Information processing apparatus, moving body control system, and information processing method

Abstract

An information processing device (2) is provided with: an information acquisition unit (221) that acquires moving body position information and occupant detection information; a determination unit (222) that determines the communication target occupant on the basis of the occupant detection information; a movement planning unit (223) that formulates a movement plan for linking the moving bodies to each other at a position at which the communication target occupants easily communicate with each other; and a movement control unit (224) that links the moving bodies to each other by outputting to the vehicle moving body control information for moving the vehicle in accordance with the movement plan.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device, a mobile object control system, and an information processing method. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, various uses of autonomous driving vehicles have been explored, and not only the use of making vehicles travel separately but also the use of making multiple vehicles travel in cooperation has been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 describes the following transportation system: the first moving body and the second moving body travel synchronously to connect the boarding and alighting entrance of the first moving body with the boarding and alighting entrance of the second moving body. By connecting the boarding and alighting entrances, passengers can smoothly move or transfer between the moving bodies.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-094955 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] Conventionally, there has been a problem that passengers cannot communicate directly with each other in a moving vehicle.

[0008] Furthermore, in the transportation system described in Patent Document 1, boarding and alighting gates are connected for the purpose of passengers moving or transferring between moving objects, and passengers cannot communicate directly between the moving objects.

[0009] The present disclosure is intended to solve the above-mentioned problem, and its object is to obtain an information processing device, a mobile body control system, and an information processing method that enable passengers to directly communicate with each other in a mobile body.

[0010] Means used to solve problems

[0011] The information processing device disclosed in the present invention is an information processing device for controlling the connection between mobile bodies, and comprises: an information acquisition unit, which acquires mobile body position information of the mobile body and occupant detection information of the status of the occupant of the mobile body; a determination unit, which determines the communication partner occupant based on the occupant detection information; a movement planning unit, which formulates a movement plan for connecting the mobile bodies to each other at a position where the communication partner occupants can easily communicate with each other; and a movement control unit, which moves the mobile body according to the movement plan so as to connect the mobile bodies to each other.

[0012] Effects of the Invention

[0013] According to the present disclosure, the moving body position information and the passenger detection information of the moving body are obtained, the communication object passenger is determined based on the passenger detection information, a movement plan is formulated to connect the moving bodies at a position where the communication object passengers can easily communicate with each other, and the moving bodies are connected by moving the moving bodies according to the movement plan. When the moving bodies are connected, they are at a position where the communication object passengers can easily communicate with each other, so the information processing device of the present disclosure can enable the passengers to communicate directly between the moving bodies. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 This is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a moving object control system according to the first embodiment.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration that realizes the functions of the information processing device according to the first embodiment.

[0016] Figure 3 It is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a vehicle to be connected.

[0017] Figure 4 It is an explanatory diagram showing the interior state of the connected vehicles in the first embodiment.

[0018] Figure 5 This is a flowchart showing the information processing method according to the first embodiment.

[0019] Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing the vehicle decoupling process in the first embodiment.

[0020] Figure 7 This is a block diagram showing a configuration of a modified example of the moving object control system according to the first embodiment.

[0021] Figure 8 This is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a moving object control system according to the second embodiment.

[0022] Fig. 9 This is a screen diagram showing a selection screen in the second embodiment.

[0023] Fig.10 This is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of the connected vehicles in the second embodiment.

[0024] Fig.11 This is a flowchart showing the information processing method of the second embodiment.

[0025] Fig.12 This is a flowchart showing the vehicle decoupling process in the second embodiment.

[0026] Fig.13 This is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a moving object control system according to the third embodiment.

[0027] Fig.14 This is a screen diagram showing a selection screen in the third embodiment.

[0028] Fig.15 It is an explanatory diagram showing the interior state of the connected vehicles in the third embodiment.

[0029] Fig.16 This is a flowchart showing the information processing method of the third embodiment.

[0030] Fig.17 This is a flowchart showing the vehicle decoupling process in the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Implementation method 1.

[0032] Figure 1 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a mobile object control system 1 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 1 In the example, the mobile body control system 1 is a system in which an information processing device 2 mounted on a vehicle A and an information processing device 2 mounted on a vehicle B are connected via a network 3 .

[0033] The network 3 is an electric communication line including the Internet.

[0034] The moving body control system 1 provides a moving body control service for connecting a vehicle A and a vehicle B at a position where communication partner passengers can easily communicate with each other based on vehicle moving body position information and passenger detection information.

[0035] The connection between vehicle A and vehicle B in the mobile body control service includes not only the physical connection between vehicle A and vehicle B but also the apparent connection caused by the parallel operation of vehicle A and vehicle B.

[0036] Furthermore, the position where the passengers can easily communicate with each other includes not only the position where the passengers face each other directly in front of the vehicle A and the vehicle B, but also the position where the passengers face each other diagonally offset from the front within a range that does not hinder communication.

[0037] The vehicle A is equipped with an information processing device 2, a sensor group 4, and a vehicle control device 5. Figure 1 In the figure, only the information processing device 2 is described in the vehicle B, but the sensor group 4 and the vehicle control device 5 are installed in the same manner as the vehicle A. The sensor group 4 detects the state inside and outside the vehicle and is composed of various sensors. For example, the sensor group 4 includes an exterior camera for photographing the exterior of the vehicle, an interior camera for photographing the interior of the vehicle, a positioning sensor for measuring the position information of the vehicle (moving body position information), and a distance sensor for measuring the distance to an object outside the vehicle.

