Information notification system, information notification device, movable body, method, and data structure

Abstract

To enhance buyer attachment to a movable body.SOLUTION: An information notification system includes an information acquisition unit that acquires conveyance information, which is information on a movable body that is conveyed in a manufacturing process of the movable body that can run by unmanned operation, and an information transmission unit that transmits the conveyance information to an information communication terminal owned by a buyer of the movable body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information notification system, an information notification device, a mobile object, a method, and a data structure. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art In a vehicle manufacturing process, a technique is known for running a vehicle by remote control (for example, see 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] Patent Document 1 does not consider a means for increasing the attachment of a purchaser of a manufactured vehicle to the vehicle he or she has purchased. This problem is not limited to vehicles, but is common to any type of moving body. [Means for solving the problem]

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

[0006] (1) According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an information notification system including an information acquisition unit that acquires transportation information, which is information related to a mobile object capable of traveling by unmanned driving that is transported in a manufacturing process of the mobile object, and an information transmission unit that transmits the transportation information to an information communication terminal owned by a purchaser of the mobile object. According to this type of information notification system, the acquired delivery information is transmitted to the purchaser of the moving object, so that the purchaser of the moving object can check the delivery information of the moving object that he / she purchased, and can increase the attachment to the moving object that he / she purchased. In addition, the purchaser can enjoy the time until the moving object is completed, and the mental distress of the purchaser while waiting for the completion of the moving object can be alleviated. (2) In the above embodiment, the information acquisition unit may acquire, as the transportation information, an image of the moving body captured by an imaging device installed to acquire information used for unmanned operation of the moving body. According to this form of information notification system, images of the moving body are captured by an imaging device installed to obtain information used for unmanned operation of the moving body, so that images of the moving body can be obtained without adding any additional configuration for obtaining images of the moving body, thereby reducing equipment costs for obtaining transportation information. (3) In the above embodiment, the transportation information may include at least one of an image of the moving body being transported by the unmanned operation, the date and time when the image was acquired, and information indicating the process at which the image was acquired. According to this type of information notification system, transportation information can be sent to the purchaser of the mobile object, including at least one of the following: video of the mobile object being transported by unmanned driving, the date and time the video was acquired, and information indicating the process at which the video was acquired. (4) In the above embodiment, the product may further include a mask processing unit that performs a masking process to mask a predetermined object appearing in the image, and the information sending unit may send the image that has been subjected to the masking process to the purchaser as the delivery information. According to this form of information notification system, a masking process is executed to mask predetermined objects appearing in the video, so that objects that should not be made public can be prevented from being made public. (5) According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for notifying a moving body capable of traveling by unmanned operation, the method comprising the steps of acquiring the transport information and recording the transport information on a recording medium, the method being related to the moving body being transported in a manufacturing process of the moving body. According to the method of this aspect, since the method includes a step of recording the transport information on a recording medium, the recording medium on which the transport information is recorded can be handed over to the purchaser. Therefore, the purchaser of the mobile object can check the transport information of the mobile object that he or she has purchased, and can increase the attachment to the purchased mobile object. (6) According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a data structure used for notifying transport information, which is information about a mobile body that is transported in a manufacturing process of the mobile body that can travel by unmanned driving. This data structure records information that identifies at least one of a purchaser of the mobile body and the mobile body, and the transport information in association with each other. According to this data structure, the information for identifying at least one of the purchaser of the mobile object and the mobile object and the transport information are recorded in association with each other, so that the transport information associated with at least one of the purchaser of the mobile object and the mobile object can be easily identified. Therefore, the identified transport information can be provided to the purchaser of the mobile object, and the attachment of the purchaser of the mobile object to the mobile object can be enhanced. (7) According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an information notification device including: an information acquisition unit that acquires transportation information, which is information about a mobile object capable of traveling by unmanned operation, the mobile object being transported in a manufacturing process of the mobile object; and an information transmission unit that transmits the transportation information to an information communication terminal owned by a purchaser of the mobile object. According to this type of information notification device, the acquired delivery information is transmitted to the purchaser of the moving object, so that the purchaser of the moving object can check the delivery information of the moving object that he / she purchased, and can increase the attachment to the moving object that he / she purchased. In addition, the purchaser can enjoy the time until the moving object is completed, and the mental distress of the purchaser while waiting for the completion of the moving object can be alleviated. (8) According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a mobile body capable of traveling by unmanned operation, the mobile body including an information acquisition unit that acquires transport information, which is information related to the mobile body transported in a manufacturing process of the mobile body, and an information transmission unit that transmits the transport information to an information communication terminal owned by a purchaser of the mobile body. This is possible with this type of mobile unit. (9) According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for notifying transportation information, which is information about a mobile body capable of traveling by unmanned operation that is transported in a manufacturing process of the mobile body, comprising the steps of acquiring the transportation information and transmitting the transportation information to an information communication terminal of a purchaser of the mobile body. According to this type of mobile object, the acquired delivery information is transmitted to the purchaser of the mobile object, so that the purchaser of the mobile object can check the delivery information of the mobile object that he / she purchased, and can increase the attachment to the purchased mobile object. In addition, the purchaser can enjoy the time until the mobile object is completed, and the mental distress of the purchaser while waiting for the completion of the mobile object can be alleviated. The present disclosure may be realized in various forms other than an information notification system, an information notification device, a moving object, a method, and a data structure, for example, a remote control device, a transport system, a method for transporting a moving object, a method for controlling a transport system, a computer program for realizing these control methods, a non-transitory recording medium on which the computer program is recorded, etc. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a transport system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a transport system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 4 is a flowchart showing a vehicle running method implemented by the transport system of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information communication terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 5]5 is a flowchart showing a procedure for a delivery information notification process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a remote control device provided in a transport system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for a delivery information notification process according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a transport system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 9] 13 is a flowchart showing a vehicle running method implemented by the transport system of the third embodiment. [Figure 10] 13 is a flowchart showing a procedure for a transportation information notification process according to another 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 conveyance system 10 as an information notification system according to the first embodiment. The conveyance system 10 includes a vehicle 100 as a moving body, a remote control device 200 that generates a control command for remotely controlling the vehicle 100 and transmits the control command to the vehicle 100, a plurality of vehicle detectors 300 that detect the vehicle 100, and a process management device 400 that manages the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100.

