Vehicle control device

Abstract

To allow a vehicle to move automatically so as to express pseudo emotions of the vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicle controller capable of automatically driving a driving wheel of a vehicle 1 includes an expression control unit 212 which causes an expression corresponding to a pseudo emotion of the vehicle 1 to be displayed on a display 30, and an operation control unit 213 for driving the driving wheel so that the vehicle 1 operates in line with the expression displayed on the display 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle control device that, when a vehicle capable of autonomous driving recognizes a user outside the vehicle, makes the vehicle follow the user's movement. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-066331 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The configuration described in Patent Document 1 allows the vehicle to autonomously drive so as to follow the user, but it cannot operate automatically for purposes other than driving, such as expressing simulated emotions in the vehicle.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a vehicle control device that can automatically operate a vehicle so as to express simulated emotions of the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is a vehicle control device capable of automatically driving the drive wheels of a vehicle, characterized in that it comprises an expression control unit that displays an expression corresponding to a simulated emotion of the vehicle on a display, and an operation control unit that drives the drive wheels so that the vehicle operates in accordance with the expression displayed on the display.

[0007] According to this configuration, the vehicle can be automatically operated in response to the facial expression displayed on the display so as to express a simulated emotion.

[0008] In addition, the facial expression control unit may display a predetermined facial expression pattern for the pseudo-emotion on the display, and the operation control unit may drive the drive wheels in synchronization with the facial expression pattern so that the vehicle operates in an operation pattern corresponding to the facial expression pattern displayed on the display.

[0009] According to this configuration, the movement of the motion pattern can be executed in synchronization with the facial expression pattern, thereby increasing the expressive power of pseudo-emotions in the vehicle.

[0010] In addition, the operation pattern may include at least one of a parallel movement in which the vehicle moves back and forth linearly within a predetermined range, and a rotational movement in which the vehicle turns around an arbitrary center of rotation within a predetermined range, and the operation control unit may perform either the parallel movement or the rotational movement as the operation pattern, as a series of repeated operations, or as a single operation, or as only a part of the single operation.

[0011] According to this configuration, since at least one of parallel movement and turning movement is included, the variation of movement patterns corresponding to pseudo-emotions is increased, and the expressive power of pseudo-emotions in the vehicle is enhanced.

[0012] The vehicle may further include a speaker that outputs a sound corresponding to the simulated emotion, the display being installed facing the outside of the vehicle body, and the operation control unit driving the drive wheels in synchronization with the facial expression pattern displayed on the display and the sound pattern output from the speaker.

[0013] According to this configuration, facial expression patterns, sound patterns, and movement patterns are executed in synchronization, thereby increasing the expressive power of pseudo-emotions in the vehicle.

[0014] The vehicle may also be equipped with a suspension device connecting the vehicle body and wheels, the wheels including the drive wheels and steering wheels, and the operation control unit may control the drive wheels and steering wheels so that the vehicle body is displaced in an up and down direction in response to the facial expression, and may apply an up and down force to the vehicle body via the suspension device using a driving force generated by the drive wheels while the vehicle is stopped.

[0015] According to this configuration, the movement of the vehicle body displacing in the up and down direction can be included in the operation pattern of the vehicle, thereby increasing the expressive power of pseudo-emotions.

[0016] In addition, the movement pattern may include at least one of an up-and-down movement in which the entire vehicle body is displaced in an up-and-down direction and a rocking movement in which the vehicle body is displaced in a roll direction, and the movement control unit may perform either the up-and-down movement or the rocking movement as the movement pattern, as a repeated movement of successive times, or as a single movement, or as only a part of the single movement.

[0017] According to this configuration, since at least one of up-and-down movement and rocking movement is included, the variation of movement patterns corresponding to pseudo-emotions is increased, and the expressiveness of pseudo-emotions in the vehicle is enhanced.

[0018] The vehicle may further include a sensor that detects peripheral information relating to the situation around the vehicle, and an emotion determination unit that determines the pseudo-emotion based on the peripheral information detected by the sensor, and the facial expression control unit may cause the display to display a facial expression pattern corresponding to the pseudo-emotion determined by the emotion determination unit.

