Control system, control device, moving body, and control method

Abstract

To allow a movable body to appropriately enter a conveyance unit even when a stop position after entering a conveyance device is changed.SOLUTION: A control system for controlling movement of a movable body conveyed by unmanned operation at least in a manufacturing process, comprises: a stop position specifying unit that specifies a stop position at which the movable body is stopped in a conveyance unit of a conveyance device having the conveyance unit for conveying the movable body; and a control command unit that generates and outputs a control command for causing the movable body to enter the conveyance unit in accordance with the stop position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control system, a control device, a moving object, and a control method. [Background technology]

[0002] In a manufacturing system for manufacturing vehicles, there is known a technology that uses both a vehicle conveyance method, that is, conveyance using a belt and conveyance using a vehicle running under remote control. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which a manufacturing process is performed while a vehicle is being conveyed using a belt, and when the manufacturing process is completed, the vehicle is driven to a parking lot under 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] However, in Patent Document 1, only a configuration in which a vehicle is transported using a belt and then transported using a remote-controlled vehicle is considered, and no configuration in which a vehicle is transported using a belt after transport using a remote-controlled vehicle is considered. When entering a transport device using a belt, there is a problem that the stopping position after entering the transport device changes due to the delay / advancement status of the process of the preceding vehicle, or the cut-in of other vehicles transported by the operator. This problem is not limited to vehicles, but is common to any type of moving body. Moreover, it is not limited to vehicle transport using a belt, but is common to any type of transport method in which a moving body is transported by applying an external force. [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 control system for controlling movement of a moving object transported by unmanned operation at least in a manufacturing process, the control system including: a stop position specifying unit that specifies a stop position at which the moving object is to be stopped in a transport unit of a transport device having the transport unit that transports the moving object; and a control command unit that generates and outputs a control command for causing the moving object to enter the transport unit according to the stop position. According to this type of control system, the stop position of the moving body in the conveying section is identified, and a control command for making the moving body enter the conveying section according to the stop position is generated and output. Therefore, even if the stop position after entering the conveying device changes due to the delay / advancement status of the process of the preceding moving body or the interruption of other moving bodies conveyed by the operator, the moving body can be made to enter the conveying section appropriately. (2) In the above embodiment, the stop position identification unit may identify the stop position by using at least one of control information indicating a control state of the conveying device and obstacle information indicating the presence or absence of an obstacle on the conveying unit. According to this form of control system, the stopping position is determined using at least one of the control information indicating the control status of the conveying device and the obstacle information indicating the presence or absence of an obstacle on the conveying section, so that an appropriate stopping position can be determined depending on the conveying status of the conveying device indicated by at least one of the control information and the obstacle information. (3) In the above embodiment, the stop position identification unit may use the control information to identify a plurality of candidate stop positions that are candidates for the stop position, and may use the obstacle information to identify the stop position from among the plurality of candidate stop positions. According to this form of control system, a plurality of candidate stopping positions is identified using the control information, and a stopping position is identified from among the plurality of candidate stopping positions using the obstacle information. Therefore, a more appropriate stopping position can be identified compared to a configuration in which a stopping position is identified using only either the control information or the obstacle information. (4) In the above embodiment, the moving body has wheels for movement, and the stop position identification unit uses the control information to identify positions of a plurality of wheel chocks provided on the transport unit, and identifies, among the plurality of wheel chocks, positions that correspond to a predetermined number of consecutive wheel chocks counting from a transport start position at which transport of the moving body by the transport unit begins as the plurality of stop candidate positions, and uses the obstacle information to identify the presence or absence of the obstacle at each of the stop candidate positions, and identifies the stop position from among the plurality of stop candidate positions depending on the presence or absence of the obstacle. If the obstacle is not present at any of the stop candidate positions, the stop position identification unit may identify, among the plurality of stop candidate positions, the stop candidate position that is farthest from the transport start position as the stop position, and if the obstacle is present at any of the stop candidate positions, identify, among the plurality of stop candidate positions, the stop candidate position that is located one position before the stop candidate position at which the obstacle closest to the transport start position is located, as viewed from the transport start position. According to this form of control system, when no obstacle is present at any of the candidate stop positions, the candidate stop position farthest from the transfer start position is identified as the stop position among the multiple candidate stop positions, and when an obstacle is present at any of the candidate stop positions, the candidate stop position one position before the candidate stop position at which the obstacle closest to the transfer start position is located is identified as the stop position. This makes it possible to prevent the distance between the obstacle on the transfer section and the stop position from increasing more than necessary, and to prevent a decrease in the efficiency of transfer of the moving body by the transfer device. (5) In the above embodiment, the control command unit may generate and output a control command for controlling at least one of a timing at which the moving body enters the transport unit and a speed of the moving body. According to this form of control system, a control command is generated and output to control at least one of the timing of the moving body entering the conveying section and the speed of the moving body, so that the moving body can be allowed to enter the conveying section at the appropriate timing. (6) In the above embodiment, the control command unit may generate and output a control command to cause the moving body to enter the conveying unit when the distance between the conveying start position at which the conveying unit begins conveying the moving body and the stop position is greater than a predetermined threshold value. According to this form of control system, when the distance between the stop position and the conveyance start position is greater than a predetermined threshold, a control command for allowing the moving body to enter the conveyance section is generated and output, so that the moving body can be made to enter the conveyance section at a timing when sufficient space is secured on the conveyance section for mounting the moving body. This makes it possible to prevent the moving body from entering the conveyance section without sufficient space being secured on the conveyance section for mounting the moving body, and thus to prevent the moving body from being mounted on the conveyance section and conveyed in a state where it protrudes from the conveyance section, and to prevent damage to the moving body. (7) In the above embodiment, the control command unit may generate and output a control command to stop the moving body for a predetermined time when the distance between a conveying start position at which the conveying unit starts conveying the moving body and the stopping position is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value. According to this form of control system, when the distance between the stop position and the conveyance start position is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, a control command for stopping the moving body for a predetermined time is generated and output, so that the moving body can be made to wait until sufficient space is secured on the conveyance unit for mounting the moving body. This makes it possible to prevent the moving body from entering the conveyance unit without sufficient space being secured on the conveyance unit for mounting the moving body, and to prevent the moving body from being mounted on the conveyance unit and conveyed in a state where it protrudes from the conveyance unit, and thus to prevent damage to the moving body. (8) According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a control device for controlling movement of a moving body transported by unmanned operation at least in a manufacturing process, the control device including: a stop position specifying unit that specifies a stop position at which the moving body is to be stopped in a transport unit of a transport device having the transport unit that transports the moving body; and a control command unit that generates and outputs a control command for causing the moving body to enter the transport unit according to the stop position. According to this type of control device, the stop position of the moving body in the conveying section is specified, and a control command for making the moving body enter the conveying section is generated and output according to the stop position. Therefore, even if the stop position after entering the conveying device changes due to the delay / advancement status of the preceding vehicle's process or the interruption of other vehicles being conveyed by the operator, the moving body can be made to enter the conveying section appropriately. (9) According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a moving body capable of traveling in an unmanned manner, the moving body including: a stop position specifying unit that specifies a stop position at which the moving body is to be stopped in a conveying unit of a conveying device having the conveying unit that conveys the moving body; and a control command unit that generates and outputs a control command for causing the moving body to enter the conveying unit according to the stop position. According to this type of moving body, the stopping position of the moving body in the conveying section is specified, and a control command for making the moving body enter the conveying section is generated and output according to the stopping position. Therefore, even if the stopping position after entering the conveying device changes due to the delay / advancement status of the preceding vehicle's process, or the interruption of other vehicles being conveyed by the operator, the moving body can appropriately enter the conveying section. (10) According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a control method for controlling movement of a moving body transported by unmanned operation at least in a manufacturing process, the control method including: identifying a stop position at which the moving body is stopped in a transport section of a transport device having a transport section that transports the moving body; and generating and outputting a control command for causing the moving body to enter the transport section according to the stop position. According to this control method, the stop position of the moving body in the conveying section is specified, and a control command for making the moving body enter the conveying section is generated and output according to the stop position. Therefore, even if the stop position after entering the conveying device changes due to the delay / advancement status of the process of the preceding vehicle or the interruption of other vehicles being conveyed by the operator, the moving body can be made to enter the conveying section appropriately. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a transport system as a control system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a transport control device. [Figure 4] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a remote control device according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart showing a method for driving a vehicle in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing a vehicle transport method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart showing a vehicle transport method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart showing a vehicle transport method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an ECU provided in a vehicle according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] 6 is a flowchart showing a vehicle running method according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] A. First embodiment: A-1. System configuration: FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a conveyance system 600 as a control system of the first embodiment. The conveyance system 600 is used, for example, in a factory that manufactures a vehicle 100. The conveyance system 600 conveys the vehicle 100, which can run by remote control. The conveyance system 600 is used, for example, in a 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. During the conveyance, the vehicle 100 is subjected to processing such as inspection and assembly by workers, equipment, etc. The conveyance system 600 may also be used when conveying the vehicle 100, which has been completed after the manufacturing process, to a waiting place for shipment.

