State switching device, moving body and moving body production method

Abstract

To provide a technique that suppresses or prevents, in a state switching device, a delay of the start of the movement of a moving body relative to the completion of processing in a production process of the moving body.SOLUTION: A state switching device includes: a progress status obtaining unit that obtains a progress status of processing executed on a moving body in a production process of the moving body in a factory where the moving body which is movable by unmanned drive and includes at least one device is produced; a device determination unit that determines, using the obtained progress status, a device which is switched to an operating state among devices switched to a standby state before the processing is executed, the device being in the at least one device; and a command generating unit that generates and outputs a control command for switching the determined device to be in the operating state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a state switching device, a moving body, and a method for manufacturing a moving body. [Background technology]

[0002] In a manufacturing system for manufacturing vehicles, there is known a technology that uses both a vehicle transport method using a belt and a vehicle that travels by remote control. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which a manufacturing process is carried out while a vehicle is being transported by a belt, and when the manufacturing process is completed, the vehicle is driven to a parking lot by remote control. [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] During the manufacturing process of a vehicle, preparations for starting the vehicle to run by remote control may involve turning on and off the power of devices installed in the vehicle, switching the functions of the devices, etc. However, if the preparations for starting the vehicle to run are not performed at an appropriate timing relative to the progress of the manufacturing process, the timing at which the vehicle starts running may be delayed relative to the progress of the manufacturing process. [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 a state switching device, the state switching device including: a progress status acquisition unit that acquires a progress status of a process executed on an unmanned mobile body that includes at least one device during a manufacturing process of the mobile body at a manufacturing factory for the mobile body, a device determination unit that uses the acquired progress status to determine a device that is included in the at least one device and placed in a standby state before executing the process, to be switched to an active state; and a command generation unit that generates and outputs a control command for switching the determined device to the active state. With this type of state switching device, the devices are switched to the operating state sequentially based on the progress of processing in the manufacturing process, which reduces or prevents delays in the start of movement of the moving body relative to the completion of processing, compared to when all devices are switched to the operating state at once when processing is completed. (2) In the state switching device of the above aspect, the progress status acquisition unit may acquire, as the progress status, a predetermined activation timing that is earlier than a completion timing at which all of the processes are completed. The device determination unit may use the acquired activation timing to determine all devices for moving the moving object among the devices that have been set to the standby state as devices to be switched to the operating state. With this type of state switching device, all devices can be put into operation before all processing is completed, more reliably suppressing or preventing delays in the start of movement of the moving body relative to the completion of processing. (3) In the state switching device of the above aspect, the process may be executed while the moving body is being transported by a transport device capable of transporting the moving body. According to this type of state switching device, even when the mobile body is in a state where it cannot move, such as when the power supply of the device of the mobile body is turned off, it is possible to carry out transport and processing in parallel. (4) In the state switching device of the above aspect, the progress status acquisition unit may acquire a transport position of the moving body associated with the progress status, and acquire the progress status using the acquired transport position. According to the state switching device of this aspect, the progress of the process can be acquired by the simple method of acquiring the transport position of the moving body. (5) In the state switching device of the above aspect, the at least one device may include a prime mover of the moving body. The processing may include an inspection of the prime mover stopped in the standby state. The progress status acquisition unit may acquire, as the progress status, a timing at which an inspection of the prime mover is completed. The device determination unit may use the acquired timing of the inspection of the prime mover to determine the prime mover as a device to be switched to the operating state. The command generation unit may generate a control command for operating the prime mover and transmit the control command to the moving body. According to the state switching device of this configuration, it is possible to prevent the prime mover from being put into an operating state during inspection of the prime mover, and to suppress or prevent a decrease in productivity of inspections of the prime mover. (6) In the state switching device of the above form, the standby state may include a restricted state in which the power of the device is on and at least some of the functions of the device for moving the moving body are restricted. According to this form of state switching device, by switching to the restricted state, it is possible to switch to the operating state in a shorter time than when switching from the standby state to the operating state, and it is possible to more reliably suppress or prevent delays in the start of movement of the moving body relative to the completion of processing. (7) According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a mobile body capable of moving by unmanned operation, the mobile body including at least one device, a progress status acquisition unit that acquires a progress status of a process executed on the mobile body during a manufacturing process of the mobile body, a device determination unit that uses the acquired progress status to determine a device that is included in the at least one device and set to a standby state before executing the process, to be switched to an active state, and a command generation unit that generates and outputs a control command for switching the determined device to the active state. With this type of moving body, the moving body can switch the devices sequentially into operation based on the progress of processing in the manufacturing process by itself, which reduces or prevents delays in the start of movement of the moving body relative to the completion of processing, compared to when all devices are switched into operation at once when processing is completed. The present disclosure can also be realized in various forms other than a state switching device or a moving body, such as a state switching device, a conveying device, a conveying system, a method for manufacturing a moving body, a state switching method for a moving body, a method for conveying a moving body, a method for controlling a moving body, a method for controlling a conveying device, a method for controlling a conveying system, a computer program for realizing these control methods, a non-transitory recording medium on which the computer program is recorded, etc. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a transport system including a remote control device as a state switching device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the internal functional configuration of a vehicle. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal functional configuration of the transport control device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal functional configuration of the remote control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5A] 4 is a flowchart showing a vehicle driving method implemented by the remote control device. [Figure 5B] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a correspondence table. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing a vehicle transport method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an ECU of a vehicle according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing a vehicle driving method according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] A. First embodiment: 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a conveyance system 600 including a remote control device 300 as a state switching device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The conveyance system 600 is used, for example, in a factory that manufactures vehicles 100. The conveyance target of the conveyance system 600 is the vehicle 100 that can run under remote control. The conveyance system 600 is used, for example, in the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100, such as an inspection process or an assembly process of the vehicle 100, and conveys the vehicle 100 over a predetermined conveyance section in the manufacturing process. In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 undergoes processing such as inspection by workers, equipment, etc. while being conveyed by the conveyance device 500.

[0009] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the internal functional configuration of vehicle 100. Vehicle 100 may be, for example, a passenger car, a truck, a bus, or a construction vehicle. In this embodiment, vehicle 100 is a battery electric vehicle (BEV) capable of traveling in an unmanned driving mode. "Unmanned driving" refers to driving without the driver's control. Driving operation refers to at least one of the vehicle's operations of "running," "turning," and "stopping." Unmanned driving is achieved by automatic or manual remote control using a device installed outside the vehicle, or by autonomous control of the vehicle. A vehicle traveling in an unmanned driving mode may have a driver who does not perform driving operations on board. Examples of drivers who do not perform driving operations include a person simply sitting in the vehicle seat, or a person who is in the vehicle performing tasks other than driving, such as assembly, inspection, or operating switches. Driving performed by a driver is sometimes called "manned driving." The vehicle 100 includes a vehicle communication device 190, an actuator group 140, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 200.

