Information processing method, information processing device, information processing program, and storage medium

Abstract

To provide an information processing method capable of preliminarily checking the possibility of interference with a peripheral object, etc.SOLUTION: An information processing method includes accepting an input of a target route to be targeted per between nodes as a waypoint of an autonomous traction device. The information processing method also includes displaying a prediction travel region where the autonomous traction device is expected to pass in association with the target route. The prediction travel region is a region correlating to a trace error to the target route of a tractor which traces the target route input per between nodes and a trace error of the trailer towed by the tractor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to information processing techniques for controlling the display of path data that defines a target path to be traced by an autonomous towed device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a route search system that searches for a travel route of a towing vehicle that tows a dolly. This route search system sets a plurality of travel routes from a current position to a destination and a route cost for each travel route. When a travel route includes a towing travel route section on which the dolly can travel without interfering with obstacles during towing travel and an independent travel route section when the towing vehicle is traveling independently, the route search system sets a route cost during towing travel and independent travel for each route section. The route search system searches for a travel route with the minimum cost using the route costs of the towing travel route section and the independent travel route section according to the traveling state of the towing vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-114188 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the technology of Patent Document 1, since a route is searched from the current position, there is a risk of a large tracking delay with respect to the target route at the travel position immediately after the search. Even if the start position of the route search is a position specified in advance, when the towing vehicle is made to follow the target route, a tracking error of the towing vehicle with respect to the target route occurs, and there is a risk that a further tracking error with respect to the target route will occur in the non-towing bogie due to the inner wheel difference with the towing vehicle. In the technology of Patent Document 1, the above-mentioned tracking delay and tracking error are not taken into consideration, so it may be impossible to check in advance the possibility of interference with surrounding objects when traveling along the target route.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing method capable of checking in advance the possibility of interference with surrounding objects. Another object of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing device capable of checking in advance the possibility of interference with surrounding objects. Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing program capable of checking in advance the possibility of interference with surrounding objects. Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a storage medium capable of checking in advance the possibility of interference with surrounding objects. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The technical means of the present disclosure for solving the problems will be described below. Note that the claims and the reference characters in parentheses in this section indicate the corresponding relationship with the specific means described in the embodiments described later in detail, and do not limit the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0007] A first aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing method executed by a processor (102) for controlling a display related to a target route (P) traced by an autonomous towing device (1) that tows a trailer (3) by autonomous driving of a tractor (2), the method comprising: Accepting an input of a target route between nodes as pass-through points of the autonomous towing device; Displaying an area where the autonomous towing device is predicted to pass as a predicted driving area (R) that correlates with a tracing error of the tractor tracing the target route inputted between nodes with respect to the target route and a tracing error of the trailer towed by the tractor, in association with the target route; Includes.

[0008] A second aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing device including a processor (102) and configured to control a display related to a target route (P) traced by an autonomous towing device (1) that tows a trailer (3) by autonomous traveling of a tractor (2), the information processing device including: The processor Accepting an input of a target route between nodes as pass-through points of the autonomous towing device; Displaying an area where the autonomous towing device is predicted to pass as a predicted driving area (R) that correlates with a tracing error of the tractor tracing the target route inputted between nodes with respect to the target route and a tracing error of the trailer towed by the tractor, in association with the target route; The apparatus is configured to execute the following steps:

[0009] A third aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing program stored in a storage medium (101) for controlling a display related to a target route (P) traced by an autonomous towing device (1) that tows a trailer (3) by autonomous driving of a tractor (2), the information processing program including instructions to be executed by a processor (102), The command is, Accepting an input of a target route between nodes as pass-through points of the autonomous towing device; Displaying an area where the autonomous towing device is predicted to pass as a predicted driving area (R) that correlates with a tracing error of the tractor tracing the target route inputted between nodes with respect to the target route and a tracing error of the trailer towed by the tractor, in association with the target route; Includes.

[0010] A fourth aspect of the present disclosure is a storage medium storing an information processing program including instructions to be executed by a processor (102) for controlling a display related to a target route (P) traced by an autonomous towing device (1) that tows a trailer (3) by autonomous traveling of a tractor (2), the information processing program including: The command is, Accepting an input of a target route between nodes as pass-through points of the autonomous towing device; Displaying an area where the autonomous towing device is predicted to pass as a predicted driving area (R) that correlates with a tracing error of the tractor tracing the target route inputted between nodes with respect to the target route and a tracing error of the trailer towed by the tractor, in association with the target route; Includes.

