Device, and vehicle control method

Abstract

To provide technique capable of properly controlling travel of a vehicle, even if the vehicle travels on a conveyor.SOLUTION: A device includes: a determination part for determining whether a vehicle capable of traveling by unmanned operation puts on a conveyor; a conveyance speed acquisition part for acquiring the conveyance speed of the conveyor; and a determination part for determining the target vehicle speed of the vehicle, on the basis of the acquired conveyance speed, when it is determined that the vehicle is put on the conveyor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and a method for controlling a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for running a vehicle autonomously or by remote control during the vehicle manufacturing process. [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] The inventors of the present application have found that a vehicle capable of running autonomously or by remote control may run not only on a stationary road surface but also on a moving conveyor. In this way, even when the vehicle runs on a conveyor, a technology is desired that can appropriately control the running of the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

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

[0006] (1) According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus including: a determination unit that determines whether an unmanned vehicle is on a conveyor; a conveyance speed acquisition unit that acquires a conveyance speed of the conveyor; and a determination unit that, when it is determined that the vehicle is on the conveyor, determines a target vehicle speed of the vehicle based on the acquired conveyance speed. According to this aspect, an appropriate target vehicle speed can be determined taking into consideration the transport speed of the conveyor, and the running of the vehicle on the conveyor can be appropriately controlled using this target vehicle speed. (2) In the above aspect, a target speed acquisition unit may be provided that acquires a first target speed of the vehicle, and the determination unit may calculate a second target speed based on the acquired first target speed and the acquired transport speed, and determine the calculated second target speed as the target vehicle speed. According to this aspect, the target vehicle speed can be determined based on the first target speed. (3) In the above aspect, the determination unit may calculate the second target speed by subtracting the transport speed from the first target speed. According to this aspect, the target vehicle speed can be easily determined based on the first target speed. (4) In the above embodiment, a command unit may be provided that commands the vehicle on the conveyor to make the vehicle speed on the conveyor the target vehicle speed. According to this embodiment, the vehicle on the conveyor can be commanded to make the running speed of the vehicle the target vehicle speed determined by taking into account the transport speed of the conveyor.

[0007] In addition to the above-mentioned device form, the present disclosure can be realized in the form of, for example, a system, a control method, a program for implementing the control method, a non-transitory recording medium on which the program is recorded, a program product, etc. Note that the program product may be provided as, for example, a recording medium on which the program is recorded, or may be provided as a program product that can be distributed via a network. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a system configuration according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a system configuration according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for vehicle travel control in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for determining a target vehicle speed. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for vehicle travel control in a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] A. First embodiment: 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a system 50 in the first embodiment. The system 50 includes one or more vehicles 100, a server 200, and one or more external sensors 300.

[0010] The vehicle 100 may be a vehicle that runs on wheels or a vehicle that runs on caterpillar tracks, and may be, for example, a passenger car, a truck, a bus, a two-wheeled vehicle, a four-wheeled vehicle, a tank, a construction vehicle, etc. In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 is an electric vehicle (BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle). The vehicle 100 may be, for example, a gasoline vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or a fuel cell vehicle.

[0011] The vehicle 100 is configured to be capable of traveling by unmanned driving. "Unmanned driving" means driving without the driving operation of a passenger. Driving operation means at least one of the operations of "running", "turning" and "stopping" of the vehicle 100. Unmanned driving is realized by automatic or manual remote control using a device located outside the vehicle 100, or by autonomous control of the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 traveling by unmanned driving may have a passenger who does not perform driving operation on board. The passenger who does not perform driving operation includes, for example, a person who simply sits in the seat of the vehicle 100, and a person who performs work other than driving operation, such as assembly, inspection, and operation of switches, while riding on the vehicle 100. Note that driving by a passenger who performs driving operation is sometimes called "manned driving".

[0012] In this specification, "remote control" includes "full remote control" in which all of the operations of the vehicle 100 are completely determined from outside the vehicle 100, and "partial remote control" in which some of the operations of the vehicle 100 are determined from outside the vehicle 100. In addition, "autonomous control" includes "full autonomous control" in which the vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own operations without receiving any information from devices external to the vehicle 100, and "partial autonomous control" in which the vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own operations using information received from devices external to the vehicle 100.

[0013] The vehicle 100 may have a configuration capable of moving by unmanned driving, and may be in the form of a platform having the configuration described below, for example. Specifically, the vehicle 100 may have at least a vehicle control device and an actuator group described later in order to perform the three functions of "running", "turning", and "stopping" by unmanned driving. When acquiring information from an external device of the vehicle 100 for unmanned driving, the vehicle 100 may further have a communication device. That is, the vehicle 100 capable of moving by unmanned driving may not have at least a part of interior parts such as a driver's seat and a dashboard, may not have at least a part of exterior parts such as a bumper and a fender, and may not have a body shell. In this case, the remaining parts such as a body shell may be attached to the vehicle 100 before the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory FC, or the remaining parts such as a body shell may be attached to the vehicle 100 after the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory FC in a state in which the remaining parts such as the body shell are not attached to the vehicle 100. Each part may be mounted from any direction, such as the top, bottom, front, rear, right or left side of the vehicle 100, and may be mounted from the same direction or from different directions.

