Control system, in-vehicle communication device, and control method

Abstract

The control system includes a server that transmits a travel control signal for controlling driving of a vehicle at regular cycles; an in-vehicle communication device that communicates with the server via wireless communication, the in-vehicle communication device including a storage unit that stores the travel control signal received from the server in an overwritable manner until the next travel control signal is received from the server, and that transmits the travel control signal stored in the storage unit at regular cycles; and an in-vehicle control device that communicates with the in-vehicle communication device via wired communication, and that controls travel of the vehicle using the travel control signal received from the in-vehicle communication device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to control systems, vehicle-mounted communication devices, and control methods. Background Technology

[0002] Technology for remotely controlling vehicles in a vehicle manufacturing plant is known (e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2017-538619 (JP 2017-538619 A)). Summary of the Invention

[0003] Even when the server sends driving control signals for controlling the vehicle at regular intervals, delays in the reception period of the driving control signals by the onboard communication device may occur, depending on the communication environment between the server and the onboard communication device. Therefore, delays may also occur during the transmission cycle of the driving control signals from the onboard communication device to the onboard control device, leading to a deterioration in vehicle control performance. Therefore, there is a need for technologies capable of suppressing the degradation of vehicle control performance caused by delays occurring during the reception cycle of driving control signals from the server.

[0004] This disclosure may be implemented in the following forms.

[0005] (1) According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a control system is provided. The control system includes: a server that periodically transmits driving control signals for controlling the driving of a vehicle; an in-vehicle communication device that communicates with the server via wireless communication, the in-vehicle communication device including a storage unit that stores the driving control signals received from the server in an overwriteable manner until the next time a driving control signal is received from the server, and periodically transmits the driving control signals stored in the storage unit; and an in-vehicle control device that communicates with the in-vehicle communication device via wired communication, and uses the driving control signals received from the in-vehicle communication device to control the driving of the vehicle. According to the control system in this regard, the deterioration of vehicle control performance caused by the delay in the reception period of driving control signals received from the server can be suppressed. (2) In the control system according to the above aspects, the vehicle communication device can determine whether a preset condition is met at regular intervals, and when it is determined that the condition is met, the driving control signal stored in the storage unit can be overwritten by another driving control signal used to control the driving of the vehicle. According to the control system in this regard, depending on whether the above conditions are met, another driving control signal can be used to overwrite the driving control signal stored in the storage unit. (3) In the control system according to the above aspects, the determination period of the conditions by the vehicle communication device can be shorter than the transmission period of the driving control signal by the server, and can also be shorter than the transmission period of the driving control signal by the vehicle communication device. According to the control system in this regard, the driving control signal stored in the storage unit can be quickly overwritten using another driving control signal. (4) According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a vehicle communication device is provided. The vehicle communication device includes: a receiving unit for receiving a driving control signal for controlling the driving of a vehicle, the driving control signal being transmitted from a server wirelessly at regular intervals; a storage unit for storing the driving control signal received from the server in a rewritable manner until the next driving control signal is received from the server; and a transmitting unit for transmitting the driving control signal stored in the storage unit to a vehicle control device at regular intervals via wired communication, the vehicle control device controlling the driving of the vehicle according to the driving control signal. According to the vehicle communication device in this regard, the deterioration of vehicle control performance caused by the delay in the reception period of driving control signals received from the server can be suppressed. (5) According to a third aspect of this disclosure, a control method is provided. The control method includes: receiving a driving control signal for controlling the driving of a vehicle, transmitted from a server via wireless communication at regular intervals; storing the driving control signal received from the server in an overwriteable manner until the next driving control signal is received from the server; and transmitting the stored driving control signal to an on-board control device via wired communication at regular intervals, the on-board control device controlling the driving of the vehicle according to the driving control signal. According to the control method in this regard, the deterioration of vehicle control performance caused by the delay in the reception period of driving control signals received from the server can be suppressed. This disclosure can be implemented in various forms other than control systems, vehicle communication devices, and control methods. For example, this disclosure can be implemented in the form of a vehicle. Attached Figure Description

[0006] 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: Figure 1 This is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the control system; Figure 2 This is an explanatory diagram showing the vehicle's configuration; Figure 3 This is an explanatory diagram showing the server configuration. Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing steps used for vehicle driving control; Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the transmission / reception processing of an in-vehicle communication device; and Figure 6 This is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of driving control signals in a control system. Detailed Implementation A. Example:

[0007] Figure 1 This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the configuration of a control system 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The control system 10 includes a vehicle 100 as a moving body, a server 200 for remotely controlling the vehicle 100, and at least one external sensor 300 for acquiring position information of the vehicle 100.

