on the vehicle surroundings information Sa input from the detection unit 3. In addition to this, the state management unit 31 determines whether distance measurement has suddenly become impossible despite having been possible up until now. If an abnormality is determined, the process proceeds to step 104, and if an abnormality is not determined, the process proceeds to step 105.

[0043] In step 104, if the state management unit 31 detects an abnormality, it abnormally stops the automatic leaving of the vehicle 2. This forces the operation of the automatic leaving to stop. After the forced stop, the process returns to step 101, and the above-mentioned processes are executed again.

[0044] In step 105, the output target calculation unit 28 calculates the final output target position Pa. It is preferable that this output target position Pa is set using the processing result with the highest reliability of position accuracy from among the first distance measurement processing, the second distance measurement processing, and the direction detection processing. In this example, the reliability of position detection increases in the order of the first distance measurement processing, the second distance measurement processing, and the direction detection processing. Therefore, of the detection processing that has been performed, the output target position Pa calculated by the detection processing with the highest reliability is set as the final output target position Pa. It is preferable that the output target calculation unit 28 also uses the photographing information Sa1 to determine the relative position. In other words, the output target position Pa may be set taking into consideration the surrounding environment of the vehicle 2.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 8, when the initial target output position Pa is set, the validity confirmation unit 32 prompts the user to confirm the validity of the target output position Pa. In this example, when the output starts, the validity confirmation unit 32 transmits automatic output information (confirmation information S2') from the vehicle 2 to the communication terminal 21, thereby displaying a confirmation screen 38 on the display 33 of the communication terminal 21. In the same figure, an arrow 39 indicating the output direction is displayed on the confirmation screen 38. If the output direction is correct, the decision button 40 on the confirmation screen 38 is tapped. If the output direction is confirmed, the communication terminal 21 transmits an output permission S2 to the vehicle 2 via wireless communication from the terminal communication unit 23. Therefore, the vehicle 2 acquires the output permission S2 and is permitted to perform automatic output.

[0046] As shown in Figure 7, in step 105, when the initial release target position Pa is set, the process proceeds to step 106. Also, in step 105, when the second or subsequent release target calculation is performed, if the distance measurement is achieved using a detection process with the same reliability, or if the distance measurement is achieved using a detection process with a higher reliability than the current one, the process proceeds to step 107. On the other hand, in step 105, when the second or subsequent release target is set, if the distance measurement is achieved only using a detection process with a lower reliability than the current one, or if the distance measurement itself is not achieved, the process proceeds to step 108.

[0047] In step 106, after the target departure position Pa is set, the vehicle control unit 17 generates a vehicle departure trajectory with the target departure position Pa as the end point, and causes the vehicle 2 to autonomously travel along the departure trajectory. That is, the vehicle control unit 17 causes the vehicle 2 to automatically travel toward the target departure position Pa.

[0048] In step 107, when calculating the delivery target from the second time onwards, the delivery target calculation unit 28 updates the delivery target position Pa based on the detection result of the relative position. In this example, if, during delivery, distance measurement is achieved by a detection process with the same reliability, or if distance measurement is achieved by a detection process with a higher reliability than the current one, the delivery target calculation unit 28 updates the delivery target position based on the detection result (relative position detection result) of the position detection unit 26. For example, if the previous time was the first distance measurement process and the current time is the second distance measurement process, the delivery target position Pa is set by the first distance measurement process as well as last time. Also, if the previous time was the direction detection process and the current time is the first distance measurement process, the delivery target position Pa is updated by the first distance measurement process.

[0049] It is preferable that the delivery target calculation unit 28 identifies the reliability of the detection process based on the number of sensor units 27 that establish communication with the communication terminal 21. Specifically, for example, when the delivery target position Pa is set using the same first distance measurement process both last time and this time, the one that uses more sensor units 27 in triangulation is determined to have higher reliability. This also applies to the second distance measurement process and the direction detection process.

[0050] Furthermore, it is preferable that the delivery target calculation unit 28 identifies the reliability of the detection process based on the received signal strength of the radio waves communicated between the communication terminal 21 and the sensor unit 27. Specifically, for example, when the delivery target position Pa is set using the same first distance measurement process both last time and this time, the delivery target position with a higher received signal strength of the radio waves is determined to have higher reliability. This also applies to the second distance measurement process and the direction detection process.

[0051] In step 108, when calculating the departure target for the second time or later, the departure target calculation unit 28 updates the departure target position Pa based on the vehicle movement amount. In this example, when setting the departure target for the second time or later, if the distance measurement is successful only in a detection process with a lower reliability than the current one, or if the distance measurement itself is not successful, the departure target calculation unit 28 updates the departure target position Pa based on the vehicle movement amount. The vehicle movement amount is, for example, the amount of movement of the vehicle during one cycle of update determination, and is determined by the vehicle speed and steering amount. In this way, when distance measurement or direction detection is not possible, the target distance is reduced by the amount that approaches the departure target position Pa. Note that if the detection result of the detection process is clearly different, automatic departure may be forcibly stopped.

