Control device and method for unmanned driving

Abstract

A control device comprises: an information acquisition unit that acquires capability information of a variety of moving objects that can be moved by unmanned driving, wherein the capability information relates to at least one capability of avoidance capability to avoid a collision with an obstacle and of reduction capability to reduce an impact at the time of collision with the obstacle;and a control unit that controls the unmanned driving of at least one moving object of the plurality of moving objects, and, if the plurality of moving objects enter an intersection from different directions at the same time, controls the at least one moving object to cause the plurality of moving objects to pass the intersection according to a priority order determined in descending order of the at least one capability using the capability information.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This patent application claims priority from Japanese patent applications JP 2023-107093, filed on June 29, 2023, and JP 2023-182654, filed on October 24, 2023, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. BACKGROUND AREA

[0002] The present invention relates to a control device and a method for unmanned driving.

[0003] A technique is known to make a vehicle drive by unmanned driving in a vehicle manufacturing process (see, for example, Japanese patent application (translation of PCT application) JP 2017 - 538 619 A).

[0004] The above-mentioned Japanese patent application (translation of the PCT application) JP 2017 - 538 619 A does not consider which moving object is caused to pass through an intersection in order when multiple moving objects enter the intersection from different directions at the same time. SUMMARY

[0005] The present invention can be implemented through the following aspects.

[0006] (1) A first aspect of the present invention provides a control device. This control device includes: an information acquisition unit configured to acquire capability information of a plurality of moving objects that can be moved by unmanned driving, the capability information relating to at least one capability of evasive action.Avoidance ability to avoid a collision with an obstacle and reduction ability to reduce an impact at the time of collision with the obstacle; and a control unit configured to control unmanned driving of at least one moving object among the plurality of moving objects, wherein, when the plurality of moving objects enter an intersection from different directions at the same time, the control unit controls the at least one moving object to cause the plurality of moving objects to pass through the intersection according to a priority order determined in descending order of the at least one ability using the ability information.

[0007] The control device according to this aspect can reduce the probability that a preceding moving object collides with an obstacle at an intersection and a path or course of a following moving object is blocked, and reduce the impact of the collision even if the preceding moving object collides with the obstacle at the intersection, so that it is possible to restore earlier the path or course of the following moving object that is blocked when the preceding moving object collides with the obstacle.

[0008] (2) In the control device according to the above aspect, the control unit may set the priority order higher when the avoidance ability is higher, and may set the priority order higher when the reduction ability is higher in a case where the avoidance ability is the same.

[0009] The control device according to this aspect causes moving objects having the higher avoidance ability to advance from the moving objects having the higher avoidance ability and the moving objects having the lower avoidance ability, so that it is possible to reduce a probability that the preceding moving object collides with an obstacle.

[0010] (3) In the control device according to the above aspect, the capability information may include information indicating whether or not the moving object has an automatic avoidance function which is a function of automatically avoiding the collision with the obstacle, and the control unit may set the priority order of the moving object having the automatic avoidance function higher than the priority order of the moving object not having the automatic avoidance function.

[0011] The control device according to this aspect causes moving objects having the automatic avoidance function to move ahead of the moving objects having the automatic avoidance function and the moving objects not having the automatic avoidance function, so that it is possible to reduce the possibility of the moving object in front colliding with an obstacle.

[0012] (4) In the control device according to the above aspect, the plurality of moving objects can be moved by unmanned driving in a factory that manufactures the plurality of moving objects, the capability information may include information indicating the number of repeat inspections of the moving object in the factory, and the control unit may set the priority order higher as the number of repeat inspections is smaller.

[0013] According to the control device of this aspect, the probability that a failure occurs in the moving object is low as the number of repeat inspections is smaller, so that it is possible to reduce the probability that the preceding moving object hits an obstacle.

[0014] (5) A second aspect according to the present invention proposes a method for unmanned driving. This method for unmanned driving includes: acquiring capability information of a plurality of moving objects that can be moved by unmanned driving, the capability information relating to at least one of the avoidance capability of avoiding a collision with an obstacle and the reduction capability of reducing an impact at the time of collision with the obstacle; and moving the plurality of moving objects by unmanned driving, wherein, when the plurality of moving objects enter an intersection from different directions at the same time, the plurality of moving objects are caused to pass the intersection according to a priority order determined in descending order of the at least one capability using the capability information.

[0015] The unmanned driving method according to this aspect can reduce the probability that a preceding moving object collides with an obstacle at an intersection and a path of a following moving object is blocked, and reduce the impact of the collision even when the preceding moving object collides with the obstacle at the intersection, so that it is possible to recover earlier the path of the following moving object that is blocked when the preceding moving object collides with the obstacle.

[0016] The present invention can also be implemented in various aspects other than the control device and method for unmanned driving. For example, the present invention can be implemented in the form of an unmanned driving system, a remote control system, a method for manufacturing a moving object, a computer program, and a recording medium on which the computer program is recorded. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1A is an explanatory view showing a configuration of an unmanned driving system; Fig. 1B is an explanatory view showing a configuration of a vehicle control device according to a first embodiment; Fig. 2A is an explanatory view showing how a vehicle is moved in a factory by remote control; Fig. 2B is a flowchart showing a method of driving control of the vehicle according to the first embodiment; Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the content of the processing for determining the priority order; Fig. 4 is an explanatory view showing how a plurality of vehicles pass through an intersection; Fig. 5 is an explanatory view showing a configuration of the unmanned driving system according to a second embodiment; Fig. 6 is an explanatory view showing a configuration of the vehicle control device of the second embodiment; and Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing a method of driving control of the vehicle according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION A. First embodiment:

[0017] Fig. 1A is an explanatory view showing a configuration of an unmanned driving system 10 according to the first embodiment. The unmanned driving system 10 is used to move a moving object by unmanned driving in a factory that manufactures moving objects.

