Vehicle control system

Abstract

In order to reduce network load, thereby improving productivity, a vehicle control system according to the present invention is provided with: wireless terminals that are installed in a plurality of vehicles individually and that are capable of communicating with a base station; and a control server device that communicates with the wireless terminals via the base station. The control server device is provided with: a vehicle position monitoring unit that calculates and monitors the positions of the plurality of vehicles on the basis of position information of the plurality of vehicles, the position information being transmitted from the wireless terminals via the base station by using a first communication link; an area information recording unit having recorded therein information concerning a prescribed area in which the vehicles may stop; and a transmission / reception control unit that, when it is determined that at least one of the plurality of vehicles for which calculation has been performed by the vehicle position monitoring unit is stopped in the prescribed area recorded in the area information recording unit, transmits and receives environment information around the plurality of vehicles and vehicle body state information of the plurality of vehicles to and from a wireless terminal of the at least one vehicle stopped in the prescribed area by using a second communication link.

Description

Vehicle Control System

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control system for various vehicles traveling at a mine site.

[0002] At mine sites and the like, there is a growing demand for autonomous traveling of various vehicles from the viewpoints of reducing labor costs and improving safety. To meet this demand, for example, a vehicle control system that causes dump trucks traveling at a mine site to autonomously travel through unmanned operation is known.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that a plurality of vehicles transmit position data of their own positions to a monitoring station using wireless communication based on a first communication method that enables wireless communication between the monitoring station and each of the plurality of vehicles. The monitoring station monitors the positional relationship between the vehicles based on the vehicle position data, and when confirming that vehicles are approaching each other, transmits information to that effect to each of the approaching vehicles using wireless communication based on the first communication method. Each of the approaching vehicles that has received this information performs control to prevent interference between the vehicles by transmitting and receiving position data between the vehicles using wireless communication between the vehicles based on a second communication method that enables wireless communication between the vehicles. A technology for performing such control is disclosed.

[0004] Also, for example, Patent Document 2 discloses a technology in the field of connected vehicles, wherein a V2X radio capable of communicating with wireless channels of different radio types such as cellular, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and DSRC is mounted, and an optimal wireless channel is selected while checking the load of each wireless channel in a region where a vehicle is geographically located.

[0005] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-222227Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2019-193255

[0006] In a vehicle control system that enables autonomous, unmanned operation of dump trucks at a mining site, certain information needs to be periodically transmitted and received for the dump trucks to operate autonomously without a driver. However, the amount of data required for autonomous operation of dump trucks is very large, which can lead to increased network load. Increased network load can result in reduced communication speed or communication interruptions, potentially leading to decreased productivity due to the slowing down or stopping of the autonomous dump trucks, and even the suspension of mining operations.

[0007] In the technology described in Patent Document 1, information indicating the proximity of each vehicle is transmitted between the monitoring station and each vehicle using a first communication method with minimal network load. However, the technology does not disclose how to reduce the network load when sending and receiving large amounts of data for autonomous driving of dump trucks without a driver.

[0008] The technology described in Patent Document 2 above selects the optimal wireless channel while monitoring the load on each wireless channel in the area where the vehicle is geographically located. However, there is room for improvement in reducing the network load when sending and receiving large amounts of data for autonomous driving of a dump truck without a driver.

[0009] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a vehicle control system that reduces the network load of the vehicle control system and enables improved productivity.

[0010] The vehicle control system according to the present invention is a vehicle control system comprising a wireless terminal mounted on each of a plurality of vehicles and capable of communicating with a base station, and a control server device that communicates with the wireless terminal via the base station, wherein the control server device comprises a vehicle position monitoring unit that calculates and monitors the positions of a plurality of vehicles based on location information of a plurality of vehicles transmitted from the wireless terminal via the base station using a first communication line, an area information recording unit that records information about a predetermined area in which a vehicle may stop, and a transmission / reception control unit that, when it is determined by the vehicle position monitoring unit that at least one of the plurality of vehicles is stopped in the predetermined area recorded in the area information recording unit, transmits and receives environmental information about the surrounding area of ​​the plurality of vehicles and vehicle body status information of the plurality of vehicles to and from the wireless terminal of at least one vehicle stopped in the predetermined area using a second communication line.

[0011] The vehicle control system of the present invention reduces the network load on the vehicle control system and enables improved productivity. Further features related to the present invention will become apparent from the description herein and the accompanying drawings. Other problems, configurations, and effects will also become apparent from the following description of embodiments.

[0012] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the vehicle control system 1000 according to the embodiment. This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the in-vehicle wireless terminal 2. This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the in-vehicle wireless terminal 1. This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the control server device 31. This is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of the software configuration of the control server device 31. This is a characteristics table showing the priority, transmission interval, protocol, IP address, and PORT number of each wireless bearer. This is a diagram showing the packet reception timing in the network load monitoring function according to the embodiment. This is a diagram showing the distribution of the occurrence probability of packet reception intervals in the network load monitoring function according to the embodiment. This is a flowchart that explains in detail the operation of the in-vehicle wireless terminal 2 of the embodiment regarding the transmission of location information and emergency stop signals. This is a flowchart that explains in detail the operation of the in-vehicle wireless terminal 1 of the embodiment regarding the reception of location information. This is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the vehicle control system 1000 according to the embodiment. This is a flowchart that explains in detail the function of monitoring network load and the function of transmitting and receiving environmental information and vehicle body status information with the unmanned dump truck 10-1 in the control server device 31 of the embodiment.

[0013] This embodiment will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. In the attached drawings, functionally identical elements may be indicated by the same number. The attached drawings show embodiments and implementation examples in accordance with the principles of this disclosure, but they are for the purpose of understanding this disclosure and are not to be used in any way to restrict the interpretation of this disclosure. The descriptions in this specification are merely typical examples and do not limit the claims or applications of this disclosure in any way.

[0014] While this embodiment is described in sufficient detail for those skilled in the art to implement the disclosure, it is important to understand that other implementations and forms are possible, and that the configuration and structure can be modified and various elements replaced without departing from the scope and spirit of the technical idea of ​​this disclosure. Therefore, the following description should not be interpreted as limiting it to this embodiment.

[0015] Hereinafter, a vehicle control system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the vehicle control system 1000 according to this embodiment. The vehicle control system 1000 has a function to make an unmanned dump truck drive autonomously and a function to stop an unmanned dump truck that is driving autonomously in an emergency.

[0016] In Figure 1, the vehicle control system 1000 includes vehicle-mounted wireless terminals 1-1 to 1-4, vehicle-mounted wireless terminals 2-1 and 2-2, base stations 4-1 and 4-2, a wireless relay station 5, autonomously driving unmanned dump trucks 10-1 to 10-4, manned vehicles 20-1 and 20-2, and a control station 30. The vehicle control system 1000 is configured to perform vehicle control related to the autonomous driving of the unmanned dump trucks 10-1 to 10-4, vehicle control related to emergency stopping of the unmanned dump trucks 10-1 to 10-4, and other controls.