[0052] 2(a) and 2(b), when there are no other parked vehicles or obstacles around the vehicle 2 to be removed, the position detection unit 26 of the vehicle 2 and the communication terminal 21 can stably communicate wirelessly. This makes it possible to accurately determine the relative positions of the vehicle 2 and the communication terminal 21 by the first ranging process (triangulation). Therefore, when the vehicle 2 is automatically removed from the parking space, it is possible to accurately remove the vehicle 2 as close to the user as possible.

[0053] 3(a) and 3(b), if there are other parked vehicles or obstacles around the vehicle 2 to be removed and the position detection unit 26 of the vehicle 2 cannot measure the distance to the communication terminal 21, the approximate relative position of the communication terminal 21 is determined by direction detection processing (received signal strength indicator (RSSI) or angle measurement (AoA) etc.) at the start of removal, and the vehicle is then removed. Then, if visibility improves after removal and wireless communication for distance measurement (for example, first distance measurement processing or second distance measurement processing) becomes possible, the vehicle continues leaving along the target removal position Pa set by the distance measurement results.

[0054] 4(a) and 4(b), when triangulation is not possible but distance measurement is possible with at least one sensor unit 27, first, the target exit position Pa is set by direction detection processing, and the vehicle 2 is caused to exit. In other words, even if distance measurement is possible with one sensor unit 27, if triangulation is not possible, the initial target exit position Pa is determined by direction detection processing, and the vehicle 2 is caused to exit the parking space.

[0055] While the vehicle is moving, the second ranging process using at least one sensor unit 27 is intermittently performed to acquire changes in the distance d between the communication terminal 21 and the sensor unit 27. At this time, the angle θ of the user relative to the vehicle 2 is calculated from the change in the distance d calculated by at least one sensor unit 27, and changes in the vehicle speed and steering direction. In addition, the direction Ang of the communication terminal 21 is calculated based on the received signal strength of radio waves including those from the other sensor units 27. Then, the relative position of the communication terminal 21 is detected from the combination of the calculated angle θ and direction Ang.

[0056] After continuing leaving the parking lot, if the visibility of the surroundings improves, it becomes possible to perform the first ranging process (triangulation). Until then, the leaving target position Pa is determined by the second ranging process, and the vehicle 2 is allowed to leave the parking lot. Once the first ranging process (triangulation) becomes possible, the leaving process continues, aiming for the leaving target position Pa determined by the first ranging process (triangulation).

[0057] In step 109, the status management unit 31 determines whether or not the vehicle 2 has reached the target leaving position Pa. If the vehicle 2 has not reached the target leaving position Pa, the process returns to step 102, and the automatic leaving process continues. On the other hand, if the vehicle 2 has reached the target leaving position Pa, the process ends.

[0058] [Effects of the embodiment] According to the automatic retrieval system 20 (automatic retrieval method) of the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0059] (1-1) When a request for leaving the vehicle 2 is received, the automatic leaving system 20 automatically leaves the vehicle 2 to the user. The automatic leaving system 20 includes a vehicle control unit 17, a position detection unit 26, and a target leaving calculation unit 28. The position detection unit 26 detects the relative position of the vehicle 2 to the communication terminal 21 by one of a number of detection processes using wireless communication between the communication terminal 21 carried by the user and one or more sensor units 27 provided on the vehicle body 8, depending on the communication status. The target leaving calculation unit 28 sets the target leaving position Pa based on the detection result of the position detection unit 26, and, if a position is detected by a detection process with a higher reliability than the currently set target leaving position Pa during leaving the vehicle, updates the target leaving position Pa based on the detection result, thereby calculating an optimal target leaving position Pa. The vehicle control unit 17 controls the automatic driving of the vehicle 2 so that the vehicle 2 leaves the vehicle to the target leaving position Pa.

[0060] According to the configuration of this example, the positional relationship between the vehicle 2 to be released and the communication terminal 21 is found as a relative position, and the target release position Pa at the time of automatic release is calculated from this relative position. Therefore, even if the vehicle 2 is parked indoors, it is possible to automatically release the vehicle 2. Furthermore, the target release position Pa, which is the travel target of the vehicle 2 at the time of automatic release, is updated, so that the optimal target release position Pa is set each time. Therefore, the target release position Pa is optimized. As a result, the accuracy of automatic release arrival at the position intended by the user can be improved.

