Apparatus

Abstract

To provide a technique that can appropriately acquire a position or a direction of a vehicle even in a situation where appropriate detection of the vehicle with an external sensor can be interrupted.SOLUTION: An apparatus comprises: a motion information acquisition unit that acquires motion information related to a motion state of a device in conjunction with a mobile body that can move by unattended operation; and a calculation unit that uses the acquired motion information to calculate at least one of a position and a direction of the mobile body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique of imaging a vehicle using a camera outside the vehicle and using the captured image by the camera for automatic driving of the vehicle.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When moving a moving body such as a vehicle by unmanned driving, a technique of acquiring the position and orientation of the moving body based on the result of detecting the moving body by an external sensor located outside the moving body can be used. However, for example, when there is an obstacle between the external sensor and the moving body, the moving body may not be appropriately detected by the external sensor, and there is a possibility that the position and orientation of the moving body cannot be appropriately acquired.

Means for Solving the Problems

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

[0006] (1) According to one aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a motion information acquisition unit that acquires motion information regarding a motion state of a device interlocked with a moving body movable by unmanned driving, and a calculation unit that calculates at least one of the position and orientation of the moving body using the acquired motion information. According to this aspect, even in a situation where appropriate detection of the vehicle by an external sensor may be hindered, the position and orientation of the vehicle can be appropriately acquired. (2) In the above aspect, a specifying unit for specifying the device may be further provided, and the motion information acquisition unit may acquire the motion information about the device specified by the specifying unit. According to this aspect, the motion information of the interlocking device can be acquired more appropriately. (3) In the above aspect, when the interlocking state in which the device and the moving body are interlocked transitions to a non-interlocking state in which the device and the moving body are not interlocked, the calculation unit may calculate at least one of the position and orientation of the moving body using the detection result of the moving body by an external sensor located outside the moving body. According to this aspect, not only can vehicle position information be appropriately acquired in the interlocking state, but also vehicle position information can be appropriately acquired when the interlocking state transitions to the non-interlocking state. (4) In the above aspect, when the interlocking state in which the device and the moving body are interlocked transitions to a non-interlocking state in which the device and the moving body are not interlocked, a search unit for executing a search for a device that moves in conjunction with the moving body may be provided. According to this aspect, even when the interlocking state transitions to the non-interlocking state, a new search for an interlocking device that interlocks with the vehicle can be performed, and vehicle position information can be calculated using the motion information of the searched interlocking device. (5) In the above aspect, when the device that moves in conjunction with the moving body is not specified by the search, the calculation unit may calculate at least one of the position and orientation of the moving body using the detection result of the moving body by an external sensor located outside the moving body. According to this aspect, in the search when the interlocking state transitions to the non-interlocking state, even when the device that moves in conjunction with the moving body is not specified, vehicle position information can be appropriately acquired. The present disclosure can be implemented not only in the form of the device described above, but also in the form of, for example, a system, a control method, a program, a non-transitory recording medium on which the program is recorded, a program product, and the like. The program product may be provided, for example, as a recording medium on which the program is recorded, or as a program product that can be distributed via a network.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

Figure 2

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] A. First Embodiment: FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a system 50 in the first embodiment. The system 50 includes one or more vehicles 100, a server 200, one or more external sensors 300, and an external device 350. The server 200 in the first embodiment corresponds to the "device" in the present disclosure.

[0009] Vehicle 100 can be a vehicle that runs on wheels or on an endless track, such as a passenger car, a truck, a bus, a two-wheeled vehicle, a four-wheeled vehicle, a tank, a construction vehicle, etc. In this embodiment, vehicle 100 is a battery electric vehicle (BEV). Vehicle 100 may also be, for example, a gasoline vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or a fuel cell vehicle.

[0010] Vehicle 100 is configured to be capable of running by autonomous driving. "Autonomous driving" means driving without depending on the driving operation of a passenger. The driving operation means an operation related to at least any one of "running", "turning", and "stopping" of vehicle 100. Autonomous driving is realized by automatic or manual remote control using a device located outside vehicle 100, or by autonomous control of vehicle 100. A passenger who does not perform a driving operation may board vehicle 100 while it is running by autonomous driving. Passengers who do not perform a driving operation include, for example, a person simply sitting in the seat of vehicle 100, or a person performing work different from the driving operation, such as assembly, inspection, and operation of switches, while boarding vehicle 100. Note that driving by the driving operation of a passenger is sometimes called "human-driven".

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

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

[0013] In this embodiment, the system 50 is used in the factory FC that manufactures the vehicle 100. The reference coordinate system of the factory FC is the global coordinate system GC, and any position within the factory FC can be represented by the coordinates of X, Y, and Z in the global coordinate system GC. The factory FC includes a first location PL1 and a second location PL2. The first location PL1 and the second location PL2 are connected by a road TR on which the vehicle 100 can travel. A plurality of external sensors 300 are installed along the road TR in the factory FC. The positions of the respective external sensors 300 in the factory FC are adjusted in advance. The vehicle 100 moves from the first location PL1 to the second location PL2 through the road TR by autonomous driving. In this embodiment, during the period of moving from the first location PL1 to the second location PL2, the vehicle 100 is in the form of a platform. In other embodiments, the vehicle 100 is not limited to the form of a platform and may be in the form of a completed vehicle.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the system 50. The vehicle 100 includes a vehicle control device 110 for controlling each part of the vehicle 100, an actuator group 120 including one or more actuators that are driven under the control of the vehicle control device 110, and a communication device 130 for communicating with an external device such as the server 200 by wireless communication. The actuator group 120 includes actuators related to the running of the vehicle 100, such as an actuator of a driving device for accelerating the vehicle 100, an actuator of a steering device for changing the traveling direction of the vehicle 100, and an actuator of a braking device for decelerating the vehicle 100. The driving device includes a battery, a driving motor driven by the power of the battery, and driving wheels rotated by the driving motor. The actuator of the driving device includes the driving motor.

[0015] The vehicle control device 110 is composed of 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 to be communicable bidirectionally via the internal bus 114. An actuator group 120 and a communication device 130 are connected to the input / output interface 113. The processor 111 realizes various functions including the function as a vehicle control unit 115 by executing a program PG1 stored in the memory 112.

