Moving body, transport vehicle for transporting mounting body provided in moving body, selection system of mounting body provided in moving body and rental service provision system of mounting body provided in moving body
The rental service system addresses the unclear attachment and detachment of carriers by using a notification and instruction unit to manage carrier movement and switching, ensuring efficient mounting and detachment on a traveling body.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2023220171
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-12-27
- Publication Date
- 2025-07-09
AI Technical Summary
Existing moving bodies lack clear attachment and detachment methods for carriers, leading to improper mounting and detachment, with unclear movement and handling processes.
A rental service system that includes a notification unit, acquisition unit, and instruction unit to manage the mounting and detachment of carriers on a traveling body, utilizing a carrier with a switchable door and position-specific movement for efficient attachment and detachment.
Enables proper and efficient attachment and detachment of carriers to and from a traveling body, improving the handling and management of carriers through a rental service system.
Smart Images

Figure 2025103083000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a moving body, a carrier vehicle for transporting a carrier provided on the moving body, a selection system for the carrier provided on the moving body, and a rental service providing system for the carrier provided on the moving body.
Background Art
[0002] Conventionally, a moving body including a traveling body that travels on a traveling surface and a carrier mounted on the traveling body is known. The carrier can be attached to the traveling body, and the attached carrier can be detached from the traveling body. Depending on the usage scenario of the moving body, various types of carriers can be appropriately replaced on the traveling body. An example of this type of moving body is disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1 below.
Prior Art Documents
Non-Patent Documents
[0003]
Non-Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
[0004] By the way, in the above-described moving body, although the concept of attaching the carrier to the traveling body can be confirmed, specific attachment modes such as the attachment part and attachment method of the carrier on the vehicle when the carrier is attached to the vehicle are unclear. Furthermore, it is also unclear how the carrier before attachment is moved to the traveling body from where and in what manner, etc., that is, the treatment of the carrier before attachment. For this reason, it cannot be said that the carrier is properly attached to the traveling body.
[0005] In addition, in the above-described moving body, although the concept of detaching the mounted body from the vehicle can be confirmed, specific detachment modes such as the detachment method when the mounted body is detached from the vehicle are unclear. Furthermore, what to do with the mounted body after detachment, such as how far and in what manner it is moved from the vehicle, is also unclear. For this reason, it cannot be said that the mounted body is appropriately detached from the traveling body. From the above, it can be said that there is room for improvement in appropriately performing both the mounting and detachment of the mounted body in this type of moving body.
[0006] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a moving body including a traveling body and a mounted body detachable from the traveling body, which can appropriately perform both the mounting and detachment of the mounted body.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0007] The technical means of the present invention for solving this technical problem is characterized by the following points. The system of the present invention is a system that provides a rental service for a mounted body that can be mounted on a user's traveling body, a notification unit that notifies the user terminal of a rentable mounted body in response to a request from the user terminal of the user; an acquisition unit that acquires identification information of a selected mounted body selected by the user from among a plurality of mounted bodies including the rentable mounted body from the user terminal; an instruction unit that instructs a carrier that conveys the selected mounted body to convey the selected mounted body based on the identification information of the selected mounted body. and includes.
[0008] In the rental service providing system of the present invention, the instruction unit when the selected mounted body is arranged by the carrier, instructs the carrier on which the selected mounted body is arranged to move toward a position specified based on the identification information.
[0009] In the rental service providing system of the present invention, The carrier, has an interior into which the traveling body can enter and which is a position for mounting the arranged selected mounting body on the traveling body, and is configured to be able to switch between a communicating state and a shielding state at an opening that communicates the interior and the exterior, and when transporting the arranged selected mounting body, has a door portion that maintains the shielding state, and is provided with The instruction unit, instructs the moving carrier to stop at the designated position, and when the carrier stops at the designated position, instructs the door portion to operate.
[0010] In the rental service providing system of the present invention, The instruction unit, when the operation of the door portion of the stopped carrier is completed, instructs the carrier to move toward a designated position different from the stopped position Rental service providing system.
[0011] In the rental service providing system of the present invention, The instruction unit, instructs the carrier to return to the departure place of the carrier as the designated position Rental service providing system.
[0012] The rental service providing system of the present invention includes a position notification unit that notifies the position of the carrier and is provided with
[0013] The rental service providing system of the present invention includes a management unit that manages the arrangement of the selected mounting body on the carrier and the removal of the selected mounting body from the carrier and is provided with
Advantages of the Invention
[0014] According to the present invention, in a mobile body including a traveling body and a carrier that can be attached to and detached from the traveling body, both attachment and detachment of the carrier can be appropriately performed.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0015]
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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the system 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is a system used when a user uses the moving body 100. The moving body 100 includes a traveling body 200 and a carrier 300 mounted on the traveling body 200. In the system 10, for example, a user may own the traveling body 200 and mount the carrier 300 he / she owns on the traveling body 200, or may mount a rented carrier 300.
[0018] The system 10 is, for example, a system for a rental service provider to lend the carrier 300 to a user. The system 10 may include a system for selecting a plurality of different carriers 300. The system 10 includes a server 700 and a transporter 800 for transporting the carrier 300. In the system 10, the user terminal 600, the server 700, the moving body 100, and the transporter 800 are respectively connected via the information communication network N0, and information communication is possible among them.
[0019] As an explanation of the embodiments of the present invention, the details of the mobile body 100, the traveling body 200, the mounting body 300, the user terminal 600, the carrier 800, and the operation in the system 10 will be described in order.
[0020] <Mobile body> As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 5, the mobile body 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a traveling body 200 and a mounting body 300 (hereinafter, may also be referred to as the "attachment 300").
[0021] In the directions in this embodiment, the upper and lower, left and right, front and rear correspond to the up, down, left, right, front, and rear directions of the arrows appropriately shown in each drawing.
[0022] The traveling body 200 can travel in the first direction. Here, the "first direction" is any one of the front and rear, left and right, front oblique left and front oblique right, and rear oblique left and rear oblique right, and corresponds to the horizontal direction. The oblique angles of the front oblique left and front oblique right, and the rear oblique left and rear oblique right are arbitrary, respectively.
[0023] Also, the "first direction" also corresponds to the direction parallel to the traveling surface. That is, the traveling body 200 can travel in all directions along the traveling surface. This all-direction traveling is made possible by the traveling device 270, and the configuration of the traveling device 270 will be described in detail later.
[0024] The traveling body 200 includes a mounting surface 210 facing the second direction that faces upward with respect to the first direction. The mounting surface 210 is included in the upper surface of the traveling body 200. Here, the "second direction" corresponds to upward. Also, the "second direction" also corresponds to the vertical direction spaced apart from the traveling surface.
[0025] In addition, a third direction opposite to the second direction is also defined. Here, the "third direction" corresponds to downward and also corresponds to the vertical direction close to the running surface. Further, a fourth direction perpendicular to each of the first direction and the second direction is also defined. Here, the "fourth direction" corresponds to the horizontal direction and also corresponds to the direction parallel to the running surface. For example, when the first direction is forward, the fourth direction is to the left or right.
[0026] The carrier 300 is configured to be detachable from the mounting surface 210 of the traveling body 200. In a state where the carrier 300 is detached (see, for example, FIGS. 4 and 5), first, the bottom surface of the carrier 300 facing the third direction is opposed to the mounting surface 210 facing the second direction. Then, by relatively approaching both surfaces, the carrier 300 can be mounted on the mounting surface 210.
[0027] More specifically, when the carrier 300 is disposed above the mounting surface 210, the traveling body 200 is traveled to the position where the carrier 300 is disposed so that both surfaces face each other. Then, in a state where both surfaces face each other, the carrier 300 may be moved in the third direction to achieve mounting. When the carrier 300 is mounted on the mounting surface 210 and mounted on the traveling body 200, it moves integrally with the traveling body 200.
[0028] On the other hand, in a state where the carrier 300 is mounted (see, for example, FIGS. 2 and 3), the carrier 300 can be detached from the mounting surface 210 by relatively separating the lower surface of the carrier 300 from the mounting surface 210.
[0029] More specifically, in a state where both surfaces face each other, the carrier 300 is moved in the second direction from the traveling body 200. Then, the carrier 300 is disposed above the mounting surface 210 and the traveling body 200 is traveled from the position where the carrier 300 is disposed to achieve detachment. When the carrier 300 is detached from the mounting surface 210 and not mounted on the traveling body 200, it is disposed separately from the traveling body 200.
[0030] The control of attachment and detachment is executed by the attachment control unit 283a and the detachment control unit 283b provided in the moving body 100 (see, for example, FIG. 13). The control, operation, and arrangement of the carrier 300 in the carrier 800 after detachment will be described in detail later.
[0031] The carrier 300 mounted on the traveling body 200 is a so-called attachment 300, and the same one may be attached and detached. Also, after detaching one aspect of the attached attachment 300, a different aspect of the attachment 300 may be attached. That is, different attachments 300 of a plurality of aspects may be replaced according to the scene for the traveling body 200 of one aspect. The attachment 300 may be configured to be capable of performing various operations such as agricultural work, construction work, and transportation work when mounted on the traveling body 200, or may be configured to provide passenger mobility, and its aspect is arbitrary. For example, when the aspect of the attachment 300 is adapted to agricultural work, the attachment 300 may be configured to be capable of performing lawn mowing, seeding, spraying, ridging, etc.
[0032] As an example of the carrier 300, the attachment 300 that functions as a backhoe during attachment will be described. The aspect and attachment / detachment operation of the carrier 300 will be detailed later.
[0033] Further, the moving body 100 includes a lift unit 220, an engagement unit 230, fixing units 240a and 240b, and a support unit 250. The lift unit 220 is configured to be able to move the carrier 300 in the second or third direction with respect to the mounting surface 210 while supporting the carrier 300. In the present embodiment, the lift unit 220 is provided on the traveling body 200 side, but it may be provided on either one of the traveling body 200 and the carrier 300 (see, for example, FIG. 4).
[0034] The engaging portion 230 is configured such that the traveling body 200 and the mounting body 300 can be engaged with each other. When engaged, the mounting body 300 is mounted, and when the engagement is released, the mounting body 300 is detached. The engaging portion 230 includes a protruding portion 231 and a fitting portion 232. The fitting portion 232 is configured such that the protruding protruding portion 231 can be fitted therein, and when it is fitted into the protruding portion 231, they are engaged with each other.
[0035] In this embodiment, the engaging portion 230 is provided at a location corresponding to the lifting portion 220. The lifting portion 220 corresponds to the protruding portion 231 and protrudes toward the fitting portion 232. The fitting portion 232 into which the protruding portion 231 (lifting portion 220) is fitted is provided on the mounting body 300 side, but it may be provided on either the traveling body 200 or the mounting body 300 (for example, see FIG. 5). Alternatively, instead of this, the engaging portion 230 may be arranged independently of the lifting portion 220.
[0036] The fixing portions 240a and 240b are configured such that the mounting body 300 can be fixed to the traveling body 200. When fixed, the relative movement of the mounting body 300 with respect to the traveling body 200 is restricted, and when the fixing is released, the relative movement is allowed. The fixing portions 240a and 240b include a protruding portion 241 and a fitting portion 242. The fitting portion 242 is configured such that the protruding protruding portion 241 can be fitted therein, and when it is fitted into the protruding portion 241, they are fixed.
[0037] In this embodiment, the fixing portion 240a is provided at a location corresponding to the lifting portion 220 (engaging portion 230). The protruding portion 241 and the fitting portion 242 of the fixing portion 240a respectively correspond to the protruding portion 231 and the fitting portion 232 of the engaging portion 230. Alternatively, the fixing portion 240a may be arranged independently of the engaging portion 230 and the lifting portion 220. On the other hand, the fixing portion 240b is provided at a location different from the installation location of the lifting portion 220 (engaging portion 230). The protruding portion 241 and the fitting portion 242 of the fixing portion 240b are separate from the protruding portion 231 and the fitting portion 232 of the engaging portion 230.
[0038] The support part 250 is provided on the traveling body 200 and is adapted to support the mounting body 300 when the mounting body 300 is mounted on the mounting surface 210. The support parts 250 are respectively disposed at positions corresponding to the vertices of the polygon in plan view. In the present embodiment, the support parts 250 respectively correspond to the protruding parts 231 and 241. The modes of the lift part 220, the engaging part 230, the fixing parts 240a and 240b, and the support part 250, and the control for lifting, engaging, fixing, and supporting will be described in detail later.
[0039] <Traveling body> As shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 8, and 9, the traveling body 200 includes a vehicle body 260 and a traveling device 270. The vehicle body 260 is formed of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing, and a power source 280 and various electrical devices (communication devices, control devices, sensors, etc.) are mounted on the vehicle body 260. A mounting surface 210 is provided at the upper end of the vehicle body 260. In addition, support parts 250 (lift part 220, engaging part 230, fixing parts 240a and 240b) are provided at the front and rear of the upper surface of the vehicle body 260.
[0040] Overhanging parts 261 are provided on the left and right side surfaces of the vehicle body 260. The overhanging parts 261 are installed at substantially the central part in the vehicle length direction of the vehicle body 260. The overhanging parts 261 protrude outward in the vehicle width direction from the side surface of the vehicle body 260. The overhanging parts 261 have a trapezoidal shape in plan view of the vehicle body 260, the lower base of the trapezoid is connected to the side surface of the vehicle body 260, and the upper base of the trapezoid corresponds to the end in the protruding direction.
[0041] <<Traveling device>> The traveling device 270 is disposed at both ends in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body 260 so as to support the vehicle body 260. That is, the arrangement positions of the traveling devices 270 are the left and right side ends in plan view. The traveling device 270 includes front wheels 271 at the front in the vehicle length direction of the vehicle body 260 and rear wheels 272 at the rear in the vehicle length direction of the vehicle body 260. The front wheels 271 and the rear wheels 272 are respectively disposed on the front side and the rear side of the overhanging portion 261. That is, the overhanging portion 261 is interposed between the front wheels 271 and the rear wheels 272 on the side surface of the vehicle body 260. Note that the dimensions of the overhanging portion 261 and the front wheels 271 and the rear wheels 272 are arbitrary, but it is preferable that the outer end of the overhanging portion 261 is located inside the outer ends of the front wheels 271 and the rear wheels 272, respectively, in the vehicle width direction.
[0042] In the present embodiment, all of the front wheels 271 and the rear wheels 272 are mecanum wheels. More specifically, each of the front wheels 271 and the rear wheels 272 includes a wheel 273 and a tire 274. The wheel 273 has a substantially disk shape and is disposed at the front and rear in the vehicle length direction of the vehicle body 260, respectively. The wheel 273 is configured to be able to travel by rotational driving, and a wheel axis 275 serving as an axis of the rotation center is defined for each.
[0043] The tire 274 has a substantially cylindrical shape, both ends thereof are slightly reduced in diameter, and it has a solid portion. A plurality of tires 274 are provided for one wheel 273. The axes of the respective tires 274 are positioned so as to be inclined with respect to the wheel axis 275 of the corresponding wheel 273 in plan view. The tire 274 is configured to be rotatable integrally with the wheel 273 in a state where the traveling surface is in contact with the ground as a whole. Further, each tire 274 is also configured to be relatively rotatable with respect to the wheel 273.
[0044] An independent motor is provided on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of each of the front wheel 271 and the rear wheel 272. Based on the power of the motor, the wheel 273 and the tire 274 of each mecanum wheel are independently rotationally driven. That is, the rotation mode of each mecanum wheel can be individually adjusted. For this reason, the traveling device 270 can travel in all directions in a plan view. In the present embodiment, the mecanum wheel configured as described above is used as the traveling device 270 (front wheel 271 and rear wheel 272). However, as long as the wheel-tire operates independently and the vehicle can travel in all directions in a plan view without a steering mechanism, any type of mecanum wheel may be used. Further, as the traveling device 270, a drive system, a mechanism, etc. other than the mecanum wheel may be used. In this case, as long as the front wheel 271 and the rear wheel 272 each have an independent drive device and the moving body 100 can travel in a free direction (all directions in a plan view), for example, an omni-wheel (registered trademark), a caster mechanism, a ball drive mechanism, etc. may be used.
[0045] In the present embodiment, the motor and the electrical equipment related to the drive of the motor are provided on the vehicle body 260 side. However, instead of this, for example, the motor and / or the above electrical equipment may be provided on the wheel 273 side. That is, the front wheel 271 and the rear wheel 272 may be in-wheel motor type mecanum wheels.
[0046] Further, the traveling device 270 may be detachably arranged with respect to the vehicle body 260. In this case, the vehicle body 260 may be configured to be able to mount a traveling device 270 in a mode different from the one that has been detached when the mounted traveling device 270 is detached. More specifically, when wheels having a predetermined diameter are arranged on the vehicle body 260, the wheels may be detached and wheels having different diameters, crawlers, etc. may be mounted on the vehicle body 260.
[0047] <<Power Supply>> In this embodiment, the power source 280 is a battery capable of repeatedly performing charge and discharge. The power source 280 can supply power to various drive parts such as the traveling device 270 and the support part 250, the communication device 281, the control device 283, various sensors, and the like. The power source 280 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and both side surfaces of the power source 280 extend along the vehicle length direction of the vehicle body 260. The bottom surface of the power source 280 is substantially horizontal with respect to the traveling surface. Note that the power source 280 may be rechargeable by cable connection power supply, non-contact power supply, etc. via a predetermined electrical device (for example, a fixed or mobile charger, etc.). The charging format, timing, location, etc. of the power source 280 are arbitrary. For example, as will be described later, when the traveling body 200 is stored in the garage GR, the power source 280 may be charged by contact or non-contact power supply. On the other hand, the power source 280 may be charged outside the garage GR.
[0048] The power source 280 is disposed between the traveling devices 270 at both ends in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body 260. Also, the power source 280 is disposed between the front and rear wheel axles 275 in the vehicle length direction of the vehicle body 260. More specifically, the power source 280 is disposed at a substantially central portion of the vehicle body 260 in plan view. That is, the front end of the power source 280 is located behind the wheel axle 275 of the front wheel 271 in the vehicle length direction. The rear end of the power source 280 is located in front of the wheel axle 275 of the rear wheel 272 in the vehicle length direction.
[0049] Also, in side view, the power source 280 is arranged such that the center of gravity of the power source 280 is located above the wheel axle 275 in the second direction. That is, the height H1 from the traveling surface G to the center of gravity of the power source 280 is greater than the height H2 from the traveling surface G to the wheel axle 275. Thus, in this embodiment, the power source 280 is arranged slightly above the wheel axle, and the clearance between the traveling surface G and the power source 280 is large (see FIG. 5).
[0050] Note that as long as the battery as the power supply 280 is a rechargeable secondary battery, its form can be any, for example, it may be a lithium ion battery, an all-solid battery, etc. Further, instead of this battery, a primary battery may be used. In this case, the battery is configured to be detachable, and it is preferable to replace the battery when the remaining amount decreases. Further, in the power supply 280, instead of the battery, for example, a fuel cell, a generator (engine and alternator) that converts power into electric power, etc. may be used.
[0051] <<Arrangement of Support Portion>> When the mounted body 300 is mounted on the mounting surface 210, the support portion 250 supports the mounted body 300 in the second direction. A plurality of support portions 250 are arranged on the upper surface of the vehicle body 260 of the traveling body 200. When the bottom surface of the mounted body 300 and the mounting surface 210 of the traveling body 200 face each other, the support portion 250 protrudes toward the bottom surface of the mounted body 300, that is, upward in the second direction. For this reason, when the mounted body 300 is mounted on the mounting surface 210, the mounted body 300 is supported from the bottom surface by the support portion 250. The arrangement position and number of the support portions 250 may be determined in consideration of the center of gravity of the mounted body 300 or the like so that stable mounting is achieved when the mounted body 300 is mounted on the traveling body 200, or may be adjusted so as not to interfere with the arrangement portion 870 in the carrier 800 described later. The arrangement position and number of the support portions 250 are arbitrary, but it is preferable to take the aspect described later.
[0052] In a plan view, the support portions 250 are respectively disposed at positions corresponding to the vertices of the polygon (see FIG. 7). The support portion 250 of the present embodiment includes six support portions 250a, 250b, 250c, 250d, 250e, and 250f. The arrangement positions of the support portions 250a, 250b, 250c, and 250d, 250e, 250f respectively correspond to the vertices of a triangle on the same plane.
[0053] That is, in a plan view, there are a plurality of polygonal regions having the arrangement of the support portions 250 as vertices. In the present embodiment, one triangular region is arranged in front and one in the rear in the vehicle length direction of the vehicle body 260, and there are a total of two such triangular regions. The triangular regions may be, for example, isosceles triangles, and each inner angle corresponding to the support portion 250a and the support portion 250d may be the apex angle, respectively.
[0054] Also, in a plan view, the plurality of polygonal regions are arranged to be symmetric with each other. In the present embodiment, the shapes of the two regions are arranged to be line-symmetric with respect to a symmetry axis that passes through the power source 280 and extends in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body 260 in a plan view. That is, the isosceles triangle having the support portions 250a, 250b, and 250c as vertices and the isosceles triangle having the support portions 250d, 250e, and 250f as vertices are line-symmetric with respect to the symmetry axis.
