WO2018179345A1

WO2018179345A1 - Trailer

Info

Publication number: WO2018179345A1
Application number: PCT/JP2017/013620
Authority: WO
Inventors: 浩太郎三木
Original assignee: 本田技研工業株式会社
Priority date: 2017-03-31
Filing date: 2017-03-31
Publication date: 2018-10-04

Abstract

This trailer (13) is towed with a towing means (12) by an automotive vehicle (11). The trailer (13) travels in one of two driving modes: moving autonomously in an autonomous mode or being towed in trailer mode. For example, the trailer will, on the basis of drive condition data such as acceleration and tilt reported by the automotive vehicle (11), set the driving mode to the autonomous mode if the data indicates acceleration or tilt conditions that exceeds a fixed value, and to trailing mode if not. In the automatic mode, the trailer (13) follows the automotive vehicle (11) and reduces the burden thereon.

Description

Following vehicle

The present invention relates to a following vehicle that travels following a powered motorcycle (self-propelled vehicle).

¡Motorcycles have a limited load capacity for passengers other than passengers, especially when two people are riding, the load of luggage is limited to tank bags and side bags. In order to expand this limited loading capacity, for example, use of an unmanned aerial vehicle having a tracking function for tracking a target and capable of loading a load is conceivable (see Patent Document 1). By loading luggage on this unmanned aerial vehicle and tracking a traveling two-wheeled vehicle as a target, the amount of luggage that can be transported can be increased.

JP 2017-503226 A JP 2017-19308 A

However, unmanned airplanes have a limited load capacity and can only be carried lightly. Further, since the power source of power, for example, battery capacity and fuel loading capacity is limited, the flight time is short, and it is difficult to accompany the motorcycle for a long time.

Also, it is conceivable to expand the load carrying capacity by towing a vehicle-type carrying device used for bicycles by a self-propelled vehicle (two-wheeled vehicle). However, the traveling speed of a motorcycle is faster than that of a bicycle, and on a road curve or the like, the towed conveyance device may deviate from the lane, or the traveling of the towing motorcycle may be hindered.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional example, and an object thereof is to provide a follow-up vehicle and a vehicle system that increase the transport capability of the self-propelled vehicle and do not hinder the travel of the self-propelled vehicle.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following configuration.

That is, according to one aspect of the present invention, a follower vehicle (13) that travels with a self-propelled vehicle (11),
Self-propelled means (72) for traveling autonomously by power;
Acquisition means (50, 60, 65, 101, 102) for acquiring running state information;
A travel control means (112) that travels in any mode of a driven mode that is towed by the self-propelled vehicle and travels autonomously by the self-propelled means (72);
The travel control means (112) switches between the driven mode and the self-running mode based on the acquired travel state information.

With this configuration, the mode automatically switches depending on the traveling state of the self-propelled vehicle, so that when the self-propelled vehicle is to be operated freely, the self-propelled mode is set, and even if the driven vehicle is towed, the traveling of the automobile is hindered. Absent. Furthermore, since the following vehicle determines the mode, no restriction is imposed on the towing motorcycle.

Alternatively, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle system including a self-propelled vehicle (101) and a follower vehicle (13) that travels with the self-propelled vehicle (101),
The following vehicle is
Self-propelled means (72) for traveling autonomously by power;
Acquisition means (50, 60, 65, 101, 102) for acquiring running state information;
Travel control means (112) that travels in one of the following modes: a driven mode that is towed by the self-propelled vehicle; and a self-propelled mode that travels autonomously by the self-propelled means (72);
Communication means (65) for receiving an instruction of the mode,
The self-propelled vehicle (101)
Determination means for switching the operation mode between the driven mode and the self-running mode based on the acquired driving state information;
Communication means (11a) for transmitting the driving mode to the following vehicle.

With this configuration, the mode automatically switches depending on the traveling state of the self-propelled vehicle, so that when the self-propelled vehicle is to be operated freely, the self-propelled mode is set, and even if the driven vehicle is towed, the traveling of the automobile is hindered. Absent. Furthermore, since the self-propelled vehicle determines the mode, the configuration of the following vehicle can be simplified.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a follow-up vehicle and a vehicle system that increase the carrying capacity of a two-wheeled vehicle and do not hinder the traveling of the two-wheeled vehicle.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same or similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals.

The accompanying drawings are included in the specification, constitute a part thereof, show an embodiment of the present invention, and are used to explain the principle of the present invention together with the description.
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle system. (First Example) FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration for controlling the following vehicle. (First Example) FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing the arrangement of sensors and control mechanisms of the following vehicle. (First Example) FIG. 4A is a flowchart showing a switching solution processing procedure of the driving mode of the following vehicle. (First Example) FIG. 4B is a flowchart showing a traveling control procedure of the following vehicle. (First Example) FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the learning process procedure of the driving mode of the following vehicle. (First Example) FIG. 6A is a flowchart showing variations of operation mode switching parameters. FIG. 6B is a flowchart showing variations of operation mode switching parameters. FIG. 6C is a flowchart showing variations of operation mode switching parameters. FIG. 6D is a flowchart showing variations of operation mode switching parameters. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing variations of operation mode switching parameters. (Second embodiment)

[First embodiment]
As an embodiment of the present invention, a following vehicle that can be towed by a self-propelled vehicle and that has a function of following the self-propelled vehicle will be described. This follow-up vehicle runs in one of two modes: a follow-up mode in which it is towed by a self-propelled vehicle and a self-run mode in which the self-propelled vehicle is driven by an automatic driving function without being towed by the self-propelled vehicle. To do. Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described focusing on the following vehicle.

<Vehicle configuration>
FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a vehicle system according to the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the powered motorcycle 11 is a self-propelled vehicle. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the self-propelled vehicle 11 is a two-wheeled vehicle driven by a passenger. The self-propelled vehicle 11 includes a communication unit 11a for communicating with a follow-up vehicle 13 described later, and a traveling state detection unit 11b. The traveling state detection unit 11b detects, for example, the inclination or acceleration of the vehicle as the traveling state. The detected traveling state information is transmitted to the following vehicle by the communication unit 11a. On the other hand, the following vehicle 13 is pulled by the self-propelled vehicle 11 by the towing line 12. The towing line 12 is composed of, for example, a rope or a wire, and has a sufficient tensile strength for towing the following vehicle 13.

