Apparatus and vehicle control method

Abstract

The invention provides a device and a control method of a vehicle. The apparatus includes: a determination unit configured to determine whether or not a vehicle capable of traveling by unmanned driving is mounted on a conveyor; a conveying speed acquisition unit configured to acquire a conveying speed of the conveyor; and a determination unit configured to determine a target vehicle speed of the vehicle on the basis of the acquired conveying speed when it is determined that the vehicle is mounted on the conveyor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a device and a method for controlling a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-538619 discloses a technology for driving a vehicle autonomously or by remote control during a vehicle manufacturing process. Summary of the invention

[0003] The inventors of the present application have found that a vehicle that can travel autonomously or by remote control can travel not only on a stationary road surface but also on a moving conveyor. A technology that can appropriately control the travel of a vehicle even when the vehicle travels on a conveyor is desired.

[0004] The present disclosure can be implemented as the following aspects.

[0005] The first aspect of the present disclosure is a device, comprising: a judgment unit configured to judge whether a vehicle is mounted on a conveyor, the vehicle being capable of traveling without human control; a conveying speed acquisition unit configured to acquire the conveying speed of the conveyor; and a determination unit configured to determine a target vehicle speed of the vehicle based on the acquired conveying speed when it is determined that the vehicle is mounted on the conveyor.

[0006] According to this aspect, an appropriate target vehicle speed can be determined in consideration of the conveying speed of the conveyor, and the travel of the vehicle on the conveyor can be appropriately controlled using the target vehicle speed.

[0007] The device of the first aspect of the present disclosure may also include a target speed acquisition unit configured to acquire a first target speed of the vehicle. The determination unit may also be configured to calculate a second target speed based on the acquired first target speed and the acquired transport speed. The determination unit may also be configured to determine the calculated second target speed as the target vehicle speed.

[0008] According to the above device, the target vehicle speed can be determined based on the first target speed.

[0009] In the device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, the determination unit may be configured to calculate the second target speed by subtracting the transport speed from the first target speed.

[0010] According to the above device, the target vehicle speed based on the first target speed can be easily determined.

[0011] The device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure may include an instruction unit configured to instruct the vehicle so that the vehicle speed reaches the target vehicle speed when the vehicle is placed on the conveyor.

[0012] According to the above device, it is possible to instruct the vehicle on the conveyor so that the traveling speed thereof becomes the target vehicle speed determined in consideration of the conveying speed of the conveyor.

[0013] The second aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle control method. The vehicle control method includes the following steps: determining whether the vehicle is mounted on a conveyor, and the vehicle can travel without human control; obtaining a conveying speed of the conveyor; and determining a target vehicle speed of the vehicle based on the obtained conveying speed when a determination unit determines that the vehicle is mounted on the conveyor.

[0014] The third aspect of the present disclosure is a device. The device includes a processor. The processor is configured to execute the following steps: determining whether a vehicle is mounted on a conveyor, and the vehicle can travel unmanned; obtaining a conveying speed of the conveyor; and determining a target vehicle speed of the vehicle based on the obtained conveying speed when it is determined that the vehicle is mounted on the conveyor.

[0015] The present disclosure can be implemented in the form of a system, a program for implementing the control method thereof, a non-transitory recording medium recording the program, a program product, etc., in addition to the above-mentioned apparatus. In addition, the program product can be provided as a recording medium recording the program, or as a program product that can be transmitted via a network. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals represent like parts, and in which:

[0017] Figure 1 It is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of the system according to the first embodiment.

[0018] Figure 2 It is a block diagram showing the configuration of the system according to the first embodiment.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a flowchart showing a process procedure of driving control of a vehicle in the first embodiment.

[0020] Figure 4 : is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the target vehicle speed determination process.

[0021] Figure 5 It is a block diagram showing the configuration of a system according to the second embodiment.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing a process procedure of driving control of a vehicle in the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] A. First Implementation

[0024] Figure 1 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a system 50 in the first embodiment. The system 50 includes one or more vehicles 100 , a server 200 , and one or more external sensors 300 .

[0025] The vehicle 100 may be a vehicle that travels by wheels or tracks, such as a passenger car, a truck, a bus, a two-wheeled vehicle, a four-wheeled vehicle, a tank, a construction vehicle, etc. In the present embodiment, the vehicle 100 is an electric vehicle (BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle). The vehicle 100 may also be a gasoline vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or a fuel cell vehicle, for example.

[0026] The vehicle 100 is configured to be able to travel by unmanned driving. "Unmanned driving" refers to driving that does not rely on the driving operation of the passengers. The driving operation refers to an operation related to at least any one of "driving", "turning" and "stopping" of the vehicle 100. Unmanned driving is achieved by automatic or manual remote control using a device located outside the vehicle 100, or autonomous control of the vehicle 100. In the vehicle 100 that travels by unmanned driving, there may also be passengers who do not perform driving operations. Passengers who do not perform driving operations include, for example, people who only sit in the seats of the vehicle 100, and people who perform operations different from driving operations such as assembly, inspection, and switch operations while riding in the vehicle 100. In addition, driving based on the driving operations of the passengers is sometimes referred to as "manned driving".

