Remote control device

Abstract

To perform an appropriate control for vehicles each with a different control mode.SOLUTION: A remote control device that automatically moves a moving object by remote control comprises: a moving object identifying unit that identifies whether the moving object is a first moving object or a second moving object; and a remote control command unit that sends a control command to the moving object. The remote control command unit performs at least one operation, i.e., generating a control value as the control command when the moving object is identified as the first moving object, and sending the control value to the first moving object; and sending information for control value generation to the second moving object as the control command when the moving object is identified as the second moving object.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a remote control device. [Background technology]

[0002] In a vehicle manufacturing process, a technology is known for running a vehicle by remote control. In addition, it has been proposed to transmit a control value indicating specific control content such as a steering angle or acceleration as a control command for remotely controlling a vehicle, and to transmit information used for generating the control value (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2017-538619 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in Patent Document 1, a means for controlling a vehicle by appropriately using the above two types of control commands is not fully considered. This problem is not limited to vehicles, but is common to any type of moving body. Moreover, it is not limited to the manufacturing process, but is also common to the case where a completed vehicle is moved by remote control in an inspection process or a shipping process. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present disclosure can be realized in the following forms.

[0006] (1) According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a remote control device that automatically moves a moving body by remote control. The remote control device includes a moving body identification unit that performs identification as to whether the moving body is a first moving body that receives a control value for controlling the movement of the moving body and moves according to the control value, or a second moving body that receives control value generation information used to generate the control value, generates the control value using the control value generation information, and moves according to the generated control value, and a remote control command unit that transmits a control command to the moving body, and the remote control command unit performs at least one of the following when the moving body is identified as the first moving body: generating the control value as the control command and transmitting the control value to the first moving body; and when the moving body is identified as the second moving body, transmitting the control value generation information to the second moving body as the control command. According to this remote control device, the device performs at least one of the following: identifying whether the moving body is a first moving body or a second moving body, and if the moving body is the first moving body, generating a control value as a control command and transmitting the control value to the first moving body, and if the moving body is identified as the second moving body, transmitting information for generating a control value as a control command to the second moving body. This makes it possible to transmit an appropriate control command depending on whether the moving body is the first moving body or the second moving body, and to perform appropriate control on the moving body. (2) According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a remote control device that automatically moves a moving body by remote control. The remote control device includes a manufacturing process information acquisition unit that acquires manufacturing process information indicating a manufacturing process in which the moving body is currently located, and a remote control command unit that transmits a control command to the moving body, and the moving body is capable of receiving a control value that controls the movement of the moving body and moving according to the control value, receiving control value generation information used to generate the control value, generating the control value using the control value generation information, and moving according to the generated control value, and the remote control command unit executes at least one of generating the control value as the control command and transmitting the control value to the moving body when the manufacturing process is identified based on the manufacturing process information as a process that requires the control value to be transmitted to the moving body, and transmitting the control value generation information to the moving body as the control command when the manufacturing process is identified based on the manufacturing process information as a process that does not require the control value to be transmitted to the moving body. According to this remote control device, manufacturing process information is acquired, and when the manufacturing process where the mobile body is currently located is a process that requires the transmission of a control value to the mobile body, at least one of generating a control value as a control command and transmitting the control value to the mobile body, and when the manufacturing process where the mobile body is currently located is not a process that requires the transmission of a control value to the mobile body, generating information for generating a control value as a control command and transmitting the information for generating a control value to the mobile body. This makes it possible to transmit an appropriate control command according to the manufacturing process where the vehicle is currently located, and to perform appropriate control on the mobile body. (3) According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a remote control device that automatically moves a moving body by remote control. The remote control device includes a moving body detection information acquisition unit that acquires moving body detection information, which is information for detecting the moving body, a moving