An automatic unloading control device and control method for driverless vehicles

Abstract

An automatic unloading control device and control method for driverless vehicles. The unmanned unloading control device controls the opening and closing of the electric tailgate; controls the start and stop of the unloading device; before the vehicle starts unmanned unloading, it not only receives the "stop at the unloading area" signal sent by the intelligent driving domain controller, but also judges the vehicle speed and the status of the electronic handbrake to ensure that the vehicle unloads in a safe environment; after the vehicle meets the unloading conditions, it sends an instruction to require the vehicle controller to open the power take-off solenoid valve to provide power for the upper-mounted hydraulic cylinder. The unmanned unloading control device monitors the status of the solenoid valve in real time. After the solenoid valve is opened, it opens the electric tailgate and monitors in real time whether the tailgate is opened to the calibrated angle. After the tailgate is successfully opened, it opens the solenoid valve of the unloading device for unloading, and judges whether the unloading device is opened by detecting the oil cylinder pressure; after the vehicle completes unloading, it closes the unloading device and the electric tailgate in sequence, and requires the vehicle controller to close the power take-off solenoid valve; after the execution is completed, it can request the vehicle to continue to perform the transportation task.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of vehicle engineering, and particularly relates to an automatic unloading control device and a control method for driverless vehicles. Background Art

[0002] With the development of the automotive industry, driverless is the development trend. Especially in enclosed factory areas with relatively single operation scenarios, driverless vehicles for transporting containers, sand and gravel, coal, iron powder, etc., represented by docks and mining areas, have been gradually put into operation. At present, the technologies for controlling the chassis of driverless vehicles in driving, obstacle avoidance, stopping, etc. have become increasingly mature, but there are still serious deficiencies in the intelligent unloading of vehicles. The existing unloading methods for vehicles transporting sand and gravel, coal, and iron powder are mainly divided into two types: lifting the cargo box and using a vehicle unloading device. Among them, most of the vehicles equipped with unloading devices are controlled by staff operating a remote control to control the electric tailgate of the cargo box and the unloading device to achieve the unloading purpose. Manual operation of unloading goes against the purpose of unmanned operation and increases the human resource cost. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and provide an automatic unloading control device for driverless vehicles. In the unmanned unloading solution, manual unloading is considered, so that when the vehicle has an abnormality, manual operation can take over in time to ensure the safe operation of the vehicle.

[0004] The present invention provides an automatic unloading control device and a control method for driverless vehicles, including an unmanned unloading control device, an intelligent driving domain controller, a remote control, a vehicle controller, an electronic handbrake, a data communication component, a tailgate angle sensor, an oil cylinder pressure sensor, a tailgate open solenoid valve, a tailgate close solenoid valve, and a unloading device control solenoid valve. The intelligent driving domain controller is communicatively connected to the unmanned unloading control device, the remote control is wirelessly connected to the unmanned unloading control device, the vehicle speed terminal and the power take-off state terminal of the vehicle controller are connected to the unmanned unloading control device, the open power take-off instruction terminal of the unmanned unloading control device is connected to the vehicle controller, the electronic handbrake, the tailgate angle sensor, and the oil cylinder pressure sensor are respectively communicatively connected to the unmanned unloading control device, the tailgate open terminal of the unmanned unloading control device is connected to the tailgate open solenoid valve, the tailgate close terminal of the unmanned unloading control device is connected to the tailgate close solenoid valve, the conveyor belt control terminal of the unmanned unloading control device is connected to the unloading device solenoid valve, and the fault feedback terminal of the unmanned unloading control device is connected to the data communication component.

[0005] The present invention also provides a control method for an automatic unloading control device for driverless vehicles, including an unmanned unloading control scheme and a manual unloading control scheme;

[0006] Unmanned unloading control scheme:

[0007] Step S1: After the vehicle arrives at the unloading point, the driverless domain controller sends a "vehicle arrives at the unloading point signal".

[0008] Step S2: The upper body controller determines whether the vehicle speed is zero and whether the electronic handbrake status is "handbrake pulled up". If so, it enters Step S3; if not, it returns to Step S1.

