Autonomous driving system

Abstract

The object of the present invention is to provide an autonomous driving system that can effectively suppress the formation of rutting. In addition, a further object is to provide an autonomous driving system that can suppress the formation of rutting while preventing approach to oncoming vehicles in an autonomous driving system including an unmanned vehicle traveling in a transportation route consisting of oncoming lanes. The vehicle-mounted control device (200) includes: an offset determination unit (202) that determines the offset of a driving path (60) based on map information (251) based on common offset information received via a wireless communication device (240) and generates a target track (62); and an autonomous driving control unit (201) that outputs a driving instruction for controlling the driving of the vehicle body based on the target track (62) and the position of the vehicle so as to follow the target track (62) to which the offset is added.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an autonomous driving system, and more particularly to an autonomous driving system in a work site where autonomous unmanned vehicles travel in opposite directions on a transport route. Background Art

[0002] In open-pit mines and the like, dump trucks are operated that travel on transportation routes and carry soil, sand, ore, and the like. Generally, dump trucks are heavy, and transportation routes are mostly unpaved, so rutting is easily generated on the driving track of the dump trucks. The presence of rutting will bring about adverse effects such as increased road resistance and decreased stability of the vehicle body, so usually, road graders and other finishing vehicles are used to level the road to maintain the transportation routes. However, if leveling operations are performed on the transportation routes, the travel of the dump trucks will be hindered, thereby causing a problem of reduced transportation efficiency. Therefore, it is desirable to suppress the formation of rutting as much as possible when the dump trucks are traveling. In addition, autonomous driving systems are known, which perform transportation operations by using dump trucks that travel autonomously without an operator (hereinafter referred to as "unmanned vehicles"), but when multiple unmanned vehicles travel on the same track, deeper rutting is easily generated, so the countermeasures to this issue become more important.

[0003] As a prior art, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method in which multiple target travel paths are pre-generated for an unmanned vehicle to travel toward an excavator's loading location at a mine loading site, and a travel path is selected from these paths. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 describes a method in which, when a vehicle autonomously traveling on a prescribed road detects ruts, the vehicle's wheel controls the passing position so that it passes over the ruts.

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 6159031

[0007] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 5994656 Summary of the Invention

[0008] In the method disclosed in the above-mentioned patent document 1, it is intended to suppress the generation of rutting by staggering and dispersing the running tracks of each vehicle. In addition, in the method disclosed in the above-mentioned patent document 2, it is intended to reduce the impact of the generated rutting by detecting rutting when the vehicle is running and staggering the running tracks in a manner that flattens the layer difference. These are all methods for suppressing the generation of rutting when a single vehicle is running. On the other hand, as in the above-mentioned patent documents 1 and 2, if driving instructions are given individually to multiple vehicles operating in a work site such as a mine, there are problems such as an increase in the computational load and the complexity of the calculation processing. In addition, in the transportation route, if unmanned vehicles running in the opposite lanes respectively stagger their tracks toward the opposite lane side, the distance between the vehicles when passing each other is close, and there is a problem of increased collision risk. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain an appropriate distance from the vehicles in the opposite lane in the transportation route and stagger the tracks.

[0009] The present invention has been developed in light of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide an autonomous driving system that can effectively suppress the formation of rutting. Furthermore, a further object is to provide an autonomous driving system that can suppress the formation of rutting while preventing an unmanned vehicle from approaching an oncoming vehicle in a transport route consisting of oncoming lanes.

[0010] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the autonomous driving system of the present invention has multiple vehicles, which have: a driving drive device for driving a vehicle body; a position sensor for obtaining the position of the vehicle; a storage device for storing map information; an on-board control device for outputting a driving instruction for controlling the vehicle body to follow the driving path based on the vehicle position and the map information to the driving drive device; and a wireless communication device capable of communicating information with the outside. The autonomous driving system is characterized in that the on-board control device determines an offset amount of the driving path based on the map information and generates a target track based on the common offset information received via the wireless communication device, and outputs a driving instruction for controlling the vehicle body to follow the target track to which the offset amount is added based on the target track and the vehicle position.

[0011] Effects of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, by staggering target tracks based on shared offset information among multiple vehicles operating at a work site, the formation of rutting can be effectively suppressed. Furthermore, when multiple unmanned vehicles are operating on a transport route that includes oncoming lanes, staggering target tracks based on shared offset information allows them to maintain a safe distance even when passing each other, while also distributing the travel paths and suppressing the formation of rutting.

[0013] In addition, problems, structures, and effects other than those described above will become clear from the following description of the embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an autonomous driving system in the first embodiment.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing the configuration of the autonomous driving system in the first embodiment.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing an example of a table of map information in the first embodiment.

[0017] Figure 4 1 and 2 are diagrams for explaining a method for generating a target trajectory by an offset determination unit. (a) is a diagram for explaining a node alone, and (b) is a diagram for explaining the entire travel path.

[0018] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing an example of generating a target trajectory in a curve generated by the offset amount determination unit (in the case of offsetting in the X-axis direction).

[0019] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing an example of generating a target trajectory in a curve generated by the offset amount determination unit (in the case of offsetting in the Y-axis direction).

[0020] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing an example of generating a target track based on an offset amount corresponding to the track width.

[0021] Figure 8 This figure shows an example of generating a target trajectory by determining an offset amount in consideration of a fixed work location.

[0022] Figure 9 This is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the offset determination unit according to the first embodiment.

[0023] Figure 10 This is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the autonomous driving control unit according to the first embodiment.

[0024] Figure 11 The figures show the driving trajectories of unmanned vehicles, (a) shows the unloading time of a certain unmanned vehicle, (b) shows the time when the subsequent unmanned vehicle is at the turning point, and (c) shows the unloading time of the subsequent unmanned vehicle.

[0025] Figure 12 This is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the offset information transmitting unit in the first embodiment.

[0026] Figure 13 This is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of updating the offset information held by the offset amount determination unit in the first embodiment.

