JP7788907B2 - Vehicle control device, control method for vehicle control device, computer program, and storage medium - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle control device that controls the operation of vehicle accessories, a control method for a vehicle control device, a computer program, and a storage medium.

Technology has been proposed that changes the security level depending on the brightness around the vehicle (Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-9615

Patent Document 1 changes the security level depending on the brightness around the vehicle, but does not disclose technology for controlling the operation of on-board equipment depending on the environment around the vehicle or the vehicle's parking position, leaving room for improvement in vehicle response when users get in and out.

The present invention therefore provides technology that controls the operation of on-board equipment depending on the environment around the vehicle and its parked position.

According to the present invention, there is provided a vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle, comprising:
a communication unit that communicates with a mobile terminal;
a control unit that acquires peripheral information of the vehicle from the information processing device through communication between the mobile terminal and the information processing device on a network via the communication unit from the mobile terminal, and controls an operation of at least one vehicle accessory provided in the vehicle based on the peripheral information;
the at least one vehicle accessory includes an item storage compartment;
the control unit controls the operation of the storage unit by controlling at least one of an opening/closing mechanism that can transition the opening/closing state of the storage unit between an open state and a closed state, and a locking mechanism that can switch the storage unit between a locked state and an unlocked state, based on the peripheral information;
When the vehicle is parked, the control unit acquires peripheral information of the vehicle,
A vehicle control device is provided in which at least the stand of the vehicle is in an activated state when the vehicle is parked .

According to the present invention, there is also provided a control method for a vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle, comprising:
a control step of acquiring, from the mobile terminal via a communication unit of the vehicle control device, peripheral information of the vehicle from the information processing device through communication between the mobile terminal and the information processing device on a network, and controlling an operation of at least one vehicle accessory provided in the vehicle based on the peripheral information;
the at least one vehicle accessory includes an item storage compartment;
In the control step, the operation of the storage unit is controlled by controlling at least one of an opening/closing mechanism that can transition the opening/closing state of the storage unit between an open state and a closed state, and a locking mechanism that can switch the storage unit between a locked state and an unlocked state, based on the peripheral information ;
When the vehicle is parked, the control unit acquires peripheral information of the vehicle,
A control method for a vehicle control device is provided , in which when the vehicle is parked, at least the stand of the vehicle is in an activated state .

The present invention provides technology that controls the operation of on-board equipment according to the environment around the vehicle and its parked position.

1A is a schematic diagram of a vehicle system, and FIG. 1B is a block diagram of an information processing device. 1A is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a mobile terminal 4; FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an information acquisition unit 46; and FIG. 1C is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a vehicle 5. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an external configuration of a saddle-ride type vehicle. 10 is a flowchart showing an example process flow for controlling the operation of an accessory of a vehicle based on information acquired from a mobile terminal; 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the process of S415 in the flowchart of FIG. 4; 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the process of S416 in the flowchart of FIG. 4; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an exemplary configuration of a setting screen. 10 is a flowchart showing an example process flow for controlling the operation of vehicle accessories based on detection of parking of the vehicle 5.

The following embodiments are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the claimed invention, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. Two or more of the features described in the embodiments may be combined in any desired manner. Furthermore, identical or similar components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.

<System configuration>
Fig. 1A is a schematic diagram of a vehicle control system 1. In the vehicle control system 1, a mobile terminal 4 and a vehicle 5 control the operation of equipment of the vehicle 5 based on information acquired from an information processing device 2 via a communication network and information acquired by the mobile terminal 4 and the vehicle 5 itself. The information processing device 2 is communicatively connected to a mobile terminal 4 associated with the vehicle 5 or the vehicle 5 itself via a communication network such as the Internet, and functions as an information providing server (also simply referred to as a server). Although Fig. 1A shows one vehicle, multiple vehicles 5 and multiple mobile terminals 4 can be individually connected to the information processing device 2 via the communication network.

The mobile terminal 4 is an external terminal of the vehicle 5, such as a smartphone, and is capable of communicating with the information processing device 2 via a communications network and with the vehicle 5 via short-range wireless communication. In this embodiment, the user 3 can hold the mobile terminal 4 or attach it to the vehicle 5, and the mobile terminal 4 is associated with the vehicle 5. A specific application is installed on the mobile terminal 4, and it can execute processing corresponding to this embodiment, such as pre-specifying the storage compartment to be subject to opening and closing control. The vehicle 5 can obtain information for controlling its operation (weather information, location information, etc.) from the mobile terminal 4.

In this embodiment, the vehicle 5 is described as an example of a saddle-ride vehicle (motorcycle), and the user 3 is a rider who operates the vehicle 5. In addition to saddle-ride vehicles, the vehicle 5 refers to any vehicle that is operated by a human and in which the vehicle body, including the driver's seat, is exposed to the outside and is directly affected by weather. The vehicle 5 also has a vehicle control device 5A for controlling the operation of the vehicle 5. The vehicle control device 5A includes a wireless device capable of communicating with the information processing device 2 and the mobile terminal 4, a drive unit that controls the drive system of the vehicle 5, an electrical unit that controls the operation of vehicle accessories, a processing unit that controls the display of map information for route guidance, and the like. The configurations of the mobile terminal 4 and the vehicle 5 necessary for implementing the invention according to this embodiment will be described later with reference to FIG. 2.

