Control system, in-vehicle communication device, and control method

Abstract

This system suppresses the deterioration of vehicle control performance caused by a worsening communication environment between the server and the in-vehicle control unit. [Solution] The control system comprises a server that periodically transmits driving control signals for controlling the movement of a vehicle; an in-vehicle communication device that communicates with the server wirelessly and has a storage unit that overwrites and stores driving control signals received from the server until the next driving control signal is received from the server, and transmits the driving control signals stored in the storage unit periodically; and an in-vehicle control device that communicates with the in-vehicle communication device via wired communication and controls the movement of the vehicle using the driving control signals received from the in-vehicle communication device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control system, an in-vehicle communication device, and a control method.

Background Art

[0002] In vehicle manufacturing factories, a technique for causing a vehicle to travel by remote control is known (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Even if a server transmits travel control signals for controlling a vehicle at fixed intervals, a delay may occur in the reception interval of the travel control signals by the in-vehicle communication device depending on the communication environment between the server and the in-vehicle communication device. As a result, a delay also occurs in the transmission interval of the travel control signals from the in-vehicle communication device to the in-vehicle control apparatus, which may reduce the control performance of the vehicle. Accordingly, there is a demand for a technique capable of suppressing reduction in the control performance of a vehicle caused by a delay occurring in the reception interval of travel control signals received from a server.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0005] The present disclosure can be implemented as the following embodiments.

[0006] (1) According to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, a control system is provided. This control system includes a server that periodically transmits driving control signals for controlling the movement of a vehicle; an on-board communication device that communicates with the server by wireless communication, having a storage unit that overwrites and stores the driving control signals received from the server until the next driving control signal is received from the server, and transmits the driving control signals stored in the storage unit at regular intervals; and an on-board control device that communicates with the on-board communication device by wired communication, and controls the movement of the vehicle using the driving control signals received from the on-board communication device. This type of control system can suppress the degradation of vehicle control performance caused by delays in the reception cycle of receiving driving control signals from the server. (2) In the control system of the above form, the in-vehicle communication device may periodically determine whether predetermined conditions have been met, and if it determines that the conditions have been met, it may overwrite the driving control signal stored in the memory unit with another driving control signal for controlling the driving of the vehicle. According to this type of control system, depending on whether the above conditions are met, the driving control signal stored in the memory unit can be overwritten by another driving control signal. (3) In the control system of the above form, the condition determination period by the in-vehicle communication device may be shorter than the transmission period of the driving control signal by the server, and also shorter than the transmission period of the driving control signal by the in-vehicle communication device. This type of control system allows for the rapid overwriting of a driving control signal stored in the memory unit with another driving control signal. (4) According to a second embodiment of the present disclosure, an in-vehicle communication device is provided. This in-vehicle communication device includes: a receiving unit that receives a driving control signal for controlling the driving of a vehicle, which is transmitted periodically from a server via wireless communication; a storage unit that stores the driving control signal received from the server in an overwritable manner until the next driving control signal is received from the server; and a transmitting unit that transmits the driving control signal stored in the storage unit periodically via wired communication to an in-vehicle control device that controls the driving of the vehicle in accordance with the driving control signal. This type of in-vehicle communication device can suppress the degradation of the vehicle's control performance caused by delays in the reception cycle of receiving driving control signals from the server. (5) A third embodiment of the present disclosure provides a control method. This control method receives a driving control signal for controlling the movement of a vehicle, which is transmitted periodically from a server via wireless communication; stores the driving control signal received from the server in an overwriteable manner until the next driving control signal is received from the server; and transmits the stored driving control signal periodically via wired communication to an on-board control device that controls the movement of the vehicle according to the driving control signal. This control method makes it possible to suppress the deterioration of the vehicle's control performance caused by delays in the reception cycle of receiving driving control signals from the server. This disclosure can also be implemented in various forms other than control systems, in-vehicle communication devices, and control methods. For example, it can be implemented in the form of a vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] An explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the control system. [Figure 2] A diagram illustrating the vehicle's configuration. [Figure 3] A diagram illustrating the server configuration. [Figure 4] A flowchart illustrating the processing procedure for vehicle driving control. [Figure 5] A flowchart illustrating the procedure for sending and receiving data using an in-vehicle communication device. [Figure 6]An explanatory diagram showing the flow of driving control signals in a control system. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] A. Embodiments: Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a control system 10 in one embodiment of the present disclosure. The control system 10 comprises a vehicle 100 as a mobile body, a server 200 for remotely controlling the vehicle 100, and at least one external sensor 300 for acquiring location information of the vehicle 100.

