Patent Application
20240294223
This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-030925 filed on Mar. 1, 2023, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-180231 filed on Oct. 19, 2023 which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates to a vehicle, a server device, a vehicle system, and a method for managing an on-vehicle device.
Vehicles that are automatically driven within a manufacturing system for manufacturing vehicles by remote control and the like have hitherto been known (JP2017-538619A).
When a vehicle automatically runs by remote control and the like, it is desirable to properly manage which vehicle is equipped with an on-vehicle device, which is mounted on a vehicle. These problems are common not only in vehicles but also in moving objects.
The present disclosure can be realized by the following aspects.
The present disclosure can be realized in various aspects other than the moving object, the server device, the moving object system, and the method for managing the on-moving object device described above. For example, the present disclosure can be realized by various aspects, such as a moving object, a server device, and a method for producing a moving object system, a method for producing a control device that executes a method for managing an on-moving object device, a computer program that implements the method for managing the on-moving object device, a non-transitory storage medium storing the computer program, and the like.
In the present disclosure, the “moving object” means an object capable of moving, and is a vehicle or an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (so-called flying-automobile), for example. The vehicle 100 may be a vehicle to run with a wheel or may be a vehicle to run with a continuous track, and may be a passenger car, a track, a bus, a two-wheel vehicle, a four-wheel vehicle, a construction vehicle, or a combat vehicle, for example. The vehicle 100 includes a battery electric vehicle (BEV), a gasoline automobile, a hybrid automobile, and a fuel cell automobile. When the moving object is other than a vehicle 100, the term “vehicle” or “car” in the present disclosure is replaceable with a “moving object” as appropriate, and the term “run” is replaceable with “move” as appropriate.
The vehicle 100 is configured to be capable of running by unmanned driving. The “unmanned driving” means driving independent of running operation by a passenger. The running operation means operation relating to at least one of “run,” “turn,” and “stop” of the vehicle 100. The unmanned driving is realized by automatic remote control or manual remote control using a device provided outside the vehicle 100 or by autonomous control by the vehicle 100. A passenger not involved in running operation may be on-board a vehicle running by the unmanned driving. The passenger not involved in running operation includes a person simply sitting in a seat of the vehicle 100 and a person doing work such as assembly, inspection, or operation of switches different from running operation while on-board the vehicle 100. Driving by running operation by a passenger may also be called “manned driving.”
In the present specification, the “remote control” includes “complete remote control” by which all motions of the vehicle 100 are completely determined from outside the vehicle 100, and “partial remote control” by which some of the motions of the vehicle 100 are determined from outside the vehicle 100. The “autonomous control” includes “complete autonomous control” by which the vehicle 100 controls a motion of the vehicle 100 autonomously without receiving any information from a device outside the vehicle 100, and “partial autonomous control” by which the vehicle 100 controls a motion of the vehicle 100 autonomously using information received from a device outside the vehicle 100. In the following, the unmanned driving mode in which the vehicle runs by autonomous control is also referred to as the “first driving mode” and the unmanned driving mode in which the vehicle runs by remote control is also referred to as the “second driving mode. In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 runs at least some sections in the factory FC by remote control by the server device 80 in the second operation mode.
As shown in
At this time, the third vehicle 103 is determined to be a vehicle 100 in which the main battery 20 is in an abnormal state and therefore maintenance is recommended. Therefore, after departing from the first production site FC1, the third vehicle 103 runs from the branching point Br provided between the first track R1 and the second track R2 to the third track R3 and the fourth track R4 in this order toward a maintenance site FC3. That is, in the present embodiment, the factory FC further includes the maintenance site FC3 and the track R3 and the track R4 that connect the first production site FC1 to the maintenance site FC3. As shown in
Each of the production sites FC1 to FC3 is not limited to, for example, a single building or those present at one property or one address. Each of the production sites FC1 to FC3 where each production step of the production process is performed may be present across multiple buildings, multiple properties, multiple addresses, and the like. In other words, when the vehicle 100 runs between the production sites FC1 to FC3, the vehicle 100 may run between the production sites FC1 to FC3 located at multiple places. Therefore, for example, in order to run between the production sites FC1 to FC3 located at multiple places, the vehicle 100 may run not only on private roads but also on public roads that exist between the production sites FC1 to FC3. In this specification, both a vehicle completed as a product and a vehicle as a semi-finished product or in-process product, which is on the halfway of production, are collectively referred to as “the vehicle 100”.
The external sensor is a sensor located outside of the vehicle 100. The external sensor in this embodiment is a sensor that captures the vehicle 100 from outside the vehicle 100. The external sensor is equipped with a communication device (not shown) and can communicate with other devices such as the server device 80 through wired or wireless communication.
As shown in
As shown in
When the vehicle 100 runs from the first production site FC1 to the maintenance site FC3, the vehicle 100 having been left the first production site FC1 runs on the first track R1 to the branching position PC1 by remote control in which the captured image acquired from the first external camera 901 is used.
When the vehicle 100 reaches the branching position PC1, the vehicle 100 changes its direction at the branching position PC1 to follow the third track R3. That is, in the second reference route as the reference route, which is a reference route from the first production site FC1 to the maintenance site FC3, the target steering angle of the wheel is set so that the vehicle 100 turns 90 degrees clockwise (right turn) at the branching position PC1. The vehicle 100 then runs along the third track R3 to a direction change position PC2, which includes the terminal end E3 of the third track R3, by remote control in which the captured image acquired from the third external camera 903 is used instead of the captured image acquired from the first external camera 901. When the vehicle 100 reaches the direction change position PC2, the vehicle 100 changes its direction at the direction change position PC2 to follow the fourth track R4. That is, in the second reference route, for example, the target steering angle of the wheel is set so that the vehicle 100 turns 90 degrees counterclockwise (left turn) at the direction change position PC2. The vehicle 100 then runs along the fourth track R4 to a second terminal end position PE2, which includes the terminal end E4 of the fourth track R4, by remote control in which the captured image acquired from the fourth external camera 904 is analyzed instead of the captured image acquired from the third external camera 903.
The timing for the vehicle 100 having left the first production site FC1 to arrive at the first terminal end position PE1 is adjusted so that the timing has a small difference from the target production time (tact time) and coincides with the timing when the vehicle can enter the second production site FC2, from the viewpoint of improving production efficiency. The timing for the vehicle 100 to arrive at the second production site FC2, i.e., the timing for the vehicle 100 to arrive at the first terminal end position PE1, is adjusted, in consideration of, for example, the process time of each step, the timing of leaving the first production site FC1, and the running speed of the vehicle 100 on the tracks R1 and R2. The method for remote control of the vehicle 100 by the server device 80 is not limited that described above. Further, the positional relationship between the production sites FC1 to FC3 and the numbers and the arrangements of the tracks R1 to R4 are not limited to those shown above.
In the present embodiment, the vehicle 100 is a hybrid vehicle that runs by the driving force of at least one of an engine 31 as an internal combustion engine and a driving motor 33 as a motor generator. Specifically, the vehicle 100 has an EV running mode in which the vehicle 100 is driven by the driving motor 33 as the driving power source with the engine 31 stopped, and an HV running mode in which the vehicle 100 is driven by the engine 31 as well as the driving motor 33 as the driving power sources.
The vehicle 100 is equipped with wheels 30, the engine 31, a dynamic power dividing mechanism 32, the driving motor 33, a reduction gear 34, an axle 35, a friction brake 36 as a braking device, the main battery 20, a charger 25, a vehicle-side connector 26, and an electric power converter 40.
The engine 31 is an internal combustion engine fueled by gasoline or other fuel gas. The engine 31 is a first driving power source for the vehicle 100. The driving force generated by the engine 31 is transmitted to the wheels 30 via the reduction gear 34.
The dynamic power dividing mechanism 32 is a planetary gear mechanism that includes a sun gear, a pinion gear, a carrier, and a ring gear. The dynamic power dividing mechanism 32 distributes the driving force generated by the engine 31 to the axle 35 and the driving motor 33.
