Mobile

Abstract

To confirm safety in the periphery of a vehicle traveling by following a mobile body.SOLUTION: A mobile body 100 capable of autonomous travel and having a function of leading a first vehicle 200 traveling by following the mobile body 100, includes: a first sensor 140 for detecting an obstacle; and a control section 110 for sensing an area in the periphery of the first vehicle 200 by the first sensor 140 before the start of leading the first vehicle 200.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an autonomously moving vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Many technologies related to autonomous driving of vehicles are known. In this regard, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle control device that recognizes a leading vehicle and controls the vehicle so that the vehicle follows the leading vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-108860 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure aims to check the safety of the surroundings of a vehicle following a moving object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure is The mobile body is capable of autonomous driving and has the function of leading a first vehicle that follows the mobile body, and has a first sensor for detecting obstacles and a control unit that senses the area around the first vehicle using the first sensor before starting to lead the first vehicle.

[0006] Other aspects include a method executed by the above-described device, a program for causing a computer to execute the method, or a computer-readable storage medium non-transitoryly storing the program. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to check the safety of the surroundings of a vehicle following a moving object. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] Conceptual diagram of a service in which a mobile object leads a vehicle. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating components of a system including a moving body according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 5 is a flowchart of a process executed by a control unit of a moving body according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of safety confirmation of the area around a first vehicle performed by a moving body according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart of a process executed by a control unit of a moving body according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart of a process executed by a control unit of a moving body according to a fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] 2. Description of the Related Art Mobile bodies that lead any vehicle by autonomously traveling are known.

[0010] When a vehicle departs, it is desirable to sense the surroundings of the stopped vehicle and confirm that there are no obstacles or the like around the vehicle. However, depending on the location of sensors in the vehicle, blind spots may exist behind, to the left and right, and underneath the vehicle, making it difficult to adequately check the safety of these areas. The present disclosure solves this problem by having a moving body leading a vehicle sense the area around the vehicle from the outside.

[0011] A mobile body according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a mobile body capable of autonomous driving and has the function of leading a first vehicle that follows the mobile body, and has a first sensor for detecting obstacles and a control unit that performs sensing of the area surrounding the first vehicle using the first sensor prior to starting to lead the first vehicle.

[0012] The first sensor is a sensor mounted on a moving body for detecting obstacles and the like present around the first vehicle. Specifically, the first sensor is a LiDAR, a camera, a radar, a sonar, or the like.

[0013] The first vehicle is a vehicle that has the function of following a moving object traveling ahead. For example, the first vehicle may be a vehicle that has the function of traveling semi-autonomously based on information transmitted from the moving object. That is, the first vehicle may be a vehicle that cannot travel autonomously by itself, but can travel autonomously with assistance from a moving object.

[0014] The control unit causes the moving body to sense the area around the first vehicle using the first sensor before the first vehicle starts leading. The area around the first vehicle is, for example, the area in all directions around the first vehicle and the area below the first vehicle. Sensing refers to detecting the presence or absence of obstacles using light waves, radio waves, or sound waves from LiDAR, radar, and sonar, or image data captured by a camera.

[0015] For example, before starting to lead the first vehicle, the moving body senses the surroundings of the first vehicle from the outside. At this time, the moving body may circle around the first vehicle in all directions to avoid blind spots in the sensing. This allows the moving body to sense areas that cannot be sensed from the first vehicle.

[0016] In addition, the control unit may determine whether or not the first vehicle can start moving based on a first sensing result, which is the result of sensing the area around the first vehicle by the first sensor, and may start leading the first vehicle if it determines that the first vehicle can start moving.

[0017] This allows the moving body to start leading the first vehicle, for example, based on the determination that the safety of the area around the first vehicle has been sufficiently confirmed.

[0018] The control unit may also receive from the first vehicle a second sensing result, which is the result of sensing of the area surrounding the first vehicle by a second sensor mounted on the first vehicle, and includes information about a partial area of ​​the area surrounding the first vehicle in which sensing was performed by the second sensor, and determine, based on the second sensing result, a partial area of ​​the area surrounding the first vehicle that should be sensed by the first sensor.

