WO2024150284A1

WO2024150284A1 - Carrier system, carrier method, and carrier vehicle for carrier system

Info

Publication number: WO2024150284A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/000347
Authority: WO
Inventors: 佑太和田; 圭佑守田
Original assignee: 三菱電機株式会社
Priority date: 2023-01-11
Filing date: 2023-01-11
Publication date: 2024-07-18

Abstract

The present invention provides a carrier system that enables an operator introducing the carrier system to recover costs according to the amount handled by a distribution center.　The carrier system comprises a communication unit (34, 423) that transmits work information indicating the number of times of transporting trailers (5) by a carrier vehicle (4), a reception unit (72) that receives the work information, a storage unit (74) that stores the work information received by the reception unit (72), a calculation unit (73) that calculates shipping fees on the basis of the work information stored in the storage unit (74), and a transmission unit (75) that transmits fee information indicating the shipping fees calculated by the calculation unit (73) to a customer.

Description

Transport system, transport method, and transport vehicle used in the transport system

This disclosure relates to a transport system, a transport method, and a transport vehicle used in the transport system.

A distribution center is a facility that serves as a base for the transportation and distribution of goods. For example, a truck towing a trailer loaded with goods enters a distribution center, and the trailer loaded with goods is parked on the distribution center's premises. The goods loaded onto the trailer are brought into a warehouse set up in the distribution center, and the trailer unloaded with the goods is parked as an empty trailer on the distribution center's premises. In addition, goods that have been removed from the warehouse are loaded onto the empty trailer. The trailer loaded with the goods is then towed by a truck and taken out of the distribution center, thereby transporting the goods. In the manner described above, transportation of goods is carried out using the distribution center as a base.

To realize the transportation of goods based at such a distribution center, it is necessary to transport the trailer from the location where it is parked to a warehouse set up in the distribution center, or from the warehouse to the parking location. Conventionally, trailer transportation has been performed manually using transportation equipment such as a human-driven vehicle or a trailer dolly. However, there is a demand for trailer transportation to be performed automatically or semi-automatically using transportation vehicles such as autonomous vehicles that can travel autonomously.

A system for transporting trailers using a transport vehicle has been disclosed that engages with a trailer parked on the distribution center's premises and moves the trailer to a warehouse platform. Specifically, it discloses that the system provides guidance along a route designed to avoid obstacles on the premises, that the transport vehicle is equipped with LiDAR for collision avoidance during travel, and that the position of the transport vehicle is determined using beacons placed on the premises (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

US Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0064835

The volume of goods handled at a distribution center is based on the processing capacity of the transport vehicle, and delays in operations at the distribution center can occur due to factors such as an operator being absent due to illness. This problem can be solved by automatically or semi-automatically transporting trailers using transport vehicles, as in conventional technology. However, when introducing a transport system, businesses that introduce the system have the problem of not being able to recover costs in proportion to the volume of goods handled at the distribution center.

This disclosure has been made to solve the problems described above, and aims to provide a transport system, a transport method, and a transport vehicle for use in the transport system that allow businesses that introduce the transport system to recover costs according to the volume of goods handled at their distribution centers.

The transport system disclosed herein is a transport system for coupling a transport vehicle to a trailer parked within the premises of a distribution center and moving the trailer to a warehouse or parking lot at the distribution center by the transport vehicle, and includes a communication unit that transmits work information indicating the number of times the trailer has been transported by the transport vehicle, a receiving unit that receives the work information, a memory unit that stores the work information received by the receiving unit, a calculation unit that calculates a delivery fee based on the work information stored in the memory unit, and a transmission unit that transmits fee information indicating the delivery fee calculated by the calculation unit to the customer.

The transport vehicle according to the present disclosure is a transport vehicle used in the transport system according to the present disclosure, and is equipped with a driving control unit that performs driving control based on a driving plan generated by a driving plan generation unit that generates a driving plan for the transport vehicle, which is used to transport a trailer from a parking lot to a warehouse or from a warehouse to a parking lot by the transport vehicle of the transport system.

The transportation method disclosed herein is a method for coupling a transportation vehicle to a trailer parked within the premises of a distribution center and moving the trailer to a warehouse provided at the distribution center or a parking lot of the distribution center by the transportation vehicle, in which a communication unit transmits work information indicating the number of times the trailer has been transported by the transportation vehicle, a receiving unit receives the work information, a memory unit stores the work information received by the receiving unit, a calculation unit calculates a delivery fee according to the work information stored in the memory unit, and a transmission unit transmits fee information indicating the delivery fee calculated by the calculation unit to the customer.

According to this disclosure, businesses that introduce a transportation system will be able to recover costs according to the volume of goods handled at their distribution centers.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a delivery center according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the arrangement of roadside sensors according to the first embodiment; 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the connection relationship between a control device, a transport vehicle, and a roadside sensor according to a first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of a control device according to the first embodiment. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration of a driving control device provided in a transport vehicle according to a first embodiment; 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams showing a coupling operation between the transport vehicle and the trailer according to the first embodiment. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control device and the operation control device during transportation of the trailer according to the first embodiment. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the operation of the transport vehicle according to the first embodiment; FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the operation of the transport vehicle according to the first embodiment; FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the operation of the transport vehicle according to the first embodiment; FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the operation of the transport vehicle according to the first embodiment; FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the operation of the transport vehicle according to the first embodiment; FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the operation of the transport vehicle according to the first embodiment; FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the operation of the transport vehicle according to the first embodiment; FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the operation of the transport vehicle according to the first embodiment; FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the operation of the transport vehicle according to the first embodiment; FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the operation of the transport vehicle according to the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration of a management server according to the first embodiment; 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the management server according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the transport system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of calculating a delivery fee according to the second embodiment; 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the management server according to the second embodiment;

The following describes an embodiment based on the drawings. The transport system 100 in this disclosure will be described using an example in which a truck 6 towing a trailer 5 enters a distribution center 1, and the trailer 5 is towed by the truck 6 to exit the distribution center 1, but the transport system 100 in this disclosure is applicable to at least moving the trailer 5 by a transport vehicle 4. Note that in this disclosure, no distinction is made between transportation and delivery, and these are collectively referred to as delivery. Also, in this disclosure, no distinction is made between trucks and tractors, and an external vehicle towing a trailer 5 is referred to as a truck.

Embodiment 1.
Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a distribution center 1 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overhead view of the distribution center 1. The distribution center 1 has a warehouse 11 in which goods are stored, an entrance 12 and an exit 13 provided for a truck 6 pulling a trailer 5 loaded with goods to enter and leave the premises of the distribution center 1, and a parking lot 14 provided within the premises as an area in which the trailer 5 is parked. The distribution center 1 is also provided with a sensor (hereinafter referred to as a roadside sensor 2) that is fixed to a structure present in the distribution center 1 and detects at least an object within the premises.

The distribution center 1 is surrounded by a fence 16, which separates the inside and outside of the premises. For ease of explanation, FIG. 1 shows an example in which the distribution center 1 has a rectangular premises, but the shape of the premises of the distribution center 1 is arbitrary.

The warehouse 11 of the distribution center 1 is provided within the premises of the distribution center 1, and is located, for example, in the center of the premises. In the warehouse 11, goods unloaded from the trailers 5 or goods to be loaded onto the trailers 5 are stored. The warehouse 11 is provided with one or more platforms 17, and goods are transported into the warehouse 11 via the platforms 17. In addition, when goods stored in the warehouse 11 are to be delivered, they are transported out via the platform 17 of the warehouse 11 and loaded onto the trailers 5.

In the example of FIG. 1, there is no distinction between the platform 17 from which goods are transported and the platform 17 to which goods are transported, but for example, the platform 17 shown on the left side of FIG. 1 may be the platform to which goods are transported, and the platform 17 shown on the right side of FIG. 1 may be the platform from which goods are transported. The movement of the trailer 5 is carried out by one or more transport vehicles 4 traveling on the grounds of the distribution center 1, as will be described in detail later.

The entrance 12 of the distribution center 1 is connected to a road outside the site, and trucks 6 can enter the site from outside through the entrance 12. An entrance gate 18 is also provided at the entrance 12 of the distribution center 1, and a monitor or the like positioned at the entrance gate 18 manages the trucks 6 that are allowed to enter, restricting the entry of unauthorized trucks 6. The driver of a truck 6 entering the distribution center 1 is instructed by the monitor or the like positioned at the entrance gate 18 which parking space 15 to park the trailer 5 in. The parking space 15 in which the truck 6 parks the trailer 5 may be determined by the control device 3, which will be described later.

The exit 13 of the distribution center 1, like the entrance 12 of the distribution center 1, is connected to a road outside the site, and trucks 6 can exit from inside the site to outside the site via the exit 13. An exit gate 19 is also provided at the exit 13 of the distribution center 1, and the exiting trucks 6 are managed by a monitor or the like stationed at the exit gate 19. Note that, although the entrance 12 and the exit 13 are provided at different locations in the example of FIG. 1, the entrance 12 and the exit 13 may be provided at the same location.