[0014] In this embodiment, the system 50 is used in a factory FC that manufactures the vehicle 100. The reference coordinate system of the factory FC is a global coordinate system GC. That is, any position in the factory FC is expressed by X, Y, and Z coordinates in the global coordinate system GC. The factory FC includes a first location PL1 and a second location PL2. The first location PL1 and the second location PL2 are connected by a track TR on which the vehicle 100 can travel. In the factory FC, a plurality of external sensors 300 are installed along the track TR. The positions of the external sensors 300 in the factory FC are adjusted in advance. The vehicle 100 moves from the first location PL1 to the second location PL2 through the track TR by unmanned driving. In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 is in the form of a platform during the period when it moves from the first location PL1 to the second location PL2. In other embodiments, the vehicle 100 is not limited to the form of a platform and may be in the form of a completed vehicle.

[0015] In this embodiment, the partial track TRp, which is a part of the track TR, is configured by a part of the conveyor CV laid in the factory FC. The conveyor CV is included in the conveyor device CE. The conveyor CV is driven by a conveyor drive unit CD included in the conveyor device CE. The conveyor CV is configured, for example, as a belt conveyor having an endless belt for conveying, a chain conveyor having an endless chain for conveying, or a roller conveyor having rollers for conveying. The conveyor drive unit CD is configured, for example, by a transmission mechanism such as a motor for generating a driving force, and a gear or pulley for transmitting the driving force of the motor to the conveyor CV. The conveyor drive unit CD is driven under the control of, for example, the server 200 or another computer (not shown) different from the server 200. Note that the conveyor device CE can transport any transported object, such as various parts, people, or various vehicles that are not being driven, while moving the vehicle 100 on the conveyor CV. In this case, it is preferable that the conveyor device CE transports the transported object on a part different from the partial track TRp on the conveyor CV.

[0016] In this embodiment, the conveying direction TD of the conveyor CV is the same direction as the target direction Dp of the vehicle 100 on the partial track TRp. The target direction Dp means the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 along the reference track RR described later. That is, the target direction Dp is a direction from the rear side to the front side on the reference track RR. Specifically, the conveying direction TD and the target direction Dp in this embodiment are the +X direction. Various work processes may be performed on the vehicle 100 moving on the conveyor CV. The work processes are, for example, a process of assembling parts to the vehicle 100 and a process of inspecting each part of the vehicle 100. The work processes on the vehicle 100 on the conveyor CV may be performed, for example, by a worker or a robot riding on the vehicle 100 or the conveyor CV, or may be performed by a worker or a robot not riding on the conveyor CV. In addition, the above-mentioned work processes may be performed on the vehicle 100 traveling on a part of the track TR that is not on the conveyor CV, i.e., a part different from the partial track TRp. In this case, the work process may be performed, for example, by a worker or a robot on board the vehicle 100, or by a worker or a robot not on board the vehicle 100.

[0017] The actual speed of the vehicle 100 moving on the conveyor CV is determined according to the vehicle speed of the vehicle 100 and the transport speed of the conveyor CV. In this specification, the "vehicle speed" means the relative speed of the vehicle 100 with respect to the road surface on which the vehicle 100 is located. This road surface includes not only a stationary road surface but also a moving road surface such as the conveyor CV. As will be described later, the vehicle speed can be detected based on a value representing the rotation speed of the wheels. In addition, in this specification, the "actual speed" means the absolute speed in the reference coordinate system. That is, the actual speed of the vehicle 100 in this embodiment is the absolute speed of the vehicle 100 in the global coordinate system GC. For example, when the transport speed of the conveyor CV has a speed component in the same direction as the traveling direction of the vehicle 100, the actual speed of the vehicle 100 moving on the conveyor CV is faster than the vehicle speed of the vehicle 100 according to the transport speed of the conveyor CV. Specifically, in this case, if wheel spin and slip are not taken into consideration, the actual speed of the vehicle 100 is approximately equal to the vehicle speed plus the magnitude of the speed component of the conveying speed in the same direction as the traveling direction. Conversely, if the conveying speed of the conveyor CV has a speed component in the opposite direction to the traveling direction of the vehicle 100, the actual speed of the vehicle 100 moving on the conveyor CV is slower than the vehicle speed of the vehicle 100 according to the conveying speed of the conveyor CV. Specifically, in this case, if wheel spin and slip are not taken into consideration, the actual speed of the vehicle 100 is approximately equal to the vehicle speed minus the magnitude of the speed component of the conveying speed in the opposite direction to the traveling direction. Also, if wheel spin and slip are not taken into consideration, the actual speed of the vehicle 100 traveling on a stationary road surface is approximately equal to the vehicle speed.

