JP2019121040A - Parking control device, vehicle control device and parking control method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a parking control device, a vehicle control device, and a parking control method capable of reducing the influence of an obstacle on a vehicle in a parking lot when the obstacle is present in a parking lot.SOLUTION: A parking control device according to one aspect of the embodiment includes an instruction output unit and an obstacle determination unit. The instruction output unit transmits a first instruction including a travel instruction to travel to a target position through a target route, which is a route to the target position in a parking lot, for each of a plurality of vehicles capable of automatic driving travel. The obstacle determination unit determines whether or not an obstacle is present on the target route of the vehicle. In addition, when the obstacle determination unit determines that an obstacle is present on the target route, the instruction output unit selects some of the plurality of vehicles as a selected vehicle, and outputs to the selected vehicle a second instruction including an instruction of an operation different from a driving instruction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

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

  Conventionally, when parking a vehicle capable of automatic driving and traveling in a parking lot provided with a plurality of parking frames, there has been proposed a technology for parking based on information from a parking control device in the parking lot (for example, Patent Document 1) reference).

  In the prior art, for example, after the driver gets off at the entrance of the parking lot, the parking control device instructs the vehicle to issue a travel instruction including information on parking such as the position of the vacant parking frame and the route to the parking frame. Output against. Then, the vehicle for which the travel instruction has been output travels automatically to the vacant parking frame through the above-described route and performs parking.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-275300

  By the way, in a passage through which a vehicle travels in the above-mentioned parking lot, for example, a falling object from the vehicle or the like may become an obstacle to hinder the traveling of the following vehicle. In such a case, in the parking control device according to the prior art, a stop instruction to stop in an emergency is output to all the vehicles traveling in the parking lot.

  However, when all vehicles are stopped in the parking lot as described above, for example, the parking of the vehicles is not performed until the obstacle is removed, and as a result, the parking efficiency in the parking lot is significantly reduced. As described above, in the prior art, the influence of the obstacle on the vehicle in the parking lot is large, and there is room for improvement.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and when there is an obstacle in a parking lot, a parking control device, a vehicle control device, and a parking control capable of suppressing the influence of the obstacle on a vehicle in the parking lot. Intended to provide a method.

  In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the present invention is provided with a parking control device including an instruction output unit and an obstacle determination unit. The instruction output unit transmits a first instruction including a travel instruction to travel to the target position through the target route, which is a route to a target position in the parking lot, to a plurality of vehicles capable of automatic driving. Output each. The obstacle determination unit determines whether there is an obstacle on the target route of the vehicle. In addition, when the obstacle determination unit determines that there is an obstacle on the target route, the instruction output unit selects a part of the plurality of vehicles as a selected vehicle, and the instruction output unit selects the selected vehicle for the selected vehicle. And outputs a second instruction including an instruction of an operation different from the travel instruction.

  According to the present invention, when there is an obstacle in the parking lot, it is possible to suppress the influence of the obstacle on the vehicle in the parking lot.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a parking control method according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a parking lot. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the parking control system. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the in-vehicle apparatus. FIG. 5 is a view showing a configuration example of a parking management device. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the vehicle state information. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the first instruction information. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the determination processing in the bypass route determination unit. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the second instruction information. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the processing of the instruction output unit. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the parking control process executed by the parking control device.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a parking control device, a vehicle control device, and a parking control method disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited by the embodiments described below.

<1. Outline of parking control method>
First, an overview of a parking control method according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a parking control method according to the embodiment.

  As shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 1, the parking lot P includes a plurality of parking frames 121, and the parking control device 70 of the parking lot P executes the parking control method according to the embodiment. The details of the parking lot P will be described later with reference to FIG. Further, the number of parking frames 121 and the number of vehicles C shown in FIG. 1 and the like are merely examples and are not limited.

  The parking control device 70 is a center server that manages the entire parking lot P including the vehicle C, for example. For example, the parking control device 70 can obtain information on the presence or absence of the vehicle C in the parking frame 121 of the parking lot P, in other words, information on the availability of the parking frame 121.

  Specifically, for example, a vehicle detection sensor (not shown) for detecting the parked vehicle C is provided in each of the plurality of parking frames 121, and the detection signal is parked when the parked vehicle C is detected. It outputs to the control device 70. Although an infrared sensor, a weight sensor, etc. can be used as a vehicle detection sensor, It is not limited to this. The parking control device 70 can obtain information on the presence or absence of the vehicle C in the parking frame 121 based on the detection signal output from the vehicle detection sensor.

  The parking control device 70 is not limited to the detection signal of the vehicle detection sensor, and analyzes the image captured by, for example, an in-field camera (not shown) installed in the parking lot P, etc. Information on the presence or absence may be obtained.

  In addition, for example, the parking control device 70 can control the parking of the vehicle C by outputting an instruction of various operations related to parking to the vehicle C located in the parking lot P. Specifically, the parking control device 70 can mutually communicate with the vehicle C.

  The vehicle C is, for example, an automobile capable of autonomous driving travel without requiring a driver's driving operation. Specifically, the vehicle control device 20 is mounted on the vehicle C. For example, the vehicle control device 20 controls the vehicle C based on information of GPS (Global Positioning System), image information around the vehicle taken by a camera (not shown), etc. It can be made to run by automatic driving to the target position of the above, or can be parked in the parking frame 121. The details of the in-vehicle device including the vehicle control device 20 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  The parking control device 70 performs automatic parking control (so-called automatic valley parking) in which the vehicle C provided with the above-described vehicle control device 20 is automatically driven and parked in the parking lot P. Here, a case will be described by way of example in which the parking control device 70 outputs instructions to the vehicles C1 to C3, performs automatic parking control, and causes the parking frame 121 to park.

