State switching device, moving body, and method for manufacturing moving body

Abstract

This state switching device is provided with: a progress status acquisition unit that acquires the progress status of a process to be executed on a moving body, which can be moved by unmanned driving, during the manufacturing of the moving body in a factory in which the moving body is manufactured, the moving body being provided with at least one device; a device determination unit that determines, using the acquired progress status, a device to be switched to an operating state among devices that are included in the at least one device and that are in a standby state prior to execution of the process; and a command generation unit that generates and outputs a control command for switching the determined device to the operating state.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority based on Japanese patent application No. 2023-145710 filed on September 8, 2023, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a state switching device, a moving object, and a method for manufacturing the moving object. Background Art

[0003] In a manufacturing system for manufacturing vehicles, there are known technologies using the following two conveying methods: conveying a vehicle using a belt, and conveying by driving a vehicle based on remote control. For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-538619 discloses a technology in which a manufacturing process is performed during the transportation of a vehicle using a belt, and when the manufacturing process is completed, the vehicle is driven to a parking lot by remote control. Summary of the invention Technical issues to be solved

[0004] In the manufacturing process of the vehicle, as preparation for starting the remote control driving, the power of the device installed in the vehicle may be turned on and off or the function of the device may be switched. However, if the preparation for starting the driving of the vehicle is not performed at an appropriate time relative to the progress of the manufacturing process, the start time of the driving of the vehicle may be delayed relative to the progress of the manufacturing process. Means for solving technical problems

[0005] The present disclosure can be implemented as the following aspects.

[0006] (1) According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a state switching device is provided. The state switching device comprises: a progress status acquisition unit that acquires the progress status of a process performed on a mobile body during the manufacturing process of the mobile body in a factory for manufacturing the mobile body, the mobile body being capable of unmanned movement and having at least one device; a device determination unit that uses the acquired progress status to determine a device to be switched to an operating state among devices included in the at least one device that are in a standby state before the process is performed; and a command generation unit that generates and outputs a control command for switching the determined device to the operating state. According to this method of state switching device, since the devices are switched to the working state in sequence according to the progress of the processing in the manufacturing process, it is possible to suppress or prevent the start of movement of the moving body from being delayed relative to the completion of the processing, compared to the case where all devices are switched to the working state at once when the processing is completed. (2) In the state switching device of the above aspect, the progress status acquisition unit may acquire a predetermined start time earlier than a completion time when all the processes are completed as the progress status. The device determination unit may determine all devices for moving the mobile body among the devices in the standby state as devices to be switched to the working state using the acquired start time. According to the state switching device of this aspect, all devices can be put into the operating state before the time when all processes are completed, and the delay of the start of movement of the movable body relative to the completion of the process can be more reliably suppressed or prevented. (3) In the state switching device of the above aspect, the processing may be executed while the movable body is being transported by a transport device capable of transporting the movable body. According to the state switching device of this aspect, even in a state where the movable body cannot move, such as a state where the power supply of the device of the movable body is off, it is possible to execute the transport and the processing in parallel. (4) In the state switching device of the above aspect, the progress status acquisition unit may acquire a transport position of the moving body associated with the progress status, and acquire the progress status using the acquired transport position. According to the state switching device of this aspect, the progress status of the processing can be obtained by a simple method of obtaining the conveyance position of the movable body. (5) In the state switching device of the above-mentioned embodiment, the at least one device may include a prime mover of the mobile body. The processing may include an inspection related to the prime mover in the state of being stopped as the standby state. The progress status acquisition unit may acquire the time when the inspection related to the prime mover is completed as the progress status. The device determination unit may use the acquired time of the inspection related to the prime mover to determine the prime mover as the device to switch to the working state. The command generation unit may generate a control command for operating the prime mover and send it to the mobile body. According to the state switching device of this aspect, it is possible to avoid the prime mover from being in an operating state during inspection related to the prime mover, thereby suppressing or preventing a decrease in productivity of inspection related to the prime mover. (6) In the state switching device of the above aspect, the standby state may include a restricted state in which the power of the device is turned on and at least a part of the function of the device for movement of the moving body is restricted. According to this method, the state switching device can switch to the restricted state in advance, so that it can switch to the working state in a shorter time compared to the case of switching from the standby state to the working state without going through the restricted state, and can more reliably suppress or prevent the start of the movement of the mobile body from being delayed relative to the completion of the processing. (7) According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a mobile body capable of moving by unmanned driving. The mobile body comprises: at least one device; a progress status acquisition unit that acquires the progress status of a process performed on the mobile body during the manufacturing process of the mobile body; a device determination unit that uses the acquired progress status to determine a device that is switched to an operating state among devices included in the at least one device that are in a standby state before performing the process; and a command generation unit that generates and outputs a control command for switching the determined device to the operating state. According to the mobile body of this method, the mobile body can switch the devices to the working state in sequence according to the progress of the processing in the manufacturing process alone. Compared with the situation where all devices are switched to the working state at once when the processing is completed, the start of the movement of the mobile body can be suppressed or prevented from being delayed relative to the completion of the processing. The present disclosure can also be implemented in various forms other than the state switching device and the mobile body. For example, it can be implemented in the form of a state switching device, a conveying device, a conveying system, a method for manufacturing a mobile body, a method for switching the state of a mobile body, a method for conveying a mobile body, a method for controlling a mobile body, a method for controlling a conveying device, a method for controlling a conveying system, a computer program for implementing these control methods, a non-temporary recording medium having the computer program recorded thereon, and the like. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 It is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a transportation system including a remote control device as a state switching device. Figure 2 It is an explanatory diagram showing the internal functional configuration of a vehicle. Figure 3 It is a block diagram showing the internal functional structure of the transport control device. Figure 4 This is a block diagram showing the internal functional configuration of the remote control device according to the first embodiment. Figure 5A The flowchart shows a vehicle driving method implemented by the remote control device. Figure 5B It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a correspondence table. Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing the vehicle transportation method according to the first embodiment. Figure 7 This is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of an ECU of a vehicle according to the second embodiment. Figure 8 This is a flowchart showing a vehicle driving method according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0008] A. First Implementation Method: Figure 1 This is an explanatory diagram showing the schematic structure of a conveying system 600 including a remote control device 300 as a state switching device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. The conveying system 600 is used, for example, in a factory that manufactures vehicles 100. The conveying object of the conveying system 600 is a vehicle 100 that can be driven by remote control. The conveying system 600 is used, for example, in a manufacturing process of the vehicle 100 such as an inspection process or an assembly process of the vehicle 100, and conveys the vehicle 100 across a predetermined conveying section in the manufacturing process. In this embodiment, a vehicle 100 being transported by the conveying device 500 is subjected to processing such as inspection by an operator or equipment.

[0009] Figure 2 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the internal functional configuration of the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 is, for example, a car, a truck, a bus, and a construction vehicle. In the present embodiment, the vehicle 100 is an electric vehicle (BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle) that can be driven by unmanned driving. "Unmanned driving" refers to driving that does not rely on the driving operation of the passengers. Driving operation refers to an operation 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 autonomous control of the vehicle 100. In the vehicle 100 that is driven by unmanned driving, passengers who do not perform driving operations can also be carried. Among the passengers who do not perform driving operations, for example, there are people who only sit on the seats of the vehicle 100, and people who perform operations different from driving operations such as assembly, inspection, and operation of switch groups while riding in the vehicle 100. In addition, driving performed by the driving operation of the passengers is sometimes referred to as "manned driving". In this specification, "remote control" includes "full remote control" in which all actions of the vehicle 100 are determined completely 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. The vehicle 100 includes a vehicle communication device 190, an actuator group 140, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 200.

