WO2017122718A1

WO2017122718A1 - Parking assistance system, parking assistance method, and program

Info

Publication number: WO2017122718A1
Application number: PCT/JP2017/000788
Authority: WO
Inventors: 裕介木内; 泰郎藤島; 飯尾　聡; 塘中　哲也; ケビンウォルターズ
Original assignee: 三菱重工業株式会社; 三菱自動車工業株式会社
Priority date: 2016-01-12
Filing date: 2017-01-12
Publication date: 2017-07-20
Also published as: JP2017124659A

Abstract

This parking assistance system comprises: a route calculator for calculating, on the basis of a position to start parking and a target parking position, a unit route, by which a vehicle most closely approaches the target parking position, among routes including a single forward movement and a single reverse movement; and an actuator controller for performing running control such that the vehicle moves on the basis of the unit route. While the actuator controller performs the running control of the vehicle on the basis of the unit route, the route calculator calculates the next unit route in which a departure position is an arrival position of the unit route.

Description

Parking support system, parking support method and program

The present invention relates to a parking assistance system, a parking assistance method, and a program.
This application claims priority on January 12, 2016 based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-003407 filed in Japan, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Developed parking assistance devices that support garage entry and parallel parking. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a parking assist device that detects a target parking position while moving a vehicle forward from an initial parking position, and calculates a backward path from the position to the target parking position when the forward movement is stopped. Has been. In this parking assistance device, when it is determined that the vehicle cannot be parked to the target parking position once, the process of setting the target parking position while moving the vehicle forward again and calculating the reverse route is performed up to the target parking position. Repeat until the reverse path is established.

JP 2008-284969 A

By the way, when the steering angle is restricted due to the performance of the vehicle or when parking in a narrow parking space, it is not possible to perform parking in one reversing operation, and it is often necessary to perform multiple turning operations. . In such a case, in the method of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to repeat the process of resetting the target parking position and the reverse route each time, and the influence of the reverse route calculation time on the overall parking time becomes large. Can be considered. There is no guarantee that the reverse path is easily established, and the driver may feel stress depending on the calculation time until the reverse path is established.

The present invention provides a parking support system, a parking support method, and a program that can solve the above-described problems.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the parking assistance system is a unit that is closest to the target parking position among the paths consisting of one forward and one reverse based on the parking start position and the target parking position. A route calculation unit that calculates a route; and an actuator control unit that performs traveling control so as to move the vehicle based on the unit route. The route calculation unit includes: a vehicle that is based on the unit route. While the traveling control is being performed, the next unit route having the arrival position of the unit route as the starting position is calculated.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the route calculation unit acquires intrusion prohibited area information, and using the intrusion prohibited area information, a part of the unit route is not included in the intrusion prohibited area information. The unit route may be calculated as follows.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the parking support system further includes a parking position estimation unit that sequentially calculates position information of a target parking position based on spatial information detected by a sensor, and the route calculation unit includes: The unit route may be calculated based on the target parking position calculated by the parking position estimation unit.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the parking position estimation unit sequentially calculates intrusion prohibited area information based on the spatial information detected by the sensor, and the route calculation unit is configured such that a part of the unit route is the The unit route may be calculated so as not to be included in the intrusion prohibited area information calculated by the parking position estimation unit.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the parking support system further includes a parking position determination unit that acquires map information of a parking lot and calculates position information of a target parking position based on the map information. The route calculation unit may calculate the unit route based on the target parking position calculated by the parking position determination unit.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the parking position determining unit calculates intrusion prohibited area information based on the map information, and the route calculating unit is configured such that a part of the unit route is the parking position determining unit. The unit route may be calculated so as not to be included in the intrusion prohibited area information calculated by the above.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the parking support system includes a storage unit including a plurality of storage areas for storing information of unit routes calculated by the route calculation unit, and a unit route calculated by the route calculation unit. A control mode switching unit that selects, from the plurality of storage areas, a storage area of each of the information storage destination and the unit path information reading destination used by the actuator control unit, and the control mode switching part includes: The recording destination of the next unit path information calculated by the path calculation unit may be selected from a storage area different from the reading destination of the unit path information used by the actuator control unit.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, the storage unit includes a first storage area and a second storage area, and the control mode switching unit is configured to switch a recording destination of information on the unit path for each unit path. A second switching unit that switches a storage area from which the path information used by the actuator control unit is read, and the actuator control unit performs travel control of the vehicle. May switch the reading destination to a storage area different from the storage area selected by the first switching unit.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, the parking assist system further includes a self-position estimating unit that estimates a current position of the vehicle, and the route calculating unit is configured to estimate the unit route estimated by the self-position estimating unit. The calculation of the next unit route is repeated until the distance between the vehicle position at the arrival position of the vehicle and the target parking position is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, and the actuator controller is a unit previously calculated by the route calculator. The vehicle may be moved based on the route.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, a unit path that is closest to the target parking position is calculated based on the parking start position and the target parking position, and the unit path is closest to the target parking position. In performing the travel control to move the vehicle based on the route, while performing the travel control of the vehicle based on the unit route, calculate the next unit route starting from the arrival position of the unit route, This is a parking assistance method.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, the computer of the parking assistance system is a unit that is closest to the target parking position among the paths consisting of one forward and one reverse based on the parking start position and the target parking position. A program for functioning as a means for calculating a route, a means for performing travel control so as to move the vehicle based on the unit route, wherein the means for calculating the unit route is a vehicle traveling based on the unit route. A program for calculating a next unit path starting from the arrival position of the unit path while performing control.

