Device, method and program

Abstract

To provide a technique that can properly compare three-dimensional point group data with reference point group data, no matter whether an outer shape of a moving body is changed due to assembling of a component to the moving body.SOLUTION: A device comprises: a point group data obtaining unit that obtains three-dimensional point group data including a point group of a target region having a region where assembling of a component is not performed in a plurality of predetermined steps among outer shapes of a moving body; and a position information obtaining unit that obtains at least one of a position and a direction of the moving body, by comparing the obtained three-dimensional point group data with reference point group data including a point group corresponding to the target region.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for driving a vehicle autonomously or by remote control in a vehicle manufacturing process.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In order to move a moving object such as a vehicle by autonomous control or remote control, a technique for obtaining the position and orientation of the moving object based on a comparison between three - dimensional point - cloud data measured by a distance - measuring device and reference point - cloud data is known. By the way, when components are assembled to a moving object in the manufacturing process of the moving object, the outer shape of the moving object may change. A technique that can appropriately execute the comparison between the three - dimensional point - cloud data and the reference point - cloud data regardless of such a change in the outer shape of the moving object is desired.

Means for Solving the Problems

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

[0006] (1) According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a point cloud data acquisition unit that acquires three-dimensional point cloud data including a point cloud of a target area having an area where parts cannot be assembled in a plurality of predetermined steps in the outer shape of the moving body, and a position information acquisition unit that acquires at least one of the position and orientation of the moving body by comparing the acquired three-dimensional point cloud data with reference point cloud data including a point cloud corresponding to the target area. According to this embodiment, since the comparison between the three-dimensional point cloud data and the reference point cloud data can be executed according to the target area having an area where parts cannot be assembled, even when the outer shape of the moving body changes as parts are assembled to the moving body, the comparison between the three-dimensional point cloud data and the reference point cloud data can be appropriately executed. (2) In the above embodiment, the target area is an area below a predetermined reference height in the outer shape of the vehicle as the moving body, and the reference height in the first step may be higher than the reference height in the second step which is a subsequent step to the first step. According to this embodiment, the reference height can be lowered according to the assembly of parts to the vehicle as the moving body, and the comparison between the three-dimensional point cloud data and the reference point cloud data can be executed more appropriately. (3) In the above embodiment, the three-dimensional point cloud data may be the point cloud data of the target area. According to this embodiment, by using the point cloud data of the target area as the three-dimensional point cloud data, the comparison between the three-dimensional point cloud data and the reference point cloud data can be executed more appropriately. (4) In the above embodiment, the three-dimensional point cloud data may be point cloud data from which a part of the measured point cloud data measured by a distance measuring device is excluded. According to this embodiment, even when the measured point cloud data includes a point cloud of an area outside the target area, the point cloud data of the target area can be used for comparison with the reference point cloud data, and the comparison can be executed more appropriately. (5) In the above embodiment, the reference point cloud data may be point cloud data corresponding to the target area. According to this embodiment, by using the point cloud data corresponding to the target area as the reference point cloud data, the comparison between the three-dimensional point cloud data and the reference point cloud data can be executed more appropriately. In addition to the form as the above-described device, the present disclosure can be implemented in the form of, for example, a system, a server, a mobile body, a control method, a program for realizing the control method, a non-transitory recording medium on which the program is recorded, a program product, and the like. The program product may be provided, for example, as 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

[0007]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] A. First Embodiment: FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a system 50 according to the first embodiment. The system 50 includes one or more vehicles 100, a server 200, and one or more ranging devices 300. The server 200 in the first embodiment corresponds to the "device" in the present disclosure.

[0009] In the present disclosure, a "mobile object" means an object that can move, for example, a vehicle or an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (so-called flying car). The vehicle may be a vehicle that travels by wheels or a vehicle that travels on an endless track, for example, a passenger car, a truck, a bus, a two-wheeled vehicle, a four-wheeled vehicle, a tank, a construction vehicle, etc. Vehicles include battery electric vehicles (BEVs), gasoline vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles. When the mobile object is other than a vehicle, the expressions "vehicle" and "car" in the present disclosure can be appropriately replaced with "mobile object", and the expression "travel" can be appropriately replaced with "move".

[0010] The vehicle 100 is configured to be capable of traveling by autonomous driving. "Autonomous driving" means driving without relying on the driving operation of a passenger. The driving operation means an operation related to at least any one of "running", "turning", and "stopping" of the vehicle 100. Autonomous 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. A passenger who does not perform a driving operation may be on board the vehicle 100 traveling by autonomous driving. Passengers who do not perform a driving operation include, for example, a person simply sitting in the seat of the vehicle 100, or a person performing work different from the driving operation, such as assembly, inspection, and operation of switches, while on board the vehicle 100. Note that driving by the driving operation of a passenger is sometimes called "manned driving".

[0011] In the present disclosure, "remote control" includes "complete remote control" in which all operations of the vehicle 100 are completely determined from outside the vehicle 100, and "partial remote control" in which a part of the operations of the vehicle 100 is determined from outside the vehicle 100. Further, "autonomous control" includes "complete autonomous control" in which the vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own operations without receiving any information from devices outside the vehicle 100, and "partial autonomous control" in which the vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own operations using the information received from devices outside the vehicle 100.

[0012] The vehicle 100 only needs to be configured to be movable by driverless operation, and may be in the form of a platform having, for example, the configuration described below. Specifically, the vehicle 100 only needs to include at least a vehicle control device and an actuator group described later in order to exhibit the three functions of "running", "turning", and "stopping" by driverless operation. When acquiring information from a device outside the vehicle 100 for driverless operation, the vehicle 100 may further include a communication device. That is, the vehicle 100 that can be moved by driverless operation may not have at least some of the interior parts such as a driver's seat and a dashboard, may not have at least some of the exterior parts such as a bumper and a fender, and may not have a body shell. In this case, until the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory FC, the remaining parts such as the body shell may be attached to the vehicle 100, or the vehicle 100 may be shipped from the factory FC in a state where the remaining parts such as the body shell are not attached to the vehicle 100, and then the remaining parts such as the body shell may be attached to the vehicle 100. Each part may be attached from any direction such as the upper side, lower side, front side, rear side, right side, or left side of the vehicle 100, and may be attached from the same direction or from different directions.

