Communication control system, server device, mobile body, and communication control method

Abstract

To enable appropriate communication between mobile devices with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: A communication control system that controls wireless communication between a mobile body and a communication device, includes a frequency band determination unit that uses at least one of mobile body information, which is information regarding the state of the mobile body, and manufacturing status information, which is information regarding the manufacturing status of the mobile body, to determine a utilization frequency band, which is a frequency band to be used for wireless communication, from among frequency band candidates that include at least a first frequency band and a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band, and a communication control unit that controls the communication device to perform wireless communication using the determined frequency band.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a wireless communication device that switches a communication method depending on the traveling speed of a vehicle to be communicated with (Patent Document 1). The wireless communication device described in Patent Document 1 includes a wireless LAN communication unit and a TCP / IP communication unit, and switches a communication path used for wireless communication with the vehicle depending on the traveling speed of the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-175686 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to prepare a plurality of communication paths using different communication methods in advance, which leads to a problem that the system configuration becomes complicated. This problem is not limited to vehicles, but is common to any type of moving body. [Means for solving the problem]

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

[0006] (1) According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication control system for controlling wireless communication between a mobile body and a communication device is provided. The communication control system includes a frequency band determination unit that determines a utilization frequency band to be used for the wireless communication from among frequency band candidates including at least a first frequency band and a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band, by using at least one of mobile body information, which is information on a state of the mobile body, and manufacturing status information, which is information on a manufacturing status of the mobile body, and a communication control unit that controls the communication device to perform the wireless communication by using the utilization frequency band. According to the communication control system of this embodiment, a frequency band to be used for wireless communication is determined from among frequency band candidates including at least the first frequency band and the second frequency band, and the communication device is controlled to perform wireless communication using the frequency band to be used. Therefore, the communication method can be easily switched by switching the frequency band to be used, and the system configuration for wireless communication between the mobile object and the communication device can be prevented from becoming complicated, compared to a mode in which the communication method is switched by switching multiple communication paths prepared in advance. In addition, since the frequency band to be used is determined by using at least one of the mobile object information and the manufacturing status information, wireless communication between the mobile object and the communication device can be realized by using an appropriate frequency band according to at least one of the mobile object information and the manufacturing status information. (2) In the above embodiment, the moving object information may include moving object position information indicating a position of the moving object. According to the communication control system of this aspect, since the mobile object information includes mobile object position information, it is possible to realize wireless communication between the mobile object and the communication device by using an appropriate frequency band according to the position of the mobile object. (3) In the above embodiment, the frequency band determination unit may use the moving body position information to determine the second frequency band as the frequency band to be used when the moving body is located in a predetermined work area where predetermined work is performed on the moving body, and may determine the first frequency band as the frequency band to be used when the moving body is not located in the work area. According to this aspect of the communication control system, when the mobile object is located in the working area, the second frequency band is determined as the frequency band to be used by using the mobile object position information, and when the mobile object is not located in the working area, the first frequency band is determined as the frequency band to be used. Therefore, it is possible to realize wireless communication between the mobile object and the communication device by using an appropriate frequency band depending on whether the mobile object is located in the working area or not. (4) In the above embodiment, the work may include at least one of assembling a part onto the moving body, painting the moving body, and inspecting the moving body. According to this form of communication control system, the work includes at least one of assembling parts onto the mobile body, painting the mobile body, and inspecting the mobile body, so that wireless communication between the mobile body and the communication device can be realized by utilizing an appropriate frequency band depending on whether the mobile body is located in a process in which at least one of assembling parts onto the mobile body, painting the mobile body, and inspecting the mobile body is being performed. (5) In the above embodiment, the moving body information includes speed information indicating a speed of the moving body, and the frequency band determination unit may use the speed information to determine the second frequency band as the utilized frequency band if the speed of the moving body is less than a predetermined threshold, and to determine the first frequency band as the utilized frequency band if the speed of the moving body is equal to or greater than the threshold. According to this aspect of the communication control system, when the speed of the moving body is below a threshold, the second frequency band is determined as the frequency band to be used, and when the speed of the moving body is equal to or greater than the threshold, the first frequency band is determined as the frequency band to be used. Therefore, it is possible to realize wireless communication between the moving body and the communication device by using an appropriate frequency band according to the speed of the moving body. (6) In the above embodiment, the frequency band determination unit may use, as the speed information, a speed of the moving object identified using control information related to a movement control of the moving object. According to this form of communication control system, the speed of the moving body identified using the control information is used as speed information, so that the speed of the moving body can be easily identified and an appropriate frequency band can be easily determined according to the speed of the moving body. (7) In the above embodiment, the manufacturing status information may include part information about parts attached to the moving object. According to the communication control system of this aspect, since the manufacturing status information includes part information, it is possible to realize wireless communication between the mobile body and the communication device using an appropriate frequency band depending on the mounting state of the parts on the mobile body. (8) In the above embodiment, the frequency band determination unit may use the part information to determine whether the moving body is located at a process prior to a designated process, which is a process designated in advance, and if the moving body is located at a process prior to the designated process, determine the second frequency band as the frequency band to be used, and if the moving body is located at a process after the designated process, determine the first frequency band as the frequency band to be used. According to this aspect of the communication control system, whether or not a mobile object is located at a process before the designated process is identified as part information, and if the mobile object is located at a process before the designated process, the second frequency band is determined as the frequency band to be used, and if the mobile object is located at a process after the designated process, the first frequency band is determined as the frequency band to be used. Therefore, it is possible to realize wireless communication between the mobile object and the communication device by using an appropriate frequency band depending on whether or not the mobile object is located at a process before the designated process. (9) In the above embodiment, the frequency band determination unit may use the part information to identify a number of installed parts, which is the number of parts installed on the moving body, and if the number of installed parts is less than a predetermined threshold, determine the second frequency band as the utilized frequency band, and if the number of installed parts is equal to or greater than the threshold, determine the first frequency band as the utilized frequency band. According to this aspect of the communication control system, the number of installed parts is specified as part information, and if the number of installed parts is less than a predetermined threshold, the second frequency band is determined as the frequency band to be used, and if the number of installed parts is equal to or greater than the threshold, the first frequency band is determined as the frequency band to be used. Therefore, wireless communication between the mobile object and the communication device can be realized by using an appropriate frequency band according to the number of installed parts. (10) In the above embodiment, the frequency band determination unit may use the part information to determine whether a designated part, which is a part designated in advance, has already been attached to the moving body, and if the designated part has not yet been attached to the moving body, determine the second frequency band as the utilized frequency band, and if the designated part has already been attached to the moving body, determine the first frequency band as the utilized frequency band. According to this aspect of the communication control system, whether or not the designated part has already been attached to the mobile body is identified as part information, and if the designated part has not yet been attached to the mobile body, the second frequency band is determined as the frequency band to be used, and if the designated part has already been attached to the mobile body, the first frequency band is determined as the frequency band to be used. Therefore, it is possible to realize wireless communication between the mobile body and the communication device by using an appropriate frequency band depending on whether or not the designated part has already been attached to the mobile body. (11) In the above embodiment, the manufacturing status information includes information regarding a takt time of a factory where the moving body is manufactured, and the frequency band determination unit may determine the second frequency band as the utilized frequency band if the takt time is longer than a predetermined threshold, and may determine the first frequency band as the utilized frequency band if the takt time is equal to or less than the threshold. According to this aspect of the communication control system, the manufacturing status information includes information on the takt time of the factory where the mobile object is manufactured, and if the takt time is longer than a predetermined threshold, the second frequency band is determined as the frequency band to be used, and if the takt time is equal to or less than the threshold, the first frequency band is determined as the frequency band to be used. Therefore, wireless communication between the mobile object and the communication device can be realized by using an appropriate frequency band according to the takt time. (12) In the above embodiment, when the second frequency band is determined to be the utilized frequency band, the communication control unit may perform the wireless communication targeting information with a larger amount of information compared to when the first frequency band is used. According to this form of communication control system, when the second frequency band is determined to be the frequency band to be used, communication is performed for information having a larger amount of information compared to when the first frequency band is used. Therefore, compared to a form in which the second frequency band is used only when communication for information having a large amount of information is necessary, a reduction in the degree of freedom in the timing of execution of communication for information having a large amount of information can be suppressed. (13) In the above embodiment, the communication device may be a communication relay device that relays the wireless communication between the mobile object and an external device located outside the mobile object. According to the communication control system of this embodiment, wireless communication between the mobile unit and the communication relay device can be realized by using an appropriate frequency band. (14) In the above embodiment, the external device may be a server device that controls unmanned operation of the moving object. According to the communication control system of this embodiment, wireless communication between the mobile unit and the server device via the communication relay device can be realized by using an appropriate frequency band. (15) According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a server device that performs wireless communication with a mobile object via a communication relay device, the server device including: a frequency band determination unit that determines a utilization frequency band to be used for the wireless communication from among frequency band candidates including at least a first frequency band and a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band, by using at least one of mobile object information that is information on a state of the mobile object and manufacturing status information that is information on a manufacturing status of the mobile object; and a communication control unit that controls the communication relay device to perform the wireless communication by using the utilization frequency band. According to the server device of this embodiment, a frequency band to be used for the wireless communication is determined from among frequency band candidates including at least the first frequency band and the second frequency band, and the communication relay device is controlled to execute the wireless communication using the frequency band to be used. Therefore, the communication method can be easily switched by switching the frequency band to be used, and the system configuration for wireless communication between the mobile object and the communication relay device can be prevented from becoming complicated, compared with the embodiment in which the communication method is switched by switching a plurality of communication paths prepared in advance. In addition, since the frequency band to be used is determined by using at least one of the mobile object information and the manufacturing status information, the wireless communication between the mobile object and the communication relay device can be realized by using an appropriate frequency band according to at least one of the mobile object information and the manufacturing status information. (16) According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a mobile body that performs wireless communication with a communication device is provided, the mobile body including: a frequency band determination unit that determines a utilization frequency band to be used for the wireless communication from among frequency band candidates including at least a first frequency band and a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band, by using at least one of mobile body information that is information on a state of the mobile body and manufacturing status information that is information on a manufacturing status of the mobile body; and a communication control unit that controls the communication device to perform the wireless communication by using the utilization frequency band. According to the mobile body of this embodiment, a frequency band to be used for the wireless communication is determined from among frequency band candidates including at least the first frequency band and the second frequency band, and the communication device is controlled to execute the wireless communication using the frequency band to be used. Therefore, the communication method can be easily switched by switching the frequency band to be used, and the system configuration for wireless communication between the mobile body and the communication device can be prevented from becoming complicated, compared with the embodiment in which the communication method is switched by switching a plurality of communication paths prepared in advance. In addition, since the frequency band to be used is determined by using at least one of the mobile body information and the manufacturing status information, the wireless communication between the mobile body and the communication device can be realized by using an appropriate frequency band according to at least one of the mobile body information and the manufacturing status information. (17) According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a communication control method for controlling wireless communication between a mobile body and a communication device, the communication control method including: determining a utilization frequency band to be used for the wireless communication from among frequency band candidates including at least a first frequency band and a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band, by using at least one of mobile body information, which is information on a state of the mobile body, and manufacturing status information, which is information on a manufacturing status of the mobile body; and controlling the communication device to perform the wireless communication by using the utilization frequency band. According to this embodiment of the control method, a frequency band to be used for the wireless communication is determined from among frequency band candidates including at least a first frequency band and a second frequency band, and the communication device is controlled to perform wireless communication using the frequency band to be used. Therefore, the communication method can be easily switched by switching the frequency band to be used, and the system configuration for wireless communication between the mobile object and the communication device can be prevented from becoming complicated, compared to a method in which the communication method is switched by switching a plurality of communication paths prepared in advance. In addition, since the frequency band to be used is determined by using at least one of the mobile object information and the manufacturing status information, wireless communication between the mobile object and the communication device can be realized by using an appropriate frequency band according to at least one of the mobile object information and the manufacturing status information. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing a configuration of a control system in the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control system. [Diagram 3] 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for vehicle travel control in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a frequency band switching process according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a frequency band switching process according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6]13 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a frequency band switching process according to the third embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system in a fourth embodiment. [Figure 8] 13 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for vehicle travel control in a fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] A. First embodiment: A-1. System configuration: 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a control system 50 in the first embodiment. The control system 50 includes one or more vehicles 100 as moving objects, a server device 200, and one or more external sensors 300.

