Control device, vehicle control method, and system

Abstract

This control device comprises: a process information specification unit which specifies a manufacturing process to be executed on a vehicle capable of driverless travel; a state specification unit which specifies a start state that defines a state of the vehicle at a time at which the specified manufacturing process is started; and a control unit which executes state control processing for controlling the vehicle such that the state of the vehicle is the start state.

Description

Control device, vehicle control method, and system CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to Japanese patent application No. 2023-213566, filed December 19, 2023, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a control device, a vehicle control method, and a system.

[0003] Patent Literature 1 describes a method for inspecting an on-vehicle electronic control unit, in which, if an inspection enabling condition that must be met by the vehicle being inspected in order to perform the inspection in the inspection process is not met, an operator is notified of the steps to be taken to make the inspection enabling condition met.

[0004] JP 2010-38783 A

[0005] In Patent Document 1, an operator can perform a procedure to establish the inspection enabling conditions, thereby enabling the on-board electronic control unit to be properly inspected. Meanwhile, there is known a technology for moving a vehicle by unmanned driving. A technology for properly inspecting such a vehicle that can be moved by unmanned driving is desired. These issues are not limited to inspection, but are also common to various manufacturing processes related to the manufacture of vehicles that can be moved by unmanned driving.

[0006] The present disclosure can be realized in the following forms.

[0007] (1) According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a control device is provided. The control device includes a process identification unit that identifies a manufacturing process to be performed on a vehicle capable of unmanned driving; a state identification unit that identifies a starting state that defines the state of the vehicle at the timing when the identified manufacturing process is started; and a control unit that executes a state control process that controls the vehicle so that the state of the vehicle becomes the starting state. This aspect can increase the likelihood that the manufacturing process will be performed appropriately. (2) In the above aspect, the control device includes a state determination unit that executes a determination process that determines whether the state of the vehicle is the starting state after the state control process is executed. If the state of the vehicle is different from the starting state in the determination process, the control unit may execute at least one of a stopping process that stops the vehicle from traveling, an evacuation process that evacuates the vehicle to a predetermined evacuation location, and a notification process that notifies an abnormality. This aspect can increase the likelihood that the manufacturing process will be performed appropriately for the target vehicle and subsequent vehicles. (3) In the above aspect, the control unit may not execute the stop process or the notification process if the number of times the evacuation process is performed is equal to or less than a predetermined reference number, and may execute at least one of the stop process and the notification process if the number of times the process is performed is greater than the reference number. This aspect allows the manufacturing process to be performed more efficiently and increases the likelihood that the manufacturing process will be performed appropriately. (4) In the above aspect, the manufacturing process may be a process of inspecting the wheel alignment of the vehicle, and the start state may include a shift position of the vehicle being in a neutral range, a foot brake and a parking brake of the vehicle not being applied, and a steering angle of the vehicle being within a predetermined range. This aspect allows the vehicle's wheel alignment inspection process to be performed appropriately using unmanned vehicle operation. (5) In the above embodiment, the manufacturing process may be a process of inspecting the amount of lateral slip of the vehicle, and the starting state may include the vehicle speed of the vehicle being equal to or less than a predetermined value, the shift position of the vehicle being in a neutral range, and the steering angle of the vehicle being within a predetermined range.According to this aspect, the unmanned operation of the vehicle can be used to appropriately perform the inspection process for the amount of vehicle skid. (6) In the above aspect, the manufacturing process may be a process of inspecting the braking force of a brake device of the vehicle, and the start state may include a state in which a brake other than the brake to be inspected is not operating in the vehicle, the shift position of the vehicle is in a neutral range, and the steering angle of the vehicle is within a predetermined range. According to this aspect, the unmanned operation of the vehicle can be used to appropriately perform the inspection process for the vehicle's brake device. (7) The manufacturing process may be a process of optically inspecting headlamps provided in the vehicle, and the start state may include a state in which the shift position of the vehicle is in a parking range. According to this aspect, the unmanned operation of the vehicle can be used to appropriately perform the inspection process for the vehicle's headlamps. (8) In the above aspect, the start state may include a state in which the shift position is in the neutral range immediately before the parking range. According to this aspect, the unmanned operation of the vehicle can be used to more appropriately perform the inspection process for the vehicle's headlamps. (9) In the above aspect, the manufacturing process may be a process of inspecting an acceleration device provided in the vehicle by running the vehicle on rotatable rollers, and the starting state may include a vehicle speed of the vehicle being equal to or less than a predetermined value and a steering angle of the vehicle being within a predetermined range. According to this aspect, the inspection process of the acceleration device of the vehicle can be more appropriately performed by utilizing unmanned vehicle operation. (10) In the above aspect, the manufacturing process may be a process of inspecting a steering device provided in the vehicle, and the starting state may include a shift position of the vehicle being in a neutral range and a steering force applied to the steering device being equal to or less than a predetermined value. According to this aspect, the inspection process of the steering angle of the vehicle can be appropriately performed by utilizing unmanned vehicle operation. (11) In the above aspect, the manufacturing process may be a process of electrically connecting a predetermined component to a predetermined portion of the vehicle, and the starting state may include a state in which power is not supplied to the portion. According to this aspect, the process of assembling electrical components, electronic components, etc. into the vehicle can be properly carried out by utilizing unmanned operation of the vehicle.(12) In the above embodiment, when the manufacturing process is a first manufacturing process, the start state may include a state for not interfering with a second manufacturing process different from the first manufacturing process. This embodiment can prevent the second manufacturing process from being interfered with by the first manufacturing process, thereby increasing the likelihood that each manufacturing process will be properly performed. (13) In the above embodiment, a work location for performing the first manufacturing process and a work location for performing the second manufacturing process may be adjacent to each other. This embodiment can effectively increase the likelihood that each manufacturing process will be properly performed. (14) In the above embodiment, the second manufacturing process may be performed after the first manufacturing process. This embodiment can more effectively increase the likelihood that each manufacturing process will be properly performed. (15) In the above embodiment, the second manufacturing process is a process for performing work using an optical sensor, and the start state may include a state in which a lighting device provided on the vehicle is not turned on. This embodiment can prevent work performed at the second work location from being interfered with by light emitted from a lighting device of a vehicle located at the first work location. (16) In the above embodiment, the second manufacturing process may be a process of performing work using radar, and the start state may include a state in which radio waves are not transmitted from the radar installed in the vehicle. This embodiment can prevent work performed at the second work location from being disrupted by radio waves transmitted from the radar of a vehicle located at the first work location. The present disclosure can be realized in the form of, for example, a vehicle control method, a system, a program, a non-transitory recording medium on which a program is recorded, a program product, or the like, in addition to the above-described control device. The program product may be provided, for example, as a recording medium on which a program is recorded, or as a program product that can be distributed via a network.

[0008] A conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a system in the first embodiment. A diagram explaining a first inspection process and a second inspection process in the first embodiment. A block diagram showing the configuration of a system in the first embodiment. A flowchart showing the processing procedure for vehicle driving control in the first embodiment. A flowchart showing the processing procedure for vehicle control processing in the first embodiment. A diagram explaining the first inspection process and the second inspection process in the second embodiment. A diagram explaining the first inspection process and the second inspection process in the third embodiment. A diagram explaining the first inspection process in the fourth embodiment. A diagram explaining a manufacturing process performed at a second work site in the fifth embodiment. A flowchart showing the processing procedure for vehicle control processing in the sixth embodiment. A block diagram showing the configuration of a system in the seventh embodiment. A flowchart showing the processing procedure for vehicle driving control in the seventh embodiment.

[0009] A. First Embodiment: Fig. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a system 50 according to a first embodiment. The system 50 includes one or more vehicles 100, a server 200, one or more external sensors 300, and a notification unit 400.

[0010] The vehicle 100 may be a vehicle that runs on wheels or tracks, and may be, for example, a passenger car, a truck, a bus, a motorcycle, a four-wheeled vehicle, a tank, a construction vehicle, etc. The vehicle 100 includes an electric vehicle (BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle), a gasoline-powered vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, and a fuel cell vehicle. In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 is an electric vehicle.

[0011] The vehicle 100 is configured to be capable of traveling in an unmanned manner. "Unmanned driving" refers to driving without the driver's control. Driving operation refers to operations related to at least one of "running," "turning," and "stopping" of the vehicle 100. Unmanned driving is achieved by automatic or manual remote control using a device located outside the vehicle 100, or by autonomous control of the vehicle 100. A vehicle 100 traveling in an unmanned manner may have a driver on board who does not operate the vehicle. A driver who does not operate the vehicle may, for example, simply be seated in a seat of the vehicle 100, or a person who is riding in the vehicle 100 and performing work other than driving operations, such as assembly, inspection, or operating switches. Note that driving in which a driver controls the vehicle is sometimes called "manned driving."

[0012] In this specification, "remote control" includes "full remote control" in which all of the operations of the vehicle 100 are completely determined from outside the vehicle 100, and "partial remote control" in which some of the operations of the vehicle 100 are determined from outside the vehicle 100. Furthermore, "autonomous control" includes "full autonomous control" in which the vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own operations without receiving any information from devices external to the vehicle 100, and "partial autonomous control" in which the vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own operations using information received from devices external to the vehicle 100.

[0013] Vehicle 100 may be configured to be able to travel by unmanned driving, and may be in the form of a platform having the configuration described below, for example. Specifically, vehicle 100 may be equipped with at least a vehicle control device and a group of actuators (described below) to perform the three functions of "running," "turning," and "stopping" by unmanned driving. Vehicle 100 may further be equipped with a communication device when acquiring information from a device external to vehicle 100 for unmanned driving. That is, vehicle 100 capable of traveling by unmanned driving may not be equipped with at least some of its interior parts, such as a driver's seat and a dashboard, at least some of its exterior parts, such as bumpers and fenders, or a body shell. In this case, the remaining parts, such as the body shell, may be attached to vehicle 100 before it is shipped from the factory FC, or the remaining parts, such as the body shell, may be attached to vehicle 100 after it is shipped from the factory FC without the remaining parts, such as the body shell. The components may be attached from any direction, such as the upper, lower, front, rear, right or left side of the vehicle 100, and may be attached from the same direction or from different directions. Note that the vehicle 100 in this embodiment is in the form of a completed vehicle.

[0014] In this embodiment, the system 50 is used in a factory FC that manufactures a vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 is configured to be able to travel within the factory FC in an unmanned manner.

