Position estimation device and position estimation method

Abstract

The invention provides a technology for simply estimating the position and orientation of a vehicle. A position estimation device that estimates the position and orientation of a vehicle in a space in which a wall is provided, the position estimation device being provided with: an acquisition unit that acquires a detection result including a distance and an angle to the wall from a domain sensor mounted on the vehicle; a storage unit that stores target position information including a distance and an angle from the wall at a target position in the space; and an estimation unit that estimates the position and orientation of the vehicle with respect to the target position using the detection results of the domain sensor and the target position information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a position estimation device and method for estimating the position and orientation of a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] There is a known unmanned transport vehicle that uses sensors that detect the distance to objects and a 3D map to estimate its own position while driving (e.g., Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-084219 Summary of the Invention

[0004] Preparing 3D maps requires time and money, so a technology that can more easily estimate the location of vehicles is desired.

[0005] The present invention can be implemented in the following ways.

[0006] (1) According to a first aspect of the present invention, a position estimation device is provided for estimating the position and orientation of a vehicle within a space provided with a wall. The position estimation device comprises: an acquisition unit that acquires detection results including distance and angle with respect to the wall from a field sensor mounted on the vehicle; a storage unit that stores target position information including distance and angle with respect to the wall at a target position within the space; and an estimation unit that uses the detection results of the field sensor and the target position information to estimate the position and orientation of the vehicle relative to the target position.

[0007] The position estimation device based on this method can easily estimate the position and orientation of a vehicle within a space with walls.

[0008] (2) In the position estimation device of the above method, the estimation unit may perform the following processing: using the previous estimation result and the detection result of the vehicle speed sensor mounted on the vehicle, the range including the distance and angle to the wall is determined as the range of use from the detection result of the range sensor that can include the distance and angle to the obstacle other than the wall; and using the range of use and the target position information, the position and posture of the vehicle relative to the target position are estimated.

[0009] The position estimation device based on this method can improve the accuracy of estimating the position and attitude of the vehicle.

[0010] (3) In the position estimation device described above, the estimation unit may use the range of use to calculate the approximate straight line of the wall, and estimate the position and posture of the vehicle based on the distance and angle between the measuring sensor and the approximate straight line.

[0011] The position estimation device based on this method can accurately estimate the position and orientation of a vehicle within a space with flat walls.

[0012] (4) The location estimation device described above may further include: a control unit that uses the estimation result of the estimation unit and the target location information to drive the vehicle to the target location.

[0013] The location estimation device based on this method can enable the vehicle to travel to the target location.

[0014] (5) According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method for estimating the position and orientation of a vehicle within a space provided with a wall is provided. The method includes the following steps: acquiring detection results including the distance and angle to the wall from a field sensor mounted on the vehicle; and using the detection results of the field sensor and target position information including the distance and angle to the wall at a target position within the space, to estimate the position and orientation of the vehicle relative to the target position.

[0015] Based on this method of position estimation, the position and orientation of a vehicle within a walled space can be easily estimated.

[0016] This invention can also be implemented in various ways other than position estimation devices and position estimation methods. It can be implemented as a vehicle, a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, a computer program, and a recording medium containing the computer program. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 An explanatory diagram showing the structure of the vehicle according to the first embodiment.

[0018] Figure 2 An explanatory diagram showing the state of the vehicle in the first embodiment driving in the garage.

[0019] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating the processing sequence of vehicle driving control in the first embodiment.

[0020] Figure 4 An explanatory diagram illustrating the vehicle position estimation method of the first embodiment.

