Dump truck

Abstract

A work vehicle is provided with: an over-adjustment operation sensor that detects an over-adjustment operation that switches between an automatic driving mode and a manual driving mode; and a selection device that selects, as a driving mode of the dump truck, one of a manual driving mode, a manned automatic driving mode, and an unmanned automatic driving mode, and when the manned automatic driving mode is selected by the selection device and an over-adjustment operation is detected by the over-adjustment operation sensor, controls the operation of the dump truck. The controller switches the manned automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode, and continues the unmanned automatic driving mode when the overadjustment operation is detected by the overadjustment operation sensor in a case where the unmanned automatic driving mode is selected by the selection device and when the overadjustment operation is detected by the overadjustment operation sensor in a case where the unmanned automatic driving mode is selected by the selection device.

Description

[0001] This invention application is a divisional application of the invention application with an international application date of February 4, 2020, an international application number of PCT / JP2020 / 004177, a national application number of 202080007305.9 entering the Chinese national phase, and an invention name of “Work Vehicle”. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to a work vehicle having at least two driving modes: an automatic driving mode for autonomous driving without relying on driving operations of a passenger, and a manual driving mode for driving by driving operations of a passenger. Background Art

[0003] Work vehicles represented by dump trucks include autonomous driving vehicles with at least two driving modes: an automatic driving mode that drives autonomously without relying on the driving operation of the passengers, and a manual driving mode that drives through the driving operation of the passengers. In the automatic driving mode, the controller (control device) mounted on the work vehicle is responsible for all accelerator pedal operations (acceleration control), brake pedal operations (brake control) and steering wheel (steering wheel) operations (steering control). However, when the automatic driving mode is performed with the passengers in the cockpit (cab) of the work vehicle, there are also situations where the passengers need to perform driving operations (for example, when an abnormality occurs in the work vehicle, an unexpected situation occurs, etc.). Therefore, there is a technology for switching between manual driving and automatic driving.

[0004] For example, the automatic driving control device of patent document 1 includes: a detection mechanism that detects the driver's override operation (manual operation of the driver riding in the vehicle) in the automatic driving mode; and a determination mechanism that determines whether the driver's posture, i.e., the driver's posture, captured by the in-vehicle camera is consistent with the driving posture used as a reference, and (i) when the override operation is detected by the detection mechanism and the determination mechanism determines that the captured driver's posture is consistent with the driving posture used as the reference, permitting switching from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode; and (ii) when the override operation is detected by the detection mechanism and the determination mechanism determines that the captured driver's posture is inconsistent with the driving posture used as the reference, not permitting switching from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode (i.e., allowing the automatic driving mode to continue).

[0005] Prior art literature

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-137034 Summary of the invention

[0008] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0009] The automatic driving control device of Patent Document 1 sets the switching conditions from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode on the premise that there is always a person in the automatic driving mode (ie, there is a passenger in the vehicle).

[0010] However, in work vehicles such as dump trucks that can drive autonomously, there are also cases where there is no one in the automatic driving mode (that is, there are no passengers on the vehicle). That is, the automatic driving of work vehicles may include unmanned automatic driving with no one on the vehicle and manned automatic driving with people on the vehicle. Therefore, it is necessary not only to prepare in advance the control for the case where an over-adjustment operation is detected in manned automatic driving as disclosed in Patent Document 1, but also to prepare in advance the control for the case where an over-adjustment operation is detected in unmanned automatic driving. For example, in the case where an over-adjustment operation is detected in manned automatic driving, the vehicle may switch to manual driving mode (manual driving with a person), but if it is set to switch to manual driving mode in the case where an over-adjustment operation is detected in unmanned automatic driving, the vehicle becomes manually driven in the absence of passengers, and the vehicle control is abandoned. In addition, the method of using a camera or the like to determine whether there are passengers, such as in Patent Document 1, has the possibility of misjudgment.

[0011] The present invention has been proposed in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a working vehicle that can perform reliable and appropriate control of the vehicle when an over-adjustment operation is detected under both manned automatic driving and unmanned automatic driving conditions.

