Vehicle underbody monitoring device

Abstract

To support travelling as desired by a driver in accordance with a state of a road surface on which a vehicle travels.SOLUTION: A vehicle body lower part monitoring device 10 of a vehicle 1 is provided with: user interface devices 13 and 34-37 that can output information concerning travelling of the vehicle 1 in order to provide the information to an occupant in the vehicle 1; a vehicle body lower part sensor 33, provided on a lower surface of a vehicle body 2 of the vehicle 1, which can detect a road surface below the vehicle body 2 of the vehicle 1; and a control part 21 that obtains information on unevenness of the road surface on which the vehicle 1 travels, on the basis of the detection result from the vehicle body lower part sensor 33 and makes the user interface devices 13 and 34-37 output information on the road surface below the vehicle body 2 based on the detection by the vehicle body lower part sensor 33, when the vehicle 1 is likely to travel on the unevenness of the road surface below the vehicle body 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an underbody monitoring device for a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] An automobile, which is a type of vehicle, travels on roads and the like. However, the road surface on which the automobile travels is not necessarily flat and may have irregularities. In addition, there are some parking lots and roads with curbs. When there are irregularities on the road surface, there is a possibility that the vehicle body and the road surface may interfere when the vehicle enters or passes through the irregularities.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in order to detect the periphery of the vehicle body, a vehicle may be provided with peripheral sensors such as an external camera and Lidar (Patent Documents 1 and 2). If a vehicle is equipped with such surrounding sensors to detect the area around the vehicle body, the vehicle can be controlled to minimize interference with road surface irregularities based on the detection of the surrounding conditions by these sensors. For example, if the surrounding sensors detect a curb used for tire stops and there is a possibility of interference between the vehicle and the curb, the vehicle can be controlled to stop before reaching the curb. However, even if the vehicle's movement is controlled based on the detection of surrounding sensors in this way, the result may not necessarily be what the occupants desire. For example, in the situation described above, an experienced driver may want the vehicle to stop so that the tires hit the curb. In this case, the resulting parking state would not be what the occupants desire.

[0005] Therefore, it is conceivable that the vehicle, without controlling itself, simply provides the driver with images of its surroundings detected by surrounding sensors, via a user interface provided on the vehicle. However, even if the driver is provided with images from surrounding sensors that detect the area around the vehicle, it is difficult for them to reliably determine the relationship between the unevenness of the road surface and their own vehicle based on those images. For example, even if an image of a curb used to stop tires is provided, it is difficult for the driver to accurately determine, based on that two-dimensional image, whether or not the vehicle will hit the curb if it continues to drive any further. In the end, even if the driver is provided with an image of a curb used to stop tires, they will still have to make a predictive final judgment based on their own experience and intuition, just as if there were no image at all.

[0006] Thus, vehicles are required to support the driving style desired by the driver, depending on the road surface conditions on which the vehicle is traveling. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A vehicle underbody monitoring device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a user interface device capable of outputting information related to the vehicle's movement to the vehicle's occupants, an underbody sensor provided on the underside of the vehicle's body capable of detecting the road surface beneath the vehicle's body, and a device that obtains information on the unevenness of the road surface on which the vehicle is traveling based on the detection results of the underbody sensor, and outputs information on the road surface beneath the vehicle's body based on the detection of the underbody sensor from the user interface device if there is a possibility that the vehicle will be traveling in a way that causes the unevenness of the road surface beneath the vehicle's body to be present. The system The Imperial Household Furthermore, a recess for mounting the underbody sensor is provided on the underside of the vehicle body between the wheel wells formed on the left and right sides of the vehicle body, the underbody sensor is provided in the recess facing diagonally downward, and a guard member is provided on the underside of the vehicle body that extends along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body when the vehicle is stationary, the guard member is pushed by the airflow generated from the wheel wells toward the center of the vehicle body when the vehicle is in motion, and moves toward the front of the underbody sensor or toward the front of the recess. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The vehicle of the present invention is equipped with an underbody sensor on the underside of its body. The underbody sensor can detect the road surface beneath the vehicle. The control unit obtains information about the unevenness of the road surface on which the vehicle is traveling based on the detection results of the underbody sensor. If there is a possibility that the vehicle will travel in a way that causes unevenness to be beneath the vehicle, the control unit outputs information about the road surface beneath the vehicle based on the detection by the underbody sensor from the user interface device. This allows the driver to control the vehicle to perform the desired driving maneuver while confirming the shape of the road surface beneath the vehicle, based on the provided information about the road surface beneath the vehicle. The present invention makes it possible to support the driver in performing the desired driving maneuver according to the condition of the road surface on which the vehicle is traveling. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the driving state of an automobile to which the underbody monitoring device for an automobile according to the first embodiment of the present invention can be applied. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating the driving state of the automobile shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram of the control system that functions as an underbody monitoring device for the automobile shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the area around the driver inside the car shown in Figure 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram of the vehicle's state before entering the parking area under the parking assistance control shown in Figures 7 and 8. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram of the vehicle's entry into a parking space after Figure 5, under the parking assistance control shown in Figures 7 and 8. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a flowchart of the parking assistance control using the control system shown in Figure 3. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the detailed control of the parking entry process shown in Figure 7. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the transition of the vehicle's display output due to the parking assistance control shown in Figures 7 and 8. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram of the underbody structure of an automobile underbody monitoring device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. It shows the vehicle while parked or driving at a low speed. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram of the underbody monitoring device of the automobile shown in Figure 10, in its state during high-speed driving. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram of the underbody structure of an automobile underbody monitoring device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. It shows the vehicle while parked or driving at a low speed. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is an explanatory diagram of the underbody monitoring device of the automobile shown in Figure 12, in its state during high-speed driving. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0011] [First Embodiment] FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of the running state of the vehicle 1 to which the underbody monitoring device of the vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention can be applied. On the road surface in FIG. 1, there are a pair of boundary lines 102 of the parking section of the vehicle 1 and a curb 101 for stopping the vehicle extending along the tip of the pair of boundary lines 102. The driver drives the vehicle 1 and puts the vehicle body 2 between the pair of boundary lines 102 and parks the vehicle 1 between the pair of boundary lines 102.

[0012] FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of the running state of the vehicle 1 in FIG. 1 in a longitudinal section. The curb 101 for stopping the vehicle protrudes upward from the road surface 100 which is basically flat. The driver can visually confirm the curb 101 for stopping the vehicle before entering the parking section. After that, the driver may drive forward until, for example, the pair of tires 3 on the front side of the vehicle 1 hits the curb 101 for stopping the vehicle as shown in the figure, or drive backward until the pair of tires 3 on the rear side of the vehicle 1 hits the curb 101 for stopping the vehicle. In addition, when the driver determines based on direct vision that the curb 101 for stopping the vehicle protrudes high above the road surface 100 and hits the bumper 4 or the aerodynamic spoiler of the vehicle body 2, the driver may stop the vehicle 1 immediately before the vehicle body 2 of the vehicle 1 covers the curb 101 for stopping the vehicle. Thus, the way of parking the vehicle 1 in the parking lot varies depending on the driver's preference, proficiency, etc.