[0010] The ECU 200 executes various controls of the vehicle 100. The ECU 200 is an example of a device provided in the vehicle 100. The ECU 200 includes a storage device 220 such as an HDD (hard disk drive), an SSD (solid state drive), an optical recording medium, or a semiconductor memory, a CPU 210 serving as a central processing unit, and an interface circuit 230. The CPU 210, the storage device 220, and the interface circuit 230 are connected via an internal bus to enable bidirectional communication. The actuator group 140 and a vehicle communication device 190 are connected to the interface circuit 230. The vehicle communication device 190 wirelessly communicates with devices external to the vehicle 100 that are connected to a network, such as a remote control device 300, via an access point in a factory or the like.

[0011] Computer programs for realizing at least some of the functions provided in this embodiment are stored in the storage device 220. The CPU 210 executes various computer programs stored in the memory to realize functions such as the operation control unit 212.

[0012] The driving control unit 212 executes driving control of the vehicle 100. "Driving control" refers to various controls for driving the actuator group 140 that perform 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 driving control unit 212 controls the actuator group 140 in accordance with the driver's operation, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to run. Furthermore, regardless of whether a driver is on board the vehicle 100 or not, the driving control unit 212 can also cause the vehicle 100 to run by controlling the actuator group 140 in accordance with a control command transmitted from the remote control device 300.

[0013] In this embodiment, the actuator group 140 includes an actuator of a braking device 150 for decelerating the vehicle 100, an actuator of a driving device 160 for accelerating the vehicle 100, and an actuator of a steering device 170 for changing the direction of travel of the vehicle 100. Each actuator included in the actuator group 140 is an example of a device provided in the vehicle 100. The actuator group 140 may include an actuator for swinging the wipers of the vehicle 100, an actuator for opening and closing the power windows of the vehicle 100, etc.

[0014] The actuators of the braking device 150 include, for example, various mechanisms such as a disc brake or a drum brake, and a brake pedal 152 operated by the driver. The actuators of the steering device 170 include, for example, a steering wheel 172 used by the driver to steer the vehicle.

[0015] The actuator of the drive device 160 includes a driving battery (not shown), a driving motor 168 driven by power from the driving battery, wheels 166, an EPB 167, an accelerator pedal (gas pedal) 161 with which the driver adjusts the output of the driving motor 168, a transmission unit 162, and a lock unit 164. The driving motor 168 is an example of a prime mover. The wheels 166 rotate by power transmitted from the driving motor 168. Note that instead of the driving motor 168, another type of prime mover such as an internal combustion engine or an external combustion engine may be provided.

[0016] The transmission unit 162 includes a transmission mechanism such as gears and shafts, and transmits power from the traction motor 168 to the wheels 166. The lock unit 164 switches between a locked state in which the transmission mechanism of the transmission unit 162 is locked and an unlocked state in which the lock is released. The lock unit 164 is sometimes called a "parking lock pole." When the function of the transmission unit 162 is switched to "P range" by remote control of the remote control device 300 or manual operation by the driver of the vehicle 100, the lock unit 164 is switched to the locked state, and rotation of the wheels 166 is suppressed. When switched to "N range," the gears and the like in the transmission mechanism of the transmission unit 162 are disconnected, and power from the traction motor 168 is no longer transmitted to the wheels 166. In the N range, the wheels 166 are in a state in which they can spin freely. "Spinning" refers to a state in which the wheels 166 can spin freely. During spinning, even if the wheels 166 are rotated, the vehicle 100 does not move forward a distance corresponding to the amount of rotation of the wheels 166. When switched to "D range," the lock unit 164 is switched to an unlocked state, and the gears and the like of the transmission mechanism of the transmission unit 162 are switched to a connected state. In the D range, the power from the traction motor 168 is transmitted to the wheels 166 by the transmission unit 162, and the vehicle 100 is in a state where it can run.

[0017] EPB 167 is an electric parking brake (EPB) that can be operated by remote control or manually by the driver. EPB 167 is also sometimes called an emergency brake. EPB 167 generally brings vehicle 100 to a stop state in which it stops vehicle 100 when in P range or N range, and brings vehicle 100 to a non-stop state in which it can travel when in D range.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the conveyance system 600 includes a vehicle detector 80, a conveyance device 500, and a remote control device 300. The remote control device 300 generates control commands for automatically driving the vehicle 100 by remote control, transmits the control commands to the vehicle 100, and performs driving control of the vehicle 100 by remote control. For example, the remote control device 300 transports the vehicle 100 through a transport section within a factory by remotely controlling the vehicle 100 to automatically drive. In this embodiment, the remote control device 300 also functions as a state switching device that switches at least one device provided in the vehicle 100 from a standby state to an operating state based on the progress of processing, as will be described later.

[0019] FIG. 1 shows vehicle detectors 80p and 80t, which are examples of the vehicle detector 80. The vehicle detector 80 is a device for measuring vehicle information. "Vehicle information" refers to information used to estimate at least one of the position and orientation of the vehicle 100, such as an image of the vehicle 100 or three-dimensional point cloud data of the vehicle 100. "Three-dimensional point cloud data" refers to data indicating the three-dimensional position of a point cloud. In this embodiment, the vehicle detector 80 uses a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) ranging device. The vehicle detector 80 measures three-dimensional point cloud data of the vehicle 100 as the vehicle information. By using the LiDAR, high-precision three-dimensional point cloud data can be acquired.

[0020] The vehicle detector 80 is communicatively connected to the remote control device 300 via wireless or wired communication. The remote control device 300 can acquire the relative position and orientation of the vehicle 100 with respect to the target route along which the vehicle 100 should travel in real time by acquiring vehicle information from the vehicle detector 80. The position of the vehicle detector 80 is fixed near the travel path SR and the transport device 500.

[0021] The transport device 500 includes a motor 522, a transport section 510, a plurality of transport position detectors 526, and a transport control device 400. The motor 522 is controlled by the transport control device 400 to drive the transport section 510.

[0022] The conveying unit 510 conveys the vehicle 100, which is the conveying target, in the conveying direction DR. In this embodiment, the conveying unit 510 is a belt conveyor having a circular endless belt, and conveys the vehicle 100 while it is grounded on the endless belt. The conveying unit 510 can move the vehicle 100 over a predetermined conveying section without remote control or operation control of the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 on the conveying unit 510 can be released from the conveying unit 510 at any timing by remote control of the remote control device 300. Note that in this embodiment, the conveying unit 510 is continuously driven regardless of whether the vehicle 100 is on the conveying unit 510 or not. However, the conveying unit 510 is not limited to being continuously driven, and may be configured to drive only when the vehicle 100 is placed on the conveying unit 510. The conveying unit 510 is not limited to conveying only the vehicle 100, and may also convey, along with the vehicle 100, for example, workers performing processing on the vehicle 100, parts of the vehicle 100, etc. The conveying unit 510 is not limited to a belt conveyor, but may be any of various conveyors capable of conveying the vehicle 100, such as a roller conveyor or a chain conveyor.

