JP7802579B2 - Vehicle control device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle control device.

Conventionally, a vehicle control device that enables a work vehicle to travel independently is known, as described in JP 2020-157923 A, for example. This device has a manned autonomous driving mode in which the vehicle travels independently with an occupant present, and an unmanned autonomous driving mode in which the vehicle travels independently without an occupant present.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-157923

However, even with such devices, it is difficult to transport cargo efficiently. That is, while automated driving of a vehicle can improve the efficiency of vehicle travel, manual operation of the cargo loaded on the vehicle makes it difficult to improve the efficiency of the cargo unloading process. Furthermore, even when attempting to unload cargo by tilting the loading platform, cargo may remain on the loading platform. In such cases, the driver or other person must use a shovel or similar tool to scrape off the cargo remaining on the loading platform. This makes the unloading process cumbersome and makes it difficult to unload cargo efficiently.

Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a vehicle control device that can efficiently unload cargo from a vehicle.

That is, the vehicle control device of the present invention is a vehicle control device that controls a vehicle with a loading platform, and includes a loading platform control unit that performs an unloading operation to tilt the loading platform of the vehicle from a horizontal state; a tilt determination unit that determines whether the loading platform has tilted to a predetermined angle due to the unloading operation; a cargo determination unit that determines whether cargo remains on the loading platform when the tilt determination unit determines that the loading platform has tilted to the predetermined angle; and a remaining cargo unloading control unit that performs a remaining cargo unloading operation to unload the remaining cargo on the loading platform when the cargo determination unit determines that cargo remains on the loading platform, and does not perform the remaining cargo unloading operation when the cargo determination unit determines that no cargo remains on the loading platform. According to this vehicle control device, the loading platform is tilted at the vehicle unloading point to unload the vehicle, and the remaining cargo unloading operation is performed if cargo remains on the loading platform. This reduces the amount of remaining cargo, allowing for accurate and efficient unloading of cargo from the loading platform. Furthermore, if there is no cargo remaining after tilting the loading platform, the remaining cargo unloading operation is not performed, thereby eliminating unnecessary remaining cargo unloading operations and improving the efficiency of the unloading operation.

In addition, in the vehicle control device according to the present invention, if there is space to move the vehicle forward, the unloading control unit may perform a remaining unloading operation by moving the vehicle forward to unload any cargo remaining on the loading platform. In this case, by checking whether there is space and then moving the vehicle forward, the remaining cargo can be safely unloaded from the loading platform.

In addition, in the vehicle control device according to the present invention, when there is no space to move the vehicle forward, the unloading control unit may perform a remaining unloading operation by increasing or decreasing the inclination angle of the loading platform to unload any cargo remaining on the loading platform. In this case, even when there is no space to move the vehicle forward, the remaining unloading operation can be performed to reduce the amount of cargo remaining.

This invention allows for efficient unloading of cargo from the loading platform.

1 is an explanatory diagram of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a vehicle control device according to an embodiment; 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vehicle control device of FIG. 2 . FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the vehicle control device of FIG. 2 .

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, identical or equivalent elements will be designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted.

Figure 1 shows a vehicle 9 equipped with a vehicle control device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle control device 1 is installed in the vehicle 9 and controls the operation of a loading platform 91 provided on the vehicle 9. The vehicle 9 is, for example, a dump truck, and is equipped with a loading platform 91 behind a cabin 92, onto which cargo 93 can be loaded. Here, a case will be described in which the vehicle 9 is an unmanned vehicle. For example, the vehicle 9 automatically drives along a predetermined route according to a pre-set program and automatically unloads cargo. The vehicle 9 may also be remotely controlled to drive and unload cargo. In this case, the vehicle 9 may be remotely controlled by an operator located, for example, at the construction site where the vehicle 9 is traveling or at a location remote from the construction site.