The following vehicle 13 is coupled to the self-propelled vehicle 11 via the towing line 12. The connection between the self-propelled vehicle 11 and the towing line 12 is removable. The following vehicle 13 includes a travel mechanism unit 13a, a loading unit 13b, a drive wheel 13c, and a steering wheel 13d. The travel mechanism unit 13a includes an engine that is a source of travel drive force, a drive mechanism that drives the drive wheels 13c by the engine, and a control unit 100 that controls travel (described later with reference to FIG. 3). ) Etc. are included. The loading portion 13b is a portion for loading a load, and it is desirable that a mechanism for fixing the load, such as a lid and a fixed rope, is prepared, although not shown in the drawing. Both the driving wheel 13c and the steering wheel 13d rotate freely during towing to reduce the load on the self-propelled vehicle 11. The steering wheel 13d is configured to change its direction according to the towing direction like a caster when towing. In addition to the internal combustion engine, an electric motor or a hybrid power unit of the internal combustion engine and the electric motor can be used as the engine.

The basic configuration of the vehicle system is as described above, but the towing line 12 may be replaced with a connecting member such as a towing bar having high rigidity such as a metal pipe. In this case, it is desirable that, for example, a universal joint or the like is provided at both ends or one end of the tow bar so that the direction can be freely changed.

In FIG. 1, the following vehicle has a structure in which a relatively large superstructure is mounted on a small-diameter wheel. However, in consideration of traveling speed and braking force, a larger-diameter and wider hollow rubber wheel is adopted. May be. In addition, the distance between the front and rear of the driving wheel 13c and the steering wheel 13d and the distance between the left and right may be increased for stability during traveling. Moreover, you may support a driving | running | working wheel with a buffer member for stability of driving | running | working. That is, you may have the chassis similar to a common motor vehicle.

<Configuration of subordinate vehicle control unit>
FIG. 2 shows an example of the inside of the following vehicle 13, in particular, a diagram for explaining the traveling mechanism unit 13 a. FIG. 2 is a view of the following vehicle 13 as viewed from the upper surface or the lower surface. The mechanism unit 13a is provided with a radar 30 and a camera 40 that cover a certain range centering on the front thereof. A road surface sensor 50 is provided toward the road surface. The road surface sensor 50 is configured by, for example, a camera or a radar for detecting the state of a road surface at a certain distance in the traveling direction. Hereinafter, the radar 30, the camera 40, and the road surface sensor 50 may be collectively referred to as external sensors. The external sensor is connected to the control unit 100 and an output signal is transmitted to the control unit 100.

The controller 100 is connected with a driving force output device 72, a steering device 74, and a brake device 76, and controls these devices. The traveling driving force output device 72 is an engine such as an electric motor or an internal combustion engine, for example, and drives the driving wheel 13 c under the control of the control unit 100 to cause the following vehicle 13 to travel. The driving force output device 72 controls the current if the power is an electric motor, for example, and if it is an internal combustion engine, the fuel injection control based on the intake air amount, the throttle opening, the accelerator opening, and other vehicle information. Main controls such as ignition timing control and electronic throttle valve opening control.

The steering device 74 controls the traveling direction of the following vehicle 13 by changing the steering angle (or direction) of the steering wheel 13d under the control of the control unit 100. The steering angle of the steered wheels is determined according to the traveling direction of the self-propelled vehicle 11 traveling in front. When the brake force of each wheel is input from the traveling control unit 112, the brake device 76 calculates the brake fluid pressure of each wheel based on the brake force, and operates the brake drive unit. Accordingly, the driving wheel 13c and the steering wheel 13d are braked under the control of the control unit 100, and the following vehicle 13 is decelerated or stopped.

<Configuration of operation control system 1>
FIG. 3 shows a configuration example of the operation control system 1. The operation control system 1 is configured by connecting sensors and a control system of a driving device to the control unit 100. For example, the control unit 100 may be configured with a computer, a program executed by the computer, and a memory. Hereinafter, a control configuration for automatic operation centering on the control unit 100 will be briefly described. In addition, although automatic driving | running | working can also be performed using the technique as described in patent document 2, etc., for example, the following vehicle 13 of this embodiment is limited to such an extent that it can follow the self-propelled vehicle 11 which runs ahead. It suffices if automatic operation is possible.

3, a traveling driving force output device 72, a brake device 76, and a steering device 74 are connected to the control unit 100 as a control system of the driving device. In addition, signals related to the external environment are input to the travel control device 112 from sensors including the radar 30, the camera 40, and the road surface sensor 50. Devices for detecting these external environments are sometimes called external detection units. In the present embodiment, since it is necessary for the following vehicle 13 to recognize the self-propelling vehicle 11 that is the object to be followed, the camera 40 is centered on the front of the following vehicle 13 and the following vehicle 13 is constant from behind the self-propelling vehicle 11. Even if it moves within the range, it is arranged so that the self-propelled vehicle 11 can be photographed. Although one camera 40 is used, a plurality of cameras 40 may be used to cover the shooting range. Although the self-propelled vehicle 11 to be followed is recognized by the feature in the image, for example, a sticker or the like depicting a predetermined pattern may be attached to the rear portion of the self-propelled vehicle 11.

The posture sensor 60 is a host vehicle state detection unit that detects the posture of the following vehicle such as the direction, acceleration, angular acceleration, and inclination of the following vehicle 13, and an output signal indicating the detected state is input to the control unit 100. . The road surface sensor 50 is a detection unit that detects the state of the road surface, and a signal that indicates the state of the road surface that is running is input to the control unit 100. The detected road surface state may be a state related to the friction coefficient of the road surface, for example, the degree of unevenness thereof, or the wetness of the road surface. The GPS receiver 70 receives signals from GPS satellites. The communication unit 65 communicates with the communication unit 11a on the self-propelled vehicle side. The communication unit 65 can receive the traveling state information transmitted from the self-propelled vehicle 11.

Now, the control unit 100 mainly controls the driving by using the driving state information and the external environment as input. In the control unit 100, the own vehicle state recognition unit 101 determines the state of the following vehicle 13 based on, for example, an acceleration input from the attitude sensor 60, each acceleration, direction, or a road surface state signal input from the road surface sensor 50. Identify. The specified state is updated at a predetermined cycle and stored in the storage unit 130 or the like. The specified information includes, for example, a change in speed from the time when braking is started, in addition to information indicating speed, acceleration, traveling direction, road surface condition, and the like at the latest time.

