Autonomous vehicles

Abstract

An autonomous driving vehicle comprises: a travel unit on which an upper structure can be mounted and which does not have a vehicle cabin; and a connecting portion provided on the travel unit and connected to the upper structure mounted on the travel unit in a detachable manner.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to autonomous vehicles.

[0002] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-119131 filed in Japan on June 16, 2017, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background Art

[0003] In recent years, development of autonomous driving technology for driving a vehicle along a route to a destination by autonomous driving has been progressing (see Patent Document 1).

[0004] Prior Art Literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-83446 Summary of the invention

[0007] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0008] Sometimes it is preferable if an autonomous vehicle can be utilized for multiple purposes.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of such a situation, and one of its objects is to provide an autonomous driving vehicle that can be used for multiple purposes.

[0010] Means for solving problems

[0011] The automatic driving vehicle of the present invention adopts the following structure.

[0012] (1): One embodiment of the present invention is an autonomous driving vehicle comprising: a travel unit that can be mounted on an upper structure and does not have a cabin; and a first connecting portion that is disposed on the travel unit and is connected to the upper structure that is mounted on the travel unit in a detachable manner.

[0013] (2): In the scheme of (1), the travel unit has an installation area on which the upper structure can be installed, a first wheel, and a second wheel located behind the first wheel in the direction of vehicle travel, and the installation area has a size of at least from a position approximately the same as the first wheel to a position approximately the same as the second wheel in the direction of vehicle travel.

[0014] (3): In the aspect of (2), the installation area is provided over the entire length of the travel unit in the direction of travel of the vehicle.

[0015] (4): In any one of (1) to (3), the travel unit has wheels, and the maximum thickness of the travel unit excluding the wheels is less than or equal to the diameter of the wheels.

[0016] (5): In any one of the schemes (1) to (4), the driving unit includes: an acquisition unit that acquires information related to the destination of the autonomous driving vehicle; a driving plan generation unit that generates a driving plan for the autonomous driving vehicle based on the destination acquired by the acquisition unit and map information including road information; and an autonomous driving control unit that controls the driving of the driving unit based on the driving plan generated by the driving plan generation unit.

[0017] (6): In any one of the aspects (1) to (5), the upper structure includes a seat device on which passengers can sit.

[0018] (7): In any one of (1) to (6), the upper structure includes a room where passengers can enter.

[0019] (8): In any one of aspects (1) to (7), the upper structure includes a cargo support portion capable of supporting cargo.

[0020] (9): In any one of (1) to (8), the travel unit is capable of allowing a plurality of upper structures to be interchangeably loaded.

[0021] (10): In any one of the schemes (1) to (9), the traveling unit has a supporting portion that supports the traveling unit of another autonomous driving vehicle from below when the traveling unit of another autonomous driving vehicle is mounted relative to the traveling unit from above, and the traveling unit can travel in a state where the traveling unit of another autonomous driving vehicle is mounted.

[0022] (11): In any one of the schemes (1) to (10), the autonomous driving vehicle also has a second connecting portion, which is arranged on the traveling unit and is connected to the traveling unit of another autonomous driving vehicle that is parallel to the traveling unit in at least one of the vehicle travel direction and the vehicle width direction.

[0023] (12): Another embodiment of the present invention is an autonomous driving vehicle that can be installed with an upper structure, does not have a vehicle cabin, and is in the shape of a plate.

[0024] Effects of the Invention

[0025] According to the scheme of (1) or (12), it is possible to provide an autonomous driving vehicle that can be used for multiple purposes. That is, by installing any upper structure on the travel unit, the autonomous driving vehicle can have functions corresponding to the purpose.

[0026] According to the aspect (2), the travel unit has a relatively wide installation area, so that the degree of freedom of the upper structure that can be installed on the travel unit can be increased.

[0027] According to the configuration of (3), the travel unit has a wider installation area, so that the degree of freedom of the upper structure that can be installed on the travel unit can be further increased.

[0028] According to the aspect (4), since the traveling unit is relatively thin, the degree of freedom in the height direction of the upper structure can be increased. In addition, when the traveling unit is relatively thin, the workload of installing the upper structure to the installation area can be reduced.

[0029] According to the aspect (5), any superstructure can be installed on a vehicle that generates a driving plan based on map information including road information. Thus, for example, a vehicle that can travel on a road can be provided with functions corresponding to its application.

[0030] According to the aspects (6) to (8), the vehicle can have a predetermined function such as a motor vehicle, a truck, or a cargo transport device.

[0031] According to the aspect (9), the functions provided to the vehicle can be switched according to the use location, time of day, etc. Thus, one vehicle can be used more effectively.

[0032] According to the aspect (10), a plurality of vehicles can be gathered in a small space, and a plurality of vehicles can be moved while being gathered in the small space. This contributes to further improving the availability of vehicles.

[0033] According to the scheme (11), by connecting a plurality of autonomous driving vehicles via the second connecting portion, it is possible to support an upper structure of a size that cannot be supported by a single autonomous driving vehicle. This can further increase the degree of freedom of the upper structure mounted on the vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the autonomous driving vehicle 100 .

[0035] Figure 2 2 is a diagram showing the structure of the travel unit 110 .

[0036] Figure 3 This is a diagram for explaining the processing procedure of autonomous driving.

[0037] Figure 4 It is a front view showing an example of the connection part 151.

[0038] Figure 51 is a perspective view showing a traveling body M including the first upper unit 200A.

[0039] Figure 6 1 is a diagram showing the structure of the first upper unit 200A and the travel unit 110 .

[0040] Figure 7 2 is a perspective view showing a traveling body M including the second upper unit 200B.

[0041] Figure 8 1 is a perspective view showing a traveling body M including the third upper unit 200C.

[0042] Fig. 9 1 is a perspective view showing a traveling body M including a fourth upper unit 200D.

[0043] Fig.10 1 is a perspective view showing a traveling body M including a fourth upper unit 200D.

[0044] Fig.11 1 is a perspective view showing a traveling body M including a fifth upper unit 200E.

[0045] Fig.12 1 is a perspective view showing a traveling body M including a sixth upper unit 200F.

[0046] Fig.13 1 is a perspective view showing a first modified example of the automatic driving vehicle 100 .

[0047] Fig.14 1 is a perspective view showing a second modification of the automatic driving vehicle 100 .

[0048] Fig.15 1 is a configuration diagram showing an example of the vehicle utilization system 1 .

[0049] Fig.16 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the first upper unit 200A and the travel unit 110 in the second embodiment.

[0050] Fig.17 It is a diagram showing an example of the external display unit 202b.

[0051] Fig.18 It is a diagram showing an example of the external display unit 202b.

[0052] Fig.19 1 is a block diagram of a service providing system 2 including a vehicle 100 (autonomous driving vehicle 100 ) according to the third embodiment.

[0053] Fig. 20 It is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the travel unit 110 according to the third embodiment.

[0054] Fig.21 1 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a vehicle management device 300 mounted on a vehicle 100 .

[0055] Fig. 22 It is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the service provider device 600 .

[0056] Fig.23 This is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the service management device 700.

[0057] Fig.24 This is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed in the service providing system 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0058] The autonomous driving vehicle of the present invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The autonomous driving vehicle of the present invention is, for example, a vehicle that maximizes the freedom of the upper structure provided on the vehicle by providing the autonomous driving function in the form of a trolley and can be used for various purposes by giving versatility. In the embodiment shown below, the autonomous driving vehicle can, for example, change at least one of the shape and function of the upper structure according to the purpose by replacing the upper structure. "Autonomous driving vehicle" refers to, for example, an autonomous driving vehicle that basically does not require driving operation.

[0059] In the following description, the same reference numerals are used for structures having the same or similar functions. In addition, repeated descriptions of these structures are sometimes omitted. "Based on XX" means "at least based on XX", and also includes situations where it is based on other elements in addition to XX. "Based on XX" is not limited to the situation where XX is used directly, but may also include situations where it is based on elements obtained by calculating or processing XX. "XX" is an arbitrary element (for example, arbitrary information).

[0060] <First Embodiment>

[0061] [Overall structure of an autonomous vehicle]

[0062] Hereinafter, a first embodiment will be described. Figure 1 1 is a perspective view showing an autonomous driving vehicle 100 according to the present embodiment. In the first embodiment, a unit excluding an upper structure 200 described later is referred to as an "autonomous driving vehicle 100". On the other hand, a unit including the autonomous driving vehicle 100 and the upper structure 200 is referred to as a "traveling body M" or a "moving body M".

[0063] The self-driving vehicle 100 is in the shape of a plate without a cabin, seats, etc. "Plate-like" means flat in a broad sense and is not limited to a flat plate or solid shape. For example, "plate-like" also includes cases where there are bent or curved parts, cases where there are concave parts or convex parts, cases where there are parts formed into a hollow shape, etc. "Plate-like" can also be said to be "flat".