[0027] Figure 14It is a diagram showing an example of a table of map information in the second embodiment.

[0028] Figure 15 This is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the offset determination unit in the second embodiment.

[0029] Figure 16 This is a diagram showing an example of changing the offset amount according to the load state.

[0030] Figure 17 This is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an autonomous driving system in a third embodiment.

[0031] Figure 18 This is a diagram showing the configuration of an autonomous driving system in a third embodiment.

[0032] Figure 19 It is a diagram showing an example of a table of vehicle allocation information in the third embodiment.

[0033] Figure 20 This is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the offset information transmitting unit in the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The following describes the embodiments of the present invention in detail based on the accompanying drawings. In all figures used to illustrate the embodiments, parts having the same function are marked with the same or related reference numerals, and their repeated description is omitted. In addition, in the following embodiments, the same or identical parts are not described repeatedly in principle unless otherwise required.

[0035] (First embodiment)

[0036] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an autonomous driving system 1 in the first embodiment. Figure 1 The autonomous driving system 1 shown is composed of at least one unmanned vehicle (dump truck, etc.) 20 and a wireless communication loop 40 that enables these vehicles to communicate with each other. The unmanned vehicle is used to transport loads such as soil, sand, and ore loaded from an excavator 10 performing excavation and loading operations at a work site such as an open-pit mine. In addition, at the work site where the unmanned vehicle 20 is traveling, there is also a manned vehicle (grader, etc.) 90 used for repairing the transportation route, etc. In addition, in the figure, each unmanned vehicle 20 that can travel autonomously is represented by 20-1, 20-2... In the autonomous driving system 1 of this embodiment, each unmanned vehicle 20 refers to map information composed of unillustrated points (nodes) whose coordinates are predetermined and represent a driving path 60, and travels in a manner such that the coordinates of the vehicle position are close to the coordinates of the nodes, thereby following the driving path 60 for autonomous driving.

[0037] Figure 21 is a block diagram of an unmanned vehicle 20 in the autonomous driving system 1 according to the first embodiment. A plurality of unmanned vehicles 20 exist in the autonomous driving system 1, but all of them have the same structure.

[0038] The unmanned vehicle 20 includes, as a hardware configuration, an onboard control device 200 , a storage device 250 , a wireless communication device 240 , a travel drive device 210 , a position sensor 220 , a speed sensor 230 , a steering angle sensor 260 , a load sensor 270 , and a time management device 280 .

[0039] The travel drive device 210 is used to autonomously travel (drive) the unmanned vehicle 20 (its body), and includes a travel motor for traveling the unmanned vehicle 20 , a brake, and a steering motor for changing the steering angle of the unmanned vehicle 20 .

[0040] The position sensor 220 is used to obtain the position of the unmanned vehicle 20 (its own position), and may be, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System). Alternatively, in addition to a GPS device, it may be a device that calculates the position in combination with an inertial measurement unit (IMU), or a system that uses radio waves from a base station installed on the ground to determine the position.

[0041] The speed sensor 230 is used to obtain the speed of the unmanned vehicle 20 , and may be, for example, a GPS device and a wheel speed sensor.

[0042] The steering angle sensor 260 is used to obtain the steering angle of the unmanned vehicle 20 , and may be, for example, an encoder mounted on a steering mechanism of the vehicle body.

[0043] The load sensor 270 is used to obtain the load status of the unmanned vehicle 20 and may be, for example, a sensor that measures weight or a system that estimates the load weight based on the pressure measured by a sensor that measures the suspension pressure of the vehicle body.

[0044] The time management device 280 synchronizes the timing of updating the offset information, described later. When the offset information transmission unit 203 detects a change in the vehicle body state of each unmanned vehicle 20, such as when unloading, the offset information transmission unit 203 stores the time of the vehicle itself and notifies the other vehicles of this time via the wireless communication device 240. Furthermore, when the time management device 280 receives the time from another vehicle via the wireless communication device 240, it matches the time of the vehicle itself stored in the time management device 280 with the received time.

[0045] The onboard control device 200 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), and ROM (Read Only Memory). These devices respectively execute programs, read and write information to and from the work area, and temporarily store programs, thereby controlling the operation of the unmanned vehicle 20. In the autonomous driving system 1 of this embodiment, the onboard control device 200 outputs driving instructions to the driving drive device 210 for controlling the vehicle body so that the vehicle can follow the driving path 60 for autonomous driving.

[0046] The storage device 250 is a nonvolatile storage medium capable of reading and writing information, and stores an OS (Operating System), various control programs, mobile phone software or programs, and databases. In the autonomous driving system 1 of this embodiment, the storage device 250 stores map information 251 indicating a driving route 60 .

[0047] The wireless communication device 240 is a wireless device connected to the wireless communication line 40 and capable of communicating information with the outside.

[0048] The vehicle-mounted control device 200 of the unmanned vehicle 20 includes, as functional blocks, an autonomous driving control unit 201 , an offset determination unit 202 , and an offset information transmission unit 203 . Furthermore, the storage device 250 includes map information 251 .

[0049] Figure 3 This is an example of data stored as map information 251. Map information 251 is information about a series of nodes representing the vehicle's travel path 60. For each node, a node ID, coordinates indicating the location within the mine, the target speed of the unmanned vehicle 20, and an offset coefficient used to determine the offset of each node (described later) are specified. Alternatively, map information 251 may be pre-assigned with the number of sections required for the unmanned vehicle 20 to travel. For example, an external control authority may set exclusive travel sections for each unmanned vehicle 20 to prevent interference between them, and the nodes received via the wireless communication device 240 may be continuously stored. Alternatively, a series of nodes representing all the routes to be traveled may be pre-assigned. In this case, the positions of other vehicles may be periodically received via the wireless communication device 240 to avoid interference with other vehicles, and driving control may be performed to slow down or stop the vehicle when necessary.

