system

Abstract

This system provides a way to perform inspections by orienting a vehicle in a predetermined direction without using a vehicle alignment device. [Solution] The system 50 includes an inspection facility 500 for inspecting a vehicle 100 that can be driven by unmanned operation, and a control device 110 for controlling the unmanned operation of the vehicle so that the direction of the vehicle relative to the inspection facility is facing a predetermined direction. The control device is an imaging unit that images the inspection facility and the vehicle and outputs imaging data, and acquires the imaging data output by the imaging unit which is provided outside the vehicle, Using imaging data, the system controls the unmanned operation of the vehicle so that its orientation relative to the inspection equipment is predetermined.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a system.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for driving a vehicle autonomously or remotely in a vehicle manufacturing process. Generally, as one step of the manufacturing process, inspection of the optical axis of a lamp and inspection of a radar device are performed. In such inspections, an alignment device is used to direct the vehicle in a predetermined direction. The alignment device changes the orientation of the vehicle by pushing the vehicle's tires from the side.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the inspection of a vehicle that can travel autonomously or remotely, a system that can direct the vehicle in a predetermined direction and perform inspection without using an alignment device is desired.

Means for Solving the Problems

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

[0006] (1) According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a system is provided. The system includes an inspection facility that inspects a vehicle capable of traveling by autonomous driving, and a control device that controls the autonomous driving of the vehicle so that the direction of the vehicle with respect to the inspection facility faces a predetermined direction. This type of system includes a control device that controls the unmanned operation of the vehicle so that the vehicle's direction relative to the inspection equipment is oriented in a predetermined direction. Therefore, inspections can be performed with the vehicle oriented in a predetermined direction without using a vehicle alignment device. (2) In the system of the above form, the control device may be an imaging unit that images the inspection equipment and the vehicle and outputs imaging data, and acquires the imaging data output by the imaging unit provided outside the vehicle, and uses the imaging data to control the unmanned operation of the vehicle so that the direction of the vehicle relative to the inspection equipment is oriented in the predetermined direction. In this type of system, the control device uses imaging data output by sensors located outside the vehicle, so imaging data can be acquired using, for example, cameras installed in a factory that includes inspection equipment. Furthermore, since the unmanned operation of the vehicle is controlled using imaging data, compared to a configuration that controls the vehicle using only map information without imaging data, even if the location of the inspection equipment differs from the map information due to changes in factory equipment, the unmanned operation can be controlled based on more accurate information so that the vehicle faces a predetermined direction. (3) In the system of the above form, the control device may acquire the master data from a storage device that stores master data which is imaging data of the vehicle facing the predetermined direction relative to the inspection equipment, and further use the master data to control the unmanned operation of the vehicle so that the direction of the vehicle relative to the inspection equipment faces the predetermined direction. In this type of system, the control device further uses master data to control the unmanned operation of the vehicle so that the vehicle's direction relative to the inspection equipment is oriented in a predetermined direction. Therefore, by pre-storing appropriate master data in the memory device, the unmanned operation can be controlled to more accurately orient the vehicle in a predetermined direction. (4) In the system of the above form, the inspection equipment has a marker that serves as a reference for the predetermined direction of the vehicle, the imaging unit captures images of the vehicle and the marker, outputs the imaging data including the vehicle and the marker, and the control device uses the marker in the imaging data to control the unmanned operation of the vehicle so that the direction of the vehicle faces the predetermined direction. In this type of system, the inspection equipment has a marker that serves as a reference for the vehicle's predetermined direction, and the control device uses the marker in the imaging data to control the unmanned operation of the vehicle so that the vehicle faces the predetermined direction. Therefore, the reference for the vehicle's predetermined direction can be set with a relatively simple configuration. Furthermore, the reference for the predetermined direction can be easily changed by changing the position of the marker. (5) In the system of the above form, the control device is an imaging unit that images the inspection equipment and outputs imaging data including the inspection equipment, and may acquire the imaging data from an imaging unit provided in the vehicle, and use the imaging data to control the unmanned operation of the vehicle so that the direction of the vehicle relative to the inspection equipment faces the predetermined direction. In this type of system, since the imaging unit is installed in the vehicle, imaging data can be acquired using, for example, a camera installed in the vehicle that takes pictures of the outside. Furthermore, since the unmanned operation of the vehicle is controlled using imaging data, compared to a configuration that controls the vehicle using only map information without imaging data, even if the location of the inspection equipment differs from the map information due to changes in factory equipment, the unmanned operation can be controlled based on more accurate information so that the vehicle faces a predetermined direction.

