JP2001310651A - Automatic travel joint vehicle and method of travel direction change - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve a space-saving for turn at a terminal end and to perform a secured change of travel direction for an automatic joint vehicle such as an automatic travel joint bus, applicable to a shuttle service transport system on a single route having terminal ends and intermediate terminals like a transport system in airport terminal wings. SOLUTION: This automatic travel joint vehicle comprises a bus 10A, 10B, equipped with a travel controller ECU 16A, 16B respectively and the bus 10A, 10B is joined each other at the rear body, and the travel controller ECU 16A, 16B, connected by a wire harness so as to be capable of interactive communication.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic traveling connecting vehicle and a method of switching the traveling direction thereof, and is applied to a transportation system for reciprocating a single track having stations at both ends and intermediate stations, such as a transportation system between airport terminal wings. The present invention relates to an autonomous traveling connected vehicle and a traveling direction switching method thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a new transportation system in which a vehicle having rubber tires travels on a track has been put to practical use. For example, in a new transportation system used as a transportation system between airport terminal wings, a bus is used as a vehicle.

Conventionally, a bus used in this type of transportation system is configured to be compatible with both an automatic driving mode (without driver's boarding) and a manual driving mode (with driver's boarding). I have. Further, there is a configuration in which a bus runs by itself or a configuration in which a plurality of vehicles are connected (platform or towing), and any configuration of the bus is configured to be able to travel in only one direction.

[0004]

Since the airport terminal is provided with various facilities for departure and arrival of aircraft, it is necessary to minimize the installation area of the transport system between the airport terminal wings. For this reason,
In the transportation system between airport terminal wings, a bus is configured to operate back and forth on a single track. Therefore, when the bus arrives at the terminal station, it is necessary to change the traveling direction of the bus.

[0005] However, since the conventional bus has a configuration capable of traveling in only one direction, it is necessary to make a U-turn in order to perform a turn-around operation after arriving at the terminal station. (Return space) must be formed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and provides an automatic traveling coupled vehicle and a traveling direction switching method capable of realizing space saving of a return space at an end station and reliable switching of traveling directions. The purpose is to:

[0007]

Means for Solving the Problems To solve the above problems, the present invention is characterized by taking the following means.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic traveling coupled vehicle configured to be capable of manual / automatic traveling independently, and provided with first and second vehicle operation control devices for controlling each vehicle operation. 2 are connected by a coupler, and the respective vehicle operation control devices are connected to each other by inter-vehicle communication means to enable two-way communication.

According to the above invention, since the rear connection of the first and second vehicles is connected to the automatic traveling connected vehicle, it is not necessary for the automatic traveling connected vehicle to make a U-turn at the terminal station. By switching the direction, it is possible to travel in the opposite direction. For this reason, it is possible to save the return space at the terminal station.

A vehicle operation control device provided in each of the first and second vehicles and for controlling the operation of each vehicle is connected by inter-vehicle communication means to enable two-way communication. Therefore, it is possible to automatically perform the process of switching the traveling direction.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the automatic traveling coupled vehicle according to the first aspect, wherein the vehicle operation control device is a driving device for a towing-side vehicle that is a front side in a traveling direction among the two vehicles. In this case, both the first and second vehicles are driven.

According to the above invention, the vehicle operation control device includes:
In order to drive both the first and second vehicles by the driving device (for example, engine) of the traction vehicle on the traveling direction side of the two vehicles, the driving device of each vehicle is driven together to run. As a result, the control can be simplified and the economy can be improved.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the automatic traveling coupled vehicle according to the first or second aspect, wherein each of the first and second vehicles is provided with a steering device for steering a steered wheel, and The vehicle operation control device drives the steering devices of the first and second vehicles together during traveling.

According to the above invention, since the rear connection of the first and second vehicles is connected to each other, the wheel located at the forefront in the traveling direction of the automatic connection vehicle is connected to the first vehicle. The steering wheel is also the steering wheel, and the wheel located at the rearmost position in the traveling direction is also the steering wheel. Further, the vehicle operation control device includes:
Since the steering devices of the first and second vehicles are driven together during traveling, the entire automatic traveling coupled vehicle has a power consumption of 4 W
The configuration is the same as that of S, so that the minimum turning radius can be reduced.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the automatic traveling coupled vehicle according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein each of the first and second vehicles communicates with a ground communication facility. And the antenna provided on the on-vehicle communication device is shifted in the direction perpendicular to the vehicle traveling direction.

According to the above-mentioned invention, since the antennas provided in each vehicle-mounted communication device are staggered, the signals transmitted from the terrestrial communication equipment are simultaneously received by each vehicle-mounted communication device, causing interference. Can be prevented.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic traveling connecting vehicle comprising a first and a second vehicle having rear portions connected to each other at an end station, wherein the automatic traveling connecting vehicle is configured to be capable of manual / automatic traveling independently. A method for switching the traveling direction of an automatic traveling connected vehicle, wherein the traveling direction is switched when the vehicle arrives, wherein the first and second vehicles are provided in the first and second vehicles, respectively, and perform first and second vehicle operation control. Vehicle operation control device, first communication means for connecting the first and second vehicle operation control devices so as to enable two-way communication, and communication with the first vehicle operation control device provided at the terminal station. A first terrestrial communication device, which is provided at the terminal station and communicates with the second vehicle operation control device, and a first terrestrial communication device that performs bidirectional communication between the first and second terrestrial communication devices. A second communication means communicably connected. Transmitting a traveling direction switching signal from the first ground communication means to the first vehicle operation control device when the automatic traveling coupled vehicle arrives at the terminal station, wherein the first vehicle operation control device By receiving the switching signal, the process of switching the vehicle traveling mode of the first vehicle is performed, and a traveling direction switching signal is transmitted to the second vehicle operation control device using the first communication unit. Receiving the switching signal, the second vehicle operation control device performs a process of switching the vehicle traveling mode of the second vehicle, and transmits a traveling direction switching signal to the second ground communication device. Then, based on the presence or absence of a traveling direction switching signal from the second vehicle operation control device, it is determined whether or not the traveling direction switching processing of the automatic traveling coupled vehicle has been normally completed. It is characterized in that.