Figure 1 (B) is a block diagram of the information processing device 2. The information processing device 2 includes a processing unit 21, a memory unit 22, and a communication I/F (interface) unit 23. The processing unit 21 is a processor such as a CPU, and executes programs stored in the memory unit 22. The memory unit 22 is a storage device such as RAM, ROM, or a hard disk. The communication I/F unit 23 includes a wired or wireless communication interface that can communicate with the mobile terminal 4 and the control unit 50 via a communication network.

The memory unit 22 stores various data in addition to the programs executed by the processing unit 21. In the example of Figure 1 (B), a database (DB) 221 is shown as an example of data stored in the memory unit 22. DB 221 stores current weather information for each region in Japan, and when a request for weather information specifying location information is received from a mobile terminal 4 or vehicle 5, the information processing device 2 can return weather information for the region corresponding to the specified location information to the mobile terminal 4, etc.

<Example of functional configuration of mobile terminal 4 and vehicle 5>
2 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the mobile terminal 4 and the saddle-ride type vehicle 5. In both cases, the configuration mainly related to the description of this embodiment is shown.

First, an example of the functional configuration of the mobile terminal 4 will be described with reference to FIG. 2(A). The mobile terminal 4 shown in FIG. 2(A) includes a control unit 41, a memory unit 42, a communication unit 43, a display unit 44, an operation unit 45, and an information acquisition unit 46. The control unit 41 is a processor such as a CPU, and executes programs stored in the memory unit 42. The memory unit 42 is a storage device such as RAM or ROM. The programs stored in the memory unit 42 include application programs for executing processes corresponding to this embodiment, as well as application programs for using predetermined services such as route guidance services. The application programs may be downloaded from a server such as the information processing device 2, or may be distributed on a storage medium such as a USB memory.

The communication unit 43 includes a wireless communication device capable of communicating with the information processing device 2 via a communication network. The communication unit 43 also includes a short-range wireless communication device capable of short-range wireless communication with the vehicle 5 using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). The mobile phone 4 can provide the vehicle 5 with weather information acquired from the information processing device 2, location information acquired by the mobile phone 4, and the like via this short-range wireless communication. The display unit 44 is an electronic image display device with input functionality, such as a touch panel display. The operation unit 45 is a user interface for accepting input from the user, such as a button or touch panel. The information acquisition unit 46 acquires various information about the vehicle's surroundings (hereinafter referred to as surrounding information) for use in operational control of the vehicle. An exemplary configuration of the information acquisition unit 46 is shown, for example, in FIG. 2(B).

Next, an example of the functional configuration of the information acquisition unit 46 will be described with reference to FIG. 2(B). The information acquisition unit 46 shown in FIG. 2(B) is composed of an imaging unit 46a, a time information acquisition unit 46b, a location information acquisition unit 46c, an illuminance sensor 46d, and a weather information acquisition unit 46e. The imaging unit 46a is a camera equipped with an optical system such as a lens and an imaging sensor, and is capable of capturing images. The time information acquisition unit 46b acquires current time information from an NTP (Network Time Protocol) server via a communications network. The location information acquisition unit 46c is composed of, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) sensor and detects the current location of the mobile terminal 4. The illuminance sensor 46d can detect the illuminance around the mobile phone 4. The weather information acquisition unit 46e acquires weather information for the current location based on the location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit 46c from a server that provides weather information via a communications network.

Next, with reference to Figure 2 (C), an example of the functional configuration of a vehicle control device 5A for controlling the operation of the vehicle 5 will be described. The vehicle control device 5A includes a control unit 50, an operation unit 51, a first opening/closing mechanism 52, a second opening/closing mechanism 53, a stand sensor 54, a drive unit 55, a display unit 5, a first locking mechanism 57, a second locking mechanism 58, an alarm unit 59, and a communication unit 60.

The control unit 50 is composed of a processor such as a CPU and storage devices such as RAM and ROM, and executes programs stored in the storage devices to control the operation of each of the functional blocks 51 to 60. The programs stored in the storage devices include programs for communicating information with the mobile terminal 4 and the information processing device 2. The operation unit 51 is a user interface such as a button or touch panel for receiving input from the user.

The first opening/closing mechanism 52 and the second opening/closing mechanism 53 are mechanisms for controlling the opening and closing of equipment arranged in the vehicle 5. In this embodiment, the equipment is described as a storage section configured to store items. The first opening/closing mechanism 52 is a mechanism for controlling the opening and closing of, for example, a storage section under a seat (hereinafter simply referred to as a seat box), and can transition the seat box between an open state and a closed state in accordance with instructions from the control unit 50. The second opening/closing mechanism 53 is a mechanism for controlling the opening and closing of, for example, a storage section other than a seat box (hereinafter simply referred to as a luggage box), and can transition the luggage box between an open state and a closed state in accordance with instructions from the control unit 50. Each opening/closing mechanism is composed of a motor, a hydraulic cylinder, a mechanical structure that interfaces with them, and the like.

Storage compartments arranged in vehicle 5 include a first type of storage compartment that is configured so that the interior can be accessed by opening and closing the lid, allowing items to be stored inside. There are also second type storage compartments that are configured so that the interior cannot be accessed when in a stored state, but can be accessed and items can be stored inside when the storage state is released, for example, by popping out or pulling out the storage compartment.

The stand sensor 54 is a sensor that detects the state of the stand of the vehicle. The stand sensor 54 determines whether the stand is in a parked state and notifies the control unit 50 of the determination result, for example, as ON if the stand is in a parked state, or OFF if the stand is not in a parked state. In this embodiment, the vehicle 5 can have, as stands, a main stand for standing the vehicle 5 parallel to a vertical plane (upright state), and a side stand for standing the vehicle 5 at an angle to the vertical plane.