[0018] In the present invention, "moving object" means an object that can move, such as a vehicle or an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (a so-called flying car). The vehicle may be a vehicle that travels with one wheel or a vehicle that travels with a continuous track, and may be, for example, a passenger car, a railway, a bus, a two-wheeled vehicle, a four-wheeled vehicle, a construction vehicle, or a combat vehicle. The vehicle includes a battery electric vehicle (BEV), a gasoline vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, and a fuel cell vehicle. When the moving object is not a vehicle, the term "vehicle" or "car" in the present invention may be replaced with a "moving object," and the term "travel" may be replaced with "moving."

[0019] The vehicle 100 is configured to be operated by unmanned driving. "Unmanned driving" means driving independent of driving operation by an occupant. Driving operation means operation that includes at least one of "driving," "turning," and "stopping" of the vehicle 100. Unmanned driving is realized through automatic remote control or manual remote control by a device external to the vehicle 100, or through autonomous control by the vehicle 100. A non-driving occupant may be on board a vehicle operated by unmanned driving. The non-driving occupant includes a person who merely sits in a seat of the vehicle 100 and a person who performs work on board the vehicle 100 other than driving, such as assembly, inspection, or operating switches.Driving while being driven by an occupant can also be referred to as “manned driving”.

[0020] In this specification, "remote control" includes "full remote control," in which all movements of the vehicle 100 are completely determined from outside the vehicle 100, and "partial remote control," in which some of the movements of the vehicle 100 are determined from outside the vehicle 100. "Autonomous control" includes "full autonomous control," in which the vehicle 100 autonomously controls a movement of the vehicle 100 without receiving any information from a device outside the vehicle 100, and "semi-autonomous control," in which the vehicle 100 autonomously controls a movement of the vehicle 100 using information received from a device outside the vehicle 100.

[0021] In the present embodiment, the unmanned driving system 10 includes a vehicle 100, which is a moving object, a remote control device 200, an external sensor array 300 installed in the factory, and a process management device 400 that manages a manufacturing process of the vehicle 100 in the factory. Note that the remote control device 200 is also simply referred to as a control device. The unmanned driving system 10 is also referred to as a remote control system.

[0022] In the present embodiment, the vehicle 100 is configured to be capable of remotely controlled travel. The vehicle 100 is designed as an electric vehicle. The vehicle 100 includes a drive device 110 that accelerates the vehicle 100, a steering device 120 that changes a traveling direction of the vehicle 100, a braking device 130 that decelerates or brakes the vehicle 100, a communication device 140 that communicates with the remote control device 200 through wireless communication, and a vehicle control device 150 that controls each unit of the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the drive device 110 includes a battery, a traction motor driven by the power of the battery, and drive wheels rotated by the traction motor.

[0023] Fig. 1B is an explanatory view showing the configuration of the vehicle control device 150. The vehicle control device 150 is configured as a computer including a processor 151, a memory 152, an input / output interface 153, and an internal bus 154. The processor 151, the memory 152, and the input / output interface 153 are bidirectionally communicatively connected via the internal bus 154. The input / output interface 153 is connected to the drive device 110, the steering device 120, the braking device 130, the communication device 140, and an obstacle sensor 160. The processor 151 functions as a traveling control unit 155, which performs traveling control of the vehicle 100 by executing a computer program PG1 prestored in the memory 152. "Driving control" refers, for example, to the adjustment of an acceleration, a speed, and a steering angle of the vehicle 100.The traveling control unit 155 causes the vehicle 100 to travel by executing the traveling control, in other words, by controlling the driving device 110, the steering device 120, and the braking device 130.

[0024] The travel control unit 155 can cause the vehicle 100 to travel by controlling the various devices 110 to 130 in response to the operation of an occupant when the occupant is in the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the travel control unit 155 can cause the vehicle 100 to travel by controlling the various devices 110 to 130 in response to a control command received from the remote control device 200, regardless of whether the occupant is in the vehicle 100 or not. Note that the travel control unit 155 is also simply referred to as a control unit.

[0025] As in Fig. 1A, the vehicle 100 in the present embodiment further includes the obstacle sensor 160 that detects obstacles in the surroundings of the vehicle 100. The obstacle sensor 160 is, for example, a camera, a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) system, or a millimeter-wave radar. The vehicle 100 has an automatic avoidance function for avoiding a collision with an obstacle using the steering device 120 and the braking device 130, regardless of the driver's operation or a control command from the remote control device 200, when a collision of the obstacle detected by the obstacle sensor 160 with the vehicle 100 is predicted. Note that in other embodiments, the vehicle 100 may not have the automatic avoidance function. In this case, the vehicle 100 may not include the obstacle sensor 160.

[0026] The remote control device 200 is a control device that remotely controls the vehicle 100. The remote control device 200 is configured as a computer including a processor 201, a memory 202, an input / output interface 203, and an internal bus 204. The processor 201, the memory 202, and the input / output interface 203 are bidirectionally communicatively connected via the internal bus 204. The input / output interface 203 is connected to a communication device 205 that communicates with the vehicle 100 via wireless communication. In the present embodiment, the communication device 205 can communicate with the external sensor group 300 and the process management device 400 via wired or wireless communication.