[0013] In this embodiment, the system 50 is used in the factory FC that manufactures the vehicle 100. The reference coordinate system of the factory FC is the global coordinate system GC, and any position within the factory FC can be represented by the coordinates of X, Y, and Z in the global coordinate system GC. The factory FC includes a first location PL1, a second location PL2, and a third location PL3. The first location PL1, the second location PL2, and the third location PL3 are connected by a runway TR on which the vehicle 100 can travel. The runway TR has a first runway TR1 that connects the first location PL1 and the second location PL2, and a second runway TR2 that connects the second location PL2 and the third location PL3. A plurality of ranging devices 300 are installed along the runway TR in the factory FC. The positions of the respective ranging devices 300 in the factory FC are adjusted in advance. The vehicle 100 moves from the first location PL1 to the third location PL3 through each runway TR and the second location PL2 by autonomous driving. In this embodiment, during the period of moving from the first location PL1 to the third location PL3, the vehicle 100 is in the form of a platform.

[0014] In the first location PL1, the first runway TR1, the second location PL2, the second runway TR2, and the third location PL3, different processes are performed with respect to the vehicle 100. In the first location PL1, a platform assembly process for assembling the vehicle 100 into the form of a platform is performed. In the first runway TR1, a first movement process for moving the vehicle 100 to the second location PL2 by autonomous driving is performed. In the second location PL2, an assembly process for newly assembling parts to the vehicle 100 is performed. In the second runway TR2, a second movement process for moving the vehicle 100 to the third location PL3 by autonomous driving is performed. In the third location PL3, an inspection process for inspecting the vehicle 100 is performed. Note that the first movement process and the second movement process can also be said to be processes for transporting the vehicle 100 by autonomous driving of the vehicle 100. Also, each of the above processes is included in the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100 in the factory FC.

[0015] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of system 50. Vehicle 100 includes a vehicle control device 110 for controlling each part of vehicle 100, an actuator group 120 including one or more actuators driven under the control of vehicle control device 110, and a communication device 130 for communicating with an external device such as server 200 by wireless communication. Actuator group 120 includes actuators related to the running of vehicle 100, such as an actuator of a driving device for accelerating vehicle 100, an actuator of a steering device for changing the traveling direction of vehicle 100, and an actuator of a braking device for decelerating vehicle 100. The driving device includes a battery, a driving motor driven by the power of the battery, and driving wheels rotated by the driving motor. The actuator of the driving device includes the driving motor.

[0016] Vehicle control device 110 is constituted by a computer including a processor 111, a memory 112, an input / output interface 113, and an internal bus 114. Processor 111, memory 112, and input / output interface 113 are connected to be communicable bidirectionally via internal bus 114. Actuator group 120 and communication device 130 are connected to input / output interface 113. Processor 111 realizes various functions including the function as vehicle control unit 115 by executing program PG1 stored in memory 112.

[0017] Vehicle control unit 115 runs vehicle 100 by controlling actuator group 120. Vehicle control unit 115 can run vehicle 100 by controlling actuator group 120 using the running control signal received from server 200. The running control signal is a control signal for running vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the running control signal includes the acceleration and steering angle of vehicle 100 as parameters. In other embodiments, the running control signal may include the speed of vehicle 100 as a parameter instead of or in addition to the acceleration of vehicle 100.

[0018] The ranging device 300 corresponds to an external sensor that is a sensor located outside the vehicle 100. The ranging device 300 measures the vehicle 100 and outputs 3D point cloud data as a detection result. As the ranging device 300, a camera or LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) can be used. In particular, LiDAR is preferable in that high-precision 3D point cloud data can be obtained. The ranging device 300 in the present embodiment is configured by LiDAR. In the present embodiment, the position of each ranging device 300 is fixed, and the relative relationship between the global coordinate system GC and the device coordinate system of each ranging device 300 is known. A coordinate transformation matrix for mutually converting the coordinate values of the global coordinate system GC and the coordinate values of the device coordinate system of each ranging device 300 is stored in advance in the server 200. The ranging device 300 includes a communication device (not shown) and can communicate with other devices such as the server 200 by wired communication or wireless communication. Hereinafter, the 3D point cloud data measured by the ranging device 300 is also referred to as measurement point cloud data.

[0019] The server 200 is composed of 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 be communicable bidirectionally via the internal bus 204. A communication device 205 for communicating with various devices outside the server 200 is connected to the input / output interface 203. The communication device 205 can communicate with the vehicle 100 by wireless communication and can communicate with each ranging device 300 by wired communication or wireless communication. Various information including a program PG2, a reference path RR, template point cloud data TP, and a region database DB is stored in the memory 202. By executing the program PG2 stored in the memory 202, the processor 201 realizes various functions including a function for executing the running control of the vehicle 100 described later and functions as a point cloud data acquisition unit 215, a process information acquisition unit 220, a region determination unit 225, a position information acquisition unit 250, and a command generation unit 260.

[0020] The point cloud data acquisition unit 215 acquires target point cloud data. The target point cloud data is three-dimensional point cloud data based on the measured point cloud data, and as will be described later, it is compared with the reference point cloud data by the position information acquisition unit 250. The reference point cloud data is three-dimensional point cloud data based on the template point cloud data TP prepared in advance, and is compared with the target point cloud data by the position information acquisition unit 250.

