Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and non-transitory storage medium

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a non-transitory storage medium. The processor included in the information processing apparatus is configured to generate a follow instruction that instructs follow driving that follows an autonomous vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle having an automatic driving function, and the processor is configured to transmit the follow instruction to a work vehicle having a follow driving function.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to information processing apparatus, information processing methods, and non-transitory storage media. Background Technology

[0002] A work vehicle with automatic steering function was disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-153421. Summary of the Invention

[0003] There is room for improvement in the technology that enables work vehicles to drive automatically on highways.

[0004] This disclosure provides a technique to improve the automatic driving of work vehicles on highways.

[0005] The first aspect of this disclosure is an information processing device including a processor. The processor is configured to generate a follow command instructing the user to follow an autonomous vehicle or unmanned aerial vehicle with automatic driving capabilities, and the processor is configured to send the follow command to a work vehicle with follow driving capabilities.

[0006] In the first method, the processor may be configured to detect whether an indicator representing the instability of the following movement is above a predetermined threshold. The processor may be configured to send a first stop command or a second stop command to the work vehicle when the indicator is detected to be above the predetermined threshold. The first stop command may be a command to stop the work vehicle at the current location. The second stop command may be a command to stop the work vehicle after reversing movement.

[0007] In the first embodiment, the processor may be configured to send a first stop command to the work vehicle via the communication unit when it determines that an obstacle exists around the work vehicle. The first stop command may be a command to stop the work vehicle at its current location.

[0008] In the first method, the processor may be configured to determine whether the obstacle exists based on the surrounding information of the work vehicle obtained by the work vehicle.

[0009] In the first method, the processor may be configured to send the follow command to the work vehicle again after a predetermined time has elapsed after the work vehicle has stopped.

[0010] In the first method, the processor may be configured to perform control to notify the surrounding area of ​​the work vehicle that the work vehicle is following.

[0011] In the first method, the processor is configured to select the driving route of the autonomous vehicle or the flight route of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the size of the operating vehicle.

[0012] The second aspect of this disclosure is an information processing method executed by an information processing device. The information processing method includes: generating a follow command instructing the user to follow an autonomous vehicle or unmanned aerial vehicle with automatic driving capabilities; and sending the follow command to a work vehicle with follow driving capabilities.

[0013] In the second method, the information processing method may include: when an indicator representing the instability of the following movement is detected to be above a predetermined threshold, sending a first stop command or a second stop command to the work vehicle. The first stop command may be a command to stop the work vehicle at the current location. The second stop command may be a command to stop the work vehicle after reversing.

[0014] In the second method, the information processing method may include: when it is determined that there is an obstacle around the work vehicle, sending a first stop command to the work vehicle. The first stop command may be a command to stop the work vehicle at the current location.

[0015] In the second method, the information processing method may include: determining whether the obstacle exists based on the surrounding information of the work vehicle obtained by the work vehicle.

[0016] In the second method, the information processing method may include: sending the follow command to the work vehicle again after a predetermined time has elapsed after the work vehicle stops.

[0017] In the second method, the information processing method may include: controlling the operation to notify the surrounding area of ​​the operation vehicle that the operation vehicle is following.

[0018] In the second method, the information processing method may include: selecting the driving route of the autonomous vehicle or the flight route of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the size of the operating vehicle.

[0019] The third aspect of this disclosure is a non-transitory storage medium that stores commands executable by one or more processors in a computer, causing the processors to perform the following functions: generating a follow instruction instructing the user to follow an autonomous vehicle or unmanned aerial vehicle with autopilot capability; and sending the follow instruction to a work vehicle with autopilot capability.

[0020] In the third method, the function may include: when an indicator representing the instability of the following movement is detected to be above a predetermined threshold, sending a first stop command to the work vehicle to stop it in place, or a second stop command to stop the work vehicle after reversing. The first stop command may be a command to stop the work vehicle at its current location. The second stop command may be a command to stop the work vehicle after reversing.

[0021] In the third method, the function may include: when it is determined that there is an obstacle around the work vehicle, sending a first stop command to the work vehicle. The first stop command is a command to stop the work vehicle at the current location.