[0015] The factory FC has one or more work locations for carrying out manufacturing processes related to the vehicle 100. The manufacturing processes may include various processes for manufacturing the vehicle 100, such as an assembly process for assembling the vehicle 100, an assembly process for assembling parts onto the vehicle 100, and an inspection process for inspecting the vehicle 100. In the example of FIG. 1 , the work locations are a first work location PL1 where the assembly process for assembling the vehicle 100 is carried out, a second work location PL2 where a first inspection process is carried out, and a third work location PL3 where a second inspection process is carried out. FIG. 1 also shows a storage location PS for storing the vehicle 100 after inspection is completed. The manufacturing processes are carried out in the order of the assembly process, the first inspection process, and the second inspection process. As shown in FIG. 1 , the work locations and the storage location PS are connected by a road on which the vehicle 100 can travel. The first work location PL1 and the second work location PL2 are connected by a first road TR1. The second work location PL2 and the third work location PL3 are connected by a second track TR2. The third work location PL3 and the storage location PS are connected by a third track TR3. Hereinafter, when the tracks provided in the factory FC are not distinguished from one another, they will be simply referred to as tracks. A plurality of external sensors 300 are installed along the tracks in the factory FC. The position of each external sensor 300 in the factory FC is adjusted in advance. The vehicle 100 moves unmanned from the first work location PL1 toward the storage location PS, passing through each track as appropriate. Furthermore, the vehicle 100 travels through the first work location PL1, the second work location PL2, the third work location PL3, and the storage location PS in this order.

[0016] The second work location PL2 and the third work location PL3 are work locations adjacent to each other in the target direction of movement of the vehicle 100 in the factory FC. The target direction means the direction of travel of the vehicle 100 along the reference route RR described below. In other words, the target direction is the direction from the rear to the front on the reference route RR. Specifically, the target direction is the direction from the rear to the front on the reference route RR on the main line ML.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the first inspection process SP1 and the second inspection process SP2 in this embodiment. FIG. 2 illustrates the first inspection process SP1 being performed on vehicle 100A and the second inspection process SP2 being performed on vehicle 100B. The first inspection process SP1 is a wheel alignment inspection process that inspects the wheel alignment of vehicle 100. The second inspection process SP2 is a headlamp inspection process that optically inspects headlamps provided on vehicle 100 using an optical sensor. Hereinafter, processes for inspecting vehicle 100, such as the first inspection process SP1 and the second inspection process SP2, will also be simply referred to as inspection processes. Furthermore, when the first inspection process SP1 is defined as the first manufacturing process, the second inspection process SP2 corresponds to the second manufacturing process, which is a manufacturing process different from the first manufacturing process.

[0018] In the first inspection process SP1, the wheels of the vehicle 100, positioned at predetermined measurement positions on the measurement platform MS, are rotated by a rotation drive unit RD1, while the toe angle, camber angle, and caster angle of the wheels of the vehicle 100 are measured using a contact or non-contact measuring device (not shown), thereby inspecting the wheel alignment of the vehicle 100. The rotation drive unit RD1 is, for example, configured with an electric roller, an endless belt, or the like. In the second inspection process SP2, the headlamps HL of the target vehicle 100, positioned at predetermined inspection positions, are optically inspected using an optical sensor that detects visible light. FIG. 2 shows how the position of the optical axis, light intensity, and light color of the headlamps HL of the vehicle 100B are inspected at a third work location PL3 using a headlamp tester HT having a camera with a built-in optical sensor.

[0019] 2 shows a first start state SC1, which is the start state for the first inspection process SP1, and a second start state SC2, which is the start state for the second inspection process SP2. The start state is determined in advance for each manufacturing process and defines the state of vehicle 100 at the timing when the manufacturing process starts. The start state is determined, for example, as the motion state of vehicle 100, the operating state of each part of vehicle 100, or a combination of the motion state and operating state of vehicle 100. The motion state and operating state of vehicle 100 in the start state may be represented by parameters.

[0020] The first start state SC1 includes a first state C1, a second state C2, a third state C3, a fourth state C4, and a fifth state C5. The first state C1 is a state in which the shift position of the vehicle 100 is in the neutral range (hereinafter also referred to as the N range). The second state C2 is a state in which the foot brake of the vehicle 100 is not applied. The third state C3 is a state in which the parking brake of the vehicle 100 is not applied. The fourth state C4 is a state in which the steering angle of the vehicle 100 is within a predetermined reference range. Specifically, the fourth state C4 in this embodiment is a state in which the steering angle of the vehicle 100 is 0°. The fifth state C5 is a state in which the lighting devices of the vehicle 100 are not turned on.

[0021] In this embodiment, the fifth state C5 included in the first start state SC1 corresponds to a state for not interfering with the second inspection process SP2 performed at the third work site PL3. If lighting devices such as headlamps HL provided on the vehicle 100A are turned on during the first inspection process SP1, light from the lighting devices may be irradiated from the second work site PL2 to the third work site PL3. The light thus irradiated from the second work site PL2 may be detected by an optical sensor during the second inspection process SP2 of the vehicle 100B performed at the third work site PL3. Thus, if the lighting devices of the target vehicle 100 are turned on during the first inspection process SP1, the second inspection process SP2 may be interfering with the first inspection process SP1.

[0022] The second start state SC2 also includes a sixth state C6, a seventh state C7, and an eighth state C8. The sixth state C6 is a state in which the shift position of the vehicle 100 is in the parking range (hereinafter also referred to as the P range). The seventh state C7 is a state in which the shift position of the vehicle 100 is in the N range immediately before the P range. In other words, the seventh state C7 can also be said to be a state in which the shift position is changed to the current P range immediately after the N range. In this case, "immediately before" and "immediately after" mean that the shift position is changed between the N range and the P range without passing through any range other than the N range and the P range. The eighth state C8 is a state in which no lighting devices other than the lighting device being tested are turned on. The eighth state C8 included in the second start state SC2 is, for example, a state in which the fog lamps are not turned on.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1 , the factory FC in this embodiment has a main line ML, a first auxiliary line SL1, and a second auxiliary line SL2. The main line ML includes each work location from a first work location PL1 to a storage location PS, and each travel path from a first travel path TR1 to a third travel path TR3. In this embodiment, the main line ML corresponds to a production line. The production line is a line in the factory FC on which each production process is performed on the vehicle 100 while the vehicle 100 travels from a start point to an end point in an unmanned driving mode.

[0024] The first auxiliary line SL1 is configured as a path connecting the second working area PL2 and the first track TR1. The starting end SE1 of the first auxiliary line SL1 is connected to the second working area PL2 on the main line ML, and the ending end EE1 of the first auxiliary line SL1 is connected to the first track TR1 on the main line ML. The first auxiliary line SL1 includes a first evacuation area EL1 that is predetermined for the first inspection process SP1. The second auxiliary line SL2 is configured as a path connecting the third working area PL3 and the second track TR2. The starting end SE2 of the second auxiliary line SL2 is connected to the third working area PL3 on the main line ML, and the ending end EE2 of the second auxiliary line SL2 is connected to the second track TR2 on the main line ML. The second auxiliary line SL2 includes a second evacuation area EL2 that is predetermined for the second inspection process SP2. The first auxiliary line SL1 corresponds to the return line for the first inspection process SP1. The second auxiliary line SL2 corresponds to the return line for the second inspection process SP2. The return line is a line in the factory FC that includes an evacuation area and whose start and end are connected to the production line.

[0025] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the system 50. The vehicle 100 includes a vehicle control device 110 for controlling each part of the vehicle 100, an actuator group 120 including one or more actuators operated under the control of the vehicle control device 110, a communication device 130 for communicating via wireless communication with external devices such as a server 200, and one or more internal sensors 140. The actuator group 120 includes actuators related to the traveling of the vehicle 100, such as a drive system actuator for accelerating the vehicle 100, a steering system actuator for changing the traveling direction of the vehicle 100, and a braking system actuator for decelerating the vehicle 100. The drive system includes a battery, a traction motor driven by battery power, and driving wheels rotated by the traction motor. The actuator of the drive system includes the traction motor. The actuator group 120 may further include actuators for operating various accessories provided on the vehicle 100 and various equipment provided on the vehicle 100, such as wipers, power windows, and lamps.

[0026] The internal sensor 140 is a sensor mounted on the vehicle 100. The internal sensor 140 may include, for example, a sensor that detects the motion state of the vehicle 100, a sensor that detects the operating state of each part of the vehicle 100, and a sensor that detects the environment around the vehicle 100. For example, in the present embodiment, the internal sensor 140 includes a shift position sensor that measures the shift position of a transmission provided in the vehicle 100, and a vehicle speed sensor that measures the vehicle speed of the vehicle 100. In addition to the shift position sensor and the vehicle speed sensor, the internal sensor 140 may include various sensors such as a camera, LiDAR, millimeter-wave radar, an ultrasonic sensor, a GPS sensor, a wheel speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and various encoders that detect the operation of each part of the vehicle 100.

[0027] In this specification, "vehicle speed" refers to the relative speed of the vehicle 100 with respect to the road surface on which the vehicle 100 is located. This road surface includes not only stationary road surfaces but also moving road surfaces such as conveyors and rollers. The vehicle speed can be detected based on a value representing the number of rotations of the wheels using a vehicle speed sensor or a wheel speed sensor. Furthermore, the vehicle speed with respect to a stationary road surface may be calculated, for example, based on a change in the position of the vehicle 100.

[0028] The vehicle control device 110 is configured by a computer including a processor 111, a memory 112, an input / output interface 113, and an internal bus 114. The processor 111, the memory 112, and the input / output interface 113 are connected via the internal bus 114 to enable bidirectional communication. The input / output interface 113 is connected to an actuator group 120 and a communication device 130. The processor 111 executes a program PG1 stored in the memory 112 to realize various functions, including the function of a vehicle control unit 115.

[0029] The vehicle control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 to control the operation of each unit of the vehicle 100. In particular, the vehicle control unit 115 controls various actuators related to driving to drive the vehicle 100. The vehicle control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 using a driving control signal received from the server 200 to drive the vehicle 100, regardless of whether a passenger is on board the vehicle 100. The driving control signal is a control signal for driving the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the driving control signal includes the acceleration and steering angle of the vehicle 100 as parameters. In other embodiments, the driving control signal may include the speed of the vehicle 100 as a parameter instead of or in addition to the acceleration of the vehicle 100. Furthermore, when a passenger is on board the vehicle 100, the vehicle control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 in accordance with the passenger's driving operation to drive the vehicle 100.

[0030] The external sensor 300 is a sensor located outside the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the external sensor 300 is a sensor that captures the vehicle 100 from outside the vehicle 100. The external sensor 300 is equipped with a communication device (not shown) and can communicate with other devices such as the server 200 via wired communication or wireless communication. The external sensor 300 may be used to detect the environment around the vehicle 100. Specifically, the external sensor 300 is configured by a camera. The camera serving as the external sensor 300 acquires a captured image including the vehicle 100 and outputs the captured image as a detection result.