[0055] Further, the support portion 250 is disposed outside the power source 280 in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body 260. The support portion 250 is disposed outside the power source 280 in the vehicle length direction of the vehicle body 260. More specifically, the support portions 250a, 250b, and 250c are disposed in front of the front end of the power source 280 in the vehicle length direction of the vehicle body 260. The support portion 250b is disposed on the left side of the left side surface of the power source 280 in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body 260. The support portion 250c is disposed on the right side of the right side surface of the power source 280 in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body 260.
[0056] The support portions 250d, 250e, and 250f are disposed behind the rear end of the power source 280 in the vehicle length direction of the vehicle body 260. The support portion 250e is disposed on the left side of the left side surface of the power source 280 in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body 260. The support portion 250f is disposed on the right side of the right side surface of the power source 280 in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body 260.
[0057] Furthermore, in plan view, the support portion 250 is disposed on an imaginary line that coaxially passes through the wheel axle 275 of the wheel 273. More specifically, the imaginary line includes a front imaginary line FL and a rear imaginary line RL. The front imaginary line FL is an imaginary line that coaxially passes through the wheel axles 275 of the left and right front wheels 271. The rear imaginary line RL is an imaginary line that coaxially passes through the wheel axles 275 of the left and right rear wheels 272. In plan view, the support portions 250b and 250c are respectively disposed on the front imaginary line FL, and the support portions 250e and 250f are respectively disposed on the rear imaginary line RL.
[0058] In addition, in plan view, the support portion 250a is disposed between the front imaginary line FL and the front end of the power source 280. The support portion 250d is disposed between the rear imaginary line RL and the rear end of the power source 280. The support portions 250a and 250d are disposed at substantially the center in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body 260.
[0059] <<Details of the Lift Portion, Engagement Portion, and Fixing Portion>> In this embodiment, the support portion 250 may function as the lift portion 220, the protruding portion 231 of the engagement portion 230, and the protruding portions 241 of the fixing portions 240a and 240b. More specifically, the support portions 250b, 250c, 250e, and 250f correspond to the lift portion 220 (the protruding portion 231 of the engagement portion 230 and the protruding portion 241 of the fixing portion 240a). The support portions 250a and 250d correspond to the protruding portion 241 of the fixing portion 240b (see FIG. 7).
[0060] As shown in FIG. 10, the lift part 220 (that is, the support part 250b, the support part 250c, the support part 250e, and the support part 250f) has a cylindrical shape. The lift part 220 is coaxially fitted into a hole part 221 that partially houses the lower part. The hole part 221 is on the upper surface of the vehicle body 260 and is arranged at the four corners in a plan view. The hole part 221 is provided to correspond to the position of the lift part 220. The hole part 221 has a circular opening with a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the lift part 220. Through the opening, the lower part of the lift part 220 is accommodated inside the vehicle body 260. Note that the shape of the lift part 220 (that is, the support part 250b, the support part 250c, the support part 250e, and the support part 250f) is not limited to a cylindrical shape, and may be any shape such as a prism shape (for example, a quadrangular prism shape) as long as the axis and the translation direction match.
[0061] The lift part 220 can move relatively in the second direction (upward direction) and the third direction (downward direction) through the opening. An actuator (for example, a stepping motor or the like) built into the vehicle body 260 is provided at the lower end of the lift part 220. The power of the actuator is transmitted to the lower end of the lift part 220, and the rotational power is converted into a translational motion in the axial direction of the lift part 220.
[0062] When the actuator rotates forward, the lift part 220 moves relatively in the second direction with respect to the vehicle body 260, exposes from the opening of the hole part 221, and the top part 222 moves further upward. On the other hand, when the actuator rotates reversely, the lift part 220 moves relatively in the third direction, is accommodated in the opening of the hole part 221, and the top part 222 that has moved upward moves further downward.
[0063] The lift part 220 protrudes toward the insertion part 232 of the engagement part 230 in the carrier 300 (that is, the insertion part 242 of the fixing part 240a). The insertion part 232 is provided at the four corners in the bottom view of the carrier 300. The insertion part 232 is positioned corresponding to the arrangement of the lift part 220 when the carrier 300 is mounted on the traveling body 200. The insertion part 232 is recessed upward so that the lift part 220 can be inserted when the carrier 300 is mounted.
[0064] When the lift part 220 is inserted into the insertion part 232, the carrier 300 can be lifted and lowered while supporting the carrier 300. That is, according to the movement of the lift part 220 in the second direction, the carrier 300 moves in the second direction (upward direction) (see FIG. 11). According to the movement of the lift part 220 in the third direction (downward direction), the carrier 300 moves in the third direction (downward direction) (see FIG. 12).
[0065] In addition, when the lift part 220 is inserted into the insertion part 232, the traveling body 200 and the carrier 300 are engaged with each other. In this way, the lift part 220 also functions as the protruding part 231 of the engagement part 230. Further, when the lift part 220 is inserted into the insertion part 242, the relative movement between the traveling body 200 and the carrier 300 is restricted, and the carrier 300 is fixed to the traveling body 200. In this way, the lift part 220 also functions as the protruding part 241 of the fixing part 240a.
[0066] The insertion part 232 of the engagement part 230 (the insertion part 242 of the fixing part 240a) has a concave shape into which the protruding part 231 (the protruding part 241 of the fixing part 240a) can be inserted. The shape has a portion with a reduced diameter along the direction in which the protruding part 231 (the protruding part 241 of the fixing part 240a) is inserted.
[0067] More specifically, the insertion part 232 (the insertion part 242 of the fixing part 240a) has a circular opening 232a at the lower end and an abutment 232b at the upper end. The diameter of the opening 232a is larger than the diameter of the abutment 232b. In the present embodiment, the insertion part 232 (the insertion part 242 of the fixing part 240a) has a mortar shape or a cup shape when viewed from the bottom. Here, in the lift part 220 which is the protruding part 231 of the engaging part 230 (the protruding part 241 of the fixing part 240a), the diameter in its cylindrical shape is substantially the same as the diameter of the abutment 232b and is smaller than the diameter of the opening 232a (see FIGS. 10, 11, and 12).
[0068] The protruding parts 241 of the fixing part 240b (that is, the support part 250a and the support part 250d) have a cylindrical shape and are arranged at positions different from the lift part 220. The protruding parts 241 of the fixing part 240b, unlike the lift part 220, do not move in the vertical direction and are integrally fixed to the vehicle body 260. That is, although the protruding parts 241 of the fixing part 240b always protrude upward from the vehicle body 260, the position of the top part 241a thereof is invariant in the vertical direction.
[0069] Further, the fixing part 240b has an adsorption part at the top part 241a. Hereinafter, the top part 241a may also be referred to as the adsorption part 241a. The adsorption part 241a is configured to be able to generate a magnetic adsorption force between the traveling body 200 and the mounting body 300, and fixes the mounting body 300 to the traveling body 200 by the action of the adsorption force. In the present embodiment, the excitation / demagnetization at the adsorption part 241a is switched according to the electric supply. The adsorption part 241a may be configured to generate an adsorption force when excited and cancel the adsorption force when demagnetized. The adsorption part 241a may, for example, have a plurality of built-in electromagnets, and the generation / cancellation of the adsorption force may be switched by adjusting the magnetization direction of each.
[0070] Note that an adsorption site may similarly be provided at the top 222 of the lift part 220. In this case, based on magnetism, adsorption forces are generated at a total of six adsorption sites corresponding to the four lift parts 220 and the two fixed parts 240b.
[0071] The protruding part 241 (adsorption site 241a) of the fixed part 240b protrudes toward the fitting part 242 of the fixed part 240b on the mounting body 300. The fitting part 242 is provided at substantially the center in the vehicle width direction in the bottom view of the mounting body 300. The fitting part 242 is positioned so as to correspond to the arrangement of the protruding part 241 (adsorption site 241a) when the mounting body 300 is mounted on the traveling body 200. The fitting part 242 is recessed upward, and when the mounting body 300 is mounted, the protruding part 241 (adsorption site 241a) can be fitted therein.
[0072] When the protruding part 241 (adsorption site 241a) is fitted into the fitting part 242 and an adsorption force is generated by exciting the adsorption site 241a, the relative movement between the traveling body 200 and the mounting body 300 is restricted. Thereby, the mounting body 300 is fixed to the traveling body 200. The fitting part 242 of the fixed part 240b has a concave shape into which the protruding part 241 of the protruding fixed part 240b can be fitted. The shape is arbitrary as long as the fitting part 242 can be fitted. In the present embodiment, it has the same diameter along the fitting direction (see FIGS. 10, 11, and 12). Instead of this, it may have a shape with a reduced diameter along the fitting direction.
[0073] <<Vertical movement of the mounting body by the lift part>> As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the lift part 220 is configured to move the mounting body 300 in the second direction (upward) and the third direction (downward) by its own operation. As an example of the operation, at the start of the operation, it is assumed that the mounting body 300 is arranged at a position above the mounting surface 210 of the traveling body 200 in the second direction. Also, it is assumed that the top 222 of the lift part 220 has moved to the lowest position.
[0074] Furthermore, at the start of operation, in a plan view, the circular cross-section of the lift portion 220 is eccentric from the abutment 232b of the fitting portion 232 and is present within the region of the circular cross-section of the opening 232a. That is, there is a deviation between the axis of the lift portion 220 and the axis of the fitting portion 232. Also, there is a deviation between the axis of the protruding portion 241 (adsorbing portion 241a) and the axis of the fitting portion 242.
[0075] When starting operation from the state of FIG. 11(a), the lift portion 220 moves relative to the vehicle body 260 in the second direction (the lift portion 220 is exposed from the hole portion 221). The lift portion 220 is inserted into the fitting portion 232 through the opening 232a with the rising top portion 222 as the tip. As shown in FIG. 11(b), when the top portion 222 rises, the edge of the top portion 222 abuts against the inner wall of the fitting portion 232.
[0076] Here, the fitting portion 232 has a reduced diameter along the fitting direction. For this reason, the top portion 222 is guided to the abutment 232b on the inner wall of the fitting portion 232 while rising. As a result, while the fitting portion 232 slides relative to the lift portion 220, in a plan view, the circular cross-section of the lift portion 220 that was eccentric approaches the abutment 232b of the fitting portion 232. That is, the mounting body 300 moves in a direction in which the axis of the lift portion 220 and the axis of the fitting portion 232 coincide.
[0077] As shown in FIG. 11(c), when the rising top portion 222 reaches the abutment 232b, in a plan view, the circular cross-section of the lift portion 220 coincides with the abutment 232b of the fitting portion 232. That is, the axis of the lift portion 220 and the axis of the fitting portion 232 coincide. Also, the axis of the protruding portion 241 (adsorbing portion 241a) and the axis of the fitting portion 242 coincide.
[0078] After the top portion 222 reaches the abutment 232b and they are in contact with each other, the rising top portion 222 stops at the uppermost position. As described above, the mounting body 300 facing the mounting surface 210 moves upward from the arrangement position in the second direction while being supported by the rising lift portion 220.
[0079] Regarding the state of FIG. 12(a), it is assumed that the top 222 of the lift portion 220 has moved to the uppermost position. Also, it is assumed that the top 222 and the abutment 232b are in contact with each other, and the carrier 300 is supported by the lift portion 220. From this state, the lift portion 220 moves relative to the vehicle body 260 in the third direction (the lift portion 220 is accommodated in the hole portion 221).
[0080] That is, the top 222 descends while supporting the carrier 300. Therefore, with the top 222 and the abutment 232b in contact with each other, the carrier 300 moves in the third direction. At the same time, the fitting portion 242 descends so as to approach the protruding portion 241 (adsorption portion 241a). Here, the axis of the protruding portion 241 (adsorption portion 241a) and the axis of the fitting portion 242 are aligned.
[0081] For this reason, as shown in FIG. 12(b), the protruding portion 241 is inserted into the descending fitting portion 242 with the adsorption portion 241a as the tip. As shown in FIG. 12(c), the descending top 222 stops at the lowermost position. At the same time, the insertion of the protruding portion 241 into the fitting portion 242 is completed. As described above, the carrier 300 that has moved upward moves downward while being supported by the descending lift portion 220 so as to approach the mounting surface 210.
[0082] In the state of FIG. 12(c), the lift portions 220 at the four corners are respectively inserted into the respective fitting portions 232. Thereby, the engagement between the traveling body 200 and the carrier 300 is achieved. Also, thereby, the relative movement between the traveling body 200 and the carrier 300 is restricted, and the fixing of the carrier 300 to the traveling body 200 is also achieved. Further, the state of FIG. 12(c) is a state where the abutment of the fitting portion 242 and the adsorption portion 241a are in contact. By exciting the adsorption portion 241a, a magnetic adsorption force is generated, and further fixing of the carrier 300 to the traveling body 200 is achieved.
[0083] <<Electrical Equipment>> As shown in FIG. 13, the traveling body 200 includes, as electrical devices, a power source 280, a communication device 281, a sensor 282, and a control device 283. The power source 280 is electrically connected to the communication device 281, the control device 283, the motor of the traveling device 270, the actuator of the lift unit 220, and the electromagnet of the suction part 241a so as to be able to supply power to each of them.
[0084] Between the power source 280 and the power supply target, devices related to the motor (such as a converter), a switch, etc. may be interposed. The power supply by the power source 280 is controlled by the control device 283 so that the traveling device 270, the lift unit 220, and the suction part 241a are controlled. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the communication device 281, the control device 283, devices related to the motor, etc. are arranged on the rear side of the power source 280 in the vehicle length direction of the vehicle body 260. These may be integrally arranged at the rear of the vehicle body 260 as an electronic unit.
[0085] The communication device 281 is connected to the control device 283 and the sensor 282 via a communication network N1 such as CAN. The communication device 281 is also connected to external terminals (user terminal 600 and server 700) and enables information communication. The communication device 281 sends the received information from the external terminal to the communication network N1 and transmits information from the communication network N1 to the external terminal.
[0086] The external terminal may be, for example, a terminal capable of receiving an instruction input by an operator, such as a mobile terminal (i.e., user terminal 600) owned by the operator or a server 700. Examples of instructions at the user terminal 600 or the server 700 include traveling / steering to the traveling device 270, attaching / detaching the mounting body 300 to / from the traveling body 200, and operating the first movable tool 310 and the second movable tool 320 described later.
[0087] The information communication between the communication device 281 and the external terminal is executed via the information communication network N0 (see FIG. 1). Such information communication may be wireless communication according to, for example, the IEEE 802.11 series of standards (e.g., Wi-Fi (registered trademark), etc.). Note that the form of the wireless communication is not limited to the above, and for example, infrared communication, Bluetooth (registered trademark), cellular / non-cellular LPWA, etc. may be used. Further, instead of wireless communication, information communication by a wired connection may be executed.
[0088] The sensor 282 includes a distance sensor (ranging sensor), a battery level sensor, etc. Hereinafter, the sensor 282 may also be referred to as the ranging sensor 282. The ranging sensor 282 can measure the separation distance between the vehicle body 260 and a detected object separated from the vehicle body 260. The ranging sensor 282 may measure the separation distance based on the reflection state of a beam or the like. As the ranging sensor 282, for example, an ultrasonic sensor, LiDAR, etc. are used. Note that instead of the ranging sensor 282, a detection range sensor may be used.
[0089] As shown in FIG. 9, in the present embodiment, the ranging sensor 282 is provided at the front end in the vehicle length direction of the vehicle body 260 and at a substantially central portion in the vehicle width direction. Thereby, the separation distance between the front end of the traveling body 200 and a detected portion 531 to be described later is measured. In addition to this, a plurality of ranging sensors 282 may be provided near the outer end on the side surface in front of the vehicle body.
[0090] In the present embodiment, the ranging sensor 282 is provided at the front end of the vehicle body 260. Instead of this, a camera may be provided at the front end of the vehicle body 260. The camera may, for example, image the outside of the traveling body 200. The captured data may be transmitted to an external terminal via the communication network N1 and the communication device 281.
[0091] As shown in FIG. 13, the control device 283 is a device that executes control of the traveling device 270, control of the lift unit 220, control of the suction part 241a, and the like. The control device 283 includes a mounting control unit 283a, a detachment control unit 283b, a stop position determination unit 283c, and an automatic driving control unit 283d, and is respectively composed of a program and the like stored in an electric / electronic circuit, a CPU, and the like. An instruction signal received by the communication device 281 and a detection signal detected by the sensor 282 are sent to the control device 283 via the communication network N1.
[0092] The mounting control unit 283a performs control to mount the mounting body 300 arranged on the traveling body 200 on which the mounting body 300 is not mounted. More specifically, when mounting the mounting body 300 arranged at an upper position in the second direction than the mounting surface 210 on the traveling body 200 on which the mounting body 300 is not mounted, the mounting control unit 283a moves the mounting body 300 facing the mounting surface 210 upward from the arrangement position in the second direction while supporting it, and controls the lift unit 220 (see FIG. 11). In this embodiment, the mounting body 300 is to be arranged at the arrangement position in the carrier 800 described later.
[0093] The control of the lift unit 220 is executed in a state where the traveling body 200 is stopped at the stop position. The stop position is determined by the stop position determination unit 283c. In this embodiment, the stop position is determined based on the detection result of the detected part by the distance measuring sensor 282. At the stop position, the mounting surface 210 faces the bottom surface of the mounting body 300. The determination of the stop position will be described in detail later.
[0094] Next, the mounting control unit 283a controls the traveling device 270 so that the traveling body 200 travels in the first direction integrally with the mounting body 300 in a state where the mounting body 300 is pushed upward from the arrangement position. Next, the mounting control unit 283a controls the lift unit so as to move the mounting body 300 that has been pushed upward in the third direction while supporting it (see FIG. 12).
[0095] Then, the mounting control unit 283a controls the fixing units 240a and 240b so as to fix the mounting body 300 to the traveling body 200. More specifically, the adsorption part 241a that was demagnetized is switched to the excited state to generate an adsorption force based on magnetism.
[0096] The detachment control unit 283b performs control to detach the mounting body 300 from the traveling body 200 on which the mounting body 300 is mounted and to place the mounting body 300. More specifically, when detaching the mounting body 300 from the traveling body 200 on which the mounting body 300 is mounted and placing it at a placement position above in the second direction from the mounting surface 210, the detachment control unit 283b controls the fixing units 240a and 240b so as to release the fixing of the mounting body 300 to the traveling body 200. More specifically, the adsorption part 241a that was excited is switched to the demagnetized state to cancel the adsorption force based on magnetism.
[0097] Next, the detachment control unit 283b controls the lift unit 220 so as to move the mounting body 300 mounted on the mounting surface 210 upward from the placement position in the second direction while supporting it. Next, in a state where the mounting body 300 is pushed upward from the placement position, the detachment control unit 283b controls the traveling device 270 so that the traveling body 200 travels to the above-described stop position integrally with the mounting body 300.
[0098] Then, the detachment control unit 283b controls the lift unit 220 so as to move the mounting body 300 that has been pushed upward in the third direction while supporting it (see FIG. 12). This control of the lift unit 220 is executed in a state where the traveling body 200 is stopped at the above-described stop position.
[0099] The automatic driving control unit 283d causes the traveling body 200 to travel by automatic driving so as to stop at the determined stop position. In the present embodiment, when the traveling body 200 of the mounting body 300 is mounted, the automatic driving control unit 283d is executed in accordance with the execution of the mounting control unit 283a in response to an instruction from an external terminal. Further, when the traveling body 200 of the mounting body 300 is detached, the automatic driving control unit 283d is executed in accordance with the execution of the detachment control unit 283b in response to an instruction from an external terminal.
[0100] <Mounting body> As shown in FIGS. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20, as an example of the mounting body 300 of the present embodiment, the configuration of an attachment that functions as a backhoe when attached to the traveling body 200 will be described. The mounting body 300 includes a first movable tool 310, a second movable tool 320, and a base 330.
[0101] Further, the mounting body 300 includes a drive unit 340. The drive unit 340 includes a drive unit 340a, a drive unit 340b, a drive unit 340c, a drive unit 340d, and a drive unit 340e. The drive units 340a, 340b, 340c, and 340d are used to drive the first movable tool 310. The drive unit 340e is used to drive the second movable tool 320.
[0102] The base 330 is detachable from the mounting surface 210 of the vehicle body 260. The base 330 is formed of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing, and a power source 380 and various electrical devices (communication devices, control devices, etc.) are mounted on the base 330. The bottom surface 331 (lower end) of the base 330 faces the mounting surface 210 of the traveling body 200 in a substantially parallel manner.
[0103] As shown in FIG. 16, on the bottom surface 331 of the base 330, there are provided fitting portions 232 and 242 in the lift portion 220, the engaging portion 230, and the fixing portions 240a and 240b. The fitting portions 232 and 242 are arranged so as to correspond to the six support portions 250 of the traveling body 200 respectively. Details regarding the arrangement positions and structures of the fitting portions 232 and 242 are as described above (see FIGS. 10, 11, and 12).
