control system

Abstract

This technology reduces the likelihood of a vehicle driving onto a curb or other obstacle that it should not be driving over. [Solution] A control system for controlling a vehicle that can be driven by an unmanned vehicle, comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires step information relating to specific steps that are predetermined to be steps that the vehicle should not drive over among the steps that exist on the vehicle's travel path; a detection unit that uses the step information to detect when a specific step exists ahead of the vehicle; and a control unit that controls the vehicle to reduce the possibility of the vehicle driving over the specific step when the detection unit detects when a specific step exists ahead of the vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a factory where vehicles are manufactured, a technology for driving a vehicle by autonomous driving is known (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When there is a step on the driving route of the vehicle that the vehicle should not drive over, if the vehicle continues to drive towards the step, there is a risk that the vehicle will drive over the step.

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 control system is provided. The control system for controlling a vehicle capable of driving autonomously includes: an acquisition unit that acquires step information relating to specific steps that are predetermined to be steps that the vehicle should not drive over among the steps present on the vehicle's travel path; a detection unit that uses the step information to detect that the specific step exists ahead of the vehicle; and a control unit that controls the vehicle to reduce the possibility of the vehicle driving over the specific step when the detection unit detects that the specific step exists ahead of the vehicle. According to this embodiment, the vehicle can avoid continuing to drive towards the specific step. This reduces the possibility of the vehicle driving over the specific step. (2) In the above configuration, the control unit may perform at least one of the following: (i) when the specific step is caused by a stationary object that defines the path of the vehicle, control the steering angle of the vehicle so that the vehicle does not run onto the specific step; (ii) when the specific step is caused by a stationary object that defines the stopping position of the vehicle, control the acceleration of the vehicle so that the vehicle stops before the specific step; and (iii) when the specific step is caused by a moving object that is present around the vehicle, control at least one of the steering angle of the vehicle and the acceleration of the vehicle so that the vehicle avoids contact with the specific step. This configuration reduces the possibility of the vehicle running onto the specific step by moving the vehicle away from it or stopping the vehicle before it. (3) In the above configuration, the step information includes object position information indicating the location of an object that causes the specific step, the acquisition unit further acquires vehicle position information indicating the location of the vehicle, and the detection unit may detect that the specific step exists ahead of the vehicle when the distance between the object identified using the object position information and the vehicle position information and the vehicle is within a predetermined distance. According to this configuration, it is possible to detect that the specific step exists ahead of the vehicle depending on the distance between the object that causes the specific step and the vehicle. (4) In the above configuration, the specific step is a step caused by a stationary object installed at a work site where a work process is performed on the vehicle, the step information includes step process information indicating the work process performed at the work site where the specific step exists, the acquisition unit further acquires execution process information indicating the work process being performed on the vehicle, and the detection unit may detect that the specific step exists ahead of the vehicle when the work process identified by the execution process information matches the work process identified by the step process information. According to this configuration, by utilizing the fact that the work process in which the stationary object causing the specific step exists is known, it is possible to detect when the vehicle is approaching the specific step and reduce the possibility of the vehicle running over the specific step. (5) In the above configuration, the detection unit may further detect when the vehicle has driven onto the specific step, and when the detection unit detects that the vehicle has driven onto the specific step, the control unit may control the vehicle to move away from the specific step. In this configuration, even if the vehicle drives onto the specific step, the vehicle can be moved away from the specific step. This disclosure can be implemented in various forms other than the control system described above. For example, it can be implemented in the form of a vehicle or server capable of implementing at least some of the functions of the control system, a method for controlling a vehicle by the control system, a computer program that implements the control method, or a non-temporary recording medium on which the computer program is stored. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] Conceptual diagram of the control system in the first embodiment. [Figure 2] A block diagram showing the configuration of the control system. [Figure 3] A flowchart illustrating the processing procedure for vehicle driving control in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] A flowchart illustrating the control method in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] A flowchart illustrating the control method in the second embodiment. [Figure 6] A flowchart illustrating the control method in the third embodiment. [Figure 7] An explanatory diagram showing the schematic configuration of the control system in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 8] A flowchart illustrating the processing procedure for vehicle driving control in the fourth embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] A. First Embodiment: Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram of the control system 50 in the first embodiment. The control system 50 comprises one or more vehicles 100, a server 200, and one or more external sensors 300.

[0009] Vehicles may be vehicles that run on wheels or vehicles that run on tracks, and include, for example, passenger cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, automobiles, and construction vehicles. Vehicles also include electric vehicles (BEVs: Battery Electric Vehicles), gasoline automobiles, hybrid automobiles, and fuel cell automobiles.

