A method of interfacing a target, a towing vehicle and a towed target and an electronic device

Abstract

The application discloses a target arranged on a towed target, the towed target comprising a docking device, the target being rotatably or fixedly arranged on the towed target and being capable of being mounted on the towed target and following the docking device; the target comprises a plurality of reflecting plates, each reflecting plate is connected with the fixed connecting edges of other reflecting plates through fixed connecting edges, the fixed connecting edges of all the reflecting plates are collinear, and the reflecting plates are distributed outward along the same axis, the reflecting plates have two reflecting surfaces, and the adjacent reflecting surfaces between different reflecting plates are at a preset angle; when the target is fixedly arranged on the towed target, after laser radar emits laser, the position of the target is determined by collecting the reflected light of the target, and then the position of the towed target is determined, so that the accurate docking between the towing vehicle and the towed target is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of intelligent driving technology, specifically to a docking method and electronic device for a target, a towing vehicle, and a towed target. Background Technology

[0002] When cargo needs to be transferred at airports or other locations, trailers or pallets are used. A tractor unit is then used to dock the trailers or pallets to facilitate cargo transfer. The process is as follows: the autonomous tractor unit travels along an autonomous route to the docking position. Upon arrival, the tractor unit automatically attaches to the markings on the trailers or pallets based on these markings.

[0003] However, due to the complex on-site environment, deviations may occur during the alignment process due to factors such as the accuracy of the tractor's movement and noise from the on-site environment affecting the markers.

[0004] Therefore, how to accurately dock the tractor and the towed target has become an urgent technical problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the technical problem of accurately docking the tractor and the towed target as described in the background, this application proposes a docking method and electronic equipment for the target, the tractor, and the towed target.

[0006] According to one aspect of this application, a target is provided, disposed on a towed target, the towed target including a docking device rotatably or fixedly disposed on the towed target, the target being installable on the towed target and movable with the docking device; the target including a plurality of reflectors, each reflector being connected to the fixed connecting edges of other reflectors via a fixed connecting edge, all fixed connecting edges of the reflectors being collinear, and the reflectors extending outward along the same axis, each reflector having two reflective surfaces, adjacent reflective surfaces of different reflectors forming a preset angle.

[0007] Optionally, in the installed state, the fixed connection edge of each reflector of the target is perpendicular to the ground.

[0008] Optionally, the target can be vertically mounted on the docking device, and in the mounted state, the orientation of one of the reflectors of the target perpendicular to the other side of the fixed connection edge is the same as the orientation of the docking device.

[0009] Optionally, there are three reflectors, and the preset angle is 120°.

[0010] According to another aspect of this application, a docking method for a tractor and a towed target is provided. The towed target is equipped with a docking device and a target as described in any of the above claims. The tractor is equipped with a radar. The docking method includes: acquiring point cloud data of at least two reflective surfaces when the tractor reaches the docking starting point; calculating angle information between the tractor and each reflective surface based on the point cloud data; and determining the travel direction of the tractor based on the angle information to achieve docking between the tractor and the towed target.

[0011] Optionally, adjusting the travel direction of the tractor based on the angle information includes: determining the relative attitude of the tractor and the docking device based on the angle information; and determining the travel direction of the tractor based on the relative attitude.

[0012] Optionally, a verification target is set on the towed target for verification encoding. Before the step of acquiring point cloud data of at least two reflective surfaces, the method further includes: acquiring point cloud data of each target; determining the target target belonging to the towed target based on the point cloud data and the verification encoding; and performing the step of acquiring point cloud data of at least two reflective surfaces of the target target.

[0013] Optionally, the verification code includes the arrangement state of the target; determining the target target belonging to the target being pulled based on the point cloud data and the verification code includes: determining the arrangement state between all targets in the radar field of view based on the point cloud data; and determining the target target based on the arrangement state of the target corresponding to the verification code of the target being pulled and the arrangement relationship between all targets in the radar field of view.

[0014] Optionally, the target arrangement of different towed targets is different; determining the target based on the target arrangement corresponding to the verification code of the target towed target and the arrangement relationship between all targets in the radar field of view includes: traversing the target arrangement of any combination of target numbers; selecting the target number combination that conforms to the target arrangement of the target towed target as the target.

