Control system, controller, moving body, and control method

Abstract

The control system is configured to control movement of a moving body configured to be conveyed by unmanned driving at least in a manufacturing process, and includes: a stop position recognition section configured to recognize a stop position at which the moving body is stopped on a conveyance section of a conveyance apparatus including the conveyance section configured to convey the moving body; and a control command section configured to generate and output a control command for causing the moving body to enter the conveyance section in accordance with the stop position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control system, a controller, a moving object and a control method. Background Art

[0002] In a manufacturing system for manufacturing vehicles, there is a known technology that uses two conveying methods of conveying vehicles using a conveyor belt and conveying vehicles by driving the vehicle through remote control. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (Translation of PCT Application) No. 2017-538619 discloses a technology in which a manufacturing process is performed while a vehicle is conveyed by a conveyor belt, and when the manufacturing process is completed, the vehicle is driven to a parking lot by remote control. Summary of the invention

[0003] Unfortunately, in JP2017-538619A, only the configuration of using the vehicle to transport the vehicle by remote control after using the conveyor belt for vehicle transportation is considered, and the configuration of using the conveyor belt for vehicle transportation after using the vehicle to transport the vehicle by remote control is not considered. The problem is that when entering the conveying device using the conveyor belt, the stop position of the vehicle after entering the conveying device changes due to the delay or advancement of other vehicles in front, or the interruption of other vehicles transported by workers. This problem is not only prevalent in vehicles, but also in any type of moving body. This problem is not only prevalent in vehicle transportation using conveyor belts, but also in any type of conveying method for conveying a moving body by applying external force.

[0004] The present disclosure may be implemented as follows.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a control system configured to control the movement of a mobile body configured to be transported by unmanned driving at least in a manufacturing process. The control system includes: a stop position recognition unit configured to recognize a stop position where the mobile body stops on a conveying portion of a conveying device including a conveying portion configured to convey the mobile body; and a control command unit configured to generate and output a control command for causing the mobile body to enter the conveying portion according to the stop position. According to the control system of this aspect, the control system recognizes the stop position of the moving body on the conveying section, and generates and outputs a control command for causing the moving body to enter the conveying section according to the stop position. Accordingly, even if the stop position changes after the moving body has entered the conveying device due to a delay of other moving bodies ahead or an interruption of other moving bodies transported by a worker's driving, the moving body can be properly caused to enter the conveying section. The stop position recognition section may recognize the stop position by using at least one of control information indicating a control state of the conveying device and obstacle information indicating whether an obstacle exists on the conveying section. According to the control system of this aspect, at least one of control information indicating the control state of the conveying device and obstacle information indicating whether there is an obstacle on the conveying part is used to identify the stop position; therefore, the stop position can be appropriately identified based on the conveying state of the conveying device indicated by at least one of the control information and the obstacle information. The stop position identification section may be configured to: identify a plurality of candidate stop positions as a plurality of candidates for the stop position by using the control information; and identify the stop position among the plurality of candidate stop positions by using the obstacle information. According to the control system of this aspect, control information is used to identify multiple candidate stop positions, and obstacle information is used to identify a stop position among the multiple candidate stop positions; therefore, the stop position can be more appropriately identified compared to a configuration in which the stop position is identified by using only one of the control information and the obstacle information. The moving body may include one or more wheels for movement. The stop position recognition unit may be configured to: recognize positions of a plurality of wheel stoppers provided on the conveying unit by using control information; recognize positions corresponding to a preset number of continuous wheel stoppers counted from a conveying start position where the conveying unit starts conveying the moving body (100) as a plurality of candidate stop positions; recognize whether there is an obstacle at each of the plurality of candidate stop positions using obstacle information; and recognize a stop position among the plurality of candidate stop positions according to whether there is an obstacle. The stop position recognition unit may be configured to: recognize a candidate stop position farthest from the conveying start position among the plurality of candidate stop positions as the stop position when no obstacle exists at any of the plurality of candidate stop positions; and recognize a candidate stop position immediately before a candidate stop position at which an obstacle closest to the conveying start position exists from the perspective of the conveying start position as the stop position when an obstacle exists at any of the plurality of candidate stop positions. According to the control system of this aspect, when there is no obstacle at any of the multiple candidate stop positions, the candidate stop position farthest from the conveying start position is identified as the stop position among the multiple candidate stop positions; and when there is an obstacle at any of the multiple candidate stop positions, the candidate stop position immediately before the candidate stop position where the obstacle closest to the conveying start position exists is identified as the stop position among the multiple candidate stop positions. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the distance between the obstacle on the conveying unit and the stop position from increasing beyond the necessary value, thereby reducing the degradation of the conveying efficiency of the conveying device for the moving body. The control command section may be configured to generate and output a control command for controlling at least one of a timing of causing the moving body to enter the conveying section and a speed of the moving body. According to the control system of this aspect, a control command for controlling at least one of the timing of causing the moving body to enter the conveying section and the speed of the moving body is generated and output; therefore, the moving body can be caused to enter the conveying section at an appropriate timing. The control command section may be configured to generate and output a control command for causing the moving body to enter the conveying section when a distance between a conveyance start position and a stop position at which the conveying section starts conveying the moving body is greater than a preset threshold. According to the control system of this aspect, when the distance between the stop position and the conveying start position is greater than a preset threshold value, a control command for causing the moving body to enter the conveying section is generated and output; therefore, the moving body can be caused to enter the conveying section at a time when sufficient space for carrying the moving body on the conveying section is ensured. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the moving body from entering the conveying section without ensuring sufficient space for carrying the moving body on the conveying section, and to prevent the moving body from being carried and conveyed on the conveying section when the moving body protrudes from the conveying section, thereby preventing the moving body from being damaged. The control command section may be configured to generate and output a control command for stopping the moving body for a predetermined time when a distance between a conveyance start position and a stop position at which the conveyance section starts conveying the moving body is equal to or smaller than a preset threshold. According to the control system of this aspect, when the distance between the stop position and the conveying start position is equal to or less than a preset threshold value, a control command for stopping the moving body for a preset time is generated and output; therefore, the moving body can be made to wait until sufficient space for loading the moving body on the conveying section is ensured. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the moving body from entering the conveying section without ensuring sufficient space for loading the moving body on the conveying section, and to prevent the moving body from being loaded and conveyed on the conveying section in a state where the moving body overhangs from the conveying section, thereby preventing the moving body from being damaged. The control command section may be configured to generate and output a control command for stopping the movement of the moving body, depending on a state of the moving body on the conveying section. The control system may further include a conveyance control unit configured to stop the driving of the moving body by the conveyance unit depending on a state of the moving body on the conveyance unit. Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a controller configured to control the movement of a mobile body configured to be transported by unmanned driving at least in a manufacturing process. The controller includes: a stop position recognition unit configured to recognize a stop position where the mobile body stops on a conveying portion of a conveying device including a conveying portion configured to convey the mobile body; and a control command unit configured to generate and output a control command for causing the mobile body to enter the conveying portion according to the stop position. According to the controller of this aspect, the controller recognizes the stop position of the moving body on the conveying section, and generates and outputs a control command for causing the moving body to enter the conveying section according to the stop position. Accordingly, even if the stop position changes after the moving body has entered the conveying device due to a delay in the processing state of the moving body ahead or an interruption of other vehicles transported by a worker's driving, the moving body can be properly caused to enter the conveying section. Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a mobile body configured to travel by unmanned driving. The mobile body includes: a stop position recognition unit configured to recognize a stop position where the mobile body stops on a conveying portion of a conveying device including a conveying portion configured to convey the mobile body; and a control command unit configured to generate and output a control command for causing the mobile body to enter the conveying portion according to the stop position. According to the mobile body of this aspect, the stop position of the mobile body on the conveying section is identified, and a control command for causing the mobile body to enter the conveying section according to the stop position is generated and output. Accordingly, even if the stop position of the mobile body changes after it has entered the conveying device due to a delay in the vehicle ahead or an interruption of other vehicles being transported by a worker, it can be properly caused to enter the conveying section. Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a control method for controlling the movement of a mobile body configured to be transported by unmanned driving at least in a manufacturing process. The control method includes: identifying a stop position where the mobile body stops on a conveying portion of a conveying device including a conveying portion configured to convey the mobile body; and generating and outputting a control command for causing the mobile body to enter the conveying portion according to the stop position. According to the control method of this aspect, the control method recognizes the stop position of the moving body on the conveying section, and generates and outputs a control command for causing the moving body to enter the conveying section according to the stop position. Accordingly, even if the stop position changes after the moving body has entered the conveying device due to a delay in the vehicle ahead or an interruption of other vehicles being transported by a worker's driving, the moving body can be properly caused to enter the conveying section. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals represent like elements, and wherein: Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a conveying system as a control system of a first embodiment; Figure 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle of the first embodiment; Figure 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a delivery controller; Figure 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a remote controller of the first embodiment; Figure 5 is a flowchart showing a method of driving a vehicle according to a first embodiment; Figure 6 is a flow chart showing a method for transporting a vehicle according to a first embodiment; Figure 7 is a flow chart showing a method for transporting a vehicle according to a first embodiment; Figure 8 is a flow chart showing a method for transporting a vehicle according to a first embodiment; Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an ECU included in a vehicle of the second embodiment; and Fig.10 1 is a flowchart showing a method of driving a vehicle according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION First embodiment: System Configuration:

[0007] Figure 1: is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a conveying system 600 as a control system of the first embodiment. For example, the conveying system 600 is used in a factory that manufactures a vehicle 100. The conveying target of the conveying system 600 is a vehicle 100 that can be driven by remote control. For example, the conveying system 600 is used in a manufacturing process of the vehicle 100, such as an inspection process and an assembly process of the vehicle 100, and conveys the vehicle 100 through a preset conveying section in the manufacturing process. The vehicle 100 undergoes inspection, assembly, and the like by workers, equipment, and the like during transportation. The conveying system 600 can also be used when conveying a vehicle 100 that has been completed after the manufacturing process to a waiting area for shipment.

[0008] Figure 2 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle 100 of the first embodiment. The vehicle 100 is, for example, a passenger car, a truck, a bus, a construction vehicle, etc. In the present embodiment, the vehicle 100 is a pure electric vehicle (Battery Electric Vehicle, BEV) that can be driven by unmanned driving. "Unmanned driving" refers to driving that does not rely on the driving operation of the occupant. The driving operation refers to an operation related to at least one of "driving", "turning" or "stopping" of the vehicle. Unmanned driving can be achieved by using automatic or manual remote control of a device set outside the vehicle or by autonomous control of the vehicle. Passengers who are exempted from driving operations can be carried in a vehicle that is driven by unmanned driving. Passengers who are exempted from driving operations may include personnel who sit in a vehicle seat alone or perform tasks different from driving operations, such as assembly, inspection or switch operations while riding in the vehicle. Driving by the driving operation of the occupant can be called "manual driving". The vehicle 100 includes a communication device 190, an actuator group 140, a sensor group 180 and an electronic control unit (Electronic Control Unit, ECU) 200.

[0009] The ECU 200 is installed in the vehicle 100, and performs various controls on the vehicle 100. The ECU 200 includes: a memory device 220 such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), an optical storage medium, a semiconductor memory, etc.; a CPU 210 as a central processing unit; and an interface circuit 230. The CPU 210, the memory device 220, and the interface circuit 230 are connected via an internal bus to enable bidirectional communication with each other. The actuator group 140, the sensor group 180, and the communication device 190 are connected to the interface circuit 230. The communication device 190 performs wireless communication with an external device (such as a remote controller 300) of the vehicle 100 connected to the network via an access point in a factory, etc.

[0010] Computer programs for implementing at least some of the functions provided in the present embodiment are stored in the memory device 220. The CPU 210 executes various computer programs stored in the memory, thereby implementing functions such as the driving control unit 212.

[0011] The driving control unit 212 performs driving control of the vehicle 100. For example, "driving control" includes various controls for driving the actuator group 140, and the actuator group 140 performs the functions of "driving", "turning" and "stopping" of the vehicle 100 related to the adjustment of acceleration, speed and steering angle, etc. In the present embodiment, the actuator group 140 includes an actuator of the driving device 160 that accelerates the vehicle 100, an actuator of the braking device 170 that decelerates the vehicle 100, and an actuator of the steering device (not shown) that changes the driving direction of the vehicle 100. The actuator group 140 may also include an actuator that swings the wiper of the vehicle 100 and an actuator that opens and closes the electric window of the vehicle 100. The actuator group 140 may also include an actuator that turns on and off the lights of the vehicle 100 (not shown) and the like, and an actuator that sounds the alarm (horn) (not shown).

[0012] 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; four wheels 166; a transmission part 162; and a locking part 164. The driving motor 168 is an example of a motor. The wheels 166 are rotated by the power transmitted from the driving motor 168. Instead of the driving motor 168, other types of prime movers such as an internal combustion engine or an external combustion engine may be installed.

[0013] The transmission part 162 includes a transmission mechanism such as a gear and a shaft, and transmits power from the travel motor 168 to the wheel 166. The locking part 164 performs switching between the non-fixed state of the transmission part 162 and the fixed state of locking the transmission mechanism of the transmission part 162. In the present embodiment, the locking part 164 is an electric parking brake (EPB) operable by remote control. When the function of the transmission part 162 is switched to the "P gear" by remote control of the remote controller 300 or by the joystick operation of the occupant in the vehicle 100, the locking part 164 is switched to the fixed state, and the wheel 166 is locked so as not to rotate. When switching to the "N gear", the gears in the transmission mechanism of the transmission part 162 enter an unconnected state, so that the power from the travel motor 168 is not transmitted to the wheel 166. In the N gear, the wheel 166 is in an idling ready state. The term "idling" refers to a state in which the wheel 166 can perform so-called idling. During idling, even by rotating the wheels 166, the vehicle 100 cannot travel a distance corresponding to the amount of rotation of the wheels 166. The "D position" is a state in which 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 position, the power from the travel motor 168 is transmitted to the wheels 166 through the transmission portion 162, and the vehicle 100 is in a state in which it can travel.

[0014] When a driver is present in the vehicle 100, the driving control unit 212 can drive the vehicle 100 by controlling the actuator group 140 according to the driver's operation. The driving control unit 212 can also drive the vehicle 100 by controlling the actuator group 140 in response to a control command transmitted from the remote controller 300, regardless of whether a driver is present in the vehicle 100.

[0015] The sensor group 180 includes sensors of a general type used for driving control of the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the sensor group 180 includes an acceleration sensor 182 that detects impact or the like to the vehicle 100. The measurement results of the sensor group 180 are transmitted to the ECU 200.

[0016] like Figure 1As shown in , the conveying system 600 includes a vehicle detector 80, a conveying device 500 and a remote controller 300. The vehicle detector 80 is a device for measuring vehicle information. For example, "vehicle information" is information for estimating at least one of the position of the vehicle 100 and the direction of the vehicle 100, such as an image of the vehicle 100 and 3D point cloud data of the vehicle 100. "3D point cloud data" is data indicating the 3D position of the point cloud. In the present embodiment, the vehicle detector 80 adopts Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) used as a distance measuring device. The vehicle detector 80 measures the 3D point cloud data of the vehicle 100 as vehicle information. By using LiDAR, high-precision 3D point cloud data can be acquired.

[0017] The vehicle detector 80 is communicably connected to the remote controller 300 via wireless or wired communication. By acquiring vehicle information from the vehicle detector 80, the remote controller 300 can acquire the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 relative to the target route in real time.

[0018] The conveying device 500 includes a conveying portion 510 , a motor 522 , an encoder 524 , a plurality of conveyed object detectors 526 , and a conveying controller 400 .