The driving motor 33 has a first motor 331 and a second motor 332. The first motor 331 generates driving power using at least one of the electric power stored in the main battery 20 and the electric power generated by the second motor 332. The first motor 331 is a second driving power source for the vehicle 100. The driving force generated by the first motor 331 is transmitted to the wheels 30 via the reduction gear 34. Upon the braking or the like of the vehicle 100, the first motor 331 is driven by the wheels 30 via the reduction gear 34. In response to this, the first motor 331 performs regenerative power generation. The second motor 332 generates electricity using the driving force of the engine 31 divided by the dynamic power dividing mechanism 32. The electric power generated by the second motor 332 using the driving force of the engine 31 is used to charge the main battery 20 and to drive the first motor 331.
The main battery 20 drives the first motor 331 and also provides electric power to an auxiliary battery 50, which is described later. The main battery 20 is a secondary battery that can be repeatedly charged and discharged. The main battery 20 is, for example, a lithium-ion battery or a nickel-metal hydride battery. The output voltage value of the main battery 20 is, for example, 100 volts or higher.
The charger 25 converts AC current supplied from the external power source 29, such as a commercial power source, into DC current and outputs the converted current to the main battery 20. The charger 25 controls the amount of electric power to charge the main battery 20 in response to a control signal from the vehicle control device 60.
The vehicle-side connector 26 is a connecting member to be used to connect the charger 25 to the external power source 29. The vehicle-side connector 26 is connected to the charger 25 and is configured to be connectable to a power source-side connector 28, which is connected to the external power source 29.
The electric power converter 40 includes an inverter 41 and a first converter 42. The inverter 41 performs current control while converting the DC current of the main battery 20 with the AC current of the driving motor 33. The inverter 41 is connected between the driving motor 33 and the first converter 42. The first converter 42 performs electric power conversion between the main battery 20 and the inverter 41. Specifically, the first converter 42 raises the output voltage of the main battery 20 and supplies the raised electric power to the first motor 331. Further, the first converter 42 decreases the voltage of the electric power generated by the driving motor 33 and supplies the decreased electric power to the main battery 20. The first converter 42 is connected between the main battery 20 and the inverter 41.
The vehicle 100 is further equipped with the auxiliary battery 50, one or more auxiliary machines 501 and 502, a second converter 52, a damper 37, a steering device 39, a measurement unit 9, an engine ECU 607, a motor ECU 608, and an HV-ECU 609.
The auxiliary battery 50 supplies electric power to the one or more auxiliary machines 501 and 502 mounted on the vehicle 100 via the auxiliary power line 500. The “auxiliary machines 501 and 502” refer to, for example, a room lamp, a car navigation device, and the like. The output voltage value of the auxiliary battery 50 is lower than that of the main battery 20, and, for example, is 12 volts. The auxiliary battery 50 is charged by receiving electric power from the main battery 20 via the second converter 52.
The second converter 52 is a step-down DC/DC converter that decreases the voltage of the output electric power of the main battery 20 and supplies the decreased electric power to the auxiliary battery 50. The second converter 52 is connected between the main battery 20 and the auxiliary battery 50.
To ensure that the steering angle of the steering wheel (not shown) matches the target steering angle of the wheels 30 included in the running control signal transmitted from the vehicle control device 60, the steering device 39 rotates the steering shaft by torque from the steering motor (not shown) according to the running control signal. This enables the steering device 39 to perform automatic steering control, in which the wheels 30 are automatically steered without any steering operation by the driver, in the unmanned driving mode.
The measurement unit 9 includes one or more sensors that measures various physical and other quantities necessary to control the operation and the like of the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the measurement unit 9 includes a current sensor 91, a voltage sensor 92, a battery temperature sensor 93, a wheel speed sensor 94, and a steering angle sensor 95. The current sensor 91 measures an actual output current value of the main battery 20. The voltage sensor 92 measures an actual output voltage measurement value (potential difference) of the main battery 20. The battery temperature sensor 93 measures the temperature of the main battery 20. The wheel speed sensor 94 measures the rotation rate (hereinafter referred to as “wheel speed”) of each wheel 30. The steering angle sensor 95 measures an actual steering angle of each wheel 30. Each of the various sensors 91 to 95 constituting the measurement unit 9 transmits the measurement values acquired by the measurement to the vehicle control device 60.
The engine ECU 607 controls the operation state of the engine 31. The motor ECU 608 controls the operations of the driving motor 33 and the inverter 41, the charging and discharging state of the main battery 20, and the like, according to the state of the vehicle 100. The HV-ECU 609 controls the entire vehicle 100 by mutually managing and controlling the engine ECU 607, and the motor ECU 608, etc. Although
The vehicle CPU 62 functions as a device identification information acquisition unit 621, a vehicle identification information acquisition unit 622, a charging rate calculation unit 623, a degradation degree calculation unit 624, and a vehicle speed calculation unit 625 by expanding the various programs stored in the vehicle storage unit 66. Furthermore, the vehicle CPU 62 functions as a state quantity acquisition unit 626, a transmission information generation unit 627, a transmission unit 628, and an operation control unit 630 by expanding the various programs stored in the vehicle storage unit 66.
The device identification information acquisition unit 621 acquires device identification information Ei, which is identification information of the on-vehicle device 2. The device identification information Ei is a device ID (identifier) assigned to each of the on-vehicle devices 2 to individually identify a plurality of types or items of the on-vehicle devices 2 so that there is no overlap among the on-vehicle devices 201 to 204. In the present embodiment, the device identification information Ei is a battery ID (identifier) assigned to each main battery 20 to identify the main battery 20 as the on-vehicle device 2. The device identification information acquisition unit 621 acquires the device identification information Ei recorded on a device identification portion (not shown) in the on-vehicle device 2 by optically reading the device identification portion using a device reading unit (not shown), which is provided in the vehicle 100 in advance, for example, when the on-vehicle device 2 is mounted on the vehicle 100. In this case, the device identification portion is, for example, a one-dimensional code such as a bar code that records the device identification information Ei, or a two-dimensional stacked code or two-dimensional matrix code such as QR code (registered trademark). The device reading unit is a code reader (camera) capable of optically reading the device identification portion. The expression “when the on-vehicle device 2 is mounted on the vehicle 100” means, for example, the time when the device identification portion has reached a position where the device reading unit can optically read the device identification portion. That is, the device identification information acquisition unit 621 does not necessarily need to acquire the device identification information Ei after the timing when the on-vehicle device 2 is mounted on the vehicle 100; the device identification information acquisition unit 621 may acquire the device identification information Ei at a timing before the timing when the on-vehicle device 2 is mounted on the vehicle 100. Further, if the on-vehicle device 2 has a communication function that enables communication with an external device, the device identification information acquisition unit 621 may acquire the device identification information Ei by receiving an identification signal including the device identification information Ei, which is an identification signal from the on-vehicle device 2. Furthermore, the device identification information acquisition unit 621 may acquire the device identification information Ei by accepting input of the device identification information Ei from a user via an input operation unit (not shown), such as a touch panel, mouse, keyboard, or the like that accepts inputs from users. The method for acquiring the device identification information Ei is not limited to that described above. The device identification information acquisition unit 621 stores the acquired device identification information Ei in a storage unit (in the present embodiment, the vehicle storage unit 66).
The vehicle identification information acquisition unit 622 acquires vehicle identification information Vi, which is the identification information of the vehicle 100. The vehicle identification information Vi is a unique vehicle ID (identifier) assigned to each of the vehicles 100 to individually identify the plurality of vehicles 100 shown in
The charging rate calculation unit 623 calculates a charging rate (SOC: State of Charge) of the main battery 20. The charging rate calculation unit 623 calculates the charging rate of the main battery 20, for example, by dividing the integrated value of the output current value measured by the current sensor 91 by the rated capacity (fully charged capacity) of the main battery 20. Further, the charging rate calculation unit 623 may calculate the charging rate of the main battery 20, for example, by acquiring data of such as the output voltage value of the main battery 20 measured by the voltage sensor 92 and comparing it with the SOC database (not shown). The SOC database includes, for example, a SOC-OCV curve representing the relationship between the charging rate of the main battery 20 and the open circuit voltage value (OCV) of the main battery 20, temperature characteristic data representing the relationship between the charging rate of the main battery 20 and the temperature of the main battery 20, and the like. Further, the charging rate calculation unit 623 may also calculate the charging rate of the main battery 20 from the time elapsed after the previous charging rate calculation, the running time and the running distance of the vehicle 100, and the like. The method for calculating the charging rate of the main battery 20 is not limited to that described above.
