Control device, control method, and control program

Abstract

To provide a control device, a control method, and a control program that are capable of efficiently controlling the movement of a moving object while ensuring safety.SOLUTION: A control device includes: a communication unit 55 that communicates with an information terminal 60 carried by a user of a vehicle 10; an external environment recognition unit 56 that acquires external environment recognition data for the vehicle 10; and a control unit 57 that controls movement of the vehicle 10 on the basis of instructions from the information terminal 60. The control unit 57 switches between: a first control that controls movement speed of the vehicle 10 in movement control, on the basis of a distance between the vehicle 10 and the information terminal 60; and a second control that controls the movement speed of the vehicle 10 in the movement control on the basis of the external environment recognition data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, efforts have been actively made to provide access to a sustainable transportation system that takes into account people in vulnerable positions among traffic participants. Toward this realization, research and development focusing on further improving traffic safety and convenience through research and development related to autonomous driving technology have been carried out.

[0003] Conventionally, a remote parking system is known that uses a smartphone to remotely control a vehicle to park the vehicle in a designated predetermined parking space or to retrieve the vehicle from the parking space.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a vehicle control device that controls the movement of a vehicle via an instruction from a remote operation terminal outside the vehicle, and determines the availability of remote control of the vehicle based on the difference between the distance between the vehicle and the operator and the distance between the vehicle and the remote operation terminal. For example, when the position of the operator and the position of the remote operation terminal are separated by a predetermined distance or more, or when the operator is not detected, the operation of remote control is prohibited.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Incidentally, in the case of large parking lots such as public parking lots, depending on the parking location, when it comes to retrieving a vehicle from that parking location and calling it to a designated exit location, the retrieval distance can be long. This presents challenges in that, for example, it may take a long time for the vehicle to reach the exit location, or the user calling the vehicle may need to perform remote operations for a long time. However, Patent Document 1 does not describe any solutions to these problems.

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a control device, a control method, and a control program that can efficiently control the movement of a mobile object while ensuring safety. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention A control device for a mobile body, A communication unit that communicates with an information terminal owned by the user of the aforementioned mobile device, An external environment recognition unit that acquires external environment recognition data of the aforementioned moving object, The system comprises a control unit that controls the movement of the mobile body based on instructions from the information terminal, The control unit, The distance between the mobile body and the information terminal If the value is greater than or equal to the first predetermined value, , the movement speed of the moving body in the movement control is To believe First control based on Perform , If the distance is less than the first predetermined value, A second control that controls the movement speed of the moving body in the aforementioned movement control based on the external environment recognition data. Perform In the first control, based on the communication, it is determined whether or not the user can confirm the moving object in a first confirmation state, and if it is determined that the first confirmation state is in effect, the movement speed of the moving object in the movement control is set higher than when it is determined that the first confirmation state is not in effect. It is a control device.

[0009] The present invention The control of the mobile body comprises a communication unit that communicates with an information terminal carried by the user of the mobile body, an external environment recognition unit that acquires external environment recognition data of the mobile body, and a control unit that controls the movement of the mobile body based on instructions from the information terminal. method And, The control unit, The distance between the moving body and the information terminal If the value is greater than or equal to the first predetermined value, , a first control for controlling the moving speed of the moving body in the movement control based on the To believe communication base If the distance is less than the first predetermined value, A second control for controlling the moving speed of the moving body in the movement control based on the external recognition data Perform , In the first control, based on the communication, it is determined whether or not the user can confirm the moving object in a first confirmation state, and if it is determined that the first confirmation state is in effect, the movement speed of the moving object in the movement control is set higher than when it is determined that the first confirmation state is not in effect. This is a control method.

[0010] The present invention A control program for a control device of a moving body, comprising a communication unit that communicates with an information terminal carried by a user of the moving body, an external recognition unit that acquires external recognition data of the moving body, and a control unit that performs movement control of the moving body based on an instruction from the information terminal, In the control unit, The distance between the moving body and the information terminal If the value is greater than or equal to the first predetermined value, , a first control for controlling the moving speed of the moving body in the movement control based on the To believe communication base If the distance is less than the first predetermined value, A second control for controlling the moving speed of the moving body in the movement control based on the external recognition data Perform In the first control, based on the communication, it is determined whether or not the user can confirm the moving object in a first confirmation state, and if it is determined that the first confirmation state is in effect, the movement speed of the moving object in the movement control is set higher than when it is determined that the first confirmation state is not in effect. This is a control program for executing the process.

Advantages of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a control device, a control method, and a control program capable of efficiently controlling the movement of a moving body while ensuring safety.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012] [Figure 1] It is a side view showing an example of a vehicle 10 equipped with the control device of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a top view of the vehicle 10 shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the vehicle 10 shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4]This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of an information terminal 60 owned by a user of vehicle 10. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows an example of the processing performed by the information terminal 60 when vehicle 10 is released from the depot. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of a summoning instruction screen 67 displayed on the display screen 66 of the information terminal 60. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows an example of how vehicle 10 is processed when it leaves the depot. [Figure 8] This flowchart shows an example of the first control of movement speed according to the judgment result. [Figure 9] This flowchart shows an example of a second control of movement speed based on the judgment result. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example of the summoning start state, where a user summons a vehicle. [Figure 11] This figure shows an example of the departure route for our vehicle V1. [Figure 12] This figure shows an example of a state where the summoning of the vehicle V1 has been completed. [Figure 13] This flowchart shows a modified example of the processing performed by the information terminal 60 when vehicle 10 is released from the depot. [Figure 14] This flowchart shows a modified example of the processing of vehicle 10 when it leaves the depot. [Figure 15] This flowchart shows a modified example of the first control of movement speed according to the judgment result. [Figure 16] This flowchart shows a modified example of the second control of movement speed according to the judgment result. [Figure 17] This figure shows an example of a vehicle confirmation notification screen 68 displayed on the display screen 66 of the information terminal 60. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the control device, control method, and control program of the present invention will be described based on the attached drawings. The drawings should be viewed in the direction of the reference numerals. Furthermore, in order to simplify and clarify the explanation in this specification, the front, rear, left, right, and up directions will be described according to the direction as seen from the driver of the vehicle 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2, and in the drawings, the front of the vehicle 10 will be indicated as Fr, the rear as Rr, the left as L, the right as R, the top as U, and the bottom as D.

[0014] <Vehicle 10 equipped with the control device of the present invention> Figure 1 is a side view showing an example of a vehicle 10 equipped with the control device of the present invention. Figure 2 is a top view of the vehicle 10 shown in Figure 1. Vehicle 10 is an example of the "mobile body" of the present invention.

[0015] Vehicle 10 is an automobile having a drive source (not shown) and wheels including drive wheels and steerable wheels that are driven by the power of the drive source. In this embodiment, vehicle 10 is a four-wheeled automobile having a pair of left and right front wheels and rear wheels. The drive source of vehicle 10 is, for example, an electric motor. The drive source of vehicle 10 may be 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. Furthermore, the drive source of vehicle 10 may drive a pair of left and right front wheels, a pair of left and right rear wheels, or all four wheels including a pair of left and right front wheels and rear wheels. Both the front wheels and rear wheels may be steerable wheels, or either one of them may be a steerable wheel.

[0016] Vehicle 10 is further equipped with side mirrors 11L and 11R. Side mirrors 11L and 11R are mirrors (rearview mirrors) provided on the outside of the front passenger doors of vehicle 10 for the driver to check the area behind and to the rear side. Side mirrors 11L and 11R are each fixed to the body of vehicle 10 by a vertically extending pivot axis, and can be opened and closed by rotating around this pivot axis.

