Vehicle, information processing device, system, and method

Abstract

To improve a technique related to a system for making a tour using a vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicle 10 is the vehicle 10 for carrying a user and making a tour in a facility, and includes a control unit 11 that identifies a part 52 on a production line by item number information and outputs explanation information of the identified part from an output unit 16 in the vehicle 10. The explanation information is at least one of a position of the part in a finished product, a position of a work process of the part in the production line, and a detailed video of the part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle, an information processing device, a system, and a method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are known technologies relating to systems for users (customers or general users) to ride in vehicles and go sightseeing. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology relating to a tourist bus operation system that compiles the user's desired tourist spots from tourist spots in each specific area by desired date and sets a sightseeing course for each desired date so as to cover the desired tourist spots. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-279031 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When touring general tourist spots on a tour bus or the like, the user can enjoy just looking at the objects from inside the vehicle. However, when touring facilities such as factories, if the user does not have sufficient knowledge about the objects to be torn down, the user may not know what he or she is looking at or what to focus on just by looking at the objects from inside the vehicle. In addition, when touring from inside the vehicle (remotely), the user cannot see the objects or work processes in detail, which causes a problem of not being able to feel a sense of realism or satisfaction. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the technology related to systems for touring facilities such as factories using vehicles.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to improve technology relating to a system for touring facilities such as factories by vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A vehicle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a vehicle for allowing a user inside the vehicle to tour a facility, and is equipped with a control unit that identifies parts on a production line using part number information and outputs explanatory information about the identified parts from an output unit within the vehicle.

[0007] A system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a vehicle for allowing a user inside the vehicle to tour a facility, and an information processing device that transmits explanatory information regarding the part being toured to the vehicle.

[0008] An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is an information processing device that manages tours of a facility by vehicles, and includes a control unit that transmits explanatory information regarding a part on a production line to the vehicle based on identification information of the part received from the vehicle.

[0009] A method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a method for allowing a user in a vehicle to tour a facility, and includes the steps of acquiring part number information of parts on a production line, identifying the parts based on the part number information, and outputting explanatory information of the identified parts from an output unit in the vehicle. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, technology relating to a system for touring a facility such as a factory using a vehicle is improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle. [Diagram 3] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information processing device; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a factory tour using a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a sequence diagram for explaining an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described.

[0013] (Overview of the embodiment) 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The system 1 includes a vehicle 10 and an information processing device 20. The vehicle 10 and the information processing device 20 are communicatively connected to a network 30 including, for example, the Internet and a mobile communication network.

[0014] 1, for ease of explanation, one vehicle 10 and one information processing device 20 are illustrated in the system 1, but the number is not limited to this. The system 1 may be equipped with two or more information processing devices 20. In addition, the number of vehicles 10 equipped in the system 1 may be two or more and may be determined arbitrarily.

[0015] The vehicle 10 is, for example, an automobile, but is not limited thereto and may be any vehicle. The automobile may be, for example, a gasoline automobile, an electric automobile (BEV; Battery Electric Vehicle), a hybrid automobile (HEV; Hybrid Electric Vehicle), a plug-in hybrid automobile (PHEV; Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), or a fuel cell automobile (FCEV; Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle), but is not limited thereto. In the present embodiment, the vehicle 10 is described assuming that it is any autonomous vehicle that runs without a driver, but may be a manned vehicle.

[0016] In this embodiment, the vehicle 10 travels with a user (customer or general user) on board within a facility such as a factory, and allows the user to observe, from inside the vehicle, the process of a product being made on a production line, for example.

[0017] The information processing device 20 is, for example, a computer such as a server device. For example, the information processing device 20 is a server belonging to a cloud computing system or other computing system. Note that the information processing device 20 is not limited to these, and may be any general-purpose electronic device such as a PC (Personal Computer), or may be another electronic device dedicated to the system 1. The information processing device 20 is capable of communicating with the vehicle 10 via the network 30. In this embodiment, the information processing device 20 manages a tour of the facility by the vehicle 10 of the system 1.

