Vehicle Management System

Abstract

A vehicle management system is provided, which can improve the setting of a prohibited entry area for an unmanned vehicle when an abnormal state of the position information of a guided vehicle is detected, thereby suppressing a decrease in productivity while ensuring the safety of the guided vehicle. The vehicle management system enables the unmanned vehicle, the guided vehicle, the guiding vehicle, and the control station to communicate with each other, and the control station controls the unmanned vehicle based on the position information of the guiding vehicle and the position information of the guided vehicle. When an abnormal state of the position information of the guided vehicle is detected, the control control device of the control station calculates the inter-vehicle distance between the guiding vehicle and the guided vehicle before the abnormal state is detected, and sets the prohibited entry area for the unmanned vehicle based on the current position information of the guiding vehicle and the inter-vehicle distance. When an abnormal state of the position information of the guided vehicle is detected, the output device of the guiding vehicle outputs an alarm urging the maintenance of the inter-vehicle distance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle management system having unmanned vehicles, manned vehicles and a control bureau for controlling the unmanned vehicles based on position information of the manned vehicles. Background Art

[0002] Patent document 2 discloses a vehicle management system used in a mine. The vehicle management system includes an unmanned vehicle (e.g., a dump truck) that can drive autonomously, a manned vehicle (e.g., a passenger car) that a driver can ride and drive, and a control station that controls the unmanned vehicle based on the position information of the manned vehicle. The unmanned vehicle, the manned vehicle, and the control station are configured to be able to communicate with each other.

[0003] The control station has a control control device. The control control device sets a prohibited entry area for unmanned vehicles based on the position information of manned vehicles, and controls the unmanned vehicles in such a way that the unmanned vehicles do not enter the prohibited entry area. In detail, the control control device detects an abnormal state of the position information of the manned vehicles based on the communication state and position accuracy information of the manned vehicles. When the control control device does not detect an abnormal state of the position information of the manned vehicles, it sets a prohibited entry area for the unmanned vehicles based on the current position information of the manned vehicles.

[0004] When the control control device detects an abnormal state of the position information of a manned vehicle, it sets a prohibited entry area for unmanned vehicles based on the position information of the manned vehicle before the abnormal state is detected. In this case, the prohibited entry area for unmanned vehicles is expanded compared to the case where the abnormal state of the position information of the manned vehicle is not detected. Thus, even when the abnormal state of the position information of the manned vehicle is detected, a collision between the manned vehicle and the unmanned vehicle is avoided.

[0005] Prior art literature

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-155014

[0008] Patent Document 2: International Publication No. 2016 / 039489 Summary of the invention

[0009] If the manned vehicle mentioned above is a vehicle that is permanently stationed at a work site such as a mine (for example, a passenger car used for workers to move), it is pre-equipped with a position sensor that can obtain the position information and position accuracy information of the vehicle, and a management control device that sends the position information and position accuracy information obtained by the position sensor to the control bureau. However, if the manned vehicle is a vehicle that temporarily exists at the work site (for example, an emergency vehicle and a cleaning vehicle, etc.), it is necessary to temporarily carry the above-mentioned position sensor and management control device. And it is necessary to make the former vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the guide vehicle) pre-equipped with the position sensor and the management control device move forward to guide the latter vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the guided vehicle) that is temporarily equipped with the position sensor and the management control device in order to confirm the position of the vehicle. Patent document 1 discloses the following technology, in which one of a plurality of working machines is set as a leading machine, and the other working machines follow the leading machine. In Patent Document 1, an operator remotely controls a leading machine (lead vehicle) to control a subsequent working machine (guided vehicle) to follow the leading machine on its moving path. However, the situation in which both the leading vehicle and the guided vehicle are manned vehicles is not envisioned.

[0010] Here, it is envisaged that the vehicle management system adopts the technology described in Patent Document 2, and the vehicle management system has an unmanned vehicle, the above-mentioned guide vehicle and guided vehicle, and a control station that controls the unmanned vehicle based on the position information of the guide vehicle and the position information of the guided vehicle. That is, the control control device of the control station detects the abnormal state of the position information of the guided vehicle based on the communication state and position accuracy information of the guided vehicle. And, in the case where the abnormal state of the position information of the guided vehicle is detected, the prohibited entry area of ​​the unmanned vehicle is expanded compared with the case where the abnormal state of the position information of the guided vehicle is not detected. Thereby, the collision between the guided vehicle and the unmanned vehicle can be avoided, and the safety of the guided vehicle can be ensured. However, as the time elapsed from the detection of the abnormal state of the position information of the guided vehicle increases, the prohibited entry area of ​​the unmanned vehicle becomes larger, and the possible driving range of the unmanned vehicle becomes smaller. Therefore, it leads to a reduction in productivity.

[0011] The present invention is made in view of the above-mentioned situation, and its purpose is to provide a vehicle management system that can improve the setting of the prohibited entry area for unmanned vehicles when an abnormal state of the position information of the guided vehicle is detected, thereby suppressing the reduction in productivity while ensuring the safety of the guided vehicle.