[0019] With this configuration, it is possible to determine a simulated emotion according to the surrounding circumstances of the vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] In the present invention, the vehicle can be automatically operated in response to facial expressions displayed on the display so as to express simulated emotions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a vehicle according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the exterior of the vehicle. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a skeleton diagram showing the drive unit and the steering unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the driving wheels and the steered wheels. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the vehicle body in an unfolded state. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a front view showing the vehicle body in an unfolded state. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a block diagram for explaining the control device. [Figure 8A] FIG. 8A is a diagram showing an example of a facial expression displayed on a display. [Figure 8B] FIG. 8B is a diagram showing an example of a facial expression displayed on the display. [Figure 8C] FIG. 8C is a diagram showing an example of a facial expression displayed on the display. [Figure 8D] FIG. 8D is a diagram showing an example of a facial expression displayed on the display. [Figure 8E] FIG. 8E is a diagram showing an example of a facial expression displayed on the display. [Figure 8F] FIG. 8F is a diagram showing an example of a facial expression displayed on the display. [Figure 8G] FIG. 8G is a diagram showing an example of a facial expression displayed on the display. [Figure 8H] FIG. 8H is a diagram showing an example of a facial expression displayed on the display. [Figure 8I] FIG. 8I is a diagram showing an example of a facial expression displayed on the display. [Figure 8J] FIG. 8J is a diagram showing an example of a facial expression displayed on the display. [Figure 9A] FIG. 9A is a diagram showing an example of a parallel movement of the movement pattern. [Figure 9B] FIG. 9B is a diagram showing an example of a parallel movement of the movement pattern. [Figure 9C] FIG. 9C is a diagram showing an example of a parallel movement of the movement pattern. [Figure 9D] FIG. 9D is a diagram showing an example of a turning movement of the movement pattern. [Figure 9E] FIG. 9E is a diagram showing an example of a turning movement of the operation pattern. [Figure 9F] FIG. 9F is a diagram showing an example of a turning movement of the movement pattern. [Figure 9G] FIG. 9G is a diagram showing an example of a turning movement of the operation pattern. [Figure 9H] FIG. 9H is a diagram showing an example of a turning movement of the operation pattern. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example in which the vehicle is a four-wheel drive vehicle. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example in which the vehicle is a four-wheel drive vehicle. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the suspension device. [Figure 13A] FIG. 13A is a diagram showing an example of the up and down movement of the movement pattern. [Figure 13B] FIG. 13B is a diagram showing an example of the up and down movement of the movement pattern. [Figure 13C] FIG. 13C is a diagram showing an example of the up and down movement of the movement pattern. [Figure 14A] FIG. 14A is a diagram showing an example of the up and down movement of the movement pattern. [Figure 14B] FIG. 14B is a diagram showing an example of the up and down movement of the movement pattern. [Figure 14C] FIG. 14C is a diagram showing an example of the up and down movement of the movement pattern. [Figure 15A] FIG. 15A is a diagram showing an example of a swinging motion of the operation pattern. [Figure 15B] FIG. 15B is a diagram showing an example of a swinging motion of the operation pattern. [Figure 15C] FIG. 15C is a diagram showing an example of a swinging motion of the operation pattern. [Figure 16A] FIG. 16A is a diagram showing an example of a swinging motion of the operation pattern. [Figure 16B] FIG. 16B is a diagram showing an example of a swinging motion of the operation pattern. [Figure 16C] FIG. 16C is a diagram showing an example of a swinging motion of the operation pattern. [Figure 17A] FIG. 17A is a diagram showing an example of the up and down movement of the movement pattern. [Figure 17B] FIG. 17B is a diagram showing an example of the up and down movement of the movement pattern. [Figure 17C] FIG. 17C is a diagram showing an example of the up and down movement of the movement pattern. [Figure 18A] FIG. 18A is a diagram showing an example of the up and down movement of the movement pattern. [Figure 18B] FIG. 18B is a diagram showing an example of the up and down movement of the movement pattern. [Figure 18C] FIG. 18C is a diagram showing an example of the up and down movement of the movement pattern. [Figure 19A] FIG. 19A is a diagram showing an example of a swinging motion of the operation pattern. [Figure 19B] FIG. 19B is a diagram showing an example of a swinging motion of the operation pattern. [Figure 19C] FIG. 19C is a diagram showing an example of a swinging motion of the operation pattern. [Figure 20A] FIG. 20A is a diagram showing an example of a swinging motion of the operation pattern. [Figure 20B] FIG. 20B is a diagram showing an example of a swinging motion of the operation pattern. [Figure 20C] FIG. 20C is a diagram showing an example of a swinging motion of the operation pattern. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a vehicle according to an embodiment. Vehicle 1 is a mobile body capable of automatic and unmanned driving, and is capable of traveling by automatically controlling drive, steering, and braking. Vehicle 1 is a self-propelled electric vehicle equipped with a traction motor and a battery. The traction motor is driven by power supplied from the battery. The battery can be charged with power supplied from an external source, and stores the power to be supplied to the traction motor.

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, vehicle 1 can drive autonomously while user 2 of vehicle 1 is outside the vehicle. Vehicle 1 can recognize user 2 outside the vehicle from the voice or image of user 2. When recognized user 2 moves, vehicle 1 drives autonomously to follow user 2.

[0025] The vehicle 1 includes wheels 10 , a drive unit 11 , a steering unit 12 , a control unit 20 , a display 30 , a microphone 31 , a speaker 32 , and a sensor 33 .

[0026] Wheels 10 are arranged on the front, rear, left and right sides of the vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 has a total of four wheels 10. The wheels 10 include a left front wheel 10A arranged on the front left side of the vehicle body 13, a right front wheel 10B arranged on the front right side of the vehicle body 13, a left rear wheel 10C arranged on the rear left side of the vehicle body 13, and a right rear wheel 10D arranged on the rear right side of the vehicle body 13.

[0027] The drive unit 11 is a device that drives the wheels 10. The vehicle 1 can travel by operating the drive unit 11. The drive unit 11 includes a traction motor, which is the power source of the vehicle 1, and a power transmission mechanism that transmits the power of the traction motor to the wheels 10.

[0028] Furthermore, since the vehicle 1 is a front-wheel drive vehicle, the drive unit 11 is configured to drive the front wheels of the vehicle 1. For example, the drive unit 11 includes an in-wheel motor provided inside the front wheel, and a reducer that connects the in-wheel motor and the front wheel so as to be able to transmit power.