[0027] In this specification, “remote control” includes “full remote control” in which all actions of the vehicle 100 are completely determined from outside the vehicle 100, and “partial remote control” in which part of the actions of the vehicle 100 are determined from outside the vehicle 100. In addition, “autonomous control” includes “full autonomous control” in which the vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own actions without receiving any information from a device outside the vehicle 100, and “partial autonomous control” in which the vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own actions using information received from a device outside the vehicle 100.

[0028] The vehicle 100 only needs to have a structure that can be moved by unmanned driving, for example, it can also be a platform with the structure described below. Specifically, in order for the vehicle 100 to perform the three functions of "driving", "turning" and "stopping" by unmanned driving, it only needs to have at least a vehicle control device and an actuator group described below. In the case of obtaining information from a device outside the vehicle 100 for unmanned driving, the vehicle 100 also needs to have a communication device. That is, the vehicle 100 that can be moved by unmanned driving may not be equipped with at least a part of the interior parts such as the driver's seat and the instrument panel, may not be equipped with at least a part of the exterior parts such as the bumper and the fender, and may not be equipped with a body shell. In this case, the remaining parts such as the body shell can be installed on the vehicle 100 before the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory FC, or the remaining parts such as the body shell can be installed on the vehicle 100 after the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory FC while the remaining parts such as the body shell are not installed on the vehicle 100. Each component may be mounted from any direction of the vehicle 100 , such as the upper side, the lower side, the front side, the rear side, the right side, or the left side, and may be mounted from the same direction or from different directions.

[0029] In the present embodiment, the system 50 is used in a factory FC for manufacturing a vehicle 100. The reference coordinate system of the factory FC is the global coordinate system GC. That is, any position in the factory FC is represented by the coordinates of X, Y, and Z in the global coordinate system GC. The factory FC has a first place PL1 and a second place PL2. The first place PL1 and the second place PL2 are connected by a route TR on which the vehicle 100 can travel. In the factory FC, a plurality of external sensors 300 are provided along the route TR. The position of each external sensor 300 in the factory FC is pre-adjusted. The vehicle 100 moves from the first place PL1 to the second place PL2 through the route TR by unmanned driving. In the present embodiment, during the period of moving from the first place PL1 to the second place PL2, the vehicle 100 is in the form of a platform. In other embodiments, the vehicle 100 is not limited to the form of a platform, but may also be in the form of a complete vehicle.

[0030] In the present embodiment, the partial route TRp, which is a part of the route TR, is constituted by a part of the conveyor CV laid in the factory FC. The conveyor CV is included in the conveyor device CE. The conveyor CV is driven by the conveyor drive unit CD included in the conveyor device CE. The conveyor CV is constituted, for example, as a belt conveyor having an endless belt for conveying, a chain conveyor having an endless chain for conveying, or a roller conveyor having rollers for conveying. The conveyor drive unit CD is constituted by, for example, a transmission mechanism such as a motor for generating a driving force, and a gear and a pulley for transmitting the driving force of the motor to the conveyor CV. The conveyor drive unit CD is driven, for example, under the control of the server 200 or another computer (not shown) different from the server 200. In addition, the conveyor device CE can transport arbitrary conveyed objects such as various parts, people, and various non-operating vehicles while moving the vehicle 100 on the conveyor CV. In this case, it is preferred that the conveyor device CE transports the conveyed object at a portion on the conveyor CV different from the partial route TRp.

[0031] In the present embodiment, the conveying direction TD of the conveyor CV is the same direction as the target direction Dp of the vehicle 100 in the partial route TRp. The target direction Dp refers to the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 along the reference route RR described later. That is, the target direction Dp is the direction of the vehicle 100 from the rear side to the front side in the reference route RR. Specifically, the conveying direction TD and the target direction Dp in the present embodiment are respectively +X directions. Various operation processes may also be performed on the vehicle 100 moving on the conveyor CV. Such operation processes are, for example, the process of assembling parts of the vehicle 100 and the process of inspecting each part of the vehicle 100. The operation process for the vehicle 100 on the conveyor CV may be performed by, for example, an operator or a robot riding on the vehicle 100 or the conveyor CV, or by an operator or a robot not riding on the conveyor CV. In addition, the above-mentioned operation process may also be performed on the vehicle 100 traveling in a portion of the route TR that is not on the conveyor CV, that is, in a portion different from the partial route TRp. In this case, the working process may be performed by, for example, an operator or a robot who is on board the vehicle 100 , or may be performed by an operator or a robot who is not on board the vehicle 100 .

[0032] In addition, the actual speed of the vehicle 100 moving on the conveyor CV is determined based on the vehicle speed of the vehicle 100 and the conveying speed of the conveyor CV. In this specification, "vehicle speed" refers to the relative speed of the vehicle 100 relative to the road surface on which the vehicle 100 is located. The road surface includes not only a stationary road surface but also a moving road surface such as the conveyor CV. As described later, the vehicle speed can be detected based on the value representing the rotation speed of the wheel. In addition, in this specification, "actual speed" refers to the absolute speed in the reference coordinate system. That is, the actual speed of the vehicle 100 in this embodiment is the absolute speed of the vehicle 100 in the global coordinate system GC. For example, in the case where the conveying speed of the conveyor CV has a speed component in the same direction as the traveling direction of the vehicle 100, the actual speed of the vehicle 100 moving on the conveyor CV is faster than the vehicle speed of the vehicle 100 according to the conveying speed of the conveyor CV. Specifically, in this case, if the idling and slipping of the wheels are not considered, the actual speed of the vehicle 100 is roughly consistent with the speed obtained by adding the magnitude of the speed component in the same direction as the traveling direction in the conveying speed to the vehicle speed. On the contrary, when the conveying speed of the conveyor CV has a speed component in the opposite direction to the traveling direction of the vehicle 100, the actual speed of the vehicle 100 moving on the conveyor CV is slower than the vehicle speed of the vehicle 100 by the conveying speed of the conveyor CV. Specifically, in this case, if the idling and slipping of the wheels are not considered, the actual speed of the vehicle 100 is substantially consistent with the speed obtained by subtracting the magnitude of the speed component in the conveying speed in the opposite direction to the traveling direction from the vehicle speed. In addition, if the idling and slipping of the wheels are not considered, the actual speed of the vehicle 100 traveling on a stationary road is substantially consistent with the vehicle speed.