[0012] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a vehicle management system of the present invention is configured so that an unmanned vehicle, a guided vehicle, a guide vehicle and a control station can communicate with each other, the unmanned vehicle can travel autonomously, the guided vehicle is a manned vehicle, the guide vehicle is a manned vehicle, travels ahead of the guided vehicle and guides the guided vehicle, the control station controls the unmanned vehicle based on the position information of the guide vehicle and the position information of the guided vehicle, in the vehicle management system, the control station receives the position information of the unmanned vehicle obtained by a first position sensor provided on the unmanned vehicle, and sends a command to a travel control device provided on the unmanned vehicle and controlling the travel of the unmanned vehicle, the control station receives the position information and position accuracy information of the guided vehicle obtained by a second position sensor provided on the guided vehicle, the control station outputs a command to a management control device, the management control device receives the information of the guided vehicle set as the guide object of the guide vehicle by a setting device provided on the guide vehicle and the position information and position accuracy information of the guide vehicle obtained by a third position sensor provided on the guide vehicle, and controls an output device provided on the guide vehicle and capable of outputting an alarm, and the control station has a control function. A control device, the control control device sets a prohibited entry area for the unmanned vehicle based on the position information of the guide vehicle and the position information of the guided vehicle, and controls the unmanned vehicle so that the unmanned vehicle does not enter the prohibited entry area. The control control device is configured to: determine whether an abnormal state of the position information of the guided vehicle is detected based on the communication state and position accuracy information of the guided vehicle, and when no abnormal state of the position information of the guided vehicle is detected, set the prohibited entry area for the unmanned vehicle based on the position information of the guide vehicle and the position information of the guided vehicle, and when an abnormal state of the position information of the guided vehicle is detected, calculate the inter-vehicle distance between the guide vehicle and the guided vehicle based on the position information of the guide vehicle before the detection of the abnormal state and the position information of the guided vehicle, and set the prohibited entry area for the unmanned vehicle based on the current position information of the guide vehicle and the inter-vehicle distance, and when an abnormal state of the position information of the guided vehicle is detected, the output device outputs an alarm urging the guide vehicle to maintain the inter-vehicle distance between the guide vehicle and the guided vehicle.

[0013] Effects of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, the setting of the no-entry area for an unmanned vehicle when an abnormal state of the position information of a guided vehicle is detected is improved, thereby suppressing a decrease in productivity and ensuring the safety of the guided vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 It is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a vehicle management system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle management system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 3 It is a diagram showing a specific example of vehicle allocation information according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 4 It is a diagram showing a specific example of control information according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 5 It is a diagram showing a specific example of a screen of an output device for guiding a vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing the process of setting the no-entry-to-no-man's-car area by the control control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 7 It is a diagram for explaining a method for setting an unmanned vehicle no-entry area according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 8 This is a flowchart showing the process of setting the no-entry-to-no-man's-car area by the control control device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Fig. 9 This is a flowchart showing the process of setting the no-entry-to-no-man's-car area by the control control device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Fig.10 It is a diagram for explaining a method for setting an unmanned vehicle no-entry area according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0026] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle management system in this embodiment. Figure 2 : is a block diagram showing the structure of the vehicle management system in this embodiment. Figure 2 In the figure, for convenience, one unmanned vehicle, one guided vehicle, and one guide vehicle are each shown, but there may be two or more vehicles.

[0027] The vehicle management system 1 of this embodiment is used in a work site such as a mine. The vehicle management system 1 has: one or more loading machines 10 for excavation and loading; one or more unmanned vehicles 20 that travel on a transport road 60 at the work site and transport soil and sand loaded from the loading machine 10; a guided vehicle 50 that is a manned vehicle (in other words, a vehicle for a driver to ride and drive); a guide vehicle 90 that is a manned vehicle and travels in front of the guided vehicle 50 to guide the guided vehicle 50; and a control station 30 that controls the unmanned vehicle 20 based on the position information of the guide vehicle 90 and the position information of the guided vehicle 50.

[0028] The unmanned vehicle 20, the guided vehicle 50, the guide vehicle 90 and the control station 30 are configured to be able to communicate with each other through a wireless communication loop 40. Specifically, a plurality of wireless base stations 41 are installed at the work site, and the unmanned vehicle 20, the guided vehicle 50, the guide vehicle 90 and the control station 30 communicate with each other via the wireless base stations 41.

[0029] In the control control of the control station 30 of this embodiment, a so-called driving permission section control method is used, which is composed of sections divided by nodes in the transport path of the map data, and driving permission is exclusively performed for the section based on the position of the unmanned vehicle 20. To explain in detail, for example, for the section in front of the unmanned vehicle 20, if other vehicles are not allowed to drive and it is not set as a prohibited entry area, the unmanned vehicle 20 is allowed to drive. On the other hand, for the section in front of the unmanned vehicle 20, if other vehicles are allowed to drive or it is set as a prohibited entry area, the unmanned vehicle 20 is not allowed to drive. In this case, the unmanned vehicle 20 waits until driving is allowed in the section ahead.

[0030] The unmanned vehicle 20 is, for example, a dump truck that can autonomously travel based on a command from the control station 30. The unmanned vehicle 20 includes a travel control device 21, a travel drive device 22, a position sensor 23, a speed sensor 24, a load sensor 25, a storage device 26, and a wireless communication device 27.

[0031] The travel drive device 22 of the unmanned vehicle 20 is driven according to the control signal of the travel control device 21 to drive the unmanned vehicle 20. The travel drive device 22 includes, for example, a steering motor for changing the steering angle of the unmanned vehicle 20, a travel motor for driving the unmanned vehicle 20, and a brake.

[0032] The position sensor 23 of the unmanned vehicle 20 measures the position of the unmanned vehicle 20 (the vehicle itself) and outputs the measured position to the driving control device 21. The position sensor 23 is, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) that specifies the position using a signal from a satellite, or a combination of a GPS and an inertial measurement unit (IMU), or a device that specifies the position using radio waves from a base station installed on the ground.

[0033] The speed sensor 24 of the unmanned vehicle 20 measures the speed of the unmanned vehicle 20 (host vehicle) and outputs the measured speed to the travel control device 21. The speed sensor 24 is, for example, a rotary encoder that detects the rotation speed of the wheels, a GPS that measures the speed from the change in the position of the unmanned vehicle 20, an inertial measurement device, or a speed estimation device based on a combination of these.

[0034] The cargo sensor 25 of the unmanned vehicle 20 measures the weight of the cargo (i.e., the cargo amount) loaded in the unmanned vehicle 20 (host vehicle), and outputs the measured cargo amount to the travel control device 21. The cargo sensor 25 is, for example, a weight sensor provided in the seat portion of the cargo box, or a device that estimates the weight based on the pressure of a hydraulic cylinder that moves the cargo box.