[0104] As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, on the left and right side surfaces of the base 330, there are provided overhanging portions 332. The overhanging portions 332 are trapezoidal in plan view, and protrude outward in the vehicle width direction from the side surface of the base 330 so as to face the overhanging portion 261 of the vehicle body 260 in the vertical direction. The lower base of the trapezoid is connected to the side surface of the base 330, and the upper base of the trapezoid corresponds to the end portion in the protruding direction.
[0105] <<First movable tool>> As shown in FIG. 14, the first movable tool 310 includes a boom 311, an arm 312, and a bucket 313. These are connected in series, and the first movable tool 310 is configured to be elongated. The boom 311 has a truss structure and is bent at one end 311a and a substantially intermediate portion of the other end. One end 311a of the boom 311 is supported by the base 330 so that the boom 311 can rotate relative to the base 330. The position for supporting one end of the boom 311 is a portion in front of the base 330 and substantially at the center in the vehicle width direction.
[0106] The arm 312 has a truss structure and extends substantially linearly from one end to the other end. One end of the arm 312 is supported by the boom 311 so that the arm 312 can rotate relative to the boom 311. The position for supporting one end of the arm 312 is the other end of the boom 311.
[0107] The bucket 313 is configured such that one end is supported and the other end 313a describes a locus of a turning radius. A cutting edge is provided at the other end 313a. One end of the bucket 313 is supported by the arm 312 via a bucket link so that the bucket 313 can rotate relative to the arm 312. The position that supports one end of the bucket 313 is the other end of the arm 312.
[0108] The drive units 340a, 340b, 340c, and 340d are cylinders each having one end and the other end defined, and are axially extendable and contractible. An actuator (e.g., a stepping motor or the like) is built in each of the drive units 340a, 340b, 340c, and 340d, and the rotational power thereof is converted into an axial expansion and contraction motion. When the actuator rotates forward / backward, the drive units 340a, 340b, 340c, and 340d extend / contract.
[0109] One end of the drive unit 340a is connected in front of the support position of the boom 311 on the base 330 (one end 311a of the boom 311). The other end of the drive unit 340a is connected on the lower side of the boom 311 and slightly in front of the bending site. The boom 311 rotates relative to the base 330 according to the extension / contraction of the drive unit 340a.
[0110] One end of the drive unit 340b is connected on the upper side of the boom 311 and slightly behind the connection position of the drive unit 340a. The other end of the drive unit 340b is connected slightly above the support position on the arm 312. The arm 312 rotates relative to the boom 311 according to the extension / contraction of the drive unit 340b.
[0111] One end of the drive unit 340c is connected slightly above the support position on the arm 312. The other end of the drive unit 340c is connected to a bucket link provided at one end side of the bucket 313 on the other end side of the arm 312. The bucket 313 rotates relative to the arm 312 in accordance with the extension / retraction of the drive unit 340c.
[0112] In this way, the boom 311, the arm 312, and the bucket 313 that constitute the first movable tool 310 rotate relative to each other as described above by the driving of the drive unit 340a, the drive unit 340b, and the drive unit 340c. The other end 313a of the bucket 313 extends in the first direction from the base 330 in accordance with the relative rotation of each of the boom 311, the arm 312, and the bucket 313, and can be used as a cutting edge for work.
[0113] As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, one end of the drive unit 340d (corresponding to the first drive unit) is connected at a position rearward of the support position of the boom 311 on the base 330 (one end 311a of the boom 311), in the latter half of the vehicle length direction. The other end of the drive unit 340d is connected in the vicinity of one end 311a of the boom 311. The boom 311 rotates relative to the base 330 in accordance with the extension / retraction of the drive unit 340d.
[0114] As shown in FIG. 19, when the first movable tool 310 is accommodated in a carrier 800 or the like described later, the first movable tool 310 rotates relative to the base 330 so as to approach the base 330 with one end 311a as a fulcrum. In the present embodiment, the drive unit 340d pulls the first movable tool 310 that has extended in the first direction to the opposite side of the first direction, thereby approaching the base 330.
[0115] More specifically, the drive units 340a, 340b, and 340c are also driven, and while folding the arm 312 and the bucket 313 of the first movable tool 310, the drive of the drive unit 340d causes the boom 311 to tilt clockwise on the paper surface with one end 311a as a fulcrum. As a result, the posture is maintained in a state where the first movable tool 310 approaches the base 330. Therefore, the entire moving body 100 has a shape suitable for storage.
[0116] <<Second Movable Tool>> As shown in FIG. 14, in the present embodiment, the second movable tool 320 is configured in a plate shape as a dozer. Hereinafter, the second movable tool 320 will be described as a dozer 321. When the mounting body 300 is mounted on the traveling body 200, the dozer 321 is arranged on the front side of the traveling body 200 (see, for example, FIGS. 2, 3, and 20).
[0117] As shown in FIGS. 16, 17, and 18, the dozer 321 is disposed below the base 330 via a dozer arm 322. The dozer 321 has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the front and is operable on the surface facing in the first direction. The opposite side of the surface faces the front end of the vehicle body 260, and one ends of the two dozer arms 322 are respectively connected thereto.
[0118] As shown in FIG. 14, the dozer arm 322 extends upward from the connection portion of the dozer 321 and is supported by the base 330 so as to be relatively rotatable with respect to the base 330. The other end of the dozer arm 322 is located above the support portion of the base 330.
[0119] The drive unit 340e (corresponding to the second drive unit) is a cylinder whose one end and the other end are defined, and is extendable and contractible in the axial direction. The drive unit 340e incorporates an actuator (for example, a stepping motor or the like), and the rotational power thereof is converted into an axial expansion and contraction motion. When the actuator rotates forward / backward, the drive unit 340e extends / contracts.
[0120] As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, two drive units 340e are provided and correspond to the respective dozer arms 322. The two drive units 340e and the dozer arms 322 are arranged with the first movable tool 310 sandwiched therebetween. One end of the drive unit 340e is above the support position of the dozer arm 322 on the base 330 and is connected to the other end of the dozer arm 322. The other end of the drive unit 340e is behind one end 311a of the boom 311 and is connected to a part in the latter half in the vehicle length direction.
[0121] In this way, the drive unit 340e is provided above the second movable tool 320 in the second direction, and by driving itself, the second movable tool 320 is relatively moved. That is, the dozer 321 relatively moves with respect to the base 330 via the dozer arm 322 according to the extension / retraction of the drive unit 340e. Thereby, the dozer 321 is configured to work on the surface facing the first direction.
[0122] As shown in FIG. 20, the second movable tool 320 is configured to be able to contact the ground surface of the traveling body 200 (i.e., the traveling surface G) when the operation by the first movable tool 310 is performed in a state where the mounting body 300 is mounted on the traveling body 200. More specifically, the lower end of the substantially rectangular dozer 321 faces the ground surface. When the center of gravity fluctuates and the moving body 100 tilts during the operation of the first movable tool 310, the lower end of the dozer 321 contacts the ground. That is, the second movable tool 320 has a function as an outrigger in addition to the function of working as the dozer 321.
[0123] <<Electrical Equipment>> As shown in FIG. 13, the carrier 300 includes, as electrical devices, a power source 380, a communication device 381, and a control device 382. The power source 380 is electrically connected to each actuator of the communication device 381, the control device 382, and the drive units 340a, 340b, 340c, 340d, and 340e so as to be able to supply power to each of them. Note that the power source 380 may be rechargeable by cable connection power supply, non-contact power supply, etc. via a predetermined electrical device (for example, a fixed or mobile charger, etc.). The charging format, timing, location, etc. of the power source 380 are arbitrary. For example, as will be described later, when the carrier 300 is stored in the transporter 800, the power source 380 may be charged by contact or non-contact power supply. On the other hand, the power source 380 may be charged outside the transporter 800.
[0124] Between the power source 380 and the power supply target, devices related to the motor (such as a converter), switches, etc. may be interposed. The power supply by the power source 380 is controlled by the control device 382 so that the drive units 340a, 340b, 340c, 340d, and 340e are controlled. As shown in FIGS. 15 and 18, the power source 380, the communication device 381, the control device 382, devices related to the motor, etc. may be integrally arranged as an electronic unit at the rear in the vehicle length direction of the base 330 or at the overhanging portion 332.
[0125] The communication device 381 is connected to the control device 382 via a communication network N2 such as CAN. Further, a battery sensor (not shown) of the power supply 380 may be connected to the communication network N2. The communication device 381 is also connected to external terminals (user terminal 600 and server 700), enabling information communication. The communication device 381 sends the received information from the external terminal to the communication network N2, while sending information from the communication network N2 to the external terminal. The information communication between the communication device 381 and the external terminal is executed via an information communication network N0 (see FIG. 1). Such information communication may be, for example, wireless communication according to the above-described standard. Note that the form of the wireless communication is not limited to the above, and for example, infrared communication, Bluetooth (registered trademark), cellular / non-cellular LPWA, etc. may be used. Further, instead of wireless communication, information communication by a wired connection may be executed.
[0126] As shown in FIG. 13, the control device 382 is a device that executes control of each of the drive units 340a, 340b, 340c, 340d, and 340e. The control device 382 is composed of an electric / electronic circuit, a program stored in a CPU, etc. An instruction signal received by the communication device 381 is sent to the control device 382 via the communication network N2.
[0127] <User Terminal> In the moving body 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, a system for selecting a carrier 300 that can be mounted on the traveling body 200 is configured. In this embodiment, the system is realized by the user terminal 600 or the like. The user terminal 600 is, for example, a mobile terminal operable by the user (e.g., a tablet, a smartphone, a notebook PC, etc.).
[0128] As described above, when mounted on the traveling body 200, the carrier 300 may be configured to function as a backhoe, or may be configured to be replaceable according to the scene so as to be capable of performing various operations such as agricultural work, construction work, and transportation work. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the user owns the traveling body 200. The carrier 300 is selected from a plurality of different types of carriers 300 according to the user's purpose of use. The selected carrier 300 (hereinafter also referred to as the selected carrier) is configured to be mounted on the traveling body 200 owned by the user.
[0129] Here, a part of the plurality of different types of carriers 300 may be owned by the user and the rest may be borrowed by the user. In this case, a rental service provider (hereinafter also referred to as a rental company) may own the carrier 300 and make the carrier 300 available for the user to borrow. As a result, the carrier 300 owned by the rental company (the carrier 300 borrowed by the user) is added to the carrier 300 owned by the user as a selectable carrier, increasing the scope of selection for the user.
[0130] The user terminal 600 realizes a system for displaying information on the carrier 300 so that the user can view it and selecting a plurality of different types of carriers 300. For this purpose, the user terminal 600 is configured as follows.
[0131] As shown in FIG. 1, the user terminal 600 includes an information storage unit 610, an information display unit 620, and a display control unit 630. The user terminal 600 also includes a communication device (not shown), and the communication device is connected to the information communication network N0. As a result, the user terminal 600 can communicate information with the mobile body 100 (the traveling body 200 and the carrier 300) and the server 700 via the information communication network N0.
[0132] As shown in FIG. 21, the information storage unit 610 is composed of a non-volatile memory or the like and stores carrier information. Further, the information storage unit 610 also stores state information and consideration information so as to be associated with the carrier information. The carrier information is information regarding a plurality of different carriers 300 and displays the carriers 300. The carrier information corresponds to, for example, the modes of the carriers 300 such as "lawn mower" and "backhoe", and is read by the display control unit 630 to become information for displaying corresponding images.
[0133] The state information indicates either the state in which the user owns the carrier 300 or the state in which the user can borrow the carrier 300. The state information corresponds to, for example, the states of the carriers 300 such as "owned" and "rentable", and is read by the display control unit 630 to become information for displaying corresponding characters.
[0134] The consideration information is information on the consideration to be paid to a rental company or the like who is the owner of the carrier 300 when the user borrows the carrier 300 that can be borrowed. The consideration information corresponds to, for example, "0$" when the state information is "owned" and "10$ / hr or 100$ / day" when the state information is "rentable", and is read by the display control unit 630 to become information for displaying corresponding numerical values.
[0135] In the present embodiment, for the carrier 300 owned by the user, by inputting information into the user terminal 600, a data set of carrier information, state information, and consideration information is stored in advance in the information storage unit 610. On the other hand, for the carrier 300 borrowed by the user, rental information is requested from the user terminal 600 to the server 700 and information is acquired from the server 700, so that a data set of carrier information, state information, and consideration information is stored in the information storage unit 610.
[0136] In the information storage unit 610, for example, when the user owns the carrier 300 of the "lawn mower", as shown in No.1 of the information storage unit 610, a data set of "lawn mower", "owned", and "0$" is stored. When the carrier 300 of the "backhoe" is owned by a rental company and is available for rent, as shown in No.2 of the information storage unit 610, a data set of "backhoe", "rentable", and "10$ / hr or 100$ / day" is stored.
[0137] As shown in FIG. 22, the information display unit 620 displays the information stored in the information storage unit 610 so that the user can view it. For example, when the user terminal 600 is a mobile terminal, the information display unit 620 may be a capacitive touch panel and may be capable of accepting operations with the user's fingertips or the like.
[0138] The display control unit 630 includes an arithmetic unit (such as a CPU) and a storage unit (memory), etc., and executes predetermined control based on a program stored in the storage unit. The display control unit 630 accepts the user's operation via the information display unit 620 and causes various information to be displayed on the information display unit 620.
[0139] With reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 22 to 28 and FIG. 29, the information display and the transmission of identification information by the display control unit 630 will be described. As shown in FIG. 29, in order to execute the information display regarding the carrier 300 and the automatic driving instruction to the traveling body 200, when a predetermined application program is started on the user terminal 600, first, as a rental request for the carrier 300, the user terminal 600 requests information regarding the rental from the server 700. Then, the information notified from the server 700 is acquired and stored in the information storage unit 610 (S11). As a result, a data set of the carrier information, status information, and consideration information is stored in the information storage unit 610 (see FIG. 21).
[0140] Next, the display control unit 630 receives the selection of the carrier 300 by the user via the information display unit 620 (S12). More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 22 to 28, after the application program of the user terminal 600 is started, arrow-shaped icons that sandwich the 3D image of the carrier 300 are displayed on both the left and right sides of the information display unit 620. Each time the icon is tapped by the user, the carrier 300 is sequentially selected.
[0141] Next, the display control unit 630 selects one from the plurality of carrier information in the information storage unit 610 (S13), and displays the selected carrier information and the associated status information / price information on the information display unit 620 (S14).
[0142] More specifically, for example, it is assumed that a data set of "Lawn mower", "Owned", and "0$" is stored in No. 1 of the information storage unit 610, and a data set of "Backhoe", "Rentable", and "10$ / hr or 100$ / day" is stored in No. 2 (see FIG. 21). In this case, the data set of No. 2 corresponds to the information notified from the server 700 and is stored in the information storage unit 610 together with the data set of No. 1. Since the data set of No. 1 is information associated with the carrier 300 owned by the user, it may be stored in the information storage unit 610 by performing processes such as pre-input and registration by the user, or it may be managed by the server 700 and notified from the server 700.
[0143] If an operation to select the "Lawn mower" is performed by the user tapping the arrow icon, as shown in FIG. 22, the display control unit 630 receives the operation and displays the carrier information 620a corresponding to No. 1 in the information storage unit 610 as a 3D image of the lawn mower in the center of the information display unit 620. At the same time, the display control unit 630 displays the status information 620b corresponding to No. 1 as the character "Owned" at the lower left of the information display unit 620, and displays the price information 620c corresponding to No. 1 as the numerical value "0$" at the lower left of the information display unit 620.
[0144] As shown in FIG. 23, when a 3D image of the carrier 300 is displayed in the center of the information display unit 620, the 3D image can be rotated by a user operation. As a result, the user can confirm the overall aspect of the carrier 300.
[0145] Next, it is determined whether the carrier 300 has been determined (S15). More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 22 to 28, for example, in a state where carrier information, status information, and price information are displayed on the information display unit 620, an icon of a determination button is displayed at the lower right of the information display unit 620. When the icon is tapped by the user, the displayed carrier 300 is determined.
[0146] If it is determined as "No" by the user in step S15, the process returns to step S12 described above, and the display control unit 630 accepts the selection of the carrier 300 by the user via the information display unit 620. That is, the arrow icon is tapped again by the user, and another carrier 300 is selected. Then, steps S13 and S14 are executed.
[0147] As shown in FIG. 24, the display control unit 630 accepts the operation and displays the carrier information 620a corresponding to No. 2 as a 3D image of a backhoe in the center of the information display unit 620 from the information storage unit 610. At the same time, the display control unit 630 displays the status information 620b corresponding to No. 2 as the character "Rental" at the lower left of the information display unit 620, and displays the price information 620c corresponding to No. 2 as the numerical value "10$ / hr or 100$ / day" at the lower left of the information display unit 620.
[0148] In this way, when it is determined as "No" in step S15 and subsequent steps S13 and S14 are executed, the display control unit 630 reads out the data sets from the information storage unit 610 in the order of No. 1, No. 2,... and sequentially displays the corresponding information on the information display unit 620.
[0149] When, with various information being displayed on the information display unit 620, the icon of the decision button is tapped by the user and the displayed carrier 300 is determined, at step S15, it is determined as "Yes". In this case, the display control unit 630 accepts the operation and adds an effect of changing the image of the displayed carrier 300 (S16).
[0150] More specifically, for example, when a backhoe is selected as the carrier 300 and a 3D image of the backhoe is being displayed on the information display unit 620 (see FIG. 24), it is assumed that an operation for determining the carrier 300 by the user is performed. In this case, first, as shown in FIG. 25, an effect of magnifying and displaying the 3D image is executed on the information display unit 620. Next, as shown in FIG. 26, an effect of displaying a 3D image of the entire moving body 100 in a state where the displayed carrier 300 (backhoe) is mounted on the traveling body 200 is executed.
[0151] Next, in a state where the display control unit 630 is displaying a 3D image of the carrier information on the information display unit 620, it accepts an operation by the user for determining the use of the carrier 300, switches from the image on which the carrier information was being displayed, and causes the information display unit 620 to display a map 620e including an area 620d where work is to be executed, as shown in FIG. 27 (S17). More specifically, after it is determined at step S15 that the carrier 300 has been determined, and after the image effect of step S16, it may automatically switch to the display of the map 620e.
[0152] Here, the area 620d where work is to be executed may be an area where work is possible and where the user-owned traveling body 200 can reach, if the carrier 300 is a work machine that performs agricultural work or construction work, and may be set as appropriate by the user's operation. More specifically, the area 620d may be set, for example, in the yard of the user's residence, etc., but is not limited thereto.
[0153] The map 620e may include, for example, the user's place of residence and its vicinity, and map information stored separately in a cloud server or the like may be appropriately read out by the user's operation. When the map 620e is displayed on the information display unit 620, it may be possible to input a work plan by an operation by the user.
[0154] Next, in a state where the display control unit 630 causes the map 620e to be displayed on the information display unit 620, it receives an operation for inputting a work plan by the user (S18), and as shown in FIGS. 27 and 28, information indicating the input work plan and a work completion scheduled image 620f predicting the case where the input work plan is completed are superimposed on the map 620e and displayed on the information display unit 620 (S19).
[0155] Here, as the work plan, for example, the division of the area 620d where the work is to be executed may be set by a slide operation on the information display unit 620 and displayed on the map 620e. Also, as the work plan, for example, numerical information 620g such as the time when the work is to be executed and the excavation depth when the excavation work is to be executed in the area 620d may be set by an input operation on the information display unit 620 and displayed on the map 620e.
[0156] The completion scheduled image 620f may be one that is stored in a memory or the like, which is associated in advance with the type of the carrier 300 used for the work, the area where the work is to be executed, the work plan, etc. In this case, when the carrier 300 is selected by the user and the area where the work is to be executed, the work plan, etc. are set, the corresponding completion scheduled image 620f may be read out and displayed on the map 620e.
[0157] Next, identification information is transmitted from the user terminal 600 to the server 700 (S110). Here, as the identification information, for example, the carrier information of the carrier 300 selected and determined as described above, the state information associated with the carrier information, the consideration information, etc. can be mentioned. Further, the identification information may include the position information of the user or the user terminal 600, the work plan input as described above, the information of the user, etc. That is, the identification information corresponds to information for specifying the carrier 300 to be transported and the user at the destination in order to appropriately transport the carrier 300 of the rental company to the user. The identification information is transmitted to the server 700 and is used for the processing of the server 700.
[0158] <Carrier> In the moving body 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, a system for renting out the carrier 300 that can be mounted on the traveling body 200 is configured. In this system, the selected carrier can be transported and delivered to the user. In this embodiment, the transportation of the selected carrier is realized by the carrier 800. Therefore, the carrier 800 is configured as follows.
