Parking assistance device and parking assistance method

Abstract

This parking assistance device comprises: a parkable area calculation unit that calculates a parkable area in which a vehicle can park, on the basis of an area in which the vehicle can travel and a three-dimensional shape of an object, detected by a detection unit on the basis of information about the surroundings of the vehicle; an ease of entry / exit calculation unit that calculates, on the basis of at least the three-dimensional shape of the object, the ease of entry / exit for an entering / exiting object to enter or exit the vehicle; and an assistance content generation unit that calculates a parking position at which the vehicle parks on the basis of the ease of entry / exit and the parkable area, and generates assistance content for assisting the parking of the vehicle on the basis of the parking position.

Description

Vehicle stopping assistance device and vehicle stopping assistance method

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle stopping assistance device and a vehicle stopping assistance method.

[0002] Conventionally, there has been provided a parking assistance device that applies automatic driving technology to park a vehicle in a parking area such as a parking lot and assist passengers in getting in and out of the vehicle. As a technology for assisting passengers in getting in and out of the vehicle, Patent Document 1 describes a "parking assistance device that can predict whether doors will open or close before automatic parking."

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-117815

[0004] In the technology described in Patent Document 1, when a vehicle is parked, a camera detects obstacles around the parking position, and a prediction result of whether the vehicle doors will be able to be opened and closed after parking is reported before the vehicle is parked. However, Patent Document 1 does not mention anything about the boarding and disembarking height, so when people or other objects (delivery vehicles, wheelchairs, strollers, etc.) get on and off the vehicle, there is a risk that they may have difficulty getting on and off if there is a large step from the vehicle to the floor. Furthermore, the technology described in Patent Document 1 is premised on the parking position, and does not disclose any aspect of automatically extracting positions that are easy to get on and off when stopping for pick-up and drop-off, delivery, etc.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to determine a spatial position at which an object can easily get on and off.

[0006] The stopping assistance device of the present invention comprises an information acquisition unit that acquires information about the surroundings of the vehicle; a detection unit that detects the area in which the vehicle can travel and the three-dimensional shape of objects around the vehicle based on the information about the surroundings of the vehicle; a stoppable area calculation unit that calculates the stoppable area in which the vehicle can stop based on the area in which the vehicle can travel and the three-dimensional shape of the object; a boarding and alighting ease calculation unit that calculates the boarding and alighting ease for objects to get on or off the vehicle based at least on the three-dimensional shape of the object; and an assistance content generation unit that calculates the stopping position where the vehicle will stop based on the boarding and alighting ease and the stoppable area, and generates assistance content to assist the vehicle in stopping based on the stopping position.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to automatically calculate a stopping position where an object can easily board or disembark based on the height of the object represented by the three-dimensional shape of the object, and to assist the vehicle in stopping based on the stopping position. This improves the convenience and safety of the object when boarding or disembarking. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become clear from the description of the embodiment below.

[0008] 1 is a configuration diagram of a stopping assistance device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a possible stop area and a possible boarding and alighting area according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an assistance content generation unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention calculating a position where it is easy for a boarding and alighting object to board and alight using height information related to boarding and alighting. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a step between a vehicle and a structure when a boarding and alighting object is boarding or alighting. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an ease of boarding and alighting calculation unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention calculating the ease of boarding and alighting of each candidate stopping position from a possible stop area. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of vehicle information according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of boarding and alighting object information according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of boarding and alighting setting information according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of stopping assistance processing according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an evaluation log of a stopping position according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of processing in which an information acquisition unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention records an evaluation log of a vehicle's stopping position in a storage unit. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a boarding and alighting setting screen that visualizes boarding and alighting settings that are set by a boarding and alighting condition setting unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a device that assists boarding and alighting of a boarding and alighting object according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a configuration diagram of a stopping assistance device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a stopping arbitration process according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the transition of switching between modes according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of whether each door of a vehicle can be opened or closed at a stopping position according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer according to the first to fourth embodiments of the present invention.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functions or configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted. The present invention is applicable to, for example, a computing device for vehicle control capable of communicating with an on-board ECU (Electronic Control Unit) for an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) or Autonomous Driving (AD).

[0010] 1 to 9, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment, a stopping assistance device and a stopping assistance method will be described that calculate an area and a position where an object can easily get on and off from among areas that are candidates for position calculation, based on information on structures and objects at the destination and source of the object and information on the object.

[0011] One of the expected applications of the stopping assistance device according to the first embodiment is automatic extraction of vehicle stopping positions. By applying this technology to the stopping assistance device, in cases where people get on and off a vehicle, it becomes possible to automatically extract positions where it is easy to get on and off by calculating the ease of getting on and off based on the height of structures at candidate positions for getting on and off and the shape of the object.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle stopping assistance device 1 according to a first embodiment. The vehicle stopping assistance device 1 is an example of a device capable of controlling a vehicle, and an AD / ADAS ECU is mainly used. Note that a control system or a control server that controls multiple vehicles may also be used as the vehicle stopping assistance device 1. In this case, the control system or the control server grasps the driving status and stopping position of each vehicle to be controlled, and outputs instructions to the vehicle ECU to assist the vehicle in stopping at an appropriate stopping position.

[0013] The stopping assistance device 1 shown in Figure 1 includes an area and position calculation unit 10, an information acquisition unit 100, a detection unit 101, a boarding and alighting condition setting unit 102, a boarding and alighting condition management unit 103, a communication unit 104, a stopping area calculation unit 105, a boarding and alighting ease calculation unit 106, an assistance content generation unit 107, a display unit 108, and a control unit 109.

[0014] The outline of the information flow in each part in the block diagram shown in FIG. 1 is as follows.

[0015] The vehicle stopping assistance device 1 according to the first embodiment calculates the heights of objects (also referred to as structures) around the vehicle Ve shown in FIG. 2 (described later) at which a getting-on / off object Oe (described later in FIG. 4) can get on and off, and calculates a stopping position of the vehicle Ve at which the getting-on / off object Oe can safely get on and off. Therefore, the area and position calculation unit 10 first acquires information necessary for calculating the stopping area and the ease of getting on and off from the external sensor 1000 or the like, and detects structures or the like. At this time, the information acquisition unit 100 acquires the position of the vehicle Ve to be assisted and environmental information around the vehicle.

[0016] The detection unit 101 detects the position and speed of the vehicle Ve, as well as the shape, type, and position of the surrounding environment and surrounding objects, based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 100. The detection unit 101 acquires the speed of the vehicle Ve from environmental information or a speedometer mounted on the vehicle Ve. The environmental information acquired by the detection unit 101 and the detected information are stored in the storage unit 110 if necessary.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2 (to be described later), a vehicle that is the target of stopping assistance by the stopping assistance device 1 is referred to as a vehicle Ve, and as shown in FIG. 4 (to be described later), an object that gets on or off the vehicle Ve is referred to as a getting-on / off object Oe. The getting-on / off object Oe may be, for example, a person, a cart, a wheelchair, or a delivery robot. Information on the getting-on / off object Oe, the shape and type of the vehicle Ve, the boarding / alighting entrance of the vehicle Ve, and the like is stored in the storage unit 110 as vehicle information D00 and getting-on / off object information E00. The vehicle information D00, the getting-on / alight object information E00, the position where the vehicle Ve stops, and the like are detected by the information acquisition unit 100 or the detection unit 101, received by the communication unit 104, or set by the boarding / alighting condition setting unit 102, and recorded in the storage unit 110. The various pieces of information recorded in the storage unit 110 can be updated as needed by the communication unit 104 communicating with an external system (not shown).

[0018] Next, the vehicle-parking area calculation unit 105 calculates a vehicle-parking area where the vehicle Ve can be parked, based on information about the surroundings of the vehicle Ve, including structures and the like, detected by the detection unit 101 .

[0019] The getting-in and alighting ease calculation unit (getting-in and alighting ease calculation unit 106) calculates the getting-in and alighting ease for a candidate stopping position Pc extracted from a possible stopping area Rs shown in FIG. 5, which will be described later. For example, the getting-in and alighting ease calculation unit 106 calculates the getting-in and alighting ease in the possible stopping area based on the height of the object at the getting-in and alighting destination and physical information of the vehicle Ve and the getting-in and alighting object Oe. A higher value of the getting-in and alighting ease indicates that it is easier for the getting-in and alighting object Oe to get on and off.

[0020] The assistance content generation unit 107 determines the stopping position of the vehicle Ve based on the available stopping area and the ease of getting on and off. The stopping position is transmitted to the display unit 108 and the control unit 109, and the display unit 108 displays the stopping position and the control unit 109 controls the vehicle.

[0021] Each component in the block diagram shown in FIG. 1 will now be described in detail.

[0022] The information acquisition unit (information acquisition unit 100) acquires information about the surroundings of the vehicle Ve. For example, the information acquisition unit 100 acquires the position and movement information of the vehicle Ve, and 3D environmental information about the surroundings of the vehicle Ve. This information acquisition is performed by an external sensor 1000. For example, a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) or a camera is used as the external sensor 1000. The external sensor 1000 acquires point cloud data and image time series data about the surroundings of the sensor. LiDAR is a sensor that emits laser light and measures the distance to an object based on the reflected light. Since LiDAR can acquire point cloud information indicating the position of an object around the sensor, it is used to detect the position and shape of the object. The data acquired by the information acquisition unit 100 is transmitted to the storage unit 110 and the detection unit 101. The external sensor 1000 may be a LiDAR or a camera, or may be a radar, a proximity sensor such as an infrared sensor, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), an acceleration sensor, or the like. Note that a plurality of external sensors 1000 may be provided, or a configuration may be adopted in which a plurality of LiDARs are fused together, a combination of LiDAR, a camera, and radar, or a plurality of cameras are provided. Alternatively, a LiDAR, a Time of Flight (ToF), a camera, a marker, or the like may be installed in the environment, and the information acquisition unit 100 may acquire environmental information around the vehicle Ve, the position, speed, angle, and shape of the vehicle Ve, and the like, via the communication unit 104. Furthermore, the information acquisition unit 100 may acquire environmental information acquired by an external sensor provided in another vehicle other than the vehicle Ve from the other vehicle via the communication unit 104.

[0023] The detection unit (detection unit 101) detects an area in which the vehicle Ve can travel and the three-dimensional shapes of objects around the vehicle Ve based on information about the surroundings of the vehicle Ve. For example, the detection unit 101 detects the position and speed of the vehicle Ve, as well as the shape, type, speed, etc. of objects around the vehicle Ve, including their height and width, based on point cloud and image information acquired by the external sensor 1000. The detection unit 101 transmits the shape, type, speed, etc. of the detected objects to the vehicle stopping area calculation unit 105 and the getting-on / off ease calculation unit 106. Note that the detection of the traveling environment by the detection unit 101 may be performed by recording a 3D map environment, such as a high-precision map, and reading out environmental information about the surroundings of the position of the vehicle Ve, which is identified based on the position information of the vehicle Ve.