According to the present invention, it is possible to determine whether or not the traveling direction switching process has been completed normally even in the terrestrial communication device, so that the reliability of the traveling direction switching process can be improved.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the automatic traveling coupled vehicle according to the second or third aspect, the first and second vehicles are each provided with a transmission for performing a shift process, and When the vehicle operation control device determines that the driving force of the driving device of the towing vehicle located rearward in the traveling direction is insufficient, the vehicle driving control device neutralizes the transmission of the towed vehicle located rearward in the traveling direction. Switching from the range to the reverse range, the drive device of the towed vehicle also operates.

According to the above-mentioned invention, by setting the towed vehicle in the neutral range, trouble does not occur in normal running. In addition, for example, when the vehicle is running on a steep uphill and the driving force of the driving device of the towing vehicle alone is insufficient, the vehicle operation control device reverses the transmission of the towing vehicle from the neutral range. In order to switch to the range, the drive device of the tow vehicle operates and assists the drive device of the tow vehicle. Therefore, even when traveling on a steep uphill, it is possible to travel at a predetermined speed.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided the automatic traveling coupled vehicle according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the first and second vehicles each have a braking device for performing a braking process. And, the vehicle operation control device, when it is determined that the braking force of the braking device of the towed vehicle located rearward in the traveling direction is insufficient, the towing vehicle located forward in the traveling direction The braking device is operated to generate a braking force on the towing vehicle in a range equal to or less than a braking force generated by the braking device of the towed vehicle.

According to the above-mentioned invention, the vehicle driving control device is used when the braking force is insufficient with only the braking device for the towed vehicle, for example, when the vehicle is traveling on a steep downhill or in a state where many people are riding. Also operates the braking device of the towing vehicle. Therefore, even when the vehicle travels on a steep downhill or in a multi-person riding state, it is possible to travel at a predetermined speed.

Further, the magnitude of the braking force generated by the braking device of the towing vehicle is within the range of the braking force generated by the braking device of the towed vehicle. The so-called jackknife phenomenon that occurs when the vehicle is pushed can be prevented, and safety can be improved.

[0024] Further, the invention according to claim 8 is based on claim 1,
8. The automatic traveling coupled vehicle according to any one of 2, 3, 6, and 7, wherein the first and second vehicles are provided with detection means for detecting a reference position provided on a traveling track, and the vehicle is driven by the vehicle. The control device controls the steering device based on the reference position obtained from the detection means so that each connecting portion of the first and second vehicles passes substantially the same position. It is.

According to the above-mentioned invention, the first vehicle and the second vehicle independently perform the steering control based on the information on the reference position detected by the detecting means provided in each of the first vehicle and the second vehicle. At this time, the vehicle operation control device performs the steering control so that the connecting portions of the first and second vehicles pass through substantially the same position. Therefore, the force acting on the coupler connecting the first vehicle and the second vehicle can be reduced.

Further, since the steering control of the first vehicle and the steering control of the second vehicle are performed independently, there is no need to transmit and receive information regarding steering between the vehicles, and the force acting on the coupler is not required. It is not necessary to measure the steering angle, so that the equipment required for steering control can be simplified.

[0027]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a view for explaining an automatic traveling connected vehicle and its infrastructure facilities according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, an example in which a bus is used as a vehicle will be described.

The autonomous traveling connection bus 10 (hereinafter simply referred to as connection bus) is used, for example, in a transportation system between airport terminal wings (hereinafter simply referred to as transportation system). In FIG. 1, the connection bus 10 is used as a transportation system. This shows a state where the vehicle has arrived at the terminal station. As described above, the airport terminal is provided with various facilities for departures and arrivals of aircraft, so that the installation area of the transportation system must be minimized. Therefore, the connecting bus 10 is connected between the airport terminal wings. It is configured to reciprocate a single line (hereinafter, referred to as track 11) provided.

The connection bus 10 includes two buses 10A, 10
B are connected by a connector 12. Each of the buses 10A and 10B has substantially the same configuration, and is configured to be capable of manual traveling and automatic traveling independently. Here, the manual driving means that the driver can get on the bus 10
A mode in which the buses 10A and 10B are driven without the driver boarding the bus.
This is a mode in which traveling control is performed by the ECUs 16A and 16B mounted on the vehicle.

Hereinafter, the configuration of each of the buses 10A and 10B will be described. As described above, each bus 10A, 10B
Are substantially the same configuration, so that the configuration of the bus 10A is denoted by the symbol A, and the configuration of the bus 10B is denoted by the symbol B, and the configurations of the buses 10A and 10B are described collectively. And

In this embodiment, the buses 10A and 10B use engines as the driving devices 14A and 14B. Further, the buses 10A and 10B are configured to be capable of manual traveling and automatic traveling alone as described above. Therefore, the engine control units 16A and 16B for automatic traveling are provided.
(Hereinafter, referred to as ECU).

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, each bus 10A, 10B has a braking device 30A, which performs a braking process.
30B, transmissions 32A, 32B for performing a shift range switching process, and steering devices 34A, 3 for performing a steering process.
4B and a lateral deviation detection sensor 36A. 36B and the like are provided. And each of these devices 30A, 30B, 32A, 32B,
34A and 34B are configured to be totally controlled by the ECUs 16A and 16B, whereby the connection bus 10 is configured to be capable of automatic traveling.

In the bus 10A, the wheels on the arrow X1 direction side are steering wheels 26A, and the wheels on the arrow X2 direction side are driving wheels 27A. In the bus 10B, the wheel on the arrow X2 direction side in the figure is a steered wheel 26B,
The wheel on the arrow X1 direction side is a drive wheel 27B. Therefore, the steering devices 34A and 34B are used to control the steered wheels 26A and 26A.
6B, and the braking devices 30A, 30B
Drives the drive wheels 27A and 27B.

The buses 10A and 10B are provided with on-board communication devices 20A and 20B, respectively. These in-vehicle communication devices 20A and 20B are terrestrial communication devices 22A and 22B (hereinafter, referred to as “communication devices”) arranged on the track 11 using antennas 21A and 21B.
(Hereinafter simply referred to as a communication device).