[0011] According to the first to fourth aspects, the predicted travel area that correlates with the tractor trace error and the trailer trace error relative to the target route is displayed in association with the target route. Therefore, by inputting the target route in advance, the user can check the possibility of interference between the autonomous towing device and surrounding objects, taking into account the tractor and trailer trace errors, by displaying the predicted travel area. Therefore, it may be possible to check the possibility of interference with surrounding objects in advance. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an autonomous towing device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an entire system including an information processing apparatus according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the initial state of a simulated autonomous towing device. [Figure 4] 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of an information processing device according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 5] 3 is a flowchart illustrating an information processing method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 6 is a flowchart showing detailed processing of the simulation in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the geometric relationships of an autonomous towed device during a turn. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of a simulation process. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a display screen when a correction input is accepted. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a final display screen. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing an information processing method according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an entire system including an information processing apparatus according to a third embodiment. [Figure 13] 13 is a flowchart showing an information processing method according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, multiple embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, by assigning the same reference numerals to corresponding components in each embodiment, duplicated descriptions may be omitted. In addition, when only a part of the configuration is described in each embodiment, the configuration of the other embodiment described above can be applied to the other parts of the configuration. Furthermore, in addition to the combination of configurations explicitly stated in the description of each embodiment, configurations of multiple embodiments can be partially combined together even if not explicitly stated, as long as there is no particular problem with the combination.

[0014] First embodiment The information processing device 100 of the first embodiment controls a display related to a target route P of the autonomous towing device 1 shown in Fig. 1. The autonomous towing device 1 is an autonomous robot capable of autonomously traveling in any direction including forward, backward, left and right. Note that the autonomous towing device 1 as the autonomous device in the first embodiment can also be called an autonomous vehicle.

[0015] The autonomous towing device 1 includes a tractor 2 and a trailer 3. The tractor 2 is provided with a vehicle body 20, a drive source 21, a control unit 22, wheels 23, an axle 24, and a coupling section 25. The drive source 21 is, for example, an electric motor, and the tractor 2 is a powered vehicle that is driven to travel by the drive source.

[0016] The control unit 22 is a control device that executes autonomous driving control of the tractor 2, and is an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) including at least one dedicated computer. The control unit 22 autonomously executes acceleration / deceleration control and steering control of the tractor 2, thereby causing the tractor 2 to self-propel. The control unit 22 controls the autonomous driving of the tractor 2 so as to trace the target route P according to route data related to the target route P.

[0017] The wheels 23 include a pair of front wheels 23a provided at the front of the vehicle body 20 and a pair of rear wheels 23b provided at the rear. The axle 24 includes a front axle 24a having the pair of front wheels 23a rotatably fixed to both ends thereof, and a rear axle 24b having the pair of rear wheels 23b rotatably fixed to both ends thereof.

[0018] The connecting portion 25 is provided so as to extend rearward from the rear end of the vehicle body 20. For example, a joint portion 26 is provided at the rear end of the connecting portion 25 to which the connecting portion 33 on the trailer 3 side is attached. The joint portion 26 may be, for example, a hole portion through which a mounting tool such as a pin is inserted, or may be a structure formed in a hook shape or a hook receiving shape. By attaching the joint portion 26 to the joint portion 34 on the connecting portion 33 side, the tractor 2 functions as a towing vehicle that tows the trailer 3 while allowing rotation about the joint portion 26 with respect to the trailer 3.

[0019] The trailer 3 includes a vehicle body 30, and wheels 31, axles 32, and a coupling portion 33 provided on the vehicle body 30. The vehicle body 30 is provided with a loading space S for loading cargo. The loading space S is formed, for example, as a space that opens toward the top, by being partitioned into front, rear, left and right by a part of the vehicle body 30. The loading space S may be formed, for example, as a space that opens toward the side of the vehicle body 30, or may simply be a space above the upper surface of the vehicle body 30 as a loading surface.

[0020] The wheels 31 and axles 32 include front wheels 31a, rear wheels 31b, front axles 32a and rear axles 32b, similar to those of the tractor 2. The coupling parts 33 are provided at the front and rear ends of the body 30, respectively. Each coupling part 33 has a joint part 34 provided at the end opposite the body 30, similar to the coupling part 25 of the tractor 2. Therefore, multiple trailers 3 can be coupled front to back. The trailer 3 is, for example, a non-powered vehicle that is not equipped with a drive source for traveling. The trailer 3 functions as a towed vehicle that is towed by the tractor 2.