[0012] Means for solving problems

[0013] The present application includes a variety of technologies for solving the above-mentioned problems. One example is a work vehicle having at least two driving modes, namely, an automatic driving mode for autonomous driving without relying on a driving operation of a passenger and a manual driving mode for driving by a driving operation of a passenger. The work vehicle is characterized in that the automatic driving mode includes a manned automatic driving mode for autonomous driving with passengers and an unmanned automatic driving mode for autonomous driving without passengers. The work vehicle includes: an over-adjustment operation sensor for detecting an over-adjustment operation for switching between the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode; a selection device for selecting one of the manual driving mode, the manned automatic driving mode and the unmanned automatic driving mode as the driving mode; and a controller for controlling the work vehicle based on the driving mode selected by the selection device. When the manned automatic driving mode is selected by the selection device, the controller switches the manned automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode when the over-adjustment operation sensor detects an over-adjustment operation. When the unmanned automatic driving mode is selected by the selection device, the controller continues the unmanned automatic driving mode when the over-adjustment operation sensor detects an over-adjustment operation.

[0014] Effects of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, in both the autonomous driving conditions of manned autonomous driving and unmanned autonomous driving, reliable and appropriate control of the host vehicle can be performed when an over-adjustment operation is detected. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 It is a side view of a dump truck as a working vehicle (transport vehicle) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 It is a configuration diagram of a vehicle control system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 It is a correspondence diagram between the switching positions of the two selection switches 59a and 59b and the driving modes.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a diagram summarizing the mode switching operation performed by the mode determination unit 64 when an over-adjustment operation detection signal is input in the first embodiment.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of the process executed by the controller 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a diagram summarizing the mode switching operation performed by the mode determination unit 64 when an over-adjustment operation detection signal is input in the second embodiment.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of the process executed by the controller 100 according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described using the drawings.

[0024] Figure 1 is a side view of a dump truck as a working vehicle (transport vehicle) according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 It is a configuration diagram of a vehicle control system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] exist Figure 1 In the figure, the dump truck 1 includes a vehicle body 2, a truck bed 3, a cab 5, left and right front wheels 6L, 6R, left and right rear wheels 7L, 7R, a GPS antenna 36a, a wireless device antenna 37a, and a controller (control device) 100.

[0026] The control room 40 is a place for performing operation management of the dump truck 1, and is provided with: a wireless antenna 44 for communicating with the controller 100 of the dump truck 1; a control system 41 for outputting driving instructions related to autonomous driving to the dump truck 1; an operation management system 42 for the control operator to create an operation plan including the driving route data of the dump truck 1; and a monitor 43 for the control operator to confirm the operation status.

[0027] The body 2 of the dump truck 1 constitutes a frame structure. A bucket 3 is mounted on the upper side of the body 2, and the bucket 3 can be raised and lowered by extending and retracting a lift cylinder 4 with the rear side of the body 2 as a fulcrum.

[0028] The cab 5 is located in front of the truck bed 3 and is disposed on the upper front side of the vehicle body 2. The cab 5 forms a cab for passengers (also referred to as drivers or operators) of the dump truck 1 to get on and off. The cab 5 is provided with a driver's seat for passengers to sit on and an engine switch (both not shown), and a Figure 2 3 , an accelerator pedal 50 , a normal brake pedal 51 , an emergency brake pedal 52 , and other operating devices 53 are shown.

[0029] The front wheels 6L and 6R are rotatably provided at the lower front side of the vehicle body 2. The front wheel 6L is arranged on the left side of the vehicle body 2, and the front wheel 6R is arranged on the right side of the vehicle body 2. The left and right front wheels 6L and 6R are configured by the steering device 12 (see Figure 2 The left and right front wheels 6L and 6R are steered by the steering device 12 in accordance with the rotation angle of the steering wheel 32 of the dump truck 1.

[0030] The rear wheels 7L and 7R are rotatably provided at the rear side of the vehicle body 2. The rear wheel 7L is arranged on the left side of the vehicle body 2, and the rear wheel 7R is arranged on the right side of the vehicle body 2. The left and right rear wheels 7L and 7R constitute the driving wheels of the dump truck 1, and are driven by left and right travel motors 13L and 13R (see Figure 2 The dump truck 1 is driven to travel by rotating the left and right rear wheels 7L and 7R.

[0031] The driving motors 13L and 13R are provided on the vehicle body 2. The driving motor 13L is mechanically connected to the rear wheel 7L on the left side, and drives the rear wheel 7L. The driving motor 13R is mechanically connected to the rear wheel 7R on the right side, and drives the rear wheel 7R. These driving motors 13L and 13R are electric motors, and are driven to rotate using electric power supplied from a main generator (not shown) driven by an engine (not shown). Each of the driving motors 13L and 13R is controlled by the controller 100 (speed control unit 62a (described later)), and can be driven to rotate independently.