  In addition, as shown to the upper stage figure of FIG. 1, the vehicles C1-C3 shall be stopped at the entrance of the parking lot P first. In order to clearly show target routes R1 to R3 to be described later, the vehicles C1 to C3 are illustrated in parallel in the upper part of FIG. 1. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

  The vehicle control device 20 transmits a parking request to the parking control device 70 when, for example, a user such as a driver gets out of the vehicles C1 to C3 and then the user performs a button operation to request parking by automatic driving control. Step S1).

  When receiving the parking request, the parking control device 70 sets the position of the vacant parking frame 121 as the target position based on the information on the presence or absence of the vehicle C in the parking frame 121, and instructs the vehicles C1 to C3 to travel to the target position. In response, each is output (step S2).

  Specifically, for the vehicle C1, the parking control device 70 sets the parking frame 121 indicated by the symbol A1 as the target parking frame A1 that is the target position, and sets the route to the target parking frame A1 as the target route R1. Then, the parking control device 70 outputs, to the vehicle C1, a traveling instruction for causing the vehicle to travel to the target parking frame A1 through the target route R1.

  In the present specification, an instruction including such a travel instruction may be described as a “first instruction”. Since the first instruction described above is an instruction at a normal time when the obstacle B is not detected in the parking lot P as described later, it can be said that the first instruction is also a normal time instruction.

  Further, for the vehicle C2, the parking control device 70 sets one of the vacant parking spaces 121 as the target parking space A2, and sets the route to the target parking space A2 as the target route R2. Then, the parking control device 70 outputs, to the vehicle C2, a first instruction including a traveling instruction for causing the vehicle to travel to the target parking frame A2 that is the target position through the target route R2.

  Similarly, for the vehicle C3, the parking control device 70 sets one of the vacant parking spaces 121 as the target parking space A3 and sets the route to the target parking space A3 as the target route R3. The parking control device 70 outputs, to the vehicle C3, a first instruction including a traveling instruction for causing the vehicle to travel to the target parking frame A3 which is the target position through the target route R3.

  Vehicles C1 to C3 start traveling toward the target parking spaces A1 to A3, respectively, according to the first instruction described above. At this time, the vehicles C1 to C3 start traveling toward the target parking spaces A1 to A3 in the order of the vehicles C1, C2, and C3, respectively.

  In the following description, “target parking frame A” will be described when the target parking spaces A1 to A3 are described without particular distinction, and “target when the target routes R1 to R3 are described without particular distinction. It describes as "route R".

  By the way, in the vehicle C traveling in the parking lot P, loaded luggage and the like may fall into the passage. If a falling object or the like is in the passage of the vehicle C, it becomes an obstacle and interferes with the traveling of the following vehicle C.

  Therefore, when there is an obstacle in the passage, the parking control device according to the related art outputs a stop instruction to stop all the vehicles C traveling in the parking lot P. Therefore, in the prior art, parking of all the vehicles C is not performed until the obstacles are removed, and as a result, the parking efficiency in the parking lot P is significantly reduced, and the effects of the obstacles on the vehicles C Was great.

  Therefore, in the parking control device 70 according to the present embodiment, when there is an obstacle in the parking lot P, the influence of the obstacle on the vehicle C in the parking lot P can be suppressed.

  Explaining in detail, as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 1, while the vehicles C1 to C3 are traveling on the target routes R1 to R3, in other words, before reaching the target parking spaces A1 to A3, the parking control device It is assumed that 70 detects an obstacle B in the parking lot P (step S3).

  In addition, the detection of the obstacle B may be performed by analyzing the image of the camera mounted on the vehicle C (here, the vehicle C1) by the vehicle control device 20, or the image of the in-field camera etc. by the parking control device 70. You may analyze and go. Moreover, it is not restricted to the above-mentioned camera, For example, you may use the radar etc. which detect the presence or absence of the obstruction B from the reflected wave obtained by radiating electromagnetic waves toward circumference | surroundings.

  Then, the parking control device 70 determines whether or not there is an obstacle B on the target routes R1 to R3 for the vehicles C1 to C3 (step S4). Here, as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 1, the parking control device 70 determines that there is an obstacle B in the target routes R1 and R2 of the vehicles C1 and C2 among the vehicles C1 to C3. In other words, the parking control device 70 determines that the obstacle B does not exist in the target route R3 of the vehicle C3 among the vehicles C1 to C3.

  Next, the parking control device 70 selects a part of the vehicles C1 to C3 as a selected vehicle. For example, the parking control device 70 selects vehicles C1 and C2 determined to have the obstacle B in the target routes R1 and R2 among the vehicles C1 to C3 as selected vehicles.

  Then, the parking control device 70 outputs, to the vehicles C1 and C2 which are selected vehicles, an instruction of an operation different from the travel instruction to travel to the target parking spaces A1 and A2 through the target routes R1 and R2. For example, the parking control device 70 outputs a stop instruction to stop the vehicles C1 and C2 to the vehicles C1 and C2, which are selected vehicles (step S5).

  In the present specification, an instruction including an instruction (for example, a stop instruction) of an operation different from the travel instruction may be described as a “second instruction”. Since the second instruction described above is an instruction in the emergency state in which the obstacle B is detected in the parking lot P, it can also be said to be an emergency instruction. Moreover, although the stop instruction was mentioned as an example of the instruction | indication of the operation | movement different from the travel instruction | indication which follows target route R above, it is not restricted to this. For example, the detour course instruction to make the detour run around the obstacle B Etc., but this will be described later.