The distribution center 1 has one or more parking lots 14 on its premises, and each parking lot 14 has multiple parking spaces 15. Each parking space 15 is divided by markers such as white lines, and each parking space 15 has a width that is, for example, greater than or equal to the width of a trailer 5 so that the trailer 5 can be parked therein.

In the example of FIG. 1, multiple parking lots 14 are provided at positions facing the platform 17 of the warehouse 11. For the sake of explanation, the parking lot 14 on the left side of FIG. 1 will be referred to as parking lot 14A, and the parking lot 14 on the right side of FIG. 1 will be referred to as parking lot 14B. The parking spaces 15 provided in parking lot 14A will be referred to as parking spaces 15A-15K from the bottom in FIG. 1, and the parking spaces 15 provided in parking lot 14B will be referred to as parking spaces 15L-15V from the bottom in FIG. 1. When it is not necessary to distinguish between the

parking lots

14A and 14B, they will simply be referred to as parking lots 14, and when it is not necessary to distinguish between the parking spaces 15A-V, they will simply be referred to as parking spaces 15.

Parking spaces 15 are used to park trailers 5 loaded with goods or empty trailers 5 not loaded with goods. In the example of FIG. 1,

parking spaces

15C, 15D, 15E, 15I, 15K, 15N, 15O, 15P, 15R, and 15V have trailers 5 parked, while

parking spaces

15A, 15B, 15F, 15G, 15H, 15J, 15L, 15M, 15Q, 15S, 15T, and 15U are empty spaces where no trailers 5 are parked. Hereinafter, one or more parking spaces 15 with an empty space equal to or larger than the width of a trailer 5 are referred to as a parking space. That is, in the example of FIG. 1,

parking spaces

15A, 15B, 15F, 15G, 15H, 15J, 15L, 15M, 15Q, 15S, 15T, and 15U are parking spaces. Additionally, multiple adjacent parking spaces may be considered as one parking space.

The roadside sensors 2 installed in the distribution center 1 are composed of at least one of, for example, a camera, a sonar, a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), and a radio wave sensor, and detect moving objects including trucks 6, transport vehicles 4, and pedestrians, obstacles present on the grounds of the distribution center 1, and surrounding objects present on the grounds of the distribution center 1. Note that in the example of Figure 1, some of the roadside sensors 2 are not shown for simplicity.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the arrangement of roadside sensors 2 according to the first embodiment. In the example of FIG. 2, the detection range of the roadside sensor 2 is indicated by a dashed line. Multiple roadside sensors 2 are installed on the grounds of the distribution center 1, and are fixed to the roof of the warehouse 11, the fence 16 of the distribution center 1, or structures such as posts installed in the distribution center 1. The roadside sensors 2 are installed so that the detection range formed by one or more roadside sensors 2 includes at least the parking lot 14 and the platform 17 of the warehouse 11. It is also preferable to install multiple roadside sensors 2 so that the detection range includes the entire grounds of the distribution center 1.

The sensor information acquired by the roadside sensor 2 is transmitted to the control device 3 via a communication unit (not shown) possessed by the roadside sensor 2 and is used to generate a driving plan for the transport vehicle 4, which will be described later, or to control the driving and braking of the transport vehicle 4. However, in the distribution center 1, there are many objects with larger dimensions, such as trucks 6 and trailers 5, compared to ordinary roads such as public roads. Furthermore, within the site of the distribution center 1, there is no clear distinction between areas where the trucks 6 and transport vehicles 4 can travel and areas where people such as workers can move, and various moving objects come and go.

In other words, the environment of the distribution center 1 is significantly different from that of a general road in that there are many blind spots in the distribution center 1 and various moving objects. Therefore, it is preferable to arrange multiple roadside sensors 2 in the distribution center 1 to prevent blind spots of the roadside sensors 2. In the example of FIG. 2, the roadside sensor 2 fixed to the fence 16 of the distribution center 1 and arranged on the parking lot 14 side is arranged facing the warehouse 11 side so that at least a part of the platform 17 of the warehouse 11, such as one or more platforms 17 of the warehouse 11, is included in the detection range. On the other hand, the roadside sensor 2 fixed to the roof of the warehouse 11 and arranged on the warehouse 11 side is arranged facing the parking lot 14 side so that at least a part of the parking lot 14, such as one or more parking spaces 15, is included in the detection range.

By arranging the roadside sensors 2 in this manner, objects in the parking lot 14, objects on the platform 17, and objects in the passage between the parking lot 14 and the platform 17 can each be detected by the multiple roadside sensors 2. Furthermore, because the roadside sensors 2 are arranged opposite each other, even if, for example, a truck 6 crosses the passage between the parking lot 14 and the warehouse 11, creating an area that is hidden by the truck 6 and is a blind spot for the roadside sensor 2 arranged on the parking lot 14 side, the blind spot is included in the detection range of the roadside sensor 2 arranged on the warehouse 11 side. Conversely, even if an area is hidden by the truck 6 and is a blind spot for the roadside sensor 2 arranged on the warehouse 11 side, the blind spot is included in the detection range of the roadside sensor 2 arranged on the parking lot 14 side.

In addition, for example, even if a trailer 5 or truck 6 is present on the path along which the transport vehicle 4 or truck 6 is traveling and an object is present in a blind spot of the external sensor 415 (described later) mounted on the transport vehicle 4, the roadside sensor 2 can detect the object. Therefore, in generating a driving plan for the transport vehicle 4 or controlling the driving and braking of the transport vehicle 4 (described later), it is possible to prevent a collision with an object that jumps out of the blind spot of the transport vehicle 4 while traveling. In addition, since the transport vehicle 4, trailer 5, truck 6, or worker present in the parking lot 14 or platform 17 is constantly or intermittently detected, the control device 3 can generate a driving plan that avoids the parking space 15 and platform 17 where the transport vehicle 4, trailer 5, truck 6, or worker is present, thereby improving the operational efficiency of the distribution center 1.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the connection relationship between the control device 3, the transport vehicle 4, and the roadside sensor 2 according to the first embodiment. The roadside sensor 2 and the transport vehicle 4 traveling within the distribution center 1 communicate with the control device 3 via a network 8. As will be described in detail later, the control device 3 receives, via the network 8, on-board sensor information transmitted from the transport vehicle 4 and roadside sensor information transmitted from the roadside sensor 2, and generates a driving plan for the transport vehicle 4 using the on-board sensor information and the roadside sensor information. In other words, the transport system 100 is a system that includes the control device 3 and the transport vehicle 4. Note that the management server 7 shown in FIG. 3 will be described in detail later.

The control device 3 also transmits a driving plan to the transport vehicle 4 via the network 8. The transport vehicle 4 then performs autonomous driving and transport of the trailer 5 based on the received driving plan. Hereinafter, the on-board sensor information transmitted from the transport vehicle 4 and the roadside sensor information transmitted from the roadside sensor 2 may be collectively referred to as sensor information. Note that the transport vehicle 4 or the roadside sensor 2 may be connected to an edge server (not shown) that processes the sensor information, and the edge server may be connected to the control device 3 via the network 8.

The control device 3 will be described. FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the control device 3 according to the first embodiment. The control device 3 includes a map information storage unit 31 in which map information of the distribution center 1 is stored, a vehicle database 32 which is a database capable of storing information on the transport vehicle 4 and the trailer 5 present in the distribution center 1, a driving plan generation unit 33 which generates a driving plan used for the autonomous driving of the transport vehicle 4, a communication unit 34 which communicates with the roadside sensor 2 and the transport vehicle 4, and a recognition unit 35 which generates surrounding recognition information for recognizing the environment within the premises of the distribution center 1. At least one of the map information storage unit 31, the vehicle database 32, the driving plan generation unit 33, the communication unit 34, and the recognition unit 35 of the control device 3 may be provided in an edge server. That is, for example, the recognition unit 35 may be provided in the edge server, and the surrounding recognition information may be transmitted from the edge server to the control device 3.

The map information stored in the map information storage unit 31 is a high-precision base map used for autonomous driving. The map information includes, for example, the passages present on the premises of the distribution center 1, the connections of the passages, the width and length of the passages, the road surface of the passages, and the position information of surrounding features such as the warehouse 11 of the distribution center 1. The map information may be composed of a high-precision three-dimensional map that reflects the position information of surrounding features and obstacles. The high-precision three-dimensional map may be composed of a point cloud, line segments, and a three-dimensional model of features, etc., expressed using high-precision three-dimensional position coordinates of centimeter to sub-meter order according to a reference coordinate system such as the World Geographic System (WGS) or a geodetic system.

