阅读说明：本技术 驻车控制方法及驻车控制装置 (Parking control method and parking control device ) 是由 桑原绚一 铃木康启 早川泰久 于 2017-06-23 设计创作，主要内容包括：从操作者(M)取得操作指令,检测存在于车辆(V)的周围的障碍物(X),在检测出障碍物(X)的情况下,向操作者(M)通知障碍物(X)的存在,请求障碍物(X)存在的肯定或否定的判断的输入,在得到肯定的输入的情况下,根据在障碍物(X)存在的条件下计算出的路径上移动的控制命令,使车辆(V)驻车。(An operation command is acquired from an operator (M), an obstacle (X) existing around a vehicle (V) is detected, if the obstacle (X) is detected, the existence of the obstacle (X) is notified to the operator (M), an input of an affirmative or negative judgment of the existence of the obstacle (X) is requested, and if the affirmative input is obtained, the vehicle (V) is parked according to a control command for moving on a path calculated under the condition that the obstacle (X) exists.)

1. A parking control method for parking a vehicle based on an operation instruction, wherein,

the operation instruction is taken from an operator outside the vehicle,

detecting an obstacle existing in the periphery of the vehicle,

notifying the operator of the presence of the obstacle in the case where the obstacle is detected, requesting a first input to confirm the presence of the obstacle or a second input to deny the presence of the obstacle,

if the first input is obtained, a first parking path is calculated under the condition that the obstacle exists, and the vehicle is parked according to a control command for moving on the first parking path.

2. The parking control method according to claim 1, wherein,

and if the second input is obtained, calculating a second parking path under the condition that the obstacle does not exist, and parking the vehicle according to a control command for moving on the second parking path.

3. The parking control method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

requesting the first input or the second input when a distance between the operator and the obstacle is less than a predetermined value.

4. The parking control method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

and stopping the vehicle when the distance between the operator and the obstacle is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

5. The parking control method according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

requesting the first input or the second input in a case where the position of the obstacle belongs to an identification area of the operator.

6. The parking control method according to any one of claims 1 to 5,

stopping the vehicle when the position of the obstacle does not belong to the operator's recognition area.

7. The parking control method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein,

and a determination level determining unit configured to determine a determination level relating to accuracy of a result of detection of the obstacle, and to notify the presence of the obstacle and request the first input or the second input when the determination level is higher than a predetermined first predetermined value and lower than a second predetermined value higher than the first predetermined value.

8. The parking control method according to any one of claims 1 to 7,

the operation terminal for receiving the operation input of the operator is provided with a communication device and a display,

displaying the presence of the obstacle on the display.

9. The parking control method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein,

a notification device for providing a notification message outside the vehicle,

the notification device prompts for the presence of the obstacle.

10. The parking control method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein,

the operation terminal for receiving the operation input of the operator comprises a communication device and an input device,

the input device receives the first input or the second input.

11. A parking control device includes a control device for executing a control command for parking a vehicle in accordance with an operation command,

the control device acquires the operation command from an operator outside the vehicle,

detecting an obstacle existing in the periphery of the vehicle,

notifying the operator of the presence of the obstacle in the case where the obstacle is detected, requesting a first input to confirm the presence of the obstacle or a second input to deny the presence of the obstacle,

if the first input is obtained, a first parking path is calculated under the condition that the obstacle exists, and the vehicle is parked according to a control command for moving on the first parking path.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a parking control method and a parking control device.

Background

A parking (stopping) control technique is known that stops a vehicle when an obstacle is detected (patent document 1).

Disclosure of Invention

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to continue the movement of a vehicle even when an obstacle is detected and when the detection is erroneous.

Means for solving the problems

The present invention solves the above problems as follows: when an obstacle is detected, the presence of the obstacle is notified to the operator, and an input of an affirmative or negative determination of the presence of the obstacle is requested, and when an affirmative input is obtained, the vehicle is parked (stopped) on the parking path calculated on the condition that the obstacle is present.

Effects of the invention

According to the present invention, it is verified whether the detection result of the obstacle is erroneous, and if the detection result of the obstacle is erroneous, the parking process can be executed.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a parking control system according to the present embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2A is a diagram for explaining a first detection method of the position of the operator.

Fig. 2B is a diagram for explaining a second detection method of the position of the operator.

Fig. 2C is a diagram for explaining a third detection method of the position of the operator.

Fig. 2D is a diagram for explaining a fourth detection method of the position of the operator.

Fig. 3A is a diagram for explaining a first obstacle detection method.

Fig. 3B is a diagram for explaining a second method of detecting an obstacle.

Fig. 4A is a diagram for explaining a first calculation method of a first region and a second region (dead space) recognizable by an operator.

Fig. 4B is a diagram for explaining a second calculation method of the first region and the second region (dead space) recognizable by the operator.

Fig. 4C is a diagram for explaining a third calculation method of the first region and the second region (dead space) recognizable by the operator.

Fig. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control procedure of the parking control system according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a first flowchart showing an example of a method of calculating a parking path according to the determination result of the detection result.

Fig. 7 shows an example of a terminal device when determination of the detection result is requested.

Fig. 8A is a diagram for explaining a state where an obstacle exists in the recognition area.

