JP7125035B2 - Door open/close control system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a door opening/closing control system having a door opening/closing device capable of opening/closing a sliding door of a vehicle by a power source such as a motor.

In vehicles equipped with a door opening/closing device that can open and close the sliding door using a power source such as a motor, it is necessary to prevent objects such as a human body from being placed on the opening/closing trajectory of the sliding door while the sliding door is being closed in order to ensure safety. When the presence of the object is detected, the motor is controlled to stop and the closing operation of the slide door is stopped so that the slide door can be prevented from coming into contact with the object.

As a method for detecting the existence of an object on the opening/closing track of the sliding door, for example, an object approaching the sliding door is detected based on image information captured by an imaging unit capable of imaging the surroundings of the sliding door. There is one that does this (see Patent Literature 1).

JP 2018-009386 A

However, in the door opening/closing control system described in Patent Document 1, although the imaging unit is capable of imaging the opening/closing trajectory of the sliding door, for example, the state of the human body such as a child or infant sitting in the rear seat in the vehicle interior can be captured. If the human body is leaning against the interior trim of the sliding door, and the sliding door is opened from the outside of the vehicle without checking the inside of the vehicle, part of the human body will be removed from the seat. It is not possible to prevent a situation in which the vehicle is caught in the gap between the vehicle and the vehicle body.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a door opening/closing control system capable of improving safety during opening operation of a sliding door by making it possible to monitor the situation inside the vehicle.

According to the present invention, the above problems are solved as follows.
A door opening/closing control system according to the present invention includes a door opening/closing device capable of electrically opening and closing a slide door supported by a vehicle body so as to be opened and closed, and a vehicle interior door operated when the slide door is opened by the door opening/closing device. In the range between the operation switch and the operation switch on the outside of the vehicle, and a position located in the vehicle interior and slightly away from the reference plane to the inside of the vehicle interior with the lining trim of the sliding door in the vehicle interior as a reference plane. an imaging unit capable of capturing an image of a set predetermined area; an object detection unit capable of identifying the presence or absence of an object within the predetermined area based on image information captured by the imaging unit; an operation switch inside the vehicle ; a control unit capable of driving and controlling the door opening/closing device in response to the operation of the operation switch on the vehicle exterior , wherein the control unit captures an image of the slide door in the fully closed position with the imaging unit. Based on the image information, the object detection unit identifies an object within the predetermined area, and the image information of the identified object is within a predetermined size range and has a generally rounded human head. is identified, the opening operation of the operation switch on the inside of the vehicle is validated, and the opening operation of the operation switch on the outside of the vehicle is invalidated so that the opening drive control of the door opening/closing device is not executed. and

Preferably, the imaging unit is a range image camera that acquires image information including three-dimensional range information.

According to the present invention, the condition of the vehicle interior is monitored based on the image information captured by the imaging unit provided in the vehicle interior, and when an object is identified in a predetermined area within the vehicle interior, the operation of the operation switch is canceled. By doing so, it is possible to prevent a situation in which an object in the passenger compartment is caught in the gap between the seat and the vehicle body.

1 is a side view of a vehicle C equipped with a door opening/closing control system according to the present invention; FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a door opening/closing control system; FIG. 2 is a schematic front view showing the positional relationship between a vehicle and a human body; FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing the positional relationship between a vehicle and a human body; FIG. It is a schematic perspective view for demonstrating the condition in a vehicle interior. FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view for explaining a pattern in which a user tries to get into the vehicle compartment while the slide door is being opened; To explain the flow of the door opening operation when the sliding door is in the fully closed position and the opening operation is performed from the outside of the vehicle, and the door closing operation when the sliding door stops at the half-open position during the opening operation of the sliding door. It is a flowchart figure. To explain the flow of the door opening operation when the sliding door is in the fully closed position and the opening operation is performed from inside the vehicle, and the door closing operation when the sliding door stops at the half-open position during the opening operation of the sliding door. It is a flowchart figure. FIG. 5 is a flow chart for explaining the flow of the sliding door closing operation when the sliding door is in the fully open position and the closing operation is performed from the outside of the vehicle; FIG. 5 is a flow chart for explaining the closing operation of the sliding door when the sliding door is in the fully open position and the closing operation is performed from inside the vehicle.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a side view of a vehicle C equipped with a door opening/closing control system according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the door opening/closing control system.

The vehicle C according to the present embodiment includes left and right swing-type side doors D1 provided on both left and right sides of the front part of the vehicle body, which can open and close front entrances and exits, and rear passenger doors D1 provided on both left and right sides of the rear part of the vehicle body. The automobile is of a type provided with left and right sliding doors D2 capable of opening and closing an opening E, and includes a door opening/closing device 1 capable of electrically opening and closing the sliding doors D2, and a sliding door D2 disposed in the vehicle interior and including a rear entrance/exit E. and a control unit 3 for controlling the door opening/closing device 1 based on operation signals, detection signals, and image information captured by the imaging unit 2, which will be described later. Equipped with a door opening/closing control system that enhances safety and convenience when getting on and off the vehicle C using the entrance E.

