CN104512408B - Parking assist apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A parking assist device (10) is provided with a parking assist ECU (18), wherein the parking assist ECU (18) sets a target parking position (P1) of a vehicle (12) and executes parking assist control capable of guiding the vehicle (12) to the target parking position (P1). The parking assist ECU (18) prohibits guidance of the vehicle (12) based on an operation of a parking brake of the vehicle (12) as a mechanical obstacle factor. Therefore, the parking assist control is not executed, thereby improving the practicability and preventing the dragging of the wheels caused by the action of the parking brake.

Description

parking aid

technical field

The invention relates to a parking assistance device for assisting parking of a vehicle.

Background technique

In order to assist the parking of the vehicle, a parking assistance device for guiding the vehicle to park the vehicle to a parking position is disclosed in the prior art. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 10-264839 discloses an automatic parking device (parking assist device), which estimates the current position of the vehicle based on the wheel speed and the yaw rate, and compares the current position of the vehicle with the current position. The steering amount is corrected based on the offset from the target trajectory to guide the vehicle to the parking position.

In addition, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2011-039600 discloses a parking assist device capable of automatically detecting a target parking position (which means a candidate for the final target parking position, hereinafter referred to as a "candidate position"). . In this parking assist device, image processing such as straight line detection processing is performed on bird's-eye images acquired by cameras installed in the front, rear, left, and right sides of the vehicle based on the situation around the vehicle to detect candidate positions. When the candidate position cannot be detected, a default frame is drawn at the default position in the bird's-eye view image, and an icon for urging the driver to adjust the position of the default frame is drawn. In Japanese Invention Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2011-039600, the left and right cameras are set on the rear view mirror or the like.

However, when assisting the parking of the vehicle, due to the movement and position change of mechanical components mounted on the vehicle (mechanical failure factor), there may be cases where the normal parking assist control cannot be performed.

For example, in a vehicle, as braking devices, there are service brakes mainly used during driving and transition from running to parking, and parking brakes mainly used to maintain the stopped state. In the parking assist device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 10-264839, the vehicle is decelerated, stopped, etc. by using the service brake in the parking assist control. However, since the braking of the parking brake is not taken into consideration in this parking assist device, there is a possibility that the parking assist control is performed while the parking brake is actuated. If the vehicle is moved during the operation of the parking brake, not only will the brake device be consumed (for example, wear and damage to the brake pads), but also the tires will be dragged, resulting in a decrease in the durability of the brake device. In addition, because the tires are dragged, the current position of the vehicle calculated by the parking assist device during the parking assist control is different from the actual current position of the vehicle, and the vehicle may be guided to a position deviated from the target parking position.

In addition, in the parking assist device disclosed in Japanese Invention Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2011-039600, when the reversing mirrors provided with left and right cameras are retracted (closed state), the field of view of the left and right cameras may differ from the design. The desired field of view varies from time to time. If the candidate position is detected from the bird's-eye view image based on the surrounding image acquired by the camera when the rear mirror is retracted, the candidate position is recognized as a different position from the actual position. It is assumed that if a wrong candidate position is used as the final target parking position, the vehicle will be guided in an unexpected direction or position. Alternatively, the same problem occurs when the driver adjusts the position of the vehicle while viewing the surrounding image captured by the camera instead of the automatic detection of the candidate position to set the target parking position.

Contents of the invention

In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a parking assistance device that can well avoid problems in parking assistance control caused by mechanical obstacles.

To achieve the above object, the parking assist device includes a control unit that sets a target parking position of the vehicle and executes parking assist control for guiding the vehicle to the target parking position. The control unit determines whether there is a mechanical obstacle that prevents the vehicle from being guided to the target parking position before or during execution of the parking assist control, and prohibits the operation of the vehicle if the mechanical obstacle exists. the guidance of the vehicle.

According to the above structure, since the parking assist device prohibits the guidance of the vehicle when the control unit determines that there is a mechanical obstacle, problems in the parking assist control caused by the mechanical obstacle can be well avoided. Therefore, the parking assist device can not only reduce problems occurring in the parking assist control, but also accurately control the vehicle.

In this case, it is preferable that the mechanical obstacle factor is an actuation of a parking brake, and the control unit prohibits guidance of the vehicle based on determination that the parking brake is actuated.

In this way, the parking assist device can directly switch from the parking assist control to the manual operation by the driver by determining that the parking brake operation is a mechanical obstacle, prohibiting the guidance of the vehicle. Therefore, the driver can respond to the prohibition of the vehicle guidance, stop the vehicle's parking operation, etc., prevent wear of the brake device, and improve the durability of the brake device.

In addition, it is preferable that the control unit preferably has a guidance control unit that, as the parking assist control, continuously calculates the current state of the vehicle based on the rotation of the wheels, and updates the vehicle based on the calculated current state. The vehicle is guided to the target parking position.

In this way, by continuously calculating the current state of the vehicle based on the rotation of the wheels by the guidance control unit, it is possible to easily guide the vehicle during the parking assist control. In addition, the current state of the vehicle may be, for example, the current position and inclination angle of the vehicle relative to the target parking position. With the configuration in which the current state is calculated based on the rotation of the wheels, although the wheel is dragged due to the operation of the parking brake, there is a high possibility of an error in the calculated current state, but the guidance of the vehicle can be easily prohibited by the control unit. Therefore, it is possible for the parking assist device to prevent the phenomenon that the vehicle is erroneously guided by the actuation of the parking brake during the parking assist control, thereby allowing the vehicle to be well controlled.

Also, the guidance control unit may be configured to assist only steering of the vehicle.

In this way, by adopting a configuration in which the guidance control unit assists only the steering of the vehicle, the parking assist control can be simplified, and the installation cost for mounting the parking assist device on the vehicle can be reduced. In addition, even if the driver makes an erroneous operation to actuate the parking brake during the parking operation, the control unit can easily prohibit the guidance of the vehicle, which facilitates the driver's necessary response.

Alternatively, the control unit may be configured to measure an elapsed time when the parking brake is actuated, and when it is determined that the elapsed time exceeds a predetermined standby time, prohibit guidance to the vehicle, and When the operation of the parking brake is released within a predetermined standby time, the guidance of the vehicle is continued.

In this way, by judging the elapsed time and the standby time by the control unit, the parking assist device does not directly prohibit the guidance of the vehicle as the parking brake is actuated. Therefore, even if the parking brake is activated when the vehicle is parked at a place with a steep slope, it is possible to continue guiding the vehicle. That is, the parking assist device can perform highly practical parking assist control by temporally allowing the actuation of the parking brake according to various situations during the parking assist control.

In addition to the above configuration, the control unit may also adopt a configuration in which a slope of a place where the vehicle is located is detected, and the standby time is changed based on the detected slope.

Therefore, in the parking assist control, the parking assist device can activate the parking brake within an appropriate time according to the magnitude of the gradient, and thus can perform more practical parking assist control.

In addition, the parking assist device may further include a photographing mechanism, which is provided on a movable part located on the side of the vehicle, and photographs the side of the vehicle, and the control unit based on the photographed The parking assist control is executed by means of the surrounding image acquired by the mechanism, and the control unit judges that the mechanical obstacle factor exists and prohibits the guidance of the vehicle, that is, with the In the movement of the movable part, the imaging mechanism is not in a normal position for performing the parking assist control.

In this way, when the imaging mechanism is not in the normal position for parking assistance along with the movement of the movable part, the guidance of the vehicle is prohibited, so that when a wrong position that does not match the actual position is detected as the target parking position, it can be prevented. A situation occurs where the vehicle is directed to the wrong location. In addition, the same applies to the case where the target parking position is set in another way, that is, instead of automatic detection of the target parking position, the driver watches the surrounding image or the surrounding image is image-processed. Align the vehicle position with the target parking position on the display screen of the image.

In this case, the control unit may prohibit guidance of the vehicle when detecting that a side door serving as the movable unit is open. In addition, the control unit may prohibit the guidance of the vehicle when detecting that the side mirror as the movable unit is closed.

According to the description of the following preferred embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent.

Description of drawings

1 is a structural block diagram of a vehicle equipped with a parking assist device according to a first configuration example of the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of an operation example in the parking assist control of the vehicle shown in Fig. 1 .

Fig. 3 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the parking assist device shown in Fig. 1 when performing a parking assist control process.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a parking assist control of the parking assist device shown in FIG. 1 .

5 is a functional block diagram of a configuration when the parking assist device according to the second configuration example of the first embodiment of the present invention performs a parking assist control process.

6A is a timing chart of an example of the parking assist control of the parking assist device shown in FIG. 5 , and FIG. 6B is a timing chart of another example of the parking assist control of the parking assist device shown in FIG. 5 .

7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle equipped with a parking assist device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

8 is a flowchart of parking assist control by the parking assist ECU according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart for determining whether to start automatic steering by the parking assist ECU according to the second embodiment.

10 is a diagram showing a first example of a display screen during target parking position setting control.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a second example of a display screen during the target parking position setting control described above.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a third example of a display screen during the target parking position setting control described above.

detailed description

Hereinafter, taking preferred embodiments of the present invention as examples, the parking assist device related to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the parking assistance device 10 is mounted on a vehicle 12 and is a system for guiding the vehicle 12 during a parking operation. In addition, the "parking action" in this specification refers to the action until the vehicle 12 is parked (moves to the parking position and stops completely), and does not include the continuous parking state after parking at the parking position.

The vehicle 12 equipped with the parking assist device 10 may be an AT (Automatic Transmission, automatic transmission) vehicle or an MT (Manual Transmission, manual transmission) vehicle. Next, in the first configuration example of the first embodiment, the parking assistance device 10 mounted on an AT vehicle and which determines the operation of the parking brake will be described in detail. In the second configuration example of the first embodiment, a parking assist device 10A mounted on an MT vehicle to determine the operation of the parking brake will be described in detail. In addition, in the second embodiment, regardless of the type of vehicle (AT car or MT car), the parking assist device 112 having a camera mounted on a side door or a side mirror of the vehicle will be described in detail.

[First Embodiment: First Configuration Example]

The parking assist device 10 according to the first configuration example of the first embodiment has an automatic steering function for automatically steering the steering wheel 14 of the vehicle 12 during a parking operation. In this automatic steering function, the parking assist device 10 guides the driver to operate the shift lever 16, the accelerator pedal (not shown), and the brake pedal (not shown), and the vehicle 12 is moved forward by the operator's operation. And back, braking, etc. Of course, the parking assist device 10 may also perform automatic steering, and automatically drive and brake the vehicle 12 .

