Remote control invalidation device, mobile body, and remote control invalidation method

Abstract

The invention provides a remote control invalidation device, a mobile body and a remote control invalidation method. The invention suppresses convenience from being impaired due to the fact that all remote control functions of the mobile body are invalidated. The remote control invalidation device includes: a determination unit configured to determine some of a plurality of functions of a mobile body executed by remote control, the some of the functions being to be switched between validation and invalidation; and a transmission unit that transmits a signal for switching the mobile body between enabling and disabling the part of functions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a remote control invalidation device, a mobile object, and a remote control invalidation method. Background Art

[0002] In the process of manufacturing a vehicle, there is known a technique for driving a vehicle by remote control (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Prior art literature Patent Literature Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-538619

[0004] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0005] In order to prevent a third party from remotely controlling a mobile object such as a vehicle, it is preferable to disable the remote control function of the mobile object when the mobile object is shipped from a factory. However, if all remote control functions are disabled, convenience may be impaired. Summary of the invention

[0006] Technical solutions to solve problems

[0007] The present disclosure can be implemented as the following aspects.

[0008] (1) According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a remote control disabling device. The remote control disabling device comprises: a determination unit that determines a portion of functions of a mobile body that are to be switched between validity and invalidity among a plurality of functions executed by remote control; and a transmission unit that transmits a signal that causes the mobile body to switch between validity and invalidity of the portion of functions.

[0009] According to the remote control disabling device of this aspect, instead of switching all functions executed by remote control between validity and invalidity, it is possible to switch some functions executed by remote control between validity and invalidity, thereby preventing the convenience from being impaired.

[0010] (2) In the remote control invalidation device of the above aspect, the movable body may be remotely controlled at a factory where the movable body is manufactured, and the determination unit may determine the part of the functions according to a progress of a manufacturing process of the movable body.

[0011] According to the remote control disabling device of this aspect, it is possible to switch between enabling and disabling of a part of the functions executed by remote control according to the progress of the manufacturing process of the moving body, and thus it is possible to suppress a loss of convenience.

[0012] (3) In the remote control disabling device of the above aspect, the movable body may be a vehicle, and when the movable body is in a state of waiting to be shipped from the factory, the transmitting unit may transmit a signal for switching between enabling and disabling a function of changing a shift position of the movable body.

[0013] According to the remote control invalidation device of this aspect, it is possible to suppress the change of the shift position due to remote control performed by a third party after shipment.

[0014] (4) In the remote control disabling device of the above aspect, the part of functions may include a function of accelerating the moving object and a function of decelerating the moving object.

[0015] According to the remote control invalidation device of this aspect, it is possible to suppress acceleration and deceleration of the moving object due to remote control by a third party.

[0016] (5) In the remote control disabling device of the above aspect, the part of the functions may include a function of changing a traveling direction of the moving object.

[0017] According to the remote control invalidation device of this aspect, it is possible to suppress the traveling direction of the mobile body from being changed due to remote control by a third party.

[0018] (6) In the remote control invalidation device of the above aspect, the part of the functions may include a function of moving at a speed exceeding a predetermined speed.

[0019] According to the remote control invalidation device of this aspect, it is possible to suppress the movement of the moving object exceeding a predetermined speed due to remote control by a third party.

[0020] (7) In the remote control invalidation device of the above-mentioned method, it may be that the multiple functions include a first function and a second function different from the first function, and when a predetermined first condition is satisfied, the determination unit determines the first function as the part of the functions, and when a predetermined second condition different from the first condition is satisfied, the determination unit determines the second function as the part of the functions.

[0021] According to the remote control disabling device of this aspect, the function of switching between validity and disabling can be made different according to conditions.

[0022] (8) According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a mobile body capable of being moved by remote control. The mobile body comprises: an acquisition unit that acquires information indicating a part of functions that are to be switched between effective and ineffective among a plurality of functions executed by the mobile body by remote control; and an execution unit that executes the switching between effective and ineffective of the part of functions using the information.

[0023] According to the mobile body of this aspect, it is possible to switch the validity and invalidity of some functions executed by remote control instead of switching all functions executed by remote control, so that it is possible to suppress a loss of convenience.

[0024] (9) According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a remote control disabling method that determines some functions of a mobile body that are to be switched between validity and invalidity among a plurality of functions executed by remote control, and causes the mobile body to switch the validity and invalidity of the some functions.

[0025] According to the remote control disabling method of this aspect, it is possible to switch part of the functions executed by remote control, rather than switching all of them between effectiveness and disabling, so that it is possible to suppress a loss of convenience.

[0026] The present disclosure can also be implemented in various forms other than the remote control invalidation device, the mobile object, and the remote control invalidation method. For example, it can be implemented in the form of a remote control invalidation system, a remote control invalidation method, a vehicle, a computer program, and a storage medium storing the computer program. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 It is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the remote control invalidation system according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 It is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of the vehicle according to the first embodiment. Figure 3A This is an explanatory diagram showing a situation in which a vehicle moves by remote control in a factory. Figure 3B This is a flowchart showing the procedure of the vehicle travel control according to the first embodiment. Figure 4 This is a flowchart showing the contents of the invalidation signal transmission process according to the first embodiment. Figure 5 This is a flowchart showing the contents of the invalidation execution process according to the first embodiment. Figure 6 This is an explanatory diagram showing a situation where a part of the remote control function of the vehicle is disabled. Figure 7 It is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a remote control invalidation system according to a second embodiment. Figure 8 This is a flowchart showing the contents of the invalidation execution process according to the second embodiment. Fig. 9 This is an explanatory diagram showing a situation where a part of the remote control function of the vehicle is disabled.