The sliding door D2 is supported movably in the longitudinal direction on the side surface of the vehicle body so as to open and close the rear entrance E by the power of the door opening/closing device 1, and is provided with an outside handle OH arranged outside the vehicle, It has an inside handle IH, a fully closed door lock device CDR, a fully open door latch device ODR, and a closer device CL that are placed inside.

The door opening/closing device 1 includes an opening/closing motor 4 as a drive source and a power transmission mechanism (not shown) for transmitting the power of the opening/closing motor 4 to the slide door D2. The sliding door D2 is moved in the opening direction (backward) and the closing direction (forward) by transmitting to the sliding door D2 via the mechanism. The opening/closing motor 4 is controlled by the controller 3 as described later. The door opening/closing device 1 is provided with a sensor (not shown) for detecting the current position of the slide door D2.

The outside handle OH is gripped when opening and closing the sliding door D2 from outside the vehicle, and has a capacitance sensor capable of detecting contact or approach of the user's hand. When the slide door D2 is in the fully closed position, the capacitance sensor detects the user's hand and transmits an opening operation signal to the controller 3. When the slide door D2 is in the fully open position, An outside operation switch 5 that transmits a closing operation signal to the control unit 3 by detecting a user's hand is configured.

The inside handle IH is rotatably supported in the vehicle interior of the slide door D2 in the longitudinal direction, and is rotated when the slide door D2 is opened and closed from inside the vehicle. , so that the rearward rotation operation is the opening operation. An inside close operation switch 6 for detecting a closing operation of the inside handle IH and an inside opening operation switch 7 for similarly detecting an opening operation are provided on or near the inside handle IH. Each operation signal of the inside close operation switch 6 and the inside open operation switch 7 is transmitted to the control section 3 .

The fully closed door latch device CDR holds the slide door D2 in a fully closed position by engaging a striker (not shown) on the vehicle body side, and includes an electric release actuator ACT1 and a lock/unlock actuator ACT2.

The release actuator ACT1 is driven and controlled by the control unit 3 to operate a release mechanism (not shown) of the fully-closed door latch device CDR to release the engagement between the fully-closed door latch device CDR and the striker. It enables the opening operation of the sliding door D2 which is held in position. The release mechanism of the fully closed door latch device CDR is connected to the release mechanism of the fully open door latch ODR. As a result, the power of the release actuator ACT1 is also transmitted to the release mechanism of the fully open door latch device ODR via the release mechanism of the fully closed door latch device CDR, thereby releasing the engagement between the fully open door latch device ODR and the striker. , enables the closing operation of the sliding door D2 held in the fully open position.

The lock/unlock actuator ACT2 switches the fully closed door latch device CDR between a locked state and an unlocked state. When the fully closed door latch device CDR is in the unlocked state, it is possible to open the slide door D2 by operating the outside operation switch 5 to release the engagement between the fully closed door latch device CDR and the striker. When the fully closed door latch device CDR is in the locked state, even if the outside operation switch 5 is operated, the engagement between the fully closed door latch device CDR and the striker cannot be released and the slide door D2 cannot be opened. However, if the user is carrying the key body 11 of a system such as a keyless entry system and the user has been successfully authenticated, the fully closed door latch device CDR can be in either the unlocked state or the locked state. Even in this state, it is possible to open the slide door D2 by operating the outside operation switch 5 .

The fully open door latch device ODR holds the slide door D2 in a fully open position by engaging a striker (not shown) on the vehicle body side. By operating the release actuator ACT1 based on the closing operation of 6, the engagement with the striker is released and the closing operation from the fully open position of the slide door D2 becomes possible.

The closer device CL is provided with a configuration for operating the engagement mechanism (not shown) of the fully closed door latch device CDR in the engagement direction to engage with the striker by the power of a motor or the like. It is forcibly moved from the latched position (door ajar position) to the fully closed position.

The imaging unit 2 is installed on the ceiling of the vehicle interior, and is located around the sliding door D2 including the rear entrance E. By capturing an image of an object existing within the predetermined area, the situation around the sliding door D2 including the interior of the vehicle is monitored.

In the following description, the object imaged by the imaging unit 2 will be described as a human body, but the object is not limited to this, and examples of the object include baggage and animals.

Preferably, the imaging unit 2 is a range image camera that acquires image information including three-dimensional range information. The range image camera is preferably a TOF (Time of Flight) camera, for example. Further, preferably, the image capturing unit 2 uses the left slide door D2 as the image capturing reference in order to reliably image the human body existing in the predetermined area inside the vehicle, the door opening/closing track area, and the predetermined area outside the vehicle. In some cases, it is installed above the rear entrance on the right side. Image information (including video information) captured by the imaging unit 2 is transmitted to the control unit 2 . However, since the imaging unit 2 is arranged inside the vehicle, it is possible to image the door opening/closing driving area and the predetermined area outside the vehicle only when the sliding door D2 is open.

The control part 3 is comprised by ECU(electronic control unit), and is connected to CAN(Controller Area Network) provided in the vehicleC. The input interface of the control unit 3 includes an imaging unit 2, an outside operation switch 5, an inside close operation switch 6, an inside open operation switch 7, a shift lever detection switch 8, a vehicle speed sensor 9, and a remote operation switch 10 via CAN. etc. are electrically connected. The remote control switch 10 is provided in the driver's seat or the like of the vehicle C, and is an operation switch that is operated when the door opening/closing device 1 opens and closes the slide door D2.