[0027] The processor 201 functions as the information acquisition unit 210 and the remote control unit 220 by executing a computer program PG2 stored in advance in the memory 202. The information acquisition unit 210 acquires capability information related to at least one of the ability to avoid a collision of the vehicle 100 with an obstacle and the ability to mitigate an impact at the time of collision with the obstacle. In the following description, the ability to avoid a collision with an obstacle is referred to as the avoidance capability, and the ability to mitigate an impact at the time of collision with the obstacle is referred to as the reduction capability.In the present embodiment, the information acquisition unit 210 acquires capability information, including information related to both the avoidance capability and the reduction capability of the vehicle 100. The remote control unit 220 initiates the travel of the vehicle 100 by generating a control command for remotely controlling the vehicle 100 and transmitting the control command to the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the control command refers to a travel control signal, which will be described later. Note that the remote control device 200 is also simply referred to as a control device, and the remote control unit 220 is simply referred to as a control unit.

[0028] The external sensor group 300 includes a plurality of external sensors. The external sensors are sensors installed outside the vehicle 100. The external sensors are used to detect the position and direction of the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the external sensor group 300 includes a plurality of cameras installed in the factory. Each camera includes a communication device (not shown) and can communicate with the remote control device 200 through wired or wireless communication.

[0029] The process management device 400 manages the entire manufacturing process of the vehicle 100 in the factory. The process management device 400 includes at least one computer. The process management device 400 includes a communication device (not shown) and can communicate with the remote control device 200 via wired or wireless communication. The process management device 400 transmits an identification number and the capability information of the remote control target vehicle 100 to the remote control device 200 when the remote control device 200 begins to remotely control the vehicle 100.

[0030] Fig. 2A is an explanatory view showing how the vehicle 100 is moved by remote control in a factory KJ. In Fig. 2A shows two vehicles 100A and 100B. In the following description, the two vehicles 100A and 100B are simply referred to as vehicles 100 when describing the two vehicles 100A and 100B without particular distinction. In the present embodiment, the factory KJ includes a first location PL1, a second location PL2, and a third location PL3. At the first location PL1 and the second location PL2, the vehicles 100 are assembled. At the third location PL3, the vehicle 100 assembled at the first location PL1 and the vehicle 100 assembled at the second location PL2 are tested. Each of the locations PL1 to PL3 is connected by a track SR on which the vehicles 100 can travel. The track SR is provided with an intersection KT.In the following description, in the route SR, a section between the first square PL1 and the intersection KT is referred to as the first route SR1, a section between the second square PL2 and the intersection KT is referred to as the second route SR2, and a section between the intersection KT and the third square PL3 is referred to as the third route SR3. In a case where the routes SR1 to SR3 do not need to be specifically distinguished, the routes SR1 to SR3 are simply referred to as the routes SR.

[0031] At least the drive devices 110, the steering devices 120, the braking devices 130, the communication devices 140, and the vehicle control devices 150 are installed on the vehicle 100 mounted at the first location PL1 and the vehicle 100 mounted at the second location PL2. The vehicle 100 mounted at the first location PL1 is remotely controlled by the remote control device 200 to travel from the first location PL1 to the third location PL3 via the intersection KT, and the vehicle 100 mounted at the second location PL2 is remotely controlled by the remote control device 200 to travel from the second location PL2 to the third location PL3 via the intersection KT. The vehicle 100 that passed the inspection at the third location PL3 is shipped from the KJ factory. The vehicle 100 that failed the inspection is repaired and then inspected again.

[0032] A method for moving the vehicle 100 by remote control by the remote control unit 220 is described with reference to Fig. 2A briefly describes. The remote control unit 220 determines a target route for the vehicle 100 to travel along the route SR toward a destination. In the present embodiment, the target route refers to a reference route, which will be described later. A plurality of cameras 301 that record the route SR are installed in the factory KJ, and the remote control unit 220 can detect a relative position and direction of the vehicle 100 with respect to the target route in real time by analyzing a video recorded by each camera 301. The plurality of cameras 301 are included in the external sensor group 300. The remote control unit 220 generates a control command to cause the vehicle 100 to travel along the target route and transmits the control command to the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the control command refers to a travel control signal, which will be described later.The vehicle control device 150 mounted on the vehicle 100 causes the vehicle 100 to travel by controlling the drive device 110, the steering device 120, and the braking device 130 according to the received control command. Consequently, it is possible to move the vehicle 100 without using a conveying device such as a crane or a conveyor belt.

[0033] In the present embodiment, the remote control unit 220 can remotely cause a plurality of vehicles 100A and 100B to travel in parallel simultaneously. For example, the remote control unit 220 can remotely cause the vehicle 100A to move from the first location PL1 to the third location PL3, while remotely causing the vehicle 100B to move from the second location PL2 to the third location PL3.