[0028] Description of symbols 10 to 10b ... remote control invalidation system, 100 ... vehicle (mobile body), 110 ... vehicle control device, 111 ... processor, 112 ... memory, 113 ... input / output interface, 114 ... internal bus, 115 ... vehicle control unit, 116 ... control signal receiving unit, 117 ... invalidation execution unit, 118 ... information acquisition unit, 119 ... invalidation object function determination unit, 120 ... actuator group, 130 ... communication device, 200 ... remote control invalidation device, 201 ... processor, 202 ... memory, 203 ... input / output interface, 204 ... internal bus, 205 ... communication device, 210 ... information acquisition unit, 220 ... invalidation object function determination unit, 230 ... invalidation signal generation unit, 240 ... invalidation signal transmission unit, 300 ... process management device, 400 ... remote control device DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] A. First Implementation Method:

[0030] Figure 1 It is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the remote control invalidation system 10 in the first embodiment. Figure 2 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle 100 in the first embodiment. The remote control disabling system 10 is used to disable a remote control function of a mobile object.

[0031] In the present disclosure, a "mobile body" refers to an object that can move, such as a vehicle, an electric vertical take-off and landing machine (a so-called flying car). A vehicle may be a vehicle that runs on wheels or a vehicle that runs on tracks, such as a passenger car, a truck, a bus, a two-wheeled vehicle, a four-wheeled vehicle, a chariot, a construction vehicle, etc. Vehicles include electric vehicles (BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle), gasoline vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles. In the case where the mobile body is other than a vehicle, the expressions "vehicle" and "car" in the present disclosure can be appropriately replaced with "mobile body", and the expression "running" can be appropriately replaced with "moving".

[0032] "Unmanned driving" refers to driving that does not rely on the driving operation of the passengers. Driving operation refers to operations related to at least one of "driving", "turning", and "stopping" of the vehicle 100. Unmanned driving is achieved by automatic or manual remote control using a device located outside the vehicle 100, or by autonomous control of the vehicle 100. In the vehicle 100 that travels by unmanned driving, passengers who do not perform driving operations can also ride. Passengers who do not perform driving operations include, for example, people who simply sit in the seats of the vehicle 100, and people who perform operations different from driving operations such as assembly, inspection, and switch operations while riding in the vehicle 100. In addition, driving based on the driving operations of passengers is sometimes referred to as "manned driving".

[0033] In this specification, “remote control” includes “full remote control” in which all actions of the vehicle 100 are completely determined from outside the vehicle 100, and “partial remote control” in which part of the actions of the vehicle 100 are determined from outside the vehicle 100. In addition, “autonomous control” includes “full autonomous control” in which the vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own actions without receiving any information from a device outside the vehicle 100, and “partial autonomous control” in which the vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own actions using information received from a device outside the vehicle 100.

[0034] like Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the remote control invalidation system 10 includes a vehicle 100 that can be operated by remote control, a remote control invalidation device 200, and a process management device 300. The remote control invalidation device 200 and the process management device 300 are arranged in a factory that manufactures the vehicle 100. A remote control device 400 for remotely controlling the vehicle 100 is also arranged in the factory. In the present disclosure, a function performed by the vehicle 100 by remotely controlling the vehicle 100 from the outside is referred to as a remote control function.

[0035] like Figure 2As shown, the vehicle 100 includes: a vehicle control device 110 for controlling various parts of the vehicle 100; an actuator group 120 for driving under the control of the vehicle control device 110; and a communication device 130 for communicating with the remote control invalidation device 200 and the remote control device 400 through wireless communication. The actuator group 120 includes at least one actuator. In this embodiment, the actuator group 120 includes an actuator of a driving device for accelerating the vehicle 100, an actuator of a steering device for changing the direction of travel of the vehicle 100, and an actuator of a braking device for decelerating the vehicle 100. The driving device includes a battery, a driving motor driven by the power of the battery, and a driving wheel rotated by the driving motor. The actuator of the driving device includes a driving motor. In addition, the actuator group 120 may also include, for example, an actuator for sounding a siren of the vehicle 100, an actuator for switching the lighting device of the vehicle 100 on and off, and the like.

[0036] The vehicle control device 110 is constituted by a computer including a processor 111, a memory 112, an input / output interface 113, and an internal bus 114. The processor 111, the memory 112, and the input / output interface 113 are connected to enable bidirectional communication via the internal bus 114. The actuator group 120 and the communication device 130 are connected to the input / output interface 113.

[0037] The processor 111 functions as a vehicle control unit 115, a control signal receiving unit 116, and an invalidation execution unit 117 by executing a computer program PG1 pre-stored in the memory 112. The vehicle control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120. The control signal receiving unit 116 receives a control signal SS sent from a remote control device 400 for remotely controlling the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, when the driver is riding in the vehicle 100, the vehicle control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 according to the operation of the driver, thereby enabling the vehicle 100 to move. Regardless of whether the driver is riding in the vehicle 100, the vehicle control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 according to the control signal SS received by the control signal receiving unit 116. In other words, the vehicle 100 can be moved by the remote control function.