[0013] In addition, when the driver cannot appropriately judge the height of the curb 101 for stopping the vehicle, the vehicle body 2 may hit the curb 101 for stopping the vehicle. In this case, the bumper 4 or the aerodynamic spoiler of the vehicle body 2 will be damaged. In addition to this, for example, when the vehicle 1 travels on a road surface 100 with unevenness, the vehicle body 2 may hit the road surface 100 when the vehicle body 2 behaves greatly, for example. In this case, the lower surface of the vehicle body 2 will be damaged. These scratches are generally located on the underside of vehicle body 2 and are therefore not very noticeable externally, and they are unlikely to have a significant impact on the basic driving performance of vehicle body 2. However, these scratches are a concern for drivers who cherish vehicle 1, especially those who have equipped vehicle 1 with aero spoilers or similar features. Thus, in automobile 1, it is required that the vehicle body 2 not come into contact with the road surface 100 due to the curb 101 and depressions 103 used for stopping vehicles.

[0014] Incidentally, in order to detect the surroundings of the vehicle body 2, the automobile 1 may be equipped with peripheral sensors such as an external camera 31 and a LiDAR 32, as shown in Figure 2.

[0015] As shown in Figure 2, the exterior camera 31 is mounted facing forward above the passenger compartment where the driver and other occupants are seated in the vehicle body 2. A stereo camera is preferable for the exterior camera 31. However, the exterior camera 31 may be a monocular camera or a camera that captures the entire 360-degree surroundings of the vehicle body 2. Furthermore, multiple exterior cameras 31 may be provided on the vehicle body 2. By mounting the multiple exterior cameras 31 in different orientations, the entire 360-degree surroundings of the vehicle body 2 can be captured in separate sections. The exterior cameras 31 positioned in the passenger compartment of the vehicle body 2 can capture the outside from the same viewpoint as the driver.

[0016] The Lidar 32 is installed, for example, on the bumper 4 that forms the outer periphery of the vehicle body 2. Multiple Lidar 32s may be installed on the bumper 4 along the outer periphery of the vehicle body 2. The Lidar 32, for example, scans and outputs infrared light to its surroundings and detects the reflected light of the irradiated infrared light. Based on the detection by the Lidar 32, it is possible to generate three-dimensional spatial information of the area around the Lidar 32.

[0017] If the vehicle 1 has surrounding sensors that detect the area around the vehicle body 2, the vehicle 1 can detect curbs 101 and depressions 103 on the road surface 100 around the vehicle body 2 based on the detection results of the surrounding sensors. Surrounding information of the vehicle body 2 of the vehicle 1 can be displayed, for example, on the meter panel 35 described later. However, even if images of curbs 62, 63 and depressions are displayed on the meter panel 35, it is difficult for the driver to easily determine the remaining distance to the curbs 101 and depressions 103 based on the two-dimensional display. In particular, when an experienced driver is trying to park the vehicle 1 so that the vehicle body 2 overlaps the curb 101, it is not easy to determine whether the vehicle body 2 will hit the curb 101 based on the two-dimensional display. Also, when an experienced driver is trying to pass over a depression 103, it is not easy to determine whether the vehicle body 2 will hit the road surface 100 when the tires 3 enter the depression 103. Even if images of curbs 62, 63 and depressions are displayed on the meter panel 35, the driver has no choice but to make a final judgment based on their own experience and intuition. Such a judgment by the driver is not much different from the judgment made when recognizing the tire stopper 3 by visual inspection from the vehicle 1. Because the images that appear flat on the meter panel 35 have visual information removed, it is not easy to grasp perspective or the silhouette of objects, for example, as when looking through a mirror. Drivers often cannot immediately judge the situation just by looking at such images.

[0018] Furthermore, it is conceivable that the control system 10 of the vehicle 1 controls the vehicle's movement based on detections from surrounding sensors. However, when parking is performed using such autonomous driving, the resulting parking state may differ from that of a vehicle parked by a driver using their own judgment. The driver may not necessarily obtain the desired result. For example, if the autonomous driving system determines that excessive interference suppression is necessary and always parks before the curb 101, an experienced driver may be dissatisfied that the vehicle 1's tires 3 are not parked so as to hit the tire stopper. The vehicle 1's suspension 5 may compress significantly while driving. Therefore, when parking using autonomous driving, the control system 10 is likely to control the vehicle body 2 to park before the curb 101, taking safety considerations regarding its behavior into account.

[0019] Thus, in automobile 1, it is required to support the driving desired by the driver according to the condition of the road surface 100 on which automobile 1 is driving.

[0020] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram of the control system 10 that functions as an underbody monitoring device for automobile 1 in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the area around the driver inside the vehicle 1 shown in Figure 1.

[0021] The control system 10 of the automobile 1 in Figure 3 has a vehicle network 17 to which multiple control devices are connected. The vehicle network 17 may be a wired communication network for the automobile 1, such as one compliant with CAN (Controller Area Network) or LIN (Local Interconnect Network). The vehicle network 17 may also use a communication network such as a LAN, a wireless communication network, or a combination thereof. A device connected to the vehicle network 17 may, for example, output an encrypted packet with a specified destination to the vehicle network 17 and receive an encrypted packet addressed to itself from the vehicle network 17. This allows the device connected to the vehicle network 17 to send and receive information with other devices installed in the automobile 1. Figure 3 shows multiple control devices, including a driving control device 11, a detection control device 12, a user interface control device (UI control device) 13, an operation detection device 14, a GNSS receiver 15, and an external communication device 16.

[0022] The operation detection device 14 detects the operation input of the control components by the driver riding in the automobile 1. As shown in Figure 4, the control components include, for example, the steering wheel 44, the shift lever 43, the clutch pedal 45, the brake pedal 46, and the accelerator pedal 47. The driver operates these control components to drive the automobile 1.

[0023] The user interface control device 13 controls the user interface components for the driver and other occupants of the vehicle 1. As shown in Figure 4, the user interface components include, for example, the meter panel 35, the center operation display 42, and the HUD unit 34. Also in Figure 4, a right LED row 36 and a left LED row 37 are provided along the left and right edges of the meter panel 35. The right LED row 36 has multiple LEDs arranged in a single row. The left LED row 37 also has multiple LEDs arranged in a single row. Note that the right LED row 36 and the left LED row 37 may be provided on the meter panel 35 itself so as to constitute the left and right edges of the meter panel 35. The left and right edges of the display area of ​​the meter panel 35 may be configured as display sections instead of the right LED row 36 and the left LED row 37. These right LED row 36 and left LED row 37 may be capable of emitting light in a single color, but it is preferable that they can switch between multiple colors, such as red and blue. The user interface control device 13 functions as a user interface device that, together with the user interface components, can provide information regarding the driving of the automobile 1 to the occupants of the automobile 1.

[0024] The driving control device 11 includes, for example, an ECU 21, a memory 23, and a timer 22. The timer 22 measures the time and elapsed time. The memory 23 records the program executed by the ECU 21 and the data used or generated during program execution. The ECU 21 reads the program from the memory 23 and executes it. In this way, the ECU 21 controls the overall operation of the driving control device 11. Note that each control device shown in Figure 3 may have an ECU, memory, and timer, similar to the driving control device 11. The ECU 21 of the driving control device 11 controls the driving of the vehicle 1 by controlling, for example, the steering system, braking system, and drive system (not shown) of the vehicle 1. The steering system includes, for example, a steering device that changes the direction of the front tires 3. The braking system includes, for example, a hydraulic system that controls multiple tires 3 individually. The drive system includes, for example, a system that transmits driving force from an engine or motor to multiple tires 3 individually through a transmission and multiple differential devices. The steering system, braking system, and drive system may also be directly connected to the vehicle network 17. Furthermore, the driving control device 11 may acquire driver operation input from the operation detection device 14 and control the driving of the vehicle 1 by manual driving based on the driver's driving operations, assist in controlling the driving of the vehicle 1 to support the driver's driving operations, or control the driving of the vehicle 1 by automatic driving without relying on the driver's driving operations.

