system

Abstract

The system comprises an inspection facility which inspects a vehicle which can be driven unmanned, and a control device which controls the unmanned driving of the vehicle such that the direction of the vehicle is oriented in a preset direction relative to the inspection facility.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a system. Background Technology

[0002] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2017-538619 (JP 2017-538619 A) discloses a technology that enables a vehicle to drive autonomously or remotely during the vehicle manufacturing process. Typically, the inspection of the optical axis and radar device is performed as part of the manufacturing process. In this inspection, a vehicle orientation device is used to orient the vehicle in a pre-set direction. The vehicle orientation device changes the vehicle's orientation by pushing the vehicle's tires from the side. Summary of the Invention

[0003] When inspecting vehicles that can drive autonomously or remotely, it is desirable to have a system that can orient the vehicle in a pre-set direction for inspection without using a vehicle orientation device.

[0004] This disclosure can be implemented in the following ways.

[0005] (1) One aspect of this disclosure provides a system. The system includes an inspection facility and a control device, the inspection facility inspecting a vehicle that can be driven autonomously, and the control device controlling the autonomous driving of the vehicle such that the direction of the vehicle is oriented relative to the inspection facility in a predetermined direction.

[0006] The system in this respect is equipped with a control device that controls the unmanned driving of the vehicle, so that the vehicle's direction is oriented in a predetermined direction relative to the inspection facility, and thus the inspection can be performed with the vehicle's direction oriented in the predetermined direction without using a vehicle orientation device.

[0007] (2) In the system according to the above aspects, the control device can acquire imaging data output from the imaging unit, which is located outside the vehicle, and performs imaging of the inspection facility and the vehicle and outputs imaging data, and uses the imaging data to control the unmanned driving of the vehicle, such that the direction of the vehicle is oriented relative to the inspection facility in a predetermined direction.

[0008] According to the system in this respect, the control device uses imaging data output by sensors located outside the vehicle, and therefore can use, for example, cameras located in a factory including inspection facilities to acquire imaging data.

[0009] Furthermore, by using imaging data to control the autonomous driving of the vehicle, compared to using only map information without imaging data to control the vehicle configuration, even when the location of the inspection facility is different from the location in the map information due to changes in facilities in the factory, the autonomous driving can be controlled based on more accurate information, so that the vehicle's direction is oriented in the pre-set direction.

[0010] (3) In the system according to the above aspects, the control device can obtain master data from the storage device storing master data, which is imaging data of the vehicle in a state where it is oriented in a predetermined direction relative to the inspection facility, and can also use the master data to control the unmanned driving of the vehicle so that the vehicle is oriented in a predetermined direction relative to the inspection facility.

[0011] According to the system in this respect, the control device further uses master data to control the autonomous driving of the vehicle, so that the vehicle's direction is oriented relative to the inspection facility in a preset direction, and therefore, storing appropriate master data in the storage device in advance enables the autonomous driving to be controlled so that the vehicle's direction is more accurately oriented in the preset direction.

[0012] (4) In the system according to the above aspects, the inspection facility may include a marker used as a reference for a pre-set direction of the vehicle, the imaging unit may perform imaging of the vehicle and the marker and output imaging data including the vehicle and the marker, and the control device may use the marker in the imaging data to control the unmanned driving of the vehicle so that the direction of the vehicle is oriented in a pre-set direction.

[0013] According to the system in this respect, the inspection facility has markers that serve as a reference for a pre-set vehicle orientation, and the control unit uses the markers in the imaging data to control the autonomous driving of the vehicle, ensuring that the vehicle's orientation is in the pre-set direction. Therefore, the reference for the pre-set vehicle orientation can be set with relatively simple configuration. Furthermore, the pre-set orientation reference can be easily changed by altering the position of the markers.

[0014] (5) In the system according to the above aspects, the control device can acquire imaging data from the imaging unit installed in the vehicle, and perform imaging of the inspection facility and output imaging data including the inspection facility, and use the imaging data to control the unmanned driving of the vehicle, so that the direction of the vehicle is oriented relative to the inspection facility in a predetermined direction.

[0015] According to the system in this respect, the imaging unit is located in the vehicle, and therefore imaging data can be acquired by using a camera located in the vehicle, which is used, for example, to photograph the exterior of the vehicle.

[0016] Furthermore, by using imaging data to control the autonomous driving of the vehicle, compared to using only map information without imaging data to control the vehicle configuration, even when the location of the inspection facility is different from the location in the map information due to changes in facilities in the factory, the autonomous driving can be controlled based on more accurate information, so that the vehicle's direction is oriented in the pre-set direction.