A GPS signal is input from the GPS receiver 70 to the vehicle position recognition unit 102. The own vehicle position recognizing unit 102 collates the own vehicle position specified from the GPS signal with the map information 132, for example, and specifies the own vehicle position that can be placed on the map. By identifying the location of the vehicle on the map, you can obtain information registered in association with each location on the map, for example, in addition to the road conditions such as the distance to the next curve entrance and the degree of the curve. Can do. If the road surface state described above is registered in association with the map, the road surface state can also be acquired from the map information.

The front-running vehicle recognition unit 103 can recognize an external environment, particularly the self-propelled vehicle 11 traveling immediately before by processing an image of the external environment of the vehicle photographed by the camera 40. The preceding vehicle recognition unit 103 may use the detection result of the radar 30 instead of the camera 40 or together with the camera 40 for recognition of the preceding vehicle. In particular, since it is necessary to maintain the inter-vehicle distance from the self-propelled vehicle 11 during braking, the distance measurement result by the radar 30 can be used for specifying the distance. The forward vehicle recognition unit may include an external detection unit such as the camera 40 or the radar 30.

Here, the camera 40 may be configured by integrating the camera body and the image processing unit, or the control unit 100 may perform image processing. The camera 40 is preferably a stereo camera. If a stereo camera is used, the distance to the subject can be estimated based on the parallax of each camera by image processing. The preceding vehicle recognition unit 103 detects the preceding vehicle on the own vehicle traveling path based on the data of the three-dimensional object recognized by the stereo camera, the distance between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle, the vehicle speed of the preceding vehicle relative to the own vehicle ( Relative speed), acceleration (deceleration) of the preceding vehicle, and the like can also be calculated and output to the travel control unit 12 as preceding vehicle information.

The traveling control unit 112 controls traveling of the following vehicle 13 by using information input from part or all of the own vehicle state recognition unit 101, the own vehicle position recognition unit 102, and the preceding traveling vehicle recognition unit 103. The travel is controlled for each operation mode, and the operation mode is determined by the operation mode determination unit 1121 included in the travel control unit 112. Although various information can be used as a reference for determining the driving mode, in this example, traveling state information received from the self-propelled vehicle 11 which is a preceding vehicle is used. The driving mode includes a self-running mode in which driving is autonomously controlled using the power of the own vehicle and a follow-up mode in which the vehicle is towed by a preceding vehicle. However, even in the follow-up mode, when a flexible material such as a rope or wire is used to join the preceding vehicle, the brake is controlled according to the traveling state of the preceding vehicle in order to prevent a rear-end collision. The determined operation mode is stored in the operation mode storage unit 1122. In the present example, the operation mode storage unit 1122 stores the current operation mode in which the following vehicle 13 is operating and the latest operation mode after the update when the operation mode is updated.

The storage unit 130 is a memory or a storage, and includes map information 132 used for driving control, driving state information such as acceleration and / or inclination of a preceding vehicle, and driving state information for determining a driving mode. The switching reference information 133 in which the operation mode determined using as a parameter, the label indicating the evaluation of the quality, and the like are stored is stored.

The learning control unit 140 updates and improves the criteria for determining the operation mode with reference to the information accumulated in the switching criterion information 133 or the input label (good / bad information). An example of the processing procedure performed by the learning control unit 140 is shown in FIG. 5, but may be realized by using an artificial intelligence service such as machine learning provided by the cloud. In that case, it is necessary to further have a communication function for connecting to the Internet.

As described above, the traveling control unit 100 that is the center of the driving control system 1 precedes whether the vehicle travels in the self-running mode in which the follow-up traveling is autonomous or is left to the towing in the follow-up mode that does not use power. Determined according to the traveling state of the self-propelled vehicle In particular, when traveling in the self-propelled mode, based on information from each

sensor

30, 40, 50, 60, position information, etc., in order to suppress changes in vehicle body behavior while ensuring tracking accuracy with respect to the preceding vehicle. Then, the cooperative control between the steering control and the deceleration control is optimized and executed. In addition, the control unit 100 includes an input device 78 for an operator to input information and the like.

The details of the driving force control by the traveling driving force control device 72, the steering angle control by the steering device 74, and the braking control by the brake device 76 are performed, for example, by the configuration and method described in Patent Document 2. I won't go into detail here.

<Switching operation mode>
Next, an example of a control procedure by the control unit 100, in particular, the traveling control unit 112 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4A and 5. FIG. 4A shows an example of an operation mode switching procedure. When the control unit 100 is realized by executing a program by a processor, the procedure of FIG. 4A is executed by the processor. The same applies to the other flowcharts.

4A, the traveling control unit 112 acquires traveling state information (S401), and generates an evaluation value from the acquired traveling state information. The generated evaluation value is an index for setting the operation mode to either the self-running mode or the driven mode. In this example, the traveling state information that is the basis of the evaluation value is traveling state information that is received from the traveling vehicle 11 and indicates the traveling state of the traveling vehicle 11. At this time, the parameters used for generating the evaluation value (for example, the acceleration of the preceding vehicle and / or the inclination of the vehicle body) are stored in the switching reference information 133 in association with the evaluation value.

In this example, the generated evaluation value is calculated by using an information value as a reference as a parameter, multiplied by a corresponding weight, and added. Specifically, evaluation value = Σ (wi × xi). Here, xi is a parameter, and wi is its weight. Further, a constant bias value may be added. The reference information includes, for example, acceleration and / or inclination of the vehicle body. Moreover, the weighting can be improved to a more suitable timing by updating the driving mode switching by machine learning using, for example, accumulated traveling state information as teacher data. In this example, the initial value of the weight before learning may be appropriately set, for example, a value learned from data of another vehicle, or all 1 for example. When the evaluation value is generated from only one parameter, the reference value may be multiplied by the weight instead of the weight multiplied by the parameter, and the weight may be updated by learning.

Next, in step S402, the calculated evaluation value is compared with a predetermined reference value. For example, the reference value is assumed to be the same value as the evaluation value calculated by assuming the running state information near the boundary between the self-running mode and the driven mode and using the value and the weight of each running state information as an initial value. That's fine. Further, the reference value may be one, but may be plural. In that case, the reference value for shifting from the free-running mode to the driven mode may be different from the reference value for shifting from the driven mode to the free-running mode. For example, when the evaluation value exceeds the first reference value, the operation mode shifts to one operation mode, and when the evaluation value falls below the second reference value, the operation mode shifts to the other operation mode. It may be a reference value. By doing in this way, the sustainability of the switched operation mode can be improved and frequent switching of the operation mode can be prevented.