[0061] (1-2) The detection process includes a distance measurement detection process and a direction detection process. The distance measurement detection process calculates the distance d between the communication terminal 21 and the sensor unit 27 by wireless communication, and detects the relative position of the vehicle 2 and the communication terminal 21. The direction detection process calculates the direction Ang of the communication terminal 21 with respect to the vehicle 2 by wireless communication, and detects the relative position of the vehicle 2 and the communication terminal 21.

[0062] According to this configuration, when the communication environment allows distance measurement, it is possible to use the first distance measurement process to determine the target departure position Pa with high accuracy. Also, when the communication environment does not allow distance measurement, the direction detection process is used to determine the approximate target departure position Pa, and the vehicle 2 is then automatically departed. Therefore, the target departure position Pa can be set by an appropriate detection process according to the communication environment at each time.

[0063] (1-3) The distance measurement detection process includes a first distance measurement process and a second distance measurement process. The first distance measurement process detects the relative position of the vehicle 2 and the communication terminal 21 from multiple distances d obtained by wireless communication between each of the multiple sensor units 27 and the communication terminal 21. The second distance measurement process detects the relative position of the vehicle 2 and the communication terminal 21 using a change in the distance d obtained by wireless communication between one sensor unit 27 and the communication terminal 21.

[0064] According to this configuration, when multiple sensor units 27 can communicate with the communication terminal 21, it is possible to use the first distance measurement process to determine the target release position Pa with high accuracy. Also, when the first distance measurement process cannot be performed but only one sensor unit 27 can communicate wirelessly with the communication terminal 21, it is possible to use the second distance measurement process to determine the target release position Pa. Therefore, it is possible to set the target release position Pa by using an appropriate distance measurement detection process according to the communication environment at each time.

[0065] (1-4) The target delivery calculation unit 28 identifies the reliability of the detection process based on the number of sensor units 27 that establish communication with the communication terminal 21. This configuration makes it possible to set the target delivery position Pa by prioritizing the detection results of the detection process that establishes communication with the communication terminal 21 in a large number of sensor units 27. This further contributes to improving the accuracy of automatic delivery to the location intended by the user.

[0066] (1-5) The target leaving calculation unit 28 identifies the reliability of the detection process based on the received signal strength of the radio waves communicated between the communication terminal 21 and the sensor unit 27. This configuration makes it possible to set the target leaving position Pa by prioritizing the detection result of the detection process executed by the radio waves with high received signal strength. This further contributes to improving the accuracy of the automatic leaving to arrive at the position intended by the user.

[0067] (1-6) During leaving the warehouse, if distance measurement is achieved using a detection process with an equal reliability, or if distance measurement is achieved using a detection process with a higher reliability than the current one, the leaving target calculation unit 28 updates the leaving target position Pa based on the distance measurement information Da acquired from the position detection unit 26. This configuration enables the vehicle 2 to automatically leave the warehouse based on a detection process with a higher reliability, which further contributes to improving the accuracy of automatic leaving to the location intended by the user.

[0068] (1-7) During leaving the garage, if the distance measurement is successful only in a detection process with a lower reliability than the current one, or if the distance measurement itself is not successful, the leaving target calculation unit 28 updates the leaving target position Pa based on the amount of movement of the vehicle itself. With this configuration, if the highly reliable detection process cannot be performed during automatic leaving using a highly reliable detection process due to a sudden deterioration in the communication environment, for example, it is possible to reduce the distance to the target position by the amount of movement of the vehicle 2 during one cycle of update determination. In this way, even if the highly reliable detection process cannot be performed midway, it is possible to update the distance by the amount of approach to the leaving target position Pa. This avoids forcibly stopping automatic leaving midway.

[0069] (1-8) The automatic leaving system 20 includes an information acquisition unit 16 that acquires vehicle surroundings information Sa from a detection unit 3 provided in the vehicle 2 to acquire the situation around the vehicle. With this configuration, the vehicle surroundings information Sa input from the detection unit 3 can be used to manage the operation of the automatic leaving system and calculate the target leaving position Pa.

[0070] (1-9) When the status management unit 31 of the automatic leaving system 20 determines, based on the vehicle surroundings information Sa, that the vehicle is in a state where leaving is not possible, it stops the leaving of the vehicle 2. This configuration allows the automatic leaving of the vehicle 2 to begin after the safety of the area around the vehicle has been confirmed, further contributing to improved safety during leaving.

[0071] (1-10) The detection unit 3 includes a 360-degree camera 4 that captures images of the surroundings of the vehicle 2. The vehicle surroundings information Sa includes image information Sa1 captured by the 360-degree camera 4. The target leaving calculation unit 28 also uses the image information Sa1 to determine the target leaving position Pa. This configuration allows the target leaving position Pa to be determined using the image information Sa1 captured by the 360-degree camera 4, thereby improving the calculation accuracy of the target leaving position Pa. This further contributes to improving the accuracy of automatic leaving.

