system

Abstract

The system provides a mechanism to reduce the reliance of inspections on the inspector's skill. [Solution] The system comprises: a first acquisition unit that acquires a first speed, which is the measured speed, from an inspection device that has a rotatable roller that supports the vehicle's wheels and uses the roller to measure the vehicle's speed; a second acquisition unit that acquires a second speed, which is the speed displayed on a display device that the vehicle has and that displays the vehicle's speed, while the vehicle's speed is being measured using the inspection device; and an inspection execution unit that performs an inspection of the display device using the acquired first speed and the acquired second speed.

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 by remote control in a vehicle manufacturing process.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a vehicle manufacturing process, an inspection of a speedometer that displays the vehicle speed is performed. This inspection is carried out by comparing the speed measured by an inspection facility having a roller that can rotate while supporting a wheel with the speed displayed on the speedometer. Here, since the measurement of the speed displayed on the speedometer is performed by visual inspection by an inspector, there is a risk that the inspection result depends on the skill of the inspector.

Means for Solving the Problems

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

[0006] (1) According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a system is provided. The system comprises: a first acquisition unit that acquires a first speed, which is the measured speed, from an inspection device that has rotatable rollers supporting the wheels of a vehicle and uses the rollers to measure the speed of the vehicle; a second acquisition unit that acquires a second speed, which is the speed displayed on a display device that the vehicle has and that displays the speed of the vehicle, while the speed of the vehicle is being measured using the inspection device; and an inspection execution unit that performs an inspection of the display device using the acquired first speed and the acquired second speed. This type of system includes an inspection execution unit that performs an inspection of the display device using a first speed, which is the speed measured by the inspection equipment, and a second speed, which is the speed displayed on the vehicle's display device. This helps to suppress the reliance of the inspection results on the inspector's skill. (2) In the system of the above form, the inspection execution unit may perform the inspection by determining whether or not the difference between the first speed and the second speed is within a predetermined range. In this type of system, the inspection unit performs the inspection by determining whether the difference between the first speed and the second speed is within a predetermined range. Therefore, by setting the speed range that is permissible as an error in the second speed as a predetermined range, it is possible to determine whether the second speed is included in that range. (3) In the system of the above configuration, the second acquisition unit may acquire the second velocity using imaging data output by an imaging device that images the display device. In this type of system, the second acquisition unit acquires the second speed using imaging data output by an imaging device that images a display device, so that inspections can be performed using cameras installed in the passenger compartment or cameras that photograph the vehicle. (4) The system of the above form may further include a correction unit that corrects the speed displayed on the display device when it is determined that the difference between the first speed and the second speed is not within the predetermined range. According to this type of system, if it is determined that the difference between the first speed and the second speed is not within a predetermined range, a correction unit is further included that corrects the speed displayed on the display device, thereby reducing the error in the speed displayed on the display device. (5) In the system of the above configuration, the inspection execution unit may further provide notification regarding the result of the determination. In this type of system, the inspection execution unit notifies the inspector of the result of the judgment, so that the judgment made by the inspection execution unit can be communicated to the inspector. (6) The system of the above form further comprises a server provided outside the vehicle, the server having a first acquisition unit, a second acquisition unit, an inspection execution unit, and a remote control unit that generates a driving control signal for controlling the actuators of the vehicle and transmits the driving control signal to the vehicle to control the unmanned operation of the vehicle, the remote control unit may move the vehicle to the inspection facility so that the wheels of the vehicle are supported by the rollers and drive it at a predetermined speed. In this type of system, a server located outside the vehicle has a first acquisition unit, a second acquisition unit, an inspection execution unit, and a remote control unit, so that the vehicle inspection can be performed unattended using the server.

[0007] This disclosure can be implemented in forms other than the system described above, such as a control device, a vehicle, an inspection method, a program for implementing the inspection method, or a program product including the program. The program product may be, for example, a non-temporary recording medium on which the program is stored, or intangible software 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 and vehicle configuration. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the inspection equipment. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for vehicle driving control in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart showing the procedure for inspecting display devices. [Figure 6] This is a block diagram showing the system configuration of the second embodiment. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram showing the schematic configuration of the system in the third embodiment. [Figure 8] 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 system 50 in the first embodiment. System 50 performs control and inspection of one or more vehicles 100 as mobile objects. System 50 comprises a server 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 capable of traveling by autonomous driving. "Autonomous driving" means driving without depending on the driving operation of a passenger. The driving operation means an operation related to at least any one of "running", "turning", and "stopping" of the vehicle 100. Autonomous driving is realized 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 a driving operation may board the vehicle 100 while it is traveling by autonomous driving. Passengers who do not perform a driving operation include, for example, a person simply sitting on the seat of the vehicle 100, or a person performing work different from the driving operation, such as assembly, inspection, and operation of switches, while boarding the vehicle 100. Note that driving by the driving operation of a passenger is sometimes called "human driving".