[0019] The conveying unit 510 is driven by the motor 522 to convey the vehicle 100 as a conveying target in the conveying direction DR at a preset conveying speed. Figure 1, only one end of the conveying section 510 is shown, and the illustration of the other end is omitted. In the present embodiment, the conveying section 510 is a belt conveyor having an endless conveyor belt. The conveying section 510 includes a plurality of wheel stoppers 512 arranged at preset intervals. The conveying section 510 can carry one vehicle 100 in each section defined between two wheel stoppers 512 adjacent to each other, and convey the vehicle 100 carried on the conveying section 510. The vehicle 100 on the conveying section 510 can leave the conveying section 510 at any time by remote control of the remote controller 300. In the present embodiment, the conveying section 510 is driven continuously regardless of whether there is a vehicle 100 on the conveying section 510. The conveying device 500 moves the vehicle 100 through a predetermined conveying section not by remote control or by driving control of the vehicle 100, but by the conveying section 510. The conveying section 510 is not limited to a belt conveyor, but may be various conveyors capable of conveying the vehicle 100, such as a roller conveyor, a chain conveyor, etc. The conveying section 510 may be configured not only to be continuously driven, but also to be driven only when the vehicle 100 is carried on the conveying section 510. The conveying section 510 may be configured not only to convey the vehicle 100, but also to convey parts of the vehicle 100 together with the vehicle 100. In some cases, one or more workers who perform processing on the vehicle 100 may be carried on the conveying section 510.

[0020] For example, the transport object detector 526 may include various detectors capable of detecting whether a target exists, such as a camera, an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a millimeter wave radar, etc. The transport object detector 526 detects the vehicle 100 on the conveying section 510. The transport object detector 526 can detect not only the vehicle 100, but also any transport object transported by the conveying section 510, such as workers and parts of the vehicle 100 existing on the conveying section 510. In the present embodiment, the transport object detector 526 includes a plurality of detectors, and the plurality of transport object detectors 526 are arranged at a predetermined interval from each other. Accordingly, it is possible to detect whether there is a vehicle 100 in the conveying interval, that is, the position of the vehicle 100 in the conveying interval. Information related to the position of the vehicle 100 detected by the transport object detector 526 is also referred to as "transport object information". The detection result of the transport object detector 526 is output to the conveying controller 400. It should be noted that the position of the vehicle 100 in the conveying interval can be obtained by using the vehicle detector 80. In this case, the transport object detector 526 can be omitted.

[0021] Figure 34 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the transport controller 400. The transport controller 400 includes a CPU 410 as a central processing unit, a memory device 440, an interface circuit 450, and a communication device 490. The CPU 410, the memory device 440, and the interface circuit 450 are connected via an internal bus to enable bidirectional communication. The communication device 490 is connected to the interface circuit 450. The communication device 490 performs communication with the remote controller 300 and the vehicle 100 via a network or the like.

[0022] The memory device 440 is, for example, a RAM, a ROM, a HDD, or a SSD. The memory device 440 stores the transport object information VP detected by the transport object detector 526 in a readable / writable area of ​​the memory device 440. The memory device 440 also stores a program for implementing at least some of the functions provided in this embodiment. By executing the corresponding programs, the CPU 410 functions as a transport control unit 412, a transport object information acquisition unit 414, and an encoder value acquisition unit 416, respectively.

[0023] The conveyance control section 412 causes the motor 522 to be driven, thereby performing on-off control on the conveyance section 510, and controls the conveyance speed of the conveyance section 510. In a case where the vehicle 100 cannot be conveyed due to some abnormality such as overload of the driving torque of the motor 522 occurring in the conveyance device 500, the conveyance control section 412 transmits a signal indicating the occurrence of the abnormality to the remote controller 300.

[0024] The transported object information acquisition unit 414 acquires the transport position of the vehicle 100 from the transported object detector 526, and stores the acquired transport position as the transported object information VP in the memory device 440. In the present embodiment, the transported object information VP includes information indicating which transported object detector 526 the information is acquired by. When the vehicle detector 80 detects the transport position of the vehicle 100, as described above, the transported object information acquisition unit 414 acquires the transport position of the vehicle 100 from the vehicle detector 80, and stores the acquired transport position as the transported object information VP in the memory device 440.

[0025] The encoder value acquisition unit 416 acquires an encoder value corresponding to the driving amount of the motor 522, that is, the driving amount of the conveying unit 510 driven by the motor 522, from the encoder 524 provided at the motor 522. In the present embodiment, each time the conveying unit 510 is driven by a preset distance, the encoder 524 outputs an encoder value counted according to the driving distance. Each time the conveying unit 510 is driven by a preset distance for each section (more specifically, each section divided by the two wheel stoppers 512 as described above) in which one vehicle 100 is carried on the conveying unit 510, the encoder value is reset. In other words, with reference to the end of the conveying device 500 to which the conveying unit 510 is fed, the encoder value indicates the position of the wheel stopper 512 located closest to this end of the conveying device 500.

[0026] Figure 4 1 is a block diagram showing the internal functional configuration of the remote controller 300 according to the first embodiment. The remote controller 300 generates a control command for causing the vehicle 100 to perform automatic driving by remote control, and transmits the command to the vehicle 100, thereby performing driving control on the vehicle 100 by remote control. The remote controller 300 controls the vehicle 100 to perform automatic driving by remote control, thereby performing transportation of the vehicle 100 in the transportation section of the factory.

[0027] The remote controller 300 includes a CPU 310 as a central processing unit, a memory device 340, an interface circuit 350, and a communication device 390. The CPU 310, the memory device 340, and the interface circuit 350 are connected via an internal bus to enable bidirectional communication with each other. The communication device 390 is connected to the interface circuit 350. The communication device 390 communicates with the vehicle 100 and the transport controller 400 via a network or the like.

[0028] The memory device 340 is, for example, a RAM, a ROM, a HDD, or an SSD. The memory device 340 stores the estimated position VL described later in a readable / writable area of ​​the memory device 340. The memory device 340 also stores a computer program for implementing at least some of the functions provided in the present embodiment. By executing the corresponding computer programs stored in the memory device 340, the CPU 310 functions as a control command unit 312, a position estimation unit 314, and a stop position identification unit 316, respectively. It should be noted that some or all of these functions may also be configured by hardware circuits.

[0029] The position estimation unit 314 acquires vehicle information from the vehicle detector 80, and estimates the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 using the acquired vehicle information. In the present embodiment, the position estimation unit 314 uses the 3D 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 acquired 3D point cloud data. Specifically, the position estimation unit 314 performs template matching on the 3D point cloud data using the vehicle point cloud data pre-stored in the memory device 340. Therefore, the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 in the 3D point cloud data can be estimated with high precision. The estimated position and orientation of the vehicle 100 are stored in the memory device 340 as the estimated position VL. For the vehicle point cloud data as a template, for example, 3D CAD data of the vehicle 100 can be used. The vehicle point cloud data includes information for identifying the orientation of the vehicle 100. For template matching using vehicle point cloud data applied to 3D point cloud data, for example, an iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm or a normal distribution transform (NDT) algorithm may be used. Note that, for example, when the position of the vehicle 100 can be estimated from the 3D point cloud data with high accuracy, template matching may not be performed.

[0030] The control command unit 312 is used as a command generation unit that generates control commands for causing the vehicle 100 to perform various operations and outputs the commands to the vehicle 100. For example, the control command unit 312 uses the estimated position and orientation of the vehicle 100 (i.e., the estimated position VL) to generate a control command for causing the vehicle 100 to automatically drive by remote control, and transmits the command to the vehicle 100. The control command is, for example, a command for causing the vehicle 100 to drive a target route stored in the memory device 340. The control command can be generated as a command including a driving force or a braking force and 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 the present embodiment, the control command unit 312 can also generate a control command for driving the actuator group 140 that does not directly contribute to the driving control of the vehicle 100, such as lights and sirens not shown.

[0031] Figure 5 1 is a flowchart showing a method for driving the vehicle 100 according to the first embodiment. Figure 5, the flow chart on the left shows the processing performed in the remote controller 300, and the flow chart on the right shows the processing performed in the vehicle 100. In step S110, the control command section 312 acquires position information indicating the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 using the detection result of the vehicle detector 80. In the present embodiment, the position of the vehicle 100 includes 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 control command section 312 detects the position of the vehicle 100 based on the detection result acquired from the vehicle detector 80, and acquires the position information of the vehicle 100 in the factory based on the detected position of the vehicle 100.