[0038] In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 has a plurality of remote control functions. The remote control functions include, for example, the following functions.

[0039] A function of accelerating the vehicle 100. In other words, a function of driving the actuator of the driving device.

[0040] A function of decelerating the vehicle 100. In other words, a function of driving the actuator of the braking device.

[0041] A function of changing the traveling direction of the vehicle 100. In other words, a function of driving the actuator of the steering device.

[0042] A function of causing the vehicle 100 to travel at a speed exceeding a prescribed speed.

[0043] A function of switching the state of the vehicle 100 between "Ready-OFF" and "Ready-ON." Note that "Ready-OFF" is a state equivalent to the ignition-off state in a gasoline vehicle, and "Ready-ON" is a state equivalent to the ignition-on state in a gasoline vehicle.

[0044] A function of changing the gear position of the vehicle 100 .

[0045] A function of sounding the siren of the vehicle 100.

[0046] A function of switching on and off the lighting device of the vehicle 100 .

[0047] The invalidation execution unit 117 detects the invalidation signal MS sent from the remote control invalidation device 200, and invalidates a part of the remote control function of the vehicle 100 according to the detected invalidation signal MS. In the present embodiment, the invalidation signal MS includes information indicating the function to be invalidated among the multiple remote control functions possessed by the vehicle 100. The invalidation execution unit 117 invalidates a part of the remote control function by stopping the reception of the control signal SS by the control signal receiving unit 116 related to the function to be invalidated. In the present embodiment, the invalidation execution unit 117 invalidates the remote control function irreversibly. Reversibly invalidating the remote control function means invalidating the remote control function in a manner that enables the remote control function to be validated again, and irreversibly invalidating the remote control function means invalidating the remote control function in a manner that makes it impossible to validate the remote control function again. In the case where the invalidation execution unit 117 reversibly invalidates the remote control, for example, as long as the authentication of whether or not the user has the authority to validate the remote control is not cleared, the remote control can be made unusable. The invalidation execution unit 117 may also, for example, delete the remote control-related portion from the computer program PG1 stored in the memory 112 to invalidate the remote control irreversibly. In the case where a relay that opens and closes irreversibly is provided between the vehicle control device 110 and the communication device 130, the invalidation execution unit 117 may also disconnect the vehicle control device 110 and the communication device 130 by opening and closing the relay, thereby invalidating the remote control irreversibly. The invalidation execution unit 117 may also invalidate the remote control irreversibly by burning the circuit with an electric current.

[0048] like Figure 1As shown, the remote control invalidation device 200 is composed of a computer including a processor 201, a memory 202, an input / output interface 203, and an internal bus 204. The processor 201, the memory 202, and the input / output interface 203 are connected in a bidirectional communication manner via the internal bus 204. A communication device 205 for communicating with the vehicle 100 by wireless communication is connected to the input / output interface 203.

[0049] The processor 201 functions as an information acquisition unit 210, an invalidation target function determination unit 220, an invalidation signal generation unit 230, and an invalidation signal transmission unit 240 by executing a computer program PG2 pre-stored in the memory 202. The information acquisition unit 210 acquires information related to the progress of the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100 from the process management device 300. The invalidation target function determination unit 220 determines the function to be invalidated from a plurality of remote control functions possessed by the vehicle 100. The invalidation signal generation unit 230 generates an invalidation signal MS for invalidating the remote control function determined by the invalidation target function determination unit 220. The invalidation signal transmission unit 240 transmits the invalidation signal MS generated by the invalidation signal generation unit 230 to the vehicle 100. In addition, the invalidation target function determination unit 220 is sometimes referred to as a determination unit, the invalidation signal generation unit 230 is sometimes referred to as a generation unit, and the invalidation signal transmission unit 240 is sometimes referred to as a transmission unit.

[0050] The process management device 300 manages the overall manufacturing process of the vehicle 100 in the factory. The process management device 300 manages, for example, the progress of the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100. The process management device 300 is composed of at least one computer. The process management device 300 includes a communication device (not shown) and can communicate with the remote control invalidation device 200, the remote control device 400, and various devices in the factory through wired communication or wireless communication.

[0051] Figure 3A 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a situation in which the vehicle 100 moves by remote control in the factory KJ. Figure 3A5 vehicles 100A to 100E are shown in the figure. In the following description, when the 5 vehicles 100A to 100E are described without particular distinction, they are simply referred to as vehicles 100. In the present embodiment, the factory KJ includes a first location PL1 for assembling the vehicle 100, a second location PL2 for inspecting the vehicle 100, and a third location PL3 for storing the vehicles 100 that have passed the inspection. The first location PL1, the second location PL2, and the third location PL3 are connected by a travel path SR on which the vehicle 100 can travel. The vehicle 100 assembled at the first location PL1 is equipped with a vehicle control device 110, an actuator group 120, and a communication device 130. The vehicle 100 assembled at the first location PL1 is remotely controlled by the remote control device 400 and travels from the first location PL1 to the second location PL2. The vehicle 100 that has passed the inspection at the second location PL2 is remotely controlled by the remote control device 400 and travels from the second location PL2 to the third location PL3. The vehicle 100 that has arrived at the third location PL3 is then shipped from the factory KJ. In the following description, the process of assembling the vehicle 100 at the first location PL1 is referred to as an assembly process, the process of moving the vehicle 100 from the first location PL1 to the second location PL2 is referred to as a first moving process, the process of inspecting the vehicle 100 at the second location PL2 is referred to as an inspection process, and the process of moving the vehicle 100 from the second location PL2 to the third location PL3 is referred to as a second moving process. The assembly process, the first moving process, the inspection process, and the second moving process are included in the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100.

