Control device and control system

Abstract

The invention provides a control device and a control system. A control device for moving a moving body that can be moved by unmanned driving, the control device being provided with: an acquisition unit that acquires an inspection result of a mounted device; a determination unit that determines whether or not movement in the remote manual driving mode can be performed using a result of the inspection; and a setting unit that, when it is determined that movement in the remote manual driving mode is possible, sets the driving mode of the moving body to the remote manual driving mode.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device and a control system. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a technology for automatically driving a vehicle by remote control (Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-538619).

[0003] When a malfunction occurs in a mounting device mounted on a mobile body such as a vehicle, there is a case where a worker rides on the mobile body to operate the mobile body, or a worker uses a traction device to carry the mobile body and directly moves the mobile body. However, when a worker directly moves the mobile body, the man-hours for moving the mobile body may increase. Summary of the invention

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

[0005] (1) According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a control device is provided.

[0006] In a control device for moving a mobile body capable of being moved by unmanned driving,

[0007] The mobile body has a remote manual driving mode, in which, in order to control the movement of the mobile body, a manual control signal generated by an operation performed by an external operator on a control device installed at a location different from the mobile body is received, and the mobile body is moved using the received manual control signal.

[0008] The mobile body includes a mounting device mounted on the mobile body.

[0009] The control device has:

[0010] an acquisition unit that acquires the inspection result of the onboard device;

[0011] a determination unit that uses the inspection result to determine whether the movement of the moving object in the remote manual driving mode is possible; and

[0012] The setting unit sets the driving mode of the moving body to the remote manual driving mode when it is determined that the moving body can be moved in the remote manual driving mode.

[0013] According to this embodiment, the acquisition unit can acquire the inspection result of the onboard device. The determination unit can use the inspection result of the onboard device to determine whether the movement of the mobile body in the remote manual driving mode is possible. The setting unit can set the driving mode of the mobile body to the remote manual driving mode when it is determined that the movement of the mobile body in the remote manual driving mode is possible.

[0014] In this way, when a malfunction occurs in the mounting device, the mobile body can be moved by using the remote manual driving mode instead of the worker directly moving the mobile body. Thus, compared with the case where the worker directly moves the mobile body, the man-hours for moving the mobile body can be reduced.

[0015] (2) In the above method, it can also be:

[0016] The mobile body further has an automatic driving mode, in which, in order to control the movement of the mobile body, the mobile body is moved using an automatic control signal generated in a manner not based on the operation of the external operator,

[0017] The determination unit determines whether the movement of the moving body in the automatic driving mode is possible, and if it is determined that the movement of the moving body in the automatic driving mode is not possible, determines whether the movement of the moving body in the remote manual driving mode is possible,

[0018] The setting unit sets the driving mode of the mobile body to the remote manual driving mode when it is determined that the mobile body cannot be moved in the automatic driving mode and when it is determined that the mobile body can be moved in the remote manual driving mode.

[0019] According to this embodiment, the judgment unit can judge whether the movement of the above-mentioned moving body in the automatic driving mode can be performed using the inspection result of the onboard device. When it is judged that the movement of the above-mentioned moving body in the automatic driving mode cannot be performed, the judgment unit can judge whether the movement of the above-mentioned moving body in the remote manual driving mode can be performed. When it is judged that the movement of the above-mentioned moving body in the automatic driving mode cannot be performed, and when it is judged that the movement of the above-mentioned moving body in the remote manual driving mode can be performed, the setting unit can set the driving mode of the moving body to the remote manual driving mode.

[0020] In this way, even when the mobile body cannot be moved by the automatic driving mode, the mobile body can be moved by the remote manual driving mode without the need for the staff to directly move the mobile body. Thus, compared with the case where the mobile body is directly moved by the staff, the man-hours for moving the mobile body can be reduced.

[0021] (3) In the above method, it may also be:

[0022] The determination unit determines that the movement of the moving object in the remote manual driving mode is possible in at least any one of the following situations, namely:

[0023] A case where the function of the onboard device that is the main factor for determining that the moving object cannot move in the automatic driving mode can be compensated by the external operator; and

[0024] When inspecting a plurality of the above-mentioned mounting devices, the function of one of the above-mentioned mounting devices which is the main factor for determining that the above-mentioned mobile body cannot move in the above-mentioned automatic driving mode can be compensated by the function of other mounting devices that are different from the above-mentioned one mounting device.

[0025] According to this method, when the function of the onboard device that is the main factor in determining that the above-mentioned mobile body cannot move in the automatic driving mode can be compensated by an external operator, the judgment unit can determine that the above-mentioned mobile body can move in the remote manual driving mode.

[0026] In addition, according to this embodiment, when a plurality of mounted devices are checked, there is a case where the function of one mounted device that is the main factor for determining that the movement of the moving body in the automatic driving mode cannot be performed can be compensated by the function of another mounted device different from the one mounted device. In this case, the determination unit can determine that the movement of the moving body in the remote manual driving mode can be performed.

[0027] (4) In the above method, it may also be:

[0028] In a case where the above-mentioned onboard device which is the main factor for judging that the above-mentioned moving body cannot be moved in the above-mentioned automatic driving mode is at least one of an onboard sensor as a sensor mounted on the above-mentioned moving body and an electric parking brake, the above-mentioned judgment unit judges that the above-mentioned moving body can be moved in the above-mentioned remote manual driving mode.

[0029] According to this method, in a case where the mounted device that is the main factor for judging that the movement of the above-mentioned moving body in the automatic driving mode cannot be performed is at least one of an mounted sensor as a sensor mounted on the moving body and an electric parking brake, the judgment unit can judge that the movement of the above-mentioned moving body in the remote manual driving mode can be performed.

[0030] (5) According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a control system is provided.

[0031] The control system is used to move a mobile body that can be moved by unmanned driving.

[0032] The control system has:

[0033] A mobile body, the mobile body being equipped with a carrying device and having a remote manual driving mode;

[0034] an acquisition unit that acquires the inspection result of the onboard device;

[0035] a determination unit that uses the inspection result to determine whether the movement of the moving object in the remote manual driving mode is possible; and

[0036] a setting unit that sets the driving mode of the mobile body to the remote manual driving mode when it is determined that the movement of the mobile body in the remote manual driving mode is possible,

[0037] In the above-mentioned remote manual driving mode, in order to control the movement of the above-mentioned moving body, the above-mentioned moving body is moved by receiving a manual control signal generated based on the operation of an external operator on an operating device set in a place different from the above-mentioned moving body, and using the received manual control signal.

[0038] According to this embodiment, the acquisition unit can acquire the inspection result of the onboard device. The determination unit can use the inspection result of the onboard device to determine whether the movement of the above-mentioned mobile body in the remote manual driving mode can be performed. When it is determined that the movement of the above-mentioned mobile body in the remote manual driving mode can be performed, the setting unit can set the driving mode of the mobile body to the remote manual driving mode.

[0039] In this way, when a malfunction occurs in the mounting device, the mobile body can be moved by using the remote manual driving mode instead of the worker directly moving the mobile body. Thus, compared with the case where the worker directly moves the mobile body, the man-hours for moving the mobile body can be reduced.

[0040] The present disclosure can be implemented in various ways other than the above-mentioned control device and control system. For example, it can be implemented by a control device, a control system, and a manufacturing method of a mobile body, a control device, a control system, a control method of a mobile body, a computer program for implementing the control method, a non-temporary recording medium recording the computer program, and the like. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like elements, and wherein:

[0042] Figure 1 It is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of the control system in the first embodiment.

