Autonomous vehicle

Abstract

To provide an autonomous vehicle capable of reliably preventing rainwater from adhering to an obstacle sensor of the autonomous vehicle.SOLUTION: An autonomous vehicle includes a vehicle body, an on-board controller 36 for controlling a driving source for driving the vehicle, an obstacle detection sensor 41 connected to the on-board controller 36 for detecting obstacles, and a rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 for preventing rainwater from adhering to the obstacle detection sensor 41, and the autonomous vehicle travels in an operating area including an indoor area and an outdoor area, The vehicle has an on-board communication unit 39 capable of wireless communication with a weather information source that provides weather information in the operating area, and weather information is obtained from the weather information source via the on-board communication unit 39. When it is determined that the operating area is experiencing rain based on the weather information and that the operating area is located in an operation target area in which the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 is to operate, the on-board controller 36 starts operating the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 in the operation target area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an autonomous vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] As a conventional technology related to an autonomous vehicle, for example, a camera protective housing disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. The camera protective housing in Patent Document 1 has a rainfall detector that detects the presence or absence of rainfall, a fan that generates wind in response to a detection signal from the rainfall detector, and a duct that guides the wind to the outer surface of the windshield on which the camera takes an image and removes water droplets that have adhered to the surface of the windshield due to rainfall. According to the camera protective housing in Patent Document 1, the occurrence of rainfall is automatically detected, wind is generated, the wind is guided to the surface of the windshield, and water droplets and the like that have adhered to the glass surface are automatically removed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-171878 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the camera protective housing disclosed in Patent Document 1, the rainfall detector detects water droplets on the glass surface and activates the fan, but there is a problem that there is a time lag between when the rainfall detector detects the water droplets and when the fan reaches a sufficient rotation speed to remove the water droplets from the glass surface. For example, if this type of technology is applied to an autonomous vehicle equipped with an obstacle detection sensor, when the autonomous vehicle moves from indoors to outdoors in the rain, there is a risk that the water droplets attached to the obstacle detection sensor will be erroneously recognized as an obstacle before being removed. If the obstacle detection sensor erroneously recognizes the water droplets as an obstacle, it may cause an unintended change in the driving route or a stop of the autonomous vehicle.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic vehicle capable of reliably preventing rainwater from adhering to the obstacle sensors of the automatic vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an automated driving body that travels through an operating area including indoor and outdoor areas, the automated driving body having a vehicle body, a driving source mounted on the vehicle body, an on-board controller that controls the driving source, an obstacle detection sensor connected to the on-board controller that detects obstacles around the vehicle body, and a rainwater adhesion prevention device that prevents rainwater from adhering to the obstacle detection sensor, the automated driving body having an on-board communication unit that is capable of wireless communication with a weather information source that provides weather information in the operating area of ​​the automated driving body, the weather information being obtained from the weather information source via the on-board communication unit, and when it is determined that the operating area is experiencing rain based on the weather information and it is determined that the vehicle body is located in an operation target area within the operating area in which the rainwater adhesion prevention device operates, the on-board controller starts operating the rainwater adhesion prevention device in the operation target area.

[0007] In the present invention, the automated vehicle travels in an operating area including an indoor area and an outdoor area. Weather information in the operating area is acquired from a weather information source. The operation target area is an area in which the rainwater adhesion prevention device operates, and includes indoor areas as well as outdoor areas. When it is determined based on the weather information that the operating area is rainfall and that the automated vehicle is located in an operation target area in which the rainwater adhesion prevention device operates within the operating area, the on-board controller operates the rainwater adhesion prevention device in the operation target area. Since the rainwater adhesion prevention device is operated in the operation target area, the rainwater adhesion prevention device can operate to a degree that can reliably prevent rainwater from adhering to the obstacle detection sensor by the time the automated vehicle traveling in the indoor area reaches the outdoor area. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent rainwater from adhering to the obstacle detection sensor of the automated vehicle.

[0008] In addition, in the above-mentioned automated driving vehicle, the weather information source may be a rainfall detection sensor that is installed in an outdoor area of ​​the operating area and detects rainfall in the operating area. In this case, the rainfall detection sensor in the outdoor area directly detects rainfall, so that it is possible to accurately determine whether or not rainfall is occurring. The rainfall detection sensor in the outdoor area may be, for example, a rainfall detection sensor installed on the ground or a structure, or a rainfall detection sensor mounted on a vehicle traveling in the outdoor area.