[0010] Vehicle 100 is configured to operate autonomously. "Autonomous operation" means operation without the operation of a passenger. Operation refers to operations related to at least one of the following: "going," "turning," or "stopping" of vehicle 100. Autonomous operation is achieved by automatic or manual remote control using a device located outside vehicle 100, or by autonomous control of vehicle 100. Vehicle 100 operating autonomously may have passengers on board who do not perform operation. Passengers who do not perform operation include, for example, people simply sitting in the seats of vehicle 100, or people performing tasks other than operation, such as assembly, inspection, or operating switches, while on board vehicle 100. Operation by a passenger is sometimes called "manned operation."

[0011] 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.

[0012] In this embodiment, the control system 50 is used in a factory FC that manufactures a vehicle 100 by executing multiple manufacturing processes. The reference coordinate system of the factory FC is the global coordinate system GC, and any position within the factory FC can be represented by X, Y, Z coordinates in the global coordinate system GC. The factory FC comprises a first location PL1 and a second location PL2. In the first location PL1 and the second location PL2, one or more actual processes, such as an assembly process or an inspection process, are executed, among multiple manufacturing processes. The first location PL1 and the second location PL2 are connected by a track TR on which the vehicle 100 can travel. The vehicle 100 moves from the first location PL1 to the second location PL2 via the track TR by unmanned operation. On the track TR, a transport process is executed, which transports the vehicle 100 from the first location PL1 to the second location PL2, among multiple manufacturing processes. Note that the configuration of the factory FC is not limited to the above.

[0013] Multiple external sensors 300 are installed along the track TR in the factory FC. The position of each external sensor 300 in the factory FC is pre-adjusted. The external sensors 300 are sensors located outside the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the external sensors 300 are sensors that capture the vehicle 100 from outside the vehicle 100. The external 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. Specifically, the external sensors 300 are composed of cameras. The camera as an external sensor 300 captures images of the vehicle 100 and outputs the captured images as detection results.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control 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.

[0015] 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 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 functions as a vehicle control unit 115 by executing a program PG1 stored in the memory 112.

[0016] The vehicle control unit 115 causes the vehicle 100 to travel by controlling the actuator group 120. The vehicle control unit 115 can cause the vehicle 100 to travel by controlling the actuator group 120 using a travel control signal received from the server 200. The travel control signal is a control signal for causing the vehicle 100 to travel. In the present embodiment, the travel control signal includes the acceleration and the steering angle of the vehicle 100 as parameters. In other embodiments, the travel 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. Further, the travel control signal may include parameters for changing the shift position of the vehicle 100 or parameters for controlling the operation of the hydraulic brake instead of or in addition to the acceleration, speed, and steering angle of the vehicle 100.

[0017] Server 200 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 external devices of the server 200 is connected to the input / output interface 203. The communication device 205 can communicate with the vehicle 100 by wireless communication and can communicate with each external sensor 300 by wired communication or wireless communication. The processor 201 functions as an acquisition unit 211, a detection unit 212, and a remote control unit 213 by executing a program PG2 stored in the memory 202.

[0018] The acquisition unit 211 acquires various information including step information. The step information is information regarding a specific step ST that is predetermined as a step that the vehicle 100 should not drive onto among the steps existing on the traveling route of the vehicle 100. The specific step ST is, for example, a stationary object installed at manufacturing locations PL1, PL2, and TR where a manufacturing process is performed on the vehicle 100, and is a step caused by a stationary object that defines the traveling route or the stop position of the vehicle 100. The stationary object mentioned here may be either a fixture fixed to the road surface or a portable movable object whose arrangement with respect to the road surface can be changed as appropriate. As shown in FIG. 1, the stationary objects that define the traveling route of the vehicle 100 are, for example, a tire guide G1 that regulates the traveling position of the entire vehicle 100, a tire guide G2 that regulates the position of the wheels, and a curb CU provided along the road TR. The stationary objects that define the stop position of the vehicle 100 are, for example, movable or fixed tire stoppers SP that function as wheel locks. The specific step ST may also be a step caused by a moving object existing around the vehicle 100, such as a step caused by safety shoes worn on the feet of an operator P engaged in the manufacture of the vehicle 100.

[0019] In this embodiment, the acquisition unit 211 shown in Figure 2 acquires step information, which includes object position information indicating the location of an object that causes a specific step ST, and vehicle position information indicating the location of the vehicle 100. At this time, the acquisition unit 211 acquires the object position information and vehicle position information, for example, using the detection results of an external sensor 300. The acquisition unit 211 may also acquire the object position information and vehicle position information using the detection results of an internal sensor mounted on the vehicle 100. Furthermore, if the object causing the specific step ST is a stationary object, the acquisition unit 211 may acquire the object position information by referring to a map pre-stored in memory 202, which represents the position of each stationary object within the factory FC using a global coordinate system GC.

