JPH04310109A - Function confirming system for on-vehicle control part of unmanned vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To confirm the working of an on-vehicle control part of a test vehicle out of an unmanned traveling test cource for an unmanned endurance traveling test. CONSTITUTION:An on-vehicle control part function confirming system comprises a chassis roller 34 which supports rotatably a driving wheel 7a, a flywheel 35 connected directly to the roller 34, a steering amplifier part 39 which changes the magnetic fields of the guide cables 38 provided at both sides of a test vehicle 7, a confirmation control panel 41 which gives an optional command to an ATC loop 40, and a vehicle speed display part 37 which detects the revolution of the roller 34 and displays the vehicle speed. This confirming system is provided out of an unmanned traveling test course. Then the on-road traveling is regenerated through the roller 34, and the working of each function is confirmed.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention is applied to unmanned vehicles used in endurance running experiments conducted on newly developed automobiles, etc. The present invention relates to an in-vehicle control unit function confirmation system that can be confirmed in advance outside a driving test road.

0002

[Prior Art] Durability testing using actual vehicles is an indispensable item in the development of automobiles.
This requires a large amount of man-hours. For this reason, it has been considered to conduct this durability test using an unmanned driving system, and this has been put into practical use in some cases.

[0003] Therefore, a durability test using a conventional unmanned driving system will be explained based on FIGS. 3 to 6. Figure 3
1 is a plan view showing an endurance running test course for unmanned vehicles, which is composed of an endurance running course (circuit) 1 and an evacuation course 2. This endurance test course includes
Guidance cables 3 are laid at both left and right ends of the running path. Furthermore, the illustrated endurance course 1 consists of 16 sections of ATC (Automatic Train Control).
The evacuation course 2 is divided into three sections of ATC loops 5. These ATC loops 4 and 5 each form a loop having the ATC matching device 6 as its starting point and ending point. Note that the number of sections of the ATC loops 4 and 5 is appropriately set depending on conditions such as the scale of the course and the number of vehicles running simultaneously.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the induction cable 3, the ATC loop 4, and the test vehicle 7. Lateral shift detectors 8 are attached to the left and right front ends of the test vehicle 7, and an ATC verifier 9 is attached to the lower surface of the front end of the vehicle body. Furthermore, an on-vehicle control unit 10 is installed in the test vehicle 7, and receives command radio waves transmitted from a central control device 12 in a control room 11 to operate actuators (not shown) that perform various driving operations. The control room 11 includes a guidance control device 13 that is connected to the guidance cable 3 and controls guidance signals, and a guidance control device 13 that is connected to each ATC matching box 6 to control the AT.
An ATC rear-end collision prevention device 14 that controls the C signal is installed,
The guidance control device 13 and the ATC collision prevention device 14 are also connected to the central control device 12. Furthermore, 15
is an antenna that transmits command radio waves from the central control device 12;
Reference numeral 16 indicates an antenna attached to the test vehicle 7 to receive the command radio waves.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an outline of the unmanned driving system, in which an on-vehicle control unit 10 installed in a test vehicle 7 detects the magnetic field emitted by the induction cable 3 with a side-slip detector 8 and performs steering to determine the course. The control unit 17, the ATC loop 4,
A rear-end collision prevention control unit 18 that controls the traveling speed by exchanging signals with the ATC checker 9 and a steering control unit 17 and a rear-end collision prevention control unit 18 in addition to command signals from the central control device 12. The drive control section 19 receives a signal from the drive control section 19 and operates an actuator for driving operation. Driving operations controlled by the driving control unit 19 include a steering operation 20, an accelerator operation 21, a clutch operation 22, a transmission operation 23, a regular brake operation 24, and an emergency brake operation 25, all of which are performed using an actuator such as an air cylinder. Activate and implement.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining prevention of rear-end collision by ATC control. Rear-end collision prevention using ATC control involves controlling vehicle speed so that there is an appropriate distance between test vehicles in multiple ATC loops 4 formed on the driving route, and only one test vehicle is present in each ATC loop at any given time. It is. For example, at endurance running vehicle speed V, ATC
At the rear of the test vehicle 7a running in the loop 4a, there is an AT
The following test vehicle 7b exists in the ATC loop 4e, which is spaced apart by three sections of the C loops 4b, 4c, and 4d, and is also running at the endurance running vehicle speed V. In this way, during normal test driving, the vehicle speed is controlled so as to always maintain an inter-vehicle distance of three ATC loop sections or more. but,
Test driving vehicle 7a was stopped by ATC due to some trouble.
When stopped within the loop 4a, the following test vehicle 7b
When entering the TC loop 4d, a first deceleration command is received and the vehicle speed is decelerated to V1. Furthermore, the test vehicle 7b is
If the test vehicle 7a does not move even after entering the ATC loop 4c, it receives a second deceleration command and decelerates to vehicle speed V2, and when it enters the next ATC loop 4b, it receives a stop command and stops. These controls are based on signals exchanged between the ATC verifier 9 installed on each test vehicle 7 and the ATC loop 4. The prevention control unit 18 is configured to make a judgment and issue an appropriate command to the operation control unit 19 to perform the driving operation.

Regarding steering control, a magnetic field of the same strength is emitted from the induction cables 3 laid on both sides of the travel path, and a pair of left and right side shift detectors 8 detect this. At this time, if the test vehicle 7 is traveling in a position shifted to either the left or right side, the magnetic field detected by the side shift detector 8 will have different values on the left and right sides, so the left and right detected values should be the same. Operate the steering wheel to correct course.

[0008]

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] By the way, when carrying out a durability test using an unmanned vehicle as described above, it is necessary to ensure that steering control, ATC control, and various driving operations function well with on-vehicle devices. It is necessary to confirm this before starting the test. However, on conventional unmanned driving test courses, there is no equipment to check that the on-vehicle devices installed on the test vehicle are working properly or to adjust their operation, so it is difficult to actually drive on the test course. However, we had to confirm and adjust the functions. For this reason, when an unmanned vehicle that is about to start a new durability test enters the test course, it is necessary to stop the other test vehicles undergoing the test or significantly reduce their speed to check and make adjustments. There was an inconvenience in that the test course, which was designed to allow multiple test vehicles to run simultaneously in order to increase test efficiency, could not be used effectively. In addition, if a test vehicle whose on-vehicle equipment has not been checked for operation is driven on the test course for confirmation and adjustment, even if the vehicle is running at a low speed, the person checking the functionality may be driving on the test course at the same time. This was not desirable from a safety standpoint as it required entering the test vehicle. Moreover,
Performing confirmation and adjustment work inside a running test vehicle poses problems in terms of workability, and improvements have been desired. The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to safely check and adjust the on-vehicle equipment of an unmanned vehicle, and to improve workability and make the test course more effective. An object of the present invention is to provide a system for confirming the function of an on-board control unit for an unmanned vehicle, which is also effective for use.

[0009]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and includes a steering control unit that determines the course by detecting the magnetic field emitted by the guidance cables laid on both sides of the running path; a rear-end collision prevention control unit that controls the traveling speed by transmitting and receiving signals to and from a plurality of ATC loops formed on the traveling road;
The vehicle-mounted control unit is configured to operate unmanned, and includes a driving control unit that operates an actuator for driving operation in response to signals from the steering control unit and the rear-end collision prevention control unit in addition to a driving operation command signal. In the in-vehicle control function confirmation system for an unmanned vehicle that has been tested, a chassis roller that rotatably supports the drive wheels of the test vehicle, a flywheel that is directly connected to the chassis roller and applies a load during acceleration and deceleration, and a Steering control confirmation means that changes the magnetic field of the induction cables arranged on both sides, ATC control confirmation means that issues arbitrary commands to the ATC loop arranged around the test vehicle, and captures the rotation of the chassis rollers as a pulse signal. The present invention is an on-vehicle control unit function confirmation system for an unmanned vehicle, characterized in that it is configured to include a vehicle speed detection means.

0010

[Operation] According to the above-mentioned means, before carrying out a durability test using an unmanned driving system, the on-vehicle control unit of the test vehicle detects the magnetic field emitted from the induction cable, performs predetermined steering control, and performs the ATC loop. By sending and receiving signals from the vehicle, the vehicle is controlled to a predetermined driving speed to prevent rear-end collisions, and the in-vehicle control function confirmation system can be used to confirm that the actuator for driving operation is activated based on various driving operation commands. Become.

[0011]

[Embodiment] An embodiment of the in-vehicle control unit function confirmation system for an unmanned vehicle according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 5. Figure 1 (a) is a plan view of the on-vehicle control function confirmation system, Figure 1 (b) is a side view thereof, and Figure 2 is a plan view showing a durability test course for unmanned vehicles equipped with the on-vehicle control function confirmation system. It is.

The durability test course shown in FIG. 2 is composed of a durability running course 1 and an evacuation course 2, as in the past, and therefore, the same parts are given the same reference numerals and detailed explanations will be omitted. The in-vehicle control unit function confirmation system according to the present invention is preferably installed at a suitable location near the durability test course, particularly in the confirmation system room 31 provided adjacent to the evacuation course 2.

As shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), the in-vehicle control unit function confirmation system has a configuration in which two chassis rollers 34 are arranged parallel to each other in a space 33 formed on a floor surface 32. No. 7 drive wheels 7a are rotatably supported so that driving on the road can be reproduced on rollers. In this embodiment, since the test vehicle 7 is a front-wheel drive vehicle, the chassis rollers 34 are provided only on the front wheels, but in order to accommodate the increasing number of four-wheel drive vehicles in recent years, A chassis roller may also be provided on the rear wheel side. In this case, in order to be compatible with a large number of vehicle types, it is preferable to make one chassis roller movable according to the wheel base of the test vehicle. A flywheel 35 is coaxially and directly connected to the chassis roller 34, so that a load is generated during acceleration and deceleration. Further, the rotation of the chassis roller 34 is converted into a pulse signal by a pulse signal acquisition section 36, and this pulse signal is displayed as a vehicle speed on a vehicle speed display section 37 (vehicle speed detection means). Then, induction cables 38 are laid on both sides of the test vehicle 7 that simulates running on the chassis rollers 34, in the same way as on the actual running road, and the magnetic fields generated in the left and right induction cables 38 by the steering amplifier section 39 are set to an arbitrary value. It is arranged so that it can be changed (steering control means). moreover,
An ATC loop 40 is formed around the test vehicle 7 that simulates running on the chassis rollers 34, and a confirmation operation panel 41
By issuing an arbitrary speed command from the controller, it is possible to confirm signal exchange (ATC control confirmation means). In addition, 8 is a side slip detector attached to the left and right front ends of the test vehicle 7, and 9 is an ATC attached to the lower surface of the front end of the vehicle body.
Reference numeral 10 indicates an on-vehicle control unit.

[0014] Hereinafter, a method for confirming the on-vehicle control section of a test vehicle using the on-vehicle control section function confirmation system having the above-mentioned configuration and its operation will be explained. The test vehicle 7 was equipped with the on-vehicle control unit 10 for unmanned driving, the side slip detector 8, the ATC checker 9, the driving operation actuator (not shown), etc.
The vehicle is carried into the confirmation system room 31, the drive wheels 7a are supported on the chassis rollers 34, and confirmation work is started.

In this embodiment, the explanation will be given assuming that the operation starts with confirmation of the operation of the steering control section 17. In the case of vehicles equipped with power steering, this is always carried out with the engine running, but in other cases, if the on-board control unit or actuator has its own power source, the engine does not need to be running. In this steering control confirmation method, the strength of the magnetic field emitted from the induction cables 38 laid on both sides of the test vehicle 7 is changed by operating the steering amplifier section 39 (the transmission level of the steering signal is controlled by the gain of the steering amplifier section). The strength of this magnetic field is detected by the lateral shift detector 8 to confirm that a predetermined steering operation is performed. In other words, by weakening the magnetic field on the right side of the vehicle body, it is possible to reproduce the state in which the test vehicle 7 is traveling to the left of the normal running path, and if the steering control unit 17 is functioning normally, the pair of left and right side deviations can be detected. It can be confirmed that the actuator operates to perform the steering operation 20 by determining the direction and amount of deviation from the difference in strength of the magnetic field detected by the device 8, and steering the steering wheel to the right to return to the normal driving path. . On the other hand, if the magnetic field on the left side of the vehicle body is weakened, it is possible to reproduce a state in which the test vehicle 7 is running shifted to the right side, so that it is also possible to confirm the steering operation 20 to steer the vehicle to the left side. Note that if the left and right magnetic fields are the same and it is confirmed that the steering operation 20 is not performed, the lateral deviation detector 8 and the steering control unit 1
It also confirms that 7 is working properly. Therefore,
It can be easily confirmed that the steering control section of the test vehicle 7 operates normally without going to an actual test course.

Next, the operation of the rear-end collision prevention control unit 18 using ATC control is confirmed, but in this case as well, if the on-vehicle control unit and actuator have their own power source, the engine does not need to be operated. In this ATC control confirmation method, in order to confirm that signals are being sent and received correctly between the ATC loop 40 arranged around the test vehicle 7 and the ATC verifier 9, any This is to issue a speed command and check the reaction. That is, if the transmission and reception of the ATC signal is normal, a presence signal indicating that the test vehicle 7 exists within the ATC loop 40 is output from the test vehicle 7 side in response to the speed command signal. By receiving this signal and displaying it on the confirmation operation panel 41, it can be confirmed that the ATC control signal exchange is being performed reliably. In addition, since the test vehicle 7 is stopped within the ATC loop 40, it is determined that the test vehicle 7 is in serious trouble (unable to move between ATC loops due to inability to drive, etc.) after a predetermined period of time has passed after issuing an arbitrary speed command. This signal allows you to confirm the signal transmission and reception again. In addition, it can be confirmed at the same time that the emergency brake operation 25 is activated at the time when this serious failure signal is detected.

Finally, the engine is put into an operating state (idling state), and the operation of the driving control section 19 and the vehicle-mounted control section 10 as a whole is checked. In this operation control confirmation method, an arbitrary operation speed is commanded from the confirmation operation panel 41, and this command is received by the ATC checker 9 via the ATC loop 40. The in-vehicle control unit 10 that received this command operates the driving control unit 1.
9 performs clutch operation 22 and transmission operation 23 and 1
After shifting to high speed, operate the accelerator 21 with the clutch in the half-clutch state.
The test vehicle 7 is then started. That is, the driving wheels 7a rotate on the chassis rollers 34 in the same way as when the vehicle is actually traveling, and the reaction force of this rotation causes the chassis rollers 34 to rotate in the opposite direction to the driving wheels 7a, so that driving on the road can be reproduced using the chassis rollers. The test vehicle 7a, which has started in this way, is operated at a specified running speed (hereinafter referred to as commanded speed), an actual traveling speed (hereinafter referred to as commanded speed) which has received the pulse signal for the speedometer, and an actual traveling speed which has received the pulse signal for the speedometer. Based on the comparison with the running speed (hereinafter referred to as meter speed), if the meter speed is less than the command speed, the driving operation will be performed in the acceleration direction, and on the other hand, if the meter speed is higher than the command speed, the driving operation will be performed in the deceleration direction. Perform operations. Therefore, by appropriately changing the command speed, it can be comprehensively confirmed that various driving operations that reproduce actual unmanned driving are being carried out reliably. Furthermore, since the traveling speed of the test vehicle 7a is calculated from the number of revolutions of the chassis roller 34 and is displayed on the vehicle speed display section 37, there is no need to read the speedometer display of the test vehicle 7 to check the reaction to the command speed. , is effective in making the operation confirmation work easy and safe. In the above embodiment, the test vehicle 7 was described as a manual transmission vehicle, but it goes without saying that the present invention can also be applied to an automatic transmission vehicle, and in this case, clutch operation is not required.

[0018]

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention described above, it is now possible to check that the in-vehicle control unit function of an endurance test vehicle using an unmanned driving system operates normally outside the actual endurance course, and the following: It has a similar effect. (1) Even while the test vehicle is being prepared and the operation of the on-vehicle control unit functions and actuators that perform various driving operations are being checked, other test vehicles can continue the durability test, which improves the efficiency of the test. (2) Safety is improved because there is no need for humans to be on the endurance course. (3) During operation confirmation work, there is no need for people to get into the narrow test vehicle to make checks and adjustments, improving work efficiency.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of an in-vehicle control unit function confirmation system according to the present invention, in which (a) is a plan view and (b) is a side view.

FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating a durability test course for an unmanned vehicle equipped with the in-vehicle control unit function confirmation system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a conventional durability test course for unmanned vehicles.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an overview of an unmanned driving system.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an overview of an unmanned driving system.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining prevention of rear-end collision by ATC control.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Endurance course 2 Evacuation course 3,38 Induction cable 4, 5, 40 ATC loop 7 Test vehicle 8 Lateral slip detector 9 ATC verifier 10 In-vehicle control section 17 Steering control section 18 Collision prevention control section 19 Operation control section 31 Confirmation system room 34 Chassis roller 35 Flywheel 36 Pulse signal acquisition section 37 Vehicle speed display section 39 Steering amplifier section 41 Confirmation operation room

Claims (4)

[Claims] Claim 1: A steering control unit that determines the course by detecting the magnetic field emitted by the induction cables laid on both sides of the running route, and controlling the running speed by exchanging signals with a plurality of ATC loops formed on the running route. An on-vehicle control unit comprising a rear-end collision prevention control unit and a driving control unit that operates an actuator for driving operation in response to signals from the steering control unit and the rear-end collision prevention control unit in addition to a driving operation command signal. In an in-vehicle control function confirmation system for an unmanned vehicle configured to operate unmanned, there is a chassis roller that rotatably supports the drive wheels of the test vehicle, and a flywheel that is directly connected to the chassis roller and applies a load during acceleration and deceleration. Steering control confirmation means for changing the magnetic field of the wheels and induction cables arranged on both sides of the test vehicle; ATC control confirmation means for issuing arbitrary commands to an ATC loop arranged around the test vehicle; and rotation of the chassis rollers. What is claimed is: 1. A system for confirming the function of an on-vehicle control section of an unmanned vehicle, comprising: vehicle speed detection means for capturing the pulse signal as a pulse signal. 2. A steering control confirmation means comprising induction cables disposed on both sides of the test vehicle and a steering amplifier section that changes the strength of the magnetic field generated from the induction cables to an arbitrary value, Claim 1: A change in the magnetic field detected by a lateral shift detector of the vehicle operates an actuator for steering operation via a guidance control unit and an on-vehicle control unit to confirm that predetermined steering is performed in response to the change in the magnetic field. The steering control confirmation method of the vehicle-mounted control unit function confirmation system of the described unmanned vehicle. 3. ATC control comprising: an ATC loop disposed around the test vehicle and a confirmation operation panel for transmitting and receiving signals between an ATC loop disposed around the test vehicle and an ATC verifier attached to the test vehicle within the ATC loop. The confirmation means is configured to detect vehicle presence and serious failure signals in response to arbitrary commands output from the confirmation operation panel, thereby confirming that the ATC signal is being exchanged in a prescribed manner, and 2. The ATC control confirmation method for an on-vehicle control unit function confirmation system for an unmanned vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising confirming that an emergency brake is activated upon detection of a failure signal. 4. A method for operating the clutch, transmission, accelerator, and service brake by issuing an arbitrary speed command from the ATC control confirmation means to the test vehicle with the drive wheels supported on the chassis rollers while the engine is operating. Confirm that the actuator operates as specified and that the test vehicle accelerates or decelerates to the commanded speed on the chassis rollers and is maintained at the designated speed, and that the clutch, transmission, accelerator, and service brake operate as commanded. 2. The method for confirming operation control of an on-vehicle control unit function confirmation system for an unmanned vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the method confirms that the function confirmation system operates.