Method for operating a vehicle and for operating a manufacturing system

• US 10,336,384 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2015
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Nordbruch, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, Jaime
• Application Number:
  US15/524,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20170320529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,349 Days
• Field of Search: 701 1, 701 2
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 65/18 Transportation, conveyor or haulage systems specially adapted for motor vehicle or trailer assembly lines conveyors and haulage in general B65G
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/04 Manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/30 Computing systems specially adapted for manufacturing

Abstract

A method for operating a vehicle, the vehicle driving autonomously or remotely controlled within a manufacturing system for manufacturing vehicles.

Claims

1. A method by a vehicle, comprising:

the vehicle driving between a plurality of manufacturing stations within a vehicle manufacturing facility;

receiving, by a computer of the vehicle, via an interface, and from an external system of the manufacturing facility, an identification of one of a plurality of parking positions of a parking facility;

subsequent to the driving between the plurality of manufacturing stations, the computer of the vehicle autonomously driving from one of the plurality of manufacturing stations to the identified one of the plurality of parking positions; and

the vehicle recording and storing vehicle data regarding how the vehicle operated during the driving to the identified one of the plurality of parking positions, the stored data being inspectable to determine whether the vehicle'"'"'s autonomous driving functionality has been correctly implemented by the vehicle.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the manufacturing stations form an assembly line for vehicle manufacturing.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the autonomous driving by the vehicle to the identified one of the plurality of parking positions is monitored by a vehicle-external visual monitoring system for the determination of whether the vehicle'"'"'s autonomous driving functionality has been correctly implemented by the vehicle.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the vehicle orients itself toward a vehicle-external navigation infrastructure during its driving operation.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program including program code that is executable by a computer of a vehicle, and that, when executed by the computer of the vehicle, causes the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

controlling the vehicle to drive between a plurality of manufacturing stations within a manufacturing facility;

receiving, via an interface and from an external system of the manufacturing facility, an identification of one of a plurality of parking positions of a parking facility;

subsequent to the driving between the plurality of manufacturing stations, controlling the vehicle to autonomously drive from one of the plurality of manufacturing stations to the identified one of the plurality of parking positions; and

recording and storing vehicle data regarding operation by the vehicle during the drive to the identified one of the plurality of parking positions, the stored data being inspectable to determine whether the vehicle'"'"'s autonomous driving functionality has been correctly implemented by the vehicle.

6. A vehicle comprising:

a computer;

a data store; and

an interface;

wherein the computer is configured to;

control the vehicle to drive between a plurality of manufacturing stations within a vehicle manufacturing facility;

receive, via the interface, and from an external system of the manufacturing facility, an identification of one of a plurality of parking positions of a parking facility;

subsequent to the driving between the plurality of manufacturing stations, control the vehicle to autonomously drive from one of the plurality of manufacturing stations to the identified one of the plurality of parking positions; and

record and store vehicle data regarding operation by the vehicle during the drive to the identified one of the plurality of parking positions, the stored data being inspectable to determine whether the vehicle'"'"'s autonomous driving functionality has been correctly implemented by the vehicle.