Lead Mobility

Abstract

This improves the practicality of lead mobility systems that electronically tow vehicles. [Solution] In a lead mobility 10 that autonomously moves along lane 40 and can be controlled to make a vehicle follow it via wireless communication as a follow vehicle 20, width direction position change control is performed to change the position (PlmC, PlmL, PlmR, PfvC, PfvL) of the lead mobility and the following vehicle being controlled in the width direction of at least one lane. Changing the position in the width direction is useful when there is a possibility of obstructing the movement of other vehicles, such as oncoming vehicles or following vehicles attempting to overtake.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to lead mobility for electronically towing a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, for example, a remote control device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. The conventional remote control device is mounted on a lead mobility that moves autonomously, and by remote operation, guides the vehicle so that the vehicle as a follower vehicle travels along the path that the lead mobility has traveled. In other words, the lead mobility has a function of controlling the vehicle as a following vehicle to follow itself by wireless communication.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, it is possible to improve the practicality of the lead mobility by equipping the remote control device mounted on the lead mobility with some other function in addition to the function of causing the follower vehicle to travel following the lead mobility by remote operation, that is, the function of electronically towing. In view of this, an object of the present invention is to provide a highly practical lead mobility.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the lead mobility of the present invention is a lead mobility capable of autonomously moving in a lane and controlling a vehicle as a follower vehicle to follow itself by wireless communication, It is configured to perform widthwise position change control, which changes the position in the width direction of at least one lane between itself and the following vehicle being controlled. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] The lead mobility of the present invention is configured to perform the above-mentioned widthwise position change control, enabling appropriate action in situations such as when there is an oncoming vehicle or a vehicle attempting to overtake at least one of the lead mobility and a following vehicle, i.e., when there is a possibility of obstructing the movement of other vehicles in the lane. (Aspects of the Invention)

[0007] "Lead mobility" is not limited to vehicles and can be applied to various mobile devices such as drones. "Lane" can be thought of as a road section on which lead mobility, following vehicles, and other vehicles travel. This road may consist of only one lane, or it may have multiple lanes, such as opposing lanes and parallel lanes.

[0008] "Width-direction position change control" may be a control that changes only the position of the lead mobility, or only the position of the following vehicle, or it may be a control that changes both. Furthermore, the width-direction position change control may be a control that changes the relative positions of the lead mobility and the following vehicle.

[0009] As explained earlier, widthwise position change control may be performed when at least one of the lead mobility vehicle and the following vehicle may obstruct the movement of other vehicles, such as oncoming vehicles or following vehicles, in that lane. Specifically, for example, it may be performed when there is a following vehicle attempting to overtake the lead mobility vehicle, or both the lead mobility vehicle and the following vehicle.

[0010] Widthwise position change control may be performed to change the position of at least one of the lead mobility vehicle and the following vehicle, for example, from the center of the lane, which is the standard position, to a position closer to the edge of the lane.

[0011] Width-direction position change control may be performed on the premise that the lane edge has been detected. The "lane edge" can be recognized, for example, by lane markings (white lines, etc.) or curbs on the shoulder of the road. Recognition of the lane edge is meaningful when the width-direction position is determined based on the lane edge. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the electronic towing of a follower vehicle by lead mobility according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view illustrating lead mobility. [Figure 3] This is a front view illustrating lead mobility. [Figure 4] This is a plan view illustrating lead mobility. [Figure 5] This is a side view illustrating lead mobility. [Figure 6] This is a diagram illustrating the various devices installed in the lead mobility vehicle. [Figure 7] This is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of a remote control device. [Figure 8] This is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the traction control device. [Figure 9] This diagram shows the widthwise position of lead mobility and follower vehicles in lane travel. [Figure 10] This figure shows the widthwise position of a lead mobility vehicle when traveling alone in a lane. [Figure 11] This diagram shows the widthwise position of lead mobility and follower vehicles in a lane when they may obstruct the movement of other vehicles. [Figure 12] This is a flowchart of the width-direction position change program executed in lead mobility. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Hereinafter, lead mobility, which is an embodiment of the present disclosure, will be described in detail while referring to the drawings. Note that the lead mobility of the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms with various changes and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art in addition to the embodiments described below.

[0014] [A] Configuration of Lead Mobility The lead mobility 10 is configured to be capable of autonomous driving (autonomous movement). As shown in FIG. 1, it electronically towes a follower vehicle 20 (a kind of "following vehicle") that maintains a specific positional relationship through wireless communication operation, that is, remote operation, to a destination. Here, examples of the lead mobility 10 include a vehicle traveling on a road surface and a flying object flying in the air such as a drone. In the present embodiment, the case where the lead mobility 10 is a vehicle will be described.

