Coupling Angle Detection Device for Articulated Vehicles, Articulated Vehicles, and Method for Detecting Coupling Angles of Articulated Vehicles

Abstract

A connection angle detection apparatus (30A-30D) acquires shape information of target members (40-1 to 40-6) having a prescribed shape installed in a first vehicle (3, 2) through use of a shape information acquisition device (20) installed in a second vehicle (2, 3), and detects, as the connection angle between the first vehicle (3, 2) and the second vehicle (2, 3), the angle formed by a direction specified on the basis of a prescribed condition from the acquired shape information of the target members (40-1 to 40-6) and the maintained front-rear direction of a vehicle body of the second vehicle (2, 3). The target members (40-1 to 40-6) are installed in the first vehicle (3, 2) so that the specified direction matches the front-rear direction of the vehicle body of the first vehicle (3, 2).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a coupling angle detection device for a coupled vehicle, a coupled vehicle, and a method for detecting a coupling angle of a coupled vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] As a vehicle for transporting goods such as containers in large facilities such as port facilities, a towing motor vehicle, which is a coupled vehicle, is used. A towing motor vehicle is a vehicle in which a towing vehicle (trailer head or tractor) and a towed vehicle (chassis) towed by this towing vehicle are connected by a coupling mechanism. The coupling mechanism of this towing motor vehicle is composed of a coupler on the towing vehicle side and a kingpin on the towed vehicle side.

[0003] When the towing motor vehicle configured in this way travels so as to turn left or right, the coupling angle becomes large. When the coupling angle becomes large, the vehicle body is likely to roll over, and it becomes difficult for the driver to grasp the moving area of the vehicle body. Therefore, the driver needs to drive with even more caution. The technique of Patent Document 1 proposes detecting the coupling angle between the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle during the running of the towing motor vehicle and performing driving support based on the detected value.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Patent Document 1 describes a trailer coupling angle detection device that detects the coupling angle of a towed vehicle with respect to a towing vehicle by installing a reflector at a predetermined position of the towed vehicle, scanning the towed vehicle horizontally with a scan radar installed on the towing vehicle, and detecting the direction of the reflected light returning from the reflector.

[0006] By the way, when using the technology described in Patent Document 1, if the distance between the scan radar and the reflector increases due to the installation position of the reflector or the change in the coupling angle of the towing vehicle, the intensity of the reflected light detected by the scan radar will attenuate. Also, when dirt adheres to the reflector, the intensity of the reflected light detected by the scan radar will decrease. In these cases, the difference in intensity between the reflected light from the reflector and the reflected light from its surroundings becomes small, and there are cases where the scan radar cannot detect the reflected light from the reflector.

[0007] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a coupling angle detection device for a coupled vehicle, a coupled vehicle, and a method for detecting a coupling angle of a coupled vehicle that can accurately detect the coupling angle of two vehicles constituting the coupled vehicle with simple processing.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] A coupling angle detection device for a coupled vehicle including a first vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and a second vehicle coupled to the first vehicle includes a target member of a predetermined shape installed on the first vehicle, a shape information acquisition device installed on the second vehicle for acquiring shape information of the target member, information indicating the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the second vehicle is held in advance, and a direction specified based on a predetermined condition from the shape information of the target member acquired by the shape information acquisition device is recognized as the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the first vehicle, and a coupling angle detection unit that detects, as a coupling angle between the first vehicle and the second vehicle, an angle formed by the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the second vehicle held and the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the first vehicle recognized. The target member is installed on the first vehicle so that the direction specified based on the predetermined condition from the shape information by the coupling angle detection unit matches the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the first vehicle.

[0009] The target member includes a plurality of individuals having a rectangular shape, and one corner on the second vehicle side of each of the plurality of individuals is installed so as to overlap a line perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the first vehicle on a plane parallel to the running surface of the first vehicle. The connection angle detection unit may detect each of the one corners from the shape information of each of the plurality of individuals, and recognize the direction perpendicular to the straight line connecting the detected one corners as the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the first vehicle, and detect the connection angle.

[0010] The target member has an elongated rectangular shape, and the long side of the target member is installed on the first vehicle so as to overlap a line perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the first vehicle on a plane parallel to the running surface of the first vehicle. The connection angle detection unit may detect the long side from the shape information of the target member, and recognize the direction perpendicular to the detected long side as the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the first vehicle, and detect the connection angle.

[0011] The target member has a rectangular shape, and one side of the target member is installed on the first vehicle so as to overlap a line perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the first vehicle on a plane parallel to the running surface of the first vehicle. The connection angle detection unit may detect the one side from the shape information of the target member, and recognize the direction specified based on the position and direction of the detected one side as the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the first vehicle, and detect the connection angle.

[0012] The target member includes a plurality of individuals having a circular shape, and the center positions of the circles of each of the plurality of individuals are installed on the first vehicle so as to overlap a line perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the first vehicle on a plane parallel to the running surface of the first vehicle. The connection angle detection unit may detect the center positions of the respective circles from the shape information of each of the plurality of individuals, and recognize the direction perpendicular to the straight line connecting the detected center positions as the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the first vehicle, and detect the connection angle.