[0016] The vehicle control unit 115 runs the vehicle 100 by controlling the actuator group 120. The vehicle control unit 115 can run the vehicle 100 by controlling the actuator group 120 using a running control signal received from the server 200. The running control signal is a control signal for running the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the running control signal includes the acceleration and the steering angle of the vehicle 100 as parameters. In other embodiments, the running 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 external sensor 300 is a sensor located outside the vehicle 100. The external sensor 300 in the present embodiment is a sensor that captures the vehicle 100 from outside the vehicle 100. Specifically, the external sensor 300 is composed of a camera. The camera as the external sensor 300 images the vehicle 100 and outputs a captured image as a detection result. The external sensor 300 includes a communication device (not shown) and can communicate with other devices such as the server 200 by wired communication or wireless communication.

[0018] The external device 350 is a device located outside the vehicle 100. As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, a plurality of external devices 350 are arranged along the track TR in the factory FC. The external device 350 performs various operations on the vehicle 100. Specifically, the external device 350 in this embodiment is configured as an assembly robot for assembling parts to the vehicle 100.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the external device 350 includes a communication device 352 and one or more arm portions 351. The communication device 352 can communicate with the server 200 by wired communication or wireless communication. The arm portion 351 is configured as, for example, a vertical articulated robot arm, a horizontal articulated robot arm, a Cartesian robot arm, or a parallel link robot arm. An end effector corresponding to the part that the external device 350 assembles to the vehicle 100 is attached to the arm portion 351 of each external device 350. The end effector may be configured to be able to adsorb and support an object, may be configured to be able to hold an object by clamping, or may be configured to be able to fasten bolts and screws. An encoder as a sensor for detecting the motion state of the arm portion 351 is built into the arm portion 351.

[0020] Each external device 350 can be an interlocking device. The interlocking device is a device that interlocks with the vehicle 100. Hereinafter, the state in which the vehicle 100 and the external device 350 are interlocked is also referred to as an interlocked state. Also, hereinafter, the state in which the vehicle 100 and the external device 350 are not interlocked is also referred to as a non-interlocked state.

[0021] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the interlocking state in the first embodiment. The vehicle 100 and the external device 350 are interlocked and enter an interlocking state by directly or indirectly connecting the vehicle 100 and the external device 350 to each other. Specifically, the vehicle 100 is supported by the external device 350, at least a part of the external device 350 is fitted or engaged with the vehicle 100, another object fitted or engaged with the vehicle 100 is supported by the external device 350, or at least a part of the external device 350 is fitted or engaged with another object fitted or engaged with the vehicle 100, whereby the vehicle 100 and the external device 350 are interlocked. FIG. 3 shows how the vehicle 100 and the external device 350p are interlocked via a component PT assembled to the vehicle 100 by the external device 350p. Specifically, in the example of FIG. 3, the component PT is a vehicle seat for a passenger of the vehicle 100 to sit on. The component PT is assembled to the vehicle 100 by fastening fixtures such as bolts and screws for coupling the component PT and the vehicle 100 in a state where the component PT is fitted or engaged with the vehicle 100. The fastening of the fixtures may be performed, for example, using an arm portion 351 of the interlocking device configured as a double-arm robot that does not grip the component PT, or may be performed by an external device 350 different from the interlocking device, or may be performed by an operator. Further, the component PT is assembled to the traveling vehicle 100. By assembling a member to the vehicle 100 while the vehicle 100 is traveling in this way, the vehicle 100 can be manufactured more efficiently as compared with the case where the vehicle 100 is stopped and the member is assembled.

[0022] Also, in the example of FIG. 3, since the vehicle 100 and the external device 350p are in an interlocking state, the movement M1 caused by the running of the vehicle 100 and the movement M2 caused by the movement of the external device 350p are interlocked. When the vehicle 100 and the external device 350p are in an interlocking state, it can be said that the movement M1 of the vehicle 100 and the movement M2 of the external device 350 are, as a result, synchronized. Further, by the interlocking of the movement M1 and the movement M2, the position of the vehicle 100 and the position of the external device 350p correspond to each other, and the direction of the vehicle 100 and the direction or movement direction of the external device 350p correspond. Note that the movement M2 means the movement of the interlocking part of the external device 350p that moves in conjunction with the vehicle 100. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the external device 350p in the present embodiment is fixed via the base portion 359, and is configured to move the arm portion 351 connected to the base portion 359 without moving the base portion 359. Therefore, the movement M2 represents the movement of the arm portion 351, not the movement of the entire external device 350p. In other embodiments, the external device 350p may not have the base portion 359, and for example, may be configured such that the entire external device 350p moves in conjunction with the running of the vehicle 100. In this case, the external device 350p is configured as, for example, a device having moving wheels, an endless track, or legs. In this case, the movement M1 of the vehicle 100 and the movement of the entire interlocking device can be interlocked.

[0023] In the factory FC, the proper detection of the vehicle 100 by the external sensor 300 can be obstructed by obstacles. The obstacles are various objects such as, for example, the external device 350, various devices different from the external device 350 in the factory FC, various parts, and various people (e.g., workers and managers). Such obstacles may prevent the external sensor 300 from properly capturing the vehicle 100 when the external device 350 is located near the vehicle 100 or when the external device 350 is located between the vehicle 100 and the external sensor 300. Specifically, in this embodiment, in the captured image by the external sensor 300, the vehicle 100 and the obstacle may overlap or an obstacle may be arranged near the vehicle 100. As a result, it may affect the result of the segmentation by the detection model DM1 described later. In particular, in a place where the external device 350 is arranged, that is, a place where various operations on the vehicle 100 are performed, for example, the probability of occurrence of the above-mentioned obstacles is higher, and the proper detection of the vehicle 100 by the external sensor 300 is more likely to be obstructed.

[0024] Returning to the explanation in FIG. 2. The server 200 is constituted 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 so as to be communicable bidirectionally via the internal bus 204. A communication device 205 for communicating with various devices outside the server 200 is connected to the input / output interface 203. The communication device 205 can communicate with the vehicle 100 by wireless communication and can communicate with each external sensor 300 by wired communication or wireless communication. Various information including a program PG2, a reference path RR, a detection model DM1, and external device data ED is stored in the memory 202. The processor 201 realizes various functions including functions as a first position acquisition unit 210, a specifying unit 215, a motion information acquisition unit 220, a calculation unit 250, and a command generation unit 260 by executing the program PG2 stored in the memory 202.