[0034] Fig. 2B is a flowchart showing a process flow of driving control of the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment. Steps S1 to S4 are repeatedly executed by the processor 201 of the remote control device 200, while steps S5 to S6 are repeatedly executed by the processor 151 of the vehicle control device 150. In step S1, the remote control device 200 acquires vehicle position information of the vehicle 100 using detection results output from the external sensor, which is a sensor located outside the vehicle 100. The vehicle position information is position information that serves as a basis for generating driving control signals. In the present embodiment, the vehicle position information includes the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 in the reference coordinate system of the factory KJ.In the present embodiment, the reference coordinate system of the factory KJ is the global coordinate system, and each position in the factory KJ is expressed by X, Y, and Z coordinates in the global coordinate system. In the present embodiment, the external sensor is the camera 301, and the external sensor outputs a captured image as the detection result. That is, in step S1, the remote control device 200 acquires the vehicle position information using captured images acquired by the camera 301, which is the external sensor.

[0035] Specifically, in step S1, the remote control device 200 determines, for example, the external shape of the vehicle 100 from the captured image, calculates the coordinates of a positioning point of the vehicle 100 in a coordinate system of the captured image, namely, a local coordinate system, and converts the calculated coordinates into coordinates in the global coordinate system, thereby detecting the location or position of the vehicle 100. The external shape of the vehicle 100 in the captured image can be recognized by, for example, inputting the captured image into a recognition model using artificial intelligence. The recognition model is created in the unmanned driving system 10 or outside the unmanned driving system 10. The recognition model is prestored, for example, in the memory 202 of the remote control device 200.An example of the recognition model is a trained machine learning model that has been learned to realize either semantic segmentation or instance segmentation. A suitable machine learning model is, for example, a convolutional neural network (CNN) learned through supervised learning using a training dataset. The training dataset contains, for example, a plurality of training images containing the vehicle 100 and a label indicating whether each region in the training image is a region indicating the vehicle 100 or a region indicating an object other than the vehicle 100. When training the CNN, a parameter for the CNN is preferably updated by backpropagation in such a way as to reduce the error between the output result obtained by the recognition model and the label.The remote control device 200 can detect the orientation of the vehicle 100, for example, by estimating it based on the direction of a motion vector of the vehicle 100 obtained from the change in the position of a feature point of the vehicle 100 between frames of the acquired images using the optical flow method.

[0036] In step S2, the remote control device 200 determines a destination to which the vehicle 100 should next travel. In the present embodiment, the destination is expressed by X, Y, and Z coordinates in the global coordinate system. The memory of the remote control device 200 contains the reference route stored in advance as a route along which the vehicle 100 should travel. The route is expressed by a node indicating a departure location, a node indicating a waypoint, a node indicating a destination, and a link connecting the nodes. The remote control device 200 determines the destination to which the vehicle 100 should next travel using the vehicle position information and the reference route. The remote control device 200 determines the destination on the reference route ahead of a current location of the vehicle 100.

[0037] In step S3, the remote control device 200 generates a travel control signal to cause the vehicle 100 to travel to the specified destination. In the present embodiment, the travel control signal includes an acceleration and a steering angle of the vehicle 100 as parameters. The remote control device 200 calculates a travel speed of the vehicle 100 from the transition of the location of the vehicle 100 and compares the calculated travel speed with a predetermined target speed of the vehicle 100. If the travel speed is lower than the target speed, the remote control device 200 generally determines an acceleration to accelerate the vehicle 100. If the travel speed is higher than the target speed, the remote control device 200 generally determines an acceleration (deceleration) to decelerate the vehicle 100.If the vehicle 100 is on the reference route, the remote control device 200 determines a steering angle and acceleration such that the vehicle 100 does not deviate from the reference route. If the vehicle 100 is not on the reference route, i.e., if the vehicle 100 deviates from the reference route, the remote control device 200 determines a steering angle and acceleration such that the vehicle 100 returns to the reference route. In other embodiments, the driving control signal may include the speed of the vehicle 100 as a parameter instead of or in addition to the acceleration of the vehicle 100.

[0038] In step S4, the remote control device 200 transmits the generated travel control signal to the vehicle 100. The remote control device 200 repeats the acquisition of vehicle position information, the determination of a destination, the generation of a travel control signal, the transmission of the travel control signal, and others in a predetermined cycle.

[0039] In step S5, the vehicle control device 150 of the vehicle 100 receives the travel control signal transmitted from the remote control device 200. In step S6, the vehicle control device 150 controls the drive device 110, the steering device 120, and the braking device 130 using the received travel control signal, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to travel at the acceleration and steering angle indicated by the travel control signal. The vehicle control device 150 repeats the reception of a travel control signal and the control of the various devices 110 to 130 in a predetermined cycle.

[0040] Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the content of the priority order determination processing. The priority order determination processing is repeatedly executed by the remote control device 200 during a period in which the vehicle 100 is remotely controlled. When the priority order determination processing begins, the information acquisition unit 210 acquires the capability information of each remote control target vehicle 100 from the process management device 400 in step S110.

[0041] In step S120, the remote control unit 220 determines a priority order of each vehicle 100 using the capability information. In the present embodiment, the remote control unit 220 sets the priority order of the vehicle 100 higher when the avoidance capability of the vehicle 100 is higher. In a case where the avoidance capability is the same, in other words, in a case where it is not possible to determine whether the avoidance capability is good or poor, the remote control unit 220 sets the priority order of the vehicles 100 higher when the reduction capability of the vehicles 100 is higher.

