Server device, vehicle and control method

Abstract

To provide a technique for preventing a vehicle from restarting running while parts are being assembled to the vehicle.SOLUTION: A server device includes a command generation unit that generates driving commands to control the unmanned driving of a vehicle, a command transmission unit that controls the transmission of the driving commands to the vehicle, a stop detection unit that detects when the vehicle has stopped at an assembly position where parts are assembled to the vehicle, and a stop unit that, when it is detected that the vehicle has stopped at the assembly position, executes at least one of a process to stop the generation of the driving commands by the command generation unit, a process to stop the transmission of the driving commands by the command transmission unit, and a process to send an invalidating command to the vehicle to invalidate the driving command.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a server device, a vehicle, and a control method. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART There is known a technique for running a vehicle in the middle of manufacturing in an unmanned manner (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021 / 0394780 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] If a vehicle is stopped and a part is being assembled, and the vehicle then starts moving again, there is a possibility that the part will be improperly assembled. [Means for solving the problem]

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

[0006] (1) According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a server device including: a command generation unit that generates a driving command for controlling unmanned driving of a vehicle; a command transmission unit that controls transmission of the driving command to the vehicle; a vehicle stop detection unit that detects that the vehicle has stopped at an assembly position where a part is to be assembled to the vehicle; and a stop unit that, when it is detected that the vehicle has stopped at the assembly position, executes at least one of a process of stopping generation of the driving command by the command generation unit, a process of stopping transmission of the driving command by the command transmission unit, and a process of transmitting an invalid command to the vehicle to invalidate the driving command. According to the server device of this aspect, it is possible to prevent a vehicle from resuming travel while a part is being assembled in the vehicle while it is stopped, thereby preventing the occurrence of defective part assembly. (2) The server device of the above embodiment may further include an assembly detection unit that detects that assembly of the part has been completed, and a restart unit that, when it is detected that assembly of the part has been completed, executes at least one of a process of restarting the process stopped by the stop unit and a process of sending an enable command to the vehicle to enable the driving command. According to the server device of this aspect, the vehicle on which the parts have been installed can be moved in an unmanned manner. (3) In the server device of the above aspect, the assembly detection unit may detect that assembly of the part has been completed by using information acquired from an assembly device that assembles the part onto the vehicle. According to the server device of this aspect, the completion of assembly is detected using information acquired from the assembly device, so it is easy to accurately detect that assembly of parts by the assembly device has been completed. (4) In the server device of the above aspect, the assembly device may include an arm unit that assembles the part to the vehicle, and the assembly detection unit may detect that the assembly of the part has been completed using information regarding the state of the arm unit obtained from the assembly device. According to the server device of this aspect, it is possible to detect that the assembly of the part has been completed by using information relating to the state of the arm unit. (5) In the server device of the above aspect, the state of the arm unit may be a state relating to the position and posture of the arm unit. According to the server device of this aspect, it is possible to prevent the vehicle starting from the assembly position from coming into contact with the arm portion. (6) In the server device of the above aspect, the state of the arm unit may be a state regarding whether or not the arm unit is gripping the part. According to the server device of this aspect, it is possible to prevent the vehicle from starting off while the arm is holding a part, and therefore it is possible to prevent the arm from being pulled by the vehicle. (7) In the server device of the above aspect, the assembly detection unit may detect that assembly of the part has been completed using information acquired from an external sensor located outside the vehicle. According to this aspect of the server device, it is possible to detect the completion of part assembly using information acquired from an external sensor, and also to detect the completion of part assembly when a worker manually assembles parts. (8) In the server device of the above aspect, the assembly detection unit may detect that assembly of the part has been completed by using a pass / fail determination result regarding assembly of the part. According to this type of server device, it is possible to detect the completion of part assembly using the pass / fail judgment result. Also, it is possible to detect the completion of part assembly even when a worker assembles parts manually. (9) In the server device of the above aspect, the command generation unit may generate the driving command to drive the vehicle to a repair location when the quality determination result is a defective result. According to the server device of this aspect, a vehicle in which an assembly defect has occurred can be automatically moved to a repair location. (10) In the server device of the above aspect, the assembly detection unit may detect that assembly of the part has been completed by using information transmitted from the vehicle when the part has been assembled. According to this aspect of the server device, it is possible to detect the completion of part assembly using information transmitted from the vehicle, and also to detect the completion of part assembly when a worker manually assembles parts. (11) The server device of the above aspect may further include a position information generation unit that generates position information of the vehicle, wherein the command generation unit generates the driving command using the position information, and the stopping unit executes a process to stop the generation of the driving command by the command generation unit when it is detected that the vehicle has stopped at the assembly position, and the position information generation unit may continue generating the position information while the generation of the driving command by the command generation unit is stopped by the stopping unit. According to the server device of this aspect, the vehicle position information can be used for purposes other than vehicle travel. (12) According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a vehicle capable of traveling in an unmanned driving mode, the vehicle including: an actuator for driving the vehicle; a command generation unit that generates a driving command for controlling the unmanned driving of the vehicle; a control unit that drives the actuator using the driving command; a vehicle stop detection unit that detects that the vehicle has stopped at an assembly position where a part is to be assembled to the vehicle; and a stop unit that, when it is detected that the vehicle has stopped at the assembly position, executes at least one of a process for stopping generation of the driving command by the command generation unit and a process for stopping driving of the actuator using the driving command by the control unit. According to this aspect of the vehicle, it is possible to prevent the vehicle from resuming travel while a part is being assembled in the stopped vehicle, thereby preventing the occurrence of defective part assembly. (13) According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a vehicle control method, which generates a driving command for controlling unmanned driving of the vehicle, transmits the driving command to the vehicle, and, when detecting that the vehicle has stopped at an assembly position where a part is to be assembled to the vehicle, executes at least one of a process of stopping the generation of the driving command, a process of stopping the transmission of the driving command, and a process of transmitting an invalidation command to the vehicle to invalidate the driving command. According to this control method, it is possible to prevent the vehicle from resuming travel while a part is being assembled in the stopped vehicle, thereby preventing the occurrence of defective part assembly. (14) According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a vehicle control method, which generates a driving command for controlling unmanned driving of the vehicle, drives an actuator for driving the vehicle using the driving command, and, when detecting that the vehicle has stopped at an assembly position where a part is to be assembled to the vehicle, executes at least one of a process of stopping generation of the driving command and a process of stopping driving the actuator using the driving command. According to this control method, it is possible to prevent the vehicle from resuming travel while a part is being assembled in the stopped vehicle, thereby preventing the occurrence of defective part assembly. The present disclosure may be realized in various forms other than a server device, a vehicle, and a control method, such as a computer program and a recording medium on which the computer program is recorded. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a server device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of an assembly robot according to a first embodiment. [Figure 5] 4 is a first flowchart showing a processing procedure for vehicle travel control according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 6 is a second flowchart showing the processing procedure for vehicle travel control in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 4 is a first flowchart showing a processing procedure of stop flag switching control according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 6 is a second flowchart showing the processing procedure of the stop flag switching control according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing how parts are assembled to the vehicle of the first embodiment. [Figure 10]10 is a first flowchart showing a processing procedure for vehicle travel control according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 is a second flowchart showing the processing procedure for vehicle travel control according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] 10 is a first flowchart showing a processing procedure for invalid flag switching control according to the second embodiment; [Figure 13] 10 is a second flowchart showing the procedure of invalid flag switching control according to the second embodiment; [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing how parts are assembled to a vehicle according to a second embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle according to a third embodiment. [Figure 17] 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for vehicle travel control according to a third embodiment. [Figure 18] 10 is a first flowchart showing a processing procedure of stop flag switching control according to a third embodiment. [Figure 19] 10 is a second flowchart showing the procedure of the stop flag switching control according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] A. First embodiment: 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a system 10 according to a first embodiment. The system 10 includes a vehicle 100, which is a moving body, a server device 200, at least one external sensor 300, and at least one assembly robot 400.

