Systems, communication devices, and methods

Abstract

This system provides an improved braking system for situations where communication between the control unit and the vehicle is lost. [Solution] A system for adjusting the braking force of a mobile vehicle operating under unmanned control comprises a control device provided on the outside of the mobile vehicle that transmits signals to the mobile vehicle via communication for controlling unmanned operation, and a braking adjustment unit mounted on the mobile vehicle that increases the braking force when communication between the control device and the mobile vehicle is not possible, and which adjusts the braking force according to the environment in which the mobile vehicle is operating.

Description

[[Technical Field]]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a system, a communication device, and a method. [[Background Art]]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for causing a vehicle to travel in an unmanned manner by remote control. Control of the unmanned traveling is performed by transmitting a control signal to the vehicle via communication from a control device provided outside the vehicle. Further, in general, such a vehicle is provided with a detection unit that detects whether communication is possible. When the detection unit detects that communication is disabled, the detection unit transmits a control signal to apply sudden braking to a brake device, causing the vehicle to suddenly stop. [[Prior Art Documents]] [[Patent Documents]]

[0003] [[Patent Document 1]] Japanese Patent No. 7424535 [[Summary of the Invention]] [[Problem to be Solved by the Invention]]

[0004] However, if communication between the control device and the vehicle is disabled while the vehicle is traveling on inspection equipment having rollers that rotate while supporting wheels (for example, a drum tester), the sudden braking causes a large difference between the rotational speeds of the wheels and the rollers, and there is a risk that the vehicle may deviate from the inspection equipment at a relatively high speed. Furthermore, if communication between the control device and the vehicle is disabled while the vehicle is traveling on a frozen road surface, there is a risk that the vehicle may slip due to the sudden braking. Therefore, there is room for improvement in braking when communication between the control device and the vehicle becomes disabled. Note that such a problem is not limited to vehicles and can be common to any moving body. Moreover, such a problem can occur not only when traveling on inspection equipment or frozen road surfaces, but also when a vehicle travels in any area where it is undesirable for sudden braking to be performed. [[Means for Solving the Problem]]

[0005] This disclosure can be implemented in the following forms:

[0006] (1) According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a system is provided for adjusting the braking force of a mobile body that is traveling under unmanned operation. The system comprises a control device provided on the outside of the mobile body that transmits signals for controlling the unmanned operation to the mobile body by communication, and a braking adjustment unit mounted on the mobile body that increases the braking force when communication between the control device and the mobile body is not possible, and which adjusts the braking force according to the environment in which the mobile body is traveling. According to this system, the braking adjustment unit increases the braking force when communication between the control device and the moving object is not possible, and adjusts the braking force according to the environment in which the moving object is traveling. By setting a braking force appropriate to the environment, the stopping of the moving object can be improved. (2) In the system of the above form, the environment includes the location on which the mobile body is traveling, and the braking adjustment unit may reduce the braking force when the mobile body is traveling on inspection equipment having rollers that can rotate while supporting the wheels of the mobile body, compared to when the mobile body is traveling at the same speed in a location other than on the inspection equipment. In this type of system, the braking adjustment unit reduces the braking force when the moving body is traveling on inspection equipment that has rollers supporting the wheels of the moving body, compared to when the moving body is traveling at the same speed elsewhere. This prevents the moving body from deviating from the inspection equipment at a relatively large speed. Furthermore, when the moving body is traveling elsewhere, a relatively large braking force can be applied, allowing the moving body to be stopped relatively quickly. (3) In the system of the above form, the environment includes the condition of the road surface on which the moving body is traveling, and the braking adjustment unit may reduce the braking force when the condition satisfies predetermined conditions compared to when the condition does not satisfy predetermined conditions. In this type of system, the braking adjustment unit reduces the braking force when the road surface conditions on which the moving object is traveling meet predetermined conditions, compared to when the road surface conditions do not meet those predetermined conditions. Therefore, by setting the predetermined conditions as road surface conditions where a relatively large braking force is undesirable, the stopping of the moving object traveling on that road surface can be improved. Furthermore, when the moving object is traveling on a road surface that does not meet the predetermined conditions, a relatively strong braking force can be applied, allowing the moving object to be stopped relatively quickly. (4) In the system of the above form, the predetermined conditions may include at least one of the following: the road surface is frozen, wet, or sloped. With this type of system, the predetermined conditions include at least one of the following: the road surface is frozen, wet, or sloped, thus improving the stopping of moving objects traveling on such road surfaces. Specifically, when the predetermined conditions include at least one of the following: the road surface is frozen or wet, a relatively large braking force can be applied to prevent the moving object from slipping. Furthermore, when the predetermined conditions include: the road surface is sloped, a relatively large braking force can be applied to prevent the moving object from sinking into the road surface, thus preventing the bottom of the moving object from contacting the road surface and damaging the object.