The parking assist device 10 has a parking assist electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as a parking assist ECU 18 ) as a control unit that performs parking assist control. The parking assist ECU 18 may be constituted by a computer having an input/output unit 20 , a computing unit 22 , and a storage unit 24 as hardware. As shown in FIG. 2 , when performing the parking assist control, the parking assist ECU 18 sets a target parking position P1 of the vehicle 12 and performs processing to guide the vehicle 12 to the target parking position P1 .

Returning to FIG. 1 , the parking assist ECU 18 transmits and receives signals between various devices and systems mounted on the vehicle 12 through the input/output unit 20 in order to perform parking assist control. For example, the parking assist device 10 is composed of a sensor group 26 , a navigation device 28 , an electric power steering system (hereinafter referred to as EPS system 30 ), and a parking brake system (hereinafter referred to as PB system 32 ). These devices and systems may utilize components that have been mounted on the vehicle 12 in advance, or may separately mount other components for the purpose of parking assist control.

For parking assist control, the sensor group 26 detects the state of the vehicle 12 or the state around the vehicle 12 , and outputs the detection result (signal) to the parking assist ECU 18 . The sensor group 26 includes, for example, a front camera 34f, a rear camera 34rr, a left side camera 34l, a right side camera 34rt, a left rear wheel sensor 36rl, a right rear sensor 36rr, a vehicle speed sensor 38, and a gear position sensor 40.

Each of the cameras 34 f , 34 rr , 34 l , and 34 rt (hereinafter collectively referred to as cameras 34 ) automatically captures images of the surroundings of the vehicle 12 and outputs captured image information to the parking assist ECU 18 . The captured image information is processed by the parking assist ECU 18 into, for example, guide image information when looking down on the own vehicle, and provided to the driver for setting the target parking position P1 (see FIG. 2 ). In addition, the mounted position and the mounted number of the cameras 34 are not particularly limited, as long as the captured image information enabling the parking assist device 10 to set the target parking device P1 can be acquired. In addition, the acquisition method of captured image information is not limited to the use of the camera 34 , for example, various methods such as using other sensors such as radar and ultrasonic waves to transmit image information through external information communication may be used.

The left rear wheel sensor 36rl and the right rear wheel sensor 36rr (hereinafter collectively referred to as wheel sensors 36 ) are angle sensors or displacement sensors that detect the turning angle θwr [deg]) of the vehicle 12 . The wheel sensor 36 outputs a detection pulse to a pulse counter (not shown) every time the wheel rotates at a predetermined angle, and the detection pulse is converted into a numerical value by the pulse counter and sent to the parking assist ECU 18 . Of course, the detection pulse can also be directly sent to the parking assist ECU18, and counted in the parking assist ECU18. This value is used to calculate the rotation angle θwr of the wheel (ie, the moving distance) and the rotation speed [rpm] of the wheel.

The vehicle speed sensor 38 detects the speed of the vehicle 12 (hereinafter referred to as vehicle speed V [km/h]), and outputs it to the parking assist ECU 18 . The vehicle speed sensor 38 is provided, for example, inside the transmission (not shown), and detects the vehicle speed V based on the rotation of the countershaft of the transmission.

The position sensor 40 detects and outputs the position of the shift lever 16 (hereinafter referred to as a position Ps).

In addition, the navigation device 28 mounted on the vehicle 12 has a routing function that detects the current position of the vehicle 12 through GPS (Global Positioning System) and guides the user (passengers including the driver) to the destination. . The navigation device 28 has a touch screen 42 and a speaker 44 , the touch screen 42 is used to display the current position and route of the vehicle 12 , and the speaker 44 is used to output voice instructions to guide the vehicle 12 toward the destination.

The touch panel 42 of the navigation device 28 has a display unit and an input unit, the display unit is used to display image information, and the input unit overlaps with the display unit to recognize user operations. For example, on the touch panel 42 , guidance image information generated based on image information captured by the camera 34 is displayed, and operation guidance for guiding the user to operate the shift lever 16 , accelerate or decelerate, etc. is displayed. Operation instructions for the operation of the shift lever 16 and acceleration or deceleration may also be output by the speaker 44 in the form of voice explanations.

When the driver steers the vehicle 12 , the EPS system 30 mounted on the vehicle 12 operates the steering wheel 14 with a small force, and supplies electric power to assist the steering wheel 14 when necessary. This EPS system 30 has a steering angle sensor 46, a torque sensor 48, an EPS motor 50, a resolver 51, and an EPS electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as EPSECU 52).

The steering angle sensor 46 is used to detect the steering angle θst of the steering wheel 14 . The torque sensor 48 is used to detect the torque TQ acting on the steering wheel 14 . The EPS motor 50 can assist the driver in operating the steering wheel by applying a driving force to the steering column 54 connected to the steering wheel 14 , and realize automatic steering in the parking assist control. The resolver 51 is used to detect the rotational speed θm of the EPS motor 50 .

EPS ECU 52 has an input/output unit, a calculation unit, and a storage unit (all not shown) as hardware, calculates a supply current based on steering angle θst and torque TQ, and controls rotation of EPS motor 50 based on the calculated supply current.

In the case where the EPS system 30 is used as the parking assist device 10, the EPS system 30 executes control of rotational driving of the EPS motor 50 based on a steering angle instruction (target steering angle θ _o ) issued by the parking assist ECU 18, that is, performs steering wheel 14 automatic steering.

In addition, the PB system 32 mounted on the vehicle 12 is used to control the parking brake. As described above, the vehicle 12 is provided with two types of braking devices, the service brake and the parking brake, which are not shown. The service brake is mainly used to decelerate or stop the running vehicle 12 , and the parking brake is mainly used to maintain the stopped state of the vehicle 12 . Due to the different purposes of the two, the service brake and the parking brake usually have different structures.

The service brake is usually composed of a foot brake, and the parking brake is sometimes composed of a pedal brake, but is usually composed of a hand brake such that the operating lever 56 is pulled by hand. In addition, various configurations can be adopted for the operating mechanism of the parking brake. In addition to the hand brake and the pedal brake, for example, the operation may be performed by a button provided on the instrument panel.

The PB system 32 is configured as an electric device, and has an operating lever 56 , a PB electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as PBECU 58 ), a brake actuator 60 , an indicator 62 , and a buzzer 64 . In addition, the PB system 32 can also be a mechanical mechanism. In this case, the following structure can be adopted: a sensor for detecting the opening/closing of the operating lever 56 (operating part) is provided, and the detection signal of the sensor is directly sent to the Parking assist ECU18.

The PB ECU 58 has an input/output unit, a calculation unit, and a storage unit (none of which are shown) as hardware, and controls the operation of the brake actuator 60 based on opening/closing of the operating lever 56 . In addition, the PB ECU 58 is connected to the parking assist ECU 18 and outputs the operation of the parking brake as an operation signal S. For example, the actuation signal S may be a signal corresponding to an ON/OFF signal of the operating lever 56 , in which the non-actuated state of the parking brake is 0 and the actuated state is 1. PB ECU 58 may also have a climbing function, that is, PB ECU 58 automatically activates the parking brake when vehicle 12 is parked on an inclined ground (sloping road), and can maintain the parking state for a short time even if the brake pedal is released. The PB ECU 58 may also have a function of actuating the parking brake and releasing the actuation upon receiving an instruction from the parking assist ECU 8 .

The brake actuator 60 switches the state of the brake device 66 provided on the wheels (mainly drive wheels, rear wheels in this embodiment) of the vehicle 12 between the braking state and the non-braking state based on instructions from the PB ECU 58 . The brake device 66 may be applied to a brake device of a service brake, or may be applied to a brake device dedicated to a parking brake.

In addition, the indicator 62 is provided on the instrument panel of the vehicle 12 , lights up when the parking brake is being activated, and notifies the driver of the operation of the parking brake. Like the indicator, the buzzer also notifies the user of the actuation of the parking brake through sound (including voice). In addition, the operation of the parking brake may be notified using the touch panel 42 and the speaker 44 of the navigation device 28 .

When the PB system 32 is used in the parking assist device 10 , it transmits an actuation signal S of the parking brake to the parking assist ECU 18 . The parking assist ECU 18 performs a process of prohibiting the guidance vehicle 12 based on the operation of the parking brake as a mechanical obstacle factor. Specifically, after the operation of the parking brake is determined, the execution of the parking assist control is suspended or stopped.

In addition, the "mechanical obstacle factor" in this specification refers to a factor that hinders the parking operation due to the state of the mechanical components of the vehicle 12 when the assist vehicle 12 is parked. In addition, the mechanical obstacle present in the first embodiment means that the parking brake is operating, and the mechanical obstacle present in the second embodiment means that the side door is open or the side mirror is closed. Undoubtedly, the mechanical obstacle factor also includes various mechanical structural components associated with the parking assist control other than parking brakes, side doors, and side mirrors.

In addition, the "parking assist control" refers to "parking setting control" that performs various necessary settings when guiding the vehicle 12, and "guidance control" that actually automatically turns the vehicle 12 based on the setting contents after the parking setting control. "Including a series of controls. In addition, "prohibition" in this specification means not performing guidance to the vehicle 12 based on an instruction from the parking assist ECU 18 (control unit), including "pause" or "stop" of control described later. Therefore, even if the guidance of the vehicle 12 by the parking assist ECU 18 is prohibited, it does not mean that the parking operation by the driver is prohibited. In addition, the parking setting control in the parking assist control is not limited to continuation, suspension, or stop unless otherwise specified.

In addition, "stopping" in this specification means stopping the control on the premise that the parking assist control being executed is not restarted, and means not executing the control before the parking assist control is executed. "Stop" of the parking assist control in this specification means stopping (interrupting) the parking assist control being executed so that the parking assist control being executed can be restarted.

Next, the configuration of the parking assist ECU 18 that performs the above-described parking assist control will be described. The parking assist ECU 18 executes a parking assist program (not shown) stored in the storage unit 24 through the computing unit 22, and functionally constructs a parking assist start processing unit 70, a guidance control unit 71, and a PB determination unit 74 as shown in FIG. .