[0032] In step S120, the control command unit 312 determines the target position toward which the vehicle 100 is to move. In the present embodiment, the target position is represented by X, Y, and Z coordinates in the global coordinate system of the plant. A target route, which is the route that the vehicle 100 is to travel, is pre-stored in the memory device 340 of the remote controller 300. The target route is represented by a node indicating a starting point, a node indicating a passing point, a node indicating a destination, and links connecting the nodes. The control command unit 312 determines the next target position toward which the vehicle 100 is to move by using the position information of the vehicle 100 and the target route. The control command unit 312 determines the target position on the target route ahead of the current position of the vehicle 100.

[0033] In step S130, the control command 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 control command unit 312 calculates the driving speed of the vehicle 100 based on the offset of the position of the vehicle 100, and compares the calculated driving speed with the preset target speed of the vehicle 100. The control command unit 312 determines the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 accelerates when the driving speed is lower than the target speed, and determines the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 decelerates when the driving speed is higher than the target speed. When the vehicle 100 is located on the target route, the control command unit 312 determines the steering angle so that the vehicle 100 does not deviate from the target route. When the vehicle 100 is not located on the target route, that is, when the vehicle 100 deviates from the target route, the control command unit 312 determines the steering angle so that the vehicle 100 returns to the target route.

[0034] In step S140, the control command section 312 transmits the generated travel control signal to the vehicle 100. The control command section 312 repeatedly performs acquisition of the position of the vehicle 100, determination of the target position, generation of the travel control signal, and transmission of the travel control signal at a predetermined cycle.

[0035] The driving control unit 212 of the vehicle 100 receives the travel control signal from the control command unit 312 in step S150, and controls the actuator group 140 using the received travel control signal in step S160, so that the vehicle 100 travels at the acceleration and steering angle indicated in the travel control signal. The driving control unit 212 repeatedly performs the reception of the travel control signal and the control of the actuator group 140 at a predetermined cycle. As described above, the vehicle 100 is driven by remote control, so that the vehicle 100 is moved without using a transport device such as a crane and a conveyor.

[0036] Figure 4 The stop position recognition unit 316 shown in identifies the stop position at which the vehicle 100 is stopped in the conveying unit 510. In the present embodiment, the stop position recognition unit 316 recognizes the stop position by using the above-mentioned encoder value and the conveyed object information VP. The method of identifying the stop position will be described in detail below. The encoder value is an example of "control information indicating the control state of the conveying device 500" in the present disclosure. The conveyed object information VP is an example of "obstacle information" in the present disclosure. For example, the "control state of the conveying device 500" refers to various control states of the conveying device 500 related to the conveying of the vehicle 100 by the conveying device 500, such as the moving speed of the conveying unit 510 and the occurrence of abnormalities.

[0037] refer to Figure 1 , the transportation method of the vehicle 100 of the present embodiment will be described. Figure 1 The transport section of the vehicle 100 from range AR1 to range AR3 is schematically shown. Range AR1 is a transport range in which self-driving transport of the vehicle 100 is performed by remote control. In range AR1, the vehicle 100 automatically travels toward the transport device 500 by remote control using vehicle information acquired from the vehicle detector 80.

[0038] The range AR2 is an example of a transport start area where the transport device 500 starts transporting the vehicle 100. In the range AR2, the remote control is stopped at the stop position identified by the above-mentioned stop position identification unit 316, and the transport method of the vehicle 100 is switched from self-driving transport by remote control to transport by the transport device 500. The vehicle 100 that is driven by the remote control travels past the transport start position SP where the transport unit 510 starts transporting the vehicle 100, and enters the range AR2. The transport start position SP is one end of the transport device 500. The vehicle 100 that has reached the range AR2 enters a state where the vehicle 100 can be transported by the transport unit 510.

[0039] In the range AR3, the vehicle 100 is transported by the transport device 500 and also undergoes processing such as inspection. In the present embodiment, the range AR3 is an area outside the detection range of the vehicle 100 by the vehicle detector 80, and in the range AR3, the automatic driving of the vehicle 100 by remote control is not performed. It should be noted that the vehicle 100 in the range AR3 may be in a state where wireless communication with the remote controller 300 is possible. For example, remote control may be performed to perform operations other than the driving of the vehicle 100, such as the opening and closing of the vehicle 100 and its various components. The range AR3 may also be set within the detection range of the vehicle detector 80. In this case, automatic driving by remote control may also be performed in the AR3 range.

[0040] After the inspection and other processes are completed, the vehicle 100 is transported by the transport unit 510 to the other end (not shown) of the transport device 500. At the other end of the transport device 500, the vehicle 100 reaches the detectable range of other vehicle detectors 80 (not shown) and is automatically driven away from the transport unit 510 by remote control. Method for conveying vehicle 100:

[0041] Figures 6 to 8 1 is a flowchart showing the vehicle transport method according to the first embodiment. This flow starts when the vehicle 100 starts traveling toward the transport device 500.

[0042] exist Figure 6 In step S202 shown in FIG. 1 , the control command unit 312 causes the vehicle 100 to automatically travel toward the conveying device 500 by remote control. More specifically, the control command unit 312 generates a control command for remotely controlling the vehicle 100 to move toward the conveying device 500 by using the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 estimated by the position estimation unit 314, and transmits the control command to the vehicle 100.

[0043] In step S204, the control command section 312 determines whether the vehicle 100 has reached the position as shown in FIG. Figure 1 The entry ready position RP shown in . The "entry ready position RP" is preset to be a point located at a preset distance from the conveying start position SP. When viewed from the vehicle 100 before reaching the conveying start position SP, the entry ready position RP is located before the conveying start position SP. The distance between the conveying start position SP and the entry ready position RP is set to a distance that is a time required for the vehicle 100 that automatically travels at a preset speed to travel for identifying a stop position described later. When it is determined that the vehicle 100 has not yet reached the entry ready position RP (step S204: No), the control command section 312 performs the processing of step S202 again to continue to automatically drive the vehicle 100 by remote control.

[0044] When it is determined that the vehicle 100 has reached the entry-ready position RP (step S204: Yes), in step S206, the control command portion 312 determines whether an abnormality has occurred in the transport device 500. For example, when a signal indicating the occurrence of an abnormality in the transport device 500 is received from the transport control portion 412, the control command portion 312 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the transport device 500. When it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the transport device 500 (step S206: Yes), the process of step S228 described later is performed.

[0045] When it is determined that no abnormality has occurred in the conveying device 500 (step S206: No), in step S208, the stop position recognition section 316 recognizes the wheel stopper position. In the present embodiment, the stop position recognition section 316 acquires the encoder value from the encoder value acquisition section 416, and recognizes the position of the wheel stopper 512a located closest to the conveying start position SP based on the value indicated by the encoder value. In addition, the stop position recognition section 316 recognizes the positions of the other wheel stoppers 512 including the wheel stopper 512b and the wheel stopper 512c by repeatedly adding the distance between the two wheel stoppers 512 set in advance to the position of the recognized wheel stopper 512a.

[0046] In step S210, the stop position recognition unit 316 uses the recognized position of the wheel stopper 512 to recognize the candidate of the stop position (hereinafter also referred to as "candidate stop position") and obtains the obstacle information of the candidate stop position. Figure 1As shown in , the stop position recognition section 316 recognizes the position of the wheel stopper 512a located closest to the conveying start position SP among the recognized wheel stoppers 512 as the second candidate stop position ST2, and recognizes the position of the wheel stopper 512b located second closest to the conveying start position SP as the first candidate stop position ST1. The candidate stop positions do not necessarily coincide with the positions of the wheel stoppers 512a and the wheel stoppers 512b, respectively, and may be recognized as positions corresponding to the respective wheel stopper positions and located at a predetermined distance from the corresponding wheel stoppers. When viewed from the conveying start position SP, the first candidate stop position ST1 is located in front of the second candidate stop position ST2. By considering to which area on the conveying section 510 the vehicle 100 can automatically travel by remote control, more specifically, based on the detection range of the vehicle detector 80, etc., it can be appropriately determined how many corresponding positions of the continuous wheel stoppers 512 counted from the wheel stopper 512 closest to the conveying start position SP should be recognized as candidate stop positions. The stop position identification unit 316 obtains, as obstacle information, the conveyed object information VP obtained by the conveyed object detector 526a set at the position corresponding to the first candidate stop position ST1 and the conveyed object information VP obtained by the conveyed object detector 526b set at the position corresponding to the second candidate stop position ST2 from the conveyed object information VP detected by each conveyed object detector 526.