  On the other hand, the parking control device 70 does not output the second instruction to the vehicle C3 not selected as the selected vehicle among the vehicles C1 to C3. That is, in the vehicle C3, the first instruction remains output.

  As described above, when it is determined that the obstacle B is present on the target routes R1 to R3, the parking control device 70 according to the present embodiment is a part of the plurality of vehicles C1 to C3 (here, the vehicles C1 and C2) Is selected to output a second instruction (for example, a stop instruction).

  As a result, the second instruction is not output for the non-selected vehicle C (here, the vehicle C3 having no obstacle B on the target route R3), and therefore, the traveling toward the target parking frame A3 through the target route R3 is continued. Ru. And although illustration is abbreviate | omitted, the vehicle C3 will park in target parking frame A3 after arriving at target parking frame A3.

  That is, in the present embodiment, even when there is an obstacle B in the parking lot P, parking control is continuously performed on the vehicle C3 that is less affected by the obstacle B, so that the parking lot P In the parking lot P, the influence of the obstacle B on the vehicle C can be suppressed.

  In addition, the parking control device 70 performs, for example, a second instruction including a stop instruction to a part of the plurality of vehicles C1 to C3 (here, the vehicles C1 and C2 having the obstacle B on the target routes R1 and R2). By outputting, vehicles C1 and C2 stop, and thus contact with obstacle B can be prevented.

<2. Configuration example of parking lot>
Next, a configuration example of the parking lot P will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a view showing a configuration example of the parking lot P. As shown in FIG.

  The parking lot P includes an unloading area 110, a parking area 120, and a riding area 130. The getting-off area 110 includes an entrance 111, a getting-off place 112, and a communication port 113.

  The entrance 111 is an entrance of the vehicle C in the parking lot P. The drop off site 112 is a place where the vehicle C entering from the entrance 111 stops once and a user such as a driver gets off. As described above, the user who has got off at the getting-off place 112 requests the parking of the vehicle C by performing the button operation for requesting the parking. The communication port 113 is a passage connecting the getting-off area 110 and the parking area 120, and the vehicle C can enter the parking area 120 from the getting-off area 110 through the communication port 113.

  The parking area 120 includes a plurality of parking frames 121. In addition, arrangement | positioning of the several parking frame 121 shown in FIG. 2 is an illustration to the last, and is not limited.

  The boarding area 130 includes a communication port 131, a boarding station 132, and an exit 133. The communication port 131 is a passage connecting the parking area 120 and the boarding area 130, and the vehicle C can enter the boarding area 130 from the parking area 120 through the communication port 131.

  The boarding place 132 is a place where a user such as a driver gets on the vehicle C, and the exit 133 is an exit of the vehicle C in the parking lot P. For example, in the boarding place 132 or the like, the user performs a button operation to request the delivery of the vehicle C parked in the parking frame 121 of the parking area 120. As a result, a delivery request is transmitted to the parking control device 70.

  Although illustration is omitted, the parking control device 70 which has received the delivery request sets the route to the boarding place 132 which is the target position as the target route R for the vehicle C, and passes through the target route R to the boarding station 132 A first instruction including a traveling instruction for traveling is output. Thereby, the vehicle C starts automatic traveling to the boarding place 132. When the vehicle C arrives at the boarding place 132, the user gets in the vehicle C and exits the exit 133.

  In addition, in the example shown in FIG. 2, the getting-off place 112 and the boarding place 132 are provided in different places, but the invention is not limited to this, and they may be provided in the same place. In addition, a plurality of drop off places 112 and boarding places 132 may be provided. Also, the buttons for requesting parking or leaving are, for example, provided on the key of the vehicle C, the portable terminal used by the user, the operation panel installed in the parking lot P and operated by the user, etc. It is not a thing.

  Here, the operation of the vehicle C in the parking lot P will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle C10 is a vehicle stopped at the unloading site 112, and the parking control device 70 instructs the vehicle C10 to, for example, drive the target route R11 to the target parking frame A10. (1st instruction) is output. The vehicle C10 for which such a travel instruction is output starts automatic travel toward the target parking frame A10 through the target route R11. In the following, before entering the parking area 120, the state of the vehicle C10 traveling or stopping in the getting-off area 110 may be described as "under loading".

  The vehicle C11 is, for example, a vehicle traveling on the parking area 120 with the target parking frame A and the boarding area 132 as the target position, and in the following, the state of the vehicle C11 may be described as "traveling in the hall".

  The vehicle C12 is, for example, a vehicle on the way of performing a parking action on the parking frame 121, and hereinafter, the state of the vehicle C12 may be described as "during parking action". The vehicle C13 is, for example, a vehicle on the way out of the parking frame 121 which has been stopped and heading to the boarding area 130, and hereinafter, the state of the vehicle C13 may be described as "frame leaving".

  The vehicle C14 is a vehicle stopped at the boarding point 132. In the following, before leaving the exit 133 of the parking lot P, the state of the vehicle C14 traveling or stopping in the boarding area 130 may be described as “during leaving”.

<3. Overall Configuration of Parking Control System>
Next, the configuration of the parking control system 1 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the parking control system 1. In the block diagrams shown in FIG. 3 and FIGS. 4 and 5 described later, only components necessary to explain the features of the present embodiment are represented by functional blocks, and descriptions of general components are omitted. doing.