[0015] For autonomous driving, the lead mobility 10 of the present embodiment includes a pair of left and right drive wheels 11 and a driven wheel 12 as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 5. Each of the pair of left and right drive wheels 11 is independently driven by a pair of left and right traveling electric motors (not shown) that are supplied with power from a battery (not shown) mounted on the vehicle body of the lead mobility 10. Therefore, the lead mobility 10 can rotate around a rotation axis along the vertical direction by, for example, giving a difference in rotational speed (difference in driving force) between the left and right drive wheels 11. As a result, the lead mobility 10 can turn right or left, change direction, or turn (including a tight turn where it rotates on the spot) during autonomous driving without separately mounting a steering device for steering the left and right drive wheels 11 around a steering axis. In the following description, turning right or left, changing direction, and turning may be collectively referred to as "right / left turns, etc."

[0016] Also, in the lead mobility 10, in accordance with the regeneration control by the automatic driving control unit 116 (see FIG. 7) of the remote control device 100 described later, the drive wheels 11 (more specifically, the traveling electric motor) can generate a regenerative braking force. Thereby, the lead mobility 10 can stop by the regenerative braking force.

[0017] Furthermore, a friction braking device (drum brake device or disc brake device), not shown in the figure, is assembled to each of the drive wheels 11. Thereby, in the lead mobility 10 in a stopped state, the friction braking device also functions as a parking brake by generating a braking force due to friction. Incidentally, as the friction braking device, for example, a so-called electric brake in which an electric motor presses a brake shoe against a drum or presses a brake pad against a disc can be adopted.

[0018] The driven wheels 12 are arranged behind the drive wheels 11 in the front-rear direction of the lead mobility 10. In the present embodiment, the driven wheels 12 are provided in the form of a swivel caster so as to have a single rotation axis extending along the vertical direction at substantially the central portion in the vehicle width direction (lateral direction) of the lead mobility 10. Thereby, for example, when the lead mobility 10 travels while turning right or left due to a rotational speed difference (driving force difference) between the drive wheels 11, the driven wheels 12 freely rotate around the rotation axis following the traveling direction associated with the right or left turn, so that they can freely steer.

[0019] Also, as shown in FIG. 6, the lead mobility 10 includes a self-driving detector 13, a position detector 14, and a vehicle detector 15 housed in the vehicle body upper portion 10U. The self-driving detector 13 detects the relative positional relationship, specifically, the relative distance, between the lead mobility 10 and an object such as an obstacle existing in the traveling direction (hereinafter, may be referred to as a "detection target object") when the lead mobility 10 autonomously travels.

[0020] Therefore, in this embodiment, the self-propelled detector 13 is configured to include a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) 13A and a distance measuring device such as a camera 13B. The LiDAR 13A acquires three-dimensional point cloud data indicating the three-dimensional position of point clouds representing the object to be detected with high accuracy. The camera 13B can be, for example, a stereo camera, a monocular camera, or an RGBD camera (depth camera), and acquires imaging data representing the direction and size of the object to be detected. It should be noted that instead of using the LiDAR 13A and camera 13B, it is also possible to use, for example, a ToF (Time of Flight) sensor.

[0021] The self-propelled detector 13 outputs the acquired data, namely three-dimensional point cloud data and imaging data, to the remote control device 100, which will be described later. The remote control device 100 then uses the acquired three-dimensional point cloud data and imaging data in simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) for autonomous driving of the lead mobility 10, as will be described later.

[0022] The position detector 14 has, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver and detects the position of the lead mobility 10 based on the received signal. In this embodiment, the lead mobility 10 has two position detectors 14 positioned at each of the left and right positions in the vehicle width direction on the upper part 10U of the vehicle body, that is, two position detectors 14 are arranged in pairs on the left and right. The number of position detectors 14 may be just one on the upper part 10U of the vehicle body, or three or more may be arranged on the upper part 10U of the vehicle body.

[0023] Furthermore, the lead mobility 10 is configured to include a vehicle detector 15 in order to detect the following follower vehicle 20. The vehicle detector 15 is a device for measuring various data used to estimate the relative position of the follower vehicle 20 with respect to the lead mobility 10 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "relative position"). Here, the relative position includes the relative orientation and attitude of the follower vehicle 20 with respect to the lead mobility 10 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "relative attitude").

[0024] The vehicle detector 15 is primarily equipped with a LiDAR for measuring three-dimensional point cloud data of the follower vehicle 20 electronically towed by the lead mobility 10. In the remote control device 100, which will be described later, for example, only the relative position of the follower vehicle 20 detected by the vehicle detector 15 (i.e., LiDAR) may be acquired, and the relative attitude and direction of travel of the follower vehicle 20 may be estimated by understanding the changes in the follower vehicle 20 over time based on the intermittently acquired relative position.