[0031] The notification unit 400 notifies a user of the system 50 of an abnormality. The user of the system 50 may be, for example, a manager of the system 50 or the factory FC, or a worker at the factory FC. In this embodiment, the notification unit 400 is configured as a tablet terminal carried by the manager. The notification unit 400 notifies the user of various information, including information related to the abnormality, via a display unit 401 provided in the notification unit 400. In this embodiment, the display unit 401 is configured as a touch panel (e.g., a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display) that can be touched and also functions as a reception unit that receives operations from the user. The notification unit 400 includes a communication device (not shown) and can communicate with the server 200 via wired or wireless communication. In other embodiments, the notification unit 400 may notify the user of an abnormality via a speaker, for example, instead of or in addition to the display unit 401. The notification unit 400 may be, for example, a display panel, a warning buzzer, or a warning lamp provided in the factory FC, or may be a display device or a speaker connected to the server 200.

[0032] The server 200 is configured as a computer including a processor 201, a memory 202, an input / output interface 203, and an internal bus 204. The processor 201, the memory 202, and the input / output interface 203 are connected via the internal bus 204 to enable bidirectional communication. A communication device 205 is connected to the input / output interface 203 for communicating with various devices external to the server 200. The communication device 205 can communicate with the vehicle 100 via wireless communication and with each external sensor 300 via wired communication or wireless communication. The memory 202 stores various information including a program PG2, a reference route RR, a detection model DM, and a database DB. By executing the program PG2 stored in the memory 202, the processor 201 realizes various functions including those of a control unit 210, a process identification unit 215, a current state acquisition unit 220, a state identification unit 230, and a state determination unit 250. The server 200 in the first embodiment corresponds to the "control device" in the present disclosure.

[0033] The control unit 210 in this embodiment has a function of executing unmanned driving of the vehicle 100 and a function of executing state control processing and subsequent processing, which will be described later. The control unit 210 acquires detection results from the sensors, generates driving control signals for controlling the actuator group 120 of the vehicle 100 using the detection results, and transmits the driving control signals to the vehicle 100, thereby driving the vehicle 100 by remote control. The control unit 210 may generate and output not only driving control signals but also control signals for controlling actuators that operate various accessories provided in the vehicle 100 and various equipment such as wipers, power windows, and headlights. In other words, the control unit 210 may operate these various equipment and accessories by remote control.

[0034] The process identification unit 215 identifies a manufacturing process to be performed on the vehicle 100. Hereinafter, a manufacturing process to be performed on the vehicle 100 is also referred to as a target manufacturing process. The process identification unit 215 identifies the target manufacturing process by, for example, acquiring at least one of location information and process information for the target vehicle 100, which is the vehicle 100 to be controlled. In this embodiment, the process identification unit 215 identifies the target manufacturing process by acquiring location information. Note that if each manufacturing process is previously associated with each work location in the factory FC, the process identification unit 215 can identify the target manufacturing process by simply identifying the location of the vehicle 100 using the location information. Alternatively, the process identification unit 215 may identify the target manufacturing process by, for example, referring to a database that associates each location in the factory FC with identification information for each manufacturing process based on the location information. The location information may be information that can identify the location of the vehicle 100 to the extent that the manufacturing process to which the vehicle 100 will be subjected can be identified. For example, the location information may be the location coordinates of the vehicle 100. 1 , in this embodiment, the reference coordinate system of the factory FC is the global coordinate system GC, and therefore the position coordinates of the vehicle 100 can be expressed as X, Y, and Z coordinates in the global coordinate system GC. The position information may be information that roughly represents the position of the vehicle 100, or may be information that represents, for example, the area within the factory FC in which the vehicle 100 is located. In addition, when the position of each external sensor 300 is determined in advance as in this embodiment, the position information may be, for example, information that identifies the external sensor 300 that has captured the target vehicle 100.

[0035] The process information is information related to the manufacturing process to be performed on the vehicle 100. The process information is acquired based on, for example, information indicating the execution order of each manufacturing process and information indicating the next manufacturing process to be performed on the target vehicle 100. Examples of information indicating the execution order and the next manufacturing process include log data for each manufacturing process and work record data recording the progress of each manufacturing process. The information indicating the execution order and the next manufacturing process may be stored, for example, in the memory 202 of the server 200, in the memory 112 of the vehicle control device 110 of the target vehicle 100, or in a computer or recording medium external to the target vehicle 100 and the server 200. The information indicating the execution order and the next manufacturing process may be stored in association with identification information of each vehicle 100. The process information may also be acquired based on location information of the target vehicle 100. In this case, for example, information indicating each location in the factory FC and information indicating each manufacturing process to be performed at each location may be stored in association with each other in the memory 202, the memory 112, an external computer, or a recording medium.

[0036] Returning to Fig. 3, the current state acquisition unit 220 acquires the current state of the target vehicle 100. The current state represents the actual state of the vehicle 100 at the time when the current state acquisition unit 220 acquires the current state. The current state may be acquired using the internal sensor 140 or the external sensor 300, for example.

[0037] The current state may include at least the motion states and operating states of the vehicle 100, including states related to each start state defined for each manufacturing process. That is, in this embodiment, the current state may include states related to the first state C1 to the eighth state C8. Specifically, the current state may include, for example, the shift position of the vehicle 100, a state indicating whether the foot brake of the vehicle 100 is activated, a state indicating whether the parking brake of the vehicle 100 is activated, the steering angle of the vehicle 100, a history of the shift position of the vehicle 100, and a state indicating whether various lighting devices provided on the vehicle 100 are turned on. The shift position history is generated, for example, by the processor 111 recording the shift position in the memory 112 or the like every time the shift position of the vehicle 100 is changed or at predetermined time intervals.

[0038] The state identification unit 230 identifies a start state defined for the target manufacturing process based on at least one of the acquired position information and process information. Hereinafter, the start state identified by the state identification unit 230, i.e., the start state defined for the target manufacturing process, will also be referred to as the target state. In this embodiment, the state identification unit 230 identifies the target state using a database DB.

[0039] In the database DB of this embodiment, location information representing a location in the factory FC is stored in association with the start state of a manufacturing process performed at the corresponding work site. For example, in the database DB, location information representing the second work site PL2 is associated with a first start state SC1, which is the start state of the first inspection process SP1 performed at the second work site PL2. Similarly, a second start state SC2 is associated with location information representing the third work site PL3. Note that in the database DB of this embodiment, for example, location information representing the first track TR1, the second track TR2, or the third track TR3 is not associated with a start state. In other embodiments, for example, the database DB may further associate location information and start states with identification information of the manufacturing process. Furthermore, the database DB may include, for example, data associating each location information with identification information of each manufacturing process and data associating the identification information of each manufacturing process with each start state.

[0040] Hereinafter, the work location where the target manufacturing process is performed is also referred to as the target work location. Furthermore, the manufacturing process performed before the target manufacturing process is also referred to as the pre-process. Furthermore, the manufacturing process performed after the target manufacturing process is also referred to as the post-process. For example, if the target manufacturing process is the first inspection process SP1, the assembly process corresponds to the pre-process. Furthermore, in this case, the second inspection process SP2 corresponds to the post-process.

[0041] When the target state is identified by the state identification unit 230, the control unit 210 executes a state control process. The state control process is a process of controlling the vehicle 100 so that the state of the vehicle 100 becomes the target state. Specifically, the state control process in this embodiment is a process of issuing a command to the target vehicle 100 so that the state of the target vehicle 100 becomes the target state. The state determination unit 250 executes a determination process after the state control process is executed. The determination process is a process of determining whether the state of the vehicle 100 is the target state.

[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control unit 210 executes subsequent processing when the state of the vehicle 100 is determined to be different from the target state in the determination processing. The subsequent processing is processing to execute at least one of a stop processing, an evacuation processing, and a notification processing. The evacuation processing is processing to evacuate the vehicle 100 to a predetermined evacuation location for the target manufacturing process. The stop processing is processing to stop the vehicle 100 from traveling. The notification processing is processing to notify of an abnormality.

[0043] 4 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for driving control of the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment. In the processing procedure in Fig. 4, the processor 201 of the server 200 executes the program PG2 to function as the control unit 210 and executes remote control of the vehicle 100. In addition, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 executes the program PG1 to function as the vehicle control unit 115.

[0044] In step S1, the processor 201 of the server 200 acquires vehicle position information of the vehicle 100 using the detection results output from the external sensor 300. The vehicle position information is position information that serves as the basis for generating a driving control signal. In this embodiment, the vehicle position information includes the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 in the global coordinate system GC of the factory FC. Specifically, in step S1, the processor 201 acquires the vehicle position information using an image captured by a camera, which is the external sensor 300.

[0045] In detail, in step S1, the processor 201, for example, detects the outer shape of the vehicle 100 from the captured image, calculates the coordinates of the positioning point of the vehicle 100 in the coordinate system of the captured image, i.e., the local coordinate system, and converts the calculated coordinates into coordinates in the global coordinate system GC, thereby acquiring the position of the vehicle 100. The outer shape of the vehicle 100 contained in the captured image can be detected, for example, by inputting the captured image into a detection model DM that utilizes artificial intelligence (AI). The detection model DM is prepared, for example, inside or outside the system 50 and pre-stored in the memory 202 of the server 200. The detection model DM may be, for example, a trained machine learning model that has been trained to achieve either semantic segmentation or instance segmentation. For example, a convolutional neural network (hereinafter, CNN) trained by supervised learning using a training dataset may be used as the machine learning model. The training dataset includes, for example, a plurality of training images including the vehicle 100 and labels indicating whether each region in the training images represents the vehicle 100 or a region other than the vehicle 100. During CNN training, it is preferable to update the CNN parameters using backpropagation (backpropagation) to reduce the error between the output result of the detection model DM and the label. Furthermore, the processor 201 can acquire the orientation of the vehicle 100 by estimating the orientation based on the orientation of the movement vector of the vehicle 100 calculated from the positional changes of feature points of the vehicle 100 between frames of captured images using, for example, an optical flow method.

[0046] In step S2, the processor 201 of the server 200 determines a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head. In this embodiment, the target position is represented by X, Y, and Z coordinates in the global coordinate system GC. A reference route RR, which is a route to be traveled by the vehicle 100, is stored in advance in the memory 202 of the server 200. The route is represented by nodes indicating the departure point, nodes indicating passing points, nodes indicating the destination, and links connecting the nodes. The processor 201 uses the vehicle position information and the reference route RR to determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head. The processor 201 determines a target position on the reference route RR that is ahead of the current location of the vehicle 100.

[0047] In step S3, processor 201 of server 200 generates a driving control signal for driving vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. Processor 201 calculates the driving speed of vehicle 100 from the change in the position of vehicle 100 and compares the calculated driving speed with the target speed. When the driving speed is lower than the target speed, processor 201 determines an acceleration rate so that vehicle 100 accelerates. When the driving speed is higher than the target speed, processor 201 determines an acceleration rate so that vehicle 100 decelerates. When vehicle 100 is located on reference route RR, processor 201 determines a steering angle and acceleration rate so that vehicle 100 does not deviate from reference route RR. When vehicle 100 is not located on reference route RR, in other words, when vehicle 100 has deviated from reference route RR, processor 201 determines a steering angle and acceleration rate so that vehicle 100 returns to reference route RR.