[0009] In the above-mentioned automated driving vehicle, the rainwater adhesion prevention device may be configured to start operation at an operation start point set in the indoor area. In this case, by having the rainwater adhesion prevention device start operation at an operation start point set in the indoor area, it becomes possible to operate the rainwater adhesion prevention device at an operation start point that corresponds to the start-up capability of the rainwater adhesion prevention device from a stopped state to an operating state.

[0010] In addition, in the above-mentioned automated driving vehicle, when the automated driving vehicle moves from the outdoor area to the indoor area in the target operation area, the on-board controller may be configured to stop the rainwater adhesion prevention device. In this case, when the automated vehicle moves from an outdoor area to an indoor area, the rainwater adhesion prevention device stops, thereby reducing unnecessary power consumption of the rainwater adhesion prevention device. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an autonomous vehicle that can reliably prevent rainwater from adhering to an obstacle sensor of the autonomous vehicle. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing an overview of a driving control system for a small towing vehicle according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a driving control system for a small towing vehicle according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a side view of a small towing vehicle according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a small towing vehicle according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 5] 3 is a side view showing a main part of the obstacle detection sensor and the rainwater adhesion prevention device. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing control in the operation control device. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing control in a small towing vehicle. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the driving control system for a small towing vehicle. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing control in a small towing vehicle according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] (First embodiment) An automatic vehicle according to a first embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The automatic vehicle of this embodiment is an autonomous small towing vehicle that runs autonomously. However, the small towing vehicle of this embodiment is an unmanned small towing vehicle equipped with a driver's seat so that manned driving is also possible. Note that the directions of "front / back," "left / right," and "up / down" are specified based on the driver's seat of the small towing vehicle.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the operation control system 10 of the small towing vehicle 11 (hereinafter, simply referred to as the "operation control system") has the small towing vehicle 11 as an automatic traveling body and an operation control device 12 that controls the operation of the small towing vehicle 11. In this embodiment, the operating area E of the small towing vehicle 11 has an indoor area E1 and an outdoor area E2. The indoor area E1 is an area in a building such as a factory or a warehouse where the vehicle can travel, and the outdoor area E2 is an area outside the building where the vehicle can travel. The manufacturing lines M1 and M2 are arranged in the indoor area E1, and a storage shed W for storing materials and the like is installed in the outdoor area E2. In this embodiment, an operation target area in which the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 described later operates is set, and the operation target area is an area Ex in the indoor area E1 close to the outdoor area E2 and most of the area Ey of the outdoor area E2 (see FIG. 1). In other words, the operation target area includes a part of the indoor area E1.

[0015] The small towing vehicle 11 travels in the indoor area E1 and outdoor area E2 of the operating area E. In this embodiment, the small towing vehicle 11 can travel between the indoor area E1 and the outdoor area E2 through the entrances G1 and G2. Note that multiple small towing vehicles 11 travel in the operating area E. The small towing vehicles 11 travel while communicating wirelessly with the operation control device 12. Details of the small towing vehicles 11 will be described later.

[0016] In the operating area E, a travel route R for the small towing vehicle 11 is set, and multiple information tags T (T1 to T6) are arranged along the travel route R. First, the travel route R will be explained. The travel route R is a route along which the small towing vehicle 11 travels, and is specifically formed by a magnetic tape (not shown) affixed to the road surface F. The travel route R can be freely set in the operating area E. The information tag T is an RFID tag in which a tag number, which is information related to the travel of the small towing vehicle 11, is stored.

[0017] For example, in the example shown in Fig. 1, information tags T1 and T2 are installed in area Ex of indoor area E1 just before outdoor area E2 on the entrance / exit G1 side. Information tag T3 is installed in area Ey of outdoor area E2, and information tags T4 and T5 are installed in area Ex of indoor area E1 just before outdoor area E2 on the entrance / exit G2 side. Information tag T6 is installed in an area excluding the activation target area in indoor area E1. Information tags T are installed appropriately as necessary for the travel of small towing vehicle 11.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the operation control device 12 is, for example, a computer, and includes an arithmetic processing unit 13, a memory unit 14, an input unit 15, a display unit 16, and a wireless communication unit 17. The arithmetic processing unit 13 performs various arithmetic processing by executing a program. The memory unit 14 has a function of storing various programs and data, and is, for example, a ROM or RAM. The input unit 15 is capable of inputting data, and is, for example, an input keyboard. The display unit 16 has a function of displaying various information, and is, for example, an LCD monitor. The wireless communication unit 17 is a wireless communication device capable of performing two-way wireless communication with the small towing vehicle 11.