[0064] In the present embodiment, the autonomous driving vehicle 100 is in the shape of a plate, the maximum height of which from the ground G is 1.5 times or less of the diameter D of the wheel W described later. From another point of view, the autonomous driving vehicle 100 is in the shape of a plate, the maximum thickness in the height direction of the autonomous driving vehicle 100 excluding the wheel W (in the present embodiment, the same as the maximum thickness of the travel unit 110 described later) being less than the diameter D of the wheel W. The structure of such an autonomous driving vehicle 100 is described in detail below. Hereinafter, the autonomous driving vehicle 100 is referred to as "vehicle 100" for short. The vehicle 100 has, for example, a travel unit 110 and a connecting mechanism 150.

[0065] [Travel unit]

[0066] The travel unit 110 is a plate-shaped travel unit having an automatic driving function, and forms a main part of the vehicle 100. The travel unit 110 is a plate-shaped travel unit without a cabin, seats, etc. For example, the travel unit 110 is a plate-shaped travel unit in which the maximum thickness T in the height direction of the travel unit 110 excluding the wheels W is less than the diameter D of the wheels W. The travel unit 110 can be attached to the upper structure 200 in a detachable manner (see Figure 5 , Figure 7 to Figure 12 “Installation” means, for example, that the upper structure 200 is placed on the traveling unit 110 , and also includes a state where the upper structure 200 is not fixed to the traveling unit 110 .

[0067] like Figure 1 As shown, the travel unit 110 has an installation area R for the upper structure 200 to be installed in a detachable manner and a plurality of wheels W. The "installation area R" will be described later. The plurality of wheels W include a drive wheel driven by a drive force output device 116 described later. The travel unit 110 is, for example, a travel unit having four or more wheels W, but may also be a travel unit having two or three wheels W, such as a motorcycle or other vehicle. The plurality of wheels W include a first wheel W1 and a second wheel W2. The second wheel W2 is located behind the first wheel W1 in the vehicle travel direction X.

[0068] Figure 21 is a block diagram showing the driving unit 110. The driving unit 110 includes, for example, an external monitoring unit 111, a communication device 112, a navigation device 113, a recommended lane determination device 114, an automatic driving control unit 115, a driving force output device 116, a braking device 117, a steering device 118, a connecting mechanism control unit 119, and a power module 120 (see Figure 6 )、Interface 121 (refer to Figure 6 ) and a storage unit 122. In the following description, the vehicle 100 may be referred to as "the host vehicle 100". The connection mechanism control unit 119 will be described later.

[0069] The navigation control device 113b, the recommended lane determination device 114, the automatic driving control unit 115, and the connection mechanism control unit 119 of the navigation device 113 described below may be implemented in whole or in part by executing a program (software) stored in a memory by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), or by hardware such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or by the cooperation of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or a CD-ROM, and installed in the storage device by assembling the storage medium to a drive device.

[0070] The external monitoring unit 111 includes, for example, a camera, a radar, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), an object recognition device that performs sensor fusion processing based on their outputs, etc. The external monitoring unit 111 estimates the type of objects (especially, vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles) existing around the vehicle 100, and outputs the estimated type of the object together with its position and speed information to the automatic driving control unit 115.

[0071] The communication device (wireless communication unit) 112 is, for example, a wireless communication module for connecting to the network NW, directly communicating with the terminal device 500 of the user of the vehicle 100, and directly communicating with the terminal devices of other vehicles and pedestrians. For example, when the communication connector 121a and the gateway device 121b described later are not provided, the communication device 112 may communicate with the HMI (Human Machine Interface) 202 (see FIG. 1 ) provided in the upper structure 200 via the communication device 201 of the upper structure 200. Figure 6 ) directly communicates. That is, the communication device 112 can also obtain information input to the HMI202 (for example, information indicating the input operation of the driving operation member 202a) by wireless communication with the communication device 201 of the upper structure 200. The communication device 112 performs wireless communication based on Wi-Fi, DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communications), Bluetooth (registered trademark, omitted below) or other communication standards. As the communication device 112, a plurality of devices corresponding to the purpose can also be prepared. For example, the communication device 112 obtains instructions related to the travel of the vehicle 100 (for example, instructions related to the destination) from the user's terminal device 500 (or the HMI202 operated by the user). The communication device 112 is an example of an "acquisition unit". For example, the communication device 112 obtains information related to the destination of the vehicle 100. The communication device 112 outputs the obtained information to the navigation device 113 and the automatic driving control unit 115. The network NW includes the Internet, WAN (Wide Area Network), LAN (Local Area Network), public lines, carrier equipment, dedicated lines, wireless base stations, etc. The user's terminal device 500 is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, or the like.

[0072] The navigation device 113 includes, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 113a and a navigation control device 113b. The GNSS receiver 113a measures the position of the vehicle (the position of the vehicle 100) based on radio waves received from a GNSS satellite (e.g., a GPS satellite). The navigation control device 113b includes, for example, a CPU and various storage devices, and controls the entire navigation device 113. Map information (navigation map) is stored in the storage device. The navigation map is a map that represents roads using nodes and links (map information including road information). The navigation control device 113b refers to the navigation map to determine a route (driving plan) from the position of the vehicle 100 measured by the GNSS receiver 113a to the destination of the vehicle 100 obtained by the communication device 112. The navigation control device 113b is an example of a "driving plan generation unit". The navigation control device 113b may also use the communication device 112 to send the position and destination of the vehicle 100 to a navigation server (not shown) and obtain the route replied from the navigation server. The navigation control device 113 b outputs information on the route determined or specified by any of the above-mentioned methods to the recommended lane determination device 114 .

[0073] The recommended lane determination device 114 includes, for example, an MPU (Micro Processing Unit) and various storage devices. The storage device stores high-precision map information that is more detailed than the navigation map. The high-precision map information includes, for example, information such as the road width, slope, curvature, and signal position of each lane. The recommended lane determination device 114 determines the recommended lane that is preferred for driving along the path input from the navigation device 113, and outputs it to the automatic driving control unit 115.

[0074] The automatic driving control unit 115 includes one or more processors such as a CPU and an MPU and various storage devices. The automatic driving control unit 115 is an example of an "automatic driving control unit". In the present embodiment, the automatic driving control unit 115 also serves as a control unit for controlling the entire driving unit 110. The automatic driving control unit 115 drives the driving unit 110 automatically in a manner that avoids contact with an object whose position and speed are input from the external monitoring unit 111, based on the principle of driving on the recommended lane determined by the recommended lane determination device 114. The automatic driving control unit 115 executes various events in sequence, for example. Among the events, there are constant speed driving events for driving on the same driving lane at a certain speed, following driving events for following the preceding vehicle, lane change events, merging events, branching events, emergency stop events, toll booth events for passing through toll booths, handover events for ending automatic driving and switching to manual driving, and the like. In the execution of these events, actions for avoiding are sometimes planned based on the surrounding conditions of the host vehicle 100 (such as the presence of surrounding vehicles and pedestrians, and lane narrowing caused by road construction).

[0075] The automatic driving control unit 115 generates a target trajectory for the vehicle 100 to travel in the future. The target trajectory includes, for example, a speed element. For example, the target trajectory is represented by a trajectory in which the locations (track points) that the vehicle 100 should arrive at are arranged in sequence. The track point is the location that the vehicle 100 should arrive at every specified driving distance, and independently of this, the target speed and target acceleration at every specified sampling time (for example, a few tenths of a second) are generated as part of the target trajectory. The track point can also be the location that the vehicle 100 should arrive at at the sampling time every specified sampling time. In this case, the information on the target speed and target acceleration is represented by the intervals between the track points.

[0076] Figure 3 This is a diagram for explaining the processing of the automatic driving. First, as shown in the upper figure, the navigation device 113 determines or determines the path. This path is, for example, a rough path without distinguishing lanes. Next, as shown in the middle figure, the recommended lane determination device 114 determines a recommended lane that is easy to travel along the path. Then, as shown in the lower figure, the automatic driving control unit 115 generates a track point for traveling along the recommended lane as much as possible while avoiding obstacles, and controls part or all of the driving force output device 116, the braking device 117, and the steering device 118 in a manner that the vehicle travels along the track point (and the accompanying speed curve). Such sharing of functions is just an example, and for example, the automatic driving control unit 115 may also perform processing centrally.

[0077] The driving force output device 116 outputs the driving force (torque) for driving the driving unit 110 to the wheels W. The driving force output device 116 is an example of a "driving source". The driving force output device 116 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, and a transmission, and a power ECU that controls them. In the present embodiment, the driving force output device 116 includes a driving motor 116a. The power ECU controls the above-mentioned structure according to the information input from the automatic driving control unit 115.

[0078] The brake device 117 includes, for example, a brake caliper, a hydraulic cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, an electric motor that causes the hydraulic cylinder to generate hydraulic pressure, and a brake ECU. The brake ECU controls the electric motor according to the information input from the automatic driving control unit 115 so that the braking torque corresponding to the braking operation is output to each wheel. The brake device 117 may also include a mechanism that transmits the hydraulic pressure generated by the operation of the brake pedal included in the driving operating member (for example, the driving operating member 202a of the upper structure 200 described later) to the hydraulic cylinder via the master hydraulic cylinder as a backup. The brake device 117 is not limited to the structure described above, and may also be an electronically controlled hydraulic brake device that controls the actuator according to the information input from the automatic driving control unit 115 to transmit the hydraulic pressure of the master hydraulic cylinder to the hydraulic cylinder.

