Vehicle control device

Abstract

The technology disclosed in the description of the present application is for flexibly changing which part of an articulated vehicle is caused to follow a route according to the surrounding conditions of the route. A vehicle control device relating to the technology disclosed in the description of the present application is provided with: a control point calculation unit for calculating at least one control point by weighting the position and orientation of a first vehicle and the position and orientation of a second vehicle; and a control amount calculation unit for calculating, on the basis of the control point and a route on which an articulated vehicle can travel, a control amount for the articulated vehicle when the articulated vehicle travels along the route.

Description

Vehicle control device

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a control technology for articulated vehicles.

[0002] In recent years, autonomous driving technology has been attracting attention as a way to address labor shortages, particularly in the logistics sector.

[0003] On the other hand, articulated vehicles used in the logistics field, which are made up of a towing vehicle and a towed vehicle, tend to have long vehicle body lengths along the route direction, and the difference in inner wheel rotation on curved roads is likely to be large.

[0004] In response to this, a technique has been disclosed in which the offset direction and amount are determined according to the direction and curvature radius of a curved road while the vehicle is traveling on the curved road.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-352373

[0006] However, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not allow for flexible changes to be made as to which part of the articulated vehicles should follow the route depending on the surrounding conditions of the route.

[0007] The technology disclosed in this specification has been developed in consideration of the problems described above, and is a technology for flexibly changing which parts of articulated vehicles are made to follow a route depending on the surrounding conditions of the route.

[0008] A vehicle control device that is a first aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is a vehicle control device for controlling a combination vehicle in which a plurality of vehicles are coupled together, the combination vehicle comprising a first vehicle and at least one second vehicle towed by the first vehicle, and the vehicle control device comprising: a control point calculation unit that calculates at least one control point by weighting the position and attitude of the first vehicle and the position and attitude of the second vehicle; and a control variable calculation unit that calculates a control variable for the combination vehicle when traveling along a route on which the combination vehicle can travel, based on the control point and a route on which the combination vehicle can travel.

[0009] According to at least the first aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification, it is possible to flexibly change the portion of the articulated vehicle that follows the route by setting control points depending on the presence or absence of obstacles, etc. This makes it possible to calculate control variables for the articulated vehicle that keep it along the route while minimizing deviation of the articulated vehicle.

[0010] Furthermore, objects, features, aspects, and advantages associated with the technology disclosed herein will become more apparent from the detailed description and accompanying drawings set forth below.

[0011] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle control device that controls an articulated vehicle, according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of how the articulated vehicle travels when the control point is set on the towing vehicle. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of how the articulated vehicle travels when the control point is set on the towed ... changed. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of how the deviation of the towing vehicle and towed vehicle changes over time for the case of FIG. 4. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of how the articulated vehicle travels when the control point is changed. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of how the deviation of the towing vehicle and towed vehicle changes over time for the case of FIG. 6. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of how the articulated vehicle travels when the control point is changed. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of how the deviation of the towing vehicle and towed vehicle changes over time for the case of FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an articulated vehicle. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the parameters of the towing vehicle in the case of a two-wheel model. FIG. 10 is an example of an articulated vehicle when the bed includes a dolly. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the parameters of the towing vehicle and towed vehicle. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an articulated vehicle whose travel is controlled along a route. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an articulated vehicle whose travel is controlled along a route after settling time Ts. FIG. 1 is a diagram conceptually illustrating an example of the configuration of a vehicle control device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram conceptually illustrating a modified example of the configuration of the vehicle control device according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram conceptually illustrating an example of the configuration of a vehicle control device according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating a hardware configuration when the vehicle control device, examples of which are shown in FIGS. 16, 17, 18, and 19, is actually operated. FIG. 5 is a diagram conceptually illustrating a hardware configuration when the vehicle control device, examples of which are shown in FIGS. 16, 17, 18, and 19, is actually operated.

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following embodiments, detailed features are shown for the purpose of explaining the technology, but these are merely examples and are not necessarily essential features for enabling the embodiments to be implemented.

[0013] The drawings are schematic, and for the sake of convenience, components may be omitted or simplified as appropriate. The relative sizes and positions of components shown in different drawings are not necessarily accurately depicted and may be changed as appropriate. Hatching may also be used in drawings such as plan views that are not cross-sectional views to facilitate understanding of the embodiments.

[0014] In the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions of them may be omitted to avoid duplication.

[0015] Furthermore, in the description given in this specification, when a certain component is described as "comprising," "including," or "having," unless otherwise specified, this is not an exclusive expression that excludes the presence of other components.

[0016] Furthermore, in the description of this specification, even if ordinal numbers such as "first" or "second" are used, these terms are used for convenience to make it easier to understand the contents of the embodiments, and the contents of the embodiments are not limited to the order that may result from these ordinal numbers.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a diagram conceptually showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle control device that controls connected vehicles according to this embodiment.

[0018] As shown in the example in FIG. 1 , the vehicle control device 2000 includes a control point calculation unit 2002 for calculating at least one control point by weighting the position and attitude of a first vehicle of the combined vehicles and the position and attitude of a second vehicle of the combined vehicles, and a control amount calculation unit 2004 for calculating the control amount of the combined vehicles when traveling along a route based on the route on which the combined vehicles can travel and the control point.

[0019] Here, the combination vehicle is a vehicle in which multiple vehicles are combined together. The combination vehicle includes a towing vehicle and at least one towed vehicle towed by the towing vehicle. The combination vehicle may be equipped with a dolly.

[0020] Tow vehicles include, for example, cars, crossovers, trucks, vans, sport utility vehicles (SUVs), recreational vehicles (RVs), or any other vehicle configured to attach to and tow a towed vehicle.

[0021] A towed vehicle is, for example, a non-powered vehicle that is towed by the power of a towing vehicle, and includes, among others, a utility trailer, a pop-up camper, a travel trailer, a livestock trailer, a flatbed trailer, an enclosed car carrier, or a boat trailer.

[0022] The combination vehicles are connected together using a coupling device such as a kingpin and coupler, a trailer hitch, or a drawbar.

[0023] For example, a towed vehicle may be coupled to a towing vehicle using a trailer hitch, which may be a ball and socket, a fifth wheel and gooseneck, or a trailer jack, with a receiver hitch attached to the towing vehicle.