The degradation degree calculation unit 624 calculates the degradation degree (SOH: State Of Health) of the main battery 20. The degradation degree calculation unit 624 acquires, for example, the temperature of the main battery 20 measured by the battery temperature sensor 93, the open circuit voltage of the main battery 20, and the charging rate of the main battery 20 (hereinafter referred to as “battery charging rate”) calculated by the charging rate calculation unit 623. The degradation degree calculation unit 624 then calculates an apparent charging rate using, for example, the temperature of the main battery 20 and the open circuit voltage of the main battery 20. Then, the degradation degree calculation unit 624 calculates the degradation degree of the main battery 20 using, for example, the battery charging rate and the apparent charging rate, according to the following formula (1).
Degradation degree=(100−battery charging rate)÷(100−apparent charging rate) Formula (1)
The vehicle speed calculation unit 625 uses the output value of the wheel speed sensor 94, i.e., the wheel speed of the vehicle 100 measured by the wheel speed sensor 94, to calculate the running speed of the vehicle 100. Specifically, the vehicle speed calculation unit 625 calculates the running speed of the vehicle 100 based on the wheel speed per unit time, for example, after calculations, such as averaging the wheel speed of each wheel, are performed. At least some of the functions of the vehicle speed calculation unit 625 may be performed by the wheel speed sensor 94.
The state quantity acquisition unit 626 acquires one or more kinds of state quantity Qs that indicates the state of the on-vehicle device 2, and that is at least one of a first state quantity Qs1 and a second state quantity Qs2, in association with a timing corresponding to the state quantity Qs. That is, the state quantity acquisition unit 626 acquires one or more kinds of state quantity Qs that indicates the state of the on-vehicle device 2, and that is at least one of a first state quantity Qs1 and a second state quantity Qs2, in association with the acquisition timing. The first state quantity Qs1 is a state quantity Qs before the vehicle 100 runs in an unmanned driving mode. The second state quantity Qs2 is a state quantity Qs during running in an unmanned driving mode between the production site FC1 and the production site FC3 where each production step is performed during the process of manufacturing the vehicle 100. That is, the first state quantity Qs1 and the second state quantity Qs2 are different in acquisition timing. In the present embodiment, the state quantity acquisition unit 626 acquires a plurality of types of state quantity Qs multiple times at different timings for each predetermined time interval. This enables the state quantity acquisition unit 626 to acquire a plurality of types of the first state quantity Qs1 measured or calculated for the first time, and the second state quantity Qs2 measured or calculated at a plurality of different timings, the second state quantity Qs2 being acquired for each timing of the measurement or calculation. The state quantity acquisition unit 626 stores the plurality of types of state quantity Qs acquired at each of the predetermined time intervals in the storage unit (in the present embodiment, the vehicle storage unit 66) for each acquisition timing.
The transmission information generation unit 627 generates information (hereinafter referred to as “transmission information”) to be transmitted to the server device 80. The transmission information includes at least the device identification information Ei and the vehicle identification information Vi. Specifically, when the state quantity acquisition unit 626 acquires the state quantity Qs for the first time, the transmission information generation unit 627 generates the transmission information including the device identification information Ei, the vehicle identification information Vi, and the initial value of the state quantity Qs. In the present embodiment, the state quantity acquisition unit 626 acquires the first state quantity Qs1. Therefore, the initial value of the state quantity Qs corresponds to the first state quantity Qs1. When the state quantity acquisition unit 626 acquires the state quantity Qs after the first time, i.e., when the state quantity acquisition unit 626 acquires the state quantity Qs for the second or subsequent times, the transmission information generation unit 627 generates the transmission information that includes identification candidate data and a new state quantity Qs for each acquisition timing. The “identification candidate data” here refers to at least one of the device identification information Ei, the vehicle identification information Vi, and the state quantity Qs of a unique value included in the transmission information generated so far. The “new state quantity Qs” is a state quantity Qs not included in the transmission information generated so far and is newly acquired by the state quantity acquisition unit 626. In the present embodiment, the state quantity acquisition unit 626 acquires the second state quantity Qs2. Therefore, the “new state quantity Qs” is an elapsed-time value of the state quantity Qs that is not included in the transmission information generated so far and corresponds to the second state quantity Qs2 that is newly acquired by the state quantity acquisition unit 626.
The transmission unit 628 transmits various types of information, such as the transmission information, generated by the transmission information generation unit 627 to the server device 80. That is, when the state quantity acquisition unit 626 acquires the state quantity Qs for the first time, the transmission unit 628 transmits at least the device identification information Ei and the vehicle identification information Vi to the server device 80. In the present embodiment, when the state quantity acquisition unit 626 acquires the state quantity Qs for the first time, the transmission unit 628 transmits the first state quantity Qs1, which corresponds to the initial value of the state quantity Qs, to the server device 80, in addition to the device identification information Ei and the vehicle identification information Vi. Further, when the state quantity acquisition unit 626 acquires the state quantity Qs after the first time, i.e., for the second or subsequent times, the transmission unit 628 transmits the identification candidate data and the second state quantity Qs2, which corresponds to the new state quantity Qs. The transmission unit 628 may transmit other information, such as the running speed or the like of the vehicle 100 calculated by the vehicle speed calculation unit 625, to the server device 80. Further, the transmission unit 628 may also transmit information acquired by receiving it from the step management devices 71 and 72 or external devices to the server device 80.
The operation control unit 630 controls a group of actuators to drive the vehicle 100. The operation control unit 630 can make the vehicle 100 run by controlling a group of actuators using the running control signal received from the server device 80. The running control signal is a control signal for driving the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the running control signal includes an acceleration and a steering angle of the vehicle 100 as parameters. In other embodiments, the running control signal may include the speed of the vehicle 100 as a parameter instead of or in addition to the acceleration of the vehicle 100. At least some of the functions of the vehicle CPU 62 may be implemented as a function of the server device 80. Further, at least some of the functions of the vehicle CPU 62 may be implemented by a hardware circuit.
The vehicle storage unit 66 stores various information including various programs for controlling the operation of the vehicle 100 and various type of information including the device identification information Ei, the vehicle identification information Vi, and the state quantity Qs of the on-vehicle device 2. The vehicle storage unit 66 includes, for example, RAM, ROM, a hard disk drive (HDD) and the like.
The server communication unit 84 communicably connects the server device 80 with other components of the system 1, such as the vehicle control device 60. The server communication unit 84 is, for example, a wireless communication device. The communication method by the server communication unit 84 is not limited to that described above.
The server control device 82 functions as a production status acquisition unit 820, a location acquisition unit 821, a transmission information acquisition unit 822, and a database writing unit 823 by expanding the various programs stored in the server storage unit 86. Furthermore, the server control device 82 functions as an abnormality determination unit 824, an instruction unit 825, and a remote control unit 826 by expanding various programs stored in the server storage unit 86.