[0021] Figure 5 An explanatory diagram illustrating the vehicle position estimation method of the second embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0022] A. Implementation Method 1:

[0023] Figure 1This is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of a vehicle 100 equipped with a control device 150, which is a position estimation device in the first embodiment. Figure 2 This is an explanatory diagram showing the state of vehicle 100 moving within garage 200. Figure 1 The vehicle 100 shown is configured to autonomously drive while estimating its own position and attitude. Vehicle 100 is used, for example, in an automobile manufacturing plant to transport vehicles (VH). Vehicle 100 includes two range sensors 110F and 110L, a vehicle speed sensor 120, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver 130, an actuator assembly 140, and a control unit 150. Alternatively, vehicle 100 may be equipped without the GNSS receiver 130.

[0024] The first measuring sensor 110F is fixed to the front of the vehicle 100, facing forward. The second measuring sensor 110L is fixed to the left side surface of the vehicle 100, so that the vehicle 100 faces left. In the following description, the first measuring sensor 110F is referred to as the front measuring sensor 110F, and the second measuring sensor 110L is referred to as the left measuring sensor 110L. Unless otherwise specified in the description, the front measuring sensor 110F and the left measuring sensor 110L are simply referred to as measuring sensor 110. The measuring sensor 110 scans its surroundings to detect objects present in the surroundings. In this embodiment, the measuring sensor 110 is a two-dimensional LiDAR. The measuring sensor 110 scans a 180-degree range in 0.25-degree increments. The measuring sensor 110 outputs two-dimensional distance information as the detection result. The two-dimensional distance information contains multiple pairs of angles and distances. The angle and distance contained in the two-dimensional distance information represent the azimuth angle of the detection point on the object observed from the field sensor 110 and the distance from the field sensor 110 to the detection point on the object.

[0025] Vehicle speed sensor 120 detects vehicle speed, that is, the speed of vehicle 100. Vehicle speed sensor 120 may, for example, be a wheel speed sensor that detects vehicle speed based on the rotational speed of the wheels and the size of the wheels.

[0026] The GNSS receiver 130 uses signals transmitted from GNSS satellites to detect the current position of the vehicle 100. For example, a GPS receiver can be used in the GNSS receiver 130.

[0027] The actuator assembly 140 includes an actuator for a drive device that generates propulsive force on the vehicle 100, an actuator for a steering device that changes the steering angle of the vehicle 100, and an actuator for a braking device that generates braking force on the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 is configured as a battery electric vehicle (BEV) and uses battery power to drive the drive device. Figure 2 As shown, the vehicle 100 includes: front wheels 101, which are symmetrically arranged about the front and rear axles CL passing through the center of the vehicle 100 when viewed from above; and rear wheels 102, which are arranged on the front and rear axles CL of the vehicle 100 when viewed from above. The vehicle 100 is capable of rotating about the rear wheels 102 with a steering angle of +90 degrees or -90 degrees.

[0028] like Figure 1 As shown, the control device 150 is composed of a computer having a processor 151, a memory 152, an input / output interface 153, and an internal bus 154. The processor 151, memory 152, and input / output interface 153 are connected bidirectionally via the internal bus 154. A front range sensor 110F, a left range sensor 110L, a vehicle speed sensor 120, a GNSS receiver 130, and an actuator assembly 140 are connected to the input / output interface 153 via signal lines, etc.

[0029] The memory 152 stores in advance a computer program, namely a driving program PG, for enabling the vehicle 100 to drive autonomously, and target position information TZ related to the target position of the vehicle 100. The processor 151, by executing the driving program PG, functions as an acquisition unit 155 for acquiring the detection results from the range sensors 110F and 110L and the vehicle speed sensor 120, an estimation unit 156 for estimating the position and attitude of the vehicle 100, and a control unit 157 for controlling the position and attitude of the vehicle 100. Additionally, the memory 152 is sometimes referred to as a storage unit.

[0030] Figure 2 The illustrated garage 200 includes a front wall 210, a left side wall 220, and a charging device 250 for charging the battery of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the garage 200 has a cuboid-shaped interior space. The front wall 210, the left side wall 220, and the charging device 250 are disposed within the interior space of the garage 200. The garage 200 has an entrance 205 leading to the outside. The front wall 210 is positioned at the front when viewed from the entrance 205, and the left side wall 220 is positioned on the left side when viewed from the entrance 205. The front wall 210 and the left side wall 220 are arranged perpendicular to each other when viewed from above. The charging device 250 is positioned in front of the front wall 210 and to the right of the front wall 210 when viewed from the entrance 205.