[0024] In addition to the mechanical connection between the towed vehicle and the towing vehicle, the towed vehicle may be electrically connected to the towing vehicle, allowing the towed vehicle to be powered from the towing vehicle's rear light circuit and to have the towed vehicle's tail lights, turn signals, brake lights, etc. synchronized with the towing vehicle's lights.

[0025] The route along which the articulated vehicle travels (the route that serves as the target when traveling) is defined as the travel route. The travel route is the route along which the articulated vehicle travels among routes (reference routes) obtained from a map database or the like. The travel route is defined in a global coordinate system or a vehicle coordinate system. Here, a global coordinate system refers to a geographic coordinate system, a planar rectangular coordinate system developed on a plane based on a geographic coordinate system, or a coordinate system determined by a designer. A vehicle coordinate system is a coordinate system fixed to each of the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle, and as the articulated vehicle moves, its position and attitude (angle) relative to the global coordinate system changes. A map database is a database that stores map information that can be used for traveling articulated vehicles, such as the coordinates of the roads around which the articulated vehicle travels, the position of white lines, the position of curbs, and the position of traffic lights. Since map databases are often managed in a geographic coordinate system, information about the roads around the articulated vehicles can be obtained by matching with GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), which also uses a geographic coordinate system for output.

[0026] The reference route is a route obtained from a map database, a video or image captured by a camera attached to a vehicle, or the like, and is defined in a global coordinate system or a vehicle coordinate system.

[0027] Specifically, for example, an image of the area ahead of the vehicle can be acquired using a camera or the like, white lines on the road can be detected in the image, the center of the lane can be calculated, and a route along the center of the lane can be extracted.

[0028] Furthermore, for example, it is possible to calculate the center of a lane by combining GNSS and a map database, and extract a route that follows the center of the lane.

[0029] Furthermore, for example, a target position can be specified on a map database, and a route to the target position can be calculated using existing technology (for example, the Dijkstra method).

[0030] <Operation of the vehicle control device> The following describes the operation of the vehicle control device, which calculates a control point by weighting the position and attitude of the towing vehicle and the position and attitude of the towed vehicle, and calculates the control amount for the combination vehicle traveling on the travel route based on the control point.

[0031] It should be noted that the control amount may be calculated for articulated vehicles traveling along a reference route obtained from a map database or the like, rather than a travel route.

[0032] Generally, towed vehicles are unpowered vehicles, and in many cases, only the driving of the towing vehicle can be controlled. Therefore, when articulated vehicles are driven along a driving route generated by a route generation device or the like, the driving of the towing vehicle is often controlled so that the position and attitude of the towing vehicle follow the driving route.

[0033] However, with this type of control, the length of the combined vehicles along the route increases, resulting in an inner wheel difference, which causes the towed vehicle to travel on the inside of the curve compared to the towing vehicle.

[0034] This is fine if there is an obstacle such as a curb on the outside of the curve, but if there is an obstacle on the inside of the curve, the towed vehicle may interfere with (come into contact with) the obstacle.Whether the obstacle is on the inside or outside of the curve depends on the surrounding conditions of the driving route.

[0035] Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the traveling of a combination vehicle when a control point is set on the towing vehicle. As shown in the example in Figure 2, a control point 60 is set on the towing vehicle 10 that constitutes the combination vehicle. Therefore, the traveling (control amount) of the towing vehicle 10 is controlled so that the control point 60 follows the traveling route 1, and the deviation between the towing vehicle 10 and the traveling route 1 is kept small so as not to interfere with (contact with) a curb 15, which serves as an obstacle located on the outside of the traveling route 1. On the other hand, no control point 60 is set on the towed vehicle 11 that constitutes the combination vehicle. Therefore, the towed vehicle 11 is dragged by the traveling (control amount) of the towing vehicle 10 and travels on the inside of the traveling route 1.

[0036] On the other hand, unlike the case of FIG. 2, it is also possible to control the travel of the towing vehicle so that the position and attitude of the towed vehicle follow the travel route.

[0037] Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the traveling of a combination vehicle when a control point is set on the towed vehicle. As shown in the example in Figure 3, a control point 60 is set on the towed vehicle 11 that constitutes the combination vehicle. Therefore, the traveling (control amount) of the towing vehicle 10 is controlled so that the towed vehicle 11, to which the control point 60 is set, follows the traveling route 1. This minimizes the deviation between the towed vehicle 11 and the traveling route 1 so that it does not interfere with (contact with) a curb 16, which serves as an obstacle located inside the traveling route 1. On the other hand, since a control point 60 is not set on the towing vehicle 10 that constitutes the combination vehicle, the towing vehicle 10 travels on the outside of the traveling route 1.

[0038] As described above, by defining points along the travel route as control points and changing the control points depending on the surrounding conditions of the travel route, it is possible to change whether the towing vehicle or the towed vehicle follows the travel route. Note that a control point is defined as a pair of a position and an attitude.

[0039] Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of how articulated vehicles travel when the control point is changed, and Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of how the deviations of the towing vehicle and towed vehicle from the travel route change over time in the case of Figure 4. In Figure 5, the vertical axis represents the magnitude of the deviation, with the thick line representing the deviation of the rear wheel axle center position of the towing vehicle and the dotted line representing the deviation of the rear wheel axle center position of the towed vehicle.

[0040] As shown in the example in Figure 5, the absolute value of the deviation of the rear wheel axle center position of the towing vehicle, which is set as the control point, is kept small even on curved roads, while the absolute value of the deviation of the rear wheel axle center position of the towed vehicle increases to the positive side on curved roads.

[0041] Figure 6 is a diagram showing another example of the traveling of articulated vehicles when the control point is changed, and Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of the transition of deviation between the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle in the case of Figure 6. In Figure 7, the vertical axis represents the magnitude of deviation, with the thick line representing the deviation of the rear wheel axle center position of the towing vehicle and the dotted line representing the deviation of the rear wheel axle center position of the towed vehicle.

[0042] As shown in the example in Figure 7, the absolute value of the deviation of the rear wheel axle center position of the towed vehicle set at the control point is kept small even on curved roads, while the absolute value of the deviation of the rear wheel axle center position of the towing vehicle becomes larger on the negative side on curved roads.