[0159] As shown in FIG. 30, the carrier 800 may be any moving body as long as it can transport the carrier 300, and may be, for example, a four-wheeled vehicle or the like. When the carrier 800 is a four-wheeled vehicle, it is preferable that the carrier 800 has a vehicle body extending in the traveling direction (vehicle length direction), and is configured such that a plurality of traveling bodies 200 can drive in along the vehicle length direction and the carrier 300 can be arranged. Hereinafter, the carrier 800 may also be referred to as a transport vehicle.
[0160] As shown in FIGS. 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36, more specifically, the carrier 800 includes a floor portion 810, a traveling device 820, a storage portion 830, an opening 840, a door portion 850, a mounting area 860, and an arrangement portion 870. As indicated by the arrows in each figure, the front side and the rear side, which are the forward and backward directions of the moving body 100, respectively correspond to the left side and the right side, which are the vehicle width directions of the carrier 800, and the left side and the right side, which are the vehicle width directions of the moving body 100, respectively correspond to the front direction and the rear direction, which are the forward and backward directions of the carrier 800.
[0161] The floor portion 810 is configured in a rectangular shape extending in the vehicle length direction of the carrier 800. The traveling device 820 includes a front wheel 820F and a rear wheel 820R that contact the traveling surface. The floor portion 810 is disposed between the front wheel 820F and the rear wheel 820R. The floor portion 810 is supported by the traveling device 820 and is spaced apart to be substantially parallel to the traveling surface. On its upper surface, the traveling body 200 of the moving body 100 can enter.
[0162] The storage portion 830 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing extending in the vehicle length direction of the carrier 800. The storage portion 830 is configured to cover the floor portion 810 and the arrangement portion 870, respectively. When the mounting body 300 is disposed in the arrangement portion 870, the mounting body 300 is to be stored inside the storage portion 830. When the traveling direction of the carrier 800 is defined as the vehicle length direction, the opening 840 is provided only at one end in the vehicle width direction in the storage portion 830.
[0163] The opening 840 communicates the inside and outside of the storage portion 830. When the traveling body 200 enters toward the mounting area 860 of the floor portion 810, it passes through the opening 840. Also, when the traveling body 200 is mounted with the mounting body 300 at the mounting area 860 and departs, it also passes through the opening 840. A door portion 850 is provided at the opening 840.
[0164] The door portion 850 is configured to be able to switch between a communication state and a shielding state in the opening 840. When transporting the carrier 300 arranged in the placement portion 870, the door portion 850 is adapted to maintain the shielding state. The door portion 850 may be configured, for example, in a rectangular plate shape, and the lower end may be connected to the floor portion 810. In this case, the door portion 850 switches between the communication state and the shielding state in the opening 840 by operating in a flap manner. Further, when the opening 840 is in the communication state, the door portion 850 is configured to be a slope for guiding the traveling body 200 from the outside to the mounting place 860 of the floor portion 810.
[0165] The mounting place 860 is provided above the floor portion 810 inside the storage portion 830, and the carrier 300 is adapted to be mounted on the traveling body 200 that has entered the floor portion 810. The placement portion 870 is provided above the floor portion 810 and is capable of placing the carrier 300 to be mounted on the traveling body 200. When the carrier 300 is arranged in the placement portion 870, the mounting place 860 mounts the carrier 300 on the traveling body 100 located below the placement portion 870.
[0166] A plurality of mounting places 860 are provided on the floor portion 810, and one placement portion 870, one opening 840, and one door portion 850 are provided for each of the plurality of mounting places 860. In the present embodiment, four mounting places 860 may be provided and arranged side by side in the vehicle length direction of the carrier 800. Also, the number of mounting places 860 is not limited to four for one carrier 800 and may be any number.
[0167] In the present embodiment, the stop position determination unit 283c determines the stop position of the moving body 100 or the traveling body 200 at the mounting place 860 inside the storage portion 830 of the carrier 800. Further, the automatic driving control unit 283d automatically drives the moving body 100 or the traveling body 200 located outside the storage portion 830 and stops it at the stop position (see FIG. 13).
[0168] In this embodiment, the detachment control unit 283b detaches the carrier 300 from the moving body 100 on which the carrier 300 is mounted at the stop position of the mounting area 860 inside the storage unit 830, and places and stores the carrier 300 in the placement unit 870 of the storage unit 830. Further, the mounting control unit 283a mounts the carrier 300 disposed in the placement unit 870 on the traveling body 200 at the stop position of the mounting area 860 inside the storage unit 830.
[0169] Note that in the storage unit 830, both the carrier 300 and the traveling body 200 (i.e., the moving body 100) may be stored simultaneously, or only the traveling body 200 or only the carrier 300 may be stored (see, for example, FIGS. 32, 33, and 35).
[0170] <<Configuration of Storage Unit and Placement Unit>> As shown in FIGS. 30 and 31, the storage unit 830 is a housing capable of accommodating the entire plurality of moving bodies 100. The storage unit 830 is provided with four mounting areas 860 so as to correspond to the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction of the vehicle body 260. The dimension in the longitudinal direction of the mounting area 860 (the lateral direction of the carrier 800, the intrusion direction of the traveling body 200) is larger than the longitudinal dimension of the vehicle body 260. The dimension in the short side direction of the mounting area 860 is larger than the lateral dimension of the vehicle body 260.
[0171] On each long side of the floor portion 810 of each mounting area 860, side portions 831 are erected upward, and adjacent mounting areas 860 are partitioned respectively. On the front short side of the floor portion 810, a front portion 832 is erected upward. At the top, a roof portion 833 is provided so as to face the floor portion 810 in the vertical direction.
[0172] On the other short side at the rear side of the bed portion 810, an opening 840 is formed so that the moving body 100 or the traveling body 200 can enter and exit. A door portion 850 is connected to the short side via a hinge. When the front wheels 820F and the rear wheels 820R are grounded, the bed portion 810 is pushed slightly upward from the ground contact surface. The door portion 850 forms a downward slope from the opening 840 toward the outside.
[0173] When the moving body 100 or the traveling body 200 enters and exits from the storage portion 830, the door portion 850 travels. That is, the door portion 850 can be guided from the opening 840 to the outside or from the outside of the storage portion 830 to the opening 840. On the other hand, the door portion 850 is configured to be able to be flipped up. When the end portion of the door portion 850 is flipped up toward the roof portion 833, the opening 840 is shielded. On the other hand, when the opening 840 is shielded by the door portion 850, by pushing down the upper end portion of the door portion 850, the opening 840 is communicated and a slope is formed. In this way, the communication state and the shielding state of the opening 840 can be switched by the flap-like operation of the door portion 850.
[0174] An arrangement portion 870 is provided in the storage portion 830. The arrangement portion 870 may be configured by, for example, a plate member having an inverted L shape in a front view. In this case, in one mounting area 860, the arrangement portion 870 composed of two plate members is respectively arranged inside the side surface portion 831 of the storage portion 830 so as to extend in the vehicle width direction of the carrier 800. More specifically, one of the two surfaces constituting the inverted L shape in each arrangement portion 870 is connected to each side surface portion 831. The other of the two surfaces protrudes from each side surface portion 831 toward the inner center. The other of the two surfaces is substantially parallel to the bed portion 810, and the mounting body 300 can be arranged at the upper portion thereof.
[0175] Note that the configurations of the storage unit 830 and the placement unit 870 are not limited to those described above, and any configuration may be used as long as the carrier 300 can be placed inside. For example, the storage unit 830 may be simply configured with only the placement unit 870 and a member that supports the placement unit 870. Further, the storage unit 830 may have a frame structure so that the inside can be visually recognized, or may have a wall structure to shield wind and rain from the outside or for security purposes. Further, the front portion 832 may be removable from the storage unit 830. When the front portion 832 is removed, the moving body 100 (traveling body 200) can move forward from the storage unit 830. Also, the placement position of the carrier 300 inside the storage unit 830 (the installation position of the placement unit 870) is preferably above the floor portion 810, but is arbitrary. The storage unit 830 and the placement unit 870 may be configured such that the carrier 300 is placed on the front side, side, or upper side of the traveling body 200, for example, within the storage unit 830.
[0176] As shown in FIG. 32, for example, when the moving body 100 is housed in the storage unit 830, the moving body 100 is arranged in a predetermined orientation in the internal space of the storage unit 830. Inside the storage unit 830, each traveling device 270 on both sides of the traveling body 200 is in contact with the floor portion 810 and faces the inside of each side surface portion 831 of the storage unit 830, respectively. The bottom surface of the traveling body 200 faces the floor portion 810, and the upper part of the traveling body 200 is covered by the roof portion 833.
[0177] As shown in FIG. 33, for example, when the traveling body 200 is housed in the storage unit 830, the traveling body 200 is arranged in the same manner as the arrangement mode of the traveling body 200 when the moving body 100 is housed (see FIG. 32). The traveling body 200 is arranged below the placement unit 870 (the other surface thereof). That is, when the internal space of the storage unit 830 is partitioned into upper and lower sides by the placement unit 870, the placement position of the traveling body 200 is on the lower side of the internal space.
[0178] As shown in FIG. 34, assume that the traveling body 200 is housed inside the storage unit 830 such that the first direction is the front. In this case, the traveling body 200 is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the floor portion 810 (the vehicle width direction of the carrier 800) so that the vehicle length direction of the traveling body 200 is along it. The front end of the vehicle body 260 of the traveling body 200 faces the inside of the front surface portion 832 of the storage unit 830.
[0179] The portion of the arrangement unit 870 may exist on the front side of the front end of the vehicle body 260 of the traveling body 200. Furthermore, the portion of the arrangement unit 870 may exist on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body 260 of the traveling body 200. In this embodiment, the arrangement unit 870 is located above the traveling body 200 in the second direction, but this arrangement relationship is not limited.
[0180] Also, in a plan view, between the two arrangement units 870 on both sides in the vehicle width direction of the traveling body 200, the four lift units 220 of the vehicle body 260 are positioned. That is, the upper sides of the four lift units 220 are not covered by the arrangement unit 870.
[0181] As shown in FIG. 35, for example, when the carrier 300 is housed in the storage unit 830, the carrier 300 is arranged in the same manner as the arrangement mode of the carrier 300 when the moving body 100 is housed (see FIG. 32). The carrier 300 is arranged above the arrangement unit 870 (the other surface thereof). That is, when the internal space of the storage unit 830 is partitioned into upper and lower sides by the arrangement unit 870, the arrangement position of the carrier 300 is on the upper side of the internal space. Depending on the configuration of the storage unit 830 and the environment in which the carrier 800 travels, moisture, mud, dust, etc. may accumulate on the floor portion 810. Also, this phenomenon is likely to be promoted by deposits such as the tires of the traveling body 200. As described above, by arranging the carrier 300 on the upper side in the internal space of the storage unit 830, the carrier 300 can be separated from the floor portion 810, and it is possible to suppress the carrier 300 from getting wet or dirty during storage.
[0182] As shown in FIG. 36, assume that the carrier 300 is housed inside the storage unit 830 with the first direction being the front. In this case, the carrier 300 is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the base 330 in the longitudinal direction of the floor portion 810 (the vehicle width direction of the carrier 800). The first movable tool 310 and the second movable tool 320 of the carrier 300 face the inside of the front surface portion 832 of the storage unit 830.
[0183] The placement unit 870 is configured to be able to place the detached carrier 300. More specifically, the portion of the placement unit 870 may be configured to support the carrier 300 in the second direction so that the carrier 300 is placed. Further, the portion of the placement unit 870 may have a planar shape capable of supporting the bottom surface 331 of the carrier 300 to be placed, face the bottom surface 331 of the carrier 300, and extend in the first direction. In addition, the position where the carrier 300 is placed in the placement unit 870 may also be referred to as the placement position.
[0184] As shown in FIGS. 31 and 34, the storage unit 830 includes a detected portion 832a. The detected portion 832a is used to determine the stop position of the traveling body 200 in the storage unit 830. In the present embodiment, the detected portion 832a is provided inside the front surface portion 832. The detected portion 832a corresponds to a portion where the positional relationship with the stop position is defined. The detected portion 832a is configured to be detectable by the distance measuring sensor 282 at the front end of the vehicle body 260. In the present embodiment, the detected portion 832a is a component member of the storage unit 830 inside the front surface portion 832, but is not limited thereto. For example, it may be a component member of the storage unit 830 and be located inside the side surface, inside the bottom surface, inside the upper surface, etc. Further, the detected portion 832a may be an identification code attached inside the storage unit 830 instead of a component member of the storage unit 830. As the identification code, those that are easy to identify and detect by the distance measuring sensor 282 are preferable, and for example, barcodes, QR codes (registered trademarks), etc. may be used. In this case, various information may be stored in the identification code and made readable by the sensor. Also, it is preferable that the mount position of the distance measuring sensor 282 is adjusted corresponding to the position of the detected portion 832a.
[0185] <<Determination of Stop Position>> As shown in FIG. 37, in the present embodiment, the positional relationship between the detected portion 832a and the stop position is defined in advance. For example, it is assumed that the height of the detected portion 832a on the front surface portion 832 of the storage portion 830 from the floor portion 810 and the height of the distance measuring sensor 282 at the front end of the vehicle body 260 are the same.
[0186] In this case, as shown by the solid line, the traveling body 200 is stopped and positioned within the storage portion 830. At this stop position, it is assumed that the horizontal distance from the detected portion 832a to the distance measuring sensor 282 is the reference distance DS. At the stop position, the mounting body 300 is detached from the mounting surface 210 of the traveling body 200 and arranged in the above-described arrangement portion 870.
[0187] At this time, the distance measuring sensor 282 detects the horizontal distance from the detected portion 832a, stores it in advance in a memory or the like as the reference distance DS, and determines the stop position corresponding to the reference distance DS. When the mounting body 300 is mounted next time, control may be executed to run and stop the traveling body 200 with the determined stop position as the target. Thereby, appropriate mounting of the mounting body 300 becomes possible.
[0188] Based on such findings, in the present embodiment, the stop position determination unit 283c determines the stop position based on the detection result of the detected portion 832a. More specifically, when the traveling body 200 is stopped within the storage portion 830 and the detachment of the mounting surface 210 is executed, the stop position determination unit 283c detects the horizontal distance from the detected portion 832a to the distance measuring sensor 282, determines it as the reference distance DS, and stores it. That is, in the present embodiment, determining the reference distance DS corresponds to determining the stop position. Instead of this, the stop position may be directly determined by calculating coordinates and vectors.
[0189] After the reference distance DS is determined (i.e., after the stop position is determined), with only the carrier 300 placed in the placement portion 870, it is assumed that the traveling body 200 has run out from the storage portion 830 toward the outside. Then, for the reinstallation of the carrier 300, it is assumed that the traveling body 200 has returned into the storage portion 830.
[0190] In this case, as shown by the dashed line, the horizontal distance D from the detected portion 832a to the distance measuring sensor 282 is detected by the distance measuring sensor 282. The detected horizontal distance D and the stored reference distance DS are sequentially compared. Based on the comparison result, the traveling body 200 is caused to travel or stop.
[0191] In the present embodiment, when it is determined that the horizontal distance D > the reference distance DS, the automatic driving control is performed so as to move forward in the first direction. In this way, the stop position is determined by the stop position determination unit 283c, and the traveling body 200 can be stopped at the determined stop position.
[0192] <<Detachment operation of the carrier>> With reference to FIGS. 38 to 44 and the flowchart of FIG. 52, a series of operations for detaching the carrier 300 from the traveling body 200 on which the carrier 300 is mounted and placing the detached carrier 300 in the placement portion 870 at the mounting location 860 inside the storage portion 830 will be described in chronological order.
[0193] As shown in FIG. 38, it is assumed that neither the carrier 300 nor the traveling body 200 is stored inside the storage portion 830 and the moving body 100 is located outside the storage portion 830. Also, it is assumed that the opening 840 is in communication and the door portion 850 forms a slope. When detaching the carrier 300, first, the traveling body 200 (moving body 100) is caused to travel toward the door portion 850 by an automatic driving instruction from the server 700 or an operation of the user via the user terminal (step S21 in FIG. 52).
[0194] Next, as shown in FIG. 39, when the traveling device 270 approaches the slope portion, the traveling body 200 and the mounting body 300 are instructed from an external terminal by the server 700 or the operator to enter the detachment mode. In the mounting body 300, when the communication device 381 receives the instruction of the detachment mode, the control device 382 drives the drive unit 340a, the drive unit 340b, the drive unit 340c, and the drive unit 340d, tilts the first movable tool 310 clockwise on the paper surface, and holds the posture in which the first movable tool 310 is brought close to the base 330 as the storage posture (see FIGS. 13 and 19) (step S22 in FIG. 52).
[0195] In the traveling body 200, when the communication device 281 receives the instruction of the detachment mode, it switches to the automatic driving control. The control device 283 automatically drives the traveling device 270 by the automatic driving control unit 283d to stop at the stop position in the storage unit 830. Regarding the stop at the stop position, the reference distance DS determined and stored at the time of the previous mounting may be used. The horizontal distance D from the detected part 832a to the front end of the vehicle body 260 is detected by the distance measuring sensor 282. At this time, since the reference distance DS < the horizontal distance D, the traveling body 200 moves forward in the first direction (see FIG. 37).
[0196] Next, as shown in FIG. 40, the control device 283 controls the fixing parts 240a and 240b (controls to switch the suction part 241a to the demagnetized state) by the detachment control unit 283b to release the fixing of the mounting body 300 to the traveling body 200, and controls the lift part 220 to move the mounting body 300 mounted on the mounting surface 210 upward from the arrangement part 870 in the second direction while supporting it (step S23 in FIG. 52).
[0197] Next, the control device 283 controls the traveling device 270 so that the traveling body 200 automatically travels to the above-described stop position integrally with the mounting body 300 in a state where the mounting body 300 is displaced upward from the placement portion 870 by the detachment control unit 283b and the automatic driving control unit 283d. At this point, since the reference distance DS < the horizontal distance D, the moving body 100 moves forward in the first direction. The moving body 100 enters through the opening 840 of the storage unit 830, and the horizontal distance D detected by the distance measuring sensor 282 approaches the reference distance DS.
[0198] Next, as shown in FIG. 41, when the moving body 100 enters the storage unit 830 and the horizontal distance D = the reference distance DS, the control device 283 stops the traveling device 270 by the automatic driving control unit 283d (see FIG. 37) (step S24 in FIG. 52).
[0199] At this time, as shown in FIG. 44, the mounting body 300 is supported above the placement portion 870 of the storage unit 830 in the second direction by the lift unit 220. For this reason, the placement portion 870 is located between the mounting body 300 (bottom surface 331 thereof) and the traveling body 200 (mounting surface 210 thereof) in the vertical direction. The mounting body 300 is displaced upward in the second direction from the placement portion 870.
[0200] Next, as shown in FIG. 42, the control device 283 controls the lift unit 220 by the detachment control unit 283b so that the mounting body 300 that has been displaced upward is moved in the third direction while being supported in a state where the traveling body 200 is stopped at the stop position. As a result, the mounting body 300 detaches from the traveling body 200, and the mounting body 300 is placed on the placement portion 870. In this way, the stop position of the traveling body 200 is located below the placement portion 870, and it becomes a position for detaching the mounting body 300 from the traveling body 200 on which the mounting body 300 is mounted and placing it on the placement portion 870 (step S25 in FIG. 52).
[0201] Also, at this time, the control device 283 determines and stores the reference distance DS (i.e., the stop position) from the detected part 832a to the distance measuring sensor 282 by the stop position determination part 283c. The previously stored reference distance DS may be updated with the reference distance DS determined this time. The reference distance DS stored this time may be used when the carrier 300 is mounted next time (step S25 in FIG. 52).
[0202] Next, as shown in FIG. 43, with the carrier 300 being placed in the placement part 870, only the traveling body 200 travels backward in the first direction and runs out from the opening 840 (step S26 in FIG. 52). Through the above series of operations, the carrier 300 is detached from the traveling body 200 on which it is mounted and is placed in the placement part 870.
[0203] <<Mounting operation of the carrier>> While referring to the flowcharts of FIGS. 45 to 51 and FIG. 53, a series of operations for mounting the carrier 300 placed in the placement part 870 at the mounting place 860 inside the storage part 830 on the traveling body 200 on which the carrier 300 is not mounted will be described chronologically.
[0204] As shown in FIG. 45, it is assumed that the carrier 300 is placed and stored in the placement part 870 inside the storage part 830, and the traveling body 200 is located outside the storage part 830. Also, it is assumed that the opening 840 is in communication and the door part 850 forms a slope. That is, it is assumed that after the above-described detachment operation of the carrier 300 has been executed. When mounting the carrier 300, first, the traveling body 200 is made to travel toward the door part 850 by an automatic driving instruction from the server 700 or an operation of the user via the user terminal (step S27 in FIG. 53).
[0205] Next, as shown in FIG. 46, when the traveling device 270 approaches the slope portion, the server 700 or the operator instructs the traveling body 200 and the mounting body 300 from the external terminal to enter the mounting mode. In the traveling body 200, when the communication device 281 receives the instruction of the mounting mode, it switches to the automatic driving control (step S8 in FIG. 43).