The vehicle database 32 is a database that stores information on multiple transport vehicles 4 managed by the control device 3. The vehicle database 32 stores, for example, the ID of the transport vehicle 4 and the status of the transport vehicle 4, such as whether or not it is transporting a trailer 5. The vehicle database 32 also stores information on the trailers 5 present within the distribution center 1, such as the parking position of the trailer 5, the type of trailer 5, the dimensions of the trailer 5, whether or not the trailer 5 is loaded with goods, the date and time of entry, and the date and time of exit.

The recognition unit 35 generates surrounding recognition information for recognizing the environment within the premises of the distribution center 1 based on the sensor information of the on-board sensor and the roadside sensor 2 acquired via the communication unit 34. Here, the environment within the premises of the distribution center 1 refers to the presence or absence of objects within the premises of the distribution center 1, etc. In other words, the surrounding recognition information generated by the recognition unit 35 includes position information indicating the parking position and available parking areas of the trailers 5 present in the distribution center 1.

The sensor information transmitted from the on-board sensor also includes information sensed by an external sensor 415 provided in the transport vehicle 4 and sensing the environment around the transport vehicle 4. The sensor information transmitted from the on-board sensor may also include location information acquired by a GPS receiver 414 provided in the transport vehicle 4. Furthermore, if the transport vehicle 4 is provided with a vehicle attitude sensor or weight sensor, the sensor information transmitted from the on-board sensor may also include information such as the vehicle attitude and on-board weight of the transport vehicle 4. In other words, the on-board sensor may include not only the external sensor 415, but also other sensors mounted on the transport vehicle 4.

The driving plan generation unit 33 generates a driving plan for the transport vehicle 4 based on map information and sensor information transmitted from the transport vehicle 4 and the roadside sensor 2 so that the transport vehicle 4 travels autonomously along the travel route.

The driving plan generation unit 33 has a position estimation unit 331. The position estimation unit 331 estimates transport vehicle position information including the position of the transport vehicle 4 and the direction in which the transport vehicle 4 is facing based on map information and sensor information. Specifically, the position estimation unit 331 estimates transport vehicle position information based on surrounding recognition information and map information.

The driving plan generating unit 33 has a route determining unit 332. The route determining unit 332 generates a driving route for the transport vehicle 4 based on map information, transport vehicle position information, and surrounding recognition information. In addition, when the driving plan generating unit 33 generates a driving plan for driving the transport vehicle 4 toward the trailer 5 or the parking space 15 for transporting the trailer 5, the driving plan generating unit 33 generates a driving route for the transport vehicle 4 based on map information, transport vehicle position information, surrounding recognition information, and the position information of the trailer 5 to be transported or the parking space 15 where the trailer 5 is parked.

In other words, when the transport vehicle 4 transports the trailer 5, the travel route includes the position where the trailer 5 to be transported is parked (hereinafter referred to as the first parking position) and the position where the trailer 5 to be transported is to be parked (hereinafter referred to as the second parking position). The first parking position is, for example, the parking space 15 or the platform 17 of the warehouse 11, and the second parking position is, for example, the parking space or the platform 17 of the warehouse 11.

Here, the travel route is represented by, for example, dividing the route from the current position of the transport vehicle 4 to the target position into multiple routes. In other words, the travel route includes, for example, multiple points on the way to the target position, and these multiple points are the points through which the transport vehicle 4 must pass.

The driving plan generating unit 33 has a route following unit 333. The route following unit 333 generates control information including speed control information for controlling the speed of the transport vehicle 4 and direction control information for controlling the steering angle of the transport vehicle 4 based on the driving route and the transport vehicle position information. Then, the driving plan generating unit 33 transmits the driving plan to the transport vehicle 4 via the communication unit 34.

In other words, the driving plan generated by the driving plan generating unit 33 includes the driving route of the transport vehicle 4 and control information for the transport vehicle 4 to travel along the driving route. The speed indicates the speed of the transport vehicle 4, and the steering angle indicates the traveling direction of the transport vehicle 4. The speed and steering angle can be rephrased as speed and steering angle, or speed and traveling direction. Here, the driving plan transmitted from the driving plan generating unit 33 may not include control information. In this case, the driving control unit 411 of the driving control device 41 described later may generate control information so as to follow the driving route generated by the driving plan generating unit 33. When the control information is generated by the driving control unit 411, the route following unit 333 of the management device 3 can be omitted as appropriate.

The driving plan generation unit 33 generates a driving plan for each transport vehicle 4. When generating driving plans for multiple transport vehicles 4, the driving plan generation unit 33 generates driving routes for the multiple transport vehicles 4 so that the driving routes of one transport vehicle 4 do not intersect with the driving routes of the other transport vehicles 4, for example, to generate a driving plan so that the multiple transport vehicles 4 do not interfere with each other's driving routes. This improves the operational efficiency of the distribution center 1 because the multiple transport vehicles 4 do not interfere with each other's driving.

Next, the configuration of the transport vehicle 4 will be described. FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the driving control device 41 provided in the transport vehicle 4 according to the first embodiment. The driving control device 41 includes a driving control unit 411 that controls the steering mechanism 43 and braking/driving mechanism 44 of the transport vehicle 4 to control the driving of the transport vehicle 4 based on the driving plan received from the control device 3. The driving control device 41 also includes a map information storage unit 412 that stores map information used for the autonomous driving of the transport vehicle 4, a surrounding situation monitoring unit 413 that monitors the surrounding situation of the transport vehicle 4, a vehicle status acquisition unit 417 that acquires information indicating the status of the transport vehicle 4 on which the driving control device 41 is mounted, an on-board communication unit 423 that is configured to be capable of wireless communication, and a coupling control unit 424 that controls the coupling and uncoupling of the trailer 5 and the transport vehicle 4.

The driving control unit 411, the map information storage unit 412, the surrounding conditions monitoring unit 413, and the vehicle state acquisition unit 417 of the driving control device 41 are each connected to the communication bus 422 of the driving control device 41, and data can be sent and received via the communication bus 422.

The steering mechanism 43 is a mechanism provided in the transport vehicle 4 for determining the direction of travel of the transport vehicle 4, and includes, for example, a steering wheel, a steering shaft, a rack, a pinion, and a steering actuator 431. The braking/driving mechanism 44 is a mechanism for controlling the travel speed of the transport vehicle 4 and for switching between forward and reverse, and includes, for example, a driving device such as an engine and a motor, an accelerator, a brake, a shift, and a braking/driving actuator 441. The steering actuator 431 that controls the steering mechanism 43 is, for example, composed of an EPS (Electric Power Steering) motor, and the braking/driving actuator 441 that controls the braking/driving mechanism 44 is, for example, composed of an electronically controlled throttle, a brake actuator, and the like. In addition, when the transport vehicle 4 only performs autonomous driving, mechanisms that are assumed to be operated by a person, such as a steering wheel, an accelerator, and a brake, are not essential and can be omitted as appropriate.

The map information storage unit 412 stores map information. The map information stored in the map information storage unit 31 is a high-precision base map used for autonomous driving, similar to the map information stored in the map information storage unit 31 of the control device 3. The map information includes, for example, the passages present on the premises of the distribution center 1, the connections of the passages, the width and length of the passages, the road surface of the passages, and the position information of surrounding features such as the warehouse 11 of the distribution center 1. The map information may be composed of a high-precision three-dimensional map that can show the passages that the transport vehicle 4 and the like can pass through, the road surface of the passages, and surrounding features. The map information stored in the map information storage unit 412 may be updated by map information that reflects the position information of the trailer 5, distributed from the control device 3.

In addition, if the control device 3 is equipped with a map information storage unit 31, the transport vehicle 4 can travel autonomously even if the driving control device 41 does not have a map information storage unit 412, and if the driving control device 41 is equipped with a map information storage unit 412, the transport vehicle 4 can travel autonomously even if the control device 3 does not have a map information storage unit 31. In other words, it is sufficient that map information is stored in at least one of the map information storage unit 31 provided in the control device 3 or the map information storage unit 412 provided in the driving control device 41.

The surrounding situation monitoring unit 413 is configured to be able to monitor the situation around the vehicle, and includes a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver 414, an external sensor 415, and a surrounding recognition unit 416.

The GPS receiver 414 receives signals transmitted from GPS positioning satellites and detects the current position of the transport vehicle 4 as transport vehicle position information. In addition to the GPS receiver 414, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver may be provided in the driving control device 41, or a GNSS receiver may be provided in place of the GPS receiver 414.

The external sensor 415 is composed of, for example, at least one of a camera that captures images outside the vehicle, a sonar, a LiDAR, and a radio wave sensor, and detects the positions of other vehicles, pedestrians, obstacles, etc. that are present in the vicinity of the transport vehicle 4, or the distance from the vehicle itself, etc.

The surroundings recognition unit 416 recognizes the environment around the vehicle based on the transport vehicle position information and sensor information of the transport vehicle 4 acquired from the GPS receiver 414 and the external sensor 415. Here, the environment around the vehicle refers to the presence or absence of objects around the vehicle, such as the detection range of the external sensor 415.