[0009] Step S3: The upper body controller requests the vehicle controller to open the power take-off solenoid valve and simultaneously determines the status of the power take-off. If the power take-off is opened, it enters Step S4; if the power take-off is not opened, it sends a new opening request signal to the vehicle controller. If the power take-off is not opened within the preset time or a power take-off fault message is received, the sending stops.

[0010] Step S4: The upper body controller controls the "electric tailgate opening solenoid valve" to open and determines whether the electric tailgate is opened to the maximum position based on the "tailgate angle sensor" signal and records the oil cylinder pressure status. If it is determined that the tailgate has reached the maximum opening position, it enters Step S5; if the tailgate fails to open or cannot be opened to the maximum position within the preset time, it reports an "electric tailgate cannot be opened normally fault".

[0011] Step S5: The upper body controller controls the "unloading device solenoid valve" to open and determines whether the unloading device is working based on the oil cylinder pressure. If the unloading device is working, it enters Step S6; if the unloading device fails to open within the preset time, it reports an "unloading device cannot be opened fault".

[0012] Step S6: After the unloading device has worked for the calibrated time, the upper body controller sends a "request for the vehicle to move forward during unloading" message to the driverless domain controller. After receiving the message signal, the driverless domain controller drives at the preset vehicle speed. After driving to the calibrated distance, the vehicle stops and sends a "vehicle stops moving during unloading" instruction to the upper body controller, and the process enters Step S7.

[0013] Step S7: After the calibrated time, the upper body controller controls the "unloading device solenoid valve" to close and determines whether the unloading device is closed based on the oil cylinder pressure. If so, it enters Step S8; if it fails to close within the preset time, it reports an "unloading device cannot be closed fault".

[0014] Step S8: The upper body controller controls the "electric tailgate opening solenoid valve" to close and the "electric tailgate closing solenoid valve" to open, and determines whether the tailgate is closed based on the "tailgate angle sensor". If so, it enters Step S9; if it fails to close within the preset time, it reports an "electric tailgate cannot be closed fault".

[0015] Step S9: The upper body controller requests the vehicle controller to close the power take-off solenoid valve and simultaneously determines the status of the power take-off. If the power take-off is closed, it enters Step S10; if the power take-off is not closed, it sends a new closing request signal to the vehicle controller. If the power take-off is not closed within the preset time or a power take-off fault message is received, the sending stops.

[0016] Step S10: The upper controller sends a "completion of unloading" message to the driverless domain controller;

[0017] Manual unloading control scheme:

[0018] Step 1: After the upper controller receives the "electric tailgate opening signal" or "remote control to open the electric tailgate signal", it opens the electric tailgate;

[0019] Step 2: After the upper controller receives the "unloading device opening signal" or "remote control to open the unloading device signal", it opens the unloading device;

[0020] Step 3: After the upper controller receives the "unloading device closing signal" or "remote control to close the unloading device signal", it closes the unloading device;

[0021] Step 4: After the upper controller receives the "electric tailgate closing signal" or "remote control to close the electric tailgate signal", it closes the electric tailgate.

[0022] Furthermore, when switching between the unmanned unloading control scheme and the manual unloading control scheme:

[0023] During the execution of the unmanned unloading process by the vehicle, it continuously judges whether there is an intervention of the manual unloading instruction;

[0024] If the manual unloading process does not intervene, continue to execute the unmanned unloading process until the process ends; if the manual unloading process intervenes, immediately exit the unmanned unloading process and respond to the manual unloading instruction.

[0025] The advantages of the present invention are as follows:

[0026] 1. The device of the present invention cooperates with the driverless domain controller to truly realize unmanned operation.

