Vehicle control device, notification device, and vehicle control method

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device, a notification device, and a vehicle control method that can improve the responsiveness of emergency operations. [Solution] The vehicle control device 110 according to this disclosure is a vehicle control device that controls the operation of vehicles 100 traveling in a convoy, and comprises a control information acquisition unit 101, an emergency information acquisition unit 102, and a driving control unit 104. The control information acquisition unit 101 acquires control information relating to the operation control of the vehicle 100 from a server. The emergency information acquisition unit 102 acquires emergency information, which is information notifying an emergency, from other vehicles 100 traveling in a convoy. If the emergency information acquisition unit 102 has not acquired emergency information, the driving control unit 104 controls the operation of the vehicle 100 based on the control information, and if the emergency information acquisition unit 102 has acquired emergency information, it controls the operation of the vehicle 100 to execute an emergency action.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a control device that controls the driving state of at least one vehicle among a plurality of vehicles performing platoon driving.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, when performing platoon driving, for example, when one vehicle suddenly stops, it is necessary for the following vehicles to also suddenly stop. Here, when the responsiveness of the following vehicles to suddenly stop is low, there is a problem that the inter-vehicle distance decreases due to the sudden stop, and disorder occurs in the platoon. Patent Document 1 does not disclose a technique capable of solving such problems.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicle control device, a notification device, and a vehicle control method capable of improving the responsiveness of emergency operations.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The vehicle control device relating to this disclosure is a vehicle control device that controls the operation of vehicles traveling in a convoy, and comprises a control information acquisition unit, an emergency information acquisition unit, and a driving control unit. The control information acquisition unit acquires control information relating to the operation control of the vehicle from a server. The emergency information acquisition unit acquires emergency information, which is information notifying of an emergency, from other vehicles traveling in the convoy. If the emergency information acquisition unit has not acquired emergency information, the driving control unit controls the operation of the vehicle based on the control information, and if the acquisition unit has acquired emergency information, it controls the operation of the vehicle to execute an emergency action.

[0007] With this configuration, the vehicle control device 110 according to this embodiment can perform operational control to respond to emergencies without performing communication via a server. As a result, the vehicle control device 110 can improve the responsiveness of the vehicle 100 to emergency operations.

[0008] In the vehicle control device relating to this disclosure, the emergency information acquisition unit may acquire emergency information from the vehicle traveling ahead in a convoy.

[0009] The vehicle control device according to this disclosure may further include a transmission unit that transmits emergency information to the vehicle traveling one position behind in a convoy when the emergency information acquisition unit acquires emergency information.

[0010] The notification device relating to this disclosure is a notification device mounted on a vehicle traveling in a convoy, and comprises an emergency detection unit and an emergency information output unit. The emergency detection unit detects the occurrence of an emergency. The emergency information output unit outputs emergency information to other vehicles traveling in a convoy, notifying them of the occurrence of an emergency, based on external control from the server.

[0011] The vehicle control method described herein is a vehicle control method for controlling the operation of vehicles traveling in a convoy. In the vehicle control method described herein, control information related to vehicle operation control is obtained from a server. If emergency information, which is information notifying of an emergency, is not obtained from other vehicles traveling in the convoy, the operation of the vehicle is controlled based on the control information. If emergency information is obtained from other vehicles traveling in the convoy, the operation of the vehicle is controlled to perform an emergency action. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] This disclosure provides a vehicle control device, a notification device, and a vehicle control method that can improve the responsiveness of emergency operations. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a schematic overview showing the configuration of the control system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the server configuration according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart showing the control method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart showing the control method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart showing the control method according to the first embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] <First Embodiment> (Vehicle control system configuration) The first embodiment of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. First, the configuration of the vehicle control device according to this embodiment will be described.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic overhead view for explaining the configuration of a control system 50 according to the present embodiment and a vehicle 100 to be controlled thereby. A vehicle control device 110 according to the present embodiment is a device mounted on each of the vehicles 100 that perform platoon driving as shown in FIG. 1, and controls the operation of the vehicle 100 on which it is mounted. The vehicle 100 according to the present embodiment controls the operation of the vehicle 100 based on the control by the control system 50.