The parking assist start processing unit 70 of the parking assist ECU 18 is a processing unit mainly for performing parking setting control. As the parking setting control, for example, determination of start conditions of parking assist control, acquisition of captured image information, generation of guidance image information, setting of the target parking position P1 (parking target position setting control), guidance route of the vehicle 12, etc. G settings, etc.

For example, when the vehicle is running, the parking assistance start processing unit 70 displays the parking assistance start button 76 on the touch panel 42 of the navigation device 28, and determines whether the parking assistance control start condition is satisfied or not based on the driver's operation of the parking assistance start button 76. no. In addition, in addition to the operation of the parking assist start button 76, the parking assist start processing unit 70 may determine whether the vehicle speed V of the vehicle 12 has fallen below a predetermined speed as a condition for starting the parking assist control. In this case, the parking assistance start button 76 may be displayed on the touch panel 42 when the vehicle speed falls below a predetermined speed. Alternatively, the parking assistance start button 76 may be displayed when the vehicle 12 approaches a parking lot included in the map information on the navigation device 28 .

As the conditions for starting the parking assist control are met, the parking assist start processing unit 70 acquires captured image information through the camera 34 and displays guide image information (overhead image) on the touch panel 42 based on the captured image information. Note that the guide image information is not limited to the bird's-eye view image, and various display methods such as directly displaying a captured image captured by the camera 34 may be used, for example.

In addition, the parking assistance start processing unit 70 displays a parking frame 77 for specifying the target parking position P1 of the vehicle 12 on the guidance image information, and sets the target parking position P1 when the vehicle 12 is parked based on the user's instruction. The parking frame 77 can be a white line that can track and display the parking position in the parking lot. Furthermore, before setting the target parking position P1, the user can designate a detailed parking state (parking mode) such as parallel parking or parallel parking, so that parking assist control can be performed according to various situations. In addition, various methods can be applied to the setting of the target parking position P1. For example, the parking assistance start processing unit 70 may perform automatic setting without an instruction from the user.

The parking assist start processing unit 70 waits for the vehicle 12 to be parked (parked with the service brake) after setting the target parking position P1 , and displays the route setting button 78 on the touch panel 42 . Then, based on the driver's operation of opening the route setting button 78, as shown in FIG. 2, the guidance route G from the parking position (initial position P0) of the vehicle 12 to the target parking position P1 is set. When setting the guidance route G, the relative position of the vehicle 12 with respect to the target parking position P1 is calculated, and based on the relative position, an optimal route is calculated on the plane coordinates associated with the guidance image information. The guide path G may contain one or more target back-to-center (turn-back) positions P2.

The parking assist start processing unit 70 sets the guidance route G to end the parking setting control, and automatically proceeds to the guidance control by the guidance control unit 72 . At this time, the parking assistance start processing unit 70 supplies the guidance control unit 72 with information on the guidance route G on the plane coordinates and the initial position P0 of the vehicle 12 . In addition, when entering the guidance control, for example, a guidance start button (not shown) may be displayed on the touch panel 42 and the guidance control may be executed based on the driver's operation of turning on the guidance start button.

In addition, when the PB determination unit 74 described later determines that the parking brake is actuated, the parking assist start processing unit 70 performs predetermined processing. That is, when the vehicle 12 is driven while the parking brake is actuated, the wheels are dragged by the brake device 66 (see FIG. 1 ), and thus the brake device 66 is consumed. Therefore, the parking assist start processing unit 70 performs a stop/stop process of suspending or stopping the above-mentioned parking setting control in accordance with an instruction from the PB determination unit 74 .

In the stop/stop process, the parking assist start processing unit 70 may stop the parking setting control and reset the parking brake after releasing the action, or may restart the parking setting from the middle by stopping the parking setting control. control. In addition, a warning may be issued regarding the suspension or stop of the parking assist control (parking setting control) in the suspension/stop processing of the parking setting control. Specifically, for example, a warning is displayed on the touch panel 42 , and a voice explanation and a warning sound are output from the speaker 44 .

In addition, even if the parking brake is activated while the parking setting control is being executed, the parking assist ECU 18 does not need to perform the suspension/stop processing. For example, considering that the vehicle 12 may be located on a steep slope, before the user sets the guide route G (before parking), the parking setting control can be continued even if the parking brake is activated. Therefore, the target parking position P1 can also be set when the user activates the parking brake.

In the stage of transition from the parking setting control to the guidance control (after setting the guidance route G), when the parking brake is operating, since the subsequent guidance control may be hindered, the parking is stopped (guidance control is not started) Auxiliary controls are handled as well. In this case, the guide route G set after the parking brake is released may also be used. Accordingly, parking assist control can be performed when the vehicle is restarted from a stopped state on a slope or the like. When using the guide route G, in order to maintain the guide route G to the target parking route P1, the vehicle 12 itself may be forcibly stopped (for example, the transmission is locked) as the parking brake is actuated. In addition, the parking assist ECU 18 may cooperate with the climbing function of the PB system 32 to automatically release the actuation of the parking brake by operating the accelerator pedal even during the actuation of the parking brake, thereby continuing guidance control.

The guidance control of the parking assist control is executed when the guidance control unit 72 of the parking assist ECU 18 performs processing. In the guidance control, the guidance control unit 72 guides the vehicle 12 along the guidance route G set by the parking assist control processing unit 70 . As guidance control, for example, the current state (position and inclination angle) of the vehicle 12 is calculated, the target steering angle θ _o is calculated, and the like.

After entering the guidance control from the parking setting control, the guidance control unit 72 calculates the current state (position and inclination angle) of the vehicle 12 from the detection pulse (pulse count value) of the wheel sensor 36 during driving. For example, the guidance control unit 72 can continuously detect the movement distance of each wheel during the parking operation of the vehicle 12, and calculate (monitor) the current position on the plane coordinates and the distance from the target parking position P1 based on the movement distance and the initial position P0. The current tilt angle.

Then, based on the calculated current state (position and inclination angle) of the vehicle 12 , the guidance control unit 72 determines whether the vehicle 12 is moving along the guidance route G, and calculates the target steering angle θ _o . When calculating the target steering angle θ _o , the vehicle speed V is detected by the vehicle speed sensor 38, and the gear position Ps of the gear position sensor 40 is determined (that is, the forward operation and the reverse operation of the vehicle 12), so that the behavior of the vehicle 12 can also be recognized. state. Then, the parking assist ECU 18 transmits the target steering angle θ _o calculated by the guidance control unit 72 to the EPS system 30, and causes the EPS ECU 52 to perform an operation based on the target steering angle θ _o . Accordingly, the vehicle 12 can automatically steer the steering wheel 14 through the guidance control of the parking assist 10 .

In addition, the parking assist ECU 18 calculates the target steering angle θ _o , and guides the operation (switching, etc.) of the shift lever 16 and the vehicle speed (deceleration, etc.) at any time. This guidance is configured by displaying it on the touch panel 42 or outputting it by voice from the speaker 44 . In addition to displaying the guide, the touch panel 42 also displays captured image information captured by the camera 43 and guide image information in real time. The driver can confirm the driving state of the vehicle 12 during guidance control based on the display on the touch panel 42 .

Furthermore, the guidance control unit 72 also performs predetermined processing based on the determination of the operation of the parking brake by the PB determination unit 74 . In particular, when the parking brake is activated during guidance control, the brake device 66 causes the wheels to be dragged, so the current state (position and inclination angle) of the vehicle 12 calculated by the guidance control unit 72 is different from that of the vehicle 12 that is actually moving. There may be an error between the position and the angle of inclination. In addition, consumption of the braking device 66 also occurs as described above.

Therefore, it is preferable that the guidance control unit 72 performs a process of basically stopping the guidance control described above. The suspension of the guidance control may be performed immediately after the activation of the parking brake is determined, or after the predetermined waiting time T has elapsed after the determination of the activation of the parking brake. Next, in the first configuration example, the process of performing the stop guidance control immediately after determining the operation of the parking brake will be described, and in the subsequent second configuration example, the process of performing the stop guidance control after the elapse of the standby time T will be described.

When the guidance control is terminated, the guidance control unit 72 suspends the automatic steering by the parking assist ECU 18 and the driver performs manual operation. That is, although the guidance control of the vehicle 12 is suspended, the driver can drive the vehicle 12 even when the parking brake is operating. In other words, the suspension of the parking assist control refers to giving up the set target parking position P1, the initial position P0, the guide route G, or the current position (position and inclination angle) of the vehicle 12. However, at this time, the EPS system 30 And the action of the PB system 32 can be carried out normally. Thus, the driver can further perform operations with a higher degree of freedom.

In addition, before or after the guidance control is suspended, an alarm of the suspension of the guidance control may be displayed (notified) on the touch panel 42, or a voice alarm may be output from a speaker. Also, when the guidance control is suddenly terminated, there is a possibility that a smooth transition to manual operation by the driver may not be possible. Therefore, the parking assist ECU 18 may perform control to simplify the transition procedure such as fixing the steering wheel 14 or making it hard to turn for a predetermined period (or until the operator's operation is transmitted to the steering wheel 14).

Alternatively, the guidance control unit 72 may perform a process of stopping (interrupting) the guidance control. When the guidance control is stopped in this way, the current state of the vehicle 12 when the guidance control is stopped, the guidance route G, etc. can be automatically saved, and the guidance control can be restarted halfway after the parking brake is released. The guidance control unit 72 may switch the guidance control to the suspension state by determining whether the wheels are dragging when the guidance control is suspended.

In addition, the PB determination unit 74 of the parking assist ECU 18 determines the operating state of the parking brake by receiving the activation signal S of the parking brake from the PB system 32 . In addition, the PB determination unit 74 may also determine whether the wheels are dragged based on the vehicle speed V detected by the vehicle speed sensor 38 and the rotation speed information of each wheel detected by the wheel sensor 36. If the wheels are dragged, It is judged that the parking brake is activated. In short, the operating state of the parking brake is not limited to the activation state of the operating lever 56 (operating part) of the PB system 32, but also includes various braking actions for stopping the driving of the wheels other than the vehicle brake. For example, the temporary parking state of the vehicle 12 caused by the above-mentioned hill climbing function is also included. In addition, the parking assist ECU 18 may directly receive the operation signal S from the PB system 32 from the parking assist start processing unit 70 and the guidance control unit 72 without passing through the PB determination unit 74 .

