Vehicle control system

Abstract

A vehicle control system according to the present disclosure is a vehicle control system that causes a vehicle to travel to a drum test stand and controls an action of the vehicle on the drum test stand. The device is provided with: a detection unit that detects that a target vehicle arrives at a drum test stand; and a controller that causes the target vehicle to travel automatically to the drum test stand and controls an action of the target vehicle on the drum test stand. When the detection unit detects that the target vehicle arrives at the drum test stand, the controller switches a control mode for the target vehicle from a traveling control mode to a test control mode for controlling an operation on the drum test stand.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control system. BACKGROUND

[0002] There is known a technology (self-transport technology) in which, for example, as disclosed in Patent Literature 1, at the time of manufacturing a vehicle, instead of transporting the vehicle by, for example, a conveyor, the vehicle is caused to self-transport by autonomous control or remote control.

[0003] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent No. 7424535 SUMMARY

[0004] The inventors have explored that the vehicle is also caused to travel in a manner without a person in a check process of the vehicle. Here, if the steering action, the acceleration and deceleration action are controlled as in usual travel with respect to the vehicle on a drum test stand, there is a problem that, for example, the wheels of the vehicle easily come off the rollers of the drum test stand and the control cannot be properly performed.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides a vehicle control system capable of properly controlling the action of a vehicle on a drum test stand.

[0006] The vehicle control system according to the present disclosure,

[0007] is a vehicle control system that causes a vehicle to self-transport to a drum test stand and controls the action of the vehicle on the drum test stand, and includes:

[0008] a detection unit that detects arrival of a target vehicle at the drum test stand; and

[0009] a controller that causes the target vehicle to self-transport to the drum test stand and controls the action of the target vehicle on the drum test stand,

[0010] when the arrival of the target vehicle at the drum test stand is detected by the detection unit,

[0011] the controller switches the control mode for the target vehicle from a travel control mode to a test control mode that controls the action on the drum test stand.

[0012] In the vehicle control system according to the present disclosure, when the arrival of the target vehicle at the drum test stand is detected by the detection unit, the control mode for the target vehicle is switched from the travel control mode to the test control mode that controls the action on the drum test stand. Thus, the action of the vehicle on the drum test stand can be properly controlled.

[0013] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a vehicle control system capable of properly controlling the action of a vehicle on a drum test stand.

[0014] The above and other objects, features and advantages of this disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description and accompanying drawings given below. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a portion of the vehicle control system according to the first embodiment.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating the control system of the vehicle control system according to the first embodiment.

[0017] Figure 3 It is a diagram used to illustrate the driving control of a vehicle.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a control block diagram used to illustrate Example 1 of driving control.

[0019] Figure 5 This is a flowchart used to illustrate Example 1 of driving control.

[0020] Figure 6 This is a control block diagram used to illustrate Example 2 of driving control.

[0021] Figure 7 This is a flowchart used to illustrate Example 2 of driving control. Detailed Implementation

[0022] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. In addition, for the sake of clarity, the following description and drawings have been appropriately simplified.

[0023] (First Implementation)

[0024] <Overview of Vehicle Control Systems>

[0025] First, refer to Figure 1 This section provides an overview of the vehicle control system. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a portion of the vehicle control system according to the first embodiment. The vehicle control system 50 is used, for example, in a vehicle manufacturing plant where vehicle 100 is manufactured. Figure 1 In the example, the vehicle control system 50 controls the driving test of the vehicle 100, which is mounted on the rollers of the drum test bench 400, in the test area TA1.

[0026] like Figure 1As shown, a vehicle control system (also simply referred to as a system) 50 is provided with a server 200, a camera 310, and a drum test stand 400. The vehicle 100 is a self-propelled vehicle that can move by itself in a manufacturing process. In other words, the vehicle 100 is a vehicle that can move by itself without a driver in a manufacturing process.

[0027] Further, Figure 1 The right-hand XYZ orthogonal coordinate system shown is for the convenience of explanation of the positional relationship of the constituent elements. In Figure 1 In the drawings, for example, the positive direction of the Z-axis is the vertical upward direction, and the XY plane is the horizontal plane, which is common among the drawings.

[0028] The drum test stand 400 has a pair of rollers R1 that support the front wheels of the vehicle 100 and a pair of rollers R2 that support the rear wheels of the vehicle 100. In the drum test stand 400, the rollers R1, R2 rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the wheels of the vehicle 100, and the vehicle 100 can be caused to travel on the drum test stand 400 under various traveling conditions.

