Control method for moving body

Abstract

To appropriately control a moving body traveling in parallel with a vehicle.SOLUTION: A control method for controlling a moving body that runs parallel to a self-propelled vehicle in a vehicle manufacturing process includes a determination step of determining whether a traveling route of the vehicle has been changed to a second route different from a predetermined first route, a destination setting step of setting a destination of the moving body such that the moving body moves away from the first route when it is determined in the determination step that the traveling route of the vehicle has been changed to the second route, a moving step of moving the moving body to the destination, and a permission step of permitting movement of the vehicle when it is determined that the moving body has moved away from the first route.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for controlling a moving object. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART There is known a technique for determining a driving route for a vehicle, and determining a new route when the vehicle deviates from the route (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2018-502357 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When a moving object is traveling parallel to a vehicle traveling on its own along a predetermined traveling route, if the traveling route of the vehicle is changed, the moving object will be left behind on the traveling route of the vehicle before the change. [Means for solving the problem]

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

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a control method for controlling a moving body running parallel to a self-propelled vehicle in a vehicle manufacturing process, the control method for the moving body including: a determination step of determining whether a travel route of the vehicle has been changed to a second route different from a predetermined first route; a destination setting step of setting a destination of the moving body so that the moving body moves away from the first route when it is determined in the determination step that the travel route of the vehicle has been changed to the second route; a movement step of moving the moving body to the destination; and an authorization step of permitting the movement of the vehicle when it is determined that the moving body has moved away from the first route. According to the method for controlling a moving body of this aspect, when the vehicle moves away from the first route, it is possible to prevent the moving body from being left behind near the first route and hindering the movement of the vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for vehicle travel control in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a flowchart showing the procedure for dropping out of and joining a convoy. [Figure 5] An explanatory diagram showing how vehicles split off from and join a convoy. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for vehicle travel control according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] A. First embodiment: 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a system 10 according to the first embodiment. The system 10 includes a plurality of vehicles 100, a server device 200, at least one external sensor 300, and a plurality of mobile facilities 400 as moving bodies.

[0009] Vehicle 100 may be a vehicle that runs on wheels or tracks, and may be, for example, a passenger car, a truck, a bus, a two-wheeled vehicle, a four-wheeled vehicle, a tank, a construction vehicle, etc. Vehicle 100 includes an electric vehicle (BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle), a gasoline-powered vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, and a fuel cell vehicle.

[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 road TR along which the vehicle 100 can travel. A plurality of external sensors 300 are installed along the road TR in the factory FC. The position of each external sensor 300 in the factory FC is adjusted in advance. The vehicle 100 moves from the first location PL1 to the second location PL2 along the road TR in an unmanned operation.

[0013] 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the system 10. In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 is configured to be able to travel 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 is driven under the control of the vehicle control device 110, and a communication device 130 for communicating via wireless communication with devices external to the vehicle 100, such as a server device 200. The actuator group 120 includes an actuator for a drive device that generates a drive force for the vehicle 100, an actuator for a steering device that changes the traveling direction of the vehicle 100, and an actuator for a braking device that generates a braking force for the vehicle 100.

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

[0015] The driving control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 to cause the vehicle 100 to drive. When a passenger is on board the vehicle 100, the driving control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 in accordance with the operation of the passenger, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to drive. Regardless of whether a passenger is on board the vehicle 100 or not, the driving control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 using a driving control signal received from the server device 200 to cause the vehicle 100 to drive. The driving control signal is a control signal for causing the vehicle 100 to drive. 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 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 devices external to the server device 200. The communication device 205 can communicate with the vehicle 100 and the mobile facility 400 via wireless communication, and can communicate with the external sensor 300 via wired communication or wireless communication. The processor 201 executes a program PG2 stored in the memory 202 to realize various functions, including the function of the remote control unit 210.

[0017] The remote control unit 210 acquires the detection results from the external sensor 300 and generates vehicle position information using the detection results. The remote control unit 210 generates a driving control signal for controlling the actuator group 120 of the vehicle 100 according to the vehicle position information, and transmits the driving control signal to the vehicle 100, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to drive by remote control.

[0018] The external sensor 300 is a sensor located outside the vehicle 100, and is a sensor that captures the vehicle 100 from outside the vehicle 100. Specifically, the external sensor 300 is configured by a camera. The camera as the external sensor 300 captures an image including the vehicle 100 and outputs the captured image as a detection result. The external sensor 300 is equipped with a communication device (not shown), and can communicate with other devices such as the server device 200 via wired communication or wireless communication.