[0007] This disclosure can be implemented in forms other than the system described above, such as a vehicle control device, a vehicle direction control method, a program for implementing the direction control method, a non-temporary recording medium on which the program is stored, or a program product. The program product may be provided, for example, as a recording medium on which the program is stored, or as a program product that can be distributed via a network. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a conceptual diagram showing the system configuration in the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the system configuration. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for vehicle driving control in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a diagram illustrating vehicle direction control in inspection equipment. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart showing the directional control procedure. [Figure 6] This is a diagram illustrating the direction control of the second embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart showing the directional control procedure of the second embodiment. [Figure 8] This is an explanatory diagram showing the schematic configuration of the system in the third embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for vehicle driving control in the third embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] A. First Embodiment: <Overview of System 50> Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of the system 50 in the first embodiment. The system 50 comprises one or more vehicles 100 as mobile bodies, a control device 200, and one or more sensors 300.

[0010] 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). A vehicle may be a wheeled vehicle or a tracked vehicle, such as a passenger car, truck, bus, motorcycle, car, or construction vehicle. Vehicles include electric vehicles (BEVs: Battery Electric Vehicles), gasoline vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles. If the mobile object is not a vehicle, the terms “vehicle” and “car” in this disclosure may be replaced with “mobile object” as appropriate, and the term “driving” may be replaced with “moving” as appropriate.

[0011] In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 is configured to be able to run unmanned. "Unmanned operation" means operation without the operation of a passenger. Operation of the vehicle means operation related to at least one of the following: "going," "turning," or "stopping." Unmanned operation is achieved by automatic or manual remote control using a device located outside the vehicle 100, or by autonomous control of the vehicle 100. A passenger who does not perform operation of the vehicle may be on board the vehicle 100 while it is running unmanned. A passenger who does not perform operation of the vehicle includes, for example, a person who is simply sitting in the seat of the vehicle 100, or a person who is performing work other than operation of the vehicle, such as assembly, inspection, or operation of switches, while on board the vehicle 100. Operation by a passenger is sometimes called "manned operation."

[0012] In this specification, "remote control" includes "fully remote control," in which all operations of the vehicle 100 are completely determined from outside the vehicle 100, and "partial remote control," in which some operations of the vehicle 100 are determined from outside the vehicle 100. Furthermore, "autonomous control" includes "fully autonomous control," in which the vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own operations without receiving any information from external devices, and "partial autonomous control," in which the vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own operations using information received from external devices.

[0013] In this embodiment, the system 50 is used in the factory FC that manufactures the vehicle 100. The reference coordinate system of the factory FC is the global coordinate system GC, and any position within the factory FC can be represented by the coordinates of X, Y, and Z in the global coordinate system GC. The factory FC includes a first location PL1 and a second location PL2. The first location PL1 and the second location PL2 are connected by a road TR on which the vehicle 100 can travel. The vehicle 100 moves from the first location PL1 to the second location PL2 through the road TR by autonomous driving. At the first location PL1 and the second location PL2, assembly and various inspections for manufacturing the vehicle 100 are performed.

[0014] An inspection facility 500 is provided at the second location PL2. The vehicle 100 that has moved to the second location PL2 heads towards the inspection facility 500 by autonomous driving. The inspection facility 500 inspects the vehicle 100. The inspection facility 500 is, for example, an inspection of the optical axis of a lamp or an inspection of a radar device.

[0015] A plurality of sensors 300 are installed at the first location PL1, the second location PL2, and the road TR. The sensor 300 is a sensor provided outside the vehicle 100. The sensor 300 in this embodiment is a sensor that captures the vehicle 100 from the outside of the vehicle 100. The sensor 300 includes a communication device (not shown) and can communicate with other devices such as the control device 200 by wired communication or wireless communication.

[0016] Specifically, the sensor 300 is constituted by a camera as an imaging unit. The camera as the sensor 300 images the vehicle 100 and outputs imaging data. The sensor 300 provided at the second location PL2 images the vehicle 100 and the inspection facility 500. More specifically, the sensor 300 images the vehicle 100 on or around the inspection facility 500. That is, one piece of imaging data includes the vehicle 100 and the inspection facility 500.