[0009] 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.

[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 disclosure, “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 10 is used to remotely control the operation of the vehicle 100 at a factory FC where the vehicle 100 is manufactured. The 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 the vehicle 100 can travel.

[0013] Multiple external sensors 300 are installed along the track TR in the factory FC. External sensors 300 are sensors located outside the vehicle 100. The external sensors 300 are used to acquire vehicle position information, which is the position information of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the external sensors 300 are cameras. The position and orientation of the external sensors 300 in the factory FC are pre-adjusted. 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 the X, Y, Z coordinates in the global coordinate system GC.

[0014] Location 1, PL1, is, for example, the place where vehicle 100 is assembled. Once assembled at Location 1, PL1, vehicle 100 is ready to drive via remote control. After being assembled at Location 1, PL1, vehicle 100 is moved from Location 1, PL1, to Location 2, PL2, via track TR, via remote control from server 200. Location 2, PL2, is, for example, the place where vehicle 100 is inspected. After passing the inspection at Location 2, PL2, vehicle 100 is then shipped from factory FC.

[0015] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the vehicle 100 is configured to be capable of traveling by remote control from a server 200. The vehicle 100 includes an in-vehicle control device 110, an actuator group 120, an internal sensor group 130, and an in-vehicle communication device 140. In the present embodiment, the in-vehicle communication device 140 is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the vehicle 100.

[0016] The in-vehicle control device 110 controls each part of the vehicle 100. The in-vehicle control device 110 is configured by a computer. The in-vehicle control device 110 includes 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 so as to be capable of bidirectional communication. The actuator group 120, the internal sensor group 130, and the in-vehicle communication device 140 are connected to the input / output interface 113. The in-vehicle control device 110 communicates with the actuator group 120, the internal sensor group 130, and the in-vehicle communication device 140 by wired communication. For example, CAN communication is used for the wired communication between the in-vehicle control device 110, the actuator group 120, the internal sensor group 130, and the in-vehicle communication device 140.

[0017] The processor 111 of the in-vehicle control device 110 functions as a vehicle control unit 115 by executing a computer program PG1 stored in advance in the memory 112. The vehicle control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 using a travel control signal received from the in-vehicle communication device 140 via wired communication. The travel control signal is a control signal for controlling the travel of the vehicle 100. The vehicle control unit 115 controls the travel of the vehicle 100 in accordance with parameters included in the travel control signal. In the present embodiment, the travel control signal includes acceleration and steering angle as parameters. Note that in another embodiment, the travel control signal may include speed as a parameter instead of or in addition to acceleration.

[0018] The actuator group 120 includes at least one actuator. In the present embodiment, the actuator group 120 includes an actuator of a drive device that generates propulsive force of the vehicle 100, an actuator of a steering device that changes the traveling direction of the vehicle 100, and an actuator of a braking device that generates braking force of the vehicle 100.

[0019] The internal sensor group 130 includes at least one internal sensor. The internal sensor refers to a sensor mounted on the vehicle 100. The internal sensor group 130 includes, for example, a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle 100, a steering angle sensor that detects the steering angle of the vehicle 100, and obstacle sensors such as a camera and LiDAR that detect obstacles around the vehicle 100.

[0020] The in-vehicle communication device 140 communicates with the server 200 via wireless communication. For example, Wi-Fi communication is used for the wireless communication between the server 200 and the in-vehicle communication device 140. The in-vehicle communication device 140 includes a processor 141, a memory 142, an input / output interface 143, an internal bus 144, and an antenna 145. The processor 141, the memory 142, the input / output interface 143, and the antenna 145 are connected via the internal bus 144 so as to be capable of bidirectional communication. The memory 142 has a buffer area BF. In the present disclosure, the buffer area BF of the memory 142 may be referred to as a storage unit.