According to the parking support system, the parking support method, and the program described above, when the vehicle is parked, the waiting time caused by the calculation of the travel route to the target parking position is reduced, the time required for parking is shortened, and the driver's stress is reduced. Reduction can be realized.

It is a block diagram which shows an example of the parking assistance system in 1st embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a figure explaining the outline of operation | movement of the parking assistance system in 1st embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a 1st figure explaining operation | movement of the parking assistance system in 1st embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a 2nd figure explaining operation | movement of the parking assistance system in 1st embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a 3rd figure explaining operation | movement of the parking assistance system in 1st embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a 4th figure explaining operation | movement of the parking assistance system in 1st embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a 5th figure explaining operation | movement of the parking assistance system in 1st embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a 6th figure explaining operation | movement of the parking assistance system in 1st embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the process in the parking assistance system in 1st embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the parking assistance system in 2nd embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of the parking assistance system in 2nd embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the parking assistance system in 3rd embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of the parking assistance system in 3rd embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a system block diagram which shows an example of the parking assistance system in 4th embodiment which concerns on this invention.

<First embodiment>
Hereinafter, a parking assistance system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a parking assistance system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
The parking support system 10 is a computer device mounted on a vehicle and supports automatic parking of a vehicle on which the parking support system 10 is mounted. The parking support system 10 includes an input unit 11, a self-position estimation unit 12, a parking route calculation unit 13, an actuator control unit 14, a control mode switching unit 15, a storage unit 16, and an output unit 17. .

The input unit 11 acquires position information of the target parking position and attitude information when the vehicle is parked at the target parking position. The input unit 11 acquires position information of an intrusion prohibited area existing in a predetermined area including the current vehicle position and the target parking position. The input unit 11 acquires information on the current position information and posture information of the vehicle from an odometry sensor provided in the vehicle, for example, at predetermined time intervals. Odometry sensors are, for example, a vehicle speed sensor and a steering angle sensor. Furthermore, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, a GPS, or the like may be further used in combination.

The self-position estimating unit 12 estimates the current position of the vehicle on which the parking support system 10 is mounted. For example, the self-position estimation unit 12 calculates the current vehicle position information and posture information based on the detected values of the vehicle speed sensor and the steering angle sensor acquired by the input unit 11.

The parking route calculation unit 13 calculates a route from the initial parking position to the target parking position (referred to as a parking route). In the present embodiment, a moving path composed of one continuous forward movement and one backward movement is referred to as a frame (unit path), and a parking method for moving the vehicle to the target parking position by repeating this frame-by-frame movement is considered. . That is, the parking route is composed of one frame or a plurality of consecutive frames. As will be described later, the parking route calculation unit 13 sequentially calculates unit route information for each frame when calculating the parking route. The unit route information includes information on the track of one frame and a vehicle control signal for moving the vehicle along the track. The vehicle control signal is a signal that controls the movement of the actuator of the vehicle related to the parking operation. The vehicle control signal is, for example, a wheel (front wheel) steering angle command value, a vehicle speed command value, a shift command value, or the like. The information about the trajectory of one frame is, for example, vehicle trajectory XY coordinate information, attitude information, and the like. In particular, in the present embodiment, the parking route calculation unit 13 uses the arrival position in the unit route information as the departure position while the actuator control unit 14 to be described below performs the travel control of the vehicle based on the unit route information. The unit path information of the next frame is calculated.

The actuator control unit 14 performs control (travel control) for moving the vehicle on which the parking support system 10 is mounted based on the unit route information. Specifically, the actuator control unit 14 uses the XY coordinate information, the posture information, and the odometry sensor calculated by the parking route calculation unit 13 while driving the vehicle based on the vehicle control signal generated by the parking route calculation unit 13. Feedback control is performed so that the obtained self-position and posture match, and the vehicle is moved to the target position.

The control mode switching unit 15 switches the recording destination of the unit route information calculated by the parking route calculation unit 13 and the reading destination of the unit route information used by the actuator control unit 14 for vehicle travel control. Thereby, the control mode switching unit 15 realizes an operation in which the actuator control unit 14 performs traveling control based on the unit route information of the current frame while the parking route calculation unit 13 calculates the unit route information of the next frame. .

The storage unit 16 stores the position information of the target parking position acquired by the input unit 11. The storage unit 16 stores information indicating the trajectory of each frame calculated by the parking route calculation unit 13.
The output unit 17 notifies the start and completion of automatic parking or displays the progress of automatic parking using a display device provided in the driver's seat of the vehicle.
The input unit 11, the self-position estimation unit 12, the parking route calculation unit 13, the actuator control unit 14, the control mode switching unit 15, and the output unit 17 are stored in the storage unit 16 and the CPU included in the parking support system 10. This function is provided in the parking support system 10 by reading and executing the program to be executed.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the outline of the operation of the parking assistance system in the first embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a certain vehicle automatically parks at a target parking position. The parking assistance system 10 calculates a parking route in automatic parking, and moves the vehicle to the target parking position along the route. In FIG. 2, a broken line indicates a parking route from the initial parking position P1 to the target parking position P3 via the turn-back position P2 and the like. The parking route in FIG. 2 is composed of two frames. The route of the first frame includes a broken line 1A indicating a route where the vehicle moves forward from the parking initial position P1 and a broken line 1B indicating a route where the vehicle moves backward from the turn-back position P2.
Similarly, the route of the second frame is composed of a broken line 2A indicating a route forward with the arrival position of the first frame as a starting position and a broken line 2B indicating a route backward. The final arrival position of the second frame is the target parking position P3.