The on-board communication devices 20A and 20B and the communication device 2
Transmission / reception processing such as speed limit information, emergency information, and a traveling direction switching signal, which will be described later, is performed between the transmission and reception apparatuses 2A and 22B. Each of the on-vehicle communication devices 20A and 20B is connected to the ECU 1
6A and 16B, and the information and signals described above are supplied to the ECUs 16A and 16B.

Here, the structure of the coupler 12 that connects the buses 10A and 10B configured as described above will be described. At the rear end of each of the buses 10A, 10B, coupler mounting surfaces 39A, 39B are provided as shown in an enlarged manner in FIG. The connection bus 10 is connected to each bus 10
The connector mounting surfaces 39A and 39B of A and 10B are connected by a connector 12.

The connector mounting surface 39A provided on the bus 10A has a connecting rod hook 42A at the center thereof, a wire hook 43A near both ends, and a rear bumper 46A at both ends. Have been. Furthermore,
The connecting rod mounting surface 39B provided on the bus 10B is provided with a connecting rod hook 42B at the center thereof, and the wire hooks 4B are provided on both sides of the connecting rod hook 42B.
3B, and a rear bumper 46B is provided at both ends of the coupler mounting surface 39B.

Connecting rod hook 42A and connecting rod hook 4
A connecting rod 40 is provided between the connecting rod 40 and 2B. Connecting rod 40
Are formed at both ends thereof, and the buses 10A, 10B are connected by the connecting rods 40 by fitting the connecting rod hooks 42A, 42B into the connecting holes.

A wire 44 is provided between each wire hook 43A and each wire hook 43B. For example, when the coupler mounting surfaces 39A and 39B come close to each other in a sharp curve or the like, the wire 44 comes into contact with the coupler mounting surfaces 39A and 39B, so that the coupler mounting surfaces 39A and 39B are connected to each other. It is provided to prevent collision.

The wire harness 18 is provided between the wire hook 43A and the wire hook 43B. The ECU 1 mounted on the bus 10A
The ECU 6B mounted on the bus 6A and the bus 10B are configured to be able to communicate with each other by the wire harness 18. Therefore, even if one ECU fails, each of the buses 10A and 10B can be controlled by the other ECU, and the reliability of the connection bus 10 can be improved. The rear bumpers 46A, 46
B is provided so that the buses 10A and 10B do not directly contact a side wall (not shown) provided on the track 11 in a sharp curve or the like.

In the connecting bus 10 configured as described above, the bus ahead in the traveling direction is the tow-side bus, and the bus behind the traveling direction is the tow-side bus. Specifically, assuming that the traveling direction of the connecting bus 10 in FIG. 1 is the direction of arrow X1 in the figure, the bus 10A becomes the towing bus, and only the driving device 14A provided on the bus 10A generates the driving force. At the same time, the transmission 32A performs a predetermined shift change process. On the other hand, the bus 10B is a towed bus, the drive device 14B of the bus 10B is in an idle state (or may be stopped), and the transmission 32B is in a neutral state (N range).

As described above, during normal traveling, the connecting bus 10 is connected to each of the buses 10A and 10B by the driving device 14A of the towing bus 10A in the traveling direction.
A and 10B, each bus 10A, 1
The control can be simplified and the economic efficiency can be improved as compared with a configuration in which the driving devices 14A and 14B of 0B are driven together to travel.

The control mode of each device provided on each of the buses 10A and 10B is as follows. That is, the operation control of the entire connection bus 10 is performed by the bus 10 serving as the tow-side bus.
A is a bus to be a towed-side bus, which performs control processing mainly by the ECU 16A provided in the bus A (becomes a master).
The ECU 16B of 0B is on the slave side. The ECU 16B on the slave side performs control processing in accordance with an instruction from the ECU 16A on the master side.

Further, a braking device 30 for performing brake control is provided.
A, 30B is the towed side (slave side) during normal running
Is controlled to operate only the braking device 30B.
The reason for this configuration is as follows. That is, in a configuration in which only the braking device 30A on the traction side (master side) operates,
A phenomenon in which the towed side (slave side) bus 10B pushes the towed side (master side) bus 10A at the connection portion at the time of braking, and the respective buses 10A and 10B are bent in a V-shape at the connection portion (so-called phenomenon). Jackknife phenomenon) may occur. However, by configuring only the towed side (slave side) braking device 30B to operate, the towed side (slave side) bus 10B pushes the towed side (master side) bus 10A at the connection portion during braking. This is because the occurrence of the jackknife phenomenon can be suppressed.

In the transmissions 32A and 32B, the connecting bus 10 is driven by the drive unit 14A on the towing side during normal running, so that the transmission of the bus 10A on the towing side performs a shift process in accordance with the operation state. The transmission of the towed bus 10B is fixed to the neutral range (N range).

Further, a steering device 34A for performing a steering process,
34B performs forward direction control on the towing side because the bus 10A moves forward, and performs reverse direction control on the towed side because the bus 10B travels backward. When performing this steering control, the connecting bus 10 is configured such that the rear portions of the buses 10A and 10B are connected to each other. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the connecting bus 10 as a whole is located at the forefront in the traveling direction. 26A and the wheel 26 located at the rearmost position in the traveling direction
B is both steering wheels. In addition, each steered wheel 26A, 26B
Can independently control the steering angle. For this reason, the connection bus 10 as a whole has a configuration similar to that of 4WS, so that the minimum turning radius can be reduced.
The ECUs 16A and 16B control the steering devices 34A and 34A based on the traveling reference curve 38 (see FIG. 8) provided on the track 11.
34B, but this steering control will be described later for convenience of explanation.

According to the connecting bus 10 configured as described above,
Since the rear portions of the buses 10A and 10B are connected to each other, there is no need to make a U-turn when the connection bus 10 arrives at the terminal station 28 provided at the end of the track 11. That is, the bus 10A, which was the towed bus, is switched to the towed bus, and the bus 10B, which was the towed bus, is switched to the towed bus.