[0009] The transportation target of the transportation system 10 is a vehicle 100 that can run by remote control. In this embodiment, the transportation system 10 executes remote control to automatically run the vehicle 100 in a factory that manufactures the vehicle 100. The factory 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 on which the vehicle 100 can run. A plurality of vehicle detectors 300 that measure the vehicle 100 are installed around the travel path SR. The vehicle detector 300 acquires information used for remote control. In this embodiment, the vehicle detector 300 is configured as an imaging device and acquires an image of the vehicle 100. The image acquired by the vehicle detector 300 is used for remote control of the vehicle 100, as described later.

[0010] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the conveyance system 10 of the first embodiment. The vehicle 100 is, for example, a passenger car, a truck, a bus, and a construction vehicle. In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 is an electric vehicle (BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle) that can run by unmanned driving. "Unmanned driving" means driving without the driving operation of a passenger. Driving operation means at least one operation of the vehicle 100, such as "running", "turning", and "stopping". Unmanned driving is realized by automatic / manual remote control using a device provided outside the vehicle 100, or autonomous control of the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 running by unmanned driving may have a passenger who does not perform driving operation on board. The passenger who does not perform driving operation includes, for example, a person who simply sits in the seat of the vehicle 100, and a person who performs work other than driving operation, such as assembly, inspection, and operation of switches, while riding in the vehicle 100. Driving by a passenger's driving operation is sometimes called "manned driving". In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 is remotely controlled in accordance with control commands generated and transmitted by the remote control device 200 as described below, thereby realizing unmanned driving of the vehicle 100.

[0011] The vehicle 100 includes a vehicle control device 110 for controlling each part of the vehicle 100, an actuator group 120 that operates under the control of the vehicle control device 110, and a communication device 130 for communicating with the 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 100, 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 100. 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 100, an actuator for opening and closing the power windows of the vehicle 100, and the like. The vehicle 100 may also include various object detectors such as an imaging device, a millimeter wave radar, and a LiDAR.

[0012] The vehicle control device 110 is configured by an ECU 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.

[0013] In this embodiment, the processor 111 functions as the vehicle control unit 115 by executing a program PG1 stored in advance in the memory 112. The vehicle control unit 115 executes driving control of the vehicle 100. The "driving control" refers to various controls for driving the actuator group 140 that performs the functions of "running", "turning" and "stopping" of the vehicle 100, such as adjusting acceleration, speed and steering angle. When a driver is on board the vehicle 100, the vehicle control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 according to the operation of the driver, thereby allowing the vehicle 100 to run. The vehicle control unit 115 can also automatically run the vehicle 100 by controlling the actuator group 120 according to a control command transmitted from the remote control device 200, regardless of whether a driver is on board the vehicle 100 or not.

[0014] The remote control device 200 generates a control command for automatically driving the vehicle 100 by remote control and transmits it to the vehicle 100, thereby executing the driving control of the vehicle 100 by remote control. The vehicle 100 drives according to the received control command. For example, the remote control device 200 can move the vehicle 100 from the first location PL1 to the second location PL2 by remote control by causing the vehicle 100 to drive automatically by remote control. In the present embodiment, the remote control device 200 also functions as an information notification device that acquires transportation information and transmits the transportation information to the purchaser of the vehicle 100. The "transportation information" means information related to the vehicle 100 that is transported by remote control in the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100. Note that the transport system 10 equipped with the remote control device 200 as an information notification device corresponds to the "information notification system" in this disclosure.

[0015] 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.

[0016] In this embodiment, the processor 201 executes a program PG2 pre-stored in the memory 202 to function as a control command unit 210, an information acquisition unit 220, a mask processing unit 230, and an information transmission unit 240.

[0017] The control command unit 210 estimates the relative position and orientation of the vehicle 100 by analyzing the image acquired by the vehicle detector 300. The control command unit 210 can estimate the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 using the captured image acquired by the imaging device as the vehicle detector 300. The position of the vehicle 100 can be acquired, for example, by calculating the coordinates of the positioning point of the vehicle 100 in the image coordinate system using the outer shape of the vehicle 100 detected from the captured image, and converting the calculated coordinates into coordinates in the global coordinate system. The orientation of the vehicle 100 can be estimated based on the direction of the movement vector of the vehicle 100 calculated from the position change of the feature point of the vehicle 100 between frames of the captured image, using, for example, an optical flow method. The orientation of the vehicle 100 may be calculated, for example, using the output result of a yaw rate sensor or the like mounted on the vehicle 100.

