Parking assist system

Abstract

To perform a parking support while alleviating a load accompanied by learning processing, in parking to a parking region which is used often by a driver or the like.SOLUTION: A parking support device registers parking information including the position information of a parking region to a storage device possessed by an external information processor via a communication network in association with user information which is registered at each user of a vehicle every time the vehicle is parked in the parking region. Then, the parking support device learns the parking region which satisfies a prescribed condition out of the parking region included in the parking information as a parking support objective parking region, and also, registers it to the parking information. Also, the parking support device accesses the storage device possessed by the external information processor during the traveling of a vehicle, determines whether the vehicle approaches a range of a prescribed distance from the objective parking region on the basis of the position information of the objective parking region which is stored in association with the user information, and current position information of the vehicle, and performs the automatic control of a parking support in order to make the vehicle park in the objective parking region when the vehicle approaches the range of the prescribed distance.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a parking assistance device that assists a driver in parking a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] In vehicles such as automobiles, there is a technology that assists a driver in parking the vehicle in a parking space. In such a technology, the following conventional technologies have been proposed. In the conventional technology, in the learning mode, reference data around the parking space is detected and stored using a sensor device mounted on the vehicle. Then, in the operation mode, parking assistance is performed while comparing the reference data with sensor data detected by the sensor device.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In an example of such a conventional technology, for example, when the situation around the parking space where reference data is stored in the learning mode changes (for example, the scenery changes due to snow accumulation, etc.), a difference occurs between the reference data and the actual situation, and parking assistance may become difficult. On the other hand, if the process of storing reference data by the learning mode is frequently performed, it may impose a load on the control device and the storage device, so it is desirable to reduce this load.

[0005] Therefore, in at least one aspect of the present invention, one object is to realize parking assistance while reducing the load associated with the learning process for parking in a parking space (parking area) frequently used by a driver or the like.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In one aspect of the present invention, a parking assistance device includes: a parking information learning unit that, each time a vehicle is parked in a parking area, registers parking information including location information of the parking area in a storage device of an external information processing device via a communication network, in association with user information registered for each user of the vehicle, and learns parking areas that satisfy predetermined conditions from among the parking areas included in the parking information as target parking areas for parking assistance and further registers them in the parking information; and a parking control unit that, while the vehicle is in motion, accesses a storage device of the external information processing device, determines whether the vehicle has approached within a predetermined distance from the target parking area based on the location information of the target parking area stored in association with the user information of the vehicle's user and the current location information of the vehicle, and when the vehicle approaches within the predetermined distance, executes automatic control of parking assistance to park the vehicle in the target parking area. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide parking assistance for parking in parking areas frequently used by drivers, etc., while reducing the load associated with learning processing. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a vehicle on which the parking assist system of one embodiment of the present invention is implemented. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of a parking assist system in a rapidly increasing number of cases. [Figure 3] This block diagram shows the configuration of a parking assistance system and an external server that is communicatively connected to the parking assistance system in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] An example of a data structure used in one embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 5] A concrete example of the data used in one embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 6] This flowchart shows an example of parking assistance processing in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows an example of parking assistance processing in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This flowchart shows an example of parking pattern determination processing in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between a target parking area and a vehicle to which one embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Figure 10] This is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between a target parking area and a vehicle to which one embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Figure 11] This flowchart shows an example of a vehicle registration process in one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein, and different embodiments and their variations can be combined as appropriate.

[0010] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the hardware configuration of a vehicle 1 equipped with a vehicle parking assist device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Vehicle 1 is a four-wheeled vehicle having a left front wheel 2, a right front wheel 3, a left rear wheel 4, and a right rear wheel 5. Each wheel 2-5 is equipped with a wheel cylinder 6-9 that includes a cylinder for transmitting hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper of each wheel. The hydraulic pressure of these wheel cylinders 6-9 is controlled by adjusting the hydraulic pressure of the master cylinder in the brake system 10 (hydraulic pressure control device). The braking mechanism of the service brakes of these vehicles 1 is not limited to hydraulic friction brakes, but may also be an electric friction brake, or may have multiple braking systems. Vehicle 1 is also equipped with an electric parking brake (EPB (Electronic Parking Brake)) device 11. The electric parking brake device 11 drives the parking brake by controlling electric actuators incorporated into the brake calipers of the rear wheels 4 and 5.

[0012] The engine 12 is a power unit (power source) that includes an internal combustion engine that controls the output torque to the wheels 2-5 by electronically controlling the electronically controlled throttle and injectors. The power source of the vehicle 1 may also be, for example, a wheel drive motor that is driven by electricity supplied from a battery and controls the output torque to the wheels 2-5. Alternatively, the power source may consist of both the engine 12 and the wheel drive motor.

[0013] The transmission 13 is a power transmission device that transmits power generated by the engine 12, which is the power source, to the wheels 2-5 while changing the output torque, rotational speed, and rotational direction according to the driving conditions. The steering device 14 is an electric power steering mechanism equipped with a motor that generates steering assist force, and is a device equipped with actuators related to steering.

[0014] The parking support device 21 is an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that executes parking support for the vehicle 1. The parking support device 21 controls the brake device 10, the electric parking brake device 11, the engine 12, the transmission 13, and the steering device 14 based on various sensors and setting information, thereby assisting the operation of parking the vehicle 1 in a parking lot. Details of the functional configuration and hardware configuration of the parking support device 21 will be described later.