[0025] The first position acquisition unit 210 acquires the first position of the vehicle 100. The first position is used for acquiring the second position of the vehicle 100. The second position is a more detailed position than the first position. The first position in the present embodiment is a roughly defined position that can identify each section in the factory FC. The first position may be, for example, the position of the external sensor 300 that photographed the vehicle 100, or the position of the vehicle 100 acquired by the area sensor installed in the factory FC, or the position of the vehicle 100 acquired using the detection result by the external sensor 300. Also, the second position in the present embodiment is expressed by the X, Y, and Z coordinates in the global coordinate system GC of the factory FC. Details of the second position will be described later.

[0026] The identification unit 215 identifies the interlocking devices. In the present embodiment, the identification unit 215 searches for and identifies the interlocking devices using the external device data ED. The identification unit 215 in the present embodiment can also be said to function as a search unit that searches for the interlocking devices. The search unit in the present embodiment searches for the interlocking devices from a plurality of external devices 350 using the external device data ED.

[0027] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of the external device data ED. In the external device data ED, each location in the factory FC and information representing each external device 350 are stored in association with each other. Specifically, in the external device data ED, the locations on the track TR in the factory FC and the identification information of each external device 350 are stored in association with each other. The identification unit 215 searches for and identifies the interlocking devices from a plurality of external devices 350 by referring to the external device data ED based on the first position information acquired by the first position acquisition unit 210.

[0028] The motion information acquisition unit 220 shown in FIG. 2 acquires motion information regarding the motion of the interlocking device. In the present embodiment, the motion information is a detection value by a physical quantity sensor that detects a physical quantity regarding the motion of the interlocking device. Hereinafter, the detection value by the physical quantity sensor is also referred to as a physical quantity sensor value. The physical quantity sensor in the present embodiment is an encoder built in the arm portion 351 of the external device 350 as the interlocking device. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the motion information in the present embodiment is an encoder value detected by the encoder. Note that in other embodiments, the physical quantity sensor is not limited to an encoder built in the external device 350, and various sensors may be used. For example, a potentiometer, an acceleration sensor, or a gyro sensor may be used as the physical quantity sensor. Further, various sensors as the physical quantity sensor may be built in the external device 350 or externally attached, for example.

[0029] The calculation unit 250 shown in FIG. 2 calculates at least one of the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 using at least one of the motion information acquired by the motion information acquisition unit 220 and the detection result of the vehicle 100 by the external sensor 300. The vehicle position information is position information that serves as a basis for generating a travel control signal. In the present embodiment, the vehicle position information includes the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 in the global coordinate system GC of the factory FC. The position of the vehicle 100 included in the vehicle position information corresponds to the second position described above.

[0030] The calculation unit 250 in the present embodiment calculates the vehicle position information using the motion information when the vehicle 100 is in the interlocked state, and calculates the vehicle position information using the detection result of the vehicle 100 by the external sensor 300 when the vehicle 100 is in the non-interlocked state. Note that the calculation unit 250 may calculate the vehicle position information using, in addition to the motion information and the detection result of the vehicle 100 by the external sensor 300, for example, the travel start position of the vehicle 100 by unmanned driving and the previously calculated vehicle position information.

[0031] As described above, when the vehicle 100 and the interlocking device are interlocked, the position of the vehicle 100 corresponds to the position of the interlocking device, and the direction and moving direction of the vehicle 100 correspond to the direction and moving direction of the interlocking device. Therefore, when the vehicle 100 is in an interlocked state, the calculation unit 250 can calculate, for example, the position, direction, and moving direction of the interlocking device interlocked with the vehicle 100 based on the motion information, and calculate the second position and direction of the vehicle 100 based on the position and direction of the interlocking device. For example, when the external device 350 has the base portion 359 as in the present embodiment, the position and direction of the external device 350 as the interlocking device can be calculated using the position of the base portion 359 and the motion information. Further, for example, in another embodiment, when the external device 350 is configured to perform work on the vehicle 100 while reciprocating along a predetermined course, the position of the external device 350 can be calculated using the position of the start point of the course and the motion information. Also, in this case, the moving direction and direction of the external device 350 may be calculated using the motion information, may be calculated based on the traveling direction of the external device 350 on the course, or may be calculated based on the extending direction of the guide when a guide is installed on the course.

[0032] Also, when acquiring vehicle position information using the detection result of the vehicle 100 by the external sensor 300, the calculation unit 250 detects the outer shape of the vehicle 100 from the captured image, calculates the coordinates of the measurement points of the vehicle 100 in the coordinate system of the captured image, that is, the local coordinate system, and converts the calculated coordinates into the coordinates in the global coordinate system GC, thereby acquiring the second 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 DM1 that utilizes artificial intelligence (AI). The detection model DM1 is prepared, for example, inside or outside the system 50 and is stored in advance in the memory 202 of the server 200. As the detection model DM1, for example, a learned machine learning model trained to realize either semantic segmentation or instance segmentation can be mentioned. As this machine learning model, for example, a convolutional neural network (hereinafter, CNN) learned by supervised learning using a learning dataset can be used. The learning dataset has, 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 other than the vehicle 100. During the learning of the CNN, it is preferable that the parameters of the CNN are updated so as to reduce the error between the output result by the detection model DM1 and the label by backpropagation (error backpropagation method). Also, the calculation unit 250 can acquire the orientation of the vehicle 100, for example, by estimating the orientation of the vehicle 100 based on the direction of the movement vector of the vehicle 100 calculated from the position change of the feature points of the vehicle 100 between the frames of the captured image using the optical flow method.