[0024] The boarding / alighting condition setting unit 102 sets a position where the vehicle Ve will be stopped. For example, the position of a sidewalk where people, delivery vehicles, etc. can move is specified. The stopping position is set as a specific position, coordinates, stop, etc. by the boarding / alighting condition setting unit 102 or the communication unit 104 receiving vehicle dispatch information from a vehicle dispatch server (not shown). In addition to the stopping position, time information indicating when the vehicle Ve will stop may be recorded in the storage unit 110. In addition to the stopping position of the vehicle Ve, the boarding / alighting condition setting unit 102 can also set physical information of the vehicle Ve and objects, environmental information such as a high-precision map, and the set information is recorded in the storage unit 110.

[0025] The vehicle stoppage area calculation unit (vehicle stoppage area calculation unit 105) calculates a vehicle stoppage area where the vehicle Ve can stop based on the area where the vehicle Ve can travel and the three-dimensional shape of the object. The vehicle stoppage area is an area where the vehicle Ve can travel, excluding areas where the vehicle Ve cannot stop. The vehicle stoppage area calculation unit 105 determines the road or driving path based on the type, shape, and speed of objects around the vehicle Ve, and calculates the vehicle Ve's drivable area. In addition, the storage unit 110 records whether each object can travel for each area type, and the drivable area is calculated by detecting the area type from position information and a map, or an image or point cloud. For example, information such as cars can travel in roadway areas and wheelchairs can travel in sidewalk areas is recorded in the storage unit 110. The information is recorded in the storage unit 110 in a format where a specific drivable area is linked to the vehicle Ve, or in a format where a drivable area is linked to a vehicle type.

[0026] The stoppable area is an area obtained by removing areas where stopping is not permitted from an area where the vehicle Ve can travel. The stoppable area calculation unit 105 calculates, for example, an area within a certain range of an intersection or a sign as an area where stopping is not permitted, and calculates the stoppable area based on the road shape and the vehicle shape to determine whether a road width sufficient for other vehicles to pass through after the vehicle Ve stops. The stoppable area calculation unit 105 calculates a road that does not have enough width for other vehicles to pass as an area where stopping is not permitted. However, the stoppable area calculation unit 105 may temporarily calculate a narrow road such as an alley, as a sparsely populated road where vehicles do not frequently travel, as an area where stopping is permitted.

[0027] The vehicle-stopping area calculation unit 105 determines an area in which the vehicle Ve cannot travel, based on the information detected by the detection unit 101, the map information in the memory unit 110, or the information from the communication unit 104. After the vehicle-stopping area calculation unit 105 calculates the vehicle-stopping area, it determines whether there is an object with a surface on which the getting-on / off object Oe can get on and off, based on the shape including the height and width, type, and speed of the object around the vehicle-stopping area, and determines that surface as the getting-on / off area for the getting-on / off object Oe.

[0028] The boarding / alighting ease calculation unit (boarding / alighting ease calculation unit 106) calculates the boarding / alighting ease for the boarding / alighting object Oe to board or alight from the vehicle Ve based on at least the three-dimensional shape of the object. For example, the boarding / alighting ease calculation unit 106 calculates the boarding / alighting ease for the boarding / alighting object Oe to board or alight from the vehicle Ve from each candidate stopping position Pc in the possible stopping area Rs. The boarding / alighting ease is an index indicating, for example, that the smaller the difference in height between the boarding / alighting entrance of the vehicle Ve and the height of the structure, the easier it is to board or alight. A higher boarding / alighting ease value indicates a stopping position where the boarding / alighting object Oe can board or alight. The boarding / alighting ease calculation unit (boarding / alighting ease calculation unit 106) calculates the boarding / alighting ease based on information about the vehicle Ve, including the height of the boarding / alighting position of the vehicle Ve, and information about the boarding / alighting object Oe. The getting on and off ease calculation unit 106 calculates the getting on and off ease by taking into consideration not only the difference in level between the vehicle Ve and the structure, but also the positional relationship between the vehicle Ve and the structure, such as the distance and width, the type of the structure, and physical constraints of the getting on and off object Oe. Details of the getting on and off ease will be described later.

[0029] The assistance content generation unit (assistance content generation unit 107) calculates a stopping position where the vehicle Ve will stop based on the ingress / egress ease calculated by the ingress / egress ease calculation unit 106 and the possible stopping area, and generates assistance content to support the stopping of the vehicle Ve based on the stopping position. The assistance content generation unit 107 determines a position within the possible stopping area for the vehicle Ve that provides the highest ingress / egress ease as the stopping position of the vehicle Ve, and transmits the assistance content to the display unit 108 and the control unit 109. The assistance content is, for example, display of the stopping position and stopping control of the vehicle Ve.

[0030] The boarding and alighting condition management unit (boarding and alighting condition management unit 103) determines whether or not to perform a stopping assistance process for the vehicle Ve. Therefore, the boarding and alighting condition management unit 103 manages and updates the boarding and alighting conditions based on information received from each block, and updates the storage unit 110. For example, the boarding and alighting condition management unit 103 receives detection results from the detection unit 101, communication data from the communication unit 104, and assistance content from the assistance content generation unit 107. The boarding and alighting condition management unit 103 also transmits necessary information, not limited to boarding and alighting conditions, to each block. For example, the boarding and alighting condition management unit 103 transmits information between the display unit 108 and the control unit 109. The boarding and alighting condition management unit 103 also writes information to and reads information from the storage unit 110. The boarding and alighting conditions include, for example, the planned stopping location of the vehicle Ve and which boarding and alighting object Oe will board and alight. The planned stopping position of the vehicle Ve can be set by the boarding / exiting condition setting unit 102, and can also be set or updated via the communication unit 104.

[0031] The communication unit 104 transmits and receives necessary information via a database built on a cloud (not shown), information processing systems such as a delivery system, a vehicle control center, road infrastructure sensors, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, communication between the vehicle Ve and the object Oe, and communication with devices outside the vehicle, such as a mobile terminal. The delivery system is configured to manage vehicles and the locations of delivery destinations. The delivery system has information on which vehicle to send to which location at what time, and has the function of sending the vehicle to deliver the object at the specified time. Therefore, the vehicle's driving status and delivery status are subject to management by the delivery system. In addition, the objects managed by the delivery system include the vehicle Ve (e.g., truck, taxi) and the object Oe (e.g., transport robot). The communication unit 104 transmits and receives information on location specifications for pick-up and delivery, information on the object Oe, road information such as lanes on the driving route and whether construction is occurring in specific areas, parking availability, and the position, speed, and shape of surrounding objects including blind spots of the vehicle.

[0032] The display unit 108 displays the detection results of the detection unit 101 and the support content generated by the support content generation unit 107 on a display device 505 shown in FIG. 19, which will be described later.

[0033] The control unit (control unit 109) controls the vehicle Ve based on the assistance content. The control unit 109 receives, as assistance content, information on a control target (e.g., motor, steering, brake, etc.) and a control amount, for example, from the assistance content generation unit 107, and performs control of the control target.

[0034] The storage unit 110 includes map information C00, vehicle information D00, boarding / alighting object information E00, and boarding / alighting setting information F00. The map information C00 includes information on no-stop locations, such as signs. The map information C00 may be stored in a format in which a 3D map is created as needed using SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) or the like from a point cloud or image acquired by the external sensor 1000. The vehicle information D00 is shape data including the width, length, and height of the vehicle, and includes information on the position and height of the vehicle's boarding / alighting door. The boarding / alighting object information E00 includes information on the width, length, and height of the boarding / alighting object Oe. The boarding / alighting setting information F00 sets passage restrictions, such as steps and width, for boarding and alighting, and is calculated from the shape, wheel size, etc. of the boarding / alighting object Oe.

[0035] Hereinafter, a method for calculating a position where an object Oe can easily get on and off will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0036] 2 is a diagram showing an example of a stoppable area and a boarding / alighting area according to the first embodiment. The stoppable area Rs is calculated by the stoppable area calculation unit 105.

[0037] The travel route Rm in Fig. 2 is an area in which the vehicle Ve can travel. Here, the travel route Rm is a travel road surface that is continuous with the position of the vehicle Ve. The travel route Rm is detected by the detection unit 101 based on a point cloud or an image acquired by the information acquisition unit 100. Alternatively, the travel route Rm may be read from the map information C00 stored in the storage unit 110 based on the vehicle position information. Alternatively, the travel route Rm may be set in the map information C00, for example, by setting a travel design area for the vehicle Ve.

[0038] The vehicle-stopping area Rs is an area of ​​the travel path Rm excluding areas where the vehicle Ve cannot stop. Areas where the vehicle Ve cannot stop include, for example, areas with no parking or stopping signs, within 5 meters of intersections or crosswalks, within 10 meters of railroad crossings, within 3 meters of garages, and within 5 meters of fire hydrants or fire entrances. Based on the travel path width and the vehicle width, whether the vehicle can stop is determined based on whether the width of the passage space available for passage after stopping is equal to or greater than a certain value. If the sign specifies a time or contains construction information, the vehicle-stopping area calculation unit 105 determines whether the vehicle can stop based on the restriction time and the current time. The vehicle-stopping area calculation unit 105 determines bus stops or stops where only specific vehicle types can stop based on the vehicle type of the vehicle Ve. The vehicle-stopping area calculation unit 105 may determine whether the vehicle can stop based on the road width as well as the arrival or frequency of vehicles coming from behind. Additionally, the vehicle stoppable area calculation unit 105 determines the vehicle stoppable area Rs depending on the vehicle performance, proximity sensor performance, user settings, and the like, and on how many centimeters the vehicle Ve can move closer to when stopped.

[0039] Next, the get-on / off possible area Ra will be described. An area at the end of the travel path Rm that has a width and length equal to or greater than the physical information of the get-on / off object Oe is defined as the get-on / off possible area Ra (area in which the get-on / off object Oe can move). The stoppable area calculation unit 105 determines whether the get-on / off object Oe can get on or off based on the shape and type of the structure, and defines a structure in which the get-on / off object Oe can get on and off as structure A, and a structure in which the get-on / off object Oe cannot get on or off as structure B. For example, structure A is a sidewalk or the like, and structure B is grass or trees B1 or a guardrail B2, etc. If structure A has a curb, the curb is defined as structure B, and the area in which the get-on / off object Oe can travel other than the curb is defined as structure A.

[0040] For example, the top surface of the structure A is set as the get-on / off area Ra. If there is a roof or the like, the stoppable area calculation unit 105 determines whether get-on / off is possible based on whether there is a space for the height of the get-on / off object Oe to fit between the plane on which the structure A can be installed and the height of the roof or the like. If get-on / off is possible, the stoppable area calculation unit 105 sets that area as the get-on / off area Ra. Note that the stoppable area calculation unit 105 may also set the edge of the roadway or the edge of the travel path Rm as the get-on / off area Ra, depending on the situation. Furthermore, when taking into consideration a person pushing a wheelchair or a cart, the stoppable area calculation unit 105 may also use the presence of a space for the height of the person in addition to the vehicle to get on / off as a condition for determining whether get-on / off is possible.

[0041] The stopping position Ps is a stopping position of the vehicle Ve, which is generated by the assistance content generation unit 107. The stopping position Ps is extracted from the vehicle-available stopping area Rs based on the ease of getting on and off. Extraction of the stopping position Ps based on the ease of getting on and off will be described below.

