FR2692064A1 - Transport network for goods or people in cities - uses remote communications to control, guide and direct fleet of vehicles when requested to do so by customers - Google Patents

Abstract

The system consists of a fleet of autonomous vehicles (V) for transporting goods or people on the road network. Each vehicle is equipped with a propulsion device, a localisation device and a communication device. The localisation device (MLOC) provides continuous information (ILOC) relating to the vehicle's position within a predetermined zone. The communication device (MCOM) is associated with the latter and also provides information to control relating to the load, numbers of objects or people being carried. The system also includes a communications centre (CC) which communicates with the vehicles. It will also select a vehicle when it receives a request (REQ) from a user and direct the vehicle to proceed to a desired location. ADVANTAGE - Provides alternative to private and goods vehicles in cities avoiding such problems as finding place to park or load/unload.

Description

Road transport system for objects or people in urban areas
The present invention relates to the road transport of objects or people in an urban environment.

Currently, road transport of objects or people in urban areas is accompanied by well-known negative effects.

For example, since the planned capacity limits of the road network are frequently exceeded, this overload results in a slowing down of traffic and congestion in the cities, with the consequence of increasing transport times as well as the pollution rate due to the additional consumption in fuel.

In addition, it is increasingly difficult for motorists to find a free parking space in an urban environment.

Faced with an ever increasing demand for transport, users should be offered different means from those existing and which do not generate the negative effects mentioned above.
The present invention provides a satisfactory solution to this problem.

It provides a road transport system for objects or people in an urban environment which reduces the space requirements associated with the use of individual vehicles and which improves the quality and flexibility of the transport of said objects or people.

A system according to the invention is easy to set up and inexpensive and is accessible to any user.

According to the invention, there is provided in combination - a fleet of autonomous vehicles capable of transporting objects or people on a road network, each vehicle being equipped. motorization means of location means suitable for permanently determining information relating to its location in a predetermined area of communication means associated with said location means and suitable for delivering said location information as well as information relating to availability, the load of the vehicle, on the objects or on the number of people likely to be transported by it - a communication center capable of establishing a connection with the communication means of each vehicle, the center being provided with own remote control means , in response to a request from a user wishing to transport objects or people from a predetermined location, to choose a vehicle from among those in the fleet based on the information obtained by said means of communication for each vehicle, and to issue to said vehicle thus chosen an order of outward journey from the place where it is located to the predetermined place.

Thus, such a system or installation makes it possible to offer users a means of transport on demand and provides a solution to the urban congestion linked to the use of individual vehicles.

Furthermore, such a system creates constraints for managing the entire fleet of autonomous vehicles, in particular at the level of access to said vehicles, at the level of movement of said vehicle before, during and after the race.

The present invention provides satisfactory solutions to these constraints.

Thus, user requests can be instantaneous, anticipated or by subscription.

Furthermore, instead of sending a round trip order in response to a user's request, the control means can issue a booking order for the vehicle chosen from among those in the fleet, in based on the information thus received from said vehicles.

The user is informed of the location of the vehicle thus reserved for which he is the only one who can have it.

Normally, vehicles are also freely available to users unless they are reserved when they are stationary in predetermined areas such as parking lots or parking lots.

In addition, as soon as said vehicle has transported the goods or people to their destinations, it is expected that the control means send a return-trip order from the place of destination to a predetermined area, such as a parking area. , based on location information received.

Thus, such a system makes it possible to offer users a means of transport on demand which provides a satisfactory solution to the urban congestion linked to the parking of individual vehicles.

According to a first embodiment of the invention, said vehicles are driven manually.

In this case, qualified personnel receive the outward movement order or the return movement order emanating from the control means and drives the vehicle in response to said order.
According to another aspect of the invention, each vehicle comprises attachment means for hooking said vehicle to another vehicle.

To optimize the journeys of the vehicles before their race or after their race, qualified personnel in response to the order of outward journey or the order of return movement emanating from the control means moves the vehicles in the form of a convoy consisting of a multiplicity of vehicles attached to each other.

Thus, such a device makes it possible to provide a transport service on economical demand by optimizing the journeys of the vehicles and by calculating the response times for each request.

