Control devices and vehicles

Abstract

To improve safety regarding remote control of a vehicle's tailgate.SOLUTION: A control device is mounted on a vehicle having a remotely controllable tailgate. A control unit of the control device executes opening control of the tailgate when predetermined conditions are met when an opening control command for the tailgate is received from an external device. The predetermined conditions include that the driving of the power source of the vehicle is stopped, and that the tilt angle of the vehicle in the fore-aft direction with respect to the horizontal plane is equal to or smaller than a predetermined angle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to remote control of a tailgate of a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a system for remotely controlling the operation of a control target in a vehicle by a portable device operated by a user. In the system disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the state of the portable device transitions to a predetermined operation state in which the operation by the user is restricted while the control target is operating by remote control, a stop process for stopping the control target is executed. Further, Patent Document 1 describes that the control target includes a tailgate of a vehicle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to improve the safety regarding remote control of a tailgate of a vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] A control device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is a control device mounted on a vehicle having a remotely controllable tailgate, comprising a control unit that executes opening control of the tailgate when a predetermined condition is satisfied when an opening control command for the tailgate is received from an external device, wherein the predetermined condition is that the drive of the power source of the vehicle is stopped and the tilt angle of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction with respect to the horizontal plane is not more than a predetermined angle, Includes.

[0006] A vehicle relating to a second aspect of this disclosure is equipped with a control device relating to a first aspect of this disclosure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, safety related to the remote control of a vehicle's tailgate can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the flow of information in a remote control system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the control device and various devices mounted on the vehicle according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows a vehicle parked on an inclined surface. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows the information processing flow for remote control of opening the tailgate according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the control device and various devices mounted on the vehicle, according to a modified example of the embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows a flow of information processing related to remote control of tailgate opening, according to a modified embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] In recent years, technologies have been developed for remotely controlling a vehicle from a distance. An example of remote control is the control of opening and closing the vehicle's tailgate. If the vehicle's tailgate can be opened and closed remotely, the vehicle's user can use the vehicle as a storage space for luggage, etc., even when they are located away from the vehicle. However, since the tailgate is opened by an operation performed by a user located away from the vehicle, ensuring the safety of the vehicle and its surroundings becomes a challenge. This disclosure has been made in view of these problems.

[0010] A control device according to a first aspect of this disclosure is a device mounted on a vehicle having a remotely controllable tailgate. When the vehicle's tailgate is opened by remote control, the control device receives a tailgate open control command transmitted from an external device. Here, the external device is a device installed outside the vehicle and capable of communicating with the vehicle via a network. For example, the external device receives an instruction to execute remote control transmitted from a user terminal operated by the vehicle's user. The external device, having received the instruction to execute remote control, transmits a control command to the vehicle's control device to execute the instructed remote control.

[0011] When the control unit of the control device receives a tailgate open control command from an external device, it executes the tailgate open control. At this time, the control unit executes the tailgate open control only if predetermined conditions related to the vehicle are met. In other words, if the predetermined conditions are not met, the control unit will not execute the tailgate open control even if it receives a tailgate open control command.

[0012] Here, the predetermined conditions include that the vehicle's power source is stopped and the vehicle's longitudinal inclination angle with respect to the horizontal plane is less than or equal to a predetermined angle. The vehicle's power source is, for example, an internal combustion engine or an electric motor. When the vehicle's power source is stopped, the vehicle is stationary. Furthermore, the vehicle's longitudinal inclination angle with respect to the horizontal plane changes depending on the ground conditions on which the vehicle is stationary. In other words, if the vehicle is stationary on an inclined surface, the vehicle will also be inclined.

[0013] According to this disclosure, it is possible to prevent the tailgate from being opened by remote control while the vehicle is in motion. Furthermore, if the tailgate is opened while the vehicle is parked at a significant tilt in the longitudinal direction, there is a risk that luggage placed inside the vehicle may fall out. In contrast, this disclosure can prevent the tailgate from being opened by remote control when the vehicle is at a significant tilt in the longitudinal direction. This prevents luggage placed inside the vehicle from falling out when the tailgate is opened. Therefore, according to this disclosure, safety regarding the remote control of a vehicle's tailgate can be improved.

[0014] The following describes specific embodiments of this disclosure with reference to the drawings. The dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative arrangements of the components described in these embodiments are not intended to limit the technical scope of this disclosure to those unless otherwise specified.

[0015] <Embodiment> (System Overview) Figure 1 is a diagram showing the flow of information in the remote control system according to this embodiment. The remote control system 1 is a system for remotely controlling the vehicle 10. The remote control system 1 consists of a control device 100 mounted on the vehicle 10, a user terminal 200, and a management Includes server 300.