The production status acquisition unit 820 acquires production status of each production process in the factory FC. The “production status” here includes, for example, the start timing and the completion timing of the process, the number of in-process products in each production step, the number of vehicles scheduled to be produced per day, the target production time to produce one vehicle 100, the status of delay relative to the target production time, and the like. The “status of delay relative to the target production time” here includes various types of information that can be used to determine whether any delay relative to the normal schedule occurs in the process of the production step. The “status of delay relative to the target production time” includes, for example, presence or absence of a delay relative to the target production time, presence or absence of an abnormality in the production process, presence or absence of execution of emergency stop measures during the production process, and the actual measurement value of the delay time relative to the target production time, and the like. Further, the “status of delay relative to the target production time” may include predicted delay time relative to the target production time, and the like. The production status acquisition unit 820 acquires the production status of the first production step from the first step management device 71 shown in
The location acquisition unit 821 shown in the
In details, the location acquisition unit 821 for example, determines the outer shape of the vehicle 100 from the captured image, calculates the coordinates of a positioning point of the vehicle 100 in a coordinate system of the captured image, namely, in a local coordinate system, and converts the calculated coordinates to coordinates in the global coordinate system, thereby acquiring the location of the vehicle 100. The outer shape of the vehicle 100 in the captured image may be detected by inputting the captured image to a detection model using artificial intelligence, for example. The detection model is prepared in the system 1 or outside the system 1. The detection model is stored in advance in a memory of the server storage unit 86, for example. The detection model is stored in advance in a memory of the server 200, for example. An example of the detection model is a learned machine learning model that was learned so as to realize either semantic segmentation or instance segmentation. For example, a convolution neural network (CNN) learned through supervised learning using a learning dataset is applicable as this machine learning model. The learning dataset contains a plurality of training images including the vehicle 100, and a label showing whether each region in the training image is a region indicating the vehicle 100 or a region indicating a subject other than the vehicle 100, for example. In training the CNN, a parameter for the CNN is preferably updated through backpropagation in such a manner as to reduce error between output result obtained by the detection model and the label. The location acquisition unit 821 can acquire the orientation of the vehicle 100 through estimation based on the direction of a motion vector of the vehicle 100 detected from change in location of a feature point of the vehicle 100 between frames of the captured images using optical flow process, for example.
The transmission information acquisition unit 822 acquires at least the device identification information Ei and the vehicle identification information Vi. In the present embodiment, the transmission information acquisition unit 822 acquires the device identification information Ei, the vehicle identification information Vi, and the state quantity Qs by receiving the transmission information transmitted from the vehicle control device 60. In this case, the transmission information acquisition unit 822 acquires a plurality of types of state quantity Qs multiple times at different timings. Specifically, when the state quantity acquisition unit 626 acquires the state quantity Qs for the first time, the transmission information acquisition unit 822 receives the transmission information including the device identification information Ei, the vehicle identification information Vi, and the first state quantity Qs1 corresponding to the initial value of the state quantity Qs from the vehicle control device 60. This enables the transmission information acquisition unit 822 to acquire the device identification information Ei, the vehicle identification information Vi, and the first state quantity Qs as the initial value of the state quantity Qs. When the state quantity acquisition unit 626 acquires the state quantity Qs after the first time, i.e., for the second or subsequent times, the transmission information acquisition unit 822 receives the transmission information including the identification candidate data and the second state quantity Qs2, which corresponds to the new state quantity Qs, from the vehicle control device 60. This enables the transmission information acquisition unit 822 to acquire the identification candidate data and the second state quantity Qs2 corresponding to the new state quantity Qs. The method for acquiring the device identification information Ei, the vehicle identification information Vi, and the state quantity Qs is not limited to that described above. The transmission information acquisition unit 822 may, for example, acquire the device identification information Ei, the vehicle identification information Vi, and the state quantity Qs without involving the vehicle control device 60. In this case, the transmission information acquisition unit 822 may acquire at least one or more of the device identification information Ei, the vehicle identification information Vi, and the state quantity Qs, for example, by accepting input from a user via the input operation unit. The transmission information acquisition unit 822 may also acquire other information transmitted from external devices, such as the vehicle control device 60.
When the transmission information acquisition unit 822 acquires the transmission information for the first time, the database writing unit 823 generates a database and stores it in the storage unit (in this embodiment, the server storage unit 86). The database is an assembly of data in which the device identification information Ei, the vehicle identification information Vi, and the state quantity Qs are associated with each other. When the transmission information acquisition unit 822 acquires the transmission information after the first time, i.e., for the second or subsequent times, the database writing unit 823 reads out the database stored in the storage unit (in the present embodiment, the server storage unit 86). Then the database writing unit 823 updates the database by additionally writing the new state quantity Qs to the database. At this time, the database writing unit 823 detects the same candidate identification data (hereinafter referred to as the same identification data) that are the same as the candidate identification data associated with the new state quantity Qs from among the identification candidate data included in the database read out. Then, the database writing unit 823 records the state quantity Qs for each on-vehicle device 2 of each vehicle 100 in chronological order on the database by associating the new state quantity Qs with the same identification data. That is, the database writing unit 823 creates a database of the transmission information acquired by the transmission information acquisition unit 822.
The abnormality determination unit 824 performs a determination process, which is at least one of an abnormality determination process and an adjustment determination process, using the state quantity Qs acquired by the transmission information acquisition unit 822 and the abnormality determination information Aj stored in advance in the storage unit (in the present embodiment, the server storage unit 86). The abnormality determination process is a process of determining whether the state of the on-vehicle device 2 is a normal state or an abnormal state using the state quantity Qs acquired by the transmission information acquisition unit 822. The adjustment determination process is a process of determining whether or not to recommend maintenance of the on-vehicle device 2 using the state quantity Qs acquired by the transmission information acquisition unit 822. The abnormality determination information Aj is information that includes a program for executing the abnormality determination process and the adjustment determination process, thresholds used as criteria in the abnormality determination process and the adjustment determination process, and the like.
In at least one of the first case and the second case, the instruction unit 825 provides a route change instruction to change the destination when the vehicle 100 runs in an unmanned driving mode from the second production site FC2 as the predetermined target location shown in
The remote control unit 826 shown in
Next, the remote control unit 826 generates a running control signal for causing the vehicle 100 to run toward the determined target location. The remote control unit 826 calculates a running speed of the vehicle 100 from transition of the location of the vehicle 100 and makes comparison between the calculated running speed and a target speed of the vehicle 100 determined in advance. If the running speed is lower than the target speed, the remote control unit 826 generally determines an acceleration in such a manner as to accelerate the vehicle 100. If the running speed is higher than the target speed as, the remote control unit 826 generally determines an acceleration in such a manner as to decelerate the vehicle 100. If the vehicle 100 is on the reference route Ri, the remote control unit 826 determines a steering angle and an acceleration in such a manner as to prevent the vehicle 100 from deviating from the reference route. If the vehicle 100 is not on the reference route, in other words, if the vehicle 100 deviates from the reference route, the remote control unit 826 determines a steering angle and an acceleration in such a manner as to return the vehicle 100 to the reference route Ri.
The remote control unit 826 transmits the generated running control signal to the vehicle 100. The remote control unit 826 repeats the acquisition of vehicle location information, the determination of a target location, the generation of a running control signal, the transmission of the running control signal, and others in a predetermined cycle. At least some of the functions of the server control device 82 may be implemented as a function of the vehicle CPU 62. Further, at least some of the functions of the server device 80 may be implemented by a hardware circuit.
The server storage unit 86 stores various items of information including various programs for controlling the operation of the server device 80, the detection model DM, reference route Ri, the database, and the abnormality determination information Aj. The server storage unit 86 includes, for example, RAM, ROM, a hard disk drive (HDD) and the like. In the present embodiment, the reference route Ri includes a first reference route Ri1 and a second reference route Ri2. As mentioned above, the first reference route Ri1 is the reference route Ri for running the vehicle 100 from the first production site FC1 to the second production site FC2. The second reference route Ri2 is a reference route Ri for running the vehicle 100 from the first production site FC1 to the maintenance site FC3.
In step S101, the location acquisition unit 821 of the server device 80 acquires vehicle location information using the captured image as detection result output from external sensors 901 to 904. In step S102, the remote control unit 826 determines a target location to which the vehicle 100 is to move next by using vehicle location information and the reference route Ri. In step S103, the remote control unit 826 generates a running control signal for causing the vehicle 100 to run toward the determined target location. In step S104, the remote control unit 826 transmits the generated running control signal to the vehicle 100.
In step S105, the vehicle control device 60 mounted on the vehicle 100 receives the running control signal transmitted from the server device 80. In step S106, the operation control unit 630 of the vehicle control device 60 controls an actuator of the vehicle 100 using the received running control signal, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to run at the acceleration and the steering angle indicated by the running control signal. The vehicle control device 60 repeats the reception of a running control signal and the control over the actuator in a predetermined cycle. According to the system 1 in the present embodiment, it becomes possible to move the vehicle 100 without using a transport unit such as a crane or a conveyor.