[0033] Figure 2 1 is a block diagram showing the structure of the system 50. The vehicle 100 includes: a vehicle control device 110 for controlling each part of the vehicle 100; an actuator group 120 including one or more actuators driven under the control of the vehicle control device 110; a communication device 130 for communicating with an external device such as a server 200 through wireless communication; and one or more internal sensors 140. The actuator group 120 includes actuators related to the driving of the vehicle 100, such as an actuator of a driving device for accelerating the vehicle 100, an actuator of a steering device for changing the direction of travel of the vehicle 100, and an actuator of a braking device for decelerating the vehicle 100. The driving device includes a battery, a driving motor driven by the power of the battery, and a driving wheel rotated by the driving motor. The actuator of the driving device includes a driving motor.

[0034] The internal sensor 140 is a sensor mounted on the vehicle 100. The internal sensor 140 may include, for example, a sensor for detecting the motion state of the vehicle 100, a sensor for detecting the action state of each part of the vehicle 100, and a sensor for detecting the surrounding environment of the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the internal sensor 140 includes a vehicle speed sensor for detecting the vehicle speed of the vehicle 100. The vehicle speed sensor detects the vehicle speed based on a value indicating the rotation speed of a wheel provided on the vehicle 100 and the diameter of the wheel. As a value indicating the rotation speed of the wheel, for example, the rotation speed of a driving motor provided on the vehicle 100, the rotation speed of an output shaft, or the rotation speed of a wheel obtained by a wheel speed sensor may be used. In addition to the vehicle speed sensor and the wheel speed sensor, the internal sensor 140 may include, for example, a camera, a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging), a millimeter wave radar, an ultrasonic sensor, a GPS sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and the like.

[0035] The vehicle control device 110 is composed of a computer including a processor 111, a memory 112, an input / output interface 113, and an internal bus 114. The processor 111, the memory 112, and the input / output interface 113 are connected via the internal bus 114 in a manner capable of bidirectional communication. The input / output interface 113 is connected to an actuator group 120 and a communication device 130. The processor 111 implements various functions including the function of the vehicle control unit 115 by executing the program PG1 stored in the memory 112.

[0036] The vehicle control unit 115 drives the vehicle 100 by controlling the actuator group 120. The vehicle control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 using the driving control signal received from the server 200, thereby enabling the vehicle 100 to drive. The driving control signal is a control signal for driving the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the driving control signal includes the acceleration and steering angle of the vehicle 100 as parameters. In other embodiments, the driving control signal may also include the vehicle speed of the vehicle 100 as a parameter instead of or in addition to the acceleration of the vehicle 100.

[0037] The external sensor 300 is a sensor located outside the vehicle 100. The external sensor 300 in this embodiment is a sensor that captures the vehicle 100 from the outside of the vehicle 100. Specifically, the external sensor 300 is composed of a camera. The camera as the external sensor 300 obtains a captured image including the vehicle 100, and outputs the captured image as a detection result. The external sensor 300 is equipped with a communication device (not shown), and can communicate with other devices such as the server 200 through wired communication or wireless communication.

[0038] The server 200 is composed of a computer including a processor 201, a memory 202, an input / output interface 203, and an internal bus 204. The processor 201, the memory 202, and the input / output interface 203 are connected via the internal bus 204 in a manner capable of bidirectional communication. A communication device 205 for communicating with various devices outside the server 200 is connected to the input / output interface 203. The communication device 205 can communicate with the vehicle 100 by wireless communication, and can communicate with each external sensor 300 by wired communication or wireless communication. Various information including a program PG2, a reference path RR, a detection model DM, conveyor position data PD, and target speed data SD are stored in the memory 202. The processor 201 implements various functions including functions as a remote control unit 210, a judgment unit 215, a target speed acquisition unit 220, a conveying speed acquisition unit 230, a determination unit 240, and an indication unit 250 by executing the program PG2 stored in the memory 202. The server 200 in the first embodiment is an example of a "device" in the present disclosure.

[0039] The remote control unit 210 obtains the detection results of the sensor, generates a travel control signal for controlling the actuator group 120 of the vehicle 100 using the detection results, and transmits the travel control signal to the vehicle 100, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to travel by remote control. The remote control unit 210 may generate not only the travel control signal but also a control signal for controlling the actuators for operating various equipment such as various auxiliary equipment, wipers, power windows, and lights provided in the vehicle 100, and then output the control signal. That is, the remote control unit 210 may cause such various equipment and various auxiliary equipment to operate by remote control.