[0043] Figure 2 This is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the vehicle travel control in the first embodiment.

[0044] Figure 3 This is a first flowchart showing a method of controlling a vehicle according to a result of checking an onboard device.

[0045] Figure 4 This is a second flowchart showing a method for controlling a vehicle according to the inspection result of the mounted device.

[0046] Figure 5 This is a third flow chart showing a method for controlling a vehicle according to the inspection result of the mounted device.

[0047] Figure 6 It is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control system in the second embodiment.

[0048] Figure 7 This is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of driving control of a vehicle in the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] A. First Embodiment

[0050] Figure 1 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a control system 50 in the first embodiment. The control system 50 includes one or more external sensors 300 , one or more vehicles 100 as moving bodies, a server 200 , and a remote control device 400 .

[0051] 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 outside the vehicle 100. The external sensor 300 includes a communication device (not shown) and can communicate with other devices such as the server 200 through wired communication or wireless communication.

[0052] Specifically, the external sensor 300 is constituted by a camera. The camera as the external sensor 300 captures an image including the vehicle 100 and outputs the captured image as a detection result. Hereinafter, the camera as the external sensor 300 is also referred to as an “external camera”.

[0053] In the present disclosure, "mobile body" refers to a movable object, such as the vehicle 100, an electric vertical take-off and landing machine (so-called flying car). The vehicle 100 can be a vehicle that travels on wheels or a vehicle that travels on a circular track, such as a passenger car, a truck, a bus, a two-wheeled vehicle, a four-wheeled vehicle, a chariot, an engineering vehicle, etc. The vehicle 100 includes a battery electric vehicle (BEV), a gasoline vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, and a fuel cell electric vehicle. In the case where the mobile body is a mobile body other than the vehicle 100, the expressions "vehicle" and "car" in the present disclosure can be appropriately replaced with "mobile body", and the expression "driving" can be appropriately replaced with "moving".

[0054] The vehicle 100 is configured to be able to travel by unmanned driving. "Unmanned driving" refers to driving that does not rely on driving operations by passengers. Driving operations refer to operations related to at least one of "moving", "turning" and "stopping" of the vehicle 100. Unmanned driving can be achieved by automatic or manual remote control using a device located outside the vehicle 100, or autonomous control of the vehicle 100. Passengers who do not perform driving operations may also be on board the vehicle 100 that travels by unmanned driving. Passengers who do not perform driving operations include, for example, people who simply sit on the seats of the vehicle 100, and people who perform operations different from driving operations such as assembly, inspection, and switch operations while riding in the vehicle 100. In addition, driving based on the driving operations of passengers is sometimes also referred to as "manned driving".

[0055] 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" and "partial autonomous control". In "full autonomous control", the vehicle 100 controls its own actions autonomously without receiving any information from devices outside the vehicle 100. In "partial autonomous control", the vehicle 100 uses information received from devices outside the vehicle 100 to autonomously control its own actions.

[0056] In the present embodiment, the control system 50 is used in a factory that manufactures the vehicle 100. The reference coordinate system of the factory is a global coordinate system. That is, any position in the factory is represented by the coordinates of X, Y, and Z in the global coordinate system. The factory has a first place and a second place. The first place and the second place are connected by a runway on which the vehicle 100 can travel. In the factory, a plurality of external sensors 300 are arranged along the runway. The position of each external sensor 300 in the factory is adjusted in advance. The vehicle 100 moves from the first place to the second place by passing through the runway in at least any one of a traction driving mode, a manned driving mode, a remote manual driving mode, and an automatic driving mode, according to the inspection result of the mounting device DE.

[0057] The mounted device DE is a device mounted on the vehicle 100. Examples of the mounted device DE are a motion control system device, a mounted sensor, and an electric parking brake. The motion control system device is a mounted device DE for realizing the three functions of "walking", "turning", and "stopping" of the vehicle 100. Examples of the motion control system device are an electric power steering device, a disc brake device having a brake pump, etc., an engine, a travel motor, and an electric shift device. The mounted sensor is a sensor mounted on the vehicle 100. Examples of the mounted sensor are an acceleration sensor, a yaw rate sensor, a millimeter wave radar, a vehicle-mounted camera, a vehicle-mounted laser radar (LiDAR), and a steering angle sensor. In addition, the types of the mounted device DE are not limited to the above.

[0058] In the towing driving mode, the vehicle 100 does not perform any operation, and moves by being towed by a device other than the vehicle 100, such as a towing device.

[0059] In the manned driving mode, the vehicle 100 is driven by the driving operation of the passenger. In the automatic driving mode, the vehicle 100 is driven by any driving mode of a remote automatic driving mode in which automatic remote control using a device located outside the vehicle 100 is performed, and an autonomous driving mode in which the vehicle 100 is autonomously controlled. In the present embodiment, the vehicle 100 is driven by a remote automatic driving mode in which automatic remote control is performed using a server 200 which is a device located outside the vehicle 100 in the automatic driving mode. In the remote manual driving mode, the vehicle 100 is driven by manual remote control using a device located outside the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, in the remote manual driving mode, the vehicle 100 is driven by manual remote control using a server 200 and a remote control device 400.

[0060] The vehicle 100 includes a vehicle control device 110 for controlling various parts of the vehicle 100, an actuator group 120 including one or more actuators driven under the control of the vehicle control device 110, and a communication device 130. The communication device 130 communicates with an external device such as a server 200 through wireless communication. The actuator group 120 includes an actuator of a driving device for accelerating the vehicle 100, an actuator of a steering device for changing the traveling direction of the vehicle 100, and an actuator of a braking device for decelerating the vehicle 100.

[0061] 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 to enable bidirectional communication via the internal bus 114. The actuator group 120 and the communication device 130 are connected to the input / output interface 113. The processor 111 implements various functions including the functions of the acquisition unit 115, the determination unit 116, and the vehicle control unit 117 by executing the program PG1 stored in the memory 112.

[0062] The acquisition unit 115 acquires the inspection result of the mounted device DE. In the present embodiment, in the inspection process during the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100, the plurality of mounted devices DE are inspected while the vehicle 100 is driven in the remote automatic driving mode. Therefore, the acquisition unit 115 acquires the inspection result of each mounted device DE.

[0063] The inspection result of the mounted device DE is, for example, information obtained by establishing a correspondence between a device identifier for identifying the mounted device DE and pass / fail information indicating whether the inspection is passed or not. The inspection result of the mounted device DE may further include a state quantity indicating the state of the mounted device DE. The pass / fail of the mounted device DE is determined, for example, by comparing a pre-set benchmark and a state quantity for judging the pass / fail based on whether the state of the mounted device DE is good or not. In this case, if the state quantity satisfies the benchmark, the mounted device DE is judged to be passed. If the state quantity does not satisfy the benchmark, the mounted device DE is judged to be unqualified. In addition, the pass / fail of the mounted device DE may also be determined by other methods. The pass / fail of the mounted device DE may also be determined, for example, by respectively calculating the similarity of the state quantities of the same type of mounted devices DE obtained at the same acquisition time according to each of the plurality of vehicles 100 and clustering them. In addition, the pass / fail of the mounted device DE may also be determined, for example, by relatively comparing time series data of time series changes of the state quantities of the same type of mounted devices DE obtained according to each of the plurality of vehicles 100.