[0017] In addition to the aforementioned aspects of the system, this disclosure can be implemented in the form of, for example, a control device for a vehicle, a directional control method for a vehicle, a program for implementing the directional control method, a non-transitory recording medium for recording the program, a program product, etc. Note that the program product can be provided, for example, as a recording medium on which the program is recorded, or as a program product that can be distributed via a network. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like symbols denote like elements, and wherein:

[0019] Figure 1 This is a conceptual diagram illustrating the configuration of the system according to the first embodiment;

[0020] Figure 2 It is a block diagram showing the system configuration;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the process for vehicle driving control according to the first embodiment;

[0022] Figure 4 It is a diagram used to describe the directional control of vehicles in an inspection facility;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the direction control process;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a diagram used to describe the directional control according to the second embodiment;

[0025] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating the direction control process in the second embodiment;

[0026] Figure 8 This is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the system according to the third embodiment; and

[0027] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating the process for vehicle driving control according to a third embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0028] A. First Embodiment

[0029] System 50 Overview

[0030] Figure 1 This is a conceptual diagram illustrating the configuration of system 50 according to a first embodiment. System 50 includes one or more vehicles 100 as moving bodies, a control device 200, and one or more sensors 300.

[0031] In this disclosure, the term "mobile body" refers to a movable object and can be, for example, a vehicle or an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (so-called flying car). A vehicle can be a wheeled vehicle or a tracked vehicle, and can be, for example, a bus, truck, public bus, two-wheeled vehicle, four-wheeled vehicle, construction vehicle, etc. Vehicles include battery electric vehicles (BEVs), gasoline-powered vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, and fuel cell electric vehicles. When the mobile body is not a vehicle, the terms "vehicle" and "automobile" as used in this disclosure may be appropriately replaced with "mobile body," and the term "travel" may be appropriately replaced with "moving."

[0032] In this embodiment, vehicle 100 is configured to operate autonomously. The term "autonomous driving" refers to driving that is not based on driving operations performed by occupants. Driving operations refer to operations related to at least one of "moving," "turning," and "stopping" vehicle 100. Autonomous driving is achieved through automatic or manual remote control using devices located outside vehicle 100, or through autonomous control of vehicle 100 itself. Vehicle 100 operating autonomously may have onboard occupants who do not perform driving operations. Occupants who do not perform driving operations include, for example, people simply sitting in the seats of vehicle 100, as well as people simultaneously performing tasks other than driving operations (such as assembling, inspecting, and operating switches) on vehicle 100. Note that driving operations performed by occupants are sometimes referred to as "manned driving."

[0033] In this specification, the term "remote control" includes "fully remote control," in which all operations of vehicle 100 are completely determined from outside vehicle 100, and "partially remote control," in which some operations of vehicle 100 are determined from outside vehicle 100. Furthermore, the term "autonomous control" includes "fully autonomous control," in which vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own operation without receiving any information from external devices outside vehicle 100, and "partially autonomous control," in which vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own operation using information received from external devices outside vehicle 100.

[0034] In this embodiment, system 50 is used in a factory FC for manufacturing vehicle 100. The reference coordinate system of the factory FC is the global coordinate system GC, and any position within the factory FC can be represented by the X, Y, and Z coordinates in the global coordinate system GC. The factory FC includes a first position PL1 and a second position PL2. The first position PL1 and the second position PL2 are connected by a travel path TR that the vehicle 100 can travel on. The vehicle 100 moves from the first position PL1 to the second position PL2 along the travel path TR by autonomous driving. Assembly and various types of inspections for manufacturing vehicle 100 are performed at the first position PL1 and the second position PL2.

[0035] Inspection facility 500 is located at second position PL2. After moving to second position PL2, vehicle 100 proceeds autonomously toward inspection facility 500. Inspection facility 500 performs inspections of vehicle 100. Inspection facility 500 performs inspections, such as checks on the optical axes of lights or radar devices.

[0036] Multiple sensors 300 are mounted at a first position PL1 and a second position PL2 along the driving path TR. The sensors 300 are sensors located externally to the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the sensors 300 are sensors that capture images of the vehicle 100 from the outside. The sensors 300 include a communication device (omitted from the figures) and can communicate with other devices, such as the control device 200, via wired or wireless communication.

[0037] Specifically, sensor 300 is configured as a camera serving as an imaging unit. The camera, acting as sensor 300, performs imaging of vehicle 100 and outputs its imaging data. Sensor 300, positioned at a second location PL2, performs imaging of both vehicle 100 and inspection facility 500. More specifically, sensor 300 performs imaging of vehicle 100 at or near inspection facility 500. That is, a single image data set includes both vehicle 100 and inspection facility 500.

[0038] System 50 configuration

[0039] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of system 50. Vehicle 100 includes a vehicle control unit 110 for controlling various components of vehicle 100, an actuator assembly 120 including one or more actuators driven under the control of vehicle control unit 110, and a communication unit 130 for communicating wirelessly with external devices (such as control unit 200). Actuator assembly 120 includes actuators for a drive unit that accelerates vehicle 100, actuators for a steering system that changes the direction of travel of vehicle 100, and actuators for a braking unit that decelerates vehicle 100.