[0009] In this disclosure, a "mobile body" refers to an object that can move, such as a vehicle or an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (a so-called flying car). A vehicle may be a vehicle that runs on wheels or a vehicle that runs on tracks, such as a passenger car, truck, bus, motorcycle, automobile, tank, or construction vehicle. Vehicles include electric vehicles (BEVs: Battery Electric Vehicles), gasoline-powered vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles. When a mobile body is something other than a vehicle, the terms "vehicle" and "car" in this disclosure may be appropriately replaced with "mobile body," and the term "traveling" may be appropriately replaced with "moving."

[0010] The vehicle 100 is configured to be capable of traveling in an unmanned manner. "Unmanned driving" refers to driving without the driver's control. Driving operation refers to operations related to at least one of "running," "turning," and "stopping" of the vehicle 100. Unmanned driving is achieved by automatic or manual remote control using a device located outside the vehicle 100, or by autonomous control of the vehicle 100. A vehicle 100 traveling in an unmanned manner may have a driver on board who does not operate the vehicle. A driver who does not operate the vehicle may, for example, simply be seated in the vehicle 100, or a driver who is riding in the vehicle 100 and performing work other than driving operations, such as assembly, inspection, or operating switches. Note that driving in which a driver controls the vehicle is sometimes called "manned driving."

[0011] In this specification, "remote control" includes "full remote control" in which all of the operations of vehicle 100 are completely determined from outside vehicle 100, and "partial remote control" in which some of the operations of vehicle 100 are determined from outside vehicle 100. Furthermore, "autonomous control" includes "full autonomous control" in which vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own operations without receiving any information from devices external to vehicle 100, and "partial autonomous control" in which vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own operations using information received from devices external to vehicle 100.

[0012] In this embodiment, the system 10 is used in a factory FC that manufactures vehicles 100. The reference coordinate system of the factory FC is a global coordinate system GC, and any position in the factory FC can be expressed by X, Y, and Z coordinates in the global coordinate system GC. The factory FC has a first location PL1 and a second location PL2. The first location PL1 and the second location PL2 are connected by a track TR along which the vehicle 100 can travel. In the factory FC, multiple external sensors 300 and multiple assembly robots 400 are installed along the track TR. The positions of each external sensor 300 in the factory FC are adjusted in advance. The vehicle 100 moves from the first location PL1 to the second location PL2 along the track TR in an unmanned operation.

[0013] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle 100 according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 illustrates the vehicle 100 in the form of a so-called platform. In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 is an electric vehicle configured to be able to run under remote control. The vehicle 100 includes a vehicle control device 110 for controlling each part of the vehicle 100, an actuator group 120 including at least one actuator that operates under the control of the vehicle control device 110, and a communication device 130 for communicating with a server device 200 via wireless communication. The actuator group 120 includes an actuator for a drive device for accelerating the vehicle 100, an actuator for a steering device for changing the traveling direction of the vehicle 100, and an actuator for a braking device for braking the vehicle 100. The drive device includes a battery, a traction motor driven by power from the battery, and wheels that rotate due to the traction motor. The traction motor is included in the actuator of the drive device.

[0014] The vehicle control device 110 is configured by a computer including a processor 111, a memory 112, an input / output interface 113, and an internal bus 114. The processor 111, the memory 112, and the input / output interface 113 are connected to each other via the internal bus 114 so as to be able to communicate bidirectionally. The input / output interface 113 is connected to an actuator group 120 and a communication device 130.

[0015] The processor 111 functions as a driving control unit 115 by executing a computer program PG1 stored in advance in the memory 112. When a driver is on board the vehicle 100, the driving control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 in accordance with the driver's operation, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to drive. Regardless of whether a driver is on board the vehicle 100, the driving control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 in accordance with a driving command transmitted from the server device 200, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to drive. The driving command is a command for controlling the unmanned driving of the vehicle 100. In the following description, the driving command may be referred to as a driving control signal. In this embodiment, the driving control signal includes the acceleration and steering angle of the vehicle 100 as parameters. In other embodiments, the driving control signal may include the speed of the vehicle 100 as a parameter instead of or in addition to the acceleration of the vehicle 100.

[0016] The server device 200 is disposed outside the vehicle 100. The server device 200 is configured by a computer including a processor 201, a memory 202, an input / output interface 203, and an internal bus 204. The processor 201, the memory 202, and the input / output interface 203 are connected via the internal bus 204 to enable bidirectional communication. A communication device 205 is connected to the input / output interface 203 for communicating with the vehicle 100 via wireless communication. In this embodiment, the communication device 205 can communicate with the external sensor 300 and the assembly robot 400 via wired communication or wireless communication.

[0017] The processor 201 executes a computer program PG2 stored in advance in the memory 202, thereby functioning as a position information generation unit 211, a command generation unit 212, a command transmission unit 213, a stop detection unit 214, a stop unit 215, an assembly detection unit 216, and a restart unit 217. The position information generation unit 211 generates position information indicating the current location of the vehicle 100. The command generation unit 212 uses the position information generated by the position information generation unit 211 to generate a driving command for driving the vehicle 100. The command transmission unit 213 controls the transmission of the driving command generated by the command generation unit 212 to the vehicle 100.

[0018] The vehicle stop detection unit 214 detects that the vehicle 100 has stopped at an assembly position where a part is to be assembled to the vehicle 100. The assembly position is a position where the vehicle 100 should be stopped when a part is to be assembled to the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the assembly position is located on the road TR. When the vehicle stop detection unit 214 detects that the vehicle 100 has stopped at the assembly position, the stop unit 215 stops at least one of the process of generating a driving command by the command generation unit 212 and the process of transmitting a driving command by the command transmission unit 213. In this embodiment, the stop unit 215 switches a stop flag to an on state, thereby stopping at least one of the process of generating a driving command by the command generation unit 212 and the process of transmitting a driving command by the command transmission unit 213. In this embodiment, when the stop flag is in an off state, the process of generating a driving command by the command generation unit 212 and the process of transmitting a driving command by the command transmission unit 213 are executed. When the stop flag is switched to the on state, the process of generating a travel command by the command generating unit 212 and the process of transmitting a travel command by the command transmitting unit 213 are stopped.