[0029] The camera 310 is an embodiment of the external sensor 300 and photographs a test area TA1 in which the drum test stand 400 is provided. In addition, the camera 310 is a detection unit that detects the arrival of the vehicle 100, which is a control target, at the drum test stand 400. The camera 310 has a communication function and transmits data such as a photographed image to the server 200 via the network 500.

[0030] The server 200 estimates the position of the vehicle 100 based on the photographed image of the vehicle 100 received from the camera 310 and controls the travel of the vehicle 100, which is a control target, and the movement of the vehicle 100 on the drum test stand 400. That is, the server 200 has a function as a controller that causes the vehicle 100 to travel to the drum test stand 400 and controls the movement of the vehicle 100 on the drum test stand 400. Details of the movement control of the vehicle 100 by the server 200 will be described later.

[0031] <Details of control in vehicle control system>

[0032] Next, the details of the control in the vehicle control system will be described with reference to Figure 2 Figure 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the vehicle control system according to the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 2 The server 200 has a memory 202, a communication device 205, a position estimation unit 207, and a travel control unit 208. The vehicle 100 has a vehicle control device 110, an actuator group 120, and a communication device 130.

[0033] ​Further, the server 200 is not limited to being physically constituted by a single device, but can be constituted by a plurality of devices that are dispersed.

[0034] In the server 200, the communication device 205 communicates with the camera 310, the drum test stand 400, and the vehicle 100 via the network 500. The communication device 205 receives, for example, data of a captured image and the like from the camera 310, and receives data related to the rotation conditions of the rollers R1, R2 from the drum test stand 400. In addition, the communication device 205 transmits, for example, information related to vehicle control based on the driving conditions of the driving test to the vehicle 100, and receives information related to the test results, such as the speed indicated by the speedometer, from the vehicle 100.

[0035] The position estimation section 207 estimates the position of the vehicle 100 based on the image of the vehicle 100 captured by the camera 310. Specifically, the communication device 205 receives data of a captured image and the like from the camera 310, and the position estimation section 207 analyzes (i.e., image analysis) the received captured image, thereby estimating the position of the vehicle 100.

[0036] For example, the position of the vehicle 100 in the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction) and the left-right direction (X-axis direction) on the drum test stand 400 can be estimated with the positions of the rollers R1, R2 fixed to the drum test stand 400 as a reference. That is, the position estimation section 207 can estimate the positions of the vehicle 100 in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction based on the positional relationship between the rollers R1, R2 of the drum test stand 400 and the vehicle 100 determined from the captured image of the camera 310.

[0037] Further, the camera 310 that captures the vehicle on the drum test stand 400 can be one or a plurality of cameras. In addition, instead of a camera, a proximity sensor, a distance sensor, or the like can be used as a detection unit that detects the arrival of the vehicle 100 that is a control target at the drum test stand 400.

[0038] Further, the movement of the vehicle 100 on the drum test stand 400 is limited to the shift in the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction) and the slide in the left-right direction (X-axis direction), and therefore, instead of the camera 310, a proximity sensor, a distance sensor, or the like can be used to estimate the positions of the vehicle 100 in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. According to such a configuration, the position estimation section 207 can estimate the position of the vehicle 100 without performing image analysis, and therefore, the processing speed of the position estimation can be improved.

[0039] The travel control section 208 controls the travel of the vehicle 100 and the behavior on the drum test stand 400 based on the position of the vehicle 100 estimated by the position estimation section 207. The travel control section 208 controls the vehicle 100 on the drum test stand 400 in such a manner that the vehicle 100 stably travels on the rotating rollers R1, R2.

[0040] Here, on the drum test stand 400, the wheels of the vehicle 100 are driven to rotate in correspondence with the conditions of the travel test, and in conjunction therewith, the rollers R1, R2 rotate. At this time, it is preferable that the wheels of the vehicle 100 stay on the rollers R1, R2 and do not move in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) and the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction).

[0041] Thus, the travel control section 208 adjusts the front-rear direction and the left-right direction of the vehicle 100 based on the position of the vehicle 100 estimated by the position estimation section 207, for example, in such a manner that the vehicle 100 is within the range of a predetermined reference region on the drum test stand 400.