The drive unit 55 is composed of rear wheels (drive wheels), a battery (drive power source), a motor (drive source) that drives the rear wheels, a drive support unit that supports the motor, etc., and communicates with the control unit 50 to control the vehicle's driving. The display unit 56 is a display for displaying specified information.

The first locking mechanism 57 is a locking mechanism that, for example, locks the seat box and prevents it from being opened or closed, and can switch between a locked state and an unlocked state in accordance with instructions from the control unit 50. When the first opening/closing mechanism 52 is in the locked state, it cannot open the seat box, but when it is in the unlocked state, it can open the seat box.

The second locking mechanism 58 is a locking mechanism that, for example, locks the luggage box and prevents it from being opened or closed, and can switch between a locked state and an unlocked state in accordance with instructions from the control unit 50. When the second opening/closing mechanism 53 is in the locked state, it cannot open the luggage box, but when it is in the unlocked state, it can open the luggage box.

The alarm unit 59 is a mechanism that issues an alarm to the outside world. In this embodiment, the alarm can be issued by outputting a predetermined sound from the vehicle 5, by vibrating the vehicle 5, or by sending an alarm email to the mobile terminal 4. The communication unit 60 includes a wireless communication device capable of communicating with the information processing device 2 via a communication network. The communication unit 60 also includes a short-range wireless communication device capable of short-range wireless communication with the mobile terminal 4 using BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) or the like.

The vehicle 5 may further include an information acquisition unit 46. As described above, the information acquisition unit 46 may be included in the mobile terminal 4, but the vehicle 5 itself may also be equipped with the information acquisition unit 46. Furthermore, the configuration described with reference to Figure 2 describes the configuration of the mobile terminal 4 and vehicle 5 to the extent necessary for the explanation of this embodiment, and the configuration of the mobile terminal 4 and vehicle 5 is not limited to the elements described above.

In the following description of this embodiment, we will mainly explain an example in which the mobile terminal 4 associated with the vehicle 5 functions as a terminal that communicates with the information processing device 2 to acquire information. However, the functions of the mobile terminal 4 may be installed in the vehicle 5, causing the vehicle itself to function in the same way as the mobile terminal 4, and communication and processing may be performed between the vehicle 5 and the information processing device 2. Furthermore, when there are mobile terminals 4 associated with multiple vehicles 5, the mobile terminals 4 and the vehicles 5 may coexist as devices that function as terminals. For example, for one vehicle 5, the mobile terminal 4 functions as a terminal that communicates with the information processing device 2, while for another vehicle 5, the vehicle itself can function as a terminal that communicates with the information processing device 2.

<Overview of saddle-type vehicle>
FIG. 3 shows an exemplary left side view of a vehicle 5 according to an embodiment. The vehicle 5 is a touring-type saddle-ride motorcycle suitable for long-distance travel. However, the present invention is applicable to various types of saddle-ride vehicles, including other types of motorcycles, and is also applicable to vehicles powered by internal combustion engines and electric vehicles powered by motors. The vehicle 5 has a front seat 301 on which a user 3 sits. A luggage box, shown in an area 302 surrounded by a dotted line, is located below the front seat 301. The front seat 301 is configured to be able to open and close as a lid for the luggage box 302. When the front seat 301 is open, the luggage box 302 can accommodate two helmets, helmets 303a and 303b. The luggage box 302 may also have space for storing tools, instruction manuals, maintenance notes, and other documents in addition to the helmets. The vehicle 5 further includes a luggage box 304, which can be opened and closed using a drawer.

In relation to the configuration shown in Figure 2, for example, the luggage box 302 under the front seat 301 can be used as the first storage section, and the first opening/closing mechanism 52 and first locking mechanism 57 can be arranged therein. This allows the locked state of the front seat 301 to be controlled by the first locking mechanism 57, and the opening and closing of the front seat 301 when unlocked can be controlled by the first opening/closing mechanism 52. Furthermore, for example, the luggage box 303 can be used as the second storage section, and the second opening/closing mechanism 53 and second locking mechanism 58 can be arranged therein. This allows the locked state of the luggage box 303 to be controlled by the second locking mechanism 58, and the opening and closing of the luggage box 303 when unlocked can be controlled by the second opening/closing mechanism 53. Furthermore, the number and type of luggage box are not limited to those shown in Figure 3, and other types, such as a trunk-type box at the rear of the vehicle 5 or a saddlebag-type box on the side of the rear of the vehicle, can be used.

A main stand 311 and a side stand 312 are located on the bottom side of the vehicle 5. The main stand 311 is a stand for standing the vehicle 5 parallel to a vertical plane (upright). The main stand 311 can be configured as a center stand, and the vehicle 5 is upright when the main stand 311 is upright. A stand sensor 54 for the main stand is located on the main stand 311, and the control unit 50 can determine whether the main stand 311 is activated based on the output signal from the stand sensor 54.

The side stand 312 is a stand for raising the vehicle 5 in a tilted state relative to a vertical plane, and the vehicle 5 is tilted relative to a vertical plane when the side stand 312 is raised. A side stand sensor 54 for the side stand is disposed on the side stand 312, and the control unit 50 can determine whether the side stand 312 is in an activated state based on the output signal from the stand sensor 54.

<Example of processing for controlling the operation of accessories of the vehicle 5>
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for controlling the operation of the vehicle 5 based on communication between the mobile terminal 4 and the vehicle 5 .