[0018] First, an overview of this embodiment will be described, and details will be described later. The vehicle 10 carries a user and travels within a facility so that the user can observe a production line or the like. Note that the inside of the facility is not limited to indoors and may include outdoors. The vehicle 10 identifies parts on the production line by product number information, and outputs explanatory information of the identified part (part being observed) from an output unit within the vehicle. Note that the information processing device 20 can transmit explanatory information of the part being observed by the user to the vehicle 10. Here, a part refers to an intermediate product in the manufacturing process that does not result in a finished product on the production line, and includes various forms such as a single part, a unit part formed by assembling multiple single parts, or a semi-finished product.

[0019] Thus, according to this embodiment, the vehicle 10 carrying the user identifies parts on the production line and provides explanatory information about the parts being toured to the user in the vehicle. Therefore, even if the user does not have sufficient knowledge about the object being toured, the explanatory information allows the user to obtain knowledge about the parts on the production line and enjoy touring the production line. Therefore, the technology related to the system for touring facilities such as factories by vehicle is improved in that the user's satisfaction during the tour is improved.

[0020] Next, each component of the system 1 will be described in detail.

[0021] (Vehicle configuration) As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13, a positioning unit 14, an input unit 15, and an output unit 16.

[0022] The control unit 11 includes at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination of these. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. The dedicated circuit is, for example, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The control unit 11 executes processes related to the operation of the vehicle 10 while controlling each part of the vehicle 10.

[0023] The storage unit 12 includes one or more memories. The memories are, for example, semiconductor memories, magnetic memories, optical memories, etc., but are not limited thereto. The semiconductor memories are, for example, random access memories (RAMs) or read only memories (ROMs). The RAMs are, for example, static random access memories (SRAMs) or dynamic random access memories (DRAMs). The ROMs are, for example, electrically erasable programmable read only memories (EEPROMs). Each memory included in the storage unit 12 may function, for example, as a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 12 stores any information used in the operation of the vehicle 10. For example, the storage unit 12 may store a system program, an application program, embedded software, etc. The information stored in the storage unit 12 may be updatable, for example, with information acquired from the network 30 via the communication unit 13. In this embodiment, the storage unit 12 can store any information necessary for traveling in a facility and touring a production line.

[0024] The communication unit 13 includes at least one external communication interface connected to the network 30. The communication interface is, for example, an interface compatible with mobile communication standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), or 5G (5th Generation), or an interface compatible with short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), but is not limited thereto. The communication unit 13 receives data used in the operation of the vehicle 10, and transmits data obtained by the operation of the vehicle 10 to an outside (for example, the information processing device 20). In this embodiment, the communication unit 13 can electronically read part number information (RFID) from an RFID (Radio Frequency Identifier) ​​tag in which part number information of each part is embedded, by short-range wireless communication using an electromagnetic field or radio waves.

[0025] The positioning unit 14 includes one or more devices that acquire position information of the vehicle 10. Specifically, the positioning unit 14 includes a receiver compatible with, for example, a Global Positioning System (GPS), but is not limited thereto, and may include a receiver compatible with any positioning system. The positioning unit 14 may acquire the position information of the vehicle 10 constantly, or may acquire the information periodically or non-periodically.

[0026] The input unit 15 includes a means for inputting information to the vehicle 10. For example, the input unit 15 includes any imaging module capable of imaging the surroundings of the vehicle 10. The imaging module includes one or more cameras, and each camera is disposed at an appropriate position of the vehicle 10 so as to be able to image the surroundings of the vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the input unit 15 may be configured to be able to image parts on a production line, read part number information written on the parts, and perform character recognition. The input unit 15 may also include a voice recognition function together with a means for inputting voice information. Without being limited thereto, the input unit 15 may include any means for acquiring information about the surroundings of the vehicle 10.

[0027] The output unit 16 includes at least one output interface. The output interface is, for example, a display device that outputs information as a video, or a speaker that outputs information as a sound. The display device is, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic electro luminescence (EL) display, and may further be a goggle-type display device that displays a virtual reality (VR) video. The output unit 16 outputs data received from the information processing device 20, data obtained by the operation of the vehicle 10, or the like.

[0028] (Configuration of information processing device) As shown in FIG. 3, the information processing device 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit .

[0029] The control unit 21 includes at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination of these. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or a GPU, or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA or an ASIC. The control unit 21 executes processes related to the operation of the information processing device 20 while controlling each unit of the information processing device 20.