[0021] The autonomous towing device 1 realizes autonomous driving by traveling so as to trace a preset target route P from a starting point to a destination point. The information processing device 100 executes a display for a user of the autonomous towing device 1 to determine the target route P in advance before the departure of the autonomous towing device 1. Specifically, the information processing device 100 displays to the user the possibility of interference with surrounding objects for the autonomous towing device 1 tracing the target route P input by the user.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing device 100 is connected to an input system 4, a map database (DB) 5, a vehicle DB 6, and a display system 7 via at least one of, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) line, a wire harness, an internal bus, and a wireless communication line.

[0023] The input system 4 accepts input operations by a user. The input system 4 is at least one of a mouse, a trackball, a keyboard, a touch panel, etc.

[0024] The map DB 5 stores map information usable by the information processing device 100. The map DB 5 includes at least one type of non-transitory tangible storage medium, for example, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic medium, an optical medium, and the like. The map DB 5 may be a database of a locator that estimates a self-state quantity including a self-position of the host vehicle A. The map DB 5 may be a database of a navigation unit that navigates the travel route of the host vehicle A. The map DB 5 may be configured by combining a plurality of types of these databases, etc.

[0025] The map information in the map DB5 includes at least two-dimensional horizontal position information on surrounding objects O that are installed in the facility area and may become obstacles when the autonomous towing device 1 travels. For example, the map information may be point cloud data including a reflection point group of the surrounding objects O acquired by an external sensor such as LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging / Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging). In this case, each reflection point has position information. Alternatively, the map information may be image data obtained by imaging the reflection point group projected onto a bird's-eye view plane. The map information may include three-dimensional position information including height information of the surrounding objects O.

[0026] The vehicle DB 6 stores information (vehicle information) related to the autonomous towing device 1 that can be used by the information processing device 100. The vehicle DB 20 includes at least one type of non-transient substantial storage medium, for example, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic medium, an optical medium, etc. The vehicle information in the vehicle DB includes information on the autonomous towing device 1 required for displaying a predicted driving area R (described later). For example, the vehicle information includes dimensional information of the tractor 2 and trailer 3 of the autonomous towing device 1. The dimensional information includes the base length B of each vehicle shown in FIG. i , Overall length of vehicle L i , Overall width W i , and rear shaft connection distance d i The subscript i in each parameter indicates the order from the front of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the leading tractor 2 is designated as i=0.

[0027] Overall length of vehicle in dimension information L i is the length in the front-rear direction of the car body 20, 30 excluding the connecting parts 25, 33, and the overall width W iis the length in the width direction (left-right direction) of the vehicle bodies 20, 30. In the case of the tractor 2, the base length Bi is the so-called wheelbase length from the front axle 24a to the rear axle 24b. In the case of the trailer 3, the base length Bi is the distance from the front joint 34 to the rear axle 32b, that is, the wheelbase length plus the length from the front axle 24a to the front joint 34. In addition, the rear axle coupling distance di is the length from the rear axles 24b, 32b to the rear joints 26, 34.

[0028] The vehicle DB 6 stores this dimensional information in association with the identification information of the tractor 2 and the trailer 3. Here, the identification information is information indicating the vehicle types of the tractor 2 and the trailer 3, such as the product name, model number, model name, etc. In other words, the vehicle DB 6 stores various information so that when the vehicle types of the tractor 2 and the trailer 3 are specified, the dimensional information corresponding to the vehicle types can be collated.

[0029] The display system 7 displays information to the user. Specifically, the display system 7 displays a target route P and a predicted driving area R (described later) together with map information of the target area. The display system 7 is at least one type of device, such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel.

[0030] The information processing device 100 is a computer including at least one memory 101 and one processor 102. The memory 101 is at least one type of non-transitory tangible storage medium, such as a semiconductor memory, a magnetic medium, or an optical medium, that non-temporarily stores computer-readable programs and data. Here, storage may refer to accumulation in which data is retained even when the computer is turned off, or temporary storage in which data is erased when the computer is turned off. The processor 102 includes at least one type of core, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a reduced instruction set computer (RISC)-CPU, a data flow processor (DFP), or a graph streaming processor (GSP).

[0031] In the information processing device 100, the processor 102 executes a plurality of instructions included in an information processing program stored in the memory 101 in order to control the display of route data defining the target route P traced by the autonomous towing device 1. In this way, the information processing device 100 constructs a plurality of functional blocks for controlling the display of route data defining the target route P traced by the autonomous towing device. The plurality of functional blocks constructed in the information processing device 100 include an acquisition block 110 and an output block 120 as shown in FIG.

