Control device, control system, control method, control program, and method for manufacturing a mobile body

Abstract

To provide a control device, control system, control method, control program, and manufacturing method for a mobile body that can suppress the occurrence of congestion during platooning. [Solution] The control system 50 according to this disclosure is a control system for controlling the operation of a plurality of vehicles 100 moving in a convoy, and comprises a time information output unit 212, a destination location related information output unit 213, and a control information output unit 214. The time information output unit 212 outputs time information that specifies a time. The destination location related information output unit 213 outputs destination location related information for each of the plurality of vehicles 100, relating to the position that each moving object should reach at the time indicated by the time information. The control information output unit 214 outputs control information for controlling the operation of the vehicles 100 based on the time information and the destination location related information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device, a control system, a control method, a control program, and a method for manufacturing a moving body.

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 Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, when performing platoon driving, the inter-vehicle distance may increase or decrease. When the inter-vehicle distance decreases, the following vehicle may be forced to decelerate, and as a result, there is a problem that traffic jams occur in platoon driving. 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 control device, a control system, a control method, a control program, and a method for manufacturing a moving body capable of suppressing the occurrence of traffic jams in platoon driving.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The control device according to this disclosure is a control device for controlling the operation of multiple moving objects moving in a convoy, and comprises a time information output unit, a destination location-related information output unit, and a control information output unit. The time information output unit outputs time information specifying a time. The destination location-related information output unit outputs destination location-related information for each of the multiple moving objects, relating to the position that each moving object should reach at the time indicated by the time information. The control information output unit outputs control information for controlling the operation of the moving objects based on the time information and the destination location-related information. With this configuration, the control device according to this disclosure can enable vehicles to travel in a convoy while maintaining the distance between them. As a result, the control device according to this embodiment can suppress the occurrence of congestion during convoy travel.

[0007] In the control device described above, the control information may be information that links time information and target location-related information. With this configuration, vehicle 100 can properly perform unmanned operation.

[0008] In the control device described above, the control information may be control parameters of a moving object output based on time information and target position-related information. With this configuration, the vehicle does not need to have a configuration that outputs control parameters. As a result, the control system according to this disclosure can simplify the vehicle's configuration.

[0009] The control device described above may further include a current location information acquisition unit that acquires current location information indicating the current position of the moving object. The control information output unit may then output control parameters related to the speed of the moving object based on the distance between the position indicated by the target location-related information and the position indicated by the current location information. With this configuration, the control parameters of the mobile object can be output appropriately.

[0010] The control system according to this disclosure may further include a current location information acquisition unit that acquires the current location information of a moving body, and the target location-related information includes location information indicating the position that each moving body should reach at the time indicated by the time information. Furthermore, if the distance between the position indicated by the target location-related information and the position indicated by the current location information satisfies a predetermined condition, the control information output unit may output control information instructing the moving body to perform an emergency action. With this configuration, the control system according to this embodiment can suppress the vehicle's operating output to a predetermined level or lower.

[0011] In the control system relating to this disclosure, the target location-related information includes location information indicating the position that each moving object should reach at the time indicated by the time information, and if the difference in distance between the position indicated by the target location-related information and the position indicated by the current location information is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the control information output unit may output control information instructing the moving object to perform an emergency action. With this configuration, the control system according to this embodiment can appropriately suppress the vehicle's operating output.

[0012] The control system relating to this disclosure is a control device for controlling the operation of multiple moving objects in a convoy, and comprises a time information output unit, a destination location-related information output unit, and a control information output unit. The time information output unit outputs time information specifying a time. The destination location-related information output unit outputs destination location-related information for each of the multiple moving objects, relating to the position that each moving object should reach at the time indicated by the time information. The control information output unit outputs control information for controlling the operation of the moving objects based on the time information and the destination location-related information.

[0013] The control method relating to this disclosure is a control method for controlling the movement of multiple moving objects in a convoy. In the control method relating to this disclosure, time information specifying a time is output, for each of the multiple moving objects, destination location-related information related to the position that each moving object should reach at the time indicated by the time information is output, and control information for controlling the movement of the moving objects is output based on the time information and the destination location-related information.