An output interface of the controller 3 is electrically connected to the opening/closing motor 4 of the door opening/closing device 1, the release actuator ACT1, the locking/unlocking actuator ACT2, and the closer device CL. Further, the control unit 3 is provided with a reception unit (not shown) capable of receiving radio waves transmitted from the key body 11 .

The control unit 3 includes an authentication unit 31 that authenticates a user, an object detection unit 32 that detects the presence or absence of a human body, the shape of the hand of the human body, and the movement of the hand based on the image information captured by the imaging unit 2. An opening/closing control unit 33 is provided for controlling the opening/closing motor 4, the release actuator ACT1, the locking/unlocking actuator ACT2, and the closer device CL. As the control section 3, a microcomputer composed mainly of a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and an I/O interface can be used.

The authentication unit 31 authenticates a user based on authentication information such as authentication radio waves transmitted from the key body 11 .

FIG. 3 is a schematic front view showing the positional relationship between the vehicle C and the human body. FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing the positional relationship between the vehicle C and the human body. FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view for explaining the situation inside the vehicle. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view for explaining how the user attempts to get into the vehicle compartment while the slide door D2 is being opened.

Based on the image information captured by the imaging unit 2, the object detection unit 32 identifies whether the acquired image information is a human body, and if it is a human body, can detect the moving direction and moving speed. At the same time, it detects in which area of a plurality of predetermined areas the detected human body is located. For example, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the predetermined areas include a door opening/closing drive area A1, a dangerous area A2 and a dangerous reserve area A3 outside the vehicle, and a dangerous area A4 inside the vehicle.

Human body identification, moving direction, and moving speed are obtained by extracting only objects within a certain distance range from the image information acquired from the imaging unit 2, and separating only the recognized necessary parts (human body shape characteristic parts) from the background image. This is done by identifying

The door opening/closing track area A1 is an area corresponding to the track on which the slide door D2 opens and closes. As shown in FIG. 3, the human body H1 enters the door opening/closing track area A1 and the slide door D2 is closed. In this case, the human body H1 is caught between the slide door D2 and the frame of the entrance/exit E, which is a dangerous area.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the dangerous area A2 is set within a range of, for example, 30 cm from the door opening/closing track area A1 to the outside of the vehicle. This is an area where there is a risk of contact with or being caught by the sliding door D2 that is being closed if the user performs an action that moves toward the front.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the risk reserve area A3 is set, for example, within a range of 100 cm from the door opening/closing track area A1 to the outside of the vehicle. is a safe area.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the dangerous area A4 on the inside of the vehicle is defined, for example, by using the lining trim D3 provided on the side surface of the sliding door D2 on the interior side as a reference surface, and extending, for example, 6 cm from the reference surface toward the interior of the vehicle. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, when a human body H4 such as an infant seated in the rear seat S approaches or leans against the closed sliding door D2, when the sliding door D2 is opened, This is an area where a part of the human body H4 (for example, the head) may get caught in the gap between the backrest S1 of the rear seat S and the vehicle body.

Based on the image information captured by the imaging unit 2, the object detection unit 32 identifies the overall image of the human body, including adults and children, in the door opening/closing track area A1, the dangerous area A2, and the dangerous preliminary area A3. In the dangerous area A4, for example, it is identified whether it is the head of a human body or a part of the head. As a method for identifying the head, when a human body is identified based on the image information of the vehicle interior captured by the imaging unit 2, the height and width directions of the image information are obtained by using the image information for each identified part of the human body. and the number of pixels of the integrated value are within a predetermined range, that is, within a predetermined size range, and the head is identified as having an overall rounded shape. Note that the number of pixels changes depending on the resolution of the image information captured by the imaging unit 2 .

Furthermore, the object detection unit 32 identifies the shape and motion of the human hand within a predetermined gesture area based on the image information captured by the imaging unit 2 . The inside of the gesture area is, for example, the dangerous area A1 on the outside of the vehicle, and the range of, for example, 30 cm from the lining trim D3 of the sliding door D2 on the inside of the vehicle.

Furthermore, when the object detection unit 32 detects that the identified hand shape has a predetermined shape indicating the intention of opening the sliding door D2 and moves in the direction of opening the sliding door D2, that is, the user When the open gesture is detected, an open operation signal is transmitted to the opening/closing control unit 33, and the movement is made in a predetermined shape indicating the intention to close the slide door D2 and in the direction of closing the slide door D2. is detected, that is, when a close gesture by the user is detected, a close operation signal is transmitted to the opening/closing control unit 33 .

The open/close control unit 33 receives the operation signals of the outside operation switch 5, the inside close operation switch 6, the inside open operation switch 7, the remote control switch 10 and the key body 11, the position information of the human body detected by the object detection unit 32 and the hand. The opening/closing motor 4, the release actuator ACT1, and the locking/unlocking actuator ACT2 are controlled based on the operating direction of .