  In other words, each component illustrated in the block diagram of FIG. 3 and the like is functionally conceptual, and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as illustrated. For example, the specific form of the distribution and integration of each functional block is not limited to that shown in the drawings, and all or a part thereof may be functionally or physically distributed in any unit depending on various loads, usage conditions, etc. It is possible to integrate and configure.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the parking control system 1 according to the embodiment includes an on-vehicle device 10 and a parking management device 60. The on-vehicle device 10 includes the above-described vehicle control device 20 and is mounted on a vehicle C. The parking management device 60 includes the parking control device 70 described above, and is installed at a location remote from the parking lot P or the parking lot P.

  The on-vehicle device 10 and the parking management device 60 are communicably connected to each other wirelessly or by wire via the network N.

  Next, the configurations of the on-vehicle device 10 and the parking management device 60 described above will be specifically described.

<4. In-vehicle device>
FIG. 4 is a view showing a configuration example of the in-vehicle apparatus 10. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the in-vehicle device 10 includes a communication unit 11, an in-vehicle sensor group 12, a vehicle control device 20, a drive source control device 51, a brake control device 52, and a steering mechanism control device 53. .

  The communication unit 11 is a communication interface connected to the network N so as to enable two-way communication, and transmits and receives information to and from the parking management device 60 and the like.

  The in-vehicle sensor group 12 includes, for example, various sensors that detect information necessary for travel control of the vehicle C. For example, the in-vehicle sensor group 12 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects a vehicle speed, an accelerator sensor that detects an accelerator operation amount, a brake sensor that detects a brake operation amount, and a steering angle sensor that detects a steering angle of a steering wheel.

  The in-vehicle sensor group 12 also includes various devices for detecting information necessary for the automatic driving of the vehicle C. For example, the on-vehicle sensor group 12 may be a GPS receiver for detecting the current position of the vehicle based on signals from GPS satellites, a camera capable of imaging an object such as another vehicle existing around the vehicle C, A radar or the like may be included that measures the distance and direction from the reflected wave obtained by emitting an electromagnetic wave to the surroundings to other vehicles present in the surroundings.

  In addition, apparatuses, such as a camera and a radar, contained in the above-mentioned in-vehicle sensor group 12 may be functioned as an apparatus which detects not only the detection of other vehicles but the obstacle B. The on-vehicle sensor group 12 is not limited to the various devices described above, and may include other devices such as an inter-vehicle communication device that transmits and receives various information to and from the other vehicle C, for example.

  The on-vehicle sensor group 12 outputs the information indicating the obtained vehicle speed, the position of the vehicle, and the like to the vehicle control device 20.

  The drive source control device 51 controls a drive source such as an engine or an electric motor of the vehicle C, the brake control device 52 controls a brake of the vehicle C, and the steering mechanism control device 53 controls a steering mechanism for steering the vehicle C. It is a device to control.

  The vehicle control device 20 includes a control unit 30 and a storage unit 40. The control unit 30 is a microcomputer including a reception unit 31, an acquisition unit 32, a vehicle control unit 33, an obstacle detection unit 34, and a transmission unit 35, and having a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and the like.

  The receiving unit 31 receives a parking request transmitted when a button operation for requesting parking by automatic driving control is performed by the user described above. The receiving unit 31 outputs a signal indicating that the parking request has been received to the transmitting unit 35. Further, the receiving unit 31 receives the first instruction and the second instruction output from the parking control device 70, and outputs a signal indicating the received first instruction and the second instruction to the vehicle control unit 33.

  The acquisition unit 32 acquires each sensor signal output from the in-vehicle sensor group 12 and outputs the acquired signal to the vehicle control unit 33, the obstacle detection unit 34, and the transmission unit 35.

  The vehicle control unit 33 performs driving control of the vehicle C. Specifically, the vehicle control unit 33 outputs an accelerator sensor, a brake sensor, and a steering angle sensor of the in-vehicle sensor group 12 when the driver manually operates the accelerator, the brake, and the steering wheel (not shown), for example. Various types of information to be input are input through the acquisition unit 32. The vehicle control unit 33 controls the drive source control device 51, the brake control device 52, and the steering mechanism control device 53 based on the information to perform the manual operation control of the vehicle C.

  Further, the vehicle control unit 33 can perform automatic driving control of the vehicle C. For example, when the first instruction including the travel instruction for causing the vehicle to travel to the target parking frame A through the target route R is input from the reception unit 31, the vehicle control unit 33 receives GPS information output from the in-vehicle sensor group 12 or The drive source control device 51 and the like are controlled based on the information of the camera, the information of the radar, etc. to execute the automatic operation control.

  The obstacle detection unit 34 can detect the obstacle B based on the information of the camera or the radar output from the in-vehicle sensor group 12 or the like. For example, the obstacle detection unit 34 analyzes the captured image captured by the camera, or indicates the captured image and an object (for example, luggage, a person, an animal, etc.) that can be the obstacle B stored in the storage unit 40 in advance. The obstacle B can be detected by comparing with the reference image. When the obstacle B is detected, the obstacle detection unit 34 outputs a signal indicating that the obstacle B is detected to the transmission unit 35.

  The transmitting unit 35 outputs a signal indicating that the parking request has been received, a signal indicating that the obstacle B has been detected, and information output from each sensor of the on-vehicle sensor group 12 (for example, the current position of the vehicle C And the like) are transmitted to the parking control device 70 via the communication unit 11.

  The storage unit 40 is a storage unit configured by storage devices such as a non-volatile memory and a hard disk drive. The storage unit 40 stores various programs, setting data, and the like.

<5. Parking Management Device>
Next, the parking management device 60 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the parking management device 60. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the parking management device 60 includes a communication unit 61, an obstacle detection sensor 62, an operation unit 63, and a parking control device 70.