[0025] The GNSS receiver 15 receives radio waves from multiple GNSS satellites (not shown) and generates the current position and time of the vehicle 1. The time of the timer 22 may be calibrated by the time of the GNSS receiver 15.

[0026] The external communication device 16 establishes a communication path with a base station 91 installed on the ground or elsewhere, and sends and receives information with the server device 92 through the base station 91. The base station 91 may be, for example, one installed by a carrier for a wide-area mobile communication network, or one installed for ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems), etc.

[0027] Multiple vehicle sensors installed on the automobile 1 are connected to the detection control device 12. Figure 3 shows examples of multiple vehicle sensors, including an external camera 31, a Lidar 32, and an underbody TOF sensor 33. As described above, the external camera 31 can observe the surroundings of the vehicle 1 from the same viewpoint as the driver. Furthermore, the Lidar32 can detect the area outside the vehicle body 2 that is a blind spot for the driver on the side of the vehicle body 2.

[0028] Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram of the pre-entry state of vehicle 1 under the parking assistance control shown in Figures 7 and 8. Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the parking entry state of vehicle 1 after Figure 5, under the parking assistance control shown in Figures 7 and 8. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the underbody TOF sensor 33 is installed on the underside of the vehicle body 2 in a location between the multiple front tires 3. The underbody TOF sensors 33 may be installed side by side, corresponding to each of the front tires 3 of the vehicle body 2. The underbody TOF sensor 33 is positioned diagonally downward and forward. The underbody TOF sensor 33 outputs a wave of a predetermined frequency to the area from below to in front of the vehicle body 2 and receives reflected waves from the road surface 100, etc. In this case, the detection range (Under Range) of the underbody TOF sensor 33 includes the underside of the vehicle body 2 as well as its surrounding area to the front outside. Part of the detection range of the underbody TOF sensor 33 overlaps with the detection range (Lidar Range) of the Lidar 32. The underbody TOF sensor 33 can detect the underside of the vehicle body 2 which is a blind spot for the Lidar 32. The underbody TOF sensor 33 or the detection control device 12 can generate three-dimensional spatial information about the detection range of the underside of the vehicle body 2 based on the time (TOF) until the reflected wave is received. The three-dimensional spatial information may include information about the distance to the detected road surface 100 or curb 101. For example, if a portion of the curb 101 is within the detection range as shown in Figure 6, three-dimensional spatial information is generated that shows the shape of the road surface 100 including the portion of the curb 101. However, in the state shown in Figure 6, the entire curb 101 is not included in the detection range (Under Range) of the underbody TOF sensor 33, so it is difficult to determine that what is being detected is the curb 101 based solely on the detection result of the underbody TOF sensor 33.

[0029] Such an underbody TOF sensor 33 is an underbody TOF sensor 33 installed on the underside of the vehicle 1 to detect the road surface 100 beneath the vehicle 1. As shown in Figure 6, the underbody TOF sensor 33 can detect curbs 101 and uneven surfaces on the road surface 100 that have entered beneath the vehicle 2. Lidar32 is a peripheral sensor capable of detecting the area around the vehicle body 2 that is outside the underbody TOF sensor 33. As shown in Figure 5, Lidar32 can detect the entire road surface 100, including curbs 101 and uneven surfaces, before the underbody TOF sensor 33 detects them. The external camera 31 is a peripheral sensor capable of detecting the area around the vehicle body 2 that is outside the Lidar 32. As shown in Figure 4, the external camera 31 can detect the entire road surface 100, including curbs 101 and uneven surfaces, from a viewpoint similar to that of the driver, before the Lidar 32 can detect them. Furthermore, the user interface control device 13 can estimate the shape of the road surface 100 on the underside of the automobile 1 based on the detection results of the road surface 100 from multiple on-vehicle sensors, including the underbody TOF sensor 33, received from the detection control device 12, and output the information of the estimation result to the driver from the user interface component. Furthermore, the driving control device 11 can estimate the shape of the road surface 100 on the underside of the vehicle 1 based on the detection results of the road surface 100 by multiple vehicle sensors, including the underbody TOF sensor 33, from the detection control device 12, and control the driving of the vehicle 1 according to the information of the estimation result.

[0030] The control system 10 of the vehicle 1 shown in Figure 3 can function as an underbody monitoring device for the vehicle 1. The control system 10 can, for example, estimate the position, size, and extent of the curbs 101 and unevenness on the road surface 100 based on images of the curbs 101 and unevenness on the road surface 100, which are captured in their entirety by the external camera 31, and then detect the approach of the curbs 101 and unevenness on the road surface 100 based on the subsequent direction of travel of the vehicle. Furthermore, the control system 10 can use the detection information from the external camera 31 to determine that the curb 101 and irregularities on the road surface 100 are being detected by the Lidar 32, even when the entire curb 101 and irregularities on the road surface 100 are not being detected within the detection range of the Lidar 32. The control system 10 can quickly determine that the curb 101 and irregularities on the road surface 100 have begun to be detected by the Lidar 32 simply by identifying the part of the Lidar 32's detection range where the curb 101 and irregularities on the road surface 100 begin to be detected based on the detection from the external camera 31, and detecting a change in the information of that identified part. Furthermore, the control system 10 can use the detection information from the Lidar 32 to determine that the curbs 101 and irregularities on the road surface 100 are being detected by the underbody TOF sensor 33, even when the entire curb 101 and irregularities on the road surface 100 are not being detected within the detection range of the underbody TOF sensor 33. The control system 10 can quickly determine that the curbs 101 and irregularities on the road surface 100 have begun to be detected by the underbody TOF sensor 33 simply by identifying the area within the detection range of the underbody TOF sensor 33 where the curbs 101 and irregularities on the road surface 100 begin to be detected based on the detection from the Lidar 32, and detecting a change in the information of that identified area. The control system 10 can continuously detect curbs 101 and irregularities on the road surface 100 using the external camera 31, Lidar 32, and underbody TOF sensor 33, without performing re-detection processing for each on-board sensor.

[0031] Figure 7 is a flowchart of the parking assistance control performed by the control system 10 shown in Figure 3. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the detailed control of the parking entry process shown in Figure 7. For example, the ECU 21 of the driving control device 11 in the control system 10 of the automobile 1 may perform the support control shown in Figures 7 and 8 when the automobile 1 is driving for parking. Furthermore, the support control shown in Figures 7 and 8 may be performed collaboratively by multiple ECUs 21 of the control system 10 of the automobile 1. The assistance control shown in Figures 7 and 8 detects curbs 101 and uneven surfaces on the road surface 100 sequentially using an external camera 31, a Lidar 32, and an underbody TOF sensor 33 when parking, and switches the driving control and display output control of the vehicle 1 according to each detection stage. Here, as shown in Figure 9 which will be described later, for example, the display on the meter panel 35 switches between normal display, front view display, and underbody display. Here, the normal display can be any display different from the front view display and underbody display that will be displayed in the underbody control described later. The meter panel 35 in normal display may display, for example, a speedometer, tachometer, water temperature gauge, automatic driving status, etc.

[0032] In step ST1, the ECU 21 of the control system 10 determines whether or not the vehicle 1 is in motion. The image captured by the external camera 31 while the vehicle is in motion changes with respect to the direction of travel. The vehicle 1 is equipped with an acceleration sensor and a speed sensor (not shown). When the vehicle 1 is in motion, an operating member and an ignition switch (not shown) are operated by the driver or the like. Based on this information, the ECU 21 may determine whether or not the vehicle 1 is in motion. If the vehicle 1 is not in motion, the ECU 21 proceeds to step ST12. Alternatively, for example, if the vehicle 1 is not in motion, the ECU 21 may terminate this control. If the vehicle 1 is in motion, the ECU 21 proceeds to step ST2.