[0021] The template point cloud data TP may be generated, for example, based on three-dimensional CAD data representing the external shape of the vehicle 100, or may be generated by the vehicle 100 being measured in advance by a distance measuring device. Further, it is preferable that the template point cloud data TP is prepared according to, for example, the vehicle type and model. In this way, the reference point cloud data corresponding to the vehicle type and model of the vehicle 100 can be used for comparison with the target point cloud data. In another embodiment, the template point cloud data TP may be stored, for example, in an external computer or a recording medium outside the server 200.

[0022] The target point cloud data includes at least the point cloud of the target area. The reference point cloud data includes at least the point cloud corresponding to the target area. The target area is an area having at least a non-assembly area. The target area in the present embodiment has only a non-assembly area. The non-assembly area is an area where parts are not assembled to the vehicle 100 in a target process including a plurality of predetermined processes in the outer shape of the vehicle 100. The non-assembly area in the present embodiment is an area where parts are not assembled to the vehicle 100 during the period from the platform assembly process to the inspection process, that is, during the period when the vehicle 100 moves from the first place PL1 to the third place PL3 shown in FIG. 1.

[0023] In other embodiments, the target area may include an area different from the non-assembly area. However, the ratio of the area of the non-assembly area in the target area is preferably 50% or more, more preferably 70% or more, and still more preferably 90% or more.

[0024] Hereinafter, in the outer shape of the vehicle 100, a region different from the non-assembly region is also referred to as an assembly region. The outer shape of the vehicle 100 in the assembly region changes significantly compared to the outer shape of the vehicle 100 in the non-assembly region due to the assembly of parts to the vehicle 100. More specifically, usually, the outer shape of the vehicle 100 in the non-assembly region hardly or does not change at all, while the outer shape of the vehicle 100 in the assembly region changes according to the shape of the parts to be assembled.

[0025] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the target region in the present embodiment. In FIG. 3, a vehicle 100a traveling on the first lane TR1 and a vehicle 100b traveling on the second lane TR2 are shown. In FIG. 3, the target region is hatched. The vehicle 100b corresponds to the vehicle 100a to which the part PT is assembled. The part PT is assembled to the assembly region of the vehicle 100 in the assembly process AP. The first movement process MP1 is performed on the vehicle 100a. The second movement process MP2 is performed on the vehicle 100b. When the first movement process MP1 is taken as the first process, the assembly process AP and the second movement process MP2 correspond to the second process, which is a subsequent process to the first process.

[0026] The target region in the present embodiment is defined as a region of the outer shape of the vehicle 100 below a predetermined reference height. In the present disclosure, the reference height is defined as the height from the grounding position of the vehicle 100 with respect to the horizontal plane in a state where the vehicle 100 is grounded on the horizontal plane. Also, the reference height corresponds to the height from the ground surface in a state where the vehicle 100 is grounded on the horizontal plane. As shown in FIG. 3, the first reference height hs1 in the first movement process MP1 is higher than the second reference height hs2 in the second movement process MP2. In FIG. 3, the target region in the first movement process MP1 is a region of the outer shape of the vehicle 100a that is located below the position p1 of the first reference height hs1. The target region in the second movement process MP2 is a region of the outer shape of the vehicle 100b that is located below the position p2 of the second reference height hs2.

[0027] The reference height is preferably determined according to the amount of sinking of the vehicle body of the vehicle 100 due to the assembly of parts to the vehicle 100. For example, in FIG. 3, when the part PT is assembled to the vehicle 100 in the assembly process AP, the vehicle body of the vehicle 100 sinks by an amount sa1 in the vertical direction, and the state of sinking is shown. The second reference height hs2 may be determined based on, for example, the first reference height hs1 and the sinking amount sa1. Further, the sinking amount sa1 may be calculated based on, for example, experimental results or simulation results.

[0028] When the target area is defined as an area below the reference height as in the present embodiment, the target area may include the entire area from the grounding position to the position of the reference height in the height direction of the outer shape of the vehicle 100, or may include only a part of the area in the height direction. For example, the target area may be defined as an area below the reference height and above a predetermined height greater than 0. By defining the target area in this way, it is possible to suppress the influence of the road surface on the target point cloud data, and the comparison between the target point cloud data and the reference point cloud data can be executed more appropriately. Further, it is preferable that the target area includes at least a part of the outer shape of the part of the vehicle 100 where there are more feature amounts 100. The feature amount is, for example, the amount of edges. The part with a large amount of features is, for example, a tire, a wheel, a bumper, or a frame. In this way, by including the outer shape of the part with more features in the target area, the comparison between the target point cloud data and the reference point cloud data can be executed more appropriately.

[0029] Returning to the description of FIG. 2. The process information acquisition unit 220 acquires the process information of the vehicle 100. The process information is information that can identify the process being performed on the vehicle 100. As the process information, for example, information indicating which process the vehicle 100 is in may be used, or the position information of the vehicle 100 may be used. Information indicating which process the vehicle 100 is in is acquired, for example, based on log data recording the progress of each process or the work process. Such log data and work processes may be stored, for example, in the memory 202, or may be stored in the server 200, an external computer of the vehicle 100, or a recording medium. Also, as in the present embodiment, when the installation position of the distance measuring device 300 in the factory FC is predetermined, as the process information, for example, the identification information of the distance measuring device 300 in charge of measuring the vehicle 100 or information indicating the installation position of the distance measuring device 300 may be used.

[0030] The area determination unit 225 determines the target area. The area determination unit 225 in the present embodiment determines the target area using the process information acquired by the process information acquisition unit 220. Specifically, the area determination unit 225 determines the target area by referring to the area database DB based on the process information. In the area database DB, a plurality of process data and a plurality of area data are stored in association with each other. The process data is data representing the process performed on the vehicle 100. The area data is data representing the target area. The area data is expressed, for example, as coordinates specifying an area in point cloud data such as measurement point cloud data or template point cloud data TP. The area data in the present embodiment is expressed as coordinates specifying a reference height in the measurement point cloud data or the template point cloud data TP.