[0042] Specifically, in the case where the wheels of the vehicle 100 on the drum test stand 400 slide on the rotating rollers R1, R2 in the positive direction of the X-axis, for example, the travel control section 208 controls the amount of change in the left-right direction of the vehicle 100 and the rate of change in the behavior of the vehicle 100 in such a manner that the wheels of the vehicle 100 slide in the opposite direction (negative direction of the X-axis). The left-right direction of the vehicle 100 is generated by a steering behavior. Thus, specifically, the travel control section 208 controls the steering angle (deg) and the rate of change in the steering angle (deg / s).

[0043] On the other hand, the travel control section 208 controls the amount of change in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 100 and the rate of change in the behavior of the vehicle 100 in such a manner that the wheels of the vehicle 100 on the drum test stand 400 do not deviate in the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction) on the rotating rollers R1, R2. The front-rear direction of the vehicle 100 is generated by an acceleration behavior. Thus, specifically, the travel control section 208 controls the acceleration (m / s 2 ) based on the driving force generated by the accelerator of the vehicle 100 and the deceleration (m / s 2 ) based on the braking force generated by the brake, and the amount of change in each of them per unit time, that is, the rate of change in the acceleration (m / s 3 ) and the rate of change in the deceleration (m / s 3 ).

[0044] Here, if the steering operation, the acceleration / deceleration operation is controlled as in the usual running with respect to the vehicle 100 on the drum test stand 400, there is a problem that, for example, the wheels of the vehicle 100 easily come off the rollers R1, R2 of the drum test stand 400 and the control cannot be properly performed. For example, if the steering angle, the acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle 100 on the drum test stand 400 is made large as in the usual running, it can lead to the wheels of the vehicle 100 coming off the rollers R1, R2 of the drum test stand 400.

[0045] Thus, in the vehicle control system 50 according to the present embodiment, the travel control section 208 switches the control mode with respect to the vehicle 100 from the travel control mode to the test control mode when the vehicle 100 is detected by the camera 310 to have reached the drum test stand 400. Here, the travel control mode is a usual control mode that controls the running of the vehicle 100 on the road. On the other hand, the test control mode is a special control mode that controls the operation (running) of the vehicle 100 on the drum test stand 400.

[0046] For example, in the test control mode, the actuator group 120 that drives the vehicle 100 is controlled in a manner that limits at least one of the amount of change in the operation of the vehicle 100 and the speed of change in the operation of the vehicle 100, compared to the travel control mode. In more detail, in order to limit the operation of the vehicle 100 in the left-right direction, the range of values of at least one of the steering angle and the steering angle change rate is limited. For example, the upper limit value is made small. Also, in order to limit the operation of the vehicle 100 in the front-rear direction, the range of values of at least one of the acceleration, the acceleration change rate, the deceleration, and the deceleration change rate is limited. For example, the upper limit value is made small. That is, in the test control mode, the range of values of at least one of the steering angle, the steering angle change rate, the acceleration, the acceleration change rate, the deceleration, and the deceleration change rate is limited, compared to the travel control mode. Thereby, the wheels of the vehicle 100 can be inhibited from coming off the rollers R1, R2 of the drum test stand 400.

[0047] Also, it can be that, in the test control mode, the control cycle is set to be short, compared to the travel control mode. In conjunction therewith, the communication frequency between the vehicle 100 and the server 200 can be switched to a second communication frequency (for example, 5 GHz) that is higher than the first communication frequency (for example, 2.4 GHz) in the travel control mode, at the time of switching from the travel control mode to the test control mode. By shortening the control cycle, the wheels of the vehicle 100 can be further inhibited from coming off the rollers R1, R2 of the drum test stand 400.

[0048] As such, by switching the control mode for the vehicle 100 on the drum test stand 400 from the usual travel control mode to the test control mode, it is possible to suppress the wheels of the vehicle 100 from coming off the rollers R1, R2 of the drum test stand 400. As a result, it is possible to appropriately control the behavior of the vehicle 100 on the drum test stand 400.

[0049] The information related to vehicle control (vehicle control information) generated by the travel control section 208 is transmitted to the vehicle 100 via the communication device 205. In the vehicle 100, the communication device 130 receives the vehicle control information transmitted from the server 200, and the vehicle control device 110 causes the actuator group 120 to act based on the received vehicle control information, causing the vehicle 100 on the drum test stand 400 to travel.