  The communication unit 61 is a communication interface connected to the network N so as to allow two-way communication, and transmits and receives information to and from the in-vehicle device 10 and the like.

  The obstacle detection sensor 62 is a sensor (device) for detecting an obstacle B in the parking lot P. As the obstacle detection sensor 62, for example, an in-field camera disposed at an appropriate position in the parking lot P can be used, but the present invention is not limited to this. Then, for example, the obstacle detection sensor 62 outputs the imaged image information to the parking control device 70.

  The operation unit 63 is, for example, an operation panel operated by a manager who manages the parking lot P, and can output an operation instruction for the vehicle C located in the parking lot P in accordance with the operation of the manager. it can.

  For example, when the administrator monitors the image of the on-site camera which is the obstacle detection sensor 62 and the administrator finds the obstacle B in the parking lot P, the operation unit 63 is operated by the administrator. The operation unit 63 can output a stop instruction to, for example, the vehicle C that may be prevented from traveling by the obstacle B according to the operation of the administrator, whereby the vehicle C is stopped, and the obstacle It becomes possible to prevent contact with the object B.

  The parking control device 70 includes a control unit 80 and a storage unit 90. The control unit 80 is a microcomputer including an acquisition unit 81, a vehicle state detection unit 82, an instruction output unit 83, and a determination unit 84, and having a CPU and the like.

  In addition, the storage unit 90 is a storage unit configured by storage devices such as a nonvolatile memory and a hard disk drive, and stores vehicle state information 91, first instruction information 92, and second instruction information 93.

  The acquisition unit 81 acquires various signals transmitted from the in-vehicle apparatus 10 via the communication unit 61. For example, the acquisition unit 81 may be a signal indicating that the on-vehicle apparatus 10 has received a parking request, a signal indicating that an obstacle B has been detected on the vehicle C side, or information indicating the current position of the vehicle C. To get through.

  Further, the acquisition unit 81 also acquires, for example, a signal indicating a delivery request from the user at the boarding place 132 (see FIG. 2) or the like via the communication unit 61. The acquisition unit 81 outputs the acquired various signals and information to the vehicle state detection unit 82, the instruction output unit 83, and the determination unit 84.

  The vehicle state detection unit 82 detects the state of the vehicle C in the parking lot P. For example, based on the information indicating the current position of the vehicle C and the information on the operation instruction output from the instruction output unit 83 described later to each vehicle C, the vehicle state detection unit 82 detects the vehicle C in the parking lot P Detect the state of

  Then, the vehicle state detection unit 82 causes the storage unit 90 to store information indicating the detected state of the vehicle C as the vehicle state information 91. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the vehicle state information 91. As shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the vehicle state information 91 includes information on each of “vehicle ID” and “vehicle state”, and these pieces of information are associated with each other.

  The “vehicle ID” is identification information assigned to each vehicle C located in the parking lot P. “Vehicle status” is information indicating the status of the vehicle C in the parking lot P. In the example of FIG. 6, the vehicle ID “Dc100” of the vehicle state information 91 indicates that the vehicle state is “traveling on the target route R4 to the current position XX and the target parking frame A4”.

  That is, the vehicle C identified by the vehicle ID "Dc100" travels the current position XX on the target route R4 while the travel instruction for causing the target route R4 to travel to the target parking frame A4 is output from the instruction output unit 83. Show that.

  Further, in the example of FIG. 6, the vehicle ID “Dc101” of the vehicle state information 91 indicates that the vehicle state is “current position YY, being out of storage”. That is, the vehicle C identified by the vehicle ID "Dc101" is traveling or stopping in the boarding area 130 (see FIG. 2) of the parking lot P, and indicates that it is at the current position YY.

  As described above, the state of the vehicle C in the parking lot P detected by the vehicle state detection unit 82 includes the content of the operation currently performed in the parking control of the vehicle C, information on the current position of the vehicle C, and the like. But not limited thereto.

  Returning to the description of FIG. 5, the instruction output unit 83 can output, to the vehicle C, a “first instruction” that includes a traveling instruction for causing the vehicle to travel to a target position such as the target parking frame A.

  For example, based on the information on the current position of the vehicle C, the information on the presence or absence of the vehicle C in the parking frame 121, and the first instruction information 92 stored in advance in the storage unit 90, the instruction output unit 83 A first instruction including the generated and generated travel instruction is output.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the first instruction information 92. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, the first instruction information 92 includes information on each of “first instruction ID”, “departure position”, “target position”, and “target route”, and these information are associated with each other. It is done.

  The “first instruction ID” is identification information assigned to each content of the first instruction. The “departure position” is information on the departure position of the vehicle C in the parking lot P. In the present embodiment, the “departure position” is the position of the parking lot P's unloading site 112 (see FIG. 2) before parking, and the position of the parking frame 121 when leaving a parked vehicle. It is not limited.

  The “target position” is information on the target position of the vehicle C in the parking lot P. In the present embodiment, the “target position” is the position of the parking frame 121 of the parking lot P before parking, and is the boarding place 132 (see FIG. 2) when leaving a parked vehicle, but is limited thereto. It is not a thing.

  The “target route” is information on the target route of the vehicle C in the parking lot P. Specifically, the “target route” is a route from the associated departure position to the target position. For example, when there are a plurality of routes, the shortest route is set as the target route R, but is limited thereto. Absent.

  In the example of FIG. 7, the first instruction ID “E01” of the first instruction information 92 indicates that the departure position is “off ground”, the target position is “parking frame A1”, and the target route is “Fr01”. It shows.