Next, in step S403, the operation mode is determined. In this example, the driving mode is set to the self-running mode if the inclination of the vehicle body is large or the negative acceleration is equal to or greater than a certain value. Alternatively, the self-run mode is set when both conditions are satisfied. That is, if the evaluation value exceeds the reference value, the self-running mode is set. At this time, the process branches to step S404. In other cases, the operation mode is the driven mode, and the process branches to step S405. The operation mode determined from the evaluation value is also stored in the switching reference information 133 in association with the parameter that is the basis for calculating the evaluation value. In addition, the quality information which shows the driver | operator's evaluation with respect to switching of the driving mode demonstrated in FIG. 5 is also linked | related with the evaluation value and driving mode, and is stored. These associated information units are referred to as items. A running condition response, an operation mode, and pass / fail information related to one item are included. These items stored in the switching reference information 133 are accumulated each time the operation mode is switched.

In step S404, the self-running mode is set as the latest driving mode in the driving mode storage unit 1122. Thereafter, the traveling control unit 112 performs traveling control in the self-running mode. On the other hand, in step S405, the driven mode is set as the latest operation mode in the operation mode storage unit 1122. Thereafter, the traveling control unit 102 performs traveling control in the driven mode. In the self-propelled mode, basically, the front-running vehicle recognition unit 103 recognizes the self-propelled vehicle 11 from the image captured by the camera 40, and the travel control unit 112 travels so as to track the recognized self-propelled vehicle 11. Control.

If the operation mode has been set, the process proceeds to step S401 after waiting for a predetermined time. The predetermined time here may be zero. As a result, it is possible to periodically monitor changes in the running state and set an operation mode corresponding to the running state.

<Progression control procedure>
FIG. 4B shows a travel control procedure by the travel control unit 112 when the operation mode is set. The travel control is also called operation control. The procedure of FIG. 4B is periodically executed asynchronously with FIG. 4A. First, the latest operation mode stored in the operation mode storage unit 1122 is compared with the current operation mode also stored in the operation mode storage unit 1122 (S411). If they match, it is determined that the operation mode has not changed, and the processing in FIG. 4B ends. If not, the current operation mode is rewritten with the latest operation mode, assuming that the operation mode has been updated (S412). As a result, the current operation mode is updated.

Next, it is determined which mode is the current operation mode (S413). If it is determined as the self-running mode, the operation mode is changed from the driven mode to the self-running mode, and thus control of each device is started according to the self-running mode (S414). Thereafter, output of the driving force is started (S415). That is, in this example, driving of the electric motor that is power is started. As a result, the driving control in the self-running mode is started, and the driving control system 1 controls the following vehicle 13 so as to track the preceding vehicle by controlling driving, braking, and steering in accordance with inputs from various sensors and the like. To do.

In the self-propelled mode, the self-propelled vehicle 11 that is the preceding vehicle is captured on the image by the camera 40 and / or the radar 30, and the traveling is controlled so as to follow it. At that time, the operation is controlled so that no tension other than that due to the weight of the towing line 12 is applied to the towing line 12 so that the operation of the self-propelled vehicle 11 is not restricted. For this purpose, for example, the distance to the preceding vehicle is measured by the radar 30 or the camera 40, and the driving force, the brake, and the steering are controlled so that the distance is within a certain range. Further, for example, the relative speed with respect to the preceding self-propelled vehicle 11 is further measured, and control is performed so as to accelerate when the relative speed becomes negative and decelerate when the relative speed becomes positive. The degree of acceleration and deceleration is a value according to the absolute value of the relative speed. For steering, for example, an object to be followed is specified from a captured image of the camera 40, and the steered wheel 13d is controlled at a steering angle corresponding to the speed at that time so as to follow the movement.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the current driving mode is the driven mode, the driving mode is changed from the self-running mode to the driven mode, and thus the driving drive output of the electric motor or the like is first stopped (S416). Then, the driving wheel 13c and the steering wheel 13d are released (S417), and control of each device according to the driven mode is started (S418). That is, in this example, since the brake is controlled even in the driven mode, the traveling control unit 112 continues to control the brake device 76. For the brake control, for example, the distance from the preceding vehicle is measured by the radar 30 or the camera 40, and the traveling control unit 112 controls the brake device 76 to apply the brake when the distance is equal to or less than a predetermined distance. Alternatively, the relative speed of the following vehicle 13 with respect to the preceding vehicle is measured, and when the relative speed becomes positive, the traveling control unit 112 controls the brake device 76 to apply the brake. The strength of braking may be controlled according to the magnitude of the relative speed.

Furthermore, in addition to the brake control, the steering may be controlled in the driven mode. If the follower vehicle 13 is towed by the towing line 12, the follower vehicle 13 has a large degree of freedom of movement and cannot be said to deviate from the lane. Therefore, the steering control may be performed in the same manner as in the self-running mode while the driving force is stopped. In addition, when using a rigid rod instead of the towing line 12, it is not necessary to control the brake.

Once the operation mode is determined, the operation mode is controlled until a new operation mode is set.

<Learning operation mode switching conditions>
As shown in FIG. 4A, the operation mode is switched when the calculated evaluation value satisfies a certain standard. FIG. 5 shows a procedure for learning and improving the weighting for calculating the evaluation value according to the quality of the operation mode switching condition (or switching timing) actually set. For example, the driver of the self-propelled vehicle 11 inputs the switching condition from the input unit, and transmits it to the control unit 100 via the communication unit 65 of the following vehicle 13 by the communication unit 11a. This pass / fail evaluation is used as a label for teacher data. The learning control unit 140 of the control unit 100 executes the procedure of FIG. 5 using the input value. When the learning control unit 140 is realized by executing a program by a processor, the processor becomes an execution subject of the procedure of FIG. Note that this procedure may be performed in real time whenever an input is made, or may be performed in batch by storing the input value in the storage unit 130 in association with the parameter of the evaluation value.

First, the communication unit 65 receives an input value (that is, a label) for pass / fail selection operated by the driver of the self-propelled vehicle 11 (S501). This label is an evaluation of the driver with respect to the last switching of the driving mode, and is used to determine whether or not the driving mode obtained from the parameters accumulated in the teacher data, that is, the switching reference information 133 is correct. The Note that the processing in FIG. 5 may be started by receiving this label as a trigger.

Next, referring to the switching criterion information 133, the input label is stored in association with the latest switching criterion information that is the basis of the current operation mode (S502).