[0017] <Configuration of the system 50> Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of system 50. 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 control device 200. The actuator group 120 includes actuators for a drive system to accelerate the vehicle 100, actuators for a steering system to change the direction of travel of the vehicle 100, and actuators for a braking system to decelerate the vehicle 100.

[0018] The vehicle control device 110 is composed of a computer comprising a processor 111, a memory 112, an input / output interface 113, and an internal bus 114. The processor 111, the memory 112, and the input / output interface 113 are connected via the internal bus 114 to enable bidirectional communication. The input / output interface 113 is connected to an actuator group 120 and a communication device 130. The processor 111 implements various functions, including those of a vehicle control unit 115, by executing a program PG1 stored in the memory 112.

[0019] The vehicle control unit 115 drives the vehicle 100 by controlling the actuator group 120. The vehicle control unit 115 can drive the vehicle 100 by controlling the actuator group 120 using the driving control signal received from the control device 200. The driving control signal is a control signal for driving the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the driving control signal includes the acceleration and steering angle of the vehicle 100 as parameters. In other embodiments, the driving control signal may include the speed of the vehicle 100 as a parameter instead of, or in addition to, the acceleration of the vehicle 100.

[0020] The control device 200 is composed of a computer comprising a processor 201, memory 202, input / output interface 203, and internal bus 204. The control device 200 is, for example, a server. The processor 201, memory 202, and input / output interface 203 are connected via the internal bus 204 to enable bidirectional communication. A communication device 205 for communicating with various devices outside the control device 200 is connected to the input / output interface 203. The communication device 205 can communicate with the vehicle 100 by wireless communication and can communicate with each sensor 300 by wired or wireless communication. The processor 201 implements various functions, including those of an acquisition unit 210 and a remote control unit 211, by executing a program PG2 stored in memory 202.

[0021] The acquisition unit 210 acquires imaging data of the vehicle 100 and the inspection equipment 500 from the sensor 300 located at the second location PL2. The acquisition unit 210 also acquires master data MD, which is pre-stored in the memory 202. Master data MD is imaging data in which the vehicle 100 is facing a predetermined direction relative to the inspection equipment 500. The "predetermined direction" is the desirable orientation of the vehicle 100 when performing an inspection with the inspection equipment 500. For example, when the optical axis of the vehicle 100 is inspected by the inspection equipment 500, it is desirable that the light receiving plate 502 of the inspection equipment 500 and the front-rear axis of the vehicle 100 are perpendicular to each other. The "predetermined direction" is set as the desirable orientation of the vehicle 100 for properly performing the inspection with the inspection equipment 500.

[0022] The remote control unit 211 acquires detection results from sensors, generates a driving control signal to control the actuator group 120 of the vehicle 100 using the detection results, and controls the unmanned operation of the vehicle 100 by transmitting the driving control signal to the vehicle 100. In addition to the driving control signal, the remote control unit 211 may also generate and output control signals to control various auxiliary equipment and actuators that operate various devices such as wipers, power windows, and lamps, which are provided on the vehicle 100. In other words, the remote control unit 211 may operate these various devices and auxiliary equipment by remote control.

[0023] Furthermore, the remote control unit 211 controls the unmanned operation of the vehicle 100 so that the vehicle 100 faces a predetermined direction relative to the inspection equipment 500. Specifically, it uses the imaging data acquired by the acquisition unit 210 and the master data MD to control the unmanned operation of the vehicle 100 so that the vehicle 100 faces a predetermined direction relative to the inspection equipment 500. Details of this control of the vehicle 100 will be described later.

[0024] <Vehicle 100 driving control> Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for controlling the vehicle 100's movement in the first embodiment. This procedure is performed to allow the vehicle 100 to move autonomously. In the processing procedure shown in Figure 3, the processor 201 of the control device 200 functions as a remote control unit 211 by executing program PG2. The processor 111 of the vehicle 100 functions as a vehicle control unit 115 by executing program PG1.

[0025] In step S1, the processor 201 of the control device 200 acquires vehicle position information using the detection result output from the sensor 300. The vehicle position information is the position information that forms the basis for generating the driving control signal. In this embodiment, the vehicle position information includes the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 in the global coordinate system GC of the factory FC. Specifically, in step S1, the processor 201 acquires vehicle position information using the captured image acquired from the camera, which is the sensor 300.