[0019] Next, the small towing vehicle 11 will be described. As shown in Fig. 3, front wheels 22 as steering wheels are provided at the front of the body 21 of the small towing vehicle 11, and rear wheels 23 as drive wheels are provided at the rear of the body 21. A driver's seat 24 is provided near the center of the body 21. As shown in Fig. 3, the driver's seat 24 is provided with a standing driver's seat 25 and a steering lever 26 to enable manned driving.

[0020] A battery room (not shown) is located behind the driver's seat 24 in the car body 21. The battery room is a space that can accommodate a battery 27. As shown in FIG. 4, the upper part of the battery room is covered by an openable and closable cover 28 provided on the car body 21. As shown in FIG. 3, a drawbar device 29 that couples the bogie C shown in FIG. 1 is provided at the rear of the car body 21. The bogie C, which is the towed vehicle, is coupled to or uncoupled from the small towing vehicle 11 by operating the drawbar device 29.

[0021] 2, the small towing vehicle 11 includes a traveling drive device 30 serving as a traveling drive source that generates a driving force for driving the rear wheels 23, and a steering device 31 for steering the front wheels 22. The traveling drive device 30 includes a driving motor 32 for traveling that rotates the rear wheels 23, and a motor driver 33 that drives the driving motor 32. The steering device 31 includes a steering drive motor 34 for driving the front wheels 22, and a motor driver 35 that drives the driving motor 34.

[0022] The vehicle body 21 is equipped with an on-vehicle controller 36 that controls the motor drivers 33, 35. The motor driver 33 controls the rotation speed of the drive motor 32 in response to a command from the on-vehicle controller 36. Therefore, the on-vehicle controller 36 controls the acceleration and deceleration (braking) of the small towing vehicle 11 by controlling the traveling drive device 30. In addition, the motor driver 35 controls the amount of rotation of the drive motor 34 in response to a command from the on-vehicle controller 36.

[0023] 2, the in-vehicle controller 36 includes a CPU 37 and a storage unit 38 including a RAM, a ROM, and the like. The in-vehicle controller 36 may include dedicated hardware for executing at least some of the various processes, such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The in-vehicle controller 36 may be configured as a circuit including one or more processors that operate according to a computer program, one or more dedicated hardware circuits such as an ASIC, or a combination thereof.

[0024] The memory unit 38 stores program codes or instructions configured to cause the CPU 37 to execute processes. Various programs for controlling the mini-tow vehicle 11 are stored in the memory unit 38. The memory unit 38, i.e., the computer-readable medium, includes anything that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle controller 36 is connected to a vehicle communication unit 39, a rainfall detection sensor 40, an obstacle detection sensor 41, and an information tag reader 42. The vehicle communication unit 39 is an in-vehicle wireless communication device capable of performing two-way wireless communication with the driving control device 12. The rainfall detection sensor 40 is provided at the front of the vehicle body 21 facing upward, and is, for example, an optical sensor using an infrared LED and a photodiode. When the rainfall detection sensor 40 detects rainfall, it transmits a signal indicating rainfall to the vehicle controller 36. The obstacle detection sensor 41 is provided near the road surface F at the front of the vehicle body 21. The information tag reader 42 is a tag sensor that reads an information tag T arranged along the travel route R. Although not shown, a magnetic sensor connected to the vehicle controller 36 is provided, and the magnetic sensor detects magnetism of a magnetic tape.

