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

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a non-transitory storage medium capable of appropriately selecting a computing resource for providing a service to a target vehicle. An information processing device according to the present disclosure includes a control unit that executes a process of: acquiring information indicating a first computing resource possessed by each of one or more vehicles and a second computing resource that is a computing resource placed on a network, the first computing resource being a computing resource to be centrally managed, each of the first computing resource and the second computing resource being a computing resource to be centrally managed; and a controller configured to output information indicating a computing resource used in providing a service to the target vehicle selected from the first computing resource and the second computing resource, the one or more vehicles being in a parked state and being in a charged state of a secondary battery provided in each of the one or more vehicles, the secondary battery supplying power to the motor.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] There is a task execution method for a vehicle that determines a vehicle to perform a predetermined task processing from multiple vehicles based on an execution end prediction time (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Prior Art Documents

[0004] Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2017-129921 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a technology capable of appropriately selecting computing resources for providing services to target vehicles.

[0008] Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] One aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing apparatus including a control unit that performs the following processing: obtaining information indicating first computing resources respectively possessed by one or more vehicles, which are computing resources centrally managed, and second computing resources, which are computing resources placed on a network; and outputting information indicating computing resources selected from the first computing resources and the second computing resources and used in providing services to a target vehicle, where the one or more vehicles are respectively in a parked state and in a charging state of a secondary battery that supplies power to an electric motor provided in each of the one or more vehicles.

[0010] Another aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing method in which an information processing apparatus performs the following processing: obtaining information indicating first computing resources respectively possessed by one or more vehicles, which are computing resources centrally managed, and second computing resources, which are computing resources placed on a network; and outputting information indicating computing resources selected from the first computing resources and the second computing resources and used in providing services to a target vehicle, where the one or more vehicles are respectively in a parked state and in a charging state of a secondary battery that supplies power to an electric motor provided in each of the one or more vehicles.

[0011] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium storing a program, wherein the program causes a computer to perform the following processing: obtaining information respectively representing a first computing resource of each of one or more vehicles, which are computing resources to be centrally managed, and a second computing resource, which is a computing resource placed on a network; and outputting information representing a computing resource selected from the first computing resource and the second computing resource and used in providing a service to an object vehicle, wherein the one or more vehicles are respectively in a parked state and in a charging state of a secondary battery that supplies power to an electric motor provided in each of the one or more vehicles.

[0012] Other aspects of the present disclosure may include an information processing system including the above-described information processing device, and the like.

[0013] Advantageous Effects of the Invention

[0014] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to appropriately select a computing resource for providing a service to an object vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 FIG. is a diagram showing a structural example of an information processing system.

[0016] Figure 2A FIG. is a diagram showing a structural example of an information processing device (server). Figure 2B FIG. is a diagram showing a structural example of an information processing device (terminal) mounted on a vehicle.

[0017] Figure 3 FIG. is a functional block diagram of a management server.

[0018] Figure 4A FIG. is a diagram showing a data structure example of a network database (network DB). Figure 4B FIG. is a diagram showing a data structure example of a vehicle database (vehicle DB). Figure 4C FIG. is a diagram showing a data structure example of a management database (management DB).

[0019] Figure 5 FIG. is a sequence diagram showing a processing example in an information processing system.

[0020] Figure 6 FIG. is a flowchart showing a processing example related to reallocation of computing resources. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In all the drawings of the following embodiments, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In addition, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described below. Among the structural elements in the following embodiments, there are also structural elements that can be easily replaced by those skilled in the art or substantially identical structural elements.

[0022] <Information Processing System>

[0023] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing a structural example of an information processing system. In Figure 1 the information processing system includes a network 1, a plurality of cloud servers 2, a plurality of edge servers 3, and a management server 6. In addition, the information processing system includes a vehicle 4 having a terminal 5 that can communicate with the cloud server 2 or the edge server 3 via the network 1.

