JP2021098417A - Vehicle control device, control method, portable machine and vehicle control system - Google Patents

Abstract

To acquire a speech of a user with a high degree of sensitivity.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device comprises: a direction calculation section (22) which calculates a direction of a location of a portable machine (2) with respect to the vehicle control device on the basis of at least either a radiation angle of a radio wave transmitted to the portable machine or an arrival angle of the radio wave received from the portable machine; and a direction setting section (23) which controls a movable control section (10) so as to cause a movable section (12) to direct a sound collection range of a sound collection section (12a) in the direction calculated with the direction calculation section.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

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

Conventionally, a technique for controlling the opening and closing of a vehicle key or a door by voice is known.

Patent Document 1 discloses a device including a directional microphone having directivity above the horizontal direction including an attachment position of a sound collecting unit that collects sound outside the vehicle.

The device controls the opening / closing operation of the vehicle key or the door based on the recognition result obtained by voice recognition of the voice signal detected by the directional microphone.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-166457

However, in the above device, the sound collection range for acquiring the user's uttered voice is fixed. Therefore, if the user is out of the sound collection range, the sound collection accuracy at the time of utterance is lowered. Therefore, there is a risk that the spoken voice cannot be acquired with high sensitivity.

One aspect of the present invention is to obtain a user's uttered voice with high sensitivity.

In order to solve the above problems, the vehicle control device according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a movable unit including a sound collecting unit that collects the voice spoken by the user, and a movable control unit that controls the operation of the movable unit. A vehicle control device that controls a vehicle by communicating with a portable device carried by the user of the vehicle, which is transmitted from the vehicle control device to the portable device. A direction calculation unit that calculates the direction of the position where the portable device exists with respect to the vehicle control device based on at least one of the radiation angle of the radio wave and the arrival angle of the radio wave received by the vehicle control device from the portable device. The movable control unit is provided with a direction setting unit that controls the movable unit so that the movable unit directs the sound collecting range of the sound collecting unit to the direction calculated by the direction calculating unit.

According to the above configuration, the direction of the position where the portable device exists with respect to the vehicle control device can be calculated based on at least one of the radiation angle and the arrival angle of the communication radio wave between the vehicle control device and the portable device. it can. In addition, the sound collection range can be directed to the position where the portable device exists with respect to the vehicle control device. Therefore, since the sound collection range is directed toward the position where the user who owns the portable device exists, the user's uttered voice can be acquired with high sensitivity.

In the vehicle control device according to the second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the direction calculation unit is used from the start of communication between the vehicle and the portable device until a predetermined stop condition is satisfied. The configuration may be such that the calculation of the direction of the position where the portable device exists with respect to the vehicle control device is continued.

According to the above configuration, the direction calculation unit calculates the direction of the position where the portable device exists with respect to the vehicle control device from the start of communication between the vehicle and the portable device until the predetermined stop condition is satisfied. Can be continued. Therefore, the accuracy of direction calculation by the direction calculation unit is improved.

In the vehicle control device according to the third aspect of the present invention, in any one of the above aspects 1 or 2, the direction setting unit sets a predetermined stop condition after the vehicle and the portable device start communication. The sound collecting range of the sound collecting unit may be continuously set until the above is satisfied.

According to the above configuration, the direction setting unit can continue to set the sound collection range of the sound collection unit from the start of communication between the vehicle and the portable device until the predetermined stop condition is satisfied. it can. Therefore, from the start of communication between the vehicle and the portable device until the predetermined stop condition is satisfied, it is possible to control the sound collection range of the sound collection unit to be directed to the direction calculated by the direction calculation unit. it can.

In any one of the above aspects 1 to 3, the vehicle control device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention includes a vehicle control unit that controls a mechanism mounted on the vehicle, and the vehicle control device includes a vehicle control unit that controls a mechanism mounted on the vehicle. The vehicle control unit may be provided with a voice processing unit that acquires the utterance voice of the user collected by the sound collecting unit as an electric signal and causes the vehicle control unit to perform predetermined control corresponding to the electric signal.

