Taxi system

Abstract

The taxi system (10) of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a taxi vehicle (12) that transports the user (100) by autonomously traveling while the user (100) is on board; and one or more auxiliary vehicles (14) that can register the taxi vehicle (12) as a cooperation target and travel following the taxi vehicle (12) as the cooperation target while carrying luggage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] In this specification, a taxi system is disclosed that includes a taxi vehicle that autonomously travels while a user is on board to transport the user. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, it has been proposed to use autonomous vehicles as taxi vehicles. For example, a system for providing taxi services using autonomous vehicles is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

[0003] Prior Art Documents

[0004] Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2017 - 174208

[0006] Furthermore, among users of taxi vehicles, there are those who wish to transport large-sized luggage together with themselves. When it is not possible to transport large-sized luggage together with the user, the convenience of the user will be significantly reduced. Therefore, it has been considered to make the taxi vehicle larger so that it can also transport large-sized luggage. However, when the taxi vehicle is made larger, of course, the vehicle cost will increase, and furthermore, the usage fee of the taxi vehicle will increase. In addition, there are also users with small luggage. From the perspective of such users, a large taxi vehicle has excessive specifications and they will feel that the usage fee is wastefully high.

[0007] Therefore, it has also been considered not to make the taxi vehicle larger but to change the number of taxi vehicles to be used according to the size of the luggage. For example, it can be set that: a user with small luggage uses one taxi vehicle, and a user with large luggage additionally uses a taxi vehicle for loading large-sized luggage in addition to the taxi vehicle in which the user is riding. If such a configuration is set, it is possible to avoid making the taxi vehicle larger and to transport large-sized luggage.

[0008] However, a taxi vehicle that travels autonomously is equipped with many expensive and highly precise components (such as sensors, processors, etc.) in order to be able to perform autonomous driving. In addition, a taxi vehicle for transporting passengers is also equipped with many mechanisms for ensuring the safety of the passengers. When such an expensive taxi vehicle manufactured on the premise of transporting passengers is only used for transporting luggage, the cost of transporting luggage is likely to be wastefully high. That is, in the conventional taxi system, it is difficult to suppress the increase in cost and to improve the convenience of the user. Summary of the Invention

[0009] Therefore, in this specification, a taxi system is disclosed that can suppress the increase in cost and improve the convenience of the user.

[0010] The taxi system disclosed in this specification is characterized by comprising: a taxi vehicle that transports the user by autonomously driving while the user is on board; and one or more auxiliary vehicles that can register the taxi vehicle as a cooperation target and travel following the taxi vehicle as the cooperation target while carrying luggage.

[0011] With such a configuration, luggage that cannot be loaded in the taxi vehicle can be loaded on the auxiliary vehicle for transportation, thus improving the convenience for the user. In addition, since the auxiliary vehicle follows the taxi vehicle, the auxiliary vehicle does not require high-precision and expensive sensors and controllers for autonomous driving. Therefore, the cost required for luggage transportation can be reduced. As a result, an increase in cost can be suppressed, and the convenience for the user can be improved.

[0012] In addition, it may be that the auxiliary vehicle has an auxiliary sensor group that includes at least one of a sensor for sensing the driving environment of the auxiliary vehicle and a sensor for sensing the loading condition of the luggage, and the auxiliary vehicle sends the sensing result of the auxiliary sensor group to the taxi vehicle as the cooperation target.

[0013] With such a configuration, the driving environment of the auxiliary vehicle and / or the loading condition of the luggage can be grasped by the high-precision controller mounted on the taxi vehicle as the cooperation target. And thereby, the taxi vehicle as the cooperation target can take appropriate measures when there are some problems in the driving environment of the auxiliary vehicle and the loading condition of the luggage. As a result, the transportation of luggage by the auxiliary vehicle can be carried out more appropriately.

[0014] In addition, it may be that the auxiliary vehicle has a following sensor that directly or indirectly senses the relative positional relationship with the taxi vehicle as the cooperation target, and the auxiliary vehicle controls the acceleration, deceleration, and steering of the auxiliary vehicle so as to maintain a specified relative positional relationship based on the sensing result of the following sensor.

[0015] In the case of such a configuration, the auxiliary vehicle can travel appropriately even without performing complex calculations and sensing. As a result, there is no need to install high-precision and expensive sensors and controllers in the auxiliary vehicle, and the cost related to the transportation of luggage can be suppressed low.

[0016] In addition, it may be that when the taxi vehicle is cooperating with one or more of the auxiliary vehicles, the total length of the vehicle fleet composed of the taxi vehicle and one or more of the auxiliary vehicles is regarded as the total length of the taxi vehicle to control the driving of the taxi vehicle.

[0017] With such a configuration, the taxi vehicle and the auxiliary vehicle can turn left or right or park appropriately.

[0018] In addition, it may be that, when the taxi vehicle and one or more of the auxiliary vehicles are cooperating with each other, information indicating the cooperation is output in a form that can be visually grasped from outside the vehicle.

[0019] With such a configuration, other vehicles and people can predict the cooperative driving of the taxi vehicle and one or more auxiliary vehicles and take actions, so that the safety of each other can be further improved.

[0020] In addition, it may be that the auxiliary vehicle has a luggage container for accommodating the luggage, and the taxi system has multiple types of the auxiliary vehicles with different characteristics of the luggage containers.

[0021] With such a configuration, the user can select an appropriate auxiliary vehicle according to the type and size of the luggage. And as a result, the user's luggage can be transported more appropriately.

[0022] In addition, it may be that a management device is further provided, which manages the scheduling of the taxi vehicle, and receives a use request for the taxi vehicle from the user. When the received use request includes information related to the size of the luggage, the management device determines the number of the auxiliary vehicles to be dispatched to the user based on the information related to the size, and dispatches the taxi vehicle and the auxiliary vehicles to the user in a state where the determined number of the auxiliary vehicles cooperate with the taxi vehicle.

[0023] With such a configuration, the user can use the auxiliary vehicle more easily without considering the required number of the auxiliary vehicles.

[0024] In addition, it may be that one or more waiting places for one or more of the auxiliary vehicles that are not cooperating with any of the taxi vehicles are set, and the user can select the auxiliary vehicle to be used by himself / herself from one or more of the auxiliary vehicles waiting at the waiting place.

[0025] By setting a waiting place for the auxiliary vehicle, the user can easily find an auxiliary vehicle for cooperating with the taxi vehicle in use by going to the waiting place together with the taxi vehicle in use.

[0026] In addition, it is also possible that, after the use of the auxiliary vehicle ends, the taxi vehicle that has collaborated with the auxiliary vehicle during the use travels to a new destination of the auxiliary vehicle while maintaining the state of collaboration with the auxiliary vehicle, thereby guiding the auxiliary vehicle to the new destination.

[0027] With such a configuration, the auxiliary vehicle after the use ends can travel to a new destination (such as a passenger waiting area, etc.).

