Electronic traction system

Abstract

This invention provides a highly practical electronic traction system. The electronic traction system of this invention comprises: a leading mobile body, including a controller capable of autonomously moving the main body of the mobile body and operable via wireless communication to allow a following vehicle to follow the main body of the mobile body; a display terminal within the following vehicle; and a storage device storing map data that associates location with sightseeing-related guidance information. The controller and the display terminal share a predetermined driving route. The display terminal is configured to act as a guidance processor, displaying visuals and / or providing voice guidance based on location information and map data, related to the location information and / or the predetermined driving route.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an electronic traction system that electronically tows a vehicle using a pilot vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] Conventional controllers, such as those disclosed in Patent Document 1, are known. These controllers are mounted on an autonomously moving lead vehicle and guide it remotely, causing the following vehicle to travel along the path of the lead vehicle. In other words, the lead vehicle has the function of being manipulated wirelessly to make the following vehicle follow it.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 7424535 Summary of the Invention

[0004] However, the controller mounted on the lead vehicle, in addition to its function of remotely controlling the following vehicles to follow the lead vehicle (i.e., electronic traction), also possesses other functions, thereby improving the practicality of the lead vehicle and consequently the practicality of the electronic traction system. Based on this, the objective of this invention is to provide a highly practical electronic traction system.

[0005] The electronic traction system of the present invention comprises: a navigation vehicle having a main body and a controller, the controller being mounted on the main body and capable of autonomous movement of the main body and of being manipulated by means of wireless communication to allow a vehicle to follow the main body; a display terminal located within the following vehicle and configured to communicate with the controller; a position detector for detecting the position of the main body or the following vehicle; and a storage device for storing map data that associates the position with sightseeing-related guidance information. The controller and the display terminal share information about the predetermined driving route of the main body or the following vehicle. The display terminal is configured to perform guidance processing, displaying images and / or providing voice guidance based on the position information obtained from the position detector detection results and the map data, relating to the position information and the predetermined driving route.

[0006] According to the present invention, guidance information corresponding to the position or predetermined route of the leading vehicle or following vehicle is displayed visually and / or guided by voice from a display terminal located inside the following vehicle. Thus, the occupants (users) of the following vehicle can obtain sightseeing information corresponding to their position while traveling, without needing to drive the following vehicle, and can simultaneously enjoy sightseeing and travel. The present invention improves the practicality of the electronic traction system. Attached Figure Description

[0007] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the electronic traction of a following vehicle using the pilot vehicle of this embodiment.

[0008] Figure 2 This is a side view of the navigation mobile body used to illustrate this embodiment.

[0009] Figure 3 This is a plan view of the upper part of the navigation mobile body used to illustrate this embodiment.

[0010] Figure 4 This is a block diagram illustrating the functional structure of the electronic traction system in this embodiment.

[0011] Figure 5 This is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of the use of the electronic traction system in this embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0012] Hereinafter, the electronic traction system 1, which is an embodiment of the present invention, will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, in addition to the embodiments described below, the present invention can be implemented in various ways with different modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0013] [A] Structure of the Navigator

[0014] The navigation mobile unit 10 is configured to be capable of autonomous driving (autonomous movement), such as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a following vehicle (equivalent to a "following vehicle") 20, which maintains a specific positional relationship by being remotely operated via wireless communication, is electronically towed to its destination. Here, the navigator 10 can be exemplified by a vehicle traveling on a road or an aerial vehicle such as a drone. In this embodiment, the case where the navigator 10 is a vehicle will be described.

[0015] The navigation vehicle 10 of this embodiment is equipped with a pair of left and right drive wheels 11 and driven wheels 12 for autonomous driving. The left and right drive wheels 11 are each driven independently by a pair of left and right electric motors (not shown) powered by a battery (not shown) mounted on the vehicle body of the navigation vehicle 10. Therefore, the navigation vehicle 10 can rotate along a vertical axis of rotation by, for example, imparting a difference in rotational speed (a difference in driving force) to the left and right drive wheels 11. Thus, even without a separate steering device to turn the left and right drive wheels 11 around a steering axis, the navigation vehicle 10 can perform right / left turns, direction changes, and U-turns (including rotations in place while turning in place) during autonomous driving. Furthermore, in the following description, left / right turns, direction changes, and steering are sometimes collectively referred to as "left / right turns, etc."