[0033] In step ST2, the ECU21 acquires driving environment information mainly from surrounding sensors such as the external camera 31. When car 1 is parked, the external camera 31 captures an image of the parking lot. Conversely, when car 1 is driving on a road, the external camera 31 captures an image of the lane being driven in.

[0034] In step ST3, the ECU 21 determines, based on the driving environment information acquired in step ST2, whether or not the driving environment may necessitate underbody control for the vehicle 1 while it is in motion. If the image from the external camera 31 shows a parking lot, the ECU 21 determines that underbody control may be necessary and proceeds to step ST4. Otherwise, the ECU 21 determines that underbody control is not necessary and proceeds to step ST12.

[0035] In step ST4, if the ECU 21 determines that underbody control may be necessary, it analyzes the image captured by the external camera 31 to obtain information about the road surface 100 around the vehicle 1. The road surface 100 of the parking lot has, for example, a pair of boundary lines 102 and a curb 101 for stopping vehicles, as shown in Figure 1. In this case, the image captured by the external camera 31 captures the pair of boundary lines 102 and the curb 101 for stopping vehicles. The ECU 21 may analyze the image captured by the external camera 31 to extract information about the curb 101 for stopping vehicles. Alternatively, the ECU 21 may analyze the image captured by the external camera 31 to extract information about irregularities such as depressions in the road surface 100 of the parking lot.

[0036] In step ST5, the ECU21 determines whether or not the curb 101 for the wheel stop exists based on whether or not the curb 101 for the wheel stop was extracted by the processing in step ST4. If information about the curb 101 for the wheel stop has been extracted, the ECU21 determines that the curb 101 for the wheel stop exists and proceeds to step ST6. Alternatively, if information about depressions or other irregularities in the parking lot surface 100 has been extracted, the ECU21 may proceed to step ST6. If information about the curb 101 for the wheel stop has not been extracted, and if information about depressions or other irregularities in the parking lot surface 100 has not been extracted, the ECU21 proceeds to step ST12. In this case, the ECU21 does not perform underbody control during parking.

[0037] In step ST6, the ECU 21 controls the user interface components through the user interface control device 13, for example, switching the display of the meter panel 35 from the normal display to the front view display. As a result, the meter panel 35 displays, for example, an image captured by an external camera 31 or a three-dimensional detection image by Lidar 32 of the parking space. The image in this front view display includes images 62, 63 of the curb used as a wheel stop. This allows the driver to confirm the curb 101 or the unevenness of the road surface 100 on the meter panel 35 display even if they cannot directly see it.

[0038] In step ST7, the ECU 21 performs pre-entry control to stabilize the behavior of the vehicle 1 through the driving control device 11. The ECU 21 may, for example, stiffen the suspension 5, limit its range of motion, or limit vehicle speed, acceleration / deceleration, or braking force. The ECU 21 may also monitor and limit the accelerator opening, brake stroke, the stroke amount of the shock section of the suspension 5, and the differential value which is the amount of operation per unit time. As a result, the driving of the vehicle 1 becomes less prone to sudden changes, and vertical movement of the vehicle body 2 is suppressed. The viewpoints of the external camera 31, Lidar 32, and underbody TOF sensor 33 are also stabilized.

[0039] In step ST8, the ECU 21 pre-determines interference with the vehicle body 2 based on detections such as the Lider of the stabilized vehicle 1, and based on the extent and height of the curb 101 for wheel stops or the unevenness of the road surface 100 that has not entered under the vehicle body 2. The ECU 21 may pre-determine interference with the vehicle body 2, including the behavior of the stabilized vehicle 1. For example, the ECU 21 may pre-determine interference with the vehicle body 2 by comparing the distance between the lower end of the bumper 4 on the front side of the vehicle body 2, which can be detected by the underbody TOF sensor 33, and the current road surface 100, with the height of the curb 101 for wheel stops. If the distance between the lower end of the bumper 4 of the vehicle body 2 and the current road surface 100 is less than or equal to the height of the curb 101, there is a high probability that the bumper 4 of the vehicle body 2 will interfere with the curb 101. In this case, the vehicle 1 needs to stop driving before the curb 101 for wheel stops enters under the bumper 4 of the vehicle body 2. In contrast, if the distance between the lower end of the bumper 4 of the vehicle body 2 and the current road surface 100 is greater than the height of the curb 101, the bumper 4 of the vehicle body 2 is less likely to interfere with the curb 101. In this case, the vehicle 1 can stop driving after the curb 101, which acts as a wheel stop, has entered under the bumper 4 of the vehicle body 2.

[0040] In step ST9, the ECU 21 determines, based on the results of the preliminary determination of interference with the vehicle body 2 in step ST8, whether the curb 101 used as a wheel stop or the unevenness of the road surface 100 can penetrate under the vehicle body 2. If it can penetrate, the ECU 21 proceeds to step ST10. If it cannot penetrate, the ECU 21 proceeds to step ST11.

[0041] In step ST10, the ECU 21, via the driving control device 11, executes parking entry control, which involves driving the vehicle body 2 onto the curb 101 or the unevenness of the road surface 100. Details of the parking entry control will be explained in Figure 8, but as shown in Figure 9, which will be described later, for example, the display on the meter panel 35 switches from the normal display to a front view display or a vehicle underbody display. In this case, the driver can drive the vehicle 1 onto the curb 101 or the unevenness of the road surface 100 and perform driving operations to park, while checking the display on the meter panel 35 which has switched for parking entry control. After that, the ECU 21 proceeds to step ST12.

[0042] In step ST11, the ECU 21, via the driving control device 11, performs pre-entry forced stop control to prevent the vehicle body 2 from driving over the curb 101 or the unevenness of the road surface 100. The ECU 21 stops the vehicle 1 from moving, for example, based on the fact that the Lidar 32 no longer detects the curb 101 or the unevenness of the road surface 100. As a result, the vehicle body 2 of the vehicle 1 can stop before the curb 101 or the unevenness of the road surface 100. The vehicle body 2 will not interfere with the curb 101 or the unevenness of the road surface 100. The ECU 21 then proceeds to step ST12.

[0043] In step ST12, the ECU 21 controls the user interface components through the user interface control device 13, switching, for example, the display of the meter panel 35 back to the normal display. As a result, the display of the meter panel 35 switches from the front view display or the underbody display for parking assist control to the normal display. After that, the ECU 21 terminates this control.

[0044] Next, we will explain the parking entry control according to step ST10 in Figure 7.

[0045] In step ST21, the ECU21 updates the front view display on the meter panel 35 that was switched in step ST6. The ECU21 acquires the latest image captured by the external camera 31 or the three-dimensional detection image of the Lidar 32 at the time of execution of this process and displays it on the meter panel 35. This allows the driver to check the current approach to the curb 101 or the unevenness of the road surface 100, which is no longer visible to the driver, by looking at the display on the meter panel 35. The driver can then decelerate or make fine adjustments to the steering. Even if these operations are performed, the behavior of the vehicle body 2 can be suppressed and stabilized because pre-entry control for stabilization has already been performed in step ST7. The vehicle body 2 can maintain a stable posture and approach the curb 101 or the unevenness of the road surface 100.