First, in S401, the control unit 41 of the mobile terminal 4 sends a startup request for the vehicle control device 5A of the vehicle 5 to the vehicle 5 via the communication unit 43. It is assumed that BLE pairing has been completed between the mobile terminal 4 and the vehicle 5, with the mobile terminal 4 as the central and the vehicle 5 as the peripheral, and the control unit 50 of the vehicle 5 stores registration information related to the mobile terminal 4. At this time, the vehicle control device 5A can enable functions for receiving and processing requests from the mobile terminal 4, while putting other unnecessary functions into a sleep state to reduce power consumption. If the information acquisition unit 46 is located on the vehicle 5 side, S401 can be a startup request sent from a key (smart key or smart card key) configured to be capable of short-range communication with the vehicle 5.

On the vehicle side, when the control unit 50 detects in S411 that a startup request from the mobile terminal 4 has been received by the communication unit 60, processing proceeds to S412, where the control unit 50 performs authentication processing based on the above registration information and determines whether the mobile terminal 4 is a terminal paired with the vehicle 5. If authentication is successful, processing proceeds to S413, where the control unit 50 sends an information request to the mobile terminal 4 via the communication unit 60. If authentication fails, that is, if the mobile terminal 4 that sent the startup request is not a mobile terminal registered with the vehicle 5, no further processing is performed.

When the control unit 41 of the mobile terminal 4 detects in S402 that it has received an information request from the vehicle 5, the process proceeds to S403, where the control unit 41 controls the location information acquisition unit 46c to acquire information about the current location. In the following S404, the control unit 41 controls the weather information acquisition unit 46e to acquire weather information. In the following S405, the control unit 50 transmits the acquired location information and weather information to the vehicle 5 via the communication unit 60.

On the vehicle 5 side, when the control unit 50 detects receipt of information transmitted from the mobile terminal 4 in S414, processing proceeds to S415, where the control unit 50 executes a determination process. Then, in the following S416, the control unit 50 controls the operation of the equipment of the vehicle 5 according to the results of the determination process.

<Detailed example of determination process in S415>
Next, the details of the determination process in S415 will be described with reference to FIG. 5 . The control unit 50 determines the current location based on the location information received from the mobile device 4. Specifically, it determines whether the current location corresponds to the registered home address or a location other than the home address that the user 3 has previously registered. The location can be registered by the user 3 inputting an address or a location name, or it can be registered based on history information in a navigation system installed in the vehicle 5 or the mobile device 4. The address and location set as "home" in the navigation system can also be acquired and used as the home location. When registering the location, the user may additionally register information on whether the registered location is a location that is less susceptible to weather (weather impact information), or this information may be set based on map information, etc. The weather impact information indicates that the location is less susceptible to weather impact with "no (negative),""no," or "not present," while it indicates that the location is affected by weather with "affirmative (affirmative),""yes," or "present."

If the current location corresponds to a home address, a "YES" determination is made in S502 and the process proceeds to S505. If the current location is not a home address but corresponds to a registered location, a "YES" determination is made in S503 and the process proceeds to S505. On the other hand, if the current location is neither a home address nor corresponds to a registered location, a "NO" determination is made in S503 and the process proceeds to S504. In S504, the control unit 50 sets the determination result to "Determination result 3" and proceeds to S508.

In S505, the control unit 50 determines the weather at the current location based on the weather information received from the mobile terminal 4. If the weather is rainy, a "YES" determination is made in S505 and the process proceeds to S507. Note that rain also includes snow and sleet. If the weather information includes wind speed information, and the wind speed indicates a certain value or higher, a "YES" determination can be made in S505. On the other hand, if the weather is not rainy (including sunny and cloudy), a "NO" determination is made in S505 and the process proceeds to S506. In S506, the control unit 50 sets the determination result to "Determination Result 1," and in S507, the control unit 50 sets the determination result to "Determination Result 2," and the process proceeds to S508. In S508, the control unit 50 outputs the determination result set in either S504, S506, or S507.

Note that the flowchart in Figure 5 illustrates a case where, even if the vehicle is determined to be at home in S502, weather information is determined in S505. However, the home parking lot may be located in a location that is less affected by weather (e.g., an indoor parking lot). In such cases, the weather information determination may be skipped and determination result 1 may be selected. Also, even if the vehicle is determined to be a registered location in S503, if the location is an indoor parking lot such as a supermarket parking lot or a multi-story parking garage, the determination in S505 may be skipped and determination result 1 may be selected. In this way, even if the weather is rainy, if the vehicle is parked in a parking location that is not affected by the weather, determination result 1 may be selected based solely on the parking location, preventing erroneous determinations and automatically unlocking the storage compartment to an open state. Note that, as described above, when registering a location, information indicating whether the registered location is less affected by weather (weather impact information) may be set by the user or obtained from map information. For example, if user 3's home parking lot is set to a location that is less affected by weather, the control unit 50 stores this information in an internal storage device as weather influence information, and after determining "YES" in S502, references the contents of the weather influence information. If it is set to "NO," S505 is skipped and the process proceeds to S506. On the other hand, if it is set to "YES," a weather information determination is made in S505. Similar processing can be performed for other registered locations.

<Detailed example of the operation control process in S416>
Next, the process in S416 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 6. The control unit 50 controls the operations of the first opening/closing mechanism 52, the second opening/closing mechanism 53, the first locking mechanism 57, and the second locking mechanism 58 based on the determination result in S415.

