Systems, methods, and computer programs for controlling vehicles

Abstract

The present invention provides a system that can suppress sudden acceleration and sudden braking within a predetermined range. [Solution] A system for controlling a vehicle that can be driven by an unmanned vehicle includes an acquisition unit that acquires position information regarding the position of the vehicle's wheels, and a control unit that limits the acceleration of the vehicle to an acceleration within a predetermined range when the position of the wheels is within a predetermined area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a system, method, and computer program for controlling a vehicle.

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] There are areas where it is not preferable to execute sudden acceleration or sudden braking at the location where the vehicle is traveling. For example, if sudden acceleration or sudden braking is executed during travel on inspection equipment, the inspection equipment may be damaged. Such problems can occur not only on inspection equipment but also in any area.

Means for Solving the Problems

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

[0006] (1) According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a system for controlling a vehicle capable of traveling by autonomous driving is provided. The system includes an acquisition unit that acquires position information regarding the position of the wheels of the vehicle, and a control unit that restricts the acceleration of the vehicle to an acceleration within a predetermined range when the position of the wheels is in a predetermined area. According to this system, the control unit limits the vehicle's acceleration to a predetermined range when the vehicle's wheels are in a predetermined area, thereby preventing the vehicle from traveling with acceleration outside the predetermined range within that area. Furthermore, by setting the predetermined range to an acceleration range where sudden acceleration and sudden braking are not performed, and by setting areas where sudden acceleration and sudden braking are undesirable as predetermined areas, sudden acceleration and sudden braking can be prevented in those areas. (2) In the system of the above form, the predetermined area may include at least one of the following: an area on a turntable for changing the direction of the vehicle; an area on the vehicle inspection equipment; an area on a belt conveyor for transporting the vehicle; an area surrounding road markings; and an area on a downhill slope. According to this type of system, the predetermined area includes at least one of the following: the area on the turntable, the area on the vehicle inspection equipment, the area on the conveyor belt, and the area surrounding the road markings. Therefore, sudden acceleration and sudden braking can be suppressed in these areas, and damage to these facilities or markings can be suppressed. (3) The system of the above form further comprises a server having the control unit and provided outside the vehicle, and a vehicle control unit mounted on the vehicle which drives the vehicle by controlling actuators for driving the vehicle using driving control signals received from the server, wherein the control unit may limit the acceleration of the vehicle to the predetermined range of acceleration by limiting the driving control signals relating to acceleration among the driving control signals. This type of system has a control unit and a server located outside the vehicle, allowing the vehicle's acceleration to be limited from outside the vehicle.

[0007] In addition to the system form described above, this disclosure can also be implemented in other forms, such as a control device, a vehicle, a method for controlling a vehicle, a program for implementing a vehicle control method, or a program product including a 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 configuration. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for vehicle driving control in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart showing the procedure for controlling the acceleration of a vehicle. [Figure 5] This is an explanatory diagram showing the schematic configuration of the system in the second embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for vehicle driving control in the second 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 is used to control a mobile object. System 50 comprises one or more vehicles 100 as the mobile object, 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 able to run unmanned. "Unmanned operation" means operation without the operation of a passenger. Operation of the vehicle means operation related to at least one of the following: "going," "turning," or "stopping." Unmanned operation is achieved by automatic or manual remote control using a device located outside the vehicle 100, or by autonomous control of the vehicle 100. A passenger who does not perform operation of the vehicle may be on board the vehicle 100 while it is running unmanned. A passenger who does not perform operation of the vehicle includes, for example, a person who is simply sitting in the seat of the vehicle 100, or a person who is performing work other than operation of the vehicle, such as assembly, inspection, or operation of switches, while on board the vehicle 100. Operation by a passenger is sometimes called "manned operation."