[0019] The mobile facility 400 is a production facility used in the production of the vehicle 100, and is configured to be mobile by unmanned operation. The mobile facility 400 is used in the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100, for example, in an assembly process for assembling parts to the vehicle 100, or in an inspection process for inspecting the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the mobile facility 400 is an automated guided vehicle (AGV). In the present disclosure, the automated guided vehicle includes an autonomous mobile robot (AMR). In other embodiments, the mobile facility 400 may be, for example, a drone or a synchronized cart.

[0020] In this embodiment, the mobile facility 400 is configured to be movable by remote control. The configuration of the mobile facility 400 is similar to that of the vehicle 100. That is, the mobile facility 400 includes a control device for controlling each unit of the mobile facility 400, an actuator group including at least one actuator that operates under the control of the control device, and a communication device for communicating via wireless communication with devices external to the mobile facility 400, such as the server device 200. The actuator group includes an actuator of a driving device that generates a driving force for the mobile facility 400, an actuator of a steering device that changes the traveling direction of the mobile facility 400, and an actuator of a braking device that generates a braking force for the mobile facility 400.

[0021] 3 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for driving control of the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment. In step S11, the remote control unit 210 of the server device 200 acquires vehicle position information of the vehicle 100 using the detection results output from the external sensor 300. The vehicle position information is position information that forms 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 S11, the remote control unit 210 acquires the vehicle position information using a captured image acquired from a camera, which is the external sensor 300.

[0022] In detail, in step S11, the remote control unit 210, for example, detects the outer shape of the vehicle 100 from the captured image, calculates the coordinates of the positioning point of the vehicle 100 in the coordinate system of the captured image, i.e., the local coordinate system, and converts the calculated coordinates into coordinates in the global coordinate system GC, thereby acquiring the position of the vehicle 100. The outer shape of the vehicle 100 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. The detection model DM can be, for example, 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 CNN parameters using backpropagation (backpropagation) to reduce the error between the output result of the detection model DM and the label. Furthermore, the remote control unit 210 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, for example, using an optical flow method.

[0023] In step S12, the remote control unit 210 determines a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head. In this embodiment, the target position is represented by X, Y, and Z coordinates in the global coordinate system GC. A reference route RR, which is the route 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 remote control unit 210 uses the vehicle position information and the reference route RR to determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head. The remote control unit 210 determines a target position on the reference route RR that is ahead of the current location of the vehicle 100.

[0024] In step S13, the remote control unit 210 generates a travel control signal for causing the vehicle 100 to travel toward the determined target position. The remote control unit 210 calculates the travel speed of the vehicle 100 from the change in the position of the vehicle 100 and compares the calculated travel speed with the target speed. When the travel speed is lower than the target speed, the remote control unit 210 determines an acceleration such that the vehicle 100 accelerates. When the travel speed is higher than the target speed, the remote control unit 210 determines an acceleration such that the vehicle 100 decelerates. Furthermore, when the vehicle 100 is located on the reference route RR, the remote control unit 210 determines a steering angle and acceleration such that the vehicle 100 does not deviate from the reference route RR. 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 remote control unit 210 determines a steering angle and acceleration such that the vehicle 100 returns to the reference route RR.

[0025] In step S14, the remote control unit 210 transmits the generated driving control signal to the vehicle 100. The remote control unit 210 repeats, at a predetermined cycle, obtaining the position of the vehicle 100, determining the target position, generating the driving control signal, and transmitting the driving control signal.

[0026] In step S15, the driving control unit 115 of the vehicle 100 receives the driving control signal transmitted from the server device 200. In step S16, 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 driving control unit 115 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.

[0027] In this embodiment, the server device 200 remotely controls the traveling of the mobile facility 400 in a manner similar to the traveling control of the vehicle 100 shown in FIG. 3 . That is, the remote control unit 210 of the server device 200 acquires position information of the mobile facility 400 using the detection results output from the external sensor 300, determines a target position to which the mobile facility 400 should next head, generates a traveling control signal for traveling the mobile facility 400 toward the determined target position, and transmits the generated traveling control signal to the mobile facility 400. The detection model DM stored in the memory 202 of the server device 200 includes a detection model for the vehicle 100 and a detection model for the mobile facility 400, and the reference route RR includes a reference route for the vehicle 100 and a reference route for the mobile facility 400. The control device of the mobile facility 400 receives the traveling control signal from the server device 200 and controls the actuators of the mobile facility 400 using the received traveling control signal, thereby causing the mobile facility 400 to travel at the acceleration and steering angle indicated in the traveling control signal.