[0030] The storage unit 22 includes one or more memories. The memories are, for example, semiconductor memories, magnetic memories, optical memories, etc., but are not limited thereto. The semiconductor memories are, for example, RAM or ROM. The RAM is, for example, SRAM or DRAM. The ROM is, for example, EEPROM. Each memory included in the storage unit 22 functions, for example, as a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 22 stores any information used in the operation of the information processing device 20. For example, the storage unit 22 may store a system program, an application program, a database, etc. The information stored in the storage unit 22 may be updateable with information acquired from the network 30 via the communication unit 23, for example. In this embodiment, the storage unit 22 can store any information necessary for a tour of the production line, such as a tour schedule for the vehicle 10 and explanatory information for each part.

[0031] The communication unit 23 includes one or more external communication interfaces connected to the network 30. The communication interface may be either an interface for wired communication or wireless communication. In the case of wired communication, the communication interface is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface or a USB (Universal Serial Bus). In the case of wireless communication, the communication interface is, for example, an interface compatible with a mobile communication standard such as LTE, 4G, or 5G, or an interface compatible with short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). The communication unit 23 receives data used in the operation of the information processing device 20, and transmits data obtained by the operation of the information processing device 20 to the outside. In this embodiment, the information processing device 20 communicates with the vehicle 10 via the communication unit 23 and the network 30. Note that the information processing device 20 may communicate with various devices on a production line via the communication unit 23 and the network 30.

[0032] 3 of the present embodiment does not include an input unit and an output unit, the information processing device 20 may further include an input unit and an output unit. That is, in addition to receiving (input) and transmitting (output) information via the communication unit 23, the information processing device 20 may input and output information by using the input unit and output unit.

[0033] The functions of the information processing device 20 are realized by executing a program relating to the information processing method of this embodiment in a processor corresponding to the control unit 21. That is, the functions of the information processing device 20 are realized by software. The program causes a computer to execute the operations of the information processing device 20, thereby causing the computer to function as the information processing device 20. That is, the computer functions as the information processing device 20 by executing the operations of the information processing device 20 in accordance with the program.

[0034] In this embodiment, the program can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as a magnetic recording device, an optical disc, a magneto-optical recording medium, or a semiconductor memory. The program is distributed, for example, by selling, transferring, or lending a portable recording medium such as a DVD (digital versatile disc) or a CD-ROM (compact disc read only memory) on which the program is recorded. The program may also be distributed by storing the program in the storage of an external server and transmitting the program from the external server to another computer. The program may also be provided as a program product.

[0035] (Production line tour implementation form) Fig. 4 is a conceptual diagram of a factory tour using a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 4 shows an embodiment in which a user gets on a vehicle 10 and tours the process of a product being completed on a production line from inside the vehicle using the system 1 of Fig. 1. Below, a basic procedure for providing explanatory information on parts and the like to a user in the vehicle 10 during a tour of a production line will be described.

[0036] The vehicle 10 carries the user and travels within a facility such as a factory according to instructions from the information processing device 20 (or a tour schedule stored in the memory unit 12 of the vehicle 10), and moves to a location where the production line can be toured (hereinafter referred to as a "tour spot"). The tour spot is provided by the information processing device 20 as position information, for example, and the vehicle 10 can move to the tour spot by autonomous driving (automatic driving). In FIG. 4, the tour spot is a place where processing or assembly work of parts 52 is being performed by a robot arm 60 on a conveyor belt 50.

[0037] In this embodiment, the vehicle 10 identifies the part 52 on the production line by product number information, and transmits identification information for specifying the part 52 to the information processing device 20. The information processing device 20 reads explanatory information about the part 52, for example from the storage unit 22, based on the identification information of the part 52 on the production line, and transmits the explanatory information to the vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 outputs the received explanatory information about the part 52 from an output unit (for example, a display) 16 within the vehicle 10.

[0038] Fig. 5 is a sequence diagram for explaining one embodiment of a tour of a facility executed by the system 1 of Fig. 1. The sequence diagram shown in Fig. 5 illustrates an example of a flow of basic processing executed by the vehicle 10 and the information processing device 20 of the system 1.

[0039] Step S101: The control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 uses the communication unit 23 to transmit position information of the sightseeing spots to the vehicle 10. The sightseeing spots are based on, for example, a planned sightseeing course and a sightseeing schedule.