[0040] The determination unit 215 determines whether the vehicle 100 is mounted on the conveyor CV. As described later, in the present embodiment, the determination unit 215 determines whether the vehicle 100 is mounted on the conveyor CV using a captured image obtained by a camera as the external sensor 300. In addition, the determination unit 215 may determine that the vehicle 100 is mounted on the conveyor CV when it is detected that all wheels of the vehicle 100 are located on the conveyor CV, or may determine that the vehicle 100 is mounted on the conveyor CV when it is detected that some of the multiple wheels of the vehicle 100 are located on the conveyor CV. For example, in the case where the vehicle 100 is a four-wheeled vehicle, the determination unit 215 may determine that the vehicle 100 is mounted on the conveyor CV when it is detected that the front wheels of the vehicle 100 in the direction of travel are located on the conveyor CV, or may determine that the vehicle 100 is mounted on the conveyor CV when it is detected that four wheels are located on the conveyor CV. The front wheels of the vehicle 100 in the direction of travel are front wheels when the vehicle 100 is moving forward, and are rear wheels when the vehicle 100 is moving backward. In other embodiments, the determination unit 215 may determine whether the vehicle 100 is mounted on the conveyor CV by using, for example, an area sensor that detects the intrusion of the vehicle 100 into an area where the conveyor CV is laid, or a sensor that detects external force or pressure applied to the conveyor CV.

[0041] The target speed acquisition unit 220 acquires a first target speed of the vehicle 100. The target speed acquisition unit 220 acquires the first target speed pre-stored in the memory 202. In the present embodiment, the first target speed is included in the target speed data SD pre-stored in the memory 202. In other embodiments, the target speed acquisition unit 220 may acquire the first target speed from another computer, a recording medium, or the like outside the server 200, for example.

[0042] In the present embodiment, the first target speed is defined as the actual speed of the target of the vehicle 100. Specifically, the first target speed is the actual speed of the target of the vehicle 100 moving in the target direction Dp. The first target speed is preferably fast enough to suppress the increase of the cycle time, for example. In addition, in the case where the vehicle 100 on the conveyor CV is subjected to a work process performed by an operator, a robot, etc. who are not on the conveyor CV, the first target speed is preferably slow enough to prevent the accuracy of the work process from being reduced by the moving speed of the vehicle 100. In addition, in the case where the vehicle 100 on the conveyor CV is subjected to a work process performed by an operator, a robot, etc. who are on the conveyor CV and the vehicle 100, the first target speed is preferably delayed enough to complete the work process while the vehicle 100 is moving within a predetermined range on the conveyor CV, for example.

[0043] In the present embodiment, the target vehicle speed of the vehicle 100 in the portion of the route TR different from the partial route TRp is set to the same speed as the first target speed. That is, in the present embodiment, the target actual speed of the vehicle 100 in the route TR is the same speed as the first target speed regardless of whether the vehicle 100 is mounted on the conveyor CV.

[0044] Furthermore, in other embodiments, the first target speed may be variable, for example, according to the manufacturing status of the vehicle 100 in the factory FC. In this case, for example, the server 200 or other computers may be configured to determine the first target speed according to the manufacturing status. In addition, different first target speeds may be set according to the position in the target direction Dp of the conveyor CV. For example, in a case where the first operation and the second operation are respectively performed in the first range and the second range in the target direction Dp of the partial route TRp, the first target speed suitable for the first operation may be set for the first range, and the first target speed suitable for the second operation may be set for the second range. In addition, the first target speed may be temporarily set to zero, for example. In addition, the system 50 may also receive input of the first target speed from a user of the system 50 (for example, an administrator of the system 50) via an input device provided on the server 200, other computers, etc., for example.

[0045] The conveying speed acquisition unit 230 acquires the conveying speed of the conveyor CV. The conveying speed acquisition unit 230 acquires the conveying speed of the conveyor CV using, for example, various sensors for detecting the movement of the conveyor CV. For example, the conveying speed acquisition unit 230 may also acquire the conveying speed of the conveyor CV using a potentiometer or an encoder provided in the conveyor device CE. Such a potentiometer or encoder is not limited to a sensor that directly detects the movement of the conveyor CV, and may also be composed of, for example, a sensor that detects the rotation speed of a motor or a transmission mechanism included in the conveyor drive unit CD. In addition, the conveying speed acquisition unit 230 may also acquire the conveying speed of the conveyor CV using, for example, a camera that can photograph the conveyor CV. In this case, for example, a mark may be pre-assigned to the conveyor CV, and the conveying speed acquisition unit 230 acquires the conveying speed of the conveyor CV based on the position change of the mark in the image captured by the camera. In addition, in the present embodiment, an external sensor 300 may also be used as a camera for acquiring the conveying speed of the conveyor CV.

[0046] When determining that the vehicle 100 is mounted on the conveyor CV, the decision unit 240 determines the target vehicle speed of the vehicle 100 based on the acquired conveying speed. In the present embodiment, the decision unit 240 calculates the second target speed of the vehicle 100 based on the acquired conveying speed and the acquired first target speed, and determines the calculated second target speed as the target vehicle speed. The instruction unit 250 instructs the vehicle 100 on the conveyor CV so that the travel speed of the vehicle 100 becomes the second target speed.

