Control device, status management method, and status management program

Abstract

To provide a control device, a state management method, and a state management program that enable a control center to detect gaps in recognition by both sides regarding a state recognized by an automatic driving vehicle and a state of a work, and to notify a manager or execute orders to reduce the risk of accidents such as emergency stops.SOLUTION: A control device includes: a vehicle information management unit that manages a state of an automatic driving vehicle based on information received by a vehicle information receiving unit; a work management unit that manages a work status based on information received by a work state receiver; and a state determination unit that estimates a next vehicle state and the work status from a vehicle state and the work status, compares estimated results with information of the vehicle information management unit or the work management unit (state after transition) after a predetermined time has elapsed from the estimation, and determines whether or not the states match.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5a

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device for autonomous driving that manages autonomous driving vehicles, a state management method, and a state management program. [Background technology]

[0002] In operations requiring the transportation of various materials within large sites, such as factories and port facilities, systems using autonomous vehicles exist to improve material transportation efficiency and reduce the number of personnel required. Material transportation involves loading and unloading, and humans may work nearby the autonomous vehicle. To ensure safety, the system must properly detect people and avoid collisions. To achieve this, technologies using cameras and LIDAR to detect people and avoid collisions have been put into practical use. However, cameras and LIDAR may fail to detect people depending on the situation. To ensure safety on site, it is necessary to properly manage the status of on-site tasks, such as loading and unloading, as well as the status of the autonomous vehicle. By preventing the autonomous vehicle from entering the work area while people are working, or by preventing the autonomous vehicle from starting while people are working, it is possible to prevent collisions even if the sensing system fails to detect people. Thus, to ensure the safety of the system as a whole, it is important to properly manage the status of the autonomous vehicle and the work status on site.

[0003] In the past, the safety of manned vehicles was maintained by a method in which the control center managed the work status based on notifications from the vehicles, as in Patent Document 1. Another method for managing the work status was to estimate the loading completion time from the load amount during loading work, as in Patent Document 2. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-147301 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-106277 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the conventional technologies described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 assume that when a human sets the status of a task, the setting is executed correctly. Therefore, if the setting is not executed properly due to forgetting to execute the setting or the operation being a mere formality, the status cannot be correctly grasped. Furthermore, if communication between the autonomous vehicle and the control center is interrupted or delayed, the status information cannot be properly synchronized. As a result, there is a risk that the autonomous vehicle may start moving while a human is working due to an incorrect recognition of the status, resulting in an accident. In other words, in an autonomous driving system for transporting materials within a limited area, such as a factory or port facility, if the status setting for safety confirmation is not executed properly due to forgetting to execute the setting or the operation being a mere formality, the status may be recognized incorrectly, proper management may not be implemented, and the risk of an accident involving the autonomous vehicle may increase.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a control device, a status management method, and a status management program that can detect discrepancies in the status and work status recognized by an autonomous vehicle at a control center, and notify an administrator or execute commands to reduce the risk of accidents, such as an emergency stop. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the control device of the present invention is a control device for autonomous vehicles that manages autonomous vehicles and has a vehicle information receiving unit that receives status information that the autonomous vehicle judges and transmits after determining the driving status and operating status of the autonomous vehicle, and a business status receiving unit that receives information from an operation terminal or an environment recognition sensor that notifies the status of business related to the autonomous vehicle, and is characterized by having a vehicle information management unit that manages the vehicle status of the autonomous vehicle based on the information received by the vehicle information receiving unit, a work management unit that manages the work status based on information from the business status receiving unit, and a status determination unit that estimates the next vehicle state and work status from the vehicle state and the work status, and compares the estimated result with information from the vehicle information management unit or the work management unit after a predetermined time has elapsed since the estimation, and determines whether they match.

[0008] In addition, the status management method of the present invention is characterized by including a vehicle information management step of receiving status information that an autonomous vehicle judges and transmits about the driving status and operating status of the autonomous vehicle, and managing the vehicle status of the autonomous vehicle based on the received information; a work management step of receiving information from an operation terminal or an environment recognition sensor that notifies the status of work related to the autonomous vehicle, and managing the work status based on the received information; and a status determination step of estimating the next vehicle status and work status from the vehicle status and the work status, comparing the estimated result with information from the vehicle information management step or the work management step after a predetermined time has elapsed since the estimation, and determining whether they match.