[0032] The flow of an information processing method in which the information processing device 100 controls the display of route data defining the target route P traced by the autonomous towing device 1 through cooperation of these blocks 110, 120 will be described below with reference to FIG. 5. Hereinafter, this processing flow may be referred to as an information processing flow. This processing flow is repeatedly executed while the computer of the information processing device 100 is running. Note that each "S" in this processing flow refers to multiple steps executed by multiple commands included in an information processing program.

[0033] First, in S10, the acquisition block 110 acquires map information on the facility area in which the autonomous towing device 1 is used from the map DB 5. In the following S20, the acquisition block 110 acquires vehicle information of the autonomous towing device 1. Specifically, the acquisition block 110 accepts the input of the user's identification information via the input system 4, and reads out the vehicle information of the autonomous towing device 1 corresponding to the identification information from the vehicle DB 6. In the following S30, the acquisition block 110 acquires the following error amount Et of the tractor 2 in the autonomous towing device 1. The following error amount Et is an error amount in the lateral direction, i.e., in the normal direction, with respect to the target route P, which is assumed when the tractor 2 traces the target route P and travels autonomously. The following error amount Et is an example of a "trace error". For example, the acquisition block 110 acquires the following error amount Et by accepting the input of the following error amount Et via the input system 4. Alternatively, the acquisition block 110 may acquire the tracking error amount Et, which is predefined and corresponds to the identification information, by reading it from a storage medium such as the memory 101.

[0034] In the next S40, the output block 120 images the acquired map information and displays it on the display system 7 as a map of the facility area. At least surrounding objects O that may become obstacles when the autonomous towing device 1 travels are displayed on this facility map. Road markings and the like may also be displayed on the facility map. Then, in S50, the acquisition block 110 accepts input of a target route P and a target speed V by the user via the input system 4.

[0035] Specifically, the acquisition block 110 acquires input information of a target route P that is input so as to be superimposed on a facility map displayed on the display system 7. For example, the target route P defined by the user is defined by a start point SP, an end point EP, and a route line PL. In more detail, the start point SP and the end point EP are defined on the displayed facility map by clicking a mouse or inputting coordinates, and the route line PL connecting the points SP and EP is also defined on the facility map. The route line PL is displayed as an image object in a vector format with at least the start point SP and the end point EP as vertices.

[0036] Therefore, the shape of the route line PL can be changed to one desired by the user by changing the positions of these vertices and the direction and magnitude of the vectors from the vertices. The direction and magnitude of the vectors from the vertices can be changed, for example, by operating linear handles (not shown) extending from these vertices with a mouse or the like. In addition to the start point SP and the end point EP, vertices that define the shape of the route line PL may be added arbitrarily by the user. The start point SP and the end point EP are examples of "nodes" that are passing points of the autonomous towing device 1 on the target route P. In addition, the target speed V is the target running speed of the autonomous towing device 1 from the start point SP to the end point EP. In addition, the target speed V may be set uniformly from the start point SP to the end point EP, or may be set for each of multiple sections obtained by further dividing the route line PL from the start point SP to the end point EP.

[0037] In the next step S60, the output block 120 executes a simulation of the path of the autonomous towing device 1 according to the amount of tracking error Et of the tractor 2 and trailer 3 when the autonomous towing device 1 traces the input target route P. The output block 120 executes a simulation by modeling, for example, the tractor 2 and trailer 3 in the autonomous towing device 1 using a two-wheel model. As a result, the output block 120 simulates the amount of tracking error Et predicted for the trailer 3 according to the amount of tracking error Et of the tractor 2 given by the input.

[0038] Detailed processing of the simulation in S60 will be described according to the flow in Fig. 6. Note that, in the following, an autonomous towing device 1 in which one trailer 3 is connected to a tractor 2 will be described as an example, but a simulation can be performed in a similar manner for an autonomous towing device 1 in which two or more trailers 3 are connected.

[0039] First, in S61, the output block 120 sets the initial position and initial attitude (azimuth angle) of the autonomous towing device 1. The initial position of the tractor 2 is set to a position offset by the amount of tracking error Et of the tractor 2 from the start point SP of the target route P in the normal direction of the target route P. The position here is a representative position coordinate of the tractor 2, for example, the center position coordinate of the vehicle body 20. The coordinate system here is an orthogonal coordinate system fixed with respect to the road surface. As will be described later, this simulation process is executed for two sets, one in which the tracking error occurs on the right side of the target route P and the other in which the tracking error occurs on the left side. For this reason, the offset direction in S61 is specified depending on whether this step is the first set or the second set. In the following description, left and right refer to left and right when facing the traveling direction of the autonomous towing device 1.