[0015] According to another aspect of this application, an electronic device includes a processor, a communication interface, a memory, and a communication bus, wherein the processor, the communication interface, and the memory communicate with each other via the communication bus, the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor is used to execute the docking method of a tractor and a towed target as described in any of the preceding claims by running the computer program stored in the memory.

[0016] This invention discloses a target, which is mounted on a towed target. The towed target includes a docking device, which is rotatably or fixedly mounted on the towed target. The target can be installed on the towed target and can move with the docking device. The target includes multiple reflectors, each of which is connected to the fixed connecting edges of other reflectors via fixed connecting edges. All fixed connecting edges of the reflectors are collinear, and the reflectors extend outward along the same axis. Each reflector has two reflecting surfaces, and adjacent reflecting surfaces of different reflectors are at a preset angle. The target is configured as a three-dimensional structure and is rotatably or fixedly mounted on the towed target. When the target is fixedly mounted on the towed target, after the lidar emits a laser, the position of the target is determined by collecting the light reflected from the target, since the reflectors have two reflecting surfaces and adjacent reflecting surfaces of different reflectors are at a preset angle. This allows for accurate docking between the towed vehicle and the towed target. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and form part of this invention, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and are used to explain the invention, but do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings:

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a target according to an embodiment of this application;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a docking method between a tractor and a towed target according to an embodiment of this application.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a structural block diagram of an optional electronic device according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To provide a clearer understanding of the technical features, objectives, and effects of the present invention, specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate components with the same or similar structures but the same function.

[0022] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of the invention. However, the invention may also be practiced in other ways different from those described herein, and therefore the scope of protection of the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0023] As described in the background section of this application, the docking process between the tractor and the towed target is completely different from existing autonomous driving path planning. The docking is based on fixed markers; the tractor is driven to a fixed point, such as a tractor unit on the trailer and a docking device corresponding to the tractor unit on the pallet. Upon completion of docking, the tractor unit needs to be attached to the docking device. Therefore, the docking accuracy may require decimeter-level or centimeter-level precision, which existing autonomous driving solutions cannot meet. Furthermore, existing docking positioning methods often employ lidar positioning, placing lidar targets on the towed target and determining the position of the docking device by collecting point cloud data of the target and its positional relationship with the docking device.

[0024] However, the existing docking methods for targets, towing vehicles, and towed targets have the following problems: First, existing targets are often set as flat surfaces, usually as reflective stickers attached to the towed target. Over time, the reflective sticker surface may bulge, and the edges may curl up. When exposed to wind, the edges may sway, which can cause the target point to shift. This shift in the target point can lead to the towing device and docking device of the towing vehicle not docking correctly.

[0025] Secondly, regarding the existing docking devices for the towed target, on the one hand, if the docking device for the towed target is fixed, there may be situations where, for example, when the towing vehicle is driven to a fixed point, the towing device and the docking device are not in a straight line because the angle of the towing vehicle is not the preset angle; on the other hand, if the docking device for the towed target is not fixed, there may be situations where, for example, the angle of the docking device changes, resulting in the towing device and the docking device not being in a straight line. In the event of the above two situations, if the docking operation is still performed according to the preset path plan, there may be problems with the towing device of the towing vehicle and the docking device failing to dock correctly.

[0026] Therefore, to solve the above problems, according to one aspect of this application, a target is provided, which is disposed on a towed target. The towed target includes a docking device that is rotatably or fixedly disposed on the towed target. The target can be installed on the towed target and can move with the docking device. The target includes multiple reflectors, each of which is connected to the fixed connecting edges of other reflectors through a fixed connecting edge. The fixed connecting edges of all reflectors are collinear, and the reflectors extend outward along the same axis. Each reflector has two reflective surfaces, and adjacent reflective surfaces of different reflectors are at a preset angle.

[0027] like Figure 1As shown, the target may include three reflectors: a first reflector 101, a second reflector 102, and a third reflector 103. The first reflector 101 and the second reflector 102 have a first preset angle between them, the second reflector 102 and the third reflector 103 have a second preset angle between them, and the third reflector 103 and the first reflector 101 have a third preset angle. In this embodiment, the first, second, and third preset angles may be the same or different.