[0043] Figure 8 is a diagram showing another example of the traveling of articulated vehicles when the control point is changed, and Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of the transition of deviation between the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle in the case of Figure 8. In Figure 9, the vertical axis represents the magnitude of deviation, with the thick line representing the deviation of the rear wheel axle center position of the towing vehicle and the dotted line representing the deviation of the rear wheel axle center position of the towed vehicle.

[0044] As shown in the example in Figure 9, by setting the control point near the center of the towed vehicle, the absolute value of the deviation of the rear wheel axle center position of the towing vehicle and the absolute value of the deviation of the rear wheel axle center position of the towed vehicle are both kept small even on curved roads.

[0045] As described above, the deviation between the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle can be adjusted by changing the control points. Therefore, by calculating an appropriate control point depending on the surrounding conditions of the travel route, interference (contact) between the articulated vehicles and obstacles, etc. can be reduced.

[0046] <Regarding Deviation Prediction> A simulation will now be described that uses a kinematic model of an articulated vehicle and virtual articulated vehicle control to predict the deviation of a towed vehicle when an articulated vehicle travels on a curved road with a certain curvature.

[0047] The kinematics model of an articulated vehicle will be described below. In the articulated vehicle, N towed vehicles are towed by one towing vehicle.

[0048] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a combination vehicle. As shown in the example of FIG. 10, combination vehicle 100 includes towing vehicle 10, towed vehicle 11, towed vehicle 12, towed vehicle 13, and towed vehicle 14. As shown in FIG. 10, towing vehicle 10 and towed vehicle 11 are connected at a hitch point 20. Similarly, towed vehicles are connected to each other at a hitch point 20. Hitch point 20 is rotatable in the horizontal direction (i.e., within the XY plane). Note that at least one towed vehicle is sufficient, and the number of towed vehicles may be more or less than that shown in FIG. 10.

[0049] Here, the towed vehicles are designated as the first towed vehicle, the second towed vehicle, and the third towed vehicle from the closest to the towing vehicle. The axle center position of the kth towed vehicle relative to the global coordinate system (X, Y) is (x ｋ , y ｋ ) then the following relation can be obtained from the geometric relationship:

[0050]

[0051] Here, t denotes time and k=0 denotes the towing vehicle. That is, (x ０ , y ０ ) is the rear axle center position of the towing vehicle. ｋ indicates the orientation (angle, not shown) relative to the global coordinate system, and h ｋ ｆ is the distance between the axle center of the towed vehicle and the front hitch point (front hitch offset), and h ｋ ｒ indicates the distance between the axle center of the towed vehicle and the rear hitch point (rear hitch offset).

[0052] Using the above, under the assumption that no sideslip angle occurs, the kinematic model shown below is obtained.

[0053]

[0054] where ν ０ denotes the translational velocity of the towing vehicle, and ζ ０ denotes the angular velocity of the towing vehicle.

[0055] According to equation (2), the translational velocity of the towing vehicle, v ０and the angular velocity of the towing vehicle ζ ０ The angular velocity of the towed vehicle can be calculated based on the above equation. Furthermore, by integrating the angular velocity of the towed vehicle, the attitude γ ｋ can be obtained.

[0056] Furthermore, according to the formula (1), the rear axle center position (x ０ , y ０ ) and attitude γ ｋ If the axle center position (x ｋ , y ｋ ) can be obtained.

[0057] The kinematic model of the towing vehicle is, for example, ０ and the angular velocity of the towing vehicle ζ ０ The following kinematic model is considered, with

[0058]

[0059] In addition, the front and rear wheels are often treated as one wheel each. This type of model is called a two-wheel model because it treats a four-wheel vehicle as a two-wheel vehicle.

[0060] In the case of the two-wheel model above, the steering angle δ of the towing vehicle ０ or the acceleration of the towing vehicle α ０ is used as input, and the center of gravity of the towing vehicle (x ｇ０ , y ｇ０ ) and geometric relationships, the following kinematic model is sometimes used:

[0061]

[0062] 11 is a diagram showing an example of each parameter of the towing vehicle in the case of a two-wheel model. As shown in FIG. 11, the steering angle δ of the towing vehicle ０ , center of gravity of towing vehicle (x ｇ０ , y ｇ０ ), rear axle center position of the towing vehicle (x ０ , y ０ ), the translational speed of the towing vehicle ν ０ , the angular velocity of the towing vehicle ζ ０ , the attitude of the towing vehicle γ ０is defined.

[0063] Here, the loading platform of the towed vehicle may include an axle called a dolly that can rotate freely in the horizontal direction.

[0064] Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a combination vehicle in which the loading platform includes a dolly. As shown in the example in Fig. 12, a loading platform 31 is coupled to a towing vehicle 30, and a loading platform 32 is further coupled to the loading platform 31.

[0065] In such a case, by treating the dolly as one towed vehicle (i.e., treating one loading platform as two towed vehicles), a kinematic model can be constructed using equations (1) and (2) in the same manner as above, and the deviation from the traveling path can be calculated. In the case of Figure 12, the dolly 11A of the loading platform 31 is treated as one towed vehicle, the rear axle wheel 12A of the loading platform 31 is treated as one towed vehicle, the dolly 13A of the loading platform 32 is treated as one towed vehicle, and the rear axle wheel 14A of the loading platform 32 is treated as one towed vehicle.

[0066] The method for calculating the deviation from the travel route will be described below.

[0067] First, the position and attitude (x) of the towing vehicle are calculated from the kinematic model of the towing vehicle or the output of the position and attitude sensor attached to the towing vehicle. ０ , y ０ , γ ０ ), and the translational velocity of the towing vehicle ν ０ Ask for.

[0068] Next, the position and attitude (x ｋ , y ｋ , γ ｋ ) is required.

[0069] The positions and attitudes (route direction) of the travel route can be obtained from a map database or the like, so the deviation of the positions of the combination vehicles (towing vehicle and towed vehicle) can be found by calculating the difference between their positions and the positions of the travel route. Similarly, the deviation of the attitude of the combination vehicles can be found by calculating the difference between their attitudes and the attitude of the travel route.