[0048] In step S4, processor 201 of server 200 transmits the generated driving control signal to vehicle 100. Processor 201 repeats, at a predetermined cycle, the acquisition of vehicle position information, determination of a target position, generation of a driving control signal, and transmission of the driving control signal.

[0049] In step S5, processor 111 of vehicle 100 receives the driving control signal transmitted from server 200. In step S6, processor 111 of vehicle 100 controls actuator group 120 using the received driving control signal to cause vehicle 100 to drive at the acceleration and steering angle indicated in the driving control signal. Processor 111 repeats receiving the driving control signal and controlling actuator group 120 at a predetermined cycle. According to system 50 of the present embodiment, vehicle 100 can be driven by remote control, and vehicle 100 can be moved without using transportation equipment such as a crane or conveyor.

[0050] Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing steps of a vehicle control process for realizing the control method for vehicle 100 in this embodiment. The vehicle control process of Fig. 5 is executed, for example, at predetermined time intervals. In the vehicle control process of Fig. 5, processor 201 of server 200 executes program PG2 to function as control unit 210, process identification unit 215, current state acquisition unit 220, state identification unit 230, and state determination unit 250.

[0051] In step S105, the current state acquisition unit 220 acquires the current state of the target vehicle 100. In step S105, the current state acquisition unit 220 may acquire the current state of the target vehicle 100, for example, by receiving the detection result of the internal sensor 140 from the target vehicle 100. The current state acquisition unit 220 may also acquire the current state of the target vehicle 100, for example, by using the detection result of the external sensor 300. In this case, the current state acquisition unit 220 may acquire the current state, for example, by analyzing an image captured by a camera serving as the external sensor 300. In step S105, the current state acquisition unit 220 stores the acquired current state in the memory 202 in association with the identification information of the target vehicle 100.

[0052] In step S110, the process identification unit 215 identifies the target manufacturing process. Specifically, in step S110, the process identification unit 215 identifies the target manufacturing process by acquiring position information of the target vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the process identification unit 215 acquires vehicle position information of the target vehicle 100 as the position information of the target vehicle 100. Hereinafter, the step of identifying the target manufacturing process as in step S110 is also referred to as a process identification step.

[0053] In step S115, the state identification unit 230 executes a state identification process to identify the target state. Specifically, in step S115, the state identification unit 230 identifies the target state by referring to the database DB based on the location information of the target vehicle 100 acquired in step S110. Hereinafter, a step of identifying the target state, such as step S115, is also referred to as a state identification step. For example, if location information representing the second work location PL2 is acquired in step S110, the state identification unit 230 can identify the first start state SC1 associated with the second work location PL2 as the target state by referring to the database DB based on the location information in step S115. That is, in this case, acquiring the location information representing the second work location PL2 in step S110 corresponds to identifying the first inspection process SP1 as the target manufacturing process. In addition, if location information is acquired in step S110 that represents a location that is not associated with a starting state, such as the first track TR1, the second track TR2, or the third track TR3, the target manufacturing process is not identified in step S110, and the target state is not identified in step S115.

[0054] In step S116, the state identification unit 230 determines whether or not the target state has been identified. If the target state has not been identified in step S116, the processor 201 terminates the vehicle control process. If the target state has been identified in step S116, the state determination unit 250 determines in step S117 whether or not the current state acquired in step S105 is the identified target state.

[0055] In another embodiment, the acquisition of the current state of vehicle 100 may be performed after the state identification step. In this case, the current state may include at least a state related to the target state identified in the state identification step among the start states for each manufacturing process.

[0056] If the current state is different from the target state in step S117, then in step S120, the control unit 210 executes a state control process for the target vehicle 100. Specifically, the control unit 210 generates a control command for changing the state of the target vehicle 100 to the target state identified in step S115, and transmits the generated control command to the target vehicle 100. When the state control process is executed in step S120, the target vehicle 100 controls the actuator group 120 provided in the target vehicle 100 based on the transmitted control command. As a result, the state of the target vehicle 100 becomes the target state. Hereinafter, the step of controlling the vehicle 100 so that the state of the vehicle 100 becomes the target state, as in step S120, is also referred to as a state control step.

[0057] For example, if the target manufacturing process is the first inspection process SP1, in step S120, the control unit 210 commands the target vehicle 100 to place the target vehicle 100 in a first start state SC1. Specifically, in this case, the control unit 210 generates, for example, a control command to change the shift position of the target vehicle 100 to N range at the wheel alignment measurement position, a control command to release the foot brake of the target vehicle 100 at the measurement position, a control command to release the parking brake of the target vehicle 100 at the measurement position, a control command to set the steering angle of the target vehicle 100 to zero at the measurement position, and a control command to turn off the lighting devices of the target vehicle 100 before the target vehicle 100 reaches the measurement position, and transmits the generated control commands to the target vehicle 100. Also, if the target manufacturing process is the second inspection process SP2, in step S120, the control unit 210 commands the vehicle 100B to place the target vehicle 100 in a second start state SC2. Specifically, in this case, the control unit 210 generates a control command to change the shift position of the target vehicle 100 to N range at the headlamp HL inspection position and then immediately change the shift position to P range, or a control command to turn off the fog lights of the target vehicle 100 before the target vehicle 100 reaches the inspection position, and transmits the generated control commands to the target vehicle 100. Note that such control commands may include, for example, a control command to move the target vehicle 100 to a predetermined work position. For example, the control command transmitted to the target vehicle 100 to bring the target vehicle 100 into the first start state SC1 may include a travel control signal to move the target vehicle 100 to a measurement position on the measurement platform MS. Furthermore, each control command may be transmitted to the vehicle 100 collectively or individually.

[0058] If the current state is the target state in step S117, the processor 201 ends the vehicle control process. That is, in the vehicle control process in this embodiment, if the current state is the target state in step S117, the control unit 210 does not execute the state control process. Note that in this case, even if the state control process is not executed by the control unit 210, the state of the target vehicle 100 is the target state, so the target manufacturing process is executed appropriately for the target vehicle 100.

[0059] In step S125, the current state acquisition unit 220 again acquires the current state of the target vehicle 100. In step S130, the state determination unit 250 executes a determination process. Specifically, in step S130, the state determination unit 250 determines whether the current state acquired again in step S125 is the target state identified in step S115. That is, the determination process in this embodiment corresponds to a process of determining whether the state of the target vehicle 100 has changed to the target state by the state control process. Note that in step S130 in this embodiment, the state determination unit 250 also determines that the current state is not the target state if the current state is not acquired within a predetermined time in step S125. Such delays or failures in acquiring the current state may occur due to, for example, communication delays or failures between the vehicle 100 and the server 200.

[0060] If the current state is not the target state in step S130, the control unit 210 determines in step S135 whether the number of times the evacuation process has been performed for the target vehicle 100 is equal to or less than a predetermined reference number. Hereinafter, the number of times the evacuation process has been performed is also referred to as the number of evacuation times. In this embodiment, the reference number is two or more times. In other embodiments, the reference number may be, for example, one time.

[0061] If the number of evacuation attempts is equal to or less than the reference number in step S135, control unit 210 executes evacuation processing in step S140. In the evacuation processing in this embodiment, control unit 210 commands vehicle 100 to move target vehicle 100 to a target work location via a return line connected to the production line, and to change the state of target vehicle 100 to the target state.

[0062] For example, if the target manufacturing process is the first inspection process SP1, in step S140, the control unit 210 commands the target vehicle 100 to move to the second work location PL2 via the first auxiliary line SL1 and to change the state of the target vehicle 100 to the first start state SC1. In this case, the control unit 210 first sends a travel control signal to the target vehicle 100, causing the target vehicle 100 to travel to the second work location PL2 via the first auxiliary line SL1 and the main line ML. Next, the control unit 210 sends a control command to the target vehicle 100 to change the state of the target vehicle 100 to the first start state SC1.

[0063] Also, for example, if the target manufacturing process is the second inspection process SP2, in step S140, the control unit 210 commands the target vehicle 100 to move to the third work location PL3 via the second auxiliary line SL2 and to change the state of the target vehicle 100 to the second start state SC2. In this case, the control unit 210 first sends a travel control signal to the target vehicle 100, causing the target vehicle 100 to travel to the third work location PL3 via the second auxiliary line SL2 and the main line ML. Next, the control unit 210 sends a control command to the target vehicle 100 to change the state of the target vehicle 100 to the second start state SC2.

[0064] After executing the saving process, the processor 201 returns to step S125. Then, steps S125 and S130 are executed again. In step S130 again, the determination process is executed again, and it is determined whether the current state of the target vehicle 100 acquired in step S125 again is the target state. Hereinafter, this determination process executed again, i.e., the determination process executed for the second or subsequent time, will also be referred to as a re-determination process. If, in the previously executed step S130, it was determined that the current state of the target vehicle 100 is not the target state due to, for example, a temporary abnormality in the system 50, it is highly likely that, in the re-execution of step S130, the current state of the target vehicle 100 will be determined to be the target state. The temporary abnormality may be, for example, a temporary communication failure between the target vehicle 100 and a device external to the target vehicle 100, or a temporary failure related to signal transmission and reception within the target vehicle 100. On the other hand, if it is determined in the previously executed step S130 that the current state of the target vehicle 100 is not the target state due to, for example, a non-temporary abnormality in the system 50, the likelihood that the current state of the target vehicle 100 will be determined to be the target state in the next step S130 becomes low. A non-temporary abnormality is, for example, a non-temporary communication failure, a break in the wiring in the target vehicle 100, or a malfunction of the actuator group 120 of the target vehicle 100.

[0065] Furthermore, if it is determined again in step S130 that the current state of the target vehicle 100 is not the target state, step S135 is executed again. If the number of evacuation attempts is equal to or less than the reference number in step S135, the evacuation process is executed again in step S140. That is, in this embodiment, if the number of evacuation attempts is equal to or less than the reference number, and the state of the target vehicle 100 is not the target state in the re-determination process, the evacuation process is executed again. In this way, in this embodiment, if the state of the target vehicle 100 is not the target state in the determination process, the evacuation process is repeatedly executed until the number of evacuation attempts becomes greater than the reference number.

[0066] If the number of evacuation attempts is greater than the reference number in step S135, then in step S145, the control unit 210 executes a stop process. In step S145, the control unit 210 transmits, for example, a travel control signal to the target vehicle 100 to brake the target vehicle 100. In step S150, the control unit 210 executes a notification process using the notification unit 400. If the number of evacuation attempts is greater than the reference number, then there is a higher probability that the state of the target vehicle 100 will not become the target state due to the above-described non-temporary abnormality, compared to when the number of evacuation attempts is equal to or less than the reference number. Therefore, in this embodiment, it can be said that the stop process or the notification process is executed when there is a higher probability that the target state will not be realized due to a non-temporary abnormality.