[0012] In this specification, "remote control" includes "complete remote control" in which all the operations of the vehicle 100 are completely determined from outside the vehicle 100, and "partial remote control" in which a part of the operations of the vehicle 100 is determined from outside the vehicle 100. Further, "autonomous control" includes "complete autonomous control" in which the vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own operations without receiving any information from a device outside the vehicle 100, and "partial autonomous control" in which the vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own operations using the information received from a device outside the vehicle 100.

[0013] In this embodiment, the system 50 is used in a 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 expressed 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 moves onto the inspection facility 500 by autonomous driving and undergoes inspection. Details of the inspection facility 500 will be described later.

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

[0016] <Configuration of System 50 and Vehicle 100> FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the system 50 and the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 includes a vehicle control device 110 for controlling each part of the vehicle 100, an actuator group 120 including one or more actuators that are driven under the control of the vehicle control device 110, a communication device 130 for communicating with an external device such as the server 200 by wireless communication, a display device 140 for displaying the speed of the vehicle 100, and a cabin camera 150. The actuator group 120 includes an actuator of a driving device for accelerating the vehicle 100, an actuator of a steering device for changing the traveling direction of the vehicle 100, and an actuator of a braking device for decelerating the vehicle 100.

[0017] 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. The vehicle control device 110 also controls the display device 140.

[0018] 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 server 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.

[0019] The display device 140 is a so-called speedometer that displays the speed of the vehicle 100. The speed of the vehicle 100 is measured using a vehicle speed sensor installed on the vehicle 100. The vehicle speed sensor detects the rotation speed of the vehicle 100's wheels. The vehicle control device 110 calculates the speed of the vehicle 100 using the detected wheel rotation speed and the circumference of the wheels. The calculated speed is transmitted to the display device 140.

[0020] The passenger compartment camera 150 is installed in the vehicle 100 and photographs the passenger compartment, outputting image data. In this embodiment, the passenger compartment camera 150 includes the display device 140 in its field of view. The speed displayed on the display device 140 can also be said to be acquired by the passenger compartment camera 150. The image data is transmitted to the server 200 via the communication device 130.

[0021] <Server 200 Configuration> The server 200 is composed of a computer comprising a processor 201, memory 202, an input / output interface 203, and an internal bus 204. The processor 201, memory 202, and input / output interface 203 are connected via the internal bus 204 to enable bidirectional communication. A communication device 205 for communicating with various devices outside the server 200 is connected to the input / output interface 203. The communication device 205 can communicate with the vehicle 100 via wireless communication and with each sensor 300 via wired or wireless communication. The processor 201 implements various functions, including those of a remote control unit 211, a first acquisition unit 212, a second acquisition unit 213, and an inspection execution unit 214, by executing a program PG2 stored in memory 202.

[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] The first acquisition unit 212 acquires a first speed, which is the speed measured by the inspection equipment 500, from the inspection equipment 500, which will be described later. Details will be described later.

[0024] The second acquisition unit 213 acquires a second speed, which is the speed displayed on the display device 140, while the speed of the vehicle 100 is being measured using the inspection equipment 500. In this embodiment, the second speed is acquired using image data captured by the vehicle interior camera 150. Specifically, the second acquisition unit 213 acquires the speed displayed on the display device 140 as the second speed using the image data and known image recognition technology.

[0025] The inspection execution unit 214 uses the first speed acquired by the first acquisition unit 212 and the second speed acquired by the second acquisition unit 213 to perform an inspection of the accuracy of the speed displayed on the display device 140. In this embodiment, the inspection is performed by determining whether the difference between the first speed and the second speed is within a predetermined range. The predetermined range is set as the range of error that is permissible for the speed displayed on the display device 140. The predetermined range is, for example, within 10 km / h. The predetermined range is stored in the memory 202. The determination is made by calculating the absolute value of the difference between the first speed and the second speed by subtracting the first speed from the second speed, and determining whether the absolute value of the difference is within the predetermined range. The inspection execution unit 214 stores the determination result obtained in this way in the memory 202. The determination result includes whether the difference between the first speed and the second speed is within a predetermined range, and whether the difference between the first speed and the second speed is not within a predetermined range. The inspection execution unit 214 may store the difference between the first speed and the second speed in the memory 202 along with the determination result. Details of the inspection will be described later.