When the object detection unit 32 has transmitted information indicating that the human body is not detected in any of the door opening/closing track area A1, the dangerous areas A2 and A4, and the risk reserve area A3, the opening/closing control unit 33 closes the sliding door D2. The door opening/closing motor 4 is controlled to close at a high speed so that the closing speed of the sliding door D2 is increased when the information indicating that the human body H3 exists in the dangerous area A3 is transmitted from the object detection unit 32. When the opening/closing motor 4 is controlled to close at a normal speed so that the normal speed is lower than the high speed, and information indicating that the human body H2 exists in the danger area A2 is transmitted from the object detection unit 32, Variable speed control is performed to close the opening/closing motor 4 at a low speed so that the closing speed of the slide door D2 is lower than the normal speed. Variable speed control is executed when a close operation signal is input from the remote control switch 10 and the key body 11, and when a close operation signal is input from the outside operation switch 5 and the inside close operation switch 6, in principle Normal speed close control is executed as .

The opening/closing control unit 33 performs stop control to disable the closing operation of the slide door D2 when and when information indicating that the human body H1 exists in the door opening/closing track area A1 is transmitted from the object detection unit 32. , and when information indicating that a human body H4 exists in the dangerous area A4 inside the vehicle is transmitted from the object detection unit 32, the opening operations of the outside operation switch 5, the remote operation switch 10 and the key body 11 are canceled. Cancel control is performed, and opening drive control of the opening/closing motor 4 is not performed. The above-described stop control is executed when a close operation signal for any one of the outside operation switch 5, the inside close operation switch 6, the remote operation switch 10, and the key body 11 is input. The cancel control described above is not executed when an open operation signal is transmitted from the inside open operation switch 7 .

Next, the door opening/closing control process executed by the door opening/closing control system will be described with reference to the flow charts shown in FIGS. In the following description, the authentication unit 31 has successfully authenticated the user, the shift lever detection switch 8 has detected the neutral position or the parking position of the shift lever, and the vehicle speed sensor 9 has detected that the vehicle C has stopped. It is assumed that the

First, based on the flowchart shown in FIG. 7, when the slide door D2 is in the fully closed position and the door is opened from the outside of the vehicle, the slide door D2 is moved to the half-open position when the slide door D2 is opened. The flow of the door closing operation when the vehicle is stopped will be described.

In step S101, when the controller 3 receives a vehicle exterior opening operation signal from the outside operation switch 5 or the key body 11 (possessed by the user outside the vehicle), the controller 3 uses the image information captured by the imaging unit 2 in step S102. Then, the object detection unit 32 identifies whether or not the human body H4 exists in the dangerous area A4 inside the vehicle, and if the human body H4 is not identified in the dangerous area A4 inside the vehicle (NO), the release drive is performed in step S103. When the control is performed and the human body H4 is identified in the dangerous area A4 (YES), the opening operation signal for the outside of the vehicle is canceled in step S112.

In step S103, the control unit 3 transmits a release drive control signal to the opening/closing control unit 33, and controls the release actuator ACT1 to release drive. As a result, the engagement between the fully closed door latch device CDR and the striker is released. Next, in step S104, the control unit 3 transmits an opening drive control signal to the opening/closing control unit 33, and controls the opening/closing motor 4 to open. As a result, the slide door D2 starts opening from the fully closed position. In this case, the opening/closing motor 4 is driven and controlled by the opening/closing driving section 33 so that the opening speed of the slide door D2 becomes the normal speed.

Next, in step S105, the control unit 3 controls the object detection unit 32 to detect the human body H1 in the door opening/closing track area A1 based on the image information captured by the image capturing unit 2 while the slide door D2 is being opened. is not identified (NO), the open drive control of the open/close motor 4 is continued until the slide door D2 reaches the fully open position, and the stop control of the open/close motor 4 is performed when the slide door D2 reaches the fully open position. (Step S106). As a result, when the human body H1 does not exist within the door opening/closing track area A1, the slide door D2 moves to the fully open position and the fully open door latch device ODR is engaged with the striker to hold the fully open position.

In step S102 described above, when the object detection unit 32 identifies the human body H4 in the dangerous area A4 inside the vehicle based on the image information captured by the imaging unit 2 (YES), the control unit 3 performs step S112. , the outside operation switch 5 and the key body 11 opening operation signal on the outside of the vehicle are cancelled, and the drive control of the release actuator ACT1 and the opening/closing motor 4 is not executed.

The fact that the human body H4 was identified in the dangerous area A4 on the inside of the vehicle means that under the conditions shown in FIG. It is considered to be a dangerous situation in which the passenger approaches or touches the lining trim D3 of the vehicle by leaning on it. Therefore, in such a situation, when the slide door D2 is opened from the fully closed position by the opening operation from the outside of the vehicle, a part of the human body H4, such as the head, is caught in the gap between the vehicle body and the backrest S1. There is fear. In order to prevent this from happening, the door opening/closing control system of this embodiment cancels the operation signal for opening the vehicle outside when the human body H4 is identified in the dangerous area A4 inside the vehicle and opens the sliding door D2. I try not to open the

In step S105 described above, when the object detection unit 32 identifies the human body H1 in the door opening/closing track area A1 based on the image information captured by the imaging unit 2 while the slide door D2 is being opened (YES). In step S107, the control unit 3 transmits a stop control signal to the opening/closing control unit 33 to stop the opening/closing motor 4 even before the slide door D2 reaches the fully open position. As a result, the slide door D2, which has been opened, stops at the half-open position without reaching the fully open position.