[0042] 3 and 4 are diagrams illustrating examples of the ease of getting on and off according to the first embodiment. The ease of getting on and off is calculated by the ease of getting on and off calculation unit 106, and is calculated for the stoppable area Rs based on map information C00, vehicle information D00, and getting on and off object information E00.

[0043] 3 is a diagram showing an example in which the assistance content generation unit 107 calculates a position where it is easy for the getting-on / off object Oe to get on and off, using height information related to getting on and off. The height information related to getting on and off includes the height of the boarding / alighting entrance of the vehicle Ve, the height of structures that allow getting on and off, such as sidewalks, and the height of structures that prevent getting on and off, such as curbs. This height information can be acquired from surrounding road information and vehicle information.

[0044] The explanatory diagram (a) shown at the top of Figure 3 shows an example of a stopping position Ps when a structure B, such as a curb or guardrail, exists between the sidewalk and the roadway. The assistance content generation unit 107 calculates a position where the getting-on / off object Oe can easily get on and off in the get-on / off area Ra, depending on the height of the detected structure. In this example, the vehicle Ve stops at a position where the height of the structure B between the vehicle Ve and the get-on / off area Ra is low or there is no structure B. Even if the structure B is high, the assistance content generation unit 107 determines a location that opens and closes, such as a platform door at a train station, based on detection information from a sensor, map information, or information obtained through communication, and the control unit 109 stops the vehicle Ve at the position where the door will open or close.

[0045] 3 shows an example of the stopping position Ps when the height of the area Ra where boarding and alighting is possible, for example, the height of the sidewalk which is the structure A, varies depending on the location. In such a case, the assistance content generation unit 107 extracts the position within the area Rs where boarding and alighting is possible, where the height of the area Ra where boarding and alighting is possible is closest to the boarding and alighting height of the vehicle Ve, that is, the position where the difference in level is smallest.

[0046] In addition, when there is a mixture of structures A that the getting-on / off object Oe can get on and off and structures B that the getting-on / off object Oe cannot get on and off, the assistance content generation unit 107 extracts a position where the difference in level with the structure A is smallest, based on, for example, the range in which the height of the structure B is within the height of the getting-on / off position of the vehicle Ve, and stops the vehicle at that position. Here, the difference in level when the getting-on / off object Oe gets on and off the structure A is calculated. Whether the height of the structure A that the getting-on / off object Oe can get on and off is given priority when determining the stopping position, or the height of the structure B that the getting-on / off object Oe cannot get on and off is given priority when determining the stopping position, and the weighting can be changed according to the settings.

[0047] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example in which there is a step H between a vehicle Ve and a structure when an object Oe gets on and off.

[0048] The boarding / alighting ease calculation unit (boarding / alighting ease calculation unit 106) calculates the boarding / alighting ease to be high if the physical constraints or vehicle constraints of the boarding / alighting object Oe are satisfied based on the physical information and / or vehicle performance of the boarding / alighting object Oe, the three-dimensional shape of the object, and / or the object type. The physical constraints or driving constraints of the boarding / alighting object Oe are calculated from values ​​including at least one of the step, distance, the passage width that other vehicles Ve can pass through, and the slope between the vehicle Ve and the object. The physical information of the boarding / alighting object Oe is shown as boarding / alighting object information E00 in FIG. 7 (described later). The vehicle performance is shown as vehicle performance D60 in FIG. 6 (described later). The three-dimensional shape and / or object type of the object are shown as values ​​measured by the external sensor 1000. The physical constraints of the boarding / alighting object Oe are shown as boarding / alighting setting information F00 in FIG. 8 (described later). For example, the physical constraints are set based on the physical information of the boarding / alighting object Oe as well as the specifications of boarding / alighting aids such as ramps. The vehicle constraints of the getting-on / off object Oe are indicated as step tolerance E80, tolerance distance E90, maximum slope angle E100, and maximum stable tilt angle E110 in the specification information of the getting-on / off object in FIG. 7, which will be described later.

[0049] The getting-on / off ease calculation unit 106 calculates the getting-on / off ease using the step H at the time of getting on and off, the distance D, physical information of the getting-on / off object Oe, etc. For example, the getting-on / off ease calculation unit 106 calculates the getting-on / off ease, which is the ease with which the getting-on / off object Oe can get on and off from the vehicle Ve, for a candidate stopping position within the possible stopping area Rs. In Figure 4, a reference height is set, and the height of the structure A, which is the possible getting-on / off area Ra, and the getting-on / off height of the vehicle Ve relative to the reference height are shown.

[0050] The ease of getting on and off is calculated, for example, by the sum of the step H, distance D, and boarding / alighting width (see FIG. 5) between the vehicle Ve and the structure multiplied by a weighting constant. The boarding / alighting width is the width available for the object Oe to get on and off the structure, and is the width perpendicular to the boarding / alighting direction of the object Oe. For example, the following formula (1) is used to calculate the ease of getting on and off: Ease of getting on and off = α × distance D + β × step H + γ × boarding / alighting width (1)

[0051] However, the conditions are that the step H is within the allowable step height, the distance D is within the allowable distance, and the boarding / alighting width is equal to or greater than the allowable width in the width direction of the boarding / alighting object. If the step H, distance D, and boarding / alighting width do not satisfy the allowable step height, allowable distance, and allowable width in the boarding / alighting settings, respectively, boarding / alighting is not possible.

[0052] The ease of getting on and off is not limited to this example, and at least one parameter indicating the relationship between the vehicle Ve and the structure, such as the step H, the distance D, the width, or the slope, may be set. The ease of getting on and off calculation unit 106 may, for example, switch the weighting parameter depending on whether the sign of the step H between the vehicle Ve and the structure is positive or negative. For example, a positive step H indicates that the height of the structure's accessible area Ra is higher than the height of the vehicle Ve's entrance. Conversely, a negative step H indicates that the height of the structure's accessible area Ra is lower than the height of the vehicle Ve's entrance. When getting on and off an object Oe, a negative step H makes it easier for the object Oe to dismount, whereas a positive step H makes it easier for the object Oe to board. Therefore, by changing the weighting parameter depending on whether the sign is positive or negative, it becomes possible to express cases in which the ease of getting on and off differs between an upward step and a downward step even when the step H is the same size. The allowable step, allowable distance, and allowable width may be determined from physical information of the getting-on / off object Oe, or may be set by the user.

[0053] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example in which the getting-in and alighting ease calculation unit 106 calculates the getting-in and alighting ease of each candidate stop position Pc from the possible stop area Rs.

[0054] The candidate stop positions Pc are positions within the possible stop area Rs, and the getting on and off ease calculation unit 106 calculates the getting on and off ease for each candidate stop position Pc. The getting on and off ease is calculated as the ease of getting on and off from the candidate stop position Pc to the candidate destination position within the possible stop area Ra. The candidate destination position can be any position within the possible stop area Ra, but for example, it is set to the position within the possible stop area Ra that is closest to the boarding / alighting entrance of the candidate stop position Pc.

[0055] The boarding / alighting ease calculation unit (boarding / alighting ease calculation unit 106) calculates stopping positions Ps where it is easy for the boarding / alighting object Oe to board and alight from the stopping candidate area Rc, and changes the interval between the stopping candidate positions according to the vehicle Ve information, the information of the boarding / alighting object Oe, and the required accuracy. After narrowing down the stopping candidate area Rc from the possible stopping area Rs, the boarding / alighting ease calculation unit 106 slides the candidate positions indicated by the outline of the vehicle Ve at a specified granularity to set them as candidates for the stopping position Pc. The sliding width of the candidate positions corresponds to the interval between the above-mentioned stopping candidate positions, and is set finely when the required accuracy of the allowable step and allowable distance is high. Thereafter, the boarding / alighting ease calculation unit 106 sets the stopping candidate position Pc with the highest boarding / alighting ease and with the boarding / alighting ease equal to or greater than a specified value as the stopping position Ps (see FIG. 2 ). In FIG. 5, an object Oe and a double-headed arrow indicating the direction of boarding and alighting are shown on the 3D shape of a vehicle Ve at a stop position Ps.

[0056] The calculation of the candidate stopping position Pc by the boarding / alighting ease calculation unit 106 can be performed only when stopping assistance is required. For example, the candidate stopping position Pc is calculated when the vehicle Ve approaches specific position coordinates or when the vehicle speed of the vehicle Ve is equal to or lower than a certain level. Furthermore, the area selected by the boarding / alighting ease calculation unit 106 as a candidate for the candidate stopping position Pc does not necessarily include the entire possible stopping area Rs, but is narrowed down based on predetermined conditions. The candidate area for the candidate stopping position Pc may be, for example, an area without structures that do not permit boarding / alighting, an area with a small step between the candidate stopping position and a possible stopping position, and an area that is not too far from a possible stopping position. Furthermore, the boarding / alighting ease calculation unit 106 may set a stopping position in the boarding / alighting setting, and narrow down the candidate stopping area Rc based on a setting value for whether to stop the vehicle by controlling the vehicle to arrive at a possible stopping position or to stop at a certain distance from the possible stopping position.

[0057] In addition to the step and distance when getting on and off, the getting on and off ease calculation unit 106 may set the getting on and off ease by adding conditions such as a location where a certain distance can be maintained from surrounding objects, a location with a roof depending on the weather, a location without puddles, a location where the vehicle Ve can stop gently depending on the vehicle speed, the distance until the getting on and off object Oe reaches the sidewalk after getting on and off, and the time it takes to get on and off. Also, even if the step when getting on and off is the same, i.e., the step H is zero, the force and posture applied to the getting on and off object Oe will differ depending on whether the road surface of the travel path Rm is parallel or inclined, and the safety level when getting on and off will differ. For this reason, the getting on and off ease calculation unit 106 may impose a constraint condition, such as not getting on and off at locations where the road surface is inclined by a certain amount or more.

[0058] 6 to 8 show examples of the vehicle information D00, the getting-on / off object information E00, and the getting-on / off setting information F00 stored in the storage unit 110. FIG.

[0059] 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of vehicle information D00. The vehicle information D00 is composed of a number D10, a vehicle type D20, a vehicle shape D30, entrance / exit information D40, entry / exit assistance D50, vehicle performance D60, and remarks D70. The number D10 represents the vehicle information number for each item of vehicle information D00. The vehicle type D20 represents the vehicle type of the vehicle Ve. The vehicle shape D30 represents the shape of the vehicle Ve, and includes the width D31, length D32, and height D33 of the vehicle Ve.

[0060] The entrance information D40 indicates, for example, for each entrance number D41 indicating the entrance of the vehicle Ve, the location of the entrance (front, rear, left, or right) of the vehicle Ve, indicated by a relative position D42 and angle D43 from the vehicle reference point. If the vehicle Ve has four doors, the entrance corresponds to each of the four doors. If the vehicle Ve is a hatchback, the entrance also corresponds to the rear door. While vehicles with doors are primarily assumed, the entrance indicates a location where passengers can enter and exit the vehicle, and is not necessarily limited to the presence or absence of doors depending on the vehicle type. The entrance information D40 also includes shape information such as the width D44 and height D45 of the entrance. The vehicle reference point is a reference point for calculating the position coordinates of the entrance and can be set arbitrarily. For example, the center of the vehicle, the front end of the vehicle, or the rear end of the vehicle can be set as the vehicle reference point.