[0026] <Configuration of Inspection Equipment 500> Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the inspection equipment 500. The inspection equipment 500 is used to inspect the display device 140 that displays the speed of the vehicle 100. The inspection equipment 500 comprises a plurality of rollers RL, a rotation speed sensor 550, an equipment control device 530, a communication device 520, and a display device 540.

[0027] Each of the multiple rollers RL is embedded in the road surface so that a portion of it is exposed. Each roller RL is configured to rotate while supporting the wheel WL of the vehicle 100. Each roller RL has a rotation axis aligned with the left-right direction of the vehicle 100. Each roller RL is made of metal. In this embodiment, one wheel WL is supported by being sandwiched between two rollers RL aligned along the front-rear direction of the vehicle 100. If the vehicle 100 has four wheels, one inspection device 500 is provided with eight rollers RL. Each roller RL has a similar configuration to one another. Each roller RL rotates in accordance with the rotation of the wheel WL. This allows the vehicle 100 supported by multiple rollers RL to rotate its wheel WL without moving in the front-rear direction.

[0028] The rotation speed sensor 550 detects the rotation speed of roller RL. The detected rotation speed is transmitted to the equipment control device 530.

[0029] The equipment control device 530 is composed of a computer comprising a processor 531, a memory 532, an input / output interface 533, and an internal bus 534. The processor 531, the memory 532, and the input / output interface 533 are connected via the internal bus 534 to enable bidirectional communication. A communication device 520 and a rotation speed sensor 550 are also connected to the input / output interface 533. In this embodiment, the communication device 520 communicates with the server 200 by wireless or wired communication. The communication device 520 may also communicate with the vehicle 100 by wireless communication. The processor 531 implements various functions, including the function of a speed detection unit 591, by executing the program PG3 stored in the memory 532.

[0030] The speed detection unit 591 measures the speed of the vehicle 100, which is supported by multiple rollers RL and travels on the inspection equipment 500, using the rotational speed of the rollers RL detected by the rotational speed sensor 550. Specifically, the speed detection unit 591 calculates the peripheral speed of the rollers RL using the detected rotational speed of the rollers RL and the outer circumference of the rollers RL. The calculated peripheral speed corresponds to the speed of the vehicle 100. The speed detection unit 591 transmits the calculated speed of the vehicle 100 to the server 200. This speed is the first speed acquired by the first acquisition unit 212 described above.

[0031] The display device 540 displays various information related to the inspection performed by the inspection equipment 500. The display device 540 displays, for example, the first speed measured by the speed detection unit 591 in real time.

[0032] <Vehicle 100 driving control> Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for controlling the driving of the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment. This procedure is performed to drive the vehicle 100 autonomously. In the processing procedure in Figure 4, the processor 201 of the server 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.

[0033] In step S1, the processor 201 of the server 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.

[0034] In detail, in step S1, the processor 201 detects the outline of the vehicle 100 from the captured image, calculates the coordinates of the vehicle 100's positioning point in the coordinate system of the captured image, i.e., the local coordinate system, and obtains the position of the vehicle 100 by converting the calculated coordinates to coordinates in the global coordinate system 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 server 200. Examples of the detection model DM include a pre-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 (CNN) trained by supervised learning using a training dataset can be used. The training dataset includes, for example, multiple training images including the vehicle 100, and labels indicating whether each region in the training image represents the vehicle 100 or a region 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.

[0035] In step S2, the processor 201 of the server 200 determines the next target location that the vehicle 100 should head to. In this embodiment, the target location is represented by X, Y, Z coordinates in the global coordinate system GC. The memory 202 of the server 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 that the vehicle 100 should head to. The processor 201 determines the target location on the reference route RR beyond the vehicle 100's current location.

[0036] In step S3, the processor 201 of the server 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.

[0037] In step S4, the processor 201 of the server 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.

[0038] In step S5, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 receives a driving control signal transmitted from the server 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 indicated 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.