Fig. 8B is a diagram for explaining a state in which an obstacle exists in an unrecognizable area (blind spot).

Fig. 9 is a second flowchart showing an example of a method of calculating a parking path according to the determination result of the detection result.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In the present embodiment, a case where the parking control apparatus according to the present invention is applied to a parking control system will be described as an example. The parking control device may be applied to a portable operation terminal (a smartphone, a PDA, or other device) that can exchange information with the in-vehicle device. The parking control method according to the present invention can be used in a parking control device described later.

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a parking control system 1000 including a parking control device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The parking control system 1000 of the present embodiment includes cameras 1a to 1d, a distance measuring device 2, an information server 3, an operation terminal 5, a parking control device 100, a vehicle controller 70, a drive system 40, a steering angle sensor 50, and a vehicle speed sensor 60. The parking control device 100 of the present embodiment controls an operation of moving (parking) a vehicle to a parking space (parking space) based on an operation command input from the operation terminal 5. In the present specification, a parking control target vehicle is referred to as a vehicle V.

The operation terminal 5 is a portable computer having an input function and a communication function and capable of being carried outside the vehicle. The operation terminal 5 receives an input of an operation instruction of an operator for controlling driving (action) of the vehicle for parking. The driving includes operations of parking (parking in and parking out). The operator inputs a command containing an operation instruction for performing parking via the operation terminal 5. The operation command includes execution/stop of parking control, selection/change of a target parking space, selection/change of a parking path, and other information required for parking. Further, the operator may recognize a command including an operation command by the parking control apparatus 100 by a gesture of the operator or the like without using the operation terminal 5.

The operation terminal 5 includes a communication device and can exchange information with the parking control device 100 and the information server 3. Operation terminal 5 transmits an operation command input outside the vehicle to parking control device 100 via a communication network, and inputs the operation command to parking control device 100. The operation terminal 5 communicates with the parking control device 100 using a signal including a unique identification mark.

The operation terminal 5 is provided with a display 53. The display 53 prompts an input interface, various information. The display 53 has a function of receiving an operation instruction when it is a touch panel display. The operation terminal 5 may be a smartphone, a PDA, or the like, which receives an input of an operation command used in the parking control method according to the present embodiment and has an application program installed thereon for transmitting the operation command to the parking control device 100: portable devices such as Personal Digital Assistant.

The information server 3 is an information providing apparatus provided on a communicable network. The information server includes a communication device 31 and a storage device 32. The storage device 32 includes readable map information 33, parking lot information 34, and obstacle information 35. The parking control device 100 and the operation terminal 5 can access the storage device 32 of the information server 3 to acquire each piece of information. The parking control device 100 and the operation terminal 5 may acquire information such as the position of the parking space and whether or not the parking is being performed from the information server 3.

The parking control device 100 of the present embodiment includes a control device 10, an input device 20, and an output device 30. Each configuration of parking control apparatus 100 is connected to each other through an in-vehicle LAN such as can (controller Area network) or the like in order to exchange information with each other. The input device 20 includes a communication device 21. The communication device 21 receives an operation command transmitted from the external operation terminal 5 and inputs the operation command to the input device 20. The subject of inputting the operation command to the external operation terminal 5 may be a person (user, passenger, driver, operator of parking facility). The input device 20 transmits the received operation command to the control device 10. The output device 30 includes a display 31. The output device 30 transmits the parking control information to the driver. The display 31 of the present embodiment is a touch panel display having an input function and an output function. When the display 31 has an input function, the display 31 functions as the input device 20. Even when the vehicle is controlled based on the operation command input from the operation terminal 5, the occupant can input an operation command such as an emergency stop via the input device 20. The output device 30 may include a speaker for presenting information related to parking control.

The control device 10 of the parking control device 100 according to the present embodiment is a computer having features of a ROM12 storing a parking control program, a CPU11 as an operating circuit that functions as the parking control device 100 according to the present embodiment by executing the program stored in the ROM12, and a RAM13 that functions as an accessible storage device.

The parking control routine of the present embodiment is a routine for requesting the operator M, when an obstacle is detected, a first input for confirming the presence of the obstacle or a second input for negating the presence of the obstacle, calculating a first parking route under the condition that the obstacle is present when the first input is obtained, and executing parking control of the vehicle based on a control command for moving on the first parking route. This routine is executed by the control device 10 or the operation terminal 5 of the parking control device 100 according to the present embodiment.

The parking control device 100 of the present embodiment is a remote control type device that controls the movement of a vehicle by transmitting an operation command from the outside and parks the vehicle in a predetermined parking space. The occupant may be outside or inside the vehicle compartment.

The parking control device 100 according to the present embodiment may be an automatic control type that automatically performs a steering operation and an accelerator/brake operation. The parking control apparatus 100 may be a semiautomatic type in which a steering operation is automatically performed and an accelerator/brake operation is performed by a driver.

In the parking control program of the present embodiment, the user may arbitrarily select the target parking space, and the parking control device 100 or the parking facility side may automatically set the target parking space.