The parking assist device 10 according to the first configuration example basically adopts the above-mentioned configuration, and its operation and effect will be described below with reference to an example of the processing flow shown in FIG. 4 . In addition, the following description will be made taking, as an example, the processing of "stopping" the parking assist control in response to the actuation of the parking brake.

When the driver of the vehicle 12 parks the vehicle 12 in an arbitrary parking lot, the parking assistance device 10 is activated. The parking assist start processing unit 70 of the parking assist device ECU 18 displays the parking assist start button 76 on the touch panel 42, and determines whether or not the user has pressed the parking assist start button 76 (step S1). Then, when it is determined that the parking assistance start button 76 is turned on, the process proceeds to step S2.

When the parking assistance start button 76 is pressed, the parking assistance start processing unit 70 executes parking setting control (step S2). In the parking setting control, the setting of the target parking position P1, the setting of the guidance route G, and the like are sequentially performed as described above.

While the parking setting control is being executed, the PB determination unit 74 continues to determine whether the parking brake is in the non-operating state or the operating state based on the operating signal S from the PB system 32 (step S3 ). The parking assist start process 70 proceeds to step S4 when it is determined that the parking brake is in the activated state, and proceeds to step S5 when it is determined that the parking brake is not in the activated state.

In step S4, the parking assist start processing unit 70 performs stop/stop processing of the parking setting control (parking assist control). For example, in the stop/stop process of the parking setting control, a process of discarding each information of the target parking position P1 and the initial position P0, the current state (position and inclination angle) of the vehicle 12, and the guidance route G is performed. In addition, during the stop/stop process, a warning that the parking assist control is stopped due to the actuation of the parking brake is displayed on the touch panel 42 or is output by voice from the speaker 44 . Accordingly, the parking assist ECU 18 stops the parking assist control, and switches to manual operation by the driver.

When the parking brake is in the non-operating state, it is determined in step S5 whether the parking setting control has ended, and if the parking setting control is still continuing, the process returns to step S2. As described above, the vehicle 12 is in a parked state, and after the guide route G is set, the parked setting control ends. When it is judged that the parking setting control ends, the process proceeds to step S6.

After the parking setting control is completed, the parking assist ECU 18 enters into guidance control and starts automatic steering of the steering wheel 14 (step S6 ). In the guidance control, the current state of the vehicle 12 and the target steering angle θ _o are calculated, an automatic steering instruction is issued to the EPS system 30 (the target steering angle θo is transmitted), and the driver is further instructed to move the vehicle 12 forward, backward, and brake. Waiting for guidance. Accordingly, the vehicle 12 is guided to the target parking position P1 along the thick line (guidance route G) shown in FIG. 2 .

While the guidance control is being executed, the PB determination unit 74 continues to determine whether the parking brake is in the non-operating state or the operating state based on the actuating signal S from the PB system 32 (step S7 ). The guidance control unit 72 proceeds to step S8 when it determines that the parking brake is in the operating state, and proceeds to step S9 when determining that the parking brake is in the non-operating state.

In step S8, the guidance control section 72 performs suspension/stop processing of the guidance control (parking assist control) as in the above-described step S4. In the suspension/stop processing of the guidance control, various information such as the target parking position P1, the initial position P0, the current state (position and inclination angle) of the own vehicle, and the guidance route G are discarded. In addition, a warning that the parking assist control is suspended due to the actuation of the parking brake is displayed on the touch panel 42 or is output by voice from the speaker 44 . Therefore, the parking assist ECU 18 stops the parking assist control and switches to manual operation by the driver.

In addition, when the parking brake is in the non-operating state, in step S9 , the guidance control unit 72 determines whether the vehicle 12 has moved along the guidance route G and reached the target parking position P1 based on the calculated current state of the own vehicle. If the vehicle 12 has not reached the target parking position P1, the process returns to step S6 to continue the guidance control, and if the vehicle 12 has reached the target parking position P1, the process proceeds to step S10.

Finally, in step S10 , the parking assist ECU 18 performs a process of terminating the parking assist control, and ends guidance of the vehicle 12 during the vehicle parking operation.

As described above, in the case of the parking assist device 10 according to the first configuration example, since the parking assist ECU 18 suspends (or stops) execution of the parking assist control based on the actuation of the parking brake of the vehicle 12, it is possible to immediately switch from the parking assist control. Since it is manually operated by the driver, the practicality of the parking assist device 10 is significantly improved. Furthermore, since the parking assist device 10 has a simple structure, it is possible to reduce installation costs. In addition, since the driver can stop the parking operation of the vehicle 12 with the suspension of the parking assist control, wear of the brake device 66 can be prevented, and the durability of the brake device 66 can be improved.

In this case, since the guidance control unit 72 continues to calculate the current state of the vehicle 12 based on the rotation of the wheels, it is possible to easily guide the vehicle 12 in the parking assist control. In addition, the current state is calculated based on the rotation of the wheels. Although the wheel is dragged due to the operation of the parking brake, there is a high possibility that an error occurs in the calculation of the current state, but the parking assist ECU 18 can easily stop or stop. Park Assist Control. That is, in the parking assist control, the parking assist device 10 can prevent the vehicle 12 from being erroneously guided due to the actuation of the parking brake, and can control the vehicle 12 well.

In addition, the parking assistance device 10 adopts a structure in which the guidance control unit 72 only assists the steering of the vehicle 12 , which can simplify the parking assistance control and further reduce the cost of installing the parking assistance device 10 on the vehicle 12 . Even if the driver makes an erroneous operation to activate the parking brake during the parking operation, the parking assist ECU 18 can stop or stop the parking assist control, so the driver can easily take necessary countermeasures.

In addition, the parking assistance device 10 is not limited to the above configuration, and various modifications and applications are possible. For example, the parking assistance device 10 described above can be applied to an MT vehicle. In this case, the parking assist device 10 may have a configuration in which clutch switching is guided by the touch panel 42 or the speaker 44 along with the automatic steering in the guidance control.

In addition, when the parking assist device 10 performs automatic steering and automatically drives and brakes the vehicle 12, it is preferable to temporarily stop the vehicle 12 when parking brake operation is detected and the parking assist control is stopped. Parking, after which it switches to manual operation by the driver. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of erroneous operations caused by sudden switching of the driving state from the parking assist control to the manual operation.

[First Embodiment: Second Configuration Example]

Next, a parking assist device 10A according to a second configuration example will be described with reference to FIG. 5 and FIGS. 6A and 6B . In the following description, the same configurations or configurations as the parking assist device 10 according to the first configuration example or configurations having the same functions are given the same symbols as those in the first configuration example, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The parking assistance device 10A is mounted on a vehicle 12A which is an MT vehicle. The parking assist ECU 18A of the parking assist device 10A is the same as the parking assist ECU 18 shown in FIG. The structure is different.

Specifically, the parking assist ECU 18A is configured to monitor the time elapsed when the parking brake is actuated while the parking brake is actuated, and to suspend or stop the parking assist control when a predetermined time or more has elapsed. The stop/control process of the parking assist control is based on the processing of the parking assist device 10 according to the first configuration example.

Therefore, the PB determination unit 80 of the parking assist ECU 18 has a time comparison processing unit 82 for comparing time, a timer unit 84 for measuring time, and a standby time setting unit 86 for setting the standby time T( See Figures 6A and 6B).

After receiving the action signal S of the parking brake from the PB system 32, the comparison processing unit 82 starts the timing unit 84, starts to measure the time since receiving the action signal S, and reads the time set by the standby time setting unit 86. The specified standby time T. While the parking brake is in operation, time is continuously measured, and the elapsed time (measured time) when the parking brake is actuated is compared with the read standby time T to determine whether the elapsed time exceeds the standby time T. When the standby time T is exceeded, the parking assist start processing unit 70 or the guidance control unit 72 is caused to execute the suspension/stop processing of the parking assist control. When the actuation state of the parking brake is released before the elapsed time exceeds the standby time T, the parking assist control is continued.

Here, for parking, the vehicle 12A may be parked temporarily in a parking lot having a relatively large gradient (incline), such as a slope. In this case, the vehicle 12A (in particular, the MT vehicle) may run with the parking brake activated at the initial stage of re-running from a parked state in order to prevent the ego vehicle from going backward due to the gradient. Therefore, if the parking assist control is stopped immediately after the actuation of the parking brake is detected, it will be difficult to effectively use the parking assist device in a place with a slope.

The parking assist ECU 18A according to the second configuration example does not stop the parking assist control immediately after the parking brake is activated, but sets a buffer time of the standby time T to improve the practicality of the parking assist control. That is, even if the parking brake is activated, as long as the parking brake is released within the standby time T, the stop/stop process is not executed and the parking assist control is continued.

The standby time setting unit 86 of the PB determination unit 80 has a function of setting the above-mentioned standby time T. The standby time T is not particularly limited, but is preferably set based on the average time for temporarily activating the parking brake on a slope or the like, for example, 1 to 3 seconds, preferably about 2 seconds. The standby time T may be preset as a fixed value in the parking assist ECU 18A, or a display screen showing the standby time T may be displayed on the touch panel 42 and the user may change the setting.

In addition, the parking assist device 10A may have a configuration in which an inclination sensor 88 is mounted on the vehicle 12A, the inclination sensor 88 detects the gradient (angle) of the place where the vehicle 12 is located, and the standby time T is automatically changed based on the angle. For example, in the case of a large slope, the standby time T can be set longer because the vehicle 12A needs to be restarted cautiously, and the standby time T can be set longer in the case of a small slope, due to the ease of restarting the vehicle 12A. T is set shorter. Accordingly, it is possible to continue the parking assist control in accordance with the gradient of the position where the vehicle 12A is located. In addition, the sensor for detecting the gradient is not limited to the inclination sensor 88, and may be, for example, an acceleration sensor (G sensor) and a suspension stroke sensor (suspension stroke sensor).

In addition, the determination of the operation state of the parking brake by the PB determination unit 80 is not limited to the operation signal S from the PB system 32 . For example, similarly to the parking assist device 10 according to the first configuration example, the dragging of the wheels may be performed based on the rotation speed of the wheels detected by the wheel sensor 36 and the vehicle speed V detected by the vehicle speed sensor 38. It is judged that the case where the wheels are being towed can be regarded as the case where the parking brake is in the activated state.