[0050] On the other hand, the results of the travel test of the vehicle 100 on the drum test stand 400 are transmitted from the vehicle 100 to the server 200 via the communication device 130. In the server 200, the communication device 205 receives information related to the results of the travel test from the vehicle 100 or the drum test stand 400. The results of the travel test of the vehicle 100 are stored in, for example, the memory 202 together with the travel conditions.

[0051] As explained above, in the vehicle control system 50 according to the present embodiment, when the arrival of the vehicle 100 at the drum test stand 400 is detected by the camera 310, the control mode for the vehicle 100 is switched from the travel control mode to the test control mode. Thus, it is possible to suppress the wheels of the vehicle 100 from coming off the rollers R1, R2 of the drum test stand 400, and it is possible to appropriately control the behavior of the vehicle 100 on the drum test stand 400.

[0052] Next, a travel control example for controlling the travel of the vehicle 100 in the system 50 will be explained.

[0053] <A. Travel Control Example 1>

[0054] Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of the system 50 in the travel control example 1. The system 50 is provided with one or more vehicles 100 as mobile bodies, a server 200, and one or more external sensors 300.

[0055] Further, 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 "travel" can be appropriately replaced with "movement".

[0056] The vehicle 100 is configured to be able to travel by unmanned driving. "Unmanned driving" means driving that does not rely on a travel operation by an occupant. The travel operation means an operation related to at least one of "travel", "steering", and "stop" of the vehicle 100. Unmanned driving is achieved by remote control of the vehicle 100 using a device located outside the vehicle 100, or autonomous control of the vehicle 100. In the vehicle 100 that travels by unmanned driving, an occupant who does not perform a travel operation can also be present. The occupant who does not perform a travel operation includes, for example, a person who is seated on a seat of the vehicle 100, and a person who performs an operation such as assembly, inspection, and switching while riding in the vehicle 100. In addition, driving based on a travel operation by an occupant is sometimes referred to as "manned driving".

[0057] In the present specification, "remote control" includes "complete remote control" in which all actions of the vehicle 100 are determined from the outside of the vehicle 100, and "partial remote control" in which a part of the actions of the vehicle 100 is determined from the outside of the vehicle 100. In addition, "autonomous control" includes "complete autonomous control" in which the vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own actions without receiving any information from a device outside the vehicle 100, and "partial autonomous control" in which the vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own actions using information received from a device outside the vehicle 100.

[0058] In the present embodiment, the system 50 is used in a factory FC that manufactures the vehicle 100. The reference coordinate system of the factory FC is the global coordinate system GC. That is, an arbitrary position within the factory FC is expressed by the coordinates of X, Y, and Z in the global coordinate system GC. The factory FC has a first place PL1 and a second place PL2. The first place PL1 and the second place PL2 are connected by a travel road TR on which the vehicle 100 is able to travel. In the factory FC, a plurality of external sensors 300 are provided along the travel road TR. The positions of the respective external sensors 300 in the factory FC are adjusted in advance. The vehicle 100 moves from the first place PL1 to the second place PL2 by unmanned driving along the travel road TR.

[0059] Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the system 50. The vehicle 100 has a vehicle control device 110 for controlling each part of the vehicle 100, an actuator group 120 including one or more actuators that are driven under the control of the vehicle control device 110, and a communication device 130 for communicating with an external device such as the server 200 by wireless communication. The actuator group 120 includes an actuator of a drive 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 brake device for decelerating the vehicle 100.

[0060] The vehicle control device 110 is configured by a computer provided with 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 bidirectionally communicable 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 realizes various functions including a function as a vehicle control section 115 by executing a program PG1 stored in the memory 112.

[0061] The vehicle control section 115 causes the vehicle 100 to travel by controlling the actuator group 120. The vehicle control section 115 controls the actuator group 120 by using a travel control signal received from the server 200, whereby the vehicle 100 can be caused to travel. The travel control signal is a control signal for causing the vehicle 100 to travel. In the present embodiment, the travel control signal contains an acceleration of the vehicle 100 and a steering angle as parameters. In other embodiments, the travel control signal can contain a speed of the vehicle 100 as a parameter instead of or in addition to containing the acceleration of the vehicle 100.