[0017] Vehicle 10 is further equipped with a front camera 12Fr, a rear camera 12Rr, a left-side camera 12L, and a right-side camera 12R. The front camera 12Fr is an imaging device (for example, a digital camera) located in front of vehicle 10 that images the area in front of vehicle 10. The rear camera 12Rr is a digital camera located behind vehicle 10 that images the area behind vehicle 10. The left-side camera 12L is a digital camera located on the left side mirror 11L of vehicle 10 that images the area to the left of vehicle 10. The right-side camera 12R is a digital camera located on the right side mirror 11R of vehicle 10 that images the area to the right of vehicle 10.

[0018] <Internal configuration of vehicle 10> Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the vehicle 10 shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 3, the vehicle 10 includes a sensor group 16, a navigation device 18, a control ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 20, an EPS (Electric Power Steering) system 22, and a communication IF (Interface) 24. The vehicle 10 further includes a drive force control system 26 and a braking force control system 28.

[0019] The sensor group 16 acquires various detection values ​​used for control by the control ECU 20. The sensor group 16 includes a front camera 12Fr, a rear camera 12Rr, a left-side camera 12L, and a right-side camera 12R. The sensor group 16 also includes a front sonar group 32a, a rear sonar group 32b, a left-side sonar group 32c, and a right-side sonar group 32d. Furthermore, the sensor group 16 includes wheel sensors 34a and 34b, a vehicle speed sensor 36, and an operation detection unit 38.

[0020] The front camera 12Fr, rear camera 12Rr, left-side camera 12L, and right-side camera 12R acquire external environment recognition data (e.g., surrounding images) for recognizing the outside world of the vehicle 10 by imaging the area around the vehicle 10. The surrounding images of the vehicle 10 captured by the front camera 12Fr, rear camera 12Rr, left-side camera 12L, and right-side camera 12R are referred to as the front image, rear image, left-side image, and right-side image, respectively. The image composed of the left-side image and the right-side image may also be referred to as a side image. The image of the vehicle 10 and its surroundings generated by combining the images captured by the front camera 12Fr, rear camera 12Rr, left-side camera 12L, and right-side camera 12R is referred to as an overhead view image of the vehicle 10.

[0021] The forward sonar group 32a, the rear sonar group 32b, the left-side sonar group 32c, and the right-side sonar group 32d emit sound waves around the vehicle 10 and receive reflected sound from other objects. The forward sonar group 32a includes, for example, four sonars. The sonars constituting the forward sonar group 32a are located on the left front, front left, front right, and right front of the vehicle 10, respectively. The rear sonar group 32b includes, for example, four sonars. The sonars constituting the rear sonar group 32b are located on the left rear, rear left, rear right, and right rear of the vehicle 10, respectively. The left-side sonar group 32c includes, for example, two sonars. The sonars constituting the left-side sonar group 32c are located on the left front and left rear of the vehicle 10, respectively. The right-side sonar group 32d includes, for example, two sonars. The sonars constituting the right-side sonar group 32d are located on the front right side and the rear right side of the vehicle 10, respectively.

[0022] Wheel sensors 34a and 34b detect the rotation angle of the wheels of the vehicle 10. Wheel sensors 34a and 34b may be composed of angle sensors or displacement sensors. Wheel sensors 34a and 34b output a detection pulse each time the wheel rotates by a predetermined angle. The detection pulses output from wheel sensors 34a and 34b are used to calculate the rotation angle and rotation speed of the wheels. Based on the rotation angle of the wheels, the distance traveled by the vehicle 10 is calculated. Wheel sensor 34a detects, for example, the rotation angle θa of the left rear wheel. Wheel sensor 34b detects, for example, the rotation angle θb of the right rear wheel.

[0023] The vehicle speed sensor 36 detects the speed of the vehicle body 10, i.e., the vehicle speed V, and outputs the detected vehicle speed V to the control ECU 20. The vehicle speed sensor 36 detects the vehicle speed V based, for example, on the rotation of the transmission countershaft.

[0024] The operation detection unit 38 detects the user's operation using the operation input unit 14 and outputs the detected operation to the control ECU 20. The operation input unit 14 includes various user interfaces, such as a side mirror switch for switching the open / closed state of the side mirrors 11L and 11R, and a shift lever (selector lever or selector).

[0025] The navigation device 18 detects the current location of the vehicle 10, for example, using GPS (Global Positioning System), and guides the user to the destination. The navigation device 18 has a storage device (not shown) equipped with a map information database. The navigation device 18 also has a touch panel 42 and a speaker 44. The touch panel 42 functions as an input and display device for the control ECU 20. The speaker 44 outputs various guidance information to the user of the vehicle 10 in voice.

[0026] The touch panel 42 is configured to allow input of various commands to the control ECU 20. For example, a user can input commands related to vehicle movement assistance for the vehicle 10 via the touch panel 42. This movement assistance includes parking assistance and vehicle exit assistance for the vehicle 10. The touch panel 42 is also configured to display various screens related to the control content of the control ECU 20. For example, the touch panel 42 displays screens related to vehicle movement assistance for the vehicle 10. Specifically, the touch panel 42 displays a parking assistance button to request parking assistance for the vehicle 10 and a vehicle exit assistance button to request vehicle exit assistance. The parking assistance buttons include a remote parking button to request parking by automatic steering of the control ECU 20 and an auxiliary parking button to request assistance when parking by the user. The vehicle exit assistance buttons include a remote vehicle exit button to request vehicle exit by automatic steering of the control ECU 20 and an auxiliary vehicle exit button to request assistance when vehicle exit by the user. Other components besides the touch panel 42, such as information terminals like smartphones or tablets, may be used as input or display devices.

[0027] Note that "parking" is synonymous with, for example, "parking." For example, "parking" refers to a stop that involves passengers getting in and out of the vehicle, excluding temporary stops at traffic lights, etc. Also, "parking location" refers to the location where a moving object (vehicle 10) is stopped, that is, the location where it is parked.

[0028] The control ECU 20 includes an input / output unit 50, a calculation unit 52, and a storage unit 54. The calculation unit 52 is configured, for example, by a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The calculation unit 52 performs various controls by controlling each unit based on a program stored in the storage unit 54. The calculation unit 52 also inputs and outputs signals to and from each unit connected to the control ECU 20 via the input / output unit 50. The control ECU 20 is an example of the "control device" of the present invention. The storage unit 54 also stores information related to the remote movement (remote entry and exit) of the vehicle 10.

[0029] The calculation unit 52 includes a communication unit 55 that communicates with the outside of the vehicle 10, an external environment recognition unit 56 that recognizes an external environment recognition image of the vehicle 10, a control unit 57 that controls the remote movement of the vehicle 10, and a notification unit 58 that notifies the vehicle 10 of its movement information.

[0030] The communication unit 55 performs wireless communication with other communication devices 120 via the communication IF 24. Other communication devices 120 include base stations, communication devices in other vehicles, and information terminals 60 such as smartphones or tablets that can be carried by the user of vehicle 10. The communication unit 55 transmits and receives information regarding the remote movement of vehicle 10 with the information terminals 60, etc., via the communication IF 24.

[0031] The external environment recognition unit 56 acquires external environment recognition data from each camera, which represents the recognition result of the external environment of the vehicle 10 captured by the front camera 12Fr, rear camera 12Rr, left side camera 12L, and right side camera 12R.

