Information processing device, power supply device, power supply method, and program

Abstract

To provide an information processing device that efficiently charges a vehicle.SOLUTION: An information processing device includes: an acquisition unit that acquires first information regarding power supply specifications of a first vehicle; a power supply device identification unit that identifies a power supply device for supplying power to the first vehicle based on the acquired information regarding the specifications; and an information creation unit that creates second information for making a request to the first vehicle, a second vehicle powered by the power supply unit and closer to the power supply unit than the first vehicle, or the power supply unit. The second information may be information for switching the order of the first vehicle and the second vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a power supply apparatus, a power supply method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a charging system for charging an electric vehicle. In Patent Document 1, a power supply robot supplies power to an electric vehicle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a vehicle manufacturing factory, it is required to efficiently charge vehicles. Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing apparatus, a power supply apparatus, a power supply method, and a program capable of efficiently charging vehicles.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The information processing apparatus of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit that acquires first information regarding the power supply specification of a first vehicle, a power supply apparatus specifying unit that specifies a power supply apparatus for supplying power to the first vehicle based on the information regarding the acquired specification, and an information creation unit that creates information for the first vehicle, a second vehicle that is closer to the power supply apparatus than the first vehicle and to which power is supplied by the power supply apparatus, or second information requested by the power supply apparatus.

[0006] With the above configuration, an information processing apparatus for efficiently charging a vehicle is provided.

[0007] The information processing apparatus of the present disclosure is The information processing apparatus includes a transmission unit that transmits the second information to the first vehicle. The first vehicle is controlled based on the second information. The second information is a route for the first vehicle to head toward the specified power feeding device, or a control instruction value of the first vehicle for the first vehicle to head toward the power feeding device, or a route of the first vehicle for swapping the order of the first vehicle and the second vehicle, or at least one of the control instruction values of the first vehicle for swapping the order of the first vehicle and the second vehicle may be used.

[0008] With the above configuration, the first vehicle is controlled to move toward the power feeding device. Also, considering the charging efficiency, the first vehicle can be charged before the second vehicle.

[0009] The information processing apparatus of the present disclosure is mounted on the first vehicle, The first vehicle is controlled based on the second information. The second information is a route for the first vehicle to head toward the specified power feeding device, or a control instruction value of the first vehicle for the first vehicle to head toward the power feeding device, or a route of the first vehicle for swapping the order of the first vehicle and the second vehicle, or at least one of the control instruction values of the first vehicle for swapping the order of the first vehicle and the second vehicle may be used.

[0010] With the above configuration, the first vehicle is controlled to move toward the power feeding device. Also, considering the charging efficiency, the first vehicle can be charged before the second vehicle.

[0011] The information processing apparatus of the present disclosure is The information processing apparatus includes a transmission unit that transmits the second information to the second vehicle. The second vehicle is controlled based on the second information. The second information is a route of the second vehicle for swapping the order of the first vehicle and the second vehicle, or a control instruction value of the second vehicle for swapping the order of the first vehicle and the second vehicle, or at least one of information regarding the second vehicle detaching from the power feeding device, according to claim 1.

[0012] With the above configuration, the first vehicle can be charged before the second vehicle in consideration of charging efficiency.

[0013] The information processing apparatus of the present disclosure The information processing apparatus may be mounted on the first vehicle.

[0014] With the above configuration, the first vehicle can charge the first vehicle before the second vehicle in consideration of charging efficiency.

[0015] The information processing apparatus of the present disclosure The swapping of the order of the first vehicle and the second vehicle may not be performed when the second vehicle turns around behind by a predetermined number or more.

[0016] With the above configuration, the manufacturing order of the second vehicle is not extremely delayed.

[0017] The information processing apparatus of the present disclosure The swapping of the order of the first vehicle and the second vehicle may not be performed when the second vehicle is a predetermined vehicle.

[0018] With the above configuration, when the second vehicle is a predetermined vehicle, it can be preferentially manufactured.

[0019] The information processing apparatus of the present disclosure The swapping of the order of the first vehicle and the second vehicle may be performed such that vehicles having the same power supply connector are consecutive.

[0020] With the above configuration, the same power supply connector can be used continuously, enabling efficient power supply.

[0021] The information processing apparatus of the present disclosure The power supply device specifying unit may specify the power supply device such that vehicles having the same power supply specification are consecutive.

[0022] With the above configuration, efficient power supply can be achieved.

[0023] The information processing apparatus of the present disclosure The first information may be obtained by referring to the production management information.

[0024] The above configuration is an example of a method for obtaining the first information.

[0025] The information processing apparatus of the present disclosure When the first vehicle has a plurality of power supply methods, the method with a higher charging speed may be preferentially used.

[0026] With the above configuration, efficient power supply can be achieved.

[0027] The information processing apparatus of the present disclosure The second information is information regarding the power supply specification of the first vehicle, and may include a transmission unit that transmits the second information to the power supply device.

[0028] With the above configuration, the power supply device can obtain information regarding the specification of the vehicle to be powered.

[0029] The power supply device of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the power supply specification of a vehicle, and a power supply control unit that performs power supply preparation based on the acquired information regarding the power supply specification, and is a power supply device.

[0030] With the above configuration, the power supply device can prepare for efficient power supply.

[0031] The power supply device of the present disclosure For the preparation of the power supply, it is determined whether to remove the connector used for power supply according to the power supply specifications of the vehicle, if it is determined that there is no need to remove the connector, the connector is maintained, if it is determined that the connector needs to be removed, a connector corresponding to the power supply specifications of the vehicle may be connected.

[0032] The above configuration is an example of a method for performing contact power supply efficiently.

[0033] The power supply device of the present disclosure In the power supply device, when vehicles compatible with the first connector are consecutive and then vehicles compatible with the second connector are consecutive, after the continuity of the vehicles compatible with the first connector is completed, before the vehicles compatible with the second connector come to the power supply device, the connector may be switched from the first connector to the second connector.

[0034] With the above configuration, the power supply device can perform contact power supply efficiently.

[0035] The power supply device of the present disclosure For the preparation of the power supply, it is determined whether to change the power supply voltage of the power supply unit according to the power supply specifications of the vehicle, if it is determined that there is no need to change the power supply voltage, the voltage is maintained, if it is determined that the power supply voltage needs to be changed, it may be changed to a power supply voltage corresponding to the power supply specifications of the vehicle.

[0036] The above configuration is an example of a method for performing non-contact power supply efficiently.

[0037] The power supply device of the present disclosure In the power supply device, when vehicles compatible with a first power supply voltage are continuous and then vehicles compatible with a second power supply voltage are continuous, after the continuity of the vehicles compatible with the first power supply voltage is completed, the power supply voltage may be changed from the first power supply voltage to the second power supply voltage before the vehicles compatible with the second power supply voltage come to the power supply device.

[0038] With the above configuration, the power supply device can perform contactless power supply efficiently.

[0039] The power supply method of the present disclosure is to obtain first information regarding the power supply specification of a first vehicle, to identify a power supply device that supplies power to the first vehicle based on the information regarding the obtained specification, and to create a second vehicle that is closer to the power supply device than the first vehicle and is powered by the power supply device, or second information required by the power supply device, which is a power supply method.