[0028] For the above technical solution, the target is set as a three-dimensional structure and rotated or fixedly mounted on the towed target. When the target is fixedly mounted on the towed target, after the laser radar emits laser light, since the reflector has two reflective surfaces and the adjacent reflective surfaces between different reflectors are at a preset angle, the position of the target is determined by collecting the light reflected by the target, and thus the position of the towed target is determined. Specifically, the target can be installed on the docking device. If the angle of the docking device changes, since the adjacent reflective surfaces between different reflectors are at a preset angle, the point cloud of the laser light reflected back by the reflector received by the radar will also show a different distribution. For example, if the point cloud of the laser light reflected back by the reflector received by the radar has the same distribution as the point cloud received by the radar when the docking device is in a position that can dock correctly, it can be confirmed that the towed device and the docking device are in a position that can dock correctly.

[0029] As an exemplary embodiment, in the installed state, the fixed connection edge of each reflector of the target is perpendicular to the ground.

[0030] As an optional embodiment, the target can be vertically mounted on the docking device, and in the mounted state, the orientation of one of the reflectors of the target perpendicular to the other side of the fixed connection edge is the same as the orientation of the docking device.

[0031] With the above technical solution, the target can be vertically installed on the docking device. The fixed connection edge of each reflector of the target is perpendicular to the ground. The orientation of the other side of one reflector of the target perpendicular to the fixed connection edge is the same as the orientation of the docking device. When the tractor reaches the positioning starting point, the radar beam can scan at least two surfaces. For example, the attitude of the docking device and the traction device of the towed target can be calculated by calculating the angle between the two surfaces and the lidar, and then the angle can be adjusted according to the attitude to align the docking device with the traction device, thereby ensuring that the traction device and the docking device are in a position that can dock correctly.

[0032] As an exemplary embodiment, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an optional target in an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 1As shown, the reflector includes a first reflector, a second reflector, and a third reflector, and the preset angle is 120°; for example, the target can be set on the docking device, wherein the third reflector is set perpendicular to the docking device.

[0033] According to another aspect of this application, a docking method for a tractor and a towed target is provided, wherein the towed target is equipped with a docking device and a target as described in any of the above claims, and the tractor is equipped with radar, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the docking method includes:

[0034] S10. When the tractor reaches the docking starting point, acquire point cloud data of at least two reflective surfaces; wherein, the towed target is equipped with a docking device and a target, and the tractor is equipped with a lidar for detecting the target. The lidar emits laser light in a fixed direction and receives reflected light, and forms point cloud data of the target based on reflectivity.

[0035] S20. Calculate the angle information between the tractor and each reflective surface based on the point cloud data;

[0036] Among them, the point cloud data can be filtered according to the distribution of the point cloud data. For example, the region where the density of the point cloud data reaches a preset level can be used as the region of interest of the target. The shape information of the target can be used to further filter and determine the point cloud data belonging to the target. Based on the point cloud data belonging to the target, the point cloud data of each reflective surface is filtered out, and the angle information between the tractor and each surface is calculated based on the point cloud data of each reflective surface.

[0037] S30. Determine the travel direction of the tractor based on the angle information to achieve docking between the tractor and the towed target. In this embodiment, after calculating the angle information between the tractor and each surface based on the point cloud data of each reflective surface, the travel direction of the tractor is determined based on the angle information; for example, the travel direction of the tractor can be determined to ensure that the traction device and the docking device are in a position that can dock correctly, so as to avoid the problem of the traction device and the docking device not docking correctly as described above.

[0038] As an exemplary embodiment, adjusting the travel direction of the tractor based on the angle information includes: determining the relative attitude of the tractor and the docking device based on the angle information; and determining the travel direction of the tractor based on the relative attitude.

[0039] To avoid the problem of the traction device and docking device failing to dock correctly as described above, the relative attitude of the tractor and the docking device is determined based on the angle information. For example, after confirming the angle information, the tractor's travel path is planned based on the angle information so that the tractor can dock with the docking device via the traction device at the end of the travel path near the towed target, relying on the relative attitude. Specifically, the relative attitude of the tractor and the docking device can be set such that the centers of the traction device and the docking device are coaxial and concentric. Based on the relative attitude, the tractor's travel direction is determined to be towards the towed device, and the path is such that when the tractor travels near the end of the travel path near the towed target, the centers of the traction device and the docking device are coaxial and concentric.