[0019] The assembly detection unit 216 detects that assembly of parts into the vehicle 100 has been completed. The restart unit 217 restarts the processing stopped by the stop unit 215 when the assembly detection unit 216 detects that assembly of parts into the vehicle 100 has been completed. In the present embodiment, the restart unit 217 switches the stop flag to the off state, thereby restarting the processing of generating a traveling command by the command generation unit 212 and the processing of transmitting a traveling command by the command transmission unit 213.

[0020] The external sensor 300 is a sensor located outside the vehicle 100. The external sensor 300 is used to detect the position and orientation of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the external sensor 300 is a camera installed in the factory FC. The external sensor 300 is equipped with a communication device (not shown) and can communicate with the server device 200 via wired communication or wireless communication.

[0021] The assembly robot 400 includes a robot control device 410, an arm unit 420, and a communication device 430. The robot control device 410 controls each unit of the assembly robot 400. In this embodiment, the arm unit 420 is configured as a vertically articulated robot arm. The arm unit 420 may be configured as a horizontally articulated robot arm, an orthogonal robot arm, or a parallel link robot arm instead of a vertically articulated robot arm. An end effector 425 for gripping a component is attached to the tip of the arm unit 420. In the following description, gripping a component with the end effector 425 is referred to as "gripping a component with the arm unit 420." In this embodiment, the end effector 425 is configured to clamp and grip a component. The end effector 425 may be configured to grip a component by suction rather than by clamping and gripping a component. Note that in this embodiment, the assembly robot 400 may also be referred to as an assembly device.

[0022] The robot control device 410 is configured by a computer including a processor 411, a memory 412, an input / output interface 413, and an internal bus 414. The processor 411, the memory 412, and the input / output interface 413 are connected via the internal bus 414 to enable bidirectional communication. An arm unit 420 and a communication device 430 are connected to the input / output interface 413.

[0023] The processor 411 functions as an arm control unit 415 by executing a computer program PG4 stored in advance in the memory 412. The arm control unit 415 controls the arm unit 420 to assemble parts to the vehicle 100.

[0024] Fig. 5 is a first flowchart showing the processing procedure for driving control of the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment. Fig. 6 is a second flowchart showing the processing procedure for driving control of the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment. The processing shown in Fig. 5 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle by the processor 201 of the server device 200. The processing shown in Fig. 6 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle by the processor 111 of the vehicle control device 110 mounted on the vehicle 100.

[0025] 5, in step S110, the position information generation unit 211 of the server device 200 determines whether or not it has acquired the detection result of the external sensor 300. If it is determined that it has not acquired the detection result of the external sensor 300, the position information generation unit 211 skips the processes from step S110 onwards. If it is determined that it has acquired the detection result of the external sensor 300, the position information generation unit 211 proceeds to step S120.

[0026] In step S120, the position information generation unit 211 determines whether the stop flag is in the on state. If it is determined that the stop flag is in the on state, the position information generation unit 211 skips the processing from step S120 onwards. If it is not determined that the stop flag is in the on state, in other words, if it is determined that the stop flag is in the off state, the position information generation unit 211 proceeds to the processing of step S130.

[0027] In step S130, the position information generation unit 211 generates vehicle position information using the detection results output from the external sensor 300. The vehicle position information is position information that serves as the basis for generating a driving control signal. In this embodiment, the vehicle position information includes the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 in the global coordinate system GC of the factory FC. Specifically, in step S130, the position information generation unit 211 generates vehicle position information using a captured image acquired from a camera, which is the external sensor 300.

[0028] In detail, in step S130, the position information generation unit 211, for example, detects the outer shape of the vehicle 100 from the captured image, calculates the coordinates of the positioning point of the vehicle 100 in the coordinate system of the captured image, i.e., the local coordinate system, and converts the calculated coordinates into coordinates in the global coordinate system GC, thereby acquiring the position of the vehicle 100. The outer shape of the vehicle 100 contained in the captured image can be detected, for example, by inputting the captured image into a detection model DM that utilizes artificial intelligence. The detection model DM is prepared, for example, inside or outside the system 10 and pre-stored in the memory 202 of the server device 200. An example of the detection model DM is a trained machine learning model that has been trained to achieve either semantic segmentation or instance segmentation. For example, a convolutional neural network (hereinafter, CNN) trained by supervised learning using a training dataset can be used as this machine learning model. The training dataset includes, for example, a plurality of training images including the vehicle 100, and labels indicating whether each region in the training images represents the vehicle 100 or a region other than the vehicle 100. During CNN training, it is preferable to update the parameters of the CNN using backpropagation (backpropagation) to reduce the error between the output result of the detection model DM and the label. Furthermore, the position information generation unit 211 can acquire the orientation of the vehicle 100 by estimating the orientation based on the orientation of the movement vector of the vehicle 100 calculated from the positional changes of feature points of the vehicle 100 between frames of captured images using, for example, an optical flow method.

[0029] In step S140, the command generation unit 212 first determines a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head. In this embodiment, the target position is represented by X, Y, and Z coordinates in the global coordinate system GC. A reference route RR, which is a route along which the vehicle 100 should travel, is stored in advance in the memory 202 of the server device 200. The route is represented by nodes indicating the departure point, nodes indicating passing points, nodes indicating the destination, and links connecting the nodes. The command generation unit 212 uses the vehicle position information and the reference route RR to determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head. The command generation unit 212 determines a target position on the reference route RR that is ahead of the current location of the vehicle 100.

[0030] The command generating unit 212 then generates a driving control signal for driving the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. The command generating unit 212 calculates the driving speed of the vehicle 100 from the change in the position of the vehicle 100 and compares the calculated driving speed with the target speed. Overall, when the driving speed is lower than the target speed, the command generating unit 212 determines an acceleration such that the vehicle 100 accelerates, and when the driving speed is higher than the target speed, the command generating unit 212 determines an acceleration such that the vehicle 100 decelerates. Furthermore, when the vehicle 100 is located on the reference route RR, the command generating unit 212 determines a steering angle and acceleration such that the vehicle 100 does not deviate from the reference route RR, and when the vehicle 100 is not located on the reference route RR, in other words, when the vehicle 100 has deviated from the reference route RR, the command generating unit 212 determines a steering angle and acceleration such that the vehicle 100 returns to the reference route RR.

[0031] In step S150, the command transmitting unit 213 transmits the generated traveling control signal to the vehicle 100. When the stop flag is in the OFF state, the server device 200 repeats, at a predetermined cycle, the generation of vehicle position information, the determination of the target position, the generation of the traveling control signal, and the transmission of the traveling control signal.

[0032] 6, in step S210, the driving control unit 115 of the vehicle 100 determines whether or not it has received a driving control signal transmitted from the server device 200. If it is determined that it has not received a driving control signal, the driving control unit 115 skips the processing from step S210 onwards. If it is determined that it has received a driving control signal, the driving control unit 115 proceeds to step S220.

[0033] In step S220, the driving control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 using the received driving control signal, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to drive at the acceleration and steering angle indicated in the driving control signal. The processor 111 repeats receiving the driving control signal and controlling the actuator group 120 at a predetermined cycle. According to the system 10 of this embodiment, the vehicle 100 can be driven by remote control, and the vehicle 100 can be moved without using transportation equipment such as a crane or conveyor.