In S601, the control unit 50 determines whether the result of the determination process in S414 was "Determination Result 1," and if it was "Determination Result 1" ("YES" in S601), the process proceeds to S602. If it was not "Determination Result 1" ("NO" in S601), the control unit 50 determines in S603 whether the determination result was "Determination Result 2," and if it was "Determination Result 2" ("YES" in S603), the process proceeds to S604. On the other hand, if it was not "Determination Result 2," i.e., if it was "Determination Result 3" ("NO" in S603), the process proceeds to S605.

If the process proceeds to S602, the location where the vehicle 5 is parked is the user's home or a location previously registered by the user 3, and the weather is not rainy, etc., so when the vehicle 5 is started up, the control unit 50 unlocks each locking mechanism (this type of control is called "automatic unlocking") and drives each opening/closing mechanism to open each storage section (this type of control is called "automatic opening").

If the process proceeds to S602, the location where the vehicle 5 is parked is the user's home or a location previously registered by the user 3, but the weather is rainy, etc., so when the vehicle 5 is started up, the control unit 50 releases the locking state of each locking mechanism, but does not operate each opening/closing mechanism, leaving the seats and luggage box closed. In this case, if the seats or luggage box are left open, rain will blow in, so the seats and luggage box must be opened manually.

If processing proceeds to S605, the location where vehicle 5 is parked is other than the user's home or a location previously registered by user 3, and therefore, from a security perspective, control unit 50 will not unlock any locking mechanisms when vehicle 5 is started, regardless of weather conditions.

In the above explanation, when unlocking the locking mechanisms in the processing of S602 and S604, all locking mechanisms are unlocked, and when the first opening/closing mechanism 52 and the second opening/closing mechanism 53 are operated to open the seat in S602, all opening/closing mechanisms are operated. However, for example, if a helmet is stored in the seat box, it is normally required to be in the open state, but if no helmet is stored, it may not be necessary to be in the open state. Alternatively, if the seat is opened when no helmet is stored, user 3 will have to perform an operation to close the seat, which is unnecessary, and this increases the burden on user 3.

Therefore, a detection mechanism may be provided to detect whether an item is present in a storage compartment equipped with an opening/closing mechanism, and only the storage compartment in which an item is present may be opened. Specifically, if vehicle 5 is equipped with three storage compartments and a helmet is stored in only one storage compartment while the other storage compartments are not in use, only the storage compartment in which it has been confirmed that a helmet is stored may be unlocked and opened, while the other storage compartments may remain locked.

Alternatively, the user 3 may be able to specify in advance which boxes should be automatically unlocked and opened. For example, the seat box containing a helmet may be left open, but other luggage boxes may be unlocked but not opened, or may not be automatically unlocked. By configuring in this way, only the necessary storage boxes can be unlocked and opened, further improving convenience for the user 3.

When user 3 sets whether or not to enable automatic unlocking, etc., they can display a settings screen such as that shown in FIG. 7 on the display unit 44 of the mobile device 4 or the display unit 56 of the vehicle 5, and input settings for each storage compartment. FIG. 7 shows an example of a settings screen 700 displayed on the mobile device 4, etc., and user 3 can input settings for the items displayed on screen 700.

In Figure 7, settings can be entered for the seat box and luggage boxes 1 and 2. For the seat box, the automatic unlock setting and automatic open setting are both ON as the first setting 701. In this case, for the seat box, the operation of the locking mechanism and opening/closing mechanism can be controlled directly based on the judgment result in the processing of S415. Next, for luggage box 1, only the automatic unlock setting is ON as the second setting 702, so for this luggage box 1, only the locking mechanism can be unlocked and the opening/closing mechanism will not be operated. Therefore, for luggage box 1, even if the judgment result is judgment result 1 in the processing of S415, only the operation of the locking mechanism is controlled to unlock it, and the opening/closing mechanism will not be operated. In other words, the processing of S604 corresponding to judgment result 2 is executed. Furthermore, for luggage box 2, both the automatic unlock setting and automatic open setting are OFF as the third setting 703, so neither the lock nor the automatic opening will be performed for this luggage box 2. That is, in the process of S415, the process of S605 is executed even if the judgment result is judgment result 1 or judgment result 2.

Note that while Figure 7 explains the input items using only text information, it may also be possible to show, for example, a schematic diagram of the exterior of vehicle 5 and indicate the locations of the seat box and luggage boxes 1 and 2 on vehicle 5, making it easier to identify the locations of the storage compartments.

Furthermore, in the above explanation, the automatic unlocking and automatic opening of each storage compartment is controlled by referring to location information and weather information, but the information that can be referred to is not limited to this. For example, time information obtained by the time information acquisition unit 46b and ambient illuminance information obtained by the imaging unit 46a and illuminance sensor 46d may also be referred to. For example, judgment result 1 or judgment result 2 may be acceptable during daytime hours (from sunrise to sunset) when the area around the vehicle 5 is bright, while judgment result 3 may be acceptable during nighttime hours (from sunset to sunrise) when the area is dark.

Regarding illuminance standards, the "Guidelines for Promoting Safe and Secure Urban Development" established by the National Police Agency stipulate that an average illuminance of 50 lux or more allows the face and behavior of a person 10 meters away to be clearly identified and their identity to be known; 20 lux allows the face and behavior of a person 10 meters away to be identified and their identity to be known; 5 lux or more allows the general outline of a person's face (eyes, nose, mouth) to be seen 4 meters away; and 3 lux or more allows the behavior and posture of a person 4 meters away to be seen. Therefore, if the ambient illuminance obtained by the imaging unit 46a or illuminance sensor 46d is, for example, 5 lux or more, control may be performed to allow judgment result 1 or judgment result 2. 5 lux is merely an example of a threshold, and 10, 20, or 50 lux may also be used.