[0040] The vehicle control unit 110 comprises a computer including a processor 111, a memory 112, an input / output interface 113, and an internal bus 114. The processor 111, memory 112, and input / output interface 113 are connected via the internal bus 114 to enable bidirectional communication with each other. An actuator assembly 120 and a communication device 130 are connected to the input / output interface 113. The processor 111 executes a program PG1 stored in the memory 112 to perform various functions, including those of the vehicle control unit 115.

[0041] The vehicle control unit 115 drives the vehicle 100 by controlling the actuator assembly 120. The vehicle control unit 115 can drive the vehicle 100 by controlling the actuator assembly 120 using a driving control signal received from the control device 200. The driving control signal is a control signal used to drive the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the driving control signal includes the acceleration and steering angle of the vehicle 100 as parameters. In other embodiments, as an alternative or supplement to the acceleration of the vehicle 100, the driving control signal may include the speed of the vehicle 100 as a parameter.

[0042] The control device 200 is configured as a computer including a processor 201, a memory 202, an input / output interface 203, and an internal bus 204. The control device 200 is, for example, a server. The processor 201, memory 202, and input / output interface 203 are connected via the internal bus 204 to enable bidirectional communication with each other. A communication device 205 for communicating with various types of devices external to the control device 200 is connected to the input / output interface 203. The communication device 205 can communicate wirelessly with the vehicle 100 and can communicate with the sensor 300 via wired or wireless communication. The processor 201 performs various types of functions by executing a program PG2 stored in the memory 202, including functions as an acquisition unit 210 and a remote control unit 211.

[0043] The acquisition unit 210 acquires imaging data of the vehicle 100 and the inspection facility 500 from the sensor 300 located at the second position PL2. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 210 acquires master data MD pre-stored in the memory 202. The master data MD is imaging data of the vehicle 100 in a state oriented relative to the inspection facility 500 in a predetermined direction. The term "predetermined direction" refers to the desired orientation of the vehicle 100 when an inspection is performed in the inspection facility 500. For example, when the optical axis of the vehicle 100 will be inspected by the inspection facility 500, it is desired that the light receiving plate 502 equipped on the inspection facility 500 and the front-rear axis of the vehicle 100 are orthogonal to each other. The desired orientation of the vehicle 100 for proper inspection by the inspection facility 500 is set as the "predetermined direction".

[0044] The remote control unit 211 acquires detection results from sensors, uses these results to generate driving control signals for controlling the actuator assembly 120 of the vehicle 100, and controls the autonomous driving of the vehicle 100 by sending the driving control signals to the vehicle 100. The remote control unit 211 can not only generate and output driving control signals, but also generate and output control signals for controlling actuators that operate various types of accessory devices and, for example, various accessories installed in the vehicle 100, such as windshield wipers, power windows, and lights. In other words, the remote control unit 211 can operate these various types of accessories and accessory devices remotely.

[0045] Furthermore, the remote control unit 211 controls the unmanned operation of the vehicle 100, oriented the vehicle 100 relative to the inspection facility 500 in a predetermined direction. Specifically, using imaging data and master data (MD) acquired by the acquisition unit 210, the unmanned operation of the vehicle 100 is controlled, oriented the vehicle 100 relative to the inspection facility 500 in a predetermined direction. This control of the vehicle 100 will be described in detail later.

[0046] Vehicle 100 driving control

[0047] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing procedure for driving control of the vehicle 100 according to the first embodiment. These procedures are executed to enable the vehicle 100 to drive autonomously. Figure 3 During the processing, the processor 201 of the control device 200 is used as a remote control unit 211 by executing program PG2. Furthermore, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 is used as a vehicle control unit 115 by executing program PG1.

[0048] In step S1, the processor 201 of the control device 200 uses the detection results output from the sensor 300 to acquire vehicle position information. The vehicle position information is the location information used as the basis for generating driving control signals. In this embodiment, the vehicle position information includes the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 in the global coordinate system GC of the factory FC. Specifically, in step S1, the processor 201 uses imaging images acquired from a camera, which is the sensor 300, to acquire the vehicle position information.