[0032] The steering wheel 32 can be steered by the passenger. If the steering wheel 32 is rotated left or right, the column shaft 35 (see Figure 2 ) rotates to the left and right in accordance with the rotation of the steering wheel 32 to generate a steering torque. The steering torque input to the column shaft 35 causes the steering valve (not shown) to operate. The steering valve switches and controls the supply and discharge of working oil to the left and right steering cylinders included in the steering device 12 in accordance with the rotation amount of the steering wheel 32. The steering device 12 includes left and right hydraulic cylinders (steering cylinders) corresponding to the left and right front wheels 6L, 6R, and working oil is supplied from the steering valve in such a manner that one cylinder body extends while the other cylinder body contracts. That is, the steering device 12 is driven by the working oil supplied and discharged via the steering valve, so that the steering angle θ of the front wheels 6L, 6R changes in accordance with the rotation of the steering wheel 32.

[0033] The steering wheel 32 is provided with a steering wheel angular velocity sensor 34 for detecting the angular velocity of the steering wheel 32. The angular velocity of the steering wheel 32 detected by the steering wheel angular velocity sensor 34 is output to the controller 100.

[0034] The steering angle sensor 39 is mounted on the steering device 12, and detects the steering angle θ of, for example, the left front wheel 6L and outputs it to the controller 100. The steering angle sensor 39 is composed of, for example, an electromagnetic pickup type rotation angle detector formed by a Hall element and a magnet, or an optical rotation angle detector formed by a light emitter and a light receiver.

[0035] The steering motor 33 is an electric motor connected to the column shaft 35 via a speed reducer (not shown). When the steering motor 33 is rotated, the steering wheel 32 rotates together with the column shaft 35. The operation of the steering motor 33 is switched according to the driving mode of the dump truck 1. In the case of the automatic driving mode, a steering torque is generated to rotate the steering wheel 32 (column shaft 35) to control the steering of the dump truck 1 (the operation of the steering device 12). In the case of the manual driving mode, an auxiliary torque of the steering torque required for the passenger to assist the operation of the steering wheel 32 is generated. It should be noted that in the case of the manual driving mode, the torque generated by the steering motor 33 can also be zero.

[0036] The accelerator pedal 50 constitutes an acceleration operation device for operating the acceleration of the dump truck 1. The accelerator pedal 50 can be operated by the passenger. The accelerator pedal 50 is provided with an acceleration operation sensor (not shown) for detecting the operation amount, and the acceleration operation sensor outputs an acceleration command corresponding to the operation amount (depression amount) of the accelerator pedal 50 to the controller 100. The controller 100 operates the driving motors 13L and 13R according to the operation amount of the accelerator pedal 50, thereby accelerating the dump truck 1.

[0037] The normal brake pedal 51 constitutes a brake operating device for operating the brakes of the dump truck 1. The normal brake pedal 51 can be stepped on and operated by a passenger. A normal brake operation sensor (not shown) for detecting the operation amount is provided on the normal brake pedal 51, and the normal brake operation sensor outputs a brake command corresponding to the operation amount (stepping amount) of the normal brake pedal 51 to the controller 100. The controller 100 causes the travel motors 13L and 13R to regenerate according to the operation amount of the normal brake pedal 51, thereby decelerating the dump truck 1.

[0038] The controller 100 can determine whether the dump truck 1 is in the acceleration or deceleration state based on the acceleration command of the accelerator pedal 50 and the braking command of the normal brake pedal 51 .

[0039] Mechanical brake devices (mechanical brakes) such as disc brakes are installed on the front wheels 6L, 6R and the rear wheels 7L, 7R as emergency brake devices 54. The emergency brake device 54 controls the braking state and the brake release state by operating the emergency brake pedal 52. It can also be configured so that by operating the emergency brake pedal 52, not only the emergency brake device 54 (mechanical brake) is operated, but also a decelerator brake such as an electric brake that applies resistance to the rotation of the rear wheels 7L, 7R to brake them is operated.

[0040] Other operating devices 53 include a shift lever for switching the traveling direction of the vehicle, a safety button for forcibly stopping the engine, and the like.

