Position information acquisition device

Abstract

A device is provided with: a point group data acquisition unit that acquires three-dimensional point group data including a point group of a target region having a region in which a component is not assembled in a plurality of predetermined steps in the outer shape of a moving body; and a position information acquisition unit that acquires the position and / or orientation of the moving body by comparing the acquired three-dimensional point group data with reference point group data including a point group corresponding to the target region.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to apparatus. 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] In order to move a mobile body such as a vehicle by autonomous control or remote control, a technology is known for obtaining the position and orientation of the mobile body based on comparison between three-dimensional point group data measured by a distance measuring device and reference point group data. However, in the manufacturing process of the mobile body, when parts are assembled to the mobile body, the shape of the mobile body may change. It is desirable to be able to appropriately perform comparison between three-dimensional point group data and reference point group data regardless of such changes in the shape of the mobile body.

[0004] The present disclosure can be implemented in the following manner.

[0005] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a device is provided. The device comprises: a point group data acquisition unit that acquires three-dimensional point group data, the three-dimensional point group data including a point group of an object area having an area where parts are not assembled in a plurality of predetermined processes in the outer shape of a moving body; and a position information acquisition unit that acquires at least one of a position and an orientation of the moving body by comparing the acquired three-dimensional point group data with reference point group data including a point group corresponding to the object area.

[0006] According to this method, since it is possible to compare the three-dimensional point group data with the reference point group data based on the object area having the area where the parts are not assembled, it is possible to appropriately compare the three-dimensional point group data with the reference point group data even when the outer shape of the moving body changes as the parts are assembled into the moving body.

[0007] In the above aspect, the target area may be an area below a predetermined reference height in the outer shape of the vehicle as the moving body, and the reference height in the first step may be higher than the reference height in the second step which is a subsequent step of the first step.

[0008] According to this aspect, the reference height can be lowered in accordance with the assembly of the component into a vehicle as a mobile body, and the comparison between the three-dimensional point group data and the reference point group data can be performed more appropriately.

[0009] In the above aspect, the three-dimensional point group data may be point group data of the target area.

[0010] According to this aspect, by using the point group data of the target area as the three-dimensional point group data, it is possible to more appropriately perform comparison between the three-dimensional point group data and the reference point group data.

[0011] In the above aspect, the three-dimensional point group data may be point group data excluding a part of measured point group data measured by a distance measuring device.

[0012] According to this aspect, even when the measured point cloud data includes a point cloud in a region outside the target region, the point cloud data in the target region can be used for comparison with the reference point cloud data, thereby enabling more appropriate comparison.

[0013] In the above aspect, the reference point cloud data may be point cloud data corresponding to the target area.

[0014] According to this aspect, by using the point group data corresponding to the target area as the reference point group data, it is possible to more appropriately perform comparison between the three-dimensional point group data and the reference point group data.

[0015] In addition to the above-mentioned apparatus, the present disclosure may also be implemented in the form of a system, a server, a mobile object, a control method, a program for implementing the control method, a non-transitory recording medium recording the program, a program product, etc. In addition, the program product may be provided as a recording medium recording the program, or may be provided as a program product that can be distributed 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 reference numerals represent like elements, and in which:

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

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

[0019] Figure 3 This is a diagram for explaining the target area in the first embodiment.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the travel control of the vehicle in the first embodiment.

[0021] Figure 5 : is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the instruction generation process.

[0022] Figure 6 It is a diagram for explaining an example of matching in the first embodiment.

[0023] Figure 7 It is a diagram for explaining an example of matching in the second embodiment.

[0024] Figure 8 It is a diagram for explaining an example of matching in the third embodiment.

[0025] Fig. 9 It is a diagram for explaining an example of matching in the fourth embodiment.

[0026] Fig.10 It is a diagram for explaining the target area in the fifth embodiment.

[0027] Fig.11 It is a block diagram showing the configuration of a system in the sixth embodiment.

[0028] Fig.12 It is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the travel control of the vehicle in the sixth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] A. First Implementation Method:

[0030] 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 distance measuring devices 300. The server 200 in the first embodiment corresponds to a "device" in the present disclosure.

[0031] In the present disclosure, "mobile body" means an object that can move, such as a vehicle, an electric vertical take-off and landing machine (so-called flying car). The vehicle can be a vehicle that runs on wheels or a vehicle that runs on tracks, such as a passenger car, a truck, a bus, a two-wheeled vehicle, a four-wheeled vehicle, a tank, an engineering vehicle, etc. Vehicles include battery electric vehicles (BEV), gasoline vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, and fuel cell electric vehicles. In the case where the mobile body is other than a vehicle, the expressions "vehicle" and "car" in the present disclosure can be appropriately replaced with "mobile body", and the expression "running" can be appropriately replaced with "moving".

[0032] The vehicle 100 is configured to be able to travel by unmanned driving. The so-called "unmanned driving" means driving that does not rely on the driving operation of the passengers. The so-called driving operation means an operation related to at least any one of "moving", "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. The vehicle 100 that travels by unmanned driving may also have 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".

[0033] In the present disclosure, “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. “Autonomous control” includes “partial autonomous control” in which the vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own actions using information received from a device outside the vehicle 100.