[0015] FIG. 2 shows an example of the configuration of a parking support system 100 mounted on the vehicle 1. The parking support system 100 includes the parking support device 21. The parking support system 100 also includes a satellite positioning system (such as GPS (Global Positioning System)) signal receiving device 31, a communication device 32, an external sensor 33, and a parking support execution switch 34 that provide input information to the parking support device 21. Further, the parking support system 100 includes wheel speed sensors 41, an acceleration sensor 42, a gyro sensor 43, an accelerator sensor 44, a brake sensor 45, and a steering angle sensor 46 as vehicle sensors. The parking support system 100 also includes a display 51 and a speaker 52 capable of outputting information transmitted from the parking support device 21. Further, the parking support system 100 includes an engine ECU 61, a steering ECU 62, a transmission ECU 63, a brake ECU 64, and an electric parking brake ECU 65 connected to in-vehicle devices that output and operate operation signals from the parking support device 21.

[0016] The parking support device 21 includes a parking control unit 22, a parking information learning unit 23, and a vehicle information registration unit 24, the functions of which are realized by a program stored in a storage device included in a microcomputer being loaded and executed by a processor.

[0017] The parking control unit 22 identifies that a target parking area (hereinafter simply referred to as the target parking area) for which parking support is to be performed exists near the vehicle 1 based on data stored in the storage device of the server 900 described later. Then, based on the setting content of the parking support availability information and the operation of the parking support execution switch 34 by the driver or the like who is the user of the vehicle, etc., automatic control of the parking support for the target parking area is performed. Specifically, the parking control unit 22 detects the positions of surrounding objects in the target parking area based on the input from the external sensor 33. Then, the parking control unit 22 calculates the operation amounts of the brake device 10, the electric parking brake device 11, the engine 12, the transmission 13, the steering device 14, etc. based on various vehicle sensors. Then, the parking control unit 22 outputs an operation signal to the respective ECUs of these in-vehicle devices based on the calculated operation amounts.

[0018] Each time the vehicle 1 parks in a parking area (including both cases where it parks by automatic control of parking support and where it parks by the driver's operation), the parking information learning unit 23 registers information including the position information of the parking area in the storage device of the server 900 as parking history information 914 of the parking support related information 910 described later. In this embodiment, registration means accessing the storage means and storing, and in some cases, also includes updating existing information. Further, the parking information learning unit 23 learns, as the parking learning information 915 of the parking support related information 910 described later, a parking area that satisfies a predetermined condition among the parking areas included in the parking history information 914 based on the parking history information 914, and registers it in the storage device of the server 900. Here, the parking information learning unit 23 determines which of a plurality of parking patterns the parking situation corresponds to based on the parking information. Then, the parking information learning unit 23 determines whether to register the parking history information 914 and the parking learning information 915 according to the determined parking pattern, and if it matches a predetermined pattern, does not perform further registration of these information regarding the parking area.

[0019] When the vehicle used by the driver is changed, the vehicle information registration unit 24, in response to the driver's actions, sets permission to use the past parking history information 914 and parking learning information 915 in the new vehicle. The vehicle information registration unit 24 also registers the vehicle information of the changed vehicle in the storage device of the server 900 as vehicle information 912 of the parking assistance related information 910.

[0020] The satellite positioning system signal receiving device 31 determines the position information of the vehicle 1 based on the satellite positioning system signals received from an artificial satellite (positioning satellite). The communication device 32 is, for example, a WiFi connection device, a beacon connection device, or an IMES (Indoor Messaging System), and is used to obtain accurate location information inside buildings or underground. The communication device 32 also includes a wireless transceiver that performs wireless communication and can connect to a base station, which will be described later. The external sensors 33 include, for example, cameras, radar, and LiDAR. The cameras are, for example, digital cameras or infrared cameras using image sensors such as CCD or CMOS, and they capture images of the area around the vehicle. The radar is a device that emits electromagnetic waves such as millimeter waves, and detects the reflected waves that are reflected by objects around the vehicle to detect the position and shape of each object. The LiDAR is a device that emits short-wavelength electromagnetic waves such as ultraviolet light, visible light, and near-infrared light in a pulsed manner, and can detect the reflected waves that are reflected by objects around the vehicle to detect the position and shape of each object with high precision. The parking assist device 21 detects objects present around the vehicle 1 using at least one or more combinations of these cameras, radar, and LiDAR.

[0021] The parking assist execution switch 34 is a switch that accepts input from the driver or other user to select whether or not to perform parking assist. The parking assist execution switch 34 may be installed, for example, on the steering device 14 or the center console, or it may be displayed as a user interface on the display 51 or the like. By operating the parking assist execution switch 34, the driver or other user can select to perform parking assist or cancel parking assist.

[0022] The wheel speed sensor 41 is a sensor that detects the rotational speed of each wheel as a signal, making it possible to calculate the driving speed. The acceleration sensor 42 detects the acceleration of the vehicle 1 in the longitudinal direction, the acceleration in the width direction, and the vertical direction. The gyro sensor 43 detects the angular velocity of the angle of rotation of the vehicle 1 around three axes, including the roll axis, pitch axis, and yaw axis. The accelerator sensor 44 detects the amount the accelerator pedal is pressed (accelerator opening). The brake sensor 45 detects the amount the brake pedal is pressed (the amount of brake operation). The steering angle sensor 46 detects the amount of steering (steering angle) of the steering wheel.