[0206] The control device 283 causes the traveling device 270 to travel in automatic driving so as to stop at the stop position in the storage unit 830 by the automatic driving control unit 283d. Regarding the stop at the stop position, the reference distance DS determined and stored at the time of the previous detachment may be used.
[0207] The horizontal distance D from the detected part 832a to the front end of the vehicle body 260 is detected by the distance measuring sensor 282. At this time, since the reference distance DS < the horizontal distance D, the traveling body 200 advances in the first direction (see FIG. 37). The traveling body 200 enters through the opening 840, and the horizontal distance D detected by the distance measuring sensor 282 approaches the reference distance DS.
[0208] Next, as shown in FIG. 47, when the traveling body 200 enters the storage unit 830 and the horizontal distance D = the reference distance DS, the control device 283 stops the traveling device 270 by the automatic driving control unit 283d (see FIG. 37). As a result, the traveling body 200 is positioned below the mounting body 300 arranged in the arrangement unit 870. At the stop position, the mounting surface 210 of the traveling body 200 faces the bottom surface 331 of the mounting body 300 with a gap (step S29 in FIG. 53).
[0209] Next, as shown in FIG. 48, the control device 283 controls the lift unit 220 so that the mounting body 300 facing the mounting surface 210 moves upward from the arrangement unit 870 in the second direction while supporting the mounting body 300 in a state where the traveling body 200 is stopped at the stop position by the mounting control unit 283a (step S210 in FIG. 53).
[0210] As a result, the traveling body 200 and the mounting body 300 are engaged with each other via the lift portion 220 (engagement portion 230). In this way, the stop position of the traveling body 200 is located below the placement portion 870, and it also serves as a position for mounting the mounting body 300 disposed in the placement portion 870 on the traveling body 200 on which the mounting body 300 is not mounted.
[0211] In addition, when the actual stop position of the traveling body 200 is slightly deviated from the intended stop position, or when the mounting body 300 disposed in the placement portion 870 has moved slightly during storage, as shown in FIG. 11, a deviation may occur between the axis of the lift portion 220 and the axis of the fitting portion 232.
[0212] Even in this case, since the concave shape of the fitting portion 232 has a shape with a reduced diameter portion along the fitting direction (i.e., the second direction) (for example, in a plan view, a mortar or cup shape), the deviation of the respective axes is corrected when the lift portion 220 ascends. Therefore, reliable support and engagement are possible.
[0213] Also, at this time, the control device 283 determines and stores the reference distance DS (i.e., the stop position) from the detected portion 832a to the distance measuring sensor 282 by the stop position determination portion 283c. The previously stored one may be updated with the reference distance DS determined this time. The reference distance DS stored this time may be used when the mounting body 300 is detached next time (step S210 in FIG. 53).
[0214] Next, as shown in FIG. 49, the control device 283 controls the traveling body 200 to travel with the mounting body 300 integrally in the first direction being the rearward direction in a state where the mounting body 300 is pushed above the placement portion 870 by the mounting control portion 283a and the automatic driving control portion 283d. As a result, the traveling body 200 runs out of the opening 840 together with the mounting body 300 (step S211 in FIG. 53).
[0215] Next, as shown in FIG. 50, the control device 283 controls the lift unit 220 by the mounting control unit 283a to move the carrier 300 that has been moving upward in the third direction while supporting it. As a result, all the engaging portions 230 and the fixing portions 240a and 240b are fitted into the corresponding fitting portions 232 and 242, and the carrier 300 is mounted on the mounting surface 210 of the vehicle body 260. Next, the control device 283 controls the fixing portions 240a and 240b by the mounting control unit 283a so as to fix the carrier 300 to the traveling body 200 (controls to switch the suction portion 241a to an excited state) (step S212 in FIG. 53).
[0216] Next, as shown in FIG. 51, in the carrier 300 that has received the instruction of the above-described mounting mode, the control device 382 drives the drive units 340a, 340b, 340c, and 340d, and tilts the first movable tool 310 that has been in the storage posture counterclockwise on the paper surface. That is, the posture of the first movable tool 310 is restored so as to be workable (step S213 in FIG. 53).
[0217] As a result, as the moving body 100, traveling by the traveling body 200 and work by the first movable tool 310 and the second movable tool 320 become possible. By the above series of operations, the carrier 300 arranged in the upper arrangement portion 870 in the second direction from the mounting surface 210 is mounted on the traveling body 200 on which the carrier 300 is not mounted.
[0218] <Server> In the moving body 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, a system that provides a rental service of the carrier 300 that can be mounted on the traveling body 200 of the user is configured. In this embodiment, the system is realized by the server 700 or the like.
[0219] As described above, as the selectable carrier 300, the carrier 300 owned by the rental company (the carrier 300 borrowed by the user) is added to the carrier 300 owned by the user, so that the user has a greater room for selection. When the user borrows the carrier 300, the selected carrier may be conveyed toward the traveling body 200 of the user from a position away from the traveling body 200 of the user.
[0220] Here, examples of the position away from the traveling body 200 of the user include a station where a plurality of carriers 300 owned by the rental company are aggregated. The above-described carrier 800 may be used for conveying the selected carrier. An automatically driven traveling body 200 is used for arranging the selected carrier on the carrier 800 and taking out the selected carrier arranged on the carrier 800.
[0221] In this case, for example, before conveying the selected carrier, a traveling body 200 owned by the rental company is used to arrange the selected carrier on the carrier 800 at the rental company's station. On the other hand, after conveying the selected carrier, a traveling body 200 owned by the user is used to take out the selected carrier from the carrier 800 at a predetermined position.
[0222] The server 700 realizes a system for instructing each traveling body 200 owned by the user and the rental company to attach and detach the selected carrier and instructing the carrier 800 to convey the selected carrier based on information communication with the user terminal 600. For this reason, the server 700 is configured as follows.
[0223] As shown in FIG. 1, the server 700 includes a notification unit 700a, an acquisition unit 700b, an instruction unit 700d, and a management unit 700c. The server 700 also includes a communication device (not shown), and the communication device is connected to the information communication network N0. As a result, the server 700 can communicate with the mobile body 100 (traveling body 200 and mounting body 300) and the user terminal 600 via the information communication network N0. Furthermore, the server 700 includes a non-volatile memory, and stores and manages various types of information such as mounting body information.
[0224] As shown in FIG. 1, the server 700 can also communicate with the carrier 800 via the information communication network N0. The carrier 800 includes an information notification unit 800a, a communication device (not shown), and the like. The information notification unit 800a includes a position notification unit 800a1 and a charging notification unit 800a2, and executes predetermined control based on a predetermined program. The position notification unit 800a1 notifies the server 700 of the position of the carrier 800 acquired by GPS or the like. The charging notification unit 800a2 notifies the server 700 that the mounting body 300 is being charged by the carrier 800. The charging mode of the mounting body 300 in the carrier 800 will be described in detail later (see FIGS. 63 to 67).
[0225] The notification unit 700a, acquisition unit 700b, management unit 700c, and instruction unit 700d of the server 700 include an arithmetic unit (such as a CPU) and a storage unit (memory), etc., and execute predetermined control based on a program stored in the storage unit. The notification unit 700a notifies the user terminal 600 of the rentable mounting body 300 in response to a request from the user terminal 600. The acquisition unit 700b acquires the identification information of the mounting body 300 selected by the user from among a plurality of mounting bodies 300 including the rentable mounting body 300 from the user terminal 600.
[0226] The instruction unit 700d executes various instructions for each traveling body 200 owned by the user or the rental company, the carrier 800 that transports the selectable mounting body, and the moving body 100 with the selectable mounting body mounted thereon. The instruction unit 700d includes a first instruction unit 700d1, a second instruction unit 700d2, a third instruction unit 700d3, and a fourth instruction unit 700d4. The first instruction unit 700d1 and the second instruction unit 700d2 are configured to give instructions to each of the traveling bodies 200. The third instruction unit 700d3 is configured to give instructions to the carrier 800. The fourth instruction unit 700d4 is configured to give instructions to the moving body 100 with the selectable mounting body mounted thereon.
[0227] Based on the identification information of the selectable mounting body, the first instruction unit 700d1 instructs the traveling body 200 to move to the mounting position where the selectable mounting body is to be mounted on the traveling body 200. The first instruction unit 700d1 varies the target traveling body 200 to be instructed according to whether the mounting body 300 is borrowed or not. For example, when it is determined that the mounting body 300 owned by the user is to be mounted on the traveling body 200 owned by the user, the first instruction unit 700d1 may instruct the traveling body 200 owned by the user to move to the mounting position.
[0228] As shown in FIGS. 54 and 55, for example, a garage GR and a storage 500 may be provided within the section of the user's residence. The garage GR can store the traveling body 200 owned by the user and the vehicle owned by the user. When storing the traveling body 200 in the garage GR, the traveling body 200 may be charged by a charger grounded to the garage GR. This charger may be of a non-contact power supply type, and charging may be enabled when the traveling body 200 stops such that the charger and the bottom surface of the traveling body 200 face each other.
[0229] The storage facility 500 is located at a location different from the garage GR. The storage facility 500 may be capable of storing a plurality of carriers 300 owned by the user. Similar to the storage section 830 of the carrier 800 described above, the storage facility 500 can cooperate with the operation of the traveling body 200 to enable the attachment and detachment of the carrier 300. That is, inside the storage facility 500, a placement section 560 is provided in the form of the placement section 870, and the carrier 300 owned by the user is placed in the placement section 560. The traveling body 200 stored in the garage GR may be instructed by the first instruction section 700d1 to move inside the storage facility 500 where the carrier 300 is placed as the attachment position of the carrier 300 owned by the user.
[0230] On the other hand, when it is determined that the carrier 300 is to be borrowed from the rental company (the carrier 300 owned by the rental company is attached to the traveling body 200 owned by the user), the first instruction section 700d1 may instruct the traveling body 200 owned by the rental company to move to the attachment position.
[0231] As shown in FIG. 56, for example, it is assumed that a plurality of stations STa and STb of the rental company are separated from any of the residences U1, U2, and U3 of the plurality of users. Here, the stations STa and STb are bases that aggregate a plurality of carriers 300 owned by the rental company, and it is assumed that the traveling body 200 owned by the rental company and the above-described storage facility 500 are also always provided at the base. That is, it is assumed that the carriers 300a and 300b owned by the rental company are arranged in the storage facility 500 at the stations STa and STb.
[0232] In this case, when a request for renting the carrier 300 is made from any of the residences U1, U2, and U3 of the user, the carrier 300 owned by the rental company is transported to the user from the stations STa and STb by the transporter 800. Before the start of transportation by the transporter 800, it is necessary to relocate the carrier 300 arranged in the storage facility 500 at the stations STa and STb to the storage section 830 of the transporter 800 via the traveling body 200.
[0233] Therefore, the traveling bodies 200 located at the stations STa and STb may be instructed by the first instruction unit 700d1 to move inside the storage 500 where the mounting carrier 300 is arranged as the mounting position of the mounting carrier 300 owned by the rental company. In this way, in the first instruction unit 700d1, the mounting position is different depending on whether the mounting carrier 300 is borrowed or not. That is, when the mounting of the mounting carrier 300 owned by the user is determined, the mounting position is the storage 500 at the user's residence U1, U2, U3. On the other hand, when the borrowing of the mounting carrier 300 from the rental company (mounting of the mounting carrier 300 owned by the rental company) is determined, the mounting position is the storage 500 at the stations STa and STb of the rental company.
[0234] When the selected mounting carrier is mounted on the traveling body 200 owned by the rental company at the mounting position, the second instruction unit 700d2 instructs the traveling body 200 mounted with the selected mounting carrier to move toward the transporter 800 that arranges and transports the mounting carrier 300. More specifically, when the selected mounting carrier is mounted on the traveling body 200 at the storage 500 of the stations STa and STb by the second instruction unit 700d2, the traveling body 200 may be instructed to move toward the storage unit 830 of the transporter 800.
[0235] Based on the identification information of the selected mounting carrier, the third instruction unit 700d3 instructs the transporter 800 that transports the selected mounting carrier to transport the selected mounting carrier. More specifically, when the selected mounting carrier is detached and arranged by the transporter 800 from the traveling body 200 owned by the rental company, the transporter 800 that arranges the selected mounting carrier may be instructed to move toward the designated position and stop. Also, the third instruction unit 700d3 may instruct the moving transporter 800 to stop at the designated position, and when the transporter 800 stops at the designated position, the door unit 850 may be instructed to operate.
[0236] As shown in FIG. 57, for example, it is assumed that the carrier 800 on which the selected carriers 300a and 300b are arranged reaches the user's residence U1 and stops at the designated position. In this case, it is necessary for the user-owned traveling body 200 to go to the storage unit 830 of the carrier 800 to pick up the carrier 300a arranged therein and mount it on the traveling body 200. Further, as shown in FIG. 58, for example, after delivering the carrier 300a to the user's residence U1, it is assumed that the carrier 800 moves toward the designated position of the user's residence U2 to deliver the carrier 300b.
[0237] Therefore, when it is determined that the user-owned traveling body 200 is to mount the user-owned carrier 300, the first instruction unit 700d1 instructs the user-owned traveling body 200 to move inside the carrier 800 that has stopped at the designated position. More specifically, the first instruction unit 700d1 may instruct the traveling body 200 stored in the garage GR to move inside the storage unit 830 of the carrier 800 as the mounting position of the carrier 300 arranged on the carrier 800. Further, when the operation of the door unit 850 of the stopped carrier 800 is completed, the third instruction unit 700d3 instructs the carrier 800 to move toward a designated position different from the stopped position. More specifically, the third instruction unit 700d3 may instruct the carrier 800 to move toward a different designated position in order to deliver the carrier 300 to a different user or to collect the carrier 300 used by the user, or may instruct the carrier 800 to return to the departure place.
[0238] As shown in FIGS. 57 and 58, for example, when the selected carriers 300a and 300b are respectively delivered to the user's residences U1 and U2 by the carrier 800, the work is executed by the moving body 100 on which the selected carriers 300a and 300b are mounted. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 59, for example, when the selected carrier 300 is a lawn mower, the lawn mower is mounted on the user-owned traveling body 200 inside the carrier 800, and the lawn mowing work is executed in the work area in the section of the user's residence.
[0239] Therefore, when a selected mounting body is mounted inside the carrier 800 on the traveling body 200 owned by the user, the fourth instruction unit 700d4 instructs the traveling body 200 to move to a position where the traveling body 200 equipped with the selected mounting body executes the work by the selected mounting body. For example, the work plan input by the user terminal 600 may be acquired by the server 700, and the fourth instruction unit 700d4 may instruct the movement to the work position and the execution of the work based on the work plan. For example, when lawn mowing in the work area is set as the work plan, the moving body 100 meanders through the area, and the lawn mowing work is executed by the mounting body 300 (see FIG. 59).
[0240] As shown in FIGS. 59 and 60, for example, after the work is executed by the selected mounting bodies 300a and 300b delivered to the user's residences U1 and U2, respectively, it is necessary to recover the selected mounting bodies 300a and 300b by the carrier 800. Therefore, the third instruction unit 700d3 instructs the carrier 800 to move to recover the selected mounting bodies 300a and 300b. Further, the second instruction unit 700d2 instructs the traveling body 200 to move to detach the mounting bodies 300a and 300b toward the carrier 800 that has moved for recovery.
[0241] As described above, the selected mounting bodies 300a and 300b may be delivered to and recovered by the carrier 800 to the respective users who requested them. In order to appropriately deliver the mounting body 300 to the user and appropriately recover the mounting body 300, the management unit 700c manages the arrangement of the selected mounting body on the carrier 800 and the removal of the selected mounting body from the carrier 800.
[0242] As shown in FIG. 62, for example, when storing the acquired identification information from the user terminal 600 in the memory included in the server 700, information regarding the arrangement and extraction of the selected carrier may be associated with and managed in the identification information. More specifically, when the identification information includes the carrier information selected by the user, the designated position to be delivered or collected by the carrier 800 may be associated, and further, the inbound and outbound information of the carrier 300 may be associated with the corresponding carrier information and designated position. The inbound and outbound information may be logged as "inbound" when the management unit 700c detects the inbound of the carrier 300 by the carrier 800, and logged as "outbound" when the outbound is detected, for example. In this way, the management unit 700c may manage the carrier 300 by sequentially logging and updating the inbound and outbound status of the carrier 300.
[0243] As shown in FIGS. 63 to 67, for example, the storage unit 830 of the carrier 800 may be capable of charging the power supply 280 of the traveling body 200 and the power supply 380 of the carrier 300. The charging notification unit 800a2 of the carrier 800 notifies the server 700 that the carrier 300 is being charged in the storage unit 830. Utilizing this, the inbound and outbound of the carrier 300 may be detected. For example, when the charging notification unit 800a2 notifies that the carrier 300 is being charged, the management unit 700c may determine that the carrier 300 is "inbound", and when it is not being charged, the management unit 700c may determine that the carrier 300 is "outbound".
[0244] As shown in FIG. 63, a power supply unit 810a is provided on the floor portion 810 of the storage unit 830. The power supply unit 810a has a flat plate shape. When the upper surface of the power supply unit 810a and the lower surface of the power receiving unit 285 described later overlap each other, electric energy is supplied from the power supply unit 810a toward the power receiving unit 285.
[0245] In the placement unit 870 of the storage unit 830, a power supply unit 870a is provided. The power supply unit 870a has a flat plate shape. When the upper surface of the power supply unit 870a and the lower surface of the power receiving unit 385 described later overlap each other, electrical energy is supplied from the power supply unit 870a toward the power receiving unit 385.
[0246] As shown in FIG. 64, a power receiving unit 285 is provided on the bottom surface of the vehicle body 260 of the traveling body 200. The power receiving unit 285 has a flat plate shape. The lower surface of the power receiving unit 285 is arranged so as to overlap the upper surface of the power supply unit 810a when the traveling body 200 stops at the stop position. The power receiving unit 285 is electrically connected to the power supply 280 of the traveling body 200. The power receiving unit 285 can send charging electrical energy to the power supply 280.
[0247] A power receiving unit 385 is provided on the bottom surface of the base 330 of the mounting body 300. The power receiving unit 385 has a flat plate shape. The lower surface of the power receiving unit 385 is arranged so as to overlap the upper surface of the power supply unit 870a when the mounting body 300 is arranged in the placement unit 870. The power receiving unit 385 is electrically connected to the power supply 380 of the mounting body 300. The power receiving unit 285 can send charging electrical energy to the power supply 280.
[0248] When it is determined that the power supply 380 of the mounting body 300 is being charged by the power supply unit 870a, the charging notification unit 800a2 notifies the server 700 that the mounting body 300 is being charged in the storage unit 830. The power supply units 810a and 870a may supply charging electrical energy that has been stepped up or the like from the power supply of the carrier 800 via, for example, a wire (not shown). The power supply format from the power supply units 810a and 870a toward the power receiving units 285 and 385 may be, for example, either a contact type or a non-contact type. The power supply format is arbitrary as long as electrical connection is possible in the power supply units 810a and 870a and the power receiving units 285 and 385.
[0249] When the power supply form is a contact type, for example, the power supply units 810a and 870a, and the power receiving units 285 and 385 may have contact type terminals. In this case, when the terminals of the power supply units 810a and 870a and the terminals of the power receiving units 285 and 385 come into contact with each other, energization of each is permitted.
[0250] When the power supply form is a non-contact type, for example, the power supply units 810a and 870a, and the power receiving units 285 and 385 may have coils. In this case, the coils of the power supply units 810a and 870a convert electricity into magnetism. The coils of the power receiving units 285 and 385 convert magnetism into electricity. The power supply units 810a and 870a, and the power receiving units 285 and 385 permit energization of each through magnetism.
[0251] Hereinafter, the operation when charging the power supplies 280 and 380 in the storage unit 830 will be described. As shown in FIG. 65, it is assumed that the moving body 100 has entered the storage 500 in order to detach the mounting body 300 from the traveling body 200. At this time, while the mounting body 300 is supported by the lift unit 220, the mounting body 300 travels upward from the mounting surface 210 of the traveling body 200. In this state, the power supply units 810a and 870a and the power receiving units 285 and 385 are greatly separated from each other. For this reason, energization is not permitted. As the traveling body 200 further travels toward the stop position, the power receiving unit 285 on the bottom surface of the vehicle body 260 approaches the power supply unit 810a on the floor portion 810.
[0252] As shown in FIG. 66, when the traveling body 200 stops at the stop position in the storage unit 830, the upper surface of the power supply unit 810a and the lower surface of the power receiving unit 285 overlap each other. As a result, non-contact power supply between the power supply unit 810a and the power receiving unit 285 is permitted, and charging electrical energy is supplied to the power source 280. Also, in this state, the power receiving unit 385 on the bottom surface of the base 330 is located above the placement unit 870, and the power supply unit 870a and the power receiving unit 385 are separated from each other. For this reason, power supply is not permitted. While the carrier 300 is supported by the lift unit 220 and the carrier 300 is moved downward, the power receiving unit 385 on the bottom surface of the base 330 approaches the power supply unit 870a of the placement unit 870.