[0040] With the above configuration, a power supply method for efficiently charging a vehicle is provided.

[0041] The program of the present disclosure is to obtain first information regarding the power supply specification of a first vehicle, to identify a power supply device that supplies power to the first vehicle based on the information regarding the obtained specification, and to cause an information processing device to create a second vehicle that is closer to the power supply device than the first vehicle and is powered by the power supply device, or second information required by the power supply device, which is a program.

[0042] With the above configuration, a program for causing an information processing device to efficiently charge a vehicle is provided.

Advantages of the Invention

[0043] According to the present disclosure, an information processing device, a power supply device, a power supply method, and a program capable of efficiently charging a vehicle are provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0044]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0045] Embodiment Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the invention according to the claims is not limited to the following embodiments. Also, not all of the configurations described in the embodiments are essential as means for solving the problems. For the sake of clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings have been appropriately omitted and simplified. In each drawing, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same elements, and redundant explanations are omitted as necessary.

[0046] (Description of the power supply system according to the embodiment) The configuration of the power supply system 50 (also simply referred to as the system 50) according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. For example, the power supply system 50 is used in a vehicle manufacturing factory. During vehicle manufacturing, the power supply system 50 supplies power to the vehicle 100.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 1, the power supply system 50 supplies power to the vehicle 100. The power supply system 50 also includes a server 200, an external sensor 300, a power supply robot 600, and a power supply device 700.

[0048] The vehicle 100 includes a power supply port 140. Instead of the power supply port 140, the vehicle 100 may include a coil for power reception. The vehicle 100 is an electric vehicle such as a battery type or a plug-in hybrid type. Here, the power supply port 140 has different shapes and sizes depending on the destination. For example, for vehicles 100 destined for Japan, North America, Europe, and China, the types of the power supply port 140 are different. That is, in the factory, vehicles 100 shipped to multiple destinations are produced. The vehicle 100 may be an autonomous vehicle that moves within the vehicle manufacturing factory by automatic control, or a non-autonomous vehicle (also referred to as a normal vehicle) driven by a driver.

[0049] The power supply target is not limited to the vehicle 100, and may be a moving body other than a vehicle. In this embodiment, the moving body is the vehicle 100, and more specifically, a battery electric vehicle (BEV). Note that the moving body is not limited to an electric vehicle, and may be, for example, an electric motorcycle, an electric bicycle, an electric kick scooter, a hybrid vehicle, or a fuel cell vehicle. Further, the moving body may be a vehicle having wheels or a vehicle having an endless track, and may be any vehicle such as a passenger car, a truck, a bus, a two-wheeled vehicle, a four-wheeled vehicle, a tank, a construction vehicle, etc. Further, the moving body is not limited to the vehicle 100, and may be an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (so-called flying car).

[0050] The power supply device 700 supplies power to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 has a power supply port 140 with a specification according to the destination or a power receiving coil for non-contact power supply. The power supply device 700 has different types of connectors 711 to 713 according to the specification of the power supply port 140. The connectors 711 to 713 have a shape corresponding to the power supply port 140. Therefore, the connectors 711 to 713 are different in shape, size, etc. respectively. The number of connectors is not limited to three, and two or more are sufficient.

[0051] For example, the connector 711, which is a Japanese standard CHAdeMO connector, is used for the vehicle 100 for Japan, and the connector 712, which is a North American standard Type 1 EV connector, is used for the vehicle 100 for North America. The connector 713, which is a European standard IEC62196-2 Type 2 EV connector, is used for the vehicle 100 for Europe. That is, the connectors 711 to 713 have a shape that matches the power supply port to which they are connected. Further, the connectors 711 to 713 are not limited to these standards, and may conform to other standards such as the Tesla Supercharger EV connector and the Chinese GB / TEV charging connector. Of course, some connectors may have the same shape. That is, the power supply device 700 may be provided with two or more connectors for the same destination.

[0052] Further, the power supply device 700 may include a power supply coil for non-contact power supply. The power supply coil for non-contact power supply is arranged at a position corresponding to the location of the power receiving coil of the vehicle, usually in the ground or in contact with the ground.

[0053] The main body 701 generates a power supply voltage for supplying power to the vehicle 100. The power supply voltage generated by the main body 701 is supplied to the connectors 711 to 713 via the cord 702. Here, the plurality of connectors 711 to 713 correspond to the types of the power supply ports 140. Alternatively, the power supply voltage generated by the main body 701 is supplied to the power supply coil for non-contact power supply. The power supply device 700 supplies a power supply voltage and a power supply current corresponding to the vehicle type specifications.

[0054] The power supply device 700 includes a power supply unit 720, a determination unit 730, and a power supply control unit 740. The power supply unit 720 is the connectors 711 to 713, or the power supply coil or the like. The determination unit 730 determines whether to change the connector according to the vehicle type. The power supply control unit 740 supplies a voltage corresponding to the connector to the power supply unit 720. Further, the power supply control unit controls to supply power to the connector selected by the determination unit 730, or the power supply coil.

[0055] The power supply robot 600 connects the connectors 711 to 713 to the power supply port 140. For example, the power supply robot 600 has an arm mechanism 612 for connecting the connectors 711 to 713 to the power supply port 140. The arm mechanism 612 has a plurality of joint motors and an end effector for holding the connectors 711 to 713. The arm mechanism 612 selects the connector 711 that matches the power supply port 140 from among the plurality of connectors 711 to 713 and inserts it into the power supply port 140. Thereby, the power supply device 700 can supply a power supply voltage to the power supply port 140. Therefore, the power supply device 700 can supply power to the battery of the vehicle 100.

[0056] The external sensor 300 is various sensors such as an infrastructure camera or LiDAR installed in a facility such as a factory. Of course, two or more external sensors 300 may be installed, or two or more types of sensors may be used in combination. The external sensor 300 is a camera that images the vehicle 100 while it is moving or stopped. The external sensor 300 may be LiDAR. The external sensor 300 transmits the detection result to the server 200. The detection result transmitted by the external sensor 300 may be the captured image or the information extracted from the image. For example, when the external sensor 300 has an image processing function, the external sensor 300 transmits the information extracted by image processing to the server 200.

[0057] The server 200 is an information processing device having a memory and a processor, and functions as a power supply control device that controls the power supply system. For example, the server 200 receives the detection result of the external sensor 300. The server 200 performs power supply control according to the detection result and the like.

[0058] The server 200 acquires the type information regarding the type of the power supply port from the external sensor 300 or the vehicle 100. Then, the server 200 creates a control value for supplying power to the vehicle 100 according to the type information. The type information is, for example, information for specifying the connector or non-contact power receiving unit corresponding to the power supply port from a plurality of connectors or non-contact power supply units.

[0059] In the following description, it is assumed that the specific connector specified by the type information is the connector 711. The server 200 creates a control value for supplying power using the connector 711 according to the type information and transmits it to the power supply robot 600. Then, the power supply robot 600 opens the lid of the power supply port 140. The power supply robot 600 selects and grips the connector 711 corresponding to the type information. The power supply robot 600 inserts the connector 711 into the power supply port 140. Thereby, the power supply robot 600 can connect the connector 711 that conforms to the standard of the power supply port 140.