[0028] In this embodiment, the server device 200 remotely controls the traveling of the multiple vehicles 100 and the multiple mobile facilities 400, thereby executing platooning by the multiple vehicles 100 and the multiple mobile facilities 400. For example, the server device 200 executes platooning such that the vehicles 100 travel in a single file, maintaining a predetermined inter-vehicle distance, and each vehicle 100 and each mobile facility 400 travels side by side in a one-to-one relationship.

[0029] 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for executing ejection from and joining of vehicles 100 and mobile facilities 400 from a platoon. This processing is repeatedly executed by server device 200 while a plurality of vehicles 100 and a plurality of mobile facilities 400 are traveling in a platoon.

[0030] In step S110, the server device 200 waits until a predetermined exclusion condition is met. If the exclusion condition is met, the server device 200 proceeds to step S120. Excluding a vehicle 100 means causing some of the vehicles 100 in the platoon to leave the platoon. Excluding a vehicle 100 also includes causing some of the mobile facilities 400 in the platoon to leave the platoon. In this embodiment, the exclusion condition includes at least one of the following: an abnormality is detected in a vehicle 100 traveling in the platoon; an abnormality is detected in more than a predetermined number of vehicles 100 in a subsequent process; and a vehicle 100 traveling in the platoon needs to be equipped with special optional equipment. Special optional equipment refers to equipment that is not installed on all vehicles 100 traveling in the platoon. For example, if the vehicle 100 is a special vehicle such as an ambulance, a fire engine, or a custom-made vehicle, the vehicle 100 needs to be equipped with special optional equipment. Here, if an abnormality is detected in a vehicle 100 traveling in a convoy, it is preferable to eject the vehicle 100 in which the abnormality was detected and inspect and repair the ejected vehicle 100. If an abnormality is detected in a predetermined number or more of vehicles 100 in a subsequent process, it is highly likely that an abnormality has also occurred in the vehicles 100 traveling in the convoy, so it is preferable to eject the vehicle 100 that is highly likely to have an abnormality and inspect and repair the ejected vehicle 100. If the vehicles 100 traveling in the convoy include a vehicle 100 that needs to be equipped with special optional equipment, it is preferable to eject the vehicle 100 that needs to be equipped with the special optional equipment and install the special optional equipment on the ejected vehicle 100.

[0031] In step S120, the server device 200 determines whether or not space is required for removal. If the target vehicle 100 to be removed is unable to travel, the target vehicle 100 is removed by manual labor, a towing vehicle, a crane, or the like. If the target vehicle 100 is unable to travel and the removal is performed by lifting all four wheels of the target vehicle 100, space for the removal work is required both in front of and behind the target vehicle 100. If the target vehicle 100 is unable to travel and the removal is performed by lifting the front wheels of the target vehicle 100, space for the removal work is required in front of the target vehicle 100. If the target vehicle 100 is unable to travel and the removal is performed by lifting the rear wheels of the target vehicle 100, space for the removal work is required behind the target vehicle 100. Therefore, if the necessary work space is not secured, the server device 200 determines that space is required for removal. On the other hand, if the target vehicle 100 to be hit is capable of travelling, the target vehicle 100 will be hit by its own movement. If the hit is performed by turning the target vehicle 100 while moving forward, a travel space equal to or larger than the minimum turning radius of the target vehicle 100 is required in front of the target vehicle 100. If the hit is performed by turning the target vehicle 100 while moving backward, a travel space equal to or larger than the minimum turning radius of the target vehicle 100 is required behind the target vehicle 100. For this reason, if the required travel space is not secured, the server device 200 determines that space must be opened for the hit.