By switching the traveling direction of the connecting bus 10, the connecting bus 10 can move in the direction of arrow X2 in FIG. That is, according to the connection bus 10 of the present embodiment, it is not necessary to provide a turn-back space at the terminal station 28, and the space of the terminal station 28 can be saved.

Also, as described above, each bus 10A, 10B
The ECUs 16A and 16B mounted on the vehicle are connected by a wire harness 18 so as to be capable of two-way communication, so that the process of switching the traveling direction is automatically performed by the two-way communication using the wire harness 18. Is possible.

The process of switching the traveling direction at the terminal station 28 needs to be performed with high reliability. Therefore, it is necessary to determine whether the traveling direction switching processing has been performed normally after the traveling direction switching processing is completed. For this reason, in the present embodiment, when the switching process of the traveling direction is confirmed, a self-check between the ECUs 16A and 16B in the connection bus 10 is performed.
The two confirmation processes are performed, namely, the confirmation processes in the communication devices 22A and 22B disposed on the track 11, thereby improving the reliability.

Hereinafter, the switching confirmation processing of the traveling direction performed in the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 3, and 4. FIG. 1 and 3, the connecting bus 10 is indicated by an arrow X.
A state in which the vehicle has arrived at the terminal station 28 by traveling in one direction is shown, and a process of switching the traveling direction from this state will be described.

The terminal station 28 is provided with communication devices 22A and 22B as shown in FIG. The communication device 22A
It is configured to communicate with the in-vehicle communication device 20A of the towing bus 10A at the time of arrival via the antenna 21A. The communication device 22B communicates with the on-board communication device 20B of the towed bus 10B at the time of arrival via the antenna 21B.

At this time, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG.
Each of the antennas 21A and 21B is disposed at a position on the roof side of each of the buses 10A and 10B. In addition, each bus 10A,
Since 10B has the same configuration and the rear portions are connected to each other,
The arrangement positions of the antennas 21A and 21B are target positions.

For this reason, each of the antennas 21A and 21B is
It is arranged so as to be shifted in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the connecting bus 10 (indicated by arrows X1 and X2 in the figure) (a shift amount is indicated by an arrow W in FIG. 3). This allows
Signals transmitted from the communication devices 22A and 22B can be prevented from being received simultaneously by the antennas 21A and 21B, and therefore, interference can be prevented from occurring in each of the vehicle-mounted communication devices 20A and 20B.

The communication device 22A provided on the track 11 transmits a stop guidance signal in step 10 of FIG. 4 (the step is abbreviated as S in the figure). This stop guidance signal is a signal for performing stop control so that the connection bus 10 stops at a predetermined stop position of the terminal station 28. The stop guidance signal is received by the in-vehicle communication device 20A, and the ECU 16A of the bus 10A determines the connection bus 10 based on the stop guidance signal.
(Bus 10A, 10B) is stopped at a predetermined stop position of the terminal station 28 (step 11).

When the connecting bus 10 arrives at the terminal station 28,
The ECUs 16A and 16B of the buses 10A and 10B perform post-stop processing (steps 12 and 13). Here, the post-stop processing is processing such as opening a door to get a passenger who has boarded each of the buses 10A and 10B off.

When the post-stop processing is completed, the towing bus 1
The 0A ECU 16A transmits a stop completion signal to the communication device 22A using the in-vehicle communication device 20A (step 1).
4). When the communication device 22A receives the stop completion signal transmitted from the bus 10A (step 15), in a succeeding step 17, the communication device 22A transmits a traveling direction switching signal for switching the traveling direction toward the bus 10A (step 15). Step 16).

The ECU 16A of the bus 10A has a communication device 22
When the traveling direction switching signal transmitted from A is received (step 17), the traveling direction switching signal is transmitted to the ECU 16B of the towed bus 10B using the wire harness 18 (step 18). Thereby, each ECU 16A,
16B are both in a state of receiving the traveling direction switching signal. When each of the ECUs 16A and 16B receives the traveling direction switching signal, the ECU 16A performs a process of switching the traveling direction mode of each control device mounted on the bus 10A (step 19).
A process is performed to switch the traveling direction mode of each control device mounted on OB (step 26).

The specific processing performed in step 19 is as follows. That is, in the ECUs 16A and 16B, the ECU 16B provided on the bus 10B switches to the master side, and the ECU 16A of the bus 10A switches to the slave side.

In the transmission that performs shift control, the bus 10B becomes the towing side due to the switching process of the traveling direction. Therefore, the transmission of the bus 10B that becomes the towing side performs the shifting processing in accordance with the operation state, and The transmission of the bus 10A on the towing side is fixed at neutral.

Further, in the steering control device that performs steering control, the forward control is performed because the bus 10B is on the forward side by switching the traveling direction, and the steering control device of the bus 10A that performs reverse travel performs the reverse direction control.

When the switching process of the traveling direction is completed in step 19, the ECU 16A of the bus 10A stops communication with the communication device 22A (step 20). On the other hand, when the processing for switching the traveling direction in step 26 is completed, the ECU 16B of the bus 10B performs a self-check to determine whether the switching processing has been properly completed (step 27). The self-check performed at this time is performed by the ECU
ECU 1 using 16B itself and wire harness 18
6A is a self-check only, and does not involve communication with the communication device 22A.

By the processing in step 27, each ECU 16
If it is determined in A and 16B that the switching processing of the traveling direction has been properly completed, the ECU 16B transmits a switching completion signal indicating that the switching has been completed to the communication device 22B (step 28).

When receiving the switching end signal in step 29, the communication device 22B transmits this switching end signal to the communication device 2B.
2A, and in step 24, each ECU 16A,
16B executes the switching complete normal departure process. Here, the switching completion normal departure processing is processing such as closing a door that has been opened to allow a passenger to board. This step 24
Is completed, the process of switching the traveling direction ends.

On the other hand, after the communication with the bus 10A is interrupted by the processing in step 20, the communication device 22A constantly determines whether or not the switching end signal 29 has been transmitted from the other communication device 22B. Then, after the communication with the bus 10A is interrupted, if it is determined that the switching end signal in step 29 has not been received for a certain period of time, the process proceeds to step 30, and an abnormality occurs in the system for performing the traveling direction switching. To show that

On the other hand, if it is determined in step 21 that the switching end signal has been output within a predetermined time, in next step 22, the communication device 22A connects the bus 10B to the communication device 22.
Check whether communication with B is being performed. This determination process is performed using the communication line 24 connecting the communication devices 22A and 22B.