[0026] In detail, in step S1, the processor 201 detects the outline of the vehicle 100 from the captured image, calculates the coordinates of the positioning point of the vehicle 100 in the coordinate system of the captured image, i.e., the local coordinate system, and obtains the position of the vehicle 100 by converting the calculated coordinates to coordinates in the global coordinate system GC. The outline of the vehicle 100 included in the captured image can be detected, for example, by inputting the captured image into a detection model DM that utilizes artificial intelligence. The detection model DM is prepared, for example, within or outside the system 50 and pre-stored in the memory 202 of the control device 200. Examples of the detection model DM include a trained machine learning model that has been trained to implement either semantic segmentation or instance segmentation. As this machine learning model, for example, a convolutional neural network (hereinafter referred to as CNN) trained by supervised learning using a training dataset can be used. The training dataset has, for example, multiple training images including the vehicle 100 and labels indicating whether each region in the training image is a region indicating the vehicle 100 or a region indicating something other than the vehicle 100. During CNN training, it is preferable that the CNN parameters be updated using backpropagation to reduce the error between the output result of the detection model DM and the label. Furthermore, the processor 201 can obtain the orientation of vehicle 100 by, for example, using the optical flow method, estimating the orientation 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.

[0027] In step S2, the processor 201 of the control device 200 determines the next target location to which the vehicle 100 should go. In this embodiment, the target location is represented by X, Y, Z coordinates in the global coordinate system GC. The memory 202 of the control device 200 pre-stores a reference route RR, which is the path that the vehicle 100 should travel. The route is represented by a node indicating the starting point, nodes indicating waypoints, a node indicating the destination, and links connecting each node. The processor 201 uses the vehicle position information and the reference route RR to determine the next target location to which the vehicle 100 should go. The processor 201 determines the target location on the reference route RR beyond the current location of the vehicle 100.

[0028] In step S3, the processor 201 of the control device 200 generates a driving control signal to drive the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. The processor 201 calculates the vehicle's speed from the change in the vehicle's position and compares the calculated speed with the target speed. Overall, the processor 201 determines the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 accelerates if the speed is lower than the target speed, and determines the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 decelerates if the speed is higher than the target speed. Furthermore, if the vehicle 100 is located on the reference path RR, the processor 201 determines the steering angle and acceleration so that the vehicle 100 does not deviate from the reference path RR, and if the vehicle 100 is not located on the reference path RR, in other words, if the vehicle 100 has deviated from the reference path RR, the processor 201 determines the steering angle and acceleration so that the vehicle 100 returns to the reference path RR.

[0029] In step S4, the processor 201 of the control device 200 transmits the generated driving control signal to the vehicle 100. The processor 201 repeats the acquisition of vehicle position information, determination of target position, generation of driving control signal, and transmission of driving control signal at predetermined intervals.

[0030] In step S5, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 receives a driving control signal transmitted from the control device 200. In step S6, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 controls the actuator group 120 using the received driving control signal, thereby driving the vehicle 100 at the acceleration and steering angle expressed in the driving control signal. The processor 111 repeats the reception of the driving control signal and the control of the actuator group 120 at predetermined intervals. According to the system 50 in this embodiment, the vehicle 100 can be driven by remote control, and the vehicle 100 can be moved without using transport equipment such as cranes or conveyors.

[0031] <Directional control of vehicle 100 in inspection equipment 500> Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the direction control of the vehicle 100 in the inspection equipment 500 (hereinafter also referred to as "direction control"). Figure 4 shows an example of imaging data. Figure 5 is a flowchart of the direction control procedure. Direction control is performed in the preparation stage for inspection in the inspection equipment 500. More specifically, direction control is performed, for example, after the vehicle 100 enters the second location PL2 where the inspection equipment 500 shown in Figure 1 is installed. Direction control is performed in order to perform a proper inspection by the inspection equipment 500 by orienting the vehicle 100 in the appropriate direction.

[0032] The following describes an example in which the inspection equipment 500 performs an inspection of the optical axis of a vehicle 100. The inspection equipment 500 has an inspection area 501 and a light receiving plate 502. The inspection area 501 is the place where the vehicle 100 is stopped and the inspection is performed within the inspection equipment 500. The light receiving plate 502 is a plate that is illuminated by the lights of the vehicle 100. The inspection equipment 500 uses the illumination pattern of the light irradiated onto the light receiving plate 502 to detect the deviation of the optical axis and outputs the amount of deviation.