[0007] In addition to the system form described above, this disclosure can also be implemented in other forms, such as a communication device, a vehicle, a device for adjusting braking force, a method for adjusting braking force, a program for implementing said method, or a program product containing said program. The program product may be, for example, a non-temporary recording medium on which the program is recorded, 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 diagram illustrating inspections performed using inspection equipment. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for vehicle driving control in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart showing the procedure for adjusting the braking force of a vehicle. [Figure 6] This flowchart shows the procedure for adjusting the braking force 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 the system 50 in the first embodiment. The system 50 is used to operate the vehicle 100 as a mobile unit in an unmanned manner. The system 50 is also used to increase and adjust the braking force of the vehicle 100 when communication between the unmanned vehicle 100 and the server 200 is lost.

[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.

[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 by a track TR on which vehicle 100 can travel. Vehicle 100 moves from the first location PL1 to the second location PL2 via 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] A testing facility 500 is provided at the second location, PL2. Vehicle 100, having moved to the second location, PL2, moves onto the testing facility 500 by unmanned operation and undergoes inspection. In this embodiment, the speedometer is inspected at the testing facility 500. Details of the testing facility 500 will be described later.

[0015] <Configuration of System 50> FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the system 50. The system 50 includes a sensor 300, a server 200, and a vehicle 100.

[0016] <Configuration of Sensor 300> A plurality of the sensors 300 are installed at the first location PL1, the second location PL2, and the travel path TR shown in FIG. 1. The sensor 300 in the present embodiment is located outside the vehicle 100. The sensor 300 captures the vehicle 100 from outside the vehicle 100. The sensor 300 is constituted by, for example, a camera. The sensor 300 includes a communication device (not shown), and is capable of communicating with other devices such as the server 200 via wired communication or wireless communication.

[0017] <Configuration of Server 200> As shown in FIG. 2, the server 200 is provided outside the vehicle 100. The server 200 is an example of the "control device" in the present disclosure. The server 200 is constituted by 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 bidirectionally communicably connected via the internal bus 204. A communication device 205 for communicating with various devices external to the server 200 is connected to the input / output interface 203. The communication device 205 is capable of communicating with external devices including the vehicle 100 and the sensor 300 via wireless communication. The memory 202 stores various types of information including a program PG2 and process information PI. The processor 201 implements various functions including functions of a position estimation unit 211, an environment estimation unit 212, and a remote control unit 213 by executing the program PG2 stored in the memory 202.

[0018] The position estimation unit 211 estimates the position of the vehicle 100. Position estimation is performed by acquiring vehicle position information using the detection results output from the sensor 300. 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, the processor 201 acquires vehicle position information using the captured image acquired from the camera, which is the sensor 300.

[0019] More specifically, the position estimation unit 211, for example, detects the outline of the vehicle 100 from the captured image, calculates the coordinates of the positioning point of the vehicle 100 in the coordinate system of the captured image, i.e., the local coordinate system, and obtains the position of the vehicle 100 by converting the calculated coordinates to coordinates in the global coordinate system GC. The outline of the vehicle 100 included in the captured image can be detected, for example, by inputting the captured image into a detection model DM that utilizes artificial intelligence. The detection model DM is prepared, for example, within or outside the system 50 and is pre-stored in the memory 202 of the server 200. Examples of the detection model DM include a trained machine learning model that has been trained to realize either semantic segmentation or instance segmentation. As this machine learning model, for example, a convolutional neural network (hereinafter referred to as CNN) trained by supervised learning using a training dataset can be used. The training dataset has, for example, multiple training images including the vehicle 100 and labels indicating whether each region in the training image is a region indicating the vehicle 100 or a region indicating something other than the vehicle 100. During CNN training, it is preferable to update the CNN parameters 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 the vehicle 100 by, for example, using the optical flow method, estimating 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 image. The position of the vehicle 100 thus estimated is used in processing by the environment estimation unit 212 and the remote control unit 213, which will be described later.