[0052] A method for the remote control device 400 to move the vehicle 100 through remote control is described. The remote control device 400 determines a target route for the vehicle 100 to travel to the destination via the travel route SR. A plurality of cameras CM for photographing the travel route SR are provided in the factory KJ. The remote control device 400 can obtain the relative position and orientation of the vehicle 100 with respect to the target route in real time by analyzing the images photographed by each camera CM. In this embodiment, the target route refers to a reference path described later. The remote control device 400 generates a control signal SS for causing the vehicle 100 to travel along the target route, and sends the control signal SS to the vehicle 100. The control signal SS, for example, indicates a target value of the acceleration of the vehicle 100 and a target value of the steering angle. The vehicle control device 110 mounted on the vehicle 100 controls the actuator group 120 according to the received control signal SS, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to travel. Therefore, the vehicle 100 can be moved without using a conveying device such as a crane or a conveyor. In the following description, control signal SS for causing vehicle 100 to travel may be referred to as a travel control signal.

[0053] Figure 3BIt is a flowchart showing the processing steps of the driving control of the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment. In step S1, the remote control device 400 uses the detection result output from the sensor located outside the vehicle 100, that is, the external sensor, to obtain the vehicle position information of the vehicle 100. The vehicle position information is the position information that becomes the basis for generating the driving control signal. In the present embodiment, the vehicle position information includes the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 in the reference coordinate system of the factory KJ. In the present embodiment, the reference coordinate system of the factory KJ is the global coordinate system, and any position in the factory KJ is represented by the coordinates of X, Y, and Z in the global coordinate system. In the present embodiment, the external sensor is a camera CM, and the captured image is output from the external sensor as the detection result. That is, in step S1, the remote control device 400 uses the captured image obtained from the camera CM as the external sensor to obtain the vehicle position information.

[0054] Specifically, in step S1, the remote control device 400 detects the shape of the vehicle 100 from the captured image, calculates the coordinates of the positioning point of the vehicle 100 in the coordinate system of the captured image, that is, the local coordinate system, and converts the calculated coordinates into coordinates in the global coordinate system, thereby obtaining the position of the vehicle 100. The shape of the vehicle 100 contained in the captured image can be detected by, for example, inputting the captured image to a detection model that makes use of artificial intelligence. The detection model is prepared, for example, in the remote control invalidation system 10 or outside the remote control invalidation system 10, and is pre-stored in the memory 202 of the remote control device 400. As the detection model, for example, a machine learning model that has been learned in a manner that realizes either semantic segmentation or instance segmentation can be cited. As the machine learning model, for example, a convolutional neural network (hereinafter referred to as CNN) learned by supervised learning using a learning data set can be used. The learning data set, for example, has a plurality of training images containing the vehicle 100, and labels indicating whether each region in the training image is a region representing the vehicle 100 or a region other than the vehicle 100. When learning CNN, it is preferred to update the parameters of CNN in a manner that reduces the error between the output result based on the detection model and the label by back propagation (error back propagation method). In addition, the processor 201 estimates the direction of the movement vector of the vehicle 100 calculated based on the position change of the feature point of the vehicle 100 between the frames of the captured image, for example, using the optical flow method, thereby being able to obtain the direction of the vehicle 100.

[0055] In step S2, the remote control device 400 determines the target position to which the vehicle 100 should go next. In the present embodiment, the target position is represented by the coordinates of X, Y, and Z in the global coordinate system. The path that the vehicle 100 should travel, i.e., the reference path, is pre-stored in the memory 202 of the remote control device 400. The path is represented by a node representing a departure point, a node representing a passing point, a node representing a destination, and a link connecting each node. The remote control device 400 uses the vehicle position information and the reference path to determine the target position that the vehicle 100 should go next. The remote control device 400 determines the target position on the reference path that is ahead of the current location of the vehicle 100.

[0056] In step S3, the remote control device 400 generates a driving control signal for driving the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. In the present embodiment, the driving control signal includes the acceleration and steering angle of the vehicle 100 as parameters. In other embodiments, the driving control signal may include the speed of the vehicle 100 as a parameter instead of the acceleration of the vehicle 100 or in addition to the acceleration of the vehicle 100. The remote control device 400 calculates the driving speed of the vehicle 100 based on the shift in the position of the vehicle 100, and compares the calculated driving speed with the target speed. As a whole, the remote control device 400 determines the acceleration in a manner that accelerates the vehicle 100 when the driving speed is lower than the target speed, and determines the acceleration in a manner that decelerates the vehicle 100 when the driving speed is higher than the target speed. In addition, the remote control device 400 determines the steering angle and acceleration in a manner that prevents the vehicle 100 from deviating from the reference path when the vehicle 100 is on the reference path, and determines the steering angle and acceleration in a manner that returns the vehicle 100 to the reference path when the vehicle 100 is not on the reference path, in other words, when the vehicle 100 deviates from the reference path.