[0253] As shown in FIG. 67, when the carrier 300 is placed in the placement unit 870 in the storage unit 830, the upper surface of the power supply unit 870a and the lower surface of the power receiving unit 385 overlap each other. As a result, non-contact power supply between the power supply unit 870a and the power receiving unit 385 is permitted, and charging electrical energy is supplied to the power source 380. At the same time, the charging notification unit 800a2 determines that the power source 380 of the carrier 300 is being charged by the power supply unit 870a, and notifies the server 700 that the carrier 300 is being charged in the storage unit 830. Along with this, the management unit 700c changes the incoming / outgoing information from "outgoing" to "incoming".
[0254] On the other hand, when the carrier 300 is detached from the placement unit 870 in the storage unit 830, the supplied charging electrical energy is cut off. At the same time, the charging notification unit 800a2 notifies the server 700 that the carrier 300 is not being charged. Along with this, the management unit 700c changes the incoming / outgoing information from "incoming" to "outgoing".
[0255] <<Carrier conveyance, attachment / detachment, and operation of work>> While referring to the flowcharts of FIGS. 68, 69, and 70, a series of operations for transporting the carrier 300 of the rental company to the user by the transporter 800 will be described in chronological order.
[0256] As shown in FIG. 56, it is assumed that work is executed in a state where the mounting body 300 is mounted on the vehicle 200 owned by the user at the user's places of residence U1, U2, and U3. The mounting body 300 to be mounted is selected and determined by the user terminal 600, and the operation varies depending on whether the mounting body 300 owned by the user is used or the mounting body 300 of the rental company is borrowed.
[0257] It is assumed that the mounting bodies 300 owned by the user are respectively arranged in the storage facilities 500 installed at the user's places of residence U1, U2, and U3. The mounting bodies 300 owned by the rental company are arranged and aggregated in the storage facilities 500 arranged at the stations STa and STb. Also, it is assumed that the vehicles 200 owned by the user are stored in the garages GR at the user's places of residence U1, U2, and U3 before the mounting body 300 is mounted. The vehicles 200 of the rental company are located at the stations STa and STb and are used to transfer the mounting bodies 300 in the storage facilities 500 onto the transporter 800. The transporter 800 is located at the stations STa and STb before the start of transportation.
[0258] As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 68, when starting work using the moving body 100, first, the user activates a predetermined application on the user terminal 600 to select the mounting body 300. Accordingly, the user terminal 600 requests information regarding rental from the server 700 (step S31).
[0259] Next, at the server 700, the notification unit 700a notifies the user terminal 600 of information regarding rental in response to the request from the user terminal 600 (step S32). The information regarding rental includes the mounting body information of the mounting bodies 300 owned by the rental company. Next, the information obtained above is stored in the information storage unit 610 of the user terminal 600 (see FIG. 21, step S33).
[0260] Next, at the user terminal 600, the user selects and determines the carrier 300 to be used from among the plurality of carrier information stored in the information storage unit 610 (refer to FIGS. 22 to 28, step S34). Next, the identification information of the selected and determined selected carrier is transmitted from the user terminal 600 to the server 700 (step S35), and at the server 700, the acquisition unit 700b acquires the transmitted identification information (step S36).
[0261] Next, based on the acquired identification information, it is determined whether the carrier 300 is rented (step S37). In the identification information, if the status information associated with the selected carrier is "rentable", it is determined that the carrier 300 is rented, and if it is "owned", it is determined that the carrier 300 is not rented (refer to FIG. 21).
[0262] It is assumed that the user-owned carrier 300 is selected by the user and the use is determined. In this case, in the identification information, the status information associated with the selected carrier is "owned", and it is determined as "No" in step S37. Then, at the server 700, the instruction unit 700d instructs the user-owned vehicle 200 to attach the selected carrier and perform work (step S38).
[0263] As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 70, when attaching / detaching the carrier 300 to / from the vehicle 200, first, it is determined whether the carrier 300 is rented (step S41). At this time, since the carrier 300 is not rented, it is determined as "No" in step S41.
[0264] Next, according to the instruction of the first instruction unit 700d1, the vehicle 200 stored in the garage GR moves automatically toward the installation position of the user's storage 500 (refer to FIG. 54, step S42), and at the storage 500, the selected carrier is attached to the vehicle 200 (refer to FIG. 55, step S43).
[0265] Next, in accordance with the instruction from the fourth instruction unit 700d4, the traveling body 200 equipped with the selected carrier moves to a position where the work by the selected carrier is to be executed, and the work corresponding to the work plan is executed (see FIG. 59, step S44). Next, when the work is completed, the traveling body 200 moves automatically toward the installation position of the user's storage 500 (step S45), and the carrier 300 used from the traveling body 200 is detached at the storage 500 (step S46). Then, the traveling body 200 from which the carrier 300 has been detached moves to the garage GR by automatic driving (step S47).
[0266] As shown in FIG. 68, it is assumed that the user has selected a carrier 300 owned by a rental company and determined its use. In this case, in the identification information, the status information associated with the selected carrier is "rentable", and it is determined as "Yes" in step S37. Next, the position of the carrier 800 located at each of the stations STa and STb is notified to the server 700 by the position notification unit 800a1 (step S39).
[0267] By comparing the notified position of the carrier 800 with the position of the user's place of residence included in the identification information, the carrier 800 located at the station closer to the user's place of residence, which is the conveyance destination of the selected carrier, may be extracted. For example, as shown in FIG. 56, when rental requests are received from the user's places of residence U1 and U2, the carrier 800 at the station STa closer to the user's places of residence U1 and U2 among the stations STa and STb may be extracted.
[0268] Next, at the server 700, the instruction unit 700d instructs the vehicle 200 owned by the rental company to attach the selected mounting body (step S310), and instructs the vehicle 200 with the selected mounting body attached to move to the transporter 800 and detach the selected mounting body within the storage unit 830 (step S311). On the other hand, at the transporter 800, it is determined whether or not the selected mounting body has been completely stored in the storage unit 830 (step S312). If the storage of the selected mounting body is not complete, it is determined as "No" in step S312, and the transporter 800 stays at the stop position of the station STa.
[0269] As shown in FIG. 70, when attaching and detaching the mounting body 300 to and from the vehicle 200, since the mounting body 300 is rented, it is determined as "Yes" in step S41. Next, according to the instruction of the first instruction unit 700d1, the vehicle 200 at the station STa moves by automatic driving toward the installation position of the storage 500 at the station STa (step S48), and the selected mounting body is attached to the vehicle 200 at the storage 500 (step S49).
[0270] Next, according to the instruction of the second instruction unit 700d2, the vehicle 200 with the selected mounting body attached moves by automatic driving toward the stop position of the transporter 800 (step S410), the vehicle 200 enters the storage unit 830, and the selected mounting body is detached by the transporter 800 (step S411). As a result, the selected mounting body is arranged at the arrangement unit 870 of the transporter 800.
[0271] For example, as shown in FIG. 56, when there are rental requests for the mounting bodies 300 of a lawn mower and a backhoe from the user's residences U1 and U2, the selected mounting bodies 300a and 300b corresponding to the lawn mower and the backhoe are arranged on the transporter 800 at the station STa.
[0272] As shown in FIG. 68, when the storage of the selected carrier is completed by the carrier 800, it is determined as "Yes" in step S312, and the charging notification unit 800a2 detects the storage of the selected carrier and notifies the server 700 of the completion of storage (step S313). Then, it continues to the connectors "1" and "2" at the upper end of FIG. 69 via the connectors "1" and "2" at the lower end of FIG. 68.
[0273] As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 69, the server 700 determines the designated position to stop the carrier 800 and updates the management information in the memory of the server 700 (step S314). Based on the identification information obtained as described above, the designated position is determined. As shown in FIG. 62, in this example, in the memory of the server 700, the designated position is determined to be the user's residences U1 and U2 so as to be associated with the carrier information "lawn mower" and "backhoe". Note that the designated position may be a point on the road corresponding to the user's residences U1 and U2. Also, by the management unit 700c, the respective incoming and outgoing storage information is recorded as "in storage" so as to be associated with the carrier information "lawn mower" and "backhoe".
[0274] Furthermore, based on the designated position, a route for the carrier 800 to transport may be set. More specifically, starting from the station STa, it stops at the user's residences U1 and U2 in order to deliver the selected carriers 300a and 300b (see FIGS. 56 to 58), and then a route may be set to stop again at the user's residences U1 and U2 in order to collect the selected carriers 300a and 300b (see FIGS. 60 and 61).
[0275] Next, at the server 700, the instruction unit 700d instructs the carrier 800 to transport the selected carrier (step S314). More specifically, the third instruction unit 700d3 instructs the carrier 800 to move toward the designated position according to the route set as described above. Also, in accordance with the transport instruction to the carrier 800, it may be instructed to perform an advertisement display on the carrier 800.
[0276] As shown in FIG. 71, for example, a display panel 880 for digital signage may be provided on the carrier 800. The display panel 880 may be provided on one surface of the carrier 800 on the side opposite to the side surface on the opening 840 side in the vehicle width direction of the carrier 800. The display panel 880 is configured to display an advertisement with a preset effect or the like in response to an instruction for advertisement display.
[0277] As shown in FIG. 69, in the carrier 800, the opening 840 is shielded by the door portion 850, and the carrier 800 moves toward the designated position determined as described above and stops at the designated position (step S316). More specifically, the carrier 800 on which the selected carriers 300a and 300b are arranged moves from the station STa along the set route and stops at the user's residence U1 (see FIGS. 56 and 57).
[0278] The opening 840 is shielded by the door portion 850, and the carrier 800 moves toward the designated position determined as described above and stops at the designated position (step S316). More specifically, the carrier 800 on which the selected carriers 300a and 300b are arranged moves from the station STa along the set route and stops at the user's residence U1 (see FIGS. 56 and 57).
[0279] Next, the position information of the carrier 800 is notified to the server 700 by the position notification unit 800a1 (step S317). At the server 700, it is determined by the third instruction unit 700d3 that the carrier 800 has stopped at the designated position, and the opening and closing of the door portion 850 of the carrier 800 are instructed (step S318). As a result, when the moving carrier 800 stops at the user's residences U1 and U2, the door portion 850 opens so that the traveling body 200 can enter the storage portion 830. The opened door portion 850 is configured to close when the loading and unloading of the carrier 300 are completed.
[0280] Next, the carrier 800 determines whether or not the selected mounting carrier has completed entry and exit at the storage unit 830 (step S319). If the entry and exit of the selected mounting carrier have not been completed, it is determined as "No" in step S319, and the carrier 800 stays at the stopped designated position.
[0281] On the other hand, the server 700 determines whether or not the work by the selected mounting carrier is about to start (step S320). At the current time, since the work is about to start at the user's residences U1 and U2, it is determined as "Yes" in step S320 (see FIG. 57). Next, the instruction unit 700d of the server 700 instructs the vehicle 200 owned by the user to mount the selected mounting carrier and perform work (step S321).
[0282] As shown in FIG. 70, according to the instruction of the first instruction unit 700d1, the vehicle 200 stored in the garage GR moves automatically toward the stop position of the carrier 800 (step S412), and the selected mounting carrier is mounted on the vehicle 200 at the storage unit 830 of the carrier 800 (step S413). Next, according to the instruction of the fourth instruction unit 700d4, the vehicle 200 with the selected mounting carrier mounted thereon moves to the position where the work by the selected mounting carrier is to be executed, and the work corresponding to the work plan is executed (see FIG. 59, step S44). As a result, as shown in FIG. 57, at the user's residence U1, the selected mounting carrier 300a corresponding to the lawn mower is taken out, and the work according to the work plan is executed.
[0283] As shown in FIG. 68, when the loading of the selected carrier is completed by the carrier 800, it is determined as "Yes" in step S319, and the charging notification unit 800a2 detects the entry and exit of the selected carrier and notifies the server 700 of the completion of the loading (step S322). Next, the server 700 determines whether the conveyance of the selected carrier is completed (step S323). At the current time, the delivery and collection of the selected carriers 300a and 300b are not all completed, and it is determined as "No" in step S323, and the process returns to step S314. On the other hand, the carrier 800 determines whether there is an instruction to return to the departure point (step 324). At the current time, there is no instruction to return to the departure point from the server 700, and it is determined as "No" in step S324, and the process returns to step S316.
[0284] In step S314, since the selected carrier 300a at the user's residence U1 is unloaded from the carrier 800, the management unit 700c changes the in-out information associated with the carrier information "lawn mower" in the memory of the server 700 from "loading" to "unloading" (see FIG. 72). Next, the processes of steps S315 to S324 are sequentially executed.
[0285] Thereby, the carrier 800 moves from the user's residence U1 to U2, and the carrier 800 stops at the user's residence U2 as the designated position. The traveling body 200 owned by the user moves to the stop position at the user's residence U2, and the selected carrier 300b is mounted on the traveling body 200 at the storage unit 830 of the carrier 800. Then, at the user's residence U2, the work with the moving body 100 on which the selected carrier 300b is mounted is executed (see FIG. 53).
[0286] When returning to step S314 again, since the selected carrier 300b at the user's residence U2 is unloaded from the carrier 800, the management unit 700c changes the in-out information associated with the carrier information "backhoe" in the memory of the server 700 from "loading" to "unloading" (see FIG. 73). Next, in the processes after step S315, the collection of the selected carriers 300a and 300b after the work is executed.
[0287] As a result, the carrier 800 moves from the user's residence U2 towards U1, and the carrier 800 stops at the user's residence U1 as the designated position. On the other hand, in step S320, at the current time, since the work has been completed at the user's residences U1 and U2, it is determined as "No" in step S320 (see FIG. 60). Next, at the server 700, the instruction unit 700d instructs the moving body 200 owned by the user to move to the stop position of the carrier 800, detach the selected mounting body, and place it in the storage unit 830 (step S325).
[0288] As shown in FIG. 70, according to the instruction of the first instruction unit 700d1, the moving body 100 that has completed the work moves towards the stop position of the carrier 800 by automatic driving (step S414), and at the storage unit 830 of the carrier 800, the selected mounting body is detached from the moving body 200 (step S415). As a result, the moving body 100 after the work is completed moves to the stop position at the user's residence U1, and at the storage unit 830 of the carrier 800, the selected mounting body 300a is detached from the moving body 200 and placed in the placement unit 870 (see FIG. 60). Then, the moving body 200 owned by the user moves to the garage GR at the user's residence U1 and is stored (step S47).
[0289] When returning to step S314 again, since the selected mounting body 300a at the user's residence U1 has been stored in the carrier 800, the management unit 700c changes the incoming and outgoing information associated with the mounting body information "lawn mower" in the memory of the server 700 from "out of storage" to "in storage" (see FIG. 74). Next, the processes of steps S315 to S325 are sequentially executed.
[0290] As a result, the carrier 800 moves from the user's residence U1 towards U2, and the carrier 800 stops at the user's residence U2 as the designated position. The moving body 200 owned by the user moves to the stop position at the user's residence U2, and at the storage unit 830 of the carrier 800, the selected mounting body 300b is detached from the moving body 200 and placed (see FIG. 61).
[0291] When returning to step S314 again, since the selected carrier 300b of the user's place of residence U2 is stored in the carrier 800, the management unit 700c changes the incoming and outgoing information associated with the carrier information "backhoe" from "outgoing" to "incoming" in the memory of the server 700 (see Fig. 75).
[0292] As shown in Fig. 76, when the selected carriers 300a and 300b are collected by the carrier 800 and are in the incoming state, assume that there is a new request from the user to borrow the carrier 300 to work at the user's place of residence U3. If the user at the place of residence U3 selects and decides to borrow the lawn mower, the selected carrier 300a in the incoming state can be used. For this reason, the designated position associated with the carrier information "lawn mower" in the memory of the server 700 may be newly set from "U1" to "U3" (see Fig. 77).
[0293] In this case, as shown in Fig. 78, the carrier 800 moves from the user's place of residence U2 to U3, and the carrier 800 stops at the user's place of residence U3 as the designated position. The user-owned traveling body 200 moves to the stop position at the user's place of residence U3, and the selected carrier 300a is mounted on the traveling body 200 at the storage unit 830 of the carrier 800.
[0294] When it is determined that the conveyance of the selected carrier by the carrier 800 is completed, it is determined as "Yes" in step S323, and an instruction to return to the departure place is issued from the server 700 to the carrier 800 (step S326). In the carrier 800 that has received the instruction, it is determined as "Yes" in step S324, and the carrier 800 moves toward the station STa which is the departure place. In this way, based on the log update of the incoming and outgoing information by the management unit 700c, the conveyance and collection of the carrier 300 can be appropriately executed according to the user's request.
[0295] [Modified Example of Traveling Body] In the mobile body 100 of the present embodiment, various modifications can be adopted. Hereinafter, only the points different from the above-described embodiment will be described for the modification examples. For example, in the mobile body 100 according to the modification example of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 79, the connecting portion 290 may be provided on the traveling body 200. The connecting portion 290 is configured to be connectable to a second traveling body different from the traveling body 200. When the connecting portion 290 is connected to the second traveling body, the second traveling body and the traveling body 200 can travel integrally.
[0296] As the second traveling body, for example, as shown in FIG. 80, a vehicle V owned by the user may be used. The vehicle V is separated from the traveling body 200 owned by the user in the garage GR at the user's place of residence and stored together with the traveling body 200. When connecting the traveling body 200 to the vehicle V, for example, both the traveling body 200 and the vehicle V may be driven out of the garage GR and connected automatically or manually via the connecting portion 290 at a position different from the garage GR.
[0297] As shown in FIGS. 79 and 81, the connecting portion 290 is provided in front of the traveling body 200 in the first direction. More specifically, the connecting portion 290 has a rod shape extending in the front-rear direction, and the base of the rear end of the connecting portion 290 is fixed to the front end of the vehicle body 260. The front end portion 291 of the connecting portion 290 has a coupler structure having a circular opening downward. A hitch member HM is provided at the rear end of the vehicle V, and a hitch ball HB protruding upward is formed at the rear end thereof.
[0298] As shown in FIG. 81(a), when connecting the traveling body 200 to the vehicle V, the hitch ball HB of the hitch member HM is coaxially fitted into the front end portion 291 so as to cover the hitch ball HB from above through the downward opening of the front end portion 291 of the connecting portion 290. When the fitting is completed, as shown in FIG. 81(b), the connecting portion 290 is swingably engaged with the hitch ball HB about the vertical axis. Thereby, the connection of the traveling body 200 to the vehicle V is achieved.
[0299] From the state where the connection is achieved, by separating the front end portion 291 upward from the hitch ball HB, the traveling body 200 is detached from the vehicle V and the connection is released. In this way, when the connecting portion 290 is connected to the rear in the first direction of the vehicle V which is the second traveling body, the vehicle V can tow the traveling body 200. Note that the connecting portion 290 may have a detection function so as to be able to distinguish between the connected state and the detached state.
[0300] As shown in FIG. 82, in the moving body 100 according to the modified example of the present embodiment, for example, a drive unit 270a may be provided in the traveling device 270. The drive unit 270a receives power supply from the power source 280 and serves as a drive source for driving the traveling body 200. Further, the drive unit 270a generates electricity based on the traveling of the traveling body 200 in the connected state in the state where the connecting portion 290 is connected to the vehicle V, and charges the generated power to the power source 280. In this case, the drive unit 270a may be, for example, a motor generator or the like.
[0301] Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 83, a power generation device 270b different from the drive unit 270a may be provided. In this case, the drive unit 270a receives power supply from the power source 280 and serves as a drive source for driving the traveling body 200, and does not have a power generation function. The power generation device 270b generates electricity based on the traveling of the traveling body 200 in the connected state in the state where the connecting portion 290 is connected to the vehicle V, and charges the generated power to the power source 280. In this case, the power generation device 270b may be, for example, an alternator or the like.
[0302] Further, in the moving body 100 according to the modified example of the present embodiment, for example, when the automatic driving control unit 283d detaches the connecting portion 290 that was connected to the vehicle V, the traveling body 200 may be automatically driven toward the mounting body 300. For example, when it is detected that the connected connecting portion 290 has become detached, a plurality of mounting bodies 300 are aggregated, and the traveling body 200 may be automatically driven to the mounting position for mounting the mounting body 300.
[0303] As shown in FIG. 84, for example, the traveling body 200 owned by the user is moved from the user's residence U1 to a station STb remote from the residence U1. In the above-described embodiment, the selected carrier is transported by the carrier 800 starting from the nearby station STa of the user's residence U1, but in this modified example, it is different in that the traveling body 200 is moved and the selected carrier is attached. More specifically, starting from the user's residence U1 as the starting point, the traveling body 200 owned by the user is connected to the vehicle V at the connecting portion 290, and the traveling body 200 is towed to the station STb by the vehicle V. Thereby, the power supply 280 of the traveling body 200 is charged during towing. Note that the vehicle V may be ridden and driven by the user.