[0070] Here, the deviation between the k-th towed vehicle and the travel route in the direction perpendicular to the route direction is called the position deviation e ｋ，ｙ The deviation of the attitude (angular direction) between the k-th towed vehicle and the travel route is defined as the angular deviation e ｋ，θ Let's say.

[0071] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing examples of parameters of the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle. As shown in FIG. 13, the position of the towing vehicle (x ０ , y ０ ), position deviation of the towing vehicle e ０，ｙ , the angle deviation of the towing vehicle e ０，θ , the position of the nth towed vehicle (x ｎ , y ｎ ), the position deviation e of the nth towed vehicle ｎ，ｙ , the angle deviation e of the nth towed vehicle ｎ，θ is defined.

[0072] <Regarding Control Points> A method for calculating control points by weighting when N towed vehicles are towed by one towing vehicle will be described below.

[0073] First, the vector that combines the position and attitude of the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle is z ｉ = [x ｉ y ｉ gamma ｉ ] Ｔ (i=0, 1, ..., n), where T represents the transpose of a vector.

[0074] Then, the weight in the control of each vehicle in the connected vehicles is w ｉ In this case, the weighted control point z ｗ is calculated as follows:

[0075]

[0076] In the above formula, for example, if you want the towing vehicle to follow the driving route, ０ = 1, and other w ｉ In the above equation, if you want the nth towed vehicle to follow the travel route, you can set w ｎ = 1, and other wｉ In other words, the weight (w ｉ ) is set to a large value, any position on the articulated vehicles can be set as the control point. Note that multiple control points may be set.

[0077] The above weight (w ｉ ) can be changed depending on whether there is an obstacle (e.g., a curb) on the inside of the curve or on the outside of the curve. The presence or absence of an obstacle may be determined by referring to a map database or by detecting an obstacle using an obstacle sensor such as a camera, light detection and ranging (LiDAR), or radar installed on a tow vehicle.

[0078] In addition, the above weight (w ｉ The weights (w) may be changed based on the deviations predicted using the kinematic model. That is, the weights (w) may be changed so that the maximum deviation of the deviations of the multiple vehicles or the average deviation of the multiple vehicles is smaller than a certain threshold. ｉ ) may be changed.

[0079] Here, the coupling angle will be explained. The coupling angle is a relative angle (γ ｉ -γ ｉ－１ ), but if the initial value of the coupling angle is known, the attitude of each towed vehicle can be estimated by constantly integrating the above equation (2).

[0080] One method for determining the initial value of the coupling angle is to utilize the fact that if the towing vehicle is controlled to travel along a straight route, the attitude (angle) of the route and the reference coupling angle will match after a certain number of seconds (settlement time Ts). Note that the settling time Ts can be roughly predicted based on a kinematic model of the articulated vehicles. Whether the route is straight can also be determined by referring to the curvature of the route.

[0081] Figure 14 is a diagram showing an example of articulated vehicles whose travel is controlled along a route. As shown in the example in Figure 14, of the articulated vehicles 100 traveling along route 3, the posture of the towing vehicle 10 is in line with the posture (angle, route direction) of route 3, but the towed vehicle 11 has a bent joint at hitch point 20 (having a joint angle greater than 0°), and its posture does not follow the posture of route 3.

[0082] On the other hand, Figure 15 is a diagram showing an example of an articulated vehicle whose travel is controlled along a route after settling time Ts. As the example shown in Figure 15 shows, the attitudes of towing vehicle 10, towed vehicle 11, and towed vehicle 12 of articulated vehicle 100 traveling along route 3 are in line with the attitude of route 3. In this state, the attitude of articulated vehicle 100 matches the attitude of route 3, and the coupling angle between each vehicle of articulated vehicle 100 is also initialized. By knowing the initial value of the coupling angle, it is possible to estimate the attitude of each towed vehicle by constantly integrating the above equation (2).

[0083] First Embodiment A vehicle control device according to the present embodiment will be described below.

[0084] <Configuration of the vehicle control device> Figure 16 is a diagram conceptually showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle control device related to this embodiment. As the example shown in Figure 16, the vehicle control device 200 comprises a position and attitude estimator 42, a control point calculator 44 that calculates the control points of the combination vehicle 100, and a control variable calculator 46 that calculates the control variables for the combination vehicle 100. The combination vehicle 100 is made up of a towing vehicle and a towed vehicle.

[0085] The position and attitude estimation unit 42 estimates the position and attitude of the towed vehicle constituting the combination vehicle 100 based on the towing position and attitude data input from the position and attitude sensor 50 and the towed position and attitude data input from the position and attitude sensor 51. Specifically, the position and attitude estimation unit 42 estimates the positions and attitudes of the multiple (all) towed vehicles based on the towing position and attitude data, the towed vehicle position and attitude data, and a state estimation technique. Examples of state estimation techniques include an extended Kalman filter or a particle filter.

[0086] The control point calculation unit 44 calculates control points by weighting the position and attitude of the towing vehicle and the position and attitude of the towed vehicle based on the towed vehicle position and attitude data input from the position and attitude estimation unit 42, the towing position and attitude data input from the position and attitude sensor 50, and the obstacle data input from the obstacle sensor 52. For example, the control point calculation unit 44 calculates control points by weighting (or changing the weighting) the position and attitude of the towed vehicle and the position and attitude of the towing vehicle so that the combination vehicle 100 does not come into contact with the obstacle indicated in the obstacle data (i.e., so that the maximum deviation between the combination vehicle 100 and the route is smaller than the deviation between the obstacle and the route). Furthermore, even if there are no obstacles around the route, the control point calculation unit 44 can compare the (maximum) deviation of the combination vehicle from the route when the towing vehicle is made to follow the route with the (maximum) deviation of the combination vehicle from the route when the towed vehicle is made to follow the route, and calculate control points so that the (maximum) deviation of the combination vehicle is small. Here, the weighting between the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle is such that a larger weight is assigned to the vehicle with a larger positional deviation and a larger weight is assigned to the vehicle with a larger attitude deviation, thereby making it possible to keep the (maximum) deviation of the articulated vehicles small.

[0087] The control variable calculation unit 46 calculates the control variables (for example, the acceleration and steering angle of the towing vehicle and towed vehicle) for the combination vehicle 100 based on the control point data input from the control point calculation unit 44 and the route data for the combination vehicle 100 input from the route generation device 40. Specifically, the control variable calculation unit 46 calculates the control variables so that the control points follow the route generated by the route generation device 40.