[0016] Friction braking devices (drum brakes or disc brakes, not shown) are assembled on each drive wheel 11. Thus, in the pilot vehicle 10 in a parked state, the friction braking devices function as parking brakes by generating braking force through friction.

[0017] Driven wheel 12 is positioned further rearward than drive wheel 11 in the longitudinal direction of the pilot vehicle 10. In this embodiment, driven wheel 12 is configured as a caster wheel with a rotation axis extending vertically in the approximately central portion of the pilot vehicle 10 in the vehicle width direction (lateral direction).

[0018] like Figure 3 As shown, the navigation mobile body 10 includes a self-driving detector 13, a position detector 14, and a vehicle detector 15 housed in the upper part of the vehicle body 10U. The autonomous driving detector 13 detects the relative positional relationship between the navigation mobile body 10 and objects such as obstacles (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "detection objects") existing in the direction of travel when the navigation mobile body 10 is autonomously driving; specifically, it detects the relative distance.

[0019] Therefore, in this embodiment, the autonomous driving detector 13 is configured with a ranging device such as a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) 13A and a camera 13B. The LiDAR 13A acquires three-dimensional point cloud data representing the three-dimensional position of the point cloud representing the detected object with high precision. The camera 13B can be, for example, a stereo camera, a monocular camera, or an RGB-D camera (depth camera), and acquires image data representing the presence direction or size of the detected object. Alternatively, a Time of Flight (ToF) sensor can be used instead of or in combination with the LiDAR 13A or the camera 13B.

[0020] The autonomous driving detector 13 outputs the acquired data, namely 3D point cloud data or camera data, to the controller 100, which will be described later. Moreover, as will be described later, the controller 100 utilizes the acquired 3D point cloud data or camera data in Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) for the autonomous driving of the navigation mobile body 10.

[0021] The position detector 14, for example, has a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver, and detects the position of the navigation mobile body 10 based on the received signal. Here, in this embodiment, two position detectors 14 are respectively arranged on the left and right sides of the upper part 10U of the vehicle body in the width direction (lateral direction), that is, they are arranged in a left-right pair.

[0022] The lead vehicle 10 is configured to include a vehicle detector 15 to detect the following vehicle 20. The vehicle detector 15 is a device for measuring various data to estimate the relative position (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "relative position") of the following vehicle 20 relative to the lead vehicle 10. Here, the relative position includes the relative orientation and attitude (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "relative attitude") of the following vehicle 20 relative to the lead vehicle 10.

[0023] The vehicle detector 15 includes a LiDAR as a main component, which measures the three-dimensional point cloud data of the following vehicle 20, which is electronically towed by the lead vehicle 10. Here, in the controller 100 described later, for example, it is also possible to acquire only the relative position of the following vehicle 20 detected by the vehicle detector 15 (i.e., the LiDAR), and to estimate the relative attitude or direction of travel of the following vehicle 20 by understanding the temporal changes of the following vehicle 20 based on the intermittently acquired relative position.

[0024] The autonomous driving detector 13 and the vehicle detector 15 constitute a perimeter monitoring device 9 for detecting the surrounding conditions of the navigation mobile body 10. That is, the perimeter monitoring device 9 is mounted on the main body 7 of the mobile body and consists of multiple detectors 13 and 15 that detect the surrounding conditions of the main body 7. The multiple detectors 13 and 15 constituting the perimeter monitoring device 9 are configured to detect at least the conditions in front, behind, to the left, and to the right of the navigation mobile body 10. The autonomous driving detector 13 also functions as the vehicle detector 15, and the vehicle detector 15 also functions as the autonomous driving detector 13.

[0025] The navigation mobile unit 10 includes a controller 100, a peripheral monitoring device 9, and a mobile unit body 7. The mobile unit body 7 is a body body part including the upper part of the vehicle body 10U, wheels 11 and 12, and various actuators.