[0072] (1-11) The target exit position Pa is usually set to a position where the driver's door 37 of the vehicle 2 is located in front of the user. If the target exit position calculation unit 28 determines, based on the vehicle surroundings information Sa, that it is not possible to set the target exit position Pa where the driver's door 37 is located in front of the user, the target exit position Pa is set so that a door other than the driver's door 37 is located in front of the user. This configuration makes it possible to automatically exit the vehicle 2 to an appropriate position according to the surrounding conditions of the user.

[0073] (1-12) When starting to leave the warehouse, the validity confirmation unit 32 of the automatic leaving system 20 transmits automatic leaving information from the vehicle 2 to the communication terminal 21, thereby displaying the leaving position or direction on the display 33 of the communication terminal 21, and allowing the user to confirm the validity of the leaving target position Pa. This configuration further contributes to improving the accuracy of the automatic leaving arrival at the position intended by the user.

[0074] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment is an example in which a method for dealing with situations in which distance measurement or direction detection is not possible in the first embodiment is added. Therefore, the same parts as in the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals and explanations will be omitted, and only the different parts will be described in detail.

[0075] [Main configuration of the second embodiment] 9, the position detection unit 26 includes a first position detection unit 26a provided in the vehicle 2 and a second position detection unit 26b provided in the communication terminal 21. The first position detection unit 26a is the position detection unit 26 described in the first embodiment, and executes the same processing as the position detection unit 26.

[0076] If the first position detection unit 26a is unable to detect the position, the second position detection unit 26b detects the relative position between itself and the vehicle 2 based on the photographic information Sa2 of the vehicle 2 photographed by the photographing unit 43 provided in the communication terminal 21. This is a measure to enable the vehicle 2 to automatically leave the parking space even when a situation arises in which all of the first distance measurement process, the second distance measurement process, and the direction detection process cannot be performed. The photographing unit 43 is, for example, a camera of the communication terminal 21. The photographic information Sa2 may be either a still image or a video. The second position detection unit 26b transmits information on the detected relative position to the vehicle 2 from the terminal communication unit 23.

[0077] The leaving target calculation unit 28 calculates the leaving target position Pa based on the relative position determined from the photographing information Sa2. In this example, the leaving target calculation unit 28 receives the relative position information transmitted from the communication terminal 21 via the vehicle communication unit 22, and calculates the leaving target position Pa based on this information. The vehicle control unit 17 starts automatic leaving toward this leaving target position Pa.

[0078] The communication terminal 21 includes a vehicle direction detection unit 44 that monitors the traveling direction of the vehicle 2 when the vehicle 2 is leaving the parking lot toward the target leaving position Pa that is set by the photographing information Sa2. The vehicle direction detection unit 44 monitors the traveling direction of the vehicle 2 based on the video as the photographing information Sa2 while the vehicle 2 is leaving the parking lot, and wirelessly transmits information about the traveling direction of the vehicle 2 from the terminal communication unit 23 to the vehicle 2. The vehicle control unit 17 receives the information about the traveling direction of the vehicle 2 via the vehicle communication unit 22, and acquires the traveling direction of the vehicle 2 recognized by the communication terminal 21. If the detection result of the vehicle direction detection unit 44 differs from the traveling direction of the vehicle itself, the vehicle control unit 17 forcibly stops the leaving of the parking lot of the vehicle 2.

[0079] [Effect] Next, the operation of the automatic retrieval system 20 (automatic retrieval method) of this embodiment will be described. As shown in Fig. 10, when vehicle 2 is to be automatically removed from a garage, if the first distance measurement process, second distance measurement process, and direction detection process cannot all be performed under certain circumstances, the user points communication terminal 21 at vehicle 2 to capture an image. Second position detection unit 26b calculates the relative position of communication terminal 21 with respect to vehicle 2 based on image capture information Sa2 acquired by image capture unit 43 of communication terminal 21. The relative position is identified, for example, from the size and orientation of vehicle 2 displayed on display 33. Alternatively, the user's own vehicle may be identified based on the shape of vehicle 2, the illumination of its turn signals, or the like.

[0080] 11, the second position detection unit 26b transmits information about the detected relative position to the vehicle 2 from the terminal communication unit 23. The relative position information is preferably transmitted from the communication terminal 21 to the vehicle 2, for example, when an information transmission operation is executed on the communication terminal 21. The target departure calculation unit 28 calculates the target departure position Pa based on the relative position information acquired from the communication terminal 21. Then, the vehicle control unit 17 starts automatic departure of the vehicle 2 toward this target departure position Pa.