body manufacturing state identification unit that uses the moving body detection information to identify a moving body manufacturing state, which is a manufacturing state of the moving body, and a remote control instruction unit that transmits a control command to the moving body, and the moving body is capable of receiving a control value that controls the movement of the moving body and moving according to the control value, receiving control value generation information used to generate the control value, generating the control value using the control value generation information, and moving according to the generated control value, and the remote control instruction unit executes at least one of generating the control value as the control command and transmitting the control value to the moving body when it is identified that the moving body manufacturing state is a state in which transmission of the control value is required, and transmitting the control value generation information to the moving body as the control command when it is identified that the moving body manufacturing state is not a state in which transmission of the control value is required. This remote control device uses the moving body detection information to identify the moving body manufacturing state, and when the moving body manufacturing state is a state in which transmission of a control value is required, at least one of generating a control value as a control command and transmitting the control value to the moving body, and when the moving body manufacturing state is a state in which transmission of a control value is not required, transmitting information for generating a control value to the moving body as a control command. This makes it possible to transmit an appropriate control command according to the moving body manufacturing state identified using the vehicle detection information, and to perform appropriate control on the moving body. (4) According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a remote control device for automatically moving a moving body by remote control, the remote control device including a platform information acquisition unit for acquiring information indicating whether the moving body is in a platform state or not, and a remote control command unit for transmitting a control command to the moving body, the moving body being capable of receiving a control value for controlling the movement of the moving body and moving according to the control value, receiving control value generation information used to generate the control value, generating the control value using the control value generation information, and moving according to the generated control value, the remote control command unit generating the control value as the control command and transmitting the control value to the moving body when the moving body is in a platform state. According to this remote control device, when the moving body is in a platform state, a control value is generated as a control command and the control value is transmitted to the moving body, thereby enabling appropriate control to be performed on the moving body depending on whether the moving body is in a platform state or not. (5) In the remote control device, the moving object identification unit may perform the identification by using a captured image of the moving object. According to this remote control device, since the captured image of the moving object is used to identify whether the moving object is a first moving object or a second moving object, it is possible to identify with high accuracy. (6) In the above remote control device, the moving object may be in a manufacturing process, and the moving object identification unit may perform the identification by utilizing manufacturing management information indicating a manufacturing status of the moving object. According to this remote control device, since the identification is performed by utilizing the manufacturing management information, it is possible to perform appropriate control according to the manufacturing status of the moving object placed in the manufacturing process. (7) In the remote control device, the control value generation information may include route information indicating a route along which the moving object is to be moved. According to this remote control device, it is possible to control the movement of a moving object for which a control value can be generated using route information. (8) In the remote control device, the control value may include a value indicating a steering angle of the moving body and a value indicating an acceleration of the moving body. According to this remote control device, it is possible to control the movement of a moving object whose steering angle and acceleration are controlled. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a remote control system including a remote control device according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a remote control system including a remote control device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle that is a first vehicle type. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle that is a second vehicle type. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a vehicle control process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a remote control system including a remote control device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a vehicle control process according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a remote control system including a remote control device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 9] 13 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a vehicle control process according to a third embodiment. [Figure 10] 13 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a vehicle control process according to a fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] A. First embodiment: A-1. System configuration: 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a remote control system 10 including a remote control device 200 in this embodiment. The remote control system 10 includes a vehicle 100 as a moving body, the remote control device 200 that automatically drives the vehicle 100 by remote control, a plurality of vehicle detectors 300 that measure three-dimensional point cloud data of the vehicle 100, and a process management device 400 that manages the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100.