[0018] 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the system 50. The vehicle 100 includes a vehicle control device 110 for controlling each part of the vehicle 100, an actuator group 120 including one or more actuators that are driven under the control of the vehicle control device 110, a communication device 130 for communicating with an external device such as a server 200 by wireless communication, and one or more internal sensors 140. The actuator group 120 includes actuators related to the running of the vehicle 100, such as an actuator of a drive device for accelerating the vehicle 100, an actuator of a steering device for changing the traveling direction of the vehicle 100, and an actuator of a braking device for decelerating the vehicle 100. The drive device includes a battery, a running motor driven by the power of the battery, and a drive wheel rotated by the running motor. The actuator of the drive device includes a running motor.

[0019] The internal sensor 140 is a sensor mounted on the vehicle 100. The internal sensor 140 may include, for example, a sensor that detects the motion state of the vehicle 100, a sensor that detects the operating state of each part of the vehicle 100, and a sensor that detects the environment around the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the internal sensor 140 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the vehicle speed of the vehicle 100. The vehicle speed sensor detects the vehicle speed based on a value representing the rotation speed of a wheel provided on the vehicle 100 and a diameter of the wheel. As the value representing the rotation speed of the wheel, for example, the rotation speed of a driving motor provided on the vehicle 100 may be used, the rotation speed of an output shaft may be used, or the rotation speed of the wheel acquired by a wheel speed sensor may be used. The internal sensor 140 may include, in addition to a vehicle speed sensor and a wheel speed sensor, for example, a camera, a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging), a millimeter wave radar, an ultrasonic sensor, a GPS sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and the like.

[0020] The vehicle control device 110 is configured by a computer including a processor 111, a memory 112, an input / output interface 113, and an internal bus 114. The processor 111, the memory 112, and the input / output interface 113 are connected via the internal bus 114 to enable bidirectional communication. The input / output interface 113 is connected to an actuator group 120 and a communication device 130. The processor 111 executes a program PG1 stored in the memory 112 to realize various functions including a function as a vehicle control unit 115.

[0021] The vehicle control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 to drive the vehicle 100. The vehicle control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 using a driving control signal received from the server 200 to drive the vehicle 100. The driving control signal is a control signal for driving the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the driving control signal includes the acceleration and steering angle of the vehicle 100 as parameters. In other embodiments, the driving control signal may include the vehicle speed of the vehicle 100 as a parameter instead of or in addition to the acceleration of the vehicle 100.

[0022] The external sensor 300 is a sensor located outside the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the external sensor 300 is a sensor that captures the vehicle 100 from outside the vehicle 100. Specifically, the external sensor 300 is configured by a camera. The camera as the external sensor 300 obtains a captured image including the vehicle 100, and outputs the captured image as a detection result. The external sensor 300 includes a communication device (not shown) and can communicate with other devices such as the server 200 by wired communication or wireless communication.

[0023] The server 200 is configured by a computer including a processor 201, a memory 202, an input / output interface 203, and an internal bus 204. The processor 201, the memory 202, and the input / output interface 203 are connected to each other via the internal bus 204 so as to be able to communicate in both directions. The input / output interface 203 is connected to a communication device 205 for communicating with various devices outside the server 200. The communication device 205 can communicate with the vehicle 100 by wireless communication, and can communicate with each external sensor 300 by wired communication or wireless communication. The memory 202 stores various information including a program PG2, a reference path RR, a detection model DM, conveyor position data PD, and target speed data SD. The processor 201 executes the program PG2 stored in the memory 202 to realize various functions including functions as a remote control unit 210, a judgment unit 215, a target speed acquisition unit 220, a conveying speed acquisition unit 230, a determination unit 240, and an instruction unit 250. The server 200 in the first embodiment corresponds to the "device" in this disclosure.

[0024] The remote control unit 210 acquires detection results from the sensors, generates a driving control signal for controlling the actuator group 120 of the vehicle 100 using the detection result, and transmits the driving control signal to the vehicle 100, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to drive by remote control. The remote control unit 210 may generate and output not only the driving control signal, but also a control signal for controlling actuators for operating various accessories provided in the vehicle 100 and various equipment such as wipers, power windows, and lamps. In other words, the remote control unit 210 may operate such various equipment and accessories by remote control.

