JP4339178B2 - Parking space empty space guidance device and parking space empty space guidance method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a parking lot empty space guide device and a parking lot empty space guide method for guiding a parking lot empty space where a host vehicle is to park.

  Conventionally, as a positioning device for measuring the position of the host vehicle, a route guidance function for guiding an appropriate route in order to guide the traveling of the host vehicle and allow the driver to easily reach a desired destination is provided. A navigation device is provided.

  This route guidance function automatically searches for the route with the lowest cost from the current location to the destination using map data, and uses the searched route as a guidance route to change the color of other roads on the map screen. draw. Further, when the vehicle approaches within a certain distance of the guidance intersection on the guidance route, the driver is guided to the destination by performing predetermined intersection guidance.

  The destination includes a destination that the driver wants to finally go to and a waypoint between the current location and the destination. The cost is a value obtained by multiplying a predetermined constant according to the road width, road type (whether it is a general road or a highway), right and left turns, traffic regulations, etc. based on the distance. The degree of aptitude is quantified. Even if there are two routes with the same distance, the cost differs depending on the search conditions such as whether the driver uses the highway, whether to give priority to time or priority to distance, etc. It will be. In the route search process, the link costs on various routes from the current location to the destination are sequentially added, using the points connecting multiple roads such as intersections and branches as nodes and the vectors connecting adjacent nodes as links. The route with the smallest sum of is selected as the guidance route.

  However, when the driver wants to park the vehicle at the destination, the route guidance function provided by the conventional navigation device stops the guidance when the vehicle reaches the vicinity of the destination. There was a problem that it was not possible to guide to the parking lot and the empty space of the parking lot.

  In addition, with the advancement of technology in recent years, various functions have been installed in navigation devices. Among them, there is a function for searching and guiding a facility within a predetermined distance from the position of the own vehicle or the center of the cursor. This function is a function for searching for peripheral facilities corresponding to a category designated by the user among a plurality of predetermined categories (for example, parking lots, convenience stores, gas stations, banks, public facilities, etc.). That is, when the user selects a desired category from among a plurality of categories, the navigation device searches for peripheral facilities corresponding to the selected category and displays the result on the display screen. .

  However, because the search results for nearby facilities are simply indicated by a list or icon display on the map, if the nearby facility you want to select is a parking lot, or if the surrounding facility you want to select has a parking lot, I didn't know if there was free space to park my vehicle in the parking lot. Therefore, when I went to a nearby facility set as my destination, the parking facility is full (there is no free space in the parking lot), so the surrounding facility may not be available. There was a problem of having to search.

  Even if there is an empty space in the parking lot, when the driver arrives at the parking lot, the driver must search for the empty space in the parking lot or follow the manual guidance. It was. In addition, when performing manual guidance, there is a problem in that the parking lot requires labor costs for performing the guidance.

In addition, as a technique for guiding the vacant space in the parking lot to the user, a vehicle equipped with a navigation device for performing route guidance and a communication device that communicates with the parking lot headquarters device occupies the vacant space in the parking lot. It has been proposed that the parking lot information shown is acquired from the parking lot headquarters device by communication, and the route to the desired empty space in the parking lot is guided based on the acquired parking lot information (for example, Patent Documents) 1). In addition, in the parking management system that reads the ID code assigned to each vehicle when entering or leaving the parking lot and manages each parking time by a computer, the vehicle searches for an empty space in the parking lot when the vehicle enters, A technique has been proposed in which the resulting empty space information is displayed for an entering vehicle (for example, Patent Document 2).
JP 2001-229498 A JP 2000-149194 A

  However, according to the techniques described in Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 2, the parking lot headquarters device or the parking management system includes a device that searches for a free space in a parking lot, and a database that stores parking lot information indicating a free space, Since equipment such as a device for presenting parking lot information is required for the vehicle that has entered, the number of parking lots where such equipment can be introduced is limited. There was a problem that it was not possible to guide the empty space.