[0026] The controller 100 performs driving control remotely to maintain a specific positional relationship between the following vehicle 20 and the lead vehicle 10. The controller 100 performs controls related to the autonomous movement of the lead vehicle 10 and the remote operation of the following vehicle 20.

[0027] [B] Controller Structure and Basic Functions

[0028] like Figure 4 As shown, the controller 100 includes a CPU 110, a storage device 120, an interface circuit 130, and a communication device 140. The CPU 110, storage device 120, and interface circuit 130 are connected bidirectionally via an internal bus. The communication device 140 communicates wirelessly with the following vehicle 20 via a network or the like.

[0029] CPU 110 executes a computer program stored in storage device 120 to implement at least some of the functions provided in this embodiment. By executing this computer program, CPU 110 functions as a remote control unit 111, a point cloud data acquisition unit 112, a position determination unit 113, a relative position estimation unit 114, a SLAM unit 115, an autopilot control unit 116, and a special control unit 117. However, some or all of these functions can also be implemented using hardware circuitry.

[0030] The remote control unit 111 generates control commands for remote control and transmits them to the following vehicle 20 via wireless communication, so that the following vehicle 20 maintains a specific positional relationship with the lead vehicle 10 and follows the lead vehicle 10, for example, by the lead vehicle 10 using a rope to pull the following vehicle 20. Here, the control commands transmitted by the remote control unit 111 of the controller 100 mounted on the lead vehicle 10 via wireless communication using the communication device 140, and the following vehicle 20 being pulled by a rope, are referred to as "electronic traction".

[0031] The remote control unit 111 can generate control commands, for example, including driving force or braking force and steering angle. Alternatively, the remote control unit 111 can also generate control commands including at least one of the position and orientation of the following vehicle 20 and the future driving route. Thus, as described later, the following vehicle 20 can follow the lead vehicle 10 by receiving control commands for remote control.

[0032] The point cloud data acquisition unit 112 acquires the three-dimensional point cloud data (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "vehicle point cloud data VP") measured by the vehicle detector 15. The position determination unit 113 determines the starting position for matching the vehicle point cloud data VP with the three-dimensional point cloud data of the surrounding area of ​​the navigation mobile body 10 acquired by the LiDAR 13A of the autonomous driving detector 13.

[0033] Here, the vehicle point cloud data VP functions as a template point cloud for estimating at least one of the position and orientation (pose) of the following vehicle 20. The vehicle point cloud data VP can include information for determining the orientation (pose) of the following vehicle 20. Thus, the position determination unit 113 and the relative position estimation unit 114 can estimate the position and orientation (pose) of the following vehicle 20 in the surrounding three-dimensional point cloud data with high accuracy by using template matching of the vehicle point cloud data VP.

[0034] In this embodiment, the position determination unit 113 uses information related to the position of the following vehicle 20 in the three-dimensional point cloud data (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "position-related information") to determine the starting position for template matching. Here, the position-related information is data used to estimate the position of the following vehicle 20 and / or the position near the following vehicle 20 in the three-dimensional point cloud data. In addition, in order to speed up the template matching process, the position-related information is preferably small-volume data or data obtained through simple processing, such as GNSS signals.

[0035] The relative position estimation unit 114 estimates the relative position of the following vehicle 20 relative to the lead vehicle 10, i.e., the relative orientation (posture), in the acquired three-dimensional point cloud data. Here, the relative position can be based on the position and posture of the lead vehicle 10, for example, the relative distance between the following vehicle 20 and the lead vehicle 20 in the direction of travel, the deviation of the following vehicle 20's trajectory relative to the lead vehicle 10 in the vehicle width direction (lateral direction), and the relative turning posture (right turn / left turn posture) of the following vehicle 20 relative to the lead vehicle 10.

[0036] In this embodiment, the relative position estimation unit 114 estimates the relative position of the following vehicle 20 in the three-dimensional point cloud data by performing template matching on the vehicle point cloud data VP of the three-dimensional point cloud data. Furthermore, regarding the template matching of the vehicle point cloud data VP of the three-dimensional point cloud data performed by the position determination unit 113 and the relative position estimation unit 114, for example, the known Iterative Closest Point (ICP) algorithm or the known Normal Distribution Transform (NDT) algorithm can be used.