[0304] As shown in FIG. 84, for example, a shopping center SC may be provided adjacent to the rental company's station STb. When the vehicle V and the traveling body 200 towed by the vehicle V reach the entrance of the station STb, the connection by the connecting portion 290 is released, and the traveling body 200 is detached from the vehicle V. The detached traveling body 200 moves toward the carrier 300 in the station STb by automatic driving. On the other hand, the vehicle V may move toward the shopping center SC side.
[0305] As shown in FIG. 85, for example, the station STb may be provided with a plurality of lanes SR indoors. A plurality of carriers 300 of the same type may be set in one lane SR. That is, carriers 300 of different types are set for different lanes SR. Further, the lane SR is a slide rail, and the upper part of the carrier 300 is engaged so that the carrier 300 can be slid while being suspended. With the carrier 300 suspended in the lane SR, the traveling body 200 moves to the lower side of the carrier 300, and the attachment is performed.
[0306] As shown in FIGS. 86 and 87, for example, the instruction unit 700d of the server 700 instructs the traveling body 200 to approach and attach to the mounting body 300. The traveling body 200 moves to the lower side of the selected mounting body requested by the user based on the identification information. An engaging portion 230a is provided on the upper portion of the traveling body 200, and the engaging portion 230a is configured to be displaceable in the vertical direction while being biased. A engaged portion 230b is provided on the lower portion of the mounting body 300, and the engaged portion 230b is recessed upward from the bottom surface so that the engaging portion 230a can be engaged therewith.
[0307] When the traveling body 200 moves to the lower side of the mounting body 300, the engaging portion 230a is pushed downward while sliding on the bottom surface of the mounting body 300. As the movement further progresses, the engaging portion 230a is displaced upward by the biasing force and engages with the engaged portion 230b. In this way, by engaging the mounting body 300 with the traveling body 200 while the traveling body 200 is traveling, the mounting of the mounting body 300 on the traveling body 200 is completed. After the mounting body 300 is mounted, it may move to an area corresponding to the work plan as the moving body 100 and the work may be executed.
[0308] [Modification Example of Attachment (Mounting Body)] In the moving body 100 of the present embodiment, various modification examples can be adopted. Hereinafter, only the points different from the above-described embodiment will be described for the modification examples. In the moving body 100 according to the modification example of the present embodiment, as the mounting body 300, an attachment 300 that functions as a mobile cold storage during mounting is used.
[0309] As shown in FIGS. 89, 90, 91, and 92, the attachment 300 includes an outer shell portion 360 and a storage portion 361. The outer shell portion 360 is configured to be located outside the outer end of the vehicle body 260 in a plan view when the attachment 300 is mounted. The storage portion 361 is configured to be able to store materials inside the outer shell portion 360.
[0310] The attachment 300 is configured to have a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped housing. The housing includes a front wall portion 360a, side wall portions 360b, a rear wall portion 360c, and a bottom portion 360d. The bottom portion 360d has a rectangular plate shape and is surrounded by the front wall portion 360a, the side wall portions 360b, and the rear wall portion 360c so as to correspond to the four sides thereof. The parts constituting these housings may be made of a heat-insulating material.
[0311] The bottom portion 360d is slightly raised in the entire attachment 300. The attachment 300 is partitioned into a lower side and an upper side with the bottom portion 360d as a boundary. Below the attachment 300, the front wall portion 360a, the side wall portions 360b, and the rear wall portion 360c extend downward from the bottom portion 360d.
[0312] When attaching the attachment 300 to the traveling body 200, the lower surface of the bottom portion 360d faces the mounting surface 210 at the upper end of the traveling body 200. An insertion portion 232 is provided at a position corresponding to the lift portion 220 on the lower surface of the bottom portion 360d (see FIG. 92). At the time of attachment, the lift portion 220 and the insertion portion 232 are engaged to bring the bottom portion 360d close to the mounting surface 210. Thereby, the traveling body 200 is fixed to the lower side of the attachment 300.
[0313] In a state where the attachment 300 is attached, most of the traveling body 200 is covered by the bottom portion 360d, the front wall portion 360a, the side wall portions 360b, and the rear wall portion 360c. More specifically, the front end and the rear end in the vehicle length direction of the vehicle body 260 face the inside of the front wall portion 360a and the rear wall portion 360c, respectively. Both ends in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body 260 and both ends of the front and rear traveling devices 270 face the inside of the side wall portions 360b on both sides, respectively (see FIG. 93). The lower surface of the bottom portion 360d faces the entire upper surface of the vehicle body 260 and the upper side of the front and rear traveling devices 270, respectively.
[0314] As shown in FIG. 93, when the attachment 300 (mounting body 300) is mounted on the mounting surface 210, the positional relationship between the attachment 300 and the vehicle body 260 is as follows. The front wall portion 360a, the side wall portion 360b, and the rear wall portion 360c are located outside the outer ends of the vehicle body 260. The bottom portion 360d is located above the traveling device 270 in the second direction. That is, in the present embodiment, the front wall portion 360a, the side wall portion 360b, the rear wall portion 360c, and the bottom portion 360d correspond to the outer portion 360.
[0315] By configuring the outer portion 360 in this way, the traveling body 200 can be protected as a whole. Since the outer portion 360 itself can also serve as the outside of the attachment 300, it is not necessary to separately add a guard or a fender to the traveling device 270. Therefore, as a whole of the mobile body 100, a cohesive design can be realized.
[0316] At the front end of the vehicle body 260 in the traveling body 200, an electric device that emits a beam outward is provided. In the present embodiment, the electric device is the sensor 282 described above, but it may be any of a ranging sensor or a distance sensor (distance measuring sensor) that emits a detection beam outward, or a light source that emits a beam for visual recognition outward.
[0317] As shown in FIGS. 92, 93, and 94, the outer portion 360 includes a transmission portion 362. The transmission portion 362 is configured to be located outside the sensor 282 in a plan view and allow the beam emitted from the sensor 282 to pass through to the outside when the attachment 300 (mounting body 300) is mounted on the mounting surface 210.
[0318] More specifically, the transmission part 362 is provided on the front wall part 360a, and its inner side faces the sensor 282 and the front end of the vehicle body 260. The transmission part 362 may be arranged at the center in the vehicle width direction and on the lower side with respect to the entire front wall part 360a. The area occupied by the transmission part 362 with respect to the front wall part 360a may be adjusted to be larger than the cross-sectional area of the beam projection of the sensor 282.
[0319] The material constituting the transmission part 362 may be any material through which the beam can pass, and it can be changed according to the beam intensity and wavelength. Further, the transmission part 362 may be a through-hole in the front wall part 360a, and it may be made transmissible by the beam passing through it.
[0320] As shown in FIGS. 89, 91, and 94, in the attachment 300, an accommodation part 361 is provided on the upper side partitioned by the bottom part 360d. The accommodation part 361 has the bottom part 360d as the lower end and is surrounded by the front wall part 360a, the side wall part 360b, and the rear wall part 360c, and is configured as the internal space of the housing. That is, the accommodation part 361 is configured to be able to accommodate materials inside the outer part 360.
[0321] In the accommodation part 361, materials can be accommodated in the accommodation part 361 through a rectangular opening formed at the upper end of the attachment 300. Also, through the rectangular opening, the materials accommodated in the accommodation part 361 can be taken out. Note that the rectangular opening may be closable by a lid or the like (not shown).
[0322] Further, the accommodation part 361 is configured to be able to cool or heat the accommodated materials. More specifically, a temperature control device 370 may be built into the attachment 300. The temperature control device 370 may be composed of, for example, a Peltier element, an electric heater, a heat pump, a fan, etc., and it may be possible to supply warm or cold air to the materials in the accommodation part 361.
[0323] As shown in FIG. 95, the control device 283 of the traveling body 200 further includes a temperature control unit 283g. The temperature control unit 283g controls the temperature control device 370 so as to adjust the temperature, air volume, etc. of the warm and cold air supplied by the temperature control device 370. In this modification, the traveling body 200 is provided with a power source 280, and the attachment 300 is not provided with a power source. This is to mount electrical devices such as the power source 280 on the traveling body 200 side to increase the accommodation capacity of the accommodation unit 361. For this reason, the traveling body 200 may be provided with a first end portion 286a and a first end portion 286b, and the attachment 300 may be provided with a second end portion 386a and a second end portion 386b.
[0324] More specifically, a first end portion 286a and a first end portion 286b are provided on the upper surface (upper end) of the traveling body 200, and the number and respective positional relationships are arbitrary. A second end portion 386a and a second end portion 386b are provided on the lower surface (lower end) of the attachment 300, and are respectively arranged at positions corresponding to the first end portion 286a and the first end portion 286b. When the attachment 300 is mounted on the traveling body 200, the second end portion 386a and the second end portion 386b are arranged so as to overlap the first end portion 286a and the first end portion 286b, respectively.
[0325] The first end portion 286a is electrically connected to the control device 283, the communication device 281, etc. of the traveling body 200 via the communication network N1. The second end portion 386a is electrically connected to the temperature control device 370, etc. of the attachment 300 via the communication network N2. When the energization between the first end portion 286a and the second end portion 386a is permitted, the communication network N1 and the communication network N2 are connected. For this reason, a control signal from the control device 283 of the traveling body 200 can be sent to the temperature control device 370, etc. of the attachment 300.
[0326] The first end 286b is electrically connected to the power supply 280 of the traveling body 200. The second end 386b is electrically connected to the temperature control device 370 of the attachment 300. When the energization of the first end 286b and the second end 386b is permitted, electrical energy for driving the temperature control device 370 can be sent from the power supply 280 of the traveling body 200 to the temperature control device 370.
[0327] The form of energization at the first ends 286a and 286b and the second ends 386a and 386b may be either a contact type or a non-contact type, for example. The energization form is arbitrary as long as electrical connection at the first ends 286a and 286b and the second ends 386a and 386b is possible.
[0328] When the energization form is a contact type, for example, the first ends 286a and 286b and the second ends 386a and 386b may be contact terminals. In this case, energization of each is permitted when the terminals of the first ends 286a and 286b and the second ends 386a and 386b come into contact with each other.
[0329] When the energization form is a non-contact type, for example, the first ends 286a and 286b and the second ends 386a and 386b may be coils. In this case, the coils of the first ends 286a and 286b convert electricity into magnetism. The coils of the second ends 386a and 386b convert magnetism into electricity.
[0330] In this way, energization of each is permitted via magnetism at the first ends 286a and 286b and the second ends 386a and 386b. Note that among the first ends 286a and 286b and the second ends 386a and 386b, some energization forms may be contact type and the other energization forms may be non-contact type. That is, the contact type and the non-contact type may be mixed.
[0331] As shown in FIG. 95, the control device 283 of the traveling body 200 includes an automatic driving control unit 283d. The automatic driving control unit 283d is configured to automatically drive the traveling body 200 according to the movement of a second moving body that is different from the traveling body 200 (mobile body 100). The mode of the automatic driving control may be control to make the traveling body 200 follow the moving second moving body or control to make the traveling body 200 pursue the moving second moving body. Examples of the second moving body include a person, a robot, a vehicle, and the like.
[0332] As shown in FIGS. 95 and 96, for example, when the second moving body is a person HU, the sensor 282 detects the distance between the person HU and the traveling body 200. The automatic driving control unit 283d may automatically drive the traveling body 200 according to the movement of the person HU based on the detection result of the sensor 282. Thereby, for example, at the above-described station STb, when the attachment 300 is attached to the traveling body 200 and a person HU who is a user shops at a shopping center SC or the like provided adjacent to the station STb, the mobile body 100 can be used.
[0333] With the material (for example, goods in shopping) stored in the storage unit 361 of the attachment 300 mounted on the mounting surface 210, the traveling body 200 travels integrally with the attachment 300 according to the movement of the person HU, so that it is possible to travel while following and pursuing the person HU while controlling the temperature of the material. That is, by using the attachment 300 configured in this way, the mobile body 100 functions as a mobile cold storage.
[0334] [Summary: Application 12] System 10 is a system 10 that provides a rental service for a carrier 300 that can be mounted on a user's vehicle 200. In response to a request from the user terminal 600 of the user, a notification unit 700a notifies the user terminal 600 of a carrier 300 that can be rented, and an acquisition unit 700b acquires identification information of a selected carrier, which is a carrier 300 selected by the user from among a plurality of carriers 300 including the rentable carrier 300, from the user terminal 600. Based on the identification information of the selected carrier, a first instruction unit 700d1 instructs the vehicle 200 to move to a mounting position where the selected carrier is mounted on the vehicle 200 (Claim 1).
[0335] According to this, the mounting surface 210 can be a part of the vehicle 200 suitable for mounting the carrier 300. For example, the mounting surface 210 can be opposed to the bottom surface of the base 330 of the carrier 300 so as to be substantially parallel, and can be configured to be able to be close to and in contact with the bottom surface. Therefore, the arranged carrier 300 can be reliably mounted on the mounting surface 210 of the vehicle 200. In addition, the carrier 300 detached from the vehicle 200 can be arranged at a desired arrangement position. For example, the arrangement position of the carrier 300 can be a position above the vehicle 200 where the bottom surface of the carrier 300 can maintain a substantially horizontal state so that the next mounting of the carrier 300 can be smoothly performed. Therefore, both the mounting of the carrier 300 and the detachment of the carrier 300 can be appropriately performed.
[0336] In addition, since the vehicle 200 can be moved to the mounting position for mounting the selected carrier, it is possible to select a carrier 300 according to the user's request and provide a rental service in which the selected carrier can be reliably mounted on the vehicle 200.
[0337] The first instruction unit 700d1 instructs the vehicle 200 owned by the user to move to the mounting position (Claim 2).
[0338] According to this, a rental service that can reliably mount the selected mounting body on the traveling body 200 owned by the user can be provided. For example, using the user's storage 500, carrier 800, etc. as the mounting position, the selected mounting body can be reliably mounted on the traveling body 200 owned by the user.
[0339] The first instruction unit 700d1 instructs the traveling body 200 owned by the provider of the rental service to move to the mounting position (Claim 3).
[0340] According to this, a rental service that can reliably mount the selected mounting body on the traveling body 200 owned by the rental company can be provided. For example, using the storage 500 of the rental company as the mounting position, the selected mounting body can be reliably mounted on the traveling body 200 owned by the rental company.
[0341] When the selected mounting bodies 300a, 300b are mounted on the traveling body 200 owned by the provider of the rental service at the mounting position, the system 10 includes a second instruction unit 700d2 that instructs the traveling body 200 mounted with the selected mounting bodies 300a, 300b to move toward the carrier 800 that arranges and transports the mounting body 300 (Claim 4).
[0342] According to this, a rental service that can reliably arrange the selected mounting body on the carrier 800 using the traveling body 200 owned by the rental company can be provided.
[0343] When the selected mounting bodies 300a, 300b are detached from and arranged on the traveling body 200 owned by the provider of the rental service by the carrier 800, the system 10 includes a third instruction unit 700d3 that instructs the carrier 800 on which the selected mounting bodies 300a, 300b are arranged to move toward a designated position and stop (Claim 5).
[0344] According to this, a rental service that can transport the selected mounting body using the carrier 800 and reliably deliver it to the user can be provided.
[0345] The carrier 800 is configured such that the interior where the selective mounting carriers 300a and 300b are arranged and into which the traveling body 200 can enter becomes the mounting position, and the first instruction unit 700d1 instructs the traveling body 200 owned by the user to move into the interior of the carrier 800 that has stopped at the designated position. (Claim 6).
[0346] According to this, since the selective mounting carriers can be arranged and transported inside the carrier 800, they can be transported while being safely stored. Also, since the mounting carrier 300 can be mounted on the traveling body 200 inside the carrier 800, the selective mounting carriers can be more reliably mounted on the traveling body 200 owned by the user.
[0347] The mounting carrier 300 is configured to be able to perform agricultural work or construction work, and the system 10 includes a fourth instruction unit 700d4 that instructs the traveling body 200 owned by the user to move to a position where the traveling body 200 with the selective mounting carriers 300a and 300b mounted thereon performs work by the selective mounting carriers 300a and 300b when the selective mounting carriers 300a and 300b are mounted inside the carrier 800 on the traveling body 200. (Claim 7).
[0348] According to this, the traveling body 200 with the selective mounting carriers mounted thereon can be appropriately guided to the position where the work is to be performed, and a rental service in which the moving body 100 can surely perform the work can be provided.
[0349] The mounting position is a position for storing the mounting carrier owned by the user. (Claim 8).
[0350] According to this, the mounting carrier 300 owned by the user can be appropriately stored in a storage 500 or the like.
[0351] The mounting position is a position for storing the mounting carrier owned by the provider of the rental service. (Claim 9).
[0352] According to this, the carrier 300 owned by the rental company can be appropriately stored in the storage 500 of the station STa, the hanging rail SR of the station STb, and the like.
[0353] [Summary: Application 13] The system 10 is a system that provides a rental service for the carrier 300 that can be mounted on the user's vehicle 200. In response to a request from the user terminal 600 of the user, a notification unit 700a that notifies the user terminal 600 of the carrier 300 that can be rented, and from the user terminal 600, among a plurality of carriers 300 including the rentable carrier 300, an acquisition unit 700b that acquires identification information of the selected carrier, which is the carrier 300 selected by the user, and based on the identification information of the selected carrier, an instruction unit 700d (third instruction unit 700d3) that instructs the carrier 800 that conveys the selected carrier to convey the selected carrier (Claim 1).
[0354] According to this, the mounting surface 210 can be a part of the traveling body 200 suitable for mounting the carrier 300. For example, the mounting surface 210 can be opposed to the bottom surface of the base 330 of the carrier 300 so as to be substantially parallel, and can be configured to be close to and in contact with the bottom surface. Therefore, the arranged carrier 300 can be surely mounted on the mounting surface 210 of the traveling body 200. In addition, the carrier 300 detached from the traveling body 200 can be arranged at a desired arrangement position. For example, the arrangement position of the carrier 300 can be a position above the traveling body 200 and where the bottom surface of the carrier 300 can maintain a substantially horizontal state so that the next mounting of the carrier 300 can be smoothly performed. Therefore, both the mounting of the carrier 300 and the detachment of the carrier 300 can be appropriately performed.
[0355] In addition, since the selected carrier can be transported using the transporter 800, it is possible to provide a rental service that can deliver the carrier 300 to the user who will use the carrier 300 from now on and collect the carrier 300 after it has been used by the user.
[0356] When the selection mounting carriers 300a and 300b are arranged on the carrier 800, the instruction unit 700d (third instruction unit 700d3) instructs the carrier 800 on which the selection mounting carriers 300a and 300b are arranged to move toward the position specified based on the identification information (Claim 2).
[0357] According to this, it is possible to provide a rental service in which the selection mounting carrier can be transported using the carrier 800 and surely delivered to the user.
[0358] The carrier 800 is configured such that the traveling body 200 can enter, and the inside where the arranged selection mounting carriers 300a and 300b are to be mounted on the traveling body 200, and the communication state and the shielding state in the opening communicating the inside and the outside can be switched. When transporting the arranged selection mounting carriers 300a and 300b, it includes a door portion 850 that maintains the shielding state. The instruction unit 700d (third instruction unit 700d3) instructs the moving carrier 800 to stop at the specified position, and when the carrier 800 stops at the specified position, it instructs the door portion 850 to operate (Claim 3).
[0359] According to this, since the selection mounting carrier can be arranged inside the carrier 800 and transported, it can be transported while safely storing the selection mounting carrier. Also, since the mounting carrier 300 can be mounted on the traveling body 200 inside the carrier 800, the selection mounting carrier can be more surely mounted on the traveling body 200 owned by the user. Further, the door portion 850 can be appropriately opened and closed when the mounting carrier 300 is arranged on the carrier 800 and when the mounting carrier 300 is taken out from the carrier 800.
[0360] When the operation of the door portion 850 of the stopped carrier 800 is completed, the instruction unit 700d (third instruction unit 700d3) instructs the carrier 800 to move toward a specified position different from the stopped position (Claim 4).
[0361] According to this, in accordance with the loading and unloading of the selected carriers in the carrier 800, after the door portion 850 is opened and closed, the carrier 800 can be moved to the next delivery location or collection location. Therefore, the selected carriers can be surely loaded and unloaded by the carrier 800, and the carriers 300 arranged in the carrier 800 can be safely stored and transported.
[0362] The instruction unit 700d (third instruction unit 700d3) instructs the carrier 800 to return to the departure place of the carrier 800 as the designated position (Claim 5).
[0363] According to this, after the delivery and collection of the carriers 300 by the carrier 800 are completed, the carrier 800 can be returned to the departure place such as the station STa, and the same carrier 800 can be used to replace the new carriers 300 or deliver the carriers 300 on a new route.
[0364] The system 10 includes an information notification unit 800a (position notification unit 800a1) that notifies the position of the carrier 800 (Claim 6).