[0023] The display 51 displays the navigation system and other information, as well as messages output to the driver from various ECUs of the vehicle 1. The display 51 can also display a user interface and accept input operations from the driver. Speaker 52 is capable of outputting voice messages from various ECUs of vehicle 1 to the driver, etc.

[0024] The engine ECU 61 calculates the engine control amount based on the input signal and outputs a control signal to the injector of the engine 12. The injector then adjusts the fuel injection amount based on the control signal, thereby adjusting the output of the engine 12 and controlling the engine torque. The steering ECU 62 calculates the steering angle based on the amount of steering wheel movement and outputs a control signal to the steering actuator. The steering actuator controls the steering device 14 based on this control signal. The transmission ECU 63 calculates the gear ratio based on input signals such as driving speed and accelerator pedal input, and outputs a control signal to the actuator. The actuator of the transmission 13 controls the transmission 13 based on this control signal. The brake ECU 64 calculates the amount of brake operation based on the input signal and outputs a control signal to the brake actuator. Based on this control signal, the brake actuator generates pneumatic and hydraulic pressure from the brake device 10 to act on each wheel and controls the brake torque generated on each wheel. The electric parking brake ECU65 outputs a control signal to the actuator in response to a command to activate the electric parking brake. The electric parking brake actuator then activates the electric parking brake in accordance with this control signal.

[0025] Each of the above components is connected by an in-vehicle network. The in-vehicle network 181 consists of, for example, CAN (Controller Area Network), LIN (Local Interconnect Network), Ethernet (registered trademark), FlexRay, etc.

[0026] Furthermore, the parking assist device 21, as well as various ECUs such as the engine ECU 61, steering ECU 62, transmission ECU 63, brake ECU 64, and electric parking brake ECU 65, all include a processor, SRAM, FROM, a communication interface, and an internal bus that connects them to enable intercommunication. The processor is hardware that executes instruction sets (data transfer, calculation, processing, control, management, etc.) described in a program, and consists of an arithmetic unit, registers that store instructions and information, peripheral circuits, etc. The SRAM is a volatile memory in which data is lost when the power supply is cut off, and provides a temporary storage area used by the processor while it is operating. The FROM is a non-volatile memory in which data can be electrically rewritten, and stores programs that manage each ECU and various data used for the operation of said programs. The communication interface is composed of, for example, a CAN transceiver, and provides a function to connect to an in-vehicle network. Furthermore, at least the parking assist device 21 is further connected to a communication device 32 via a gateway and has a communication interface that enables wireless communication with a base station, which will be described later. Furthermore, the gateway provides a function to convert the protocol of the data transmitted from the base station into a protocol that can be processed by the parking assistance device 21, and also to convert the protocol of the data processed by the parking assistance device 21 into a protocol that can be processed by the base station.

[0027] Here, the parking assistance system 100 installed in the aforementioned vehicle 1 communicates wirelessly with a server 900 included in an external cloud system via a base station, as shown in Figure 3. For example, the parking assistance system 100 can communicate with the server 900 via the Internet. The server 900 is an information processing device equipped with a processor, a storage device, and a communication device. The server 900 has parking assistance-related information 910 stored in its own storage device. The parking control unit 22, parking information learning unit 23, and vehicle information registration unit 24 of the parking assistance device 21 of the parking assistance system 100 access the parking assistance-related information 910 of the server 900 by performing wireless communication.

[0028] Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the data structure of parking assistance-related information 910. The parking assistance-related information 910 includes user information 911, vehicle information 912, availability setting information 913, parking history information 914, and parking learning information 915. User information 911 is data registered for each vehicle user, i.e., driver. User information 911 includes a unique user ID assigned to each user and a password used for authentication to access parking assistance-related information 910.

[0029] Vehicle information 912 is data that is associated one-to-one or one-to-many with each piece of data in user information 911; that is, one or more pieces of data may be registered for each user, and is registered for each vehicle used by the user. Vehicle information 912 includes a vehicle identification number and vehicle dimension information that are uniquely assigned to each vehicle. Vehicle dimension information includes, for example, information on the minimum turning radius, overall length, overall width, wheelbase, tread (front and rear), inner wheel difference, and outer wheel difference.

[0030] The permission / failure setting information 913 is data that is associated one-to-one with each piece of data in the user information 911, that is, data registered for each user, and includes parking assistance permission / failure information that sets whether or not to enable the execution of parking assistance, and past vehicle parking history usage permission / failure information. For example, the parking assistance permission / failure information can be set to one of three types: "always execute," "execute based on user selection," or "do not execute." Note that setting the parking assistance permission / failure information for each user is just one example; it is also possible to set it for each vehicle or each parking area, for example. The past vehicle parking history usage permission / failure information indicates whether or not to allow the use of parking history information 914 and parking learning information 915 recorded in the past vehicle when the vehicle used by the driver changes and new vehicle information 912 is registered. This parking assistance permission / failure information and past vehicle parking history usage permission / failure information can be set by the driver, for example, via the user interface of the display 51 or the user's smartphone, and can be changed as needed.

[0031] The parking history information 914 is data that is associated one-to-one or one-to-many with each piece of data in the vehicle information 912, meaning that one or more pieces of data may be provided for each vehicle, and this data is set each time vehicle 1 is parked in a parking area. Each piece of data in the parking history information 914 may include location information of the parking area, driving information from the start of parking to the parking position (route, vehicle speed, incline), parking start time, and parking end time.