[0035] The storage device 26 of the unmanned vehicle 20 is a nonvolatile storage medium capable of reading and writing information, and stores an OS (Operating System), various control programs, application programs, databases, etc. The storage device 26 also includes a map data storage unit 261 for storing map data.

[0036] The wireless communication device 27 of the unmanned vehicle 20 is a wireless device for connecting the travel control device 21 to the wireless communication loop 40. The travel control device 21 of the unmanned vehicle 20 transmits and receives information and commands to and from the control control device 31 of the control station 30 via the wireless communication device 27 and the like.

[0037] The driving control device 21 of the unmanned vehicle 20 is composed of a microcomputer that combines, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that performs calculations, a ROM (Read Only Memory) as a secondary storage device that stores programs for calculations, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) as a temporary storage device that stores calculation processes and temporary control variables. The driving control device 21 has an information management unit 211 and an autonomous driving control unit 212 as functional components.

[0038] The information management unit 211 of the travel control device 21 manages the position information obtained by the position sensor 23 , the speed information obtained by the speed sensor 24 , and the cargo volume information obtained by the cargo sensor 25 , and sends these information to the control control device 31 of the control station 30 .

[0039] The autonomous driving control unit 212 of the driving control device 21 generates a control signal (e.g., an acceleration / deceleration control signal and a steering control signal) for driving the unmanned vehicle 20 in a manner that follows the driving path and does not deviate from the driving permission zone, based on the above-mentioned information on the position, speed, and cargo volume, and the command received from the control control unit 31 of the control bureau 30 (in detail, the driving path of the unmanned vehicle 20 and the information on the driving permission zone). The autonomous driving control unit 212 outputs the generated control signal to the driving drive device 22. In this way, the driving of the unmanned vehicle 20 is controlled.

[0040] The guide vehicle 90 is a vehicle permanently stationed at the work site (e.g., a passenger car used for workers to move), and is pre-equipped with a management control device 91, an input device 92, a position sensor 93, an output device 94, a setting device 95, and a wireless communication device 97.

[0041] The input device 92 of the guidance vehicle 90 is, for example, a button provided on the edge of a touch panel or a display, and when the driver of the guidance vehicle 90 operates the input device 92 , the operation information is output to the management control device 91 .

[0042] The position sensor 93 of the guide vehicle 90 measures the position of the guide vehicle 90 (the vehicle itself), and outputs the measured position to the management control device 91. In addition, the position sensor 93 also calculates the position accuracy along with the position measurement, and outputs the calculated position accuracy information to the management control device 91. In addition, the position sensor 93 is, for example, a GPS, and the position accuracy information is, for example, information on the GPS positioning mode (for example, information indicating any one of a high-precision positioning mode using a correction signal, a single positioning mode not using a correction signal, and a positioning impossible state).

[0043] The output device 94 of the guide vehicle 90 is, for example, a liquid crystal display and a speaker, and displays information about the state of the guide vehicle 90 (the vehicle) and the surrounding environment, and outputs an alarm (for example, displays a message on a display or sounds a warning sound on a speaker) according to instructions from the management control device 91. In addition, the output device 94 may also be configured to be integrated with the input device 92.

[0044] The setting device 95 of the guide vehicle 90 is, for example, a button provided on the edge of a touch panel or a display, and sets the guided vehicle 50 (described in detail later) to be guided by the guide vehicle 90 (host vehicle).

[0045] The wireless communication device 97 of the guide vehicle 90 is a wireless device for connecting the management control device 91 to the wireless communication loop 40. The management control device 91 of the guide vehicle 90 transmits and receives information and instructions to and from the control control device 31 of the control station 30 via the wireless communication device 97 and the like.

[0046] The management control device 91 of the guide vehicle 90 is composed of a microcomputer that combines, for example, a CPU that performs calculations, a ROM as a secondary storage device that stores programs for calculations, and a RAM as a temporary storage device that stores calculation results and temporary control variables. The management control device 91 has an information management unit 911, a communication anomaly detection unit 912, and an alarm control unit 913 as functional components.

[0047] The information management unit 911 of the management control device 91 manages the position information and position accuracy information obtained by the position sensor 93, the operation information input by the input device 92, and the information of the guided vehicle set by the setting device 95, and periodically transmits this information to the control control device 31 of the control station 30. The transmission cycle is, for example, 0.5 seconds.

[0048] The communication anomaly detection unit 912 of the management control device 91 periodically receives a signal from the control control device 31 of the control station 30. The reception cycle is, for example, 0.5 seconds, which is the same as the transmission cycle. When the state in which the signal from the control control device 31 of the control station 30 is not received continues for a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds), the communication anomaly detection unit 912 determines that the communication state between the guide vehicle 90 and the control station 30 is abnormal.

[0049] When the communication abnormality detection unit 912 determines that the communication state between the guide vehicle 90 and the control station 30 is abnormal, the alarm control unit 913 of the management control device 91 outputs a command to the output device 94 to output an alarm. In addition, when the alarm control unit 913 receives an alarm command from the control control device 31 of the control station 30, it outputs a command to the output device 94 to output an alarm (described in detail later).

[0050] The guided vehicle 50 is a vehicle temporarily stranded at the work site (such as an emergency vehicle and a cleaning vehicle), and is temporarily equipped with a management control device 51, an input device 52, a position sensor 53, an output device 54, and a wireless communication device 57. In addition, the management control device 51, the input device 52, the position sensor 53, the output device 54, and the wireless communication device 57 can also be integrally configured as a mobile terminal.

[0051] The input device 52 of the guided vehicle 50 is, for example, a button provided on the edge of a touch panel or a display, and when the driver of the guided vehicle 50 operates the input device 52 , the operation information is output to the management control device 51 .

[0052] The position sensor 53 of the guided vehicle 50 measures the position of the guided vehicle 50 (the vehicle itself), and outputs the measured position to the management control device 51. In addition, the position sensor 53 also calculates the position accuracy along with the position measurement, and outputs the calculated position accuracy information to the management control device 51. In addition, the position sensor 53 is, for example, a GPS, and the position accuracy information is, for example, information on the GPS positioning mode (for example, information indicating any one of a high-precision positioning mode using a correction signal, a single positioning mode not using a correction signal, and a positioning impossible state).