  The present invention is made in order to solve such a problem, and the own vehicle is installed in a parking lot having no special equipment for guiding an empty space in the parking lot or a person for guiding the vehicle. Even when trying to park the vehicle, it is intended to be able to easily guide the empty space of the parking lot by the own vehicle.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, in the parking lot empty space guidance device and the parking lot empty space guidance method of the present invention, the other vehicle acquired by the other vehicle parked in the parking lot where the own vehicle is to be parked is acquired. Vehicle information indicating the surrounding image, position, and orientation is acquired by inter-vehicle communication, a parking lot image is generated based on the acquired vehicle information, and an empty space in the parking lot is guided.

  According to the present invention configured as described above, a parking lot image indicating a vacant space in a parking lot is acquired from another vehicle, and the vacant space is presented based on the parking lot image. Even when parking in a parking lot that does not have special facilities for guiding or personnel for guiding the vehicle, the empty space can be easily guided. Therefore, the driver can easily grasp an empty space for parking the host vehicle.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a navigation device 10 to which the parking lot empty space guidance device of the present embodiment is applied.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 11 denotes a map recording medium such as a DVD-ROM, which stores various map data necessary for map display, route search, and the like. Here, the DVD-ROM 11 is used as a recording medium for storing the map data, but other recording media such as a CD-ROM and a hard disk may be used. A DVD-ROM control unit 12 controls reading of map data from the DVD-ROM 11.

  Reference numeral 13 denotes a position measurement unit that measures the current position and direction of the vehicle, and includes a self-contained navigation sensor, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, a position calculation CPU, and the like. The self-contained navigation sensor includes a vehicle speed sensor (distance sensor) that outputs a single pulse for each predetermined travel distance to detect the travel distance of the vehicle, and an angular velocity sensor such as a vibration gyro that detects the rotation angle (movement direction) of the vehicle. (Relative orientation sensor). The position calculation CPU calculates the relative position and direction of the vehicle based on outputs from these vehicle speed sensors and angular velocity sensors.

  The position calculation CPU calculates the absolute own vehicle position (estimated vehicle position) and vehicle direction based on the relative position and direction data of the own vehicle output from the self-contained navigation sensor. The GPS receiver receives radio waves transmitted from a plurality of GPS satellites with a GPS antenna, and performs a three-dimensional positioning process or a two-dimensional positioning process to calculate the absolute position and direction of the vehicle (the vehicle direction is The calculation is based on the current vehicle position and the current vehicle position one sampling time ΔT before).

  A map information memory 14 temporarily stores map data read from the DVD-ROM 11 under the control of the DVD-ROM control unit 12. That is, the DVD-ROM control unit 12 inputs the current position information of the host vehicle from the position measurement unit 13 and outputs an instruction to read out a predetermined range of map data including the current position of the host vehicle, thereby displaying a map display or Map data necessary for the search for the guidance route is read from the DVD-ROM 11 and stored in the map information memory 14.

  Reference numeral 15 denotes a remote controller (remote controller), which allows the user to set various information (for example, a route guidance destination) to the navigation device 10 and various operations (for example, menu selection operation, enlargement / reduction operation, Various controls (buttons, joysticks, etc.) for performing manual map scrolling, character input, etc. are provided. Reference numeral 16 denotes a remote control interface, which receives an infrared signal corresponding to the operation state from the remote control 15.

  Reference numeral 17 denotes a processor (CPU) (corresponding to a control unit in claims), which controls the entire navigation device 10. Reference numeral 18 denotes a ROM which stores various programs (such as a parking lot empty space guidance program and a guidance route search processing program). Reference numeral 19 denotes a RAM which temporarily stores data obtained during various processes and data obtained as a result of various processes. For example, the CPU 17 searches for the guide route with the lowest cost connecting the current location to the destination using the map data stored in the map information memory 14 according to the guide route search processing program stored in the ROM 18. Process. Details of processing performed by the CPU 17 in accordance with the parking lot empty space guidance program will be described later.

  Reference numeral 20 denotes a guidance route memory, which stores guidance route data searched by the CPU 17. The guidance route data stores the position of each node and an intersection identification flag indicating whether each node is an intersection, corresponding to each node from the current location to the destination.

  Reference numeral 21 denotes a voice generation unit that utters a voice for guiding an empty space in a parking lot, a voice for intersection guidance, a voice for various operation guidance, and the like. Reference numeral 22 denotes a speaker (corresponding to the presenting unit in the claims), which outputs the sound generated by the sound generating unit 21 to the outside.