[0038] The vehicle control device 5 mounted on vehicle A controls the travel of vehicle A. The vehicle control device 5 mounted on vehicle B controls the travel of vehicle B. The vehicle control device 5 controls the travel of the vehicle according to the driving operation information received through the driving operation of the occupant. In addition, the vehicle control device 5 controls the travel of the vehicle according to the moving body control information input from the external device. The moving body control information includes, for example, path information indicating a predetermined path for the vehicle to travel and designated vehicle speed information that specifies the speed of the vehicle moving on the path. Vehicle A and vehicle B may also be vehicles that automatically travel only according to the moving body control information input from the external device without receiving the driving operation of the occupant.

[0039] like Figure 1 As shown, the information processing device 2 includes a communication unit 21, a computing unit 22, and a storage unit 23. The communication unit 21 communicates with the information processing device 2 mounted on the vehicle to be connected via the network 3. For example, the communication unit 21 can communicate with the information processing device 2 capable of mobile communication based on a communication method such as LTE, 3G, 4G, or 5G via the network 3.

[0040] The operation unit 22 controls the overall operation of the information processing device 2. In the mobile control service, the operation unit 22 executes an information processing application for connecting vehicle A and vehicle B at a position where the communication partner passengers can easily communicate with each other, thereby realizing various functions. The storage unit 23 stores the above-mentioned information processing application and information used for the operation processing of the operation unit 22. For example, the storage unit 23 stores the movement plan information for connecting vehicle A and vehicle B and the determination information of the communication partner passengers.

[0041] The computing unit 22 includes an information acquisition unit 221, a determination unit 222, a movement planning unit 223, and a movement control unit 224. The computing unit 22 executes the above-mentioned information processing application to realize the functions of the information acquisition unit 221, the determination unit 222, the movement planning unit 223, and the movement control unit 224.

[0042] Figure 2 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration for realizing the functions of the information processing device 2. For example, as a hardware configuration, the information processing device 2 includes a communication interface 100, an input / output interface 101, a processor 102, and a memory 103. The functions of the information acquisition unit 221, the determination unit 222, the movement planning unit 223, and the movement control unit 224 included in the information processing device 2 are realized by these hardware configurations.

[0043] The communication interface 100 outputs data received from an external device via the network 3 to the processor 102, and transmits data generated by the processor 102 to the information processing device 2 mounted on the connected vehicle via the network 3. The processor 102 reads and writes data to the storage unit 23 via the input / output interface 101. The storage unit 23 is implemented by a storage device accessible to a computer functioning as the information processing device 2. Figure 1 , the information processing device 2 having the storage unit 23 is shown, but the storage unit 23 may be a storage device accessible by a computer functioning as the information processing device 2 and may exist outside the information processing device 2 .

[0044] The information acquisition unit 221 acquires the moving body position information and the passenger detection information of the vehicle A and the vehicle B. For example, the information acquisition unit 221 acquires the moving body position information indicating the position of the vehicle A from the sensor group 4, and acquires the moving body position information indicating the position of the vehicle B via the network 3 through the communication unit 21. In addition, the information acquisition unit 221 sends the moving body position information indicating the position of the vehicle A to the information processing device 2 mounted on the vehicle B via the network 3 through the communication unit 21. For example, the information acquisition unit 221 may also acquire the moving body position information at a time point when the communication object passenger is determined between the vehicle A and the vehicle B, in a cycle shorter than the cycle before the time point. Thus, the information processing device 2 can accurately grasp the positions of the connected object vehicles.

[0045] The passenger detection information is the detection information of the passengers of vehicle A and vehicle B. For example, the passenger detection information includes not only the image data of the passengers of vehicle B captured by the camera outside the vehicle at a certain shooting rate, but also the image data of the passengers of vehicle A captured by the camera inside the vehicle at a certain shooting rate. In addition, the information acquisition unit 221 may acquire the passenger detection information at a shorter period than the period before the time point when the passenger of the communication object is determined between vehicle A and vehicle B, and may acquire the passenger detection information synchronously with the acquisition of the mobile body position information. Thus, the information processing device 2 can accurately grasp the status of the passenger of the communication object.

[0046] The determination unit 222 determines the communication partner passenger based on the passenger detection information. For example, the determination unit 222 detects the position and facial orientation or gesture of the passenger by performing image analysis on each image constituting the captured image data of the passenger. In the image analysis method, existing analysis methods such as head orientation estimation (Head Pose Estimation) may also be used. When the position and facial orientation of the passenger meet the determination conditions, the determination unit 222 determines that the passengers are communication partners. For example, when the position of the passenger is near the connection part of the vehicle and the faces of the passengers are facing each other between the vehicles, the determination unit 222 determines that these passengers are communication partners.

[0047] Furthermore, when the gestures made by the passengers between the vehicles are gestures requesting communication, the determination unit 222 determines that the passengers are communication partner passengers. The gestures requesting communication include, for example, pointing at the other party, raising the hand toward the other party, and waving.