[0033] As shown in Figure 4, when the vehicle 100 enters the second location PL2 under unmanned operation, the acquisition unit 210 acquires imaging data and master data MD in step S10 shown in Figure 5. The imaging data is output by the sensor 300 which images the vehicle 100 and the inspection equipment 500. As shown by the dashed line in Figure 4, the master data MD is imaging data oriented in a predetermined direction within the inspection area 501 of the inspection equipment 500. In this embodiment, the predetermined direction is such that the front-rear axis AX1 of the vehicle 100 is perpendicular to the light-receiving surface of the light-receiving plate 502 of the inspection equipment 500.

[0034] As shown in Figure 5, in step S20, the remote control unit 211 uses the imaging data and master data MD to control the unmanned operation of the vehicle 100 so that the direction of the vehicle 100 is facing a predetermined direction. More specifically, the remote control unit 211 controls the unmanned operation of the vehicle 100 so that the direction of the vehicle 100 in the master data MD shown in Figure 4 matches the direction of the vehicle 100 in the imaging data. The control of the unmanned operation of the vehicle 100 is performed according to the procedure of "vehicle 100 driving control" described above. For example, the remote control unit 211 controls the unmanned operation of the vehicle 100 so that the longitudinal axis of the vehicle 100 in the master data MD and the longitudinal axis of the vehicle 100 in the imaging data overlap.

[0035] Once the directional control procedure shown in Figure 5 is completed, the inspection equipment 500 will perform an inspection of the vehicle 100. After the inspection is complete, the vehicle 100 will move from the second location PL2 by unmanned operation, and other inspection processes will be performed.

[0036] According to the system 50 of the first embodiment described above, the control device 200 controls the unmanned operation of the vehicle 100 so that the direction of the vehicle 100 relative to the inspection equipment 500 is directed in a predetermined direction. Therefore, inspection can be performed with the direction of the vehicle 100 directed in a predetermined direction without using a facing device.

[0037] Furthermore, according to the system 50 of the first embodiment, the control device 200 uses imaging data output by a sensor 300 located outside the vehicle 100, so imaging data can be acquired using, for example, a camera installed in a factory FC that includes inspection equipment 500.

[0038] Furthermore, according to the system 50 of the first embodiment, since the unmanned operation of the vehicle 100 is controlled using imaging data, compared to a configuration in which the vehicle 100 is controlled using only map information without using imaging data, even if the location of the inspection equipment 500 is different from the location indicated by the map information due to changes in the factory FC equipment, the unmanned operation can be controlled based on more accurate information so that the direction of the vehicle 100 faces a predetermined direction.

[0039] Furthermore, according to the system 50 of the first embodiment, the control device 200 further uses master data MD to control the unmanned operation of the vehicle 100 so that the direction of the vehicle 100 relative to the inspection equipment 500 is oriented in a predetermined direction. Therefore, by pre-storing appropriate master data MD in the memory 202, the unmanned operation can be controlled to more accurately orient the vehicle 100 in a predetermined direction.

[0040] B. Second Embodiment: Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the direction control of the second embodiment. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the procedure for direction control in the second embodiment. The direction control of the second embodiment differs from the direction control of the first embodiment in that it is performed using a marker MR provided in the inspection equipment 500b instead of master data MD. Therefore, in the system of the second embodiment, memory 202 does not need to store master data MD.

[0041] As shown in Figure 6, the inspection equipment 500b has markers MR. Markers MR are a predetermined directional reference for the vehicle 100. Markers MR have any external shape that can be detected by the sensor 300. In this embodiment, two markers MR are provided on the light receiving plate 502. More specifically, the two markers MR are provided on the light receiving plate 502 such that a straight line L1 connecting the two markers MR is parallel to the light receiving plate 502. The sensor 300 images the vehicle 100 and the markers MR and outputs imaging data including the vehicle 100 and the markers MR.