[0057] In step S4, the remote control device 400 transmits the generated travel control signal to the vehicle 100. The remote control device 400 repeatedly acquires the position of the vehicle 100, determines the target position, generates and transmits the travel control signal in a predetermined cycle.

[0058] In step S5, the vehicle control device 110 mounted on the vehicle 100 receives the travel control signal transmitted from the remote control device 400. In step S6, the vehicle control device 110 controls the actuator group 120 using the received travel control signal, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to travel at the acceleration and steering angle indicated by the travel control signal. The vehicle control device 110 repeatedly receives the travel control signal and controls the actuator group 120 at a predetermined cycle.

[0059] Figure 4 1 is a flowchart showing the contents of the disabling signal transmission process executed in the remote control disabling device 200 . Figure 5 1 is a flowchart showing the contents of the invalidation execution process executed in vehicle 100 . Figure 6 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a situation where the remote control of the vehicle 100 is disabled. Figures 4 to 6 , a remote control invalidation method implemented in the remote control invalidation system 10 is described.

[0060] Figure 4 The invalidation signal transmission process shown is repeatedly executed by the remote control invalidation device 200. When the invalidation signal transmission process starts, in step S110, the invalidation target function determination unit 220 determines whether a predetermined condition is satisfied. In this embodiment, the predetermined condition is that the vehicle 100 moves to Figure 3A The third location PL3 shown is, in other words, the vehicle 100 is in a state of waiting for shipment. The invalidation target function determination unit 220 can use the information related to the progress of the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100 obtained by the information acquisition unit 210 from the process management device 300 to determine whether the vehicle 100 is in a state of waiting for shipment. If it is determined in step S110 that the predetermined condition is not satisfied, the remote control invalidation device 200 skips the process after step S110 and ends the invalidation signal transmission process.

[0061] When it is determined in step S110 that the prescribed condition is satisfied, the invalidation target function determination unit 220 determines the invalidation target function from the plurality of remote control functions possessed by the vehicle 100 in step S120. In the present embodiment, the progress of the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100 and the invalidation function are stored in correspondence with each other in the database DB pre-stored in the memory 202. The invalidation target function determination unit 220 determines the invalidation function by referring to the database DB stored in the memory 202. In the present embodiment, the invalidation target function includes a function of changing the state of the vehicle 100 from "Ready-OFF" to "Ready-ON" by remote control, a function of changing the gear position of the vehicle 100 from "P" (parking) to "D" (driving), and a function of changing the gear position of the vehicle 100 from "P" to "R" (reverse).

[0062] In step S130, the disabling signal generating unit 230 generates a disabling signal MS for disabling the function determined by the disabling target function determining unit 220. In step S140, the disabling signal transmitting unit 240 transmits the disabling signal MS generated by the disabling signal generating unit 230 to the vehicle 100. Thereafter, the remote control disabling device 200 ends the disabling signal transmitting process.

[0063] Figure 5 The invalidation execution process shown is repeatedly executed by the invalidation execution unit 117 of the vehicle 100. When the invalidation execution process starts, in step S210, the invalidation execution unit 117 determines whether the invalidation signal MS is received. In the case where it is determined in step S210 that the invalidation signal MS is not received, the invalidation execution unit 117 skips the process after step S210 and ends the invalidation execution process. In the case where it is determined in step S210 that the invalidation signal MS is received, the invalidation execution unit 117 executes the invalidation of a part of the remote control function according to the invalidation signal MS in step S220. Thereafter, the invalidation execution unit 117 ends the invalidation execution process.

[0064] like Figure 6 As shown, when the vehicle 100 is in a waiting state for shipment due to the invalidation signal transmission process, the remote control invalidation device 200 transmits the invalidation signal MS to the vehicle 100. Through the invalidation execution process, a part of the remote control function is invalidated in the vehicle 100 that receives the invalidation signal MS. Thereafter, the vehicle 100 in a state in which a part of the remote control function is invalidated is shipped.

[0065] According to the remote control disabling system 10 in the present embodiment described above, it is possible to disabling some of the multiple remote control functions provided in the vehicle 100 instead of disabling all of the multiple remote control functions. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the convenience from being impaired due to disabling all of the remote control functions.

[0066] In addition, in the present embodiment, when the vehicle 100 is in a state of waiting for shipment from the factory KJ, the function of changing the state of the vehicle 100 from "Ready-OFF" to "Ready-ON" by remote control, the function of changing the gear position of the vehicle 100 from the "P" (parking) gear position to the "D" (driving) gear position, and the function of changing the gear position of the vehicle 100 from the "P" gear position to the "R" (reverse) gear position are invalidated. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the state of the vehicle 100 from being changed from "Ready-OFF" to "Ready-ON" by remote control performed by a third party after shipment, and the gear position of the vehicle 100 from being changed from the "P" gear position to the "D" gear position or the "R" gear position by remote control performed by a third party.

[0067] B. Second Implementation Method:

[0068] Figure 71 is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of the remote control invalidation system 10b of the second embodiment. In this embodiment, the difference from the first embodiment is that the remote control invalidation system 10b does not have a remote control invalidation device 200, and when the prescribed conditions are met, the vehicle 100 invalidates a part of the remote control function regardless of the invalidation signal. As for other structures, unless otherwise specified, they are the same as the first embodiment.