The control device 10 of the parking control device 100 of the present embodiment has a function of executing an observation position setting process, a first and/or second region calculation process, a parking path calculation process, a control command calculation process, and a parking control process. The control device 10 further has a function of calculating a parking path in consideration of the position of the obstacle by executing the obstacle detection process. The above-described respective processes are executed by cooperation of software for realizing the respective processes and the above-described hardware.

The calculation process of the position of the operator M is described based on fig. 2A to 2D. The position of the operator M is an operation for the operator M to perform the parking process by observing the movement of the vehicle V. The position of the operator M may be detected based on a sensor signal from a sensor provided in the vehicle V, or the position of the operation terminal 5 held by the operator M may be detected, and the position of the operator M may be calculated based on the position of the operation terminal 5. The operation terminal 5 may be installed at a predetermined position or may be held by the operator M. When the operation terminal 5 is installed at a predetermined position, the operator M moves to the arrangement position of the operation terminal 5 and uses the operation terminal 5. In these cases, the position of the operation terminal 5 can be set to the position of the operator M.

As shown in fig. 2A, the position of the operator M is detected based on the detection results of the plurality of distance measuring devices 2 provided in the vehicle V and/or the captured image of the camera 1. The position of the operator M can be detected based on the images captured by the cameras 1a to 1 d. The distance measuring device 2 can use a radar device such as a millimeter wave radar, a laser radar, and an ultrasonic radar, or a sonar. Since the plurality of distance measuring devices 2 and the detection results thereof are identifiable, the position of the operator M can be detected based on the detection results. Similarly, the distance measuring device 2 may be provided at the same position as the cameras 1a to 1d or at a different position from the cameras 1. Further, the control device 10 may detect a gesture of the operator M based on the captured images of the cameras 1a to 1d, and recognize an operation command corresponding to the gesture.

As shown in fig. 2B, the position of the operation terminal 5 or the operator M holding the operation terminal 5 may be detected based on the communication radio wave with the operation terminal 5 from each of the antennas 211 provided at different positions of the vehicle V. In the case where a plurality of antennas 211 communicate with one operation terminal 5, the intensity of the received radio wave differs for each antenna 211. The position of the operation terminal 5 can be calculated based on the intensity difference of the received radio waves of the antennas 211. The two-dimensional position and/or the three-dimensional position of the operation terminal 5 or the operator M can be calculated from the intensity difference of the received radio waves of the antennas 211.

As shown in fig. 2C, predetermined positions (directions, distances: D1, D2) may be pre-designated as the operation position of the operator M or the arrangement position of the operation terminal 5 with respect to the driver seat DS of the vehicle V. For example, when the operator M temporarily stops the vehicle V at a predetermined position and gets off the vehicle to operate the operation terminal 5 provided at a predetermined position, the initial position of the operator M or the operation terminal 5 held by the operator M with respect to the vehicle V can be detected.

Similarly, as shown in fig. 2D, image information indicating the Operation Position (standing Position of the operator M) with respect to the vehicle is displayed on the display 53 of the Operation terminal 5. The display control may be executed by an application program stored in the operation terminal 5, or may be executed based on an instruction from the control device 10.

In the present embodiment, the observation position of the operator M is calculated in order to calculate a first region that can be recognized by the operator M or a second region that cannot be recognized by the operator M (dead zone). In calculating the first region (or the second region), the detected two-dimensional position of the operator M may be calculated as the observation position. In addition, the position of the eyes of the operator M (height information) may be considered. Based on the two-dimensional position of the operation terminal 5 obtained by the above-described method, a position corresponding to the position of the eyes of the operator M is calculated as an observation position. The observation position may be calculated using a preset height of the operator M or an average height of adults. When the detection signal of the position information of the operation terminal 5 contains height information, the position of the operation terminal 5 may be set as the observation position.

The obstacle detection process will be described with reference to fig. 3A and 3B. The obstacle includes a structure such as a wall, a pillar, or the like of a parking lot, a setting around a vehicle, a pedestrian, another vehicle, a parking vehicle, or the like.

As shown in fig. 3A, an obstacle is detected based on the detection results of the plurality of distance measuring devices 2 provided in the vehicle V and the captured image of the camera 1. The distance measuring device 2 detects the presence or absence of an object, the position of the object, the size of the object, and the distance to the object based on the received signal of the radar device. The presence or absence of an object, the position of the object, the size of the object, and the distance to the object are detected based on the captured images of the cameras 1a to 1 d. The obstacle detection may be performed using a technique of moving the cameras 1a to 1d in a three-dimensional manner. The detection result is used for judging whether the parking space is empty (whether the parking space is in the middle of parking).

As shown in fig. 3B, based on the parking lot information 34 acquired from the storage device 32 of the information server 3, it is possible to detect an obstacle including a structure such as a wall or a pillar of the parking lot. The parking lot information includes position information such as the arrangement of each parking lot (parking area), an identification number, a passage of a parking facility, a pillar, a wall, and a storage space. The information server 3 may be information for managing a parking lot.