  Therefore, the instruction output unit 83 corresponds the information on the current position of the vehicle C to the "departure position" of the first instruction information 92, and corresponds the position of the parking frame 121 vacant in the information on the presence or absence of the vehicle C to the "destination position". By doing this, the target route R can be easily set.

  Then, the instruction output unit 83 generates an instruction for traveling the target route R to the target position set based on the first instruction information 92 or the like, and outputs the first instruction including the generated traveling instruction to the vehicle C. Do. Thus, as described above, the vehicle C starts traveling on the target route R toward the target position.

  Continuing the explanation of FIG. 5, when the obstacle B is detected in the parking lot P, the instruction output unit 83 outputs a “second instruction” including an instruction of an operation different from the traveling instruction in the above-mentioned first instruction. can do.

  Here, before continuing the description of the instruction output unit 83, the determination unit 84 will be described. The determination unit 84 performs determination on the obstacle B and the like. For example, the determination unit 84 includes an obstacle determination unit 84 a, a type determination unit 84 b, and a bypass route determination unit 84 c.

  The obstacle determination unit 84a determines whether an obstacle B is present on the target route R of the vehicle C. For example, the obstacle determination unit 84a may analyze an image captured by the on-site camera that is the obstacle detection sensor 62, or may be an object that can be the captured image and the obstacle B stored in the storage unit 90 in advance (for example, luggage or The obstacle B can be detected by comparing with a reference image showing a person, an animal, etc.).

  Then, when the obstacle B is detected based on the output of the obstacle detection sensor 62, the obstacle determination unit 84a determines whether the obstacle B is on the target route R of the vehicle C. As described above, the target route R of the vehicle C is information included in the “first instruction” output from the instruction output unit 83 to the vehicle C.

  In addition, when the obstacle determination unit 84a acquires a signal indicating that the obstacle B is detected on the vehicle C side by the acquisition unit 81, the target of the vehicle C for the obstacle B detected on the vehicle C side It is determined whether or not it is on the route R.

  That is, since the obstacle B can be detected by the output of any one of the equipment on the vehicle C side and the equipment on the parking lot P side, the obstacle judging unit 84a detects the obstacle B detected by each equipment. It is determined whether it is on the C target route R or not.

  The obstacle B is not limited to the above-described falling objects and the like. That is, for example, the obstacle determination unit 84a regards the vehicle C stopped by the stop instruction from the instruction output unit 83 or the stop instruction according to the operation of the operation unit 63 by the administrator as an obstacle It may be determined whether the considered vehicle C is on the target route R of another vehicle different from the vehicle C. The vehicle C regarded as an obstacle described above may include a vehicle C in which the obstacle B is detected on the vehicle side (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a “detected vehicle”).

  When the obstacle B is detected, the type determination unit 84b determines whether the type of the obstacle B is a stationary object or a moving object. For example, in the type determination unit 84b, the reference image used by the obstacle detection unit 34 or the obstacle determination unit 84a is a reference image of a stationary object such as a luggage or a reference image of a moving object such as a person or an animal. Depending on whether or not the type of obstacle B is a stationary object or a moving object, it can be determined, but is not limited thereto.

  When the obstacle B is on the target route R of the vehicle C, the bypass road determination unit 84 c determines whether there is a bypass road around the obstacle B and capable of traveling to the target position of the vehicle C. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the determination process in the bypass route determination unit 84c.

  As shown in FIG. 8, it is assumed that the vehicle C21 travels on the target route R21 with the target parking frame A21 at the target position. At this time, for example, when the obstacle determination unit 84a determines that the obstacle B is present on the target route R21, the detour determination unit 84c previously stores information indicating the current position of the vehicle C21 and the storage unit 90. Based on the stored map information of the parking lot P, it is determined whether there is a detour.

  In the example shown in FIG. 8, since there is a detour r21x capable of detouring the obstacle B to the target parking frame A21 which is the target position of the vehicle C21, the detour determination unit 84c determines that there is a detour. .

  Returning to the explanation of FIG. 5, the obstacle judging unit 84 a, the type judging unit 84 b and the detour judging unit 84 c output the judgment result to the instruction output unit 83.

  When it is determined that the obstacle B is present on the target route R in the determination result of the obstacle determination unit 84a, the instruction output unit 83 selects a part of the plurality of vehicles C as a selected vehicle and selects it. The "second instruction" described above can be output to the vehicle.

  For example, based on the determination result of the determination unit 84, the vehicle state information 91, and the second instruction information 93 stored in advance in the storage unit 90, the instruction output unit 83 selects a part of the plurality of vehicles C. The second instruction can be output as a selected vehicle.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the second instruction information 93. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, in the second instruction information 93, information of “second instruction ID”, “detecting device”, “type”, “vehicle state”, “detour” and “instruction content” is included. These pieces of information are associated with each other.

  The “second instruction ID” is identification information assigned to each content of the second instruction. The “detecting device” is information indicating the device that has detected the obstacle B, and specifically, for example, information indicating whether the device is on the vehicle C side or the device on the parking lot P side.

  The “type” is information indicating the type of the obstacle B, and specifically, for example, information indicating whether the obstacle B is a moving object or a stationary object. “Vehicle state” is information corresponding to the state of the vehicle C in the vehicle state information 91. The "detour" is information indicating the presence or absence of a detour.

  The “instruction content” is information indicating the vehicle that the instruction output unit 83 selects as the selected vehicle, and the content of the operation instruction output to the selected vehicle.

  Therefore, the instruction output unit 83 associates the information of the determination result of the determination unit 84 with the “detection device”, the “type” and the “detour” of the second instruction information 93, and the vehicle state information 91 with the “vehicle state”. Thus, the selected vehicle can be easily selected from the plurality of vehicles C, and the second instruction of the appropriate operation content can be output to the selected vehicle.