In step S105, the fact that the human body H1 is identified in the door opening/closing track area A1 while the slide door D2 is being opened means that the slide door D2 is being opened as shown in FIGS. In spite of this, it is considered that the human body H1 is about to enter the door opening/closing drive area A1 and get into the vehicle compartment. Therefore, in this case, if the opening amount of the slide door D2 stopped at the half-open position is sufficient for the human body H1 to get on, it is not always necessary to open the slide door D2 any further. By doing so, it is not necessary to stop the slide door D2 early and open the opening/closing motor 4 unnecessarily.

Preferably, when the human body H1 is identified within the door opening/closing track area A1, the timing for controlling the stop of the opening/closing motor 4 is set so that the slide door D2 is positioned at the time when the human body H1 is identified within the door opening/closing track area A1. In the case of the half-open position having an opening amount sufficient for boarding, the opening/closing motor 4 is immediately controlled to be stopped, and when the slide door D2 is in the half-open position having a narrow opening amount for boarding of the human body H1, the slide door D2 is closed. is opened to a predetermined half-open position having a sufficient amount of opening for the human body H1 to get on, the opening/closing motor 4 is controlled to stop.

In step S107, after performing half-open stop control to stop the slide door D2 at the half-open position, in the next step S108, the control unit 3 causes the imaging unit 2 to stop the slide door D2 in the half-open position. If the object detection unit 32 does not identify the human body H1 in the door opening/closing track area A1 based on the captured image information (NO), in other words, when the human body H1 has entered the vehicle compartment, the door opening/closing driving area A1 is detected. , the process advances to step S109 to wait for a closing operation signal from the inside of the vehicle. continue to identify the human body H1 based on .

In step S109, the control unit 3 receives the close operation signal of the inside close operation switch 6 by the human body H5 on board, or based on the image information of the user's hand shape and movement photographed by the imaging unit 2, When the object detection unit 32 detects the close gesture, the closing drive control signal is transmitted to the opening/closing control unit 33 to control the opening/closing motor 4 to close (step S110). The opening/closing motor 4 is stopped (step S111). As a result, the sliding door D2 is closed from the half-open position by the closing drive of the door opening/closing device 1, and the fully-closed door latch device CDR is engaged with the striker, thereby being held at the fully-closed position.

As described above, the door opening/closing control system of this embodiment recognizes a human body within the door opening/closing drive area A1, such as when the user tries to get into the vehicle compartment while the slide door D2 is being opened. In this case, the slide door D2 is stopped at the half-open position, and after that, when the passenger has finished getting in the vehicle, the inside handle IH is closed or a close gesture is made to close the slide door from the half-open position. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the opening and closing time of the slide door D2 that the user spends when getting on the vehicle, so that the user can get on the vehicle quickly.

Next, based on the flowchart shown in FIG. 8, the door opening operation when the slide door D2 is in the fully closed position and the opening operation is performed from inside the vehicle compartment, and when the slide door D2 is opened, the slide door D2 is in the half-open position. Next, the flow of the door closing operation when the vehicle stops immediately will be described.

In step S201, the control unit 3 receives an opening operation signal of the inside opening operation switch 7 by the opening operation of the inside handle IH by the human body H5 sitting on the rear seat S in the vehicle compartment, or When the object detection unit 32 detects an open gesture on the inside of the vehicle based on the shape and motion image information, it drives and controls the release actuator ACT1 (step S202), and then opens the opening/closing motor 4 of the door opening/closing device 1. Drive is controlled (step S203). As a result, the slide door D2 starts opening from the fully closed position. In this case, the opening/closing motor 4 is driven and controlled so that the opening speed of the slide door D2 becomes the normal speed.

Next, in step S204, the control unit 3 controls the object detection unit 32 to detect the human body H1 in the door opening/closing track area A1 based on the image information captured by the image capturing unit 2 while the slide door D2 is being opened. is not identified (NO), the open drive control of the open/close motor 4 is continued until the slide door D2 reaches the fully open position, and the stop control of the open/close motor 4 is performed when the slide door D2 reaches the fully open position. (step S205). As a result, when the human body H1 is not identified within the door opening/closing track area A1, the sliding door D2 is moved to the fully open position by the opening drive of the door opening/closing device 1, and the fully open door latch device ODR is engaged with the striker. held in the fully open position.

In step S204 described above, when the human body H1 is identified in the door opening/closing track area A1 while the slide door D2 is being opened (YES), in step S206, the controller 3 determines that the slide door D2 is open. Even before reaching the fully open position, the stop control signal is transmitted to the open/close control unit 33 to control the open/close motor 4 to stop. As a result, the slide door D2 that has been opened stops at the half-open position.

In step S204, the fact that the human body H1 was identified in the door opening/closing track area A1 while the slide door D2 was being opened means that the human body H1, which is the user, was detected even though the slide door D2 was being opened. It is considered that H1 has entered the door opening/closing drive area A1 and is about to get out of the passenger compartment. Therefore, in this case, if the opening amount of the slide door D2 stopped at the half-open position is sufficient for the user to get off the vehicle, it is not always necessary to open the slide door D2 any further. In this way, when the user gets off the vehicle, there is no need to stop the slide door D2 early and open the opening/closing motor 4 unnecessarily.