[0034] The vehicle 100 only needs to have a structure that can be moved by unmanned driving, for example, it can also be in the form of a platform with the structure described below. Specifically, in order for the vehicle 100 to perform the three functions of "moving", "turning" and "stopping" by unmanned driving, it only needs to have at least the vehicle control device and actuator group described later. In the case of obtaining information from a device outside the vehicle 100 for unmanned driving, the vehicle 100 only needs to have a communication device. That is, the vehicle 100 that can be moved by unmanned driving can be installed without at least a part of the interior components such as the driver's seat and the dashboard. In addition, the vehicle 100 that can be moved by unmanned driving can also be installed without at least a part of the exterior components such as the bumper and the fender. In addition, the vehicle 100 that can be moved by unmanned driving can also be installed without a body shell. In this case, the remaining components such as the body shell can also be installed on the vehicle 100. In addition, before the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory FC, the remaining components such as the body shell are not mounted on the vehicle 100, and after the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory FC, the remaining components such as the body shell are mounted on the vehicle 100. Each component may be mounted from any direction such as the upper side, the lower side, the front side, the rear side, the right side, or the left side of the vehicle 100, and may be mounted from the same direction or from different directions.

[0035] 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, and any position in the factory FC can be expressed by the coordinates of X, Y, and Z in the global coordinate system GC. The factory FC includes a first place PL1, a second place PL2, and a third place PL3. The first place PL1, the second place PL2, and the third place PL3 are connected by a driving path TR on which the vehicle 100 can travel. The driving path TR includes a first driving path TR1 connecting the first place PL1 and the second place PL2 and a second driving path TR2 connecting the second place PL2 and the third place PL3. In the factory FC, a plurality of distance measuring devices 300 are provided along the driving path TR. The position of each distance measuring device 300 in the factory FC is adjusted in advance. The vehicle 100 moves from the first place PL1 to the third place PL3 through each driving path TR and the second place PL2 by unmanned driving. In the present embodiment, the vehicle 100 is in a platform form during the movement from the first place PL1 to the third place PL3.

[0036] Different processes are respectively performed on the vehicle 100 at the first location PL1, the first driving path TR1, the second location PL2, the second driving path TR2, and the third location PL3. At the first location PL1, a platform assembly process for assembling the vehicle 100 into a platform is performed. At the first driving path TR1, a first moving process for moving the vehicle 100 to the second location PL2 by unmanned driving is performed. At the second location PL2, an assembly process for assembling new parts of the vehicle 100 is performed. At the second driving path TR2, a second moving process for moving the vehicle 100 to the third location PL3 by unmanned driving is performed. At the third location PL3, an inspection process for inspecting the vehicle 100 is performed. In addition, the first moving process and the second moving process can also be said to be processes for transporting the vehicle 100 by unmanned driving of the vehicle 100. In addition, each of the above processes is included in the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100 in the factory FC.

[0037] Figure 21 is a block diagram showing the structure of the system 50. The vehicle 100 is provided with a vehicle control device 110 for controlling each part of the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 is provided with an actuator group 120 including one or more actuators driven under the control of the vehicle control device 110. The vehicle 100 is provided with a communication device 130 for communicating 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. The actuator group 120 includes an actuator of a steering device for changing the direction of travel of the vehicle 100. The actuator group 120 includes an actuator of a braking device for decelerating the vehicle 100. In this way, the actuator group 120 includes actuators related to the travel of 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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] 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 include the speed of the vehicle 100 as a parameter instead of or in addition to the acceleration of the vehicle 100.

[0040] The distance measuring device 300 is equivalent to an external sensor as a sensor located outside the vehicle 100. The distance measuring device 300 measures the vehicle 100 and outputs three-dimensional point group data as a detection result. As the distance measuring device 300, a camera or LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) can be used. In particular, LiDAR is preferred in that it can obtain high-precision three-dimensional point group data. The distance measuring device 300 in this embodiment is composed of LiDAR. In this embodiment, the position of each distance measuring device 300 is fixed, and the relative relationship between the global coordinate system GC and the device coordinate system of each distance measuring device 300 is known. The coordinate transformation matrix for transforming the coordinate value of the global coordinate system GC with the coordinate value of the device coordinate system of each distance measuring device 300 is pre-stored in the server 200. The distance measuring device 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. Hereinafter, the three-dimensional point group data measured by the distance measuring device 300 is also referred to as measured point group data.

[0041] 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 distance measuring device 300 by wired communication or wireless communication. Various information including a program PG2, a reference path RR, template point group data TP, and an area database DB are stored in the memory 202. The processor 201 realizes various functions including a function of executing the driving control of the vehicle 100 described later, and functions as a point group data acquisition unit 215, a process information acquisition unit 220, an area determination unit 225, a position information acquisition unit 250, and a command generation unit 260 by executing the program PG2 stored in the memory 202.

[0042] The point group data acquisition unit 215 acquires the object point group data. The object point group data is three-dimensional point group data based on the measured point group data, and as described later, is compared with the reference point group data by the position information acquisition unit 250. The reference point group data is three-dimensional point group data based on the template point group data TP prepared in advance, and is compared with the object point group data by the position information acquisition unit 250.

[0043] The template point group data TP can be generated based on, for example, three-dimensional CAD data representing the appearance of the vehicle 100, or can be generated by measuring the vehicle 100 in advance using a distance measuring device. In addition, the template point group data TP is preferably prepared according to the vehicle model and model. In this way, the reference point group data corresponding to the vehicle model and model of the vehicle 100 can be used for comparison with the object point group data. In addition, in other embodiments, the template point group data TP can also be stored in, for example, a computer, a recording medium, etc. outside the server 200.