[0042] In step S10b shown in Figure 7, the acquisition unit 210 acquires imaging data output by the sensor 300. This imaging data includes the vehicle 100 and the marker MR. In step S20b, the remote control unit 211 uses the marker MR in the imaging data to control the unmanned operation of the vehicle 100 so that the direction of the vehicle 100 is facing a predetermined direction. In this embodiment, the remote control unit 211 controls the unmanned operation of the vehicle 100 so that the straight line L1 connecting the two markers MR and the longitudinal axis AX1 of the vehicle 100 are perpendicular to each other.

[0043] According to the system 50 of the second embodiment described above, the inspection equipment 500b has a marker MR that serves as a reference for a predetermined direction of the vehicle 100, and the control device 200 uses the marker MR in the imaging data to control the unmanned operation of the vehicle 100 so that the direction of the vehicle 100 faces the predetermined direction. Thus, a reference for a predetermined direction of the vehicle 100 can be set with a relatively simple configuration. Furthermore, the reference for a predetermined direction can be easily changed by changing the position of the marker MR.

[0044] C. Third Embodiment: Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the schematic configuration of system 50v in the third embodiment. In this embodiment, system 50v differs from the first embodiment in that it does not have a control device 200. Also, in this embodiment, vehicle 100v can be driven by autonomous control of vehicle 100v. The other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment unless otherwise specified. Note that system 50v of the third embodiment may be used in combination with the system of the second embodiment.

[0045] In this embodiment, the processor 111v of the vehicle control device 110v functions as a vehicle control unit 115v by executing the program PG1 stored in memory 112v. The vehicle control unit 115v acquires the output results from the sensors, generates a driving control signal using the output results, and outputs the generated driving control signal to operate the actuator group 120, thereby enabling the vehicle 100v to be driven autonomously. In this embodiment, in addition to the program PG1, the detection model DM and the reference path RR are pre-stored in memory 112v.

[0046] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for vehicle 100V's driving control in the third embodiment. In the processing procedure shown in Figure 9, the vehicle 100V's processor 111V functions as a vehicle control unit 115V by executing program PG1.

[0047] In step S901, the processor 111v of the vehicle control device 110v acquires vehicle position information using the detection result output from the camera, which is the sensor 300. In step S902, the processor 111v determines the target position to which the vehicle 100v should next go. In step S903, the processor 111v generates a driving control signal to drive the vehicle 100v toward the determined target position. In step S904, the processor 111v controls the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal to drive the vehicle 100v according to the parameters expressed in the driving control signal. The processor 111v repeats the acquisition of vehicle position information, determination of the target position, generation of the driving control signal, and control of the actuators at a predetermined cycle. According to the system 50v in this embodiment, the vehicle 100v can be driven by autonomous control of the vehicle 100v without remote control of the vehicle 100v by the control device 200.

[0048] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, the processor 111v in this embodiment also functions as an acquisition unit 116v by executing the program PG1 stored in memory 112. The acquisition unit 116v has the same functions as the acquisition unit 210 in the first embodiment. Therefore, in this embodiment, the same processing as the direction control shown in Figures 5 and 7 is performed by the processor 111v of the vehicle 100v.

[0049] The system 50v of the third embodiment described above can also perform driving control and direction control of the vehicle 100, similar to the system 50 of the first and second embodiments.

[0050] D. Other Embodiments 1: (D1) In each of the above embodiments, the sensor 300 used for direction control was a camera located outside the vehicle 100, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. The sensor 300 may be, for example, a LiDAR. In this case, the detection result output by the sensor 300 and the master data MD may be three-dimensional point cloud data representing the vehicle 100 and the inspection equipment 500, 500b. The sensor 300 used for direction control may also be located on the vehicle 100. The sensor 300 may be, for example, a camera or distance measuring device that photographs the outside of the vehicle 100. When such a configuration is applied to the system 50 of the first embodiment, the master data MD is the image data captured by the sensor 300 located on the vehicle 100 facing a predetermined direction. With such a configuration, for example, image data can be acquired using the sensor 300 located on the vehicle 100.

[0051] (D2) In each of the above embodiments, the memories 112, 112v, and 202 may be any storage device. Such storage devices include, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), and a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory).

[0052] (D3) In each of the embodiments described above, an example has been given in which the inspection equipment 500 performs an inspection of the optical axis of the vehicle 100, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. The inspection equipment 500 may perform any inspection. Direction control may also be performed as a preparatory step for any inspection. For example, the inspection may be a functional inspection using electromagnetic waves emitted from the vehicle 100, and may be an inspection based on the intensity of the electromagnetic waves or reflected electromagnetic waves when the vehicle orientation coincides with a predetermined direction.