Next, the value of the input label is determined (S503). If the evaluation is “good”, switching to the current operation mode is correct, and in this case, the past operation mode should also be correct, so there is no need to change the evaluation formula. Thus, the process ends.

On the other hand, if the label is “No”, the switching to the current operation mode or the timing of switching is not correct. Therefore, the coefficient, that is, the weight of each parameter in the evaluation value generation formula is recalculated (S504). When a bias value (that is, a constant) is added in the evaluation value calculation formula, the bias value is also included in the weight, and the weight multiplied by each parameter is collectively referred to as a weight vector. Here, the weight vector is changed by, for example, wi ← wi + Lρxi if the weight corresponding to the parameter xi is expressed as wi. Here, L is 1, and ρ is a small positive constant. ρ is a value that determines the step of change. If it is too small, the amount of calculation to reach an appropriate weight vector increases, and if it is too large, there is a possibility that excessive change will be performed. In general, ρ may be a different value for each parameter, or the sign may not match. Negative values are used for parameters whose weights are to be reduced by learning, and positive values are used for values that are desired to be increased. In this example, it is a positive value. In step S504, if there are a plurality of parameters used for evaluation value calculation, all the weights are recalculated. As a result, the weight is slightly increased and the recalculated evaluation value is increased. Therefore, in this example, the self-running mode is switched with a smaller inclination or a smaller acceleration by changing the weight. To do so, the driver is labeled “No” because the switch to self-propelled mode is too slow or the switch to driven mode is too early and feels free driving has been hindered This is because it is considered a case. Since this occurs when the evaluation value is too small with respect to the reference value, in this example, the weight is recalculated in the direction of increasing the evaluation value. This explanation is based on an example where the evaluation value is acceleration or vehicle body tilt, but the same applies when the evaluation value is based on other information.

If the label is “No”, the driver may input whether the switching is too late or too early together with the label. In this case, if the timing is too late (if the evaluation value is too small), the label L may be set to 1, and if it is too early (the evaluation value is too large), L may be set to −1 and wi may be recalculated.

When the calculation formula for the new evaluation value is determined, attention is paid to the head of the parameter stored in the switching reference information 133 (S505). Then, in order, the evaluation value is calculated using the accumulated parameters and the weight vector recalculated in step S504, and the operation mode is determined from the evaluation value and the reference value (S506). Then, it is determined whether or not the determined operation mode is correct (S507). A correct answer is obtained when the operation mode determined using the focused parameter matches the operation mode stored in association with the parameter and the corresponding label is “good”. It is also correct if the operation mode determined using the focused parameter does not match the operation mode stored in association with the parameter and the corresponding label is “No”.

If it is determined that the recalculated operation mode is correct, the process proceeds to step S508, and it is determined whether the parameter of interest is the last one of the switching reference information 133 (S508). If it is the last, it can be determined that the driving mode can be switched under the conditions required by the driver for all the parameters stored in the switching reference information 133. In that case, the original weight is updated with the recalculated weight (S510).

On the other hand, if it is not the last item, pay attention to the next item (S509) and repeat from step S506.

<Effect of this embodiment>
As described above, by switching the driving mode using the acceleration and / or inclination of the self-propelled vehicle as a parameter, for example, in the situation that hinders the driving of the self-propelled self-propelled vehicle 11, the self-propelled mode is not. In the situation, the freedom mode of the self-propelled vehicle can be secured by setting the driven mode. On the other hand, the followability of the following vehicle is improved.

Furthermore, since the power of the following vehicle is not used in the driven mode, power and fuel can be saved. It is difficult to mount a large-capacity battery or fuel tank on a follow-up vehicle, and the travelable distance can be extended without charging an energy source.

In addition, the operation mode switching conditions can be improved by machine learning of the operation mode determination conditions according to the above-described procedure. Thereby, the switching condition of the driving mode desired by the driver can be realized. In addition, if machine learning provided in the cloud or the like is used, higher functions can be used and programs can be easily performed.

In this example, without performing machine learning via the evaluation value, the driving mode is set to the self-running mode if the inclination or acceleration of the self-propelling vehicle exceeds a predetermined threshold, and the driven mode is set otherwise. Such simple control may be performed. This can be realized by adopting the inclination or acceleration itself of the self-propelled vehicle as the evaluation value and not performing the learning procedure of FIG. In step S403, the inclination and acceleration, which are driving state information, are compared with a reference value, and if the reference value is exceeded, for example, the driving mode is determined to be the self-running mode.

<Variation 1 of the first embodiment>
In step S401 in FIG. 4A, acceleration and / or inclination are acquired from the self-propelled vehicle as the driving state information, and an evaluation value is calculated based on the acquired driving state information. Hereinafter, an example in which an evaluation value is calculated from other parameters will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A to 6D.

FIG. 6A shows a procedure for determining an operation mode based on the vehicle position acquired from the vehicle position recognition unit 102 as an evaluation value calculation parameter. Here, the distance to the next corner entrance is specified based on the own vehicle position, and the evaluation position is calculated using it as a parameter to determine the operation mode. Specifically, if the distance to the next corner entrance is smaller than the threshold value, the self-running mode is set. For this purpose, first, the vehicle position specified by the vehicle position recognition unit 102 is acquired. Next, the vehicle position is collated with the map information 132 (S601). Then, an evaluation value is generated using the vehicle position information that can be placed on the map as a parameter (S602). The vehicle position information specified here includes, for example, a distance to the next corner entrance. Further, the distance from the immediately preceding corner exit may be included. For example, if the position of the corner entrance or exit is stored in the map information, the following vehicle 13 determines the distance from the position of the own vehicle and the traveling direction to the entrance of the next curve on the map and / or the distance from the exit. Can be identified. The distance is used as a parameter for calculating the evaluation value.

In this case, if “No” is input as a label when the operation mode is switched from the driven mode to the self-propelled mode, the evaluation value is increased to speed up the timing, and conversely, the operation mode is switched from the self-propelled mode to the driven mode. When “No” is input as a label when switching to the mode, it is desirable to perform learning so as to reduce the evaluation value in order to delay the timing. The same applies to other variations and embodiments.

In this way, the operation mode can be switched based on the vehicle position, particularly the distance to the next corner entrance. By switching to the self-propelled mode based on the distance to the corner entrance, for example, if the distance to the corner entrance is short, the mode can be switched to the automatic mode, and the restriction of driving can be reduced or eliminated by the following vehicle during corner traveling it can. Moreover, the energy consumption of the following vehicle can be suppressed by switching to the driven mode after passing the corner.