[0062] The server 200 is configured by a computer provided with 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 bidirectionally communicable via the internal bus 204. The communication device 205 for communicating with various devices outside the server 200 is connected to the input / output interface 203. The communication device 205 can communicate with the vehicle 100 by wireless communication, and can communicate with each external sensor 300 by wired or wireless communication. The processor 201 realizes various functions including a function as a remote control section 210 by executing a program PG2 stored in the memory 202.

[0063] The remote control section 210 acquires a detection result based on a sensor, generates a travel control signal for controlling the actuator group 120 of the vehicle 100 using the detection result, transmits the travel control signal to the vehicle 100, and thereby causes the vehicle 100 to travel by remote control. That is, the remote control section 210 contains Figure 2 the functions of the position estimation section 207 and the travel control section 208 illustrated.

[0064] In addition, the remote control section 210 can generate and output, not only the travel control signal, but also a control signal for controlling an actuator that causes various equipment such as various auxiliaries, a wiper, a power window, and a headlamp of the vehicle 100 to act, for example. That is, the remote control section 210 can cause such various equipment and various auxiliaries to act by remote control.

[0065] The external sensor 300 is a sensor located outside the vehicle 100. The external sensor 300 in the present embodiment is a sensor that captures the vehicle 100 from the outside of the vehicle 100. The external sensor 300 is provided with a communication device (not shown) and is capable of communicating with other devices such as the server 200 through wired or wireless communication.

[0066] 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.

[0067] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of the travel control of the vehicle 100 in the travel control example. In the processing flow of Figure 5 In the processing flow of the server 200, the processor 201 of the server 200 functions as the remote control section 210 by executing the program PG2. Also, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 functions as the vehicle control section 115 by executing the program PG1.

[0068] In step S110, the processor 201 of the server 200 acquires vehicle position information of the vehicle 100 using the detection result output from the external sensor 300. The vehicle position information is position information that becomes the basis for generating a travel control signal. In the present embodiment, the vehicle position information includes the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 in the global coordinate system GC of the factory FC. Specifically, in step S110, the processor 201 acquires the vehicle position information using the captured image acquired from the camera as the external sensor 300.

[0069] In detail, in step S110, the processor 201 detects the outer shape of the vehicle 100 from the captured image, for example, and calculates the coordinates of the positioning point of the vehicle 100 in the coordinate system of the captured image, i.e., the local coordinate system, and converts the calculated coordinates into coordinates in the global coordinate system GC, thereby acquiring the position of the vehicle 100. The outer shape of the vehicle 100 included in the captured image can be detected by inputting the captured image to a detection model DM using artificial intelligence, for example. The detection model DM is prepared within or outside the system 50, for example, and is stored in advance in the memory 202 of the server 200. As the detection model DM, a learned machine learning model that has been learned in a manner to realize either of semantic segmentation and instance segmentation, for example, can be cited. As the machine learning model, a convolutional neural network (hereinafter CNN) that has been learned by supervised learning using a learning data set, for example, can be used. The learning data set has a plurality of training images including the vehicle 100, for example, and labels showing which of the regions in the training images represents the vehicle 100 and which of the regions other than the vehicle 100. At the time of learning of the CNN, it is preferable to update the parameters of the CNN in a manner to reduce the error between the output result based on the detection model DM and the label by back propagation. In addition, the processor 201 can acquire the orientation of the vehicle 100 by estimating the direction of the movement vector of the vehicle 100 calculated from the positional change of the feature points of the vehicle 100 between the frames of the captured image, for example, using an optical flow method.

[0070] In step S120, the processor 201 of the server 200 decides 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, Z in the global coordinate system GC. In the memory 202 of the server 200, a reference route RR as a route in which the vehicle 100 should travel is stored in advance. The route is represented by nodes showing the departure place, nodes showing the passing points, nodes showing the destination, and links connecting the nodes. The processor 201 decides the target position to which the vehicle 100 should go next using the vehicle position information and the reference route RR. The processor 201 decides the target position on the reference route RR more forward than the current position of the vehicle 100.

[0071] In step S130, the processor 201 of the server 200 generates a travel control signal for causing the vehicle 100 to travel toward the decided target position. The processor 201 calculates a travel speed of the vehicle 100 according to the progress of the position of the vehicle 100, and compares the calculated travel speed with the target speed. Overall, the processor 201 decides an acceleration in such a manner that the vehicle 100 accelerates in a case where the travel speed is lower than the target speed, and decides an acceleration in such a manner that the vehicle 100 decelerates in a case where the travel speed is higher than the target speed. In addition, in a case where the vehicle 100 is on the reference path RR, the processor 201 decides a steering angle and an acceleration in such a manner that the vehicle 100 does not deviate from the reference path RR, and in a case where the vehicle 100 is not on the reference path RR, in other words, in a case where the vehicle 100 deviates from the reference path RR, the processor 201 decides a steering angle and an acceleration in such a manner that the vehicle 100 returns to the reference path RR.