[0064] The judgment unit 116 uses the inspection result of the mounted device DE to judge whether driving in the remote automatic driving mode is possible. In the present embodiment, when all of the multiple mounted devices DE inspected as the inspection object are judged to be qualified, the judgment unit 116 judges that driving in the remote automatic driving mode is possible. On the other hand, when any one of the multiple mounted devices DE inspected as the inspection object is judged to be unqualified, the judgment unit 116 judges that driving in the remote automatic driving mode is not possible. When it is judged that driving in the remote automatic driving mode is not possible, the judgment unit 116 performs a category judgment process for judging whether driving in the remote manual driving mode is possible.

[0065] In the category judgment process, the judgment unit 116, for example, uses the inspection result of the mounted device DE to classify it into one of the multiple categories according to the degree of influence given to the driving in the remote manual driving mode. Thus, the judgment unit 116 judges the category corresponding to the inspection result of the mounted device DE. In other words, in the category judgment process, the judgment unit 116 classifies it into one of the multiple categories according to the degree of the malfunction of the mounted device DE, that is, the action state of the mounted device DE. The judgment unit 116, for example, classifies it into one of the multiple categories according to the mounted device DE that is the main factor for judging that driving in the remote automatic driving mode cannot be performed. That is, the judgment unit 116 classifies it into one of the multiple categories according to the type and combination of the mounted device DE judged to be unqualified in the inspection. The judgment unit 116 can also further consider the state quantity of the mounted device DE judged to be unqualified in the inspection and classify it into one of the multiple categories.

[0066] In the present embodiment, the determination unit 116 classifies the vehicle into a capability category indicating that the vehicle can travel in the remote manual driving mode, which is one of a plurality of categories, in at least one of the first case and the second case.

[0067] The first case is a case where the function of the mounted device DE that is the main factor for determining that the vehicle cannot be driven in the remote automatic driving mode can be compensated by the feeling and operation of the external operator. The feeling of the external operator can be, for example, the five senses of the external operator such as vision and hearing, or it can be a feeling based on the experience of driving operation. For example, in the case where the mounted device DE that is the main factor for determining that the vehicle cannot be driven in the remote automatic driving mode is a type of mounted sensor, that is, a vehicle-mounted camera, the vehicle 100 can be driven as follows. In this case, the external operator visually confirms the captured image displayed on the display of the remote control device 400, that is, the captured image obtained by the external camera of the vehicle 100 equipped with the vehicle-mounted camera determined to be unqualified during the inspection. Thus, the external operator recognizes the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 100 and operates the remote control device 400, so that the vehicle 100 can be driven by the remote control of the external operator. In addition, for example, in the case where the mounted device DE that is the main factor for determining that the vehicle cannot be driven in the remote automatic driving mode is a steering angle sensor, the vehicle 100 can be driven as follows. In this case, the external operator visually confirms the captured image displayed on the display of the remote control device 400, that is, the captured image obtained by the external camera taking a picture of the vehicle 100 equipped with the steering angle sensor judged to be unqualified during the inspection. Thus, the external operator can operate the steering of the remote control device 400 by recognizing the steering angle of the vehicle 100 and the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 100, and the vehicle 100 can be driven by the remote control of the external operator. In this way, when the mounted device DE that becomes the main factor for judging that it is impossible to drive in the remote automatic driving mode is the mounted sensor, the external operator can make up for it and drive in the remote manual driving mode. In addition, for example, there is a case where the mounted device DE that becomes the main factor for judging that it is impossible to drive in the remote automatic driving mode is an electric parking brake. In this case, when there is no malfunction in the electric shift device and the disc brake device, the vehicle 100 can be stopped as follows. In this case, the external operator steps on the brake pedal of the remote control device 400, or operates the joystick of the remote control device 400 to change the gear position of the electric shift device mounted on the vehicle 100 to the parking gear. As a result, the vehicle 100 can be stopped by remote control by the external operator. Therefore, the first case is, for example, a case where the mounted device DE that is the main factor for determining that the driving in the remote automatic driving mode is impossible is at least one of the mounted sensor and the electric parking brake.

[0068] The second case is a case where the function of one mounted device DE that is the main factor for determining that the vehicle cannot travel in the remote automatic driving mode can be compensated by another mounted device DE that is different from the mounted device DE. For example, there is a case where the mounted device DE that is the main factor for determining that the vehicle cannot travel in the remote automatic driving mode is an electric parking brake. In this case, if there is no malfunction in the electric shift device and the disc brake device, the vehicle 100 can be stopped as follows. In this case, an external operator steps on the brake pedal of the remote control device 400, or operates the joystick of the remote control device 400 to make the gear position of the electric shift device mounted on the vehicle 100 the parking gear. As a result, the vehicle 100 can be stopped by remote control of the external operator. Therefore, the second case is, for example, a case where the mounted device DE that is the main factor for determining that the vehicle cannot travel in the remote manual driving mode is an electric parking brake.

[0069] The determination unit 116 classifies the vehicle into a disabling category indicating that the vehicle cannot travel in the remote manual driving mode, when the vehicle does not fall under any of the first and second situations. When the vehicle does not fall under any of the first and second situations, for example, the mounted device DE determined to be disabling during the inspection is a motion control system device.

[0070] In addition, the capable category and the incapable category may be composed of a plurality of categories corresponding to the types, combinations, and state quantities of the mounted devices DE judged as unqualified during the inspection, or may be composed of a single category. The plurality of categories corresponding to the operating states of the mounted devices DE are also referred to as "failure categories".

[0071] The judgment unit 116 sends the judgment result to the server 200. Specifically, when it is judged that the driving in the remote automatic driving mode can be performed, the judgment unit 116 sends confirmation information indicating that the driving in the remote automatic driving mode can be performed. When it is judged that the driving in the remote automatic driving mode cannot be performed, the judgment unit 116 sends the category information indicating which of the capable category and the incapable category the vehicle is classified into to the server 200. In addition, when at least one of the capable category and the incapable category is composed of multiple categories, the judgment unit 116 may also send a category identifier for identifying the multiple categories to the server 200. For example, the capable category is composed of the first category, the second category, and the third category. In addition, the incapable category is composed of the fourth category, the fifth category, the sixth category, and the seventh category. In this case, the judgment unit 116 sends the category identifier indicating which category the vehicle is classified into to the server 200.

[0072] The vehicle control unit 117 drives the vehicle 100 by controlling the actuator group 120. In the manned driving mode, the vehicle control unit 117 generates a driving control signal according to the operation of the vehicle control device 140 mounted on the vehicle 100 by the passenger. The vehicle control device 140 includes, for example, a steering device, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and an electric shift device for operating the vehicle 100. Thus, the vehicle control unit 117 controls the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal, thereby enabling the vehicle 100 to drive. The driving control signal is a control signal that specifies the movement of the vehicle 100 in order to control the movement of the vehicle 100 so that the vehicle 100 drives. In this 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 speed of the vehicle 100 as a parameter instead of or in addition to the acceleration of the vehicle 100. In the remote manual driving mode, the vehicle control unit 117 receives the driving control signal generated according to the operation of the remote control device 400 installed at a place different from the vehicle 100 by an external operator. That is, the vehicle control unit 117 receives a travel control signal manually generated by an external operator via the remote control device 400. Thus, the vehicle control unit 117 controls the actuator group 120 by using the received travel control signal, so that the vehicle 100 can be driven by remote control performed by the external operator. In the remote automatic driving mode, the vehicle control unit 117 receives a travel control signal automatically generated by the server 200 instead of by an operation of an external operator. Thus, the vehicle control unit 117 controls the actuator group 120 by using the travel control signal received from the server 200, so that the vehicle 100 can be driven by remote control performed by the server 200.