Next, a calculation process of a recognition area (first area) recognizable by the operator M and/or a blind spot area (second area) unrecognizable by the operator M will be described. The control device 10 calculates a first region that can be viewed by the operator M from the calculated observation position of the operator M based on the positional relationship between the position of the obstacle and the position of the operator M. The control device 10 calculates, as a first region, a region whose field of view is not blocked by an obstacle when the operator M is viewed from the observation position. The control device 10 calculates, as the second region, a region whose field of view is blocked by the obstacle when the operator M observes from the observation position. The second region that is not visible or recognizable from the operator M can be calculated from the positional relationship with the obstacle. In addition, the blind spot caused by the vehicle V as the operation target may be set as the second region not only by the obstacle. The control device 10 calculates, as the second region, a region in which the field of view of the operator M is blocked by the vehicle as the operation target when the operator M observes from the observation position. The second region that cannot be observed by the operator M can be calculated from the positional relationship with the parked vehicle. The method for calculating the recognizable region and the method for calculating the blind spot can be appropriately used by a method known at the time of application. In addition, other vehicles that are not the operation target belong to the obstacle. From the viewpoint of reducing the computational load, the controller 10 first calculates the second region, and may set the other regions as the first region. In addition, the second region may be set to be enlarged in consideration of the detection accuracy of the obstacle and the detection accuracy of the position of the operator M.

Fig. 4A shows an example of a case where a blind spot occurs due to the structure of the parking lot. In the example shown in fig. 4A, when vehicle V1 moves on parking path RT, operator M standing on the side of vehicle V1 operates operation terminal 5. The control device 10 calculates, as the first area VA, an area that can be predicted to be recognized without being blocked by another object when the operator M observes from the observation position VP. In the example of fig. 4A, the wall W of the parking lot blocks the view of the operator M. The control device 10 calculates, as the second area BA, an area that is predicted to be hidden from view by the wall W and not recognized when the operator M views from the viewing position VP.

Fig. 4B shows an example of a case where a blind spot occurs due to the vehicle itself as the control target. When the operator M observes from the observation position VP, the control device 10 calculates a region that can be predicted to be recognized without being blocked by another object as the first region VA. In the example of fig. 4B, the vehicle V2 at the predicted turning position on the parking path blocks the view of the operator M. When the operator M views the observation position VP, the control device 10 calculates, as the second area BA, an area that can be predicted to be hidden and unrecognizable by the vehicle V2. Vehicle information such as the height and size of the vehicle used for calculation in the second area BA is prestored in the control device 10. The vehicle information may be information specific to the vehicle or information defined in accordance with the vehicle type or the like.

As shown in fig. 4C, the presence of a recess may be determined from the position of the wall of the parking lot or the shape of the space based on the intensity of the received radio wave, the occurrence of the reflected wave, the interference, the occurrence of multipath, and the like of the communication device 51 and the antenna 511 of the operation terminal 5, and the communication device 21 and the antenna 211 of the parking control device 100, and the presence of a blind spot may be determined based on the determination result.

Hereinafter, a control procedure of the parking (stopping) control will be described based on the flowchart shown in fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of the parking control process executed by the parking control system 1000 according to the present embodiment. The trigger for starting the parking control process is not particularly limited, and a start switch for operating the parking control device 100 may be used as the trigger.

The parking control device 100 of the present embodiment has a function of automatically moving the vehicle V to a parking space based on an operation command acquired from the outside of the vehicle.

In step 101, the controller 10 of the parking control apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment acquires distance measurement signals from the distance measuring devices 2 attached to a plurality of locations of the vehicle V. The control device 10 acquires captured images captured by the cameras 1a to 1d attached to a plurality of locations of the vehicle V, respectively. Although not particularly limited, the camera 1a is disposed in the front grille portion of the vehicle V, the camera 1d is disposed near the rear bumper, and the cameras 1b and 1c are disposed below the left and right side mirrors. As the cameras 1a to 1d, cameras provided with wide-angle lenses having a large field angle can be used. The cameras 1a to 1d capture images of the boundary line of the parking space around the vehicle V and objects present around the parking space. The cameras 1a to 1d are CCD cameras, infrared cameras, and other imaging devices.

In step 102, the control device 10 detects a parking space where parking is possible (parking is possible). The control device 10 detects the frame (area) of the parking space based on the captured images of the cameras 1a to 1 d. The control device 10 detects an empty parking space using the detection data of the distance measuring device 2 and the detection data extracted from the captured image. The control device 10 detects a parking space in which the parking space is empty (other vehicle is not parked) and a path for completing parking is calculated as a parking space where parking is possible. Information of available parking spaces may also be obtained from the information server 3.

In the present embodiment, the parking path is calculated such that a locus of the parking path from the current position to the target parking space is drawn in the road surface coordinates so as not to interfere with an obstacle (including a parked vehicle).

In step 103, control device 10 transmits the parking space to operation terminal 5, and displays on display 53 thereof selection information for requesting the operator to enter a target parking space for parking the vehicle. The target parking space may be automatically selected by the control device 10 or the parking facility. When an operation command for specifying a parking space is input to operation terminal 5, the parking space is set as a target parking space.

In the present embodiment, at step 104, the control device 10 acquires operation information from the operator M who gets off the vehicle. The acquisition of operation information required when the parking process is completed is confirmed. Then, the process of moving the vehicle to the target parking space is started by the remote controller. The target parking space may also be selected by the operator M after alighting.