[0018] The outer shape of the vehicle 100 included in the captured image can be detected, for example, by inputting the captured image into a detection model that utilizes artificial intelligence. The detection model can be, for example, a trained machine learning model that has been trained to realize either semantic segmentation or instance segmentation. For example, this machine learning model can be a convolutional neural network (hereinafter, CNN) trained by supervised learning using a training dataset. The training dataset has, for example, a plurality of training images including the vehicle 100, and a correct answer label indicating whether each area in the training image is an area indicating the vehicle 100 or an area indicating something other than the vehicle 100. Note that, during training of the CNN, it is preferable to update the parameters of the CNN by backpropagation (error backpropagation method) so as to reduce an error between the output result of the detection model and the correct answer label.

[0019] The control command unit 210 uses the estimated position and orientation of the vehicle 100 to generate a control command for remote control and transmits it to the vehicle 100 so as to make the vehicle 100 travel along the target route TR previously stored in the memory 202. This control command is, for example, a command to make the vehicle 100 travel along the target route TR. The control command can be generated as a command including a driving force or braking force and a steering angle. When the vehicle 100 receives a request for remote control, driving control is realized by the vehicle control unit 115 of the vehicle control device 110, and as a result, the vehicle 100 travels automatically.

[0020] 3 is a flowchart showing a traveling method of the vehicle 100 realized by the conveyance system 10 of the first embodiment. In step S110, the control command unit 210 acquires position information indicating the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 using the detection result of the vehicle detector 300. In this embodiment, the position of the vehicle 100 includes X, Y, and Z coordinates in the global coordinate system of the factory. The position of the vehicle detector 300 is adjusted in advance. The control command unit 210 detects the position of the vehicle 100 from the detection result acquired from the vehicle detector 300, and acquires position information of the vehicle 100 in the factory from the detected position of the vehicle 100.

[0021] In step S120, the control command unit 210 determines a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head. In this embodiment, the target position is expressed by X, Y, and Z coordinates in the global coordinate system of the factory. A target route TR, which is a route along which the vehicle 100 should travel, is stored in advance in the memory 202 of the remote control device 200. The target route TR is expressed by nodes indicating a starting point, nodes indicating passing points, nodes indicating a destination, and links connecting the nodes. The control command unit 210 determines a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head, using the position information of the vehicle 100 and the target route TR. The control command unit 210 determines a target position on the target route TR that is ahead of the current location of the vehicle 100.

[0022] In step S130, the control command unit 210 generates a driving control signal for driving the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. In this embodiment, the driving control signal includes the acceleration and steering angle of the vehicle 100 as parameters. The control command unit 210 calculates the driving speed of the vehicle 100 from the transition of the position of the vehicle 100, and compares the calculated driving speed with a predetermined target speed of the vehicle 100. When the driving speed is lower than the target speed, the control command unit 210 determines the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 accelerates, and when the driving speed is higher than the target speed, the control command unit 210 determines the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 decelerates. When the vehicle 100 is located on the target route TR, the control command unit 210 determines the steering angle so that the vehicle 100 does not deviate from the target route TR, and when the vehicle 100 is not located on the target route TR, in other words, when the vehicle 100 deviates from the target route TR, the control command unit 210 determines the steering angle so that the vehicle 100 returns to the target route TR.

[0023] In step S140, the control command unit 210 transmits the generated driving control signal to the vehicle 100. The control command unit 210 repeats, at a predetermined cycle, obtaining the position of the vehicle 100, determining a target position, generating the driving control signal, and transmitting the driving control signal.

[0024] In step S150, the vehicle control unit 115 of the vehicle 100 receives a traveling control signal from the control command unit 210, and in step S160, controls the actuator group 140 using the traveling control signal received, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to travel at the acceleration and steering angle represented by the traveling control signal. The vehicle control device 110 repeats receiving the traveling control signal and controlling the actuator group 140 at a predetermined cycle. As described above, by causing the vehicle 100 to travel by remote control, it is possible to move the vehicle 100 without using transportation equipment such as a crane or a conveyor.

[0025] The information acquisition unit 220 shown in FIG. 2 acquires the above-mentioned transport information from the vehicle detector 300. In this embodiment, the information acquisition unit 220 acquires, as the transport information, information including a video of the vehicle 100 being transported by remote control, the date and time when the video was acquired, and information indicating the process at which the video was acquired. The "video of the vehicle 100" may be a video of the vehicle 100 being transported within one process, or may be a video of the vehicle 100 being transported between multiple processes. The "process at which the video was acquired" can be specified, for example, by which vehicle detector 300 the video was acquired. The information acquisition unit 220 may acquire, as the transport information, any one or two of the video of the vehicle 100 acquired by the vehicle detector 300, the date and time when the video was acquired, and information indicating the process at which the video was acquired.

[0026] The mask processing unit 230 performs mask processing on the image of the vehicle 100 from the acquired transportation information. "Masking" refers to a process of masking a predetermined object appearing in the image. The mask processing unit 230 performs mask processing on an object that is not desired to be made public, such as a person appearing in the image or an unreleased vehicle. The mask processing unit 230 identifies an object to be masked using a machine learning model that uses a neural network, for example, and masks an area of ​​the image that includes the object by deleting or applying a mosaic process.