[0067] After executing step S150, the control unit 210 resets the count of the number of evacuations. Note that the control unit 210 also resets the count of the number of evacuations if the current state is the target state in step S130.

[0068] According to the system 50 of the present embodiment described above, a target state, which is the starting state of a target manufacturing process to be executed on the vehicle 100, is identified, and the target vehicle 100 is controlled so that the state of the target vehicle 100 becomes the target state. Therefore, it is possible to increase the likelihood that the manufacturing process will be executed appropriately.

[0069] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control unit 210 does not execute the state control process when the current state of the target vehicle 100 is the target state, thereby suppressing an increase in the processing load due to unnecessary processes.

[0070] In another embodiment, the control unit 210 may instruct the target vehicle 100 to change only the portion of the current state that differs from the target state in the state control processing of step S120. The "portion that differs from the target state" does not refer to a physical portion such as a specific part of the vehicle 100, but rather to a portion of the state of the vehicle 100. For example, if the target manufacturing process is the first inspection process SP1 and the state of the target vehicle 100 matches the first state C1 to the fourth state C4 but does not match the fifth state C5, the control unit 210 may generate a control command that does not include control signals for changing the state of the target vehicle 100 to the first state C1, the second state C2, the third state C3, or the fourth state C4, but includes a control signal for changing the state of the target vehicle 100 to the fifth state C5, and transmit the generated control command to the target vehicle 100. That is, in this case, the control unit 210 may transmit to the target vehicle 100 a control command that does not include a control signal for controlling the shift position, the brake operation state, or the steering angle, but includes a control signal for turning off the headlights HL. In this way, the state of the target vehicle 100 can be changed to the target state by changing only the parts of the current state that are different from the target state. Therefore, for example, the processing load associated with generating and transmitting / receiving a control command for changing the state of the target vehicle 100 to the target state can be further reduced.

[0071] Furthermore, in this embodiment, after the state control process is executed, a determination process is executed to determine whether the state of the target vehicle 100 is in the target state. If the determination process determines that the state of the target vehicle 100 is not in the target state, at least one of a stop process, a retraction process, and a notification process is executed. Therefore, for example, by executing the stop process, an abnormality that prevents the target vehicle 100 from becoming the target state can be resolved while the target vehicle 100 is stopped. Furthermore, for example, by executing the notification process, a user (e.g., a manager or worker) who has been notified of the abnormality can take action to resolve the abnormality. Furthermore, for example, by executing the retraction process, it is possible to prevent the target vehicle 100 from interfering with the manufacturing process of a subsequent vehicle 100. In this way, it is possible to increase the likelihood that the manufacturing process will be properly executed for the target vehicle 100 and any vehicles 100 subsequent to the target vehicle 100.

[0072] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in the evacuation process, the control unit 210 commands the target vehicle 100 to move to the target work location via the return line and to change the state of the target vehicle 100 to the target state. In this way, if the state of the target vehicle 100 is not the target state after the state control process is executed, the target vehicle 100 can be evacuated. Furthermore, because the target vehicle 100 moves to the target work location via a return line that is different from the production line, interference between the target vehicle 100 and the following vehicle 100 can be suppressed. Therefore, the possibility that the production process will be properly executed for the target vehicle 100 and the following vehicle 100 can be further increased.

[0073] In this embodiment, after the save process is executed, the re-determination process is executed, and if the state of the target vehicle 100 is not the target state in the re-determination process, the save process is executed again. Therefore, it is possible to further increase the possibility that the manufacturing process will be executed appropriately.

[0074] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the number of evacuations is equal to or less than the reference number, the stop process and the notification process are not executed. If the number of evacuations is greater than the reference number, at least one of the stop process and the notification process is executed. In this manner, if the number of evacuations is equal to or less than the reference number, the evacuation process is repeatedly executed until the vehicle 100 reaches the target state. If the number of evacuations is greater than the reference number, the stop process and the notification process are executed. That is, if there is a relatively high probability that the vehicle 100 will not reach the target state due to a temporary abnormality in the system 50, the evacuation process can be repeatedly executed while the vehicle 100 is running until the vehicle 100 reaches the target state. Furthermore, if there is a relatively high probability that the vehicle 100 will not reach the target state due to a non-temporary abnormality in the system 50, the stop process and the notification process can be executed. Therefore, the manufacturing process can be executed more efficiently and the likelihood of the manufacturing process being executed appropriately can be increased.

[0075] In the present embodiment, the first start state SC1, which is the start state of the first inspection process SP1, includes a state of the vehicle 100 that does not interfere with the second inspection process SP2. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the second inspection process SP2 from being interfered with due to the first inspection process SP1, and it is possible to increase the likelihood that each inspection process will be properly performed.

[0076] In this embodiment, the second work location PL2 and the third work location PL3 are adjacent to each other in the factory FC, which effectively increases the likelihood that each inspection process will be performed appropriately.

[0077] In this embodiment, the second inspection process SP2 is a process subsequent to the first inspection process SP1, which can more effectively increase the likelihood that each inspection process will be properly performed.

[0078] In other embodiments, the second work location PL2 and the third work location PL3 do not have to be adjacent to each other. Furthermore, the second inspection process SP2 does not have to be a process subsequent to the first inspection process SP1. Even in these cases, by including in the first start state SC1 a state of the vehicle 100 that does not interfere with the second inspection process SP2, it is possible to prevent the second inspection process SP2 from being interfered with by the first inspection process SP1, thereby increasing the likelihood that each inspection process will be properly performed.

[0079] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second inspection process SP2 is a process of performing work using an optical sensor, and the first start state SC1, which is the start state for the first inspection process SP1, includes a state in which the lighting devices of the target vehicle 100 are not turned on. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the work performed at the third work location PL3 from being disturbed by light emitted from the lighting devices of the target vehicle 100 located at the second work location PL2.

[0080] In other embodiments, the process of performing the work using the optical sensor does not have to be a headlamp inspection process, but may be another manufacturing process using an optical sensor. For example, the process of performing the work using the optical sensor may be a process using an optical sensor provided in the vehicle 100. In this case, the process of performing the work using the optical sensor may be a process of optically inspecting a camera provided in the vehicle 100, or a process of causing a computer such as the vehicle control device 110 to perform various learning processes using a camera provided in the vehicle 100. In this case, the learning process may be, for example, a learning process for generating a three-dimensional image or a panoramic image using images captured by multiple cameras as input images, or a learning process for generating an object detection model that detects objects included in the images.

[0081] In this embodiment, the first start state SC1, which is the start state of the wheel alignment inspection process as the first inspection process SP1, includes a first state C1 in which the shift position is in the N range, a second state C2 in which the foot brake is not applied, a third state C3 in which the parking brake is not applied, and a fourth state C4 in which the steering angle is within a reference range. Therefore, the wheel alignment of the vehicle 100 can be appropriately inspected using unmanned driving.

[0082] In this embodiment, the second start state SC2, which is the start state of the headlamp inspection process as the second inspection process SP2, includes the sixth state C6 in which the shift position is in the P range. This more firmly fixes the wheels of the target vehicle 100 during the headlamp inspection process than, for example, when the second start state SC2 includes the first state C1 instead of the sixth state C6. This more effectively prevents the optical axes of the headlamps HL from shifting during the headlamp inspection process. Therefore, the headlamp HL can be properly inspected using unmanned driving.

[0083] In this embodiment, the second start state SC2 also includes a seventh state C7 in which the shift position is in the N range immediately before the P range. For example, if the shift position of the vehicle 100 is simply changed from the drive range (hereinafter also referred to as the D range) to the P range, the wheels of the vehicle 100 may become fixed in a state that reflects the influence of the vehicle 100's immediately preceding driving state. In contrast, by changing the shift position of the vehicle 100 to the P range immediately after passing through the N range, the shift position of the vehicle 100 can be changed to the P range while preventing the wheels of the vehicle 100 from becoming fixed in a state that reflects the influence of the vehicle 100's immediately preceding driving state. Therefore, by including the seventh state C7 in the second start state SC2, variation in inspection conditions during the headlamp inspection process can be further reduced, thereby enabling more appropriate inspection of the headlamp HL.

[0084] In other embodiments, the first start state SC1 may include other states in addition to or instead of the above states, and the second start state SC2 may include other states in addition to or instead of the above states.

[0085] B. Second Embodiment: FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the first inspection process SP1b and the second inspection process SP2b in the second embodiment. FIG. 6 shows the first inspection process SP1b being performed on the vehicle 100A and the second inspection process SP2b being performed on the vehicle 100B. Unlike the first embodiment, the first inspection process SP1b in this embodiment is a side slip inspection process that inspects the amount of sideslip of the vehicle 100. Furthermore, the second inspection process SP2b is a radar inspection process that inspects the radar Rd provided in the vehicle 100. The radar Rd is, for example, a millimeter-wave radar. The second inspection process SP2b corresponds to a manufacturing process that performs work using the radar Rd. Unless otherwise specified, the other configurations in this embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0086] In the first inspection step SP1b, for example, the target vehicle 100 is caused to pass over a side slip board SB having a potentiometer and a load cell for detecting the amount of sideslip at a speed equal to or less than a predetermined value, thereby detecting the amount of sideslip of the target vehicle 100. In the second inspection step SP2, for example, the radar Rd of the target vehicle 100 is inspected by detecting an object OB located outside the target vehicle 100 using the radar Rd. Specifically, in this case, radio waves are transmitted from the transmitter of the radar Rd to the object OB, and the radio waves reflected by the object OB are received by the receiver of the radar Rd.

[0087] As shown in FIG. 6 , the first start state SC1b in this embodiment includes a first state C1, a fourth state C4, a ninth state C9, and a tenth state C10. The ninth state C9 is a state in which the vehicle speed of the vehicle 100 is equal to or lower than a predetermined reference value. The tenth state C10 is a state in which no radio waves are transmitted from the radar Rd of the target vehicle 100. Note that the reference range for the fourth state C4 in the side slip inspection process and the reference range for the fourth state C4 in the alignment inspection process may be the same or different. The fourth state C4 in this embodiment is a state in which the steering angle is 0°. The second start state SC2b includes a sixth state C6 and a seventh state C7.

[0088] In this embodiment, the tenth state C10 included in the first start state SC1b corresponds to a state of the vehicle 100 that does not interfere with the second inspection process SP2b performed at the third work site PL3. If radio waves are transmitted from the radar Rd provided on the vehicle 100A during the first inspection process SP1b, the radio waves from the radar Rd may reach the third work site PL3 from the second work site PL2. The radio waves thus reaching the third work site PL3 from the second work site PL2 may be received by the radar Rd provided on the vehicle 100B during the radar inspection process of the vehicle 100B performed at the third work site PL3. Thus, if radio waves are transmitted from the radar Rd of the target vehicle 100 during the first inspection process SP1b, the second inspection process SP2b may be interfered with.