[0023] The transport position detector 526 is a detector capable of detecting the presence or absence of a target, such as an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or a millimeter-wave radar. The transport position detector 526 detects the vehicle 100 on the transport unit 510. In this embodiment, the transport device 500 is equipped with a plurality of transport position detectors 526, and a plurality of progress status acquisition units 318 are installed for each predetermined transport section in the transport device 500. This makes it possible to detect the presence or absence of the vehicle 100 for each transport section, i.e., the position of the vehicle 100 during transport by the transport device 500 (hereinafter also referred to as the "transport position"). The detection result by the transport position detector 526 is output to the transport control device 400.

[0024] 3 is a block diagram showing the internal functional configuration of the transportation control device 400. The transportation control device 400 includes a CPU 410 as a central processing unit, a storage device 440, an interface circuit 450, and a transportation communication device 490. The CPU 410, the storage device 440, and the interface circuit 450 are connected via an internal bus to enable bidirectional communication. The interface circuit 450 is connected to the transportation communication device 490. The transportation communication device 490 communicates with the remote control device 300 and the vehicle 100 via a network or the like.

[0025] The storage device 440 is, for example, a RAM, a ROM, a HDD, or an SSD. A transfer position VP detected by the transfer position detector 526 is stored in a readable / writable area of ​​the storage device 440. The storage device 440 also stores a program for implementing at least some of the functions provided in this embodiment. The CPU 410 executes the program to function as a conveyor control unit 412 and a transfer position acquisition unit 414. The conveyor control unit 412 drives the motor 522 to control the on / off state of the transfer unit 510 and the transfer speed.

[0026] The transfer position acquisition unit 414 acquires the transfer position of the vehicle 100 in the transfer section by the transfer device 500 from the transfer position detector 526, and stores the acquired transfer position as a transfer position VP in the storage device 440. The transfer position acquisition unit 414 may acquire the position of the vehicle 100 in the transfer section using the vehicle detector 80. In cases such as when the transfer position of the vehicle 100 is detected over the entire transfer section by the vehicle detector 80, the transfer position detector 526 may be omitted.

[0027] A method for transporting vehicle 100 will be described using FIG. 1. FIG. 1 schematically illustrates the transport zone of vehicle 100, from range AR1 to range AR5. Also illustrated in FIG. 1 are vehicles 100p, 100q, 100r1, 100r2, 100s, and 100t, which are examples of vehicle 100, and vehicle detectors 80p and 80t, which are examples of vehicle detector 80. Ranges AR1 and AR5 are transport zones in which vehicle 100 travels automatically under remote control. In range AR1, vehicle 100p travels automatically to transport device 500 under remote control using vehicle information acquired from vehicle detector 80p. In range AR5, vehicle 100t, having left transport device 500, travels to the next process or the like under remote control using vehicle information acquired from vehicle detector 80p.

[0028] The range AR2 to the range AR4 is a transport section of the vehicle 100 using the transport device 500. The range AR2 is an example of a transport start position where transport of the vehicle 100 by the transport device 500 begins. In the range AR2, the transport method of the vehicle 100 is switched from self-propelled transport by remote control to transport by the transport device 500. The vehicle 100p traveling by remote control passes over the starting point SP on one end of the transport unit 510 and enters the range AR2. The vehicle 100q that has reached the range AR2 becomes ready to be transported by the transport unit 510.

[0029] In the range AR3, the vehicle 100 is transported by the transport device 500, and predetermined processing is performed on the vehicle 100 during the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, an inspection process for inspecting each device provided on the vehicle 100 is performed in the range AR3, as an example of the processing. Specifically, in the range AR31 of the range AR3, an inspection of the so-called engine compartment of the vehicle 100r1 is performed. In the engine compartment inspection, for example, an inspection of the assembly of the drive motor 168 and its surrounding components is performed. Therefore, while the engine compartment inspection is being performed, it is preferable that the drive motor 168 and its surrounding components are in a standby state, such as by being turned off. The engine compartment is also sometimes referred to as a bonnet or hood. In the range AR32, an external inspection of the vehicle 100r2 is performed. The body of the vehicle 100r2 is inspected for scratches, dents, and the like. In addition to the above, in the range AR3, other processing such as inspection and adjustment of lights and meters, and an oil leak inspection may be performed. Each inspection may be an automatic inspection using a device or the like, or may be a manual inspection by an operator. At least a part of the actuator group 140 is put into a standby state before the inspection process starts.

[0030] Range AR3 is an area outside the detection range of vehicle 100 by vehicle detector 80, and in range AR3, remote-controlled autonomous driving of vehicle 100 is not performed. However, vehicle 100 in range AR3 can wirelessly communicate with remote control device 300, and it is possible to perform remote control to switch the state of each device of vehicle 100, such as switching vehicle 100 or each device between a standby state and an operating state. However, range AR3 may be set within the detection range of vehicle detector 80, and remote-controlled autonomous driving of vehicle 100 may also be performed in range AR3.

[0031] The range AR4 is an example of a transfer end position where the transfer of the vehicle 100 by the transfer device 500 ends. The vehicle 100 reaches the range AR4 after completing the inspection in the range AR3. In the range AR4, the vehicle 100s can be detected by the vehicle detector 80t, and the vehicle 100s can be automatically driven away from the transfer unit 510 by remote control. In this embodiment, the range AR4 is set in advance as a range extending a predetermined distance from the end point EP on the other end of the transfer unit 510. This "predetermined distance" is determined, for example, based on the range within which the vehicle detector 80t can detect the vehicle 100t. However, the range AR4 can also be set to any range from the position where processing for the vehicle 100 in the range AR3 is completed to the end point EP, provided that the vehicle detector 80t can detect the vehicle 100t. In this case, the size of the range AR4 is variable depending on the progress of processing for the vehicle 100 in the range AR3.

[0032] 4 is a block diagram showing the internal functional configuration of the remote control device 300 according to the first embodiment. The remote control device 300 includes a CPU 310 as a central processing unit, a storage device 340, an interface circuit 350, and a remote communication device 390. The CPU 310, the storage device 340, and the interface circuit 350 are connected via an internal bus to enable bidirectional communication. The interface circuit 350 is connected to the remote communication device 390. The remote communication device 390 communicates with the vehicle 100 and the transportation control device 400 via a network or the like.

[0033] The storage device 340 is, for example, a RAM, a ROM, a HDD, or an SSD. A correspondence table TB is stored in a readable / writable area of ​​the storage device 340. The storage device 340 also stores a computer program for implementing at least some of the functions provided in this embodiment. When the computer program stored in the storage device 340 is executed by the CPU 310, the CPU 310 functions as a remote control unit 312, a position estimation unit 314, a progress status acquisition unit 318, a device determination unit 320, and a vehicle information acquisition unit 322. However, some or all of these functions may be configured by hardware circuits.

[0034] The vehicle information acquisition unit 322 acquires vehicle identification information of the vehicle 100 to be transported by the transport device 500 from a production management device or the like. "Vehicle identification information" refers to various information that can individually identify the vehicle 100. Examples of the vehicle identification information include ID information assigned to each vehicle 100, such as a vehicle identification number (VIN), and the serial number of the vehicle 100 used for production management. The vehicle identification information is used to verify whether the vehicle 100 is a target for transport by the transport device 500. The vehicle identification information can be acquired, for example, from a radio frequency identification (RF-ID) tag attached to the vehicle 100 via short-range wireless communication or the like. The vehicle identification information may also be acquired by reading a two-dimensional code attached to the vehicle 100 with a camera or the like.