[0027] The information transmission unit 240 uses the transportation information acquired by the information acquisition unit 220 and the database DB pre-stored in the memory 202 to identify the purchaser of the vehicle 100, and transmits the transportation information to the information communication terminal 500 owned by the purchaser. The "database DB" refers to a database that manages the vehicle 100 indicated by the acquired transportation information and the purchaser who purchased the vehicle 100 in association with each other. In this embodiment, the database DB has a data structure that records vehicle ID information identifying the vehicle 100 and purchaser ID information identifying the purchaser in association with each other. In addition, the database DB records information identifying the information communication terminal 500 owned by the purchaser to which the transportation information is to be transmitted, such as a telephone number or an IP address. In FIG. 2, the information communication terminal 500 is configured as a smartphone, but may be configured as another information communication terminal such as a tablet terminal or a computer. Specific processing by the information transmission unit 240 will be described later.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the information communication terminal 500 of the present embodiment. The information communication terminal 500 includes a processor 510, a memory 520, an input unit 530, a display unit 540, and a communication unit 550. The input unit 530 is configured as, for example, a touch panel, a keyboard, or a mouse. The processor 510 functions as a display control unit 511 by executing a program PG3 stored in advance in the memory 520. The delivery information CJ transmitted from the remote control device 200 is received by the communication unit 550 and stored in the memory 520. The display control unit 511 receives a display request for the delivery information CJ input by the purchaser from the input unit 530, and displays the delivery information CJ on the display unit 540. Specific processing by the display control unit 511 will be described later.

[0029] The process management device 400 is a device for managing the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100. The process management device 400 is configured by a computer. The process management device 400 acquires information from various facilities in a factory and generates information related to the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100, which is a product. In the following description, the information related to the manufacturing process of the product is called process information. In this embodiment, the process information includes information indicating when, where, and which worker is scheduled to perform what work on which product, information indicating when, where, and which worker performed what work on which product, and information indicating the progress of the work. The process management device 400 is equipped with a communication device not shown, and transmits the process information to the remote control device 200 by wired communication or wireless communication. The function of the process management device 400 may be implemented in the same device as the remote control device 200.

[0030] A-2. Delivery information notification processing: 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the delivery information notification process of the first embodiment. In the active state of the remote control device 200, the remote control device 200 repeatedly executes steps S210 to S250 every time delivery information is transmitted from the vehicle detector 300, and in the active state of the information communication terminal 500, the remote control device 200 repeatedly executes steps S260 to S290.

[0031] The processing in the remote control device 200 will be described. In step S210, the information acquisition unit 220 judges whether or not the transportation information has been received from the vehicle detector 300 by the communication device 205. If the transportation information has not been received (step S210: No), the information acquisition unit 220 repeats the judgment. If the transportation information has been received (step S210: Yes), in step S220, the information acquisition unit 220 acquires the transportation information. In step S230, the mask processing unit 230 executes the above-mentioned mask processing on the image in the acquired transportation information.

[0032] In step S240, the information transmitting unit 240 uses a database DB that links and manages the vehicle 100 indicated by the acquired transportation information with the purchaser who purchased the vehicle 100, to identify the purchaser of the vehicle 100. In step S250, the information transmitting unit 240 transmits the transportation information of the vehicle 100 associated with the purchaser in the database DB to the information communication terminal 500 owned by the identified purchaser.

[0033] The process in the information communication terminal 500 will be described. In step S260, the display control unit 511 determines whether or not the communication unit 550 has received delivery information from the remote control device 200. If it is determined that the delivery information has not been received (step S260: No), the display control unit 511 executes step S280, which will be described later. If it is determined that the delivery information has been received (step S260: Yes), in step S270, the display control unit 511 stores the received delivery information in the memory 520.

[0034] In step S280, the display control unit 511 determines whether or not a display request for delivery information has been made by the purchaser. The display control unit 511 determines that a display request has been made when, for example, an application or website that distributes delivery information is launched by the input unit 530, or a video playback button in the application or website is touched or clicked. If it is determined that a display request has not been made (step S280: No), the display control unit 511 executes the above-mentioned step S260 again. If it is determined that a display request has been made (step S280: Yes), in step S290, the display control unit 511 displays the delivery information on the display unit 540.

[0035] According to the transportation system 10 as the information notification system of the first embodiment described above, the acquired transportation information is transmitted to the purchaser of the vehicle 100, so that the purchaser of the vehicle 100 can check the transportation information of the vehicle 100 that he / she purchased, and can increase the attachment to the purchased vehicle 100. In addition, the purchaser can enjoy the time until the vehicle 100 is completed, and the mental distress of the purchaser while waiting for the vehicle to be completed can be alleviated.

[0036] In addition, since an image of the vehicle 100 is captured by the vehicle detector 300, which is an imaging device installed to obtain information used for unmanned driving, an image of the vehicle 100 can be obtained without adding any configuration for obtaining an image of the vehicle 100, and the equipment costs for obtaining the transportation information can be reduced.

[0037] In addition, as transportation information, information including at least one of the following can be transmitted to the purchaser of vehicle 100: a video of vehicle 100 being transported by remote control, the date and time when the video was acquired, and information indicating the process at which the video was acquired.