[0050] The offset determination unit 202 determines the offset of each node relative to the driving path 60 based on the offset information transmitted by the vehicle itself or another vehicle and received via the wireless communication device 240, and the map information 251 indicating the driving path 60 of the unmanned vehicle 20, adds the offset to the coordinates of the node, thereby generating a coordinate point sequence that becomes the target trajectory when the unmanned vehicle 20 is traveling, and indicates the target trajectory and target speed to the autonomous driving control unit 201.

[0051] The autonomous driving control unit 201 generates a steering command value based on the target trajectory indicated by the offset determination unit 202, the vehicle position obtained from the position sensor 220, and the steering angle obtained from the steering angle sensor 260, so as to bring the vehicle position closer to the target trajectory. Furthermore, the autonomous driving control unit 201 generates acceleration / deceleration command values based on the target speed for the target trajectory and the vehicle speed obtained from the speed sensor 230, so as to bring the vehicle speed closer to the target speed. The steering command values and acceleration / deceleration command values generated through these processes (collectively referred to as driving commands) are issued to the steering motor, brake, and travel motor of the travel drive unit 210, thereby performing tracking control to the target trajectory.

[0052] The offset information transmission unit 203 determines offset information to be used by the offset determination unit 202 of the unmanned vehicle 20 when determining the offset of each node, using a change in the vehicle body state (e.g., a change in vehicle body weight) such as when unloading each unmanned vehicle 20 as a trigger. The offset information is then transmitted to all unmanned vehicles 20 via the wireless communication device 240. While the offset information is described below as the angle used to determine the direction of the offset (vector), this is not limited to this and may also include a parameter used to determine the angle or the offset itself. Alternatively, it may be information that serves as a trigger for updating the offset in each unmanned vehicle 20.

[0053] Below, use Figure 4 (a), (b), Figure 5 、 Figure 6 、 Figure 9 、 Figure 10 The following describes an operation in which the offset amount determination unit 202 determines an offset amount and generates a target trajectory, and an operation in which the autonomous driving control unit 201 performs a following control to cause the unmanned vehicle 20 to travel along the target trajectory.

[0054] Figure 4 (a) and (b) are diagrams for explaining a method in which the offset amount determination unit 202 generates a target trajectory after offsetting the driving path. Figure 4 (a) is a diagram showing the offset of a node. Figure 4 (b) is a diagram showing the overall deviation of the driving path. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the deviation information transmitted by the deviation information transmission unit 203 of the vehicle or other vehicles is Figure 4 Here, it is assumed that θ is the angle of rotation in the counterclockwise direction starting from the X axis. In addition, the white circle 60 is the coordinate (X) of a node (node ID: i) on the driving path of the map information 251. i ,Y i ), the black circle 62 represents the additional offset (ΔX i ,ΔY i ) after the target track coordinates (X i +ΔX i ,Y i +ΔY i ). Using the angle θ of the offset information and the offset coefficient α recorded (held) in the map information 251 i The offset (ΔX i ,ΔY i ).

[0055] [Formula 1]

[0056] ΔX i =α i ×cosθ (Equation 1)

[0057] [Formula 2]

[0058] ΔY i =α i ×sinθ (Equation 2)

[0059] Through the above calculation, if Figure 4 As shown in (b), each node of the driving path 60 of each unmanned vehicle 20 is offset by the offset coefficient α of each node in the direction of the common angle θ. i The size of becomes the target trajectory 62 of the unmanned vehicle 20.

[0060] Figure 5 、 Figure 6 1 is a diagram showing an example of generating a target trajectory in a curve by the offset amount determination unit 202 . Figure 5 Indicates the case of displacement in the X-axis direction (θ = 0 degrees), Figure 6 Indicates the case of deviation in the Y-axis direction (θ = 270 degrees). Depending on the relationship between the direction of travel of the original driving path 60 and the angle θ, the target track 62 may sometimes overlap with the original driving path 60. For example, Figure 5 In the case of , the traveling direction of the driving path 60 in section 71 is parallel to the X-axis, and the direction of the offset of each node is also in the X-axis direction, so the offset target track 62 overlaps with the driving path 60. On the other hand, in section 70, the target track 62 is generated at a position offset in the width direction relative to the driving path 60. In addition, Figure 6 In the other case, this time, for section 71, target trajectory 62 is generated at a position that deviates in the width direction from driving path 60, while for section 70, target trajectory 62 is generated at a position that substantially overlaps with driving path 60. Thus, even if it temporarily appears that target trajectory 62 is not deviated from the original driving path 60, the change in angle θ means that target trajectory 62 will inevitably be generated at a position that deviates in the width direction from driving path 60 at another time.

[0061] Figure 9 1 is a diagram illustrating the processing sequence of the offset determination unit 202. The offset determination unit 202 first obtains node information (coordinates: (X i ,Y i ), i = 1, ..., N)(S901). Next, the offset amount (ΔX i ,ΔY i )(S902). Then, the coordinate point sequence (X i +ΔX i ,Y i +ΔY i ) as the target trajectory 62 and is sent to the autonomous driving control unit 201 (S903).

[0062] Figure 10 201. The autonomous driving control unit 201 first obtains the target track and target speed from the offset determination unit 202 (S1001). Next, the vehicle position, vehicle speed and steering angle are obtained from the position sensor 220, the speed sensor 230 and the steering angle sensor 260 respectively (S1002). In addition, the target track and the vehicle position are compared to generate a steering angle instruction value so that the vehicle position approaches the target track. In addition, the target speed and the vehicle speed are compared to generate an acceleration and deceleration instruction value so that the vehicle speed approaches the target speed (S1003). Finally, the generated steering angle instruction value and acceleration and deceleration instruction value (driving instruction) are sent to the driving drive device 210 (S1004).

