Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and non-transitory storage medium

Abstract

The purpose of this disclosure is to provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a non-transitory storage medium capable of enabling the safe operation of multiple autonomous vehicles. There are situations where a first vehicle among multiple autonomous vehicles, managed remotely by a first manager, becomes a predetermined condition requiring the first manager's attention. In this case, the information processing apparatus of this disclosure determines one or more second managers, other than the first manager, as managers to replace the first manager in managing the operation of at least one second vehicle among the multiple autonomous vehicles.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a non-transitory storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for remotely controlling an autonomous vehicle. In the method disclosed in Patent Document 1, the autonomous driving control device adopts the following approach: when the autonomous vehicle is driving in autonomous driving mode or manual driving mode, if the driving plan fails to be formulated or the attempt to change the autonomous driving mode to manual driving mode fails, a remote driver uses a driving simulator to remotely control the autonomous vehicle.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-123341 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] The purpose of this disclosure is to enable the safe operation of multiple autonomous vehicles.

[0008] Methods for solving problems

[0009] The information processing apparatus according to the first aspect of this disclosure includes a control unit that performs the following processing: when a first vehicle among a plurality of autonomous vehicles remotely managed by a first manager becomes a predetermined situation requiring the attention of the first manager, one or more second managers other than the first manager are selected as managers to manage the operation of at least one second vehicle other than the first vehicle among the plurality of autonomous vehicles in place of the first manager.

[0010] The information processing method involved in the second aspect of this disclosure includes the following: when a first vehicle among a plurality of autonomous vehicles remotely managed by a first manager becomes a predetermined situation requiring the attention of the first manager, one or more second managers other than the first manager are selected as managers to manage the operation of at least one second vehicle other than the first vehicle among the plurality of autonomous vehicles in place of the first manager.

[0011] The non-transitory storage medium involved in the third aspect of this disclosure is a non-transitory storage medium on which a program for causing a computer to execute an information processing method is stored. The information processing method includes the following: when a first vehicle among a plurality of autonomous vehicles remotely managed by a first manager becomes a predetermined situation requiring the attention of the first manager, one or more second managers other than the first manager are selected as managers to manage the operation of at least one second vehicle other than the first vehicle among the plurality of autonomous vehicles in place of the first manager.

[0012] Invention Effects

[0013] According to this disclosure, it is possible to achieve safe operation of multiple autonomous vehicles. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 A diagram showing the general structure of the management system.

[0015] Figure 2 This is an example diagram illustrating the correspondence between various managers and the vehicles managed by each manager.

[0016] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates an example of changes to the various managers and the corresponding vehicles they manage.

[0017] Figure 4 A block diagram illustrating an example of the functional structure of a management server.

[0018] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the table structure for manager information stored in a manager information database.

[0019] Figure 6 This is a flowchart for change processing. Detailed Implementation

[0020] Consider a scenario where a manager (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "first manager") remotely manages the operation of multiple autonomous vehicles. Here, the first manager manages the operation of the autonomous vehicles by monitoring their status or performing operations on them. In this case, there may be a situation where one of the multiple autonomous vehicles managed by the first manager falls into a predetermined condition requiring the first manager's attention.

[0021] Therefore, the first manager must manage the operation of one or more autonomous vehicles other than the first vehicle while paying attention to the autonomous vehicle that has already been placed in a predetermined state (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the "first vehicle"). As a result, while the first manager is paying attention to the first vehicle, it is possible to neglect the management of the operation of one or more autonomous vehicles other than the first vehicle.

[0022] Therefore, in the information processing apparatus according to the first aspect of this disclosure, when the first vehicle enters a predetermined situation requiring the attention of the first manager, the control unit determines one or more second managers other than the first manager to act as managers to manage the operation of at least one second vehicle in place of the first manager. Here, there is a possibility that vehicles other than the first vehicle among the multiple autonomous vehicles managed by the first manager are referred to as second vehicles.