[0016] The control system 50 includes a server 200 and an external sensor 300, and controls the platoon driving of a plurality of vehicles 100 as described above. Although details will be described later, the control system 50 according to the present embodiment outputs control information of the vehicle 100 and transmits it to the vehicle 100. Then, the vehicle 100 that has received the control information performs driverless driving based on the control information, thereby executing platoon driving.

[0017] Here, the term "driverless driving" means driving that does not depend on the driving operation of a passenger. Further, the driving operation means an operation related to at least any one of "driving", "turning", and "stopping" of the vehicle 100.

[0018] However, a passenger who does not perform a driving operation may be on board the vehicle 100 that is driving by driverless driving. Passengers who do not perform a driving operation include, for example, a person simply sitting in the seat of the vehicle 100, and a passenger who is performing work different from the driving operation, such as assembly, inspection, and operation of switches, while on board the vehicle 100.

[0019] The control system 50 can be used for any purpose as long as it drives a plurality of vehicles forming a platoon. For example, the control system 50 may be used to transport multiple vehicles manufactured at a vehicle manufacturing plant to a yard. Alternatively, the control system 50 may be used to load multiple vehicles onto a ship or freight train. Furthermore, the control system 50 may be used at a vehicle manufacturing plant to platoon unfinished vehicles.

[0020] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the server 200 according to the first embodiment. Server 200 is comprised of a computer that includes a processor 201, memory 202, an input / output interface 203, and an internal bus 204. The processor 201, memory 202, and input / output interface 203 are connected via an internal bus 204 to enable bidirectional communication, and a communication device 205 for communicating with various devices outside the server 200 is connected to the input / output interface 203. The communication device 205 can communicate with the vehicle 100 via wireless communication and can communicate with each external sensor 300 via wired or wireless communication. The processor 201 implements various functions by executing the program PG2 stored in memory 202.

[0021] The server 200 acquires detection results from the sensors and generates control information to control the actuator group of the vehicle 100 using the detection results. The server 200 then transmits the control information to the vehicle 100, thereby driving the vehicle 100 via remote control. The server 200 may generate and output control signals not only for control information related to the driving of the vehicle 100, but also for controlling various auxiliary equipment and actuators that operate various devices such as wipers, power windows, and lamps, which are installed in the vehicle 100. In other words, the server 200 may operate these various devices and auxiliary equipment by remote control.

[0022] The external sensor 300 is a sensor located outside the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the external sensor 300 is a sensor that detects the vehicle 100 from outside the vehicle 100. The external sensor 300 is equipped with a communication device (not shown) and can communicate with other devices such as the server 200 via wired or wireless communication.

[0023] Specifically, the external sensor 300 according to this embodiment is composed of a camera. The camera, as the external sensor 300, captures an image including the vehicle 100 and outputs the captured image as the detection result. However, the configuration of the external sensor 300 is not limited to this, and the external sensor 300 may be, for example, a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging), a millimeter-wave radar, an ultrasonic sensor, etc. In other words, the external sensor 300 may be any sensor that outputs detection results that can be used to determine the position information of the vehicle 100.

[0024] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle according to this embodiment. Vehicle 100 is a vehicle that travels in a convoy using unmanned operation. More specifically, each vehicle 100 in this embodiment is equipped with a vehicle control device 110, and unmanned operation is performed based on the control of the vehicle control device 110, which has acquired control information from the server 200.

[0025] The vehicle control device 110 according to this embodiment includes, as functional blocks, a control information acquisition unit 101, an emergency information acquisition unit 102, a transmission unit 103, a driving control unit 104, an emergency situation detection unit 105, and an emergency information output unit 106.

[0026] The control information acquisition unit 101 acquires control information related to the operation control of the vehicle 100 from the server 200. More specifically, the control information acquisition unit 101 acquires control information of the vehicle 100 from the server 200 via wireless communication. The control information acquisition unit 101 outputs the acquired control information to the driving control unit 104.