[0089] In this embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the vehicle control process of Fig. 5 is executed. For example, if the target manufacturing process is the first inspection process SP1b, in step S120, the control unit 210 transmits to the target vehicle 100, for example, a control command to change the shift position of the target vehicle 100 to N range at a predetermined inspection start position for the side slip inspection process, a control command to reduce the vehicle speed of the target vehicle 100 to a predetermined value or less before the target vehicle 100 reaches the inspection start position, a control command to set the steering angle of the target vehicle 100 to zero at the inspection start position, and a control command to turn off the lighting devices of the target vehicle 100 before the target vehicle 100 reaches the measurement position. The inspection start position is, for example, a position in front of the side slip board SB. Also, if the target manufacturing process is the second inspection process SP2b, in step S120, the control unit 210 changes the shift position of the target vehicle 100 to N range at the inspection position for the radar inspection process, and immediately thereafter sends a control command to the target vehicle 100 to change the shift position to P range.

[0090] According to the system 50 of the present embodiment described above, the second inspection process SP2b is a process of performing work using the radar Rd provided on the vehicle 100, and the first start state SC1b, which is the start state for the first inspection process SP1b, includes the tenth state C10 in which no radio waves are transmitted from the target vehicle 100. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the manufacturing process performed at the third work location PL3 from being disturbed by radio waves transmitted from the radar Rd of the target vehicle 100 located at the second work location PL2.

[0091] In another embodiment, the process of performing the work using the radar Rd does not have to be a radar inspection process, but may be another manufacturing process using the radar Rd. For example, this process may be a process of causing a computer such as the vehicle control device 110 to perform various learning processes using the radar Rd. In this case, the learning process may be, for example, a learning process for generating an object detection model that detects the presence or absence and type of an object based on reception data generated by receiving radio waves by the radar Rd.

[0092] In this embodiment, the first start state SC1b, which is the start state for the side slip inspection process as the first inspection process SP1b, includes a ninth state C9 in which the vehicle speed of the target vehicle 100 is equal to or lower than a reference value, a first state C1 in which the shift position is in the N range, and a fourth state C4 in which the steering angle is within a reference range. Therefore, the side slip inspection of the vehicle 100 can be appropriately performed using unmanned driving.

[0093] In the present embodiment, the second start state SC2b, which is the start state of the radar inspection process as the second inspection process SP2b, includes the sixth state C6 and the seventh state C7. Therefore, the radar inspection of the vehicle 100 can be appropriately performed using unmanned driving.

[0094] In other embodiments, the first start state SC1b may include other states in addition to or instead of the above states, and the second start state SC2b may include other states in addition to or instead of the above states.

[0095] C. Third Embodiment: FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the first inspection process SP1c and the second inspection process SP2c in the third embodiment. FIG. 7 shows the first inspection process SP1c being performed on vehicle 100A and the second inspection process SP2c being performed on vehicle 100B. Unlike the first embodiment, the first inspection process SP1c in this embodiment is a drum test process that uses a rotatable roller RL to inspect the acceleration device of vehicle 100. Furthermore, the second inspection process SP2c is a brake inspection process that inspects the braking force of the braking device of vehicle 100. Unless otherwise specified, the other configurations in this embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0096] In the first inspection process SP1b, the acceleration device of the target vehicle 100 is inspected by having the target vehicle 100 run on a rotating roller RL. Specifically, in the first inspection process SP1b, the acceleration device of the target vehicle 100 is inspected by detecting the vehicle speed and acceleration of the target vehicle 100 based on the number of rotations of the roller RL that rotates as the target vehicle 100 runs while the target vehicle 100 runs on the roller RL. In the second inspection process SP2b, for example, the braking force of the brake to be inspected is inspected by operating the brake to be inspected among the brakes possessed by the target vehicle 100 while applying a rotational force from the rotation drive unit RD2 to the wheel of the vehicle 100 located at a predetermined measurement position. The braking force is measured, for example, based on the detection result of a torque sensor that detects the torque of the rotation drive unit RD2. In this embodiment, the second inspection process SP2c is a process of inspecting the foot brake. That is, the brake to be inspected is a foot brake.

[0097] As shown in FIG. 7 , the first start state SC1c in this embodiment includes a fourth state C4 and a ninth state C9. The second start state SC2c includes a first state C1, a fourth state C4, and an eleventh state C11. The eleventh state C11 is a state in which a brake other than the brake to be inspected is not activated. Specifically, the eleventh state C11 in this embodiment is a state in which the parking brake is not activated. Note that in other embodiments, if the brake to be inspected is the parking brake, the eleventh state C11 is, for example, a state in which the foot brake is not activated. Furthermore, the reference ranges for the fourth state C4 in the drum test process and the brake inspection process may be different from each other and may also be different from the reference ranges for the fourth state C4 in the side slip inspection process and the alignment inspection process. Each fourth state C4 in this embodiment is a state in which the steering angle is 0°. The reference value for the ninth state C9 in the drum test process may be different from the reference value for the ninth state C9 in the side slip process. In this embodiment, the reference value for the ninth state C9 in the side slip process is zero.

[0098] In this embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the vehicle control process of Fig. 5 is executed. For example, if the target manufacturing process is the first inspection process SP1c, in step S120, the control unit 210 transmits to the target vehicle 100 a control command for changing the shift position of the target vehicle 100 to N range at a predetermined measurement position for the drum test process, a control command for zeroing the steering angle of the target vehicle 100 at the measurement position, and a control command for stopping the target vehicle 100 at the measurement position. Also, if the target manufacturing process is the second inspection process SP2c, in step S120, the control unit 210 transmits to the target vehicle 100 a control command for changing the shift position of the target vehicle 100 to N range at a predetermined inspection position for the brake inspection process, a control command for zeroing the steering angle of the target vehicle 100 at the inspection position, and a control command for releasing the parking brake of the target vehicle 100 before reaching the inspection position.

[0099] According to the system 50 of the present embodiment described above, the first start state SC1c, which is the start state of the drum test process as the first inspection process SP1c, includes the ninth state C9 in which the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than a reference value and the fourth state C4 in which the steering angle is within a reference range. Therefore, the inspection of the acceleration device of the vehicle 100 can be properly performed using unmanned driving.

[0100] In this embodiment, the second start state SC2c, which is the start state for the brake inspection process as the second inspection process SP2c, includes an eleventh state C11 in which a brake other than the brake to be inspected in the target vehicle 100 is not operating, a first state C1 in which the shift position is in the N range, and a fourth state C4 in which the steering angle is within the reference range. Therefore, the inspection of the braking system of the vehicle 100 can be properly performed using unmanned driving.

[0101] In other embodiments, the first start state SC1c may include other states in addition to or instead of the above states, and the second start state SC2c may include other states in addition to or instead of the above states.

[0102] D. Fourth Embodiment: Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating the first inspection process SP1d in the fourth embodiment. Figure 8 shows the first inspection process SP1d being performed on the vehicle 100A. Unlike the first embodiment, the first inspection process SP1d in this embodiment is an angle test process that inspects the steering angle of the steering device of the vehicle 100. Unless otherwise specified, the other configurations in this embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0103] In the first inspection process SP1d, the drive wheels of the target vehicle 100 are positioned on the turntable TT, and the turntable TT is used to inspect the maximum steering angle of the steering device of the target vehicle 100. The turntable TT is configured to be rotatable around a rotation axis RX1 that is aligned with the vertical line.

[0104] As shown in Fig. 8, the first start state SC1d in this embodiment includes a first state C1 and a twelfth state C12. The twelfth state C12 is a state in which the steering force applied to the steering device of the target vehicle 100 is equal to or less than a predetermined reference value. Specifically, the reference value for the twelfth state C12 in this embodiment is zero. That is, the twelfth state C12 in this embodiment corresponds to a state in which no steering force is applied to the steering device of the target vehicle 100.

[0105] 5 is executed in the same manner as in the first embodiment. For example, if the target manufacturing process is the first inspection process SP1d, in step S120, the control unit 210 transmits to the target vehicle 100 a control command for changing the shift position of the target vehicle 100 to N range at a predetermined inspection position for the angle test process, or a control command for reducing the steering force of the steering device of the target vehicle 100 to zero at the inspection position.

[0106] According to the system 50 of the present embodiment described above, the first start state SC1d, which is the start state for the angle test process as the first inspection process SP1d, includes the first state C1 in which the shift position is in the N range and the twelfth state C12 in which the steering force applied to the steering device is equal to or less than a reference value. Therefore, the angle test process of the vehicle 100 can be appropriately performed using unmanned driving.

[0107] In other embodiments, the first start state SC1d may include other states in addition to or instead of the above states.

[0108] E. Fifth Embodiment: Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating the manufacturing process performed at the second work place PL2 in the fifth embodiment. In this embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, the second work place PL2 performs a component connection process CP as the manufacturing process, rather than an inspection process. Unless otherwise specified, the other configurations in this embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0109] The component connection process CP is a process of electrically connecting a predetermined component to a predetermined portion of the target vehicle 100b. FIG. 9 illustrates the component connection process CP being performed on the target vehicle 100b in the form of a platform. Specifically, FIG. 9 illustrates the process of installing a component CM to be assembled from outside the target vehicle 100b and electrically connecting the component CM to a first portion p1 of the target vehicle 100b. Note that in FIG. 9 , the component CM before installation on the target vehicle 100b is indicated by a dashed line, and the component CM after installation and electrical connection on the target vehicle 100b is indicated by a solid line. The component CM may be, for example, various electronic or electrical components. Furthermore, the component CM may be installed on the vehicle 100b and electrically connected to it in a state where it is configured as an arbitrary electrical component together with various other components. Furthermore, the component connection process CP may be performed, for example, by a worker, by a device such as a robot, or by both. Hereinafter, the target part of the vehicle 100 to which the part CM is electrically connected will also be referred to as the target part. That is, in this embodiment, the first part p1 corresponds to the target part.

[0110] 9 , the third start state SCp, which is the start state of the component connection process CP, includes a non-energized state C13. The non-energized state C13 is a state in which no power is supplied to the target part. That is, in this embodiment, the non-energized state C13 is a state in which no power is supplied to the first part p1.

[0111] In this embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the vehicle control process of FIG. 5 is executed. For example, if the target manufacturing process is the component connection process CP, in step S120, the control unit 210 transmits a control command to the target vehicle 100b to place the target vehicle 100b in a non-energized state C13 at a predetermined assembly position. Upon receiving this control command, the vehicle 100b controls actuators such as various switches provided in the target vehicle 100b so that the circuit Cr1 including the first portion p1 is electrically disconnected from a power supply device provided in the target vehicle 100b and a power source external to the target vehicle 100b. In this case, it is sufficient that power is not supplied to the first portion p1. For example, power may be supplied to a circuit Cr2 that does not include the first portion p1.