[0040] The initial attitude of the tractor 2 is set to an azimuth angle in the tangential direction of the start point SP. The initial position and attitude of the trailer 3 are set to a position and attitude in which the joint angle of the coupling part 33 is zero, that is, the trailer 3 is linearly coupled to the tractor 2, with the tractor 2 set to the initial position and attitude described above.

[0041] In the next S62, the output block 120 defines the position coordinates of the four corners of the vehicle bodies 20, 30 of the tractor 2 and the trailer 3 when viewed from above, assuming that each vehicle body 20, 30 has a substantially rectangular shape. The output block 120 defines the representative position coordinates and the attitude θ i , Overall length of vehicle L i , and overall vehicle width W iThe position coordinates of each of the four corners can be calculated from the above. The positions of the four corners of each vehicle body 20, 30 are candidate positions that can be located at the outermost left and right ends of the outer circumference of the vehicle body 20, 30 during traveling. Note that multiple position coordinates may be defined as candidate positions that are considered to be closer to the actual shape of the vehicle body 20, 30.

[0042] Then, in S63, the output block 120 defines the steering angle δ0 when the tractor 2 maintains the tracking error amount Et and tracks the target path P. For example, the output block 120 defines the steering angle δ0 when it is assumed that tracking control is performed using PID control. In this case, the steering angle δ0 is calculated by multiplying the proportional gain k p , differential gain k d , integral gain k i , and corresponds to a parameter expressed by the following formula (1) using a deviation e from the target path P obtained by subtracting the tracking error amount Et as a target value from the offset amount in the simulation.

number

[0043] Furthermore, in S64, the output block 120 outputs a steering angle δ corresponding to the turning operation of the trailer 3. i Here, the turning motion of the trailer 3 occurs when the front wheels of the trailer 3 rotate in response to the towing by the tractor 2, and the front wheels of the trailer 3 are not directly steered by steering control. Therefore, the steering angle δ corresponding to the turning motion is i is the pseudo steering angle (hereinafter, pseudo steering angle) δ generated by the towing of the tractor 2 i The output block 120 outputs the pseudo steering angle δ of the i-th trailer 3. i , the base length B of the vehicle immediately preceding the trailer 3 shown in FIG. i-1 , rear shaft connection distance d i-1 , and joint angle Δθ i-1 In this embodiment, the preceding vehicle is the tractor 2.

[0044] In the next step S65, the output block 120 updates the positions of the tractor 2 and trailer 3 after Δt seconds in the simulation. The updated positions are determined based on the target speed V and steering angle δ in the simulation. i Specifically, the updated position x i_new ,y i_new corresponds to the values ​​expressed by the following formulas (2) to (3) using the above parameters.

number

number

[0045] Furthermore, the updated posture θ i_new is the target speed V and the steering angle δ i In addition, base length B i Specifically, the updated attitude corresponds to a value expressed by the following equation (4) using the above parameters.

number

[0046] Then, in S66, the output block 120 judges whether or not the updated position of the tractor 2 has reached the end point EP of the target route P. If it is judged that the end point EP has not been reached, the flow returns to S62, and the updated position x i_new ,y i_new and attitude θ i_new the new current position x i ,y i and attitude θ i Then, the series of steps S62 to S65 are executed.

[0047] On the other hand, if it is determined in S66 that the updated position of the tractor 2 has reached the end point EP, the flow proceeds to S67. In S67, the output block 120 determines whether or not the simulation by the series of processes of S61 to S63 has been completed for both the case where the tractor 2 travels to the left of the target route P while maintaining the tracking error amount Et and the case where the tractor 2 travels to the right of the target route P while maintaining the tracking error amount Et. If it is determined that the simulation is incomplete, the flow returns to S61, and a simulation is executed for the case where the tractor 2 travels to the incomplete direction while maintaining the tracking error amount Et.

[0048] Returning to FIG. 5, in S70, the output block 120 defines the predicted driving region R in association with the target route P according to the results of the simulation process. Specifically, the output block 120 searches for the nearest point in the trajectory coordinates of the coordinates of the four corners for all vehicles of the autonomous towing device 1 for each position on the target route P. Since the output block 120 sets the magnitude of the time step Δt so that the interval between the trajectory coordinates is sufficiently small, the distance from a point on the target route P to the nearest point is the offset amount in the normal direction to the target route P.