[0020] The environment estimation unit 212 estimates the environment in which the vehicle 100 is traveling. In this embodiment, the environment includes information about the location in which the vehicle 100 is traveling. In this embodiment, the environment estimation is performed using the estimated location of the vehicle 100 and process information PI. Process information PI is a table that links the location of the vehicle 100 with the type of process performed on the vehicle 100. For example, as process information PI, the coordinates of the second location PL2 shown in Figure 1 and the inspection of the speedometer are stored linked together. When the location estimation unit 211 estimates that the location of the vehicle 100 is the coordinates of the second location PL2, the environment estimation unit 212 estimates that the environment in which the vehicle 100 is traveling is on the speedometer inspection equipment 500. The estimated environment is transmitted to the vehicle 100. More specifically, the estimated environment is transmitted to the communication device 130, which will be described later, and stored in the memory of the communication device 130.

[0021] The remote control unit 213 controls the unmanned operation of the vehicle 100 by transmitting a driving control signal to the vehicle 100 via communication for controlling the actuator group 120, which will be described later. The remote control unit 213 generates a driving control signal using the detection results from the sensor 300 and the position of the vehicle 100 estimated by the position estimation unit 211. In addition to the driving control signal, the remote control unit 213 may also generate and output control signals to operate various auxiliary equipment and actuators that operate various devices such as wipers, power windows, and lamps, which are installed on the vehicle 100. In other words, the remote control unit 213 may operate various devices and auxiliary equipment mounted on the vehicle 100 by remote control.

[0022] <Vehicle 100 composition> The vehicle 100 includes a vehicle control device 110 for controlling various parts of the vehicle 100, an actuator group 120 including one or more actuators driven under the control of the vehicle control device 110, and a communication device 130 for communicating wirelessly with an external device such as a server 200. The actuator group 120 includes actuators for a drive system to accelerate the vehicle 100, actuators for a steering system to change the direction of travel of the vehicle 100, and actuators for a braking system to decelerate the vehicle 100.

[0023] The vehicle control device 110 is composed of a computer comprising a processor 111, a memory 112, an input / output interface 113, and an internal bus 114. The processor 111, the memory 112, and the input / output interface 113 are connected via the internal bus 114 to enable bidirectional communication. The input / output interface 113 is connected to an actuator group 120 and a communication device 130. The processor 111 implements various functions, including those of a vehicle control unit 115, by executing a program PG1 stored in the memory 112.

[0024] The vehicle control unit 115 drives the vehicle 100 by controlling the actuator group 120 using the driving control signal received from the server 200. The driving control signal is a control signal for driving the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the driving control signal includes the acceleration and steering angle of the vehicle 100 as parameters. In other embodiments, the driving control signal may include the speed of the vehicle 100 as a parameter instead of, or in addition to, the acceleration of the vehicle 100.

[0025] The communication device 130 communicates with the server 200 and sensor 300 via wired or wireless communication with the vehicle 100. The communication device 130 also determines whether communication is possible and adjusts the braking force if communication is not possible. The communication device 130 is composed of a computer with a processor and memory. The processor of the communication device 130 executes programs stored in memory to realize various functions, including a communication determination unit 131 and a braking adjustment unit 132.

[0026] The communication determination unit 131 determines whether communication between the server 200 and the vehicle 100 is possible. The communication determination unit 131 determines that communication is not possible if, for example, communication between the server 200 and the vehicle 100 is not possible for a predetermined period of time or longer. Such a determination can be made, for example, by comparing the timestamp included in the latest signal transmitted from the server 200 with the current time. The determination of whether communication is possible is not limited to the above method and may be made by any known method.

[0027] The braking adjustment unit 132 increases the braking force of the vehicle 100 when communication between the server 200 and the vehicle 100 is not possible. Specifically, if the communication determination unit 131 determines that communication is not possible, the braking adjustment unit 132 issues a control signal to the actuator group 120 to increase the braking force. This causes the vehicle 100 to decelerate or come to a stop.