In FIG. 2, a rectangular area represents an intrusion prohibited area. In the case of a parking space as illustrated in FIG. 2, the distance L1 is short and the space is restricted when the vehicle tries to turn. In the case of such a space, it is difficult to move from the initial parking position P1 to the target parking position P3 in one turn unless the vehicle has a sufficiently high performance of the actuator and can exhibit a large steering torque. Even in the case where there is a certain margin in the distance L1, in a vehicle in which the steering torque is not sufficient and the turning angle of the vehicle cannot be made large, the vehicle must move from the initial parking position P1 to the target parking position P3 by one turn. It is difficult. Accordingly, in such a vehicle, as illustrated in FIG. 2, it is necessary to perform turn-back a plurality of times (for example, twice) and move to the target parking position P3. By the way, although the calculation of the parking route depends on the complexity of the algorithm to be implemented, it needs to be calculated in consideration of the geometric constraint conditions caused by the vehicle structure, and generally has only finite computational resources. For the in-vehicle computer device, the calculation load is not small. Therefore, if the target parking position is reached by one turnover (that is, movement of one frame), the calculation load increases in the case of a parking route that requires a plurality of turnovers. The total operation time until the parking is completed will also be lengthened. In particular, as a problem assumed in actual operation, if a vehicle existing at the initial parking position P1 performs automatic parking after waiting for calculation of all the parking paths, the vehicle is forced to stop on the spot. If the vehicle moves for one frame and then stops and calculates the next frame each time, the parking time also increases as the number of frames increases. The result is that the driver feels stressed about having to stop every frame. In addition, the extended parking time may cause various problems such as an influence on other vehicles trying to pass nearby.

In order to solve such problems, measures such as adopting an actuator that can take a large steering angle, or mounting the parking support system 10 on a computer device having a high computing ability can be considered, but in either case, the cost is high. Therefore it is not realistic. The automatic parking systems that have been proposed so far have often been premised on being mounted on relatively high performance vehicles. In such a vehicle, the performance of the actuator is high and the turning angle of the vehicle is large, and it is often possible to move to the target parking position in one frame. Therefore, in such a vehicle, the above-mentioned problem was not recognized. However, a driver who needs assistance by the automatic parking function is not necessarily in such a high-performance vehicle. For example, a general vehicle power steering system is designed for the purpose of assisting the steering operation by the driver, so even if it is controlled to turn the front wheels only with the power steering system during automatic driving, it is equivalent to driving by a person In many cases, the steering wheel cannot be turned at a steering angle of. In order to satisfy the needs of a driver who rides a general vehicle, it is necessary to design a parking assistance system on the assumption that the vehicle has a limited performance and is relatively inexpensive. Therefore, in the present embodiment, it is assumed that the vehicle is parked in a narrow space or a vehicle with a limited turning angle and is parked while being repeatedly turned. Furthermore, a parking route consisting of a series of multiple frames can be calculated based on the computing performance of a computer device installed in a general vehicle, preventing an increase in the time required for automatic parking and automatic parking that does not cause the driver to feel stress. A parking support system 10 is provided.

Specifically, the parking support system 10 first calculates the unit route information of the first frame at the parking initial position, and starts the movement of the first frame immediately after the calculation. The parking support system 10 performs travel control for the first frame, and calculates unit route information for the second frame while the vehicle is moving. When the movement of the first frame is completed, the parking support system 10 calculates unit route information of the third frame while performing the travel control of the second frame. As described above, the parking assistance system 10 repeats the process of moving after calculating the minimum route and calculating the next route while moving. Vehicle control signals include forward / reverse vehicle speed and steering angle control information, as well as one frame return position (switching from forward to reverse) and forward / backward shift operation (1st speed for forward travel, back for reverse travel, etc.) ) Is included, and driving operations when parking can be automated. By calculating the route for one frame in advance, it is not necessary to stop at the turn-back position, and the length of the entire parking time can be prevented.
Below, operation | movement of the parking assistance system 10 of this embodiment is demonstrated in detail.

FIG. 3 is a first diagram illustrating the operation of the parking support system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 3, X ₀ -Y ₀ coordinates are a local coordinate system based on the centers of both rear wheels of the vehicle at the initial parking position P1. Similarly, the XY coordinate is a local coordinate system when located at P2 during driving, and the X _r -Y _r coordinate is a local coordinate system at the target parking position P3. The local coordinate system is a coordinate system in which the X axis is set in the traveling direction of the vehicle body and the Y axis is set in the vehicle width direction. In this embodiment, as an example, the parking route calculation unit 13 calculates the trajectory information of the frame with reference to the local coordinate system in the vehicle at the starting position of the frame to be calculated. The vehicle position information is represented by (X coordinate, Y coordinate) in the local coordinate system at that time. The posture information is represented by an angle θ in the traveling direction of the vehicle with reference to the X axis of the local coordinate system.