[0022] In the third method, the function may include determining whether the obstacle exists based on the surrounding information of the work vehicle obtained by the work vehicle.

[0023] In the third method, the function may include: sending the follow command to the work vehicle again after a predetermined time has elapsed after the work vehicle stops.

[0024] In the third method, the function may include: controlling the surrounding area of ​​the work vehicle to notify that the work vehicle is following.

[0025] According to the first, second, and third methods described in this disclosure, the technology for enabling work vehicles to drive automatically on highways can be improved. Attached Figure Description

[0026] The features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like symbols denote like elements, and wherein:

[0027] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating the schematic structure of a system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating the schematic structure of a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating the schematic structure of an information processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 4 This is a block diagram illustrating the schematic structure of a work vehicle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 5This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an information processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 6 This is a block diagram illustrating the schematic structure of an unmanned aerial vehicle, a variation of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The embodiments of this disclosure will now be described.

[0034] Reference Figure 1 The outline of System 1 of the embodiments of this disclosure will be described.

[0035] System 1 includes vehicle 10, information processing device 20, and work vehicle 30. Vehicle 10, information processing device 20, and work vehicle 30 are communicatively connected to network 40.

[0036] Vehicle 10 is a regular vehicle, such as a car, that has autonomous driving capabilities at any level of automation. The car may be, for example, a gasoline car, a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle), a HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle), a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), or an FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle), but is not limited to these.

[0037] The information processing device 20 is a computer such as a server belonging to a cloud computing system or other computing system, but is not limited to this.

[0038] The work vehicle 30 is a vehicle with a following function that automatically follows the vehicle 10 while maintaining a predetermined distance between itself and the vehicle 10 (lead vehicle). The work vehicle 30 is, for example, agricultural machinery such as a tractor, rice transplanter, or combine harvester, but is not limited to these. Furthermore, the number of work vehicles 30 can be arbitrarily set.

[0039] Network 40 includes the Internet, at least one WAN (wide area network), at least one MAN (metropolitan area network), or any combination of these networks. Network 40 may include at least one wireless network, at least one optical network, or any combination of these networks. Wireless networks may be, for example, ad hoc networks, cellular networks, wireless LANs (local area networks), satellite communication networks, or terrestrial microwave networks.

[0040] Reference Figure 1The outline of this embodiment will be described below.

[0041] The control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 generates a follow command, which instructs the user to follow the vehicle 10 with automatic driving function. Additionally, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 sends the follow command to the work vehicle 30 with follow driving function via the communication unit 22.

[0042] In order to reduce labor costs, it is desirable to enable the work vehicle 30 to automatically travel not only on private roads and farmland, but also on highways. On the other hand, if, in order to enable the work vehicle 30 to automatically travel on highways, in addition to the various sensors already provided for agricultural operations, various sensors for automatic travel on highways are also installed on the work vehicle 30, the price of the work vehicle 30 will increase. According to this embodiment, by enabling the work vehicle 30 to follow the vehicle 10 with automatic travel capability, labor costs can be reduced and the increase in the price of the work vehicle 30 can be suppressed. Therefore, the technology for enabling the work vehicle 30 to automatically travel on highways can be improved.

[0043] Reference Figure 2 The structure of the vehicle 10 in this embodiment will be described.

[0044] The vehicle 10 is equipped with a control unit 11, a communication unit 12, a storage unit 13, and an acquisition unit 14.

[0045] The control unit 11 includes at least one processor, at least one programmable circuit, at least one dedicated circuit, or any combination of these circuits. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (central processing unit) or a GPU (graphics processing unit), or a dedicated processor for specific processing. The programmable circuit is, for example, a FPGA (field-programmable gate array). The dedicated circuit is, for example, an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit). The control unit 11 cooperates with the acquisition unit 14 to realize the autonomous driving of the vehicle 10. Specifically, the control unit 11 uses information acquired by the acquisition unit 14 to perform steering control, acceleration control, and braking control of the vehicle 10. Furthermore, autonomous driving includes, for example, levels 1 to 5 as defined by SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers), but is not limited to these and can be arbitrarily defined.