The loading platform 91 can unload cargo 93 by lifting the front and tilting it backward. The loading platform 91 is, for example, box-shaped with an open top, and the cargo 93 can be ejected to the rear of the loading platform 91 by opening the rear gate 91a. The loading platform 91 tilts when an actuator 8 is activated. The actuator 8 that tilts the loading platform 91 is, for example, a hydraulic cylinder. In this case, the actuator 8 is located between the frame 95 and the loading platform 91, and can change the tilt angle of the loading platform 91 by extending and retracting. For example, when the loading platform 91 is horizontal and not tilted, extending the actuator 8 causes the loading platform 91 to tilt backward. This causes the cargo 93 loaded on the loading platform 91 to slide off the loading platform 91, thereby unloading the cargo. The actuator 8 may have a mechanism or structure other than that shown in FIG. 1, and may be a device other than a hydraulic cylinder.

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the general electrical configuration of the vehicle control device 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the vehicle control device 1 includes a control unit 2, an object detection sensor 3, a loading platform detection sensor 4, an angle detection sensor 5, a communication unit 6, a driving unit 7, and an actuator 8.

The control unit 2 is an electronic control unit that controls the vehicle control device 1, and is composed of a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), and RAM (Random Access Memory). Details of the control unit 2 will be described later.

The object detection sensor 3 is a sensor that detects objects around the vehicle. The object detection sensor 3 is installed, for example, on top of the cabin 92 and detects objects in the area in front of the vehicle 9. The object detection sensor 3 may also be capable of detecting objects in the areas to the left and right of the vehicle 9 or in the area behind the vehicle 9. For example, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is used as this object detection sensor 3. That is, the object detection sensor 3 detects objects around the vehicle 9 using light such as laser or infrared light. The object detection sensor 3 is electrically connected to the control unit 2 and outputs a detection signal to the control unit 2. Note that sensors other than LiDAR may also be used as the object detection sensor 3 as long as they are capable of detecting objects around the vehicle 9.

The loading platform detection sensor 4 is a sensor that detects objects such as cargo 93 loaded on the loading platform 91. For example, a LiDAR is used as the loading platform detection sensor 4. In this case, the loading platform detection sensor 4 is installed at the top front of the loading platform 91 and detects the area inside the loading platform 91. The loading platform detection sensor 4 is electrically connected to the control unit 2 and outputs a signal including a detection signal to the control unit 2. The loading platform detection sensor 4 may also be a sensor other than a LiDAR, such as a weight sensor or an image sensor. For example, the weight sensor is a sensor that detects the weight loaded on the loading platform 91 and can detect cargo 93 remaining on the loading platform 91 by subtracting the weight when there is no cargo 93 from the currently detected weight. The image sensor is an imaging device such as a camera and outputs a detection signal of an image captured inside the loading platform 91 to the control unit 2.

The angle detection sensor 5 is a sensor that detects the tilt angle of the loading platform 91. This angle detection sensor 5 may be, for example, a sensor installed on the vehicle 9, or may be a sensor that detects the tilt angle based on the amount of operation of the actuator 8 that tilts the loading platform 91. The angle detection sensor 5 is electrically connected to the control unit 2 and outputs a signal including the tilt angle of the loading platform 91 to the control unit 2.

The communication unit 6 is a communication device for wireless communication with the outside of the vehicle control device 1. For example, the communication unit 6 communicates with a remote control device (not shown). The remote control device is a device for remotely controlling the vehicle control device 1 and vehicle 9, and is operated by an operator. The communication unit 6 is electrically connected to the control unit 2, and receives control signals, command signals, etc., and outputs them to the control unit 2. The communication unit 6 also transmits a position signal of the vehicle 9 to an external management facility. The position signal corresponds to, for example, a position information signal of the vehicle 9, including longitude and latitude, obtained from a GPS (Global Positioning System) or the like.

The driving unit 7 is a device that drives, steers, and brakes the vehicle 9 in response to control signals from the control unit 2. For example, the driving unit 7 is composed of a driving ECU (Electronic Control Unit), a steering ECU, a braking ECU, and the like. The driving ECU is an electronic control unit that controls the operation of driving sources such as the engine and motor. This driving ECU outputs operating signals to the engine, motor, etc. based on control signals from the control unit 2, causing the vehicle 9 to drive. The steering ECU is an electronic control unit that controls the steering of the vehicle 9. This steering ECU outputs operating signals to motors that apply steering force to the steering mechanism based on control signals from the control unit 2, causing the vehicle 9 to turn. The braking ECU is an electronic control unit that controls the hydraulic pressure of the brakes. For example, the braking ECU adjusts the brake hydraulic pressure based on control signals from the control unit 2, causing the vehicle 9 to slow down or stop.