[0023] Therefore, when the first vehicle being managed by the first manager is in a predetermined state, at least one second vehicle becomes outside the scope of driving management implemented by the first manager. This reduces the number of autonomous vehicles being managed by the first manager. Thus, the first manager can focus on the first vehicle with a reduced burden of managing the autonomous vehicles. Furthermore, at least one second vehicle, now outside the scope of driving management implemented by the first manager, becomes the scope of driving management implemented by one or more second managers. In this way, the management of the first and second vehicles is shared by the first and second managers. As a result, safe operation of multiple autonomous vehicles, including the first and second vehicles, becomes possible.

[0024] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described based on the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative arrangements of the structural components described in this embodiment are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present disclosure to these contents.

[0025] <Implementation Method>

[0026] (System Overview)

[0027] Regarding the management system 1 in this embodiment, it will be based on Figures 1 to 3 Let me explain. Figure 1 This diagram represents the general structure of the management system 1. The management system 1 is configured to include multiple vehicles 100, a management server 200, and multiple manager terminals 300.

[0028] In management system 1, multiple vehicles 100 and management server 200 are interconnected via network N1. Network N1 can be, for example, a global public communication network (WAN) such as the Internet, or a telephone communication network such as a mobile phone. Furthermore, in management system 1, management server 200 and multiple management terminals 300 are interconnected via a network constructed within a predetermined area (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "regional network"). The regional network can be, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) constructed within the predetermined area.

[0029] (vehicle)

[0030] Vehicle 100 is an autonomous vehicle without a driver or other passengers. Vehicle 100 is, for example, a vehicle that transports passengers. Vehicle 100 sends information related to its status (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "status information") to management server 200 via network N1. In this embodiment, the status information is dynamic images of the interior and exterior of vehicle 100 captured by cameras installed on vehicle 100. The dynamic images of the interior of vehicle 100 include the situation inside vehicle 100, including the situation of the passengers. Furthermore, the dynamic images of the exterior of vehicle 100 include the situation around vehicle 100, including the situation of the road on which vehicle 100 is traveling. In this embodiment, vehicle 100 is a vehicle that transports passengers. However, vehicle 100 is not necessarily a vehicle that transports passengers. Vehicle 100 could also be, for example, a vehicle that transports goods.

[0031] (Administrator Terminal)

[0032] The administrator terminal 300 is the terminal used by the administrator 30. The administrator terminal 300 is, for example, a computer used by the administrator 30. The administrator terminal 300 displays the status information of the vehicle 100 received by the management server 200 to the administrator 30. Specifically, the administrator terminal 300 displays dynamic images of the interior and exterior of the vehicle 100 contained in the status information. Thus, the administrator 30 can grasp the internal and external status of the vehicle 100.

[0033] The administrator 30 remotely manages the operation of vehicle 100 based on the internal and external conditions of vehicle 100 displayed on the administrator terminal 300. In other words, the administrator 30 manages the operation of vehicle 100 without being in the vehicle. Based on situational information, the administrator 30 monitors the condition of vehicle 100 (e.g., the surroundings of vehicle 100 or the situation of passengers). In the event of an anomaly in vehicle 100, the administrator 30 will use the administrator terminal 300 to bring vehicle 100 to an emergency stop or to broadcast information to the passengers of vehicle 100.

[0034] Furthermore, the manager 30, based on the external conditions of the vehicle 100 and using the manager terminal 300, implements operations to assist the autonomous driving of the vehicle 100. For example, the manager 30 confirms the safety of the area surrounding the vehicle 100 based on dynamic images of the vehicle's exterior and instructs the vehicle 100 to overtake other vehicles. Additionally, the manager 30 confirms the safety of the area surrounding the vehicle 100 based on dynamic images of the vehicle's exterior and authorizes the vehicle 100 to turn left or right at intersections. The manager 30, for example, instructs the vehicle to overtake and authorizes left or right turns at intersections by pressing a specific button displayed on the manager terminal 300. When the specific button is pressed, the manager terminal 300 generates information for assisting autonomous driving. This information is then sent to the vehicle 100 via the management server 200. In this way, the manager 30 implements autonomous driving assistance for the vehicle 100. Furthermore, the manager 30 can also, as needed, manipulate the vehicle 100 in addition to implementing autonomous driving assistance.