As shown in
When the transmission information acquisition unit 822 of the server control device 82 receives and acquires the transmission information (step S319: Yes), the database writing unit 823 generates the database as shown by the dotted line in
In the case where the transmission information acquisition unit 822 of the server control device 82 receives and acquires the transmission information (step S357: Yes), the step S358 is performed. As shown in
In the operation control step, the abnormality determination unit 824 first performs an abnormality determination step (step S5) when the predetermined determination timing comes (step S401: Yes). The abnormality determination step (step S5) is a step of performing an abnormality determination process that determines whether the state of the on-vehicle device 2 is a normal state or an abnormal state using the state quantity Qs acquired by the state quantity acquisition unit 626. The determination timing is, for example, the timing when a predetermined production step has started, or the timing when a predetermined time has passed after the previous determination timing. Further, the determination timing may be, for example, the timing when the count of the state quantity Qs, which is each type of the state quantity Qs included in the database and which is the state quantity Qs acquired multiple times at different timings for each on-vehicle device 2 of each vehicle 100, becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined count threshold. The determination timing is not limited to this. The abnormality determination unit 824 may continuously perform the abnormality determination step (step S5) at all times. Further, the abnormality determination unit 824 may determine the state of the on-vehicle device 2 using one type of the state quantity Qs or determine the state of the on-vehicle device 2 comprehensively using a plurality of types of state quantity Qs.
In the abnormality determination step (step S5), the abnormality determination unit 824 first acquires the database stored in the storage unit (in the present embodiment, the server storage unit 86) (step S500).
After the step S500, the abnormality determination unit 824 calculates the similarity between those of the same type of state quantity Qs acquired at the same acquisition timing for each of the plurality of vehicles 100 (step S511), thereby performing clustering of the state quantity Qs (step S512). For example, the abnormality determination unit 824 performs clustering of those of the state quantity Qs of the same type acquired at the same acquisition timing for each of the plurality of vehicles 100 using a first machine learning model, which has been trained to perform clustering of plural items of numerical data based on their similarity. The first machine learning model may be prepared by using various clustering algorithms. The clustering algorithm used for the first machine learning model is, for example, the k-means algorithm, the k-medoids algorithm.
For example, the abnormality determination unit 824 calculates the similarity between those of the same type of state quantity Qs acquired at the same acquisition timing for each of the plurality of vehicles 100 (step S511). The similarity corresponds to, for example, the distance between the state quantities Qs to be clustered. In this case, the abnormality determination unit 824 calculates the similarity, for example, by calculating the Mahalanobis distance between those of the same type of state quantity Qs acquired at the same acquisition timing for each of the plurality of vehicles 100, with respect to all of the state quantities Qs in the database. Then, the abnormality determination unit 824 performs clustering of those of the same type of state quantity Qs acquired at the same acquisition timing for each of the plurality of vehicles 100 using the calculated similarity (step S512). Specifically, for example, the abnormality determination unit 824 classifies the state quantity Qs with a similarity less than a predetermined first similarity threshold at the same acquisition timing into a normal cluster Cs. Further, for example, the abnormality determination unit 824 classifies the state quantity Qs with a similarity equal to or more than the first similarity threshold at the same acquisition timing as an outlier Vo that is not included in the normal cluster Cs. In the present embodiment, the state quantity Qs that is acquired from the third on-vehicle device 203 mounted on the third vehicle 103 and that is acquired at the timing when the elapsed time since the acquisition timing of the initial value is t+3 minutes later is classified as the outlier Vo. The state quantities Qs other than the above state quantities Qs classified into the outlier Vo are classified into the normal cluster Cs. The clustering method and the algorithm for the state quantity Qs are not limited to those shown above.
As shown in
As shown in
If it is determined to recommend the maintenance of the on-vehicle device 2, the step S405 is performed. Specifically, the instruction unit 825 provides a route change instruction to change the destination of the vehicle 100 running in the unmanned driving mode from the second production site FC2 to the maintenance site FC3 (step S405). In other words, when it is determined to recommend the maintenance of the on-vehicle device 2, the instruction unit 825 instructs the remote control unit 826 to change the reference route Ri to be used when generating the running control signal from the first reference route Ri1 to the second reference route Ri2.
When a route change instruction is received, the remote control unit 826 determines whether the vehicle 100 can run from the current location to the maintenance site FC3 by the second driving mode (step S406). In other words, when a route change instruction is received, the remote control unit 826 determines whether or not it is possible to continue running in the second driving mode. Specifically, the remote control unit 826 determines, for example, whether or not the state quantity Qs included in the database, which is classified as an outlier Vo by cluster analysis, is within the predetermined allowable range to determine whether or not the driving in the second driving mode can be continued.
For example, when the type of the state quantity Qs classified as the outlier Vo is the temperature of the main battery 20, the remote control unit 826 determines as follows. In this case, if the temperature of the main battery 20 is within the permissible range, it is the case where the temperature of the main battery 20 is less than a predetermined threshold (hereinafter referred to as an upper limit temperature threshold). Further, if the temperature of the main battery 20 falls out of the permissible range, it is the case where the temperature of the main battery 20 is equal to or more than the upper limit temperature threshold. The upper limit temperature threshold is, for example, an upper limit temperature at which a decrease in performance or failure of the main battery 20 can be prevented. In the present embodiment, the remote control unit 826 determines that the running in the second driving mode can be continued if the state quantity Qs classified as the outlier Vo is less than the upper limit temperature threshold (step S406: Yes). On the other hand, the remote control unit 826 determines that the running in the second driving mode cannot be continued if the state quantity Qs classified as the outlier Vo is equal to or more than the upper limit temperature threshold (step S406: No).
Further, for example, when the running in the second driving mode is performed only by an EV running mode, and when the type of the state quantity Qs classified as the outlier Vo is the charging rate of the main battery 20, the remote control unit 826 determines as follows. In this case, if the charging rate of the main battery 20 is within the permissible range, it is the case where the temperature of the main battery 20 is equal to or more than a predetermined threshold (hereinafter referred to as a lower limit charging threshold). Further, if the charging rate of the main battery 20 falls out of the permissible range, it is the case where the charging rate of the main battery 20 is less than the lower limit charging threshold. The lower limit charging threshold is determined, for example, based on the distance to the maintenance site FC3 and the amount of electric power required per unit distance from the vehicle 100 during continuous driving. If the state quantity Qs classified as the outlier Vo is equal to or more than the lower limit charging threshold, it is unlikely that the amount of electric power that can be supplied from the main battery 20 falls below the amount of electric power required from the vehicle 100, even if the vehicle continues running in the second driving mode to the maintenance site FC3. That is, in this case, it is unlikely that the charging rate of the main battery 20 falls excessively low so that the supply of the electric power from the main battery 20 to the driving motor 33 stops, causing the vehicle 100 to stop at an unintended location. Therefore, if the state quantity Qs classified as the outlier Vo is equal to or more than the lower limit charging threshold, the remote control unit 826 determines that the running in the second driving mode can be continued (step S406: Yes). On the other hand, if the state quantity Qs classified as the outlier Vo is less than the lower limit charging threshold, the amount of electric power that can be supplied from the main battery 20 may fall below the amount of electric power required from the vehicle 100 during the running towards the maintenance site FC3. That is, in this case, it is possible that the charging rate of the main battery 20 falls excessively low so that the supply of the electric power from the main battery 20 to the driving motor 33 stops, causing the vehicle 100 to stop at an unintended location. Therefore, if the state quantity Qs classified as the outlier Vo is less than the lower limit charging threshold, the remote control unit 826 determines that the running in the second driving mode cannot be continued (step S406: No). The method for determining whether or not the running in the second driving mode can be continued is not limited to the method above.
When it is determined that the vehicle 100 can run from the current location to the maintenance site FC3 by the second driving mode (step S406: Yes), the remote control unit 826 generates a first change control signal (step S407b). The first change control signal is a driving control value for allowing the vehicle 100 to run from the current location to the maintenance site FC3 by the second driving mode. The first change control signal is generated using the vehicle location information and the second reference route Ri2. On the other hand, if it is determined that the vehicle 100 cannot run from the current location to the maintenance site FC3 by the second driving mode (step S406: No), the remote control unit 826 generates a second change control signal (step S407b). The second change control signal is a running control signal to stop driving the vehicle 100 and make the vehicle 100 to wait at a predetermined standby location. The standby location is, for example, located in the vicinity of the current location of the vehicle 100 at the timing when the step S407b is performed, and is located within a side road that is branched from the tracks R1 to R4. This enables the target vehicle 100 for which the route change instruction was given to stop without interfering with the running of the vehicle 100 that is running in the second driving mode. The standby location is not limited to that described above. The standby location may be, for example, the current location of the vehicle 100 at the timing when the step S407b is performed.