[0042] Regarding the avoidance ability, for example, the vehicles 100 that have the automatic avoidance function have higher avoidance ability among the vehicles 100 that have the automatic avoidance function and the vehicles 100 that do not have the automatic avoidance function. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the remote control unit 220 sets the priority order of the vehicles 100 that have the automatic avoidance function higher than the priority order of the vehicles 100 that do not have the automatic avoidance function. Moreover, in a case where the avoidance ability of the automatic avoidance function is improved by machine learning, the vehicles 100 that have been trained have higher avoidance ability among the vehicles 100 that have been trained and the vehicles 100 that have not been trained.Therefore, in the present embodiment, when comparing between the vehicles 100 having the automatic avoidance function, the remote control unit 220 sets the priority order of the vehicles 100 that have been trained higher than the priority order of the vehicles 100 that have not been trained.

[0043] Regarding the avoidance capability, there is a case where a maximum speed, braking force, steering angle, or the like of the vehicle 100 is limited when the vehicle 100 is put into operation at the KJ factory, and in addition, the limitation is limited before shipment. The vehicles 100 whose braking forces or steering angles are not limited have higher avoidance capability than the vehicles 100 whose braking forces or steering angles are limited and the vehicles 100 whose braking forces or steering angles are not limited.Therefore, in the present embodiment, when it is not possible to determine whether the avoidance ability is good or bad depending on whether the automatic avoidance function is provided or not, the remote control unit 220 sets the priority order of the vehicles 100 whose braking forces or steering angles are not limited higher than the priority order of the vehicles 100 whose braking forces or steering angles are limited.

[0044] Regarding the avoidance ability, the avoidance ability is high because the probability of a failure occurring in the steering device 120, the braking device 130, or the obstacle sensor 160 is low when the number of repeated inspections of the steering device 120, the braking device 130, or the obstacle sensor 160 is smaller. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when it is not possible to determine whether the avoidance ability is good or poor depending on whether the automatic avoidance function is provided or whether the braking force is limited, the remote control unit 220 sets the priority order of the vehicles 100 higher when the number of repeated inspections of the steering device 120, the braking device 130, or the obstacle sensor 160 is smaller.

[0045] Regarding the reduction capability, the reduction capability is high because the kinetic energy of the vehicle 100 is lower because the weight of the vehicle 100 is lighter. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the remote control unit 220 sets the priority order of the vehicle 100 higher as the weight of the vehicle 100 is lower. The vehicles 100 with front bumpers have higher reduction capability among the vehicles 100 with front bumpers and the vehicles 100 without front bumpers. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the remote control unit 220 sets the priority order of the vehicles 100 with front bumpers higher than the priority order of the vehicles 100 without front bumpers.In a case where the lighter vehicle 100 does not have a front bumper and the heavier vehicle 100 has the front bumper, the remote control unit 220 sets the priority order of one vehicle that satisfies the predetermined conditions higher than the priority order of the other vehicle.

[0046] In the present embodiment, in a case where the avoidance ability and the reduction ability are equal, in other words, in a case where it is not possible to determine whether the avoidance ability and the reduction ability are good or poor, the remote control unit 220 sets the priority order of the vehicle 100 about to enter the intersection from a predetermined direction higher. For example, the remote control unit 220 sets the priority order of the vehicle 100 about to enter the intersection from the first lane SR1 higher than the priority order of the vehicle 100 about to enter the intersection from the second lane SR2.Note that in a case where it is not possible to determine whether the avoidance ability and the reduction ability are good or poor, the remote control unit 220 may set the priority order of the vehicle 100 about to enter the intersection KT from the first lane SR1 lower than the priority order of the vehicle 100 about to enter the intersection KT from the second lane SR2. Then, the remote control unit 220 ends the priority order determination processing. Note that step S110 is referred to as an information acquisition process, and step S120 is referred to as a priority order determination process.

[0047] Fig. Fig. 4 is an explanatory view showing how the two vehicles 100A and 100B pass the intersection KT according to the priority orders determined by the priority order determination processing. A remote control method for the vehicles 100A and 100B according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. It should be noted that the remote control method is also referred to as an unmanned driving method or an unmanned driving method. A method in which the vehicles 100A and 100B are set in motion by remote control is also referred to as a remote control process or an unmanned driving process. Fig. 4, the priority order of vehicle 100A is higher than the priority order of vehicle 100B. If the two vehicles 100A and 100B are about to enter the intersection KT from different directions at the same time, as shown in the upper part in Fig. 4, the remote control unit 220 causes the vehicle 100A with the higher priority order of the two vehicles 100A and 100B to enter the intersection KT, and causes the vehicle 100B with the lower priority order to be ready to enter the intersection KT, as shown in the middle part in Fig. 4. In the present embodiment, the remote control unit 220 causes the vehicle 100B to stop and thereby be ready to enter the intersection KT. It should be noted that the remote control unit 220 may cause the vehicle 100B to decelerate without stopping and thereby be ready to enter the intersection KT. As shown in the lower part of Fig. 4, the remote control unit 220 causes the vehicle 100B to pass the intersection KT after the vehicle 100A has passed the intersection KT.