[0040] Step S102: The vehicle 10 receives position information of the sightseeing spot from the information processing device 20 via the communication unit 13. The vehicle 10 (control unit 11) moves to the sightseeing spot, for example, by autonomous driving, based on the position information of the sightseeing spot and the stored information of the driving route (route map) within the facility.

[0041] Step S103: At the viewing spot, the vehicle 10 acquires part number information of the part 52 on the production line (e.g., a conveyor belt) 50. Each part (e.g., an individual part) is assigned unique part number information, and by acquiring the part number information of the part 52, the part 52 can be identified (specified). Note that the production line may produce different products depending on the date and time, and in order to provide accurate explanatory information to the user, it is necessary to identify the part 52 being produced at that time at each viewing spot.

[0042] If the part number information is marked on the part 52 with characters or a code, the vehicle 10 (control unit 11) can read the characters or code using the camera that is the input unit 15 to obtain the part number information. Also, if the part number information is recorded on the part 52 as an RFID, the vehicle 10 (control unit 11) can obtain the part number information from the RFID tag of the part 52 by using the communication unit 13 to electronically read the RFID by short-range wireless communication using an electromagnetic field, radio waves, or the like.

[0043] For part 52 that has progressed to a certain degree in the manufacturing and assembly process, it is desirable to obtain part number information by RFID. Part 52 is generally composed of a combination of multiple individual parts, and vehicle 10 (control unit 11) can obtain the RFIDs of all of the individual parts that make up part 52 at once by short-range wireless communication.

[0044] Step S104: The control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 identifies the part 52 being inspected from the acquired part number information. If the part 52 is a single part, the control unit 11 can immediately identify the part 52 from the acquired part number information. For the part 52 whose manufacturing and assembly process has progressed to a certain extent, the control unit 11 identifies the part 52 from the part number information of the multiple single parts that make up the part 52. The control unit 11 can determine which single parts the part 52 is made of, from the part number information of the multiple single parts, and identify the part 52. Alternatively, if the RFID of the part 52 is rewritten each time a process is completed, the control unit 11 can determine which manufacturing process the part 52 is a part of, from the information rewritten in the latest process among the part number information of the RFID, and identify the part 52.

[0045] When identifying a part 52 that has progressed to a certain degree in the manufacturing and assembly process by reading characters or codes using a camera, there are cases where it is not possible to obtain part number information for all of the individual parts that make up part 52, such as when it is not possible to photograph an individual part that has become inside during assembly. Even in this case, since part numbers can usually be obtained from the outside of a part that is attached later, it is possible to determine which manufacturing process part 52 has completed based on the part number information of the individual part that was attached in the latest process, and identify part 52. Alternatively, vehicle 10 (control unit 11) may obtain the external shape of part 52 using a camera, and identify part 52 using information on the shape of part 52 in addition to the obtained part number information. Part 52 can be identified by shape using known technology such as image recognition technology, and this can be combined with the obtained part number information to enable accurate part identification.

[0046] Step S105: After identifying the part 52, the vehicle 10 transmits identification information for identifying the identified part 52 to the information processing device 20. The identification information for the part 52 may be any information capable of identifying the part 52 being observed, and is, for example, information for identifying the combination of individual parts constituting the part 52, or information for identifying the current work process in which the part 52 is being processed. Alternatively, the vehicle 10 may transmit the acquired part number information for the part 52 as is to the information processing device 20.

[0047] Step S106: The control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 receives the identification information that identifies the part 52, reads out the explanatory information of the part 52 that corresponds to the identification information from the storage unit 22, and transmits it to the vehicle 10 using the communication unit .

[0048] Step S107: The vehicle 10 (control unit 11) receives the explanatory information of the part 52 from the information processing device 20, and outputs the received explanatory information using the output unit 16 in the vehicle. Note that in the present embodiment, it has been described that the explanatory information of the part 52 is received and acquired from the information processing device 20. However, if the necessary explanatory information is available in the storage unit 12 of the vehicle 10, the control unit 11 may read and output the explanatory information from the storage unit 12. The explanatory information of the part 52 is, for example, the position of the part 52 in a finished product. Alternatively, the explanatory information of the part 52 is the position of the current work process (manufacturing process) of the part 52 in the production line (as a whole). Alternatively, the explanatory information of the part 52 is a detailed image of the part 52 (an enlarged image, a three-dimensional image, a VR (Virtual Reality) image, or the like of the part 52). The explanatory information of the part 52 may be a combination of these.