[0048] Alternatively, vehicle A and vehicle B may be equipped with microphones, and the information acquisition unit 221 may acquire the voice information of the occupant collected by the microphone. The determination unit 222 may perform voice recognition on the voice information of the occupant acquired by the information acquisition unit 221, and when it is determined that the occupant of the connected vehicle is called, it is determined that the called occupant is the communication partner.

[0049] In addition, the determination unit 222 may use a learning model to determine the communication partner passenger. For example, the determination unit 222 uses a learning model that outputs information indicating whether the passenger is a communication partner when the captured image data of the passenger is input to determine the communication partner passenger. In this way, the determination unit 222 can accurately determine the communication partner passenger.

[0050] The movement planning unit 223 formulates a movement plan for connecting vehicle A and vehicle B at a position where the communication partner passengers can easily communicate with each other. For example, the movement planning unit 223 estimates the driving state of vehicle A and vehicle B based on the temporal change in the position of vehicle A and vehicle B indicated by the respective moving body position information of vehicle A and vehicle B. Then, the movement planning unit 223 estimates a path for connecting vehicle A and vehicle B at a position where the communication partner passengers can easily communicate with each other (for example, a position where the passengers face each other) based on the current driving positions of vehicle A and vehicle B. At this time, the movement planning unit 223 specifies the vehicle speeds of vehicle A and vehicle B in the estimated path based on the driving states of vehicle A and vehicle B.

[0051] The information including the route information indicating the route connecting the vehicle A and the vehicle B and the designation information of the vehicle speed is the movement plan information. The movement plan unit 223 outputs the information to the movement control unit 224 and stores the information in the storage unit 23 .

[0052] For example, the information processing device 2 mounted on vehicle A calculates the movement plan information of vehicle B in addition to the movement plan information of vehicle A. Conversely, the information processing device 2 mounted on vehicle B calculates the movement plan information of vehicle A in addition to the movement plan information of vehicle B. Furthermore, the information processing device 2 mounted on vehicle A calculates only the movement plan information of vehicle A, and the information processing device 2 mounted on vehicle B calculates only the movement plan information of vehicle B.

[0053] The movement control unit 224 outputs the movement control information for causing the vehicle A and the vehicle B to move according to the movement plan to the movement body, thereby connecting the vehicle A and the vehicle B. For example, the movement control unit 224 generates the movement control information for causing the vehicle A and the vehicle B to travel according to the movement plan information. The movement control unit 224 mounted on the vehicle A transmits the generated movement control information to the information processing device 2 mounted on the vehicle B via the network 3 through the communication unit 21. The movement control unit 224 outputs the movement control information for the vehicle A to the vehicle control device 5 mounted on the vehicle A. The vehicle control device 5 controls the travel according to the movement control information, thereby connecting the vehicle A and the vehicle B.

[0054] Figure 3 This is an explanatory diagram showing the outline of vehicle A and vehicle B as connection objects, and shows the arrangement of passengers in the vehicle. Vehicle A has a connection part A1 and a boarding and alighting entrance A2, and travels in the direction of arrow MA1. Vehicle B has a connection part B1 and a boarding and alighting entrance B2, and travels in the direction of arrow MB1. Connection part A1 and connection part B1 are parts that connect vehicle A and vehicle B. Connection part A1 and connection part B1 may be provided with a mechanism for physically connecting, or may be a simple side surface without a special connection mechanism.

[0055] In addition, the connection part A1 and the connection part B1 are open parts without walls or the like that hinder direct communication between passengers. In addition, seats such as benches may be provided near the connection part A1 and the connection part B1 so that passengers can easily communicate between vehicles A and B.

[0056] The entrance A2 is a portion where passengers get on or off vehicle A, and the entrance B2 is a portion where passengers get on or off vehicle B. Furthermore, when passengers transfer between vehicle A and vehicle B, the portions of vehicle A and vehicle B where the entrance A2 and the entrance B2 are provided may be set as the connecting portion A1 and the connecting portion B1.

[0057] like Figure 3As shown by the double arrows, it is assumed that the passenger CA of vehicle A and the passenger PB of vehicle B are the communication target passengers. The determination unit 222 determines that the passenger CA and the passenger PB are the communication target passengers based on the passenger detection information. The movement planning unit 223 formulates a movement plan to connect the vehicle A and the vehicle B at a position where the passenger CA and the passenger PB can easily communicate. For example, the movement plan is formulated in a manner such that the passenger CA and the passenger PB face each other.

[0058] Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the internal state of the vehicle after the connection in the first embodiment, showing the Figure 3 The situation when vehicle A and vehicle B are connected in a state. The movement control unit 224 generates moving body control information for moving vehicle A and vehicle B according to the movement plan for connecting vehicle A and vehicle B at the position where occupant CA and occupant PB face each other. Then, the movement control unit 224 outputs the moving body control information to the vehicle control device 5 respectively provided with vehicle A and vehicle B. The vehicle control device 5 causes vehicle A to move in the direction of arrow MA2 and causes vehicle B to move in the direction of arrow MB2 according to the moving body control information. As a result, vehicle A and vehicle B are in a parallel state. At this time, the connection part A1 and the connection part B1 can be physically connected, or vehicle A and vehicle B can be parallel and in a state of being apparently connected.

[0059] like Figure 4 As shown, the vehicle A and the vehicle B are connected at a position where the passenger CA and the passenger PB face each other, so that the passenger CA and the passenger PB can communicate directly.