[0041] As an over-adjustment operation sensor for detecting an over-adjustment operation for switching between the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode, a steering wheel angular velocity sensor 34 can be used. In addition, an acceleration operation sensor for detecting the operation amount of the accelerator pedal 50, a normal brake operation sensor for detecting the operation amount of the normal brake pedal 51, an emergency brake operation sensor for detecting the operation amount of the emergency brake pedal 52, a sensor for detecting the operation amount of other operating devices 53, etc. can also be used as an over-adjustment operation sensor. It should be noted that these sensors are only examples of over-adjustment operation sensors, and if they are sensors that can detect manual operations of various operating devices by passengers, they can be used as over-adjustment operation sensors. It should be noted that in order to avoid unnecessary erroneous judgments, it is preferred that the over-adjustment operation sensor is limited and filtered by setting a control threshold.

[0042] As a selection device for selecting a driving mode from a plurality of driving modes including a manual driving mode, a manned automatic driving mode, and an unmanned automatic driving mode, a first selection switch 59a and a second selection switch 52b are connected to the controller 100. The first selection switch 59a is a switch (manual driving / automatic driving switching switch) for selecting a manual driving mode (also referred to as a manned manual driving mode) for driving by a passenger and an automatic driving mode for autonomous driving without relying on the passenger's driving operation. The second selection switch 59b is a switch (manual automatic driving / unmanned automatic driving switching switch) for selecting a manned automatic driving mode for autonomous driving when the dump truck 1 has passengers and an unmanned automatic driving mode for autonomous driving when the dump truck 1 has no passengers. In the present embodiment, there is a case where the manned automatic driving mode and the unmanned automatic driving mode are collectively referred to as automatic driving modes. The controller 100 controls the driving of the dump truck 1 based on the driving mode selected by the first selection switch 59a and the second selection switch 52b. It should be noted that, in the present embodiment, the mechanism for selecting the driving mode of the dump truck 1 is described as a switch (first selection switch 59a, second selection switch 59b), but a configuration may be adopted in which, for example, a signal (mode selection command) output from the control system 41 is received using a wireless device and a driving mode specified by the signal is selected. The plurality of driving modes selectable by the driving mode selection switch 59 include at least two driving modes, namely, an automatic driving mode for autonomous driving without relying on the driving operation of the passenger and a manual driving mode for driving by the driving operation of the passenger.

[0043] The wireless device antenna 37a is connected to the wireless device 37, which serves as a device for the controller 100 to communicate with external terminals (for example, the control system 41 of the computer in the control room 40, and the operation management system 42). The wireless device 37 sends the data output from the controller 100 from the wireless device antenna 37a, and inputs the data received by the wireless device antenna 37a (for example, the driving path data described later) to the controller 100.

[0044] The GPS antenna (satellite positioning antenna) 36a receives satellite signals from multiple positioning satellites received by the GPS antenna 36a, and is connected to the GPS receiver 36 which is a position sensor for calculating the position of the dump truck 1 in the world coordinate system (or geographic coordinate system). The GPS receiver 36 outputs the calculated position of the dump truck 1 to the controller 100.

[0045] The azimuth angle sensor 38 is a device for detecting the azimuth angle of the dump truck 1 , and in the present embodiment, a digital azimuth meter is used, which detects geomagnetism using a sensor to determine the azimuth.

[0046] (Controller 100)

[0047] The controller 100 is a controller (microcomputer) including a processing unit (e.g., a processor such as a CPU), a storage unit (e.g., a semiconductor memory such as a ROM or RAM), an input / output circuit, and a communication circuit. The processing unit executes a program stored in the storage unit, so that the program is configured to execute various predetermined processes. The controller 100 in this embodiment mainly controls the travel motors 13L, 13R and the steering motor 33 in order to execute autonomous travel in the selection of the automatic driving mode.

[0048] like Figure 2 As shown, the controller 100 functions as a driving path storage unit 60, a vehicle position and posture measuring unit 61, a driving control unit 62, an over-adjustment detection unit 63, a mode determination unit 64, and a fault determination unit 65 by executing a program stored in a storage device by a calculation control device. The driving control unit 62 includes a speed control unit 62a and a steering control unit 62b. It should be noted that each part 60 to 65 can also be appropriately composed of a plurality of controllers. In addition, in the first embodiment, the fault determination unit 65 can be omitted.