[0073] Hereinafter, a travel control signal generated based on an operation of the vehicle operating device 140 by a passenger is also referred to as a “manual control signal”. A travel control signal generated based on an operation of the remote operating device 400 by an external operator is also referred to as a “manual control signal”. A travel control signal generated without using the operation amount of the vehicle operating device 140 and the operation amount of the remote operating device 400 is also referred to as an “automatic control signal”.

[0074] 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 so as to be able to communicate bidirectionally. The input / output interface 203 is connected to a communication device 205 for communicating with various devices outside the server 200. 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. The processor 201 realizes various functions including the functions of the setting unit 211 and the remote control unit 212 by executing the program PG2 stored in the memory 202.

[0075] The setting unit 211 sets the driving mode of the vehicle 100 using the judgment result generated by the judgment unit 116 received from the vehicle 100. When it is judged that the driving in the remote automatic driving mode is possible, the setting unit 211 sets the driving mode of the vehicle 100 to the remote automatic driving mode. When it is judged that the driving in the remote automatic driving mode is not possible, but it is judged that the driving in the remote manual driving mode is possible, the setting unit 211 sets the driving mode of the vehicle 100 to the remote manual driving mode. When it is judged that the driving in the remote automatic driving mode and the remote manual driving mode are not possible, the setting unit 211 sets the driving mode of the vehicle 100 to any one of the towing driving mode and the manned driving mode.

[0076] In the present embodiment, it is determined in which driving mode the vehicle can be driven based on the inspection result of the mounted device DE during driving in the remote automatic driving mode. Moreover, the server 200 receives any one of the determination information and the category information from the vehicle 100 as the determination result. Therefore, in the case of receiving the determination information from the vehicle 100, the setting unit 211 maintains the driving mode of the vehicle 100 without changing it from the remote automatic driving mode. In the case of receiving the category information from the vehicle 100, when the category determined according to the category information is a possible category, the setting unit 211 switches the driving mode of the vehicle 100 from the remote automatic driving mode to the remote manual driving mode. In the case of receiving the category information from the vehicle 100, there is a case where the category determined according to the category information is an impossible category. In this case, the setting unit 211 switches the driving mode of the vehicle 100 from the remote automatic driving mode to any one of the traction driving mode and the manned driving mode.

[0077] In the case where the category determined based on the category information received from the vehicle 100 is an impossible category, the setting unit 211 performs the following processing, for example. In this case, the setting unit 211 sets the driving mode of the vehicle 100 to either the towing driving mode or the manned driving mode, depending on the type of the mounted device DE determined to be unqualified during the inspection. In the present embodiment, the setting unit 211 determines whether the vehicle 100 can be driven by the passenger operating the vehicle control device 140, depending on the type of the mounted device DE determined to be unqualified during the inspection. In the case where it is determined that the vehicle 100 can be driven by the passenger operating the vehicle control device 140, the setting unit 211 sets the driving mode of the vehicle 100 to the manned driving mode. On the other hand, in the case where it is determined that the vehicle 100 cannot be driven even if the passenger operates the vehicle control device 140, the setting unit 211 sets the driving mode of the vehicle 100 to the towing driving mode.

[0078] For example, there is a case where the mounted device DE judged as unqualified during the inspection is a drive device related to the drive of the vehicle 100, such as an engine, a driving motor, or a hybrid system in a motion control system device. In this case, there is a case where the vehicle cannot be driven even if the passenger operates the vehicle control device 140. In addition, there is a case where the mounted device DE judged as unqualified during the inspection is an electric shift device in the driving control device. In this case, there is a case where the direction of travel of the vehicle 100 cannot be switched to any of the forward direction and the reverse direction, or the driving mode of the vehicle 100 cannot be switched. As a result, there is a case where the vehicle cannot be driven on the desired path even if the passenger operates the vehicle control device 140. In addition, there is a case where the mounted device DE judged as unqualified during the inspection is a power supply device, the drive device cannot be driven, etc., and the vehicle cannot be driven even if the passenger operates the vehicle control device 140. Therefore, in at least any one of the cases where the mounted device DE determined to be unqualified during the inspection is a drive device, an electric shift device, or a power supply device, the setting unit 211 sets the driving mode of the vehicle 100 to the towing driving mode, for example.

[0079] On the other hand, for example, when the mounted device DE determined to be unqualified during the inspection is an electric power steering device in the driving control system device, the steering angle of the vehicle 100 can be changed by the passenger operating the steering device of the vehicle control device 140. In addition, when the mounted device DE determined to be unqualified during the inspection is a brake pump in the driving control system device, the vehicle 100 can be decelerated or stopped by the passenger stepping on the brake pedal of the vehicle control device 140. In addition, there is a case where, when the mounted device DE determined to be unqualified during the inspection is the communication device 130, the vehicle 100 can be driven by the passenger operating the vehicle control device 140. That is, there is a case where, when the mounted device DE determined to be unqualified during the inspection is at least one of the electric power steering device, the brake pump, and the communication device 130, the vehicle 100 can be driven by the passenger operating the vehicle control device 140. Therefore, when the mounted device DE determined to be defective during the inspection is at least one of the electric power steering device, the brake pump, and the communication device 130 , the setting unit 211 sets the driving mode of the vehicle 100 to the manned driving mode, for example.

[0080] In addition, when the driving mode of the vehicle 100 is set to the remote manual driving mode, the setting unit 211 may further perform various processes for enabling driving in the remote manual driving mode. In this case, the setting unit 211 may also report information indicating that the driving mode of the vehicle 100 is set to the remote manual driving mode to an external operator via a reporting unit (not shown), for example, so that the external operator operates the remote control device 400. In addition, in order to enable driving in the remote manual driving mode, the setting unit 211 may also turn on the power of the remote control device 400 to start it. In addition, in order to enable driving in the remote manual driving mode, the setting unit 211 may also perform processes for starting communication between the remote control device 400 and the server 200, or starting communication between the server 200 and the vehicle 100. In this way, driving in the remote manual driving mode can be started smoothly.

[0081] When the driving mode of the vehicle 100 is set to at least one of the manned driving mode, the remote manual driving mode, and the remote automatic driving mode, the remote control unit 212 generates a travel control signal for controlling the actuator group 120 of the vehicle 100. Then, the remote control unit 212 transmits the travel control signal to the vehicle 100. Thus, the remote control unit 212 causes the vehicle 100 to travel by remote control.

[0082] In the remote manual driving mode, the remote control unit 212 generates a manual control signal according to the operation of an external operator located outside the vehicle 100. Specifically, in the remote manual driving mode, the external operator operates the remote control device 400. In addition, the remote control unit 212 of the server 200 generates a manual control signal corresponding to the operation applied to the remote control device 400 by obtaining the operation amount applied to the remote control device 400. The remote control device 400 includes, for example, a display for displaying a captured image, a steering device for remotely operating the vehicle 100, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and a communication device for communicating with the server 200 through wired communication or wireless communication. The captured image is an image output from at least one of an external camera and a vehicle-mounted camera.

[0083] In the remote automatic driving mode, the remote control unit 212 obtains the detection results of the sensor and uses the detection results to generate a travel control signal for controlling the actuator group 120 of the vehicle 100. Then, the remote control unit 212 transmits the generated travel control signal to the vehicle 100, thereby driving the vehicle 100 by remote control.

[0084] In addition, there is a case where the driving mode of the vehicle 100 is set to at least one of the manned driving mode and the towing driving mode. In this case, the remote control unit 212 may further report to the staff through a reporting unit (not shown) that the assistance of the staff is required when moving the vehicle 100. In this way, the staff can be summoned to the vehicle 100 that needs to be moved directly by the staff.