[0047] In step S212, the stop position recognition unit 316 determines whether there is a target at the first candidate stop position ST1. More specifically, the stop position recognition unit 316 determines whether there is a target in an area of ​​a preset size with reference to the first candidate stop position ST1. When the vehicle 100 stops at the first candidate stop position ST1, and also when one or more parts of the vehicle 100 are placed in the area, the stop position recognition unit 316 determines that there is a target. This is because one or more parts of the vehicle 100 may hinder the stopping of the vehicle 100. It should be noted that when there is a worker at the first candidate stop position ST1, the stop position recognition unit 316 may determine that there is no target. This is because, when the target is a worker, it is expected that the worker will pass through the position in a short time and therefore will not hinder the stopping of the vehicle 100.

[0048] When it is determined that there is no target at the first candidate stop position ST1 (step S212: No), in step S214, the stop position identification section 316 sets the stop position to the first candidate stop position ST1. The case where it is determined that there is a target at the first candidate stop position ST1 (step S212: Yes) will be described later.

[0049] exist Figure 7In step S216 shown in FIG. 1 , the control command unit 312 automatically drives the vehicle 100 toward the stop position through remote control.

[0050] In step S218, the control command section 312 determines whether the vehicle 100 has entered the wheel stopper detection area ARd. Figure 1 As shown in , the "wheel stopper detection area ARd" refers to an area preset with reference to the position of the wheel stopper 512 identified as the stop position. When it is determined that the vehicle 100 has not entered the wheel stopper detection area ARd (step S218: No), the control command section 312 continues to automatically drive the vehicle 100 by remote control.

[0051] When it is determined that the vehicle 100 has entered the wheel stopper detection area ARd (step S218: Yes), in step S220, the control command section 312 determines whether the vehicle 100 has reached the stop position. In the present embodiment, when the acceleration sensor 182 detects the impact caused by the wheel 166 of the vehicle 100 when it contacts the wheel stopper 512, the control command section 312 determines that the vehicle 100 has reached the stop position. By setting the wheel stopper detection area ARd, it is possible to prepare in advance for the acceleration sensor 182 to perform impact detection; therefore, the position accuracy of the stop position when the wheel stopper 512 is detected can be improved. When the position accuracy at the stop position is not required, the wheel stopper detection area ARd may not be set, and the processing of the above-mentioned step S218 may not be performed.

[0052] When it is determined that the vehicle 100 has reached the stop position (step S220: Yes), the control command unit 312 stops the vehicle 100 in step S222. At this time, it is preferred that the control command unit 312 further generates a control command for commanding the transmission unit 162 provided in the vehicle 100 to switch to the P position, and transmits the control command to the vehicle 100. By switching to the P position, the vehicle 100 on the conveying unit 510 can be prevented from moving during the transportation of the vehicle 100 by the conveying device 500. When the travel of the vehicle 100 is stopped, for example, the remote controller 300 can allow a worker to smoothly check the electrical system, the engine room, etc. of the vehicle 100 during the transportation of the vehicle 100.

[0053] In step S224, the control command section 312 stops the remote control of the vehicle 100. While the remote control is stopped, the vehicle 100 is transported by the transport device 500 and undergoes a predetermined inspection, assembly, painting, and the like process. In the present embodiment, the stopping of the remote control of the vehicle 100 is achieved by stopping the generation of control commands by the remote controller 300 or stopping the transmission of control commands to the vehicle 100. By stopping the remote control of the vehicle 100 during the transportation by the transport device 500, the remote controller 300 is able to reduce the increase in power consumption and processing load on itself and other devices related to the remote control of the vehicle 100. Even after the remote control is stopped, the vehicle 100 can maintain wireless communication with the remote controller 300. For example, remote control can be performed to perform operations other than the driving of the vehicle 100, such as the opening and closing of the vehicle 100 and its various components. Then, the remote controller 300 completes the processing.

[0054] When it is determined that the vehicle 100 has not reached the stop position (step S220: No), in step S226, the control command section 312 determines whether the vehicle 100 has passed the stop position. When it is determined that the vehicle 100 has not passed the stop position (step S226: No), the process of step S216 is performed again.

[0055] When it is determined that the vehicle 100 has passed the stop position (step S226: Yes), in step S228, the control command section 312 causes the vehicle 100 to report the occurrence of an abnormality through remote control, and also stops the vehicle 100. For example, when an abnormality occurs in the contact detection with the wheel stopper 512 performed by the acceleration sensor 182 or in the position estimation of the vehicle 100 performed by the position estimation section 314, there is a risk that the vehicle 100 may pass the stop position. When such an abnormality occurs, for example, the control command section 312 generates a control command for driving a light and an alarm (not shown) of the vehicle 100, and transmits the control command to the vehicle 100, thereby notifying the worker who performs the operation on the vehicle 100, the manager of the relevant process, or the administrator of the conveying system 600 of the abnormality occurrence. Since the workers and others are notified of the abnormality occurrence, they can be encouraged to solve the abnormality and reduce the increase in the waiting time for the conveyance of the vehicle 100 due to the abnormality occurrence, thereby reducing the increase in the time required for the conveyance of the vehicle 100. After step S228, the processing of step S224 described above is performed.

[0056] Back to Figure 6 The description of the determination in step S212 shown in FIG. 1 will describe the case where it is determined that there is a target at the first candidate stop position ST1 (step S212: Yes). Figure 8In step S230 shown in FIG. 1 , the stop position recognition section 316 determines whether or not there is an object at the second candidate stop position ST2. The determination in this step is achieved in the same manner as in step S212 described above.

[0057] When it is determined that there is no target at the second candidate stop position ST2 (step S230: No), in step S232, the stop position recognition section 316 sets the stop position at the second candidate stop position ST2. The case where it is determined that there is a target at the second candidate stop position ST2 (step S230: Yes) will be described later.

[0058] In step S234, the control command section 312 determines whether the vehicle 100 can enter the stop position. In the present embodiment, when the distance between the second candidate stop position ST2 set as the stop position and the transport start position SP is longer than the total length of the vehicle 100, the control command section 312 determines that the vehicle 100 can enter the stop position. The "total length of the vehicle 100" is an example of a "preset threshold value" in the present disclosure. When it is determined that the vehicle 100 can enter the stop position (step S234: Yes), the process of the above-mentioned step S216 is performed.

[0059] When it is determined that the vehicle 100 cannot enter the stop position (step S234: No), in other words, when the distance between the stop position and the conveyance start position SP is equal to or less than the total length of the vehicle 100, in step S236, the control command section 312 determines whether a first standard time has elapsed since the determination in step S234 was first performed after the start of the process. The "first standard time" is set to a time required until the vehicle 100 becomes able to enter the stop position. The first standard time is set to a time required until the distance between the stop position and the conveyance start position SP becomes greater than the total length of the vehicle 100, for example, based on the position of the wheel stopper 512 identified in step S208. The first standard time can be set in advance to a time required for the conveying section 510 to move the distance between two adjacent wheel stoppers 512.

[0060] When it is determined that the first standard time has not passed (step S236: No), in step S238, the control command section 312 pauses the vehicle 100 and performs the processing of the above-mentioned step S234 again. In other words, the control command section 312 repeats the processing of steps S234 to S238 until the vehicle 100 can enter the stop position or until the first standard time has passed. In this way, in the present embodiment, when the distance between the stop position and the conveyance start position SP is equal to or less than the total length of the vehicle 100, the control command section 312 controls the timing of the vehicle 100 entering the conveyance section 510 by pausing the vehicle 100. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the vehicle 100 from being carried on the conveyance section 510 and conveyed by the conveyance section 510 in a state where the vehicle 100 protrudes from the conveyance section 510, thereby reducing the wear of the wheels 166.