[0013] The coupling angle detection device for a coupled vehicle including a first vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and a second vehicle coupled to the first vehicle includes a target member having a predetermined shape installed on the first vehicle, a shape information acquisition device installed on the second vehicle for acquiring shape information of the target member, the shape information of the target member acquired by the shape information acquisition device when the coupling angle between the first vehicle and the second vehicle is 0° is pre-held as first shape information, the shape information of the target member acquired by the shape information acquisition device at an arbitrary point in time is acquired as second shape information, a rotation angle calculation unit for calculating a rotation angle between the first shape information and the second shape information based on the position of the shape information acquisition device, and a coupling angle detection unit for detecting the rotation angle calculated by the rotation angle calculation unit as the coupling angle between the first vehicle and the second vehicle at the arbitrary point in time.

[0014] A coupled vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes the coupling angle detection device for the coupled vehicle, and an automatic driving control unit for automatically driving the host vehicle and changing the automatic driving content when the coupling angle detected by the coupling angle detection device becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0015] A coupled vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes the coupling angle detection device for the coupled vehicle, and a notification information output unit for outputting information for notifying the driver that the coupling angle of the host vehicle has become equal to or greater than the predetermined value when it is detected that the coupling angle detected by the coupling angle detection device has become equal to or greater than the predetermined value.

[0016] The method for detecting the coupling angle of a coupled vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a coupled vehicle including a first vehicle provided with a target member having a predetermined shape and a second vehicle coupled to the first vehicle and provided with a shape information acquisition device for acquiring the shape information of the target member. The target member is installed such that the direction specified based on a predetermined condition from the shape information matches the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the first vehicle. The method for detecting the coupling angle of the coupled vehicle includes preliminarily holding information indicating the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the second vehicle, recognizing, as the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the first vehicle, the direction specified based on the predetermined condition from the shape information of the target member acquired by the shape information acquisition device, and detecting, as the coupling angle between the first vehicle and the second vehicle, the angle formed by the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the second vehicle held and the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the first vehicle recognized.

Effect of the Invention

[0017] According to the present disclosure, the coupling angle between two vehicles constituting a coupled vehicle can be accurately detected with simple processing.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a connection angle detection device for detecting the connection angle of a towing motor vehicle, which is a connected vehicle, will be described with reference to the drawings. A towing motor vehicle is a vehicle in which a towing vehicle (trailer head or tractor) and a towed vehicle (chassis) towed by this towing vehicle are connected by a connection mechanism. The connection mechanism of this towing motor vehicle is composed of a coupler on the towing vehicle side and a kingpin on the towed vehicle side, and its connection angle (the connection angle between the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle) changes due to changes in the traveling direction of the towing motor vehicle, etc.

[0020] (First Embodiment) (Configuration of Towing Motor Vehicle 1A Using Connection Angle Detection Device 30A According to the First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a side view showing the configuration of a towing motor vehicle 1A using a connection angle detection device 30A according to the first embodiment. The towing motor vehicle 1A includes a towing vehicle 2, a towed vehicle 3, and a connection mechanism 4 that connects the towing vehicle 2 and the towed vehicle 3. At a predetermined position of the towed vehicle 3 as the first vehicle, a plurality of target members 40-1 and 40-2 are installed. These target members 40-1 and 40-2 are installed on the towed vehicle 3 so that the direction specified based on the shape information thereof matches the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the towed vehicle 3. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, two target members 40-1 and 40-2 having the same shape are installed at a predetermined position on the upper surface of the towed vehicle 3. The installation positions of the target members 40-1 and 40-2 on the towed vehicle 3 will be described later.

[0021] On the towing vehicle 2 as the second vehicle, there are installed an operation control device 10, a sensor (Distance measuring sensor) 20, and a connection angle detection device 30A.

[0022] The driving control device 10 controls the driving of the towing vehicle 2. The sensor 20 is composed of, for example, a camera device or LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). The sensor 20 is installed at a predetermined position at the rear of the towing vehicle 2 to measure the distances to a plurality of positions within an object in the upper surface area of the trailing vehicle 3 behind. Hereinafter, the measurement target position by the sensor 20 is described as a measurement point.

[0023] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the coupling angle detection device 30A. The coupling angle detection device 30A is communicably connected to the driving control device 10 and the sensor 20. The coupling angle detection device 30A includes a measurement information acquisition unit 301, a filtering unit 302, a clustering unit 303, a straight line extraction unit 304, a corner estimation unit 305, and a coupling angle detection unit 306A.

[0024] The measurement information acquisition unit 301 acquires the ranging distance and the information on the ranging direction to a plurality of measurement points by the sensor 20 as measurement information regarding each measurement point. The filtering unit 302 performs filtering processing of the measurement information by extracting the information of the measurement points within a predetermined range of the ranging distance among the measurement points corresponding to the measurement information acquired by the measurement information acquisition unit 301.

[0025] The clustering unit 303 performs clustering processing to recognize a set of measurement points whose distance from adjacent measurement points is less than a predetermined value as a measurement point group regarding one object, with respect to the information of the measurement points extracted by the filtering processing by the filtering unit 302. The clustering unit 303 calculates the size of each object to be measured based on the information of the measurement points within the recognized measurement point group. If the calculated size of the object is within a range preset corresponding to the target members 40-1 and 40-2, the clustering unit 303 recognizes that the object is the target member 40-1 or 40-2.

[0026] Based on the measurement information regarding the measurement points corresponding to each of the recognized target members 40-1 and 40-2, the straight line extraction unit 304 extracts the information of the straight line portion as the shape information constituting each of the target members 40-1 and 40-2. The corner estimation unit 305 estimates the corner portion, which is one corner of each of the target members 40-1 and 40-2, based on the information of the straight line portion extracted by the straight line extraction unit 304.