[0085] Figure 2 1 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the travel control of the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment. Figure 2 , the processing sequence when the vehicle 100 is driven in the remote automatic driving mode is shown. While the control in the remote automatic driving mode is being executed, the control is repeatedly executed at predetermined intervals from the moment when the vehicle 100 starts driving in the remote automatic driving mode. Figure 2 The process shown in Figure 2 In the processing sequence, the processor 201 of the server 200 functions as the setting unit 211 and the remote control unit 212 by executing the program PG2. In addition, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 functions as the acquisition unit 115, the determination unit 116 and the vehicle control unit 117 by executing the program PG1.

[0086] In S101, the processor 201 of the server 200 uses the detection result output from the external sensor 300 to obtain the vehicle position information of the vehicle 100. The vehicle position information is the position information that becomes the basis for generating the driving control signal. In this embodiment, the vehicle position information includes the position and direction of the vehicle 100 in the global coordinate system of the factory. Specifically, in S101, the processor 201 uses the captured image obtained from the camera as the external sensor 300 to obtain the vehicle position information.

[0087] In detail, in S101, the processor 201 detects the shape of the vehicle 100, for example, based on the captured image. Thereafter, the processor 201 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. Thereafter, the processor 201 obtains the position of the vehicle 100 by converting the calculated coordinates into coordinates in the global coordinate system. The shape of the vehicle 100 contained in the captured image can be detected, for example, by inputting the captured image into a detection model DM that makes use of artificial intelligence. For example, a detection model DM is prepared inside or outside the control system 50, and the detection model DM 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 to achieve 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) that has been learned by taught learning using a learning data set can be used. The learning data set includes, for example, a plurality of training images including the vehicle 100, and labels indicating whether each region in the training image represents the vehicle 100 or represents a region other than the vehicle 100. When learning the CNN, it is preferred to update the parameters of the CNN by back propagation (error back propagation method) to reduce the error between the output result of the detection model DM and the label. In addition, the processor 201 uses, for example, the optical flow method to infer the direction of the moving vector of the vehicle 100 calculated based on the position change of the feature point of the vehicle 100 between the frames of the captured image. Thus, the processor 201 can obtain the direction of the vehicle 100.

[0088] In S102, 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. 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 location of the vehicle 100.

[0089] In S103, the processor 201 of the server 200 generates a driving control signal for driving the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. The processor 201 calculates the driving speed of the vehicle 100 according to the change of the position of the vehicle 100, and compares the calculated driving speed with the target speed. When the overall driving speed is lower than the target speed, the processor 201 determines the acceleration in a manner that accelerates the vehicle 100, and when the driving speed is higher than the target speed, the processor 201 determines the acceleration in a manner that decelerates the vehicle 100. 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 does not cause the vehicle 100 to deviate from the reference path RR. On the other hand, when the vehicle 100 is not located on the reference path RR, in other words, when the vehicle 100 is deviating from the reference path RR, the processor 201 determines the steering angle and the acceleration in a manner that causes the vehicle 100 to return to the reference path RR.

[0090] In S104, 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.

[0091] In S105, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 receives the travel control signal transmitted from the server 200. In S106, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 controls the actuator group 120 by using the received travel control signal, and drives the vehicle 100 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 in a predetermined cycle. According to the control 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 transporter.

[0092] Figure 31 is a first flowchart showing a method of controlling the vehicle 100 according to the inspection result of the mounted device DE. Figure 4 This is a second flowchart showing a method of controlling the vehicle 100 according to the inspection result of the mounted device DE. Figure 5 3 is a flowchart showing a method for controlling the vehicle 100 according to the inspection result of the mounted device DE. Figures 3 to 5 , the respective figures show a processing sequence when the vehicle 100 is driven using at least one of the towing driving mode, the manned driving mode, the remote manual driving mode, and the remote automatic driving mode based on the detection result of the mounted device DE. Figure 3 to Figure 5 The illustrated flow is executed, for example, during a test drive of the vehicle 100 in the remote automatic driving mode in a factory in order to inspect a plurality of mounted devices DE.

[0093] like Figure 3 As shown, in S201, the acquisition unit 115 of the vehicle control device 110 mounted on the vehicle 100 acquires the inspection results of the plurality of mounted devices DE for each mounted device DE. In S202, the determination unit 116 determines whether the driving in the remote automatic driving mode is possible.

[0094] When all of the plurality of mounted devices DE are qualified (S202: Yes), in S203, the determination unit 116 determines that the vehicle can travel in the remote automatic driving mode. When it is determined that the vehicle can travel in the remote automatic driving mode, in S204, the determination unit 116 sends confirmation information to the server 200. When confirmation information is received from the vehicle 100 (S205: Yes), in S206, the setting unit 211 of the server 200 sets the driving mode of the vehicle 100 to the remote automatic driving mode. In S207, the remote control unit 212 uses the detection result output from the camera as the external sensor 300 to obtain the vehicle position information. In S208, the remote control unit 212 determines the target position to which the vehicle 100 should go next. In S209, the remote control unit 212 generates an automatic control signal for causing the vehicle 100 to travel toward the determined target position. In S210, the remote control unit 212 sends the generated automatic control signal to the vehicle 100. In S211, the vehicle control unit 117 of the vehicle control device 110 mounted on the vehicle 100 controls the actuator group 120 using the automatic control signal received from the server 200. Thus, the vehicle control unit 117 drives the vehicle 100 at the acceleration and steering angle indicated by the automatic control signal.

[0095] like Figure 3 As shown, when one of the plurality of mounted devices DE fails (S202: No), Figure 4In S212 shown, the determination unit 116 determines that the vehicle cannot travel in the remote automatic driving mode. If it is determined that the vehicle cannot travel in the remote automatic driving mode, the determination unit 116 performs a category determination process in S213.

[0096] In the category judgment process, in the case of at least one of the first case and the second case (S213: Yes), in S214, the judgment unit 116 judges that driving in the remote manual driving mode is possible. Therefore, in S215, the judgment unit 116 classifies it into the capable category. In S216, the judgment unit 116 sends the category information indicating the classification into the capable category to the server 200. In the case of receiving the category information from the vehicle 100 (S217: Yes), when the category determined according to the category information is the capable category (S218: Yes), the setting unit 211 executes S219. In S219, the setting unit 211 sets the driving mode of the vehicle 100 to the remote manual driving mode. In S220, the remote control device 400 accepts input through the operation of the external operator. In S221, the remote control device 400 sends the operation amount of the external operator to the server 200. In S222, the remote control unit 212 of the server 200 generates a manual control signal using the operation amount of the external operator received from the remote control device 400. In S223, the remote control unit 212 transmits the generated manual control signal to the vehicle 100. In S224, the vehicle control unit 117 of the vehicle control device 110 mounted on the vehicle 100 controls the actuator group 120 using the manual control signal received from the server 200. Thus, the vehicle control unit 117 drives the vehicle 100 at the acceleration and steering angle indicated by the manual control signal.