[0017] The vehicle control system 1000 is installed, for example, in a mine. The unmanned dump trucks 10-1 to 10-4 are vehicles capable of autonomous driving without a driver, and are operated without a driver in principle, and are controlled based on the vehicle control system 1000. The unmanned dump trucks 10-1 to 10-4 are transport vehicles that load and transport cargo such as soil and ore. The unmanned dump trucks 10-1 to 10-4 autonomously drive along a pre-set transport route 100 within the mine site without a driver. For example, a shovel (not shown) is positioned at the loading area 200 to load soil or ore onto the unmanned dump truck 10-2, and the unmanned dump truck 10-2 travels back and forth between the unpaved loading area 200 and the unpaved unloading area 300 along the unpaved transport route 100, transporting the cargo. A control server device 31 is also positioned at the control station 30. The unmanned dump trucks 10-1 to 10-4 are equipped with sensors 120 that acquire vehicle status information, including log information accumulated in the unmanned dump trucks 10-1 to 10-4.

[0018] Furthermore, the number of each device is not limited to those shown in the illustration or specific numbers. For example, the vehicle-mounted wireless terminals 2-1 and 2-2 and the unmanned dump trucks 10-1 to 10-4 may each be only one unit, or there may be multiple units of either or both. Similarly, the vehicle-mounted wireless terminals and manned vehicles may each be only one unit, or there may be multiple units of either or both.

[0019] Furthermore, although not shown in Figure 1, a system or operation management system to support the autonomous driving of the unmanned dump trucks 10-1 to 10-4 is installed at the work site within the mine.

[0020] The configurations of the vehicle-mounted wireless terminals 1-1 to 1-4 may all be the same or different. Hereafter, vehicle-mounted wireless terminals 1-1 to 1-4 may be collectively referred to as "vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 1" without distinction. Similarly, vehicle-mounted wireless terminals 2-1, 2-2, and base stations 4-1 and 4-2 may be collectively referred to as "vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 2" and "base station 4," respectively, without distinction. Also, the configurations of the unmanned dump trucks 10-1 to 10-4 may all be the same, so when referring to them collectively, they may be referred to as "unmanned dump truck 10." Manned vehicles 20-1 and 20-2 may also be collectively referred to as "manned vehicle 20."

[0021] At the mining site, in addition to the unmanned dump trucks 10 that transport cargo such as soil and ore, manned vehicles 20 also operate. Manned vehicles 20 are configured to accommodate a driver or other passengers and are configured to be driven by a driver. Examples of manned vehicles 20 include the aforementioned shovels, bulldozers that level the surface of the transport route 100, water trucks, service cars that patrol the mining site, and manned dump trucks configured to be driven by a driver. Manned vehicles 20 are equipped with sensors 120 that acquire vehicle status information, including log information accumulated in the manned vehicles 20.

[0022] The vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 2 is a vehicle-mounted device installed in a manned vehicle 20. The vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 2 has a function to transmit an emergency stop signal in an emergency. The driver or passenger of the manned vehicle 20 can use the vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 2 to instruct the unmanned dump truck 10 to make an emergency stop in an emergency. For example, an emergency stop instruction signal can be transmitted from the transport route 100, loading area 200, and unloading area 300 within the site.

[0023] In this embodiment, the scope and meaning of "emergency" are not limited, and workers or drivers of manned vehicles 20 can determine whether or not an emergency has occurred and issue an emergency stop instruction based on their own judgment. Generally, whether or not an "emergency" has occurred is determined based on whether or not it is necessary to stop the unmanned dump truck 10. For example, if there is a possibility of contact or interference between two unmanned dump trucks 10, or between an unmanned dump truck 10 and a manned vehicle 20, it can be determined that an emergency has occurred. Also, if there is a possibility of contact or interference between an unmanned dump truck 10 and a worker, it can be determined that an emergency has occurred.

[0024] The vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 1 is a vehicle-mounted device installed on the unmanned dump truck 10. The vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 1 has the function of receiving driving control signals (driving permission and speed commands, etc.) necessary for the autonomous driving of the unmanned dump truck 10, and emergency stop signals necessary for the emergency stop of the unmanned dump truck 10. In the event of an emergency, the unmanned dump truck 10 can be brought to an emergency stop by the emergency stop signal transmitted from the vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 2. In addition, the unmanned dump truck 10 can drive autonomously by the driving control signals transmitted from the control server device 31 located in the control station 30. The emergency stop signal transmitted from the vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 2 and the driving control signals transmitted from the control server device 31 located in the control station 30 are transmitted via the base station 4, the wireless relay station 5, and the core network device 6.

[0025] The location of the antenna for the vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 1 installed on the unmanned dump truck 10 is not limited to a specific location. For example, it is preferable that the antenna be installed in a location where there is a clear line of sight to the radio waves from the base station 4, for example, on the upper front surface of the unmanned dump truck 10.

[0026] Multiple base stations 4 each constitute a wireless area called a cell, and are capable of wireless communication with unmanned dump trucks 10 and manned vehicles 20 located within the cell. For example, since the unmanned dump trucks 10 and manned vehicles 20 move to an area including a transport route 100, a loading area 200, and a soil disposal area 300, the multiple base stations 4 are arranged so that the unmanned dump trucks 10 and manned vehicles 20 can communicate wirelessly in these areas.

[0027] Base station 4 is connected to control server device 31 via the core network device 6 in control station 30, through the wireless relay line 510 and wireless relay station 5. Driving control signals necessary for autonomous driving of unmanned dump truck 10, emergency stop signals necessary for emergency stopping of unmanned dump truck 10, position information necessary for proximity detection between unmanned dump truck 10 and manned vehicle 20, and position information necessary for proximity detection between unmanned dump trucks 10 are transmitted and received between base station 4, wireless relay line 510, wireless relay station 5, and core network device 6 and control server device 31.

[0028] The control server device 31 has the function of transmitting driving control signals to the unmanned dump truck 10, thereby enabling the unmanned dump truck 10 to drive autonomously. The control server device 31 also has the function of transmitting an emergency stop signal transmitted from the on-board wireless terminal 2 mounted on the manned vehicle 20 to the on-board wireless terminal 1 mounted on the target unmanned dump truck 10, via the core network device 6, wireless relay station 5, wireless relay line 510, and each base station 4.

[0029] The vehicle control system 1000 can be configured to stop all unmanned dump trucks 10 or only a specific unmanned dump truck 10 if an emergency stop signal is issued from any of the on-board wireless terminals 2 to all unmanned dump trucks 10 within the mining site.

[0030] Vehicle-mounted wireless terminals 1 and 2 are equipped with GPS (Global Positioning System) receiving functions. They have the function of transmitting their own location information acquired by the GPS receiving function to a control server device 31 located at the control station 30 via the base station 4, wireless relay station 5, and core network device 6. The control server device 31 has the function of receiving the location information of vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 1 (unmanned dump truck 10) and vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 2 (manned vehicle 20) sent from vehicle-mounted wireless terminals 1 and 2, and managing the location information. Of course, vehicle-mounted wireless terminals 1 and 2 may acquire their own location information by methods other than GPS.

[0031] The control server device 31 has the function of transmitting environmental information to the vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 1 (unmanned dump truck 10) and the vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 2 (manned vehicle 20). The environmental information includes map information of the surroundings of the unmanned dump truck 10 and the manned vehicle 20. The map information includes information about the loading area 200, the unloading area 300, and the transport route 100. Information about the loading area 200, the unloading area 300, and the transport route 100 means, for example, the shape, drivable range, and altitude of the loading area 200, the unloading area 300, and the transport route 100.

[0032] The control server device 31 has the function of receiving vehicle status information sent from the vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 1 (unmanned dump truck 10) and the vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 2 (manned vehicle 20), and managing the vehicle status information. The vehicle status information is acquired by sensors 120 mounted on the unmanned dump truck 10 and the manned vehicle 20, and includes log information stored on the unmanned dump truck 10 and the manned vehicle 20.