[0009] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle 100 according to the first embodiment. The vehicle 100 may be, for example, a passenger car, a truck, a bus, or a construction vehicle. In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 is an electric vehicle (BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle) capable of traveling by unmanned driving. "Unmanned driving" means driving without the driver's driving operation. Driving operation means at least one of the operations of "running", "turning", and "stopping" of the vehicle. Unmanned driving is realized by automatic or manual remote control using a device provided outside the vehicle, or autonomous control of the vehicle. A vehicle traveling by unmanned driving may have a driver who does not perform driving operations on board. A driver who does not perform driving operations includes, for example, a person who simply sits in the seat of the vehicle, or a person who performs work other than driving operations, such as assembly, inspection, and operation of switches, while riding in the vehicle. Driving by a driver's driving operation is sometimes called "manned driving". The vehicle 100 includes a communication device 190, an actuator group 140, a sensor group 180, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 200.

[0010] The ECU 200 is mounted on the vehicle 100 and executes various controls of 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 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 so as to be able to communicate bidirectionally. The interface circuit 230 is connected to the actuator group 140, the sensor group 180, and the communication device 190. The communication device 190 performs wireless communication with devices outside the vehicle 100 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 implementing 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 implement functions such as the operation control unit 212.

[0012] The driving control unit 212 executes driving control of the vehicle 100. The "driving control" refers to various controls for driving the actuator group 140 that exerts the functions of "running," "turning," and "stopping" of the vehicle 100, such as adjusting acceleration, speed, and steering angle. In this embodiment, the actuator group 140 includes an actuator of the drive device 160 for accelerating the vehicle 100, an actuator of the braking device 170 for decelerating the vehicle 100, and an actuator of a steering device (not shown) for changing the traveling direction of the vehicle 100. The actuator group 140 may also 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 actuator group 140 may also include an actuator for turning on and off lamps (not shown) of the vehicle 100, and an actuator for sounding a horn (not shown).

[0013] The actuator of the drive unit 160 includes a driving battery (not shown), a driving motor 168 driven by power from the driving battery, four wheels 166, 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. 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.

[0014] The transmission unit 162 includes a transmission mechanism such as gears and shafts, and transmits power from the traveling motor 168 to the wheels 166. The lock unit 164 switches between a fixed state in which the transmission mechanism of the transmission unit 162 is locked and an unlocked state. In this embodiment, the lock unit 164 is an electric parking brake (EPB) that can be operated by remote control. When the function of the transmission unit 162 is switched to the "P range" by remote control of the remote control device 300 or by a lever operation by an occupant of the vehicle 100, the lock unit 164 is switched to the fixed state, and the wheels 166 are locked and do not rotate. When the function is switched to the "N range", the gears and the like in the transmission mechanism of the transmission unit 162 are not connected, and the power from the traveling motor 168 is not transmitted to the wheels 166. In the N range, the wheels 166 are in a state in which they can spin freely. "Spinning freely" means a state in which the wheels 166 can spin freely. During spinning, even if the wheels 166 are rotated, the vehicle 100 does not advance a distance corresponding to the amount of rotation of the wheels 166. The "D range" is a state in which the lock unit 164 is in an unlocked state, and the gears of the transmission mechanism of the transmission unit 162 are connected. In the D range, the power from the driving motor 168 is transmitted to the wheels 166 by the transmission unit 162, and the vehicle 100 is capable of traveling.

[0015] When a driver is on board the vehicle 100, the driving control unit 212 can control the actuator group 140 in response to an operation by the driver to drive the vehicle 100. In addition, the driving control unit 212 can also drive the vehicle 100 by controlling the actuator group 140 in response to a control command transmitted from the remote control device 300, regardless of whether a driver is on board the vehicle 100 or not.

[0016] The sensor group 180 is a general type of sensor used for driving control of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the sensor group 180 includes an acceleration sensor 182 that detects an impact or the like to the vehicle 100. The measurement results by the sensor group 180 are transmitted to the ECU 200.

[0017] 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 vehicle detector 80 is a device for measuring vehicle information. The "vehicle information" is information used to estimate at least one of the position and the orientation of the vehicle 100, such as an image of the vehicle 100 or three-dimensional point cloud data of the vehicle 100. The "three-dimensional point cloud data" is data indicating the three-dimensional position of a point cloud. In this embodiment, the vehicle detector 80 uses LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging), which is a distance measuring device. The vehicle detector 80 measures the three-dimensional point cloud data of the vehicle 100 as the vehicle information. By using LiDAR, high-precision three-dimensional point cloud data can be acquired.