[0033] The instruction generation unit 260 generates a control instruction for causing the vehicle 100 to travel by autonomous driving using the vehicle position information calculated by the calculation unit 250 and transmits it to the vehicle 100. Specifically, the control instruction in the present embodiment is the above-described driving control signal. As shown in FIG. 3, in the present embodiment, when the vehicle 100 is in an interlocked state, the vehicle position information is calculated using the encoder value as the motion information, and the control instruction generated using the calculated vehicle position information is transmitted to the vehicle 100. Note that the control instruction for causing the vehicle 100 to travel by autonomous driving may include at least one of the driving control signal and the generation information for generating the driving control signal. Therefore, in other embodiments, the control instruction may include the generation information instead of or in addition to the driving control signal. As the generation information, for example, the vehicle position information, the route and the target position described later can be used.

[0034] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the driving control of the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment. In the processing procedure of FIG. 3, the processor 201 of the server 200 functions as the first position acquisition unit 210, the specification unit 215, the motion information acquisition unit 220, the calculation unit 250, and the instruction generation unit 260 as appropriate by executing the program PG2. Further, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 functions as the vehicle control unit 115 by executing the program PG1.

[0035] In step S1, the processor 201 of the server 200 acquires vehicle position information.

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

[0037] In step S3, the processor 201 of the server 200 generates a driving control signal for driving the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. The processor 201 acquires the driving speed from the vehicle 100 and compares the acquired driving speed with the target vehicle speed. Overall, when the driving speed is lower than the target speed, the processor 201 determines the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 accelerates, and when the driving speed is higher than the target speed, the processor 201 determines the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 decelerates. Also, when the vehicle 100 is located on the reference route RR, the processor 201 determines the steering angle and the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 does not deviate from the reference route RR, and when the vehicle 100 is not located on the reference route RR, in other words, when the vehicle 100 has deviated from the reference route RR, the processor 201 determines the steering angle and the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 returns to the reference route RR.

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

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

[0040] In step S5, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 receives a driving control signal transmitted from the server 200. In step S6, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 controls the actuator group 120 using the received driving control signal, thereby driving the vehicle 100 at the acceleration and steering angle represented by the driving control signal. The processor 111 repeats the reception of the driving control signal and the control of the actuator group 120 at a predetermined period. According to the system 50 in the present embodiment, the vehicle 100 can be driven by remote control, and the vehicle 100 can be moved without using conveying facilities such as a crane or a conveyor.

[0041] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the command generation process in the present embodiment. The command process in FIG. 6 is executed by the processor 201 of the server 200, for example, at a predetermined time interval.

[0042] In step S105, the first position acquisition unit 210 acquires the first position of the vehicle 100.

[0043] In step S110, the identification unit 215 executes a search for interlocking devices and determines whether an interlocking device is identified. In step S110, the identification unit 215 refers to the external device data ED based on the first position acquired in step S105, and identifies an external device 350 associated with the location represented by the first position as an interlocking device. When the interlocking device is thus identified, the identification unit 215 determines that the interlocking device has been identified. On the other hand, in step S110, if no external device 350 is associated with the location represented by the first position, the identification unit 215 determines that the interlocking device has not been identified.

[0044] Incidentally, if the vehicle 100 is already in the linked state immediately before the command generation process is started, the fact that the linked device is not identified in step S110 means that the linked state of the vehicle 100 has been released. That is, in this case, it means that the linked state has transitioned to the unlinked state. Also, if the vehicle 100 is already in the linked state immediately before the command generation process is started and the linked device is identified in step S110, it means that the linked state of the vehicle 100 is maintained without being released.

[0045] If the linked device is identified in step S110, in step S115, the calculation unit 250 requests the linked device to transmit motion information. In step S120, the calculation unit 250 determines whether motion information has been received from the linked device. If the motion information has not been received in step S120, in step S125, the calculation unit 250 determines whether the elapsed time since step S115 was executed exceeds a predetermined reference time. If the elapsed time is less than or equal to the reference time in step S125, the calculation unit 250 returns the process to step S120. That is, the calculation unit 250 accepts the transmission of motion information from the linked device until the reference time elapses after step S115 is executed.

[0046] If the motion information is received in step S120, in step S130, the calculation unit 250 calculates the vehicle position information using the motion information.

[0047] If the linked device is not identified in step S110 and the elapsed time exceeds the reference time in step S125, in step S135, the calculation unit 250 acquires the detection result by the external sensor 300 from the external sensor 300. That is, in step S135 in the present embodiment, the captured image is acquired.

[0048] In step S140, the calculation unit 250 determines whether the detection result obtained in step S135 can be used to acquire vehicle position information. Specifically, in step S140 of the present embodiment, the calculation unit 250 determines whether the vehicle 100 is included in the captured image obtained in step S135. In step S140, the calculation unit 250 may determine whether the vehicle 100 is included in the captured image using various detection algorithms. For example, it may be determined using the detection model DM1, or a machine learning model different from the detection model DM1 may be used for the determination. Also, in other embodiments, in step S140, the calculation unit 250 may determine that the captured image can be used to acquire vehicle position information when, for example, the area ratio of the region indicating the vehicle 100 in the captured image is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0049] If it is determined in step S140 that the detection result by the external sensor 300 cannot be used, in step S145, the command generation unit 260 stops the vehicle 100. In step S145 of the present embodiment, the command generation unit 260 generates and outputs a control command for braking the vehicle 100. That is, in the present embodiment, when the vehicle 100 is not included in the captured image in step S140, in step S145, the command generation unit 260 generates a driving control signal for braking the vehicle 100 and transmits the generated driving control signal to the vehicle 100.

[0050] If it is determined in step S140 that the detection result by the external sensor 300 can be used, in step S150, the calculation unit 250 calculates the vehicle position information using the detection result by the external sensor 300. That is, in the present embodiment, when the vehicle 100 is included in the captured image in step S140, in step S150, the calculation unit 250 calculates the vehicle position information using the captured image including the vehicle 100. Also, in the present embodiment, it can be said that the vehicle position information is calculated using the detection result of the vehicle by the external sensor 300 when the interlocking device is not specified or when the interlocking state transitions to a non-interlocked state.

[0051] In step S155, the command generation unit 260 generates and outputs a control command using the calculated vehicle position information. That is, in step S155 of the present embodiment, the command generation unit 260 generates a driving control signal as a control command using the vehicle position information calculated in step S130 or step S150, and transmits the generated driving control signal to the vehicle 100. The vehicle control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 using the received control command to drive the vehicle 100.