[0038] Furthermore, a masking process is executed to mask predetermined objects appearing in the video, so that objects that should not be made public can be prevented from being made public.

[0039] B. Second embodiment: FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a remote control device 200A included in a transportation system of the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a transportation information notification process of the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the remote control device 200A of the second embodiment is different from the remote control device 200 of the first embodiment in that the processor 201A includes an information recording unit 250 as a functional unit instead of the information transmitting unit 240, and in that the remote control device 200A executes the transportation information notification process shown in FIG. 7 instead of the transportation information notification process shown in FIG. 6. Note that the device configuration of the remote control device 200A of the second embodiment and other procedures in the transportation information notification process are the same as those of the remote control device 200 of the first embodiment, so the same configurations and procedures are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0040] 6, the memory 202A included in the remote control device 200A of the second embodiment stores in advance a program PG2A instead of the program PG2. The processor 201A executes the program PG2A to function as the control command unit 210, the information acquisition unit 220, and the mask processing unit 230 as in the first embodiment, and also functions as the information recording unit 250 instead of the information transmission unit 240. The information recording unit 250 records the transportation information acquired by the information acquisition unit 220 on a recording medium. The recording medium is, for example, a portable recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM, or an internal storage device mounted on the vehicle 100.

[0041] 7, when it is determined that the delivery information has not been received (step S210: No), the information acquisition unit 220 repeats the determination. When it is determined that the delivery information has been received (step S210: Yes), after performing the above-mentioned steps S220 to S240, in step S242, the information recording unit 250 records the identified purchaser and the acquired delivery information in the database DB in association with each other.

[0042] In step S252, the information recording unit 250 determines whether the vehicle 100 is completed. For example, when the information recording unit 250 acquires information indicating that the vehicle 100 is completed from the process management device 400, the information recording unit 250 determines that the vehicle 100 is completed. When it is determined that the vehicle 100 is not yet completed (step S252: No), the remote control device 200A executes step S210 again. In this manner, the transportation information acquired at any time while the vehicle 100 is being transported is stored in the database DB in association with information identifying the purchaser of the vehicle 100.

[0043] If it is determined that the vehicle 100 is completed (step S252: Yes), in step S254, the information recording unit 250 records the transportation information on the recording medium.

[0044] According to the transportation system as an information notification system including the remote control device 200A of the second embodiment described above, the transportation information is recorded on a recording medium, and the recording medium on which the transportation information is recorded can be handed over to the purchaser. Therefore, the purchaser of the vehicle 100 can check the transportation information of the vehicle 100 that he or she purchased, and can increase the attachment to the purchased vehicle 100.

[0045] C. Third embodiment: 8 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a conveyance system 10B of the third embodiment. In this embodiment, the conveyance system 10B differs from the conveyance system 10 of the first embodiment in that it does not include a remote control device 200. Specifically, it differs from the first embodiment in that a vehicle control device 110B provided in a vehicle 100 has a function as an information notification device instead of the remote control device 200. Note that the system configuration of the conveyance system 10B of the third embodiment and other procedures in the conveyance information notification process are the same as those of the conveyance system 10 of the first embodiment, so the same configurations and procedures are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 8, the vehicle control device 110B differs from the vehicle control device 110 shown in the first embodiment in that the vehicle control device 110B includes a processor 111B instead of the processor 111 and includes a memory 112B instead of the memory 112. Specifically, the memory 112B stores a program PG1B for realizing functions corresponding to the control command unit 210, the information acquisition unit 220, the mask processing unit 230, and the information transmission unit 240 included in the remote control device 200, in addition to the functions of the processor 111 shown in the first embodiment. As a result, the processor 111B further functions as a control command unit 116, an information acquisition unit 117, a mask processing unit 118, and an information transmission unit 119 corresponding to these functions. In addition to the above-mentioned program PG1B, the memory 112B further stores the target route TR and the database DB stored in the memory 202 of the remote control device 200. According to the vehicle 100 configured in this manner, since the vehicle 100 is equipped with an information notification device, it is possible to achieve the same effects as in the first embodiment without using a device separate from the vehicle 100, such as the remote control device 200.

[0047] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a traveling method of the vehicle 100 realized by the conveyance system 10B of the third embodiment. In step S310, the control command unit 116 acquires position information indicating the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 using the detection result of the vehicle detector 300. In step S320, the control command unit 116 determines a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next move. In step S330, the control command unit 116 generates a traveling control signal for traveling the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. In step S340, the vehicle control unit 115 controls the actuator group 140 using the generated traveling control signal, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to travel with the acceleration and steering angle represented by the traveling control signal. The vehicle control unit 115 and the control command unit 116 repeat the acquisition of the position and orientation of the vehicle 100, the determination of the target position, the generation of the traveling control signal, and the control of the actuator group 140 at a predetermined cycle. According to the vehicle 100 of this embodiment, the vehicle 100 can be caused to run under autonomous control without remotely controlling the vehicle 100 using the remote control device 200 .