[0063] As described above, by determining an offset for each node on the travel path 60 to generate a target trajectory 62, the offset information transmission unit 203 determines and transmits the angle θ so that it varies each time (for example, by several tens of degrees from the current offset direction) (described later). This allows the target trajectory 62 that the unmanned vehicle 20 actually follows to be dispersed around the travel path 60. By causing the unmanned vehicle 20 to follow this target trajectory 62, the formation of rutting can be suppressed. Furthermore, by using common offset information to determine the offset for the travel path 60 of all unmanned vehicles 20, unmanned vehicles 20 passing each other on the transport route can be caused to deviate in the same direction, thereby avoiding the risk of collision due to close proximity.

[0064] Next, use Figure 7 and Figure 8 The advantage of being able to set different offsets for each node will be explained.

[0065] Figure 7 The figure shows an example of generating a target track based on an offset amount corresponding to the road width. The offset coefficient α of each node pre-set in the map information 251 is i The distance from the road shoulder at each point (corresponding to the road width) is considered and determined as the distance by which the travel path 60 can be shifted. For example, in the section 72 where the road width is large, the shift coefficient α of each node is set to i The offset coefficient α of each node is set relatively large in the interval 74 where the track width is small. i Furthermore, the interval 73 at this time can be used as a buffer zone to make the offset coefficient α i The linear interpolation method is used to make the offset coefficient α of each node i For example, in the driving path 60 from section 72 to section 74, the offset coefficients in sections 72 and 74 are set to α based on the road width of each section. w , α n Furthermore, when the number of nodes in the buffer zone 73 is N, if the offset coefficient at the kth node in the buffer zone 73 is set to α k (k=1,…,N), then α k It can be calculated by the following formula.

[0066] [Formula 3]

[0067] α k =k×(α n -α w ) / N+α w (Formula 3)

[0068] In this way, the dispersion of the target track 62 of the unmanned vehicle 20 can be adjusted within a range that corresponds to the road width of each section. This effectively reduces the formation of rutting in sections with wide road widths, and prevents the unmanned vehicle 20 from interfering with the road shoulder in sections with narrow road widths. Furthermore, even in these sections, by continuously varying the offset, the target track 62 can be smoothly connected.

[0069] Figure 8 This diagram shows an example of determining an offset and generating a target trajectory based on fixed work locations, such as the excavator 10's loading location. Node 60-2 represents the coordinates of the fixed work location where the unmanned vehicle 20 should stop to align with the excavator 10's position in order to load the excavator 10 relative to the unmanned vehicle 20. Furthermore, in the driving path 60 from section 75 to section 78, sections 75 and 78 are on the transport route, while sections 76 and 77 are within an open loading area. Section 76 also includes a node where the unmanned vehicle 20 can turn around to allow the unmanned vehicle 20 to back up and approach the excavator 10.

[0070] In the travel route 60 including such a fixed work site, if the offset coefficient is set to α at the node of the fixed work site, i = 0, the target trajectory 62 at the node is made consistent with the original driving path 60, and the unmanned vehicle 20 can also be stopped at the desired position in this control. For example, when the offset coefficients at each node of sections 76 and 77 are determined by linear interpolation, first, the number of nodes in section 76 is set to N (the final node is a fixed work location), the number of nodes in section 77 is set to (M-N), and the offset coefficient at the kth node in sections 76 and 77 is set to α k (k=1, ..., N, ..., M) If the offset coefficient of the final node 60-1 of the interval 75 is formally represented by α 0 , change α 0 and the offset coefficient α of the final node 60-3 in interval 77 M (consistent with the offset coefficient of interval 78) is set to a constant, then the offset coefficient α at this time is k (k=1,…,N,…,M-1) can be calculated by the following formula.

[0071] [Formula 4]

[0072] α k =α 0 ×(N-k) / N,1≤k≤N (Equation 4)

[0073] [Formula 5]

[0074] α k =α M×(k-N) / (M-N), N < k ≤ M - 1 (Equation 5)

[0075] If the offset coefficient in the travel path 60 including the fixed work location is determined as described above, at the location (fixed work location) where the driverless vehicle 20 is desired to stop at the desired position, the target track 62 can be made to coincide with the original travel path 60. Also, at the locations before and after this, the tracks can be dispersed to suppress the generation of rutting while smoothly connecting the target track 62.

[0076] Next, use Figure 11 (a) to (c) of Figure 12 to explain the operation of the offset information transmission unit 203 for updating the offset information.

[0077] When the offset information transmission unit 203 detects a pre-determined change in the state of the vehicle body, it determines the offset information based on the currently held offset information and transmits the latest offset information to all the driverless vehicles 20 via the wireless communication device 240. All the driverless vehicles 20 (specifically, the driverless vehicles 20 other than the driverless vehicle 20 that has received the latest offset information) receive the latest (common) offset information sent from a certain driverless vehicle 20 (the offset information transmission unit 203 thereof) via the wireless communication device 240 and update the offset information used by their own vehicle's offset amount determination unit 202, thereby determining the offset amounts of the above-mentioned respective nodes (travel path 60), generating the target track 62, and performing the follow-up control to the target track 62. In addition, the driverless vehicle 20 that has received the above-mentioned latest offset information can use this latest offset information to update the offset information used by its own vehicle's offset amount determination unit 202. In this embodiment, an example in which the driverless vehicle 20 updates the offset information when the unloading completion (completion of the unloading operation) is detected by the load sensor 270 is described.