According to the above configuration, the vehicle control unit can control the mechanism mounted on the vehicle. Further, the voice processing unit provided in the vehicle control device may acquire the user's uttered voice collected by the sound collecting unit as an electric signal and cause the vehicle control unit to execute predetermined control corresponding to the electric signal. it can. Therefore, it is possible to control the vehicle corresponding to the voice spoken by the user.

In the vehicle control device according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, in the above aspect 4, the voice processing unit performs a predetermined analysis process on the electric signal to perform a voice command corresponding to the voice spoken by the user. Is specified, and the vehicle control unit may execute the control corresponding to the specified voice command.

According to the above configuration, the voice processing unit identifies a voice command corresponding to the voice spoken by the user by performing a predetermined analysis process on the electric signal, and controls the voice command corresponding to the specified voice command. It can be executed by the vehicle control unit.

The vehicle control device according to the sixth aspect of the present invention may be configured such that, in any one of the above aspects 4 or 5, the vehicle control unit controls the locking and unlocking of the vehicle door.

In any one of the above aspects 4 or 5, the vehicle control device according to the seventh aspect of the present invention may be configured such that the vehicle control unit controls the opening and closing of the door arranged in the vehicle.

The control method of the vehicle control device according to the eighth aspect of the present invention includes a movable unit including a sound collecting unit that collects a user's voice, a vehicle including a movable control unit that controls the operation of the movable unit, and the vehicle. It is a control method of a vehicle control device that performs predetermined control on the vehicle by communicating with a portable device carried by the user of the vehicle, and emits radio waves transmitted from the vehicle control device to the portable device. A direction calculation step for calculating the direction of the position where the portable device exists with respect to the vehicle control device based on at least one of the angle and the arrival angle of the radio wave received from the portable device by the vehicle control device, and the above-mentioned This method includes a direction setting step of controlling the movable control unit so that the movable unit directs the sound collecting range of the sound collecting unit to the direction calculated by the direction calculation step. According to the above configuration, the same effect as that of the vehicle control device is obtained.

The portable device according to the ninth aspect of the present invention communicates with a vehicle including a movable unit including a sound collecting unit that collects a user's spoken sound and a movable control unit that controls the operation of the movable unit. A portable device carried by a user of the vehicle, wherein the portable device receives radio waves received by the portable device from a vehicle control device that performs predetermined control on the vehicle by communicating with the vehicle. A direction calculation unit that calculates the direction of the position where the portable device exists with respect to the vehicle control device based on at least one of the angle and the radiation angle of the radio wave transmitted from the portable device to the vehicle control device. The movable control unit is provided with a direction setting unit that controls the movable unit so that the sound collecting range of the sound collecting unit is directed to the direction calculated by the direction calculating unit. According to the above configuration, the same effect as that of the vehicle control device is obtained.

The vehicle control system according to the tenth aspect of the present invention includes the vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 in the above aspect 9, and the vehicle control system. It may be configured to include the portable device according to 9. According to the above configuration, the same effect as that of the vehicle control device is obtained.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the user's spoken voice can be acquired with high sensitivity.

It is a block diagram which shows an example of the main part structure of the vehicle control system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and various devices included in a vehicle control system. It is a figure explaining the vehicle control system which concerns on the prior art. It is a figure which shows the application example of the vehicle control system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a partially enlarged view which shows the operation of the movable part which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the control example of the vehicle control device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows typically the calculation method of the radiation angle or the arrival angle of a radio wave. It is a flowchart which showed the processing operation in the vehicle control apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(1) Outline of Vehicle Control System and Vehicle Control Device The outline of the vehicle control system 50 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a main part configuration of a vehicle control system 50 and various devices included in the vehicle control system 50 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the vehicle control system 50, the vehicle control device 20 mounted on the vehicle 1 and the portable device 2 possessed by the user H of the vehicle 1 wirelessly communicate with each other to lock or unlock the key of the vehicle 1 or the door of the vehicle 1. It is a system that controls the opening and closing of the door.

For wireless communication between the vehicle control device 20 and the portable device 2, communication standards such as LF (Low Frequency), UHF (Ultra High Frequency), BlueThhoth (registered trademark), and BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) are used. The types of communication standards and frequency bands are not limited to these.