[0046] The communication unit 12 includes one or more communication interfaces connected to the network 40. These communication interfaces may correspond to mobile communication standards such as 4G (4th Generation) or 5G (5th Generation), but are not limited to these. The communication unit 12 receives data for the operation of the vehicle 10 and transmits data obtained through the operation of the vehicle 10.

[0047] The storage unit 13 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or any combination of these memories. The semiconductor memory is, for example, RAM (random access memory) or ROM (read-only memory). RAM is, for example, SRAM (static random access memory) or DRAM (dynamic random access memory). ROM is, for example, EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory). The storage unit 13 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. Any information for the automatic driving of the vehicle 10 is stored in the storage unit 13.

[0048] The acquisition unit 14 includes one or more sensor modules. These sensor modules may be, for example, speed sensors, acceleration sensors, angular velocity sensors, LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging, or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) sensors, or steering angle sensors, but are not limited to these. The sensor modules acquire driving information of the vehicle 10. Additionally, the acquisition unit 14 includes one or more positioning modules. These positioning modules may be, for example, positioning modules corresponding to GPS (Global Positioning System), QZSS (Quasi-Zenith Satellite System), GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System), or Galileo, but are not limited to these. The positioning modules acquire the location information of the vehicle 10.

[0049] Reference Figure 3 The structure of the information processing apparatus 20 in this embodiment will be described.

[0050] The information processing device 20 includes a control unit 21, a communication unit 22, and a storage unit 23.

[0051] The control unit 21 includes at least one processor, at least one programmable circuit, at least one dedicated circuit, or any combination of these circuits. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or GPU, or a dedicated processor for specific processing. The programmable circuit is, for example, an FPGA. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an ASIC. The control unit 21 controls the various units of the information processing device 20 while performing processing related to the operation of the information processing device 20.

[0052] The communication unit 22 includes at least one communication interface connected to the network 40. The communication interface may correspond to, for example, a mobile communication standard, a wired LAN standard, or a wireless LAN standard, but is not limited to these and may correspond to any communication standard. The communication unit 22 receives data for the operation of the information processing device 20 and transmits data obtained through the operation of the information processing device 20.

[0053] The storage unit 23 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or any combination of these memories. The semiconductor memory is, for example, RAM or ROM. RAM is, for example, SRAM or DRAM. ROM is, for example, EEPROM. The storage unit 23 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 23 stores data for the operation of the information processing device 20 and data obtained through the operation of the information processing device 20. In this embodiment, the data for the operation of the information processing device 20 includes system programs, application programs, databases, and map information, etc.

[0054] Reference Figure 4 The structure of the work vehicle 30 in this embodiment will be described.

[0055] The work vehicle 30 is equipped with a control unit 31, a communication unit 32, a storage unit 33, an acquisition unit 34, and an operation unit 35.

[0056] The control unit 31 includes at least one processor, at least one programmable circuit, at least one dedicated circuit, or any combination of these circuits. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or GPU, or a dedicated processor for specific processing. The programmable circuit is, for example, an FPGA. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an ASIC. The control unit 31 implements the following vehicle 10's following motion based on following instructions received from the information processing device 20 via the communication unit 32. Specifically, the control unit 31 performs steering control, acceleration control, and braking control of the work vehicle 30 based on the following instructions. Furthermore, the control unit 31 can cooperate with the acquisition unit 34 to achieve automatic driving of the work vehicle 30 outside of highways (e.g., private roads or farmland).

[0057] The communication unit 32 includes one or more communication interfaces connected to the network 40. These communication interfaces may correspond to mobile communication standards such as 4G or 5G, but are not limited to these. The communication unit 32 receives data related to the movement of the work vehicle 30 and transmits data obtained through the movement of the work vehicle 30.

[0058] The storage unit 33 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or any combination of these memories. The semiconductor memory is, for example, RAM or ROM. RAM is, for example, SRAM or DRAM. ROM is, for example, EEPROM. The storage unit 33 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. Any information for the following and automatic driving of the work vehicle 30 is stored in the storage unit 33.