[0031] When outdoors, vehicle 100 can obtain its current location via GNSS receiver 130 and drive autonomously. However, indoors, such as inside a garage 200, vehicle 100 cannot obtain its current location via GNSS receiver 130. Therefore, when inside a garage 200, vehicle 100 estimates its current location through garage driving processing and drives to the target location. In this embodiment, the target location is set next to the charging device 250.

[0032] Figure 3 This is a flowchart showing the sequence of driving processes within the garage. Figure 4 This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the method for estimating the position of vehicle 100 within garage 200. Figure 3 The garage driving process shown is performed by the control device 150 of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the garage driving process begins when the vehicle 100 enters the garage 200 from outside. The control device 150 can detect the vehicle 100 entering the garage 200 from outside, for example, using a GNSS receiver 130.

[0033] like Figure 3 As shown, in step S110, the acquisition unit 155 acquires two-dimensional distance information DZ1 and DZ2 from the front measuring field sensor 110F and the left measuring field sensor 110L. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the two-dimensional distance information DZ1 and DZ2 obtained from each measuring field sensor 110F and 110L contains multiple pairs of azimuth angles ψ of detection points DP1 and DP2 on the object observed from each measuring field sensor 110F and 110L, and distances d from each measuring field sensor 110F and 110L to the detection points DP1 and DP2 on the object.

[0034] In step S120, the estimation unit 156 determines the application range of the two-dimensional distance information DZ1 and DZ2 obtained from each of the measuring field sensors 110F and 110L for position estimation in the subsequent step S130. In this embodiment, the estimation unit 156 determines the application range by the following method. By determining the application range using the following method, the subsequent position estimation can be performed without using the range where obstacles are detected by the charging device 250, etc., thus improving the accuracy of the subsequent position estimation.

[0035] <Method for determining the scope of application>

[0036] The method for determining the scope of use related to the two-dimensional distance information DZ1 obtained from the front-end sensor 110F is explained. First, the estimation unit 156 temporarily estimates the current position (xi, yi) of the front-end sensor 110F in the garage coordinate system Cg by the following formulas (1) and (2).

[0037] xi = xi-1 - v × cosθ……(1)

[0038] yi = yi-1 - v × sinθ……(2)

[0039] Next, the estimation unit 156 uses the current position (xi, yi) of the front measuring domain sensor 110F in the temporarily estimated garage coordinate system Cg and the positions (x1, y1) and (x2, y2) of the two endpoints P1 and P2 of the front wall 210 in the garage coordinate system Cg to calculate the azimuth range φ using the following formula (3). Among the multiple pairs of azimuth angles ψ and distances d contained in the two-dimensional distance information DZ1, the estimation unit 156 determines the pair of azimuth angles ψ within the azimuth range φ as the usage range.

[0040] arctan((yi-y1) / (xi-x1))-θ≤φ≤arctan((yi-y2) / (xi-x2))-θ……(3)