[0032] The parking learning information 915 is data that is associated one-to-one or one-to-many with each data point in the vehicle information 912, meaning that one or more data points may be provided for each vehicle, and is provided for each parking area based on the parking history information 914. Specifically, the parking learning information 915 registers parking areas that meet predetermined conditions from among the parking areas included in the parking history information 914 as parking areas subject to parking assistance. Each data point in the parking learning information 915 may include location information of the parking area, driving information from the start of parking to the parking position, parking frequency for the parking area (e.g., number of parkings in a predetermined period), number of parkings (e.g., cumulative number of parkings), parking time (e.g., average parking time per parking or cumulative parking time), parking assistance target information (information indicating whether or not the parking area in the data is a parking area subject to parking assistance), and a parking pattern. Here, a parking pattern is a classification of parking situations for a parking area into multiple patterns. As an example, a parking pattern can be a pattern that classifies parking situations based on at least one of the parking frequency and average parking time for a parking area. In this embodiment, parking patterns are classified based on both parking frequency and average parking time. Specifically, in this embodiment, such parking patterns are classified into four categories: "high frequency, short duration," "high frequency, long duration," "low frequency, short duration," and "low frequency, long duration." Furthermore, regarding the driving information from the start to the end of parking in the parking learning information 915, if there are multiple patterns for parking in the parking area (for example, if the parking area can be approached from multiple directions), multiple driving information entries may be registered.

[0033] Note that the parking history information 914 and parking learning information 915 are examples of parking information, and the data structure is not limited to this example. In addition, the parking learning information 915 may be configured to register only the data for the parking area that will be used for parking assistance. Furthermore, both the parking history information 914 and the parking learning information 915 are associated with the higher-level user information 911 via the vehicle information 912. However, this data structure is merely one example; for instance, it is also possible to have a structure in which the user information 911 is directly associated with the parking history information 914 and the parking learning information 915 without going through the vehicle information 912.

[0034] Figure 5 shows a specific example of some of the data associated with user information 911, vehicle information 912, and parking learning information 915 from the parking assistance-related information 910. In the example in Figure 5, user information 911 for three users, user IDs "A000001", "B000001", and "C000001", is registered as parking assistance-related information 910. Of these, vehicle information 912 for two vehicles with vehicle identification numbers "x1111111" and "x2222222" is registered for user "A000001". Furthermore, parking learning information 915 for multiple parking areas is registered for each of the two vehicles with vehicle identification numbers "x1111111" and "x2222222". In this parking assistance-related information 910, for example, the parking learning information 915 for two vehicles with vehicle identification numbers "x1111111" and "x2222222" is, in common, data based on the parking history of the user with user ID "A000001". Thus, in the parking assistance-related information 910, the parking learning information 915 is associated with vehicle information 912, and also with user information 911, which is higher level. Therefore, even if the user changes the vehicle they use through the processing described later, it becomes possible to use automatic control of parking assistance based on the parking history of the vehicle they previously used.

[0035] Figures 6 and 7 are flowcharts illustrating an example of a parking assistance process performed by the parking assistance device 21. Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a parking pattern determination process performed in the parking assistance process. In step 1, the parking control unit 22 determines whether the current position of vehicle 1 is within a predetermined distance (for example, within several tens of meters) from the target parking area for which parking assistance is to be provided, based on the position information of vehicle 1 obtained from the satellite positioning system signal receiver 31. Specifically, the parking control unit 22 accesses parking assistance-related information 910 stored in the storage device of server 900 via the base station from the communication device 32 (wireless transceiver). At this time, the parking control unit 22 transmits the driver's user ID to server 900 and refers to the data of the parking learning information 915 stored in the storage device of server 900 that is associated with user information 911, which includes the driver's user ID. If there are multiple such vehicle information 912s, the parking control unit 22 refers to the past vehicle parking history usage permission information of permission setting information 913 associated with user information 911, which includes the driver's user ID. If the setting allows the use of past vehicle parking history, the parking control unit 22 refers to the parking learning information 915 data associated with all vehicle information 912 associated with user information 911, which includes the driver's user ID. On the other hand, if the setting allows the use of past vehicle parking history, only the data of the parking learning information 915 associated with the latest vehicle information 912 is referenced. The parking control unit 22 then determines whether there is data for a parking area in that data where the location information indicates a location within a predetermined distance from the current location, and the parking assistance target information indicates that it is a target parking area. If a target parking area exists, the system proceeds to step 2 (Yes); otherwise, the determination in step 1 is continued (No).

[0036] In step 2, the parking control unit 22 notifies the driver or other person that a target parking area exists near the vehicle 1. For example, the parking control unit 22 outputs a message (announcement) such as "There is a registered parking space nearby." This message may be displayed via the display 51, or the content may be output as audio from the speaker 52. Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating the processes of step 1 and step 2, along with the positional relationship between the vehicle 1 and the target parking area. As shown in Figure 9, the parking control unit 22 outputs the above message to the driver or other person when the vehicle 1 enters within a predetermined distance from the target parking area.

[0037] In step 3, the parking control unit 22 determines, based on the position information of vehicle 1 obtained from the satellite positioning system signal receiver 31, whether vehicle 1 is approaching within a predetermined distance (for example, within a few meters) that is even closer to the target parking area, in other words, within the range where parking assistance can be initiated. If vehicle 1 is approaching the target parking area, the process proceeds to step 4 (Yes); otherwise, the determination in step 3 is continued (No). If vehicle 1 moves outside the predetermined distance that was the criterion for the determination in step 1, the process of step 1 is repeated.