[0034] Fig. 7 is a first flowchart showing the processing procedure for stop flag switching control in this embodiment. Fig. 8 is a second flowchart showing the processing procedure for stop flag switching control in this embodiment. The processing shown in Fig. 7 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle by the processor 201 of the server device 200. The processing shown in Fig. 8 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle by the processor 411 of the robot control device 410.

[0035] 7, in step S310, the vehicle stop detection unit 214 of the server device 200 determines whether or not it has acquired the detection result of the external sensor 300. If it is determined that it has not acquired the detection result of the external sensor 300, the vehicle stop detection unit 214 skips the processes from step S310 onwards. If it is determined that it has acquired the detection result of the external sensor 300, the vehicle stop detection unit 214 proceeds to step S320.

[0036] In step S320, the vehicle stop detection unit 214 determines whether or not the vehicle 100 is stopped at the assembly position, using the detection result of the external sensor 300. If it is not determined that the vehicle 100 is stopped at the assembly position, the vehicle stop detection unit 214 skips the processing from step S320 onwards. If it is determined that the vehicle 100 is stopped at the assembly position, the vehicle stop detection unit 214 proceeds to step S330. Note that in this embodiment, the determination by the vehicle stop detection unit 214 that the vehicle 100 is stopped at the assembly position using predetermined information may be referred to as the vehicle stop detection unit 214 detecting that the vehicle 100 has stopped at the assembly position.

[0037] In step S330, stop unit 215 sets a stop flag to an ON state. In step S340, assembly detection unit 216 starts timing. In step S350, assembly detection unit 216 determines whether or not the assembly of parts into vehicle 100 parked at the assembly position has been completed.

[0038] In step S350, the assembly detection unit 216 can determine whether or not the assembly of parts into the vehicle 100 has been completed by using, for example, at least one of the following methods A to F. Note that in this embodiment, the assembly detection unit 216 determining that the assembly of parts into the vehicle 100 has been completed by using predetermined information may be referred to as the assembly detection unit 216 detecting that the assembly of parts into the vehicle 100 has been completed.

[0039] <Method A> In method A, the assembly detection unit 216 determines whether the assembly of parts into the vehicle 100 has been completed, using information acquired from the assembly robot 400 that assembles parts into the vehicle 100. Information regarding the state of the arm unit 420 is transmitted from the assembly robot 400 to the server device 200. In this method, the information regarding the state of the arm unit 420 includes information regarding the position and posture of the arm unit 420. The assembly detection unit 216 determines that the assembly of parts into the vehicle 100 has been completed when the information regarding the state of the arm unit 420 indicates that the arm unit 420 has retreated to a predetermined retreat position. The retreat position is located sufficiently far away from the vehicle 100 parked at the assembly position. This method makes it possible to prevent the vehicle 100, which starts moving from the assembly position, from coming into contact with the arm unit 420.

[0040] <Method B> In method B, the assembly detection unit 216 determines whether or not the assembly of the part onto the vehicle 100 has been completed, using information acquired from the assembly robot 400 that assembles the part onto the vehicle 100. Information regarding the state of the arm unit 420 is transmitted from the assembly robot 400 to the server device 200. In this method, the information regarding the state of the arm unit 420 includes information regarding whether or not the arm unit 420 is gripping the part. The assembly detection unit 216 can determine that the assembly of the part has been completed when the arm unit 420 releases the part.

[0041] <Method C> In method C, the assembly detection unit 216 determines whether or not the assembly of parts into the vehicle 100 has been completed, using information acquired from the external sensor 300. The assembly detection unit 216 can determine whether or not the assembly of parts by the arm unit 420 has been completed by analyzing an image acquired from a camera, which is the external sensor 300. According to this method, the assembly detection unit 216 can determine whether or not the assembly of parts has been completed, even when parts are assembled by a worker, rather than by the assembly robot 400.

[0042] <Method D> In method D, the assembly detection unit 216 determines whether the assembly of the parts into the vehicle 100 is complete, using the result of the pass / fail determination of the assembly of the parts into the vehicle 100. The assembly detection unit 216 determines whether the assembly of the parts into the vehicle 100 is complete by image inspection using images acquired from a camera, which is the external sensor 300. The assembly detection unit 216 determines that the assembly of the parts into the vehicle 100 is complete when the pass / fail determination result of the assembly is obtained. According to this method, the assembly detection unit 216 can determine whether the assembly of the parts is complete even when the parts are assembled by a worker rather than by the assembly robot 400. Furthermore, when the pass / fail determination result is pass, the assembly detection unit 216 generates a travel control signal to resume the travel of the vehicle 100 and move it to the second location PL2 shown in FIG. 1. If the quality determination result indicates a defect, assembly detection unit 216 may generate a travel control signal to move vehicle 100 to a repair site (not shown) instead of second site PL2 after vehicle 100 resumes traveling. In this case, vehicle 100 can be automatically moved to the repair site, and the defective assembly of the part can be resolved at the repair site.

[0043] <Method E> In method E, the assembly detection unit 216 uses information acquired from the vehicle 100 to determine whether or not assembly of a part into the vehicle 100 has been completed. In a configuration in which the part to be assembled into the vehicle 100 is an electronic device connected to the vehicle control device 110 and a communication confirmation result between the vehicle control device 110 and the part is transmitted from the vehicle control device 110 to the server device 200 when the part is assembled into the vehicle 100, the assembly detection unit 216 can determine that assembly of the part into the vehicle 100 has been completed when the communication confirmation result is received from the vehicle 100. According to this method, the assembly detection unit 216 can determine whether or not assembly of the part has been completed even when the part is assembled by a worker instead of the assembly robot 400.

[0044] <Method F> In method F, the assembly detection unit 216 determines that the assembly of parts into the vehicle 100 is complete when a button installed in the factory FC is pressed by an operator. According to this method, even when parts are assembled by an operator rather than by the assembly robot 400, the assembly detection unit 216 can determine whether the assembly of parts is complete.

[0045] In this embodiment, method A or method B is used in the process in which components are assembled to the vehicle 100 by the assembly robot 400. Method C or method D may be used in the process in which components are assembled to the vehicle 100 by a small assembly robot 400. Method D is used in the process in which electronic components are assembled to the vehicle 100.

[0046] If it is determined in step S350 that the assembly of the parts has been completed, the assembly detection unit 216 proceeds to step S360. In step S360, the restart unit 217 sets the stop flag to the OFF state. In step S370, the assembly detection unit 216 ends the time count.