[0061] When it is determined that the first standard time has passed (step S236: Yes), the control command section 312 executes the process of step S228 described above. This is because when the vehicle 100 is not ready to enter the stop position after the first standard time has passed, it can be considered that an abnormality such as an emergency stop of the conveying device 500 has occurred.

[0062] Returning to the description of the determination in step S230, the case where it is determined that there is a target at the second candidate stop position ST2 (step S230: Yes) will be described. The control command section 312 pauses the vehicle 100 in step S240, and determines in step S242 whether the second standard time has passed after the pause starts. The "second standard time" is set to the time required until a new wheel stopper 512 appears by driving the conveying section 510 and the vehicle 100 becomes ready to enter. For example, based on the position of the wheel stopper 512 identified in step S208, the second standard time is set to the time required until the distance between another wheel stopper 512 that appears after the wheel stopper 512 located closest to the conveying start position SP and the conveying start position SP becomes longer than the total length of the vehicle 100. Alternatively, like the first standard time, the second standard time may be preset to the time required for the conveying section 510 to move the distance between two adjacent wheel stoppers 512.

[0063] When it is determined that the second standard time has not elapsed (step S242: No), the process of the above-mentioned step S208 is performed again. When it is determined that there is a target at the second candidate stop position ST2, it can be considered that the vehicle 100 is stopped at the wheel stopper 512 located at the closest distance to the conveyance start position SP. Therefore, the control command section 312 pauses the vehicle 100 until another new wheel stopper 512 appears by driving the conveyance section 510 and the vehicle 100 becomes ready to enter.

[0064] When it is determined that the second standard time has elapsed (step S242: Yes), the process of step S228 described above is performed. This is because when the vehicle 100 is not ready to enter the stop position after the second standard time has elapsed, it can be considered that an abnormality such as an emergency stop of the conveying device 500 has occurred.

[0065] According to the conveying system 600 of the first embodiment described above, the conveying system recognizes the stop position of the moving body on the conveying section 510, and generates and outputs a control command for causing the vehicle 100 to enter the conveying section 510 according to the stop position. Accordingly, even if the stop position changes after the vehicle 100 has entered the conveying device 500 due to a delay of other vehicles ahead or an interruption of other vehicles being transported by a worker's driving, the vehicle 100 can be properly caused to enter the conveying section 510.

[0066] The stop position is identified using at least one of control information indicating the control state of the conveying device 500 and obstacle information indicating whether there is an obstacle on the conveying section 510; therefore, the stop position can be appropriately identified based on the conveying state of the conveying device 500 indicated by at least one of the control information and the obstacle information.

[0067] The control information is used to identify a plurality of candidate stop positions, and the obstacle information is used to identify a stop position among the plurality of candidate stop positions; therefore, the stop position can be identified more appropriately than in a configuration in which only one of the control information and the obstacle information is used to identify the stop position.

[0068] When there is no obstacle at any of the plurality of candidate stop positions, the candidate stop position farthest from the transport start position SP is identified as the stop position among the plurality of candidate stop positions; and when there is an obstacle at any of the plurality of candidate stop positions, the candidate stop position immediately before the candidate stop position where the obstacle closest to the transport start position SP exists is identified as the stop position among the plurality of candidate stop positions. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the distance between the obstacle on the transport unit 510 and the stop position from increasing beyond a necessary value, thereby reducing the degradation of the transport efficiency of the transport device 500 for the vehicle 100.

[0069] When the distance between the stop position and the conveyance start position SP is greater than a preset threshold value, a control command for causing the vehicle 100 to enter the conveyance section 510 is generated and output; therefore, the vehicle 100 can enter the conveyance section 510 at a time when sufficient space for loading the vehicle 100 on the conveyance section 510 is ensured. On the other hand, when the distance between the stop position and the conveyance start position SP is equal to or less than a preset threshold value, a control command for causing the vehicle 100 to pause for a preset time is generated and output; therefore, the vehicle 100 can be made to wait until sufficient space for loading the vehicle 100 on the conveyance section 510 is ensured. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the vehicle 100 from entering the conveyance section 510 without ensuring sufficient space for loading the vehicle 100 on the conveyance section 510, and prevent the vehicle 100 from being loaded and transported on the conveyance section 510 in a state where the vehicle 100 overhangs from the conveyance section 510, thereby preventing the vehicle 100 from being damaged. Second embodiment:

[0070] Fig. 9 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an ECU 200b installed in a vehicle 100 of a second embodiment. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a delivery system 600 does not include a remote controller 300. Specifically, this embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that an ECU 200b installed in a vehicle 100 is used as a controller instead of the remote controller 300. Unless otherwise specified, other configurations of the delivery system 600 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0071] like Fig. 9 As shown in , the ECU 200b is different from the ECU 200 described in the first embodiment in that the ECU 200b includes a CPU 210b instead of the CPU 210, and includes a memory device 220b instead of the memory device 220. Specifically, the memory device 220b stores a program that implements not only the functions of the CPU 210 described in the first embodiment, but also functions corresponding to the control command section 312, the position estimation section 314, and the stop position identification section 316 included in the remote controller 300. As a result, the CPU 210b also functions as the control command section 214, the position estimation section 216, and the stop position identification section 218 corresponding to the above functions. The memory device 220b also stores the estimated position VL stored in the remote controller 300. According to the vehicle 100 thus configured, the same effect as the first embodiment can be obtained without using a device separate from the device of the vehicle 100, such as the remote controller 300.

[0072] Fig.10is a flowchart showing a method for driving the vehicle 100 of the present embodiment. In step S310, the position estimation unit 216 acquires the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 by using the detection result of the vehicle detector 80. In step S320, the control command unit 214 determines the next target position to which the vehicle 100 is to travel. In the present embodiment, the memory device 220b of the ECU 200b stores an ideal route in advance. In step S330, the control command unit 214 generates a driving control signal for driving the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. In step S340, the driving control unit 212 controls the actuator group 140 by using the generated driving control signal so that the vehicle 100 travels at the acceleration and steering angle indicated in the driving control signal. The driving control unit 212 repeatedly performs the acquisition of the position and orientation of the vehicle 100, the determination of the target position, the generation of the driving control signal, and the control of the actuator group 140 at a predetermined cycle. According to the vehicle 100 of the present embodiment, the vehicle 100 can be caused to travel by autonomous control without using remote control of the vehicle 100 by the remote controller 300 . Other embodiments:

[0073] In the above-described embodiment, the stop position recognition unit 316 recognizes a plurality of candidate stop positions by using the positions of the plurality of wheel stoppers 512 identified by using the encoder value as the control information of the conveying device 500, and recognizes a stop position among the plurality of candidate stop positions by using the obstacle information; however, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, among the plurality of wheel stoppers 512 identified by using the encoder value as the control information of the conveying device 500, the stop position recognition unit 316 first recognizes the position of the wheel stopper 512 at which the other vehicle is stopped. The stop position recognition unit 316 may be configured to recognize, among the wheel stoppers 512 at which the other vehicle 100 is stopped, the position of the wheel stopper 512 at which the other vehicle 100 is stopped. Figure 1 The position of the wheel stopper 512c at which the other vehicle 102 is stopped as shown in FIG. 3 is identified as the wheel stopper 512c located at the position closest to the conveying start position SP, and then the wheel stopper 512b located immediately before the identified wheel stopper 512c from the conveying start position SP is identified as the stop position. This aspect also exerts the same effect as the above-mentioned embodiment. The stop position of the vehicle 100 can be preset and stored in the memory device 340; in this aspect, the stop position identification unit 316 can identify the stop position of the vehicle 100 with reference to the stop position stored in the memory device 340. With this aspect, the vehicle 100 can enter the conveying unit 510 according to the preset stop position.

[0074] The stop position recognition unit 316 may recognize the stop position by using at least one of the control information and the obstacle information of the transport device 500. For example, the stop position recognition unit 316 may use the obstacle information to recognize other vehicles 102 (which are obstacles existing before the vehicle 100, such as Figure 1 ), and a position separated by a preset distance from the identified position of the vehicle 102 can be identified as a stop position. According to this aspect, the stop position can be identified in a simpler manner without using control information of the conveying device 500.