[0029] The steering device 12 is a device that changes the steering angle of the wheels 10. The vehicle 1 can be steered by operating the steering device 12. The steering device 12 includes a steering motor as an actuator for steering the wheels 10.

[0030] In the vehicle 1, all of the wheels 10 are steered wheels, and therefore the steering device 12 is configured to steer each wheel 10. Furthermore, the vehicle 1 is configured so that the steering angle of each wheel 10 can be changed independently. For example, the steering device 12 includes a left front steering device provided on the left front wheel 10A, a right front steering device provided on the right front wheel 10B, a left rear steering device provided on the left rear wheel 10C, and a right rear steering device provided on the right rear wheel 10D.

[0031] In this description, the wheels 10 driven by the drive unit 11 may be referred to as drive wheels, and the wheels 10 whose steering angle is changed by the steering unit 12 may be referred to as steered wheels. When one wheel 10 is provided with both the drive unit 11 and the steering unit 12, the same wheel 10 may be referred to as a drive wheel or a steered wheel.

[0032] The control device 20 is an electronic control device that controls the vehicle 1. This electronic control device is configured to include a microcontroller equipped with a CPU, RAM, ROM, and an input / output interface. The control device 20 performs various controls of the vehicle 1 by performing signal processing in accordance with a program pre-stored in the ROM. Signals from various sensors are input to the control device 20. The control device 20 then performs various controls based on the signals input from the various sensors. For example, the control device 20 performs driving control of the vehicle 1 to control the drive device 11 and the steering device 12.

[0033] The display 30 is a display unit that displays images. The display 30 is installed on the front side of the vehicle body 13 so as to display images toward the outside of the vehicle 1. The display 30 is placed in a position that is easily visible to a user 2 outside the vehicle.

[0034] The microphone 31 is an input unit that receives voice input from the user 2. Based on the voice input from the microphone 31, the control device 20 can recognize the user 2.

[0035] The speaker 32 is an output unit that outputs sound. The sound output from the speaker 32 is controlled by the control device 20.

[0036] The sensor 33 includes various sensors mounted on the vehicle 1. For example, the sensor 33 includes a camera that captures images of the surroundings of the vehicle 1, a radar for grasping the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 1, an air temperature sensor that detects the outside air temperature of the vehicle 1, and a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle 1. Various information detected by the sensor 33 is input to the control device 20. The sensor 33 detects the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 1 in order to perform automatic driving by the control device 20. The sensor 33 detects the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 1 using a camera or radar mounted on the vehicle 1.

[0037] Here, the structure of vehicle 1 will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 6. First, as shown in Figures 2 to 4, vehicle body 13 of vehicle 1 includes right unit 14 that constitutes the right side of vehicle 1, and left unit 15 that constitutes the left side of vehicle 1. As shown in Figure 3, drive unit 11 and steering unit 12 are provided below right unit 14 and left unit 15, respectively. As shown in Figure 4, in vehicle 1, left front wheel 10A and right front wheel 10B are drive wheels and steered wheels, and left rear wheel 10C and right rear wheel 10D are driven wheels (non-drive wheels) and steered wheels.

[0038] In the vehicle 1, the configuration of the body 13 can be changed between a converged state (shown in FIG. 2) in which the right unit 14 and the left unit 15 abut against each other, and an expanded state (shown in FIG. 5) in which the right unit 14 and the left unit 15 are spaced apart in the vehicle width direction. As shown in FIG. 5, the right unit 14 and the left unit 15 are connected by a seat unit 16 that expands and contracts in the vehicle width direction. When the body 13 is in the expanded state, the space between the right unit 14 and the left unit 15 becomes the passenger compartment of the vehicle 1, and the seat unit 16 becomes a seat of the vehicle 1.

[0039] The seat unit 16 extends along the vehicle width direction and includes a telescopic mechanism that connects the right unit 14 and the left unit 15. The telescopic mechanism extends and contracts in the vehicle width direction by activation of a telescopic actuator with both ends in the vehicle width direction supported by the right unit 14 and the left unit 15. The telescopic actuator is controlled by a control device 20. The widthwise distance between the right unit 14 and the left unit 15 can be adjusted by the seat unit 16. As shown in FIG. 6 , the right unit 14 is formed in a flat shape with a small dimension in the vehicle width direction, and is approximately trapezoidal in side view. A display 30 is provided on the front side of the right unit 14. The left unit 15 is formed in a flat shape with a small dimension in the vehicle width direction than the right unit 14, and is approximately trapezoidal in side view.

[0040] In a vehicle 1 having such a structure, the vehicle body 13 is switched between a converged state and an unfolded state under the control of the control device 20. The control device 20 switches the vehicle body 13 between a converged state and an unfolded state depending on the control mode. The control device 20 can execute a following driving mode in which the vehicle body 13 is in a converged state, and an automatic driving mode in which the vehicle body 13 is in an unfolded state. The following driving mode is a control mode in which the vehicle 1 drives so as to follow a user 2 outside the vehicle. The automatic driving mode is a control mode in which the user 2 riding in the vehicle 1 is transported to a destination. The control device 20 can switch between the following driving mode and the automatic driving mode.

[0041] When the control mode is switched to the following driving mode, the control device 20 controls the vehicle body 13 to transition from the unfolded state to the converged state. On the other hand, when the control mode is switched to the automatic driving mode, the control device 20 controls the vehicle body 13 to transition from the converged state to the unfolded state.