[0009] In addition, the status management program of the present invention is a status management program that manages an autonomous vehicle and causes a computer to execute a vehicle information reception procedure that receives status information that the autonomous vehicle determines and transmits after determining the driving status and operating status of the autonomous vehicle, and a business status reception procedure that receives information from an operating terminal or an environment recognition sensor that notifies the status of business related to the autonomous vehicle, and is characterized in that it causes a computer to execute a vehicle information management procedure that manages the vehicle status of the autonomous vehicle based on the information received in the vehicle information reception procedure, a work management procedure that manages the work status based on the information received in the business status reception procedure, and a status determination procedure that estimates the next vehicle state and work status from the vehicle state and the work status, compares the estimated result with information from the vehicle information management procedure or the work management procedure after a predetermined time has elapsed since the estimation, and determines whether they match. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, by detecting the possibility of a discrepancy in status perception between an autonomous vehicle and a field worker, it is possible to reduce the risk of collision accidents and other accidents caused by a discrepancy in status perception.

[0011] Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become clear from the following description of the embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a system configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram of a control center according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3a] 10 is a diagram for explaining a warning screen (in normal times when no warning is given) for a monitor administrator in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 3b] 10 is a diagram for explaining a warning screen (when a warning is output) displayed on a monitor to an administrator in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 4a]FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an internal data management table (site state management table) in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4b] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an internal data management table (vehicle state management table) in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4c] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an internal data management table (map data table) in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4d] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an internal data management table (state transition rules) in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5a] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the concept of state management (work state transition) in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5b] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the concept of state management (state transition of an autonomously driven vehicle) in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is an overall flowchart of state estimation and notification in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a flowchart of state estimation for an autonomous vehicle in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart of state estimation for an area in an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In all drawings for explaining the present embodiments, components having the same functions are designated by the same reference numerals, and repeated description thereof may be omitted.

[0014] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an autonomous driving system including a control center 100 of this embodiment. The autonomous driving system of this embodiment is intended for use in locations where materials are transported, such as for logistics within a factory or at port facilities, and assumes an environment where autonomous vehicles 111 and 112, manned vehicles 140, and field workers 130 coexist, and where roads 160 and parking areas 150 are set as areas within which the autonomous vehicles will travel.

[0015] The control center 100 communicates wirelessly with the autonomous vehicles 111 and 112, manned vehicles 140, and field workers 130 on the site to grasp their positions and status, and issues instructions to the autonomous vehicles 111 and 112 to move for transportation. The control center 100 also has an interface with the manager 120, and notifies the manager 120 via a monitor 121 of the status of the autonomous vehicles, manned vehicles, and field workers on the site, the status of material transportation, the status of the parking area 150, and the like. The control center 100 also receives instructions from the manager 120 to the autonomous vehicles 111 and 112 to transport materials and to stop in an emergency. It is assumed that the control center 100 will be installed as a server physically on the site, or will be constructed in a cloud environment. To ensure the safety of the entire site, control center 100 monitors not only the status of autonomous vehicles 111 and 112 but also the status of work being done in parking area 150 by field worker 130, and issues instructions to autonomous vehicle 112 not to start moving while field worker 130 is working in parking area 150, and issues instructions to autonomous vehicle 111 not to enter parking area 150. On the other hand, while autonomous vehicle 112 is moving within parking area 150, control center 100 may refuse a request from field worker 130 to start work so that field worker 130 cannot work in parking area 150, thereby ensuring the safety of the entire site.

[0016] The autonomous vehicles 111 and 112 travel along designated roads 160 and parking areas 150 within the site in accordance with instructions from the control center 100 to transport materials. The autonomous vehicles 111 and 112 are equipped with devices for acquiring location information, such as a GNSS system, and communication devices for communicating with the control center 100, and periodically transmit their location information and vehicle speed to the control center 100. The autonomous vehicles 111 and 112 also manage the status of their cargo and transmit this information to the control center 100. The status of the cargo can be determined by sensing detection methods using load sensors or the like, or by indirectly determining whether or not cargo is present by having the field worker 130 report to the control center 100 that loading and unloading are complete. To enhance safety within the site, the autonomous vehicles can not only move to their destination in response to commands from the control center 100, but also make emergency stops. Furthermore, the autonomous vehicles may be equipped with devices such as LIDAR or cameras to detect collision risks around the autonomous vehicles and perform control actions such as avoidance and deceleration.

[0017] A field worker 130 approaches the autonomous vehicles 111, 112 in the parking area 150 and loads and unloads materials. The field worker 130 obtains permission to start work from the control center 100 before entering the parking area 150 to work, and notifies the control center 100 of the completion of the work when the work is completed. Methods for communicating with the control center 100 include using a communication terminal such as a tablet or smartphone, or using a terminal installed at the entrance to the parking area 150.