[0010] ECU 200 performs various controls of vehicle 100. ECU 200 is an example of a device provided in vehicle 100. ECU 200 includes a storage device 220 such as HDD (hard disk drive), SSD (solid state drive), optical recording medium, semiconductor memory, etc., a CPU 210 as a central processing unit, and an interface circuit 230. CPU 210, storage device 220, and interface circuit 230 are connected via an internal bus so as to be able to communicate bidirectionally. Actuator group 140 and vehicle communication device 190 are connected to interface circuit 230. Vehicle communication device 190 wirelessly communicates with devices outside vehicle 100 connected to the network such as remote control device 300 via an access point in a factory.

[0011] Computer programs for realizing at least a part of the functions provided in the present embodiment are stored in the storage device 220. The functions of the driving control unit 212 and the like are realized by the CPU 210 executing various computer programs stored in the memory.

[0012] The driving control unit 212 performs driving control of the vehicle 100. "Driving control" is various controls for driving the actuator group 140 that performs the "driving", "turning", and "stopping" functions of the vehicle 100, such as adjustment of acceleration, speed, and steering angle. When the driver is riding in the vehicle 100, the driving control unit 212 controls the actuator group 140 according to the driver's operation, thereby enabling the vehicle 100 to travel. In addition, regardless of whether the driver is riding in the vehicle 100, the driving control unit 212 controls the actuator group 140 according to the control command sent from the remote control device 300, thereby enabling the vehicle 100 to travel.

[0013] In the present embodiment, the actuator group 140 includes an actuator of a brake device 150 for decelerating the vehicle 100, an actuator of a drive device 160 for accelerating the vehicle 100, and an actuator of a steering device 170 for changing the traveling direction of the vehicle 100. Each actuator included in the actuator group 140 is an example of a device provided in the vehicle 100. The actuator group 140 may include an actuator for swinging a wiper of the vehicle 100, an actuator for opening and closing a power window of the vehicle 100, and the like.

[0014] The actuator of the brake device 150 includes, for example, various mechanisms such as a disc brake and a drum brake, a brake pedal 152 operated by a driver, etc. The actuator of the steering device 170 includes, for example, a steering wheel 172 for the driver to steer.

[0015] The actuator of the driving device 160 includes a driving battery (not shown), a driving motor 168 driven by the power of the driving battery, wheels 166, an EPB 167, an accelerator pedal 161 for the driver to adjust the output of the driving motor 168, a transmission unit 162, and a locking unit 164. The driving motor 168 is an example of a prime mover. The wheel 166 rotates by the power transmitted from the driving motor 168. In addition, other types of prime movers such as an internal combustion engine or an external combustion engine may be provided instead of the driving motor 168.

[0016] The transmission unit 162 includes a transmission mechanism such as a gear and a shaft, and transmits the power from the driving motor 168 to the wheel 166. The locking unit 164 switches between a fixed state in which the transmission mechanism of the transmission unit 162 is locked and a non-fixed state in which the lock is released. The locking unit 164 is sometimes also referred to as a "parking lock lever". When the function of the transmission unit 162 is switched to the "P gear" by remote control of the remote control device 300 or manual operation of the driver of the vehicle 100, the locking unit 164 switches to a fixed state, and the rotation of the wheel 166 is suppressed. In addition, when the gears in the transmission mechanism of the transmission unit 162 are disconnected, and the power from the driving motor 168 is not transmitted to the wheel 166. In the N gear, the wheel 166 is in an idling state. The "idling state" refers to a state in which the wheel 166 can be idling. When idling, the vehicle 100 does not move forward a distance corresponding to the amount of rotation of the wheel 166 even if the wheel 166 is rotated. When the "D range" is switched, the lock portion 164 is in an unfixed state, and the gears and the like of the transmission mechanism of the transmission portion 162 are connected. In the D range, the power from the driving motor 168 is transmitted to the wheels 166 through the transmission portion 162, and the vehicle 100 is in a state where it can travel.

[0017] The EPB 167 is an electric parking brake (EPB) that can be operated by remote control or manual operation of the driver. The EPB 167 is sometimes referred to as an emergency brake. The EPB 167 is usually in a stopped state to stop the vehicle 100 in the P range and the N range, and in a non-stop state to enable the vehicle 100 to travel in the D range.

[0018] like Figure 1As shown, the transport system 600 includes a vehicle detector 80, a transport device 500, and a remote control device 300. The remote control device 300 generates a control command for automatically driving the vehicle 100 by remote control and transmits it to the vehicle 100, thereby performing driving control of the vehicle 100 based on remote control. For example, the remote control device 300 automatically drives the vehicle 100 by remote control, thereby transporting the vehicle 100 in a transport section within a factory. In this embodiment, as described later, the remote control device 300 also functions as a state switching device, which switches at least one device of the vehicle 100 from a standby state to an operating state according to the progress of the processing.

[0019] Figure 1 Vehicle detectors 80p and 80t are shown as an example of a vehicle detector 80. The vehicle detector 80 is a device for measuring vehicle information. "Vehicle information" refers to information for estimating at least one of the position of the vehicle 100 and the orientation of the vehicle 100, such as an image of the vehicle 100 or three-dimensional point cloud data of the vehicle 100. "Three-dimensional point cloud data" refers to data indicating the three-dimensional position of the point cloud. The vehicle detector 80 in this embodiment is equivalent to an external sensor. The external sensor is a sensor located outside the vehicle 100. In addition, the vehicle information is equivalent to the detection result output from the external sensor. In this embodiment, the vehicle detector 80 uses LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) as a ranging device. The vehicle detector 80 measures the three-dimensional point cloud data of the vehicle 100 as vehicle information. By using LiDAR, high-precision three-dimensional point cloud data can be obtained.

[0020] The vehicle detector 80 is communicatively connected to the remote control device 300 through wireless communication or wired communication. The remote control device 300 can obtain the relative position and direction of the vehicle 100 relative to the target route that the vehicle 100 should travel in real time by obtaining vehicle information from the vehicle detector 80. The position of the vehicle detector 80 is fixed near the travel road SR and the transport device 500. In addition, the target path in this embodiment corresponds to the reference path described later.

[0021] The conveying device 500 includes a motor 522, a conveying unit 510, a plurality of conveying position detectors 526, and a conveying control device 400. The motor 522 is controlled by the conveying control device 400 to drive the conveying unit 510.

[0022] The conveying unit 510 conveys the vehicle 100 as the conveying object in the conveying direction DR. In the present embodiment, the conveying unit 510 is a belt conveyor having an endless belt, and conveys the vehicle 100 in a state of being grounded on the endless belt. Through the conveying unit 510, the vehicle 100 can be moved across a prescribed conveying interval regardless of remote control, driving control of the vehicle 100, etc. The vehicle 100 on the conveying unit 510 can be detached from the conveying unit 510 at any time through remote control of the remote control device 300. In addition, in the present embodiment, the conveying unit 510 is driven continuously regardless of whether there is a vehicle 100 on the conveying unit 510. However, the conveying unit 510 is not limited to the case of continuous driving, and can also be configured to be driven only in a state where the vehicle 100 is placed on the conveying unit 510. The conveying unit 510 is not limited to the vehicle 100, and can also transport, for example, a worker who handles the vehicle 100, parts of the vehicle 100, etc. together with the vehicle 100. The conveying unit 510 is not limited to a belt conveyor, and may be various conveyors capable of conveying the vehicle 100, such as a roller conveyor and a chain conveyor.