[0024] The network 1 is a public communication network such as the Internet, for example. The cloud server 2, the edge server 3, the management server 6, and the terminal 5 are respectively connected via a wired or wireless access network (including a cellular network). The wireless communication network as the access network to the network 1 conforms to or follows the wireless communication standard that the terminal 5 can utilize. Although the wireless communication standard is, for example, 4G (LTE (Long Term Evolution)), 5G, wireless LAN (Local Area Network: including Wi-Fi), and BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), it can also be other standards than these.

[0025] The cloud server 2 receives a request from the terminal 5 and provides services for the vehicle 4 equipped with the terminal 5 (for example, a service for providing various kinds of information, etc.). The information is, for example, the information requested to be provided from the terminal 5, the information sent to the terminal 5 under a predetermined trigger, the information indicating the analysis result of the information obtained from the terminal 5, etc. The information can include traffic information, information indicating the environment around the vehicle 4, or emergency information such as an earthquake. However, in the present disclosure, the category of the service is not considered.

[0026] When the distance of the edge server 3 from the vehicle 4 is closer than that of the cloud server 2, the edge server 3 performs an interaction with the terminal 5 instead of the cloud server 2. The number of edge servers 3 relative to one cloud server 2 can be 1 or 2 or more.

[0027] In Figure 1 a plurality of operators respectively have the cloud server 2 and the edge server 3. In Figure 1Among them, as multiple operators, three operators A, B, and C are exemplified. Operator A has a cloud server 2a and an edge server 3a, operator B has a cloud server 2b and an edge server 3b, and operator C has a cloud server 2c and an edge server 3c. However, the number of cloud servers 2 and the number of edge servers 3 that replace the cloud servers 2 possessed by each operator are arbitrary.

[0028] The vehicle 4 is an EV (Electric Vehicle), and is a vehicle equipped with a motor for driving drive wheels and a secondary battery (sometimes also referred to as a storage battery or rechargeable battery) that supplies driving power to the motor. EVs include plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs, Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles), fuel cell vehicles (FCVs, Fuel Cell Vehicles), and battery electric vehicles (BEVs, Battery Electric Vehicles), etc.

[0029] The terminal 5 connects to the cloud server 2 or the edge server 3 and receives service provision through data transmission and reception. When receiving service provision, the terminal 5 sends a message (referred to as a "service request message") requesting service provision to the management server 6.

[0030] The management server 6 centrally manages the computing resources of the cloud servers 2 and edge servers 3 of two or more operators (operators A, B, and C in Figure 1 ), and the computing resources of the vehicles 4 (referred to as "registered vehicles") registered as computing resource providers.

[0031] The cloud server 2, the edge server 3, and the vehicle 4 (including the terminal 5) each have computing resources for implementing computing (computer processing) for providing services to the vehicle 4 (referred to as the "target vehicle") that is the service recipient. The computing resources are a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory (main storage device) for the CPU to execute programs, and an auxiliary storage device (such as a hard disk) for storing programs or data, etc.

[0032] The management server 6 centrally manages the respective computing resources of the cloud server 2, the edge server 3, and the vehicle 4 (including the terminal 5) that multiple entities (operators and vehicle users) have, and utilizes them in the provision of services to the target vehicle. The computing resources of the vehicle 4 are an example of "first computing resources", and the computing resources of the cloud server 2 and the edge server 3 are an example of "second computing resources as computing resources placed on the network". In addition, among the second computing resources, the computing resources of servers other than the cloud server 2 and the edge server 3 (for example, the management server 6) can be included. In the following description, when collectively referring to the cloud server 2, the edge server 3, and servers other than these servers, the label "server" is used.

[0033] By using the computing resources (first computing resources) of the registered vehicle, the amount of computing resources can be increased compared to the case of using only the second computing resources. However, the computing resources of the vehicle used as the first computing resources are limited to those of the vehicle 4 that is in a parked state and in a charging state of the secondary battery that supplies power to the motor. The following are considered: it can be considered that the amount of available computing resources in the parked state is more than that in states other than the parked state (such as the driving state), and since it is in a parked state (i.e., a fixed position state), the transmission and reception of data related to processing are stable, etc.