[0060] In the case of non-contact power supply, the position of the power receiving coil of the vehicle 100 is adjusted to match the position of the power supply coil of the power supply device 700. Electric power is transmitted to the power receiving coil by the induced electromotive force of the power supply coil, and power is supplied to the vehicle 100.

[0061] (Control block) The control of the power supply system will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the control system of the power supply system 50.

[0062] The server 200 includes a calculation unit 231, a first information acquisition unit 232, a power supply device identification unit 233, a determination unit 234, a second information creation unit 235, and a power supply plan information creation (update) unit 236. Further, the server 200 includes a communication device 205 for transmitting and receiving data to and from the first vehicle 100, the second vehicle 100, the external sensor 300, the power supply device 700, etc. Note that the server 200 is not limited to a physically single device and may be distributed. For example, a database or the like may be a storage device provided separately from the processor or a cloud server.

[0063] The external sensor 300 includes a communication device 330 for transmitting and receiving data to and from the server 200. The communication device 330 transmits the captured image captured by the external sensor 300 to the server 200. The communication device 330 may transmit not only the captured image but also information obtained from the captured image to the server 200. That is, the communication device 330 transmits the detection result detected by the external sensor 300. Note that the communication device 330 may be built into the external sensor 300 or may be separate. Also, the communication device 330 may be shared by a plurality of external sensors 300. That is, when a plurality of external sensors 300 are installed, one communication device 330 may transmit data to the server 200.

[0064] The calculation unit 231 calculates position information indicating the position and orientation of the vehicle based on the captured image. For example, the calculation unit 231 can obtain the global coordinates and orientation of XYZ in the map of the factory. At least a part of the processing in the calculation unit 231 may be provided in the external sensor 300. For example, the external sensor 300 may have a processor that performs image processing. In this case, the position information indicating the position of the vehicle 100 and the like is transmitted from the communication device 330 to the communication device 205.

[0065] The position and orientation of the vehicle 100 may be estimated using a captured image acquired by an external sensor 300 provided at a location different from the vehicle 100. The position of the vehicle 100 can be obtained, for example, by calculating the coordinates of the measurement points of the moving object in the image coordinate system using the outer shape of the vehicle 100 detected from the captured image and converting the calculated coordinates into coordinates in the global coordinate system. The orientation of the vehicle 100 can be estimated, for example, based on the direction of the movement vector of the moving object calculated from the position change of the feature points of the moving object between the frames of the captured image using the optical flow method. The orientation of the vehicle 100 may be calculated, for example, using the output results of a speed sensor, a yaw rate sensor, etc. mounted on the vehicle 100.

[0066] 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 that utilizes artificial intelligence. As the detection model, for example, a trained 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) trained by supervised learning using a training dataset can be used. The training dataset has, for example, a plurality of training images including moving objects and a ground truth label indicating whether each region in the training image is a region indicating a moving object or a region other than the moving object. During the training of the CNN, it is preferable that the parameters of the CNN are updated by backpropagation (error backpropagation method) so as to reduce the error between the output result by the detection model and the ground truth label.

[0067] The first information acquisition unit 232 acquires first information regarding the power supply specification of the first vehicle 100. The first information is information correlated with the power supply specification, such as destination information, vehicle type information, etc. The first information acquisition unit 232 may acquire the type information from the image of the external sensor 300. The first information acquisition unit 232 may acquire the type information from the identification information of the first vehicle 100 stopped at the power supply preparation position. For example, the first information acquisition unit 232 accesses a database for factory production management to acquire production management information. Since the destination is registered for each vehicle in the production management information, the first information acquisition unit 232 can read out the destination from the identification information of the first vehicle 100, etc.

[0068] Furthermore, when power supply information regarding a target SOC (State Of Charge) etc. is set at the time of shipment, the first information acquisition unit 232 reads the power supply information from the database. For example, when a target SOC at the time of shipment is set for each destination, the system 50 performs power supply so as to achieve the target SOC. The set value may be only a lower limit value, or may be a range in which an upper limit value and a lower limit value are set. Also, the power supply device 700 is not limited to only supplying power so as to reach the target SOC, and may be configured to consume power because it is higher than the target SOC. If the SOC is too high during the transportation process to the destination, the battery may deteriorate, and if it is too low, there may be a power outage. Therefore, the SOC may be set within a predetermined range and then shipped.

[0069] Regarding the specifications of the conductive power supply in the power supply device 700, rapid charging or normal charging, 2 standards of each country, and 3 variations in the installation location of the power supply port can be considered. If the power supply device 700 only has rapid charging, it is limited to one pattern of rapid charging. Also, for the standards of each country, for example, if the factory only handles products for Japan, it is limited to one pattern. The installation location of the power supply port can be considered to be either on the right side or the left side of the vehicle. If the installation location of the power supply port is, for example, only on the right side or the left side of the vehicle, it is limited to one pattern. In addition, there may be variations in the specifications of the power supply port.

[0070] Regarding the specifications of the non - conductive power supply in the power supply device 700, non - conductive charging while stopped or non - conductive charging while driving, 2 rapid charging or normal charging, and 3 variations in the standards of each country can be considered. These are also limited in variation depending on the vehicle models manufactured at the factory. In addition, there may be variations in the specifications of the non - conductive power supply.

[0071] The power supply device specifying unit 233 specifies the power supply device that supplies power to the first vehicle 100 based on the information regarding the obtained specifications. A plurality of vehicles to be supplied with power form a queue and wait in order at the power supply device 700. For example, at the power supply device 700, a second vehicle 100 that is closer to the power supply device 700 than the first vehicle 100 and is being supplied with power by the power supply device is waiting in the power supply order.

[0072] The first vehicle 100 can improve the power supply efficiency by swapping the power supply order with the second vehicle in relation to the power supply device 700. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when the second vehicle 100 has a type B power supply port, the vehicle in front of the second vehicle 100 has a type A power supply port, and the first vehicle 100 has a type A power supply port, swapping the second vehicle 100 and the first vehicle 100 eliminates the need to change the connector. Therefore, the power supply efficiency can be improved.

[0073] For example, as shown in FIG. 7, by arranging vehicles with type A power supply ports in a row of vehicles with type A power supply ports and arranging vehicles with type B power supply ports in a row of vehicles with type B power supply ports, there is no need to change the connector of the power supply device 700. Therefore, the power supply efficiency can be improved. In this way, by swapping the order of the first vehicle 100 and the second vehicle 100 so that vehicles with the same power supply connector are consecutive, the power supply efficiency can be improved.

[0074] Also, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, when the second vehicle 100 is equipped with a power supply port for conductive power supply, the vehicle in front of the second vehicle 100 is equipped with a power receiving unit for non - conductive power supply, and the first vehicle 100 is equipped with a power receiving unit for non - conductive power supply, swapping the first vehicle 100 and the second vehicle 100 eliminates the need to change the power supply type. Therefore, the power supply efficiency can be improved.

[0075] For example, as shown in FIG. 9, by arranging non - conductive power supply vehicles in a row of non - conductive power supply vehicles and arranging conductive power supply vehicles in a row of conductive power supply vehicles, there is no need to change the connector of the power supply device 700. Therefore, the power supply efficiency can be improved. In this way, by swapping the order of the first vehicle 100 and the second vehicle 100 so that vehicles with the same power supply specification (type) are consecutive, the power supply efficiency can be improved.