[0038] In step 4, the parking control unit 22 refers to the parking assistance availability information in the availability setting information 913 associated with the driver's user ID and determines whether the parking assistance setting is enabled or disabled. For example, if the parking assistance availability information has three settings, such as "always perform," "perform based on user selection," and "do not perform," the setting is considered enabled if either "always perform" or "perform based on user selection" is selected. If the parking assistance setting is enabled, the process proceeds to step 5 (Yes); otherwise, it proceeds to step 11 (No).

[0039] In step 5, the parking control unit 22 receives a selection input from the driver or other user via the parking assistance execution switch 34 regarding whether or not to perform parking assistance. This selection input is only accepted when the parking assistance availability information is set to "execute based on user selection". For example, the parking control unit 22 outputs a confirmation message such as "Do you want to perform parking assistance?" via the display 51 or speaker 52, and the driver or other user responds by operating the parking assistance execution switch 34, thereby realizing the selection input. Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the processes in steps 3 to 5, along with the positional relationship between the vehicle 1 and the target parking area. As shown in Figure 10, the parking control unit 22 outputs the above message to the driver or other user when the vehicle 1 enters within a predetermined distance from the target parking area where parking assistance can be initiated.

[0040] In step 6, the parking control unit 22 determines whether or not to perform parking assistance based on the combination of parking assistance availability information and the operation of the parking assistance execution switch 34. Specifically, the parking control unit 22 determines to perform parking assistance if the parking assistance availability information is "always perform", or if the parking assistance availability information is "perform based on user selection" and the user has selected to perform parking assistance through the selection input in step 5. If parking assistance is to be performed, the system proceeds to step 7 (Yes); otherwise, it proceeds to step 11 (No).

[0041] In step 7, the parking control unit 22 acquires various information detected by the external sensor 33 regarding the target parking area. Specifically, if there is any information detected about objects within the target parking area and within the area that vehicle 1 can pass through when parking vehicle 1 from its current position to the target parking area, the parking control unit 22 acquires that information. The area that vehicle 1 can pass through when parking vehicle 1 from its current position to the target parking area may be identified using the driving information from the start to the end of parking set in the parking learning information 915, or it may be calculated from the position information of the target parking area and the current position of vehicle 1.

[0042] In step 8, the parking control unit 22 determines, based on the information obtained in step 7, whether or not there are any obstacles (including people, etc.) within the target parking area and within the area that vehicle 1 may pass through when parking vehicle 1 from its current position to the target parking area. If there are no obstacles, proceed to step 9 (Yes); otherwise, proceed to step 11 (No).

[0043] In step 9, the parking control unit 22 performs automatic control of parking assistance to park vehicle 1 in the target parking area. Specifically, the parking control unit 22 performs automatic control associated with parking assistance by referring to the driving information from the start to the end of parking, which can be obtained from the parking learning information 915 associated with the driver's user information 911. Alternatively, the parking control unit 22 can also perform automatic control associated with parking assistance by calculating the driving route etc. from the location information of the target parking area and the current position of vehicle 1. In this case, if multiple vehicle information 912 associated with the driver's user information 911 are registered, the parking control unit 22 will perform automatic control of parking assistance for the target parking area of ​​the parking learning information 915 associated with the multiple vehicle information 912. When calculating the driving route etc. from the location information of the target parking area and the current position of vehicle 1, the parking control unit 22 refers to the vehicle dimension information included in the data of the latest vehicle identification number among the multiple vehicle information 912. The parking control unit 22 then calculates the driving path, etc., based on the minimum turning radius, overall length, overall width, wheelbase, tread (front and rear), inner wheel difference, and outer wheel difference, etc., included in the reference dimension information. In this control, the parking control unit 22 acquires input information from various vehicle sensors, namely the wheel speed sensor 41, acceleration sensor 42, gyro sensor 43, accelerator sensor 44, brake sensor 45, steering angle sensor 46, etc. Based on this input information, the parking control unit 22 calculates the amount of operation for the brake device 10, electric parking brake device 11, engine 12, transmission 13, steering device 14, etc. Furthermore, based on this amount of operation, the parking control unit 22 outputs control signals to the engine ECU 61, steering ECU 62, transmission ECU 63, brake ECU 64, electric parking brake ECU 65, etc., thereby realizing parking assistance control of the vehicle 1. At that time, the parking control unit 22 acquires information such as the position and size of objects in the target parking area and its surroundings from the external sensor 33, and controls the vehicle 1 while referring to this information.Here, the parking control unit 22 may use an external sensor 33 to detect the positions of other vehicles parked adjacent to the target parking area or the garage wall, and based on these positions and the width of the vehicle 1, it may park the vehicle while ensuring that the space from the other vehicles or the garage wall is evenly distributed to the vehicle. In addition, if the space from the other vehicles or the garage wall to the vehicle is less than a predetermined value (for example, if it is difficult to open or close the doors), the parking assist control may be stopped and an announcement may be made to the driver. With this parking assist control, the driver does not need to perform any parking operations (for example, brake pedal operation, steering operation, accelerator pedal operation, shift operation, etc.).