[0075] The stop position recognition unit 316 may use the control information of the other vehicles 102 and the encoder value as the control information of the conveying device 500 instead of using the obstacle information, and recognize the position of the wheel stopper 512c where the vehicle 102 stops. More specifically, the stop position recognition unit 316 first uses the information indicating whether the vehicle 102 stops and the estimated position VL estimated as the position of the vehicle 102 as the control information of the other vehicles 102 to recognize the position of the wheel stopper 512c located closest to the stopped vehicle 102. The stop position recognition unit 316 may recognize the wheel stopper 512b located immediately before the wheel stopper 512c from the conveying start position SP as the stop position. According to this aspect, the stop position can be recognized in a simpler manner without using the obstacle information.

[0076] In the above-described embodiment, when the distance between the stop position and the conveying start position SP is equal to or less than the total length of the vehicle 100, the control command unit 312 controls the vehicle 100 to pause to control the moment when the vehicle 100 enters the conveying unit 510; however, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the control command unit 312 may control the speed of the vehicle 100 from entering the conveying device 500 until stopping at the stop position. In this case, the control command unit 312 does not need to stop the vehicle 100, but may reduce the conveying speed of the vehicle 100 by automatic driving. With this aspect, it is also possible to control the moment when the vehicle 100 enters the conveying unit 510 by delaying the moment when the vehicle 100 arrives at the conveying start position SP.

[0077] In the above-described embodiments, the case where the position estimating unit 314 and the position estimating unit 216 are included has been exemplified. On the other hand, for example, when high-precision position information is not required in the automatic driving of the vehicle 100, the position estimating unit 314 and the position estimating unit 216 may be omitted. In this case, for example, the detection result of a sensor capable of detecting the vehicle 100, such as the transport object detector 526 provided in the transport device 500, may be used.

[0078] In the above embodiment, the stop position recognition unit 316 obtains, as obstacle information, the conveyed object information VP obtained by the conveyed object detector 526a set at the position corresponding to the first candidate stop position ST1 and the conveyed object information VP obtained by the conveyed object detector 526b set at the position corresponding to the second candidate stop position ST2 from the conveyed object information VP detected by each conveyed object detector 526; however, the present disclosure is not limited to this. As obstacle information, the stop position recognition unit 316 may also obtain vehicle information obtained by the vehicle detector 80 instead of obtaining the conveyed object information VP. Also using this aspect, for example, referring to the area corresponding to the first candidate stop position ST1 and the second candidate stop position ST2 in the 3D point cloud data obtained as vehicle information, the stop position recognition unit 316 can determine whether there are obstacles such as vehicles at the first candidate stop position ST1 and the second candidate stop position ST2.

[0079] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the vehicle detector 80 is a LiDAR has been exemplified. On the other hand, as the vehicle detector 80, an external camera provided at a position different from the vehicle 100 may be used instead of or together with the LiDAR. In this case, the vehicle detector 80 acquires an image of the vehicle 100 as vehicle information. The position estimation unit 314 may estimate the position of the vehicle 100 and the orientation of the vehicle 100 by using the captured image acquired by the external camera. The position of the vehicle 100 may be acquired, for example, by calculating the coordinates of the measurement points of the vehicle 100 in the image coordinate system using the contour of the vehicle 100 detected from the captured image, and converting the calculated coordinates into coordinates in the global coordinate system. The orientation of the vehicle 100 may be estimated, for example, by using the optical flow method based on the orientation of the motion vector of the vehicle 100 calculated according to the position change of the feature points of the vehicle 100 between the frames of the captured image. For example, the orientation of the vehicle 100 may be calculated by using the output result of the yaw rate sensor or the like provided in the vehicle 100.

[0080] For example, the outline of the vehicle 100 included in the captured image can be detected by inputting the captured image into a detection model using artificial intelligence. For example, an example of a detection model may include a learned machine learning model that has been trained to achieve semantic segmentation or instance segmentation. As the machine learning model, for example, a convolutional neural network (hereinafter referred to as CNN) trained by supervised learning using a training data set can be used. For example, the training data set has a plurality of training images including the vehicle 100, and a correct answer label indicating whether the area in each training image is an area showing the vehicle 100 or an area showing an area other than the vehicle 100. When learning using CNN, it is preferred to update the parameters of the CNN by back propagation (error back propagation method) to reduce the error between the output result from the detection model and the correct answer label.

[0081] In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the vehicle 100 is exemplified as a passenger car, a truck, a bus, or a construction vehicle. However, the vehicle 100 is not limited to these vehicles, and may be various types of mobile bodies. "Mobile body" refers to a movable object, and may be, for example, a vehicle or an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (a so-called "flying car"). A vehicle may be a vehicle that travels on one or more wheels or an infinite track, and may be, for example, a two-wheeled vehicle, a four-wheeled vehicle, a tank, and the like. Vehicles include pure electric vehicles (Battery Electric Vehicle, BEV), gasoline vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and fuel cell electric vehicles. In the case where the mobile body is not a vehicle, the expressions "vehicle" or "car" in the present disclosure may be replaced with "mobile body" as appropriate, and the expression "traveling" may be replaced with "moving" as appropriate.

[0082] It is sufficient that the vehicle 100 has at least a configuration that is movable by remote control. For example, the vehicle 100 may have aspects of a platform including the following configurations. Specifically, the vehicle 100 may have at least a configuration that performs the functions of "driving", "turning" and "stopping" by remote control. In other words, the "vehicle 100 movable by remote control" may not include at least some of the internal components such as the driver's seat and the dashboard, may not include at least some of the external components such as the bumper and the fender, or may not include the body shell. In this case, the remaining components such as the body shell may be installed to the vehicle 100 before the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory, or the vehicle 100 may be shipped from the factory without the remaining components such as the body shell being installed to the vehicle 100, and thereafter the remaining components such as the body shell may be installed to the vehicle 100. Each component may be installed 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 installed from the same direction or different directions. With respect to the aspects of the platform, position determination may be performed in the same manner as in the vehicle 100 of the first embodiment.

[0083] 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 a plurality of components grouped together according to the parts or functions of the vehicle 100. For example, the platform of the vehicle 100 can be manufactured by combining a front module constituting the front of the platform, a central module constituting the central part of the platform, and a rear module constituting the rear of the platform. The number of modules constituting the platform is not limited to 3, but may be less than 2 or more than 4. In addition to or instead of the components constituting the platform, the components constituting the parts different from the platform of the vehicle 100 may also be modularized. The various modules may include any external components such as a bumper or grille, and any internal components such as a seat and a console. Not limited to the vehicle 100, but any form of mobile body may be manufactured by combining a plurality of modules. For example, such modules may each be manufactured by welding, joining a plurality of components using a fixture, etc., or may be manufactured by molding at least some of the components constituting each module as a single component in one piece by casting. The molding method of integrally molding a single component, especially a relatively large component, is also called giga casting or mega casting. For example, the front module, the central module, and the rear module described above can be manufactured by using giga casting.

[0084] Some or all of the functions of the transport control unit 412 and the transport object information acquisition unit 414 implemented by the transport controller 400 shown in the above embodiments may also be implemented by the remote controller 300. In other words, the transport system 600 may include the remote controller 300 alone.

[0085] In the first embodiment described above, the remote controller 300 performs the processing from the acquisition of the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 to the generation of the travel control signal. On the other hand, the vehicle 100 may perform at least a part of the processing from the acquisition of the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 to the generation of the travel control signal. For example, the following aspects (1) to (3) may be adopted:

[0086] (1) The remote controller 300 may acquire the position and orientation of the vehicle 100, determine the next target position toward which the vehicle 100 is to move, and generate a route from the current position of the vehicle 100 indicated in the acquired position to the target position. The remote controller 300 may generate a route to a target position between the current position and the destination or a route to the destination. The remote controller 300 may transmit the generated route to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may generate a travel control signal so that the vehicle 100 travels on the route received from the remote controller 300, and control the actuator group 140 by using the generated travel control signal.