[0047] If it is not determined in step S350 that the assembly of the parts has been completed, the assembly detection unit 216 proceeds to step S355. In step S355, the assembly detection unit 216 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of timing. If it is not determined that the predetermined time has elapsed since the start of timing, the assembly detection unit 216 returns to step S350 and determines again whether the assembly of the parts into the vehicle 100 parked at the assembly position has been completed. If it is determined that the predetermined time has elapsed since the start of timing, the assembly detection unit 216 notifies the manager of the system 10 or a worker at the factory FC that an abnormality has occurred in step S365. In the following description, the manager of the system 10 and the worker at the factory FC are referred to as the manager, etc. The assembly detection unit 216 notifies the manager, etc. that an abnormality has occurred by, for example, sending a message to a mobile terminal carried by the manager, etc. The assembly detection unit 216 may notify the occurrence of an abnormality by activating an alarm buzzer or alarm lamp provided in the factory FC. After that, in step S370, the assembly detection unit 216 ends the time count.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 8 , in step S410, the arm control unit 415 of the assembly robot 400 determines whether the vehicle 100 has stopped at the assembly position. If it is not determined in step S410 that the vehicle 100 has stopped at the assembly position, the arm control unit 415 skips the processing after step S410. If it is determined in step S410 that the vehicle 100 has stopped at the assembly position, the arm control unit 415 performs assembly of a part on the vehicle 100 in step S420. After the arm unit 420 has finished assembling the part, in step S430, the arm control unit 415 notifies the server device 200 that assembly of the part has finished. In this embodiment, after the arm unit 420 releases the part and retreats to a predetermined retreat position, the arm control unit 415 notifies the server device 200 that assembly of the part has finished by transmitting information regarding the position and posture of the arm unit 420 to the server device 200.

[0049] 9 is an explanatory diagram showing how parts are being assembled to the vehicle 100. According to the above-described control method for the vehicle 100, the stop flag is kept in the OFF state until the vehicle 100 stops at the assembly position PF, and therefore the server device 200 generates and transmits the traveling control signal SS. Therefore, the vehicle 100 can travel to the assembly position PF using the traveling control signal SS received from the server device 200.

[0050] When the vehicle 100 stops at the assembly position PF, the stop flag is switched to the ON state until the assembly of the parts into the vehicle 100 is completed, so that the generation of the traveling control signal SS by the server device 200 is stopped, and accordingly, the transmission of the traveling control signal SS from the server device 200 to the vehicle 100 is also stopped. This prevents the vehicle 100 from starting while the parts are being assembled into the vehicle 100. This prevents the assembly robot 400 from being dragged by the vehicle 100. Note that the assembly robot 400 may transmit a signal indicating that assembly is in progress to the vehicle 100 so that the vehicle 100 waiting to receive the traveling control signal SS does not mistakenly recognize that an error has occurred.

[0051] When the assembly of the parts into the vehicle 100 is completed, the stop flag is switched to the OFF state, and the generation and transmission of the traveling control signal SS by the server device 200 is resumed. Therefore, the vehicle 100 can travel toward the next destination using the traveling control signal SS received from the server device 200.

[0052] According to the server device 200 in the present embodiment described above, when it is detected that the vehicle 100 has stopped at the assembly position PF, the stop unit 215 turns on the stop flag, thereby stopping the generation of the travel control signal by the command generation unit 212 and the transmission of the travel control signal by the command transmission unit 213. This makes it possible to prevent the vehicle 100 from resuming unmanned travel while a part is being assembled into the vehicle 100. This makes it possible to prevent the occurrence of defective assembly of the part and the assembly robot 400 from being pulled by the vehicle 100. Furthermore, when the stop flag is turned on, the generation of the travel control signal is stopped, thereby reducing the processing load on the processor 201 while a part is being assembled into the vehicle 100.

[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when it is detected that the assembly of parts into the vehicle 100 has been completed, the restart unit 217 turns off the stop flag, thereby restarting the generation of the traveling control signal by the command generation unit 212 and the transmission of the traveling control signal by the command transmission unit 213. Therefore, after the assembly of parts into the vehicle 100 has been completed, the unmanned traveling of the vehicle 100 can be resumed.

[0054] B. Second embodiment: Fig. 10 is a first flowchart showing the processing procedure for driving control of the vehicle 100 in the second embodiment. Fig. 11 is a second flowchart showing the processing procedure for driving control of the vehicle 100 in the second embodiment. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that, when it is detected that the vehicle 100 has stopped at the assembly position, the stop unit 215 does not execute processing to stop the generation of driving commands by the command generation unit 212 or processing to stop the transmission of driving commands by the command transmission unit 213, but executes processing to transmit to the vehicle 100 an invalidation command that invalidates the driving command. Unless otherwise specified, the other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0055] In this embodiment, a disable flag is set in the vehicle control device 110 to switch between enabled and disabled processing for driving the actuator group 120 using the driving control signal received from the server device 200. When the disable flag is in an off state, the driving control unit 115 drives the actuator group 120 using the driving control signal received from the server device 200, and when the disable flag is in an on state, the driving control unit 115 does not drive the actuator group 120 using the driving control signal received from the server device 200.

[0056] The process shown in Fig. 10 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle by the processor 201 of the server device 200. The process shown in Fig. 11 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle by the processor 111 of the vehicle control device 110 mounted on the vehicle 100.

[0057] 10 , in step S510, the position information generation unit 211 determines whether or not the detection result of the external sensor 300 has been acquired. If it is determined that the detection result of the external sensor 300 has not been acquired, the position information generation unit 211 skips the processing from step S510 onwards. If it is determined that the detection result of the external sensor 300 has been acquired, in step S530, the position information generation unit 211 generates vehicle position information using the detection result output from the external sensor 300. In step S540, the command generation unit 212 determines a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head, and generates a driving control signal for driving the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. In step S550, the command transmission unit 213 transmits the generated driving control signal to the vehicle 100.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 11 , in step S610, the driving control unit 115 of the vehicle 100 determines whether or not it has received a driving control signal transmitted from the server device 200. If it is determined that it has not received a driving control signal, the driving control unit 115 skips the processing from step S610 onwards. If it is determined that it has received a driving control signal, the driving control unit 115 determines in step S615 whether or not the invalid flag is in the on state. If it is determined that the invalid flag is in the on state, the driving control unit 115 skips the processing from step S615 onwards. If it is determined that the invalid flag is not in the on state, in other words, if it is determined that the invalid flag is in the off state, the driving control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 using the received driving control signal to cause the vehicle 100 to drive at the acceleration and steering angle indicated in the driving control signal in step S620.

[0059] Fig. 12 is a first flowchart showing the processing procedure of the invalid flag switching control in the second embodiment. Fig. 13 is a second flowchart showing the processing procedure of the invalid flag switching control in the second embodiment. The processing shown in Fig. 12 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle by the processor 201 of the server device 200. The processing shown in Fig. 13 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle by the processor 111 of the vehicle control device 110.

[0060] 12, in step S710, the vehicle stop detection unit 214 determines whether or not the detection result of the external sensor 300 has been acquired. If it is determined that the detection result of the external sensor 300 has not been acquired, the vehicle stop detection unit 214 skips the processing from step S710 onwards. If it is determined that the detection result of the external sensor 300 has been acquired, the vehicle stop detection unit 214 determines whether or not the vehicle 100 is stopped at the assembly position using the detection result of the external sensor 300 in step S720. If it is determined that the vehicle 100 is not stopped at the assembly position, the vehicle stop detection unit 214 skips the processing from step S720 onwards. If it is determined that the vehicle 100 is stopped at the assembly position, the vehicle stop detection unit 214 proceeds to the processing of step S730.