[0033] Next, an example of the configuration of the vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 2 will be described with reference to Figure 2. As shown in Figure 2, the vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 2 is configured, for example, with a transmitting / receiving antenna 101, a wireless modem 102, a microcontroller device 103, an external interface (I / F) 104, a power supply device 105, a display device 106, an emergency stop button 107, a GPS receiver 108, and a GPS antenna 109. A sensor 120 mounted on the manned vehicle 20 is connected to the microcontroller device 103.

[0034] The wireless modem 102 in the in-vehicle wireless terminal 2 is composed of high-frequency circuits and integrated circuits. The wireless modem 102 is connected to the transmitting and receiving antenna 101 and performs wireless communication with the base station 4 according to a predetermined wireless communication method (for example, LTE (Long Term Evolution)). The wireless modem 102 is also connected to the microcontroller device 103 and transmits the received signals to the microcontroller device 103. Specifically, the wireless signal 110 transmitted from the base station 4 and received by the transmitting and receiving antenna 101 is input to the wireless modem 102, and after undergoing predetermined filtering, amplification, frequency conversion, demodulation, and error correction decoding, it is output as received data 112 in the microcontroller device 103.

[0035] Furthermore, the wireless modem 102 processes the transmission data 111 output from the microcontroller device 103 with error correction coding, modulation, frequency conversion, amplification, and filtering to generate a wireless signal 110, which is then output to the transmitting / receiving antenna 101.

[0036] The microcontroller device 103 consists of a CPU 801 (arithmetic processing unit) and a storage device 802 (main memory, flash memory, and auxiliary storage device, etc.), and is connected to a wireless modem 102, an external I / F 104, a power supply 105, a display device 106, an emergency stop button 107, and a GPS receiver 108. The functions described below are realized when the program stored in the storage device 802 is calculated and executed by the CPU 801. The auxiliary storage device of the storage device 802 stores environmental information, including map information received from the control server device 31. In addition, the auxiliary storage device of the storage device 802 stores vehicle status information, including log information acquired by sensors 120 mounted on the manned vehicle 20. Note that the microcontroller device 103 may be composed of integrated circuits or the like in part or in whole.

[0037] The external I / F 104 consists of a voltage conversion unit, a protocol conversion unit, and connectors, and is responsible for interfacing with external devices. Specifically, it is configured to perform voltage and protocol conversions required by external devices. The external I / F 104 is connected to various devices, such as an on-board controller device, which is mounted on the manned vehicle 20.

[0038] The power supply unit 105 consists of a battery 810 and a voltage converter 811, etc. The power supply unit 105 has the function of converting the power supplied from the battery 810 to the required voltage using the voltage converter 811, and then supplying it to each part of the in-vehicle wireless terminal 2.

[0039] The display device 106 consists of LEDs and a liquid crystal display device, and is connected to the microcontroller device 103. The display device 106 has the function of notifying the operator or maintenance personnel of the normality of the power supply and the result of the wireless communication interruption detection.

[0040] The emergency stop button 107 is connected to the microcomputer device 103 and is an operation button used by the operator to instruct the unmanned dump truck 10 to make an emergency stop. The emergency stop button 107 can be a push-button structure that detects an instruction from the operator when it is pressed. The emergency stop button 107 may also have a mechanism that locks when pressed and remains pressed until released.

[0041] The GPS receiver 108 is connected to the GPS antenna 109 and the microcontroller device 103, and acquires location information indicating the current position of the manned vehicle 20 from the GPS reception signal received via the GPS antenna 109. The GPS receiver 108 periodically (for example, every second) outputs the location information indicating the current position of the manned vehicle 20 to the microcontroller device 103. Here, the location information may be the latitude and longitude indicating the current position of the manned vehicle 20. The vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 2 may be a single physical box, or it may consist of multiple boxes separated by function.

[0042] Sensors 120 mounted on the manned vehicle 20 acquire vehicle status information of the manned vehicle 20. Vehicle status information includes, for example, the speed, acceleration, distance traveled, fuel level, battery level, engine speed, hydraulic pressure, communication status, video of the manned vehicle 20's surroundings, and three-dimensional information of objects around the manned vehicle 20. Sensors 120 include, for example, a speed sensor, acceleration sensor, distance traveled sensor, fuel level measurement sensor, battery level measurement sensor, engine speed measurement sensor, hydraulic pressure sensor, radio wave intensity measurement sensor, camera, and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). Vehicle status information is acquired by sensors 120 mounted on the manned vehicle 20 and includes log information stored in the manned vehicle. Note that storage is not limited to long-term memory, but also includes temporary storage in a memory device.

[0043] Next, an example of the configuration of the vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 1 will be described with reference to Figure 3. As shown in Figure 3, the vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 1 is configured, for example, with a transmitting / receiving antenna 101, a wireless modem 102, a microcontroller device 103, an external interface 104, a power supply device 105, a display device 106, a GPS receiver 108, and a GPS antenna 109. A sensor 120 mounted on the unmanned dump truck 10 is connected to the microcontroller device 103. The auxiliary storage device of the storage device 802 of the microcontroller device 103 stores environmental information, including map information received from the control server device 31. In addition, the auxiliary storage device of the storage device 802 of the microcontroller device 103 stores vehicle status information, including log information acquired by the sensor 120 mounted on the unmanned dump truck 10. In other words, the vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 1 may have the same configuration as the vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 2, except that it does not have an emergency stop button 107. The external I / F 104 is connected to various devices such as the BCU (Brake Control Unit) installed on the unmanned dump truck 10.

[0044] Next, an example configuration of the control server device 31 will be described with reference to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 4, the control server device 31 includes, as a hardware configuration, a processor 32, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 33, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 34, an auxiliary storage device 35, an input I / F 36, an output I / F 37, and a display device 38. The processor 32 is configured of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or the like.

[0045] The ROM 34 stores a computer program capable of executing the processing of the control server device 31 described below. The computer program stored in the ROM 34 is expanded in the RAM 33. The processor 32 executes predetermined arithmetic processing in accordance with the computer program expanded in the RAM 33. Accordingly, the processing of the control server device 31 described below is executed. The auxiliary storage device 35 is configured of an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and an SSD (Solid State Drive). Various data calculated by the processor 32 are recorded in the auxiliary storage device 35.

[0046] The input IF 36 converts a signal input from the core network device 6 into data that can be calculated by the processor 32. The output IF 37 generates an output signal according to the calculation result obtained by the processor 32, and outputs the generated signal to the core network device 6 and the display device 38. The display device 38 is configured of a display and a speaker. The display device 38 displays the calculation result obtained by the processor 32 output via the output I / F 37. Note that the control server device 31 is intended to be a processing device capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from communication devices such as the on-vehicle wireless terminals 1 and 2 via a communication line or the like, and does not refer to hardware forms such as so-called personal computers and embedded information devices.

[0047] As shown in Fig. 5, as functional blocks of the software configuration, the control server device 31 includes a vehicle position monitoring unit 301, an area information recording unit 302, a transmission / reception control unit 303, an environment information recording unit 304, a vehicle body state information recording unit 305, a network load monitoring unit 308, an area information control unit 309, and a notification unit 310.