[0048] According to the unmanned driving system 10 of the above-described embodiment, when multiple vehicles 100 are about to enter the intersection KT simultaneously from different directions, the remote control unit 220 causes the plurality of vehicles 100 to pass through the intersection KT in descending order of the priority order determined using the capability information. Thus, it is possible to prevent multiple vehicles 100 from entering the intersection KT simultaneously. In the present embodiment, the remote control unit 220 sets the priority order of the vehicle 100 higher as the avoidance capability of the vehicle 100 is higher, so that it is possible to prevent the preceding vehicle 100 from colliding with an obstacle at the intersection KT or on the third lane SR3 and blocking a path of the following vehicle 100.Furthermore, in the present embodiment, in the case where the avoidance capability is equal, the remote control unit 220 sets the priority order of the vehicle 100 higher as the reduction capability of the vehicle 100 is higher, so that even if the preceding vehicle 100 collides with an obstacle at the intersection KT or in the third lane SR3, it is possible to prevent the vehicle 100 and the obstacle from being damaged. Thus, the path or course of the following vehicle 100 can be prevented from being blocked for a long time. B. Second embodiment:

[0049] Fig. 5 is an explanatory view showing a configuration of an unmanned driving system 10b according to the second embodiment. Fig. 6 is an explanatory view showing a configuration of the vehicle control device 150 of the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 5, the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the unmanned driving system 10b does not include the remote control device 200, and the vehicle 100 drives by autonomous control instead of remote control. The other components are the same as in the first embodiment unless specifically stated. Note that a method for driving the vehicle 100 by autonomous control is also referred to as an autonomous driving method or an unmanned driving method.

[0050] In the present embodiment, the vehicle 100 is configured to travel through autonomous control. The vehicle 100 can communicate with the external sensor group 300 and the process management device 400 through wireless communication using the communication device 140. As shown in Fig. 6, in the present embodiment, the processor 151 of the vehicle control device 150 functions as the travel control unit 155b and the information acquisition unit 156 by executing the computer program PG1 stored in advance in the memory 152.

[0051] The travel control unit 155b initiates the travel of the vehicle 100 by generating a travel control signal itself and controls the drive device 110, the steering device 120, and the braking device 130 using the generated travel control signal. Reference routes, recognition models, and the like are stored in advance in the memory 152. Note that the vehicle control device 150 is also simply referred to as a control device, and the travel control unit 155b is simply referred to as a control unit.

[0052] The information acquisition unit 156 acquires capability information of a self-vehicle and the capability information of another vehicle from the process management device 400. In a case where the capability information of the self-vehicle is stored in advance in the storage 152, the information acquisition unit 156 may acquire the capability information of the self-vehicle from the storage 152. In a case where the self-vehicle and the other vehicle can communicate through wireless communication using the communication device 140, the information acquisition unit 156 may acquire the capability information of the other vehicle from the other vehicle.

[0053] In the present embodiment, the Fig. 3 is executed by the vehicle control device 150. When the host vehicle and the other vehicle are about to enter an intersection simultaneously from different directions, the information acquisition unit 156 acquires the capability information of the host vehicle and the other vehicle that are about to enter the intersection. The information acquisition unit 156 can detect, for example, using the obstacle sensor 160, that the host vehicle and the other vehicle are about to enter the intersection simultaneously from different directions. The travel control unit 155b determines the priority order of the host vehicle and the other vehicle based on the capability information acquired by the information acquisition unit 156.The travel control unit 155b controls the own vehicle so that the own vehicle and the other vehicle pass the intersection KT according to the priority order determined by the priority order determination processing.

[0054] Fig.7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for driving control of the vehicle 100 in the second embodiment. In step S11, the vehicle control device 150 acquires the vehicle position information using the detection result output from the camera 301 as an external sensor. In step S21, the vehicle control device 150 determines a target location to which the vehicle 100 should move next. In step S31, the vehicle control device 150 generates a driving control signal to cause the vehicle 100 to travel to the determined target location. In step S41, the vehicle control device 150 controls the drive device 110, the steering device 120, and the braking device 130 using the generated driving control signal, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to travel by following a parameter indicated by the driving control signal.The vehicle control device 150 repeats the acquisition of vehicle position information, the determination of a destination, the generation of a travel control signal, and the control of the various devices 110 to 130 in a predetermined cycle.

[0055] Similar to the first embodiment, in the unmanned driving system 10b of the above-described embodiment, when the plurality of vehicles 100 are about to enter the intersection KT simultaneously from different directions, it is possible to cause the plurality of vehicles 100 to pass through the intersection KT in descending order of the priority order determined using the capability information. Consequently, the plurality of vehicles 100 can be prevented from entering the intersection KT simultaneously. C. Other embodiment:

[0056] (C1) According to the unmanned driving systems 10 and 10b of each of the above-described embodiments, the information acquisition unit 210 or the information acquisition unit 156 acquires the ability information including the information related to both the avoidance ability and the reduction ability, and the remote control unit 220 or the driving control unit 155b sets the priority order of the vehicle 100 higher when the avoidance ability of the vehicle 100 is higher, and in the case where it is not possible to determine whether the avoidance ability is good or poor, sets the priority order of the vehicle 100 higher when the reduction ability of the vehicle 100 is higher.In contrast, the information acquisition unit 210 or the information acquisition unit 156 may acquire capability information that includes information related to one of the avoidance capability and the reduction capability. In this case, the remote control unit 220 or the driving control unit 155b prioritizes the vehicle 100 when one of the avoidance capability and the reduction capability is higher.

[0057] (C2) In the unmanned driving systems 10 to 10b of the respective embodiments described above, the external sensor is not limited to the camera 301, but may be, for example, the distance measuring device. The distance measuring device is, for example, a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) device. In this case, the detection result output by the external sensor may be a three-dimensional point cloud representing the vehicle 100. The remote control device 200 and the vehicle 100 may acquire the vehicle position information, for example, by template matching using the three-dimensional point cloud data as the detection result and the reference point cloud data.