[0049] The driving path storage unit 60 is a storage area for the driving path ensured in the storage device of the controller 100, and stores pre-set data (driving path data) specifying the driving path of the dump truck 1. The driving path data can be specified, for example, by a set of coordinate values ​​of a plurality of points arranged at intervals on the driving path of the dump truck 1. It should be noted that the driving path can also be configured as follows: an external recognition device such as a camera or radar is used to detect the shape of the driving path, and the controller 100 calculates the shape in real time during vehicle driving (for example, the driving path is set at a position separated by a specified distance from either end of the driving path), and stores it in the driving path storage unit 60.

[0050] The vehicle position and posture measuring unit 61 is a part that performs processing to measure the current position (e.g., the center of gravity position of the dump truck 1), direction (azimuth), yaw rate, and speed of the dump truck 1 based on the input data from the GPS receiver 36 and the azimuth sensor 38. Among them, for example, the yaw rate can be calculated based on the time change of the azimuth sensor 38, and the speed can be calculated based on the time change of the positioning result of the GPS receiver 36. It should be noted that not only the GPS receiver 36 and the azimuth sensor 38, but also a wheel speed sensor that detects the speed of the front wheels 6L and 6R, an inertial measurement unit (IMU: Inertial Measurement Unit) that can detect the angle and acceleration of three axes, etc. can be used alone or in combination to measure the position and direction of the vehicle. In addition, a method of obtaining the relative position and direction of the dump truck 1 with respect to the driving path through an external recognition mechanism such as a camera or radar can also be used.

[0051] The mode determination unit 64 is a portion that executes processing for determining the driving mode selected via the first selection switch 59 a and the second selection switch 59 b based on input signals from the first selection switch 59 a and the second selection switch 59 b .

[0052] use Figure 3 The determination process of the driving mode performed by the mode determination unit 64 is described. The first selection switch 59a and the second selection switch 59b are switches that are switched to an ON position (a first position) and an OFF position (a second position), respectively, and output a High signal to the controller 100 (mode determination unit 64) when switched to the ON position, and output a Low signal when switched to the OFF position.

[0053] First, when the input signal from the first selection switch 59a is a Low signal, the mode determination unit 64 determines that the manual driving mode is selected regardless of the switching position of the second selection switch 59b (the content of the input signal). In addition, when the input signal from the first selection switch 59a is a High signal and the input signal from the second selection switch 59b is a Low signal, the mode determination unit 64 determines that the unmanned automatic driving mode is selected. And, when the input signal from the first selection switch 59a is a High signal and the input signal from the second selection switch 59b is a High signal, the mode determination unit 64 determines that the manned automatic driving mode is selected.

[0054] The mode determination unit 64 outputs the determination result to the travel control unit 62 and the overshoot detection unit 63. That is, it outputs to the travel control unit 62 and the overshoot detection unit 63 whether the manual driving mode, the manned automatic driving mode, or the unmanned automatic driving mode is selected.

[0055] The driving mode of the dump truck 1 will not switch during driving except when an adjustment operation has occurred. Therefore, it is preferred that the mode determination unit 64 perform a mode determination before starting driving of the dump truck 1, and start driving after the passenger or the control operator confirms the determination result.

[0056] The overadjustment detection unit 63 is a part that performs processing for detecting an overadjustment operation based on an input signal from an overadjustment operation sensor (for example, the steering wheel angular velocity sensor 34) while the automatic driving mode (manned automatic driving mode and unmanned automatic driving mode) is selected by the first selection switch 59a and the second selection switch 59b. When an overadjustment operation is detected, the overadjustment detection unit 63 outputs an overadjustment operation detection signal to the mode determination unit 64.

[0057] Figure 41 is a diagram summarizing the mode switching operation performed by the mode determination unit 64 when the over-adjustment operation detection signal is input in the first embodiment. As shown in the figure, when the unmanned automatic driving mode is selected by the first selection switch 59a and the second selection switch 59b, the mode determination unit 64 does not switch the driving mode when the over-adjustment operation detection signal is input. That is, the unmanned automatic driving mode is continued. On the other hand, when the manned automatic driving mode is selected by the first selection switch 59a and the second selection switch 59b, when the over-adjustment operation detection signal is input, the mode determination unit 64 switches the driving mode from the manned automatic driving mode to the manned manual driving mode. That is, the driving mode switch to the manned manual driving mode occurs. As a result, when the over-adjustment operation is detected in the automatic driving, the driving control unit 62 selects different driving control corresponding to whether the driving mode determined by the selection switches 59a and 59b is the manned automatic driving mode or the unmanned automatic driving mode (see below for details). It should be noted that the over-adjustment operation is not detected in the manual driving mode, so in the figure, the mode switch is explained as "none".