In addition, the parking assist device 10A can also be configured in such a way that before executing the parking setting control and the guidance control, the parking brake is put into an operating state, the control is executed from this operating state, and a process of comparing the elapsed time with the standby time T is performed. . Accordingly, the PB determination unit 80 , the parking assistance start processing unit 70 , and the guidance control unit 72 may have a configuration capable of bidirectional communication of processing contents.

The parking assist device 10A according to the second configuration example basically adopts the configuration described above, and the operation and effect thereof will be described below. As the processing of the parking assist ECU 18A, for example, as described above, when the parking brake is activated while the parking assist control is being executed; Condition. First, the case where the parking brake operates while the parking assist control is being executed will be described with reference to FIG. 6A .

The parking assist ECU 18A receives an actuation signal S of the parking brake in an activated state, and performs predetermined processing in the PB determination unit 80 based on the actuation signal S. The parking assist ECU 18A starts the parking assist control (parking setting control and guidance control) based on the user's operation of the parking assist start button 76 at time t1 shown in FIG. 6A . In addition, in FIG. 6A , for convenience of description, the non-execution state of the parking assist control is roughly set to 0, and the execution state of the parking assist control is assumed to be 1.

In the activated state of the parking assist ECU 18A, the time comparison processing unit 82 of the PB determination unit 80 continuously monitors the operation signal S from the PB system 32 to determine whether the parking brake is activated. At time t2 shown in FIG. 6A , when it is detected that the actuation signal S of the parking brake is released, the standby time T set by the standby time setting unit 86 is set (see the thick line in FIG. 6A ). In addition, in the case where the standby time T is changed based on the gradient, the standby time setting unit 86 periodically detects the gradient with the inclination sensor 88 when the parking assist ECU 18 is activated, and periodically calculates the standby time T in advance based on the gradient.

In addition, based on the turning on (ON) of the actuation signal S of the parking brake, the time comparison processing unit 82 activates the timer unit 84 to measure the elapsed time from the time point t2. The time comparison processing unit 82 further checks the state of the actuation signal S when measuring the elapsed time, and determines whether the actuation of the parking brake is released.

At time t3 shown on the left side of FIG. 6A , when parking brake actuation signal S is turned off, time comparison processing unit 82 determines that time t3 is shorter than end time t4 of standby time T. Therefore, the time processing comparison unit 82 instructs the parking assistance start processing unit 70 and the guidance control unit 72 not to perform the stop/stop processing of the parking assistance control, and the time processing comparison unit 82 resets the standby time T, stops Processing such as time measurement by the timer unit 84 . That is, the PB determination unit 80 aborts the determination of the operating state of the parking brake, and the parking assist start processing unit 70 and the guidance control unit 72 continue to perform the parking assist control satisfactorily.

In addition, as shown on the right side in FIG. 6A , the actuation signal S of the parking brake is not switched to the off state, and when the end time point t4 of the standby time T elapses, the time comparison processing unit 82 determines (determines) that the parking brake is ON. action state. Then, the time comparison processing unit 82 instructs the parking assist start processing unit 70 and the guidance control unit 72 to perform the stop/stop processing of the parking assist control. Therefore, the parking assist start processing unit 70 and the guidance control unit 72 can suspend or stop the parking assist control based on the actuation of the parking brake.

Next, a case where the parking assist control (guide control) is executed while the parking brake is in operation will be described with reference to FIG. 6B . As described above, the PB determination unit 80 continuously monitors the operation signal S from the PB system 32 in the activated state of the parking assist ECU 18A. At time t11 shown in FIG. 6B , based on the parking brake actuation signal S, it is determined that the parking brake is actuated.

Thereafter, the PB determination unit 80 monitors the operations of the parking assist start processing unit 70 and the guidance control unit 72 , and detects execution (activation) of the parking setting control and the guidance control at time t12 shown in FIG. 6B . In addition, in FIG. 6B , the non-execution state of the guidance control is roughly set to 0, and the execution state of the guidance control is set to 1 for convenience of description.

The time comparison processing section 82 sets the standby time T set by the standby time setting section 86 as the guidance control is performed (refer to the thick line in FIG. 6B ). At the same time, the time comparison processing unit 82 starts the timer 84 and starts measuring the elapsed time from the time point t12. Then, the time comparison processing unit 82 checks the state of the actuation signal S when measuring the elapsed time, and determines whether or not the actuation of the parking brake is released.

When the parking brake actuation signal S is turned off at time t13 shown on the left side of FIG. 6B , time comparison processing unit 82 determines that time t13 is shorter than end time t14 of standby time T. Therefore, the time comparison processing unit 82 instructs the guidance control unit 72 not to suspend/stop the guidance control, resets the standby time T, and suspends time measurement by the timer unit 84 . That is, the PB determination unit 80 aborts the determination of the operating state of the parking brake, and the guidance control unit 72 continues to perform guidance control satisfactorily. Thus, it is possible to easily restart the vehicle on a slope when it is temporarily stopped during the parking assist control.

In addition, as shown on the right side of FIG. 6B , when the actuation signal S of the parking brake is not switched to the OFF state and the end time t14 of the standby time T has elapsed, the time comparison processing unit 82 determines (determines) that the parking brake is ON. action state. Then, the time comparison processing unit 82 instructs the guidance control unit 72 to perform the suspension/stop processing of the guidance control. Accordingly, the guidance control unit 72 can suspend or stop the guidance control in the operating state of the parking brake.

In addition, the parking assistance ECU 18A may directly perform parking assistance when it is determined that the wheels are in a dragging state based on the rotational speed of the wheels detected by the vehicle sensor 36 and the vehicle speed V detected by the vehicle speed sensor 38 while the parking brake is operating. Abort/stop processing of control (boot control). In addition, when it is determined that the parking brake is in the active state before the parking setting control is executed, the standby time T obtained by weighting the time required for the parking setting control setting can be set, and the vehicle can be parked during the waiting time T. Set controls and enter Boot Control. Therefore, the operation shown in FIG. 6B can be similarly executed after entering the guidance control. Needless to say, when it is determined that the parking brake is in the activated state before the parking setting control is executed, the parking assist control may not be executed.

As described above, in the case of the parking assist device 10A according to the second configuration example, the parking assist ECU 18A judges the elapsed time and the standby time T, so that the parking assist device 10A does not immediately stop or stop parking due to the operation of the parking brake. auxiliary control. Therefore, even if the vehicle is parked on a slope and the parking brake is activated, it is possible to continue the parking assistance control. In other words, in the parking assist control, the parking assist device 10A temporally allows the operation of the parking brake according to various situations, thereby enabling practical control.

In addition, since the parking assist device 10A has the inclination sensor 88, the parking brake can be activated at an appropriate timing according to the magnitude of the gradient in the parking assist control, thereby enabling further practical control. In addition, the parking assist device 10A can also be linked with the slope climbing function of the PB system 32 . For example, by setting the above-mentioned standby time T to a time longer than the holding time of the parking state in the climbing function, it is possible to make the vehicle 12 start (moving) on a slope when driving on a slope, and restart the guidance control while starting the slope. .

In addition, the parking assist control 10A according to the second configuration example is not limited to the configuration described above, and various modifications and application examples can be obtained. For example, since an AT vehicle sometimes operates the parking brake when it is parked on a steep slope, the above-mentioned parking assistance device 10A can also be applied to an AT vehicle.

In addition, the parking assistance devices 10 and 10A can also be applied to moving objects (for example, ships) other than the vehicles 10 and 10A from the viewpoint of moving to a target parking position, for example. The device used by the user to give an instruction and check in the parking assist control is not limited to the navigation 28, and various display means (liquid crystal display) and input means (dedicated keys, voice input device, etc.) can be used.

[Second Embodiment]

Next, the parking assist device 112 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The parking assistance device 112 shown in FIG. 7 is the same as the parking assistance device 10 according to the first embodiment, and assists the parking of the vehicle 110 by performing automatic steering. That is, the parking assist device 112 automatically operates the steering wheel 116 , and the driver operates an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal (both not shown), and a shift lever 138 . In addition to automatically operating the steering wheel 168, the parking assist device 112 can also automatically operate the accelerator pedal and brake pedal (driving and braking of the vehicle 110) and the gear lever 138 (switching between forward and reverse of the vehicle 110) .

The parking assist device 112 includes a sensor group 114 , a navigation device 116 , a parking assist ECU 118 , and an EPS system 120 . The sensor group 114 detects various detection values used in parking assist control and the like. In addition, the basic structure of the parking assist device 112 may also adopt the structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2011-039600 or Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2010-069944.

The sensor group 114 includes a front camera 130f, a rear camera 130rr, a left side camera 130l, a right side camera 130rt, wheel sensors 132rl, 132rr, a vehicle speed sensor 134, a gear sensor 136, door switches 138l, 138r, and a mirror switch 140l, 140r.

The cameras 130f, 130rr, 130l, and 130rt output surrounding images Is obtained by photographing the surroundings of the vehicle 110 . Hereinafter, the peripheral image Is captured by the front camera 130f is referred to as "front image If", the peripheral image Is captured by the rear camera 130rr is referred to as "rear image Irr", and the peripheral image Is captured by the left side camera 130l is referred to as "if". The left side image I1" and the surrounding image Is captured by the right side camera 130rt are called "right side image Irt". In addition, the left side image Il and the right side image Irt are collectively referred to as "side side image Isd".

In the second embodiment, the front camera 130f is arranged on, for example, a front grille (not shown) of the vehicle 110 , and the rear camera 130rr is arranged on, for example, a rear door or a tailgate of the vehicle 110 . In addition, the left side camera 130l is installed on the rear view mirror 144l, and this rear view mirror 144l is arranged on the left side door 142l. The right side camera 130rt is installed on a reversing mirror 144r, and the reversing mirror 144r is arranged on the right side door 142r. Alternatively, the cameras 130l, 130r may also be arranged on the side doors that are not provided with the reversing mirrors 144l, 144r.

The wheel sensors 132rl and 132rr are angle sensors or displacement sensors that detect the rotation angle θw [deg] of a wheel (not shown), and output a detection pulse every time the wheel rotates by a predetermined angle. This detection pulse can be used to calculate the rotation angle θw of the wheel (ie, the moving distance) and the rotation speed [rpm] of the wheel. The wheel sensor 132rl is used to detect the rotation angle θw (hereinafter also referred to as "rotation angle θwrl") of the left rear wheel, and the wheel sensor 132rr is used to detect the rotation angle θw (hereinafter also referred to as "rotation angle θwrr") of the right rear wheel.