[0009] In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 is configured as an electric vehicle (BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle). The vehicle 100 is not limited to an electric vehicle, and may be, for example, a gasoline vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or a fuel cell vehicle. In addition, instead of the vehicle 100, any other type of moving body, such as an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (a so-called flying car), may be used.

[0010] In this embodiment, the remote control device 200 executes remote control of the vehicle 100 in the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100. A factory where the vehicle 100 is manufactured includes a first location PL1 and a second location PL2. The first location PL1 is, for example, a location where the vehicle 100 is assembled, and the second location PL2 is, for example, a location where the vehicle 100 is inspected. The first location PL1 and the second location PL2 are connected by a travel path SR along which the vehicle 100 can travel.

[0011] A plurality of vehicle detectors 300 are installed around the roadway SR to measure the vehicle 100. The vehicle detectors 300 are configured as cameras or LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging), and acquire information used to detect the vehicle 100 (hereinafter also referred to as "vehicle detection information"), such as images of the vehicle 100 and three-dimensional point cloud data.

[0012] The remote control device 200 generates a control command for driving the vehicle 100 along the driving path SR, and transmits the control command to the vehicle 100. As will be described later, there are two types of "control commands." The vehicle 100 drives according to the received control command. Therefore, the remote control system 10 can remotely control the vehicle 100 to move from the first location PL1 to the second location PL2 without using a transport device such as a crane or a conveyor.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a remote control system 10 including a remote control device 200 according to the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the remote control system 10 remotely controls each of the vehicles 100, ie, the vehicle 101 and the vehicle 102, which are vehicles 100 of different vehicle types. The "vehicle type" indicates the manner of remote control of the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, as will be described later, there is a "first vehicle type" that requires transmission of a control value, and a "second vehicle type" that does not require transmission of a control value. In the present embodiment, the vehicle type is determined in advance according to the vehicle model of the vehicle 100. Note that the vehicle type is not limited to the vehicle model, and may be determined arbitrarily for each vehicle 100.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle 101, which is a first vehicle type. The vehicle 101 includes a vehicle control device 110 for controlling each part of the vehicle, an actuator group 120 that operates under the control of the vehicle control device 110, and a communication device 130 for communicating with a remote control device 200 by wireless communication. In this embodiment, the actuator group 120 includes an actuator of a drive device for accelerating the vehicle 101, an actuator of a steering device for changing the traveling direction of the vehicle 100, and an actuator of a braking device for decelerating the vehicle 101. The drive device includes a battery, a running motor driven by the power of the battery, and a driving wheel rotated by the running motor. The actuator of the drive device includes a running motor. The actuator group 120 may further include an actuator for swinging the wipers of the vehicle 101, an actuator for opening and closing the power windows of the vehicle 101, and the like. The vehicle 101 may also include various object detectors such as a camera, a millimeter wave radar, and a LiDAR, and a GPS receiver for acquiring position information indicating the current position of the vehicle 101. The vehicle 101 corresponds to a "first moving body" in this disclosure.

[0015] The vehicle control device 110 is configured by a computer including a processor 111, a memory 112, an input / output interface 113, and an internal bus 114. The processor 111, the memory 112, and the input / output interface 113 are connected to each other via the internal bus 114 so as to be able to communicate in both directions. The input / output interface 113 is connected to an actuator group 120 and a communication device 130.

[0016] In this embodiment, the processor 111 functions as the vehicle control unit 115 by executing a program PG11 prestored in the memory 112. The vehicle control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120. When a driver is on board the vehicle 101, the vehicle control unit 115 can control the actuator group 120 according to the operation of the driver to make the vehicle 101 run. In addition, the vehicle control unit 115 can receive a control value regardless of whether a driver is on board the vehicle 101, and control the actuator group 120 according to the control value to make the vehicle 101 run. The vehicle control unit 115 provided in the vehicle 101 receives a control value from the remote control device 200, as described later.

[0017] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the vehicle 102, which is a second vehicle type. As shown in FIG. 4, in the vehicle 102, a program PG12 is prestored in the memory 112 instead of the program PG11. The processor 111 executes the program PG12 to function as the control value generating unit 116 in addition to the vehicle control unit 115 described above. As described later, the control value generating unit 116 receives information used for generating a control value (hereinafter, also referred to as "information for control value generation") from the remote control device 200, generates a control value for controlling the actuator group 120 using the information for control value generation, and transmits the control value to the vehicle control unit 115. The vehicle control unit 115 included in the vehicle 102 controls the actuator group 120 according to the control value received from the control value generating unit 116 to run the vehicle 102. Similarly to the vehicle control unit 115 of the vehicle 101, the vehicle control unit 115 of the vehicle 102 is also capable of receiving a control value from the remote control device 200 and controlling the actuator group 120 in accordance with the control value to cause the vehicle 102 to run. Other configurations of the vehicle 102 are the same as those of the vehicle 101, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted. The vehicle 102 corresponds to a "second moving body" in this disclosure.

[0018] 2, the remote control device 200 is configured by 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 connected via the internal bus 204 to enable bidirectional communication. A communication device 205 for communicating with the vehicle 100 by wireless communication is connected to the input / output interface 203.

[0019] In this embodiment, the processor 201 functions as a vehicle detection information acquisition unit 210, a vehicle state calculation unit 220, a vehicle identification unit 230, a route information creation unit 240, and a remote control command unit 250 by executing a program PG2 pre-stored in the memory 202.