[0069] In the present embodiment, the processor 111 of the vehicle control device 110 functions as a vehicle control unit 115, a control signal receiving unit 116, an invalidation execution unit 117, an information acquisition unit 118, and an invalidation object function determination unit 119 by executing a computer program PG1 pre-stored in the memory 112. The information acquisition unit 118 acquires information related to the progress of the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100 from the process management device 300. The invalidation object function determination unit 119 uses the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 118 to determine the function of the object to be invalidated from a plurality of remote control functions. A database DB is pre-stored in the memory 112. In the database DB, the progress of the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100 is stored in correspondence with the invalidated function. In addition, the invalidation object function determination unit 119 is sometimes referred to as only a determination unit, and the invalidation execution unit 117 is sometimes referred to as only an execution unit.

[0070] Figure 8 This is a flowchart showing the contents of the invalidation execution process executed in the remote control invalidation system 10 b according to the second embodiment. Fig. 9 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a situation where the remote control of the vehicle 100 is disabled. Figure 8 and Fig. 9 , a remote control invalidation method implemented in the remote control invalidation system 10b is described.

[0071] When to start Figure 8 When the invalidation execution process is shown, in step S310, the invalidation object function determination unit 119 determines whether a predetermined condition is satisfied. The predetermined condition is the same as in the first embodiment, that the vehicle 100 is in a waiting state for shipment. The invalidation object function determination unit 119 can use the information related to the progress of the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100 obtained by the information acquisition unit 118 from the process management device 300 to determine whether the vehicle 100 has become a waiting state for shipment. If it is determined in step S310 that the predetermined condition is not satisfied, the invalidation object function determination unit 119 skips the process after step S110 and ends the invalidation execution process.

[0072] When it is determined in step S310 that the predetermined condition is satisfied, the invalidation target function determination unit 119 determines the invalidation target function from the plurality of remote control functions provided by the vehicle 100 in step S320. The invalidation target function determination unit 119 refers to the database DB pre-stored in the memory 112 to determine the invalidation function. In step S330, the invalidation execution unit 117 invalidates the function determined by the invalidation target function determination unit 119. Thereafter, the invalidation execution unit 117 terminates the invalidation execution process.

[0073] like Fig. 9 As shown, when the vehicle 100 is in the shipment waiting state due to the invalidation execution process, the vehicle 100 invalidates a part of its own remote control function. Thereafter, the vehicle 100 in the state in which a part of the remote control function is invalidated is shipped.

[0074] According to the remote control disabling system 10b in the present embodiment described above, it is possible to disabling some of the multiple remote control functions provided in the vehicle 100 instead of disabling all of the multiple remote control functions. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the convenience from being impaired due to disabling all of the remote control functions.

[0075] C. Other implementation methods:

[0076] (C1) In the remote control disabling systems 10 to 10b of the above-mentioned embodiments, when the movement of the vehicle 100 to the third place PL3 is completed, a part of the remote control function of the vehicle 100 is disabled. In contrast, in the remote control disabling systems 10 to 10b, when the movement of the vehicle 100 to the second place PL2 is completed, a part of the remote control function of the vehicle 100 may be disabled. When the inspection of the vehicle 100 in the second place PL2 is completed, a part of the remote control function of the vehicle 100 may be disabled.

[0077] (C2) In the remote control invalidation system 10 to 10b, when the movement of the vehicle 100 to the second place PL2 is completed, part of the remote control function of the vehicle 100 may be invalidated, and when the movement of the vehicle 100 to the third place PL3 is completed, part of the remaining remote control function of the vehicle 100 may be invalidated. In this case, the condition that the movement of the vehicle 100 to the second place PL2 is completed is sometimes referred to as the first condition, and the condition that the movement of the vehicle 100 to the third place PL3 is completed is sometimes referred to as the second condition. In the remote control invalidation system 10 to 10b, when the movement of the vehicle 100 to the second place PL2 is completed, part of the remote control function of the vehicle 100 may be invalidated, and when the inspection of the vehicle 100 in the second place PL2 is completed, part of the remaining remote control function of the vehicle 100 may be invalidated. In this case, the condition that the movement of the vehicle 100 to the second place PL2 is completed is sometimes referred to as the first condition, and the condition that the inspection of the vehicle 100 in the second place PL2 is completed is sometimes referred to as the second condition. In addition, the remote control function that is disabled when the first condition is satisfied may be referred to as a first function, and the remote control function that is disabled when the second condition is satisfied may be referred to as a second function.

[0078] (C3) In the remote control invalidation systems 10 to 10b of the above-mentioned embodiments, the invalidation execution unit 117 invalidates the remote control function irreversibly. In contrast, in the remote control invalidation systems 10 to 10b, the invalidation execution unit 117 may invalidate the remote control function reversibly. In this case, the invalidation execution unit 117 may validate the reversibly invalidated remote control function. For example, in the remote control invalidation system 10 of the first embodiment, the invalidation target function determination unit 220 may determine the function to be validated from the reversibly invalidated remote control functions when a predetermined condition is satisfied, the invalidation signal generation unit 230 may generate a validation signal for validating the remote control function determined by the invalidation target function determination unit 220, and the invalidation signal transmission unit 240 may transmit the validation signal generated by the invalidation signal generation unit 230 to the vehicle 100. The invalidation execution unit 117 of the vehicle 100 may validate the reversibly invalidated remote control function when receiving the validation signal.