Note that the machine learning via the evaluation value described in this example is not performed, and the operation mode is controlled to the self-running mode if the distance to the next corner is smaller than the predetermined threshold, and the driven mode is set otherwise. May be. Therefore, the procedure of FIG. 5 is not executed, and the distance to the next corner may be used as the evaluation value.

<Variation 2 of the first embodiment>
FIG. 6B shows a procedure for determining the operation mode based on the start of braking, that is, the speed change from the braking point, as an evaluation value calculation parameter. Specifically, the self-running mode is set when the speed change from the start of braking exceeds a threshold value. For this purpose, first, for example, a signal indicating that the vehicle has been braked is received from the self-propelled vehicle 11. Then, the speed change is specified based on this time (S611). An evaluation value is generated from the identified speed change in the same manner as in step S602. Further, without receiving a signal from the self-propelled vehicle 11, for example, the lighting of a brake lamp in an image acquired by the camera 40 may be recognized, and the time point may be specified as a braking point.

In this example, machine learning via the evaluation value is not performed, and the operation mode may be controlled to the self-running mode if the speed change exceeds a predetermined threshold value, and to the driven mode otherwise. . Therefore, the procedure of FIG. 5 is not executed, and the speed change itself from braking is used as the evaluation value.

In this way, the operation mode can be switched based on the speed change after the braking is started. Since braking is often applied when entering a corner, this control allows the following vehicle to be set to the self-propelled mode when passing the corner.

<Variation 3 of the first embodiment>
FIG. 6C shows a procedure for determining the operation mode based on the start of braking, that is, the elapsed time from the braking point, as an evaluation value calculation parameter. Specifically, when the elapsed time from the start of braking exceeds a threshold value, the self-running mode is set. For this purpose, first, for example, a signal indicating that the vehicle has been braked is received from the self-propelled vehicle 11. Then, the elapsed time is specified based on this time point (S621). An evaluation value is generated from the specified elapsed time in the same manner as in step S602. However, the evaluation value is generated every predetermined time. Further, without receiving a signal from the self-propelled vehicle 11, for example, the lighting of a brake lamp in an image acquired by the camera 40 may be recognized, and the time point may be specified as a braking point.

In this example, the machine learning via the evaluation value is not performed, and the operation mode may be controlled to the self-running mode if the elapsed time exceeds a predetermined threshold, and the driven mode may be controlled otherwise. . Therefore, the procedure shown in FIG. 5 is not executed, and the elapsed time from braking itself may be used as the evaluation value.

In this way, the operation mode can be switched based on the elapsed time from the start of braking. Since braking is often applied when entering a corner, this control allows the following vehicle to be set to the self-propelled mode when passing the corner.

<Variation 4 of the first embodiment>
FIG. 6D shows a procedure when using road surface state information acquired from the vehicle state recognition unit 101 or the road surface sensor 50 as an evaluation value calculation parameter. Specifically, for example, if the friction coefficient exceeds a threshold value as the evaluation value of the road surface state, the self-running mode is set. For this purpose, first, the road surface state detected by the vehicle state recognition unit 101 or the road surface sensor 50 is acquired (S631). Next, an evaluation value is generated from the road surface state information (S632). The road surface state information may include a road surface inclination, a friction coefficient, and the like. For example, the inclination of the road surface may be obtained by acquiring inclination information of the own vehicle from the attitude sensor 60 or the own vehicle state recognition unit 101 and regarding the inclination as the inclination of the road surface. Further, since it is difficult to obtain the value of the friction coefficient itself, for example, wetting or unevenness may be detected from the road surface image taken by the road surface sensor 50, and the approximate friction coefficient may be estimated based on the detected wetness or unevenness. . For example, the road surface image pattern having a known friction coefficient is compared with the road surface image captured by the road surface sensor 60, and the friction coefficient previously associated with the matching or similar pattern is determined as the friction coefficient of the current road surface. It may be used as Since the parameter to be used is changed, the weight may be a value different from that in step S401.

In this way, the operation mode can be switched based on the road surface condition. By switching between the self-propelled mode and the driven mode based on the road surface state, for example, on an uphill road, it is possible to reduce the burden on the self-propelled vehicle 11 that switches to the automatic mode. Further, on a slippery road surface, it becomes more slippery by applying a driving force to the wheels. Therefore, it is possible to make the following vehicle less likely to slip by switching to the driven mode.

In this example, machine learning via the evaluation value is not performed, and control is performed so that the driving mode is set to the self-running mode if the road slope or the friction coefficient exceeds a predetermined threshold, and the driven mode is set otherwise. May be. For this purpose, the procedure shown in FIG. 5 is not executed, and a value representing the road surface condition may be used as the evaluation value.

<Variation 5 of driving state information>
The parameter serving as a reference for the evaluation value is not limited to the parameter described above, and other values may be used. As the value to be used, the traveling state of the following vehicle 13 measured by the following vehicle, the traveling state of the traveling vehicle measured by the traveling vehicle 11 and transmitted to the following vehicle 13, acquired by a sensor, etc. The location, topography, weather, time, road width and other road conditions, road congestion, driver's physiological information such as heart rate and blood pressure, presence / absence of passengers, model number of self-propelled vehicle, type of tires, etc. Various things can be adopted. It is also possible to simply change the operation mode in accordance with the driver's instruction. In this case, when the driver's instruction is transmitted to the following vehicle 13 via the communication unit 11a, the driving mode is switched according to the instruction.

Also, it has been explained that various information can be used from the running state described in the first embodiment to the above-described parameters as parameters that can be used for calculation of the evaluation value. Instead of using these parameters separately, the evaluation value may be calculated from all or part of the information, and the operation mode may be switched. For that purpose, the evaluation value may be obtained by the sum of values obtained by multiplying each of the adopted parameters by weight, or an intermediate evaluation value is calculated from the parameters described as each variation, and the intermediate evaluation value is calculated. A multilayer structure in which a final evaluation value is calculated by weighting may be adopted. By doing in this way, a driving mode can be determined based on more parameters, and the switching timing of the driving mode which a driver demands according to a more detailed situation can be realized.

[Second Embodiment]
This embodiment demonstrates the example which controls a driving mode using the information regarding the state of a self-propelled vehicle among the various parameters mentioned above, and the information regarding a driver | operator.