An example of the calculation method of the trajectory information will be described. The parking route calculation unit 13 calculates a plurality of unit route information candidates for one frame, and selects unit route information closest to the target parking position among them.
The parking route calculation unit 13 sets values in an appropriate range for parameters such as a steering angle and a vehicle speed, and generates a plurality of patterns of trajectory information at the time of forward movement of one frame. The parking route calculation unit 13 calculates position information and posture information (X _i , Y _i , θ _i ) (i = 1 to N) of the arrival position when the vehicle is advanced along the trajectory. When a plurality of candidates for the arrival position at the time of forward determination (for example, N = 10 patterns) are determined, the parking route calculation unit 13 calculates a plurality of patterns of the trajectory candidates for the backward movement with the respective arrival positions as the starting positions, for one frame. Calculate trajectory candidates for. Next, the parking route calculation unit 13 calculates the final arrival position (X _j , Y _j , θ _j ) (j = 1 to N) in the calculated backward travel path. The parking route calculation unit 13 calculates the distance between the final arrival position and the target parking position, and selects the final arrival position closest to the target parking position. The parking route calculation unit 13 determines a combination of a trajectory at the time of reverse travel having the selected final arrival position and a trajectory at the time of forward travel having the start position of the reverse travel trajectory at the arrival position as a trajectory of one frame. In the parking space around the target parking position 25, the parked vehicles 100 to 102 are already parked. The parking route calculation unit 13 calculates a trajectory during forward and reverse travel so as not to pass through an intrusion prohibited area such as a parking space of the parked vehicles 100 to 102. For example, the parking route calculation unit 13 corrects the trajectory so that the vehicle stops before the intrusion prohibited area when the trajectory during forward and reverse passes through the intrusion prohibited area. For example, when the forward trajectory passes through the intrusion prohibited area, the parking route calculation unit 13 ends the forward trajectory before the intrusion prohibited area. The parking route calculation unit 13 calculates a backward trajectory using the corrected arrival position as the starting position of the reverse trajectory.

FIG. 4 is a second diagram illustrating the operation of the parking support system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a system block diagram illustrating a specific configuration example of the parking support system according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 4, the odometry 121 is an example of the self-position estimation unit 12, and the planner 131 is an example of the parking route calculation unit 13. The switching circuit 151, the switching circuit 152, and the end determination circuit 153 are examples of the control mode switching unit 15. The route data storage area 161, the route data storage area 162, and the previous route storage unit 163 (described as “Z ⁻¹ ” in the drawing) are stored in the storage unit 16.
The odometry 121 acquires the vehicle speed sensor value detected by the vehicle speed sensor and the steering angle sensor value detected by the steering angle sensor at predetermined time intervals, and calculates the travel amount of the host vehicle. The odometry 121 calculates the current vehicle position information and posture information by accumulating the calculated travel amount. The odometry 121 outputs the calculated vehicle position information and posture information to the end determination circuit 153, the planner 131, and the controller 141.

The planner 131 acquires target parking position / posture information, vehicle initial position / posture information (X ₀ , Y ₀ , θ ₀ ), intrusion prohibited area information, and previous route plan result information. At the start of automatic parking, the planner 131 uses the initial vehicle position / posture information (X ₀ , Y ₀ , θ ₀ ), the target parking position / posture information, and the first frame route information based on the intrusion prohibited area information. Calculate The vehicle initial position and attitude information may be acquired from the odometry 121, or values input by a driver or the like may be acquired. As described with reference to FIG. 3, the planner 131 calculates a plurality of patterns of the route of the first frame that does not enter the intrusion prohibited area, and selects the route that can be closest to the target parking position from among them.

The switching circuit 151 selects a storage area that is a recording destination of unit path information calculated by the planner 131. Since no unit route information is recorded in any storage area at the start of automatic parking, the switching circuit 151 selects, for example, the route data storage area 161 and the recording destination of the unit route information is stored in the route data storage area 161. Switch. The planner 131 records unit path information of the first frame in the path data storage area 161. The route data storage area 161 stores unit route information of the first frame.
When the unit route information of the first frame is calculated, the planner 131 records the position information and posture information of the final arrival position of the first frame in the previous route storage unit 163.

When the unit path information of the first frame is recorded, the switching circuit 152 switches the reading destination of the unit path information of the controller 141 to the path data storage area 161 in which the unit path information of the first frame is recorded. The controller 141 reads unit path information of the first frame from the path data storage area 161 and outputs an actuator instruction value to each actuator. The controller 141 acquires the current position and orientation information calculated by the odometry 121 at predetermined time intervals, and performs feedback control so that the vehicle travels along the route indicated by the unit route information of the first frame.

Thus, in the present embodiment, first, the vehicle stops at the initial parking position, and the route calculation for the first frame is performed. Then, as soon as the calculation of the route information of the first frame is completed, the movement of the vehicle is started. If the calculation is for only the first frame, the calculation time does not require excessive time, and the driver is not stressed. Since the route for one frame is calculated, there is no need to stop at the time of switching or to adjust the backward route, so that the driver's psychological burden can be reduced.