[0035] The position estimation unit 314 acquires vehicle information from the vehicle detector 80 and estimates the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 using the acquired vehicle information. In this embodiment, the position estimation unit 314 uses three-dimensional point cloud data measured by the vehicle detector 80 as the vehicle information. The position estimation unit 314 estimates the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 in the acquired three-dimensional point cloud data. Specifically, the position estimation unit 314 performs template matching on the three-dimensional point cloud data using vehicle point cloud data stored in advance in the storage device 340. This allows the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 in the three-dimensional point cloud data to be estimated with high accuracy. For example, three-dimensional CAD data of the vehicle 100 can be used as the template for the vehicle point cloud data. The vehicle point cloud data includes information for identifying the orientation of the vehicle 100. For template matching of the vehicle point cloud data with the three-dimensional point cloud data, for example, an iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm or a normal distribution transform (NDT) algorithm can be used. It should be noted 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.

[0036] The remote control unit 312 functions as a command generation unit that generates control commands for causing the vehicle 100 to perform various operations and outputs them to the vehicle 100. For example, the remote control unit 312 uses the estimated position and orientation of the vehicle 100 to generate a control command for causing the vehicle 100 to automatically travel by remote control and transmits the control command to the vehicle 100. This control command is, for example, a command for causing the vehicle 100 to travel along a target route stored in the storage device 340. 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 remote control request, the driving control unit 212 of the ECU 200 realizes driving control, resulting in the vehicle 100 traveling automatically. In this embodiment, the remote control unit 312 can also generate a control command for switching the actuator group 140 corresponding to the progress status of the inspection process between an operating state and a standby state, in accordance with a determination by the device determination unit 320, as will be described later.

[0037] 5A is a flowchart showing a method for driving the vehicle 100 implemented by the remote control device 300. The remote control unit 312 acquires the estimation results of the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 by the position estimation unit 314 (step S110). 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 80 is adjusted in advance. The remote control unit 312 detects the position of the vehicle 100 from the vehicle information acquired from the vehicle detector 80, and acquires the position of the vehicle 100 in the factory from the detected position of the vehicle 100.

[0038] The remote control unit 312 determines a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head (step S120). In this embodiment, the target position is expressed by X, Y, and Z coordinates in the global coordinate system of the factory. An ideal route, which is the route the vehicle 100 should travel, is stored in advance in the storage device 340 of the remote control device 300. The route is represented by nodes indicating the departure point, nodes indicating passing points, nodes indicating the destination, and links connecting the nodes. The remote control unit 312 uses the position of the vehicle 100 and the ideal route to determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head. The remote control unit 312 determines a target position on the ideal route that is ahead of the current location of the vehicle 100.

[0039] The remote control unit 312 generates a driving control signal for driving the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position (step S130). In this embodiment, the driving control signal includes the acceleration and steering angle of the vehicle 100 as parameters. The remote control unit 312 calculates the driving speed of the vehicle 100 from the change in the position of the vehicle 100 and compares the calculated driving speed with a predetermined target speed of the vehicle 100. If the driving speed is lower than the target speed, the remote control unit 312 determines the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 accelerates. If the driving speed is higher than the target speed, the remote control unit 312 determines the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 decelerates. If the vehicle 100 is located on the ideal route, the remote control unit 312 determines the steering angle so that the vehicle 100 does not deviate from the ideal route. If the vehicle 100 is not located on the ideal route, in other words, if the vehicle 100 has deviated from the ideal route, the remote control unit 312 determines the steering angle so that the vehicle 100 returns to the ideal route.

[0040] The remote control unit 312 transmits the generated driving control signal to the vehicle 100 (step S140). The remote control unit 312 repeats, at a predetermined cycle, obtaining the position of the vehicle 100, determining the target position, generating the driving control signal, and transmitting the driving control signal.

[0041] The driving control unit 212 of the vehicle 100 receives the driving control signal from the remote control unit 312 (step S150) and controls the actuator group 140 using the received driving control signal, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to drive at the acceleration and steering angle indicated in the driving control signal (step S160). The driving control unit 212 repeats receiving the driving control signal and controlling the actuator group 140 at a predetermined cycle. As described above, by driving the vehicle 100 by remote control, it is possible to move the vehicle 100 without using transportation equipment such as a crane or conveyor.

[0042] Returning to FIG. 4, the progress status acquisition unit 318 acquires the progress status of the process being performed on the vehicle 100 being transported by the transport device 500. In this embodiment, the progress status acquisition unit 318 acquires the progress status of the inspection process of the vehicle 100 being performed in the range AR3 shown in FIG. 1. In this embodiment, the progress status acquisition unit 318 acquires the transport position of the vehicle 100 and acquires the progress status of the inspection using the acquired transport position. However, instead of or in addition to the transport position of the vehicle 100, the progress status acquisition unit 318 may acquire the progress status of the inspection using the elapsed time from the start of the transport of the vehicle 100 by the transport device 500, or detection of a button operation by a worker to notify the completion of each inspection.

[0043] 1, multiple markers are provided near the conveying section 510. Each marker is provided at the boundary of a conveying section by the conveying device 500 and is used to detect the progress of the inspection process. Specifically, a marker M1 indicating the start of inspection of the vehicle 100 is provided at the boundary PT31 between the ranges AR2 and AR3, and a marker Mn indicating the end of inspection is provided at the boundary PT3n between the ranges AR3 and AR4.

[0044] If the inspection process includes multiple processes, the range AR3 may be subdivided into multiple ranges corresponding to the multiple processes. In this embodiment, the range AR3 includes, for example, multiple ranges corresponding to the progress status of each of the multiple processes included in the inspection process. Specifically, the range AR3 includes a range AR31 corresponding to the engine room inspection and a range AR32 corresponding to the appearance inspection.

[0045] A marker M2 is provided at the boundary PT32 between the range AR31 and the range AR32, and a marker M3 is provided at the boundary PT33 between the range AR32 and the next range. The progress status acquisition unit 318 analyzes the vehicle information acquired from the vehicle detector 80 and confirms the relative positions of the markers M1, M2, M3, and Mn with respect to the vehicle 100, thereby acquiring the progress status of the inspection process. The progress status acquisition unit 318 may acquire a transfer position VP stored in the storage device 440 from the transfer control device 400 instead of or in addition to the vehicle detector 80, and acquire the progress status of the processing for the vehicle 100 using the transfer position VP. Alternatively, the progress status acquisition unit 318 may acquire the transfer position of the vehicle 100 directly from the transfer position detector 526, thereby acquiring the progress status of the processing for the vehicle 100.