[0027] 2. Through the angle sensor and detecting the oil cylinder pressure, the status monitoring of the tailgate and the unloading device can be realized, which can reduce the risk caused by manual judgment errors. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the control signal interaction of the device of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 It is a flowchart of the unmanned unloading control scheme of the method of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 It is a flowchart of the manual unloading control scheme of the method of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the conversion process between the unmanned unloading control scheme and the manual unloading control scheme of the method of the present invention. Detailed implementation mode

[0032] Please refer to Figure 1 , this embodiment provides an automatic unloading control device and control method for a driverless vehicle of the present invention, including an unmanned unloading control device, an intelligent driving domain controller, a remote controller, a vehicle controller, an electronic handbrake, a data communication component, a tailgate angle sensor, an oil cylinder pressure sensor, a tailgate open solenoid valve, a tailgate close solenoid valve, and a unloading device control solenoid valve. The intelligent driving domain controller is communicatively connected to the unmanned unloading control device, the remote controller is wirelessly connected to the unmanned unloading control device, the vehicle speed terminal and the power take-off state terminal of the vehicle controller are connected to the unmanned unloading control device, the open power take-off command terminal of the unmanned unloading control device is connected to the vehicle controller, the electronic handbrake, the tailgate angle sensor, and the oil cylinder pressure sensor are respectively communicatively connected to the unmanned unloading control device, the tailgate open terminal of the unmanned unloading control device is connected to the tailgate open solenoid valve, the tailgate close terminal of the unmanned unloading control device is connected to the tailgate close solenoid valve, the conveyor belt control terminal of the unmanned unloading control device is connected to the unloading device solenoid valve, and the fault feedback terminal of the unmanned unloading control device is connected to the data communication component.

[0033] A control method for an automatic unloading control device of a driverless vehicle includes an unmanned unloading control scheme and a manual unloading control scheme;

[0034] As Figure 2 shown, the unmanned unloading control scheme:

[0035] Step S1: After the vehicle arrives at the unloading point, the driverless domain control sends a "vehicle arrives at the unloading point signal";

[0036] Step S2: The upper-mounted controller determines whether the vehicle speed is zero and whether the electronic handbrake status is "handbrake pulled up". If so, enter Step S3; if not, return to Step S1;

[0037] Step S3: The upper-mounted controller requests the vehicle controller to open the power take-off solenoid valve and simultaneously determines the power take-off state. If the power take-off is opened, enter Step S4; if the power take-off is not opened, send an opening request signal to the vehicle controller again. If the power take-off is not opened within the preset time or a power take-off failure message is received, stop sending;

[0038] Step S4: The upper-mounted controller controls the "electric tailgate opening solenoid valve" to open and determines whether the electric tailgate is opened to the maximum position according to the "tailgate angle sensor" signal and records the oil cylinder pressure state at the same time. If it is determined that the tailgate is opened to the maximum position, enter Step S5; if the tailgate is not opened or cannot be opened to the maximum position within the preset time, report an "electric tailgate cannot be normally opened fault";

[0039] Step S5: The upper controller controls the "unloading device solenoid valve" to open and determines whether the unloading device is working based on the cylinder pressure. If the unloading device is working, proceed to step S6. If the unloading device fails to open within the preset time, report the "unable to open unloading device fault".

[0040] Step S6: After the unloading device has been working for the calibrated time, the upper controller sends a "request for the vehicle to move forward during unloading" message to the driverless domain controller. After receiving the message signal, the driverless domain controller drives at a preset vehicle speed. After traveling the calibrated distance, the vehicle stops and sends a "vehicle stops moving forward during unloading" instruction to the upper controller, and the process proceeds to step S7.

[0041] Step S7: After the calibrated time, the upper controller controls the "unloading device solenoid valve" to close and determines whether the unloading device is closed based on the cylinder pressure. If it is, proceed to step S8. If it fails to close within the preset time, report the "unable to close unloading device fault".

[0042] Step S8: The upper controller controls the "electric tailgate open solenoid valve" to close and the "electric tailgate close solenoid valve" to open, and determines whether the tailgate is closed based on the "tailgate angle sensor". If it is, proceed to step S9. If it fails to close within the preset time, report the "unable to close electric tailgate fault".

[0043] Step S9: The upper controller requests the vehicle controller to close the power take-off solenoid valve and simultaneously determines the state of the power take-off. If the power take-off is closed, proceed to step S10. If the power take-off is not closed, send a closing request signal to the vehicle controller again. If the power take-off fails to close within the preset time or a power take-off fault message is received, stop sending.