[0032] If it is determined in step S120 that no space needs to be left for a vehicle to be pushed out, the server device 200 skips steps S130 to S140 and proceeds to step S150. If it is determined in step S120 that a space needs to be left for a vehicle to be pushed out, the server device 200 adjusts the inter-vehicle distance between each vehicle 100 traveling in the convoy so that the space needed for a vehicle to be pushed out is created in step S130. In step S140, the server device 200 determines whether the space left for a vehicle to be pushed out has been created. If it is determined in step S140 that the space left for a vehicle to be pushed out has not been created, the server device 200 repeats the processes from step S130 to step S140 until it is determined that the space left for a vehicle to be pushed out has been created. If it is determined in step S140 that the space left for a vehicle to be pushed out has been created, the server device 200 proceeds to step S150.

[0033] In step S150, the server device 200 ejects the target vehicle 100 to be ejected and the mobile facility 400 traveling parallel to the target vehicle 100, and moves them to the ejection destination. The destination of the target vehicle 100 and the destination of the mobile facility 400 may be set to the same location, or may be set to different locations. For example, if the destination of the target vehicle 100 is set to a predetermined repair site and the mobile facility 400 is used at the repair site, it is preferable that the destination of the target vehicle 100 and the destination of the mobile facility 400 be set to the repair site. For example, if a predetermined waiting area is provided beside the road TR where the platooning is performed, the destination of the target vehicle 100 is set to the predetermined repair site, and the mobile facility 400 is not used at the repair site, the destination of the target vehicle 100 may be set to the repair site, and the destination of the mobile facility 400 may be set to the waiting site.

[0034] In step S160, the server device 200 determines whether the removal of the vehicle 100 and the mobile facility 400 that are the subject of the removal has been completed. If it is determined in step S160 that the removal has not been completed, the server device 200 returns to step S150 and continues the movement of the target vehicle 100 and the mobile facility 400 to remove them. If the target vehicle 100 is unable to move, the movement of the target vehicle 100 to remove it may be performed manually by a worker, a tow truck, a crane, or the like, rather than by remote control by the server device 200. If it is determined in step S160 that the removal has been completed, the server device 200, in step S170, closes the portion of the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicles 100 that has widened due to the target vehicle 100 being removed, and resumes the platooning of the vehicles 100 other than the target vehicle 100.

[0035] In step S210, the server device 200 waits until it receives a merging instruction to cause the rejected target vehicle 100 and the mobile facility 400 to merge into the platoon. The merging instruction is transmitted to the server device 200, for example, from a repair site for the target vehicle 100. When the server device 200 receives the merging instruction, the process proceeds to step S220.

[0036] In step S220, the server device 200 determines whether or not it is necessary to leave space for merging. If it is determined in step S220 that space for merging is not necessary, the server device 200 skips steps S230 to S240 and proceeds to step S250. If it is determined in step S220 that space for merging is necessary, the server device 200 adjusts the inter-vehicle distance between each vehicle 100 traveling in the convoy so that the space necessary for merging is left open in step S230. In step S240, the server device 200 determines whether or not the space for merging has been left open. If it is determined in step S240 that the space for merging has not been left open, the server device 200 repeats the processes from step S230 to step S240 until it is determined that the space for merging has been left open. If it is determined in step S240 that the space for merging has been cleared, the server device 200 proceeds to step S250.

[0037] In step S250, the server device 200 executes the merging of the rejected target vehicle 100 and the mobile facility 400 into the platoon. In step S260, the server device 200 determines whether the merging is complete. If it is determined in step S260 that the merging is not complete, the server device 200 returns to step S250 and allows the target vehicle 100 and the mobile facility 400 to continue merging. If it is determined in step S260 that the merging is complete, the server device 200 ends this process.

[0038] Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing how vehicle 100 and mobile equipment 400 are ejected from and joined to a platoon. Five vehicles 100A-100E and five mobile equipment 400A-400E are shown in Fig. 5. The inter-vehicle distance between each of vehicles 100A-100E is maintained at a predetermined distance, and platooning is performed such that vehicle 100A and mobile equipment 400A run side by side, vehicle 100B and mobile equipment 400B run side by side, vehicle 100C and mobile equipment 400C run side by side, vehicle 100D and mobile equipment 400D run side by side, and vehicle 100E and mobile equipment 400E run side by side. The server device 200 determines whether or not a part of the travel route of the vehicles 100A-100E traveling in a convoy has been changed to a route different from the reference route RR during the period in which the vehicles 100A-100E are traveling in a convoy according to the reference route RR. In the present disclosure, the reference route RR of the vehicles 100A-100E may be referred to as a first route, and a route different from the reference route RR of the vehicles 100A-100E may be referred to as a second route.