[0014] The control device program described herein is a control program that controls the operation of multiple moving objects moving in a convoy. The control device program described herein outputs time information specifying a time, outputs destination location-related information for each of the multiple moving objects related to the position that each moving object should reach at the time indicated by the time information, and causes a computer to execute the operation of outputting control information for controlling the operation of the moving objects based on the time information and the destination location-related information.

[0015] The method for manufacturing a mobile body according to this disclosure outputs time information specifying a time, outputs target location-related information relating to the position that each mobile body should reach at the time indicated by the time information for each of the multiple mobile bodies moving in a convoy, outputs control information for controlling the movement of the mobile body based on the time information and the target location-related information, and performs a manufacturing operation on the multiple mobile bodies moving in a convoy based on the control information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] This disclosure provides a control device, control system, control method, control program, and manufacturing method for a mobile body that can suppress congestion during platooning. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a schematic overview diagram illustrating the configuration of the control system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the control system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3]It is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of a vehicle according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of a control system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] It is a flowchart showing a control method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a flowchart showing a control method according to the second embodiment.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] <The First Embodiment> (Configuration of Control System) Hereinafter, the first embodiment according to the present disclosure will be described in detail while referring to the drawings. First, the configuration of the control system according to this embodiment will be described.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic overhead view for explaining the configuration of a control system according to this embodiment and a vehicle 100 that is the control target thereof. As shown in FIG. 1, the control system 50 according to this embodiment controls the operations of a plurality of vehicles 100 that travel in a queue. In other words, the control system 50 controls the queue running of the plurality of vehicles 100.

[0020] Although details will be described later, the control system 50 according to this 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 queue running.

[0021] Here, the "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 "running", "turning", and "stopping" of the vehicle 100.

[0022] However, a vehicle 100 operating under unmanned operation may have passengers who do not perform driving operations. Passengers who do not perform driving operations include, for example, people who are simply sitting in the seats of vehicle 100, or passengers who are performing tasks other than driving operations, such as assembly, inspection, or operating switches, while riding in vehicle 100.

[0023] The control system 50 can be used for any purpose as long as it involves driving multiple vehicles in a convoy. 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.

[0024] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system and vehicle according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the control system 50 includes an external sensor 300 and a server 200, and transmits control information to the vehicle 100.

[0025] Vehicle 100 operates autonomously. More specifically, vehicle 100 according to this embodiment is equipped with a vehicle control device 110, and autonomous operation is performed by operating various actuator groups under the control of the vehicle control device 110. The vehicle control device 110 according to this embodiment includes a control information acquisition unit 116 and a driving control unit 115 as functional blocks.

[0026] The control information acquisition unit 116 acquires control information for the vehicle 100 from the server 200. More specifically, the control information acquisition unit 116 acquires control information for the vehicle 100 from the server 200 via wireless communication. The control information acquisition unit 116 outputs the acquired control information to the driving control unit 115. As will be explained in more detail later, the control information described above is information that links time information specifying a time with destination location information related to the position that the vehicle 100 should reach at the time indicated by the time information. In other words, the control information according to this embodiment is information that indicates the destination position of the vehicle 100 at the specified time.

[0027] The driving control unit 115 drives the vehicle 100 by controlling the actuator group, which will be described later. The driving control unit 115 acquires control information from the control information acquisition unit 116. Based on the acquired control information, the driving control unit 115 generates control parameters and controls the actuator group based on the generated control parameters.

[0028] The control parameters referred to here are parameters related to at least one of the following actions of the vehicle 100: "driving," "turning," and "stopping." For example, operational parameters related to the "driving" action of vehicle 100 include the vehicle's speed, acceleration, and engine output. Furthermore, operational parameters related to the "turning" motion of vehicle 100 include the steering angle of vehicle 100 and the angle of the steering wheel. Furthermore, operational parameters related to the vehicle 100's "stopping" action include the vehicle 100's acceleration and brake output. In other words, the control parameters according to this embodiment may be any parameters related to the movement of the vehicle 100.

[0029] The driving control unit 115 may, for example, generate control parameters based on the current position of the vehicle 100 in addition to the control information. In this case, the travel control unit 115 may calculate the difference between the current position and the target position defined by the control information, i.e., the amount of movement. Alternatively, the travel control unit 115 may calculate the difference between the current time and the time defined by the control information, i.e., the travel time. The travel control unit 115 may then generate control parameters based on the calculated amount of movement and travel time.