[0028] Furthermore, the braking adjustment unit 132 adjusts the braking force to decelerate or stop the vehicle 100 according to the environment in which the vehicle 100 is traveling. Specifically, if the vehicle 100 is traveling in an environment where it is undesirable to apply a relatively large braking force, the braking adjustment unit 132 transmits a control signal to the actuator group 120 that applies a relatively small brake. The environment in which the vehicle 100 is traveling is estimated by the environment estimation unit 212 described above and stored in the memory of the communication device 130. In this embodiment, if the environment in which the vehicle 100 is traveling is on the inspection equipment 500, the braking adjustment unit 132 transmits a control signal to the actuator group 120 that applies a reduced braking force compared to when the environment in which the vehicle 100 is traveling is other than the inspection equipment 500. In other words, the braking adjustment unit 132 transmits a control signal to the actuator group 120 so that the negative acceleration of the vehicle 100 is reduced. Details of the adjustment of the braking force on the inspection equipment 500 will be described later.

[0029] Furthermore, if communication between the server 200 and the vehicle 100 is lost while the vehicle 100 is traveling outside of the inspection equipment 500, the braking adjustment unit 132 will not perform the above-mentioned process to reduce the braking force, but will instead apply the full braking force to quickly decelerate or stop the vehicle 100.

[0030] <Configuration of Inspection Equipment 500> Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the inspection performed by the inspection equipment 500. The inspection equipment 500 performs the inspection of the vehicle 100's speedometer using rollers RL. The inspection equipment 500 is also called a drum tester. The inspection equipment 500 is equipped with multiple rollers RL.

[0031] Each of the multiple rollers RL is embedded in the road surface so that a portion of it is exposed. Each roller RL is configured to rotate while supporting the wheel WL of the vehicle 100. Each roller RL has a rotation axis aligned with the left-right direction of the vehicle 100. Each roller RL is made of metal. In this embodiment, one wheel WL is supported by being sandwiched between two rollers RL aligned along the front-rear direction of the vehicle 100. If the vehicle 100 has four wheels, one inspection device 500 is provided with eight rollers RL. Each roller RL has a similar configuration to one another. Each roller RL rotates in accordance with the rotation of the wheel WL. This allows the vehicle 100 supported by multiple rollers RL to rotate its wheel WL without moving in the front-rear direction.

[0032] The inspection equipment 500 calculates and outputs the speed of the vehicle 100 using the peripheral speed of roller RL. The speedometer is inspected by comparing the speed output by the inspection equipment 500 with the speed displayed on the vehicle 100's speedometer.

[0033] In Figure 3, the wheel WL rotates in the direction that the vehicle 100 is moving forward. At this time, the roller RL rotates in the opposite direction to the rotation of the wheel WL. When a braking force is applied to the vehicle 100 in this state, the peripheral speed of the roller RL becomes greater than the peripheral speed of the wheel WL. As a result, the vehicle 100 deviates from the inspection equipment 500 in the direction indicated by the dashed arrow. The speed at which the vehicle 100 deviates depends on the relative speed between the wheel WL and the roller RL. That is, if a relatively large braking force is applied to the vehicle 100, the vehicle 100 may deviate from the inspection equipment 500 at a relatively large speed. If the vehicle 100 deviates at a relatively large speed, the time required to stop may be longer, so it is desirable for the vehicle 100 to deviate at a relatively small speed.

[0034] <Vehicle 100 driving control> Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for controlling the driving of the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment. This procedure is performed to drive the vehicle 100 autonomously. In the processing procedure in Figure 4, the processor 201 of the server 200 functions as a remote control unit 213 by executing program PG2. The processor 111 of the vehicle 100 functions as a vehicle control unit 115 by executing program PG1.

[0035] In step S1, the position estimation unit 211 acquires vehicle position information using the detection result output from the sensor 300 as described above.

[0036] 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.

[0037] 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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] In step S5, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 receives a driving control signal transmitted from the server 200. In step S6, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 controls the actuator group 120 using the received driving control signal, thereby driving the vehicle 100 at the acceleration and steering angle indicated in the driving control signal. The processor 111 repeats the reception of the driving control signal and the control of the actuator group 120 at predetermined intervals. According to the system 50 in this embodiment, the vehicle 100 can be driven by remote control, and the vehicle 100 can be moved without using transport equipment such as cranes or conveyors.