[0032] The control unit 57 provides remote parking and remote exit assistance for the vehicle 10 through automatic steering, which automatically operates the steering wheel 110 under the control of the control unit 57. During remote parking and remote exit assistance, the accelerator pedal (not shown), brake pedal (not shown), and operation input unit 14 are operated automatically. The control unit 57 also provides auxiliary parking and auxiliary exit assistance when the user (driver) operates the accelerator pedal, brake pedal, and operation input unit 14 to manually park and exit the vehicle 10. During remote parking and remote exit assistance, the user may be inside the vehicle 10 or may be outside the vehicle (unoccupied).

[0033] For example, the control unit 57 performs movement control to move the vehicle 10 based on external environment recognition data of the vehicle 10 acquired by the front camera 12Fr, rear camera 12Rr, left side camera 12L, and right side camera 12R, and a predetermined parking space specified by the user. Movement control includes parking control to remotely park the vehicle 10 in a predetermined parking space (parking position) and exit control to remotely exit the vehicle 10 from the parking space to a predetermined target position (exit position). The control unit 57 performs parking control and exit control based on instruction signals input via the input / output unit 50. The input instruction signals include instruction signals transmitted wirelessly from an information terminal 60 or the like held by the user of the vehicle 10. The control unit 57 also outputs information related to parking control and exit control to the information terminal 60 or the like via the input / output unit 50.

[0034] Specifically, the control unit 57 controls the vehicle 10's movement speed in the movement control system using different control methods based on the distance between the vehicle 10 and the information terminal 60. For example, if the distance between the vehicle 10 and the information terminal 60 is greater than or equal to a first predetermined value, the control unit 57 performs a first control to control the vehicle 10's movement speed based on the communication status with the information terminal 60. If the distance between the vehicle 10 and the information terminal 60 is less than the first predetermined value, the control unit 57 performs a second control to control the vehicle 10's movement speed based on external recognition data acquired by a camera or the like. The first predetermined value is, for example, the distance at which the camera's captured image can no longer recognize the face of the user holding the information terminal 60. Based on the distance between the vehicle 10 and the information terminal 60, the control unit 57 switches between the first control and the second control to control the vehicle 10's movement speed in the movement control system. The "distance" between the vehicle 10 and the information terminal 60 is measured by wireless communication (for example, UWB (Ultra Wide Band) communication) between the vehicle 10 and the information terminal 60.

[0035] For example, in the first control, the control unit 57 determines, based on the communication status with the information terminal 60, whether or not the vehicle 10 is in a first confirmation state where the user can confirm it, and controls the movement speed of the vehicle 10 in the movement control based on the determination result.

[0036] In the first control, the control unit 57 determines that the vehicle 10 is in a first confirmation state when the section between the vehicle 10 and the information terminal 60 is a straight section. A straight section refers to, for example, a surrounding environment in which the location of the vehicle 10 can be seen from the user carrying the information terminal 60. A surrounding environment in which the line of sight can be seen includes, for example, a state in which there are no obstacles to communication between the vehicle 10 and the information terminal 60. In addition, in the first control, the control unit 57 determines that the vehicle 10 is in a first confirmation state when the information terminal 60 is pointed toward the vehicle 10. Pointing toward means a state in which, based on the communication status with the information terminal 60, for example, the back of the information terminal 60 is pointed toward the vehicle 10 when viewed in a plane, and it can be estimated that the user is looking toward the vehicle 10.

[0037] In the first control, if the control unit 57 determines that the first confirmation state is in effect, it increases the movement speed of the vehicle 10 in the movement control compared to when it determines that the first confirmation state is not in effect. Also, if the control unit 57 determines that the first confirmation state is not in effect, it sends a notification to the user via the notification unit 58 prompting them to confirm the vehicle 10. Prompting confirmation means, for example, prompting the user to move to a position where they can see the vehicle 10, or prompting the user to look towards the vehicle 10.

[0038] For example, in the second control, the control unit 57 determines whether the user is in a second confirmation state, where they are checking the vehicle 10, based on external recognition data acquired by a camera or the like, and controls the movement speed of the vehicle 10 in the movement control based on the determination result.

[0039] In the second control, the control unit 57 determines that the vehicle 10 is in a second confirmation state if it can detect a user based on external recognition data. Detection of a user refers, for example, to the detection of the user's face. A user's face is a face that indicates the user is confirming the vehicle 10. Whether or not the user is confirming the vehicle can also be determined, for example, by whether the user's gaze or face is directed towards the vehicle 10.

[0040] The control unit 57 controls the movement of the vehicle 10 while user image authentication has been performed on the information terminal 60. The control unit 57 receives user characteristic information acquired during image authentication on the information terminal 60 and, in the second control, detects the user based on the external environment recognition data and the user characteristic information. User characteristic information includes, for example, the user's facial features, clothing, and hairstyle.

[0041] The control unit 57 detects a user and narrows down the area where external recognition data is acquired by the camera, etc., to the location where a user matching the stored feature information exists. For example, in object detection (person detection) based on external recognition data (camera image), if the control unit 57 detects a person with a high degree of match to the feature information, it then narrows the monitoring to the surrounding area to monitor the user's state. Alternatively, the control unit 57 simply detects a person with a high degree of match to the user's feature information in object detection (person detection) based on external recognition data (camera image).

[0042] In the second control, if the control unit 57 determines that the second confirmation state is in effect, it increases the vehicle 10's movement speed in the movement control compared to when it determines that the second confirmation state is not in effect. Also, if the control unit 57 determines that the second confirmation state is not in effect, it sends a notification to the user via the notification unit 58 prompting them to confirm the vehicle 10. Prompting confirmation means, for example, prompting the user to find (confirm) the vehicle 10 and turn their face towards it.

[0043] In the first control, the control unit 57 determines, based on the state of communication with the information terminal 60, whether or not the vehicle 10 is in a first confirmation state where the user can confirm it. If it determines that the vehicle 10 is in a first confirmation state, it sets the vehicle 10's movement speed in the movement control to a first speed that is higher than when it is determined that the vehicle is not in a first confirmation state. In the second control, if the control unit 57 determines, based on external recognition data acquired by a camera or the like, that the vehicle is in a second confirmation state, it sets the vehicle 10's movement speed in the movement control to a second speed that is higher than when it is determined that the vehicle is not in a second confirmation state, and also higher than the first speed in the first control.

[0044] Furthermore, in controlling the movement of the vehicle 10, the control unit 57 increases the movement speed of the vehicle 10 in the movement control when the distance between the vehicle 10 and obstacles surrounding the vehicle 10 is greater than or equal to a second predetermined value, compared to when the distance between the vehicle 10 and obstacles is less than the second predetermined value.

[0045] The notification unit 58, for example, if it is determined that the user is not in a first confirmation state in which the user can confirm the vehicle 10, will send a notification prompting the user to confirm the vehicle 10. The notification unit 58 will also send a notification prompting the user to confirm the vehicle 10 if it is determined that the user is not in a second confirmation state in which the user has confirmed the vehicle 10. The notification may be sent, for example, via the navigation device 18 of the vehicle 10, or via the user's information terminal 60.

[0046] The EPS system 22 includes a steering angle sensor 100, a torque sensor 102, an EPS motor 104, a resolver 106, and an EPS ECU 108. The steering angle sensor 100 detects the steering angle θst of the steering 110. The torque sensor 102 detects the torque TQ applied to the steering 110.