[0025] The determination unit 215 determines whether the vehicle 100 is on the conveyor CV. As described later, in this embodiment, the determination unit 215 determines whether the vehicle 100 is on the conveyor CV by using a captured image acquired by a camera as the external sensor 300. The determination unit 215 may determine that the vehicle 100 is on the conveyor CV when it detects that all wheels provided on the vehicle 100 are on the conveyor CV, or may determine that the vehicle 100 is on the conveyor CV when it detects that some of the multiple wheels provided on the vehicle 100 are on the conveyor CV. For example, in the case where the vehicle 100 is a four-wheeled vehicle, the determination unit 215 may determine that the vehicle 100 is on the conveyor CV when it detects that the front wheels in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 are on the conveyor CV, or may determine that the vehicle 100 is on the conveyor CV when it detects that all four wheels are on the conveyor CV. The front wheels in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 refer to the front wheels when the vehicle 100 is moving forward, and the rear wheels when the vehicle 100 is moving backward. In another embodiment, the determination unit 215 may determine whether the vehicle 100 is riding on the conveyor CV by using, for example, an area sensor that detects the intrusion of the vehicle 100 into an area where the conveyor CV is laid, or a sensor that detects an external force or pressure applied to the conveyor CV.

[0026] The target speed acquisition unit 220 acquires a first target speed of the vehicle 100. The target speed acquisition unit 220 acquires the first target speed pre-stored in the memory 202. In this embodiment, the first target speed is included in the target speed data SD pre-stored in the memory 202. In other embodiments, the target speed acquisition unit 220 may acquire the first target speed from, for example, another computer or a recording medium outside the server 200.

[0027] In this embodiment, the first target speed is defined as the target actual speed of the vehicle 100. Specifically, the first target speed is the target actual speed of the vehicle 100 traveling in the target direction Dp. The first target speed is preferably, for example, fast enough to suppress an increase in cycle time. In addition, when a work process is performed on the vehicle 100 on the conveyor CV by a worker, robot, or the like not riding on the conveyor CV, the first target speed is preferably, for example, slow enough that the accuracy of the work process is not reduced due to the speed of movement of the vehicle 100. In addition, when a work process is performed on the vehicle 100 on the conveyor CV by a worker, robot, or the like riding on the conveyor CV or the vehicle 100, the first target speed is preferably, for example, slow enough that the work process can be completed while the vehicle 100 is moving within a predetermined range on the conveyor CV.

[0028] In this embodiment, the target vehicle speed of the vehicle 100 on the portion of the road TR that is different from the partial road TRp is set to the same speed as the first target speed. That is, in this embodiment, the target actual speed of the vehicle 100 on the road TR is the same speed as the first target speed regardless of whether the vehicle 100 is on the conveyor CV or not.

[0029] In other embodiments, the first target speed may be variable depending on, for example, the manufacturing status of the vehicle 100 in the factory FC. In this case, for example, the server 200 or another computer may be configured to determine the first target speed depending on the manufacturing status. Also, different first target speeds may be set depending on the position in the target direction Dp of the conveyor CV. For example, when a first task and a second task are performed in a first range and a second range in the target direction Dp of the partial track TRp, respectively, a first target speed suitable for the first task may be set for the first range, and a second target speed suitable for the second task may be set for the second range. Also, the first target speed may be temporarily set to zero, for example. Also, the system 50 may receive an input of the first target speed from a user of the system 50 (for example, an administrator of the system 50) via an input device provided in the server 200 or another computer, for example.

[0030] The conveying speed acquisition unit 230 acquires the conveying speed of the conveyor CV. The conveying speed acquisition unit 230 acquires the conveying speed of the conveyor CV, for example, using various sensors for detecting the movement of the conveyor CV. For example, the conveying speed acquisition unit 230 may acquire the conveying speed of the conveyor CV using a potentiometer or an encoder provided in the conveyor device CE. Such a potentiometer or encoder is not limited to a sensor that directly detects the movement of the conveyor CV, and may be configured, for example, by a sensor that detects the rotation speed of a motor or a transmission mechanism included in the conveyor drive unit CD. In addition, the conveying speed acquisition unit 230 may acquire the conveying speed of the conveyor CV, for example, using a camera that can capture an image of the conveyor CV. In this case, for example, a marker may be attached to the conveyor CV in advance, and the conveying speed acquisition unit 230 may acquire the conveying speed of the conveyor CV based on a position change of the marker in an image captured by the camera. In addition, in this embodiment, an external sensor 300 may be used as a camera for acquiring the conveying speed of the conveyor CV.

[0031] When it is determined that the vehicle 100 is on the conveyor CV, the determination unit 240 determines a target vehicle speed of the vehicle 100 based on the acquired transport speed. In this embodiment, the determination unit 240 calculates a second target speed of the vehicle 100 based on the acquired transport speed and the acquired first target speed, and determines the calculated second target speed as the target vehicle speed. The instruction unit 250 instructs the vehicle 100 on the conveyor CV to make the running speed of the vehicle 100 the second target speed.