  Reference numeral 23 denotes a transmission / reception unit that transmits acquisition request information for requesting vehicle information of another vehicle in the parking lot to the other vehicle using, for example, a terrestrial antenna. Here, the vehicle information is image information around the other vehicle processed from a plurality of images taken by the other vehicle in the parking lot into a top view image viewed from the virtual viewpoint above the other vehicle, and the position of the other vehicle. Information including information and direction information of other vehicles. The transmission / reception unit 23 receives vehicle information sent from another vehicle via a terrestrial antenna. Here, the transmission / reception unit 23 corresponds to the vehicle information acquisition unit in the claims. A vehicle information storage unit 24 stores vehicle information of other vehicles received from the transmission / reception unit 23.

  Reference numeral 25 denotes a parking lot image generation unit that generates a parking lot image necessary for display on the display device 32 to be described later, based on image information around other vehicles stored in the vehicle information storage unit 24. Here, the parking lot image generation part 25 produces | generates a parking lot image based on the several vehicle information received from several other vehicles, for example. At this time, the parking lot image generation unit 25 uses the position information and direction information of the own vehicle obtained by the position measurement unit 13 and the position information and direction information of each other vehicle to obtain image information around a plurality of other vehicles. To generate a parking lot image. At the time of synthesis, fine adjustment of the parking lot image is performed with reference to an image serving as a mark in the parking lot, for example, a white line for partitioning the parking lot. Here, when there is an empty space in the parking lot, the parking lot image indicates an empty space in the parking lot.

  Reference numeral 26 denotes a display controller, which generates map image data necessary for display on the display device 32 to be described later, based on the map data stored in the map information memory 14. A video RAM 27 temporarily stores map image data generated by the display controller 26. That is, the map image data generated by the display controller 26 is temporarily stored in the video RAM 27, and the map image data for one screen is read and output to the image composition unit 31 described later.

  A menu generation unit 28 generates and outputs a menu image necessary for performing various operations using the remote controller 15. Reference numeral 29 denotes a guidance route generator, which generates guidance route data by using the processing result of the guidance route search processing program stored in the guidance route memory 20. That is, from the guidance route data stored in the guidance route memory 20, what is included in the map area drawn in the video RAM 27 at that time is selectively read out, and is overlaid on the map image and highlighted with a predetermined color. Draw a guidance route.

  A mark generation unit 30 generates and outputs a vehicle mark displayed at the position of the vehicle, various landmarks displaying a parking lot, a gas station, a convenience store, and the like. In addition, you may make it generate and output the other vehicle mark displayed at the position of the other vehicle in a parking lot image, the empty space mark displayed at the position of an empty space, etc.

  The above-described image composition unit 31 synthesizes and outputs various images. In other words, the map image data read out by the display controller 26 is overlaid with the image data output from each of the menu generating unit 28, the guide route generating unit 29, and the mark generating unit 30, and image synthesis is performed. 32. Further, the image data output from the mark generation unit 30 is superimposed on the parking lot image output from the parking lot image generation unit 25 as necessary, and the resultant image is combined and output to the display device 32. Here, the display device 32 corresponds to a display unit and a presentation unit in the claims.

  Thereby, on the screen of the display device 32, map information around the own vehicle is displayed together with the own vehicle mark. In addition, the parking lot image generated by the parking lot image generation unit 25 is displayed on the screen of the display device 32.

  Reference numeral 33 denotes a bus, which is used to exchange data with each other between the various functional configurations described above.

  For example, when the search for the parking lot free space is instructed by operating the remote controller 15, the CPU 17 controls the transmission / reception unit 23 according to the parking lot free space guidance program stored in the ROM 18, and obtains the acquisition request information described above. To other vehicles. When the transmission / reception unit 23 receives vehicle information from another vehicle, the CPU 17 stores the received vehicle information in the vehicle information storage unit 24. Then, the CPU 17 stores the vehicle stored in the vehicle information storage unit 24 at a predetermined timing, for example, a timing at which all vehicle information is received or a timing at which a predetermined number of vehicle information is received in the first-come-first-served basis in which communication is received. Information is read out and output to the parking lot image generation unit 25.