[0076] In this way, the power supply device identification unit 233 identifies the power supply device 700 that supplies power to the first vehicle 100 so as to improve the power supply efficiency.

[0077] The determination unit 234 determines whether to change the order of power supply between the first vehicle 100 and the second vehicle 100. When the second vehicle 100 rotates behind by a predetermined number of vehicles or more, the determination unit 234 determines that it may not be necessary to swap the first vehicle 100 and the second vehicle 100. Therefore, the production order of the second vehicle 100 is not extremely delayed.

[0078] In addition, when the second vehicle 100 is a predetermined vehicle, the determination unit 234 determines that it may not be necessary to swap the order of the first vehicle 100 and the second vehicle 100. Therefore, when the second vehicle 100 is a predetermined vehicle, it can be preferentially manufactured.

[0079] The second information creation unit 235 creates second information for the first vehicle 100, the second vehicle 100 that is powered by the power supply device 700 and is closer to the power supply device 700 than the first vehicle 100, or the power supply device 700. Then, the server 200 transmits the second information from the transmission unit to the first vehicle 100, the second vehicle 100, and the power supply device 700.

[0080] The second information creation unit 235 creates, for example, a control instruction for controlling the first vehicle 100. Specifically, the second information creation unit 235 creates a control instruction for moving the first vehicle 100 to the power supply position. In addition, the second information creation unit 235 may create a control instruction for the first vehicle 100 to swap the order of the first vehicle 100 and the second vehicle 100. The control instruction may be information indicating the speed, acceleration, steering angle, etc. of the first vehicle 100. When the first vehicle 100 is capable of autonomous movement, the control instruction may be information indicating the route from the current position on the map to the power supply position or the route for swapping the first vehicle 100 and the second vehicle 100. In this way, the second information creation unit 235 creates a control instruction regarding the movement of the first vehicle 100.

[0081] The second information creation unit 235 creates, for example, a control instruction for controlling the second vehicle 100. Specifically, the second information creation unit 235 may create a control instruction for the second vehicle 100 to swap the order of the first vehicle 100 and the second vehicle 100. The control instruction may be information indicating the speed, acceleration, steering angle, etc. of the second vehicle 100. Further, when the second vehicle 100 is capable of autonomous movement, the control instruction may be information indicating a route from the current location on the map to the power supply position or a route for swapping the first vehicle 100 and the second vehicle 100. In this way, the second information creation unit 235 creates a control instruction regarding the movement of the second vehicle 100. Further, the second information creation unit 235 may create information regarding the second vehicle 100 detaching from the power supply device 700. The information regarding detaching is information regarding the second vehicle 100 stopping the power supply and yielding the order to the first vehicle 100 when being powered by the power supply device 700.

[0082] The second information creation unit 235 creates, for example, second information regarding the power supply specifications of the first vehicle 100. The power supply device 700 includes an acquisition unit such as a communication device 130 that acquires the second information. Further, the power supply device 700 includes a determination unit 730, a power supply control unit 740, and a power supply unit 720 such as a power supply coil and a connector. Information regarding the power supply specifications of the first vehicle 100 is transmitted to the power supply device 700 and acquired by the acquisition unit of the power supply device 700. The power supply control unit 740 of the power supply device 700 prepares for power supply based on the second information.

[0083] Preparing for power supply means that the determination unit 730 determines whether to remove the connector used for power supply according to the power supply specifications of the first vehicle 100, and when it is determined that there is no need to remove the connector, the power supply control unit 740 maintains the connector. Further, preparing for power supply means that when the determination unit 730 determines that the connector needs to be removed, the power supply control unit 740 connects a connector according to the power supply specifications of the first vehicle 100.

[0084] Furthermore, power supply preparation means that the determination unit 730 determines whether to change the power supply voltage of the power supply unit 720 according to the power supply specifications of the first vehicle 100. If it is determined that there is no need to change the power supply voltage, the power supply control unit 740 maintains the voltage. Also, power supply preparation means that when the determination unit 730 determines that it is necessary to change the power supply voltage, the power supply control unit 740 changes the power supply voltage to the power supply voltage according to the power supply specifications of the first vehicle 100.

[0085] As shown in FIG. 5, in the power supply device 700, consider the case where vehicles compatible with the first connector are consecutive and then vehicles compatible with the second connector are consecutive. After the continuity of the vehicles compatible with the first connector is completed, it is preferable that the power supply control unit 740 switches the connector from the first connector to the second connector within 4000 until the vehicle compatible with the second connector comes to the power supply device 700. By doing so, the power supply device 700 can perform contact power supply efficiently.

[0086] Also, in the power supply device 700, consider the case where vehicles compatible with the first power supply voltage are consecutive and then vehicles compatible with the second power supply voltage are consecutive. After the continuity of the vehicles compatible with the first power supply voltage is completed, it is preferable that the power supply control unit 740 changes the power supply voltage from the first power supply voltage to the second power supply voltage before the vehicle compatible with the second power supply voltage comes to the power supply device. By doing so, the power supply device can perform non-contact power supply efficiently.

[0087] When changing from a vehicle with contact power supply to a vehicle with non-contact power supply, or vice versa, it is preferable that the power supply control unit 740 makes power supply preparations before a vehicle with a different power supply method comes. Also, when the first vehicle 100 has multiple power supply methods, it is preferable to preferentially use the method with a higher charging speed. By doing so, power supply can be performed efficiently.

[0088] The communication device 205 transmits second information such as control instructions to the vehicle 100. When the communication device 130 of the first vehicle 100 receives the control instruction, the first vehicle 100 moves according to the control instruction. The vehicle 100 has an actuator group 120 and a vehicle control unit 115 and moves. The actuator group 120 includes a wheel motor for driving wheels, a steering motor for controlling the steering angle, a brake for stopping the vehicle, and the like. The vehicle control unit 115 generates a control signal to control the actuator group 120 according to the control instruction. The vehicle control unit 115 may be composed of an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). Thereby, the vehicle 100 can move to the power supply position where the power supply robot 600 and the power supply device 700 are located.

[0089] Also, when the second vehicle 100 receives the control instruction, the second vehicle 100 moves according to the control instruction. Its configuration is the same as that of the first vehicle 100.

[0090] The power supply plan information creation (update) unit 236 changes the power supply plan so as to improve the power supply efficiency, such as supplying power to the first vehicle 100 before the second vehicle 100 or supplying power to the first vehicle 100 after the second vehicle 100. The power supply plan may be such that the first vehicle 100 is arranged at the first power supply device and the second vehicle 100 is arranged at the second power supply device. The power supply plan is registered in a database such as production management information and is used to determine whether the first vehicle 100 has completed charging.

[0091] The server 200 may include a control value creation unit that creates a control value based on the type information. For example, the control value is data for specifying a connector according to the destination. When the destination information included in the type information is for Japan, the control value is data for selecting a connector. Specifically, the control value may be data indicating the number of the connector, or data indicating the position of the connector, etc.