[0046] The device determination unit 320 determines which device of the actuator group 140 that has been put on standby for inspection is to be switched to one of the operating state, standby state, and restricted state, using the progress status acquired by the progress status acquisition unit 318. In this embodiment, the device determination unit 320 refers to the correspondence table TB stored in the storage device 340 and determines which device is to be switched to one of the operating state, standby state, and restricted state, depending on the acquired progress status of the inspection process.

[0047] The "operating state" refers to the state of a device that is switched to in order to enable the vehicle 100 to run by remote control. The operating state is not limited to the device being powered on, but is also the state of a device that enables the vehicle 100 to run, such as when the transmission unit 162 is in the D range or when the lock unit 164 is unlocked. The "standby state" refers to the state of a device that is switched to in order to perform an inspection of the vehicle 100. When the device of the vehicle 100 is switched to the standby state, the vehicle 100 cannot be run by remote control or is in an unsuitable state for running the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the standby state refers to a state in which the power to the actuator group 140 is off.

[0048] The standby state may include a restricted state. The "restricted state" refers to a state in which a device is powered on and at least some of the functions of the device for driving the vehicle 100 are restricted. The restricted state is not included in the operating state. The restricted state includes, for example, a state in which the transmission unit 162 is in P range or the lock unit 164 is locked, in which the vehicle 100 cannot be driven by remote control even when the device is powered on, or a state that is unsuitable for driving the vehicle 100. Note that the operating state, standby state, and restricted state can be transitioned to each other from any of the states. The remote control unit 312 generates a control command to switch the determined device to one of the operating state, standby state, and restricted state according to the determination by the device determination unit 320, and transmits the control command to the vehicle 100.

[0049] FIG. 5B is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the correspondence table TB. The arrows in the figure are added for convenience in understanding the technology. The correspondence table TB shows the correspondence relationship between the progress of processing for the vehicle 100 and the devices that switch to the operating state, standby state, and restricted state. The correspondence table TB can be individually set for each vehicle 100. Specifically, the correspondence table TB may be individually set according to the content of processing, such as inspection, performed on the vehicle 100 while being transported by the transport device 500, the so-called destination country to which the vehicle 100 is shipped, the model of the vehicle 100, and the types of devices installed in the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the correspondence table TB is associated with each vehicle identification information of the vehicle 100, and the device determination unit 320 selects the correspondence table TB corresponding to the acquired vehicle identification information.

[0050] The upper part of FIG. 5B shows the steps included in the inspection process. The start timing for switching the device to each state is preferably determined taking into account the time required for each step included in the inspection process to switch to the working state. The vehicle communication device 190 and ECU 200 shown in FIG. 5B are preferably switched to their operating states before the next step, the visual inspection, begins. In this embodiment, the vehicle communication device 190 and ECU 200 are switched to their operating states, for example, at the start or during the engine room inspection. However, the vehicle communication device 190, ECU 200, and remote control unit 312 may be switched to their operating states by the start of the engine room inspection. For example, the vehicle communication device 190, ECU 200, and remote control unit 312 may remain in their operating state without being switched to their standby state at the start of the inspection. For ease of understanding the technology, the correspondence table TB shown in FIG. 5B also shows the states of each device at the start and end of the inspection. The switching to the standby state or the operating state is completed at any timing between the start of the test and the end of the test.

[0051] 6 is a flowchart showing a method for transporting vehicle 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. This flow starts when vehicle 100 starts traveling toward transport device 500. In the following, to facilitate understanding of the technique, the description will be made with reference to FIGS. 1 and 5B as appropriate.

[0052] In step S10, the remote control unit 312 remotely controls the vehicle 100 to automatically travel toward the conveyance device 500. Specifically, as shown in range AR1 in FIG. 1 , the remote control unit 312 generates a control command for remote control using the position and orientation of the vehicle 100p estimated by the position estimation unit 314, and transmits the control command to the vehicle 100p.

[0053] In step S20, before the conveyance device 500 starts conveying, the vehicle information acquisition unit 322 acquires vehicle identification information from the vehicle 100p that has arrived at the conveyance device 500 and checks whether it matches the vehicle identification information of the vehicle to be conveyed in production management. However, this check may be omitted, and if vehicle identification information is not used, the vehicle information acquisition unit 322 may be omitted. In step S30, the device determination unit 320 determines the correspondence table TB that corresponds to the acquired vehicle identification information from the correspondence tables TB stored in the storage device 340.

[0054] In step S40, the remote control unit 312 remotely controls the vehicle 100 to automatically travel to the transfer start position on the transfer unit 510. In the example of Fig. 1, when the vehicle 100p arrives at the transfer device 500, the remote control unit 312 remotely controls the vehicle 100p using vehicle information acquired from the vehicle detector 80p to move the vehicle 100p over the start point SP of the transfer unit 510 into the range AR2.

[0055] In step S50, the state of the device corresponding to the start of the process performed during transportation, i.e., the start of the inspection process, is switched. As shown in FIG. 5B, at the start of the inspection, the remote control unit 312 turns off the power to all devices provided in the vehicle 100 and switches all devices to a standby state. As shown by vehicle 100q in FIG. 1, when vehicle 100q reaches the transportation start position, the device determination unit 320 determines all actuator groups 140 of the vehicle 100 as devices to be switched to a standby state. The remote control unit 312 generates a control command to turn off the power to all devices of the vehicle 100 and transmits it to the vehicle 100. In step S60, the transportation control device 400 controls the motor 522 to drive the transportation unit 510, thereby starting transportation of the vehicle 100. Note that in this embodiment, the transportation unit 510 is continuously driven, and S60 is executed in parallel with S50 and the like.

[0056] In step S70, an inspection is performed on the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, multiple inspections are performed on the vehicle 100. In the example of FIG. 1, an engine room inspection is first performed on the vehicle 100 that has reached the range AR31. In step S80, the progress status acquisition unit 318 checks the progress status of the engine room inspection. The progress status acquisition unit 318 acquires the transfer position of the vehicle 100, and acquires the progress status of the engine room inspection using the acquired transfer position.

[0057] In step S90, the device determination unit 320 checks whether the progress of the engine room inspection has reached a predetermined timing. If the progress of the process has not reached the predetermined timing (S90: NO), the device determination unit 320 returns the process to step S80 and waits until the predetermined timing is reached. If the progress has reached the predetermined timing (S90: YES), the device determination unit 320 proceeds to step S100. In step S100, the state of the device corresponding to the progress of the engine room inspection is switched.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 1 , the device determination unit 320 determines the device whose state is to be changed at a predetermined timing between when the vehicle 100q reaches the range AR2 and when it reaches the range AR32. For example, the predetermined timing is set to when the vehicle 100 reaches the marker M1. When the progress status acquisition unit 318 detects that the vehicle 100 has reached the marker M1, the device determination unit 320 determines the vehicle communication device 190 and the ECU 200 as the devices to be switched to the working state in accordance with the correspondence table TB shown in FIG. 5B. The remote control unit 312 generates a control command for transitioning the vehicle communication device 190 and the ECU 200 to the working state, specifically, a control command for turning on the power of the vehicle communication device 190 and the ECU 200, and transmits the control command to the vehicle 100. This configuration can suppress or prevent a decrease in productivity of the engine room inspection due to the traction motor 168 being activated during the engine room inspection.

