JP2023115475A - Vehicle control apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control apparatus capable of enhancing the safety of remote operation.SOLUTION: A vehicle control apparatus includes: a terminal position obtainment part for obtaining positional information of an operating terminal; an operator position identification part for identifying a position of an operator who operates the operating terminal; control part for performing control to move a vehicle in accordance with operating content of the operating terminal operated by the operator; and a permission determination part for permitting control of the vehicle by the control part in a case where the operator and operating terminal exist within an operation-enabled zone positioned on an extended line of an axle of a vehicular non-steering wheel, and for inhibiting the control of the vehicle by the control part in a case where the operator and operating terminal do not exist within the operation-enabled zone.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present disclosure relates to vehicle control devices.

2. Description of the Related Art A device for remotely controlling a vehicle from outside the vehicle by operating an operation terminal is known. For example, in Patent Document 1 below, the position of the operator is specified from an image of the surroundings of the vehicle, the position of the operating terminal is obtained by receiving a signal from the operating terminal, and the position of the operating terminal and the position of the operating terminal are obtained. describes a vehicle control device that prohibits remote operation when the distance between the vehicle and the vehicle is greater than a predetermined distance. In this vehicle control device, by prohibiting execution of remote operation when the operator is away from the operation terminal, remote operation is prevented from being performed in an environment in which peripheral monitoring is insufficient.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-79880

When the vehicle is remotely operated from outside the vehicle, there is a risk that the vehicle will come into contact with the operator when the vehicle moves unintended due to an erroneous operation or the like. In particular, at a transportation base such as a warehouse, a large number of vehicles and workers frequently come and go to perform cargo handling operations. Unintended movements of vehicles in such a crowded environment can easily lead to collisions, so sufficient consideration must be given to the safety of remote control.

Accordingly, an object of the present disclosure is to improve the safety of remote control of a vehicle.

A vehicle control device of one aspect includes a terminal position acquiring unit that acquires position information of an operating terminal, an operator position specifying unit that specifies the position of an operator who operates the operating terminal, and an operation content of the operating terminal by the operator. In response, the controller controls the movement of the vehicle, and permits the controller to control the vehicle when the operator and the operating terminal are positioned within the operable area located on the extension of the axle of the non-steering wheels of the vehicle. and a permission determination unit that prohibits control of the vehicle by the control unit when the operator and the operation terminal are not positioned within the operable area.

The operable area located on the extension line of the axle of the non-steering wheels is located outside the trajectory of the vehicle traveling at an arbitrary steering angle, so the operator and the operating terminal are not positioned within the operable area. By permitting the remote operation when the operator is on the vehicle, contact between the operator and the vehicle can be prevented even if the vehicle moves unintentionally due to an erroneous operation or the like. Therefore, according to the vehicle control device of this aspect, it is possible to improve the safety of the remote control of the vehicle.

In one embodiment, the operable area may be set only on one of the left and right sides of the vehicle. By setting the operable region only on one of the left and right sides of the vehicle, it is possible to prevent erroneous operation of another vehicle located on the other left and right side.

In one embodiment, the permission determination unit may permit the control unit to control the vehicle when the operator and the operation terminal are continuously positioned within the operable region for a certain period of time or more. From the viewpoint of safety, it is desirable to prevent unauthorized remote control of the vehicle via the network by a third party who is not in the vicinity of the vehicle. Unauthorized remote operation from a remote location can be prevented by making remote operation permission condition that the operator and the operation terminal are continuously positioned within the operable area for a certain period of time or more.

According to one aspect and various embodiments of the present invention, the safety of remote control can be improved.