[0018] The manned vehicle 140 travels within the site, transporting people and materials that the autonomous vehicles 111 and 112 cannot handle. Like the autonomous vehicles 111 and 112, the manned vehicle 140 also has a device for acquiring position information such as a GNSS system and a communication device for communicating with the control center 100, and periodically transmits its own position information and vehicle speed to the control center 100.

[0019] Next, the functions of the control center 100 that realizes the autonomous driving system of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 shows the hardware and software configuration of the control center 100. The control center 100 is composed of a CPU 201, a communication I / F 202, a memory 204, a storage 205, and an internal bus 203 that connects these. The control center 100 is assumed to be a general PC, server, or cloud. Note that while FIG. 2 shows the storage 205 and the CPU 201 for executing programs as the same device, the storage 205 may be realized using multiple devices, such as a DB server.

[0020] On the CPU 201, a vehicle information receiving program 211, a business status receiving program 212, and a status management program 213 are executed.

[0021] A vehicle information receiving program 211, a business status receiving program 212, and a status management program 213 are developed on the memory 204.

[0022] The storage 205 stores a state transition rule 223, map data (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a map data table) 232, a vehicle state management table 222, a site state management table 221, and a transportation plan 231.

[0023] The vehicle information reception program 211 has a vehicle information management function 214, and upon receiving information from the autonomously driven vehicles 111, 112, it updates the status of the corresponding autonomously driven vehicle in the vehicle status management table 222. In doing so, it uses map data 232 to confirm the current position on the map, and if the autonomously driven vehicle is in the parking area 150, it updates the corresponding location in the site status management table 221. In other words, the vehicle information reception program 211 receives status information that the autonomously driven vehicle determines and transmits based on its driving status (driving or stopped) and operating status (waiting, carrying a load, or running empty). The vehicle information management function 214 manages the vehicle status of the autonomously driven vehicle by updating the vehicle status management table 222 and the site status management table 221 based on the information received by the vehicle information reception program 211.

[0024] The work status receiving program 212 has a work management function 215, and upon receiving information from the on-site worker 130, the program uses map data 232 to confirm which parking area 150 the on-site worker 130 is in, and updates the information about the corresponding parking area 150 in the on-site status management table 221. If the on-site worker 130 inputs information to start work when an autonomous vehicle is traveling in the corresponding parking area, the program notifies the on-site worker 130 that the start of work is prohibited due to the risk of a collision accident. Furthermore, while this embodiment assumes that the on-site worker 130 directly inputs the work status, it is also possible to install a camera or the like in the parking area 150, notify the work status based on information about the worker detected by the camera, and update the on-site status management table 221 with the work management function 215. That is, the work status receiving program 212 receives information from an operation terminal (such as a communication terminal such as a tablet or smartphone, or a terminal installed at the entrance to the parking area 150) or an environment recognition sensor (such as a camera installed in the parking area 150) that notifies the status of work related to the autonomously driven vehicle. The work management function 215 manages the work status by updating the site status management table 221 based on the information from the work status receiving program 212.

[0025] The state management program 213 has a state determination function 218 and a notification function 219, and periodically updates the information in the vehicle state management table 222 and the site state management table 221 based on the contents of the state transition rules 223, and monitors whether the state transition is being performed appropriately. If a possible abnormality in the state transition is detected, the notification function 219 is used to issue a warning to the administrator 120. At this time, in addition to issuing a warning, it may also issue an emergency stop instruction to the autonomously driven vehicles 111, 112.

[0026] The state transition rules 223 are set as rules for estimating the state of the autonomous vehicle and the state of the site using data registered in advance in the control center 100. Based on these rules, the state management program 213 estimates the state and outputs a warning if there is a discrepancy between the actual state and the estimated state. That is, the state determination function 218 estimates the next vehicle state and work status from the vehicle state and work status, and compares the estimated result with information from the vehicle information management function 214 or work management function 215 after a predetermined time has elapsed since the estimation to determine whether they match. The notification function 219 displays the determination result of the state determination function 218 on the monitor 121, and issues a warning to the administrator 120 via the monitor 121 if the comparison result by the state determination function 218 does not match.

[0027] The map data 232 is data registered in advance in the control center 100, and contains map information within the site, and information such as the type and coordinates of each parking area 150 is set.

[0028] The vehicle state management table 222 is updated by the vehicle information reception program 211, and the position and state of the autonomously driven vehicle notified from the autonomously driven vehicle are set in the vehicle state management table 222. The vehicle state management table 222 is also updated by the state management program 213, and state transitions are estimated based on the situation of the autonomously driven vehicle.