[0008] In this disclosure, the term "mobile body" refers to an object capable of movement, such as, 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 track-based 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 expressions "vehicle" and "automobile" in this disclosure may be appropriately replaced by "mobile body," and the expression "driving" may be appropriately replaced by "moving."

[0009] Vehicle 100 is configured to operate autonomously. The term "autonomous driving" refers to driving without any driving operations performed by occupants. Driving operations refer to actions related to at least one of "driving," "turning," and "stopping" of vehicle 100. Autonomous driving is achieved through automated or manual remote control using devices located outside vehicle 100 or through the autonomous control of vehicle 100. Vehicle 100 operating autonomously may have 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 riding in vehicle 100 and performing tasks other than driving operations (such as assembling, inspecting, or operating switches). Note that driving with driving operations performed by occupants is sometimes referred to as "manned driving."

[0010] In this disclosure, the term "remote control" includes "full remote control" in which all operations of vehicle 100 are completely determined from outside vehicle 100, and "partial remote control" in which some operations of vehicle 100 are determined from outside vehicle 100. Furthermore, "autonomous control" includes "full autonomous control" in which vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own operation without receiving any information from devices external to vehicle 100, and "partial autonomous control" in which vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own operation using information received from devices external to vehicle 100.

[0011] In this embodiment, the control system 10 enables the vehicle 100 to move remotely within the factory FC where the vehicle 100 is manufactured. The factory FC includes a first location PL1 and a second location PL2. The first location PL1 and the second location PL2 are connected by a track TR through which the vehicle 100 can travel.

[0012] In the factory FC, multiple external sensors 300 are mounted along the track TR. The external sensors 300 are sensors located outside the vehicle 100. The external sensors 300 are used to acquire vehicle position information, which is the position information of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the external sensors 300 are cameras. The position and orientation of the external sensors 300 in the factory FC are pre-adjusted. 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.

[0013] The first location PL1 is, for example, the location where vehicle 100 is assembled. At the assembly point at the first location PL1, vehicle 100 is in a state where it can be driven remotely. Under the remote control of server 200, vehicle 100 assembled at the first location PL1 moves along track TR from the first location PL1 to the second location PL2. The second location PL2 is, for example, the location where vehicle 100 is inspected. Then, vehicle 100 that has passed inspection at the second location PL2 is transported from factory FC.

[0014] Figure 2 This is an illustrative diagram showing the configuration of vehicle 100. In this embodiment, vehicle 100 is configured to operate under remote control from server 200. Vehicle 100 includes an onboard control unit 110, an actuator assembly 120, an internal sensor assembly 130, and an onboard communication device 140. In this embodiment, vehicle 100 is configured such that the onboard communication device 140 is detachably attached.

[0015] The vehicle control unit 110 controls each part of the vehicle 100. The vehicle control unit 110 comprises a computer. The vehicle control unit 110 includes 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. The input / output interface 113 is connected to the actuator assembly 120, the internal sensor assembly 130, and the vehicle communication device 140. The vehicle control unit 110 communicates with the actuator assembly 120, the internal sensor assembly 130, and the vehicle communication device 140 via wired communication. CAN communication is used for wired communication, for example, between the vehicle control unit 110, the actuator assembly 120, the internal sensor assembly 130, and the vehicle communication device 140.

[0016] The processor 111 of the vehicle control unit 110 functions as a vehicle control unit 115 by executing a computer program PG1 pre-stored in memory 112. The vehicle control unit 115 controls the actuator assembly 120 using driving control signals received from the vehicle communication unit 140 via wired communication. The driving control signals are control signals used to control the movement of the vehicle 100. The vehicle control unit 115 controls the movement of the vehicle 100 according to parameters included in the driving control signals. In this embodiment, the driving control signals include acceleration and steering angle as parameters. Note that in another embodiment, the driving control signals may include speed as a parameter instead of acceleration, or may include speed in addition to acceleration.

[0017] The actuator group 120 includes at least one actuator. In this embodiment, the actuator group 120 includes an actuator for a drive device that generates propulsion for the vehicle 100, an actuator for a steering device that changes the direction of travel of the vehicle 100, and an actuator for a braking device that generates braking force for the vehicle 100.