[0072] In step S140, the processor 201 of the server 200 transmits the generated travel control signal to the vehicle 100. The processor 201 repeatedly performs the acquisition of the position of the vehicle 100, the decision of the target position, the generation of the travel control signal, and the transmission of the travel control signal, and the like, at a prescribed cycle.

[0073] In step S150, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 receives the travel control signal transmitted from the server 200. In step S160, 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 the steering angle indicated by the travel control signal. The processor 111 repeatedly performs the reception of the travel control signal and the control of the actuator group 120 at a prescribed cycle. According to the system 50 in the present example, it is possible to cause the vehicle 100 to travel by remote control, and it is possible to move the vehicle 100 without using a conveyance device such as a crane or a conveyer.

[0074] <B: Travel Control Example 2>

[0075] Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of the system 50v in the travel control example 2. In the present example, the point different from the travel control example 1 is that the system 50v does not have the server 200. In addition, the vehicle 100v in the configuration is able to travel by autonomous control of the vehicle 100v. As for other configurations, the same as described above unless specifically described.

[0076] In this example, the processor 111v of the vehicle control device 110v functions as the vehicle control section 115v by executing the program PG1 stored in the memory 112v. The vehicle control section 115v acquires an output result based on a sensor, generates a travel control signal using the output result, outputs the generated travel control signal to cause the actuator group 120 to act, and thereby enables the vehicle 100v to travel by autonomous control. In this example, in the memory 112v, in addition to the program PG1, a detection model DM and a reference path RR are also stored in advance.

[0077] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of travel control of the vehicle 100v in Example 2. In the processing flow of travel control of the vehicle 100v in Example 2, the processor 111v of the vehicle 100v functions as the vehicle control section 115v by executing the program PG1. Figure 7

[0078] In step S210, the processor 111v of the vehicle control device 110v acquires vehicle position information using a detection result output from the camera as the external sensor 300. In step S220, the processor 111v decides a target position to which the vehicle 100v should go next. In step S230, the processor 111v generates a travel control signal for causing the vehicle 100v to travel toward the decided target position. In step S240, the processor 111v controls the actuator group 120 using the generated travel control signal, and thereby causes the vehicle 100v to travel in accordance with parameters indicated by the travel control signal. The processor 111v repeatedly performs acquisition of vehicle position information, decision of a target position, generation of a travel control signal, and control of an actuator at a prescribed cycle. According to the system 50v in this example, even if the vehicle 100v is not remotely controlled by the server 200, the vehicle 100v can be caused to travel by autonomous control of the vehicle 100v.

[0079] YY: Other Travel Control Example

[0080] (YY1) In the above example, the external sensor 300 is a camera. In contrast, the external sensor 300 can not be a camera, and can be, for example, a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging). In this case, the detection result output by the external sensor 300 can also be three-dimensional point cloud data indicating the vehicle 100. In this case, the server 200 and the vehicle 100 can acquire vehicle position information by template matching using the three-dimensional point cloud data as the detection result and the reference point cloud data prepared in advance.

[0081] ​(YY2) In the travel control example 1, the processing from the acquisition of the vehicle position information to the generation of the travel control signal is executed 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 can be executed by the vehicle 100. For example, the following (1) to (3) can be the manner.

[0082] (1) The server 200 can acquire the vehicle position information, decide a target position to which the vehicle 100 should go next, and generate a path from a current position of the vehicle 100 indicated by the acquired vehicle position information to the target position. The server 200 can generate a path to the target position between the current position and a destination, or a path to the destination. The server 200 can transmit the generated path to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 can generate the travel control signal in such a manner 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.

[0083] (2) The server 200 can acquire the vehicle position information, and transmit the acquired vehicle position information to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 can decide a target position to which the vehicle 100 should go next, generate a path from a current position of the vehicle 100 indicated by the received vehicle position information to the target position, generate the travel control signal in such a manner that the vehicle 100 travels on the generated path, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated travel control signal.