[0041] Here, the garage coordinate system Cg is a two-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system with the intersection of the front wall 210 and the left side wall 220 as the origin, and has an x-axis perpendicular to the front wall 210 and a y-axis perpendicular to the left side wall 220. xi-1 and yi-1 are the x and y coordinates of the front measuring field sensor 110F in the garage coordinate system Cg calculated based on the previous estimation result. The positional relationship between the front measuring field sensor 110F and the left measuring field sensor 110L is known. θ is the azimuth angle of the vehicle 100 in the previous estimation result. θ is expressed as the angle between the front and rear axles CL of the vehicle 100 and the left side wall 220. v is the vehicle speed obtained from the vehicle speed sensor 120. The previous estimation result refers to the latest estimation result estimated in the subsequent step S130 after the start of the garage driving process. Notably, the previous estimation result does not exist in the initial step S120 after the start of the garage driving process. Therefore, in this embodiment, the estimation unit 156 determines the predetermined initial azimuth angle range as the aforementioned azimuth angle range φ in the first step S120. The vehicle 100 is controlled to enter the garage 200 from a predetermined initial position in a predetermined initial posture. Therefore, the initial azimuth angle range is preferably set to the range detected by the front measuring field sensor 110F when scanning the surrounding area in the initial position and initial posture. In other embodiments, in the first step S120, the estimation unit 156 can set the x and y coordinates of the front measuring field sensor 110F at the initial position as xi-1 and yi-1, and set the azimuth angle of the vehicle 100 at the initial posture as θ.

[0042] The above describes the method for determining the usage range related to the two-dimensional distance information DZ1 acquired from the front measuring field sensor 110F. The usage range related to the two-dimensional distance information DZ2 acquired from the left measuring field sensor 110L can also be determined in the same manner. Specifically, when determining the usage range related to the two-dimensional distance information DZ2 acquired from the left measuring field sensor 110L, the positions (x3, y3), (x4, y4) of the two endpoints P3, P4 of the left side wall 220 in the garage coordinate system Cg are used instead of the positions (x1, y1), (x2, y2) of the two endpoints P1, P2 of the front wall 210 and the positions P3, P4 of the left side wall 220. Information related to the positions of the two endpoints P1, P2 of the front wall 210 and the two endpoints P3, P4 of the left side wall 220 is pre-stored in the memory 152.

[0043] In step S130, the estimation unit 156 uses the two-dimensional distance information DZ1 and DZ2 within the aforementioned usage range to estimate the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 within the garage 200. In this embodiment, the estimation unit 156 estimates the distance s between the front measuring field sensor 110F and the front wall 210, the distance w between the left measuring field sensor 110L and the left side wall 220, and the angle θ between the front and rear axles CL of the vehicle 100 and the left side wall 220 as the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 within the garage 200. Specifically, firstly, the estimation unit 156 converts the azimuth angle ψ and distance d of the detection point DP1 included in the usage range of the two-dimensional distance information DZ1 into the x and y coordinates of the detection point DP1 in the sensor coordinate system Cs1 of the front measuring field sensor 110F, and calculates the approximate straight line Ls of each detection point DP1 in the sensor coordinate system Cs1. Furthermore, the estimation unit 156 converts the azimuth angle ψ and distance d of the detection point DP2 included in the usage range of the two-dimensional distance information DZ2 into the x and y coordinates of the detection point DP2 in the sensor coordinate system Cs2 of the left measuring field sensor 110L, and calculates the approximate straight line Lw of each detection point DP2 in the sensor coordinate system Cs2. The estimation unit 156 can calculate the approximate straight lines Ls and Lw, for example, by using the least squares method. Here, the sensor coordinate system Cs1 of the front measuring field sensor 110F is a two-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system with the measuring field sensor 110F as the origin, having an x-axis parallel to the front and rear axles CL of the vehicle 100 and a y-axis parallel to the left and right axes of the vehicle 100. The sensor coordinate system Cs2 of the left measuring field sensor 110L is a two-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system with the left measuring field sensor 110L as the origin, having an x-axis parallel to the front and rear axles CL of the vehicle 100 and a y-axis parallel to the left and right axes of the vehicle 100. Next, the estimation unit 156 estimates the distance between the front measuring field sensor 110F and the approximate straight line Ls as the distance s between the front measuring field sensor 110F and the front wall 210, estimates the distance between the left measuring field sensor 110L and the approximate straight line Lw as the distance w between the left measuring field sensor 110L and the left side wall 220, and estimates the angle between the front and rear axles CL of the vehicle 100 and the approximate straight line Lw as the angle θ between the front and rear axles CL of the vehicle 100 and the left side wall 220.

