System, method, and computer program product for controlling a vehicle

Abstract

A system for controlling a vehicle capable of autonomous driving includes: an acquisition unit that acquires position information related to the position of the vehicle's wheels; and a control unit that limits the vehicle's acceleration to a predetermined range when the position of the wheels is within a predetermined area.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-231910, filed on December 27, 2024, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to systems, methods, and computer program products for controlling vehicles. Background Technology

[0004] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-538619 discloses a technology for driving a vehicle autonomously or remotely during the vehicle manufacturing process.

[0005] In areas where vehicles travel, there are areas where sudden acceleration or braking is undesirable. For example, if sudden acceleration or braking is performed while driving over inspection equipment, the equipment may be damaged. Such problems are not limited to inspection equipment and can occur in any area. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Technical means for solving problems

[0007] This disclosure can be implemented in the following ways.

[0008] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a system for controlling a vehicle capable of autonomous driving is provided. The system includes: an acquisition unit for acquiring position information related to the position of the vehicle's wheels; and a control unit for limiting the vehicle's acceleration to a predetermined range when the position of the wheels is within a predetermined region.

[0009] In addition to the aforementioned system, this disclosure can also be implemented as, for example, a control device, a vehicle, a vehicle control method, a computer program for implementing the vehicle control method, or a computer program product containing the computer program. The computer program product may be, for example, a non-transitory recording medium containing the computer program, or intangible software that can be distributed via a network. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of the system in the first embodiment.

[0011] Figure 2 It is a block diagram representing the structure of the system.

[0012] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow of vehicle driving control in the first embodiment.

[0013] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of vehicle acceleration control.

[0014] Figure 5 This is an explanatory diagram showing the general configuration of the system in the second embodiment.

[0015] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the vehicle driving control process in the second embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0016] A. First implementation method:

[0017] <System 50 Overview>

[0018] Figure 1 This is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of system 50 in the first embodiment. System 50 is used to control a moving body. System 50 includes one or more vehicles 100 as moving bodies, a server 200, and one or more sensors 300.

[0019] In this disclosure, "mobile body" refers to an object capable of movement, such as a vehicle or an electric vertical takeoff and landing (e.g., a flying car). A vehicle can be a wheeled vehicle or a tracked vehicle, such as a passenger car, truck, bus, two-wheeled vehicle, four-wheeled vehicle, or construction vehicle. Vehicles include battery electric vehicles (BEVs), gasoline vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles. Where the mobile body is not a vehicle, expressions such as "vehicle" or "car" may be appropriately replaced with "mobile body," and expressions such as "driving" may be appropriately replaced with "moving."

[0020] In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 is configured to operate autonomously. "Autonomous operation" refers to driving without relying on the driving operations of passengers. Driving operations refer to operations related to at least one of "driving," "steering," or "stopping" of the vehicle 100. Autonomous driving is achieved through automatic or manual remote control using devices located outside the vehicle 100, or through the autonomous control of the vehicle 100. In the vehicle 100 operating autonomously, passengers who do not perform driving operations may also be present. Passengers who do not perform driving operations include, for example, people who simply sit in the seats of the vehicle 100, or people who perform tasks different from driving operations while riding in the vehicle 100, such as assembly, inspection, or switching operations. Furthermore, driving based on the driving operations of passengers is sometimes referred to as "manned driving."

[0021] In this specification, "remote control" includes "fully remote control," which completely determines all actions of vehicle 100 from outside the vehicle 100, and "partially remote control," which determines some actions of vehicle 100 from outside the vehicle 100. Additionally, "autonomous control" includes "fully autonomous control," where vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own actions without receiving any information from external devices, and "partially autonomous control," where vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own actions using information received from external devices.

[0022] In this embodiment, system 50 is used in a factory FC that manufactures 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 has a first location PL1 and a second location PL2. The first location PL1 and the second location PL2 are connected to each other by a driving road TR through which vehicle 100 can travel. Vehicle 100 moves from the first location PL1 to the second location PL2 via the driving road TR in an unmanned manner. Assembly and various inspections for the manufacture of vehicle 100 are performed in the first location PL1 and the second location PL2.