The on-board communication unit 423 is, for example, a wireless communication device connected to an antenna for wireless communication. The on-board communication unit 423 acquires information on the positions of other vehicles and pedestrians by communicating with on-board communication units provided in other transport vehicles 4 or communication units installed on the road.

The in-vehicle communication unit 423 can also communicate between vehicles via wireless communication, i.e., vehicle-to-vehicle communication, with the in-vehicle communication units 423 of other vehicles around the vehicle. The in-vehicle communication unit 423 can output information received from other vehicles to the communication bus 422. The in-vehicle communication unit 423 can also be configured to acquire information from the roadside sensor 2.

Furthermore, the in-vehicle communication unit 423 is configured to be able to transmit information generated in the driving control device 41 and output to the communication bus 422 to the control device 3 and other vehicles. In other words, the sensor information transmitted from the transport vehicle 4 to the control device 3 may include transport vehicle position information, speed, steering angle, etc. in addition to the sensor information acquired by the external sensor 415.

The vehicle state acquisition unit 417 acquires information indicating the state of the vehicle itself, and includes a steering angle sensor 418, a vehicle speed sensor 419, a gyro sensor 420, and an acceleration sensor 421.

The steering angle sensor 418 is provided, for example, on the EPS motor or steering wheel, and detects the steering angle of the vehicle. The vehicle speed sensor 419 is provided, for example, on the wheels, and detects the traveling speed of the vehicle.

The gyro sensor 420 is a sensor that detects the angular velocity in the azimuth direction when the transport vehicle 4 turns. The acceleration sensor 421 is a sensor that detects the acceleration in the front-to-rear direction (e.g., vehicle length direction), left-to-right direction (e.g., vehicle width direction), and up-down direction (e.g., vehicle height direction) of the transport vehicle 4. Note that even if position information of the transport vehicle 4 cannot be obtained from the GPS receiver 414 or the like, the position of the transport vehicle 4 can be estimated by using the angular velocity and acceleration in each direction obtained by the gyro sensor 420 and the acceleration sensor 421.

The driving control unit 411 of the driving control device 41 controls the steering actuator 431 or braking/driving actuator 441 mounted on the vehicle to perform autonomous driving. The driving control unit 411 controls the driving of the vehicle by, for example, outputting a signal to the steering actuator 431 or braking/driving actuator 441.

The driving control unit 411 performs braking/driving control of the host vehicle, such as by controlling a braking/driving actuator 441 consisting of an electronically controlled throttle and a brake actuator, etc. to operate the brakes and slow down or stop the host vehicle. The driving control unit 411 performs steering control of the host vehicle, such as by controlling a steering actuator 431 consisting of an EPS motor, etc. to maintain the driving route on which the host vehicle is traveling.

In other words, the driving control unit 411 generates control information and controls the steering actuator 431 and the braking/driving actuator 441 so as to follow the driving route included in the driving plan received from the control device 3, thereby realizing autonomous driving of the transport vehicle 4 based on the driving plan. The driving control unit 411 may also realize autonomous driving of the transport vehicle 4 based on the driving plan by controlling the steering actuator 431 and the braking/driving actuator 441 using the control information included in the driving plan so as to follow the driving route included in the driving plan received from the control device 3. Note that, when the transport vehicle 4 is configured to be driven by a person, a display device (not shown) may be provided in the transport vehicle 4, and the display device may be made to display the driving route included in the driving plan received from the control device 3, thereby enabling the transport vehicle 4 to drive based on the driving plan.

In addition, when the external sensor 415 mounted on the transport vehicle 4 detects the presence of an obstacle in the travel route and determines that there is a risk of contact between the transport vehicle 4 and the obstacle, the driving control unit 411 executes emergency stop control to automatically stop the transport vehicle 4. When the emergency stop control is started, the driving control unit 411 stops the transport vehicle 4 on the spot. In addition, when executing emergency stop control, the driving control unit 411 may cause the surrounding situation monitoring unit 413 to search for an evacuation location to stop the transport vehicle, and move the transport vehicle 4 to the evacuation location and stop it. Note that the above-mentioned evacuation location is preferably a location that does not impede the movement of other moving bodies, such as outside the travel route of other transport vehicles 4.

The coupling control unit 424 raises and lowers the fifth wheel 45 provided on the base or the like of the transport vehicle 4, and couples or uncouples the transport vehicle 4 and the trailer 5. The coupling control unit 424 sends a signal to a lift 46 provided on the transport vehicle 4, and drives the lift 46 to raise and lower the fifth wheel 45.

The coupling and uncoupling of the transport vehicle 4 and the trailer 5 will be described. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the coupling operation of the transport vehicle 4 and the trailer 5 according to the first embodiment. When the transport vehicle 4 is coupled to the trailer 5, the transport vehicle 4 approaches the trailer 5 to be transported based on the driving plan. Next, the transport vehicle 4, under the driving control of the driving control unit 411, changes direction as necessary so that the base on which the fifth wheel 45 is provided faces the direction in which the trailer 5 is located, and moves to a position where the kingpin 51 provided at the bottom of the trailer 5 and the fifth wheel 45 can engage. In the example of FIG. 6, the base of the transport vehicle 4 extends toward the rear of the transport vehicle 4 (to the right in FIG. 6), and the fifth wheel 45 is provided on the base. That is, in the example of FIG. 6, the transport vehicle 4 retreats and approaches the trailer 5. Then, the connection control unit 424 of the transport vehicle 4 drives the lift 46 to raise the fifth wheel 45 and engage the fifth wheel 45 with the kingpin 51, completing the connection between the transport vehicle 4 and the trailer 5.

In the above-mentioned operation of connecting the transport vehicle 4 and the trailer 5, the transport vehicle 4 needs to approach the trailer 5. However, when the transport vehicle 4 and the trailer 5 approach each other, the area between the transport vehicle 4 and the trailer 5 may be in a blind spot of the external sensor 415 mounted on the other transport vehicle 4, or in a blind spot of the roadside sensor 2. Therefore, it is preferable that the driving control unit 411 executes driving control of the transport vehicle 4 connected to the trailer 5 using sensor information acquired by the external sensor 415 installed on the transport vehicle 4 connected to the trailer 5.

When the transport vehicle 4 and the trailer 5 are uncoupled, the transport vehicle 4 moves the trailer 5 to the parking position, and then the coupling control unit 424 drives the lift 46 to lower the fifth wheel 45, completing the uncoupling of the transport vehicle 4 and the trailer 5. When it is necessary to connect an air pressure line that supplies air pressure from the transport vehicle 4 or a cable that supplies power from the transport vehicle 4 to the trailer 5, a robot having a manipulator may be mounted on the base of the transport vehicle 4, and the robot may automatically connect the air pressure line or the cable. When the air pressure line that supplies air pressure from the transport vehicle 4 or the cable that supplies power from the transport vehicle 4 is to be removed from the trailer 5, the above-mentioned robot may automatically remove the cable. In this case, the on-board communication unit 423 may transmit a signal indicating that the coupling or uncoupling of the transport vehicle 4 and the trailer 5 has been completed or started to a control device (not shown) that controls the robot, and the robot may connect or remove the cable.

Next, the operation of the control device 3 and the operation control device 41 will be described. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control device 3 and the operation control device 41 during transportation of the trailer 5 according to the first embodiment.

In step S101, the external sensor 415 or the roadside sensor 2 of the transport vehicle 4 acquires sensor information. Specifically, the external sensor 415 or the roadside sensor 2, which is composed of a camera, a sonar, a radio wave sensor, a LiDAR, etc., senses the inside of the distribution center 1 premises.

In step S102, the communication unit of the roadside sensor 2 or the on-board communication unit 423 of the transport vehicle 4 transmits the sensor information obtained by sensing to the control device 3.

In step S103, the communication unit 34 of the control device 3 receives sensor information from the roadside sensor 2 and the transport vehicle 4. Note that steps S101, S102, and S103 may be executed repeatedly.

Then, in step S104, the driving plan generating unit 33 of the control device 3 determines the trailer 5 to be transported. That is, the driving plan generating unit 33 identifies the first parking position where the trailer 5 to be transported is parked, and the second parking position where the trailer 5 to be transported is to be parked.

The trailer 5 to be transported may be determined based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 35, or may be determined by the manager of the distribution center 1 who operates the control device 3 via a user interface. When determining the trailer 5 to be transported based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 35, the driving plan generation unit 33 determines the trailer 5 parked in the parking lot 14 as the trailer to be transported when the recognition unit 35 detects, for example, a trailer 5 parked in the parking lot 14 and a platform 17 on which no other trailers 5 are present. In addition, the driving plan generation unit 33 determines the trailer 5 parked on the platform 17 as the trailer to be transported when the recognition unit 35 detects, for example, a trailer 5 parked on the platform 17 after the loading or unloading of goods has been completed and a parking space is available.