[0112] According to the system 50 of the present embodiment described above, the third start state SCp, which is the start state of the component connection process CP, includes the non-energized state C13. This prevents the component CM from being damaged due to power being supplied to the target portion when the component CM is being assembled to the vehicle 100b. Therefore, the process of assembling the component CM to the vehicle 100b can be appropriately performed by utilizing the unmanned operation of the vehicle 100b.

[0113] In other embodiments, the third start state SCp may include other states in addition to or instead of the non-energized state C13.

[0114] F. Sixth Embodiment: Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of vehicle control processing for realizing a control method for vehicle 100 in a sixth embodiment. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that process information is acquired instead of position information in step S110b of Figure 10. The other configurations of this embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment unless otherwise specified.

[0115] In step S110b, the process identification unit 215 identifies the target manufacturing process by acquiring process information for the target vehicle 100. In step S110b in this embodiment, the process identification unit 215 acquires the process information for the target vehicle 100 to identify the next manufacturing process that the target vehicle 100 will undergo. Specifically, in step S110b, the process identification unit 215 acquires the process information for the target vehicle 100 based on information that indicates the order in which the manufacturing processes will be executed on the target vehicle 100 and information that indicates the next manufacturing process that will be executed on the target vehicle 100, for example, as described in the first embodiment.

[0116] In this embodiment, in the state identification process of step S115b, the state identification unit 230 identifies the target state by, for example, referring to the database DB based on the process information of the target vehicle 100 acquired in step S110b. In this case, the database DB stores, for example, identification information of each manufacturing process and the start state of each manufacturing process in association with each other.

[0117] According to the system 50 of the present embodiment described above, a target state is identified based on the process information of the target vehicle 100, and a command is issued to change the state of the target vehicle 100 to the target state. Therefore, the system 50 of the present embodiment can also increase the likelihood that the manufacturing process will be executed appropriately.

[0118] In another embodiment, the process identification unit 215 may, for example, acquire both the position information and the process information of the target vehicle 100, and identify the target state based on the position information and the process information.

[0119] G. Seventh Embodiment: FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a system 50v in a seventh embodiment. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the system 50v does not include a server 200. Furthermore, the vehicle 100v in this embodiment can travel by autonomous control of the vehicle 100v. The other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment unless otherwise specified.

[0120] In this embodiment, the processor 111v of the vehicle control device 110v executes the program PG1 stored in the memory 112v to function as a control unit 210v, a process identification unit 215, a current state acquisition unit 220, a state identification unit 230, and a state determination unit 250. In this embodiment, the control unit 210v also functions as a vehicle control unit 115v. The vehicle control unit 115v acquires output results from sensors, generates driving control signals using the output results, and outputs the generated driving control signals to operate the actuator group 120, thereby enabling the vehicle 100v to travel by autonomous control. In this embodiment, the memory 112v pre-stores a detection model DM, a reference route RR, and a database DB in addition to the program PG1. The vehicle control device 110v in the seventh embodiment corresponds to the "control device" in this disclosure.

[0121] 12 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for driving control of the vehicle 100v in the seventh embodiment. In the processing procedure in FIG. 12, the processor 111v of the vehicle 100v functions as a control unit 210v by executing a program PG1.

[0122] In step S11, the processor 111v of the vehicle control device 110v acquires vehicle position information using the detection results output from the camera, which is the external sensor 300. In step S21, the processor 111v determines a target position to which the vehicle 100v should next head. In step S31, the processor 111v generates a driving control signal for driving the vehicle 100v toward the determined target position. In step S41, the processor 111v controls the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal to drive the vehicle 100v in accordance with the parameters represented in the driving control signal. The processor 111v repeats the acquisition of vehicle position information, determination of the target position, generation of the driving control signal, and control of the actuators at a predetermined cycle. According to the system 50v of this embodiment, the vehicle 100v can be driven by autonomous control of the vehicle 100v without remote control of the vehicle 100v by the server 200.

[0123] In this embodiment, a process similar to the vehicle control process of FIG. 5 is executed by the processor 111v of the vehicle 100v, for example, at predetermined time intervals. In this embodiment, the "target vehicle" refers to the host vehicle. Each step in FIG. 5 is executed by the processor 111v. For example, in step S105, the current state acquisition unit 220 of the vehicle 100v acquires the current state of the vehicle 100v using the internal sensor 140 and the external sensor 300 at predetermined time intervals and stores the acquired current state in the memory 112v. In addition, in step S120, the control unit 210v of the vehicle 100v generates and outputs a control command to change the state of the vehicle 100v to the target state identified in step S115. Then, the vehicle control unit 115v controls the actuator group 120 provided in the vehicle 100v based on the generated control command. In step S140, the control unit 210v generates and outputs a control command for moving the vehicle 100v to a target work location via a return line connected to the production line, and a control command for changing the state of the target vehicle 100v to a target state. In the stop processing of step S145, the control unit 210v generates and outputs, for example, a driving control signal for braking the vehicle 100v. Note that in other embodiments, for example, processing similar to the vehicle control processing of FIG. 10 may be executed by the processor 111v.

[0124] The system 50v in the present embodiment described above also identifies the target state of the target vehicle 100v and controls the target vehicle 100v so that the state of the target vehicle 100v becomes the target state. Therefore, it is possible to increase the likelihood that the manufacturing process will be executed appropriately.

[0125] H. Other Embodiments: (H1) In each of the above embodiments, the control unit 210 does not execute the state control process when the current state is the target state. In contrast, the control unit 210 may execute the state control process regardless of whether the current state is the target state. In this case, the system 50 may not include the current state acquisition unit 220. That is, for example, the server 200 or the vehicle control device 110 may not include the current state acquisition unit 220.

[0126] (H2) In each of the above embodiments, the control unit 210 executes all of the stop processing, evacuation processing, and notification processing in the subsequent processing. However, the control unit 210 may execute only one or only two of these processing. If the evacuation processing is not executed, an evacuation location may not be provided in the factory FC. Furthermore, if the notification processing is not executed, the system 50 may not include the notification unit 400. Furthermore, the control unit 210 may not have the function of executing unmanned operation, and a functional unit that executes unmanned operation in the system 50 may be provided separately from the control unit 210. Specifically, if the control unit 210 executes only the notification processing in the subsequent processing, the control unit 210 may not have the function of executing unmanned operation. Furthermore, for example, if the control unit 210 executes only the stop processing, outputting a signal that serves as a trigger for stopping the vehicle 100, or if the control unit 210 executes only the evacuation processing, outputting a signal that serves as a trigger for evacuation of the vehicle 100, the control unit 210 may not have the function of executing unmanned operation.

[0127] (H3) In each of the above embodiments, the system 50 includes the state determination unit 250, but it may not include the state determination unit 250. That is, for example, the server 200 or the vehicle control device 110 may not include the state determination unit 250.

[0128] (H4) In each of the above embodiments, a return line is provided in the factory FC, but a return line need not be provided. In this case, the evacuation location may be provided in a location different from the return line, for example. Furthermore, in this case, the evacuation process does not have to be a process of returning the target vehicle 100 to the target work location via the return line, and may be, for example, a process of simply evacuating the target vehicle 100 to an evacuation location.

[0129] (H5) In each of the above embodiments, the control unit 210 executes the evacuation process again when the state of the target vehicle 100 is not the target state in the re-determination process, but the evacuation process does not have to be executed again. In this case, for example, when the state of the target vehicle 100 is not the target state in the re-determination process, the control unit 210 may execute the stop process or the notification process without executing the evacuation process again.

[0130] (H6) In each of the above embodiments, the control unit 210 does not execute the stop process or the notification process when the number of evacuations is equal to or less than the reference number, and executes the stop process and the notification process when the number of evacuations is greater than the reference number. In contrast, the control unit 210 may execute only at least one of the stop process and the notification process when the number of evacuations is equal to or less than the reference number. Furthermore, the control unit 210 may not change the processing content depending on the number of evacuations as described above. In this case, the control unit 210 may, for example, not execute the stop process or the notification process regardless of the number of evacuations, or may execute the stop process or the notification process regardless of the number of evacuations.

[0131] (H7) In each of the above embodiments, the number of work locations included in the factory FC and the number of manufacturing processes performed in the factory FC may be arbitrary. For example, the number of work locations included in the factory FC may be one or any number equal to or greater than two. The number of manufacturing processes performed in the factory FC may be one or any number equal to or greater than two. The order in which the manufacturing processes are performed and the combination of the manufacturing processes to be performed are not limited to the order and combination described in each of the above embodiments and may be arbitrary. Two or more different manufacturing processes may be performed in one work location. In this case, the work location may be equipped with a device or multiple devices having functions for performing multiple manufacturing processes in order to perform the two or more different manufacturing processes. In this case, when two or more different manufacturing processes are performed in one work location and the state identification unit 230 identifies the target state based on position information, each start state may be defined as the state of the vehicle 100 for the manufacturing process that is first performed among the multiple manufacturing processes performed in one work location. Furthermore, when two or more different manufacturing processes are performed at one work location and when state identification unit 230 identifies the target state based on the process information, the start state may be determined for each manufacturing process performed at one work location. Furthermore, for example, the start state of any manufacturing process, not limited to a wheel alignment inspection process or a side slip inspection process, may include a state of vehicle 100 that does not interfere with other manufacturing processes.

[0132] (H8) In each of the above embodiments, a starting state may be associated with position information representing a path in the database DB. In this case, for example, a starting state of a manufacturing process to be performed at a next work location may be associated with a certain path in the database DB.

[0133] (H9) In each of the above embodiments, in system 50, various functional units such as control unit 210, process identification unit 215, state identification unit 230, and state determination unit 250 may be provided in vehicle 100. In this case, as described in the seventh embodiment, all of control unit 210, process identification unit 215, state identification unit 230, and state determination unit 250 may be provided in vehicle 100, or some of these functional units may be provided in vehicle 100. Furthermore, in system 50, some or all of these functional units may be provided in devices external to server 200 and vehicle 100.

[0134] (H10) In each of the above embodiments, the external sensor 300 is a camera. However, the external sensor 300 is not limited to a camera and may be, for example, a distance measuring device such as a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). In this case, the detection result output by the external sensor 300 may be three-dimensional point cloud data representing the vehicle 100. In this case, the server 200 or the vehicle 100 may acquire vehicle position information by template matching using the three-dimensional point cloud data as the detection result and reference point cloud data prepared in advance.

[0135] (H11) In the first embodiment, the processes from obtaining the vehicle position information to generating the driving control signal are executed by the server 200. However, at least a part of the processes from obtaining the vehicle position information to generating the driving control signal may be executed by the vehicle 100. For example, the following forms (1) to (3) may be adopted.