[0060] Furthermore, after the vehicles A and B are coupled, the movement control unit 224 may control the travel of the vehicles A and B according to the communication status between the passengers CA and PB.

[0061] For example, when providing food and beverage service from passenger CA to passenger PB, the information acquisition unit 221 successively acquires passenger detection information indicating the conversation status of passenger CA and passenger PB. The determination unit 222 successively determines the conversation status of passenger CA and passenger PB based on the passenger detection information. The movement planning unit 223 formulates a movement plan for slowly decelerating vehicles A and B in parallel when the determination unit 222 determines that a drink is handed over from passenger CA to passenger PB, etc., in a situation where vibration is desired to be reduced. The vehicle control device 5 controls the travel of vehicles A and B according to the moving body control information based on the formulated movement plan, thereby slowly decelerating vehicles A and B in a situation where passengers CA and passenger PB want to reduce vibration.

[0062] Furthermore, when providing food and beverage services from passenger CA to passenger PB, the position where passenger CA and passenger PB can easily communicate may be a position where passenger CA can easily operate cooking equipment and utensils, thereby making it easy for passenger CA to provide food to passenger PB.

[0063] Figure 5 This is a flowchart showing the information processing method according to the first embodiment.

[0064] The information acquisition unit 221 acquires the moving body position information of the vehicle A and the vehicle B, and the occupant detection information of the states of the occupants of the vehicle A and the vehicle B (step ST1 ).

[0065] The determination unit 222 determines whether there is an occupant who has responded to the communication request based on the occupant detection information (step ST2 ). If there is no occupant who has responded (step ST2 ; No), the process returns to step ST1 .

[0066] On the other hand, when there are passengers who have responded (step ST2; Yes), the determination unit 222 determines that these passengers are communication partners. Here, the passengers CA and PB are determined to be communication partners.

[0067] The movement planning unit 223 prepares a movement plan for the moving body to be connected at a position where the communication partner passengers can easily communicate with each other (step ST3).

[0068] The movement control unit 224 outputs the moving body control information for causing the vehicle A and the vehicle B to move according to the movement plan to the vehicle A and the vehicle B, thereby connecting the vehicle A and the vehicle B (step ST4 ).

[0069] As a result, when the vehicles A and B are connected, the communication partner passengers are in a position where they can easily communicate with each other, so that the passengers can communicate directly between the vehicles A and B.

[0070] Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing the vehicle decoupling process in the first embodiment.

[0071] The information acquisition unit 221 acquires the moving body position information of the vehicle A and the vehicle B, and the occupant detection information of the states of the occupants of the vehicle A and the vehicle B (step ST1A).

[0072] The determination unit 222 determines whether the communication between the occupant CA and the occupant PB has ended based on the occupant detection information (step ST2A). For example, when the occupant detection information detects that either the occupant CA or the occupant PB has left the connection position, turned their backs to each other, or talked to the other occupant, the determination unit 222 determines that the communication has ended.

[0073] When the communication between the passengers CA and PB has not been completed (step ST2A; No), the process returns to step ST1A.

[0074] When determining that the communication has been completed (step ST2A; Yes), the determination unit 222 notifies the movement planning unit 223 of this fact.

[0075] Upon receiving the notification of the end of the communication, the movement planning unit 223 prepares a movement plan for releasing the connection between the vehicle A and the vehicle B (step ST3A).

[0076] The movement control unit 224 generates movement control information for releasing the connection according to the movement plan, and outputs the generated movement control information to the vehicle control device 5 of the vehicle A and the vehicle B. The vehicle control device 5 controls the travel of the vehicle A and the vehicle B based on the movement control information so as to release the connection between the vehicle A and the vehicle B (step ST4A).

[0077] As a result, the connection between vehicle A and vehicle B can be released in response to the end of the communication.

[0078] Figure 7 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a mobile control system 1A as a modified example of the mobile control system 1. In the mobile control system 1, the information processing device 2 is provided in each of the vehicle A and the vehicle B, but in the mobile control system 1A, the information processing device 2A functions as a server for controlling the travel of the vehicle A and the vehicle B.

[0079] In the mobile object control system 1A, the vehicle A and the vehicle B do not include the information processing device 2 but include only the sensor group 4, the vehicle control device 5, and the communication device 6. The information processing device 2A includes a communication unit 21, a calculation unit 22A, and a storage unit 23.

[0080] The computing unit 22A includes an information acquisition unit 221A, a determination unit 222, a movement planning unit 223, and a movement control unit 224A. The computing unit 22A executes an information processing application to realize the functions of the information acquisition unit 221A, the determination unit 222, the movement planning unit 223, and the movement control unit 224A.

[0081] The information acquisition unit 221A acquires the moving body position information and the passenger detection information of the vehicle A and the vehicle B. For example, the information acquisition unit 221A communicates with the communication device 6 via the network 3 through the communication unit 21 to acquire the moving body position information indicating the positions of the vehicle A and the vehicle B and the passenger detection information of the vehicle A and the vehicle B.