[0020] The vehicle detection information acquisition unit 210 acquires vehicle detection information acquired by the vehicle detector 300. The vehicle state calculation unit 220 uses the vehicle detection information to calculate at least one of the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 (hereinafter also referred to as the "vehicle state"). For example, the vehicle state calculation unit 220 uses an image or three-dimensional point cloud information of the vehicle 100 acquired as the vehicle detection information to calculate the vehicle state by performing pattern matching between point cloud information indicated by the vehicle detection information and a template point cloud of the vehicle 100 prepared in advance. The vehicle detection information acquisition unit 210 corresponds to the "moving body detection information acquisition unit" in this disclosure. Also, the vehicle state calculation unit 220 corresponds to the "moving body state calculation unit" in this disclosure.

[0021] The vehicle identification unit 230 uses the vehicle detection information to identify the vehicle 100 to be controlled, and uses the vehicle management information VI stored in advance in the memory 202 to identify which vehicle type the vehicle 100 is. The "vehicle management information VI" may include various information that can identify the vehicle type of the vehicle 100, such as specifications such as the model, color, and shape of the vehicle 100, and a lot number. The vehicle identification unit 230 identifies the vehicle type of the vehicle 100, for example, by performing pattern matching between the three-dimensional point cloud information of the vehicle 100 acquired as the vehicle detection information and the point cloud information indicating the shape of the vehicle 100 stored as the vehicle management information VI. The vehicle identification unit 230 corresponds to the "moving object identification unit" in this disclosure.

[0022] The route information creation unit 240 uses the vehicle state acquired from the vehicle state calculation unit 220 to create route information indicating a route along which the vehicle 100 is to be moved. The remote control command unit 250 generates a control command for remote control and transmits it to the vehicle 100 so that the vehicle 100 travels along the travel route determined by the route information creation unit 240. The control command can be generated as a specific control value including a driving force or a braking force and a steering angle. In this embodiment, the control value includes information indicating at least one of the acceleration and the steering angle of the vehicle 100 at each point on the route. The acceleration and the steering angle of the vehicle 100 that are not indicated as the control value may be set in advance for each section along the travel route SR. In addition, the remote control command unit 250 may generate a control command as a command including the vehicle state of the vehicle 100 and travel route information instead of the control value. Note that the control command does not have to include the vehicle state of the vehicle 100.

[0023] The process management device 400 manages manufacturing management information indicating the manufacturing status of the vehicle 100 in the factory. The "manufacturing management information" includes, for example, the progress of processing in each process, the number of work-in-progress products, the number of products being processed, the manufacturing time for each process, the start time and end time of processing in each process, vehicle identification information of the vehicle 100 present in each process, the number of vehicles scheduled to be manufactured in one day, and the target manufacturing time for the process to manufacture one vehicle 100. For example, when one vehicle 100 starts traveling along the travel route SR, vehicle identification information indicating the identification number, model, etc. of the vehicle 100 is transmitted from the process management device 400 to the remote control device 200. The vehicle state of the vehicle 100 detected by the remote control device 200 may also be transmitted to the process management device 400. The function of the process management device 400 may be implemented in the same device as the remote control device 200.

[0024] A-2. Vehicle control processing: 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the vehicle control process according to the first embodiment. This process is executed every time vehicle detection information is transmitted from the vehicle detector 300 while the remote control device 200 is in an operating state.

[0025] In step S10, the vehicle detection information acquisition unit 210 acquires vehicle detection information. In step S20, the vehicle state calculation unit 220 calculates the vehicle state using the acquired vehicle detection information.

[0026] In step S30, the route information creation unit 240 creates route information using the calculated vehicle state. In step S40, the vehicle identification unit 230 identifies the vehicle type using the vehicle detection information. Note that step S40 may be performed after step S10, before step S20, or before step S30.

[0027] In step S50, the remote control command unit 250 determines whether the vehicle 100 to be controlled is a vehicle type that requires the transmission of a control value. If the vehicle 100 to be controlled is a first vehicle type that requires the transmission of a control value (step S50: Yes), that is, if the vehicle 100 to be controlled is the vehicle 101, the remote control command unit 250 generates a control value in step S60 to make the vehicle 101 to be controlled travel along the travel route indicated by the route information, and transmits the control value to the vehicle 101 as a control command in step S70.