[0046] In step ST22, the ECU21 determines whether the curb 101 or the unevenness of the road surface 100, which can no longer be directly seen, has begun to enter under the vehicle body 2. The ECU21 may determine that the unevenness has begun to enter under the vehicle body 2 based on, for example, the fact that the Lidar32 no longer detects the unevenness of the curb 101 or the road surface 100. Alternatively, the ECU21 may determine that the unevenness has begun to enter under the vehicle body 2 based on, for example, the fact that the underbody TOF sensor 33 has begun to detect the unevenness of the curb 101 or the road surface 100. As described above, the detection range of the underbody TOF sensor 33 partially overlaps with the detection range of the Lidar32. Therefore, the ECU21 can immediately execute this process without having to re-detect the unevenness of the curb 101 or the road surface 100 based on the detection of the underbody TOF sensor 33. In particular, by determining the start of entry based on partial detection by the underbody TOF sensor 33 rather than the fact that it is no longer detected by the Lidar 32, it becomes possible to determine that entry has started just before the actual entry under the vehicle body 2 begins.

[0047] In step ST23, the ECU21 controls the user interface components through the user interface control device 13, for example, switching the display of the meter panel 35 from a front view display to a display of the underside of the vehicle. As a result, the meter panel 35 may display the underside of the vehicle body 2 of the car 1 in the parking space and the surrounding road surface 100. The meter panel 35 may also display the underside of the vehicle body 2 of the car 1 in the parking space and the surrounding road surface 100 together with the underside of the vehicle body 2. The image of the underside display includes images of curbs 62, 63 for wheel stops or images of irregularities in the road surface 100. This allows the driver to visually confirm the distance between the vehicle body 2 and the curbs 101 or irregularities in the road surface 100 that are not visible directly. The driver can easily decide whether to stop the car 1 before the curbs 101 or irregularities in the road surface 100, or to advance the tires 3 to hit them and stop the car 1.

[0048] In step ST24, the ECU21 also controls the user interface components through the user interface control device 13 to start lighting up the right LED row 36 and the left LED row 37, which are provided along the left and right edges of the meter panel 35. The right LED row 36 may light up according to the remaining distance between, for example, the right front tire 3 and the curb 101 or unevenness in the road surface 100 in front of it. The remaining distance is detected by the TOF sensor 33 under the vehicle body. In addition, the top LED of the right LED row 36 may light up in a different color from the other LEDs, for example, red. This makes it easier to recognize the remaining distance to the curb 101 or unevenness in the road surface 100. The left LED row 37 may light up according to the remaining distance between, for example, the left front tire 3 and the curb 101 or unevenness in the road surface 100 in front of it. In addition, the top LED of the left LED row 37 may light up in a different color from the other LEDs, for example, red. This makes it easier to recognize the remaining distance to the curb 101 or unevenness in the road surface 100. As the right LED row 36 and the left LED row 37 switch from the off state to the on state, the driver can easily recognize that they are approaching the curb 101 used as a wheel stop or an uneven surface 100. In addition, the driver can be encouraged to check the display on the underside of the vehicle on the meter panel 35. Furthermore, by displaying different information for the right LED row 36 and the left LED row 37, it is possible to determine whether the vehicle is moving perpendicular to the curb 101 or the unevenness of the road surface 100. The driver can then correct this and steer to equalize the remaining distance on both sides.

[0049] In step ST25, the ECU21 performs intrusion control to suppress contact between the vehicle body 2 and the curb 101 or the road surface 100 used as a wheel stop. The ECU21 may, for example, stiffen the suspension 5 to its maximum, limit its range of motion, or further restrict the vehicle speed, acceleration / deceleration, or braking force from that in step ST7. This makes it more difficult for the vehicle body 2 to move up and down when the vehicle 1 comes to a stop due to braking. The viewpoints of the external camera 31, Lidar 32, and underbody TOF sensor 33 are also further stabilized.

[0050] In step ST26, with the vehicle body 2 strongly restricted to not move by step ST25, the ECU 21 makes a final judgment on interference between the vehicle body 2 and the curb 101 or the unevenness of the road surface 100, based on the detection by the underbody TOF sensor 33, which is beginning to enter under the vehicle body 2. The ECU 21 may make a final judgment on interference with the vehicle body 2 during entry, including the behavior of the strongly stabilized automobile 1. For example, the ECU 21 may make a final judgment on interference with the vehicle body 2 by comparing the distance between the lower end of the bumper 4 on the front side of the vehicle body 2, which can be detected by the underbody TOF sensor 33, and the current road surface 100, with the height of the curb 101. If the distance between the lower end of the bumper 4 of the strongly stabilized vehicle body 2 and the current road surface 100 is less than or equal to the height of the curb 101, the bumper 4 of the vehicle body 2 is likely to interfere with the curb 101. In this case, the vehicle 1 must stop before the curb 101 acting as a wheel stop enters under the bumper 4 of the vehicle body 2. On the other hand, if the distance between the lower end of the bumper 4 of the vehicle body 2 and the current road surface 100 is greater than the height of the curb 101, the bumper 4 of the vehicle body 2 is less likely to interfere with the curb 101. In this case, the vehicle 1 can stop after the curb 101 acting as a wheel stop enters under the bumper 4 of the vehicle body 2.

[0051] In step ST27, based on the result of the interference detection in step ST26, the ECU21 makes a final determination as to whether the curb 101 or the unevenness of the road surface 100 can penetrate under the vehicle body 2. If it cannot penetrate, the ECU21 proceeds to step ST28. If it can penetrate, the ECU21 skips step ST28 and proceeds to step ST29.

[0052] In step ST28, the ECU 21, through the driving control device 11, immediately executes an intrusion forced stop control to prevent the vehicle body 2 from entering any further onto the curb 101 or the unevenness of the road surface 100. This allows the vehicle body 2 of the automobile 1 to stop before interfering with the curb 101 or the unevenness of the road surface 100. The ECU 21 then proceeds to step ST29.

[0053] In step ST29, the ECU 21 determines whether or not parking of the vehicle 1 is complete. After parking the vehicle 1, the driver operates the shift lever 43 to the parking position or turns off the ignition switch. The ECU 21 may determine whether or not parking of the vehicle 1 is complete based on the state of these operating components. If parking of the vehicle 1 is not complete, the ECU 21 returns to step ST23. The ECU 21 repeats the process from step ST23 to step ST29 until it determines that parking of the vehicle 1 is complete. As a result, the underbody display on the meter panel 35 and the illumination of the right LED row 36 and left LED row 37 are continuously updated to reflect the status at the time of processing. Based on these displays, the driver can perform the necessary operations each time to drive the vehicle 1 to the desired parking position. When it determines that parking of the vehicle 1 is complete, the ECU 21 terminates this control and returns to Figure 7.

[0054] Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the display output transitions of vehicle 1 due to the parking assistance control shown in Figures 7 and 8. Figure 9 shows the meter panel 35, the right LED row 36 and the left LED row 37, and the HUD unit 34.

[0055] The upper meter panel 35 in Figure 9 is in its normal display state. The normal display of the meter panel 35 shows an image 60 of the speedometer indicating the speed of the vehicle 1. As described above, the normal display in the upper part of Figure 9 is displayed when it is determined that there are no bumps or irregularities on the road surface 100.

[0056] The meter panel 35 in the middle of Figure 9 displays a front view. The meter panel 35 displaying the front view shows, for example, an image of the area in front of the vehicle 1 in the direction of travel, as a front view image 61. The front view image 61 includes images 62, 63 of the curbs 62 and 63 that serve as wheel stops on the left and right sides of the parking lot surface 100. The front view image 61 includes at least road surface 100 information around the vehicle body 2. The front view image 61 can change by scrolling in accordance with the movement of the vehicle 1.