[0092] The communication device 205 transmits a control value to the power supply robot 600. When the communication device 630 of the power supply robot 600 receives the control value, the power supply robot 600 executes a power supply operation. Specifically, the power supply robot 600 has an arm control unit 615. The arm control unit 615 controls the arm mechanism 612 so that the arm mechanism 612 holds the connector 711 specified by the control value. Then, the arm control unit 615 controls the arm mechanism 612 to connect the connector 711 to the power supply port 140.

[0093] In this way, the control value creation unit creates a control value according to the type information indicating the type of the power supply port 140. Therefore, the power supply robot 600 can supply power to the vehicle 100 using the connector 711 that matches the power supply port 140.

[0094] Note that the communication between the communication device 205, the communication device 330, the communication device 410, and the communication device 130 may be wireless communication or wired communication. Note that at least a part of the functions of each block provided in the server 200 may be implemented in the vehicle 100, the external sensor 300, the power supply robot 600, or the power supply device 700. The communication devices 205, 330, 630, and 130 may have only one of the transmission function and the reception function.

[0095] (Power supply operation) Hereinafter, the operation of the power supply system 50 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. As shown in FIG. 3, when the external sensor 300 captures an image of the vehicle 100, the image is transmitted to the server 200 (step S301). The server 200 determines whether the image has been received (step S302). If the image has not been received (No in step S302), the process ends as it is. That is, it waits until an image is received from the external sensor 300.

[0096] When the server 200 receives an image from the external sensor 300 (Yes in step S302), the calculation unit 231 calculates the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 from the image (step S303). Next, the determination unit 234 determines whether the being-overtaken flag is ON (step S304). That the being-overtaken flag is ON indicates that even if the production order is later in consideration of the charging efficiency, it may be acceptable.

[0097] When the determination unit 234 determines that the being-overtaken flag is not ON (No in step S304), the determination unit 234 determines whether the overtaking flag is ON (step S305). That the overtaking flag is ON indicates that the production order is earlier in consideration of the charging efficiency.

[0098] When the determination unit 234 determines that the overtaking flag is not ON (No in step S305), the power supply device specifying unit 233 determines whether it is at a predetermined position in order to determine which power supply device to go to (step S306). When the power supply device specifying unit 233 determines that it is at a predetermined position (Yes in step S306), the power supply device specifying unit 233 specifies the power supply device to which the vehicle should go from the power supply specification information of the vehicle (step S307).

[0099] Next, the second information creation unit 235 determines the route to the specified power supply device 700 (step S308). This route will be used in the subsequent loops after the flag is created. Next, the second information creation unit 235 creates the control instruction value for the first vehicle 100 from the route information, the position and orientation of the vehicle (step S309). Next, the created control instruction value is transmitted to the first vehicle 100 (step S310). Finally, the power supply plan information creation (update) unit updates and transmits the information (power supply plan information) of the vehicle going to the power supply device 700 to end the process of the server 200 (step S311).

[0100] When the determination unit 234 determines that the overtaken flag is ON and it has been overtaken (Yes in step S304), the server 200 acquires the states of the vehicle to overtake and the vehicle to be overtaken from the video of the external sensor 300 (step S312). Next, the server 200 determines whether the overtaking has been completed (step S313).

[0101] When the server 200 determines that the overtaking has been completed (Yes in step S313), it turns off the overtaken flag (step S315). Then, step S309 is executed. When the server 200 determines that the overtaking has not been completed (No in step S313), the second information creation unit 235 creates a control instruction value for overtaking based on the route information, the position and orientation of the vehicle (step S314). Then, step S310 is executed.

[0102] When the determination unit 234 determines that the overtaking flag is ON (Yes in step S305), the server 200 acquires the states of the vehicle to overtake and the vehicle to be overtaken from the video of the external sensor 300 (step S316). Next, the server 200 determines whether the overtaking has been completed (step S317).

[0103] When the server 200 determines that the overtaking has been completed (Yes in step S317), it turns off the overtaking flag (step S319). Then, step S309 is executed. When the server 200 determines that the overtaking has not been completed (No in step S317), the second information creation unit 235 creates a control instruction value for overtaking based on the route information, the position and orientation of the vehicle (step S318). Then, step S310 is executed.

[0104] When the power supply device identification unit 233 determines that the power supply device is not in the predetermined position (No in step S306), the determination unit 234 determines whether it is necessary to swap the order of the vehicles (step S320). When the determination unit 234 determines that it is not necessary to swap the order of the vehicles (No in step S320), step S309 is executed.

[0105] When the determination unit 234 determines that it is necessary to swap the order of the vehicles (Yes in step S320), the determination unit 234 determines whether the second vehicle 100 for which the order is to be swapped corresponds to the specific vehicle (step S321). The specific vehicle is whether it is a vehicle that should be preferentially charged. If the second vehicle 100 should be preferentially charged, the order cannot be swapped. Therefore, when the determination unit 234 determines that it corresponds to the specific vehicle (Yes in step S321), step S309 is executed.

[0106] When the determination unit 234 determines that it does not correspond to the specific vehicle (No in step S321), a control instruction value for overtaking is created based on the route information, the position and orientation of the vehicle, and the overtaking flag is turned ON. Also, the overtaken flag is turned ON for the vehicle to be overtaken (step S322). Then, step S310 is executed.

[0107] As shown in FIG. 4, after step S310, it is determined whether the first vehicle 100 and the second vehicle 100, which are power supply device vehicles, have received the control instruction value (step S323). If the power supply device vehicle does not receive the control instruction value (No in step S323), the process ends. That is, the power supply device vehicle waits until it receives the control instruction value.

[0108] When the power supply device vehicle receives the control instruction value (Yes in step S323), the vehicle is controlled based on the control instruction value (step S324). The vehicle control device 110 controls the actuator group 120 to control the movement of the vehicle.

[0109] As shown in FIG. 4, after step S311, it is determined whether the power supply device 700 has received the power supply plan information (step S325). If the power supply device 700 does not receive the power supply plan information (No in step S325), the process ends. If the power supply device 700 receives the power supply plan information (Yes in step S325), the power supply plan information is updated (step S326).

[0110] Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the power supply device 700 acquires the specification information of the next vehicle from the power supply plan information (step S327). Next, the power supply control unit 740 determines whether the currently attached connector can handle it (step S328). The power supply control unit 740 determines whether the currently attached connector can handle it based on the specification information of the next vehicle. When the power supply control unit 740 determines that the currently attached connector cannot handle it (No in step S328), the connector is replaced (step S329). When the power supply control unit 740 determines that the currently attached connector can handle it (Yes in step S328), and after step S329 is executed, the power supply control unit 740 determines whether a vehicle has arrived (step S330). The power supply device 700 is ready to receive the vehicle and waits for the arrival of the vehicle.

[0111] When the power supply control unit 740 determines that a vehicle has arrived (Yes in step S330), it presses and opens the lid of the power supply port 140 (step S331). A part with a rubber part is attached to the tip of the arm mechanism 612 so that the lid is not damaged when pressed. Next, the arm mechanism 612 inserts the connector into the power supply port 140 and starts power supply (step S332). The power supply control unit 740 determines whether power supply is completed (step S333). If the power supply is not completed (No in step S333), the power supply continues.