[0049] The output block 120 acquires the offset amount for each of the four corner trajectories of all the vehicles of the autonomous towing device 1. The output block 120 extracts the maximum offset amount for each of the multiple positions of the target route P. The output block 120 defines this maximum offset amount as the left width length from each specific position of the target route P in the predicted driving area R. In the example shown in FIG. 8, for a certain position Pj in a portion of the target route P that has a left curve shape, the offset amount to the trajectory of the left rear end of the trailer 3, which is the maximum offset amount, is defined as the left width length of the predicted driving area R. The output block 120 similarly defines the right width length of the predicted driving area R. As a result, the predicted driving area R is defined as an area linked to the target route P that correlates with the tracking error amount Et of the tractor 2 and the trailer 3 with respect to the target route P.

[0050] In the next step S80, the output block 120 displays the predicted driving area R simulated by the above process on the display system 7. Specifically, the output block 120 reconverts the left and right widths of the predicted driving area R for each point on the target route P into left and right coordinates in the normal direction, and converts them into image coordinates using pixel resolution or the like. The output block 120 generates an object that connects the position coordinates of the left and right widths in the predicted driving area R, and displays it superimposed on the facility map. The object may connect the position coordinates in a straight line or in a curved line. The object may be, for example, a polygon that covers the target route P in a tube shape.

[0051] Then, in S90, the acquisition block 110 judges whether or not the target route P has been confirmed. For example, the acquisition block 110 judges that the target route P has been confirmed when the user has input to confirm the target route P via the input system 4. If it is judged that the target route P has not been confirmed, the flow proceeds to S100.

[0052] In S100, the acquisition block 110 accepts a correction input for the target route P. The acquisition block 110 accepts the correction input, for example, by acquiring input information via the input system 4 in which the user changes any of the start point, the end point EP, or the route line PL of the target route P on the display. In the example shown in FIG. 9, since the predicted travel area R interferes with the surrounding object O, the end point EP is moved to correct the target route P. When the correction input is accepted, the flow returns to S60, and the predicted travel area R for the corrected target route P is generated.

[0053] On the other hand, if it is determined in S90 that the target route P has been confirmed, the flow proceeds to S110. In S110, route data regarding the confirmed target route P is output. The route data is output, for example, by storing the route data in a storage medium such as the memory 101 or an external memory, transmitting the route data to the autonomous towing device 1, or the like. The information processing device 100 repeats the above processing until the user sets the target route P to the final arrival point of the autonomous towing device 1, as shown in FIG.

[0054] According to the first embodiment described above, the predicted travel area R, which correlates with the amount of following error Et of the tractor 2 and the amount of following error Et of the trailer 3 relative to the target route P, is displayed in association with the target route P. Therefore, by inputting the target route P in advance, the user can check the possibility of interference between the autonomous towing device 1 and the surrounding object O, taking into account the amount of following error Et of the tractor 2 and the trailer 3, by the display of the predicted travel area R. Therefore, it may be possible to check the possibility of interference with the surrounding object O in advance.

[0055] Second Embodiment The second embodiment is a modified example of the first embodiment, as shown in Fig. 11. In the second embodiment, the information processing device 100 defines and displays the predicted traveling area R as an area that is also correlated with the weight of the autonomous towing device 1.

[0056] In the second embodiment, the vehicle DB 6 further stores the vehicle body weight Mbi of the tractor 2 and the trailer 3 as vehicle information. The vehicle body weight Mbi stored in the vehicle DB 6 is the weight in an unloaded state without any cargo. The vehicle DB 6 stores the vehicle body weight Mbi in association with the identification information of the tractor 2 and the trailer 3.

[0057] 11, the information processing flow in the second embodiment proceeds to S25 after S20. In S25, the acquisition block 110 receives an input of the load weight Mli of the cargo in the trailer 3. When multiple trailers 3 are towed, the acquisition block 110 receives an input of the load weight Mli for each trailer 3.

[0058] Furthermore, in the update process of S65 in this flow, the output block 120 outputs the updated attitude θ i_new , vehicle weight Mb i and loading weight Ml i Specifically, the updated posture θ i_new is the vehicle weight Mb i and loading weight Ml i The total weight is Mg iIt corresponds to the value according to the following formula (5), which includes:

number

[0059] In addition, the function A(M i ) is the stability factor. The stability factor is a parameter that indicates the ease with which a vehicle turns, and is a function of factors such as the total weight Mgi and the coefficient of friction between the wheels and the road surface.

[0060] According to the second embodiment described above, the information processing device 100 can display a planned traveling area that corresponds to a change in the traveling characteristics of the autonomous towing device 1 due to weight.

[0061] Third embodiment 12 and 13, the third embodiment is a modified example of the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, the information processing device 100 defines a predicted driving region R for a target route P according to information that is simulated in advance for a plurality of types of virtual routes assumed for the target route P.