[0009] In this disclosure, a "mobile body" refers to an object that can move, such as a vehicle or an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (a so-called flying car). The vehicle may be a vehicle that runs on wheels or a vehicle that runs on caterpillar tracks, such as a passenger car, a truck, a bus, a two-wheeled vehicle, a four-wheeled vehicle, a tank, a construction vehicle, etc. The vehicle includes an electric vehicle (BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle), a gasoline-powered vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, and a fuel cell vehicle. When the mobile body is something other than a vehicle, the expressions "vehicle" and "car" in this disclosure can be appropriately replaced with "mobile body", and the expression "running" can be appropriately replaced with "movement".

[0010] The vehicle 100 is configured to be capable of traveling by unmanned driving. "Unmanned driving" means driving without the driving operation of a passenger. Driving operation means at least one of the operations of "running", "turning" and "stopping" of the vehicle 100. Unmanned driving is realized by automatic or manual remote control using a device located outside the vehicle 100, or by autonomous control of the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 traveling by unmanned driving may have a passenger who does not perform driving operation on board. The passenger who does not perform driving operation includes, for example, a person who simply sits in the seat of the vehicle 100, and a person who performs work other than driving operation, such as assembly, inspection, and operation of switches, while riding on the vehicle 100. Note that driving by a passenger who performs driving operation is sometimes called "manned driving".

[0011] In this specification, "remote control" includes "full remote control" in which all of the operations of the vehicle 100 are completely determined from outside the vehicle 100, and "partial remote control" in which some of the operations of the vehicle 100 are determined from outside the vehicle 100. In addition, "autonomous control" includes "full autonomous control" in which the vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own operations without receiving any information from a device outside the vehicle 100, and "partial autonomous control" in which the vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own operations using information received from a device outside the vehicle 100. In the following description, the control for driving the vehicle 100 realized by remote control or autonomous control is also referred to as "driving control". Driving control corresponds to "mobility control" in this disclosure.

[0012] In this embodiment, the control system 50 is used in a factory FC that manufactures the vehicle 100. The reference coordinate system of the factory FC is a global coordinate system GC. That is, any position in the factory FC is expressed by X, Y, and Z coordinates in the global coordinate system GC. The factory FC includes a first location PL1 and a second location PL2. The first location PL1 and the second location PL2 are connected by a road TR along which the vehicle 100 can travel. In the factory FC, a plurality of external sensors 300 are installed along the road TR. The position of each external sensor 300 in the factory FC is adjusted in advance. The vehicle 100 moves from the first location PL1 to the second location PL2 through the road TR by unmanned driving.

[0013] The external sensor 300 is a sensor located outside the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the external sensor 300 is a sensor that captures the vehicle 100 from outside the vehicle 100. Specifically, the external sensor 300 is configured by a camera. The camera as the external sensor 300 captures an image including the vehicle 100, and outputs the captured image as a detection result. The external sensor 300 includes a communication device (not shown) and can communicate with other devices such as the server device 200 by wired communication or wireless communication.

