Development of the ‘Long-Range Summon’ Automatic Remote Retrieval (Long-Range Calling) System

Clarion Co., Ltd. (President & CEO: Atsushi Kawabata, called ‘Clarion’ below) has developed the ‘Long-Range Summon’ automatic remote retrieval system for automobiles, which combines unique external recognition technology, connected technology, position information control technology spun off from the development of navigation systems, and HMI with high usability along with integrated vehicle control technology from Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. (President & CEO: Brice Koch, called ‘Hitachi Automotive Systems’ below) which controls actuators for steering and brakes etc.

The ‘Long-Range Summon’ system that Clarion has developed realises long-range automatic remote retrieval of vehicles. The main technologies that comprise the new system are ‘sensor fusion technology’ and ‘integrated technology’ that combines connected technology and position information control technology.

Sensor fusion technology: Strengthens the sensor functions in the low-speed automotive driving technology achieved in the unique ‘Park by Memory’*1
automotive parking system.
▪Integrated technology that combines connected technology and position information control technology： Integrates TCU*2 and Smart Access*3 servers
comprising ‘connected technology’ and ‘position information control technology’ from navigation systems.

The flow for automatic remote retrieval is as follows.
(1*) When the vehicle is being parked, the peripheral environment, route, and external information within the lot is recorded up to when the vehicle is parked.
(2*) To retrieve the vehicle, when the driver presses the button on the smartphone to call the vehicle, automatic retrieval starts based on the smartphone’s position information and the recorded information about the vehicle.
(3*) The drivable area is specified based on sensor fusion technology, and the vehicle is automatically driven within the parking lot to the position where the user is waiting.

If there are obstacles in the driving route, the sensor fusion technology is used to avoid them. Initially the servers will only comprise authentication and retrieval request notification functions, but it is possible to add management functions like functions that monitor other vehicles and vehicle operating functions.

The envisaged usage situation is large-scale overseas parking lots, for example. Users can use their smartphones to automatically call their vehicles to their positions based on the parking environment recorded when the vehicle was being parked. Entering vehicles in overt locations such as entrances of buildings is effective in terms of preventing crime. Furthermore, this system provides a pleasant environment for drivers to avoid getting cold and getting wet, when there are low temperatures outside or storms, etc.

Up until now, in terms of automatic parking systems, Clarion and Hitachi Automotive Systems have developed a remote parking system in which users use smartphones alongside vehicles to park them automatically, and the Park by Memory system that records and reproduces the peripheral environments and routes for parking spaces, such as residential spaces, to automatically park vehicles. This time, Clarion has developed intermediate- and long-range automatic retrieval technology based on the preceding automatic parking technology. In the future as well, Clarion will work to further improve this technology for practical application.