Then, in step 23, the bus 10
If it is determined that communication between B and the communication device 22B has not been performed, it is considered that the switching process has failed for some reason (for example, intrusion of disturbance during communication) (step 31). In this case, in step 32, the traveling direction switching signal is transmitted again to the communication device 22A, and the above-described processing is repeatedly performed. However, if this processing is repeatedly performed a predetermined number of times (X times) or more, a system abnormality is displayed assuming that an abnormality has occurred in the system.

On the other hand, in step 23, the bus 10B
When it is determined that communication between the ECU 16A and the communication device 22B has been performed, the switching process has been completed normally, and the process proceeds to step 24, where the ECUs 16A and 16B
Executes the switching complete normal departure process.

As described above, according to the traveling direction switching method according to the present embodiment, the self-check of the traveling direction switching process is performed on the connection bus 10 side in step 27, and the trajectory is changed in the processes in steps 21 to 24. Also, the communication devices 22A and 22B disposed at 11 check whether or not the switching process of the traveling direction has been properly performed. Therefore, it is possible to reliably determine whether the traveling direction switching process has been completed normally,
The reliability of the traveling direction switching processing can be improved.

Next, when the connecting bus 10 is, for example, in a state of multi-person riding or running on a steep slope, the ECU 16
Control operations performed by A and 16B will be described. FIG.
When the driver tries to drive on a steep ascending slope as shown in FIG.
With only the above, there is a possibility that a sufficient speed cannot be obtained and a predetermined speed cannot be realized (it becomes slower than the predetermined speed). On the other hand, when trying to travel on a steep descending slope in a multi-person riding state, sufficient braking force cannot be obtained with only the braking device 30B of the towed side bus 10B, and the predetermined speed may not be achieved. (Faster than the default speed).

Therefore, the connection bus 10 according to the present embodiment is
When the driving force such as a steep climb is insufficient, the driving device 14B of the bus 10A on the towing side is also driven to assist the driving device 14A of the bus 10A on the towing side (hereinafter referred to as driving assist). If there is insufficient braking force such as a steep descent, the towing bus 1
The driving device 30A of the bus 10B on the towed side is also assisted by driving the braking device 30A of 0A (hereinafter, referred to as the assisting device)
This is called braking assist). Hereinafter, the driving / braking operation performed by the ECUs 16A and 16B will be described with reference to FIG. The drive / brake control process shown in FIG. 7 is performed by the master-side ECU (ECU 16A in this embodiment).

The drive / brake control process shown in FIG. 7 is a routine process that is performed at predetermined time intervals. When the drive / brake control process shown in FIG.
In step, the ECU 16A determines whether the current control state is a state in which the braking assist is being performed. The determination as to whether or not the braking assist is being performed is made in step 5 described later.
Judgment is made from the set state of the braking assist flag (FBA) set or reset in steps 1 and 53.

If it is determined in step 40 that the braking assist is not currently being performed (NO), the process proceeds to step 41, and the ECU 16A determines whether the current control state is a state in which the driving assist is being performed. . The determination as to whether or not the drive assist is being performed is made from the set state of the drive assist flag (FAA) set or reset in steps 46 and 48 described later.

If it is determined in step 41 that the drive assist is not currently performed (NO), the process proceeds to step 42. In step 42, a drive assist determination routine performed as another routine is performed, and it is determined whether or not the current state of the connection bus 10 requires drive assistance.

In the drive assist determination process performed here, for example, based on the output from a wheel speed sensor provided on the towing bus 10A, when the wheel speed sensor detects that the wheel is idling, It is determined that drive assist is necessary. Alternatively, based on the output from the vehicle speed sensor provided on the towing bus 10A, it is determined that drive assist is necessary when the detected vehicle speed is lower than the target vehicle speed.

If it is determined in step 42 that the drive assist process is necessary (YES), the process proceeds to step 43. In step 43, the ECU 16A performs a process for starting drive assist. In this step, when the driving device 14B is stopped, a starting process is performed, and a process of switching the transmission 32B from the neutral range (N range) to the reverse range (R range) is performed. At this time, a control signal from the ECU 16A disposed on the towing bus 10A is transmitted to the wire harness 1A.
8 and transmitted to the drive unit 14B and the transmission 32B arranged on the towed bus 10B.

In the following step 45, a drive assist amount is calculated. The driving assist amount calculated in step 45 is determined based on the wheel idling amount detected by the wheel speed sensor or the difference between the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor and the target vehicle speed. When the driving assist amount is calculated, the ECU 16A controls the driving device 14B to generate a driving force corresponding to the driving assist amount. Specifically, when the drive device 14B is an engine, the throttle opening is controlled to open.

As a result, the driving device 14B of the towed bus 10B operates and the driving device 1 of the towed bus 10A operates.
In order to assist the 4A, even when the driving force is insufficient with only the driving device 14A of the towing side bus 10A such that the vehicle travels on a steep ascending slope as shown in FIG. The connection bus 10 can be run.

When the processing of step 45 described above is completed, the processing proceeds to step 46, where the drive assist flag F
Set AA (FAA → ON). The drive assist flag FAA is a flag indicating the current drive control state, and is used by the ECU 16A to detect the current drive control state in step 41 described above. This step 46
Is completed, the current drive / brake control process is terminated.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step 41 that the current drive control state is during drive assist (YES), the process proceeds to step 44. In step 44,
A drive ice and determination routine similar to step 42 described above is performed, and it is determined whether or not the current state of the connection bus 10 requires drive assistance.

At step 44, the current state of the connection bus 10 is a state in which drive assistance is required (YE).
If determined to be S), the processing of steps 45 and 46 described above is performed, and the current drive / brake control processing ends.
Therefore, if an affirmative determination is made in step 44, the driving assist state (the driving device 14B of the towed-side bus 10B)
Maintain the assisting state of the driving device 14A of the towing bus 10A).