[0023] In this embodiment, a turntable TT is provided at the corner between the first location PL1 and the second location PL2. The turntable TT is configured as a rotatable surface. The turntable TT changes the orientation of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, after the vehicle 100 departs from the first location PL1, it changes its orientation via the turntable TT and proceeds to the second location PL2.

[0024] Multiple sensors 300 are installed at the first location PL1, the second location PL2, and the driving road TR. The sensors 300 are located externally to the vehicle 100. The sensors 300 capture images of the vehicle 100 from its external location. The sensors 300 may be, for example, cameras. The cameras, acting as sensors 300, capture images of the vehicle 100 and output the captured data. The sensors 300 are equipped with a communication device (not shown) capable of communicating with other devices such as the server 200 via wired or wireless communication.

[0025] <System 50 Composition>

[0026] Figure 2This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of system 50. Vehicle 100 includes a vehicle control unit 110 for controlling various parts 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 with external devices such as server 200 via wireless communication. Actuator assembly 120 includes actuators for a drive mechanism to accelerate vehicle 100, actuators for a steering mechanism to change the direction of travel of vehicle 100, and actuators for a braking mechanism to decelerate vehicle 100.

[0027] The vehicle control unit 110 comprises a computer having 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 in a bidirectional communication manner. An actuator assembly 120 and a communication device 130 are connected to the input / output interface 113. The processor 111 executes the program PG1 stored in the memory 112 to perform various functions, including those of the vehicle control unit 115.

[0028] The vehicle control unit 115 controls the actuator assembly 120 to move the vehicle 100. The vehicle control unit 115 can use a driving control signal received from the server 200 to control the actuator assembly 120, thereby moving the vehicle 100. The driving control signal is a control signal used to move 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, the driving control signal may include the speed of the vehicle 100 as a parameter instead of the acceleration of the vehicle 100, or it may include the speed of the vehicle 100 as a parameter in addition to the acceleration of the vehicle 100.

[0029] Server 200 is located outside vehicle 100. Server 200 is a computer comprising processor 201, memory 202, input / output interface 203, and internal bus 204. Processor 201, memory 202, and input / output interface 203 are connected via internal bus 204 in a bidirectional communication manner. A communication device 205 for communicating with various external devices of server 200 is connected to input / output interface 203. Communication device 205 can communicate with vehicle 100 wirelessly and with each sensor 300 via wired or wireless communication. Processor 201 executes program PG2 stored in memory 202 to perform various functions, including those of acquisition unit 210 and remote control unit 211.

[0030] The acquisition unit 210 acquires position information related to the position of the wheels of the vehicle 100 from the sensor 300. Specifically, the position information is acquired using image data output from the sensor 300. The wheel position information can also be acquired using multiple image data output from multiple sensors 300. Alternatively, the wheel position information can also be acquired using vehicle position information described later. In this embodiment, the acquisition unit 210 acquires position information related to the position of at least one of the wheels of the vehicle 100.

[0031] The remote control unit 211 acquires the detection results from the sensors, uses the detection results to generate a driving control signal for controlling the actuator assembly 120 of the vehicle 100, and sends the driving control signal to the vehicle 100, thereby controlling the autonomous driving of the vehicle 100. Alternatively, in addition to driving control signals, the remote control unit 211 may also generate and output control signals for controlling actuators that operate various auxiliary devices, wipers, power windows, lights, and other equipment on the vehicle 100. That is, the remote control unit 211 can also remotely control the operation of such equipment and auxiliary devices.