[0020] The detection unit 212 uses step information to detect if a specific step ST exists ahead of the vehicle 100 as it moves forward or backward, that is, in the path the vehicle 100 is traveling. In this embodiment, the detection unit 212 uses object position information and vehicle position information to determine the distance between the object causing the specific step ST and the vehicle 100. The detection unit 212 then detects that a specific step ST exists ahead of the vehicle 100 if the determined distance is within a predetermined distance.

[0021] The remote control unit 213 acquires detection results from the sensors, generates a driving control signal to control the actuator group 120 of the vehicle 100 using the detection results, and transmits the driving control signal to the vehicle 100, thereby driving the vehicle 100 by remote control. If the detection unit 212 detects that a specific step ST exists ahead of the vehicle 100 during the period in which such remote control is being performed, the remote control unit 213 controls the vehicle 100 in a way that reduces the possibility of the vehicle 100 running over the specific step ST.

[0022] For example, if the detection unit 212 detects that a specific step ST exists ahead of the vehicle 100, and the specific step ST is caused by a stationary object that defines the path of the vehicle 100, the remote control unit 213 will do the following: The remote control unit 213 will determine the steering angle of the vehicle 100 so that the vehicle 100 travels along the specific step ST without running onto it, and will generate a driving control signal that includes the determined steering angle as a parameter. In other words, the remote control unit 213 will change the steering angle included as a parameter in the driving control signal from the previously transmitted driving control signal so that the direction of travel of the vehicle 100 is less likely to run onto the specific step ST. In this way, the remote control unit 213 controls the steering angle of the vehicle 100 to move the vehicle 100 away from the specific step ST, thereby reducing the possibility that the vehicle 100 will run onto the specific step ST.

[0023] Furthermore, if the detection unit 212 detects that a specific step ST exists ahead of the vehicle 100, and the specific step ST is caused by a stationary object that defines the stopping position of the vehicle 100, the remote control unit 213 will do the following: The remote control unit 213 will determine the acceleration of the vehicle 100 so that the vehicle 100 stops before the specific step ST, and will generate a driving control signal that includes the determined acceleration as a parameter. In other words, the remote control unit 213 will set the acceleration included as a parameter in the driving control signal to be smaller than the previously transmitted driving control signal, so as to decrease the acceleration of the vehicle 100, that is, to increase the deceleration, which is the negative acceleration of the vehicle 100. In this way, the remote control unit 213 controls the acceleration of the vehicle 100 to reduce the torque of the driving motor or activate the hydraulic brake. As a result, the remote control unit 213 reduces the possibility of the vehicle 100 running onto the specific step ST by stopping the vehicle 100 before the specific step ST.

[0024] Furthermore, if the detection unit 212 detects that a specific step ST exists ahead of the vehicle 100, and the specific step ST is caused by a moving object surrounding the vehicle 100, the remote control unit 213 will do the following: The remote control unit 213 will determine at least one of the steering angle of the vehicle 100 and the acceleration of the vehicle 100 in order to avoid the vehicle 100 coming into contact with the specific step ST, and will generate a driving control signal that includes the determined steering angle and acceleration as parameters. In this way, the remote control unit 213 reduces the possibility of the vehicle 100 running onto the specific step ST by controlling at least one of the steering angle of the vehicle 100 and the acceleration of the vehicle 100.

[0025] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for controlling the movement of the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment.

[0026] In step S1, the processor 201 of the server 200 acquires vehicle position information using the detection results output from the external 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 external sensor 300.

[0027] 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 control 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 containing vehicle 100, and labels indicating whether each region in the training images represents vehicle 100 or something other than vehicle 100. During CNN training, it is preferable to update the CNN parameters using backpropagation to reduce the error between the output result of the detection model DM and the labels. Furthermore, the processor 201 can obtain the orientation of vehicle 100 by, for example, using the optical flow method, estimating it based on the direction of the vehicle 100's movement vector calculated from the positional changes of the vehicle 100's feature points between frames of the captured images.

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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 control 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.

[0032] Figure 4 is a flowchart of the control method in the first embodiment. The flow shown in Figure 4 is executed repeatedly at predetermined time intervals, for example, from the time when the vehicle 100 starts unmanned driving. In step S101, the acquisition unit 211 of the server 200 acquires step information including object position information and vehicle position information. In step S102, the detection unit 212 of the server 200 uses the object position information and vehicle position information to determine the distance between the object causing the specific step ST and the vehicle 100. If the determined distance, that is, the distance between the object causing the specific step ST and the vehicle 100, is not within a predetermined specified distance (step S103: No), the server 200 terminates this flow. If the distance between the object causing the specific step ST and the vehicle 100 is within a predetermined specified distance (step S103: Yes), in step S104, the detection unit 212 detects that the specific step ST exists ahead of the vehicle 100. When the detection unit 212 detects that a specific step ST exists ahead of the vehicle 100, in step S105, the remote control unit 213 of the server 200 generates a driving control signal to reduce the possibility of the vehicle 100 running over the specific step ST. In step S106, the remote control unit 213 transmits the generated driving control signal to the vehicle 100. In step S107, the vehicle control unit 115 of the vehicle 100 controls the actuator group 120 using the received driving control signal, thereby operating the vehicle 100 with the acceleration and steering angle expressed in the driving control signal.