FIG. 5 is a third diagram illustrating the operation of the parking support system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
The operation of the parking support system 10 while the vehicle is moving along the route of the first frame will be described following FIG.
When the planner 131 records the unit path information of the first frame in the path data storage area 161, the switching circuit 151 switches the recording destination of the unit path information from the path data storage area 161 to the path data storage area 162.
The controller 141 reads the unit route information from the route data storage area 161 connected to the switching circuit 152, and continues to drive the vehicle toward the final arrival position of the first frame. During this time, the odometry 121 continues to calculate the position information and attitude information of the vehicle, and the controller 141 performs feedback control using the latest position information and attitude information of the vehicle. Meanwhile, the planner 131 acquires the previous route plan result (position information and posture information of the final arrival position of the first frame) from the previous route storage unit 163, and the previous route plan result and the position and posture of the target parking position. Based on the information and the intrusion prohibited area information, the unit route information of the second frame is calculated. At this time, the planner 131 calculates unit route information by converting the vehicle position information and posture information at the final arrival position of the first frame (start position of the second frame) into local coordinates. The calculation of the unit route information of the second frame by the planner 131 is performed while the vehicle moves along the route of the first frame, and is completed during the movement. The planner 131 records the calculated unit path information of the second frame in the path data storage area 162 that is the recording destination switched by the switching circuit 151. The planner 131 records the position information and posture information of the final arrival position of the second frame in the previous path storage unit 163.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the controller 141 reads out the unit route information of the current frame (current traveling route) from the storage area in which the information is recorded, and performs the traveling control, while the planner 131 performs the unit route of the next frame. Information is calculated and the results are recorded in different storage areas. In this way, the planner 131 can calculate the route of the next frame without disturbing the travel control of the current frame by the controller 141. Thus, it is possible to prepare for the movement of the next frame before reaching the final arrival position of the current frame. Therefore, the vehicle smoothly shifts to the movement of the second frame, and the vehicle does not stop every frame. As a result, the time required for automatic parking can be prevented from increasing, and the driver's stress can be reduced.

FIG. 6 is the 4th figure explaining operation | movement of the parking assistance system in 1st embodiment which concerns on this invention.
Next to FIG. 5, the operation of the parking support system 10 while the vehicle is moving on the route of the second frame will be described.
When the controller 141 completes the travel control for the first frame, the end determination circuit 153 determines the end. The end determination circuit 153 acquires, for example, position information and posture information (X _r , Y _r , θ _r ) of the target parking position input by the user. The end determination circuit 153 performs the end determination by comparing the target parking position / posture information with the current (final arrival position of the first frame) position / posture information calculated by the odometry 121. For example, if the distance between the two is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, the end determination circuit 153 determines that the vehicle has reached the target estimated position and determines to end the automatic parking process. In other cases, it is determined that the automatic parking process is continued. It is assumed that it is determined that the automatic parking process is continued this time.

Then, the switching circuit 152 switches the reading destination of the unit route information from the route data storage area 161 to the route data storage area 162. The controller 141 reads unit route information from the route data storage area 162 to which the switching circuit 152 is connected, and starts running control along the route of the second frame. On the other hand, when the switching circuit 152 switches the reading destination of the unit path information, the switching circuit 151 switches the recording destination of the unit path information from the path data storage area 162 to the path data storage area 161. Then, the planner 131 obtains the previous route plan result (position information and posture information of the final arrival position of the second frame) from the previous route storage unit 163, and calculates unit route information of the third frame. The calculation of the unit route information of the third frame by the planner 131 is performed while the vehicle moves along the route of the second frame, and is completed during the movement. The planner 131 writes the calculated unit route information of the third frame to the route data storage area 161 in which the route data of the first frame that has already been moved is recorded (overwrite). The planner 131 records the position information and posture information of the final arrival position of the third frame in the previous path storage unit 163. Thereafter, the same processing is repeated until the vehicle reaches the target parking position. That is, the parking assist system 10 appropriately stores the storage area in which the unit route information of the next frame is recorded by the switching

circuits

151 and 152 so that the storage area in which the unit route information of the current frame being moved does not overlap. While switching the area, the process for controlling the current frame while repeating the calculation of the unit route information of the next frame is repeated. This shortens the time required for automatic parking and improves the convenience of the driver.

FIG. 7 is a fifth diagram for explaining the operation of the parking support system in the first embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a sixth diagram illustrating the operation of the parking support system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
The outline of the internal processing of the planner 131 and the start position and posture information of each frame will be described with reference to FIGS.
The planner 131 includes a switching circuit 132 and a route calculation unit 133. The switching circuit 132 switches the acquisition source of the vehicle position information and posture information at the start position of the frame to be calculated. The route calculation unit 133 determines the unit route of the next frame based on the vehicle position information and posture information at the start position of the frame to be calculated, the vehicle position information and posture information at the target parking position, and the entry prohibition area information. Calculate information.

In the calculation of the first frame in FIG. 8, the coordinate information of the “a” point and the posture information at the “a” point are used as the position information and the posture information of the start position. At this time, the switching circuit 132 switches the acquisition position of the first frame starting position and posture information to the parking initial position and posture information input destination (for example, odometry 121) at the start of the automatic parking process. The planner 131 calculates unit route information of the first frame composed of the route 1a and the route 1b.
In the calculation of the second frame, the coordinate information and posture information of the “b” point that is the final arrival position of the first frame is used as the value of the start position and posture information. At this time, the switching circuit 132 switches the acquisition position of the next frame start position and orientation information to the previous path storage unit 163. The planner 131 calculates unit route information of the second frame composed of the route 2a and the route 2b.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of processing in the parking support system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
The flow of the automatic parking process according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The parking support system 10 is assumed to have the configuration described with reference to FIGS.
First, the driver performs an automatic driving start instruction operation. At this time, for example, the driver inputs the parking target position and posture information and the intrusion prohibited area information to the parking assistance system 10. Then, the planner 131 acquires the parking target position / posture information and the entry prohibition area information via the input unit 11 (step S11).
Next, the planner 131 calculates unit path information for the first frame (step S12). At this time, in the planner 131, the switching circuit 132 switches the acquisition position of the start position and posture information of the first frame, and acquires the vehicle initial position and posture information. The vehicle initial position and posture information is, for example, the position and posture information of the vehicle on which the parking support system 10 is calculated, which is calculated by the odometry 121 when the driver performs an automatic driving start instruction operation. The switching circuit 151 selects the path data storage area 161 as the recording destination of the unit path information of the first frame. The switching circuit 152 selects the path data storage area 161 as a reading destination of the unit path information of the first frame. The planner 131 simulates, for example, a plurality of forward paths and a plurality of reverse paths starting from the arrival positions of the respective forward paths, and the target parking position is the most out of the frames in which the simulated forward paths and reverse paths are combined. Unit route information is calculated by selecting a frame close to. When the calculation of the unit route information is completed, the planner 131 records the unit route information of the first frame in the route data storage area 161. When the recording of the unit path information of the first frame is completed, the switching circuit 151 switches the recording destination of the unit path information to the path data storage area 162. The planner 131 records the position information and posture information of the final arrival position of the first frame in the previous path storage unit 163.