[0058] The travel control unit 62 is a portion that controls the dump truck 1 to travel autonomously or to be driven manually by a passenger, and includes a speed control unit 62 a that controls the travel motors 13L and 13R and a steering control unit 62 b that controls the steering motor 33 .

[0059] The travel control unit 62 switches the travel control of the dump truck 1 according to the driving mode determined by the mode determination unit 64 .

[0060] In the automatic driving mode (manned automatic driving mode and unmanned automatic driving mode), the speed control unit 62a controls the power operation / regeneration of the left and right travel motors 13L and 13R so that the speed (actual speed) of the dump truck 1 calculated by the vehicle position and posture measuring unit 61 approaches the target speed set in the travel path 21. In the manual driving mode, the speed control unit 62a controls the power operation of the left and right travel motors 13L and 13R according to the operation amount of the accelerator pedal 50, and controls the regeneration of the left and right travel motors 13L and 13R according to the operation amount of the normal brake pedal 51.

[0061] In the automatic driving mode (manned automatic driving mode and unmanned automatic driving mode), the steering control unit 62b calculates the steering torque of the steering motor 33 required to steer the dump truck 1 along the driving path stored in the driving path storage unit 60, that is, the target steering torque, based on the position of the dump truck 1 calculated by the GPS receiver 36 and input to the vehicle position and posture measuring unit 61, the azimuth (direction) of the dump truck 1 detected by the azimuth sensor 38, and the driving path stored in the driving path storage unit 60, and controls the steering torque of the steering motor 33 based on the target steering torque. In this way, the dump truck 1 is steered to travel along the driving path. In the calculation of the target steering torque, in order to improve its accuracy, at least one of the steering wheel angular velocity detected by the steering wheel angular velocity sensor 34, the steering angle θ detected by the steering angle sensor 39, the vehicle speed calculated by the vehicle position and posture measuring unit 61, and the yaw rate calculated by the vehicle position and posture measuring unit 61 may be considered.

[0062] In the manual driving mode, the steering control unit 62b controls the steering torque (target steering torque) of the steering motor 33 so as to appropriately generate the auxiliary torque of the steering torque required by the passenger to assist the operation of the steering wheel 32 in accordance with the operation of the steering wheel 32 performed by the passenger (for example, the detection value of the steering wheel angular velocity sensor 34). The auxiliary torque can be calculated based on the steering wheel angular velocity detected by the steering wheel angular velocity sensor 34 and the vehicle speed obtained by the vehicle position and posture measuring unit 61. A torque sensor can also be installed instead of the steering wheel angular velocity sensor 34, and the auxiliary torque can be calculated based on the steering torque and vehicle speed detected by the sensor. It should be noted that the calculation of the target steering torque can also be interrupted to stop the operation of the steering motor 33.

[0063] Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a flowchart of an example of processing executed by the controller 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. When the power of the dump truck 1 is turned on (when starting), the controller 100 executes Figure 5 It should be noted that, before the power is turned on, the desired driving mode is set in advance by the first selection switch 59a and the second selection switch 59b.

[0064] First, in S101, the controller 100 (mode determination unit 64) determines whether the input signal from the first selection switch 59a is a High signal. When the input signal is a Low signal (i.e., when the determination in S101 is No), it is determined that the selected driving mode is the manual driving mode, and the driving control based on the manual driving mode is started by the driving control unit 62. The details of the driving control in the manual driving mode are as described above.

[0065] On the other hand, when the input signal in S101 is a High signal (i.e., when the determination in S101 is Yes), it is determined that the selected driving mode is the manned automatic driving mode or the unmanned automatic driving mode, and the driving control based on the automatic driving mode, i.e., autonomous driving (automatic driving) is started by the driving control unit 62 (S102). The details of the driving control in the automatic driving mode are also described above.

[0066] In S103, the controller 100 (overadjustment detection unit 63) determines whether an overadjustment operation is detected by the overadjustment operation sensor (for example, the steering wheel angular velocity sensor 34) during automatic driving. If an overadjustment operation is not detected, the automatic driving control of S102 is continued. On the other hand, in S103, for example, if the output value of the steering wheel angular velocity sensor 34 is different from the target value of automatic driving and an overadjustment operation by the passenger is detected, the process is transferred to S104.