[0088] The position and orientation sensor 50 estimates the position and orientation of the towing vehicle relative to the global coordinate system. The position and orientation sensor 50 can estimate the position and orientation of the towing vehicle by, for example, using GNSS or a known self-position estimation technique. The position and orientation sensor 50 may be attached to the towing vehicle.

[0089] The position and orientation sensor 51 estimates the position and orientation of the towed vehicle relative to the global coordinate system. Methods for the position and orientation sensor 51 to estimate the position and orientation of the towed vehicle include, for example, using GNSS or using known self-position estimation technology. The position and orientation sensor 51 does not need to be attached to all towed vehicles, and may be attached to only some of the towed vehicles.

[0090] The obstacle sensor 52 is a sensor that uses light, sound waves, etc. and is attached to the towing vehicle or the towed vehicle. Note that obstacle data may be input from a map database, in which case the obstacle sensor 52 may not be provided.

[0091] The route generation device 40 uses the towing position and orientation data input from the position and orientation sensor 50 and map data obtained from a map database (not shown) to generate a route for the articulated vehicle 100. The route generation device 40 may generate a reference route, which is an arbitrary route based on the towing position and orientation data and the map data, or may generate a travel route, which is a route along which the articulated vehicle 100 will travel, from among the reference routes.

[0092] The combination vehicle 100 is equipped with an actuator 104 that drives the towing vehicle. The actuator 104 is, for example, an electric motor. The combination vehicle 100 operates the actuator 104 based on the control amount calculated by the control amount calculation unit 46. The control amount of the actuator 104 can be determined, for example, by the pure pursuit method.

[0093] With this configuration, by setting control points according to the deviation of the vehicles that make up the combination vehicle or the presence or absence of obstacles, it is possible to calculate control variables for the combination vehicle that will keep it along the route while minimizing deviation of the combination vehicle. Furthermore, the travel of the combination vehicle can be controlled based on these control variables.

[0094] Figure 17 is a diagram conceptually showing a modified configuration of a vehicle control device related to this embodiment. As shown in the example in Figure 17, the vehicle control device 200A comprises a position and attitude estimation unit 42A, a position and attitude estimation unit 42B, a control point calculation unit 44A that calculates a control point of the combination vehicle 100, a path correction unit 48 that corrects the path, and a control variable calculation unit 46A that calculates a control variable for the combination vehicle 100.

[0095] The position and attitude estimation unit 42A estimates the position and attitude of the towing vehicle when it is assumed that the towing vehicle follows the route of the articulated vehicles generated by the route generation device 40.

[0096] The position and attitude estimation unit 42B estimates the position and attitude of the towed vehicle when it is assumed that the towing vehicle will follow the route of the articulated vehicles generated by the route generation device 40. The position and attitude of the towed vehicle are estimated based on the curvature of the route and the position and attitude of the towing vehicle.

[0097] The control point calculation unit 44A calculates a set of weighted positions and attitudes as a control point based on the position and attitude data of the towing vehicle (following the route) input from the position and attitude estimation unit 42A and the position and attitude data of the towed vehicle (following the route) input from the position and attitude estimation unit 42B.

[0098] The route correction unit 48 generates a corrected route that is made up of the control points calculated by the control point calculation unit 44A (i.e., a set of position and orientation data of the towing vehicle and towed vehicle that follow the route).

[0099] The control amount calculation unit 46A calculates the control amount for the combination vehicle 100 so that it follows the corrected path (path made up of control points) input from the path correction unit 48. In other words, the control amount calculation unit 46A calculates the control amount for the combination vehicle 100 so that the deviation between the corrected path and the combination vehicle 100 is small.

[0100] The articulated vehicle 100 operates the actuator 104 based on the control amount calculated by the control amount calculation section 46 .

[0101] With this configuration, a set of control points can be used as a corrected route, and control variables for the articulated vehicle can be calculated so that the articulated vehicle follows the corrected route. Furthermore, the travel of the articulated vehicle can be controlled based on these control variables.

[0102] In the above case, the weighting of the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle in the calculation of the control points before generating the corrected route can take into account which vehicle should be controlled to follow the route more primarily in the corrected route.

[0103] Second Embodiment A vehicle control device according to this embodiment will be described. In the following description, components similar to those described in the above-described embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0104] <Configuration of the vehicle control device> Figure 18 is a diagram conceptually showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle control device related to this embodiment. As shown in the example in Figure 18, the vehicle control device 200C comprises a position and attitude estimator 42C, a control point calculator 44 that calculates the control points of the combination vehicle 100, and a control variable calculator 46 that calculates the control variables of the combination vehicle 100.

[0105] The position and attitude estimation unit 42C estimates the positions and attitudes of the towed vehicles that make up the articulated vehicle 100 based on towing position and attitude data input from the position and attitude sensor 50 and articulation angle data input from the articulation angle sensor 54. Specifically, the position and attitude estimation unit 42C estimates the positions and attitudes of all towed vehicles based on the towing position and attitude data, articulation angle data, and a state estimation technique. Specifically, the position and attitude estimation unit 42C estimates the positions and attitudes of all towed vehicles based on the towing position and attitude data, articulation angle data, and a geometric model (kinematic model) of the articulated vehicle. The articulation angle sensor 54 can calculate the articulation angle based on measurements taken using a hall sensor, an encoder, a camera attached near the hitch point, or the like.

[0106] The control point calculation unit 44 calculates control points based on the towed vehicle position and attitude data input from the position and attitude estimation unit 42C, the towing position and attitude data input from the position and attitude sensor 50, and the obstacle data input from the obstacle sensor 52. Specifically, the control point calculation unit 44 calculates control points by weighting the position and attitude of the towed vehicle and the position and attitude of the towing vehicle so that the combination vehicle 100 does not come into contact with the obstacle indicated by the obstacle data.

[0107] The control variable calculation section 46 calculates the control variables for the combination vehicle 100 based on the control point data input from the control point calculation section 44 and the route data for the combination vehicle 100 input from the route generation device 40 .

[0108] With this configuration, by setting control points depending on the deviation of the vehicles that make up the articulated vehicle or the presence or absence of obstacles, it is possible to calculate the control amount for the articulated vehicle so that it follows the route while suppressing the deviation of the articulated vehicle.