[0053] The output device 54 of the guided vehicle 50 is, for example, a liquid crystal display and a speaker, and displays information about the state of the guided vehicle 50 (the vehicle itself) and the surrounding environment, and outputs an alarm (for example, displays a message on a display or sounds a warning sound on a speaker) according to instructions from the management control device 51. In addition, the output device 54 may also be configured to be integrated with the input device 52.

[0054] The wireless communication device 57 of the guided vehicle 50 is a wireless device for connecting the management control device 51 to the wireless communication loop 40. The management control device 51 of the guided vehicle 50 transmits and receives information and instructions to and from the control control device 31 of the control station 30 via the wireless communication device 57 and the like.

[0055] The management control device 51 of the guided vehicle 50 is composed of a microcomputer that combines, for example, a CPU that performs calculations, a ROM that stores programs for calculations as a secondary storage device, and a RAM that stores calculation results and temporary control variables as a temporary storage device. The management control device 51 has an information management unit 511, a communication anomaly detection unit 512, and an alarm control unit 513 as functional components.

[0056] The information management unit 511 of the management control device 51 manages the position information and position accuracy information obtained by the position sensor 53 and the operation information input by the input device 52, and periodically transmits these information to the management control device 31 of the control station 30. The transmission cycle is, for example, 0.5 seconds.

[0057] The communication anomaly detection unit 512 of the management control device 51 periodically receives a signal from the control control device 31 of the control station 30. The reception cycle is, for example, 0.5 seconds, which is the same as the transmission cycle. When the state in which the signal from the control control device 31 of the control station 30 is not received continues for a predetermined time (for example, 5 seconds), the communication anomaly detection unit 512 determines that the communication state between the guided vehicle 50 and the control station 30 is abnormal.

[0058] When the communication abnormality detection unit 512 determines that the communication state between the guided vehicle 50 and the control station 30 is abnormal, the alarm control unit 513 of the management control device 51 outputs a command to the output device 54 to output an alarm. In addition, when the alarm control unit 513 receives an alarm command from the control control device 31 of the control station 30, it outputs a command to the output device 94 to output an alarm (described in detail later).

[0059] The control station 30 includes a control control device 31 , a storage device 32 , and a wireless communication device 33 .

[0060] The storage device 32 of the control station 30 is a non-volatile storage medium capable of reading and writing information, and stores an OS (Operating System), various control programs, application programs, databases, etc. The storage device 32 includes a vehicle allocation management information storage unit 321 , a control information storage unit 322 , and a map data storage unit 323 .

[0061] The wireless communication device 33 of the control station 30 is a wireless device for connecting the control control device 31 to the wireless communication loop 40. The control control device 31 of the control station 30 transmits and receives information and instructions between the driving control device 21 of the unmanned vehicle 20, the management control device 91 of the guide vehicle 90, or the management control device 51 of the guided vehicle 50 via the wireless communication device 33 or the like.

[0062] The control control device 31 of the control station 30 is composed of a microcomputer that combines, for example, a CPU that performs calculations, a ROM that stores programs for calculations as a secondary storage device, and a RAM that stores calculation results and temporary control variables as a temporary storage device. The control control device 31 has a vehicle allocation management unit 311, a control control unit 312, an unmanned vehicle prohibited area setting unit 313, an abnormal state detection unit 314, and an inter-vehicle distance calculation unit 315 as a functional structure.

[0063] The vehicle allocation management unit 311 of the control control device 31 sets a travel path for the unmanned vehicle 20 until it reaches the destination based on the position information of the unmanned vehicle 20 received from the driving control unit 21 of the unmanned vehicle 20. For example, when the unmanned vehicle 20 is at the loading site, the travel path for the unmanned vehicle 20 is set until it reaches the soil unloading site. Also, when the unmanned vehicle 20 is at the soil unloading site, the travel path for the unmanned vehicle 20 is set until it reaches the loading site. The vehicle allocation management unit 311 stores the set travel path of the unmanned vehicle 20 as vehicle allocation management information in the vehicle allocation management information storage unit 321 of the storage device 32.

[0064] like Figure 3 As shown, the vehicle allocation management information is in a table format, for example, and includes the identification information of the unmanned vehicle, that is, the vehicle ID, and the driving route set for each vehicle ID. The driving route is, for example, a driving route from the loading site exit point node_Lout to the unloading site entrance point node_Din, or a driving route from the unloading site exit point node_Dout to the loading site entrance point node_Lin. The driving route is based on the transport road of the map data and is composed of sections divided by nodes.

[0065] The unmanned vehicle prohibited entry area setting unit 313 of the control control device 31 sets the prohibited entry area of ​​the unmanned vehicle 20 based on the position information of the guide vehicle 90 received from the management control device 91 of the guide vehicle 90 and the position information of the guided vehicle 50 received from the management control device 51 of the guided vehicle 50 (described in detail later), and stores it as control information in the control information storage unit 322.

[0066] The control control unit 312 of the control control device 31 extracts the section in front of the unmanned vehicle 20 based on the position information of the unmanned vehicle 20 received from the driving control device 21 of the unmanned vehicle 20. For the section in front of the unmanned vehicle 20, if it is not set as a driving allowed section for other vehicles and is not set as a prohibited entry area, it is set as a driving allowed section for the unmanned vehicle 20, and this is stored as control information in the control information storage unit 322 of the storage device 32.

[0067] like Figure 4 As shown, the control information is in a tabular form, for example, including: "Node ID·Path ID"; "No Entry Sign" indicating whether the interval shown by each node ID·path ID is an unmanned vehicle prohibited entry area; and "Drive-Permitted Vehicle" indicating whether the interval shown by each node ID·path ID is an unmanned vehicle permitted driving interval and indicating the identification information of the unmanned vehicle.