[0026] The obstacle detection sensor 41 is a sensor that detects obstacles in front of the vehicle body 21 at a height close to the road surface F. The obstacle detection sensor 41 is provided on the vehicle body 21 so as to be at a predetermined height (200 mm) or less from the road surface F. The obstacle detection sensor 41 is a laser distance measuring sensor that irradiates laser light, and has a light projecting unit (not shown) and a light receiving unit (not shown). When an obstacle (person, object, etc.) is present on the travel path of the small towing vehicle 11, the obstacle detection sensor 41 detects the obstacle and transmits a signal indicating that the obstacle has been detected to the on-vehicle controller 36.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 5, the obstacle detection sensor 41 has a sensor main body 43 and a laser scanning unit 44. The sensor main body 43 is attached to a partition wall 45 provided inside the vehicle body via a bracket (not shown). The partition wall 45 is a plate material extending in the width direction inside the front part of the vehicle body 21, and is welded to the vehicle body 21. A light emitting unit (not shown) that generates laser light L and a light receiving unit (not shown) that receives the reflected laser light L are housed inside the sensor main body 43. A truncated cone-shaped laser scanning unit 44 is provided at the bottom of the sensor main body 43. The laser scanning unit 44 has a light transmitting unit 46 that transmits the laser light L.

[0028] The light-transmitting portion 46 extends in the circumferential direction of the laser scanning portion 44 and defines a scanning range that indicates the range in the scanning direction of the laser light L. In this embodiment, the scanning range of the laser light L that searches for obstacles is a range defined by a predetermined angle within a circle centered on the axis P of the obstacle detection sensor 41 in a plan view. By defining the scanning range at an angle of 180° or more, it is possible to search for obstacles in front of and on the left and right sides of the small towing vehicle 11. Parts of the laser scanning portion 44 in the circumferential direction where the light-transmitting portion 46 is not formed face rearward.

[0029] Incidentally, the small towing vehicle 11 of this embodiment is equipped with a rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 that injects an airflow in front of the obstacle detection sensor 41. The rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 has a blower 51 that generates an airflow, an air ejection port 52 that is provided on the underside of the vehicle body 21 in front of the obstacle detection sensor 41, and a duct section 53 that connects the blower 51 and the air ejection port 52 and passes the air sent out by the blower 51. The blower 51 is housed inside the front part of the vehicle body 21, and includes an electric motor (not shown) and a fan (not shown) driven by the electric motor.

[0030] The air ejection port 52 is an opening formed in the width direction in a bottom wall 54 provided at the front of the vehicle body 21. The duct portion 53 connects the lower portion of the blower 51 and the air ejection port 52, and guides the air sent out from the blower 51 to the air ejection port 52. The duct portion 53 has a front duct plate 55 and a rear duct plate 56. The front duct plate 55 and the rear duct plate 56 are inclined with respect to the vertical direction so that the lower ends of the front duct plate 55 and the rear duct plate 56 approach the tip of the bottom wall 54. In other words, the duct portion 53 is formed from an upper portion closer to the laser scanning unit 44 than the air ejection port 52 toward a lower portion closer to the tip of the bottom wall 54 than the laser scanning unit 44.

[0031] The inclination of front duct plate 55 and rear duct plate 56 is a condition for ensuring that the airflow ejected from air outlet 52 contains a component flowing from air outlet 52 to the tip of bottom wall 54. Duct section 53 is structured such that the flow path cross-sectional area decreases from blower 51 to air outlet 52, and is structured such that air passing through duct section 53 does not leak into the space inside vehicle body 21. In Figure 5, the air flow is indicated by outlined arrows.

[0032] The compact towing vehicle 11 of this embodiment has a lower cover member 57 extending toward the tip of the bottom wall 54 below the laser scanning unit 44. As shown in Fig. 5, the lower cover member 57 is fixed to the bottom wall 54. The lower cover member 57 covers the lower part of the laser scanning unit 44 and a part of the front part to an extent that does not interfere with the laser light L. Therefore, the lower cover member 57 blocks the air flow caused by the air flow ejected from the air ejection port 52 bouncing off the road surface F.

[0033] The air outlet 52 is separated from the laser scanning unit 44 in the horizontal direction so that a space S is formed below the vehicle body 21 between the airflow caused by the air being ejected from the air outlet 52 and the obstacle detection sensor 41. Therefore, the airflow ejected from the air outlet 52 obstructs the airflow heading toward the obstacle detection sensor 41 from the front while the vehicle is traveling.

[0034] Incidentally, in this embodiment, when it is raining in the operating area E and the small towing vehicle 11 moves from the indoor area E1 to the outdoor area E2, the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 is controlled to operate in the indoor area E1 just before the outdoor area E2. The operation of the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 specifically follows a series of steps shown in the flow diagrams of Figures 6 and 7. Figure 6 is a flow diagram showing the control in the operation control device 12, and Figure 7 is a flow diagram showing the control in the small towing vehicle 11.