[0019] For example, if the first vehicle has a function for sensing its surroundings, the moving body may sense an area different from the area already sensed by the first vehicle, thereby enabling the moving body to perform complementary sensing of the area where sensing is lacking.

[0020] The control unit also detects a result of sensing of the area around the first vehicle by a second sensor mounted on the first vehicle, the result including information about a partial area of ​​the area around the first vehicle where sensing was performed by the second sensor and information about the type of the second sensor. A third sensing result may be received from the first vehicle, and based on the third sensing result, the partial area in which sensing was performed by the second sensor may be sensed using a first sensor that is a sensor of a different type from the second sensor.

[0021] The first sensor and the second sensor may be different types of sensors. Furthermore, the accuracy of recognizing obstacles and the like may differ depending on the type of sensor. Therefore, the moving body may use a sensor of a different type from the sensor mounted on the first vehicle to perform sensing on the same partial area. This makes it possible to recognize obstacles and the like with higher accuracy.

[0022] In addition, the control unit may calculate the reliability of obstacle detection by the second sensor in each partial area that constitutes the area surrounding the first vehicle based on the third sensing result received from the first vehicle, and sense partial areas where the reliability is lower than a predetermined threshold using the first sensor, which is a sensor of a different type from the second sensor.

[0023] The reliability can be calculated based on the data acquired by the second sensor, the type of the second sensor, the weather, etc. For areas where the reliability is lower than a predetermined threshold, it is preferable to perform sensing again using a mobile object.

[0024] Specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the hardware configuration, module configuration, functional configuration, etc. described in each embodiment are not intended to limit the technical scope of the disclosure to those configurations.

[0025] (First embodiment) An overview of a moving body according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a service in which a moving body according to an embodiment leads a vehicle. A moving body 100 according to this embodiment travels autonomously and has the function of leading a first vehicle 200. The moving body 100 communicates wirelessly with the first vehicle 200 and transmits instructions for traveling to the first vehicle 200. The first vehicle 200 is a vehicle that has the function of following the moving body 100 and travels according to the instructions transmitted from the moving body 100.

[0026] In this embodiment, the first vehicle 200 is a vehicle that is rented to a user in a car sharing service.

[0027] The car sharing service in this embodiment is a service in which a vehicle is dispatched to a location (hereinafter referred to as a boarding location) designated by a user, and the vehicle can be returned (i.e., dropped off) at a location (hereinafter referred to as a return location) designated by the user. When such a service is provided unmanned, there may be cases where the vehicle must be autonomously driven and forwarded.

[0028] On the other hand, if the first vehicle 200 is not a fully autonomous vehicle but a semi-autonomous vehicle (for example, a vehicle that can drive autonomously by receiving information from an external source), a similar service can be realized by having the moving body 100 lead the first vehicle 200.

[0029] In this embodiment, the first vehicle 200 is led by the mobile body 100 from the station to which the vehicle belongs to the designated boarding point, and from the return point to the station. This makes it possible to hand over the vehicle at any point even if the first vehicle 200 is not a fully autonomous vehicle.

[0030] First, an outline of a method for handing over the first vehicle 200 in the car sharing service will be described.

[0031] First, as shown in (a) of Figure 1, a user 10 reserves a first vehicle 200 that they wish to use for car sharing using an information terminal 300. For example, the user 10 accesses a management server that manages the car sharing service and reserves the first vehicle 200.

[0032] When the management server accepts the reservation for the first vehicle 200, it identifies the first vehicle 200 waiting at the station and the moving body 100 that will lead the first vehicle 200. Then, the management server instructs the moving body 100 to lead the first vehicle 200 to the boarding point of the user 10.

[0033] Next, as shown in FIG. 1(b), the moving body 100 leads the first vehicle 200 by autonomous driving, causing the first vehicle 200 to move to the boarding point. The first vehicle 200 travels semi-autonomously from the station to a boarding point designated by the user 10 based on instructions transmitted from the moving body 100 traveling ahead.

[0034] When the first vehicle 200 arrives at the designated boarding point, it is handed over to the user 10. The moving body 100 then autonomously drives back to a waiting location such as a station. The user 10 can drive and use the first vehicle 200 himself / herself during the vehicle reservation period.