[0061] In step S730, the stop unit 215 transmits an invalid command to the vehicle 100 to set the invalid flag to an ON state. In step S740, the assembly detection unit 216 starts timing. In step S750, the assembly detection unit 216 determines whether or not the assembly of the part into the vehicle 100 parked at the assembly position has been completed. If it is determined in step S750 that the assembly of the part has been completed, the restart unit 217 transmits an valid command to the vehicle 100 to set the invalid flag to an OFF state in step S760. Thereafter, in step S770, the assembly detection unit 216 ends timing.

[0062] If it is not determined in step S750 that the assembly of the parts is complete, the assembly detection unit 216 determines in step S755 whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of timing. If it is not determined that the predetermined time has elapsed since the start of timing, the assembly detection unit 216 returns to the process in step S750 and determines again whether the assembly of the parts is complete. If it is determined that the predetermined time has elapsed since the start of timing, the assembly detection unit 216 notifies the manager or the like that an abnormality has occurred in step S765, and then ends timing in step S770.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 13, in step S810, the driving control unit 115 of the vehicle 100 determines whether or not an invalid command has been received. If it is determined that an invalid command has been received, the driving control unit 115 sets the invalid flag to an ON state in step S815. If it is determined that an invalid command has not been received, the driving control unit 115 determines whether or not a valid command has been received in step S820. If it is determined that a valid command has been received, the driving control unit 115 sets the invalid flag to an OFF state in step S825. If it is determined that a valid command has not been received, the driving control unit 115 skips step S825.

[0064] 14 is an explanatory diagram showing how parts are assembled to the vehicle 100 in the second embodiment. Since the invalid flag is in the OFF state until the vehicle 100 stops at the assembly position PF, the vehicle control device 110 drives the actuator group 120 using the traveling control signal SS received from the server device 200, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to travel.

[0065] When the vehicle 100 stops at the assembly position PF, the invalid flag is switched to the ON state until the assembly of the parts into the vehicle 100 is completed. Therefore, although the server device 200 continues to transmit the traveling control signal SS, the vehicle control device 110 does not execute the driving of the actuator group 120 using the traveling control signal SS. Therefore, the vehicle 100 remains stopped until the assembly of the parts is completed.

[0066] When the assembly of parts into the vehicle 100 is completed, the invalid flag is switched to the off state, and the vehicle control device 110 resumes driving the vehicle 100 by driving the actuator group 120 using the driving control signal SS received from the server device 200.

[0067] According to the server device 200 of the present embodiment described above, when it is detected that the vehicle 100 has stopped at the assembly position PF, the stopping unit 215 turns on the invalid flag of the vehicle control device 110. This makes it possible to prevent the unmanned vehicle 100 from resuming traveling while a part is being assembled in the vehicle 100. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, when it is detected that the assembly of the part in the vehicle 100 has been completed, the restarting unit 217 turns off the invalid flag of the vehicle control device 110. This makes it possible to resume traveling of the unmanned vehicle 100 after the assembly of the part in the vehicle 100 has been completed.

[0068] The first embodiment and the second embodiment may be combined. Specifically, when it is detected that the vehicle 100 has stopped at the assembly position PF, the stop unit 215 may set the stop flag of the server device 200 to an ON state and the invalid flag of the vehicle control device 110 to an ON state. In this case, it is possible to more reliably prevent the unmanned vehicle 100 from resuming traveling while a part is being assembled in the vehicle 100. Furthermore, when it is detected that the assembly of the part in the vehicle 100 has been completed, the restart unit 217 may set the stop flag of the server device 200 to an OFF state and the invalid flag of the vehicle control device 110 to an OFF state. In this case, after the assembly of the part in the vehicle 100 has been completed, it is possible to resume traveling of the unmanned vehicle 100.

[0069] C. Third embodiment: 15 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a system 10c in the third embodiment. The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the system 10c does not include a server device 200. The other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment unless otherwise specified.

[0070] FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle 100 according to a third embodiment. In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 is configured to be able to travel by autonomous control. In this embodiment, the processor 111 of the vehicle control device 110 executes a computer program PG1 pre-stored in the memory 112, thereby functioning as a position information generator 191, a command generator 192, a travel control unit 193, a stop detector 194, a stop unit 195, an assembly detector 196, and a restart unit 197. The position information generator 191 generates vehicle position information of the host vehicle. The command generator 192 generates a travel command to drive the actuator group 120. The travel control unit 193 drives the actuator group 120 using the travel command to cause the host vehicle to travel. The stop detector 194 detects that the host vehicle has stopped at the assembly position. When the stop detection unit 194 detects that the host vehicle has stopped at the assembly position, the stop unit 195 stops at least one of the process of generating a driving command by the command generation unit 192 and the process of driving the actuator group 120 using the driving command by the driving control unit 193. The assembly detection unit 196 detects that assembly of a part into the host vehicle has been completed. When the assembly detection unit 196 detects that assembly of a part into the host vehicle has been completed, the restart unit 197 restarts the process stopped by the stop unit 195. The memory 112 has a reference route RR and a detection model DM stored in advance.

[0071] 17 is a first flowchart showing the processing procedure for driving control of the vehicle 100 in the third embodiment. The processing shown in FIG. 17 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle by the processor 111 of the vehicle control device 110. In step S810, the position information generation unit 191 determines whether or not the detection result of the external sensor 300 has been acquired. If it is determined that the detection result of the external sensor 300 has not been acquired, the position information generation unit 191 skips the processing from step S810 onwards. If it is determined that the detection result of the external sensor 300 has been acquired, the position information generation unit 191 proceeds to step S820.

[0072] In step S820, position information generation unit 191 determines whether the stop flag is in the on state. If it is determined that the stop flag is in the on state, position information generation unit 191 skips the processing from step S820 onwards. If it is not determined that the stop flag is in the on state, in other words, if it is determined that the stop flag is in the off state, position information generation unit 191 proceeds to the processing of step S830.

[0073] In step S830, position information generation unit 191 generates vehicle position information using the detection results output from external sensor 300. In step S840, command generation unit 192 determines a target position to which vehicle 100 should next head, and generates a driving control signal for driving vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. In step S850, driving control unit 193 controls actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal to drive vehicle 100.

[0074] Fig. 18 is a first flowchart showing the processing procedure for stop flag switching in the third embodiment. Fig. 19 is a second flowchart showing the processing procedure for stop flag switching control in the third embodiment. The processing shown in Fig. 18 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle by the processor 111 of the vehicle control device 110. The processing shown in Fig. 19 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle by the processor 411 of the robot control device 410.

[0075] 18, in step S910, the vehicle stop detection unit 194 determines whether or not it has acquired the detection result of the external sensor 300. If it is determined that it has not acquired the detection result of the external sensor 300, the vehicle stop detection unit 194 skips the processing from step S910 onwards. If it is determined that it has acquired the detection result of the external sensor 300, the vehicle stop detection unit 194 proceeds to step S920.