[0109] Third Embodiment A vehicle control device according to this embodiment will be described. In the following description, components similar to those described in the above embodiments will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0110] <Configuration of the vehicle control device> Figure 19 is a diagram conceptually showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle control device related to this embodiment. As shown in the example in Figure 19, the vehicle control device 200D comprises a position and attitude estimator 42D, a control point calculator 44 that calculates the control points of the combination vehicle 100, and a control variable calculator 46 that calculates the control variables of the combination vehicle 100.

[0111] The position and attitude estimation unit 42D estimates the position and attitude of the towed vehicle that constitutes the combination vehicle 100 based on the towing position and attitude data input from the position and attitude sensor 50 and the route generated by the route generation device 40.

[0112] Specifically, the position and attitude estimation unit 42D first estimates the coupling angle based on the towing position and attitude data and the route generated by the route generation device 40. That is, the position and attitude estimation unit 42D utilizes the fact that when the route generated by the route generation device 40 is a straight line, the route attitude (angle) and the reference coupling angle match after the settling time Ts has elapsed, and initializes the coupling angle at that location. Then, using the initialized coupling angle as a reference, the position and attitude estimation unit 42D estimates any coupling angle on the route based on a kinematic model of the articulated vehicles. Furthermore, the position and attitude estimation unit 42D estimates the positions and attitudes of all towed vehicles based on the towing position and attitude data, coupling angle data, and state estimation technology.

[0113] The control point calculation unit 44 calculates control points based on the towed vehicle position and attitude data input from the position and attitude estimation unit 42D, the towing position and attitude data input from the position and attitude sensor 50, and the obstacle data input from the obstacle sensor 52. Specifically, the control point calculation unit 44 calculates control points by weighting the position and attitude of the towed vehicle and the position and attitude of the towing vehicle so that the combination vehicle 100 does not come into contact with the obstacle indicated by the obstacle data.

[0114] The control variable calculation section 46 calculates the control variables for the combination vehicle 100 based on the control point data input from the control point calculation section 44 and the route data for the combination vehicle 100 input from the route generation device 40 .

[0115] With this configuration, the coupling angle is estimated to estimate the position and attitude of the towed vehicle, and control points are set depending on the deviation of the vehicles that make up the combination vehicle or the presence or absence of obstacles, making it possible to calculate the control amount for the combination vehicle so that it follows the route while minimizing deviation of the combination vehicle.

[0116] <Hardware Configuration of Vehicle Control Device> FIGS. 20 and 21 are diagrams illustrating schematic examples of hardware configurations when the vehicle control devices shown in FIGS. 16, 17, 18, and 19 are actually operated.

[0117] Note that the hardware configurations illustrated in Figures 20 and 21 may not match the configurations illustrated in Figures 16, 17, 18, and 19 in terms of numbers, etc., but this is because the configurations illustrated in Figures 16, 17, 18, and 19 represent conceptual units.

[0118] Therefore, at least the following cases can be envisaged: a configuration illustrated in Figures 16, 17, 18, and 19 is made up of multiple hardware configurations illustrated in Figures 20 and 21; a configuration illustrated in Figures 16, 17, 18, and 19 corresponds to a part of the hardware configuration illustrated in Figures 20 and 21; and further, a case can be envisaged in which multiple configurations illustrated in Figures 16, 17, 18, and 19 are provided in one hardware configuration illustrated in Figures 20 and 21.

[0119] 20 shows a processing circuit 1102A that performs calculations, a storage device 1103 that can store information, and a measuring device 1106A such as a sensor or analyzer that can measure physical quantities, as hardware configurations for realizing the position and orientation sensor 50, position and orientation sensor 51, obstacle sensor 52, coupling angle sensor 54, path generating device 40, position and orientation estimation unit 42, position and orientation estimation unit 42A, position and orientation estimation unit 42B, position and orientation estimation unit 42C, position and orientation estimation unit 42D, control point calculation unit 44, control point calculation unit 44A, control amount calculation unit 46, control amount calculation unit 46A, path correction unit 48, etc. in FIGS. 16, 17, 18, and 19. This configuration is the same in all of the above embodiments.

[0120] 21 shows a processing circuit 1102B that performs calculations and a measuring device 1106B such as a sensor or analyzer that can measure physical quantities, as a hardware configuration for realizing the position and orientation sensor 50, position and orientation sensor 51, obstacle sensor 52, coupling angle sensor 54, path generating device 40, position and orientation estimation unit 42, position and orientation estimation unit 42A, position and orientation estimation unit 42B, position and orientation estimation unit 42C, position and orientation estimation unit 42D, control point calculation unit 44, control point calculation unit 44A, control amount calculation unit 46, control amount calculation unit 46A, path correction unit 48, etc. in FIGS. 16, 17, 18, and 19. This configuration is similar in all of the above embodiments.

[0121] The map database is realized by the storage device 1103 or another storage device (not shown here).

[0122] The storage device 1103 may be, for example, a memory (recording medium) including a volatile or non-volatile semiconductor memory such as a hard disk drive (HDD), random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), flash memory, erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM) and electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a magnetic disk, a flexible disk, an optical disk, a compact disk, a mini disk, or a DVD, or any recording medium that will be used in the future.

[0123] The processing circuit 1102A may execute a program stored in the storage device 1103, an external CD-ROM, an external DVD-ROM, an external flash memory, etc. That is, it may be, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a microcomputer, or a digital signal processor (DSP).

[0124] When the processing circuit 1102A executes a program stored in the storage device 1103, an external CD-ROM, an external DVD-ROM, an external flash memory, or the like, the path generating device 40, the position and attitude estimation unit 42, the position and attitude estimation unit 42A, the position and attitude estimation unit 42B, the position and attitude estimation unit 42C, the position and attitude estimation unit 42D, the control point calculation unit 44, the control point calculation unit 44A, the control amount calculation unit 46, the control amount calculation unit 46A, and the path correction unit 48 are realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware in which the program stored in the storage device 1103 is executed by the processing circuit 1102A. The functions of the path generation device 40, the position and attitude estimation unit 42, the position and attitude estimation unit 42A, the position and attitude estimation unit 42B, the position and attitude estimation unit 42C, the position and attitude estimation unit 42D, the control point calculation unit 44, the control point calculation unit 44A, the control amount calculation unit 46, the control amount calculation unit 46A, and the path correction unit 48 may be realized, for example, by multiple processing circuits working together.