[0023] The transport position detector 526 is, for example, an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a millimeter wave radar, or any other detector capable of detecting the presence or absence of a target object. The transport position detector 526 detects the vehicle 100 on the transport unit 510. In the present embodiment, the transport device 500 includes a plurality of transport position detectors 526, and a plurality of progress status acquisition units 318 are provided for each specified transport section in the transport device 500. Thus, the presence or absence of the vehicle 100 in each transport section, that is, the position of the vehicle 100 being transported by the transport device 500 (hereinafter also referred to as "transport position") can be detected. The detection result of the transport position detector 526 is output to the transport control device 400.

[0024] Figure 3 4 is a block diagram showing the internal functional structure of the transport control device 400. The transport control device 400 includes a CPU 410 as a central processing unit, a storage device 440, an interface circuit 450, and a transport communication device 490. The CPU 410, the storage device 440, and the interface circuit 450 are connected via an internal bus so as to be able to communicate bidirectionally. The transport communication device 490 is connected to the interface circuit 450. The transport communication device 490 communicates with the remote control device 300 and the vehicle 100 via a network or the like.

[0025] The storage device 440 is, for example, a RAM, a ROM, a HDD, and an SSD. In the readable and writable area of ​​the storage device 440, the conveying position VP detected by the conveying position detector 526 is stored. In addition, a program for realizing at least a part of the functions provided in this embodiment is stored in the storage device 440. By executing the program by the CPU 410, the conveyor control unit 412 and the conveying position acquisition unit 414 function. The conveyor control unit 412 drives the motor 522 to control the on / off of the conveying unit 510 and the conveying speed.

[0026] The transport position acquisition unit 414 acquires the transport position of the vehicle 100 in the transport section by the transport device 500 from the transport position detector 526, and stores the acquired transport position as the transport position VP in the storage device 440. The transport position acquisition unit 414 may acquire the position of the vehicle 100 in the transport section using the vehicle detector 80. When the transport position of the vehicle 100 is detected by the vehicle detector 80 over the entire transport section, the transport position detector 526 may be omitted.

[0027] use Figure 1 A method of transporting the vehicle 100 will be described. Figure 1 , the transport section of the vehicle 100 from the range AR1 to the range AR5 is schematically shown. Figure 1 1 shows vehicles 100p, 100q, 100r1, 100r2, 100s, and 100t as examples of the vehicle 100, and vehicle detectors 80p and 80t as examples of the vehicle detector 80. Ranges AR1 and AR5 are transport sections in which the automatic travel of the vehicle 100 based on remote control is utilized. In range AR1, the vehicle 100p automatically travels to the transport device 500 by remote control using vehicle information obtained from the vehicle detector 80p. In range AR5, the vehicle 100t separated from the transport device 500 travels to the next process or the like by remote control using vehicle information obtained from the vehicle detector 80p.

[0028] The range from the range AR2 to the range AR4 is a transportation section of the vehicle 100 using the transportation device 500. The range AR2 is an example of a transportation start position where the transportation of the vehicle 100 by the transportation device 500 is started. In the range AR2, the transportation method of the vehicle 100 is switched from self-propelled transportation based on remote control to transportation by the transportation device 500. The vehicle 100p traveling by remote control passes the starting point SP on one end side of the transportation unit 510 and enters the range AR2. The vehicle 100q that has arrived at the range AR2 becomes a state that can be transported by the transportation unit 510.

[0029] In the range AR3, the vehicle 100 is transported by the transport device 500, and a predetermined process performed on the vehicle 100 in the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100 is performed. In the present embodiment, in the range AR3, as an example of the process, an inspection process of inspecting each device equipped with the vehicle 100 is performed. Specifically, in the range AR31 in the range AR3, the so-called engine room of the vehicle 100r1 is inspected. In the inspection in the engine room, for example, the assembly of the driving motor 168 and its surrounding parts is inspected. Therefore, during the execution of the engine room inspection, it is preferable that the driving motor 168 and its surrounding parts are in a power-off standby state. In addition, the engine room is sometimes referred to as a bonnet or a hood. In the range AR32, the appearance inspection of the vehicle 100r2 is performed. The damage or dent of the body of the vehicle 100r2 is inspected. In addition, in the range AR3, in addition to these, the inspection and adjustment of lights and instruments, and the oil leakage inspection and other processes may also be performed. Each inspection may be an automatic inspection performed by a device or the like, or may be a manual inspection performed by an operator. At least a part of the actuator group 140 is in a standby state before the start of the inspection process.

[0030] Range AR3 is an area outside the detection range of the vehicle 100 by the vehicle detector 80, and in range AR3, automatic driving of the vehicle 100 by remote control is not performed. However, the vehicle 100 in range AR3 can communicate with the remote control device 300 wirelessly, and for example, remote control for switching the state of each device of the vehicle 100, such as switching between the standby state and the working state of each device of the vehicle 100, can be performed. However, range AR3 can also be set within the detection range of the vehicle detector 80, and automatic driving of the vehicle 100 by remote control can also be performed in range AR3.

[0031] Range AR4 is an example of a transport end position where the transport of the vehicle 100 by the transport device 500 ends. The vehicle 100 reaches range AR4 after the inspection in range AR3 is completed. In range AR4, the vehicle 100s can be detected by the vehicle detector 80t, and the vehicle 100s can be automatically driven and separated from the transport unit 510 by remote control. In the present embodiment, range AR4 is pre-set to a range from the end point EP on the other end side of the transport unit 510 to a predetermined distance. This "predetermined distance" is determined, for example, based on a range in which the vehicle detector 80t can detect the vehicle 100t. However, range AR4 can also be set to an arbitrary range from a position in range AR3 where the processing for the vehicle 100 is completed to the end point EP, based on the premise that the vehicle detector 80t can detect the vehicle 100t. In this case, the size of range AR4 is variable depending on the progress of the processing for the vehicle 100 in range AR3.

[0032] Figure 4 1 is a block diagram showing the internal functional configuration of the remote control device 300 according to the first embodiment. The remote control device 300 includes a CPU 310 as a central processing unit, a storage device 340, an interface circuit 350, and a remote communication device 390. The CPU 310, the storage device 340, and the interface circuit 350 are connected via an internal bus so as to be able to communicate bidirectionally. The remote communication device 390 is connected to the interface circuit 350. The remote communication device 390 communicates with the vehicle 100 and the transport control device 400 via a network or the like.

[0033] The storage device 340 is, for example, a RAM, a ROM, a HDD, and an SSD. A correspondence table TB is stored in a readable and writable area of ​​the storage device 340. In addition, a computer program for realizing at least a part of the functions provided in the present embodiment is stored in the storage device 340. By executing the computer program stored in the storage device 340 by the CPU 310, the CPU 310 functions as a remote control unit 312, a position estimation unit 314, a progress status acquisition unit 318, a device determination unit 320, and a vehicle information acquisition unit 322. However, some or all of these functions may also be constituted by hardware circuits.