[0042] In the follow-up driving mode, the control device 20 recognizes the user 2 outside the vehicle and makes the vehicle 1 drive autonomously by following the user 2. Based on information obtained from the microphone 31 and the sensor 33, the control device 20 determines the situation of the user 2 outside the vehicle, the state of the vehicle 1 itself, and the situation around the vehicle 1. In the follow-up driving mode, the vehicle 1 can be made to follow the user 2 at the same pace as the user 2.

[0043] In the autonomous driving mode, the control device 20 determines the conditions around the vehicle 1 and the condition of the vehicle 1 itself, and controls the autonomous driving of the vehicle 1. The control device 20 determines the conditions of the vehicle 1 itself and the conditions around the vehicle 1 based on information obtained from the microphone 31 and the sensor 33. The user 2 can travel to the destination while seated in the seat portion of the seat unit 16. Alternatively, the user 2 can place luggage on the seat portion of the seat unit 16 and transport the luggage to the destination while the vehicle is traveling unmanned.

[0044] The control device 20 can then control the vehicle 1 to express a pseudo-emotion of the vehicle 1. When the vehicle body 13 is in a converged state, such as in the following driving mode, and recognizes the user 2 outside the vehicle, the control device 20 executes emotion expression control to express a pseudo-emotion of the vehicle 1 toward the user 2 outside the vehicle. The emotion expression control is a control that outputs images, sounds, etc. toward the outside of the vehicle as an emotion expression of the vehicle 1, and also controls the vehicle 1 to operate.

[0045] 7 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of the control device. The control device 20 acquires information about the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 1, the state of the vehicle 1 itself, and the state of the user 2 outside the vehicle, based on signals input from the microphone 31 and the sensor 33. Based on this acquired information, the control device 20 executes various controls and controls the drive device 11, the steering device 12, the display 30, and the speaker 32. The control device 20 includes a control unit 21 and a memory unit 22.

[0046] The control unit 21 executes emotion expression control to express simulated emotions through facial expressions and actions of the vehicle 1. The control unit 21 includes an emotion determination unit 211, a facial expression control unit 212, an action control unit 213, and a sound control unit 214.

[0047] The emotion determination unit 211 determines a pseudo-emotion for the vehicle 1 based on surrounding information acquired from the microphone 31 and the sensor 33. A plurality of pseudo-emotions, such as "happy," "fun," "needs attention," and "displeased," are set in advance as selectable pseudo-emotions for the vehicle 1. When the condition corresponding to each of the selectable pseudo-emotions is satisfied, the emotion determination unit 211 determines that emotion as the current pseudo-emotion for the vehicle 1.

[0048] For example, the emotion determination unit 211 can determine pseudo-emotions for the vehicle 1 using voice information of the user 2 detected by the microphone 31. In this case, the emotion determination unit 211 can analyze the voice information, determine whether or not the voice information contains words corresponding to each emotion, and determine the pseudo-emotions.

[0049] Furthermore, the emotion determination unit 211 can determine a pseudo-emotion for the vehicle 1 based on an image of the user 2 captured by the camera of the sensor 33 and audio information from the microphone 31. In this case, the emotion determination unit 211 determines that the condition of "I want attention" is met, provided that no audio information is acquired by the microphone 31 until a predetermined time has passed since the emotion determination unit 211 recognized the user 2 outside the vehicle based on the image captured by the camera, and determines the pseudo-emotion to be "I want attention."

[0050] The facial expression control unit 212 causes the display 30 to display a facial expression corresponding to the pseudo-emotion determined by the emotion determination unit 211 so as to express the pseudo-emotion of the vehicle 1 through a facial expression. The facial expression control unit 212 causes the display 30 to display a facial expression pattern using information on the facial expression pattern stored in the storage unit 22. A facial expression pattern is associated with each of the multiple pseudo-emotions.

[0051] The facial expression control unit 212 displays facial expression images 40 corresponding to facial expression patterns on the display 30, as shown in FIGS. 8A to 8J. The facial expression pattern shown in FIG. 8A is a facial expression image 40 that indicates that the simulated emotion is normal, and is an image that appears as a vertical bar and is stationary near the center of the display 30. The facial expression patterns shown in FIGS. 8B to 8D are facial expression images 40 that indicate that the simulated emotion is bored, and are images that appear as vertical bars on the display 30 and move back and forth in the left and right directions, up and down, and diagonal directions. The facial expression pattern shown in FIG. 8E is a facial expression image 40 that indicates that the simulated emotion is negative, and is an image that appears as a horizontal bar and moves back and forth in the left and right directions on the display 30. The facial expression patterns shown in FIGS. 8F to 8J are facial expression images 40 that indicate that the simulated emotion is happy or joyful, and are images that appear as a circle on the display 30 and move back and forth in the up and down directions, clockwise circular motion, counterclockwise circular motion, or left and right circular motion along an arc. Furthermore, the facial expression control unit 212 can change the shape of the facial expression image 40 according to the movement of the image. For example, when a circular facial expression image 40 moves back and forth in the up and down direction, the shape can be changed from a perfect circle to an ellipse so as to bend and stretch in the up and down direction.