[0125] The software and firmware may be written as a program and stored in the storage device 1103. In this case, the processing circuit 1102A realizes the above-described functions by reading and executing the program stored in the storage device 1103. In other words, the storage device 1103 may store a program that, when executed by the processing circuit 1102A, results in the above-described functions being realized.

[0126] The processing circuit 1102B may also be dedicated hardware, i.e., for example, a single circuit, multiple circuits, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or a combination thereof.

[0127] When the processing circuit 1102B is dedicated hardware, the path generation device 40, the position and orientation estimation unit 42, the position and orientation estimation unit 42A, the position and orientation estimation unit 42B, the position and orientation estimation unit 42C, the position and orientation estimation unit 42D, the control point calculation unit 44, the control point calculation unit 44A, the control amount calculation unit 46, the control amount calculation unit 46A, and the path correction unit 48 are realized by operation of the processing circuit 1102B. Note that the functions of the path generation device 40, the position and orientation estimation unit 42, the position and orientation estimation unit 42A, the position and orientation estimation unit 42B, the position and orientation estimation unit 42C, the position and orientation estimation unit 42D, the control point calculation unit 44, the control point calculation unit 44A, the control amount calculation unit 46, the control amount calculation unit 46A, and the path correction unit 48 may be realized by separate circuits or by a single circuit.

[0128] Note that the functions of the path generation device 40, the position and attitude estimation unit 42, the position and attitude estimation unit 42A, the position and attitude estimation unit 42B, the position and attitude estimation unit 42C, the position and attitude estimation unit 42D, the control point calculation unit 44, the control point calculation unit 44A, the control amount calculation unit 46, the control amount calculation unit 46A, and the path correction unit 48 may be partly realized in a processing circuit 1102A that executes a program stored in the memory device 1103, and partly realized in a processing circuit 1102B that is dedicated hardware.

[0129] Furthermore, the position and orientation sensor 50, the position and orientation sensor 51, the obstacle sensor 52, and the coupling angle sensor 54 are realized by the measurement device 1106A or the measurement device 1106B.

[0130] <Regarding the Effects Produced by the Multiple Embodiments Described Above> Next, examples of the effects produced by the multiple embodiments described above will be described. Note that in the following description, the effects will be described based on the specific configurations exemplified in the multiple embodiments described above, but these may be replaced with other specific configurations exemplified in the present specification to the extent that similar effects are produced. In other words, for convenience, only one of the associated specific configurations may be described as a representative below, but the representatively described specific configuration may be replaced with another associated specific configuration.

[0131] Furthermore, the replacement may be made across multiple embodiments, i.e., configurations illustrated in different embodiments may be combined to produce the same effect.

[0132] According to the embodiment described above, the vehicle control device for controlling an articulated vehicle 100 in which a plurality of vehicles are coupled together comprises a control point calculation unit 44 for calculating at least one control point for the articulated vehicle 100 which includes a towing vehicle 10 and at least one second vehicle towed by the towing vehicle 10, and a control variable calculation unit 46. Here, the first vehicle corresponds, for example, to the towing vehicle 10. The second vehicle corresponds, for example, to the towed vehicle 11, towed vehicle 12, towed vehicle 13, towed vehicle 14, etc. The control point calculation unit 44 calculates the control point by weighting the position and attitude of the towing vehicle 10 and the position and attitude of the towed vehicle 11. The control variable calculation unit 46 calculates the control variable for the articulated vehicle 100 when traveling along a route based on the control points and a route that the articulated vehicle 100 can travel.

[0133] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the vehicle control device includes a processing circuit 1102A that executes a program and a storage device 1103 that stores the program to be executed. The processing circuit 1102A executes the program to realize the following operations.

[0134] That is, at least one control point is calculated by weighting the position and attitude of the towing vehicle 10 and the position and attitude of the towed vehicle 11 with respect to the combination vehicle 100. Then, based on the route that the combination vehicle 100 can travel and the control point, the control amount for the combination vehicle 100 when traveling along the route is calculated.

[0135] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the vehicle control device includes the processing circuit 1102B, which is dedicated hardware. The processing circuit 1102B, which is dedicated hardware, performs the following operations.

[0136] In other words, the processing circuit 1102B, which is dedicated hardware, calculates at least one control point for the combination vehicle 100 by weighting the position and attitude of the towing vehicle 10 and the position and attitude of the towed vehicle 11. Then, based on the route that the combination vehicle 100 can travel and the control point, it calculates the control amount for the combination vehicle 100 when traveling along the route.

[0137] With this configuration, by setting control points depending on the presence or absence of obstacles, etc., it is possible to flexibly change the portion of the route that the articulated vehicle follows. This makes it possible to calculate control amounts for the articulated vehicle so that it follows the route while minimizing deviation of the articulated vehicle.

[0138] Furthermore, even if other configurations shown as examples in this specification are appropriately added to the above configuration, that is, even if other configurations in this specification that were not mentioned as the above configuration are appropriately added, the same effect can be achieved.

[0139] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the control point calculation unit 44 calculates control points by changing the weighting so as to reduce deviation from the route. With this configuration, it is possible to calculate control amounts for articulated vehicles that follow the route while suppressing deviation of the articulated vehicles.

[0140] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the control point calculation unit 44 calculates a control point by changing the weighting based on the deviation of the position and attitude of the towing vehicle 10 from the route and the deviation of the position and attitude of the towed vehicle 11 when the towing vehicle 10 is made to follow the route, and the deviation of the position and attitude of the towed vehicle 11 when the towed vehicle 11 is made to follow the route. With this configuration, the control point is set so that the towing vehicle or towed vehicle with the smaller (maximum) deviation follows the route, and it is possible to calculate the control amount for the combination vehicle to follow the route while suppressing the deviation of the combination vehicle.