[0049] Specifically, in step S1, processor 201 detects, for example, the contour of vehicle 100 from the imaging image, calculates the coordinates of the location points of vehicle 100 in the coordinate system (i.e., the local coordinate system) of the imaging image, and converts the calculated coordinates into coordinates in the global coordinate system GC, thereby obtaining the position of vehicle 100. The contour of vehicle 100 included in the imaging image can be detected, for example, by inputting the imaging image into a detection model DM using artificial intelligence. For example, the detection model DM is prepared within or outside system 50 and pre-stored in the memory 202 of control device 200. Examples of detection models DM include trained machine learning models that have been trained to perform semantic segmentation or instance segmentation. For example, a convolutional neural network (hereinafter referred to as "CNN") trained using supervised learning with a training dataset can be used as a machine learning model. The training dataset includes, for example, multiple training images including vehicle 100, and labels for each region in the training images indicating whether the region indicates a region of vehicle 100 or a region other than vehicle 100. During CNN training, the CNN parameters are preferably updated via backpropagation (error backpropagation) to reduce the error between the output of the detection model DM and the label. Furthermore, the processor 201 can obtain the orientation of vehicle 100, for example, by performing its estimation based on the direction of the motion vector of vehicle 100, which is calculated using optical flow from the displacement of feature points of vehicle 100 between frames of the image.

[0050] In step S2, the processor 201 of the control device 200 determines the target position that the vehicle 100 should proceed to next. In this embodiment, the target position is represented by the X, Y, and Z coordinates in the global coordinate system GC. A reference route RR defining the route that the vehicle 100 should travel is pre-stored in the memory 202 of the control device 200. The route is represented by nodes indicating the starting point, nodes indicating waypoints, nodes indicating the destination, and links connecting the nodes. The processor 201 uses the vehicle position information and the reference route RR to determine the target position that the vehicle 100 should proceed to next. The processor 201 determines the target position on the reference route RR prior to the current position of the vehicle 100.

[0051] In step S3, the processor 201 of the control device 200 generates a driving control signal to cause the vehicle 100 to move toward the determined target position. The processor 201 calculates the vehicle 100's speed based on the change in the vehicle 100's position and compares the calculated speed with the target speed. Typically, the processor 201 determines acceleration to make the vehicle 100 accelerate when its speed is lower than the target speed, and determines acceleration to make the vehicle 100 decelerate when its speed is higher than the target speed. Furthermore, when the vehicle 100 is on the reference route RR, the processor 201 determines the steering angle and acceleration to prevent the vehicle 100 from deviating from the reference route RR, and when the vehicle 100 is not on the reference route RR, i.e., when the vehicle 100 has deviated from the reference route RR, the processor 201 determines the steering angle and acceleration to return the vehicle 100 to the reference route RR.

[0052] In step S4, the processor 201 of the control device 200 sends the generated driving control signal to the vehicle 100. The processor 201 repeatedly performs tasks such as acquiring vehicle position information, determining target position, generating driving control signals, and sending driving control signals at predetermined cycles.

[0053] In step S5, the processor 111 of vehicle 100 receives a driving control signal sent from control device 200. In step S6, the processor 111 of vehicle 100 uses the received driving control signal to control actuator assembly 120, thereby causing vehicle 100 to drive according to the acceleration and steering angle indicated by the driving control signal. The processor 111 repeatedly performs the reception of driving control signal and the control of actuator assembly 120 at predetermined cycles. According to system 50 in this embodiment, vehicle 100 can be driven remotely, and vehicle 100 can be moved without using transportation equipment such as cranes, conveyors, etc.

[0054] Inspection facility 500 includes vehicle 100 steering control

[0055] Figure 4 This is a diagram used to describe the directional control (hereinafter also referred to as "directional control") of vehicle 100 in inspection facility 500. Figure 4 An example of imaging data is shown. Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of directional control. Directional control is performed during the preparation phase to prepare for inspection in inspection facility 500. More specifically, for example, when vehicle 100 enters the facility... Figure 1 After the second position PL2 of the inspection facility 500 shown, direction control is performed. Direction control is performed to orient the vehicle 100 in the appropriate direction so that the inspection facility 500 can properly perform the inspection.

[0056] The following describes an example of how inspection facility 500 inspects the optical axis of vehicle 100. Inspection facility 500 includes an inspection area 501 and a light receiving plate 502. Inspection area 501 is the location within inspection facility 500 where vehicle 100 stops and undergoes inspection. Light receiving plate 502 is a plate illuminated by the lights of vehicle 100. Inspection facility 500 uses the illumination pattern of the light illuminating light receiving plate 502 to detect deviations in the optical axis and outputs the deviation amount.

[0057] like Figure 4 As shown, when vehicle 100 enters the second position PL2 via autonomous driving, acquisition unit 210... Figure 5 In step S10, imaging data and master data MD are acquired. The imaging data is output by sensor 300, which performs imaging of the vehicle 100 and the inspection facility 500. Figure 4 As shown by the dashed line, the master data MD is imaging data oriented in a pre-defined direction within the inspection area 501 of the inspection facility 500. In this embodiment, the pre-defined direction is the direction perpendicular to the front-rear axis AX1 of the vehicle 100 and the light-receiving surface of the light-receiving plate 502 of the inspection facility 500.