[0035] (Management Server)

[0036] Management server 200 is a server that manages the business of multiple managers 30. Management server 200 receives status information from each vehicle 100 via network N1. Thus, management server 200 can monitor the internal and external status of each vehicle 100. Furthermore, management server 200 sends the vehicle status information to manager terminals 300 via the local area network.

[0037] Figure 2 This diagram illustrates an example of the correspondence between each manager 30 and the vehicles 100 managed by each manager 30. Figure 2In the example shown, three managers 30 (manager 30A, manager 30B, and manager 30C) manage the operation of seven vehicles 100 (vehicle 100A, vehicle 100B, vehicle 100C, vehicle 100D, vehicle 100E, vehicle 100F, and vehicle 100G). Here, as... Figure 2 As shown, administrator 30A uses administrator terminal 300A to manage vehicles 100A, 100B, and 100C. Administrator 30B uses administrator terminal 300B to manage vehicles 100D and 100E. Administrator 30C uses administrator terminal 300C to manage vehicles 100F and 100G.

[0038] The management server 200 detects the status of each vehicle 100 based on the status information received from each vehicle 100. At this time, a vehicle 100 may fall into a predetermined state. The management server 200 then modifies the correspondence between each manager 30 and the vehicles 100 managed by that manager 30. Here, the predetermined state is a state where the vehicle 100 requires attention from the manager 30. The predetermined state is, for example, an abnormal situation occurring in the vehicle 100. Furthermore, the predetermined state is, for example, a state where operations related to the driving of the vehicle 100 need to be performed by the manager 30 for the purpose of assisting with the autonomous driving of the vehicle 100.

[0039] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates an example of changes to the corresponding changes between each manager 30 and the vehicles 100 managed by each manager 30. Figure 3 In the example shown, it is envisioned that in Figure 2 The example shown illustrates a scenario where vehicle 100A is in a predetermined condition. In this case, as... Figure 3 As shown, the manager responsible for managing vehicle 100B has been changed from manager 30A to manager 30B. Furthermore, as... Figure 3 As shown, the manager responsible for managing vehicle 100C is changed from manager 30A to manager 30C. By utilizing management server 200 to implement the change of managers for vehicles 100B and 100C, manager 30A can manage the operation of vehicle 100A without managing the operation of vehicles 100B and 100C. Furthermore, the details of the method for changing the manager of vehicle 100 implemented by management server 200 will be described later.

[0040] The management server 200 is configured as a computer including a processor 210, a main storage unit 220, a secondary storage unit 230, and a communication interface (communication I / F) 240. The processor 210 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). The main storage unit 220 is, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory). The secondary storage unit 230 is, for example, ROM (Read Only Memory). Furthermore, the secondary storage unit 230 can be, for example, a disc recording medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), CD-ROM, DVD, or Blu-ray disc. Additionally, the secondary storage unit 230 can also be a removable medium (removable storage medium). Examples of removable media include, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or an SD card. The communication I / F 240 is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface board or a wireless communication line for wireless communication.

[0041] In the management server 200, the auxiliary storage unit 230 stores the operating system (OS), various programs, and various information tables, etc. Furthermore, in the management server 200, the processor 210 loads the programs stored in the auxiliary storage unit 230 into the main storage unit 220 and executes them, thereby enabling the various functions described later. However, some or all of the functions in the management server 200 can also be implemented using hardware circuits such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) or FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays). Additionally, the management server 200 does not necessarily need to be implemented by a single physical structure; it can also be composed of multiple computers working collaboratively. Furthermore, the vehicle 100 is also configured to include computers, similar to the management server 200.

[0042] (Functional Structure)

[0043] Next, the functional structure of the management server 200 constituting the management system 1 involved in this embodiment will be discussed based on... Figure 4 as well as Figure 5 Let me explain. Figure 4This is a block diagram that schematically illustrates an example of the functional structure of the management server 200. The management server 200 is configured to include a control unit 201, a communication unit 202, and a manager information database 203 (manager information DB 203).