[0028] In addition, it is also possible that, after the use of the auxiliary vehicle ends, the taxi vehicle that has collaborated with the auxiliary vehicle during the use terminates the collaboration with the auxiliary vehicle, and another taxi vehicle starts to collaborate with the auxiliary vehicle after traveling to the auxiliary vehicle, and then travels to the new destination of the auxiliary vehicle, thereby guiding the auxiliary vehicle to the new destination.

[0029] With such a configuration, the taxi vehicle that has collaborated with the auxiliary vehicle during the use can be immediately dispatched to the vicinity of a new user. In addition, the auxiliary vehicle after the use ends can also travel to a new destination. As a result, the taxi vehicle can be effectively used, and the auxiliary vehicle can be appropriately recovered.

[0030] According to the taxi system disclosed in this specification, an increase in cost can be suppressed, and the convenience of users can be improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the taxi system.

[0032] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram for receiving passengers.

[0033] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram for direct use.

[0034] Figure 4 It is a block diagram showing the configuration of the taxi vehicle.

[0035] Figure 5 It is a block diagram showing the configuration of the auxiliary vehicle.

[0036] Figure 6 It is a block diagram showing the configuration of the management device.

[0037] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram showing the situation where the auxiliary vehicle controls its own acceleration, deceleration, and steering.

[0038] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram showing the situation of the driving control of the taxi vehicle that is collaborating with one or more auxiliary vehicles.

[0039] Figure 9 This is a diagram showing an example of the driving route of a taxi vehicle after the use by a user has ended.

[0040] Figure 10 This is a diagram showing another example of the driving route of a taxi vehicle after the use by a user has ended.

[0041] Description of Reference Numerals

[0042] 10 Taxi system, 12 Taxi vehicle, 14 Auxiliary vehicle, 16 Management device, 20 Vehicle controller, 22, 42, 62 Processor, 24, 44, 64 Memory, 26, 46 Driving unit, 28 Vehicle sensor group, 30 Output device, 32 Input device, 34, 52, 66 Communication I / F, 36, 54 Cooperative communicator, 40 Auxiliary controller, 48 Auxiliary sensor group, 50 Tracking sensor, 51 Baggage container, 60 Management controller, 68 Vehicle DB, 70 User DB, 80 Use request, 82 Dispatch instruction, 84 Baggage information, 86 Auxiliary environment information, 88 Tracking signal, 89 Fleet, 90 Passenger waiting area, 92 Destination, 100 User, 110 User terminal. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0043] Hereinafter, the configuration of the taxi system 10 will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the taxi system 10. The taxi system 10 includes a plurality of taxi vehicles 12, a plurality of auxiliary vehicles 14, and a management device 16.

[0044] The taxi vehicle 12 is a vehicle that accepts a commission from a user and transports the user to a destination according to an individual contract. The taxi vehicle 12 in this example is a single - occupancy vehicle with a seating capacity of one person. It should be noted that, of course, infants and the like are not counted as passengers and can ride with an adult. In addition, the taxi vehicle 12 is an autonomous driving vehicle that performs all dynamic driving tasks on the vehicle side. Therefore, there is no driver in the taxi vehicle 12.

[0045] Here, "autopilot" means that almost all dynamic driving tasks are performed by the vehicle. For example, it refers to any one of Levels 3 to 5 defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) in the United States. Level 3 is the following driving mode: in specific places such as highways, all dynamic driving tasks are automated, but driver operation is required in case of emergency. In addition, Level 4 is the following driving mode: all dynamic driving tasks are automated only in specific places, and responses in case of emergency are also automatically handled. Level 5 is a driving mode that can perform autopilot under almost all conditions without restrictions such as place, which is the so-called "fully autonomous driving".

[0046] The auxiliary vehicle 14 is a vehicle set up for transporting luggage and is not assumed to carry people. The auxiliary vehicle 14 is a vehicle that can cooperate with any one of the taxi vehicles 12 as needed. Here, "cooperate" means communicating with the cooperation partner to obtain information or instructions, and determining at least a part of its own actions based on the obtained information or instructions. Therefore, the auxiliary vehicle 14 communicates with the taxi vehicle 12 registered as the cooperation partner to obtain information or instructions, and determines at least a part of the actions of the auxiliary vehicle 14 itself based on the obtained information or instructions.

[0047] The auxiliary vehicle 14 cannot drive autonomously alone and follows the taxi vehicle 12 that is the cooperation object. Here, "follow" means following behind the taxi vehicle 12 that is the cooperation object in such a way as to pass through the same path as the taxi vehicle 12 that is the cooperation object. That is to say, the auxiliary vehicle 14 only follows the taxi vehicle 12 that is the cooperation object and does not perform autopilot. Therefore, the auxiliary vehicle 14 does not require expensive and highly accurate components (such as expensive sensors, processors) required for autopilot. In addition, since the auxiliary vehicle 14 is not assumed to carry people, it also does not require a structure (such as an airbag, etc.) for ensuring the safety of passengers. As a result, the auxiliary vehicle 14 can be configured to be cheaper and smaller than the taxi vehicle 12.

[0048] The user 100 rides in the taxi vehicle 12 and loads the luggage that cannot be loaded in the taxi vehicle 12 onto the auxiliary vehicle 14. Then, the auxiliary vehicle 14 travels while following the taxi vehicle 12 (i.e., the taxi vehicle 12 that is the cooperation object) in the state of carrying the luggage, thereby transporting the luggage of the user 100.

[0049] The management device 16 manages the dispatching of the taxi vehicles 12 and the auxiliary vehicles 14. The management device 16 collects and manages the positions and operating states of the multiple taxi vehicles 12 and the multiple auxiliary vehicles 14. Here, as the operating states of the taxi vehicles 12 and the auxiliary vehicles 14, there are, for example, standby, in service, out of service, pickup, etc. The management device 16 calculates the required configurations of the taxi vehicles 12 and the auxiliary vehicles 14 in consideration of requests from users, the distribution of vehicles and people in the city, etc., and outputs dispatching instructions to the taxi vehicles 12 and the auxiliary vehicles 14. The taxi vehicles 12 and the auxiliary vehicles 14 drive appropriately according to the dispatching instructions.

[0050] It should be noted that multiple passenger waiting places 90 for the taxi vehicles 12 and the auxiliary vehicles 14 are set in the city. The passenger waiting place 90 only needs to be a place where the taxi vehicle 12 or the auxiliary vehicle 14 can park, and is not particularly limited. Therefore, the passenger waiting place 90 can be set near facilities used by many people, such as near a station or a store.

[0051] Here, as the usage forms of the taxi vehicle 12, there are pickup usage where the user 100 calls the taxi vehicle 12 to start using it and direct usage where the user 100 moves to the vicinity of the taxi vehicle 12 to start using it. Among them, the pickup usage also includes reservation usage where the future date and time when the user wants to use the taxi vehicle 12 are specified. Refer to Figure 2 、 Figure 3 These two usage forms will be described.