[0014] 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system 50. The vehicle 100 includes a vehicle control device 110 for controlling each part of the vehicle 100, an actuator group 120 including one or more actuators that are driven under the control of the vehicle control device 110, and a communication device 130 for communicating with an external device such as a server device 200 by wireless communication. The actuator group 120 includes an actuator of a drive device for accelerating the vehicle 100, an actuator of a steering device for changing the traveling direction of the vehicle 100, and an actuator of a braking device for decelerating the vehicle 100. In addition, the vehicle 100 may include various sensors (not shown) such as a vehicle speed sensor and a yaw rate sensor.

[0015] The vehicle control device 110 is configured by a computer including a processor 111, a memory 112, an input / output interface 113, and an internal bus 114. The processor 111, the memory 112, and the input / output interface 113 are connected via the internal bus 114 to enable bidirectional communication. The input / output interface 113 is connected to an actuator group 120 and a communication device 130. The processor 111 executes a program PG1 stored in the memory 112 to realize various functions including a function as a vehicle control unit 115.

[0016] The vehicle control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 to drive the vehicle 100. The vehicle control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 using the driving control signal received from the server device 200 to drive the vehicle 100. The driving control signal is a control signal for driving the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the driving control signal includes the acceleration and steering angle of the vehicle 100 as parameters. In other embodiments, the driving control signal may include the speed of the vehicle 100 as a parameter instead of or in addition to the acceleration of the vehicle 100.

[0017] The server device 200 is configured by a computer including a processor 201, a memory 202, an input / output interface 203, and an internal bus 204. The processor 201, the memory 202, and the input / output interface 203 are connected via the internal bus 204 to enable bidirectional communication. A communication device 205 for communicating with various devices outside the server device 200 is connected to the input / output interface 203. The communication device 205 can communicate with the vehicle 100 by wireless communication via an access point AP, and can communicate with each external sensor 300 by wired communication or wireless communication.

[0018] The access point AP relays wireless communication between the vehicle 100 and the server device 200. In this embodiment, the server device 200 corresponds to the "external device" in this disclosure. The access point AP also relays wireless communication between the server device 200 and the external sensor 300 and wireless communication between the server device 200 and a process management device 400 described later. In this embodiment, the access point AP functions as a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) access point AP. The access point AP performs wireless LAN communication with the vehicle 100, and also performs communication with the server device 200 via a wired network including a router device (not shown). The access point AP may also perform wireless LAN communication with the server device 200. The access point AP corresponds to the "communication relay device" in this disclosure. The communication between the server device 200 and the external sensor 300 and the communication between the server device 200 and a process management device 400 described later may be realized by wired communication, not by wireless communication via the access point AP.

[0019] In this embodiment, the access point AP is configured to be able to communicate by switching between a plurality of predetermined frequency bands according to the control by the communication control unit 214 described later. In this embodiment, the access point AP is configured to be able to communicate by switching between the 2.4 GHz band and the 5.0 GHz band as the frequency band used in wireless communication. Here, the 2.4 GHz band corresponds to the "first frequency band" in this disclosure, and the 5.0 GHz band corresponds to the "second frequency band" in this disclosure. In general, communication using a lower frequency band has a characteristic that radio waves are less likely to be blocked even when an obstacle is present, compared to communication using a higher frequency band. On the other hand, communication using a higher frequency band has a characteristic that high-speed communication is possible, compared to communication using a lower frequency band. Note that the access point AP is not limited to the 2.4 GHz band and the 5.0 GHz band, and may be able to communicate by using any frequency band, such as the 6 GHz band, in addition to the 2.4 GHz band and the 5.0 GHz band, or instead of at least one of the 2.4 GHz band and the 5.0 GHz band. The communication device 130 and the communication device 205 automatically switch the frequency band to be used in response to switching of the frequency band to be used in the access point AP.

[0020] The processor 201 executes the program PG2 stored in the memory 202 to realize various functions including the function of the remote control unit 210. In this embodiment, the processor 201 functions as the remote control unit 210, a frequency band determination unit 212, and a communication control unit 214.

[0021] The remote control unit 210 acquires the detection results from the sensors, generates a driving control signal for controlling the actuator group 120 of the vehicle 100 using the detection result, and transmits the driving control signal to the vehicle 100, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to drive by remote control. The processing procedure of driving control realized by remote control in this embodiment will be described later. The remote control unit 210 may generate and output not only driving control signals but also control signals for controlling actuators that operate various accessories provided in the vehicle 100 and various equipment such as wipers, power windows, and lamps. In other words, the remote control unit 210 may operate such various equipment and various accessories by remote control.

[0022] The frequency band determination unit 212 uses at least one of the vehicle information and the manufacturing status information to determine a frequency band (hereinafter also referred to as a "used frequency band") to be used for wireless communication between the server device 200 and the vehicle 100 in the access point AP from among the candidate frequency bands of 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz. "Vehicle information" means information related to the state of the vehicle 100. The vehicle information corresponds to "mobile body information" in this disclosure. "Manufacturing status information" means information related to the manufacturing status of the vehicle 100. Specific examples of the vehicle information and the manufacturing status information will be described later. The communication control unit 214 controls the access point AP so that the wireless communication is performed using the used frequency band. Specific processes in the frequency band determination unit 212 and the communication control unit 214 will be described later. The control system 50 of this embodiment, which includes the server device 200 having the frequency band determination unit 212 and the communication control unit 214 described above, also functions as a "communication control system" that controls wireless communication between the vehicle 100 and the access point AP.

[0023] The process management device 400 is a device for managing the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100. The process management device 400 is configured by a computer. The process management device 400 acquires information from various facilities of the factory FC and generates information related to the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100, which is a product. In the following description, the information related to the manufacturing process of the product is called process information. In this embodiment, the process information includes information indicating when, where, and which worker is scheduled to perform what work on which product, information indicating when, where, and which worker performed what work on which product, and information indicating the progress of the work. The process management device 400 is equipped with a communication device not shown, and transmits the process information to the server device 200 by wired communication or wireless communication. The function of the process management device 400 may be implemented in the same device as the server device 200.

[0024] A-2. Driving control: 3 is a flowchart showing a process procedure for driving control of the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment. In step S110, the remote control unit 210 acquires vehicle position information of the vehicle 100 using the detection result output from the external sensor 300. The vehicle position information is position information that is the basis for generating a driving control signal. In this embodiment, the vehicle position information includes the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 in the global coordinate system GC of the factory FC. Specifically, in step S110, the remote control unit 210 acquires the vehicle position information using a captured image acquired from a camera, which is the external sensor 300.

[0025] In detail, in step S110, the remote control unit 210, for example, detects the outer shape of the vehicle 100 from the captured image, calculates the coordinates of the positioning point of the vehicle 100 in the coordinate system of the captured image, i.e., the local coordinate system, and converts the calculated coordinates into coordinates in the global coordinate system GC, thereby acquiring the position of the vehicle 100. The outer shape of the vehicle 100 included in the captured image can be detected, for example, by inputting the captured image into a detection model DM that utilizes artificial intelligence. The detection model DM is prepared, for example, inside or outside the control system 50, and is stored in advance in the memory 202 of the server device 200. As the detection model DM, for example, a trained machine learning model that has been trained to realize either semantic segmentation or instance segmentation can be used. As this machine learning model, for example, a convolutional neural network (hereinafter, CNN) trained by supervised learning using a learning dataset can be used. The learning data set includes, for example, a plurality of training images including the vehicle 100, and a label indicating whether each region in the training image is a region indicating the vehicle 100 or a region indicating something other than the vehicle 100. During CNN learning, it is preferable to update the parameters of the CNN by backpropagation (backpropagation method) so as to reduce the error between the output result of the detection model DM and the label. In addition, the remote control unit 210 can acquire the orientation of the vehicle 100 by estimating based on the orientation of the movement vector of the vehicle 100 calculated from the positional change of the feature points of the vehicle 100 between frames of the captured image using, for example, an optical flow method.