[0033] According to the first embodiment described above, the control system 50 can remotely control the vehicle 100 to reduce the possibility of the vehicle 100 running onto a specific step ST if it detects that such a step ST exists ahead of the vehicle 100. In this configuration, the vehicle 100 can avoid continuing to travel towards the specific step ST. This reduces the possibility of the vehicle 100 running onto the specific step ST.

[0034] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment described above, if a specific step ST is caused by a stationary object that defines the path of the vehicle 100, the control system 50 can control the steering angle of the vehicle 100 so that the vehicle 100 does not run over the specific step ST. In this configuration, by moving the vehicle 100 away from the specific step ST, the possibility of the vehicle 100 running over the specific step ST can be reduced. This allows, for example, the vehicle 100 to travel along the tire guides G1, G2, etc.

[0035] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment described above, if the specific step ST is caused by a stationary object that defines the stopping position of the vehicle 100, the control system 50 can control the acceleration of the vehicle 100 so that the vehicle 100 stops before the specific step ST. In this configuration, the possibility of the vehicle 100 running onto the specific step ST can be reduced by stopping the vehicle 100 before the specific step ST by reducing the torque of the driving motor or activating the hydraulic brake. This makes it possible, for example, to stop the vehicle 100 before the tire stopper SP.

[0036] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment described above, if a specific step ST is a moving object present around the vehicle 100, the control system 50 can control at least one of the steering angle and acceleration of the vehicle 100 to avoid the vehicle 100 coming into contact with the specific step ST. In this configuration, the possibility of the vehicle 100 running onto the specific step ST can be reduced by moving the vehicle 100 away from it or stopping the vehicle 100 before reaching the specific step ST. This reduces, for example, the possibility of the vehicle 100 running onto the safety boots of a worker P.

[0037] Furthermore, the control system 50 may reduce the possibility of the vehicle 100 running onto a specific step ST by controlling the vehicle 100 in a manner other than those described above. Alternatively, the control system 50 may reduce the possibility of the vehicle 100 running onto a specific step ST by having the vehicle 100 perform the same action uniformly, regardless of the type of object causing the step ST.

[0038] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment described above, the control system 50 can determine the distance between the object causing the specific step ST and the vehicle 100 by acquiring object position information and vehicle position information. The control system 50 can then detect that the specific step ST exists ahead of the vehicle 100, depending on the distance between the object causing the specific step ST and the vehicle 100. In this case, if the object causing the specific step ST is a stationary object, the control system 50 can acquire object position information by referring to a map pre-stored in the memory 202. With this configuration, by utilizing the fact that the position of the stationary object causing the specific step ST in the factory FC is known, the system can detect that the vehicle 100 is approaching the specific step ST, thereby reducing the possibility of the vehicle 100 running over the specific step ST. The control system 50 can also acquire object position information using the detection results of sensors such as external sensors 300 and internal sensors. In this configuration, even when the object causing the specific step ST is a stationary object, or when it is a moving object, the system can detect that the vehicle 100 is approaching the specific step ST, thereby reducing the possibility of the vehicle 100 running onto the specific step ST.

[0039] B. Second Embodiment: In factory fuel cells (FCs), the locations of stationary objects that cause specific step differences (STs) are often predetermined. Therefore, in this embodiment, when a specific step difference (ST) is caused by a stationary object installed at manufacturing locations PL1, PL2, or TR, the following is performed. The acquisition unit 211 acquires step difference information, including step difference process information, and execution process information. The step difference process information indicates the manufacturing process performed at manufacturing locations PL1, PL2, or TR where the specific step difference (ST) exists. The execution process information indicates the manufacturing process currently being performed on the vehicle 100. The acquisition unit 211 acquires the step difference process information by, for example, referring to a database pre-stored in memory 202, and acquires the execution process information by communicating with manufacturing equipment (not shown) installed at manufacturing locations PL1, PL2, or TR, or with an external sensor 300. The detection unit 212 detects that a specific step difference (ST) exists ahead of the vehicle 100 when the manufacturing process identified by the execution process information matches the manufacturing process identified by the step difference process information. The functions of the remote control unit 213 are the same as in the first embodiment.

