Vehicle control apparatus, vehicle, operation method for vehicle control apparatus, and storage medium

An operation method of a vehicle control apparatus that controls movement of a vehicle in response to an instruction from a remote control terminal located outside the vehicle, the method comprising:

• obtaining an image captured by a camera configured to capture an image of a periphery of the vehicle;
• detecting an operator of the remote control terminal on the basis of the obtained image;
• estimating, on the basis of a detection result of the operator, a position where the operator, detected from the image, is present,
• detecting a position of the remote control terminal relative to the vehicle;
• and
• controlling, on the basis of a difference between i) a distance from the vehicle to the operator and ii) a distance from the vehicle to the remote control terminal, whether to permit or prohibit a remote control operation of the vehicle performed through the remote control terminal.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium in which is stored a program for causing a computer to execute each step of an operation method of a vehicle control apparatus that controls movement of a vehicle in response to an instruction from a remote control terminal located outside the vehicle, the method comprising:

• obtaining an image captured by a camera configured to capture an image of a periphery of the vehicle;
• detecting an operator of the remote control terminal on the basis of the obtained image;
• estimating, on the basis of a detection result of the operator, a position where the operator, detected from the image, is present,
• detecting a position of the remote control terminal relative to the vehicle;
• and
• controlling, on the basis of a difference between i) a distance from the vehicle to the operator and ii) a distance from the vehicle to the remote control terminal, whether to permit or prohibit a remote control operation of the vehicle performed through the remote control terminal.