[0044] In step S140, the control unit 157 uses the estimation result of the estimation unit 156 and the target position information TZ to determine whether at least one of the position and posture of the vehicle 100 needs to be changed. In this embodiment, if the distances s, w, and angles θ estimated by the control unit 157 in step S130 are all consistent with the target values ​​shown in the target position information TZ, it is determined that no change is needed. Conversely, if at least one of the distances s, w, and angles θ estimated by the control unit 157 in step S130 is inconsistent with the aforementioned target values, it is determined that a change is needed.

[0045] If a change is determined to be necessary in step S140, the control unit 157 changes the position and posture of the vehicle 100 by driving the actuator assembly 140 in step S150 to bring the distances s, w, and angle θ close to the aforementioned target values. Then, the control unit 157 returns to step S110 and repeats the garage driving process until it is determined that no change is needed in step S140. If no change is determined to be needed in step S140, the control unit 157 ends the garage driving process.

[0046] According to the control device 150 of this embodiment described above, the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 within the garage 200 relative to a target position can be estimated using two-dimensional distance information DZ1, DZ2 and target position information TZ obtained from the various field sensors 110F and 110L mounted on the vehicle 100. Therefore, the vehicle 100 can be driven to the target position while estimating its position and orientation relative to the target position using a simple structure. In particular, in this embodiment, the control device 150 can estimate the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 without using a three-dimensional map. Therefore, compared to using a three-dimensional map, the memory 152 of the control device 150 can have a smaller capacity, and the processor 151 of the control device 150 does not need to be high-performance. Furthermore, in this embodiment, two-dimensional LiDAR, rather than three-dimensional LiDAR, can be used to estimate the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 as the various field sensors 110F and 110L. Therefore, compared to using three-dimensional LiDAR as the sensors 110F and 110L for each measurement area, the manufacturing cost of vehicle 100 can be reduced. Furthermore, in this embodiment, even in environments where the position of vehicle 100 cannot be obtained via GNSS receiver 130, such as inside a garage 200, the position of vehicle 100 can be estimated with high accuracy.

[0047] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control device 150 determines the usage range of the two-dimensional distance information DZ1 and DZ2 obtained from each of the measuring field sensors 110F and 110L, and uses the aforementioned usage range and target position information TZ to estimate the position and attitude of the vehicle 100 relative to the target position. Therefore, the range in the two-dimensional distance information DZ1 and DZ2 where obstacles other than the front wall 210 or the left side wall 220 are detected can be excluded from the subsequent position and attitude calculation. Therefore, the estimation accuracy of the position and attitude of the vehicle 100 can be improved.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the approximate straight lines Ls and Lw of the front wall 210 and the left side wall 220 are calculated using the aforementioned range of application, and the position and posture of the vehicle 100 are estimated based on the distances s and w and the angle θ between each measuring sensor 110F, 110L and the approximate straight lines Ls and Lw. Therefore, the position and posture of the vehicle 100 in the garage 200, which is provided with a flat front wall 210 and a flat left side wall 220, can be estimated with high accuracy.

[0049] B. Second Implementation Method:

[0050] Figure 5 This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the position estimation method of vehicle 100 in the second embodiment. The difference between the second and first embodiments is that the vehicle 100 includes a front-side sensing sensor 110F but lacks a left-side sensing sensor 110L. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, Figure 3 The processing steps from S110 to S130 in the garage driving process shown differ from those in the first embodiment. Other structural aspects are the same as in the first embodiment unless otherwise specified.

[0051] In this embodiment, in step S110 of the driving process within the garage, the acquisition unit 155 acquires two-dimensional distance information DZ1 from the front-measuring sensor 110F. For example... Figure 5 As shown, the two-dimensional distance information DZ1 obtained from the front-end sensor 110F includes multiple pairs of azimuth angles ψ of detection points DP1a and DP1b on the object observed by the front-end sensor 110F and distances d from the front-end sensor 110F to the detection points DP1a and DP1b on the object.