[0028] On the other hand, if the vehicle is a second vehicle type that does not require transmission of a control value (step S50: No), that is, if the vehicle 100 to be controlled is the vehicle 102, in step S62, the remote control command unit 250 transmits route information to the vehicle 102 as a control command. In step S72, the control value generation unit 116 included in the vehicle 102 generates a control value so as to cause the vehicle 102 to travel along the travel route indicated by the route information, and transmits the control value to the vehicle control unit 115 included in the vehicle 102.

[0029] The route information transmitted to the vehicle 102 in step S62 may be information indicating a plurality of positions indicating the travel route at a predetermined interval, or may be information indicating only the end position of the travel route. In addition, in step S72, the control value generating unit 116 included in the vehicle 102 can detect the vehicle state of the vehicle 102 and obstacles such as structures and workers present around the vehicle 102 using a sensor (not shown) mounted on the vehicle 102, and generate control values ​​for controlling the speed, acceleration, and steering angle of the vehicle 102 so that the vehicle 102 travels along the travel route according to the detected vehicle state and obstacles of the vehicle 102. The route information is information used to generate a control value, and corresponds to "information for generating control value" in the present disclosure.

[0030] In step S80, the vehicle control unit 115 controls the vehicle 100 in accordance with the control value transmitted from the remote control command unit 250 or the control value generating unit 116. This ends the processing in the remote control device 200.

[0031] According to the remote control device 200 of the first embodiment described above, identification is performed as to whether the vehicle 100 is the vehicle 101 or the vehicle 102, and if the vehicle 100 is the vehicle 101, at least one of generating a control value as a control command and transmitting the control value to the vehicle 101, and if the vehicle 100 is identified as the vehicle 102, transmitting information for generating a control value as a control command to the vehicle 102. In this way, an appropriate control command can be transmitted depending on whether the vehicle 100 is the vehicle 101 or the vehicle 102, and appropriate control can be performed on the vehicle 100.

[0032] Moreover, since the captured image of the vehicle 100 is used to identify whether the vehicle 100 is the vehicle 101 or the vehicle 102, it is possible to accurately identify the vehicle. Also, it is possible to control the movement of the vehicle 102, for which a control value can be generated using route information. Also, it is possible to control the movement of the vehicle 100, which moves by controlling the steering angle and acceleration.

[0033] B. Second embodiment: FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a remote control system 10 including a remote control device 200A of the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the procedure of vehicle control processing of the second embodiment. The remote control device 200A of the second embodiment is different from the remote control device 200 of the first embodiment in that the remote control device 200A includes a manufacturing process information acquisition unit 230A instead of the vehicle identification unit 230 as shown in FIG. 6, and in that the remote control device 200A executes steps S40A and S50A instead of steps S40 and S50 in the vehicle control processing as shown in FIG. 7. In addition, in the remote control device 200A of the second embodiment, the vehicle management information VI may not be stored in advance in the memory 202. Note that the system configuration of the remote control device 200A of the second embodiment and other procedures in the vehicle control processing are the same as those of the remote control device 200 of the first embodiment, so the same configurations and procedures are assigned the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 6, the processor 201 included in the remote control device 200A of the second embodiment executes the program PG2A stored in the memory 202 instead of the program PG2, thereby functioning as a vehicle detection information acquisition unit 210, a vehicle state calculation unit 220, a manufacturing process information acquisition unit 230A, a route information creation unit 240, and a remote control command unit 250. The manufacturing process information acquisition unit 230A acquires manufacturing process information about the vehicle 100 to be controlled from the process management device 400. The "manufacturing process information" is information indicating the manufacturing process in which the vehicle 100 is currently placed, and means, for example, information indicating the name of the process in progress or the previous process of the vehicle 100. Note that other functional units realized in the processor 201 of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described.

[0035] 7, the manufacturing process information acquisition unit 230A acquires manufacturing process information about the vehicle 100 to be controlled from the process management device 400. More specifically, the manufacturing process information acquisition unit 230A identifies the vehicle 100 to be controlled by using the vehicle detection information, and acquires the manufacturing process information about the vehicle 100 from the process management device 400.