1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a vehicle control device according to one embodiment; FIG. It is a figure explaining an operation possible area. 4 is a flowchart showing a vehicle control method according to one embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a positional relationship between a movement locus of a vehicle and an operable area;

Hereinafter, vehicle control devices according to various embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description of the same or corresponding parts is omitted.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a vehicle control device according to one embodiment. A vehicle control device 10 is mounted on the vehicle 1 . A vehicle 1 is a freight vehicle that carries freight. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 is a truck having steerable wheels 41 that are steerable and non-steerable wheels 42 that are not steerable. The steered wheels 41 are the front wheels of the vehicle 1 and the non-steered wheels 42 are the rear wheels of the vehicle 1 . The vehicle 1 is, for example, an automatically driven vehicle that autonomously travels along a set travel route.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the vehicle 1 includes a vehicle control device 10 , a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver 11 , an external sensor 12 , an internal sensor 13 , a communication section 14 and an actuator 15 . The vehicle control device 10 receives a remote operation instruction from an operator 2 who operates an operation terminal 3 (to be described later), and performs control to move the vehicle 1 .

The vehicle control device 10 is an electronic control unit having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication circuit, and the like. The vehicle control device 10 is connected to a network that communicates using, for example, a CAN communication circuit, and is communicably connected to each component of the vehicle 1 described above. For example, the vehicle control device 10 operates the CAN communication circuit based on the signal output by the CPU to input/output data, stores the data in the RAM, loads the program stored in the ROM into the RAM, By executing the program loaded into the RAM, the functions described later are realized. The vehicle control device 10 may be composed of a plurality of electronic control units.

The GPS receiver 11 receives signals from a plurality of GPS satellites and measures position information (for example, latitude and longitude) of the vehicle 1 . The external sensor 12 detects information on the external environment of the vehicle 1 . The external environment is, for example, objects such as other vehicles, structures, and pedestrians around the vehicle 1 . A camera, for example, is used as the external sensor 12 .

The camera captures images around the vehicle 1 . The camera may be a monocular camera or a stereo camera. A stereo camera has two imaging units arranged to reproduce binocular parallax. The imaging information of the stereo camera also includes information in the depth direction. As shown in FIG. 2 , for example, the camera is provided near the side mirror of the vehicle 1 and captures an image of the side of the vehicle 1 . Note that the cameras may be arranged only on one of the left and right sides of the vehicle 1 (the left side of the vehicle 1 in FIG. 2 ), or may be arranged on both the left and right sides of the vehicle 1 .

The external sensor 12 is not limited to a camera, and may be a radar sensor or the like. The radar sensor detects objects around the vehicle 1 using radio waves (for example, millimeter waves) or light. Radar sensors include, for example, millimeter wave radar or lidar (LIDAR: Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging). The radar sensor detects objects around the vehicle by transmitting radio waves or light around the vehicle 1 and receiving radio waves or light reflected by the objects.

Internal sensor 13 detects the running state of vehicle 1 . A steering angle sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a yaw rate sensor, for example, are used as the internal sensor 13 . The steering angle sensor detects the steering angle of the steered wheels of the vehicle 1 . A vehicle speed sensor detects the speed of the vehicle 1 . As the vehicle speed sensor, for example, a wheel speed sensor that is provided on the drive shaft of the vehicle 1 and detects the rotational speed of the wheels is used. The acceleration sensor detects acceleration of the vehicle 1 . The acceleration sensor may include a longitudinal acceleration sensor that detects acceleration in the longitudinal direction of vehicle 1 and a lateral acceleration sensor that detects acceleration of vehicle 1 . The yaw rate sensor detects the yaw rate (rotational angular velocity) around the vertical axis of the center of gravity of the vehicle 1 . A gyro sensor, for example, is used as the yaw rate sensor.

The communication unit 14 is, for example, a wireless communication device, and transmits/receives various information regarding remote control to/from the operation terminal 3 described later. For example, the communication unit 14 receives from the operation terminal 3 a remote operation request indicating the location information of the operation terminal 3 and a remote operation start request. In response, the communication unit 14 transmits information indicating permission or prohibition of remote operation to the operation terminal 3 .

The actuator 15 is a device that executes travel control of the vehicle 1 . Actuators 15 include, for example, engine actuators, brake actuators, and steering actuators. The engine actuator changes the amount of air supplied to the engine (for example, changes the throttle opening) according to a control signal from the vehicle control device 10 to control the driving force of the vehicle 1 . When the vehicle 1 is a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle, the engine actuator controls the driving force of the motor, which is the power source.

The brake actuator controls the braking force of the vehicle 1 by controlling the brake system according to a control signal from the vehicle control device 10 . A hydraulic brake system, for example, is used as the brake system. Note that if the vehicle 1 has a regenerative braking system, the brake actuator may control both the hydraulic braking system and the regenerative braking system. The steering actuator controls driving of the electric power steering system according to control signals from the vehicle control device 10 . By controlling the drive of the assist motor, the steering angle of the steered wheels 41 of the vehicle 1 is controlled.

Upon receiving a remote operation request from the operation terminal 3, the vehicle control device 10 switches to a remote operation mode in which the vehicle 1 can be remotely controlled. Then, the vehicle 1 is controlled according to the operation content of the operation terminal 3 by the operator 2 . The operator 2 is a person who remotely operates the vehicle 1 by operating the operation terminal 3 . The contents of the remote operation performed by the operator 2 are not limited as long as the vehicle 1 is moved remotely.

The operation terminal 3 is a mobile terminal such as a smart phone, a tablet, or a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), and is used to remotely operate the vehicle 1 . As shown in FIG. 1, the operation terminal 3 includes a GPS receiver 21, a display device 22, an input device 23 and a communication section 24. FIG. The GPS receiver 21 receives signals from a plurality of GPS satellites and measures position information (for example, latitude and longitude) of the operation terminal 3 . Position information of the operation terminal 3 measured by the GPS receiver 21 is transmitted to the vehicle control device 10 via the communication unit 24 .

The display device 22 is, for example, a display, and presents information necessary for remote control to the operator 2 . The input device 23 receives the details of remote control of the vehicle 1 from the operator 2 . For example, the input device 23 is a button, switch, touch panel, keyboard, mouse, or the like. The operator 2 uses the input device 23 to input various information regarding remote control to the operation terminal 3 . For example, the operator 2 uses an input device to input information indicating a remote control start request and information about the content of the remote control. For example, the amount of acceleration, the amount of braking, the steering angle of the vehicle 1, or the target position of the vehicle 1 is input as the information about the content of the remote control.

The communication unit 24 is, for example, a wireless communication device, and transmits/receives various information regarding remote control to/from the vehicle 1 . For example, when receiving a remote operation start request from the operator 2, the communication unit 24 transmits the position information of the operation terminal 3 acquired by the GPS receiver 21 and the remote operation request indicating the remote operation start request to the vehicle control unit. Send to device 10 . The remote operation request may include identification information specifying the vehicle 1 for which remote operation is desired. Upon receiving information indicating permission for remote operation from the vehicle control device 10 in response to the transmission of the remote operation request, the communication unit 24 transmits the remote operation information indicating the details of the remote operation input by the operator 2 to the vehicle control device. Send to 10.

The vehicle control device 10 will be described in more detail. When the vehicle control device 10 receives a request for remote operation of the vehicle 1 from the operation terminal 3, the vehicle control device 10 determines whether or not to permit remote operation of the vehicle 1. FIG. When permitting remote control of the vehicle 1, the control mode of the vehicle 1 is switched to the remote control mode. Then, remote control information is received from the operator 2, and control is performed to move the vehicle 1 according to the remote control information.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle control device 10 includes an operation request acquisition unit 31, a terminal location acquisition unit 32, an operator location identification unit 33, a permission determination unit 34, and a control unit 35 as functional configurations.

The operation request acquisition unit 31 acquires a remote operation request from the operation terminal 3 via the communication unit 14 . The terminal position acquisition unit 32 acquires position information of the operation terminal 3 received from the operation terminal 3 via the communication unit 14 . The operator position specifying unit 33 acquires position information of the operator 2 based on the output of the external sensor 12 . For example, when a camera is used as the external sensor 12, the side of the vehicle 1 is captured by the camera, and the captured image is subjected to image recognition processing to determine the position of the operator 2 existing around the vehicle 1. Identify. When a radar is used as the external sensor 12, radio waves or light are transmitted from the radar to the vicinity of the vehicle 1, and the radio waves or light reflected from the operator 2 are received to specify the position of the operator 2. .

The permission determination unit 34 determines whether or not to permit remote operation of the vehicle 1 based on the position information of the operator 2 and the operation terminal 3 . More specifically, the permission determination unit 34 determines whether or not the operator 2 and the operating terminal 3 are positioned within the operable region R1. The operable region R1 is a region located on an extension line of the axle 43 of the non-steered wheels 42 of the vehicle 1 . As shown in FIG. 2, when the vehicle 1 has two rear axles, the area defined between the extension lines of the two axles 43 may be the operable area R1. When determining that the operator 2 and the operating terminal 3 are positioned within the operable region R1, the permission determination unit 34 outputs an operation permission notice indicating that remote operation is permitted to the control unit 35, and also outputs an operation permission notification to the control unit 35. A notification is transmitted to the operation terminal 3 via the communication unit 14 .

On the other hand, when it is determined that the operator 2 and the operating terminal 3 are positioned within the operation prohibited area R2, the permission determination unit 34 outputs an operation prohibition notification indicating prohibition of remote operation to the control unit 35, An operation prohibition notification is transmitted to the operation terminal 3 via the communication unit 14 . The operation prohibited area R2 is an area other than the operable area R1, that is, an area not located on the extension line of the axle 43 of the non-steered wheels 42 of the vehicle 1 .

As shown in FIG. 2, the operable region R1 may be set only on one of the left and right sides of the vehicle (the left side in FIG. 2). That is, when the operator 2 and the operating terminal 3 are positioned on one of the left and right sides of the vehicle 1 (for example, the left side), the permission determination unit 34 permits the remote operation by the operator 2, and the operator 2 and the operating terminal 3 remote operation by the operator 2 is prohibited when the is located on the other left and right side (for example, right side) of the vehicle 1 . 2. Description of the Related Art At a freight transportation base such as a warehouse, a large number of vehicles are arranged in a row, and a large number of workers may perform cargo handling operations around them. In such an environment, when attempting to remotely control a vehicle, there is a risk of erroneously operating an adjacent vehicle. Inadvertent remote control of other vehicles can lead to collisions, especially in congested environments. On the other hand, by permitting remote operation when the operator 2 and the operation terminal 3 are located on one side of the vehicle 1, it is possible to prevent erroneous remote operation of another vehicle.

Further, the permission determination unit 34 may permit remote operation when the operator 2 and the operating terminal 3 are continuously positioned within the operable region R1 for a certain period of time or more. From the viewpoint of safety, it is desirable to prevent unauthorized remote control of the vehicle 1 by a third party who is not around the vehicle 1 via the network. By making remote operation permission conditions that the operator 2 and the operation terminal 3 are continuously positioned within the operable region R1 for a certain period of time or longer, it becomes difficult for the vehicle 1 to be illegally remotely operated from a remote location. .

When the permission determination unit 34 permits remote operation, the control unit 35 acquires remote operation information indicating the details of the remote operation specified by the operator 2, and performs control to move the vehicle based on the remote operation information. I do. For example, when the target position is designated by the operator 2, the control unit 35 sets a travel route from the current position to the target position, and sends control signals to the engine actuator, the brake actuator, and the steering actuator of the actuator 15. to move the vehicle 1 to the target position along the set travel route. On the other hand, when the permission determination unit 34 prohibits the remote operation, the control unit 35 does not control the remote operation of the vehicle 1 .

Next, a vehicle control method executed by the vehicle control device 10 will be described. FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing a vehicle control method according to one embodiment. In this vehicle control method, first, the operation request acquisition unit 31 of the vehicle control device 10 determines whether or not a remote operation request has been received from the operation terminal 3 (step ST1). If no remote operation request has been received, it waits until a remote operation request is received from the operation terminal 3 .

When the remote operation request is received from the operation terminal 3, the terminal position acquiring section 32 acquires the position information of the operation terminal 3 measured by the GPS receiver 11 (step ST2). Next, the operator position specifying unit 33 acquires the position information of the operator 2 based on the detection result of the external sensor 12 (step ST3).