  The other vehicle that receives the acquisition request information transmitted from the host vehicle and transmits the vehicle information to the host vehicle includes a device for measuring the position and orientation of the vehicle, such as a navigation device or an image around the vehicle. A plurality of cameras for photographing, a device for generating a top view image based on images photographed by a plurality of cameras, and a transmission / reception device for receiving acquisition request information and transmitting vehicle information are mounted. .

  Next, the operation of the parking lot empty space guide device and the parking lot empty space guidance method according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the parking lot empty space guiding device and the parking lot empty space guiding method according to the present embodiment.

  In FIG. 2, first, the CPU 17 checks whether or not an instruction to search for an empty space in the parking lot is instructed by operating the remote controller 15 (step S1). When the search for the parking space empty space is not instructed (NO in step S1), the process of step S1 is continued.

  On the other hand, when a search for an empty space in the parking lot is instructed (YES in step S1), the host vehicle performs inter-vehicle communication with other vehicles in the vicinity by the transmission / reception unit 23, and communicates with other vehicles in the parking lot. On the other hand, acquisition request information for requesting acquisition of vehicle information is transmitted (step S2).

  When the other vehicle parked in the parking lot receives the acquisition request information requesting acquisition of the vehicle information, the vehicle information is transmitted to the host vehicle as a response. At this time, in the other vehicle, the periphery of the other vehicle is photographed by a camera mounted on the other vehicle, and peripheral image information of the other vehicle is acquired. This peripheral image information is a top view image generated from images taken by a plurality of cameras and viewed from a virtual viewpoint above another vehicle. The top view image can be generated by using a known technique described in, for example, International Publication No. 00/64175 pamphlet.

  Then, the other vehicle transmits vehicle information including the position information and direction information of the other vehicle measured by the navigation device and the above-described surrounding image information of the other vehicle to the own vehicle by the transmission / reception device. As a power source for performing the operation of the other vehicle described above, a standby power source mounted on the vehicle is used when the engine is not running.

  In the own vehicle, it is checked whether or not the vehicle information transmitted from the other vehicle parked in the parking lot has been received by the transmission / reception unit 23 (step S3). If vehicle information is not received (NO in step S3), the process in step S3 is repeated.

  On the other hand, when the vehicle information is received (YES in step S5), the vehicle information is stored in vehicle information storage unit 24, and the position information of other vehicles included in the vehicle information and position measurement unit 13 are used. Based on the measured position information of the own vehicle, the vehicle information of a plurality of other vehicles is sorted in the order in which the position of the other vehicle is closer to the position of the own vehicle (step S4).

  The parking lot image generation unit 25 generates a parking lot image based on the vehicle information received from a plurality of other vehicles (step S7). The parking lot image generation processing is performed according to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  According to FIG. 3, the parking lot image generation unit 25 prepares a canvas for generating a parking lot image (step S11). Vehicle information is read from the vehicle information storage unit 24 in the sorted order (step S12). Then, the direction information of the other vehicle included in the read vehicle information is compared with the direction information of the own vehicle measured by the position measuring unit 13 of the own vehicle, and the surrounding image information of the other vehicle is rotated to rotate the own vehicle. Then, the image is processed so as to be an image viewed from (step S13).

  Next, the CPU 17 checks whether an image already exists on the canvas prepared in step S11 (step S14). Here, the case where the image does not exist on the canvas is a case where processing based on vehicle information acquired from the first (first sort) other vehicle is performed, and the case where the image exists on the canvas is 2 This is a case where processing based on vehicle information acquired from other vehicles after the first (second and subsequent in the sorting) is performed.

  If there is no image on the canvas (NO in step S14), the process jumps to step S17 described later. On the other hand, if there is an image on the canvas (YES in step S14), the parking image generation unit 25 determines the position of the image existing on the canvas and the surrounding image of the other vehicle obtained in step S13. (Step S15). Here, the alignment between the image existing on the canvas and the surrounding image of the other vehicle obtained in step S13 is, for example, the position information of the other vehicle included in the read vehicle information and the image existing on the canvas. This is done by comparing the position information of other vehicles.