[0076] In step S920, the vehicle stop detection unit 194 determines whether or not the vehicle 100 is stopped at the assembly position, using the detection result of the external sensor 300. If it is not determined that the vehicle 100 is stopped at the assembly position, the vehicle stop detection unit 194 skips the processing from step S920 onwards. If it is determined that the vehicle 100 is stopped at the assembly position, the vehicle stop detection unit 194 proceeds to the processing of step S930. Note that in this embodiment, the determination by the vehicle stop detection unit 194 using predetermined information that the vehicle 100 is stopped at the assembly position may be referred to as the vehicle stop detection unit 194 detecting that the vehicle 100 has stopped at the assembly position.

[0077] In step S930, the stop unit 195 sets the stop flag to an ON state. In step S940, the assembly detection unit 196 starts timing. In step S950, the assembly detection unit 196 determines whether or not the assembly of parts into the vehicle 100 parked at the assembly position has been completed. If it is determined in step S950 that the assembly of parts into the vehicle 100 has been completed, the assembly detection unit 196 proceeds to step S960. In step S960, the restart unit 197 sets the stop flag to an OFF state. In step S970, the assembly detection unit 196 ends timing. Note that in this embodiment, the assembly detection unit 196 determining that the assembly of parts into the vehicle 100 has been completed using predetermined information may be referred to as the assembly detection unit 216 detecting that the assembly of parts into the vehicle 100 has been completed.

[0078] If it is not determined in step S950 that the assembly of the part into vehicle 100 has been completed, assembly detection unit 196 proceeds to step S955. In step S955, assembly detection unit 196 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of timing. If it is not determined that the predetermined time has elapsed since the start of timing, assembly detection unit 196 returns to step S950 and determines again whether the assembly of the part into vehicle 100 has been completed. If it is determined that the predetermined time has elapsed since the start of timing, assembly detection unit 196 notifies a manager or the like that an abnormality has occurred in step S965, and then ends timing in step S970.

[0079] 19, in step S1010, the arm control unit 415 of the assembly robot 400 determines whether or not the vehicle 100 has stopped at the assembly position. If it is not determined that the vehicle 100 has stopped at the assembly position, the arm control unit 415 skips the processing after step S1010. If it is determined that the vehicle 100 has stopped at the assembly position, the arm control unit 415 performs assembly of the part on the vehicle 100 in step S1020. In step S1030, the arm control unit 415 notifies the vehicle 100 that the assembly has ended.

[0080] According to the system 10c in the present embodiment described above, it is possible to prevent the vehicle 100 from resuming unmanned driving while parts are being assembled in the vehicle 100. In particular, in the present embodiment, the vehicle 100 can be moved by autonomous control of the vehicle 100, rather than by remote control by the server device 200.

[0081] D. Other Embodiments: (D1) In the first and second embodiments, the server device 200 includes the assembly detection unit 216 and the restart unit 217. In the third embodiment, the vehicle control device 110 includes the assembly detection unit 196 and the restart unit 197. In contrast, the server device 200 and the vehicle control device 110 do not have to include the assembly detection units 216, 196 and the restart units 217, 197. In this case, the vehicle 100 may be moved to the assembly position by unmanned operation, and then moved from the assembly position using a transport device such as a conveyor.

[0082] (D2) In the first embodiment, when the stop flag is in the on state, the server device 200 stops generating the position information of the vehicle 100, generating the travelability signal, and transmitting the travel control signal. In contrast, when the stop flag is in the on state, the server device 200 may continue generating the position information of the vehicle 100 and stop generating the travelability signal and transmitting the travel control signal. In this case, the position information of the vehicle 100 can be used for purposes other than the travel of the vehicle 100.

[0083] (D3) In the first to third embodiments, the external sensor 300 for acquiring vehicle position information is a camera. However, the external sensor 300 for acquiring vehicle position information does not have to be a camera and may be, for example, a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor. In this case, the detection result output from the external sensor 300 may be three-dimensional point cloud data representing the vehicle 100. In this case, the server device 200 or the vehicle control device 110 may acquire vehicle position information by template matching using the three-dimensional point cloud data as the detection result and reference point cloud data prepared in advance.

[0084] (D4) In the first and second embodiments, the server device 200 executes the processes from acquiring the position information of the vehicle 100 to generating the driving control signal. However, at least a part of the processes from acquiring the position information of the vehicle 100 to generating the driving control signal may be executed by the vehicle 100. For example, the following forms (1) to (3) may be used.

[0085] (1) The server device 200 may acquire position information of the vehicle 100, determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head, and generate a route from the current location of the vehicle 100 indicated in the acquired position information to the target position. The server device 200 may generate a route to a target position between the current location and the destination, or may generate a route to the destination. The server device 200 may transmit the generated route to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may generate a driving control signal so that the vehicle 100 drives on the route received from the server device 200, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal.

[0086] (2) The server device 200 may acquire location information of the vehicle 100 and transmit the acquired location information to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may determine a target location to which the vehicle 100 should next travel, generate a route from the current location of the vehicle 100 indicated in the received location information to the target location, generate a travel control signal so that the vehicle 100 travels on the generated route, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated travel control signal. Note that in each of the above-described embodiments, the vehicle operation information may be a route from the current location of the vehicle 100 to the target location.

[0087] (3) In the above embodiments (1) and (2), the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor, and detection results output from the internal sensor may be used for at least one of generating a route and generating a driving control signal. The internal sensor may include, for example, a camera, LiDAR, millimeter-wave radar, an ultrasonic sensor, a GPS sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a gyro sensor. For example, in the above embodiment (1), the server device 200 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the route when generating a route. In the above embodiment (1), the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the driving control signal when generating a driving control signal. In the above embodiment (2), the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the route when generating a route. In the above embodiment (2), the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the route when generating a route.

[0088] (D5) In the third embodiment, the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor, and the detection results output from the internal sensor may be used for at least one of generating a route and generating a driving control signal. For example, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor and, when generating a route, reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the route. The vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor and, when generating a driving control signal, reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the driving control signal.

[0089] (D6) In the third embodiment, the vehicle 100 acquires vehicle position information using the detection results of the camera, which is the external sensor 300. In contrast, the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor, and the vehicle 100 may acquire vehicle position information using the detection results of the internal sensor, determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head, generate a route from the current location of the vehicle 100 represented in the acquired vehicle position information to the target position, generate a driving control signal for traveling along the generated route, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal. In this case, the vehicle 100 can travel without using any detection results of the external sensor 300. Note that the vehicle 100 may acquire a target arrival time and traffic congestion information from outside the vehicle 100, and reflect the target arrival time and traffic congestion information in at least one of the route and the driving control signal.

[0090] (D7) In the first and second embodiments, the server device 200 automatically generates the driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100. However, the server device 200 may generate the driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100 in accordance with the operation of an external operator located outside the vehicle 100. For example, the external operator may operate a control device including a display that displays an image output from a camera that is the external sensor 300, a steering wheel for remotely controlling the vehicle 100, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and a communication device for communicating with the server device 200 via wired or wireless communication, and the server device 200 may generate the driving control signal in accordance with the operation applied to the control device.