[0079] The steering device 118 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor, for example, applies force to a rack-and-pinion mechanism to change the direction of the steering wheel. The steering ECU drives the electric motor according to information input from the automatic driving control unit 115 or information input from the driving operating member to change the direction of the steering wheel.

[0080] like Figure 6 As shown, the power module 120 includes a battery 120a and a battery management unit (not shown) for controlling the battery 120a. The power module 120 supplies the power required by each device of the travel unit 110 (external monitoring unit 111, communication device 112, navigation device 113, recommended lane determination device 114, automatic driving control unit 115, driving force output device 116, braking device 117, steering device 118, connection mechanism control unit 119, etc.) from the battery 120a. That is, each device of the travel unit 110 operates by sharing a part of the power supplied to the upper unit described later. The power module 120 supplies the power required by each device of the upper unit from the battery 120a via the power supply connector 121c and the regulator 121d of the interface 121 described later.

[0081] The interface 121 includes, for example, a communication connector 121 a , a gateway device 121 b , a power supply connector 121 c , and a regulator (power conversion device) 121 d .

[0082] The power supply connector 121c and the regulator 121d of the interface 121 are examples of a "power supply interface", and the communication connector 121a and the gateway device 121b of the interface 121 are examples of a "first communication interface". In addition, the communication connector 121a is also an example of a "communication interface". The communication connector 121a is electrically connected to the gateway device 121b. The communication connector 121a is exposed to the outside of the travel unit 110 and can be physically and electrically connected to the communication connector 209a of the upper structure 200.

[0083] The gateway device 121b is an example of a "communication control unit". The gateway device 121b can communicate with the upper structure 200 via the communication connector 121a. For example, the gateway device 121b communicates with the gateway device 209b of the upper structure 200. For example, the gateway device 121b performs a comparison and authentication between the upper structure 200 and the travel unit 110 (for example, a comparison and authentication between the gateway device 121b and the gateway device 209b) based on the control of at least one of the automatic driving control unit 115 and the control unit 208 of the upper structure 200. The comparison and authentication, for example, include a process of authenticating that the other party that sent the frame is a legitimate party by comparing the ID (sending ID) assigned to the frame sent from one of the gateway devices 121b and the gateway device 209b with the information pre-stored by the other party of the gateway device 121b and the gateway device 209b (for example, information stored in the storage unit 122). The comparison and authentication include, for example, a process in which the gateway device 121b compares the ID (sending ID) assigned to the frame sent from the gateway device 209b with pre-stored information (for example, information stored in the storage unit 122) to authenticate that the superstructure 200 that sent the frame is a legitimate superstructure 200. "Legal" means, for example, that the vehicle 100 and the superstructure 200 can be combined (for example, the specifications are consistent) or that the superstructure 200 belongs to a trustworthy owner (an owner pre-registered in the registration list).

[0084] For example, the gateway device 121b detects the category of the upper structure 200 connected to the interface 121 through the above-mentioned comparison and authentication. "Category" includes "form". For example, the gateway device 121b detects the category of the upper structure 200 connected to the interface 121 based on the ID (sending ID) assigned to the frame sent from the gateway device 209b and the corresponding table T (a table in which a plurality of IDs and a plurality of upper structures 200 are respectively established in a corresponding relationship) stored in the storage unit 122. The automatic driving control unit 115 identifies the function, power consumption, etc. of the upper structure 200 based on the content authenticated by the gateway device 121b (for example, the category of the upper structure 200). Information indicating the functions, power consumption, etc. of various upper structures 200 is stored in the storage unit 122 as part of the table T, for example. The automatic driving control unit 115 identifies the function, power consumption, etc. corresponding to the detected category of the upper structure 200 based on the category of the upper structure 200 and the table T, for example.

[0085] The gateway device 121b can obtain various information from the communication device 201, HMI202, seat device 203, collision sensor 204, airbag device 205 and control unit 208 of the upper structure 200 via the gateway device 209b of the upper structure 200. The gateway device 121b is another example of an "acquisition unit". For example, the gateway device 121b obtains information representing an operation input to the driving operating part 202a of the HMI202 from the HMI202 via the gateway device 209b of the upper structure 200. The gateway device 121b outputs the information obtained from the HMI202 to the automatic driving control unit 115. As a result, the automatic driving control unit 115 can control the travel of the vehicle 100 based on the information representing the operation input to the driving operating part 202a of the HMI202.

[0086] The power supply connector 121c is electrically connected to the battery 120a of the power module 120 via the regulator 121d. The power supply connector 121c is exposed to the outside of the travel unit 110, and can be physically and electrically connected to the power supply connector 209c of the upper structure 200.

[0087] The regulator 121d adjusts the amount of power (e.g., voltage) supplied to the upper structure 200 through the power supply connector 121c. The regulator 209d may be, for example, an inverter, which converts the regenerative power output from the drive motor 116a into direct current. For example, the regulator 121d adjusts the power output from the power module 120 to power corresponding to the function, power consumption, etc. of the upper structure 200 based on the control of the automatic driving control unit 115, and supplies the adjusted power to the upper structure 200.

[0088] The travel unit 110 has one or more interfaces 121 having the functions described above. For example, the travel unit 110 has a plurality of interfaces 121 having the functions described above. The plurality of interfaces 121 are separately arranged at a plurality of locations of the travel unit 110. According to such a structure, the degree of freedom of the location of the connector of the upper structure 200, etc. is improved. Therefore, the versatility of the vehicle 100 is further improved.

[0089] The storage unit 122 is implemented by, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a flash memory, or a hybrid storage device in which a plurality of these are combined.

[0090] Next, return Figure 1 , the installation area R of the travel unit 110 is described. The installation area R is an area where the upper structure 200 can be installed (for example, placed), and is an area that can support the upper structure 200 from below. In the present embodiment, the installation area R is formed along a substantially horizontal plane. The installation area R forms a part of the upper surface of the travel unit 110. For example, the installation area R forms the uppermost surface of the travel unit 110. For example, the installation area R is at a height position that is less than 1.5 times the diameter D of the wheel W relative to the ground G that the wheel W contacts.

[0091] In the present embodiment, the mounting area R has at least a size from a position substantially the same as the first wheel W1 to a position substantially the same as the second wheel W2 in the vehicle travel direction X. For example, the mounting area R extends from a position in front of the first wheel W1 to a position behind the second wheel W2 in the vehicle travel direction. In the present embodiment, the mounting area R is provided in the range of the entire length of the travel unit 110 in the vehicle travel direction X.

[0092] like Figure 1 As shown, in the present embodiment, the travel unit 110 includes a first base 131, a second base 132, a raised portion 133, a first upright portion 134, and a second upright portion 135. The first base 131 and the second base 132 are arranged separately in the vehicle width direction Y relative to the center of the vehicle 100. The raised portion 133 is arranged between the first base 131 and the second base 132 and is located substantially in the center of the vehicle 100 in the vehicle width direction Y. The raised portion 133 is raised upward relative to the first base 131 and the second base 132.

[0093] The first rising portion 134 is located on the side opposite to the protrusion 133 with respect to the first base 131. The first rising portion 134 rises upward from the end of the first base 131. Thus, a first recess 136 defined by the first rising portion 134, the first base 131, and the protrusion 133 is formed between the first rising portion 134 and the protrusion 133. Similarly, the second rising portion 135 is located on the side opposite to the protrusion 133 with respect to the second base 132. The second rising portion 135 rises upward from the end of the second base 132. Thus, a second recess 137 defined by the second rising portion 135, the second base 132, and the protrusion 133 is formed between the second rising portion 135 and the protrusion 133.

[0094] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the raised portion 133 has a first plane 133a provided over the entire length of the travel unit 110 in the vehicle travel direction X. The first upright portion 134 has a second plane 134a provided over the entire length of the travel unit 110 in the vehicle travel direction X. The second upright portion 135 has a third plane 135a provided over the entire length of the travel unit 110 in the vehicle travel direction X. In the present embodiment, the first to third planes 133a, 134a, and 135a form the mounting region R.

[0095] [Connection mechanism]

[0096] Next, the connection mechanism 150 will be described. The connection mechanism 150 has one or more (for example, multiple) connection parts 151. The multiple connection parts 151 are separately arranged at multiple positions in the vehicle front-rear direction X and the vehicle width direction Y. Each connection part 151 is connected to the upper structure 200 that is mounted to the travel unit 110 in a detachable manner, and fixes the upper structure 200 to the travel unit 110. The connection part 151 is an example of a "first connection part".

[0097] Figure 4 151 is a front view showing an example of the connecting portion 151. Figure 4As shown, an example of the connection part 151 includes a base 151a fixed to the travel unit 110 and an engaging part (movable part) 151b that can move forward and backward relative to the base 151a. The engaging part 151b can move between a first position where it enters the inner side of the engaging hole h provided in the upper structure 200 and engages with the engaging hole h, and a second position where it moves out to the outer side of the engaging hole h. The connection part 151 fixes the upper structure 200 to the travel unit 110 by moving the engaging part 151b to the first position. On the other hand, the connection part 151 releases the fixation to the upper structure 200 by moving the engaging part 151b to the second position. The upper structure 200 can be removed from the travel unit 110 in a state where the fixation by the connection part 151 is released. The connection part 151 may not include the base 151a but only include the engaging part 151b. In this case, the engaging portion 151b may be provided on the first rising portion 134 and the second rising portion 135 of the travel unit 110 (in Figure 1 (See the double-dashed line in FIG. 1 ). The connection portion 151 is not limited to the above-mentioned example. The connection portion 151 may be a structure connected to the upper structure 200 and is not limited to a specific structure.