[0035] The operation control device 12 first acquires weather information (step S01). The weather information is information indicating the current weather in the operation area E, and is acquired from a weather information source. In this embodiment, the weather information source is a rainfall detection sensor 58 installed outdoors (see FIG. 8). The rainfall detection sensor 58 is the same type of sensor as the rainfall detection sensor 40 mounted on the small towing vehicle 11, and is attached, for example, to the roof of a structure that forms the indoor area E1. The rainfall detection sensor 58 is capable of communicating with the operation control device 12.

[0036] The operation control device 12 then acquires the position information of the small towing vehicle 11 (step S02). The position information of the small towing vehicle 11 is transmitted to the operation control device 12 by wireless communication from the information tag T read by the information tag reader 42, and the operation control device 12 can acquire the position information of the small towing vehicle 11. Next, the operation control device 12 determines whether or not it is raining in the operating area E based on the acquired weather information (step S03). The calculation processing unit 13 of the operation control device 12 corresponds to a rainfall determination unit.

[0037] When it is determined that it is raining in the operating area E, the operation control device 12 determines whether or not the position of the small towing vehicle 11 is within an area subject to operation of the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 based on the position information of the small towing vehicle 11 (step S04). The area subject to operation of the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 is the entire outdoor area E2 and a part of the indoor area E1 just before the outdoor area E2. When it is determined that the position of the small towing vehicle 11 is within an area subject to operation of the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50, the operation control device 12 transmits an operation command to the small towing vehicle 11 to operate the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 (step S05). The calculation processing unit 13 of the operation control device 12 corresponds to an operation subject area determination unit.

[0038] If it is determined in step S03 that it is not raining in the operating area E, the operation control device 12 transmits a stop command to the small towing vehicle 11 to stop the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 (step S06). If it is determined in step S04 that the position of the small towing vehicle 11 is not in an area where the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 is to be activated, the operation control device 12 proceeds to step S06. The operation control device 12 ends this flow after steps S05 and S06.

[0039] When an operation command or a stop command is sent from the operation control device 12, as shown in FIG. 7, in the small towing vehicle 11, the on-board controller 36 receives the command from the operation control device 12 through the on-board communication unit 39 (step S11). Next, the on-board controller 36 determines whether the command is an operation command for the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 (step S12). If it is determined that the command is an operation command for the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50, the on-board controller 36 operates the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 (step S13). If it is determined that the command is not an operation command for the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50, the command stops the operation of the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50. In this case, if the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 is in a stopped state, the on-board controller 36 maintains the stop of the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50. The on-board controller 36 ends this flow after steps S13 and S14.

[0040] Next, the operation of the operation control system 10 for the small towing vehicle 11 of this embodiment will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, the small towing vehicle 11 travels along a travel route R in an operating area E. For example, the small towing vehicle 11 travels along the travel route R in an indoor area E1. While the small towing vehicle 11 is operating, the rainfall detection sensor 58 constantly detects whether or not it is raining in the operating area E, and if there is rainfall, transmits a signal indicating rainfall to the operation control device 12. Therefore, the operation control device 12 obtains weather information via the rainfall detection sensor 58.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 8, when the small towing vehicle 11 travels from the indoor area E1 to the outdoor area E2, the information tag reader 42 of the small towing vehicle 11 reads the information tag T1. By reading the information tag T1, the operation control device 12 acquires the position information of the small towing vehicle 11 by wireless communication with the small towing vehicle 11. In FIG. 8, the information tag T1 corresponds to the operation start point where the position of the small towing vehicle 11 is in the operation target area of ​​the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50. In this case, for example, when it is raining in the operating area E, when the small towing vehicle 11 reaches the information tag T1, the operation control device 12 determines that it is raining in the operating area E based on the weather information and determines that the vehicle body 21 is located in the operation target area. Therefore, the operation control device 12 transmits a command to the small towing vehicle 11 to operate the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 in the indoor area E1. Even if it is raining in the operating area E, if an information tag T outside the operation target area of ​​the indoor area E1 is read, a command to operate the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 is not transmitted.