[0034] The vehicle information acquisition unit 322 acquires the vehicle identification information of the vehicle 100 that is the transport object of the transport device 500 from the production management device or the like. "Vehicle identification information" refers to various information that can individually identify the vehicle 100. The vehicle identification information includes, for example, the vehicle identification number (VIN: Vehicle Identification Number) provided to each vehicle 100, or the manufacturing number of the vehicle 100 used in production management. The vehicle identification information is used to verify whether the vehicle 100 is the transport object of the transport device 500. The vehicle identification information can be obtained from a wireless mobile identification (RF-ID: Radio Frequency-Identification) tag attached to the vehicle 100 via short-range wireless communication or the like. The vehicle identification information can also be obtained by reading a two-dimensional code attached to the vehicle 100 with a camera or the like.

[0035] The position estimation unit 314 obtains vehicle information from the vehicle detector 80, and estimates the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 using the obtained vehicle information. The position and orientation estimated by the position estimation unit 314 are equivalent to the vehicle position information described later. In the present embodiment, the position estimation unit 314 uses the three-dimensional point cloud data measured by the vehicle detector 80 as the vehicle information. The position estimation unit 314 estimates the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 in the obtained three-dimensional point cloud data. Specifically, the position estimation unit 314 performs template matching on the three-dimensional point cloud data using the vehicle point cloud data pre-stored in the storage device 340. Therefore, the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 in the three-dimensional point cloud data can be estimated with high accuracy. For example, the three-dimensional CAD data of the vehicle 100 can be used as the vehicle point cloud data as a template. The vehicle point cloud data contains information for determining the orientation of the vehicle 100. In the template matching of the vehicle point cloud data with respect to the three-dimensional point cloud data, for example, an ICP (Iterative Closest Point) algorithm or an NDT (Normal Distribution Transform) algorithm can be used. In addition, in the case where the position of the vehicle 100 can be estimated with high accuracy based on the three-dimensional point cloud data, template matching may not be performed.

[0036] The remote control unit 312 functions as a command generation unit that generates control commands for causing the vehicle 100 to perform various actions and outputs them to the vehicle 100. For example, the remote control unit 312 generates a control command for causing the vehicle 100 to automatically drive by remote control using the estimated position and orientation of the vehicle 100 and sends it to the vehicle 100. The control command is, for example, a command for causing the vehicle 100 to drive along a target route stored in the storage device 340. The control command can be generated as a command including a driving force or a braking force, or a steering angle. When the vehicle 100 receives a request for remote control, the driving control is implemented by the driving control unit 212 of the ECU 200, and as a result, the vehicle 100 automatically drives. In this embodiment, as described later, the remote control unit 312 can also generate a control command for switching the actuator group 140 corresponding to the progress of the inspection process to an operating state or a standby state according to the decision of the device determination unit 320.

[0037] Figure 5A 1 is a flowchart showing a driving method of the vehicle 100 implemented by the remote control device 300. In step S1, the remote control device 300 uses the detection result output from the sensor located outside the vehicle 100, that is, the external sensor, to obtain the vehicle position information. 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. In the present embodiment, the reference coordinate system of the factory is a global coordinate system, and any position in the factory can be represented by the X, Y, and Z coordinates in the global coordinate system. Specifically, in step S1, the remote control unit 312 obtains the estimation result of the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 by the position estimation unit 314. In the present embodiment, the position of the vehicle 100 includes the X, Y, and Z coordinates in the global coordinate system of the factory. The position of the vehicle detector 80 is adjusted in advance. The remote control unit 312 detects the position of the vehicle 100 based on the vehicle information obtained from the vehicle detector 80, and obtains the position of the vehicle 100 in the factory based on the detected position of the vehicle 100.

[0038] In step S2, the remote control unit 312 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. In the storage device 340 of the remote control device 300, a reference path as the path that the vehicle 100 should travel is pre-stored. The path is represented by a node indicating a departure point, a node indicating a passing point, a node indicating a destination, and a link connecting each node. The remote control device 300 uses the vehicle position information and the reference path to determine the target position to which the vehicle 100 should go next. The remote control device 300 determines the target position on the reference path that is ahead of the current position of the vehicle 100.

[0039] In step S3, the remote control unit 312 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. The remote control unit 312 calculates the driving speed of the vehicle 100 according to the change of the position of the vehicle 100, and compares the calculated driving speed with the target speed. In general, the remote control unit 312 determines the acceleration in a manner to accelerate the vehicle 100 when the driving speed is lower than the target speed, and determines the acceleration in a manner to decelerate the vehicle 100 when the driving speed is higher than the target speed. In addition, when the vehicle 100 is located on the reference path, the remote control unit 312 determines the steering angle and acceleration in a manner so that the vehicle 100 does not deviate from the reference path. When the vehicle 100 is not located on the reference path, in other words, when the vehicle 100 deviates from the reference path, the remote control unit 312 determines the steering angle and acceleration in a manner so that the vehicle 100 returns to the reference path. In other embodiments, the travel control signal may include the speed of the vehicle 100 as a parameter instead of the acceleration of the vehicle 100 , or may include the speed of the vehicle 100 as a parameter in addition to the acceleration of the vehicle 100 .

[0040] In step S4, the remote control unit 312 transmits the generated travel control signal to the vehicle 100. The remote control unit 312 repeatedly acquires vehicle position information, determines a target position, generates a travel control signal, transmits the travel control signal, and the like in a predetermined cycle.

[0041] In step S5, the vehicle 100 receives the travel control signal transmitted from the remote control device 300. In step S6, the vehicle 100 controls the actuator group 140 of the vehicle 100 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 100 repeatedly receives the travel control signal and controls the actuator group 140 of the vehicle 100 at a predetermined cycle. According to the transport system 600 in this embodiment, the vehicle 100 can be driven by remote control, so that the vehicle 100 can be moved without using transport equipment such as a crane or a conveyor.

[0042] return Figure 4 , the progress status acquisition unit 318 acquires the progress status of the process performed on the vehicle 100 transported by the transport device 500. In this embodiment, the progress status acquisition unit 318 acquires Figure 1In the present embodiment, the progress status acquisition unit 318 acquires the transport position of the vehicle 100 and acquires the progress status of the inspection using the acquired transport position. However, the progress status acquisition unit 318 may acquire the progress status of the inspection using, for example, the elapsed time from the start of the transport of the vehicle 100 by the transport device 500, the detection of a button operation for notifying the operator of the end of each inspection, etc., instead of using the transport position of the vehicle 100 or in addition to the transport position of the vehicle 100.

[0043] like Figure 1 As shown by the marks M1, M2, M3, and Mn in the figure, a plurality of marks are provided near the conveying unit 510. Each mark is provided at the boundary of the conveying section of the conveying device 500 and is used to detect the progress of the inspection process. Specifically, a mark M1 indicating the start of the inspection of the vehicle 100 is provided at the boundary PT31 between the range AR2 and the range AR3, and a mark Mn indicating the end of the inspection is provided at the boundary PT3n between the range AR3 and the range AR4.

[0044] When the inspection process includes multiple processes, the range AR3 may be subdivided into multiple ranges corresponding to the multiple processes. In the present embodiment, the range AR3 includes, for example, multiple ranges associated with the respective progress statuses of the multiple processes included in the inspection process. Specifically, the range AR3 includes a range AR31 corresponding to the engine room inspection and a range AR32 corresponding to the appearance inspection.