[0112] When the power supply is completed (Yes in step S333), the arm mechanism 612 removes the connector from the power supply port 140 (step S334). Next, the arm mechanism 612 presses and closes the lid of the power supply port 140 (step S335). Next, the connector is returned to a predetermined position (step S336). Although contact power supply using a connector has been described, in the case of non-contact power supply, power supply can be started when the vehicle reaches a predetermined position.

[0113] When the power supply control unit 740 determines that no vehicle is coming (No in step S330), the power supply control unit 740 determines whether the timer is running (step S337). When the power supply control unit 740 determines that the timer is not running (No in step S337), the timer is started (step S340). Thereafter, step S330 is executed.

[0114] When the power supply control unit 740 determines that the timer is running (Yes in step S337), it is determined whether the timer is greater than a predetermined value (step S338). When the timer is not greater than the predetermined value (Yes in step S338), step S340 is executed. When the timer is greater than the predetermined value (No in step S338), the administrator or the like is contacted (step S339) and the process is terminated. When no vehicle is coming, it is considered that some trouble has occurred, and the administrator will rush to the scene after a certain period of time.

[0115] In this way, a power supply method for efficiently charging a vehicle is provided. Such a method is executed by the information processing device which is the server 200. Therefore, it can be said that a program for causing the information processing device to execute the power supply method is also disclosed. In this way, a program for causing the information processing device to efficiently charge a vehicle is provided.

[0116] <A. Travel Control Example 1> FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of the system 50 in travel control example 1. The system 50 includes one or more vehicles 100 as moving bodies, a server 200, and one or more external sensors 300. Hereinafter, the server 200 will be described as the server 200.

[0117] In the case where the moving body is other than a vehicle, the expressions "vehicle" and "car" in the present disclosure can be appropriately replaced with "moving body", and the expression "travel" can be appropriately replaced with "movement".

[0118] Vehicle 100 is configured to be capable of traveling by autonomous driving. "Autonomous driving" means driving without depending on the driving operations of passengers. The driving operations refer to operations 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. In Vehicle 100 traveling by autonomous driving, a passenger who does not perform driving operations may board. Passengers who do not perform driving operations include, for example, a person simply sitting on the seat of Vehicle 100, or a person performing work different from driving operations, such as assembly, inspection, and operation of switches, while boarding Vehicle 100. Note that driving by the driving operations of passengers is sometimes called "drivered driving".

[0119] In this specification, "remote control" includes "full 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. Further, "autonomous control" includes "full 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.

[0120] In this embodiment, System 50 is used in Factory FC that manufactures Vehicle 100. The reference coordinate system of Factory FC is Global Coordinate System GC. That is, any position within Factory FC is represented by the coordinates of X, Y, and Z in Global Coordinate System GC. 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 Vehicle 100 can travel. A plurality of external sensors 300 are installed along road TR in Factory FC. The positions of the respective external sensors 300 in Factory FC are adjusted in advance. Vehicle 100 moves from the first location PL1 to the second location PL2 through road TR by autonomous driving.

[0121] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of system 50. Vehicle 100 includes a vehicle control device 110 for controlling each part of vehicle 100, an actuator group 120 including one or more actuators driven under the control of vehicle control device 110, and a communication device 130 for communicating with an external device such as server 200 by wireless communication. Actuator group 120 includes an actuator of a driving device for accelerating vehicle 100, an actuator of a steering device for changing the traveling direction of vehicle 100, and an actuator of a braking device for decelerating vehicle 100.

[0122] Vehicle control device 110 is constituted by a computer including a processor 111, a memory 112, an input / output interface 113, and an internal bus 114. Processor 111, memory 112, and input / output interface 113 are connected to be communicable bidirectionally via internal bus 114. Actuator group 120 and communication device 130 are connected to input / output interface 113. Processor 111 realizes various functions including the function as vehicle control unit 115 by executing program PG1 stored in memory 112.

[0123] Vehicle control unit 115 runs vehicle 100 by controlling actuator group 120. Vehicle control unit 115 can run vehicle 100 by controlling actuator group 120 using the running control signal received from server 200. The running control signal is a control signal for running vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the running control signal includes the acceleration and steering angle of vehicle 100 as parameters. In other embodiments, the running control signal may include the speed of vehicle 100 as a parameter instead of or in addition to the acceleration of vehicle 100.

[0124] Server 200 is composed of a computer including a processor 201, a memory 202, an input / output interface 203, and an internal bus 204. The processor 201, the memory 202, and the input / output interface 203 are connected so as to be communicable bidirectionally via the internal bus 204. A communication device 205 for communicating with various external 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. The processor 201 realizes various functions including the function as a remote control unit 210 by executing a program PG2 stored in the memory 202.

[0125] The remote control unit 210 acquires the detection result by a sensor, 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 driving the vehicle 100 by remote control. The remote control unit 210 may generate and output not only a driving control signal but also a control signal for controlling an actuator for operating various auxiliary machines provided in the vehicle 100 and various equipment such as a wiper, a power window, and a lamp. That is, the remote control unit 210 may operate such various equipment and various auxiliary machines by remote control.

[0126] 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. 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.

[0127] Specifically, the external sensor 300 is composed of a camera. The camera as the external sensor 300 captures an imaging image including the vehicle 100 and outputs the imaging image as a detection result.

[0128] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the driving control of the vehicle 100 in the driving control example. In the processing procedure of FIG. 12, the processor 201 of the server 200 functions as the remote control unit 210 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.

[0129] In step S110, the processor 201 of the server 200 acquires the vehicle position information of the vehicle 100 using the detection result output from the external sensor 300. The vehicle position information is the position information that serves as the basis for generating the driving control signal. In the present embodiment, the vehicle position information includes the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 in the global coordinate system GC of the factory FC. Specifically, in step S110, the processor 201 acquires the vehicle position information using the captured image obtained from the camera which is the external sensor 300.

[0130] Specifically, in step S110, the processor 201 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 coordinates in the global coordinate system GC, thereby obtaining 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, within the system 50 or outside the system 50 and is pre-stored in the memory 202 of the server 200. Examples of the detection model DM include a trained machine learning model trained to implement either semantic segmentation or instance segmentation. As this machine learning model, for example, a convolutional neural network (hereinafter, CNN) trained by supervised learning using a training dataset can be used. The training 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 training of the CNN, it is preferable that the parameters of the CNN are updated by backpropagation (error backpropagation method) so as to reduce the error between the output result by the detection model DM and the label. Further, the processor 201 can obtain the orientation of the vehicle 100, for example, by estimating 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 frames of the captured image using the optical flow method.

[0131] In step S120, the processor 201 of the server 200 determines the target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head. In this embodiment, the target position is represented by the coordinates of X, Y, and Z in the global coordinate system GC. In the memory 202 of the server 200, a reference route RR, which is the route that the vehicle 100 should travel, is stored in advance. The route is represented by a node indicating the starting point, a node indicating the passing point, a node indicating the destination, and links connecting each node. The processor 201 determines the target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head using the vehicle position information and the reference route RR. The processor 201 determines the target position on the reference route RR ahead of the current position of the vehicle 100.