[0058] like Figure 5 As shown, in step S20, the remote control unit 211 uses imaging data and master data MD to control the autonomous driving of the vehicle 100, causing the vehicle 100 to be oriented in a pre-set direction. More specifically, controlling the autonomous driving of the vehicle 100 causes... Figure 4 The orientation of vehicle 100 in the master data MD is matched with the orientation of vehicle 100 in the imaging data. Autonomous driving control of vehicle 100 is performed according to the "driving control of vehicle 100" process described above. Remote control unit 211 controls the autonomous driving of vehicle 100 such that, for example, the front-rear axis of vehicle 100 in the master data MD is aligned with the front-rear axis of vehicle 100 in the imaging data.

[0059] when Figure 5 When the directional control process shown is completed, the inspection facility 500 performs an inspection of the vehicle 100. After the inspection is completed, the vehicle 100 moves from the second position PL2 autonomously and performs other inspection procedures, etc.

[0060] According to the system 50 of the first embodiment described above, the control device 200 controls the unmanned driving of the vehicle 100 such that the direction of the vehicle 100 is oriented relative to the inspection facility 500 in a predetermined direction, and thus, the inspection can be performed by orienting the direction of the vehicle 100 in the predetermined direction without using a vehicle orientation device.

[0061] Furthermore, according to the system 50 of the first embodiment, the control device 200 uses imaging data output by the sensor 300 located outside the vehicle 100, and therefore can use, for example, a camera located in a factory FC equipped with inspection facilities 500 to acquire imaging data.

[0062] Furthermore, according to the system 50 of the first embodiment, imaging data is used to control the autonomous driving of the vehicle 100. Therefore, even when the location of the inspection facility 500 is different from the location in the map information, due to changes in facilities in the factory FC, etc., the autonomous driving can be controlled based on more accurate information compared to the configuration that only uses map information and not imaging data to control the vehicle 100, so that the direction of the vehicle 100 is oriented in a predetermined direction.

[0063] Furthermore, according to the system 50 of the first embodiment, the control device 200 further uses master data MD to control the unmanned driving of the vehicle 100, so that the direction of the vehicle 100 relative to the inspection facility 500 is oriented in a predetermined direction, and thus, storing appropriate master data MD in the memory 202 in advance enables unmanned driving control, so that the direction of the vehicle 100 is more accurately oriented in the predetermined direction.

[0064] B. Second Embodiment

[0065] Figure 6 This is a diagram used to describe the direction control of the second embodiment. Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating the direction control process of the second embodiment. The direction control in the second embodiment differs from that in the first embodiment in that it uses a marker MR provided to the inspection facility 500b instead of master data MD to perform direction control. Therefore, in the system of the second embodiment, the memory 202 does not need to store the master data MD.

[0066] like Figure 6 As shown, the inspection facility 500b has markers MR. The markers MR serve as a reference for the pre-defined orientation of the vehicle 100. The markers MR have an optional external shape that can be detected by the sensor 300. In this embodiment, two markers MR are disposed on the light receiving plate 502. More specifically, the two markers MR are disposed on the light receiving plate 502 such that the straight line L1 connecting the markers MR is parallel to the light receiving plate 502. The sensor 300 performs imaging of the vehicle 100 and the markers MR, and outputs imaging data including images of the vehicle 100 and the markers MR.

[0067] exist Figure 7In step S10b, the acquisition unit 210 acquires the imaging data output by the sensor 300. This imaging data includes the vehicle 100 and markers MR. In step S20b, the remote control unit 211 uses the markers MR from the imaging data to control the autonomous driving of the vehicle 100, ensuring that the vehicle 100 is oriented in a predetermined direction. In this embodiment, the remote control unit 211 controls the autonomous driving of the vehicle 100 such that the straight line L1 connecting the two markers MR is perpendicular to the front-rear axis AX1 of the vehicle 100.

[0068] According to the system 50 of the second embodiment described above, the inspection facility 500b has a marker MR that serves as a reference for a pre-set orientation of the vehicle 100, and the control device 200 uses the marker MR in the imaging data to control the autonomous driving of the vehicle 100, so that the orientation of the vehicle 100 is oriented in a pre-set direction, and thus the reference for the pre-set orientation of the vehicle 100 can be set with a relatively simple configuration. Furthermore, the reference for the pre-set orientation can be easily changed by changing the position of the marker MR.

[0069] C. Third Embodiment

[0070] Figure 8 This is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of system 50v according to a third embodiment. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that system 50v does not include a control device 200. Furthermore, vehicle 100v according to this embodiment is capable of autonomous driving via autonomous control of vehicle 100v. Unless otherwise stated, its other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment. Note that system 50v according to the third embodiment can be used in conjunction with the system according to the second embodiment.