[0029] The site status management table 221 is updated by the operation status receiving program 212, and the status is set based on the work being done in the parking area 150 notified by the site worker 130. In addition, when an autonomous vehicle enters, exits, or stops in the parking area 150, the site status management table 221 is also updated by the vehicle information receiving program 211. Furthermore, the site status management table 221 is updated by the status management program 213, and a status transition is estimated based on the situation in the parking area 150.

[0030] The transportation plan 231 is periodically set in the control center 100 by the manager 120, and sets a transportation plan for materials for the autonomously driven vehicles.

[0031] 3a and 3b show examples of monitor screens that the control center 100 presents to the administrator 120. Fig. 3a shows a screen 300 in a normal state where no discrepancy in status recognition has been detected. Fig. 3b shows a screen 310 in a state where a warning has been issued after a possible discrepancy in status recognition has been detected.

[0032] As shown in Figure 3a, the control center 100 normally displays the locations and status of autonomous vehicles and field workers throughout the site to the manager 120. Figure 3a shows an autonomous vehicle 301 transporting materials, an autonomous vehicle 302 loading at loading location B, and a field worker 303.

[0033] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 3b, when the control center 100 detects a possibility of an error in the state recognition, it displays a warning message 311 and a specific location 312 on a map where the discrepancy in state recognition occurred as a detection result (determination result). Note that Figure 3b also shows an autonomous vehicle 313 on the map that is starting transportation (after loading work) at loading location B. This alerts the administrator 120, allowing the administrator 120 to perform confirmation work or an emergency stop, thereby reducing the risk of an accident.

[0034] 4a to 4d show the contents of tables managed by the control center 100. Fig. 4a shows the contents of the site state management table 221, Fig. 4b shows the contents of the vehicle state management table 222, Fig. 4c shows the contents of the map data 232, and Fig. 4d shows the contents of the state transition rules 223.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 4A, the site state management table 221 includes an area identifier 401, an area name 402, an area state 403, presence / absence of an autonomous vehicle 404, an update time 405, an estimated transition state 406, a time threshold until transition 407, and presence / absence of a warning 408.

[0036] The area identifier 401 is an identifier for uniquely identifying each area such as the parking area 150. Detailed coordinates and the like are managed in the map data 232.

[0037] The area name 402 indicates the name of each set area, and is used when the control center 100 shows the area to the manager 120 on a map.

[0038] Area status 403 indicates the status of each area managed by control center 100. For example, the following statuses may be set: "Autonomous vehicle (empty) traveling" or "Autonomous vehicle (laden) traveling" indicating that an autonomous vehicle is traveling; "Autonomous vehicle (empty) stopped" or "Autonomous vehicle (laden) stopped" indicating that an autonomous vehicle is stopped; "Working (loading)" or "Working (unloading)" indicating that a field worker 130 is loading or unloading; "Working (other)" indicating that a field worker 130 or a manned vehicle 140 has entered the area for work other than loading or unloading; "Autonomous vehicle starting preparation" indicating that an autonomous vehicle is about to start traveling; "Empty" indicating that no autonomous vehicle, field worker 130, or manned vehicle 140 is present; and "Use prohibited" indicating that use is suspended for maintenance, construction, or the like.

[0039] Autonomous vehicle presence / absence 404 indicates whether or not there are autonomous vehicles within the target area, and can be set to "No" to indicate that there are no autonomous vehicles, "Moving" to indicate that an autonomous vehicle is moving, or "Stopped" to indicate that an autonomous vehicle is stopped.

[0040] The update time 405 is set to the time when the area status 403 was updated.

[0041] The area state 403 from which a future transition is predicted is set as the predicted transition state 406. If there is no predicted state, "none" is set. If the predicted state is unknown or undetermined, nothing is set.

[0042] The time threshold 407 until transition is set to the maximum time normally expected until the area state 403 transitions to the estimated transition state 406, and is set in accordance with the state transition rule 223 (FIG. 4d).

[0043] For example, if an autonomous vehicle scheduled to load materials enters an empty parking area at a loading location as part of a transportation plan and stops, the area state 403 becomes "autonomous vehicle (empty) parked." In this case, since loading of materials would normally begin, the estimated transition state 406 is set to "Working (loading)," and the time threshold 407 until the transition is set to the threshold set in the state transition rule 223 (Figure 4d).

[0044] Warning presence / absence 408 indicates whether or not a warning is issued within the target area.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 4b, the vehicle state management table 222 includes a vehicle identifier 421, a latitude 422, a longitude 423, a speed 424, a direction of travel 425, a state 426, a location 427, a destination 428, a state update time 429, an estimated transition state 430, a time threshold until the transition 431, and a warning 432.