  For example, in the example of FIG. 9, the second instruction ID “G01” of the second instruction information 93 is “vehicle side” as the detection device, “moving object” as the type, and “vehicles within a predetermined range from the detection vehicle”. It shows that it is "stop". That is, since the obstacle B may move when the type of the obstacle B is a moving object, the instruction output unit 83 is within a predetermined range from the detection vehicle (that is, the vehicle that detected the obstacle B). Is selected as the selected vehicle, and an instruction for stopping operation is output as the second instruction to the selected vehicle. The selected vehicle selected based on the second instruction information 93 may include a detected vehicle.

  Thereby, the contact between the vehicle C near the obstacle B and the obstacle B can be prevented, and the vehicle C outside the predetermined range is kept in the parking lot P because the parking control in the first instruction is continued. The influence of the obstacle B on the vehicle C can be suppressed.

  Further, in the example of FIG. 9, the second instruction ID “G02” of the second instruction information 93 is “vehicle side” as the detection device, “stationary type” as the type, “in warehousing” as the vehicle state, and “instruction content is“ It indicates that the vehicle is stopped when the detected vehicle is on the target route and within a predetermined range from the detected vehicle.

  That is, when the type of the obstacle B is a stationary object, the instruction output unit 83 selects the selected vehicle when the detected vehicle is on the target route and within the predetermined range from the detected vehicle for the vehicle C being stored. And outputs an instruction for stopping operation as a second instruction to the selected vehicle.

  As a result, parking control according to the first instruction is continued for the non-selected vehicle C while preventing contact between the selected vehicle and the obstacle B, so the influence of the obstacle B on the vehicle C in the parking lot P is suppressed can do.

  Further, in the example of FIG. 9, the second instruction ID “G03” of the second instruction information 93 indicates that the detection device is “vehicle side”, the type is “stationary object”, the vehicle state is “traveling in the hall”, and the detour is “Available” indicates that the instruction content is “bypass when the detected vehicle is on the target route and within a predetermined range from the detected vehicle”.

  That is, when the type of the obstacle B is a stationary object and there is a detour, the instruction output unit 83 detects the detection vehicle on the target route and within a predetermined range from the detection vehicle for the vehicle C traveling in the hall. When the vehicle is selected, it is selected as the selected vehicle, and an instruction of the detour traveling operation for causing the detour to travel is output to the selected vehicle as a second instruction.

  As a result, the selected vehicle can travel along the detour to reach the target position while preventing contact with the obstacle B, and the influence of the obstacle B on the vehicle C in the parking lot P is effectively Can be suppressed.

  If there is no detour, as indicated by the second instruction ID "G04", the vehicle C traveling in the hall can be stopped when the detected vehicle is on the target route and within a predetermined range from the detected vehicle It shall be.

  Further, in the example of FIG. 9, the second instruction ID “G05” of the second instruction information 93 indicates that the detection device is “vehicle side”, the type is “stationary object”, the vehicle state is “parking action”, and the instruction content is It indicates that "do not stop".

  That is, since the vehicle C in the parking action has already reached the target parking frame A which is the target position, it is difficult to receive the influence of the obstacle B, so the vehicle C is not stopped. Thereby, the vehicle C in the parking behavior will continue the parking behavior, and as a result, the influence of the obstacle B on the vehicle C in the parking lot P can be effectively suppressed.

  In addition, as indicated by the second instruction IDs "G06" and "G07", when the vehicle state is "in frame leaving" or "outing", the detection vehicle is on the target route and from the detection vehicle for vehicle C. It shall be made to stop when within a predetermined range.

  In addition, with regard to the second instruction IDs "G11" to "G17", the detection device changes from "vehicle side" to "parking lot side" and the instruction content changes from "detection vehicle" to "obstacle" in the same manner. The detailed description is omitted because it is the content of.

  However, the instruction output unit 83 makes the contents of the operation instruction included in the second instruction to be output to the selected vehicle different depending on whether the detection device is “vehicle side” or “parking side”. Can. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining that the content of the operation instruction of the second instruction output from the instruction output unit 83 is different.

  As shown in FIG. 10, for example, there may be a case where the obstacle B is in front of the target parking frame A31 which is the target position. In such a case, although illustration is omitted, it may not be detected until the vehicle C31 approaches the obstacle B when the detection device is on the "vehicle side".

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10, before the vehicle C31 approaches the obstacle B when the detection device is on the "parking lot side", specifically, when the obstacle detection sensor 62 is an on-site camera Thus, the obstacle B can be detected, so that the detour determination unit 84 c can determine the presence or absence of the detour before approaching the obstacle B.

  Thereby, for example, the instruction output unit 83 instructs the vehicle C31 traveling on the target route R31 and traveling outside the predetermined range from the obstacle B to the detour route traveling instruction for causing the detour R31x to travel It becomes possible to output as an instruction. Therefore, even if there is an obstacle B at a relatively distant position on the target route R31, the vehicle C31 can travel to the target parking frame A31 through the detour R31x.

  In this manner, if the instruction output unit 83 determines that the content of the operation instruction included in the second instruction to be output to the selected vehicle differs depending on whether the detection device is on the “vehicle side” or on the “parking side”. By doing this, the influence of the obstacle B on the vehicle C in the parking lot P can be effectively suppressed.