[0018] 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 in real time by acquiring vehicle information from the vehicle detector 80.

[0019] The conveying device 500 includes a conveying section 510 , a motor 522 , an encoder 524 , a plurality of conveyed object detectors 526 , and a conveying control device 400 .

[0020] The conveying unit 510 is driven by a motor 522 and conveys the vehicle 100, which is the object of conveyance, in the conveying direction DR at a predetermined conveying speed. In FIG. 1, only one end of the conveying unit 510 is illustrated, and the other end is omitted. In this embodiment, the conveying unit 510 is a belt conveyor having a circular endless belt. The conveying unit 510 is provided with a plurality of wheel stops 512 at predetermined intervals. The conveying unit 510 can carry one vehicle 100 for each section defined by two adjacent wheel stops 512, and conveys the vehicle 100 carried on the conveying unit 510. The vehicle 100 on the conveying unit 510 can be removed from the conveying unit 510 at any timing by remote control of the remote control device 300. In this embodiment, the conveying unit 510 is continuously driven regardless of whether or not the vehicle 100 is on the conveying unit 510. The conveying device 500 can move the vehicle 100 over a predetermined conveying section by the conveying unit 510 without remote control or operation control of the vehicle 100. The conveying unit 510 is not limited to a belt conveyor, and may be various conveyors capable of conveying the vehicle 100, such as a roller conveyor and a chain conveyor. The conveying unit 510 is not limited to being driven continuously, and may be configured to be driven only when the vehicle 100 is placed on the conveying unit 510, for example. The conveying unit 510 is not limited to being driven only by the vehicle 100, and may convey, for example, parts of the vehicle 100 together with the vehicle 100. In addition, a worker who performs processing on the vehicle 100 may ride on the conveying unit 510.

[0021] The transported goods detector 526 is a variety of detectors capable of detecting the presence or absence of a target, such as a camera, an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or a millimeter wave radar. The transported goods detector 526 detects the vehicle 100 on the transport section 510. The transported goods detector 526 is not limited to the vehicle 100, and may detect any transported goods transported by the transport section 510, such as a worker located on the transport section 510 or a part of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, there are multiple transported goods detectors 526, and the multiple transported goods detectors 526 are installed at a predetermined interval from each other. This makes it possible to detect the presence or absence of the vehicle 100 in each transport section, in other words, the position of the vehicle 100 in the transport section. Information regarding the position of the vehicle 100 detected by the transported goods detector 526 is also called "transported goods information". The detection result by the transported goods detector 526 is output to the transport control device 400. The position of the vehicle 100 in the transport section may be acquired using the vehicle detector 80. In this case, the transported goods detector 526 may be omitted.

[0022] 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic 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 communication device 490. The CPU 410, the storage device 440, and the interface circuit 450 are connected via an internal bus so as to be able to communicate in both directions. The communication device 490 is connected to the interface circuit 450. The communication device 490 communicates with the remote control device 300 and the vehicle 100 via a network or the like.

[0023] The storage device 440 is, for example, a RAM, a ROM, a HDD, or an SSD. The transported object information VP detected by the transported object 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 a part of the functions provided in this embodiment. The CPU 410 executes the program to function as a conveyor control unit 412, a transported object information acquisition unit 414, and an encoder value acquisition unit 416.

[0024] The conveyor control unit 412 drives the motor 522 to control the on / off and conveying speed of the conveyor 510. In addition, when some abnormality occurs in the conveyor device 500, such as an overload of the driving torque of the motor 522, causing the vehicle 100 to be unable to be conveyed, the conveyor control unit 412 transmits a signal indicating the occurrence of the abnormality to the remote control device 300.

[0025] The transported goods information acquisition unit 414 acquires the transport position of the vehicle 100 from the transported goods detector 526, and stores the acquired transport position as transported goods information VP in the storage device 440. In this embodiment, the transported goods information VP includes information indicating which transported goods detector 526 acquired the transported goods information. As described above, when the transport position of the vehicle 100 is detected by the vehicle detector 80, the transported goods information acquisition unit 414 acquires the transport position of the vehicle 100 from the vehicle detector 80, and stores the acquired transport position in the storage device 440 as transported goods information VP.

[0026] The encoder value acquisition unit 416 acquires an encoder value corresponding to the drive amount of the motor 522, in other words, the drive amount of the conveyance unit 510 driven by the motor 522, from an encoder 524 installed on the motor 522. In this embodiment, the encoder 524 outputs an encoder value that is counted up according to the drive distance each time the conveyance unit 510 is driven a predetermined distance. The encoder value is reset each time the conveyance unit 510 is driven a predetermined distance corresponding to the section on the conveyance unit 510 on which one vehicle 100 is mounted, more specifically, the section partitioned by the above-mentioned two wheel chocks 512. In other words, the encoder value indicates the position of the wheel chock 512 closest to one end of the conveyance device 500 from which the conveyance unit 510 is sent out, based on the one end.

[0027] 4 is a block diagram showing an internal functional configuration of the remote control device 300 according to the first embodiment. The remote control device 300 generates a control command for automatically driving the vehicle 100 by remote control, transmits the control command to the vehicle 100, and executes driving control of the vehicle 100 by remote control. For example, the remote control device 300 transports the vehicle 100 in a transport section in a factory by automatically driving the vehicle 100 by remote control.

[0028] The remote control device 300 includes a CPU 310 as a central processing unit, a storage device 340, an interface circuit 350, and a communication device 390. The CPU 310, the storage device 340, and the interface circuit 350 are connected to each other via an internal bus so as to be able to communicate in both directions. The communication device 390 is connected to the interface circuit 350. The communication device 390 communicates with the vehicle 100 and the transportation control device 400 via a network or the like.

[0029] The storage device 340 is, for example, a RAM, a ROM, a HDD, or an SSD. An estimated position VL, which will be described later, 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 a part 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 control command unit 312, a position estimation unit 314, and a stop position identification unit 316. However, some or all of these functions may be configured by hardware circuits.

[0030] 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 executes template matching using vehicle point cloud data stored in advance in the storage device 340 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 storage device 340 as an estimated position VL. 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. Template matching of the vehicle point cloud data to the 3D point cloud data can be performed using, for example, an Iterative Closest Point (ICP) algorithm, a Normal Distribution Transform (NDT) algorithm, etc. Note that template matching does not need to be performed when the position of the vehicle 100 can be estimated with high accuracy from the 3D point cloud data.

[0031] The control command unit 312 functions as a command generating unit that generates control commands for causing the vehicle 100 to perform various operations and outputs the control commands to the vehicle 100. For example, the control command unit 312 uses the estimated position and orientation of the vehicle 100, i.e., the estimated position VL, to generate a control command for automatically driving the vehicle 100 by remote control and transmits the control command to the vehicle 100. The control command is, for example, a command for driving the vehicle 100 according to 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 request for remote control, the driving control is realized by the driving control unit 212 of the ECU 200, and as a result, the vehicle 100 automatically drives. In this embodiment, the control command unit 312 can also generate a control command for driving the actuator group 140 that does not directly contribute to the driving control of the vehicle 100, such as lamps and horns (not shown).