[0044] The control unit 201 has the function of performing arithmetic processing for controlling the management server 200. The control unit 201 can be implemented by the processor 210 in the management server 200. The communication unit 202 has the function of connecting the management server 200 to the network N1 and the local area network. The communication unit 202 can be implemented by the communication I / F 240 in the management server 200.

[0045] The control unit 201 receives status information from the vehicle 100 via the communication unit 202. Furthermore, the control unit 201 transmits the status information received from the vehicle 100 to each manager terminal 300 via the communication unit 202. At this time, the control unit 201 sends status information of the vehicle 100 managed by the manager 30 to each manager terminal 300. In addition, the control unit 201 relays voice data between the vehicle 100 and the manager terminal 300 by using the communication unit 202. Furthermore, the control unit 201 sends information received from the manager terminal 300 for assisting the autonomous driving of the vehicle 100 to the vehicle 100.

[0046] The control unit 201 detects the status of each vehicle 100 based on the status information received from each vehicle 100. Specifically, the management server 200 detects the status of each vehicle 100 by analyzing the dynamic images contained in the status information of each vehicle 100. At this time, there is a situation where a vehicle 100 is in a predetermined state. When the management server 200 detects that a vehicle 100 is in a predetermined state, it changes the manager of the vehicle 100 other than the one managed by the manager 30 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the "object vehicle 100") who is currently managing that vehicle 100 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the "object manager 30"). In this embodiment, the predetermined state is that an abnormal state has occurred in the vehicle 100 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the "first state"). Furthermore, in this embodiment, the predetermined state is that an operation related to the driving of the vehicle 100 needs to be performed by the manager 30 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the "second state").

[0047] In this embodiment, a scenario is envisioned where the object manager 30, who manages the object vehicle 100 in the first state, needs to focus on managing the operation of the object vehicle 100. In this case, the object manager 30 needs to focus on managing the operation of the object vehicle 100, for example, to make an emergency stop for the object vehicle 100 that has experienced an anomaly or to communicate with the passengers of the object vehicle 100. Therefore, the control unit 201 determines one or more managers 30 other than the object manager 30 as managers to manage the operation of all vehicles 100 except the object vehicle 100 among the multiple vehicles 100 currently managed by the object manager 30. In other words, the control unit 201 changes the vehicles 100 under the responsibility of the object manager 30 so that the object manager 30 can only manage the operation of the object vehicle 100.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a situation is envisioned where the object manager 30, which manages the movement of the object vehicle 100 that has reached the predetermined second state, needs to reduce the burden of managing the movement of the vehicle 100. In other words, a situation is envisioned where, in order to pay attention to the object vehicle 100 that has reached the predetermined second state, the object manager 30 needs to reduce the number of vehicles 100 that it is responsible for managing. Therefore, the control unit 201 determines one or more managers 30 other than the object manager 30 as managers to manage the movement of some of the vehicles 100 other than the object vehicle 100 among the multiple vehicles 100 that the object manager 30 is currently managing. At this time, the control unit 201 determines the vehicles 100 other than the object vehicle 100 as the management objects of one or more managers 30 other than the object manager 30 based on the manager information stored in the manager information DB 203.

[0049] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the table structure of manager information stored in manager information DB203. Manager information DB203 can be implemented via auxiliary storage unit 230 in management server 200. Furthermore, the manager information includes information related to the number of vehicles 100 that each manager 30 can manage. Figure 5 As shown, the administrator information includes an administrator ID field and an administrator console number field. The administrator ID field contains an identifier (administrator ID) specifically assigned to administrator 30.

[0050] Here, we envision a situation where the skills of each manager 30 in managing the operation of vehicle 100 differ. Therefore, we envision a situation where each manager 30 is capable of managing the number of vehicles 100 they can operate. Thus, the number of vehicles 100 each manager 30 is capable of managing is input into the management console number field. Furthermore, compared to the case where managers 30 manage operation normally, the workload of managing operation increases when managing the operation of the target vehicle 100 in its second state is being performed simultaneously. Therefore, we envision a situation where the number of vehicles 100 that a manager 30 is capable of managing normally differs from the number of vehicles 100 that can be managed simultaneously when managing the operation of the target vehicle 100 in its second state.