[0067] In S104, the controller 100 (mode determination unit 64) determines whether the input signal from the second selection switch 59b is a High signal. The driving mode selected when the input signal is a Low signal (i.e., when the determination in S104 is No), i.e., the unmanned automatic driving mode, is continued. In this case, it is preferable to set the fact that the control system 41 of the control room 40 detects the over-adjustment operation that is originally impossible in the unmanned automatic driving as a wireless communication.

[0068] On the other hand, when the input signal is a High signal in S104 (i.e., when the determination in S104 is Yes), the driving mode selected, that is, the manned automatic driving mode, is switched to the manual driving mode. As a result, the driving control based on the manual driving mode is started by the driving control unit 62.

[0069] By switching the control of the automatic driving vehicle according to the presence or absence of passengers in this way, it is possible to select the best method for ensuring the safety of the dump truck 1 and the passengers.

[0070] (Effect)

[0071] As described above, in the dump truck 1 of the present embodiment, when an over-adjustment operation is detected in the selection of the manned automatic driving mode with a passenger, the passenger determines that the operating device (e.g., the steering wheel 32) is intended to be operated and the manned automatic driving mode is switched to the manual driving mode, thereby reliably entrusting the control of the vehicle to the passenger's driving. On the other hand, in the selection of the unmanned automatic driving mode without a passenger, when an over-adjustment operation is detected, there is a high possibility that the detection error of the over-adjustment operation is caused by the fact that the operating device is not operated in the unmanned state, and therefore, the unmanned automatic driving mode is not switched to the manual driving mode and the unmanned automatic driving mode is continued. That is, since it is prohibited to abandon the vehicle control performed by the controller 100 in the state without a passenger, the reliability of the system can be improved.

[0072] In addition, in the present embodiment, the automatic driving mode is divided into two modes, namely, the manned automatic driving mode and the unmanned automatic driving mode, and one of the two automatic driving modes is selected by the selection switch 59b. With this configuration, the determination of whether the automatic driving mode is manned or unmanned can be reliably performed based on the input signal from the switch 59b, so the driving mode can be reliably determined, in other words, the determination of whether there is a passenger. That is, since it is easy and clear to determine whether there is a manned or unmanned based on the switch position, the possibility of performing control that is different from the intention of the control room or the passenger can be reduced.

[0073] Therefore, according to the present embodiment, under both autonomous driving conditions of manned autonomous driving and unmanned autonomous driving, reliable and appropriate control of the host vehicle can be performed when an over-adjustment operation is detected.

[0074] (Second embodiment)

[0075] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The hardware configuration of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

[0076] Figure 6 This is a diagram summarizing the mode switching operation performed by the mode determination unit 64 when the over-adjustment operation detection signal is input in the second embodiment. As shown in the figure, when the unmanned automatic driving mode is selected by the first selection switch 59a and the second selection switch 59b, the mode determination unit 64 switches the driving mode to the fault mode which is a type of the unmanned automatic driving mode when the over-adjustment operation detection signal is input.

[0077] On the other hand, when the manned automatic driving mode is selected by the first selection switch 59a and the second selection switch 59b, when the over-adjustment operation detection signal is input, the mode determination unit 64 switches the driving mode from the manned automatic driving mode to the manned manual driving mode in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0078] In the fault mode, the travel control unit 62 continues the steering control using the steering motor 33 by the steering control unit 62b, while the speed control unit 62a sends a deceleration command to the travel motors 13L and 13R to stop the dump truck 1. At this time, the emergency brake device 54 or an external recognition device such as a camera may be used to guide the dump truck 1 to the side of the travel path and stop it.

[0079] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of an example of the process executed by the controller 100 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 The flowchart is the same as that of , so the description is omitted.

[0080] In S111, the controller 100 (fault determination unit 65) determines that a fault has occurred and enters the fault mode. In S112, the controller 100 (travel control unit 62) outputs a vehicle body stop control command. Specifically, the controller 100 (travel control unit 62) continues the steering command to the steering motor 33, and sends a deceleration command to the travel motors 13L and 13R, and stops the dump truck 1 by controlling the emergency brake device 54 or one or both of the travel motors 13L and 13R.

[0081] In S113 , after determining that the vehicle body is stopped, the controller 100 maintains the stopped state of the vehicle body.

[0082] As described above, in this embodiment, when the unmanned automatic driving mode is selected, the controller 100 determines that a failure has occurred and stops the vehicle when an over-adjustment operation is detected. This can prevent the dump truck 1 that may have a failure from continuing to travel autonomously.