[0032] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a method for driving the vehicle 100 according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 5, the flow on the left side shows the processing executed in the remote control device 300, and the flow on the right side shows the processing executed in the vehicle 100. In step S110, the control command unit 312 acquires position information indicating the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 using the detection result of the vehicle detector 80. 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 control command unit 312 detects the position of the vehicle 100 from the detection result acquired from the vehicle detector 80, and acquires position information of the vehicle 100 in the factory from the detected position of the vehicle 100.

[0033] In step S120, the control command unit 312 determines a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head. In this embodiment, the target position is represented by X, Y, and Z coordinates in the global coordinate system of the factory. A target route, which is a route along which the vehicle 100 should travel, is stored in advance in the storage device 340 of the remote control device 300. The target route is represented by a node indicating a starting point, a node indicating a passing point, a node indicating a destination, and links connecting the nodes. The control command unit 312 uses the position information of the vehicle 100 and the target route to determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head. The control command unit 312 determines a target position on the target route that is ahead of the current position of the vehicle 100.

[0034] In step S130, the control command unit 312 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 312 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 312 determines the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 accelerates, and when the driving speed is higher than the target speed, the control command unit 312 determines the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 decelerates. When the vehicle 100 is located on the target route, the control command unit 312 determines the steering angle so that the vehicle 100 does not deviate from the target route, and when the vehicle 100 is not located on the target route, in other words, when the vehicle 100 deviates from the target route, the control command unit 312 determines the steering angle so that the vehicle 100 returns to the target route.

[0035] In step S140, the control command unit 312 transmits the generated driving control signal to the vehicle 100. The control command unit 312 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.

[0036] In step S150, the driving control unit 212 of the vehicle 100 receives the driving control signal from the control command unit 312, and in step S160, controls the actuator group 140 using the received driving control signal to cause the vehicle 100 to drive at the acceleration and steering angle represented by the driving control signal. 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 causing the vehicle 100 to drive by remote control, it is possible to move the vehicle 100 without using transportation equipment such as a crane or a conveyor.

[0037] The stop position identification unit 316 shown in FIG. 4 identifies a stop position where the vehicle 100 is stopped in the conveying unit 510. In this embodiment, the stop position identification unit 316 identifies the stop position using the above-mentioned encoder value and the conveyed object information VP. A specific method for identifying the stop position will be described later. The encoder value corresponds to "control information indicating the control state of the conveying device 500" in this disclosure. The conveyed object information VP corresponds to "obstacle information" in this disclosure. The "control state of the conveying device 500" refers to various control states of the conveying device 500 related to the conveying of the vehicle 100 by the conveying device 500, such as the moving speed of the conveying unit 510 and the presence or absence of an abnormality.

[0038] A method for transporting a vehicle 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a transport section of the vehicle 100 from range AR1 to range AR3. Range AR1 is a transport section in which the vehicle 100 is transported autonomously by remote control. In range AR1, the vehicle 100 automatically travels toward the transport device 500 by remote control using vehicle information acquired from a vehicle detector 80.

[0039] The range AR2 is an example of a transfer start area where the transfer of the vehicle 100 by the transfer device 500 starts. In the range AR2, remote control is stopped at the stop position identified by the above-mentioned stop position identification unit 316, and the transfer method of the vehicle 100 is switched from self-propelled transfer by remote control to transfer by the transfer device 500. The vehicle 100 traveling by remote control passes over the transfer start position SP, which is one end side of the transfer device 500 where the transfer of the vehicle 100 by the transfer unit 510 starts, and enters the range AR2. The vehicle 100 that has reached the range AR2 becomes available for transfer by the transfer unit 510.

[0040] In the range AR3, the vehicle 100 is transported by the transport device 500 and undergoes processing such as an inspection process. In this embodiment, the range AR3 is an area outside the detection range of the vehicle 100 by the vehicle detector 80, and in the range AR3, automatic traveling of the vehicle 100 by remote control is not performed. However, the vehicle 100 in the range AR3 may be in a state capable of wireless communication with the remote control device 300, and remote control may be performed to perform operations other than traveling of the vehicle 100, such as turning on and off the power of the vehicle 100 or each part. In addition, the range AR3 may be set within the detection range of the vehicle detector 80, and in this case, automatic traveling by remote control may be performed in the range AR3 as well.

[0041] When the inspection process and other processes are completed, the vehicle 100 is transported by the transport unit 510 to the other end of the transport device 500 (not shown). At the other end of the transport device 500, the vehicle 100 reaches a range detectable by another vehicle detector 80 (not shown), and automatically travels by remote control to leave the transport unit 510.

[0042] A-2. Method of transporting the vehicle 100: 6 to 8 are flowcharts showing the transportation method of the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment. This flow starts when the vehicle 100 starts traveling toward the transportation device 500.

[0043] 6, the control command unit 312 remotely controls the vehicle 100 to automatically travel toward the conveying device 500. More specifically, the control command unit 312 uses the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 estimated by the position estimation unit 314 to generate a control command for remotely controlling the vehicle 100 to travel toward the conveying device 500, and transmits the control command to the vehicle 100.

[0044] In step S204, the control command unit 312 uses the position of the vehicle 100 estimated by the position estimation unit 314 to determine whether the vehicle 100 has reached the entry preparation position RP shown in FIG. 1. The "entry preparation position RP" is set in advance as a point that is a predetermined distance away from the transfer start position SP. The entry preparation position RP is located on the front side of the transfer start position SP as viewed from the vehicle 100 before reaching the transfer start position SP. The distance between the transfer start position SP and the entry preparation position RP is set, for example, as a distance traveled by the vehicle 100, which runs automatically at a predetermined speed, during a time required to identify a stop position, which will be described later. If it is determined that the vehicle 100 has not yet reached the entry preparation position RP (step S204: No), the control command unit 312 executes step S202 again and continues the automatic running of the vehicle 100 by remote control.

[0045] If it is determined that the vehicle 100 has reached the entry preparation position RP (step S204: Yes), in step S206, the control command unit 312 determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the conveying device 500. For example, when the control command unit 312 receives a signal indicating the occurrence of an abnormality in the conveying device 500 from the conveyor control unit 412, the control command unit 312 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the conveying device 500. If it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the conveying device 500 (step S206: Yes), step S228 described below is executed.