[0026] In step S120, the remote control unit 210 determines a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head. In this embodiment, the target position is represented by X, Y, and Z coordinates in the global coordinate system GC. A reference route RR, which is a route along which the vehicle 100 should travel, is stored in advance in the memory 202 of the server device 200. The route is represented by nodes indicating a departure point, nodes indicating passing points, nodes indicating a destination, and links connecting the nodes. The remote control unit 210 uses the vehicle position information and the reference route RR to determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head. The remote control unit 210 determines a target position on the reference route RR that is ahead of the current location of the vehicle 100.

[0027] In step S130, the remote control unit 210 generates a travel control signal for driving the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. The remote control unit 210 calculates the travel speed of the vehicle 100 from the transition of the position of the vehicle 100, and compares the calculated travel speed with the target speed. When the travel speed is lower than the target speed as a whole, the remote control unit 210 determines the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 accelerates, and when the travel speed is higher than the target speed, the remote control unit 210 determines the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 decelerates. In addition, when the vehicle 100 is located on the reference route RR, the remote control unit 210 determines the steering angle and acceleration so that the vehicle 100 does not deviate from the reference route RR, and when the vehicle 100 is not located on the reference route RR, in other words, when the vehicle 100 deviates from the reference route RR, the remote control unit 210 determines the steering angle and acceleration so that the vehicle 100 returns to the reference route RR.

[0028] In step S140, the remote control unit 210 transmits the generated driving control signal to the vehicle 100. The remote control unit 210 repeats, at a predetermined cycle, obtaining the position of the vehicle 100, determining the target position, generating the driving control signal, and transmitting the driving control signal.

[0029] In step S150, vehicle control unit 115 receives a driving control signal transmitted from server device 200. In step S160, vehicle control unit 115 controls actuator group 120 using the received driving control signal to cause vehicle 100 to drive at the acceleration and steering angle represented in the driving control signal. Vehicle control unit 115 repeats receiving the driving control signal and controlling actuator group 120 at a predetermined cycle. According to control system 50 in this embodiment, vehicle 100 can be driven by remote control, and vehicle 100 can be moved without using transportation equipment such as a crane or a conveyor.

[0030] A-3. Frequency band switching process: 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the frequency band switching process of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the above-mentioned driving control is executed as a basic control, and the frequency band switching process is executed in combination with the driving control. The frequency band switching process is repeatedly executed while the server device 200 is in operation.

[0031] In step S210, the frequency band determination unit 212 identifies the position of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the frequency band determination unit 212 identifies the position of the vehicle 100 by using the vehicle position information acquired by the remote control unit 210 as described above. The vehicle position information corresponds to "mobile object position information" in this disclosure. In addition, the vehicle position information is included in the above-mentioned vehicle information.

[0032] In step S220, frequency band determination unit 212 determines whether vehicle 100 is located in a work area. A "work area" refers to an area that is determined in advance as an area where some work is performed on vehicle 100, such as an area where parts are assembled, painted, inspected, etc. are performed on vehicle 100. In the following description, an area where transportation of vehicle 100 between work areas or transportation of completed vehicle 100 is performed, and where no work is performed on vehicle 100, is also referred to as a "transport area."

[0033] If it is determined that the vehicle 100 is located in the work area (step S220: Yes), in step S230, the frequency band determination unit 212 determines the 5.0 GHz band as the frequency band to be used. In the work area, in addition to the transmission of control signals for controlling various operations in the vehicle 100, information is exchanged, such as downloading to the vehicle 100 programs and process information for performing the above-mentioned work such as part assembly, painting, or inspection, and uploading from the vehicle 100 inspection results and work implementation status. In this way, in the work area, a larger amount of information is communicated compared to the transport area where basically only travel control signals are transmitted, so the frequency band determination unit 212 determines the 5.0 GHz band, which allows for faster communication than the 2.4 GHz band, as the frequency band to be used.

[0034] On the other hand, if it is determined that the vehicle 100 is not located in the work area (step S220: No), in other words, if the vehicle 100 is located in the transport area, in step S240, the frequency band determination unit 212 determines the 2.4 GHz band as the frequency band to be used. In the work area, work is performed on the vehicle 100, so the vehicle 100 stops or travels at a low speed, whereas in the transport area, work is not performed on the vehicle 100, so the vehicle 100 travels at a higher speed than in the work area and travels across obstacles such as pillars and parts shelves more frequently than in the work area. For this reason, the frequency band determination unit 212 determines the 2.4 GHz band, which is less likely to be blocked by obstacles than the 5.0 GHz band, as the frequency band to be used.

[0035] In step S250, the communication control unit 214 controls the access point AP to perform wireless communication using the available frequency band. The server device 200 repeatedly executes the above-described process.

[0036] According to the control system 50 of the first embodiment described above, a frequency band to be used is determined from the 2.4 GHz band and the 5.0 GHz band, and the access point AP is controlled to execute wireless communication using the frequency band to be used. Therefore, the communication method can be easily switched by switching the frequency band to be used, and the system configuration for wireless communication between the vehicle 100 and the access point AP can be prevented from becoming complicated, compared with a mode in which the communication method is switched by switching a plurality of communication paths prepared in advance. In addition, since the frequency band to be used is determined by using at least one of the vehicle information and the manufacturing status information, wireless communication between the vehicle 100 and the access point AP can be realized by using an appropriate frequency band according to at least one of the vehicle information and the manufacturing status information.

[0037] Furthermore, since the vehicle information includes vehicle position information, an appropriate frequency band can be used depending on the position of the vehicle 100 to realize wireless communication between the vehicle 100 and the access point AP.

[0038] Furthermore, using the vehicle position information, if the vehicle 100 is located in the work area, the 5.0 GHz band is determined as the frequency band to be used, and if the vehicle 100 is not located in the work area, the 2.4 GHz band is determined as the frequency band to be used. Therefore, wireless communication between the vehicle 100 and the access point AP can be realized using an appropriate frequency band depending on whether the vehicle 100 is located in the work area or not.

[0039] In addition, since the work performed in the work area includes at least one of assembling parts onto vehicle 100, painting vehicle 100, and inspecting vehicle 100, wireless communication between vehicle 100 and access point AP can be realized using an appropriate frequency band depending on whether vehicle 100 is located in an area where at least one of assembling parts onto vehicle 100, painting vehicle 100, and inspecting vehicle 100 is performed.

[0040] B. Second embodiment: Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the frequency band switching process of the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 5, the server device 200 of the second embodiment differs from the server device 200 of the first embodiment in that it executes step S220A instead of step S220. Note that the system configuration of the server device 200 of the second embodiment and other procedures in the frequency band switching process are the same as those of the server device 200 of the first embodiment, so the same configurations and procedures are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0041] In step S220A, the frequency band determination unit 212 determines whether the vehicle 100 is located in a process before a process designated in advance (hereinafter also referred to as a "designated process"). For example, when the vehicle 100 is located in an area corresponding to a process designated as a designated process, the frequency band determination unit 212 determines that the vehicle 100 is located in the designated process. In addition, the frequency band determination unit 212 may use the process information received from the process management device 400 to identify the process in which the vehicle 100 is located.

[0042] A "designated process" refers to a process in which the assembly state of parts in the vehicle 100 becomes a predetermined state. That is, the assembly state of parts in the vehicle 100 can be specified depending on whether the vehicle 100 is located in a process before the designated process. For example, a process in which the number of parts attached to the vehicle 100 becomes equal to or exceeds a predetermined number, or a process in which a large part such as a body shell is attached to the vehicle 100 can be designated as a designated process. In this way, the designated process is determined in relation to the parts attached to the vehicle 100, and therefore whether the vehicle 100 is located in a process before the designated process corresponds to "parts information" in this disclosure. Furthermore, the parts information is included in the above-mentioned manufacturing status information.