[0052] Note that the above command generation process can also be started after the interlock state of the vehicle 100 is released, that is, after the interlock state transitions to a non-interlock state. In step S110 of the command generation process started after the interlock state transitions to a non-interlock state, new interlock devices are searched for the vehicle 100. Therefore, in the present embodiment, it can be said that when the interlock state transitions to a non-interlock state, a new search for interlock devices is executed. Also, in the present embodiment, when no new interlock devices are identified by the search executed when the interlock state transitions to a non-interlock state, steps S140 and S150 are executed to calculate vehicle position information using the detection results of the external sensor 300.

[0053] According to the server 200 in the present embodiment described above, vehicle position information is calculated using the motion information of the interlock devices that move in conjunction with the vehicle 100. Therefore, even in a situation where proper detection of the vehicle 100 by the external sensor 300 may be hindered, the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 can be appropriately obtained.

[0054] Also, in the present embodiment, since the motion information is the encoder value built into the external device 350, the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 can be obtained with higher accuracy.

[0055] Also, in the present embodiment, motion information is obtained for the interlock devices identified by the identification unit 215. Therefore, for example, compared with the case of obtaining motion information from each external device 350 without identifying the interlock devices, the motion information of the interlock devices can be obtained more appropriately.

[0056] Further, in the present embodiment, when the interlocking state transitions to the non-interlocking state, vehicle position information is calculated based on the detection result of the vehicle 100 by the external sensor 300. Therefore, not only can vehicle position information be appropriately acquired in the interlocking state, but also vehicle position information can be appropriately acquired when the interlocking state transitions to the non-interlocking state.

[0057] Also, in the present embodiment, when the interlocking state transitions to the non-interlocking state, a new search for interlocking devices is executed. Therefore, even when the interlocking state transitions to the non-interlocking state, it is possible to newly search for interlocking devices that interlock with the vehicle 100, and calculate vehicle position information using the motion information of the searched interlocking devices.

[0058] In addition, in the present embodiment, when no new interlocking device is identified by the search when the interlocking state transitions to the non-interlocking state, vehicle position information is calculated using the detection result of the vehicle 100 by the external sensor 300. Therefore, even when no new interlocking device is identified in the search when the interlocking state transitions to the non-interlocking state, vehicle position information can be appropriately acquired.

[0059] In the present embodiment, the interlocking devices can be identified using the external device data ED stored in the memory 202. In particular, in the present embodiment, the interlocking devices can be identified by referring to the external device data ED based on the first position, and vehicle position information including a second position more detailed than the first position can be calculated based on the motion information of the identified interlocking devices. Therefore, vehicle position information can be calculated more simply. Further, in the present embodiment, if no interlocking device is identified as a result of referring to the external device data ED based on the first position, vehicle position information including the second position is calculated using the detection result of the vehicle 100 by the external sensor 300. Therefore, vehicle position information can be appropriately acquired in both the interlocking state and the non-interlocking state by a simpler method.

[0060] B. Second Embodiment: FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the system 50 in the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the interlocking state in the second embodiment. In this embodiment, different from the second embodiment, the motion information acquisition unit 220 acquires, as motion information, not the physical quantity sensor value but the detection result of the external device 350 by the device capture sensor described later. Among the configurations of the system 50 and the server 200 in the second embodiment, points not particularly described are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0061] The device capture sensor is a sensor located outside the external device 350. The device capture sensor captures the external device 350 from the outside of the external device 350. In this embodiment, the external sensor 300 is used as the device capture sensor. That is, the device capture sensor in this embodiment is configured as a camera, images the external device 350, and outputs the captured image including the external device 350 as motion information. Then, the motion information acquisition unit 220 in this embodiment acquires, as motion information, the detection result by the device capture sensor, that is, the captured image by the device capture sensor. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, in this embodiment, when the vehicle 100 is in the interlocking state, the vehicle position information is calculated using the detection result of the interlocking device by the device capture sensor as motion information, and the control command generated using the calculated vehicle position information is transmitted to the vehicle 100.

[0062] In this embodiment, when acquiring vehicle position information using motion information, first, the calculation unit 250 calculates at least one of the position and orientation of the interlocking device using the detection result of the interlocking device by the device capture sensor. Specifically, the calculation unit 250 detects the outer shape of the interlocking device from the captured image by the device capture sensor, detects the coordinates of the measurement points of the interlocking device in the local coordinate system, and converts the calculated coordinates into coordinates in the global coordinate system GC, thereby obtaining the position of the interlocking device. The detection model DM2 described later can be used for detecting the outer shape of the interlocking device. From the viewpoint of appropriately executing the detection of the outer shape by the detection model DM2, it is preferable that the captured image by the device capture sensor includes a portion of the interlocking device where the relative position change and angle change with respect to the vehicle 100 in the interlocked state are smaller. For example, in this embodiment, it is preferable that the captured image includes a portion of the arm portion 351 that is different from the end effector. Further, the calculation unit 250 can obtain, for example, the movement vector and the orientation of the interlocking device from the position change of the feature points of the interlocking device between the frames of the captured image using the optical flow method. The calculation unit 250 can acquire vehicle position information using the position, orientation, and movement direction of the interlocking device calculated in this way.

[0063] In the memory 202 in this embodiment, a detection model DM2 is stored. The detection model DM2 is configured as a machine learning model utilizing AI, similar to the detection model DM1, for example. However, unlike the detection model DM1, the detection model DM2 is a machine learning model for detecting the outer shape of the external device 350 included in the captured image. As a learning dataset for training the detection model DM2, for example, it has a plurality of training images including the external device 350 and labels indicating whether each region in each training image is a region indicating the external device 350 or a region indicating other than the external device 350. Note that in other embodiments, the machine learning model for detecting the outer shape of the external device 350 may be prepared, for example, for each external device 350 or for each type of external device 350. Also, the detection model DM1 may be configured to detect not only the outer shape of the vehicle 100 included in the imaging but also the outer shape of the external device 350 included in the captured image.