[0068] The abnormal state detection unit 314 of the control control device 31 detects the abnormal state of the position information of the guided vehicle 50 based on the communication state and position accuracy information of the guided vehicle 50. To be more specific, the abnormal state detection unit 314 periodically receives a signal from the management control device 51 of the guided vehicle 50. The reception period is, for example, 0.5 seconds. When the state in which the signal from the management control device 51 of the guided vehicle 50 is not received continues for a predetermined time (for example, 5 seconds, etc.), the abnormal state detection unit 314 determines that the communication state between the guided vehicle 50 and the control station 30 is abnormal, and then detects the abnormal state of the position information of the guided vehicle 50. In addition, when the position accuracy information of the guided vehicle 50 received from the management control device 51 of the guided vehicle 50 is lower than a predetermined level, the abnormal state detection unit 314 detects the abnormal state of the position information of the guided vehicle 50.

[0069] The vehicle distance calculation unit 315 of the control control device 31 calculates the vehicle distance between the guide vehicle 90 and the guided vehicle 50 along the transport road based on the position information of the guide vehicle 90 before the detection of the above-mentioned abnormal state and the position information of the guided vehicle 50 (specifically, the guided vehicle 50 set as the guidance object of the guide vehicle 90).

[0070] Next, a method of setting a guidance target for the guidance vehicle 90 will be described.

[0071] The output device 94 of the guide vehicle 90 usually displays a screen 70 showing the surrounding environment information of the guide vehicle 90 (host vehicle). Figure 5 As shown in (a), the screen 70 displays the shape of the transport road 60, the position of the guide vehicle 90, the unmanned vehicle prohibited entry area 98 set based on the position of the guide vehicle 90, the position of the unmanned vehicle 20, and the driving permission zone 28 set for the unmanned vehicle 20.

[0072] The screen 70 has a guide mode button 71. When the guide mode button 71 is operated by the setting device 95 for guiding the vehicle 90, a selection dialog box 72 is displayed on the output device 94. For example Figure 5 As shown in (b) of FIG. 1 , the selection dialog box 72 includes a guide target list 73 showing a plurality of guided vehicles (vehicle IDs), an OK button 74, and a Cancel button 75. When a guide vehicle in the guide target list 73 is selected by the setting device 95 and the OK button 74 is operated, the guide target of the guide vehicle 90 is set. When the Cancel button 75 is operated by the setting device 95, the display of the selection dialog box 72 is canceled.

[0073] The information management unit 911 of the management control device 91 of the guide vehicle 90 manages the information of the guided vehicle 50 set as the guidance target of the guide vehicle 90 as described above, and transmits the information to the control control device 31 of the control station 30 .

[0074] Next, use Figure 6 The setting process of the unmanned vehicle prohibited entry area setting by the control control device 31 will be described. Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing the process of setting the no-entry-to-no-man's-car area by the control control device in this embodiment.

[0075] In step S501, the unmanned vehicle prohibited area setting unit 313 of the control control device 31 determines whether a guidance target of the guide vehicle 90 has been set. If a guidance target of the guide vehicle 90 has not been set, the process proceeds to step S502.

[0076] In step S502 , the unmanned vehicle no-entry area setting unit 313 of the control control device 31 sets an unmanned vehicle no-entry area based on the position information of the guide vehicle 90 .

[0077] If using Figure 7 Detailed description of (a) of FIG. 3 , the unmanned vehicle prohibited entry area setting unit 313 of the control control device 31 uses the current position 931 of the guide vehicle 90 as the reference coordinate, takes out a front margin of length Lf in the front of the proceeding direction calculated based on the difference between the position at the previous time, takes out a rear margin of length Lb in the rear of the proceeding direction, and takes out a width margin of length W / 2 in the left and right directions perpendicular to the proceeding direction (total length W). Then, the rectangular area defined by the front margin, rear margin, and width margin is set as the unmanned vehicle prohibited entry area 98.

[0078] Furthermore, by appropriately setting each parameter of Lf, Lb, and W, the unmanned vehicle no-entry area 98 can be set so that the guide vehicle 90 exists in the unmanned vehicle no-entry area 98. For example, Lf, Lb, and W can be set to vary according to the body size of the guide vehicle 90. In addition, Lf can be set to vary according to the speed of the guide vehicle 90, that is, the higher the speed of the guide vehicle 90, the longer Lf.

[0079] If the guidance target of the guide vehicle 90 is set in step S501, the process proceeds to step S503. In step S503, the unmanned vehicle prohibited area setting unit 313 of the control control device 31 determines whether the abnormal state detection unit 314 detects an abnormal state in the position information of the guided vehicle 50 set as the guidance target of the guide vehicle 90.

[0080] If no abnormal state of the position information of the guided vehicle 50 is detected in step S503, the process proceeds to step S504. In step S504, the unmanned vehicle no-entry area setting unit 313 of the control control device 31 sets an unmanned vehicle no-entry area based on the position information of the guide vehicle 90 and the position information of the guided vehicle 50.

[0081] If using Figure 7 (b) is described in detail, the unmanned vehicle prohibited entry area setting unit 313 of the control control device 31 extracts the area setting object node 61 based on the map data stored in the map data storage unit 323, the history of the position of the guide vehicle 90 in the past prescribed time, and the current position of the guided vehicle 50. That is, for example, on the node point sequence of the map data located near the position history of the guide vehicle 90, the node near the position of the guided vehicle 50 is extracted as the area setting object node 61.

[0082] Furthermore, the unmanned vehicle prohibited entry area setting unit 313 of the control control device 31 takes the current position 931 of the guide vehicle 90 as the reference coordinate, takes the front margin of the length Lf in the front of the proceeding direction, takes the current position 531 of the guided vehicle 50 as the reference coordinate, takes the rear margin of the length Lb in the rear of the proceeding direction, and takes the current position 931 of the guide vehicle 90, the current position 531 of the guided vehicle 50, and the area setting object node 61 as the respective reference coordinates, respectively, and takes the width margin of the length W / 2 in the left and right directions perpendicular to the proceeding direction (total length W). Then, the polygonal area defined by the front margin, the rear margin, and the width margin is set as the unmanned vehicle prohibited entry area 98.