[0036] In step S50A, the remote control command unit 250 judges whether or not the process in which the vehicle 100 to be controlled is currently located is a process that requires the transmission of a control value based on the manufacturing process information. The "process that requires the transmission of a control value" means a process that is executed in a state in which a sensor for acquiring information required when the control value generating unit 116 generates a control value using route information has not yet been attached to the vehicle 100. More specifically, for example, when the control value generating unit 116 determines the acceleration and steering angle of the vehicle 100 using point cloud data of obstacles present around the vehicle 100 detected by a LiDAR mounted on the vehicle in addition to the route information transmitted from the remote control device 200, the process before the process of mounting the LiDAR on the vehicle 100 is a process that requires the transmission of a control value to the vehicle 100. In addition, for each process, whether or not the process requires the transmission of a control value may be determined in advance and managed as a database in the process management device 400, and the remote control command unit 250 may execute the above judgment by referring to the database.

[0037] If it is determined that the process requires transmission of a control value (step S50A: Yes), the above-mentioned steps S60, S70, and S80 are executed. On the other hand, if it is determined that the process does not require transmission of a control value (step S50A: No), the above-mentioned steps S62, S72, and S80 are executed.

[0038] The remote control device 200A of the second embodiment described above acquires manufacturing process information, and when it is identified based on the manufacturing process information that the manufacturing process where the vehicle 100 is currently located is a process that requires transmission of a control value to the vehicle 100, at least one of generating a control value as a control command and transmitting the control value to the vehicle 100, and when it is identified based on the manufacturing process information that the manufacturing process where the vehicle 100 is currently located is not a process that requires transmission of a control value to the vehicle 100, transmitting information for generating a control value to the vehicle 100 as a control command. This makes it possible to transmit an appropriate control command according to the manufacturing process where the vehicle 100 is currently located, and to perform appropriate control on the vehicle 100.

[0039] C. Third embodiment: FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a remote control system 10 including a remote control device 200B of the third embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the procedure of vehicle control processing of the third embodiment. The remote control device 200B of the third embodiment is different from the remote control device 200A of the second embodiment in that the remote control device 200B includes a vehicle manufacturing state identification unit 230B instead of the manufacturing process information acquisition unit 230A as shown in FIG. 8, and in that the remote control device 200B executes steps S40B and S50B instead of steps S40A and S50A in the vehicle control processing as shown in FIG. 9. Note that the system configuration of the remote control device 200B of the third embodiment and other procedures in the vehicle control processing are the same as those of the remote control device 200A of the second embodiment, so the same configurations and procedures are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 8, the processor 201 included in the remote control device 200B of the third embodiment executes the program PG2B stored in the memory 202 instead of the program PG2A, thereby functioning as a vehicle detection information acquisition unit 210, a vehicle state calculation unit 220, a vehicle manufacturing state identification unit 230B, a route information creation unit 240, and a remote control command unit 250. The vehicle manufacturing state identification unit 230B identifies the vehicle manufacturing state by using the vehicle detection information. The "vehicle manufacturing state" means the progress state of the manufacturing of the vehicle 100, for example, the assembly state of parts and the like to the vehicle 100. Note that other functional units realized in the processor 201 of the third embodiment are the same as those of the second embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted. The vehicle manufacturing state identification unit 230B corresponds to the "mobile body manufacturing state identification unit" in this disclosure.

[0041] 9, the vehicle manufacturing state identification unit 230B identifies the vehicle manufacturing state by using the vehicle detection information. More specifically, the vehicle manufacturing state identification unit 230B identifies the vehicle manufacturing state by analyzing the captured image of the vehicle 100 acquired as the vehicle detection information. The vehicle manufacturing state corresponds to the "mobile body manufacturing state" in this disclosure.

[0042] In step S50B, the remote control command unit 250 determines whether or not the vehicle manufacturing state of the vehicle 100 is in a state in which transmission of a control value is required. More specifically, if a sensor for acquiring information required when the control value generating unit 116 generates a control value using route information has not yet been attached to the vehicle 100, the remote control command unit 250 determines that the vehicle manufacturing state of the vehicle 100 is in a state in which transmission of a control value is required.

[0043] If it is determined that the state requires transmission of the control value (step S50B: Yes), the above-mentioned steps S60, S70, and S80 are executed. On the other hand, if it is determined that the state does not require transmission of the control value (step S50A: No), the above-mentioned steps S62, S72, and S80 are executed.

[0044] The remote control device 200 of the third embodiment described above performs at least one of the following: identifying a vehicle manufacturing state using vehicle detection information, and when the vehicle manufacturing state is a state in which transmission of a control value is required, generating a control value as a control command and transmitting the control value to the vehicle 100; and when the vehicle manufacturing state is not a state in which transmission of a control value is required, transmitting information for generating a control value as a control command to the vehicle 100. In this way, an appropriate control command can be transmitted in accordance with the vehicle manufacturing state identified using the vehicle detection information, and appropriate control can be performed on the vehicle 100.