[0052] The movement control unit 213 causes the vehicle 1 to perform a movement corresponding to the pseudo-emotion determined by the emotion determination unit 211 so as to express the pseudo-emotion of the vehicle 1 through movement. The movement control unit 213 controls the drive unit 11 and the steering unit 12 to realize the movement of the vehicle 1 corresponding to the pseudo-emotion. The movement control unit 213 uses information about the movement pattern stored in the memory unit 22 to cause the vehicle 1 to perform the movement of the movement pattern. A movement pattern is associated with each of the multiple pseudo-emotions.

[0053] As shown in Figures 9A to 9H, the operation control unit 213 controls the drive unit 11 and the steering unit 12 to cause the vehicle 1 to perform a movement corresponding to the operation pattern. Note that Figures 9A to 9H show the vehicle 1 as viewed from above in the vertical direction. Regarding the wheels 10, the drive wheels are indicated by dotted squares, the driven wheels by open squares, and the steered wheels by circles within squares. Also shown is a state in which the steering angles of the left front wheel 10A, the right front wheel 10B, the left rear wheel 10C, and the right rear wheel 10D are each independently controlled. Furthermore, the direction of the drive force generated by the drive wheels is indicated by a bidirectional arrow on the drive wheels. Arrows shown outside the drive wheels indicate the movement of the vehicle body 13.

[0054] The motion patterns shown in FIGS. 9A to 9C are translational motions in which the vehicle 1 reciprocates linearly within a predetermined range. FIG. 9A shows a translational motion pattern in which the vehicle 1 reciprocates in the longitudinal direction. FIG. 9B shows a translational motion pattern in which the vehicle 1 reciprocates in the lateral direction. FIG. 9C shows a translational motion pattern in which the vehicle 1 reciprocates in a diagonal direction. The motion patterns shown in FIGS. 9D to 9H are translational motions in which the vehicle 1 rotates about an arbitrary center of rotation within a predetermined range. FIG. 9D shows a translational motion pattern in which the vehicle 1 rotates in the yaw direction around the center of the body 13. FIG. 9E shows a translational motion pattern in which the rear of the body 13 rotates in the yaw direction around the center of rotation. FIG. 9F shows a translational motion pattern in which the vehicle 1 rotates in the yaw direction around the front of the body 13. 9G shows a motion pattern of swinging in the yaw direction around a left position outside the vehicle body 13 as a turning motion. FIG. 9H shows a motion pattern of swinging in the yaw direction around a rear position outside the vehicle body 13 as a turning motion.

[0055] The sound control unit 214 outputs a sound corresponding to the pseudo-emotion determined by the emotion determination unit 211 from the speaker 32 so as to express the pseudo-emotion of the vehicle 1 by sound. The sound control unit 214 controls the speaker 32 to express the pseudo-emotion by sound. The sound control unit 214 outputs a sound pattern from the speaker 32 using sound pattern information stored in the storage unit 22. A sound pattern is associated with each of the multiple pseudo-emotions.

[0056] The storage unit 22 stores emotion information representing simulated emotions of the vehicle 1 and pattern information corresponding to the simulated emotions. For example, when the simulated emotion is happiness, the pattern information is stored in the storage unit 22 as a set of information including a facial expression pattern, a movement pattern, and a sound pattern corresponding to happiness.

[0057] This pattern information includes multiple facial expression patterns, multiple movement patterns, and multiple sound patterns for one pseudo-emotion. In other words, the data structure is not limited to a set of one facial expression pattern, one movement pattern, and one sound pattern for one pseudo-emotion, stored in the storage unit 22. This broadens the range of emotional expression of the vehicle 1.

[0058] The control device 20 configured in this manner can predetermine the movement pattern of the vehicle body 13, the facial expression pattern to be displayed on the display 30, and the sound pattern to be output from the speaker 32. To express the emotion of the vehicle 1, the driving wheels are driven in synchronization with the facial expression and sound.

[0059] In this pseudo-emotion control process, the control unit 21 recognizes the surroundings of the vehicle 1 and the user 2 using signals input from the microphone 31 and sensor 33, and determines the current pseudo-emotion for the vehicle 1 by satisfying the conditions set for each pseudo-emotion. Once the pseudo-emotion has been determined, the control unit 21 refers to the memory unit 22 to identify pattern information corresponding to the determined pseudo-emotion.

[0060] In this case, when expressing the pseudo-emotion determined by the emotion determination unit 211, the facial expression control unit 212 identifies multiple facial expression patterns corresponding to the pseudo-emotion from the information stored in the memory unit 22, and displays at least one of the multiple facial expression patterns on the display 30. In this case, the multiple facial expression patterns corresponding to the same pseudo-emotion can be switched so that the facial expression pattern on the display 30 switches to a different facial expression pattern, for example, switching from the facial expression pattern shown in Fig. 8G to the facial expression pattern shown in Fig. 8H. This is not limited to the facial expression control unit 212, but also applies to the movement control unit 213 and the sound control unit 214.

[0061] Then, the control unit 21 synchronizes the movement pattern, facial expression pattern, and sound pattern to cause the vehicle 1 to express a pseudo-emotion. At this time, the control unit 21 executes the movement pattern in synchronization with at least the facial expression pattern. In other words, the control unit 21 is configured to output the sound pattern as needed. For example, when the control unit 21 determines that the surrounding circumstances of the vehicle 1 are not suitable for outputting sound from the speaker 32, the control unit 21 does not output a sound pattern, but synchronizes the facial expression pattern and the movement pattern to express a pseudo-emotion.