[0044] Furthermore, in step 9 above, when parking for the first time with the modified new vehicle in a target parking area learned with the previous vehicle, the parking control unit 22 may perform the following processing. That is, the parking control unit 22 refers to the vehicle information 912 associated with the driver's user information 911, and if the dimensions of the vehicle indicated by the vehicle dimension information in the vehicle dimension information 912 registered for the latest vehicle are larger than the dimensions indicated by the vehicle dimension information of the previous vehicle (especially the most recent vehicle), it may output a warning. For example, such a situation may occur when the inner wheel difference or outer wheel difference of the vehicle is larger than that of the previous vehicle. As for the manner in which the warning is output, for example, before starting parking assistance, a message such as "The vehicle size has been changed (expanded), do you want to proceed with parking?" may be output by voice or on the display. Furthermore, the driver may then be asked to decide whether or not to use automatic control of parking assistance, and automatic control of parking assistance may be performed according to the driver's input.

[0045] In step 10, the parking control unit 22 determines whether or not the driver has performed any driving operations during the automatic control of the parking assist. If an operation has been performed, it determines that the parking assist has been canceled and proceeds to step 11 (Yes); otherwise, it proceeds to step 12 (No). In step 11, the parking control unit 22 performs normal control based on the driver's own parking operation of vehicle 1. In this parking assistance process, the parking control unit 22 performs this normal control in the following cases: when the parking assistance setting is disabled, when the driver has chosen not to provide parking assistance, when there are obstacles in the parking area, etc., or when the driver has performed the parking operation themselves.

[0046] In step 12, the parking information learning unit 23 determines whether a predetermined period has elapsed since the initial registration of the parking history information 914 corresponding to the parking area where the vehicle was parked. For example, the parking information learning unit 23 can refer to the parking history information 914 and determine whether a predetermined period has elapsed since the earliest parking start date and time set in the data where the parking area where the vehicle was parked matches the location information. Note that matching location information includes not only an exact match but also an error within a predetermined range. Alternatively, the parking information learning unit 23 may determine whether a predetermined period has elapsed since the initial registration of the parking learning information 915 instead of the parking history information 914. If the elapsed period is equal to or greater than the predetermined period, the unit proceeds to step 13 (Yes); otherwise, the unit proceeds to step 14 (No).

[0047] In step 13, the parking information learning unit 23 executes a parking pattern determination process. Details of the parking pattern determination process will be described later.

[0048] In step 14, the parking information learning unit 23 stores the location information of the parking area where the vehicle was parked, and various information related to the parking, as parking history information 914 in the storage means, either through parking control by parking assistance in step 9 or through the driver's own parking operation in step 11. At this time, the parking information learning unit 23 stores the parking history information 914 in association with user information 911 and vehicle information 912. Specifically, in step 9 or step 11, the parking information learning unit 23 registers data including the location information of the parking area where the vehicle 1 was parked, driving information from the start of parking to the parking position (route, vehicle speed, incline), the date and time the parking started, and the date and time the parking ended, in the parking history information 914 in association with vehicle information 912. Here, the parking history information 914 is associated with user information 911 via vehicle information 912. Note that the start of parking can be identified, for example, by the timing when the shift operation of vehicle 1 is changed from drive (D) to reverse (R) and vehicle 1 is moved backward. On the other hand, the completion of parking can be identified, for example, by the timing of when the electric parking brake device 11 is activated or when the ignition switch is turned off.

[0049] Furthermore, in step 14, the parking information learning unit 23 registers parking learning information 915 based on the information registered in the parking history information 914. Similarly, the parking information learning unit 23 stores the parking learning information 915 in association with user information 911 and vehicle information 912. Specifically, if data corresponding to the parking area where the vehicle was parked this time already exists in the parking learning information 915, the parking information learning unit 23 reflects the information regarding this parking in relation to the parking frequency, number of parkings, and parking time of that data. On the other hand, if data corresponding to the parking area where the vehicle was parked this time is not registered in the parking learning information 915, the parking information learning unit 23 adds the data corresponding to that parking area in association with vehicle information 912 and then reflects the information regarding this parking. Here, the parking learning information 915 is associated with user information 911 via vehicle information 912. Then, based on the parking frequency, number of parkings, and parking time of the data, the parking information learning unit 23 determines whether the parking area of ​​the data meets the predetermined conditions for being a parking area subject to parking assistance. The predetermined conditions may include, for example, at least one of the following: the parking frequency in the parking learning information 915 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value; the number of parking sessions is equal to or greater than a predetermined number; or the parking time is equal to or greater than a predetermined time. If the parking area in the data satisfies the predetermined conditions, the parking information learning unit 23 sets information in the parking support target information of the data indicating that it is a parking area subject to parking support. Furthermore, the parking information learning unit 23 can also register the parking learning information 915 at any other arbitrary time (for example, when the ignition switch of vehicle 1 is turned on or at a pre-set time) based on the accumulated parking history information 914, rather than in step 12.

[0050] Next, we will explain an example of the parking pattern determination process shown in Figure 8. In step 21, the parking information learning unit 23 refers to the parking learning information 915 and checks (verifies) the parking pattern of the data corresponding to the parking area where the vehicle was parked this time. In step 22, the parking information learning unit 23 determines whether the parking pattern is "high frequency short time" or "high frequency long time". If the parking pattern is not "high frequency short time" or "high frequency long time", proceed to step 23 (No). If it is "high frequency short time" or "high frequency long time", terminate the driving assistance process (Yes). In other words, if the parking pattern is set to "high frequency short time" or "high frequency long time", further registration of parking history information 914 and parking learning information 915 related to the parking area where the vehicle was parked in step 14 is not performed.