[0046] If it is determined that no abnormality has occurred in the conveying device 500 (step S206: No), in step S208, the stop position identifying unit 316 identifies the wheel stopper position. In this embodiment, the stop position identifying unit 316 acquires an encoder value from the encoder value acquiring unit 416, and identifies the position of the wheel stopper 512a that is closest to the conveying start position SP based on the value indicated by the encoder value. Furthermore, the stop position identifying unit 316 identifies the positions of the other wheel stoppers 512, including the wheel stoppers 512b and 512c, by adding the distance between two preset wheel stoppers 512 to the position of the identified wheel stopper 512a.

[0047] In step S210, the stop position identification unit 316 identifies the above-mentioned stop position candidates (hereinafter, also referred to as "candidate stop positions") using the identified position of the wheel stopper 512, and acquires obstacle information for the candidate stop positions. In this embodiment, the stop position identification unit 316 identifies, among the identified wheel stoppers 512, the position of the wheel stopper 512a that is closest to the transfer start position SP as the second candidate stop position ST2, and identifies the position of the wheel stopper 512b that is second closest to the transfer start position SP as the first candidate stop position ST1, as shown in FIG. 1. The candidate stop positions may not necessarily coincide with the positions of the wheel stoppers 512a and 512b, but may be identified as positions that correspond to the positions of the wheel stoppers and are separated by a predetermined distance from each wheel stopper. The first candidate stop position ST1 is located on the rear side of the second candidate stop position ST2 as viewed from the transfer start position SP. Note that the positions corresponding to the consecutive wheel chocks 512 counting from the wheel chock 512 closest to the conveyance start position SP that are to be identified as the stop candidate positions may be arbitrarily determined depending on an area on the conveyance section 510 to which the vehicle 100 can be automatically driven by remote control, more specifically, the detection range of the vehicle detector 80, etc. The stop position identification section 316 acquires, as obstacle information, conveyed goods information VP acquired by the conveyed goods detector 526a installed at a position corresponding to the first stop candidate position ST1, and conveyed goods information VP acquired by the conveyed goods detector 526b installed at a position corresponding to the second stop candidate position ST2, out of the conveyed goods information VP detected by the conveyed goods detector 526.

[0048] In step S212, the stop position identification unit 316 determines whether or not there is a target at the first stop candidate position ST1. More specifically, the stop position identification unit 316 determines whether or not there is a target in an area of ​​a size that is predetermined based on the first stop candidate position ST1. The stop position identification unit 316 determines that there is a target when the vehicle 100 is parked at the first stop candidate position ST1 and also when parts of the vehicle 100 are placed there. This is because the parts of the vehicle 100 hinder the stopping of the vehicle 100. Note that the stop position identification unit 316 may determine that there is no target when a worker is located at the first stop candidate position ST1. This is because if the target is a worker, it is considered that the worker will pass by in a short time and will not hinder the stopping of the vehicle 100.

[0049] If it is determined that there is no target at the first stop position candidate ST1 (step S212: No), in step S214, the stop position identification unit 316 sets the stop position to the first stop position candidate ST1. The case where it is determined that there is a target at the first stop position candidate ST1 (step S212: Yes) will be described later.

[0050] In step S216 shown in FIG. 7, the control command unit 312 remotely controls the vehicle 100 to automatically travel to a stopping position.

[0051] In step S218, the control command unit 312 determines whether the vehicle 100 has entered a wheel stopper detection area ARd. As shown in Fig. 1, the "wheel stopper detection area ARd" refers to an area that is set in advance based on the position of the wheel stopper 512 identified as the stop position. If it is determined that the vehicle 100 has not yet entered the wheel stopper detection area ARd (step S218: No), the control command unit 312 continues the automatic driving of the vehicle 100 by remote control.

[0052] If it is determined that the vehicle 100 has entered the wheel stopper detection area ARd (step S218: Yes), in step S220, the control command unit 312 determines whether the vehicle 100 has reached a stop position. In this embodiment, the control command unit 312 determines that the vehicle 100 has reached a stop position when the acceleration sensor 182 detects an impact when the wheel 166 of the vehicle 100 contacts the wheel stopper 512. By setting the wheel stopper detection area ARd, it is possible to prepare in advance for impact detection by the acceleration sensor 182, and therefore it is possible to improve the accuracy of the stop position when the wheel stopper 512 is detected. Note that if position accuracy at the stop position is not required, the wheel stopper detection area ARd does not need to be set, and the above-mentioned step S218 does not need to be executed.

[0053] When it is determined that the vehicle 100 has reached the stop position (step S220: Yes), in step S222, the control command unit 312 stops the vehicle 100. At this time, it is preferable that the control command unit 312 further generates a control command to instruct the transmission unit 162 included in the vehicle 100 to switch to the P range and transmits it to the vehicle 100. By switching to the P range, it is possible to prevent the vehicle 100 from moving on the transport unit 510 while the transport device 500 is transporting the vehicle 100. Furthermore, by stopping the travel of the vehicle 100, the remote control device 300 allows, for example, an operator to smoothly inspect the electric system, the engine room, and the like of the vehicle 100 while the vehicle 100 is being transported.

[0054] In step S224, the control command unit 312 stops the remote control of the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 for which the remote control has been stopped is transported by the transport device 500, and undergoes predetermined processes such as an inspection process, an assembly process, and a painting process. In this embodiment, the remote control of the vehicle 100 is stopped by stopping the generation of control commands by the remote control device 300, or by stopping the transmission of control commands to the vehicle 100. By stopping the remote control of the vehicle 100 during transportation by the transport device 500, the remote control device 300 can suppress an increase in power consumption and processing load of itself and other devices related to the remote control of the vehicle 100. Note that the vehicle 100 may be in a state capable of wireless communication with the remote control device 300 even after the remote control has been stopped, and may perform remote control for performing operations other than the running of the vehicle 100, such as turning on and off the power of the vehicle 100 and each part. With the above, the remote control device 300 ends the processing.

[0055] If it is determined that the vehicle 100 has not yet reached the stop position (step S220: No), in step S226, the control command unit 312 determines whether the vehicle 100 has passed the stop position. If it is determined that the vehicle 100 has not passed the stop position (step S226: No), step S216 is executed again.

[0056] If it is determined that the vehicle 100 has passed the stop position (step S226: Yes), in step S228, the control command unit 312 notifies the vehicle 100 of the occurrence of an abnormality by remote control and stops the vehicle 100. For example, an abnormality occurs in the contact detection with the wheel stopper 512 by the acceleration sensor 182 or an abnormality occurs in the position estimation of the vehicle 100 by the position estimation unit 314, which may cause the vehicle 100 to pass the stop position. When such an abnormality occurs, the control command unit 312 generates a control command to activate lamps and horns (not shown) of the vehicle 100 and transmits the control command to the vehicle 100, thereby notifying a worker who performs work on the vehicle 100, a manager of the process, or a manager of the transport system 600. By notifying the occurrence of the abnormality, the operator or the like is prompted to resolve the abnormality, so that an increase in the waiting time for transporting the vehicle 100 due to the occurrence of the abnormality can be suppressed, and an increase in the time required for transporting the vehicle 100 can be suppressed. After step S228, the above-mentioned step S224 is executed.

