JP2005178464A - Parking support device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a parking support device which is excellent in operation feeling and capable of performing adequate parking support according to the position of an object in the periphery. <P>SOLUTION: The parking support device to support the parking operation for a driver to drive a vehicle 1 comprises an object position detection means 13 to detect the position of an object present near the vehicle 1 with respect to the vehicle, a parking support start instruction means 6 to instruct the support start of the parking operation, a detection information storage means 90 which collects detection information acquired from the object position detection means 13 and updates and stores the data so as to always maintain only detection information within a predetermined range immediately close the present time, and a guide means 17 which sets the target parking position according to the position of the vehicle 1 at the support start instruction time and the data stored by the detection information storage means 90 and performs the support guide of the parking operation if the support start of the parking operation is instructed by the parking support start instruction means 6. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a parking assistance device that assists a driver in parking operation during parallel parking, parallel parking, or the like.

In recent years, parking assistance devices have been developed that assist a driver's parking operation when a vehicle is parked in parallel or placed in a garage (parallel parking).
For example, in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a recommended route from the current position to the parking position is regarded as a parking position with respect to the position of the vehicle when the driver operates the parking assist switch. A technique is disclosed in which information necessary for driving along a recommended route is guided and taught to a driver by voice from a speaker. In this technique, a target parking position is calculated on the basis of the position of the vehicle when the parking assistance switch is operated, and parking assistance guidance is performed.

  On the other hand, an ultrasonic sensor system is known as another parking assistance device. In this ultrasonic sensor system, side sensors for detecting the presence or absence of an object (parked vehicle, obstacle, etc.) and the distance to the object by ultrasonic waves are provided on both front sides of the vehicle. A parking space is detected based on the information, a target parking position is calculated, and parking assistance guidance is provided.

In a parking assistance device having such an ultrasonic sensor system, for example, when a parking assistance switch is first operated, the side sensor starts detecting objects as a standby state for assistance of driving operation, and surrounding objects Start collecting information. When the driver performs a vehicle stop operation in the vicinity of the space to be parked (for example, next to the space to be parked, etc.), based on the collected detection information of surrounding objects based on the pause position. The target parking position is accurately set, and parking assistance guidance is provided. In other words, it is possible to collect information on surrounding objects in a standby state prior to parking assistance guidance, and to accurately grasp the size of the target parking position space and the positional relationship of the host vehicle with respect to the parking position. It has become. In addition, since it is configured to be based on the temporary stop position by the driver, the position where the driver wants to park can definitely be set as a target, and there is no object such as an adjacent parked vehicle in the vicinity. Also, it is now possible to assist with parking operations.
JP 2000-118334 A JP 2000-335436 A

  By the way, in the case of the parking assistance apparatus provided with the ultrasonic sensor system as described above, the driver sets the vehicle in a parking assistance standby state and grasps surrounding object information, and then becomes a parking assistance guide standard. You need to pause near the space you want. However, when you are in parking support standby state, if you pause in front of the space you want to park due to sudden traffic such as pedestrians, or if you search for the space you want to park and pause the vehicle, the standby state will be It is canceled and the position is misrecognized as being near the space where the driver intends to park. That is, even if the driver pauses against the driver's intention, the control is continued as it is.

On the other hand, in order to prevent a temporary stop at a position contrary to the driver's intention in the standby state, a configuration in which the standby state is completed in a short time may be considered, but as the standby state becomes shorter, the ultrasonic sensor Since the information to be collected also decreases, there is a possibility that surrounding objects cannot be accurately grasped.
Further, in the techniques described in the cited documents 1 and 2, such a problem does not occur because there is no parking support standby state like the parking support device including the ultrasonic sensor system as described above. According to the technology, a position that is always in a predetermined positional relationship with respect to a position where the parking assist switch is operated is set as a target parking position, so that a parking position corresponding to the positions of surrounding objects cannot be set.

In addition, in the case of a parking assistance device equipped with the ultrasonic sensor system as described above, it is difficult for the driver to know how far the parking assistance switch should be pressed with respect to the position where the user actually wants to park. There are also challenges.
The present invention has been devised in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a parking assistance device that is excellent in operation feeling and can perform appropriate parking assistance according to the positions of surrounding objects. And

  In order to achieve the above object, a parking assist device according to the present invention (Claim 1) is a parking assist device that assists a driver who drives a vehicle with a parking operation, and the object is present in the vicinity of the vehicle. Object position detecting means for detecting a position relative to the vehicle, parking support start instructing means for instructing start of the parking operation support, and detection information obtained from the object position detecting means are collected, and always within a predetermined range closest to the present time Detection information storage means for updating and storing the data of the detection information so as to hold only the detection information, and when the parking support support start instruction is instructed by the parking support start instruction means, A guide means is provided for setting a target parking position according to the position of the vehicle and the data stored in the detection information storage means, and for providing guidance for assistance in parking operation.

  Further, the detection information storage means collects start point detection information and end point detection information of a region where the object does not exist from the detection information, and always includes only a predetermined number of the start point detection information and end point detection information closest to the current time point. It is preferable to update and record the data of the start point detection information and the end point detection information so as to hold.

  Further, the detection information storage means stores the data of the start point detection information and the end point detection information so as to hold the latest start point detection information and the end point detection information, and the immediately preceding start point detection information and the end point detection information. And the guide means sets a target parking position setting means for setting the target parking position according to the position of the vehicle at the time when the support start instruction is given and the latest start point detection information or the end point detection information. A target parking candidate position setting means for setting a target parking candidate position according to the position of the vehicle and the start point detection information or the end point detection information immediately before the vehicle, and parking at the target parking position is not possible It is preferable to implement guidance for assisting the parking operation to the target parking candidate position (Claim 3).

  In addition, the guidance means includes guidance content setting means for setting the assistance content of the parking operation for the driver, and guidance output means for guiding the assistance content set by the guidance content setting means to the driver. (Claim 4).

According to the parking assist device of the present invention (Claim 1), if the driver instructs the start of assisting the parking operation at the position where the parking assist is to be performed, the driver can perform the parking assist, and the operation feeling is good. Is obtained. Moreover, since only the detection information within the predetermined range nearest to the present time is always held, an appropriate target parking position can be set and parking assistance can be implemented.
Moreover, according to the parking assistance apparatus of the present invention (Claim 2), reliable parking assistance can be implemented with a simple configuration. In addition, the number of pieces of detection information to be held can be reduced.