[0048] The vehicle position monitoring unit 301 calculates and monitors the positions of the unmanned dump truck 10 and the manned vehicle 20 based on position information of the unmanned dump truck 10 and the manned vehicle 20 transmitted from the in-vehicle wireless terminals 1 and 2 via the base station 4 using a first communication line. The first communication line is a first radio bearer described later. The position information is, for example, information on latitude and longitude of the unmanned dump truck 10 and the manned vehicle 20 received by the GPS receivers 108 of the in-vehicle wireless terminals 1 and 2. Generally, the data amount of position information is small.

[0049] The area information recording unit 302 records information (e.g., position, range, etc.) related to at least one predetermined area where the unmanned dump truck 10 and the manned vehicle 20 can stop. The predetermined area means a position with good communication conditions where the unmanned dump truck 10 and the manned vehicle 20 can stop, such as a loading yard 200, an unloading yard 300, and an unillustrated parking apron, for example. Note that stopping means a state where the unmanned dump truck 10 and the manned vehicle 20 are not moving, regardless of whether an engine or the like is operating or not.

[0050] When the transmission / reception control unit 303 determines that the unmanned dump truck 10 and the manned vehicle 20 whose positions are monitored by the vehicle position monitoring unit 301 based on position information are stopped in the area recorded in the area information recording unit 302, the transmission / reception control unit 303 transmits and receives, for example, environmental information around the target unmanned dump truck 10 and manned vehicle 20 monitored by the vehicle position monitoring unit 301 in a mine and vehicle body state information of the monitored unmanned dump truck 10 and manned vehicle 20 to and from the in-vehicle wireless terminals 1 and 2 of the stopped unmanned dump truck 10 and manned vehicle 20 via the base station 4 using a second communication line. The second communication line is a second radio bearer described later.

[0051] The environmental information 311 surrounding the unmanned dump truck 10 and manned vehicle 20, recorded in the environmental information recording unit 304, includes map information 306. As described above, the map information 306 includes information about the loading area 200, the unloading area 300, and the transport route 100. The environmental information 311 may also include, for example, information about the weather surrounding the unmanned dump truck 10 and manned vehicle 20. In most cases, the transmission / reception control unit 303 transmits the environmental information 311 to the vehicle-mounted wireless terminals 1 and 2. However, the transmission / reception control unit 303 may update the environmental information 311 recorded in the environmental information recording unit 304 based on the environmental information 311 received from the vehicle-mounted wireless terminals 1 and 2.

[0052] The vehicle status information 312 of the unmanned dump truck 10 and manned vehicle 20 recorded in the vehicle status information recording unit 305 includes log information 307. As described above, the log information 307 is information acquired by sensors 120 mounted on the unmanned dump truck 10 and manned vehicle 20 and stored in the unmanned dump truck 10 and manned vehicle 20. In most cases, the transmission / reception control unit 303 receives the vehicle status information 312 from the on-board wireless terminals 1 and 2. However, the transmission / reception control unit 303 may transmit the vehicle status information 312 to the on-board wireless terminals 1 and 2, and the unmanned dump truck 10 and manned vehicle 20 may update the vehicle status information 312, including the stored log information 307. Generally, the amount of data for environmental information 311 and vehicle status information 312 is larger than the amount of data for location information.

[0053] The network load monitoring unit 308 monitors the network load based on the interval between receptions of location information. The network load monitoring unit 308 has the function of monitoring the network load based on the interval between receptions of location information packets transmitted from the vehicle-mounted wireless terminals 1 and 2 installed in the unmanned dump truck 10 and the manned vehicle 20 via the base station 4 using the first wireless bearer (first communication line). In addition, the network load monitoring unit 308 monitors the network load using the standard deviation of the probability of occurrence of location information packets transmitted from the vehicle-mounted wireless terminals 1 and 2 installed in the unmanned dump truck 10 and the manned vehicle 20 via the base station using the first wireless bearer (first communication line) as an indicator, and determines that the network load is overloaded when the standard deviation exceeds a first threshold.

[0054] The transmit / receive control unit 303 stops using the second communication line (second wireless bearer) when the network load monitored by the network load monitoring unit 308 exceeds a predetermined first threshold. On the other hand, after the transmit / receive control unit 303 has stopped using the second communication line (second wireless bearer) because the network load monitored by the network load monitoring unit 308 exceeds the first threshold, it restarts using the second communication line (second wireless bearer) when the network load monitored by the network load monitoring unit 308 falls below the first threshold.

[0055] When the network load monitored by the network load monitoring unit 308 exceeds a first threshold, the area information control unit 309 changes either the location or range of the area recorded in the area information recording unit 302 so that the network load becomes below the first threshold. The area information control unit 309 also changes either the location or range of the area according to the date and time. Changing the location of the area means, for example, moving from the loading area 200 where the network load exceeds the first threshold to another area such as the unloading area 300 where good communication conditions are expected. Changing the range of the area means, for example, changing or reducing the range of the area to an area where better communication conditions are expected within that area.

[0056] When the network load monitoring unit 308 determines that the network load is overloaded, the notification unit 310 notifies the monitor that the network load at the control station 30 is overloaded. The notification that the network load is overloaded by the notification unit 310 is made by the display device 38 shown in Figure 4.

[0057] The first and second wireless bearers in this embodiment will be described in detail below. The vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 1-1 installed on the unmanned dump truck 10-1 can communicate with the control server device 31 via the base station 4 using multiple wireless bearers, for example, the first wireless bearer and the second wireless bearer. Here, a wireless bearer refers to a logical data transmission path in wireless communication. The first and second wireless bearers are not different in frequency or wireless method (communication method) from the same wireless bearer, but rather refer to logically different communication lines (transmission paths) that have the same frequency and wireless method. In addition, the same or different priorities can be assigned to each wireless bearer. The priority of the second wireless bearer is higher than the priority of the first wireless bearer.

[0058] The characteristics of each wireless bearer will be explained using Figure 6. As shown in Figure 6, wireless bearer B1 is the fourth priority of the four types of wireless bearers, having the lowest priority, a transmission interval of 1000 ms, and uses the UDP (User Data Protocol) protocol. It is mainly used for transmitting and receiving the location information of the unmanned dump truck 10 and manned vehicle 20 under normal circumstances. Wireless bearer B1 is the first wireless bearer described above. Wireless bearer B2 is the third priority of the four types of wireless bearers, has no periodic transmission interval, and uses the TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) protocol. It is mainly used for transmitting and receiving environmental information 311 around the unmanned dump truck 10 and manned vehicle 20, and vehicle body status information 312 of the unmanned dump truck 10 and manned vehicle 20. Wireless bearer B2 is the second wireless bearer described above.

[0059] Wireless bearer B3 has the second highest priority among the four types of wireless bearers, has no regular transmission intervals, uses the TCP protocol, and is mainly used for sending and receiving instructions and commands necessary for the operation management of the unmanned dump truck 10 and manned vehicles 20. Wireless bearer B4 has the highest priority among the five types of wireless bearers, has a transmission interval of 500 ms, uses the UDP protocol, and is mainly used for emergency stopping of the unmanned dump truck 10 in emergencies. Although Figure 6 illustrates four types of wireless bearers, there are of course no limitations on the number of types; there may be more or fewer than four. The priority and transmission intervals are merely examples.

[0060] Next, referring to Figure 7, the network load monitoring function, which is a feature of the vehicle control system 1000 according to this embodiment, will be described in detail. In this embodiment, the network load is monitored using location information packets of the unmanned dump truck 10 and manned vehicle 20 that are periodically sent using a wireless bearer. Specifically, the network load is monitored by measuring the reception interval of the location information packets that are sent periodically.