[0051] In step 23, the parking information learning unit 23 refers to the number of parking sessions, parking frequency, and parking time in the parking learning information 915 to confirm the parking status in the parking area where the vehicle was parked. Alternatively, the parking information learning unit 23 may also refer to the parking history information 914 to calculate the number of parking sessions, parking frequency, and parking time. In step 24, the parking information learning unit 23 determines whether the parking frequency for the parking area where the vehicle was parked is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The parking frequency may be set based on the number of times the vehicle has been parked in a predetermined period. For example, this determination may be based on whether the parking frequency is equal to or greater than 50 percent of the number of days in the predetermined period (for example, whether the vehicle has been parked for 15 days or more if the period is 30 days). If the parking frequency is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the system proceeds to step 25 (Yes); otherwise, it proceeds to step 28 (No).

[0052] In step 25, the parking information learning unit 23 determines whether the average parking time per instance for the parking area is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. For example, this determination can be based on whether the average parking time is 1 hour or more. If the average parking time is not equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the system proceeds to step 26 (No), and if the average parking time is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the system proceeds to step 27 (Yes). In step 26, the parking information learning unit 23 sets the parking pattern of the parking learning information 915 to "high frequency short time". In step 27, the parking information learning unit 23 sets the parking pattern of the parking learning information 915 to "high frequency, long duration".

[0053] In step 28, the parking information learning unit 23 refers to the number of parking sessions in the parking learning information 915 and determines whether the number of parking sessions for the parking area is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. For example, this determination can be based on whether the cumulative number of parking sessions is 10 or more. If the number of parking sessions is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the process proceeds to step 29 (Yes); otherwise, the parking pattern determination process ends (No). In step 29, the parking information learning unit 23 determines whether the parking pattern is "infrequent short-term" or "infrequent long-term". If the parking pattern is not "infrequent short-term" or "infrequent long-term", the process proceeds to step 30 (No). If the parking pattern is "infrequent short-term" or "infrequent long-term", the driving assistance process is terminated (Yes). In other words, if the number of parking sessions is greater than or equal to a predetermined value and the parking pattern is set to "infrequent short-term" or "infrequent long-term", further registration of parking history information 914 and parking learning information 915 related to the parking area where the vehicle was parked in step 14 is not performed.

[0054] In step 30, the parking information learning unit 23 refers to the parking time in the parking learning information 915 and determines whether the average parking time per instance for the parking area is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. For example, this determination may be based on whether the average parking time is 1 hour or more. If the average parking time is not equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the process proceeds to step 31 (No), and if the average parking time is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the process proceeds to step 32 (Yes). In step 31, the parking information learning unit 23 sets the parking pattern of the parking learning information 915 to "low frequency, short duration". In step 32, the parking information learning unit 23 sets the parking pattern of the parking learning information 915 to "low frequency, long duration".

[0055] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the vehicle information registration process performed by the parking assist device 21 when the driver changes vehicles. In step 41, the vehicle information registration unit 24 sends an access request to the parking assistance-related information 910 stored in the storage means of the server 900 based on the driver's operation. Specifically, the driver can operate the user interface of the display 51 of the navigation system mounted on the vehicle 1 or a terminal such as a smartphone, and the vehicle information registration unit 24 sends an access request based on that operation. At this time, the vehicle information registration unit 24 obtains user ID and password information from the driver's input.

[0056] In step 42, the vehicle information registration unit 24 authenticates whether to allow access to the parking assistance-related information 910 based on the user ID and password entered by the driver. Specifically, the vehicle information registration unit 24 determines whether the user ID and password entered by the driver match the user ID and password in user information 911. If the authentication result allows access to the parking assistance-related information 910, the process proceeds to step 43 (Yes); otherwise, the process ends (No). An error message may be output if access is not permitted.

[0057] In step 43, the vehicle information registration unit 24, based on the driver's input, sets permission settings to use the parking history information 914 and parking learning information 915 stored for past vehicles in the modified vehicle. Specifically, the vehicle information registration unit 24 sets data indicating whether or not to allow the use of the parking history information 914 and parking learning information 915 recorded for past vehicles in the permission / denial setting information 913 associated with the driver's user information 911.

[0058] In step 44, the vehicle information registration unit 24 obtains the vehicle identification number and vehicle dimensions information of the modified vehicle based on the driver's input. The vehicle information registration unit 24 then registers this vehicle identification number and vehicle dimensions information as vehicle information 912, associating it with user information 911, which stores the driver's user ID. The vehicle information registration unit 24 also modifies the parking history information 914 and parking learning information 915, which are associated with the vehicle information 912 of past vehicles, to match the vehicle dimensions information of the current vehicle, as needed.

[0059] According to this embodiment, when vehicle 1 is parked in a parking area, parking history information 914 is stored, and parking learning information 915 is generated based on the parking history information 914. Based on the parking learning information 915, for example, the driver of vehicle 1 can identify a parking area that is frequently used. Furthermore, this parking area can be designated as a target parking area for parking assistance, and when vehicle 1 approaches this target parking area, automatic control of parking assistance can be automatically executed. As a result, the driver can simply bring vehicle 1 close to a frequently used parking area, without having to explicitly perform an operation to start parking assistance, and can entrust the parking operation to vehicle 1. Therefore, the parking operation by the driver is greatly simplified. Furthermore, in this driving assistance process, the target parking area is stored in the parking history information 914 and parking learning information 915 in association with the position information of the vehicle 1 obtained by the satellite positioning system signal receiver 31. Therefore, even if the surrounding conditions of the target parking area change, for example, it is possible to accurately detect the target parking area.