[0059] The acquisition unit 34 includes one or more sensor modules. These sensor modules may be, for example, speed sensors, acceleration sensors, angular velocity sensors, steering angle sensors, or cameras used for agricultural operations, but are not limited to these. The sensor modules acquire information for the work vehicle 30 to automatically navigate on roads other than highways. Additionally, the acquisition unit 34 includes one or more positioning modules. These positioning modules may be, for example, positioning modules corresponding to GPS (Global Positioning System), QZSS (Quasi-Zenith Satellite System), GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System), or Galileo, but are not limited to these. The positioning modules acquire the location information of the work vehicle 30.

[0060] The work unit 35 includes one or more work devices for performing agricultural operations. These work devices may be, for example, a fertilizer or pesticide application device, a seeding device for planting seeds in the field, or a harvesting device for harvesting crops, but are not limited to these. The work unit 35 can be driven by electricity supplied from the work vehicle 30.

[0061] Reference Figure 5 The operation of the information processing apparatus 20 in this embodiment will be described. This operation corresponds to a method of one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0062] In this example, vehicle 10 is a regular vehicle capable of autonomous driving (e.g., Level 5 autonomous driving as defined by SAE), and is described as driving autonomously on a route selected by the method described later.

[0063] Step S100: The control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 detects the work vehicle 30 that is following the vehicle 10.

[0064] Specifically, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 receives information related to following the vehicle 30 via the communication unit 22, for example, from a user terminal owned by the user of the work vehicle 30. Furthermore, based on the received information related to following the vehicle 30, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 detects the work vehicle 30 following the work vehicle 10. In addition, the information related to following the vehicle 30 may include, but is not limited to, identification information of the following work vehicle 30 (vehicle number tag, etc.), the start date and time of following the vehicle 30, the departure point (e.g., the user's field), and the destination (e.g., the user's home).

[0065] Step S101: The control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 generates a following command, which instructs the following vehicle 10 to follow.

[0066] Specifically, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 generates a following instruction based on, for example, map information stored in the storage unit 23 and information related to the aforementioned following movement. This following instruction guides the following vehicle 10 to follow, including the driving route, driving speed, acceleration, deceleration, and the distance between vehicle 10 and the work vehicle 30. Furthermore, when there are multiple work vehicles 30 following vehicle 10, the following instruction may also include the distance between the work vehicles 30 and each other. For example, vehicle 10 can act as a lead vehicle, and work vehicles 30 such as small tractors and harvesting agricultural machinery can follow in that order.

[0067] Here, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 can select a route for the vehicle 10, including roads, from the starting point (e.g., the user's field) to the destination (e.g., the user's home), based on the size of the work vehicle 30. For example, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 selects a route that the work vehicle 30 can follow, based on the length or width of the work vehicle 30 pre-stored in the storage unit 23 and the width of the road obtained from map information pre-stored in the storage unit 23. Furthermore, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 sends information indicating the selected route to the vehicle 10 via the communication unit 22. Additionally, the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10, in cooperation with the acquisition unit 14, enables the vehicle 10 to drive automatically on the selected route. Moreover, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 can also consider the length or width of the vehicle 10 when selecting a route.

[0068] Step S102: The control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 sends the follow command generated in step S101 to the work vehicle 30 detected in step S100 via the communication unit 22.

[0069] Specifically, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20, via the communication unit 22, sends the following command generated in step S101 to the work vehicle 30 detected in step S100 at predetermined time intervals, for example, until the work vehicle 30 arrives at the destination from the departure point. Furthermore, each time the control unit 31 of the work vehicle 30 receives a following command from the information processing device 20 via the communication unit 32, it performs steering control, acceleration control, and braking control of the work vehicle 30 based on the following command, thereby enabling the following vehicle 10 to follow.

[0070] Here, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 can control the notification to the surrounding area of ​​the work vehicle 30 that the work vehicle 30 is following behind. Specifically, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 generates any message notifying the surrounding area of ​​the work vehicle 30 that it is following behind the vehicle 10. Furthermore, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 sends the generated message to the vehicle 10 via the communication unit 22. Additionally, the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10, for example, notifies the surrounding area of ​​the work vehicle 30 via voice through a speaker mounted on the vehicle 10 of the message received from the information processing device 20 via the communication unit 12. Moreover, if the vehicle 10 is equipped with any projector capable of displaying an optical rope (also called a "virtual rope") around the work vehicle 30, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 can display the virtual rope around the work vehicle 30 through the projector. This prevents other vehicles from cutting in between the vehicle 10 and the work vehicle 30.