[0097] In the category determination process, if the user does not belong to either the first case or the second case (S213: No), Figure 5 As shown, in S225, the judgment unit 116 judges that it is not possible to drive in the remote manual driving mode. Therefore, in S226, the judgment unit 116 classifies it into the impossible category. In S227, the judgment unit 116 sends the category information indicating the classification into the impossible category to the server 200. Figure 4 As shown, when the category information is received from the vehicle 100 (S217: Yes), when the category determined according to the category information is an incapable category (S218: No), the setting unit 211 executes Figure 5S228 shown. In S228, the setting unit 211 determines whether the vehicle 100 can be driven by the passenger operating the vehicle control device 140. When it is determined that the vehicle 100 can be driven by the passenger operating the vehicle control device 140 (S228: Yes), in S229, the setting unit 211 sets the driving mode of the vehicle 100 to the manned driving mode. In S230, the vehicle control device 140 accepts input through the passenger's operation. In S231, the vehicle control unit 117 of the vehicle control device 110 mounted on the vehicle 100 generates a manned control signal using the passenger's operation amount. In S232, the vehicle control unit 117 controls the actuator group 120 by using the generated manned control signal, so that the vehicle 100 drives at the acceleration and steering angle indicated by the manned control signal. When it is determined that the vehicle 100 cannot be driven by the passenger operating the vehicle control device 140 ( S228 : NO), in S233 , the setting unit 211 sets the driving mode of the vehicle 100 to the towing driving mode and ends this flow.

[0098] According to the first embodiment described above, the control system 50 can obtain the inspection result of the mounted device DE. Then, the control system 50 can use the inspection result of the mounted device DE to determine whether the vehicle can be driven in the remote automatic driving mode. In the case where it is determined that the vehicle cannot be driven in the remote automatic driving mode, the control system 50 can determine whether the vehicle can be driven in the remote manual driving mode. Then, in the case where the vehicle cannot be driven in the remote automatic driving mode, the control system 50 can set the driving mode of the vehicle 100 to the remote manual driving mode when it is determined that the vehicle can be driven in the remote manual driving mode. Thus, in the case where the vehicle 100 cannot be driven in the remote automatic driving mode, when it is determined that the vehicle can be driven in the remote manual driving mode, the vehicle 100 can be driven by executing the following processing. In this case, the vehicle 100 controls the actuator group 120 using a manual control signal generated by an operation performed by an external operator of the remote control device 400, so that the vehicle can be driven by remote control performed by an external operator. In this way, even in the case where the vehicle 100 cannot be driven by the remote automatic driving mode that uses an automatic remote control device located outside the vehicle 100 due to a malfunction of the mounted device DE, the following can be achieved. In this case, the vehicle 100 can be moved by using a remote manual driving mode that performs manual remote control operated by an external operator instead of the worker directly moving the vehicle 100. That is, the vehicle 100 can be moved without the worker riding in the vehicle 100 to operate the vehicle control device 140 or the worker using a traction device or the like to transport the vehicle 100. As a result, the man-hours for moving the vehicle 100 can be reduced compared to the case where the worker directly moves the vehicle 100.

[0099] In addition, there is a case where the function of the mounted device DE that is the main factor for determining that driving in the remote automatic driving mode is not possible can be compensated by an external operator. In this case, according to the first embodiment, the control system 50 can determine that driving in the remote manual driving mode is possible.

[0100] In addition, according to the first embodiment, a plurality of mounted devices DE are checked. In this case, the function of one mounted device DE that is the main factor for determining that the vehicle cannot travel in the remote automatic driving mode can be compensated by the functions of other mounted devices DE. In this case, the control system 50 can determine that the vehicle can travel in the remote manual driving mode.

[0101] In addition, according to the first embodiment, there is a case where the mounted device DE that is the main factor for determining that the vehicle cannot travel in the remote automatic driving mode is at least one of the mounted sensor and the electric parking brake. In this case, the control system 50 can determine that the vehicle can travel in the remote manual driving mode.

[0102] In addition, according to the above-mentioned first embodiment, the vehicle control device 110 can classify the state of the vehicle 100 into one of a plurality of categories according to the operating state of the mounted device DE to determine whether the vehicle can be driven in the remote manual driving mode. In this way, it is possible to determine whether the vehicle 100 can be driven in the remote manual driving mode on the side of the vehicle 100 without preparing a database that establishes a correspondence between whether the vehicle can be driven in the remote manual driving mode and all types and all combinations of various mounted devices DE that differ according to the type of the vehicle 100. That is, it is sufficient to store a database corresponding to the type of the mounted device DE of the vehicle 100 in each vehicle 100. The type of vehicle 100 is, for example, the type of vehicle 100 when it is classified according to product name, model, specification, etc. As a result, it is possible to reduce the load of the database that needs to be prepared for determining whether the vehicle can be driven in the remote manual driving mode.

[0103] B. Second Embodiment

[0104] Figure 6 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a simplified structure of a control system 50v in the second embodiment. In this embodiment, the control system 50v is different from the first embodiment in that it does not include a server 200. In addition, the vehicle 100v in this embodiment can travel in an autonomous driving mode in which the vehicle 100v is autonomously controlled. The other structures are the same as those in the first embodiment unless otherwise specified.

[0105] In the present embodiment, the processor 111 v of the vehicle control device 110 v functions as an acquisition unit 115 , a determination unit 116 v , a setting unit 118 , and a vehicle control unit 117 v by executing a program PG1 v stored in the memory 112 v .

[0106] The determination unit 116v determines whether the vehicle can travel in the autonomous driving mode. If it is determined that the vehicle cannot travel in the autonomous driving mode, the determination unit 116v determines whether the vehicle can travel in the remote manual driving mode. If it is determined that the vehicle cannot travel in the remote manual driving mode, the determination unit 116v determines whether the vehicle can travel in the manned driving mode.

[0107] When the judging unit 116v determines that the vehicle 100v can travel in the autonomous driving mode, the setting unit 211 sets the driving mode of the vehicle 100v to the autonomous driving mode. When the judging unit 116v determines that the vehicle 100v cannot travel in the autonomous driving mode but can travel in the remote manual driving mode, the setting unit 211 sets the driving mode of the vehicle 100v to the remote manual driving mode. When the judging unit 116v determines that the vehicle 100v cannot travel in the autonomous driving mode and the remote manual driving mode but can travel in the manned driving mode, the setting unit 118 sets the driving mode of the vehicle 100v to the manned driving mode. When the judging unit 116v determines that the vehicle 100v cannot travel in the autonomous driving mode, the remote manual driving mode, and the manned driving mode, the setting unit 118 sets the driving mode of the vehicle 100v to the traction driving mode.

[0108] In the autonomous driving mode, the vehicle control unit 117v obtains the output result of the sensor and generates a driving control signal using the output result. Thus, the vehicle control unit 117v outputs the generated driving control signal to operate the actuator group 120, so that the vehicle 100v can be driven by autonomous control. In this embodiment, in addition to the program PG1v, the memory 112v also stores the detection model DM and the reference path RR in advance. In addition, the function of the vehicle control unit 117v in the manned driving mode and the remote manual driving mode is the same as that of the vehicle control unit 117 of the server 200 shown in the first embodiment.

[0109] Figure 7 1 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the travel control of the vehicle 100v in the second embodiment. Figure 7 , the processing sequence when the vehicle 100v is driven in the autonomous driving mode is shown. While the control in the autonomous driving mode is being executed, the control is repeatedly executed at predetermined intervals from the moment when the vehicle 100 starts driving in the autonomous driving mode. Figure 7 The process shown in Figure 7 In the processing sequence of , the processor 111v of the vehicle 100v functions as an acquisition unit 115, a determination unit 116v, a setting unit 118, and a vehicle control unit 117v by executing the program PG1v.

[0110] In S301, the processor 111v of the vehicle control device 110v uses the detection result output from the camera as the external sensor 300 to obtain vehicle position information. In S302, the processor 111v determines the target position to which the vehicle 100v should go next. In S303, the processor 111v generates a travel control signal for causing the vehicle 100v to travel toward the determined target position. In S304, the processor 111v controls the actuator group 120 by using the generated travel control signal, so that the vehicle 100v travels 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 in a predetermined cycle.