[0083] If an abnormal state of the position information of the guided vehicle 50 is detected in step S503, the process proceeds to steps S505 to S507. In step S505, the inter-vehicle distance calculation unit 315 of the control control device 31 calculates the inter-vehicle distance between the guide vehicle 90 and the guided vehicle 50 based on the position information of the guide vehicle 90 before the abnormal state is detected and the position information of the guided vehicle 50. In step S506, the unmanned vehicle prohibited entry area setting unit 313 of the control control device 31 sets the unmanned vehicle prohibited entry area based on the current position information of the guide vehicle 90 and the inter-vehicle distance calculated by the inter-vehicle distance calculation unit 315.

[0084] Use the detection before indicating abnormal status Figure 7 (b) and after detection of abnormal state Figure 7 (c) is described in detail. Figure 7As shown in (b), the vehicle distance calculation unit 315 of the control control device 31 takes the position 931 of the guide vehicle 90 before the detection of the abnormal state as the starting point and the position 531 of the guided vehicle 50 before the detection of the abnormal state as the end point, calculates the distance between the starting point and the end point of the object node 61 set along the area and uses it as the vehicle distance L.

[0085] like Figure 7 As shown in (c) of FIG. 1 , the inter-vehicle distance calculation unit 315 of the control control device 31 extracts the area setting target node 61 based on the map data stored in the map data storage unit 323, the history of the position of the guide vehicle 90 in the past predetermined time, and the inter-vehicle distance L calculated by the inter-vehicle distance calculation unit 315. That is, for example, on the node point sequence of the map data located near the position history of the guide vehicle 90, the area setting target node 61 is extracted until the rear end node whose distance from the current position 931 of the guide vehicle 90 is equivalent to the inter-vehicle distance L.

[0086] Furthermore, the unmanned vehicle prohibited entry area setting unit 313 of the control control device 31 takes the current position 931 of the guide vehicle 90 as the reference coordinate and extracts the front margin of the length Lf in the front of the proceeding direction, takes the rear margin of the length Lb in the rear of the proceeding direction with the rear end node in the area setting object node 61 as the reference coordinate, and takes the width margin of the length W / 2 in the left and right directions perpendicular to the proceeding direction (total length W) with the current position 931 of the guide vehicle 90 and the area setting object node 61 as the respective reference coordinates. Then, the polygonal area defined by the front margin, the rear margin, and the width margin is set as the unmanned vehicle prohibited entry area 98.

[0087] In step S507, the unmanned vehicle prohibited area setting unit 313 of the control control device 31 sends an alarm instruction to the management control device 91 of the guide vehicle 90 and the management control device 51 of the guided vehicle 50 to urge the maintenance of the inter-vehicle distance between the guide vehicle 90 and the guided vehicle 50. When receiving the alarm instruction, the alarm control unit 913 of the management control device 91 of the guide vehicle 90 outputs an instruction to the output device 94 to execute the output of the alarm urging the maintenance of the inter-vehicle distance.

[0088] When the alarm control unit 513 of the management control device 51 of the guided vehicle 50 receives the above-mentioned alarm command, it outputs a command to the output device 54 to output an alarm urging the maintenance of the inter-vehicle distance. When the communication abnormality detection unit 512 determines that the communication state between the guided vehicle 50 and the control station 30 is abnormal, the alarm control unit 513 of the management control device 51 of the guided vehicle 50 also outputs a command to the output device 54 to output an alarm urging the maintenance of the inter-vehicle distance. In addition, even if the alarm control unit 513 of the management control device 51 of the guided vehicle 50 does not receive the above-mentioned alarm command, it may output a command to the output device 54 to output an alarm urging the maintenance of the inter-vehicle distance when the position accuracy information of the guided vehicle 50 is lower than a predetermined level.

[0089] After the processing of step S502, step S504 or step S507 is completed, the process proceeds to step S508. In step S508, the unmanned vehicle prohibited entry area setting unit 313 of the control control device 31 stores the information of the set prohibited entry area as control information in the control information storage unit 322, and transmits it to the management control device 91 of the guide vehicle 90. The management control device 91 of the guide vehicle 90 displays the unmanned vehicle prohibited entry area on the screen of the output device 94 based on the received information.

[0090] In the vehicle management system 1 of the present embodiment configured as described above, the control control device 31 sets the unmanned vehicle no-entry area based on the position information of the guide vehicle 90 and the position information of the guided vehicle 50 when the abnormal state of the position information of the guided vehicle 50 is not detected, so that the collision between the guide vehicle 90 or the guided vehicle 50 and the unmanned vehicle 20 can be avoided. The control control device 31 sets the unmanned vehicle no-entry area based on the position information of the guide vehicle 90 and the inter-vehicle distance when the abnormal state of the position information of the guided vehicle 50 is detected, and the output device 94 of the guide vehicle 90 and the output device 54 of the guided vehicle 50 output an alarm urging to maintain the inter-vehicle distance, so that the collision between the guide vehicle 90 or the guided vehicle 50 and the unmanned vehicle 20 can be avoided. Here, unlike the conventional technology, the unmanned vehicle no-entry area when the abnormal state of the position information of the guided vehicle 50 is detected is not expanded compared to the unmanned vehicle no-entry area when the abnormal state of the position information of the guided vehicle 50 is not detected. Therefore, the travelable range of the unmanned vehicle 20 does not become smaller, and the reduction in productivity can be suppressed.