[0047] Figure 3 1 is a flowchart showing a process procedure of the travel control of the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment. Figure 3 In the processing steps of , the processor 201 of the server 200 functions as the remote control unit 210 by executing the program PG2. In addition, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 functions as the vehicle control unit 115 by executing the program PG1.

[0048] In step S1, the processor 201 of the server 200 obtains the vehicle position information of the vehicle 100 using the detection result output from the external sensor 300. The vehicle position information is the position information that becomes the basis for generating the driving control signal. In the present embodiment, the vehicle position information includes the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 in the global coordinate system GC of the factory FC. Specifically, in step S1, the processor 201 obtains the vehicle position information using the captured image obtained from the camera as the external sensor 300.

[0049] Specifically, in step S1, the processor 201 detects the shape of the vehicle 100 from the captured image, calculates the coordinates of the positioning point of the vehicle 100 in the coordinate system of the captured image, that is, the local coordinate system, and transforms the calculated coordinates into coordinates in the global coordinate system GC, thereby obtaining the position of the vehicle 100. The shape of the vehicle 100 contained in the captured image can be detected by, for example, inputting the captured image to a detection model DM that makes use of artificial intelligence. The detection model DM is prepared, for example, in the system 50 or outside the system 50 and is pre-stored in the memory 202 of the server 200. As the detection model DM, for example, a machine learning model that has been learned in a manner that realizes either semantic segmentation or instance segmentation can be cited. As the machine learning model, for example, a convolutional neural network (hereinafter referred to as CNN) learned by supervised learning using a learning data set can be used. The learning data set, for example, has a plurality of training images containing the vehicle 100 and a label indicating whether each region in the training image is a region representing the vehicle 100 or a region other than the vehicle 100. When learning CNN, it is preferred to update the parameters of CNN by back propagation (i.e., error back propagation method) to reduce the error between the output result of the detection model DM and the label. In addition, the processor 201 estimates the direction of the vehicle 100 based on the direction of the moving vector of the vehicle 100 calculated from the position change of the feature point of the vehicle 100 between the frames of the captured image, for example, using the optical flow method, thereby being able to obtain the direction of the vehicle 100.

[0050] In step S2, the processor 201 of the server 200 determines the target position to which the vehicle 100 should go next. In the present embodiment, the target position is represented by the coordinates of X, Y, and Z in the global coordinate system GC. The path that the vehicle 100 should travel, i.e., the reference path RR, is pre-stored in the memory 202 of the server 200. The path is represented by a node representing a departure point, a node representing a passing point, a node representing a destination, and a link connecting each node. The processor 201 uses the vehicle position information and the reference path RR to determine the target position to which the vehicle 100 should go next. The processor 201 determines the target position on the reference path RR that is ahead of the current position of the vehicle 100.

[0051] In step S3, the processor 201 of the server 200 generates a travel control signal for causing the vehicle 100 to travel toward the determined target position. The processor 201 obtains the vehicle speed from the vehicle 100 and compares the obtained vehicle speed with the target vehicle speed. The processor 201 as a whole determines the acceleration in a manner that the vehicle 100 accelerates when the vehicle speed is lower than the target vehicle speed, and determines the acceleration in a manner that the vehicle 100 decelerates when the vehicle speed is higher than the target vehicle speed. In addition, when the vehicle 100 is located on the reference path RR, the processor 201 determines the steering angle and the acceleration in a manner that the vehicle 100 does not deviate from the reference path RR, and when the vehicle 100 is not located on the reference path RR, in other words, when the vehicle 100 deviates from the reference path RR, the processor 201 determines the steering angle and the acceleration in a manner that the vehicle 100 returns to the reference path RR.

[0052] In step S4, the processor 201 of the server 200 transmits the generated travel control signal to the vehicle 100. The processor 201 repeatedly acquires vehicle position information, determines a target position, generates a travel control signal, transmits the travel control signal, and the like in a predetermined cycle.

[0053] In step S5, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 receives the travel control signal transmitted from the server 200. In step S6, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 controls the actuator group 120 using the received travel control signal, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to travel at the acceleration and steering angle indicated by the travel control signal. The processor 111 repeatedly receives the travel control signal and controls the actuator group 120 at a predetermined cycle. According to the system 50 in this embodiment, the vehicle 100 can be driven by remote control, and the vehicle 100 can be moved without using a transport device such as a crane or a conveyor.

[0054] Figure 4 Detailed Description of the Invention This is a flowchart showing a procedure for target vehicle speed determination processing for realizing the method for controlling vehicle 100 in the present embodiment. Figure 4 The target vehicle speed determination process is executed by the processor 201 of the server 200 at predetermined time intervals, for example.

[0055] In step S105, the determination unit 215 determines whether the vehicle 100 is mounted on the conveyor CV. In step S105 of the present embodiment, the determination unit 215 determines whether the vehicle 100 is mounted on the conveyor CV using the vehicle position information and the conveyor position data PD indicating the installation position of the conveyor CV in the factory FC.

[0056] If it is determined in step S105 that the vehicle 100 is not on the conveyor CV, the target vehicle speed determination process is terminated. For example, if the vehicle 100 is traveling on a portion of the route TR that is different from the partial route TRp in step S105, the target vehicle speed determination process is terminated. In this case, the vehicle 100 continues traveling on the route TR using the first target speed as the target vehicle speed.