[0051] Therefore, the number of vehicles 100 that the administrator 30 can normally manage is entered in the management console number field (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "normal management number"). Furthermore, the number of vehicles 100 that the administrator 30 can manage simultaneously with managing the driving of the managed vehicle 100 in the second state is entered in the management console number field (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "specific number"). Here, a number less than the normal management number is entered in the specific number field of the management console number field. Additionally, the normal management number and specific number entered into the management console number field are appropriately input by the administrators of the management server 200, etc., based on the skills of each administrator 30.

[0052] When the control unit 201 detects that the target vehicle 100 has entered the second state, it obtains a specific number of vehicles under the management of the target manager 30 based on the manager information stored in the manager information DB 203. The control unit 201 determines the number of vehicles 100 that are managed by the target manager 30 and the difference between the number of vehicles 100 being managed by the target manager 30 and the specific number as vehicles managed by a manager other than the target manager 30 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "non-target vehicle 100").

[0053] As a method for the control unit 201 to determine non-target vehicles 100, a known method can be adopted. The control unit 201 may also determine the number of non-target vehicles 100 based on the difference between the number of vehicles 100 being managed by the object manager 30 and a specific number, using the identifier (vehicle ID) used to identify the vehicles 100 being managed by the object manager 30. For example, the control unit 201 may arrange the vehicle IDs of the vehicles 100 being managed by the object manager 30 and the vehicles 100 other than the target vehicles 100 in ascending (or descending) order. Furthermore, the control unit 201 may determine the vehicles 100 whose number of vehicles is the difference between the number of vehicles 100 being managed by the object manager 30 and the specific number as non-target vehicles 100 in a top-down (or bottom-up) order.

[0054] Furthermore, when the control unit 201 detects that the target vehicle 100 has entered a predetermined state (first state or second state), it determines a manager for the vehicle 100 other than the target vehicle 100 or a manager for the non-target vehicle 100 from among the target managers other than the target manager 30. However, there is a situation where the number of non-target vehicles 100 exceeds the total number of vehicles 100 that each manager 30 other than the target manager 30 can newly manage (the difference between the number of vehicles normally managed and the number of vehicles 100 currently being managed). In this case, when all managers of the non-target vehicles 100 are changed, there may be a manager 30 other than the target manager 30 who must manage the operation of more than the number of vehicles 100 normally managed. If this is the case, there may be vehicles 100 whose operation management is neglected among the vehicles 100 managed by the manager 30.

[0055] Therefore, when the number of vehicles 100 other than the target vehicle 100 or non-target vehicles 100 exceeds the total number of vehicles 100 that each of the managers 30 (excluding the target manager 30) can newly manage, the control unit 201 stops the operation of the vehicles 100 other than the target vehicle 100 or non-target vehicles 100 that exceed this total number (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "exceeding number"). Specifically, the control unit 201 determines the vehicles 100 that exceed the number of targets vehicle 100 or non-target vehicles 100 as vehicles that cannot be managed by the manager 30 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "unmanageable vehicles 100"). Furthermore, when there are unmanageable vehicles 100 among the vehicles 100 other than the target vehicle 100 or non-target vehicles 100, the control unit 201 sends a stop message to stop the operation of the unmanageable vehicles 100. At this time, the unmanageable vehicles 100 that are stopping will not be managed by the manager 30.

[0056] Furthermore, the method by which the control unit 201 determines the unacceptable vehicle 100 can be the same as the method used to determine the non-target vehicle 100. For example, the control unit 201 can also determine more than one unacceptable vehicle 100 based on the vehicle ID of the non-target vehicle 100.

[0057] Furthermore, as a method for the control unit 201 to determine the manager 30 other than the object manager 30 who has been transferred from the object manager 30 to manage the operation of the vehicle 100, a known method can be employed. For example, the control unit 201 determines the manager 30 other than the object manager 30 who has been transferred from the object manager 30 to manage the operation of the vehicle 100 based on the manager ID of the manager 30 other than the object manager 30. The control unit 201, for example, arranges the manager IDs of the managers 30 other than the object manager 30 in ascending (or descending) order. Furthermore, the control unit 201 determines the manager 30 other than the object manager 30 who has been transferred from the object manager 30 to manage the operation of the vehicle 100 by allocating the vehicles 100 whose management has been transferred from the object manager 30 in a top-down (or bottom-up) order. At this time, the control unit 201 allocates the vehicle 100 in a manner that does not exceed the usual number of vehicles managed by each manager 30.