Next, the permission determination unit 34 determines whether or not the operator 2 and the operation terminal 3 are positioned within the operable region R1, that is, on the extension line of the axle 43 of the non-steered wheels 42 of the vehicle 1 (step ST4). . As shown in FIG. 4, the operable region R1 is a position on the extension line of the axle 43 of the non-steered wheels 42 of the vehicle 1, and is the trajectory that the vehicle 1 passes when the steering angle of the vehicle 1 is maximized. It may be a region located inside C (that is, a trajectory with a minimum turning radius). If it is determined that the operator 2 and the operating terminal 3 are not located within the operable region R1, the control unit 35 is prohibited from executing the remote operation (step ST5). Then, it transmits an operation prohibition notification indicating prohibition of remote operation to the operation terminal 3 and waits until it receives a remote operation request from the operation terminal 3 again.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the operator 2 and the operating terminal 3 are located within the operable region R1, the permission determination unit 34 keeps the operator 2 and the operating terminal 3 in the operable region continuously for a certain period of time. It is determined whether or not it is located within R1 (step ST6). When it is determined that the operator 2 and the operating terminal 3 are continuously positioned within the operable region R1 for a certain period of time, the permission determination unit 34 permits the execution of the remote operation by the control unit 35. (step ST7). Then, an operation permission notification indicating permission for remote operation is transmitted to the operation terminal 3 .

When the execution of the remote operation is permitted by the permission determination unit 34, the control unit 35 acquires remote operation information indicating the contents of the remote operation from the operation terminal 3 (step ST8). Then, the control unit 35 controls the actuator 15 so that the remote operation designated by the operator 2 is executed (step ST9). Thereby, the vehicle 1 is moved by remote control. On the other hand, when it is determined that the operator 2 and the operating terminal 3 are not continuously positioned within the operable region R1 for a certain period of time, the operator 2 and the operating terminal 3 are kept within the operable region R1. The determination in step ST4 is repeated until it is determined that the vehicle is positioned for at least the time.

As described above, the vehicle control device 10 permits remote control of the vehicle 1 when the operator 2 and the operating terminal 3 are positioned within the operable region R1. As shown in FIG. 4, the operable region R1 is located outside the trajectory C that the vehicle 1 travels when the steering angle of the vehicle 1 is maximized. Even in such a case, contact between the vehicle 1 and the operator 2 is prevented immediately after the start of the vehicle. Therefore, it is possible to give the operator 2 time to start evacuation. As a result, the safety of remote control can be enhanced.

Furthermore, the vehicle control device 10 acquires position information of the operator 2 using an external sensor 12 mounted on the vehicle 1 . Since the remote operation is permitted when the operator 2 and the operation terminal 3 are positioned around the vehicle 1, unauthorized remote operation of the vehicle 1 from a distant place via the network is prevented.

Although the vehicle control device 10 according to various embodiments has been described above, it is possible to configure various modifications without being limited to the above-described embodiments without changing the gist of the invention. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the operable region R1 is set only on the left side of the vehicle 1, but the operable region R1 may be set on both the left and right sides of the vehicle 1. Also, the position information of the operation terminal 3 may be acquired based on the detection result of the external sensor 12 .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Vehicle 2... Operator 3... Operation terminal 10... Vehicle control apparatus 32... Terminal position acquisition part 33... Operator position specification part 34... Permission determination part 35... Control part 42... Non-steering wheel, 43... axle, R1... operable area.

Claims (3)

a terminal position acquisition unit that acquires position information of the operating terminal;
an operator position specifying unit that specifies the position of an operator who operates the operation terminal;
a control unit that performs control to move the vehicle according to the operation content of the operation terminal by the operator;
When the operator and the operating terminal are positioned within an operable area positioned on an extension of the axle of the non-steered wheels of the vehicle, the control unit is permitted to control the vehicle, and the control unit is allowed to control the vehicle within the operable area. a permission determination unit that prohibits control of the vehicle by the control unit when an operator and the operation terminal are not positioned;
A vehicle control device. 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein said operable area is set only on one of left and right sides of said vehicle. 2. The permission determination unit permits the control unit to control the vehicle when the operator and the operation terminal are continuously positioned within the operable region for a predetermined time or longer. 3. The vehicle control device according to 2.

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