[0046] The vehicle identifier 421 is an identifier for uniquely identifying an autonomously driven vehicle.

[0047] The latitude 422 and longitude 423 indicate the current location of the autonomous vehicle.

[0048] The speed 424 and the direction of travel 425 indicate the speed at which the autonomous vehicle is traveling and the direction of the vehicle. Note that the direction of travel 425 is indicated, for example, by an angle relative to a reference direction (such as north).

[0049] State 426 indicates the state of the autonomous vehicle. For example, when the autonomous vehicle is traveling toward a destination specified by control center 100, the state is set to "traveling (empty)" or "traveling (laden)," including when the vehicle is temporarily stopped; "waiting (awaiting transport instruction)" immediately after the power is turned on and before receiving an instruction from control center 100; "waiting (unloading)" when the autonomous vehicle has arrived at the destination with a load and is stopped; "waiting (loading)" when the autonomous vehicle has arrived at the destination without a load and is stopped; "preparing to start" when the autonomous vehicle has been instructed by control center 100 to start traveling and is waiting for notification of state information from the autonomous vehicle; and "emergency stop" when the autonomous vehicle has made an emergency stop in response to an instruction from control center 100.

[0050] Location 427 indicates the location of the autonomous vehicle. If the autonomous vehicle is in a parking area 150, the area identifier of the parking area 150 is set. If the autonomous vehicle is in any other location, nothing is set.

[0051] The destination 428 is set with the coordinates and area identifier of the loading or unloading destination instructed by the control center 100. Nothing is set after arriving at the destination or before receiving an instruction from the control center 100.

[0052] The state update time 429 indicates the time when the state 426 of the autonomously driven vehicle in question was updated.

[0053] The state 426 from which a future transition is estimated is set as the estimated transition state 430. If there is no estimated state, "none" is set. If the estimated state is unknown or undetermined, nothing is set.

[0054] The time threshold 431 until the transition is set to the maximum time normally expected until the state 426 transitions to the estimated transition state 430, and is set in accordance with the state transition rule 223 (FIG. 4d).

[0055] Warning presence / absence 432 indicates whether or not a warning is issued to the target autonomous driving vehicle.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 4c, the map data table 232 includes an area identifier 441, an area name 442, an area type 443, a target business 444, and coordinates 445.

[0057] The area identifier 441 is an identifier for uniquely identifying each area.

[0058] The area name 442 indicates the name of each set area, and is used when the control center 100 shows the area to the manager 120 on a map.

[0059] Area type 443 indicates the type of each area. Types that can be set include "loading area," "unloading area," "loading / unloading area," and "other." "Loading area" indicates a location where materials are loaded onto an autonomous vehicle. "Unloading area" indicates a location where materials are unloaded from an autonomous vehicle. "Loading / unloading area" indicates a location where both loading and unloading of materials onto an autonomous vehicle is carried out. "Other" indicates a location other than these.

[0060] The target work 444 indicates the work that is expected to be performed by the field worker 130 in the relevant area. For example, if the area type 443 is a "loading area," loading of materials onto an autonomous vehicle is expected, so "loading" is set. If the area type 443 is an "unloading area," unloading of materials from an autonomous vehicle is expected, so "unloading" is set. If the area type 443 is a "loading / unloading area," both loading and unloading of materials onto an autonomous vehicle will be performed, so "loading, unloading" is set. If no special work is expected, "-" is set.

[0061] Coordinates 445 indicate the coordinates for indicating the range of each area. In this embodiment, a polygon is assumed, and the latitude and longitude of each vertex are set as coordinates 445. Note that the area setting is not limited to a polygon, and various setting methods are possible, such as setting an area as a circle using a center point and a radius. For example, loading location A is made up of a rectangle consisting of four points, and the latitude and longitude of each vertex are set as coordinates 445.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 4d, the state transition rule 223 includes a rule identifier 461, a target 462, a current state 463, a state after transition 464, a deadline threshold 465, and a transition condition 466.

[0063] The rule identifier 461 is an identifier for uniquely identifying a rule.

[0064] Target 462 indicates the target to which the rule applies. For a rule for an autonomous vehicle, "vehicle" is set, and for a rule for an area, "area" is set.

[0065] The current state 463 indicates the state when the rule is applied.

[0066] The post-transition state 464 indicates the post-transition state to which a transition is expected when the rule in question is applied.

[0067] The deadline threshold 465 indicates the maximum time that can elapse before transitioning to the post-transition state 464 when the transition condition 466 is satisfied in the current state 463 .