Preferably, when the human body H1 is identified within the door opening/closing track area A1, the timing for controlling the stop control of the opening/closing motor 4 is set so that the slide door D2 is opened when the user exits the vehicle at the time when the human body H1 is identified within the door opening/closing track area A1. In the case of the half-open position having an opening amount sufficient to allow the user to get off the vehicle, the opening/closing motor 4 is immediately controlled to stop when the human body H1 is identified, and the slide door D2 is moved to the half-open position with a narrow opening amount for the user to exit the vehicle. In this case, the opening/closing motor 4 is controlled to stop when the slide door D2 is opened to a predetermined half-open position where the opening amount is sufficient for the user to get off the vehicle.

Next, in step S207, the control unit 3 controls the object detection unit 32 to move within the door opening/closing track area A1 based on the image information captured by the image capturing unit 2 while the slide door D2 is stopped at the half-open position. If the human body H1 is identified (YES), the monitoring of the identification of the human body H1 is continued based on the image information captured by the imaging unit 2, and the object detection unit 32 removes the human body H1 from the door opening/closing track area A1. When it is identified that the vehicle has been closed (NO), in other words, when the human body H1 who is an occupant has finished getting off the vehicle, the system waits for a closing operation signal from the outside of the vehicle.

Next, in step S208, the control unit 3 inputs an operation signal of the outside operation switch 5 or based on the image information of the user's hand shape and movement photographed by the imaging unit 2, the object detection unit 32 detects the close gesture, it sends a closing drive control signal to the opening/closing control unit 33 to control the opening/closing motor 4 to close (step S209). is controlled to stop (step S210). As a result, the sliding door D2 is closed from the half-open position by the closing drive of the door opening/closing device 1, and the fully-closed door latch device CDR is engaged with the striker, thereby being held at the fully-closed position.

As described above, the door opening/closing control system of this embodiment identifies the human body H1 in the door opening/closing drive area A1 while the slide door D2 is being opened when the door opening operation is performed from inside the vehicle. In this case, half-open stop control is performed to stop the slide door D2 at the half-open position, and when the user retreats from the door opening/closing track area A1 and performs a closing operation from outside the vehicle, the slide door D2 is closed from the half-open position. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the opening and closing time of the slide door D2 that the user spends when getting off the vehicle, and the user can quickly get off the vehicle.

When the slide door D2 is opened from inside the vehicle, the occupant is in a position close to the interior trim D3 of the slide door D2. Since it is difficult to visually recognize, it is desirable to perform cancellation control of the opening operation inside the vehicle when the human body H4 is identified in the dangerous area A4 inside the vehicle.

Next, based on the flowchart shown in FIG. 9, the flow of the closing operation of the sliding door D2 when the sliding door D2 is in the fully open position and the closing operation is performed from the outside of the vehicle will be described.

In step S301, the control unit 3 receives a closing operation signal for the outside of the vehicle from the outside operation switch 5 or the key body 11, or receives an image of the shape and motion of the user's hand outside the vehicle captured by the imaging unit 2. Based on the information, when the object detection unit 32 detects a closing gesture on the outside of the vehicle, the object detection unit 32 identifies the human body H1 in the door opening/closing track area A1 based on the image information captured by the imaging unit 2 in step 302. If not (NO), control in step S303 is performed, and if the human body H1 is identified in the door opening/closing track area A1 (YES), cancel control for canceling the closing operation signal on the outside of the vehicle is performed in step S308. .

In step S303, the control unit 3 performs release drive control of the release actuator ACT1 based on the vehicle-exterior closing operation signal. This releases the engagement between the fully open door latch device ODR and the striker. Next, in step S304, the controller 3 controls the opening/closing motor 4 to drive it to close. As a result, the slide door D2 starts closing from the fully open position.

In the closing drive control of the opening/closing motor 4 in step S304, the opening/closing control unit 33 controls the opening/closing motor 4 at normal speed when it is based on the detection of the closing operation signal and the closing gesture by the outside operation switch 5, Based on the closing operation signal from the key body 11 held by the user outside the vehicle, the following variable speed drive control is performed.
(A) When the object detection unit 32 does not identify a human body in any of the door opening/closing track area A1, the danger area A2, the preliminary danger area A3, and the danger area A4 based on the image information captured by the imaging unit 2, The open/close motor 4 is driven to close at high speed so that the slide door D2 closes at high speed.
(B) When the object detection unit 32 identifies the human body H3 in the risk reserve area A3 based on the image information captured by the imaging unit 2, the opening/closing motor is operated so that the slide door D2 is closed at a normal speed. 4 is controlled for normal speed closing drive.
(C) Based on the image information captured by the imaging unit 2, when the object detection unit 32 identifies a human body H1 in the dangerous area A1 inside and outside the vehicle, the slide door D2 is closed at a low speed. , the opening/closing motor 4 is controlled to drive to close at a low speed.
That is, the closer the person outside the vehicle approaches the entrance/exit E, the closer the sliding door D2 closes. The speed is controlled so that

Next, in step S305, the control unit 3 controls the object detection unit 32 to detect the human body H1 in the door opening/closing track area A1 based on the image information captured by the image capturing unit 2 while the slide door D2 is being closed. is not identified (YES), the closing drive control of the opening/closing motor 4 is continued until the slide door D2 reaches the fully closed position, and the opening/closing motor 4 is stopped when the slide door D2 reaches the fully closed position. Control is performed (step S306). As a result, when the human body H1 is not identified within the door opening/closing track area A1, the sliding door D2 moves to the fully closed position and is held at the fully closed position by engaging the fully closed door latch device CDR with the striker. be.