Next, the controller 141 reads the unit route information of the first frame from the route data storage area 161. The controller 141 performs traveling control of the current frame (first frame) (step S13). Specifically, the controller 141 outputs time-series steering angle control information and vehicle speed information included in the unit route information as actuator instruction values to an actuator that controls the steering angle of the front wheels and an actuator that controls the rotational speed of the wheels. To do. The controller 141 compares the vehicle position and orientation information acquired from the odometry 121 with the route information included in the unit route information, adjusts the actuator instruction value so that the vehicle travels the planned route, and moves the vehicle movement route. Feedback control is performed.

In parallel with the processing in step S13, the planner 131 calculates unit path information of the next frame (second frame) (step S14). At this time, in the planner 131, the switching circuit 132 switches the start position of the next frame and the acquisition destination of the posture information to the previous path storage unit 163. The planner 131 calculates unit route information of the next frame using the position and orientation information at the final arrival position of the current frame (first frame) recorded in the previous route storage unit 163 as the initial position and orientation values. The route calculation method is the same as in the first frame. When the calculation of the unit route information is completed, the planner 131 records the unit route information of the next frame in the route data storage area 162. The planner 131 records the position information and posture information of the final arrival position of the second frame in the previous path storage unit 163.

When the travel control of the current frame (first frame) is completed and the final arrival position of the current frame is reached, the end determination circuit 153 determines whether or not the target parking position has been reached (step S15). For example, the end determination circuit 153 obtains a distance between both from the position information of the final arrival position of the current frame and the position information of the target parking position, and if the distance is within a predetermined threshold, the vehicle is set at the target parking position. Judge that it has reached. In other cases, the end determination circuit 153 determines that the vehicle has not reached the target parking position. If it is determined that the vehicle has reached the target parking position (step S15; Yes), the automatic parking process is terminated.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the vehicle has not reached the target parking position (step S15; No), the switching circuit 151 and the switching circuit 152 perform a switching process. For example, when the target parking position is not reached in the first frame, the switching circuit 151 switches the recording destination of the unit route information to the route data storage area 161 in which the unit route information of the first frame is recorded. The switching circuit 152 switches the reading destination of the unit route information to the route data storage area 162 in which the unit route information of the second frame is recorded. Then, the process from step S13 is sent back again.

According to the present embodiment, even in a situation where a parking route including a plurality of forward and backward movements is necessary, the calculation of the next unit route is performed in advance during the movement of the vehicle, so the entire parking time is Can be shortened. This improves the convenience of the driver. Even if there is a limitation in the ability of the steering torque and parking is impossible with one turn, the target parking position can be finally reached by asymptotically guiding the vehicle to the target parking position. Thereby, an expensive actuator is not necessarily required, and the vehicle manufacturer can reduce the manufacturing cost of the vehicle. Since the parking assistance system 10 of the present embodiment can be installed and operated without requiring major modifications to existing vehicles, it is easy to introduce the vehicle to a wide variety of vehicles.

<Second embodiment>
Hereinafter, a parking assistance system according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the first embodiment, the case where the driver himself gives information on the target parking position and intrusion prohibited area information has been described as an example. In the second embodiment, an empty space serving as a target parking position is detected by an optical sensor such as a camera provided in the vehicle, or an intrusion prohibited area is detected by measuring a distance to an obstacle using an ultrasonic sensor or the like. The configuration.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a parking support system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
Among the configurations according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those constituting the parking assistance system 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and description thereof will be omitted. The parking support system 10A according to the second embodiment includes a parking position estimation unit 18 in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment.
The parking position estimation unit 18 sequentially calculates the target parking position and the position information of the intrusion prohibited area based on the spatial information detected by the sensor.

FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the parking assistance system in the second embodiment according to the present invention.
In FIG. 11, a target parking position / intrusion prohibition area estimation circuit 181 (hereinafter referred to as a target parking position estimation circuit 181) is an example of the parking position estimation unit 18. The target parking position estimation circuit 181 acquires an image captured by the camera from a camera mounted on the vehicle at predetermined time intervals, for example. For example, the camera is mounted on the front, side mirror, and rear of the vehicle body. The target parking position estimation circuit 181 acquires, for example, distance information from an ultrasonic sensor mounted on the vehicle with respect to an object existing around the vehicle detected by the ultrasonic sensor at predetermined time intervals. The target parking position estimation circuit 181 detects a parking space based on the acquired image and calculates its position information. The target parking position estimation circuit 181 calculates position information of an intrusion prohibited area where an obstacle or the like exists using the acquired image or distance information. The position information of these parking spaces and intrusion prohibited areas may be calculated using a known method. The target parking position estimation circuit 181 calculates the position information of the target parking position and the intrusion prohibited area every time the value detected by the sensor is acquired. The target parking position estimation circuit 181 outputs information on the target parking position calculated sequentially to the planner 131 and the end determination circuit 153. The target parking position estimation circuit 181 outputs the intrusion prohibited area information calculated sequentially to the planner 131. The planner 131 includes the latest target parking position information acquired from the target parking position estimation circuit 181, the latest intrusion prohibited area information, and the position and posture information at the final arrival position of the current frame recorded in the previous route storage unit 163. Based on the above, the unit path information of the next frame is calculated. The end determination circuit 153 determines the end based on the latest target parking position information acquired from the target parking position estimation circuit 181 and the current position information of the vehicle estimated by the odometry 121 at the end of movement of the current frame. I do. Other operations are the same as in the first embodiment.

According to the present embodiment, the target parking position and the intrusion prohibited area can be automatically set without teaching from the driver to the system, and the convenience of the driver is improved. Since the target parking position and the intrusion prohibited area are set based on the information actually detected by the sensor, the situation changes (abrupt equipment changes, etc.) compared to the case where the driver registers the target parking position in the vehicle system in advance. ), A robust system that can flexibly cope with the problem.

<Third embodiment>
Hereinafter, a parking support system according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In 3rd embodiment, it is set as the structure which calculates a target parking position and an intrusion prohibition area | region based on the parking lot map information in which the exact dimension of the parking area was reflected and the real-time parking condition was reflected.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing an example of a parking support system according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
Among the configurations according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those constituting the parking support system 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and description thereof will be omitted. The parking assistance system 10B according to the third embodiment includes a parking position determination unit 19 in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment.
The parking position determination unit 19 determines the target parking position and the position information of the intrusion prohibited area based on the map information of the parking lot.

FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the parking support system in the third embodiment according to the present invention.
In FIG. 13, a target parking position determination circuit / intrusion prohibition area determination circuit 191 (hereinafter referred to as a target parking position determination circuit 191) is an example of the parking position determination unit 19. The target parking position determination circuit 191 acquires the parking lot map 192 and determines the position information of the target parking position and the entry prohibition area based on the acquired parking lot map 192. The parking lot map 192 includes at least size information of individual parking sections in the parking lot, and may further include information on real-time occupation conditions of the parking sections. The parking lot map 192 is stored in a server terminal device installed in a parking lot facility or a server terminal device installed on a data center or cloud. The information on the parking lot map 192 held by the parking facility facility side or the data center side server terminal device is constantly updated to match the actual parking situation of the parking lot. The target parking position determination circuit 191 acquires the parking lot map 192 from these server terminal devices by communication means such as wireless communication. The target parking position determination circuit 191 determines a target parking position and an intrusion prohibited area with reference to the latest parking lot map 192. For example, the target parking position determination circuit 191 determines an empty parking space closest to the current vehicle position estimated by the odometry 121 as the target parking position. Alternatively, an area where parking is easy is defined in advance in the positional relationship with the current vehicle position, and the target parking position determination circuit 191 sets the parking area included in the parking lot map 192 to an area where parking is easy. An existing parking space may be determined as the target parking position. The target parking position determination circuit 191 detects an obstacle (intrusion prohibited area) existing in a predetermined area including the vehicle position and the target parking position from the parking lot map 192. The target parking position determination circuit 191 calculates the determined target parking position and the position information (coordinate information) of the detected entry prohibition area. The target parking position determination circuit 191 may newly calculate the target parking position and the position information of the intrusion prohibited area every time the information on the parking lot map 192 is updated. The target parking position determination circuit 191 outputs the calculated target parking position information to the planner 131 and the end determination circuit 153. The target parking position determination circuit 191 outputs the calculated entry prohibition area information to the planner 131. The planner 131 includes the latest target parking position information acquired from the target parking position determination circuit 191, the latest intrusion prohibited area information, and the position and posture information at the final arrival position of the current frame recorded in the previous route storage unit 163. Based on, the unit path information of the next frame is calculated. The end determination circuit 153 performs the end determination based on the latest target parking position information acquired from the target parking position determination circuit 191 and the vehicle position information estimated by the odometry 121 at the end of the movement of the current frame. Do. Other operations in this embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment.

According to the present embodiment, the target parking position and the intrusion prohibited area can be automatically set based on the latest accurate map information without teaching from the driver to the system, and the convenience of the driver is improved. By constantly updating the map information stored in the parking facility equipment system and the data center server terminal device, the situation changes compared to the case where the map information is registered in the vehicle system in advance. The system can be robust against parking conditions.

<Fourth embodiment>
Hereinafter, a parking assistance system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the first to third embodiments, the case where there are two path data storage areas has been described as an example. However, there may be three or more route data storage areas.
FIG. 14 is a system block diagram showing an example of a parking support system according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a system block diagram when three path data storage areas are provided. In FIG. 14, only the switching

circuits

151 and 152 and the path

data storage areas

161, 162, and 164 are described, and the description of other components (planner 131 and the like) is omitted.
When three route data storage areas are provided as illustrated in FIG. 14, for example, when the first frame is running, not only the second frame but also the third frame when there is enough time to calculate the third frame. Eye unit path information can be calculated and recorded. If all the routes to reach the target parking position can be predicted by calculating multiple frames in advance, for example, the driver will be displayed as “If you switch back X times, you will reach the target parking position”. To relieve the driver's stress.
The operations of the switching

circuits

151 and 152 are the same as in the case where there are two path data storage areas. That is, the switching circuit 152 selects the path data storage area in which the unit path information of the current frame is recorded, and the switching circuit 151 selects the path data storage area in which the unit path information of the unrecorded or executed frame is recorded. To do.