[0042] In the small towing vehicle 11, the on-board controller 36 receives a command and activates the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50. Specifically, the blower 51 of the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 is activated. When the blower 51 is activated, air is sprayed from the air ejection port 52, but in order to obtain an air ejection force sufficient to reliably prevent rainwater from adhering to the obstacle detection sensor 41, the blower 51 needs to rotate at a high speed. For this reason, a predetermined time is required from the start of operation of the blower 51 in order to obtain sufficient air ejection force.

[0043] In this embodiment, the information tag T1 is present in an activation target area in the indoor area E1, and the distance from the information tag T1 to the outdoor area E2 is set in consideration of the time required for the blower 51 to rotate at high speed (for example, maximum rotation speed). Therefore, when the blower 51 starts to operate, the blower 51 rotates at high speed before the small towing vehicle 11 leaves the information tag T1 and enters the outdoor area E2, generating an air injection force sufficient to reliably prevent rainwater from adhering to the obstacle detection sensor 41.

[0044] Even if the small towing vehicle 11 goes out into the outdoor area E2 where it is raining, the airflow ejected from the air ejection port 52 counters the airflow from the front that adheres to the obstacle detection sensor 41, reliably preventing rainwater from adhering to the obstacle detection sensor 41. When the small towing vehicle 11 travels in the outdoor area E2 where it is raining, the rainfall detection sensor 58 installed outdoors detects rainfall, and the on-vehicle controller 36 continues to operate the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50. The on-vehicle controller 36 may detect the presence or absence of rain using the rainfall detection sensor 40 mounted on the small towing vehicle 11.

[0045] When the small towing vehicle 11 enters the indoor area E1 from the outdoor area E2 where it is raining through the entrance G2, the information tag T4 is read, and the operation control device 12 transmits a stop command to the small towing vehicle 11 to stop the operation of the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50. In the small towing vehicle 11, the on-board controller 36 stops the blower 51. The information tag T4 is installed at the entrance G2, which is closer to the outdoor area E2 than the information tag T5. When the small towing vehicle 11 enters the indoor area E1, the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 immediately stops.

[0046] When the operating area E changes from a rainy state to a non-rainy state, for example, the outdoor rainfall detection sensor 58 stops transmitting a signal indicating rainfall. Therefore, the operation control device 12 determines that it is not raining in the operating area E, and transmits a command to stop the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 to the small towing vehicle 11 regardless of the position of the small towing vehicle 11. In the small towing vehicle 11, upon receiving the stop command, the on-board controller 36 stops the operation of the blower 51.

[0047] This embodiment provides the following advantages. (1) In the operating area E of the small towing vehicle 11, an operation target area in which the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 operates is set, and the operation target area has an outdoor area E2 and an indoor area E1 adjacent to the outdoor area E2. The small towing vehicle 11 travels in the operating area E including the indoor area E1 and the outdoor area E2. Weather information in the operating area E is acquired from a rainfall detection sensor 58 installed outdoors. When it is determined that the operating area E is raining based on the weather information and the vehicle body 21 is located in an operation target area in the operating area E in which the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 operates, the in-vehicle controller 36 operates the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 in the indoor area E1. Since the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 is operated in the operation target area in the indoor area E1, the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 operates to an extent that it can reliably prevent rainwater from adhering to the obstacle detection sensor 41 by the time the small towing vehicle 11 reaches the outdoor area E2. As a result, rainwater can be reliably prevented from adhering to the obstacle detection sensor 41 of the small towing vehicle 11.

[0048] (2) The weather information source is a rainfall detection sensor 58 located in an outdoor area E2 in the operating area E. In this case, the rainfall detection sensor 58 located in the outdoor area E2 directly detects rainfall, and therefore it is possible to accurately determine whether or not rain is falling.

[0049] (3) In the target operation area in the indoor area E1, an information tag T1 is set as an operation start point at which the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 can start operating. The distance from the information tag T1 to the entrance / exit G1 is set in consideration of the time required for the blower 51 of the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 to rotate at high speed. For this reason, it becomes possible to operate the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 at an operation start point in the target operation area in the indoor area E1 according to the start-up capacity of the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 from a stopped state to an operating state.

[0050] (4) When moving from the operation target area in the outdoor area E2 to the operation target area in the indoor area E1, the in-vehicle controller 36 stops the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50. In this case, when the small towing vehicle 11 moves from the outdoor area E2 to the indoor area E1, the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 stops, so that unnecessary power consumption of the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 can be suppressed.