[0062] As described above, according to the embodiment, it is possible to express pseudo-emotions of the vehicle 1 by combining the actions, facial expressions, and sounds of the vehicle 1. This allows the user 2 to empathize with the vehicle 1, thereby increasing the added value of the vehicle 1.

[0063] The vehicle 1 is not limited to a front-wheel drive vehicle. For example, the vehicle 1 may be a rear-wheel drive vehicle or a four-wheel drive vehicle. The wheels 10 may be configured with omnidirectional tires. Examples of omnidirectional tires include omniballs, mecanum wheels, and omniwheels. For example, if the vehicle 1 is a four-wheel drive vehicle, the left front wheel 10A, the right front wheel 10B, the left rear wheel 10C, and the right rear wheel 10D may be configured with mecanum wheels as shown in FIG. 10 or as shown in FIG. 11.

[0064] Furthermore, the facial expressions displayed on display 30 are animated characters, and the character may have multiple shapes, textures, patterns, colors, movements, background colors, etc. Furthermore, the facial expressions may change depending on the time of day, temperature, season, etc., or may be changed by software updates.

[0065] Furthermore, the motion pattern may include at least one of a parallel motion and a turning motion. The motion control unit 213 can execute either the parallel motion or the turning motion as a motion pattern, such that the motion is repeated continuously, or as a single motion, or as only a part of a single motion. Furthermore, the motion control unit 213 can move the vehicle 1 in a motion pattern that combines the parallel motion and the turning motion.

[0066] Furthermore, the control unit 21 can execute emotional expression control not only when the vehicle body 13 is in a converged state, but also when the vehicle body 13 is in an unfolded state. The control unit 21 can cause the vehicle 1 to perform a movement pattern when the vehicle body 13 is in an unfolded state. In this case, the movement amounts (amplitude, period, time, angle) of the movement pattern may be changed depending on whether the vehicle body 13 is in an unfolded state or a converged state. In this case, it is also possible to change the combination of the movement amounts.

[0067] In addition, the control unit 21 may determine whether or not a movement pattern can be executed based on the condition of the road surface on which the vehicle 1 is in contact (friction coefficient, slope, steps, unevenness, dust), and may interrupt the emotional expression movement when it determines that the movement pattern cannot be executed.

[0068] As a modification of the vehicle 1, as shown in Fig. 12, the vehicle 1 is provided with a suspension system 50 that connects the wheels 10 and the body 13. In this modification, the vehicle 1 is a four-wheel drive vehicle, and is configured to increase the variety of operation patterns by displacing the body 13 in the vertical direction using the driving force generated by the drive wheels. The drive system 11 shown in Fig. 12 is configured to include an in-wheel motor.

[0069] The suspension system 50 is of a parallel link type and is configured to keep the steering axis perpendicular to the ground. It is configured so that no component force other than a vertical force is generated in the suspension system 50 even when the suspension system 50 strokes. The suspension system 50 includes a suspension 51, an upper link 52, and a lower link 53.

[0070] The suspension 51 is provided between the wheel 10 and the body frame 17, and is configured to include a coil spring and a shock absorber. The body frame 17 is a frame provided at the bottom of the body 13. The upper link 52 connects the steering device 12 and the body frame 17. The lower link 53 connects the steering device 12 and the body frame 17.

[0071] In a vehicle 1 equipped with this suspension system 50, the control device 20 controls the drive wheels and steered wheels so that the vehicle body 13 is displaced in the up and down direction as a movement pattern realized by emotional expression control. In this case, the control device 20 applies a force in the up and down direction to the vehicle body 13 via the suspension system 50 by using the driving force generated by the drive wheels while the vehicle is stopped. The movement pattern realized by the emotional expression control of the control device 20 is a parallel movement or a rocking movement that includes a displacement in the up and down direction. The movement control unit 213 executes at least one of a vertical movement in which the entire vehicle body 13 is displaced in the up and down direction, and a rocking movement in which the vehicle body 13 is displaced in the roll direction as a movement pattern.

[0072] As shown in FIGS. 13A to 16C, the operation control unit 213 controls the drive device 11 and the steering device 12 to make the vehicle 1 perform a movement corresponding to the operation pattern.

[0073] 13A, 14A, 15A, and 16A show vehicle 1 as viewed from the left side. 13B, 14B, 15B, and 16B show vehicle 1 as viewed from the front side. 13C, 14C, 15C, and 16C show vehicle 1 as viewed from above in the vertical direction, with drive wheels 10 indicated by dotted squares and steered wheels by circles within squares. Arrows in each figure indicate the direction of the drive force generated by the drive wheels, the vertical force acting on body 13 and body frame 17 due to the drive force, and the swinging direction of body 13.

[0074] 13A to 13C, the entire body 13 performs up-and-down motion by displacing downward in the vertical direction, with the front wheels generating a forward driving force and the rear wheels generating a backward driving force. The operation pattern shown in Figures 14A to 14C, the entire body 13 performs up-and-down motion by displacing upward in the vertical direction, with the front wheels generating a backward driving force and the rear wheels generating a forward driving force.