Moreover, according to the parking assistance apparatus (Claim 3) of the present invention, by setting the target parking candidate position, even when parking at the target parking position is impossible, parking assistance to the target parking candidate position is provided. Can be implemented.
Moreover, according to the parking assistance apparatus of the present invention (claim 4), parking assistance can be guided to the driver by the guidance output means.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 to 10 show a parking assistance apparatus as an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a detection range of the object position detection means, FIG. Is a schematic diagram for explaining the parking assistance for the parallel parking, FIGS. 4 and 5 are flowcharts for explaining the parking assistance for the parallel parking, FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the function of the storage device, FIG. 7, FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 are schematic diagrams for explaining the parking support for the parallel parking, and FIG. 10 is a schematic block diagram for explaining the function of the storage device.

The parking assist device of the present embodiment is a device that assists a driver who drives the vehicle 1 with a parking operation.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the parking assist device of the present embodiment includes a corner sensor 16 and an ultrasonic sensor 2 as an object position detection means 13, a handle angle sensor 3, a wheel speed sensor 4, a shift position sensor 5, Parking guide switch 6 as parking assistance start instruction means, storage device 90 as detection information storage means, rear view camera 7, ECU (electronic control unit) 8, speaker 14 and display 15 as guidance output means, and shift position are set. A transmission 19 is provided and is provided in the vehicle 1.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the corner sensors 16 are provided at the four corners of the vehicle 1 to detect the presence of an object (a parked vehicle, an obstacle, etc. around the vehicle 1) and the distance to the object using ultrasonic waves. 2 has a detection range as indicated by a region B in FIG. These corner sensors 16 are configured as a part of a corner sensor system that, when any of the corner sensors 16 detects an object, informs the driver of that fact and calls attention.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of ultrasonic sensors 2 is provided on both side surfaces (here, right side) of the front end of the vehicle 1, and detects the position of an object existing near the side of the vehicle 1 with respect to the vehicle 1. It is like that. That is, the ultrasonic sensor 2 detects the presence or absence of an object existing near the vehicle side by detecting a response to the transmitted ultrasonic wave, and detects the distance between the vehicle 1 and the object. ing. Here, the object includes a vehicle or a building, and the ultrasonic sensor 2 is used to recognize the presence of a vehicle or a building that should not be approached too much at the time of parking. / Off signal, etc.). The ultrasonic sensor 2 can output the distance to the object as a distance signal, and this distance signal is output as a signal accompanying the detection signal (hereinafter referred to as these signals). Both the distance signal and the detection signal are referred to as detection signals).

  The ultrasonic sensor 2 has a detection range as indicated by a region A in FIG. 2, has higher directivity than the corner sensor 16, and is compared with the detection distance of the corner sensor 16 from the vehicle 1. A long object (for example, about 1.5 m) can detect an object that exists farther away. In the present embodiment, the ultrasonic sensor 2 always detects object information on both sides of the vehicle 1 at all times.

The steering wheel angle sensor 3 detects the steering angle of the steering wheel, and can thereby provide steering angle position information for guiding and teaching whether or not the steering angle of the vehicle 1 has reached a predetermined steering angle. ing.
The wheel speed sensor 4 detects the rotational speed of a wheel (not shown), and can provide travel distance information of the vehicle 1 based on this rotational speed and the circumferential length of the wheel. The wheel speed sensor 4 can provide information on whether or not the vehicle 1 is moving.

The shift position sensor 5 detects the selected gear position, and determines whether the speed or moving distance detected by the wheel speed sensor 4 corresponds to forward or reverse, and the driver responds to the guidance. It can be used for confirming whether or not the correct operation is performed, and can be used for control of the gear position.
The parking guide switch 6 is provided in the vicinity of the driver's seat where the driver can easily operate. The driver operates the parking guide switch 6 to turn on the parking assistance device (that is, start parking assistance). The parking support apparatus can be turned off (that is, the end of parking support can be instructed). That is, the parking guide switch 6 is provided as a parking support start instruction means for instructing the start of parking operation support. In addition, the parking guide switch 6 can select the type of parking assistance, and it is necessary from among “left side parallel parking”, “right side parallel parking”, “left side parallel parking”, and “right side parallel parking”. You can choose the parking assistance you want. By selecting the type of parking assistance by the driver in this way, for example, even when there are multiple parking spaces around the vehicle in the parking lot, appropriate parking assistance as intended by the driver. Can be done.

  Specifically, when parking support is not started, each time it is pressed, functions such as “left side parallel parking”, “right side parallel parking”, “left side parallel parking”, and “right side parallel parking” can be sequentially selected. It has become. Also, depending on the type of parking assistance selected at this time, it is determined which of the detection information detected by the ultrasonic sensor 2 is to be controlled based on the left or right detection information of the vehicle 1. Yes. That is, when “left side parallel parking” or “left side parallel parking” is selected, control based on detection information regarding the left side of the vehicle 1 is performed, and “right side parallel parking” or “right side parallel parking” is selected. At the time, control based on detection information on the right side of the vehicle 1 is performed.

In addition, during parking assistance, the function “end midway” can be selected according to the length of time the switch is pressed. For example, when the switch is pressed for a predetermined time (for example, 1 second) or longer (that is, when the switch is pressed for a long time), it functions as a switch that forcibly ends parking support.
The rear view camera 7 is provided at the rear end of the vehicle 1 and captures the situation behind the vehicle 1. The image captured by the rear view camera 7 is displayed on a display 15 installed in the vehicle interior, so that the driver Can recognize the situation behind the vehicle.

The ECU 8 includes a travel distance estimation unit 9, a current position estimation unit 10, a target parking position setting unit (target parking position setting unit) 11, a gear position control unit 12, a guidance content setting unit 18 as a guidance content setting unit, a target Each function part of the parking candidate position setting part (target parking candidate position setting means) 20 and the detection space estimation part 21 is provided.
The movement distance estimation unit 9 estimates the movement distance of the vehicle 1 from the wheel rotation speed detected by the wheel speed sensor 4 and the wheel circumference.