[0040] <Adjustment process for the braking force of vehicle 100> Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure for adjusting the braking force of vehicle 100. The adjustment process is performed to decelerate or stop vehicle 100 when communication between the server 200 and vehicle 100 is lost on the inspection equipment 500 shown in Figure 3. The adjustment process is also performed to prevent vehicle 100 from deviating from the inspection equipment 500 at a relatively large speed by applying a relatively large braking force when vehicle 100 is traveling on the inspection equipment 500. The adjustment process is executed when unmanned operation of vehicle 100 begins.

[0041] As shown in Figure 5, in step S10, the communication determination unit 131 of the communication device 130 determines whether or not the server 200 and the vehicle 100 can communicate. If communication between the server 200 and the vehicle 100 is possible (step S10: YES), the determination in step S10 is performed again.

[0042] If communication between the server 200 and the vehicle 100 is not possible (step S10: NO), in step S20, the braking adjustment unit 132 determines whether or not the vehicle 100 is traveling on the inspection equipment 500. The determination is made using the latest environment estimated and transmitted by the environment estimation unit 212.

[0043] If it is determined that the vehicle 100 is not traveling on the inspection equipment 500 (step S20: NO), in step S30, the braking adjustment unit 132 transmits a control signal to the actuator group 120 to apply a braking force in order to decelerate or stop the vehicle 100. In step S30, it can be said that a control signal is transmitted that applies a larger braking force compared to the braking force in step S40, which will be described later.

[0044] If it is determined that the vehicle 100 is traveling on the inspection equipment 500 (step S20: YES), in step S40, the braking adjustment unit 132 transmits a control signal to the actuator group 120 that applies a reduced braking force compared to when the vehicle 100 is traveling at the same speed in a location other than the inspection equipment 500, in order to decelerate or stop the vehicle 100. In step S40, it can be said that a gentler braking action is performed compared to step S30. A "gentle braking action" means a braking action in which the change in speed per unit time is small.

[0045] According to the system 50 of the first embodiment described above, the braking adjustment unit 132 increases the braking force to decelerate or stop the vehicle 100 when communication between the server 200 and the vehicle 100 is not possible, and adjusts the braking force according to the environment in which the vehicle 100 is traveling. By setting a braking force appropriate to the environment, the stopping of the vehicle 100 can be improved.

[0046] Furthermore, according to the system 50 of the first embodiment, the braking adjustment unit 132 reduces the braking force when the vehicle 100 is traveling on the inspection equipment 500 having roller RL, compared to when the vehicle 100 is traveling at the same speed elsewhere, thereby preventing the vehicle 100 from deviating from the inspection equipment 500 at a relatively large speed. Specifically, by applying a reduced braking force to the vehicle 100, the relative speed between the wheel WL and the roller RL shown in Figure 4 can be reduced. As a result, the vehicle 100 can deviate from the inspection equipment 500 at a relatively small speed. Also, when the vehicle 100 is traveling elsewhere, a relatively large braking force is applied, allowing the vehicle 100 to be stopped relatively early.

[0047] Furthermore, according to the system 50 of the first embodiment, the communication device 130 implements the functions of the communication determination unit 131 and the brake adjustment unit 132. Compared to a configuration in which the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 implements the functions of the communication determination unit 131 and the brake adjustment unit 132, signal transmission can be performed earlier when communication between the server 200 and the vehicle 100 becomes impossible. This allows the vehicle 100 to be stopped earlier.

[0048] B. Second Embodiment: Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the procedure for adjusting the braking force in the second embodiment. In the system 50 of the first embodiment, the braking force was reduced when the vehicle 100 was traveling on the inspection equipment 500, but in the system 50 of the second embodiment, the braking force is reduced when the condition of the road surface on which the vehicle 100 is traveling satisfies predetermined conditions. The adjustment process of the second embodiment shown in Figure 6 differs from the adjustment process of the first embodiment shown in Figure 5 in that the process of step S20b is executed instead of the process of step S20. With respect to the system 50 and adjustment process of the second embodiment, the configurations and processes that are not described below are the same as those of the system 50 and adjustment process of the first embodiment.