[0021] The processor 141 of the in-vehicle communication device 140 functions as a receiving unit 146, a determination unit 147, and a transmitting unit 148 by executing a computer program PG4 pre-stored in memory 142. The receiving unit 146 receives a driving control signal from the server 200 via the antenna 145 and stores the received driving control signal in the buffer area BF of memory 142. The driving control signal is stored in the buffer area BF in a state where it can be overwritten. The server 200 transmits a driving control signal to the in-vehicle communication device 140 at regular intervals. After the receiving unit 146 stores the driving control signal received from the server 200 in the buffer area BF, if it receives a new driving control signal from the server 200, it overwrites the driving control signal stored in the buffer area BF with the newly received driving control signal from the server 200.

[0022] The determination unit 147 periodically determines whether predetermined conditions have been met. In this embodiment, the determination period of the determination unit 147 is shorter than the transmission period of the driving control signal by the server 200 and shorter than the transmission period of the driving control signal by the transmission unit 148. In this embodiment, the condition is that the driving permission conditions, which will be described later, are no longer met. If the determination unit 147 determines that the driving permission conditions are no longer met, it overwrites the driving control signal stored in the buffer area BF of the memory 142 with another driving control signal. If the determination unit 147 determines that the driving permission conditions are met, it does not overwrite the driving control signal stored in the buffer area BF with another driving control signal. In this embodiment, the other driving control signal is a driving control signal for emergency stopping of the vehicle 100.

[0023] The transmitting unit 148 periodically transmits the driving control signal stored in the buffer area BF of the memory 142 to the on-board control device 110. If the determination unit 147 does not overwrite the driving control signal stored in the buffer area BF, the driving control signal received by the receiving unit 146 is transmitted to the on-board control device 110. On the other hand, if the determination unit 147 does overwrite the driving control signal stored in the buffer area BF, the driving control signal overwritten by the determination unit 147, rather than the driving control signal received by the receiving unit 146, is transmitted to the on-board control device 110.

[0024] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of server 200. Server 200 is located outside vehicle 100. Server 200 is composed of a computer. Server 200 comprises a processor 201, memory 202, input / output interface 203, and internal bus 204. The processor 201, memory 202, and input / output interface 203 are connected bidirectionally via the internal bus 204. Server 200 further comprises a communication device 205 for communicating with the outside. The communication device 205 is connected to the input / output interface 203. In this embodiment, the communication device 205 communicates with the in-vehicle communication device 140 via wireless communication and with the external sensor 300 via wired or wireless communication.

[0025] The processor 201 functions as a driving permission unit 211 and a remote control unit 212 by executing a computer program PG2 pre-stored in memory 202. The driving permission unit 211 transmits driving permission conditions to the on-board communication device 140 prior to the remote control driving of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the driving permission conditions include a grace period, maximum vehicle speed, and maximum steering angle as parameters. The grace period is the upper limit of the time from when the on-board communication device 140 receives a driving control signal from the server 200 until it receives the next driving control signal from the server 200. The maximum vehicle speed is the upper limit of the vehicle speed of the vehicle 100. The maximum steering angle is the upper limit of the steering angle of the vehicle 100. The remote control unit 212 drives the vehicle 100 by remote control. In this embodiment, the remote control unit 212 acquires vehicle position information indicating the position of the vehicle 100 using an external sensor 300, generates a driving control signal using the acquired vehicle position information, and transmits the generated driving control signal to the in-vehicle communication device 140.

[0026] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for controlling the driving of vehicle 100. In step S1, the server 200 acquires vehicle position information using the detection result output from the external sensor 300, which is a sensor located outside the vehicle 100. 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 vehicle 100 in the reference coordinate system of the factory FC. In this embodiment, 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 the X, Y, Z coordinates in the global coordinate system GC. In this embodiment, the external sensor 300 is a camera installed in the factory FC, and the external sensor 300 outputs an captured image as a detection result. That is, in step S1, the server 200 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 server 200 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 10 and pre-stored in the server 200's memory 202. 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 server 200 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 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 server 200's memory 202 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 server 200 uses the vehicle position information and the reference route RR to determine the next target location that the vehicle 100 should head to. The server 200 determines the target location on the reference route RR beyond the vehicle 100's current location.

[0029] In step S3, the server 200 generates a driving control signal to drive the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. In this embodiment, the driving control signal includes the acceleration and steering angle of the vehicle 100 as parameters. The server 200 calculates the vehicle's speed from the change in the vehicle's position and compares the calculated speed with the target speed. Overall, the server 200 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 server 200 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 server 200 determines the steering angle and acceleration so that the vehicle 100 returns to the reference path RR. In other embodiments, the driving control signal may include the speed of the vehicle 100 as a parameter, either in place of or in addition to the acceleration of the vehicle 100.