[0044] The object point group data at least includes a point group of the object area. The reference point group data at least includes a point group corresponding to the object area. The object area is an area having at least a non-assembly area. In the present embodiment, the object area only has a non-assembly area. The non-assembly area is an area in the outer shape of the vehicle 100 where the parts are not assembled to the vehicle 100 in the object process including a plurality of predetermined processes. The non-assembly area in the present embodiment is the area from the platform assembly process to the inspection process, that is, during the period from the vehicle 100 from the platform assembly process to the inspection process. Figure 1 The illustrated area is an area where components are not assembled to the vehicle 100 during the period from the first location PL1 to the third location PL3 .

[0045] In other embodiments, the target region may include a region different from the non-assembly region. However, the ratio of the non-assembly region to the area of ​​the target region is preferably 50% or more, more preferably 70% or more, and even more preferably 90% or more.

[0046] Hereinafter, the area different from the non-assembly area in the outer shape of the vehicle 100 is also referred to as an assembly area. Due to the assembly of components to the vehicle 100, the outer shape of the vehicle 100 in the assembly area changes significantly compared to the outer shape of the vehicle 100 in the non-assembly area. More specifically, generally, the outer shape of the vehicle 100 in the non-assembly area hardly or not changes, whereas the outer shape of the vehicle 100 in the assembly area changes according to the shapes of the components to be assembled.

[0047] Figure 3 FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an object area in an embodiment. Figure 3 , a vehicle 100a traveling on a first travel path TR1 and a vehicle 100b traveling on a second travel path TR2 are shown. Figure 3 , the target area is hatched. The vehicle 100b is equivalent to the vehicle 100a to which the component PT is assembled. The component PT is assembled in the assembly area of ​​the vehicle 100 in the assembly process AP. The first movement process MP1 is performed on the vehicle 100a. The second movement process MP2 is performed on the vehicle 100b. When the first movement process MP1 is used as the first process, the assembly process AP and the second movement process MP2 are equivalent to the second process which is the subsequent process of the first process.

[0048] The target area in this embodiment is defined as an area below a predetermined reference height in the outer shape of the vehicle 100. In the present disclosure, the reference height is defined as the height from the grounding position of the vehicle 100 relative to the horizontal surface when the vehicle 100 is grounded on the horizontal surface. In addition, the reference height is equivalent to the height from the grounding surface when the vehicle 100 is grounded on the horizontal surface. Figure 3 As shown, the first reference height hs1 in the first moving step MP1 is higher than the second reference height hs2 in the second moving step MP2. Figure 3 The target region in the first movement step MP1 is a region of the vehicle 100a located below the position p1 at the first reference height hs1. The target region in the second movement step MP2 is a region of the vehicle 100b located below the position p2 at the second reference height hs2.

[0049] The reference height is preferably determined based on the amount of sinking of the vehicle body of the vehicle 100 caused by assembling the components to the vehicle 100. Figure 3 , a state in which the body of the vehicle 100 sinks by a sinking amount sa1 in the vertical direction due to the assembly of the component PT to the vehicle 100 in the assembly process AP is shown. The second reference height hs2 can be determined based on the first reference height hs1 and the sinking amount sa1, for example. In addition, the sinking amount sa1 can be calculated based on experimental results or simulation results, for example.

[0050] As in the present embodiment, when the object area is defined as an area below the reference height, the object area may include the entire area in the height direction from the grounding position to the reference height position in the outer shape of the vehicle 100, or may include only a portion of the area in the height direction. For example, the object area may also be determined as an area below the reference height and above a predetermined height greater than 0. By determining the object area in this way, it is possible to suppress the influence of the road surface from affecting the object point group data, and the comparison of the object point group data with the reference point group data can be performed more appropriately. In addition, it is preferred that the object area includes at least a portion of the outer shape of the portion with more feature quantities 100 in the vehicle 100. The feature quantity is, for example, the edge quantity. The portion with more feature quantities is, for example, the tire, wheel, bumper, frame. In this way, by including the outer shape of the portion with more features in the object area, the comparison of the object point group data with the reference point group data can be performed more appropriately.

[0051] return Figure 2The process information acquisition unit 220 acquires the process information of the vehicle 100. The process information is information that can identify the process performed on the vehicle 100. As the process information, for example, information indicating which process the vehicle 100 is in can be used, or position information of the vehicle 100 can be used. The information indicating which process the vehicle 100 is in is acquired based on, for example, log data and operating procedures that record the progress of each process. Such log data and operating procedures can be stored in the memory 202, or in the server 200, a computer outside the vehicle 100, or a recording medium. In addition, as in the present embodiment, when the installation position of the distance measuring device 300 in the factory FC is predetermined, as the process information, for example, identification information of the distance measuring device 300 responsible for the measurement of the vehicle 100 and information indicating the installation position of the distance measuring device 300 can also be used.