[0018] The internal sensor group 130 includes at least one internal sensor. The internal sensor is a sensor installed in the vehicle 100. The internal sensor group 130 includes, for example, a vehicle speed sensor for detecting the speed of the vehicle 100, a steering angle sensor for detecting the steering angle of the vehicle 100, and an obstacle sensor (such as a camera and a LiDAR device) for detecting obstacles in the road of the vehicle 100.

[0019] The vehicle-mounted communication device 140 communicates with the server 200 wirelessly. For example, Wi-Fi communication is used for wireless communication between the server 200 and the vehicle-mounted communication device 140. The vehicle-mounted communication device 140 includes a processor 141, a memory 142, an input / output interface 143, an internal bus 144, and an antenna 145. The processor 141, memory 142, input / output interface 143, and antenna 145 are connected via the internal bus 144 to enable bidirectional communication. The memory 142 has a buffer BF. Note that in this disclosure, the buffer BF of the memory 142 may be referred to as a "memory cell".

[0020] The processor 141 of the vehicle communication device 140 executes a computer program PG4 pre-stored in the memory 142, thereby serving as a receiving unit 146, a determining unit 147, and a transmitting unit 148. The receiving unit 146 receives driving control signals from the server 200 via the antenna 145 and stores the received driving control signals in a buffer BF in the memory 142. The buffer BF stores the driving control signals in an overwriteable manner. The driving control signals are transmitted from the server 200 to the vehicle communication device 140 at regular intervals. After storing the driving control signals received from the server 200 in the buffer BF, and then receiving new driving control signals from the server 200, the receiving unit 146 overwrites the driving control signals stored in the buffer BF with the newly received driving control signals from the server 200.

[0021] The determining unit 147 determines whether a preset condition is met at regular intervals. In this embodiment, the determining period of the determining unit 147 is shorter than the transmission period of the driving control signal of the server 200 and also shorter than the transmission period of the driving control signal of the transmitting unit 148. In this embodiment, the condition is that the driving permission condition, which will be described later, is no longer met. When it is determined that the driving permission condition is no longer met, the determining unit 147 overwrites the driving control signal stored in the buffer BF of the memory 142 with another driving control signal. When it is determined that the driving permission condition is met, the determining unit 147 does not overwrite the driving control signal stored in the buffer BF with another driving control signal. In this embodiment, the other driving control signal is a driving control signal used to bring the vehicle 100 to an emergency stop.

[0022] The transmitting unit 148 transmits the driving control signals stored in the buffer BF of the memory 142 to the vehicle control device 110 at regular intervals. When the driving control signals stored in the buffer BF are not overwritten by the determining unit 147, the driving control signals received by the receiving unit 146 are transmitted to the vehicle control device 110. Conversely, when the determining unit 147 performs the overwriting of the driving control signals stored in the buffer BF, the driving control signals overwritten by the determining unit 147, instead of the driving control signals received by the receiving unit 146, are transmitted to the vehicle control device 110.

[0023] Figure 3 This is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of server 200. Server 200 is located outside vehicle 100. Server 200 consists of a computer. Server 200 includes a 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 to enable bidirectional communication. Server 200 also includes a communication device 205 for external communication. Communication device 205 is connected to input / output interface 203. In this embodiment, communication device 205 communicates wirelessly with vehicle communication device 140 and with external sensors 300 via wired or wireless communication.

[0024] Processor 201 executes computer program PG2 pre-stored in memory 202 to function as driving authorization unit 211 and remote control unit 212. Driving authorization unit 211 sends driving authorization conditions to vehicle communication device 140 before vehicle 100 is driven remotely. In this embodiment, driving authorization conditions include a window period, maximum vehicle speed, and maximum steering angle as parameters. The window period is the upper limit of the time from when vehicle communication device 140 receives a driving control signal from server 200 until it receives the next driving control signal from server 200. The maximum vehicle speed is the upper limit of the vehicle speed of vehicle 100. The maximum steering angle is the upper limit of the steering angle of vehicle 100. Remote control unit 212 drives vehicle 100 remotely. In this embodiment, remote control unit 212 uses external sensor 300 to acquire vehicle position information indicating the position of vehicle 100, generates a driving control signal using the acquired vehicle position information, and sends the generated driving control signal to vehicle communication device 140.