[0057] If it is determined in step S105 that the vehicle 100 is mounted on the conveyor CV, in step S110, the target speed acquisition unit 220 acquires the first target speed of the vehicle 100. In step S115, the conveying speed acquisition unit 230 acquires the conveying speed of the conveyor CV. In addition, step S110 and step S115 may be executed before step S105, for example. In addition, step S115 may also be executed before step S110.

[0058] In step S120 , the determination unit 240 calculates a second target speed of the vehicle 100 based on the first target speed acquired in step S110 and the transport speed acquired in step S115 , and then determines the calculated second target speed as the target vehicle speed of the vehicle 100 .

[0059] In step S120 of the present embodiment, the determination unit 240 calculates the second target speed by subtracting the transport speed acquired in step S115 from the first target speed acquired in step S110. Specifically, the second target speed is defined by the following equation (1).

[0060] V 2 =V 1 -V C ·cosθ …(1)

[0061] In the above formula (1), V 2 Indicates the magnitude of the second target speed, V 1 Indicates the magnitude of the first target speed, V C Indicates the conveying speed of the conveyor CV. In addition, θ indicates the angle difference between the conveying direction TD and the target direction Dp. The angle difference θ is 0° when the conveying direction TD and the target direction Dp are consistent, and is 180° when the conveying direction TD and the target direction Dp are opposite.

[0062] The second target speed, i.e., the target vehicle speed, is not limited to a positive value according to the first target speed and the transport speed, and can be a negative value or a zero value. For example, in this embodiment, since the angle difference θ is 0°, the magnitude V of the first target speed is 1 Smaller than the conveying speed V CIn the present embodiment, the positive target vehicle speed indicates the target vehicle speed in the same direction as the target direction Dp, and the negative target vehicle speed indicates the target vehicle speed in the opposite direction to the target direction Dp.

[0063] In step S125, the instruction unit 250 instructs the vehicle 100 to make the vehicle speed of the vehicle 100 on the conveyor CV become the target vehicle speed determined in step S120. That is, the instruction unit 250 instructs the vehicle 100 to make the vehicle speed of the vehicle 100 on the conveyor CV become the second target speed. Specifically, in step S125, the instruction unit 250 generates a travel control signal for causing the vehicle 100 to travel at the second target speed, and transmits the generated travel control signal to the vehicle 100. The processor 111 of the vehicle 100 controls the actuator group 120 using the received travel control signal so that the vehicle 100 travels at the second target speed. As a result, the vehicle 100 can move on the conveyor CV in such a way that its actual speed becomes the first target speed. In addition, for example, when the first target speed is greater than zero and the second target speed is negative, the vehicle 100 traveling at the second target speed as the target vehicle speed travels in the -X direction, which is the opposite direction to the target direction Dp, relative to the conveyor CV, and on the other hand, actually moves in the +X direction, which is the same direction as the target direction Dp, in the global coordinate system GC. In addition, for example, as described above, in other embodiments, by setting the first target speed to zero, the vehicle 100 can be driven on the conveyor CV so that the vehicle 100 stays on the conveyor CV. That is, in this case, the vehicle 100 can stay in place on the moving conveyor CV without moving forward or backward in the global coordinate system GC.

[0064] According to the system 50 in the present embodiment described above, when it is determined that the vehicle 100 is mounted on the conveyor CV, the target vehicle speed is determined based on the conveying speed of the conveyor CV. Therefore, an appropriate target vehicle speed can be determined in consideration of the conveying speed of the conveyor CV, and the travel of the vehicle 100 on the conveyor CV can be appropriately controlled using the target vehicle speed.

[0065] In addition, in the present embodiment, the decision unit 240 calculates the second target speed based on the first target speed and the conveying speed, and determines the calculated second target speed as the target vehicle speed. In this way, the target vehicle speed can be determined based on the first target speed. Therefore, for example, by setting the first target speed to a speed suitable for the operation performed on the vehicle 100 on the conveyor CV, the operation can be appropriately performed on the vehicle 100 on the conveyor CV.

[0066] In addition, in the present embodiment, the determination unit 240 calculates the second target speed by subtracting the transport speed from the first target speed. Therefore, the target vehicle speed based on the first target speed can be easily determined.

[0067] In addition, the present embodiment includes an instruction unit 250 for instructing the vehicle 100 on the conveyor CV to reach the second target speed. Therefore, the vehicle 100 on the conveyor CV can be instructed to reach the target speed determined in consideration of the conveying speed of the conveyor CV.

[0068] B. Second Implementation Method:

[0069] Figure 5 1 is a block diagram showing the structure of the system 50v in the second embodiment. In this embodiment, the system 50v is different from the first embodiment in that it does not have a server 200. In addition, the vehicle 100v in this embodiment can travel by autonomous control of the vehicle 100v. As for other structures, unless otherwise specified, they are the same as the first embodiment.

[0070] In the present embodiment, the processor 111v of the vehicle control device 110v functions as a vehicle control unit 115v, a determination unit 215, a target speed acquisition unit 220, a conveying speed acquisition unit 230, a determination unit 240, and an indication unit 250 by executing a program PG1 stored in a memory 112v. The vehicle control unit 115v obtains the detection result of the sensor, generates a travel control signal using the detection result, and outputs the generated travel control signal to activate the actuator group 120, thereby enabling the vehicle 100v to travel by autonomous control. In the present embodiment, in addition to the program PG1, a detection model DM, a reference path RR, conveyor position data PD, and target speed data SD are pre-stored in the memory 112v. The vehicle control device 110v in the second embodiment is an example of a "device" in the present disclosure.