[0061] The boarding / exiting assistance D50 indicates whether boarding / exiting assistance devices are provided. The vehicle performance D60 and the vehicle shape D30, combined with the boarding / exiting entrance information D40 and the boarding / exiting assistance D50, are used to generate assistance content such as calculating a possible stopping area, calculating the position angle of a stopping space, and determining whether to provide display assistance or control assistance for the stopping space. The vehicle performance D60 includes an autonomous driving level D61, a maximum acceleration D62, a maximum deceleration D63, a proximity distance D64, and a step resistance D65.

[0062] The remarks D70 also include other supplemental information related to the vehicle type D20, vehicle shape D30, entrance / exit information D40, entrance / exit assistance D50, and vehicle performance D60. Examples of information included in the remarks D70 include the installation positions of entrance / exit assistance devices such as ramps and arms attached to the vehicle Ve, the distance and step that can be assisted, and the width of the entrance / exit assistance devices. Other information included in the remarks D70 include the shape of the doors, information on the range of motion of the doors and entrance / exit positions, and the type and version of the software installed in the stopping assistance device 1. The remarks D70 may also store CAD (Computer Aided Design) data (referred to as CAD1) representing the shape of the vehicle. Note that the vehicle information D00 does not require all of the information described in FIG. 6 ; it is sufficient to include at least information that allows the position and height of the entrance / exit to be calculated.

[0063] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the getting-on / off object information E00. The getting-on / off object information E00 is composed of a number E10, a getting-on / off object type E20, a get-on / off available area E30, and specification information of the getting-on / off object Oe. The number E10 represents the getting-on / off object information number for each item of the getting-on / off object information E00. The getting-on / off object type E20 represents the type of the getting-on / off object Oe (e.g., delivery vehicle A, wheelchair A, etc.). The get-on / off available area E30 represents that the get-on / off available area Ra shown in FIG. 5 is a sidewalk and a roadway. Note that a type representing a person (adult or child) may be stored in the getting-on / off object type E20 as the type of the getting-on / off object Oe.

[0064] The specification information of the getting-on / off object Oe is physical information and performance information when the getting-on / off object Oe gets on and off, such as the object shape E40, wheel length (wheel diameter) E50, wheel width E60, wheel spacing E70, step resistance E80, withstand distance E90, maximum slope angle E100, maximum stable tilt angle E110, etc. The width E41, length E42, height E43, wheel length E50 (front wheels E51, rear wheels E52), wheel width E60 (front wheels E61, rear wheels E62), wheel spacing E70 (longitudinal spacing E71, lateral spacing E72), step resistance E80 that the getting-on / off object Oe can overcome, withstand distance E90 that the getting-on / off object Oe can overcome, maximum slope angle E100 that the getting-on / off object Oe can climb in the traveling direction, maximum stable tilt angle E110 at which the getting-on / off object Oe does not tip over, etc. are recorded in the getting-on / off object information E00.

[0065] In addition, when there is no specification information of the getting-on / off object Oe, the step tolerance E80, the tolerance distance E90, etc. are set based on the wheel length E50, etc. Furthermore, when the front and rear wheels of the getting-on / off object Oe are different in size, the step tolerance E80 and the tolerance distance E90 are set based on the size of the smaller wheel, taking into account, for example, the magnitude of the constraint. In addition, the specification information of the getting-on / off object Oe can be created using the mounting position of each wheel or CAD data as the getting-on / off object information E00. The getting-on / off object information E00 is set by the getting-on / off condition management unit 103 based on information acquired from the detection unit 101 and the communication unit 104, as well as by the getting-on / off condition setting unit 102.

[0066] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the boarding and alighting setting information F00. The boarding and alighting setting information F00 sets suitable setting values ​​for boarding and alighting an object Oe, such as the allowable step and distance, and weighting of the priority of the step and distance. The boarding and alighting setting information F00 is composed of a number F10, an allowable step F20, an allowable distance F30, an allowable width F40, and an object type F50. The number F10 represents the boarding and alighting setting information number for each piece of the boarding and alighting setting information F00. The allowable step F20, the allowable distance F30, and the allowable width F40 represent the respective values ​​allowable when the object Oe boards and alights. The object type F50 represents the type of the object Oe.

[0067] Default values ​​are prepared for the boarding / alighting setting information F00 based on values ​​of the boarding / alighting object information E00, etc., and each user can adjust and record a preferred value. Furthermore, multiple boarding / alighting settings may be recorded and used separately for the same type of boarding / alighting object. Furthermore, the detection unit 101 can detect information about the shape and wheels of the boarding / alighting object Oe from information captured by an in-vehicle camera or information acquired by the external sensor 1000 when boarding or alighting. Furthermore, the boarding / alighting setting information F00 can be updated by acquiring information registered by the user in an external system when booking boarding / alighting via the communication unit 204, or by the user inputting information onto a display device 505 (described later in FIG. 19 ) or the like when boarding or alighting. This information is registered in the storage unit 110 via the communication unit 104 or the boarding / alighting condition setting unit 102.

[0068] The vehicle information D00, the getting-on / off object information E00, and the getting-on / off setting information F00 are not limited to the items shown in Figures 6 to 8, and may be implemented without all of them being listed. It is sufficient that the vehicle information D00, the getting-on / off object information E00, and the getting-on / off setting information F00 include information that can determine at least the length and width of the vehicle Ve, and the position and height of the boarding / off door.

[0069] The overall processing procedure of the vehicle stopping assistance device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the vehicle stopping assistance processing.

[0070] First, in step S101, the information acquisition unit 100 acquires necessary information from the communication unit 104 and the storage unit 110. The information acquisition unit 100 acquires environmental information and object information around the vehicle from, for example, a LiDAR point cloud, an image, or a map.

[0071] Next, in step S102, the detection unit 101 detects the shape of objects around the vehicle Ve based on a point cloud or an image of the area around the vehicle Ve. Here, the detection unit 101 determines the travel path Rm, identifies other objects on the travel path Rm, and detects objects on the sidewalk from a sidewalk next to the travel path Rm. Information on the travel path Rm, the sidewalk, and other objects may be obtained by the detection unit 101 reading a point cloud map or a high-precision map from the storage unit 110, or by the detection unit 101 communicating with an infrastructure sensor, a control center, or the like. The infrastructure sensor is assumed to be a camera or Lidar installed on the travel path Rm. The infrastructure sensor is installed, for example, on the travel path Rm of the vehicle Ve, and may be installed indoors or outdoors, such as on a road, on factory grounds, inside a building, or the like.

[0072] In step S103, the boarding / alighting condition management unit 103 determines the conditions for the stopping assistance. For example, the condition for the stopping assistance is that the speed of the vehicle Ve is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and the boarding / alighting condition management unit 103 determines whether this condition is met. If the condition for the stopping assistance is met, the assistance content generation unit 107 performs the stopping assistance. Furthermore, the boarding / alighting condition management unit 103 determines whether the condition for the stopping assistance is met, for example, that the vehicle is approaching an arrival position such as coordinates registered in advance, or near a specific facility, or a requested position received from a boarding / alighting object Oe, a delivery system, or the like.

[0073] If the conditions for stopping assistance are satisfied (YES in S103), the process proceeds to step S104, where the vehicle stopping area calculation unit 105 calculates an area where the vehicle Ve can stop (a stopping area Rs). As described above, the stopping area Rs is an area of ​​the road Rm excluding areas where stopping is not permitted, such as areas near signs and intersections.

[0074] Next, in step S105, the getting-on / off ease calculation unit 106 calculates the getting-on / off ease of the object Oe from the vehicle Ve. The getting-on / off ease calculation unit 106 basically calculates the ease of getting on and off from the position of a stop candidate in the stopping area Rs to the closest position in the getting-on / off available area Ra. With regard to the getting-on / off available area Ra, the roadway and the sidewalk have been determined in step S102, but the getting-on / off ease calculation unit 106 further determines areas where getting on and off is possible and areas where getting on and off is not possible based on information about the getting-on / off object Oe, the sidewalk, the structure, and the shape and type of the object. Note that if there is no getting-on / off available area Ra nearby, the getting-on / off ease calculation unit 106 determines that getting on and off is not possible.

[0075] In step S106, the assistance content generation unit 107 extracts a stopping position Ps from the candidate stopping positions Pc shown in Fig. 5. For example, the assistance content generation unit 107 extracts the position with the highest ease of getting on and off within the possible stopping area Rs as the stopping position Ps. If there are multiple positions with the highest ease of getting on and off, the assistance content generation unit 107 determines the stopping position Ps by taking into consideration safety factors such as a position that allows a certain distance from surrounding objects and structures, a position that allows the vehicle to stop gently depending on the vehicle speed, etc.

[0076] Finally, in step S107, the display unit 108 and the control unit 109 provide stopping assistance to the vehicle Ve. To this end, the assistance content generation unit 107 determines an assistance method based on information indicating whether the vehicle Ve is being manually driven or automatically driven, which information is acquired by the information acquisition unit 100. For example, the assistance content generation unit 107 causes the display unit 108 to display the stopping position of the vehicle Ve. Furthermore, if the control unit 109 is capable of controlling the vehicle Ve, the assistance content generation unit 107 causes the control unit 109 to control the vehicle Ve to the stopping position. The assistance provided by the display unit 108 and the control unit 109 may be provided in parallel, or either one of them may be provided alone.

[0077] The above is a description of the first embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a stoppable area Rs where the vehicle Ve can stop and a boarding / alighting area Ra for an object Oe getting on and off the vehicle Ve are identified based on the shape and type of objects around the vehicle Ve. Then, the ease of boarding and alighting for the object Oe is calculated based on height information of the structure in the boarding / alighting area Ra, and a stopping position Ps for the vehicle Ve is extracted from the stoppable area Rs based on the ease of boarding and alighting. As described above, this embodiment makes it possible to determine a spatial position where an object can easily board and alight from the three-dimensional shape of the structure. According to this embodiment, a stopping position where an object Oe, such as a person or vehicle, can easily board and alight, i.e., a stopping position with few steps when boarding and alighting, can be automatically extracted based on the height of the object represented by the three-dimensional shape of the object. This makes it possible to improve the convenience and safety of the object Oe.

[0078] Furthermore, the vehicle stopping assistance device 1 according to the first embodiment can take into account not only the height of the structure but also information about the depth of the groove when extracting the stopping position Ps. For example, in the information about the height of the structure, the depth of the groove is indicated by a negative value. Therefore, at a position where the groove is deeper than a predetermined value, the ease of getting in and out is low, and the position is determined to be inappropriate as the stopping position Ps. As a result, the vehicle Ve will not stop at a position where the groove is deeper than the predetermined value.