[vehicle]
The vehicle 1 includes a movable control unit 10, a motor 11, a movable unit 12, a vehicle control unit 13, and a vehicle control device 20. The vehicle 1 is, for example, an automobile such as a passenger car, a truck, or a bus, and may be driven by an engine or an electric motor.

The movable control unit 10 outputs a drive signal for driving the motor 11. The movable control unit 10 drives the motor 11 and controls the movable unit 12 in response to an instruction signal transmitted from the direction setting unit 23, which will be described later.

The motor 11 is driven in response to an instruction signal output from the movable control unit 10 to the motor 11.

The movable portion 12 moves according to the drive of the motor 11. In FIG. 3, the movable portion 12 cites a door mirror 12b attached to the vicinity of the side door of the vehicle 1 as an example.

The movable portion 12 may be any movable mechanism provided in the vehicle 1, such as a power slide door (PSD) and a power tailgate (PTG), and is not limited to the door mirror 12b. Hereinafter, in the present embodiment, an example of the movable portion 12 will be described as a door mirror 12b.

The door mirror 12b rotates in a range between a usage position where the mirror surface of the mirror is substantially perpendicular to the side surface of the vehicle 1 and a storage position where the mirror surface of the mirror is substantially parallel to the side surface of the automobile. It is a commonly used door mirror 12b.

The sound collecting unit 12a is provided on the door mirror 12b. Hereinafter, in the present embodiment, an example of the sound collecting unit 12a will be described as a microphone 12c. The microphone 12c is a directional microphone. The microphone 12c collects the voice spoken by the user H, converts it into an electric signal, and outputs it to the vehicle control device 20.

The vehicle control unit 13 includes a door lock control unit 13a, a PSD control unit 13b, and a PTG control unit 13C. The vehicle control unit 13 controls the door and tailgate provided in the vehicle 1. The mechanism to be controlled by the vehicle control unit 13 is merely an example, and may include other mechanisms included in the vehicle, such as a power window.

The vehicle control unit 13 is connected to the voice processing unit 24, which will be described later, and controls the vehicle 1 in response to an instruction signal output from the voice processing unit 24.

The door lock control unit 13a controls the locking or unlocking of the door key of the vehicle 1. The PSD control unit 13b controls the opening and closing of the power slide door provided in the vehicle 1. The PTG control unit 13c controls the opening and closing of the power tailgate provided in the vehicle 1.

[Vehicle control device]
The vehicle control device 20 is a computer mounted on the vehicle 1 and capable of controlling the operation of the mechanism included in the vehicle 1. The vehicle control device 20 includes a transmission / reception unit 21, a direction calculation unit 22, a direction setting unit 23, and a voice processing unit 24.

The transmission / reception unit 21 transmits / receives radio waves via the antenna 21a. The transmission / reception unit 21 transmits the search radio wave to the portable device 2 via the antenna 21a, and receives the response radio wave from the portable device 2.

The direction calculation unit 22 calculates the radiation angle of the radio wave transmitted from the vehicle control device 20 or the arrival angle of the radio wave received from the portable device 2. As for the method of calculating the radiation angle or the arrival angle, an existing method may be used.

The direction calculation unit 22 calculates the direction of the position where the portable device 2 exists with respect to the vehicle 1 based on the calculated radiation angle or arrival angle.

The direction setting unit 23 outputs an instruction signal to the movable control unit 10 according to the calculation result calculated by the direction calculation unit 22.

The voice processing unit 24 performs analysis processing on the electric signal of the utterance voice of the user H collected by the microphone 12c by using a known voice recognition technique.

The voice processing unit 24 identifies a voice command corresponding to the analyzed electric signal. Specifically, the voice processing unit 24 identifies the registered voice command after the analysis process, and causes the vehicle control unit 13 to execute a predetermined control corresponding to the specified voice command.

The predetermined control is, for example, locking or unlocking a door key, opening / closing a PSD, opening / closing a PTG, and the like.

The voice command is, for example, a phrase such as "door lock" or "door unlock" in the case of a voice command corresponding to door lock or unlock.

The voice command is registered in a memory (not shown) provided in the vehicle control device. The memory is a non-volatile memory such as a ROM.