[0048] D. Other embodiments: (D1) In the above embodiment, the information acquisition unit 220 acquires, as the transportation information, an image of the vehicle 100 acquired by the vehicle detector 300 for remote control to realize unmanned driving, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The image acquired as the transportation information may be an image acquired not for remote control but for transmission to the purchaser. For example, the image of the vehicle 100 may be an image acquired by an imaging device installed to acquire an image of the vehicle 100, which is different from the vehicle detector 300, or may be an image taken by an operator at any location and timing. In addition, the image of the vehicle 100 may be an image taken by an imaging device mounted on another vehicle. Furthermore, the information acquisition unit 220 is not limited to an image of the vehicle 100, and may be an image taken from the driver's seat of the vehicle 100 of the exterior of the vehicle 100 being transported by an imaging device installed in the driver's seat of the vehicle 100. According to this embodiment, images of the vehicle taken from various positions can be acquired as the transportation information, and the attachment of the purchaser of the vehicle can be further increased.

[0049] (D2) In the above embodiment, the control command unit 210, the information acquisition unit 220, the mask processing unit 230, and the information transmission unit 240 are functional units realized in the remote control device 200 configured as one computer, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. At least one of the information acquisition unit 220, the mask processing unit 230, and the information transmission unit 240 may be realized in a computer different from the computer in which the control command unit 210 is realized. In addition, some of the functional units of the information acquisition unit 220, the mask processing unit 230, and the information transmission unit 240 may be realized in the processor 111 provided in the vehicle 100, and the other functional units may be realized in the processor 201 provided in the remote control device 200. Even in such a form, the same effects as those of the above embodiment are achieved.

[0050] (D3) In the above embodiment, the remote control device 200 acquires the transport information from the vehicle detector 300, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The information acquisition unit 220 may acquire, as the transport information, information indicating the results of each inspection in the inspection process and the attributes of the inspector in charge of each inspection from the process management device 400. The information acquisition unit 220 may also acquire, as the transport information, information indicating the progress of the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100 from the process management device 400.

[0051] (D4) In the above embodiment, the masking process is executed between step S220 and step S240 as shown in FIG. 5, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The masking process may be executed at any timing between when the delivery information is acquired and when it is transmitted to the purchaser. This form also achieves the same effect as the above embodiment. Furthermore, the masking process does not have to be executed in the delivery information notification process. Furthermore, the masking process may be executed by an operator instead of the masking process unit 230. In this case, the remote control device 200 does not have to include the masking process unit 230.

[0052] (D5) In the above embodiment, the information transmission unit 240 transmits the delivery information to the information communication terminal 500 each time the information acquisition unit 220 acquires the delivery information, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the delivery information notification process of another embodiment. The process in the remote control device 200 will be described. If it is determined that the delivery information has not been received (step S210: No), the information transmission unit 240 executes step S244 described later. If it is determined that the delivery information has been received (step S210: Yes), after executing the above-mentioned steps S220 to S240, in step S242, the information transmission unit 240 records the identified purchaser and the acquired delivery information in the database DB in association with each other. Thus, in this embodiment, even if the delivery information is acquired, the information transmission unit 240 records the delivery information in the database DB without immediately transmitting it to the information communication terminal 500.

[0053] In step S244, the information transmitting unit 240 determines whether or not a display request transmitted from the information communication terminal 500 has been received, as described below. If a display request has not been received (step S244: No), the above-mentioned step S210 is executed again. If a display request has been received (step S244: Yes), in step S250, the information transmitting unit 240 transmits the delivery information for which there has been a display request, among the delivery information recorded in the database DB, to the information communication terminal 500 possessed by the purchaser.

[0054] The process in the information communication terminal 500 will be described. In step S262, the display control unit 511 determines whether or not a display request for delivery information has been made by the purchaser. If it is determined that there has been no display request (step S262: No), the display control unit 511 executes step S282, which will be described later. If it is determined that there has been a display request (step S262: Yes), in step S272, the display control unit 511 transmits a display request to the remote control device 200.

[0055] In step S282, the display control unit 511 determines whether the delivery information transmitted from the remote control device 200 in the above-mentioned step S250 upon receiving the display request has been received. If it is determined that the delivery information has not been received (step S282: No), the display control unit 511 executes the above-mentioned step S262 again. If it is determined that the delivery information has been received (step S282: Yes), in step S292, the display control unit 511 displays the delivery information on the display unit 540.

[0056] According to this embodiment, the information sending unit 240 sends to the information communication terminal 500 possessed by the purchaser, the delivery information for which a display request has been made, from among the delivery information recorded in the database DB, thereby reducing pressure on the memory capacity of the information communication terminal 500 possessed by the purchaser, compared to a form in which delivery information is sent each time it is acquired.

[0057] (D6) In the above embodiment, the information recording unit 250 records the transportation information on the recording medium after the vehicle 100 is completed, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The information recording unit 250 may record the transportation information on the recording medium every time the transportation information is acquired by the information acquisition unit 220. Even with this embodiment, the same effects as the above embodiment can be achieved.

[0058] (D7) In the above embodiment, the conveyance system 10 includes an imaging device as the vehicle detector 300, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The conveyance system 10 may include a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) as the vehicle detector 300 in addition to the imaging device. In this embodiment, the vehicle detector 300 acquires three-dimensional point cloud data of the vehicle 100 in addition to the image of the vehicle 100. The "three-dimensional point cloud data" is data indicating the three-dimensional position of the point cloud. In addition, the control command unit 210 estimates the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 in the acquired three-dimensional point cloud data. Specifically, the control command unit 210 executes template matching using the vehicle point cloud data stored in advance in the memory 202 for the three-dimensional point cloud data. Therefore, the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 in the three-dimensional point cloud data can be estimated with high accuracy. The estimated position and orientation of the vehicle 100 are stored in the memory 202. For example, three-dimensional CAD data of the vehicle 100 can be used as the vehicle point cloud data as a template. The vehicle point cloud data includes information for identifying the orientation of the vehicle 100. For template matching of the vehicle point cloud data to the three-dimensional point cloud data, for example, an ICP (Iterative Closest Point) algorithm or an NDT (Normal Distribution Transform) algorithm can be used. Note that, in cases where the position of the vehicle 100 can be estimated with high accuracy from the three-dimensional point cloud data, template matching does not need to be performed.