[0052] The area determination unit 225 determines the target area. The area determination unit 225 in the present embodiment uses the process information obtained by the process information acquisition unit 220 to determine the target area. Specifically, the area determination unit 225 determines the target area by referring to the area database DB based on the process information. In the area database DB, a plurality of process data and a plurality of area data are stored in association. The process data is data indicating the process performed on the vehicle 100. The area data is data indicating the target area. The area data is expressed as the coordinates of a specified area in point group data such as measurement point group data and template point group data TP. The area data in the present embodiment is expressed as the coordinates of a specified reference height in the measurement point group data and template point group data TP.

[0053] The position information acquisition unit 250 acquires the position information of the vehicle 100 by comparing the object point group data based on the measured point group data with the reference point group data based on the template point group data TP. The position information thus acquired includes at least one of the position and orientation of the vehicle 100. Specifically, the position information acquisition unit 250 acquires the vehicle position information described later by performing template matching of the object point group data and the reference point group data. Hereinafter, the template matching of the object point group data and the reference point group data is also referred to as matching. As a matching algorithm, various algorithms such as ICP (Iterative Closest Point) and NDT (Normal Distributions Transform) can be used.

[0054] As described later, in the matching of the present embodiment, point group data of the object area is used as object point group data. The "point group data of the object area" includes the point group of the object area, and does not include the point group outside the object area in the outer shape of the vehicle 100. In addition, in the matching of the present embodiment, point group data corresponding to the object area is used as reference point group data. The "point group data corresponding to the object area" includes the point group corresponding to the object area, and does not include the point group corresponding to the area outside the object area in the outer shape of the vehicle 100. In addition, the measurement point group data in the present embodiment includes the point group of the object area and the point group of the area outside the object area in the outer shape of the vehicle 100. In addition, the template point group data TP in the present embodiment includes the point group corresponding to the object area and the point group corresponding to the area outside the object area in the outer shape of the vehicle 100.

[0055] The command generation unit 260 uses the obtained vehicle position information to generate a control command for driving the vehicle 100 by unmanned driving and sends it to the vehicle 100. Specifically, the control command in this embodiment is the above-mentioned driving control signal. In addition, the control command for driving the vehicle 100 by unmanned driving only needs to include at least one of the driving control signal and the generation information for generating the driving control signal. Therefore, in other embodiments, the control command may also include the generation information instead of the driving control signal or in addition to the driving control signal. As the generation information, for example, the vehicle position information, the path described later, and the target position can be used.

[0056] Figure 4 1 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the travel control of the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment.

[0057] In S1, the processor 201 of the server 200 obtains the vehicle position information using the detection result output from the distance measuring device 300 as an external sensor. 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 S1, the processor 201 obtains the vehicle position information using the object point group data and the reference point group data.

[0058] In 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 memory 202 of the server 200 pre-stores a reference path RR as the path that the vehicle 100 should travel. 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.

[0059] In S3, 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 obtains the driving speed from the vehicle 100 and compares the obtained driving speed with the target speed. In general, the processor 201 determines the acceleration to accelerate the vehicle 100 when the driving speed is lower than the target speed, and determines the acceleration to decelerate the vehicle 100 when the driving speed is higher than the target speed. In addition, when the vehicle 100 is on the reference path RR, the processor 201 determines the steering angle and the acceleration to prevent the vehicle 100 from deviating from the reference path RR, and when the vehicle 100 is not 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 to return the vehicle 100 to the reference path RR.

[0060] In 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.

[0061] In addition, in S1 to S4 of the present embodiment, specifically, a command generation process described later is executed.

[0062] In S5, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 receives the travel control signal transmitted from the server 200. In 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 in 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.

[0063] Figure 5Detailed Description of the Instruction Generating Process FIG. Figure 5 The instruction generation process is executed by the processor 201 of the server 200, for example, at prescribed time intervals.

[0064] In S105, the point group data acquisition unit 215 acquires the measured point group data from the distance measuring device 300 responsible for measuring the target vehicle 100. The target vehicle 100 is a vehicle 100 that becomes the target of the driving control based on unmanned driving. In S110, the point group data acquisition unit 215 acquires the template point group data TP stored in the memory 202. In other embodiments, the point group data acquisition unit 215 may acquire the template point group data TP from an external computer or recording medium in S110, for example.

[0065] In S115, the process information acquisition unit 220 acquires the process information of the target vehicle 100. In S120, the area determination unit 225 determines the target area using the process information and the area database DB.

[0066] In S125, the position information acquisition unit 250 excludes a part of the measured point group data acquired in S105 based on the target area determined in S120, thereby acquiring the point group data of the target area, that is, the first point group data as the target point group data. The first point group data corresponds to the point group data of the measured point group data that includes the point group of the target area but does not include the point group of the area outside the target area. Specifically, in S125, the point group data acquisition unit 215 extracts the point group of the target area from the measured point group data, or deletes the point group of the area outside the target area from the measured point group data, for example, based on the determined target area, thereby acquiring the first point group data. Such extraction and deletion of point groups may also use the area data in the area database DB.

[0067] In S130, the position information acquisition unit 250 excludes a portion of the template point group data TP acquired in S110 based on the object area determined in S115, thereby acquiring second point group data corresponding to the object area as reference point group data. The second point group data is equivalent to the point group data in the template point group data TP that includes the point group corresponding to the object area but does not include the point group corresponding to the area outside the object area. In S130, the point group data acquisition unit 215 extracts the point group corresponding to the object area from the template point group data TP based on the determined object area, or deletes the point group of the area outside the object area from the template point group data TP, for example, in substantially the same manner as S125, thereby acquiring the second point group data.