[0044] Step S10: The upper controller sends a "completion of unloading" message to the driverless domain controller.

[0045] As Figure 3 shown, the manual unloading control scheme:

[0046] Step 1: After the upper controller receives the "electric tailgate open signal" or the "remote control open electric tailgate signal", open the electric tailgate.

[0047] Step 2: After the upper controller receives the "unloading device open signal" or the "remote control open unloading device signal", open the unloading device.

[0048] Step 3: After the upper controller receives the "unloading device close signal" or the "remote control close unloading device signal", close the unloading device.

[0049] Step 4: After the upper controller receives the "electric tailgate close signal" or the "remote control close electric tailgate signal", close the electric tailgate.

[0050] AsFigure 4 As shown, when switching between the unmanned unloading control scheme and the manual unloading control scheme:

[0051] During the execution of the unmanned unloading process by the vehicle, continuously judge whether there is an intervention of the manual unloading instruction;

[0052] If the manual unloading process does not intervene, continue to execute the unmanned unloading process until the process ends; if the manual unloading process intervenes, immediately exit the unmanned unloading process and respond to the manual unloading instruction.

[0053] The unmanned unloading control device controls the opening and closing of the electric tailgate by controlling the "tailgate open solenoid valve" and the "tailgate close solenoid valve"; controls the start and stop of the unloading device by controlling the "unloading device solenoid valve";

[0054] Before the vehicle starts unmanned unloading, it not only needs to receive the "stop at the unloading area" signal sent by the intelligent driving domain controller, but also needs to judge the vehicle speed and the status of the electronic handbrake to ensure that the vehicle unloads in a safe environment;

[0055] After the vehicle meets the unloading conditions, it sends an instruction to require the vehicle control unit to open the power take-off solenoid valve to provide power for the upper-mounted hydraulic cylinder. The unmanned unloading control device monitors the status of the solenoid valve in real time. After the solenoid valve is opened, it controls the "tailgate open solenoid valve" to open the electric tailgate and monitors in real time whether the tailgate is opened to the calibrated angle. After the tailgate is successfully opened, it opens the unloading device solenoid valve to unload, and judges whether the unloading device is opened by detecting the oil cylinder pressure;

[0056] Considering that the tail of the vehicle may be blocked during unloading, resulting in the inability to continue unloading, the unmanned unloading control device needs to send a "request for unloading and driving" to the intelligent driving domain controller to request the vehicle to move forward slowly. After the vehicle reaches the calibration point, the unloading device needs to continue working for a period of time to ensure the unloading quality;

[0057] After the vehicle completes unloading, it closes the unloading device and the electric tailgate in sequence by controlling the "unloading device solenoid valve" and the "tailgate close solenoid valve", and sends a message to require the vehicle control unit to close the power take-off solenoid valve; after the execution is completed, it can request the vehicle to continue to execute the transportation task.

[0058] The above shows and describes the basic principles, main features and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited by the above specific embodiments, and the above specific embodiments and the descriptions in the specification are only for further explaining the principles of the present invention. Without departing from the spirit scope of the present invention, the present invention will have various changes and improvements, and these changes and improvements all fall within the scope of the present invention claimed. The scope claimed by the present invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An automatic unloading control device for an autonomous vehicle, characterized in that It includes an unmanned unloading control device, an intelligent driving domain controller, a remote controller, a vehicle controller, an electronic handbrake, a data communication component, a tailgate angle sensor, an oil cylinder pressure sensor, a tailgate open solenoid valve, a tailgate close solenoid valve, and a unloading device control solenoid valve. The intelligent driving domain controller is communicatively connected to the unmanned unloading control device. The remote controller is wirelessly connected to the unmanned unloading control device. The vehicle speed terminal and the power take-off state terminal of the vehicle controller are connected to the unmanned unloading control device. The open power take-off instruction terminal of the unmanned unloading control device is connected to the vehicle controller. The electronic handbrake, the tailgate angle sensor, and the oil cylinder pressure sensor are respectively communicatively connected to the unmanned unloading control device. The tailgate open terminal of the unmanned unloading control device is connected to the tailgate open solenoid valve. The tailgate close terminal of the unmanned unloading control device is connected to the tailgate close solenoid valve. The conveyor belt control terminal of the unmanned unloading control device is connected to the unloading device solenoid valve. The fault feedback terminal of the unmanned unloading control device is connected to the data communication component.