[0098] The connection mechanism control unit 119 operates the connection unit 151, for example, based on the control of the automatic driving control unit 115. That is, the connection mechanism control unit 119 switches the state of the vehicle 100 between a state in which the upper structure 200 is fixed to the travel unit 110 and a state in which the upper structure 200 can be removed from the travel unit 110 by controlling the connection unit 151.

[0099] [Superstructure]

[0100] Next, the first upper unit 200A as an example of the upper structure 200 will be described. Figure 5 1 is a perspective view showing a traveling body M including a first upper unit 200A. The first upper unit 200A is a unit that enables the vehicle 100 to have the same functions as a general passenger car. For example, the first upper unit 200A includes a vehicle body 210 having a cabin 211. The cabin 211 is an example of a "room where passengers can sit". The upper structure 200 has a size that covers the entire installation area R of the traveling unit 110, for example.

[0101] Figure 6 2 is a diagram showing the structure of the first upper unit 200A and the travel unit 110. Figure 6 In FIG. 1 , only a part of the functions of the travel unit 110 is shown. Figure 6 As shown, the first upper unit 200A has a communication device 201 , an HMI 202 , a seat device 203 , a collision sensor 204 , an airbag device 205 , a headlight 206 , a taillight 207 , a control unit 208 , and an interface 209 .

[0102] The communication device (wireless communication unit) 201 is used to communicate with the network NW (see Figure 2 ) or a wireless communication module that directly communicates with the communication device 112 of the vehicle 100. The communication device 201 performs wireless communication based on Wi-Fi, DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communications), Bluetooth or other communication standards. As the communication device 201, multiple communication devices corresponding to the purpose can also be prepared.

[0103] The HMI 202 includes, for example, a steering wheel, an accelerator, a brake pad, etc., for performing driving-related operations (e.g., auxiliary operations or operations in a manual driving mode), a touch panel display device, a speaker, a microphone, etc. The information input to the HMI 202 (e.g., information indicating input operations to the driving operating parts 202a) is sent via the gateway device 209b (or the communication device 201) and is obtained (received) by the gateway device 121b (or the communication device 112) of the vehicle 100.

[0104] The seat device 203 is provided in the vehicle interior 211 and can be used for seating passengers. The collision sensor 204 is provided in the vehicle body 210 and detects a collision input to the vehicle body 210. The airbag device 205 operates based on the detection result of the collision sensor 204. The headlight 206 and the taillight 207 are housed in, for example, the first recess 136 and the second recess 137 of the travel unit 110. The headlight 206 and the taillight 207 may be provided as a part of the travel unit 110 instead of being provided as a part of the upper structure 200. The communication device 201, HMI 202, the seat device 203, the collision sensor 204, the airbag device 205, the headlight 206, and the taillight 207 are connected to the power supply connector 121c provided in the travel unit 110 through the power supply connector 209c of the first upper unit 200A, and receive power supply from the battery 120a of the power module 120 of the travel unit 110.

[0105] The vehicle body 210, the communication device 201, the HMI 202, the seat device 203, the collision sensor 204, the airbag device 205, the headlight 206, and the taillight 207 are each provided as a module, for example. These modules can be arranged at a desired position or combination by the user, for example. One or more of these modules can also be appropriately provided in the second to sixth upper units 200B to 200F shown below.

[0106] The control unit 208 controls the communication device 201, HMI 202, seat device 203, collision sensor 204, airbag device 205, headlight 206, taillight 207 and interface 209. The control unit 208 can be implemented by a processor such as a CPU executing a program (software) stored in a memory, or by hardware such as an LSI, ASIC, FPGA, GPU, or by the cooperation of software and hardware. The program can be stored in advance in a storage device such as an HDD or a flash memory, or stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or a CD-ROM, and installed in the storage device by assembling the storage medium to the drive device.

[0107] The interface 209 includes, for example, a communication connector 209a, a gateway device 209b, a power supply connector 209c, and a regulator (power conversion device) 209d.

[0108] The communication connector 209a is an example of a "communication interface". The communication connector 209a is electrically connected to the gateway device 209b. When the first upper unit 200A is installed on the travel unit 110, the communication connector 209a can be physically and electrically connected to the communication connector 121a of the travel unit 110. That is, when the first upper unit 200A is installed on the travel unit 110, each device of the travel unit 110 shares a part of the communication content of each device of the first upper unit 200A.

[0109] The gateway device 209b is an example of a "communication control unit". The gateway device 209b can communicate with the gateway device 121b of the travel unit 110 via the communication connector 209a. The gateway device 209b performs comparison and authentication between the upper structure 200 and the travel unit 110 (for example, comparison and authentication between the gateway device 121b and the gateway device 209b) based on the control of at least one of the automatic driving control unit 115 and the control unit 208 of the upper structure 200. The comparison and authentication, for example, include the gateway device 209b authenticating that the vehicle 100 that sent the frame is a regular vehicle 100 by comparing the ID (sending ID) assigned to the frame sent from the gateway device 121b with pre-stored information. For example, the gateway device 209b detects the type of the travel unit 110 connected to the interface 209 through the above-mentioned comparison and authentication. For example, the gateway device 209 b detects the type of the traveling unit 110 connected to the interface 209 based on the ID (transmission ID) assigned to the framework transmitted from the gateway device 121 b .

[0110] The power supply connector 209c is electrically connected to various devices of the first upper unit 200A via the regulator 209d. The power supply connector 209c is exposed to the outside of the first upper unit 200A, and can be physically and electrically connected to the power supply connector 121c of the travel unit 110.

[0111] The regulator 209d adjusts the power supplied from the travel unit 110 through the power supply connector 209c to a desired supply power amount (e.g., voltage) for various devices of the first upper unit 200A. For example, based on the control of the control unit 208, the regulator 209d adjusts the power supplied from the travel unit 110 to power corresponding to the functions, power consumption, etc. of various devices of the first upper unit 200A, and supplies the adjusted power to the various devices of the first upper unit 200A. Either the regulator 121d of the travel unit 110 or the regulator 209d of the upper structure 200 may be omitted.

[0112] Here, the travel unit 110 of the present embodiment can replace the first upper unit 200A with one or more upper structures 200. Hereinafter, another example of the upper structure 200 mounted on the travel unit 110 instead of the first upper unit 200A will be described. However, the shape and function of the upper structure 200 that can be mounted on the travel unit 110 are not limited to the example described below.

[0113] Figure 7 2 is a perspective view showing a traveling body M including a second upper unit 200B as another example of an upper structure 200. The second upper unit 200B is a unit that enables the vehicle 100 to have substantially the same functions as a general truck. For example, the second upper unit 200B includes a vehicle body 210 having a vehicle room 211 and a cargo box 213. The cargo box 213 is an example of a "cargo support portion capable of supporting cargo." The other structures of the second upper unit 200B are substantially the same as those of the first upper unit 200A.

[0114] Figure 8 1 is a perspective view showing a traveling body M including a third upper unit 200C as another example of an upper structure 200. The third upper unit 200C is a unit that can provide the vehicle 100 with an entertainment function. For example, the third upper unit 200C does not have a room, and the top and four sides are open. The third upper unit 200C has a base 220 fixed to the traveling unit 110 by a connecting mechanism 150 and a plurality of mats 221 mounted on the base 220. The third upper unit 200C travels, for example, on a private land or a private road. By using the third upper unit 200C, users can enjoy flower viewing and sightseeing.

[0115] Fig. 9 and Fig.101 is a perspective view showing a traveling body M including a fourth upper unit 200D as another example of the upper structure 200. The fourth upper unit 200D is a unit that becomes a part of a building 230 (a house, a building, etc.). In other words, the vehicle 100 is connected to a part of the building 230 to provide a traveling function to a part of the building 230. By using the fourth upper unit 200D, the user can move to another place while living and working in the building 230.

[0116] For example, Fig. 9 As shown in FIG. 1 , the fourth upper unit 200D is connected to the vehicle 100 and can be moved in a state of being placed on the vehicle 100. Fig.10 As shown, the fourth upper unit 200D and the vehicle 100 can be separated from each other. In this case, the vehicle 100 can move away from the fourth upper unit 200D while leaving the fourth upper unit 200D at the structure 230. The vehicle 100 can move below the fourth upper unit 200D from the state of leaving the fourth upper unit 200D and reconnect with the fourth upper unit 200D.

[0117] In the present embodiment, the structure 230 includes a support structure 231 that supports the fourth upper unit 200D left in the structure 230 from at least one of the side and the bottom when the vehicle 100 moves with the fourth upper unit 200D left in the structure 230. Fig. 9 As shown, the support structure 231 has, for example, a rail 235 and a support portion 236 .