In step 44, the current connection bus 1
The state of 0 is a state in which drive assist is not required (N
If it is determined as O), the process proceeds to step 47. In step 47, drive assist end processing is performed.
In this step, the drive device 14B is stopped or put into an idle state, and the transmission 32B is set to the reverse range (R
A range is switched from a neutral range to a neutral range (N range).

When the processing of step 47 is completed, the processing proceeds to step 48, where the drive assist flag F
AA is reset (FAA → OFF). Then, when the process of step 48 is completed, the ECU 16A ends the current drive / brake control process.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step 40 that the current braking control state is that braking is being assisted (YES), or if it is determined in step 42 that the current
If it is determined that drive assist is not required (NO), the process proceeds to step 49.

In step 49, a braking assist determination routine is performed as another routine, and it is determined whether the current state of the connection bus 10 requires braking assistance. In the braking assist determination process performed here, it is determined that the braking assist is necessary when the detected vehicle speed is higher than the target vehicle speed based on, for example, an output from a vehicle speed sensor provided on the towing bus 10A. I do.

If it is determined in step 49 that the drive assist process is necessary (YES), the process proceeds to step 52. In step 52, the calculation of the braking assist amount is performed. The drive assist amount calculated in step 52 is determined based on the difference between the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor and the target vehicle speed. When the braking assist amount is calculated, the ECU 16A controls the braking device 30A to generate a braking force corresponding to the braking assist amount.

As a result, the bus 10 on the towed side is such that the connecting bus 10 travels down a steep slope with a large number of people riding.
Even if the braking force is insufficient with only the braking device 30B of B, the ECU 16A can control the braking device 3 of the bus 10B.
In addition to 0B, the braking device 30A of the towing bus 10A is also operated. Therefore, even when the vehicle travels on a steep descending slope with a large number of people riding as described above, the connecting bus 10
At the target speed.

By the way, each bus 1 on the towing side and the towed side
When operating both the braking devices 30A and 30B provided in 0A and 10B, the occurrence of the above-mentioned jack knife phenomenon becomes a problem. Therefore, in the present embodiment, step 52
When the braking assist amount is calculated by the above, the magnitude of the braking force generated by the braking device 30A of the towing side bus 10A is set to be equal to or less than the braking force generated by the braking device 30B of the towing side bus 10B. Have been.

That is, during the execution of the braking assist,
The braking force generated by the braking device 30A of the towing bus 10A is always smaller than the braking force generated by the braking device 30B of the towing bus 10B. With this configuration, the towed bus 10B does not push the towed bus 10A during braking,
Therefore, the jackknife phenomenon can be prevented. Therefore, according to the connection bus 10 of the present embodiment, it is possible to improve safety during execution of the braking assist control.

When the processing of step 52 is completed, the processing proceeds to step 53, where the braking assist flag F
Set AA (FBA → ON). The brake assist flag FBA is a flag indicating the current braking control state, and is used by the ECU 16A to detect the current braking control state in step 40 described above. This step 53
Is completed, the current drive / brake control process is terminated.

On the other hand, at step 49, the current connection bus 1
The state of 0 is a state in which no braking assist is required (N
If it is determined as O), the process proceeds to step 50. In step 50, a braking assist ending process is performed. In this step, a process of stopping the braking process of the braking device 30A of the bus 10A is performed.

When the processing of step 50 is completed, the processing proceeds to step 51, where the braking assist flag F
Reset BA (FBA → OFF). When the process of step 51 ends, the ECU 16A ends the current drive / brake control process.

In the above description, the bus 10A is on the towing side and the bus 10B is on the towed side. However, the bus 10A is on the towing side and the bus 10B is on the towing side. In the case described above, in the description of the above-described embodiment, the ECU
16A and ECU 16B, drive device 14A and drive device 14
B, and the operations of the braking device 30A and the braking device 30B are reversed.

In the above-described drive / brake control processing,
Determine whether or not driving assistance and braking assistance are required for each bus.
The determination is made based on the wheel speed sensors provided at 0A and 10B or the outputs from the wheel speed sensors. However, the determination as to whether drive assist and brake assist are required is not limited to the output from these sensors, and other sensors (eg, a vehicle height sensor, an acceleration sensor, etc.) can be used. is there.

Next, a description will be given of a steering control process performed when the connecting bus 10 according to the present embodiment travels.
FIG. 8 shows a state where the connecting bus 10 is traveling on a curve having a predetermined curvature. A travel reference curve 38 is provided at a substantially central position of the track 11, and the position of the travel reference curve 38 is determined in advance by the ECU 16 as a course map.
A, 16B. The running reference curve 38 may be, for example, a line painted on the track 11, or may be a magnetic nail or the like.

As described above, each of the buses 10A and 10B constituting the connecting bus 10 is provided with a steering device 34A,
34B and the lateral deviation detection sensor 36A. 36B are provided. Therefore, the steering of the bus 10A is independently controlled by the ECU 16A controlling the steering device 34A, and the steering of the bus 10B is independently controlled by the ECU 16B controlling the steering device 34B. Thus, as described above, the steering angles of the respective steered wheels 26A and 26B can be independently controlled. Therefore, the connection bus 10 as a whole has the same configuration as 4WS, and the minimum turning radius can be reduced.

The lateral deviation detecting sensors 36A. 36B
Is configured to be able to detect the running reference curve 38 disposed on the track 11. Therefore, the ECUs 16A, 16B
Is a lateral deviation detection sensor 36A. From the output from 36B, it is possible to determine how much the current buses 10A, 10B deviate from the running reference curve 38.

The connecting bus 10 according to the present embodiment includes a lateral deviation detecting sensor 36A. Running reference curve 38 obtained from 36B
The ECUs 16A and 16B operate the bus 10
The steering devices 34A and 34B are controlled so that the joints 48A and 48B of A and 10B pass substantially at the same position (on the running reference curve 38 in this embodiment). The joint portion 48A refers to a connection position between the connection rod hook 42A and the connection rod 40 as shown in FIG. 5, and the joint portion 48B refers to a connection position between the connection rod hook 42B and the connection rod 40. Refers to position.