[0030] In step S4, the server 200 transmits the generated driving control signal to the vehicle 100. The server 200 repeats the process of acquiring vehicle position information, determining the target position, generating the driving control signal, and transmitting the driving control signal at predetermined intervals.

[0031] In step S5, the vehicle 100 receives a driving control signal transmitted from the server 200. In step S6, the vehicle 100 uses the received driving control signal to control its actuators, thereby driving the vehicle 100 at the acceleration and steering angle indicated in the driving control signal. The vehicle 100 repeats the reception of the driving control signal and the control of its actuators at predetermined intervals. According to the control system 10 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 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure for transmitting and receiving driving control signals by the in-vehicle communication device 140. The transmission and reception process is repeatedly executed at predetermined intervals by the processor 141 of the in-vehicle communication device 140. When the transmission and reception process starts, in step S110, the receiving unit 146 determines whether or not it has received a driving control signal from the server 200. If it is determined in step S110 that a driving control signal has been received from the server 200, the receiving unit 146 stores the received driving control signal in the buffer area BF of the memory 142 in step S120. If it is determined in step S110 that a driving control signal has not been received, the receiving unit 146 skips step S120 and proceeds to step S130.

[0033] In step S130, the determination unit 147 determines whether a predetermined condition has been met. In this embodiment, the condition is that the driving permission conditions are no longer met. The driving permission conditions include the following conditions A, B, and C.

[0034] <Condition A> The elapsed time, which is the time elapsed since the receiver 146 most recently received a driving control signal, is within the grace period, which is the upper limit of the elapsed time. <Condition B> The vehicle speed of vehicle 100 must be within the maximum vehicle speed, which is the upper limit of that vehicle speed. <Condition C> The steering angle of vehicle 100 must be within the maximum steering angle, which is the upper limit of the steering angle.

[0035] The determination unit 147 determines that the driving permission conditions are met if all of conditions A, B, and C are met. If at least one of conditions A, B, and C is not met, the determination unit 147 determines that the driving permission conditions are no longer met. With respect to condition A, the grace period is set to be longer than the transmission cycle of the driving control signal by the server 200. The determination unit 147 counts the elapsed time. With respect to condition B, the determination unit 147 can obtain the vehicle speed of vehicle 100 using the vehicle speed sensor included in the internal sensor group 130. With respect to condition C, the determination unit 147 can obtain the steering angle of vehicle 100 using the steering angle sensor included in the internal sensor group 130.

[0036] If it is determined in step S130 that the predetermined conditions have been met, in other words, if it is determined that the driving permission conditions are no longer met, the determination unit 147 overwrites the driving control signal stored in the buffer area BF with another driving control signal in step S140. In this embodiment, the other driving control signal is a driving control signal for emergency stopping of the vehicle 100. If it is determined in step S130 that the predetermined conditions have not been met, in other words, if it is determined that the driving permission conditions are met, the determination unit 147 skips step S140 and proceeds to step S150. When the driving permission conditions are no longer met, the possibility of the vehicle 100 coming into contact with an obstacle increases. Therefore, determining whether or not the driving permission conditions are no longer met can be rephrased as determining whether or not there is a possibility of the vehicle 100 coming into contact with an obstacle.

[0037] In step S150, the transmitting unit 148 determines whether the timing for transmitting the driving control signal to the on-board control device 110 has arrived. If it is determined in step S150 that the timing for transmitting the driving control signal to the on-board control device 110 has not arrived, the transmitting unit 148 returns to step S110. If it is determined in step S150 that the timing for transmitting the driving control signal to the on-board control device 110 has arrived, the transmitting unit 148 transmits the driving control signal stored in the buffer area BF to the on-board control device 110 in step S160. After that, the processor 141 terminates the transmission and reception process. The processor 141 repeats the transmission and reception process at a predetermined cycle.