[0039] 5A, when an abnormality is detected in vehicle 100B, server device 200 changes the travel route of vehicle 100B to a route different from reference route RR in order to eject vehicle 100B from the platoon. In this case, server device 200 determines that the travel route of vehicle 100B has been changed to a route different from reference route RR. Server device 200 sets a destination for ejecting mobile facility 400B so that mobile facility 400B moves away from reference route RR of vehicle 100B.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 5(B), the server device 200 controls each of the vehicles 100A-100E and each of the mobile facilities 400A-400E so as to ensure a space for the vehicle 100B to be pushed out. In Fig. 5(B), the server device 200 moves the mobile facility 400B to the destination of the push-out so that the mobile facility 400B is away from the vehicle 100B, and increases the distance between the vehicles 100A and 100B, thereby ensuring a space for the vehicle 100B to be pushed out.

[0041] 5(C), when the server device 200 determines that the mobile facility 400B has departed from the reference route RR of the vehicle 100B, the server device 200 permits the vehicle 100B to move to avoid the vehicle 100B being pushed away, and causes the vehicle 100B to move along a route different from the reference route RR. After the vehicle 100B has completely pushed away the vehicle 100B, the server device 200 reduces the distance between the vehicles 100A and 100C so that the distance between the vehicles 100A and 100C becomes a predetermined distance.

[0042] 5(D), server device 200 causes vehicle 100B and mobile facility 400B to merge into the platoon at an appropriate time. When causing vehicle 100B to merge between vehicle 100D and vehicle 100E, server device 200 causes vehicle 100B to merge between vehicle 100D and vehicle 100E, leaving a space between vehicle 100D and vehicle 100E, and causes mobile facility 400B to merge between mobile facility 400D and mobile facility 400E, leaving a space between mobile facility 400D and mobile facility 400E.

[0043] According to the system 10 of the present embodiment described above, when some of the vehicles 100 traveling in a platoon are ejected from the platoon, the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicles 100 is adjusted to ensure space for the ejection. This allows the vehicles 100 to be ejected smoothly from the platoon. Furthermore, according to the system 10 of the present embodiment, even if the ejected vehicle 100 rejoins the platoon, changing the order of the vehicles 100, the order of the vehicles 100 and the order of the mobile facilities 400 can be maintained consistent. This prevents, for example, an incorrect part from being assembled to the vehicle 100 when a mismatch occurs between the order of the vehicles 100 and the order of the mobile facilities 400, even if the mobile facilities 400 traveling parallel to the vehicle 100 are loaded with parts to be assembled to the vehicle 100.

[0044] B. Second embodiment: 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a system 10b according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the vehicle 100 is capable of running under autonomous control rather than under remote control by a server device 200. The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment unless otherwise specified.

[0045] In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 is configured to be able to travel under autonomous control. In this embodiment, in addition to the program PG1, a detection model DM and a reference route RR are pre-stored in the memory 112 of the vehicle control device 110. The vehicle 100 can communicate with the external sensor 300, the mobile facility 400, and other vehicles 100 in the system 10b via wireless communication using the communication device 130.

[0046] In this embodiment, the mobile facility 400 is configured to be able to travel under autonomous control. The configuration of the mobile facility 400 is similar to that of the vehicle 100. That is, a detection model and a reference route are stored in advance in a control device of the mobile facility 400, and the mobile facility 400 can communicate with the vehicle 100, the external sensor 300, and other mobile facilities 400 in the system 10b through wireless communication using a communication device.

[0047] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for driving control of the vehicle 100 in the second embodiment. In step S21, the driving control unit 115 of the vehicle control device 110 acquires vehicle position information of the host vehicle 100 using detection results output from a camera, which is the external sensor 300. In step S22, the driving control unit 115 determines a target position to which the host vehicle 100 should next head. In step S23, the driving control unit 115 generates a driving control signal for driving the host vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. In step S24, the driving control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal, thereby causing the host vehicle 100 to drive in accordance with parameters represented in the driving control signal. The driving control unit 115 repeats the acquisition of vehicle position information, determination of the target position, generation of the driving control signal, and control of the actuator group 120 at a predetermined cycle.

[0048] In this embodiment, the mobile facility 400 can control its own traveling in a manner similar to the traveling control of the vehicle 100 shown in Fig. 7. In this embodiment, a plurality of vehicles 100 and a plurality of mobile facilities 400 can travel in a convoy while recognizing each other's positions through wireless communication.