[0071] Step S103: The control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 determines whether there are obstacles around the work vehicle 30. If the control unit 21 determines that there are obstacles, the process proceeds to step S104. On the other hand, if the control unit 21 does not determine that there are obstacles, the process returns to step S102.

[0072] Specifically, the control unit 31 of the work vehicle 30 transmits the surrounding information of the work vehicle 30, acquired by a camera or other device used for agricultural operations included in the acquisition unit 34, to the information processing device 20 via the communication unit 32. Furthermore, the surrounding information of the work vehicle 30 may include image information of obstacles such as pedestrians or other vehicles ahead of the road that may collide with the work vehicle 30, but is not limited to this. Additionally, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 acquires the surrounding information of the work vehicle 30 from the work vehicle 30 via the communication unit 22. Furthermore, based on the acquired surrounding information of the work vehicle 30, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 uses any image recognition technology to determine whether there are obstacles around the work vehicle 30.

[0073] Step S104: The control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 sends a stop command to the work vehicle 30 via the communication unit 22 to stop the work vehicle 30 in place.

[0074] Specifically, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 generates a stop command, which brings the work vehicle 30 to a stop at its current location. Furthermore, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 sends the generated stop command to the work vehicle 30 via the communication unit 22. Additionally, the control unit 31 of the work vehicle 30, based on the stop command received from the information processing device 20 via the communication unit 32, controls the brake pedal and other components of the work vehicle 30, thereby bringing the work vehicle 30 to a stop. This prevents the work vehicle 30 from colliding with obstacles.

[0075] Step S105: After a predetermined time has elapsed since the work vehicle 30 has stopped, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 sends a follow command to the work vehicle 30 again via the communication unit 22, instructing the following vehicle 10 to move.

[0076] Specifically, similar to step S101, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 generates a following command instructing the following vehicle 10 to move after a predetermined time has elapsed since the work vehicle 30 stops. Furthermore, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 retransmits the generated following command to the work vehicle 30 via the communication unit 22.

[0077] Furthermore, when the work vehicle 30 is detected to have reached its destination, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 can send a stop command to the work vehicle 30 via the communication unit 22, thereby ending the following operation.

[0078] As described above, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 in this embodiment generates a follow command, which instructs the user to follow the vehicle 10 with the automatic driving function. Furthermore, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 sends the generated follow command to the work vehicle 30 with the follow driving function via the communication unit 22.

[0079] According to this embodiment, by having the work vehicle 30 follow the vehicle 10 equipped with autonomous driving capabilities, manual operation of the work vehicle 30 is eliminated on highways and the like, thus reducing labor costs. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, there is no need to equip the work vehicle 30 with sensors for autonomous driving on highways and the like, thus preventing an increase in the price of the work vehicle 30. Therefore, the technology for enabling the work vehicle 30 to drive autonomously on highways can be improved.

[0080] It should be noted that this disclosure has been described based on the accompanying drawings and embodiments, but those skilled in the art can make various modifications and changes based on this disclosure. Therefore, it should be understood that these modifications and changes are included within the scope of this disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component or step can be reconfigured in a logically consistent manner, and multiple components or steps can be combined into one or divided.

[0081] As a variation, the structure and operation of the information processing device 20 can be distributed among multiple computers capable of communicating with each other. Alternatively, a configuration can be adopted in which part or all of the information processing device 20 is mounted on the vehicle 10 or the unmanned aerial vehicle 50 described later, for example, as a towing device.