[0037] The SLAM unit 115 performs SLAM using data (camera data or 3D point cloud data) detected by the autonomous driving detector 13, and generates a map for the navigation mobile body 10 to use during autonomous driving. The autopilot control unit 116 enables the navigation mobile body 10 to drive autonomously by controlling the operation of actuators 150 such as electric motors, which may be driving electric motors or friction brakes for driving the drive wheels 11 mounted on the navigation mobile body 10. Specifically, the autopilot control unit 116 controls the operation of the actuators 150 and uses the map generated by the SLAM unit 115 to enable the navigation mobile body 10 to drive autonomously along the navigation vehicle route GR (or a predetermined route) up to the set destination TP. In addition, when enabling the navigation mobile body 10 to drive autonomously, the autopilot control unit 116 detects the position of the navigation mobile body 10 based on the GNSS signal received by the position detector 14.

[0038] The special control unit 117 is a functional unit used to implement special functions in the navigation mobile body 10. Details regarding this special control unit 117 will be provided later.

[0039] Storage device 120 may include, for example, RAM, ROM, HDD, and SSD. Vehicle point cloud data VP, navigator route GR, destination TP, actuator drive history AC, and last matching position BM are stored in the read / write area of ​​storage device 120.

[0040] Here, the navigator route GR is the target route that can be determined for the navigator mobile unit 10 to travel. Furthermore, the destination TP is the mobile destination of the navigator mobile unit 10 that can be arbitrarily set. Additionally, when the autopilot control unit 116 uses a map generated by the SLAM unit 115 based on data output from the autonomous vehicle detector 13 to enable the navigator mobile unit 10 to drive autonomously, the navigator route GR can be omitted. However, in this case, the autopilot control unit 116, for example, generates a travel route to the set destination TP and enables the navigator mobile unit 10 to travel along the generated travel route.

[0041] The actuator drive history AC is the history of the input and output values ​​in each actuator 220 of the following vehicle 20, as described later. The actuator drive history AC can also be described, for example, as the history of control command values ​​sent from the controller 100 to the following vehicle 20. Alternatively, the actuator drive history AC can be, for example, the measured values ​​of the following vehicle 20's speed, steering angle, braking force, rotation angle, etc., detected by the detectors of the following vehicle 20. The last matching position BM is the coordinate value of the position where the template matching of the previously executed three-dimensional point cloud data and the vehicle point cloud data VP was completed by the relative position estimation unit 114 of the controller 100.

[0042] [C] The structure of following vehicles

[0043] The following vehicle 20 is a vehicle equipped with a driving control device 200 and a communication device 230 (e.g., a car, truck, bus, construction vehicle, autonomous two-wheeler / three-wheeler, etc.). The driving control device 200 and the communication device 230 are basic devices already installed in the vehicle, but can also be retrofitted. The communication devices 140 and 230 are configured to communicate with each other. The leading vehicle 10 electronically tractions the following vehicle 20, enabling communication.

[0044] like Figure 4As shown, the driving control device 200 includes an electronic control unit (ECU) 210. The ECU 210 is a microcomputer with a CPU 211, a storage device 212, and an interface circuit 213 as its main components. Furthermore, the CPU 211, storage device 212, and interface circuit 213 are connected bidirectionally via an internal bus. An actuator 220 and a communication device 230 are connected to the interface circuit 213. The communication device 230 communicates wirelessly with the communication device 140 of the controller 100 mounted on the navigation vehicle 10 via a network or directly.

[0045] CPU 211 executes a computer program stored in the read / write area of ​​storage device 212 to implement the function of driving control following vehicle 20. Here, driving control refers to, for example, adjusting the acceleration or deceleration, speed, and steering angle of following vehicle 20; that is, various controls for driving the actuators 220 that perform various functions such as "driving," "turning," and "stopping" of following vehicle 20. Actuators 220 include, for example, drive actuators, brake actuators, and steering actuators.

[0046] CPU 211 controls the operation of actuator 220 according to control instructions sent from controller 100, enabling follow vehicle 20 to maintain a specific positional relationship with lead vehicle 10 regardless of whether follow vehicle 20 has a driver.