[0059] (D8) In the above embodiments, examples have been given in which the vehicle 100 is a passenger car, a truck, a bus, a construction vehicle, and the like. However, the vehicle 100 is not limited to these, and may be various moving bodies. The term "moving body" refers to an object that can move, such as a vehicle or an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (a so-called flying car). The vehicle may be a vehicle that runs on wheels or a vehicle that runs on caterpillar tracks, such as a two-wheeled vehicle, a four-wheeled vehicle, or a tank. The vehicle is not limited to an electric vehicle, but includes a gasoline vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, and a fuel cell vehicle. When the moving body is something other than a vehicle, the expressions "vehicle" and "car" in this disclosure may be appropriately replaced with "moving body", and the expression "running" may be appropriately replaced with "movement".

[0060] (D9) The vehicle 100 may have a configuration capable of moving by unmanned driving. For example, the vehicle 100 may be in the form of a platform having the configuration described below. Specifically, the vehicle 100 may have a configuration for performing the functions of "running," "turning," and "stopping" by unmanned driving. That is, the "vehicle 100 capable of moving by unmanned driving" may not have at least some of the interior parts such as the driver's seat and dashboard, may not have at least some of the exterior parts such as the bumper and fenders, and may not have a body shell. In this case, the remaining parts such as the body shell may be attached to the vehicle 100 before the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory, or the remaining parts such as the body shell may be attached to 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 attached to the vehicle 100. Each part may be attached from any direction such as the upper side, lower side, front side, rear side, right side, or left side of the vehicle 100, and may be attached from the same direction or from different directions. It should be noted that for the platform configuration as well, position determination can be performed in the same manner as for the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment.

[0061] (D10) The vehicle 100 may be manufactured by any manufacturing method. For example, the vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining a plurality of modules. The module means a unit composed of a plurality of parts grouped according to the part or function of the vehicle 100. For example, the platform of the vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining a front module that constitutes the front part of the platform, a central module that constitutes the central part of the platform, and a rear module that constitutes the rear part of the platform. The number of modules that constitute the platform is not limited to three, and may be two or less, or four or more. In addition to or instead of the parts that constitute the platform, parts that constitute parts of the vehicle 100 that are different from the platform may be modularized. The various modules may include any exterior parts such as a bumper or a grille, or any interior parts such as a seat or a console. In addition, not limited to the vehicle 100, any type of moving body may be manufactured by combining a plurality of modules. Such a module may be manufactured, for example, by joining a plurality of parts by welding or a fastener, or may be manufactured by integrally molding at least a part of the parts that constitute the module as one part by casting. The molding method for integrally molding a single component, particularly a relatively large component, is also called gigacast or megacast. For example, the front module, the center module, and the rear module may be manufactured using gigacast.

[0062] (D11) In the above first embodiment, an example was shown in which the remote control device 200 executes the processes from acquiring the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 to generating the driving control signal. However, at least a part of the processes from acquiring the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 to generating the driving control signal may be executed by the vehicle 100. For example, the following forms (1) to (3) may be used.

[0063] (1) The remote control device 200 may acquire the position and orientation of the vehicle 100, determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head, and generate a route from the current location of the vehicle 100, which is indicated in the acquired position, to the target position. The remote control device 200 may generate a route to a target position between the current location and the destination, or may generate a route to the destination. The remote control device 200 may transmit the generated route to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may generate a travel control signal so that the vehicle 100 travels on the route received from the remote control device 200, and control the actuator group 140 using the generated travel control signal.

[0064] (2) The remote control device 200 may acquire the position and orientation of the vehicle 100, and transmit the acquired position and orientation to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head, generate a route from the current location of the vehicle 100 indicated in the received position to the target position, generate a driving control signal so that the vehicle 100 travels along the generated route, and control the actuator group 140 using the generated driving control signal.

[0065] (3) In the above embodiments (1) to (2), the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor, and a detection result output from the internal sensor may be used for at least one of generating a route and generating a driving control signal. The internal sensor may include, for example, an imaging device, LiDAR, a millimeter wave radar, an ultrasonic sensor, a GPS sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a gyro sensor. For example, in the above embodiment (1), the remote control device 200 may acquire the detection result of the internal sensor, and when generating a route, may reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the route. In the above embodiment (1), the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection result of the internal sensor, and when generating a driving control signal, may reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the driving control signal. In the above embodiment (2), the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection result of the internal sensor, and when generating a route, may reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the route. In the above embodiment (2), the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection result of the internal sensor, and when generating a route, may reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the driving control signal.

[0066] (D12) In the above embodiment, an internal sensor may be mounted on the vehicle 100, and a detection result output from the internal sensor may be used for at least one of generating a route and generating a driving control signal. For example, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection result of the internal sensor, and when generating a route, may reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the route. The vehicle 100 may acquire the detection result of the internal sensor, and when generating a driving control signal, may reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the driving control signal.