[Portable device]
The portable device 2 is a smart key or the like carried by the user H. The portable device 2 includes a transmission / reception unit 2a and an antenna 2b. The portable device 2 may be a smartphone, a wearable device, or the like provided with an antenna 2b and capable of transmitting a response radio wave.

The transmission / reception unit 2a transmits / receives radio waves via the antenna 2b. The transmission / reception unit 2a receives the search radio wave transmitted from the vehicle control device 20 via the antenna 2b, and transmits the response radio wave from the portable device 2.

The antenna 2b may be a single antenna 2b or an array antenna composed of a plurality of antenna elements. The portable device 2 transmits a response radio wave via the antenna 2b.

The response radio wave may include information necessary for the authentication process by the vehicle control device 20, such as identification information for identifying the portable device 2. The authentication process is, for example, transmitting a response request signal to the portable device 2 by the vehicle control device 20. When the portable device 2 receives the response request signal, the portable device 2 returns the response signal to the vehicle control device 20. Then, when the vehicle control device 20 receives the response signal from the portable device 2, the identification information of the portable device 2 stored in advance in the vehicle control device 20 based on the identification information of the portable device 2 included in the response signal. Authenticate using.

(2) Application Example First, the vehicle control system 100a according to the prior art will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a vehicle control system 100a according to the prior art.

The vehicle 1a is a vehicle control system 100a that can lock or unlock the key of the vehicle 1a and open / close the door by using the voice of the user H. The range of T shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 2 indicates the sound collection range (hereinafter, referred to as sound collection range T) that enables the acquisition of the spoken voice of the user H.

A microphone is used to acquire the utterance voice of user H. The microphone is attached to the vehicle, for example, inside the window frame of the door.

As shown in FIG. 2, since the sound collecting range T for acquiring the uttered voice of the user H is fixed, when the user H is out of the range of the sound collecting range T, the uttered voice of the user H is made highly sensitive. It may not be possible to obtain it.

Therefore, in the vehicle control system 100a, in order to acquire the spoken voice of the user H with high sensitivity, it is necessary for the user H to move inside the sound collecting range T and speak.

Even when the user H is located outside the sound collection range T, when the user H speaks loudly, the microphone can collect the voice of the user H. However, even in that case, there is a possibility that the uttered voice of the user H cannot be acquired with high sensitivity as in the case where the user H is out of the range of the sound collection range T.

Next, an application example of the vehicle control system 50 in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an application example of the vehicle control system 50 according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view showing the operation of the movable portion 12 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The range of d shown by the broken line in FIG. 3 indicates the sound collecting range (hereinafter, referred to as sound collecting range d) that enables the microphone 12c to acquire the spoken voice of the user H. The upper side of FIG. 3 is a diagram assuming a scene in which the user H of the vehicle 1 approaches the vehicle 1 from the front of the vehicle 1.

When the user H approaches the vehicle 1 from the front of the vehicle 1 and the vehicle control device 20 and the portable device 2 communicate with each other and the vehicle control device 20 succeeds in certifying the portable device 2, the door mirror 12b causes the portable device 2 to move. Rotates in the direction in which the user H exists, that is, in the direction in which the user H exists.

At the position of the user H shown on the upper side of FIG. 3, the door mirror 12b rotates to the position where the door mirror 12b is used, and the sound collecting range d of the microphone 12c can be directed in the direction in which the user H exists.

Further, the lower side of FIG. 3 is a diagram assuming a scene in which the user H approaches the vehicle 1 from the rear of the vehicle 1.

When the user H approaches the vehicle 1 from the rear of the vehicle 1 and the vehicle control device 20 and the portable device 2 communicate with each other and the vehicle control device 20 succeeds in authenticating the portable device 2, the user H can use the door mirror 12b. It rotates in the direction in which it exists.

At the position of the user H shown at the lower side of FIG. 3, the door mirror 12b rotates to the retracted position of the door mirror 12b, and the sound collecting range d of the microphone 12c can be directed in the direction in which the user H exists.

Here, the rotation of the door mirror 12b will be described more specifically with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view showing the operation of the movable portion 12 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The range d shown by the broken line in FIG. 4 indicates the sound collection range d that enables the microphone 12c to acquire the spoken voice of the user H.