[0025] Figure 4This is a flowchart illustrating the processing procedure for driving control of vehicle 100. In step S1, server 200 uses the detection results output from external sensor 300 to obtain vehicle position information. External sensor 300 is a sensor located outside vehicle 100. The vehicle position information is the position information used as the basis for generating driving control signals. In this embodiment, the vehicle position information includes the position and orientation of vehicle 100 in the reference coordinate system of the factory FC. In this embodiment, 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. In this embodiment, external sensor 300 is a camera installed in the factory FC, and external sensor 300 outputs captured images as detection results. That is, in step S1, server 200 uses the captured images obtained by the camera, which is external sensor 300, to obtain vehicle position information.

[0026] Specifically, in step S1, server 200 detects the external contour of vehicle 100 from the captured image, calculates the coordinates of the location point of vehicle 100 in the coordinate system (i.e., local coordinate system) of the captured image, and converts the calculated coordinates into coordinates in the global coordinate system GC, thereby obtaining the position of vehicle 100. The external contour of vehicle 100 included in the captured image can be detected, for example, by inputting the captured image into a detection model DM utilizing artificial intelligence. For example, the detection model DM is prepared inside or outside the control system 10 and pre-stored in the memory 202 of server 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 this machine learning model. The training dataset contains, for example, multiple training images including vehicle 100, and labels indicating whether each region in the training images represents 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 labels. Furthermore, the server 200 can estimate the orientation of the vehicle 100 by, for example, using optical flow localization, based on the orientation of the vehicle 100's movement vector calculated from the positional changes of feature points of the vehicle 100 between frames of the captured image.

[0027] In step S2, server 200 determines the next target location that vehicle 100 should travel to. In this embodiment, the target location is represented by the X, Y, and Z coordinates in the global coordinate system GC. Server 200's memory 202 pre-stores a reference route RR, which is the route that vehicle 100 should travel. The route is represented by nodes indicating the starting point, nodes indicating waypoints, nodes indicating the destination, and links connecting the nodes. Server 200 uses the vehicle's location information and the reference route RR to determine the next target location that vehicle 100 should travel to. Server 200 determines the target location on the reference route RR ahead of vehicle 100's current location.

[0028] In step S3, server 200 generates a driving control signal to cause vehicle 100 to move toward the determined target position. In this embodiment, the driving control signal includes the acceleration and steering angle of vehicle 100 as parameters. Server 200 calculates the driving speed of vehicle 100 based on the change in the position of vehicle 100 and compares the calculated driving speed with the target speed. Generally, server 200 determines the acceleration to make vehicle 100 accelerate when the driving speed is lower than the target speed, and determines the acceleration to make vehicle 100 decelerate when the driving speed is higher than the target speed. Furthermore, when vehicle 100 is on the reference route RR, server 200 determines the steering angle and acceleration to keep vehicle 100 from leaving the reference route RR, and when vehicle 100 is not on the reference route RR, that is, when vehicle 100 has left the reference route RR, server determines the steering angle and acceleration to return vehicle 100 to the reference route RR. In another embodiment, instead of the acceleration of vehicle 100, or in addition to the acceleration of vehicle 100, the driving control signal may include the speed of vehicle 100 as a parameter.

[0029] In step S4, server 200 sends the generated driving control signal to vehicle 100. Server 200 repeatedly acquires vehicle location information, determines target location, generates driving control signal, and sends driving control signal at predetermined intervals.

[0030] In step S5, vehicle 100 receives a driving control signal sent from server 200. In step S6, vehicle 100 uses the received driving control signal to control its actuators, thereby causing vehicle 100 to drive according to the acceleration and steering angle indicated in the driving control signal. Vehicle 100 repeats the reception of driving control signals and the control of its actuators at predetermined intervals. According to the control system 10 of this embodiment, vehicle 100 can be driven remotely and can be moved without using transportation devices such as cranes or conveyors.

[0031] Figure 5This is a flowchart illustrating the process of transmitting / receiving driving control signals by the vehicle communication device 140. The transmission / reception process is repeatedly executed by the processor 141 of the vehicle communication device 140 at predetermined cycles. When the transmission / reception process begins, in step S110, the receiving unit 146 determines whether a driving control signal has been received from the server 200. If it is determined in step S110 that a driving control signal has been received from the server 200, in step S120, the receiving unit 146 stores the received driving control signal in the buffer BF of the memory 142. If it is determined in step S110 that no driving control signal has been received, the receiving unit 146 skips step S120 and proceeds to step S130.