Next, the steering control processing performed in this embodiment will be described. In the description of the present embodiment, an example in which the bus 10A is on the towing side and the bus 10B is on the towed side will be described.

FIG. 9 shows a steering control process performed by the ECUs 16A and 16B. The process shown in the figure is a process independently executed by the ECU 16A and the ECU 16B, and is a routine process executed at predetermined time intervals.

First, the case where the ECU 16A executes the steering control processing shown in FIG. When the steering control process shown in FIG.
The CU 16A determines whether the own vehicle is the leading vehicle.
As described above, since the bus 10A is the leading car in the present embodiment, the ECU 16A makes an affirmative determination in step 60,
The process proceeds to Step 61.

In step 61, the ECU 16A determines whether or not the course on which the bus 10A is running is positioned on the running reference curve 38 based on the position information of the running reference curve 38 output from the lateral deviation detection sensor 36A. I do.
If the travel position of the bus 10A is out of the allowable range with respect to the travel reference curve 38 (if NO is determined), the process proceeds to step 62, where the ECU 16A
Indicates the on-board communication device 20A,
The traveling locus data of the own vehicle (bus 10A) is transmitted using 20B.

When the processing in step 62 is completed,
If it is determined in step 61 that the traveling position of the bus 10A is within the allowable range with respect to the traveling reference curve 38, the process proceeds to step 63. In this step 63, the position of the lateral deviation detection sensor 36A with respect to the traveling reference curve 38,
From the yaw rate obtained from the yaw rate sensor (not shown) provided on the bus 10A, the vehicle speed obtained from the vehicle speed sensor, and the course map described above, the bus 10
The target steering angle is calculated so that the joint portion 48A of A passes on the traveling reference curve 38, and the steering device 34 is
Control A. Thus, the steering of the bus 10A is controlled such that the joint 48A passes on the traveling reference curve 38.

Next, the case where the ECU 16B executes the steering control processing shown in FIG. When the steering control process shown in FIG.
The ECU 16B determines whether or not the own vehicle is the leading vehicle. As described above, in this embodiment, the bus 10A is the leading vehicle, and the bus 10B on which the ECU 16B is mounted is the succeeding vehicle. Therefore, the ECU 16B makes a negative determination in step 60 and proceeds to step 64. In step 64,
The position of the lateral deviation detection sensor 36B with respect to the traveling reference curve 38, the yaw rate obtained from a yaw rate sensor (not shown) provided on the bus 10B, the vehicle speed obtained from the vehicle speed sensor, the course map described above, and step 6
When the travel locus data is transmitted from the bus 10 by the process of 2, the target steering angle is calculated from the travel locus data and the like so that the joint portion 48B of the bus 10B passes on the travel reference curve 38, and based on this, The steering device 34B is controlled. Thereby, the bus 10B is connected to the joint 48B.
Is controlled so as to pass on the traveling reference curve 38.

By performing the steering control described above, the buses 10A and 10B are connected to the lateral deviation detection sensors 36A. The steering control is independently performed based on the information on the reference position detected from 36B.
The ECUs 16A and 16B perform steering control so that the joint 48A of the bus 10A and the joint 48B of the bus 10B run on the running reference curve 38. In other words, the ECUs 16A and 16B perform steering control so that the joints 48A and 48B pass substantially at the same position.

As a result, the force acting on the coupler 12 connecting the buses 10A and 10B can be reduced, and the coupler 12 can be simplified. Further, since the steering control on the bus 10A side and the steering control on the bus 10B side are performed independently, each bus 10A, 1
It is not necessary to transmit and receive detailed information on steering between 0B.

Further, the steering control of the present embodiment is different from the method of measuring the force acting on the coupler and controlling the steering or the inter-vehicle speed based on the measured force acting on the coupler, which has conventionally been employed in the connection of a trailer or a train. For example, it is possible to perform high-precision steering control while simplifying the equipment required for the control processing.

In the above-described embodiment, an example is shown in which a bus is used as a connected vehicle. However, it is needless to say that the present invention can be applied to vehicles other than a bus.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which two vehicles (buses 10A and 10B) are connected has been described as an example. However, the number of connected vehicles is not limited to two, and is not limited to three. The present invention can be applied to a case where the number is more than one.

[0111]

As described above, according to the present invention, the following various effects can be realized.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is no need for the autonomously connected vehicle to make a U-turn at the terminal station.
By switching the traveling direction, it is possible to travel in the opposite direction. For this reason, it is possible to save the return space at the terminal station. Further, since each of the vehicle operation control devices is configured to be connected by the inter-vehicle communication means and to be capable of two-way communication, it is possible to automatically perform the process of switching the traveling direction.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the control can be simplified and the economy can be improved as compared with a configuration in which the driving devices of the respective vehicles are driven together to travel.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the steering devices of the first and second vehicles are driven together during traveling, the entire automatic traveling coupled vehicle has the same configuration as 4WS. The minimum turning radius can be reduced.

Further, according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the antennas provided in each vehicle-mounted communication device are staggered, the signals transmitted from the terrestrial communication equipment are simultaneously received by each vehicle-mounted communication device. Interference can be prevented.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to determine whether or not the traveling direction switching process has been normally completed even in the terrestrial communication device, thereby improving the reliability of the traveling direction switching process. be able to.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, even if the driving force of only the driving device of the towing vehicle such as traveling on a steep uphill is insufficient, the towing side of the towing vehicle is not required. Since the drive device of the vehicle operates to assist the drive device of the towing vehicle, traveling at the predetermined speed can be maintained.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, there is a case where the braking force is insufficient with only the braking device of the tow-side vehicle, for example, when the vehicle travels on a steep downhill or in a state of multi-person riding. However, since the vehicle operation control device also operates the braking device of the towing vehicle, it is possible to maintain traveling at the predetermined speed.