[0043] If it is determined that the vehicle 100 is located in a step before the designated step (step S220A: Yes), in step S230, the frequency band determination unit 212 determines the 5.0 GHz band as the frequency band to be used. When the vehicle 100 is located in a step before the designated step, the number of parts attached to the vehicle 100 is smaller than when the vehicle 100 is located in a step after the designated step. In other words, there are fewer obstacles between the communication device 130 provided in the vehicle 100 where communication is performed and the access point AP. In such a case, radio waves are less likely to be blocked, so the frequency band determination unit 212 determines the 5.0 GHz band, which allows high-speed communication, as the frequency band to be used.

[0044] On the other hand, if it is determined that the vehicle 100 is not located in a process before the designated process (step S220A: No), in other words, if the vehicle 100 is located in a process after the designated process, in step S240, the frequency band determination unit 212 determines the 2.4 GHz band as the frequency band to be used. When the vehicle 100 is located in a process after the designated process, the number of parts attached to the vehicle 100 is greater than when the vehicle 100 is located in a process before the designated process, and the number of obstacles between the communication device 130 provided in the vehicle 100 where communication is performed and the access point AP is greater than when the vehicle 100 is located in a process before the designated process. In this way, since radio waves are easily blocked in such a case, the frequency band determination unit 212 determines the 2.4 GHz band, which is less likely to be blocked even if an obstacle exists, as the frequency band to be used.

[0045] According to the server device 200 of the second embodiment described above, whether or not the vehicle 100 is located in a process before the designated process is identified as part information, and if the vehicle 100 is located in a process before the designated process, the 5.0 GHz band is determined as the frequency band to be used, and if the vehicle 100 is located in a process after the designated process, the 2.4 GHz band is determined as the frequency band to be used. Therefore, wireless communication between the vehicle 100 and the access point AP can be realized by using an appropriate frequency band depending on whether or not the vehicle 100 is located in a process before the designated process.

[0046] C. Third embodiment: Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the frequency band switching process of the third embodiment. As shown in Fig. 6, the server device 200 of the third embodiment differs from the server device 200 of the first embodiment in that it executes steps S210B and S220B instead of steps S210 and S220. Note that the system configuration of the server device 200 of the second embodiment and other procedures in the frequency band switching process are the same as those of the server device 200 of the first embodiment, so the same configurations and procedures are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0047] In step S210B, the frequency band determination unit 212 acquires control information of the vehicle 100. The "control information" means information related to the driving control of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the frequency band determination unit 212 acquires the driving control signal generated by the remote control unit 210 as the control information. As described above, the vehicle 100 drives according to the received driving control signal, so that the frequency band determination unit 212 can specify the state of driving control to be executed in the vehicle 100 in the future by acquiring the driving control signal. In this embodiment, the remote control unit 210 that generates the driving control signal and the frequency band determination unit 212 are realized in the server device 200, which is the same device, so that the frequency band determination unit 212 can easily acquire the control information without communicating with a device external to the server device 200, and can easily specify the speed of the vehicle 100.

[0048] In step S220B, the frequency band determination unit 212 determines whether or not the speed of the vehicle 100 realized by the acceleration represented in the traveling control signal is less than a predetermined threshold value. If it is determined that the speed of the vehicle 100 is less than the threshold value (step S220B: Yes), in step S230, the frequency band determination unit 212 determines the 5.0 GHz band as the frequency band to be used. When the speed of the vehicle 100 is less than the threshold value, the frequency of the vehicle 100 traveling across obstacles such as pillars and parts shelves is low compared to when the speed of the vehicle 100 is equal to or higher than the threshold value. In this way, since the frequency of traveling across obstacles is low in such a case and radio waves are less likely to be blocked, the frequency band determination unit 212 determines the 5.0 GHz band, which allows high-speed communication, as the frequency band to be used. Note that, in a case where the traveling control signal includes the speed of the vehicle 100 as a parameter, in this step, the frequency band determination unit 212 may determine whether or not the speed of the vehicle 100 represented in the traveling control signal is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold value.

[0049] On the other hand, if it is determined that the speed of the vehicle 100 is not less than the threshold (step S220B: No), in other words, if the speed of the vehicle 100 is equal to or greater than the threshold, in step S240, the frequency band determination unit 212 determines the 2.4 GHz band as the frequency band to be used. When the speed of the vehicle 100 is equal to or greater than the threshold, the vehicle 100 travels across obstacles such as pillars and parts shelves more frequently than when the speed of the vehicle 100 is less than the threshold. Thus, in such a case, radio waves are easily blocked, so the frequency band determination unit 212 determines the 2.4 GHz band, in which radio waves are less likely to be blocked, as the frequency band to be used.

[0050] According to the third embodiment 200 described above, when the speed of the vehicle 100 is below a threshold, the 5.0 GHz band is determined as the frequency band to be used by using the speed information, and when the speed of the vehicle 100 is equal to or greater than the threshold, the 2.4 GHz band is determined as the frequency band to be used. Therefore, wireless communication between the vehicle 100 and the access point AP can be realized by using an appropriate frequency band according to the speed of the vehicle 100.

[0051] In addition, since the speed of the vehicle 100 identified using the control information is used as the speed information, the speed of the vehicle 100 can be easily identified, and an appropriate frequency band can be easily determined according to the speed of the vehicle 100.

[0052] D. Fourth embodiment: 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control system 50D in the fourth embodiment. In this embodiment, the control system 50D is different from the first embodiment in that it does not include a server device 200. In addition, the vehicle 100D in this embodiment can run by the autonomous control of the vehicle 100D. The other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment unless otherwise described.

[0053] In this embodiment, the processor 111D of the vehicle control device 110D executes the program PG1D stored in the memory 112D to function as the vehicle control unit 115D. The vehicle control unit 115D acquires the output result of the external sensor 300, generates a driving control signal using the output result, and outputs the generated driving control signal to operate the actuator group 120, thereby making it possible to drive the vehicle 100D by autonomous control. In this embodiment, the external sensor 300 corresponds to the "external device" in this disclosure. In this embodiment, in addition to the program PG1D, the memory 112D stores in advance a detection model DM and a reference route RR.

[0054] In addition, in this embodiment, the processor 111D executes the program PG1D stored in the memory 112D to function as a frequency band determination unit 117D and a communication control unit 119D, which are functional units corresponding to the frequency band determination unit 212 and the communication control unit 214 included in the server device 200 of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the vehicle 100D may acquire process information from the process management device 400 in the same manner as the server device 200 of the first embodiment. In this case, the process management device 400 corresponds to the "external device" in this disclosure. According to the vehicle 100D configured in this manner, it is possible to obtain the same effect as the first embodiment without using the server device 200.

[0055] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a process procedure of the driving control of the vehicle 100D in the fourth embodiment. In step S310, the vehicle control unit 115D acquires vehicle position information using the detection result output from the camera, which is the external sensor 300. In step S320, the vehicle control unit 115D determines a target position to which the vehicle 100D should next head. In step S330, the vehicle control unit 115D generates a driving control signal for driving the vehicle 100D toward the determined target position. In step S340, the vehicle control unit 115D controls the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal to drive the vehicle 100D according to the parameters represented in the driving control signal. The vehicle control unit 115D repeats the acquisition of vehicle position information, the determination of the target position, the generation of the driving control signal, and the control of the actuators at a predetermined cycle. According to the control system 50D in this embodiment, the vehicle 100D can be driven by the autonomous control of the vehicle 100D without remotely controlling the vehicle 100D by the server device 200.