[0081] Note that the present invention is not limited to transmitting information on the relative position from the communication terminal 21 to the vehicle 2 and calculating the target departure position Pa in the vehicle 2. For example, the communication terminal 21 may calculate the target departure position Pa, and then transmit information on the target departure position Pa from the communication terminal 21 to the vehicle 2. Then, based on the information on the target departure position Pa, the vehicle 2 may start automatic departure.

[0082] The vehicle direction detection unit 44 receives video as photographic information Sa2 from the photographing unit 43 for a certain period of time after the start of leaving the garage, and monitors the traveling direction of the vehicle 2 based on this photographic information Sa2. The vehicle direction detection unit 44 then wirelessly transmits information on the traveling direction of the vehicle 2, which is the monitoring result, from the terminal communication unit 23 to the vehicle 2. The vehicle control unit 17 forcibly stops the leaving of the garage of the vehicle 2 when the detection result of the vehicle direction detection unit 44 differs from the traveling direction of the vehicle itself. At this time, the vehicle control unit 17 preferably notifies the communication terminal 21 via wireless communication that the leaving has been forcibly stopped.

[0083] When the vehicle 2 is being pulled out toward the pull-out target position Pa set by the photographing information Sa2, if it becomes possible for the first position detection unit 26a to detect the position, the pull-out target calculation unit 28 updates the pull-out target position Pa by also using the detection result of the first position detection unit 26a. That is, although the vehicle 2 is initially pulled out toward the pull-out target position Pa set by the photographing information Sa2 of the photographing unit 43 of the communication terminal 21, if communication is restored to a state where distance measurement and direction detection are possible, the vehicle may continue pulling out while updating the pull-out target position Pa by distance measurement and direction detection.

[0084] [Effects of the embodiment] According to the automatic retrieval system 20 (automatic retrieval method) of the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0085] (2-1) The position detection unit 26 includes a first position detection unit 26a provided in the vehicle 2 and a second position detection unit 26b provided in the communication terminal 21. When the first position detection unit 26a is unable to detect the position, the second position detection unit 26b detects the relative position between the vehicle 2 and the communication terminal 21 based on the photographic information Sa2 of the vehicle 2 photographed by the photographing unit 43 provided in the communication terminal 21. The departure target calculation unit 28 calculates the departure target position Pa based on the relative position determined from the photographic information Sa2.

[0086] According to this configuration, even if the first position detection unit 26a cannot detect the position, the second position detection unit 26b of the communication terminal 21 can determine the relative position based on the photographing information Sa2 obtained by photographing the vehicle 2 with the communication terminal 21, and the vehicle 2 can be made to leave the garage. Therefore, even if the communication environment is poor and distance measurement or direction detection is not possible, the vehicle 2 can be made to leave the garage automatically, which further contributes to improving convenience.

[0087] (2-2) The communication terminal 21 is equipped with a vehicle direction detection unit 44 that monitors the traveling direction of the vehicle 2 when the vehicle 2 is leaving the parking lot toward the departure target position Pa set by the photographing information Sa2. The vehicle control unit 17 forcibly stops the departure of the vehicle 2 when the detection result of the vehicle direction detection unit 44 differs from the traveling direction of the vehicle itself. With this configuration, safety during departure can be ensured even when the departure target position Pa is set based on the photographing information Sa2 obtained by the photographing unit 43 of the communication terminal 21.

[0088] (2-3) When the vehicle 2 is being pulled out toward the pull-out target position Pa set by the photographing information Sa2, if it becomes possible for the first position detection unit 26a to detect the position, the pull-out target calculation unit 28 updates the pull-out target position Pa by also using the detection result of the first position detection unit 26a. With this configuration, even if automatic pull-out of the vehicle 2 is started based on the detection result of the second position detection unit 26b, the pull-out target position Pa is set midway through the process, taking into account the detection result of the first position detection unit 26a, which has high position detection accuracy. This further contributes to improving the accuracy of automatic pull-out arrival at the position intended by the user.

[0089] [Variations] This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0090] In each embodiment, the exit of the vehicle 2 is not limited to forward exit, in which the vehicle 2 parked in reverse then moves forward toward the exit target position Pa, but also includes rearward exit, in which the vehicle 2 parked in a forward direction moves backward out of the parking space and then moves forward toward the exit target position Pa, as shown in Fig. 12. This configuration enables the vehicle 2 to automatically exit even when the vehicle 2 is parked in a forward direction, further contributing to improved convenience.