[0052] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of pickup usage. In the case of pickup usage, the user 100 operates the information terminal (hereinafter referred to as "user terminal 110") managed by the user 100 itself to send a usage request 80 to the management device 16. The usage request 80 includes at least the desired boarding date and time and the boarding location of the user. In addition, the usage request 80 may also include at least one of the destination, settlement method, number of taxi vehicles 12 to be used, other requirements (such as air conditioning conditions of the taxi vehicle 12), etc. In addition, the user 100 who wants to use the auxiliary vehicle 14 together with the taxi vehicle 12 also sends the information related to the use of the auxiliary vehicle 14 as part of the usage request 80 to the management device 16. The information related to the use of the auxiliary vehicle 14 will be described later.

[0053] The management device 16 schedules the taxi vehicle 12 and the auxiliary vehicle 14 according to the received usage request 80. Specifically, the management device 16 sends a scheduling instruction 82 to the taxi vehicle 12 so that the taxi vehicle 12 can reach the pick-up location indicated by the usage request 80 at the pick-up date and time indicated by the usage request 80. The taxi vehicle 12 that has received this scheduling instruction 82 moves to the pick-up location by autonomous driving in a manner that can catch up with the designated pick-up date and time.

[0054] In addition, when the usage request 80 includes information related to the use of the auxiliary vehicle 14, the management device 16 determines the number of auxiliary vehicles 14 that meet the user 100's wishes. Then, the management device 16 instructs the determined number of auxiliary vehicles 14 and the taxi vehicle 12 to cooperate as the scheduling instruction 82. The auxiliary vehicle 14 and the taxi vehicle 12 that have received this instruction register each other as cooperation partners. Then, by registering as cooperation partners, the auxiliary vehicle 14 can travel to the pick-up location together with the taxi vehicle 12 that is the cooperation partner.

[0055] If it reaches the pick-up date and time, the user 100 boards the scheduled taxi vehicle 12 at the pick-up location and starts using the taxi vehicle 12. In addition, the user 100 loads the luggage that cannot be loaded in the taxi vehicle 12 onto the auxiliary vehicle 14 that cooperates with the taxi vehicle 12. Thus, the luggage is also transported together with the user 100.

[0056] Next, the direct use will be described. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of direct use. In the case of direct use, the user 100 moves to the vicinity of the taxi vehicle 12 in the passenger waiting state and notifies the taxi system 10 of the start of using this taxi vehicle 12. Here, the notification of the start of use can be made either using the user terminal 110 or using the input device mounted on the taxi vehicle 12. Therefore, the user 100 can operate the user terminal 110 to send data indicating the start of use to the taxi vehicle 12. In addition, the user 100 can also board the taxi vehicle 12 and operate the input device (such as a touch panel, etc.) mounted on the taxi vehicle 12 to notify the taxi vehicle 12 of the start of use. When receiving the notification of the start of use, the taxi vehicle 12 notifies the management device 16 that the transportation of the user 100 has started, that is, it has become the passenger-carrying state.

[0057] In addition, when the luggage cannot fit in the taxi vehicle 12, the user 100 also uses the auxiliary vehicle 14. In order for the user 100 to use the auxiliary vehicle 14, the taxi vehicle 12 and the auxiliary vehicle 14 need to register each other's vehicle as a cooperation object. In the following description, registering as a cooperation object is referred to as "cooperation registration". This cooperation registration can be performed either using the user terminal 110 or using the input device provided in the taxi vehicle 12 or the auxiliary vehicle 14. The detailed process of this cooperation registration will be described later. After the cooperation registration, the user 100 loads the luggage onto the auxiliary vehicle 14. The auxiliary vehicle 14 follows the vehicle that is the cooperation object and travels, thereby transporting the luggage.

[0058] Regardless of whether it is for picking up passengers or direct use, once the user 100 arrives at the destination 92, the user 100 notifies the taxi vehicle 12 of the end of use. At the time of receiving the notification of the end of use, the usage fees of the taxi vehicle 12 and the auxiliary vehicle 14 are settled. After the settlement, the taxi vehicle 12 moves to the next destination or the passenger waiting area according to the dispatch instruction 82 from the management device 16. At this time, the auxiliary vehicle 14 can either move together with the taxi vehicle 12 or wait for passengers on the spot until the dedicated taxi vehicle 12 for recovery arrives. The operation of the auxiliary vehicle 14 after such settlement will also be described later.

[0059] Next, the configurations of the taxi vehicle 12, the auxiliary vehicle 14, and the management device 16 will be described. Figure 4 It is a block diagram showing the configuration of the taxi vehicle 12. The drive unit 26 is a device that generates the mechanical action for the taxi vehicle 12 to travel, and includes, for example, a prime mover, a power transmission device, a braking device, a suspension device, a steering device, etc. The vehicle sensor group 28 includes one or more sensors for sensing various information required for the taxi vehicle 12 to travel. Such a vehicle sensor group 28 includes, for example, sensors for sensing the surrounding environment of the taxi vehicle 12 (such as cameras, LiDAR, millimeter-wave radars, ultrasonic sensors, etc.), sensors for sensing the current position of the taxi vehicle 12 (such as GPS, etc.), sensors for sensing the driving state of the taxi vehicle 12 (such as acceleration sensors, gyro sensors, etc.), etc. The information sensed by the vehicle sensor group 28 is sent to the vehicle controller 20. The vehicle controller 20 calculates the acceleration / deceleration amount and the steering amount of the taxi vehicle 12 based on the information sensed by the vehicle sensor group 28, and drives the drive unit 26.

[0060] The output device 30 is a device that presents information to the user 100 and may include, for example, at least one of a display, a speaker, and a light. In addition, the input device 32 is a device that accepts an operation input from the user 100 and may include, for example, at least one of a touch panel, a keyboard, a switch, a lever, a pedal, and a microphone.

[0061] The communication I / F (interface) 34 uses communication technology to communicate with information devices outside the vehicle. In this case, the information devices that are communication targets include, for example, the management device 16, the user terminal 110, the auxiliary vehicle 14, and other taxi vehicles 12, etc. Such communication can be performed using mobile data communication provided by a mobile phone company, can also be performed using short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), or can also be performed using a dedicated communication line.

[0062] The cooperative communicator 36 is one of the components of the communication I / F 34 and is a communicator for communicating with the auxiliary vehicle 14. The cooperative communicator 36 can be a communicator that uses a general communication network such as mobile data communication, or can be a communicator that uses a dedicated wireless communication technology for vehicle-to-vehicle communication. In addition, the cooperative communicator 36 can also be a communicator that uses short-range wireless communication technology such as Bluetooth. The taxi vehicle 12 communicates with the auxiliary vehicle 14 via this cooperative communicator 36 in order to perform following driving of the auxiliary vehicle 14, which will be described later.

[0063] The vehicle controller 20 controls the driving of the taxi vehicle 12. The vehicle controller 20, for example, grasps the surrounding environment of the taxi vehicle 12 based on the sensing results of the vehicle sensor group 28 and controls the driving of the drive unit 26 so that the taxi vehicle 12 can drive safely. In addition, the vehicle controller 20 communicates with the auxiliary vehicle 14 via the cooperative communicator 36 and outputs an instruction to the auxiliary vehicle 14 as needed so that the auxiliary vehicle 14 can follow safely.