[0068] The transition condition 466 indicates the condition for transitioning from the current state 463 to the post-transition state 464 .

[0069] For example, if rule identifier 461 is "1", and the area type is "loading area" or "loading / unloading area", and an autonomous vehicle is parked empty, and there is a transportation plan from the area, it is expected that the state will transition to "Working (loading)" within 10 minutes.

[0070] 5a and 5b show examples of concepts for estimating state transitions. These contents are set in state transition rules 223 in FIG. 4d. FIG. 5a shows concepts for work state transitions for parking area 150. FIG. 5b shows concepts for state transitions for an autonomous vehicle.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 5a, assume that an autonomous vehicle enters a parking area in an empty state (the area state transitions from "empty" to "autonomous vehicle (empty) moving"), the state of the autonomous vehicle transitions from "moving (empty)" to "waiting (loading)", and this content is properly notified by the site worker 130. When the state of the parking area transitions from "autonomous vehicle (empty) moving" to "autonomous vehicle (empty) parked", and if there is a transportation plan from the parking area, it is expected that the state will transition to "working (loading)" within the deadline threshold (10 minutes). However, if the state of the parking area does not transition to "working (loading)" even after the deadline threshold (10 minutes) has elapsed since the transition from "autonomous vehicle (empty) parked" even though the site worker 130 has started loading work, a warning is issued to the manager 120, as it is possible that the site worker 130 forgot to notify "start of work."

[0072] 5b, assume that the loading work is completed, a departure command is issued from on-site worker 130, the state of the parking area transitions from "working (loading)" to "preparing to start autonomous vehicle", the state of the autonomous vehicle transitions from "waiting (loading)" to "preparing to start", the departure command is issued to the autonomous vehicle, and the (actual) state of the autonomous vehicle transitions from "waiting (loading)" to "driving (loaded)". When the state of the autonomous vehicle transitions from "waiting (loading)" to "preparing to start" and there is a transportation plan from the autonomous vehicle, it is expected that it will transition to "driving (loaded)" within the deadline threshold (10 seconds). However, if the state of the autonomous vehicle transitions from "waiting (loading)" to "running (laden)" in response to a departure command from the control center 100, but the autonomous vehicle does not transition to "running (laden)" even after the deadline threshold (10 seconds) has elapsed since the state transitioned to "preparing to start," the control center 100 will recognize this as a failure to notify the state due to a communication failure and will issue a warning to the administrator 120.

[0073] FIG. 6 shows an overall flowchart of state estimation and notification by the state management program 213. This flow is periodically executed by the state management program 213. When this flow is executed, the flow proceeds to STEP 602. From STEP 602 to STEP 604, the processing of STEP 603 is performed for each autonomously driven vehicle, and then the flow proceeds to STEP 605. Details of STEP 603 are shown in FIG. 7. From STEP 605 to STEP 607, the processing of STEP 606 is performed for each parking area, and then the flow proceeds to STEP 608. Details of STEP 606 are shown in FIG. 8. In STEP 608, as a result of the processing up to this point, it is checked whether there is a "Present" status in the warning status 432 in the vehicle state management table 222 or the warning status 408 in the site state management table 221. If there is, the flow proceeds to STEP 609; if there is not, the flow proceeds to STEP 610. In STEP 609, the notification function 219 outputs a screen like that shown in FIG. 3b to the manager 120 on the monitor 121, and the flow ends. In STEP 610, the notification function 219 outputs a screen such as that shown in FIG. 3A to the administrator 120 on the monitor 121, and this flow ends.

[0074] Figure 7 shows a flowchart of state estimation for an autonomously driven vehicle. This flow is called from the flow in Figure 6. When STEP 603 is called, the process proceeds to STEP 701.

[0075] In STEP 701, it is confirmed whether the estimated transition state 430 is set for the target autonomously driven vehicle in the target vehicle state management table 222. If it is set, the process proceeds to STEP 702;

[0076] In STEP 702, it is confirmed whether the time threshold 431 until transition has elapsed for the autonomously driven vehicle targeted in the vehicle state management table 222. As a result, the next vehicle state is estimated from the vehicle state managed by the vehicle information management function 214, and the estimation result is compared with the information of the vehicle information management function 214 after a predetermined time (the time threshold 431 until transition) has elapsed since the estimation, and it is determined whether they match. If the time has elapsed, it is determined that the state transition has not been performed appropriately, and the process proceeds to STEP 703. If the time has not elapsed, the process proceeds to STEP 704.