[0068] In S135, the position information acquisition unit 250 performs matching between the target point group data and the reference point group data, thereby acquiring the vehicle position information of the target vehicle 100. Specifically, in S135 of the present embodiment, the position information acquisition unit 250 performs matching between the first point group data acquired in S125 and the second point group data acquired in S130, thereby acquiring the vehicle position information of the target vehicle 100.

[0069] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of matching in this embodiment. Specifically, Figure 6 An example of matching performed in the second movement step MP2 is shown. Figure 6 FIG. 2 shows a state where the first point group data D1 as the target point group data is generated by excluding a part of the point group from the measured point group data SD2 measured in the second movement process MP2. Figure 6 FIG. 4 shows a state in which second point group data D2 serving as reference point group data is generated by excluding a part of the point group from the template point group data TP. Figure 6 In the example of , in S135 , the vehicle position information of the target vehicle 100 is acquired by performing matching between the first point cloud data D1 and the second point cloud data D2 .

[0070] In S140, the command generation unit 260 generates a travel control signal as a control command using the vehicle position information acquired in S135, and transmits the signal to the vehicle 100. The vehicle control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 using the received control command, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to travel.

[0071] According to the server 200 in the present embodiment described above, the vehicle position information is obtained by comparing the object point group data including the point group of the object area having the non-assembly area with the reference point group data including the point group corresponding to the object area. Therefore, matching corresponding to the object area can be performed, and even if the outer shape of the vehicle 100 changes as the parts are assembled into the vehicle 100, the comparison between the object point group data and the reference point group data can be appropriately performed, and the vehicle position information can be appropriately obtained.

[0072] In addition, in the present embodiment, the target area is an area below the reference height in the outer shape of the vehicle 100, and the first reference height hs1 in the first moving step MP1 is higher than the second reference height hs2 in the second moving step MP2. According to this mode, the second reference height hs2 can be made lower than the first reference height hs1 according to the sinking of the vehicle body 100 caused by assembling the components to the vehicle 100 through the assembly step AP. Therefore, matching can be performed more appropriately.

[0073] In this embodiment, the first point cloud data, which is point cloud data of the target area, is used as the target point cloud data. Therefore, matching can be performed more appropriately than when the target point cloud data including the point cloud of the area outside the target area is used for matching.

[0074] In addition, in the present embodiment, the first point group data is point group data excluding a part of the measured point group data measured by the distance measuring device 300. Therefore, even when the measured point group data includes a point group of an area outside the target area, the point group data of the target area can be used as the target point group data for matching, and matching can be performed more appropriately.

[0075] In addition, in other embodiments, when point group data from which a part of the measured point group data is excluded is used as the target point group data, the target point group data may include a point group of an area outside the target area in the outer shape of the vehicle 100. In this case, it is preferable to obtain the target point group data by excluding a part of the point group of the area outside the target area in the measured point group data. In this way, for example, matching can be performed more appropriately compared to the case where the measured point group data is directly used as the target point group data for matching.

[0076] In addition, in the present embodiment, as reference point group data, second point group data, which is point group data corresponding to the object area, is used. Therefore, compared with the case where reference point group data including a point group corresponding to an area outside the object area is used for matching, matching can be performed more appropriately. In particular, in the present embodiment, since the first point group data and the second point group data are compared in matching, matching can be performed further appropriately.

[0077] In addition, in the present embodiment, the second point group data is point group data excluding a part of the template point group data TP. Therefore, even if the template point group data TP includes a point group corresponding to an area outside the object area, the point group data corresponding to the object area can be used as reference point group data for matching, and matching can be performed more appropriately. In addition, in the present embodiment, the effort of preparing the template point group data corresponding to the object area in advance can be reduced, and the point group data corresponding to the object area can be used as reference point group data.

[0078] In addition, in other embodiments, when point group data excluding a portion of the template point group data TP is used as reference point group data, the reference point group data may also include a point group corresponding to an area outside the target area in the outer shape of the vehicle 100. In this case, it is preferable to obtain the reference point group data by excluding a portion of the point group corresponding to the area outside the target area in the template point group data TP. In this way, for example, matching can be performed more appropriately compared to the case where the template point group data TP is directly used as the reference point group data for matching.

[0079] B. Second Implementation Method:

[0080] Figure 7 It is a diagram for explaining an example of matching in the second embodiment. Figure 7 and Figure 6 The example of matching in the second moving process MP2 is shown in a similar manner. In the second embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, in matching, the second point group data D2 is not used as reference point group data, but the template point group data TP including the point group corresponding to the area outside the object area is directly used. Specifically, Figure 7 As shown, in the matching, the first point group data D1 is compared with the template point group data TP. In the second embodiment, the Figure 5 S130 in the steps shown. The parts of the configuration of the system 50 and the server 200 in the second embodiment that are not particularly described are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0081] The server 200 in the second embodiment described above can also perform matching corresponding to the target area, so even if the outer shape of the vehicle 100 changes as the components are assembled into the vehicle 100, the target point group data and the reference point group data can be appropriately compared, and the vehicle position information can be appropriately obtained. In particular, in the present embodiment, in matching, the template point group data TP is directly used instead of the second point group data D2 as the reference point group data, so matching can be performed more simply.