[0032] Furthermore, when the wheel position obtained by the acquisition unit 210 is within a preset area, the remote control unit 211 limits the acceleration of the vehicle 100 to an acceleration within a preset range. Acceleration in this disclosure includes both positive and negative acceleration. This acceleration limitation is achieved by limiting the acceleration-related driving control signals in the driving control signals transmitted to the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, a preset area AR1 is provided. Figure 1 The area surrounding the turntable TT is shown. The pre-defined area AR1 is stored in... Figure 2 The memory 202 is shown. Additionally, a preset range of acceleration is stored in the memory 202. The preset range of acceleration is, for example, -0.3G to 0.3G. The preset range of acceleration can be determined experimentally without performing rapid acceleration or braking of the vehicle 100. Details regarding the acceleration control of the vehicle 100 will be described later.

[0033] <Vehicle 100 Driving Control>

[0034] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow of the vehicle 100's driving control in the first embodiment. This flow is executed to enable the vehicle 100 to drive autonomously. Figure 3 In the processing flow, the processor 201 of the server 200 functions as a remote control unit 211 by executing program PG2. Additionally, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 functions as a vehicle control unit 115 by executing program PG1.

[0035] In step S1, the processor 201 of the server 200 uses the detection results output from the sensor 300 to obtain vehicle position information. This vehicle position information is 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 captured images obtained from a camera, which is the sensor 300, to obtain the vehicle position information.

[0036] Specifically, in step S1, the processor 201 detects the shape of the vehicle 100 from the captured image, calculates the coordinates of the vehicle 100's location points in the local coordinate system of the captured image, and transforms the calculated coordinates into coordinates in the global coordinate system GC, thereby obtaining the position of the vehicle 100. The shape of the vehicle 100 contained in the captured image can be detected, for example, by inputting the captured image into a detection model DM that utilizes artificial intelligence. The detection model DM is prepared, for example, within or outside the system 50, and pre-stored in the memory 202 of the server 200. As the detection model DM, for example, a learned machine learning model that has been trained to achieve either semantic segmentation or instance segmentation can be used. As this machine learning model, for example, a convolutional neural network (hereinafter referred to as CNN) trained using supervised learning with a learning dataset can be used. The learning dataset, for example, has multiple training images containing the vehicle 100 and labels indicating which region in the training images represents the vehicle 100 and which region outside the vehicle 100 it represents. During CNN learning, it is preferable to update the CNN parameters by using backpropagation (error backpropagation method) to reduce the error between the output of the detection model DM and the label. Alternatively, the processor 201 can, for example, use optical flow to estimate the orientation of the vehicle 100 based on the orientation of the vehicle 100's movement vector calculated from the positional changes of the vehicle 100's feature points between frames of the captured image.

[0037] In step S2, the processor 201 of the server 200 determines the next target location that the vehicle 100 should go to. In this embodiment, the target location is represented by the X, Y, and Z coordinates in the global coordinate system GC. The path that the vehicle 100 should travel, i.e., the reference path RR, is pre-stored in the memory 202 of the server 200. The path is represented by nodes indicating the origin, nodes indicating the waypoints, nodes indicating the destination, and links connecting the nodes. The processor 201 uses the vehicle location information and the reference path RR to determine the next target location that the vehicle 100 should go to. The processor 201 determines the target location on the reference path RR that is earlier than the current location of the vehicle 100.

[0038] In step S3, the processor 201 of the server 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 vehicle 100's position shift and compares the calculated speed with the target speed. Generally, when the speed is lower than the target speed, the processor 201 determines acceleration to make the vehicle 100 accelerate; when the speed is higher than the target speed, it determines acceleration to make the vehicle 100 decelerate. Furthermore, when the vehicle 100 is on the reference path RR, the processor 201 determines the steering angle and acceleration to prevent the vehicle 100 from leaving the reference path RR; when the vehicle 100 is not on the reference path RR—in other words, when the vehicle 100 has left the reference path RR—it determines the steering angle and acceleration to return the vehicle 100 to the reference path RR.

[0039] In step S4, the processor 201 of the server 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 a predetermined cycle.

[0040] In step S5, the processor 111 of vehicle 100 receives a driving control signal sent from server 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 travel at the acceleration and steering angle represented by the driving control signal. The processor 111 repeatedly receives the driving control signal and controls actuator assembly 120 at a predetermined cycle.