[0059] In step S110, the device determination unit 320 checks whether the activation timing has arrived. "Activation timing" refers to the timing at which the vehicle 100 being transported by the transport device 500 is switched to a drivable state. At the activation timing, all devices of the vehicle 100 that were in a standby state at the start of the inspection are determined to be devices that are switched to an operational state. The activation timing is set using the completion timing at which all processing in the inspection process is completed. It is preferable that the activation timing be set using a timing before the completion timing so that the activation of all devices of the vehicle 100 is completed by the completion timing. If the activation timing has not arrived (S110: NO), the device determination unit 320 returns the process to step S70 and continues the inspection process.

[0060] In the example of FIG. 1, the appearance inspection is initiated when the vehicle 100 reaches the range AR32. As shown in FIG. 5B, when the progress of the appearance inspection reaches a predetermined timing, the traction motor 168 is switched to an operating state. Furthermore, the transmission unit 162, the EPB 167, the accelerator pedal 161, and the steering wheel 172 are switched to a restricted state. In the example of FIG. 1, the predetermined timing is a predetermined timing between when the vehicle 100 reaches the range AR31 and when it reaches the range next to the range AR32. Specifically, the predetermined timing is set to the timing when the vehicle 100 reaches the marker M2.

[0061] When the transport position of vehicle 100 reaches the position of marker M2, device determination unit 320 determines, in accordance with correspondence table TB, that the device to be switched to the working state is traction motor 168, and determines that the devices to be switched to the restricted state are transmission unit 162, EPB 167, accelerator pedal 161, and steering wheel 172. Remote control unit 312 generates a control command to turn on the power to traction motor 168 in order to switch traction motor 168 to an operating state. To switch to the restricted state, remote control unit 312 also turns on the power to transmission unit 162 to set it to the P range, turns on the power to EPB 167 to set it to a stopped state, and turns on the power to accelerator pedal 161 and steering wheel 172 while transmitting control commands to fix the control values, switching them to an inoperable state.

[0062] When the activation timing is reached (S110: YES), the device determination unit 320 proceeds to step S120. In step S120, the device determination unit 320 switches all devices to the working state. As shown in FIG. 5B, all devices are switched to the operating state by the completion timing when all processing in the inspection process is completed. In the example of FIG. 1, the progress status acquisition unit 318 acquires the arrival of the activation timing using a marker placed before the marker Mn indicating the completion timing, such as marker M3. The device determination unit 320 uses the acquired activation timing to determine all devices as devices to be switched to the operating state. Here, "all devices" does not necessarily include devices already in the operating state. The remote control unit 312 generates a control command to switch all devices to the operating state and transmits it to the vehicle 100. In step S130, the remote control unit 312 remotely controls the vehicle 100s to detach from the transport unit 510, thereby ending this flow. The vehicle 100t that has been detached from the transport device 500 is automatically driven to the next process.

[0063] As described above, the remote control device 300 of this embodiment includes a remote control unit 312 that generates and transmits to the vehicle 100 a control command for remotely operating the actuator group 140 provided on the vehicle 100; a progress status acquisition unit 318 that acquires the progress status of the inspection process for the vehicle 100; and a device determination unit 320 that uses the acquired progress status to determine, from among the devices that were put into a standby state before the inspection process, which devices to switch to an active state for moving the vehicle 100 by remote control. The remote control unit 312 generates and transmits to the vehicle 100 a control command for switching the determined devices to an active state. According to the remote control device 300 of this embodiment, the devices are switched to an active state sequentially based on the progress status of the inspection process. This reduces or prevents delays in the start of remotely controlling the vehicle 100 to move upon completion of the inspection process, compared to when all devices are switched to an active state at once upon completion of the inspection process. Furthermore, according to the remote control device 300 of this embodiment, the devices can be switched to an active state in an appropriate order according to the progress status of the inspection process.

[0064] According to the remote control device 300 of this embodiment, the progress status acquisition unit 318 acquires, as the progress status, a predetermined activation timing that occurs before the completion timing at which all processing in the inspection process is completed. The device determination unit 320 uses the acquired activation timing to determine all of the devices that are in a standby state as devices to be switched to an active state. Therefore, all devices can be switched to an active state before the completion timing at which all processing in the inspection process is completed. The vehicle 100 can be remotely controlled to run by the time the inspection process is completed, preventing a decrease in productivity in the inspection process and in the transportation by the transportation device 500.

[0065] According to the remote control device 300 of this embodiment, processing such as an inspection process is performed while the vehicle 100 is being transported by the transport device 500 that can transport the vehicle 100. Processing such as an inspection process can be performed while the vehicle 100 is being transported by the transport device 500. Therefore, even if the vehicle 100 cannot run, for example, when the power of each part of the vehicle 100 is turned off, transportation and processing such as an inspection process can be performed in parallel.

[0066] According to the remote control device 300 of this embodiment, the progress status acquisition unit 318 acquires the transport position of the vehicle 100 associated with the progress status, and acquires the progress status using the acquired transport position. Therefore, the progress status of the inspection process can be acquired by the simple method of acquiring the transport position of the vehicle 100.

[0067] According to the remote control device 300 of this embodiment, the multiple devices include the traction motor 168, which is the prime mover of the vehicle 100. The inspection process includes an inspection of the traction motor 168, which is in a standby state with its power turned off. The progress status acquisition unit 318 acquires, as the progress status, the completion timing of the inspection of the traction motor 168. The device determination unit 320 uses the acquired completion timing of the inspection of the traction motor 168 to determine the traction motor 168 as the device to be switched into operation. The remote control unit 312 generates a control command to switch the power supply of the prime mover on and transmits it to the vehicle 100. This prevents the traction motor 168 from being in operation during the inspection of the traction motor 168, thereby suppressing or preventing a decrease in productivity in the inspection of the traction motor 168.

[0068] According to the remote control device 300 of this embodiment, the standby state includes a restricted state in which the device is powered on and at least some of the device's functions for moving the vehicle 100 are restricted. By switching the device to power on before switching to the operating state, it is possible to switch to the operating state in a shorter time than when switching from the standby state to the operating state. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably suppress or prevent delays in starting to move the vehicle 100 by remote control when the inspection process is completed.