[0087] (2) The remote controller 300 may acquire the position and orientation of the vehicle 100, and transmit the acquired position and orientation to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may determine a next target position toward which the vehicle 100 is to move, generate a route from the current position of the vehicle 100 indicated in the received position to the target position, generate a travel control signal for causing the vehicle 100 to travel on the generated route, and control the actuator group 140 by using the generated travel control signal.

[0088] (3) In the above aspects (1) and (2), the vehicle 100 is provided with an internal sensor, and the detection result output from the internal sensor can be used for at least one of the generation of the route and the generation of the driving control signal. Examples of 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 aspect (1), the remote controller 300 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. In the above aspect (1), the vehicle 100 may 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 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 route when generating the route. In the above 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 driving control signal when generating the driving control signal.

[0089] (4) In the above-mentioned second embodiment, the vehicle 100 is provided with an internal sensor, and the detection result outputted from the internal sensor can 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 can 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 can 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.

[0090] In the above-mentioned second embodiment, the vehicle 100 acquires the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 by using the detection result of the vehicle detector 80. On the other hand, it can also be configured that the vehicle 100 is provided with an internal sensor, the vehicle 100 acquires the position and orientation by using the detection result of the internal sensor, determines the next target position to which the vehicle 100 is to move, generates a route from the current position of the vehicle 100 indicated in the acquired position to the target position, generates a travel control signal for traveling on the generated route, and controls the actuator group 140 using the generated travel control signal. In this case, the vehicle 100 can travel without using any detection result of the vehicle detector 80. The vehicle 100 can acquire the target arrival time and traffic congestion information from outside the vehicle 100, and reflect the target arrival time and traffic congestion information in at least one of the route and the travel control signal. In addition, the vehicle 100 can be provided with all the configurations of the conveying system 600 and / or all the functional configurations of the remote controller 300. That is, the processing implemented by the transport system 600 and / or by the remote controller 300 , such as the processing of identifying candidate stop positions shown in the present disclosure, may also be implemented by the vehicle 100 alone.

[0091] In the first embodiment described above, the remote controller 300 automatically generates the travel control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100. On the other hand, the remote controller 300 may generate the travel control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100 according to the operation of the operator located outside the vehicle 100. For example, the operator may operate a control device including: a display that displays an image output from the vehicle detector 80; a steering wheel, an accelerator pedal, and a brake pedal for remotely controlling the vehicle 100; and a communication device for communicating with the remote controller 300 via wired or wireless communication, and the remote controller 300 may generate the travel control signal according to the operation applied to the control device.

[0092] Transporting vehicles using vehicles that travel without human drivers is also called "self-driving transport". A configuration for implementing self-driving transport is also called "vehicle remote control self-driving transport system". A production system for producing vehicles using self-driving transport is also called "self-driving production". For example, in self-driving production, at least a portion of the transportation of vehicles in a factory that manufactures vehicles is achieved by self-driving transport.

[0093] In the above embodiment, at least one of the control command unit 312 and the conveyance control unit 412 may perform at least one of a control to stop the travel of the vehicle 100 and a control to stop the driving of the conveyance unit 510 depending on the state of the vehicle 100 on the conveyance unit 510 in addition to the above control. The conveyance control unit 412 is an example of a “conveying control unit” in the present disclosure. Figures 6 to 8 In the process shown in , when the stop position recognition section 316 cannot recognize the stop position of the vehicle 100 on the conveying section 510 , the control command section 312 may stop the vehicle 100 .

[0094] When the vehicle 100 stops traveling but the vehicle 100 has not completely entered the conveying portion 510 , that is, only the front wheels of the vehicle 100 are located on the conveying portion 510 and the rear wheels of the vehicle 100 are not located on the conveying portion 510 , the conveying control portion 412 may stop driving the conveying portion 510 .

[0095] When the vehicle 100 traveling on the conveyor 510 suffers from wheel detachment, the control command unit 312 can stop the vehicle 100 from traveling, and the conveyor control unit 412 can stop the driving of the conveyor 510. It should be noted that "wheel detachment" refers to a situation where the wheel 166 of the vehicle 100 protrudes from the conveyor 510.

[0096] When the vehicle 100 stops in an emergency situation, the conveyance control unit 412 may stop driving the conveyance unit 510 .

[0097] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be implemented in various configurations without departing from the main idea of ​​the present disclosure. For example, the technical features in the various embodiments corresponding to the technical features of the various aspects described in the summary of the invention can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve some or all of the above-mentioned problems, or to achieve some or all of the above-mentioned effects. In addition, if the technical features are not described as necessary in this specification, they can be deleted as appropriate.

Claims

1. A control system configured to control the movement of a moving body configured to be transported by unmanned driving at least during a manufacturing process, characterized in that The control system comprises: a stop position recognition section configured to recognize a stop position at which the moving body stops on the conveying section of a conveying device including a conveying section configured to convey the moving body; and A control command unit is configured to generate and output a control command for causing the moving body to enter the conveying unit according to the stop position.

2. The control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stop position recognition section recognizes the stop position by using at least one of control information indicating a control state of the conveying device and obstacle information indicating whether an obstacle exists on the conveying section.

3. The control system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The stop position recognition unit is configured as follows: identifying a plurality of candidate stop positions as a plurality of candidates for the stop position by using the control information; and The stop position among the plurality of candidate stop positions is identified by using the obstacle information.

4. The control system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The mobile body includes one or more wheels for movement; The stop position recognition unit is configured as follows: identifying positions of a plurality of wheel stoppers provided on the conveying portion by using the control information; identifying positions among the plurality of wheel stoppers corresponding to a preset number of continuous wheel stoppers counted from a conveyance start position at which the conveying unit starts conveying the moving body as the plurality of candidate stop positions; using the obstacle information to identify whether the obstacle exists at each of the plurality of candidate stop positions; as well as identifying the stop position among the plurality of candidate stop positions according to whether the obstacle exists, and The stop position recognition unit is configured as follows: When the obstacle does not exist at any of the plurality of candidate stop positions, identifying the candidate stop position farthest from the transport start position among the plurality of candidate stop positions as the stop position; as well as When the obstacle exists at any one of the plurality of candidate stop positions, a candidate stop position located immediately before the candidate stop position at which the obstacle located closest to the transport start position exists among the plurality of candidate stop positions is identified as the stop position.

5. The control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The control command section is configured to generate and output a control command for controlling at least one of a timing of causing the moving body to enter the conveying section and a speed of the moving body.

6. The control system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The control command section is configured to generate and output a control command for causing the moving body to enter the conveying section when a distance between the conveying start position and the stop position at which the conveying section starts conveying the moving body is greater than a preset threshold.

7. The control system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The control command section is configured to generate and output a control command for stopping the moving body for a predetermined time when a distance between the conveyance start position at which the conveyance section starts conveying the moving body and the stop position is equal to or smaller than a preset threshold.

8. The control system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The control command section is configured to generate and output a control command for stopping the movement of the moving body, depending on a state of the moving body on the conveying section.

9. The control system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The transport control unit further includes a transport control unit configured to stop the transport unit from driving the moving body, depending on a state of the moving body on the transport unit.

10. A controller configured to control the movement of a moving body configured to be transported by unmanned driving at least during a manufacturing process, characterized in that: The controller comprises: a stop position recognition section configured to recognize a stop position at which the moving body stops on the conveying section of a conveying device including a conveying section configured to convey the moving body; and A control command unit is configured to generate and output a control command for causing the moving body to enter the conveying unit according to the stop position.

11. A mobile body configured to travel by unmanned driving, characterized in that: The mobile body comprises: a stop position recognition section configured to recognize a stop position at which the moving body stops on the conveying section of a conveying device including a conveying section configured to convey the moving body; and A control command unit is configured to generate and output a control command for causing the moving body to enter the conveying unit according to the stop position.

12. A control method for controlling the movement of a moving body configured to be transported by unmanned driving at least during a manufacturing process, characterized in that: The control method comprises: identifying a stop position where the moving body stops on the conveying portion of a conveying device including a conveying portion configured to convey the moving body; and A control command for causing the moving body to enter the conveying unit according to the stop position is generated and outputted.

Images