[0027] The connecting angle detection unit 306A recognizes (determines) the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the towed vehicle 3 based on the straight line connecting the vertices of the corner portions of each of the target members 40-1 and 40-2 estimated by the corner estimation unit 305. The connecting angle detection unit 306A previously holds information indicating the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the towing vehicle 2 with respect to the installation direction of the sensor 20, and detects the angle formed by the held longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the towing vehicle 2 and the recognized longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the towed vehicle 3 as the connecting angle of the towing vehicle 1A. The connecting angle detection unit 306A sends the detected connecting angle information to the operation control device 10.

[0028] (Operation of the towing vehicle 1A using the connecting angle detection device 30A according to the first embodiment) The operation of the towing vehicle 1A using the connecting angle detection device 30A according to the present embodiment will be described. In the present embodiment, the target members 40-1 and 40-2 have a rectangular shape such as a rectangular parallelepiped. One corner of each of the target members 40-1 and 40-2 on the side of the towing vehicle 2 A is installed on the towed vehicle 3 so as to overlap a line perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the towed vehicle 3 on a plane parallel to the running surface of the towing vehicle 1.

[0029] During the running of the towing vehicle 1A, the sensor 20 measures the distances to a plurality of measurement points within an object in the upper surface area of the towed vehicle 3, that is, an object including the target members 40-1 and 40-2, at predetermined time intervals. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the sensor 20 measures the distances to a plurality of measurement points within the target members 40-1 and 40-2 on the upper surface of the towed vehicle 3 and the protruding member 3a, which is a part of the vehicle body.

[0030] At this time, if the target members 40-1 and 40-2 are made of thin plate-like members, depending on the connection angle between the towing vehicle 2 and the towed vehicle 3, there may be a case where the sensor 20 cannot detect a part of the end of the target members 40-1 and 40-2 on the side of the towing vehicle 2 as the measurement target position. However, in this embodiment, since the target members 40-1 and 40-2 are configured as thick rectangular parallelepipeds, the sensor 20 can surely detect the ends of the target members 40-1 and 40-2 on the side of the towing vehicle 2 as the measurement target position. The sensor 20 sends measurement information regarding a plurality of measurement points in the target members 40-1 and 40-2 and the protruding member 3a to the connection angle detection device 30A.

[0031] FIGS. 4A and 4B are flowcharts showing the flow of the connection angle detection process executed when the connection angle detection device 30A acquires measurement information from the sensor 20. When measurement information is sent from the sensor 20, the measurement information acquisition unit 301 of the connection angle detection device 30A acquires the information (''YES'' in S1) and sends it to the filtering unit 302.

[0032] The filtering unit 302 performs filtering processing of the measurement information by extracting measurement information with a ranging distance within a predetermined range from among the measurement information regarding each measurement point acquired by the measurement information acquisition unit 301 (S2). Specifically, the filtering unit 302 extracts measurement information with a ranging distance within the range corresponding to the target members 40-1 and 40-2 from among a plurality of measurement points in the target members 40-1 and 40-2 and the protruding member 3a. The information in this range is preset within a range where the probability (likelihood) that the measurement points measured by the sensor 20 correspond to the target member 40-1 or 40-2 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, based on the installation position of the sensor 20 and the installation positions of the target members 40-1 and 40-2. By this filtering process, the filtering unit 302 determines that the measurement points of the protruding member 3a do not correspond to the target members 40-1 and 40-2, and excludes the measurement information of the protruding member 3a from the targets used in the connection angle detection process.

[0033] Next, the clustering unit 303 performs initial setting by assigning identification information to each measurement point extracted by the filtering process (S3). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the clustering unit 303 assigns identification information P1, P2... P15 to each of the 15 measurement points.

[0034] Next, the clustering unit 303 performs clustering processing on the measurement points extracted by the filtering process, and recognizes a set of measurement points whose distance from adjacent measurement points is less than a predetermined value as a measurement point group for one object. Specifically, the clustering unit 303 recognizes the set of measurement points with identification information P1 to P8 as a measurement point group for one object, and recognizes the set of measurement points with identification information P9 to P15 as a measurement point group for another object.

[0035] The clustering unit 303 calculates the size of each object to be measured based on the measurement information regarding the measurement points within each recognized measurement point group (S4). The clustering unit 303 pre-retains range information corresponding to the sizes of the target members 40-1 and 40-2, and if the calculated size of the object is within the range of the retained information, the object is recognized as the target member 40-1 or 40-2. Here, the clustering unit 303 recognizes that the sizes of the two objects to be measured are within the range of the pre-retained information, and these two objects are the target members 40-1 and 40-2 ( "YES" in S5).

[0036] Next, the straight line extraction unit 304 extracts a group of measurement points that constitute a straight line from among the measurement points corresponding to each of the recognized target members 40-1 and 40-2, and groups them for each straight line (S 6)。 Further, the straight line extraction unit 304 extracts, from each of the grouped measurement point groups, a measurement point group in which the corresponding number of measurement points is equal to or greater than a preset first threshold value. This first threshold value is a value set to determine the probability that the grouped measurement point group is a straight line portion. The straight line extraction unit 304 identifies a straight line from the extracted measurement point group (S7). Here, when identifying a straight line from the extracted measurement point group, the straight line extraction unit 304 may use, for example, the least squares method.