[0111] According to the second embodiment, the control system 50v can drive the vehicle 100v by autonomous control of the vehicle 100v even if the vehicle 100v is not remotely controlled by the server 200 while the control system 50v is executing the autonomous driving mode.

[0112] In addition, according to the second embodiment, even when the vehicle 100v cannot be driven by the autonomous driving mode in which the vehicle 100v is autonomously controlled due to a malfunction of the mounted device DE, the following can be achieved. In this case, the vehicle 100v can be moved by manual remote control performed by an external operator without the worker directly moving the vehicle 100v. As a result, the man-hours for moving the vehicle 100v can be reduced compared to the case in which the worker directly moves the vehicle 100v.

[0113] C. Other Implementation Methods

[0114] C-1. Other Implementation Methods 1

[0115] At least a part of the function of the server 200 may be a function of the vehicle control device 110, 110v, or a function of the external sensor 300. In addition, at least a part of the function of the vehicle control device 110, 110v may be a function of the server 200, or a function of the external sensor 300. That is, the control device having the acquisition unit 115, the judgment unit 116, and the setting unit 118, 211 may be the server 200, or the vehicle control device 110, 110v. In addition, each function of the server as a control device may also be realized by a plurality of servers. In the case where each function of the control device is realized by a plurality of servers, the control system 50 may further include a server 200 having other functions in addition to the functions shown in the first embodiment described above. In this case, the control system 50 may also include, for example, an autonomous transport server, an autonomous control server, a remote driving server, an inspection server, and a notification server. The autonomous transport server, for example, has the same functions as the acquisition unit 115, the judgment unit 116, and the setting unit 118, 211. That is, the self-driving transport server has a function of judging which driving mode among the manned driving mode, the remote manual driving mode and the automatic driving mode is used to drive the vehicle 100 and setting the driving mode corresponding to the judgment result. The self-driving control server has a function of automatically generating an automatic control signal using the vehicle position information and the like among the functions of the remote control unit 212 and sending it to the vehicle 100. That is, the self-driving control server is used for driving in the remote automatic driving mode. The remote driving server has a function of generating a manual control signal according to the operation of the remote control device 400 by an external operator and sending it to the vehicle 100 among the functions of the remote control unit 212. The inspection server has a function of performing an inspection of the mounted device DE. The notification server sends information about objects existing on the runway and around the vehicle 100 to at least one of the self-driving transport server and the automatic control server at a predetermined period. Objects existing on the runway and around the vehicle 100 may be moving objects such as people and AGVs, or stationary objects such as manufacturing equipment and signboards. In this way, when the vehicle 100 cannot be driven in the automatic driving mode due to a malfunction of the mounted device DE, it can be as follows. In this case, the vehicle 100 can be moved by manual remote control performed by an external operator instead of the worker directly moving the vehicle 100 .

[0116] C-2. Other Implementation Methods 2

[0117] The mounted device DE may be inspected before the vehicle 100 is driven in the automatic driving mode. For example, the mounted device DE may be inspected after the mounted device DE is assembled to the vehicle 100 during the assembly process of the mounted device DE to the vehicle 100. In this manner, the control system 50, 50v can be set to a driving mode corresponding to the operating state of the mounted device DE before starting the driving in the automatic driving mode.

[0118] C-3. Other Implementation Methods 3

[0119] The judgment unit 116, 116v may also be a function of the server 200. In this case, the judgment unit 116, 116v may also use a database that establishes a correspondence relationship between the type and combination of the mounted devices DE and whether the driving in the remote manual driving mode is possible to judge whether the driving in the remote manual driving mode is possible. The database that establishes a correspondence relationship between the type and combination of the mounted devices DE and whether the driving in the remote manual driving mode is possible is a database stored in the memory 202 of the server 200. In this way, the vehicle 100 can be moved without the staff directly moving the vehicle 100, but can be moved by manual remote control performed by an external operator.

[0120] C-4. Other Implementation Methods 4

[0121] The vehicles 100 and 100v may not have an automatic driving mode, but may have a remote manual driving mode, a manned driving mode, and a towing driving mode. In this case, for example, the acquisition unit 115 acquires the inspection result of the mounted device DE performed while the vehicle 100 and 100v is traveling in the manned driving mode. The judgment unit 116 and 116v uses the inspection result of the mounted device DE to judge whether it is possible to move in the manual driving mode instead of moving in the automatic driving mode. When the setting unit 118 and 211 judges that it is possible to move in the remote manual driving mode, the driving mode of the vehicle 100 and 100v is set to the remote manual driving mode. In this way, when a malfunction occurs in the mounted device DE, the vehicle 100 and 100v can be moved by using the remote manual driving mode without the staff directly moving the vehicle 100 and 100v.

[0122] C-5. Other implementation methods 5

[0123] In each of the above embodiments, the external sensor 300 is a camera. In contrast, the external sensor 300 may not be a camera, and may be, for example, a distance measuring device such as a laser radar (LiDAR). In this case, the detection result output by the external sensor 300 may also 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.

[0124] C-6. Other Implementation Methods 6

[0125] In the first embodiment, the processing from the acquisition of the vehicle position information to the generation of the travel control signal is performed by the server 200. In contrast, at least a part of the processing from the acquisition of the vehicle position information to the generation of the travel control signal may be performed by the vehicle 100. For example, the following methods (1) to (3) may be used.

[0126] (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 to the target position indicated by the obtained vehicle position information. 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 transmit the generated path to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may also generate a travel control signal so that the vehicle 100 travels on the path received from the server 200, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated travel control signal.

[0127] (2) The server 200 may also obtain vehicle position information and transmit the obtained vehicle position information to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 determines the target position to which the vehicle 100 should go next. Then, the vehicle 100 generates a path from the current position of the vehicle 100 to the target position indicated by the received vehicle position information. The vehicle 100 generates a travel control signal so that the vehicle 100 travels on the generated path. The vehicle 100 may also control the actuator group 120 using the generated travel control signal.

[0128] (3) In the above-mentioned methods (1) and (2), the vehicle 100 may be equipped with internal sensors, and the detection results outputted from the internal sensors may be used for at least one of the generation of the route and the generation of the driving control signal. The internal sensor is a sensor mounted on the vehicle 100. For example, the internal sensor may include 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. Specifically, for example, the internal sensor may include a camera, a laser radar (LiDAR), a millimeter wave radar, an ultrasonic sensor, a GPS sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, etc. For example, in the above-mentioned method (1), the server 200 may also obtain the detection results of the internal sensor, and when generating the route, the detection results of the internal sensor are reflected on the route. In the above-mentioned method (1), the vehicle 100 may also obtain the detection results of the internal sensor, and when generating the driving control signal, the detection results of the internal sensor are reflected on the driving control signal. In the above-mentioned method (2), the vehicle 100 may also obtain the detection results of the internal sensors, and when generating the route, the detection results of the internal sensors are reflected in the route. In the above-mentioned method (2), the vehicle 100 may also obtain the detection results of the internal sensors, and when generating the driving control signal, the detection results of the internal sensors are reflected in the driving control signal.

[0129] C-7. Other Implementation Methods 7

[0130] In the second embodiment, the vehicle 100v may be equipped with an internal sensor, and the detection result outputted from the internal sensor may be used for at least one of the generation of the route and the generation of the driving control signal. For example, the vehicle 100v may obtain the detection result of the internal sensor, and when generating the route, the detection result of the internal sensor may be reflected on the route. The vehicle 100v may obtain the detection result of the internal sensor, and when generating the driving control signal, the detection result of the internal sensor may be reflected on the driving control signal.