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

[0013] In this embodiment, system 50 is used in a factory FC where vehicle 100 is manufactured. The reference coordinate system of factory FC is the global coordinate system GC, and any location within factory FC can be represented by X, Y, Z coordinates in the global coordinate system GC. Factory FC comprises a first location PL1 and a second location PL2. The first location PL1 and the second location PL2 are connected to each other by a track TR on which vehicle 100 can travel. Vehicle 100 moves from the first location PL1 to the second location PL2 via the track TR by unmanned operation. Assembly and various inspections for the manufacture of vehicle 100 are performed in the first location PL1 and the second location PL2.

[0014] In this embodiment, a turntable TT is provided at the bend between the first location PL1 and the second location PL2. The turntable TT is a floor surface configured to rotate. The turntable TT changes the direction of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, after departing the first location PL1, the vehicle 100 has its direction changed by the turntable TT and proceeds towards the second location PL2.

[0015] Multiple sensors 300 are installed at the first location PL1, the second location PL2, and the track TR. Sensors 300 are located outside the vehicle 100. Sensors 300 are sensors that capture the vehicle 100 from outside the vehicle 100. Sensors 300 are composed of, for example, cameras. The camera as sensor 300 takes an image of the vehicle 100 and outputs the image data. Sensors 300 are equipped with a communication device (not shown) and can communicate with other devices such as a server 200 via wired or wireless communication.

[0016] <Configuration of System 50> FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the system 50. 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 driven under the control of the vehicle control device 110, and a communication device 130 for communicating with an external device such as the server 200 by wireless communication. 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 constituted by a computer including 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 so as to be communicable bidirectionally via the internal bus 114. The actuator group 120 and the communication device 130 are connected to the input / output interface 113. The processor 111 realizes various functions including the function as a vehicle control unit 115 by executing a program PG1 stored in the memory 112.

[0018] The vehicle control unit 115 runs the vehicle 100 by controlling the actuator group 120. The vehicle control unit 115 can run the vehicle 100 by controlling the actuator group 120 using a running control signal received from the server 200. The running control signal is a control signal for running the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the running control signal includes the acceleration and the steering angle of the vehicle 100 as parameters. In other embodiments, the running 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] Server 200 is provided outside vehicle 100. It is composed of a computer including a processor 201, a memory 202, an input / output interface 203, and an internal bus 204. The processor 201, the memory 202, and the input / output interface 203 are connected to be communicable bidirectionally via the internal bus 204. A communication device 205 for communicating with various devices outside server 200 is connected to the input / output interface 203. The communication device 205 can communicate with vehicle 100 by wireless communication and can communicate with each sensor 300 by wired communication or wireless communication. The processor 201 realizes various functions including functions as an acquisition unit 210 and a remote control unit 211 by executing a program PG2 stored in the memory 202.

[0020] The acquisition unit 210 acquires position information regarding the position of the wheels of vehicle 100 from the sensors 300. Specifically, the position information is acquired using the imaging data output from the sensors 300. The position information of the wheels may be acquired using a plurality of imaging data output by a plurality of sensors 300. Also, the position information of the wheels may be acquired using the vehicle position information described later. In the present embodiment, the acquisition unit 210 acquires position information regarding at least one position of the wheels that vehicle 100 has.

[0021] The remote control unit 211 acquires the detection result by the sensors, generates a driving control signal for controlling the actuator group 120 of vehicle 100 using the detection result, and transmits the driving control signal to vehicle 100, thereby controlling the driverless operation of vehicle 100. The remote control unit 211 may generate and output not only the driving control signal but also a control signal for controlling an actuator that operates various auxiliary machines provided in vehicle 100, various equipment such as a wiper, a power window, and a lamp. That is, the remote control unit 211 may operate such various equipment and various auxiliary machines by remote control.