[0032] In step S130, the determining unit 147 determines whether a preset condition is met. In this embodiment, the condition is that the driving permit condition is no longer met. The driving permit condition includes the following conditions A, B, and C. Condition A

[0033] The condition is the elapsed time, which is the time elapsed since the receiving unit 146 last received the driving control signal, within a window period that is the upper limit of the elapsed time. Condition B

[0034] The condition is that the vehicle speed of vehicle 100 is within the maximum vehicle speed, which is the upper limit of the vehicle speed. Condition C

[0035] This situation occurs when the steering angle of vehicle 100 is within the maximum steering angle, which is the upper limit of that steering angle.

[0036] When all conditions A, B, and C are met, the determining unit 147 determines that the driving permit conditions are met. When at least one of conditions A, B, and C is not met, it determines that the driving permit conditions are no longer met. Regarding condition A, the window period is set to be an amount of time longer than the transmission cycle of the driving control signal from server 200. The determining unit 147 counts the elapsed time. Regarding condition B, the determining unit 147 can use a vehicle speed sensor included in the internal sensor group 130 to obtain the vehicle speed of vehicle 100. Regarding condition C, the determining unit 147 can use a steering angle sensor included in the internal sensor group 130 to obtain the steering angle of vehicle 100.

[0037] When it is determined in step S130 that a preset condition is met, that is, when it is determined that the driving permit condition is no longer met, in step S140, the determining unit 147 overwrites the driving control signal stored in the buffer BF with another driving control signal. In this embodiment, the other driving control signal is a driving control signal used to bring the vehicle 100 to an emergency stop. When it is determined in step S130 that the preset condition is not met, that is, when it is determined that the driving permit condition is met, the determining unit 147 skips step S140 and proceeds to step S150. Note that when the driving permit condition is no longer met, the possibility of the vehicle 100 coming into contact with an obstacle increases. Therefore, determining whether the driving permit condition is no longer met can be rephrased as determining whether the vehicle 100 is likely to come into contact with an obstacle.

[0038] In step S150, the transmitting unit 148 determines whether the timing for transmitting the driving control signal to the vehicle control device 110 has arrived. If it is determined in step S150 that the timing for transmitting the driving control signal to the vehicle control device 110 has not yet arrived, the transmitting unit 148 returns the process to step S110. If it is determined in step S150 that the timing for transmitting the driving control signal to the vehicle control device 110 has arrived, in step S160, the transmitting unit 148 transmits the driving control signal stored in the buffer BF to the vehicle control device 110. Afterward, the processor 141 ends the transmitting / receiving process. The processor 141 repeats the transmitting / receiving process at a predetermined period.

[0039] Figure 6 This is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of driving control signals SS1 and SS2 in control system 10. (See diagram below.) Figure 6 As shown in the upper part, server 200 transmits driving control signal SS1 to vehicle communication device 140 via wireless communication at regular intervals. In this embodiment, server 200 transmits driving control signal SS1 at 100 millisecond intervals. Vehicle communication device 140 receives driving control signal SS1 transmitted from server 200. When the communication environment between server 200 and vehicle communication device 140 is normal, the reception period of driving control signal SS1 by vehicle communication device 140 is the same as the transmission period of driving control signal SS1 by server 200. Vehicle communication device 140 stores the driving control signal SS1 received from server 200 in a buffer BF of memory 142 in an overwriteable manner.

[0040] The determination unit 147 of the vehicle communication device 140 determines whether the driving permit conditions are no longer met at regular intervals. In this embodiment, the determination unit 147 determines whether the driving permit conditions are no longer met at intervals of 20 milliseconds. The driving permit conditions include: a window period (condition A) in which the elapsed time since the vehicle communication device 140 most recently received the driving control signal SS1 does not exceed an upper limit of the elapsed time.

[0041] like Figure 6 As shown in the upper part, when the communication environment between the server 200 and the vehicle communication device 140 is normal, the reception period of the vehicle communication device 140 for the driving control signal SS1 will be the same as the transmission period of the server 200 for the driving control signal SS1, so the elapsed time will not exceed the window period. When it is determined that the driving permission conditions are met, the determination unit 147 does not overwrite the driving control signal SS1 stored in the buffer BF.

[0042] like Figure 6 As shown in the lower part, when the communication environment between server 200 and vehicle communication device 140 deteriorates and communication between them is interrupted, for example, when the elapsed time exceeds the window period, the determining unit 147 determines that the driving permission conditions are no longer met. When it is determined that the driving permission conditions are no longer met, the determining unit 147 immediately overwrites the driving control signal SS1 stored in buffer BF with the driving control signal SS2 to cause the vehicle 100 to stop urgently.