  The current position estimating unit 10 calculates (accumulates) the behavior of the vehicle 1 after the start of parking support based on the moving distance estimated by the moving distance estimating unit 9 and the steering angle of the handle detected by the handle angle sensor 3. The current position of the vehicle 1 is estimated. A yaw rate sensor (not shown) is provided in place of the movement distance estimation unit 9 and the handle angle sensor 3, and the yaw angle of the vehicle 1 is calculated by integrating the detection value of the yaw rate sensor, so that the vehicle The current position may be estimated from the yaw angle.

  The detection space estimation unit 21 collects start point detection information and end point detection information of a position where no object exists from the detection information of the object detected by the ultrasonic sensor 2. That is, in the detection range of the ultrasonic sensor 2 centered on the trajectory of the vehicle 1, the vehicle 1 cannot be parked in the area where the object exists, so the area where the object does not exist is grasped and the start point of the trajectory direction Only the object detection information at the end point is collected. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, when the vehicle 1 passes through the line a and the line c, the detection space estimation unit 21 collects the detection information of the ultrasonic sensor 2 as the starting point detection information, and the vehicle 1 When it passes through d, it is collected as end point detection information.

  The detection space estimation unit 21 outputs the collected start point detection information and end point detection information to the storage device 90 described later, and stores them. Further, the detection space estimation unit 21 corresponds to each of the ultrasonic sensors 2 provided on both sides of the vehicle 1, and the left start point detection information and end point detection information, and the right start point detection information and end point detection information. Are individually collected and output to the storage device 90 described later.

  The target parking position setting unit 11 uses the position of the vehicle 1 at the time of the assistance start instruction by the parking guide switch 6 and the detection information by the ultrasonic sensor 2, that is, the start point detection information and the end point detection information collected by the detection space estimation unit 21. Based on this, the target parking position of the vehicle 1 is set. That is, since the ultrasonic sensor 2 can know the presence / absence of an object and the position with respect to the vehicle, for example, the target parking position of the vehicle 1 is set by grasping the range where the object does not exist based on the position where the parked vehicle is detected. It has become.

In the present embodiment, the target parking position is set based on the latest detection information among the start point detection information and the end point detection information, and the latest detection information will be described later.
The target parking position setting unit 11 can set the target parking position of the vehicle 1 in consideration of the movement distance of the vehicle 1 estimated by the movement distance estimation unit 9. Therefore, since it can be understood how far the vehicle 1 has moved from the position where the parked vehicle is detected by the ultrasonic sensor 2, for example, when the parked vehicle exists on both sides of the target parking area, It can be determined whether or not there is a parking space between these parked vehicles, and the target parking position of the vehicle 1 can be set according to the parking space.

Furthermore, the target parking position setting unit 11 can set the target parking position of the vehicle 1 in consideration of the current position of the vehicle 1 estimated by the current position estimation unit 10. Therefore, the target parking position can be set at a position relative to the position where the vehicle 1 currently exists.
Further, the target parking position setting unit 11 sets the target parking position of the vehicle 1 while the vehicle 1 is guided to the initial stop position by the guide means 17 described later.

The gear position control unit 12 functions to limit the gear position of the transmission 19 to the first speed while guidance and teaching of a driving operation for parking assistance is performed. Accordingly, the vehicle 1 can travel while maintaining a low speed, and can perform parallel parking or parallel parking safely and easily under traveling.
The guidance content setting unit 18 is a functional element that sets and controls teaching and guidance contents and timing by the speaker 14 and the display 15 as guidance output means, and controls appropriate teaching contents at appropriate timing during parking operation. Provided to the driver.

The speaker 14 and the display 15 are used to guide the driver's operation so that the vehicle 1 travels toward the target parking position set by the target parking position setting unit 11. It guides and teaches the direction of stopping, and further turning the handle.
Specifically, through the speaker 14, a guidance sound such as "Pipong", or a voice message such as "Please move forward slowly by about 1 meter", "Please turn the handle all the way to the left", etc. ing. The display 15 displays driving operation information for parking assistance and proximity obstacle information by a corner sensor system together with an image captured by the rear view camera 7.

  The storage device 90 includes a space start point latest candidate information unit 91, a space end point latest candidate information unit 92, a space start point candidate information unit 93, and a space end point candidate information unit 94. The storage device 90 can store and store the start point detection information and the end point detection information input from the detection space estimation unit 21 in the space start point latest candidate information unit 91 and the space end point latest candidate information unit 92. It has become. At this time, if the input information is the start point detection information, the space start point latest candidate information unit 91 stores the information and passes the information held so far to the space start point candidate information unit 93, When the input information is the end point detection information, the space end point latest candidate information unit 92 stores the information and passes the information held so far to the space end point candidate information unit 94. .

  That is, when the detection space estimation unit 21 detects the start point or end point of a space where no object exists, the start point detection information or end point detection information is stored in the storage device 90, and the latest information at that time and the immediately preceding information are always stored. Are stored and stored. The latest start point detection information is stored in the space start point latest candidate information unit 91 as the space start point latest candidate information, and the latest end point detection information is stored in the space end point latest candidate information unit 92 as the space end point latest candidate information. Is stored in the pre-space start point candidate information unit 93 and the pre-space end point candidate information unit 94 as the pre-space start point candidate information and the pre-space end point candidate information.

  In other words, in the present embodiment, the storage device 90 collects start point detection information and end point detection information of a region where no object exists from detection information of the ultrasonic sensor 2, and always has a predetermined number of start point detection information closest to the current time point. In addition, the start point detection information and the end point detection information are updated and recorded so as to hold only the end point detection information. The storage device 90 functions to update and record the start point detection information and the end point detection information so as to hold the latest start point detection information and end point detection information and the immediately preceding start point detection information and end point detection information.

Although not shown here, each of the mechanism elements 91 to 94 provided in the storage device 90 can separately store detection information on the left side and the right side of the vehicle 1. Thereby, the detection information about the left and right sides of the vehicle 1 is always stored in the storage device 90.
The target parking candidate position setting unit 20 is configured to set the target parking candidate position of the vehicle 1 based on the candidate information before space start point and the candidate information before space end point held in the storage device 90. The target parking candidate position set here is used in place of parking in the case where parking at the position set by the target parking position setting unit 11 is impossible. For example, the place where the target parking position is set is a space where there are no obstructing objects, but it is too narrow to park the vehicle.