[0047] The EPS motor 104 provides driving force or reaction force to the steering column 112 connected to the steering 110, thereby enabling assistance for the occupant's operation of the steering 110 and automatic steering during parking assistance. The resolver 106 detects the rotation angle θm of the EPS motor 104. The EPS ECU 108 controls the entire EPS system 22. The EPS ECU 108 is equipped with an input / output unit (not shown), a calculation unit (not shown), and a storage unit (not shown).

[0048] The communication IF24 enables wireless communication with other communication devices 120. For example, the communication IF24 is equipped with a UWB interface that allows UWB communication with the information terminal 60.

[0049] The drive force control system 26 includes a drive ECU 130. The drive force control system 26 controls the drive force of the vehicle 10. The drive ECU 130 controls the drive force of the vehicle 10 by controlling an engine (not shown) and other components (not shown) based on user operation of an accelerator pedal (not shown).

[0050] The braking force control system 28 includes a braking ECU 132. The braking force control system 28 controls the braking force of the vehicle 10. The braking ECU 132 controls the braking force of the vehicle 10 by controlling a braking mechanism (not shown) and the like based on user operation of a brake pedal (not shown).

[0051] <Hardware configuration of user's information terminal 60> Figure 4 shows an example of the hardware configuration of an information terminal 60 owned by a user of vehicle 10. The information terminal 60 comprises a processor 61, memory 62, a communication interface 63, and a user interface 64. The processor 61, memory 62, communication interface 63, and user interface 64 are connected, for example, by a bus 65.

[0052] The processor 61 is a circuit that performs signal processing, and is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that controls the entire information terminal 60. The processor 61 may also be implemented using other digital circuits such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). Furthermore, the processor 61 may be implemented by combining multiple digital circuits.

[0053] Memory 62 includes, for example, main memory and auxiliary memory. Main memory is, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory). Main memory is used as the work area of ​​processor 61.

[0054] Auxiliary memory is non-volatile memory such as magnetic disks, optical disks, or flash memory. Various programs for operating the information terminal 60 are stored in the auxiliary memory. The programs stored in the auxiliary memory are loaded into main memory and executed by the processor 61.

[0055] Furthermore, the auxiliary memory may include portable memory that can be removed from the information terminal 60. Portable memory may include USB (Universal Serial Bus) flash drives, SD (Secure Digital) memory cards, and external hard disk drives.

[0056] The communication interface 63 is a communication interface that performs wireless communication with the outside of the information terminal 60 (for example, the communication IF24 of the vehicle 10). For example, the communication interface 63 includes a UWB interface for performing UWB communication with the vehicle 10. The communication interface 63 is controlled by the processor 61.

[0057] The user interface 64 includes, for example, an input device that accepts user input and an output device that outputs information to the user. The input device can be implemented by, for example, a touch panel. The output device can be implemented by, for example, a display or a speaker. The user interface 64 is controlled by the processor 61.

[0058] The processor 61 performs movement instruction control to instruct the movement of the vehicle 10. For example, the processor 61 performs movement instruction control of the vehicle 10 (including parking instruction control and exit instruction control) based on specific operations performed by the user on the display screen of the information terminal 60. Specific operations include, for example, tap operations to instruct the parking and exit (calling) of the vehicle 10, and slide operations to move the vehicle 10. Slide operations include continuous position instruction operations (e.g., swipe operations) and rotation instruction operations in a predetermined rotation direction (e.g., rotation swipe operations). The processor 61 also generates guidance images to prompt the user to perform instruction operations on the display screen of the information terminal 60, and controls the display to show the generated guidance images.

[0059] The processor 61 transmits parking instructions for remote parking and exit instructions for remote exit to the vehicle 10 based on specific operations on the display screen of the information terminal 60. The information terminal 60 has an application installed that enables the vehicle 10 to move automatically (remote parking, remote exit) by sending and receiving information related to the movement control of the vehicle 10 to and from the vehicle 10.

[0060] <Processing by information terminal 60> Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing performed by the information terminal 60 when vehicle 10 is released from the depot.

[0061] The information terminal 60 (processor 61) determines whether or not a user has called for vehicle 10 to be brought to the departure location (step S11). Calling vehicle 10 is performed when the application for remotely departing vehicle 10, which is installed on the information terminal 60, is launched and the execute button is tapped.

[0062] In step S11, if the summoning is not performed (step S11: No), the information terminal 60 repeats the determination process of step S11. In step S11, if the summoning is performed (step S11: Yes), the information terminal 60 performs user authentication using the facial recognition system (step S12). User authentication is performed by obtaining the user's characteristic information from the user's facial image captured by the camera of the information terminal 60, and determining whether or not the user is registered as a user of the vehicle 10 based on the obtained characteristic information.

[0063] Next, the information terminal 60 starts transmitting a movement instruction to the vehicle 10 in response to user operations on the display screen of the information terminal 60 (step S13). User operations include tap operations, swipe operations, and rotational swipe operations as described above. For example, the information terminal 60 continues to transmit a movement instruction signal as long as the user continues a rotational swipe operation, and stops transmitting the movement instruction when the operation is stopped (it may also transmit a stop instruction). User operations on the display screen will be described later in Figure 6.

[0064] Next, the information terminal 60 determines whether or not the vehicle 10 has arrived at the calling position, which is the departure position from which the vehicle 10 was called (step S14).

[0065] In step S14, if the device has not arrived at the calling position (step S14: No), the information terminal 60 repeats the determination process in step S14. In step S14, if the device has arrived at the calling position (step S14: Yes), the information terminal 60 terminates this process.

[0066] <Display screen of information terminal 60> Figure 6 shows an example of a summoning instruction screen 67 displayed on the display screen 66 of the information terminal 60. The summoning instruction screen 67 is an example of the screen displayed in step S13 of Figure 5. The user can summon the vehicle 10 to the departure position by performing a specific operation on this summoning instruction screen 67.

[0067] As shown in Figure 6, the summoning instruction screen 67 displays a message 67a, such as "Summoning a vehicle." The summoning instruction screen 67 also displays a guidance message 67b that explains the operation, such as "The vehicle will move by rotating and swiping. It will stop when you release your finger." The summoning instruction screen 67 also displays a movement icon 67c that moves in accordance with the user's touch position during a rotating and swiping operation.

[0068] <Processing of Vehicle 10> Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing of vehicle 10 when it leaves the depot.

[0069] The vehicle 10 (control ECU 20) determines whether or not it has received a movement instruction from the information terminal 60 instructing the vehicle 10 to leave the depot (step S21).

[0070] In step S21, if no movement instruction is received from the information terminal 60 (step S21: No), the vehicle 10 repeats the determination process in step S21. In step S21, if a movement instruction is received from the information terminal 60 (step S21: Yes), the vehicle 10 starts movement control at movement speed V11 according to the user operation (step S22). User operations include specific operations such as tap operations, swipe operations, and rotational swipe operations, as explained in step S13 of Figure 5. The vehicle 10 stops movement control if it can no longer receive movement instructions from the information terminal 60 or if it receives a stop instruction from the information terminal 60.

[0071] Next, vehicle 10 obtains the distance between vehicle 10 and information terminal 60 (step S23). The distance between vehicle 10 and information terminal 60 is measured by UWB communication between vehicle 10 and information terminal 60.

[0072] Vehicle 10 determines whether the distance between vehicle 10 and the information terminal 60, acquired in step S23, is greater than or equal to a predetermined value (step S24).