[0079] In the following description, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and only the differences will be described. Points that are not specifically described are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0080] [Second embodiment] Next, a configuration example and an operation example of a vehicle stopping assistance device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the vehicle stopping assistance device 1 according to the first embodiment, the ease of getting on and off of the getting on and off object Oe is set based on physical information of the getting on and off object Oe. However, the ease of getting on and off also varies depending on the stopping position of the vehicle Ve. Therefore, a format for recording an evaluation value of the ease of getting on and off for a stopping position in order for the vehicle stopping assistance device according to the second embodiment to determine a stopping position at which the getting on and off object Oe is easy to get on and off from actual performance data will be described. A format for setting the ease of getting on and off for each user will also be described.

[0081] 10 is a configuration diagram showing an example of a vehicle stopping assistance device 1A according to the second embodiment. The vehicle stopping assistance device 1A includes an information acquisition unit 200, a detection unit 201, a getting-in / out condition setting unit 202, a getting-in / out condition management unit 203, a communication unit 204, a display unit 208, a control unit 209, and a storage unit 210. The functions of the units included in the vehicle stopping assistance device 1A are the same as the functions of the units included in the vehicle stopping assistance device 1 according to the first embodiment. Furthermore, the vehicle stopping assistance device 1A includes an area and position calculation unit 10A instead of the area and position calculation unit 10. The area and position calculation unit 10A includes a vehicle-available stopping area calculation unit 205, a getting-in / out ease calculation unit 206, an assistance content generation unit 207, and a learning device 211. The functions of the area and position calculation unit 10A, which includes the available stopping area calculation unit 205, the ease of getting on and off calculation unit 206, and the assistance content generation unit 207, are the same as those of the units included in the stopping assistance device 1 according to the first embodiment. The information recorded in the storage unit 210 is the same as the information recorded in the storage unit 110 according to the first embodiment, but differs in that it further includes an evaluation log G00 of the stopping position (referred to as "stopping evaluation log" in the figure).

[0082] The information acquisition unit 200 includes an external sensor 2000, a vehicle speed sensor 2001, a weight sensor 2002, and a door opening / closing sensor 2003. The external sensor 2000 may be the same as the external sensor 1000 according to the first embodiment. The vehicle speed sensor 2001 measures the vehicle speed of the vehicle Ve. The weight sensor 2002 measures a change in weight of an object Oe before and after getting on or off the vehicle Ve. The door opening / closing sensor 2003 measures the timing when a vehicle door is opened and closed.

[0083] A stopping state G50, such as steps and distance when the vehicle is stopped, and a stopping evaluation value G40, such as boarding and alighting time, as shown in Fig. 11 (described later), are recorded in the storage unit 210. The stopping evaluation value G40 represents the stopping state of the vehicle Ve and the actual ease of boarding and alighting in the stopped state. The assistance content generation unit (assistance content generation unit 207) improves the stopping position Ps to a position where it is easy for the getting-on and alighting object Oe to get-on and alight, based on the stopping state G50 and the stopping evaluation value G40.

[0084] The learning device 211 learns a weight parameter W20 for estimating the ease of getting in and out in the stopped state G50 based on the information in the storage unit 210. The weight parameter W20 includes α, β, and γ in the above formula (1). However, the weight parameter W20 is not limited to α, β, and γ, and a weight parameter optimized by machine learning such as a decision tree or deep learning may be used for the weight parameter W20. The getting in and out ease calculation unit 206 calculates the getting in and out ease at each stop position using the weight parameter W20 learned by the learning device 211. However, the getting in and out ease calculation unit 206 may calculate the getting in and out ease without using the weight parameter W20.

[0085] 11 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a stopping position evaluation log G00. In the stopping assistance device 1A, the information acquisition unit 200 records a stopping state G50 and a stopping evaluation value G40 in the storage unit 210 to determine how easy it is for a getting-on / off object Oe to get in and out of a stopping of the vehicle Ve and to utilize the determined information. The stopping position evaluation log G00 includes a number G10, a vehicle type G20, a getting-on / off object type G30, a stopping evaluation value G40, and a stopping state G50.

[0086] The stopping evaluation value G40 includes information that can be automatically collected by a sensor. The stopping evaluation value G40 includes at least one value that can estimate the boarding and alighting time of the getting-on / off object Oe. Examples of the stopping evaluation value G40 include the stopping time G41 of the vehicle Ve, the time G42 during which the door was open, and the time G43 from the start to the end of the weight change, which are used to estimate the boarding and alighting time. The information on the stopping time G41, the times G42, and G43 are all detected by the detection unit 201. The getting-on / alighting condition management unit 203 determines whether the stopping was easy for people to get on and off based on the stopping evaluation value G40 including these times. In addition, the getting-on / alighting condition management unit 203 communicates, if possible, with a communication device mounted on the getting-on / alighting object Oe or a mobile terminal carried by the getting-on / alighting object Oe, calculates an index indicating the stability of the vehicle stopping from information such as the time-series position, time-series speed, and time-series angle of the getting-on / alighting object Oe during getting-on / alighting, and records the index in the memory unit 210. The information recorded in the memory unit 210 is used to determine whether the object Oe has fallen over or is suddenly vibrating, and this is used to evaluate the stopped state G50.

[0087] The stopping state G50 is information indicating the positional relationship between the vehicle and a structure as the stopping state of the vehicle. This stopping state G50 includes at least one of the following, which represent the positional relationship between the stopped vehicle Ve and the structure: step, distance, passage width for other vehicles Ve to pass, inclination, and angle. The stopping state G50 records how the vehicle Ve stopped at the boarding / exiting location. The stopping state G50 includes, for example, step G51, distance G52, width G53, inclination G54, and angle G55 between the vehicle Ve and the structure where the vehicle Ve is to board / exit. The inclination G54 includes inclination θ1 (see FIG. 14 described later) and inclination θ2 (the inclination angle in the depth direction in FIG. 14 described later). The angle G55 represents the degree to which the stopping position of the vehicle Ve is inclined relative to the structure. The three numerical values ​​of the tilt G54 (tilt θ1 and tilt θ2) and the angle G55 together represent the yaw, roll, and pitch of the three-dimensional vector rotation of the vehicle Ve. Other details of the situation in which the vehicle Ve was stopped may also be recorded, such as the location of the place where the vehicle Ve was stopped, the date and time, the weather, the number and amount of weight fluctuations, the boarding and alighting door used by the boarding and alighting object Oe, whether or not an assistive device such as an arm was used, or environmental information around the vehicle Ve. Linking the stopping evaluation value G40 and the stopping state G50 makes it possible to know how the evaluation value changed depending on how the vehicle Ve was stopped.

[0088] The settings for whether to record the evaluation log G00 for the stopping position and the level of detail of the evaluation log G00 can be set arbitrarily. Taking into consideration security considerations, some items may be omitted or encrypted before being recorded in the storage unit 210. When multiple objects Oe are getting on and off, the object types may be collectively recorded in the storage unit 210 as passengers, for example. As long as at least one item for the stopping evaluation value G40 and one item for the stopping state G50 are included, the stopping can be evaluated and learned, and the results can be reflected in the ease of getting on and off. The evaluation log G00 for the stopping position may also store the weather at the time the vehicle Ve stopped. For example, if it is raining or snowing, it takes time for the objects Oe to get on and off, and therefore each value of the stopping evaluation value G40 is likely to be long.

[0089] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a process in which the information acquisition unit 200 records the evaluation log G00 of the parking position of the vehicle Ve in the storage unit 210.

[0090] In step S201, the detection unit 201 determines whether the vehicle Ve has started to stop based on information acquired by the information acquisition unit 200 from the sensors. For example, whether the vehicle Ve has stopped is determined based on the vehicle speed acquired by the vehicle speed sensor 2001, and whether a door has opened or closed is determined based on door opening / closing information acquired by the door opening / closing sensor 2003. The information acquisition unit 200 records the information acquired from each sensor in the storage unit 210. When the detection unit 201 detects that the vehicle Ve has started to stop, a timer (not shown) starts measuring the vehicle's stopping time, and the process proceeds to step S202.

[0091] In step S202, the assistance content generation unit 207 calculates the stopping state G50 of the vehicle Ve based on at least one of the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 200 and the information detected by the detection unit 201. The stopping state G50 of the vehicle Ve represents the positional relationship between the vehicle Ve and the structure when the vehicle Ve is stopped. As described above, the stopping state G50 is calculated based on the step and distance between the vehicle Ve and the boarding / exiting destination. The stopping state G50 is information detected by sensors such as LiDAR, cameras, radar, and sonar installed in the vehicle Ve, or by sensors such as cameras and LiDAR on the infrastructure side. However, the assistance content generation unit 207 may calculate the stopping state G50 based on the stopping position of the vehicle Ve extracted during the vehicle stopping assistance. The boarding / exiting condition management unit 203 records the stopping state G50 of the vehicle Ve calculated by the assistance content generation unit 207 in the storage unit 210.

[0092] In step S203, the getting-on / off condition management unit 203 determines whether or not an object Oe is getting on or off the vehicle Ve, based on a change in weight information acquired by the information acquisition unit 200 from the weight sensor 2002. As shown in FIG. 10 , the getting-on / off condition management unit 203 can read out the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 200 via the storage unit 210. The getting-on / off condition management unit 203 determines whether or not an object Oe is getting on or off, for example, based on a change in the total vehicle weight or center of gravity, whether or not a door is opened or closed, acquisition of the getting-on / off position through communication with a delivery system or the like, detection by an in-vehicle camera or an infrastructure camera, etc. The detection unit 201 detects a change in the total vehicle weight or center of gravity, for example, by a vehicle weight sensor, a door open / close sensor, etc.

[0093] In step S204, the detection unit 201 calculates a stopping evaluation value G40. The stopping evaluation value G40 is used to determine whether the stopping was easy for getting on and off, and includes the stopping time, the door opening and closing time, the time from the start of weight fluctuation to the end, etc., for estimating the time for getting on and off. In addition, the vibration of the getting on and off object Oe and the value of the sensor mounted on the getting on and off object may be recorded by communicating with a communication device mounted on the getting on and off object Oe or a mobile phone carried by the getting on and off object Oe.

[0094] In step S205, the getting-in / out condition management unit 203 determines whether the vehicle Ve has stopped, based on the vehicle speed acquired by the information acquisition unit 200 from the vehicle speed sensor 2001 and the door opening / closing information acquired from the door opening / closing sensor 2003. Whether the vehicle Ve has stopped can be determined, for example, by a change in the vehicle speed. For example, when the vehicle starts moving, the getting-in / out condition management unit 203 determines that the vehicle Ve has stopped. If the vehicle has stopped, the process proceeds to S206, and if the vehicle has not stopped, the process proceeds to S203.

[0095] In step S206, the getting-on / off condition management unit 203 determines whether or not an object Oe has gotten on or off while the vehicle Ve is stopped, based on a change in weight information acquired by the information acquisition unit 200 from the weight sensor 2002. If it is determined that an object Oe has gotten on or off at least once in step S203, the process proceeds to step S207.

[0096] In step S207, the boarding / exiting condition management unit 203 records the stopping state G50 calculated in step S202 and the stopping evaluation value G40 calculated in step S204 in the storage unit 210.

[0097] So far, a method for recording actual performance data has been described for the purpose of stopping the vehicle in a way that makes it easy for the getting-on and getting-off object Oe to get on and off. However, the stopping position of the vehicle Ve may be designated by user settings.