[0064] FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the command generation process in the second embodiment. In FIG. 9, the same steps as those in FIG. 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals as in FIG. 6.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 9, in this embodiment, when the interlocking device is specified in step S110, steps S127 and S130b are executed instead of steps S115 to S130 in FIG. 6. In step S127, the calculation unit 250 acquires, as motion information, the detection result by the device capture sensor. That is, in step S127 in this embodiment, the calculation unit 250 acquires, as motion information, a captured image including the external device 350.

[0066] In step S130b, the calculation unit 250 calculates vehicle position information using the motion information acquired in step S127. In step S155b, the command generation unit 260 generates a travel control signal as a control command using the vehicle position information calculated in step S130b or step S150, and transmits the generated travel control signal to the vehicle 100.

[0067] Also by the server 200 in the present embodiment described above, vehicle position information is calculated using the motion information of the interlocking device that moves in conjunction with the vehicle 100. Therefore, even in a situation where the proper detection of the vehicle 100 by the external sensor 300 may be hindered, the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 can be properly acquired. In particular, in the present embodiment, since the vehicle position information is calculated using the detection result of the device capture sensor, the vehicle position information can be calculated without communicating the external device 350, the physical quantity sensor, and the server 200 with each other.

[0068] Further, in the present embodiment, the external sensor 300 for detecting the vehicle 100 is also used as a device capture sensor. Therefore, for example, compared with the case where a device capture sensor is provided separately from the external sensor 300, the cost required for constructing the system 50 can be reduced.

[0069] C. Third Embodiment: FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the command generation process in the third embodiment. In FIG. 10, the same steps as those in FIG. 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 6. In the third embodiment, different from the first and second embodiments, the interlocking device is specified without using the external device data ED. Also, the specifying unit 215 in the present embodiment does not function as a search unit. Among the configurations of the system 50 and the server 200 in the third embodiment, points not particularly described are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0070] In step S111, the specifying unit 215 determines whether or not interlocking information has been received from the external device 350. The interlocking information is information indicating that the external device 350 is interlocked with the vehicle 100, and is, for example, the identification information of the external device 350. In the present embodiment, the external device 350 as an interlocking device is configured to transmit the interlocking information at a predetermined time interval. When the specifying unit 215 receives the interlocking information from a certain external device 350, the specifying unit 215 specifies that external device 350 as an interlocking device. When the specifying unit 215 does not receive the interlocking information from any external device 350, the specifying unit 215 determines that the external device 350 has not been specified. Thus, the specifying unit 215 in the present embodiment does not function as a search unit.

[0071] Also by the server 200 in the present embodiment described above, the vehicle position information is calculated using the motion information of the interlocking device that moves in conjunction with the vehicle 100. Therefore, even in a situation where the proper detection of the vehicle 100 by the external sensor 300 is hindered, the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 can be properly acquired. In particular, in the present embodiment, the interlocking device can be specified more simply without using the external device data ED. Note that in the present embodiment, the external device data ED may not be stored in the memory 202.

[0072] D. Fourth Embodiment: FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the system 50 in the fourth embodiment. Different from the first embodiment, the system 50 in the present embodiment does not include the server 200. Also, the vehicle in the present embodiment can travel by autonomous control of the vehicle. Note that since the device configuration of the vehicle in the present embodiment is the same as that of the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment, for convenience, the vehicle in the present embodiment is also denoted as the vehicle 100. Among the configurations of the system 50 and the vehicle 100 in the fourth embodiment, parts not particularly described are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0073] In the present embodiment, the communication device 130 of the vehicle 100 can communicate with the external sensor 300. The processor 111 of the vehicle control device 110 functions as a vehicle control unit 115v, a first position acquisition unit 210, a specification unit 215, a motion information acquisition unit 220, a calculation unit 250, and a command generation unit 260 by executing the program PG2 stored in the memory 112. The vehicle control unit 115v can control the vehicle 100 to travel by autonomous control by controlling the actuator group 120 using the travel control signal generated by the vehicle 100. In addition to the program PG1, the memory 112 stores a reference route RR, a detection model DM1, and external device data ED. The vehicle control device 110 in the fourth embodiment corresponds to the "device" in the present disclosure.

[0074] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the driving control of the vehicle 100 in the fourth embodiment. In step S11, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 acquires vehicle position information. In step S21, the processor 111 determines the target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head. In step S31, the processor 111 generates a driving control signal for driving the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. In step S41, the processor 111 controls the actuator of the vehicle 100 using the generated driving control signal, thereby driving the vehicle 100 according to the parameters represented by the driving control signal. The processor 111 repeats the acquisition of vehicle position information, determination of the target position, generation of the driving control signal, and control of the actuator at a predetermined cycle. According to the system 50 in the present embodiment, the vehicle 100 can be driven by the autonomous control of the vehicle 100 without remotely controlling the vehicle 100 by the server 200.

[0075] In steps S901 to S904 in the present embodiment, the same command generation process as in FIG. 6 is executed. This command generation process is executed by the processor 111 of the vehicle control device 110, for example, at a predetermined time interval.

[0076] In the present embodiment, each step in FIG. 6 is executed by the processor 111. For example, in step S155 in the present embodiment, the command generation unit 260 of the vehicle 100 generates and outputs a driving control signal as a control command using the vehicle position information calculated in step S130 or step S150. The vehicle control unit 115v drives the vehicle 100 by controlling the actuator group 120 using the control command generated by the vehicle 100 in this way.

[0077] Also, with the vehicle control device 110 in the present embodiment described above, the vehicle position information is calculated using the motion information of the interlocking device that moves in conjunction with the vehicle 100. Therefore, even in a situation where the proper detection of the vehicle 100 by the external sensor 300 is hindered, the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 can be appropriately acquired.

[0078] In addition, in the form in which the vehicle 100 travels by autonomous control as in the present embodiment, for example, the command generation process may be executed as in the second embodiment or the third embodiment. In the form in which the vehicle 100 travels by autonomous control, when the command generation process is executed as in the third embodiment, the external device data ED may not be stored in the memory 112. Further, in the form in which the vehicle 100 travels by autonomous control, for example, the server 200 may be provided in the system 50.