In step S105, the driving plan generation unit 33 generates a driving plan and transmits the driving plan to the transport vehicle 4 via the communication unit 34. Specifically, the recognition unit 35 of the control device 3 generates surrounding recognition information for recognizing the surroundings of the transport vehicle 4 based on the sensor information received in step S103.

Here, the transport vehicle 4 for which the driving plan generating unit 33 generates a driving plan may be a transport vehicle 4 among the multiple transport vehicles 4 that is not engaged in transporting the trailer 5 or that completes the transport of the trailer 5 after a predetermined time has elapsed. Information on the operation status of the transport vehicle 4, such as whether each transport vehicle 4 is engaged in transporting the trailer 5 or the time when the transport of the trailer 5 ends, is stored in the vehicle database 32 of the control device 3. Note that, for example, information indicating whether each transport vehicle 4 is engaged in transporting the trailer 5 may be stored in the vehicle database 32 using a signal indicating that the transport vehicle 4 has started or finished transporting the trailer 5, which is acquired by the control device 3 from the driving control unit 411. Also, for example, based on the driving plan generated by the driving plan generating unit 33, the driving plan generating unit 33 may estimate the time when the transport of the trailer 5 ends, and use that time as information on the operation status of the transport vehicle 4. In addition, the control device 3 may obtain information on whether the transport vehicle 4 is coupled to or uncoupled from the trailer 5 from the coupling control unit 424 of the driving control device 41, and store the information in the vehicle database 32 as information on the operating status of the transport vehicle 4.

The position estimation unit 331 of the driving plan generation unit 33 estimates the transport vehicle position information based on the recognition information and map information. For example, the position estimation unit 331 estimates the transport vehicle position information using SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) technology, which simultaneously estimates the position of the transport vehicle 4 and creates an environmental map. In addition to SLAM technology, the transport vehicle position information can be more accurately estimated by using GPS position information included in the sensor information transmitted from the transport vehicle 4.

Then, the driving plan generating unit 33 generates a driving plan and transmits the driving plan to the transport vehicle 4 via the communication unit 34. Specifically, the route determining unit 332 of the driving plan generating unit 33 generates a driving route for the transport vehicle 4 based on the map information, the transport vehicle position information, and the surrounding recognition information.

Then, the route following unit 333 of the driving plan generation unit 33 generates control information including speed control information for controlling the speed of the transport vehicle 4 and direction control information for controlling the steering angle of the transport vehicle 4 based on the driving route and the transport vehicle position information. Then, the communication unit 34 of the control device 3 transmits the driving plan to the transport vehicle 4.

In step S106, the on-board communication unit 423 of the transport vehicle 4 receives the driving plan. The driving plan is then input to the driving control unit 411. Here, the driving control unit 411 of the transport vehicle 4 may generate a signal indicating that the transportation of the trailer 5 has started, and transmit the signal to the management device 3 via the on-board communication unit 423. Note that if the driving plan transmitted from the driving plan generation unit 33 does not include control information, the driving control unit 411 of the driving control device 41 may generate control information so that the transport vehicle 4 follows the driving route.

The driving control unit 411 controls the speed and steering angle based on the driving plan. As a result, the transport vehicle 4 autonomously drives the driving route based on the driving plan. The transport vehicle 4 moves to the first parking position based on the driving plan and couples with the trailer 5 to be transported that is located at the first parking position. Then, after transporting the trailer 5 to the second parking position, the transport vehicle 4 uncouples the trailer 5 and parks the trailer 5 at the second parking position. Here, the driving control unit 411 of the transport vehicle 4 may generate a signal indicating that the transportation of the trailer 5 has been completed, and transmit this to the control device 3 via the on-board communication unit 423.

The operation of the transport vehicle 4 with respect to the entry of the truck 6 towing the trailer 5 and the transport of the trailer 5 to the warehouse 11 by the transport vehicle 4 will be described. Figures 8 to 13 are explanatory diagrams showing examples of the operation of the transport vehicle 4 according to the first embodiment. For simplification, the roadside sensor 2 is omitted from the illustration in Figures 8 to 13. Also, the trailer 5 to which the transport object 4 is to be transported is shown hatched.

The entry of a truck 6 towing a trailer 5 will be described using Figure 8. The truck 6 towing a trailer 5 enters the grounds of the distribution center 1 through the entrance 12 of the distribution center 1. When the driver of the truck 6 is permitted to enter the distribution center 1 by a supervisor at the entrance gate 18, the driver is assigned a parking space 15 in which to park the trailer 5. The supervisor may instruct the driver of the truck 6 on the parking space 15 in which to park the trailer 5. The parking space 15 in which to park the trailer 5 may also be decided by the driver of the truck 6.

Here, the parking position of the trailer 5 is stored in the vehicle database 32 of the control device 3 together with information such as the type of trailer 5, the dimensions of the trailer 5, whether or not the trailer 5 is loaded with goods, and the date and time of entry. Here, when the control device 3 has not instructed the transport vehicle 4 to transport the trailer 5, the transport vehicle 4 waits in a position that does not interfere with the movement of the truck 6 or other transport vehicles 4. Note that a waiting area for the transport vehicle 4 may be provided within the premises of the distribution center 1 as a position that does not interfere with the movement of the truck 6 or other transport vehicles 4.

The parking of the trailer 5 by the truck 6 will be explained using FIG. 9. The truck 6 that is permitted to enter parks the trailer 5 in the designated parking space 15. In the example of FIG. 9, the designated parking space 15 is parking space 15A.

The coupling between the transport vehicle 4 and the trailer 5 will be described using FIG. 10. The transport vehicle 4, which has been instructed by the control device 3 to transport the trailer 5, drives autonomously from its current position, such as a waiting position, to the first parking position, which is included in the travel plan transmitted from the control device 3 and is the position where the trailer 5 of the transport vehicle 4 is parked. The transport vehicle 4 then couples with the trailer 5 by executing control by the driving control unit 411 and the coupling control unit 424.

Using Figure 11, we will explain the transportation of the trailer 5 to the platform 17 by the transport vehicle 4. The transport vehicle 4 coupled to the trailer 5 moves the trailer 5 to the second parking position, which is included in the driving plan transmitted from the control device 3 and is the position where the trailer 5 is to be parked. When the transport vehicle 4 transports the trailer 5 to the platform 17, the second parking position is the platform 17 where loading or unloading of goods is performed.

Here, the platform 17 to be the second parking position may be one of the platforms 17 on which no other transport vehicles 4 or trailers 5 are present, as identified by the surrounding recognition information generated by the recognition unit 35 of the control device 3, or it may be one of the multiple platforms 17 designated by the manager of the distribution center 1, etc. When designated by the manager of the distribution center 1, the second parking position can be input to the control device 3 via an interface.

The parking of the trailer 5 on the platform 17 by the transport vehicle 4 will be described with reference to FIG. 12. The transport vehicle 4 coupled to the trailer 5 transports the trailer 5 to the platform 17 where loading or unloading of goods is performed, and changes direction as necessary so that the opening door provided on the trailer 5 is positioned on the platform 17 side. The transport vehicle 4 then moves the trailer 5 closer to the platform 17 so that loading or unloading of goods is possible, and executes control by the coupling control unit 424 to detach from the trailer 5. The parking position of the trailer 5 detached from the transport vehicle 4 may be stored in the vehicle database 32 of the control device 3 together with information such as the type of trailer 5, the dimensions of the trailer 5, whether or not goods are loaded, and the parking date and time.

The operation of the transport vehicle 4 when the transport of the trailer 5 by the transport vehicle 4 is completed will be described using FIG. 13. After detaching from the trailer 5 and parking the trailer 5 on the platform 17, i.e., the second parking position, the transport vehicle 4 autonomously moves away from the trailer 5 and waits in a position that does not interfere with the movement of the truck 6 or other transport vehicles 4, such as a waiting area. In addition, the transport vehicle 4 that has detached from the trailer 5 may start transporting another trailer 5 without waiting. In the manner described above, the transport vehicle 4 transports the trailer 5 from the parking space 15 to the platform 17.

Next, the operation of the transport vehicle 4 with respect to the transport of the trailer 5 from the warehouse 11 by the transport vehicle 4 and the departure of the truck 6 towing the trailer 5 will be described. Figures 14 to 17 are explanatory diagrams showing the operation of the transport vehicle 4 according to the first embodiment. For simplification, the roadside sensor 2 is omitted from the illustration in Figures 14 to 17. Also, the trailer 5 to which the transport object 4 is to be transported is shown hatched.

Using Figure 14, we will explain autonomous driving of the transport vehicle 4 to the position where the trailer 5 is parked. The transport vehicle 4, which has been instructed by the control device 3 to transport the trailer 5, autonomously drives from its current position, such as a waiting position, to the first parking position, which is the position where the trailer 5 of the transport vehicle 4 is parked and is included in the driving plan transmitted from the control device 3. In the example of Figure 14, the first parking position is the platform 17 of the warehouse 11.