[0031] The position information acquisition unit 250 acquires the position information of the vehicle 100 by comparing the target point cloud data based on the measurement point cloud data with the reference point cloud data based on the template point cloud data TP. The position information thus acquired includes at least one of the position and orientation of the vehicle 100. Specifically, the position information acquisition unit 250 acquires the vehicle position information, which will be described later, by performing template matching between the target point cloud data and the reference point cloud data. Hereinafter, the template matching between the target point cloud data and the reference point cloud data is simply referred to as matching. As the matching algorithm, various algorithms such as ICP (Iterative Closest Point) and NDT (Normal Distributions Transform) can be used.

[0032] As will be described later, in the matching in this embodiment, the point cloud data of the target area is used as the target point cloud data. The "point cloud data of the target area" includes the point cloud of the target area and does not include the point cloud outside the target area in the outer shape of the vehicle 100. Also, in the matching in this embodiment, the point cloud data corresponding to the target area is used as the reference point cloud data. The "point cloud data corresponding to the target area" includes the point cloud corresponding to the target area and does not include the point cloud corresponding to the area outside the target area in the outer shape of the vehicle 100. Note that the measurement point cloud data in this embodiment includes the point cloud of the target area and the point cloud of the area outside the target area in the outer shape of the vehicle 100. Also, the template point cloud data TP in this embodiment includes the point cloud corresponding to the target area and the point cloud corresponding to the area outside the target area in the outer shape of the vehicle 100.

[0033] The instruction generation unit 260 generates a control instruction for driving the vehicle 100 by autonomous driving using the acquired vehicle position information, and transmits it to the vehicle 100. Specifically, the control instruction in the present embodiment is the above-described driving control signal. Note that the control instruction for driving the vehicle 100 by autonomous driving may include at least one of the driving control signal and the generation information for generating the driving control signal. Therefore, in other embodiments, the control instruction may include the generation information instead of or in addition to the driving control signal. As the generation information, for example, vehicle position information, a route and a target position described later can be used.

[0034] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the driving control of the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment.

[0035] In step S1, the processor 201 of the server 200 acquires vehicle position information using the detection result output from the distance measuring device 300 which is an external sensor. The vehicle position information is the position information that is the basis for generating the driving control signal. In the present 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 vehicle position information using the target point cloud data and the reference point cloud data.

[0036] In step S2, the processor 201 of the server 200 determines the target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head. In the present embodiment, the target position is represented by the coordinates of X, Y, and Z in the global coordinate system GC. In the memory 202 of the server 200, a reference route RR which is the route that the vehicle 100 should travel is stored in advance. The route is represented by a node indicating the departure point, a node indicating the passing point, a node indicating the destination, and links connecting the respective nodes. The processor 201 determines the target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head using the vehicle position information and the reference route RR. The processor 201 determines the target position on the reference route RR ahead of the current position of the vehicle 100.

[0037] 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 the driving speed from the vehicle 100 and compares the acquired driving speed with the target speed. Overall, when the driving speed is lower than the target speed, the processor 201 determines the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 accelerates, and when the driving speed is higher than the target speed, the processor 201 determines the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 decelerates. Further, when the vehicle 100 is located on the reference route RR, the processor 201 determines the steering angle and the 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 has deviated from the reference route RR, the processor 201 determines the steering angle and the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 returns to the reference route RR.

[0038] In step S4, the processor 201 of the server 200 transmits the generated driving control signal to the vehicle 100. The processor 201 repeats acquisition of vehicle position information, determination of the target position, generation of the driving control signal, and transmission of the driving control signal at a predetermined cycle.

[0039] Note that in steps S1 to S4 in the present embodiment, specifically, the command generation process described later is executed.

[0040] In step S5, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 receives the driving 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 driving control signal, thereby driving the vehicle 100 at the acceleration and the steering angle represented by the driving control signal. The processor 111 repeats reception of the driving control signal and control of the actuator group 120 at a predetermined cycle. According to the system 50 in the present embodiment, the vehicle 100 can be driven by remote control, and the vehicle 100 can be moved without using conveying equipment such as a crane or a conveyor.

[0041] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the command generation process in the present embodiment. The command generation process in FIG. 5 is executed by the processor 201 of the server 200, for example, at a predetermined time interval.

[0042] In step S105, the point cloud data acquisition unit 215 acquires measurement point cloud data from the distance measuring device 300 in charge of measuring the target vehicle 100. The target vehicle 100 is a vehicle 100 that is the target of driving control by autonomous driving. In step S110, the point cloud data acquisition unit 215 acquires the template point cloud data TP stored in the memory 202. In other embodiments, the point cloud data acquisition unit 215 may acquire the template point cloud data TP from, for example, an external computer or a recording medium in step S110.

[0043] In step S115, the process information acquisition unit 220 acquires the process information of the target vehicle 100. In step S120, the area determination unit 225 determines the target area using the process information and the area database DB.

[0044] In step S125, based on the target area determined in step S120, the position information acquisition unit 250 excludes a part of the measurement point cloud data acquired in step S105 to obtain, as the target point cloud data, the first point cloud data that is the point cloud data of the target area. The first point cloud data corresponds to the point cloud data that includes the point cloud of the target area and does not include the point cloud of the area outside the target area among the measurement point cloud data. Specifically, in step S125, the point cloud data acquisition unit 215 acquires the first point cloud data by, for example, extracting the point cloud of the target area from the measurement point cloud data or deleting the point cloud of the area outside the target area from the measurement point cloud data based on the determined target area. The area data in the area database DB may be used for such extraction or deletion of the point cloud.