For the actual race, objects or people are transported either in collective mode or in private mode.

In practice, in collective mode, the vehicles are driven by professional drivers.

Advantageously, a single driver drives a vehicle which tows a convoy of variable length formed by a multiplicity of vehicles attached to each other.

In practice, users get into the convoy when it is stopped.

As a variant, the users wait in stationary vehicles which hang on to a train or convoy which passes nearby.

Furthermore, the objects or people leave said vehicles or are unloaded either at the stop of the convoy, or after the stall or one of said vehicles of the convoy and stop.

In private mode, the vehicle is driven by the customer or user.

According to a second embodiment of the invention, said vehicles are driven automatically.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the light of the detailed description below and the appended drawings in which - Figure 1 is a schematic view of the layout of the device for road transport according to the invention; - Figure 2 is a schematic view of the essential and constitutive elements of the device according to the invention - Figure 3 is a side view of a vehicle according to the invention - Figure 4 is a front view of the vehicle according to the invention ; and - Figures 5a and 5b are sectional views of the attachment means according to the invention
In Figure 1, there is shown the layout of the system for road transport according to the invention.

In a crossroads in an urban environment, a fleet of autonomous vehicles capable of transporting objects or people moves on the road network. A V1 vehicle travels to a chosen destination. Another vehicle V2 is about to enter a PK1 parking area. V6, V7, V8 and V9 vehicles are stationary in this area awaiting a travel order or a user. A convoy consisting of vehicles V3, V4 and V5 attached to each other is stopped at a traffic light.

We now refer to Figure 2.

According to an important characteristic of the invention, vehicles such as the vehicle V1 include location means MLOC1 which determine information ILOC1 relating to the location of said vehicle V1 in a predetermined area and communication means MCOM1 associated with said location means MLOCi .

The MCOMî communication means deliver the location information ILOC1 thus determined and IV1 information relating to the availability, the load, the objects or the persons to be transported.

More specifically, the communication means MCOM1 comprise an ITCOM interface having an input receiving the information IV1 linked to the vehicle V1 and another input receiving the location information ILOC1 coming from the location means MLOCi.

A VISU display module is connected to the ITCOM interface to display the IV1 and ILOCi information.

In practice, the IV1 information is entered using a keyboard, a card reader, or other man / machine interface.

For example, the information IV1 is information relating to the objects or people to be transported, and to the state of the vehicle V1 (batteries, mechanical state, state of cleanliness, aggressions of the vehicle).

The communication means include an ERCOM transmission / reception module connected to the ITCOM interface for transmitting / receiving information ILOC1 and IV1.

A processing module (not shown) manages the various elements of the MCOMi communication means.

A CC communication center, preferably permanently, establishes a LR link with the MCOM communication means of each vehicle.

An ICC communication interface allows the central CC communication to send and receive information.

The communication interface ICC is connected to own control means MC in response to a request REQ1 emanating from a user wishing to transport goods or people from a predetermined place! to choose a vehicle from among those in the fleet as a function of the information ILOC, IV obtained by said means of communication MCOM of each vehicle and to issue to said vehicle thus chosen an order of trip ODA from the place where it is situated to the predetermined place to transport goods or people to a chosen destination.

In practice, the communication system used here by the communication central and the vehicles is articulated around a radiotelephone system such as the digital systems of communication with the public mobiles operating in the 900 MHz band also called "Global System for Mobile communication "or GSM.

In this case, the MCOM communication means of the vehicles play the role of handsets or autonomous stations to send information ILOC and IV while fixed terminals are established (for example, B1, figure 1) in the urban environment to convey the information to the communication center via the switched telephone network and vice versa for ODA and ODR travel order information.

Furthermore, the control means MC are directly connected to the switched telephone network (not shown), which allows users to request a vehicle by calling the central office through the switched telephone network.

Advantageously, in response to the request from the user, the control means MC issue an ODA trip-trip order substantially instantaneously or subsequently to said REQ request according to its urgency or even a reservation order.

Those skilled in the art will understand that it is the CC communication center which will manage, according to the user's requests, the movements of the vehicles.