[0049] By displaying information on the position of the part 52 in the finished product on the display device (display), which is the output unit 16 in the vehicle 10, the user can understand in which part of the finished product the part 52 being observed will be installed, and can observe with interest. The display device in the vehicle 10 may be a large-screen display that can be viewed by multiple users, or a personal display that is installed in front of the seat of each user and that each user can freely operate. Alternatively, the display device may be a head-up display installed in the user's observation window.

[0050] Furthermore, by displaying information on the position of the work process of part 52 in the entire production line on the display device, which is the output unit 16 inside vehicle 10, the user can understand the overall picture of the production line and what stage in the entire production line the current work process of part 52 that the user is visiting is at, allowing him or her to enjoy the tour with interest.

[0051] Furthermore, by displaying detailed image information (enlarged image, 3D image, VR image, etc.) of the part 52 being viewed on the display device, which is the output unit 16 in the vehicle 10, the user can learn the detailed structure of the part 52 that cannot be seen when viewing from inside the vehicle (remotely), deepening their understanding of the product (part) and allowing them to view with interest. It is preferable that the magnification and direction of the enlarged image or 3D image on the display device (display) can be freely changed by user operation. Also, the VR image may be displayed on a head-mounted display worn by each user. Furthermore, the image may be a stereoscopic image projected into space.

[0052] The control unit 11 may also provide explanatory information about the part 52 by automated voice from the audio output device (speaker) that is the output unit 16 in the vehicle 10. Furthermore, an explanation about the observation spot (part or work process) during the tour may be provided by automated voice. By identifying the part 52 on the production line by the part number information, it is possible to provide an appropriate explanation corresponding to the observation spot (part).

[0053] Furthermore, samples (actual items) of parts or the like related to the object to be viewed may be prepared inside vehicle 10, and samples related to the part being viewed at that time may be displayed inside the vehicle so that the user can actually touch them.

[0054] Step S108: The system 1 can provide the user with additional information in addition to the explanatory information of the part 52. The additional information is information related to the work process being toured, such as real-time video of the work process, information that cannot be seen in the normal work process, or answers to questions about the work process or explanatory information (sometimes referred to as answer information). The vehicle 10 transmits a request for the additional information to the information processing device 20. The request for the additional information may be made by a user in the vehicle using an operating device at hand, or the control unit 11 may determine the work process of the part 52 and request additional information corresponding to the part (or tour spot).

[0055] Step S109: The control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 receives the request for additional information, prepares additional information corresponding to the request (obtaining images from equipment on the production line, reading the additional information from the memory unit 22, etc.), and transmits it to the vehicle 10 using the communication unit 23.

[0056] Step S110: The vehicle 10 (control unit 11) receives the additional information from the information processing device 20 and outputs the received additional information using the in-vehicle output unit 16. Note that in this embodiment, the additional information is received and acquired from the information processing device 20, but if the necessary additional information is in the storage unit 12 of the vehicle 10, the control unit 11 may read the additional information from the storage unit 12 and output it.

[0057] An example of the additional information will be described. For example, in a production line, a worker may process a part 52 (for example, welding by the worker). At this time, the vehicle 10 (control unit 11) requests an image from a camera at the worker's eye level from the information processing device 20, and the image sent via the information processing device 20 can be displayed on the output unit (display device) 16 in the vehicle 10. By displaying an image from the actual worker's eye level on a display in the vehicle 10 in real time, the user can feel the realism of the work process and can observe with interest. The display device 16 may display an image from a camera attached to the robot arm 60, similar to the image from the camera at the worker's eye level.

[0058] In addition, information that cannot be seen in a normal work process may be provided to the user as additional information. For example, a video showing how to deal with an emergency problem that occurs on the production line being visited may be shown on the display device 16 in the vehicle 10. The video shows how machines detect abnormalities on an unmanned line, how workers behave when an abnormality is detected on an assembly line, an electronic display panel that shows the operating status and abnormalities of the equipment at a glance, and specific measures to be taken when an abnormality occurs, and conveys to the user that the problem is reliably dealt with, thereby improving the brand image.