[0082] The movement control unit 224A communicates with the communication device 6 via the network 3 through the communication unit 21, and transmits the moving body control information for driving the vehicles A and B according to the movement plan information to the vehicle control device 5 of the vehicle A and to the vehicle control device 5 of the vehicle B. The vehicle control devices 5 mounted on the vehicles A and B control the driving of the vehicles A and B according to the received moving body control information, thereby connecting the vehicles A and B. With such a configuration, the information processing device 2A can also connect the vehicles A and B at a position where the communication partner passengers can easily communicate with each other.

[0083] So far, the configuration of connecting vehicle A and vehicle B has been shown, but the information processing device 2 is not limited thereto. For example, the information processing device 2 may connect three or more vehicles according to the shape of the vehicle and the number of surfaces that can be connected. Thus, the information processing device 2 can connect three or more vehicles at a position where the communication partner passengers can easily communicate with each other.

[0084] As described above, the information processing device 2 of embodiment 1 includes: an information acquisition unit 221, which acquires mobile body position information and occupant detection information; a determination unit 222, which determines the communication object occupant based on the occupant detection information; a movement planning unit 223, which formulates a movement plan for connecting vehicle A and vehicle B at a position where the communication object occupants can easily communicate with each other; and a movement control unit 224, which outputs mobile body control information used to make vehicles A and vehicle B move according to the movement plan to the mobile body, thereby connecting vehicles A and vehicle B.

[0085] Since the communication partner passengers are in a position where they can easily communicate with each other when vehicle A and vehicle B are connected, the information processing device 2 can enable the passengers to communicate directly between vehicle A and vehicle B.

[0086] In the information processing device 2 according to the first embodiment, the movement planning unit 223 creates a movement plan for connecting the vehicle A and the vehicle B at a position where the communication partner passengers face each other.

[0087] When vehicle A and vehicle B are connected, the communication partner passengers are in a position facing each other. Therefore, the information processing device 2 can enable the passengers to communicate directly between vehicle A and vehicle B.

[0088] In the information processing device 2 of the first embodiment, the information acquisition unit 221 acquires at least one of the detection information of the position of the occupant in the vehicle A and the vehicle B, the facial orientation of the occupant, or the gesture of the occupant in the vehicle A and the vehicle B. The determination unit 222 determines the communication partner occupant based on at least one of the position of the occupant in the vehicle A and the vehicle B, the facial orientation of the occupant, or the gesture of the occupant. Thus, the determination unit 222 can accurately determine the communication partner occupant.

[0089] The mobile body control system 1 of the first embodiment includes vehicles A and B that move based on mobile body control information, and an information processing device 2. The mobile body control system 1 can provide a mobile body control system 1 that allows passengers to communicate directly with each other when vehicles A and B are connected.

[0090] In the information processing method of the first embodiment, the information acquisition unit 221 includes the following steps: acquiring the moving body position information of the moving body and the occupant detection information of the state of the occupant of the moving body; the determination unit 222 determines the communication object occupant based on the occupant detection information; the movement planning unit 223 formulates a movement plan of the moving body connected at a position where the communication object occupants can easily communicate with each other; and the movement control unit 224 outputs the moving body control information for making the moving body move according to the movement plan to the moving body, thereby connecting the moving bodies. Since the position where the communication object occupants can easily communicate with each other when the vehicles A and B are connected becomes a position where the communication object occupants can easily communicate with each other, the occupants can communicate directly between the vehicles A and B.

[0091] Implementation method 2.

[0092] Figure 8 1B is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a mobile object control system 1B according to Embodiment 2. Figure 8 In the example, the mobile object control system 1B is a system in which an information processing device 2B mounted on a vehicle A and an information processing device 2 mounted on a vehicle B are connected via a network 3 .

[0093] The information processing device 2B includes a communication unit 21 , a calculation unit 22B, a storage unit 23 , a display unit 24 , and an operation unit 25 .

[0094] The computing unit 22B controls the overall operation of the information processing device 2B. The computing unit 22B realizes various functions by executing an information processing application for connecting the vehicle A and the vehicle B at a position where the communicating occupants can easily communicate with each other in the mobile vehicle control service.

[0095] The display unit 24 is a display device included in the information processing device 2B. The display unit 24 is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electroluminescence) display device.

[0096] The operation unit 25 is an input device that receives operations on the selection screen displayed on the display unit 24. When the information processing device 2B is a smartphone or a tablet terminal, the operation unit 25 is, for example, a touch panel provided integrally with the screen of the display unit 24. When the information processing device 2B is a PC, the operation unit 25 is, for example, a mouse or a keyboard.

[0097] The computing unit 22B includes an information acquisition unit 221, a determination unit 222A, a movement planning unit 223B, a movement control unit 224, and a display processing unit 225. The computing unit 22B executes an information processing application to realize the functions of the information acquisition unit 221, the determination unit 222A, the movement planning unit 223B, the movement control unit 224, and the display processing unit 225.

[0098] The display processing unit 225 outputs display control information for displaying a selection screen for selecting a communication partner passenger to the display unit 24 . Fig. 9 2 is a screen diagram showing the selection screen 24A in the second embodiment. Fig. 9 In the selection screen 24A, the occupant arrangement of the vehicle B is displayed. The display processing unit 225 generates display control information for displaying the selection screen 24A on which the state of the occupant of the vehicle B determined by the determination unit 222A is reflected.

[0099] For example, among the passengers PB1, PB2, PB3 and PB4 of the vehicle B, passengers PB1, PB2 and PB3 are near the connection portion. Therefore, the images representing passengers PB1, PB2 and PB3 are displayed differently from the images representing passenger PB4 who is not near the connection portion.