[0038] Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of driving control signals SS1 and SS2 in the control system 10. As shown in the upper part of Figure 6, the server 200 transmits the driving control signal SS1 to the in-vehicle communication device 140 at regular intervals via wireless communication. In this embodiment, the server 200 transmits the driving control signal SS1 at a period of 100 milliseconds. The in-vehicle communication device 140 receives the driving control signal SS1 transmitted from the server 200. When the communication environment between the server 200 and the in-vehicle communication device 140 is normal, the reception period of the driving control signal SS1 by the in-vehicle communication device 140 is the same as the transmission period of the driving control signal SS1 by the server 200. The in-vehicle communication device 140 stores the driving control signal SS1 received from the server 200 in the buffer area BF of the memory 142 in an overwriteable manner.

[0039] The determination unit 147 of the in-vehicle communication device 140 determines at regular intervals whether or not the driving permission conditions are no longer met. In this embodiment, the determination unit 147 determines whether or not the driving permission conditions are no longer met at a 20-millisecond interval. The driving permission conditions include the fact that the elapsed time, which is the time elapsed since the in-vehicle communication device 140 most recently received the driving control signal SS1, does not exceed the grace period, which is the upper limit of the elapsed time (Condition A).

[0040] As shown in the upper part of Figure 6, if the communication environment between the server 200 and the in-vehicle communication device 140 is normal, the reception cycle of the driving control signal SS1 by the in-vehicle communication device 140 will be the same as the transmission cycle of the driving control signal SS1 by the server 200, so the elapsed time will not exceed the grace period. If the determination unit 147 determines that the driving permission conditions are met, it will not overwrite the driving control signal SS1 stored in the buffer area BF.

[0041] As shown in the lower part of Figure 6, if the communication environment between the server 200 and the in-vehicle communication device 140 deteriorates, for example, if communication is interrupted between the server 200 and the in-vehicle communication device 140, the elapsed time will exceed the grace period. If the elapsed time exceeds the grace period, the determination unit 147 determines that the driving permission conditions are no longer met. If the determination unit 147 determines that the driving permission conditions are no longer met, it immediately overwrites the driving control signal SS1 stored in the buffer area BF with a driving control signal SS2 for emergency stopping of the vehicle 100.

[0042] As shown in the upper and lower panels of Figure 6, the in-vehicle communication device 140 transmits the driving control signal SS1 or driving control signal SS2 stored in the buffer area BF to the in-vehicle control device 110 at regular intervals via wired communication. In this embodiment, the in-vehicle communication device 140 transmits the driving control signal SS1 or driving control signal SS2 at a 100-millisecond interval. The in-vehicle control device 110 receives the driving control signal SS1 or driving control signal SS2 transmitted from the in-vehicle communication device 140 and controls the actuator group 120 using the received driving control signal SS1 or driving control signal SS2.

[0043] In another configuration, which is event-driven and in which the in-vehicle communication device 140 transmits the received driving control signal SS1 to the in-vehicle control device 110 as soon as an event occurs in which the in-vehicle communication device 140 receives the driving control signal SS1 from the server 200, if the communication environment between the server 200 and the in-vehicle communication device 140 deteriorates and a delay occurs in the reception cycle of the driving control signal SS1 by the in-vehicle communication device 140, a delay will also occur in the transmission cycle of the driving control signal SS1 from the in-vehicle communication device 140 to the in-vehicle control device 110. It is preferable for the in-vehicle control device 110 to control the actuator group 120 using the latest driving control signal SS1. However, in the above other configuration, the latest driving control signal SS1 is not transmitted from the in-vehicle communication device 140 to the in-vehicle control device 110 unless an event occurs in which the in-vehicle communication device 140 receives the driving control signal SS1 from the server 200. As a result, the in-vehicle control device 110 controls the actuator group 120 using the old driving control signal SS1 until it receives the latest driving control signal SS1 from the in-vehicle communication device 140, which degrades the control performance of the vehicle 100. In addition, in the other configurations described above, even if the determination unit 147 determines that the driving permission conditions are no longer met, the driving control signal SS2 for emergency stopping of the vehicle 100 is not transmitted from the onboard communication device 140 to the onboard control device 110 unless an event occurs in which the driving control signal SS1 is received from the server 200. As a result, the onboard control device 110 controls the actuator group 120 using the old driving control signal SS1 until it receives the latest driving control signal SS2 from the onboard communication device 140, resulting in the emergency stopping of the vehicle 100 not being performed and the control performance of the vehicle 100 degrading.

