Moving body control device, moving body control method, and non-transient computer-readable recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12535824-B2
Application number	US-202217978233-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 1, 2022
Priority date	Nov 30, 2021
Publication date	Jan 27, 2026
Grant date	Jan 27, 2026

Abstract

The disclosure provides a moving body control device, a moving body control method, and a non-transient computer-readable recording medium recording a program capable of moving multiple vehicles as a group with a higher degree of freedom. A moving body control device includes: a positional relationship grasping part that grasps a positional relationship of multiple vehicles; and a vehicle control part that controls a movement mode of the multiple vehicles based on the positional relationship. The vehicle control part controls the multiple vehicles to move as a group and, according to a movement result of a part of vehicles among the multiple vehicles, changes a movement mode of another vehicle different from the part of vehicles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A moving body control device, comprising:
a positional relationship grasping part that grasps a positional relationship of a plurality of vehicles comprising a first vehicle as a master device that leads a slave device and a second vehicle as the slave device that is led by the first vehicle, wherein at least the first vehicle among the plurality of vehicles is an omnidirectional moving vehicle; and a vehicle control part that controls a movement mode of the plurality of vehicles based on the positional relationship, wherein the vehicle control part controls the plurality of vehicles to move as a group and, according to a movement result of a part of vehicles among the plurality of vehicles, changes a movement mode of another vehicle different from the part of vehicles, causes the first vehicle to move in a predetermined direction and causes the second vehicle to follow the first vehicle, and always directing a front of the first vehicle toward a direction of any of the second vehicle regardless of a traveling direction of the first vehicle when the first vehicle is traveling.

2 . The moving body control device according to claim 1 , wherein the second vehicle is able to leave the group by an operation of an occupant, and
when a third vehicle among the second vehicle leaves the group, the vehicle control part causes the first vehicle to follow the third vehicle.

3 . The moving body control device according to claim 2 , wherein the vehicle control part controls a following speed of the first vehicle in a way in which the first vehicle approaches the third vehicle faster when a distance between the first vehicle and the third vehicle is larger.

4 . The moving body control device according to claim 3 , wherein the vehicle control part causes the first vehicle to indicate a direction of the third vehicle as seen from the first vehicle.

5 . The moving body control device according to claim 4 , wherein the second vehicle comprises a fourth vehicle that has been prohibited from leaving the group in advance, and
the vehicle control part controls the fourth vehicle so as not to leave the group.

6 . The moving body control device according to claim 3 , wherein the second vehicle comprises a fourth vehicle that has been prohibited from leaving the group in advance, and
the vehicle control part controls the fourth vehicle so as not to leave the group.

7 . The moving body control device according to claim 2 , wherein the vehicle control part causes the first vehicle to indicate a direction of the third vehicle as seen from the first vehicle.

8 . The moving body control device according to claim 7 , wherein the second vehicle comprises a fourth vehicle that has been prohibited from leaving the group in advance, and
the vehicle control part controls the fourth vehicle so as not to leave the group.

9 . The moving body control device according to claim 2 , wherein the second vehicle comprises a fourth vehicle that has been prohibited from leaving the group in advance, and
the vehicle control part controls the fourth vehicle so as not to leave the group.

10 . The moving body control device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vehicles are omnidirectional moving vehicles, and
when the plurality of vehicles are traveling, the vehicle control part directs fronts of the plurality of vehicles in a same direction regardless of a traveling direction.

11 . The moving body control device according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle control part makes an inter-vehicle distance of the plurality of vehicles when the plurality of vehicles are traveling under a specific situation smaller than the inter-vehicle distance when the plurality of vehicles are not traveling under the specific situation.

12 . The moving body control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second vehicle is able to leave the group by an operation of an occupant, and when a third vehicle among the second vehicle leaves the group, the vehicle control part causes the first vehicle to follow the third vehicle, the moving body control device further comprises an indicator for indicating a direction of the third vehicle as seen from the first vehicle.

13 . A moving body control method, in which a computer performs:
grasping a positional relationship of a plurality of vehicles comprising a first vehicle as a master device that leads a slave device and a second vehicle as the slave device that is led by the first vehicle, wherein at least the first vehicle among the plurality of vehicles is an omnidirectional moving vehicle; performing a vehicle control process for controlling a movement mode of the plurality of vehicles based on the positional relationship; and in the vehicle control process, controlling the plurality of vehicles to move as a group and, according to a movement result of a part of vehicles among the plurality of vehicles, changing a movement mode of another vehicle different from the part of vehicles, causing the first vehicle to move in a predetermined direction and causing the second vehicle to follow the first vehicle, and always directing a front of the first vehicle toward a direction of any of the second vehicle regardless of a traveling direction of the first vehicle when the first vehicle is traveling.

14 . A non-transient computer-readable recording medium, recording a program which causes a computer to perform:
grasping a positional relationship of a plurality of vehicles comprising a first vehicle as a master device that leads a slave device and a second vehicle as the slave device that is led by the first vehicle, wherein at least the first vehicle among the plurality of vehicles is an omnidirectional moving vehicle; performing a vehicle control process for controlling a movement mode of the plurality of vehicles based on the positional relationship; and in the vehicle control process, controlling the plurality of vehicles to move as a group and, according to a movement result of a part of vehicles among the plurality of vehicles, changing a movement mode of another vehicle different from the part of vehicles, causing the first vehicle to move in a predetermined direction and causing the second vehicle to follow the first vehicle, and always directing a front of the first vehicle toward a direction of any of the second vehicle regardless of a traveling direction of the first vehicle when the first vehicle is traveling.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yamamoto Sachiko
• Yamaguchi Shota
• Shikano Naoto
• Mochizuki Marika
• Hasegawa Makoto
• Kobashi Shinichiro

Classifications

• G05D1/0295

  by at least one leading vehicle of the fleet · CPC title

• G05D1/0223

  involving speed control of the vehicle (vehicle fittings for automatically controlling, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator B60K31/00) · CPC title

• G05D1/0293 Primary

  Convoy travelling · CPC title

• G05D1/695

  for maintaining a fixed relative position of the vehicles, e.g. for convoy travelling or formation flight · CPC title

• G05D1/0289 Primary

  with means for avoiding collisions between vehicles (vehicle fittings for automatically controlling speed including means for detecting potential obstacles B60K31/0008; avoiding obstacles by action on the steering system B62D; radar, sonar, lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93) · CPC title