[0058] (C3) According to the above first embodiment, the remote control device 200 performs the processing from the acquisition of the vehicle position information to the generation of a travel control signal. In contrast, the vehicle 100 may perform at least part of the processing from the acquisition of the vehicle position information to the generation of a travel control signal. For example, the embodiments (1) to (3) described below are applicable.

[0059] (1) The remote control device 200 can acquire vehicle position information, determine a destination location to which the vehicle 100 should next move, and generate a route from a current location of the vehicle 100, indicated by the acquired vehicle position information, to the destination location. The remote control device 200 can generate a route to the destination between the current location and a destination location, or a route to the destination location. The remote control device 200 can transmit the generated route to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 can generate a travel control signal to cause the vehicle 100 to travel along the route received from the remote control device 200 and control the drive device 110, the steering device 120, and the braking device 130 using the generated travel control signal.

[0060] (2) The remote control device 200 can acquire vehicle position information and transmit the acquired vehicle position information to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 can determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next move, generate a route from a current position of the vehicle 100 indicated by the received vehicle position information to the target position, generate a travel control signal to cause the vehicle 100 to travel along the generated route, and control the drive device 110, the steering device 120, and the braking device 130 using the generated travel control signal.

[0061] (3) In the above embodiments (1) and (2), an internal sensor may be mounted on the vehicle 100, and the detection result output from the internal sensor may be used in route generation and / or the generation of the travel control signal. The internal sensor is a sensor mounted on the vehicle 100. Specifically, the internal sensor may include, for example, a camera, LiDAR, a millimeter-wave radar, an ultrasonic sensor, a GPS sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a gyroscope sensor. In the above embodiment (1), for example, the remote control device 200 may acquire detection results from the internal sensor and incorporate the detection results from the internal sensor into the route when creating the route.In the preceding embodiment (1), the vehicle 100 can acquire a detection result from the internal sensor and incorporate the detection result from the internal sensor into the driving control signal when generating the driving control signal. In the preceding embodiment (2), the vehicle 100 can acquire a detection result from the internal sensor and incorporate the detection result from the internal sensor into the route when generating the route. In the above embodiment (2), the vehicle 100 can acquire a detection result from the internal sensor and incorporate the detection result from the internal sensor into the driving control signal when generating the driving control signal.

[0062] (C4) According to the above second embodiment, the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor, and the detection result output from the internal sensor may be used in route generation and / or driving control signal generation. For example, the vehicle 100 may detect a detection result from the internal sensor and incorporate the detection result from the internal sensor into the route when creating the route. The vehicle 100 may detect a detection result from the internal sensor and incorporate the detection result from the internal sensor into the driving control signal when generating the driving control signal.

[0063] (C5) According to the above second embodiment, the vehicle 100 acquires vehicle position information using the detection result of the external sensor. In contrast, the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor, the vehicle 100 may acquire vehicle position information using detection results from the internal sensor, determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next move, generate a route from a current position of the vehicle 100 indicated by the acquired vehicle position information to the target position, generate a travel control signal for traveling along the generated route, and control the drive device 110, the steering device 120, and the braking device 130 of the vehicle 100 using the generated travel control signal. In this case, the vehicle 100 is capable of traveling without using a detection result from an external sensor.The vehicle 100 can acquire destination arrival time or traffic congestion information from outside the vehicle 100 and incorporate the destination arrival time or traffic congestion information into the route and / or the driving control signal. The functional configuration of the unmanned driving system 10 can be entirely provided within the vehicle 100. In particular, the processes implemented by the unmanned driving system 10 in the present invention can be implemented solely by the vehicle 100.

[0064] (C6) According to the above first embodiment, the remote control device 200 automatically generates the travel control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100. In contrast, the remote control device 200 may generate the travel control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100 depending on the operation of an external operator located outside the vehicle 100. For example, the external operator may operate a control device including a display that displays captured images output from the cameras 301, which are the external sensors, a steering, accelerator, and brake pedals that remotely operate the vehicle 100, and a communication device that communicates with the remote control device 200 through wired communication or wireless communication, and the remote control device 200 may generate a travel control signal corresponding to an operation performed on the control device.According to this embodiment, when a manually remotely controlled vehicle and another vehicle are about to enter the intersection KT simultaneously from different directions, the remote control device 200 can cause the display of the control device to display information related to whether or not the manually remotely controlled vehicle should be given priority. In this case, the operator can easily determine whether or not the manually remotely controlled vehicle has priority based on the information displayed on the display.Moreover, according to this embodiment, when the manually remotely controlled vehicle manually controlled by the operator and the other vehicle are about to enter the intersection KT simultaneously from different directions, the remote control device 200 can switch the manually remotely controlled vehicle from the manually remotely controlled driving to the autonomously remotely controlled driving, cause the manually remotely controlled vehicle by the operator and the other vehicle to pass through the intersection according to the priority order by the autonomously remotely controlled driving, and then return the manually remotely controlled vehicle by the operator from the autonomously remotely controlled driving to the manually remotely controlled driving.