In step 105, the control device 10 calculates the position (observation position) of the operator M by the aforementioned method. In step 105, a first region viewable by the operator M from the viewing position VP is calculated. The first area is calculated based on the position of the obstacle. The control device 10 calculates a second area BA that is not observable by the operator M from the observation position VP. The second area is calculated based on the position of the obstacle. The position of the obstacle refers to the position of the area where the obstacle is present, i.e., the coordinate value of the area occupied by the obstacle in the three-dimensional coordinates.

In the next step 106, the control device 10 detects the presence of an obstacle and the position of the obstacle by the above-described method.

In step 107, the control device 10 confirms the determination of the operator M with respect to the detection result of the obstacle, and calculates a control command for calculating the parking path and moving the parking path based on the determination result.

Fig. 6 shows a subroutine of step 107. The present processing is executed when there is an output such as detection of an obstacle (step 120). The respective processes may be executed by the control device 10 of the parking control device 100 or at the operation terminal 5. Each process may be executed by the arithmetic processing unit of the operation terminal 5 or executed by the control device 10.

In step 121, the certainty of the detection result is evaluated. The distance measuring device 2 outputs the certainty factor or likelihood of the possibility as the detection result together with the detection result. The distance measuring device 2 determines that the higher the intensity of the acquired signal, the larger the number of signals, the smaller the deviation of the distribution of the signals, and the higher the certainty factor of the detection result. The distance measuring device 2 calculates the certainty factor or the likelihood factor based on the intensity, the number, and the distribution of the signals used when deriving the detection result of the presence of the obstacle.

When detecting an obstacle based on the captured image of the camera 1, the image processing function for performing obstacle detection outputs the certainty factor or the likelihood together with the detection result, taking into account the influence of the interference of the position and size of the obstacle, the matching ratio with the template, and the capturing environment. The image processing function calculates the certainty factor based on the reliability of the edge extraction process of the obstacle detection process. For example, the certainty of detecting an obstacle from a captured image is calculated from the elements such as a large contrast width of pixels extracted from edges, high edge continuity, a long edge length, and a low edge position variation. Further, the certainty factor of detecting an obstacle from the captured image is calculated based on the matching rate of the pattern matching of the extracted features of the object such as the size, shape, and motion and the features of the object existing on the road.

In step 121, the control device 10 evaluates the level of certainty of the detection result. If the certainty factor is less than the first predetermined value, the process proceeds to step 151. The control device 10 determines that the certainty factor of the detection result of the obstacle is low (first level), and does not notify the operator M (step 151). Then, the parking path is calculated on the premise that no obstacle exists (step 152).

In step 121, if the certainty factor is less than the first predetermined value, the process proceeds to step 122. In this case, the certainty factor of the detection result can be determined to be moderate to high. In step 122, the control device 10 determines whether the certainty factor of the detection result is equal to or greater than a second predetermined value. If the certainty factor is equal to or greater than the second predetermined value, it is determined that the certainty factor is high (third level), and the routine proceeds to step 141. In step 141, the control device 10 does not present the operator M with the presence of the obstacle. The detection result with high certainty has a high possibility of the existence of an obstacle. This is because it is also obvious fact for the operator M that the cost of confirming the existence of the obstacle becomes wasteful with high possibility. Of course, from the viewpoint that caution is desired, the detection result may be presented to the operator M to confirm the presence of the obstacle. In step 141, the control device 10 calculates a parking path on the assumption that an obstacle is present, with high confidence in the detection result.

The parking control method according to the present embodiment is characterized by a correspondence between a case where the reliability is moderate (second level) and the reliability of the detection result is uncertain. If the certainty factor P of the detection result is equal to or higher than the first predetermined value and is less than the second predetermined value (second predetermined value > P > first predetermined value) (second rank) as a result of the determination at step 122, the controller 10 proceeds to step 123. The control device 10 notifies the operator M of the detection result of the obstacle at step 123. The control device 10 confirms the result of the detection with moderate certainty by the judgment of the operator M because the correct and incorrect judgment is not clear. When the reliability is within a predetermined threshold, it is difficult to evaluate the reliability of the detection result. In the present embodiment, when the certainty factor is within the range of the predetermined threshold value, the operator M is requested to perform the first input or the second input, and the detection result is reevaluated. Thus, the parking path and the control command can be calculated based on the detection result with high certainty.

The detection result of the obstacle is transmitted to the operation terminal 5. The control device 10 may notify the presence of an obstacle to an external operator by turning on the notification device 80 such as a headlight, a winker lamp, a warning lamp, a tail lamp, and an interior lamp provided in the vehicle V. The notification device 80 includes a wiper, a horn of a car, a speaker, and a display device. The presence of an obstacle may also be notified to an outside operator by moving the wiper. The presence of an obstacle may be notified to an external operator by sound information output via a car horn or a speaker. The presence of the obstacle may be notified to an external operator by text information or image information presented via a display device presented externally. By notifying the presence of an obstacle to the operator M using the notification device 80, confirmation of the operator M can be easily obtained.