[0045] D. Fourth embodiment: Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the vehicle control process of the fourth embodiment. The remote control device 200B of the fourth embodiment is different from the remote control device 200B of the third embodiment in that step S50C is executed instead of step S50B in the vehicle control process as shown in Fig. 10. Note that the system configuration of the remote control device 200B of the fourth embodiment and other procedures in the vehicle control process are the same as those of the remote control device 200B of the third embodiment, so the same configurations and procedures are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0046] In this embodiment, the vehicle manufacturing state identification unit 230B shown in FIG. 8 acquires the vehicle manufacturing state of the vehicle 100 using the vehicle detection information, and identifies whether the vehicle manufacturing state of the vehicle 100 is a platform state. The "platform state" refers to a state in which the vehicle is equipped with the vehicle control unit 115 and the communication device 130 and is capable of performing three functions of "running," "turning," and "stopping" by remote control. More specifically, it refers to a state in which interior parts such as a driver's seat and a dashboard are not installed, exterior parts such as a bumper and a fender are not installed, and a body shell is not installed. For the vehicle 100 in the platform state, the remaining parts such as a body shell may be installed on the vehicle 100 before the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory, or the remaining parts such as a body shell may be installed on the vehicle 100 after the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory in a state in which the remaining parts such as the body shell are not installed on the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the vehicle manufacturing state identification unit 230B corresponds to the "platform information acquisition unit" in this disclosure.

[0047] 10, the remote control command unit 250 determines whether or not the vehicle manufacturing state of the vehicle 100 identified by the vehicle manufacturing state identification unit 230B is a platform state. If the vehicle 100 is in a platform state, the sensor has not yet been mounted, and the control value generation unit 116 cannot generate a control value by using information acquired from the sensor.

[0048] If it is determined that the vehicle 100 is in a platform state (step S50A: Yes), the above-mentioned steps S60, S70, and S80 are executed. On the other hand, if it is determined that the vehicle 100 is not in a platform state (step S50A: No), the above-mentioned steps S62, S72, and S80 are executed.

[0049] According to the remote control device 200B of the fourth embodiment described above, when the vehicle 100 is in a platform state, a control value is generated as a control command and the control value is transmitted to the vehicle 100, so that appropriate control can be performed on the vehicle 100 depending on whether the vehicle 100 is in a platform state or not.

[0050] E. Other embodiments: (E1) In the above embodiment, the remote control device 200 may transmit a control value as a control command and transmit a command including at least path information as a control command, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The remote control device 200 may transmit only one of a control value as a control command and a command including at least path information as a control command. For example, the remote control device 200 may transmit only a command including at least path information as a control command, and transmit a control value as a control command may be performed by another device.

[0051] (E2) In the above embodiment, the remote control device 200 executes remote control of the vehicle 100 during the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The remote control device 200 may execute remote control for running the vehicle 100 during an inspection process after the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100 is completed and during a shipping process of the completed vehicle after the inspection process is completed.

[0052] (E3) In the first embodiment, the vehicle identification unit 230 uses the vehicle management information VI stored in advance in the memory 202 to identify which vehicle type the vehicle 100 is, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The vehicle identification unit 230 may also use manufacturing management information managed in the process management device 400 to perform the above identification. According to the remote control device 200 of this form, appropriate control can be performed according to the manufacturing status of the vehicle 100.

[0053] (E4) In the above fourth embodiment, the remote control command unit 250 determines whether or not the vehicle 100 is in a platform state by using the vehicle manufacturing state identified by the vehicle manufacturing state identification unit 230B, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The remote control device 200 of the fourth embodiment may further include a functional unit equivalent to the manufacturing process information acquisition unit 230A of the second embodiment, and the remote control command unit 250 may determine whether or not the vehicle 100 is in a platform state by using the acquired manufacturing process information. In such a form, the functional unit equivalent to the manufacturing process information acquisition unit 230A corresponds to the "platform information acquisition unit" in this disclosure.