[0037] Next, for each of the target members 40-1 and 40-2, if there is a measurement point that does not belong to the measurement point group of any straight line on the extension line of any of the identified straight lines, the straight line extraction unit 304 extends the straight line to the measurement point. Also, if there is another straight line on the extension line of any of the identified straight lines, the straight line extraction unit 304 integrates these straight lines into one straight line (S8). By performing these extension processing and integration processing, the straight line extraction unit 304 can accurately extract the straight line portions of the target members 40-1 and 40-2.

[0038] Next, the straight line extraction unit 304 extracts, from the extracted straight lines, a straight line in which the corresponding number of measurement points is equal to or greater than a preset second threshold value (S9). This second threshold value is a value set to determine the probability that the identified straight line constitutes the outer shape of the target members 40-1 and 40-2.

[0039] Next, the corner estimation unit 305 selects a downward-right line and Upslope a line from the straight lines extracted by the straight line extraction unit 304 for each of the target members 40-1 and 40-2 (S10, S11). For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the corner estimation unit 305 selects the straight line Q1 identified by the measurement point groups P1 to P4 as the downward-right line for the target member 40-1, and selects the straight line Q2 identified by the measurement point groups P4 to P8 as the upward-right line. Also, for the target member 40-2, the corner estimation unit 305 selects the straight line Q3 identified by the measurement point groups P9 and P10 as the upward-right line, and selects the straight line Q4 identified by the measurement point groups P11 to P15 as the downward-right line.

[0040] Then, for each of the target members 40-1 and 40-2, the corner estimation unit 305 detects an L-shaped portion where the selected downward right line intersects with the Upslope line.

[0041] Next, when the corner estimation unit 305 detects an L-shaped portion corresponding to each of the target members 40-1 and 40-2 (\"YES\" in S12), the corner estimation unit 305 estimates the positions of the detected L-shaped portions as the corner portions of the target members 40-1 and 40-2, respectively (S13). For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the corner estimation unit 305 estimates the corner portion of the target member 40-1 from the straight line Q1 and the straight line Q2, and estimates the corner portion of the target member 40-2 from the straight line Q3 and the straight line Q4.

[0042] In step S12, when the corner estimation unit 305 does not detect an L-shaped portion corresponding to the target member 40-1 or 40-2 (\"NO\" in S12), the corner estimation unit 305 recognizes the longest straight line extracted by the straight line extraction unit 304 as the straight line constituting the target member. Then, the corner estimation unit 305 estimates the end of the recognized straight line that is closer to the other target member as the vertex of the corner portion of the target member (S14).

[0043] Next, the connection angle detection unit 306A identifies the vertex R1 of the corner portion of the target member 40-1 and the vertex R2 of the corner portion of the target member 40-2, and further identifies a straight line S connecting these vertices R1 and R2. Then, the corner estimation unit 305 identifies a direction T perpendicular to the straight line S, and recognizes (determines) the identified direction T as the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the towed vehicle 3 (S15).

[0044] Next, the connection angle detection unit 306A detects the angle θ formed by the recognized longitudinal direction T of the vehicle body of the towed vehicle 3 (the identified direction T) and the longitudinal direction U of the vehicle body of the towing vehicle 2 held in advance as the connection angle of the automatic towing vehicle 1A (S16). The connection angle detection unit 306A outputs the information on the detected connection angle of the automatic towing vehicle 1A to the operation control device 10.

[0045] When the towing vehicle 1A is an autonomous vehicle, the driving control device 10 functions as an automatic driving control unit. When it detects that the coupling angle detected by the coupling angle detection device 30A has become equal to or greater than a predetermined value, it changes the automatic driving content by the automatic driving control function. For example, when the driving control device 10 detects that the coupling angle has become equal to or greater than a predetermined value, it reduces the traveling speed or stops.

[0046] By controlling the driving in this way, when the towing vehicle 1A performing automatic driving turns right or left and the coupling angle increases, the safety of traveling can be ensured.

[0047] When the towing vehicle 1A is a vehicle driven by a driver, the driving control device 10 functions as a notification information output unit. When it detects that the coupling angle detected by the coupling angle detection device 30A has become equal to or greater than a predetermined value, it outputs information for notifying the driver of the detected content by the notification information output function.

[0048] By outputting the information in this way, when the towing vehicle 1A driven by the driver turns right or left and the coupling angle increases, the driver can be alerted and safe driving can be supported.

[0049] According to the first embodiment, the sensor 20 installed on the towing vehicle 2 of the towing vehicle 1A measures the shapes of the two target members 40-1 and 40-2 installed on the towed vehicle 3. Therefore, the coupling angle between the towing vehicle 2 and the towed vehicle 3 can be accurately detected with simple processing. At that time, even if the coupling angle between the towing vehicle 2 and the towed vehicle 3 changes and the distances between the sensor 20 and the target members 40-1 and 40-2 become longer, it is not affected, and highly accurate coupling angle detection processing can be performed without the need for maintenance of the target members 40-1 and 40-2.

[0050] (Second Embodiment) (Configuration of the towing vehicle 1B using the coupling angle detection device 30B according to the second embodiment) Since the configuration of the towing vehicle 1B according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the towing vehicle 1A in FIG. 1 described in the first embodiment, detailed descriptions of parts having the same functions are omitted. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, one target member 40-3 formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape with an elongated shape is installed at a predetermined position of the towed vehicle 3.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 7, the connection angle detection device 30B according to this embodiment includes a measurement information acquisition unit 301, a filtering unit 302, a clustering unit 303, a straight line extraction unit 304, a long side estimation unit 307, and a connection angle detection unit 306B. Among these, since the functions of the functional parts other than the long side estimation unit 307 and the connection angle detection unit 306B are the same as those in the first embodiment, detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0052] The long side estimation unit 307 estimates the long side portion of the target member 40-3 based on the information of the straight line portion extracted by the straight line extraction unit 304. The connection angle detection unit 306B identifies the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the towed vehicle 3 based on the information of the long side portion of the target member 40-3 estimated by the long side estimation unit 307, and further detects the connection angle of the towing vehicle 1B.