Wheel sensor 134 detects vehicle speed V [km/h] of vehicle 110 and outputs the speed to parking assist ECU 118 . The position sensor 136 detects and outputs the position Ps of the shift lever 138 .

The door switches 138l, 138r are used to detect the open/closed state of the side doors 142l, 142r, and output a signal indicating the open/closed state (door state signal Sdr) to the parking assist ECU 118 . The side door 142 l is the frontmost door among the doors on the left side of the vehicle 110 , and the side door 142 r is the frontmost door among the doors on the right side of the vehicle 110 . For example, when the vehicle 110 has side doors on the left front, right front, left rear, and right rear, the side doors 142l and 142r refer to the left front and right front side doors. Alternatively, if the cameras 130l, 130rt are provided, the side doors 142l, 142r may not be the frontmost doors. Here, the side doors 42l, 142r are not particularly limited as long as they can change the positions of the cameras 103l, 130rt as the doors are opened and closed, and they may be sliding doors.

The rearview mirror switch 140l, 140r is used to switch the opening and closing state of the rearview mirror (expanded state/closed state). The open and closed states of the mirror switches 140l, 140r (hereinafter referred to as mirror state signals Smr) can be known based on the output signals of the mirror switches 140l, 140r.

Like the navigation device 28 according to the first embodiment, the navigation device 116 has a touch panel 146 and a speaker 148 and guides the route of the destination to which the vehicle 110 arrives. The touch panel 146 functions as an input device and a display device of the parking assist device 112 . The user inputs commands related to parking assistance through the touch screen 146 . In addition, a screen related to parking assistance is displayed on the touch panel 146 . As will be described later, components other than the touch panel 146 may be used as an input device or a display device of the navigation device 116 .

EPS system 120 is also the same as EPS system 30 according to the first embodiment, and includes steering angle sensor 160 , torque sensor 162 , EPS motor 164 , resolver 165 , and EPS ECU 166 .

The parking assist device 112 executes parking assist control for assisting parking of the vehicle 110 through the parking assist ECU 118 . The parking assistance ECU 118 includes an input and output unit 150, a calculation unit 152, and a storage unit 154. The calculation unit executes a parking assistance program (not shown) stored in the storage unit 154 to execute the above-mentioned parking setting control and guidance control (automatic steering control). ). In the parking setting control, target parking position setting control for setting the target parking position Pptar of the vehicle 110 is mainly performed.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of parking assist control by the parking assist ECU 118 according to the second embodiment. In step S21, the parking assist ECU 118 determines whether or not the conditions for starting the parking assist control are met. The start condition may be, for example, pressing or selecting a parking assistance start button (not shown) displayed on the touch screen 146 of the navigation device 116 . Alternatively, in addition to this, it is also possible to make the vehicle speed V lower than a predetermined threshold value as a start condition. When it is determined that the start condition of the parking assist control is satisfied (S21: Yes), the process proceeds to step S22, and when it is determined that the start condition is not satisfied (S21: No), after a predetermined time elapses, the process starts again from step S21.

In step S22 , parking assist ECU 118 executes target parking position setting control for setting target parking position Pptar of vehicle 10 . Next, in step S23 , parking assist ECU 118 determines whether or not a condition for starting automatic steering control is satisfied. The start condition may be, for example, pressing one of the automatic steering start buttons 218a, 218b (hereinafter also referred to as “start buttons 218a, 218b”; refer to FIG. 10 ) displayed on the touch screen 146 of the navigation device 126 . However, the start buttons 218a, 218b are in a selectable state only when a specific condition is satisfied.

When the start condition of guidance control is not satisfied (S23: NO), it returns to step S22. When the start condition of the guidance control is satisfied (S23: YES), the parking assist ECU 118 executes the guidance control of automatically operating the steering wheel 168 (S24) so that the vehicle 110 reaches the target parking position Pptar. EPS ECU 166 automatically operates steering wheel 168 by controlling EPS motor 164 .

In the present embodiment, when one of the automatic steering start buttons 218a, 218b is pressed (S23: YES in FIG. 2), guidance control is started (S24). However, in the target parking position setting control, when the movement of the cameras 130l, 130rt is regarded as a mechanical obstacle, the parking assist ECU 118 is configured so that the automatic steering start buttons 218a, 218b cannot be selected. Therefore, parking assist ECU 118 prohibits guidance of vehicle 110 . The flowchart shown in FIG. 9 is used in the target parking position setting control to set whether or not to select the automatic steering start button 218a, 218b.

In step S31 in FIG. 9 , the parking assist ECU 118 determines whether or not the left and right side doors 142 l , 142 r , which are mechanical obstruction factors, are in the closed state. This determination is made based on the door state signal Sdr from the vehicle door switches 138l, 138r. When both side doors 142l, 142r are closed (S31: Yes), proceed to step S32, and when one of the side doors 142l, 142r is not closed (S31: No), proceed to step S36.

In step S32, the parking assist ECU 118 determines whether or not the left and right side mirrors 144l, 144r, which are mechanical obstruction factors, are deployed (opened). This determination is made based on the mirror state signal Smr from the mirror switches 140l, 140r. When both the side mirrors 144l and 144r are in the unfolded state (S32: Yes), go to step S33, and if neither the side mirrors 144l and 144r are in the unfolded state (S31: No), go to step S36.

In step S33, the parking assist ECU 118 determines whether or not the gear position Ps is engaged other than the reverse gear (R). This determination is made based on the shift position Ps detected by the shift position sensor 136 . When the gear position Ps is shifted to other than the R range (S33: Yes), proceed to step S34, and when the shift position Ps is shifted to the R range (S33: No), proceed to step S36.

In step S34, parking assist ECU 118 determines whether or not vehicle 110 is in a parked state. This determination is made based on, for example, whether the vehicle speed V is equal to or lower than a threshold (stop determination threshold Thv). When the vehicle 110 is stopped (S34: YES), in step S35, the parking assist ECU 118 displays the automatic steering start buttons 218a, 218b in an active state (selectable state) (see FIG. 10 ). The user's selection starts the automatic steering. When the vehicle 110 is in a non-stop state (S34: NO), it progresses to step S36.

In the following situations, in step S36, the parking assistance ECU 118 displays the automatic steering start button 218a, 218b as an inactive state (a state that cannot be selected) or does not display, and prohibits the start of the automatic steering: on the side door 142l, When 142r is in the non-closed state (S31: No), when the side mirrors 144l, 144r are in the non-deployed state (S32: No), when the gear position Ps is shifted to the R range (S33: No) Or when the vehicle 110 is not parked (S34: NO).

In addition, in step S36, the display on the display screen 200 may be changed according to the automatic detection mode or the fixed display mode set by the automatic detection button 224 (FIG. 10) described later. Next, in step S36, the parking assist ECU 118 displays error information according to various situations (refer to FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 for details).

As shown in FIG. 8, after the parking assist is started (S21: YES), the target parking position setting control is started (S22). At this time, the parking assist ECU 118 displays the display screen 200 including the automatic steering start buttons 218a and 218b and the overhead image Ig (guidance image information) ( FIGS. 10 to 12 ).

Fig. 10 shows the display screen 200 (hereinafter also referred to as the display screen 200a or the display screen 200a during the normal state) under the normal state (that is, in the flow process of Fig. 9, when it is determined that automatic steering is allowed (S35 in Fig. 9)) . FIG. 11 shows a display screen 200 (hereinafter also referred to as a display screen 200b or a display screen 200b when a door is open) when the side doors 142l, 142r are opened (S31: No in FIG. 9). FIG. 12 shows the display screen 200 (hereinafter also referred to as the display screen 200c or the display screen 200c when the rear view mirror is retracted) when the rear view mirrors 144l and 144r are in the retracted state (S32 in FIG. 9: No).

As shown in FIG. 10, the display screen 200a in the normal state includes an inactive parking assist icon 210, a progress description bar 212, operation guidance information 214, and a parking type selection label 216a including automatic steering start buttons 218a and 218b, respectively. , 216b, reminder information 220, top view image area 222, automatic detection button 224 and stop button 226.

During the execution of the guidance control, the parking assist icon 210 is in an active state and is displayed in a darker state, and during the execution of the target parking position setting control, the parking assist icon 210 is in an inactive state and is displayed in a lightened state, thereby parking the vehicle. In this way, the assistance icon 210 indicates the progress status of the parking assistance.

The progress explanation bar 212 is used to explain the progress of the parking assistance. The progress description bar 212 is composed of an area containing the text "setting" indicating that the target parking position Pptar is being set, an area containing the text "assist" indicating that the automatic steering is in progress, and an area containing the text "assist" indicating that the target parking position Pptar is being set. It assists in the region configuration of characters such as "end" of the end. Of these areas, the area corresponding to the control performed at this time is displayed in a different color from the other areas.

The operation guidance information 214 conveys to the driver what the vehicle 10 should do. In the example shown in FIG. 10, automatic steering can be started by selecting one of the automatic steering start buttons 218a, 218b. In order to convey this information, a message like "Press the "Start" button and park in the green frame" is displayed. Word. The “green frame” referred to here refers to the candidate position image 234 displayed in the bird's-eye view image area 222 .

The parking type selection tabs 216a, 216b (hereinafter also referred to as "selection tabs 216a, 216b" or "tags 216a, 216b") are used to select the type of parking from reverse parking (parallel parking) or straight parking. Each label 216a, 216b includes two automatic steering start buttons 218a, 218b, respectively. Both the selection tabs 216a, 216b and the start buttons 218a, 218b are in a state capable of being selected (active state).

After the start button 218a on the left side is selected, the candidate position Ppc corresponding to the candidate position image 234 on the left side is set as the target parking position Pptar, and after the start button 218b on the right side is selected, the candidate position Ppc corresponding to the candidate position image 234 on the left side is set as the target parking position Pptar. The candidate position Ppc corresponding to the position image 234 is set as the target parking position Pptar.

The caution message 220 conveys what the driver should pay attention to at this time. In the example shown in FIG. 4 , before depressing the accelerator pedal to move the vehicle 110 forward, a message "Please check the surrounding conditions directly" is displayed to urge the driver to check the surrounding conditions.