[0052] In step S120, the estimation unit 156 determines the usage range of the two-dimensional distance information DZ1 obtained from the front measuring field sensor 110F for position estimation in the subsequent step S130. Specifically, firstly, the estimation unit 156 temporarily estimates the current position (xi, yi) of the front measuring field sensor 110F in the garage coordinate system Cg in the same manner as in the first embodiment. Next, the estimation unit 156 uses the temporarily estimated current position (xi, yi) of the front measuring field sensor 110F in the garage coordinate system Cg and the positions (x1, y1) and (x2, y2) of the two endpoints P1 and P2 of the front wall 210 in the garage coordinate system Cg to calculate the usage azimuth angle range, and determines the pairing of multiple sets of azimuth angles ψ and distances d contained in the two-dimensional distance information DZ1 as the usage range of the front wall 210. Furthermore, the estimation unit 156 uses the current position (xi, yi) of the front-measuring sensor 110F in the temporarily estimated garage coordinate system Cg and the positions (x3, y3) and (x4, y4) of the two endpoints P3 and P4 of the left side wall 220 in the garage coordinate system Cg to calculate the azimuth range for use of the left side wall 220, and determines the pairing of multiple sets of azimuth angles ψ and distance d contained in the two-dimensional distance information DZ1 as the pairing within the azimuth range as the usage range for the left side wall 220.

[0053] In step S130, the estimation unit 156 estimates the distance s between the front measuring field sensor 110F and the front wall 210, which is equivalent to... Figure 4The position of the left measuring field sensor 110L and the distance w between it and the left side wall 220, as well as the angle θ between the front and rear axles CL of the vehicle 100 and the left side wall 220, are used as the position and posture of the vehicle 100 within the garage 200. Specifically, firstly, the estimation unit 156 converts the azimuth angle ψ and distance d of the detection point DP1a included in the usage range of the front wall 210 of the two-dimensional distance information DZ1 into the x and y coordinates of the detection point DP1a in the sensor coordinate system Cs1 of the front measuring field sensor 110F, and calculates the approximate straight line Ls of each detection point DP1a in the sensor coordinate system Cs1. Furthermore, the estimation unit 156 converts the azimuth angle ψ and distance d of the detection point DP1b included in the usage range of the left side wall 220 of the two-dimensional distance information DZ1 into the x and y coordinates of the detection point DP1b in the sensor coordinate system Cs1 of the front measuring field sensor 110F, and calculates the approximate straight line Lw of each detection point DP1b in the sensor coordinate system Cs1. Next, the estimation unit 156 estimates the distance between the front measuring field sensor 110F and the approximate straight line Ls as the distance s between the front measuring field sensor 110F and the front wall 210, estimates the distance between the position corresponding to the left measuring field sensor 110L and the approximate straight line Lw as the distance w between the left measuring field sensor 110L and the left side wall 220, and estimates the angle between the front and rear axles CL of the vehicle 100 and the approximate straight line Lw as the angle θ between the front and rear axles CL of the vehicle 100 and the left side wall 220. In this embodiment, the estimation unit 156 uses the following formula (4) to calculate the distance w between the position corresponding to the left measuring field sensor 110L and the left side wall 220.

[0054] w=w1-u×cos(θ+α)……(4)

[0055] Here, w1 is the distance between the front measuring field sensor 110F and the approximate straight line Lw, u is the length of the line segment connecting the position of the front measuring field sensor 110F and the position corresponding to the left measuring field sensor 110L, and α is the angle between the aforementioned line segment and the left and right axes of the vehicle 100. The processing after step S140 of the garage driving processing is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0056] According to the control device 150 in this embodiment described above, the position and posture of the vehicle 100 in the garage 200 relative to the target position can be estimated with a simpler structure than that in the first embodiment.