[0057] Returning to the explanation of the determination in step S212 shown in Fig. 6, a case where it is determined that there is a target at the first stop candidate position ST1 (step S212: Yes) will be explained. In step S230 shown in Fig. 8, the stop position identification unit 316 determines whether or not there is a target at the second stop candidate position ST2. The determination in this step is realized by the same method as in step S212 described above.

[0058] If it is determined that there is no target at the second stop position candidate ST2 (step S230: No), in step S232, the stop position identification unit 316 sets the stop position to the second stop position candidate ST2. The case where it is determined that there is a target at the second stop position candidate ST2 (step S230: Yes) will be described later.

[0059] In step S234, the control command unit 312 determines whether the vehicle 100 can enter the stop position. In this embodiment, the control command unit 312 determines that the vehicle 100 can enter the stop position when the distance between the second stop candidate position ST2 set as the stop position and the transfer start position SP is longer than the overall length of the vehicle 100. The "overall length of the vehicle 100" corresponds to the "predetermined threshold value" in this disclosure. If it is determined that the vehicle 100 can enter the stop position (step S234: Yes), the above-mentioned step S216 is executed.

[0060] If it is determined that the vehicle 100 cannot enter the stop position (step S234: No), in other words, if the distance between the stop position and the transfer start position SP is equal to or less than the overall length of the vehicle 100, in step S236, the control command unit 312 determines whether or not the first standard time has elapsed since the flow was started and the determination in step S234 was executed for the first time. The "first standard time" is set as the time required for the vehicle 100 to be able to enter the stop position. For example, the first standard time is set as the time required for the distance between the stop position and the transfer start position SP to become longer than the overall length of the vehicle 100 based on the position of the wheel chock 512 identified in step S208. The first standard time may also be set in advance as the time required for the transfer unit 510 to move the distance between two adjacent wheel chocks 512.

[0061] If it is determined that the first standard time has not yet elapsed (step S236: No), in step S238, the control command unit 312 temporarily stops the vehicle 100 and executes the above-mentioned step S234 again. That is, the control command unit 312 repeatedly executes steps S234 to S238 until the vehicle 100 is able to enter the stop position or the first standard time has elapsed. Thus, in this embodiment, when the distance between the stop position and the transfer start position SP is equal to or less than the overall length of the vehicle 100, the control command unit 312 controls the timing of the vehicle 100 entering the transfer unit 510 by stopping the vehicle 100. This makes it possible to prevent the vehicle 100 from being loaded onto the transfer unit 510 and transferred in a state where it protrudes from the transfer unit 510, and to prevent wear on the wheels 166.

[0062] When it is determined that the first standard time has elapsed (step S236: Yes), the control command unit 312 executes the above-mentioned step S228. This is because if the vehicle 100 cannot enter the stop position even after the first standard time has elapsed, it is considered that an abnormality such as an emergency stop of the conveyance device 500 has occurred.

[0063] Returning to the description of the determination in step S230, a case where it is determined that there is a target at the second stop candidate position ST2 (step S230: Yes) will be described. The control command unit 312 temporarily stops the vehicle 100 in step S240, and determines whether the second standard time has elapsed since the temporary stop started in step S242. The "second standard time" is set as the time required for a new wheel stopper 512 to appear by the driving of the transport unit 510 and for the vehicle 100 to be able to enter. For example, the second standard time is set as the time required for the distance between the transport start position SP and the wheel stopper 512 that appears next to the wheel stopper 512 closest to the transport start position SP to become longer than the overall length of the vehicle 100, based on the position of the wheel stopper 512 identified in step S208. Also, the second standard time may be set in advance as the time required for the transport unit 510 to move the distance between two adjacent wheel stops 512, like the first standard time.

[0064] If it is determined that the second standard time has not yet elapsed (step S242: No), the above-mentioned step S208 is executed again. If it is determined that there is a target at the second stop candidate position ST2, it is considered that the vehicle 100 is stopped at the wheel stopper 512 that is closest to the transfer start position SP. Therefore, the control command unit 312 temporarily stops the vehicle 100 until a new wheel stopper 512 appears by driving the transfer unit 510 and the vehicle 100 can enter.

[0065] If it is determined that the second standard time has elapsed (step S242: Yes), the above-mentioned step S228 is executed. This is because if the vehicle 100 cannot enter the stop position even after the second standard time has elapsed, it is considered that an abnormality such as an emergency stop of the conveyance device 500 has occurred.

[0066] According to the conveyance system 600 of the first embodiment described above, the stopping position of the moving body in the conveyance section 510 is identified, and a control command for making the vehicle 100 enter the conveyance section 510 is generated and output according to the stopping position. Therefore, even if the stopping position after entering the conveyance device 500 changes due to a delay / advancement situation of the process of another preceding vehicle, or due to an interruption of another vehicle being conveyed by an operator, the vehicle 100 can be appropriately made to enter the conveyance section 510.

[0067] In addition, the stopping position is identified using at least one of the control information indicating the control state of the conveying device 500 and the obstacle information indicating the presence or absence of an obstacle on the conveying section 510, so that an appropriate stopping position can be identified depending on the conveying state of the conveying device 500 indicated by at least one of the control information and the obstacle information.

[0068] In addition, since a plurality of candidate stopping positions is identified using control information and a stopping position is identified from among the plurality of candidate stopping positions using obstacle information, a more appropriate stopping position can be identified compared to a configuration in which a stopping position is identified using only either the control information or the obstacle information.

[0069] Furthermore, if no obstacle is present at any of the stop candidate positions, the stop candidate position farthest from the transfer start position SP among the multiple stop candidate positions is specified as the stop position, and if an obstacle is present at any of the stop candidate positions, the stop candidate position one position before the stop candidate position at which the obstacle closest to the transfer start position SP is located, as viewed from the transfer start position SP, is specified as the stop position. This makes it possible to prevent the distance between the obstacle on the transfer section 510 and the stop position from increasing more than necessary, and to prevent a decrease in the efficiency of transfer of the vehicle 100 by the transfer device 500.

[0070] In addition, when the distance between the stop position and the transfer start position SP is greater than a predetermined threshold, a control command for causing the vehicle 100 to enter the transfer section 510 is generated and output, so that the vehicle 100 can enter the transfer section 510 at a timing when a sufficient space for loading the vehicle 100 on the transfer section 510 is secured. On the other hand, when the distance between the stop position and the transfer start position SP is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, a control command for causing the vehicle 100 to stop for a predetermined time is generated and output, so that the vehicle 100 can wait until a sufficient space for loading the vehicle 100 on the transfer section 510 is secured. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the vehicle 100 from entering the transfer section 510 without a sufficient space being secured on the transfer section 510 for loading the vehicle 100, and the vehicle 100 from being loaded on the transfer section 510 and transported in a state where it protrudes from the transfer section 510, and to prevent the vehicle 100 from being damaged.