[0056] E. Other embodiments: (E1) In the first embodiment, the download of the program or process information may be performed whenever it becomes necessary in each process, or may be performed collectively for a plurality of processes at any predetermined timing. Also, the upload of the inspection results, the implementation status of the work, and the like from the vehicle 100 may be performed whenever the work in each process is completed, or may be performed collectively for a plurality of processes at any predetermined timing. In each of these embodiments, the frequency band determination unit 212 may determine the 5.0 GHz band as the frequency band to be used when uploading or downloading information is performed, in other words, when information with a larger amount of information compared to other cases is communicated, and may determine the 2.4 GHz band as the frequency band to be used in a process in which uploading or downloading of information is not performed even in the work area. According to this embodiment, an appropriate frequency band can be used depending on the amount of information exchanged between the vehicle 100 and another device.

[0057] In addition, downloading of information to the vehicle 100 and uploading of information from the vehicle 100 may be performed when communication using the 5.0 GHz band is performed due to factors other than the location of the vehicle 100, such as the installation state of parts on the vehicle 100 and the speed of the vehicle 100, as described in each of the above embodiments. In other words, when communication using the 5.0 GHz band is performed, the communication control unit 214 causes wireless communication between the vehicle 100 and an external device to be performed for information with a larger amount of information compared to when using the 2.4 GHz band. According to this embodiment, regardless of whether the vehicle 100 needs to perform communication for information with a large amount of information, when high-speed communication is possible because the 5.0 GHz band is used, communication for information with a large amount of information can be performed. Therefore, a decrease in the degree of freedom of the timing of execution of communication for information with a large amount of information in the vehicle 100 can be suppressed.

[0058] (E2) In the first embodiment, the frequency band determination unit 212 determines the frequency band to be used depending on whether the vehicle 100 is located in a work area, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The frequency band determination unit 212 may determine the frequency band to be used depending on whether the vehicle 100 is located in a predetermined area, regardless of whether the area is a work area. For example, the frequency band determination unit 212 may determine the 2.4 GHz band as the frequency band to be used when the vehicle 100 is located in a predetermined area that is assumed to have many obstacles such as pillars and parts shelves, and may determine the 5.0 GHz band as the frequency band to be used when the vehicle 100 is not located in the area. According to this embodiment, it is possible to realize wireless communication between the vehicle 100 and the access point AP by using a more appropriate frequency band depending on the predetermined area, regardless of whether the vehicle 100 is located in a work area.

[0059] The frequency band determination unit 212 may also determine the frequency band according to the content of the inspection performed in the inspection process, which is the area in the work area where the inspection is performed. For example, the information uploaded in the abnormal sound inspection of the vehicle 100 includes audio information, and therefore the amount of information is larger than that of information uploaded in a process for inspecting the presence or absence of leakage or the like by visual judgment. In this way, the frequency band determination unit 212 may determine the 5.0 GHz band as the frequency band to be used when the vehicle 100 is located in an inspection process in which the amount of information uploaded is larger than that of other inspection processes, and may determine the 2.4 GHz band as the frequency band to be used when the vehicle 100 is located in another inspection process. According to this embodiment, wireless communication between the vehicle 100 and the access point AP can be realized by using an appropriate frequency band according to the content of the inspection performed in the inspection process.

[0060] (E3) In the second embodiment, the frequency band determination unit 212 determines the frequency band to be used depending on whether the vehicle 100 is located at a process before the designated process, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the frequency band determination unit 212 may use the process at which the vehicle 100 is located to identify the number of parts (hereinafter also referred to as the "number of installed parts") that have been installed on the vehicle 100 up to the process at which the vehicle 100 is located, and determine the 2.4 GHz band as the frequency band to be used if the number of installed parts is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, and determine the 5.0 GHz band as the frequency band to be used if the number of installed parts is less than the threshold. As described above, this is because the more the number of installed parts is, the more obstacles exist between the communication device 130 provided in the vehicle 100 where communication is performed and the access point AP, and radio waves are more likely to be blocked. The number of installed parts corresponds to "parts information" in the present disclosure. According to this embodiment, wireless communication between the vehicle 100 and the access point AP can be realized by using an appropriate frequency band depending on the number of installed parts.

[0061] In addition, the frequency band determination unit 212 may determine the 2.4 GHz band as the frequency band to be used when a part designated in advance (hereinafter, also referred to as a "designated part") has already been installed on the vehicle 100, and may determine the 5.0 GHz band as the frequency band to be used when the part has not yet been installed. The "designated part" means a part that, when installed, causes the assembly state of the part on the vehicle 100 to be a predetermined state. That is, the assembly state of the part on the vehicle 100 may be specified depending on whether or not the designated part has already been installed on the vehicle 100. For example, a part that, when installed, causes the number of parts installed on the vehicle 100 to be equal to or greater than a predetermined number, or a large part such as a body shell may be specified as the designated part. Whether or not the designated part has already been installed on the vehicle 100 is included in the "part information" in the present disclosure. Whether or not the designated part has already been installed on the vehicle 100 may be specified, for example, by analyzing a captured image of the vehicle 100 acquired by the external sensor 300. According to this embodiment, it is possible to realize wireless communication between the vehicle 100 and the access point AP by using an appropriate frequency band depending on whether or not the specified part has already been attached to the vehicle 100.

[0062] (E4) In the third embodiment, the frequency band determination unit 212 acquires the traveling control signal generated by the remote control unit 210 and determines the frequency band to be used by using the speed of the vehicle 100 identified by the traveling control signal, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The frequency band determination unit 212 may acquire the speed of the vehicle 100 detected by a vehicle speed sensor mounted on the vehicle 100 or a vehicle speed sensor installed near the road TR, and determine the frequency band to be used by using the acquired speed of the vehicle 100. According to this embodiment, the same effect as the third embodiment is achieved. In addition, the frequency band can be determined by using the actual speed of the vehicle 100, and wireless communication between the vehicle 100 and the access point AP can be realized by using a more appropriate frequency band depending on the state of the traveling control of the actual vehicle 100.

[0063] (E5) In the above embodiment, the frequency band determination unit 212 determines the frequency band to be used according to the position and speed of the vehicle 100, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The frequency band determination unit 212 may determine the frequency band to be used according to the manufacturing status of the vehicle 100 in the factory FC. For example, the frequency band determination unit 212 may determine the frequency band to be used according to whether or not a preset target manufacturing time is longer than a preset threshold value. The "target manufacturing time" means a target value of the manufacturing time required for processing one vehicle 100. The target manufacturing time is determined based on the number of vehicles 100 to be produced during the operating time of the factory FC, and may be called "takt time". The target manufacturing time is managed, for example, by the process management device 400, and may be appropriately adjusted according to the target number of vehicles to be produced in one day and the manufacturing status of the preceding and following processes. The target manufacturing time may be included in the "manufacturing status information" in the present disclosure.

[0064] When the target manufacturing time is short, control is executed so that the speed of the vehicle 100 is faster than when the target manufacturing time is long, in order to shorten the time required for transporting the vehicle 100. That is, when the target manufacturing time is short, the vehicle 100 crosses obstacles more frequently than when the target manufacturing time is long. For this reason, the frequency band determination unit 212 determines the 2.4 GHz band as the frequency band to be used when the target manufacturing time is equal to or less than the threshold, and determines the 5.0 GHz band as the frequency band to be used when the target manufacturing time is longer than the threshold. According to this embodiment, wireless communication between the vehicle 100 and the access point AP can be realized by using an appropriate frequency band according to the target manufacturing time.