[0136] (1) The server 200 may acquire vehicle position information, determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head, and generate a route from the current location of the vehicle 100 indicated in the acquired vehicle position information to the target position. The server 200 may generate a route to a target position between the current location and the destination, or may generate a route to the destination. The server 200 may transmit the generated route to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may generate a driving control signal so that the vehicle 100 drives on the route received from the server 200, and may control the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal.

[0137] (2) Server 200 may acquire vehicle position information and transmit the acquired vehicle position information to vehicle 100. Vehicle 100 may determine a target position to which vehicle 100 should next travel, generate a route from the current location of vehicle 100 indicated in the received vehicle position information to the target position, generate a driving control signal so that vehicle 100 travels on the generated route, and control actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal.

[0138] (3) In the above embodiments (1) and (2), the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor 140, and detection results output from the internal sensor 140 may be used for at least one of generating a route and generating a driving control signal. For example, in the above embodiment (1), the server 200 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor 140 and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor 140 in the route when generating the route. In the above embodiment (1), the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor 140 and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor 140 in the driving control signal when generating the driving control signal. In the above embodiment (2), the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor 140 and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor 140 in the route when generating the route. In the above embodiment (2), the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor 140 and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor 140 in the route when generating the route.

[0139] (H12) In the seventh embodiment, the vehicle 100v may be equipped with an internal sensor 140, and detection results output from the internal sensor 140 may be used for at least one of generating a route and generating a driving control signal. For example, the vehicle 100v may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor 140 and, when generating a route, may reflect the detection results of the internal sensor 140 in the route. The vehicle 100v may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor 140 and, when generating a driving control signal, may reflect the detection results of the internal sensor 140 in the driving control signal.

[0140] (H13) In the seventh embodiment, the vehicle 100v acquires vehicle position information using the detection results of the external sensor 300. Alternatively, the vehicle 100v may be equipped with an internal sensor 140. The vehicle 100v may acquire vehicle position information using the detection results of the internal sensor 140, determine a target location to which the vehicle 100v should next travel, generate a route from the current location of the vehicle 100v represented in the acquired vehicle position information to the target location, generate a driving control signal for traveling along the generated route, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal. In this case, the vehicle 100v can travel without using any of the detection results of the external sensor 300. The vehicle 100v may acquire a target arrival time or traffic congestion information from outside the vehicle 100v and reflect the target arrival time or traffic congestion information in at least one of the route and the driving control signal. Furthermore, all of the functional configuration of the system 50v may be provided within the vehicle 100v. In other words, the processing performed by the system 50v in the present disclosure may be performed solely by the vehicle 100v.

[0141] (H14) In the first embodiment, the server 200 automatically generates a driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100. However, the server 200 may generate a driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100 in accordance with the operation of an external operator located outside the vehicle 100. For example, the external operator may operate a control device that includes a display that displays an image output from the external sensor 300, a steering wheel for remotely operating the vehicle 100, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and a communication device for communicating with the server 200 via wired or wireless communication, and the server 200 may generate a driving control signal in accordance with the operation applied to the control device.

[0142] (H15) In each of the above embodiments, vehicle 100 may be configured to be capable of moving by unmanned driving, and may be in the form of a platform having the configuration described below, for example. Specifically, vehicle 100 may be configured to include at least vehicle control device 110 and actuator group 120 to perform the three functions of "running," "turning," and "stopping" by unmanned driving. When vehicle 100 acquires information from the outside for unmanned driving, vehicle 100 may further be configured with communication device 130. In other words, vehicle 100 capable of moving by unmanned driving may not be equipped with at least some interior parts such as a driver's seat or dashboard, may not be equipped with at least some exterior parts such as bumpers or fenders, and may not be equipped with a body shell. In this case, the remaining parts such as the body shell may be attached to the vehicle 100 before the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory FC, or the remaining parts such as the body shell may be attached to the vehicle 100 after the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory FC without the remaining parts such as the body shell being attached to the vehicle 100. Each part may be attached from any direction, such as the upper side, lower side, front side, rear side, right side, or left side of the vehicle 100, and may be attached from the same direction or from different directions. Note that the position can be determined for the platform configuration in the same way as for the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment.

[0143] (H16) The vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining multiple modules. A module refers to a unit composed of one or more parts grouped according to the configuration and function of the vehicle 100. For example, the platform of the vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining a front module that forms the front portion of the platform, a central module that forms the center portion of the platform, and a rear module that forms the rear portion of the platform. The number of modules that make up the platform is not limited to three, and may be two or less, or four or more. Furthermore, in addition to or instead of the platform, portions of the vehicle 100 that are different from the platform may be modularized. Furthermore, the various modules may include optional exterior parts such as bumpers and grilles, or optional interior parts such as seats and consoles. Such modules may be manufactured, for example, by joining multiple parts using welding or fasteners, or by integrally molding at least a portion of the module into a single component by casting. The molding method of integrally molding at least a portion of the module into a single component is also called gigacasting or megacasting. By using Gigacast, each part of a moving body that has conventionally been formed by joining multiple parts can be formed as a single part. For example, the front module, center module, and rear module described above may be manufactured using Gigacast.

[0144] (H17) Transporting the vehicle 100 by using the unmanned driving of the vehicle 100 is also called "self-propelled transport." The configuration for realizing self-propelled transport is also called a "vehicle remote-controlled autonomous transport system." The production method for producing the vehicle 100 by using self-propelled transport is also called "self-propelled production." In self-propelled production, for example, at a factory FC where the vehicle 100 is manufactured, at least a portion of the transport of the vehicle 100 is realized by self-propelled transport.

[0145] (H18) In each of the above embodiments, some or all of the functions and processes implemented by software may be implemented by hardware. Furthermore, some or all of the functions and processes implemented by hardware may be implemented by software. Hardware for implementing the various functions in each of the above embodiments may be implemented by various circuits, such as integrated circuits or discrete circuits.

[0146] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each aspect described in the Summary of the Invention section can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve some or all of the above-described problems or achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted.

[0147] 50, 50v...system, 100, 100A, 100B, 100b, 100v...vehicle, 110, 110v...vehicle control device, 111, 111v...processor, 112, 112v...memory, 113...input / output interface, 114...internal bus, 115, 115v...vehicle control unit, 120...actuator group, 130...communication device, 140...internal sensor, 200...server, 201...processor, 202...memory, 203...input / output interface, 204...internal bus, 205...communication device, 210, 210v...control unit, 215...process identification unit, 220...current state acquisition unit, 230...state identification unit, 250...state determination unit, 300...external sensor, 400...alarm unit, 401...display unit

Claims

1. A control device comprising: a process identification unit that identifies a manufacturing process to be performed on a vehicle capable of traveling by unmanned driving; a state identification unit that identifies a starting state that defines the state of the vehicle at the time when the identified manufacturing process is started; and a control unit that executes a state control process that controls the vehicle so that the state of the vehicle becomes the starting state.

2. A control device as described in claim 1, comprising a state determination unit which executes a determination process to determine whether the state of the vehicle is the starting state after the state control process has been executed, and the control unit executes at least one of the following processes when the state of the vehicle in the determination process is different from the starting state: a stop process which stops the vehicle from traveling, an evacuation process which evacuates the vehicle to a predetermined evacuation location, and an alarm process which alerts of an abnormality.

3. A control device as described in claim 2, wherein the control unit does not execute the stop processing and the notification processing when the number of times the evacuation processing is executed is equal to or less than a predetermined reference number of times, and executes at least one of the stop processing and the notification processing when the number of times the evacuation processing is executed is greater than the reference number of times.

4. A control device as described in claim 1, wherein the manufacturing process is a process of inspecting the wheel alignment of the vehicle, and the starting state includes the shift position of the vehicle being in the neutral range, the foot brake and parking brake of the vehicle being not applied, and the steering angle of the vehicle being within a predetermined range.

5. A control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the manufacturing process is a process of inspecting the amount of lateral slip of the vehicle, and the starting state includes the vehicle speed being equal to or lower than a predetermined value, the shift position of the vehicle being in a neutral range, and the steering angle of the vehicle being within a predetermined range.

6. A control device as described in claim 1, wherein the manufacturing process is a process of inspecting the braking force of the braking system of the vehicle, and the starting state includes that a brake other than the brake to be inspected is not in operation in the vehicle, the shift position of the vehicle is in the neutral range, and the steering angle of the vehicle is within a predetermined range.

7. A control device according to claim 1, wherein the manufacturing process is a process of optically inspecting a headlamp provided in the vehicle, and the starting state includes a shift position of the vehicle being in a parking range.

8. A control device according to claim 7, wherein the starting state includes the shift position being in the neutral range immediately before the parking range.

9. A control device as described in claim 1, wherein the manufacturing process is a process of inspecting an acceleration device provided on the vehicle by running the vehicle on rotatable rollers, and the starting state includes the vehicle speed of the vehicle being equal to or lower than a predetermined value and the steering angle of the vehicle being within a predetermined range.

10. A control device as described in claim 1, wherein the manufacturing process is a process of inspecting a steering device provided in the vehicle, and the starting state includes the shift position of the vehicle being in a neutral range and the steering force applied to the steering device being equal to or less than a predetermined value.

11. A control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the manufacturing process is a process of electrically connecting a predetermined part to a predetermined portion of the vehicle, and the starting state includes a state in which no power is supplied to the portion.

12. A control device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein when the manufacturing process is a first manufacturing process, the start state includes a state for not interfering with a second manufacturing process different from the first manufacturing process.

13. A control device according to claim 12, wherein a work location for carrying out the first manufacturing process and a work location for carrying out the second manufacturing process are adjacent to each other.

14. The control device according to claim 13, wherein the second manufacturing process is performed after the first manufacturing process.

15. A control device according to claim 13, wherein the second manufacturing process is a process of performing a task using an optical sensor, and the start state includes a state in which a lighting device provided in the vehicle is not turned on.

16. A control device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the second manufacturing process is a process of performing work using a radar, and the starting state includes a state in which no radio waves are being transmitted from the radar provided in the vehicle.

17. A vehicle control method comprising: a process identification step of identifying a manufacturing process to be performed on a vehicle capable of traveling by unmanned driving; a state identification step of identifying a starting state that defines the state of the vehicle at the time when the identified manufacturing process is started; and a state control step of controlling the vehicle so that the state of the vehicle becomes the starting state.

18. A system comprising: a process identification unit that identifies a manufacturing process to be performed on a vehicle capable of traveling by unmanned driving; a state identification unit that identifies a starting state that defines the state of the vehicle at the time when the identified manufacturing process is started; and a control unit that executes a state control process that controls the vehicle so that the state of the vehicle becomes the starting state.

Images