[0043] like Figure 6 As shown in the upper and lower portions, the vehicle communication device 140 transmits driving control signal SS1 or driving control signal SS2 stored in buffer BF to the vehicle control device 110 via wired communication at regular intervals. In this embodiment, the vehicle communication device 140 transmits driving control signal SS1 or driving control signal SS2 at a period of 100 milliseconds. The vehicle control device 110 receives driving control signal SS1 or driving control signal SS2 transmitted from the vehicle communication device 140 and uses the received driving control signal SS1 or driving control signal SS2 to control the actuator assembly 120.

[0044] Now, in another form, which is an event-driven form, once an event occurs in which a driving control signal SS1 is received from server 200, the vehicle communication device 140 sends the received driving control signal SS1 to the vehicle control device 110. When the communication environment between server 200 and vehicle communication device 140 deteriorates and a delay occurs in the reception cycle of driving control signal SS1 by vehicle communication device 140, a delay will also occur in the transmission cycle of driving control signal SS1 from vehicle communication device 140 to vehicle control device 110. Vehicle control device 110 preferably uses the latest driving control signal SS1 to control actuator group 120. However, in the other forms described above, the latest driving control signal SS1 is not sent from vehicle communication device 140 to vehicle control device 110 unless an event occurs in which driving control signal SS1 is received from server 200. As a result, the vehicle control unit 110 will use the old driving control signal SS1 to control the actuator group 120 until it receives the latest driving control signal SS1 from the vehicle communication unit 140, which will reduce the control performance of the vehicle 100. Furthermore, in the other forms described above, even when the determining unit 147 determines that the driving permission conditions are no longer met, the driving control signal SS2 used to cause the vehicle 100 to stop urgently will not be sent from the vehicle communication unit 140 to the vehicle control unit 110 unless an event occurs in which the driving control signal SS1 is received from the server 200. As a result, the vehicle control unit 110 will use the old driving control signal SS1 to control the actuator group 120 until it receives the latest driving control signal SS2 from the vehicle communication unit 140, and will not perform an emergency stop of the vehicle 100, resulting in reduced control performance of the vehicle 100.

[0045] According to the control system 10 of the above embodiment, the vehicle communication device 140 stores the driving control signal SS1 received from the server 200 in a rewritable manner in a buffer BF of the memory 142 until the next driving control signal SS1 is received. When the driving permission conditions are no longer met, the vehicle communication device 140 overwrites the driving control signal SS1 stored in the buffer BF with the driving control signal SS2 to bring the vehicle 100 to an emergency stop. The vehicle communication device 140 sends the driving control signal SS1 or the driving control signal SS2 stored in the buffer BF to the vehicle control device 110 at regular intervals. Therefore, even if the vehicle communication device 140 experiences a delay in the reception period of the driving control signal SS1, the vehicle control device 110 will not experience a delay in the reception periods of the driving control signals SS1 and SS2. Therefore, the degradation of the control performance of the vehicle 100 caused by the delay in the reception period of the driving control signal SS1 by the vehicle communication device 140 can be suppressed.

[0046] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the driving permit conditions are no longer met, the determination unit 147 of the vehicle communication device 140 overwrites the driving control signal SS1 stored in the buffer BF with the driving control signal SS2 to bring the vehicle 100 to an emergency stop. The vehicle communication device 140 sends the driving control signal SS2 stored in the buffer BF to the vehicle control device 110 at regular intervals. Therefore, even if there is a delay in the reception period of the driving control signal SS1 by the vehicle communication device 140, the vehicle control device 110 can still bring the vehicle 100 to an emergency stop by performing driving control using the driving control signal SS2. Therefore, by continuing driving control using the old driving control signal SS1, contact between the vehicle 100 and obstacles can be prevented.

[0047] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the determination period of the determination unit 147 of the vehicle communication device 140 is shorter than the transmission period of the driving control signal SS1 of the server 200, and also shorter than the transmission periods of the driving control signals SS1 and SS2 of the vehicle communication device 140. Therefore, when the driving permit conditions are no longer met, the determination unit 147 can immediately overwrite the driving control signal SS1 stored in the buffer BF with the driving control signal SS2, so that the vehicle 100 stops urgently. B. Other embodiments:

[0048] (B1) In the above embodiment, when it is determined that the driving permit conditions are no longer met, the determination unit 147 of the vehicle communication device 140 overwrites the driving control signal SS1 stored in the buffer BF of the memory 142 with the driving control signal SS2, so as to bring the vehicle 100 to an emergency stop. Conversely, the determination unit 147 may determine whether it is necessary to overwrite the driving control signal SS1 stored in the buffer BF based on conditions other than the driving permit conditions.