[0025] Furthermore, the lead mobility 10 is equipped with a remote control device 100 as a controller for remotely operating the follower vehicle 20. The remote control device 100 remotely controls the follower vehicle 20 to maintain a specific positional relationship with the lead mobility 10.

[0026] [B] Configuration and basic functions of the remote control device As shown in Figure 7, the remote control device 100 includes a CPU 110, a storage device 120, an interface circuit 130, and a remote communication device 140. The CPU 110, the storage device 120, and the interface circuit 130 are connected via an internal bus to enable bidirectional communication. The remote communication device 140 performs wireless communication with the follower vehicle 20 via a network or the like.

[0027] The CPU 110 executes a computer program stored in the storage device 120 to implement at least some of the functions provided in this embodiment. By executing this computer program, the CPU 110 functions as a remote control unit 111, a point cloud data acquisition unit 112, a position determination unit 113, a relative position estimation unit 114, a SLAM unit 115, an automatic driving control unit 116, and a special control unit 117, as shown in Figure 7. However, some or all of these functions can also be configured by hardware circuits.

[0028] The remote control unit 111 generates control commands for remote control and transmits them wirelessly to the follower vehicle 20 so that the follower vehicle 20 maintains a specific positional relationship with the lead mobility 10 and follows the lead mobility 10, that is, so that the lead mobility 10 is pulling the follower vehicle 20 as if it were being pulled by a rope. Here, the state in which the follower vehicle 20 is pulled as if it were being pulled by a rope, due to the control commands transmitted by the remote control unit 111 of the remote control device 100 mounted on the lead mobility 10 via wireless communication using the remote communication device 140, is called "electronic towing".

[0029] Furthermore, the remote control unit 111 can generate control commands as commands including, for example, driving force or braking force and steering angle. Alternatively, the remote control unit 111 can generate control commands as commands including at least one of the position and orientation of the follower vehicle 20 and the future travel route. As a result, the follower vehicle 20 can follow the lead mobility 10 by receiving control commands for remote control, as will be described later.

[0030] The point cloud data acquisition unit 112 acquires three-dimensional point cloud data (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "vehicle point cloud data VP") measured by the vehicle detector 15. The position determination unit 113 determines the starting position for starting the matching of the vehicle point cloud data VP with the three-dimensional point cloud data around the lead mobility 10 acquired by the LiDAR 13A of the self-propelled detector 13. From the viewpoint of completing template matching as early as possible, the starting position for starting the matching is preferably the position of the follower vehicle 20 to be detected in the three-dimensional point cloud data, or a position next to the follower vehicle 20.

[0031] Here, the vehicle point cloud data VP functions as a template point cloud for estimating at least one of the position and orientation (attitude) of the follower vehicle 20. The vehicle point cloud data VP can include information for identifying the orientation (attitude) of the follower vehicle 20. As a result, the position determination unit 113 and the relative position estimation unit 114 can estimate the position and orientation (attitude) of the follower vehicle 20 in the surrounding three-dimensional point cloud data with high accuracy by template matching using the vehicle point cloud data VP.

[0032] In this embodiment, the position determination unit 113 determines the starting position of template matching using information relating to the position of the follower vehicle 20 in the three-dimensional point cloud data (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "position-related information"). Here, the position-related information is data used to estimate the position of the follower vehicle 20 in the three-dimensional point cloud data, and / or the position adjacent to the follower vehicle 20. In order to speed up the processing of template matching, the position-related information is preferably data of a small capacity or data obtained by simple processing, such as a GNSS signal.

[0033] The relative position estimation unit 114 estimates the relative position of the follower vehicle 20, including its relative orientation (attitude) relative to the lead mobility 10, in the acquired three-dimensional point cloud data. Here, the relative position can be exemplified by the relative distance to the follower vehicle 20 in the direction of travel, the deviation of the follower vehicle 20 in the vehicle width direction relative to the movement trajectory of the lead mobility 10, and the relative turning attitude (right or left turning attitude) of the follower vehicle 20 relative to the lead mobility 10, based on the position and attitude of the lead mobility 10.

[0034] In this embodiment, the relative position estimation unit 114 estimates the relative position, including the relative attitude, of the follower vehicle 20 in the three-dimensional point cloud data by performing template matching using vehicle point cloud data VP on the three-dimensional point cloud data. For the template matching of vehicle point cloud data VP on the three-dimensional point cloud data performed by the position determination unit 113 and the relative position estimation unit 114, for example, well-known ICP (Interactive Closest Point) algorithms or well-known NDT (Normal Distribution Transform) algorithms can be used.