[0091] In each embodiment, as shown in Figures 13 and 14, if the departure direction selected by the user is opposite to the departure direction defined by the departure target position Pa, the vehicle 2 may be left so that the rear of the vehicle 2 is in front of the user. In this case, when the user wants to automatically leave the vehicle so that the rear of the vehicle 2 is in front of the user, as shown in Figure 13, for example, on the confirmation screen 38 of the display 33 of the communication terminal 21, the user selects the arrow 46 indicating the departure direction opposite to the direction in which the user is located and taps the decision button 40. This information is wirelessly transmitted from the communication terminal 21 to the vehicle 2.

[0092] 14, the vehicle control unit 17 starts the leaving of the vehicle 2 so that the rear of the vehicle 2 is in front of the user, based on information acquired from the communication terminal 21. That is, when the leaving direction selected by the user is opposite to the leaving direction defined by the leaving target position Pa, the vehicle control unit 17 causes the vehicle 2 to leave the vehicle so that the rear of the vehicle 2 is in front of the user. This configuration can also be used when it is desired to automatically leave the vehicle 2 so that the rear of the vehicle 2 is in front of the user, further contributing to improved convenience.

[0093] In each embodiment, the release request Sb may be transmitted to the vehicle 2 from, for example, a center, rather than from the communication terminal 21. The center, for example, supervises and manages automatic release, and may notify the vehicle 2 of a release instruction when, for example, it receives a release request (release request Sb) from a user or when a preset reserved time for release arrives.

[0094] In each embodiment, the direction detection process may be set to be more reliable than the distance measurement process. This is because, for example, increasing the number of sensor units 27 enables accurate detection of relative positions in the direction detection process.

[0095] In each embodiment, the number of directions of leaving the warehouse that can be specified by the user is not limited to two. For example, three or more directions may be displayed as candidates from which the user can select. In each embodiment, the detection process is not limited to the first distance measurement process, the second distance measurement process, and the direction detection process, but may be any process for detecting relative positions using wireless communication between the communication terminal 21 and the sensor unit 27.

[0096] In each embodiment, the sensor unit 27 is not limited to a ToF sensor, and may be any sensor capable of detecting a position through communication. In each embodiment, the target delivery position Pa may be changed midway by the user.

[0097] In each embodiment, when updating the target delivery position Pa, for example, when a highly reliable detection process becomes possible, a detection process with a lower reliability may be discontinued. In each embodiment, when a highly reliable detection process is not possible, a detection process with a lower reliability may be performed, and the detection processes may be tried in order from most reliable to least reliable.

[0098] In each embodiment, distance measurement and direction detection may be performed using Bluetooth communication. In this case, the UWB communication function can be omitted. In the second embodiment, the method of photographing the vehicle 2 with the communication terminal 21 and calculating the target departure position Pa is not limited to a method that assumes distance measurement or direction detection. In other words, the target departure position Pa may be calculated simply by photographing the vehicle 2 with the communication terminal 21.

[0099] In each embodiment, the detection process is not limited to including the first detection process, the second detection process, and the direction detection process. For example, the target leaving position Pa may be calculated using only the second detection process.

[0100] In each embodiment, the information acquisition unit 16, vehicle control unit 17, departure target calculation unit 28, status management unit 31, validity confirmation unit 32, and vehicle direction detection unit 44 may be configured as [1] one or more processors operating according to a computer program (software), or [2] a combination of such a processor and one or more dedicated hardware circuits, such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), that perform at least some of the various processes. The processor includes a CPU and memory, such as RAM and ROM, that stores program code or instructions configured to cause the CPU to execute the processes. The memory (computer-readable medium) includes any available medium accessible by a general-purpose or dedicated computer. Alternatively, instead of a computer including the processor, a processing circuit configured by one or more dedicated hardware circuits that perform all of the various processes may be used.

[0101] In each embodiment, the information acquisition unit 16, the vehicle control unit 17, the departure target calculation unit 28, the status management unit 31, the validity confirmation unit 32, and the vehicle orientation detection unit 44 may be configured from independent processors, or may be configured from a processor that shares some of its functions. In this way, the information acquisition unit 16, the vehicle control unit 17, the departure target calculation unit 28, the status management unit 31, the validity confirmation unit 32, and the vehicle orientation detection unit 44 are not limited to being independent functional blocks, but may be configured from a single functional block, or may be configured from a functional block that shares some of its functions.