[0064] Such a vehicle controller 20 is a computer physically having a processor 22 and a memory 24. In this "computer", a microcontroller that embeds the computer system in an integrated circuit is also included. In addition, the processor 22 refers to a processor in a broad sense, including a general-purpose processor (such as a CPU: Central Processing Unit, etc.), a dedicated processor (such as a GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, an ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, an FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, a programmable logic device, etc.). In addition, the processor 22 does not need to be a physical element, but may include multiple processors physically located at separate positions. Similarly, the memory 24 does not need to be a physical element, but may be composed of multiple memories physically located at separate positions. In addition, the memory 24 may include at least one of a semiconductor memory (such as a RAM, a ROM, a solid-state drive, etc.) and a magnetic disk (such as a hard disk drive, etc.).

[0065] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the auxiliary vehicle 14. The drive unit 46 is a device that generates a mechanical action for driving the auxiliary vehicle 14, and includes, for example, a prime mover, a power transmission device, a braking device, a steering device, etc. However, as described above, the auxiliary vehicle 14 is not assumed to be for human occupancy. Therefore, the drive unit 46 of the auxiliary vehicle 14 has a cheaper and simpler configuration with lower vibration damping performance, quieter performance, and lower safety performance compared to the drive unit 26 of the taxi vehicle 12.

[0066] The auxiliary sensor group 48 has more than one sensor that senses at least one of the driving environment of the auxiliary vehicle 14 and the loading condition of the luggage. As the driving environment, it includes the position, driving speed, acceleration, presence or absence of objects around the auxiliary vehicle 14, etc. In order to sense the driving environment of the auxiliary vehicle 14, the auxiliary sensor group 48 may include at least one of a position sensor, a speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, a LiDAR, a millimeter-wave radar, an ultrasonic sensor, and a camera. In addition, the loading condition of the luggage includes, for example, whether the luggage has fallen or toppled over. In order to sense the loading condition of the luggage, the auxiliary sensor group 48 may include, for example, an object sensor, a weight sensor, a camera, etc. It should be noted that, as repeatedly described, the auxiliary vehicle 14 does not drive autonomously alone but follows the taxi vehicle 12. Therefore, the auxiliary vehicle 14 does not need to sense the driving environment with high precision. Therefore, the sensors constituting the auxiliary sensor group 48 may have fewer types and lower sensing capabilities than the sensors constituting the vehicle sensor group 28. That is to say, the auxiliary sensor group 48 can be a cheaper and simpler configuration than the vehicle sensor group 28.

[0067] The following sensor 50 is a sensor that senses the relative position relationship with the taxi vehicle 12 as the cooperation object. The sensing of this relative position relationship can be indirect sensing. Therefore, for example, the following sensor 50 can obtain the relative position relationship with the taxi vehicle 12 by sensing the relative position relationship with another auxiliary vehicle 14, where the other auxiliary vehicle 14 is driving in a state of maintaining a specified position relationship with the taxi vehicle 12. The following sensor 50 can be, for example, a signal sensor that senses the intensity of the tracking signal output by the taxi vehicle 12 or a preceding other auxiliary vehicle 14 (hereinafter referred to as "the vehicle to be sensed"). In this case, the auxiliary vehicle 14 has two or more signal sensors as the following sensor 50, determines the distance to the vehicle to be sensed based on the intensity of the tracking signal received by each signal sensor, and determines the direction of the vehicle to be sensed based on the difference in sensing intensity between the signal sensors. In addition, as another method, the following sensor 50 can also be a camera that photographs the vehicle to be sensed. As yet another method, the following sensor can also be a sensor (such as a millimeter-wave radar, etc.) that emits electromagnetic waves or ultrasonic waves and senses the relative position relationship with the vehicle to be sensed (i.e., the vehicle to be followed) through its reflected waves.

[0068] The luggage container 51 is a space for accommodating luggage. The luggage container 51 only needs to be able to stably accommodate the luggage of the user 100, and its form is not particularly limited. For example, it can be a box-shaped container or a bag-shaped container. The taxi system 10 can have multiple types of auxiliary vehicles 14 with different characteristics of the luggage container 51. For example, the size and shape of the luggage container 51 can vary according to the type of the auxiliary vehicle 14. By varying the size and shape of the luggage container 51, it is possible to accommodate luggage of various shapes and sizes. In addition, the luggage containers 51 of some of the auxiliary vehicles 14 can also have a temperature control function, such as a freezing function, a refrigerating function, or a heat insulation function. In this case, the luggage container 51 can also have at least one of a heat pump, a Peltier element, and a heater. By preparing such a luggage container 51, frozen products, refrigerated products, freshly cooked dishes, etc. can also be transported while maintaining their quality. In addition, the luggage containers 51 of some of the auxiliary vehicles 14 can also be configured to have waterproofness and be washable with water. By preparing such a luggage container 51, after transporting dirty luggage, such as outdoor goods with mud attached, the luggage container 51 can be easily cleaned with water. In addition, the luggage containers 51 of some of the auxiliary vehicles 14 can also be configured to have air permeability and be able to accommodate living things. By preparing such a luggage container 51, it is also possible to transport living things such as pets and plants. Moreover, the luggage containers 51 of some of the auxiliary vehicles 14 can also have a vibration-proof function. For example, the luggage container 51 can have an outer box fixed to the vehicle body and an inner box supported by dampers inside the outer box. By preparing such a luggage container 51, it is possible to transport vibration-intolerant luggage, such as fragile items and precision equipment, while maintaining their quality.

[0069] The communication I / F 52 uses communication technologies to communicate with information devices outside the vehicle, such as the taxi vehicle 12, the management device 16, the user terminal 110, and other auxiliary vehicles 14. Such communication can be carried out using mobile data communication provided by a mobile phone company, short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth, or a dedicated communication line.

[0070] The cooperative communicator 54 is one of the components of the communication I / F 52 and is a communicator for communicating with the taxi vehicle 12 and other auxiliary vehicles 14. Similar to the cooperative communicator 36 of the taxi vehicle 12, the cooperative communicator 54 communicates with the taxi vehicle 12 and other auxiliary vehicles 14 in order to enable the following driving of the auxiliary vehicle 14, which will also be described later.

[0071] The auxiliary controller 40 controls the driving of the auxiliary vehicle 14. For example, the auxiliary controller 40 calculates the amount of acceleration / deceleration and the amount of steering required to travel along the same path as the taxi vehicle 12 registered as a cooperation object (i.e., the taxi vehicle 12 as a cooperation object), and controls the drive unit 46 based on the calculation results.

[0072] The auxiliary controller 40 is also a computer having a processor 42 and a memory 44. However, since the auxiliary vehicle 14 does not perform autonomous driving independently, the amount of computation required for its driving is significantly reduced compared to the taxi vehicle 12. Therefore, the auxiliary controller 40 can be composed of an inexpensive computer with a lower processing power than the vehicle controller 20.

[0073] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the management device 16. The management device 16 includes a management controller 60, a communication I / F 66, a vehicle DB (database) 68, and a user DB 70. The communication I / F 66 communicates with the user terminal 110 via a general communication network such as mobile data. In addition, the communication I / F 66 communicates with a plurality of taxi vehicles 12 and a plurality of auxiliary vehicles 14 via a general communication network or a dedicated communication network.

[0074] The vehicle DB 68 is a database that records information on a plurality of taxi vehicles 12 and a plurality of auxiliary vehicles 14 constituting the taxi system 10. The vehicle DB 68 records identification information, position, operation status, cooperation status, etc. of each vehicle 12, 14. Here, the operation status includes picking up passengers, carrying passengers, out of service, waiting for passengers, etc. In addition, as the cooperation status, in addition to recording whether cooperation has started with other vehicles, when cooperation has started, the identification information of the vehicle as the cooperation object is also recorded.

[0075] Information on the user 100 is recorded in the user DB 70. As information on the user 100 recorded in the user DB 70, for example, it includes identification information, name, settlement method, contact information, etc. of the user 100. In addition, addresses of places where the destination 92 is frequently set by the user 100, such as the user's home, the company where the user works, etc., can also be recorded in correspondence with the identification information of the user 100.

[0076] The management controller 60 controls the scheduling and cooperation of the taxi vehicle 12 and the auxiliary vehicle 14 according to a request from the user 100 sent from the user terminal 110. In addition, the management controller 60 updates the vehicle DB 68 based on information sent from the taxi vehicle 12 and the auxiliary vehicle 14. In addition, the management controller 60 also updates the user DB 70 based on the registration information of the user 100 sent from the user terminal 110. Such a management controller 60 is also composed of a computer having a processor 62 and a memory 64.

[0077] Next, the control of such a taxi system 10 will be described. First, the control when the user 100 starts using the taxi vehicle 12 will be described. As described above, in this example, as the usage form of the taxi vehicle 12, there are pick-up usage and direct usage. As Figure 2 shown, in the case of pick-up usage, the user 100 sends a usage request 80 to the management device 16. The usage request 80 includes the ride date and time and the pick-up location desired by the user 100. It should be noted that as the ride date and time, it can also be a designation such as "immediately" instead of a specific date and time.

[0078] Moreover, as described above, the user 100 can also send information related to the usage of the auxiliary vehicle 14 together with the usage request 80. For example, the user 100 can consider the size and type of their own luggage to determine the number and type of the required auxiliary vehicles 14, and send the determined number and type as part of the usage request 80 to the management device 16.

[0079] In addition, as another method, the user 100 can also send the luggage information 84, which is information related to their own luggage, as part of the usage request 80 to the management device 16. The luggage information 84 at least includes information indicating the size of the luggage. The information indicating the size of the luggage can be the specific size value of the luggage. In addition, the information indicating the size of the luggage can also be an image taken in a state where the size of the luggage can be discriminated, for example, an image of the luggage taken together with a reference item with a known size (such as a coin, a banknote, etc.). Moreover, the luggage information 84 can also further include characteristics of the luggage, such as information like "to be refrigerated", "fragile", etc.

[0080] When the usage request 80 includes an auxiliary request, the management device 16 determines the number and type of the auxiliary vehicles 14 required to satisfy the auxiliary request. Specifically, when the number and type of the desired auxiliary vehicles 14 are specified as the auxiliary request, the management device 16 schedules the auxiliary vehicles 14 according to the specification. On the other hand, when the luggage information 84 is included in the auxiliary request, the management device 16 determines the number and type of the required auxiliary vehicles 14 based on the luggage information 84. In particular, when the luggage information 84 is a photographed image of the luggage, the management device 16 calculates the size of the luggage based on the image and determines the number of the auxiliary vehicles 14 required to accommodate the luggage of that size. In this way, the management device 16 determines the required number of the auxiliary vehicles 14, so that the user 100 can use the auxiliary vehicles 14 more easily without considering the required number of the auxiliary vehicles 14.

[0081] If the management device 16 determines the number and type of the auxiliary vehicles 14, it causes the taxi vehicle 12 dispatched to the user 100 to cooperate with the auxiliary vehicles 14 of the determined number and type. For example, the management device 16 notifies the taxi vehicle 12 and the auxiliary vehicles 14 of the identification information and location information of the vehicles 12 and 14 that are cooperation targets. The taxi vehicle 12 and the auxiliary vehicles 14 that have received this notification register the notified vehicles 12 and 14 as cooperation targets with each other. Even if registered as a cooperation target, when the auxiliary vehicle 14 is far from the taxi vehicle 12, the auxiliary vehicle 14 cannot follow the taxi vehicle 12. Therefore, if the auxiliary vehicle 14 is registered as a cooperation target, the taxi vehicle 12 moves to the vicinity of the auxiliary vehicle 14 so that the distance from the auxiliary vehicle 14 becomes a distance at which following can start (hereinafter referred to as "followable distance") or less. If the taxi vehicle 12 reaches within the followable distance, the auxiliary vehicle 14 starts following the taxi vehicle 12. If all of the auxiliary vehicles 14 as cooperation targets start following, the taxi vehicle 12 moves to the boarding position designated by the management device 16. Thereby, the taxi vehicle 12 and the auxiliary vehicles 14 are dispatched to the vicinity of the user 100.

[0082] Next, the control in the case of direct use will be described. As described above, in the case of direct use, the user 100 directly selects the taxi vehicle 12 and the auxiliary vehicle 14 to be used. Specifically, when using the taxi vehicle 12, the user 100 moves to the vicinity of the taxi vehicle 12 waiting for passengers and operates the user terminal 110 or the input device 32 of the taxi vehicle 12 to notify the taxi system 10 of the intention to start using. For example, a start-use button may be provided in the taxi vehicle 12 in advance, and the user 100 notifies the intention to start using by pressing this start-use button. In addition, as another method, the intention to start using may be notified by communication between the taxi vehicle 12 and the portable terminal of the user 100. For example, a short-range wireless communication antenna may be provided in the taxi vehicle 12 in advance, and a dedicated taxi application may be installed in the portable terminal of the user 100 in advance. Then, the user 100 brings the portable terminal in a state where the dedicated taxi application is started close to the short-range wireless communication antenna of the taxi vehicle 12, and thereby sends the intention to start using to the taxi vehicle 12 through communication. The taxi vehicle 12 that has received the intention to start using notifies the management device 16 that the conveyance of the user 100 has started, that is, it has entered the passenger-carrying state.