[0027] In this embodiment, the control information includes the acceleration and steering angle of the vehicle 100 as parameters. In other embodiments, the 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.

[0028] The emergency information acquisition unit 102 acquires emergency information, which is information notifying of an emergency, from other vehicles 100 traveling in a convoy. The emergency information acquisition unit 102 outputs the acquired emergency information to the driving control unit 104. More specifically, the emergency information acquisition unit 102 acquires emergency information from other vehicles 100 by performing inter-vehicle communication using the communication devices that each vehicle 100 has.

[0029] The emergency information referred to here is information that notifies other vehicles 100 traveling in a convoy of an emergency based on external control from server 200. Furthermore, an emergency situation, as used here, refers to a situation in which vehicle 100 needs to take a highly responsive action, such as a worker suddenly running out or some vehicles 100 stopping due to communication failure or other reasons.

[0030] Here, the emergency information acquisition unit 102 may acquire emergency information from another vehicle 100 traveling ahead in the convoy. Furthermore, vehicle 100 may be configured to transmit emergency information to other vehicles 100 traveling behind it in a convoy when the emergency information acquisition unit 102 acquires emergency information. In other words, vehicle 100 may be equipped with a transmission unit 103 that transmits emergency information to other vehicles 100 traveling behind it in a convoy when the emergency information acquisition unit 102 acquires emergency information. In other words, in the control system 50 according to this embodiment, when one vehicle 100 transmits emergency information, it may transmit the emergency information to the vehicles behind it one by one in sequence.

[0031] However, the method of transmitting emergency information relating to this disclosure is not limited to the above. For example, a vehicle 100 transmitting emergency information may transmit emergency information to two or more vehicles 100. Furthermore, for example, a vehicle 100 that transmits emergency information may transmit the emergency information to vehicles 100 that are within a predetermined range from that vehicle 100. Alternatively, for example, a vehicle 100 that transmits emergency information may transmit the emergency information to all vehicles 100 controlled by the server 200. Furthermore, emergency information is not limited to information notified by other vehicles in the event of an emergency; it may also include information indicating that notifications that were continuously received from other vehicles during normal times have ceased. In other words, the method for transmitting emergency information relating to this disclosure may have any configuration, as long as it includes a configuration in which a vehicle 100 under the control of server 200 transmits emergency information to other vehicles 100 under the control of server 200.

[0032] The driving control unit 104 controls the vehicle's operation based on control information if the emergency information acquisition unit 102 has not acquired emergency information, and controls the vehicle's operation to execute emergency actions if the emergency information acquisition unit 102 has acquired emergency information.

[0033] However, the term "emergency action" here refers to an action taken to address the aforementioned emergency situation, and it is preferable that such an action be performed with high responsiveness. Examples of emergency actions include temporarily stopping the platoon and moving vehicle 100 to a designated space.

[0034] In other words, under normal circumstances, the vehicle control device 110 controls the platooning of vehicles 100 based on control from the server 200. When emergency information is acquired, that is, when an emergency occurs, the platooning of vehicles 100 is controlled not by control from the server 200, but based on the aforementioned inter-vehicle communication. With this configuration, the vehicle control device 110 according to this embodiment can perform operational control to respond to emergencies without performing communication via a server. As a result, the vehicle control device 110 can improve the responsiveness of the vehicle 100 to emergency operations.

[0035] In this embodiment, emergency information is output by the vehicle 100 that detects the occurrence of an emergency and transmitted to other vehicles 100 via inter-vehicle communication. Therefore, the vehicle 100 according to this embodiment includes an emergency detection unit 105 for detecting the occurrence of an emergency, and an emergency information output unit 106 for outputting emergency information.

[0036] The emergency detection unit 105, for example, acquires detection results from on-board sensors installed on the vehicle 100, and detects the occurrence of an emergency based on the acquired detection results. The term "in-vehicle sensor" here refers to any sensor capable of outputting detection results that can be used in the event of an emergency, such as an in-vehicle camera. If the in-vehicle sensor is an in-vehicle camera, the emergency detection unit 105 may, for example, acquire an image of the area outside the vehicle 100 captured by the in-vehicle camera. The emergency detection unit 105 may then detect the occurrence of an emergency by processing the captured image.