[0045] A marker M2 is provided at a boundary PT32 between the range AR31 and the range AR32, and a marker M3 is provided at a boundary PT33 between the range AR32 and the next range thereof. The progress status acquisition unit 318 analyzes the vehicle information acquired from the vehicle detector 80, confirms the relative positions of the markers M1, M2, M3, Mn and the vehicle 100, and thereby acquires the progress status of the inspection process. The progress status acquisition unit 318 may acquire the conveying position VP stored in the storage device 440 from the conveying control device 400 instead of or in addition to acquiring from the vehicle detector 80, and acquire the progress status of the processing for the vehicle 100 using the conveying position VP. In addition, the progress status acquisition unit 318 may acquire the progress status of the processing for the vehicle 100 by directly acquiring the conveying position of the vehicle 100 from the conveying position detector 526.

[0046] The device determination unit 320 determines a device to be switched to one of the operating state and the standby state among the actuator group 140 in the standby state for inspection, using the progress status acquired by the progress status acquisition unit 318. In the present embodiment, the device determination unit 320 refers to the correspondence table TB stored in the storage device 340 and determines a device to be switched to one of the operating state and the standby state according to the acquired progress status of the inspection process.

[0047] "Working state" refers to the state of a device to be switched in order to enable the vehicle 100 to travel by remote control. The working state is not limited to the power of the device being turned on. For example, the state in which the transmission part 162 is in the D gear, the non-fixed state of the locking part 164, etc., is the state of the device for enabling the vehicle 100 to travel. "Standby state" refers to the state of a device to be switched in order to perform an inspection of the vehicle 100. When the device of the vehicle 100 is switched to the standby state, the vehicle 100 is in a state where it cannot be driven by remote control or is not suitable for the driving of the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the standby state includes a power-off state. The power-off state is a state in which the power of the device is disconnected. More specifically, in the present embodiment, the power-off state is a state in which the power of the actuator included in the actuator group 140 is disconnected.

[0048] The standby state may also include a restricted state. "Restricted state" refers to a state in which the power of the device is on and at least a part of the function of the device for driving the vehicle 100 is restricted. The restricted state is not included in the working state. The restricted state includes, for example, a state in which the transmission unit 162 is in the P gear, a fixed state of the locking unit 164, etc., in which the vehicle 100 cannot be driven by remote control even when the device is powered on, or a state that is not suitable for driving the vehicle 100. In addition, the working state and the standby state can be transformed into each other from any state. More specifically, the working state, the power-off state and the restricted state can be transformed into each other from any state. The remote control unit 312 generates a control instruction for switching the determined device to one of the working state, the power-off state and the restricted state according to the decision of the device determination unit 320, and sends it to the vehicle 100.

[0049] Figure 5B: is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a correspondence table TB. The arrows in the figure are marked for easy understanding of the technology. The correspondence table TB shows the progress of the processing for the vehicle 100 and the correspondence between the device switched to the working state, the power-off state, and the restricted state. In addition, the correspondence table TB can be set for each vehicle 100. Specifically, the correspondence table TB can be set according to the content of the inspection and other processing performed on the vehicle 100 during the transportation by the transportation device 500, the so-called destination country as the shipping destination country of the vehicle 100, the model of the vehicle 100, and the type of device mounted on the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the correspondence table TB is associated with the vehicle identification information of each vehicle 100, and the device determination unit 320 selects the correspondence table TB corresponding to the obtained vehicle identification information.

[0050] exist Figure 5B The upper part of shows the steps included in the inspection process. The start time of switching the device to each state is preferably determined in consideration of the time taken for each step included in the inspection process to complete the switching to the working state. Figure 5B The switching of the vehicle communication device 190 and ECU 200 to the working state shown is preferably completed before the next process, i.e., the appearance inspection, starts. In the present embodiment, the switching of the vehicle communication device 190 and ECU 200 to the working state starts, for example, at the beginning or during the engine room inspection. However, the switching of the vehicle communication device 190, ECU 200, and remote control unit 312 to the working state may be completed before the start time of the engine room inspection. For example, the vehicle communication device 190, ECU 200, and remote control unit 312 may not switch to the standby state at the beginning of the inspection but may remain in the working state. In addition, at Figure 5B In the correspondence table TB shown, the states of each device at the start of the inspection and at the completion of the inspection are also shown for easy understanding of the technology. As for the start of the inspection and at the completion of the inspection, the switching to the standby state or the working state is completed at any time before that time.

[0051] Figure 6 1 is a flow chart showing a method for transporting a vehicle 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. This flow chart starts when the vehicle 100 starts traveling toward the transport device 500. Figure 1 and Figure 5B Provide explanation.

[0052] In step S10, the remote control unit 312 causes the vehicle 100 to automatically drive toward the conveying device 500 through remote control. Figure 1As shown in the range AR1, the remote control unit 312 generates a control command for remote control using the position and orientation of the vehicle 100p estimated by the position estimating unit 314, and transmits the control command to the vehicle 100p.

[0053] In step S20, the vehicle information acquisition unit 322 acquires the vehicle identification information from the vehicle 100p that has arrived at the transport device 500 before the transport by the transport device 500 starts, and checks whether it matches the vehicle identification information of the transport target in production management. However, this confirmation may be omitted, and the vehicle information acquisition unit 322 may be omitted when the vehicle identification information is not used. In step S30, the device determination unit 320 determines the correspondence table TB corresponding to the acquired vehicle identification information in the correspondence table TB stored in the storage device 340.

[0054] In step S40, the remote control unit 312 controls the vehicle 100 to automatically travel to the transport start position on the transport unit 510. Figure 1 In the example of FIG. 5 , when the vehicle 100p reaches the transport device 500, the remote control unit 312 performs remote control using vehicle information obtained from the vehicle detector 80p to cause the vehicle 100p to travel past the starting point SP of the transport unit 510 and move to the range AR2.

[0055] In step S50, the state of the device corresponding to the start of the process performed during the transport, that is, the start of the inspection process, is switched. Figure 5B As shown, at the start of the inspection, the remote control unit 312 turns off the power of all devices in the vehicle 100, and all devices are switched to a standby state. Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , when the vehicle 100q reaches the transport start position, the device determination unit 320 determines that the devices to be switched to the standby state are all the actuator groups 140 of the vehicle 100. The remote control unit 312 generates a control command to turn off the power of all the devices of the vehicle 100, and transmits it to the vehicle 100. In step S60, the transport control device 400 controls the motor 522 to drive the transport unit 510, and starts the transport of the vehicle 100. In addition, in the present embodiment, the transport unit 510 is continuously driven, and S60 is executed in parallel with S50 and the like.

[0056] In step S70, an inspection of the vehicle 100 is performed. In this embodiment, a plurality of inspections of the vehicle 100 are performed. Figure 1In the example of , first, the engine room inspection is performed on the vehicle 100 that has reached the range AR31. In step S80, the progress status acquisition unit 318 confirms the progress status of the engine room inspection. The progress status acquisition unit 318 acquires the transport position of the vehicle 100 and acquires the progress status of the engine room inspection using the acquired transport position.

[0057] In step S90, the device determination unit 320 checks whether the progress of the engine room inspection has reached a predetermined time. If the progress of the process has not reached the predetermined time (S90: "No"), the device determination unit 320 returns the process to step S80 and waits until the time is reached. If the progress has reached the time (S90: "Yes"), the device determination unit 320 transfers the process to step S100. In step S100, the state of the device corresponding to the progress of the engine room inspection is switched.