[0065] (C7) In each of the embodiments described above, the vehicle 100 only needs to have one configuration to be able to move by unmanned driving. For example, the vehicle 100 can be implemented as a platform with the following configuration. The vehicle 100 only needs to include at least the vehicle control device 150 and the drive device 110, the steering device 120, and the braking device 130 to perform three functions including "driving," "turning," and "stopping" by unmanned driving. Furthermore, in order for the vehicle 100 to receive external information for unmanned driving, the vehicle 100 only needs to include the communication device 140.Specifically, in order to move by unmanned driving, the vehicle 100 does not need to be equipped with at least some interior components such as a driver's seat and a dashboard, does not need to be equipped with at least some exterior components such as a bumper and a fender, and does not need to be equipped with a body. In such cases, a remaining component, such as a body, may be mounted to the vehicle 100 before the vehicle 100 is delivered from the factory KJ, or a remaining component, such as a body, may be mounted to the vehicle 100 after the vehicle 100 is delivered from the factory KJ, while the remaining component, such as a body, is not mounted to the vehicle 100. Each of the components can be attached to the vehicle 100 from any direction, such as from above, from below, from the front, from the rear, from the right, or from the left.Alternatively, these components can be mounted from the same direction or from different directions. The location of the platform can be determined in the same way as for the vehicle 100 in the first embodiments.

[0066] (C8) The vehicle 100 can be manufactured by combining a plurality of modules. The module is a unit consisting of one or more components grouped according to a configuration or function of the vehicle 100. For example, a platform of the vehicle 100 can be manufactured by combining a front module, a middle module, and a rear module. The front module forms a front part of the platform, the middle module forms a middle part of the platform, and the rear module forms a rear part of the platform. The number of modules constituting the platform is not limited to three, but may be equal to or less than two, or equal to or greater than four. In addition to the platform, or instead of the platform, any parts of the vehicle 100 other than the platform may be modularized.The various modules can include any exterior component, such as a bumper or grille, or any interior component, such as a seat or console. Not only the vehicle 100, but also any type of moving object can be manufactured by combining a plurality of modules. Such a module can be manufactured, for example, by joining several components together by welding or using a fixture, or it can be manufactured by integrally forming at least a portion of the module as a single component by casting. A process in which at least a portion of a module is formed as a single component is also referred to as giga-casting or mega-casting. In giga-casting, any part that is conventionally formed by joining several parts in a moving object can be formed as a single component.The front module, the middle module or the rear module described above can be manufactured using giga-casting, for example.

[0067] (C9) A configuration for implementing unmanned vehicle driving is also referred to as a "remotely controlled automatic driving system." The transportation of a vehicle using a remotely controlled automatic driving system is also referred to as "self-driving transportation." The production of a vehicle using self-driving transportation is also referred to as "self-driving production." For example, in self-driving production, at least part of the transportation of vehicles is realized by self-driving transportation in a factory where the vehicle is manufactured.

[0068] (C10) The control and method described in the present invention may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor and a memory programmed to implement one or more functions embodied by a computer program. Alternatively, the control and method described in the present invention may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor using one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits.Alternatively, the controller and method described in the present invention may also be implemented by one or more dedicated computers configured by a combination of a processor and memory programmed to implement one or more functions, and a processor configured by one or more hardware logic circuits. The computer program may be stored as a computer-executable instruction in a computer-readable, tangible, non-transitory recording medium.

[0069] The invention is not limited to any one of the above-described embodiments and their modifications, but can be implemented in a variety of configurations without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the technical features of each of the above-described embodiments and their modifications can be replaced or appropriately combined to solve part or all of the above-described problems or to achieve part or all of the above-described advantageous effects. Any of the technical features can be appropriately omitted unless the technical feature is designated as essential in the present description. QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] JP 2023-107093

[0001] JP 2023-182654

[0001] JP 2017 - 538 619 A [0003, 0004]

Claims

[1] Control device (200; 150), comprising: an information acquisition unit (210; 156) configured to acquire capability information of a plurality of moving objects (100) that can be moved by unmanned driving, the capability information relating to at least one of the avoidance capability of avoiding a collision with an obstacle and the reduction capability of reducing an impact at the time of collision with the obstacle; and a control unit (220; 155b) configured to control the unmanned driving of at least one moving object of the plurality of moving objects, wherein, when the plurality of moving objects enter an intersection (KT) from different directions at the same time, the control unit controls the at least one moving object to cause the plurality of moving objects to pass the intersection according to a priority order determined in descending order of the at least one capability using the capability information. [2] The control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit sets the priority order higher when the avoidance ability is higher, and in a case where the avoidance ability is the same, sets the priority order higher when the reduction ability is higher. [3] Control device according to claim 1, wherein the capability information includes information indicating whether or not the moving object has an automatic avoidance function, which is a function for automatically avoiding collision with the obstacle, and the control unit sets the priority order of the moving object that has the automatic avoidance function higher than the priority order of the moving object that does not have the automatic avoidance function. [4] Control device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of moving objects are moved by unmanned driving in a factory (KJ) that produces the plurality of moving objects, the capability information contains information indicating the number of repeat inspections of the moving object in the factory, and the control unit sets the priority order higher if the number of repeat inspections is lower. [5] Method for unmanned driving, comprising: Acquiring capability information of a plurality of moving objects (100) that can be moved by unmanned driving, the capability information relating to at least one of the avoidance capability of avoiding a collision with an obstacle and the reduction capability of reducing an impact at the time of collision with the obstacle; and Moving the plurality of moving objects by unmanned driving, wherein, when the plurality of moving objects enter an intersection from different directions at the same time, the plurality of moving objects are caused to pass through the intersection according to a priority order determined in descending order of the at least one capability using the capability information.

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