[0045] In step S130, based on the target area determined in step S115, the position information acquisition unit 250 obtains, as reference point cloud data, second point cloud data corresponding to the target area by excluding a part of the template point cloud data TP acquired in step S110. The second point cloud data corresponds to point cloud data that includes the point cloud corresponding to the target area and does not include the point cloud corresponding to the area outside the target area among the template point cloud data TP. In step S130, for example, in substantially the same manner as step S125, the point cloud data acquisition unit 215 extracts the point cloud corresponding to the target area from the template point cloud data TP or deletes the point cloud of the area outside the target area from the template point cloud data TP to obtain the second point cloud data.

[0046] In step S135, the position information acquisition unit 250 obtains the vehicle position information of the target vehicle 100 by performing matching between the target point cloud data and the reference point cloud data. Specifically, in step S135 in the present embodiment, the position information acquisition unit 250 obtains the vehicle position information of the target vehicle 100 by performing matching between the first point cloud data acquired in step S125 and the second point cloud data acquired in step S130.

[0047] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an example of matching in the present embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 6 shows an example of matching executed in the second movement step MP2. FIG. 6 shows a state in which the first point cloud data D1 as the target point cloud data is generated by excluding a part of the point cloud from the measured point cloud data SD2 measured in the second movement step MP2. Further, FIG. 6 shows a state in which the second point cloud data D2 as the reference point cloud data is generated by excluding a part of the point cloud from the template point cloud data TP. In the example of FIG. 6, in step S135, the vehicle position information of the target vehicle 100 is obtained by performing matching between the first point cloud data D1 and the second point cloud data D2.

[0048] In step S140, the command generation unit 260 generates a driving control signal as a control command by using the vehicle position information acquired in step S135, and transmits it to the vehicle 100. The vehicle control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 by using the received control command, thereby driving the vehicle 100.

[0049] According to the server 200 in the present embodiment described above, the vehicle position information is acquired by comparing the target point cloud data including the point cloud of the target area having the non-assembly area with the reference point cloud data including the point cloud corresponding to the target area. Therefore, since matching according to the target area can be executed, even when the outer shape of the vehicle 100 changes as parts are assembled to the vehicle 100, the comparison between the target point cloud data and the reference point cloud data can be appropriately executed, and the vehicle position information can be appropriately acquired.

[0050] Also, in the present embodiment, the target area is an area of the outer shape of the vehicle 100 below the reference height, and the first reference height hs1 in the first movement step MP1 is higher than the second reference height hs2 in the second movement step MP2. According to this form, the second reference height hs2 can be made lower than the first reference height hs1 in accordance with the sinking of the vehicle body of the vehicle 100 due to the assembly of parts to the vehicle 100 in the assembly step AP. Therefore, matching can be executed more appropriately.

[0051] Also, in the present embodiment, as the target point cloud data, first point cloud data that is point cloud data of the target area is used. Therefore, matching can be executed more appropriately as compared with the case of using target point cloud data including the point cloud of an area outside the target area for matching.

[0052] Also, in the present embodiment, the first point cloud data is point cloud data from which a part of the measured point cloud data measured by the distance measuring device 300 has been excluded. Therefore, even when the measured point cloud data includes the point cloud of an area outside the target area, the point cloud data of the target area can be used as the target point cloud data for matching, and matching can be executed more appropriately.

[0053] In other embodiments, when using, as the target point cloud data, point cloud data from which a part of the measurement point cloud data has been excluded, the target point cloud data may include the point cloud of the region outside the target region in the outer shape of the vehicle 100. In this case, it is preferable that the target point cloud data is obtained by excluding a part of the point cloud of the region outside the target region from the measurement point cloud data. By doing so, for example, matching can be executed more appropriately as compared with the case of directly using the measurement point cloud data as the target point cloud data for matching.

[0054] Also, in the present embodiment, as the reference point cloud data, second point cloud data that is point cloud data corresponding to the target region is used. Therefore, matching can be executed more appropriately as compared with the case of using, for matching, reference point cloud data including the point cloud corresponding to the region outside the target region. In particular, in the present embodiment, since the first point cloud data and the second point cloud data are compared in the matching, the matching can be executed even more appropriately.

[0055] Also, in the present embodiment, the second point cloud data is point cloud data from which a part of the template point cloud data TP has been excluded. Therefore, even when the template point cloud data TP includes the point cloud corresponding to the region outside the target region, the point cloud data corresponding to the target region can be used as the reference point cloud data for matching, and the matching can be executed more appropriately. Also, in the present embodiment, the point cloud data corresponding to the target region can be used as the reference point cloud data while reducing the labor of preparing in advance the template point cloud data corresponding to the target region.

[0056] In other embodiments, when using, as the reference point cloud data, point cloud data obtained by excluding a part of the template point cloud data TP, the reference point cloud data may include a point cloud corresponding to a region outside the target region in the outer shape of the vehicle 100. In this case, it is preferable that the reference point cloud data is obtained by excluding a part of the point cloud corresponding to the region outside the target region from the template point cloud data TP. By doing so, for example, matching can be executed more appropriately as compared with the case where the template point cloud data TP is directly used for matching as the reference point cloud data.

[0057] B. Second Embodiment: FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining an example of matching in the second embodiment. FIG. 7 shows an example of matching in the second movement step MP2, which is substantially the same as FIG. 6. In the second embodiment, different from the first embodiment, in the matching, as the reference point cloud data, the template point cloud data TP including the point cloud corresponding to the region outside the target region is directly used instead of the second point cloud data D2. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, in the matching, the first point cloud data D1 and the template point cloud data TP are compared. In the second embodiment, step S130 among the steps shown in FIG. 5 may be omitted. Regarding the configurations of the system 50 and the server 200 in the second embodiment, parts not particularly described are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0058] Also, the server 200 in the second embodiment described above can execute matching according to the target region. Therefore, even when the outer shape of the vehicle 100 changes as parts are assembled to the vehicle 100, the comparison between the target point cloud data and the reference point cloud data can be appropriately executed, and the vehicle position information can be appropriately obtained. In particular, in this embodiment, in the matching, the template point cloud data TP is directly used as the reference point cloud data instead of the second point cloud data D2, so that matching can be executed more simply.