As shown in FIG. 4, the door mirror 12b has a built-in microphone 12c. In FIG. 4, the position where the microphone 12c is built-in is schematically shown as a substantially rectangular broken line portion, but the position where the microphone 12c is built-in is not limited to this.

Further, in the present embodiment, an example of the sound collecting unit 12a is described as a microphone 12c, but an element other than the microphone 12c may be used. For example, a piezo element can be used instead of the microphone 12c.

The sound collection range d shown by the broken line in FIG. 4 indicates a region in which the microphone 12c can acquire the spoken voice of the user H. The door mirror 12b rotates in a range from the retracted state to the used state.

Here, normally, the rotation of the door mirror 12b stops the rotation of the door mirror 12b when the door mirror 12b is in the retracted state, or stops the rotation of the door mirror 12b when the door mirror 12b is in the used state. Is it? That is, it is not assumed for normal use that the door mirror 12b stops in the middle of rotating from the retracted state to the used state.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, the door mirror 12b in the present embodiment may stop rotating even during the rotation from the retracted state to the used state.

By adjusting the rotation range of the door mirror 12b in this way, when the user H approaches the vehicle 1 from the front of the vehicle 1, or when the user H approaches the vehicle 1 from the rear of the vehicle 1. Even if there is, the sound collecting range d of the microphone 12c can be directed in the direction in which the user H exists.

That is, according to the vehicle control system 50, the door mirror 12b is used even when the user H approaches the vehicle 1 from the front of the vehicle 1 or the user H approaches the vehicle 1 from the rear of the vehicle 1. It rotates in the direction in which the user H exists.

Further, the sound collecting range d of the microphone 12c provided on the door mirror 12b can also be directed in the direction in which the user H exists. Therefore, the utterance voice of the user H can be acquired with high sensitivity.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a control example of the vehicle control device 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the user H approaches the vehicle 1 from the side directly in front of the vehicle 1, and the vehicle control device 20 and the portable device 2 communicate with each other, so that the vehicle control device 20 succeeds in authenticating the portable device 2. Then, the door mirror 12b rotates in the direction in which the user H exists.

In the example shown in FIG. 5, the voice command corresponding to the control of "open the sliding door" is described as the phrase "open the sliding door".

It is assumed that the user H utters "Open the sliding door" to the door mirror 12b. In this case, the voice processing unit 24 analyzes the electric signal of the user H's uttered voice "open the sliding door" collected by the microphone 12c.

After the analysis process, the voice processing unit 24 identifies a voice command "open the sliding door" from the registered voice commands, and causes the vehicle control unit 13 to execute the specified control.

Then, as shown on the right side of FIG. 5, the sliding door of the vehicle 1 opens. As a result, for example, even if both hands of the user H are occupied by luggage, the sliding door of the vehicle 1 can be opened only by saying "open the sliding door".

FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing a method of calculating the radiation angle X2 or the arrival angle X1 of the radio wave by the direction calculation unit 22.

A general directional tracking technique may be used to calculate the radiation angle X2 or the arrival angle X1 of the radio wave. The general directional tracking technology is, for example, an AoA (Angle of Arrival) method, an AoD (Angle of Departure) method, or the like.

The upper side of FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing the case of calculating the arrival angle X1 of the radio wave. As shown in FIG. 6, when the direction calculation unit 22 calculates the arrival angle X1 of the radio wave, the antenna 21a of the transmission / reception unit 21 of the vehicle control device 20 is an array antenna composed of a plurality of antenna elements.

In FIG. 6, a total of six antennas 21a are provided on the left side and the right side of the vehicle 1, respectively. The number of antennas 21a is only an example. By arranging a plurality of antennas 21a, the distance between each antenna 21a and the portable device 2 is different. Therefore, the phases of the radio waves received from the portable device 2 are also different.

The antenna 21a acquires I / Q signal data from the received radio wave signal while switching the active antenna element among the plurality of antenna elements.

Then, the transmission / reception unit 21 calculates the arrival angle X1 of the response radio wave based on the I / Q signal data.

On the other hand, the lower side of FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing the case of calculating the radiation angle X2 of the radio wave. As shown in FIG. 6, when the direction calculation unit 22 calculates the radiation angle X2 of the radio wave, the antenna 2b of the portable device 2 is an antenna array composed of a plurality of antenna elements.