[0078] Figure 11 (a) to (c) of Figure 11 is a diagram showing the travel trajectories of the driverless vehicle 20 in the transportation route around the unloading yard and its vicinity. Figure 11 (a) of Figure 11 shows the situation at the moment when a certain driverless vehicle 20-3 performs unloading,

[0079] Figure 11In (a), when the unmanned vehicle 20-3 completes unloading, the angle θ as the current offset information is added with a predetermined change Δθ (for example, several tens of degrees) θ+Δθ as the new offset information and transmitted to all unmanned vehicles 20 via the wireless communication device 240. That is, when the offset information transmission unit 203 of the unmanned vehicle 20-3 sends the offset information, it updates the angle θ (the direction of the offset amount) as the current offset information by a predetermined angle Δθ from the current direction. Therefore, the target track 62 that the unmanned vehicle 20 actually follows can be dispersed around the driving path 60. Next, Figure 11 In (b), the unmanned vehicle 20-4, which is the following vehicle of the unmanned vehicle 20-3, is at the turning point. At this time, the unmanned vehicles 20-2, 20-3, 20-4, and 20-5 are moving from Figure 11 The sections traveled from the moment (a) to the present moment are 22-2, 22-3, 22-4, and 22-5 shown by the dotted lines. These sections cannot cover the entire driving path. Therefore, if the offset information is updated again at this time, the target track determined based on the offset information so far will have sections that the unmanned vehicle 20 has actually traveled and sections that have not yet traveled. As a result, the actual driving track in the direction of travel of the driving path will be unevenly distributed. On the other hand, as time progresses further, Figure 11 In (c), it is the moment when the unmanned vehicle 20-4 completes unloading. At this time, Figure 11 The sections 22-2, 22-3, 22-4, and 22-5 shown in (b) are further extended to cover the entire area of the driving route. Figure 11 After the moment (a), Figure 11 By updating the offset information again at the timing of (c), the sections that the unmanned vehicle 20 has actually traveled within the target trajectory determined based on the offset information to date can cover the entire transport route, thereby evenly distributing the actual travel trajectory along the travel path. Therefore, when the unmanned vehicle 20-4 completes unloading, the angle θ, which is the currently held offset information, is added with a predetermined change Δθ (e.g., several tens of degrees) to form the new offset information θ+Δθ, and this is transmitted to all unmanned vehicles 20 via the wireless communication device 240. In other words, when transmitting the offset information, the offset information transmitter 203 of the unmanned vehicle 20-4 updates the currently held offset information by changing the angle θ (the direction of the offset) by a predetermined angle Δθ from the current direction.

[0080] By updating the offset information in sync with the unmanned vehicle 20's unloading completion timing, the travel time intervals of each unmanned vehicle 20 can be synchronized with the offset information update intervals. Consequently, the sections of the target track 62 where the offset information is used by the unmanned vehicle 20 actually travel can cover the entire travel path 60. This allows the travel tracks to be evenly distributed relative to the path's travel direction, further suppressing the formation of rutting.

[0081] Figure 12 This figure illustrates the processing sequence of the offset information transmission unit 203. The offset information transmission unit 203 first detects the completion of unloading when it determines that the state has changed from a loaded state to an unloaded state based on the change in the weight of the load measured by the load sensor 270 (S1201). Next, the offset information θ currently in use is obtained from the offset determination unit 202 (S1202). The offset determination unit 202 determines new offset information (updated value) θ based on the currently in use offset information θ. + (S1203) For example, a predetermined change Δθ is added to the currently used angle θ, and the angle θ+Δθ (i.e., the direction of the offset amount is changed by a predetermined angle from the current direction) is determined as the new offset information (updated value) θ. + Then, the new offset information θ is transmitted to the offset amount determination unit 202 of the vehicle. + , the offset information used by the offset determination unit 202 of the own vehicle is updated (S1204), and the new offset information θ is also transmitted to the offset determination units 202 of other vehicles via the wireless communication device 240. + ( S1205 ) In the present embodiment, the transmission of the offset information from the vehicle to other vehicles and the reception of the offset information by other vehicles can be performed through inter-vehicle communication not via a control station.

[0082] Figure 13 This figure explains the processing sequence of the offset information update process held by the offset determination unit 202 when receiving offset information from another vehicle. The offset determination unit 202 first initializes the offset information of the own vehicle (θ=θ0) at a predetermined timing (e.g., at startup) (S1301). Next, it determines whether new offset information (updated value) θ has been received from the offset information transmission unit 203 of the own vehicle or another vehicle. + (S1302), in the case of receiving (S1302 / Yes), use the updated value θ + To update the vehicle offset information (θ = θ + )(S1303).

[0083] pass Figure 12 as well as Figure 13The updating process shown can make the offset information generated by each vehicle common (shared).

[0084] Furthermore, while the present embodiment synchronizes the update or transmission of offset information with the timing of unloading completion, the same benefits can be achieved by synchronizing the offset information update or transmission with the operating cycle of the unmanned vehicle 20, such as when loading begins, when loading is completed, when unloading begins, or when the vehicle passes a specific point on the travel path. Similarly, the timing of loading begins, when loading is completed, and when unloading begins can be detected based on the vehicle load status detected by the load sensor 270, specifically, based on changes in the vehicle weight detected by the load sensor 270. However, in this example, rather than passing through a specific location on the driving path, it is more desirable to update and transmit the offset information at a prescribed timing based on (linked with) the load state of the vehicle body obtained by the load sensor 270, more specifically, when the load sensor 270 detects a change in the vehicle body weight related to the completion of the unloading action, the start of the unloading action, the start of the loading action or the completion of the loading action, and the offset information is received by other vehicles via the wireless communication device 240.

[0085] Furthermore, to avoid situations where wireless communication is interrupted at the time of offset information transmission, preventing the reception of offset information, each unmanned vehicle 20 may manage the timing of updating offset information based on an internally stored time. In this case, to synchronize the offset information update timing of each unmanned vehicle 20, similarly to the above, offset information update information is transmitted to other vehicles upon completion of unloading, thereby synchronizing the update cycles of each unmanned vehicle 20.

[0086] As described above, according to this embodiment, a target trajectory 62 can be generated that offsets the travel path 60 using the common offset information shared by all unmanned vehicles 20 within the autonomous driving system 1, based on the map information 251 representing the travel path 60 of the unmanned vehicle 20. Furthermore, by changing (updating) the offset information at a predetermined timing, the target trajectory 62 can be dispersed, thereby distributing the travel position of the unmanned vehicle 20 relative to the travel path 60 in the width direction of the path, thereby effectively suppressing the formation of rutting. Furthermore, by generating the target trajectory 62 using the common offset information among all unmanned vehicles 20, the target trajectory 62 can be offset in the same direction, thereby preventing unmanned vehicles 20 passing each other in oncoming lanes from approaching each other and allowing them to maintain a safe distance while passing each other.