[0365] According to this, when moving the user-owned traveling body 200 toward the carrier 800, the timing at which the carrier 800 stops at the designated position and the position to which the traveling body 200 should head can be accurately determined. Also, when there are a plurality of stations STa and STb as the departure places of the carrier 800, the positions with the user's residences U1, U2, U3 and the position of the carrier 800 can be compared, and a more appropriate transport route can be set.
[0366] The system 10 includes a management unit 700c that manages the arrangement of the selected carriers 300a, 300b on the carrier 800 and the removal of the selected carriers 300a, 300b from the carrier 800 (Claim 7).
[0367] According to this, since the situation of loading and unloading of the selected carrier in the carrier 800 can be managed, based on the situation of loading and unloading, the designated position to direct the carrier 800 can be appropriately determined. Therefore, the conveyance route of the carrier 300 by the carrier 800 can be made efficient.
[0368] [Summary: Application 14] The system 10 is a system in which a user selects a carrier 300 that can be mounted on the traveling body 200, and includes an information storage unit 610 that stores carrier information for displaying the carrier 300, which is information regarding a plurality of different carriers 300; an information display unit 620 that displays the information stored in the information storage unit 610 so that the user can visually recognize it; and a display control unit 630 that receives an operation by the user to select the carrier 300, selects one from the carrier information in the information storage unit 610, and causes the information display unit 620 to display the selected carrier information as an image (Claim 1).
[0369] According to this, the mounting surface 210 can be a part of the traveling body 200 suitable for mounting the carrier 300. For example, the mounting surface 210 can be opposed to the bottom surface of the base 330 of the carrier 300 so as to be substantially parallel, and can be configured to be able to be close to and in contact with the bottom surface. Therefore, the arranged carrier 300 can be reliably mounted on the mounting surface 210 of the traveling body 200. In addition, the carrier 300 detached from the traveling body 200 can be arranged at a desired arrangement position. For example, the arrangement position of the carrier 300 can be a position above the traveling body 200 such that the next mounting of the carrier 300 can be smoothly performed and the bottom surface of the carrier 300 can maintain a substantially horizontal state. Therefore, both the mounting of the carrier 300 and the detachment of the carrier 300 can be appropriately performed.
[0370] In addition, by storing carrier information different for each mode of the carrier 300 in the information storage unit 610, for example, information that is easy to identify, such as a 3D image of a shape corresponding to the carrier information, can be displayed on the information display unit 620. Therefore, a service can be provided that allows the user to easily select the carrier 300 according to the user's request.
[0371] The display control unit 630 causes the information display unit 620 to display state information indicating either a state in which the user owns the carrier 300 or a state in which the user can borrow the carrier 300, together with the image of the selected carrier information (Claim 2).
[0372] According to this, in accordance with the carrier information, either the state of user ownership or the state in which the user can borrow can be displayed on the information display unit 620 as easily distinguishable information such as characters or the like.
[0373] The display control unit 630 causes the information display unit 620 to display the consideration information to be paid when the user borrows the carrier 300 in a state where the user can borrow it, together with the image of the selected carrier information and the state information (Claim 3).
[0374] According to this, in accordance with the carrier information and the state information, the consideration to be paid by the user when borrowing can be displayed on the information display unit 620 as easily distinguishable information such as numerical values or the like.
[0375] The display control unit 630 receives an operation for determining the use of the carrier 300 by the user in a state where the image of the selected carrier information is being displayed on the information display unit 620, and adds an effect in which the displayed image changes (Claim 4).
[0376] According to this, the user can easily recognize that the selected carrier 300 has been determined by the effect of the image change.
[0377] The carrier 300 is configured to be able to execute agricultural work or construction work. In a state where the display control unit 630 causes the information display unit 620 to display an image of the selected carrier information, when receiving an operation by the user to determine the use of the carrier 300, it switches from the displayed image and causes the information display unit 620 to display a map 620e including an area 620d where work is to be executed (Claim 5).
[0378] According to this, by displaying the map 620e including the area 620d, the user can easily recognize the work location planned to be executed.
[0379] In a state where the display control unit 630 causes the information display unit 620 to display the map 620e, when receiving an operation by the user to input a work plan, it causes the information display unit to display information indicating the input work plan in a superimposed manner on the map (Claim 6).
[0380] According to this, in accordance with the map 620e, the user can easily recognize the work plan planned to be executed. Therefore, the work plan can be accurately input.
[0381] In a state where the display control unit 630 causes the information display unit 620 to display the map 620e, when receiving an operation by the user to input a work plan, it causes the information display unit 620 to display a work completion schedule image 620f predicting the case where the input work plan is completed in a superimposed manner on the map 620e (Claims 7 and 8).
[0382] According to this, in accordance with the map 620e and the work plan planned to be executed, the user can easily recognize the work completion schedule image 620f. Therefore, the work plan can be input more accurately.
[0383] When the carrier 300 selected by the user is the user's property, the system 10 includes an instruction unit 700d (first instruction unit 700d1) that instructs the traveling body 200 to automatically drive toward the installation position of the storage 500 that stores the carrier 300 owned by the user (Claim 9).
[0384] According to this, by setting the storage 500 as the mounting position for mounting the carrier 300 owned by the user, the selected carrier owned by the user can be reliably mounted on the traveling body 200. Further, the carrier 300 owned by the user can be appropriately stored in the storage 500.
[0385] When the carrier 300 selected by the user is not the user's property but a borrowed item, the system 10 includes an instruction unit 700d (first instruction unit 700d1) that instructs the traveling body 200 to automatically drive toward the stop position of the transporter 800 that transports the carrier 300 borrowed by the user (Claim 10).
[0386] According to this, by setting the transporter 800 as the mounting position for the carrier 300 borrowed by the user, the selected carrier borrowed by the user can be reliably mounted on the traveling body 200. Further, the carrier 300 borrowed by the user can be appropriately stored in the transporter 800 and delivered to the user.
[0387] [Summary: Application 15] The transport vehicle (transporter 800) includes a mounting area 860 for mounting the carrier 300 on the traveling body 200 capable of mounting the carrier 300, and transports the carrier 300 (Claim 1).
[0388] According to this, the mounting surface 210 can be a part of the traveling body 200 suitable for mounting the mounting body 300. For example, the mounting surface 210 can be opposed to the bottom surface of the base 330 of the mounting body 300 so as to be substantially parallel, and can be configured to be close to and in contact with the bottom surface. Therefore, the arranged mounting body 300 can be reliably mounted on the mounting surface 210 of the traveling body 200. Further, the mounting body 300 detached from the traveling body 200 can be arranged at a desired arrangement position. For example, the arrangement position of the mounting body 300 can be a position above the traveling body 200 and where the bottom surface of the mounting body 300 can maintain substantially horizontal so that the next mounting of the mounting body 300 can be smoothly performed. Therefore, both the mounting of the mounting body 300 and the detachment of the mounting body 300 can be appropriately performed.
[0389] Also, according to the user's request, the mounting body 300 can be delivered to the user, and the delivered mounting body 300 can be mounted on the traveling body 200.
[0390] The transport vehicle (transport body 800) includes a traveling device 820 and a floor portion 810 supported by the traveling device 820 and into which the traveling body 200 can drive in. The mounting place 860 is provided on the floor portion 810, and the mounting body 300 is mounted on the traveling body 200 that has driven into the floor portion 810 (Claim 2).
[0391] According to this, the traveling body 200 can be stably positioned at the mounting place 860 of the floor portion 810, and the mounting body 300 can be reliably mounted on the traveling body 200.
[0392] The transport vehicle (transport body 800) includes an arrangement portion 870 above the floor portion 810 where the mounting body 300 to be mounted on the traveling body 200 can be arranged. The mounting place 860 mounts the mounting body 300 arranged at the arrangement portion 870 on the traveling body 200 located below the arrangement portion 870 (Claim 3).
[0393] According to this, the traveling body 200 can be easily made to enter below the mounting body 300 disposed above. Therefore, the mounting body 300 can be surely and easily mounted on the traveling body 200.
[0394] The placement part 870 supports the mounting body 300 upward, and thus the mounting body 300 is disposed (Claim 4).
[0395] According to this, the mounting body 300 can be surely and easily mounted on the traveling body 200, and the mounting body 300 detached from the traveling body 200 can be easily placed.
[0396] The placement part 870 has a planar shape capable of supporting the bottom surface of the mounting body 300 to be placed, faces the bottom surface of the mounting body 300, and extends in the traveling direction of the traveling body 200 (Claim 5).
[0397] According to this, while simplifying the configuration of the placement part 870, the mounting body 300 can be stably placed.
[0398] The transport vehicle (transport body 800) is configured to cover the floor part 810 and the placement part 870, and includes a storage part 830 for storing the mounting body 300 disposed in the placement part 870 (Claim 6).
[0399] According to this, the mounting body 300 can be transported while being appropriately stored inside the storage part 830.
[0400] The transport vehicle (transport body 800) includes an opening 840 that communicates the inside and outside of the storage part 830, through which the traveling body 200 that enters toward the mounting place 860 of the floor part 810 passes, and through which the traveling body 200 on which the mounting body 300 is mounted and departs passes at the mounting place 860 (Claim 7).
[0401] According to this, the entry and exit of the traveling body 200 other than the opening 840 can be restricted, and even when the traveling body 200 is automatically driven, it can be surely guided to the mounting area 860 inside the storage unit 830.
[0402] The opening 840 is provided only at one side end in the vehicle width direction when the traveling direction of the carrier vehicle (carrier 800) is the vehicle length direction (Claim 8).
[0403] According to this, for example, when the carrier vehicle (carrier 800) is traveling on the road, the entry and exit of the traveling body 200 in the storage unit 830 can be shifted to the sidewalk side. Therefore, the traveling body 200 can enter and exit safely. In addition, the opposite side of the opening 840 in the vehicle width direction can be effectively utilized, and a display panel 880 or the like for, for example, advertising display can be provided on the surface of the opposite side.
[0404] The carrier vehicle (carrier 800) is configured to be able to switch between a communicating state and a shielding state at the opening 840, and includes a door portion 850 that maintains the shielding state when transporting the carrier 300 disposed in the placement portion 870 (Claim 9).
[0405] According to this, even when the opening 840 is provided, the opening 840 can be shielded during transportation, so that the carrier 300 can be transported while being safely and appropriately stored.
[0406] The door portion 850 is configured to be a slope that guides the traveling body 200 from the outside to the mounting area 860 of the floor portion 810 when the opening 840 is in the communicating state (Claim 10, Claim 14).
[0407] According to this, even when a step is generated between the floor portion 810 and the traveling surface, the entry and exit of the traveling body 200 in the storage unit 830 can be easily performed.
[0408] The traveling device 820 includes a front wheel 820F and a rear wheel 820R, and the floor portion 810 is provided between the front wheel 820F and the rear wheel 820R (Claim 11).
[0409] According to this, the floor portion 810 can be brought closer to the traveling surface, and even when the carrier 300 is disposed, the transport vehicle (transport body 800) can travel stably. Further, when the door portion 850 forms a slope leading to the mounting portion 860 of the floor portion 810, the inclination of the slope can be moderated.
[0410] A plurality of the mounting portions 860 are provided on the floor portion 810, and one arrangement portion 870 is provided for each of the plurality of mounting portions 860 (Claim 12).
[0411] According to this, a plurality of carriers 300 can be transported by one transport vehicle (transport body 800), and efficient delivery and collection of the carriers 300 are possible.
[0412] A plurality of the mounting portions 860 are provided on the floor portion 810, and one arrangement portion 870, one opening portion 840, and one door portion 850 are provided for each of the plurality of mounting portions 860 (Claim 13).
[0413] According to this, even when a plurality of carriers 300 are transported by one transport vehicle (transport body 800), entry and exit of the traveling body 200 other than the opening portion 840 can be restricted, and even when the traveling body 200 is automatically operated, it can be surely guided to the mounting portion 860 inside the storage portion 830. Further, even when a plurality of carriers 300 are transported, the opening portion 840 can be shielded during transportation, so that the carriers 300 can be transported while being safely and appropriately stored.
[0414] [Summary: Application 16] The moving body 100 includes a traveling body 200, a carrier 300 that can be mounted on the traveling body 200, and a storage portion 361 provided in the carrier 300 and configured to be capable of storing materials (Claim 1).
[0415] According to this, the mounting surface 210 can be a part of the traveling body 200 suitable for mounting the mounting body 300. For example, the mounting surface 210 can be opposed to the bottom surface of the base portion 330 of the mounting body 300 so as to be substantially parallel, and can be configured to be close to and in contact with the bottom surface. Therefore, the arranged mounting body 300 can be surely mounted on the mounting surface 210 of the traveling body 200. Further, the mounting body 300 detached from the traveling body 200 can be arranged at a desired arrangement position. For example, the arrangement position of the mounting body 300 can be a position above the traveling body 200 and where the bottom surface of the mounting body 300 can maintain a substantially horizontal state so that the next mounting of the mounting body 300 can be smoothly performed. Therefore, both the mounting of the mounting body 300 and the detachment of the mounting body 300 can be appropriately performed.
[0416] In addition, it is possible to move while protecting the materials stored in the storage portion 361. Therefore, it can be used for shopping, delivery, etc., and can increase the usage scenes of the moving body 100 in the lifestyle.
[0417] The moving body 100 includes an automatic driving control unit 283d that automatically drives the traveling body 200 in accordance with the movement of a second moving body different from the traveling body 200 (Claim 2).
[0418] According to this, the moving body 100 can automatically follow or accompany the second moving body, and along with the movement of the second moving body, the materials stored in the storage portion 361 can also be moved.
[0419] The second moving body is a person HU, and includes a detection unit (sensor 282) that detects the distance between the person HU and the traveling body 200, and the automatic driving control unit 283d automatically drives the traveling body 200 in accordance with the movement of the person HU based on the detection result of the detection unit (sensor 282) (Claim 3).
[0420] According to this, for a person HU who moves in a complex and random manner, the moving body 100 can accurately accompany or follow. Therefore, along with the movement of the person HU, the supplies stored in the storage unit 361 can also be accurately moved.
[0421] The moving body 100 includes a temperature control device 370 configured to be able to cool or heat the supplies stored in the storage unit 361 (Claim 4).
[0422] According to this, the moving body 100 can be made to function as a mobile cold storage. Therefore, even when storing supplies that require heat preservation, long-distance and long-time movement becomes possible. For this reason, the usage scenarios of the moving body 100 can be further increased.
[0423] The moving body 100 is provided on the traveling body 200 and includes a power source 280 that drives the temperature control device 370, and the temperature control device 370 is provided on the mounting body 300 (Claim 5).
[0424] According to this, since the power source 280 is provided on the traveling body 200 side, the space of the storage unit 361 can be increased. Also, the temperature control device 370 can be brought closer to the supplies in the storage unit 361, enabling efficient cooling or heating.
[0425] [Summary: Application 17] The moving body 100 includes a traveling body 200, a mounting body 300 that can be attached to the traveling body 200, a connecting portion 290 configured to be connectable to a second traveling body different from the traveling body 200, and when connected to the second traveling body, the second traveling body and the traveling body 200 can travel integrally (Claim 1).
[0426] According to this, the mounting surface 210 can be a part of the traveling body 200 suitable for mounting the mounting body 300. For example, the mounting surface 210 can be opposed to the bottom surface of the base portion 330 of the mounting body 300 so as to be substantially parallel, and can be configured to be able to be close to and in contact with the bottom surface. Therefore, the arranged mounting body 300 can be surely mounted on the mounting surface 210 of the traveling body 200. Further, the mounting body 300 detached from the traveling body 200 can be arranged at a desired arrangement position. For example, the arrangement position of the mounting body 300 can be a position above the traveling body 200 and where the bottom surface of the mounting body 300 can maintain substantially horizontal so that the next mounting of the mounting body 300 can be smoothly performed. Therefore, both the mounting of the mounting body 300 and the detachment of the mounting body 300 can be appropriately performed.
[0427] Further, even when the mounting body 300 to be mounted on the traveling body 200 is located apart from the traveling body 200, the traveling body 200 can be moved together with the second traveling body and brought close to the mounting body 300. Therefore, the mounting body 300 can be arranged and stored at various places, and can be surely mounted on the traveling body 200 that has moved.
[0428] The traveling body 200 can travel in the first direction, the connecting portion 290 is provided in front of the traveling body 200 in the first direction, and when connected to the rear of the second traveling body (vehicle V) in the first direction, the second traveling body (vehicle V) can tow the traveling body 200 (Claim 2).
[0429] According to this, since the traveling body 200 is towed by the second traveling body (vehicle V), when the traveling body 200 moves, consumption of the drive power source of the traveling body 200 can be suppressed. Further, the traveling body 200 can be safely moved.
[0430] The mobile body 100 includes a drive unit 270a that drives the traveling body, and a power source 280 that can charge the power supplied to the drive unit 270a. In a state where the connecting portion 290 is connected to the second traveling body, the drive unit 270a generates electricity based on the traveling of the traveling body 200, and charges the generated power into the power source 280 (Claim 3).
[0431] According to this, while the traveling body 200 is moving toward the position where the carrier 300 is disposed and stored, the power source 280 can be charged. Therefore, the operation at the time of mounting the carrier 300 and after mounting can be smoothly executed without power failure. In addition, since the drive unit 270a can be effectively used for charging, it is possible to eliminate the need for installing a new power generation device.
[0432] The mobile body 100 includes an automatic driving control unit 283d that automatically drives the traveling body 200 toward the carrier 300 when the connecting portion 290 connected to the second traveling body is detached (Claim 4, Claim 6).
[0433] According to this, after the connection is released, the carrier 300 can be automatically mounted on the mobile body 200 that has moved together with the second traveling body. Therefore, the carrier 300 can be easily and surely mounted on the traveling body 200 that has moved.
[0434] The mobile body 100 includes a drive unit 270a that drives the traveling body 200, a power source 280 that can charge the power supplied to the drive unit 270a, and a power generation device 270b that generates electricity based on the traveling of the traveling body 200 and charges the generated power into the power source 280 in a state where the connecting portion 290 is connected to the second traveling body (Claim 5).
[0435] According to this, the power generation device 270b can be actively used for charging the power source 280, and the drive unit 270a can be specialized for the self-running of the traveling body 200. That is, the roles of the drive unit 270a and the power generation device 270b can be shared, and the deterioration of the drive unit 270a and the power generation device 270b can be suppressed.
[0436] Each of the above-described embodiments disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown not by the above description but by the claims, and it is intended that all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are included.
Explanation of Signs
[0437] 100: Moving body 200: Traveling body 210: Mounting surface 220: Lift part 230: Engaging part 240: Fixing part 250: Support part 260: Vehicle body 270: Traveling device 270a: Driving part 270b: Power generation device 280: Power supply 283: Control device 290: Connecting part 300: Mounting body (attachment) 310: Base part 320: First movable tool 330: Second movable tool 340: Driving part 360: Outer part 361: Accommodating part 370: Temperature control device 380: Power supply 383: Control device 500: Storage 560: Arrangement part 600: User terminal 610: Information storage part 620: Information display part 630: Display control part 700: Server 700a: Notification part 700b: Acquisition part 700c: Management part 700d: Instruction part 800: Carrier 810: Floor part 820: Running gear 830: Storage section 840: Opening 850: Door section 860: Mounting area 870: Disposition section
Claims
1. A system for providing a rental service of a carrier mountable on a user's vehicle, comprising: a notification unit that notifies the user terminal of carriers available for rental in response to a request from the user terminal of the user; an acquisition unit that acquires identification information of a selected carrier selected by the user from among a plurality of carriers including the carriers available for rental, from the user terminal; an instruction unit that instructs a carrier that transports the selected carrier to transport the selected carrier, based on the identification information of the selected carrier; and a rental service providing system.
2. In the rental service providing system according to Claim 1, the instruction unit instructs, when the selected carrier is arranged on the carrier, the carrier on which the selected carrier is arranged to move toward a position specified based on the identification information. A rental service providing system.
3. In the rental service providing system according to Claim 2, the carrier has an interior into which the vehicle can enter and which is a position where the arranged selected carrier is mounted on the vehicle, and is configured to be able to switch between a communicating state and a shielding state at an opening that communicates the interior and the exterior, and has a door portion that maintains the shielding state when transporting the arranged selected carrier; and the instruction unit instructs the moving carrier to stop at the specified position, and when the carrier stops at the specified position, instructs the door portion to operate. A rental service providing system.
4. In the rental service providing system according to Claim 3, the instruction unit instructs the carrier to move toward a specified position different from the stopped position when the operation of the door portion of the stopped carrier is completed. A rental service providing system.
5. In the rental service providing system according to Claim 4, the instruction unit instructs the carrier to return to the departure place of the carrier as the specified position. A rental service providing system.
6. In the rental service providing system according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, a position notification unit that notifies the position of the carrier is provided. A rental service providing system.
7. In the rental service providing system according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, A management unit that manages the arrangement of the selected mounting carrier on the carrier and the removal of the selected mounting carrier from the carrier comprising a rental service providing system.