[0059] C. Third Embodiment: FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining an example of matching in the third embodiment. FIG. 8 shows an example of matching executed in the second movement step MP2, which is substantially the same as FIG. 6. In the third embodiment, different from the first embodiment, in the matching, as the target point cloud data, instead of the first point cloud data D1, the measured point cloud data SD2 including the point cloud of the area outside the target area is directly used. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, in the matching, the measured point cloud data SD2 and the second point cloud data D2 are compared. In the third embodiment, among the steps shown in FIG. 5, step S125 may be omitted. Regarding the configurations of the system 50 and the server 200 in the third embodiment, parts not particularly described are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0060] Also, the server 200 in the third embodiment described above can execute matching according to the target area. Therefore, even when the outer shape of the vehicle 100 changes as parts are assembled to the vehicle 100, the target point cloud data and the reference point cloud data can be appropriately compared, and the vehicle position information can be appropriately obtained. In particular, in this embodiment, since the measured point cloud data is directly used as the target point cloud data instead of the first point cloud data D1 in the matching, the matching can be executed more simply.

[0061] D. Fourth Embodiment: FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an example of matching in the fourth embodiment. FIG. 9 shows an example of matching executed in the second movement step MP2, which is substantially the same as FIG. 6. In the fourth embodiment, different from the first embodiment, in the matching, the measured point cloud data SD2b is used as the target point cloud data. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, in the matching, the measured point cloud data SD2b and the second point cloud data D2 are compared. Regarding the configurations of the system 50 and the server 200 in the fourth embodiment, parts not particularly described are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0062] The measurement point group data SD2b is point cloud data of the target area, different from the measurement point group data SD2 in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, each distance measuring device 300 is arranged in the factory FC so as to be able to measure measurement point group data including only the point cloud of the target area. Specifically, each distance measuring device 300 in this embodiment is arranged, for example, at a lower position or a position closer to the track TR compared to the case in the first embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, step S125 among the steps shown in FIG. 5 may be omitted.

[0063] Also, the server 200 in the fourth embodiment described above can also execute matching according to the target area. Therefore, even when the outer shape of the vehicle 100 changes as parts are assembled to the vehicle 100, the comparison between the target point cloud data and the reference point cloud data can be appropriately executed, and the vehicle position information can be appropriately obtained. In particular, in this embodiment, in the matching, the measurement point group data SD2b, which is the point cloud data of the target area, can be used as the target point cloud data. Therefore, the matching can be executed more simply and appropriately.

[0064] In other embodiments, in the matching, the measurement point group data SD2b and the template point cloud data TP may be compared. In this form, among the steps shown in FIG. 5, in addition to step S125, steps S115, S120, and S130 may be omitted. Also, in this form, the system 50 may not include the process information acquisition unit 220 and the area determination unit 225.

[0065] E. Fifth Embodiment: FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the target area in the fifth embodiment. In this embodiment, as the target area, a first target area OA1 related to the first target process OP1 and a second target area OA2 related to the second target process OP2 are used. In FIG. 10, the first target area OA1 and the second target area OA2 are respectively indicated by broken lines and hatching. Among the configurations of the system 50 and the server 200 in the fifth embodiment, parts not particularly described are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0066] The first target process OP1 includes a moving process MPa, MPb and an assembling process APa, APb. The second target process OP2 includes a moving process MPc, MPd and an assembling process APc. As shown in FIG. 10, in the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100, each process is carried out in the order of the moving process MPa, the assembling process APa, the moving process MPb, the assembling process APb, the moving process MPc, the assembling process APc, and the moving process MPd. The moving process MPa is a process of moving the vehicle 100c by autonomous driving. The assembling process APa is a process of assembling the component PT1 to the vehicle 100c. The moving process MPb is a process of moving the vehicle 100d by autonomous driving. The vehicle 100d corresponds to the vehicle 100c with the component PT1 assembled thereto. The assembling process APb is a process of assembling the component PT2 to the vehicle 100d. The moving process MPc is a process of moving the vehicle 100e by autonomous driving. The vehicle 100e corresponds to the vehicle 100d with the component PT2 assembled thereto. The moving process MPd is a process of moving the vehicle 100f by autonomous driving. The vehicle 100f corresponds to the vehicle 100e with the component PT3 assembled thereto.

[0067] In the moving process MPa, moving process MPb, assembling process APa, and assembling process APb included in the first target process OP1, matching is performed between the target point cloud data including the point cloud of the first target area OA1 and the reference point cloud data including the point cloud corresponding to the first target area OA1. Further, in the moving process MPc, moving process MPd, and assembling process APc included in the second target process OP2, matching is performed between the target point cloud data including the point cloud of the second target area OA2 and the reference point cloud data including the point cloud corresponding to the second target area OA2. In the present embodiment, the first target area OA1 includes only the non-assembled area in the first target process OP1. The second target area OA2 includes only the non-assembled area in the second target process OP2. Further, the second target area OA2 in the present embodiment is an area larger than the first target area OA1. Specifically, the second target area OA2 includes, in addition to the same area as the first target area OA1, a part of the outer shape of the component PT2 assembled by the assembling process APb. Thus, in the factory FC, a plurality of target areas may be used.