[0035] Next, the process for returning the vehicle will be described. As shown in (c) of Figure 1, after the user 10 has finished using the first vehicle 200, the user 10 sends a request to return the first vehicle 200 (hereinafter referred to as a return request) from the information terminal 300 to the management server at a predetermined point (return point).

[0036] The point where first vehicle 200 is returned does not have to be a car sharing station or the like. That is, first vehicle 200 may be abandoned. In this embodiment, mobile object 100 leads first vehicle 200, causing first vehicle 200 to move from the return point to a predetermined station.

[0037] Upon receiving the return request, the management server selects a mobile body 100 to guide the first vehicle 200 from the return point to the station, and transmits instructions to the mobile body 100 to forward the first vehicle 200.

[0038] 1(d), the mobile object 100 autonomously drives to arrive at the return point designated by the user 10 in accordance with instructions from the management server. Then, the mobile object 100 autonomously drives to lead the first vehicle 200 and guides the first vehicle 200 to a waiting location such as a station.

[0039] In this way, the moving body 100 drives autonomously and leads the first vehicle 200, which has the function of following the moving body 100. The first vehicle 200 drives semi-autonomously based on instructions transmitted from the moving body 100. In other words, by having the moving body 100 with autonomous driving function lead the first vehicle 200 without autonomous driving function, even the vehicle without autonomous driving function can be made to drive in the same way as a vehicle with autonomous driving function.

[0040] In the above example, the mobile object 100 can move the first vehicle 200 from the car sharing station to the designated pick-up point by leading the first vehicle 200. Similarly, the mobile object 100 can move the first vehicle 200 from the return point to the station. In other words, even if the first vehicle 200 is not an autonomous vehicle, it is possible to deliver the first vehicle 200 to any point without human intervention.

[0041] During the period when the moving body 100 is guiding the first vehicle 200, the first vehicle 200 is unmanned. However, there are cases where the sensors mounted on the first vehicle 200 alone are insufficient to confirm safety at the time of departure. Therefore, in this embodiment, before the first vehicle 200 departs, the moving body 100 leading the first vehicle 200 assists in confirming safety around the first vehicle 200. A specific method will be described later.

[0042] Next, each element constituting the system will be described in detail. Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating the components of the system including the moving object 100 according to the embodiment.

[0043] The moving body 100 according to this embodiment includes a control unit 110, a storage unit 120, a communication unit 130, a first sensor 140, and a drive unit 150. The moving body 100 communicates wirelessly with a first vehicle 200 and transmits instructions to the first vehicle 200 for traveling.

[0044] The control unit 110 is realized by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) and a memory. The control unit 110 includes, as functional modules, a sensing unit 111, a receiving unit 112, an autonomous driving unit 113, a determining unit 114, and a transmitting unit 115. These functional modules may be realized by the control unit 110 executing a program.

[0045] The sensing unit 111 uses the first sensor 140 to sense the area around the first vehicle 200. As described above, sensing the area around the first vehicle 200 refers to determining whether or not there are obstacles or the like in all directions around the first vehicle 200 and below the first vehicle 200.

[0046] The automatic driving unit 113 determines whether or not it is possible for the first vehicle 200 to start traveling, based on the result of sensing the area around the first vehicle 200 by the first sensor 140 (first sensing result). Specifically, the automatic driving unit 113 may determine whether or not an obstacle has been detected in the area around the first vehicle 200 by the first sensor 140. Then, the automatic driving unit 113 may determine that it is possible for the first vehicle 200 to start traveling when no obstacle has been detected in the area around the first vehicle 200 by the first sensor 140. The range of sensing by the first sensor 140 is determined by the determination unit 114, which will be described later.

[0047] When the automatic driving unit 113 determines that the first vehicle 200 can start traveling, it controls the drive unit 150, which will be described later, to cause the moving body 100 to travel autonomously and lead the first vehicle 200. During leading, the automatic driving unit 113 transmits information (hereinafter, instruction information) necessary for following traveling to the first vehicle 200.

[0048] The instruction information may include, for example, sensor information acquired by the moving body 100 and information determined based on the sensor information (for example, information about obstacles on the road, information about traffic lights and traffic regulations, etc.).