In step 124, the control device 10 requests the operator M to determine the presence of an obstacle as a result of detection. The control device 10 notifies the operator M of the presence of the obstacle, and requests a first input to confirm the presence of the obstacle or a second input to deny the presence of the obstacle. The control device 10 outputs a command to the operation terminal 5 to display the presence of an obstacle on the display 53 of the operation terminal 5. The operation terminal 5 may display the presence of an obstacle on the display 53. The presence of an obstacle can be reliably notified to the operator M. The operation terminal 5 receives a first input or a second input via the input device 52. The input device 52 may be a touch panel type input device 52 or may be an audio input type microphone. In this example, the touch panel display 53 also functions as the input device 52. The operator M can obtain the judgment result by presenting an obstacle using the operation terminal 5 and judging the presence of the obstacle. The display is easily shown to the operator M.

Fig. 7 shows an example of information displayed on the display 53 when the operator M requests the first input or the second input. The confirmation request message is presented on the display 53 of the operation terminal 5. As shown in fig. 7, the controller 10 displays to the operator M changes in the position of the elapsed time of the parked vehicle V, V1, V2, and V3, and an obstacle X1 existing at the position of the parking path and the folded position V2. The confirmation request information displayed on the operation terminal 5 inquires of the operator M whether the obstacle X exists. The operation terminal 5 may also express in text "X1 present? "such a query, the query may be output by voice. The operator M touches the Yes button if X1 is recognized, and touches the No button if X1 is not recognized. On the other hand, the operator M can input a determination that X1 is not present to the operation terminal 5 by erasing (wipe) the second input indicating the position of the obstacle. The operator M can input the determination that X1 is present to the operation terminal 5 by double-clicking a first input indicating the position of the obstacle.

In step 125, if the presence of the first input, i.e., the presence of the obstacle is confirmed, the control device 10 proceeds to step 126, calculates a first parking route on the assumption that the obstacle is present, and calculates a control command for moving the vehicle V on the first parking route. In this way, the vehicle V can be moved in the parking path avoiding the obstacle based on the result of the confirmation by the operator M, and therefore, the parking control can be executed regardless of the accuracy of the result of detecting the obstacle.

On the other hand, if the second input is negative, that is, if there is an obstacle, the process proceeds to step 127, and the control device 10 calculates a second parking route on the assumption that there is no obstacle, and calculates a control command for moving the vehicle V on the second parking route. Since the vehicle V can be moved on the parking route on the assumption that no obstacle exists based on the result of the confirmation by the operator M, the parking control can be executed regardless of the accuracy of the result of detecting an obstacle.

In the above-described processing, the control device 10 and/or the operation terminal 5 requests the first input or the second input to the operator M when the distance between the operator M and the obstacle is less than the predetermined value. This is because when an obstacle is present at a position far from the operator M, the reliability of the judgment by the operator M is considered to be low. In this way, when the distance between the operator M and the obstacle is less than the predetermined value, the first input or the second input is requested, so that the number of times the parking control is performed based on erroneous determination can be reduced, and the accuracy of the determination by the operator M can be ensured.

In the above-described processing, the control device 10 and/or the operation terminal 5 stops the vehicle V when the distance between the operator M and the obstacle is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. When the obstacle is present at a position at a predetermined distance or more from the operator M, the parking control is stopped by stopping the vehicle V, because it is considered that the reliability of the determination by the operator M is low. The parking control based on the erroneous determination of the operator M can be reduced, and the accuracy of the determination of the operator M can be ensured.

In the above-described processing, the control device 10 and/or the operation terminal 5 requests the first input or the second input to the operator M when the position of the obstacle belongs to the recognition area VA of the operator M. The recognition area VA of the operator M is calculated by the above-described method. That is, in the case where the position of the obstacle belongs to the recognition area VA of the operator M, the vehicle V is parked in accordance with the control command for movement in the first parking path. Fig. 8A shows an example of a case where the detected obstacle OB1 exists in the recognition area VA. When the obstacle OB1 exists in the first region VA recognizable to the operator M, the operator M is considered to have high reliability of judgment. When the operator M can recognize an obstacle, the first input or the second input is requested, so that the parking control based on erroneous determination can be reduced, and the accuracy of the determination by the operator M can be ensured.

In the above-described processing, the control device 10 and/or the operation terminal 5 stops the vehicle V when the position of the obstacle belongs to the blind spot area BA other than the recognition area VA of the operator M. Fig. 8B shows an example of a case where the detected obstacle OB1 exists in the blind spot area BA. When the obstacle is present in an area unrecognizable by the operator M, the determination by the operator M is considered to be less reliable, and therefore the vehicle V is stopped to stop the parking control. The parking control based on the erroneous determination of the operator M can be reduced, and the accuracy of the determination of the operator M can be ensured.

Returning to fig. 2, at step 107, control device 10 calculates a parking path from the parking standby position of the vehicle to the target parking space. In this step, the control device 10 calculates a control command for the vehicle moving on the parking path. The control command includes an action command regarding any one or more of a steering amount, a steering speed, a steering acceleration, a displacement position, a speed, an acceleration, and a deceleration of the vehicle. The control command includes an execution time or an execution position of the motion command of the vehicle.