[0068] In the present embodiment, the matching of each aspect described in the first to fourth embodiments can be executed. In other embodiments, the second target area OA2 may not include the same area as the first target area OA1, or may include only a part of the same area as the first target area OA1. Further, in other embodiments, the size of the second target area OA2 may be the same as the size of the first target area OA1, or may be smaller than the size of the first target area OA1. Further, in the factory FC, three or more target areas may be used.

[0069] Even with the server 200 in the present embodiment described above, matching according to the target area can be executed. Therefore, even when the outer shape of the vehicle 100 changes as components are assembled to the vehicle 100, comparison between the target point cloud data and the reference point cloud data can be appropriately executed, and vehicle position information can be appropriately acquired. In particular, in the present embodiment, a plurality of target areas are used in the factory FC. According to this form, according to the progress of the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100, specifically, as components are assembled to the vehicle 100, the target area can be changed. In this case, for example, after a process of assembling a component with many features to the vehicle 100, by executing matching using, as the target area, an area including at least a part of the outer shape of the component, the possibility of more appropriately executing the matching can be increased. In this case, for example, in a target process after a process of assembling a bumper or a process of assembling a frame, by executing matching using, as the target area, an area including at least a part of the outer shape of the assembled bumper or frame, the possibility of more appropriately executing the matching can be increased. Thus, by changing the target area according to the progress of the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100, the matching can be more appropriately executed in each process.

[0070] F. Sixth Embodiment: FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the system 50v in the sixth embodiment. Different from the first embodiment, the system 50v in the present embodiment does not include the server 200. Also, the vehicle in the present embodiment can travel by autonomous control of the vehicle. Note that since the device configuration of the vehicle in the present embodiment is the same as that of the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment, for convenience, the vehicle in the present embodiment is also denoted as the vehicle 100. Among the configurations of the system 50v and the vehicle 100 in the sixth embodiment, parts not particularly described are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0071] In this embodiment, the communication device 130 of the vehicle 100 can communicate with the distance measuring device 300. The processor 111 of the vehicle control device 110 functions as a vehicle control unit 115v, a point cloud data acquisition unit 215, a process information acquisition unit 220, a region determination unit 225, and a position information acquisition unit 250 by executing the program PG2 stored in the memory 112. The vehicle control unit 115v can control the vehicle 100 to travel by autonomous control by controlling the actuator group 120 using the travel control signal generated by the vehicle 100. In addition to the program PG1, a reference route RR, template point cloud data TP, and a region database DB are stored in the memory 112. The vehicle control device 110 in the sixth embodiment corresponds to the "device" in the present disclosure.

[0072] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the travel control of the vehicle 100 in the sixth embodiment. In S901, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 acquires vehicle position information using the detection result output from the distance measuring device 300 which is an external sensor. In S902, the processor 111 determines the target position that the vehicle 100 should head to next. In S903, the processor 111 generates a travel control signal for causing the vehicle 100 to travel toward the determined target position. In S904, the processor 111 controls the actuator of the vehicle 100 using the generated travel control signal, so that the vehicle 100 travels according to the parameters represented in the travel control signal. The processor 111 repeats the acquisition of vehicle position information, determination of the target position, generation of the travel control signal, and control of the actuator at a predetermined cycle. According to the system 50v in this embodiment, the vehicle 100 can be made to travel by autonomous control of the vehicle 100 without remotely controlling the vehicle 100 by the server 200.

[0073] In steps S901 to S904 in this embodiment, the same command generation process as in FIG. 5 is executed. This command generation process is executed by the processor 111 of the vehicle control device 110, for example, at a predetermined time interval. In this embodiment, the target vehicle means the host vehicle.

[0074] In this embodiment, each step in FIG. 5 is executed by the processor 111. In step S140 in this embodiment, the command generation unit 260 of the vehicle 100 generates and outputs a travel control signal as a control command using the vehicle position information acquired in step S135. The vehicle control unit 115v controls the actuator group 120 using the control command generated by the vehicle 100 in this way, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to travel.

[0075] Also, even with the vehicle control device 110 in this embodiment described above, matching according to the target area can be executed. Therefore, even when the outer shape of the vehicle 100 changes as parts are assembled to the vehicle 100, the target point cloud data and the reference point cloud data can be appropriately compared, and the vehicle position information can be appropriately acquired.

[0076] Note that in a form in which the vehicle 100 travels by autonomous control as in this embodiment, for example, matching may be executed as in the second to sixth embodiments. Also, in a form in which the vehicle 100 travels by autonomous control, the measured point cloud data SD2b and the template point cloud data TP may be compared in the matching. In this case, among the steps shown in FIG. 5, steps S115, S120, S125, and S130 may be omitted. Also, in this case, the vehicle 100 may not include the process information acquisition unit 220 and the area determination unit 225. Also, in a form in which the vehicle 100 travels by autonomous control, for example, the server 200 may be provided in the system 50.

[0077] G. Other Embodiments: (G1) In each of the above embodiments, the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 250 includes the position and orientation of the vehicle 100, but may include only either the position or the orientation of the vehicle 100.

[0078] (G2) In each of the above embodiments, template point cloud data as point cloud data corresponding to the target area may be prepared in advance, and the prepared template point cloud data may be used as reference point cloud data. In this way, similar to the form of using the second point cloud data as reference point cloud data, matching can be performed more appropriately compared to the case of using reference point cloud data including point clouds corresponding to areas outside the target area for matching. In this case, step S130 in FIG. 5 may be omitted.

[0079] (G3) In each of the above embodiments, in the system 50, various functional units such as the point cloud data acquisition unit 215, the process information acquisition unit 220, the area determination unit 225, the position information acquisition unit 250, and the command generation unit 260 may be provided in the vehicle 100. In this case, as described in the sixth embodiment, all of the point cloud data acquisition unit 215, the process information acquisition unit 220, the area determination unit 225, the position information acquisition unit 250, and the command generation unit 260 may be provided in the vehicle 100, or a part of these functional units may be provided in the vehicle 100. Also, in the system 50, a part or all of these functional units may be provided in a device external to the server 200 and the vehicle 100.

