Apparatus, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2026065690-A1
Application number	US-202519256670-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 1, 2025
Priority date	Aug 30, 2024
Publication date	Mar 5, 2026
Grant date	—

Abstract

A door control apparatus includes an imager and a controller. The controller acquires, from the imager, an image of the interior and exterior of the vehicle, detects an interior detection object and an exterior detection object from the image, determines whether the interior detection object is located within a vehicle interior detection zone, suspends an opening and closing operation of the door when the interior detection object is determined to be located within the vehicle interior detection zone, determines whether the exterior detection object is located within a vehicle exterior detection zone, and suspends a closing operation of the door when the exterior detection object is determined to be located within the vehicle exterior detection zone.

First claim

1 . A door control apparatus comprising:
an imager configured to image an interior and exterior of a vehicle; and a controller configured to:
acquire, from the imager, an image of the interior and exterior of the vehicle;
detect, from the image using object detection technology, an interior detection object that is a detection object inside the vehicle, and an exterior detection object that is a detection object outside the vehicle;
suspend an opening and closing operation of a door when the interior detection object is located within a vehicle interior detection zone in a vicinity of the door inside the vehicle; and
suspend a closing operation of the door when the exterior detection object is located within a vehicle exterior detection zone in a vicinity of the door outside the vehicle.

2 . The door control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
derive a movement speed and a movement direction of the exterior detection object; and when the movement direction is a direction toward the door, set the vehicle exterior detection zone larger when the movement speed is high than when the movement speed is low.

3 . The door control apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the vehicle exterior detection zone extends in an extension direction from the door toward the exterior detection object, and the vehicle exterior detection zone is larger in length along the extension direction when the movement speed is high than when the movement speed is low.

4 . The door control apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
an area of the vehicle exterior detection zone is set to be less than or equal to an area threshold, and the controller is configured to make a closing speed of the door lower when the area of the vehicle exterior detection zone is equal to the area threshold than when the area of the vehicle exterior detection zone is less than the area threshold.

5 . The door control apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the vehicle exterior detection zone includes multiple individual zones, each individual zone extends in each extension direction from the door toward each of multiple exterior detection objects, and each individual zone is larger in length along each extension direction when the movement speed of each exterior detection object is high than when the movement speed of each exterior detection object is low.

6 . The door control apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising an output interface,
wherein the controller is configured to, when the movement direction is a direction toward the door and the movement speed is greater than or equal to a speed threshold, increase an area of the vehicle interior detection zone, and alert an interior detection object located within the vehicle interior detection zone by the output interface.

7 . The door control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is an automated driving vehicle.

8 . A method performed by a door control apparatus including an imager configured to image an interior and exterior of a vehicle, and a controller, the method comprising:
acquiring, by the controller from the imager, an image of the interior and exterior of the vehicle; detecting, by the controller from the image using object detection technology, an interior detection object that is a detection object inside the vehicle, and an exterior detection object that is a detection object outside the vehicle; suspending, by the controller, an opening and closing operation of a door when the interior detection object is located within a vehicle interior detection zone in a vicinity of the door inside the vehicle; and suspending, by the controller, a closing operation of the door when the exterior detection object is located within a vehicle exterior detection zone in a vicinity of the door outside the vehicle.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , further comprising:
deriving, by the controller, a movement speed and a movement direction of the exterior detection object; and when the movement direction is a direction toward the door, setting, by the controller, the vehicle exterior detection zone larger when the movement speed is high than when the movement speed is low.

10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein
the vehicle exterior detection zone extends in an extension direction from the door toward the exterior detection object, and the vehicle exterior detection zone is larger in length along the extension direction when the movement speed is high than when the movement speed is low.

11 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein
an area of the vehicle exterior detection zone is set to be less than or equal to an area threshold, and the controller is configured to make a closing speed of the door lower when the area of the vehicle exterior detection zone is equal to the area threshold than when the area of the vehicle exterior detection zone is less than the area threshold.

12 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein
the vehicle exterior detection zone includes multiple individual zones, each individual zone extends in each extension direction from the door toward each of multiple exterior detection objects, and each individual zone is larger in length along each extension direction when the movement speed of each exterior detection object is high than when the movement speed of each exterior detection object is low.

13 . The method according to claim 9 , further comprising, when the movement direction is a direction toward the door and the movement speed is greater than or equal to a speed threshold, increasing, by the controller, an area of the vehicle interior detection zone, and alerting, by the controller, an interior detection object located within the vehicle interior detection zone.

14 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the vehicle is an automated driving vehicle.

15 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program configured to cause a computer, as a door control apparatus including an imager configured to image an interior and exterior of a vehicle, and a controller, to execute operations, the operations comprising:
acquiring, from the imager, an image of the interior and exterior of the vehicle; detecting, from the image using object detection technology, an interior detection object that is a detection object inside the vehicle, and an exterior detection object that is a detection object outside the vehicle; suspending an opening and closing operation of a door when the interior detection object is located within a vehicle interior detection zone in a vicinity of the door inside the vehicle; and suspending a closing operation of the door when the exterior detection object is located within a vehicle exterior detection zone in a vicinity of the door outside the vehicle.

16 . The medium according to claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
deriving a movement speed and a movement direction of the exterior detection object; and when the movement direction is a direction toward the door, setting the vehicle exterior detection zone larger when the movement speed is high than when the movement speed is low.

17 . The medium according to claim 16 , wherein
the vehicle exterior detection zone extends in an extension direction from the door toward the exterior detection object, and the vehicle exterior detection zone is larger in length along the extension direction when the movement speed is high than when the movement speed is low.

18 . The medium according to clai

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Miura Mitsuhiro
• Tomatsu Yoshiaki

Classifications

• E05F15/73

  responsive to movement or presence of persons or objects · CPC title

• E05F2015/767

  using cameras · CPC title

• G06V20/59

  inside of a vehicle, e.g. relating to seat occupancy, driver state or inner lighting conditions · CPC title

• E05Y2900/531

  Doors · CPC title

• G06V20/58 Primary

  Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads · CPC title