[0035] The SLAM unit 115 performs SLAM using data (image data and three-dimensional point cloud data) detected by the self-propelled detector 13 to generate a map that the lead mobility 10 will use for autonomous driving. The automatic driving control unit 116 controls the operation of actuators 150, such as the electric motors that drive the drive wheels 11 mounted on the lead mobility 10 and the electric motors that constitute the friction braking system, thereby enabling the lead mobility 10 to drive autonomously. Specifically, by controlling the operation of the actuators 150, the automatic driving control unit 116 uses the map generated by the SLAM unit 115 to enable the lead mobility 10 to drive autonomously (a type of autonomous movement) along the lead vehicle route GR to a set destination TP, for example. When enabling the lead mobility 10 to drive autonomously, the automatic driving control unit 116 detects the position of the lead mobility 10 based on the GNSS signal received by the position detector 15.

[0036] The special control unit 117 is a functional unit that enables special functions in the lead mobility 10. The details of this special control unit 117 will be explained in detail later.

[0037] The storage device 120 can be exemplified by RAM, ROM, HDD, and SSD, among others. The read / write area of ​​the storage device 120 stores vehicle point cloud data VP, read vehicle route GR, destination TP, actuator drive history AC, and previous matching position BM.

[0038] Here, the lead vehicle route GR is a target route that can be set for the lead mobility 10 to travel. The destination TP is the destination of the lead mobility 10, which can be arbitrarily set. However, when the automatic driving control unit 116 makes the lead mobility 10 autonomously drive using a map generated by the SLAM unit 115 based on the data output from the self-driving detector 13, the lead vehicle route GR can be omitted. However, in this case, the automatic driving control unit 116 will, for example, generate a driving route to the set destination TP and make the lead mobility 10 drive along the generated driving route.

[0039] The actuator drive history AC is the history of input and output values ​​for each actuator 220 of the follower vehicle 20, as described later. The actuator drive history AC can also be described as the history of control command values ​​transmitted from the remote control device 100 to the follower vehicle 20. The actuator drive history AC may also be measured values ​​detected by the detectors of the follower vehicle 20, such as the vehicle speed, steering angle, braking force, and rotation angle of the follower vehicle 20. The previous matching position BM is the coordinate value of the position where template matching between the three-dimensional point cloud data and the vehicle point cloud data VP, which was previously performed by the relative position estimation unit 114 of the remote control device 100, was completed.

[0040] [C] Follower Vehicle Configuration The follower vehicle 20 can be exemplified by passenger cars, trucks, buses, construction vehicles, motorcycles, etc. In this embodiment, the example given is that the follower vehicle 20 is an electric vehicle (Battery Electric Vehicle: BEV) which is a passenger car. It goes without saying that the passenger car is not limited to electric vehicles, and may also be, for example, a vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine, a hybrid vehicle (HEV) or plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) powered by an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, or a vehicle having a fuel cell and an electric motor (FCEV).

[0041] As shown in Figure 1, the follower vehicle 20 is equipped with a driving control device 200. As shown in Figure 8, the driving control device 200 is equipped with an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 210. The ECU 210 is a microcomputer whose main components are a CPU 211, a storage device 212, and an interface circuit 213. The CPU 211, storage device 212, and interface circuit 213 are connected via an internal bus to enable bidirectional communication. The interface circuit 213 is connected to an actuator 220 and a vehicle communication device 230. The vehicle communication device 230 communicates wirelessly with the remote communication device 140 of the remote control device 100 mounted on the lead mobility 10, either via a network or directly.

[0042] The CPU 211 implements the function of driving control of the follower vehicle 20 by executing a computer program stored in the read / write area of ​​the memory device 212. Here, driving control refers to various controls for driving the actuators 220 that perform the functions of "driving," "turning," and "stopping" of the follower vehicle 20, such as adjusting the acceleration, deceleration, speed, and steering angle of the follower vehicle 20.

[0043] In this embodiment, the actuator 220 may include, although not shown in the figures, an actuator including a traction motor that constitutes a drive system for accelerating or decelerating the follower vehicle 20, an actuator including an electric motor that constitutes a braking system for decelerating the follower vehicle 20, and an actuator including a steering motor (electric motor) that constitutes a steering system for changing the direction of travel of the follower vehicle 20. The actuator 220 is driven by power supplied from a battery (not shown) mounted on the follower vehicle 20.

[0044] The CPU 211 can drive the follower vehicle 20 by controlling the operation of the actuator 220 in response to the driver's input, if a driver is in the follower vehicle 20. Regardless of whether a driver is in the follower vehicle 20 or not, the CPU 211 can drive the follower vehicle 20 following the lead mobility 10 while maintaining a specific positional relationship with it by controlling the operation of the actuator 220 in response to control commands transmitted from the remote control device 100 mounted on the lead mobility 10.

[0045] [D] Remote control via lead mobility Next, the remote control of the follower vehicle 20 by the lead mobility 10 will be explained. The remote control device 100 mounted on the lead mobility 10 acquires information about the electronically towed follower vehicle 20 in advance, such as vehicle length, vehicle width, minimum turning radius, wheelbase length, acceleration performance, braking performance, and other information related to the follower vehicle 20's "driving," "turning," and "stopping." Then, the remote control device 100 electronically tows the follower vehicle 20, which has acquired the information about its specifications, while autonomously driving according to, for example, the lead vehicle route GR stored in the memory device 120. In other words, the remote control device 100 makes the follower vehicle 20 follow the lead mobility 10 as if the lead mobility 10 were towing the follower vehicle 20 with a rope.

[0046] Therefore, the remote control device 100 causes the follower vehicle 20 to follow the lead mobility 10's trajectory while maintaining a specific distance between the lead mobility 10 and the follower vehicle 20, so that the lead mobility 10 and the follower vehicle 20 maintain a specific positional relationship. Here, for example, the electronic towing will be explained specifically assuming that the lead mobility 10 turns left at an intersection. Incidentally, when the lead mobility 10 is going straight, the follower vehicle 20 will go straight while maintaining a specific distance.

[0047] When turning left at an intersection, the remote control unit 111 of the remote control device 100 predicts the future driving state of the follower vehicle 20 (including vehicle speed and driving trajectory) based on the relative position (including relative posture) of the follower vehicle 20 estimated by the relative position estimation unit 114. Subsequently, the remote control unit 111 remotely controls the follower vehicle 20 to resolve the difference between the current driving state of the lead mobility 10 (including vehicle speed and driving trajectory) and the predicted driving state of the follower vehicle 20, that is, to ensure that the follower vehicle 20 maintains a specific distance between vehicles (for example, in the case of a turn such as a left turn, the distance along the turning trajectory) and follows the driving trajectory of the lead mobility 10.

[0048] Therefore, the remote control unit 111 determines the acceleration (or deceleration) of the follower vehicle 20 based on the distance between the lead mobility 10 and the follower vehicle 20. The remote control unit 111 also determines the steering angle (or steering amount) of the follower vehicle 20 based on the driving trajectory of the lead mobility 10, or more specifically, the turning trajectory of the lead mobility 10. The remote control device 100 then uses the speed-related information representing the determined acceleration (or deceleration) and the steering-related information representing the determined steering angle (or steering amount) as control commands, and transmits this information to the communication device 230 of the follower vehicle 20 via the communication device 140.

[0049] In the follower vehicle 20, the driving control device 200 drives the follower vehicle 20 according to the control commands transmitted from the remote control device 100 of the lead mobility 10, namely speed-related information and steering-related information. Specifically, the CPU 211 of the ECU 210 acquires speed-related information and steering-related information via the communication device 230.

[0050] Based on speed-related information, the CPU 211 supplies power to the electric motor constituting the actuator 220 to generate driving force when accelerating the follower vehicle 20, and cuts off power to the electric motor constituting the actuator 220 to perform regenerative braking when decelerating the follower vehicle 20. In addition, based on steering-related information, the CPU 211 supplies power to the steering motor constituting the actuator 220 to generate a motor rotation angle corresponding to the steering angle (amount of steering) so that the follower vehicle 20 turns left. As a result, the follower vehicle 20 turns left at the intersection while maintaining a specific positional relationship with the lead mobility 10 which is turning left at the intersection.

[0051] As can be understood from the above explanation, according to the lead mobility 10 of this embodiment, the remote control device 100, acting as a controller, can make the lead mobility 10 drive autonomously and remotely control the follower vehicle 20 to maintain a specific positional relationship with the lead mobility 10, in other words, as if being towed by an actual rope, so that the follower vehicle 20 can drive following the lead mobility 10.

[0052] [E] Width direction position change control The lead mobility 10 of this embodiment has a function to change its own position while moving and the position of the follower vehicle 20 in the lane width direction (which can be considered the same direction as the vehicle width direction) when it is being remotely controlled. This function is realized by the special control unit 117 described above, and the control performed in connection with this function is width direction position change control.

[0053] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, within lane 40, regardless of whether or not it is towing a follower vehicle 20, three positions are set for a moving lead mobility 10: center position PlmC, shoulder-side position PlmL, and opposite-side position PlmR. For a towed follower vehicle 20, two positions are set: center position PfvC and shoulder-side position PfvL. The lane 40 shown in Figure 9 is wide enough for two follower vehicles 20 to pass each other, allowing two opposing follower vehicles 20 to pass each other in left-hand traffic, and allowing a follower vehicle 20 traveling in the same direction to overtake the one in front from the right.

[0054] To explain in detail the respective positions set for the lead mobility 10 and follower vehicle 20 as described above, Figure 9(a) shows the state in which both lead mobility 10 and follower vehicle 20 are traveling at the center position PlmC and center position PfvC, respectively, and Figure 9(b) shows the state in which both lead mobility 10 and follower vehicle 20 are traveling at the shoulder-side position PlmL and shoulder-side position PfvL, respectively. Figure 9(c) shows the state in which lead mobility 10 is traveling at the opposite position PlmR and follower vehicle 20 is traveling at the center position PfvC, and Figure 9(d) shows the state in which lead mobility 10 is traveling at the center position PlmC and follower vehicle 20 is traveling at the shoulder-side position PfvL, respectively. Figure 10(a) shows the lead mobility 10 traveling alone at the center position PlmC, and Figure 10(b) shows the lead mobility 10 traveling alone at the shoulder position PlmL.

[0055] The above-mentioned position settings for the lead mobility 10 are set based on the data detected by the self-propelled detector 13. More specifically, the center position PlmC is set to be in the center of lane 40, the shoulder-side position PlmL is set at a distance LlmL from the left edge 40L, and the opposite side position PlmR is set at a distance LlmR from the right edge 40R. Similarly, the above-mentioned position settings for the follower vehicle 20 are also set based on the data detected by the self-propelled detector 13. More specifically, the center position PfvC is set to be in the center of lane 40, and the shoulder-side position PfvL is set at a distance LfvL from the left edge 40L. Since there is a difference in the width dimensions of the lead mobility 10 and the follower vehicle 20, the set distances LlmL and LfvL are different values. In other words, even if both the lead mobility 10 and the follower vehicle 20 are located in shoulder-side positions PlmL and PfvL, their positions in the width direction of lane 40 are different from each other.

[0056] Since the setting positions are set as described above, the setting of the shoulder-side position PlmL and opposite-side position PlmR for the lead mobility 10, and the shoulder-side position PfvL for the follower vehicle 20, is premised on the detection of the edges 40L and 40R of lane 40. Therefore, in this embodiment, if the edges 40L and 40R of lane 40 are not detected, the lead mobility 10 is prevented from traveling at the shoulder-side position PlmL and opposite-side position PlmR, and the follower vehicle 20 is prevented from traveling at the shoulder-side position PfvL. Incidentally, the edges 40L and 40R of lane 40 can be identified based on the curb of the road shoulder or lane markings such as white lines that demarcate lane 40.

[0057] The above description relates to a road with one lane 40 that allows two vehicles facing each other to pass each other. However, this embodiment is also applicable to roads with one or more lanes that are too narrow for vehicles to pass each other. In this regard, the above description used the names PlmL (shoulder-side position), PlmR (opposite side position), and PfvL (shoulder-side position) assuming that the left side of lane 40 is the shoulder. However, in roads with multiple lanes, for example, the names used for these positions may be left-side position PlmL, right-side position PlmR, and left-side position PfvL.

[0058] In this embodiment, with respect to widthwise position change control, three modes are set that the remote control device 100 can select for the driving positions of the lead mobility 10 and follower vehicle 20.

[0059] One of the three modes is the "default mode." The default mode is the mode used when none of the other two modes are selected, and can be called the standard mode. In this mode, when the lead mobility 10 is electronically towing the follower vehicle 20, both the lead mobility 10 and the follower vehicle 20 travel at center position PlmC and center position PfvC, as shown in Figure 9(a). When the lead mobility 10 is not electronically towing the follower vehicle 20, the lead mobility 10 travels alone at center position PlmC, as shown in Figure 10(a).

[0060] Another of the three modes is the "non-inhibition mode." This mode is selected when a relatively large number of vehicles are traveling in lane 40, and is designed to avoid obstructing the movement of other vehicles as much as possible. In this mode, when the lead mobility 10 is towing the follower vehicle 20, both the lead mobility 10 and the follower vehicle 20 travel in shoulder-side positions PlmL and PfvL, respectively, as shown in Figure 9(b). When the lead mobility 10 is not electronically towing the follower vehicle 20, the lead mobility 10 travels alone in shoulder-side position PlmL, as shown in Figure 10(b).

[0061] Another of the three modes is the "rearward visibility mode." This mode is designed to maintain good visibility when the lead mobility 10 is towing a follower vehicle 20, and the vehicle detector 15 of the lead mobility 10 detects the situation behind it. In this mode, as shown in Figure 9(c), the lead mobility 10 travels at the opposite position PlmR, and the follower vehicle 20 travels at the center position PfvC. This mode makes it possible to reduce the area behind the lead mobility 10 that is obscured by the shadow of the follower vehicle 20. Note that even if the rearward visibility mode is selected, if the lead mobility 10 is not electronically towing the follower vehicle 20, the lead mobility 10 travels alone at the center position PlmC, as shown in Figure 10(a).

[0062] Lane 40 is wide enough for vehicles to pass each other, so when passing, the lead mobility 10 and follower vehicle 20 may obstruct the movement of other vehicles. In addition, since the lead mobility 10 is autonomous and remotely electronically tows the follower vehicle 20, it is designed to travel at a relatively low speed. Therefore, for example, it is expected that other vehicles following behind may attempt to overtake the lead mobility 10, or both the lead mobility 10 and the towing follower vehicle 20. In that case as well, there is a possibility that the movement of other vehicles following behind may be obstructed.

[0063] Taking the above into consideration, in this embodiment, when the "rearward visibility mode" or "default mode" is selected, the lead mobility 10 detects an oncoming vehicle or a following vehicle attempting to overtake it, in other words, triggered by such detection, changes the position in the width direction of at least one of itself and the towed follower vehicle 20.

[0064] To explain in more detail, for example, as shown in Figure 11(a), if a standard vehicle (a typical passenger car of the same size as the follower vehicle 20, and can be considered a relatively large vehicle) 30A is detected as an oncoming vehicle, or as shown in Figure 11(b), if the standard vehicle 30A attempts to overtake the lead mobility 10 and the follower vehicle 20, then both the lead mobility 10 and the follower vehicle 20 are configured to travel at the shoulder-side positions PlmL and PfvL, respectively. On the other hand, for example, as shown in Figure 11(c), if a small vehicle (a vehicle with a relatively narrow width, such as a motorcycle) 30B is detected as an oncoming vehicle, or as shown in Figure 11(d), if the small vehicle 30B attempts to overtake the lead mobility 10 and the follower vehicle 20, then the lead mobility 10 is configured to travel at the center position PlmC and the follower vehicle 20 at the shoulder-side position PfvL. Incidentally, when the follower vehicle 20 is not being towed, only the lead mobility 10 is configured to travel in either the shoulder-side position PlmL or the center position PlmC. Furthermore, the aforementioned change in widthwise position when the lead mobility 10 is towing the follower vehicle 20 can be interpreted as a change in the relative widthwise position between the lead mobility 10 and the follower vehicle 20.

[0065] The above explanation describes a road with a single lane where vehicles can pass each other, but width-direction position change control is also effective on roads with multiple lanes running parallel to each other in the same direction. For example, if the lead mobility 10 and follower vehicle 20 are positioned in the leftmost lane of these multiple lanes, even if the lane is too narrow for multiple vehicles to travel side-by-side, positioning the lead mobility 10 and follower vehicle 20 at shoulder-side positions PlmL and PfvL will sufficiently improve the obstruction of other vehicles' movement when they attempt to overtake the lead mobility 10 and follower vehicle 20 by crossing into their respective lanes.

[0066] The width-direction position change control described above is performed by the special control unit 117 repeatedly executing the width-direction position change program, shown in the flowchart in Figure 12, at short time intervals (for example, tens of milliseconds). The following briefly describes the processing flow of this control according to the program.

[0067] In the process following the widthwise position change program, first, in step 1 (hereinafter abbreviated as "S1"; the same applies to the other steps), the center position PlmC and center position PfvC of the lead mobility 10 and follower vehicle 20 are set, regardless of whether or not the follower vehicle 20 is actually being electronically towed. In the following S2, it is determined whether or not the edges 40L and 40R of the lane 40 are detected. If these edges 40L and 40R are detected, in S3, the shoulder-side position PlmL and opposite-side position PlmR of the lead mobility 10, and the shoulder-side position PfvL of the follower vehicle 20 are set. Incidentally, even if one of the two edges 40L and 40R of lane 40 is detected, it is possible to set the position PlmL closer to the roadside, the position PlmR on the opposite side, or the position PfvL closer to the roadside. However, for the sake of making the explanation of this control easier to understand, for convenience, it is determined whether both the left side, i.e., the roadside edge 40L and the opposite edge 40R are detected. If edges 40L and 40R are not detected, in S4, the widthwise position, i.e., the driving position, of the lead mobility 10 and follower vehicle 20 is determined to be the center position PlmC and PfvC, respectively.

[0068] In S5, it is determined whether or not the non-inhibitory mode is selected for the driving positions of the lead mobility 10 and the follower vehicle 20. If the non-inhibitory mode is selected, in S6, the driving positions of the lead mobility 10 and the follower vehicle 20 are determined to be shoulder-side positions PlmL and PfvL, respectively.

[0069] If non-obstructive mode is not selected, in S7 it is determined whether rearward visibility mode is selected. If rearward visibility mode is selected, in S8 it is determined whether lead mobility 10 is electronically towing follower vehicle 20. If towing is in progress, in S9 it is determined whether there is a possibility of obstructing the movement of other vehicles, such as oncoming vehicles or following vehicles attempting to overtake. If there is no possibility of obstructing the movement of other vehicles, in S10 the driving positions of lead mobility 10 and follower vehicle 20 are determined to be opposite side position PlmR and center position PfvC, respectively.

[0070] If it is determined in S7 that the rearward visibility mode is not selected, that is, if it is determined that the default mode is selected, and if it is determined in S8 that electronic towing is not in progress, then in S11, similar to S9, it is determined whether or not there is a possibility of obstructing the movement of other vehicles. If there is no possibility of obstructing the movement of other vehicles, in S4, the driving positions of the lead mobility 10 and follower vehicle 20 are determined to be the center positions PlmC and PfvC, respectively.

[0071] If it is determined in S9 or S11 that there is a possibility of obstructing the movement of another vehicle 30, then in S12 it is determined whether the other vehicle 30 is a small vehicle 30B such as a motorcycle. If it is determined that the other vehicle 30 is a small vehicle 30B, then in S13 the driving positions of the lead mobility 10 and the follower vehicle 20 are determined to be the center position PlmC and the shoulder-side position PfvL, respectively. On the other hand, if it is determined that the other vehicle 30 is not a small vehicle 30B, that is, if it is determined to be a standard vehicle 30A, then in S6 the driving positions of the lead mobility 10 and the follower vehicle 20 are determined to be the shoulder-side positions PlmL and PfvL, respectively.

[0072] In S4, S6, S10, and S13, the driving positions of both the lead mobility 10 and the follower vehicle 20 are determined. However, if the lead mobility 10 is not electronically towing the follower vehicle 20, only the driving position of the lead mobility 10 is used.

[0073] The information regarding the driving positions of the lead mobility 10 and follower vehicle 20, as determined above, is sent from the special control unit 117 to the automatic driving control unit 116 and the remote control unit 111. Although a detailed explanation is omitted here, the automatic driving control unit 116 and the remote control unit 111 perform autonomous driving of the lead mobility 10 and remote control of the follower vehicle 20 based on the determined driving positions, as described earlier.

[0074] In summary, the widthwise position change control described above is a control for changing the widthwise position of at least one lane 40 between the lead mobility 10 and the remotely controlled follower vehicle 20, and includes a control for changing the relative position of the lead mobility 10 and the follower vehicle 20 in the widthwise direction of lane 40. Furthermore, in this control, if at least one of the lead mobility 10 and the follower vehicle 20 obstructs the movement of another vehicle 30, the widthwise position of at least one of their lanes 40 is changed. Specifically, if there is another following vehicle 30 attempting to overtake either the lead mobility 10, or both the lead mobility 10 and the follower vehicle 20, the widthwise position of at least one of their lanes 40 is changed. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0075] 10: Lead mobility 20: Follower vehicle 30: Other vehicles 30A: Standard vehicle (general passenger car) 30B: Small vehicle (motorcycle) 40: Lane 40L: Left edge 40R: Right edge 100: Remote control unit 111: Remote control unit 116: Automated driving control unit 117: Special control unit Plm: Width direction position of lead mobility PlmC: Center position PlmL: Shoulder-side position PlmR: Opposite side position Pfv: Width direction position of follower vehicle PfvC: Center position PfvL: Shoulder-side position

Claims

1. A lead mobility vehicle that autonomously moves along a lane and can be controlled to have another vehicle follow it via wireless communication, A lead mobility device configured to perform widthwise position change control, which changes the position of itself and the following vehicle being driven in the widthwise direction of at least one lane.

2. The lead mobility according to claim 1, wherein the widthwise position change control is performed to change the relative position in the lane width direction between itself and the following vehicle being operated.

3. The lead mobility according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the widthwise position change control is performed when at least one of itself and the following vehicle may obstruct the movement of the other vehicle.

4. The lead mobility according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the widthwise position change control is performed when there is a following vehicle that is attempting to overtake itself or itself and the following vehicle.

5. The lead mobility according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the widthwise position change control is performed on the premise that the edge of the lane has been detected.

6. The lead mobility according to claim 5, wherein the widthwise position change control is performed to move at least one of itself and the following vehicle toward the edge of the lane.

Images