[0053] (Operation of the towing vehicle 1B using the connection angle detection device 30B according to the second embodiment) The operation of the towing vehicle 1B using the connection angle detection device 30B according to this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the target member 40-3 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape with an elongated shape. The target member 40-3 is installed on the towed vehicle 3 so that the long side on the towing vehicle 2 side overlaps with a line perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the towed vehicle 3 on a plane parallel to the running surface of the towing vehicle 1B.

[0054] During the running of the towing vehicle 1B, the sensor 20 measures the distances to a plurality of measurement points in an object including the target member 40-3 in the upper surface area of the towed vehicle 3 at predetermined time intervals. The sensor 20 extracts measurement information regarding a plurality of measurement points in the target member 40-3 and sends it to the connection angle detection device 30B.

[0055] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of the connection angle detection process executed when the connection angle detection device 30B acquires measurement information from the sensor 20. Since the processes in steps S21 to S29 in FIG. 8 are the same as the processes in steps S1 to S9 described in the first embodiment, detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0056] Based on the measurement information measured by the sensor 20, when the straight line extraction unit 304 extracts the straight line portion of the object on the towed vehicle 3 in step S29, the long side estimation unit 307 estimates the long side portion of the target member 40-3 based on the information of the extracted straight line portion. Specifically, the long side estimation unit 307 estimates (identifies) the straight line with the longest length as the long side portion of the target member 40-3 (S30).

[0057] Next, the connection angle detection unit 306B identifies the direction perpendicular to the long side of the target member 40-3, and recognizes (determines) the identified direction as the front-rear direction of the vehicle body of the towed vehicle 3 (S31). Then, the connection angle detection unit 306B detects the angle formed by the recognized front-rear direction of the vehicle body of the towed vehicle 3 and the front-rear direction of the vehicle body of the towing vehicle 2 held in advance as the connection angle of the towing vehicle 1B (S32).

[0058] According to the second embodiment, the sensor 20 installed on the towing vehicle 2 of the towing vehicle 1B measures the shape of one target member 40-3 installed on the towed vehicle 3. Therefore, the connection angle between the towing vehicle 2 and the towed vehicle 3 can be accurately detected with a simpler process than in the first embodiment.

[0059] (Third Embodiment) (Configuration of the towing vehicle 1C using the connection angle detection device 30C according to the third embodiment) The configuration of the towing vehicle 1C according to the third embodiment is the same as the configuration of the towing vehicle 1A in FIG. 1 described in the first embodiment. Therefore, detailed description of parts having the same functions is omitted. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, one target member 40-4 formed in a rectangular shape close to a cube is installed at a predetermined position of the towed vehicle 3.

[0060] As shown in Fig. 10, the connection angle detection device 30C according to this embodiment includes a measurement information acquisition unit 301, a filtering unit 302, a clustering unit 303, a straight line extraction unit 304, a straight line determination unit 308, and a connection angle detection unit 306C. Among these, since the functions of the functional units other than the straight line determination unit 308 and the connection angle detection unit 306C are the same as those in the first embodiment, detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0061] Based on the information of the straight line portion extracted by the straight line extraction unit 304, the straight line determination unit 308 determines the straight line portion corresponding to one side of the target member 40-4. Based on the information of one side portion of the target member 40-4 determined by the straight line determination unit 308, the connection angle detection unit 306C specifies the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the towed vehicle 3, and further detects the connection angle of the towing motor vehicle 1C.

[0062] (Operation of the towing motor vehicle 1C using the connection angle detection device 30C according to the third embodiment) The operation of the towing motor vehicle 1C using the connection angle detection device 30C according to this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the target member 40-4 is formed in a rectangular shape close to a cube. The target member 40-4 is installed on the towed vehicle 3 so that one side on the towing vehicle 2 side overlaps with a line perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the towed vehicle 3 on a plane parallel to the running surface of the towing motor vehicle 1C.

[0063] During the running of the towing motor vehicle 1C, the sensor 20 measures the distances to a plurality of measurement points in an object including the target member 40-4 in the upper surface area of the towed vehicle 3 at predetermined time intervals. The sensor 20 extracts measurement information regarding a plurality of measurement points in the target member 40-4 and sends it to the connection angle detection device 30C.

[0064] Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of the connection angle detection process executed when the connection angle detection device 30C acquires measurement information from the sensor 20. Since the processes in steps S41 to S49 in Fig. 11 are the same as the processes in steps S1 to S9 described in the first embodiment, detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0065] Based on the measurement information measured by the sensor 20, when the straight line extraction unit 304 extracts the straight line portion of the object on the towed vehicle 3 in step S49, the straight line determination unit 308 determines the straight line portion corresponding to one side of the target member 40-4 based on the information of the extracted straight line portion. The process of the straight line determination unit 308 determining the straight line portion corresponding to one side of the target member 40-4 will be described.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 12, when the connection angle is 0° and the target member 40-4 is in the position of (a), the side of the target member 40-4 on the towing vehicle 2 side is defined as L1, and the sides sequentially contacting in the counterclockwise direction from the side L1 are L2→L3→L4.