[0041] <Vehicle Acceleration Control>

[0042] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the acceleration control process of vehicle 100. Acceleration control is performed as one of various controls used to enable vehicle 100 to operate autonomously in a factory FC (Functional Control Unit). Furthermore, acceleration control is used to suppress... Figure 1 This was performed due to the damage to the turntable TT within the area AR1 shown.

[0043] like Figure 4 As shown, in step S10, the acquisition unit 210 acquires position information related to the position of the wheels of the vehicle 100. This position information is obtained by comparing it with... Figure 3 The method described in step S1 of “Driving Control of Vehicle 100” is the same as that used to obtain the result.

[0044] like Figure 4As shown, in step S20, the remote control unit 211 uses the acquired wheel position information to determine whether the wheel is in a preset area AR1. In this embodiment, it is determined whether at least one of the plurality of wheels is in the preset area AR1. If the wheel is in the preset area AR1 (step S20: yes), in step S30, the remote control unit 211 limits the acceleration of the vehicle 100 to an acceleration within a preset range. More specifically, the remote control unit 211 will... Figure 3 In step S3 of the "driving control of vehicle 100" shown, the acceleration limit determined is within a preset range. In this embodiment, the preset range is, for example, -0.3G to 0.3G. This preset range is for acceleration ranges where rapid acceleration or braking is not performed, and is intended to suppress... Figure 1 The acceleration range of the turntable TT within region AR1 shown was determined experimentally. Figure 4 As shown, if it is determined that the position of the wheel is not in the preset area AR1 (step S20: No), the acceleration is not limited.

[0045] The aforementioned acceleration control process is repeatedly executed during the operation of the driverless vehicle 100.

[0046] According to the system 50 of the first embodiment described above, when the position of the wheels of the vehicle 100 is in a preset area AR1, the remote control unit 211 limits the acceleration of the vehicle 100 to a preset range of acceleration. Therefore, by setting the place where rapid acceleration or braking is not desired to be performed as the preset area AR1, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of rapid acceleration or braking in that place.

[0047] Furthermore, according to the system 50 of the first embodiment, the pre-defined area AR1 is set to surround the turntable TT, thus preventing the vehicle 100 from being controlled with excessive acceleration on the turntable TT. Therefore, damage to the turntable TT due to sudden acceleration or braking can be prevented.

[0048] B. Second implementation method:

[0049] Figure 5 This is an explanatory diagram showing the schematic configuration of system 50v in the second embodiment. System 50v in the second embodiment differs from system 50 in the first embodiment in that it does not include server 200. Furthermore, the vehicle 100v in this embodiment can be driven autonomously. Other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment unless otherwise specified.

[0050] 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 acquires the output results of the sensors, uses the output results to generate a driving control signal, and outputs the generated driving control signal to activate the actuator assembly 120, thereby enabling the vehicle 100v to drive autonomously. In this embodiment, in addition to the program PG1, the memory 112v also stores the detection model DM and the reference path RR in advance.

[0051] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow of the vehicle 100v driving control in the second embodiment. Figure 6 The processing flow is executed to enable vehicle 100v to drive autonomously without using server 200.

[0052] In step S901, the processor 111v of the vehicle control device 110v obtains 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 location that the vehicle 100v should go to next. In step S903, the processor 111v generates a driving control signal to make the vehicle 100v move toward the determined target location. In step S904, the processor 111v uses the generated driving control signal to control the actuator group 120, thereby making the vehicle 100v move according to the parameters represented by the driving control signal. The processor 111v repeatedly performs the acquisition of vehicle position information, determination of target location, generation of driving control signal, and control of actuators at a predetermined cycle. According to the system 50v in this embodiment, even without remote control of the vehicle 100v through the server 200, the vehicle 100v can be driven autonomously.