At this time, since the magnitude of the braking force generated by the braking device of the towing vehicle is within the range of the braking force generated by the braking device of the towed vehicle, the so-called jackknife phenomenon is prevented. And safety can be improved.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the vehicle operation control device performs the steering control so that the connecting portions of the first and second vehicles pass substantially at the same position. The force acting on the coupler connecting the second vehicle and the second vehicle can be reduced. Further, since the steering control of the first vehicle and the steering control of the second vehicle are performed independently,
It is not necessary to transmit and receive information about steering between the vehicles, and it is not necessary to measure the force acting on the coupler, so that the equipment required for steering control can be simplified.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a main part configuration diagram showing an automatic traveling connection bus and a traveling control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a steering operation at the time of turning of an autonomous traveling connection bus.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an antenna position of a vehicle-mounted communication device;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a traveling direction switching confirmation process performed at an end station.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing a coupler.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which the automatic traveling connecting bus is traveling on a steep slope.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a driving / braking control process performed during a steep running.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining steering control when the automatic traveling connection bus turns.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a steering control process performed during a turn.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10A, 10B Bus 11 Track 12 Coupler 14A, 14B Driving device 16A, 16B ECU 18 Wire harness 20A, 20B Vehicle communication device 21A, 21B Antenna 22A, 22B Communication device 26A, 26B Steering wheel 27A, 27B Driving wheel 30A, 30B Braking Device 32A, 32B Transmission device 34A, 34B Steering device 36A, 36B Lateral deviation detection sensor 38 Running reference curve 40 Connecting rod 42A, 42B Connecting rod hook 44 Wire 48A, 48B Joint portion

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) G05D 1/02 G05D 1/02 X // B62D 101: 00 B62D 101: 00 111: 00 111: 00 115: 00 115: 00 137: 00 137: 00 (72) Inventor Mitsunori Hosokawa 1 Toyota Town, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture Inside Toyota Motor Corporation (72) Inventor Yoshihiro Okuwa 1 Toyota Town, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture Toyota Motor Corporation (72) Inventor Tomoyuki Doi 1 Toyota Town, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture Inside Toyota Motor Corporation (72) Inventor Tomonori Kitazaki 1 Toyota Town, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture Inside Toyota Motor Corporation (72) Inventor Manabu Ochibata 1-Toyota-cho, Toyota-shi, Aichi F-term (reference) in Toyota Motor Corporation 3D032 CC12 DA24 DA27 DA33 DA84 DC08 DD01 EA04 FF01 FF02 GG20 3D044 AA00 AA24 AB01 AC 01 AC26 AC28 AC56 AD00 AD04 AD17 AD21 AE04 AE19 3D046 AA04 BB17 BB26 GG02 GG06 GG10 HH08 HH21 HH22 HH36 5H301 AA09 BB20 CC03 CC06 DD06 DD07 DD15 EE02 EE06 EE07 EE12 FF16 HH20

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A rear part of a first and a second vehicle, which is configured to be capable of manual / automatic traveling independently and provided with a vehicle operation control device for controlling each vehicle operation, is connected by a coupler. And an automatic traveling coupled vehicle, wherein the vehicle operation control devices are connected to each other by an inter-vehicle communication means to enable two-way communication. 2. The automatic driving coupled vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle operation control device includes a first vehicle and a second vehicle that are driven by a driving device of a traction-side vehicle that is a front side in a traveling direction among the two vehicles. An autonomous connected vehicle characterized by running both. 3. The automatic traveling coupled vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a steering device for steering a steered wheel is provided in each of the first and second vehicles, and the vehicle operation control device includes: An automatic traveling connected vehicle, wherein the steering devices of the first and second vehicles are driven together during traveling. 4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second vehicles is provided with an in-vehicle communication device for communicating with ground communication equipment, and And an antenna provided on the on-vehicle communication device, the antenna being displaced in a direction perpendicular to the vehicle traveling direction. 5. An automatic traveling connected vehicle comprising a first vehicle and a second vehicle having rear portions connected to each other and configured to be capable of manually / automatic traveling independently, and switching a traveling direction when the vehicle arrives at a terminal station. A method for switching the traveling direction of an autonomous connected vehicle that performs a process, comprising: first and second vehicle operation control devices provided in the first and second vehicles, respectively, for performing vehicle operation control respectively; First communication means for connecting the first and second vehicle operation control devices so as to enable two-way communication; and a first ground communication device provided at the terminal station and communicating with the first vehicle operation control device. A second terrestrial communication device provided at the terminal station and communicating with the second vehicle operation control device; and a second terrestrial communication device connecting the first and second terrestrial communication devices so as to be capable of two-way communication. Communication means, and the autonomous connected vehicle When you arrive at the terminal station,
A traveling direction switching signal is transmitted from the ground communication means to the first vehicle driving control device, and the first vehicle driving control device receives the switching signal, whereby the vehicle traveling mode of the first vehicle is changed. And a transmission direction switching signal is transmitted to the second vehicle operation control device using the first communication means, and the second vehicle operation control device receives the switching signal. According to this, while performing a process of switching the vehicle traveling mode of the second vehicle, a traveling direction switching signal is transmitted to the second ground communication device, a traveling direction switching signal from the second vehicle operation control device Determining whether or not the processing for switching the direction of travel of the autonomously connected vehicle has been completed normally based on the presence / absence thereof; For example method. 6. The automatic traveling coupled vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the first and second vehicles each include a transmission that performs a shift process, and the vehicle operation control device includes: When it is determined that the driving force of the drive device of the towing vehicle located on the rear side in the traveling direction is insufficient, the transmission of the tow vehicle located on the rear side in the traveling direction is switched from the neutral range to the reverse range, An automatic traveling coupled vehicle, wherein a drive device of a towed vehicle also operates. 7. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second vehicles is provided with a braking device for performing a braking process, and the driving of the vehicle is performed. The control device, when determining that the braking force of the braking device of the towed vehicle located on the rear side in the traveling direction is insufficient, activates the braking device of the towing vehicle located on the forward side in the traveling direction, An automatic traveling coupled vehicle, wherein a braking force is generated by the towing vehicle in a range equal to or less than a braking force generated by the braking device of the towed vehicle. 8. The automatic traveling coupled vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first and second vehicles detect a reference position provided on a traveling track. Means, and the vehicle operation control device is configured to control the steering device so that each connecting portion of the first and second vehicles passes through substantially the same position based on the reference position obtained from the detection means. A self-driving coupled vehicle characterized by controlling the following.