Vehicle apparatus

• US 9,731,714 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2015
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Kiriya, Takechika
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jelani
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fei, Jordan S
• Application Number:
  US14/742,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20150375741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/00 Input parameters relating to data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/55 using telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/20 Steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/06 Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30264 Parking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/28 Recognition of hand or arm movements, e.g. recognition of deaf sign language static hand signs G06V40/113
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A vehicle apparatus used in a vehicle measures a first elapsed time after completion of a parking operation by which the vehicle is parked in a parking region, and prohibits movement of the vehicle to adjust the parking position when the first elapsed time reaches a first predetermined time before receipt of a instruction signal by the receiver Accordingly, it is possible to improve safety by preventing the vehicle from moving out of a parking position even if the moving part is erroneously operated when the predetermined time elapses after the completion of parking operation.

Claims

1. A vehicle apparatus used in a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a clock configured to measure a first elapsed time after completion of a parking operation by which the vehicle is parked at a parking position in a parking region while an ignition signal of the vehicle is in an on state, the clock starting counting of the first elapsed time upon satisfaction of two conditions which are closing of a door of the vehicle after the door has been opened and the ignition signal of the vehicle switching to an off state;

a receiver configured to receive an instruction signal from a mobile device operated by a user outside the vehicle while the ignition signal of the vehicle is in the off state;

a first recognition part configured to recognize, based on a motion signal transmitted from the mobile device that is moved in association with a motion of a body of the user, a movement instruction based on the motion of the body of the user, the movement instruction being indicative of moving the vehicle;

a second recognition part configured to recognize the movement instruction based on a detection result of a detector that is configured to detect the motion of the body of the user without the motion signal transmitted from the mobile device; and

a control unit configured to cause movement of the vehicle to adjust the parking position of the vehicle in response to the received instruction signal when a recognized result obtained by the first recognition part coincides with a recognized result obtained by the second recognition part, wherein

the control unit is further configured to prohibit the movement of the vehicle to adjust the parking position when the first elapsed time reaches a first predetermined time before receipt of the instruction signal by the receiver.

2. The vehicle apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the parking operation is an operation by which the vehicle is controlled to be automatically parked in the parking region.

3. The vehicle apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the parking operation is an operation in which the user parks the vehicle in the parking region.

4. The vehicle apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

when (1) the first elapsed time is less than the first predetermined time and (2) the instruction signal is received, the clock measures an amount of time elapsed after completion of the movement of the vehicle instructed by the instruction signal as a second elapsed time, and

the control unit prohibits further movement of the vehicle to further adjust the parking position when the second elapsed time reaches a second predetermined time without receipt of a further instruction signal.

5. The vehicle apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

when the parking operation was conducted by user without automatic parking, the control unit sets the first predetermined time to be longer compared to when the parking operation was conducted with automatic parking.

6. The vehicle apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit causes the vehicle to be moved when a time difference is less than a predetermined time, the time difference indicating a difference between a time for the first recognition part to obtain the recognized result and a time for the second recognition part to obtain the recognized result.

7. The vehicle apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit causes the vehicle to be moved when the recognized results are simultaneously obtained by the first recognition part and the second recognition part.

8. The vehicle apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the mobile device includes an acceleration sensor, and

the motion signal contains acceleration data obtained by the acceleration sensor.

9. The vehicle apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the detector is a camera mounted on the vehicle, and

the detection result is image data that is obtained by imaging the motion of the body of the user using the camera.

10. A vehicle control system that is configured to control a vehicle, the system comprising:

a vehicle drive system configured to move the vehicle;

a mobile device that is operated by a user outside the vehicle to transmit an instruction signal; and

a vehicle apparatus that is used in the vehicle,

wherein the vehicle apparatus includes;

a clock configured to measure a first elapsed time after completion of a parking operation by which the vehicle is parked at a parking position in a parking region while an ignition signal of the vehicle is in an on state, the clock starting counting of the first elapsed time upon satisfaction of two conditions which are closing of a door of the vehicle after the door has been opened and the ignition signal of the vehicle switching to an off state;

a receiver configured to receive an instruction signal from the mobile device while the ignition signal of the vehicle is in the off state;

a first recognition part configured to recognize, based on a motion signal transmitted from the mobile device that is moved in association with a motion of a body of the user, a movement instruction based on the motion of the body of the user, the movement instruction being indicative of moving the vehicle;

a second recognition part configured to recognize the movement instruction based on a detection result of a detector that is configured to detect the motion of the body of the user without the motion signal transmitted from the mobile device; and

a control unit configured to instruct the vehicle drive system to adjust the parking position of the vehicle in response to the received instruction signal when a recognized result obtained by the first recognition part coincides with a recognized result obtained by the second recognition part, wherein

the control unit is further configured to prohibit the vehicle drive system from adjusting the parking position when the first elapsed time reaches a first predetermined time before receipt of the instruction signal by the receiver.

11. A vehicle control method of controlling a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) measuring, with a clock of the vehicle, a first elapsed time after completion of a parking operation by which the vehicle is parked at a parking position in a parking region while an ignition signal of the vehicle is in an on state, the clock starting counting of the first elapsed time upon satisfaction of two conditions which are closing of a door of the vehicle after the door has been opened and the ignition signal of the vehicle switching to an off state;

(b) receiving, with a receiver of the vehicle, an instruction signal from a mobile device that is operated by a user outside the vehicle while the ignition signal of the vehicle is in the off state;

(c) recognizing, based on a motion signal transmitted from the mobile device that is moved in association with a motion of a body of the user, a movement instruction based on the motion of the body of the user, the movement instruction being indicative of moving the vehicle;

(d) recognizing the movement instruction based on a detection result of a detector that is configured to detect the motion of the body of the user without the motion signal transmitted from the mobile device;

(e) controlling a vehicle drive system of the vehicle to adjust the parking position of the vehicle by moving the vehicle in response to the received instruction signal when a recognized result obtained by the step (c) coincides with a recognized result obtained by the step (d); and

(f) prohibiting the step (e) from adjusting the parking position when the first elapsed time reaches a first predetermined time before receipt of the instruction signal by the receiver.

12. The vehicle control method according to claim 11, wherein

the step (a) is an operation by which the vehicle is controlled to be automatically parked in the parking region.

13. The vehicle control method according to claim 11, wherein

the step (a) is an operation in which the user parks the vehicle in the parking region.

14. The vehicle control method according to claim 11, wherein

when (1) the first elapsed time is less than the first predetermined time and (2) the instruction signal is received, after completion of the moving of the vehicle according to step (e), further performing the steps of

(g) measuring an amount of time elapsed after the completion of the movement of the vehicle instructed by the instruction signal as a second elapsed time, and

(h) prohibiting further movement of the vehicle to further adjust the parking position when the second elapsed time reaches a second predetermined time without receipt of a further instruction signal.

15. The vehicle control method according to claim 11, wherein

when the parking operation was conducted by the user without automatic parking, the step (f) sets the first predetermined time to be longer compared to when the parking operation was conducted with automatic parking.

16. The vehicle control method according to claim 11, wherein

the step (e) moves the vehicle when a time difference is less than a predetermined time, the time difference indicating a difference between a time for the step (c) to obtain the recognized result and a time for the step (d) to obtain the recognized result.

17. The vehicle control method according to claim 11, wherein

the step (e) moves the vehicle when the recognized results are simultaneously obtained by the step (c) and the step (d).