[0083] In addition, when the user 100 uses the auxiliary vehicle 14, the taxi vehicle 12 and the auxiliary vehicle 14 need to perform cooperative registration with each other. For this cooperative registration, either the user terminal 110 or the input device provided in the taxi vehicle 12 or the auxiliary vehicle 14 can be used. For example, when the user 100 starts using the taxi vehicle 12, a list of auxiliary vehicles 14 that can cooperate with the taxi vehicle 12 is displayed on the information terminal of the user 100 or the display of the taxi vehicle 12. The auxiliary vehicles 14 that can cooperate refer to the auxiliary vehicles 14 waiting for passengers within a specified distance from the taxi vehicle 12. The information of the available auxiliary vehicles 14 can be provided by the management device 16 or obtained by the taxi vehicle 12 or the user terminal 110 communicating with the surrounding auxiliary vehicles 14. In any case, the user 100 selects the auxiliary vehicle 14 that the user wants to use from the list displayed on the user terminal 110 or the display of the taxi vehicle 12.

[0084] The selection result is sent to the taxi vehicle 12 and the auxiliary vehicle 14, and the taxi vehicle 12 and the auxiliary vehicle 14 register each other as cooperative partners. If the cooperative registration is completed, the taxi vehicle 12 moves to the vicinity of the auxiliary vehicle 14, or the user 100 pushes the auxiliary vehicle 14 by hand or the like to move the auxiliary vehicle 14 to the vicinity of the taxi vehicle 12, so that the auxiliary vehicle 14 is within a followable distance from the perspective of the taxi vehicle 12. Thus, the auxiliary vehicle 14 can follow the taxi vehicle 12 and travel. It should be noted that in order for the user 100 to easily find the auxiliary vehicle 14 that the user 100 wants to use (i.e., the one that has completed cooperative registration) among the multiple auxiliary vehicles 14 waiting for passengers at the waiting place 90, at the time point when the cooperative registration has been completed, the auxiliary vehicle 14 can perform certain outputs. For example, the auxiliary vehicle 14 can perform voice output, light lighting, image display, etc. to notify this meaning at the time point when the cooperative registration has been completed.

[0085] In addition, as another method, short-range wireless communication (such as Bluetooth, etc.) can also be used to perform cooperative registration between the taxi vehicle 12 and the auxiliary vehicle 14. For example, in this case, a cooperation switch is provided on the outer wall of the auxiliary vehicle 14 in advance. After the user 100 moves the auxiliary vehicle 14 that he wants to cooperate with the taxi vehicle 12 to the vicinity of the taxi vehicle 12, the user presses the cooperation switch provided on the auxiliary vehicle 14. Along with the pressing of the switch, the auxiliary vehicle 14 sends a cooperation signal to the taxi vehicle 12. The cooperation signal includes, for example, the identification information of the auxiliary vehicle 14. The taxi vehicle 12 displays the information of the auxiliary vehicle 14 determined based on the received cooperation signal on the display of the taxi vehicle 12 or the user terminal 110. If the user 100 agrees to the displayed content, the taxi vehicle 12 notifies the auxiliary vehicle 14 of the data indicating agreement to cooperate together with its own identification information. Then, the taxi vehicle 12 and the auxiliary vehicle 14 register the identification information sent from each other as cooperation objects.

[0086] Next, the driving control of the taxi vehicle 12 and the auxiliary vehicle 14 will be described. As repeatedly described, the taxi vehicle 12 performs autonomous driving based on the information sensed by the vehicle sensor group 28. On the other hand, the auxiliary vehicle 14 does not drive independently and follows the taxi vehicle 12. For this following driving, the auxiliary vehicle 14 itself can control the acceleration, deceleration, and steering of the auxiliary vehicle 14. Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram showing the situation where the auxiliary vehicles 14a and 14b control their own acceleration, deceleration, and steering. In this case, as shown by the solid arrows in Figure 7 , the taxi vehicle 12 and the auxiliary vehicle 14a output a tracking signal 88 to the auxiliary vehicles 14a and 14b that are driving behind. The tracking signal 88 is an electromagnetic wave signal or an ultrasonic wave signal that is output regularly. For example, it is a beacon signal using Bluetooth. The subsequent auxiliary vehicles 14a and 14b sense the tracking signal 88 through the following sensor 50, and determine the distance and direction to the taxi vehicle 12 or the auxiliary vehicle 14a that is driving in front based on the sensing result. Then, the auxiliary controller 40 of the subsequent auxiliary vehicles 14a and 14b controls its own acceleration, deceleration, and steering so that the relative position relationship with the preceding vehicles 12 and 14 remains substantially constant. In other words, it travels along the movement trajectory of the preceding vehicles 12 and 14.

[0087] In addition, as shown in Figure 7As shown by the solid arrows, the assisting vehicles 14a and 14b send the assisting environment information 86, which is the sensing result of the assisting sensor group 48, to the preceding vehicle 12 and the assisting vehicle 14a that is traveling ahead. In addition, when the assisting vehicle 14a receives the assisting environment information 86 from the subsequent assisting vehicle 14b, in addition to sending its own assisting environment information 86a to the preceding vehicle 12, it also sends the subsequent assisting environment information 86b to the preceding vehicle 12.

[0088] Based on the received assisting environment information 86, the taxi vehicle 12 determines whether there is an abnormality (such as the dropping of luggage, etc.) or safety issues with the assisting vehicle 14. Then, in the case of an abnormality or a safety problem, the taxi vehicle 12 implements countermeasure actions that can eliminate them. As countermeasure actions, for example, temporary stop, notification to the user 100, etc. can be cited.

[0089] It should be noted that the control described here is an example, as long as the assisting vehicle 14 can follow the taxi vehicle 12, it can also be other controls. For example, in Figure 7 as shown by the double-dashed line, it can also be that each assisting vehicle 14 directly sends its own assisting environment information 86 to the taxi vehicle 12 that is the cooperation object without passing through other assisting vehicles 14. In addition, it can also be configured as follows: only the taxi vehicle 12 that is the cooperation object outputs the tracking signal 88, and the assisting vehicle 14 does not output the tracking signal. In this case, the tracking signal 88 is set to an intensity that can cover all the assisting vehicles 14 that cooperate with the taxi vehicle 12 that is the cooperation object.

[0090] In addition, the following sensor 50 for following is not limited to a signal sensor that senses the tracking signal 88, as long as it can sense the position and direction of the vehicle to be followed, it can also be other sensors. For example, the following sensor 50 can be a camera that takes pictures of the vehicle to be followed, or a sensor that emits electromagnetic waves or ultrasonic waves and senses the relative position relationship with the vehicle to be followed through the reflected waves.

[0091] In addition, in the above description, the auxiliary vehicle 14 controls its own steering, acceleration, and deceleration. However, it is also possible for the taxi vehicle 12, which is the cooperation partner, to control the steering, acceleration, and deceleration of the auxiliary vehicle 14. That is, it is also possible for the taxi vehicle 12, which is the cooperation partner, to calculate the steering amount and acceleration / deceleration amount required for following travel based on the auxiliary environment information 86 transmitted from each auxiliary vehicle 14, and send an instruction corresponding to the calculation result to the auxiliary vehicle 14. The auxiliary vehicle 14 performs operations on the drive unit 46 according to the instruction from the taxi vehicle 12, which is the cooperation partner. If such a configuration is adopted, the amount of computation performed by the auxiliary controller 40 can be further reduced, and thus the cost of the auxiliary controller 40 and further the auxiliary vehicle 14 can be reduced.