[0053] In addition, such as Figure 5 As shown, the processor 111v in this embodiment also functions as the acquisition unit 125v by executing the program PG1 stored in the memory 112v. The acquisition unit 125v has the same function as the acquisition unit 210 in the first embodiment. In addition, the vehicle control unit 115v described above also performs the acceleration control described in the first embodiment. Therefore, in this embodiment, the processor 111v of the vehicle 100v performs the same acceleration control as described in the first embodiment. Figure 4 The acceleration control shown is handled in the same way.

[0054] The system 50v of the second embodiment described above can also perform driving control and acceleration control of the vehicle 100v in the same way as the system 50 of the first embodiment.

[0055] C. Other implementation methods 1:

[0056] (C1) In the above embodiments, the memories 112, 112v, and 202 can be any storage device. Such storage devices are, for example, HDD (Hard Disc Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), etc.

[0057] (C2) In the above embodiments, the pre-defined area AR1 is the area surrounding the turntable TT, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. The pre-defined area AR1 may also be an area that includes the turntable TT and at least a portion of the vehicle 100 may be present on the turntable. In addition, the pre-defined area AR1 may be an area only on the turntable TT. Furthermore, the pre-defined area AR1 may be any area. For example, the pre-defined area AR1 may be an area on the inspection equipment of the vehicle 100, an area on the belt conveyor that transports the vehicle 100, an area surrounding road markings, and an area on a downhill slope. In the inspection equipment, for example, a side slip inspection is performed to check the lateral slip of the vehicle 100. If a sudden acceleration or sudden braking is performed on the inspection equipment or the belt conveyor, the inspection equipment or the belt conveyor may be damaged. Here, by performing the acceleration control process described in the above embodiments, damage to the inspection equipment and the belt conveyor can be suppressed. In addition, various road markings are provided on the road surface within the factory FC for purposes such as site description, display of the vehicle 100's travel path, and attracting attention. If rapid acceleration or braking is performed on the road markings, the road markings may peel off or become damaged due to tire marks. By performing the acceleration control process described in the above embodiments, peeling and damage to the road markings can be suppressed. Additionally, sometimes there are downhill sections where the vehicle 100 travels within the factory FC. If rapid acceleration is performed while traveling downhill, the vehicle 100's speed may exceed the intended speed. Furthermore, if rapid braking is performed while traveling downhill, the bottom surface of the vehicle 100 may come into contact with the road surface. By performing the acceleration control process described in the above embodiments, it is possible to prevent the vehicle 100's speed from exceeding the intended speed and the bottom surface of the vehicle 100 from contacting the road surface.

[0058] (C3) In the above embodiments, the acquisition units 210 and 125v may also acquire the position information of the wheels of the vehicle 100 without using photographic data. For example, the acquisition units 210 and 125v may also acquire the wheel position information using so-called autonomous navigation, such as GPS (Global Positioning System) or GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), and using gyroscope sensors and accelerometer sensors.

[0059] (C4) In the above embodiments, the remote control unit 211 and the vehicle control unit 115v limit the acceleration of the vehicle 100 to a preset range of acceleration, but the remote control unit 211 and the vehicle control unit 115v may also limit the acceleration of the vehicle 100 to a preset constant acceleration.

[0060] (C5) In the above embodiments, when at least one wheel of the vehicle 100 is in a predetermined region AR1, the acceleration is limited to an acceleration within a predetermined range, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. The acceleration may also be limited to an acceleration within a predetermined range only when all wheels of the vehicle 100 are in the predetermined region AR1. With this configuration, since the acceleration is limited only when all wheels are in the predetermined region AR1, it is possible to suppress the situation where acceleration is limited only when a portion of the vehicle 100 is in the predetermined region AR1. That is, acceleration can be limited only when there is a high probability that the entire vehicle 100 is within the predetermined region AR1.