[0079] E. Other Embodiments: (E1) In each of the above embodiments, the motion information acquisition unit 220 acquires motion information about the external device 350 specified as an interlocking device by the specifying unit 215. On the other hand, the motion information acquisition unit 220 may acquire motion information about each external device 350, for example, instead of acquiring motion information about the interlocking device specified by the specifying unit 215. In this case, the calculation unit 250 may calculate the vehicle position information using the motion information about the interlocking device among the acquired motion information. Further, for example, the external device 350 interlocked with the vehicle 100 may transmit motion information to the server 200, the motion information acquisition unit 220 may acquire the transmitted motion information, and the calculation unit 250 may calculate the vehicle position information using the acquired motion information. When the interlocking device is not specified as described above, the vehicle 100 and the server 200 may not include the specifying unit 215.

[0080] (E2) In the above embodiment, the calculation unit 250 calculates the vehicle position information using the detection result of the vehicle 100 by the external sensor 300 when the interlocking state is released, but this is not necessary. For example, the calculation unit 250 may not calculate the vehicle position information when the interlocking state is released, and the command generation unit 260 may generate a control command for causing the vehicle 100 to travel or a control command for braking without using the vehicle position information. In this case, the command generation unit 260 may generate a predetermined control command, for example, regardless of the vehicle position information.

[0081] (E3) In the above embodiment, the specific unit 215 newly executes the search for the interlocking device when the interlocking state of the vehicle 100 is released, but this is not necessary. For example, when the interlocking state of the vehicle 100 is released, the calculation unit 250 may calculate the vehicle position information using the detection result by the external sensor 300 without newly executing the search for the interlocking device. Further, when the interlocking state of the vehicle 100 is released, the command generation unit 260 may generate a control command for driving the vehicle 100 or a control command for braking without using the vehicle position information.

[0082] (E4) In each of the above embodiments, when the interlocking device is not identified by the search executed when the interlocking state is released, the calculation unit 250 calculates the vehicle position information using the detection result of the vehicle 100 by the external sensor 300, but this is not necessary. For example, when the interlocking device is not identified by the above search, the calculation unit 250 may not calculate the vehicle position information, and the command generation unit 260 may generate a control command for driving the vehicle 100 or a control command for braking without using the vehicle position information.

[0083] (E5) In each of the above embodiments, the motion information acquisition unit 220 may acquire the physical quantity sensor value as motion information when it is possible to acquire the physical quantity sensor value from the interlocking device under a predetermined condition, and may acquire the detection result by the device capture sensor as motion information when it is not possible to acquire the physical quantity sensor value under the predetermined condition. The predetermined condition is, for example, that the elapsed time since the motion information is requested from the interlocking device does not exceed the reference time. Specifically, when the elapsed time exceeds the reference time in step S125 of FIG. 6, the motion information acquisition unit 220 may acquire the detection result by the device capture sensor as motion information. Then, the calculation unit 250 may calculate the vehicle position information using the detection result by the device capture sensor thus acquired.

[0084] (E6) In the above-described second embodiment, the machine learning model for detecting the outer shape of the external device 350 may be configured to detect, for example, the outer shape of the parts assembled to the vehicle 100 by the external device 350. In this case, the calculation unit 250 can calculate the position and orientation of the parts based on the outer shape of the parts detected by the machine learning model. Since each part is usually assembled at a predetermined position of the vehicle 100 in a predetermined orientation, the calculation unit 250 can calculate the vehicle position information using, in addition to the motion information, the position and orientation of the parts calculated based on the outer shape of the parts. For example, the calculation unit 250 may calculate the position of the interlocking device using the motion information and calculate the second position of the vehicle 100 based on the calculated position. Further, the calculation unit 250 may calculate the orientation of the vehicle 100 based on the orientation of the parts calculated based on the outer shape of the parts. In this case, the calculation unit 250 may directly calculate the orientation of the vehicle 100, for example, from the orientation of the parts calculated based on the outer shape of the parts, or may calculate the orientation of the interlocking device from the orientation of the parts and calculate the orientation of the vehicle 100 based on the calculated orientation of the interlocking device.

[0085] (E7) In each of the above-described embodiments, the vehicle 100 and the server 200 may be provided with a determination unit as a functional unit for determining whether or not the interlocking state of the vehicle 100 has been released, that is, whether or not the interlocking state has transitioned to a non-interlocking state. For example, when the determination unit receives information indicating that the interlocking with the vehicle 100 has been released from the interlocking device, it determines that the interlocking state has transitioned to a non-interlocking state. In the form in which the determination unit is provided in the vehicle 100, the server 200, etc., the process of detecting the vehicle position information using the detection result of the vehicle 100 by the external sensor 300 when the interlocking state has transitioned to the non-interlocking state, and the process of newly searching for the interlocking device when the interlocking state has transitioned to the non-interlocking state may be started using the determination result by the determination unit as a trigger.

[0086] (E8) In each of the above embodiments, in the system 50, various functional units such as the first position acquisition unit 210, the identification unit 215, the motion information acquisition unit 220, the calculation unit 250, and the command generation unit 260 may be provided in the vehicle 100. In this case, as described in the fourth embodiment, all of the first position acquisition unit 210, the identification unit 215, the motion information acquisition unit 220, the calculation unit 250, and the command generation unit 260 may be provided in the vehicle 100, or a part of these functional units may be provided in the vehicle 100. Further, in the system 50, a part or all of these functional units may be provided in a device external to the server 200 and the vehicle 100.

[0087] (E9) In each of the above embodiments, the external sensor 300 is a camera. In contrast, the external sensor 300 may not be a camera, and for example, it may be a distance measuring device. The distance measuring device may be, for example, LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) or a stereo camera. In this case, the detection result output by the external sensor 300 may be three-dimensional point cloud data representing the vehicle 100. In this case, the server 200 or 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.

[0088] (E10) In the first embodiment above, the server 200 executes the processing from the acquisition of vehicle position information to the generation of a driving control signal. In contrast, at least a part of the processing from the acquisition of vehicle position information to the generation of a driving control signal may be executed by the vehicle 100. For example, it may be in the following forms (1) to (3).

[0089] (1) The server 200 may acquire vehicle position information, determine the target position that the vehicle 100 should next head towards, and generate a route from the current position of the vehicle 100 represented in the acquired vehicle position information to the target position. The server 200 may generate a route to the target position between the current position and the destination, or may generate a route to the destination. The server 200 may transmit the generated route to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may generate a driving control signal so that the vehicle 100 travels on the route received from the server 200, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal.