[0053] (D4) In the second embodiment described above, the inspection equipment 500b had two marker MRs, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. The inspection equipment 500b may have any number of marker MRs. The marker MRs may be provided at any position in the inspection equipment 500b. The marker MRs may also be provided on the vehicle 100. In such a configuration, the acquisition unit 210 acquires imaging data including the marker MRs provided on the vehicle 100 and the marker MRs provided on the inspection equipment 500b, and the remote control unit 211 may use these marker MRs to control the unmanned operation of the vehicle 100.

[0054] (D5) In each of the above embodiments, at least one of the functions of the acquisition unit 210 and the remote control unit 211 may be performed by the inspection equipment 500. In this configuration, the inspection equipment 500 includes a computer having a processor and memory.

[0055] (D6) In each of the above embodiments, the remote control unit 211 may control the unmanned operation of the vehicle 100 so that the direction of the vehicle 100 relative to the inspection equipment 500 is oriented in a predetermined direction, without using imaging data. The remote control unit 211 may also control the unmanned operation of the vehicle 100 so that the direction of the vehicle 100 relative to the inspection equipment 500 is oriented in a predetermined direction, for example, using map information.

[0056] (D7) In the first embodiment described above, the remote control unit 211 may control the unmanned operation of the vehicle 100 using only the imaging data and without using the master data MD, so that the direction of the vehicle 100 relative to the inspection equipment 500 is oriented in a predetermined direction. For example, the remote control unit 211 may control the unmanned operation of the vehicle 100 using the positional relationship between the vehicle 100 and the inspection equipment 500 in the imaging data.

[0057] E. Another Embodiment 2: (E1) In each of the above embodiments, the sensor 300 is not limited to a camera, but may be, for example, a distance measuring device. The distance measuring device may be, for example, LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging). In this case, the detection result output by the sensor 300 may be 3D point cloud data representing the vehicle 100. In this case, the control device 200 and the vehicle 100 may acquire vehicle position information by template matching using the 3D point cloud data as the detection result and pre-prepared reference point cloud data.

[0058] (E2) In the first embodiment described above, the control device 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 be used.

[0059] (1) The control device 200 may acquire vehicle position information, determine the next target location to which the vehicle 100 should go, and generate a route from the vehicle 100's current location, as shown in the acquired vehicle position information, to the target location. The control device 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 control device 200 may transmit the generated route to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may generate a driving control signal so that the vehicle 100 travels along the route received from the control device 200, and may use the generated driving control signal to control the actuator group 120.

[0060] (2) The control device 200 may acquire vehicle position information and transmit the acquired vehicle position 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 position 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.

[0061] (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 the route and the generation of the 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, gyro sensors, etc. For example, in the embodiment of (1) above, the control device 200 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensors and reflect the detection results of the internal sensors in the route when generating the route. In the embodiment of (1) above, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection 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. 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 the 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.

[0062] (E3) In the third embodiment described above, the vehicle 100v is equipped with an internal sensor, and the detection result output from the internal sensor may be used in at least one of the generation of the route and the generation of the driving control signal. For example, the vehicle 100v may acquire the detection result from the internal sensor and reflect the detection result from the internal sensor in the route when generating the route. The vehicle 100v may acquire the detection result from the internal sensor and reflect the detection result from the internal sensor in the driving control signal when generating the driving control signal.

[0063] (E4) In the third embodiment described above, the vehicle 100v acquires vehicle position information using the detection results of the sensor 300. Alternatively, the vehicle 100v may be equipped with an internal sensor, which may acquire vehicle position information using the detection results of the internal sensor, determine the next target location to which the vehicle 100v should go, generate a route from the vehicle 100v's current location to the target location as shown in the acquired vehicle position information, generate a driving control signal for driving along the generated route, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal. In this case, the vehicle 100v can drive without using the detection results of the sensor 300 at all. The vehicle 100v may also acquire the target arrival time and congestion information from outside the vehicle 100v and reflect the target arrival time and congestion information in at least one of the route and the driving control signal.