[0079] (C4) In the remote control invalidation systems 10 to 10b of the above-mentioned embodiments, the vehicle 100 may be provided with a GPS receiver, and a part of the remote control function may be switched between valid and invalid based on the position information of the vehicle 100 obtained by the GPS receiver. When an abnormality of the vehicle 100 is detected by the self-diagnosis function of the vehicle 100, a part of the remote control function may be switched between valid and invalid. When the communication state between the vehicle 100 and the remote control device 400 deteriorates, a part of the remote control function may be switched from valid to invalid. When it is detected that an unregistered remote control device is communicating with the vehicle 100, a part of the remote control function may be switched from valid to invalid. When it is detected that the physical condition of the driver is poor while driving the vehicle 100, a part of the remote control function may be switched from invalid to valid, and the vehicle 100 may be stopped by remote control. For example, the driver's heart rate may be measured by a wearable terminal worn by the driver, and the amount of the driver's sweat may be measured by a sensor provided on the steering wheel of the vehicle 100, so that the driver's poor physical condition can be detected.

[0080] (C5) In the remote control invalidation system 10 of the first embodiment described above, the remote control invalidation device 200 may be integrated with the process management device 300. The remote control invalidation device 200 may be integrated with the remote control device 400. The remote control invalidation device 200 may be integrated with the process management device 300 and the remote control device 400.

[0081] (C6) In the remote control invalidation system 10b of the second embodiment described above, the invalidation target function determination unit 119 of the vehicle 100 uses the information obtained by the information acquisition unit 118 to determine the invalidation target function, thereby acquiring information indicating the invalidation target function. In contrast, in the remote control invalidation system 10b of the second embodiment, the invalidation target function determination unit 119 may not be provided in the vehicle 100. In this case, the information acquisition unit 118 may acquire information indicating the invalidation target function from the process management device 300, for example, and the invalidation execution unit 117 invalidates the function indicated by the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 118. In addition, when the invalidation target function determination unit 119 is provided in the vehicle 100, the invalidation target function determination unit 119 may be referred to as an acquisition unit, and when the invalidation target function determination unit 119 is not provided in the vehicle 100, the information acquisition unit 118 may be referred to as an acquisition unit.

[0082] (C7) In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the external sensor is a camera CM. On the other hand, the external sensor may not be a camera CM, and may be, for example, LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging). In this case, the detection result output from the external sensor may be three-dimensional point group data representing the vehicle 100. In this case, the remote control device 400 may also obtain the vehicle position information by template matching using the three-dimensional point group data as the detection result and the reference point group data prepared in advance.

[0083] (C8) In each of the above embodiments, the remote control device 400 performs the processing from the acquisition of the vehicle position information to the generation of the travel control signal. In contrast, at least a part of the processing from the acquisition of the vehicle position information to the generation of the travel control signal may be performed by the vehicle 100. For example, the following (1) to (3) may be used.

[0084] (1) The remote control device 400 may also obtain vehicle position information, determine the target position to which the vehicle 100 should go next, and generate a path from the current position of the vehicle 100 indicated by the obtained vehicle position information to the target position. The remote control device 400 may generate a path to the target position between the current position and the destination, or may generate a path to the destination. The remote control device 400 may also transmit the generated path to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may also generate a travel control signal in such a way that the vehicle 100 travels on the path received from the remote control device 400, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated travel control signal.

[0085] (2) The remote control device 400 may also obtain vehicle position information and transmit the obtained vehicle position information to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may also determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should go next, generate a path from the current position of the vehicle 100 indicated by the received vehicle position information to the target position, generate a travel control signal so that the vehicle 100 travels on the generated path, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated travel control signal.

[0086] (3) In the above-mentioned methods (1) and (2), the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor, and the detection result outputted from the internal sensor may be used in at least one of the generation of the route and the generation of the driving control signal. The internal sensor is a sensor mounted on the vehicle 100. The internal sensor may include, for example, a sensor for detecting the motion state of the vehicle 100, a sensor for detecting the operation state of each part of the vehicle 100, and a sensor for detecting the environment around the vehicle 100. Specifically, the internal sensor may include, for example, a camera, a LiDAR, a millimeter wave radar, an ultrasonic sensor, a GPS sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, etc. For example, in the above-mentioned method (1), the remote control device 400 may also obtain the detection result of the internal sensor, and reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the route when generating the route. In the above-mentioned method (1), the vehicle 100 may also obtain the detection result of the internal sensor, and reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the driving control signal when generating the driving control signal. In the above-mentioned method (2), the vehicle 100 may also obtain the detection result of the internal sensor, and reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the route when generating the route. In the above-mentioned aspect (2), the vehicle 100 may obtain the detection result of the internal sensor and reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the travel control signal when generating the travel control signal.

[0087] (C9) In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the remote control device 400 automatically generates a driving control signal to be sent to the vehicle 100. In contrast, the remote control device 400 may generate a driving control signal to be sent to the vehicle 100 according to an operation of an external operator located outside the vehicle 100. For example, the external operator may operate an operating device including a display for displaying a captured image output from the camera CM as an external sensor, a steering wheel, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal for remotely operating the vehicle 100, and a communication device for communicating with the remote control device 400 through wired communication or wireless communication, and the remote control device 400 may generate a driving control signal corresponding to the operation applied to the operating device.