[0073] In step S24, if the distance between the vehicle 10 and the information terminal 60 is greater than or equal to a predetermined value (step S24: Yes), the vehicle 10 determines its relative position based on the state of communication with the information terminal 60 (step S25). Determining the relative position based on the state of communication means determining whether the vehicle 10 can be seen by the user holding the information terminal 60 (first confirmation state) based on the communication status with the information terminal 60. The first confirmation state is, for example, when the section between the vehicle 10 and the information terminal 60 is a straight line, or when the information terminal 60 is pointed towards the vehicle 10 (when it can be presumed that the user is looking towards the vehicle 10). This relative position determination can be performed, for example, using the function of UWB communication. Alternatively, this relative position determination may be performed using a 3D sensor such as LiDAR in addition to or instead of UWB communication.

[0074] Next, the vehicle 10 performs a first control to move at a speed corresponding to the determination result in step S25 (step S26). That is, if the relative position of the vehicle 10 with respect to the information terminal 60 is in the first confirmation state, the vehicle 10's movement speed in the movement control is increased compared to when it is not in the first confirmation state.

[0075] Next, vehicle 10 returns to step S23 and repeats each process.

[0076] On the other hand, in step S24, if the distance between the vehicle 10 and the information terminal 60 is not greater than or equal to a predetermined value (step S24: No), the vehicle 10 determines its relative position using the onboard camera (step S27). Determining the relative position using the onboard camera means determining whether or not the user is in a state where they are viewing the vehicle 10 (second confirmation state) based on the external environment recognition data acquired by the camera. The second confirmation state occurs, for example, when the user's face can be detected based on the external environment recognition data. In addition, to identify the user of the information terminal 60, information that has been stored in advance as the user's characteristic points may be used.

[0077] Next, the vehicle 10 performs a second control (step S28) to move at a speed corresponding to the determination result in step S27. That is, if the relative position of the vehicle 10 with respect to the information terminal 60 is in the second confirmation state, the vehicle 10's movement speed in the movement control is increased compared to when it is not in the second confirmation state.

[0078] Next, vehicle 10 determines whether or not it has arrived at the retrieval location, which is the departure location called from the information terminal 60 (step S29). If, in step S29, vehicle 10 has not arrived at the retrieval location (step S29: No), vehicle 10 returns to step S27 and repeats each process. If, in step S29, vehicle 10 has arrived at the retrieval location (step S29: Yes), vehicle 10 terminates this process.

[0079] <First control of movement speed> Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the first control of the movement speed according to the judgment result. This first control is the control in step S26 of Figure 7.

[0080] First, vehicle 10 determines whether the section between vehicle 10 and information terminal 60 is a straight section (step S31). In step S31, if the section between vehicle 10 and information terminal 60 is a straight section (step S31: Yes), vehicle 10 sets the correction value A1 for adjusting the vehicle's speed to A1=1 [km / h] (step S32). In step S31, if the section between vehicle 10 and information terminal 60 is not a straight section (step S31: No), vehicle 10 sets the correction value A1 for adjusting the vehicle's speed to A1=0 [km / h] (step S33).

[0081] After setting the correction value A1 in step S32 or step S33, the vehicle 10 determines whether the information terminal 60 is facing the vehicle 10 (i.e., it can be presumed that the user is looking towards the vehicle 10) (step S34). In step S34, if the information terminal 60 is facing the vehicle 10 (step S34: Yes), the vehicle 10 sets the correction value A2 for adjusting the vehicle's speed to A2=1 [km / h] (step S35). In step S34, if the information terminal 60 is not facing the vehicle 10 (step S34: No), the vehicle 10 sets the correction value A2 for adjusting the vehicle's speed to A2=0 [km / h] (step S36).

[0082] After setting the correction value A2 in step S35 or step S36, the vehicle 10 sets its moving speed V01 to V01 = V11 + A1 + A2 (step S37). V11 is the moving speed of the vehicle 10 that was started in step S22 in Figure 7.

[0083] <Second control of movement speed> Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a second control of the movement speed according to the judgment result. This second control is the control in step S28 of Figure 7.

[0084] First, vehicle 10 determines whether or not it has detected a user (step S41). Successfully detecting a user means that, based on external recognition data, it has been detected that the user's face is looking towards vehicle 10. If, in step S41, a user is detected (step S41: Yes), vehicle 10 sets the correction value A3 for adjusting the vehicle's speed to A3=1 [km / h] (step S42). If, in step S41, a user cannot be detected (step S41: No), vehicle 10 sets the correction value A3 for adjusting the vehicle's speed to A3=0 [km / h] (step S43).

[0085] After setting the correction value A3 in step S42 or step S43, the vehicle 10 sets its movement speed V02 to V02 = V12 + A3 (step S44). V12 may be the same as or different from V11. However, V01 <V02、すなわちV11+A1+A2<V12+A3とする。

[0086] <Attracting vehicles in a parking lot> Next, referring to Figures 10 to 12, we will explain how to call a vehicle in the parking lot 70.

[0087] Figure 10 shows an example of the summoning start state in which a user summons a vehicle. User U1 is attempting to summon his own vehicle V1, which is parked in parking lot 70, to his / her location using an information terminal 60 that he / she possesses. In addition to User U1's own vehicle V1, several other vehicles V2 are parked in parking lot 70. When an application for remotely retrieving his / her vehicle V1 is launched on the information terminal 60, facial recognition of User U1 is performed by the camera on the information terminal 60, and then the remote retrieval of his / her vehicle V1 is initiated in response to User U1's operation. His / her vehicle V1 is an example of the "mobile body" of the present invention.

[0088] Figure 11 shows an example of an exit route for the vehicle V1. When the vehicle V1 receives a movement instruction to exit from the information terminal 60, it generates an exit route 73 from its parking position 71 to the requested exit position 72 based on external recognition data acquired by cameras, etc., and controls the movement of the vehicle V1 based on the generated exit route 73.

[0089] If the distance between the vehicle V1 and the information terminal 60 is so great that, for example, the user U1's face cannot be recognized by the camera image (greater than or equal to a first predetermined value), the vehicle V1 performs a first control that controls its movement speed based on the state of communication with the information terminal 60. In the first control, if the vehicle V1 is in a first confirmation state in which the user U1 can confirm the vehicle V1, for example, if the section between the vehicle V1 and the information terminal 60 is a straight section, the vehicle V1 sets its movement speed to a first speed that is faster than when it is not in the first confirmation state.

[0090] Furthermore, if the distance between the vehicle V1 and the information terminal 60 is such that the user U1's face can be recognized by the camera image (less than the first predetermined value), the vehicle V1 performs a second control that controls its movement speed based on external recognition data acquired by the camera, etc. In the second control, if the vehicle V1 is in a second confirmation state where the user U1 is acknowledging the vehicle V1, for example, if it can be determined from the external recognition data that the user U1's face is facing the vehicle V1, the vehicle V1 sets its movement speed to a second speed that is faster than when it is not in the second confirmation state and faster than the first speed in the first control described above.

[0091] Figure 12 shows an example of the state after the summoning of the vehicle V1 has been completed. Based on the distance between the vehicle V1 and the information terminal 60, the vehicle V1 switches between first and second control, which control the movement speed of the vehicle V1 in the movement control, and moves to the exit position 72 (see Figure 11) summoned by user U1.