[0077] In STEP 703, if the state transition is not performed properly, the warning presence / absence 432 for the target autonomously driven vehicle in the vehicle state management table 222 is set to "Present" and the flow ends. In STEP 704, the warning presence / absence 432 for the target autonomously driven vehicle in the vehicle state management table 222 is set to "No" and the flow ends.

[0078] In STEP 705, the items in the state transition rules 223 where the target 462 is "vehicle" are checked to see if there is any that satisfies the current state 463 and the transition condition 466. If there is, the process proceeds to STEP 706, and if there is not, the process ends.

[0079] In STEP 706, the contents of the corresponding items of the state transition rules 223 for the estimated transition state 430 and the time threshold until transition 431 for the target autonomously driven vehicle in the vehicle state management table 222 are set, and this flow ends.

[0080] A flowchart of state estimation for an area is shown in Fig. 8. This flow is called from the flow in Fig. 6. When STEP 606 is called, the process proceeds to STEP 801.

[0081] In STEP 801, it is confirmed whether or not the estimated transition state 406 is set for the target area in the target site state management table 221. If it is set, the process proceeds to STEP 802;

[0082] In STEP 802, it is confirmed whether the time threshold 407 until transition has elapsed for the area targeted in the site status management table 221. As a result, the next work status is estimated from the work status managed by the work management function 215, and the estimated result is compared with the information of the work management function 215 after a predetermined time (the time threshold 407 until transition) has elapsed since the estimation, and it is determined whether they match. If the time has elapsed, it is determined that the state transition has not been carried out appropriately, and the process proceeds to STEP 803. If the time has not elapsed, the process proceeds to STEP 804.

[0083] In STEP 803, in case the state transition is not properly performed, the warning presence / absence 408 for the target area in the site state management table 221 is set to "Present" and the flow ends. In STEP 804, the warning presence / absence 408 for the target area in the site state management table 221 is set to "No" and the flow ends.

[0084] In STEP 805, the items in the state transition rules 223 for which the target 462 is "area" are checked to see if there is any that satisfies the current state 463 and the transition condition 466. If there is, the process proceeds to STEP 806, and if there is not, the process ends.

[0085] In STEP 806, the contents of the corresponding items of the state transition rules 223 are set for the target area in the site state management table 221, including the estimated transition state 406 and the time threshold 407 until transition, and this flow ends.

[0086] As described above, the control device (control center 100) of this embodiment is a control device for autonomous vehicles that manages autonomous vehicles and has a vehicle information receiving unit (vehicle information receiving program 211) that receives status information that the autonomous vehicles determine and transmit based on their driving status (driving or stopped) and operating status (waiting, carrying cargo, or running empty), and a business status receiving unit (business status receiving program 212) that receives information from an operation terminal or an environment recognition sensor that notifies the status of business related to the autonomous vehicles. The system includes a vehicle information management unit (vehicle information management function 214) that manages the vehicle state of the autonomously driven vehicle based on the information received by the vehicle information receiving unit, a work management unit (work management function 215) that manages the work status based on the information from the work status receiving unit, and a state determination unit (state determination function 218) that estimates the next vehicle state and work status from the vehicle state and the work status, compares the estimated result with information from the vehicle information management unit or the work management unit after a predetermined time has elapsed since the estimation (state after the transition), and determines whether they match.

[0087] The control device (control center 100) of this embodiment displays the determination result of the state determination unit (state determination function 218) on a display unit (monitor 121), and issues a warning (notification function 219) when the collation result of the state determination unit (state determination function 218) does not match. Furthermore, when the collation result does not match, the state determination unit (state determination function 218) outputs a stop command to the autonomously driven vehicle.

[0088] That is, in this embodiment, the control center 100 notifies the manager 120 of the status of the autonomous vehicle and the work at the site that it is aware of. At this time, the control center 100 estimates the state transition of the work state at the site from the work procedures, and if the transition event is not performed as expected, it determines that there is a possibility that a transition operation has been forgotten. Similarly, the control center 100 also estimates the state transition of the autonomous vehicle from the operation procedures of the autonomous vehicle, and if the transition event is not notified as expected, it determines that there is a possibility of a communication failure or delay. In this way, when the control center 100 detects the possibility of a forgotten transition operation or a communication failure, it notifies the manager 120 that a discrepancy in state recognition has occurred, posing a risk of inducing an accident, or issues an emergency stop command to the autonomous vehicle.

[0089] According to this embodiment, by detecting the possibility of a discrepancy in status perception between an autonomous vehicle and a field worker, it is possible to reduce the risk of collision accidents and other accidents caused by a discrepancy in status perception.

[0090] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiment has been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to an embodiment having all of the described configurations.