[0037] The emergency information output unit 106 outputs emergency information to other vehicles 100 traveling in a convoy, notifying them of the occurrence of an emergency, based on external control from the server 200. As mentioned above, the emergency information output by the emergency information output unit 106 is transmitted to other vehicles 100 by performing inter-vehicle communication.

[0038] In other words, the vehicle control device 110 according to this embodiment can notify other vehicles 100 under the control of the server 200 of the occurrence of an emergency. For this reason, the vehicle control device 110 according to this embodiment may also be called a notification device.

[0039] Figure 4 is a block diagram that provides a more detailed explanation of the configuration of vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 includes a vehicle control device 110 for controlling various parts of the vehicle 100, an actuator group 120 including one or more actuators driven under the control of the vehicle control device 110, and a communication device 130 for communicating wirelessly with external devices such as a server 200.

[0040] The vehicle control device 110 is composed of a computer comprising a processor 111, memory 112, input / output interface 113, and internal bus 114. The processor 111, memory 112, and input / output interface 113 are connected via an internal bus 114 to enable bidirectional communication. The actuator group 120 and communication device 130 are connected to the input / output interface 113.

[0041] The processor 111 executes the program PG1 stored in the memory 112 to realize various functions, including those of a control information acquisition unit 101, an emergency information acquisition unit 102, a transmission unit 103, a driving control unit 104, an emergency detection unit 105, and an emergency information output unit 106.

[0042] The actuator group 120 includes actuators for the drive system to accelerate the vehicle 100, actuators for the steering system to change the direction of travel of the vehicle 100, and actuators for the braking system to decelerate the vehicle 100.

[0043] The communication device 130 communicates with the server 200 and other vehicles performing platooning. The communication device 130 receives control signals from the server 200. The communication device 130 outputs the received control signals to the vehicle control device 110.

[0044] Furthermore, the communication device 130 is configured to send and receive emergency information with other vehicles 100. When the communication device 130 receives emergency information from another vehicle 100, it outputs the received emergency information to the vehicle control device 110. Furthermore, when the communication device 130 receives emergency information output from the vehicle control device 110, it transmits the received emergency information to other vehicles 100.

[0045] (Operation of the vehicle control system) Next, the operation of the vehicle control device according to this embodiment, that is, the vehicle control method according to this embodiment, will be described in more detail. Figures 5 and 6 are flowcharts for illustrating the vehicle control method according to the first embodiment. In the following explanation, please refer to Figures 2, 3, and 4 as appropriate.

[0046] First, we will explain in detail the processing procedure shown in Figure 5. In the processing procedure shown in Figure 5, the processor 111 of the vehicle control device 110 functions as a control information acquisition unit 101, an emergency information acquisition unit 102, a transmission unit 103, and a driving control unit 104 by executing the program PG1.

[0047] First, the processor 111 acquires control information from the server 200 (step S11). More specifically, the processor 111 acquires control information from the server 200 via the communication device 205 and the communication device 130. In step S11, the processor 111 performs the function of a control information acquisition unit 101.

[0048] Next, the processor 111 determines whether or not it has received emergency information from the other vehicles 100 traveling in the convoy (step S12). In step S12, the processor 111 is performing the function of a driving control unit 104.

[0049] If emergency information is not received from other vehicles traveling in the convoy (step S12 NO), the processor 111 controls the operation of the vehicle 100 based on control parameters (step S15) and terminates the series of operations. The processor 111 repeats the above series of operations at predetermined intervals. In other words, in step S15, the processor 111 controls the operation of the vehicle 100 based on the control from the server 200. The detailed control method in this case will be described later. In step S15, the processor 111 performs the function of a driving control unit 104.

[0050] If emergency information is obtained from other vehicles traveling in a convoy (step S12 YES), the processor 111 controls the operation of vehicle 100 to perform an emergency action (step S13). In other words, in step S13, the processor 111 controls the operation of vehicle 100 based on emergency information obtained from other vehicles 100. In step S15, the processor 111 performs the functions of an emergency information acquisition unit 102 and a driving control unit 104.