If it is determined that maintenance of the on-vehicle device 2 is not recommended, the remote control unit 826 generates a reference control signal (step S408). The reference control signal is a driving control signal for running the vehicle 100 from the current location to the second manufacturing location FC2 by the second driving mode. The reference control signal is generated using the vehicle location information and the first reference route Ri1.
After the steps S407a, S407b and S408, the remote control unit 826 transmits the running control signal to the vehicle control device 60 (step S409).
When the vehicle 100 receives a running control signal of either the first change control signal, the second change control signal, or the reference control signal (step S411: Yes), the operation control unit 630 of the vehicle control device 60 performs the following process. In this case, the operation control unit 630 controls a group of actuators using the received running control signal to make the vehicle 100 run at the acceleration and steering angle represented in the running control signal (step S412). This allows the vehicle 100 to change its destination to the maintenance site FC3 and continue running when it is determined that maintenance of the on-vehicle device 2 is recommended and it is possible to continue running from the current location to the maintenance site FC3 by unmanned driving. When it is determined that maintenance of the on-vehicle device 2 is recommended, and when it is determined that it is not possible to continue unmanned driving from the current location to the maintenance site FC3, the destination of the vehicle 100 can be changed to a standby location and the vehicle 100 can be stopped at the standby location. When the standby location is the current location of the vehicle 100, the operation control unit 630 promptly stops driving the vehicle 100 and makes the vehicle 100 to wait at that location. The operation control unit 630 may stop the vehicle 100 in place without moving it to the waiting location. When it is determined that maintenance of the on-vehicle device 2 is not recommended, the vehicle 100 may be run to the second manufacturing site FC2 without changing the destination of the vehicle 100.
According to the first embodiment described above, as shown in
Further, according to the first embodiment described above, as shown in
Further, according to the first embodiment described above, the on-vehicle device 2 to be managed is the main battery 20. In this case, it is possible to properly manage which of the vehicle 100 capable of running by the second driving mode is equipped with the main battery 20, and also manage the state of the main battery 20.
Further, according to the first embodiment described above, the vehicle 100 can acquire at least one of the first state quantity Qs1 and the second state quantity Qs2. This makes it possible to clarify which timing the state quantity Qs is at when the state of the on-vehicle device 2 is managed using the server device 80.
Further, according to the first embodiment described above, when the vehicle 100 is running between the production sites FC1 to FC3 by the second driving mode, the vehicle 100 can acquire the state quantity Qs. This allows the vehicle 100 to confirm the operation of the on-vehicle device 2 while running in the second driving mode. That is, the vehicle 100 can, for example, inspect the quality of the on-vehicle device 2 while running in the second driving mode.
Further, according to the first embodiment described above, as shown in
Further, according to the first embodiment described above, as shown in
Further, according to the first embodiment described above, as shown in
Further, according to the first embodiment described above, as shown in
Further, according to the first embodiment described above, the server device 80 can perform the abnormality determination process and the adjustment determination process while the vehicle 100 is running between the production sites FC1 to FC3 by the second driving mode. This allows for confirmation of the state of the on-vehicle device 2 or the necessity of the maintenance of the on-vehicle device 2 during the running in an unmanned driving mode.
Further, according to the first embodiment described above, as shown in
Further, according to the first embodiment described above, the server device 80 can provide a route change instruction to the vehicle 100 while the vehicle 100 is running between the production sites FC1 to FC3 in the second driving mode. Therefore, if an abnormality or necessity of maintenance is detected in the on-vehicle device 2, the vehicle 100 can change its destination according to the situation during the running in the second driving mode.
Further, according to the first embodiment described above, as shown in
As shown in
After the step S521, the abnormality determination unit 824 calculates the similarity between the time series data of the respective vehicles 100 (step S522) and performs clustering of the time series data for each type of the state quantity Qs (step S523). For example, the abnormality determination unit 824 performs clustering of the time series data G1 to G4 of the respective vehicles 100 based on the type of the state quantity Qs using a second machine learning model, which has been trained to perform clustering of the plurality of items of time series data based on their similarity. The second machine learning model may be prepared by using various clustering algorithms. The clustering algorithm used for the second machine learning model is, for example, Dynamic Time Warping (DTW).
The abnormality determination unit 824, for example, calculates the similarity between the time series data G1 to G4 of the same type for each of the vehicles 100. Specifically, for example, the abnormality determination unit 824 calculates the distance between the respective points on the time series data G1 to G4, which is the target of the clustering, in a brute-force manner, and then extracts the route with the shortest distance between two items of the time series data G1 to G4, thereby calculating the similarity (step S522). Then, the abnormality determination unit 824 performs clustering of the time series data G1 to G4 generated from the same type of state quantity Qs for each vehicle 100 using the calculated similarity (step S523). Specifically, for example, the abnormality determination unit 824 classifies time series data G1, G2, and G4 having a similarity equal to or more than a predetermined second similarity threshold into the normal cluster Cs. Further, for example, the abnormality determination unit 824 classifies time series data G3 having a similarity less than the second similarity threshold into an abnormal cluster Ci, which is not included in the normal cluster Cs. In the present embodiment, the first time series data G1, the second time series data G2, and the fourth time series data G4 are classified into the normal cluster Cs. Further, the third time series data G3 is classified into the abnormal cluster Ci. The clustering method and the algorithms for the time series data G1 to G4 are not limited to those described above.
As shown in
According to the second embodiment above, the state quantity acquisition unit 626 can acquire the state quantity Qs multiple times at different timings. This allows the abnormality determination unit 824 to generate the time series data G1 to G4 using the state quantities Qs acquired multiple times at different timings.
Further, according to the second embodiment described above, the server device 80 can perform the abnormality determination process using the time series data G1 to G4 acquired for each of the plurality of vehicles 100 running between the production sites FC1 to FC3. According to such an embodiment, for example, even if there is variation in the first state quantity Qs1 for each of the plurality of vehicles 100, it is possible to more reliably determine whether the state of the on-vehicle device 2 is a normal state or an abnormal state by compensating for the variation in the first state quantity Qs1. Further, according to such an embodiment, for example, even if the reference value with regard to the initial value of the state quantity Qs differs between the target vehicle and an adjacent vehicle, it is possible to determine whether the state of the on-vehicle device 2 is a normal state or an abnormal state by compensating for the variation in the first state quantity Qs1.
After the step S500, the abnormality determination unit 824 compares the state quantity Qs with the abnormality threshold (step S531). Then, if the state quantity Qs is equal to or more than the abnormality threshold (step S531: Yes), the abnormality determination unit 824 identifies the vehicle identification information Vi and the device identification information Ei of the vehicle 103, from which the state quantity Qs equal to or more than the abnormality threshold is acquired, by referring to the database. As a result, the abnormality determination unit 824 determines that the state of the on-vehicle device 203 mounted on the vehicle 103, from which the state quantity Qs equal to or more than the abnormality threshold is acquired, is an abnormal state (step S532). On the other hand, if the state quantity Qs is less than the abnormality threshold (step S531: No), the abnormality determination unit 824 identifies the vehicle identification information Vi and the device identification information Ei of the vehicles 101, 102 and 104, from which the state quantity Qs less than the abnormality threshold is acquired, by referring to the database. As a result, the abnormality determination unit 824 determines that the on-vehicle devices 201, 202, 204 mounted on the vehicles 101, 102 and 104, from which the state quantity Qs less than the abnormality threshold is acquired, are in a normal state (step S533).
According to the third embodiment described above, the server device 80 can perform the abnormality determination process by comparing the state quantity Qs acquired for each of the plurality of vehicles 100 running between the production sites FC1 to FC3 with a predetermined abnormality threshold. In this way, the contents of the abnormality determination process can be simplified. This enables easy determination as to whether the on-vehicle device 2 is in a normal state or an abnormal state.