[0030] The method for obtaining the current position of the vehicle 100 used in the above case is not particularly limited; for example, an internal sensor (not shown) of the vehicle 100 may detect the current position. In this case, the vehicle 100 may be equipped with internal sensors such as a camera, LiDAR, millimeter-wave radar, ultrasonic sensor, GPS sensor, accelerometer, and gyroscope.

[0031] Figure 3 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.

[0032] The vehicle control device 110 is comprised of a computer that includes 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 bidirectionally via an internal bus 114. The input / output interface 113 is connected to the actuator group 120 and the communication device 130. The processor 111 executes the program PG1 stored in the memory 112 to realize various functions, including those of the driving control unit 115 and the control information acquisition unit 116.

[0033] 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.

[0034] Let's return to the explanation of Figure 2. 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. The external sensor 300 transmits the detection result to the server 200.

[0035] Specifically, the external sensor 300 according to this embodiment is composed of a camera. The camera, acting as the external sensor 300, captures an image including the vehicle 100 and outputs the captured image as a detection result. The output captured image is then transmitted to the server 200. As will be explained in more detail later, the server 200 is configured to detect the location information of the vehicle 100 based on the captured images output by the external sensor 300.

[0036] In this embodiment, the external sensor 300 is a camera, but the configuration of the external sensor according to this disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the external sensor 300 may be a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) sensor. In this case, the detection result output by the external sensor 300 may be 3D point cloud data representing the vehicle 100. In this case, the server 200 and the vehicle 100 are configured to acquire vehicle position information by template matching using the 3D point cloud data as the detection result and pre-prepared reference point cloud data. In other words, the external sensor 300 according to this embodiment can be any sensor that is capable of detecting the vehicle's position information.

[0037] Server 200 controls the operation of multiple vehicles traveling in a convoy. Server 200 includes, as functional blocks, a current location information acquisition unit 211, a time information output unit 212, a target location-related information output unit 213, and a control information output unit 214.

[0038] The current location information acquisition unit 211 acquires current location information indicating the current location of the vehicle 100. More specifically, the current location information acquisition unit 211 first acquires detection results from the external sensor 300 via wireless or wired communication. Then, based on the acquired detection results, the current location information acquisition unit 211 determines the current location of the vehicle 100. The current location information acquisition unit 211 outputs the acquired current location information of the vehicle 100 to the control information output unit 214.

[0039] More specifically, the current location information acquisition unit 211 according to this embodiment acquires an image of the vehicle 100 taken from an external sensor 300 configured as a camera. The current location information acquisition unit 211, for example, 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 acquires the current location of the vehicle 100 by converting the calculated coordinates to coordinates in the global coordinate system GC.

[0040] 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 of system 50 and stored in advance on server 200. Examples of detection models DM include pre-trained machine learning models that have been trained to implement either semantic segmentation or instance segmentation. For example, a convolutional neural network (CNN) trained using a training dataset can be used as this machine learning model. The training dataset, for example, includes 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 to reduce the error between the output of the detection model DM and the labels. Furthermore, the current position information acquisition unit 211 may acquire 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.

[0041] The time information output unit 212 outputs time information specifying the time. The time information output unit 212 outputs the time information to the target location-related information output unit 213. Here, the time information can be any information that can identify a time. For example, the time information may be information that specifies a specific time, such as "12:00:00". Alternatively, the time information may be information that specifies a time by specifying the elapsed time from a reference time, such as "5 seconds later".

[0042] The time information output unit 212 may, for example, sequentially specify times that have elapsed a predetermined amount of time from a reference time and output them as time information. For example, the time information output unit 212 may sequentially output time information specifying times at 5-second intervals from the reference time "12:00:00", such as "12:00:00", "12:00:05", "12:00:10", and "12:00:15". In other words, the time information output unit 212 may output time information that specifies a time that is essentially predetermined.

[0043] For example, the time information output unit 212 may also confirm that multiple vehicles 100 have reached the target location specified by the target location-related information output unit 213, which will be described later. The time information output unit 212 may then output time information that is a predetermined time elapsed from the time at which the completion of movement of the multiple vehicles 100 has been confirmed. In other words, the time information output unit 212 may specify a time based on the operation of the vehicle 100 and output it as time information.

[0044] The destination location-related information output unit 213 acquires time information from the time information output unit 212. For each of the multiple vehicles 100, the destination location-related information output unit 213 outputs destination location-related information related to the position that each vehicle 100 should reach at the time indicated by the time information. The destination location-related information output unit 213 outputs the destination location-related information to the control information output unit 214.

[0045] The destination location-related information referred to here is information that defines the position that each vehicle 100 should reach at the time indicated by the time information. In this embodiment, the target location-related information includes coordinate information indicating the position that each vehicle 100 should reach at the time indicated by the time information. In other words, the target location-related information according to this embodiment includes position information indicating the position that each vehicle 100 should reach.

[0046] However, the location-related information relating to the purpose of this disclosure is not limited to location information such as coordinate information, and may be any information that, as a result, can define the location to which multiple vehicles 100 should reach. For example, the destination location-related information may include information that specifies the vehicle speed that each vehicle 100 should output at the time indicated by the time information. Furthermore, for example, the target location-related information may include information linking the current position of each vehicle 100 with the vehicle speed that each vehicle 100 should output at the time indicated by the time information.

[0047] As described above, the destination position-related information output unit 213 defines the destination position for each of the multiple vehicles 100 performing platooning, based on the time specified by the acquired time information. In other words, the control system 50 according to this embodiment controls the operation of the multiple vehicles 100 using time information common to all vehicles. With this configuration, the control system 50 according to this embodiment can drive the vehicles 100 in a convoy while maintaining the distance between them. As a result, the control system 50 according to this embodiment can suppress the occurrence of congestion during convoy driving.

[0048] The method by which the target location-related information output unit 213 determines the target locations of multiple vehicles 100 is not particularly limited, but for example, it can be determined by the following method. For example, the destination position-related information output unit 213 may first determine the destination position of the leading vehicle on a predetermined track. Then, it may position the following vehicles on the predetermined track at a predetermined distance from the determined position of the leading vehicle. With this configuration, the control system 50 according to this embodiment can control platooning while maintaining a more appropriate distance between vehicles, and as a result, the occurrence of congestion can be further suppressed. In the above case, the target location-related information output unit 213 may determine the target location of the leading vehicle based on the current location information of the leading vehicle, its operating status, etc.

[0049] Furthermore, the target location-related information can be any information that can identify the location. For example, the target location-related information may be information that identifies the target location using the X, Y, Z coordinates in the global coordinate system.

[0050] The control information output unit 214 acquires time information from the time information output unit 212 and target location-related information from the target location-related information output unit 213. Based on the time information and the target location-related information, the control information output unit 214 outputs control information for controlling the operation of the moving object. The control information output unit 214 transmits the control information to the vehicle 100 via wireless or wired communication. As mentioned above, the control information according to this embodiment is information that links time information and target location-related information. In other words, in this embodiment, the control information output unit 214 transmits a control signal to the vehicle 100 that contains the acquired time information and target location-related information.

[0051] Furthermore, the control information output unit 214 may also acquire the current location information of the vehicle 100 from the current location information acquisition unit 211. If the distance between the location indicated by the target location-related information and the location indicated by the current location information satisfies a predetermined condition, the control information output unit 214 may output control information instructing the vehicle 100 to perform an emergency action. In this context, emergency actions include, for example, temporarily stopping a convoy of vehicles, or moving a vehicle 100 to a designated space if the difference in distance between the location indicated by the destination location information and the location indicated by the current location information exceeds a predetermined value. With this configuration, the control system 50 according to this embodiment can suppress the operating output of the vehicle 100 to a predetermined level or less.

[0052] Here, the predetermined conditions mentioned above are conditions related to the distance between the position indicated by the target position-related information and the position indicated by the current position information, and can be any conditions relating to the amount of movement of the vehicle 100. The predetermined conditions described above may, for example, be conditions relating to the magnitude of the distance between the location indicated by the target location-related information and the location indicated by the current location information. In this case, the control information output unit 214 may output control information instructing the vehicle 100 to perform an emergency action when the distance between the location indicated by the target location-related information and the location indicated by the current location information is greater than or equal to a predetermined magnitude. Furthermore, the predetermined conditions described above may, for example, be conditions relating to the change in distance between the position indicated by the target position-related information and the position indicated by the current position information. In this case, the control information output unit 214 may output control information instructing the vehicle 100 to perform an emergency action when the change in distance between the position indicated by the target position-related information and the position indicated by the current position information is greater than or equal to a predetermined amount.

[0053] Figure 4 is a block diagram that provides a more detailed explanation of the configuration of server 200. Server 200 is comprised of a computer comprising a processor 201, memory 202, an input / output interface 203, and an internal bus 204.

[0054] The processor 201, memory 202, and input / output interface 203 are connected bidirectionally via an internal bus 204. 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 executes the program PG2 stored in the memory 202 to realize various functions, including those of a current location information acquisition unit 211, a time information output unit 212, a target location-related information output unit 213, and a control information output unit 214.

[0055] Although the server 200, i.e., the control device according to this embodiment, is configured as a single physical device, the configuration of the control device according to this disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the control device relating to this disclosure may be composed of multiple computers. In this case, the control device relating to this disclosure may be called a control system.

[0056] (Vehicle and control system operation) Next, the operation of the control system according to this embodiment, that is, the control method according to this embodiment, will be described in more detail. Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the control method according to the first embodiment. In the following explanation, please refer to Figures 2, 3, and 4 as appropriate.

[0057] In the processing procedure shown in Figure 5, the processor 201 of the server 200 functions as a current location information acquisition unit 211, a time information output unit 212, a target location-related information output unit 213, and a control information output unit 214 by executing the program PG2. Furthermore, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 functions as a driving control unit 115 and a control information acquisition unit 116 by executing the program PG1.

[0058] The processor 201 of the server 200 acquires the current location information of the vehicle 100 using the detection results output from the external sensor 300 (step S11). In other words, in step S11, the processor 201 of the server 200 performs the function of a current location information acquisition unit 211. Specifically, in step S11, the processor 201 acquires the vehicle location information using the captured image acquired from the camera, which is the external sensor 300.

[0059] Next, the processor 201 of the server 200 outputs time information (step S12). In other words, in step S12, the processor 201 of the server 200 performs the function of a time information output unit 212. Note that the execution order of steps S11 and S12 may be reversed. Also, steps S11 and S12 may be executed in parallel.

[0060] Next, the processor 201 of the server 200 outputs target location-related information (step S13). In other words, in step S13, the processor 201 of the server 200 performs the function of a target location-related information output unit 213.

[0061] Finally, the processor 201 of the server 200 outputs control information based on the time information and target location-related information (step S14), and the series of operations ends. In other words, in step S14, the processor 201 of the server 200 performs the function of a control information output unit 214. The processor 201 repeats the series of operations shown in Figure 5, for example, at predetermined intervals. Specifically, in step S14, the processor 201 of the server 200 generates control information by linking time information with target location-related information, and transmits the generated control information to the vehicle 100.

[0062] Next, the operation of vehicle 100, which has received the control information, will be explained using Figure 5. First, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 acquires control information (step S21). In other words, in step S21, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 functions as a control information acquisition unit 116. Specifically, in step S21, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 receives a driving control signal transmitted from the server 200.

[0063] Next, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 outputs control parameters based on the control information (step S22) and controls the actuators based on the control parameters (step S23), thereby completing the series of operations. In other words, in steps S22 and S23, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 functions as a driving control unit 115. The processor 111 repeats the above series of operations at a predetermined cycle.

[0064] As described above, the control system 50 according to this embodiment sets the target position of each of the multiple vehicles 100 for the time specified in the time information. With this configuration, the control system 50 according to this embodiment can drive the vehicles 100 in a convoy while maintaining the distance between them. As a result, the control system 50 according to this embodiment can suppress the occurrence of congestion during convoy driving.

[0065] In this embodiment, the control system 50 performs time synchronization with respect to at least the target position-related information, but it is preferable that the control system 50 also performs time synchronization with respect to other information and control operations used in the control process of the vehicle 100. For example, the control system 50 has a configuration that acquires the current location information of each of the multiple vehicles 100, and it is preferable that the current location information is also time-synchronized. In other words, the control system 50 may acquire current location information with the same starting point for time.

[0066] <Second Embodiment> (Vehicle and control system configuration) Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The control system according to this embodiment is a modified example of the control system according to the first embodiment.

[0067] In the control system 50 according to the first embodiment, the control information was information that linked time information and target location-related information. In contrast, the control system 50 according to this embodiment differs from the control system according to the first embodiment in that the control information is control parameters of the vehicle 100 output based on time information and target position-related information. In other words, the control system 50 according to this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the control information output unit 214 performs some of the operations that were performed by the driving control unit 115 in the first embodiment.

[0068] The control system according to the second embodiment will be described below with reference to Figure 2. As mentioned above, the control system according to this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the configuration of the control information output unit 214 and the driving control unit 115, while the other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0069] In this embodiment, the control information output unit 214 acquires current location information from the current location information acquisition unit 211, time information from the time information output unit 212, and target location-related information from the target location-related information output unit 213. Based on the acquired current location information, time information, and target location-related information, the control information output unit 214 generates control parameters for the vehicle 100. The output control parameters are then transmitted to the vehicle 100 as control information. With this configuration, the control system 50 according to this embodiment can control vehicles that do not have a control parameter generation function. In other words, with this configuration, the control system according to this embodiment can simplify the configuration of the vehicle 100.

[0070] The method by which the control information output unit 214 generates control parameters is not particularly limited, but for example, it can output control parameters in the following way. For example, the control information output unit 214 according to this embodiment may calculate the distance between the position indicated by the target position-related information and the position indicated by the current position information. Then, the control information output unit 214 according to this embodiment may output control parameters related to the speed of the vehicle 100 based on the distance between the position indicated by the target position-related information and the position indicated by the current position information. Furthermore, for example, the control information output unit 214 according to this embodiment may calculate the angle between the direction of the straight line passing through the position indicated by the target position-related information and the position indicated by the current position information, and the direction of the vehicle 100. Then, the control information output unit 214 according to this embodiment may output control parameters related to the steering angle of the vehicle 100 based on the calculated angle.

[0071] In this embodiment, the driving control unit 115 acquires control information from the control information acquisition unit 116. In other words, the driving control unit 115 in this embodiment acquires control parameters calculated by the server 200 from the control information acquisition unit 116. In this embodiment, the driving control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 using the control parameters recorded in the acquired control information.

[0072] Furthermore, it is preferable that the control system 50 according to this embodiment and the multiple vehicles 100 to be controlled are synchronized in time with appropriate accuracy. In other words, it is preferable that the control system according to this embodiment controls multiple vehicles 100 that are synchronized in time.

[0073] In the control system 50 according to this embodiment, the vehicle 100 and the server 200 may exchange time synchronization signals to synchronize their internal clocks. The time synchronization signals may be output according to, for example, PTP (Precision Time Protocol) or NTP (Network Time Protocol). However, the method of time synchronization between the vehicle 100 and the server 200 is not limited to the above. For example, a separate time synchronization server may be provided, and time synchronization may be performed by the vehicle 100 and the server 200 communicating individually with the time synchronization server.

[0074] Furthermore, the time synchronization method is not limited to aligning internal clocks, but may also include a process that, for example, acquires the amount of time difference between the vehicle 100 and the server 200 and corrects the amount of time difference as appropriate. In other words, the method for synchronizing the time between the vehicle 100 and the server 200 can be any method that can synchronize the time with appropriate accuracy.

[0075] (Vehicle and control system operation) Next, the operation of the control system according to this embodiment, that is, the control method according to this embodiment, will be described in more detail. Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating the control method according to the second embodiment. The configurations of steps S11, S12, S13, S21, and S23 shown in Figure 6 are the same as those in Figure 5, i.e., the same as those in the first embodiment, so their explanation will be omitted.

[0076] In step S15, the processor 201 of the server 200 generates control parameters based on time information and target location-related information. Then, in step S16, the processor 201 of the server 200 outputs the generated control parameters as control information. Specifically, in step S16, the processor 201 of the server 200 transmits the outputted control information to the vehicle 100. In other words, in steps S15 and S16, the processor 201 of the server 200 functions as a control information output unit 214.

[0077] In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 does not perform step S22, which was performed in the first embodiment. In other words, the vehicle 100 in this embodiment does not perform the output of control parameters. As a result, the vehicle 100 in this embodiment can perform unmanned operation even by using a vehicle control device 110 with a simpler configuration compared to the first embodiment.

[0078] As described above, in the control system 50 according to this embodiment, control parameters of the vehicle 100 output based on time information and target location-related information are transmitted to the vehicle 100 as control information. With this configuration, the vehicle 100 does not need to have a configuration for outputting control parameters. As a result, the control system 50 according to this embodiment can simplify the configuration of the vehicle 100.

[0079] (Other Embodiment 1) 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.

[0080] (Other Embodiments 2) In the first embodiment described above, the server 200 performs the processing from acquiring vehicle position information to generating a driving control signal. Alternatively, the vehicle 100 may perform at least a part of the processing from acquiring vehicle position information to generating a driving control signal. For example, the following forms (1) to (3) may also be used.

[0081] (1) The server 200 may acquire vehicle location information, determine the next target location that vehicle 100 should head to, and generate a route from the vehicle 100's current location, as shown in the acquired vehicle location information, to the target location. The server 200 may generate a route to the target location between the current location and the destination, or it may generate a route to the destination. The server 200 may transmit the generated route to vehicle 100. Vehicle 100 may generate a driving control signal so that vehicle 100 travels along the route received from the server 200, and may use the generated driving control signal to control the actuator group 120.

[0082] (2) The server 200 may acquire vehicle location information and transmit the acquired vehicle location information to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may determine the next target location to which the vehicle 100 should go, generate a route from the vehicle 100's current location shown in the received vehicle location information to the target location, generate a driving control signal so that the vehicle 100 travels along the generated route, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal.

[0083] (3) In the embodiments of (1) and (2) above, the vehicle 100 is equipped with internal sensors, and the detection results output from the internal sensors may be used in at least one of the generation of a route and the generation of a driving control signal. The internal sensors are sensors mounted on the vehicle 100. The internal sensors may include, for example, sensors that detect the motion state of the vehicle 100, sensors that detect the operating state of each part of the vehicle 100, and sensors that detect the environment around the vehicle 100. Specifically, the 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 a route. In the embodiment of (1) above, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensors and reflect the detection results of the internal sensors in the driving control signal when generating a driving control signal. In the embodiment of (2) above, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensors and reflect the detection results of the internal sensors in the route when generating a route. In the embodiment described in (2) above, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensors and reflect the detection results of the internal sensors in the driving control signal when generating the driving control signal.

[0084] (Other Embodiment 3) In the first embodiment described above, the vehicle 100 may be equipped with internal sensors. The vehicle control device 110 may acquire detection results from the internal sensors, acquire current location information of the vehicle 100 based on the acquired detection results, and output control parameters based on the acquired current location information.

[0085] (Other Embodiments 4) In the first embodiment described above, the vehicle 100 may receive detection results from the external sensor 300. The vehicle 100 may then acquire its current location information using the received detection results and output control parameters based on the acquired current location information.

[0086] (Other Embodiments 5) In the first embodiment described above, control parameters may be output based on both the detection results of the internal sensor described in the third embodiment and the detection results of the external sensor described in the fourth embodiment.

[0087] 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" by unmanned operation, it only needs to be equipped with at least a vehicle control device 110 and an actuator group 120. When the vehicle 100 acquires information from the outside for unmanned operation, the vehicle 100 may further be equipped with a communication device 130. That is, the vehicle 100 that can move by unmanned operation does not need to have at least some of the interior parts such as the driver's seat and dashboard installed, it does not need to have at least some of the exterior parts such as the bumper and fender installed, and it does not need to have a body shell installed. In this case, the remaining parts such as the body shell may be installed on the vehicle 100 before it is shipped from the factory, or the remaining parts such as the body shell may be installed on the vehicle 100 after it has been shipped from the factory without the remaining parts such as the body shell installed on it. Each component may be attached to the vehicle 100 from any direction, such as the top, bottom, front, rear, right, or left side, and may be attached from the same direction or from different directions. The positioning of the platform can also be determined in the same way as the vehicle 100 in the above embodiment.

[0088] In this case, the vehicle 100 may also be manufactured by combining multiple modules. A module means a unit composed of multiple parts grouped together according to the part or function of the vehicle 100. For example, the platform of the vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining a front module that constitutes the front part of the platform, a central module that constitutes the central 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. In addition to, or instead of, the parts that make up the platform may be modularized, as well as parts that make up parts of the vehicle 100 that are different from the platform. Furthermore, various modules may include any exterior parts such as bumpers and grilles, or any interior parts such as seats and consoles. Moreover, not limited to the 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 a part of the parts that make up 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.

[0089] As described above, when controlling the operation of a platform vehicle 100, manufacturing operations such as assembling parts, operating switches, welding, and inspection may be performed on the vehicle 100 that is performing platooning based on control by the control system 50 according to this disclosure. In other words, a vehicle may be manufactured by performing manufacturing operations on multiple vehicles moving in a platoon based on control information. The control system described herein can suppress congestion during platooning. Therefore, by introducing the control system described herein into the vehicle manufacturing process as described above, it is possible to stably supply vehicles to the manufacturing site. As a result, the control system described herein can improve the efficiency of vehicle manufacturing. This manufacturing method may also be referred to as the manufacturing method for the mobile body according to the present disclosure.

[0090] (supplement) 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.

[0091] 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]

[0092] 100 vehicles 110 Vehicle control device 111 processors 112 memory 113 Input / Output Interfaces 114 Internal bus 115 Driving control unit 116 Control Information Acquisition Unit 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 211 Current location information acquisition unit 212 Time Information Output Unit 213 Target location-related information output unit 214 Control Information Output Unit 300 External Sensors

Claims

1. A control device for controlling the movement of multiple moving objects in a formation, A time information output unit that outputs time information specifying the time, For each of the aforementioned multiple moving bodies, a target location-related information output unit outputs target location-related information related to the position that each moving body should reach at the time indicated by the time information, The system includes a control information output unit that outputs control information for controlling the movement of the moving object based on the aforementioned time information and the aforementioned target position-related information. Control device.

2. The control information is information that links the time information and the target location-related information. The control device according to claim 1.

3. The control information is the control parameters of the moving body output based on the time information and the target position-related information. The control device according to claim 1.

4. The aforementioned target location-related information includes location information indicating the position that each moving object should reach at the time indicated by the time information, The system further includes a current location information acquisition unit that acquires current location information indicating the current position of the moving object, The control information output unit outputs control parameters related to the speed of the moving object based on the distance between the position indicated by the target position-related information and the position indicated by the current position information. The control device according to claim 3.

5. The aforementioned target location-related information includes location information indicating the position that each moving object should reach at the time indicated by the time information, The system further includes a current location information acquisition unit that acquires the current location information of the moving object, If the distance between the position indicated by the target position-related information and the position indicated by the current position information satisfies a predetermined condition, the control information output unit outputs control information instructing the moving object to perform an emergency action. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. If the difference in distance between the position indicated by the target position-related information and the position indicated by the current position information is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the control information output unit outputs control information instructing the moving object to perform an emergency action. The control device according to claim 5.

7. A control system for controlling the movements of multiple moving objects in a formation, A time information output unit that outputs time information specifying the time, For each of the aforementioned multiple moving bodies, a target location-related information output unit outputs target location-related information related to the position that each moving body should reach at the time indicated by the time information, The system includes a control information output unit that outputs control information for controlling the movement of the moving object based on the aforementioned time information and the aforementioned target position-related information. Control system.

8. A control method for controlling the movements of multiple moving objects in a formation, Output time information to specify the time, For each of the aforementioned multiple moving bodies, at the time indicated by the time information, destination location-related information related to the position that each moving body should reach is output. Based on the aforementioned time information and the aforementioned target position-related information, control information for controlling the movement of the moving object is output. Control method.

9. A control program that controls the movements of multiple moving objects in a formation, Output time information to specify the time, For each of the aforementioned multiple moving bodies, at the time indicated by the time information, destination location-related information related to the position that each moving body should reach is output. The computer is instructed to output control information for controlling the movement of the moving object based on the aforementioned time information and the aforementioned target position-related information. Control program.

10. Output time information to specify the time, For each of the multiple moving objects in a formation, destination location-related information related to the position that each moving object should reach at the time indicated by the aforementioned time information is output. Based on the aforementioned time information and the aforementioned target position-related information, control information for controlling the movement of the moving object is output. Based on the aforementioned control information, manufacturing operations are performed on multiple moving objects that move in formation. A method for manufacturing a mobile body.

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