[0058] (Change processing)

[0059] Next, in management system 1, the change processing performed via control unit 201 in management server 200 will be based on... Figure 6 Let me explain. Figure 6 This is a flowchart of the change processing. The change processing involves changing the person in charge of vehicles 100 other than the target vehicle 100 when the target vehicle 100 has reached a predetermined state. This change processing is repeatedly executed when multiple vehicles 100 begin operation.

[0060] In the change processing, firstly, in S101, it is determined whether the target vehicle 100 exists among the multiple vehicles 100. That is, in S101, it is determined whether a vehicle 100 has reached a predetermined state (first state or second state) among the multiple vehicles 100. If a negative judgment is made in S101, there is no need to change the manager 30 responsible for managing the operation of the vehicle 100. Therefore, the change processing ends.

[0061] When a positive judgment is made in S101, it is determined in S102 whether the target vehicle 100 is in the first state. When a positive judgment is made in S102, the target manager 30 needs to focus on the management of the driving of the target vehicle 100. Therefore, in S103, a manager is selected from among the managers 30 other than the target manager 30 to manage the driving of vehicles 100 other than the target vehicle 100 currently managed by the target manager 30. Next, in S104, it is determined whether there is an unacceptable vehicle 100. If a negative judgment is made in S104, since there is no unacceptable vehicle 100, there is no vehicle 100 that needs to be stopped. Therefore, in S106, the manager of the vehicles 100 other than the target vehicle 100 is changed.

[0062] Furthermore, if a positive judgment is made in S104, it is necessary to stop more than the required number of vehicles 100. Therefore, in S105, a stop message is sent for the non-compliant vehicles. Then, in S106, the manager of the object manager 30 is changed to manage the vehicles 100 that are not non-compliant vehicles among the vehicles 100 in operation.

[0063] Furthermore, if a negative judgment is made in S102, the target vehicle 100 becomes the second state. Therefore, in S107, a manager is selected from among the managers 30 other than the target manager 30 to manage the operation of the non-target vehicle 100. Next, in S104, it is performed to determine whether there is an unacceptable vehicle 100. If a negative judgment is made in S104, since there is no unacceptable vehicle 100, there is no vehicle 100 that needs to be stopped. Therefore, in S106, the manager of the non-target vehicle 100 is changed. Furthermore, if a positive judgment is made in S104, it is necessary to stop more than a certain number of vehicles 100. Therefore, in S105, a stop message is sent for the unacceptable vehicle 100. Then, in S106, the manager of the vehicles 100 other than the unacceptable vehicle 100 among the vehicles 100 currently being managed by the target manager 30 is changed.

[0064] After the manager change is implemented in S106, in S108, it is determined whether the predetermined state has been lifted. Specifically, the control unit 201 determines whether the predetermined state in the target vehicle 100 has been lifted by analyzing the dynamic image in the state information sent from the target vehicle 100. If an affirmative determination is made in S108, compared to the case where the target vehicle 100 is in the predetermined state, the target manager 30 will not need to pay attention to the management of the operation of the target vehicle 100. Therefore, in S109, the manager change changed in S106 is lifted. That is, in S109, the manager of the vehicle 100 whose manager was changed in S106 is restored to the target manager 30. As a result, the burden of managing the operation of the vehicle 100 by the manager other than the target manager 30, i.e., the burden increased due to the change of the vehicle 100's manager in S106, is restored to the state before the manager change.

[0065] Furthermore, if a negative judgment is made in S108, the manager change in S106 cannot be cancelled because the predetermined condition in the target vehicle 100 has not been resolved. Therefore, the process in S108 is executed again. Then, after the process in S109 is executed, the change process ends.