[0059] The additional information may also be a response (response information) to a question from the user regarding the work process or explanatory information. The user can send the question in the form of a message from an operating terminal at hand, or can ask a question using an input unit 15 such as a microphone installed in the vehicle. The question is sent to a remote center via the information processing device 20, and an operator answers as necessary. Note that the information processing device 20 may respond to relatively simple questions using AI (artificial intelligence).

[0060] Step S111: After that, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 transmits the position information of the next tour spot to the vehicle 10 based on, for example, the tour schedule.

[0061] Thereafter, by repeating step S101 and subsequent steps, the system 1 allows the operator to sequentially tour the production line at each tour spot.

[0062] Next, the traveling of the vehicle 10 will be described. The information processing device 20 manages the tour of the facility by the vehicle 10. The information processing device 20 grasps the position information of each vehicle 10 taking part in the tour, and manages the traveling of each vehicle 10. The traveling management of the vehicle 10 can be performed by various methods.

[0063] A common method is to perform driving management based on a predetermined tour schedule. The information processing device 20 transmits position information of tour spots to the vehicle 10 in sequence at a predetermined timing according to the tour schedule. When the vehicle 10 (control unit 11) receives the position information of the next tour spot from the information processing device 20, it performs autonomous driving to the next tour spot based on the position information of the tour spot, information on the driving route (route map) within the facility, and the position information of the vehicle 10 measured by the positioning unit 14. Alternatively, the information processing device 20 may transmit a tour schedule to the vehicle 10 in advance, and the vehicle 10 may read the tour schedule stored in the memory unit 12 as appropriate and perform autonomous driving to the next tour spot. With this method, a factory tour can be performed according to the schedule.

[0064] Another method is a method of managing the travel of the vehicle 10 in accordance with the speed of the production line. The information processing device 20 has information on the route of the production line and the travel speed of the line at each location, calculates the current position of a specific part 52 at the tour spot that the vehicle 10 first toured, and transmits the position information to the vehicle 10 constantly or periodically. The vehicle 10 (control unit 11) receives the position information of the specific part 52 and performs autonomous driving so as to correspond the movement (position information) of the part 52 on the production line to the position information of the vehicle 10 (i.e., to always observe the part 52). Alternatively, the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 observes the specific part 52 with the camera of the input unit 15 and acquires the movement (movement speed, etc.) of the part 52 on the production line. Then, the control unit 11 may perform autonomous driving so as to correspond the movement of the part 52 on the production line to the position information of the vehicle 10. According to this method, the vehicle 10 can automatically follow one part 52 on the production line by focusing on the part 52. Users can observe the process of how each part is put together and how quickly it comes together.

[0065] (Vehicle operation flow) An operation of providing information to a user of the vehicle 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0066] Step S201: The control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 acquires product number information of the part 52 on the production line at the viewing spot.

[0067] Any method can be used to acquire the part number information of the part 52. As described above, for example, the control unit 11 can use the communication unit 13 to electronically read the RFID from the RFID tag of the part 52 by short-range wireless communication and acquire the part number information. Alternatively, the control unit 11 can use the camera that is the input unit 15 to read characters or codes printed on the part 52 and acquire the part number information.

[0068] Step S202: The control unit 11 identifies the part 52 based on the part number information acquired in step S201. For part 52 in which the manufacturing / assembly process has progressed to a certain extent, the control unit 11 can determine which individual parts the part 52 is made up of, based on the part number information of the multiple individual parts that make up the part 52, and identify the part 52. Alternatively, the control unit 11 can determine which manufacturing process the part 52 has completed, based on the part number information of the RFID that was rewritten in the latest process or the part number information of the individual part that was attached in the latest process, and identify the part 52.

[0069] Step S203: The control unit 11 judges whether or not the explanatory information of the part 52 identified in step S202 is recorded in the memory unit 12 of the vehicle 10. If it is judged that the explanatory information is in the memory unit 12 (step S203-Yes), the process proceeds to step S204. On the other hand, if it is judged that the explanatory information is not in the memory unit 12 (step S203-No), the process proceeds to step S205.