[0057] The lower meter panel 35 in Figure 9 displays the underside of the vehicle. The underside meter panel 35 displays a composite image of the underside of the vehicle body 2 of the automobile 1 as the underside image 66. The underside image 66 includes an image of the vehicle body 2, as well as images 62 and 63 of the curbs 62 and 63 that serve as wheel stops on the left and right sides of the parking lot road surface 100. The ECU 21 may generate the underside image 66 based on three-dimensional spatial information from multiple underside TOF sensors 33 provided on the automobile 1. Furthermore, the ECU 21 may generate the underside image 66 by combining three-dimensional spatial information from the Lidar 32 and images captured by the external camera 31. The underside image 66 displayed under the vehicle includes at least information of the road surface 100 under the vehicle body 2.

[0058] The ECU 21 switches the display of the meter panel 35 from the normal display to the front view display by processing step ST6 in Figure 7. After that, it continues to update the front view image 61 until the display of the meter panel 35 is switched to the vehicle underbody display. Furthermore, the ECU 21 switches the display of the meter panel 35 from the front view display to the underbody display by processing in step ST23 in Figure 8. After that, it continues to update the underbody image 66 of the underbody display until step ST12 switches the display of the meter panel 35 back to the normal display.

[0059] Furthermore, the ECU 21 illuminates the right LED row 36 and the left LED row 37, which were previously off, through the process of step ST24 in Figure 8. Subsequently, the illumination state of the right LED row 36 and the left LED row 37 is continuously updated until the meter panel 35 display is switched back to the normal display in step ST12. As described above, by displaying the remaining distance separately on the left and right sides of the right LED row 36 and the left LED row 37, the driver can easily grasp the timing for fine adjustments to steering, fine adjustments to speed, and deceleration for stopping. In addition, the driver can intuitively grasp the remaining distance to the curb 101, etc., through the right LED row 36 and the left LED row 37, which are composed of multiple LEDs, making it easy to grasp the remaining distance (perspective) which is difficult to grasp from the meter panel 35 display alone. In particular, because the right LED row 36 and the left LED row 37 are provided in a way that widens towards the end on both the left and right sides of the meter panel 35, the driver can intuitively grasp the degree of the remaining distance through perspective. Here, "flaring outwards" means that the distance between the lower end of the right LED row 36 and the lower end of the left LED row 37, which are positioned vertically, is wider than the distance between their upper ends. By providing the right LED row 36 and the left LED row 37 on both the left and right sides of the meter panel 35, information for making a rough judgment can be displayed in the central field of view, and the progress and goal can be displayed on both the left and right sides, providing all the information necessary for immediate decision-making during parking in a clear and easy-to-understand format. The driver can obtain this information and perform driving operations while remaining facing forward. Furthermore, the ECU21 may, for example, during the processing of step ST24, illuminate the right LED row 36 and the left LED row 37, and simultaneously display the remaining distance value and a warning mark corresponding to the remaining distance in the HUD unit 34. Furthermore, the ECU21 may display a warning about the clearance between the underside of the vehicle body 2 and the road surface 100 on the right LED row 36 and the left LED row 37, or on the HUD unit 34. Furthermore, the ECU21 may flash or continuously switch between flashing and continuous illumination of multiple LEDs in the right LED row 36 and multiple LEDs in the left LED row 37, depending on the remaining distance or other factors. Furthermore, the ECU21 may switch the lighting color of the right LED row 36 and the left LED row 37 when the vehicle 1 is driving over a curb 101 or uneven surfaces. Furthermore, the ECU21 may output sounds from its speaker, with pitch and other characteristics changing depending on the remaining distance. This combination of display and sound allows for more intuitive communication of information to the driver.

[0060] Next, we will explain an example of actual driving conditions based on Figures 5 and 6.

[0061] In Figure 5, the curb 101 installed on the road surface 100 of the parking lot is located in front of the vehicle body 2 of car 1. As car 1 drives towards the parking space, the curb 101 moves from a position that is directly visible (shown by a dashed line in the figure) to a position that is not directly visible (Invisible Range) (shown by a solid line in the figure). As a result, the ECU 21, based on the fact that the curb 101, which was basically recognized based on the image captured by the external camera 31, is no longer captured in the image captured by the external camera 31, switches the display of the meter panel 35 from the normal display to the front view display. The driver can confirm the curb 101, which is no longer directly visible, by looking at the display on the meter panel 35. In this state, the entire curb 101 on the road surface 100 is included in the detection range (Lidar Range) of Lidar 32, and the ECU 21 can calculate the height and remaining distance of the curb 101 based on the detection by Lidar 32. By suppressing the behavior of the vehicle body 2, the ECU 21 can more accurately detect the height and remaining distance of the curb 101 even when the driving of the car 1 changes. When parking the car 1, the driver performs operations such as deceleration.

[0062] As car 1 drives towards a parking space, the curb 101 installed on the parking lot surface 100 approaches the body 2 of car 1, as shown in Figure 6. The curb 101 that approaches the body 2 of car 1 enters the detection range of the underbody TOF sensor 33, and then moves out of the detection range of the Lidar 32. At least a portion of the curb 101 that is out of the detection range of the Lidar 32 enters the underside of the car body 2. In the state shown in Figure 6, the ECU 21 switches the display on the meter panel 35 from a front view display to a display of the underside of the vehicle. Based on the underside image 66 of the underside display, the driver can determine the possibility of interference, such as contact between the curb 101 and the vehicle body 2, which cannot be seen directly. Furthermore, by suppressing the movement of the vehicle body 2, the ECU 21 can more reliably detect the height and remaining distance of the curb 101, and furthermore, determine the possibility of interference with greater confidence. Because the underside TOF sensor 33 is located under the vehicle body 2, inside the outer edge of the vehicle body 2, the ECU 21 can more reliably detect and determine the height and remaining distance of the curb 101 and the possibility of interference. The driver may stop and park the vehicle 1 in the state shown in Figure 6. Alternatively, if the ECU 21 determines that the curb 101 and the vehicle body 2 will not interfere with each other, the driver may drive the vehicle 1 further from the state shown in Figure 6, stopping and parking the vehicle 1 with the tires 3 touching the curb 101. The driver can park the vehicle 1 in a desired position based on their own preferences and judgment regarding parking. Even in this case, the curb 101 and the vehicle body 2 will not come into contact. The driver can park the vehicle 1 in a desired position in a safe manner so that the vehicle body 2 does not interfere with the road surface 100 such as the curb 101.