[0032] Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for driving control of the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment. In the processing procedure in Fig. 3, the processor 201 of the server 200 functions as the remote control unit 210 by executing the program PG2. Moreover, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 functions as the vehicle control unit 115 by executing the program PG1.

[0033] In step S1, the processor 201 of the server 200 acquires vehicle position information of the vehicle 100 using the detection result output from the external sensor 300. The vehicle position information is position information that is the basis for generating a driving control signal. In this embodiment, the vehicle position information includes the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 in the global coordinate system GC of the factory FC. Specifically, in step S1, the processor 201 acquires the vehicle position information using a captured image acquired from a camera, which is the external sensor 300.

[0034] In detail, in step S1, the processor 201, for example, detects the outer shape of the vehicle 100 from the captured image, calculates the coordinates of the positioning point of the vehicle 100 in the coordinate system of the captured image, i.e., the local coordinate system, and converts the calculated coordinates into coordinates in the global coordinate system GC, thereby acquiring the position of the vehicle 100. 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 DM utilizing artificial intelligence. The detection model DM is prepared, for example, inside or outside the system 50, and is stored in advance in the memory 202 of the server 200. For example, the detection model DM may be a trained machine learning model trained to realize either semantic segmentation or instance segmentation. For example, a convolutional neural network (hereinafter, CNN) trained by supervised learning using a training dataset may be used as this machine learning model. The training dataset has, for example, a plurality of training images including the vehicle 100, and a 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 CNN learning, it is preferable to update the parameters of the CNN by backpropagation (error backpropagation method) so as to reduce the error between the output result of the detection model DM and the label. In addition, the processor 201 can obtain the orientation of the vehicle 100 by estimating the orientation of the vehicle 100 based on the orientation of the movement vector of the vehicle 100 calculated from the position change of the feature points of the vehicle 100 between frames of the captured image using, for example, an optical flow method.

[0035] In step S2, the processor 201 of the server 200 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 GC. A reference route RR, which is a route along which the vehicle 100 should travel, is stored in advance in the memory 202 of the server 200. The route is represented by nodes indicating the departure point, nodes indicating passing points, nodes indicating the destination, and links connecting the nodes. The processor 201 uses the vehicle position information and the reference route RR to determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head. The processor 201 determines a target position on the reference route RR that is ahead of the current location of the vehicle 100.

[0036] In step S3, the processor 201 of the server 200 generates a driving control signal for driving the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. The processor 201 acquires a vehicle speed from the vehicle 100, and compares the acquired vehicle speed with the target vehicle speed. When the vehicle speed is lower than the target vehicle speed as a whole, the processor 201 determines an acceleration so that the vehicle 100 accelerates, and when the vehicle speed is higher than the target vehicle speed, the processor 201 determines an acceleration so that the vehicle 100 decelerates. In addition, when the vehicle 100 is located on the reference route RR, the processor 201 determines a steering angle and an acceleration so that the vehicle 100 does not deviate from the reference route RR, and when the vehicle 100 is not located on the reference route RR, in other words, when the vehicle 100 deviates from the reference route RR, the processor 201 determines a steering angle and an acceleration so that the vehicle 100 returns to the reference route RR.

[0037] In step S4, the processor 201 of the server 200 transmits the generated driving control signal to the vehicle 100. The processor 201 repeats, at a predetermined cycle, the acquisition of vehicle position information, the determination of a target position, the generation of a driving control signal, and the transmission of the driving control signal.

[0038] In step S5, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 receives a traveling control signal transmitted from the server 200. In step S6, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 controls the actuator group 120 using the received traveling control signal, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to travel at the acceleration and steering angle represented in the traveling control signal. The processor 111 repeats receiving the traveling control signal and controlling the actuator group 120 at a predetermined cycle. According to the system 50 in this embodiment, the vehicle 100 can be caused to travel by remote control, and the vehicle 100 can be moved without using transportation equipment such as a crane or a conveyor.

[0039] 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a target vehicle speed determination process for implementing the control method of the vehicle 100 in this embodiment. The target vehicle speed determination process in FIG. 4 is executed by the processor 201 of the server 200, for example, at predetermined time intervals.

[0040] In step S105, the determination unit 215 determines whether or not the vehicle 100 is on the conveyor CV. In step S105 in this embodiment, the determination unit 215 determines whether or not the vehicle 100 is on the conveyor CV by using the vehicle position information and the conveyor position data PD indicating the installation position of the conveyor CV in the factory FC.

[0041] If it is determined in step S105 that the vehicle 100 is not on the conveyor CV, the target vehicle speed determination process is terminated. For example, if in step S105 the vehicle 100 is traveling on a portion of the road TR other than the partial road TRp, the target vehicle speed determination process is terminated. In this case, the vehicle 100 continues traveling on the road TR with the first target speed as the target vehicle speed.