[0071] In this embodiment, the processor 111v of the vehicle control device 110v functions as the vehicle control unit 115v by executing the program PG1 stored in the memory 112v. The vehicle control unit 115v can autonomously control the vehicle 100v to move by acquiring output results from sensors, generating driving control signals using the output results, and outputting the generated driving control signals to operate the actuator assembly 120. In this embodiment, in addition to the program PG1, the detection model DM and the reference route RR are also pre-stored in the memory 112v.

[0072] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing procedure for driving control of a vehicle 100v according to a third embodiment. Figure 9 During the processing, the processor 111v of vehicle 100v is used as vehicle control unit 115v by executing program PG1.

[0073] In step S901, the processor 111v of the vehicle control device 110v acquires vehicle position information using the detection results output from the camera, which is a sensor 300. In step S902, the processor 111v determines the target position that the vehicle 100v should move to next. In step S903, the processor 111v generates a driving control signal to cause the vehicle 100v to move toward the determined target position. In step S904, the processor 111v uses the generated driving control signal to control the actuator assembly 120, thereby causing the vehicle 100v to move according to the parameters indicated by the driving control signal. The processor 111v repeatedly performs the acquisition of vehicle position information, the determination of the target position, the generation of the driving control signal, and the control of the actuators at predetermined cycles. Using the system 50v according to this embodiment, even if the vehicle 100v is not remotely controlled by the control device 200, the vehicle 100v can be driven through autonomous control.

[0074] like Figure 8 As shown, the processor 111v according to this embodiment also functions as an acquisition unit 116v by executing a program PG1 stored in memory 112v. The acquisition unit 116v has the same function as the acquisition unit 210 according to the first embodiment. Therefore, in this embodiment, the processor 111v is similar to the acquisition unit 210 according to the first embodiment. Figure 5 and 7 The same directional control process shown is executed by the processor 111v of the vehicle 100v.

[0075] The system 50v according to the third embodiment described above can also perform driving control and direction control of the vehicle 100 in the same manner as the system 50 according to the first and second embodiments.

[0076] D. Other Examples 1:

[0077] (D1) In each of the above embodiments, the sensor 300 for direction control is a camera disposed outside the vehicle 100, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. The sensor 300 may be, for example, a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) device. In this case, the detection result and master data MD output by the sensor 300 may be three-dimensional point cloud data representing the vehicle 100 and inspection facilities 500 and 500b. Furthermore, the sensor 300 for direction control may be provided to the vehicle 100. The sensor 300 is, for example, a camera and ranging device that captures images outside the vehicle 100. When this configuration is applied to the system 50 according to the first embodiment, the imaging data imaged by the sensor 300, which is disposed on the vehicle 100 oriented in a predetermined direction, is used as the master data MD. According to such a configuration, for example, the sensor 300 disposed on the vehicle 100 may be used to acquire imaging data.

[0078] (D2) In each of the above embodiments, the memories 112, 112v, and 202 can be any storage device. Examples of such storage devices include hard disk drives (HDDs), solid-state drives (SSDs), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), etc.

[0079] (D3) In each of the above embodiments, an example of the inspection facility 500 inspecting the optical axis of the vehicle 100 has been described, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. The inspection facility 500 can perform any type of inspection. Moreover, direction control can also be performed as a preparatory step for any inspection. For example, the inspection can be performed using electromagnetic waves emitted from the vehicle 100 based on the intensity of electromagnetic waves or the reflected waves of electromagnetic waves when the vehicle orientation matches a preset direction.

[0080] (D4) In the second embodiment described above, the inspection facility 500b has two marker MRs, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. The inspection facility 500b may have any number of marker MRs. The marker MRs may be placed at any location in the inspection facility 500b. The marker MRs may also be placed on the vehicle 100. In this configuration, the acquisition unit 210 may acquire imaging data including the marker MRs placed on the vehicle 100 and the marker MRs placed on the inspection facility 500, and the remote control unit 211 may use these marker MRs to control the autonomous driving of the vehicle 100.

[0081] (D5) In each of the above embodiments, at least one function of the acquisition unit 210 and the remote control unit 211 can be performed by the inspection facility 500. In this configuration, the inspection facility 500 includes a computer having a processor and memory.

[0082] (D6) In each of the above embodiments, the remote control unit 211 can control the autonomous driving of the vehicle 100 such that the direction of the vehicle 100 relative to the inspection facility 500 is oriented in a predetermined direction, without using imaging data. The remote control unit 211 can use, for example, map information to control the autonomous driving of the vehicle 100 such that the direction of the vehicle 100 is oriented in a predetermined direction relative to the inspection facility 500.