[0054] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. For example, the technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each aspect described in the Summary of the Invention column can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve some or all of the above-mentioned problems or to achieve some or all of the above-mentioned effects. Furthermore, if the technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 10... remote control system, 100, 101, 102... vehicle, 110... vehicle control device, 111... processor, 112... memory, 113... input / output interface, 114... internal bus, 115... vehicle control unit, 116... control value generation unit, 120... actuator group, 130... communication device, 200, 200A, 200B... remote control device, 201... processor, 202... memory, 203... input / output interface, 204... internal bus , 205... communication device, 210... vehicle detection information acquisition unit, 220... vehicle state calculation unit, 230... vehicle identification unit, 230A... manufacturing process information acquisition unit, 230B... vehicle manufacturing state identification unit, 240... route information creation unit, 250... remote control command unit, 300... vehicle detector, 400... process management device, PG11, PG12, PG2, PG2A, PG2B... program, PL1... first location, PL2... second location, SR... driving route, VI... vehicle management information

Claims

1. A remote control device that automatically moves a moving object by remote control, The moving body, a first moving body that receives a control value for controlling movement of the moving body and moves according to the control value; a second moving object that receives control value generation information used for generating the control value, generates the control value using the control value generation information, and moves according to the generated control value; a moving object identification unit that performs identification of which of the moving object is the moving object; A remote control command unit that transmits a control command to the moving object; Equipped with The remote control command unit includes: generating a control value as the control command when the moving object is identified as the first moving object, and transmitting the control value to the first moving object; When the moving object is identified as the second moving object, transmitting the control value generation information to the second moving object as the control command; Execute at least one of the following: Remote control device.

2. A remote control device that automatically moves a moving object by remote control, a manufacturing process information acquisition unit that acquires manufacturing process information indicating a manufacturing process in which the moving object is currently located; A remote control command unit that transmits a control command to the moving object; Equipped with The moving body is receiving a control value for controlling movement of the moving object and moving in accordance with the control value; receiving control value generation information used to generate the control value, generating the control value using the control value generation information, and moving according to the generated control value; It is possible to execute The remote control command unit includes: generating the control value as the control command and transmitting the control value to the mobile body when the manufacturing process is identified as a process that requires transmission of the control value to the mobile body based on the manufacturing process information; transmitting the control value generation information to the mobile body as the control command when the manufacturing process is identified as a process that does not require transmission of the control value to the mobile body based on the manufacturing process information; Execute at least one of the following: Remote control device.

3. A remote control device that automatically moves a moving object by remote control, a moving object detection information acquisition unit that acquires moving object detection information, which is information for detecting the moving object; a mobile body manufacturing state specification unit that specifies a mobile body manufacturing state, which is a manufacturing state of the mobile body, by using the mobile body detection information; A remote control command unit that transmits a control command to the moving object; Equipped with The moving body is receiving a control value for controlling movement of the moving object and moving in accordance with the control value; receiving control value generation information used to generate the control value, generating the control value using the control value generation information, and moving according to the generated control value; It is possible to execute The remote control command unit includes: generating the control value as the control command and transmitting the control value to the moving body when the manufacturing state of the moving body is identified as a state requiring transmission of the control value; transmitting the control value generation information to the moving body as the control command when it is determined that the manufacturing state of the moving body does not require transmission of the control value; Execute at least one of the following: Remote control device.

4. A remote control device that automatically moves a moving object by remote control, a platform information acquisition unit that acquires information indicating whether the moving object is in a platform state; A remote control command unit that transmits a control command to the moving object; Equipped with The moving body is receiving a control value for controlling movement of the moving object and moving in accordance with the control value; receiving control value generation information used to generate the control value, generating the control value using the control value generation information, and moving according to the generated control value; It is possible to execute The remote control command unit includes: generating the control value as the control command when the moving body is in a platform state, and transmitting the control value to the moving body; Remote control device.

5. 2. The remote control device according to claim 1, The moving object identification unit performs the identification by utilizing a captured image of the moving object. Remote control device.

6. 6. A remote control device according to claim 1 or claim 5, The moving body is placed in a manufacturing process, the moving object identification unit performs the identification by utilizing manufacturing management information indicating a manufacturing status of the moving object. Remote control device.

7. A remote control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The control value generation information includes route information indicating a route along which the moving object is to be moved. Remote control device.

8. A remote control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the control value includes a value instructing a steering angle of the moving body and a value instructing an acceleration of the moving body. Remote control device.

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