[0040] As an exemplary embodiment, a verification target is set on the towed target for verification encoding. Before the step of acquiring point cloud data of at least two reflective surfaces, the method further includes: acquiring point cloud data of each target; determining the target target belonging to the towed target based on the point cloud data and the verification encoding; and performing the step of acquiring point cloud data of at least two reflective surfaces of the target target.

[0041] In the above technical solution, the towed target is equipped with a docking device and at least three targets, of which at least two targets are positioning targets for the docking device, and at least one target cooperates with other targets to form a verification code for the towed target. In this application, the towed target is equipped with a positioning target for determining the position information of the towed target, and a target that can cooperate with the positioning target to form different verification codes. When the radar detects multiple targets, the point cloud data of each detected target is first acquired, and the verification code corresponding to the towed target is identified. At this time, the towed target can be determined. Then, the positioning target on the towed target is acquired, and the specific position of the towed target is determined by the positioning target. After that, the docking path between the towing vehicle and the towed target is planned to achieve precise docking. This avoids the inability to accurately determine the towed target when the radar identifies multiple targets at the same time, and improves the accuracy of tracking the towed target.

[0042] As an exemplary embodiment, the verification code includes the arrangement state of the target; determining the target target belonging to the target being pulled based on the point cloud data and the verification code includes: determining the arrangement state among all targets in the radar field of view based on the point cloud data; and determining the target target based on the arrangement state of the target corresponding to the verification code of the target being pulled and the arrangement relationship among all targets in the radar field of view.

[0043] As an exemplary embodiment, the target arrangement states of different towed targets are different; determining the target based on the target arrangement state corresponding to the verification code of the target towed target and the arrangement relationship between all targets in the radar field of view includes: traversing the target arrangement states of any combination of target numbers; selecting the target number combination that conforms to the target arrangement state of the target towed target as the target.

[0044] For the above technical solution, different verification codes can be distinguished by identifying the arrangement of targets. Different distance parameters can be set between the targets set on the towed target. When the number of targets detected by the radar is greater than the number of targets set on the towed target, the target towed target can be determined by the preset distance parameters between the targets, thus achieving accurate identification of the target towed target.

[0045] The arrangement of targets on the towed target can be the same or different. When the arrangement of targets on different towed targets is different, the arrangement of targets detected by the radar can be directly traversed. When a target arrangement combination that is the same as the target arrangement on the towed target is identified, the towed target corresponding to that target combination can be determined as the target towed target. At this time, the radar acquires the positioning target, determines the position of the target towed target based on the positioning target, plans the docking path, and completes the docking.

[0046] When the target arrangement of different towed targets is the same, for example, determining the target based on the target arrangement corresponding to the verification code of the towed target and the arrangement relationship between all targets in the radar field of view includes: sequentially verifying the target arrangement of a number of targets; grouping all targets in the radar field of view, with the target arrangement of the same group conforming to the target arrangement of the towed target; determining the distance between each group of targets and the towing vehicle based on the point cloud data; and selecting the group of targets with the shortest distance as the target. In this embodiment, when the radar identifies no less than two towed targets with the same target arrangement as the towed target, it acquires the point cloud data of the targets with the same target arrangement and calculates the distance between each group of targets and the towing vehicle based on the point cloud data. The target with the shortest distance to the towing vehicle is the target, i.e., the towed target is found.

[0047] After the tractor has located the target of the towed target, it begins to acquire point cloud data of the target. As the distance between the tractor and the target gets closer, the point cloud data acquired by the radar will gradually increase. The changes in point cloud data are relatively small under normal circumstances. Therefore, the position of the docking device of the target towed target can be predicted by the changes in point cloud data.

[0048] According to another aspect of this application, an electronic device is provided, see [link to application]. Figure 3 As shown, it includes a processor, a communication interface, a memory, and a communication bus, wherein the processor, the communication interface, and the memory communicate with each other through the communication bus, the memory is used to store computer programs, and the processor is used to execute the docking method of the tractor and the towed target as described above by running the computer program stored in the memory.

[0049] Optionally, it may also include memory and a bus; in addition, the electronic device may include other hardware required for business operations. Memory may include main memory and non-volatile memory, providing the processor with execution instructions and data. For example, main memory may be high-speed random-access memory (RAM), and non-volatile memory may be at least one disk storage device.