[0082] Additionally, as a variation, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 may, when detecting an index indicating instability in the following movement of the work vehicle 30 and the following vehicle 10, exceed a predetermined threshold, send a stop command to the work vehicle 30 via the communication unit 22, either to stop the work vehicle 30 in place or to stop the work vehicle 30 after reversing. Specifically, for example, when detecting an index indicating the degree of spinning or drifting of the work vehicle 30, which can be obtained from the work vehicle 30 via the communication unit 22, exceeds a predetermined threshold, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 generates a stop command to stop the work vehicle 30 in place or to stop the work vehicle 30 after reversing. Furthermore, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 sends the generated stop command to the work vehicle 30 via the communication unit 22. Additionally, after a predetermined time has elapsed after the work vehicle 30 stops, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 sends a following command instructing the following vehicle 10 to move again to the work vehicle 30 via the communication unit 22. For other parts, the description in the above embodiment is used as a reference. Furthermore, avoidance driving can include using any driving assistance technology to move the work vehicle 30 to a designated safe area. According to this variation, even if the following driving of the work vehicle 30 is temporarily unstable due to the instability of the network 40 or other reasons that prevent the transmission of the aforementioned follow command, safety can still be ensured.

[0083] Alternatively, as a variation, the work vehicle 30 can be guided by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or similar device, instead of the vehicle 10 with autonomous driving capabilities. In this variation, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 generates a follow command, which instructs the UAV 50 to follow the vehicle. Furthermore, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 sends the generated follow command to the work vehicle 30 with follow-driving capabilities via the communication unit 22. Regarding the specific operation of the information processing device 20, the work vehicle 30 is guided by the UAV 50 instead of the vehicle 10, and the flight path of the UAV 50 is selected instead of the vehicle 10's driving path. In addition, it references... Figure 5 Explanation related to the flowchart shown. Additionally, as... Figure 6 As shown, the unmanned aerial vehicle 50 of this modified example includes a control unit 51, a communication unit 52, a storage unit 53, and an acquisition unit 54. The control unit 51 performs flight control of the unmanned aerial vehicle 50; otherwise, the descriptions of each unit in the above embodiments are used. According to this modified example, for example, when the acquisition unit 54 detects that another vehicle has cut in front of the unmanned aerial vehicle 50 and the work vehicle 30, the control unit 51 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 50 can also perform flight control to move itself behind the other vehicle. In addition, when the control unit 51 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 50 detects an anomaly around the work vehicle 30 based on images acquired by cameras or the like on the work vehicle 30 for agricultural operations acquired via the communication unit 52, it can also perform flight control to move the unmanned aerial vehicle 50 to the vicinity of the work vehicle 30 in order to confirm the scene.

[0084] Alternatively, as a variation, an implementation can be adopted in which a general-purpose computer functions as the information processing apparatus 20 described in the above embodiments. Specifically, a program describing the processing content of each function of the information processing apparatus 20 implementing the above embodiments is stored in the memory of the general-purpose computer, and the program is read and executed by the processor. Therefore, this disclosure can also be implemented as a program executable by a processor or as a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing the program.

Claims

1. An information processing device, which is a server belonging to a cloud computing system, characterized in that, Includes a processor, which is configured as follows: Generate a follow command that instructs the user to follow an autonomous vehicle with automatic driving capabilities; and The follow command is sent to the work vehicle equipped with the follow driving function. The following instructions include the driving route, driving speed, acceleration, deceleration, and the distance between the autonomous vehicle and the working vehicle. During the period from the departure point to the destination of the work vehicle, a follow command is sent to the work vehicle at predetermined time intervals. Upon receiving the follow command, the work vehicle performs steering, acceleration, and braking control based on the follow command. The processor is configured to generate a message notifying the work vehicle that it is following the autonomous vehicle, and send the message to the autonomous vehicle, so that the autonomous vehicle can notify the surrounding area of ​​the work vehicle of the message via voice. The processor is configured to display optical ropes around the work vehicle via a projector provided by the autonomous vehicle. The processor is configured to select a route for the autonomous vehicle, including highways, from the origin to the destination, based on the size of the operating vehicle.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The processor is configured to detect whether an indicator representing the instability of the following movement is above a predetermined threshold, and when the processor detects that the indicator is above the predetermined threshold, it sends a first stop command or a second stop command to the work vehicle. The first stop command is an instruction to stop the work vehicle at its current location. The second stop command is a command to stop the work vehicle after it has reversed.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The processor is configured to send a first stop command to the work vehicle when it determines that an obstacle exists around the work vehicle. The first stop command is an instruction to stop the work vehicle at its current location.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The processor is configured to determine whether the obstacle exists based on the surrounding information of the work vehicle obtained by the work vehicle.

5. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, The processor is configured to send the follow command to the work vehicle again after a predetermined time has elapsed after the work vehicle has stopped.

6. An information processing method, executed by an information processing device, wherein the information processing device is a server belonging to a cloud computing system, characterized in that, The information processing method includes: Generate a follow command that instructs the user to follow an autonomous vehicle with automatic driving capabilities; and The follow command is sent to the work vehicle equipped with the follow driving function. The following instructions include the driving route, driving speed, acceleration, deceleration, and the distance between the autonomous vehicle and the working vehicle. The step of sending the follow command includes: during the period from the departure point to the destination of the work vehicle, sending the follow command to the work vehicle at predetermined time intervals, so that the work vehicle can perform steering control, acceleration control, and braking control based on the follow command each time it receives the follow command. The information processing method further includes: A message is generated notifying the autonomous vehicle that the work vehicle is following behind it, and the message is sent to the autonomous vehicle, which then uses voice to notify the surrounding area of ​​the work vehicle of the message. Optical ropes are displayed around the work vehicle via a projector equipped on the autonomous vehicle. Based on the size of the operating vehicle, a route including highways is selected for the autonomous vehicle from the origin to the destination.

7. The information processing method according to claim 6, characterized in that, Also includes: When an indicator representing instability in the following movement is detected to be above a predetermined threshold, a first stop command or a second stop command is sent to the work vehicle, wherein... The first stop command is an instruction to stop the work vehicle at its current location. The second stop command is a command to stop the work vehicle after it has reversed.

8. The information processing method according to claim 6, characterized in that, Also includes: When it is determined that there is an obstacle around the work vehicle, a first stop command is sent to the work vehicle, wherein, The first stop command is an instruction to stop the work vehicle at its current location.

9. The information processing method according to claim 8, characterized in that, Also includes: Based on the surrounding information of the work vehicle obtained by the work vehicle, it is determined whether the obstacle exists.

10. The information processing method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that, Also includes: After a specified time has elapsed since the work vehicle stopped, the follow command is sent to the work vehicle again.

11. A non-transitory storage medium that stores commands, the commands being executable by one or more processors in a computer belonging to a cloud computing system, and causing said one or more processors to perform the following functions, characterized in that, The functions include: Generate a follow command that instructs the user to follow an autonomous vehicle with automatic driving capabilities; and The follow command is sent to the work vehicle equipped with the follow driving function. The following instructions include the driving route, driving speed, acceleration, deceleration, and the distance between the autonomous vehicle and the working vehicle. The function of sending the follow command includes: during the period from the departure point to the destination of the work vehicle, sending the follow command to the work vehicle at predetermined time intervals, so that the work vehicle can perform steering control, acceleration control, and braking control based on the follow command each time it receives the follow command. It also includes the following features: A message is generated notifying the autonomous vehicle that the work vehicle is following behind it, and the message is sent to the autonomous vehicle, which then uses voice to notify the surrounding area of ​​the work vehicle of the message. Optical ropes are displayed around the work vehicle via a projector equipped on the autonomous vehicle. Based on the size of the operating vehicle, a route including highways is selected for the autonomous vehicle from the origin to the destination.

12. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 11, characterized in that, The functionality also includes: When an indicator representing instability in the following movement is detected to be above a predetermined threshold, a first stop command or a second stop command is sent to the work vehicle, wherein... The first stop command is an instruction to stop the work vehicle at its current location. The second stop command is a command to stop the work vehicle after it has reversed.

13. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 11, characterized in that, The functionality also includes: When it is determined that there is an obstacle around the work vehicle, a first stop command is sent to the work vehicle, wherein, The first stop command is an instruction to stop the work vehicle at its current location.

14. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 13, characterized in that, The functionality also includes: Based on the surrounding information of the work vehicle obtained by the work vehicle, it is determined whether the obstacle exists.

15. The non-transitory storage medium according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that, The functionality also includes: After a specified time has elapsed since the work vehicle stopped, the follow command is sent to the work vehicle again.

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