[0044] According to the control system 10 of this embodiment described above, the in-vehicle communication device 140 stores the driving control signal SS1 received from the server 200 in the buffer area BF of the memory 142 in an overwritable manner until the next driving control signal SS1 is received. If the driving permission conditions are no longer met, the in-vehicle communication device 140 overwrites the driving control signal SS1 stored in the buffer area BF with a driving control signal SS2 for emergency stopping of the vehicle 100. The in-vehicle communication device 140 transmits the driving control signal SS1 or driving control signal SS2 stored in the buffer area BF to the in-vehicle control device 110 at a fixed interval. Therefore, even if there is a delay in the reception cycle of the driving control signal SS1 by the in-vehicle communication device 140, there is no delay in the reception cycle of the driving control signals SS1 and SS2 by the in-vehicle control device 110. Thus, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the control performance of the vehicle 100 due to a delay in the reception cycle of the driving control signal SS1 by the in-vehicle communication device 140.

[0045] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the driving permission conditions are no longer met, the determination unit 147 of the in-vehicle communication device 140 overwrites the driving control signal SS1 stored in the buffer area BF with a driving control signal SS2 for emergency stopping of the vehicle 100. The in-vehicle communication device 140 transmits the driving control signal SS2 stored in the buffer area BF to the in-vehicle control device 110 at regular intervals. Therefore, even if there is a delay in the reception cycle of the driving control signal SS1 from the in-vehicle communication device 140, the in-vehicle control device 110 can emergency stop the vehicle 100 by driving control using the driving control signal SS2. Thus, it is possible to prevent the vehicle 100 from coming into contact with an obstacle by continuing to use the old driving control signal SS1 for driving control.

[0046] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the determination cycle of the determination unit 147 of the in-vehicle communication device 140 is shorter than the transmission cycle of the driving control signal SS1 by the server 200, and also shorter than the transmission cycles of the driving control signals SS1 and SS2 by the in-vehicle communication device 140. Therefore, when the driving permission conditions are no longer met, the determination unit 147 can quickly overwrite the driving control signal SS1 stored in the buffer area BF with the driving control signal SS2 for emergency stopping of the vehicle 100.

[0047] B. Other embodiments: (B1) In the above embodiment, if the determination unit 147 of the in-vehicle communication device 140 determines that the driving permission conditions are not met, it overwrites the driving control signal SS1 stored in the buffer area BF of the memory 142 with a driving control signal SS2 for emergency stopping of the vehicle 100. Alternatively, the determination unit 147 may determine whether or not it is necessary to overwrite the driving control signal SS1 stored in the buffer area BF based on conditions other than the driving permission conditions.

[0048] (B2) In the above embodiment, the determination period for the driving permission conditions by the determination unit 147 of the in-vehicle communication device 140 is shorter than the transmission period of the driving control signal SS1 by the server 200, and is also shorter than the transmission period of the driving control signal SS1 or driving control signal SS2 by the in-vehicle communication device 140. In contrast, the determination period for the driving permission conditions by the determination unit 147 may be the same as or longer than the transmission period of the driving control signal SS1 by the server 200. The determination period for the driving permission conditions by the determination unit 147 may be the same as or longer than the transmission period of the driving control signal SS1 or driving control signal SS2 by the in-vehicle communication device 140.

[0049] (B3) In the above embodiment, 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 the vehicle 100. In this case, the server 200 and the vehicle 100 may acquire vehicle position information by template matching using the 3D point cloud data as the detection result and pre-prepared reference point cloud data.

[0050] (B4) In the above embodiment, the server 200 performs the processing from acquiring vehicle position information to generating a driving control signal. Alternatively, 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 also be used.

[0051] (1) The server 200 may acquire vehicle location information, determine the next target location that vehicle 100 should head to, and generate a route from the vehicle 100's current location, as shown in the acquired vehicle location information, to the target location. The server 200 may generate a route to the target location between the current location and the destination, or it may generate a route to the destination. The server 200 may transmit the generated route to vehicle 100. Vehicle 100 may generate a driving control signal so that vehicle 100 travels along the route received from the server 200, and may use the generated driving control signal to control the actuator group 120 of vehicle 100.

[0052] (2) The server 200 may acquire vehicle location information and transmit the acquired vehicle location information to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may determine the next target location to which it 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 use the generated driving control signal to control the actuator group 120 of the vehicle 100.