[0022] Furthermore, the remote control unit 211 limits the acceleration of the vehicle 100 to a predetermined range when the wheel position acquired by the acquisition unit 210 is within a predetermined region. The acceleration in this disclosure includes both positive and negative acceleration. This acceleration limitation is achieved by limiting the acceleration-related driving control signal among the driving control signals transmitted to the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the predetermined region AR1 is set to be the region surrounding the turntable TT shown in Figure 1. The predetermined region AR1 is stored in the memory 202 shown in Figure 2. The predetermined range of acceleration is also stored in the memory 202. The predetermined range of acceleration is, for example, -0.3G to 0.3G. The predetermined range of acceleration can be experimentally determined as an acceleration that prevents sudden acceleration or sudden braking of the vehicle 100. Details of the acceleration control of the vehicle 100 will be described later.

[0023] <Vehicle 100 driving control> Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for controlling the driving of vehicle 100 in the first embodiment. This procedure is performed to drive vehicle 100 autonomously. In the processing procedure shown in Figure 3, the processor 201 of server 200 functions as a remote control unit 211 by executing program PG2. The processor 111 of vehicle 100 functions as a vehicle control unit 115 by executing program PG1.

[0024] 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.

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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.

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] <Acceleration control of vehicle 100> Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the acceleration control procedure for vehicle 100. Acceleration control is performed as one of various controls to enable unmanned operation of vehicle 100 in the factory fuel cell (FC). Acceleration control is also performed to suppress damage to the turntable TT in region AR1 shown in Figure 1.

[0031] As shown in Figure 4, in step S10, the acquisition unit 210 acquires position information regarding the position of the wheels of the vehicle 100. This position information is acquired by the same method as described in step S1 of "Vehicle 100 Driving Control" shown in Figure 3.

[0032] As shown in Figure 4, in step S20, the remote control unit 211 uses the acquired wheel position information to determine whether the wheel is in a predetermined region AR1. In this embodiment, it is determined whether at least one of the multiple wheels is in the predetermined region AR1. If the wheel is in the predetermined region AR1 (step S20: YES), in step S30, the remote control unit 211 limits the acceleration of the vehicle 100 to a predetermined range. More specifically, the remote control unit 211 limits the acceleration determined in step S3 of "Vehicle 100 Driving Control" shown in Figure 3 to a predetermined range. In this embodiment, the predetermined range is, for example, -0.3G to 0.3G. This predetermined range is an acceleration range in which sudden acceleration and sudden braking are not performed, and is a value experimentally determined as an acceleration range that can suppress damage to the turntable TT in region AR1 shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 4, if it is determined that the wheel position is not within the predetermined region AR1 (step S20: NO), the acceleration is not limited.

[0033] The acceleration control process described above is repeatedly executed while the unmanned vehicle 100 is in motion.

[0034] According to the system 50 of the first embodiment described above, the remote control unit 211 limits the acceleration of the vehicle 100 to a predetermined range when the position of the vehicle's wheels is in a predetermined region AR1. Therefore, by setting a predetermined region AR1 to a location where sudden acceleration or sudden braking is undesirable, it is possible to suppress the execution of sudden acceleration or sudden braking in that location.

[0035] Furthermore, according to the system 50 of the first embodiment, since the predetermined region AR1 is set as the region surrounding the turntable TT, it is possible to suppress the vehicle 100 from being controlled with relatively large acceleration on the turntable TT. This makes it possible to suppress damage to the turntable TT due to sudden acceleration or sudden braking.

[0036] B. Second Embodiment: Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the schematic configuration of system 50v in the second embodiment. System 50v in the second embodiment differs from system 50 in the first embodiment in that it does not have a server 200. In addition, the vehicle 100v in this embodiment can be driven by autonomous control of the vehicle 100v. The other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment unless otherwise specified.

[0037] 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.

[0038] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for controlling the vehicle 100V's operation in the second embodiment. The processing procedure in Figure 6 is performed to operate the vehicle 100V autonomously without using the server 200.

[0039] 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.

[0040] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the processor 111v in this embodiment also functions as an acquisition unit 125v by executing the program PG1 stored in memory 112. The acquisition unit 125v has the same functions as the acquisition unit 210 in the first embodiment. In addition, the vehicle control unit 115v described above further performs acceleration control as explained in the first embodiment. Therefore, in this embodiment, the same processing as the acceleration control shown in Figure 4 is performed by the processor 111v of the vehicle 100v.

[0041] The system 50v of the second embodiment described above can also perform vehicle 100 driving control and acceleration control, similar to the system 50 of the first embodiment.

[0042] C. Other Embodiments 1: (C1) In each of the above embodiments, the memories 112, 112v, and 202 may be any storage device. Such storage devices include, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), and a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory).

[0043] (C2) In each of the above embodiments, the predetermined region AR1 was the region surrounding the turntable TT, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. The predetermined region AR1 may be a region including the turntable TT, in which at least a part of the vehicle 100 may be located on the turntable. Alternatively, the predetermined region AR1 may be the region on the turntable TT only. Alternatively, the predetermined region AR1 may be any region. For example, the predetermined region AR1 may be the region on the vehicle 100 inspection equipment, the region on the belt conveyor that transports the vehicle 100, the region surrounding the road markings, and the region on the downhill slope. In the inspection equipment, for example, a side slip inspection is performed to check the amount of lateral slip of the vehicle 100. If sudden acceleration or sudden braking is performed on the inspection equipment or belt conveyor, the inspection equipment or belt conveyor may be damaged. Hereinafter, by performing acceleration control processing as described in each of the above embodiments, damage to the inspection equipment and belt conveyor can be suppressed. Furthermore, various road markings are provided on the road surface within the factory fuel cell (FC) for purposes such as explaining locations, indicating the vehicle 100's travel route, and providing warnings. If sudden acceleration or braking occurs on such road markings, the markings may peel off or be soiled by tire marks. By implementing the acceleration control process described in each of the above embodiments, peeling and soiling of the road markings can be suppressed. In addition, there may be downhill slopes in the areas where the vehicle 100 travels within the factory fuel cell. If sudden acceleration is performed while traveling downhill, the speed of the vehicle 100 may exceed what is expected. Also, if sudden braking is performed while traveling downhill, the bottom of the vehicle 100 may come into contact with the road surface. By implementing the acceleration control process described in each of the above embodiments, the speed of the vehicle 100 exceeding what is expected and contact between the bottom of the vehicle 100 and the road surface can be suppressed.

[0044] (C3) In each of the above embodiments, the acquisition units 210 and 125v may acquire the position information of the vehicle 100's wheels without using imaging data. For example, the acquisition units 210 and 125v may acquire the position information of the wheels using a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) such as GPS (Global Positioning System), or so-called autonomous navigation using a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor.

[0045] (C4) In each of the above embodiments, the remote control unit 211 and the vehicle control unit 115v limited the acceleration of the vehicle 100 to an acceleration within a predetermined range. However, the remote control unit 211 and the vehicle control unit 115v may also limit the acceleration of the vehicle 100 to a predetermined constant acceleration.

[0046] (C5) In each of the above embodiments, the acceleration was limited to a predetermined range of acceleration when at least one wheel of the vehicle 100 was in a predetermined region AR1, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. The acceleration may be limited to a predetermined range of acceleration only when all wheels of the vehicle 100 are in a predetermined region AR1. With such a configuration, since the acceleration is limited only when all wheels are in a predetermined region AR1, it is possible to suppress the limitation of acceleration when only a part of the vehicle 100 is in a predetermined region AR1. In other words, the acceleration can be limited only when there is a high probability that the entire vehicle 100 is in a predetermined region AR1.