[0069] B. Second embodiment: 7 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an ECU 200b of a vehicle 100 according to the second embodiment. In this embodiment, a conveyance system 600 differs from the first embodiment in that it does not include a remote control device 300. Specifically, it differs from the first embodiment in that an ECU 200b provided in the vehicle 100 has a function as a state switching device instead of the remote control device 300. The other configurations of the conveyance system 600 are the same as those of the first embodiment unless otherwise specified.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 7 , the ECU 200b differs from the ECU 200 shown in the first embodiment in that it includes a CPU 210b instead of the CPU 210 and a storage device 220b instead of the storage device 220. Specifically, the storage device 220b stores programs for implementing functions corresponding to the position estimation unit 314, progress status acquisition unit 318, device determination unit 320, and vehicle information acquisition unit 322 included in the remote control device 300 shown in the first embodiment, in addition to the functions of the CPU 210 shown in the first embodiment. As a result, the CPU 210b further functions as the position estimation unit 214, progress status acquisition unit 218, device determination unit 240, and vehicle information acquisition unit 242 corresponding to these functions. The storage device 220b also stores the correspondence table TB stored in the remote control device 300. In this embodiment, the device determination unit 240 functions as a command generation unit that generates a control command for switching the device determined using the correspondence table TB to an active state or a restricted state and outputs the control command to the driving control unit 212. With vehicle 100 configured in this manner, vehicle 100 is provided with the function of a state switching device, and therefore devices can be switched to the operating state sequentially based on the progress of the inspection process, without using a device separate from vehicle 100, such as remote control device 300. Furthermore, compared to when all devices are switched to the operating state at once when the inspection process is completed, it is possible to suppress or prevent delays in the start of vehicle 100 traveling after the process is completed.

[0071] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a driving method of the vehicle 100 according to the second embodiment. The position estimation unit 214 acquires the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 using vehicle information output from the vehicle detector 80 (step S210). The driving control unit 212 determines a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next move (step S220). In this embodiment, an ideal route is pre-stored in the storage device 220b of the ECU 200b. The driving control unit 212 generates a driving control signal for driving the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position (step S230). The driving control unit 212 controls the actuator group 140 using the generated driving control signal, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to drive at the acceleration and steering angle indicated by the driving control signal (step S240). The driving control unit 212 repeatedly acquires the position and orientation of the vehicle 100, determines the target position, generates the driving control signal, and controls the actuator group 140 at a predetermined cycle. According to the vehicle 100 of this embodiment, the vehicle 100 can be made to run under autonomous control without being remotely controlled by the remote control device 300.

[0072] C. Other Embodiments: (C1) In the above embodiment, the progress status acquisition unit 318 acquires, as the progress status, a predetermined activation timing prior to the completion timing at which all processing in the inspection process is completed, and switches all devices to the operating state at that activation timing. However, instead of all devices, only devices for running the vehicle 100, such as the drive unit 160, may be switched to the operating state. This configuration can at least prevent delays in the running of the vehicle 100 relative to the completion of the inspection process. However, it is preferable that devices other than the drive unit 160 also be immediately switched to the operating state.

[0073] (C2) In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the position estimation unit 314 and the position estimation unit 214 were provided. However, for example, in cases where highly accurate position information is not required in the autonomous driving of the vehicle 100, the position estimation unit 314 and the position estimation unit 214 may be omitted. In this case, for example, the detection result of a sensor capable of detecting the vehicle 100, such as the conveyance position detector 526 provided in the conveyance device 500, can be used.

[0074] (C3) In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the vehicle detector 80 was a LiDAR. However, instead of or in addition to the LiDAR, an external camera installed at a location different from the vehicle 100 can be used as the vehicle detector 80. In this case, the vehicle detector 80 acquires an image of the vehicle 100 as vehicle information. The position estimation unit 314 and the position estimation unit 214 can estimate the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 using the captured image acquired by the external camera. The position of the vehicle 100 can be acquired, for example, by calculating the coordinates of the positioning point of the vehicle 100 in an image coordinate system using the outer shape of the vehicle 100 detected from the captured image and converting the calculated coordinates into coordinates in a global coordinate system. The orientation of the vehicle 100 can be estimated based on the orientation of the movement vector of the vehicle 100 calculated from the positional changes of feature points of the vehicle 100 between frames of the captured image using, for example, an optical flow method. The orientation of the vehicle 100 may also be calculated using, for example, the output result of a yaw rate sensor or the like mounted on the vehicle 100.

[0075] The outer shape of the vehicle 100 contained in the captured image can be detected, for example, by inputting the captured image into a detection model that utilizes artificial intelligence. An example of the detection model is a trained machine learning model that has been trained to achieve either semantic segmentation or instance segmentation. This machine learning model can be, for example, a convolutional neural network (hereinafter, CNN) trained by supervised learning using a training dataset. The training dataset includes, for example, a plurality of training images including the vehicle 100 and correct labels indicating whether each region in the training image represents the vehicle 100 or a region other than the vehicle 100. During training of the CNN, it is preferable to update the parameters of the CNN using backpropagation (error backpropagation) to reduce the error between the output result of the detection model and the correct labels.

[0076] (C4) In the first embodiment, examples have been given in which the vehicle 100 is a passenger car, a truck, a bus, a construction vehicle, or the like. However, the vehicle 100 may be various types of moving body. A "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). A vehicle may be a vehicle that runs on wheels or a vehicle that runs on tracks, such as a motorcycle, a four-wheeled vehicle, or a tank. Vehicles include electric vehicles (BEVs: Battery Electric Vehicles), gasoline-powered vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles. When a moving body is something other than a vehicle, the terms "vehicle" and "car" in this disclosure may be replaced with "moving body" as appropriate, and the term "running" may be replaced with "movement" as appropriate.

[0077] (C5) Vehicle 100 may have a configuration that allows it to travel by unmanned driving. For example, it may be in the form of a platform having the configuration described below. Specifically, vehicle 100 may have at least ECU 200, drive unit 160, steering unit 170, and braking unit 150 to perform the three functions of "running," "turning," and "stopping" by unmanned driving. When vehicle 100 acquires information from the outside for unmanned driving, vehicle 100 may further have vehicle communication device 190. In other words, vehicle 100 that can travel by unmanned driving may not be equipped with at least some of its interior parts, such as a driver's seat and a dashboard, may not be equipped with at least some of its exterior parts, such as bumpers and fenders, or may not be equipped with 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 without the remaining parts such as the body shell being 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. Note that the position of the platform configuration may also be determined in the same way as for the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment.

[0078] (C6) The vehicle 100 may be manufactured by any manufacturing method. For example, the vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining multiple modules. A module refers to a unit composed of multiple parts grouped according to the location or function of the vehicle 100. For example, the platform of the vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining a front module that forms the front part of the platform, a central module that forms the center part of the platform, and a rear module that forms the rear part of the platform. The number of modules that form the platform is not limited to three, and may be two or less, or four or more. Furthermore, in addition to or instead of the parts that form the platform, parts that form parts of the vehicle 100 that are not part of the platform may be modularized. Furthermore, 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. Furthermore, not limited to the vehicle 100, any type of mobile object may be manufactured by combining multiple modules. Such a module may be manufactured, for example, by joining multiple parts by welding or fasteners, or by integrally molding at least some of the parts that form the module into a single part by casting. The molding method for integrally molding a single component, particularly a relatively large component, is also called gigacasting or megacasting. For example, the front module, center module, and rear module described above may be manufactured using gigacasting.

[0079] (C7) In the first embodiment, an example was shown in which the remote control device 300 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.

[0080] (1) The remote control device 300 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 by the acquired position, to the target position. The remote control device 300 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 300 may transmit the generated route to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may generate a driving control signal so that the vehicle 100 drives on the route received from the remote control device 300, and use the generated driving control signal to control the actuator group 140.