  In the present embodiment, the guiding means 17 includes a current position estimating unit 10, a target parking position setting unit 11, a guidance content setting unit 18, a target parking candidate position setting unit 20, a speaker 14, and a display 15. When the guidance means 17 is instructed to start parking operation assistance by the parking guide switch (parking assistance start instruction means) 6, the position of the vehicle 1 at the time of assistance start instruction and the ultrasonic sensor (object position detection means). The target parking position is set according to the detection information obtained from No. 2, and guidance for assistance in parking operation is performed. In addition, when parking at the target parking position is not possible, guidance for assisting the parking operation at the target parking candidate position is performed.

  Since the parking assistance apparatus in the present embodiment is configured as described above, the following procedure is exemplified when parking assistance for parallel parking is exemplified. In the parking assistance device of the present embodiment, the parking space necessary for parallel parking is set as 2.5 m, for example. The parking space is set according to the total length and width of the vehicle type. Hereinafter, a description will be given with reference to FIGS. Note that the output of the ultrasonic sensor 2 shown in FIG. 3 is shown corresponding to the position in the traveling direction of the front end of the vehicle 1. Thereafter, the output of the ultrasonic sensor 2 is similarly displayed in FIGS. 7 and 9, and these also show the output of the ultrasonic sensor 2 corresponding to the front end position of the vehicle 1.

First, the vehicle 1 always detects and stores information about objects around the vehicle 1 by the ultrasonic sensor 2 regardless of whether or not a parking assist operation is performed, and is controlled according to the flow shown in FIG.
That is, first, in step T10, the ultrasonic sensor 2 detects object information on both sides of the vehicle 1. Next, in step T20, the detection space estimation unit 21 determines whether or not the detection information is end point detection information of a region where no object exists. If the detection information is end point detection information, the information stored in the latest space end point candidate information unit 92 of the storage device 90 is substituted into the pre-space end point candidate information unit 94 to be updated and stored (step T30). The information is updated and stored in the space end point latest candidate information section 92 (step T40), and this subroutine is terminated.

  If the detection information is not end point detection information in step T20, the process proceeds to step T50, and it is determined whether or not the detection information is start point detection information. If the detection information is start point detection information, the information stored in the latest space start point candidate information unit 91 of the storage device 90 is substituted into the previous space start point candidate information unit 93 and updated (step T60). The detected information is updated and stored in the space start point latest candidate information section 91 (step T70), and this subroutine is terminated.

If the detection information is not the start point detection information in step T50, the detection information is neither the start point detection information nor the end point detection information, that is, it is not a boundary between the region where the object exists and the region where the object does not exist. Therefore, this subroutine is terminated without changing the information in the storage device 90.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, when the vehicle 1 moves forward on the side of the parked vehicles 41 to 44 and passes the lines a to d, the ultrasonic sensor 2 causes the parked vehicles 41 to 41 to move. 44 is detected as an object. When the vehicle 1 passes through the lines a and c, the detection space estimation unit 21 collects the detection information a and c of the ultrasonic sensor 2 as start point detection information, and when the vehicle 1 passes through the lines b and d, The detection space estimation unit 21 collects the detection information b and d of the ultrasonic sensor 2 as end point detection information.

  And the memory | storage device 90 memorize | stores the detection information which the detection space estimation part 21 collected according to the kind separately. That is, when the vehicle 1 passes the line a, as schematically shown in FIG. 10A, the detection information a collected as the start point detection information is stored in the space start point latest candidate information section 91, The detection information stored in the latest space start point candidate information unit 91 until then is substituted into the space start point previous candidate information unit 93. When the vehicle 1 passes the line b, as shown in FIG. 10B, the detection information b collected as the end point detection information is stored in the space end point latest candidate information section 92, and the space until then is detected. The detection information stored in the latest end point candidate information section 92 is substituted into the space end candidate information section 94.

  Similarly, when the vehicle 1 passes the line c, as shown in FIG. 10C, the detection information c is stored in the space start point latest candidate information section 91, and the detection information a is the space start point candidate information. When the vehicle 1 passes through the line d when it is substituted into the section 93, the detection information d is stored in the space end point latest candidate information section 92 and the detection information b is the space end point as shown in FIG. Substituted into the previous candidate information section 94.

  Now, according to the flow shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the left side parallel parking control will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the driver has already parked on the front side of the area to be parked (downward in FIG. 3). When there is a vehicle 31 (hereinafter referred to as a right adjacent vehicle), a predetermined distance X1 (for example, 1 m) from the right adjacent vehicle 31 so that the ultrasonic sensor 2 can reliably detect the right adjacent vehicle 31. Move position. At this time, since the parking guide switch 6 has not been operated yet, parking assistance is not performed, but the ultrasonic sensor 2 always detects object information on both sides of the vehicle 1 by the above-described subroutine (step S10). ).

When the driver comes to the side of the area he wants to park from the seating position (position of the vehicle 1 shown by the solid line in FIG. 3), the driver temporarily stops the vehicle 1 and selects the parking guide switch 6 “left side parallel parking”. And instructing the start of parking assistance.
In step S20, it is determined whether or not the vehicle 1 is temporarily stopped and the parking guide switch 6 is operated. In the case where the type of control selected by the parking guide switch 6 is “left side parallel parking” or “left side parallel parking”, among the detection information detected by the ultrasonic sensor 2 in the subsequent steps, the vehicle In the case of “right-side parallel parking” or “right-side parallel parking”, among the detection information detected by the ultrasonic sensor 2 in the subsequent steps, the vehicle is controlled. Control based on detection information on the right side of 1 is performed.