When the vehicle 100 runs in the first operation mode, the expression “second operation mode” in the above embodiments can be replaced with “first operation mode” as appropriate, and the expression “remote control” can be replaced with “autonomous control” as appropriate. The expression “second operation mode” in each of the above embodiments can be replaced with “unmanned operation mode” as appropriate, and the expression “remote control” can be replaced with “control by unmanned operation” as appropriate.
The vehicle storage unit 66v stores various information including the device identification information Ei for controlling the operation of the vehicle 100, the vehicle identification information Vi, the state quantity Qs of the on-vehicle device 2, various programs, the detection model DM, reference route Ri, the database, and the abnormal judgment information Aj.
The vehicle CPU 62v functions as a device identification information acquisition unit 621, a vehicle identification information acquisition unit 622, a charging rate calculation unit 623, a degradation degree calculation unit 624, and a vehicle speed calculation unit 625 by expanding the various programs stored in the vehicle storage unit 66v. Furthermore, the vehicle CPU 62v functions as a state quantity acquisition unit 626, a transmission information generation unit 627, a location acquisition unit 631, an abnormality determination unit 632, an instruction unit 633, a signal generation unit 634, and an operation control unit 630v.
The location acquisition unit 631 acquires vehicle location information using the captured images as detection results output from the external cameras 901-904, which are external sensors. The abnormality determination unit 632 performs determination process. The instruction unit 633 gives route change instructions. The signal generation unit 634 determines the target position to which the vehicle 100v should go next using the vehicle location information and the reference route Ri, one of the first reference route Ri1 or the second reference route Ri2, which is selected according to whether the route change instruction is given. The signal generation unit 634 generates a running control signal for causing the vehicle 100v to run to the determined target location. The operation control unit 630v controls the actuator group using the generated running control signal, thereby causing the vehicle 100v to run by following a parameter indicated by the running control signal. The operation control unit 630v repeats the acquisition of vehicle location information, the determination of a target location, the generation of a running control signal, and the control over the actuator in a predetermined cycle.
The server storage unit 86v stores various information including various programs for controlling the operation of the server device 80v and the database.
The server control device 82v functions as a production status acquisition unit 820, a location acquisition unit 821, a transmission information acquisition unit 822, a database writing unit 823, and an update unit 827 by expanding the various programs stored in the server storage unit 86. The updating unit 827 causes the database stored in the vehicle storage unit 66v to be updated each time the database stored in the server storage unit 86v is updated so that the database stored in the vehicle storage unit 66v is up to date.
In step S201, the vehicle control device 60v acquires vehicle location information using detection result output from the external cameras 901 to 904 as external sensors. In step S202, the signal generation unit 634 determines a target location to which the vehicle 100 is to move next. In step S203, the signal generation unit 634 generates a running control signal for causing the vehicle 100v to run to the determined target location. In step S204, the operation control unit 630v controls the actuator group using the generated running control signal, thereby causing the vehicle 100v to run by following a parameter indicated by the running control signal.
According to the fourth embodiment, it is possible to cause the vehicle 100v to run by autonomous control without controlling the vehicle 100v remotely using the server device 80v.
In alternative embodiments, the target on-vehicle device 2 to be managed may be the engine 31 shown in
In alternative embodiments, the target on-vehicle device 2 to be managed may be the first motor 331 serving as the driving motor 33 shown in
In alternative embodiments, the target on-vehicle device 2 to be managed may be the damper 37 shown in
In the embodiments described above, the device identification information acquisition unit 621, which acquires the device identification information Ei, was implemented as a function of the vehicle CPUs 62, 62v. Further, in the embodiments described above, the vehicle identification information acquisition unit 622, which acquires the vehicle identification information Vi, was implemented as a function of the vehicle CPUs 62, 62v. In contrast, in alternative embodiments, at least one of the device identification information acquisition unit 621 and the vehicle identification information acquisition unit 622 may be implemented as a function of the server control devices 82, 82v. When the device identification information acquisition unit 621 is implemented as a function of the server control devices 82, 82v, the device identification information acquisition unit 621 may acquire the device identification information Ei by, for example, accepting input of the device identification information Ei from a user via an input operation unit (not shown). The device identification information acquisition unit 621 may acquire the device identification information Ei, for example, by receiving an identification signal containing the device identification information Ei transmitted from the on-vehicle device 2. Further, when the vehicle identification information acquisition unit 622 is implemented as a function of the server control device 82, the vehicle identification information acquisition unit 622 may acquire the vehicle identification information Vi by, for example, accepting input of the vehicle identification information Vi from a user via an input operation unit (not shown). The vehicle identification information acquisition unit 622 may acquire the vehicle identification information Vi, for example, by receiving an identification signal containing the vehicle identification information Vi transmitted from the on-vehicle device 2. Also in this embodiment, it is possible to acquire the device identification information Ei and the vehicle identification information Vi and generate the database in which the device identification information Ei and the vehicle identification information Vi are associated with each other. This allows appropriate management as to which of the vehicles 100,100v capable of running in an unmanned driving mode is equipped with the on-vehicle device 2.
In the embodiments described above, the state quantity acquisition unit 626 acquired a plurality of types of state quantity Qs multiple times at different timings. Specifically, the state quantity acquisition unit 626 acquires both the first state quantity Qs1, which is the state quantity Qs before the vehicles 100, 100v run in an unmanned driving mode, and the second state quantity Qs2, which is the state quantity Qs while the vehicles 100, 100v are running between the production sites FC1 to FC3 in an unmanned driving mode. Furthermore, the state quantity acquisition unit 626 acquired the second state quantity Qs2 multiple times at different timings. In contrast, in alternative embodiments, the state quantity acquisition unit 626 may acquire only one of the first state quantity Qs1 and the second state quantity Qs2. Further, the state quantity acquisition unit 626 may acquire only one type of the state quantity Qs. Furthermore, the state quantity acquisition unit 626 may acquire the second state quantity Qs2 only once. Also in such an embodiment, it is possible to manage the state of the on-vehicle device 2 mounted on the vehicles 100, 100v that are capable of running by an unmanned driving mode. Further, also in this embodiment, the determination process can be performed by various methods according to the number and the type of the acquired state quantity Qs.
In each of the embodiments from the first to the third embodiment described above, the instruction unit 825, which provides a route change instruction, was implemented as a function of the server control device 82. In contrast, in alternative embodiments, the instruction unit 825 may be implemented as a function of the vehicle CPUs 62, 62v. In this case, for example, if the instruction unit 825 is implemented as a function of the vehicle CPUs 62, 62v and the abnormality determination unit 824 is implemented as a function of the server control device 82, the result of determination in the determination process is transmitted from the server device 80 to the vehicle control devices 60, 60v. The instruction unit 825 then provides a route change instruction based on the received determination result. Also in such an embodiment, it is possible to change the destination of the vehicles 100, 100v running in the unmanned driving mode according to the result of the determination in the determination process.
In each of the embodiments from the first to the third embodiment described above, the abnormality determination unit 824, which performs the determination process, which is at least one of the abnormality determination process and the adjustment determination process, was implemented as a function of the server control device 82. In contrast, in alternative embodiments, the abnormality determination unit 824 may be implemented as a function of the vehicle CPUs 62, 62v. In this case, for example, if the abnormality determination unit 824 is implemented as a function of the vehicle CPU s 62, 62v and the instruction unit 825 is implemented as a function of the server device 80, the result of determination in the determination process is transmitted from the vehicle control device 60 to the server device 80. The instruction unit 825 then provides a route change instruction based on the received determination result. Also in such an embodiment, it is possible to change the destination of the vehicles 100,100v running in the unmanned driving mode according to the result of the determination in the determination process.