[0084] (3) In the modes of (1) and (2) above, the vehicle 100 can be equipped with an internal sensor, and a detection result output from the internal sensor can be used in at least one of the generation of the route and the generation of the travel control signal. The internal sensor is a sensor mounted on the vehicle 100. The internal sensor can include, for example, a sensor that detects a motion state of the vehicle 100, a sensor that detects an action state of each portion of the vehicle 100, and a sensor that detects an environment around the vehicle 100. Specifically, the internal sensor can include, for example, a camera, a LiDAR, a millimeter wave radar, an ultrasonic sensor, a GPS sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and the like. For example, in the mode of (1) above, the server 200 can acquire a detection result of the internal sensor, and the detection result of the internal sensor can be reflected in the route at the time of generation of the route. In the mode of (1) above, the vehicle 100 can acquire a detection result of the internal sensor, and the detection result of the internal sensor can be reflected in the travel control signal at the time of generation of the travel control signal. In the mode of (2) above, the vehicle 100 can acquire a detection result of the internal sensor, and the detection result of the internal sensor can be reflected in the route at the time of generation of the route. In the mode of (2) above, the vehicle 100 can acquire a detection result of the internal sensor, and the detection result of the internal sensor can be reflected in the travel control signal at the time of generation of the travel control signal.

[0085] (YY3) In the travel control example 2, the vehicle 100v can be equipped with an internal sensor, and a detection result output from the internal sensor can be used in at least one of the generation of the route and the generation of the travel control signal. For example, the vehicle 100v can acquire a detection result of the internal sensor, and the detection result of the internal sensor can be reflected in the route at the time of generation of the route. The vehicle 100v can acquire a detection result of the internal sensor, and the detection result of the internal sensor can be reflected in the travel control signal at the time of generation of the travel control signal.

[0086] (YY4) In the travel control example 2, the vehicle 100v acquires the vehicle position information using the detection result of the external sensor 300. In contrast, it can be that the vehicle 100v is equipped with an internal sensor, the vehicle 100v acquires the vehicle position information using the detection result of the internal sensor, decides a target position where the vehicle 100v should go next, generates a path from a current position of the vehicle 100v indicated by the acquired vehicle position information to the target position, generates a travel control signal for traveling on the generated path, and controls the actuator group 120 using the generated travel control signal. In this case, the vehicle 100v can travel without using any detection result of the external sensor 300. Further, it can be that the vehicle 100v acquires a target arrival time and / or congestion information from outside of the vehicle 100v, and reflects the target arrival time and / or the congestion information in at least one of the path and the travel control signal. In addition, it can be that the functional configuration of the system 50v is provided in the vehicle 100v. That is, the processing realized by the system 50v in the present disclosure can be realized by the vehicle 100v alone.

[0087] (YY5) In the travel control example 1, the server 200 automatically generates the travel control signal transmitted to the vehicle 100. In contrast, the server 200 can generate the travel control signal transmitted to the vehicle 100 in accordance with an operation of an external operator located outside of the vehicle 100. For example, it can be that the external operator operates a manipulation device provided with a display that displays a captured image output from the external sensor 300, 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 through wired communication or wireless communication, and the server 200 generates the travel control signal corresponding to the operation applied to the manipulation device.

[0088] (YY6) In each of the above-described travel control examples, the vehicle 100 only needs to have a configuration that enables movement by unmanned driving, and can be, for example, in the form of a platform having the following configuration. Specifically, the vehicle 100 only needs to have at least the vehicle control device 110 and the actuator group 120 in order to exhibit the three functions of "traveling", "steering", and "stopping" by unmanned driving. In a case where the vehicle 100 acquires information from the outside for unmanned driving, the vehicle 100 can have the communication device 130. That is, the vehicle 100 that is capable of moving by unmanned driving can not be equipped with at least a portion of interior components such as a driver's seat and an instrument panel, can not be equipped with at least a portion of exterior components such as a bumper and a fender, and can not be equipped with a vehicle body shell. In this case, the remaining components such as the vehicle body shell can be attached to the vehicle 100 during a period until the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory FC, or can be attached to the vehicle 100 after the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory FC in a state where the remaining components such as the vehicle body shell are not attached to the vehicle 100. Each of the components can be attached from any of the upper side, the lower side, the front side, the rear side, the right side, or the left side of the vehicle 100, can be attached from the same direction, or can be attached from different directions. Furthermore, the position of the platform can be determined similarly to the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment.