[0016] The control device 100 controls various devices mounted on the vehicle 10. Also, the vehicle 10 is a vehicle that can be the target of remote control. The vehicle 10 includes a tailgate 11 that can be controlled to open and close by remote control. In the vehicle 10, the tailgate 11 is controlled by the control device 100. Also, various sensors for detecting the state of the vehicle 10 are mounted on the vehicle 10. And the detection values of the various sensors are input to the control device 100.

[0017] The user terminal 200 is a terminal related to the user of the vehicle 10. In the present embodiment, the user terminal 200 is possessed by a user who is not in the vehicle 10. The user is, for example, the owner of the vehicle 10. Also, the user may be the driver of the vehicle 10 who parked the vehicle 10 and got off the vehicle 10. The management server 300 is a server device that remotely controls the vehicle 10. Note that the management server 300 corresponds to the "external device" according to the present disclosure.

[0018] The control device 100, the user terminal 200, and the management server 300 are interconnected by a network. Here, as the network, for example, a WAN (Wide Area Network) such as the Internet or a telephone communication network such as a mobile phone may be adopted. Also, the network may include a telephone communication network such as a mobile phone and a wireless communication network such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0019] When the user attempts to execute remote control of the vehicle 10, based on the user's input, an execution instruction for remote control is transmitted from the user terminal 200 to the management server 300. When the management server 300 receives the execution instruction for remote control from the user terminal 200, it transmits a control command for the remote control instructed to be executed to the control device 100 of the vehicle 10. When the control device 100 receives the control command from the management server 300, it executes the control of the device that is the target of remote control.

[0020] For example, when the control device 100 receives a control command for opening and closing the tailgate 11 from the management server 300, the control device 100 executes the opening and closing control of the tailgate 11. However, if the received control command is an opening control command for the tailgate 11, the control device 100 first determines whether a predetermined condition is met. Then, if the predetermined condition is met, the control device 100 executes the opening control of the tailgate 11. Details of the opening control of the tailgate 11 by remote control will be described later.

[0021] (Control device hardware configuration) Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the control device 100 and various devices mounted on the vehicle 10 according to an embodiment. The control device 100 comprises a control unit 110, a storage unit 120, an in-vehicle communication module 130, and a communication module 140. The control unit 110 has the function of performing calculation processing for controlling the control device 100. The control unit 110 includes a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a main memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory), and an auxiliary memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory). This includes the following. Note that the CPU is an example of a processor resource. RAM and ROM are examples of memory resources. The control unit 110 can perform arbitrary information processing based on various programs and various data. However, some or all of the functions of the control unit 110 may be implemented by hardware circuits such as ASICs and FPGAs.

[0022] The storage unit 120 is composed of any storage device such as RAM, ROM, hard disk drive, or flash memory. The storage unit 120 may also include removable media (portable recording media). Here, removable media is, for example, a USB memory stick or an SD card. The storage unit 120 stores programs executed by the control unit 110, as well as various data used for program execution. The storage unit 120 also stores control data used for executing programs for remote control of the vehicle 10.

[0023] The in-vehicle communication module 130 is an interface that allows the control device 100 to communicate with other devices installed in the vehicle 10 using a predetermined in-vehicle communication standard. Examples of predetermined in-vehicle communication standards include CAN (Controller Area Network) or LIN (Local Interconnect Network).

[0024] Vehicle 10 is equipped with various devices such as a tailgate motor 12, a start switch 13, and a tilt angle sensor 14. The control device 100 communicates with the management server 300 via the in-vehicle communication module 130. The tailgate motor 12 is a motor for driving the opening and closing of the tailgate 11. The control device 100 controls the opening and closing of the tailgate 11 by driving the tailgate motor 12. The start switch 13 is a switch for driving the power source of vehicle 10 (e.g., internal combustion engine, motor, etc.). When the start switch 13 is turned ON, the control device 100 drives the power source of vehicle 10. Also, when the start switch 13 is turned OFF, the control device 100 stops driving the power source of vehicle 10. The tilt angle sensor 14 is a sensor that detects the tilt angle of vehicle 10 in the front-rear direction with respect to the horizontal plane. Figure 3 shows the state of vehicle 10 when parked on an inclined surface. As shown in Figure 3, when vehicle 10 is stopped on an inclined surface such as an uphill slope, vehicle 10 will be tilted in the front-to-back direction. At this time, the tilt angle sensor 14 detects the front-to-back tilt angle Va of vehicle 10 with respect to the horizontal plane. The value detected by the tilt angle sensor 14 is then input to the control device 100.

[0025] The communication module 140 is a communication interface for connecting the control device 100 to a network. The communication module 140 is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface board or a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication. The control device 100 communicates with the management server 300 via the communication module 140.