Each process in the

parking support system

10, 10A, 10B described above is stored in a computer-readable recording medium in the form of a program, and this program is read and executed by a computer such as the parking support system 10 or the like. The above processing is performed. Here, the computer-readable recording medium means a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, a semiconductor memory, or the like. The computer program may be distributed to the computer via a communication line, and the computer that has received the distribution may execute the program.

The program may be for realizing a part of the functions described above.
Furthermore, what can implement | achieve the function mentioned above in combination with the program already recorded on the computer system, what is called a difference file (difference program) may be sufficient.
The parking assistance system 10 may be configured by a single computer or may be configured by a plurality of computers connected so as to be communicable.

All or part of the functions of the

parking support systems

10, 10A, and 10B described above use hardware such as ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), PLD (Programmable Logic Device), and FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). It may be realized.

In addition, it is possible to appropriately replace the constituent elements in the above-described embodiments with known constituent elements without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The path data storage area 161 is an example of a first storage area, and the path data storage area 162 is an example of a second storage area. The switching circuit 151 is an example of a first switching unit, and the switching circuit 152 is an example of a second switching unit.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Parking assistance system 11 Input part 12 Self-position estimation part 13 Parking route calculation part 14 Actuator control part 15 Control mode switching part 16 Storage part 17 Output part 18 Parking position estimation part 19 Parking position determination part 121 Odometry 131

Planner

151, 152 switching Circuit 153

End determination circuit

161, 162, 164 Route data storage area 163 Previous route storage unit 181 Target parking position estimation circuit 191 Target parking position determination circuit 192 Parking lot map

Claims

A route calculation unit that calculates a unit route that is closest to the target parking position among routes consisting of one forward movement and one backward movement based on the position where parking is started and the target parking position;
An actuator control unit that performs traveling control so as to move the vehicle based on the unit path;
With
The route calculation unit calculates a next unit route starting from the arrival position of the unit route while the actuator control unit performs travel control of the vehicle based on the unit route.
Parking assistance system.
The path calculation unit obtains intrusion prohibited area information, and uses the intrusion prohibited area information to calculate the unit path so that a part of the unit path is not included in the intrusion prohibited area information.
The parking assistance system according to claim 1.
A parking position estimation unit that sequentially calculates position information of the target parking position based on the spatial information detected by the sensor;
Further comprising
The route calculation unit calculates the unit route based on the target parking position calculated by the parking position estimation unit.
The parking assistance system according to claim 1 or 2.
The parking position estimation unit sequentially calculates intrusion prohibited area information based on the spatial information detected by the sensor,
The route calculation unit calculates the unit route so that a part of the unit route is not included in the intrusion prohibited area information calculated by the parking position estimation unit.
The parking assistance system according to claim 3.
A parking position determination unit that acquires map information of a parking lot and calculates position information of a target parking position based on the map information;
Further comprising
The route calculation unit calculates the unit route based on the target parking position calculated by the parking position determination unit.
The parking assistance system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
The parking position determination unit calculates intrusion prohibited area information based on the map information,
The route calculation unit calculates the unit route so that a part of the unit route is not included in the intrusion prohibited area information calculated by the parking position determination unit,
The parking assistance system according to claim 5.
A storage unit comprising a plurality of storage areas for storing information of unit routes calculated by the route calculation unit;
A control mode switching unit that selects, from the plurality of storage areas, a storage destination of each unit path information that is calculated by the path calculation unit and a unit path information reading destination that is used by the actuator control unit;
Further comprising
The control mode switching unit selects a recording destination of information on a next unit path calculated by the path calculation unit from a storage area different from a reading destination of unit path information used by the actuator control unit. The parking assistance system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
The storage unit includes a first storage area and a second storage area,
The control mode switching unit includes a first switching unit that switches a recording destination of the unit path information for each unit path, and a second switching unit that switches a storage area of a path information reading destination used by the actuator control unit. ,
While the actuator control unit performs the travel control of the vehicle, the second switching unit switches the reading destination to a storage area different from the storage area selected by the first switching unit.
The parking assistance system according to claim 7.
A self-position estimating unit that estimates the current position of the vehicle,
Further comprising
The route calculation unit repeats the calculation of the next unit route until the distance between the vehicle position at the arrival position of the unit route estimated by the self-position estimation unit and the target parking position is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold,
The actuator control unit moves the vehicle based on a unit route calculated in advance by the route calculation unit.
The parking assistance system according to any one of claims 1 to 8.
Based on the parking start position and the target parking position, a unit path that is closest to the target parking position is calculated among the paths consisting of one forward and one reverse.
In performing travel control to move the vehicle based on the unit route,
Calculating the next unit route starting from the arrival position of the unit route while performing vehicle travel control based on the unit route;
Parking assistance method.
Parking assist system computer,
Means for calculating a unit route that is closest to the target parking position out of routes consisting of one forward movement and one backward movement based on the position where parking is started and the target parking position;
Means for running control to move the vehicle based on the unit route;
Is a program for functioning as
The means for calculating the unit route calculates a next unit route starting from the arrival position of the unit route, while performing vehicle travel control based on the unit route.
program.