[0062] The area DB8 stores information on the predicted travel area R that can be used by the information processing device 100. The area DB8 includes at least one type of non-transient real storage medium, such as a semiconductor memory, a magnetic medium, and an optical medium. The area information in the area DB8 includes at least information on the left and right width lengths of the predicted travel area R as a result of simulations performed in advance for multiple stages of target speeds V for multiple types of virtual routes assumed as target routes P for each vehicle type. The multiple types of virtual routes are virtual routes in which the route curvature and the tracking error amount Et of the tractor 2 are changed in multiple stages.

[0063] The area information is stored in the form of a lookup table that can output the right width and left width of the predicted traveling area R in response to input of the curvature of the target path P, the target speed V, and the tracking error amount Et. This area information is stored for each identification information of the autonomous towing device 1.

[0064] In the information processing flow in the third embodiment, as shown in Fig. 13, the process proceeds to S75 after S50. In S75, the output block 120 identifies a virtual route that matches the input target route P from the region DB8, and defines the predicted driving region R by reading out the left and right width length of the predicted driving region R corresponding to the virtual route. The virtual route that matches the target route P is identified as a virtual route whose difference in curvature from the curvature of the target route P falls within a predetermined difference range, for example. Note that a virtual route that matches each of the sections obtained by further dividing the target route P may be identified.

[0065] (Other embodiments) Although several embodiments have been described above, the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited to those embodiments, and can be applied to various embodiments and combinations within the scope not departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0066] In a modified example, the output block 120 may execute a simulation process of the tractor 2 and the trailer 3 using a vehicle model other than the two-wheel model.

[0067] In a modified example, at least one of the tractor 2 and the trailer 3 may have an axle independently fixed for each wheel, instead of a pair of wheels fixed to both ends of the axle.

[0068] In a modified example, the computer constituting the information processing device 100 may have at least one of a digital circuit and an analog circuit as a processor. Here, the digital circuit is at least one of ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), SOC (System on a Chip), PGA (Programmable Gate Array), CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), etc. Furthermore, such a digital circuit may have a memory that stores a program.

[0069] In a modified example, the memory 101 storing the information processing program may be a portable storage medium removable from the information processing device 100. In this case, the memory 101 may be a storage medium in which the information processing program is stored readably in the information processing device 100 as a computer, for carrying the program to be installed in the information processing device 100. Alternatively, the memory 101 may be a storage medium of a server device that distributes the information processing program to the information processing device 100 of a user.

[0070] In the modified example, the host mobile body to which the information processing device 100 is applied may be, for example, an autonomous robot capable of transporting luggage or collecting information by autonomous or remote driving. In addition to the forms described above, the above-mentioned embodiment and modified example may be implemented in the form of a processing circuit (e.g., a processing ECU, etc.) or a semiconductor device (e.g., a semiconductor chip, etc.) as a control device configured to be mountable on a host mobile body and having at least one processor 102 and one memory 101.

[0071] (Disclosure of technical ideas) This specification discloses multiple technical ideas described in the following multiple dependent claims. Some of the claims may be described in a multiple dependent form, where the subsequent claim alternatively refers to the preceding claim. Furthermore, some of the claims may be described in a multiple dependent form, where the subsequent claim alternatively refers to the preceding claim. The claims described in these multiple dependent forms define multiple technical ideas.

[0072] (Technical thought 1) An information processing method executed by a processor (102) for controlling a display related to a target route (P) traced by an autonomous towing device (1) that tows a trailer (3) by autonomous driving of a tractor (2), comprising: receiving an input of the target route that is a target between each node as a pass point of the autonomous towing device; displaying an area through which the autonomous towing device is predicted to pass as a predicted driving area (R) correlated with a trace error of the tractor tracing the target route inputted between the nodes with respect to the target route and the trace error of the trailer towed by the tractor, in association with the target route; An information processing method comprising:

[0073] (Technical thought 2) Receiving the input of the target route receiving an input of a target speed for each of the nodes; The predicted travel area is The information processing method according to technical idea 1, which correlates the tracing error of the trailer with respect to passing the target route at the target speed.

[0074] (Technical Thought 3) Receiving the input of the target route receiving input of identification information that identifies the autonomous towing device; The predicted travel area is An information processing method according to technical idea 1 or technical idea 2, in which the trace error relative to the target route is correlated to the trace error predicted for the trailer in the autonomous towing device identified by the identification information.