[0047] [D] Remote operation using the pilot mobile unit

[0048] The controller 100 acquires specification information in advance of the electronically traction-guided vehicle 20, such as minimum turning radius or wheelbase length, acceleration performance, braking performance, and other information related to the "driving," "turning," and "stopping" of the vehicle 20. For example, while autonomously driving according to the lead vehicle route GR stored in the storage device 120, the controller 100 performs electronic traction (following) of the vehicle 20, which has acquired specification information.

[0049] The controller 100 causes the following vehicle 20 to follow, so that the lead vehicle 10 and the following vehicle 20 maintain a specific positional relationship. Specifically, while maintaining a specific distance between the following vehicle and the lead vehicle 10, the following vehicle 20 follows along the track of the lead vehicle 10.

[0050] [E] Boot Processing

[0051] The electronic traction system 1 of this embodiment includes a navigation vehicle 10, a display terminal 8, a position detector 14, and a storage device 5. The navigation vehicle 10 has a vehicle body 7 and a controller 100. As described above, the controller 100 is configured to be mounted on the vehicle body 7, and the controller is capable of enabling the vehicle body 7 to move autonomously and to be manipulated by wirelessly causing a vehicle 20 to follow the vehicle body 7. As described above, the position detector 14 detects the position of the vehicle body 7.

[0052] Display terminal 8 is an information terminal capable of communicating with controller 100, and is configured to be located within the following vehicle 20, capable of displaying information on screen and providing voice guidance. Display terminal 8 is located within the following vehicle 20 so that users can view information. As an example, display terminal 8 includes a display unit 81 such as a touch panel (which also serves as an operation unit), a processing unit 82 (e.g., ECU) that performs various processing tasks, a communication unit 83 capable of communicating with controller 100, a sound unit 84 that outputs sound, and a storage device 5.

[0053] The display terminal 8 can be a display device installed in the following vehicle 20 in a manner that can be viewed by occupants, or it can be a terminal that can be carried by a user (e.g., a smartphone or tablet computer). For example, if the display terminal 8 is installed in the following vehicle 20, the function of the communication unit 83 can also be performed by the communication device 230. If the display terminal 8 is a smartphone or the like, it is located inside the following vehicle 20 by being carried or installed by a user.

[0054] Storage device 5 stores map data MP that associates "location" with "tourism-related guidance information". Attractions set on the map data MP are associated with tourism information or shopping information. Storage device 5 is configured to communicate with controller 100 and / or display terminal 8. In this embodiment, storage device 5 is mounted on display terminal 8. That is, map data MP is stored in storage device 5 of display terminal 8. Alternatively, storage device 5 can be storage devices 120 or 212, or it can be an external server capable of communicating with display terminal 8 and / or controller 100.

[0055] The controller 100 and the display terminal 8 share information about the predetermined route of the mobile body 7 or the following vehicle 20. That is, the predetermined route of the mobile body 7 or the following vehicle 20 is set in both the controller 100 and the display terminal 8. The predetermined route is, for example, the aforementioned lead vehicle route GR. The controller 100 sets the predetermined route based on the current location and destination, and sends the predetermined route (route information) to the display terminal 8. The display terminal 8 sets the route information received from the controller 100 as the predetermined route for the following vehicle 20.

[0056] The planned driving route can be set by the user through the display terminal 8. For example, the display terminal 8 can display multiple routes or destinations that the user can select. When a planned driving route or destination is set in the display terminal 8, the display terminal 8 sends the set planned driving route (route information) or destination to the controller 100. The controller 100 sets the lead vehicle route GR according to the received route information or destination.

[0057] The controller 100 is configured to send the position information of the moving body 7 or the following vehicle 20 to the display terminal 8. For example, the controller 100 calculates the position of the following vehicle 20 based on the detection results of the position detector 14 and the surrounding monitoring device 9, and sends the calculation result to the display terminal 8. Thus, the electronic traction system 1 has a mechanism for detecting the position of the moving body 7 or the following vehicle 20.

[0058] When providing position information to the display terminal 8, the controller 100 can also utilize various position information used in the manipulation (electronic traction) of the following vehicle 20. Therefore, the controller 100 can send highly accurate position information for manipulation to the display terminal 8 without recalculating the position information. When the controller 100 has set a predetermined driving route, it sends the route information (predetermined driving route) along with the position information to the display terminal 8.