The portable device 2 transmits a response radio wave while switching the active antenna element among the plurality of antenna elements.

When the transmission / reception unit 21 receives the response radio wave via the antenna 21a, the transmission / reception unit 21 acquires I / Q signal data from the received radio wave signal.

The response radio wave contains information about the arrangement of the antenna array of the antenna 2b. Then, the transmission / reception unit 21 calculates the radiation angle X2 of the radio wave from the antenna 2b, which is the source of the response radio wave, using the information.

As described above, the direction calculation unit 22 calculates the relative direction of the portable device 2 based on the phase difference of the radio waves. Therefore, the direction of the position where the portable device 2 exists with respect to the vehicle control device 20 is calculated based on at least one of the radiation angle X2 of the communication radio wave between the vehicle control device 20 and the portable device 2 and the arrival angle X1. Can be done.

Further, the sound collecting range d can be set in the direction of the position where the portable device 2 exists with respect to the vehicle control device 20. Therefore, since the sound collection range d is set in the direction of the position where the user H who owns the portable device 2 exists, the spoken voice of the user H can be acquired with high sensitivity.

(3) Processing operation The processing operation of the vehicle control device 20 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing operation in the vehicle control device 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The vehicle control device 20 determines whether or not the condition for starting the control of the door mirror 12b is satisfied (S100).

Here, the conditions for starting the control of the door mirror 12b are, for example, the following (a) to (c). The following (a) to (c) are merely examples, and are not limited thereto.

(A) The vehicle control device 20 and the portable device 2 are successfully paired by BLE communication.

(B) The vehicle control device 20 and the portable device 2 succeed in wireless communication.

Specifically, wireless communication from the vehicle control device 20 to the portable device 2 is usually performed using radio waves in the LF band. Further, wireless communication from the portable device 2 to the vehicle control device 20 is usually performed using radio waves in the UHF band.

The LF signal including the response request signal is transmitted from the vehicle control device 20, and when the portable device 2 receives the LF signal including the response request signal, the UHF signal including the response signal is transmitted to the vehicle control device 20.

The response signal includes identification information for identifying the portable device 2, and when the vehicle control device 20 receives the response signal, it is included in the identification information and the response signal of the portable device 2 stored in the vehicle control device 20. Compare with the identification information provided.

The authentication process is performed by comparing the identification information of the portable device 2 stored in the vehicle control device 20 with the identification information included in the response signal. If the authentication is successful, the vehicle control device 20 and the portable device 2 have succeeded in wireless communication.

(C) The ignition switch of the vehicle 1 is turned off, or when the vehicle 1 is an electric vehicle, the power switch is turned off.

When the condition for starting the control of the door mirror 12b is satisfied (YES in S100), the direction calculation unit 22 determines the vehicle control device 20 based on the radiation angle X2 of the radio wave transmitted from the vehicle control device 20 to the portable device 2. The direction of the position where the portable device 2 exists with respect to is calculated.

Further, the direction calculation unit 22 calculates the direction of the position where the portable device 2 exists with respect to the vehicle control device 20 based on the arrival angle X1 of the radio wave received from the portable device 2 by the vehicle control device 20.

The direction calculation unit 22 sends the calculation result as a calculation result signal to the direction setting unit 23. When the direction setting unit 23 receives the calculation result signal, it sends an instruction signal to the movable control unit 10 so as to move the door mirror 12b in the direction based on the calculation result signal.

Upon receiving the instruction signal, the movable control unit 10 controls the motor 11 to move the door mirror 12b (S101).

On the other hand, when the condition for starting the control of the door mirror 12b is not satisfied (NO in S100), the vehicle control device 20 again determines whether or not the condition for starting the control of the door mirror 12b is satisfied (S100). ).

After moving the door mirror 12b by the movable control unit 10, the direction setting unit 23 determines whether the angle of the sound collecting range set earlier is correct (S102), and determines that the direction of the sound collecting range is correct. (YES in S102), the direction of the sound collection range is not adjusted.

On the other hand, when the direction setting unit 23 determines that the direction of the previously set sound collection range is incorrect (NO in S102), the direction setting unit 23 adjusts the direction of the sound collection range so that the direction is correct. (S104).