[0049] The determination unit 114 determines the area to be sensed by the first sensor 140. The area to be sensed by the first sensor 140 may be, for example, the area around the first vehicle 200, corresponding to the front, rear, left and right sides, and the underside of the vehicle.

[0050] When the automatic driving unit 113 determines that the first vehicle 200 cannot start traveling, the transmission unit 115 transmits information requesting a visual safety check to the information terminal 300 associated with the user 10.

[0051] The storage unit 120 is a main storage device such as RAM or ROM, an EPROM, a hard disk drive, or an auxiliary storage device such as removable media. The auxiliary storage device stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc., and by executing the programs stored therein, it is possible to realize functions that match the predetermined purpose of each part of the control unit 110. However, some or all of the functions may be realized by hardware circuits such as ASICs or FPGAs.

[0052] The storage unit 120 stores data used or generated in the processing performed by the control unit 110. The storage unit 120 may also store data necessary for autonomous driving, such as map data acquired from an external device.

[0053] The communication unit 130 is configured with a communication circuit that performs wireless communication. The communication unit 130 may be a communication circuit that performs wireless communication according to, for example, 4G, 5G, LTE, or LPWA (Low Power Wide Area).

[0054] The first sensor 140 is a sensor for detecting obstacles on a road, etc. Specifically, the first sensor 140 is a LiDAR, a camera, a radar, a sonar, etc. The first sensor 140 may be a collection of multiple sensors of different types.

[0055] The first sensor 140 may be used to sense the surroundings of the first vehicle 200, or may be used to enable the moving body 100 to travel autonomously.

[0056] The driving unit 150 is a means for driving the mobile object 100 based on instructions from the automatic driving unit 113. The driving unit 150 can be configured to include, for example, a motor and inverter for driving the wheels, a brake, and a steering mechanism. The driving unit 250 may be operated by power supplied from a battery.

[0057] Next, devices other than the moving body 100 will be described. The first vehicle 200 is typically a passenger car. The first vehicle 200 may also be a bus, a truck, or the like. The first vehicle 200 has a function of following the moving body 100 that is leading the first vehicle. Specifically, the first vehicle 200 communicates wirelessly with the moving body 100 that is leading the first vehicle, receives instructions (instruction information) for driving from the moving body 100, and drives in accordance with the instruction information. The first vehicle 200 includes a control unit 210, a memory unit 220, a communication unit 230, a second sensor 240, and a drive unit 250.

[0058] The control unit 210 receives instruction information required for following the moving body 100 from the automatic driving unit 113 of the moving body 100, and controls the driving unit 250 based on the received instruction information.

[0059] The control unit 210 is realized by a processor such as a CPU or a GPU and a memory. The above-described functions of the control unit 210 may be realized by the control unit 210 executing a program.

[0060] The storage unit 220 is a storage device similar to the storage unit 120 . The storage unit 220 stores data used or generated in the processing performed by the control unit 210. The storage unit 120 may also store data necessary for autonomous driving (in this embodiment, following the moving object 100), such as map data acquired from an external device. The communication section 230 is a communication unit that includes a communication circuit similar to that of the communication section 130 .

[0061] The second sensor 240 is a sensor for detecting obstacles on the road, etc. Specifically, the second sensor 240 is a LiDAR, a camera, a radar, a sonar, etc. The second sensor 240 may be a plurality of types of sensors.

[0062] The control unit 210 of the first vehicle 200 may use the second sensor 240 to check the surrounding safety before starting the vehicle.

[0063] The drive unit 250 is a means for driving the first vehicle 200 based on instructions from the control unit 210. The drive unit 250 may be configured to include, for example, a motor and inverter for driving the wheels, a brake, and a steering mechanism. The drive unit 250 may be operated by power supplied from a battery.

[0064] Next, the information terminal 300 will be described. The information terminal 300 is a device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal, etc. The information terminal 300 may also be a personal computer or the like.

[0065] The control unit 31 transmits a request to receive the rental of the first vehicle 200 (hereinafter referred to as a rental request) to the server 400. When returning the first vehicle 200, the control unit 310 transmits a request to return the first vehicle 200 at a predetermined location (return request) to the server 400 via the information terminal 300.