[0067] Here, when the connection angle is between 0° and approximately 45° in the left and right directions, the straight line in the target member 40-4 measured by the sensor 20 is the side L1. When the connection angle is greater than approximately 45° and up to approximately 90° in the left direction, the target member 40-4 is in the position of (b) in FIG. 12 for example, and the straight line in the target member 40-4 measured by the sensor 20 is the side L4. When the connection angle is approximately 90° in the left direction, the target member 40-4 is in the position of (c) in FIG. 12 for example, and the straight lines of the target member 40-4 measured by the sensor 20 are the side L3 and the side L4. When the connection angle is greater than approximately 45° and up to approximately 90° in the right direction, the target member 40-4 is in the position of (d) in FIG. 12 for example, and the straight line in the target member 40-4 measured by the sensor 20 is the side L2. When the connection angle is approximately 90° in the right direction, the target member 40-4 is in the position of (e) in FIG. 12 for example, and the straight lines of the target member 40-4 measured by the sensor 20 are the side L3 and the side L2.

[0068] The straight line determination unit 308 pre-holds information indicating the correspondence relationship between the above-described connection angle, the position of the target member 40-4, and the identification information of the sides measured by the sensor 20. Then, the straight line determination unit 308 selects the straight line portion with the longest length from the information of the straight line portions extracted by the straight line extraction unit 304, rather than the side closest to the connection mechanism 4 within the target member 40-4. Next, the straight line determination unit 308 determines the identification information of one side within the target member 40-4 corresponding to the selected straight line portion, that is, the position of one side within the target member 40-4 and its direction, based on the held information (S50).

[0069] Next, based on the identification information of one side within the target member 40-4 and its direction determined by the straight line determination unit 308, the connection angle detection unit 306C calculates (specifies) the directions of sides L2 and L4, and recognizes (determines) the calculated directions as the front-rear direction of the vehicle body of the towed vehicle 3 (S51). Then, the connection angle detection unit 306C detects the angle formed between the recognized front-rear direction of the vehicle body of the towed vehicle 3 and the pre-held front-rear direction of the vehicle body of the towing vehicle 2 as the connection angle of the automatic towing vehicle 1C (S52).

[0070] According to the third embodiment, the sensor 20 installed on the towing vehicle 2 of the automatic towing vehicle 1C measures the shape of one target member 40-4 installed on the towed vehicle 3. Therefore, the connection angle between the towing vehicle 2 and the towed vehicle 3 can be accurately detected with a simpler process than in the first embodiment. In addition, the target member 40-4 used in this embodiment has a shape close to a cube. Therefore, it is not necessary to have a space for installing an elongated object like the target member 40-3 used in the second embodiment on the towed vehicle 3, and the degree of freedom in installation is increased.

[0071] (Fourth Embodiment) (Configuration of the Automatic Towing Vehicle 1D Using the Connection Angle Detection Device 30D According to the Fourth Embodiment) Since the configuration of the towing vehicle 1D according to the fourth embodiment is the same as that of the towing vehicle 1A in FIG. 1 described in the first embodiment, detailed descriptions of parts having the same functions are omitted. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, two target members 40-5 and 40-6 formed in a columnar shape are installed at a predetermined position of the towed vehicle 3. Three or more columnar target members may be installed on the towed vehicle 3.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 14, the connection angle detection device 30D according to this embodiment includes a measurement information acquisition unit 301, a filtering unit 302, a clustering unit 303, a circle approximation unit 309, and a connection angle detection unit 306D. Among these, since the functions of the functional units other than the circle approximation unit 309 and the connection angle detection unit 306D are the same as those in the first embodiment, detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0073] The circle approximation unit 309 performs circle approximation processing, for example, by the least squares method, on the measurement group corresponding to the objects recognized as the target members 40-5 and 40-6 by the clustering unit 303, thereby detecting the center positions of the circles of the target members 40-5 and 40-6 respectively. The connection angle detection unit 306D specifies the front-rear direction of the vehicle body of the towed vehicle 3 based on the information on the center positions of the circles of the target members 40-5 and 40-6 detected by the circle approximation unit 309, and further detects the connection angle of the towing vehicle 1D.

[0074] (Operation of the towing vehicle 1D using the connection angle detection device 30D according to the fourth embodiment) The operation of the towing vehicle 1D using the connection angle detection device 30D according to this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the target members 40-5 and 40-6 are formed in a cylindrical shape. The target members 40-5 and 40-6 are installed on the towed vehicle 3 such that the center positions of their respective circles overlap a line perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the vehicle body of the towed vehicle 3.

[0075] While the towing vehicle 1D is in motion, the sensor 20 measures the distances to a plurality of measurement points within an object including the target members 40-5 and 40-6 in the upper surface area of the towed vehicle 3 at predetermined time intervals. The sensor 20 extracts measurement information regarding the plurality of measurement points within the target members 40-5 and 40-6 and sends it to the coupling angle detection device 30D.

[0076] FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the flow of the coupling angle detection process executed when the coupling angle detection device 30D acquires measurement information from the sensor 20. Since the processes in steps S61 to S65 in FIG. 15 are the same as the processes in steps S1 to S5 described in the first embodiment, detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0077] In step S65, when the clustering unit 303 determines that the sizes of the two objects to be measured are within the range of the information held in advance and these two objects are recognized as the target members 40-5 and 40-6 (''YES'' in S65), the process proceeds to step S66. In step S66, the circle approximation unit 309 performs, for example, a circle approximation process using the least squares method on the measurement group recognized by the clustering unit 303 as corresponding to the target members 40-5 and 40-6. Then, the circle approximation unit 309 detects the center positions of the circles of the target members 40-5 and 40-6 respectively (S66).