[0091] Furthermore, the above-described configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be partially or entirely implemented in hardware, for example, by designing them as integrated circuits. The above-described configurations, functions, etc. may also be implemented in software, with a processor interpreting and executing a program that implements each function. Information such as the programs, tables, and files that implement each function can be stored in a memory, a storage device such as a hard disk or SSD (Solid State Drive), or a recording medium such as an IC card, SD card, or DVD.

[0092] In addition, the control lines and information lines shown are those that are considered necessary for the explanation, and do not necessarily show all the control lines and information lines in the product. In reality, it can be assumed that almost all components are interconnected. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 100 Control Center (Control Device) 111, 112 Autonomous Vehicles 120 Administrator 121 Monitor (display) 130 Field Workers 140 Manned Vehicles 150 Parking Area 160 Road 211 Vehicle information receiving program (vehicle information receiving unit) 212 Business status reception program (business status reception part) 213 Condition Management Program 214 Vehicle information management function (Vehicle information management section) 215 Work management function (work management department) 218 Status determination function (status determination section) 219 Notification function 221 Site Status Management Table 222 Vehicle status management table 223 State Transition Rules 231 Transportation Plan 232 Map data (map data table)

Claims

1. a vehicle information receiving unit that manages an autonomous vehicle and receives status information that the autonomous vehicle determines and transmits based on the driving status and operating status of the autonomous vehicle; A control device for an autonomous vehicle having an operation terminal that notifies the status of a business related to the autonomous vehicle or a business status receiving unit that receives information from an environment recognition sensor, a vehicle information management unit that manages the vehicle state of the autonomously driven vehicle based on the information received by the vehicle information receiving unit; a work management unit that manages work status based on information from the work status receiving unit; A control device characterized by comprising a state determination unit that estimates the next vehicle state and work status from the current vehicle state and work status, including whether the autonomous vehicle is in a stopped state where there is no possibility of it moving, a stopped state where there is a possibility of it moving, or is already moving, and compares the estimated result with information from the vehicle information management unit or the work management unit after a predetermined time has elapsed since the estimation, and determines whether they match.

2. 2. The control device according to claim 1, displaying the determination result of the state determination unit on a display unit; A control device characterized by determining that there is a safety risk and issuing a warning when the comparison results in the state determination unit do not match and the state acquired from the autonomous vehicle is a stopped state that does not start moving, but the state is estimated to be a stopped state in which the vehicle has started moving or is likely to start moving.

3. 2. The control device according to claim 1, A control device characterized in that when the state determination unit determines that there is a safety risk if the comparison result does not match and the state obtained from the autonomous vehicle is a stopped state that does not move, but the state determination unit estimates that the vehicle is in a stopped state that has started moving or may start moving, it outputs a stop command to the autonomous vehicle.

4. The control device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, The driving state indicates whether the autonomous vehicle is driving or stopped, The control device is characterized in that the operating state indicates whether the autonomous vehicle is waiting, carrying a load, or traveling empty.

5. a vehicle information management step of receiving status information transmitted by an autonomous vehicle after determining the running status and operating status of the autonomous vehicle, and managing the vehicle status of the autonomous vehicle based on the received information; A work management step of receiving information from an operation terminal or an environment recognition sensor that notifies the status of work related to the autonomous driving vehicle, and managing the work status based on the received information; a state determination step of estimating the next vehicle state and work status from the current vehicle state and work status, including whether the autonomous vehicle is in a stopped state where there is no possibility of it moving, a stopped state where there is a possibility of it moving, or is already moving, and comparing the estimation result with information from the vehicle information management step or the work management step after a predetermined time has elapsed since the estimation, and determining whether they match.

6. a vehicle information receiving procedure for managing an autonomous vehicle and receiving status information that the autonomous vehicle determines and transmits based on the driving status and operating status of the autonomous vehicle; A status management program for causing a computer to execute a business status reception procedure for receiving information from an operation terminal or an environment recognition sensor that notifies the status of business related to the autonomous driving vehicle, a vehicle information management procedure for managing the vehicle state of the autonomously driven vehicle based on the information received in the vehicle information reception procedure; a work management procedure for managing a work status based on the information received in the work status receiving procedure; A state management program for causing a computer to execute the following steps: estimating the next vehicle state and work status from the current vehicle state and work status, including whether the autonomous vehicle is in a stopped state where it is unlikely to move, a stopped state where it is likely to move, or is already moving; and a state determination procedure for comparing the estimation result with information from the vehicle information management procedure or the work management procedure after a predetermined time has elapsed since the estimation, and determining whether they match.

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