[0040] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the control method in the second embodiment. The flow shown in Figure 5 is repeatedly executed at predetermined time intervals, for example, from the time when the vehicle 100 starts unmanned driving. In step S201, the acquisition unit 211 of the server 200 acquires step information, including step process information, and execution process information. If the manufacturing process identified by the execution process information does not match the manufacturing process identified by the step process information (step S202: No), the server 200 terminates this flow. If the manufacturing process identified by the execution process information matches the manufacturing process identified by the step process information (step S202: Yes), in step S203, the detection unit 212 of the server 200 detects that a specific step ST exists ahead of the vehicle 100. When the detection unit 212 detects that a specific step ST exists ahead of the vehicle 100, in step S204, the remote control unit 213 of the server 200 generates a driving control signal to reduce the possibility of the vehicle 100 running over the specific step ST. In step S205, the remote control unit 213 transmits the generated driving control signal to the vehicle 100. In step S206, the vehicle control unit 115 of the vehicle 100 controls the actuator group 120 using the received driving control signal, thereby operating the vehicle 100 with the acceleration and steering angle expressed in the driving control signal.

[0041] According to the second embodiment described above, the control system 50 can detect the presence of a specific step ST ahead of the vehicle 100, depending on the manufacturing process being performed on the vehicle 100. In this configuration, by utilizing the fact that the manufacturing process in the factory FC is known in which a stationary object that causes a specific step ST exists, the system can detect when the vehicle 100 is approaching the specific step ST and reduce the possibility of the vehicle 100 running onto the specific step ST.

[0042] C. Third Embodiment: As in each of the embodiments described above, even when control is performed to reduce the possibility of the vehicle 100 running onto a specific step ST, if the vehicle 100 does run onto a specific step ST for any reason, it is preferable to move the vehicle 100 away from the specific step ST. For example, if the vehicle 100 runs onto a worker P's safety boot, it is preferable to move the vehicle 100 away from the worker P's safety boot by controlling the vehicle 100 so that it runs over the worker P's safety boot, or by controlling the vehicle 100 so that it returns to the position it was in before it ran onto the safety boot. Also, if the vehicle 100 runs onto a tire stopper SP, it is preferable to move the vehicle 100 away from the tire stopper SP by controlling the vehicle 100 so that it returns to the position it was in before it ran onto the tire stopper SP, and to position the vehicle 100 at the stopping position defined by the tire stopper SP. Therefore, in this embodiment, the control system 50 controls the vehicle 100 as follows.

[0043] The detection unit 212 further detects when the vehicle 100 has driven onto a specific step ST. The detection unit 212 detects when the vehicle 100 has driven onto a specific step ST by, for example, using the detection result of the external sensor 300 to detect contact between the vehicle 100 and the specific step ST from outside the vehicle 100.

[0044] When the detection unit 212 detects that vehicle 100 has driven onto a specific step ST, the remote control unit 213 controls vehicle 100 to move away from the specific step ST. For example, when the detection unit 212 detects that a moving vehicle 100 has driven onto a specific step ST caused by a moving object, the remote control unit 213 does the following: The remote control unit 213 generates a driving control signal to set the shift position of vehicle 100 to the neutral range and release the hydraulic brake, for example, to cause vehicle 100 to go over the moving object. In this way, the remote control unit 213 causes vehicle 100 to move away from the specific step ST by causing vehicle 100 to go over the specific step ST. Alternatively, when the detection unit 212 detects that vehicle 100 has driven onto a specific step ST, the remote control unit 213 may do the following: The remote control unit 213 may generate a driving control signal to set the shift position of vehicle 100 to the reverse range and release the hydraulic brake in order to generate creep torque. In this way, the remote control unit 213 may move the vehicle 100 slightly backward at a very low speed to move the vehicle 100 away from a specific step ST. Alternatively, the remote control unit 213 may set the shift position of the vehicle 100 to the neutral range, generate a driving control signal to release the hydraulic brake, and move the vehicle 100 backward to move the vehicle 100 away from a specific step ST.

[0045] Figure 6 is a flowchart of the control method in the third embodiment. The flow shown in Figure 6 is executed repeatedly at a predetermined time interval, for example, from the time when the vehicle 100 starts unmanned driving. When contact between the vehicle 100 and a specific step ST is detected (step S301: Yes), in step S302, the detection unit 212 of the server 200 detects that the vehicle 100 has driven onto the specific step ST. When the detection unit 212 detects that the vehicle 100 has driven onto the specific step ST, in step S303, the remote control unit 213 of the server 200 generates a driving control signal to move the vehicle 100 away from the specific step ST. In step S304, the remote control unit 213 transmits the generated driving control signal to the vehicle 100. In step S305, the vehicle control unit 115 of the vehicle 100 operates the vehicle 100 by controlling the actuator group 120 using the received driving control signal.