[0064] (E5) In the first embodiment described above, the control device 200 automatically generates a driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100. Alternatively, the control device 200 may generate a driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100 in accordance with the operation of an external operator located outside the vehicle 100. For example, an external operator may operate a control device that includes a display for displaying captured images output from the sensor 300, a steering wheel for remotely controlling the vehicle 100, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and a communication device for communicating with the control device 200 via wired or wireless communication, and the control device 200 may generate a driving control signal in accordance with the operation applied to the control device.

[0065] (E6) 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 FC, or the remaining parts such as the body shell may be installed on the vehicle 100 after it has been shipped from the factory FC while the remaining parts such as the body shell are not installed on the vehicle 100. 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 for the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment.

[0066] (E7) Vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining multiple modules. A module means a unit composed of one or more parts grouped together according to the configuration and function of vehicle 100. For example, the platform of vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining a front module that constitutes the front part of the platform, a central module that constitutes the central part of the platform, and a rear module that constitutes the rear part of the platform. The number of modules that constitute the platform is not limited to three, but may be two or fewer, or four or more. In addition to the platform, or in place of the platform, parts of vehicle 100 other than the platform may be modularized. Various modules may also include any exterior parts such as bumpers and grilles, or any interior parts such as seats and consoles. Furthermore, not limited to vehicle 100, any type of mobile body may be manufactured by combining multiple modules. Such modules may be manufactured, for example, by joining multiple parts by welding or fasteners, or by integrally molding at least a part of the module as a single part by casting. The molding method of integrally molding at least a part of a module as a single part is also called gigacast or megacast. By using Gigacast, parts of a mobile body that were conventionally formed by joining multiple components can be formed as single components. For example, the front module, central module, and rear module mentioned above may be manufactured using Gigacast.

[0067] (E8) Transporting vehicle 100 using the unmanned operation of 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.

[0068] (E9) In each of the above embodiments, some or all of the functions and processes implemented in software may be implemented in hardware. Also, some or all of the functions and processes implemented in hardware may be implemented in software. As hardware for implementing the various functions in each of the above embodiments, various circuits such as integrated circuits and discrete circuits may be used.

[0069] 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]

[0070] 50, 50v…System, 100, 100v…Vehicle, 110, 110v…Vehicle control device, 111, 111v, 201…Processor, 112, 112v, 202…Memory, 113, 203…Input / Output interface, 114, 204…Internal bus, 115, 115v…Vehicle control unit, 116v, 210…Acquisition unit, 120…Actuator group, 130, 205…Communication device, 200…Control device, 211…Remote control unit, 300…Sensor, 500, 500b…Inspection equipment, 501…Inspection area, 502…Light receiving plate, AX1…Front / rear axis, DM…Detection model, FC…Factory, GC…Global coordinate system, L1…Straight line, MD…Master data, MR…Marker, PG1, PG2…Program, PL1…First location, PL2…Second location, RR…Reference path, TR…Track

Claims

1. It is a system, An inspection facility for inspecting vehicles capable of operating autonomously, A control device for controlling the unmanned operation of the vehicle so that the direction of the vehicle relative to the inspection equipment is oriented in a predetermined direction, A system that includes these features.

2. The system according to claim 1, The control device is An imaging unit that images the inspection equipment and the vehicle and outputs imaging data, wherein the imaging data output by the imaging unit located outside the vehicle is acquired, Using the aforementioned imaging data, the unmanned operation of the vehicle is controlled so that the vehicle's orientation relative to the inspection equipment is oriented in the predetermined direction. system.

3. The system according to claim 2, The control device acquires master data from a storage device that stores master data which is image data of the vehicle facing the inspection equipment in the predetermined direction, and further uses the master data to control the unmanned operation of the vehicle so that the direction of the vehicle with respect to the inspection equipment faces the predetermined direction. system.

4. The system according to claim 2, The inspection equipment has a marker that serves as a reference for the predetermined direction of the vehicle, The imaging unit captures images of the vehicle and the marker, and outputs the image data including the vehicle and the marker. The control device uses the markers in the imaging data to control the unmanned operation of the vehicle so that the direction of the vehicle faces the predetermined direction. system.

5. The system according to claim 1, The control device is An imaging unit that images the inspection equipment and outputs imaging data including the inspection equipment, wherein the imaging data is acquired from an imaging unit provided in the vehicle, Using the aforementioned imaging data, the unmanned operation of the vehicle is controlled so that the vehicle's orientation relative to the inspection equipment is oriented in the predetermined direction. system.

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