[0098] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a boarding / alighting setting screen 250 that visualizes the boarding / alighting settings set by the boarding / alighting condition setting unit 202. Because the vehicle stopping assistance device 1A is intended to be an AD / ADAS ECU, the boarding / alighting setting screen 250 is displayed on a display device 505 (shown in FIG. 19 ) installed in a vehicle. However, the boarding / alighting setting screen 250 may also be displayed on a display device such as a PC (not shown) that manages a fleet of vehicles. A plan view of the vehicle Ve is displayed on the left side of the boarding / alighting setting screen 250 as "view 1," and a rear view of the vehicle Ve is displayed on the left side of the boarding / alighting setting screen 250 as "view 2." In each diagram, in addition to the vehicle Ve, a boarding / alighting available area Ra, a parking available area Rs, boarding / alighting positions, and structures are shown. The user can freely move the image icons of the vehicle Ve and the boarding / alighting positions.

[0099] The user sets the desired position and angle at which the vehicle Ve should be stopped relative to the boarding / alighting area Ra and the structure through the boarding / alighting setting screen 250. The learning device 211 acquires weighting of the step and distance for the ease of boarding / alighting based on the set arrangement of the vehicle Ve. The boarding / alighting conditions are set by the user moving the icon of the vehicle Ve or the icon of the boarding / alighting position. The user can also move the icon of the boarding / alighting position.

[0100] The user can also arbitrarily set the arrangement and shape of objects surrounding the vehicle Ve. By specifying a stopping position, the user may cause the boarding / alighting condition management unit 203 to read a 3D map of the area around the vehicle Ve from the storage unit 210, or to read the shape and boarding / alighting positions of the vehicle Ve from the vehicle information D00. If there are multiple boarding / alighting entrances, the user also sets the location from which the boarding / alighting object Oe will board and alight. Furthermore, if the vehicle Ve is an object whose boarding / alighting height and vehicle position can be set in the vertical direction, such as a forklift, a height-adjustable dolly, or a drone, the user also sets the boarding / alighting settings in the vertical direction.

[0101] The assistance content generation unit (assistance content generation unit 107) acquires the stopping position Ps of the vehicle Ve relative to the object at which the vehicle is to get on and off, and the weighting of each element of the ease of getting on and off, which are set by the user. The assistance content generation unit (assistance content generation unit 107) calculates the ease of getting on and off based on the weighting of each element acquired by the assistance content generation unit (assistance content generation unit 107).

[0102] The getting-on / off condition setting unit 202 may link with a navigation device (not shown) provided in the vehicle Ve to display a map as a background on the getting-on / off setting screen 250. In this case, the getting-on / off setting screen 250 may display a menu that allows the user to select whether to set the stopping position at a building entrance or at a location with a high entrance / exit gate. Furthermore, during rain or snowfall, it is expected that even within the getting-on / exit possible area Ra, the vehicle will become wet and it will be difficult to get on and off. For this reason, the getting-on / exit condition setting unit 202 may display the getting-on / exit setting screen 250 that allows the user to instruct a location with a roof to be set as the stopping position depending on the weather. Furthermore, the getting-on / exit condition setting unit 202 may display the getting-on / exit setting screen 250 that includes input fields that allow the user to arbitrarily change the values ​​of α, β, and γ in the above formula (1). Alternatively, even if the user does not directly input the values ​​of α, β, and γ into the input fields, the getting-in / out condition setting unit 202 may display the values ​​of α, β, and γ calculated at the position to which the user moves the icon of the vehicle Ve on the screen on the getting-in / out setting screen 250. In this case, the user can determine appropriate values ​​of α, β, and γ.

[0103] In addition to inputting the values ​​of α, β, and γ by the user through the entry / exit setting screen 250, the values ​​of α, β, and γ can also be input by connecting a smartphone or the like carried by the user to the stopping assistance device 1A. The values ​​of α, β, and γ can also be input by inserting a storage medium storing the values ​​of α, β, and γ into the stopping assistance device 1A.

[0104] Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a device that assists the boarding and disembarking of an object Oe. By using a boarding and disembarking assistance device such as a slope or an arm lift, the risk of the object Oe falling when boarding or disembarking can be reduced. Therefore, even if the boarding and disembarking object Oe is a vehicle with small wheels, it can be boarded or disembarked over a step or distance that allows boarding and disembarking assistance. Fig. 14 shows an example in which a slope 260 is provided between the boarding and disembarking position of the vehicle Ve and the upper surface of the boarding and disembarking possible area Ra.

[0105] As a condition for the stopping position of a vehicle Ve using a boarding / disembarking aid, for example, if the length of the slope 260 is L, the positional relationship in which the slope can be extended from the vehicle Ve to the boarding / disembarking area Ra is such that the square root of ((the square of the step H) + (the square of the distance D)) between the vehicle and the boarding / disembarking area Ra is less than or equal to L. Note that the length L of the slope 260 is the length of the portion available for boarding and disembarking, taking into consideration the length required to fix the slope 260.

[0106] Furthermore, taking into consideration the maximum slope angle E100 of the getting-on / off object Oe, the angle θ1 of the slope 260 must be within the maximum slope angle E100. The angle θ1 of the slope 260 when getting on and off after stopping is calculated by arctan (step H / length L). Furthermore, the vehicle Ve stops in a range where the lateral inclination θ2 (the inclination in the depth direction in FIG. 14 ) of the getting-on / off object Oe when getting on and off from the vehicle Ve to the getting-on / off enabled area Ra satisfies the maximum stable inclination angle E110 of the getting-on / off object Oe, thereby preventing the getting-on / off object Oe from tipping over. The lateral inclination θ2 of the getting-on / off object Oe when getting on and off can be obtained, for example, as the road gradient in the traveling direction of the vehicle Ve. The assistance content generation unit 207 performs stopping assistance that ensures the getting-on / off object Oe can get on and off by taking into consideration the conditions of these getting-on / off assist devices, the maximum slope angle E100, and the maximum stable inclination angle E110. In addition, the user setting of the stopping position when there is a boarding / exiting aid is performed by the boarding / exiting condition setting unit 202.

[0107] Next, a learning device 211 that learns the ease of getting on and off at each position based on the performance data and / or user settings recorded in the storage unit 210 will be described. The learning device 211 learns the ease of getting on and off at the stop position for the get-on / off possible area Ra based on the get-on / off setting or the stop position evaluation log G00, and records a weight parameter W20. The learning device 211 is, for example, a machine learning device such as a gradient boosting tree or deep learning. The get-on / off ease calculation unit 206 inputs the step, distance, width, etc., when the vehicle Ve stops at the stop candidate position Pc within the stop candidate area Rs, and calculates the get-on / off ease at that time based on the learning result of the learning device 211. The processing of the learning device 211 is performed, for example, at step S105 in the flowchart of the stopping assistance processing shown in FIG. 9. The learning device 211 may be connected to the stoppable area calculation unit 205 and the assistance content generation unit 207 to learn about the driving area, stopping area, boarding and alighting area, assistance content, and the like.

[0108] The above is the description of the second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment, a stopping state indicating the positional relationship between the stopping position of the vehicle Ve and a structure, and a stopping evaluation value indicating the ease of getting on and off an object Oe after the vehicle has stopped, are recorded in the storage unit 210. The learning device 211 learns stopping states that improve the stopping evaluation value, thereby improving the extraction of stopping positions that make it easy for the object Oe to get on and off. In addition, by reflecting the stopping positions set by the user, stopping positions based on the user settings are extracted.

[0109] [Third Embodiment] Next, a configuration example and an operation example of a vehicle stopping assistance device according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the vehicle stopping assistance device 1 according to the first embodiment, position extraction was performed assuming that only the vehicle Ve is stopped. However, when multiple vehicles are running or stopped around the vehicle Ve, or when an emergency vehicle is stopped, it is necessary to determine the state of the stopped vehicle. Therefore, a third embodiment will be described that can execute a process for arbitrating the stopping position, which is performed when an emergency vehicle is stopped or when multiple vehicles are stopped.

[0110] FIG. 15 is a configuration diagram showing an example of a stopping assistance device 1B according to the third embodiment. The stopping assistance device 1B includes an information acquisition unit 300, a detection unit 301, a getting-in / out condition setting unit 302, a getting-in / out condition management unit 303, a communication unit 304, a display unit 308, a control unit 309, and a storage unit 310. The functions of the units included in the stopping assistance device 1B are the same as the functions of the units included in the stopping assistance device 1 according to the first embodiment. Furthermore, the stopping assistance device 1B includes an area and position calculation unit 10B instead of the area and position calculation unit 10. The area and position calculation unit 10B includes a stoppable area calculation unit 305, a getting-in / out ease calculation unit 306, and an assistance content generation unit 307. The functions of the stoppable area calculation unit 305, the getting-in / out ease calculation unit 306, and the assistance content generation unit 307 included in the area and position calculation unit 10B are the same as the functions of the units included in the stopping assistance device 1 according to the first embodiment. The information recorded in the storage unit 310 is the same as the information recorded in the storage unit 110 according to the first embodiment. The vehicle Ve according to the third embodiment is also assumed to be an emergency vehicle such as an ambulance or a fire engine.

[0111] The information acquisition unit 300 includes an external sensor 3000 and an occupant status sensor 3001. The external sensor 3000 may be the same as the external sensor 1000 according to the first embodiment. The occupant status sensor 3001 is a sensor that acquires information about occupants riding in the vehicle Ve. The information acquisition unit 300 acquires occupant information using the occupant status sensor 3001, and detects the occupant status using the detection unit 301. The detection unit 301 also detects the presence or absence of a fire or accident around the vehicle Ve, the information acquired by the external sensor 3000, and the presence or absence of a fire engine or ambulance parked therein.

[0112] If it is determined that there is an emergency stop position near the vehicle Ve based on the detection information detected by the detection unit 301, the getting on / off condition management unit 303 updates the map information C00 so that ordinary vehicles cannot stop within a certain range of the emergency stop position for a certain period of time. Furthermore, the getting on / off condition management unit 303 transmits the updated map information C00 and the emergency information to the fleet management server 40 via the communication unit 304.

[0113] The boarding and alighting condition management unit (boarding and alighting condition management unit 303) determines whether or not disaster information is present or whether or not an emergency vehicle has boarded or alighted, which is acquired from the fleet management server 40 by an external sensor (external sensor 3000) or a communication unit (communication unit 304) attached to the vehicle Ve, and updates the memory unit (memory unit 310) so that ordinary vehicles Ve cannot stop within a certain range of the vehicle Ve's stopping position for a certain period of time. The boarding and alighting condition management unit (boarding and alighting condition management unit 303) determines whether surrounding vehicles, including the vehicle Ve, are emergency vehicles using at least one of sensor information acquired by the information acquisition unit (information acquisition unit 300) from the external sensor (external sensor 3000), information indicating the status of the occupants acquired from the internal sensor (occupant status sensor 3001), the vehicle Ve type read from the memory unit (memory unit 310), and information acquired from the communication unit (communication unit 304), and increases the stopping priority of vehicles determined to be emergency vehicles. Therefore, a vehicle determined to be an emergency vehicle is given priority over other vehicles and stops at a hospital or the like, allowing the occupants to receive appropriate treatment.