[0063] As described above, in this embodiment, the multiple vehicle sensors provided on the automobile 1 include an underbody TOF sensor 33 provided on the underside of the vehicle body 2. The underbody TOF sensor 33 can detect the road surface 100 on the underside of the vehicle body 2 of the automobile 1. The control unit of the control system 10 of the automobile 1 estimates the shape of the road surface 100 on which the automobile 1 is traveling based on the detection results of the road surface 100 by the multiple vehicle sensors, including the underbody TOF sensor 33, and controls the driving of the automobile 1 or the output of information from the user interface device according to the estimated shape of the road surface 100. As a result, the automobile 1 can provide information about the shape of the road surface 100 on which the automobile 1 is traveling to the driver from the user interface device. Based on the provided information, the driver can make the automobile 1 perform the driving as desired while confirming the shape of the road surface 100 on the underside of the vehicle body 2.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the multiple vehicle sensors provided on the automobile 1 include a vehicle-underbody TOF sensor 33 provided on the underside of the vehicle body 2 to detect the road surface 100 below the vehicle body 2, as well as a surrounding sensor capable of detecting the area around the vehicle body 2 that is outside the vehicle-underbody TOF sensor 33 with respect to the vehicle body 2. The vehicle-underbody TOF sensor 33 is positioned diagonally downwards to detect the road surface 100 around the vehicle body 2 along with the road surface 100 below the vehicle body 2, and its detection range overlaps with that of the surrounding sensor. As a result, the control unit can associate the irregularities of the road surface 100 detected by the surrounding sensor with the irregularities of the road surface 100 detected by the vehicle-underbody TOF sensor 33 provided on the underside of the vehicle body 2. The control unit, while the vehicle 1 is in motion, can identify the irregularities of the road surface 100 detected by the underbody TOF sensor 33 located on the underside of the vehicle body 2, based on the fact that the irregularities of the road surface 100 have been detected in advance by the surrounding sensors. This allows the control unit to continuously execute control based on the detection of the underbody TOF sensor 33 corresponding to the irregularities of the road surface 100 that were previously detected by the surrounding sensors, without having to perform a new detection of the irregularities of the road surface 100 from the beginning based on the detection of the underbody TOF sensor 33, following the control of the surrounding sensors. For example, the control unit can immediately and continuously start control corresponding to the irregularities of the road surface 100 that have been detected by the surrounding sensors, without having to re-detect the irregularities of the road surface 100 that are no longer detected by the surrounding sensors, based on the detection results of the underbody TOF sensor 33 located on the underside of the vehicle body 2.

[0065] In this embodiment, information about the condition of the road surface 100 on which the automobile 1 is traveling, including information about the condition of the road surface 100 on the underside of the vehicle body 2, can be provided to the driver, thereby assisting the driver in performing the desired driving.

[0066] [Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, an example of the installation state of the underbody TOF sensor 33 shown in Figures 5 and 6 on the underside of the vehicle body 2 will be described. The following section will primarily describe the differences from the embodiments described above. Components similar to those in the embodiments described above will be denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions will be omitted.

[0067] Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram of the underbody structure of an underbody monitoring device for an automobile 1 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 10 is a view of automobile 1 from below, when it is parked or moving at a low speed. In Figure 10, a recess 51 is formed in the beam 7 of the vehicle body 2, which extends along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 2. The recess 51 is formed in the beam 7, which is an underbody structure exposed on the underside of the vehicle body 2, in the portion of the vehicle body 2 that is on the central side of the wheel well 6. As a result, the recess 51 is located between the wheel wells 6 formed on the left and right sides of the vehicle body 2. A link member 8 that pivotally supports the tire 3 is located between the beam 7 and the wheel well 6. The underbody TOF sensor 33 is housed in whole or in part within the recess 51 and is installed in the recess 51 facing diagonally forward and downward.

[0068] A support shaft 53 is provided between the beam 7 and the wheel well 6, at the central part of the leading edge of the wheel well 6. A wing-shaped guard member 52, which is curved in the longitudinal direction, is provided on the support shaft 53. The wing-shaped guard member 52 is rotatable around the support shaft 53. In a stationary or low-speed driving state with virtually no wind, the wing-shaped guard member 52 extends in the longitudinal direction along the underside of the vehicle body 2, as shown in Figures 5 and 6.

[0069] Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram of the underbody monitoring device of the automobile 1 shown in Figure 10 during high-speed driving. Airflow is generated around the automobile 2 during high-speed driving. In particular, during high-speed driving, as shown in Figure 11, airflow is generated from the wheel well 6 side toward the center of the automobile 2. The wing-shaped guard member 52, which is pivotally supported on the underside of the automobile 2, is pushed by this airflow and rotates from its initial position along the longitudinal direction described above toward the center of the automobile 2. As the airflow from the wheel well 6 side toward the center of the automobile 2 strengthens due to high-speed driving, the wing-shaped guard member 52 rotates along the width direction of the automobile 2, which is the left-right direction. The rotated wing-shaped guard member 52 is positioned in front of the recess 51 formed in the beam 7. The rotated wing-shaped guard member 52 moves forward to a position that is on the side of the automobile 1 in the direction of travel relative to the underbody TOF sensor 33 and the recess 51.

[0070] As a result, even if an object is flying towards the front of the vehicle body 2, for example, the object will hit the rotating wing-shaped guard member 52 and is less likely to hit the underbody TOF sensor 33 located in the recess 51. This makes it less likely for the underbody TOF sensor 33 to be damaged by flying objects or other objects. The rotatable, wing-shaped guard member 52, provided on the underside of the vehicle body 2, can move forward and backward in accordance with the increase in the vehicle body 2's speed while it is in motion, so as to overlap with the recess 51 formed on the underside of the vehicle body 2 and its lower side.

[0071] Subsequently, as the vehicle speed decreases, the airflow from the wheel well 6 towards the center of the vehicle body 2 weakens, causing the rotating wing-shaped guard member 52 to rotate again as shown in Figure 10 and retract, extending along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 2. When the vehicle 1 is traveling at a low speed and is not being pushed by the airflow from the wheel well 6 towards the center of the vehicle body 2, the wing-shaped guard member 52 retracts toward the wheel well 6, which is the outside of the underbody TOF sensor 33 and recess 51. The wing-shaped guard member 52 is retracted when driving at low speeds, such as when parked or stopped. As a result, at low speeds, the underbody TOF sensor 33 can detect the road surface 100 in the diagonally forward-down direction from the recess 51 without its field of view being obstructed by the wing-shaped guard member 52. The wing-shaped guard member 52 can protect the underbody TOF sensor 33 and the recess 51 on the side facing the direction of travel of the vehicle 1 without affecting the detection of the underbody TOF sensor 33.

[0072] [Third Embodiment] Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, an example of further improving the installation state of the underbody TOF sensor 33 in the above-described embodiment will be explained. The following section will primarily describe the differences from the embodiments described above. Components similar to those in the embodiments described above will be denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions will be omitted.

[0073] Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram of the underbody structure of an underbody monitoring device for an automobile 1 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. It shows the vehicle in a parked or low-speed driving state. In Figure 12, the recess 51 formed in the beam 7 extending along the longitudinal direction in the vehicle body 2 is covered with a transparent or translucent cover member 54. The cover member 54 covers the recess 51 so as to house the underbody TOF sensor 33 within the recess 51. The cover member 54 can be made of any material that can transmit waves of the frequency input and output of the underbody TOF sensor 33. This allows the underbody TOF sensor 33 to detect the road surface 100 using waves of a predetermined frequency through the cover member 54.

[0074] Aerodynamic members 71 are provided on the front side of the beam 7 and the wheel well 6 to improve the aerodynamics under the vehicle body. A roughly plate-shaped guard member 72 is provided at the end of the aerodynamic member 71 on the side facing the center of the vehicle body 2, made of a material that can be flexible under wind pressure. The roughly plate-shaped guard member 72 extends along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 2 in a stationary or low-speed driving state where there is virtually no wind. A sliding contact portion 73 is also provided protruding from the roughly plate-shaped guard member 72. In the initial position of the guard member 72, which extends along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 2, the sliding contact portion 73 protrudes from the guard member 72 toward the center of the vehicle body 2. The entirety of the guard member 72 extending along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 2 and the sliding contact portion 73 provided thereon are located in a range that is outside the recess 51 in the vehicle width direction.