[0042] If it is determined in step S105 that the vehicle 100 is on the conveyor CV, in step S110, the target speed acquisition unit 220 acquires a first target speed of the vehicle 100. In step S115, the conveying speed acquisition unit 230 acquires the conveying speed of the conveyor CV. Note that steps S110 and S115 may be executed prior to step S105, for example. Also, step S115 may be executed prior to step S110.

[0043] In step S120, the determination unit 240 calculates a second target speed of the vehicle 100 based on the first target speed acquired in step S110 and the transport speed acquired in step S115. Then, the calculated second target speed is determined as the target vehicle speed of the vehicle 100.

[0044] In step S120 in this embodiment, the determination unit 240 calculates a second target speed by subtracting the conveying speed acquired in step S115 from the first target speed acquired in step S110. Specifically, the second target speed is defined by the following formula (1). V2 = V1 - V C cosθ …(1) In the above formula (1), V2 represents the magnitude of the second target speed, V1 represents the magnitude of the first target speed, and V C represents the magnitude of the conveying speed of the conveyor CV. Also, θ represents the angle difference between the conveying direction TD and the target direction Dp. The angle difference θ is 0° when the conveying direction TD and the target direction Dp are the same, and is 180° when the conveying direction TD and the target direction Dp are exactly opposite to each other.

[0045] The second target speed, i.e., the target vehicle speed, is not limited to a positive value and can be a negative value or a zero value depending on the first target speed and the conveying speed. For example, in this embodiment, since the angle difference θ is 0°, the magnitude V1 of the first target speed is equal to the magnitude V of the conveying speed. C In the present embodiment, a positive target vehicle speed represents a target vehicle speed in the same direction as the target direction Dp, and a negative target vehicle speed represents a target vehicle speed in the opposite direction to the target direction Dp.

[0046] In step S125, the instruction unit 250 instructs the vehicle 100 to make the vehicle speed of the vehicle 100 on the conveyor CV the target vehicle speed determined in step S120. That is, the instruction unit 250 instructs the vehicle 100 to make the vehicle speed of the vehicle 100 on the conveyor CV the second target speed. Specifically, in step S125, the instruction unit 250 generates a travel control signal for causing the vehicle 100 to travel at the second target speed, and transmits the generated travel control signal to the vehicle 100. The processor 111 of the vehicle 100 uses the received travel control signal to control the actuator group 120 so that the vehicle 100 travels at the second target speed. As a result, the vehicle 100 can move on the conveyor CV so that its actual speed becomes the first target speed. For example, when the first target speed is greater than zero and the second target speed is negative, the vehicle 100 running with the second target speed as the target vehicle speed runs in the -X direction, which is the opposite direction to the target direction Dp, relative to the conveyor CV, while actually moving in the +X direction, which is the same direction as the target direction Dp, in the global coordinate system GC. Also, for example, by setting the first target speed to zero in another embodiment as described above, the vehicle 100 can be run on the conveyor CV so that the vehicle 100 stays on the conveyor CV. That is, in this case, in the global coordinate system GC, the vehicle 100 can be kept on the moving conveyor CV without moving forward or backward.

[0047] According to the system 50 in the present embodiment described above, when it is determined that the vehicle 100 is on the conveyor CV, the target vehicle speed is determined based on the conveying speed of the conveyor CV. Therefore, an appropriate target vehicle speed can be determined taking into account the conveying speed of the conveyor CV, and the running of the vehicle 100 on the conveyor CV can be appropriately controlled using this target vehicle speed.

[0048] In this embodiment, the determination unit 240 calculates a second target speed based on the first target speed and the transport speed, and determines the calculated second target speed as the target vehicle speed. In this way, the target vehicle speed can be determined based on the first target speed. Therefore, for example, by setting the first target speed as a speed suitable for work to be performed on the vehicle 100 on the conveyor CV, work can be appropriately performed on the vehicle 100 on the conveyor CV.

[0049] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the determination unit 240 calculates the second target speed by subtracting the transport speed from the first target speed, and therefore the target vehicle speed based on the first target speed can be easily determined.

[0050] In addition, in this embodiment, the instruction unit 250 is provided to instruct the vehicle 100 on the conveyor CV to make the vehicle speed become the second target speed. Therefore, the vehicle 100 on the conveyor CV can be instructed to make the running speed become the target vehicle speed determined by taking into account the transport speed of the conveyor CV.

[0051] B. Second embodiment: 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a system 50v in the second embodiment. In this embodiment, the system 50v is different from the first embodiment in that it does not include a server 200. Also, the vehicle 100v in this embodiment can run by autonomous control of the vehicle 100v. The other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment unless otherwise described.