[0046] According to the third embodiment described above, when the control system 50 detects that the vehicle 100 has driven onto a specific step ST, it can remotely control the vehicle 100 so that the vehicle 100 moves away from the specific step ST. In this configuration, the vehicle 100 can be moved away from the specific step ST.

[0047] Furthermore, according to the third embodiment described above, the control system 50 can move the vehicle 100 away from a specific step ST by causing the vehicle 100 to cross a specific step ST or by moving the vehicle 100 forward or backward to return to its position before it crossed the step ST.

[0048] D. Fourth Embodiment: Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the schematic configuration of the control system 50v in the fourth embodiment. In this embodiment, the control system 50v differs from the first embodiment in that it does not have a server 200. Also, in this embodiment, the vehicle 100v can be driven by autonomous control of the vehicle 100v. The other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment unless otherwise specified.

[0049] In this embodiment, the processor 111v of the vehicle control device 110v functions as a vehicle control unit 115v, an acquisition unit 116, and a detection unit 117 by executing the program PG1 stored in the memory 112v. The acquisition unit 116 acquires various information, including step information. The detection unit 117 uses the step information to detect that a specific step ST exists ahead of the vehicle 100v. The detection unit 117 may also use the detection results of internal sensors to detect that the vehicle 100v has driven over a specific step ST. 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 memory 112v has the detection model DM and the reference path RR pre-stored in it. During the period in which such autonomous control is being performed, if the detection unit 117 detects that a specific step ST exists ahead of the vehicle 100v, the vehicle control unit 115v controls the vehicle 100v to reduce the possibility of the vehicle 100v running onto the specific step ST. If the detection unit 117 detects that the vehicle 100v has run onto the specific step ST, the vehicle control unit 115v may control the vehicle 100v to move away from the specific step ST.

[0050] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for controlling the driving of vehicle 100v in the fourth embodiment. 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 an external sensor 300. In step S902, the processor 111v determines the target position to which vehicle 100v should next go. In step S903, the processor 111v generates a driving control signal to drive 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 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 control system 50v in this embodiment, vehicle 100v can be driven by autonomous control of vehicle 100v without remote control of vehicle 100v by server 200.

[0051] According to the fourth embodiment described above, when the control system 50v detects that a specific step ST exists ahead of the vehicle 100v, it can control the vehicle 100v by autonomous control of the vehicle 100v to reduce the possibility of the vehicle 100v running onto the specific step ST.

[0052] Furthermore, according to the fourth embodiment described above, the control system 50v can control the vehicle 100v by autonomous control of the vehicle 100v so that when it detects that the vehicle 100v has driven onto a specific step ST, the vehicle 100v moves away from the specific step ST.

[0053] E. Other embodiments: (E1) When the control system 50,50v detects that the vehicle 100,100v has driven onto a specific step ST, it may notify worker P of error information via a notification device (not shown). The control system 50,50v may also notify worker P of the operating status of the vehicle 100,100v via the notification device. The control system 50,50v notifies worker P, for example, by flashing the hazard lights installed on the vehicle 100,100v or sounding the horn installed on the vehicle 100,100v. The control system 50,50v may also notify worker P by playing audio information from a speaker installed in the factory FC. In this configuration, the operating status of the vehicle 100,100v can be recognized by worker P as quickly as possible. This enhances the safety of worker P. Furthermore, if vehicle 100 or 100v runs onto a specific step ST, worker P can be quickly called in to deal with the situation, thus preventing delays in the production of vehicle 100 or 100v.

[0054] (E2) The control systems 50, 50v may vary the control mode of the vehicles 100, 100v according to the characteristics of each manufacturing process. For example, when the vehicles 100, 100v travel on conveying equipment such as a conveyor, the greater the deceleration of the vehicles 100, 100v on the conveying equipment, the greater the load on the conveying equipment may be. Therefore, the control systems 50, 50v may set the absolute value of the deceleration of the vehicles 100, 100v to be smaller when the vehicles 100, 100v travel on conveying equipment. With this configuration, the possibility of damage or malfunction of the conveying equipment can be reduced.

[0055] (E3) The control system 50,50v may vary the control mode of the vehicles 100,100v depending on the detection status of a specific step ST. For example, if contact with a specific step ST can be foreseen before contact, the absolute value of the deceleration of the vehicles 100,100v may be set to a small value in order to gradually decelerate the vehicles 100,100v. Alternatively, if contact with a specific step ST can only be detected after contact, the absolute value of the deceleration of the vehicles 100,100v may be set to a large value in order to quickly stop the vehicles 100,100v. With this configuration, the vehicles 100,100v can be suitably controlled according to the detection status of a specific step ST.