[0075] 15A to 15C are motions in which the body 13 performs a swinging motion in which it is displaced in the roll direction. In this case, the left front wheel 10A generates a forward driving force, and the left rear wheel 10C generates a rearward driving force, thereby displacing the left side of the body 13 downward in the vertical direction, and the right front wheel 10B generates a rearward driving force, and the right rear wheel 10D generates a forward driving force, thereby displacing the right side of the body 13 upward in the vertical direction. As a result, when the vehicle 1 is viewed from the front, the body 13 swings clockwise in the roll direction.

[0076] 16A to 16C are motions in which the body 13 performs a swinging motion in which it is displaced in the roll direction. In this case, the left front wheel 10A generates a rearward driving force, and the left rear wheel 10C generates a forward driving force, thereby displacing the left side of the body 13 upward in the vertical direction, and the right front wheel 10B generates a forward driving force, and the right rear wheel 10D generates a rearward driving force, thereby displacing the right side of the body 13 downward in the vertical direction. As a result, when the vehicle 1 is viewed from the front, the body 13 swings counterclockwise in the roll direction.

[0077] Because the vehicle 1 is a four-wheel drive vehicle, the motion control unit 213 applies a vertical force to the suspension device 50 by generating driving forces in opposite directions at the front and rear wheels, thereby displacing the vehicle body 13 up and down. In this case, the left and right wheels may be driven up and down by generating driving forces of the same phase (FIGS. 13A to 14C) at the left and right wheels, or may be driven up and down by generating driving forces of opposite phases (FIGS. 15A to 16C) at the left and right wheels. Furthermore, the phase period may be changed between the left and right wheels, or complex movements may be expressed by changing the magnitude of the driving forces.

[0078] According to this modification, the vehicle body 13 can be displaced in the vertical direction as a movement pattern of the vehicle 1, thereby enhancing the expressive power of pseudo-emotions. This allows the user 2 to empathize with the vehicle 1, thereby increasing the added value of the vehicle 1.

[0079] Furthermore, the motion pattern in the modified example may include at least one of an up-and-down movement and a rocking movement. The motion control unit 213 can execute either the up-and-down movement or the rocking movement as a motion pattern, such as a continuous repetition of the up-and-down movement or a rocking movement, or a single motion, or only a part of a single motion. Furthermore, the motion control unit 213 can move the vehicle 1 in a motion pattern that combines the up-and-down movement and the rocking movement.

[0080] Furthermore, vehicle 1 of this modified example is not limited to a four-wheel drive vehicle, and may be a two-wheel drive vehicle. In the case of a two-wheel drive vehicle, when the drive wheels generate a drive force in the same manner as above, the driven wheels are kept stationary so as not to rotate relative to the road surface, thereby receiving a reaction force from the drive force and applying a vertical force to suspension device 50 to raise and lower vehicle body 13. Operation patterns when vehicle 1 of this modified example is configured as a front-wheel drive vehicle are shown in Figures 17A to 20C.

[0081] 17A, 18A, 19A, and 20A show vehicle 1 as viewed from the left side. 17B, 18B, 19B, and 20B show vehicle 1 as viewed from the front side. 17C, 18C, 19C, and 20C show vehicle 1 as viewed from above in the vertical direction, with drive wheels 10 indicated by dotted squares, driven wheels by open squares, and steered wheels by circles within squares. Also shown are a state in which the steering angles of left rear wheel 10C and right rear wheel 10D are independently controlled. Arrows in each figure indicate the direction of the drive force generated by the drive wheels, the vertical force acting on body 13 and body frame 17 due to the drive force, and the swinging direction of body 13.

[0082] 17A to 17C, the entire body 13 performs up-and-down movement in which it is displaced downward in the vertical direction, and the front wheels, which are driving wheels, generate a forward driving force, and the steering angle of the rear wheels, which are driven wheels, is controlled by the steering device 12 so that they face left and right. As a result, a reaction force is generated on the rear wheel side against the forward driving force from the front wheels, so that the body 13 can be displaced downward in the vertical direction.

[0083] 18A to 18C, the entire body 13 performs up-and-down movement in which it is displaced upward in the vertical direction, and the front wheels, which are driving wheels, generate rearward driving force, and the steering angle of the rear wheels, which are driven wheels, is controlled by the steering device 12 so that the rotatable direction faces the left and right directions. As a result, a reaction force is generated on the rear wheel side against the rearward driving force from the front wheels, so that the body 13 can be displaced upward in the vertical direction.

[0084] 19A to 19C are motions in which the body 13 performs a swinging motion in which it is displaced in the roll direction. In this case, the left front wheel 10A generates a forward driving force, the right front wheel 10B generates a rearward driving force, and the steering angle of the rear wheels, which are driven wheels, is controlled by the steering device 12 so that the rotatable direction faces the left and right directions. As a result, a reaction force is generated on the rear wheel side against the forward driving force from the left front wheel 10A and the rearward driving force from the right front wheel 10B, so that the left side of the body 13 is displaced downward in the vertical direction, and the right side of the body 13 is displaced upward in the vertical direction. As a result, when the vehicle 1 is viewed from the front side, the body 13 swings clockwise in the roll direction.