[0141] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the deviation between the route and obstacles located around the route is taken as the obstacle deviation, and the control point calculation unit 44 calculates the control point by changing the weighting so that the maximum value of the deviation between the control point and the route is smaller than the obstacle deviation. With this configuration, by setting the control point depending on the presence or absence of obstacles, it is possible to calculate the control amount for the articulated vehicle to follow the route while suppressing the deviation of the articulated vehicle.

[0142] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the vehicle control device includes a position and attitude estimation unit 42 (or position and attitude estimation unit 42A, position and attitude estimation unit 42B, position and attitude estimation unit 42C) that estimates at least the position and attitude of the towed vehicle 11. Then, the control point calculation unit 44 calculates control points using the estimated position and attitude of the towed vehicle 11. With this configuration, by setting control points using the estimated position and attitude of the towed vehicle, it is possible to calculate control amounts for the combination vehicle to follow the route while suppressing deviation of the combination vehicle.

[0143] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the position and attitude estimator 42D estimates the position and attitude of the towed vehicle 11 based on the position and attitude and the route of the towing vehicle 10. With this configuration, it is possible to calculate control amounts for the combination vehicle so that it follows the route while suppressing deviation of the combination vehicle.

[0144] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, for an articulated vehicle 100 having multiple towed vehicles 11, the position and attitude estimation unit 42 estimates the positions and attitudes of all of the towed vehicles based on the position and attitude of the towing vehicle 10, the positions and attitudes of some of the towed vehicles, and the kinematic model. With this configuration, even if the positions and attitudes of only some of the towed vehicles are known, it is possible to estimate the positions and attitudes of all of the towed vehicles based on the kinematic model.

[0145] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the vehicle control device is equipped with a coupling angle sensor 54 that detects the coupling angle between the vehicles in the combination vehicle 100. The position and attitude estimation unit 42C then estimates the position and attitude of the towed vehicle 11 based on the coupling angle and a geometric model of the combination vehicle 100. With this configuration, by estimating the position and attitude of the towed vehicle based on the coupling angle data and setting a control point, it is possible to calculate control amounts for the combination vehicle so that it follows the route while minimizing deviation of the combination vehicle.

[0146] <Regarding Modifications of the Multiple Embodiments Described Above> In the multiple embodiments described above, the dimensions, shapes, relative positional relationships, and implementation conditions of each component may be described, but these are merely examples in all aspects and are not limiting.

[0147] Therefore, countless modifications and equivalents not shown as examples are contemplated within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present specification, including, for example, modifying, adding, or omitting at least one component, and further, extracting at least one component from at least one embodiment and combining it with a component from another embodiment.

[0148] Furthermore, unless a contradiction arises, when it is stated in the above-described embodiments that "one" component is provided, "one or more" of that component may be provided.

[0149] Furthermore, the descriptions in this specification are incorporated by reference for all purposes related to the present technology, and none of them are admitted to be prior art.

[0150] Furthermore, each component described in the above-described embodiments is envisioned as software or firmware, as well as corresponding hardware, and as software it is referred to as, for example, a "unit," and as hardware it is referred to as, for example, a "processing circuit."

[0151] 1 Travel route, 3 Route, 10 Towing vehicle, 11 Towed vehicle, 11A Dolly, 12 Towed vehicle, 12A Rear axle wheel, 13 Towed vehicle, 13A Dolly, 14 Towed vehicle, 14A Rear axle wheel, 15 Curb, 16 Curb, 20 Hitch point, 30 Towing vehicle, 31 Loading platform, 32 Loading platform, 40 Path generation device, 42 Position and attitude estimation unit, 42A Position and attitude estimation unit, 42B Position and attitude estimation unit, 42C Position and attitude estimation unit, 42D Position and attitude estimation unit, 44 Control point calculation unit, 44A Control point calculation unit, 46 Control amount calculation unit, 46A Control amount calculation unit, 48 Path correction unit, 50 Position and attitude sensor, 51 Position and attitude sensor, 52 Obstacle sensor, 54 Connection angle sensor, 60 Control point, 100 Articulated vehicles, 104 actuator, 200 vehicle control device, 200A vehicle control device, 200C vehicle control device, 200D vehicle control device, 1102A processing circuit, 1102B processing circuit, 1103 storage device, 1106A measuring device, 1106B measuring device, 2000 vehicle control device, 2002 control point calculation unit, 2004 control amount calculation unit.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device for controlling an articulated vehicle in which a plurality of vehicles are connected together, the articulated vehicle comprising a first vehicle and at least one second vehicle towed by the first vehicle, the vehicle control device comprising: a control point calculation unit for calculating at least one control point by weighting the position and attitude of the first vehicle and the position and attitude of the second vehicle; and a control variable calculation unit for calculating control variables for the articulated vehicle when traveling along a route on which the articulated vehicle can travel, based on the control points and a route on which the articulated vehicle can travel.

2. A vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the control point calculation unit calculates the control point by changing the weighting so as to reduce the deviation from the route.

3. A vehicle control device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the control point calculation unit calculates the control point by changing the weighting based on the deviation of the position and attitude of the first vehicle from the route when the first vehicle is made to follow the route and the deviation of the position and attitude of the second vehicle, and the deviation of the position and attitude of the first vehicle from the route when the second vehicle is made to follow the route.

4. A vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the deviation between the route and an obstacle located around the route is defined as an obstacle deviation, and the control point calculation unit calculates the control point by changing the weighting so that the maximum value of the deviation between the control point and the route is smaller than the obstacle deviation.

5. A vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a position and attitude estimation unit that estimates at least the position and attitude of the second vehicle, and wherein the control point calculation unit calculates the control point using the estimated position and attitude of the second vehicle.

6. A vehicle control device according to claim 5, wherein the position and attitude estimation unit estimates the position and attitude of the second vehicle based on the position and attitude of the first vehicle and the route.

7. A vehicle control device according to claim 5 or 6, comprising a plurality of second vehicles, and wherein the position and attitude estimation unit estimates the positions and attitudes of all of the second vehicles based on the positions and attitudes of the first vehicle, the positions and attitudes of some of the second vehicles, and a kinematic model.

8. A vehicle control device according to any one of claims 5 to 7, further comprising a coupling angle sensor that detects the coupling angle between the vehicles in the combined vehicle, and wherein the position and attitude estimation unit estimates the position and attitude of the second vehicle based on the coupling angle and a geometric model of the combined vehicle.

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