[0118] The rail 235 is provided on the side of the structure 230. The fourth upper unit 200D has an engaging member 161 supported from the side and below by the rail 235. The engaging member 161 enters the inner side of the rail 235 and is supported by the rail 235, so that the fourth upper unit 200D is supported by the structure 230.

[0119] The support part 236 is arranged in a region located below the fourth upper unit 200D when the fourth upper unit 200D is connected to the structure 230. When the vehicle 100 moves away from the fourth upper unit 200D while leaving the fourth upper unit 200D at the structure 230, the support part 236 replaces the vehicle 100 and supports the fourth upper unit 200D from below. For example, the support part 236 is formed by a support column or a jack that supports the upper end of the fourth upper unit 200D from below and is movable in the height direction. For example, when the vehicle 100 is located below the fourth upper unit 200D, the support part 236 is accommodated in an accommodation part provided, for example, on the ground G in a manner not to contact the vehicle 100. On the other hand, when the vehicle 100 moves while leaving the fourth upper unit 200D at the structure 230, the support part 236 moves upward in a manner to contact the fourth upper unit 200D and supports the fourth upper unit 200D from below.

[0120] Fig.11 1 is a perspective view showing a traveling body M including a fifth upper unit 200E as another example of an upper structure 200. The fifth upper unit 200E is a unit that enables the vehicle 100 to function as a cargo transport device. The fifth upper unit 200E includes a bottom plate 240 fixed to the traveling unit 110 by a connecting mechanism 150. The bottom plate 240 is another example of a "cargo support portion capable of supporting cargo." A plurality of cargoes P are loaded on the bottom plate 240 and fixed to the bottom plate 240 by a fixing member not shown. By using the fifth upper unit 200E, a user can transport one or more cargoes P at a factory, a cargo collection yard, or other work sites.

[0121] Fig.12 1 is a perspective view showing a traveling body M including a sixth upper unit 200F as another example of an upper structure 200. The sixth upper unit 200F is a unit that enables the vehicle 100 to function as a surrounding monitoring device. The sixth upper unit 200F includes a sensor unit 250 fixed to the traveling unit 110. The sensor unit 250 includes a camera and a communication device that can send an image or video captured by the camera to a server at a management center, etc. The vehicle 100 can move along a designated path with the sensor unit 250 installed. By using the sixth upper unit 200F, the user can patrol (abnormality detection) any place.

[0122] According to the structure of the first embodiment described above, a vehicle 100 that can be used for multiple purposes can be provided. That is, in this embodiment, a vehicle 100 that can be mounted on any upper structure 200 is provided. This enables many operators to develop independently, and can provide functions specialized for each purpose in a wide and in-depth manner.

[0123] In the first embodiment, the travel unit 110 can customize the function of the vehicle 100 by interchanging a plurality of upper structures 200. According to such a structure, for example, the vehicle 100 can function as a passenger car or a truck during the daytime, and can function as a travel body M for other purposes such as a conveying floor with an automatic driving function in a factory or the like during the nighttime (sleep time for daytime purposes).

[0124] <Modification of First Embodiment>

[0125] Hereinafter, a first modified example of the vehicle 100 will be described as one of the modified examples of the first embodiment described above. Fig.13 1 is a perspective view showing a first modified example of the vehicle 100. Fig.13 As shown, in this modification, in a state where one or more other vehicles 100 are placed on top of one vehicle 100, the vehicle 100 located at the bottom can travel.

[0126] In this modification, the first rising portion 134 and the second rising portion 135 are inclined relative to the vertical direction so as to be located on the outer side in the vehicle width direction Y as they go upward. Furthermore, among the plurality of vehicles 100 stacked in the height direction, the first recessed portion 136 and the second recessed portion 137 of the travel unit 110 of the lowermost vehicle 100 receive at least a portion of the first base portion 131 and the second base portion 132 of the travel unit 110 of the vehicle 100 above. The lower surface of the raised portion 133 of each travel unit 110 forms a third recessed portion 138 recessed toward the upper side. Furthermore, among the plurality of vehicles 100 stacked in the height direction, at least a portion of the raised portion 133 of the travel unit 110 of the lowermost vehicle 100 is received in the third recessed portion 138 formed by the raised portion 133 of the travel unit 110 of the vehicle 100 above.

[0127] Thereby, the overlapping thickness of the plurality of vehicles 100 is reduced.

[0128] From another point of view, the raised portion 133 of the travel unit 110 of the lowermost vehicle 100 supports the upper vehicle 100 from below by contacting the travel unit 110 of the upper vehicle 100. The raised portion 133 is an example of a "supporting portion" that supports the travel unit 110 of the upper vehicle 100. The inner surfaces of the first rising portion 134 and the second rising portion 135 of the travel unit 110 of the lowermost vehicle 100 (surfaces forming a part of the first recessed portion 136 and the second recessed portion 137) support the upper vehicle 100 from below by contacting the travel unit 110 of the upper vehicle 100. The first rising portion 134 and the second rising portion 135 are each another example of a "supporting portion" that supports the travel unit 110 of the upper vehicle 100.

[0129] Furthermore, the wheels W of the travel unit 110 of the lowermost vehicle 100 are in contact with the ground G, and the travel unit 110 of the lowermost vehicle 100 can travel in a state where a plurality of vehicles 100 are placed on top. For example, the travel unit 110 of the lowermost vehicle 100 is electrically connected to the battery 120a of the travel unit 110 of the vehicle 100 placed on top via the terminal 121, etc. Thus, the travel unit 110 of the lowermost vehicle 100 can travel using the power supplied from the battery 120a of the travel unit 110 of one or more other overlapping vehicles 100.

[0130] However, the structure for stacking the plurality of vehicles 100 is not limited to the above example. For example, the first rising portion 134 and the second rising portion 135 may be erected in the vertical direction. The plurality of vehicles 100 may be simply stacked in the height direction.

[0131] Hereinafter, a second modified example of the vehicle 100 will be described as one of the modified examples of the above-described first embodiment. Fig.14 1 is a perspective view showing a second modified example of the vehicle 100. Fig.14 As shown, in this modification, the travel unit 110 of the vehicle 100 includes the connection portion 153 and the connection portion 155. The travel unit 110 may include only one of the connection portion 153 and the connection portion 155.

[0132] The connecting portion 153 on one side is a connecting portion connected to the travel unit 110 of another vehicle 100 arranged side by side with respect to the travel unit 110 in the vehicle width direction Y. By connecting to the travel unit 110 of another vehicle 100 through the connecting portion 153, a plurality of vehicles 100 are fixed to each other. Thus, a plurality of vehicles 100 can travel as a whole. The connecting portion 153 is an example of a "second connecting portion". The travel unit 110 can be connected to the travel unit 110 of another vehicle 100 in a state where the wheel W on one side of the travel unit 110 is removed, or can be connected to the travel unit 110 of another vehicle 100 in a state where the wheel W of the travel unit 110 is not removed.

[0133] The other connecting portion 155 is a connecting portion connected to the travel unit 110 of another vehicle 100 that is parallel to the travel unit 110 in the vehicle travel direction X. By connecting the connecting portion 155 to the travel unit 110 of another vehicle 100, a plurality of vehicles 100 are fixed to each other. Thus, the plurality of vehicles 100 can travel as a whole. The connecting portion 155 is another example of a "second connecting portion".

[0134] According to the structure of the modification of the first embodiment described above, the upper structure 200 has a size that can be set within the range of the plurality of vehicles 100 connected to each other. That is, by connecting the plurality of vehicles 100 by the connecting portion 153 or the connecting portion 155, it is possible to support the upper structure 200 of a size that cannot be supported by a single vehicle 100. Thus, the degree of freedom of the upper structure 200 can be further improved.

[0135] Although the first embodiment and a plurality of modified examples of the first embodiment have been described above, the structure of the embodiment is not limited to the above examples. Fig.15 The vehicle utilization system 1 shown is utilized. That is, the vehicle utilization system 1 includes one or more information processing devices 700 arranged outside the vehicle 100. The information processing device 700, for example, has a communication unit 710 and an information processing unit 712 that can communicate with the vehicle 100 and the user's terminal device 500 via the network NW. The information processing unit 712 may have a part or all of the functional units included in the travel unit 110 of the vehicle 100 (for example, the navigation control device 113b, the recommended lane determination device 114, and the automatic driving control unit 115). The information processing unit 712 can be implemented by a processor such as a CPU executing a program (software) stored in a memory, or it can be implemented by hardware such as an LSI, an ASIC, an FPGA, a GPU, or it can be implemented by the coordinated cooperation of software and hardware.

[0136] In the first embodiment described above, a vehicle 100 having the same size as a general passenger car or truck is described as the vehicle 100. However, the size of the vehicle 100 is not limited to the above example. The size of the vehicle 100 may be, for example, the size of a bed, or may be smaller than that.

[0137] <Second Embodiment>

[0138] Hereinafter, a second embodiment will be described. Fig.16 1 is a block diagram showing the first upper unit 200A and the travel unit 110 in the second embodiment. As shown in the example, the HMI 202 of the first upper unit 200A in the second embodiment includes an external display unit 202b, a memory 202c, and a usage status detection unit 202e in addition to the driving operation element 202a described above. In addition, the first upper unit 200A in the second embodiment further includes a service providing device 212.