[0058] like Figure 1 As shown, the device determination unit 320 determines the device to change the state at a predetermined time between the time when the vehicle 100q reaches the range AR2 and the time when it reaches the range AR32. The predetermined time is set, for example, at the time when the vehicle 100q reaches the mark M1. When the progress status acquisition unit 318 detects that the vehicle 100q has reached the mark M1, the device determination unit 320 determines the device to change the state according to Figure 5B The correspondence table TB shown in the figure determines that the devices switched to the operating state are the vehicle communication device 190 and the ECU 200. The remote control unit 312 generates a control command for switching the vehicle communication device 190 and the ECU 200 to the operating state, specifically, generates a control command for turning on the power of the vehicle communication device 190 and the ECU 200, and transmits it to the vehicle 100. With such a configuration, when the engine room is inspected, the travel motor 168 is in the operating state, and a decrease in productivity of the engine room inspection can be suppressed or prevented.

[0059] In step S110, the device determination unit 320 confirms whether the start time has arrived. The "start time" refers to the time when the vehicle 100 transported by the transport device 500 is switched to a state where it can travel. At the start time, all devices in the devices of the vehicle 100 that are in a standby state when the inspection starts are determined as devices that switch to an operating state. The start time is set using the completion time when all processes of the inspection process are completed. In order to complete the start of all devices of the vehicle 100 before the completion time, it is preferable to set the start time using a time earlier than the completion time. When the start time has not arrived (S110: "No"), the device determination unit 320 returns the process to step S70 and continues the inspection process.

[0060] exist Figure 1In the example of FIG. 1 , the appearance inspection starts because the vehicle 100 reaches the range AR32. Figure 5B As shown in FIG. 1 , when the progress of the appearance inspection reaches a predetermined time, the driving motor 168 is further switched to an operating state. In addition, the transmission unit 162, the EPB 167, the accelerator pedal 161 and the steering wheel 172 are switched to a restricted state. Figure 1 In the example of , the predetermined time is a predetermined time between the time when the vehicle 100 reaches the range AR31 and the time when the vehicle 100 reaches the next range of the range AR32. Specifically, the predetermined time is set at the time when the vehicle 100 reaches the mark M2.

[0061] When the transport position of the vehicle 100 reaches the position of the mark M2, the device determination unit 320 determines the device to be switched to the operating state to be the travel motor 168, and the device to be switched to the restricted state to be the transmission unit 162, the EPB 167, the accelerator pedal 161, and the steering wheel 172 according to the correspondence table TB. The remote control unit 312 generates a control command to turn on the power of the travel motor 168 in order to put the travel motor 168 into the operating state. In addition, in order to set the restricted state, the remote control unit 312 turns on the power of the transmission unit 162 to make it the P gear state, turns on the power of the EPB 167 to make it the stopped state, turns on the power of the accelerator pedal 161 and the steering wheel 172, and sends a control command to fix the control value to switch to the inoperable state.

[0062] When the start time is reached (S110: Yes), the device determination unit 320 transfers the process to step S120. In step S120, the device determination unit 320 switches all devices to the operating state. Figure 5B As shown, before the completion time when all the processing of the inspection process is completed, all devices are switched to the working state. Figure 1 In the example, the progress status acquisition unit 318 uses, for example, a mark such as mark M3, which is arranged before the mark Mn indicating the completion time, to obtain the arrival at the start time. The device determination unit 320 uses the obtained start time to determine all devices as devices that switch to the working state. The "all devices" mentioned here may not include devices that are already in the working state. The remote control unit 312 generates a control instruction to put all devices into the working state and sends it to the vehicle 100. In step S130, the remote control unit 312 detaches the vehicle 100s from the conveying unit 510 through remote control, and ends this process. The vehicle 100t detached from the conveying device 500 is delivered to the next process by automatic driving.

[0063] As described above, the remote control device 300 of the present embodiment includes: a remote control unit 312 that generates a control command for operating the actuator group 140 provided on the vehicle 100 by remote control and transmits it to the vehicle 100; a progress status acquisition unit 318 that acquires the progress status of the inspection process of the vehicle 100; and a device determination unit 320 that uses the acquired progress status to determine a device that is switched to an operating state for moving the vehicle 100 by remote control among the devices that are in a standby state before the inspection process. The remote control unit 312 generates a control command for switching the determined device to an operating state and transmits it to the vehicle 100. According to the remote control device 300 of the present embodiment, since the devices are sequentially switched to the operating state according to the progress status of the inspection process, it is possible to suppress or prevent the start of the travel of the vehicle 100 by remote control when the inspection process is completed, compared with the case where all the devices are switched to the operating state at once when the inspection process is completed. In addition, according to the remote control device 300 of the present embodiment, the devices can be switched to the operating state in an appropriate order that matches the progress status of the inspection process.

[0064] According to the remote control device 300 of the present embodiment, the progress status acquisition unit 318 acquires a predetermined start time earlier than the completion time when all the processes of the inspection process are completed as the progress status. The device determination unit 320 uses the acquired start time to determine all devices in the standby state among the multiple devices as devices to be switched to the working state. Therefore, all devices can be put into the working state earlier than the time when all the processes of the inspection process are completed. The vehicle 100 can be driven by remote control before the inspection process is completed, and the reduction of productivity in the inspection process and the transportation by the transportation device 500 can be prevented.

[0065] According to the remote control device 300 of the present embodiment, the inspection process and other processing are executed while the vehicle 100 is being transported by the transport device 500 that can transport the vehicle 100. The inspection process and other processing can be executed while the transport device 500 is transporting the vehicle 100. Therefore, even in a state where the vehicle 100 cannot travel, such as a state where the power supply of each part of the vehicle 100 is turned off, the transportation and the inspection process and other processing can be executed in parallel.

[0066] According to the remote control device 300 of this embodiment, the progress status acquisition unit 318 acquires the transport position of the vehicle 100 associated with the progress status and acquires the progress status using the acquired transport position. Therefore, the progress status of the inspection process can be acquired by a simple method of acquiring the transport position of the vehicle 100.

[0067] According to the remote control device 300 of the present embodiment, a plurality of devices include a travel motor 168 as a prime mover of the vehicle 100. The inspection process includes an inspection related to the travel motor 168 in a state where the power is turned off as a standby state. The progress status acquisition unit 318 acquires the completion time of the inspection related to the travel motor 168 as the progress status. The device determination unit 320 uses the acquired completion time of the inspection related to the travel motor 168 to determine the travel motor 168 as a device to be switched to an operating state. The remote control unit 312 generates a control command for switching the power of the prime mover on and sends it to the vehicle 100. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the travel motor 168 from becoming an operating state during the inspection related to the travel motor 168, and suppress or prevent the reduction in productivity of the inspection related to the travel motor 168.

[0068] According to the remote control device 300 of the present embodiment, the standby state includes a restricted state in which the power of the device is on and at least a part of the function of the device for moving the vehicle 100 is restricted. By switching the device to the power on before switching to the operating state, it is possible to switch to the operating state in a shorter time than when switching from the standby state to the operating state without passing through the restricted state. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably suppress or prevent the start delay of the travel of the vehicle 100 based on the remote control when the inspection process is completed.

[0069] B. Second Implementation Method: Figure 7 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the ECU 200b of the vehicle 100 according to the second embodiment. In this embodiment, the transport system 600 is different from the first embodiment in that it does not include the remote control device 300. Specifically, the difference from the first embodiment is that the ECU 200b provided on the vehicle 100 instead of the remote control device 300 has a function as a state switching device. The other configurations of the transport system 600 are the same as those of the first embodiment unless otherwise specified.