FIG. 7 shows a procedure when the driving state information and the driver information are used as the evaluation value calculation parameters. First, traveling state information including the inclination of the self-propelled vehicle and the posture of the driver (rider) is acquired from the image acquired by the camera 40 (S701). The driver's posture and the inclination of the vehicle body are detected, for example, by identifying the axis from the contour identified from the image and tilting the axis. In order to acquire the traveling state of the self-propelled vehicle from the image, for example, the inclination is recognized by recognizing the object of the preceding vehicle from the image taken by the camera 40 and specifying the upper and lower axes from the contour. Can be identified. In this example, the following vehicle 13 is a four-wheeled vehicle. If it is assumed that the following vehicle 13 is not inclined, the inclination with respect to the image frame can be directly specified as the inclination of the self-propelled vehicle. Further, the driver's posture can be specified in the same manner.

Next, information indicating the traveling state of the self-propelled vehicle is received from the traveling vehicle (S702). The received information includes, for example, engine output, selected gear, degree of braking, acceleration, each acceleration, and the like. Therefore, in this embodiment, the self-propelled vehicle is provided with a sensor that detects such information. Since the engine output itself may be difficult to measure, it may be replaced with the engine speed. The degree of braking may be replaced with information indicating the position of the break lever or pedal, for example.

Next, an evaluation value is generated using the acquired information as a parameter (S703). In step S703, the sum obtained by weighting all acquired parameters may be used as the evaluation value, but the evaluation value calculated from the information related to the driver and the evaluation value calculated from the information related to the traveling state of the self-propelled vehicle are calculated. Then, an operation weighted to each of the evaluation values may be calculated as a final evaluation value. This evaluation value calculation process constitutes a vehicle-rider model that is comprehensively obtained from the driver's state and the traveling state of the self-propelled vehicle.

In this way, it is possible to determine the driving mode by creating a vehicle-rider model that comprehensively evaluates the traveling state of the self-propelled vehicle and the state of the driver. In this example, in the learning procedure of FIG. 5, the weights of all the parameters may not be uniformly increased, and a parameter for increasing the weight may be selected at random. Also, as described above, various combinations of parameter values and labels for the parameter values may be prepared in advance and learned as teacher data using, for example, a machine learning service provided as a cloud service. By doing so, the operation mode can be switched with higher accuracy.

[Third embodiment]
The third embodiment relates to a method for supplying energy to the following vehicle 13. In the above embodiment, the following vehicle itself holds an energy source such as a battery and fuel. In the present embodiment, cordless power feeding is performed from the self-propelled vehicle to the following vehicle, and the following vehicle 13 is driven. In this embodiment, since the distance between the self-propelled vehicle and the following vehicle is considered to be about several meters, for example, power transmission by a magnetic field resonance method or a microwave method is adopted. Since the magnetic field resonance method has a higher efficiency as the distance between the resonators is shorter, the resonators to be mounted on the self-propelled vehicle and the following vehicle, for example, are not arranged in front and back, but are arranged so as to overlap each other. You may comprise so that the distance between resonators may not change greatly even if the distance of a vehicle and a following vehicle changes. By configuring in this way, collision between resonators can also be prevented.

According to the present embodiment, it is not necessary to load batteries and fuel that lead to an increase in the weight of the following vehicle, and the weight can be reduced. In addition, the following vehicle can be self-propelled as long as it can receive power from the self-propelled vehicle.

[Fourth embodiment]
In 4th embodiment, the structure of the loading part of the tracking vehicle 13 can be varied according to the objective. For example, various configurations are used according to purposes such as cargo, accommodation, and pet transportation. Further, only the loading unit shown in FIG. 1 can be replaced, and one following vehicle can be used for multiple purposes.

This configuration increases the user's choice and allows the vehicle to be used for various purposes.

[Summary of Embodiment]
The invention according to this embodiment can be summarized as follows.

The first aspect is as follows.

A follower vehicle (13) traveling with a self-propelled vehicle (11),
Self-propelled means (72) for traveling autonomously by power;
Acquisition means (50, 60, 101, 102, 103) for acquiring running state information;
A travel control means (112) that travels in any mode of a driven mode that is towed by the self-propelled vehicle and travels autonomously by the self-propelled means (72);
The traveling vehicle (112) is a following vehicle that switches between the driven mode and the self-running mode based on the acquired traveling state information.

With this configuration, the mode is automatically switched according to the traveling state of the self-propelled vehicle, so that when the self-propelled vehicle is to be operated freely, it becomes the self-propelled mode and does not impair the touring comfort even if the driven vehicle is towed. .

The second aspect is as follows.

The following vehicle,
A communication means (65);
The follow-up vehicle, wherein the acquisition means (103) acquires the traveling state information of the self-propelled vehicle as the traveling state information from the self-propelled vehicle via the communication means (65).

With this configuration, the following vehicle need not have a configuration for detecting the traveling state of the self-propelled vehicle, and the configuration can be simplified.

The third aspect is as follows.

The following vehicle,
The following vehicle includes a road surface state detection unit (50) for detecting a road surface state, and acquires the road surface state as the traveling state information.

With this configuration, the mode is automatically switched depending on the road surface condition, so that it is possible to travel as if driving a self-propelled vehicle alone without paying attention to the driven vehicle being towed.

The fourth aspect is as follows.

The following vehicle,
Position detecting means (102) for detecting position information;
Map storage means (132) storing map information;
The follow-up vehicle, wherein the acquisition unit acquires a position on a map indicated by the map information as the traveling state.

According to this configuration, it is possible to turn safely even when the response of the self-propelled vehicle is delayed due to a curve or the like.

The fifth aspect is as follows.

The following vehicle,
The self-propelled vehicle is a motorcycle (11),
Photographing means (40) for photographing the two-wheeled vehicle and a rider riding on the two-wheeled vehicle to obtain image data;
Means (112, S702) for obtaining posture information indicating the inclination of the self-propelled vehicle and the posture of the rider based on the image data photographed by the photographing means (40);
The follow-up vehicle, wherein the acquisition means acquires the posture information as the traveling state information.

This configuration allows the driving mode to be controlled without acquiring information from the self-propelled vehicle, thereby simplifying the configuration of the self-propelled vehicle.

The sixth aspect is as follows.

The following vehicle,
A communication means (65);
The travel control means (112) further receives an instruction from the self-propelled vehicle by the communication means (65), and switches between the driven mode and the self-propelled mode based on the instruction.

This configuration eliminates the need for control for switching the operation mode, thereby further simplifying the configuration.