[0080] (G4) In the first embodiment described above, the processing from the acquisition of vehicle position information to the generation of the driving control signal is executed by the server 200. On the contrary, at least a part of the processing from the acquisition of vehicle position information to the generation of the driving control signal may be executed by the vehicle 100. For example, the following forms (1) to (3) may be used.

[0081] (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 position 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 position 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 travels on the route received from the server 200, and control an actuator of the vehicle 100 using the generated driving control signal.

[0082] (2) The server 200 may acquire vehicle position information and transmit the acquired vehicle position information to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head, generate a route from the current position of the vehicle 100 represented in the received vehicle position information to the target position, generate a driving control signal so that the vehicle 100 travels on the generated route, and control an actuator of the vehicle 100 using the generated driving control signal.

[0083] (3) In the forms (1) and (2) above, an internal sensor is mounted on the vehicle 100, and a detection result output from the internal sensor may be used for at least one of route generation and driving control signal generation. The internal sensor is a sensor mounted on the vehicle 100. Specifically, the internal sensor may include, for example, a camera, LiDAR, millimeter-wave radar, ultrasonic sensor, GPS sensor, acceleration sensor, gyro sensor, etc. For example, in the form (1) above, the server 200 may acquire the detection result of the internal sensor and reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the route when generating the route. In the form (1) above, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection result of the internal sensor and reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the driving control signal when generating the driving control signal. In the form (2) above, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection result of the internal sensor and reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the route when generating the route. In the form (2) above, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection result of the internal sensor and reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the driving control signal when generating the driving control signal.

[0084] (G5) In the sixth embodiment described above, the vehicle 100 is equipped with an internal sensor, and the detection result output from the internal sensor may be used for at least one of the generation of the route and the generation of the driving control signal. For example, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection result of the internal sensor and reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the route when generating the route. The vehicle 100 may acquire the detection result of the internal sensor and reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the driving control signal when generating the driving control signal.

[0085] (G6) In the first embodiment described above, the server 200 automatically generates the driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100. In contrast, the server 200 may generate the driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100 according to the operation of an external operator located outside the vehicle 100. For example, an operator operates a control device including a display for displaying a captured image output from an external sensor, a steering wheel for remotely operating the vehicle 100, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and a communication device for communicating with the server 200 by wire or wireless communication, and the server 200 may generate a driving control signal corresponding to the operation applied to the control device. Hereinafter, the driving of the vehicle 100 by such control is also referred to as "remote manual driving". In a form in which remote manual driving is executed, for example, the vehicle position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 250 may be displayed on a display included in the control device. In this case, the vehicle position information may be represented by, for example, characters or symbols on the display, or may be represented on a map.

[0086] (G7) The vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining a plurality of modules. A module means a unit composed of a plurality of parts grouped according to the parts and functions 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. Note that the number of modules constituting 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 constituting the platform, parts constituting a portion of the vehicle 100 different from the platform may be modularized. Also, various modules may include any exterior parts such as bumpers and grills, and any interior parts such as seats and consoles. Further, not limited to the vehicle 100, any type of moving body may be manufactured by combining a plurality of modules. Such modules may be manufactured, for example, by joining a plurality of parts by welding or fixtures, or by integrally molding at least a part of the parts constituting the module by casting as one part. The molding method of integrally molding one part, particularly a relatively large part, is also called gigacasting or megacasting. For example, the above front module, central module, and rear module may be manufactured using gigacasting.

[0087] (G8) Using the running of the vehicle 100 by autonomous driving to transport the vehicle 100 is also called "self-propelled transport". Also, the configuration for realizing self-propelled transport is also called "vehicle remote control autonomous driving transport system". Further, the production method of producing the vehicle 100 using self-propelled transport is also called "self-propelled production". In self-propelled production, for example, in a factory that manufactures the vehicle 100, at least a part of the transport of the vehicle 100 is realized by self-propelled transport.

[0088] In each of the above embodiments, some or all of the functions and processes implemented software may be implemented hardware-wise. Also, some or all of the functions and processes implemented hardware-wise may be implemented software-wise. As the hardware for implementing the various functions in each of the above embodiments, for example, various circuits such as integrated circuits and discrete circuits may be used.

[0089] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented in various configurations without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each of the forms described in the summary of the invention can be appropriately replaced or combined in order to solve some or all of the above-described problems or to achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Also, if the technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0090] 50, 50v... system, 100, 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d, 100e, 100f... vehicle, 110... vehicle control device, 111... processor, 112... memory, 113... input / output interface, 114... internal bus, 115, 115v... vehicle control unit, 120... actuator group, 130... communication device, 200... server, 201... processor, 202... memory, 203... input / output interface, 204... internal bus, 205... communication device, 215... point cloud data acquisition unit, 220... process information acquisition unit, 225... region determination unit, 250... position information acquisition unit, 260... command generation unit, 300... distance measurement device

Claims

1. A point cloud data acquisition unit that acquires three-dimensional point cloud data including a point cloud of a target area having an area where parts cannot be assembled in a plurality of predetermined processes in the outer shape of a moving body; An apparatus comprising: a position information acquisition unit that acquires at least one of the position and orientation of the moving body by comparing the acquired three-dimensional point cloud data with reference point cloud data including a point cloud corresponding to the target area.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the target area is an area below a predetermined reference height in the outer shape of a vehicle as the moving body, and the reference height in the first process is higher than the reference height in the second process which is a subsequent process of the first process.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional point cloud data is point cloud data of the target area.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the three-dimensional point cloud data is point cloud data from which a part of the measured point cloud data measured by a distance measuring device has been excluded.

5. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the reference point cloud data is point cloud data corresponding to the target area.

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