[0085] 20A to 20C are motions in which the body 13 performs a swinging motion in which it is displaced in the roll direction. In this case, the left front wheel 10A generates a rearward driving force, the right front wheel 10B generates a forward driving force, and the steering angle of the rear wheels, which are driven wheels, is controlled by the steering device 12 so that the rotatable direction faces the left and right directions. As a result, a reaction force is generated on the rear wheel side against the rearward driving force from the left front wheel 10A and the forward driving force from the left front wheel 10B, so that the left side of the body 13 is displaced upward in the vertical direction, and the right side of the body 13 is displaced downward in the vertical direction. As a result, when the vehicle 1 is viewed from the front side, the body 13 swings counterclockwise in the roll direction.

[0086] In addition, in the case of four-wheel steering, for example, the driven wheels may be steered by 90 degrees and receive a reaction force from the driving force in a direction 90 degrees from the direction of rotation of the driving wheels, or if a brake mechanism is provided, they may receive a reaction force from the brake mechanism. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 1 vehicle 2 users 10 wheels 10A left front wheel 10B Right front wheel 10C left rear wheel 10D right rear wheel 11 Drive unit 12 Steering gear 13 Body 14 Right unit 15 Left unit 16 seat unit 17 Body frame 20 Control device 21 Control section 22 Memory section 30 Display 31. Mike 32 speakers 33 Sensors 40 facial expression images 50 Suspension system 51 Suspension 52 Upper Link 53 Lower Link 211 Emotion Determination Department 212 Facial Expression Control Unit 213 Motion control section 214 Sound control section

Claims

1. A vehicle control device capable of automatically driving a drive wheel of a vehicle, a control unit that executes emotion expression control to express simulated emotions of the vehicle through facial expressions and actions; a storage unit storing emotion information representing the simulated emotion of the vehicle and pattern information corresponding to the simulated emotion; Equipped with The control unit an expression control unit that uses the information on the expression patterns stored in the storage unit to display an expression corresponding to the simulated emotion of the vehicle on a display installed facing the outside of the vehicle body; an operation control unit that drives the drive wheels so that the vehicle operates in accordance with the facial expression displayed on the display, using information about the operation pattern stored in the storage unit; The vehicle is a speaker that outputs a sound corresponding to the pseudo-emotion; a parallel link type suspension device that connects the vehicle body and the wheels; a steering device that changes the steering angle of the wheels, the suspension device includes a suspension provided between a body frame provided at a lower portion of the vehicle body and the wheels, and an upper link and a lower link that connect the body frame and the steering device, The wheels include the drive wheels and the steering wheels, the facial expression control unit causes the display to display a preset facial expression pattern corresponding to the pseudo-emotion; The operation control unit controlling the drive wheels and the steering wheels so that the vehicle body is displaced in a vertical direction in response to the facial expression, and applying a vertical force to the vehicle body via the suspension device by a driving force generated by the drive wheels while the vehicle is stopped; driving the drive wheels in synchronization with the facial expression pattern displayed on the display so that the vehicle operates in a movement pattern corresponding to the facial expression pattern; driving the driving wheels in synchronization with the facial expression pattern displayed on the display and the voice pattern output from the speaker; the operation pattern includes at least one of a parallel motion in which the vehicle linearly reciprocates within a predetermined range and a turning motion in which the vehicle turns about an arbitrary center of rotation within a predetermined range, Furthermore, the operation control unit As the motion pattern, either the parallel motion or the rotational motion is performed as a continuous repetitive motion, a single motion, or only a part of the single motion. A vehicle control device characterized by:

2. The vehicle body comprises: a right unit that configures the right side of the vehicle; a left unit that configures the left side of the vehicle, the drive wheels and the steering device are provided below the right unit and the left unit, respectively; The right unit and the left unit are connected by a seat unit that expands and contracts in the vehicle width direction, the form of the vehicle body is changeable between a converged state in which the right unit and the left unit abut against each other and an expanded state in which the right unit and the left unit are spaced apart in the vehicle width direction, When the vehicle body is in the unfolded state, a space between the right unit and the left unit becomes a passenger compartment of the vehicle, and the seat unit becomes a seat of the vehicle, the control unit switches the vehicle body between the converged state and the deployed state according to a control mode; The control modes include a following driving mode in which the vehicle drives so as to follow a user outside the vehicle, and an autonomous driving mode in which the vehicle transports a user in the vehicle to a destination, the following running mode is a mode in which the vehicle body is in the convergence state, The automatic driving mode is a mode in which the vehicle body is in the deployed state.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1.

3. the operation pattern includes at least one of an up-and-down movement in which the entire vehicle body is displaced in a vertical direction and a rocking movement in which the vehicle body is displaced in a roll direction, The motion control unit controls the robot to perform either the up-and-down motion or the rocking motion as a continuous repetitive motion, a single motion, or only a part of the single motion, as the motion pattern.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 2.

4. The vehicle, a microphone for accepting voice input from a user; a sensor for detecting surrounding information relating to a surrounding situation of the vehicle; the control unit includes an emotion determination unit that determines the pseudo-emotion based on the peripheral information detected by the sensor; the facial expression control unit causes the display to display a facial expression pattern corresponding to the pseudo-emotion determined by the emotion determination unit; Furthermore, the control unit Recognizing a user outside the vehicle based on signals input from the microphone and the sensor; When the vehicle body is in the convergence state as in the following driving mode, the emotion expression control is executed when the vehicle recognizes a user who is outside the vehicle.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 2 or 3.

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