Very advantageously, the vehicles are also at the free disposal of the users. When they are stationary in predetermined zones such as parking or parking areas (for example PK1 FIG. 1).

Users can also book, for example by phone, a vehicle in a parking area.

Thus, in response to a reservation request from a user wishing to reserve a vehicle at a predetermined point, the control means MC choose a vehicle from among those in the fleet based on the information obtained by said communication means of each vehicle and issue a reservation order to said vehicle thus chosen.

In response to the reservation order, the vehicle is automatically placed in the reserved state.

To this end, each vehicle is equipped with warning lights or displays visible from the outside and suitable for indicating the availability status of said vehicle: available to any user, reserved or unavailable (loaded or out of service).

In practice, vehicles are stored in parking lots in the form of queues.

Advantageously, the queues are organized so that the unavailable vehicles do not block the available vehicles.

For example, the available vehicles are stored in a queue, while the unavailable vehicles are stored in another queue parallel to the first (storage called in double queue).

Or, the available and unavailable vehicles are mixed in an open loop loop queue (storage called a recirculating queue).

Furthermore, a vehicle in a queue can only enter a reserved state when the number of vehicles available in the queue is equal to the number of reservations.

In addition, as soon as said vehicle has transported the goods or people to their destinations, it is expected that the control means MC send an ODR return-trip order from the place of destination to a predetermined area, such as an area parking, based on location information received ILOC.

In a first embodiment of the system for road transport of objects and people, the vehicles are driven manually.

In this case, qualified personnel receive the ODA trip order or the ODR return trip order emanating from the control means and drives the vehicle in response to said order.
According to another aspect of the invention, each vehicle comprises attachment means for hooking said vehicle to another vehicle.

Very advantageously to optimize the journeys of the vehicles before their race or after their race, qualified personnel, in response to the order of outward journey or the order of return movement emanating from the control means, moves the vehicles under the form of a convoy made up of a multiplicity of vehicles attached to each other.

Thus, such a device makes it possible to provide an economic service of transport on demand by optimizing the journeys of the vehicles and by calculating the response times for each request.

As regards the MLOC location means, they can be of the GPS type for "Global Positioning System", that is to say location means capable of continuously giving longitude and latitude information of the vehicle.

The GPS type location system can be of the absolute or differential type.

Currently, these GPS systems based on listening to satellites are commercially available and give an accuracy of a few meters under good reception conditions.

As a variant, the GPS system is replaced by a system based on a few radio transmitters judiciously placed in the vehicle evolution zone while a reception system on each vehicle calculates the position by triangulation, the transmitters being able to be the same as those used for communication.

The localization means can also be supplemented by a cartographic system associated with a registration system and an odometry or heading detection system like those developed by PHILIPS or SAGEM within the framework of the EUREKA CARMINAT program and which assesses the position in the if the GPS is not operational (satellite unavailability, gray area, etc.).

In practice, the registration system revolves around beacons on the ground. For example, the beacons are of the passive type such as studs with magnetic contact or of the active type such as radio beacons.

The location can also be used to guide the user towards his destination thanks to a representation of his position on a map presented on the on-board VISU display screen.

The location information produced on board the vehicles is for example communicated to the central system at regular intervals or at least at the end of the journey. The central system thus knows the position of the vehicles when they are available or require maintenance. As a variant, a more precise knowledge in real time of the location of the vehicles makes it possible to estimate the arrival times and the journey times, and therefore to give guidance information as a function of the traffic.

It follows that from information concerning the state of instant REQ requests arriving for example by telephone, future or anticipated requests and the state of the fleet of vehicles, the communication center draws up and outward movement orders. or return of empty vehicles from parking lot to parking lot or parking lot to a user or from a point of abandonment of vehicles to a parking lot or to a user.

 These round trip or return travel orders are executed by specialized personnel on board each individual vehicle or by forming convoys of vehicles.

As a variant, users who have received a specific authorization can execute travel orders for users who do not wish or cannot drive (CO-CARRIAGE principle). These movement orders are issued for example by the central system presented on the display screen.
VISU of the vehicle and are validated or invalidated by the driver.