[0060] In this embodiment, each piece of information is stored in the storage device of the server 900 rather than in the vehicle's storage device, and the parking history information 914 and parking learning information 915 are associated with the user information 911. The parking assistance device 21 then accesses the parking learning information 915 in the server 900 and provides parking assistance based on the parking learning information 915 stored in association with the driver's user information 911. Therefore, even if the driver changes the vehicle they are using, the automatic control of parking assistance can be performed using the information learned in the previously used vehicle. As a result, when a vehicle is changed, there is no need to wait for the target parking area to be learned and registered again, improving convenience.

[0061] Specifically, in this embodiment, user information 911 is associated with vehicle information 912, and parking history information 914 and parking learning information 915 are associated with user information 911 via vehicle information 912. Here, even if the vehicle used by the user changes, i.e., if multiple vehicle information entries 912 are registered, the parking learning information 915 associated with the common vehicle information 912 can be used. Therefore, as described above, even if the vehicle used by the driver changes, automatic control of parking assistance can be performed using the information learned from the previous vehicle. It is also possible to update the existing vehicle information 912 instead of registering new vehicle information 912 when the vehicle is changed in this way.

[0062] Furthermore, by storing each piece of information in the server 900's storage device in this way, the storage space used by the ECU installed in the vehicle can be reduced. In addition, it is easier to add storage capacity to the external information processing device than to the ECU installed in the vehicle. Therefore, even if the amount of data for each piece of information used for parking assistance increases, it is possible to flexibly respond by increasing the storage capacity of the storage device.

[0063] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the vehicle information 912 associated with the user information 911 includes vehicle dimension information. Based on the vehicle dimension information contained in the latest vehicle information 912, automatic control of parking assistance for the target parking area is performed. In addition, a warning can be issued if the vehicle dimensions identified from the latest vehicle's vehicle dimension information are larger than the vehicle dimensions identified from the vehicle dimension information of previous vehicles. This allows the driver to pay more attention to parking operations when switching to a larger vehicle, and also allows them to intentionally choose whether or not to use automatic control of parking assistance after recognizing this.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when changing vehicles, when registering vehicle information 912 for the new vehicle, it is possible to set whether or not to use the parking history information 914 and parking learning information 915 of past vehicles as parking history availability information. This makes it possible to set the system not to use the parking history information 914 and parking learning information 915 of past vehicles, for example, if the usage patterns of past vehicles and new vehicles differ. In addition, this parking history availability information may be set in association with each vehicle information 912 of past vehicles, rather than with user information 911. By doing so, it becomes possible to use the information of one vehicle from the parking history information 914 and parking learning information 915 of past vehicles for the new vehicle, but not the information of another vehicle, thereby improving convenience.

[0065] [others] The embodiments of the present invention described above are only a part of the embodiments that can be conceivable within the technical scope of the present invention, and are disclosed as examples of the present invention, and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the functional and physical configurations in each embodiment are not limited to the above-described forms, and for example, each function and physical resource can be implemented in an integrated manner, or conversely, in a more distributed manner, or furthermore, parts of the configuration can be added, deleted, or replaced with other configurations. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0066] 1...Vehicle, 21...Parking assistance device, 22...Parking control unit, 23...Parking information learning unit, 24...Vehicle information registration unit, 900...Server, 911...User information, 912...Vehicle information, 913...Allowance / failure setting information, 914...Parking history information, 915...Parking learning information

Claims

1. Each time a vehicle is parked in a parking area, a parking information learning unit registers parking information, including the location information of the parking area, in association with user information registered for each vehicle user, in a storage device of an external information processing device via a communication network, and learns parking areas that meet predetermined conditions from among the parking areas included in the parking information as target parking areas for parking assistance and further registers them in the parking information. A parking control unit, while the vehicle is in motion, accesses a storage device provided by the external information processing device and, based on the location information of the target parking area and the current location information of the vehicle stored in association with the user information of the vehicle's user, determines whether the vehicle has approached within a predetermined distance from the target parking area, and when the vehicle approaches within the predetermined distance, executes automatic control of parking assistance to park the vehicle in the target parking area. Parking assistance devices, including

2. The external information processing device further includes a vehicle information registration unit that registers vehicle information in association with the user information in a storage device when the vehicle used by the user is changed. The parking information learning unit registers the parking information in the storage device in association with the user information and the vehicle information. The parking control unit, when multiple vehicle information items associated with user information are registered, performs automatic control of parking assistance for the target parking area of ​​the parking information associated with the multiple vehicle information items, according to claim 1.

3. The vehicle information registration unit registers the vehicle information including vehicle dimension information, The parking control unit performs automatic control of parking assistance for the target parking area based on the vehicle dimension information included in the vehicle information of the most recent vehicle, as described in claim 2.

4. The parking control unit outputs a warning when the vehicle dimensions identified from the vehicle dimension information included in the vehicle information of the most recent vehicle are larger than the vehicle dimensions identified from the vehicle dimension information included in the vehicle information of a past vehicle, as described in claim 3.

5. The vehicle information registration unit registers information including whether or not to perform automatic control of parking assistance based on the parking information associated with the vehicle information of past vehicles, The parking assistance device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the parking control unit, when permitted to perform automatic control of parking assistance based on the feasibility information, performs automatic control of parking assistance for the target parking area of ​​the parking information associated with the vehicle information of past vehicles.

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