[0091] (D8) In the first to third embodiments, the vehicle 100 may be configured to be able to travel by unmanned driving, and may be in the form of a platform having the configuration described below, for example. Specifically, the vehicle 100 may be equipped with at least a vehicle control device 110 and an actuator group 120 to perform the three functions of "running," "turning," and "stopping" by unmanned driving. When the vehicle 100 acquires information from the outside for unmanned driving, the vehicle 100 may further be equipped with a communication device 130. In other words, the vehicle 100 that can travel by unmanned driving may not be equipped with at least some of the interior parts such as a driver's seat and a dashboard, may not be equipped with at least some of the exterior parts such as a bumper and a fender, and may not be equipped with a body shell. In this case, the remaining parts such as the body shell may be attached to the vehicle 100 before the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory FC, or the remaining parts such as the body shell may be attached to the vehicle 100 after the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory FC without the remaining parts such as the body shell attached. Each component may be attached from any direction, such as the upper, lower, front, rear, right or left side of the vehicle 100, and may be attached from the same direction or from different directions. Note that the position of the platform configuration may also be determined in the same manner as for the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment.

[0092] (D9) The vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining multiple modules. A module refers to a unit composed of multiple parts grouped according to the location or function of the vehicle 100. For example, the platform of the vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining a front module that forms the front part of the platform, a central module that forms the center part of the platform, and a rear module that forms the rear part of the platform. The number of modules that form the platform is not limited to three, and may be two or less, or four or more. In addition to or instead of the parts that form the platform, parts that form parts of the vehicle 100 that are not part of the platform may be modularized. The various modules may include any exterior parts such as a bumper or a grille, or any interior parts such as a seat or a console. In addition to the vehicle 100, any type of mobile object may be manufactured by combining multiple modules. Such a module may be manufactured, for example, by joining multiple parts by welding or fasteners, or by integrally molding at least some of the parts that form the module into a single part by casting. The molding method for integrally molding a single component, particularly a relatively large component, is also called gigacasting or megacasting. For example, the front module, center module, and rear module described above may be manufactured using gigacasting.

[0093] (D10) Transporting vehicle 100 using the unmanned driving of vehicle 100 is also called "self-propelled transport." The configuration for realizing self-propelled transport is also called a "vehicle remote-controlled autonomous transport system." The production method for producing vehicle 100 using self-propelled transport is also called "self-propelled production." In self-propelled production, for example, at a factory FC where vehicle 100 is manufactured, at least a portion of the transport of vehicle 100 is realized by self-propelled transport.

[0094] (D11) In the first to third embodiments, some or all of the functions and processes implemented by software may be implemented by hardware. Furthermore, some or all of the functions and processes implemented by hardware may be implemented by software. Hardware for implementing the various functions in each of the above embodiments may be implemented by various circuits, such as integrated circuits and discrete circuits.

[0095] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each aspect described in the Summary of the Invention section can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve some or all of the above-described problems or achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 10, 10c...system, 100...vehicle, 110...vehicle control device, 111...processor, 112...memory, 113...input / output interface, 114...internal bus, 115...travel control unit, 120...actuator group, 130...communication device, 191...position information generation unit, 192...command generation unit, 193...travel control unit, 194...stop detection unit, 195...stop unit, 196...assembly detection unit, 197...restart unit, 200...server device, 201...processor, 202...memory, 203...input / output interface Interface, 204...internal bus, 205...communication device, 211...position information acquisition unit, 212...command generation unit, 213...command transmission unit, 214...stop detection unit, 215...stop unit, 216...assembly detection unit, 217...restart unit, 300...external sensor, 400...assembly robot, 410...robot control device, 411...processor, 412...memory, 413...input / output interface, 414...internal bus, 415...arm control unit, 420...arm unit, 425...end effector, 430...communication device

Claims

1. A server device, a command generation unit that generates a driving command for controlling the unmanned driving of the vehicle; a command transmission unit that controls transmission of the driving command to the vehicle; a vehicle stop detection unit that detects that the vehicle has stopped at an assembly position where a part is to be assembled to the vehicle; a stop unit that, when it is detected that the vehicle has stopped at the assembly position, executes at least one of a process of stopping the generation of the driving command by the command generation unit, a process of stopping the transmission of the driving command by the command transmission unit, and a process of transmitting an invalid command to the vehicle to invalidate the driving command; A server device comprising:

2. 2. The server device according to claim 1, an assembly detection unit that detects that assembly of the part has been completed; a restart unit that, when it is detected that the assembly of the part has been completed, executes at least one of a process of restarting the process stopped by the stop unit and a process of transmitting an enable command to the vehicle to enable the travel command; The server device further comprises:

3. 3. The server device according to claim 2, The assembly detection unit detects that assembly of the part has been completed using information acquired from an assembly device that assembles the part onto the vehicle.

4. 4. The server device according to claim 3, the assembly device includes an arm unit that assembles the component onto the vehicle, The assembly detection unit detects that assembly of the part has been completed using information on the state of the arm unit obtained from the assembly device.

5. 5. The server device according to claim 4, The state of the arm unit is a state related to the position and posture of the arm unit.

6. 5. The server device according to claim 4, The state of the arm unit is a state regarding whether or not the arm unit is gripping the part.

7. 3. The server device according to claim 2, The assembly detection unit detects that assembly of the part has been completed using information acquired from an external sensor located outside the vehicle.

8. 3. The server device according to claim 2, The assembly detection unit detects that assembly of the part has been completed using a pass / fail determination result regarding assembly of the part.

9. 9. The server device according to claim 8, The command generation unit generates the driving command to drive the vehicle to a repair location when the quality determination result is a defect.

10. 3. The server device according to claim 2, The assembly detection unit detects that assembly of the part has been completed by using information transmitted from the vehicle when the part has been assembled.

11. 2. The server device according to claim 1, a position information generating unit that generates position information of the vehicle; the command generation unit generates the travel command using the position information; the stopping unit, when it is detected that the vehicle has stopped at the assembly position, executes a process of stopping generation of the travel command by the command generating unit; The position information generating unit continues generating the position information while the generation of the travel command by the command generating unit is stopped by the stopping unit.

12. A vehicle that can be driven unmanned, an actuator for driving the vehicle; a command generation unit that generates a driving command for controlling unmanned driving of the vehicle; a control unit that drives the actuator using the travel command; a vehicle stop detection unit that detects that the vehicle has stopped at an assembly position where a part is to be assembled to the vehicle; a stop unit that, when it is detected that the vehicle has stopped at the assembly position, executes at least one of a process of stopping generation of the driving command by the command generation unit and a process of stopping driving of the actuator using the driving command by the control unit; A vehicle equipped with:

13. A vehicle control method, comprising: generating a driving command for controlling the unmanned driving of the vehicle; Transmitting the driving command to the vehicle; When it is detected that the vehicle has stopped at an assembly position where a part is to be assembled to the vehicle, at least one of a process of stopping generation of the driving command, a process of stopping transmission of the driving command, and a process of transmitting an invalidation command to the vehicle to invalidate the driving command is executed. Control method.

14. A vehicle control method, comprising: generating a driving command for controlling the unmanned driving of the vehicle; Using the travel command, an actuator that causes the vehicle to travel is driven; when it is detected that the vehicle has stopped at an assembly position where a part is to be assembled to the vehicle, at least one of a process of stopping generation of the travel command and a process of stopping driving of the actuator using the travel command is executed. Control method.

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