[0066] The control unit 310 also receives notifications and the like for the user 10 transmitted from the moving body 100. The notifications for the user 10 are, for example, information requesting the user 10 of the first vehicle 200 to visually check the safety of the area around the first vehicle 200. The notifications are transmitted from the moving body 100 when the presence of an obstacle around the first vehicle 200 is suspected, for example.

[0067] The storage unit 320 is a storage device similar to the storage unit 120 . The storage unit 320 stores data and the like used or generated in the processing performed by the control unit 310. The communication section 330 is a communication unit that includes a communication circuit similar to that of the communication section 130 .

[0068] Display unit 340 is a display or the like that displays notifications and the like received by control unit 310. Display unit 340 may be a touch panel display, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, or a liquid crystal display.

[0069] The server 400 is a server (the "management server" mentioned above) that provides a reservation service for various services for which the moving object 100 leads the first vehicle 200.

[0070] Specifically, the server 400 provides a reservation service such as a car sharing service. For example, the server 400 accepts a reservation for the first vehicle 200 from the user 10 who has logged in to the server 400. Upon accepting the reservation for the first vehicle 200, the server 400 identifies the moving body 100 that will lead the first vehicle 200 and transmits data necessary for leading the first vehicle 200 to the moving body 100. Examples of the data necessary for leading the first vehicle 200 include information about the user 10 and the first vehicle 200, route information necessary for forwarding the first vehicle 200 (e.g., route information from the station to the boarding point), map data, etc.

[0071] The server 400 also receives a notification (return request) from the information terminal 300 associated with the user 10 requesting the return of the first vehicle 200. Upon receiving the return request, the server 400 transmits information about the user 10 and the first vehicle 200, route information required for forwarding the first vehicle 200 (for example, route information from the return point to the station), map data, etc. to the mobile unit 10. Send to 0.

[0072] 2 is an example, and all or part of the illustrated functions may be performed using a dedicated circuit. Also, programs may be stored or executed using a combination of a main memory and an auxiliary memory other than those illustrated.

[0073] Next, a specific content of the processing performed by the moving body 100 will be described. Fig. 3 is a flowchart of the processing executed by the control unit 110 of the moving body 100 according to the first embodiment. The illustrated processing is executed before the moving body 100 starts leading the first vehicle 200.

[0074] The moving body 100 receives the position information of the first vehicle 200 and route information to that position from the server 400, and meets up with the first vehicle 200 by autonomously traveling according to the route information.

[0075] First, in step S11, the sensing unit 111 senses the area around the first vehicle 200 using the first sensor 140. The sensing unit 111 detects whether or not an obstacle, a pedestrian, or the like is present around the first vehicle 200 using the first sensor 140. The result of this sensing is referred to as a first sensing result.

[0076] Next, in step S12, the automatic driving unit 113 determines, based on the first sensing result, whether or not the first vehicle 200 can start traveling. In step S11, if no obstacles or the like are detected in the area around the first vehicle 200, the automatic driving unit 113 determines that the first vehicle 200 can start traveling, and transitions the process to step S13. If an obstacle is detected in the area around the first vehicle 200 in step S11, the automatic driving unit 113 determines that the first vehicle 200 cannot start traveling, and transitions the processing to step S14.

[0077] When the process transitions to step S13, the automatic driving unit 113 starts leading the first vehicle 200. The automatic driving unit 113 instructs the control unit 210 of the first vehicle 200 to start, and starts transmitting instruction information necessary for following driving.

[0078] When the process proceeds to step S14, the automatic driving unit 113 transmits to the information terminal 300 associated with the user 10 information requesting the user 10 to visually check the safety of the area around the vehicle. If the user 10 is not in the vicinity of the first vehicle 200, the transmitter 115 may transmit the notification to a predetermined device. The predetermined device may be, for example, a device associated with the manager of the first vehicle 200.