[0061] For example, if location information packets are transmitted from the unmanned dump truck 10 and the manned vehicle 20 at 1-second (1000 ms) intervals, as shown in Figure 7, if the network load is normal, the packet reception interval received by the control server device 31 will also be approximately 1 second. On the other hand, if the network load is abnormal (overloaded), even if location information packets are transmitted from the unmanned dump truck 10 and the manned vehicle 20 at 1-second intervals, the packet reception timing received by the control server device 31 will be delayed or fluctuate, causing disturbances in the packet reception interval. Furthermore, if the network load increases, location information packets may be lost. Therefore, the network load during operation is monitored by constantly monitoring the reception interval and loss of location information packets that are sent periodically.

[0062] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the wireless bearer used to monitor network load is the first wireless bearer used by the unmanned dump truck 10 to transmit its own location information, that is, wireless bearer B1, which has the lowest priority among the four types of bearers in Figure 6. Due to the characteristics of mobile networks such as LTE, when the network becomes congested, packets with higher priority are given priority, so the wireless bearer with the lowest priority is the first to be affected by network congestion. Therefore, by constantly monitoring the reception interval and loss of location information packets that are sent periodically using the wireless bearer with the lowest priority, it becomes possible to sensitively monitor whether the network in operation is in an overloaded state.

[0063] Figure 8 shows the distribution of the probability of occurrence of the packet reception interval measured by the control server device 31 when the unmanned dump truck 10 transmits its own location information at 1-second intervals using the first wireless bearer, i.e., the wireless bearer B1 with the lowest priority. If the network load is in a normal state, the probability of occurrence of the packet reception interval will be a distribution with a small spread of occurrence probability, i.e., a small standard deviation, centered around an average value of 1 second.

[0064] On the other hand, when the network load becomes congested, the average probability of packet reception intervals remains 1 second, but the spread of the probability distribution increases, meaning the standard deviation increases. Furthermore, when the network load becomes overloaded, the spread of the probability distribution increases even further, meaning the standard deviation becomes even larger. Therefore, in this embodiment, the network load is monitored using the spread of the probability distribution of packet reception intervals, i.e., the value of the standard deviation, as an indicator. For example, threshold determinations are made such that a standard deviation σ of 200 ms or more indicates congestion, and 400 ms or more indicates overload.

[0065] The following describes in detail the operation of the in-vehicle wireless terminal 2 of this embodiment regarding the transmission of location information and emergency stop signals, with reference to the flowchart in Figure 9. The flowchart in Figure 9 is executed according to the timing period of the timer interrupt in the microcontroller device 103. For example, the timer value of the timer interrupt is set to 1000 ms. Note that the timer value can be changed arbitrarily.

[0066] The in-vehicle wireless terminal 2 is started at the timing of a timer interrupt in the microcontroller device 103 (step S101), and various parameters related to the wireless bearer stored in the storage device 802 of the microcontroller device 103 are set in the CPU 801 (step S102). These various parameters related to the wireless bearer include, for example, the transmission interval, IP address, and PORT number of the wireless bearers B1, B2, B3, and B4 shown in Figure 6. The various parameters related to the wireless bearer stored in the storage device 802 of the microcontroller device 103 may also be updated as needed via a communication line from the control server device 31 through the base station 4.

[0067] Next, after various parameters related to the wireless bearer are set, the in-vehicle wireless terminal 2 selects the wireless bearer B1 shown in Figure 6, i.e., the first wireless bearer (step S103).

[0068] Next, the vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 2 acquires location information indicating the current location of the vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 2, that is, the current location of the manned vehicle 20, based on the GPS signals received using the GPS antenna 109 and GPS receiver 108 (step S104).

[0069] Next, the in-vehicle wireless terminal 2 proceeds to step S105, where it determines whether the emergency stop button 107 is pressed or not. If it determines that it is not pressed (No in step S105), the microcomputer device 103 generates an emergency stop signal "0" (step S106). On the other hand, if it determines that the emergency stop button 107 is pressed (Yes in step S105), the microcomputer device 103 generates an emergency stop signal "1" (step S107). Therefore, an emergency stop signal "1" indicates that the emergency stop button 107 has been pressed, and an emergency stop signal "0" indicates that the emergency stop button 107 has not been pressed.

[0070] Next, the in-vehicle wireless terminal 2 generates transmission data that includes location information indicating the current location of the manned vehicle 20 and an emergency stop signal ("0" or "1") (step S108). The generated transmission data is sent to the wireless modem 102 (step S109), and the timer interrupt processing is completed (step S110).

[0071] The wireless modem 102 processes the transmission data received from the microcontroller device 103 using the wireless bearer B1 selected by the microcontroller device 103, performing necessary processing for wireless communication such as error correction coding, modulation, frequency conversion, amplification, and filtering, and then transmits a wireless signal from the transmitting / receiving antenna 101.

[0072] As the transmission operation is performed according to the flowchart in Figure 9, the location information of the manned vehicle 20 equipped with the vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 2 is periodically transmitted, and while the emergency stop button 107 is pressed (step S105: Yes), an emergency stop signal "1" is continuously transmitted. When the emergency stop button 107 is released (step S105: No), the microcontroller device 103 transmits an emergency stop signal of "0".

[0073] In addition, the vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 1 performs the same transmission operation as the vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 2, and the location information of the unmanned dump truck 10 on which the vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 1 is installed is transmitted periodically. This process excludes steps S105, S106, and S107 of the flowchart in Figure 9.

[0074] The operation of the in-vehicle wireless terminal 1 in receiving driving control signals will be explained in detail below with reference to the flowchart in Figure 10. The flowchart in Figure 10 is executed according to the timing period of the timer interrupt in the microcontroller device 103. For example, the initial value of the timer interrupt timer value is set to 1000 ms. Note that the timer value can be changed arbitrarily.

[0075] The vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 1 receives wireless signals from the transmitting and receiving antenna 101, and the wireless modem 102 performs necessary processing for wireless communication, such as filtering, amplification, frequency conversion, demodulation, and error correction decoding.

[0076] The processing of the in-vehicle wireless terminal 1 begins at the timing of a timer interrupt in the microcontroller device 103 (step S201), and various parameters related to the wireless bearer stored in the storage device 802 of the microcontroller device 103 are set in the CPU 801 (step S202). These various parameters related to the wireless bearer include, for example, the transmission interval, IP address, and PORT number of the wireless bearers B1, B2, B3, and B4 shown in Figure 6. The various parameters related to the wireless bearer stored in the storage device 802 of the microcontroller device 103 may also be updated as needed via the communication line from the control server device 31 through the base station 4. Next, the in-vehicle wireless terminal 1 sets the timer value to 1000 ms (step S203) and selects the wireless bearer B1, i.e., the first wireless bearer, as shown in Figure 6 (step S204).

[0077] Next, the in-vehicle wireless terminal 1 acquires the driving control signals necessary for the autonomous driving of the unmanned dump truck 10 and the reception time of the received packets, which are included in the received data of the selected wireless bearer (step S205).

[0078] Next, the in-vehicle wireless terminal 1 proceeds to step S206, where it measures the packet reception interval from the difference between the packet reception time of the previously received data and the packet reception time of the currently received data, and determines whether this measured packet reception interval exceeds a predetermined interruption time.