The control unit 2 includes a driving control unit 21, a loading platform control unit 22, an inclination determination unit 23, a load determination unit 24, a remaining unloading control unit 25, and a memory unit 26. The driving control unit 21, the loading platform control unit 22, an inclination determination unit 23, a load determination unit 24, and a remaining unloading control unit 25 may be configured, for example, by installing software or programs that execute each function into the control unit 2. In addition, all or some of the driving control unit 21, the loading platform control unit 22, an inclination determination unit 23, a load determination unit 24, and a remaining unloading control unit 25 may be provided as individual controllers.

The driving control unit 21 controls the driving, steering, and braking of the vehicle 9. For example, the driving control unit 21 drives the vehicle 9 along a predetermined route and steers or brakes the vehicle 9 when an obstacle is encountered. The driving route of the vehicle 9 may be set in advance in the control unit 2, or may be set via an external signal. The driving control unit 21 outputs control signals to the driving unit 7 to operate driving equipment such as the engine and motor.

The loading platform control unit 22 outputs an activation signal to the actuator 8 to control the tilt state of the loading platform 91. For example, upon receiving an unloading command signal, the loading platform control unit 22 outputs an activation signal to the actuator 8, causing the actuator 8 to extend. As a result, the loading platform 91, which was in a horizontal position, gradually tilts, and the unloading operation is performed.

The tilt determination unit 23 determines whether the loading platform 91 has tilted to a preset angle due to the unloading operation. For example, the maximum tilt angle of the loading platform 91 is set as the preset angle. The maximum tilt angle is the angle at which the loading platform 91 is most tilted due to the structure of the tilt mechanism of the loading platform 91. Note that the preset angle may also be set to an angle other than the maximum tilt angle. The tilt determination unit 23 recognizes the tilt angle of the loading platform 91 based on the detection signal of the angle detection sensor 5.

The cargo determination unit 24 determines whether cargo 93 remains on the loading platform 91 when an unloading operation is performed. For example, the cargo determination unit 24 determines whether cargo 93 remains on the loading platform 91 based on the signal output by the loading platform detection sensor 4. Specifically, the cargo determination unit 24 determines that no cargo 93 remains on the loading platform 91 if less than a predetermined amount of cargo 93 remains on the loading platform 91, and determines that cargo 93 remains on the loading platform 91 if more than a predetermined amount of cargo 93 remains on the loading platform 91.

When the cargo determination unit 24 determines that cargo 93 remains on the loading platform 91, the remaining cargo unloading control unit 25 causes the remaining cargo 93 to be unloaded. For example, when the cargo determination unit 24 determines that cargo 93 remains on the loading platform 91 and there is space in front of the vehicle 9 to move forward, the remaining cargo unloading control unit 25 causes the vehicle 9 to move forward and unload the remaining cargo 93 on the loading platform 91. Specifically, the remaining cargo unloading control unit 25 outputs a control signal to the traveling unit 7 to move the vehicle 9 forward to a predetermined position. This allows the cargo 93 that has piled up at the rear of the loading platform 91 and has not been ejected to be ejected from the loading platform 91, as shown in FIG. 4 .

In addition, if the cargo determination unit 24 determines that cargo 93 remains on the loading platform 91 and there is no space in front of the vehicle 9 to move forward, the remaining cargo unloading control unit 25 increases or decreases the inclination angle of the loading platform 91 to unload the cargo 93 remaining on the loading platform 91. For example, the remaining cargo unloading control unit 25 outputs a control signal to the actuator 8, causing the actuator 8 to extend or retract, thereby increasing or decreasing the inclination angle of the loading platform 91 and discharging the cargo 93 remaining on the loading platform 91.

The memory unit 26 is a storage device that stores data used to control driving operations, remaining cargo unloading operations, etc. For example, the driving route in driving control of the vehicle 9, and the forward position and speed in remaining cargo unloading operations are recorded in the memory unit 26.

Next, we will explain the operation of the vehicle control device 1 according to this embodiment.

Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vehicle control device 1 according to this embodiment. This flowchart is started, for example, when the vehicle 9 arrives at an unloading point, and is executed by the control unit 2. For example, at a construction site, the vehicle 9 is loaded with cargo 93, such as earth, sand, or aggregate, onto the loading platform 91 of the vehicle 9, and then travels autonomously to the unloading point. Then, when the vehicle 9 arrives at the unloading point for the cargo 93, the unloading control process shown in the flowchart of Figure 3 is executed.

First, as shown in step S10 of Figure 3 (hereinafter simply referred to as "S10," the same applies to subsequent steps S), the unloading operation process is performed. The unloading operation process tilts the horizontal loading platform 91 to perform the unloading operation. That is, the loading platform control unit 22 outputs an activation signal to the actuator 8, causing the actuator 8 to extend. Therefore, as shown in Figure 1, the extension of the actuator 8 causes the loading platform 91 to tilt backward, and the tilt angle of the loading platform 91 increases. As a result, the cargo 93 on the loading platform 91 is ejected from the loading platform 91.

Then, processing proceeds to S12 in Figure 3, where it is determined whether the loading platform 91 has tilted to a predetermined angle due to the unloading operation. For example, the tilt determination unit 23 determines whether the loading platform 91 has tilted to a preset angle during the unloading operation processing of S10. If it is determined in S12 that the loading platform 91 has not tilted to the preset angle, processing returns to S10 and the unloading operation processing continues.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S12 that the loading platform 91 has tilted to a predetermined angle, it is determined whether or not there is cargo 93 remaining on the loading platform 91 (S16). For example, the cargo determination unit 24 determines whether or not there is cargo 93 remaining on the loading platform 91 based on the output signal of the loading platform detection sensor 4. Specifically, the cargo determination unit 24 determines that there is no cargo 93 remaining on the loading platform 91 if there is less than a predetermined amount of cargo 93 remaining on the loading platform 91. On the other hand, the cargo determination unit 24 determines that there is cargo 93 remaining on the loading platform 91 if there is a predetermined amount or more of cargo 93 remaining on the loading platform 91.

If it is determined in S16 that no cargo 93 remains on the loading platform 91, the process proceeds to S24, where a dump-down operation process is performed. The dump-down operation process is a process for lowering the tilted loading platform 91 to a horizontal position. For example, the loading platform control unit 22 outputs an actuation signal to the actuator 8, causing the actuator 8 to contract. Therefore, the contraction of the actuator 8 lowers the loading platform 91 to a horizontal position.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S16 that there is cargo 93 remaining on the loading platform 91, the process proceeds to S18, where it is determined whether there is space ahead of the vehicle 9 to move forward. For example, the driving control unit 21 determines whether there is space ahead of the vehicle 9 to move forward based on the detection signal from the object detection sensor 3. Here, the space ahead is set to be, for example, an area with a length of anywhere from 1 to 3 meters in the direction ahead of the vehicle 9. Furthermore, the device that detects the space ahead is not limited to the object detection sensor 3, as long as it is capable of detecting the space ahead. For example, it may be possible to determine whether there is space ahead of the vehicle 9 to move forward using the detection signal from a sensor installed at a construction site, etc.

If it is determined in S18 that there is space ahead of the vehicle 9 to move forward, a process for unloading remaining cargo by moving forward is performed (S20). This process for unloading remaining cargo by moving forward is a process for moving the vehicle 9 forward to unload the cargo 93 remaining on the loading platform 91. For example, the remaining cargo unloading control unit 25 outputs a control signal to the traveling unit 7 to move the vehicle 9 forward to a predetermined position. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, the cargo 93 that has piled up at the rear of the loading platform 91 and has not been unloaded can be unloaded from the loading platform 91. Here, the predetermined position is a position approximately 1 to 3 m ahead of the vehicle 9.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S18 that there is no space in front of the vehicle 9 to move forward, a remaining cargo unloading operation process by increasing or decreasing the inclination is performed (S22). The remaining cargo unloading operation process by increasing or decreasing the inclination is a process by which the inclination angle of the loading platform 91 of the vehicle 9 is increased or decreased to discharge the cargo 93 remaining on the loading platform 91. For example, the remaining cargo unloading control unit 25 outputs a control signal to the actuator 8, causing the actuator 8 to extend or contract. This increases or decreases the inclination angle of the loading platform 91, and the loading platform 91 swings, allowing the cargo 93 remaining on the loading platform 91 to be discharged.

