Vehicle control device and vehicle control method

Abstract

This technology provides a way to stop a vehicle at a target position and in a target orientation using simple control. [Solution] The vehicle control device includes an input unit that receives the detection result of a range sensor mounted on the vehicle that detects walls located around the vehicle, and a processing unit that uses the detection result of the range sensor to perform automatic stopping control to stop the vehicle at a stopping position having a predetermined positional relationship with the wall. In automatic stopping control, the processing unit uses the detection result of the range sensor to drive the vehicle so that the center of the vehicle's rear wheels aligns with a reference line having a predetermined positional relationship with the wall, and while maintaining the state in which the center of the rear wheels aligns with the reference line, it rotates the vehicle around the center of the rear wheels so that the front and rear axes of the vehicle are parallel to the reference line, and while maintaining the state in which the front and rear axes of the vehicle are parallel to the reference line, it drives the vehicle to the stopping position.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This disclosure relates to a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method. [Background technology]

[0002] An automated guided vehicle (AGV) is known that uses sensors to detect the distance to objects and a three-dimensional map to estimate its own position while driving (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-084219 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] Preparing a 3D map is time-consuming and costly. Therefore, there is a need for a technology that can stop a vehicle at a target position and in a target orientation using simpler control methods that do not require a 3D map. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] This disclosure can be implemented in the following forms:

[0006] (1) According to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, a vehicle control device is provided. The control device includes an input unit that receives the detection result of a range sensor mounted on the vehicle and located around the vehicle for detecting walls, and a processing unit that uses the detection result of the range sensor to perform automatic stopping control to stop the vehicle at a stopping position having a predetermined positional relationship with the wall. In the automatic stopping control, the processing unit uses the detection result of the range sensor to drive the vehicle so that the center of the rear wheels of the vehicle aligns with a reference line having a predetermined positional relationship with the wall, rotates the vehicle around the center of the rear wheels so that the longitudinal axis of the vehicle is parallel to the reference line while maintaining the state in which the center of the rear wheels aligns with the reference line, and drives the vehicle to the stopping position while maintaining the state in which the longitudinal axis of the vehicle is parallel to the reference line. This type of control device allows a vehicle to be stopped at a target position and in a target orientation with simple control. (2) In the control device of the above form, the range sensor includes a front range sensor for detecting the wall located in front of the vehicle and a lateral range sensor for detecting the wall located to the side of the vehicle, and the processing unit may, in the automatic stopping control, control the position and attitude of the vehicle using the detection result of the front range sensor until the wall is detected by the lateral range sensor. With this type of control device, even when a vehicle is located in a place where a wall cannot be detected by the lateral range sensor, the vehicle's position and attitude can be appropriately controlled using the detection results of the forward range sensor. (3) In the control device of the above form, the processing unit may, in the automatic stopping control, use the detection results of the lateral measurement range sensor to control the position and attitude of the vehicle when turning the vehicle around the rear wheel center. With this type of control device, when turning the vehicle around the rear wheel center, the vehicle's attitude can be precisely controlled using the detection results of the lateral range sensor. (4) In the control device of the above form, the vehicle comprises front wheels arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and controllable to steer at a 90-degree angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, and rear wheels arranged on the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, and the processing unit may, in the automatic stopping control, control the steering angle of the front wheels to steer at a 90-degree angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle when turning the vehicle around the center of the rear wheels. This type of control device allows the vehicle to rotate around the rear wheel center without changing the position of the rear wheel center. (5) A second embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for controlling a vehicle. This method uses the detection results of a range sensor mounted on the vehicle and located around the vehicle to detect walls, to drive the vehicle so that the center of the rear wheels of the vehicle aligns with a reference line having a predetermined positional relationship with the walls, while maintaining the state in which the center of the rear wheels aligns with the reference line, to rotate the vehicle around the center of the rear wheels so that the longitudinal axis of the vehicle is parallel to the reference line, and while maintaining the state in which the longitudinal axis of the vehicle is parallel to the reference line, to drive the vehicle to a stopping position having a predetermined positional relationship with the walls. This control method allows a vehicle to be stopped at a target position and in a target orientation with simple control. This disclosure can also be implemented in various forms other than vehicle control devices and vehicle control methods. It can be implemented in the form of a vehicle, a computer program, and a recording medium on which the computer program is stored. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] An explanatory diagram showing the vehicle's configuration. [Figure 2] An explanatory diagram showing how vehicles move around inside a garage. [Figure 3] A flowchart illustrating the procedure for estimating the vehicle's position. [Figure 4] The first explanatory diagram shows a method for estimating the vehicle's position. [Figure 5] A second explanatory diagram showing the method for estimating the vehicle's position. [Figure 6] A flowchart showing the processing procedure of the automatic parking control. [Figure 7] The first explanatory view showing how the automatic parking control is executed. [Figure 8] The second explanatory view showing how the automatic parking control is executed.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0008] A. First Embodiment: FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing the configuration of a vehicle 100 including a control device 150 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing how the vehicle 100 travels in the garage 200. The vehicle 100 shown in FIG. 1 is configured to be able to travel autonomously while estimating its own position and orientation. The vehicle 100 is used, for example, in an automobile manufacturing factory to transport an automobile VH. The vehicle 100 includes two ranging sensors 110F, 110S, a vehicle speed sensor 120, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 130, an actuator group 140, and a control device 150. However, the vehicle 100 may not include the GNSS receiver 130.

[0009] The first range sensor 110F is fixed to the front of the vehicle 100 so as to face forward of the vehicle 100. The second range sensor 110S is fixed to the side surface of the vehicle 100 so as to face the side of the vehicle 100. More specifically, the second range sensor 110S is fixed to the left side surface of the vehicle 100 so as to face the left of the vehicle 100. In the following description, the first range sensor 110F mounted on the vehicle 100 is referred to as the front range sensor 110F, and the second range sensor 110S mounted on the vehicle 100 is referred to as the side range sensor 110S. When the front range sensor 110F and the side range sensor 110S are described without particularly distinguishing them, they are simply referred to as the range sensor 110. The front range sensor 110F scans the front of the vehicle 100 and detects an object located in front of the vehicle 100. The side range sensor 110S scans the left side of the vehicle 100 and detects an object located on the left side of the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the range sensor 110 is a two-dimensional LiDAR. The range sensor 110 scans a 180-degree range in 0.25-degree increments. The range sensor 110 outputs two-dimensional distance information as a detection result. The two-dimensional distance information includes a plurality of pairs of an angle and a distance. The angle and the distance included in the two-dimensional distance information represent the azimuth angle of the detection point on the object viewed from the range sensor 110 and the distance from the range sensor 110 to the detection point on the object.

[0010] The vehicle speed sensor 120 detects the vehicle speed, that is, the speed of the vehicle 100. For the vehicle speed sensor 120, for example, a wheel speed sensor that detects the vehicle speed based on the rotational speed of the wheels and the size of the wheels can be used.

[0011] The GNSS receiver 130 detects the current position of the vehicle 100 using signals transmitted from GNSS satellites. For the GNSS receiver 130, for example, a GPS receiver can be used.

[0012] The actuator group 140 includes actuators for a drive system that generates thrust for the vehicle 100, actuators for a steering system that changes the steering angle of the vehicle 100, and actuators for a braking system that generates braking force for the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 is configured as a battery electric vehicle (BEV), and the drive system is driven by battery power. The drive system of the vehicle 100 can drive and rotate at least the front wheels 101. As shown in Figure 2, the vehicle 100 has front wheels 101 that are arranged symmetrically on the left and right sides around the longitudinal axis CL that passes through the center of the vehicle 100 in a plan view, and rear wheels 102 that are arranged on the longitudinal axis CL of the vehicle 100 in a plan view. The steering system of the vehicle 100 can change the steering angle in the range of +90 degrees to -90 degrees. Here, the steering angle is the angle of the front wheels 101 with respect to the longitudinal axis CL. The vehicle 100 can turn around the rear wheels 102 with a steering angle of +90 degrees or -90 degrees.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the control device 150 is composed of a computer comprising a processor 151, a memory 152, an input / output interface 153, and an internal bus 154. The processor 151, the memory 152, and the input / output interface 153 are connected via the internal bus 154 to enable bidirectional communication. The input / output interface 153 is connected to a front-range sensor 110F, a lateral-range sensor 110S, a vehicle speed sensor 120, a GNSS receiver 130, and an actuator group 140 via signal lines or the like. The detection results of the front-range sensor 110F, the lateral-range sensor 110S, the vehicle speed sensor 120, and the GNSS receiver 130 are input to the control device 150 via the input / output interface 153. In this disclosure, the processor 151 may be referred to as the processing unit, the memory 152 as the storage unit, and the input / output interface 153 as the input unit, output unit, or input / output unit.

[0014] Memory 152 pre-stores a driving program PG, which is a computer program for autonomously driving the vehicle 100, and target position information TZ, which relates to the target stopping position of the vehicle 100. By executing the driving program PG, the processor 151 functions as an acquisition unit 155 that acquires detection results from the range sensors 110F and 110S, the vehicle speed sensor 120, and the GNSS receiver 130, an estimation unit 156 that estimates the position and attitude of the vehicle 100, and a control unit 157 that controls the position and attitude of the vehicle 100.

[0015] The garage 200 shown in Figure 2 comprises a front wall 210, a left side wall 220, and a charging facility 250 for charging the battery of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the garage 200 has a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped interior space. The front wall 210, the left side wall 220, and the charging facility 250 are installed in the interior space of the garage 200. The garage 200 has an entrance / exit 205 that leads to the outside. The front wall 210 is positioned in front of the entrance / exit 205, and the left side wall 220 is positioned to the left of the entrance / exit 205. The front wall 210 and the left side wall 220 are positioned perpendicular to each other in a plan view. The charging facility 250 is positioned in front of the front wall 210 and to the right of the front wall 210, as viewed from the entrance / exit 205.

[0016] Vehicle 100 can autonomously drive outdoors, such as outside the garage 200, by detecting its own position using the GNSS receiver 130. However, vehicle 100 cannot detect its own position indoors, such as inside the garage 200, using the GNSS receiver 130. Therefore, inside the garage 200, vehicle 100 autonomously drives to the target stopping position while estimating its own position using the range sensor 110. In this embodiment, the target stopping position is set next to the charging equipment 250.

[0017] <Position estimation method 1> Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure for estimating the position of a vehicle 100 using the range sensor 110. Figure 4 is a first explanatory diagram showing the method for estimating the position of a vehicle 100 using the range sensor 110. Here, we will explain a method for estimating the position and attitude of a vehicle 100 using both the front range sensor 110F and the lateral range sensor 110S.

[0018] As shown in Figure 3, in step S110, the acquisition unit 155 acquires two-dimensional distance information DZ1 and DZ2 from the front range sensor 110F and the lateral range sensor 110S. As shown in Figure 4, the two-dimensional distance information DZ1 and DZ2 acquired from each range sensor 110F and 110S includes multiple pairs of the azimuth angle ψ of the detected points DP1 and DP2 on the object as viewed from each range sensor 110F and 110S, and the distance d from each range sensor 110F and 110S to the detected points DP1 and DP2 on the object.

[0019] In step S120, the estimation unit 156 determines the range of two-dimensional distance information DZ1 and DZ2 acquired from each measurement range sensor 110F and 110S to be used for position estimation in the subsequent step S130. In this embodiment, the estimation unit 156 determines the range of use by the following method. By determining the range of use by the following method, it becomes possible to perform the subsequent position estimation without using as much of the range in which obstacles such as the charging equipment 250 are detected as possible, thereby improving the accuracy of the subsequent position estimation.

[0020] The method for determining the usage range of the two-dimensional distance information DZ1 acquired from the front measurement range sensor 110F will be explained. First, the estimation unit 156 determines the current position (x) of the front measurement range sensor 110F in the garage coordinate system Cg using the following equations (1) and (2). i ,y i We tentatively estimate the following. x i =x i-1 -v × cosθ ···(1) y i =y i-1 -v × sinθ ···(2)

[0021] Next, the estimation unit 156 uses the current position (x i , y i ) of the front detection area sensor 110F in the temporarily estimated garage coordinate system Cg and the positions (x1, y1), (x2, y2) of both end points P1 and P2 of the front wall 210 in the garage coordinate system Cg to calculate the use azimuth range φ by the following formula (3). The estimation unit 156 determines, as the use range, pairs in which the azimuth ψ is within the use azimuth range φ among the plurality of pairs of the azimuth ψ and the distance d included in the two-dimensional distance information DZ1. arctan((y i - y1) / (x i - x1)) - θ ≤ φ ≤ arctan((y i - y2) / (x i - x2)) - θ ···(3)

[0022] Here, the garage coordinate system Cg is a two-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system, with the intersection of the front wall 210 and the left side wall 220 as the origin, and has an x-axis perpendicular to the front wall 210 and a y-axis perpendicular to the left side wall 220. x i-1 and y i-1θ is the x,y coordinates of the front measurement range sensor 110F in the garage coordinate system Cg calculated from the previous estimation result. The positional relationship between the front measurement range sensor 110F and the lateral measurement range sensor 110S is known. θ is the azimuth angle of the vehicle 100 in the previous estimation result. θ is expressed as the angle between the front-rear axis CL of the vehicle 100 and the left wall 220. v is the vehicle speed obtained from the vehicle speed sensor 120. The previous estimation result is the most recent estimation result among the estimation results estimated in the subsequent step S130 after the vehicle 100 enters the garage 200. However, in the first step S120 after the vehicle 100 enters the garage 200, there is no previous estimation result. Therefore, in this embodiment, in the first step S120, the estimation unit 156 determines the predetermined initial usable azimuth angle range to the above usable azimuth angle range φ. The vehicle 100 is controlled to enter the garage 200 from a predetermined initial position in a predetermined initial posture. Therefore, the initial usable azimuth angle range is preferably the range in which the front wall 210 is detected when the front measuring range sensor 110F scans the surroundings in the initial position and posture. In other embodiments, the estimation unit 156, in the first step S120, sets the x,y coordinates of the front measuring range sensor 110F at the initial position to x i-1 and y i-1 The azimuth angle of the vehicle 100 in its initial position may be denoted as θ.

[0023] The above describes the method for determining the usage range for the two-dimensional distance information DZ1 acquired from the front measurement sensor 110F. The usage range for the two-dimensional distance information DZ2 acquired from the lateral measurement sensor 110S can be determined in the same manner. However, when determining the usage range for the two-dimensional distance information DZ2 acquired from the lateral measurement sensor 110S, the positions of the endpoints P3 and P4 of the left side wall 220 in the garage coordinate system Cg (x3, y3) and (x4, y4) are used, rather than the positions of the endpoints P1 and P2 of the front wall 210 (x1, y1) and (x2, y2) in the garage coordinate system Cg. Information regarding the positions of the endpoints P1 and P2 of the front wall 210 and the endpoints P3 and P4 of the left side wall 220 is pre-stored in the memory 152.

[0024] In step S130, the estimation unit 156 estimates the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 within the garage 200 using the two-dimensional distance information DZ1 and DZ2 within the above-mentioned usage range. In this embodiment, the estimation unit 156 estimates the distance s between the front measurement range sensor 110F and the front wall 210, the distance w between the lateral measurement range sensor 110S and the left wall 220, and the angle θ between the longitudinal axis CL of the vehicle 100 and the left wall 220 as the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 within the garage 200. Specifically, first, the estimation unit 156 converts the azimuth angle ψ and distance d of the detection point DP1 included in the usage range of the two-dimensional distance information DZ1 into the x,y coordinates of the detection point DP1 in the sensor coordinate system Cs1 of the front measurement range sensor 110F, and calculates the approximate straight line Ls of each detection point DP1 in the sensor coordinate system Cs1. In addition, the estimation unit 156 converts the azimuth angle ψ and distance d of the detection point DP2 included in the usage range of the two-dimensional distance information DZ2 into the x,y coordinates of the detection point DP2 in the sensor coordinate system Cs2 of the lateral measurement range sensor 110S, and calculates the approximate straight line Lw for each detection point DP2 in the sensor coordinate system Cs2. The estimation unit 156 can calculate the approximate straight lines Ls,Lw by, for example, the least squares method. Here, the sensor coordinate system Cs1 of the front measurement range sensor 110F is a two-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system with the front measurement range sensor 110F as the origin, and has an x-axis parallel to the longitudinal axis CL of the vehicle 100 and a y-axis parallel to the left-right axis of the vehicle 100. The sensor coordinate system Cs2 of the lateral measurement range sensor 110S is a two-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system with the lateral measurement range sensor 110S as the origin, and has an x-axis parallel to the longitudinal axis CL of the vehicle 100 and a y-axis parallel to the left-right axis of the vehicle 100. Next, the estimation unit 156 estimates the distance between the front measurement sensor 110F and the approximate straight line Ls as the distance s between the front measurement sensor 110F and the front wall 210, the distance between the lateral measurement sensor 110S and the approximate straight line Lw as the distance w between the lateral measurement sensor 110S and the left wall 220, and the angle between the longitudinal axis CL of the vehicle 100 and the approximate straight line Lw as the angle θ between the longitudinal axis CL of the vehicle 100 and the left wall 220.

[0025] <Position estimation method 2> Figure 5 is a second explanatory diagram showing a method for estimating the position of a vehicle 100 using a range sensor 110. Here, we will explain a method for estimating the position and attitude of a vehicle 100 using a front range sensor 110F, without using a lateral range sensor 110S.

[0026] In step S110 shown in Figure 3, the acquisition unit 155 acquires two-dimensional distance information DZ1 from the front-range sensor 110F. As shown in Figure 5, the two-dimensional distance information DZ1 acquired from the front-range sensor 110F includes multiple pairs of azimuth angles ψ of detected points DP1a and DP1b on an object as viewed from the front-range sensor 110F and distance d from the front-range sensor 110F to the detected points DP1a and DP1b on the object.

[0027] In step S120, the estimation unit 156 determines the range of the two-dimensional distance information DZ1 acquired from the front measurement range sensor 110F that will be used for position estimation in the subsequent step S130. Specifically, first, the estimation unit 156 determines the current position (x) of the front measurement range sensor 110F in the garage coordinate system Cg, in the same manner as the position estimation method 1 described above. i ,y i Next, the estimation unit 156 estimates the current position (x) of the pre-measurement range sensor 110F in the garage coordinate system Cg. i ,y i The azimuth angle range is calculated using the positions (x1, y1) and (x2, y2) of the endpoints P1 and P2 of the front wall 210 in the garage coordinate system Cg, and from among the multiple pairs of azimuth angle ψ and distance d included in the two-dimensional distance information DZ1, the pair in which the azimuth angle ψ falls within the usable azimuth angle range is determined to be the usable range for the front wall 210. In addition, the estimation unit 156 calculates the current position (x) of the front measurement range sensor 110F in the garage coordinate system Cg that has been tentatively estimated. i ,y i Using the coordinates (x3, y3) and the positions (x4, y4) of the endpoints P3 and P4 of the left wall 220 in the garage coordinate system Cg, the usable azimuth angle range for the left wall 220 is calculated, and from among the multiple pairs of azimuth angle ψ and distance d included in the two-dimensional distance information DZ1, the pair in which the azimuth angle ψ falls within the azimuth angle range is determined to be the usable range for the left wall 220.

[0028] In step S130, the estimation unit 156 estimates the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 within the garage 200, including the distance s between the front range sensor 110F and the front wall 210, the distance w between the position corresponding to the lateral range sensor 110S and the left wall 220, and the angle θ between the longitudinal axis CL of the vehicle 100 and the left wall 220. Specifically, the estimation unit 156 first converts the azimuth angle ψ and distance d of the detection point DP1a included in the usable range for the front wall 210 of the two-dimensional distance information DZ1 into the x,y coordinates of the detection point DP1a in the sensor coordinate system Cs1 of the front range sensor 110F, and calculates the approximate straight line Ls of each detection point DP1a in the sensor coordinate system Cs1. In addition, the estimation unit 156 converts the azimuth angle ψ and distance d of the detection point DP1b included in the usable range for the left wall 220 of the two-dimensional distance information DZ1 into the x,y coordinates of the detection point DP1b in the sensor coordinate system Cs1 of the front measurement sensor 110F, and calculates the approximate straight line Lw for each detection point DP1b in the sensor coordinate system Cs1. Next, the estimation unit 156 estimates the distance between the front measurement sensor 110F and the approximate straight line Ls as the distance s between the front measurement sensor 110F and the front wall 210, estimates the distance between the position corresponding to the lateral measurement sensor 110S and the approximate straight line Lw as the distance w between the lateral measurement sensor 110S and the left wall 220, and estimates the angle between the longitudinal axis CL of the vehicle 100 and the approximate straight line Lw as the angle θ between the longitudinal axis CL of the vehicle 100 and the left wall 220. The estimation unit 156 calculates the distance w between the position corresponding to the lateral measurement range sensor 110S and the left wall 220 using the following equation (4). w = w1 - u × cos(θ + α) ... (4) Here, w1 is the distance between the front-range sensor 110F and the approximate straight line Lw, u is the length of the line segment connecting the position of the front-range sensor 110F and the position corresponding to the lateral-range sensor 110S, and α is the angle between the above line segment and the left-right axis of the vehicle 100.

[0029] <Automatic stopping control> Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for automatic stopping control executed by the processor 151 of the control device 150. Figure 7 is a first explanatory diagram showing the automatic stopping control. Figure 8 is a second explanatory diagram showing the automatic stopping control. Prior to the automatic stopping control shown in Figure 6, the control device 150 stops the vehicle 100 at a predetermined initial position and in a predetermined initial posture. In this embodiment, the initial position is set in front of the entrance 205 of the garage 200. The control device 150 stops the vehicle 100 at the initial position and in its initial posture by controlling the position and posture of the vehicle 100 using the GNSS receiver 130. The steering angle of the vehicle 100 when it is stopped at the initial position is 0 degrees. The control device 150 starts the automatic stopping control when the vehicle 100 is stopped at the initial position. The travel speed of the vehicle 100 during the automatic stopping control is several km / h.

[0030] When automatic stopping control is initiated, in step S210, the control device 150 directs the vehicle 100 straight towards the garage 200 from its initial position (see Figure 7(A)). The steering angle of the vehicle 100 in step S210 is 0 degrees. In step S210, the control device 150 does not correct the position and azimuth of the vehicle 100 and allows the vehicle 100 to proceed straight. However, if the position of the vehicle 100 can be detected using the GNSS receiver 130, the control device 150 may direct the vehicle 100 straight while correcting its position and azimuth using the detection results of the GNSS receiver 130. If the left wall 220 is detected by the front range sensor 110F during the execution of step S210, the control device 150 proceeds to step S220. If the left wall 220 is detected by the lateral range sensor 110S during the execution of step S210, the control device 150 skips step S220 and proceeds to step S230.

[0031] In step S220, the control device 150 estimates the lateral position and azimuth angle of the vehicle 100 within the garage 200 from the relative positional relationship between the left wall 220 detected by the front range sensor 110F and the vehicle 100, and corrects the lateral position of the vehicle 100 using lateral position FB (feedback) steering control, causing the vehicle 100 to move straight (see Figure 7(B)). Here, lateral position refers to the position in the y-axis direction in the garage coordinate system Cg. The steering angle of the vehicle 100 in step S220 is 0 degrees plus the lateral position deviation FB amount. If the left wall 220 is detected by the lateral range sensor 110S during the execution of step S220, the control device 150 proceeds to step S230.

[0032] In step S230, the control device 150 adjusts the lateral position of the rear wheels 102 (see Figure 7(C)). Specifically, the control device 150 moves the vehicle 100 forward while turning it so that the rear wheel center CP aligns with the lateral reference line RL in a plan view. The lateral reference line RL is a line that has a predetermined positional relationship with the left wall 220. In this embodiment, the lateral reference line RL passes between the left wall 220 and the charging equipment 250 and is set parallel to the left wall 220. The lateral reference line RL may be a physically existing line, such as a line painted on the road surface, or it may be a virtual line that does not physically exist. Information regarding the position of the lateral reference line RL is included in the target position information TZ. For example, if the rear wheel center CP is located to the left of the lateral reference line RL in a plan view, the control device 150 moves the vehicle 100 forward while turning it with a steering angle of 15 degrees to the right. Here, the rear wheel center CP overlapping with the lateral reference line RL means not only that the rear wheel center CP is located on the lateral reference line RL, but also that the distance between the rear wheel center CP and the lateral reference line RL is within a predetermined target range. For this reason, the target range of the distance between the rear wheel center CP and the lateral reference line RL may be included in the target position information TZ. If the azimuth angle of the vehicle 100 is appropriate when the rear wheel center CP overlaps with the lateral reference line RL, the control device 150 proceeds to step S240. Conversely, if the azimuth angle of the vehicle 100 is not appropriate when the rear wheel center CP overlaps with the lateral reference line RL, the control device 150 skips steps S240 to S260 and proceeds to step S270. In this embodiment, the control device 150 determines that the azimuth angle of the vehicle 100 is appropriate when the front-rear axis CL of the vehicle 100 is parallel to the lateral reference line RL. Here, the statement that the longitudinal axle CL of vehicle 100 and the lateral reference line RL are parallel means not only that the angle between the longitudinal axle CL of vehicle 100 and the lateral reference line RL is 0 degrees, but also that the angle between the longitudinal axle CL of vehicle 100 and the lateral reference line RL is within a predetermined target range. For this reason, the target range of the angle between the longitudinal axle CL of vehicle 100 and the lateral reference line RL may be included in the target position information TZ.

[0033] In step S240, the control device 150 performs a stationary steering maneuver to correct the azimuth angle of the vehicle 100. Stationary steering means changing the steering angle while the vehicle 100 is stationary. If the azimuth angle of the vehicle 100 is shifted to the left, the control device 150 performs a stationary steering maneuver to change the steering angle to 90 degrees to the right, and if the azimuth angle of the vehicle 100 is shifted to the right, the control device 150 performs a stationary steering maneuver to change the steering angle to 90 degrees to the left. Once the steering angle reaches 90 degrees to the left or right, the control device 150 proceeds to step S250.

[0034] In step S250, the control device 150 rotates the front wheels 101 with a steering angle of 90 degrees to the right or left so that the longitudinal axis CL of the vehicle 100 is parallel to the lateral reference line RL, thereby turning the vehicle 100 around the rear wheels 102 (see Figure 8(D)). In step S250, the position of the rear wheel center CP does not change. When the longitudinal axis CL of the vehicle 100 is parallel to the lateral reference line RL, the control device 150 stops turning the vehicle 100 and proceeds to step S260.

[0035] In step S260, the control device 150 returns the steering to 0 degrees, while the vehicle 100 is stationary, so that the steering angle, which is 90 degrees to the right or left, becomes 0 degrees. Once the steering angle becomes 0 degrees, the control device 150 proceeds to step S270.

[0036] In step S270, the control device 150 corrects the lateral position of the vehicle 100 by lateral position FB steering control using the detection result of the lateral measurement range sensor 110S, and moves the vehicle 100 in a straight line. The steering angle of the vehicle 100 in step S270 is 0 degrees plus the amount of lateral position deviation FB.

[0037] In step S280, the control device 150 stops the vehicle 100 at a target stopping position next to the charging equipment 250 (see Figure 8(E)). The target position information TZ includes the distance between the front range sensor 110F and the front wall 210 when the vehicle 100 stops at the target stopping position. The control device 150 can determine whether the vehicle 100 has reached the target stopping position using the detection result of the front range sensor 110F and the target position information TZ. When the vehicle 100 stops at the target stopping position, the charging port of the vehicle 100 is located on the front-rear reference line SL in a plan view. The front-rear reference line SL is a line that has a predetermined positional relationship with the front wall 210 and the charging equipment 250. In this embodiment, the front-rear reference line SL is set parallel to the front wall 210. The front-rear reference line SL may be a physically existing line, such as a line painted on the road surface, or it may be a virtual line that does not physically exist. The control device 150 waits after stopping the vehicle 100 at the target stopping position until it receives a departure instruction. The departure instruction is transmitted, for example, from a management device that manages the operation of the vehicle 100. Upon receiving the departure instruction, the control device 150 proceeds to step S290.

[0038] In step S290, the control device 150 moves the vehicle 100 backward by a predetermined distance (see Figure 8(F)). If the left wall 220 can be detected by the range sensors 110F and 110S, the control device 150 moves the vehicle 100 backward while correcting its lateral position by lateral FB steering control. If the left wall 220 cannot be detected by the range sensors 110F and 110S, the control device 150 moves the vehicle 100 backward without correcting its lateral position. However, if the position of the vehicle 100 can be detected using the GNSS receiver 130, the control device 150 may move the vehicle 100 backward while correcting its lateral position and azimuth angle using the detection results of the GNSS receiver 130. In this embodiment, the control device 150 terminates the automatic stopping control once the vehicle 100 has moved backward to the outside. Subsequently, the control device 150 drives the vehicle 100 outdoors while detecting the vehicle's position using the GNSS receiver 130.

[0039] According to the control device 150 in this embodiment described above, in automatic stopping control, the detection results of the range sensors 110F and 110S are used to drive the vehicle 100 so that the rear wheel center CP of the vehicle 100 aligns with the lateral reference line RL. While maintaining the state in which the rear wheel center CP aligns with the lateral reference line RL, the vehicle 100 is rotated around the rear wheel center CP so that the longitudinal axis CL of the vehicle 100 is parallel to the reference line RL. While maintaining the state in which the longitudinal axis CL of the vehicle 100 is parallel to the reference line RL, the vehicle 100 is driven to the target position. Therefore, the vehicle 100 can be stopped at the target position in the garage 200 in the target orientation by automatic stopping control. In particular, in this embodiment, the control device 150 can stop the vehicle 100 at the target position in the garage 200 in the target orientation with simple control that does not use a three-dimensional map. In this embodiment, the target stopping position is located next to the charging equipment 250. Therefore, it becomes possible to automate the charging of the vehicle 100.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, during automatic stopping control, the control device 150 controls the position and attitude of the vehicle 100 using the detection result of the front-range sensor 110F until the left-side wall 220 is detected by the lateral-range sensor 110S. Therefore, even when the vehicle 100 is located in a place where the left-side wall 220 cannot be detected by the lateral-range sensor 110S, the control device 150 can appropriately control the position and attitude of the vehicle 100 using the detection result of the front-range sensor 110F.

[0041] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the control device 150 rotates the vehicle 100 around the rear wheel center CP in step S250 of the automatic stopping control, it uses the detection result of the lateral measurement range sensor 110S to control the position and attitude of the vehicle 100. Therefore, when the vehicle 100 rotates around the rear wheel center CP, the attitude of the vehicle 100 can be controlled with high precision.

[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the vehicle 100 includes front wheels 101 arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis CL of the vehicle 100, and rear wheels 102 arranged on the longitudinal axis CL of the vehicle 100. In addition, in step S250 of the automatic stopping control, when the vehicle 100 is turned around the rear wheel center CP, the control device 150 controls the steering angle of the vehicle 100 so that it is 90 degrees to the left or right with respect to the longitudinal axis CL of the vehicle 100. Therefore, the vehicle 100 can be turned around the rear wheel center CP without changing the position of the rear wheel center CP.