[0079] If the measured packet reception interval is determined to be less than or equal to a predetermined interruption time (No in step S206), the microcontroller device 103 generates an interruption determination signal "0" (step S207). On the other hand, if the communication interval is determined to exceed a predetermined interruption time (Yes in step S206), the microcontroller device 103 generates an interruption determination signal "1" (step S208). An interruption determination signal "1" means that wireless communication has been interrupted for a predetermined time or longer.

[0080] Next, the vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 1 generates control data including the obtained disconnection determination signal ("0" or "1") and driving control signals necessary for the autonomous driving of the unmanned dump truck 10 (such as driving permission and speed command) (step S209). The generated control data is converted to the voltage and protocol required by the external device via the external I / F 104 and transmitted to the external device (step S210), completing the timer interrupt processing (step S211). The external device is, for example, a vehicle-mounted controller device and a BCU (Brake Control Unit) installed on the unmanned dump truck 10. Based on the control data output from the external I / F 104 to the external device, the unmanned dump truck 10 performs processes such as autonomous driving based on the driving control signal and emergency stopping based on the emergency stop signal.

[0081] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating the wireless connection status of the unmanned dump truck 10-1, the on-board wireless terminal 1-1, the base station 4-1, and the control server device 31 of the control station 30 in the vehicle control system 1000 according to this embodiment. Here, the wireless connection of the unmanned dump truck 10 is described, but a similar wireless connection can be made for the manned vehicle 20. In order to cover the entire vast mining site, the vehicle control system 1000 consists of multiple base stations, but here, one base station 4-1 is shown as an example.

[0082] In the vehicle control system 1000 for the unmanned dump truck 10 and manned vehicles 20 operating at the mining site, the transport road 100, loading area 200, and excavation area 300 are unpaved, and the shapes of the transport road 100, loading area 200, and excavation area 300 change as work progresses at the mining site. Therefore, in order to allow the unmanned dump truck 10 to operate autonomously without a driver, the control server device 31 needs to transmit environmental information 311, including new map information 306, to the unmanned dump truck 10, and continuously update the map information 306 recorded in the auxiliary storage device of the on-board wireless terminal 1 of the unmanned dump truck 10.

[0083] Furthermore, the vehicle status information 312, including log information 307, of the unmanned dump truck 10 operating at the mining site is more prone to fluctuations than that of ordinary vehicles operating on paved roads. Therefore, in order to operate the unmanned dump truck 10 autonomously and appropriately without a driver, the control server device 31 needs to receive the vehicle status information 312, including log information 307, from the unmanned dump truck 10 and continuously update the vehicle status information 312, including log information 307, recorded in the vehicle status information recording unit 305.

[0084] However, the environmental information 311, which includes map information 306, and the vehicle status information 312, which includes log information 307, are very large in size. Therefore, the network load may increase. On the other hand, as described above with reference to Figure 10, if the transmission of location information of the unmanned dump truck 10 by the wireless bearer B1 (first wireless bearer) is interrupted, the unmanned dump truck 10 will have to be stopped, leading to a decrease in productivity and the suspension of mine operations. Therefore, in this embodiment, the network load is reduced and productivity is improved by the following processing.

[0085] As shown in Figure 11, when the unmanned dump truck 10-1 is traveling on the transport path 100 at time t1, the communication condition generally deteriorates. Therefore, when the unmanned dump truck 10-1 is traveling on the transport path 100, the transmission / reception control unit 303 of the control server device 31 receives only the location information of the unmanned dump truck 10 transmitted from the vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 1 by the wireless bearer B1 (first wireless bearer 201-1).

[0086] On the other hand, if the unmanned dump truck 10-1 is parked in a predetermined area of ​​the unloading area 300 at time t2, the communication status is generally good. The predetermined area is, for example, the area enclosed by predetermined latitudes and longitudes (X0, Y0), (X1, Y1), (X2, Y2), and (X3, Y3) in the unloading area 300. Alternatively, the predetermined area is, for example, the area enclosed by predetermined latitudes and longitudes (X0', Y0'), (X1', Y1'), (X2', Y2'), and (X3', Y3') in the loading area 200.

[0087] When the unmanned dump truck 10-1 is parked in such a predetermined area, it is expected that the unmanned dump truck 10-1 is not moving and that the communication status is good. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the unmanned dump truck 10-1 is parked in such a predetermined area, the transmission / reception control unit 303 of the control server device 31 transmits environmental information 311 and vehicle status information 312 to the on-board wireless terminal 1 of the unmanned dump truck 10-1 via the wireless bearer B2 (second wireless bearer 202-1).

[0088] At time t3, if the unmanned dump truck 10-1 travels along the transport path 100 again and the communication condition deteriorates, the transmission / reception control unit 303 of the control server device 31 will again receive only the location information of the unmanned dump truck 10 transmitted from the vehicle-mounted wireless terminal 1 by the wireless bearer B1 (first wireless bearer 201-1).

[0089] The operation of the network load monitoring function in the control server device 31 and the function of sending and receiving environmental information and vehicle status information with the unmanned dump truck 10-1 will be explained in detail below with reference to the flowchart in Figure 12. The flowchart in Figure 12 is executed continuously by the operating clock of the control server device 31. The control server device 31 is executed continuously by the operating clock of the control server device 31 (step S301), and the transmitted data sent from each vehicle becomes the received data for the control server device 31, and is stored in the RAM 33 of the control server device 31 as needed, as shown in Figure 5.

[0090] The control server device 31 acquires received data for all vehicles, including location information indicating the current position of the unmanned dump truck 10-1 and the reception time of the received packets (step S302). Next, the network load monitoring unit 308 of the control server device 31 measures the packet reception interval for each vehicle from the difference between the reception time of the previously received received packet and the reception time of the currently received packet, and uses the measured packet reception interval to calculate the standard deviation, i.e., ((measured value) - (average value)). ２ Find the positive square root of (step S303).

[0091] The transmission / reception control unit 303 changes either the location or range of the area recorded in the area information recording unit 302 according to the date and time (step S304). The change in the location and range of the area according to the date and time is performed, for example, by selecting an area with good communication status at that date and time based on recorded statistics. The transmission / reception control unit 303 determines whether or not the unmanned dump truck 10-1, whose location is monitored by the vehicle location monitoring unit 301 based on location information, is parked in an area recorded in the area information recording unit 302 (step S305).

[0092] If it is not determined in step S305 that the unmanned dump truck 10-1 is parked in the area, the control server device 31 terminates processing (step S310). If it is determined in step S305 that the unmanned dump truck 10-1 is parked in the area, the control server device 31 proceeds to step S306. In step S306, the transmission / reception control unit 303 determines whether or not there is a request for distribution of environmental information 311, etc., from the unmanned dump truck 10-1. If there is no request for distribution of environmental information 311, etc., from the unmanned dump truck 10-1 in step S306, the control server device 31 terminates processing (step S310). If there is a request for distribution of environmental information 311, etc., from the unmanned dump truck 10-1 in step S306, the control server device 31 proceeds to step S307. Note that the control server device 31 may distribute the environmental information 311, etc., in step S306 at its own discretion.

[0093] In step S307, the transmit / receive control unit 303 determines that the standard deviation calculated by the network load monitoring unit 308 is less than or equal to a first threshold (for example, 200 ms), and proceeds to step S308. If it determines that the standard deviation exceeds the first threshold, it proceeds to step S311.