[0056] (E4) The control systems 50,50v may be used in locations other than the factory FC where the vehicles 100,100v are manufactured. In other words, the control systems 50,50v may control the vehicles 100,100v after they have been shipped. When the control systems 50,50v are used in locations other than the factory FC, the term "manufacturing" in this disclosure may be replaced with "work" as appropriate. In this configuration, the possibility of the vehicles 100,100v running onto specific bumps ST can be reduced even in work locations other than the factory FC, such as in urban areas or vehicle inspection centers.

[0057] (E5) In each of the above embodiments, the external 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 external sensor 300 may be 3D point cloud data representing vehicles 100 and 100v. In this case, the server 200 and vehicles 100 and 100v may acquire vehicle position information by template matching using the 3D point cloud data as a detection result and pre-prepared reference point cloud data.

[0058] (E6) 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.

[0059] (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.

[0060] (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.

[0061] (3) In the embodiments of (1) and (2) above, the vehicle 100 is equipped with internal sensors, and the detection results output from the internal sensors may be used in at least one of the generation of 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.

[0062] (E7) In the fourth embodiment described above, the vehicle 100v is equipped with an internal sensor, and the detection result output from the internal sensor may be used in at least one of the generation of the route and the generation of the driving control signal. For example, the vehicle 100v may acquire the detection result from the internal sensor and reflect the detection result from the internal sensor in the route when generating the route. The vehicle 100v may acquire the detection result from the internal sensor and reflect the detection result from the internal sensor in the driving control signal when generating the driving control signal.

[0063] (E8) In the fourth embodiment described above, the vehicle 100v acquires vehicle position information using the detection results of the external sensor 300. In contrast, 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 external sensor 300 at all. The vehicle 100v may also acquire 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. Furthermore, all the functional configurations of the control system 50v may be provided in the vehicle 100v. That is, the processing realized by the control system 50v in this disclosure may be realized by the vehicle 100v alone.

[0064] (E9) In each of the embodiments from the first to the third embodiment described above, the server 200 automatically generates a driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100. In contrast, 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, the external operator may operate a control device that includes a display for displaying captured images output from the external 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.

[0065] (E10) In each of the above embodiments, the vehicles 100, 100v only need to be configured to be able to move by unmanned operation, and may be in the form of a platform having the configuration described below. Specifically, in order for the vehicles 100, 100v to perform the three functions of "driving," "turning," and "stopping" by unmanned operation, they only need to be equipped with at least a vehicle control device 110, 110v and an actuator group 120. When the vehicles 100, 100v acquire information from the outside for unmanned operation, the vehicles 100, 100v may further be equipped with a communication device 130. That is, the vehicles 100, 100v that can move by unmanned operation do not need to have at least some of the interior parts such as the driver's seat and dashboard installed, at least some of the exterior parts such as the bumper and fender installed, and do not need to have a body shell installed. In this case, the remaining parts such as the body shell may be attached to the vehicle 100, 100v before it is shipped from the factory FC, or the remaining parts such as the body shell may be attached to the vehicle 100, 100v after it has been shipped from the factory FC, while the remaining parts such as the body shell are not attached to the vehicle 100, 100v. Each part may be attached to the vehicle 100, 100v from any direction, such as the top, bottom, front, rear, right, or left, and each part 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 the vehicle 100, 100v in the first embodiment.

[0066] (E11) Vehicles 100, 100v 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, 100v. For example, the platform of vehicle 100, 100v may be manufactured by combining a front module that constitutes the front part of the platform, a central module that constitutes the middle part of the platform, and a rear module that constitutes the rear part of the platform. The number of modules that make up the platform is not limited to three, and may be two or fewer, or four or more. In addition to the platform, or in place of the platform, parts of vehicle 100, 100v that are different from 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. 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 vehicle 100,100v that were conventionally formed by joining multiple parts can be formed as single parts. For example, the front module, central module, and rear module mentioned above may be manufactured using Gigacast.

[0067] (E12) Transporting the 100,100v vehicles using unmanned operation 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 the 100,100v vehicles is also called "autonomous production." In autonomous production, for example, in a factory cluster (FC) that manufactures the 100,100v vehicles, at least a portion of the transport of the 100,100v vehicles is realized by autonomous transport.