We now refer to Figures 3 and 4.

Preferably, but not limited to, vehicles move by means of at least partly electric propulsion.

For example, autonomous vehicles are of the type sold by the LIGIER, JEANNEAU or AIXAM companies. They are preferably modified at the level of the bodywork to improve the flexibility of use and the robustness of the vehicle for public use.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show the antenna ANT of the means of communication on board the vehicle V1.

Preferably, each vehicle comprises means for authorizing access to said vehicle. For example, these authorization means are based on the use of a memory card which contains an access authorization algorithm.

As a corollary, the vehicle is provided with a CARD card reader and a processing unit connected to this reader.

Advantageously, the access authorization means can be used to offer an additional service relating to the reservation and invoicing of the transport service according to the invention.

In practice, each vehicle includes attachment means
ACR to hook said vehicle to another vehicle.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 5a and 5b.

The ACR attachment means comprise a drawbar 10 longitudinally retractable at the front part of the vehicle V1, one of the ends of which 11 is pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis 16 and the other end of which is free and provided with 'A hook 22 adapted to hang on the rear part PAR of another vehicle V2 disposed in front of the vehicle V1.

The drawbar 10 is a device fixed to the front of the vehicle V1 at the level of the front bumper PAV1. The drawbar hooks onto the rear bumper PAR2 of a V2 vehicle.

The attachment is done by an oscillating movement in a vertical plane of the device 10 around the horizontal axis 16. This oscillating movement in a vertical plane is controlled by a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder (not shown). The drawbar is extendable longitudinally by means of a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder consisting of a cylinder 18 and a piston 20.

For attachment, the drawbar 10 is lowered down while the piston 20 of the cylinder is stretched longitudinally.

These two operations are carried out by the same hydraulic or pneumatic control.

As shown in FIG. 5b, the vehicles come into contact at the level of their bumpers, PAR2 and PAV1. When the free end 13 of the drawbar is at the bumper PAR of the vehicle V2, the device 10 is raised to position the two rollers 23a and 23b of the hook 22 at the internal face of the bumper PAR2 of the vehicle V2 . Finally, the piston 20 of the jack is retracted until the bumpers PAR2 and PAV1 are in contact.

The hydraulic or pneumatic fluid of the jack creates a force tending to keep the two bumpers PAR2 and PAV1 in contact.

For example, the contact force between the two vehicles V1 and
V2 is measured by strain gauges (not shown) located on attachment points of the front bumper PAV1 of the vehicle V1.

Advantageously, the measurement of this contact force is used to control the driving power and the braking force of the vehicle V1 if V1 is active.

According to another aspect of the invention, the steering wheels of the vehicle V1 are mechanically controlled by means of a link 30 articulated around a ball joint 32 which moves in a horizontal plane around a horizontal axis 34 by the oscillating movements of the drawbar 10 in a horizontal plane with respect to the horizontal axis 34.

The oscillating movements of the drawbar 10 in a horizontal plane with respect to the horizontal axis 34 result from the force of attraction of the hydraulic cylinder and from the shape in an arc of a circle of the two bumpers PAR2 and PAV1.

Thanks to the rollers 23a and 23b which roll in the groove of the bumper PAR2 of the vehicle V2, the drawbar 10 tends to take the direction of the upstream vehicle V2, which minimizes the length of the drawbar 10.

Thus, if the vehicle V2 moves to the right with respect to the axis of movement of the vehicle V1, the drawbar 10 goes to the right and controls a movement of the wheels of the vehicle V1 to the right to decrease and then cancel the difference.

Movement damping mechanisms are provided to avoid oscillatory phenomena which could take place when vehicles V1 and V2 are hooked up in the form of a convoy.

The device according to the invention also includes means for guiding vehicles to automate the driving of said vehicles in a predetermined area such as a parking lot PK1 (FIG. 1).

For example, the guide means comprise in a predetermined area PK1: - a guide rail RGU (FIGS. 1, 3 and 4) extending horizontally on the roadway in the predetermined area PK1, having a length, a width and a height predetermined.

The V1 vehicle is fitted on its lower part with a mechanism
MAR adapted to rest on the RGU rail so that the vehicle is automatically guided when said MAR mechanism is supported on said rail.

For example, the MAR mechanism consists of two mechanical stops BA1 and BA2 (Figure 4) mounted under the chassis of the vehicle V1 and at a distance from each other substantially equal to the width of the rail RGU.

The device for guiding the vehicle on the central rail RGU is based on the same operating principle for the direction as that described above at the level of the attachment means.

Alternatively, the guide means comprise in a predetermined area, a pair of walls spaced from each other by a predetermined distance to form mechanical stops like that described above.

Each vehicle is then provided on each of its two sides with a mechanism adapted to rest on the corresponding wall so that the vehicle is guided automatically when said mechanism is supported on said pair of walls.

Advantageously, the speed and braking of the vehicle are controlled at the level of the guidance means by optical proximity sensors or by ultrasound (not shown) making it possible to evaluate the distance to the preceding vehicle in the parking queue or of any obstacle. .

In complex car parks of the double queue or recirculating queue type, the movement of vehicles at the switches is controlled by computer exchanges between the vehicles and a local ground system which receives information from the central control system.

The local system then controls the stopping of each vehicle before each referral and initiates advance and possibly change of direction orders depending on the state of the vehicles communicated by the central system. This device makes it possible to direct vehicles leaving the car park to the parking exit area.

Advantageously, complex car parks are provided on clean sites, inaccessible to the public and preferably in a covered area.

In the case where the vehicles are electrically propelled, it is planned to equip the parking points with automatic charging means RCH by contact (FIG. 3) with electric batteries (not shown).

In another embodiment of the system according to the invention, the vehicles are driven automatically.

In this case, the formation of convoys can be automated by a fully automatic vehicle latching device.

The invention provides for example an approach and appointment device based on a precise distance measurement with the previous vehicle and a computer dialogue. Distance measurement is preferably of the optoelectronic type as is the means of communication.

Advantageously, this device is produced around a system developed by the French company MATRA as part of the project
ARAMIS.

Guidance for the meeting can be ensured by measuring the angle between the vehicles by optoelectronic means or by means of guidance on the ground.

As regards guidance, it can be derived from the preceding mechanical guidance. It is then based on electronic regulation allowing higher speeds without mechanical contact with the rail.

the mechanical stops then only serve as a means of defining a virtual axis measured by mechanical or optoelectronic distance sensors.

The mechanical guides described above also make it possible to assist the electronic guidance in the event of its failure.

It should be noted that at reduced speed, fully electronic guidance can be provided by a precise location of the vehicle from a system derived from the previous location or by a new system using passive or active landmarks located in infrastructure, for example by magnetic or microwave beacons.

Under these conditions, speed regulation is a function of location and potential or observed obstacles.

In the predetermined parking areas, safety distances can be maintained between vehicles by equipment installed in the roadway.

This installation makes it possible to avoid collisions but involves dialogues between the vehicles and the ground like those used for example in the VAL system of MATRA.

With regard to any lanes, regulation can be ensured only on the detection of obstacles and on the characteristics of the road known by the mapping.

Obstacle detection is then ensured by several redundant systems, for example obstacle avoidance or vehicle collision avoidance systems.

This is for example the equipment on the ground of cameras or shooting means making it possible to determine or view a portion of road. A dialogue between the vehicle and the ground equipment then allows the vehicle to move when the road is clear.

Other equipment can be placed on board each vehicle, consisting of video sensors which perform a modeling of the environment in front of the vehicle and assess the presence of potential obstacles.

In addition, short distance ultrasonic sensors can be used to detect very close obstacles.

Based on all this information, an on-board computer allows the vehicle to regulate its travel speed.

It is the navigation edge calculator for each vehicle that makes it possible to carry out vehicle movements automatically. A dialogue between this on-board computer and the user or the central system therefore makes it possible to carry out the movements of said vehicles.