[0114] In the traffic management server 40, the traffic management unit 402 manages and updates the map information V00, construction information X00, disaster information Y00, and emergency information Z00 in the storage unit 403, and transmits the information to each vehicle. For example, map information of the area around the vehicle Ve is extracted from the map information V00 by the traffic management unit 402 and transmitted to the stopping assistance device 1B via the communication unit 401. The boarding and alighting condition management unit 303 updates the map information received via the communication unit 304 to map information C00 in the storage unit 310. Similarly, construction information of the area around the vehicle Ve is extracted from the construction information X00 by the traffic management unit 402 and transmitted to the boarding and alighting condition management unit 303, and then added to the storage unit 310 as construction information. Furthermore, disaster information of the area around the vehicle Ve is extracted from the disaster information Y00 by the traffic management unit 402 and transmitted to the boarding and alighting condition management unit 303, and then added to the storage unit 310 as disaster information. In addition, emergency information in the vicinity of the vehicle Ve is extracted from the emergency information Z00 by the operation management unit 402, transmitted to the boarding and disembarking conditions management unit 303, and then added to the memory unit 310 as emergency information.

[0115] The vehicle stopping assistance device 1B communicates with the fleet management server 40 as needed, and receives from the fleet management server 40 information on whether there is emergency information or whether multiple vehicles are stopped. Note that if the detection unit 301 is able to detect emergency information, there is no need to receive the emergency information from the fleet management server 40; however, this does not necessarily mean that the detection unit 301 is able to detect the emergency information. For example, for emergency information that is not visible to the naked eye or emergency information that is located at a certain distance outside the sensor detection range, the vehicle stopping assistance device 1B needs to receive the emergency information from the fleet management server 40. Furthermore, if the condition of the driver, who is an occupant of the vehicle Ve, deteriorates, it is necessary to switch to automatic driving if the vehicle is being driven manually.

[0116] The occupant condition sensor 3001 is a sensor for grasping the condition of an occupant of the vehicle Ve that is the target of stopping assistance, and is, for example, an in-vehicle camera or the occupant's smartwatch. The detection unit 301 detects the condition of the occupant from the occupant condition sensor 3001, information from the communication unit 304, display input, or the like. The boarding / alighting condition management unit 303 determines that the vehicle Ve is an emergency vehicle based on the occupant's condition. Furthermore, the boarding / alighting condition management unit 303 determines nearby locations where the vehicle can be stopped, emergency facilities such as hospitals, and other locations as stopping candidates based on the occupant's condition. Regarding the condition of the passenger, for example, the information acquisition unit 300 acquires the pulse rate acquired by a smartwatch, and the detection unit 301 determines changes in the pulse rate. In addition, the passenger's condition also includes information such as the passenger's body temperature or whether the passenger is lying down, and these are determined by the detection unit 301. Furthermore, the detection unit 301 may detect that the condition of not only the passenger but also the driver is in a state where it is difficult for them to continue driving (for example, they are dozing or tired). In this case, the assistance content generation unit 307 instructs the control unit 309 to stop the vehicle Ve, and the control unit 309 stops the vehicle Ve.

[0117] 16 is a flowchart showing an example of a vehicle stop arbitration process. The vehicle stop arbitration process is a process for arbitrating the stop positions among multiple vehicles. This vehicle stop arbitration process is performed by the boarding / alighting condition management unit 303 alone, or by the boarding / alighting condition management unit 303 and the operation management unit 402. When the vehicle stop arbitration process is performed by the boarding / alighting condition management unit 303 alone, the boarding / alighting condition management unit 303 performs all of steps S301 to S307. When the vehicle stop arbitration process is performed by the boarding / alighting condition management unit 303 and the operation management unit 402, the operation management unit 402 performs all of steps S301 to S307, and the results of the processing are acquired by the boarding / alighting condition management unit 303 via the communication unit 304. The boarding / alighting condition management unit 303 instructs the assistance content generation unit 307 on the boarding / alighting conditions based on the acquired results, and the assistance content generation unit 307 generates assistance content. The case where the operation control unit 402 performs steps S301 to S307 will be described below.

[0118] In step S301, the operation management unit 402 acquires information necessary for the vehicle stop arbitration process, such as the stopping positions of other vehicles and the stopping information of emergency vehicles, from the information acquisition unit 300 or the communication unit 304.

[0119] In step S302, the operation management unit 402 determines whether or not mediation of stopping of the vehicle Ve is necessary. The mediation of stopping is necessary, for example, when the candidate stopping position is the stopping position of an emergency vehicle or when there are multiple requests to stop. The operation management unit 402 determines whether or not the candidate stopping position is the stopping position of an emergency vehicle based on conditions such as whether a fire or accident has occurred around the vehicle Ve, whether there is any fire or emergency information, and whether or not the candidate stopping position is a stopping position of a fire engine or an ambulance. This determination is made by the operation management unit 402 using an external camera, an infrastructure sensor, and communication with the operation management server 40. Whether or not the vehicle Ve is an emergency vehicle may be determined based on the vehicle type of the vehicle information, such as whether the vehicle Ve is a fire engine or an ambulance.

[0120] In step S303, the operation management unit 402 determines whether the location is the stopping location of an emergency vehicle, and if so, in step S304, the operation management unit 402 updates the map information C00 recorded in the storage unit 310 to indicate that the location is the stopping location of an emergency vehicle. For example, within a certain range of the stopping location of the emergency vehicle, general vehicles are prohibited from stopping or traffic is restricted for a certain period of time. The location of a fire or accident or the stopping location of an emergency vehicle is recorded in the storage unit 310 along with the detection time and details, and transmitted to the operation management server 40 or vehicles that can communicate via the communication unit 304, thereby streamlining the passage of emergency vehicles.

[0121] In step S305, the operation management unit 402 determines whether there are requests from multiple vehicles Ve to stop in the stoppable area Rs. The stoppable area Rs is transmitted from one vehicle Ve to another vehicle Ve or the operation management server 40. In addition, a driveway at a hospital or a rotary at a station corresponds to the stoppable area Rs.

[0122] If there is a request for stopping multiple vehicles, the process proceeds to step S306, where the operation management unit 402 determines whether or not there is a stopping space. The presence or absence of a stopping space is determined, for example, by the detection unit 301 detecting the size of the possible stopping area Rs of the candidate stopping position Pc and the number of vehicles that can stop, or by the operation management unit 402 determining whether or not there is a remaining stopping space based on the number of vehicles heading to the stopping location, based on information received from an infrastructure camera or a monitoring system. Even if there is no stopping space, if the stopping time at the stopping space is short or if stopped vehicles depart frequently, the vehicle Ve continues to stop.

[0123] If there is a stopping space when multiple vehicles are stopped (YES in S306), the operation management unit 402 continues driving toward the stopping position. On the other hand, if there is no stopping space when multiple vehicles are stopped (NO in S306), the operation management unit 402 changes the candidate stopping position in step S307. The new candidate stopping position changed by the boarding / alighting condition management unit 303 and the operation management unit 402 is a location according to the boarding / alighting conditions, for example, a stopping position that is closest to the planned stopping location and is capable of stopping. The boarding / alighting condition management unit (boarding / alighting condition management unit 303) determines to perform stopping assistance processing when the vehicle Ve is traveling at or below a certain speed and approaches a predetermined stopping position or a stopping position acquired by the communication unit (communication unit 304). Note that if the system does not have an operation management server 40, the boarding / alighting condition management unit 303 arbitrates between the vehicle and another vehicle.

[0124] The above is the description of the third embodiment of the present invention. In the third embodiment, a method for coordinating when multiple vehicles need to stop has been described. In coordinating the stopping of multiple vehicles, the stopping assistance device 1B according to the third embodiment determines whether each vehicle that needs to stop is an emergency vehicle based on the vehicle type or the status of its occupants, thereby increasing the priority of the emergency vehicle's stopping. In addition, the stopping assistance device 1B identifies the stopping location of the emergency vehicle and whether there is a fire or accident, and updates the map to set a stoppable area according to the situation.

[0125] [Fourth Embodiment] Next, a configuration example and an operation example of a stopping assistance device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The stopping assistance device 1 according to the first embodiment detects the width, height, and shape of sidewalks and structures in addition to the roadway to calculate the area in which a boarding / disembarking object Oe can board and disembark. However, this detection method detects objects over a wider range than the roadway Rm shown in FIG. 2 , which may increase the amount of calculation required for sensor processing compared to normal operation. Therefore, a fourth embodiment will be described in which the stopping assistance device switches from multiple modes to a single mode during normal operation and high-accuracy detection so that the stopping assistance device can perform detection as needed. The mode switching according to the fourth embodiment can be combined with the first to third embodiments described above. The following description will be given assuming that the mode switching according to the fourth embodiment is performed, for example, by the boarding / disembarking condition management unit 103 of the stopping assistance device 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0126] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the transition of switching between each mode. In the stopping assistance device according to the fourth embodiment, necessary processing is performed for each condition in a normal mode, a mode for detecting road edges with high accuracy, and a mode for performing stopping assistance. The getting on / off condition management unit (getting on / off condition management unit 103) in the stopping assistance device according to the fourth embodiment switches between a normal mode during normal driving, a detection mode for detecting objects around the vehicle Ve with high accuracy, and a stopping assistance mode for performing stopping assistance processing. For example, when the vehicle Ve is driving normally, the normal mode is selected. It is assumed that the vehicle transitions to the stopping assistance mode when a certain transition condition A is met, and to the detection mode when a certain transition condition B is met.

[0127] The vehicle stopping assistance mode is a mode that provides stopping assistance such as displaying positions where it is easy for an object Oe to get on and off, or controlling the vehicle Ve to those positions, and also performs high-precision detection of road edges. The high-precision detection in the vehicle stopping assistance mode is the same as the high-precision detection in the detection mode. However, the detection accuracy may be changed depending on the mode.

[0128] Transition condition A for transitioning from the normal mode or the detection mode to the stopping assistance mode is, for example, when the vehicle speed of the vehicle Ve is equal to or lower than a certain level, or when the vehicle Ve approaches the planned stopping position. Alternatively, the mode may be switched when the stopping assistance device receives a signal for performing stopping assistance from a control system (not shown) with which the vehicle Ve can communicate, or when the driver operates a mode switching button or the like. If transition condition A is not met, such as when the vehicle Ve is stopped within a certain range of the stopping position Ps calculated by the stopping assistance, or when the external sensor 1000 is powered off, the mode is switched to the normal mode.

[0129] In the detection mode, the detection unit according to the fourth embodiment uses the external sensor 1000 to detect the surroundings with high precision and acquire LiDAR point clouds and camera images to create a high-precision map including the shapes of sidewalks and structures. The information acquisition unit creates a high-precision map using the acquired LiDAR point clouds or camera images and records the high-precision map in the storage unit 110. By storing the high-precision map in the storage unit 110, the detection unit can acquire the height of structures such as the boarding and disembarking area Ra even when the detection unit is remote or outside the detection range of the external sensor 1000, enabling the assistance content generation unit to provide stopping assistance. For example, if the storage unit 110 does not contain a 3D map of the area around the current location of the vehicle Ve, the system transitions to the detection mode. In the detection mode, the on / off timing of sensors operating in the normal mode or the frequency of information collection from the sensors may be changed.