[0087] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, by determining an offset coefficient for each location on the travel path 60, the offset can be set to correspond to the road width at each location. This allows the offset to be increased in locations with wide roads to further suppress rutting, while the offset can be reduced in locations with narrow roads to avoid interference with the road shoulder. Furthermore, by setting the offset to zero at fixed work locations, such as loading positions, a target trajectory 62 can be generated that matches the original travel path 60. This allows the unmanned vehicle 20 to be set so that it can pass through the required work locations.

[0088] In addition, according to this embodiment, by causing each unmanned vehicle 20 to update the offset information at a specified timing (for example, the timing of unloading completion, etc.), the driving time interval of the unmanned vehicle 20 and the update time interval of the offset information can be synchronized. As a result, the target track 62 determined based on each offset information can cover the entire driving path. Therefore, the driving track can also be evenly dispersed relative to the direction of travel of the driving path, and the generation of rutting can be further suppressed.

[0089] (Second embodiment)

[0090] In the second embodiment, the offset determination unit 202 determines the offset according to the load state of the unmanned vehicle 20 by applying the method of the first embodiment. Hereinafter, descriptions of the configurations and operations that overlap with those of the first embodiment will be omitted, and only the differences will be described.

[0091] Figure 14 2 is a diagram showing an example of data of the map information 251 in the second embodiment. In the present embodiment, each node of the map information 251 holds an unladen offset coefficient and a loaded offset coefficient.

[0092] Figure 15 The figure is a diagram for explaining the processing procedure of the offset determination unit 202 in this embodiment. The offset determination unit 202 first obtains the node information (coordinates: (X i ,Y i ),i=1,…,N)(S1501). Next, the load state of the vehicle is determined based on the information from the load sensor 270, that is, whether it is in a loaded state or an empty state (S1502). Furthermore, in the node information of the acquired driving path 60, if it is an offset coefficient corresponding to the load state of the vehicle, that is, in a loaded state, the loaded offset coefficient is acquired (selected); if it is in an empty state, the empty offset coefficient is acquired (selected); the acquired offset coefficient and the latest (common) offset information transmitted from the offset information transmission unit 203 of the vehicle or other vehicles are used to determine the offset amount (ΔX i ,ΔYi )(S1503). And finally, the coordinate point sequence (X i +ΔX i ,Y i +ΔY i ) is sent to the autonomous driving control unit 201 as the target trajectory 62 (S1504).

[0093] Figure 16 1 is a diagram showing a target trajectory using an offset amount according to the load state of the unmanned vehicle 20 . Figure 16 In the figure, unmanned vehicle 20-1 represents an unladen vehicle (traveling from the unloading area to the loading area), and unmanned vehicle 20-2 represents a loaded vehicle (traveling from the loading area to the unloading area). By setting the shift coefficient when loaded (i.e., the shift coefficient when the vehicle body weight is relatively large) larger than the shift coefficient when unladen (i.e., the shift coefficient when the vehicle body weight is relatively small), the target trajectory 62 of the unmanned vehicle 20 when loaded can be further diverged from the travel path 60. However, in this case, the shift coefficient must be set to a value that ensures sufficient distance from oncoming vehicles even when the vehicle is shifted.

[0094] According to this embodiment, the offset amount is determined according to the load state (change in vehicle weight) of the unmanned vehicle 20. Specifically, the offset coefficients for unladen and laden conditions at each node (location) are pre-stored as map information 251. The offset coefficient used to determine the offset amount is selected based on the load state (change in vehicle weight) of the unmanned vehicle 20. This allows the target trajectory 62 to be dispersed more widely for laden vehicles, which experience a higher load on the road surface and are more likely to cause rutting, than for unladen vehicles. Consequently, the driving paths on the side of the transport route where laden vehicles frequently travel, such as the driving paths from the loading area to the unloading area, can be less prone to rutting than the driving paths on the opposite lane where unladen vehicles frequently travel, such as the driving paths from the unloading area to the loading area.

[0095] In addition, instead of independently holding the offset coefficient according to the load state as in the present embodiment, the offset determination unit 202 may be configured as follows: Figure 3 As shown, a single offset coefficient is used to determine the offset of each node in consideration of (combined with) the total vehicle weight. In this case, the offset coefficient α can be used. i The offset (ΔX i ,ΔY i ).

[0096] [Formula 6]

[0097] ΔX i =α i ×M×cosθ (Equation 6)

[0098] [Formula 7]

[0099] ΔY i =α i ×M×sinθ (Equation 7)

[0100] If this is done, even if each node of the map information 251 has a separate offset coefficient, an offset that takes the load state of the vehicle body into consideration can be assigned. In a vehicle in a loaded state with a heavy road load during travel, the target track 62 can be dispersed more greatly than in an unloaded state, thereby suppressing the formation of rutting.

[0101] In addition, similar to the first embodiment, by generating a target trajectory 62 using common offset information between all unmanned vehicles 20, the target trajectory 62 can be offset in the same direction. As a result, unmanned vehicles 20 passing each other in oncoming lanes will not approach each other and can maintain a safe distance when passing each other.

[0102] (Third embodiment)

[0103] The third embodiment describes an example in which the method of the first embodiment is applied, whereby offset information is transmitted to unmanned vehicles 20 via a control center (not via inter-vehicle communication), and all unmanned vehicles 20 receive the offset information via the control center. Below, descriptions of configurations and operations that overlap with those of the first embodiment are omitted, and only the differences are described.

[0104] Figure 17 This figure shows a schematic configuration of an autonomous driving system 1 in a third embodiment. The autonomous driving system 1 in this embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment, and further includes a control station 30 communicably connected to an unmanned vehicle 20 via a wireless communication line 40 .