[0131] C-8. Other Implementation Methods 8

[0132] 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 is equipped with an internal sensor. The vehicle 100v uses the detection results of the internal sensor to obtain the vehicle position information and determines the target position to which the vehicle 100v should go next. Then, the vehicle 100v generates a path from the current location of the vehicle 100v to the target position represented by the obtained vehicle position information. The vehicle 100v may further 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 all the detection results of the external sensor 300. In addition, the vehicle 100v may also obtain the target arrival time and traffic congestion information from the outside of the vehicle 100v, so that the target arrival time and traffic congestion information are reflected on at least one of the path and the travel control signal. In addition, the functional structure of the control system 50v may also be entirely provided in the vehicle 100v. That is, the processing implemented by the control system 50v in the present disclosure can also be implemented by the vehicle 100v alone.

[0133] C-9. Other Implementation Methods 9

[0134] In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the vehicle 100, 100v may be provided with a structure that can be moved by unmanned driving, for example, it may be provided with a platform having the structure described below. Specifically, in order to perform the three functions of "moving", "turning" and "stopping" by unmanned driving, the vehicle 100, 100v may at least have a vehicle control device 110, 110v and an actuator group 120. In the case where the vehicle 100, 100v obtains information from the outside for unmanned driving, the vehicle 100, 100v may further have a communication device 130. That is, the vehicle 100, 100v that can be moved by unmanned driving may not be equipped with at least a portion of the interior components such as the driver's seat and the instrument panel. In addition, the vehicle 100, 100v may not be equipped with at least a portion of the exterior components such as the bumper and the fender. The vehicle 100, 100v may not be equipped with a body shell. In this case, the remaining parts such as the body shell may be installed on the vehicle 100, 100v before the vehicle 100, 100v is shipped from the factory. In addition, the remaining parts such as the body shell may be installed on the vehicle 100, 100v after the vehicle 100, 100v is shipped from the factory without being installed on the vehicle 100, 100v. Each component may be installed from any direction such as the upper side, lower side, front side, rear side, right side or left side of the vehicle 100, 100v, may be installed from the same direction as each other, or may be installed from different directions. In addition, the platform may be positioned in the same manner as the vehicle 100, 100v in the first embodiment.

[0135] C-10. Other Implementation Methods 10

[0136] Vehicles 100 and 100v can also be manufactured by combining multiple modules. A module refers to a unit composed of multiple components grouped according to the location and function of the vehicle 100 and 100v. For example, the platform of the vehicle 100 and 100v can also be manufactured by combining a front module, a central module and a rear module. The front module constitutes the front part of the platform. The central module constitutes the central part of the platform. The rear module constitutes the rear part of the platform. In addition, the number of modules constituting the platform is not limited to 3, and can also be less than 2 or more than 4. In addition, in addition to or instead of the components constituting the platform, the components of the vehicle 100 and 100v that constitute a part different from the platform can be modularized. In addition, various modules can also include any exterior components such as bumpers and grilles, and any interior components such as seats and consoles. In addition, not limited to vehicles 100 and 100v, any type of mobile body can also be manufactured by combining multiple modules. Such a module can be manufactured, for example, by joining multiple components using welding, fixings, etc., or by integrally molding at least a part of the components constituting the module into one component using casting. The molding method of molding a component, especially a relatively large component, in one piece is also called giga casting or giant casting. For example, the front module, the center module, and the rear module mentioned above can also be manufactured using giga casting.

[0137] C-11. Other implementations 11

[0138] The situation in which the vehicle 100, 100v is transported by driving the vehicle 100, 100v without human driver is also referred to as "self-driving transport". In addition, the structure for realizing self-driving transport is also referred to as "vehicle remote control autonomous driving transport system". In addition, the production method of producing the vehicle 100, 100v by self-driving transport is also referred to as "self-driving production". In self-driving production, for example, in a factory that manufactures the vehicle 100, 100v, at least a part of the transportation of the vehicle 100 is realized by self-driving transport.

[0139] C-12. Other implementation methods 12

[0140] In the above-mentioned embodiments, part or all of the functions and processes implemented in software may also be implemented in hardware. In addition, part or all of the functions and processes implemented in hardware may also be implemented in software. As hardware for implementing the various functions in the above-mentioned embodiments, various circuits such as integrated circuits and discrete circuits may also be used.

[0141] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be implemented by various structures without departing from the scope of its main purpose. For example, in order to solve part or all of the above-mentioned problems, or to achieve part or all of the above-mentioned effects, the technical features of the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each method recorded in the invention content column can be appropriately replaced or combined. In addition, the technical features of the present disclosure can be appropriately deleted as long as they are not described as necessary technical features in this specification.

Claims

1. A control device for moving a mobile body capable of being moved by unmanned driving, wherein: The mobile body has a remote manual driving mode, in which, in order to control the movement of the mobile body, a manual control signal generated by an operation performed by an external operator on a control device installed at a location different from the mobile body is received, and the mobile body is moved using the received manual control signal, The mobile body includes a mounting device mounted on the mobile body, The control device comprises: an acquisition unit that acquires an inspection result of the onboard device; a determination unit that uses the inspection result to determine whether movement of the mobile body in the remote manual driving mode is possible; as well as The setting unit sets the driving mode of the mobile body to the remote manual driving mode when it is determined that the movement of the mobile body in the remote manual driving mode is possible.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein: The mobile body further has an automatic driving mode, in which, in order to control the movement of the mobile body, the mobile body is moved using an automatic control signal generated in a manner not based on the operation of the external operator, The determination unit determines whether the movement of the mobile body in the automatic driving mode is possible, and if it is determined that the movement of the mobile body in the automatic driving mode is not possible, determines whether the movement of the mobile body in the remote manual driving mode is possible, When it is determined that the movement of the mobile body in the automatic driving mode is not possible, and when it is determined that the movement of the mobile body in the remote manual driving mode is possible, the setting unit sets the driving mode of the mobile body to the remote manual driving mode.

3. The control device according to claim 2, wherein: The determination unit determines that the movement of the moving object in the remote manual driving mode is possible in at least any one of the following situations, namely: A case where the function of the mounted device that is the main factor for determining that the moving body cannot move in the automatic driving mode can be compensated by the external operator; as well as When inspecting a plurality of the carrying devices, the function of one of the carrying devices that is the main factor in determining that the mobile body cannot move in the automatic driving mode can be compensated by the function of another carrying device that is different from the one carrying device.

4. The control device according to claim 2, wherein: In a case where the onboard device that is the main factor for judging that the movement of the mobile body in the automatic driving mode cannot be performed is at least one of an onboard sensor as a sensor mounted on the mobile body and an electric parking brake, the judgment unit judges that the movement of the mobile body in the remote manual driving mode can be performed.

5. A control system for moving a moving object capable of being moved by unmanned driving, wherein: The control system comprises: A mobile body, the mobile body being equipped with a carrying device and having a remote manual driving mode; an acquisition unit that acquires an inspection result of the onboard device; a determination unit that uses the inspection result to determine whether movement of the mobile body in the remote manual driving mode is possible; as well as a setting unit that sets the driving mode of the mobile body to the remote manual driving mode when it is determined that the movement of the mobile body in the remote manual driving mode is possible, In the remote manual driving mode, in order to control the movement of the mobile body, the mobile body is moved by receiving a manual control signal generated by an external operator operating an operating device located at a location different from the mobile body, and using the received manual control signal.

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