[0061] (C6) In the above embodiments, the acquisition units 210 and 125v can also use process information to acquire position information related to the position of the wheels. Process information is information related to the process in which the vehicle 100 is performing. Specifically, the vehicle 100 is driven autonomously within the factory FC while undergoing various inspections, assembly, etc. These inspection and assembly processes are performed in a pre-set sequence. The sequence of processes is pre-stored in the memory 202 of the server 200. Furthermore, the process and the location where the process is performed are pre-stored in the memory 202. Whenever a process is completed, the vehicle 100 transmits information indicating the completion of the process, i.e., process completion information, to the server 200. The processor 201 of the server 200 uses the process sequence information stored in the memory 202 and the process completion information transmitted from the vehicle 100 to perform processing to determine the process in which the vehicle 100 is performing. The acquisition units 210 and 125v acquire position information related to the position of the wheels using the determined process.

[0062] (C7) In the above embodiments, the remote control unit 211 and the vehicle control unit 115v may not limit acceleration when none of the wheels of the vehicle 100 are in the preset region AR1. The remote control unit 211 and the vehicle control unit 115v may also mitigate the acceleration limitation when none of the wheels are in region AR1, compared to when at least one of the wheels is in region AR1.

[0063] D. Other implementation methods 2:

[0064] (D1) In the above embodiments, the sensor 300 is not limited to a camera, but may also be a ranging device, for example. The ranging device may be, for example, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). In this case, the detection result output by the sensor 300 may also be three-dimensional point cloud data representing the vehicle 100. In this case, the server 200 and the vehicle 100 may also obtain vehicle position information by matching the three-dimensional point cloud data as the detection result with a template of pre-prepared reference point cloud data.

[0065] (D2) In the first embodiment, the server 200 performs the process from obtaining vehicle location information to generating a driving control signal. In contrast, the vehicle 100 may also perform at least a portion of the process from obtaining vehicle location information to generating a driving control signal. For example, it may be in the manner described in (1) to (3) below.

[0066] (1) Server 200 can also obtain vehicle location information, determine the target location that vehicle 100 should go to next, and generate a path from the current location of vehicle 100 to the target location as indicated by the obtained vehicle location information. Server 200 can generate a path up to the target location between the current location and the destination, or a path up to the destination. Server 200 can also send the generated path to vehicle 100. Vehicle 100 can also generate a driving control signal to drive on the path received from server 200, and use the generated driving control signal to control actuator group 120.

[0067] (2) The server 200 can also obtain vehicle location information and send the obtained vehicle location information to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 can also decide the target location that the vehicle 100 should go to next, generate a path from the current location of the vehicle 100 represented by the received vehicle location information to the target location, generate a driving control signal so that the vehicle 100 travels on the generated path, and use the generated driving control signal to control the actuator group 120.

[0068] (3) In the methods described in (1) and (2) above, the vehicle 100 may be equipped with internal sensors, and at least one of the path generation and driving control signal generation may use the detection results output from the internal sensors. The internal sensors are sensors mounted on the vehicle 100. For example, the internal sensors may include sensors that detect the motion state of the vehicle 100, sensors that detect the motion state of various parts of the vehicle 100, and sensors that detect the surrounding environment of the vehicle 100. Specifically, the internal sensors may include, for example, cameras, LiDAR, millimeter-wave radar, ultrasonic sensors, GPS sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, etc. For example, in the method described in (1) above, the server 200 may obtain the detection results from the internal sensors and reflect these results in the path when generating the path. In the method described in (1) above, the vehicle 100 may obtain the detection results from the internal sensors and reflect these results in the driving control signal when generating the driving control signal. In the method described in (2) above, the vehicle 100 may obtain the detection results from the internal sensors and reflect these results in the path when generating the path. In the above (2) method, the vehicle 100 may obtain the detection results of the internal sensors and reflect the detection results of the internal sensors in the driving control signal when generating the driving control signal.

[0069] (D3) In the second embodiment described above, the vehicle 100v may also be equipped with an internal sensor, and the detection results output from the internal sensor may be used in at least one of the path generation and driving control signal generation. For example, the vehicle 100v may acquire the detection results from the internal sensor and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the path when generating the path. Alternatively, the vehicle 100v may acquire the detection results from the internal sensor and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the driving control signal when generating the driving control signal.