[0088] (C10) In each of the above embodiments, the vehicle 100 only needs to have a structure that can be moved by remote control, for example, it can also be a platform having the structure described below. Specifically, in order to exert the three functions of "driving", "turning" and "stopping" by remote control, the vehicle 100 only needs to have at least a vehicle control device 110, an actuator group 120 and a communication device 130. That is, the vehicle 100 that can be moved by remote control may not be equipped with at least a part of the interior parts such as the driver's seat and the instrument panel, may not be equipped with at least a part of the exterior parts such as the bumper and the fender, and may not be equipped with a body shell. In this case, the remaining parts such as the body shell may be installed on the vehicle 100 before the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory KJ, or the remaining parts such as the body shell may be installed on the vehicle 100 after the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory KJ while the remaining parts such as the body shell are not installed on the vehicle 100. Each component can be installed from any direction such as the upper side, lower side, front side, rear side, right side or left side of the vehicle 100, and can be installed from the same direction or from different directions. In addition, the platform can also be positioned in the same manner as the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment.

[0089] (C11) The vehicle 100 may also be manufactured by combining a plurality of modules. A module refers to a unit composed of a plurality of components assembled according to the location and function of the vehicle 100. For example, the platform of the vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining a front module constituting the front portion of the platform, a central module constituting the central portion of the platform, and a rear module constituting the rear portion of the platform. In addition, the number of modules constituting the platform is not limited to three, and may be two or less or four or more. In addition, in addition to or instead of the components constituting the platform, components constituting portions of the vehicle 100 that are different from the platform may also be modularized. In addition, various modules may also include any exterior components such as a bumper or grille, and any interior components such as a seat or console. In addition, not limited to the vehicle 100, any type of mobile body may also be manufactured by combining a plurality of modules. Such a module may be manufactured, for example, by joining a plurality of components by welding or fixings, or by molding at least a portion of the components constituting the module as one component by casting. The molding method of molding a component, especially a relatively large component, as a whole is also called gigacast or megacast. For example, the front module, the center module, and the rear module may also be manufactured by gigacasting.

[0090] (C12) The transportation of the vehicle 100 by the driving of the unmanned vehicle 100 is also referred to as "automatic driving transportation". In addition, the structure for realizing automatic driving transportation is also referred to as "vehicle remote control autonomous driving transportation system". In addition, the production method of producing the vehicle 100 by automatic driving transportation is also referred to as "automatic driving production". In the automatic driving production, for example, in the factory KJ that manufactures the vehicle 100, at least a part of the transportation of the vehicle 100 is realized by automatic driving transportation.

[0091] (C13) In each of the above embodiments, part or all of the functions and processes implemented by software may also be implemented by hardware. In addition, part or all of the functions and processes implemented by hardware may also be implemented by software. As hardware for implementing the various functions in each of the above embodiments, various circuits such as integrated circuits and discrete circuits may also be used.

[0092] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be implemented in various structures without departing from its main purpose. For example, the technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each method recorded in the invention content column can be appropriately replaced or combined in order to solve part or all of the above-mentioned problems, or to achieve part or all of the above-mentioned effects. In addition, if the technical feature is not described as a necessary feature in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted.

Claims

1. A remote control invalidation device, wherein: The remote control invalidation device comprises: a determination unit that determines a part of functions to be switched between effectiveness and ineffectiveness among a plurality of functions executed by remote control of the mobile object; and The transmitting unit transmits a signal for causing the moving body to switch between enabling and disabling of the part of functions.

2. The remote control invalidation device according to claim 1, wherein: The moving body is remotely controlled at a factory where the moving body is manufactured, The determination unit determines the part of functions according to a progress of a manufacturing process of the moving body.

3. The remote control invalidation device according to claim 2, wherein: The mobile body is a vehicle, When the moving object is in a state of waiting for shipment from the factory, the transmitting unit transmits a signal for switching between enabling and disabling a function of changing a shift position of the moving object.

4. The remote control invalidation device according to claim 1, wherein: The part of the functions includes a function of accelerating the moving object and a function of decelerating the moving object.

5. The remote control invalidation device according to claim 1, wherein: The part of the functions includes a function of changing the traveling direction of the moving body.

6. The remote control invalidation device according to claim 1, wherein: The part of the functions includes a function of moving at a speed exceeding a predetermined speed.

7. The remote control invalidation device according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of functions include a first function and a second function different from the first function, The determination unit determines the first function as the partial function when a predetermined first condition is satisfied, and determines the second function as the partial function when a predetermined second condition different from the first condition is satisfied.

8. A mobile object capable of being moved by remote control, wherein: The mobile body comprises: an acquisition unit that acquires information indicating a part of functions that are switching targets between being enabled and being disabled among a plurality of functions executed by remote control of the mobile body; and The execution unit uses the information to execute switching between enabling and disabling of the part of the functions.

9. A remote control invalidation method, wherein: The remote control invalidation method determines a part of functions of a mobile body to be switched between effective and ineffective among a plurality of functions executed by remote control. The moving body switches the validity and invalidity of the part of functions.

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