[0091] In this embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the same parts as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0092] In this embodiment, the abnormal state detection unit 314 of the control control device 31 determines whether the abnormal state of the position information of the guide vehicle 90 is detected based on the communication state and position accuracy information of the guide vehicle 90. As described in detail, the abnormal state detection unit 314 periodically receives a signal from the management control device 91 of the guide vehicle 90. The reception period is, for example, 0.5 seconds. When the state in which the signal from the management control device 91 of the guide vehicle 90 is not received continues for a predetermined time (for example, 5 seconds, etc.), the abnormal state detection unit 314 determines that the communication state between the guide vehicle 90 and the control station 30 is abnormal, and the abnormal state of the position information of the guide vehicle 90 is detected. In addition, when the position accuracy information of the guide vehicle 90 received from the management control device 91 of the guide vehicle 90 is lower than a predetermined level, the abnormal state detection unit 314 determines that the abnormal state of the position information of the guide vehicle 90 is detected.

[0093] The unmanned vehicle no-entry area setting unit 313 of the control control device 31 sets an unmanned vehicle no-entry area accordingly not only when an abnormal state of the position information of the guided vehicle 50 is detected, but also when an abnormal state of the position information of the guide vehicle 90 is detected.

[0094] Figure 8 as well as Fig. 9 This is a flowchart showing the process of setting the no-entry-to-no-man's-car area by the control control device in this embodiment.

[0095] In step S501, the unmanned vehicle prohibited area setting unit 313 of the control control device 31 determines whether a guidance target of the guide vehicle 90 has been set. If a guidance target of the guide vehicle 90 has not been set, the process proceeds to step S509.

[0096] In step S509, the unmanned vehicle prohibited entry area setting unit 313 of the control control device 31 determines whether the abnormal state of the position information of the guide vehicle 90 is detected by the abnormal state detection unit 314. When the abnormal state of the position information of the guide vehicle 90 is not detected, the process proceeds to step S502. In step S502, the unmanned vehicle prohibited entry area setting unit 313 of the control control device 31 sets the unmanned vehicle prohibited entry area based on the position information of the guide vehicle 90 (the details are the same as those of the first embodiment).

[0097] In step S509, when an abnormal state of the position information of the guide vehicle 90 is detected, the process proceeds to step S510. In step S510, the unmanned vehicle no-entry area setting unit 313 of the control control device 31 sets the unmanned vehicle no-entry area based on the position information of the guide vehicle 90 before the abnormal state is detected. In step S511, the unmanned vehicle no-entry area setting unit 313 of the control control device 31 sends an alarm command to the management control device 91 of the guide vehicle 90 to urge the guide vehicle 90 to stop. When receiving the above-mentioned alarm command, the alarm control unit 913 of the management control device 91 of the guide vehicle 90 outputs a command to the output device 94 to execute the output of the alarm urging the guide vehicle to stop.

[0098] If using Fig.10 (a) is described in detail, a circular area with the position 931 of the guide vehicle 90 before the abnormal state is detected as the center and the maximum value of the front margin Lf and the rear margin Lb as the radius is set as the unmanned vehicle prohibited entry area 99. For example, Lf is set to change according to the speed of the guide vehicle 90 before the abnormal state is detected (in other words, the braking distance), that is, the higher the speed of the guide vehicle 90, the longer Lf. Thus, as long as the guide vehicle 90 stops according to the alarm urging the stop, the guide vehicle 90 can stay in the unmanned vehicle prohibited entry area 99.

[0099] If the guide target of the guide vehicle 90 is set in step S501, the process proceeds to step S512. In step S512, similarly to step S509, the unmanned vehicle prohibited area setting unit 313 of the control control device 31 determines whether the abnormal state of the position information of the guide vehicle 90 is detected by the abnormal state detection unit 314. If the abnormal state of the position information of the guide vehicle 90 is not detected, the process proceeds to the above-mentioned step S513. Figure 6 The following steps are the same as those of the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

[0100] If an abnormal state of the position information of the guide vehicle 90 is detected in step S512, the process proceeds to steps S513 and S514. In step S513, the inter-vehicle distance calculation unit 315 of the control control device 31 calculates the inter-vehicle distance between the guide vehicle 90 and the guided vehicle 50 based on the position information of the guide vehicle 90 before the abnormal state is detected and the position information of the guided vehicle 50. In step S514, the unmanned vehicle prohibited entry area setting unit 313 of the control control device 31 sets the unmanned vehicle prohibited entry area based on the position information of the guide vehicle 90 before the abnormal state is detected and the inter-vehicle distance calculated by the inter-vehicle distance calculation unit 315.

[0101] If using Fig.10(b) is described in detail, the inter-vehicle distance calculation unit 315 of the control control device 31 extracts the area setting object node 61 based on the map data stored in the map data storage unit 323, the history of the position of the guide vehicle 90 in the past predetermined time, and the inter-vehicle distance L calculated by the inter-vehicle distance calculation unit 315. That is, for example, among the node point sequence of the map data located near the position history of the guide vehicle 90, the area setting object node 61 is extracted until the rear end node whose distance from the position 931 of the guide vehicle 90 before the abnormal state detection is equivalent to the inter-vehicle distance L.

[0102] Furthermore, the unmanned vehicle prohibited entry area setting unit 313 of the control control device 31 takes the position 931 of the guide vehicle 90 before the abnormal state is detected as the reference coordinate and takes the front margin of the length Lf in the front of the proceeding direction, and takes the rear margin of the length Lb in the rear of the proceeding direction with the rear end node in the area setting object node 61 as the reference coordinate. Furthermore, a circular area having the position 931 of the guide vehicle 90 before the abnormal state is detected as the center and the maximum value of the sum of the front margin Lf, the inter-vehicle distance L, and the rear margin Lb as the radius is set as the unmanned vehicle prohibited entry area 99.

[0103] In step S515, the unmanned vehicle prohibited entry area setting unit 313 of the control control device 31 sends a command of an alarm urging the guide vehicle 90 to stop to the management control device 91 of the guide vehicle 90. When receiving the above-mentioned alarm command, the alarm control unit 913 of the management control device 91 of the guide vehicle 90 outputs a command to the output device 94 to output an alarm urging the guide vehicle 90 to stop. When the communication abnormality detection unit 912 determines that the communication state between the guide vehicle 90 and the control station 30 is abnormal, the alarm control unit 913 of the management control device 91 of the guide vehicle 90 also outputs a command to the output device 94 to output an alarm urging the guide vehicle 90 to stop. In addition, even if the alarm control unit 913 of the management control device 91 of the guide vehicle 90 does not receive the above-mentioned alarm command, it can output a command to the output device 94 to output an alarm urging the guide vehicle 90 to stop when the position accuracy information of the guide vehicle 90 is lower than the prescribed level.