[0100] Assume that the faces of the passengers PB1 and PB3 are facing the vehicle A side from the connection portion. At this time, the passengers PB1 and PB3 can become the communication partner passengers with the passengers of the vehicle A. Therefore, the display method of the images representing the passengers PB1 and PB3 is changed so as to be distinguished from the images of other passengers. For example, the color of the images representing the passengers PB1 and PB3 is set to be different from the color of the images of other passengers.

[0101] By sequentially pressing the button images 24A-3 labeled "To Next" on the selection screen 24A using the operation unit 25, the surrounding image 24A-1 moves to positions surrounding the passengers PB1, PB2, PB3, and PB4, respectively. Fig. 9 In the example shown, the surrounding image 24A-1 is located at a position surrounding the image of the passenger PB1. When the surrounding image 24A-1 surrounds the image of the passenger, the button image 24A-4 with the word "determine" is pressed using the operation unit 25, and the passenger surrounded by the surrounding image 24A-1 is determined as the communication partner with the passenger of the vehicle A. In addition, by pressing the button image 24A-2 with the word "release" using the operation unit 25, the connection between the vehicle A and the vehicle B is released.

[0102] In this way, the display processing unit 225 generates display control information for displaying a selection screen corresponding to the state of the occupant determined by the determination unit 222A. The determination unit 222A determines that the occupant selected using the selection screen displayed on the display unit 24 is the communication target occupant.

[0103] The movement planning unit 223B prepares a movement plan for connecting vehicle A and vehicle B at a location where communication partner passengers can easily communicate with each other.

[0104] For example, when the movement planning unit 223B determines that the communication partner passenger with passenger CA of vehicle A is passenger PB1 of vehicle B using the selection screen 24A, it creates a movement plan to connect vehicle A and vehicle B at a position where passenger CA and passenger PB1 can easily communicate.

[0105] The movement control unit 224 outputs the moving body control information for causing the vehicle A and the vehicle B to move according to the movement plan prepared by the movement planning unit 223B, thereby connecting the vehicle A and the vehicle B. Fig.10 FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the outline of the connected vehicle A and vehicle B in Embodiment 2. Fig.10 As shown, since the vehicle A and the vehicle B are connected at a position where the passenger CA and the passenger PB1 face each other, the passenger CA and the passenger PB1 can communicate directly with each other.

[0106] Fig.11 This is a flowchart showing the information processing method of the second embodiment.

[0107] The information acquisition unit 221 acquires the moving body position information of the vehicle A and the vehicle B, and the occupant detection information of the states of the occupants of the vehicle A and the vehicle B (step ST1B).

[0108] The determination unit 222A determines the states of the occupants of the vehicle A and the vehicle B based on the occupant detection information (step ST2B).

[0109] The display processing unit 225 causes the display unit 24 to display the selection screen 24A based on the state of the occupant of the vehicle B. The occupant of the vehicle A selects a occupant from the selection screen 24A using the operation unit 25 (step ST3B). The determination unit 222A determines that the occupant selected from the selection screen 24A is a communication partner. Here, the occupant PB1 is determined to be a communication partner with the occupant CA.

[0110] The movement planning unit 223B prepares a movement plan for the moving body to be connected at a position where the communication partner passengers can easily communicate with each other (step ST4B).

[0111] The movement control unit 224 outputs the moving body control information for causing the vehicles A and B to move according to the movement plan to the vehicles A and B, thereby connecting the vehicles A and B (step ST5B). Thus, when the vehicles A and B are connected, the communication target passengers are in a position where they can easily communicate with each other, so that the passengers can communicate directly between the vehicles A and B.

[0112] Fig.12 This is a flowchart showing the vehicle decoupling process in the second embodiment.

[0113] The display processing unit 225 causes the display unit 24 to display the selection screen 24A.

[0114] The occupant of vehicle A presses the button image 24A-2 labeled “release” in the selection screen 24A using the operation unit 25 to request release of the connection between vehicle A and vehicle B (step ST1C).

[0115] When receiving the request to release the connection between the vehicle A and the vehicle B, the movement planning unit 223B creates a movement plan for releasing the connection between the vehicle A and the vehicle B (step ST2C).

[0116] The movement control unit 224 generates the moving body control information for releasing the connection according to the movement plan, and outputs the generated moving body control information to the vehicle control device 5 of the vehicle A and the vehicle B. The vehicle control device 5 controls the travel of the vehicle A and the vehicle B based on the moving body control information to release the connection between the vehicle A and the vehicle B (step ST3C).

[0117] Thereby, the connection between the vehicle A and the vehicle B can be released in response to the connection release request.

[0118] The information processing device 2B of the second embodiment includes a display processing unit 225, which outputs display control information for displaying a selection screen 24A to the display unit 24, and the selection screen 24A is used to select the communication partner passenger. The determination unit 222A determines that the passenger selected using the selection screen 24A displayed on the display unit 24 is the communication partner passenger. Thus, the information processing device 2B can select the communication partner passenger using the selection screen 24A. In addition, since the communication partner passengers are in a position where they can easily communicate with each other when the vehicle A and the vehicle B are connected, the information processing device 2B can enable the passengers to communicate directly between the vehicle A and the vehicle B.