[0059] Display terminal 8 is configured to perform guidance processing, displaying visual information and / or providing voice guidance related to location information and a predetermined driving route based on location information and map data MP obtained from the detection results of location detector 14. In this embodiment, display terminal 8 performs guidance processing based on information (location information and predetermined driving route) received from controller 100 and map data MP stored in storage device 5. Furthermore, display terminal 8 can obtain the location information of following vehicle 20 from a location detector (e.g., a GNSS receiver or navigation system) installed on following vehicle 20 or from a location detector (e.g., a GNSS receiver) installed on display terminal 8. Controller 100 can also send a start instruction for guidance processing to display terminal 8.

[0060] The guidance processing involves the display terminal 8 displaying and / or providing voice guidance information related to the current location or predetermined route of the mobile body 7 or the following vehicle 20. This guidance information includes information about tourist attractions, restaurants, shops, local specialties, and other products. The guidance information can also be described as tourist attraction information. In the case of a smartphone or tablet, the guidance processing can be implemented through a dedicated application. Examples of guidance processing include displaying information about attractions near the current location or along the predetermined route on the display terminal 8's screen, or providing the user with information about nearby attractions through display and voice.

[0061] When the display terminal 8 determines, based on location information, that the following vehicle 20 is located near a specific scenic spot set in the map data MP or selected by the user, it sends a deceleration instruction to the controller 100. The specific scenic spot can be preset based on the map data or selected by the user, for example, during driving. The controller 100 is configured to perform sightseeing driving control to reduce the speed of the following vehicle 20 upon receiving the deceleration instruction.

[0062] According to the sightseeing driving control, the following vehicle 20, which travels at normal speed, travels at a sightseeing speed lower than normal. This allows the user to view the sightseeing spots more slowly. When the position of the following vehicle 20 moves out of the designated area of ​​a particular sight, the controller 100 restores the following vehicle 20's speed to normal.

[0063] Display terminal 8 is configured to perform online ordering of goods introduced in the guidance process based on user operations. Thus, users can place orders whenever they wish to purchase the introduced local specialties, specialties, or famous products in their local area.

[0064] Furthermore, the display terminal 8 is configured to perform a specific ordering process based on the user's operation, either online or directly via wireless communication, to order a specific product described in the guidance process from the store. In this case, the controller 100 is configured to act as a product receiving control, stopping the follower vehicle 20 near the store selling the specific product ordered in the specific ordering process, and causing the follower vehicle 20 to depart based on the user's operation of the display terminal 8 related to product receiving.

[0065] Based on specific order processing and goods receiving controls, for example, users can receive on-site food items such as soft-serve ice cream or takoyaki, or other goods they wish to purchase immediately. Store staff confirm receipt of the order via online or wireless communication through a communicable information terminal and, based on order information (order details, vehicle information, payment method, etc.), deliver the goods to the following vehicle 20. After receiving the goods purchased near the store, the user can operate the display terminal 8 (e.g., press the "complete" button) to restart the following vehicle 20. Specific goods are pre-set.

[0066] Furthermore, the display terminal 8 is configured to perform the following driving instruction processing: sending a selection instruction chosen by the user from multiple instructions (selections) related to the movement of the following vehicle 20, including instructions to change the predetermined driving route (e.g., a guide route) and parking instructions, to the controller 100. The controller 100 operates the following vehicle 20 according to the received selection instruction. Among the multiple instructions, in addition to instructions to change the driving route and parking instructions, there are also instructions such as deceleration instructions, instructions to resume normal speed, instructions to depart after parking, and instructions to change the destination. For example, if the user wants to change the guide route, they can select the desired guide route. Thus, sightseeing guidance can be provided in real time to reflect the user's mood. In addition, product order processing, specific order processing, and driving instruction processing can be implemented through an application downloaded to the display terminal 8.