[0078] Next, the coupling angle detection unit 306D calculates (specifies) the direction perpendicular to the straight line connecting the center positions of the circles detected by the circle approximation unit 309 and recognizes (determines) the calculated direction as the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the towed vehicle 3 (S67). And the coupling angle detection unit 306 D detects the angle formed by the recognized longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the towed vehicle 3 and the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the towing vehicle 2 held in advance as the coupling angle of the towing vehicle 1D (S68).

[0079] According to the fourth embodiment, the sensor 20 installed on the towing vehicle 2 of the towing vehicle 1D measures the shapes of the two cylindrical target members 40-5 and 40-6 installed on the towed vehicle 3. Therefore, the coupling angle between the towing vehicle 2 and the towed vehicle 3 can be accurately detected with a simpler process than in the first embodiment.

[0080] (Fifth Embodiment) (Configuration of Towing Automobile 1E Using Connection Angle Detection Device 30E According to Fifth Embodiment) Since the configuration of the towing automobile 1E according to the fifth embodiment is the same as the configuration of the towing automobile 1A in FIG. 1 described in the first embodiment, detailed descriptions of parts having the same functions are omitted. The shape, number, and installation position on the towed vehicle 3 of the target member used in this embodiment are not limited. For example, target members installed on the towed vehicle 3 with the same shape and number as any of the first to fourth embodiments can be used.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 16, the connection angle detection device 30E according to this embodiment includes a measurement information acquisition unit 301, a filtering unit 302, a rotation angle calculation unit 310, and a connection angle detection unit 306E. Among these, since the functions of the functional units other than the rotation angle calculation unit 310 and the connection angle detection unit 306E are the same as those in the first embodiment, detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0082] The rotation angle calculation unit 310 preliminarily holds first shape information, which is the shape information of the target member acquired based on the information measured by the sensor 20 when the connection angle between the towing vehicle 2 and the towed vehicle 3 is 0°. The rotation angle calculation unit 310 calculates the rotation angle of the target member with the position of the sensor 20 as the reference point based on the held shape information of the target member and second shape information, which is the shape information of the target member acquired based on the information measured by the sensor 20 at an arbitrary time point.

[0083] The connection angle detection unit 306E detects the rotation angle calculated by the rotation angle calculation unit 310 as the connection angle of the towing automobile 1E at an arbitrary time point.

[0084] (Operation of Towing Automobile 1E Using Connection Angle Detection Device 30E According to Fifth Embodiment) The operation of the towing vehicle 1E using the connection angle detection device 30E according to this embodiment will be described. Here, as an example, the case where one target member 40-7 formed in a rectangular shape is installed on the towed vehicle 3 will be described. In this embodiment, the rotation angle calculation unit 310 holds the position information of a plurality of measurement point groups within the target member 40-7 measured by the sensor 20 when the connection angle is 0° as the shape information of the target member 40-7 when the connection angle between the towing vehicle 2 and the towed vehicle 3 is 0°.

[0085] During the running of the towing vehicle 1E, the sensor 20 measures the distances to a plurality of measurement points within an object including the target member 40-7 in the upper surface area of the towed vehicle 3 at predetermined time intervals. The sensor 20 extracts measurement information regarding the plurality of measurement points within the target member 40-7 and sends it to the connection angle detection device 30E.

[0086] FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the flow of the connection angle detection process executed when the connection angle detection device 30E acquires measurement information from the sensor 20. Since the processes in steps S71 and S72 in FIG. 17 are the same as the processes in steps S1 and S2 described in the first embodiment, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0087] When the filtering unit 302 extracts, by filtering processing, measurement information whose ranging distance is within a predetermined range in step S72, the process proceeds to step S73. In step S73, the rotation angle calculation unit 310 calculates the rotation angle of the measurement point group based on the sensor 20 with the position of the sensor 20 as the reference point, based on the measurement information extracted by the filtering processing and the position information of the plurality of measurement point groups within the target member 40-7 held in advance. The rotation angle calculation unit 310 can use, for example, the ICP (Iterative Closest Point) algorithm for the calculation process of the rotation angle of the measurement point group.

[0088] In FIG. 18, the position of the target member 40-7 when the connection angle between the towing vehicle 2 and the towed vehicle 3 is 0° is shown in (a), and the position of the target member 40-7 at an arbitrary point during travel is shown in (b). At this time, the rotation angle calculation unit 310 calculates the rotation angle θ between the measurement point group when the target member 40-7 is in the position of (a) and the measurement point group when it is in the position of (b), with the position of the sensor 20 as the reference point.

[0089] Next, the connection angle detection unit 306E detects the rotation angle θ of the measurement point group calculated by the rotation angle calculation unit 310 as the connection angle of the towing vehicle 1E (S73).

[0090] According to the fifth embodiment, the rotation state of the target member 40-7 installed on the towed vehicle 3 is measured by the sensor 20 installed on the towing vehicle 2 of the towing vehicle 1E. Therefore, the connection angle between the towing vehicle 2 and the towed vehicle 3 can be accurately detected with a simpler process than in the first embodiment.