At this time, the presence or absence of the right adjacent vehicle 31 parked on the right side of the area to be parked is detected by the ultrasonic sensor 2, and in some cases, the vehicle parked on the left side of the area to be parked ( The presence or absence of 32 (hereinafter referred to as the left adjacent vehicle) is also detected. The next parking assistance varies depending on the detection result.
The detection of the vehicles 31 and 32 adjacent to the right and left of the area to be parked is determined based on the detection information of the ultrasonic sensor 2 and the detection information stored in the storage device 90. For example, when the detection information of the ultrasonic sensor 2 is off, the front end of the vehicle 1 is located in a region where no object exists, such as line a to line b and line c to line d, in the range shown in FIG. Therefore, the presence or absence of the right adjacent vehicle can be determined by calculating the distance between the current position of the vehicle 1 and the position of the latest space start point candidate information. Further, when the detection information of the ultrasonic sensor 2 is off, it can be determined that the left adjacent vehicle is not detected, that is, there is no left adjacent vehicle.

  On the other hand, when the detection information of the ultrasonic sensor 2 is on, the front end of the vehicle 1 is located in a region where an object exists, such as the lines b to c, and therefore it is determined that there is a left adjacent vehicle. . In addition, by calculating the distance between the position of the latest space start candidate information and the position of the latest space end candidate information, the distance between the left adjacent vehicle and the right adjacent vehicle is calculated, and the presence of the right adjacent vehicle is determined. Can be determined.

  Based on the determination as described above, when it is determined in step S30 that there is no left adjacent vehicle signal and right adjacent vehicle signal, a type B flag is set (step S40), and the target parking position setting unit 11 The target parking position (left and right center line position of the vehicle 1) is set so that the vehicle 1 is located at a position L20 (for example, 1.5 m) away from the left side of the right adjacent vehicle 31 (step S50).

  That is, as shown in FIG. 7B, when the driver stops the vehicle 1 at the position b10, the ultrasonic sensor 2 can generally detect the right adjacent vehicle 31, but the target parking area Even if the left adjacent vehicle 32 actually exists ahead, the left adjacent vehicle 32 is detected because the ultrasonic sensor 2 normally does not advance to a position where the left adjacent vehicle 32 can be detected at the stop position b10 of the vehicle 1. Can not do it. Therefore, in this case, based on the detection result of the ultrasonic sensor 2, the target parking position setting unit 11 determines whether the current position of the vehicle 1 and the position of the latest space start point candidate information are less than a predetermined distance. Assuming that only the adjacent vehicle 31 exists, the target parking position b30 of the vehicle 1 is set.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8B, when only the right adjacent vehicle 31 exists, the target parking position b30 is set so that the vehicle can be parked at a position separated by a predetermined distance L20 to the left side of the right adjacent vehicle 31. . The predetermined distance L20 is set to be slightly larger than the general vehicle interval between the vehicle 1 and the adjacent vehicles 31 and 32 when the right adjacent vehicle 31 and the left adjacent vehicle 32 exist. That is, when only the right adjacent vehicle 31 exists, the vehicle 1 can be parked with a space having a predetermined amount or more from the right adjacent vehicle 31.

Further, the target parking position setting unit 11 sets the initial stop position b20 at a position relative to the target parking position b30. That is, the vehicle 1 can be parked at the target parking position b30 by performing a predetermined driving operation with the initial stop position b20 as a starting point.
If the determination result in step S30 is not satisfied based on the detection result of the ultrasonic sensor 2 (when it is not determined that “the left adjacent vehicle signal is not present and the right adjacent vehicle signal is present”), the process proceeds to step S60. In this step S60, when it is determined that “the left adjacent vehicle signal is present and the right adjacent vehicle signal is not present”, a type C flag is set (step S70), and the target parking position setting unit 11 performs L30 (for example, from the left adjacent vehicle end). , 1.5 m), the target parking position (the left and right center line position of the vehicle 1) is set (step S80).

  That is, as shown in FIG. 7C, when the driver stops the vehicle 1 at the position c10, and the distance between the current position of the vehicle 1 and the position of the latest space start point candidate information is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance. The right adjacent vehicle 31 is considered to be sufficiently away from the position where the vehicle 1 wants to park. Therefore, in such a case, the target parking position setting unit 11 sets the target parking position of the vehicle 1 on the basis of the detection result of the ultrasonic sensor 2 assuming that only the left adjacent vehicle 32 exists.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8C, the target parking position c30 is set so that the vehicle can be parked at a predetermined distance L30 from the left adjacent vehicle 32 to the right. The predetermined distance L30 is slightly larger than the general vehicle interval between the vehicle 1 and the adjacent vehicles 31, 32 when the right adjacent vehicle 31 and the left adjacent vehicle 32 exist, as in the predetermined distance L20. It is set large. That is, when only the left adjacent vehicle 32 exists, the vehicle 1 can be parked while ensuring a space with a predetermined amount or more from the left adjacent vehicle 32.

Further, the target parking position setting unit 11 sets an initial stop position c20 at a position relative to the target parking position c30. That is, the vehicle 1 can be parked at the target parking position c30 by performing a predetermined driving operation with the initial stop position c20 as a starting point.
If the determination result in step S60 is not satisfied based on the detection result of the ultrasonic sensor 2 (when it is not determined that “there is a left adjacent vehicle signal and no right adjacent vehicle signal”), the process proceeds to step S90. In this step S90, when it is determined that “there is a left adjacent vehicle signal and a right adjacent vehicle signal”, a type A flag is set (step S100), and the target parking position setting unit 11 detects that the left adjacent vehicle 32 is right adjacent to the right end. A parking space Sp1 between the left end of the car 31 is calculated (step S110).

  That is, as shown in FIG. 7A, when the vehicle 1 is moved forward and stopped at a position a10 where the right end of the left adjacent vehicle 32 can be detected, the ultrasonic sensor 2 detects the right adjacent vehicle 31 and the left adjacent vehicle. 32 is detected. The situation where the left adjacent vehicle 32 is detected is the same as described above. When the driver finds an empty area to park the vehicle 1 and stops next to the empty area, the front end of the vehicle 1 is the right end of the left adjacent car 32. This is the case when it has advanced to the position.