  And fine adjustment of a position and a scale is performed by the white line which shows the parking space in the parking lot of the image which exists on a canvas, and the white line which shows the parking space in the parking lot in the periphery image of another vehicle (step S16).

  Next, the parking lot image generation unit 25 pastes the image obtained in step S16 or the surrounding image of the other vehicle obtained in step S12 on the canvas (step S17). Here, the CPU 17 refers to the vehicle information storage unit 24 to check whether there is unprocessed vehicle information (step S18). If there is unprocessed vehicle information (YES in step S18), CPU 17 reads vehicle information to be processed next from vehicle information storage unit 24 (step S19). Then, the process proceeds to step S13.

  On the other hand, when there is no unprocessed vehicle information (NO in step S18), the parking lot image generation unit 25 outputs the canvas image as a parking lot image (step S20), and ends the process.

  As described above, when the parking lot image is output from the parking lot image generation unit 25, the process returns to the process of the flowchart shown in FIG. The parking lot image output from the parking lot image generation unit 25 is output to the display device 32 via the image composition unit 31. Then, a parking lot image is displayed on the display device 32 (step S6).

  Next, an example of an operation for generating a parking lot image by the parking lot empty space guidance device of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image of a parking lot into which a host vehicle equipped with the parking lot empty space guidance device according to the present embodiment has been viewed from above. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a parking lot image generation process performed by the parking lot empty space guidance apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen by the parking lot empty space guidance device of the present embodiment.

  4 to 6, reference numeral 1 denotes a parking lot having an area where a plurality of vehicles can be parked and stopped. Reference numeral 2 denotes a parking space, which is an area where a vehicle in the parking lot 1 can be parked and stopped. Reference numeral 3 denotes the host vehicle, which is a vehicle equipped with the parking lot empty space guide device according to the present embodiment. 4a is a first other vehicle, 4b is a second other vehicle, a top view based on a camera that captures a peripheral image of the vehicle, a navigation device that measures the position and orientation of the vehicle, and a peripheral image of the vehicle captured by the camera. A device for generating images and a transmission / reception device for transmitting and receiving vehicle information are mounted.

  Reference numeral 5 denotes another vehicle as an obstacle, which does not have a function of generating and transmitting vehicle information to the own vehicle 3 among other vehicles in the parking lot 1, and is a vehicle that is handled as a simple obstacle. Reference numeral 6 denotes an empty space, which is a parking area in which other vehicles 4a, 4b, 5 are not parked in the parking space 2. A passage 7 is an area used when the vehicle moves in the parking lot 1. Reference numeral 8 denotes an unrecognizable area, which is a blind spot of a camera mounted on the first other vehicle 4a or the second other vehicle 4b and incapable of capturing an image, and is a non-image area. .

  In FIG. 4, for example, when a search for an empty parking lot is instructed in the own vehicle 3, the own vehicle 3 performs inter-vehicle communication by the transmission / reception unit 23, and communicates with other vehicles 4 a, 4 b, 5 in the parking lot. Acquisition request information for requesting acquisition of vehicle information is transmitted.

  In the first other vehicle 4a and the second other vehicle 4b, the acquisition request information is received from the own vehicle 3, and the vehicle information is transmitted. On the other hand, since the vehicle information cannot be transmitted in the other vehicle 5 as the obstacle, the vehicle information is not transmitted. Here, in the first other vehicle 4a, the periphery of the vehicle is imaged by a plurality of cameras, and a top view image (vehicle periphery image) as shown in FIG. 5A is obtained based on the captured image. (However, FIG. 5A is not an actual image of the top view image but an image image). At this time, the host vehicle 3 and the second other vehicle 4b correspond to the other vehicle 5 as an obstacle when viewed from the first other vehicle 4a.

  Further, in the second other vehicle 4b, the periphery of the vehicle is imaged by a plurality of cameras, and a top view image (vehicle periphery image) as shown in FIG. 5B is generated based on the captured image. (However, FIG. 5B is not an actual image of the top view image but an image image). At this time, the host vehicle 3 corresponds to the unrecognizable region 8 because it becomes a blind spot by the other vehicle 5 as an obstacle when viewed from the second other vehicle 4b. The first other vehicle 4a corresponds to the other vehicle 5 as an obstacle when viewed from the second other vehicle 4b.