[0092] As described above, the control device (control ECU 20) of this embodiment performs a first control to control the movement speed of the vehicle V1 in exit control (movement control) based on the communication status when the distance between the vehicle V1 (vehicle 10) parked in the parking lot 70 and the information terminal 60 held by its user U1 is greater than or equal to a first predetermined value, and a second control to control the movement speed of the vehicle 10 in exit control based on external recognition data when the distance between the vehicle V1 and the information terminal 60 is less than the first predetermined value.Therefore, it is possible to change the movement speed of the vehicle V1 by appropriate control according to the distance between the vehicle V1 and the information terminal 60 along the movement path, and the movement of the vehicle 10 can be controlled efficiently while ensuring safety.As a result, for example, even when the vehicle V1 is parked in a large parking lot 70 with a long movement path, the movement time to move the vehicle V1 to the exit position can be shortened, and the time required for the user U1 to operate the information terminal 60 to exit the parking lot can be shortened.

[0093] Furthermore, the control device of this embodiment determines, based on the state of communication with the information terminal 60, whether the vehicle V1 is in a first confirmation state where user U1 can confirm the vehicle V1, when the distance between the vehicle V1 and the information terminal 60 is greater than or equal to a first predetermined value, and increases the vehicle V1's movement speed when it is in the first confirmation state compared to when it is not. Also, when the distance between the vehicle V1 and the information terminal 60 is less than the first predetermined value, the control device determines, based on external recognition data acquired by the vehicle V1's camera, whether it is in a second confirmation state where user U1 is confirming the vehicle V1, and increases the vehicle V1's movement speed when it is in the second confirmation state compared to when it is not. As a result, the vehicle V1's movement speed can be appropriately controlled whether the distance between the vehicle V1 and the information terminal 60 is greater than or equal to the first predetermined value, or less than the first predetermined value, and the vehicle V1 can be efficiently controlled to move safely, for example, to the exit position.

[0094] Furthermore, the control device of this embodiment determines that a first confirmation state exists in which user U1 can confirm vehicle V1 when the distance between vehicle V1 and information terminal 60 is greater than or equal to a first predetermined value, and the section between vehicle V1 and information terminal 60 is a straight section, and vehicle V1 can be seen from the information terminal 60, or the information terminal 60 is pointed toward vehicle V1 (a state in which it can be inferred that user U1 is looking toward vehicle V1). As a result, the movement speed of vehicle V1 can be appropriately controlled, and vehicle V1 can be moved efficiently while ensuring safety, for example, to the exit position.

[0095] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the distance between the vehicle V1 and the information terminal 60 is less than a first predetermined value, the control device determines, based on external recognition data, that the user U1 is in a second confirmation state where the user U1 is confirming the vehicle V1, if it can detect that the user U1 is confirming and looking at the vehicle V1. As a result, the movement speed of the vehicle V1 can be appropriately controlled, and the vehicle V1 can be moved efficiently while ensuring safety, for example, to the exit position.

[0096] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control device sets the second speed of the vehicle 10 in the second control when the distance between the vehicle V1 and the information terminal 60 is less than a first predetermined value, to be higher than the first speed of the vehicle 10 in the first control when the distance is greater than or equal to the first predetermined value. This makes it possible to appropriately set the moving speed of the vehicle V1 according to the distance between the vehicle V1 and the information terminal 60, and to efficiently control the movement of the moving object while ensuring safety.

[0097] <Variations of processing at information terminal 60> Figure 13 is a flowchart showing a modified example of the processing of the information terminal 60 when vehicle 10 is being released from the depot. First, the information terminal 60 (processor 61) determines whether or not a call has been made by a user to bring vehicle 10 to the depot, similar to the processing in step S11 in Figure 5 (step S11).

[0098] In step S11, if the summoning is performed (step S11: Yes), the information terminal 60 performs user authentication using the facial recognition system and transmits the user's characteristic information obtained through that user authentication to the vehicle 10 (step S121).

[0099] The processes from step S13 to step S14 are the same as the processes from step S13 to step S14 in Figure 5.

[0100] <Example of processing of vehicle 10> Figure 14 is a flowchart showing a modified example of the processing of vehicle 10 when it leaves the depot. In the modified example, first, vehicle 10 (control ECU 20) receives user characteristic information transmitted from information terminal 60 (step S211).

[0101] The processes from step S21 to step S26 are the same as the processes from step S21 to step S26 in Figure 7.

[0102] In step S24, if the distance between vehicle 10 and information terminal 60 is not greater than a predetermined value (step S24: No), vehicle 10 determines the relative position using the in-vehicle camera based on the user characteristic information received in step S211 (step S271). As explained in step S27 of Figure 7, determining the relative position using the in-vehicle camera means determining whether the user is in a state where they are looking at vehicle 10 (second confirmation state) based on the external environment recognition data acquired by the camera. The second confirmation state is, for example, when it can be detected that the user's face is looking towards vehicle 10 based on the external environment recognition data. Therefore, based on the user characteristic information means accurately determining whether the user possessing the information terminal 60 is the communication partner user by adding the user characteristic information to the external environment recognition data.

[0103] The processes from step S28 to step S29 are the same as the processes from step S28 to step S29 in Figure 7.

[0104] In this modified version of the vehicle 10's processing, in the second control that controls the vehicle 10's movement speed based on external recognition data, it is determined whether or not the user is in a second confirmation state where they are viewing the vehicle 10, based on the external recognition data and the user's characteristic information obtained through image authentication on the information terminal 60. This makes it possible to more accurately determine whether the target user is viewing the vehicle 10, and to efficiently control the movement of the moving object while ensuring safety.

[0105] <Modified example of the first control of movement speed> Figure 15 is a flowchart showing a modified example of the first control of movement speed according to the judgment result. The processes from step S31 to step S33 are the same as the processes from step S31 to step S33 in Figure 8.

[0106] After setting the correction value A1 to A1=0 [km / h] in step S33, vehicle 10 sends a notification to the information terminal 60 (user) prompting the user to confirm the vehicle 10 that is calling (step S331). The notification prompting confirmation is, for example, a notification prompting the user to move to a position where vehicle 10 can be seen. After sending the notification prompting confirmation of vehicle 10, vehicle 10 proceeds to step S34.

[0107] The processes from step S34 to step S36 are the same as the processes from step S34 to step S36 in Figure 8.

[0108] After setting the correction value A2 to A2=0[km / h] in step S36, vehicle 10 sends a notification to the information terminal 60 (user) prompting them to confirm the vehicle 10 that is calling (step S361). The notification prompting confirmation is, for example, a notification prompting the user to look towards vehicle 10. After sending the notification prompting confirmation of vehicle 10, vehicle 10 proceeds to step S37. The process in step S37 is the same as the process in step S37 in Figure 8.

[0109] <Modified example of the second control of movement speed> Figure 16 is a flowchart showing a modified example of the second control of movement speed according to the judgment result. The processes from step S41 to step S43 are the same as the processes from step S41 to step S43 in Figure 9.

[0110] After setting the correction value A3 to A3=0 [km / h] in step S43, vehicle 10 sends a notification to the information terminal 60 (user) prompting them to confirm the vehicle 10 that is calling (step S431). The notification prompting confirmation is, for example, a notification prompting the user to find vehicle 10 and turn their eyes toward vehicle 10. After sending the notification prompting confirmation of vehicle 10, vehicle 10 proceeds to step S44. The process in step S44 is the same as the process in step S44 in Figure 9.

[0111] <Display screen of information terminal 60> Figure 17 shows an example of a vehicle confirmation notification screen 68 displayed on the display screen 66 of the information terminal 60. The vehicle confirmation notification screen 68 is an example of a screen displayed in steps S331 and S361 of Figure 15, and in step S431 of Figure 16.