[0070] Step S204: If it is determined in step S203 that the explanatory information of the part 52 is stored in the storage unit 12 (step S203-Yes), the control unit 11 reads out the explanatory information of the part 52 from the storage unit 12. After that, the process proceeds to step S207.

[0071] Step S205: If it is determined in step S203 that the explanatory information for the part 52 is not stored in the storage unit 12 (step S203-No), the control unit 11 transmits identification information for identifying the part 52 to the information processing device 20, and requests the explanatory information for the part 52. After that, the information processing device 20 transmits the explanatory information for the part 52.

[0072] Step S206: The control unit 11 receives the explanatory information of the part 52 transmitted by the information processing device 20 via the communication unit 13. The explanatory information of the part 52 is the position of the part 52 in the finished product, the position of the part 52 in the current work process in the entire production line, or a detailed image of the part 52 (enlarged image, 3D image, VR image, etc.). The explanatory information of the part 52 may be a combination of these. After that, the process proceeds to step S207.

[0073] Step S207: The control unit 11 outputs explanatory information about the part 52 (information read from the storage unit 12 or information received from the information processing device 20) on the output unit 16 in the vehicle. The output unit 16 is, for example, a display device, and displays the position of the part 52 in the finished product or a three-dimensional image of the part 52 on a display. Alternatively, the output unit 16 is, for example, an audio output device, and provides the explanatory information by automatic audio. After that, the process proceeds to step S208.

[0074] Step S208: The control unit 11 judges whether or not additional information is required for the tour at the tour spot. If it is judged that additional information is required (step S208-Yes), the process proceeds to step S209. On the other hand, if it is judged that additional information is not required (step S208-No), the process ends.

[0075] The additional information is, for example, information corresponding to the work process being observed, information that cannot be seen in the normal work process, or information that answers questions about the work process or explanatory information. When a user in the vehicle requests additional information from an operating device at hand, it is determined that the additional information is necessary. Alternatively, the control unit 11 may determine the work process, and if there is useful additional information corresponding to the observation spot, the control unit 11 may determine that the additional information is necessary.

[0076] Step S209: The control unit 11 judges whether or not the additional information required in step S208 is recorded in the memory unit 12 of the vehicle 10. If it is judged that the additional information is in the memory unit 12 (step S209-Yes), the process proceeds to step S210. On the other hand, if it is judged that the additional information is not in the memory unit 12 (step S209-No), the process proceeds to step S211.

[0077] Step S210: If it is determined in step S209 that the additional information is in the storage unit 12 (step S209-Yes), the control unit 11 reads the required additional information from the storage unit 12. After that, the process proceeds to step S213.

[0078] Step S211: If it is determined in step S209 that the additional information is not stored in the storage unit 12 (step S209-No), the control unit 11 requests the required additional information from the information processing device 20. After that, the information processing device 20 transmits the additional information.

[0079] Step S212: The control unit 11 receives the additional information transmitted by the information processing device 20 via the communication unit 13. The additional information is, for example, an image of a camera at the worker's eye line, an image of how to deal with an emergency problem that occurs on the production line being visited, or answer information to a question from a user.

[0080] Step S213: The control unit 11 outputs the additional information (information read from the storage unit 12 or information received from the information processing device 20) to the output unit 16 in the vehicle. The output unit 16 is, for example, a display device, and displays on a display an image from the worker's eye camera, an image of how to deal with an emergency problem, etc. Alternatively, the output unit 16 is, for example, an audio output device, and may answer questions from the user by audio. After that, the process ends.

[0081] In this way, explanatory information regarding the parts on the production line being observed is provided to the user in the vehicle 10. This allows the user to gain knowledge about the object being observed, and the user can observe with interest. In addition, additional information regarding the work process being observed is provided to the user in the vehicle 10. This allows the user to view images and the like that cannot be seen when observing from inside the vehicle, and provides a sense of realism.

[0082] As described above, the vehicle 10 according to this embodiment identifies parts on the production line and provides explanatory information of the parts being toured to the user in the vehicle. The information processing device 20 according to this embodiment manages the tour of the facility by the vehicle, and transmits explanatory information of the parts on the production line to the vehicle based on the identification information of the parts received from the vehicle.