  In the host vehicle 3, the vehicle information transmitted from the first other vehicle 4a and the second other vehicle 4b is received by the transmission / reception unit 23, and each vehicle information is stored in the vehicle information storage unit 24, and the position measurement unit Sort in the order close to the position of the own vehicle measured by 13 (in order of the first other vehicle 4a and the second other vehicle 4b).

  In the own vehicle 3, the direction information included in the vehicle information received from the first other vehicle 4a is compared with the direction information of the own vehicle 3 measured by the position measuring unit 13 of the own vehicle 3, and the first vehicle An image viewed from the host vehicle 3 is generated by rotating the surrounding image of the other vehicle 4a.

  The host vehicle 3 compares the direction information included in the vehicle information received from the second other vehicle 4b with the direction information of the host vehicle 3 measured by the position measurement unit 13 of the host vehicle 3, An image viewed from the host vehicle is generated by rotating the surrounding image of the second other vehicle 4b, and is synthesized with the surrounding image of the first other vehicle 4a. Here, the surrounding image of the first other vehicle 4a and the surrounding image of the second other vehicle 4b are the positional information of the own vehicle 3 measured by the position measuring unit 13 of the own vehicle 3, and the first other vehicle 4a. Position alignment is performed based on the position information included in the received vehicle information and the position information included in the vehicle information received from the second other vehicle 4b, and the position is finely adjusted based on the white line indicating the parking space 2 Is done. Then, a parking lot image as shown in FIG. 6 is synthesized (however, FIG. 6 is not an actual image of the parking lot image but an image image).

  Since the empty space 6 is displayed on the display screen displayed in this way, the driver of the host vehicle 3 parks the host vehicle 3 in the empty space 6 while viewing the display screen.

  As described above in detail, in the first embodiment, the surrounding images, positions, and orientations of the vehicles acquired by the first other vehicle 4a and the second other vehicle 4b parked in the parking lot 1 are shown. Since vehicle information is acquired by inter-vehicle communication, and a parking lot image including an empty space 6 that can be parked is generated and presented based on the acquired vehicle information, a special information for guiding the empty space 6 is provided. Even when the host vehicle 3 is parked in a parking lot that does not have facilities or personnel for guiding the host vehicle 3, the empty space 6 can be guided in an easy-to-understand manner. Therefore, the driver can easily grasp the empty space 6 for parking the host vehicle 3.

  In the present embodiment, the host vehicle 3 receives vehicle information from the first other vehicle 4a and the second other vehicle 4b, and generates a parking lot image by synthesizing the respective surrounding images. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the vehicle information may be received only from the first other vehicle 4a (one other vehicle), or the vehicle information may be acquired from more other vehicles. When vehicle information is received from one other vehicle, the process of generating the parking lot image is simplified, so that the parking lot image can be displayed quickly. In addition, when vehicle information is received from many other vehicles, a lot of surrounding images are combined to generate a parking lot image, so an accurate parking lot image that complements the empty space that becomes a blind spot is generated. be able to.

  In the present embodiment, the host vehicle 3 receives the top view image generated by the first other vehicle 4a and the second other vehicle 4b as a peripheral image, but is not limited to this. For example, the host vehicle 3 receives a plurality of image data photographed by a plurality of cameras mounted on the first other vehicle 4a and the second other vehicle 4b as peripheral images, and these are received by the parking lot image generation unit 25. Each of the surrounding images may be combined to generate each top view image.