[0139] The external display unit 202b is, for example, an organic EL (ElectroLuminescence) display attached to the surface of the vehicle body on the outside of the vehicle 100. In addition, the external display unit 202b may also be an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) embedded in the vehicle body, or may be a display panel that serves as part or all of the vehicle body. In addition, the external display unit 202b may also be a movable display device with a drive unit. In this case, the external display unit 202b is stored in a position where the display surface is not visible from outside the vehicle when the content such as still images and dynamic images are not displayed, and is moved to a position where the display surface is visible from outside the vehicle through the drive unit when the content is displayed. In addition, the external display unit 202b may also be a light-transmitting liquid crystal panel formed on at least a part of the front windshield, side windshield, and rear windshield of the vehicle 100.

[0140] Fig.17 and Fig.18 2 is a diagram showing an example of the external display unit 202b. Fig.17 , Fig.18 As illustrated, for example, the external display unit 202b displays a trademark or logo representing a service provided via the vehicle 100, information representing the content of the service (an English conversation school in the illustrated example), the destination of the vehicle 100, information on the provision status of the service (information indicating whether users outside the vehicle can board the vehicle 100 and use the service), etc.

[0141] return Fig.16As described above, the memory 202c is implemented by a storage device such as a RAM, a ROM, a HDD, a flash memory, etc. In the memory 202c, for example, firmware (driver) obtained from an external device (application server, etc.) is stored. Firmware is a program (software) for controlling each device (hereinafter referred to as equipment) connected to the control unit 208, such as the communication device 201, the HMI 202, the seat device 203, the collision sensor 204, the airbag device 205, and the service provider device 212. Firmware is an example of "equipment control information". The firmware stored in the memory 202c can be updated regularly or irregularly. In addition, identification information for identifying each equipment can be stored in the memory 202c.

[0142] The usage status detection unit 202e detects the usage status of each compartment of the vehicle 100 based on the user riding in the vehicle 100, the presence or absence of loads, and the position. A compartment refers to a space in the upper structure 200 of the vehicle 100, and is a space where users can ride or loads can be placed. The usage status detection unit 202e can also detect the usage status of the compartment based on the detection results of a load sensor or an in-vehicle camera (neither of which are shown in the figure).

[0143] The service providing device 212 is a device installed by a service provider (service owner) that uses the interior and exterior of the vehicle 100 for services. For example, the service providing device 212 outputs a third party's video and conversation audio, displays an advertisement on the external display unit 202b, or sends information to a terminal device (such as a smartphone, etc.) of a user in the compartment in order to provide the compartment of the vehicle 100 as a place for use of services such as an English conversation class.

[0144] The control unit 208 sends various information to the travel unit 110. For example, the control unit 208 controls the gateway device 209b to send information indicating the connection status of the equipment connected to itself (control unit 208) to the gateway device 121b of the travel unit 110. The information indicating the connection status of the equipment may include, for example, the above-mentioned firmware information, identification information of the equipment, etc. The gateway device 209b is an example of a "second communication interface".

[0145] The control unit 208 may control the communication device 201 to transmit information indicating the connection status of the equipment to the communication device 112 of the traveling unit 110. The communication device 201 is another example of the "second communication interface".

[0146] When the user's terminal device 500 is wirelessly connected to the service providing device 212 via Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth, etc., the control unit 208 may transmit information indicating the connection status of the equipment to the communication device 112 of the travel unit 110 via the terminal device 500 connected to the service providing device 212. The terminal device 500 connected to the service providing device 212 is another example of the "second communication interface".

[0147] When information indicating the connection status of equipment is transmitted to the traveling unit 110 by wireless communication, an external server device may be provided between the first upper unit 200A and the traveling unit 110. The server device replaces the gateway device 121b and the gateway device 209b and performs the comparison and authentication performed between the gateway device 121b and the gateway device 209b.

[0148] When the gateway device 121b or the communication device 112 of the travel unit 110 receives information indicating the connection status of the equipment from the control unit 208, the information is output to the automatic driving control unit 115. The automatic driving control unit 115 can, for example, authenticate the upper structure 200 as a legitimate upper structure 200 based on the information indicating the connection status of the equipment output by the gateway device 121b or the communication device 112.

[0149] When an external server device exists between the first upper unit 200A and the travel unit 110, the communication device 112 of the travel unit 110 can receive information indicating the result of the comparison and authentication performed by the server device. In this case, the automatic driving control unit 115 can authenticate that the upper structure 200 is a legitimate upper structure 200 based on the result of the comparison and authentication performed by the server device.

[0150] According to the configuration of the second embodiment described above, similarly to the first embodiment, a vehicle 100 that can be used for multiple purposes can be provided. This enables original development by many operators, and enables extensive and in-depth provision of specialized functions for each purpose.

[0151] <Third Embodiment>

[0152] Hereinafter, a third embodiment will be described. Fig.19It is a structural diagram of a service providing system 2 including a vehicle 100 (autonomous driving vehicle 100) of the third embodiment. The service providing system 2 includes one or more vehicles 100, multiple terminal devices 500, a service provider device 600 and a service management device 700. The multiple terminal devices 500 include a terminal device 500a used by a service provider S and a terminal device 500b used by a service applicant A. These components can communicate with each other via a network NW. The service of the service provider S is provided to a service user U. In the figure, although the service applicant A and the service user U are shown as different persons, they can also be the same person. "Used by service applicant A" can include, for example, terminal devices in an Internet cafe that can be used by an unspecified majority of terminal devices temporarily used by the service applicant A.

[0153] Fig. 20 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the travel unit 110 according to the third embodiment. The automatic driving control unit 115 of the travel unit 110 according to the third embodiment includes a vehicle state sharing permission unit 115a.

[0154] The vehicle state sharing permission unit 115a permits information sharing of the travel unit 200A with respect to the equipment connected to the first upper unit 200A or the terminal device 500 connected to the equipment (the service providing device 212, etc.), based on the identification information of the equipment connected to the first upper unit 200A and the firmware update information obtained from the service management device 700. The identification information of the equipment can be obtained by, for example, receiving information stored in the memory 202c of the control unit 208 through the communication device 112 of the travel unit 110. In addition, the firmware update information can be obtained by receiving information stored in the storage unit 800 of the service management device 700 through the communication device 112 of the travel unit 110. In addition, the vehicle status sharing permission unit 115a can also allow the sharing of travel unit 200A information relative to the first upper unit 200A or the terminal device 500 determined based on the identification information (upper unit ID) of the first upper unit 200A based on the identification information of the equipment connected to the first upper unit 200A and the firmware update information obtained from the service management device 700.

[0155] [Terminal device]

[0156] The terminal device 500 is, for example, a smart phone, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, etc. The terminal device 500 starts an application or a browser for utilizing the service providing system 2, and supports the services described below. In the following description, it is assumed that the terminal device 500 is a smart phone and the application (application for service applicants) is in the started state. The service user application communicates with the service management device 700 according to the operation of the service applicant A, sends the request from the service applicant A to the service management device 700, or performs a push notification based on the information received from the service management device 700. The service management device 700 is another scheme of the "information processing device" described in the first embodiment.

[0157] The terminal device 500 (500a and 500b), for example, sends service utilization entrustment information including the following content to the service management device 700. The location information is, for example, information measured by a GPS receiver built into the terminal device 500. Other information is obtained based on information input by the service applicant A or the service user U as a principle. The attribute information of the service provider desired to be utilized refers to information related to the attributes of the service provider S desired by the service user U. In addition to the category of the service provided, the attributes may also include age, gender, personality (type), etc. Regarding the attributes, the service management device 700 may not fixedly assign a completely consistent service provider S, but may prompt the service user U and allow him to select or confirm.

[0158] [Service usage entrustment information]

[0159] User ID

[0160] Location information (latitude, longitude, altitude)

[0161] ·Want to use spatial information (e.g., represented by the number of people, number of seats, etc.)

[0162] ·Want to use service provider attribute information

[0163] · ID of the service you wish to use

[0164] ·Want to use interval information

[0165] ・Information about the time period when the service user wishes to use the service

[0166] Settlement authentication information

[0167] [vehicle]

[0168] The configuration related to the driving control of the vehicle 100 in the second embodiment (for example, the configuration related to the automatic driving) is the same as the configuration of the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment and the second embodiment. That is, the vehicle 100 is an automatic driving vehicle and is a vehicle having a wireless communication function as described below. Fig.21 1 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a vehicle management device 300 mounted on the vehicle 100. The vehicle management device 300 is mounted on, for example, the first upper unit 200A. The vehicle management device 300 includes, for example, a communication unit 320, an authentication unit 330, an HMI 340, and a vehicle / compartment management unit 350.

[0169] The communication unit 320 is a wireless communication device. The communication unit 320 communicates with the service management device 700 via the network NW. The authentication unit 330 performs authentication processing for starting a service in response to an instruction from the service management device 700.

[0170] HMI 340 receives input operation to the equipment, and outputs information output by the equipment as images and sounds. For example, HMI 340 includes a touch panel display device, a speaker, a microphone, and the like.