[0119] Implementation method 3.

[0120] Fig.13 1C is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a mobile object control system according to a third embodiment. Fig.13In the embodiment, the mobile body control system 1C is a system in which an information processing device 2B mounted on a vehicle A, an information processing device 2 mounted on a vehicle B, and a service server 7 are connected via a network 3. In addition, in the vehicle B, for example, there is a passenger having an orderer terminal 8 for accessing the service server 7 providing a sales service. The information processing device 2C includes a communication unit 21, a computing unit 22C, a storage unit 23, a display unit 24, and an operation unit 25.

[0121] The operation unit 22C controls the overall operation of the information processing device 2B. The operation unit 22C realizes various functions by executing an information processing application for connecting the vehicle A and the vehicle B at a position where the communicating occupants can easily communicate with each other in the mobile vehicle control service.

[0122] The computing unit 22C includes an information acquisition unit 221, a determination unit 222B, a movement planning unit 223C, a movement control unit 224, and a display processing unit 225A. The computing unit 22C executes an information processing application to realize the functions of the information acquisition unit 221, the determination unit 222B, the movement planning unit 223C, the movement control unit 224, and the display processing unit 225A.

[0123] The display processing unit 225A outputs, to the display unit 24 , display control information for displaying a selection screen 24B in which the passenger who has requested the service is described as a selection target candidate together with the service information. Fig.14 2 is a screen diagram showing the selection screen 24B in the third embodiment. Fig.14 In the selection screen 24B, the occupant arrangement of the vehicle B is displayed. The display processing unit 225A generates display control information for displaying the selection screen 24B reflecting the state of the occupant of the vehicle B determined by the determination unit 222B.

[0124] For example, among the passengers PB1, PB2, PB3 and PB4 of the vehicle B, passengers PB1, PB2 and PB3 are near the connection portion. Therefore, the images representing passengers PB1, PB2 and PB3 are displayed differently from the images representing passenger PB4 who is not near the connection portion.

[0125] In addition, passenger PB2 is a passenger who receives the service provided from service server 7 using orderer terminal 8. Therefore, image 24B-2 indicating service information of the order number such as "A104" is recorded adjacent to the image representing passenger PB2. At this time, passenger PB2 can become a communication partner passenger with the passengers of vehicle A. Therefore, the display method of the image representing passenger PB2 is changed so as to further distinguish it from the images representing passengers PB1 and PB3. For example, the color of the image representing passenger PB2 is set to be different from the color of the images representing passengers PB1 and PB3.

[0126] exist Fig.14 In the example shown, the surrounding image 24B-1 is located at a position surrounding the image of the passenger PB2. When the surrounding image 24B-1 surrounds the passenger image, the button image 24B-4 with the word "determine" is pressed using the operation unit 25, thereby determining the passenger surrounded by the surrounding image 24B-1 as the communication partner with the passenger of the vehicle A. In addition, by pressing the button image 24B-3 with the word "release" using the operation unit 25, the connection between the vehicle A and the vehicle B is released.

[0127] The information acquisition unit 221 acquires service information (for example, order number "A104") related to a specific service requested by the passenger PB2 of the vehicle B from the service server 7 using the orderer terminal 8. The display processing unit 225A outputs display control information to the display unit 24, and the display control information is used to display the passenger PB2 who requested the service as a selection target candidate on the selection screen 24B together with the service information. The determination unit 222B determines that the passenger PB2 selected using the selection screen 24B displayed on the display unit 24 is an exchange target passenger.

[0128] The movement planning unit 223C prepares a movement plan for connecting vehicle A and vehicle B at a location where communication partner passengers can easily communicate with each other.

[0129] For example, when the movement planning unit 223C determines that the communication partner passenger with passenger CA of vehicle A is passenger PB2 of vehicle B using the selection screen 24B, it formulates a movement plan to connect vehicle A and vehicle B at a position where passenger CA and passenger PB2 can easily communicate.

[0130] The movement control unit 224 outputs the moving body control information for causing the vehicle A and the vehicle B to move according to the movement plan prepared by the movement planning unit 223C, thereby connecting the vehicle A and the vehicle B. Fig.15 FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the outline of the connected vehicle A and vehicle B in Embodiment 3. Fig.15 As shown, since the vehicle A and the vehicle B are connected at a position where the passenger CA and the passenger PB2 face each other, the passenger CA and the passenger PB2 can communicate directly with each other.

[0131] Fig.16 This is a flowchart showing the information processing method of the third embodiment.

[0132] The information acquisition unit 221 acquires the moving body position information of the vehicle A and the vehicle B, and the occupant detection information of the states of the occupants of the vehicle A and the vehicle B (step ST1D).

[0133] The determination unit 222B determines the states of the occupants of vehicle A and vehicle B based on the occupant detection information (step ST2D). At this time, the determination unit 222B identifies the occupants of vehicle B who are receiving the service provided by the service server 7 based on the service information acquired by the information acquisition unit 221.

[0134] The display processing unit 225A causes the display unit 24 to display the selection screen 24B based on the state of the passenger of the vehicle B. The passenger of the vehicle A uses the operation unit 25 to select a passenger (subscriber) from the selection screen 24B (step ST3D). The determination unit 222B determines that the passenger selected from the selection screen 24B is a communication partner. Here, it is assumed that the passenger PB2 is determined to be a communication partner with the passenger CA.