In such a case, as shown in FIG. 8A, the left adjacent vehicle 32 actually exists on the left side of the area to be parked, so that parking can be performed between the left adjacent vehicle 32 and the right adjacent vehicle 31. It is necessary to determine whether there is any space.
Therefore, it is determined whether the parking space length Sp1 is equal to or longer than a predetermined length Sp (for example, 2.5 m) (step S120). If the parking space length Sp1 is equal to or longer than the predetermined length Sp, the left adjacent vehicle 32 and the right adjacent vehicle 31 The target parking position a30 is set so that the center of the left and right of the vehicle 1 is on L10 in the middle (step S130).

Further, the target parking position setting unit 11 sets an initial stop position a20 at a position relative to the target parking position a30. That is, the vehicle 1 can be parked at the target parking position a30 by performing a predetermined driving operation with the initial stop position a20 as a starting point.
On the other hand, when the parking space Sp1 is less than the predetermined length Sp, the process proceeds to J1 shown in FIG. 5 to be described later, and the parking position of the previous candidate is set.

  When the determination result in step S90 is not satisfied based on the detection result of the ultrasonic sensor 2 (when it is not determined that “the left adjacent vehicle signal is present and the right adjacent vehicle signal is present”), the process proceeds to step S140 and “left adjacent vehicle signal is present”. It is determined that there is no vehicle signal and no right adjacent vehicle signal. In this case, the type D flag is set (step S150), and the target parking position setting unit 11 sets the target parking position d30 right next to the position where the vehicle 1 is currently stopped (step S160).

  That is, as shown in FIG. 7 (d), when the driver stops the vehicle 1 at the position d10, if the distance between the current position of the vehicle 1 and the position of the space start point latest candidate information is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance, The right adjacent vehicle 31 is sufficiently separated from the position where the vehicle 1 wants to park, and the left adjacent vehicle 32 is also considered to be absent. Therefore, in this case, the target parking position setting unit 11 assumes that there are no parked vehicles on the left and right of the space to be parked based on the detection result of the ultrasonic sensor 2, and the target parking position of the vehicle 1 d30 is set.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8D, the target parking position setting unit 11 sets the target parking position d30 directly beside the position where the vehicle 1 is currently stopped, and the target parking position d30 and An initial stop position d20 is set at a relative position. That is, the vehicle 1 can be parked at the target parking position d30 by performing a predetermined driving operation with the initial stop position d20 as a start point.

When the target parking position is set as described above, the travel route of the vehicle 1 to the target parking position is calculated (step S200).
That is, when performing parallel parking, first, the vehicle 1 is moved forward or backward by a predetermined distance from the current position and guided to the initial stop position.
Then, when moving forward or backward from the initial stop position to the target parking position, first, a steering operation is performed so that the rear of the vehicle 1 is directed toward the target parking position. In this state, when the vehicle 1 turns forward to a predetermined position, Then, the vehicle 1 is turned in the reverse direction to turn the vehicle 1 back to the target parking position.

Therefore, the required moving distance D2 from the current position of the vehicle 1 to the forward or backward position (initial stop position) a20, b20, c20, d20, and further, from the initial stop position a20, b20, c20, d20 to the target parking position a30, The forward turning distance Df and the backward turning distance Db3 up to b30, c30, and d30 are calculated.
Here, when the vehicle 1 is traveling at a position away from the right adjacent vehicle 31 by a predetermined distance (width direction inter-vehicle distance) X1 as a reference, the vehicle 1 is traveling along this reference. At this time, the forward turning distance Df and the backward turning distance Db3 are fixed to constant values, and when the vehicle 1 is traveling in the width direction away from the reference, the forward turning distance Df, The reverse turning distance Db3 is calculated.

There is a relative positional relationship between the target parking positions a30, b30, c30, d30 and the initial stop positions a20, b20, c20, d20 according to the predetermined distance X1, and the target parking positions a30, b30, c30. , D30 are determined, the initial stop positions a20, b20, c20, d20 are inevitably determined according to the predetermined distance X1.
When each distance is calculated, the transmission 19 is set to the first speed by the gear position control unit 12 and guidance is started by the guiding means 17. Specifically, information to be guided to the driver is set in the guidance content setting unit (guidance content setting means) 18 and guided by the speaker 14 and the display 15. For example, when the required moving distance D1 from the current position of the vehicle 1 to the initial stop position is “−1 m”, a voice message “slow back about 1 meter” is issued from the speaker 14 and “reverse” Is displayed on the display 15.

Also at this time, the ultrasonic sensor 2 detects object information on both sides of the vehicle 1 by a subroutine for collecting detection information by the ultrasonic sensor 2 (step S210). Thus, the target parking position can be changed according to the newly detected detection information until the vehicle 1 reaches the initial stop position.
Next, in step S220, it is determined whether or not the vehicle 1 has reached the initial stop position. If not, the process proceeds to step S250, and the guidance is continued.

Further, it is determined whether the ultrasonic sensor 2 has detected the left adjacent vehicle 32 while the driver is moving forward or backward (until the vehicle moves to the initial stop position) (step S260). If the left adjacent vehicle 32 is not detected, the process returns to step S210.
On the other hand, when the left adjacent vehicle 32 is detected, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is type B (step T270). If it is type B, the process proceeds to J2 shown in FIG.

  That is, since the ultrasonic sensor 2 detects “no left adjacent vehicle signal and right adjacent vehicle signal” (type B), it is determined that “the right adjacent vehicle 31 exists and the left adjacent vehicle 32 does not exist”. However, the left adjacent vehicle 32 actually exists at a position that cannot be detected by the ultrasonic sensor 2. Accordingly, the type B is corrected to the type A “with left adjacent vehicle signal and right adjacent vehicle signal”, and the type A initial stop position a20 is set again. Then, the procedure as type A is performed.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S270 that it is not type B, it is determined whether it is type D (step S280). If it is not type D, the process returns to step S210, and if it is type D, the process proceeds to J3 in FIG. .
That is, since the ultrasonic sensor 2 detects “no left adjacent vehicle signal and no right adjacent vehicle signal” (type D), it is determined that “the right adjacent vehicle 31 and the left adjacent vehicle 32 do not exist”. Actually, the left adjacent vehicle 32 exists at a position that cannot be detected by the ultrasonic sensor 2. Therefore, type D is corrected to type C of “with left adjacent vehicle signal and without right adjacent vehicle signal”, and type C target parking position c30 is set again. Then, the procedure as type C is performed.