[0051] Next, the processor 111 transmits emergency information to the other vehicle 100 (step S14), and the series of operations ends. The processor 111 repeats the above series of operations at a predetermined cycle. In step S14, the processor 111 performs the function of a transmission unit 103. However, the execution order of steps S13 and S14 may be reversed. Also, steps S13 and S14 may be executed in parallel.

[0052] Next, we will explain in detail the processing procedure shown in Figure 6. In the processing procedure shown in Figure 6, the processor 111 of the vehicle control device 110 executes the program PG1, thereby functioning as the driving control unit 104, the emergency detection unit 105, and the emergency information output unit 106. In other words, in the processing procedure shown in Figure 5, the vehicle control device 110 functions as a vehicle control device according to this embodiment, while also functioning as a notification device according to this embodiment.

[0053] First, the processor 111 detects the occurrence of an emergency (step S21). In step S21, the processor 111 performs the function of an emergency detection unit 105.

[0054] Next, the processor 111 performs an emergency operation (step S22). In step S21, the processor 111 performs the function of the driving control unit 104.

[0055] Next, the processor 111 outputs emergency information to the other vehicle 100 (step S23), and the series of operations ends. The processor 111 repeats the above series of operations at predetermined intervals. In step S23, the processor 111 performs its function as an emergency information output unit 106. Here, the execution order of steps S22 and S23 may be reversed. Also, steps S22 and S23 may be executed in parallel.

[0056] With this configuration, the vehicle control device 110 according to this embodiment can appropriately perform emergency actions even if it detects an emergency situation itself. Furthermore, with this configuration, the vehicle control device 110 according to this embodiment can appropriately notify other vehicles 100 under the control of the server 200 of the emergency it has detected.

[0057] (Method of controlling vehicles using a server) Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for controlling the vehicle 100's movement in the first embodiment. In the processing procedure shown in Figure 7, the processor 201 of the server 200 executes the program PG2 to control the vehicle 100.

[0058] The driving control processing procedure described below corresponds to steps S11 and S15 in the flowchart shown in Figure 5. In other words, the driving control configuration described below provides a detailed explanation of driving control when emergency information has not been acquired, i.e., driving control by the server 200.

[0059] In step S1, the processor 201 of the server 200 acquires the vehicle position information of the vehicle 100 using the detection results output from the external sensor 300. The vehicle position information is the basic position information that forms the basis for generating control signals. In this embodiment, the vehicle position information includes the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 in the factory's global coordinate system.

[0060] Specifically, in step S1, the processor 201 acquires vehicle position information using the image captured by the camera, which is an external sensor 300. In detail, in step S1, the processor 201 detects the outline of the vehicle 100 from the captured image, calculates the coordinates of the vehicle 100's positioning point in the coordinate system of the captured image, i.e., the local coordinate system, and obtains the position of the vehicle 100 by converting the calculated coordinates to coordinates in the global coordinate system.

[0061] The external shape of the vehicle 100 included in the captured image can be detected, for example, by inputting the captured image into a detection model DM that utilizes artificial intelligence. The detection model DM is prepared, for example, within or outside the control system 50 and pre-stored in the memory 202 of the server 200.

[0062] Examples of detection models (DMs) include pre-trained machine learning models that have been trained to perform either semantic segmentation or instance segmentation. As a machine learning model, for example, a convolutional neural network (CNN) trained through supervised learning using a training dataset can be used. The training dataset includes, for example, multiple training images containing vehicle 100, and labels indicating whether each region in the training images represents vehicle 100 or something other than vehicle 100. During CNN training, it is preferable to update the CNN parameters using backpropagation (error backpropagation) to reduce the error between the output of the detection model DM and the label.

[0063] Furthermore, the processor 201 can obtain the orientation of the vehicle 100 by, for example, using the optical flow method, estimating it based on the direction of the vehicle 100's movement vector calculated from the positional changes of the vehicle 100's feature points between frames of the captured image.