Only one of the illuminance and time information may be used, or both may be used together. For example, when illuminance information is used, if the area around the vehicle 5 is bright regardless of the time of day (even at night, there are bright areas due to street lights, etc., where the average illuminance is 10 lux or more, for example), control can be performed to allow judgment result 1 or judgment result 2. Furthermore, when changing control depending on the time of day, the user 3 can be allowed to arbitrarily set the time periods during which judgment result 1 and judgment result 2 are allowed.

As described above, in this embodiment, when the vehicle 5 is started using the mobile terminal 4, the storage compartment provided in the vehicle 5 can be automatically unlocked and the storage compartment can be automatically opened based on information about the area around the vehicle 5. As a result, if a helmet is stored in the storage compartment under the seat, for example, under certain conditions, the seat box can be automatically opened as soon as the vehicle 5 is started, allowing the helmet to be immediately removed, thereby improving convenience for the user 3. On the other hand, under conditions such as when it is raining, the storage compartment can be only unlocked without being automatically opened, thereby preventing rain from blowing into the storage compartment due to automatic opening. Furthermore, when the vehicle 5 is started at a location other than the pre-registered location, unnecessary unlocking and automatic opening can be prevented, improving security.

[Embodiment 2]
In the above-described embodiment, the case where automatic unlocking and automatic opening of the storage compartment are controlled when the vehicle control device 5A of the vehicle 5 is started by the mobile terminal 4 is described. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the case where automatic unlocking and automatic opening are controlled when the vehicle 5 is stopped is described. The system configuration and the configuration of each device in this embodiment are the same as those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 .

Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of processing corresponding to this embodiment. Figure 8 is a modified version of the flowchart in Figure 4, and the same reference numbers are used for processing that is the same as the processing in Figure 4. First, in S801, the control unit 50 of the vehicle 5 determines whether the vehicle 5 is parked. Whether the vehicle 5 is parked can be determined, for example, by determining whether the drive unit 55 is stopped and whether the main stand or side stand is activated using the stand sensor 54. The control unit 50 determines that the vehicle is in a parked state when the drive unit 55 is stopped, i.e., the engine is stopped and the main stand or side stand is activated. However, if the engine is not stopped or neither the main stand nor the side stand is activated, the control unit 50 determines that the vehicle is not in a parked state.

If the control unit 50 determines that the vehicle is not in a parked state, it does not perform any further processing. On the other hand, if it determines that the vehicle is in a parked state, processing proceeds to S413. The processing from this point onwards is the same as the processing in the flowchart in Figure 4 with the corresponding reference numbers, and therefore will not be explained here. With regard to the processing of S416, when the seat box is opened based on the result of judgment result 1, the seat box can be opened in response to detection that user 3 has exited the vehicle. For example, the communication unit 60 of the vehicle 5 may detect that user 3 has exited the vehicle when short-range wireless communication with the mobile terminal 4 held by user 3 is no longer possible. Alternatively, a weight sensor may be placed on the seat, and user 3's exit may be determined based on the detection signal from that sensor. Furthermore, when the vehicle is parked, the seat box may only be unlocked, and automatic opening may not be performed.

As described above, in this embodiment, when vehicle 5 is parked, the storage compartment provided in vehicle 5 can be automatically unlocked and the storage compartment can be operated to automatically open based on information about the area around vehicle 5. As a result, when attempting to store a helmet in the storage compartment under the seat, for example, under certain conditions, the seat box will automatically open when vehicle 5 is parked, allowing the helmet to be stored immediately, thereby improving convenience for user 3. On the other hand, under conditions such as when it is raining, the storage compartment can be only unlocked and not automatically opened, thereby preventing rain from blowing into the storage compartment due to automatic opening.

<Summary of the embodiment>
The above-described embodiments disclose at least the following vehicle control device, control method for a vehicle control device, computer program, or storage medium.

1. The vehicle control device (for example, 5A) of the above embodiment includes:
A vehicle control device (e.g., 5A) mounted on a vehicle (e.g., 5),
an information acquisition means (e.g., 60 or 46) for acquiring information about the surroundings of the vehicle;
a control unit (e.g., 50) that controls the operation of at least one vehicle accessory provided in the vehicle based on the peripheral information;
Equipped with
the at least one vehicle accessory includes an item storage compartment (e.g., 302, 304);
The control unit controls the operation of the storage unit by controlling at least one of an opening/closing mechanism (e.g., 52, 53) that changes the open/closed state of the storage unit and a locking mechanism (e.g., 57, 58) that locks the storage unit.

According to this embodiment, the operation of vehicle accessories, such as storage compartments for storing items, can be controlled based on information about the vehicle's surroundings.

2. The vehicle control device (for example, 5A) of the above embodiment includes:
The surrounding area information includes location information of a parking position of the vehicle and weather information,
The control unit (e.g., 50)
Based on the location information and the weather information, the operation of at least one of the opening/closing mechanism and the locking mechanism is controlled (for example, S416).

In this embodiment, the operation of vehicle equipment is controlled based on surrounding information, such as location information about the vehicle's parking position and weather information, enabling control that is more tailored to the user's needs and situation.

3. The vehicle control device (for example, 5A) of the above embodiment includes:
If the location information is information of a location registered in advance by the user of the vehicle, the control unit controls the operation of at least one of the opening/closing mechanism and the locking mechanism (for example, S416).

