Vehicle detection apparatus, vehicle detection method, and vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025086822-A1
Application number	US-202418769806-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 11, 2024
Priority date	Sep 8, 2023
Publication date	Mar 13, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle detection apparatus includes: a detection unit configured to detect, using at least one of state information indicating a state of a vehicle capable of running by unmanned driving obtained from a detector provided on the vehicle, an image of the vehicle, 3D point cloud data of the vehicle, and position information of the vehicle, that at least one wheel provided in the vehicle departs from a transport unit of a transport device, and output a detection result, the transport unit being capable of transporting the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicle detection apparatus, comprising:
a detection unit configured to detect, using at least one of state information indicating a state of a vehicle capable of running by unmanned driving obtained from a detector provided on the vehicle, an image of the vehicle, three-dimensional (3D) point cloud data of the vehicle, and position information of the vehicle, that at least one wheel provided in the vehicle departs from a transport unit of a transport device, and output a detection result, the transport unit being capable of transporting the vehicle.

2 . The vehicle detection apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a command generation unit configured to generate, when departure of the wheel depart is detected, a control command to cause the departed wheel to be spinnable with a force smaller than a force before the departure of the wheel is detected, and output the control command.

3 . The vehicle detection apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the state in which the departed wheel is spinnable includes at least one of a state in which the departed wheel is spinnable because power from a motor of the vehicle is not transmitted to the departed wheel, and a state in which the departed wheel is spinnable because a braking force applied to the departed wheel is weakened to be smaller than a braking force applied to the wheel before the wheel is departed.

4 . The vehicle detection apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a wheel identification unit configured to identify which wheel is departed using the at least one information, wherein, when departure of the wheel is detected, the command generation unit generates and outputs a control command to cause only the departed wheel to be spinnable.

5 . The vehicle detection apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a position estimation unit configured to estimate a position of the vehicle using vehicle information, the vehicle information being at least one of the image of the vehicle and the 3D point cloud data of the vehicle and acquired by a vehicle detector that acquires the vehicle information.

6 . The vehicle detection apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a command generation unit configured to generate and output a control command to move the vehicle to the transport unit using the position of the vehicle estimated by the position estimation unit when departure of the wheel is detected.

7 . The vehicle detection apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a wheel information acquisition unit configured to acquire wheel information indicating a state of the departed wheel using the acquired at least one information; and a transport instruction unit configured to output an instruction to stop transport by the transport device when the acquired state of the departed wheel satisfies a predetermined stopping condition.

8 . The vehicle detection apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the wheel information includes at least one of information regarding an orientation of the departed wheel with respect to a transport direction in which the transport device transports the vehicle, information regarding a distance from the transport unit to the departed wheel, and information regarding a height difference between the transport unit and the departed wheel.

9 . The vehicle detection apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a command generation unit configured to generate and output a control signal to activate at least one of a lamp or a horn provided in the vehicle when departure of the wheel is detected.

10 . A vehicle capable of running by unmanned driving, comprising:
at least one wheel; and a command generation unit configured to generate, when the at least one wheel departs from a transport unit of a transport device, a control command to cause the departed wheel to be spinnable with a force smaller than a force before departure of the wheel is detected, and output the control command, the transport unit being capable of transporting the vehicle.

11 . A vehicle detection method, comprising:
acquiring at least one of state information indicating a state of a vehicle capable of running by unmanned driving obtained from a detector provided on the vehicle, an image of the vehicle, 3D point cloud data of the vehicle, and position information of the vehicle; and detecting, using the acquired at least one information, that at least one wheel provided in the vehicle departs from a transport unit of a transport device, and outputting a detection result, the transport unit being capable of transporting the vehicle.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Inoue Go
• Iwazaki Noritsugu
• Kanou Takeshi
• Yokoyama Daiki

Classifications

• G05B2219/24065

  Real time diagnostics · CPC title

• G01D21/02

  Measuring two or more variables by means not covered by a single other subclass · CPC title

• G05B23/0213

  Modular or universal configuration of the monitoring system, e.g. monitoring system having modules that may be combined to build monitoring program; monitoring system that can be applied to legacy systems; adaptable monitoring system; using different communication protocols · CPC title

• B65G43/00

  Control devices, e.g. for safety, warning or fault-correcting · CPC title

• B65G23/24

  Gearing between driving motor and belt- or chain-engaging elements (contained in drums, rollers or wheels B65G23/08) · CPC title