To determine whether or not the direction setting of the sound collection range by the direction setting unit 23 is correct, the previous calculation result signal calculated by the direction calculation unit 22 and the latest calculation result signal calculated by the direction calculation are compared. To do.

Calculation result If there is a discrepancy between the previous direction and the nearest direction as a result of signal comparison, it is judged that the direction setting is incorrect, and the angle of the sound collection range is adjusted to the latest direction.

On the other hand, if there is no discrepancy between the previous direction and the nearest direction, it is judged that the direction setting is correct, and the angle of the sound collection range is not adjusted.

Next, the vehicle control device 20 determines whether or not the condition for stopping the control of the door mirror 12b is satisfied (S103).

Here, the conditions for stopping the control of the door mirror 12b are, for example, the following (d) to (c). The following (d) to (c) are merely examples, and are not limited thereto.

(D) The vehicle control device 20 and the portable device 2 disconnect the BLE pairing.

(E) When the wireless communication between the vehicle control device 20 and the portable device 2 is not possible as a result of the wireless communication between the vehicle control device 20 and the portable device 2. Specifically, when the vehicle control device 20 transmits an LF signal including a response request signal and the portable device 2 cannot receive the LF signal including the response request signal. Alternatively, even if the portable device 2 receives the LF signal including the response request signal, the vehicle control device 20 cannot receive the UHF signal including the response signal transmitted from the portable device 2.

(F) When the utterance voice of user H is acquired.

(G) When a control instruction signal for the vehicle 1 is transmitted by remote control from the portable device 2, specifically, when the lock button or unlock button of the door key provided in the portable device 2 is pressed. When the open / close button of the sliding door is pressed.

(H) Turn on the ignition switch of the vehicle 1, or if the vehicle 1 is an electric vehicle, turn on the power switch.

When the condition for stopping the control of the door mirror 12b is satisfied (YES in S103), the vehicle control device 20 stops the control of the door mirror 12b.

On the other hand, when the condition for stopping the control of the door mirror 12b is not satisfied (NO in S103), the direction calculation unit 22 continues to calculate the direction of the position where the portable device 2 exists.

That is, the direction calculation unit 22 continues to calculate the direction of the position where the portable device 2 exists with respect to the vehicle control device 20 from the start of communication between the vehicle 1 and the portable device 2 until the stop condition is satisfied. .. Therefore, the accuracy of direction calculation by the direction calculation unit 22 is improved.

Further, the direction setting unit 23 continues to set the sound collecting range of the microphone 12c from the start of communication between the vehicle 1 and the portable device 2 until a predetermined stop condition is satisfied.

Therefore, the sound collection range of the microphone 12c is controlled to be directed to the direction calculated by the direction calculation unit 22 from the start of communication between the vehicle 1 and the portable device 2 until the predetermined stop condition is satisfied. be able to.

[Modification example]
Other embodiments of the present invention will be described below. For convenience of explanation, the same reference numerals will be added to the members having the same functions as the members described in the above embodiment, and the description will not be repeated.

As a modification, the vehicle control device 20 may be configured to include a distance measuring unit (not shown). According to the above configuration, the vehicle control device 20 can acquire the distance between the vehicle control device 20 and the portable device 2 as a distance measurement result. By using the distance measurement result, it is possible to control the movement of the microphone 12c in consideration of the distance between the vehicle control device 20 and the portable device 2.

For example, if pairing by BLE is successful, but the microphone 12c and the user H are far apart to collect the voice of the user H, when the microphone 12c enters the range where the voice input can be detected. The control operation can be started. Therefore, more accurate voice detection becomes possible.

[Example of realization by software]
The control block of the vehicle control device 20 (particularly, the direction calculation unit 22, the direction setting unit 23, and the voice processing unit 24) may be realized by a logic circuit (hardware) formed in an integrated circuit (IC chip) or the like. , May be realized by software.