The overhead image area 222 is used to display an overhead image Ig of the vehicle 110 obtained by processing the front image If, the rear image Irr, the left image Il, and the right image Irt. An own vehicle image 230 representing the vehicle 110 is included in the bird's-eye view image area 222 .

As shown in FIG. 10 , in the bird's-eye view image area 222 , in addition to the vehicle image 230 , a target guide line 232 as a guide image and a candidate position image 234 are superimposed and displayed. The target guide line 232 is an image composed of lines displayed ahead of the vehicle 110 or the vehicle image 230 in the traveling direction, and is yellow in the present embodiment. The target guide line 232 is used when aligning with various target parking position images (the target parking position image representing the target parking position Pptar, etc.), and has the same width as the target parking position image 144 .

The candidate position images 234 represent candidates for the target parking position Pptar (candidate position Ppc), and are displayed on the left and right sides of the vehicle image 230 , respectively. After the automatic steering start button 218a on the left side is selected, the candidate position Ppc corresponding to the candidate position 234 on the left side is set as the target parking position Pptar. The candidate position Ppc corresponding to the side candidate position 234 is set as the target parking position Pptar.

Compared with Fig. 11 and Fig. 12 described later, in Fig. 10, the white line 236 (taken by the cameras 130f, 130rr, 130l, 130rt) displayed in the top view image area 222 is used to divide the parking spaces Wire.

The automatic detection button 224 is used to set whether or not to automatically detect a candidate for the target parking position Pptar (candidate position Ppc). In other words, when the automatic detection button 224 is turned on, the parking assistance ECU 118 detects the candidate position Ppc according to the left side image I1 and the right side image Irt, and displays the candidate position image 234 corresponding to the detected candidate position Ppc (automatic detection model). Therefore, in the bird's-eye view image area 222 , the relative positions of the own vehicle image 230 and the candidate position image 234 change.

In the automatic detection mode, parking assist ECU 118 detects characteristic parts such as white line 236 from side image Isd (left side image I1 and right side image Irt) by pattern matching to detect candidate position Ppc. Then, parking assist ECU 118 displays candidate position image 234 on bird's-eye view image area 222 corresponding to the detected coordinates of candidate position Ppc. Here, since the field of view of the cameras 130l and 130rt is fixed, if the position of the candidate position Ppc in the side image Isd is clarified, the relative relationship between the position of the vehicle 110 and the candidate position Ppc can be determined.

Therefore, when candidate position image 234 (candidate position Ppc) is selected and target parking position Pptar is set, parking assist ECU 118 can calculate the relative position between target parking position Pptar and vehicle 110 . Therefore, based on the relative position between the target parking position Pptar and the vehicle 110 , the parking assist ECU 118 can calculate a route to guide the vehicle 110 to the target parking position Pptar.

In addition, when the automatic detection button 224 is turned off, the parking assist ECU 118 fixes the position of the candidate position image 234 with respect to the vehicle image 230 of the vehicle, and displays it. Accordingly, the user aligns the candidate position image 234 with the desired parking position of the vehicle 110 (own vehicle image 230 ) in the bird's-eye view image Ig in the bird's-eye view image area 222 while actually driving the vehicle 110 .

In the fixed display mode, parking assist ECU 118 displays candidate position image 234 at a preset position in bird's-eye view image area 222 . The position where the candidate position image 234 is displayed in the bird's-eye view image area 222 corresponds to a position (candidate position Ppc) whose relative relationship with the position of the vehicle 110 is fixed in advance. In addition, since the field of view of the cameras 1301, 130rt is fixed, the relationship between the position corresponding to the side image Isd and the position where the candidate position image 234 is displayed in the bird's-eye image area 222 (bird's-eye view image Ig) is also fixed.

Therefore, the driver aligns the candidate position image 234 with the position (for example, the area surrounded by the white line 236 ) that can be the candidate position Ppc in the bird's-eye image Ig while viewing the bird's-eye image Ig in the bird's-eye image area 222, and When the candidate position Ppc corresponding to the candidate position image 234 is set as the target parking position Pptar, the parking assist ECU 118 calculates a route leading the vehicle 110 to the target parking position Pptar based on the relative position between the target parking position Pptar and the vehicle 110 .

Here, when the side doors 142l, 142r are open (S31 in FIG. 9: No) or when the side mirrors 144l, 144r are retracted (S32: No), the field of view of the cameras 130l, 130r deviates. In this case, the viewing ranges of the cameras 130l and 130rt cannot correspond to the relative positions in the top-view image area 222 . Therefore, whether in the automatic detection mode or the fixed display mode, a discrepancy occurs between the position (target parking position Pptar) for the vehicle 110 guided by the parking assist ECU 118 and the driver's actual desired parking position. That is, due to the operating states of the side doors 142l, 142r and the side mirrors 144l, 144r as movable parts, the cameras 130l, 130rt are not in their normal positions, which hinders the guidance of the vehicle.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the automatic detection button 224 is turned on, and in the state where the automatic detection mode is selected, the step 36 in FIG. 3 is reached (in particular, in S31: No or S32: No case), the selection of the start buttons 218a, 218b is prohibited (S36). At this time, parking assist ECU 118 may not display candidate position image 234 in bird's-eye view image area 222 . In this case, parking assist ECU 118 can also suspend automatic detection of candidate position Ppc. In addition, when the automatic detection button 224 is turned off and the fixed display mode is selected, and step S36 in FIG. Candidate position images 234 are not displayed.

The abort button 226 is used to end the parking assistance.

Compared with the display screen 200a ( FIG. 10 ) in the normal state, the display screen 200b ( FIG. 11 ) when the door is open displays the text "Please close the door" as the operation guidance information 214 .

In addition, although the automatic steering start buttons 218a and 218b are in a selectable state (active state) in FIG. 10 , the start buttons 218a and 218b are in a non-selectable state (inactive state) in FIG. 11 . The inactive start buttons 218a, 218b are, for example, displayed lighter than the active start buttons 218a, 218b. This is because the initiation of automatic steering is prohibited while the vehicle 110 is moving.

In addition, as in FIG. 10 , in FIG. 11 , the parking type selection tabs 216a, 216b are displayed in a selectable state (active state). The reason for this display is to improve the user's convenience by allowing the parking type to be selected even when the side doors 142l and 142r are opened.

Compared with FIG. 10 , in FIG. 11 , the white line 236 (especially the left side) displayed in the top view image area 222 is curved. This is because the field of view of the camera 130l is deviated due to the opening of the left door 142l.

In addition, on the screen of FIG. 11, the automatic detection button 224 can also be turned on/off.

Compared with the display screen 200a ( FIG. 10 ) in the normal state and the display screen 200b ( FIG. 11 ) when the door is open, in the display screen 200c ( FIG. 12 ) when the side mirror is retracted, as the operation guide information 214 “Please turn on the side mirror” is displayed, and “Please pay attention” is displayed as the reminder message 240 in the bird's-eye view image area 222 .

In addition, as in FIG. 11, in FIG. 12, the automatic steering start buttons 218a, 218b are displayed in a state that cannot be selected (inactive state), and the parking type selection labels 216a, 216b are displayed in a state that can be selected (active state). . In addition, the candidate position image 234 may not be displayed or may be displayed in an inactive state on the display screen 200b when the door is open.

Compared with FIG. 10 , in FIG. 12 , the white line 236 displayed in the top view image area 222 is curved. This is because the view ranges of the cameras 130l, 130rt deviate due to the retracted state of the rearview mirrors 144l, 144r.

In addition, on the screen of FIG. 12, the automatic detection button 224 can also be turned on/off.

In the case of the above-mentioned second embodiment, when the cameras 130l, 130rt (photographing mechanism) are not in the normal position for stopping assistance with the movement of the side doors 142l, 142r or the side mirrors 144l, 144r (movable parts), it is prohibited to Guidance of the vehicle 110 (see FIG. 9 , FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 ). Therefore, in the automatic detection mode (the state in which the automatic detection button 224 is turned on), when an erroneous position different from the actual position is detected as the candidate position Ppc (candidate for the target parking position Pptar), it is possible to prevent the vehicle 110 from being moved. Navigate to this error location. The same applies to the case where the driver aligns the vehicle 110 with the candidate position while viewing the surrounding image Is (including the overhead image Ig) in the fixed display mode (state where the automatic detection button 224 is turned off).

In the target parking position setting control in the second embodiment, the parking assist ECU 118 displays parking type selection tabs 216a and 216b (operation images) ( FIGS. 10 to 12 ) for performing operations in the target parking position setting control. When it is detected that the side doors 142l, 142r are in the closed state and the side mirrors 144l, 144r are in the unfolded state (that is, the cameras 130l, 130rt are in the normal position) (S31: Yes → S32: Yes), the parking assist ECU 118 is used to start monitoring Guidance start buttons 218a, 218b (guidance start images) and parking type selection tabs 216a, 216b (operation images) of the vehicle 110 can be selected ( FIG. 10 ). In addition, when it is detected that the cameras 130l, 130rt are not in the normal position, the selection tabs 216a, 216b can be selected, and the start buttons 218a, 218b cannot be selected ( FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 ).

Therefore, even when the cameras 130l, 130rt are not in normal positions (for example, the reversing mirrors 144l, 144r are unfolding), corresponding operations can be performed according to the selection of the labels 216a, 216b. Therefore, the convenience of the user can be improved.

In the present embodiment, the parking assist device 112 has an automatic detection button 224 (mode switching mechanism) capable of switching between the automatic detection mode and the fixed display mode ( FIGS. 10 to 12 ). The automatic mode is a mode for automatically detecting a candidate position Ppc (a candidate for the target parking position Pptar), and the fixed display mode is a mode for fixedly displaying a candidate position image 234 on the bird's-eye view image Ig without automatically detecting the candidate position Ppc.

When the parking assist ECU 118 detects that the cameras 1301, 130rt (camera) are in the normal position in the state where the automatic detection mode is selected, the candidate position image 234 is displayed in association with the own vehicle image 230, and the start buttons 218a, 218b (guidance start image) can be selected (refer to FIG. 10 ). When the parking assistance ECU 118 detects that the cameras 130l and 130rt are not in the normal position when the automatic detection mode is selected, the candidate position image 234 can be displayed without displaying the vehicle image 230 or the candidate position image 234 in an inactive state. , and make the start buttons 218a, 218b in a state that cannot be selected.