[0102] In each embodiment, the present disclosure has been described with reference to an example, but it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the example or structure. The present disclosure also encompasses various modifications and modifications within the equivalent range. In addition, various combinations and forms, as well as other combinations and forms including only one element, more than one element, or less than one element, are also within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

[0103] Next, the technical ideas that can be understood from the above-described embodiment and modified examples will be described. (i) An automatic retrieval system that automatically retrieves a parked vehicle to a user when a request for retrieval is made for the vehicle, the automatic retrieval system comprising: a position detection unit that determines the angle of the communication terminal relative to the vehicle based on a change in distance determined by wireless communication between a communication terminal carried by the user and at least one of a plurality of sensor units provided on the vehicle body, the vehicle speed, and the steering direction of the vehicle; a position detection unit that determines the direction of the communication terminal relative to the vehicle based on the received signal strength of radio waves measured by wireless communication between each of the plurality of sensor units and the communication terminal; a position detection unit that detects the relative position between the vehicle and the communication terminal from the angle and the direction; a target retrieval calculation unit that calculates a target retrieval position from the detection result of the position detection unit; and a vehicle control unit that controls the automatic driving of the vehicle so that the vehicle is retrieved to the target retrieval position.

[0104] Incidentally, each of the vehicle and the communication terminal uses GPS to calculate its own position as an absolute position. Then, during the leaving process, the relative position between the vehicle's absolute position and the communication terminal's absolute position is calculated to determine the leaving position. For this reason, it may be impossible to detect the absolute position indoors, and automatic leaving may not be possible. On the other hand, according to the present disclosure, the positional relationship between the vehicle and the communication terminal is detected as a relative position, making it possible to set the target leaving position even indoors. This improves user convenience.

[0105] (b) An automatic retrieval system that automatically retrieves a parked vehicle to a user when a request for retrieval is made for the vehicle, the automatic retrieval system comprising: a position detection unit that detects the relative position between the vehicle and the communication terminal based on photographic information of the vehicle taken by a photographing unit provided in a communication terminal carried by the user; a retrieval target calculation unit that calculates a retrieval target position from the detection result of the position detection unit; and a vehicle control unit that controls the automatic driving of the vehicle so that the vehicle is retrieved to the retrieval target position.

[0106] Incidentally, each of the vehicle and the communication terminal uses GPS to calculate its own position as an absolute position. Then, during the leaving process, the relative position between the vehicle's absolute position and the communication terminal's absolute position is calculated to determine the leaving position. For this reason, it may be impossible to detect the absolute position indoors, and automatic leaving may not be possible. On the other hand, according to the present disclosure, the positional relationship between the vehicle and the communication terminal is detected as a relative position, making it possible to set the target leaving position even indoors. This improves user convenience.

[0107] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to the embodiments, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments or structures. The present disclosure also encompasses various modifications and equivalent modifications. In addition, various combinations and forms, including only one element, more than one element, or less than one element, are also within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An automatic retrieval system (20) that automatically retrieves a parked vehicle (2) to a user when a retrieval request (Sb) for the vehicle is received, a position detection unit (26) that detects the relative position between the vehicle and one or more sensor units (27) provided on the vehicle body (8) by one of a plurality of detection processes using wireless communication between the communication terminal (21) carried by the user and the one or more sensor units (27) provided on the vehicle body (8) according to a communication state; a delivery target calculation unit (28) that sets a delivery target position (Pa) based on the detection result of the position detection unit, and when a position can be detected by the detection process with higher reliability than the delivery target position currently being set during delivery, updates the delivery target position based on the detection result, thereby calculating an optimal delivery target position; a vehicle control unit (17) that controls automatic driving of the vehicle so that the vehicle is released to the target release position; the detection process includes a distance measurement detection process for detecting a relative position of the vehicle and the communication terminal by distance measurement to obtain a distance between the communication terminal and the sensor unit through wireless communication, and a direction detection process for obtaining a direction (Ang) of the communication terminal with respect to the vehicle through wireless communication to detect the relative position of the vehicle and the communication terminal, the direction detection process is a process capable of detecting the direction from the received radio wave without measuring the distance, The distance measurement detection process has a higher reliability of position detection than the direction detection process. Automatic delivery system.

2. The automatic retrieval system of claim 1, wherein the distance measurement detection process includes a first distance measurement process that detects the relative position of the vehicle and the communication terminal from multiple distances (d) obtained by wireless communication between each of the multiple sensor units and the communication terminal, and a second distance measurement process that detects the relative position of the vehicle and the communication terminal using changes in distance obtained by wireless communication between one of the sensor units and the communication terminal.

3. The automatic retrieval system according to claim 1 , wherein the retrieval target calculation unit identifies the reliability of the detection process based on the number of the sensor units that establish communication with the communication terminal.

4. The automatic retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein the retrieval target calculation unit identifies the reliability of the detection process based on the received signal strength of the radio waves communicated between the communication terminal and the sensor unit.