[0092] Here, the driving control scheme of the taxi vehicle 12 is different depending on whether it is not cooperating with any auxiliary vehicle 14 or is cooperating with one or more auxiliary vehicles 14. Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram showing the case of the driving control of the taxi vehicle 12 that is cooperating with one or more auxiliary vehicles 14. For example, when the taxi vehicle 12 is cooperating with one or more auxiliary vehicles 14, it can perform driving control by regarding the total length of the platoon 89 including the taxi vehicle 12 and one or more auxiliary vehicles 14 as the total length of the taxi vehicle 12. Therefore, for example, as Figure 8 shown, consider the case where the taxi vehicle 12 turns across the oncoming lane at an intersection, that is, consider the case of turning right when driving on the left and the case of turning left when driving on the right. In this case, the taxi vehicle 12 estimates the time T1 until it completes the turn and the time T2 until the oncoming vehicle 120 reaches the intersection. When the time T2 until the oncoming vehicle 120 arrives is sufficiently longer than the time T1 required for the left / right turn, the taxi vehicle 12 starts the left / right turn. The taxi vehicle 12 regards the total length L1 of the platoon 89 including the cooperating auxiliary vehicle 14 as its own total length to calculate the time T1 required for the left / right turn. That is, the taxi vehicle 12 calculates the time from when the taxi vehicle 12 itself starts the left / right turn until the rearmost auxiliary vehicle 14 completes the left / right turn as the time T1 required for the left / right turn.

[0093] In addition, when the taxi vehicle 12 parks, it parks after confirming that there is a parking space. When it is cooperating with one or more auxiliary vehicles 14, the taxi vehicle 12 executes parking only when there is a space where the entire platoon 89 can park.

[0094] In addition, when the taxi vehicle 12 is collaborating with more than one auxiliary vehicle 14, the method for selecting a driving route can be changed compared to the case where there is no collaboration. For example, auxiliary vehicles 14 are generally smaller than taxi vehicle 12 and have poorer driving performance. Therefore, in most cases, they are not suitable for driving on routes with heavy traffic, many unevennesses, or steep slopes. Thus, when the taxi vehicle 12 is collaborating with more than one auxiliary vehicle 14, it can determine the driving route in such a way that it does not pass through routes that are not suitable for the driving of the auxiliary vehicle 14. Therefore, when there is an auxiliary vehicle 14 in collaboration, the taxi vehicle 12 can temporarily delete from the map information used for route calculation the routes that are not suitable for the driving of the auxiliary vehicle 14, and select a driving route to the destination 92 from the remaining routes.

[0095] In addition, the taxi vehicle 12 and the auxiliary vehicle 14 collaborate through mutual communication, but they are not mechanically connected. Therefore, other vehicles and people may not be able to determine whether the taxi vehicle 12 and the auxiliary vehicle 14 are collaborating. In this case, other vehicles and people may not be able to correctly predict the behavior of the auxiliary vehicle 14 following the taxi vehicle 12. In addition, other vehicles may also cut in between the taxi vehicle 12 and the auxiliary vehicle 14. Therefore, the taxi vehicle 12 and the auxiliary vehicle 14 can also output information indicating that they are collaborating in a form that can be visually grasped from outside the vehicle. For example, the taxi vehicle 12 and the auxiliary vehicle 14 can also have a display that protrudes outward from its outer wall (such as the top surface of the vehicle, etc.). During the collaboration period, an image indicating that they are in collaboration is displayed on this display. In addition, as another method, the taxi vehicle 12 and the auxiliary vehicle 14 can have lights on their outer walls, and during the collaboration period, light up the lights in a unified form. For example, the lights can be lit with the same color of light, or the lights can be continuously and sequentially flashed according to the arrangement order of the vehicles. As yet another method, the taxi vehicle 12 and the auxiliary vehicle 14 can have a projection device that projects an image onto the road surface, and during the collaboration period, project an image indicating that they are collaborating onto the road surface. For example, the image projected by the taxi vehicle 12 and the image projected by the auxiliary vehicle 14 collaborating with the taxi vehicle 12 can form a continuous single image (such as a continuous line, etc.).

[0096] In this way, by outputting information indicating that they are collaborating in a form that can be visually grasped from outside the vehicle, other vehicles and people can predict that the taxi vehicle 12 and more than one auxiliary vehicle 14 are driving collaboratively and take actions, so that the safety of each other can be further improved. It should be noted that in addition to visual information notification, auditory information notification can also be performed. That is, in addition to the above-mentioned information notification through images and light, the voice indicating that they are in collaboration can also be output to the outside of the vehicle via a microphone.

[0097] In addition, in the case where a plurality of auxiliary vehicles 14 follow one taxi vehicle 12, the driving order of the plurality of auxiliary vehicles 14 may be specified by the user 100 or may be automatically determined by the taxi system 10. Therefore, for example, the user 100 may specify the driving order of the plurality of auxiliary vehicles 14 at the time point when the cooperative registration is completed. In addition, as another aspect, the auxiliary vehicles 14 may be arranged and driven in the same order as the order in which the cooperative registration is performed. In addition, as another aspect, the driving order may be determined according to the characteristics of the auxiliary vehicles 14. For example, in general, when the auxiliary vehicles 14 are following, the closer the auxiliary vehicles 14 are to the taxi vehicle 12, the easier it is to maintain its safety. Therefore, the driving order of the auxiliary vehicles 14 may be determined in such a manner that the auxiliary vehicles 14 with higher importance are located at the front side, or the auxiliary vehicles 14 with lower strength are located at the front side. That is, the taxi vehicle 12 may store the priority order for each type of the auxiliary vehicles 14 in advance, determine the order of the auxiliary vehicles 14 in such a manner as to satisfy the priority order, and notify the plurality of auxiliary vehicles 14 as cooperative objects of the decision.

[0098] Next, the control when the user 100 ends the use of the taxi vehicle 12 and the auxiliary vehicle 14 will be described. When the taxi vehicle 12 and the auxiliary vehicle 14 arrive at the destination 92, the user 100 gets off the taxi vehicle 12 and takes out the luggage from the auxiliary vehicle 14. When the luggage is taken out, the user 100 notifies the taxi vehicle 12 of the end of the use using the user terminal 110 or the input device 32 of the taxi vehicle 12. When the taxi vehicle 12 receives the notification, it settles the use fee of the taxi vehicle 12 and the auxiliary vehicle 14. In addition, the taxi vehicle 12 and the auxiliary vehicle 14 transmit vehicle status information indicating that they have become empty to the management device 16. When the management device 16 receives the vehicle status information, it transmits a new dispatch instruction to the taxi vehicle 12 and the auxiliary vehicle 14. The taxi vehicle 12 and the auxiliary vehicle 14 travel to the next destination or cancel the cooperation with each other according to the dispatch instruction.