[0079] Next, a description will be given of details of a method for sensing the area around the first vehicle 200 by the sensing unit 111. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an outline of safety confirmation of the area around the first vehicle 200 performed by the moving body 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0080] As shown in (a) of Figure 4, the moving body 100 approaches the first vehicle 200 from behind the first vehicle 200. First, the moving body 100 senses the rear of the first vehicle 200 and the rear portion of the lower part of the first vehicle 200 with the first sensor 140. Here, the lower part of the first vehicle 200 refers to the area between the body of the first vehicle 200 and the road (road surface). Next, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the moving body 100 moves to the left behind the first vehicle 200 and senses the left side of the first vehicle 200. Next, as shown in FIG. 4(c), the moving body 100 passes on the right side of the first vehicle 200 and senses the right side of the first vehicle 200. Next, as shown in FIG. 4(d), the moving body 100 moves to the left in front of the first vehicle 200 and senses the left side of the first vehicle 200 again. Next, as shown in FIG. 4( e ), the moving body 100 moves onto the center line in front of the first vehicle 200 and senses the area in front of the first vehicle 200 and the front portion of the lower part of the first vehicle 200 . If the results of the above-described sensing show that there are no problems, the moving body 100 moves ahead of the first vehicle 200 and starts leading the first vehicle 200, as shown in FIG. 4(f).

[0081] In this way, the moving body 100 performs sensing thoroughly in the area around the first vehicle 200 (sides, front, rear, and bottom). The order in which the moving body 100 performs sensing is not limited to the order of (a) to (e) in Figure 4, and sensing may be performed in any order as long as it is possible to confirm all directions around the first vehicle 200 and the bottom of the first vehicle 200. Furthermore, the operation in (b) in Figure 4 may be omitted.

[0082] In addition, in the above description, the moving body 100 joins the first vehicle 200 from behind the first vehicle 200, but the moving body 100 may join the first vehicle 200 from in front of the first vehicle 200. In this case, the moving body 100 goes around to the rear of the first vehicle 200 once and performs sensing according to the procedure shown in (a) to (e) of FIG.

[0083] In this embodiment, the mobile body 100 performs sensing using the above method, but as will be described later, it may also be possible to obtain information specifying the area in which sensing is to be performed from the server 400 and perform sensing in the specified area. Also, the mobile body 100 may obtain information specifying the area in which sensing is to be performed from the first vehicle 200 when communicating with the first vehicle 200 in (a) of Figure 4.

[0084] According to the first embodiment, the moving body 100 can sense the area around the first vehicle 200 in all directions. This makes it possible to check for the presence or absence of obstacles even in areas that cannot be sensed by the second sensor 240 mounted on the first vehicle 200 alone, thereby ensuring safety when the first vehicle 200 departs.

[0085] (Second embodiment) In the first embodiment, the moving body 100 sensed the area around the first vehicle 200 in all directions. Specifically, in the first embodiment, the moving body 100 sensed the area around the first vehicle 200 thoroughly in the front, rear, left side, right side, and under the vehicle in that order.

[0086] However, the first vehicle 200 can also sense the area around the first vehicle 200 by itself using the second sensor 240. In this case, the moving body 100 may not need to sense the area sensed by the first vehicle 200.

[0087] In the second embodiment, to address this issue, the moving body 100 receives information about the partial area where the first vehicle 200 has performed sensing using the second sensor 240, and performs sensing on the partial area where sensing has not been performed.

[0088] In the second embodiment, the control unit 210 of the first vehicle 200 generates a second sensing result when the first vehicle 200 completes sensing, and transmits the second sensing result to the moving body 100. The second sensing result includes data indicating the positions of one or more partial areas where sensing was performed by the first vehicle 200. The receiving unit 112 of the moving body 100 receives the second sensing result from the first vehicle 200 when the moving body 100 merges with the first vehicle 200.

[0089] Furthermore, the determination unit 114 of the moving body 100 determines, based on the second sensing result received by the receiving unit 112, a partial area of ​​the area around the first vehicle 200 that should be sensed by the first sensor 140. Based on the second sensing result, the determination unit 114 determines a partial area (blind spot area) that has not been sufficiently sensed by the second sensor 240 of the first vehicle 200, and determines the partial area as an area to be sensed.

[0090] 5 is a flowchart of the process executed by the control unit 110 of the moving body 100 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 5 is a specific example of the process executed in step S11 in FIG.

[0091] First, in step S21, the receiving unit 112 receives the second sensing result, thereby enabling the receiving unit 112 to obtain information about the position of the area already sensed by the second sensor 240.