[0065] The frequency band determination unit 212 may determine the frequency band to be used by using information related to the inspection results of a plurality of vehicles 100 manufactured in the factory FC. In this embodiment, the frequency band determination unit 212 uses the number of vehicles 100 that have been found to have problems in the inspection results as information related to the inspection results, and determines the frequency band to be used depending on whether the number is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. The vehicles 100 that have been found to have problems in the inspection results are returned to the inspection line after the problematic parts are corrected, which causes a delay with respect to the target manufacturing time. Therefore, in order to suppress such a delay with respect to the target manufacturing time, when the number of vehicles 100 that have been found to have problems in the inspection results is equal to or greater than a threshold, control is executed so that the speed of the vehicles 100 is faster than when the number of vehicles 100 that have been found to have problems in the inspection results is less than the threshold. That is, when the number is equal to or greater than the threshold, the frequency of crossing obstacles is higher than when the number is less than the threshold. Therefore, the frequency band determination unit 212 determines the 2.4 GHz band as the frequency band to be used when the number of vehicles is equal to or greater than the threshold, and determines the 5.0 GHz band as the frequency band to be used when the number of vehicles is less than the threshold. According to this embodiment, it is possible to realize wireless communication between the vehicles 100 and the access point AP by using an appropriate frequency band according to the inspection results of the multiple vehicles 100 manufactured in the factory FC.

[0066] The frequency band determination unit 212 may determine the frequency band depending on whether or not the production line of the vehicle 100 has been stopped in the factory FC. When the production line is stopped, a delay is generated from the target production time by the time the production line was stopped. In order to suppress such a delay from the target production time, when the production line is stopped, control is executed so that the speed of the vehicle 100 is faster after the production line is restored compared to before the production line was stopped. That is, when the production line is stopped, the frequency of crossing obstacles increases compared to before the production line was stopped. For this reason, the frequency band determination unit 212 determines the 2.4 GHz band as the frequency band to be used when the production line is stopped, and determines the 5.0 GHz band as the frequency band to be used when the production line is not stopped. Even with this embodiment, wireless communication between the vehicle 100 and the access point AP can be realized by using an appropriate frequency band depending on the production status of the vehicle 100 in the factory FC.

[0067] (E6) In the above first to third embodiments, the server device 200 performs wireless communication with the vehicle 100 via the access point AP, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The server device 200 may perform direct wireless communication with the vehicle 100. This embodiment also provides the same effects as the above embodiments. The server device 200 in this embodiment corresponds to the "communication device" in the present disclosure.

[0068] In the above fourth embodiment, the vehicle 100 performs wireless communication with external devices such as the external sensor 300 and the process management device 400 via the access point AP, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The vehicle 100 may perform direct wireless communication with external devices such as the external sensor 300 and the process management device 400. This embodiment also provides the same effects as the above embodiment. Each of the external devices such as the external sensor 300 and the process management device 400 in this embodiment corresponds to a "communication device" in the present disclosure.

[0069] (E7) In each of the above embodiments, the external sensor 300 is a camera. In contrast, the external sensor 300 does not have to be a camera, and may be, for example, a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). In this case, the detection result output by the external sensor 300 may be three-dimensional point cloud data representing the vehicle 100. In this case, the server device 200 and the vehicle 100 may acquire vehicle position information by template matching using the three-dimensional point cloud data as the detection result and reference point cloud data prepared in advance.

[0070] (E8) In the first embodiment, the processes from obtaining vehicle position information to generating a driving control signal are executed by the server device 200. In contrast, at least a part of the processes from obtaining vehicle position information to generating a driving control signal may be executed by the vehicle 100. For example, the following forms (1) to (3) may be used.

[0071] (1) The server device 200 may acquire vehicle position information, determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head, and generate a route from the current location of the vehicle 100 indicated in the acquired vehicle position information to the target position. The server device 200 may generate a route to a target position between the current location and the destination, or may generate a route to the destination. The server device 200 may transmit the generated route to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may generate a driving control signal so that the vehicle 100 drives on the route received from the server device 200, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal.

[0072] (2) The server device 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 location 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 the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal.

[0073] (3) In the above-mentioned embodiments (1) and (2), an internal sensor may be mounted on the vehicle 100, and a detection result output from the internal sensor may be used for at least one of generating a route and generating a driving control signal. The internal sensor is a sensor mounted on the vehicle 100. The internal sensor may include, for example, a sensor for detecting a motion state of the vehicle 100, a sensor for detecting an operating state of each part of the vehicle 100, and a sensor for detecting an environment around the vehicle 100. Specifically, the internal sensor may include, for example, a camera, a LiDAR, a millimeter wave radar, an ultrasonic sensor, a GPS sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and the like. For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment (1), the server device 200 may acquire a detection result of the internal sensor, and may reflect the detection result of the internal sensor on the route when generating the route. In the above-mentioned embodiment (1), the vehicle 100 may acquire a detection result of the internal sensor, and may reflect the detection result of the internal sensor on the driving control signal when generating the driving control signal. In the above-mentioned embodiment (2), the vehicle 100 may acquire a detection result of the internal sensor, and may reflect the detection result of the internal sensor on the route when generating the route. In the above embodiment (2), the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection result of the internal sensor, and may reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the driving control signal when generating the driving control signal.

[0074] (E9) In the above fourth embodiment, an internal sensor may be mounted on the vehicle 100D, and a detection result output from the internal sensor may be used for at least one of generating a route and generating a driving control signal. For example, the vehicle 100D may acquire a detection result of the internal sensor, and when generating a route, may reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the route. The vehicle 100D may acquire a detection result of the internal sensor, and when generating a driving control signal, may reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the driving control signal.

[0075] (E10) In the above fourth embodiment, the vehicle 100D acquires vehicle position information using the detection result of the external sensor 300. In contrast, the vehicle 100D may be equipped with an internal sensor, acquire vehicle position information using the detection result of the internal sensor, determine a target position to which the vehicle 100D should next head, generate a route from the current location of the vehicle 100D represented in the acquired vehicle position information to the target position, generate a travel control signal for traveling the generated route, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated travel control signal. In this case, the vehicle 100D can travel without using any of the detection results of the external sensor 300. The vehicle 100D may acquire a target arrival time or traffic congestion information from outside the vehicle 100D, and reflect the target arrival time or traffic congestion information in at least one of the route and the travel control signal. In addition, all of the functional configurations of the control system 50D may be provided in the vehicle 100D. That is, the processing realized by the control system 50D in the present disclosure may be realized by the vehicle 100D alone.

[0076] (E11) In the above first embodiment, the server device 200 automatically generates a driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100. In contrast, the server device 200 may generate a driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100 in accordance with the operation of an external operator located outside the vehicle 100. For example, the external operator may operate a control device including a display for displaying an image output from the external sensor 300, a steering wheel for remotely controlling the vehicle 100, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and a communication device for communicating with the server device 200 via wired communication or wireless communication, and the server device 200 may generate a driving control signal in accordance with the operation applied to the control device.

[0077] (E12) In each of the above embodiments, the vehicle 100 may have a configuration capable of moving by unmanned driving, and may be in the form of a platform having the configuration described below, for example. Specifically, the vehicle 100 may have at least the vehicle control device 110 and the actuator group 120 in order to perform the three functions of "running", "turning", and "stopping" by unmanned driving. When the vehicle 100 acquires information from the outside for unmanned driving, the vehicle 100 may further have the communication device 130. That is, the vehicle 100 capable of moving by unmanned driving may not have at least a part of the interior parts such as the driver's seat and the dashboard, may not have at least a part of the exterior parts such as the bumper and the fender, and may not have a body shell. In this case, the remaining parts such as the body shell may be attached to the vehicle 100 before the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory FC, or the remaining parts such as the body shell may be attached to the vehicle 100 after the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory FC in a state in which the remaining parts such as the body shell are not attached to the vehicle 100. Each part may be attached from any direction, such as the upper side, lower side, front side, rear side, right side, or left side of the vehicle 100, and may be attached from the same direction or from different directions. Note that the position of the platform shape may be determined in the same manner as the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment.