[0171] The vehicle / cabin management unit 350 includes, for example, a usage status detection unit 352, a usage permission unit 354, an authentication unit 356, and an external control permission unit 358. The vehicle 100 is provided with one or more spaces (cabins) that can be used by the service user U and the service provider S, and the usage status detection unit 352 detects the usage status of each compartment. For example, the usage status detection unit 352 detects whether each compartment is in use. Fig.21 In the embodiment, a general passenger car is described as the vehicle 100, but the vehicle 100 may be a trailer, a bus, a van, or other vehicle of a size that can accommodate one or more passengers in each compartment obtained by dividing the interior of the vehicle. The use permission unit 354 permits the use of the pre-specified compartment, such as unlocking the door, when the authentication unit 356 succeeds in authentication. The authentication unit 356 performs authentication such as confirming the identity of the service user U or the service provider S who wants to take the vehicle.

[0172] The external control permission unit 358 determines whether to permit control of the travel unit 110 corresponding to the user's operation of the equipment based on the identification information of each equipment connected to the first upper unit 200A and the control information of the equipment obtained from the service management device 700. For example, sometimes, a user U riding in a compartment of the upper structure 200 operates the terminal device 500 connected to the service providing device 212 to operate the travel unit 110. In this case, the external control permission unit 358 permits the user U to operate the travel unit 110 when it is authenticated based on the identification information of each equipment connected to the first upper unit 200A and the control information of the equipment obtained from the service management device 700 that the combination of the travel unit 110 operated by the user U and the first upper unit 200A installed in the upper structure 200 where the user U rides is a normal combination.

[0173] The communication unit 320 of the vehicle management device 300 transmits vehicle information including the following contents, for example, to the service management device 700 .

[0174] [Vehicle Information]

[0175] A traveling unit ID for identifying the traveling unit 110

[0176] Identify the upper unit ID of the upper unit 200A

[0177] Location information (latitude, altitude, longitude)

[0178] ・Cubicle usage status (about the cubicles being used, the user ID of the service user in use, information on available cubicles, etc.)

[0179] Driving status (speed, acceleration, angular velocity, status of on-board equipment, etc.)

[0180] Information about the service provider S (ID of the service provider, information about the service being implemented, elapsed time of service implementation, etc.)

[0181] · Information related to equipment (equipment identification information, coded data obtained by encoding equipment identification information, etc.)

[0182] Fig. 22 7 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the service provider device 600. The service provider device 600 is, for example, a device that can grasp the status of a plurality of service providers and automatically respond to orders from the service management device 700. The service provider device 600 includes, for example, a communication unit 610, an order processing unit 620, a status management unit 630, and a storage unit 650.

[0183] The communication unit 610 communicates with the service management device 700 and the like via the network NW. The order processing unit 620 processes the service order from the service management device 700. The order processing unit 620 determines whether the content of the service order is within the scope of the service provision information that has been sent to the service management device 700, and advances the order processing if it is determined to be within the scope. The status management unit 630 manages the status (reservation status, work status, etc.) of the service provider S registered in the service provider device 600, and provides the service provision information to the service management device 700.

[0184] The service provider device 600 transmits service provision information including the following contents, for example, to the service management device 700. The service provision information is information related to services that the service provider S can order.

[0185] [Service provision information]

[0186] Authentication ID

[0187] Equipment control information (such as firmware update information, operation requests, information transmission requests, etc.)

[0188] Service Name

[0189] Control signal

[0190] [Service Management Device]

[0191] Fig.23 7 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the service management device 700. The service management device 700, for example, includes a communication unit 710, an acquisition unit 720, a service information input unit 730, a plan determination unit 740, a path indication unit 750, an authentication unit 760, a determination unit 770, and a storage unit 800. The components other than the communication unit 710, the service information input unit 730, and the storage unit 800 are implemented by executing a program (software) through a hardware processor such as a CPU. Some or all of these components can also be implemented by hardware (circuit; including circuitry) such as LSI, ASIC, FPGA, GPU, etc., or can be implemented by the cooperation of software and hardware. The program can be pre-stored in a storage device such as an HDD, a flash memory, or stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD, CD-ROM, and installed by assembling the storage medium to the drive device. The storage unit 800 is implemented by an HDD, a flash memory, a RAM, a ROM, etc.

[0192] The communication unit 710 includes, for example, a network card for connecting to the network NW. The communication unit 710 communicates with the vehicle management device 300, the terminal device 500, the service provider device 600, and the like via the network NW.

[0193] The acquisition unit 720 acquires service utilization request information from the terminal device 10 via the communication unit 710 , acquires vehicle information from the vehicle management device 300 of the pre-registered vehicle 100 , and acquires service provision information from the service provider device 600 .

[0194] The service information input unit 730 receives an input operation from the service provider S regarding the type and content of the service to be provided.

[0195] The plan determination unit 740 determines the available services that the service user U can enjoy based on the available vehicle information 820 and the service provision information, and provides the terminal device 500 of the service user U with information related to the determined available services.

[0196] More specifically, the plan determination unit 740 sets a use permission section in which the service provider S can occupy at least a portion (eg, a compartment) of the vehicle 100 in the travel route of the vehicle 100 based on the available vehicle information 820 and the desired use section included in the service provision information.

[0197] The route instruction unit 750 instructs the vehicle 100 on the route that the vehicle 100 should travel by causing the communication unit 710 to transmit information on the use start position and use end position of the service user U and information on the use start position and use end position of the service provider S to the vehicle 100 .

[0198] The authentication unit 760 performs authentication of the service user U based on communication with the terminal device 500, and performs authentication at the start of service provision.

[0199] The determination unit 770 determines whether the service user U and the service provider S are using the vehicle 100 .

[0200] The plan decision unit 740 uses the determination result of the determination unit 770 to perform various processes. For example, the plan decision unit 740 may accept a change in the desired use section only when the determination unit 770 determines that both the service user U and the service provider S are using the vehicle 100. This example occurs, for example, when the service provider S proposes to the service user U to change the destination or changes the final destination during the service based on the information provided to the vehicle 100. In addition, the plan decision unit 740 may preferentially allocate the vehicle 100 being used to the service user U when the determination unit 770 determines that the service user U is already using the vehicle 100 (i.e., when a service extension or other service is requested during the service use) at the time when the acquisition unit 720 receives the service use entrustment information.

[0201] The storage unit 800 stores service management information including the following contents, for example.

[0202] [Service management information]

[0203] User ID to identify the service client A (service user U)

[0204] A service ID that identifies the service provided by the service provider S

[0205] Travel unit ID and upper unit ID

[0206] Firmware ID of the upper unit 200A

[0207] Firmware ID of the driving unit 110

[0208] ·Encoded data from the vehicle side

[0209] Encoded data from the service provider

[0210] Current location information of the vehicle 100

[0211] Service Provider ID

[0212] Fig.24 1 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed in the service providing system 2. First, the service client A (service user U) uses the terminal device 500 to perform user authentication on the authentication unit 760 of the service management device 700 (step S200). When the authentication by the authentication unit 760 is successful, the service client A (service user U) uses the terminal device 500 to send service utilization entrustment information to the service management device 700 (step S202). The service utilization entrustment information is acquired by the acquisition unit 720 and stored in the storage unit 800 as the service entrustment management information 832.

[0213] After obtaining the service utilization entrustment information, the acquisition unit 720 of the service management device 700 inquires the service provider device 600 for the service provision information (step S204). There may be multiple service provider devices 600 depending on the attributes of the services provided and the service operators. In this case, the acquisition unit 720 may also inquire the multiple service provider devices 600 at the same time. The state management unit 630 of the service provider device 600 replies the service provision information associated with the service that can be ordered (indicating the content of the service that can be ordered) to the service management device 700 (step S206).

[0214] On the other hand, the acquisition unit 720 of the service management device 700 inquires the vehicle management device 300 about the utilization status (vehicle information) (step S208). The vehicle / compartment management unit 350 of the vehicle management device 300 replies to the service management device 700 with the utilization status detected by the utilization status detection unit 352 (step S210). It should be noted that the processing of step S208 and step S210 can also be performed asynchronously with the processing shown in the flowchart at any time.

[0215] Next, the plan decision unit 740 determines available vehicles based on the service utilization entrustment information and the information obtained in step S210, and generates available vehicle information (step S212). Multiple vehicles may be determined in step S212, in which case the final vehicle may be determined during the period until step S224 described later. Then, the plan decision unit 740 determines available services that the service user can enjoy based on the available vehicle information and the service provision information that can be received in step S206 (step S212), and sends the available service information indicating the content of the determined available service to the terminal device 500 (step S214).

[0216] The service applicant A (service user U) browses the available service information and, as a result, orders services from the service management device 700 using the terminal device 500 (step S216). The plan determination unit 740 of the service management device 700 extracts the portion of the service that the service provider is responsible for from the service ordered in step S216 and orders services from the service provider device 600 (step S218).

[0217] The order processing unit 620 of the service provider device 600 sends a notification of service order to the service management device 700 (step S220). At the same time, the order processing unit 620 sends the order details to the terminal device (not shown in this embodiment) of the service provider.