[0070] like Figure 7As shown in the figure, the ECU 200b is different from the ECU 200 shown in the first embodiment in that the ECU 200b is provided with a CPU 210b instead of the CPU 210, and a storage device 220b is provided instead of the storage device 220. Specifically, in the storage device 220b, in addition to the functions of the CPU 210 shown in the first embodiment, a program for realizing functions corresponding to the position estimation unit 314, the progress status acquisition unit 318, the device determination unit 320, and the vehicle information acquisition unit 322 provided in the remote control device 300 shown in the first embodiment is stored. As a result, the CPU 210b also functions as the position estimation unit 214, the progress status acquisition unit 218, the device determination unit 240, and the vehicle information acquisition unit 242 corresponding to these functions. In addition, the storage device 220b stores the correspondence table TB that was once stored in the remote control device 300. In this embodiment, the device determination unit 240 functions as a command generation unit that generates a control command for switching the device determined using the correspondence table TB to the operating state or the restricted state, and outputs it to the driving control unit 212. According to the vehicle 100 configured in this way, by providing the vehicle 100 with the function of the state switching device, it is possible to sequentially switch the devices to the operating state according to the progress of the inspection process without using a device such as the remote control device 300 that is separate from the vehicle 100. In addition, compared with the case where all devices are switched to the operating state at once when the inspection process is completed, it is possible to suppress or prevent the start of the vehicle 100 from being delayed relative to the completion of the process.

[0071] Figure 8 2 is a flowchart showing a driving method of the vehicle 100 according to the second embodiment. In step S210, the position estimation unit 214 obtains the vehicle position information using the detection result output from the external sensor. In step S220, the driving control unit 212 determines the target position to which the vehicle 100 should go next. In step S230, the driving control unit 212 generates a driving control signal for driving the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. In step S240, the driving control unit 212 controls the actuator group 140 of the vehicle 100 by using the generated driving control signal, so that the vehicle 100 drives according to the parameters indicated by the driving control signal. The vehicle 100 repeatedly performs the acquisition of the vehicle position information, the determination of the target position, the generation of the driving control signal, and the control of the actuator group 140 in a predetermined cycle. According to the driving control in this embodiment, even if the vehicle 100 is not remotely controlled by the remote control device 300, the vehicle 100 can be driven by the autonomous control of the vehicle 100. In addition, more specifically, in step S210, the position estimating unit 214 acquires the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 using the vehicle information output from the vehicle detector 80. In addition, in the present embodiment, a reference route is pre-stored in the storage device 220c of the ECU 200c.

[0072] C. Other implementations: (C1) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the following example is shown: the progress status acquisition unit 318 acquires a predetermined start time earlier than the completion time when all the processes of the inspection process are completed as the progress status, and switches all the devices to the working state at the start time. In contrast, for example, instead of switching all the devices, only the device for driving the vehicle 100, such as the drive device 160, may be switched to the working state. By configuring in this way, at least the delay of the driving of the vehicle 100 relative to the completion of the inspection process can be suppressed. However, it is preferable that the devices other than the drive device 160 are also switched to the working state immediately.

[0073] (C2) In the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the position estimating unit 314 and the position estimating unit 214 are provided. On the other hand, for example, when high-precision position information is not required during the automatic driving of the vehicle 100, the position estimating unit 314 and the position estimating unit 214 may be omitted. In this case, for example, the detection result of a sensor capable of detecting the vehicle 100, such as the transport position detector 526 provided in the transport device 500, may be used.

[0074] (C3) In the above-mentioned embodiments, an example in which the vehicle detector 80 is a LiDAR is shown. In contrast, the vehicle detector 80 may be an external camera installed in a location different from the vehicle 100, instead of or in addition to the LiDAR. In this case, the vehicle detector 80 acquires an image of the vehicle 100 as vehicle information. The position estimation unit 314 and the position estimation unit 214 may estimate the position of the vehicle 100 and the direction of the vehicle 100 using the captured image acquired by the external camera. In this case, Figure 5A In step S1, the remote control device 300 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. In addition, the remote control device 300 estimates the direction of the movement vector of the vehicle 100 calculated from 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. The direction of the vehicle 100 can also be calculated using the output result of the yaw rate sensor mounted on the vehicle 100, for example.

[0075] The shape of the vehicle 100 contained in the captured image can be detected, for example, by inputting the captured image into a detection model using artificial intelligence. The detection model is prepared, for example, inside or outside the conveying system 600, and is pre-stored in the storage device 340 of the remote control device 300. As a detection model, for example, a machine learning model that has been learned in a manner to achieve one of semantic segmentation and instance segmentation can be cited. As the machine learning model, for example, a convolutional neural network (hereinafter referred to as CNN) that has been 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 area in the training image is an area representing the vehicle 100 or an area other than the vehicle 100. When learning the CNN, it is preferred to update the parameters of the CNN by back propagation (error back propagation method) in a manner that reduces the error between the output result of the detection model and the label.

[0076] (C4) In the above-mentioned embodiments, examples are shown in which the vehicle 100 is a car, a truck, a bus, a construction vehicle, etc. However, the vehicle 100 may also be various mobile bodies. 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 aircraft (a so-called flying car). The vehicle may be a vehicle that travels on wheels or a vehicle that travels on tracks, such as a car, a truck, a bus, a two-wheeled vehicle, a four-wheeled vehicle, a tank, 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 may be appropriately replaced with "mobile body", and the expression "travel" may be appropriately replaced with "movement".

[0077] (C5) In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the vehicle 100 only needs to have a structure capable of being moved by unmanned driving, for example, it may also be in the form of a platform having the structure described below. Specifically, in order for the vehicle 100 to perform the three functions of "driving", "turning" and "stopping" by unmanned driving, it is sufficient to have at least an ECU 200 as a control device for controlling the driving of the vehicle 100, and actuators such as a drive device, a steering device and a braking device. In the case where the vehicle 100 obtains information from the outside for unmanned driving, the vehicle 100 further has a vehicle communication device 190. That is, on the vehicle 100 that can be moved by unmanned driving, at least a part of the interior components such as the driver's seat and the instrument panel may not be installed, at least a part of the exterior components such as the bumper and the fender may not be installed, and the body shell may not be installed. In this case, the remaining parts such as the body shell may be mounted on the vehicle 100 until the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory, or the remaining parts such as the body shell may be mounted on the vehicle 100 after the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory without the remaining parts such as the body shell being mounted on the vehicle 100. Each part may be mounted from any direction such as the upper side, the lower side, the front side, the rear side, the right side, or the left side of the vehicle 100, and may be mounted from the same direction or from different directions. In addition, the position of the stand may be determined in the same manner as the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment.

[0078] (C6) The vehicle 100 can be manufactured by any manufacturing method. For example, the vehicle 100 can be manufactured by combining a plurality of modules. A module refers to a unit composed of one or more components that are aggregated according to the structure and function of the vehicle 100. For example, the rack of the vehicle 100 can be manufactured by combining a front module that constitutes the front part of the rack, a central module that constitutes the central part of the rack, and a rear module that constitutes the rear part of the rack. In addition, the number of modules that constitute the rack is not limited to three, and may be less than two or more than four. In addition, in addition to the rack, a part of the vehicle 100 that is different from the rack may be modularized, or a part of the vehicle 100 that is different from the rack may be modularized instead of the rack. In addition, various modules may also include any exterior parts such as bumpers and grilles, and any interior parts such as seats or consoles. In addition, not limited to the vehicle 100, any type of mobile body may be manufactured by combining a plurality of modules. Such a module may be manufactured, for example, by joining a plurality of parts by welding or fixing tools, or by integrally molding at least a portion of the module into one part by casting. The molding method of integrally molding at least a part of a module into one component is also called Giga-casting or Mega-casting. By using Giga-casting, various parts of a moving body that were previously formed by joining multiple parts can be formed into one component. For example, the front module, the center module, and the rear module mentioned above can also be manufactured using Giga-casting.