[0082] C. Third Implementation Method:

[0083] Figure 8 It is a diagram for explaining an example of matching in the third embodiment. Figure 8 and Figure 6 The example of matching performed in the second moving process MP2 is shown in a similar manner. In the third embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, the first point group data D1 is not used as the target point group data in the matching, but the measured point group data SD2 of the point group including the area outside the target area is directly used. Specifically, Figure 8As shown, in the matching, the measured point group data SD2 is compared with the second point group data D2. Figure 5 S125 in the steps shown. The parts of the configuration of the system 50 and the server 200 in the third embodiment that are not particularly described are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0084] The server 200 in the third embodiment described above can also perform matching corresponding to the target area, so even if the outer shape of the vehicle 100 changes as the components are assembled into the vehicle 100, the target point group data and the reference point group data can be appropriately compared, and the vehicle position information can be appropriately acquired. In particular, in the present embodiment, in matching, the first point group data D1 is not used as the target point group data, but the measured point group data is directly used, so matching can be performed more simply.

[0085] D. Fourth Implementation Method:

[0086] Fig. 9 It is a diagram for explaining an example of matching in the fourth embodiment. Fig. 9 and Figure 6 The example of matching performed in the second movement process MP2 is shown in the same manner. In the fourth embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, the measured point group data SD2b is used as the target point group data in the matching. Specifically, Figure 8 As shown, in the matching, the measured point cloud data SD2b is compared with the second point cloud data D2. The parts not particularly described in the configuration of the system 50 and the server 200 in the fourth embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0087] The measured point group data SD2b is different from the measured point group data SD2 in the first embodiment and is point group data of the target area. In the present embodiment, each distance measuring device 300 is configured in the factory FC to be able to measure the measured point group data of the point group containing only the target area. Specifically, each distance measuring device 300 in the present embodiment is configured at a lower position and closer to the driving path TR than in the first embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, the distance measuring device 300 may be omitted. Figure 5 S125 in the step shown.

[0088] The server 200 in the fourth embodiment described above can also perform matching corresponding to the target area, so even if the outer shape of the vehicle 100 changes as the components are assembled into the vehicle 100, the target point group data and the reference point group data can be appropriately compared, and the vehicle position information can be appropriately acquired. In particular, in this embodiment, in matching, the measured point group data SD2b, which is the point group data of the target area, can be used as the target point group data. Therefore, matching can be performed more simply and more appropriately.

[0089] In other embodiments, the measurement point group data SD2b and the template point group data TP may be compared during matching. Figure 5 In the steps shown, except for S125, S115, S120, and S130 may be omitted. In this embodiment, the system 50 may not include the process information acquisition unit 220 and the area determination unit 225.

[0090] E. Fifth Implementation Method:

[0091] Fig.10 1 is a diagram for explaining the target area in the fifth embodiment. In the present embodiment, as the target area, a first target area OA1 related to the first target process OP1 and a second target area OA2 related to the second target process OP2 are used. Fig.10 In FIG. 5 , the first target area OA1 and the second target area OA2 are indicated by a dotted line and a hatched line, respectively. The configurations of the system 50 and the server 200 in the fifth embodiment that are not particularly described are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0092] The first object process OP1 includes moving processes MPa, MPb and assembly processes APa, APb. The second object process OP2 includes moving processes MPc, MPd and assembly process APc. Fig.10As shown, in the manufacturing process of vehicle 100, each process is carried out in the order of moving process MPa, assembling process APa, moving process MPb, assembling process APb, moving process MPc, assembling process APc, and moving process MPd. The moving process MPa is a process of moving vehicle 100c by driverless. The assembling process APa is a process of assembling component PT1 to vehicle 100c. The moving process MPb is a process of moving vehicle 100d by driverless. Vehicle 100d is equivalent to vehicle 100c assembled with component PT1. The assembling process APb is a process of assembling component PT2 to vehicle 100d. The moving process MPc is a process of moving vehicle 100e by driverless. Vehicle 100e is equivalent to vehicle 100d assembled with component PT2. The moving process MPd is a process of moving vehicle 100f by driverless. Vehicle 100f is equivalent to vehicle 100e assembled with component PT3.

[0093] In the moving process MPa, moving process MPb, assembling process APa, and assembling process APb included in the first target process OP1, matching of object point group data including a point group of the first target area OA1 and reference point group data including a point group corresponding to the first target area OA1 is performed. In addition, in the moving process MPc, moving process MPd, and assembling process APc included in the second target process OP2, matching of object point group data including a point group of the second target area OA2 and reference point group data including a point group corresponding to the second target area OA2 is performed. In the present embodiment, the first target area OA1 only includes the non-assembling area in the first target process OP1. The second target area OA2 only includes the non-assembling area in the second target process OP2. In addition, the second target area OA2 in the present embodiment is a larger area than the first target area OA1. Specifically, the second target area OA2 includes, in addition to the area identical to the first target area OA1, a part of the outer shape of the component PT2 assembled by the assembling process APb. Thus, in the factory FC, multiple target areas can also be used.

[0094] In the present embodiment, the matching of each method described in the first to fourth embodiments can be performed. In addition, in other embodiments, the second target area OA2 may not include the area identical to the first target area OA1, or may only include a part of the area identical to the first target area OA1. In addition, in other embodiments, the size of the second target area OA2 may be the same as the size of the first target area OA1, or may be smaller than the size of the first target area OA1. In addition, in the factory FC, three or more target areas can also be used.