[0053] (3) In the embodiments of (1) and (2) above, the vehicle 100 is equipped with internal sensors, and the detection results output from the internal sensors may be used in at least one of the generation of a route and the generation of a driving control signal. The internal sensors are sensors mounted on the vehicle 100. Specifically, internal sensors may include, for example, cameras, LiDAR, millimeter-wave radar, ultrasonic sensors, GPS sensors, acceleration sensors, gyro sensors, etc. For example, in the embodiment of (1) above, the server 200 may acquire the detection results from the internal sensors and reflect the detection results from the internal sensors in the route when generating a route. In the embodiment of (1) above, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results from the internal sensors and reflect the detection results from 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 from the internal sensors and reflect the detection results from the internal sensors in the route when generating a route. In the embodiment of (2) above, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results from the internal sensors and reflect the detection results from the internal sensors in the driving control signal when generating a driving control signal.

[0054] (B5) In the above embodiment, 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, 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.

[0055] (B6) In the above embodiment, the vehicle 100 only needs to have a configuration that allows it to move by unmanned operation, and may take the form of a platform having the configuration described below. Specifically, in order for the vehicle 100 to perform the three functions of "driving," "turning," and "stopping" by unmanned operation, it only needs to have at least a control device to control the movement of the vehicle 100, and actuators such as a drive device, a steering device and a braking device. When the vehicle 100 acquires information from the outside for unmanned operation, the vehicle 100 may further have a communication device. 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 a driver's seat and dashboard installed, at least some of the exterior parts such as bumpers and fenders installed, and does 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 before it is shipped from the factory fuel cell (FC), or the remaining parts such as the body shell may be attached to the vehicle 100 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. Each part may be attached from any direction, such as the top, bottom, front, rear, right, or left side of the vehicle 100, 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 in the embodiment.

[0056] (B7) 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.

[0057] (B8) 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.

[0058] 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]

[0059] 10...Control system, 100...Vehicle, 110...In-vehicle control device, 111...Processor, 112...Memory, 113...Input / output interface, 114...Internal bus, 115...Vehicle control unit, 120...Actuator group, 130...Internal sensor group, 140...In-vehicle communication device, 141...Processor, 142...Memory, 143...Input / output interface, 144...Internal bus, 145...Antenna, 146...Receiver, 147...Determination unit, 148...Transmitter, 200...Server, 201...Processor, 202...Memory, 203...Input / output interface, 204...Internal bus, 205...Communication device, 211...Driving authorization unit, 212...Remote control unit, 300...External sensor

Claims

1. A control system, A server that periodically transmits driving control signals to control the movement of a vehicle, An in-vehicle communication device that communicates with the server by wireless communication, having a storage unit that stores the driving control signal received from the server in an overwriteable manner until the next driving control signal is received from the server, and transmitting the driving control signal stored in the storage unit at a fixed period, An in-vehicle control device that communicates with the in-vehicle communication device by wired communication, the in-vehicle control device that controls the driving of the vehicle using the driving control signal received from the in-vehicle communication device, A control system equipped with the following features.

2. A control system according to claim 1, The in-vehicle communication device is a control system that periodically determines whether predetermined conditions are met, and if it determines that the conditions are met, it overwrites the driving control signal stored in the memory unit with another driving control signal for controlling the vehicle's movement.

3. A control system according to claim 2, A control system in which the determination period of the conditions by the in-vehicle communication device is shorter than the transmission period of the driving control signal by the server, and also shorter than the transmission period of the driving control signal by the in-vehicle communication device.

4. It is an in-vehicle communication device, A receiving unit that receives driving control signals for controlling the vehicle's movement, which are transmitted periodically from a server via wireless communication, A storage unit that stores the driving control signal received from the server in a way that allows it to be overwritten until the next driving control signal is received from the server, A transmitting unit that periodically transmits the driving control signal stored in the storage unit to an on-board control device that controls the driving of the vehicle according to the driving control signal, via wired communication; A vehicle-mounted communication device equipped with these features.

5. A control method, The system receives driving control signals, which are transmitted periodically via wireless communication from a server, to control the vehicle's movement. The driving control signal received from the server is stored in a way that allows it to be overwritten until the next driving control signal is received from the server. The stored driving control signal is transmitted periodically via wired communication to an on-board control device that controls the driving of the vehicle according to the driving control signal. Control method.

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