[0079] (C7) In the first embodiment, the remote control device 300 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 methods (1) to (3) may be used.

[0080] (1) The remote control device 300 can 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 300 can generate a path to the target position between the current position and the destination, or can generate a path to the destination. The remote control device 300 can send the generated path to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 can generate a travel control signal in a manner such that the vehicle 100 travels on the path received from the remote control device 300, and use the generated travel control signal to control the actuator group 140 of the vehicle 100.

[0081] (2) The remote control device 300 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 140 of the vehicle 100 using the generated travel control signal.

[0082] (3) In the above-mentioned methods (1) and (2), the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor, and the detection result output 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. Specifically, the internal sensor may include, for example, a camera, 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 300 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.

[0083] (C8) In the above embodiment in which the vehicle 100 can travel by autonomous control, the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor, and a 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 travel control signal. For example, the vehicle 100 may obtain the detection result of the internal sensor, and reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the route when generating the route. 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.

[0084] (C9) In the second embodiment described above, the vehicle 100 uses the detection result of the vehicle detector 80 to obtain the position and direction of the vehicle 100. In contrast, the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor, and the vehicle 100 may use the detection result of the internal sensor to obtain vehicle position information, determine the target position to which the vehicle 100 should go next, generate a path from the current position of the vehicle 100 indicated by the obtained vehicle position information to the target position, generate a travel control signal for traveling on the generated path, and use the generated travel control signal to control the actuator group 140 of the vehicle 100. In this case, the vehicle 100 can travel without using the detection result of the vehicle detector 80 at all. In addition, the vehicle 100 may obtain the target arrival time and / or congestion information from the outside of the vehicle 100, and reflect the target arrival time and / or congestion information in at least one of the path and the travel control signal. In addition, the structure of the transportation system 600 and the functional structure of the remote control device 300 may be all provided on the vehicle 100. That is, the processing implemented by the transportation system 600 and the remote control device 300 shown in the present disclosure, such as the processing of switching at least one device included in the vehicle 100 from the standby state to the operating state, can also be implemented by the vehicle 100 alone.

[0085] (C10) In the first embodiment described above, the remote control device 300 automatically generates a travel control signal to be sent to the vehicle 100. In contrast, the remote control device 300 may generate a travel control signal to be sent to the vehicle 100 in accordance with 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 vehicle detector 80, a steering wheel for remotely operating the vehicle 100, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and a communication device for communicating with the remote control device 300 via wired communication or wireless communication, and the remote control device 300 may generate a travel control signal corresponding to the operation applied to the operating device.

[0086] (C11) The transportation of vehicles by the travel of unmanned vehicles is also referred to as "self-propelled transportation". In addition, the structure for realizing self-propelled transportation is also referred to as "vehicle remote control autonomous driving transportation system". In addition, the production method of producing vehicles by self-propelled transportation is also referred to as "self-propelled production". In self-propelled production, for example, in a factory that manufactures vehicles, at least a part of the transportation of vehicles is realized by self-propelled transportation.

[0087] (C12) Some or all of the functions of the conveyor control unit 412 and the conveying position acquisition unit 414 implemented by the conveyance control device 400 shown in the first embodiment may be implemented by the remote control device 300. That is, the conveyance system 600 may be constituted by the remote control device 300 alone.

[0088] (C13) In the above-mentioned embodiments, an example is shown in which the inspection process is executed during transportation by the transportation device 500. On the other hand, the inspection process and other processing may be executed other than during transportation by the transportation device 500. In this case, the progress status acquisition unit 318 or the progress status acquisition unit 218 acquires the progress status of the inspection process by, for example, the elapsed time since the start of the inspection process, the detection of the button operation for outputting the end of each inspection performed by the operator, etc. Even with such a configuration, it is possible to suppress or prevent the delay in the start of the travel of the vehicle 100 based on the remote control when the inspection process is completed.

[0089] (C14) In the above-mentioned embodiments, an example is shown in which the process performed on the vehicle 100 is an inspection process. In addition, an example is shown in which the inspection process includes an engine room inspection and an appearance inspection. In contrast, the process performed on the vehicle 100 may be a process other than the inspection process such as an assembly process. In addition, the inspection process may replace the engine room inspection and the appearance inspection, or include other processes such as inspection and adjustment of lights and instruments, and oil leakage inspection.

[0090] (C15) In the above embodiments, the standby state includes the restricted state. However, the standby state may not include the restricted state, and the standby state may be, for example, only the power-off state.

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

[0092] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be implemented in various configurations within the scope of its main purpose. For example, the technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each method described in the invention content section 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, as long as the technical feature is not described as a necessary part in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted.

Claims

1. A state switching device, comprising: a progress status acquisition unit that acquires a progress status of a process performed on a mobile body during a manufacturing process of the mobile body in a factory that manufactures the mobile body, the mobile body being capable of unmanned movement and having at least one device; a device determination unit that uses the acquired progress status to determine a device to be switched to an active state among devices included in the at least one device that is in a standby state before executing the process; as well as A command generating unit generates and outputs a control command for switching the determined device to the operating state.

2. The state switching device according to claim 1, wherein: The progress status acquisition unit acquires, as the progress status, a predetermined start time earlier than a completion time when all the processes are completed, The device determination unit determines, using the acquired activation time, all devices for moving the mobile body among the devices in the standby state as devices to be switched to the active state.

3. The state switching device according to claim 1, wherein: The process is executed while the moving body is being transported by a transport device capable of transporting the moving body.

4. The state switching device according to claim 3, wherein: The progress status acquisition unit acquires a transport position of the mobile body associated with the progress status, and acquires the progress status using the acquired transport position.

5. The state switching device according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one device comprises a prime mover of the moving body, The processing includes checking the prime mover in a stopped state as the standby state, The progress status acquisition unit acquires the time when the inspection related to the prime mover is completed as the progress status, The device determination unit determines the prime mover as the device to be switched to the operating state using the obtained time of the inspection related to the prime mover, The command generation unit generates a control command for operating the prime mover and transmits the control command to the moving body.

6. The state switching device according to claim 1, wherein: The standby state includes a restricted state in which the power of the device is turned on and at least a part of the function of the device for movement of the mobile body is restricted.

7. A mobile object capable of moving by unmanned driving, comprising: at least one device; a progress status acquisition unit that acquires a progress status of a process performed on the mobile body during a manufacturing process of the mobile body; a device determination unit that uses the acquired progress status to determine a device that is switched to an active state among devices that are in a standby state before executing the process, included in the at least one device; and A command generating unit generates and outputs a control command for switching the determined device to the operating state.

8. A method for manufacturing a moving object, the moving object comprising at least one device, wherein: obtaining a progress status of a process performed on the mobile body during the manufacturing process of the mobile body, Using the acquired progress status, a device that is in a standby state before executing the process, included in the at least one device, is determined to be switched to an active state; The determined device is switched to the working state.

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