[0095] The server 200 in the present embodiment described above can also perform matching according to the target area, so even if the outer shape of the vehicle 100 changes as the components are assembled to the vehicle 100, the comparison between the target point group data and the reference point group data can be appropriately performed, and the vehicle position information can be appropriately acquired. In particular, in the present embodiment, a plurality of target areas are used in the factory FC. According to this method, the target area can be changed according to the progress of the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100, specifically, according to the situation of assembling the components to the vehicle 100. In this case, for example, after the process of assembling the components with many feature quantities to the vehicle 100, the region including at least a part of the outer shape of the component is used as the target area to perform matching, thereby increasing the possibility of more appropriately performing matching. In this case, for example, in the target process after the process of assembling the bumper and the process of assembling the frame, the region including at least a part of the outer shape of the assembled bumper and frame is used as the target area to perform matching, thereby increasing the possibility of more appropriately performing matching. In this way, by changing the target region according to the progress of the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100 , matching can be more appropriately performed in each process.

[0096] F. Sixth Implementation Method:

[0097] Fig.11 1 is a block diagram showing the structure of the system 50v in the sixth embodiment. The system 50v in this embodiment is different from the first embodiment and does not include the server 200. In addition, the vehicle in this embodiment can travel by autonomous control of the vehicle. In addition, the device structure of the vehicle in this embodiment is the same as the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment, so for convenience, the vehicle in this embodiment is also described as the vehicle 100. The parts of the structure of the system 50v and the server 100 in the sixth embodiment that are not particularly described are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0098] In the present embodiment, the communication device 130 of the vehicle 100 is capable of communicating with the distance measuring device 300. The processor 111 of the vehicle control device 110 functions as a vehicle control unit 115v, a point group data acquisition unit 215, a process information acquisition unit 220, an area determination unit 225, and a position information acquisition unit 250 by executing the program PG2 stored in the memory 112. The vehicle control unit 115v uses the travel control signal generated by the vehicle 100 to control the actuator group 120, thereby enabling the vehicle 100 to travel by autonomous control. In addition to the program PG1, the memory 112 also stores a reference path RR, template point group data TP, and an area database DB. The vehicle control device 110 in the sixth embodiment is equivalent to the "device" in the present disclosure.

[0099] Fig.121 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the driving control of the vehicle 100 in the sixth embodiment. In S901, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 uses the detection result output from the distance measuring device 300 as an external sensor to obtain the vehicle position information. In S902, the processor 111 determines the target position to which the vehicle 100 should go next. In S903, the processor 111 generates a driving control signal for driving the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. In S904, the processor 111 uses the generated driving control signal to control the actuator of the vehicle 100, thereby driving the vehicle 100 according to the parameters represented by the driving control signal. The processor 111 repeatedly performs the acquisition of the vehicle position information, the determination of the target position, the generation of the driving control signal and the control of the actuator in a predetermined cycle. According to the system 50v in this embodiment, even if the vehicle 100 is not remotely controlled by the server 200, the vehicle 100 can be driven by the autonomous control of the vehicle 100.

[0100] In S901 to S904 of this embodiment, the Figure 5 The same command generation process. This command generation process is executed by the processor 111 of the vehicle control device 110, for example, at predetermined time intervals. In the present embodiment, the target vehicle means the own vehicle.

[0101] In this embodiment, Figure 5 Each step in is executed by the processor 111. In S140 of the present embodiment, the command generation unit 260 of the vehicle 100 generates and outputs a travel control signal as a control command using the vehicle position information obtained in S135. The vehicle control unit 115v controls the actuator group 120 by using the control command generated by the vehicle 100, thereby driving the vehicle 100.

[0102] The vehicle control device 110 in the present embodiment described above can also perform matching corresponding to the object area. Therefore, even if the appearance of the vehicle 100 changes as the components are assembled into the vehicle 100, the object point group data and the reference point group data can be appropriately compared, and the vehicle position information can be appropriately obtained.

[0103] In addition, in a mode where the vehicle 100 travels by autonomous control as in the present embodiment, matching may be performed in the same manner as in the second to sixth embodiments. In addition, in a mode where the vehicle 100 travels by autonomous control, the measured point group data SD2b and the template point group data TP may be compared by matching. In this case, the matching may be omitted. Figure 5In this case, the vehicle 100 may not include the process information acquisition unit 220 and the area determination unit 225. In addition, in a mode in which the vehicle 100 travels under autonomous control, for example, the system 50 may include the server 200.

[0104] G. Other implementations:

[0105] (G1) In the above-described embodiments, the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 250 includes the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 , but may include only one of the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 .

[0106] (G2) In each of the above embodiments, template point group data as point group data corresponding to the object area may be prepared in advance, and the prepared template point group data may be used as reference point group data. In this way, as in the case where the second point group data is used as reference point group data, matching can be performed more appropriately than when the reference point group data including a point group corresponding to an area outside the object area is used for matching. In addition, in this case, the Figure 5 S130.