Further, when it is determined in step S220 that the vehicle 1 has reached the initial stop position, the driver is instructed to stop by a guidance sound (for example, a sound “pipong”) and a character display “stop” (step S230). Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the stop is completed (step S240).
When the stop is completed, the process proceeds to step S400 shown in FIG. 5, and the driver is instructed to operate the steering wheel by a voice message “Please turn the handle all the way to the right” and the display of “right-handed” and a right arrow. Do.

Then, it is determined whether or not the steering wheel has reached the maximum right steering angle (step S410). When the steering wheel reaches the maximum right steering angle, a guidance sound, a voice message “Please move forward by Df meter”, and “forward” Is forwarded to the driver (step S420).
Thereafter, it is determined whether or not Df has advanced (step S430), and when Df advance is completed, the driver is instructed to stop using the guidance sound and the character display of “stop” (step S440).

Then, it is determined whether or not the stop is completed (step S450). When the stop is completed, the driver operates the handle by a voice message “Please turn the handle all the way to the left” and the display of “Left-handed” and the left arrow. Is taught (step S460).
It is determined whether or not the steering wheel has reached the maximum left steering angle (step S470). When the steering angle reaches the maximum left steering angle, a guidance sound, a voice message “Please back about Db3 meters”, and a character “back” The back is instructed to the driver by the display (step S480).

Thereafter, it is determined whether or not Db3 has moved backward (step S490). When the Db3 has moved backward, the driver is instructed to stop by using a guidance sound and a character display of “stop” (step S500).
Then, it is determined whether or not the stop is completed (step S510). When the stop is completed, the parking support is ended. Thus, the vehicle 1 can stop at the parking position set by the target parking position setting unit 11.

At this time, even if the vehicle 1 stops before reaching the target parking position, the distance between the center point of the target parking position and the front and rear (or left and right) center points of the vehicle 1 is a predetermined distance (for example, If it is within 50 cm), it is considered that the parking has been completed, and the parking support is terminated.
Even when the vehicle 1 has reached the target parking position, even if a situation has occurred where the vehicle 1 has not stopped, the vehicle 1 is parked after a predetermined time (for example, 1.5 seconds) has elapsed after reaching the target parking position. It is considered that the parking has been completed.

On the other hand, if the parking space Sp1 is less than the predetermined length Sp in step S120, the process proceeds to J1 shown in FIG.
First, in step S600, it is determined whether or not the previous candidate use flag Fz is Fz = 0 (off). This previous candidate use flag is a flag that is turned on when the information in the candidate information portion 93 before space start point and the candidate information portion 94 before space end point is used in the detection information stored in the storage device 90. .

  If Fz = 0 in step S600, the process proceeds to step S610, where Fz = 1 is set. Next, in step S620, the space pre-start point candidate information held in the space pre-start point candidate information unit 93 of the storage device 90 is substituted and stored in the space start point latest candidate information unit 91, and the space pre-end point candidate information unit is stored. The candidate information before space end point held in 94 is substituted into the latest space end point candidate information section 92 and updated and stored. And it returns to J4 of FIG. At this time, it is preferable that a message such as “change target parking position” is issued.

In other words, if the place set as the target parking position is too narrow to park, a new target parking position can be set for the area where the object detected before is not present. ing.
In addition, when Fz = 1 in step S600, the above-described newly set target parking position cannot be parked, so that the process proceeds to step S630 and the parking space is insufficient. The driver is guided to end this control.

Next, a specific control example in the parking assistance apparatus according to the present embodiment as described above will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 9, in the parking lot where the parked vehicles 41 to 44 are parked in parallel, the vehicle 1 crosses the line a extending the left end of the parked vehicle 41 (that is, the front end of the vehicle 1 is When parking assistance is started (in the range from line a to line b), since the detection information of the ultrasonic sensor 2 is off in the range from line a to line b, the current position of the vehicle 1 and the space start point latest candidate information If the distance to the position is calculated and it is determined that the distance from the parked vehicle 41 is sufficient, a type D flag is set. If not, a type B flag is set to set the target parking position and the initial stop position. Set. In this way, driving support control is reliably performed.

In addition, if the left adjacent vehicle 42 is not detected while the vehicle 1 is being guided to the initial stop position, parking assistance from the initial stop position to the target parking position is performed, but when the left adjacent vehicle 42 is detected. Can set the type C or type A flag, reset the target parking position and the initial stop position, and continue the control.
When the vehicle 1 starts parking assistance at a position beyond the line b extending the right end of the parked vehicle 42 (that is, the front end of the vehicle 1 is in the range of lines b to c), detection information of the ultrasonic sensor 2 Is on in the range from line b to line c, the distance between the position of the latest space start candidate information and the position of the latest space end candidate information is calculated, and the distance between the parked vehicle 42 and the parked vehicle 41 is sufficient. If it is determined, the type C flag is set, and if it is not sufficient, the type A flag is set to set the target parking position and the initial stop position. In this way, driving support control is reliably performed.

  When the vehicle 1 starts parking assistance at a position beyond the line c extending the left end portion of the parked vehicle 43 (that is, the front end portion of the vehicle 1 is in the range of line c to line d), the ultrasonic sensor 2 detects Since the information is off in the range from line c to line d, control is performed in the same manner as when the front end of the vehicle 1 starts parking assistance in the range from line a to b. Here, for example, considering a situation where the distance between the parked vehicle 44 and the parked vehicle 43 is narrow and not enough for the vehicle 1 to park, the vehicle 1 starts parking assistance between the lines c to d and types Even if the B flag is set, the parked vehicle 44 is detected before moving to the initial stop position, the type A flag is set, and the target parking position and the initial stop position are reset. .

  At this time, if the distance between the parked vehicle 43 and the parked vehicle 44 is not sufficient, the previous candidate use flag Fz is set and the detection information (before the space start point) held in the space start point candidate information section 93 of the storage device 90. (Candidate information) is substituted into the space start point latest candidate information part 91 and updated and stored, and the detection information (candidate information before space end point) held in the space end point candidate information part 94 is sent to the space end point latest candidate information part 92. Assigned and updated. For this reason, a target parking position will be set between the parked vehicle 41 and the parked vehicle 42, and control of driving assistance can be implemented.