[0067] In this way, users can use the display terminal 8 to purchase goods or change the route while riding in the following vehicle 20 for sightseeing. Users can also stop the following vehicle 20 and receive goods ordered on the display terminal 8. The electronic traction system 1 moves within the personal space while providing sightseeing information without requiring the passenger to drive, thus functioning similarly to a rickshaw at a sightseeing location.

[0068] According to the electronic traction system 1, for example, if a navigation mobile unit 10 and a display terminal 8 (e.g., a tablet computer) are prepared at the tourist site, then even if the vehicle being followed (becoming the following vehicle 20) is not a pre-prepared vehicle, but a rental car or a tourist's private car, it is possible to perform operation and guidance processing based on the controller 100. Even if the vehicle being followed does not have a communication device 230 (e.g., a remote control ECU), a communication device 230 can be retrofitted to the vehicle being followed. Guidance processing can be performed using a user's smartphone or tablet computer with a dedicated application downloaded.

[0069] like Figure 5As shown, the controller 100 (special control unit 117) sends the information required for guidance processing (e.g., location information) to the display terminal 8, which then performs guidance processing within the following vehicle 20 based on map data. The display terminal 8 can, for example, display a surrounding map, the location of the following vehicle 20 on the map, the location of attractions on the map, and / or a guidance route (a predetermined driving route) based on user input (or it can be displayed continuously).

[0070] When map data MP is stored in the controller 100, the controller 100 can send guidance information to the display terminal 8 in addition to location and route information. As described above, the display terminal 8 is configured to perform deceleration instructions, product order processing, specific order processing, and driving instruction processing in conjunction with the guidance processing. The controller 100 is configured to perform sightseeing driving control or product receiving control during the operation of the following vehicle 20. The controller 100 and the display terminal 8 share information and perform various processes / controls in conjunction.

[0071] According to this embodiment, guidance information corresponding to the position or route of the lead vehicle 10 or the following vehicle 20 is displayed on a screen and / or guided by voice from the display terminal 8 inside the following vehicle 20. Thus, the occupants (users) of the following vehicle 20 can obtain sightseeing information corresponding to their position while traveling, without having to drive the following vehicle 20, and can simultaneously enjoy sightseeing and travel. According to this embodiment, the practicality of the electronic traction system 1 can be improved.

[0072] Symbol Explanation

[0073] 10-Navigation mobile unit, 100-Controller, 5-Storage device, 7-Main body of mobile unit, 8-Display terminal, 9-Surrounding monitoring device, 14-Position detector, 20-Following vehicle (following vehicle).

Claims

1. An electronic towing system, characterized in that, have: A navigation mobile body has a mobile body main body and a controller. The controller is configured to be mounted on the mobile body main body, enabling the mobile body main body to move autonomously, and to be controlled by wireless communication so that a vehicle follows the mobile body main body as a following vehicle. A display terminal, located within the following vehicle, is configured to communicate with the controller; A position detector that detects the position of the moving body or the following vehicle; and Storage device that stores map data that links location with sightseeing-related guidance information. The controller and the display terminal share information about the predetermined route of the moving body or the following vehicle. The display terminal is configured as a guidance process, which displays and / or provides voice guidance on the guidance information related to the location information and the predetermined driving route based on the location information obtained from the detection results of the location detector and the map data.

2. The electronic traction system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The display terminal is configured to perform online ordering of goods described in the guidance process based on the user's operation.

3. The electronic traction system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The display terminal is configured to perform specific ordering processes based on user operations, either online or directly via wireless communication, to order specific products described in the guidance process. The controller performs the following processing: The following vehicle is stopped near the store selling the specific goods ordered in the specific order process; and The following vehicle departs based on the user's operation of the display terminal.

4. The electronic traction system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The display terminal is configured to send a deceleration instruction to the controller when it determines, based on the location information, that the following vehicle is located around a specific scenic spot set according to the map data or selected by the user. The controller is configured to perform sightseeing driving control to reduce the moving speed of the following vehicle when it receives the deceleration instruction.

5. The electronic traction system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The display terminal is configured to perform the following driving instruction processing: sending a selection instruction, chosen by the user from a plurality of instructions related to the movement of the following vehicle, including instructions for changing the predetermined driving route and instructions for stopping, to the controller. The controller manipulates the following vehicle according to the received selection instruction.

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