[0094] If the standard deviation is determined to be less than or equal to the first threshold in step S307, in step S308, the transmit / receive control unit 303 selects wireless bearer B1 and wireless bearer B2, i.e., the first wireless bearer 201-1 and the second wireless bearer 202-1. The transmit / receive control unit 303 generates transmission data including environmental information 311 surrounding the unmanned dump truck 10-1. The transmit / receive control unit 303 transmits and receives environmental information 311 including map information 306 and vehicle status information 312 including log information 307 to the unmanned dump truck 10 via the second wireless bearer 202-1 (step S309), and then terminates the process (step S310).

[0095] If it is determined in step S307 that the standard deviation exceeds the first threshold, in step S311, the area information control unit 309 determines whether it is possible to change either the location or range of the area recorded in the area information recording unit 302 so that the network load becomes less than or equal to the first threshold.

[0096] Whether or not the location of an area can be changed depends on the situation. For example, if there is another area where unmanned dump trucks 10 and manned vehicles 20 can park, such as the loading area 200 shown in Figure 11, and where communication conditions are good, the area information control unit 309 can determine that the location of the area can be changed. The other area with good communication conditions may be an area within an unshown parking area where unmanned dump trucks 10-1 can park. Furthermore, whether or not the range of an area can be changed depends on the situation. If changing or reducing the range of the area within the same unloading area 300 improves communication conditions, then it can be determined that the range of the area can be changed. In other words, in this embodiment, the area is changed dynamically.

[0097] If it is determined in step S311 that the location and range of the area can be changed, the area information control unit 309 changes the area to one of the changeable locations and ranges (step S312). The transmission / reception control unit 303 transmits information about the changeable area to the unmanned dump truck 10-1. Subsequently, the control server device 31 moves to step S305, and if the unmanned dump truck 10 and the manned vehicle 20 are parked within the area (step S305), there is an information distribution request (step S306), and the network load monitored by the network load monitoring unit 308 falls below the first threshold (step S307), the transmission / reception control unit 303 restarts the use of the second communication line, i.e., the wireless bearer B2 (steps S308, S309).

[0098] If it is determined in step S311 that it is not possible to change the location and range of the area, the transmission / reception control unit 303 stops using the second communication line, i.e., the wireless bearer B2, because the network load monitored by the network load monitoring unit 308 exceeds the first threshold (step S313).

[0099] Next, in step S314, if the standard deviation calculated by the network load monitoring unit 308 is less than or equal to the second threshold (for example, 400 ms), the control server device 31 proceeds to step S315, and the notification unit 310 notifies the monitor at the control station 30 that the network load is congested.

[0100] On the other hand, if the standard deviation calculated by the network load monitoring unit 308 in step S314 exceeds the second threshold (for example, 400 ms), the control server device 31 proceeds to step S316, and the notification unit 310 notifies the monitor at the control station 30 that the network load is in an overload state (overload).

[0101] After either step S315 or step S316, the control server device 31 proceeds to step S317 and selects only the first wireless bearer, i.e., wireless bearer B1. Subsequently, the control server device 31 proceeds to step S305, and if the network load monitored by the network load monitoring unit 308 falls below the first threshold, the transmit / receive control unit 303 restarts the use of the second communication line, i.e., wireless bearer B2 (steps S308, S309). On the other hand, if the network load monitored by the network load monitoring unit 308 continues to exceed the first threshold, the control server device 31 repeats the processing of steps S311 to S317 described above.

[0102] Furthermore, if the control server device 31 determines in step S311 that the standard deviation calculated by the network load monitoring unit 308 exceeds the second threshold (for example, 400 ms), it may perform an operation to completely stop the unmanned dump trucks 10 and the entire vehicle control system 1000, as the network load is in an overload state (overload) and the vehicle control system 1000 is in a dangerous state.

[0103] In this embodiment, the vehicle position monitoring unit 301 monitors the positions of the unmanned dump truck 10 and the manned vehicle 20 based on the position information of the unmanned dump truck 10 and the manned vehicle 20 transmitted using the first communication line. The transmission / reception control unit 303 transmits and receives environmental information 311 and vehicle status information 312 to the unmanned dump truck 10 and the manned vehicle 20 using the second communication line when the unmanned dump truck 10 and the manned vehicle 20 are parked in a predetermined area. Therefore, position information, which is always necessary and has a small amount of data, is reliably transmitted and received via the first communication line. On the other hand, environmental information 311 and vehicle status information 312, which have a large amount of data, are transmitted and received via the second communication line when the unmanned dump truck 10 and the manned vehicle 20 are parked in a predetermined area and the network load is low. Therefore, the network load of the vehicle control system 1000 can be reduced. In addition, productivity reduction due to deceleration or stopping of the autonomously driving unmanned dump truck 10 and the suspension of mine operations can be reduced, and productivity can be improved.

[0104] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the network load monitoring unit 308 monitors the network load based on the reception interval of location information that is constantly transmitted and received via the first communication line. Therefore, the network load can be constantly monitored. In addition, the transmission / reception control unit 303 stops using the second communication line when the network load exceeds a first threshold. Therefore, when the network load is high, the transmission and reception of environmental information 311 and vehicle body status information 312, which have a large amount of data, are stopped, thereby reducing the network load and improving productivity. Moreover, before the network load becomes so large that transmission and reception via the first communication line, which is always necessary, becomes impossible, the increase in network load can be suppressed and transmission and reception via the first communication line can be ensured.

[0105] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the transmission / reception control unit 303 restarts the use of the second communication line when the network load falls below the first threshold after stopping the use of the second communication line due to the network load exceeding the first threshold. Therefore, when the network load is reduced, it is possible to transmit and receive environmental information 311 and vehicle body status information 312, which have a large amount of data, and the increase in network load can be suppressed.

[0106] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the area information control unit 309 changes either the location or range of the area when the network load exceeds the first threshold, so that the network load remains below the first threshold. Therefore, by dynamically changing the area when the network load is high, it is possible to increase the opportunities for sending and receiving environmental information 311 and vehicle body status information 312 while suppressing the increase in network load.

[0107] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the area information control unit 309 changes either the location or range of the area according to the date and time. By dynamically changing the area according to the date and time, it is possible to increase the opportunities for sending and receiving environmental information 311 and vehicle body status information 312 while suppressing an increase in network load.

[0108] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the environmental information 311 includes map information 306 of the surroundings of the unmanned dump truck 10 and the manned vehicle 20, and the vehicle status information 312 includes log information 307 acquired by sensors 120 mounted on the unmanned dump truck 10 and the manned vehicle 20 and stored on the unmanned dump truck 10 and the manned vehicle 20. Therefore, information that is important for the unmanned dump truck 10 and the manned vehicle 20 operating at the mining site can be transmitted and received while suppressing an increase in network load.

[0109] Furthermore, this embodiment relates to an unmanned dump truck 10 that autonomously travels unmanned on an unpaved loading area 200, an unpaved unloading area 300, and an unpaved transport road 100 between the loading area 200 and the unloading area 300, and the map information 306 includes information about the loading area 200, the unloading area 300, and the transport road 100. At a mining site, the shapes of the loading area 200, the unloading area 300, and the transport road 100 change as the work at the mine progresses. Therefore, in order to make the unmanned dump truck 10 autonomously travel unmanned, it is necessary to appropriately send and receive map information 306 between the unmanned dump truck 10 and the control server device 31 and update the map information 306. In this embodiment, map information 306 can be sent and received between the unmanned dump truck 10 and the control server device 31 while suppressing an increase in network load, making it suitable for controlling the unmanned dump truck 10 at a mining site.