[0057] C. Other implementation methods:

[0058] (C1) In the above embodiments, the control device 150 determines the usage range of the two-dimensional distance information DZ1 and DZ2 obtained from each of the measuring sensors 110F and 110L, and uses the two-dimensional distance information DZ1 and DZ2 within the usage range to estimate the position and orientation of the vehicle 100. Alternatively, the control device 150 may estimate the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 without determining the usage range of the two-dimensional distance information DZ1 and DZ2. In this case, it is preferable that the scanning range of each measuring sensor 110F and 110L is preset to a range of the same degree as the usage range.

[0059] (C2) In the above embodiments, the control device 150 uses approximate straight lines Ls and Lw of the detection points DP1 and DP2 to estimate the position and orientation of the vehicle 100. Alternatively, the control device 150 may not use approximate straight lines Ls and Lw of the detection points DP1 and DP2 to estimate the position and orientation of the vehicle 100. For example, the control device 150 may estimate the minimum value of the distance d contained in the two-dimensional distance information DZ1 and DZ2 within the usage range as the distance to the front wall 210 or the left side wall 220.

[0060] (C3) In the above embodiments, the control device 150 may not include a control unit 157. In this case, for example, the vehicle 100 is configured to be driven by an operator remotely, and the operator who obtains the estimation result of the estimation unit 156 from the control device 150 via wireless communication can drive the vehicle 100 remotely. Alternatively, the control unit 157 may be provided on a vehicle 100 computer other than the control device 150 on the vehicle 100.

[0061] This invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various configurations without departing from its spirit. For example, to address some or all of the above-described problems, or to achieve some or all of the above-described effects, technical features in embodiments corresponding to the technical features in the various methods described in the summary section of the invention can be appropriately replaced or combined. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately omitted.

[0062] Symbol Explanation

[0063] 100 - Vehicle, 101 - Front wheel, 102 - Rear wheel, 110F - Front measuring area sensor, 110L - Left measuring area sensor, 120 - Vehicle speed sensor, 130 - GNSS receiver, 140 - Actuator assembly, 150 - Control unit, 151 - Processor, 152 - Memory, 153 - Input / output interface, 154 - Internal bus, 155 - Acquisition unit, 156 - Estimation unit, 157 - Control unit, 200 - Garage, 205 - Entrance / Exit, 210 - Front wall, 220 - Left side wall, 250 - Charging equipment.

Claims

1. A position estimation device for estimating the position and orientation of a vehicle within a space with a wall, the position estimation device being characterized by comprising: The acquisition unit acquires detection results, including the distance and angle to the wall, from the field sensor mounted on the vehicle; Storage unit, which stores target position information including the distance and angle between the target position and the wall within the space; and The estimation unit uses the detection results of the range sensor and the target position information to estimate the position and attitude of the vehicle relative to the target position.

2. The position estimation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The estimation section performs the following processing: Using the previous estimation results and the detection results of the vehicle speed sensor mounted on the vehicle, the range including the distance and angle to the wall is determined as the range of use from the detection results of the range sensor that can include the distance and angle to obstacles other than the wall. and Using the range of use and the target location information, the position and orientation of the vehicle relative to the target location are estimated.

3. The position estimation device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The estimation unit uses the range of use to calculate an approximate straight line of the wall, and estimates the position and posture of the vehicle based on the distance and angle between the measuring sensor and the approximate straight line.

4. The position estimation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also has: The control unit uses the estimation result of the estimation unit and the target position information to drive the vehicle to the target position.

5. A position estimation method for estimating the position and orientation of a vehicle within a space with a wall, the position estimation method being characterized by comprising the following steps: The detection results, including the distance and angle to the wall, are obtained from the field sensors mounted on the vehicle; and Using the detection results of the range sensor and target position information including the distance and angle between the target position and the wall at the target position within the space, the position and orientation of the vehicle relative to the target position are estimated.

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