In the latter case, the vehicle control device 20 includes a computer that executes instructions of a program that is software that realizes each function. The computer includes, for example, one or more processors and a computer-readable recording medium that stores the program. Then, in the computer, the processor reads the program from the recording medium and executes it, thereby achieving the object of the present invention. As the processor, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) can be used. As the recording medium, a "non-temporary tangible medium", for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory) or the like, a tape, a disk, a card, a semiconductor memory, a programmable logic circuit, or the like can be used. Further, a RAM (Random Access Memory) for expanding the above program may be further provided. Further, the program may be supplied to the computer via an arbitrary transmission medium (communication network, broadcast wave, etc.) capable of transmitting the program. It should be noted that one aspect of the present invention can also be realized in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave, in which the above program is embodied by electronic transmission.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims, and the embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in the different embodiments. Is also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

2 Portable device 10 Movable control unit 12 Movable unit 12a Sound collecting unit 12b Door mirror 12c Microphone 13 Vehicle control unit 20 Vehicle control device 22 Direction calculation unit 23 Direction setting unit 24 Voice processing unit

Claims (10)

A vehicle including a movable unit including a sound collecting unit that collects a user's uttered voice, a movable control unit that controls the operation of the movable unit, and a portable device carried by the user of the vehicle communicate with each other. This is a vehicle control device that performs predetermined control on the vehicle.
Based on at least one of the radiation angle of the radio wave transmitted from the vehicle control device to the portable device and the arrival angle of the radio wave received by the vehicle control device from the portable device, the portable device with respect to the vehicle control device. The direction calculation unit that calculates the direction of the position where the
A direction setting unit that controls the movable control unit so that the movable unit directs the sound collection range of the sound collection unit to the direction calculated by the direction calculation unit.
A vehicle control device comprising. The direction calculation unit continues to calculate the direction of the position where the portable device exists with respect to the vehicle control device from the start of communication between the vehicle and the portable device until a predetermined stop condition is satisfied. To do
The vehicle control device according to claim 1. The direction setting unit continues to set the sound collection range of the sound collection unit from the start of communication between the vehicle and the portable device until a predetermined stop condition is satisfied.
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 or 2. The vehicle includes a vehicle control unit that controls a mechanism mounted on the vehicle.
The vehicle control device is
A claim including a voice processing unit that acquires the utterance voice of the user collected by the sound collecting unit as an electric signal and causes the vehicle control unit to execute a predetermined control corresponding to the electric signal. The vehicle control device according to any one of items 1 to 3. The voice processing unit identifies a voice command corresponding to the voice spoken by the user by performing a predetermined analysis process on the electric signal, and controls the vehicle control unit corresponding to the specified voice command. The vehicle control device according to claim 4, wherein the vehicle control device is executed. The vehicle control unit controls locking and unlocking of vehicle doors.
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 4 or 5. The vehicle control unit controls the opening and closing of doors arranged in the vehicle.
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 4 or 5. A vehicle including a movable unit including a sound collecting unit that collects a user's uttered voice, a movable control unit that controls the operation of the movable unit, and a portable device carried by the user of the vehicle communicate with each other. This is a control method of a vehicle control device that performs predetermined control on the vehicle.
Based on at least one of the radiation angle of the radio wave transmitted from the vehicle control device to the portable device and the arrival angle of the radio wave received by the vehicle control device from the portable device, the portable device with respect to the vehicle control device. The direction calculation step to calculate the direction of the position where the
A vehicle control device including a direction setting step for controlling the movable control unit so that the movable unit directs the sound collecting range of the sound collecting unit to the direction calculated by the direction calculation step. Control method. A vehicle including a movable unit including a sound collecting unit that collects a user's uttered voice, a movable control unit that controls the operation of the movable unit, and a mobile phone carried by the user of the vehicle that communicates with the vehicle. It ’s a machine,
The portable device
The arrival angle of the radio wave received by the portable device from the vehicle control device that performs predetermined control on the vehicle by communicating with the vehicle, and the radiation angle of the radio wave transmitted from the portable device to the vehicle control device. A direction calculation unit that calculates the direction of the position where the portable device exists with respect to the vehicle control device based on at least one of them.
A direction setting unit that controls the movable control unit so that the movable unit directs the sound collection range of the sound collection unit to the direction calculated by the direction calculation unit.
A portable device characterized by being equipped with. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
The portable device according to claim 9 and
A vehicle control system characterized by including.

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