Much information of the vehicle required at the time of the control command is stored in advance by the control device 10. The control command includes a steering amount, a steering speed, a steering acceleration, a displacement position, a speed (including zero), an acceleration, a deceleration, and other motion commands of the vehicle in relation to time or position when the vehicle travels on the parking path. By executing the parking route and the operation command corresponding to the parking route, the vehicle can be moved to the target parking space (parked).

The parking control device 100 according to the present embodiment is not mounted on the vehicle V1, and executes a parking control process by a remote controller that performs parking (parking) by transmitting a target parking space setting command, a start command of the parking control process, a parking interrupt/stop command, and the like from the outside to the vehicle V1. In step 108, the control device 10 presents the parking path on the display 53 of the operation terminal 5. In step 108, when the operator confirms the parking path and inputs the execution command, the operation terminal 5 transmits the execution command of the operator to the parking control device 100 of the vehicle V. The parking control apparatus 100 of the vehicle V starts the parking control.

In step 110, the control device 10 periodically executes the obstacle detection process after the parking control is started. The presence and position of the obstacle change with the passage of time. In addition, the recognizable first region and the unrecognizable second region also change according to a change in the position of the vehicle V. The control device 10 performs the obstacle detection processing at a predetermined cycle in response to a change in the situation. In step 111, the control device 10 determines whether there is a change in the obstacle detection result. If there is a change, the parking path (including the returning position) and the control command are also changed, and therefore, at step 112, the parking path and the control command are calculated again. And updating when a new parking path is calculated. The control device 10 calculates a control command for the new parking path. In step 111, if there is no change in the result of detection of the obstacle, it is not necessary to calculate a new parking path and control command, and therefore the routine proceeds to step 113. The parking path and the control command are basically common to the process of step 107 described above.

Fig. 9 shows a subroutine of step 112. When the control device 10 detects an obstacle at step 160, the process proceeds to step 161. If it is determined that the reliability of the detection result is less than the first predetermined value (low), the process proceeds to step 171. The detection result of the obstacle with low certainty is not presented to the operator M. In step 172, the control device 10 calculates a parking path and a control command on the premise that no obstacle exists. In step 161, if it is determined that the certainty factor of the detection result is equal to or greater than the first predetermined value (high), the routine proceeds to step 162. The reliability of the detection result in this case is the second level (medium level) to the third level (high level). In step 163, the control device 10 and/or the operation terminal 5 presents the detection result of the obstacle to the operator M. In step 164, the control device 10 and/or the operation terminal 5 requests the operator M to confirm the obstacle. If the presence of an obstacle is denied at step 165, the routine proceeds to step 166, where the parking path and control command are calculated on the assumption that no obstacle is present. After completion, a transition is made to step 113 of FIG. 5. If the presence of an obstacle is confirmed, it is confirmed that the parking path can be calculated (step 167), and the parking path and the control command are calculated on the premise that the obstacle is present (step 168). If the parking path cannot be calculated, the parking process of the vehicle or the rescue mode is executed or stopped (step 169).

In step 113, the control device 10 monitors a change in the detection result of the obstacle until the vehicle V reaches the turning-back position. If the vehicle reaches the fold-back position, the movement change contained in the control command is executed at step 114. Thereafter, in step 115, the parking control is completed by continuing to execute the control command.

The parking control apparatus 100 of the present embodiment controls the operation of the drive system 40 via the vehicle controller 70 so that the vehicle V1 moves along the parking path in accordance with the control command. The parking control device 100 calculates a command signal to the drive system 40 of the vehicle V1 such as an EPS motor while feeding back an output value of the steering angle sensor 50 provided in the steering device so that the traveling locus of the vehicle V1 matches the calculated parking path, and transmits the command signal to the drive system 40 or the vehicle controller 70 that controls the drive system 40.

The parking control device 100 of the present embodiment includes a parking control controller unit. The parking control controller unit acquires shift range information from the AT/CVT controller unit, wheel speed information from the ABS controller unit, steering angle information from the steering angle controller unit, engine speed information from the ECM, and the like. The parking control controller unit calculates and outputs instruction information on automatic steering to the EPS controller unit, instruction information such as a warning to the meter controller unit, and the like based on these pieces of information. The control device 10 obtains, via the vehicle controller 70, information obtained by the steering angle sensor 50 provided in the steering device of the vehicle V1 and information obtained by the other sensors provided in the vehicle, such as the vehicle speed sensor 60.

In the drive system 40 of the present embodiment, the vehicle V1 is moved (driven) from the current position to the target parking space by driving based on the control command signal acquired from the parking control device 100. The steering device of the present embodiment is a drive mechanism that moves the vehicle V in the left-right direction. The EPS motor included in the drive system 40 controls the steering amount by driving the power steering mechanism provided in the steering of the steering device based on the control command signal acquired from the parking control device 100, and controls the operation when moving the vehicle V1 to the target parking space. The control content and the operation method of the vehicle V1 for parking are not particularly limited, and a method known at the time of application can be appropriately applied.

The parking control device 100 of the present embodiment automatically controls the vehicle speed (set vehicle speed) based on the control vehicle speed designated by the accelerator and the brake, and automatically controls the movement of the vehicle according to the vehicle speed when the vehicle V1 is moved to the target parking space along the parking path calculated based on the position of the vehicle V1 and the position of the target parking space.