5. The automatic retrieval system of claim 1, wherein the retrieval target calculation unit updates the retrieval target position based on the distance measurement information (Da) obtained from the position detection unit when, during retrieval, distance measurement is achieved using the detection process with the same reliability, or when distance measurement is achieved using the detection process with a higher reliability than the current one.

6. The automatic leaving system of claim 1, wherein the leaving target calculation unit updates the leaving target position based on the vehicle movement amount when, during leaving, distance measurement is successful only in the detection process that is less reliable than the current one, or when distance measurement itself is not successful.

7. 2. The automatic retrieval system according to claim 1, further comprising an information acquisition unit (16) that acquires vehicle surroundings information (Sa) from a detection unit (3) provided on the vehicle to acquire the situation around the vehicle.

8. The automatic retrieval system according to claim 7, further comprising a status management unit (31) that stops the vehicle from retrieving when it is determined based on the vehicle surroundings information that the vehicle is in a state where retrieval cannot be performed.

9. The detection unit includes a 360° camera (4) that captures images of the surroundings of the vehicle, The vehicle surroundings information includes photographed information (Sa1) captured by the omnidirectional camera, The delivery target calculation unit calculates the delivery target position using the photographing information. The automatic retrieval system according to claim 7.

10. The target leaving position is usually set to a position where the driver's door (37) of the vehicle is in front of the user, 8. The automatic retrieval system according to claim 7, wherein, when the retrieval target calculation unit determines based on the vehicle surrounding information that it is not possible to set the retrieval target position such that the driver's door is in front of the user, the retrieval target calculation unit sets the retrieval target position such that another door other than the driver's door is in front of the user.

11. The automatic retrieval system of claim 1 further comprises a validity confirmation unit (32) that, when retrieval starts, transmits automatic retrieval information from the vehicle to the communication terminal, thereby displaying the retrieval position or direction on the display (33) of the communication terminal, thereby allowing a user to confirm the validity of the retrieval target position.

12. the position detection unit includes a first position detection unit (26a) provided in the vehicle and a second position detection unit (26b) provided in the communication terminal; When the first position detection unit is unable to detect the position, the second position detection unit detects a relative position between the communication terminal and the vehicle based on photographing information (Da2) of the vehicle photographed by a photographing unit (43) provided in the communication terminal; The automatic retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein the retrieval target calculation unit calculates the retrieval target position based on a relative position determined from the photographic information.

13. the communication terminal includes a vehicle direction detection unit (44) that monitors the traveling direction of the vehicle when the vehicle is being pulled out toward the target pull-out position set by the photographing information, The automatic leaving system according to claim 12, wherein the vehicle control unit forcibly stops leaving of the vehicle when the detection result of the vehicle direction detection unit differs from the traveling direction of the host vehicle.

14. The automatic retrieval system according to claim 12, wherein when the vehicle is being retrieving the target retrieval position set by the photographing information, if it becomes possible for the first position detection unit to detect the position, the retrieval target calculation unit updates the target retrieval position by also using the detection result of the first position detection unit.

15. 2. The automatic retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle's retrieval includes a forward retrieval in which the vehicle, which has been parked in reverse, moves forward toward the target retrieval position, and a backward exit in which the vehicle, which has been parked in a forward position, temporarily leaves the parking space by moving backward, and then moves forward toward the target retrieval position.

16. 16. The automatic retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle control unit causes the vehicle to leave the parking lot so that the rear of the vehicle is in front of the user when the retrieval direction selected by the user is opposite to the retrieval direction defined by the target retrieval position.

17. An automatic retrieval method used in an automatic retrieval system (20) that automatically retrieves a parked vehicle (2) to a user when a retrieval request (Sb) for the vehicle is received, comprising: Detecting a relative position between a communication terminal (21) carried by a user and one or more sensor units (27) provided on a vehicle body (8) by one of a plurality of detection processes using wireless communication between the communication terminal (21) carried by the user and the one or more sensor units (27) provided on the vehicle body (8) according to a communication state; a target delivery position (Pa) is set based on the detection result of the detection process, and if, during delivery, a position is detected by the detection process with higher reliability than the target delivery position currently being set, the target delivery position is updated based on the detection result, thereby calculating an optimal target delivery position; and controlling the automatic driving of the vehicle so that the vehicle is released to the target release position. the detection process includes a distance measurement detection process for detecting a relative position of the vehicle and the communication terminal by distance measurement to obtain a distance between the communication terminal and the sensor unit through wireless communication, and a direction detection process for obtaining a direction (Ang) of the communication terminal with respect to the vehicle through wireless communication to detect the relative position of the vehicle and the communication terminal, the direction detection process is a process capable of detecting the direction from the received radio wave without measuring the distance, The distance measurement detection process has a higher reliability of position detection than the direction detection process. Automatic delivery method.

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