[0090] (2) The server 200 may acquire vehicle position information and transmit the acquired vehicle position information to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may determine the target position that the vehicle 100 should next head towards, generate a route from the current position of the vehicle 100 represented in the received vehicle position information to the target position, generate a driving control signal so that the vehicle 100 travels on the generated route, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal.

[0091] (3) In the forms (1) and (2) above, an internal sensor is mounted on the vehicle 100, and the detection result output from the internal sensor may be used for at least one of the generation of the route and the generation of the driving control signal. The internal sensor is a sensor mounted on the vehicle 100. The internal sensor may include, for example, a sensor that detects the motion state of the vehicle 100, a sensor that detects the motion state of each part of the vehicle 100, or a sensor that detects the environment around the vehicle 100. Specifically, the internal sensor may include, for example, a camera, LiDAR, millimeter-wave radar, ultrasonic sensor, GPS sensor, acceleration sensor, gyro sensor, etc. For example, in the form (1) above, the server 200 may acquire the detection result of the internal sensor and reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the route when generating the route. In the form (1) above, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection result of the internal sensor and reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the driving control signal when generating the driving control signal. In the form (2) above, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection result of the internal sensor and reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the route when generating the route. In the form (2) above, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection result of the internal sensor and reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the driving control signal when generating the driving control signal.

[0092] (E11) In the fourth embodiment above, an internal sensor is mounted on the vehicle 100, and the detection result output from the internal sensor may be used for at least one of the generation of the route and the generation of the driving control signal. For example, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection result of the internal sensor and reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the route when generating the route. The vehicle 100 may acquire the detection result of the internal sensor and reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the driving control signal when generating the driving control signal.

[0093] In the above-described first embodiment, the server 200 automatically generates a driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100. In contrast, the server 200 may generate a driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100 according to the operation of an external operator located outside the vehicle 100. For example, an external operator operates a control device including a display for displaying a captured image output from the external sensor 300, a steering wheel for remotely operating the vehicle 100, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and a communication device for communicating with the server 200 by wired or wireless communication, and the server 200 may generate a driving control signal corresponding to the operation applied to the control device. In this case, the vehicle position information calculated by the calculation unit 250 may be used, for example, for correcting parameters determined by the operation of the external operator or for correcting parameters of the draft control signal.

[0094] (E13) The vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining a plurality of modules. A module means a unit composed of one or more parts grouped according to the configuration and 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. Note that the number of modules constituting the platform is not limited to three, and may be two or less or four or more. Also, in addition to or instead of the platform, parts of the vehicle 100 different from the platform may be modularized. Further, the various modules may include any exterior parts such as bumpers and grills, and any interior parts such as seats and consoles. Also, not limited to the vehicle 100, any form of moving body may be manufactured by combining a plurality of modules. Such modules may be manufactured, for example, by joining a plurality of parts by welding or fixtures, etc., or by integrally molding at least a part of the module by casting as one part. The molding method of integrally molding at least a part of the module as one part is also called gigacasting or megacasting. By using gigacasting, each part of the moving body that was conventionally formed by joining a plurality of parts can be formed as one part. For example, the above-mentioned front module, central module, and rear module may be manufactured using gigacasting.

[0095] (E14) Using the running of the vehicle 100 by autonomous driving to transport the vehicle 100 is also called "self-propelled transport". Also, the configuration for realizing self-propelled transport is also called "vehicle remote control autonomous driving transport system". Also, the production method of producing the vehicle 100 using self-propelled transport is also called "self-propelled production". In self-propelled production, for example, in the factory FC that manufactures the vehicle 100, at least a part of the transport of the vehicle 100 is realized by self-propelled transport.

[0096] (E15) In the above-described embodiment, the system 50 is used in the factory FC, but is not limited thereto. For example, the system 50 may be used in an automatic valet parking. In this case, the external device 350 may be, for example, a device for charging the battery of the vehicle 100 while driving the vehicle 100.

[0097] (E16) In each of the above embodiments, part or all of the functions and processes realized software may be realized hardware-wise. Also, part or all of the functions and processes realized hardware-wise may be realized software-wise. As the hardware for realizing various functions in each of the above embodiments, for example, various circuits such as integrated circuits and discrete circuits may be used.

[0098] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each form described in the summary of the invention can be appropriately replaced or combined in order to solve part or all of the above-described problems or to achieve part or all of the above-described effects. Also, if the technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0099] 50... system, 100... vehicle, 110... vehicle control device, 111... processor, 112... memory, 113... input / output interface, 114... internal bus, 115, 115v... vehicle control unit, 120... actuator group, 130... communication device, 200... server, 201... processor, 202... memory, 203... input / output interface, 204... internal bus, 205... communication device, 210... first position acquisition unit, 215... specifying unit, 220... motion information acquisition unit, 250... calculation unit, 260... command generation unit, 300... external sensor, 350, 350p... external device, 351... arm unit, 352... communication device, 359... base unit

Claims

1. A motion information acquisition unit that acquires motion information regarding the motion state of a device linked to a moving body that can move by autonomous driving; A calculation unit that calculates at least one of the position and orientation of the moving body using the acquired motion information. The device comprises these components.

2. The device according to Claim 1, further comprising an identification unit that identifies the device, wherein the motion information acquisition unit acquires the motion information for the device identified by the identification unit. The device is such.

3. The system according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the calculation unit, when the linked state in which the device and the moving body are linked transitions to a non-linked state in which the device and the moving body are not linked, uses the detection result of the moving body by an external sensor located outside the moving body to calculate at least one of the position and orientation of the moving body. The device is such.

4. The system according to Claim 1 or 2, comprising a search unit that executes a search for a device that moves in conjunction with the moving body when the linked state in which the device and the moving body are linked transitions to a non-linked state in which the device and the moving body are not linked. The device is such.

5. The device according to Claim 4, wherein the calculation unit, when a device that moves in conjunction with the moving body is not identified by the search, uses the detection result of the moving body by an external sensor located outside the moving body to calculate at least one of the position and orientation of the moving body. The device is such.

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