[0089] (YY7) The vehicle 100 can also be manufactured by combining a plurality of modules. A module means a unit constituted by a plurality of components that are grouped according to the position and function of the vehicle 100. For example, the platform of the vehicle 100 can be manufactured by combining a front module that constitutes a front portion of the platform, a central module that constitutes a central portion of the platform, and a rear module that constitutes a rear portion of the platform. Furthermore, the number of modules that constitute the platform is not limited to three, and can be two or less or four or more. In addition, components that constitute a portion of the vehicle 100 other than the platform can be modularized in addition to or instead of the components that constitute the platform. In addition, each of the modules can include any of exterior components such as a bumper and a grill, and any of interior components such as a seat and a console. In addition, the vehicle 100 is not limited, and any type of moving body can be manufactured by combining a plurality of modules. Such a module can be manufactured, for example, by joining a plurality of components by welding or a fixing member, or can be manufactured by integrally molding at least a portion of the components that constitute the module into one component by casting. The molding method that integrally molds one component, particularly a relatively large component, is also referred to as Giga-casting or Mega-casting. For example, the above-described front module, central module, and rear module can be manufactured using Giga-casting.

[0090] (YY8) The transportation of the vehicle 100 using the travel of the vehicle 100 under the unmanned driving is also called "self-transportation". In addition, the configuration for realizing the self-transportation is also called "vehicle remote control autonomous travel transportation system". In addition, the production method of the vehicle 100 using the self-transportation is also called "self-production". In the self-production, for example, in the factory FC that manufactures the vehicle 100, at least a part of the transportation of the vehicle 100 is realized by the self-transportation.

[0091] (YY9) In each of the above-described travel control examples, a part or all of the functions and processes realized by software can be realized by hardware. In addition, a part or all of the functions and processes realized by hardware can be realized by software. As the hardware for realizing various functions in each of the above-described embodiments, various circuits such as an integrated circuit, a discrete circuit can be used.

[0092] In addition, the present disclosure can realize a part or all of the processes in the above-described external sensor 300, vehicle 100, and server 200, and the like by causing a CPU (Central Processing Unit) to execute a computer program.

[0093] The above-described program contains the following command group (or software code): it is used to cause a computer to execute one or more functions described in the embodiments when it is read into the computer. The program can also be stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium or a tangible storage medium. As an example but not limitation, the computer readable medium or the tangible storage medium includes RAM (Random-Access Memory), ROM (Read-Only Memory), flash memory, SSD (Solid-State Drive) or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), Blu-ray (registered trademark) disc, or other optical disc storage devices, cassette tape, magnetic tape, disk storage device or other magnetic storage devices. The program can also be sent on a transitory computer readable medium or a communication medium. As an example but not limitation, the transitory computer readable medium or the communication medium includes electrical, optical, acoustic or other forms of propagated signals.

[0094] From the disclosure as described above, it is obvious that the embodiments of the present disclosure can be varied in various ways. Such variations should not be considered as departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and all such modifications obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A vehicle control system, which enables a vehicle to move autonomously to a drum test stand and controls the movement of the vehicle on the drum test stand, comprising: The detection unit detects the arrival of the target vehicle on the drum test stand; and The controller enables the target vehicle to move autonomously to the drum test bench and controls the movement of the target vehicle on the drum test bench. When the detection unit detects that the target vehicle has arrived at the drum test stand... The controller switches the control mode for the target vehicle from driving control mode to test control mode for controlling the actions on the drum test bench.

2. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein, In the test control mode, compared with the driving control mode, the actuator driving the vehicle is controlled in a manner that limits at least one of the amount of change in the vehicle's movement and the speed of change in the movement.

3. The vehicle control system according to claim 2, wherein, In the test control mode, compared with the driving control mode, the range of possible values ​​for at least one of the following is limited: steering angle, steering angle change rate, acceleration, acceleration change rate, deceleration, and deceleration change rate.

4. The vehicle control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, In the test control mode, the control cycle is set to be shorter compared to the driving control mode.

5. The vehicle control system according to claim 4, wherein, The controller is wirelessly connected to the target vehicle. When switching from the driving control mode to the test control mode, the communication frequency is switched to a second communication frequency that is higher than the first communication frequency in the driving control mode.

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