[0112] As shown in Figure 17, the vehicle confirmation notification screen 68 displays a message 68a such as, "To increase the speed of movement, please check the vehicle. If you cannot see the vehicle, please move to a location where you can see it." The vehicle confirmation notification screen 68 also displays a guidance message 67b that is displayed while the vehicle 10 is being summoned, such as, "The vehicle will move by rotating and swiping. It will stop when you release your finger," and a movement icon 67c that moves in accordance with the user's touch position during the rotating and swiping operation.

[0113] According to modified versions of the first and second control of movement speed, the control device, in the first control which controls the movement speed of the vehicle 10 based on the communication status, determines that the user cannot see the vehicle 10, and in the second control which controls the movement speed of the vehicle 10 based on external recognition data, determines that the user has not seen the vehicle 10, it sends a notification to the user prompting them to see the vehicle 10. This allows the user to be guided so that the state of the user and the moving object is either the first or second confirmation state, thereby enabling efficient movement control of the moving object while ensuring safety.

[0114] The control method described in the above-mentioned embodiment can be implemented by executing a pre-prepared control program on a computer. This control program is recorded on a computer-readable storage medium and executed when read from the storage medium. This control program may also be provided in the form of a non-transient storage medium such as flash memory, or it may be provided via a network such as the Internet. The computer that executes this control program may be included in the control device, included in an electronic device such as a smartphone, tablet terminal, or personal computer that can communicate with the control device, or included in a server device that can communicate with these control devices and electronic devices.

[0115] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and modifications, improvements, etc., can be made as appropriate.

[0116] In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the moving body is a vehicle (a four-wheeled automobile), but it is not limited to this. For example, it may be a motorcycle, a Segway, or other type of vehicle. Furthermore, the concept of the present invention is not limited to vehicles, but can also be applied to robots, ships, aircraft, etc., that are equipped with a drive source and are able to move using the power of the drive source.

[0117] Furthermore, this specification includes at least the following information. Note that the components etc. in parentheses indicate those corresponding to the embodiments described above, but are not limited thereto.

[0118] (1) A control device (control ECU 20) for a mobile body (vehicle 10), The mobile unit includes a communication unit (communication unit 55) that communicates with an information terminal owned by the user of the mobile unit, An external environment recognition unit (external environment recognition unit 56) acquires external environment recognition data of the moving body, The system includes a control unit (control unit 57) that controls the movement of the mobile body based on instructions from the information terminal, The control unit, Based on the distance between the mobile body and the information terminal, the system switches between a first control that controls the mobile body's movement speed in the movement control based on the communication state and a second control that controls the mobile body's movement speed in the movement control based on external environment recognition data. Control device.

[0119] According to (1), the speed of the mobile object can be switched between control based on the communication status and control based on external environment recognition data, depending on the distance between the mobile object and the information terminal along the travel path. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately control the speed of the mobile object in sections corresponding to the distance, and the movement of the mobile object can be controlled efficiently while ensuring safety.

[0120] (2) The control device described in (1), The control unit, If the distance is greater than or equal to a first predetermined value, the first control is performed. If the distance is less than the first predetermined value, the second control is performed. Control device.

[0121] According to (2), if the distance between the mobile object and the information terminal is greater than or equal to a first predetermined value, the mobile object's speed is controlled by a first control based on the communication status, and if it is less than the first predetermined value, the mobile object's speed is controlled by a second control based on external environment recognition data. Therefore, the mobile object's speed can be appropriately controlled according to the distance between the mobile object and the information terminal, and the mobile object can be controlled efficiently while ensuring safety.

[0122] (3) A control device as described in (1) or (2), In the first control, the control unit determines, based on the communication status, whether or not the user can confirm the moving object in a first confirmation state, and controls the movement speed of the moving object in the movement control based on the determination result of whether or not the first confirmation state is in effect. Control device.

[0123] According to (3), if the distance between the mobile object and the information terminal is greater than or equal to a first predetermined value, it is possible to determine whether or not the user can confirm the mobile object based on the communication status and to control the speed of the mobile object. Therefore, since the speed of the mobile object can be appropriately controlled when the distance between the mobile object and the information terminal is greater than or equal to a first predetermined value, the movement of the mobile object can be controlled efficiently while ensuring safety.

[0124] (4) The control device described in (3), In the first control, if the control unit determines that the first confirmation state is present, it increases the movement speed of the moving body in the movement control compared to when it determines that the first confirmation state is not present. Control device.

[0125] As in (4), when the distance between the moving object and the information terminal is greater than or equal to the first predetermined value, the moving speed of the moving object is increased when the user can see the moving object, so that the movement of the moving object can be controlled efficiently while ensuring safety.

[0126] (5) A control device as described in (3) or (4), The control unit determines that the first confirmation state is in place when the section between the mobile body and the information terminal is a straight section. Control device.

[0127] As in (5), it is preferable that the section between the mobile object and the information terminal is a straight line, so that the user can see the mobile object.

[0128] (6) A control device according to any one of (3) to (5), The control unit determines that the first confirmation state is in place when the information terminal is pointed toward the mobile object. Control device.

[0129] As in (6), it is preferable that the information terminal is pointed towards the mobile object for the user to be able to see the mobile object.

[0130] (7) A control device according to any one of (3) to (6), If the control unit determines that the first confirmation state is not met, it will notify the user to confirm the moving object. Control device.

[0131] As shown in (7), by notifying the user to confirm the moving object, the status of both the user and the moving object can be set to the first confirmation state, thus enabling efficient movement control of the moving object while ensuring safety.

[0132] (8) A control device according to any one of (1) to (7), In the second control, the control unit determines, based on the external recognition data, whether the user is in a second confirmation state where they are confirming the moving object, and controls the movement speed of the moving object in the movement control based on the determination result of whether or not the user is in a second confirmation state. Control device.

[0133] According to (8), if the distance between the moving object and the information terminal is less than a first predetermined value, it is possible to determine whether or not the user is observing the moving object based on the external environment recognition data and control the speed of the moving object. Therefore, since the speed of the moving object can be appropriately controlled when the distance between the moving object and the information terminal is less than a first predetermined value, the movement of the moving object can be controlled efficiently while ensuring safety.

[0134] (9) The control device described in (8), In the second control, if the control unit determines that the second confirmation state is in effect, it increases the movement speed of the moving body in the movement control compared to when it determines that the second confirmation state is not in effect. Control device.

[0135] As in (9), when the distance between the moving object and the information terminal is less than the first predetermined value, the movement speed of the moving object is increased when the user is observing the moving object, so that the movement of the moving object can be controlled efficiently while ensuring safety.

[0136] (10) A control device as described in (8) or (9), In the second control, the control unit determines that the second confirmation state is in place when the user can be detected based on the external environment recognition data. Control device.

[0137] As in (10), the state in which the user is observing a moving object is preferably one in which the user can detect it based on external recognition data.

[0138] (11) The control device described in (10), The control unit, The movement control is performed on the information terminal while the user's image authentication has been performed. The user characteristic information obtained in the image authentication is received from the information terminal. In the second control, the user is detected based on the external environment recognition data and the user's characteristic information. Control device.

[0139] According to (11), by detecting the user based on external recognition data and user characteristic information, the user can be identified more quickly and accurately, and the movement of the moving object can be controlled efficiently while ensuring safety.

[0140] (12) A control device according to any one of (8) to (11), If the control unit determines that the second confirmation state is not met, it will notify the user to confirm the moving object. Control device.

[0141] As shown in (12), by notifying the user to confirm the moving object, the state of the user and the moving object can be set to a second confirmation state, so that the movement of the moving object can be controlled efficiently while ensuring safety.