[0075] Figure 13 is an explanatory diagram of the underbody monitoring device of the automobile 1 shown in Figure 12 during high-speed driving. Airflow is generated around the vehicle body 2 during high-speed driving. In particular, during high-speed driving, as shown in Figure 13, airflow is generated from the wheel well 6 side toward the center of the vehicle body 2. The roughly plate-shaped guard member 72, which extends along the longitudinal direction on the underside of the vehicle body 2, is pushed by this airflow and rotates from the initial position described above toward the center of the vehicle body 2. At this time, the friction contact portion 73 passes under the cover member 54 that covers the recess 51 and moves to the front side of the recess 51 formed in the beam 7. During this passage, the friction contact portion 73 rubs against the cover member 54 and can remove dirt that has adhered to the cover member 54. Thus, the guard member 72 has a friction contact portion 73 that rubs against the cover member 54 when it moves forward and backward.

[0076] Furthermore, the roughly plate-shaped guard member 72 and the friction contact portion 73 are located in front of the recess 51 and the underbody TOF sensor 33. This makes it less likely that an object flying towards the vehicle 2 from the front will hit the roughly plate-shaped guard member 72 and the friction contact portion 73, rather than the cover member 54 of the recess 51 or the underbody TOF sensor 33. As a result, the cover member 54 and the underbody TOF sensor 33 are less likely to be damaged by flying objects. The roughly plate-shaped guard member 72 and the friction contact portion 73 provided on the underside of the vehicle body 2 can move forward and backward in accordance with the increase in the vehicle body 2's speed while it is in motion, so as to overlap with the recess 51 formed on the underside of the vehicle body 2 and the area below it.

[0077] Subsequently, as the vehicle speed decreases, the airflow from the wheel well 6 towards the center of the vehicle body 2 weakens, causing the roughly plate-shaped guard member 72 to retract again as shown in Figure 12, extending along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 2. The friction contact portion 73 also retracts from in front of the recess 51. When the vehicle 1 is traveling at a low speed and is not being pushed by the airflow from the wheel well 6 towards the center of the vehicle body 2, the roughly plate-shaped guard member 72 and the friction contact portion 73 retract to the side of the wheel well 6, which is outside the underbody TOF sensor 33 and recess 51. The roughly plate-shaped guard member 72 and the friction contact portion 73 are retracted when driving at low speeds, such as when parked or stopped. As a result, at low speeds, the underbody TOF sensor 33 can detect the road surface 100 in the diagonally forward-down direction from the recess 51 without its field of view being obstructed by the roughly plate-shaped guard member 72 and the friction contact portion 73. The roughly plate-shaped guard member 72 and the friction contact portion 73 can protect the underbody TOF sensor 33 and the cover member 54 of the recess 51 on the side facing the direction of travel of the automobile 1 without affecting the detection of the underbody TOF sensor 33.

[0078] The embodiments described above are examples of preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications or changes are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0079] The above-described embodiment explains the driving control and display control of the automobile 1, using the case where the automobile 1 is parked in a parking lot as an example. In addition, for example, when the automobile 1 travels on a road surface 100 that has irregularities such as the depression 103 in Figure 1, the vehicle body 2 may come into contact with the road surface 100. The control system 10 of the automobile 1, as a control unit, may perform driving control and display control of the automobile 1 in order to assist the driver's driving operations even when the automobile 1 travels on such an irregular road surface 100.

[0080] In the embodiment described above, a vehicle body TOF sensor 33 is provided on the underside of the vehicle body 2 of the automobile 1. The vehicle body sensor provided on the underside of the vehicle body 2 of the automobile 1 may be an image sensor used for other sensors, such as a Lidar 32 or an external camera 31.

[0081] The support control in the above-described embodiment is performed by an ECU 21 provided in the vehicle 1. In addition, for example, a server device 92 that can communicate with an external communication device 16 provided in the vehicle 1 may also perform the support control in the above-described embodiment. Alternatively, the ECU 21 provided in the vehicle 1 and the server device 92 may cooperate to perform the support control in the above-described embodiment. With the involvement of the server device 92, even if some of the surrounding sensors of the vehicle body 2 are malfunctioning, for example when driving in an environment such as dense fog, the server device 92 can more reliably perform the support control in the above-described embodiment based on information about the road surface 100 around the current position of the vehicle 1, which has been acquired in advance from another similar vehicle 1. Such a server device 92 can function together with the vehicle 1 as a system that supports the driving of the vehicle 1. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0082] 1...Automobile (vehicle), 2...Vehicle body, 3...Tire, 4...Bumper, 5...Suspension, 6...Wheel house, 7...Beam, 8...Link member, 10...Control system (underbody monitoring device), 11...Driving control device, 12...Detection control device, 13...User interface control device (user interface device), 14...Operation detection device, 15...GNSS receiver, 16...External communication device, 17...Vehicle network, 21...ECU (control unit), 22...Timer, 23...Memory, 31...External camera (second peripheral sensor), 32...Lidar (first peripheral sensor), 33...Underbody TOF sensor (underbody sensor), 34...HUD unit (user 35…Meter panel (user interface device), 36…Right LED row (user interface device), 37…Left LED row (user interface device), 42…Center operation display, 43…Shift lever, 44…Steering wheel, 45…Clutch pedal, 46…Brake pedal, 47…Accelerator pedal, 51…Recess, 52…Wing-shaped guard member, 53…Support shaft, 54…Cover member, 66…Underbody image, 71…Aerodynamic member, 72…Slightly plate-shaped guard member, 73…Sliding contact part, 91…Base station, 92…Server device, 100…Road surface, 101…Curb, 102…Boundary line, 103…Depression

Claims

1. A user interface device capable of outputting information regarding the vehicle's operation to the occupants of the vehicle, A vehicle underbody sensor is provided on the underside of the vehicle body and is capable of detecting the road surface beneath the vehicle body, Based on the detection results of the underbody sensor, the control unit obtains information on the unevenness of the road surface on which the vehicle is traveling, and if there is a possibility that the vehicle will travel such that the unevenness of the road surface is on the underside of the vehicle body, the control unit outputs information on the road surface on the underside of the vehicle body based on the detection by the underbody sensor from the user interface device. It has, On the underside of the vehicle body, recesses for mounting the underbody sensor are provided between the wheel wells formed on the left and right sides of the vehicle body. The vehicle body underbody sensor is provided in the recess in an oblique downward direction, A guard member is provided on the underside of the vehicle body, extending along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body when the vehicle is stationary. The guard member is pushed by the airflow generated from the wheel well toward the center of the vehicle body while the vehicle is in motion, and moves toward the front of the vehicle body under sensor or toward the front of the recess. Vehicle underbody monitoring device.

2. The vehicle body has at least the first peripheral sensor, which is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the vehicle body and capable of detecting the road surface around the vehicle body, and the vehicle body has a second peripheral sensor provided in the passenger compartment of the vehicle body and capable of detecting the road surface around the vehicle body. The underbody sensor is provided on the underside of the vehicle body, facing diagonally downward, and is capable of detecting the road surface below the vehicle body and the surrounding road surface. The road surface detection range by the vehicle underbody sensor overlaps with the road surface detection range by the first surrounding sensor. A vehicle underbody monitoring device according to claim 1.

3. A cover member that covers the recess, The vehicle, while stationary, has a friction contact portion that protrudes from the guard member extending along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, The friction portion rubs against the cover member when the guard member moves toward the front side of the vehicle body under sensor or toward the front side of the recess. A vehicle underbody monitoring device according to claim 1 or 2.

Images