[0104] In addition, in step S515, the unmanned vehicle prohibited area setting unit 313 of the control control device 31 sends a command of an alarm urging the guided vehicle 50 to stop to the management control device 51 of the guided vehicle 50. When receiving the command of the alarm, the alarm control unit 513 of the management control device 51 of the guided vehicle 50 outputs a command to the output device 54 to output the alarm urging the vehicle to stop.

[0105] After the processing of step S502, step S511 or step S515 is completed, the process proceeds to step S508. In step S508, the unmanned vehicle prohibited entry area setting unit 313 of the control control device 31 stores the information of the set prohibited entry area as control information in the control information storage unit 322, and transmits it to the management control device 91 of the guide vehicle 90. The management control device 91 of the guide vehicle 90 displays the unmanned vehicle prohibited entry area on the screen of the output device 94 based on the received information.

[0106] The vehicle management system 1 of the present embodiment constructed as described above can also obtain the same effects as those of the first embodiment. In addition, in the vehicle management system 1 of the present embodiment, when the control control device 31 detects an abnormal state of the position information of the guide vehicle 90, it sets the unmanned vehicle prohibited entry area based on the position information of the guide vehicle 90 and the vehicle-to-vehicle distance, and the output device 94 of the guide vehicle 90 and the output device 54 of the guided vehicle 50 output an alarm urging the guide vehicle 90 or the guided vehicle 50 to stop, thereby avoiding a collision between the guide vehicle 90 or the guided vehicle 50 and the unmanned vehicle 20.

[0107] Description of Reference Numerals

[0108] 1Vehicle Management System

[0109] 20Unmanned Vehicles

[0110] 21 Travel control device

[0111] 23 Position sensor (1st position sensor)

[0112] 30 Control Bureau

[0113] 50 guided vehicles

[0114] 51 Management and control device

[0115] 53 position sensor (second position sensor)

[0116] 54 Output device

[0117] 90 Guided Vehicle

[0118] 91 Management and control device

[0119] 93 position sensor (3rd position sensor)

[0120] 94 Output device

[0121] 95 Setting device.

Claims

1. A vehicle management system, which enables an unmanned vehicle, a guided vehicle, a leading vehicle and a control station to communicate with each other, wherein the unmanned vehicle can travel autonomously, the guided vehicle is a manned vehicle, the leading vehicle is a manned vehicle, and travels ahead of the guided vehicle and guides the guided vehicle, and the control station controls the unmanned vehicle based on the position information of the leading vehicle and the position information of the guided vehicle, wherein the vehicle management system is characterized in that: The control station receives the position information of the unmanned vehicle obtained by the first position sensor provided in the unmanned vehicle, and sends a command to a travel control device provided in the unmanned vehicle and controlling the travel of the unmanned vehicle, The control station receives the position information and position accuracy information of the guided vehicle obtained by a second position sensor provided on the guided vehicle, The control bureau outputs a command to a management control device, which receives information of the guided vehicle set as the guidance object of the guide vehicle by a setting device provided on the guide vehicle and position information and position accuracy information of the guide vehicle obtained by a third position sensor provided on the guide vehicle, and controls an output device provided on the guide vehicle and capable of outputting an alarm, The control station includes a control control device, which sets a prohibited entry area for the unmanned vehicle based on the position information of the guide vehicle and the position information of the guided vehicle, and controls the unmanned vehicle so that the unmanned vehicle does not enter the prohibited entry area. The control device is composed of: determining whether an abnormal state of the position information of the guided vehicle is detected based on the communication state and the position accuracy information of the guided vehicle, When no abnormal state of the position information of the guided vehicle is detected, the prohibited entry area of ​​the unmanned vehicle is set based on the position information of the guiding vehicle and the position information of the guided vehicle, When an abnormal state of the position information of the guided vehicle is detected, the inter-vehicle distance between the guiding vehicle and the guided vehicle is calculated based on the position information of the guiding vehicle before the abnormal state is detected and the position information of the guided vehicle, and the prohibited entry area for the unmanned vehicle is set based on the current position information of the guiding vehicle and the inter-vehicle distance. When an abnormal state of the position information of the guided vehicle is detected, the output device outputs an alarm urging the guide vehicle to maintain a distance between the guide vehicle and the guided vehicle.

2. The vehicle management system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guided vehicle has a management control device and an output device which is controlled by the management control device of the guided vehicle and is capable of outputting an alarm. When an abnormal state of the position information of the guided vehicle is detected, the output device of the guided vehicle outputs an alarm urging the guide vehicle to maintain a distance between the guide vehicle and the guided vehicle.

3. The vehicle management system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control device is composed of: determining whether an abnormal state of the position information of the guide vehicle is detected based on the communication state and the position accuracy information of the guide vehicle, When an abnormal state of the position information of the guide vehicle is detected, the inter-vehicle distance between the guide vehicle and the guided vehicle is calculated based on the position information of the guide vehicle before the detection of the abnormal state and the position information of the guided vehicle, and the prohibited entry area for the unmanned vehicle is set based on the position information of the guide vehicle before the detection of the abnormal state and the inter-vehicle distance. When an abnormal state of the position information of the guide vehicle is detected, the output device of the guide vehicle outputs an alarm urging the guide vehicle to stop.

4. The vehicle management system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The guided vehicle has a management control device and an output device which is controlled by the management control device of the guided vehicle and is capable of outputting an alarm. When an abnormal state of the position information of the guide vehicle is detected, the output device of the guided vehicle outputs an alarm urging the guided vehicle to stop.

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