[0070] (D4) In the second embodiment described above, vehicle 100v uses the detection results of sensor 300 to obtain vehicle position information. Alternatively, vehicle 100v may be equipped with internal sensors. Vehicle 100v uses the detection results of these internal sensors to obtain vehicle position information, determines the target location that vehicle 100v should go to next, generates a path from vehicle 100v's current location to the target location as indicated by the obtained vehicle position information, generates a driving control signal for traveling along the generated path, and uses the generated driving control signal to control actuator assembly 120. In this case, vehicle 100v can travel without using the detection results of sensor 300 at all. Furthermore, vehicle 100v may also obtain the target arrival time and / or congestion information from outside vehicle 100v, reflecting the target arrival time and / or congestion information in at least one of the path and driving control signal.

[0071] (D5) In the first embodiment described above, the server 200 automatically generates a driving control signal to be sent to the vehicle 100. Alternatively, the server 200 may also generate a driving control signal to be sent to the vehicle 100 according to the operation of an external operator located outside the vehicle 100. For example, the external operator may operate a control device equipped with a display showing images captured from the sensor 300, a steering wheel for remotely operating the vehicle 100, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and a communication device for communicating with the server 200 via wired or wireless communication, and the server 200 generates a driving control signal corresponding to the operation applied to the control device.

[0072] (D6) In the above embodiments, the vehicle 100 only needs to have a configuration that enables it to move autonomously. For example, it can also be in the form of a test bench with the configuration described below. Specifically, in order for the vehicle 100 to perform the three functions of "driving," "steering," and "stopping" autonomously, it only needs to have at least a vehicle control device 110 and an actuator assembly 120. When the vehicle 100 obtains information from the outside for autonomous driving, the vehicle 100 also needs to have a communication device 130. That is, the vehicle 100 that can move autonomously may not have at least a portion of the interior components such as the driver's seat and dashboard installed, nor may it have at least a portion of the exterior components such as bumpers and fenders installed, nor may it have a body shell installed. In this case, the remaining components such as the body shell can be installed on the vehicle 100 during the period until the vehicle 100 leaves the factory FC, or the remaining components such as the body shell can be installed on the vehicle 100 after the vehicle 100 leaves the factory FC in a state where the remaining components such as the body shell are not installed on the vehicle 100. Each component can be installed from any direction of the vehicle 100, such as the upper side, lower side, front side, rear side, right side, or left side. They can be installed from the same direction or from different directions. Furthermore, the shape of the stand can be determined in the same way as the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment.

[0073] (D7) Vehicle 100 can also be manufactured by combining multiple modules. A module refers to a unit composed of one or more parts that are aggregated according to the structure and function of vehicle 100. For example, the frame of vehicle 100 can be manufactured by combining a front module constituting the front part of the frame, a central module constituting the central part of the frame, and a rear module constituting the rear part of the frame. In addition, the number of modules constituting the frame is not limited to three, and may be two or less or four or more. In addition, parts of vehicle 100 that are different from the frame may be modularized in addition to the frame, or parts of vehicle 100 that are different from the frame may be modularized instead of the frame. In addition, various modules may include any exterior parts such as bumpers and grilles, and any interior parts such as seats and consoles. In addition, not limited to vehicle 100, any kind of moving body can be manufactured by combining multiple modules. Such modules can be manufactured, for example, by joining multiple parts using welding, fasteners, etc., or by integrally molding at least a part of the module into a single part using casting. A molding method that integrally molds at least a portion of a module into a single component is also known as Giga-casting or Mega-casting. By using Giga-casting, it is possible to form the various parts of a mobile body, which were previously formed by joining multiple components, into a single component. For example, the aforementioned front module, central module, and rear module can also be manufactured using Giga-casting.