[0083] According to this configuration, even if the user does not have sufficient knowledge about the object to be toured, the user can obtain knowledge about the parts on the production line through the part description information, and can enjoy touring the production line. Therefore, the technology related to the system for touring facilities such as factories by vehicle is improved in that the user's satisfaction during the tour is improved.

[0084] Although the present disclosure has been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art may make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component or step can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent, and multiple components or steps can be combined or divided into one.

[0085] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration and operation of the information processing device 20 may be distributed among a plurality of computers that can communicate with each other. Also, for example, an embodiment in which some or all of the components of the information processing device 20 are provided in the vehicle 10 may be possible.

[0086] Also, for example, an embodiment is possible in which a general-purpose computer functions as the information processing device 20 according to the above-described embodiment. Specifically, a program describing the processing contents for realizing each function of the information processing device 20 according to the above-described embodiment is stored in the memory of the general-purpose computer, and the program is read and executed by a processor. Therefore, the present disclosure can also be realized as a program executable by a processor, or a non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores the program. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 1 System 10 Vehicles 11 Control section 12 Storage section 13. Communications Department 14 Positioning unit 15 Input section 16 Output section 20 Information processing device 21 Control section 22 Memory section 23 Communications Department 30 Network 50 Conveyor Belt 52 parts 60 Robot Arm

Claims

1. A vehicle for allowing a user to tour a facility, Identify parts on the production line by part number information, a control unit that outputs explanatory information of the identified part from an output unit in the vehicle; The control unit acquires product number information from characters or codes printed on the parts. vehicle.

2. A vehicle for allowing a user to tour a facility, Identify parts on the production line by part number information, a control unit that outputs explanatory information of the identified part from an output unit in the vehicle; The control unit performs autonomous driving so as to correspond the movement of the parts on the production line with the position information of the vehicle. vehicle.

3. 3. A vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, The vehicle, wherein the explanatory information is at least one of a position of the part in a finished product, a position of the work process of the part on a production line, and a detailed image of the part.

4. A vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The control unit further outputs additional information regarding the work process being toured from an output unit within the vehicle.

5. A vehicle according to claim 4, The additional information is at least one of an image taken by a camera at the line of sight of a production line worker, an image of a trouble being dealt with on the production line, and an answer to a question from a user.

6. A vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The control unit provides an automated voice explanation of the part or work process being toured.

7. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, for allowing a user riding in the vehicle to tour a facility; An information processing device that transmits explanatory information regarding the part being visited to the vehicle; A system comprising:

8. 8. The system of claim 7, The vehicle further requests additional information regarding the work process being visited from the information processing device, The information processing device transmits the additional information to the vehicle.

9. An information processing device for managing a tour of a facility by vehicle, a control unit that transmits, to the vehicle, description information of the part on the production line based on identification information of the part received from the vehicle; The control unit causes the vehicle to autonomously drive so as to correspond the movement of the parts on the production line with position information of the vehicle. Information processing device.

10. The information processing device according to claim 9, An information processing device, wherein the explanatory information is at least one of a position of the part in a finished product, a position of a work process of the part in a production line, and a detailed image of the part.

11. 11. The information processing device according to claim 9, The control unit is an information processing device that transmits additional information regarding the work process being visited to the vehicle based on a request from the vehicle.

12. The information processing device according to claim 11, The additional information is at least one of an image captured by a camera at the line of sight of a production line worker, an image of a production line troubleshooting, and answer information to a question from a user.

13. A method for allowing a user in a vehicle to tour a facility, comprising: A step in which a control unit acquires part number information of parts on a production line; the control unit identifying the part based on the part number information; a step of outputting explanatory information of the identified part from an output unit in the vehicle by the control unit; The control unit causes the vehicle to autonomously drive so as to correspond the movement of the parts on the production line with position information of the vehicle; A method comprising:

14. 14. The method of claim 13, The method, wherein the descriptive information is at least one of a location of the part in a finished product, a location of an operation of the part on a production line, and a detailed image of the part.

15. 15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, Furthermore, the method includes outputting additional information regarding the work process being visited from an output unit in the vehicle.

16. 16. The method of claim 15, The method, wherein the additional information is at least one of an image taken by a camera at the line of sight of a production line worker, an image of a troubleshooting process on the production line, and answer information to a question from a user.

Images