The coupling between the transport vehicle 4 and the trailer 5 will be described using FIG. 15. After moving to the first parking position, the transport vehicle 4 is coupled to the trailer 5 by executing control by the driving control unit 411 and the coupling control unit 424.

Using Figure 16, we will explain the transportation of the trailer 5 to the parking space 15 by the transport vehicle 4. The transport vehicle 4 coupled to the trailer 5 moves the trailer 5 to the second parking position, which is included in the driving plan transmitted from the control device 3 and is the position where the trailer 5 is to be parked. When the transport vehicle 4 transports the trailer 5 to the parking space 15, the second parking position is a parking space.

Then, the transport vehicle 4 changes direction as necessary so that the truck 6 can tow the trailer 5, and detaches from the trailer 5 in the parking space 15 to park the trailer 5. Here, the parking position of the trailer 5 may be stored in the vehicle database 32 of the control device 3 together with information such as the type of trailer 5, the dimensions of the trailer 5, whether or not it is loaded with goods, and the parking date and time. In the example of FIG. 16, the parking position of the trailer 5 is the parking space 15L. In the above-mentioned manner, the transport vehicle 4 transports the trailer 5 from the platform 17 to the parking space 15.

The towing of a trailer 5 by a truck 6 will be explained using FIG. 17. The truck 6 that has been permitted to enter tows the trailer 5 designated by the monitor at the entrance gate 18, and transports the trailer 5 out of the distribution center 1 through the exit gate 19 of the distribution center 1. Here, the transport vehicle 4 that has completed transporting the trailer 5 may be kept waiting in a position that does not interfere with the movement of the truck 6 or other transport vehicles 4.

When the above-mentioned conveying system 100 is introduced, if the business introducing the conveying system 100 is different from the business managing and operating the distribution center 1, a business model may be adopted in which the business introducing the conveying system 100 recovers costs according to the handling volume of the distribution center 1, and uses the recovered costs to introduce the conveying system 100 to businesses operating other distribution centers 1. However, there is a problem in that the business introducing the conveying system 100 is unable to recover costs according to the handling volume of the distribution center 1 due to circumstances such as being unable to grasp the operating status of the conveying vehicles 4.

The transport system 100 possessed by the control device 3 of the present disclosure is equipped with a management server 7, which calculates costs according to the volume of goods handled by the distribution center 1 and bills the business that manages and operates the distribution center 1 for these costs, allowing the business that introduces the transport system 100 to recover costs according to the volume of goods handled by the distribution center 1.

FIG. 18 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the management server 7 according to the first embodiment. The management server 7 has a receiving unit 72 that receives work information indicating the number of times the trailer 5 is transported by the transport vehicle 4, a memory unit 74 that stores the work information received by the receiving unit 72, a calculation unit 73 that calculates a delivery fee according to the work information stored in the memory unit 74, and a transmission unit 75 that transmits fee information indicating the delivery fee calculated by the calculation unit 73 to the customer. Here, the customer is, for example, a business operator that manages and operates the distribution center 1.

The management server 7 is also connected via a network to the control device 3 and a distribution center server owned by the business operator who manages and operates the distribution center 1. The management server 7 transmits and receives data to and from the control device 3 and the distribution center server via a communication unit 71. The data transmitted from the control device 3 to the management server 7 is work information indicating the number of times the trailer 5 has been transported by the transport vehicle 4, and the data transmitted from the management server 7 to the distribution center server is fee information indicating the delivery fee. For example, the fee information is transmitted by the transmission unit 75 via email or the like in a format that allows the business operator who manages and operates the distribution center 1 to recognize the fees to be charged.

The method of billing for delivery charges by the management server 7 will be described. FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the management server 7 according to the first embodiment. In step S201, the receiving unit 72 of the management server 7 receives work information indicating the number of times the trailer 5 has been transported by the transport vehicle 4. If the receiving unit 72 of the management server 7 has not received work information indicating the number of times the trailer 5 has been transported by the transport vehicle 4 (S201: NO), the process does not proceed to step S202, and the management server 7 waits until it receives the work information.

The work information is transmitted, for example, from the control device 3 or the transport vehicle 4 to the management server 7. An example of a case in which work information is transmitted from the control device 3 to the management server 7 will be described. The driving plan generation unit 33 of the control device 3 generates a driving plan including the first parking position and the second parking position. Next, when the control device 3 receives a signal from the transport vehicle 4 indicating that the transport of the trailer 5 has been completed based on the generated driving plan, the control device 3 stores the number of times the transport work of the trailer 5 has been performed in the vehicle database 32, linked to the ID of the transport vehicle 4 that performed the transport work. Then, the number of times the transport vehicle 4 has performed the transport work of the trailer 5 is transmitted as work information to the management server 7 via the communication unit 34 of the control device 3, and the receiving unit 72 of the management server 7 receives the number of times the transport vehicle 4 has performed the transport work of the trailer 5 as work information.

Furthermore, an example of a case where work information is transmitted from the transport vehicle 4 to the management server 7 will be described. For example, the driving control device 41 of the transport vehicle 4 stores the number of times that the coupling control unit 424 has coupled the transport vehicle 4 to the trailer 5 and uncoupled the transport vehicle 4 from the trailer 5 in a memory unit (not shown) provided in the driving control device 41. Then, the driving control device 41 transmits the number of times that the coupling control unit 424 has coupled the transport vehicle 4 to the trailer 5 and uncoupled the transport vehicle 4 from the trailer 5 as work information to the management server 7 via the on-board communication unit 426. Next, the receiving unit 72 of the management server 7 receives the number of times that the coupling control unit 424 has coupled the transport vehicle 4 to the trailer 5 and uncoupled the transport vehicle 4 from the trailer 5 as work information.

Here, the number of times the trailer 5 has been transported is, for example, the number of times the trailer 5 has been transported from the parking lot 14 to the platform 17 by the transport vehicle 4, the number of times the trailer 5 has been transported from the platform 17 to the parking lot 14 by the transport vehicle 4, or the sum of the number of times the trailer 5 has been transported from the parking lot 14 to the platform 17 by the transport vehicle 4 and the number of times the trailer 5 has been transported from the platform 17 to the parking lot 14 by the transport vehicle 4.

The number of times the trailer 5 is transported may be calculated using the above-mentioned numbers, such as the number of times the trailer 5 is transported from the parking lot 14 to the platform 17 by the transport vehicle 4, the number of times the trailer 5 is transported from the platform 17 to the parking lot 14 by the transport vehicle 4, and the sum of the number of times the trailer 5 is transported from the parking lot 14 to the platform 17 by the transport vehicle 4 and the number of times the trailer 5 is transported from the platform 17 to the parking lot 14 by the transport vehicle 4.

Furthermore, the number of times the trailer 5 is transported may be calculated using sensor information acquired by the roadside sensor 2 or sensor information acquired by an on-board sensor installed in the transport vehicle 4. For example, the number of times the trailer 5 is transported by the transport vehicle 4 may be measured using the detection results of the roadside sensor 2 that includes the platform 17 in its detection range or the external sensor 415, which is one of the on-board sensors, and the detection results of the roadside sensor 2 or the external sensor 415 that includes the parking lot 14 in its detection range.

After the receiving unit 72 of the management server 7 receives the work information indicating the number of times the trailer 5 has been transported by the transport vehicle 4 (S201: YES), in step S202, the memory unit 74 of the management server 7 stores the work information received by the receiving unit 72. Also, if work information has been stored in the memory unit 74 of the management server 7, in step S202, the work information is updated using the work information received by the receiving unit 72.

Then, in step S203, the calculation unit 73 of the management server 7 determines whether or not a predetermined period has elapsed. If it is confirmed that the predetermined period has elapsed (S203: YES), in step S204, the calculation unit 73 calculates a delivery fee according to the work information stored in the memory unit 74. For example, the calculation unit 73 refers to the work information stored in the memory unit 74 to identify the number of times the trailer 5 has been transported by the transport vehicle 4, and calculates a fee proportional to the number of transports as the delivery fee.

Here, the specified period is, for example, a predetermined period starting from the time when the calculation unit 73 last calculated the delivery fee or the time when the transmission unit 75 last transmitted the fee information. The calculation unit 73 may determine whether the specified period has elapsed, for example, if one month has passed since the calculation unit 73 last calculated the delivery fee, and may determine that the specified period has not elapsed if one month has not passed since the calculation unit 73 last calculated the delivery fee. The calculation unit 73 may determine whether the specified period has elapsed, for example, if one month has passed since the transmission unit 75 last transmitted the fee information, and may determine that the specified period has not elapsed if one month has not passed since the transmission unit 75 last transmitted the fee information. In other words, the delivery fee is calculated by the calculation unit 73 based on the number of transports of the trailer 5 during the above-mentioned specified period. If it is confirmed that the specified period has not elapsed (S203: NO), the process proceeds to step S201, and the management server 7 continues to collect work information.