[0047] (C6) In each of the above embodiments, the acquisition units 210 and 125v may acquire position information relating to the position of the wheels using process information. The process information is information relating to the process in which the vehicle 100 is located. Specifically, the vehicle 100 travels around the factory FC in unmanned operation while various inspections and assembly processes are performed. These inspection and assembly processes are performed in a predetermined order. The order of the processes is stored in advance in the memory 202 of the server 200. Furthermore, the processes and the locations in which they are performed are linked and stored in advance in the memory 202. As each process is completed, the vehicle 100 transmits information to the server 200 indicating that the process has been completed, i.e., completed process information. The processor 201 of the server 200 uses the process order information stored in the memory 202 and the completed process information transmitted from the vehicle 100 to perform a process to identify the process in which the vehicle 100 is located. The acquisition units 210 and 125v use the identified process to acquire position information relating to the position of the wheels.

[0048] (C7) In each of the above embodiments, the remote control unit 211 and the vehicle control unit 115v do not have to limit the acceleration when none of the wheels of the vehicle 100 are in a predetermined region AR1. Furthermore, the remote control unit 211 and the vehicle control unit 115v may relax the acceleration limit when none of the wheels are in region AR1 compared to when at least one of the wheels is in region AR1.

[0049] D. Other Embodiments 2: (D1) 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.

[0050] (D2) 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.

[0051] (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.

[0052] (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.

[0053] (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.

[0054] (D3) In the second 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.

[0055] (D4) In the second 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.

[0056] (D5) 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.

[0057] (D6) 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 be in 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 is sufficient to have 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 have 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 attached, it does not need to have at least some of the exterior parts such as the bumper and fender attached, and it does not need to have a body shell attached. In this case, the remaining parts such as the body shell may be attached to the vehicle 100 before the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory FC, or the remaining parts such as the body shell may be attached to the vehicle 100 after the vehicle 100 has been shipped from the factory FC without the remaining parts such as the body shell attached to 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.

[0058] (D7) 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.

[0059] (D8) 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 FC that manufactures vehicle 100, at least a portion of the transport of vehicle 100 is realized by autonomous transport.

[0060] (D9) 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.

[0061] 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]

[0062] 50, 50v…System, 100, 100v…Vehicle, 110, 110v…Vehicle control device, 111, 111v, 201…Processor, 112, 112v, 202…Memory, 113, 203…Input / Output interface, 114, 204…Internal bus, 115, 115v…Vehicle control unit, 120…Actuator group, 125v, 210…Acquisition unit, 130, 205…Communication device, 200…Server, 211…Remote control unit, 300…Sensor, AR1…Area, DM…Detection model, FC…Factory, GC…Global coordinate system, PG1, PG2…Program, PL1…First location, PL2…Second location, RR…Reference path, TR…Track, TT…Turntable

Claims

1. A system for controlling vehicles that can be driven autonomously, An acquisition unit that acquires position information regarding the position of the wheels of the vehicle, A control unit that limits the acceleration of the vehicle to an acceleration within a predetermined range when the position of the wheel is within a predetermined region, A system equipped with these features.

2. The system according to claim 1, The aforementioned predetermined area includes at least one of the following: an area on a turntable for changing the direction of the vehicle; an area on the vehicle inspection equipment; an area on a belt conveyor for transporting the vehicle; an area surrounding road markings; and an area on a downhill slope. system.

3. A system according to claim 1 or 2, A server having the control unit and located outside the vehicle, The vehicle control unit mounted on the vehicle further comprises a vehicle control unit that drives the vehicle by controlling an actuator for driving the vehicle using a driving control signal received from the server, The control unit limits the acceleration of the vehicle to the predetermined range of acceleration by restricting the acceleration control signal among the driving control signals. system.

4. A method for controlling a vehicle capable of driving without a driver, To acquire positional information regarding the position of the wheels of the aforementioned vehicle, When the position of the wheel is within a predetermined region, the acceleration of the vehicle is limited to an acceleration within a predetermined range. A method that includes [a certain feature].

5. A computer program used to control a vehicle capable of autonomous driving, To acquire positional information regarding the position of the wheels of the aforementioned vehicle, When the position of the wheel is within a predetermined region, the acceleration of the vehicle is limited to an acceleration within a predetermined range. A computer program that enables a computer to realize something.

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