[0049] The environment estimated by the environment estimation unit 212 of the second embodiment includes the condition of the road surface on which the vehicle 100 is traveling. The road surface condition includes being dry, frozen, wet, and sloped. The road surface condition is estimated using information detected by the sensor 300. Alternatively, the road surface condition may be estimated using road surface information stored in memory 202 beforehand. The road surface information is a table that links location information with the road surface condition. For example, if the road surface at the first location PL1 shown in Figure 1 is frozen, the coordinates of the first location PL1 and the fact that the road surface is frozen are linked and stored in memory 202. When the location estimation unit 211 estimates that the vehicle 100 is located at the first location PL1, the environment estimation unit 212 estimates that the road surface on which the vehicle 100 is traveling is frozen.

[0050] In the second embodiment, the braking adjustment unit 132 reduces the braking force when the road surface condition estimated by the environmental estimation unit 212 satisfies predetermined conditions, compared to when the road surface condition does not meet predetermined conditions. The predetermined conditions include road surface conditions in which sudden braking is undesirable. In this embodiment, the predetermined conditions include at least one of the following: the road surface is frozen, wet, or sloped. The predetermined conditions are stored in the memory of the communication device 130.

[0051] <Adjustment process in the second embodiment> As shown in Figure 6, in step S20b, the braking adjustment unit 132 determines whether the road surface condition estimated by the environmental estimation unit 212 satisfies predetermined conditions. If the road surface condition does not satisfy the predetermined conditions (step S20b: NO), the process in step S30 is executed. If the road surface condition satisfies the predetermined conditions (step S20b: YES), the process in step S40 is executed.

[0052] According to the system 50 of the second embodiment described above, the braking adjustment unit 132 reduces the braking force when the road surface conditions on which the vehicle 100 is traveling meet predetermined conditions, compared to when the road surface conditions do not meet predetermined conditions. Therefore, by setting the predetermined conditions to road surface conditions where a relatively large braking force is undesirable, the vehicle 100 traveling on that road surface can be improved. Furthermore, when the vehicle 100 is traveling on a road surface that does not meet the predetermined conditions, a relatively strong braking force can be applied, allowing the vehicle 100 to be stopped relatively quickly.

[0053] Furthermore, according to the system 50 of the second embodiment, the predetermined conditions include at least one of the following: the road surface is frozen, wet, and sloped, so that the stopping of the vehicle 100 traveling on such a road surface can be improved. Specifically, when the predetermined conditions include at least one of the following: the road surface is frozen and wet, a relatively large braking force can be used to prevent the vehicle 100 from slipping. Also, when the predetermined conditions include: the road surface is sloped, a relatively large braking force can be used to prevent the vehicle 100 from sinking into the road surface, causing the bottom of the vehicle 100 to come into contact with the road surface and resulting in damage to the vehicle 100.

[0054] C. Other Embodiments 1: (C1) In each of the above embodiments, the functions of the communication determination unit 131 and the braking adjustment unit 132 were implemented by the processor of the communication device 130, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. At least one of the functions of the communication determination unit 131 and the braking adjustment unit 132 may be implemented by the processor 111 of the vehicle control device 110. Alternatively, at least one of the functions of the communication determination unit 131 and the braking adjustment unit 132 may be implemented by a processor in any device mounted on the vehicle 100 other than the vehicle control device 110.

[0055] (C2) In each of the above embodiments, the functions of the position estimation unit 211 and the environment estimation unit 212 were implemented by the processor 201 of the server 200, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. At least one of the functions of the position estimation unit 211 and the environment estimation unit 212 may be implemented by the processor 111 of the vehicle control device 110. Alternatively, at least one of the functions of the position estimation unit 211 and the environment estimation unit 212 may be implemented by a processor in any device mounted on the vehicle 100 other than the vehicle control device 110.

[0056] (C3) In the first embodiment described above, the environment estimation unit 212 estimated the environment using the estimated position of the vehicle 100 and process information PI, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. The environment estimation unit 212 may estimate the environment using any method. For example, the environment estimation unit 212 may estimate the environment using the position of the vehicle 100 and map information. Also, in the second embodiment described above, the environment estimation unit 212 estimated the road surface condition using road surface information, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. The environment estimation unit 212 may estimate the road surface condition using any method.

[0057] (C4) In each of the above embodiments, the system 50 was used in a factory fuel cell (FC), but the disclosure is not limited thereto. The system 50 may be used in any location other than a factory fuel cell.