[0052] In this embodiment, the processor 111v of the vehicle control device 110v executes the program PG1 stored in the memory 112v to function as the vehicle control unit 115v, the judgment unit 215, the target speed acquisition unit 220, the conveying speed acquisition unit 230, the decision unit 240, and the instruction unit 250. The vehicle control unit 115v acquires the detection result by the sensor, generates a traveling control signal using the detection result, and outputs the generated traveling control signal to operate the actuator group 120, thereby making it possible to make the vehicle 100v travel by autonomous control. In this embodiment, in addition to the program PG1, the memory 112v prestores the detection model DM, the reference route RR, the conveyor position data PD, and the target speed data SD. The vehicle control device 110v in the second embodiment corresponds to the "device" in this disclosure.

[0053] Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for driving control of the vehicle 100v in the second embodiment. In the processing procedure in Fig. 6, the processor 111v of the vehicle 100v functions as a vehicle control unit 115v by executing a program PG1.

[0054] In step S11, the processor 111v of the vehicle control device 110v acquires vehicle position information using the detection result output from the camera, which is the external sensor 300. In step S12, the processor 111v determines a target position to which the vehicle 100v should next head. In step S13, the processor 111v generates a driving control signal for driving the vehicle 100v toward the determined target position. In step S14, the processor 111v controls the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal to drive the vehicle 100v according to the parameters represented in the driving control signal. The processor 111v repeats the acquisition of vehicle position information, the determination of the target position, the generation of the driving control signal, and the control of the actuator group 120 at a predetermined cycle. According to the system 50v in this embodiment, the vehicle 100v can be driven by the autonomous control of the vehicle 100v without the server 200 remotely controlling the vehicle 100v.

[0055] In this embodiment, a process similar to the target vehicle speed determination process of FIG. 4 is executed by the processor 111v of the vehicle 100v, for example, at a predetermined time interval. Also, each step of FIG. 4 is executed by the processor 111v. In step S110, the target speed acquisition unit 220 of the vehicle 100v may acquire, for example, a first target speed included in the target speed data SD stored in advance in the memory 112v, or may acquire the first target speed from a computer or a recording medium outside the vehicle control device 110v. In step S125, the instruction unit 250 of the vehicle 100 instructs the vehicle 100v to make the vehicle speed of the vehicle 100v on the conveyor CV the target vehicle speed determined in step S120. Specifically, in step S125, the instruction unit 250 generates and outputs a driving control signal for driving the vehicle 100v at the target vehicle speed. As a result, the actuator group 120 is controlled so that the vehicle 100v drives at the target speed.

[0056] The system 50v in the second embodiment described above can also determine an appropriate target vehicle speed taking into account the transport speed of the conveyor CV, and can use this target vehicle speed to appropriately control the running of the vehicle 100v on the conveyor CV.

[0057] C. Other Embodiments (C1) In the above embodiment, the external sensor 300 is a camera. In contrast, the external sensor 300 does not have to be a camera, and may be, for example, a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). In this case, the detection result output by the external sensor 300 may be three-dimensional point cloud data representing the vehicle 100. In this case, the server 200 and the vehicle 100 may acquire vehicle position information by template matching using the three-dimensional point cloud data as the detection result and reference point cloud data prepared in advance.

[0058] (C2) In the above-described first embodiment, the server 200 may acquire vehicle position information using the detection result output from the internal sensor 140 in addition to or instead of the detection result output from the external sensor 300. In this case, the server 200 may acquire the position as the vehicle position information using the detection result from a vehicle speed sensor, for example, or may acquire the orientation as the vehicle position information using the detection result from a gyro sensor. The server 200 may also acquire the vehicle position information using the detection result from a camera or Lidar as the internal sensor 140.

[0059] (C3) In each of the above embodiments, the determination unit 240 calculates the second target speed based on the first target speed and the transport speed, and determines the calculated second target speed as the target vehicle speed. In contrast, if the determination unit 240 determines the target vehicle speed based on the transport speed, the determination unit 240 does not need to determine the target vehicle speed in this manner. In this case, the determination unit 240 may determine the target vehicle speed, for example, based on the acquired transport speed, by referring to a database that stores the transport speed and the target vehicle speed in association with each other. In this case, the server 200 and the vehicle 100 may not have the target speed acquisition unit 220.

[0060] (C4) In the above-described first embodiment, the processes from obtaining vehicle position information to generating a driving control signal are executed by the server 200. In contrast, at least a part of the processes from obtaining vehicle position information to generating a driving control signal may be executed by the vehicle 100. For example, the following forms (1) to (3) may be used.

[0061] (1) The server 200 may acquire vehicle position information, determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head, and generate a route from the current location of the vehicle 100 represented in the acquired vehicle position information to the target position. The server 200 may generate a route to a target position between the current location and the destination, or may generate a route to the destination. The server 200 may transmit the generated route to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may generate a driving control signal so that the vehicle 100 drives on the route received from the server 200, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal.