[0083] (D7) In the first embodiment described above, the remote control unit 211 can control the autonomous driving of the vehicle 100 using only imaging data, such that the direction of the vehicle 100 relative to the inspection facility 500 is oriented in a predetermined direction, without using master data MD. For example, the remote control unit 211 can use the positional relationship between the vehicle 100 and the inspection facility 500 in the imaging data to control the autonomous driving of the vehicle 100.

[0084] E. Other Embodiment 2:

[0085] (E1) In each of the above embodiments, the sensor 300 is not limited to a camera, but may be, for example, a ranging device. The ranging device may be, for example, a LiDAR device. In this case, the detection result output from the sensor 300 may be three-dimensional point cloud data representing the vehicle 100. In this case, the control device 200 and the vehicle 100 can obtain vehicle position information by performing template matching using the three-dimensional point cloud data as the detection result and pre-prepared reference point cloud data.

[0086] (E2) In the first embodiment described above, the control device 200 performs the process from acquiring vehicle location information to generating a driving control signal. Alternatively, the vehicle 100 may perform at least a portion of the process from acquiring vehicle location information to generating a driving control signal. For example, aspects (1) to (3) may be employed.

[0087] (1) The control device 200 can acquire vehicle position information, determine the target position that the vehicle 100 should move to next, and generate a route from the current position of the vehicle 100, as indicated by the acquired vehicle position information, to its target position. The control device 200 can generate a route to the target position located between the current position and the destination, or it can generate a route to the destination. The control device 200 can send the generated route to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 can generate a driving control signal so that the vehicle 100 travels on the route received from the control device 200, and can use the generated driving control signal to control the actuator assembly 120.

[0088] (2) The control device 200 can acquire vehicle position information and send the acquired vehicle position information to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 can determine the target position that the vehicle 100 should move to next, generate a route from the current position of the vehicle 100 indicated by the received vehicle position information to the target position, generate a driving control signal so that the vehicle 100 travels on the generated route, and use the generated driving control signal to control the actuator group 120.

[0089] (3) In aspects (1) and (2) above, the internal sensor may be installed in the vehicle 100, and the detection results output from the internal sensor may be used for at least one of route generation and driving control signal generation. The internal sensor is a sensor installed in the vehicle 100. Examples of internal sensors may include sensors that detect the motion state of the vehicle 100, sensors that detect the operating state of various components of the vehicle 100, and sensors that detect the environment near the vehicle 100. Specific examples of internal sensors may include cameras, LiDAR devices, millimeter-wave radar devices, ultrasonic sensors, global positioning system (GPS) sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, etc. For example, in aspect (1) above, the control device 200 may acquire the detection results from the internal sensor and reflect the detection results from the internal sensor in the route when generating the route. In aspect (1) above, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results from the internal sensor and reflect the detection results from the internal sensor in the driving control signal when generating the driving control signal. In aspect (2) above, vehicle 100 can acquire detection results from internal sensors and reflect the detection results from internal sensors in the route when generating the route. In aspect (2) above, vehicle 100 can acquire detection results from internal sensors and reflect the detection results from internal sensors in the driving control signal when generating the driving control signal.

[0090] (E3) In the third embodiment described above, the internal sensor can be installed in the vehicle 100v, and the detection results output from the internal sensor can be used for at least one of route generation and driving control signal generation. For example, the vehicle 100v can acquire the detection results from the internal sensor and reflect the detection results from the internal sensor in the route when generating the route. The vehicle 100v can acquire the detection results from the internal sensor and reflect the detection results from the internal sensor in the driving control signal when generating the driving control signal.

[0091] (E4) In the third embodiment described above, vehicle 100v uses the detection results from sensor 300 to acquire vehicle position information. Alternatively, an internal sensor may be installed in vehicle 100v, and vehicle 100v may use the detection results from the internal sensor to acquire vehicle position information, determine the target position to which vehicle 100v should proceed next, generate a route from the current position of vehicle 100v indicated by the acquired vehicle position information to the target position, generate a driving control signal for traveling on the generated route, and use the generated driving control signal to control actuator assembly 120. In this case, vehicle 100v can travel without using the detection results from sensor 300. Note that vehicle 100v may acquire target arrival time and traffic congestion information from outside vehicle 100v, and reflect either the target arrival time or traffic congestion information in at least one of the route and the driving control signal.

[0092] (E5) In the first embodiment described above, the control device 200 automatically generates a driving control signal to be sent to the vehicle 100. Alternatively, the control device 200 may generate a driving control signal to be sent to the vehicle 100 based on an operation performed by an external operator located outside the vehicle 100. For example, the external operator may operate an operating device including: a display for displaying an image output from the sensor 300; a steering wheel, accelerator pedal, and brake pedal for remotely operating the vehicle 100; and a communication device for communicating with the control device 200 via wired or wireless communication, and the control device 200 may generate the driving control signal based on the operation performed at the operating device.