[0078] (E13) 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 location or function of the vehicle 100. For example, the platform of the vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining a front module that constitutes the front part of the platform, a central module that constitutes the central part of the platform, and a rear module that constitutes the rear part of the platform. The number of modules that constitute the platform is not limited to three, and may be two or less, or four or more. In addition to or instead of the parts that constitute the platform, parts that constitute parts of the vehicle 100 that are different from the platform may be modularized. The various modules may include any exterior parts such as a bumper or a grille, or any interior parts such as a seat or a console. In addition, not limited to the vehicle 100, any type of moving body may be manufactured by combining a plurality of modules. Such a module may be manufactured, for example, by joining a plurality of parts by welding or a fastener, or may be manufactured by integrally molding at least a part of the parts that constitute the module as one part by casting. The molding method for integrally molding a single component, particularly a relatively large component, is also called gigacast or megacast. For example, the front module, the center module, and the rear module may be manufactured using gigacast.

[0079] (E14) Transporting the vehicle 100 by using the driving of the vehicle 100 through unmanned driving is also called "self-propelled transport". Also, a configuration for realizing self-propelled transport is also called a "vehicle remote-controlled autonomous driving transport system". Also, a production method for producing the vehicle 100 using self-propelled transport is also called "self-propelled production". In self-propelled production, for example, at the factory FC where the vehicle 100 is manufactured, at least a part of the transport of the vehicle 100 is realized by self-propelled transport.

[0080] (E15) In each of the above embodiments, some or all of the functions and processes implemented by software may be implemented by hardware. Also, some or all of the functions and processes implemented by hardware may be implemented by software. As hardware for implementing the various functions in each of the above embodiments, various circuits such as integrated circuits and discrete circuits may be used.

[0081] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. For example, the technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each aspect described in the Summary of the Invention column can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve some or all of the above-mentioned problems or to achieve some or all of the above-mentioned effects. Furthermore, if the technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 50, 50D... control system, 100, 100D... vehicle, 110, 110D... vehicle control device, 111, 111D... processor, 112, 112D... memory, 113... input / output interface, 114... internal bus, 115, 115D... vehicle control unit, 117D... frequency band determination unit, 119D... communication control unit, 120... actuator group, 130... communication device, 200... server device, 201... processor, 202... Memory, 203...input / output interface, 204...internal bus, 205...communication device, 210...remote control unit, 212...frequency band determination unit, 214...communication control unit, 300...external sensor, 400...process control device, AP...access point, DM...detection model, FC...factory, GC...global coordinate system, PG1, PG1D, PG2...program, PL1...first location, PL2...second location, RR...reference route, TR...track

Claims

1. A communication control system for controlling wireless communication between a mobile object and a communication device, comprising: a frequency band determination unit that determines a utilization frequency band to be used for the wireless communication from among frequency band candidates including at least a first frequency band and a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band, by using at least one of mobile body information that is information on a state of the mobile body and manufacturing status information that is information on a manufacturing status of the mobile body; a communication control unit that controls the wireless communication by the communication device so as to perform the wireless communication using the utilized frequency band; Equipped with Communications control system.

2. 2. The communication control system according to claim 1, The moving object information includes moving object position information indicating a position of the moving object. Communications control system.

3. 3. The communication control system according to claim 2, The frequency band determination unit uses the mobile object position information to When the moving object is located in a predetermined work area where a predetermined task is performed on the moving object, the second frequency band is determined as the utilization frequency band; When the moving body is not located in the working area, the first frequency band is determined as the utilization frequency band. Communications control system.

4. 4. The communication control system according to claim 3, The work includes at least one of assembling parts to the moving body, painting the moving body, and inspecting the moving body. Communications control system.

5. 2. The communication control system according to claim 1, the moving object information includes speed information indicating a speed of the moving object, The frequency band determination unit is Using the speed information, determine whether the speed of the moving object is less than a predetermined threshold; When the speed of the moving object is less than the threshold, determining the second frequency band as the utilization frequency band; When the speed of the moving object is equal to or greater than the threshold, the first frequency band is determined to be the utilized frequency band. Communications control system.

6. 6. The communication control system according to claim 5, The frequency band determination unit uses a speed of the moving object identified by using control information related to a movement control of the moving object as the speed information. Communications control system.

7. 2. The communication control system according to claim 1, The manufacturing status information includes part information regarding parts attached to the moving body. Communications control system.

8. The communication control system according to claim 7, The frequency band determination unit is Using the part information, it is determined whether the moving object is located at a process before a designated process, which is a pre-designated process; If the moving object is located in a step before the designation step, the second frequency band is determined as the utilization frequency band; When the moving object is located at a step subsequent to the designation step, the first frequency band is determined as the utilization frequency band. Communications control system.

9. The communication control system according to claim 7, The frequency band determination unit is Using the part information, a number of installed parts is identified, which is the number of parts installed on the moving body; If the number of installed components is less than a predetermined threshold, determining the second frequency band as the utilized frequency band; If the number of installed components is equal to or greater than the threshold, determining the first frequency band as the utilized frequency band. Communications control system.

10. The communication control system according to claim 7, The frequency band determination unit is Using the part information, it is determined whether a designated part, which is a part designated in advance, has already been attached to the moving body; If the designated part has not yet been attached to the moving object, determining the second frequency band as the utilization frequency band; If the specified part has already been attached to the moving body, determining the first frequency band as the utilization frequency band. Communications control system.

11. 2. The communication control system according to claim 1, the manufacturing status information includes information regarding a takt time of a factory where the moving body is manufactured, The frequency band determination unit is If the takt time is longer than a predetermined threshold, determining the second frequency band as the utilized frequency band; If the takt time is equal to or less than the threshold, determining the first frequency band as the utilized frequency band. Communications control system.

12. 3. The communication control system according to claim 1, the communication control unit, when the second frequency band is determined to be the utilized frequency band, performs the wireless communication for information having a larger amount of information compared to a case in which the first frequency band is used. Communications control system.

13. 3. The communication control system according to claim 1, the communication device is a communication relay device that relays the wireless communication between the mobile object and an external device located outside the mobile object; Communications control system.

14. The communication control system according to claim 13, The external device is a server device that controls unmanned operation of the moving object. Communications control system.

15. A server device that performs wireless communication with a mobile object via a communication relay device, a frequency band determination unit that determines a utilization frequency band to be used for the wireless communication from among frequency band candidates including at least a first frequency band and a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band, by using at least one of mobile body information that is information on a state of the mobile body and manufacturing status information that is information on a manufacturing status of the mobile body; a communication control unit that controls the communication relay device to perform the wireless communication using the utilized frequency band; Equipped with Server device.

16. A mobile object that performs wireless communication with a communication device, a frequency band determination unit that determines a utilization frequency band to be used for the wireless communication from among frequency band candidates including at least a first frequency band and a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band, by using at least one of mobile body information that is information on a state of the mobile body and manufacturing status information that is information on a manufacturing status of the mobile body; a communication control unit that controls the communication device to perform the wireless communication using the utilized frequency band; Equipped with Mobile body.

17. A communication control method for controlling wireless communication between a mobile object and a communication device, comprising: determining a utilization frequency band to be used for the wireless communication from among frequency band candidates including at least a first frequency band and a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band, by using at least one of mobile body information, which is information on a state of the mobile body, and manufacturing status information, which is information on a manufacturing status of the mobile body; controlling the communication device to perform the wireless communication using the utilized frequency band; Equipped with Communications control method.

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