[0110] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first and second communication lines, while using the same wireless channel, have different first and second wireless bearers for the in-vehicle wireless terminals 1 and 2, and the communication priority of the second wireless bearer is higher than that of the first wireless bearer. Therefore, without changing the wireless channel or communication method, it becomes possible to transmit and receive environmental information 311 and vehicle status information 312 using the second wireless bearer with higher communication priority. The first wireless bearer, with lower communication priority, is the first to be affected by network congestion. Therefore, by constantly monitoring the reception interval and loss of location information packets that are periodically sent using the first wireless bearer with the lowest priority, it becomes possible to sensitively monitor the network load.

[0111] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the network load monitoring unit 308 has the function of monitoring the network load based on the packet reception interval of location information transmitted using the first wireless bearer from the vehicle-mounted wireless terminals 1 and 2 installed in the unmanned dump truck 10 and the manned vehicle 20. Therefore, the network load can be monitored in a simple manner.

[0112] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the network load monitoring unit 308 monitors the network load using the standard deviation of the probability of occurrence of packet reception intervals for location information transmitted from the vehicle-mounted wireless terminals 1 and 2 installed on the unmanned dump truck 10 and the manned vehicle 20 using the first wireless bearer as an indicator. Therefore, the network load can be monitored even if there is no change in the average value of the packet reception interval. In addition, the network load monitoring unit 308 determines that the network load is overloaded when the standard deviation exceeds a second threshold which is greater than the first threshold. Therefore, before the network load becomes overloaded, the transmission and reception of environmental information 311 and vehicle status information 312 by the second wireless bearer can be stopped, and if the network load increases further, the network load can be determined to be overloaded.

[0113] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control server device 31 is located in the control station 30, and when it is determined that the network load is overloaded, the notification unit 310 notifies the monitor in the control station 30 that the network load is overloaded. As a result, the monitor is notified that the network load is overloaded when the transmission and reception of environmental information 311 and vehicle status information 312 by the second wireless bearer has already stopped and a rapid increase in the network load has been suppressed. Therefore, the monitor can respond to the situation of a network load overload while a rapid increase in the network load has been suppressed.

[0114] As described above, the present invention can solve the problem of reduced communication speed or communication interruption due to increased network load, and provide a vehicle control system that enables improvements in vehicle safety and productivity.

[0115] In this embodiment, the vehicle control system 1000 controls an unmanned dump truck 10. However, the autonomous vehicles controlled by the vehicle control system 1000 are not limited to unmanned dump trucks. Other vehicles may also be controlled, and the same control procedures may be applied to them as to the unmanned dump truck 10.

[0116] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are included. For example, the embodiments described above are described in detail to make the present invention easier to understand, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. Furthermore, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace parts of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations. In addition, some or all of the above configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc., may be implemented in hardware, for example by designing them as integrated circuits, or they may all be implemented in software.

[0117] 1...Vehicle-mounted wireless terminal, 2...Vehicle-mounted wireless terminal, 4...Base station, 5...Wireless relay station, 6...Core network device, 10...Unmanned dump truck, 20...Manned vehicle, 30...Control station, 31...Control server device, 32...Processor, 33...RAM, 34...ROM, 35...Auxiliary storage device, 36...Input I / F, 37...Output I / F, 38...Display device, 100...Carrier path, 101...Transmitting / receiving antenna, 102...Wireless modem, 103...Microcontroller device, 104...External I / F, 105...Power supply device, 106...Display device, 107...Emergency stop button, 108...GPS receiver, 109...GPS antenna, 120...Sensor, 200...Loading area, 201 -1...First wireless bearer, 202-1...Second wireless bearer, 300...Discharge area, 301...Vehicle position monitoring unit, 302...Area information recording unit, 303...Transmission / reception control unit, 304...Environmental information recording unit, 305...Vehicle body status information recording unit, 306...Map information, 307...Log information, 308...Network load monitoring unit, 309...Area information control unit, 310...Notification unit, 311...Environmental information, 312...Vehicle body status information, 510...Wireless relay line, 801...CPU, 802...Storage device, 810...Battery, 811...Voltage converter, 1000...Vehicle control system, B1...Wireless bearer, B2...Wireless bearer, B3...Wireless bearer, B4...Wireless bearer

Claims

1. A vehicle control system comprising: a wireless terminal mounted on each of a plurality of vehicles and capable of communicating with a base station; and a control server device that communicates with the wireless terminal via the base station, wherein the control server device comprises: a vehicle position monitoring unit that calculates and monitors the positions of the plurality of vehicles based on location information of the plurality of vehicles transmitted from the wireless terminal via the base station using a first communication line; an area information recording unit that records information about a predetermined area in which the vehicles may stop; and, when the vehicle position monitoring unit determines that at least one of the plurality of vehicles is stopped in the predetermined area recorded in the area information recording unit, a transmission / reception control unit that transmits and receives environmental information about the surrounding area of ​​the plurality of vehicles and vehicle body status information of the plurality of vehicles to and from the wireless terminal of the at least one vehicle stopped in the predetermined area using a second communication line.

2. A vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the control server device further comprises a network load monitoring unit that monitors the network load based on the reception interval of the position information, and the transmission / reception control unit stops the use of the second communication line in the predetermined area when the network load monitored by the network load monitoring unit exceeds a first threshold.

3. A vehicle control system according to claim 2, wherein the transmitting and receiving control unit restarts the use of the second communication line in a predetermined area when the network load monitored by the network load monitoring unit falls below the first threshold after the use of the second communication line has been stopped due to the network load exceeding the first threshold.

4. A vehicle control system according to claim 3, wherein the control server device further comprises an area information control unit that changes either the position or range of the predetermined area recorded in the area information recording unit so that the network load monitored by the network load monitoring unit exceeds the first threshold when the network load exceeds the first threshold.

5. A vehicle control system according to claim 4, characterized in that the area information control unit changes either the position or range of the predetermined area recorded in the area information recording unit according to the date and time.

6. A vehicle control system according to claim 5, wherein the environmental information includes map information of the area surrounding the vehicle, and the vehicle body state information includes log information acquired by sensors mounted on the vehicle and stored in the vehicle.

7. A vehicle control system according to claim 6, wherein the vehicle is an unmanned dump truck that autonomously travels unmanned on an unpaved loading area, an unpaved unloading area, and an unpaved transport road between the loading area and the unloading area, and the map information includes information relating to the loading area, the unloading area, and the transport road.

8. A vehicle control system according to claim 7, wherein each of the first communication line and the second communication line is a different first wireless bearer and a second wireless bearer with respect to the wireless terminal, and the communication priority of the second wireless bearer is higher than the communication priority of the first wireless bearer.

9. A vehicle control system according to claim 8, wherein the network load monitoring unit has a function of monitoring the network load based on the packet reception interval of the location information transmitted from the wireless terminal mounted on the vehicle via the base station using the first wireless bearer.

10. A vehicle control system according to claim 9, wherein the network load monitoring unit monitors the network load using the standard deviation of the probability of occurrence of the packet reception interval of the location information transmitted from the wireless terminal mounted on the vehicle via the base station using the first wireless bearer as an indicator, and determines that the network load is overloaded when the standard deviation exceeds a second threshold which is greater than the first threshold.

11. A vehicle control system according to claim 10, wherein the control server device is located at a control station, and further comprises a notification unit that notifies a monitor at the control station that the network load is overloaded when the network load monitoring unit determines that the network load is overloaded.

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