[0105] Figure 18 3 is a block diagram of an autonomous driving system 1 according to a third embodiment. The autonomous driving system 1 includes a control station 30 and a plurality of unmanned vehicles 20 .

[0106] Regarding the unmanned vehicle 20, the first embodiment ( Figure 2 ) is different in that the vehicle-mounted control device 200 does not include the offset information transmission unit 203 that determines and transmits offset information, but instead includes a vehicle state notification unit 204 that transmits vehicle body information based on data from various sensors to the control station 30 via the wireless communication device 240. The remaining configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0107] The vehicle state notification unit 204 transmits at least the load state of the unmanned vehicle 20 to the control station 30 based on the data acquired from the load sensor 270 .

[0108] The control station 30 includes a control control device 310 , a control storage device 350 , and a control wireless communication device 340 .

[0109] The control control device 310 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), and ROM (Read Only Memory), which respectively perform program operations, read and write information to the work area, and temporarily store programs to control the operation of the control station 30.

[0110] The controlled storage device 350 is a non-volatile storage medium capable of reading and writing information, and stores an OS (Operating System), various control programs, mobile phone software or programs, a database, and the like.

[0111] The regulated wireless communication device 340 is a wireless device connected to the wireless communication line 40 and capable of communicating information with the outside.

[0112] The regulation control device 310 includes a vehicle allocation management unit 311 and an offset information transmission unit 203 .

[0113] The control storage device 350 includes vehicle allocation information 351 and map information 251. Here, the map information 251 uses the same information as that stored in the storage device 250 of the unmanned vehicle 20.

[0114] The vehicle allocation management unit 311 of the control and management device 310 determines the destination of the unmanned vehicle 20 and a target route to the destination. For example, if the unmanned vehicle 20 is at a loading dock, a target route is set until it reaches the unloading dock. If the unmanned vehicle 20 is at an unloading dock, a target route is set until it reaches the loading dock.

[0115] Figure 19 This figure shows an example table of vehicle allocation information 351. The vehicle allocation information 351 records the vehicle ID that uniquely identifies each unmanned vehicle 20 and the target route determined by the vehicle allocation management unit 311. The vehicle allocation management unit 311 sets the target route for each unmanned vehicle 20 and transmits the target route to the target unmanned vehicle 20 via the wireless communication line 40.

[0116] The offset information transmitting unit 203 of the control control device 310 determines offset information based on information received from the vehicle state notifying unit 204 of each unmanned vehicle 20 , and transmits the offset information to the offset amount determining unit 202 of each unmanned vehicle 20 via the control wireless communication device 340 and the wireless communication loop 40 .

[0117] Figure 20 This is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the offset information transmission unit 203 in this embodiment. The offset information transmission unit 203 receives the load status of each unmanned vehicle 20 from the vehicle status notification unit 204 of each unmanned vehicle 20 (S2001). Based on the received load status of each unmanned vehicle 20, it determines whether there is a new unmanned vehicle 20 that has completed unloading (S2002). If no unmanned vehicle 20 has been unloaded (S2002 / No), no processing is performed and the system waits until the next reception. If no unmanned vehicle 20 has been unloaded (S2002 / Yes), new offset information is determined based on the already set offset information. For example, a predetermined change Δθ (e.g., several tens of degrees) is added to the currently used angle θ, and the angle θ+Δθ (i.e., the direction of the offset is changed by a predetermined angle from the current direction) is determined as the new offset information (S2003). This offset information is then transmitted to all unmanned vehicles 20 (and the offset determination unit 202 thereof) via the controlled wireless communication device 340 (S2004).

[0118] All unmanned vehicles 20 use the load status of the unmanned vehicle 20 (here, the unloading completion timing) sent from the vehicle status notification unit 204 of a certain unmanned vehicle 20 as a trigger point, receive the latest (common) offset information sent from the offset information transmission unit 203 of the control bureau 30 via the wireless communication device 240, and update the offset information used by the offset determination unit 202 of the vehicle, thereby determining the offset amount of each node (driving path 60) mentioned above, generating the target track 62, and following the target track 62.

[0119] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as in the first embodiment described above, as long as the timing for updating or transmitting the offset information is coordinated with the operating cycle of the unmanned vehicle 20, such as when unloading is completed, loading is started, loading is completed, unloading is started, or when the vehicle passes a specific point on the travel path, the offset information can be updated synchronously with the travel time interval of the unmanned vehicle 20, achieving the same effect. However, in this example, rather than when the vehicle passes a specific point on the travel path, it is more desirable to update and transmit the offset information by the control station 30 (the offset information transmitting unit 203) at a predetermined timing based on (linked to) the vehicle load status acquired by the load sensor 270. More specifically, when the load sensor 270 detects a change in vehicle weight associated with the completion of unloading, the start of unloading, the start of loading, or the completion of loading. This offset information is then received by all unmanned vehicles 20 via the wireless communication device 240.

[0120] According to this embodiment, the control station 30 collectively determines offset information and transmits it to all unmanned vehicles 20. Each unmanned vehicle 20 determines an offset amount based on the offset information transmitted from the control station 30 and received via the wireless communication device 240, thereby offsetting the target track 62. This effectively prevents the formation of rutting. Furthermore, by generating a common target track 62 for all unmanned vehicles 20 using the common offset information transmitted from the control station 30 and received via the wireless communication device 240, the target track 62 can be offset in the same direction, similar to the first embodiment. This prevents unmanned vehicles 20 passing each other in oncoming lanes from approaching each other, allowing them to maintain a safe distance while passing each other. Furthermore, by collectively transmitting offset information at the control station 30, the offset information can be selectively transmitted only to unmanned vehicles 20 sharing the same target path based on the vehicle allocation information 351.