  In the present embodiment, the parking lot image generation unit 25 outputs the parking lot image to the display device 32 at the time when all the vehicle information stored in the vehicle information storage unit 24 is combined. Not. For example, every time an image is pasted on the canvas, the image may be displayed as a parking lot image. Thereby, since the parking lot image in the middle of generation can be displayed, a temporary parking lot image can be displayed without waiting for the driver. Here, since the vehicle information is sorted, when a parking lot image is displayed on the display device 32 every time the vehicle information is processed, a peripheral image at a position close to the host vehicle can be preferentially displayed.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the parking lot empty space 6 is guided by displaying the parking lot image on the display device 32, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the CPU 17 analyzes the parking lot image to check whether there is a vacant space 6 in the parking lot 1, and outputs the presence / absence of the vacant space 6 in the parking lot 1 to the speaker 22 via the voice generator 21. Or the presence or absence of the empty space 6 in the parking lot 1 may be displayed on the display device 32. Specifically, the empty space 6 is determined using a portion different from the color of the ground of the parking lot 1 as the other vehicle 5 as an obstacle, and a portion longer than a predetermined length on the ground of the parking lot 1 as the passage 7. Here, in order to distinguish the other vehicle 5 which becomes an obstacle from the ground of the parking lot 1, below the images taken by the cameras mounted on the first other vehicle 4a and the second other vehicle 4b (the vehicle You may determine that the part which image | photographed the vicinity) is the other vehicle 5 used as the obstruction for the part different from this color as the color of the ground of the parking lot 1.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the parking lot image generation part 25 outputs a parking lot image to the display apparatus 32 at the time of synthesize | combining all the vehicle information memorize | stored in the vehicle information storage part 24, and displays a parking lot image on a display apparatus. Although the parking space empty space 6 is guided by displaying in 32, it is not limited to this. For example, every time an image is pasted on the canvas, the temporary parking lot image is analyzed by the CPU 17 to check whether or not there is an empty space 6 in the parking lot 1, and there is an empty space 6 in the parking lot 1. At this point, the processing may be terminated, and the empty space 6 may be output to the speaker 22 via the audio generator 21 or the empty space 6 of the parking lot 1 may be displayed on the display device 32. Thereby, since unnecessary analysis processing is not performed, the processing speed can be improved and the empty space 6 of the parking lot 1 can be guided without waiting for the driver.

  In the present embodiment, the peripheral image is generated by synthesizing images captured by the cameras mounted on the first other vehicle 4a and the second other vehicle 4b. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a radar having 360 degree directivity is mounted on the first other vehicle 4a or the second other vehicle 4b, and the surrounding obstacle (the other vehicle 5 as an obstacle) is detected by the radar. A peripheral image may be generated by synthesizing an image (for example, an icon or a substitute image) showing the other vehicle 5 as an obstacle at the position. Thereby, the other vehicle 5 as an obstacle in the peripheral image can be accurately determined.

  In addition, a surrounding obstacle (other vehicle 5 as an obstacle) is detected by a radar, and a line is drawn on the boundary between the detected obstacle and the ground in the parking lot image, and the line is blinked. You may blink the enclosed obstacle. Thereby, it is possible to emphasize and present the position where the obstacle exists.

  In the present embodiment, the parking lot image is displayed as it is on the display device 32 as information indicating an empty space, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the parking lot image may be generated by combining the parking lot image with the own vehicle mark, the other vehicle mark, and the empty space mark indicating the empty space in the parking lot.

  In the present embodiment, a camera that captures the periphery of the host vehicle 3 is mounted on the host vehicle 3, and peripheral images generated from images captured by the camera are used as the first other vehicle 4 a and the second other vehicle. You may make it synthesize | combine with the periphery image acquired from 4b.

  In the present embodiment, an instruction to search for an empty space in the parking lot is generated by the remote controller 15 and a parking lot image is generated to guide the empty space 6 in the parking lot 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the position of the own vehicle 3 may be determined, and when it is detected that the own vehicle 3 is off the road, the mode may be shifted to a mode for automatically searching for an empty space 6 in the parking lot 1. You may make it transfer to the mode which discriminate | determines the position of the own vehicle 3, and searches the empty space 6 of the parking lot 1 automatically, when the own vehicle 3 approachs the parking lot 1. FIG.

  In addition, the said embodiment is only what showed the example in implementation in implementing this invention, and, as a result, the technical scope of this invention should not be interpreted limitedly. In other words, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit or main features thereof.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is useful for a navigation device to which a parking lot empty space guidance device that guides a parking lot empty space into which a host vehicle has entered is applied.