[0051] (Modification) In this embodiment, the rainfall detection sensor 58 installed outdoors is exemplified as a weather information source, but in a case where multiple small towing vehicles 11 are managed by the operation control device 12, it is possible to use the small towing vehicles 11 traveling in the outdoor area E2 as a weather information source. In this case, when the rainfall detection sensor 40 of the small towing vehicles 11 in the outdoor area detects rainfall, the operation control device 12 receives a signal indicating rainfall, thereby obtaining weather information. Based on this weather information, the operation control device 12 can transmit a command to the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 to the small towing vehicles 11 attempting to leave the indoor area E1 to the outdoor area E2.

[0052] The present embodiment includes the following technical ideas. The operation control system for an automatic vehicle includes an automatic vehicle capable of automatic travel and an operation control device that controls the operation of the automatic vehicle. The automatic vehicle includes a vehicle body, a driving source mounted on the vehicle body, an on-board controller that controls the driving source, an on-board communication unit that is connected to the on-board controller and capable of wireless communication with the operation control device, an obstacle detection sensor that is connected to the on-board controller and detects obstacles around the vehicle body, and a rainwater adhesion prevention device that prevents rainwater from adhering to the obstacle detection sensor by detecting rainwater with the rainfall detection sensor. The operation control system for an automatic vehicle includes a weather information providing source that acquires weather information in the operating area of ​​the automatic vehicle. The operation control device includes a rainfall discrimination unit that discriminates rainfall in the operating area of ​​the automatic vehicle based on the acquired weather information. The operation control device or the on-board controller includes an operation target area discrimination unit that discriminates whether the automatic vehicle is located in a preset operation target area of ​​the rainwater adhesion prevention device in the operating area when rainfall is discriminated. The operation target area includes an outdoor area and an indoor area. The operation start point of the operation target area that can be determined by the vehicle-mounted controller is set to an indoor area, and when it is determined that the operation target area of ​​the rainwater adhesion prevention device, the vehicle-mounted controller activates the rainwater adhesion prevention device.

[0053] In this case, the operation control system of the automated vehicle operates the rainwater adhesion prevention device in the indoor area, so that by the time the automated vehicle reaches the outdoor area, the rainwater adhesion prevention device can operate to a degree that reliably prevents rainwater from adhering to the obstacle detection sensor. As a result, rainwater can be reliably prevented from adhering to the obstacle detection sensor of the automated vehicle. In addition, by setting an operation start point in the indoor area at which the rainwater adhesion prevention device can start operating, it becomes possible to set an operation start point in the indoor area according to the start-up capability of the rainwater adhesion prevention device from a stopped state to an operating state.

[0054] Second embodiment Next, a small towing vehicle according to a second embodiment will be described. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that no operation control device is required, and the on-board controller of the small towing vehicle acquires weather information, determines whether rain is falling, and determines the position of the small towing vehicle. In this embodiment, the same configuration as in the first embodiment will be described with reference to the first embodiment, and common reference numerals will be used.

[0055] As shown in Fig. 9, in the small towing vehicle 11 of this embodiment, the on-board controller 36 performs not only the series of steps shown in Fig. 7 but also the series of steps shown in Fig. 6. The on-board controller 36 first acquires weather information (step S101). The on-board controller 36 then acquires position information of the small towing vehicle 11 (step S102). The position information of the small towing vehicle 11 can be acquired by the information tag reader 42 reading the information tag T. Next, the on-board controller 36 determines whether or not it is raining in the operating area E based on the acquired weather information (step S103). The on-board controller 36 corresponds to a rainfall determination unit.

[0056] When it is determined that it is raining in the operating area E, the in-vehicle controller 36 determines whether or not the position of the small towing vehicle 11 is in an area subject to the operation of the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 based on the position information of the small towing vehicle 11 (step S104). When it is determined that the position of the small towing vehicle 11 is in an area subject to the operation of the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50, the in-vehicle controller 36 activates the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 on the small towing vehicle 11 (step S105). The in-vehicle controller 36 corresponds to an operation subject area determination unit.

[0057] If it is determined in step S103 that it is not raining in the operating area E, the on-board controller 36 stops the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 (step S106). If it is determined in step S04 that the position of the small towing vehicle 11 is not in an area where the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 is to be activated, the process proceeds to step S106. The on-board controller 36 ends this flow after steps S105 and S106.