[0050] The bus is used to connect the processor, memory, and network interface together. This bus can be an ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) bus, a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus, an EISA (Extended Industry Standard Architecture) bus, etc. Buses can be divided into address buses, data buses, control buses, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 3 The symbol is represented by a single double-headed arrow, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0051] In one feasible implementation of the aforementioned electronic device, the processor can first read the corresponding execution instructions from non-volatile memory into memory before running them, or it can first obtain the corresponding execution instructions from other devices before running them. When the processor executes the execution instructions stored in memory, it can implement any of the docking methods for the tractor and the towed target described in this disclosure.

[0052] Those skilled in the art will understand that the aforementioned docking method between the tractor and the towed target can be applied to a processor or implemented using a processor. For example, a processor is an integrated circuit chip with the ability to process signals. During the execution of the aforementioned docking method between the tractor and the towed target by the processor, each step of the docking method can be completed by integrated logic circuits in hardware or instructions in software within the processor. Furthermore, the aforementioned processor can be a general-purpose processor, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), Network Processor (NP), Digital Signal Processor (DSP), Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, microprocessors, and any other conventional processor.

[0053] The technical solutions of this disclosure have been described in conjunction with the preceding embodiments. However, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the technical principles of this disclosure, those skilled in the art can disassemble and combine the technical solutions in the above embodiments, and can also make equivalent changes or substitutions to the relevant technical features. Any changes, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the technical concept and / or technical principles of this disclosure will fall within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0054] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments. In particular, the system embodiments are basically similar to the method embodiments, so the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions in the method embodiments.

[0055] The above are merely embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for docking a tractor and a towed target, characterized in that, The target being towed is equipped with a docking device and a target. The docking device is rotatably or fixedly mounted on the target being towed, and the target is mounted on the target being towed and moves with the docking device. The target includes multiple reflectors, each of which is connected to the fixed connecting edges of other reflectors through a fixed connecting edge. The fixed connecting edges of all reflectors are collinear, and the reflectors extend outward along the same axis. Each reflector has two reflective surfaces, and adjacent reflective surfaces of different reflectors are at a preset angle. The tractor is equipped with radar, and the docking method includes: When the tractor reaches the docking starting point, point cloud data of at least two reflective surfaces are acquired; Calculate the angle information between the tractor and each reflective surface based on the point cloud data; The direction of travel of the tractor is determined based on the angle information, so as to achieve docking of the tractor with the towed target; A verification target is set on the towed target for verification encoding. Prior to the step of acquiring point cloud data from at least two reflective surfaces, the method further includes: Acquire point cloud data for each target; Based on the point cloud data and the verification code, a target belonging to the target being pulled is determined; Perform the step of acquiring point cloud data of at least two reflective surfaces of the target; The verification code includes the arrangement state of the target; The determination of target targets belonging to the target being pulled based on the point cloud data and the verification code includes: The arrangement of all targets within the radar's field of view is determined based on the point cloud data. The target is determined based on the arrangement of the target corresponding to the verification code of the target being towed and the arrangement relationship between all targets in the radar field of view; The arrangement of targets differs for different towing targets; The target targets are determined based on the arrangement of the targets corresponding to the verification codes of the target being towed and the arrangement relationship between all targets within the radar field of view, including: Iterate through the arrangement of targets with any combination of target numbers; Select the target number combination that matches the target arrangement state of the target being pulled as the target target.

2. The docking method between the tractor and the towed target as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The adjustment of the tractor's direction of travel based on the angle information includes: The relative attitudes of the tractor and the docking device are determined based on the angle information; The direction of travel of the tractor is determined based on the relative attitude.

3. The docking method between the tractor and the towed target as described in claim 1, characterized in that, When the target is installed, the fixed connection edge of each reflector of the target is perpendicular to the ground.

4. The docking method between the tractor and the towed target as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The target is vertically mounted on the docking device. In the mounted state, the orientation of one of the reflectors on the target perpendicular to the other side of the fixed connection edge is the same as the orientation of the docking device.

5. The docking method between the tractor and the towed target as described in claim 1, characterized in that, There are three reflectors, and the preset angle is 120°.

6. An electronic device, comprising a processor, a communication interface, a memory, and a communication bus, wherein, The processor, the communication interface, and the memory communicate with each other via the communication bus, characterized in that... The memory is used to store computer programs; The processor is configured to execute the docking method of any one of claims 1 to 5 for the tractor and the towed target by running the computer program stored in the memory.

Images