It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the navigation apparatus to which the parking lot empty space guidance apparatus by this embodiment is applied. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement of the parking lot empty space guidance apparatus by this embodiment, and the parking lot empty space guidance method. It is a flowchart which shows the production | generation process of the parking lot image by the parking lot empty space guidance apparatus of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the image which looked at the parking lot which the own vehicle carrying the parking lot empty space guidance apparatus by this embodiment approached from upper direction. It is a figure for demonstrating the production | generation process of the parking lot image by the parking lot empty space guidance apparatus of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the display screen by the parking lot empty space guidance apparatus of this embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Parking lot 2 Parking space 3 Own vehicle 4a 1st other vehicle 4b 2nd other vehicle 5 Other vehicle as an obstruction 6 Unoccupied space 7 Passage 8 Unrecognizable area 10 Navigation apparatus 13 Position measurement part 17 CPU
23 Transmission / Reception Unit 24 Vehicle Information Storage Unit 25 Parking Lot Image Generation Unit 32 Display Device

Claims (6)

A position measuring unit for measuring the position and orientation of the host vehicle;
From other vehicles parked and stopped in the parking lot where the host vehicle is to be parked, peripheral image information indicating a parking space empty space around the other vehicle, position information indicating the position of the other vehicle, and the other vehicle A vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information including direction information indicating a direction;
By processing the surrounding image information based on the position information and direction information of the host vehicle obtained by the position measurement unit and the position information and direction information of the other vehicle obtained by the vehicle information acquisition unit, A parking lot image generation unit that generates a top view image of the host vehicle and the parking lot viewed from a virtual viewpoint above the host vehicle;
A parking lot empty space guide device comprising a display unit for displaying the top view image. A position measuring unit that measures the position and orientation indicating the position of the host vehicle;
From other vehicles parked and stopped in the parking lot where the host vehicle is to be parked, peripheral image information indicating a parking space empty space around the other vehicle, position information indicating the position of the other vehicle, and the other vehicle A vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information including direction information indicating a direction;
By processing the surrounding image information based on the position information and direction information of the host vehicle obtained by the position measurement unit and the position information and direction information of the other vehicle obtained by the vehicle information acquisition unit, A parking lot image generation unit that generates a top view image of the host vehicle and the parking lot viewed from a virtual viewpoint above the host vehicle;
A control unit for determining a parking space empty space from the top view image;
A parking lot empty space guidance device comprising: a presentation unit that presents the parking lot empty space determined by the control unit. 3. The parking lot availability according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral image information is information of a top view image of the other vehicle and the parking lot viewed from a virtual viewpoint above the other vehicle. Space guidance device. The vehicle information acquisition unit acquires the vehicle information from a plurality of other vehicles, and the parking lot image generation unit synthesizes peripheral image information acquired from the plurality of other vehicles. The parking lot empty space guidance device according to any one of claims 3 to 4. An information acquisition request is made to other vehicles in the vicinity of the host vehicle, and surrounding image information indicating a parking space empty space around the other vehicle, position information indicating the position of the other vehicle, and direction indicating the direction of the other vehicle A first step of acquiring vehicle information including information from the other vehicle;
The peripheral image information acquired in the first step, the position information indicating the position of the own vehicle measured by the position measuring unit, the direction information indicating the direction of the own vehicle, and the position information and direction information of the other vehicle. A second step of generating a top view image of the host vehicle and a parking lot where the host vehicle is to park from a virtual viewpoint above the host vehicle, by processing based on
A parking lot empty space guidance method comprising: a third step of displaying the top view image generated in the second step. An information acquisition request is made to other vehicles in the vicinity of the host vehicle, and surrounding image information indicating a parking space empty space around the other vehicle, position information indicating the position of the other vehicle, and direction indicating the direction of the other vehicle A first step of acquiring vehicle information including information from the other vehicle;
The peripheral image information acquired in the first step, the position information indicating the position of the own vehicle measured by the position measuring unit, the direction information indicating the direction of the own vehicle, and the position information and direction information of the other vehicle. A second step of generating a top view image of the host vehicle and a parking lot where the host vehicle is to park from a virtual viewpoint above the host vehicle, by processing based on
A third step of determining a parking lot empty space from the top view image generated in the second step;
A parking space empty space guidance method comprising: a fourth step of presenting the parking space empty space determined in the third step.

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