[0043] B. Other embodiments: (B1) In the above embodiment, the vehicle 100 is equipped with a front-range sensor 110F and a lateral-range sensor 110S. However, the vehicle 100 may not be equipped with either the front-range sensor 110F or the lateral-range sensor 110S. Even if the lateral-range sensor 110S is not provided, the position and attitude of the vehicle 100 can be estimated using the front-range sensor 110F by the position estimation method 2 described above. Furthermore, even if the front-range sensor 110F is not provided, the position and attitude of the vehicle 100 can be estimated using the lateral-range sensor 110S by the same method as the position estimation method 2 described above.

[0044] (B2) In the above embodiment, the vehicle 100 includes front wheels 101 arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis CL of the vehicle 100, and rear wheels 102 arranged on the longitudinal axis CL of the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 is also configured to be controllable so that the steering angle is 90 degrees to the left or right. However, the vehicle is not limited to the above embodiment as long as it is configured to be able to turn around the rear wheel center CP. For example, the rear wheels 102 of the vehicle 100 may be arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis CL of the vehicle 100, and may not be configured to be controllable so that the steering angle is 90 degrees to the left or right.

[0045] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various configurations without departing from its spirit. For example, the technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each form described in the summary of the invention can be replaced or combined as appropriate in order to solve some or all of the above-described problems, or to achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be deleted as appropriate. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0046] 100...Vehicle, 101...Front wheel, 102...Rear wheel, 110F...Front range sensor, 110S...Lateral range sensor, 120...Vehicle speed sensor, 130...GNSS receiver, 140...Actuator group, 150...Control device, 151...Processor, 152...Memory, 153...Input / output interface, 154...Internal bus, 155...Acquisition unit, 156...Estimation unit, 157...Control unit, 200...Garage, 205...Entrance / exit, 210...Front wall, 220...Left side wall, 250...Charging equipment

Claims

1. A vehicle control device, An input unit to which the detection results of a range sensor mounted on the vehicle and located around the vehicle are input, A processing unit that uses the detection results of the range sensor to perform automatic stopping control to stop the vehicle at a stopping position having a predetermined positional relationship with the wall, Equipped with, The processing unit, in the automatic stopping control, Using the detection results of the range sensor, the vehicle is driven so that the center of the vehicle's rear wheels aligns with a reference line having a predetermined positional relationship with the wall. While maintaining the state in which the center of the rear wheels aligns with the aforementioned reference line, the vehicle is rotated around the center of the rear wheels so that the front and rear axles of the vehicle are parallel to the aforementioned reference line. The vehicle is driven to the stopping position while maintaining a state in which the front and rear axles of the vehicle are parallel to the reference line. Control device.

2. A control device according to claim 1, The range sensor includes a front range sensor for detecting the wall located in front of the vehicle, and a lateral range sensor for detecting the wall located to the side of the vehicle. The processing unit is a control device that, in the automatic stopping control, controls the position and attitude of the vehicle using the detection result of the front measuring sensor until the wall is detected by the lateral measuring sensor.

3. A control device according to claim 2, The processing unit is a control device that, in the automatic stopping control, controls the position and attitude of the vehicle using the detection results of the lateral measurement range sensor when the vehicle is turned around the center of the rear wheels.

4. A control device according to claim 1, The vehicle comprises front wheels arranged symmetrically with respect to the vehicle's longitudinal axis and controllable to steer at a 90-degree angle with respect to the vehicle's longitudinal axis, and rear wheels positioned on the vehicle's longitudinal axis. The processing unit is a control device that, in the automatic stopping control, controls the steering angle of the front wheels so that it is 90 degrees with respect to the front-rear axis of the vehicle when the vehicle is turned around the center of the rear wheels.

5. A method for controlling a vehicle, Using the detection results of a range sensor mounted on the vehicle that detects walls located around the vehicle, the vehicle is driven so that the center of the vehicle's rear wheels aligns with a reference line having a predetermined positional relationship with the wall. While maintaining the state in which the center of the rear wheels aligns with the aforementioned reference line, the vehicle is rotated around the center of the rear wheels so that the front and rear axles of the vehicle are parallel to the aforementioned reference line. The vehicle is driven to a stopping position having a predetermined positional relationship with the wall, while maintaining a state in which the front and rear axles of the vehicle are parallel to the reference line. Control method.

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