[0064] In step S2, the processor 201 of the server 200 determines the next target location that the vehicle 100 should head to. In this embodiment, the target position is represented by X, Y, Z coordinates in a global coordinate system. The server 200's memory 202 pre-stores a reference route, which is the path that the vehicle 100 should travel. The route is represented by a node indicating the starting point, nodes indicating waypoints, a node indicating the destination, and links connecting each node. The processor 201 uses the vehicle's position information and the reference path to determine the next target location that the vehicle 100 should head to. The processor 201 determines the target location to be on the reference path beyond the vehicle 100's current location.

[0065] In step S3, the processor 201 of the server 200 generates a control signal to drive the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. The processor 201 calculates the vehicle's speed from the change in the vehicle's position and compares the calculated speed with the target speed. Overall, the processor 201 determines the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 accelerates when the driving speed is lower than the target speed, and determines the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 decelerates when the driving speed is higher than the target speed.

[0066] Furthermore, the processor 201 determines the steering angle and acceleration to prevent the vehicle 100 from deviating from the reference path if the vehicle 100 is located on the reference path, and determines the steering angle and acceleration to prevent the vehicle 100 from deviating from the reference path if the vehicle 100 is not located on the reference path, in other words, if the vehicle 100 has deviated from the reference path.

[0067] In step S4, the processor 201 of the server 200 transmits the generated control signal to the vehicle 100. The processor 201 repeats the process of acquiring the position of the vehicle 100, determining the target position, generating the control signal, and transmitting the control signal at predetermined intervals.

[0068] In step S5, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 receives a control signal transmitted from the server 200.

[0069] In step S6, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 controls the actuator group 120 using the received control signal, thereby driving the vehicle 100 at the acceleration and steering angle indicated in the control signal. The processor 111 repeatedly receives control signals and controls the actuator group 120 at predetermined intervals.

[0070] This type of driving control allows the vehicle 100 to be driven remotely, and the vehicle 100 can be moved without using transport equipment such as cranes or conveyors.

[0071] As described above, under normal circumstances, the vehicle control device 110 controls the platooning of vehicles 100 based on control from the server 200. When emergency information is acquired, i.e., when an emergency occurs, the vehicle control device 110 controls the platooning of vehicles 100 based on the aforementioned inter-vehicle communication, rather than on control from the server 200. With such a configuration, the vehicle control device 110 according to the present embodiment can execute operation control for responding to an emergency without performing communication via a server. As a result, the vehicle control device 110 can improve the responsiveness of the emergency operation of the vehicle 100.

[0072] <YYOther Embodiments> (YY1) In each of the above embodiments, the external sensor 300 is a camera. In contrast, the external sensor 300 does not have to be a camera, and for example, it may be a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging). In this case, the detection result output by the external sensor 300 may be three-dimensional point cloud data representing the vehicle 100. In this case, the server 200 and the vehicle 100 may acquire vehicle position information by template matching using the three-dimensional point cloud data as the detection result and the reference point cloud data prepared in advance.

[0073] (YY2) In the first embodiment above, the server 200 executes the process from the acquisition of vehicle position information to the generation of a control signal. In contrast, at least a part of the process from the acquisition of vehicle position information to the generation of a control signal may be executed by the vehicle 100. For example, it may be in the following forms (1) to (3).

[0074] (1) The server 200 may acquire vehicle position information, determine the target position to which the vehicle 10 should next head, and generate a route from the current position of the vehicle 100 represented by the acquired vehicle position information to the target position. The server 200 may generate a route to the target position between the current position and the destination, or may generate a route to the destination. The server 200 may transmit the generated route to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may generate a control signal so that the vehicle 100 travels on the route received from the server 200, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated control signal.

[0075] (2) The server 200 may acquire vehicle location information and transmit the acquired vehicle location information to the vehicle 100. Vehicle 100 may determine the next target location to which it should go, generate a path from its current location to the target location as shown in the received vehicle location information, generate a control signal to drive along the generated path, and use the generated control signal to control the actuator group 120.