[0068] (E13) In each of the above embodiments, the detection unit 212 may detect that the vehicle 100 has come into contact with a specific step ST in the following manner. That is, the detection unit 212 may detect that the vehicle 100 has come into contact with a specific step ST when the required drive torque to the drive motor, which is the power source, exceeds a predetermined value while the vehicle 100 is in motion. For example, when the vehicle 100 is in steady motion on the track TR of the factory FC at an extremely low speed of 10 km / h or less, the detection unit 212 detects that the vehicle 100 has come into contact with a specific step ST when the required drive torque exceeds a predetermined value. In steady motion at extremely low speeds, the required drive torque is determined by rotational speed feedback of the engine or motor, which is the power source of the vehicle 100, and disturbance estimation. Here, when the vehicle 100 comes into contact with a specific step ST, the required drive torque increases as the vehicle speed decreases. If the vehicle 100 is four-wheel drive, the required drive torque is the sum of the required drive torque of the front wheels and the required drive torque of the rear wheels. In certain cases, when it is detected that the vehicle 100 has come into contact with a specific step ST, the control unit 213 may control the vehicle 100 to move away from the specific step ST, similar to the third embodiment described above. In other certain cases, the control unit 213 may also set the requested drive torque to zero and operate to stop the vehicle 100.

[0069] In the above, even if the vehicle 100 is four-wheel drive and it is planned that the vehicle 100 will be driven by transmitting torque from the drive motor to only one of the front or rear wheels, the control unit 213 may perform specific torque control to transmit torque greater than zero but less than or equal to a predetermined value to the other wheel as well. The predetermined value may be, for example, smaller than the torque to the drive wheels. In the power transmission system of the wheels not used as drive wheels, there is play in the gears and play (movement clearance) in the spring element of the shaft. Therefore, if a wheel not used as a drive wheel comes into contact with a specific step ST (for example, the safety shoes of worker P), the power transmission may not be smooth due to the play in the gears and play in the spring element of the shaft, and the responsiveness of the required drive torque may decrease. This may result in a delay in detecting that the vehicle 100 has come into contact with a specific step ST. By having the control unit 213 perform specific torque control, the detection unit 212 can accurately detect when the front wheel makes contact with a specific step ST and when the rear wheel makes contact with a specific step ST.

[0070] 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 of 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]

[0071] 50, 50V... Control system, 100, 100V... Vehicle, 110, 110V... Vehicle control device, 111, 111V... Processor of vehicle control device, 112, 112V... Memory of vehicle control device, 113... Input / output interface of vehicle control device, 114... Internal bus of vehicle control device, 115, 115V... Vehicle control unit, 116, 211... Acquisition unit, 117, 212... Detection unit, 120... Actuator group, 130... Vehicle communication device, 200... Server, 201... Server 202…Server's processor, 203…Server's memory, 204…Server's I / O interface, 205…Server's internal bus, 213…Server's communication device, 300…Remote control unit, 300…External sensor, CU…Curb, DM…Detection model, FC…Factory, G1, G2…Tire guide, GC…Global coordinate system, P…Worker, PG1, PG2…Program, PL1…First location, PL2…Second location, RR…Reference path, SP…Tire stopper, ST…Specific step, TR…Track

Claims

1. A control system for controlling a vehicle that can be driven autonomously, An acquisition unit that acquires step information relating to specific steps that are predetermined as steps that the vehicle should not drive over, among the steps that exist on the vehicle's travel path, A detection unit that uses the step information to detect that the specific step exists ahead of the vehicle's path, A control system comprising: a control unit that controls the vehicle to reduce the possibility of the vehicle running onto a specific step when the detection unit detects that such a step exists ahead of the vehicle.

2. A control system according to claim 1, The control unit, (i) When the specific step is caused by a stationary object that defines the path of the vehicle, the steering angle of the vehicle is controlled so that the vehicle does not run over the specific step. (ii) When the specific step is caused by a stationary object that defines the stopping position of the vehicle, the acceleration of the vehicle is controlled so that the vehicle stops before the specific step, (iii) A control system that performs at least one of the following: controlling the steering angle of the vehicle and the acceleration of the vehicle so as to avoid the vehicle coming into contact with the specific step if the specific step is caused by a moving object present around the vehicle.

3. A control system according to claim 1, The step information includes object position information indicating the position of the object that causes the specific step, The acquisition unit further acquires vehicle position information indicating the position of the vehicle, The detection unit is a control system that detects the existence of a specific step ahead of the vehicle when the distance between the object and the vehicle, which is determined using the object position information and the vehicle position information, is within a predetermined distance.

4. A control system according to claim 1, The aforementioned specific step is a step caused by a stationary object installed at the work site where the work process is performed on the vehicle. The step information includes step process information indicating the work process performed at the work site where the specific step exists, The acquisition unit further acquires execution process information indicating the work process being performed on the vehicle, The detection unit is a control system that detects the existence of a specific step ahead of the vehicle when the work process identified by the execution process information matches the work process identified by the step process information.

5. A control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The detection unit further detects that the vehicle has driven onto the specific step, A control system in which, when the detection unit detects that the vehicle has driven onto the specific step, the control unit controls the vehicle to move away from the specific step.

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