[0081] (2) The remote control device 300 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.

[0082] (3) In the above embodiments (1) and (2), the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor, and detection results 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, a camera, LiDAR, 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 300 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the route when generating a route. In the above embodiment (1), the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the driving control signal when generating a driving control signal. In the above embodiment (2), the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the route when generating a route. In the above embodiment (2), the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the route when generating a route.

[0083] (C8) In the second embodiment, the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor, and the detection results 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 results of the internal sensor and, when generating a route, reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the route. The vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor and, when generating a driving control signal, reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the driving control signal.

[0084] (C9) In the second embodiment, the vehicle 100 acquires the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 using the detection results of the vehicle detector 80. Alternatively, the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor, acquire the position and orientation using the detection results of the internal sensor, determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next travel, 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 80. The vehicle 100 may acquire a 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. Furthermore, the configuration of the transport system 600 and the functional configuration of the remote control device 300 may all be provided in the vehicle 100. In other words, the processes performed by the conveying system 600 and the remote control device 300 shown in the present disclosure, such as the process of switching at least one device provided in the vehicle 100 from a standby state to an operating state, may be performed by the vehicle 100 alone.

[0085] (C10) In the first embodiment described above, the remote control device 300 automatically generates a driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100. In contrast, the remote control device 300 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 that displays an image output from the vehicle detector 80, 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 300 via wired or wireless communication, and the remote control device 300 may generate a driving control signal in accordance with the operation applied to the control device.

[0086] (C11) Transporting vehicles using unmanned vehicle driving is also called "self-propelled transport." The configuration for realizing self-propelled transport is also called a "vehicle remote-controlled autonomous transport system." 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 portion of the vehicle transportation is achieved by self-propelled transport.

[0087] (C12) Some or all of the functions of the conveyor control unit 412 and the transfer position acquisition unit 414, which are realized by the transfer control device 400 shown in the first embodiment, may be realized by the remote control device 300. In other words, the transfer system 600 may be configured by the remote control device 300 alone.

[0088] (C13) In the above embodiments, an example was shown in which the inspection process was performed during transportation by the transport device 500. However, processing such as the inspection process may be performed at a time other than during transportation by the transport device 500. In this case, the progress status acquisition unit 318 or the progress status acquisition unit 218 acquires the progress status of the inspection process by, for example, detecting the elapsed time from the start of the inspection process or a button operation by an operator to output the completion of each process. Even with this configuration, it is possible to suppress or prevent a delay in starting to drive the vehicle 100 by remote control when the inspection process is completed.

[0089] (C14) In each of the above embodiments, an example has been shown in which the processing performed on the vehicle 100 is an inspection process. Also, an example has been shown in which the inspection process includes an engine room inspection and a visual inspection. In contrast, the processing performed on the vehicle 100 may be a process other than the inspection process, such as an assembly process. Furthermore, the inspection process may include other processes, such as inspection and adjustment of lights and meters, and oil leak inspection, instead of or in addition to the engine room inspection and visual inspection.

[0090] (C15) In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the standby state included a restricted state. In contrast, the standby state does not have to include a restricted state, and the standby state may be, for example, only a power-off state.

[0091] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each aspect described in the Summary of the Invention section can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve some or all of the above-described problems or achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 80, 80p, 80t... vehicle detector, 100, 100p, 100q, 100r1, 100r2, 100s, 100t... vehicle, 140... actuator group, 150... braking device, 152... brake pedal, 160... drive device, 161... accelerator pedal, 162... transmission unit, 164... lock unit, 166... ​​wheel, 167... EPB, 168... traction motor, 170... steering device, 172... handle, 190... vehicle communication device, 200, 200b... ECU, 210, 210b... CPU, 212... driving control unit, 214... position estimation unit, 218... progress status acquisition unit, 220, 220b... storage device, 230... interface circuit, 240... device determination unit, 242... vehicle information acquisition unit, 300... remote control device, 3 10...CPU, 312...remote control unit, 314...position estimation unit, 318...progress status acquisition unit, 320...device determination unit, 322...vehicle information acquisition unit, 340...storage device, 350...interface circuit, 390...remote communication device, 400...transport control device, 410...CPU, 412...conveyor control unit, 414...transport position acquisition unit, 440...storage device, 450...interface circuit, 490...transport communication device, 500...transport device, 510...transport unit, 522...motor, 526...transport position detector, 600...transport system, DR...transport direction, EP...end point, M1, M2, M3, Mn...markers, PT31, PT32, PT33, PT3n...boundary, SP...start point, SR...traveling path, TB...correspondence table, VP...transport position

Claims

1. A state switching device, a progress acquisition unit that acquires a progress of a process executed on a moving body during a manufacturing process of the moving body in a factory that manufactures the moving body, the moving body being capable of moving by unmanned operation and including at least one device; a device determination unit that determines a device to be switched to an operating state from among devices that are included in the at least one device and that have been put into a standby state before the process is executed, using the acquired progress status; and a command generating unit that generates and outputs a control command for switching the determined device to the operating state. State switching device.

2. 2. The state switching device according to claim 1, the progress status acquisition unit acquires, as the progress status, a predetermined start timing prior to a completion timing at which all of the processes are completed; the device determination unit determines, using the acquired activation timing, all devices for moving the moving object among the devices that have been put into the standby state as devices to be switched to the operating state; State switching device.

3. The state switching device according to claim 1 , wherein the process is executed while the moving body is being transported by a transport device capable of transporting the moving body.

4. The state switching device according to claim 3 , wherein the progress status acquisition unit acquires a transport position of the moving body associated with the progress status, and acquires the progress status using the acquired transport position.

5. 2. The state switching device according to claim 1, The at least one device includes a prime mover of the moving body; The process includes checking the prime mover while it is stopped in the standby state; the progress status acquisition unit acquires, as the progress status, a timing at which an inspection related to the prime mover is completed; The device determination unit determines the prime mover as a device to be switched to the operating state by using the acquired timing of the inspection related to the prime mover, The command generation unit generates a control command for operating the prime mover and transmits the control command to the moving body. State switcher.

6. The state switching device according to claim 1 , wherein the standby state includes a restricted state in which the power of the device is on and at least a part of a function of the device for moving the mobile object is restricted.

7. A mobile body capable of moving by unmanned operation, At least one device; a progress acquisition unit that acquires a progress of a process executed on the moving body in a manufacturing process of the moving body; a device determination unit that determines a device to be switched to an operating state from among devices that are included in the at least one device and that have been put into a standby state before the process is executed, using the acquired progress status; and a command generating unit that generates and outputs a control command for switching the determined device to the operating state. Mobile body.

8. A method for manufacturing a moving object including at least one device, acquiring a progress status of a process executed on the moving body in a manufacturing process of the moving body; Using the acquired progress status, determine which of the at least one device is to be switched to an active state among devices that were in a standby state before executing the process; switching the determined device to the active state; A method for manufacturing a moving object.

Images