[0049] (B2) In the above embodiment, the determination period of the driving permission conditions by the determination unit 147 of the vehicle communication device 140 is shorter than the transmission period of the driving control signal SS1 by the server 200, and also shorter than the transmission period of the driving control signal SS1 or the driving control signal SS2 by the vehicle communication device 140. On the other hand, the determination period of the driving permission conditions by the determination unit 147 may be the same as or longer than the transmission period of the driving control signal SS1 by the server 200. The determination period related to the driving permission conditions by the determination unit 147 may be the same as or longer than the transmission period of the driving control signal SS1 or the driving control signal SS2 by the vehicle communication device 140.

[0050] (B3) In the above embodiments, the external sensor 300 is not limited to a camera, but can be, for example, a ranging device. The ranging device is, for example, a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) device. In this case, the detection result output by the external sensor 300 can be three-dimensional point cloud data representing the vehicle 100. In this case, the server 200 and the vehicle 100 can use the three-dimensional point cloud data as the detection result and pre-prepared reference point cloud data to obtain vehicle position information through template matching.

[0051] (B4) In the above embodiment, server 200 performs the process from acquiring vehicle location information to generating driving control signals. Alternatively, at least a portion of the process from acquiring vehicle location information to generating driving control signals may be performed by vehicle 100. For example, the following forms (1) to (3) may be performed.

[0052] (1) Server 200 can obtain vehicle location information, determine the target location that vehicle 100 should go to next, and generate a route from the current location of vehicle 100 indicated in the obtained vehicle location information to the target location. Server 200 can generate a route to the target location between the current location and the destination, or generate a route to the destination. Server 200 can send the generated route to vehicle 100. Vehicle 100 can generate a driving control signal to drive on the route received from server 200, and use the generated driving control signal to control the actuator group 120 of vehicle 100.

[0053] (2) Server 200 can obtain vehicle location information and send the obtained vehicle location information to vehicle 100. Vehicle 100 can decide the target location that vehicle 100 should go to next, generate a route from the current location of vehicle 100 represented by the received vehicle location information to the target location, generate a driving control signal, so that vehicle 100 drives on the generated route, and use the generated driving control signal to control the actuator group 120 of vehicle 100.

[0054] (3) In forms (1) and (2) above, internal sensors can be installed in vehicle 100, and the detection results output from the internal sensors can be used to generate at least one of route generation and driving control signal generation. Internal sensors are sensors installed in vehicle 100. Specifically, internal sensors may include, for example, cameras, LiDAR devices, millimeter-wave radar devices, ultrasonic sensors, Global Positioning System (GPS) sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, etc. For example, in form (1) above, server 200 can acquire the detection results of internal sensors, and when a route is generated, the detection results of internal sensors can be reflected in the route. In form (1) above, vehicle 100 can acquire the detection results of internal sensors, and when a driving control signal is generated, the detection results of internal sensors can be reflected in the driving control signal. In form (2) above, vehicle 100 can acquire the detection results of internal sensors, and when a route is generated, the detection results of internal sensors can be reflected in the route. In the above form (2), the vehicle 100 can acquire the detection results of the internal sensors, and when a driving control signal is generated, the detection results of the internal sensors can be reflected in the driving control signal.

[0055] (B5) In the above embodiment, server 200 automatically generates driving control signals to be sent to vehicle 100. Alternatively, server 200 may generate driving control signals to be sent to vehicle 100 based on operations performed by an external operator located outside vehicle 100. For example, the external operator may operate a control device including a display showing captured images output from external sensors 300, a steering wheel for remotely operating vehicle 100, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and a communication device for communicating with server 200 via wired or wireless communication, and server 200 may generate driving control signals based on operations performed on the control device.