In the embodiments described above, the state quantity acquisition unit 626, which acquires the state quantity Qs, was implemented as a function of the vehicle CPUs 62, 62v. In contrast, in alternative embodiments, the state quantity acquisition unit 626 may be implemented as a function of the server control devices 82, 82v. When the state quantity acquisition unit 626 is implemented as a function of the server control devices 82, 82v, the state quantity acquisition unit 626 may acquire the state quantity Qs, for example, by acquiring the measurement values of the various sensors 91 to 95 shown in
In the embodiments described above, as shown in
In the embodiments described above, as shown in
In the embodiments described above, the device identification information Ei, the vehicle identification information Vi, and the state quantity Qs were associated with each other by the transmission information generation unit 627 at the timing when the transmission information was generated. However, the present disclosure is not limited to that described above. At the timing when the transmission information acquisition unit 822 acquires the device identification information Ei, the vehicle identification information Vi, and the state quantity Qs, the device identification information Ei, the vehicle identification information Vi, and the state quantity Qs may not be associated with each other. In this case, the transmission information acquisition unit 822 may associate, for example, the device identification information Ei, the vehicle identification information Vi, and the state quantity Qs acquired within a predetermined time period with each other. Further, the transmission information acquisition unit 822 may associate, for example, the device identification information Ei, the vehicle identification information Vi, and the state quantity Qs, according to the sending end of the device identification information Ei, the vehicle identification information Vi, and the state quantity Qs. Also in such an embodiment, it is possible to generate the database in which the device identification information Ei, the vehicle identification information Vi, and the state quantity Qs are associated with each other.
In the embodiments described above, as shown in
In alternative embodiments, the vehicle control devices 60, 60v may acquire at least one of the device identification information Ei and the vehicle identification information Vi by analyzing the captured image acquired by capturing the image capture range RG1 to RG4 including the vehicles 100, 100v and the on-vehicle device 2. In alternative embodiments, the vehicle control devices 60, 60v may transmit the captured image to the server devices 80, 80v as transmission information to acquire at least one of the device identification information Ei and the vehicle identification information Vi at the server devices 80, 80v. In this case, at least one of the device identification information Ei and the vehicle identification information Vi is extracted by analyzing the captured image in the server devices 80, 80v. In such an embodiment, at least one of the device identification information Ei and the vehicle identification information Vi can be obtained using the captured images obtained by capturing the imaging range RG1 to RG4 including the vehicles 100, 100v and the on-vehicle device 2.
In the embodiments described above, the external sensors are cameras 901 to 904. In contrast, the external sensor may not be cameras 901 to 904, but may be, for example, LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging). In this case, detection result output from the external sensor may be three-dimensional point cloud data representing the vehicles 100, 100v. The server devices 80, 80v and the vehicles 100, 100v may acquire the vehicle location information through template matching using the three-dimensional point cloud data as the detection result and reference point cloud data, for example.
In each of the above embodiments from the first embodiment to the third embodiment, the server device 80 performs the processing from acquisition of vehicle location information to generation of a running control signal. By contrast, the vehicle 100 may perform at least part of the processing from acquisition of vehicle location information to generation of a running control signal. For example, embodiments (1) to (3) described below are applicable, for example.
In the above fourth embodiment in which the vehicle 100v can be running by autonomous control, the vehicle 100v may be equipped with an internal sensor, and detection result output from the internal sensor may be used in at least one of generation of a route and generation of a running control signal. For example, the vehicle 100v may acquire detection result from the internal sensor, and in generating the route, may reflect the detection result from the internal sensor in the route. The vehicle 100v may acquire detection result from the internal sensor, and in generating the running control signal, may reflect the detection result from the internal sensor in the running control signal.
In the above fourth embodiment in which the vehicle 100v can be running by autonomous control, the vehicle 100v acquires vehicle location information using detection result from the external sensor. By contrast, the vehicle 100v may be equipped with an internal sensor, the vehicle 100v may acquire vehicle location information using detection result from the internal sensor, determine a target location to which the vehicle 100v is to move next, generate a route from a current location of the vehicle 100v indicated by the acquired vehicle location information to the target location, generate a running control signal for running along the generated route, and control an actuator of the vehicle 100v using the generated running control signal. In this case, the vehicle 100v is capable of running without using any detection result from an external sensor. The vehicle 100v may acquire target arrival time or traffic congestion information from outside the vehicle 100v and reflect the target arrival time or traffic congestion information in at least one of the route and the running control signal. The functional configuration of the system 1v may be entirely provided at the vehicle 100v. Specifically, the processes realized by the system 1v in the present disclosure may be realized by the vehicle 100v alone. In case that the process performed by system 1v is performed by vehicle 100v alone, vehicle 100v may obtain state quantity Qs from another vehicle 100v.
In each of the above embodiments from the first embodiment to the third embodiment, the server device 80 automatically generates a running control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100. By contrast, the server device 80 may generate a running control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100 in response to operation by an external operator existing outside the vehicle 100. For example, the external operator may operate an operating device including a display on which a captured image output from the external sensor is displayed, steering, an accelerator pedal, and a brake pedal for operating the vehicle 100 remotely, and a communication device for making communication with the server device 80 through wire communication or wireless communication, for example, and the server device 80 may generate a running control signal responsive to the operation on the operating device.
In each of the above-described embodiments, the vehicles 100, 100v are simply required to have a configuration to become movable by unmanned driving. The vehicles 100, 100v may embodied as a platform having the following configuration, for example. The vehicles 100, 100v are simply required to include at least actuator group and vehicle control devices 60, 60v. More specifically, in order to fulfill three functions including “run,” “turn,” and “stop” by unmanned driving, the actuators may include a driving device, a steering device and a braking device. The actuators are controlled by the controller that controls running of the vehicles 100,100v. In order for the vehicle s 100, 100v to acquire information from outside for unmanned driving, the vehicles 100, 100v are simply required to include the communication device further. Specifically, the vehicles 100,100v to become movable by unmanned driving is not required to be equipped with at least some of interior components such as a driver's seat and a dashboard, is not required to be equipped with at least some of exterior components such as a bumper and a fender or is not required to be equipped with a bodyshell. In such cases, a remaining component such as a bodyshell may be mounted on the vehicles 100,100v before the vehicles 100,100v are shipped from a factory, or a remaining component such as a bodyshell may be mounted on the vehicles 100,100v after the vehicles 100,100v are shipped from a factory while the remaining component such as a bodyshell is not mounted on the vehicles 100, 100v. Each of components may be mounted on the vehicles 100,100v from any direction such as from above, from below, from the front, from the back, from the right, or from the left. Alternatively, these components may be mounted from the same direction or from respective different directions. The location determination for the platform may be performed in the same way as for the vehicles 100,100v in the first embodiments.
The vehicles 100,100v may be manufactured by combining a plurality of modules. The module means a unit composed of one or more components grouped according to a configuration or function of the vehicles 100,100v. For example, a platform of the vehicles 100,100v may be manufactured by combining a front module, a center module and a rear module. The front module constitutes a front part of the platform, the center module constitutes a center part of the platform, and the rear module constitutes a rear part of the platform. The number of the modules constituting the platform is not limited to three but may be equal to or less than two, or equal to or greater than four. In addition to or instead of the platform, any parts of the vehicles 100,100v different from the platform may be modularized. Various modules may include an arbitrary exterior component such as a bumper or a grill, or an arbitrary interior component such as a seat or a console. Not only the vehicles 100,100v but also any types of moving object may be manufactured by combining a plurality of modules. Such a module may be manufactured by joining a plurality of components by welding or using a fixture, for example, or may be manufactured by forming at least part of the module integrally as a single component by casting. A process of forming at least part of a module as a single component is also called Giga-casting or Mega-casting. Giga-casting can form each part conventionally formed by joining multiple parts in a moving object as a single component. The front module, the center module, or the rear module described above may be manufactured using Giga-casting, for example.
A configuration for realizing running of vehicles 100,100v by unmanned driving is also called a “Remote Control auto Driving system”. Conveying a vehicle using Remote Control Auto Driving system is also called “self-running conveyance”. Producing the vehicle using self-running conveyance is also called “self-running production”. In self-running production, for example, at least part of the conveyance of vehicles is realized by self-running conveyance in a factory where the vehicle is manufactured.
The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, but can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the technical features of the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each of the aspects stated in the Summary of the Invention section may be replaced or combined as appropriate to solve some or all of the problems described above or to achieve some or all of the effects described above. Further, if the technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, the technical feature may be deleted as appropriate.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-030925 | Mar 2023 | JP | national |
| 2023-180231 | Oct 2023 | JP | national |