[0121] In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications that do not depart from the gist of the present invention also belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

[0122] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and includes various variations. For example, the above-described embodiments are described in detail to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not limited to having all of the described configurations. Furthermore, a portion of the configuration of a particular embodiment may be replaced with a portion of another embodiment, and a portion of the configuration of another embodiment may be incorporated into the configuration of a particular embodiment. Furthermore, a portion of the configuration of each embodiment may be added, deleted, or replaced with another configuration.

[0123] Furthermore, the aforementioned components, functions, processing units, and processing mechanisms may be partially or entirely implemented in hardware, such as through integrated circuit design. Furthermore, the aforementioned components, functions, and the like may be implemented in software by having a processor read and execute programs that implement the respective functions. Information such as programs, tables, and files that implement the respective functions may be stored in a memory, a storage device such as a hard disk or SSD (Solid State Drive), or a recording medium such as an IC card, SD card, or DVD.

[0124] In addition, the control lines and information lines are shown only for the purpose of explanation, and do not represent all the control lines and information lines required for the product. In fact, it can be understood that almost all components are connected to each other.

[0125] Description of Reference Numerals

[0126] 1: Autonomous driving system

[0127] 10: Excavator

[0128] 20: Unmanned Vehicle (vehicle)

[0129] 30: Control Bureau

[0130] 40: Wireless communication loop

[0131] 60: Driving path

[0132] 62: Target orbit

[0133] 90: Manned vehicles

[0134] 200: Vehicle control device

[0135] 201: Autonomous driving control unit

[0136] 202: Offset determination unit

[0137] 203: Offset information transmission unit

[0138] 204: Vehicle status notification unit

[0139] 210: Travel drive

[0140] 220: Position sensor

[0141] 230: Speed sensor

[0142] 240: Wireless communication device

[0143] 250: Storage device

[0144] 251: Map Information

[0145] 260: Steering angle sensor

[0146] 270: Load sensor

[0147] 280: Time management device

[0148] 310: Regulatory control devices

[0149] 311: Vehicle Management Department

[0150] 340: Control of wireless communication devices

[0151] 350: Controlled storage devices

[0152] 351: Vehicle allocation information.

Claims

1. An autonomous driving system comprising a plurality of vehicles, each of the vehicles comprising: a driving device for driving a vehicle body; and a position sensor for obtaining a position of the vehicle; a storage device storing map information; The autonomous driving system includes an on-board control device that outputs a driving instruction for controlling the vehicle body based on the vehicle position and the map information to the driving drive device so as to follow the driving path based on the map information; and a wireless communication device capable of communicating information with the outside. The autonomous driving system is characterized in that: A plurality of vehicles traveling at different locations within the autonomous driving system receive common offset information via the wireless communication device at a common timing. The on-board control devices of the plurality of vehicles determine an offset of a driving path based on the map information based on the common offset information received via the wireless communication device and generate a target trajectory, and output driving instructions for controlling the driving of the vehicle body based on the target trajectory and the vehicle position so as to follow the target trajectory to which the offset is added.

2. The autonomous driving system according to claim 1, characterized in that The vehicle also has a load sensor for acquiring the load status of the vehicle body. The plurality of vehicles receive the common offset information via the wireless communication device at a predetermined timing, and the predetermined timing is determined based on the load state of the vehicle body acquired by the load sensor of any one of the plurality of vehicles.

3. The autonomous driving system according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the load sensor of any one of the multiple vehicles detects a change in vehicle body weight related to the completion of unloading, the start of unloading, the start of loading or the completion of loading, the multiple vehicles receive the common offset information via the wireless communication device.

4. The autonomous driving system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vehicle also has a load sensor for acquiring the load status of the vehicle body. The vehicle-mounted control device transmits the vehicle offset information via the wireless communication device at a predetermined timing, and the predetermined timing is determined based on the load state of the vehicle body acquired by the load sensor.

5. The autonomous driving system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The vehicle control device transmits the vehicle offset information via the wireless communication device when the load sensor detects a change in vehicle body weight associated with completion of unloading, start of unloading, start of loading, or completion of loading.

6. The autonomous driving system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The vehicle offset information includes the direction of the offset.

7. The autonomous driving system according to claim 6, characterized in that: When transmitting the vehicle offset information, the vehicle-mounted control device changes the direction of the offset amount by a predetermined angle from the current direction.

8. The autonomous driving system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The map information holds the offset coefficients at each location, The in-vehicle control device determines the offset at each point based on the direction of the offset and the offset coefficient.

9. The autonomous driving system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The vehicle-mounted control device determines the offset amount at each location based on the road width at each location or considering a fixed work location where the vehicle should stop.

10. The autonomous driving system according to claim 1, wherein: The vehicle also has a load sensor for acquiring the load status of the vehicle body. The vehicle-mounted control device determines the offset amount based on the load state of the vehicle body acquired by the load sensor.

11. The autonomous driving system according to claim 10, characterized in that: The map information contains the offset coefficients of empty and loaded conditions at each location. The vehicle-mounted control device selects an offset coefficient for determining the offset amount based on the load state of the vehicle body acquired by the load sensor.

12. The autonomous driving system according to claim 10, characterized in that: The map information holds the offset coefficients at each location, The vehicle-mounted control device determines the offset amount at each point by taking into account the total vehicle weight acquired by the load sensor with respect to the offset coefficient.

13. The autonomous driving system according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of vehicles receive the common offset information via the control station using the wireless communication device.

14. The autonomous driving system according to claim 13, characterized in that: The vehicle further includes a load sensor for acquiring a load status of the vehicle body, and transmits the load status of the vehicle body acquired by the load sensor to the control station. The control station transmits the common offset information to the plurality of vehicles at a predetermined timing, and the predetermined timing is determined based on the load status of the vehicle body received from the vehicles.

15. The autonomous driving system according to claim 14, characterized in that: When the control station detects a change in the vehicle body weight related to the completion of the unloading action, the start of the unloading action, the start of the loading action or the completion of the loading action of the vehicle based on the load status of the vehicle body received from the vehicle, the common offset information is sent to multiple vehicles.

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