[0071] Figure 6 1 is a flowchart showing a process procedure of the travel control of the vehicle 100v in the second embodiment. Figure 6 In the processing steps, the processor 111v of the vehicle 100v functions as the vehicle control unit 115v by executing the program PG1.

[0072] In step S11, the processor 111v of the vehicle control device 110v uses the detection result output from the camera as the external sensor 300 to obtain the vehicle position information. In step S21, the processor 111v determines the target position to which the vehicle 100v should go next. In step S31, the processor 111v generates a travel control signal for causing the vehicle 100v to travel toward the determined target position. In step S41, the processor 111v uses the generated travel control signal to control the actuator group 120, thereby causing the vehicle 100v to travel according to the parameters represented by the travel control signal. The processor 111v repeatedly obtains the vehicle position information, determines the target position, generates the travel control signal, and controls the actuator group 120 in a predetermined cycle. According to the system 50v in this embodiment, even if the vehicle 100v is not remotely controlled by the server 200, the vehicle 100v can be driven by the autonomous control of the vehicle 100v.

[0073] In this embodiment, Figure 4 The same processing as the target vehicle speed determination processing is executed by the processor 111v of the vehicle 100v, for example, at predetermined time intervals. Figure 4 Each step is executed by the processor 111v. In step S110, the target speed acquisition unit 220 of the vehicle 100v can, for example, acquire the first target speed included in the target speed data SD pre-stored in the memory 112v, or can acquire the first target speed from a computer, a recording medium, etc. outside the vehicle control device 110v. In step S125, the instruction unit 250 of the vehicle 100 instructs the vehicle 100v to make the vehicle speed of the vehicle 100v on the conveyor CV become the target vehicle speed determined in step S120. Specifically, in step S125, the instruction unit 250 generates and outputs a travel control signal for causing the vehicle 100v to travel at the target vehicle speed. As a result, the actuator group 120 is controlled in such a way that the vehicle 100v travels at the target speed.

[0074] According to the system 50v in the second embodiment described above, it is also possible to determine an appropriate target vehicle speed in consideration of the conveying speed of the conveyor CV, and to appropriately control the travel of the vehicle 100v on the conveyor CV using the target vehicle speed.

[0075] C. Other Implementation Methods

[0076] (C1) In the above embodiment, the external sensor 300 is a camera. In contrast, the external sensor 300 may not be a camera, and may be, for example, a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging). In this case, the detection result output by the external sensor 300 may be three-dimensional point group data representing the vehicle 100. In this case, the server 200 and the vehicle 100 may also obtain the vehicle position information by template matching using the three-dimensional point group data as the detection result and the reference point group data prepared in advance.

[0077] (C2) In the first embodiment described above, the server 200 may also obtain the vehicle position information using the detection result output from the internal sensor 140, based on the detection result output from the external sensor 300, or instead of the detection result output from the external sensor 300. In this case, the server 200 may, for example, obtain the position as the vehicle position information using the detection result of the vehicle speed sensor, or may obtain the orientation as the vehicle position information using the detection result of the gyro sensor. In addition, the server 200 may also obtain the vehicle position information using the detection result of a camera or a laser radar as the internal sensor 140.

[0078] (C3) In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the determination unit 240 calculates the second target speed based on the first target speed and the transport speed, and determines the calculated second target speed as the target vehicle speed. In contrast, if the determination unit 240 determines the target vehicle speed based on the transport speed, the target vehicle speed may not be determined in this way. In this case, the determination unit 240 may also determine the target vehicle speed based on the acquired transport speed, for example, by referring to a database that stores the transport speed and the target vehicle speed in correspondence. In addition, in this case, the server 200 and the vehicle 100 may not have the target speed acquisition unit 220.

[0079] (C4) In the first embodiment, the server 200 performs the processing from obtaining the vehicle position information to generating the travel control signal. In contrast, at least a part of the processing from obtaining the vehicle position information to generating the travel control signal may be performed by the vehicle 100. For example, the following (1) to (3) may be used.

[0080] (1) The server 200 may also obtain vehicle position information, determine the target position to which the vehicle 100 should go next, and generate a path from the current position of the vehicle 100 indicated by the obtained vehicle position information to the target position. The server 200 may generate a path to the target position between the current position and the destination, or may generate a path to the destination. The server 200 may also send the generated path to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may also generate a travel control signal to make the vehicle 100 travel on the path received from the server 200, and use the generated travel control signal to control the actuator group 120.

[0081] (2) The server 200 may also obtain vehicle position information and transmit the obtained vehicle position information to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may also determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should go next, generate a path from the current position of the vehicle 100 indicated by the received vehicle position information to the target position, generate a travel control signal to cause the vehicle 100 to travel on the generated path, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated travel control signal.

[0082] (3) In the above-mentioned methods (1) and (2), at least one of the generation of the route and the generation of the travel control signal is not limited to the vehicle speed sensor, wheel speed sensor, gyro sensor, and acceleration sensor, and the detection results output from various internal sensors 140 may be used. For example, in the above-mentioned method (1), the server 200 may obtain the detection results of the internal sensor 140 and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor 140 in the route when generating the route. In the above-mentioned method (1), the vehicle 100 may obtain the detection results of the internal sensor 140 and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor 140 in the travel control signal when generating the travel control signal. In the above-mentioned method (2), the vehicle 100 may obtain the detection results of the internal sensor 140 and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor 140 in the route when generating the route. In the above-mentioned method (2), the vehicle 100 may obtain the detection results of the internal sensor 140 and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor 140 in the travel control signal when generating the travel control signal.