In step S205, the transmission unit 75 of the management server 7 transmits fee information indicating the delivery fee calculated by the calculation unit 73 to the customer. The transmission unit 75 transmits the fee information by e-mail or the like in a format that allows the business operator that manages and operates the distribution center 1 to recognize the fees to be charged. After that, the process proceeds to step S201, and the management server 7 continues to collect work information.

In the above-mentioned management server 7, the number of transports is calculated based on the transport work of the trailer 5 performed by the transport vehicle 4. However, the number of transports may be calculated using the number of trailers 5 towed by the truck 6 and entered the distribution center 1, or the number of trailers 5 towed by the truck 6 and exited the distribution center 1. For example, the number of trailers 5 that entered the distribution center 1 may be calculated using the number of trailers 5 detected by the roadside sensor 2 or the vehicle-mounted sensor that includes the entrance gate 18 in its detection range, and the number of trailers 5 that exited the distribution center 1 may be calculated using the number of trailers 5 detected by the roadside sensor 2 or the vehicle-mounted sensor that includes the exit gate 19 in its detection range. In this way, it becomes possible to charge fees based on the number of trailers 5 transported by the transport vehicle 4, and the fees charged to the customer are in accordance with the processing capacity of the distribution center 1, such as the size of the distribution center 1, the loading efficiency of goods, the loading and unloading efficiency of goods, or the transport efficiency of the trailers 5 by the transport vehicle 4.

Next, the hardware configuration for realizing the functions of the conveying system 100 will be described. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the conveying system 100 relating to embodiment 1. The functions of the control device 3, map information storage unit 31, vehicle database 32, driving plan generation unit 33, communication unit 34, recognition unit 35, position estimation unit 331, route determination unit 332, route following unit 333, driving control device 41, driving control unit 411, map information storage unit 412, surrounding situation monitoring unit 413, surrounding recognition unit 416, vehicle state acquisition unit 417, in-vehicle communication unit 423, connection control unit 424, management server 7, communication unit 71, receiving unit 72, calculation unit 73, storage unit 74, and transmission unit 75 in the conveying system 100 are realized by processing circuits. That is, the control device 3, map information storage unit 31, vehicle database 32, driving plan generation unit 33, communication unit 34, recognition unit 35, position estimation unit 331, route determination unit 332, route following unit 333, driving control device 41, driving control unit 411, map information storage unit 412, surrounding situation monitoring unit 413, surrounding recognition unit 416, vehicle state acquisition unit 417, in-vehicle communication unit 423, connection control unit 424, management server 7, communication unit 71, receiving unit 72, calculation unit 73, storage unit 74, and transmission unit 75 of the transport system 100 may be a processing circuit 110a, which is dedicated hardware, as shown in FIG. 20A, or a processor 110b that executes a program stored in memory 110c as shown in FIG. 20B.

As shown in FIG. 20A, when the control device 3, map information storage unit 31, vehicle database 32, driving plan generation unit 33, communication unit 34, recognition unit 35, position estimation unit 331, route determination unit 332, route following unit 333, driving control device 41, driving control unit 411, map information storage unit 412, surrounding condition monitoring unit 413, surrounding recognition unit 416, vehicle state acquisition unit 417, in-vehicle communication unit 423, connection control unit 424, management server 7, communication unit 71, receiving unit 72, calculation unit 73, memory unit 74, and transmission unit 75 are dedicated hardware, the processing circuit 110a corresponds to, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-programmable Gate Array), or a combination of these. The functions of each of the control device 3, map information storage unit 31, vehicle database 32, driving plan generation unit 33, communication unit 34, recognition unit 35, position estimation unit 331, route determination unit 332, route following unit 333, driving control device 41, driving control unit 411, map information storage unit 412, surrounding situation monitoring unit 413, surrounding recognition unit 416, vehicle state acquisition unit 417, in-vehicle communication unit 423, connection control unit 424, management server 7, communication unit 71, receiving unit 72, calculation unit 73, storage unit 74, and transmission unit 75 may be realized by a processing circuit, or the functions of each unit may be realized together by a single processing circuit.

As shown in FIG. 20B, when the control device 3, map information storage unit 31, vehicle database 32, driving plan generation unit 33, communication unit 34, recognition unit 35, position estimation unit 331, route determination unit 332, route following unit 333, driving control device 41, driving control unit 411, map information storage unit 412, surrounding condition monitoring unit 413, surrounding recognition unit 416, vehicle state acquisition unit 417, in-vehicle communication unit 423, connection control unit 424, management server 7, communication unit 71, receiving unit 72, calculation unit 73, storage unit 74, and transmission unit 75 are processor 110b, the functions of each unit are realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software or firmware is written as a program and stored in memory 110c. The processor 110b reads out and executes the programs stored in the memory 110c, thereby realizing each of the functions of the control device 3, the map information storage unit 31, the vehicle database 32, the driving plan generation unit 33, the communication unit 34, the recognition unit 35, the position estimation unit 331, the route determination unit 332, the route following unit 333, the driving control device 41, the driving control unit 411, the map information storage unit 412, the surrounding condition monitoring unit 413, the surrounding recognition unit 416, the vehicle state acquisition unit 417, the in-vehicle communication unit 423, the connection control unit 424, the management server 7, the communication unit 71, the receiving unit 72, the calculation unit 73, the memory unit 74, and the transmission unit 75. That is, the control device 3, the map information storage unit 31, the vehicle database 32, the driving plan generation unit 33, the communication unit 34, the recognition unit 35, the position estimation unit 331, the route determination unit 332, the route following unit 333, the driving control device 41, the driving control unit 411, the map information storage unit 412, the surrounding condition monitoring unit 413, the surrounding recognition unit 416, the vehicle state acquisition unit 417, the in-vehicle communication unit 423, the connection control unit 424, the management server 7, the communication unit 71, the receiving unit 72, the calculation unit 73, the memory unit 74, and the transmitting unit 75 are equipped with a memory 110c for storing a program which, when executed by the processor 110b, results in the execution of each step shown in FIG. 7, etc. In addition, these programs can be said to cause a computer to execute the procedures or methods of the control device 3, map information storage unit 31, vehicle database 32, driving plan generation unit 33, communication unit 34, recognition unit 35, position estimation unit 331, route determination unit 332, route following unit 333, driving control device 41, driving control unit 411, map information storage unit 412, surrounding situation monitoring unit 413, surrounding recognition unit 416, vehicle state acquisition unit 417, in-vehicle communication unit 423, connection control unit 424, management server 7, communication unit 71, receiving unit 72, calculation unit 73, storage unit 74, and transmission unit 75.

Here, the processor 110b refers to, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), processing device, arithmetic device, processor, microprocessor, microcomputer, or DSP (Digital Signal Processor). The memory 110c may be, for example, a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), or an EEPROM (Electrically EPROM), or may be a magnetic disk such as a hard disk or a flexible disk, or may be an optical disk such as a mini disk, a CD (Compact Disc), or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc).

In addition, the functions of the control device 3, map information storage unit 31, vehicle database 32, driving plan generation unit 33, communication unit 34, recognition unit 35, position estimation unit 331, route determination unit 332, route following unit 333, driving control device 41, driving control unit 411, map information storage unit 412, surrounding situation monitoring unit 413, surrounding recognition unit 416, vehicle state acquisition unit 417, in-vehicle communication unit 423, connection control unit 424, management server 7, communication unit 71, receiving unit 72, calculation unit 73, memory unit 74, and transmission unit 75 may be partially realized by dedicated hardware and partially realized by software or firmware. In this way, the processing circuit 110a in the conveying system 100 can realize each of the above-mentioned functions by hardware, software, firmware, or a combination of these. In addition, at least some of the functions of the control device 3, map information storage unit 31, vehicle database 32, driving plan generation unit 33, communication unit 34, recognition unit 35, position estimation unit 331, route determination unit 332, route following unit 333, driving control device 41, driving control unit 411, map information storage unit 412, surrounding situation monitoring unit 413, surrounding recognition unit 416, vehicle state acquisition unit 417, in-vehicle communication unit 423, connection control unit 424, management server 7, communication unit 71, receiving unit 72, calculation unit 73, storage unit 74, and transmission unit 75 may be executed by a server located outside the transport system 100.

In this way, the conveying system 100 is equipped with a

communication unit

34, 423 that transmits work information indicating the number of times the trailer 5 is transported by the conveying vehicle 4, a receiving unit 72 that receives the work information, a memory unit 74 that stores the work information received by the receiving unit 72, a calculation unit 73 that calculates a delivery fee according to the work information stored in the memory unit 74, and a transmission unit 75 that transmits fee information indicating the delivery fee calculated by the calculation unit 73 to the customer, thereby enabling a business operator that introduces the conveying system 100 to recover costs according to the handling volume of goods at the distribution center 1.