[0026] The management server 300 is also a computer composed of a control unit, a memory unit, and a communication module. The user terminal 200 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit) It has a processor, main memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory), auxiliary memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory), and a communication interface for connecting the user terminal 200 to a network. Examples of the user terminal 200 include a smartphone, tablet computer, mobile computer, or wearable computer.

[0027] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control device 100 does not necessarily have to be implemented by a single physical configuration, but may be composed of multiple computers installed in the vehicle 10 and cooperating with each other.

[0028] (Information processing flow) Next, the information processing flow performed in the control device 100 will be explained based on Figure 4. Here, we assume a case where a user located away from the vehicle 10 uses the vehicle 10 as a place to receive a delivery. In this case, the user attempts to open the tailgate 11 of the vehicle 10 by remote control so that the delivery person can place the delivery inside the vehicle. At this time, the control device 100 confirms that predetermined conditions for ensuring safety have been met in the vehicle 10, and then executes the control to open the tailgate 11.

[0029] Figure 4 shows the information processing flow for remote control of opening the tailgate 11 according to this embodiment. This flow is executed by the control unit 110 when the control device 100 receives an opening control command for the tailgate 11 from the management server 300.

[0030] In this flow, first, at S101, it is determined whether the start switch 13 of the vehicle 10 is OFF or not. In other words, at S101, it is determined whether the power source of the vehicle 10 is stopped or not. If the determination at S101 is negative, that is, if the power source of the vehicle 10 is running, the execution of this flow is terminated. In this case, the tailgate 11 of the vehicle 10 will not be opened.

[0031] On the other hand, if S101 is determined to be positive, that is, if the drive of the vehicle 10's power source is stopped, then the process in S102 is executed. In S102, the tilt angle Va of the vehicle 10 in the longitudinal direction, detected by the tilt angle sensor 14, is acquired. Next, in S103, it is determined whether the tilt angle Va of the vehicle 10 acquired in S102 is less than or equal to a predetermined angle Va0. Here, the predetermined angle Va0 is set as an angle within the range in which luggage placed inside the vehicle 10 is prevented from moving due to the tilting of the vehicle 10. If S103 is determined to be negative, that is, if the tilt angle Va of the vehicle 10 is greater than the predetermined angle Va0, the execution of this flow is terminated. In this case, as with the case where S101 is determined to be negative, the tailgate 11 of the vehicle 10 is not opened.

[0032] On the other hand, if the result in S103 is positive, the process in S104 is executed next. In S104, the opening control of the tailgate 11 is executed. Specifically, the control unit 110 drives the tailgate motor 12 in the direction that opens the tailgate 11. After that, the execution of this flow is temporarily terminated.

[0033] According to the above flow chart, it is possible to prevent the tailgate 11 from being opened by remote control while the vehicle 10 is in motion. Furthermore, it is also possible to prevent the tailgate 11 from being opened by remote control when the vehicle 10 is tilted significantly in the front-to-back direction. This prevents luggage placed inside the vehicle from falling out when the tailgate 11 is opened. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to improve the safety of remote control of the tailgate 11 of the vehicle 10.

[0034] It is believed that luggage placed inside the vehicle may fall out of the vehicle when the tailgate 11 is opened if the vehicle 10 is tilted to the rear, as shown in Figure 3. Therefore, in this embodiment, the predetermined angle Va0 may be set to an angle at which the vehicle 10 is tilted to the rear. In this case, even if the vehicle 10 is tilted, if the direction of the tilt is towards the front of the vehicle 10, the tailgate 11 opening control will be executed.

[0035] (modified version) The following describes a modified version of this embodiment. In this modified version, the predetermined conditions for performing the opening control of the tailgate 11 by remote control differ from those in the above embodiment. Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the control device 100 and the various devices mounted on the vehicle 10 according to this modified version.

[0036] The configuration of the control device 100 in this modified example is the same as in the embodiment described above. However, in this modified example, in the vehicle 10, the control device 100 communicates with a load sensor 15 and a parking brake sensor 16 via an in-vehicle communication module 130, in addition to the tailgate motor 12, start switch 13, and tilt angle sensor 14. The load sensor 15 is the tailgate The sensor detects the load applied to the motor 12. The parking brake sensor 16 detects whether or not the parking brake is applied in the vehicle 10. The detection values ​​from these sensors are input to the control device 100.

[0037] Next, the information processing flow executed in the control device 100 according to this modified example will be explained with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 shows the information processing flow for remote control of opening the tailgate 11 according to this modified example. This flow, like the flow shown in Figure 4, is executed by the control unit 110 when the control device 100 receives an opening control command for the tailgate 11 from the management server 300. Note that the processing in S101 to S104 in this flow is the same as the processing in the steps with the same reference numbers in the flow shown in Figure 4. Therefore, the explanation of the processing in these steps will be omitted.