[0083] (C5) In the second embodiment, at least one of the generation of the route and the generation of the travel control signal is not limited to the vehicle speed sensor, the wheel speed sensor, the gyro sensor, and the acceleration sensor, and the detection results output from various internal sensors 140 may be used. For example, the vehicle 100v may also obtain the detection results of the internal sensor 140, and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor 140 in the route when generating the route. The vehicle 100v may also obtain the detection results of the internal sensor 140, and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor 140 in the travel control signal when generating the travel control signal.

[0084] (C6) In the second embodiment described above, the vehicle 100v uses the detection results of the external sensor 300 to obtain the vehicle position information. In contrast, the vehicle 100v may also use the detection results of the internal sensor 140 to obtain the vehicle position information, determine the target position to which the vehicle 100v should next head, generate a path from the current position of the vehicle 100v indicated by the obtained vehicle position information to the target position, generate a travel control signal for traveling on the generated path, and use the generated travel control signal to control the actuator group 120. In this case, the vehicle 100v can travel without using the detection results of the external sensor 300 at all. In addition, the vehicle 100v may also obtain the target arrival time and congestion information from the outside of the vehicle 100v, so that at least one of the path and the travel control signal reflects the target arrival time and congestion information. In addition, the functional structure of the system 50v may also be entirely provided in the vehicle 100v. That is, the processing implemented by the system 50v in the present disclosure may also be implemented by the vehicle 100v alone.

[0085] (C7) The vehicle 100 may also be manufactured by combining a plurality of modules. A module refers to a unit composed of a plurality of components that are aggregated according to the location and function of the vehicle 100. For example, the platform of the vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining a front module that constitutes the front portion of the platform, a central module that constitutes the central portion of the platform, and a rear module that constitutes the rear portion of the platform. In addition, the number of modules that constitute the platform is not limited to three, and may be two or less or four or more. In addition, in addition to or in lieu of the components that constitute the platform, components that constitute a portion of the vehicle 100 that is different from the platform may also be modularized. In addition, various modules may also include any exterior components such as a bumper and a grille, and any interior components such as a seat and a console. Such a module may be manufactured, for example, by joining a plurality of components using welding, fasteners, etc., or by integrally molding at least a portion of the components that constitute the module into one component using casting. The molding method of integrally molding a 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 may also be manufactured using giga casting.

[0086] (C8) Transporting the vehicle 100 by driving the vehicle 100 without human drivers is also referred to as “autonomous transport”. In addition, a structure for realizing autonomous transport is also referred to as a “vehicle remote-controlled autonomous driving transport system”. In addition, a production method for producing the vehicle 100 by autonomous transport is also referred to as “autonomous production”. In autonomous production, for example, in a factory FC that manufactures the vehicle 100, at least a portion of the transport of the vehicle 100 is realized by autonomous transport.

[0087] (C9) In each of the above embodiments, part or all of the functions and processes implemented in software may be implemented in hardware. In addition, part or all of the functions and processes implemented in hardware may be implemented in software. As hardware for implementing the various functions in each of the above embodiments, various circuits such as integrated circuits and discrete circuits may be used.

[0088] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be implemented in various structures within the scope of its main purpose. For example, the technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in the various modes described in the invention content section can be appropriately replaced or combined in order to solve part or all of the above-mentioned problems, or to achieve part or all of the above-mentioned effects. In addition, if its technical features are not described as necessary features in this specification, they can be appropriately deleted.

Claims

1. A device, characterized in that: include: a determination unit configured to determine whether a vehicle is mounted on the conveyor, the vehicle being capable of traveling without human control; a conveying speed acquisition unit configured to acquire a conveying speed of the conveyor; and The determination unit is configured to determine a target vehicle speed of the vehicle based on the acquired conveying speed when the determination unit determines that the vehicle is mounted on the conveyor.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The device further includes a target speed acquisition unit configured to acquire a first target speed of the vehicle. The determination unit is configured to calculate a second target speed based on the acquired first target speed and the acquired conveying speed; The determination unit is configured to determine the calculated second target speed as the target vehicle speed.

3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that The determination unit is configured to calculate the second target speed by subtracting the transport speed from the first target speed.

4. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The device further includes an instruction unit configured to instruct the vehicle so that the vehicle speed reaches the target vehicle speed when the vehicle is mounted on the conveyor.

5. A vehicle control method, characterized in that: The steps include: determining whether a vehicle is mounted on a conveyor, the vehicle being capable of traveling without human control; obtaining the conveying speed of the conveyor; and When the determination unit determines that the vehicle is mounted on the conveyor, a target vehicle speed of the vehicle is determined based on the acquired conveying speed.

6. A device, characterized in that: Including processor, The processor is configured to perform the following steps: determining whether a vehicle is mounted on a conveyor, the vehicle being capable of traveling without human control; obtaining the conveying speed of the conveyor; and When it is determined that the vehicle is mounted on the conveyor, a target vehicle speed of the vehicle is determined based on the acquired conveying speed.

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