[0056] (B6) In the above embodiments, it is sufficient for the vehicle 100 to have a configuration capable of autonomous driving, and it may be, for example, in the form of a platform with the following configuration. Specifically, in order for the vehicle 100 to perform the three functions of "driving," "turning," and "stopping" autonomously, it is sufficient for the vehicle 100 to be equipped with at least a control device for controlling its driving and actuators such as a drive device, a steering device, and a braking device. When the vehicle 100 obtains information for autonomous driving from the outside, it is sufficient for the vehicle 100 to also include a communication device. That is, the vehicle 100 capable of autonomous driving does not need to be equipped with at least some internal components, such as a driver's seat and a dashboard, nor does it need to be equipped with at least some external components, such as bumpers and fenders, and it does not need to be equipped with a body shell. In this case, the remaining parts, such as the body shell, can be attached to the vehicle 100 before the vehicle 100 is transported from the factory FC, or the remaining parts, such as the body shell, can be attached to the vehicle 100 after the vehicle 100 is transported from the factory FC in a state where the remaining parts, such as the body shell, are not attached to the vehicle 100. Each part can be attached from any direction (such as the upper, lower, front, rear, right, or left side of vehicle 100), and can be attached from the same direction or from different directions. Note that, in the form of a platform, the positions can be determined in the same way as vehicle 100 in the embodiments.

[0057] (B7) Vehicle 100 can be manufactured by combining multiple modules. The term module refers to a unit consisting of one or more components grouped together 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 middle module constituting the middle 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. Furthermore, in addition to or in lieu of the platform, parts of vehicle 100 that are different from the platform can be modularized. Various types of modules can also include any external components, such as bumpers and grilles, or any internal components, such as seats and consoles. Furthermore, the invention is not limited to vehicle 100 and any form of moving body can be manufactured by combining multiple modules. Such modules can be manufactured by joining multiple components together by welding or using fasteners, or by integrally molding at least a portion of the module into a single component, for example, by casting. The molding technique of integrally molding at least a portion of a module into a single component is also known as "gigacasting" or "megacasting". Using gigafactory allows each component of a moving body, which is typically formed by joining multiple parts, to be formed as a single component. For example, the front module, middle module, and rear module can be manufactured using gigafactory.

[0058] (B8) Using driverless operation to transport vehicle 100 is also referred to as "self-propelled transportation". The configuration used to realize self-propelled transportation is also referred to as "vehicle remote control autonomous transportation system". In addition, the production method of producing vehicle 100 using self-propelled transportation is also referred to as "self-propelled production". In self-propelled production, at least a portion of the transportation of vehicle 100 is realized by self-propelled transportation at the factory FC where vehicle 100 is manufactured.

[0059] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various configurations without departing from its spirit. 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 the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each aspect described in the Summary of the Invention section can be suitably replaced or combined. Furthermore, any technical features not described as essential in this specification can be suitably deleted.

Claims

1. A control system, including: The server sends driving control signals to control the vehicle's movement at regular intervals; The vehicle communication device communicates with the server via wireless communication. The vehicle communication device includes a storage unit that stores the driving control signal received from the server in an overwriteable manner until the next time the driving control signal is received from the server. The storage unit also transmits the driving control signal stored in the storage unit at regular intervals. as well as The vehicle control device communicates with the vehicle communication device via wired communication and uses the driving control signals received from the vehicle communication device to control the driving of the vehicle.

2. The control system according to claim 1, wherein, The vehicle communication device periodically determines whether a preset condition is met, and when the condition is met, it overwrites the driving control signal stored in the storage unit with another driving control signal used to control the driving of the vehicle.

3. The control system according to claim 2, wherein, The determination period of the conditions by the vehicle communication device is shorter than the transmission period of the driving control signal by the server, and also shorter than the transmission period of the driving control signal by the vehicle communication device.

4. A vehicle-mounted communication device, including: The receiving unit receives driving control signals for controlling the movement of the vehicle, the driving control signals being transmitted from the server via wireless communication at regular intervals; The storage unit stores the driving control signal received from the server in an overwriteable manner until the next time the driving control signal is received from the server; as well as The transmitting unit transmits the driving control signal stored in the storage unit to the vehicle control device at regular intervals via wired communication, and the vehicle control device controls the driving of the vehicle according to the driving control signal.

5. Control methods, including: Receive driving control signals sent from the server via wireless communication at regular intervals to control the driving of the vehicle. The driving control signal received from the server is stored in an overwriteable manner until the next driving control signal is received from the server. as well as The stored driving control signals are sent to the vehicle control device at regular intervals via wired communication, and the vehicle control device controls the driving of the vehicle according to the driving control signals.

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