[0093] (E6) In each of the above embodiments, it is sufficient for the vehicle 100 to have any configuration capable of autonomous driving, and it may be, for example, in the form of a platform equipped with the following configuration. Specifically, it is sufficient for the vehicle 100 to include at least a vehicle control unit 110 and an actuator assembly 120 to perform the three functions of "driving," "turning," and "stopping" autonomously. The vehicle 100 may also include a communication device 130 when the vehicle 100 acquires external information for autonomous driving. That is, regarding the vehicle 100 capable of autonomous driving, at least some internal components (such as the driver's seat, dashboard, etc.) need not be installed, at least some external components (such as bumpers, fenders, etc.) need not be installed, and the body shell need not be installed. In this case, the remaining components, such as the body shell, can be installed on the vehicle 100 before it is transported from the factory FC, or alternatively, the vehicle 100 can be transported from the factory FC without the remaining components, such as the body shell, being installed on the vehicle 100 after transport. Components can be mounted on vehicle 100 from any direction (such as from the top, bottom, front, rear, right, or left), and all components can be mounted from the same direction or from different directions. Note that when in the form of a platform, the positions can be determined in the same manner as those of vehicle 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0094] (E7) Vehicle 100 can be manufactured by combining multiple modules. The term module refers to a unit consisting of one or more components grouped according to the configuration and function of vehicle 100. For example, the platform of vehicle 100 can be manufactured by combining a front module constituting the front of the platform, a central module constituting the central part of the platform, and a rear module constituting the rear of the platform. Note that the number of modules constituting the platform is not limited to three and can be two or fewer, or four or more. In addition to or in place of the platform, parts of vehicle 100 other than the platform can be modularized. Furthermore, various types of modules can include any external components, such as bumpers or grilles, or any internal components, such as seats or consoles. Manufacturing by combining multiple modules is not limited to vehicle 100, and in any respect, a moving body can also be manufactured by combining multiple modules. For example, such modules can be manufactured by joining multiple components together by welding, fasteners, etc., or by casting at least a portion of the module integrally molded into a single component. The molding technique of integrally molding at least a portion of a module into a single component is also known as gigacasting or megacasting. The use of gigacasting allows each part of a moving body, which is typically formed by joining multiple components, to be formed as a single part. For example, the front module, central module, and rear module can be manufactured using gigacasting.

[0095] The transportation of vehicle 100 (E8) using driverless operation of vehicle 100 is called "self-propelled transportation". The configuration used to realize self-propelled transportation is also called "remote-controlled automatic driving system". The production method of producing vehicle 100 using self-propelled transportation is also called "self-propelled production". For example, in self-propelled production, at least a portion of vehicle 100 is transported in the factory FC that manufactures vehicle 100 by self-propelled transportation.

[0096] (E9) In each of the above embodiments, some or all of the functions and processes implemented by software may be implemented by hardware. Furthermore, some or all of the functions and processes implemented by hardware may be implemented by software. Examples of hardware that can be used to implement the various functions in the above embodiments include various types of circuits, such as integrated circuits and discrete circuits.

[0097] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various configurations without departing from its spirit and scope. For example, in order to solve some or all of the above problems or achieve some or all of the above effects, the technical features in each embodiment corresponding to the technical features in each aspect described in the "Summary of the Invention" can be appropriately replaced or combined. When technical features are not described in this specification, they can be appropriately omitted when necessary.

Claims

1. The system, including: Inspection facilities capable of inspecting unmanned vehicles; as well as A control device that controls the unmanned driving of the vehicle, such that the direction of the vehicle relative to the inspection facility is oriented in a predetermined direction.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein The control device Acquire imaging data output from an imaging unit disposed outside the vehicle, and perform imaging of the inspection facility and the vehicle and output the imaging data. The imaging data is used to control the unmanned driving of the vehicle, such that the vehicle's direction is oriented relative to the inspection facility in the predetermined direction.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein, The control device obtains the master data from the storage device storing the master data, which is imaging data of the vehicle in a state where it is oriented in the predetermined direction relative to the inspection facility, and also uses the master data to control the autonomous driving of the vehicle, such that the vehicle's direction is oriented in the predetermined direction relative to the inspection facility.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein The inspection facility includes markers that serve as a reference for a pre-set orientation of the vehicle. The imaging unit performs imaging of the vehicle and the marker, and outputs the imaging data including the vehicle and the marker. The control device uses the markers in the imaging data to control the unmanned driving of the vehicle, causing the vehicle to be oriented in the predetermined direction.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein The control device Imaging data is acquired from an imaging unit installed in the vehicle, and imaging of the inspection facility is performed and the imaging data including the inspection facility is output. The imaging data is used to control the unmanned driving of the vehicle, such that the vehicle's direction is oriented relative to the inspection facility in the predetermined direction.

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