In step S302 described above, when the object detection unit 32 identifies the human body H within the door opening/closing track area A1 before the sliding door D2 is closed based on the image information captured by the image capturing unit 2 (YES), cancels the outside operation switch 5, the closing gesture, and the closing operation of the key body 11 on the outside of the vehicle in step S308, and does not execute drive control of the release actuator ACT1 and the opening/closing motor 4. FIG.

Further, in step S305 described above, when the object detection unit 32 identifies the human body H1 within the door opening/closing track area A1 while the slide door D2 is being closed, based on the image information captured by the image capturing unit 2. If (YES), the controller 3 controls the opening/closing motor 4 to stop in step S307. As a result, the human body H1 existing in the door opening/closing track area A1 can be detected without contact, thereby preventing the sliding door D2 from coming into contact with the human body while it is being closed.

Next, based on the flowchart shown in FIG. 10, the flow of closing operation control of the slide door D2 when the slide door D2 is in the fully open position and the closing operation is performed from inside the vehicle will be described.

In step S401, if the object detection unit 32 does not identify the human body H1 in the door opening/closing track area A1 based on the image information captured by the imaging unit 2 (NO), the control unit 3 performs the control after step S402. , and if the human body H1 is identified in the door opening/closing track area A1 (YES), the control after step S421 is performed.

When the process proceeds to step S402, the control unit 3 receives a close operation signal of the inside close operation switch 6 by the close operation of the inside handle IH by the human body H5 in the vehicle compartment, or the shape of the user's hand photographed by the imaging unit 2. And when the object detection unit 32 detects a vehicle interior close gesture based on the image information of the operation or receives a vehicle interior close operation signal from the remote control switch 10, based on the vehicle interior close operation signal Then, a release drive control signal is transmitted to the open/close control unit 33 to perform release drive control of the release actuator ACT1 (step S403), and then close drive control of the open/close motor 4 is performed (step S404). As a result, the fully open door latch device ODR is disengaged from the striker, and the sliding door D2 starts closing from the fully open position.

In the closing drive control of the opening/closing motor 4 in step S404, the opening/closing control unit 33 performs the normal speed closing drive control of the opening/closing motor 4 when it is based on the detection of the closing operation signal or the closing gesture by the inside closing operation switch 6. When it is based on the close operation signal from the remote control switch 11, the speed variable drive control as described above is performed.

Next, in step S405, based on the image information captured by the imaging unit 2, if the object detection unit 32 does not identify the human body H1 in the door opening/closing track area A1 (NO), the control unit 3 determines that the opening/closing The closing drive control of the motor 4 is continued until the slide door D2 reaches the fully closed position, and when the slide door D2 reaches the fully closed position, the opening/closing motor 4 is stopped (step S406). As a result, when the human body H1 is not identified within the door opening/closing track area A1, the sliding door D2 moves to the fully closed position and is held at the fully closed position by engaging the fully closed door latch device CDR with the striker. be.

In step S405, based on the image information captured by the imaging unit 2, if the object detection unit 32 identifies the human body H1 in the door opening/closing track area A1 (YES), in step S408, the control unit 3 In order to prevent the sliding door D2 in operation from contacting the human body H1, the opening/closing motor 4 is immediately controlled to stop when the human body H1 is identified without contact. As a result, the sliding door D2, which is being closed, stops at the half-open position before contacting the human body H1, and does not pinch the human body H1.

In step S401 described above, assume that the slide door D2 is in the fully open position and the object detection unit 32 identifies the human body H1 within the door opening/closing track area A1 based on the image information captured by the imaging unit 2. , the human body H1, who is an adult who got off first, is leaning into the passenger compartment in order to get off an infant in the passenger compartment, or leaning into the passenger compartment in order to take out a large luggage or the like. be done. Therefore, when the process proceeds to step S421, the control unit 3 does not transmit the closing drive command signal to the opening/closing control unit 33 even if the close operation signal of the inside close operation switch 6 is input by the close operation of the inside handle IH. , the close operation signal from the inside close operation switch 6 is temporarily stored.

Next, in step S422, the control unit 3 determines whether or not the human body H1 has been removed from the door opening/closing track area A1. , if the removal of the human body H1 is not identified, the identification of the removal of the human body H1 is repeated.

When the process proceeds to step S403, the control unit 3 executes the processes from step S403 onwards after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the removal of the human body H1 was identified. As a result, the sliding door D2 does not close immediately when the inside handle IH is closed at the fully open position, but when the human body H1 is removed from the door opening/closing track area A1, the slide door D2 automatically closes from the fully open position. After that, when the human body H1 is not identified in the door opening/closing track area A1, the door moves to the fully closed position. In this case, if the closing operation of the sliding door D2 is based on the memory of the closing operation signal by the inside closing operation switch 6, the locking/unlocking actuator ACT2 is drive-controlled to fully close the door latch when the sliding door D2 is in the fully closed position. The device CDR is automatically switched from the unlocked state to the locked state.