According to this embodiment, if the parking location is a location previously registered by the user, the vehicle's storage compartment is automatically unlocked or automatically opened, thereby improving user convenience.

4. The vehicle control device (for example, 5A) of the above embodiment includes:
The control unit controls the opening/closing mechanism (e.g., 52, 53) and the locking mechanism (e.g., 57, 58). If the vehicle's parking position is the pre-registered position (e.g., "YES" in S502, 503) and the weather information indicates a predetermined weather condition (e.g., "YES" in S505), the control unit controls the locking mechanism to unlock the lid unit and maintains the operating state of the opening/closing mechanism (e.g., S507, S604).

According to this embodiment, when the parking location is a pre-registered location and the weather is rainy or other specified weather, the vehicle's storage compartment is automatically unlocked and closed, preventing rain from blowing into the storage compartment and improving user convenience.

5. The vehicle control device (for example, 5A) of the above embodiment includes:
The information on the pre-registered location includes weather influence information indicating whether or not the location may be affected by weather, and if the weather influence information indicates no, the control unit omits the weather information and controls the operation of at least one of the opening/closing mechanism or the locking mechanism based on the location information.

According to this embodiment, if the vehicle is parked in a location that is not affected by weather, such as an indoor parking lot, the operation of the vehicle's storage unit can be controlled based on location information, regardless of weather information.

6. The vehicle control device (for example, 5A) of the above embodiment
The surrounding information further includes at least one of illuminance information around the vehicle and time information (e.g., 46d, 46b).
The control unit controls the operation of at least one of the opening/closing mechanism or the locking mechanism, regardless of the position information, when the illuminance around the vehicle is below a predetermined illuminance or when the time indicated by the time information is within a predetermined time period, and maintains the storage unit in a closed state.

According to this embodiment, even when arriving at a designated home, if the illumination around the vehicle is low or during certain hours, the vehicle's storage compartment can be locked, thereby further improving security.

7. The vehicle control device (for example, 5A) of the above embodiment
When the vehicle is parked, the information acquisition means acquires information about the surroundings of the vehicle (for example, S801, S413, S414).

In this embodiment, when a vehicle is parked, information about the vehicle's surroundings is acquired and the operation of the vehicle's equipment is controlled based on the acquired information, thereby improving user convenience while preventing the vehicle's equipment from unexpectedly operating while driving.

8. The vehicle control device (for example, 5A) of the above embodiment
When the vehicle is parked, at least the vehicle's stand is activated (eg, 54).

In this embodiment, information about the vehicle's surroundings is acquired based on the activation status of the vehicle's stand, and the operation of the vehicle's equipment is controlled based on the acquired information about the surroundings, allowing the vehicle's equipment to operate in a way that reflects the user's parking intentions.

9. The vehicle control device (for example, 5A) of the above embodiment
The control unit receives a setting as to whether or not to allow the control of the accommodation unit based on the peripheral information by the control unit (for example, FIG. 7 );
The settings include:
a first setting (e.g., 701) that allows control of both the locking mechanism and the opening/closing mechanism;
a second setting (e.g., 702) that allows control of the locking mechanism but does not allow control of the opening/closing mechanism;
A third setting (e.g.,
703).

In this embodiment, it is possible to individually set whether to control the locking mechanism and opening/closing mechanism for the storage unit, thereby improving convenience while taking into account surrounding information and the user's wishes.

10. The vehicle control device (for example, 5A) of the above embodiment
The control unit controls at least one of the locking mechanism and the opening/closing mechanism when an article is stored in the storage unit.

In this embodiment, when an item is stored in a storage compartment, the locking mechanism and opening/closing mechanism of the storage compartment are controlled, preventing items from being left behind and improving convenience.

11. The vehicle in which the vehicle control device (for example, 5A) of the above embodiment is installed is
It is a saddle-type vehicle (Figure 3).

This embodiment makes it possible to control the operation of equipment such as luggage boxes under the seats of saddle-type vehicles, which have storage areas that are difficult to cover with frame structures, while reflecting the user's intentions.

12. The control method (e.g., FIGS. 4, 5, 6, and 8) of the vehicle control device (e.g., 5A) of the above embodiment is
an information acquisition step (e.g., S414) of acquiring information about the surroundings of the vehicle;
a control step (e.g., S415, S416) of controlling an operation of at least one vehicle accessory provided in the vehicle based on the peripheral information;
Including,
the at least one vehicle accessory includes an item storage compartment (e.g., 302, 304);
In the control step, the operation of the storage unit is controlled by controlling at least one of an opening/closing mechanism that changes the open/closed state of the storage unit and a locking mechanism that locks the storage unit (for example, S602, S604
S605).

13. The computer program of the above embodiment
The computer is caused to function as each of the means of the vehicle control device described in any one of 1 to 11 above.

14. The storage medium of the above embodiment is
14. A computer-readable storage medium storing the computer program according to 13 above.

According to the embodiments described in 12 to 14, for example, the operation of vehicle accessories, such as storage compartments for storing items, can be controlled based on information about the vehicle's surroundings.

The above describes an embodiment of the invention, but the invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the invention.