[0071] B. Second embodiment: 9 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an ECU 200b provided in a vehicle 100 of 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 control 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 described.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 9, the ECU 200b differs from the ECU 200 shown in the first embodiment in that the ECU 200b 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 a program for implementing functions corresponding to the control command unit 312, the position estimation unit 314, and the stop position identification unit 316 included in the remote control device 300 in addition to the functions of the CPU 210 shown in the first embodiment. As a result, the CPU 210b further functions as the control command unit 214, the position estimation unit 216, and the stop position identification unit 218 corresponding to these functions. The storage device 220b also stores the estimated position VL stored in the remote control device 300. According to the vehicle 100 configured in this manner, it is possible to obtain the same effects as those of the first embodiment without using a device separate from the vehicle 100, such as the remote control device 300.

[0073] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a driving method of the vehicle 100 according to the present embodiment. In step S310, the position estimation unit 216 acquires the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 using the detection result of the vehicle detector 80. In step S320, the control command unit 214 determines a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next move. In this embodiment, an ideal route is pre-stored in the storage device 220b of the ECU 200b. In step S330, the control command unit 214 generates a driving control signal for driving the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. In step S340, 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 represented by the driving control signal. The driving control unit 212 repeats the acquisition of the position and orientation of the vehicle 100, the determination of the target position, the generation of the driving 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 300.

[0074] C. Other embodiments: (C1) In the above embodiment, the stop position identification unit 316 identifies a plurality of candidate stop positions using the positions of the plurality of wheel chocks 512 identified using the encoder value as the control information of the transport device 500, and identifies a stop position from among the plurality of candidate stop positions using the obstacle information, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, first, the stop position identification unit 316 identifies the position of the wheel chock 512 at which the other vehicle is stopped, among the plurality of wheel chocks 512 identified using the encoder value as the control information of the transport device 500, using the obstacle information. The stop position identification unit 316 may identify the position of the wheel chock 512c closest to the transport start position SP at which the other vehicle 102 shown in FIG. 1 is stopped, among the wheel chocks 512 at which the other vehicle 100 is stopped, and identify the wheel chock 512b located one position before the identified wheel chock 512c as seen from the transport start position SP, as the stop position. This form also provides the same effect as the above embodiment. Furthermore, the stopping position of the vehicle 100 may be preset and stored in the storage device 340, and in such a configuration, the stopping position identification unit 316 may identify the stopping position of the vehicle 100 by referring to the stopping position stored in the storage device 340. Even in such a configuration, the vehicle 100 can enter the transport unit 510 according to the preset stopping position.

[0075] Furthermore, the stop position identifying unit 316 may identify the stop position by using at least one of the control information and the obstacle information of the transport device 500. For example, the stop position identifying unit 316 may identify the position of another vehicle 102, which is an obstacle located in front of the vehicle 100 as shown in Fig. 1, by using the obstacle information, and identify a position a predetermined distance away from the identified position of the vehicle 102 as the stop position. According to this embodiment, the stop position can be identified by a simpler method without using the control information of the transport device 500.

[0076] The stop position identification unit 316 may also identify the position of the wheel stopper 512c at which the vehicle 102 is stopped, using control information of the other vehicle 102 instead of the obstacle information and an encoder value as control information of the transport device 500. More specifically, the stop position identification unit 316 first identifies the position of the wheel stopper 512c located closest to the stopped vehicle 102, using information indicating whether the vehicle 102 is stopped or not and an estimated position VL estimated as the position of the vehicle 102, as the control information of the other vehicle 102. The stop position identification unit 316 may also identify the wheel stopper 512b located one position before the wheel stopper 512c as viewed from the transport start position SP, as the stop position. According to this embodiment, the stop position can be identified in a simpler manner without using obstacle information.

[0077] (C2) In the above embodiment, when the distance between the stop position and the transfer start position SP is equal to or less than the entire length of the vehicle 100, the control command unit 312 stops the vehicle 100 and controls the timing of the vehicle 100 entering the transfer unit 510, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the control command unit 312 may control the speed at which the vehicle 100 enters the transfer device 500 and stops at the stop position. In this case, the control command unit 312 may reduce the transfer speed of the vehicle 100 by automatic driving without stopping the vehicle 100. Even with this embodiment, the timing at which the vehicle 100 reaches the transfer start position SP can be delayed, thereby controlling the timing at which the vehicle 100 enters the transfer unit 510.

[0078] (C3) In each of the above embodiments, an example has been shown in which the position estimation unit 314 and the position estimation unit 216 are provided. In contrast, 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 216 may be omitted. In this case, for example, the detection result of a sensor capable of detecting the vehicle 100, such as the conveyed object detector 526 provided in the conveying device 500, can be used.

[0079] (C4) In the above embodiment, the stop position identification unit 316 acquires, as obstacle information, the transported object information VP acquired by the transported object detector 526a installed at a position corresponding to the first stop candidate position ST1 and the transported object information VP acquired by the transported object detector 526b installed at a position corresponding to the second stop candidate position ST2, among the transported object information VP detected by the transported object detector 526, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The stop position identification unit 316 may acquire, as obstacle information, vehicle information acquired by the vehicle detector 80, instead of the transported object information VP. Even with this embodiment, for example, it is possible to determine whether or not an obstacle such as a vehicle exists at the first stop candidate position ST1 and the second stop candidate position ST2 by referring to the areas corresponding to the first stop candidate position ST1 and the second stop candidate position ST2 in the three-dimensional point cloud data acquired as the vehicle information.

[0080] (C5) In the above embodiment, an example in which the vehicle detector 80 is a LiDAR was shown. In contrast, instead of or together with the LiDAR, an external camera provided 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 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 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 orientation 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, for example, using 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.

[0081] 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. As the detection model, for example, a trained machine learning model that has been trained to realize either semantic segmentation or instance segmentation can be used. As this machine learning model, for example, a convolutional neural network (hereinafter, CNN) trained by supervised learning using a training dataset can be used. 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. During training of the CNN, it is preferable that the parameters of the CNN are updated by backpropagation (error backpropagation method) so as to reduce an error between the output result of the detection model and the correct answer label.

[0082] (C6) 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 includes an electric vehicle (BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle), a gasoline vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, and a fuel cell vehicle. When the moving body is 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".

[0083] (C7) The vehicle 100 may have a configuration capable of moving by remote control. 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 remote control. That is, the "vehicle 100 capable of moving by remote control" 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.

[0084] (C8) 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.

[0085] (C9) Some or all of the functions of the conveyor control unit 412 and the transported object information acquisition unit 414 realized by the transport control device 400 shown in each of the above embodiments may be realized by the remote control device 300. In other words, the transport system 600 may be configured by the remote control device 300 alone.