[0142] (13) A control device according to any one of (8) to (12), The control unit, In the first control, based on the communication status, it is determined whether or not the user can confirm the moving object in a first confirmation state, and if it is determined that the first confirmation state is in effect, the movement speed of the moving object in the movement control is set to a first speed that is higher than when it is determined that the first confirmation state is not in effect. In the second control, if it is determined that the second confirmation state is present, the movement speed of the moving body in the movement control is set to a second speed that is higher than when it is determined that the second confirmation state is not present, and also higher than the first speed. Control device.

[0143] As shown in (13), by setting the second speed of the mobile body in the second control when the distance between the mobile body and the information terminal is less than the first predetermined value to be higher than the first speed of the mobile body in the first control when the distance is greater than or equal to the first predetermined value, the speed of the mobile body can be appropriately controlled according to the distance, and the movement of the mobile body can be controlled efficiently while ensuring safety.

[0144] (14) A control device according to any one of (1) to (13), In controlling the movement of the moving body, if the distance between the moving body and the obstacle is greater than or equal to a second predetermined value, the control unit increases the movement speed of the moving body in the movement control compared to when the distance between the moving body and the obstacle is less than the second predetermined value. Control device.

[0145] As in (14), it is preferable to increase the speed of the moving object when the distance between the moving object and the obstacle is large.

[0146] (15) A control device for a mobile body comprising: a communication unit that communicates with an information terminal carried by the user of the mobile body; an external environment recognition unit that acquires external environment recognition data of the mobile body; and a control unit that controls the movement of the mobile body based on instructions from the information terminal, The control unit, Based on the distance between the mobile body and the information terminal, the system switches between a first control that controls the mobile body's movement speed in the movement control based on the communication state and a second control that controls the mobile body's movement speed in the movement control based on external environment recognition data. Control method.

[0147] According to (15), the speed of the mobile body can be switched between control based on the communication status and control based on external environment recognition data, depending on the distance between the mobile body and the information terminal along the travel path. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately control the speed of the mobile body in sections corresponding to the distance, and the movement of the mobile body can be controlled efficiently while ensuring safety.

[0148] (16) A control program for a control device for a mobile body, comprising: a communication unit that communicates with an information terminal carried by the user of the mobile body; an external environment recognition unit that acquires external environment recognition data of the mobile body; and a control unit that controls the movement of the mobile body based on instructions from the information terminal, The control unit, Based on the distance between the mobile body and the information terminal, the system switches between a first control that controls the mobile body's movement speed in the movement control based on the communication state and a second control that controls the mobile body's movement speed in the movement control based on external environment recognition data. A control program that executes a process.

[0149] According to (16), the speed of the mobile object can be switched between control based on the communication status and control based on external environment recognition data, depending on the distance between the mobile object and the information terminal along the travel path. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately control the speed of the mobile object in sections corresponding to the distance, and the movement of the mobile object can be controlled efficiently while ensuring safety. [Explanation of symbols]

[0150] 10. Vehicles (mobile devices) 20 Control ECU (Control Unit) 55 Communications Department 56 External world recognition department 57 Control Unit 60 Information terminals

Claims

1. A control device for a mobile body, A communication unit that communicates with an information terminal owned by the user of the aforementioned mobile device, An external environment recognition unit that acquires external environment recognition data of the aforementioned moving object, The system comprises a control unit that controls the movement of the mobile body based on instructions from the information terminal, The control unit, If the distance between the moving body and the information terminal is greater than or equal to a first predetermined value, a first control is performed to control the movement speed of the moving body in the movement control based on the communication; if the distance is less than the first predetermined value, a second control is performed to control the movement speed of the moving body in the movement control based on the external environment recognition data. In the first control, based on the communication, it is determined whether or not the user can confirm the moving object in a first confirmation state, and if it is determined that the first confirmation state is in effect, the movement speed of the moving object in the movement control is set higher than when it is determined that the first confirmation state is not in effect. Control device.

2. A control device according to claim 1, The control unit determines that the first confirmation state is in place when the section between the mobile body and the information terminal is a straight section. Control device.

3. A control device according to claim 1, The control unit determines that the first confirmation state is in place when the information terminal is pointed toward the mobile object. Control device.

4. A control device according to claim 1, If the control unit determines that the first confirmation state is not met, it will notify the user to confirm the moving object. Control device.

5. A control device according to claim 1, In the second control, the control unit determines, based on the external environment recognition data, whether the user is in a second confirmation state where they are confirming the moving object, and if it is determined that the user is in a second confirmation state, it increases the movement speed of the moving object in the movement control compared to when it is determined that the user is not in a second confirmation state. Control device.

6. A control device according to claim 5, In the second control, the control unit determines that the second confirmation state is reached when the user can be detected based on the external environment recognition data. Control device.

7. A control device according to claim 6, The control unit, The movement control is performed on the information terminal while the user's image authentication has been performed. The user characteristic information obtained in the image authentication is received from the information terminal. In the second control, the user is detected based on the external environment recognition data and the user's characteristic information. Control device.

8. A control device according to claim 5, If the control unit determines that the second confirmation state is not met, it will notify the user to confirm the moving object. Control device.

9. A control device according to claim 5, The control unit, In the first control, based on the communication, it is determined whether or not the user can confirm the moving object in a first confirmation state, and if it is determined that the first confirmation state is in effect, the movement speed of the moving object in the movement control is set to a first speed that is higher than when it is determined that the first confirmation state is not in effect. In the second control, if it is determined that the second confirmation state is present, the movement speed of the moving body in the movement control is set to a second speed that is higher than when it is determined that the second confirmation state is not present, and also higher than the first speed. Control device.

10. A control device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, In controlling the movement of the moving body, if the distance between the moving body and the obstacle is greater than or equal to a second predetermined value, the control unit increases the movement speed of the moving body in the movement control compared to when the distance between the moving body and the obstacle is less than the second predetermined value. Control device.

11. A control method for a mobile body comprising: a communication unit that communicates with an information terminal carried by the user of the mobile body; an external environment recognition unit that acquires external environment recognition data of the mobile body; and a control unit that controls the movement of the mobile body based on instructions from the information terminal, The control unit, If the distance between the moving body and the information terminal is greater than or equal to a first predetermined value, a first control is performed to control the movement speed of the moving body in the movement control based on the communication; if the distance is less than the first predetermined value, a second control is performed to control the movement speed of the moving body in the movement control based on the external environment recognition data. In the first control, based on the communication, it is determined whether or not the user can confirm the moving object in a first confirmation state, and if it is determined that the first confirmation state is in effect, the movement speed of the moving object in the movement control is set higher than when it is determined that the first confirmation state is not in effect. Control method.

12. A control program for a control device for a mobile body, comprising: a communication unit that communicates with an information terminal carried by the user of the mobile body; an external environment recognition unit that acquires external environment recognition data of the mobile body; and a control unit that controls the movement of the mobile body based on instructions from the information terminal, The control unit, If the distance between the moving body and the information terminal is greater than or equal to a first predetermined value, a first control is performed to control the movement speed of the moving body in the movement control based on the communication; if the distance is less than the first predetermined value, a second control is performed to control the movement speed of the moving body in the movement control based on the external environment recognition data. In the first control, based on the communication, it is determined whether or not the user can confirm the moving object in a first confirmation state, and if it is determined that the first confirmation state is in effect, the movement speed of the moving object in the movement control is set higher than when it is determined that the first confirmation state is not in effect. A control program that executes a process.

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