[0132] In step S130, 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 calculates the driving speed of the vehicle 100 from the change in the position of the vehicle 100 and compares the calculated driving speed with the target speed. Overall, when the driving speed is lower than the target speed, the processor 201 determines the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 accelerates, and when the driving speed is higher than the target speed, the processor 201 determines the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 decelerates. Also, when the vehicle 100 is located on the reference route RR, the processor 201 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 has deviated from the reference route RR, the processor 201 determines the steering angle and acceleration so that the vehicle 100 returns to the reference route RR.

[0133] In step S140, the processor 201 of the server 200 transmits the generated driving control signal to the vehicle 100. The processor 201 repeats obtaining the position of the vehicle 100, determining the target position, generating the driving control signal, and transmitting the driving control signal at a predetermined cycle.

[0134] In step S150, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 receives a driving control signal transmitted from the server 200. In step S160, 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 cycle. According to the system 50 in this example, 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.

[0135] <B:Driving Control Example 2> FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of the system 50v in Driving Control Example 2. In this example, the system 50v is different from Driving Control Example 1 in that it does not include the server 200. Also, the vehicle 100v in the configuration can travel by autonomous control of the vehicle 100v. For other configurations, unless otherwise specified, they are the same as above.

[0136] In this example, the processor 111v of the vehicle control device 110v functions as the vehicle control unit 115v by executing the program PG1 stored in the memory 112v. The vehicle control unit 115v can acquire the output result from the sensor, generate a driving control signal using the output result, and output the generated driving control signal to operate the actuator group 120, thereby enabling the vehicle 100v to travel by autonomous control. In this example, in addition to the program PG1, a detection model DM and a reference route RR are stored in advance in the memory 112v.

[0137] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the driving control of the vehicle 100v in Example 2. In the processing procedure of FIG. 14, the processor 111v of the vehicle 100v functions as the vehicle control unit 115v by executing the program PG1.

[0138] In step S210, the processor 111v of the vehicle control device 110v acquires vehicle position information using the detection result output from the camera which is an external sensor 300. In step S220, the processor 111v determines the target position to which the vehicle 100v should next head. In step S230, the processor 111v generates a driving control signal for driving the vehicle 100v toward the determined target position. In step S240, the processor 111v controls the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal, thereby driving the vehicle 100v according to the parameters represented in the driving control signal. The processor 111v 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 50v in this example, the vehicle 100v can be driven by the autonomous control of the vehicle 100v without remotely controlling the vehicle 100v by the server 200.

[0139] YY: Other driving control examples (YY1) In the above example, the external sensor 300 is a camera. In contrast, the external sensor 300 may not be a camera and may be, for example, LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging). In this case, the detection result output by the external sensor 300 may be 3D 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 3D point cloud data as the detection result and reference point cloud data prepared in advance.

[0140] (YY2) In driving control example 1, the processes from the acquisition of vehicle position information to the generation of the driving control signal are executed by the server 200. In contrast, at least a part of the processes from the acquisition of vehicle position information to the generation of the driving control signal may be executed by the vehicle 100. For example, it may be in the following forms (1) to (3).

[0141] (1) The server 200 may acquire vehicle position information, determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head, and generate a route from the current position of the vehicle 100 represented in the acquired vehicle position information to the target position. The server 200 may generate a route to a target position between the current position and the destination, or may generate a route to the destination. The server 200 may transmit the generated route to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may generate a travel 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 travel control signal.

[0142] (2) The server 200 may acquire vehicle position information and transmit the acquired vehicle position information to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head, generate a route from the current position of the vehicle 100 represented in the received vehicle position information to the target position, generate a travel control signal so that the vehicle 100 travels on the generated route, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated travel control signal.

[0143] (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 operation state of each part of the vehicle 100, and 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.

[0144] (YY3) In the driving control example 2, an internal sensor is mounted on the vehicle 100v, 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 100v 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 100v 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.

[0145] In travel control example 2, vehicle 100v acquires vehicle position information using the detection results of external sensor 300. In contrast, an internal sensor is mounted on vehicle 100v, and vehicle 100v acquires vehicle position information using the detection results of the internal sensor, determines the target position to which vehicle 100v should next head, generates a route from the current position of vehicle 100v represented in the acquired vehicle position information to the target position, generates a travel control signal for traveling along the generated route, and may control actuator group 120 using the generated travel control signal. In this case, vehicle 100v can travel without using the detection results of external sensor 300 at all. Note that vehicle 100v may acquire a target arrival time and traffic jam information from outside vehicle 100v and reflect at least one of the target arrival time and traffic jam information in at least one of the route and the travel control signal. Also, all of the functional configurations of system 50v may be provided in vehicle 100v. That is, the processing realized by system 50v in the present disclosure may be realized by vehicle 100v alone.

[0146] (YY5)In travel control example 1, server 200 automatically generates a travel control signal to be transmitted to vehicle 100. In contrast, server 200 may generate a travel control signal to be transmitted to vehicle 100 according to the operation of an external operator located outside vehicle 100. For example, an external operator operates a control device including a display that displays a captured image output from external sensor 300, a steering wheel for remotely operating vehicle 100, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and a communication device for communicating with server 200 by wire or wireless communication, and server 200 may generate a travel control signal corresponding to the operation applied to the control device.

[0147] In each of the above-described driving control examples, 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 a vehicle control device 110 and an actuator group 120 in order to exhibit the three functions of "running", "turning", and "stopping" by autonomous driving. When the vehicle 100 acquires information from the outside for autonomous driving, the vehicle 100 may further include a communication device 130. That is, the vehicle 100 that can be moved by autonomous driving may not have at least some of the interior parts such as a driver's seat and a dashboard, and may not have at least some of the exterior parts such as a bumper and a fender, and may not have a body shell attached. In this case, until the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory FC, the remaining parts such as the body shell may be attached to the vehicle 100, or after the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory FC in a state where the remaining parts such as the body shell are not attached to the vehicle 100, the remaining parts such as the body shell may be attached to the vehicle 100. Each part may be attached from any direction such as the upper side, lower side, front side, rear side, right side, or left side of the vehicle 100, and they may be attached from the same direction or from different directions. Note that the positioning of the platform form can also be performed in the same manner as the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment.

[0148] (YY7) Vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining a plurality of modules. A module means a unit composed of a plurality of parts grouped according to the parts and functions of vehicle 100. For example, the platform of vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining a front module that constitutes the front part of the platform, a center 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 the parts constituting the platform, or instead of these, the parts constituting a portion of vehicle 100 different from the platform may be modularized. Further, each type of module may include any exterior parts such as bumpers and grills, and any interior parts such as seats and consoles. Also, not limited to vehicle 100, any type of moving body may be manufactured by combining a plurality of modules. Such modules may be manufactured, for example, by joining a plurality of parts by welding or fixtures, etc., or by integrally molding at least a part of the parts constituting the module by casting as one part. The molding method of integrally molding one part, particularly a relatively large part, is also called gigacasting or megacasting. For example, the above-mentioned front module, center module, and rear module may be manufactured using gigacasting.

[0149] (YY8) Using the running of vehicle 100 by autonomous driving to transport 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 vehicle 100 using self-propelled transport is also called "self-propelled production". In self-propelled production, for example, in factory FC that manufactures vehicle 100, at least a part of the transport of vehicle 100 is realized by self-propelled transport.