[0099] Here, usually, when the use by the user 100 ends, the auxiliary vehicle 14 moves to the predetermined waiting place 90 as the new destination. However, as repeatedly described, the auxiliary vehicle 14 cannot travel alone, and therefore, in order to move to the waiting place 90, it is necessary to be led by the taxi vehicle 12. The taxi vehicle 12 that leads the auxiliary vehicle 14 to the waiting place 90 may be a taxi vehicle 12 that has been registered for cooperation until the end of the use, or a taxi vehicle 12 that is newly dispatched by the management device 16 for recycling. Figure 9 , Figure 10 This is explained. Figure 9 ,Figure 10 FIG. is an example of a driving route of the taxi vehicle 12 after the use by the user 100 is completed.

[0100] As described above, after the use is completed, until immediately before the use is about to end, the taxi vehicle 12 that has been collaboratively registered can lead the auxiliary vehicle 14 to the passenger waiting place 90. For example, as Figure 9 shown, it is assumed that the use by the user 100 ends at the position P1. Then, after the use ends, the taxi vehicle 12 is instructed to move to the position P2, and the auxiliary vehicle 14 is instructed to move to the passenger waiting place 90. At this time, the taxi vehicle 12 can guide the auxiliary vehicle 14 to the passenger waiting place 90 while maintaining the cooperation with the auxiliary vehicle 14, and then move to the position P2. Figure 9 The route R1 in FIG. represents the driving route of the taxi vehicle 12 in this case. The solid line part in the route R1 represents the period during which the cooperation with the auxiliary vehicle 14 is maintained, and the dotted line part represents the period during which the cooperation has been released. As shown in the route R1, in this case, the taxi vehicle 12 travels to the passenger waiting place 90 while maintaining the cooperation with the auxiliary vehicle 14, and releases the cooperation with the auxiliary vehicle 14 at the passenger waiting place 90. And then, the taxi vehicle 12 travels to the position P2, which is the new destination indicated by the management device 16.

[0101] In addition, as another method, after the use is completed, the management device 16 can dispatch a taxi vehicle 12 dedicated to the recovery of the auxiliary vehicle 14. Figure 10 FIG. is a schematic diagram showing the driving routes R1 and R2 of the taxi vehicles 12a and 12b in this case. In this case, if the use by the user 100 ends, the taxi vehicle 12a releases the cooperation with the auxiliary vehicle 14. Then, the taxi vehicle 12a travels to the position P2, which is the new destination indicated by the management device 16. At this time, the taxi vehicle 12a may of course not pass through the passenger waiting place 90. On the other hand, the management device 16 outputs a recovery instruction to another taxi vehicle 12b in order to recover the auxiliary vehicle 14 waiting for passengers at the position P1. The recovery instruction includes identification information of the auxiliary vehicle 14 to be recovered, the recovery position (in this example, the position P1), position information of the destination after recovery (in this example, the passenger waiting place 90), etc. The taxi vehicle 12b moves to the position P1 according to this recovery instruction and starts to cooperate with the auxiliary vehicle 14. If the cooperation with the auxiliary vehicle 14 is established, the taxi vehicle 12b travels to the passenger waiting place 90. It should be noted that in Figure 10 FIG., the taxi vehicle 12b only recovers one auxiliary vehicle 14, but the taxi vehicle 12b may also pass through multiple locations, recover the auxiliary vehicle 14 at each location, and then move to the passenger waiting place 90.

[0102] As can be seen from the above description, according to the taxi system 10 of this example, luggage that cannot be loaded in the taxi vehicle 12 can be loaded on the auxiliary vehicle 14 for transportation, so that the convenience of the user 100 can be improved. In addition, since the auxiliary vehicle 14 follows the taxi vehicle 12, the auxiliary vehicle 14 does not require highly accurate and expensive sensors and controllers for autonomous driving. Therefore, the cost required for luggage transportation can be reduced. As a result, an increase in cost can be suppressed, and the convenience of the user 100 can be improved. It should be noted that the configuration described so far is an example, and it is sufficient to have a taxi vehicle 12 that can autonomously drive to transport the user 100 and one or more auxiliary vehicles 14 that follow the taxi vehicle 12 as a cooperation object in a state of carrying luggage, and other configurations can be changed.

[0103] This application claims the priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-027517 filed on February 24, 2021, the entire content of which (including the specification, claims, drawings, and abstract) is incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A taxi system, characterized in that, it includes: taxi vehicles that transport the user by autonomously driving in a state where the user has boarded; and one or more auxiliary vehicles that can register the taxi vehicles as cooperation objects and drive following the taxi vehicles as cooperation objects in a state where luggage is loaded. After the use of the auxiliary vehicle ends, if a first destination that is the new destination of the taxi vehicle and a second destination that is the new destination of the auxiliary vehicle are different from each other, the taxi vehicle drives to the second destination while maintaining cooperation with the auxiliary vehicle to guide the auxiliary vehicle to the second destination, and then drives to the first destination. The taxi system further includes a management device that manages the scheduling of the taxi vehicles and receives a use request for the taxi vehicles from the user. When the received use request includes information related to the size of the luggage, the management device determines the number of auxiliary vehicles to be dispatched to the user based on the information related to the size, and dispatches the taxi vehicle and the auxiliary vehicles to the user in a state where the determined number of auxiliary vehicles cooperate with the taxi vehicle.

2. The taxi system according to claim 1, characterized in that, the auxiliary vehicle has an auxiliary sensor group that includes at least one of a sensor for sensing the driving environment of the auxiliary vehicle and a sensor for sensing the loading condition of the luggage. The auxiliary vehicle sends the sensing result of the auxiliary sensor group to the taxi vehicle as a cooperation object.

3. The taxi system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the auxiliary vehicle has a following sensor that directly or indirectly senses the relative position relationship with the taxi vehicle as a cooperation object. The auxiliary vehicle controls the acceleration, deceleration, and steering of the auxiliary vehicle in such a way that the sensing result of the following sensor maintains a specified relative position relationship.

4. The taxi system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, when the taxi vehicle is cooperating with one or more auxiliary vehicles, the total length of the vehicle fleet composed of the taxi vehicle and one or more auxiliary vehicles is regarded as the total length of the taxi vehicle to control the driving of the taxi vehicle.

5. The taxi system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, when the taxi vehicle and one or more auxiliary vehicles are cooperating with each other, information indicating that they are cooperating is output in a form that can be visually grasped from outside the vehicle.

6. The taxi system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the auxiliary vehicle has a luggage container for accommodating the luggage. The taxi system has multiple types of auxiliary vehicles with different characteristics of the luggage containers.

7. The taxi system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, One or more waiting areas are provided for waiting of one or more of the auxiliary vehicles that do not cooperate with any of the taxi vehicles. The user can select the auxiliary vehicle to be used by the user from one or more of the auxiliary vehicles waiting at the waiting area.

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