[0076] (3) In the embodiments of (1) and (2) above, the vehicle 100 is equipped with an internal sensor, and the detection result output from the internal sensor may be used for at least one of the generation of the path and the generation of the control signal. Internal sensors are sensors mounted on the vehicle 100. Internal sensors may include, for example, sensors that detect the motion state of the vehicle 100, sensors that detect the operating state of various parts of the vehicle 100, and sensors that detect the environment around the vehicle 100. Specifically, internal sensors may include, for example, cameras, LiDAR, millimeter-wave radar, ultrasonic sensors, GPS sensors, acceleration sensors, gyroscopes, etc. For example, in the embodiment of (1) above, the server 200 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensors and reflect the detection results of the internal sensors in the route when generating the route. In the embodiment of (1) above, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection result of the internal sensor and reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the control signal when generating the control signal. In the embodiment of (2) above, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection result of the internal sensor and reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the route when generating the route. In the embodiment described in (2) above, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection result of the internal sensor and reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the control signal when generating the control signal.

[0077] (YY3) In the above embodiment, the vehicle 100 is equipped with an internal sensor, and the detection result output from the internal sensor may be used for at least one of the generation of the path and the generation of the control signal. For example, vehicle 100 may acquire detection results from its internal sensors and reflect those results in the route when generating a route. Vehicle 100 may acquire detection results from its internal sensors and reflect those results in the control signal when generating a control signal.

[0078] (YY4) In the above embodiment, the vehicle 100 acquires vehicle position information using the detection results of the external sensor 300. Alternatively, the vehicle 100 may be equipped with internal sensors, which may use the detection results of the internal sensors to acquire vehicle position information, determine the next target location to which the vehicle 100 should go, generate a route from the vehicle 100's current location to the target location as shown in the acquired vehicle position information, generate a control signal for driving along the generated route, and use the generated control signal to control the actuator group 120. In this case, the vehicle 100 can travel without using any detection results from the external sensor 300. Alternatively, the vehicle 100 may obtain target arrival time and traffic congestion information from outside the vehicle 100 and reflect this information in at least one of the route and control signals.

[0079] (YY5) In the first embodiment described above, the server 200 automatically generates control signals to be transmitted to the vehicle 100. In response to this, the server 200 may generate control signals to be transmitted to the vehicle 100 in accordance with the operations of an external operator located outside the vehicle 100. For example, an external operator may operate a control device that includes a display for displaying captured images output from an 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 a server 200 via wired or wireless communication. The server 200 may then generate control signals in response to the operations performed on the control device.

[0080] (YY6) In each of the above embodiments, the vehicle 100 only needs to have a configuration that allows it to move by unmanned operation, and may take the form of a platform having the configuration described below. Specifically, in order for the vehicle 100 to perform the three functions of "driving," "turning," and "stopping" through unmanned operation, it only needs to be equipped with at least a vehicle control device 110 and an actuator group 120. If the vehicle 100 needs to acquire information from an external source for unmanned operation, it may also be equipped with a communication device 130. In other words, a vehicle 100 that can be moved by unmanned operation may not have at least some of its interior components such as a driver's seat and dashboard, it may not have at least some of its exterior components such as bumpers and fenders, and it may not have a body shell. In this case, the remaining parts such as the body shell may be attached to the vehicle 100 before it leaves the factory, or the remaining parts such as the body shell may be attached to the vehicle 100 after it has left the factory, while the remaining parts such as the body shell are not attached to the vehicle 100. Each part may be attached to the vehicle 100 from any direction, such as the top, bottom, front, rear, right, or left side, and each part may be attached from the same direction or from different directions. Furthermore, the platform configuration can also be positioned in the same manner as the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment.