[0066] As explained above, through the management system 1, when a target vehicle 100 exists, the manager of vehicles 100 other than the target vehicle 100, or non-target vehicles 100, is changed from the target manager 30. This reduces the number of vehicles 100 managed by the target manager 30. Therefore, by reducing the burden on the target manager 30 in managing the operation of the vehicles 100, attention to the target vehicle 100 can be increased. Furthermore, vehicles 100 other than the target vehicle 100, or non-target vehicles 100, whose managers have been changed, will be managed by a different manager 30. Thus, the operation of vehicles other than the target vehicle 100, or non-target vehicles 100, whose managers have been changed, is safely managed by the manager 30. Moreover, in the event of an unmanageable vehicle 100, a stop message is sent to the unmanageable vehicle 100 through the management system 1. This prevents situations where the management of vehicles 100 managed by the manager 30 becomes neglected. In this way, the safe operation of multiple vehicles 100 can be achieved.

[0067] (Modified Example 1)

[0068] In this embodiment, the predetermined state is a state that includes both the first state and the second state. However, the predetermined state may not necessarily include both the first and second states. For example, for the object manager 30, the object manager 30 needs to pay attention to the management of the movement of the object vehicle 100 to prevent obstacles existing in the movement path of the object vehicle 100 from coming into contact with the object vehicle 100. Therefore, the predetermined state may also include the state where there are obstacles in the movement path of the vehicle 100. Furthermore, although in this embodiment the predetermined state is a state that includes both the first and second states, the predetermined state may also be a state with only one state.

[0069] (Modified Example 2)

[0070] In this embodiment, the management server 200 detects a predetermined situation based on condition information including dynamic images of the interior and exterior of the vehicle 100. However, the management server 200 may not necessarily detect a predetermined situation based on condition information including dynamic images of the interior and exterior of the vehicle 100. For example, the management server 200 may detect a predetermined situation (first situation) based on a signal sent from the vehicle 100 when an emergency stop button installed on the vehicle 100 is pressed by a passenger. Furthermore, the management server 200 may also detect a predetermined situation (second situation) based on information related to the speed and position of the vehicle 100, as well as the positions of surrounding vehicles and obstacles. In this case, the predetermined situation may also include situations where the vehicle 100 is traveling on roads that are narrow or have complex road layouts, requiring the manager 30 to pay attention to and monitor the vehicle 100's movement. In this case, the management server 200 determines the predetermined situation of the vehicle 100 based on the location of the vehicle 100, such as when the vehicle 100 is traveling on a road with narrow width or complex road network.

[0071] <Other Implementation Methods>

[0072] The above-described embodiments are merely examples, and this disclosure can be implemented with appropriate modifications without departing from its spirit. Furthermore, the processes or units described in this disclosure can be implemented in free combinations as long as they do not create technical contradictions.

[0073] Furthermore, processes described as being implemented by a single device can be distributed and executed by multiple devices. Alternatively, processes described as being implemented by different devices can be executed by a single device. In a computer system, the hardware architecture (server architecture) used to implement various functions can be flexibly changed.

[0074] Furthermore, this disclosure can also be implemented by providing a computer program with the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and having the program read and executed by one or more processors of the computer. Such a computer program can be provided to the computer either via a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the computer's system bus or via a network. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media include, for example, any type of disk (floppy disk, or hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), optical disk (CD-ROM, DVD, or Blu-ray disc, etc.), read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), EPROM, EEPROM, magnetic cards, flash memory, optical cards, and any type of medium suitable for storing electronic commands.