Advantageously, the mapping of the urban environment can be updated according to changes in congestion which can be comm

Claims (24)

Claims 1. System for the road transport of objects or people in an urban environment, characterized in that it comprises in combination - a fleet of autonomous vehicles (V) capable of transporting objects or people on the road network, each vehicle being equipped with locating means motorization means (MLOC) capable of permanently determining information (ILOC) relating to its location in a predetermined area of the communication means (MCOM) associated with said locating means and suitable for delivering the information of location (ILOC) thus determined and information (IV) relating to the availability, the load of the vehicle, the objects or the number of people likely to be transported by it - a communication center (CC) capable of establishing a connection with the communication means of each vehicle, the central being provided with own control means (MC), in response to a request (R EQ) from a user wishing to transport objects or people from a predetermined location, to choose a vehicle from among those in the fleet based on the information obtained by said means of communication for each vehicle and to deliver to said vehicle as well choose an outward journey order (ODA) from the place where it is located to the predetermined place. 2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means issue an outward movement order (ODA) substantially instantaneously or subsequently to the request (REQ) emanating from the user according to the urgency thereof. 3. System according to claim 1, characterized in that in response to a reservation request from a user wishing to reserve a vehicle at a predetermined point, the control means choose a vehicle from among those in the fleet according to the information obtained by said means of communication of each vehicle and deliver to said vehicle thus chosen a reservation order. 4. System according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the vehicles are further equipped with indicators or displays visible from the outside and suitable for indicating the availability status of said vehicles. 5. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that as soon as the objects or people are transported to their destination, the control means send a travel-return order (ODR) from the place of destination to a zone predetermined based on the vehicle location information received. 6. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said vehicles are manually driven. 7. System according to claim 6, characterized in that the order of travel-go (ODA) or the order of travel-return (ODR) emanating from the control means (MC) is executed manually. 8. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each vehicle comprises attachment means (ACR) for attaching said vehicle to another vehicle. 9. The system as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the vehicle is driven by qualified personnel in response to the outward movement order or the return movement order emanating from the control means in the form of a convoy. consisting of a multiplicity of vehicles attached to each other. 10. System according to claim 8, characterized in that the attachment means (ACR) comprise at the front of the vehicle a drawbar (10) retractable longitudinally, one of the ends (11) of which is pivotally mounted in a vertical plane around a horizontal axis (16) and the other end (13) of which is free and provided with a hook (22) adapted to hang on the rear part of another vehicle. 11. System according to claim 10, characterized in that the drawbar (10) is integral with the steering axis of the motorization means of each vehicle. 12. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises means for guiding vehicles to automate the driving of said vehicles in a predetermined area, and in particular in car parks. 13. System according to claim 12, characterized in that the guide means comprise - a guide rail (RGU) extending horizontally on the roadway in a predetermined area, having a predetermined length, width and height - while each vehicle is provided on its lower part with a mechanism (BA1 and BA2) adapted to rest on the rail so that the vehicle is guided automatically when said mechanism is supported on said rail. 14. System according to claim 12, characterized in that the guide means comprise in a predetermined area - a pair of walls spaced from each other by a predetermined distance, while each vehicle is provided on each of its two lateral flanks of a mechanism adapted to rest on the corresponding wall so that the vehicle is guided automatically when said mechanism is supported on said pair of walls. 15. System according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that each vehicle further comprises means for capturing information relating to the location of a vehicle in relation to another vehicle and its own processing means issuing movement orders for said vehicle based on said location information. 16. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the motorization means are at least partly electrically propelled 17. System according to claim 16, characterized in that provision is made to equip predetermined points with means of automatic recharging by contact (RCH) of electric batteries. 18. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each vehicle comprises means of access authorization (CARD) to said vehicle. 19. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the location means (MLOC) are locating means of the GPS type suitable for delivering longitude and latitude information from the vehicles. 20. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the location means (MLOC) are of the cartographic type associated with odometry means and registration means. 21. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the communication means of each vehicle and the communication center exchange information from a radio type communication network. 22. System according to claim 21, characterized in that the radio type communication network is a cellular telephone network. 23. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the communication means of each vehicle are connected to input and display means (VISU). 24. System according to claim 1, characterized in that said vehicles are with automatic driving.