[0075] (Technical Thought 4) Displaying the predicted travel area in association with the target route An information processing method according to any one of technical ideas 1 to 3, which includes simulating and displaying the predicted driving area for the input target route in response to input of the target route.

[0076] (Technical Thought 5) Displaying the predicted travel area in association with the target route storing the predicted travel area simulated for a plurality of types of virtual routes assumed in the target route in a database; In response to the input of the target route, the predicted travel area for the virtual route that matches the target route is read from the database and displayed; An information processing method according to any one of technical ideas 1 to 3.

[0077] (Technical Thought 6) Receiving the input of the target route The information processing method according to any one of technical ideas 1 to 5, further comprising accepting a correction input for the target route displayed in association with the predicted driving area.

[0078] (Technical Thought 7) Displaying the predicted travel area in association with the target route The information processing method according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 6, further comprising generating the route data defining the target route.

[0079] (Technical Thought 8) Displaying the predicted travel area in association with the target route The information processing method according to Technical Idea 7, further comprising outputting the generated route data.

[0080] The above technical ideas 1 to 8 may be implemented in the form of an information processing device 100, an information processing program, and a storage medium. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 1 autonomous towing device, 101 memory (storage medium), 102 processor, 2 tractor, 3 trailer, P target route, R predicted driving area.

Claims

1. An information processing method executed by a processor (102) for controlling a display related to a target route (P) traced by an autonomous towing device (1) that tows a trailer (3) by autonomous driving of a tractor (2), comprising: receiving an input of the target route that is a target between each node as a pass point of the autonomous towing device; displaying an area through which the autonomous towing device is predicted to pass as a predicted driving area (R) that correlates with a trace error of the tractor tracing the target route input for each node, and a trace error of the trailer towed by the tractor, in association with the target route; An information processing method comprising:

2. Receiving the input of the target route receiving an input of a target speed for each of the nodes; The predicted travel area is 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the tracking error of the trailer is correlated to traversal of the target route at the target speed.

3. Receiving the input of the target route receiving input of identification information that identifies the autonomous towing device; The predicted travel area is 2. The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein the trace error relative to the target route is correlated to the trace error predicted for the trailer in the autonomous towing device identified by the identification information.

4. Displaying the predicted travel area in association with the target route The information processing method according to claim 1 , further comprising: simulating and displaying the predicted travel area for the input target route in response to an input of the target route.

5. Displaying the predicted travel area in association with the target route Reading out area information corresponding to the virtual route that matches the input target route from a database in which area information regarding the predicted travel area simulated for a plurality of types of virtual routes assumed in the target route is stored; Displaying the predicted traveling area according to the read area information; and The information processing method according to claim 1 , comprising:

6. Receiving the input of the target route The information processing method according to claim 1 , further comprising: receiving an input for correcting the target route displayed in association with the predicted travel area.

7. Displaying the predicted travel area in association with the target route The information processing method according to claim 1 , further comprising generating route data defining the target route.

8. Displaying the predicted travel area in association with the target route The information processing method according to claim 7 , further comprising outputting the generated route data.

9. An information processing device comprising a processor (102) and configured to control a display related to a target route (P) traced by an autonomous towing device (1) that tows a trailer (3) by autonomous driving of a tractor (2), comprising: The processor, receiving an input of the target route that is a target between each node as a pass point of the autonomous towing device; displaying an area through which the autonomous towing device is predicted to pass as a predicted driving area (R) that correlates with a trace error of the tractor tracing the target route input for each node, and a trace error of the trailer towed by the tractor, in association with the target route; An information processing device configured to execute the above.

10. An information processing program stored in a storage medium (101) for controlling a display related to a target route (P) traced by an autonomous towing device (1) that tows a trailer (3) by autonomous driving of a tractor (2), the information processing program including instructions to be executed by a processor (102), The instruction: receiving an input of the target route between nodes as pass-through points of the autonomous towing device; displaying an area through which the autonomous towing device is predicted to pass as a predicted driving area (R) that correlates with a trace error of the tractor tracing the target route inputted for each node, and a trace error of the trailer towed by the tractor, in association with the target route; An information processing program including:

11. A storage medium storing an information processing program including instructions to be executed by a processor (102) for controlling a display related to a target route (P) traced by an autonomous towing device (1) that tows a trailer (3) by autonomous driving of a tractor (2), The instruction: receiving an input of the target route between nodes as pass-through points of the autonomous towing device; displaying an area through which the autonomous towing device is predicted to pass as a predicted driving area (R) that correlates with a trace error of the tractor tracing the target route inputted for each node, and a trace error of the trailer towed by the tractor, in association with the target route; A storage medium including

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