[0074] (D8) Transporting vehicle 100 using the driving of driverless vehicle 100 is also called "autonomous transport". Furthermore, the configuration used to achieve autonomous transport is also called a "vehicle remote control autonomous driving transport system". Additionally, the production method that uses autonomous transport to produce vehicle 100 is also called "autonomous production". In autonomous production, for example, in factory FC where vehicle 100 is manufactured, at least a portion of the transport of vehicle 100 is achieved through autonomous transport.

[0075] (D9) In the above embodiments, some or all of the functions and processes implemented in software can also be implemented in hardware. Conversely, some or all of the functions and processes implemented in hardware can also be implemented in software. As the hardware for implementing the various functions in the above embodiments, various circuits such as integrated circuits and discrete circuits can also be used.

[0076] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various configurations without departing from its spirit. For example, the technical features in the embodiments may be appropriately replaced or combined to solve some or all of the above-described problems, or to achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, any technical feature that is not described as an essential feature in this specification may be appropriately omitted. This disclosure can also be implemented through the following description.

[0077] (1) According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a system for controlling a vehicle capable of autonomous driving is provided. The system includes: an acquisition unit for acquiring position information related to the position of the wheels of the vehicle; and a control unit for limiting the acceleration of the vehicle to an acceleration within a predetermined range when the position of the wheels is in a predetermined region.

[0078] According to this system, when the vehicle's wheels are in a preset area, the control unit limits the vehicle's acceleration to a preset range, thus preventing the vehicle from accelerating outside the preset range within that area. Furthermore, by setting the preset range to an acceleration range that prevents sudden acceleration or braking, sudden acceleration or braking can be suppressed in areas where it is undesirable to perform such actions.

[0079] (2) In the system described above, the pre-set area may include at least one of the following: an area on a turntable that changes the orientation of the vehicle, an area on the vehicle inspection equipment, an area on a belt conveyor that transports the vehicle, an area surrounding road markings, and an area on a downhill slope.

[0080] According to this system, since the pre-defined areas include at least one of the areas on the turntable, the areas on the vehicle's inspection equipment, the areas on the belt conveyor, and the areas surrounding the road markings, it is possible to suppress sudden acceleration and braking in these areas and to prevent damage to these devices or markings.

[0081] (3) The system described above may also include: a server having the control unit and disposed outside the vehicle; and a vehicle control unit mounted on the vehicle, which uses driving control signals received from the server to control the actuators used to drive the vehicle, thereby causing the vehicle to move, wherein the control unit limits the acceleration of the vehicle to the preset range by limiting the driving control signals related to acceleration in the driving control signals.

[0082] According to this system, since it has a server with a control unit located outside the vehicle, the acceleration of the vehicle can be limited from the outside.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a vehicle capable of autonomous driving, comprising: The acquisition unit acquires position information related to the position of the wheels of the vehicle; and The control unit limits the vehicle's acceleration to a predetermined range when the position of the wheel is within a predetermined area.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The pre-defined area includes at least one of the following: an area on a turntable that changes the orientation of the vehicle; an area on the vehicle's inspection equipment; an area on the belt conveyor that transports the vehicle; an area surrounding road markings; and an area on a downhill slope.

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The system also has: A server, having the control unit, is located outside the vehicle; and A vehicle control unit, mounted on the vehicle, uses driving control signals received from the server to control actuators used to drive the vehicle, thereby causing the vehicle to move. The control unit limits the vehicle's acceleration to a preset range by restricting the acceleration-related driving control signals in the driving control signals.

4. A method for controlling a vehicle capable of operating autonomously, comprising: Obtain position information related to the position of the vehicle's wheels; and When the position of the wheel is within a predetermined area, the acceleration of the vehicle is limited to an acceleration within a predetermined range.

5. A computer program product for controlling a vehicle capable of autonomous driving, enabling the computer to: Obtain position information related to the position of the vehicle's wheels; and When the position of the wheel is within a predetermined area, the acceleration of the vehicle is limited to an acceleration within a predetermined range.

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