[0038] In this flow, if the result in S101 is positive, the process in S202 is executed next. In S202, it is determined whether or not the parking brake is applied to the vehicle 10 based on the detected value input from the parking brake sensor 16. If the result in S202 is negative, that is, if the parking brake is not applied to the vehicle 10, the execution of this flow is terminated. In this case, the tailgate 11 will not be opened on the vehicle 10. On the other hand, if the result in S202 is positive, the process in S102 is executed next.

[0039] Furthermore, in this flow, if a positive result is obtained in S103, the process in S204 is then executed. In S204, it is determined whether the load Lm applied to the tailgate motor 12 in the opening direction of the tailgate 11, as detected by the load sensor 15, is less than or equal to a predetermined load Lm0. Here, if luggage placed inside the vehicle 10 were to come into contact with the tailgate 11 and apply a load to the tailgate 11 from the inside, there is a risk that the luggage would fall out of the vehicle when the tailgate 11 is opened. Therefore, the predetermined load Lm0 is set as a threshold that allows it to be determined that no load is being applied to the tailgate 11 from inside the vehicle 10. When a load is applied to the tailgate 11 from inside the vehicle 10, the load Lm applied to the tailgate motor 12 in the opening direction of the tailgate 11 increases. Therefore, if the load Lm applied to the tailgate motor 12 in the opening direction of the tailgate 11 is less than or equal to the predetermined load Lm0, it can be determined that no load is being applied to the tailgate 11 from inside the vehicle 10.

[0040] If the result in S205 is negative, that is, if a load is being applied to the tailgate 11 from inside the vehicle 10, the execution of this flow is terminated. In this case, the tailgate 11 will not be opened in the vehicle 10. On the other hand, if the result in S202 is positive, that is, if no load is being applied to the tailgate 11 from inside the vehicle 10, the process in S104 is executed next. In other words, the control to open the tailgate 11 is executed.

[0041] According to the above flow chart, it is possible to prevent the tailgate 11 from being opened by remote control when the parking brake is not applied to the vehicle 10. Furthermore, it is also possible to prevent the tailgate 11 from being opened by remote control when luggage placed inside the vehicle 10 is in contact with the tailgate 11 and applying an inward load to the tailgate 11. As a result, it is possible to reduce the probability of luggage placed inside the vehicle falling out when the tailgate 11 is opened. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the safety of remote control of the tailgate 11 of the vehicle 10 can be further improved.

[0042] <Other Embodiments> The embodiments described above are merely examples, and this disclosure may be modified as appropriate without departing from its essence. Furthermore, the processes and means described in this disclosure may not result in any technical inconsistencies. As long as it does not violate any rules, it can be freely combined and implemented.

[0043] Furthermore, a process described as being performed by a single device may be divided and executed by multiple devices. Conversely, a process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by a single device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) by which each function is implemented can be flexibly changed.

[0044] The present disclosure can also be realized by supplying a computer program implementing the functions described in the embodiments above to a computer, and having one or more processors in the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer by a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium that can be connected to the computer's system bus, or it may be provided to the computer via a network. The non-temporary computer-readable storage medium includes any type of disk, such as magnetic disks (floppy disks, hard disk drives (HDDs), etc.), optical disks (CD-ROMs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), EPROM, EEPROM, magnetic cards, flash memory, or optical cards, and any other type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0045] 1. Remote control system 10. Vehicles 11. Tailgate 12. Tailgate Motor 13. Start switch 14. Tilt Angle Sensor 15. Load sensor 16. Parking brake sensor 100... Control device 110. Control Unit 120...Storage section 130. In-vehicle communication module 140 ··Communication Module 200 User Terminals 300 ·· Management Server

Claims

1. A control device mounted on a vehicle having a remotely controllable tailgate, The system includes a control unit that executes tailgate opening control when a tailgate opening control command is received from an external device and predetermined conditions are met, The aforementioned predetermined conditions are: The power source of the vehicle is stopped, and the angle of inclination of the vehicle toward the rear in the longitudinal direction with respect to the horizontal plane is less than or equal to a predetermined angle. A control device, including a control device.

2. The aforementioned predetermined conditions are: No load is applied to the tailgate from inside the vehicle. Further including, The control device according to claim 1.

3. A sensor is provided in the vehicle to detect the load applied to the motor for driving the opening and closing of the tailgate. The fact that no load is applied to the tailgate from inside the vehicle is determined by the fact that the load applied to the motor in the opening direction of the tailgate, as detected by the sensor, is less than or equal to a predetermined load. The control device according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned predetermined conditions are: In the aforementioned vehicle, the parking brake is engaged. Further including, The control device according to claim 1.

5. A vehicle equipped with the control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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