2. A control method for an automatic unloading control device of an autonomous vehicle, characterized in that, It includes an unmanned unloading control scheme and a manual unloading control scheme; The unmanned unloading control scheme: Step S1: After the vehicle arrives at the unloading point, the unmanned driving domain control sends a "vehicle arrives at the unloading point signal"; Step S2: The upper-mounted controller determines whether the vehicle speed is zero and whether the electronic handbrake state is "handbrake pulled up". If so, it enters Step S3; if not, it returns to Step S1; Step S3: The upper-mounted controller requests the vehicle controller to open the power take-off solenoid valve and simultaneously determines the power take-off state. If the power take-off is opened, it enters Step S4; if the power take-off is not opened, it sends a new opening request signal to the vehicle controller. If the power take-off is not opened within the preset time or a power take-off fault message is received, it stops sending; Step S4: The upper-mounted controller controls the "electric tailgate opening solenoid valve" to open and determines whether the electric tailgate is opened to the maximum position based on the "tailgate angle sensor" signal and simultaneously records the oil cylinder pressure state. If it is determined that the tailgate is opened to the maximum position, it enters Step S5; if the tailgate is not opened or cannot be opened to the maximum position within the preset time, it reports an "electric tailgate cannot be normally opened fault"; Step S5: The upper-mounted controller controls the "unloading device solenoid valve" to open and determines whether the unloading device is working based on the oil cylinder pressure. If the unloading device is working, it enters Step S6; if the unloading device is not opened within the preset time, it reports an "unloading device cannot be opened fault"; Step S6: After the unloading device has worked for the calibrated time, the upper-mounted controller sends a "request for the vehicle to unload and move forward" message to the unmanned driving domain control. After receiving the message signal, the unmanned driving domain control drives at the preset vehicle speed. After driving to the calibrated distance, the vehicle stops and sends a "vehicle stops unloading and driving" instruction to the upper-mounted controller, and the process enters Step S7; Step S7: After the calibrated time, the upper-mounted controller controls the "unloading device solenoid valve" to close and determines whether the unloading device is closed based on the oil cylinder pressure. If so, it enters Step S8; if it is not closed within the preset time, it reports an "unloading device cannot be closed fault"; Step S8: The upper controller controls the "electric tailgate opening solenoid valve" to close and the "electric tailgate closing solenoid valve" to open, and determines whether the tailgate is closed based on the "tailgate angle sensor"; if so, proceed to step S9, and if it is not closed within the preset time, report the "electric tailgate cannot be closed fault". Step S9: The upper controller requests the vehicle controller to close the power take-off solenoid valve and simultaneously determines the status of the power take-off; if the power take-off is closed, proceed to step S10; if the power take-off is not closed, resend the closing request signal to the vehicle controller, and stop sending if the power take-off is not closed within the preset time or a power take-off fault message is received. Step S10: The upper controller sends a "completion of unloading" message to the driverless domain controller. The manual unloading control scheme: Step 1: After the upper controller receives the "electric tailgate opening signal" or the "remote control opening electric tailgate signal", open the electric tailgate. Step 2: After the upper controller receives the "unloading device opening signal" or the "remote control opening unloading device signal", open the unloading device. Step 3: After the upper controller receives the "unloading device closing signal" or the "remote control closing unloading device signal", close the unloading device. Step 4: After the upper controller receives the "electric tailgate closing signal" or the "remote control closing electric tailgate signal", close the electric tailgate.

3. The control method of an automatic unloading control device for an autonomous vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that, When switching between the unmanned unloading control scheme and the manual unloading control scheme: During the execution of the unmanned unloading process, the vehicle continuously determines whether there is an intervention of the manual unloading instruction. If the manual unloading process does not intervene, continue to execute the unmanned unloading process until the end.

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