Then, the process proceeds to S24, where the dump-down operation process is performed. This dump-down operation process is a process for lowering the tilted cargo bed 91 to a horizontal position, as described above. Once the dump-down operation process of S24 is completed, the series of control processes shown in Figure 3 ends.

As described above, the vehicle control device 1 according to this embodiment tilts the loading platform 91 at the loading point for the cargo 93 to unload the vehicle 9, and performs a remaining cargo unloading operation if any cargo 93 remains on the loading platform 91. This allows the cargo 93 on the loading platform 91 to be unloaded efficiently through automatic control, and unloading can be performed accurately so that no cargo 93 remains on the loading platform 91. Furthermore, by not performing a remaining cargo unloading operation if no cargo 93 remains after tilting the loading platform 91, unnecessary remaining cargo unloading operations can be omitted, thereby improving the efficiency of the unloading process.

Furthermore, according to the vehicle control device 1, if there is space to move the vehicle 9 forward, the vehicle 9 is moved forward to unload the remaining cargo 93 remaining on the loading platform 91 as a remaining cargo unloading operation. Therefore, by moving the vehicle forward when there is space, the remaining cargo unloading operation can be carried out safely by moving the vehicle forward.

Furthermore, according to the vehicle control device 1, when there is no space to move the vehicle 9 forward, the remaining cargo 93 on the loading platform 91 is unloaded by increasing or decreasing the inclination angle of the loading platform 91 as a remaining cargo unloading operation. Therefore, even when there is no space to move the vehicle 9 forward, the remaining cargo unloading operation can be performed to reduce the amount of remaining cargo 93.

Although each embodiment of the present invention has been described, these embodiments only describe some of the embodiments of the vehicle control device according to the present invention, and the vehicle control device according to the present invention is not limited to those described in the above embodiments. The vehicle control device according to the present invention may be a modified version of the vehicle control device according to the above embodiments, or may be applied to other applications, as long as the gist of the claims is not altered.

For example, while the vehicle control device 1 according to the above-described embodiment has been described as being installed in an automatically traveling vehicle 9, the vehicle on which the vehicle control device 1 is installed may also be a vehicle that is manually driven by a driver. In this case, an operation unit equipped with input means such as switches, buttons, and levers is used instead of the communication unit 6. For example, an unloading operation is performed by operating the operation unit, and if cargo 93 remains, the remaining cargo unloading operation is performed automatically.

1...Vehicle control device, 2...Control unit, 3...Object detection sensor, 4...Load platform detection sensor, 5...Angle detection sensor, 6...Communication unit, 7...Travel unit, 8...Actuator, 9...Vehicle, 21...Travel control unit, 22...Load platform control unit, 23...Inclination determination unit, 24...Load determination unit, 25...Remaining load unloading control unit, 26...Memory unit, 91...Load platform, 91a...Gate panel, 92...Cabin, 93...Load, 95...Frame.

Claims (2)

A vehicle control device for controlling a vehicle having a loading platform,
a loading platform control unit that performs an unloading operation by tilting the loading platform of the vehicle from a horizontal state;
an inclination determination unit that determines whether the loading platform has inclined to a preset angle due to the unloading operation;
a cargo determination unit that determines whether or not a cargo remains on the loading platform when the tilt determination unit determines that the loading platform has tilted to a predetermined angle;
a remaining unloading control unit that, when the cargo determination unit determines that the cargo remains on the loading platform, performs a remaining unloading operation to unload the cargo remaining on the loading platform, and, when the cargo determination unit determines that the cargo does not remain on the loading platform, does not perform the remaining unloading operation;
Equipped with
The remaining cargo unloading control unit is a vehicle control device that, when there is no space to move the vehicle forward, increases or decreases the inclination angle of the loading platform as the remaining cargo unloading operation to unload the cargo remaining on the loading platform . the remaining unloading control unit, when there is space to move the vehicle forward, moves the vehicle forward as the remaining unloading operation to unload the cargo remaining on the loading platform;
The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .