# US 2025/0083902 A1 · Transport method switching device, transport switching method, and moving object

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- Number: US 2025/0083902 A1
- Document ID: US20250083902A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/781,159
- Filed: 2024-07-23
- Published: 2025-03-13
- Earliest claimed: 2023-09-08
- Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Kento Iwahori; Daiki Yokoyama
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250083902A1

## CPC

- B65G 43/10: Sequence control of conveyors operating in combination
- G05D 1/249: from positioning sensors located off-board the vehicle, e.g. from cameras
- B62D 65/00: Designing, manufacturing, e.g. assembling, facilitating disassembly, or structurally modifying motor vehicles or trailers, not otherwise provided for
- G05D 1/225: operated by off-board computers
- G05D 1/661: Docking at a base station (delivering or retrieving payloads G05D1/667)
- G05D 1/6987: {by centralised control off-board any of the vehicles}
- G06Q 10/063: Operations research, analysis or management
- G06Q 10/08: Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
- G06Q 50/04: Manufacturing
- G05D 2105/45: for manufacturing, maintenance or repairing
- G05D 2107/70: Industrial sites, e.g. warehouses or factories
- G05D 2109/10: Land vehicles
- G05D 2111/10: Optical signals
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A transport method switching device includes a transport information acquisition unit that acquires transport status information indicating a transport status of a moving object capable of moving by unmanned driving, the moving object being transported by a transport device, the transport device being capable of transporting the moving object in a predetermined transport section while movement control for the moving object is stopped; a movement control determination unit that determines whether to start the movement control with respect to the moving object transported by the transport device using the acquired transport status information; and a command generation unit that generates and outputs a control command to move and release the moving object from the transport section by the movement control when the movement control determination unit determines to start the movement control.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A transport method switching device, comprising:
a transport information acquisition unit that acquires transport status information indicating a transport status of a moving object capable of moving by unmanned driving, the moving object being transported by a transport device, the transport device being capable of transporting the moving object in a predetermined transport section while movement control for the moving object is stopped;
a movement control determination unit that determines whether to start the movement control with respect to the moving object transported by the transport device using the acquired transport status information; and
a command generation unit that generates and outputs a control command to move and release the moving object from the transport section by the movement control when the movement control determination unit determines to start the movement control.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The transport method switching device according to claim 1, wherein
the transport information acquisition unit acquires a moving object position in the transport section as the transport status information, and
the movement control determination unit determines whether to start the movement control using the acquired moving object position.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The transport method switching device according to claim 2, wherein
the movement control determination unit determines to start the movement control when the acquired moving object position is upstream from an ending point of the transport section by a predetermined distance.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The transport method switching device according to claim 2, wherein
the movement control determination unit determines to start the movement control when at least a part of the acquired moving object position crosses an ending point of the transport section.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The transport method switching device according to claim 1, wherein
the transport information acquisition unit acquires a transport speed of the moving object transported by the transport device as the transport status information, and
the movement control determination unit further determines a timing to start the movement control using the acquired transport speed, and determines whether to start the movement control at the determined timing.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The transport method switching device according to claim 5, wherein,
when the acquired transport speed is faster than a predetermined reference speed, the movement control determination unit sets a timing to start the movement control to a timing earlier than a timing when the acquired transport speed is equal to the predetermined reference speed.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The transport method switching device according to claim 1, further comprising
a transport instruction unit that outputs an instruction to decrease a transport speed of the moving object transported by the transport device or an instruction to stop transport of the moving object by the transport device when movement of the moving object is not detected after the control command is transmitted to the moving object by the command generation unit.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The transport method switching device according to claim 7, wherein
the transport instruction unit outputs an instruction to restore the decreased transport speed to an original transport speed or to activate the stopped transport device when abnormality countermeasures are completed with respect to the moving object for which movement has not been detected.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The transport method switching device according to claim 1, further comprising
a notification unit that provides notification when movement of the moving object is not detected after the control command is transmitted to the moving object by the command generation unit.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The transport method switching device according to claim 1, further comprising
a position estimation unit that estimates a position of the moving object using moving object information detected by a moving object detector, the moving object information being at least one of an image of the moving object and 3D point cloud data of the moving object, the moving object detector being configured to detect the moving object information,
wherein the command generation unit generates and outputs a control command to move the moving object by the movement control using the estimated position of the moving object.

### Claim 11

A transport switching method, comprising:
transporting a moving object capable of moving by unmanned driving, using a transport device in a predetermined transport section while movement control for the moving object is stopped;
acquiring transport status information of the moving object being transported;
determining whether to start the movement control with respect to the moving object being transported using the acquired transport status information; and
moving and releasing the moving object from the transport section by the movement control when the movement control is determined to be started.

### Claim 12

A moving object capable of moving by unmanned driving, comprising:
a transport information acquisition unit that acquires transport status information indicating a transport status of the moving object being transported by a transport device, the transport device being capable of transporting the moving object in a predetermined transport section while movement control for the moving object is stopped;
a movement control determination unit that determines whether to start the movement control with respect to the moving object transported by the transport device using the acquired transport status information; and
a command generation unit that generates and outputs a control command to move and release the moving object from the transport section by the movement control, when the movement control determination unit determines to start the movement control.