[0039] <Inspection of display device 140> Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure for inspecting the display device 140. The inspection of the display device 140 is performed when the vehicle 100, which has moved onto the inspection equipment 500, travels on the roller RL. In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 moves to the inspection equipment 500 by unmanned operation under the control of the remote control unit 210. Specifically, the vehicle 100 is moved so that its wheels WL are supported by the roller RL shown in Figure 3, and travels on the roller RL at a predetermined speed. The predetermined speed is, for example, 40 km / h.

[0040] The inspection of the display device 140 is performed to ensure the accuracy of the speed displayed on the display device 140. As described above, the speed displayed on the display device 140 is measured using the outer circumference of the wheel WL. However, the outer circumference of the wheel WL can change due to factors such as tire pressure. In contrast, the inspection equipment 500 measures the speed using the outer circumference of a roller RL made of metal or the like. The roller RL is less susceptible to changes in its outer circumference due to the surrounding environment than the wheel WL. Therefore, the speed displayed on the display device 140 is inspected based on the speed measured by the inspection equipment 500.

[0041] As shown in Figure 5, in step S10, the first acquisition unit 212 acquires the first speed, and the second acquisition unit 213 acquires the second speed.

[0042] In step S20, the inspection execution unit 214 determines whether the difference between the acquired first speed and second speed is within a predetermined range.

[0043] In step S30, the inspection execution unit 214 stores the result of the determination made in step S20 in the memory 202.

[0044] Once step S30 is completed, vehicle 100 moves from the second location PL2 by unmanned operation, and other inspection processes are carried out.

[0045] Furthermore, if it is determined in step S20 that the difference between the first speed and the second speed is not within a predetermined range, it is presumed that there is a malfunction in at least one of the following: the wheel WL, the vehicle speed sensor, and the display device 140.

[0046] According to the system 50 of the first embodiment described above, since it includes an inspection execution unit 214 that performs inspection of the display device 140 using a first speed and a second speed, it is possible to suppress the fact that the inspection result depends on the skill of the inspector.

[0047] Furthermore, according to the system 50 of the first embodiment, the inspection execution unit 214 performs the inspection by determining whether the difference between the first speed and the second speed is within a predetermined range. Therefore, by setting the speed range that is permissible as an error between the first speed and the second speed as a predetermined range, it is possible to determine whether or not the error is included within that range.

[0048] Furthermore, according to the system 50 of the first embodiment, the second acquisition unit 213 acquires the second speed using the imaging data output by the vehicle interior camera 150 that images the display device 140, so that the inspection can be performed using the vehicle interior camera 150 that photographs the inside of the vehicle.

[0049] B. Second Embodiment: Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of system 50b of the second embodiment. System 50b of the second embodiment differs from system 50 of the first embodiment in that the processor 201 further enables the correction unit 215 to function. Configurations not specifically described below are the same as in the first embodiment.

[0050] The correction unit 215 corrects the speed displayed on the vehicle 100's display device 140 when the inspection execution unit 214 determines that the difference between the first speed and the second speed is not within a predetermined range. Let's take the example where the predetermined range is set to within 10 km / h, and the difference between the first speed and the second speed calculated by the inspection execution unit 214 is 15 km / h. In this case, the speed displayed on the vehicle 100's display device 140 is 15 km / h greater than the speed measured on the inspection equipment 500. The correction unit 215 calculates a correction value such that the difference between the first speed and the second speed falls within the predetermined range. In the above example, the correction value is, for example, -15 km / h. The correction unit 215 transmits this correction value to the vehicle 100. Note that the correction value may be a value other than the one that makes the difference between the first speed and the second speed zero. In other words, the correction value may be any value such that the difference between the first speed and the second speed falls within a predetermined range. For example, the correction value in the above example may be -6 km / h.

[0051] The display device 140 displays the corrected speed using the speed transmitted from the vehicle speed sensor and the correction value transmitted from the correction unit 215. Specifically, the vehicle control device 110 of the vehicle 100 calculates a value by adding the speed transmitted from the vehicle speed sensor and the correction value transmitted from the correction unit 215. The calculated speed is transmitted to the display device 140. The display device 140 displays the corrected speed.

[0052] The system 50b of the second embodiment described above further includes a correction unit 215 that corrects the speed displayed on the display device 140 when it is determined that the difference between the first speed and the second speed is not within a predetermined range, thereby reducing the error in the speed displayed on the display device 140.

[0053] C. Third Embodiment: Figure 7 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 server 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 system 50b of the second embodiment.

[0054] 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.

[0055] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for vehicle 100V's driving control in the third embodiment. In the processing procedure shown in Figure 8, the vehicle 100V's processor 111V functions as a vehicle control unit 115V by executing program PG1.

[0056] 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 server 200.

[0057] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, the processor 111v of this embodiment also functions as a first acquisition unit 125v, a second acquisition unit 135v, and an inspection execution unit 145v by executing the program PG1 stored in memory 112. Each of the first acquisition unit 125v, the second acquisition unit 135v, and the inspection execution unit 145v has the same functions as the first acquisition unit 212, the second acquisition unit 213, and the inspection execution unit 214 of the first embodiment. Therefore, in this embodiment, the same processing as the inspection method shown in Figure 5 is executed by the processor 111v of the vehicle 100v. Although not shown in Figure 7, the processor 111v may also perform the same functions as the correction unit 215 of the second embodiment.

[0058] The system 50v of the third embodiment described above can also perform vehicle 100 driving control and inspection methods, similar to the systems 50 and 50b of the first and second embodiments.

[0059] D. Other Embodiments 1: (D1) In each of the above embodiments, the second acquisition unit 213 acquired the second speed using imaging data output by the vehicle interior camera 150 that images the display device 140, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. The second acquisition unit 213 may acquire the second speed from an imaging device that images the display device 140 and is located outside the vehicle 100. Such an imaging device is, for example, a camera located in a factory fuel cell. The imaging device may be one of the plurality of sensors 300 described above. The second acquisition unit 213 may also acquire the second speed from a vehicle speed sensor of the vehicle 100. The second acquisition unit 213 may also acquire the second speed from a vehicle control device 110 that controls the display on the display device 140.

[0060] (D2) In each of the above embodiments, the inspection execution unit 214 may provide notification regarding the result of the determination. For example, the inspection execution unit 214 may provide notification that the difference between the first speed and the second speed is within a predetermined range or is not within a predetermined range. The notification is provided, for example, by displaying visual information on a display device 540 provided in the inspection equipment 500. The notification is not limited to the inspection equipment 500 and may be displayed on a display device other than the speedometer. In addition to the result of the determination, the notification may also include information regarding the difference between the first speed and the second speed. With this configuration, the result of the determination made by the inspection execution unit 214 can be made known to the inspector.

[0061] (D3) In each of the above embodiments, the first acquisition unit 212 may acquire the first speed after the acceleration of the vehicle 100 measured by the roller RL falls within a predetermined range. The second acquisition unit 213 may acquire the second speed after the acceleration calculated from the speed displayed on the display device 140 falls within a predetermined range. The predetermined range of acceleration is set as the range of acceleration that indicates that the acceleration of the vehicle 100 is complete and the driving state is stable. For example, the predetermined range of acceleration is 0.1 m / s². 2The following applies. The first acquisition unit 212 and the second acquisition unit 213 may each acquire the first and second speeds, respectively, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle 100 started moving on the roller RL. The predetermined time is set as the time required for the vehicle 100 to complete its acceleration and stabilize its driving state. The predetermined time is, for example, 20 seconds. With this configuration, the first acquisition unit 212 and the second acquisition unit 213 can acquire the speed of the vehicle 100 after its acceleration is complete and it is in a relatively stable driving state.

[0062] (D4) In each of the above embodiments, the inspection execution unit 214 performed the inspection by determining whether the difference between the first speed and the second speed was within a predetermined range, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. The inspection execution unit 214 may perform the inspection in any way using the first speed and the second speed. The inspection execution unit 214 may perform the inspection, for example, by comparing the first speed and the second speed.

[0063] (D5) In each of the above embodiments, the vehicle 100 was driven by an unmanned driver, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. The vehicle 100 may also be driven by an occupant.

[0064] (D6) In each of the above embodiments, the memories 112, 112v, 202, and 532 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).

[0065] (D7) In each of the above embodiments, at least one of the functions of the remote control unit 211, the first acquisition unit 212, the second acquisition unit 213, the inspection execution unit 214, and the correction unit 215 may be performed by the inspection equipment 500.

[0066] 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 server 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.

[0067] (E2) In the first embodiment described above, the server 200 performs the processing from acquiring vehicle position information to generating a driving control signal. In contrast, 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.

[0068] (1) The server 200 may acquire vehicle location information, determine the next target location that vehicle 100 should head to, and generate a route from the vehicle 100's current location, as shown in the acquired vehicle location information, to the target location. The server 200 may generate a route to the target location between the current location and the destination, or it may generate a route to the destination. The server 200 may transmit the generated route to vehicle 100. Vehicle 100 may generate a driving control signal so that vehicle 100 travels along the route received from the server 200, and may use the generated driving control signal to control the actuator group 120.

[0069] (2) The server 200 may acquire vehicle location information and transmit the acquired vehicle location information to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may determine the next target location to which the vehicle 100 should go, generate a route from the vehicle 100's current location shown in the received vehicle location information to the target location, generate a driving control signal so that the vehicle 100 travels along the generated route, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal.

[0070] (3) In the embodiments of (1) and (2) above, the vehicle 100 is equipped with internal sensors, and the detection results output from the internal sensors may be used in at least one of the generation of a route and the generation of a driving control signal. The internal sensors are sensors mounted on the vehicle 100. The internal sensors may include, for example, sensors that detect the motion state of the vehicle 100, sensors that detect the operating state of each part of the vehicle 100, and sensors that detect the environment around the vehicle 100. Specifically, the internal sensors may include, for example, cameras, LiDAR, millimeter-wave radar, ultrasonic sensors, GPS sensors, acceleration sensors, gyroscopes, etc. For example, in the embodiment of (1) above, the server 200 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensors and reflect the detection results of the internal sensors in the route when generating a route. In the embodiment of (1) above, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensors and reflect the detection results of the internal sensors in the driving control signal when generating a driving control signal. In the embodiment of (2) above, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensors and reflect the detection results of the internal sensors in the route when generating a route. In the embodiment described in (2) above, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensors and reflect the detection results of the internal sensors in the driving control signal when generating the driving control signal.

[0071] (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.

[0072] (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.

[0073] (E5) In the first embodiment described above, the server 200 automatically generates a driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100. Alternatively, the server 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 server 200 via wired or wireless communication, and the server 200 may generate a driving control signal in accordance with the operation applied to the control device.

[0074] (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.

[0075] (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.

[0076] (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.

[0077] (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.

[0078] 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]

[0079] 50, 50b, 50v…System, 100, 100v…Vehicle, 110, 110v…Vehicle control device, 111, 111v, 201, 531…Processor, 112, 112v, 202, 532…Memory, 113, 203, 533…Input / Output Interface, 114, 204, 534…Internal Bus, 115, 115v…Vehicle control unit, 120…Actuator group, 125v, 212…First acquisition unit, 130, 205, 520…Communication device, 135v, 213…Second acquisition unit ,140,540…Display device, 145v,214…Inspection execution unit, 150…Vehicle interior camera, 200…Server, 211…Remote control unit, 215…Correction unit, 300…Sensor, 500…Inspection equipment, 530…Equipment control device, 550…Rotation speed sensor, 591…Speed ​​detection unit, DM…Detection model, FC…Factory, GC…Global coordinate system, PG1,PG2,PG3…Program, PL1…First location, PL2…Second location, RL…Roller, RR…Reference path, TR…Track, WL…Wheel

Claims

1. It is a system, A first acquisition unit acquires a first speed, which is the measured speed, from an inspection device that has a roller that can rotate while supporting the wheel of the vehicle and uses the roller to measure the speed of the vehicle. A second acquisition unit acquires a second speed, which is the speed displayed on a display device that the vehicle has and that displays the speed of the vehicle, while measuring the speed of the vehicle using the aforementioned inspection equipment. An inspection execution unit that performs an inspection of the display device using the acquired first speed and the acquired second speed, A system that includes these features.

2. The system according to claim 1, The inspection execution unit performs the inspection by determining whether the difference between the first speed and the second speed is within a predetermined range. system.

3. The system according to claim 1, The second acquisition unit acquires the second velocity using the imaging data output by the imaging device that images the display device. system.

4. The system according to claim 2, The system further includes a correction unit that corrects the speed displayed on the display device when it is determined that the difference between the first speed and the second speed is not within the predetermined range. system.

5. The system according to claim 3, The inspection execution unit further performs notification regarding the result of the determination. system.

6. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The vehicle further includes a server located outside the vehicle, The aforementioned server, The first acquisition unit and, The second acquisition unit and, The aforementioned inspection execution unit, The system includes a remote control unit that generates a driving control signal for controlling the actuators of the vehicle and transmits the driving control signal to the vehicle, thereby controlling the unmanned operation of the vehicle. The remote control unit moves the vehicle to the inspection facility so that the wheels of the vehicle are supported by the rollers, and drives the vehicle at a predetermined speed. system.

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