[0091] In the above-described first to fifth embodiments, the case where the target member is installed on the towed vehicle 3 and the sensor 20 is installed on the towing vehicle 2 has been described. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the target member may be installed on the towing vehicle 2 and the sensor 20 may be installed on the towed vehicle 3, and the same processing as in each embodiment may be performed.

[0092] Although several embodiments have been described, it is possible to modify or deform the embodiments based on the above disclosure. All the components of the above embodiments and all the features described in the claims may be extracted and combined individually as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0093] The entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-187020 (filing date: November 17, 2021) are incorporated herein by reference.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0094] 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E Towing vehicle (articulated vehicle) 2 Towing vehicle (second vehicle or first vehicle) 3 Towed vehicle (first vehicle or second vehicle) 10 Driving control device (automatic driving control unit, notification information output unit) 20 Sensor (shape information acquisition device) 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D, 30E Link angle detection device 40-1 to 40-7 Target member 306A, 306B, 306C, 306D, 306E Link angle detection unit 310 Rotation angle calculation unit

Claims

1. A coupling angle detection device for a coupled vehicle including a first vehicle and a second vehicle coupled to the first vehicle, comprising: a target member of a predetermined shape installed on the first vehicle; a shape information acquisition device installed on the second vehicle for acquiring shape information of the target member; information indicating the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the second vehicle is held in advance, and a direction specified based on a predetermined condition from the shape information of the target member acquired by the shape information acquisition device is recognized as the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the first vehicle, and the angle formed by the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the second vehicle held and the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the first vehicle recognized is detected as the coupling angle between the first vehicle and the second vehicle; and comprising: the target member is installed on the first vehicle such that the direction specified based on the predetermined condition from the shape information by the coupling angle detection unit matches the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the first vehicle Coupling angle detection device for a coupled vehicle.

2. The target member includes a plurality of rectangular-shaped objects, one corner of each of the plurality of objects on the second vehicle side is installed so as to overlap a line perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the first vehicle on a plane parallel to the running surface of the first vehicle, the coupling angle detection unit detects each of the one corners from the shape information of each of the plurality of objects, and recognizes the direction perpendicular to the straight line connecting the detected one corners as the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the first vehicle and detects the coupling angle The coupling angle detection device for a coupled vehicle according to claim 1.

3. The target member has an elongated rectangular shape, the long side of the target member is installed on the first vehicle so as to overlap a line perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the first vehicle on a plane parallel to the running surface of the first vehicle, the coupling angle detection unit detects the long side from the shape information of the target member, and recognizes the direction perpendicular to the detected long side as the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the first vehicle and detects the coupling angle The coupling angle detection device for a coupled vehicle according to claim 1.

4. The target member has a rectangular shape, one side of the target member is installed on the first vehicle so as to overlap a line perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the first vehicle on a plane parallel to the running surface of the first vehicle The connection angle detection unit detects the one side from the shape information of the target member, and recognizes the direction specified based on the position and direction of the detected one side as the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the first vehicle, and detects the connection angle. The connection angle detection device for a connected vehicle according to claim 1.

5. The target member includes a plurality of circular-shaped objects, The center positions of the circles of the plurality of objects are installed on the first vehicle so as to overlap a line perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the first vehicle on a plane parallel to the traveling surface of the first vehicle, The connection angle detection unit detects the center position of each circle from the shape information of each of the plurality of objects, and recognizes the direction perpendicular to the straight line connecting the detected center positions as the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the first vehicle, and detects the connection angle. The connection angle detection device for a connected vehicle according to claim 1.

6. A connection angle detection device for a connected vehicle including a first vehicle and a second vehicle connected to the first vehicle, A target member having a predetermined shape installed on the first vehicle, A shape information acquisition device installed on the second vehicle for acquiring the shape information of the target member, The shape information of the target member acquired by the shape information acquisition device when the connection angle between the first vehicle and the second vehicle is 0° is preliminarily held as first shape information, the shape information of the target member acquired by the shape information acquisition device at an arbitrary time point is acquired as second shape information, and a rotation angle calculation unit that calculates the rotation angle between the first shape information and the second shape information based on the position of the shape information acquisition device, A connection angle detection unit that detects the rotation angle calculated by the rotation angle calculation unit as the connection angle between the first vehicle and the second vehicle at the arbitrary time point, A connection angle detection device for a connected vehicle provided with.

7. The connection angle detection device for a connected vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, An automatic driving control unit that automatically drives the own vehicle and changes the automatic driving content when the connection angle detected by the connection angle detection device becomes a predetermined value or more, A connected vehicle provided with.

8. The connection angle detection device for a connected vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, A notification information output unit that outputs information for notifying the driver that the connection angle of the own vehicle has become a predetermined value or more when it is detected that the connection angle detected by the connection angle detection device has become a predetermined value or more, A connected vehicle provided with.

9. A coupled vehicle including a first vehicle on which a target member having a predetermined shape is installed and a second vehicle coupled to the first vehicle and on which a shape information acquisition device for acquiring shape information of the target member is installed, the method for detecting a coupling angle of the coupled vehicle in which the target member is installed such that a direction specified based on a predetermined condition from the shape information matches the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the first vehicle, pre-holding information indicating the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the second vehicle; recognizing, as the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the first vehicle, a direction specified based on the predetermined condition from the shape information of the target member acquired by the shape information acquisition device; detecting, as a coupling angle between the first vehicle and the second vehicle, an angle formed between the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the second vehicle held and the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the first vehicle recognized; A method for detecting a coupling angle of a coupled vehicle, comprising the above steps.

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