[0150] In each of the above-described travel control examples, some or all of the functions and processes realized software-wise may be realized hardware-wise. Also, some or all of the functions and processes realized hardware-wise may be realized software-wise. As the hardware for realizing the various functions in each of the above embodiments, for example, various circuits such as integrated circuits and discrete circuits may be used.

[0151] Also, some or all of the processing in the above-described external sensor 300, vehicle 100, server 200, external sensor 300, power supply robot 600, etc. can be realized as a computer program. Such a program can be stored using various types of non-transitory computer-readable media and supplied to a computer. Non-transitory computer-readable media include various types of tangible recording media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include magnetic recording media (e.g., flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives), magneto-optical recording media (e.g., magneto-optical disks), CD-ROM (Read Only Memory), CD-R, CD-R / W, semiconductor memories (e.g., mask ROM, PROM (Programmable ROM), EPROM (Erasable PROM), flash ROM, RAM (Random Access Memory)). Also, the program may be supplied to the computer by various types of transitory computer-readable media. Examples of transitory computer-readable media include electrical signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. The transitory computer-readable media can supply the program to the computer via wired communication paths such as electric wires and optical fibers, or wireless communication paths.

[0152] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be appropriately modified without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the change in the order of vehicles for power supply can be diverted to the change in the order for loading vehicles onto a ship. In that case, after aligning vehicles of the same vehicle type, they may be loaded while the vehicle travels in a Karakuri mode. Also, the order may be changed so that vehicles of the same vehicle type are aligned when loading the vehicles. Further, in vehicle inspection, the order of the vehicles may be changed to align vehicles of the same vehicle type.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0153] 50 Power supply system, 100 Vehicle, 100v Vehicle, 110 Vehicle control device, 111 Processor, 111v Processor, 112 Memory, 112v Memory, 113 Input / output interface, 114 Internal bus, 115 Vehicle control unit, 115v Vehicle control unit, 120 Actuator group, 130 Communication device, 140 Power supply port, 200 Server, 201 Processor, 202 Memory, 203 Input / output interface, 204 Internal bus, 205 Communication device, 210 Remote control unit, 231 Calculation unit, 232 First information acquisition unit, 233 Power supply device identification unit, 234 Determination unit, 235 Second information creation unit, 236 Power supply plan information creation (update) unit, 300 External sensor, 330 Communication device, 600 Power supply robot, 630 Communication device, 612 Arm mechanism, 630 Communication device, 700 Power supply device, 701 Main body unit, 702 Cable, 710 Communication device, 711 Connector, 712 Connector, 713 Connector, 720 Power supply unit, 730 Determination unit, 740 Power supply control unit

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires first information regarding the power supply specification of the first vehicle; A power supply device identification unit that identifies a power supply device that supplies power to the first vehicle based on the information regarding the acquired specification; An information creation unit that creates second information for the first vehicle, the second vehicle to which power is supplied by the power supply device and which is closer to the power supply device than the first vehicle, or the power supply device, the information processing apparatus comprising the same.

2. The information processing apparatus includes a transmission unit that transmits the second information to the first vehicle; The first vehicle is controlled based on the second information; The second information is A route for the first vehicle to travel toward the identified power supply device, or A control instruction value of the first vehicle for the first vehicle to travel toward the power supply device, or A route of the first vehicle for swapping the order of the first vehicle and the second vehicle, or At least one of the control instruction values of the first vehicle for swapping the order of the first vehicle and the second vehicle, the information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The information processing apparatus is mounted on the first vehicle; The first vehicle is controlled based on the second information; The second information is A route for the first vehicle to travel toward the identified power supply device, or A control instruction value of the first vehicle for the first vehicle to travel toward the power supply device, or A route of the first vehicle for swapping the order of the first vehicle and the second vehicle, or At least one of the control instruction values of the first vehicle for swapping the order of the first vehicle and the second vehicle, the information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

4. The information processing apparatus includes a transmission unit that transmits the second information to the second vehicle; The second vehicle is controlled based on the second information; The second information is A route of the second vehicle for swapping the order of the first vehicle and the second vehicle, or A control instruction value of the second vehicle for swapping the order of the first vehicle and the second vehicle, or At least one of information regarding the second vehicle detaching from the power supply device, the information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

5. The information processing apparatus is mounted on the first vehicle, the information processing apparatus according to claim 4.

6. The swapping of the order of the first vehicle and the second vehicle is not performed when the second vehicle moves back by a predetermined number or more. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5.

7. The swapping of the order of the first vehicle and the second vehicle is not performed when the second vehicle is a predetermined vehicle. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5.

8. The swapping of the order of the first vehicle and the second vehicle is performed so that vehicles having the same power supply connector are consecutive. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5.

9. The power supply device specifying unit specifies the power supply device so that vehicles with the same power supply specifications are consecutive. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

10. The first information is acquired by referring to production management information. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

11. When the first vehicle has a plurality of power supply methods, the method with a higher charging speed is preferentially used. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

12. The second information is information regarding the power supply specification of the first vehicle, The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a transmission unit that transmits the second information to the power supply device.

13. A acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the power supply specification of a vehicle; A power supply control unit that performs power supply preparation based on the acquired information regarding the power supply specification. A power supply device comprising:

14. The power supply preparation includes: Determining whether to remove the connector used for power supply according to the power supply specification of the vehicle, If it is determined that there is no need to remove the connector, the connector is maintained, If it is determined that the connector needs to be removed, a connector corresponding to the power supply specification of the vehicle is connected. The power supply device according to claim 13.

15. In the power supply device, when vehicles compatible with a first connector are consecutive and then vehicles compatible with a second connector are consecutive, after the continuity of the vehicles compatible with the first connector is completed, until the vehicles compatible with the second connector come to the power supply device, the connector is switched from the first connector to the second connector. The power supply device according to claim 14.

16. The power supply preparation includes: Determining whether to change the power supply voltage of the power supply unit according to the power supply specification of the vehicle, If it is determined that there is no need to change the power supply voltage, the voltage is maintained, The power supply device according to claim 13, wherein when it is determined that it is necessary to change the power supply voltage, the power supply voltage is changed to a power supply voltage corresponding to the power supply specification of the vehicle.

17. In the power supply device, when vehicles compatible with a first power supply voltage are continuous and then vehicles compatible with a second power supply voltage are continuous, after the continuity of the vehicles compatible with the first power supply voltage is completed, until the vehicles compatible with the second power supply voltage come to the power supply device, the power supply voltage is changed from the first power supply voltage to the second power supply voltage. The power supply device according to claim 16.

18. Obtain first information regarding the power supply specification of a first vehicle, Based on the information regarding the obtained specification, identify the power supply device that supplies power to the first vehicle, A power supply method for creating second information requested by the first vehicle, a second vehicle that is closer to the power supply device than the first vehicle and to which power is supplied by the power supply device.

19. Obtain first information regarding the power supply specification of a first vehicle, Based on the information regarding the obtained specification, identify the power supply device that supplies power to the first vehicle, A program for causing an information processing device to execute creating second information requested by the first vehicle, a second vehicle that is closer to the power supply device than the first vehicle and to which power is supplied by the power supply device.

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