The parking control method according to the embodiment of the present invention is used in the parking control device as described above, and therefore, the following effects are exhibited. The parking control device 100 of the present embodiment operates as described above, and therefore exhibits the following effects.

[1] In the parking control method according to the present embodiment, when the presence of an obstacle is confirmed, the control device 10 calculates a first parking route on the assumption that the obstacle is present, and calculates a control command for moving the vehicle V on the first parking route. In this way, the vehicle V can be moved on the parking path avoiding the obstacle based on the result of the confirmation by the operator M, and therefore, the parking control can be executed regardless of the accuracy of the result of detecting the obstacle.

[2] In the parking control method of the present embodiment, when the presence of an obstacle is denied, the control device 10 calculates the second parking route on the assumption that no obstacle is present, and calculates the control command for moving the vehicle V on the second parking route. In this way, the vehicle V can be moved on the parking route on the assumption that no obstacle exists based on the result of the confirmation by the operator M, and therefore, the parking control can be executed regardless of the accuracy of the result of the detection of the obstacle.

[3] The parking control method of the present embodiment requests the first input or the second input when the distance between the operator M and the obstacle is less than a predetermined value. This is because when an obstacle is present at a position far from the operator M, the reliability of the judgment by the operator M is considered to be low. In this way, when the distance between the operator M and the obstacle is less than the predetermined value, the first input or the second input is requested, and therefore, it is possible to obtain an appropriate determination from the operator M.

[4] In the parking control method according to the present embodiment, the control device 10 and/or the operation terminal 5 stops the vehicle V when the distance between the operator M and the obstacle is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. When the obstacle is at a position away from the operator M by a predetermined distance or more, the reliability of the determination by the operator M is considered to be low, and therefore, the vehicle V is stopped and the parking control is suspended. It is possible to reduce the possibility of performing the parking control based on the erroneous determination by the operator M.

[5] The parking control method of the present embodiment requests the first input or the second input when the position of the obstacle belongs to the recognition area VA of the operator M. The recognition area VA of the operator M is calculated by the above-described method. When the obstacle OB1 exists in the first region VA recognizable to the operator M, the reliability of the judgment by the operator M is considered to be high. In the case where the operator M can recognize the obstacle, the first input or the second input is requested, and therefore, the situation in which the parking control is performed based on an erroneous determination can be reduced.

[6] The parking control method of the present embodiment stops the vehicle V when the position of the obstacle belongs to the blind spot area BA other than the recognition area VA of the operator M. When the obstacle is present in an area unrecognizable by the operator M, the reliability of the determination by the operator M is considered to be low, and therefore, the vehicle V is stopped and the parking control is suspended. The situation in which the parking control is performed based on an erroneous determination by the operator M can be reduced.

[7] The parking control method according to the present embodiment determines that the determination of correctness and error is not clear with respect to the detection result with moderate certainty, and thus confirms the determination by the operator M. When the reliability is within a predetermined threshold, it is difficult to evaluate the reliability of the detection result. In the present embodiment, when the certainty factor is within the range of the predetermined threshold value, the operator M is requested to perform the first input or the second input, and the detection result is evaluated again. This allows the parking path and the control command to be calculated based on the detection result with high certainty.

[8] The parking control method of the present embodiment displays the presence of an obstacle on the display 53 of the operation terminal 5. The operator M can be reliably notified of the presence of the obstacle.

[9] The parking control method according to the present embodiment can easily confirm the presence of an obstacle by notifying the operator M of the presence of the obstacle using the notification device 80.

[10] The parking control method according to the present embodiment can present an obstacle using the operation terminal 5, and allow the operator M to determine the presence of the obstacle and obtain the determination result. The operator M can easily indicate the picture.

[11] The parking control device 100 for executing the method of the present embodiment exhibits the operations and effects described in the above 1 to 10.

Some or all of the processes of the parking control process according to the present embodiment may be executed by the parking control device 100, or the parking control device 100 may transmit a parking control command to the operation terminal 5 and execute the command on the operation terminal 5 side. Some or all of the processes of the parking control process according to the present embodiment may be executed by the operation terminal 5, and the operation terminal 5 may transmit the parking control command to the parking control device 100 and execute the command on the parking control device 100 side.

The embodiments described above are described for easy understanding of the present invention, and are not described for limiting the present invention. Therefore, each element disclosed in the above embodiments includes all design modifications and equivalents that fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

Description of the symbols

1000: parking control system

100: parking control device

10: control device

11：CPU

12：ROM

13：RAM

132: storage device

133: map information

134: parking lot information

135: obstacle information

20: input device

21: communication device

211: antenna with a shield

30: output device

31: display device

1a to 1 d: video camera

2: distance measuring device

3: information server

31: communication device

32: storage device

33: map information

34: parking lot information

35: obstacle information

5: operation terminal

51: communication device

511: antenna with a shield

52: input device

53: display device

200: vehicle-mounted device

40: drive system

50: steering angle sensor

60: vehicle speed sensor

70: vehicle controller

80: notification device

V: vehicle with a steering wheel

VA: first region, identification region

BA: second region, dead corner region