[0058] According to this embodiment, even for a single small towing vehicle 11, the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 is activated in the activation target area in the indoor area E1. By the time the small towing vehicle 11 reaches the outdoor area E2, the rainwater adhesion prevention device 50 has been activated to an extent that it can reliably prevent rainwater from adhering to the obstacle detection sensor 41. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent rainwater from adhering to the obstacle detection sensor 41 of the small towing vehicle 11.

[0059] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment (including the modified examples), and various modifications are possible within the scope of the spirit of the invention. For example, the following modifications may be made.

[0060] In the above embodiment (including the modified example), a rainfall detection sensor is described as an example of a weather information source, but this is not limited thereto. The weather information source may be, for example, a website that provides weather information for the operating area via a communication network such as the Internet. If the weather information source is installed outdoors, it may be a camera that can identify rainfall by image analysis. In this case, it is sufficient that wireless communication between the camera and the operation control device or the automated driving body is possible. Also, in the second embodiment, a small towing vehicle that is an automated driving body equipped with a rainfall detection sensor is used as the weather information source, but this is not limited thereto. The weather information source may be any moving body that can provide weather information. In the above embodiment (including the modified example), the rain detection sensor is an optical sensor using an infrared LED and a photodiode, but is not limited to this. The rain detection sensor may be a resistive sensor that detects the presence or absence of rain based on a change in resistance between electrodes due to wetness. In the above embodiment (including the modified example), an automatic traveling body that reads a magnetic tape and an information tag grounded on a road surface is described as an example, but is not limited to this. The automatic traveling body may be, for example, an automatic traveling body that employs a technology called SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) that simultaneously performs self-location estimation and construction of an environmental map. In this case, by setting a virtual information tag along the traveling route in the environmental map, it is possible to set an operation start point where the rainwater adhesion prevention device can start operating in an indoor area. In the above embodiment (including the modified example), when the automated vehicle moves from an outdoor area to an indoor area in the operation target area, the on-board controller stops the rainwater adhesion prevention device, but this is not limited to this. For example, if the automated vehicle moves to an indoor area and then moves back to an outdoor area in a short time, the rainwater adhesion prevention device does not need to be stopped even when the automated vehicle moves to the indoor area, and this can be realized by setting an information tag. In the above embodiment (including the modified example), a small towing vehicle is used as an example of an autonomous vehicle, but the present invention is not limited to this. The autonomous vehicle may be, for example, a forklift or a towing tractor, and may be any autonomous vehicle having an obstacle detection sensor and a rainwater adhesion prevention device that prevents rainwater from adhering to the obstacle detection sensor. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 10. Traffic Control System 11 Small towing vehicle (self-driving vehicle) 12 Operation control device 21 Body 30 Travel drive device (travel drive source) 36 Vehicle Controller 39 Vehicle communication unit 40 Rainfall detection sensor 41 Obstacle detection sensor 42 Information tag reader 50 Rainwater adhesion prevention device 51 Blower 52 Air Jet 53 Duct section 58 Rainfall detection sensor E1 Indoor area E2 Outdoor Area F road surface G1, G2 entrance / exit R Travel route T (T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6) Information tag

Claims

1. The car body and A driving source mounted on the vehicle body; An in-vehicle controller that controls the driving source; an obstacle detection sensor connected to the vehicle controller and configured to detect obstacles around the vehicle body; A rainwater adhesion prevention device that prevents rainwater from adhering to the obstacle detection sensor, and the autonomous vehicle that travels in an operating area including an indoor area and an outdoor area, a vehicle-mounted communication unit capable of wireless communication with a weather information source that provides weather information in the operating area; The weather information is obtained from the weather information source via the in-vehicle communication unit, and when it is determined that rain is falling in the operating area based on the weather information and the vehicle body is located in an operation target area within the operating area in which the rainwater adhesion prevention device is activated, the in-vehicle controller starts operating the rainwater adhesion prevention device in the operation target area.

2. 2. The autonomous vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the weather information source is a rainfall detection sensor that is installed in an outdoor area of ​​the operating area and detects rainfall in the operating area.

3. 3. The automated vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the rainwater adhesion prevention device starts operation at an operation start point set in the indoor area.

4. 3. The automated vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the on-board controller stops the rainwater adhesion prevention device when the automated vehicle moves from the outdoor area to the indoor area in the target operation area.

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