In addition, in the state where the fixed display mode is selected, when it is detected that the cameras 130l, 130rt are in the normal position, the parking assist ECU 118 displays the candidate position image 234 in association with the own vehicle image 230, and activates the start buttons 218a, 218b can be selected (see Figure 10). When the parking assist ECU 118 detects that the cameras 130l, 130rt are not in the normal position while the fixed display mode is selected, the candidate position image 234 can be displayed in association with the own vehicle image 230, and the start buttons 218a, 218b cannot be activated. selection (see Figure 11 and Figure 12).

According to the above configuration, the display of the start buttons 218a, 218b and the candidate position image 234 can be switched according to the selected setting mode (automatic detection mode and fixed display mode) of the target parking position Pptar and the positions of the cameras 1301, 130rt. That is, the user can easily recognize the selection of the setting mode for the current target parking position Pptar and the positions of the cameras 130l and 130rt.

In addition, the invention according to the second embodiment is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and it is of course possible to adopt various configurations based on the contents described in this specification. For example, the following configurations can be employed.

In the above-mentioned second embodiment, the case where the parking assistance device 112 is mounted on the vehicle 110 has been described. In the normal position where the parking assist (stop assist) is performed, the guidance to the mobile body is prohibited. From this point of view, the parking assist device 112 (stop assist device) can also be used in a mobile body (for example, a ship) other than the vehicle 110 .

In the above-described embodiment, the cameras 130f, 130rr, 130l, and 130rt are used as imaging means for capturing the surrounding image Is. However, for example, when it is detected that the cameras 130l, 130rt are not in the normal position for parking assistance along with the movement of the rear mirrors 142l, 142r or 144l, 144r, guidance to the vehicle 110 is prohibited. From this point of view, It is also possible to provide only one of the left side camera 130l and the right side camera 130rt or only the left side camera 130l and the right side camera 130rt.

In the above-described embodiment, the touch panel 146 of the navigation device 116 doubles as an input means and a display means. However, for example, the touch panel 146 may not belong to the navigation device 116 from the viewpoint of inputting a user's instruction to the parking assist device 112 . Alternatively, an input mechanism (dedicated key, voice input device, etc.) other than the touch panel 146 may be used.

Furthermore, for example, from the viewpoint of displaying the display screen 200 , a display mechanism other than the touch panel 146 (for example, a multi-function information display (MID) or a head-up display (HUD)) may be used.

In the above embodiment, it is detected whether the cameras 130l, 130rt are in the normal state for parking assistance according to the switch state of the side doors 142l, 142r (S31 in FIG. 9 ) and the switch state (S32) of the side mirrors 144l, 144r. Location. However, it is also possible to perform detection based on only one of the states.

In the above-described embodiment, even when the cameras 130l and 130rt as the imaging means are not in the normal position, execution of the target parking position setting control is permitted, and execution of subsequent guidance control is prohibited. However, for example, when the cameras 130l and 130rt are not in normal positions, parking assistance is not performed. From this point of view, not only the guidance control but also the execution of the target setting control can be prohibited.

In the above embodiment, when the cameras 130l, 130rt are not in the normal positions, the start of the automatic steering is prohibited in both the automatic detection mode and the fixed display mode. However, for example, from the standpoint of prohibiting the start of automatic steering in the automatic detection mode, it is also possible to allow the start of automatic steering in the fixed display mode.

Although the automatic detection mode and the fixed display mode are provided in the above-mentioned embodiment, for example, when the cameras 130l, 130rt are not in the normal position, the start of the automatic steering is prohibited. one of the modes.

In the above-described embodiment, the candidate position images 234 are arranged on both sides of the ego vehicle image 230 ( FIGS. 10 to 12 ). However, for example, when one of the cameras 1301, 130rt is not in the normal position, the start of automatic steering is prohibited. From this point of view, the candidate position image 234 may be displayed only on the left or right side of the own vehicle image 230. .

In the target parking position setting control in the above embodiment, a position (candidate position Ppc) that can become the target parking position Pptar is displayed on the touch panel 146 as a candidate position image 234 ( FIGS. 10 to 12 ). However, it is not limited to this from the viewpoint of setting the target parking position Pptar, for example. For example, it is also possible to move the vehicle 110 to a predetermined position relative to the target parking position Pptar according to the driver's operation (for example, make the line at one end of the target parking position Pptar (parking frame) be positioned at any of the rear mirrors 144l, 144r). position on an extension line), to set the target parking position Pptar.

In the above embodiment, in the target parking position setting control, guidance control (control for automatically operating the steering wheel 168 ) is used as the control for guiding the vehicle 110 to the set target parking position Pptar. However, for example, when it is detected that the cameras 130l and 130rt are not in the normal position for the parking assist control, the guidance to the vehicle 110 is prohibited. From this point of view, other guidance control can also be used. For example, automatic parking control (automatic acceleration, braking, gear shifting, and steering control) can also be used

In the above embodiment, the automatic steering start buttons 218a and 218b are displayed in an inactive state on the display screen 200b ( FIG. 10 ) when the door is open and the display screen 200c ( FIG. 11 ) when the side mirror is retracted. However, for example, the start buttons 218a and 218b may not be displayed from the viewpoint that the start buttons 218a and 218b cannot be selected.

In the above embodiment, the top view image Ig is generated and displayed using the front image If, rear image Irr, left side image Il, and right side image Irt captured by the cameras 130f, 130rr, 130l, and 130rt (see FIGS. 10 to 12 ). . However, for example, from the viewpoint of displaying only the side image Isd, it is also possible to generate and display the bird's-eye view image Ig using only the left side image I1 and the right side image Irt or only one of these two images.

In the above-described embodiment, reverse parking (parallel parking) and straight parking can be selected as the types of parking guided by the parking assistance. However, it can also be set so that other types of parking (for example, diagonal parking) can be selected. In addition, it can also be set so that only one of reverse parking and straight parking can be selected. In this case, the display of both the parking type selection tabs 216a, 216b may be omitted.

Also, the type of parking may be selected by an input mechanism other than the display buttons on the display screen 200 (for example, a dedicated operation button provided on a location other than the display screen 200 (for example, the steering wheel 168 )).

In the embodiment described above, the automatic steering start buttons 218a and 218b ( FIGS. 10 to 12 ) were used as guidance start images for inputting a command to guide the vehicle to the target parking position Pptar. However, for example, in the case where the target parking position Pptar can only be set on the left side or the right side (in particular, the left side of the country can only be used on the left side, and the right side of the country can only be set on the right side), It is also possible to use only one of the start buttons 218a, 218b.

In addition, the command to guide the vehicle to the target parking position Pptar may also be input using an input means other than the buttons displayed on the display screen 200 (for example, a dedicated operation button provided on a part other than the display screen 200 (such as the steering wheel 168)). .

In the above description, the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Claims (7)

1. a kind of parking aid (10A), has control unit (18A), the control unit (18A) is used to set vehicle (12A) Target parking position, and perform and the parking of the vehicle (12A) guiding to the target parking position aided in into control, it is special Sign is,

Before the parking auxiliary control is performed or in implementation procedure, the control unit (18A) with the presence or absence of possible to hampering Hindering to the target parking position guides the mechanical obstacles factor of the vehicle (12A) to be judged, the machinery barrier be present In the case of hindering factor, forbid the guiding to the vehicle (12A),

The mechanical obstacles factor refers to the action of parking brake,

The control unit (18A) determines the elapsed time during parking brake action,

In the case where judging that the elapsed time exceedes defined stand-by time, the control unit (18A) is forbidden to the car The guiding of (12A),

In the case that the action of the parking brake is released from the defined stand-by time, the control unit (18A) Continue the guiding to the vehicle (12A).

2. parking aid (10A) according to claim 1, it is characterised in that

The control unit (18A) has guiding control unit (72),

As the parking auxiliary control, the described guiding rotation of control unit (72) based on wheel persistently calculates the vehicle The current state of (12A), and guided the vehicle (12A) to the target parking position based on the current state calculated Put.

3. parking aid (10A) according to claim 2, it is characterised in that

Steering of the guiding control unit (72) only to the vehicle (12A) aids in.

4. parking aid (10A) according to claim 1, it is characterised in that

The control unit (18A) detects the gradient in place residing for the vehicle (12A), and institute is changed based on the gradient detected State stand-by time.

5. a kind of parking aid (112), has control unit (118), the control unit (118) is used to set vehicle (110) Target parking position, and perform and the parking of the vehicle (110) guiding to the target parking position aided in into control, it is special Sign is,

Before the parking auxiliary control is performed or in implementation procedure, the control unit (118) with the presence or absence of possible to hampering Hindering to the target parking position guides the mechanical obstacles factor of the vehicle (110) to be judged, the machinery barrier be present In the case of hindering factor, forbid the guiding to the vehicle (110),

The parking aid (112) has photographic unit (130l, 130rt), and the photographic unit (130l, 130rt) sets Put on the movable part (142l, 142r, 144l, 144r) positioned at the vehicle (110) sidepiece, to the side of the vehicle (110) Fang Jinhang is shot,

It is auxiliary that surrounding's image that the control unit (118) is based on being obtained by the photographic unit (130l, 130rt) performs the parking Control is helped, moreover,

When detecting that the photographic unit (130l, 130rt) is located at normal position, the control unit (118) starts guiding Image is shown as being chosen, and the guiding starts image and is used to indicate that the guiding of the vehicle (110) starts,

Also, following situation is determined to have the mechanical obstacles factor by the control unit (118)：With the movable part The movement of (142l, 142r, 144l, 144r), the photographic unit (130l, 130rt) are not in carrying out the parking auxiliary control The normal position of system, when detecting the situation, be shown as can not the guiding is started into image for the control unit (118) In the state of being chosen, forbid the guiding to the vehicle (110).

6. parking aid (112) according to claim 5, it is characterised in that

The control unit (118) is forbidden to the car when detecting that the side door (142l, 142r) as the movable part opens The guiding of (110).

7. the parking aid (112) according to claim 5 or claim 6, it is characterised in that

The control unit (118) is forbidden to described when detecting that the side mirror (144l, 144r) as the movable part closes The guiding of vehicle (110).