Embodiment 2.
The transport system 100 according to the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that when the number of transports exceeds a predetermined number, the management server 7 calculates the delivery fee as a flat rate. The same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The calculation unit 73 of the management server 7, for example, refers to the work information stored in the memory unit 74 to identify the number of times the trailer 5 has been transported by the transport vehicle 4, and calculates a fee proportional to the number of transports as the delivery fee. Here, the specified period is, for example, a predetermined period starting from the previous transmission of fee information by the transmission unit 75. The calculation unit 73 may determine whether the specified period has elapsed by, for example, determining that the specified period has elapsed if one month has elapsed since the calculation unit 73 last calculated the delivery fee. The delivery fee is also calculated by the calculation unit 73 based on the number of times the trailer 5 has been transported during the above-mentioned specified period.

FIG. 21 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the calculation of the delivery fee according to the second embodiment. The vertical axis of the graph shown in FIG. 21 is the delivery fee, and the horizontal axis is the number of transports. When the number of transports by the trailer 5 exceeds a predetermined threshold (threshold A in FIG. 21), the calculation unit 73 calculates the delivery fee as a flat rate (flat rate B in FIG. 21). In other words, the delivery fee charged to the customer is a flat rate (delivery fee calculated in period C in FIG. 21) when the number of transports exceeds the predetermined threshold, and is, for example, a fee proportional to the number of transports (delivery fee calculated in period D in FIG. 21) when the number of transports is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold.

FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the management server 7 according to the second embodiment. The same reference numerals are used for the processes explained in FIG. 19, and the explanation is omitted. In step S201, the receiving unit 72 of the management server 7 receives work information indicating the number of times the trailer 5 has been transported by the transport vehicle 4.

After the receiving unit 72 of the management server 7 receives the work information indicating the number of times the trailer 5 has been transported by the transport vehicle 4 (S201: YES), in step S202, the memory unit of the management server 7 stores the work information received by the receiving unit 72. If work information has been stored in the memory unit of the management server 7, in step S202, the work information received by the receiving unit 72 is used to update the work information. If the receiving unit 72 of the management server 7 has not received work information indicating the number of times the trailer 5 has been transported by the transport vehicle 4 (S201: NO), the process does not proceed to step S202, and the management server 7 waits until it receives the work information.

Next, in step S301, the calculation unit 73 checks whether the number of transports by the trailer 5 has exceeded a predetermined threshold. If it is confirmed that the number of transports by the trailer 5 has exceeded the predetermined threshold (S301: YES), the process proceeds to S204, where the calculation unit 73 calculates the delivery fee and determines that the delivery fee is a flat rate. Then, the process proceeds to S205, where the transmission unit 75 of the management server 7 transmits fee information indicating the delivery fee calculated by the calculation unit 73 to the customer.

The transmission of fee information indicating the delivery fee by the transmission unit 75 to the customer may be performed after a specified period of time has elapsed, such as after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the previous transmission of the fee information by the transmission unit 75. In this way, if the calculation unit 73 determines that the delivery fee is a flat rate, work performed by the transport vehicle 4 after the delivery fee during the specified period was determined is not added to the delivery fee, and the delivery fee indicated in the fee information transmitted from the transmission unit 75 to the customer can be set to a flat rate.

If it is confirmed that the number of transports by the trailer 5 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold (S301: NO), the process proceeds to S203, where the calculation unit 73 of the management server 7 checks whether a predetermined period of time has elapsed. If it is confirmed that the predetermined period of time has elapsed (S203: YES), in step S204, the calculation unit 73 calculates the delivery fee according to the work information stored in the memory unit 74. Then, the process proceeds to S205, where the transmission unit 75 transmits fee information indicating the delivery fee calculated by the calculation unit 73 to the customer. Thereafter, the process of the management server 7 proceeds to step S201, where the collection of work information continues. Note that if it is confirmed that the predetermined period of time has not elapsed (S203: NO), the process proceeds to step S201, where the collection of work information continues.

In this way, if the number of transports exceeds a predetermined number using the transport system 100, the delivery fee is calculated as a flat rate, and the business operator managing and operating the distribution center 1 can improve the transport efficiency of the trailer 5 without putting a strain on profits even if the number of transports increases. A business operator who encourages the introduction of the transport system 100 will see a decrease in profits from one transport system 100, but will be able to encourage businesses at other distribution centers to introduce new transport systems 100 based on their track record of introduction, and therefore can introduce the transport system 100 to multiple distribution centers to improve overall profits.

In addition, in the first and second embodiments, a part of the configuration of the control device 3 may be provided in the driving control device 41 of the transport vehicle 4 or in the edge server. Also, a part of the configuration of the driving control device 41 of the transport vehicle 4 may be provided in the control device 3 or in the edge server. Furthermore, the control device 3 and the edge server may be provided in the distribution center 1 or in a facility outside the distribution center 1.

The embodiments disclosed in this specification may be modified or omitted as appropriate within the scope of the specification.

1 Distribution center, 2 Roadside sensor, 3 Control device, 4 Transport vehicle, 5 Trailer, 6 Truck, 7 Management server, 11 Warehouse, 12 Entrance, 13 Exit, 14, 14A-B Parking lot, 15, 15A-V Parking space, 16 Fence, 17 Platform, 18 Entry gate, 19 Exit gate, 31, 412 Map information storage unit, 32 Vehicle database, 33 Driving plan generation unit, 34, 71 Communication unit, 35 Recognition unit, 41 Driving control device, 43 Steering mechanism, 44 Braking/driving mechanism, 45 Fifth wheel, 46 Lift, 51 Kingpin, 72 Receiving unit, 73 Calculation unit , 74 memory unit, 75 transmission unit, 100 transport system, 110a processing circuit, 110b processor, 110c memory, 331 position estimation unit, 332 route determination unit, 333 route following unit, 411 driving control unit, 413 surrounding situation monitoring unit, 414 GPS receiver, 415 external sensor, 416 surrounding recognition unit, 417 vehicle state acquisition unit, 418 steering angle sensor, 419 vehicle speed sensor, 420 gyro sensor, 421 acceleration sensor, 422 communication bus, 423 vehicle communication unit, 424 connection control unit, 431 steering actuator, 441 braking/driving actuator.

Claims

A transport system for connecting a transport vehicle to a trailer parked on the premises of a distribution center and moving the trailer to a warehouse provided in the distribution center or a parking lot of the distribution center by the transport vehicle,
a communication unit that transmits work information indicating the number of times the transport vehicle has transported the trailer;
A receiving unit that receives the work information;
A storage unit that stores the work information received by the receiving unit;
a calculation unit that calculates a delivery fee based on the work information stored in the storage unit;
a transmitting unit that transmits fee information indicating the delivery fee calculated by the calculating unit to a customer.
2. The transportation system according to claim 1, wherein the number of transportations is calculated using the number of times the trailer is transported from the parking lot to the warehouse by the transportation vehicle.
2. The transportation system according to claim 1, wherein the number of transportations is calculated using the number of times the trailer is transported from the warehouse to the parking lot by the transportation vehicle.
The transportation system according to claim 1, characterized in that the number of transports is calculated using the sum of the number of times the trailer is transported from the parking lot to the warehouse by the transport vehicle and the number of times the trailer is transported from the warehouse to the parking lot by the transport vehicle.
2. The conveying system according to claim 1, wherein the number of conveyances is calculated using the number of the trailers that are towed by a truck and enter the distribution center.
2. The transportation system according to claim 1, wherein the number of transports is calculated using the number of trailers towed by a truck and exiting the distribution center.
The transportation system according to claim 1 , wherein the calculation unit calculates the delivery fee as a flat rate when the number of times of transportation exceeds a predetermined threshold value.
The transportation system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the number of transports is calculated using sensor information acquired by a roadside sensor installed on the premises of the distribution center or sensor information acquired by an on-board sensor installed in the transportation vehicle.
A transport vehicle for use in the transport system according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
A transport vehicle equipped with a driving control unit that performs driving control based on a driving plan generated by a driving plan generation unit that generates a driving plan for the transport vehicle, which is used to transport the trailer from the parking lot to the warehouse or from the warehouse to the parking lot by the transport vehicle of the transport system.
A transportation method for coupling a transportation vehicle to a trailer parked on the premises of a distribution center, and moving the trailer to a warehouse provided in the distribution center or a parking lot of the distribution center by the transportation vehicle, comprising:
A communication unit transmits work information indicating the number of times the transport vehicle has transported the trailer;
A receiving unit receives the work information,
A storage unit stores the work information received by the receiving unit;
A calculation unit calculates a delivery fee according to the work information stored in the storage unit;
a transmitting unit transmitting fee information indicating the delivery fee calculated by the calculation unit to the customer.