[0083] (other)

[0084] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and includes a variety of modifications within the scope of the gist thereof. For example, the present invention is not limited to the technology including all the structures described in the above-mentioned embodiments, and also includes the technology of deleting part of its structure. In addition, a part of the structure of a certain embodiment can be added to or replaced with the structure of other embodiments.

[0085] The above mainly explains the case where the steering wheel angular velocity sensor 34 functions as an over-adjustment operation sensor as an example, but a sensor that detects the operation of other operating devices that can be operated by the passenger (for example, the accelerator pedal 50, the normal brake pedal 51, the emergency brake pedal 52, other operating devices 53) can also be used as an over-adjustment operation sensor.

[0086] In addition, part or all of the components of the controller 100, the functions of the components, and the execution processing, etc., may also be implemented using hardware (designing logic for executing each function in an integrated circuit, etc.). In addition, the components of the controller 100 may also be implemented by a program (software) that is read / executed by a processing unit (such as a CPU) to implement the functions of the components of the controller 100. The information of the program can be stored in, for example, a semiconductor memory (flash memory, SSD, etc.), a magnetic storage device (hard disk drive, etc.), and a recording medium (disk, optical disk, etc.).

[0087] In the description of each embodiment described above, the control lines and information lines indicate the parts necessary for the description of the embodiment, and do not indicate all the control lines and information lines of the product. It can be considered that substantially all the components are connected to each other in practice.

[0088] Description of Reference Numerals

[0089] 1…dump truck (work vehicle, transport vehicle), 2…body, 3…tank, 4…lift cylinder, 5…cabin, 6L…front wheel, 6R…front wheel, 7L…rear wheel, 7R…rear wheel, 12…steering device, 13L…travel motor, 13R…travel motor, 21…travel path, 32…steering wheel (steering wheel), 33…steering motor, 34…steering wheel angular velocity sensor (operation sensor), 35…column shaft, 36…GPS receiver, 36a…GPS antenna (satellite 37 ... wireless device, 37a ... wireless device antenna, 38 ... azimuth sensor, 39 ... steering angle sensor, 50 ... accelerator pedal, 51 ... brake pedal, 59 ... driving mode selection switch, 60 ... driving route storage unit, 61 ... vehicle position and posture measurement unit, 62 ... driving control unit, 62a ... speed control unit, 62b ... steering control unit, 63 ... over-regulation detection unit, 64 ... mode determination unit, 65 ... fault determination unit, 100 ... controller (control device)

Claims

1. A dump truck having at least two driving modes, namely, an automatic driving mode and a manual driving mode, wherein: In the automatic driving mode, the dump truck drives autonomously without relying on the driving operation of the passenger, and in the manual driving mode, the dump truck drives by the driving operation of the passenger. The dump truck is characterized in that: The autonomous driving mode includes a manned autonomous driving mode in which the vehicle autonomously drives with passengers and an unmanned autonomous driving mode in which the vehicle autonomously drives without passengers. The dump truck comprises: an over-adjustment operation sensor for detecting an over-adjustment operation for switching between the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode; A selection device, as the driving mode, for selecting one of the manual driving mode, the manned automatic driving mode, and the unmanned automatic driving mode; and a controller that controls the dump truck based on the driving mode selected by the selection device, In the case where an over-adjustment operation is detected by the over-adjustment operation sensor, (1) if the driving mode is the manned automatic driving mode, the controller switches the driving mode from the manned automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode, (2) If the driving mode is the unmanned automatic driving mode, the controller continues the unmanned automatic driving mode as the driving mode.

2. The dump truck according to claim 1, characterized in that: The selection device is a first selection switch and a second selection switch, the first selection switch is used to select one of the manual driving mode and the automatic driving mode, and the second selection switch is used to select one of the manned automatic driving mode and the unmanned automatic driving mode. When the automatic driving mode is selected by the first selection switch and the manned automatic driving mode is selected by the second selection switch, the controller switches the manned automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode when the over-adjustment operation sensor detects an over-adjustment operation. When the automatic driving mode is selected by the first selection switch and the unmanned automatic driving mode is selected by the second selection switch, the controller continues the unmanned automatic driving mode when the over-adjustment operation sensor detects an over-adjustment operation. When the manual driving mode is selected by the first selection switch, the dump truck is controlled based on the manual driving mode regardless of the switching position of the second selection switch.

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