[0092] Next, in step S22, based on the second sensing result, the determination unit 114 determines a partial region to be sensed by the first sensor 140. For example, the determination unit 114 determines an area not sensed by the second sensor 240 as a partial region to be sensed by the first sensor 140.

[0093] Next, in step S23, the sensing unit 111 senses the partial region determined by the determination unit 114. That is, the sensing unit 111 performs sensing on the region that is not sensed by the second sensor 240.

[0094] As described above, in the second embodiment, the moving body 100 determines the area to be sensed and senses the determined area based on the information received from the first vehicle 200. This allows the moving body 100 to perform sensing on an area that the first vehicle 200 cannot sense.

[0095] (Third embodiment) There are cases where different types of sensors are mounted on the first vehicle 200 and the moving body 100. Furthermore, the accuracy of the sensing results may differ depending on the type of sensor. Therefore, in order to improve the accuracy of sensing, it is preferable to use different types of sensors in combination to perform sensing of the same area.

[0096] For example, assume that the first vehicle 200 has been sensing a predetermined area using the second sensor 240. In this case, if the moving object 100 has a sensor of a type different from the second sensor 240, the moving object 100 can improve the accuracy of determining obstacles, etc. by sensing the area again using the sensor.

[0097] In order to address this, the third embodiment is an embodiment in which the moving body 100 performs sensing using a sensor of a type different from the sensor used by the first vehicle 200 for sensing. For example, if the first vehicle 200 senses a predetermined area using an image sensor, the moving body 100 can sense the same area using an ultrasonic sensor, thereby improving the accuracy of determining obstacles, etc.

[0098] The processing executed by the control unit 110 in the third embodiment will be described. First, the determination unit 114 receives a third sensing result from the first vehicle 200, and determines the type of the first sensor 140 to be used when the moving body 100 performs sensing based on the third sensing result. The information includes the location of the one or more partial areas and the type of second sensor 240 used by the first vehicle 200. The determination unit 114 determines to perform sensing using a sensor of a type different from the second sensor 240 used by the first vehicle 200 for sensing.

[0099] This allows the moving body 100 to sense the same area using a different type of sensor than the sensor possessed by the first vehicle 200. In this way, by using different types of sensors in combination, it is possible to improve the accuracy of sensing.

[0100] (Fourth embodiment) In the third embodiment, the same area is checked repeatedly using different types of sensors. However, even when sensing is performed using only one type of sensor, if the reliability is sufficiently high, there may be cases where it is not necessary to sense the same area again using different types of sensors.

[0101] To address this issue, the fourth embodiment is an embodiment in which the moving body 100 determines the area to be sensed using the first sensor 140 based on the reliability of the sensing performed by the first vehicle 200 using the second sensor 240.

[0102] In the fourth embodiment, similarly to the third embodiment, the control unit 210 of the first vehicle 200 transmits the third sensing result to the moving body 100. The third sensing result includes information on the positions of one or more partial areas where sensing was performed by the first vehicle 200 and the type of the second sensor 240 used by the first vehicle 200.

[0103] Based on the third sensing result received from the first vehicle 200, the determination unit 114 calculates the reliability of the obstacle detection by the second sensor 240 in each partial area that constitutes the area around the first vehicle 200.

[0104] For example, the reliability of obstacle detection may vary depending on the type of sensor used for sensing, the environment when sensing is performed, etc. The moving body 100 may calculate the reliability of obstacle detection based on such information. The third sensing result may include additional information for calculating the reliability described above.

[0105] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the process executed by the control unit 110 of the moving body 100 according to the fourth embodiment. The process in FIG. 6 is a specific example of the process executed in step S11 in FIG. 3. After the process in step S33 or step S32 is completed, the process returns to step S33. Transition to step S12.

[0106] First, in step S31, the determination unit 114 calculates the reliability of the obstacle detection performed by the first vehicle 200 based on the third sensing result received from the first vehicle 200. The determination unit 114 may divide the area around the first vehicle 200 into a plurality of partial areas and calculate the reliability for each partial area. Here, the reliability is a value representing the accuracy of the obstacle detection by the second sensor 240 mounted on the first vehicle 200. For example, the determination unit 114 may calculate a higher reliability as the accuracy of the second sensor 240 increases. The reliability of the obstacle detection by the second sensor 240 may increase as the percentage of times the second sensor 240 successfully acquires data without error in each partial area increases.