The seventh aspect is as follows.

The following vehicle,
Storage means (133) for storing the running state information when the driven mode and the self-running mode are switched by the running control means, and the driving mode corresponding to the running state information;
Input means (11a) for inputting the pass / fail of switching of the operation mode as a pass / fail signal, and further storing the storage state information and the operation mode in association with the storage means;
A follow-up vehicle further comprising learning means (140) for correcting timing for switching between the driven mode and the self-running mode based on the pass / fail signal and the corresponding running state information.

This configuration enables the operation mode to be switched at the timing desired by the driver with the learning function.

The eighth aspect is as follows.

The following vehicle,
Recognizing means (103) for recognizing the self-propelled vehicle;
In the self-propelled mode, the travel control means travels so as to track the self-propelled vehicle recognized by the recognition means.

This configuration allows the following vehicle to track a self-propelled vehicle.

The ninth aspect is as follows.

A vehicle system including a self-propelled vehicle (101) and a following vehicle (103) that travels with the self-propelled vehicle (101),
The following vehicle is
Self-propelled means (72) for traveling autonomously by power;
Acquisition means (50, 60, 65, 101, 102) for acquiring running state information;
Travel control means (112) that travels in one of the following modes: a driven mode that is towed by the self-propelled vehicle; and a self-propelled mode that travels autonomously by the self-propelled means (72);
Communication means (65) for receiving an instruction of the mode,
The self-propelled vehicle (101)
Determination means for switching the operation mode between the driven mode and the self-running mode based on the acquired driving state information;
The vehicle system which has a communication means (11a) which transmits the said driving mode to the said following vehicle.

With this configuration, the mode is automatically switched according to the traveling state of the self-propelled vehicle, so that when the self-propelled vehicle is to be operated freely, it becomes the self-propelled mode and does not impair the touring comfort even if the driven vehicle is towed. . Furthermore, since the self-propelled vehicle determines the mode, the configuration of the following vehicle can be simplified.

The tenth aspect is as follows.

The following vehicle,
The following vehicle includes a weight, an engine output, a speed, an acceleration of the following vehicle, a slope when the automobile is a two-wheeled vehicle, and a distance to a corner entrance in the traveling state.

This configuration makes it possible to determine the operation mode with various parameters and to perform fine control.

The eleventh aspect is as follows.

The following vehicle,
The traveling control means detects braking of the self-propelled vehicle regardless of whether it is in the self-propelled mode or the driven mode, and applies braking when detecting the braking of the self-propelled vehicle. .

This configuration can prevent a rear-end collision with a self-propelled vehicle.

The twelfth aspect is as follows.

The following vehicle,
Autonomous traveling by the self-propelled means is performed using electric power as an energy source,
The following vehicle further includes cordless power receiving means that receives cordless power supply from the self-propelled vehicle.

This configuration makes it possible to reduce the weight of the following vehicle and to increase the distance traveled in the self-running mode.

The thirteenth aspect is as follows.

The following vehicle,
A follow-up vehicle further comprising an exchangeable loading means for loading a load.

This configuration makes it possible to use the loading means desired by the user.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, in order to make the scope of the present invention public, the following claims are attached.

1 driving control system, 11 self-propelled vehicle, 12 towing, 13 following vehicle, 100 control unit, 112 driving control unit, 1121 driving mode determining unit, 1122 driving mode, 140 learning control unit

Claims

A follower vehicle (13) traveling with a self-propelled vehicle (11),
Self-propelled means (72) for traveling autonomously by power;
Acquisition means (50, 60, 101, 102, 103) for acquiring running state information;
A travel control means (112) that travels in one of a driven mode that is towed by the self-propelled vehicle (11) and a self-propelled mode that travels autonomously by the self-propelled means (72); Have
The traveling vehicle (112) is a following vehicle that switches between the driven mode and the self-running mode based on the acquired traveling state information.
The following vehicle according to claim 1,
A communication means (65);
The follow-up vehicle, wherein the acquisition means (103) acquires the traveling state information of the self-propelled vehicle as the traveling state information from the self-propelled vehicle via the communication means (65).
The following vehicle according to claim 1,
The following vehicle includes a road surface state detection unit (50) for detecting a road surface state, and acquires the road surface state as the traveling state information.
The following vehicle according to claim 1,
Position detecting means (102) for detecting position information;
Map storage means (132) storing map information;
The follow-up vehicle, wherein the acquisition unit acquires a position on a map indicated by the map information as the traveling state.
The following vehicle according to claim 1,
The self-propelled vehicle is a motorcycle (11),
Photographing means (40) for photographing the two-wheeled vehicle and a rider riding on the two-wheeled vehicle to obtain image data;
Means (112, S702) for obtaining posture information indicating the inclination of the self-propelled vehicle and the posture of the rider based on the image data photographed by the photographing means (40);
The follow-up vehicle, wherein the acquisition means acquires the posture information as the traveling state information.
The following vehicle according to claim 1,
A communication means (65);
The travel control means (112) further receives an instruction from the self-propelled vehicle by the communication means (65), and switches between the driven mode and the self-propelled mode based on the instruction.
A follower vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
Storage means (133) for storing the running state information when the driven mode and the self-running mode are switched by the running control means, and the driving mode corresponding to the running state information;
Input means (11a) for inputting the pass / fail of switching of the operation mode as a pass / fail signal, and further storing the storage state information and the operation mode in association with the storage means;
A follow-up vehicle further comprising learning means (140) for correcting timing for switching between the driven mode and the self-running mode based on the pass / fail signal and the corresponding running state information.
A follower vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
Recognizing means (103) for recognizing the self-propelled vehicle;
The travel control means (112) is a following vehicle that travels so as to track the self-propelled vehicle recognized by the recognition means in the self-propelled mode.
A vehicle system including a self-propelled vehicle (101) and a following vehicle (13) that travels with the self-propelled vehicle (101),
The following vehicle is
Self-propelled means (72) for traveling autonomously by power;
Acquisition means (50, 60, 65, 101, 102) for acquiring running state information;
Travel control means (112) that travels in one of the following modes: a driven mode that is towed by the self-propelled vehicle; and a self-propelled mode that travels autonomously by the self-propelled means (72);
Communication means (65) for receiving an instruction of the mode,
The self-propelled vehicle (101)
Determination means for switching the operation mode between the driven mode and the self-running mode based on the acquired driving state information;
The vehicle system which has a communication means (11a) which transmits the said driving mode to the said following vehicle.