[0067] (D13) In the above embodiment, the vehicle 100 acquires the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 using the detection result of the vehicle detector 300. In contrast, the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor, and the vehicle 100 may acquire the position and orientation using the detection result of the internal sensor, determine the target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head, generate a route from the current location of the vehicle 100 represented by the acquired position and orientation to the target position, generate a travel control signal for traveling along the generated route, and control the actuator group 140 using the generated travel control signal. In this case, the vehicle 100 can travel without using any of the detection results of the vehicle detector 300. The vehicle 100 may acquire the target arrival time and traffic congestion information from outside the vehicle 100, and reflect the target arrival time and traffic congestion information in at least one of the route and the travel control signal. In addition, all of the functional configurations of the transportation system 10 as an information notification system may be provided in the vehicle 100. In other words, the processes performed by the transportation system 10 as an information notification system, such as notifying the information communication terminal 500 of the transportation information and recording the transportation information on a recording medium, as described in the present disclosure, may be performed by the vehicle 100 alone.

[0068] (D14) In the above embodiment, the remote control device 200 automatically generates a driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100. In contrast, the remote control device 200 may generate a driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100 in accordance with the operation of an operator located outside the vehicle 100. For example, the operator may operate a control device including a display for displaying an image output from the vehicle detector 300, a steering wheel for remotely operating the vehicle 100, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and a communication device for communicating with the remote control device 200 by wired communication or wireless communication, and the remote control device 200 may generate a driving control signal in accordance with the operation applied to the control device.

[0069] (D15) Transporting a vehicle using unmanned vehicle driving is also called "self-propelled transport." Also, a configuration for realizing self-propelled transport is also called a "vehicle remote-controlled autonomous driving transport system." Also, a production method for producing vehicles using self-propelled transport is also called "self-propelled production." In self-propelled production, for example, at a factory where vehicles are manufactured, at least a part of the transportation of the vehicles is realized by self-propelled transport.

[0070] 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]

[0071] 10, 10B...transport system, 80...vehicle detector, 100...vehicle, 110, 110B...vehicle control device, 111, 111B...processor, 112, 112B...memory, 113...input / output interface, 114...internal bus, 115...vehicle control unit, 116...control command unit, 117...information acquisition unit, 118...mask processing unit, 119...information transmission unit, 120...actuator group, 130...communication device, 140...actuator group, 200, 200A...remote control device, 201, 201A...processor, 202, 202A...memory, 203...input / output interface interface, 204... internal bus, 205... communication device, 210... control command unit, 220... information acquisition unit, 230... mask processing unit, 240... information transmission unit, 250... information recording unit, 300... vehicle detector, 400... process control device, 500... information communication terminal, 510... processor, 511... display control unit, 520... memory, 530... input unit, 540... display unit, 550... communication unit, CJ... transportation information, DB... database, PG1, PG1B, PG2, PG2A, PG3... program, PL1... first location, PL2... second location, SR... driving path, TR... target route

Claims

1. An information notification system, an information acquisition unit that acquires transportation information, which is information about a moving body that is transported in a manufacturing process of the moving body that can travel by unmanned operation; an information transmitting unit that transmits the transportation information to an information communication terminal of a purchaser of the mobile object; Equipped with Information notification system.

2. The information notification system according to claim 1, The information acquisition unit acquires, as the transportation information, an image of the moving body captured by an imaging device installed to acquire information used for unmanned operation of the moving body. Information notification system.

3. The information notification system according to claim 1 or 2, The transport information includes: An image of the moving object being transported by the unmanned driving; and The date and time when the image was acquired; Information indicating the process at which the image was acquired; and At least one of the following is included: Information notification system.

4. The information notification system according to claim 2, A mask processing unit that performs a mask process to mask a predetermined object appearing in the image, The information transmitting unit transmits the image on which the masking process has been performed to the information communication terminal as the conveyance information. Information notification system.

5. A method for notifying transportation information, which is information about a moving body that is transported in a manufacturing process of a moving body that can travel by unmanned operation, comprising: acquiring the transportation information; recording the transport information on a recording medium; Equipped with method.

6. A data structure used to notify transportation information, which is information about a moving body that is transported in a manufacturing process of a moving body that can travel by unmanned operation, recording information for identifying at least one of the purchaser of the mobile object and the mobile object and the transportation information in association with each other; Data structure.

7. An information notification device, an information acquisition unit that acquires transportation information, which is information about a moving body that is transported in a manufacturing process of the moving body that can travel by unmanned operation; an information transmitting unit that transmits the transportation information to an information communication terminal of a purchaser of the mobile object; Equipped with Information notification device.

8. A moving body capable of traveling by unmanned operation, an information acquisition unit that acquires transportation information, which is information about the moving body that is transported in a manufacturing process of the moving body; an information transmitting unit that transmits the transportation information to an information communication terminal of a purchaser of the mobile object; Equipped with Mobile body.

9. A method for notifying transportation information, which is information about a moving body that is transported in a manufacturing process of a moving body that can travel by unmanned operation, comprising: acquiring the transportation information; transmitting the transportation information to an information communication terminal of a purchaser of the mobile object; Equipped with method.

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