[0075] Symbol Explanation

[0076] 1…Management system;

[0077] 100… vehicles;

[0078] 200… Management Server;

[0079] 201…Control Department;

[0080] 202…Ministry of Communications;

[0081] 203…Administrator Information DB;

[0082] 210… processor;

[0083] 220…Main storage section;

[0084] 230…Auxiliary storage section;

[0085] 240…communication I / F;

[0086] 30…Managers;

[0087] 300…Administrator terminal.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus including a control section that performs processing of, in a case where a first vehicle among a plurality of automated driving vehicles being managed in a remote manner by a first manager becomes a predetermined condition requiring attention by the first manager to be implemented, deciding one or more second managers other than the first manager as a manager who manages travel of at least one second vehicle other than the first vehicle among the plurality of automated driving vehicles in place of the first manager; in a case where the predetermined condition is resolved, restoring the manager who is managing travel of the at least one second vehicle in place of the first manager to the first manager. 2.The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a number of automated driving vehicles that the first manager can manage is specified for each of the predetermined conditions, the control section decides the one or more second managers as the manager who manages travel of the second vehicles in excess of the number of automated driving vehicles that the first manager can manage in a case where the number of the plurality of automated driving vehicles being managed by the first manager exceeds the number of the automated driving vehicles that the first manager can manage. 3.The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a number of automated driving vehicles that each of the one or more second managers can manage is specified, the control section further performs processing of, in a case where the number of the at least one second vehicle exceeds a total number of the automated driving vehicles that each of the one or more second managers can newly manage, stopping travel of the second vehicles among the at least one second vehicle in excess of the total number. 4.The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the predetermined condition is a condition in which an abnormality occurs in the first vehicle. 5.The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the predetermined condition is a condition in which an operation related to travel of the first vehicle that is set to be implemented by the first manager is required. 6.The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the predetermined condition is a condition in which an obstacle exists on a travel path of the first vehicle. 7.An information processing method in which, in a case where a first vehicle among a plurality of automated driving vehicles being managed in a remote manner by a first manager becomes a predetermined condition requiring attention by the first manager to be implemented, one or more second managers other than the first manager are decided as a manager who manages travel of at least one second vehicle other than the first vehicle among the plurality of automated driving vehicles in place of the first manager. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ In a case where the predetermined condition is resolved, the manager who is conducting the management of the travel of the at least one second vehicle in place of the first manager is restored to the first manager.

8. The information processing method according to claim 7, wherein a number of the automated driving vehicles that the first manager is able to manage is defined for each of the predetermined conditions, in a case where the number of the automated driving vehicles that the first manager is managing exceeds the number of the automated driving vehicles that the first manager is able to manage, the one or more second managers are decided as managers who conduct the management of the travel of the second vehicles in excess of the first manager.

9. The information processing method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein a number of the automated driving vehicles that each of the one or more second managers is able to manage is defined, the process further includes, in a case where the number of the at least one second vehicle exceeds the total number of the automated driving vehicles that each of the one or more second managers is able to newly manage, stopping the travel of the second vehicles of the at least one second vehicle in excess of the total number.

10. The information processing method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the predetermined condition is a condition in which an abnormality occurs in the first vehicle.

11. The information processing method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the predetermined condition is a condition in which an operation related to the travel of the first vehicle that needs to be performed by the first manager is set.

12. The information processing method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the predetermined condition is a condition in which an obstacle exists on a travel path of the first vehicle.

13. A non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon a program causing a computer to execute an information processing method, wherein the information processing method includes, in a case where a first vehicle of a plurality of automated driving vehicles whose travel is managed in a remote manner by a first manager becomes a predetermined condition that needs to be attended to by the first manager, deciding one or more second managers other than the first manager as managers who manage the travel of at least one second vehicle other than the first vehicle of the plurality of automated driving vehicles in place of the first manager; in a case where the predetermined condition is resolved, the manager who is conducting the management of the travel of the at least one second vehicle in place of the first manager is restored to the first manager.

14. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 13, wherein a number of the automated driving vehicles that the first manager is able to manage is defined for each of the predetermined conditions, In the information processing method, in a case where the number of the plurality of autonomous vehicles being managed by the first manager exceeds the number of the autonomous vehicles that the first manager is able to manage, the one or more second managers are decided as managers who perform management of travel of the second vehicles in an amount that exceeds the first manager.

15. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 13 or 14, wherein, the number of autonomous vehicles that each of the one or more second managers is able to manage is specified, the information processing method further includes, in a case where the number of the at least one second vehicle exceeds a total number of autonomous vehicles that the one or more second managers are each newly able to manage, stopping travel of the second vehicles in the at least one second vehicle in an amount that exceeds the total number.

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