  Thus, according to the parking assistance device according to the present embodiment, the driver does not need to press the parking guide switch 6 in front of the position where the vehicle 1 is to be parked, and the parking guide switch 6 is located at the position where the parking assistance is to be performed. Since it is only necessary to press, the operation is easy to understand and a good operational feeling can be obtained. In addition, since object information around the vehicle 1 is always detected independently and stored in the storage device 90, the burden on the driver can be reduced. Further, since the detection information stored in the storage device 90 is the detection information of the start point and end point of the area where the object exists, the periphery of the vehicle 1 can be grasped efficiently, and the number of detection information held is reduced. The configuration can be simplified.

  In addition, since the latest detection information and the immediately preceding detection information are stored, even if control based on the latest detection information (that is, parking assistance to the target parking position) cannot be performed, parking is performed based on the immediately preceding detection information. Control of assistance (that is, parking assistance to the target parking candidate position) can be performed. For example, there is a situation in which a space where parking is possible is found in a three-dimensional parking lot or the like with poor visibility, but the vehicle continues to move forward looking for a more preferable parking position and eventually no other parking space can be found. Even in such a case, according to the parking assistance device, parking assistance can be implemented, and convenience can be improved.

In the present embodiment, the parking space that can be parked in parallel has been described as being set to 2.5 m. However, it is of course possible to set other parking numbers.
In addition, parking assistance for left side parallel parking is performed according to the above procedure, but parking assistance for right side parallel parking only reverses the direction of turning the handle from that for left side parallel parking. The procedure is the same as the left side parallel parking procedure.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, parking support for parallel parking is illustrated, but the present invention can also be applied to parking support for parallel parking and other parking support. In that case, if the conditions for setting the target parking position and the initial stop position and determining the space where parking is possible are appropriate for parallel parking, the configuration can be made substantially the same as that of the above-described embodiment.

  In the above-described embodiment, the storage device 90 includes the latest detection information (space start point latest candidate information and space end point latest candidate information) and immediately preceding detection information (space start point pre-candidate information and space end point pre-candidate information) However, it may be configured such that more detection information can be stored, for example, all detection information for a distance within a predetermined range from the vehicle 1 is stored. Also good.

Further, the ultrasonic sensor 2 as the object position detecting means has been described as detecting a parked vehicle, but of course, not only the parked vehicle but also walls and other objects can be detected. Parking assistance can also be performed by detecting an object.
Further, in the present embodiment, it has been described that the gear position is limited to the first speed by the gear position control unit 12 when the transmission 19 is stepped. For example, in the case of CVT, it may be limited to the gear ratio region corresponding to the low speed stage.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the parking assistance apparatus as one Embodiment of this invention. It is a typical top view which shows the detection range of the object position detection means of the parking assistance apparatus as one Embodiment of this invention. It is a typical top view for explaining parking assistance of parallel parking by a parking assistance device as one embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the control at the time of parking assistance of the parallel parking by the parking assistance apparatus as one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the control at the time of parking assistance of the parallel parking by the parking assistance apparatus as one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the function of the memory | storage device by the parking assistance apparatus as one Embodiment of this invention. It is a typical top view for explaining parking assistance of parallel parking by a parking assistance device as one embodiment of the present invention. It is a typical top view for explaining parking assistance of parallel parking by a parking assistance device as one embodiment of the present invention. It is a typical top view for explaining parking assistance of parallel parking by a parking assistance device as one embodiment of the present invention. It is a typical block diagram explaining the function of the memory | storage device by the parking assistance apparatus as one Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle 2 Ultrasonic sensor 3 Handle angle sensor 4 Wheel speed sensor 5 Shift position sensor 6 Parking guide switch (parking assistance start instruction means)
7 Rear view camera 8 ECU (electronic control unit)
9 travel distance estimation unit 10 current position estimation unit 11 target parking position setting unit (target parking position setting means)
12 gear position control unit 13 object position detection means 14 speaker (guidance output means)
15 Display (guidance output means)
16 Corner sensor 17 Guide means 18 Guide content setting section (guide content setting means)
19 Transmission 20 Target parking candidate position setting unit (Target parking candidate position setting means)
21 detection space estimation part 31 right adjacent vehicle 32 left adjacent vehicle 41-44 parked vehicle 90 storage device (detection information storage means)
91 Space start point latest candidate information part 92 Space end point latest candidate information part 93 Space start point candidate information part 94 Space end point candidate information part A Ultrasonic sensor detection range B Corner sensor detection range

Claims (4)

A parking assistance device for assisting a parking operation for a driver driving a vehicle,
Object position detecting means for detecting the position of an object in the vicinity of the vehicle relative to the vehicle;
Parking support start instruction means for instructing the start of assistance for the parking operation;
Detection information storage means for collecting detection information obtained from the object position detection means and updating and storing data of the detection information so as to always hold only detection information within a predetermined range closest to the current time;
When the parking support start instruction means instructs the start of parking operation support, the target parking position is set according to the position of the vehicle at the time of the support start instruction and the data stored by the detection information storage means, A parking support device, comprising: a guide unit that performs guidance for assistance in parking operation. The detection information storage means collects start point detection information and end point detection information of an area where the object does not exist from the detection information, and always holds only a predetermined number of the start point detection information and end point detection information closest to the current time. The parking assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the start point detection information and the end point detection information are updated and recorded as described above. The detection information storage means updates the data of the start point detection information and the end point detection information so as to hold the latest start point detection information and the end point detection information, and the immediately preceding start point detection information and the end point detection information. Record,
The guide means includes target parking position setting means for setting the target parking position in accordance with the position of the vehicle at the time of the support start instruction and the latest start point detection information or the end point detection information, and the position of the vehicle. And target parking candidate position setting means for setting a target parking candidate position according to the immediately preceding start point detection information or the end point detection information,
The parking assistance device according to claim 2, wherein when parking at the target parking position is impossible, guidance for assisting a parking operation at the target parking candidate position is performed. The guidance means comprises guidance content setting means for setting assistance contents for parking operation for the driver, and guidance output means for guiding the assistance contents set by the guidance content setting means to the driver. The parking assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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