[0135] The movement planning unit 223C prepares a movement plan for the moving body to be connected at a position where the communication partner passengers can easily communicate with each other (step ST4D).

[0136] The movement control unit 224 outputs the moving body control information for causing the vehicles A and B to move according to the movement plan to the vehicles A and B, thereby connecting the vehicles A and B (step ST5D). Thus, when the vehicles A and B are connected, the communication target passengers are in a position where they can easily communicate with each other, so that the passengers can communicate directly between the vehicles A and B.

[0137] Fig.17 This is a flowchart showing the vehicle decoupling process in the third embodiment.

[0138] The display processing unit 225 causes the display unit 24 to display the selection screen 24B.

[0139] The occupant of vehicle A presses the button image 24B- 3 labeled “release” in the selection screen 24B using the operation unit 25 , and requests release of the connection between vehicle A and vehicle B (step ST1E).

[0140] When receiving the request to release the connection between vehicle A and vehicle B, the movement planning unit 223C creates a movement plan for releasing the connection between vehicle A and vehicle B (step ST2E).

[0141] The movement control unit 224 generates the moving body control information for releasing the connection according to the above-mentioned movement plan, and outputs the generated moving body control information to the vehicle control device 5 of the vehicle A and the vehicle B. The vehicle control device 5 controls the travel of the vehicle A and the vehicle B based on the moving body control information to release the connection between the vehicle A and the vehicle B (step ST3E).

[0142] Thereby, the connection between the vehicle A and the vehicle B can be released in response to the connection release request.

[0143] In the information processing device 2C of the third embodiment, the information acquisition unit 221 acquires service information related to the specific service requested by the passenger. The display processing unit 225A outputs display control information to the display unit 24, and the display control information is used to display the passenger who requested the service and the service information as selection object candidates on the selection screen. Thus, the information processing device 2C can select the passenger who requested the provision of the specific service using the selection screen 24B. In addition, when the vehicle A and the vehicle B are connected, the communication object passengers are in a position where they can easily communicate with each other, so the information processing device 2C can enable the passengers to communicate directly between the vehicle A and the vehicle B.

[0144] Furthermore, the respective embodiments may be combined, or arbitrary components of the respective embodiments may be modified, or arbitrary components may be omitted in the respective embodiments.

[0145] Industrial Applicability

[0146] The information processing device disclosed in the present invention can be used, for example, for a service in which passengers exchange items with each other in an autonomous driving vehicle.

[0147] Description of Reference Numerals

[0148] 1, 1A to 1C mobile body control system, 2, 2A to 2C information processing device, 3 network, 4 sensor group, 5 vehicle control device, 6 communication device, 7 service server, 8 orderer terminal, 21 communication unit, 22, 22A to 22C calculation unit, 23 storage unit, 24 display unit, 24A, 24B selection screen, 24A-1 to 24A-4, 24B-1 to 24B-4 image, 25 operation unit, 100 communication interface, 101 input and output interface, 102 processor, 103 memory, 221, 221A information acquisition unit, 222, 222A, 222B determination unit, 223, 223B, 223C movement planning unit, 224, 224A movement control unit, 225, 225A display processing unit.

Claims

1. An information processing device for controlling the connection between moving objects, characterized in that: The information processing device comprises: an information acquisition unit that acquires the moving object position information of the moving object and the occupant detection information of the state of the occupant of the moving object; a determination unit that determines a communication partner passenger based on the passenger detection information; a movement planning unit that formulates a movement plan for connecting the moving bodies to each other at a position where the communication partner passengers can easily communicate with each other; as well as The movement control unit outputs movement control information for causing the movement object to move according to the movement plan to connect the movement objects.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that The movement planning unit prepares a movement plan for connecting the moving bodies at positions where the communication partner passengers face each other.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The information acquisition unit acquires detection information of at least one of a position of an occupant in the moving object, a facial orientation of the occupant, or a gesture of the occupant of the moving object, The determination unit determines the communication partner passenger based on at least one of a position of the passenger in the moving object, a facial orientation of the passenger, or a gesture of the passenger of the moving object.

4. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The information processing device includes a display processing unit that outputs display control information for displaying a selection screen for selecting the communication partner passenger to a display unit. The determination unit determines that the occupant selected using the selection screen displayed on the display unit is the communication partner occupant.

5. The information processing device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The information acquisition unit acquires service information related to a specific service requested by the passenger. The display processing unit outputs the display control information to the display unit, the display control information being used to display the passenger who has requested the service as a selection target candidate together with the service information on the selection screen.

6. A mobile control system, characterized in that: The mobile control system comprises: a plurality of the moving bodies moving based on the moving body control information; and The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. An information processing method, which is an information processing method executed by an information processing device for controlling the connection between moving bodies, characterized in that: The information processing method comprises the following steps: The information acquisition unit acquires the moving object position information of the moving object and the occupant detection information of the state of the occupant of the moving object; The determination unit determines a communication target passenger based on the passenger detection information; The movement planning unit formulates a movement plan for connecting the moving bodies to each other at a position where the communication object passengers can easily communicate with each other; as well as The movement control unit outputs movement control information for causing the movement object to move according to the movement plan to connect the movement objects.

Images