[0107] Next, in step S32, the sensing unit 111 detects a partial area in which the reliability of obstacle detection is lower than a predetermined threshold value among a plurality of partial areas divided from the area around the first vehicle 200. The sensing unit 111 determines whether or not the reliability of obstacle detection is lower than a predetermined threshold for each of a plurality of partial areas included in the area surrounding the first vehicle 200. If the sensing unit 111 determines that there is a partial area among the plurality of divided partial areas in which the reliability of obstacle detection is lower than the predetermined threshold, the determination in this step is positive. If the determination in step S32 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S33. If the determination in step S32 is negative, the process ends.

[0108] When the process proceeds to step S33, the sensing unit 111 causes the first sensor 140 to sense a partial area of ​​the area around the first vehicle 200 for which the reliability is determined to be lower than a predetermined threshold. According to the fourth embodiment, by using the reliability of obstacle detection, it is possible to reduce the cost of performing sensing.

[0109] (Variation) The above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the present disclosure can be modified and implemented as appropriate within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the disclosure.

[0110] For example, the processes and means described in this disclosure can be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

[0111] Furthermore, a process described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by multiple devices. Alternatively, a process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by a single device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) by which each function is realized can be flexibly changed.

[0112] The present disclosure can also be realized by providing a computer program implementing the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and having one or more processors in the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer via a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the computer's system bus or via a network. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media include, for example, any type of disk, such as a magnetic disk (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (e.g., a CD-ROM, a DVD disk, a Blu-ray disk), a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, an optical card, or any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 10 users 100... Mobile 110, 210, 310...Control unit 111 Sensing unit 112... Receiver 113···Automated Driving Department 114...Decision section 115 Transmitter 120, 220, 320...Storage section 130, 230, 330...Communications Department 140 First sensor 150, 250... Drive unit 200···1st car 240 Second sensor 300···Information terminal 340...Display section

Claims

1. A moving body capable of autonomous travel, the moving body having a function of leading a first vehicle traveling following the moving body, a first sensor for detecting an obstacle; a control unit that executes sensing of an area around the first vehicle using the first sensor before the first vehicle starts leading; and The control unit receiving, from the first vehicle, a second sensing result obtained by a second sensor mounted on the first vehicle, the second sensing result including information about a partial area of ​​the area around the first vehicle where sensing was performed by the second sensor; determining a partial area to be sensed by the first sensor out of the area around the first vehicle based on the second sensing result; Mobile object.

2. The control unit determining whether or not the first vehicle can start traveling based on a first sensing result that is a result of sensing an area around the first vehicle by the first sensor; When it is determined that the first vehicle can start traveling, the first vehicle starts leading the way. The moving body according to claim 1 .

3. A mobile body capable of autonomous driving, the mobile body having a function of leading a first vehicle that follows the mobile body and travels, a first sensor for detecting an obstacle; a control unit that executes sensing of an area around the first vehicle using the first sensor before the first vehicle starts leading; and The control unit receiving, from the first vehicle, a third sensing result that is a result of sensing of an area around the first vehicle by a second sensor mounted on the first vehicle, the third sensing result including information on a partial area of ​​the area around the first vehicle where sensing was performed by the second sensor and information on a type of the second sensor; sensing the partial area where the sensing was performed by the second sensor based on the third sensing result, using the first sensor which is a sensor of a type different from that of the second sensor; Mobile object.

4. The control unit determining whether or not the first vehicle can start traveling based on a first sensing result that is a result of sensing an area around the first vehicle by the first sensor; When it is determined that the first vehicle can start traveling, the first vehicle starts leading the way. The moving body according to claim 3 .

5. The control unit calculating a reliability of obstacle detection using the second sensor in each partial area constituting an area around the first vehicle based on the third sensing result received from the first vehicle; sensing the partial region in which the reliability is lower than a predetermined threshold value by the first sensor, which is a sensor of a different type from the second sensor; The moving body according to claim 3 .

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