[0062] (2) Server 200 may acquire vehicle position information and transmit the acquired vehicle position information to vehicle 100. Vehicle 100 may determine a target position to which vehicle 100 should next head, generate a route from the current location of vehicle 100 represented in the received vehicle position information to the target position, generate a driving control signal so that vehicle 100 travels on the generated route, and control actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal.

[0063] (3) In the above-mentioned embodiments (1) and (2), detection results output from various internal sensors 140, not limited to vehicle speed sensors, wheel speed sensors, gyro sensors, and acceleration sensors, may be used for at least one of generating a route and generating a travel control signal. For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment (1), the server 200 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor 140 and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor 140 in the route when generating a route. In the above-mentioned embodiment (1), the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor 140 and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor 140 in the travel control signal when generating a travel control signal. In the above-mentioned embodiment (2), the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor 140 and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor 140 in the route when generating a route. In the above-mentioned embodiment (2), the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor 140 and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor 140 in the route when generating a route.

[0064] (C5) In the above second embodiment, detection results output from various internal sensors 140, not limited to a vehicle speed sensor, a wheel speed sensor, a gyro sensor, or an acceleration sensor, may be used for at least one of generating a route and generating a traveling control signal. For example, the vehicle 100v may acquire the detection result of the internal sensor 140, and reflect the detection result of the internal sensor 140 in the route when generating a route. The vehicle 100v may acquire the detection result of the internal sensor 140, and reflect the detection result of the internal sensor 140 in the traveling control signal when generating a traveling control signal.

[0065] (C6) In the second embodiment, the vehicle 100v acquires the vehicle position information using the detection result of the external sensor 300. In contrast, the vehicle 100v may acquire the vehicle position information using the detection result of the internal sensor 140, determine the target position to which the vehicle 100v should next head, generate a route from the current location of the vehicle 100v represented in the acquired vehicle position information to the target position, generate a travel control signal for traveling the generated route, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated travel control signal. In this case, the vehicle 100v can travel without using any of the detection results of the external sensor 300. The vehicle 100v may acquire a target arrival time or traffic congestion information from outside the vehicle 100v and reflect the target arrival time or traffic congestion information in at least one of the route and the travel control signal. In addition, all of the functional configurations of the system 50v may be provided in the vehicle 100v. That is, the processing realized by the system 50v in the present disclosure may be realized by the vehicle 100v alone.

[0066] (C7) 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 location 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. 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 of integrally molding one part, especially a relatively large part, is also called gigacast or megacast. For example, the front, center and rear modules described above may be manufactured using Gigacast.

[0067] (C8) Transporting the vehicle 100 by using the driving of the vehicle 100 through unmanned driving is also called "self-propelled transport". Also, a configuration for realizing self-propelled transport is also called a "vehicle remote-controlled autonomous driving transport system". Also, a production method for producing the vehicle 100 using self-propelled transport is also called "self-propelled production". In self-propelled production, for example, at least a part of the transportation of the vehicle 100 is realized by self-propelled transport in the factory FC where the vehicle 100 is manufactured.

[0068] (C9) In each of the above embodiments, some or all of the functions and processes implemented by software may be implemented by hardware. Also, some or all of the functions and processes implemented by hardware may be implemented by software. As hardware for implementing the various functions in each of the above embodiments, various circuits such as integrated circuits and discrete circuits may be used.

[0069] 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]

[0070] 50,50v...system, 100,100v...vehicle, 110,110v...vehicle control device, 111,111v...processor, 112,112v...memory, 113...input / output interface, 114...internal bus, 115,115v...vehicle control unit, 120...actuator group, 130...communication device, 140...internal sensor, 200...server, 201...processor, 202...memory, 203...input / output interface, 204...internal bus, 205...communication device, 210...remote control unit, 215...judgment unit, 220...target speed acquisition unit, 230...transport speed acquisition unit, 240...determination unit, 250...instruction unit, 300...external sensor

Claims

1. A determination unit that determines whether or not a vehicle capable of traveling by unmanned operation is on the conveyor; A conveying speed acquisition unit that acquires a conveying speed of the conveyor; and a determination unit that, when it is determined that the vehicle is on the conveyor, determines a target vehicle speed of the vehicle based on the acquired conveying speed.

2. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, a target speed acquisition unit that acquires a first target speed of the vehicle; The determination unit calculates a second target speed based on the acquired first target speed and the acquired transport speed, and determines the calculated second target speed as the target vehicle speed.

3. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, The determination unit calculates the second target speed by subtracting the transport speed from the first target speed.

4. 4. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising: The apparatus further comprises an instruction unit that instructs the vehicle so that the vehicle speed on the conveyor becomes the target vehicle speed.

5. A step of determining whether a vehicle capable of traveling by unmanned operation is on the conveyor; acquiring a conveying speed of the conveyor; and when it is determined that the vehicle is on the conveyor, determining a target vehicle speed of the vehicle based on the acquired conveying speed.

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