As described above, when the inside handle IH is closed while the human body H1 is identified in the door opening/closing track area A1 at the fully open position of the slide door D2, the closing operation of the inside close operation switch 6 is stored. After that, when the human body is removed from the door opening/closing track area A1, the door opening/closing device 1 is closed and the slide door D2 is automatically closed. When the occupant cannot close the sliding door D2 because both hands are full, the sliding door D2 is automatically closed by closing the inside handle IH from the outside of the vehicle in advance after getting off the vehicle. Therefore, it is extremely convenient. When the slide door D2 is fully opened, the presence of a human body within the door opening/closing track area A1 may be caused by an adult outside the vehicle getting off an infant in the vehicle or taking out a large piece of baggage from the vehicle. It is conceivable that the In addition, as a situation in which the hands of the passenger who got off the vehicle are occupied, it is conceivable that the passenger is carrying a small child or the like, or carrying a large luggage or the like.

As described above, the door opening/closing control system of the present embodiment has a non-contact trapping prevention function, a human entanglement prevention function, and a variable door closing speed function, which are defined below, as safety. , As convenience, it has a reserved door automatic closing function, a gesture door opening/closing function, and a boarding/alighting time shortening function, which are defined below.

The non-contact trapping prevention function prevents the pinching of a human body in advance if a human body is identified in the door opening/closing track area A1 based on the image information captured by the imaging unit 2 when the sliding door D2 is closed. This function stops the closing operation of the sliding door D2 in order to prevent

The function of preventing human entanglement in the vehicle compartment is, for example, in a situation where a human body such as an infant in the vehicle is leaning against the lining trim D3 of the sliding door D2, and when the sliding door D2 is opened from the outside, the human body is prevented from being caught. In order to prevent a situation in which a part of the vehicle is caught in the gap between the seat and the vehicle body, if a human body is identified in the danger area A4 inside the vehicle, the door opening operation from the outside is canceled (disabled). ).

The variable door closing speed function changes the closing speed of the sliding door D2 so that the closing speed of the sliding door D2 slows down as the human body outside the vehicle approaches the rear entrance E during the closing operation of the sliding door D2. A function that allows

The reservation door automatic closing function is to close the sliding door D2 when the sliding door D2 is in the fully open position and both hands are occupied by the user holding a child or carrying a large luggage when getting off the vehicle. If the operation is difficult, before the user's hands are full, close the inside handle from the outside of the vehicle in advance so that the user and the infant can finish getting off the vehicle and confirm that no objects are identified in the pinching area. This function automatically closes the sliding door D2 after

The gesture door opening/closing function refers to a function of automatically opening/closing the slide door D2 based on the user's gesture.

The boarding/alighting time shortening function stops the sliding door D2 at a half-open position when the user has finished boarding/alighting, even before the slide door D2 reaches the fully open position, when the slide door D2 is opened. After that, when the closing operation is performed by the user, the closing operation is performed from the half-open position, thereby shortening the opening/closing time of the slide door D2 that the user spends when getting on and off, and allowing the user to quickly get on and off. function.

1 door opening/closing device 2 imaging unit 3 control unit 31 authentication unit 32 object detection unit 33 opening/closing control unit 4 opening/closing motor 5 outside operation switch 6 inside closing operation switch 7 inside opening operation switch 8 shift lever detection switch 9 vehicle speed sensor 10 remote Operation switch 11 Key body A1 Door opening/closing track area A2 Dangerous area outside vehicle A3 Danger reserve area outside vehicle A4 Danger area inside vehicle ACT1 Release actuator ACT2 Lock/unlock actuator C Vehicle CDR Fully closed door latch device CL Closer device D1 Side door D2 Sliding door D3 Interior trim E Rear entrance/exit IH Inside handle OH Outside handle ODR Fully open door latch device S Rear seat S1 Backrest

Claims (2)

a door opening and closing device capable of electrically opening and closing a sliding door supported by a vehicle body so as to be openable and closable;
an operation switch on the inside of the vehicle and an operation switch on the outside of the vehicle that are operated when the sliding door is opened by the door opening/closing device;
Imaging that is arranged in a vehicle interior and that can image a predetermined area set in a range between a position slightly away from the reference plane to the inside of the vehicle interior with respect to the lining trim of the sliding door in the vehicle interior. Department and
an object detection unit capable of identifying the presence or absence of an object in the predetermined area based on image information captured by the imaging unit;
a control unit capable of driving and controlling the door opening/closing device in response to the operation of the operation switch on the inside of the vehicle and the operation switch on the outside of the vehicle ;
The control unit causes the object detection unit to identify an object in the predetermined area based on image information captured by the image capturing unit when the slide door is in the fully closed position, and to detect the identified object. When the image information of is within a predetermined size range and a generally rounded human head is identified, the opening operation of the operation switch on the inside of the vehicle is validated, while the operation switch on the outside of the vehicle is validated. A door opening/closing control system, wherein opening operation of an operation switch is invalidated so as not to execute opening drive control of the door opening/closing device. 2. The door opening/closing control system according to claim 1 , wherein the imaging unit is a range image camera that acquires image information including three-dimensional range information.

Images