[0130] If transition condition B is not satisfied or if the power of the external sensor 1000 is off, the system transitions to the normal mode. If transition condition A for vehicle stop assistance is met during the detection mode, the system transitions to the vehicle stop assistance mode. Transition condition B is assumed to occur when the vehicle Ve does not have a high-precision map of the area around the vehicle.

[0131] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of whether each door of a vehicle Ve can be opened or closed at a stopping position Ps. The getting-in / out condition management unit according to the fourth embodiment determines whether each door can be opened or closed based on the shape of the structure, including its height, the position and height of each boarding / alighting entrance of the vehicle Ve, and the shape and range of movement of the door. The getting-in / out condition management unit determines that the door cannot be opened or closed if a structure is present within the range of movement, including the height of the position of each boarding / alighting entrance at the stopping position Ps. In FIG. 16, door 1 cannot be opened or closed, and doors 3 to 5 can be opened or closed.

[0132] When the boarding and alighting condition management unit (boarding and alighting condition management unit 103) determines that the doors of vehicle Ve cannot be opened or closed based on the shape including the height of the object at the boarding and alighting destination, the position including the height of the door of vehicle Ve, the range of motion of the door of vehicle Ve, and the relationship between the stopping position Ps of vehicle Ve and the object at the boarding and alighting destination, it notifies the occupants of vehicle Ve or the manager of vehicle Ve that the doors of vehicle Ve cannot be opened or closed.

[0133] This concludes the description of the fourth embodiment of the present invention. In the fourth embodiment, a method for acquiring information necessary for calculating the ease of getting in and out while suppressing the amount of calculation required for sensor processing by switching between the stopping assistance mode, the normal mode, and the detection mode has been described.

[0134] <Example of Computer Hardware Configuration> Next, a hardware configuration of a computer 500 constituting the vehicle stopping assistance device according to the first to fourth embodiments will be described. Fig. 19 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the computer 500. The computer 500 is an example of hardware used as a computer that can operate as the vehicle stopping assistance device according to the present embodiment. The vehicle stopping assistance device according to the present embodiment realizes a vehicle stopping assistance method in which the blocks cooperate to perform the processes shown in the respective flowcharts by the computer 500 (computer) executing a program.

[0135] The computer 500 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 501, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 502, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 503, each connected to a bus 504. The computer 500 further includes a display device 505, an input device 506, a non-volatile storage 507, and a network interface 508.

[0136] The CPU 501 reads out program code of software that realizes each function according to the present embodiment from the ROM 502, loads it into the RAM 503, and executes it. Variables, parameters, etc. generated during the calculation processing of the CPU 501 are temporarily written to the RAM 503, and these variables, parameters, etc. are read out by the CPU 501 as appropriate. However, an MPU (Micro Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) may be used instead of the CPU 501, or the CPU 501 and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) may be used together. For example, the functions of the information acquisition units 100, 200, 300, the detection units 101, 201, 301, the entry / exit condition setting units 102, 202, 302, the entry / exit condition management units 103, 203, 303, and the area and position calculation units 10, 10A, 10B included in the stopping assistance devices 1, 1A, 1B are realized by the CPU 501, the ROM 502, and the RAM 503.

[0137] The display device 505 is, for example, a liquid crystal display monitor, and displays to the user the results of processing performed by the computer 500. The input device 506 is configured integrally with the display device 505, and allows the user to input predetermined operations or give instructions to the display. For example, the functions of the display units 108, 208, and 308 provided in the stopping assistance devices 1, 1A, and 1B are realized by the display device 505 and the input device 506.

[0138] The nonvolatile storage 507 may be, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flexible disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a magnetic tape, or a nonvolatile memory. The nonvolatile storage 507 stores an operating system (OS), various parameters, and programs for operating the computer 500. The ROM 502 and the nonvolatile storage 507 store programs and data necessary for the CPU 501 to operate, and are used as examples of computer-readable, non-transitory storage media that store programs executed by the computer 500. For example, the functions of the storage units 110, 210, and 310 included in the stopping assistance devices 1, 1A, and 1B are realized by the nonvolatile storage 507.

[0139] The network interface 508 may be, for example, a network interface card (NIC), and may transmit and receive various data between devices via wireless communication connected to a terminal of the NIC. The network interface 508 is also configured to transmit and receive various data to and from a server or the like via a network such as a LAN or the Internet, or a dedicated line. For example, the functions of the communication units 104, 204, and 304 are realized by the CPU 501 and the network interface 508.

[0140] The above-described configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be partly or entirely realized in hardware by, for example, designing them as integrated circuits, etc. Furthermore, the above-described configurations, functions, etc. may be realized in software by a processor interpreting and executing a program that realizes each function.

[0141] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various other applications and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the claims. For example, the above-described embodiments provide detailed and specific descriptions of the device and system configurations to clearly explain the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. It is also possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations. Furthermore, the control lines and information lines shown are those considered necessary for the explanation, and not all control lines and information lines are necessarily shown in the product. In reality, it can be assumed that almost all components are interconnected.

[0142] 1, 1A, 1B... Stopping assistance device, 10, 10A, 10B... Position calculation unit, 40... Traffic management server, 100, 200, 300... Information acquisition unit, 101, 201, 301... Detection unit, 102, 202, 302... Boarding and alighting condition setting unit, 103, 203, 303... Boarding and alighting condition management unit, 104, 204, 304... Communication unit, 105, 205, 305... Stopping area calculation unit, 106 , 206, 306... Boarding and alighting ease calculation unit, 107, 207, 307... Assistance content generation unit, 108, 208, 308... Display unit, 109, 209, 309... Control unit, 110, 210, 310... Storage unit, 211... Learning device, 250... Boarding and alighting setting screen, C00... Map information, D00... Vehicle information, E00... Boarding and alighting object information, F00... Boarding and alighting setting information, G00... Evaluation log of stopping position

Claims

1. A stopping assistance device comprising: an information acquisition unit that acquires information about the surroundings of a vehicle; a detection unit that detects an area in which the vehicle can be driven and a three-dimensional shape of an object around the vehicle based on the information about the surroundings of the vehicle; a possible stopping area calculation unit that calculates a possible stopping area in which the vehicle can be stopped based on the area in which the vehicle can be driven and the three-dimensional shape of the object; a boarding and alighting ease calculation unit that calculates the boarding and alighting ease for an object to board or disembark from the vehicle based on at least the three-dimensional shape of the object; and an assistance content generation unit that calculates a stopping position where the vehicle will be stopped based on the boarding and alighting ease and the possible stopping area, and generates assistance content to assist the vehicle in stopping based on the stopping position.

2. The stopping assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the boarding / alighting ease calculation unit calculates the boarding / alighting ease based on vehicle information including the height of the boarding / alighting position of the vehicle and information on the boarding / alighting object.

3. The stopping assistance device of claim 2, wherein the boarding and alighting ease calculation unit calculates the boarding and alighting ease to be high when the physical constraints or vehicle constraints of the boarding and alighting object are satisfied based on physical information and / or vehicle performance of the boarding and alighting object, and the three-dimensional shape and / or object type of the object, and the physical constraints or driving constraints of the boarding and alighting object are calculated from values ​​including at least one of the step, distance, passage width for other vehicles to pass, and slope between the vehicle and the object.

4. A stopping assistance device as described in claim 3, comprising: an entry / exit condition management unit that determines whether or not stopping assistance processing can be performed on the vehicle; and a control unit that controls the vehicle based on the assistance content.

5. A stopping assistance device as described in claim 4, further comprising a memory unit which records a stopping state of the vehicle and a stopping evaluation value which represents the actual ease of boarding and alighting in the stopping state, wherein the stopping state includes at least one of a step, distance, a passage width which other vehicles can pass through, a slope, and an angle which represent the positional relationship between the stopped vehicle and the object, and the stopping evaluation value includes at least one value which can estimate the boarding and alighting time of the object, and the assistance content generation unit improves the stopping position to a position which makes it easy for the object to board and alight based on the stopping state and the stopping evaluation value.

6. The stopping assistance device described in claim 5, wherein the boarding and alighting ease calculation unit calculates the boarding and alighting ease for the candidate stopping positions extracted from the possible stopping area, calculates stopping positions at which it is easy for the object to board and alight from the candidate stopping area, and changes the interval between the candidate stopping positions depending on the vehicle information, the information on the object to board and alight, and the required accuracy.

7. The stopping assistance device described in claim 5, wherein the boarding and alighting condition management unit determines whether or not there is disaster information acquired by an external sensor or communication unit attached to the vehicle, or whether or not there is boarding or alighting from an emergency vehicle, and updates the memory unit so that a certain range of the stopping position of the vehicle is made unavailable for general vehicles to stop for a certain period of time, and determines whether surrounding vehicles including the vehicle are emergency vehicles using at least one of the sensor information acquired by the information acquisition unit from the external sensor, the information indicating the status of the occupants acquired from an internal sensor, the vehicle type read from the memory unit, and the information acquired from the communication unit, and increases the stopping priority of the vehicle determined to be an emergency vehicle.

8. The stopping assistance device described in claim 4, wherein the assistance content generation unit acquires the stopping position of the vehicle relative to an object at the boarding / disembarking destination and a weighting of each element of the ease of boarding / disembarking set by a user, and the ease of boarding / disembarking calculation unit calculates the ease of boarding / disembarking based on the weighting of each element acquired by the assistance content generation unit.

9. The stopping assistance device according to claim 4, wherein the boarding and alighting condition management unit makes a decision to perform the stopping assistance processing when the vehicle is traveling at or below a certain speed and the vehicle approaches a previously set stopping position or a stopping position acquired by a communication unit.

10. The stopping assistance device according to claim 4, wherein the boarding and disembarking condition management unit switches between a normal mode during normal driving, a detection mode for detecting objects around the vehicle with high accuracy, and a stopping assistance mode for performing the stopping assistance process.

11. The stopping assistance device of claim 4, wherein when the boarding and alighting condition management unit determines that the door of the vehicle cannot be opened or closed based on the shape including the height of the object at the boarding and alighting destination, the position including the height of the door of the vehicle, the range of motion of the door of the vehicle, and the stopping position relationship between the vehicle and the object at the boarding and alighting destination, the unit notifies an occupant of the vehicle or a manager of the vehicle that the door of the vehicle cannot be opened or closed.

12. A stopping assistance method comprising the steps of: acquiring information about the surroundings of a vehicle; detecting an area in which the vehicle can travel and a three-dimensional shape of an object around the vehicle based on the information about the surroundings of the vehicle; calculating a stopping area in which the vehicle can be stopped based on the area in which the vehicle can travel and the three-dimensional shape of the object; calculating a boarding / alighting ease for an object to board or disembark from the vehicle based on at least the three-dimensional shape of the object; calculating a stopping position at which the vehicle will stop based on the boarding / alighting ease and the stopping area, and generating assistance content to assist in stopping the vehicle based on the stopping position.

Images