  The instruction content of the second instruction information 93 described above is merely an example and is not limited. That is, for example, the instruction output unit 83 selects the vehicle C having the detected vehicle or the like on the target route R as the selected vehicle regardless of the distance from the detected vehicle or the obstacle B, and stops the selected vehicle. A second instruction such as an instruction of may be output. In addition, for example, when the type of the obstacle B is a moving object or there is no detour, the instruction output unit 83 selects all of the vehicles C in the parking lot P as a selected vehicle, and selects the selected vehicle Alternatively, an instruction to stop operation may be output.

<6. Control Process of Parking Control Device According to Embodiment>
Next, a specific processing procedure in the parking control device 70 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the parking control process performed by the parking control device 70.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the control unit 80 of the parking control device 70 determines whether an obstacle B is present on the target route R of the vehicle C (step S10). When it is determined that there is no obstacle B on the target route R of the vehicle C (step S10, No), the control unit 80 performs a first instruction including a travel instruction to travel to the target position through the target route R, It outputs to the vehicle C (step S11).

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the obstacle B is present on the target route R of the vehicle C (step S10, Yes), the control unit 80 executes the determination process regarding the obstacle B (step S12). In this determination processing, for example, it is determined whether the type of the obstacle B is a moving object or a stationary object, the detection device is a device on the vehicle side or a device on the parking lot side, or the presence or absence of a detour.

  Next, the control unit 80 selects a selected vehicle from the plurality of vehicles C based on the determination result (step S13). Then, the control unit 80 outputs a second instruction including an instruction of an operation different from the traveling instruction of the first instruction to the selected vehicle selected (step S14).

  As described above, the parking control device 70 according to the embodiment includes the instruction output unit 83 and the obstacle determination unit 84a. The instruction output unit 83 is configured such that a plurality of vehicles C capable of automatic driving can execute a first instruction including a travel instruction to travel to the target position through the target route R, which is a route to the target position in the parking lot P. Output to each The obstacle determination unit 84a determines whether an obstacle B is present on the target route R of the vehicle C. In addition, when the obstacle determination unit 84a determines that the obstacle B is present on the target route R, the instruction output unit 83 selects a part of the plurality of vehicles C as the selected vehicle, and selects the selected vehicle for the selected vehicle. And outputs a second instruction including an instruction of an operation different from the traveling instruction. Thereby, when the obstacle B exists in the parking lot P, the influence of the obstacle B on the vehicle C in the parking lot P can be suppressed.

  In addition, the above-mentioned obstacle B may be removed by the manager of parking lot P, for example. In such a case, the parking control device 70 stops the determination of the obstacle so that the manager who has entered the parking lot P for removal is not determined as the obstacle B, and the obstacle is removed after a predetermined time required for removal. The determination of B may be resumed, for example.

  Further effects and modifications can be easily derived by those skilled in the art. Thus, the broader aspects of the invention are not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments represented and described above. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 parking control system 10 in-vehicle device 20 vehicle control device 33 vehicle control unit 60 parking management device 70 parking control device 82 vehicle state detection unit 83 instruction output unit 84 a obstacle determination unit 84 b type determination unit 84 c detour determination unit

Claims (8)

An instruction output that outputs a first instruction including a travel instruction to travel to the target position through a target route that is a route to a target position in a parking lot to a plurality of vehicles capable of automatic driving. Department,
An obstacle determination unit that determines whether an obstacle is present on the target route of the vehicle;
The instruction output unit is
When it is determined by the obstacle determination unit that there is an obstacle on the target route, a part of the plurality of vehicles is selected as a selected vehicle, and an operation different from the travel instruction to the selected vehicle And a second control instruction including a second instruction. The instruction output unit is
The parking control device according to claim 1, wherein a stop instruction to stop the selected vehicle is output as the second instruction to the selected vehicle. And a type determination unit that determines whether the type of obstacle is a stationary object or a moving object.
The instruction output unit is
The parking control apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the selected vehicle is selected based on the determination result of the type determination unit, and the second instruction is output to the selected vehicle. A vehicle state detection unit for detecting the state of the vehicle in the parking lot;
The instruction output unit is
The selected vehicle is selected based on the state of the vehicle detected by the vehicle state detection unit, and the second instruction is output to the selected vehicle. Control unit described in the above. The selected vehicle further includes a detour determination unit that determines whether there is a detour capable of traveling to the target position of the selected vehicle by detouring the obstacle.
The instruction output unit is
When it is determined by the detour determination unit that there is the detour, a detour traveling instruction for causing the detour to travel is output to the selected vehicle as the second instruction. The parking control device according to any one of 4. The obstacle judging unit
Based on at least one of notification from a vehicle-side device mounted on the vehicle and capable of detecting the obstacle, and notification from a parking lot-side device installed in the parking lot and capable of detecting the obstacle Determining whether the obstacle is present on the target route,
The instruction output unit is
The second instruction output to the selected vehicle is included in the case where the determination in the obstacle determination unit is based on the notification from the vehicle-side device and the case based on the notification from the parking lot-side device The content of an operation instruction | indication is varied. The parking control apparatus as described in any one of the Claims 1-5 characterized by the above-mentioned. A vehicle control device mounted on the vehicle,
A vehicle control unit configured to control the operation of the vehicle based on the first instruction or the second instruction output from the parking control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. Vehicle control device. An instruction output that outputs a first instruction including a travel instruction to travel to the target position through a target route that is a route to a target position in a parking lot to a plurality of vehicles capable of automatic driving. Process,
An obstacle determining step of determining whether an obstacle is present on the target route of the vehicle;
The instruction output process is
When it is determined in the obstacle determining step that there is an obstacle on the target route, a part of the plurality of vehicles is selected as a selected vehicle, and an operation different from the traveling instruction to the selected vehicle Outputting a second instruction including an instruction of the parking control method.

Images