[0058] (C5) In each of the above embodiments, the memories 112, 202 and the memory of the communication device 130 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). In addition, in each of the above embodiments, any control device equipped with a processor and memory may be used instead of the server 200.

[0059] 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.

[0060] (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.

[0061] (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.

[0062] (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.

[0063] (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 detection results from internal sensors and reflect these results in the driving control signal when generating the driving control signal. The vehicle 100 may also acquire target arrival time and congestion information from outside the vehicle 100 and reflect the target arrival time and congestion information in at least one of the route and the driving control signal.

[0064] (D3) In each of the above embodiments, 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.

[0065] (D4) 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.

[0066] (D5) 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 the module as a single part is also called gigacast or megacast. By using Gigacast, parts of a mobile body that were conventionally formed by joining multiple components can be formed as single components. For example, the front module, central module, and rear module mentioned above may be manufactured using Gigacast.

[0067] (D6) Transporting vehicle 100 using the unmanned operation of vehicle 100 is also called "autonomous transport." The configuration for realizing autonomous transport is also called a "vehicle remote control autonomous driving transport system." Furthermore, a production method that uses autonomous transport to produce vehicle 100 is also called "autonomous production." In autonomous production, for example, at a factory fuel cell (FC) that manufactures vehicle 100, at least a portion of the transport of vehicle 100 is realized by autonomous transport.

[0068] (D7) In each of the above embodiments, some or all of the functions and processes implemented in software may be implemented in hardware. Also, some or all of the functions and processes implemented in hardware may be implemented in software. As hardware for implementing the various functions in each of the above embodiments, various circuits such as integrated circuits and discrete circuits may be used.

[0069] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various configurations without departing from its spirit. For example, the technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each form described in the summary of the invention can be replaced or combined as appropriate in order to solve some or all of the above-described problems, or to achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be deleted as appropriate. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0070] 50...System, 100...Vehicle, 110...Vehicle control device, 111,201...Processor, 112,202...Memory, 113,203...Input / Output Interface, 114,204...Internal Bus, 115...Vehicle control unit, 120...Actuator group, 130,205...Communication device, 131...Communication determination unit, 132...Brake adjustment unit, 200...Server, 211...Position estimation unit, 212...Environment estimation unit, 213...Remote control unit, 300...Sensor, 500...Inspection equipment, DM...Detection model, FC...Factory, GC...Global coordinate system, PG1,PG2...Program, PI...Process information, PL1...First location, PL2...Second location, RL...Roller, RR...Reference path, TR...Track, WL...Wheel

Claims

1. A system for adjusting the braking force of a mobile vehicle operating autonomously, A control device provided on the outside of the mobile body, which transmits signals for controlling the unmanned operation to the mobile body via communication, A braking adjustment unit mounted on the mobile body, which increases the braking force when communication between the control device and the mobile body is not possible, and which adjusts the braking force according to the environment in which the mobile body is traveling, A system equipped with these features.

2. The system according to claim 1, The aforementioned environment includes the location where the moving object is traveling, The braking adjustment unit is an inspection device having rollers that can rotate while supporting the wheels of the moving body, and when the moving body is traveling on the inspection device which performs an inspection of the moving body using the rollers, it reduces the braking force compared to when the moving body is traveling at the same speed in a location other than the inspection device. system.

3. The system according to claim 1, The aforementioned environment includes the condition of the road surface on which the moving object is traveling. The braking adjustment unit reduces the braking force when the state satisfies predetermined conditions, compared to when the state does not satisfy predetermined conditions. system.

4. The system according to claim 3, The aforementioned predetermined conditions include at least one of the following: the road surface is frozen, wet, and sloped. system.

5. A communication device mounted on a mobile vehicle that operates autonomously, A control device provided on the outside of the mobile body transmits signals for controlling the unmanned operation via communication. If the aforementioned communication is not possible, a control signal is issued to the mobile body to increase the braking force of the mobile body. The braking force is adjusted according to the environment in which the moving body is traveling. Communication device.

6. A method for adjusting the braking force of a mobile vehicle operating autonomously, When the signal for controlling the unmanned operation cannot be transmitted to the moving body, the braking force is increased, The braking force is adjusted according to the environment in which the moving object is traveling, A method that includes [a certain feature].

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