[0218] When receiving the order acceptance from the service provider device 600, the route instruction unit 750 of the service management device 700 sets a route along which the vehicle 100 for providing the service should travel (step S222).

[0219] Next, the authentication unit 760 of the service management device 700 performs authentication processing for the start of the service on the service provider device 600 and the authentication unit 330 of the vehicle 100, the path indication unit 750 indicates the path set in step S222 to the vehicle 100, the service provider device 600 performs authentication for the start of the service and determines the final vehicle as needed, the authentication unit 330 in the vehicle management device 300 of the vehicle 100 performs vehicle-side authentication and starts or schedules driving on the indicated path (step S224).

[0220] During the authentication process of S224, for example, the service provider device 600 obtains the information of the equipment connected to the upper unit 200A that can be used. That is, the information of the equipment is sent from the vehicle 100 side to the service provider device 600 side. Here, the authentication can be performed at two stages, the upper unit 200A and the equipment. In the case where the owner of the upper unit 200A is different from the service provider, the function of the vehicle state sharing permission unit 115a of the travel unit 110 that can be connected to the upper unit 200A or can be executed by the upper unit 200A can also be separately specified by the owner or the operation manager.

[0221] Thereafter, the service user U gets on the vehicle 100 (step S226 ), and when the additional service can be presented, the plan determination unit 740 presents the additional service to the terminal device 500 (step S228 ).

[0222] When the service user U is riding in the vehicle 100 (at S226), the service provider can set whether the equipment of the vehicle 100 can be used. In this case, the vehicle status sharing permission unit 115a allows the setting information of whether the equipment can be used to be shared with the service management device 700. It should be noted that the setting of whether the equipment can be used can also be performed by the service management device 700. The equipment includes, for example, a video playback device and a power supply device installed in the compartment. When the use of the equipment is allowed, the passengers riding in the vehicle 100 can operate or use the equipment. At this time, the driving state of the vehicle 100, the operation information or use information of the equipment, etc. can also be shared with the service provider device 600 with the permission of the vehicle status sharing permission unit 115a.

[0223] When the service user browses the content of the additional service and orders the additional service using the terminal device 500 (step S230), the plan determination unit 740 of the service management device 700 orders the additional service to the service provider device 600 (step S232). The order processing unit 620 of the service provider device 600 sends information indicating that the order for the additional service has been accepted to the service management device 700 (step S234).

[0224] In the process of S234, for example, when a passenger places an order for a service via an equipment item (for example, when a specific video content is played using the equipment item), the order processing unit 620 of the service provider device 600 resets the route and destination suitable for the service simultaneously with the order of the service, and indicates it to the vehicle 100. More specifically, the function units such as the order processing unit 620 of the service provider device 600 correct the route in a manner passing through the via points set by the service provider device 600 or adjust the passing speed according to the description time in accordance with the content of the tourist attraction guidance and the like. In this case, any function unit of the service provider device 600 provided in the upper unit 200A is an example of an "external control permission unit". As a result, the service provided by the service provider can be associated with any equipment item configured in the vehicle 100 and the control state of the vehicle 100, and the degree of freedom of the service provider in configuring the equipment item linked to the driving can be increased.

[0225] When receiving the information indicating that the order for the additional service has been accepted, the route instruction unit 750 of the service management device 700 instructs the vehicle 100 to modify the route or change the destination (step S236 ).

[0226] According to the configuration of the third embodiment described above, a vehicle 100 that can be used for multiple purposes can be provided, similarly to the first or second embodiment. This enables original development by many operators, and provides a wide range of specialized functions for each purpose.

[0227] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above using the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments at all, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0228] Description of reference numerals:

[0229] 100…autonomous driving vehicle, 110…travel unit, 112…communication device (acquisition unit), 113b…navigation control device (driving plan generation unit), 115…autonomous driving control unit (autonomous driving control unit), 151…connection part (first connection part), 153…connection part (second connection part), 155…connection part (second connection part), 200…superstructure, 211…vehicle room, 213…cargo compartment, W…wheel, W1…first wheel, W2…second wheel, R…installation area, G…ground, X…vehicle travel direction, Y…vehicle width direction.

Claims

1. An autonomous driving vehicle, wherein: The autonomous driving vehicle has: A power supply interface that supplies power to the upper structure; a first communication interface for communicating with the superstructure; a travel unit that can be connected to an upper unit mounted on the upper structure via the power supply interface and the first communication interface, wherein a plurality of different equipment items are connected to the upper unit; as well as a first connecting portion provided on the traveling unit and connected to the upper structure detachably mounted on the traveling unit, The travel unit operates by sharing the power supplied to the upper structure and the communication content to the upper structure in the connected state of the first connection part. The autonomous driving vehicle further includes a second communication interface for transmitting information indicating a connection status of the equipment item connected to the upper unit to an external device.

2. The autonomous driving vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The travel unit includes a mounting area to which the upper structure can be mounted, a first wheel, and a second wheel located behind the first wheel in the vehicle travel direction. The mounting area has at least a size from substantially the same position as the first wheel to substantially the same position as the second wheel in the vehicle traveling direction.

3. The autonomous driving vehicle according to claim 2, wherein: The mounting area is provided over the entire length of the travel unit in the vehicle traveling direction.

4. The autonomous driving vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The travel unit has wheels. The maximum thickness of the traveling unit excluding the wheel is less than the diameter of the wheel.

5. The autonomous driving vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The driving unit includes: an acquisition unit that acquires information related to a destination of the autonomous driving vehicle; a driving plan generation unit that generates a driving plan for the autonomous driving vehicle based on the destination acquired by the acquisition unit and map information including road information; and an autonomous driving control unit that controls the driving of the driving unit based on the driving plan generated by the driving plan generation unit.

6. The autonomous driving vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The upper structure includes a seat device capable of seating passengers.

7. The autonomous driving vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The upper structure includes a room where passengers can enter.

8. The autonomous driving vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The upper structure includes a cargo support portion capable of supporting cargo.

9. The autonomous driving vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The travel unit can allow multiple upper structures to exchange loads with each other.

10. The autonomous driving vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The travel unit has a support portion that supports the travel unit of another autonomous driving vehicle from below when the travel unit of another autonomous driving vehicle is mounted relative to the travel unit from above, and the travel unit can travel in a state where the travel unit of another autonomous driving vehicle is mounted.

11. The autonomous driving vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The autonomous driving vehicle further includes a second connection portion that is provided on the travel unit and is connected to a travel unit of another autonomous driving vehicle that is arranged parallel to the travel unit in at least one of a vehicle travel direction and a vehicle width direction.

12. The autonomous driving vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The autonomous driving vehicle is capable of being mounted on the upper structure and is formed in a plate shape without a vehicle cabin.

13. An autonomous driving vehicle, wherein: The autonomous driving vehicle has: A power supply interface that supplies power to the upper structure; a first communication interface for communicating with the superstructure; as well as a travel unit that can be connected to an upper unit mounted on the upper structure via the power supply interface and the first communication interface, wherein a plurality of different equipment items are connected to the upper unit, The travel unit operates by sharing the power supplied to the upper structure and the communication content to the upper structure. The autonomous driving vehicle further includes a second communication interface for transmitting information indicating a connection status of the equipment item connected to the upper unit to an external device.

14. An autonomous driving vehicle, wherein: The autonomous driving vehicle has: A power supply interface that supplies power to the upper structure; a first communication interface for communicating with the superstructure; as well as a travel unit that can be connected to an upper unit mounted on the upper structure via the power supply interface and the first communication interface, wherein a plurality of different equipment items are connected to the upper unit, The travel unit operates by sharing the power supplied to the upper structure and the communication content to the upper structure. The upper unit includes an external control permission unit, which determines whether to allow control of the travel unit via the equipment corresponding to the user's operation of the equipment based on identification information of the equipment connected to the upper unit and control information of the equipment obtained from an external device.

15. An autonomous driving vehicle, wherein: The autonomous driving vehicle has: A power supply interface that supplies power to the upper structure; a first communication interface for communicating with the superstructure; as well as a travel unit that can be connected to an upper unit mounted on the upper structure via the power supply interface and the first communication interface, wherein a plurality of different equipment items are connected to the upper unit, The travel unit operates by sharing the power supplied to the upper structure and the communication content to the upper structure. The autonomous driving vehicle also includes a vehicle status sharing permission unit, which allows the driving unit to share information with respect to the equipment or a terminal device connected to the equipment based on identification information of the equipment connected to the upper unit and control information of the equipment that can be updated based on information obtained from an external device.

16. An autonomous driving vehicle, wherein: The autonomous driving vehicle has: A power supply interface that supplies power to the upper structure; a first communication interface for communicating with the superstructure; as well as a travel unit that can be connected to an upper unit mounted on the upper structure via the power supply interface and the first communication interface, wherein a plurality of different equipment items are connected to the upper unit, The travel unit operates by sharing the power supplied to the upper structure and the communication content to the upper structure. The traveling unit includes a vehicle status sharing permission unit, which allows the traveling unit to share information with the upper unit or a terminal device determined based on the identification information of the upper unit based on the identification information of the upper unit and the control information of the equipment that can be updated based on information obtained from an external device.

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