[0049] According to the system 10b in this embodiment described above, the vehicle 100 and the mobile equipment 400 can be driven by autonomous control of the vehicle 100 and the mobile equipment 400 without the server device 200 remotely controlling the vehicle 100 and the mobile equipment 400.

[0050] C. Other Embodiments: (C1) In each of the above-described embodiments, the external sensor 300 is a camera. However, the external sensor 300 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 by the external sensor 300 may be three-dimensional point cloud data representing the vehicle 100. In this case, the server device 200 and the vehicle 100 may acquire vehicle position information by template matching using the three-dimensional point cloud data as the detection result and reference point cloud data prepared in advance.

[0051] (C2) In the first embodiment, the processes from obtaining vehicle position information to generating a driving control signal are executed by the server device 200. However, at least a part of the processes from obtaining vehicle position information to generating a driving control signal may be executed by the vehicle 100. For example, the following forms (1) to (3) may be used.

[0052] (1) The server device 200 may acquire vehicle position information, determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head, and generate a route from the current location of the vehicle 100 indicated in the acquired vehicle position information to the target position. The server device 200 may generate a route to the 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.

[0053] (2) Server device 200 may acquire vehicle position information and transmit the acquired vehicle position information to vehicle 100. Vehicle 100 may determine a target position to which vehicle 100 should next head, generate a route from the current location of vehicle 100 indicated in the received vehicle position information to the target position, generate a driving control signal so that vehicle 100 travels on the generated route, and control actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal.

[0054] (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 is a sensor equipped in the vehicle 100. The internal sensor may include, for example, a sensor that detects the motion state of the vehicle 100, a sensor that detects the operating state of each part of the vehicle 100, and a sensor that detects the environment around the vehicle 100. Specifically, the internal sensor may include, for example, a camera, LiDAR, millimeter-wave radar, an ultrasonic sensor, a GPS sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and the like. 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 result of the internal sensor, and when generating the driving control signal, may reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the driving control signal.

[0055] (C3) In the second 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.

[0056] (C4) In the second embodiment, the vehicle 100 acquires vehicle position information using the detection results of 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 congestion information from outside the vehicle 100, and reflect the target arrival time and congestion information in at least one of the route and the driving control signal.

[0057] (C5) In the first embodiment described above, the server device 200 automatically generates a driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100. However, the server device 200 may generate a driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100 in accordance with the operation of an external operator located outside the vehicle 100. For example, the external operator may operate a control device including a display that displays an image output from the external sensor 300, a steering wheel for remotely operating the vehicle 100, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and a communication device for communicating with the server device 200 via wired or wireless communication, and the server device 200 may generate a driving control signal in accordance with the operation applied to the control device.

[0058] (C6) In each of the above 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 its interior parts, such as a driver's seat and a dashboard, may not be equipped with at least some of its exterior parts, such as bumpers and fenders, 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. 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.

[0059] (C7) 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.

[0060] (C8) Transporting the vehicle 100 by using the unmanned driving of the 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 the vehicle 100 by using self-propelled transport is also called "self-propelled production." In self-propelled production, for example, at a factory FC where the vehicle 100 is manufactured, at least a portion of the transport of the vehicle 100 is realized by self-propelled transport.

[0061] (C9) In each of the above 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 or discrete circuits.

[0062] 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]

[0063] 10, 10b...system, 100...vehicle, 110...vehicle control device, 111...processor, 112...memory, 113...input / output interface, 114...internal bus, 115...travel control device, 120...actuator group, 130...communication device, 200...server device, 201...processor, 202...memory, 203...input / output interface, 204...internal bus, 205...communication device, 210...remote control device, 300...external sensor, 400...mobile equipment

Claims

[Claim 1] 1. A control method for controlling a moving body running parallel to a self-propelled vehicle in a vehicle manufacturing process, comprising: a determining step of determining whether the travel route of the vehicle has been changed to a second route different from a predetermined first route; a destination setting step of setting a destination of the moving body so that the moving body moves away from the first route when it is determined in the determination step that the traveling route of the vehicle has been changed to the second route; a moving step of moving the moving body to the destination; an enabling step of enabling the vehicle to move when it is determined that the moving body has left the first route; A control method comprising:

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