2. Information processing device, 4. Mobile terminal, 5. Vehicle

Claims (16)

A vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle,
a communication unit that communicates with a mobile terminal;
a control unit that acquires peripheral information of the vehicle from the information processing device through communication between the mobile terminal and the information processing device on a network from the mobile terminal via the communication unit, and controls an operation of at least one vehicle accessory provided in the vehicle based on the peripheral information;
Equipped with
the at least one vehicle accessory includes an item storage compartment;
the control unit controls the operation of the storage unit by controlling at least one of an opening/closing mechanism that can transition the opening/closing state of the storage unit between an open state and a closed state, and a locking mechanism that can switch the storage unit between a locked state and an unlocked state, based on the peripheral information ;
When the vehicle is parked, the control unit acquires peripheral information of the vehicle,
A vehicle control device , wherein at least a stand of the vehicle is in an activated state when the vehicle is parked . A vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle,
a communication unit that communicates with a mobile terminal;
a control unit that acquires peripheral information of the vehicle from the information processing device through communication between the mobile terminal and the information processing device on a network from the mobile terminal via the communication unit, and controls an operation of at least one vehicle accessory provided in the vehicle based on the peripheral information;
Equipped with
the at least one vehicle accessory includes an item storage compartment;
the control unit controls the operation of the storage unit by controlling at least one of an opening/closing mechanism that can transition the open/closed state of the storage unit between an open state and a closed state and a locking mechanism that can switch the storage unit between a locked state and an unlocked state, based on location information of a parking position of the vehicle and weather information included in the surrounding information ;
The surrounding information further includes at least one of illuminance information around the vehicle and time information,
The control unit controls the operation of at least one of the opening/closing mechanism or the locking mechanism to maintain the storage unit in a closed state, regardless of the position information, when the illuminance around the vehicle is below a predetermined illuminance or when the time indicated by the time information is within a predetermined time period . The peripheral information is
location information of the parking position of the vehicle and weather information;
The control unit
The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a control unit configured to control an operation of at least one of the opening/closing mechanism and the locking mechanism based on the location information and the weather information. The vehicle control device described in claim 3, wherein when the location information is information about a location pre-registered by a user of the vehicle, the control unit controls the operation of at least one of the opening/closing mechanism or the locking mechanism. 5. The vehicle control device according to claim 4, wherein the control unit controls the opening/closing mechanism and the locking mechanism, and when the parking position of the vehicle is the pre-registered position and the weather information indicates a predetermined weather, the control unit controls the locking mechanism to unlock the lid portion and maintain the operating state of the opening/closing mechanism. A vehicle control device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the pre-registered location information includes weather influence information indicating whether the location may be affected by weather, and if the weather influence information indicates no weather influence, the control unit omits the weather information and controls the operation of at least one of the opening/closing mechanism or the locking mechanism based on the location information. The surrounding information further includes at least one of illuminance information around the vehicle and time information,
7. The vehicle control device according to claim 3, wherein the control unit controls the operation of at least one of the opening/closing mechanism or the locking mechanism to maintain the storage unit in a closed state, regardless of the position information, when at least one of the illuminance around the vehicle is equal to or lower than a predetermined illuminance and the time indicated by the time information is within a predetermined time period. the control unit receives a setting as to whether or not to allow the control of the accommodation unit based on the peripheral information by the control unit;
The settings include:
a first setting that allows control of both the locking mechanism and the opening/closing mechanism;
a second setting that allows control of the locking mechanism and does not allow control of the opening/closing mechanism;
The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , further comprising a third setting that does not allow control of either the locking mechanism or the opening/closing mechanism. The control unit
The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a control unit configured to control at least one of the locking mechanism and the opening/closing mechanism when an article is stored in the storage unit. The vehicle control device according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit acquires information about the surroundings of the vehicle when the vehicle is parked. The vehicle control device described in claim 10, wherein at least the vehicle's stand is activated when the vehicle is parked. The vehicle control device described in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the vehicle is a saddle-ride type vehicle. A control method for a vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle, comprising:
a control step of acquiring peripheral information of the vehicle from an information processing device via a communication unit of the vehicle control device through communication between the mobile terminal and the information processing device on a network, and controlling an operation of at least one vehicle accessory provided in the vehicle based on the peripheral information;
the at least one vehicle accessory includes an item storage compartment;
In the control step, the operation of the storage unit is controlled by controlling at least one of an opening/closing mechanism that can transition the opening/closing state of the storage unit between an open state and a closed state, and a locking mechanism that can switch the storage unit between a locked state and an unlocked state, based on the peripheral information ;
When the vehicle is parked, the control step acquires information about the surroundings of the vehicle,
A control method for a vehicle control device , wherein when the vehicle is parked, at least a stand of the vehicle is in an activated state . A control method for a vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle, comprising:
a control step of acquiring peripheral information of the vehicle from an information processing device via a communication unit of the vehicle control device through communication between the mobile terminal and the information processing device on a network, and controlling an operation of at least one vehicle accessory provided in the vehicle based on the peripheral information;
the at least one vehicle accessory includes an item storage compartment;
In the control step, the operation of the storage unit is controlled by controlling at least one of an opening/closing mechanism that can transition the open/closed state of the storage unit between an open state and a closed state and a locking mechanism that can switch the storage unit between a locked state and an unlocked state, based on location information of the parking position of the vehicle and weather information included in the surrounding information,
The surrounding information further includes at least one of illuminance information around the vehicle and time information,
A control method for a vehicle control device, wherein in the control process, when the illuminance around the vehicle is below a predetermined illuminance or when the time indicated by the time information is within a predetermined time period, the operation of at least one of the opening/closing mechanism or the locking mechanism is controlled, regardless of the position information, and the storage section is maintained in a closed state . A computer program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the vehicle control device described in any one of claims 1 to 12. A computer-readable storage medium storing the computer program described in claim 15.