[0107] (G3) In the above-mentioned embodiments, in the system 50, various functional units such as the point cloud data acquisition unit 215, the process information acquisition unit 220, the area determination unit 225, the position information acquisition unit 250, and the command generation unit 260 may be provided in the vehicle 100. In this case, as described in the sixth embodiment, the point cloud data acquisition unit 215, the process information acquisition unit 220, the area determination unit 225, the position information acquisition unit 250, and the command generation unit 260 may all be provided in the vehicle 100, or a part of these functional units may be provided in the vehicle 100. In addition, in the system 50, a part or all of these functional units may be provided in devices outside the server 200 and the vehicle 100.

[0108] (G4) In the first embodiment, the server 200 performs the processing from the acquisition of the vehicle position information to the generation of the travel control signal. In contrast, at least a part of the processing from the acquisition of the vehicle position information to the generation of the travel control signal may be performed by the vehicle 100. For example, the following methods (1) to (3) may be used.

[0109] (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 cause the vehicle 100 to travel on the path received from the server 200, and control the actuator of the vehicle 100 using the generated travel control signal.

[0110] (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 an actuator of the vehicle 100 using the generated travel control signal.

[0111] (3) In the above-mentioned methods (1) and (2), the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor, and the detection result outputted from the internal sensor may be used in at least one of the generation of the route and the generation of the driving control signal. The internal sensor is a sensor mounted on the vehicle 100. Specifically, the internal sensor may include, for example, a camera, a LiDAR, a millimeter wave radar, an ultrasonic sensor, a GPS sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, etc. For example, in the above-mentioned method (1), the server 200 may also obtain the detection result of the internal sensor, and reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the route when generating the route. In the above-mentioned method (1), the vehicle 100 may also obtain the detection result of the internal sensor, and reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the driving control signal when generating the driving control signal. In the above-mentioned method (2), the vehicle 100 may also obtain the detection result of the internal sensor, and reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the route when generating the route. In the above-mentioned method (2), the vehicle 100 may also obtain the detection result of the internal sensor, and reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the route when generating the driving control signal.

[0112] (G5) In the sixth embodiment, the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor, and a detection result outputted from the internal sensor may be used in at least one of the generation of the route and the generation of the travel control signal. For example, the vehicle 100 may obtain the detection result of the internal sensor, and reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the route when generating the route. The vehicle 100 may obtain the detection result of the internal sensor, and reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the travel control signal when generating the travel control signal.

[0113] (G6) In the first embodiment described above, the server 200 automatically generates a driving control signal to be sent to the vehicle 100. In contrast, the server 200 may generate a driving control signal to be sent to the vehicle 100 according to an operation of an external operator located outside the vehicle 100. For example, the external operator may operate an operating device including a display for displaying a captured image output from an external sensor, a steering wheel for remotely operating the vehicle 100, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and a communication device for communicating with the server 200 via wired communication or wireless communication, and the server 200 may generate a driving control signal corresponding to the operation applied to the operating device. Hereinafter, driving of the vehicle 100 based on such control is also referred to as "remote manual driving". In the method of performing remote manual driving, for example, the vehicle position information obtained by the position information acquisition unit 250 may be displayed on a display included in the operating device. In this case, the vehicle position information may be represented by characters or symbols on the display, for example, or may be displayed on a map.

[0114] (G7) The vehicle 100 can also be manufactured by combining a plurality of modules. A module means a unit composed of a plurality of components concentrated according to the location and function of the vehicle 100. For example, the platform of the vehicle 100 can also be manufactured by combining a front module constituting the front part of the platform, a central module constituting the central part of the platform, and a rear module constituting the rear part of the platform. In addition, the number of modules constituting the platform is not limited to three, and can also be less than two or more than four. In addition, in addition to or instead of the components constituting the platform, the components constituting the parts of the vehicle 100 that are different from the platform can also 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 the vehicle 100, any type of mobile body can also be manufactured by combining a plurality of modules. Such a module can be manufactured, for example, by joining a plurality of components by welding, fixings, etc., or by integrally molding at least a portion of the components constituting the module into one component by casting. The molding method of integrally molding a component, especially a relatively large component, is also called gigacast or megacast. For example, the front module, the center module, and the rear module described above may also be manufactured using oversized casting.

[0115] (G8) The case where the vehicle 100 is transported by the driving of the unmanned vehicle 100 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 by self-driving transport is also referred to as "self-production". In self-production, for example, in a factory that manufactures the vehicle 100, at least a part of the transportation of the vehicle 100 is realized by self-driving transport.

[0116] (G9) In the above-mentioned 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 the above-mentioned embodiments, various circuits such as integrated circuits and discrete circuits may be used.

[0117] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be implemented in various structures within the scope of the main purpose of the present disclosure. 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 in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each method described in the invention content column can be appropriately replaced or combined. In addition, if the technical feature is not described as a necessary technical feature in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted.

Claims

1. A device, wherein: include: a point group data acquisition unit that acquires three-dimensional point group data including a point group of an object region having a region where components are not assembled in a plurality of predetermined steps in the outer shape of the moving body; and The position information acquisition unit acquires at least one of the position and the orientation of the moving object by comparing the acquired three-dimensional point group data with reference point group data including a point group corresponding to the target area.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The target area is an area below a predetermined reference height in the outer shape of the vehicle as the moving object. The reference height in the first step is higher than the reference height in the second step which is a subsequent step of the first step.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The three-dimensional point group data is point group data of the target area.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein: The three-dimensional point group data is point group data excluding a part of the measured point group data measured by the distance measuring device.

5. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The reference point cloud data is point cloud data corresponding to the target area.

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