[0081] (YY7) Vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining multiple modules. A module means a unit composed of multiple parts grouped together according to the part or function of vehicle 100. For example, the platform of vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining a front module that constitutes the front part of the platform, a central module that constitutes the middle part of the platform, and a rear module that constitutes the rear part of the platform. The number of modules that make up the platform is not limited to three, but may be two or fewer, or four or more. Furthermore, in addition to, or instead of, the components that make up parts of the vehicle 100 that are different from the platform may be modularized. These modules may also include any exterior components such as bumpers and grilles, or any interior components such as seats and consoles. Furthermore, not limited to vehicle 100, any type of mobile body may be manufactured by combining multiple modules. Such modules may be manufactured, for example, by joining multiple parts by welding or fasteners, or by integrally molding at least some of the parts constituting the module as a single part by casting. A molding technique for integrally molding a single component, especially a relatively large component, is also called gigacast or megacast. For example, the front module, central module, and rear module mentioned above may be manufactured using gigacast.

[0082] (YY8) In each of the above embodiments, some or all of the functions and processes implemented in software may be implemented in hardware. Also, some or all of the functions and processes implemented in hardware may be implemented in software. As hardware for implementing the various functions in each of the above embodiments, various circuits such as integrated circuits and discrete circuits may be used.

[0083] (supplement) In the embodiments described above, the control system controlled a vehicle, but the control system according to this disclosure is not limited to vehicles. In other words, the control system according to this disclosure can control any mobile body capable of platooning. However, in this disclosure, “mobile object” means an object that can move, such as a vehicle or an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (so-called flying car). Vehicles may be wheeled vehicles or tracked vehicles, and include, for example, passenger cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, cars, tanks, and construction vehicles. Vehicles also include electric vehicles (BEVs: Battery Electric Vehicles), gasoline vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles. If the moving object is not a vehicle, the terms "vehicle" and "car" in this disclosure may be replaced with "moving object" as appropriate, and the term "driving" may be replaced with "moving" as appropriate.

[0084] Transporting vehicle 100 using the unmanned operation of the vehicle 100 is also called "autonomous transport." The configuration for realizing autonomous transport is also called a "vehicle remote control autonomous driving transport system." Furthermore, a production method that uses autonomous transport to produce vehicle 100 is also called "autonomous production." In autonomous production, for example, at a factory fuel cell (FC) that manufactures vehicle 100, at least a portion of the transport of vehicle 100 is realized by autonomous transport.

[0085] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0086] 100 vehicles 101 Control Information Acquisition Unit 102 Emergency Information Acquisition Department 103 Transmitter 104 Driving Control Unit 105 Emergency Detection Unit 106 Emergency Information Output Unit 110 Vehicle control device 111 processors 112 memory 113 Input / Output Interfaces 114 Internal bus 120 Actuator Group 130 Communication equipment 50 Control Systems 200 servers 201 Processor 202 memory 203 Input / Output Interfaces 204 Internal Bus 205 Communication equipment 300 External Sensors

Claims

1. A vehicle control device that controls the movement of vehicles traveling in a convoy, A control information acquisition unit that acquires control information related to the operation control of the vehicle from a server, An emergency information acquisition unit that obtains emergency information, which is information that notifies of an emergency, from other vehicles traveling in a convoy, The vehicle includes a driving control unit that controls the vehicle's operation based on the control information if the emergency information acquisition unit has not acquired the emergency information, and controls the vehicle's operation to perform an emergency action if the emergency information acquisition unit has acquired the emergency information. Vehicle control system.

2. The emergency information acquisition unit acquires the emergency information from the vehicle traveling ahead in the convoy. The vehicle control device according to claim 1.

3. The system further includes a transmitting unit that, when the emergency information acquisition unit acquires the emergency information, transmits the emergency information to the vehicle traveling one position behind in the convoy. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A notification device mounted on vehicles traveling in a convoy, An emergency detection unit that detects the occurrence of an emergency, The system includes an emergency information output unit that outputs emergency information notifying other vehicles traveling in the convoy of the occurrence of the emergency based on external control from a server. Notification device.

5. A vehicle control method for controlling the movement of vehicles traveling in a convoy, Control information related to the operation control of the aforementioned vehicle is obtained from the server, If emergency information, which is information notifying of an emergency, is not obtained from other vehicles performing platooning, the vehicle's operation will be controlled based on the control information. If the aforementioned emergency information is obtained from another vehicle in a convoy, the vehicle's operation will be controlled to perform the emergency action. Vehicle control method.

Images