[0086] (C10) In the above 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.

[0087] (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 in 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 travel control signal so that the vehicle 100 travels on the route received from the remote control device 300, and control the actuator group 140 using the generated travel control signal.

[0088] (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.

[0089] (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, a camera, a 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 300 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.

[0090] (C11) In the above second 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.

[0091] (C12) In the second embodiment, the vehicle 100 acquires the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 using the detection result of the vehicle detector 80. 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 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 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, 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 implemented by the conveyance system 600 and the remote control device 300, such as the process of identifying candidate stopping positions described in the present disclosure, may be implemented by the vehicle 100 alone.

[0092] (C13) In the above first embodiment, 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 for displaying 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 by wired communication 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.

[0093] (C14) Transporting a vehicle using unmanned vehicle driving is also called "self-propelled transport." Also, the configuration for realizing self-propelled transport is also called "vehicle remote control autonomous driving transport system." Also, the 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.

[0094] (C15) In the above embodiment, at least one of the control command unit 312 and the conveyor control unit 412 may, in addition to the above control, perform at least one of control to stop the traveling of the vehicle 100 and control to stop driving of the conveyance unit 510, depending on the state of the vehicle 100 on the conveyance unit 510. Specifically, in the process shown in Figures 6 to 8 described above, if the stop position identification unit 316 cannot identify the stop position of the vehicle 100 on the conveyance unit 510, the control command unit 312 may stop the vehicle 100.

[0095] In addition, when vehicle 100 is stopped in a state where it has not completely entered onto conveying section 510, for example, when only the front wheels of vehicle 100 are positioned on conveying section 510 but the rear wheels of vehicle 100 are not positioned on conveying section 510, conveyor control section 412 may stop driving conveying section 510.

[0096] Furthermore, when the vehicle 100 traveling on the transport section 510 runs off the track, the control command unit 312 may stop the vehicle 100 from traveling, and the conveyor control unit 412 may stop the driving of the transport section 510. Note that "running off the track" refers to a state in which the wheels 166 of the vehicle 100 run off the track of the transport section 510.

[0097] Furthermore, when the vehicle 100 makes an emergency stop, the conveyor control unit 412 may stop driving the transport unit 510.

[0098] 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]

[0099] 80...vehicle detector, 100, 102...vehicle, 140...actuator group, 160...drive device, 162...transmission unit, 164...lock unit, 166...wheel, 168...travel motor, 170...braking device, 180...sensor group, 182...acceleration sensor, 190...communication device, 200, 200b...ECU, 210, 210b...CPU, 212...driving control unit, 214...control command unit, 216...position estimation unit, 218...stop position identification unit, 220...storage device, 220b...storage device, 230...interface circuit, 300...remote control device, 310...CPU, 312...control command unit, 314...position estimation unit, 316...stop position identification unit, 340...storage device, 350...interface circuit Path, 390... communication device, 400... conveyance control device, 410... CPU, 412... conveyor control unit, 414... conveyed object information acquisition unit, 416... encoder value acquisition unit, 440... storage device, 450... interface circuit, 490... communication device, 500... conveyance device, 510... conveyance unit, 512, 512a, 512b, 512c... wheel stopper, 522... motor, 524... encoder, 526, 526a, 526b... conveyed object detector, 600... conveyance system, AR1, AR2, AR3... range, ARd... wheel stopper detection area, DR... conveyance direction, RP... entry preparation position, SP... conveyance start position, ST1... first stop candidate position, ST2... second stop candidate position, VL... estimated position, VP... conveyed object information

Claims

1. A control system for controlling movement of a moving object that is transported by unmanned operation at least in a manufacturing process, a stop position specification unit that specifies a stop position at which the moving body is stopped in a transport unit of a transport device having the transport unit that transports the moving body; a control command unit that generates and outputs a control command for causing the movable body to enter the transport unit in accordance with the stop position; Equipped with Control system.

2. 2. The control system of claim 1, the stop position identification unit identifies the stop position by using at least one of control information indicating a control state of the transport device and obstacle information indicating the presence or absence of an obstacle on the transport unit. Control system.

3. 3. The control system of claim 2, The stop position identification unit is identifying a plurality of candidate stop positions, which are a plurality of candidates for the stop position, using the control information; identifying the stop position from among the plurality of stop candidate positions using the obstacle information; Execute Control system.

4. 4. The control system of claim 3, The moving body has wheels for moving, The stop position identification unit is identifying positions of a plurality of wheel stops provided on the transport section using the control information; Identifying, as the plurality of stop candidate positions, positions corresponding to a predetermined number of consecutive wheel stops among the plurality of wheel stops, counting from a conveyance start position at which conveyance of the moving body by the conveyance unit is started; Using the obstacle information, determine whether or not the obstacle is present at each of the stop candidate positions; and identifying the stop position from among the plurality of stop position candidates depending on the presence or absence of the obstacle; Run The stop position identification unit is If the obstacle is not present at any of the stop position candidates, the stop position candidate that is farthest from the transport start position among the plurality of stop position candidates is identified as the stop position; when the obstacle is present at any of the stop candidate positions, the stop candidate position that is located one position before the stop candidate position at which the obstacle is located closest to the transfer start position, as viewed from the transfer start position, among the plurality of stop candidate positions, is specified as the stop position. Control system.

5. A control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The control command unit generates and outputs a control command for controlling at least one of a timing at which the moving body enters the transport unit and a speed of the moving body. Control system.

6. 6. The control system of claim 5, the control command unit generates and outputs a control command for causing the moving body to enter the conveying unit when a distance between a conveying start position at which conveying of the moving body by the conveying unit is started and the stop position is greater than a predetermined threshold value. Control system.

7. 6. The control system of claim 5, the control command unit generates and outputs a control command for stopping the moving body for a predetermined time when a distance between a transport start position at which transport of the moving body by the transport unit is started and the stop position is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value. Control system.

8. A control device for controlling movement of a moving body that is transported by unmanned operation at least in a manufacturing process, a stop position specification unit that specifies a stop position at which the moving body is stopped in a transport unit of a transport device having the transport unit that transports the moving body; a control command unit that generates and outputs a control command for causing the movable body to enter the transport unit in accordance with the stop position; Equipped with Control device.

9. A moving body capable of traveling by unmanned operation, a stop position specification unit that specifies a stop position at which the moving body is stopped in a transport unit of a transport device having the transport unit that transports the moving body; a control command unit that generates and outputs a control command for causing the movable body to enter the transport unit in accordance with the stop position; Equipped with Mobile body.

10. A method for controlling movement of a moving object that is transported by unmanned operation at least in a manufacturing process, comprising: specifying a stop position at which the moving body is stopped in a transport unit of a transport device having the transport unit that transports the moving body; generating and outputting a control command for causing the movable body to enter the transport section in accordance with the stop position; Equipped with Control methods.

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