[0034] When the management server 6 receives a service request message from the terminal 5, it performs the allocation of computing resources corresponding to the provided service (the allocation of computing resources for the target vehicle). Based on the allocation result of the computing resources, the management server 6 sends instructions to the cloud server 2, the edge server 3, other servers, and the vehicle 4 that are the sources of the provision of computing resources, respectively. The instructions include instructions for ensuring the execution environment (the capacity of the main storage device and the auxiliary storage device, CPU time) of the processing (task) related to the service provision (task scheduling), and instructions for the execution of the task. In the instructions, the processing time can be included, and the ensuring (scheduling) of computing resources can be performed so that the task ends within the processing time. The sources of the provided computing resources that receive the instructions ensure the execution environment of the task and execute the task according to the instructions.

[0035] <Structure of the information processing device>

[0036] Figure 2AA diagram showing a structural example of an information processing apparatus 20 (referred to as "server 20") that can operate as a server, namely, cloud server 2, edge server 3, or management server 6. The information processing apparatus (server) 20 can be configured using a general-purpose computer such as a personal computer (PC) or a workstation (WS), or a dedicated computer such as a server machine. The server 20 has a communication function and can be connected to the network 1 via wire or wirelessly. The server 20 can be a single computer or a collection of two or more computers.

[0037] In Figure 2A it, the server 20 includes a processor 31, a storage device 32, a communication interface (communication IF) 33A, an input device 34, and an output device 35 that are interconnected via a bus 36 and serve as a processing unit or a control unit (controller).

[0038] The storage device 32 includes a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device. The main storage device is used as a storage area for programs and data, an expansion area for programs, a working area for programs, and a buffer area for communication data, etc. The main storage device is composed of a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a combination of a RAM and a ROM (Read Only Memory). The auxiliary storage device is used as a storage area for data and programs. As the auxiliary storage device, for example, non-volatile storage media such as a hard disk, a Solid State Drive (SSD), a flash memory, and an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) can be applied.

[0039] The communication IF 33A is a circuit that performs communication processing and operates as a transmission unit and a reception unit (communication unit). For example, the communication IF 33A is a circuit that performs a wired connection or a wireless connection (LTE, 5G, wireless LAN (Wi-Fi), BLE, etc.). The communication IF 33A is, for example, a network interface card (NIC).

[0040] The input device 34 includes keys, buttons, a pointing device, a touch panel, etc. and is used for inputting information. The input device 34 may also include a microphone (voice input device). The output device 35 is, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, etc., and displays information and data. The output device 35 may also include a speaker (voice output device).

[0041] The processor 31 is, for example, a CPU or the like. The processor 31 implements various processes by executing various programs stored in the storage device 32.

[0042] Figure 2B FIG. is a diagram showing a structural example of the terminal 5. The terminal 5 can be either a terminal installed on the vehicle 4 or a portable terminal held by the driver of the vehicle 4. The portable terminal is, for example, a personal computer (PC), a smartphone, or a tablet terminal, etc.

[0043] In Figure 2B the terminal 5 includes a processor 31, a storage device 32, a wireless communication interface (wireless communication IF) 33B, an input device 34, and an output device 35, which are interconnected via a bus 36 and serve as a processing unit or a control unit (controller). Although the processor 31, the storage device 32, the input device 34, and the output device 35 of the terminal 5 are the same devices as those of the server 20, their performance or storage capacity can also be different. The wireless communication IF 33B is a circuit that performs wireless communication according to a predetermined wireless communication standard. The wireless communication IF 33B can include a communication device called a DCM (Data Communication module).

[0044] In addition, as the above-mentioned processor 31, multiple CPUs can be applied, or a multi-core CPU can be applied. At least a part of the processes implemented by the CPU can also be implemented by a processor other than the CPU, such as a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) or a GPU (Graphical Processing Unit). In addition, at least a part of the processes implemented by the CPU can also be implemented by a dedicated or general-purpose integrated circuit (hardware). The integrated circuit includes an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc. Alternatively, at least a part of the processes implemented by the CPU can also be executed through a combination of a processor and an integrated circuit. The combination is called, for example, a microcontroller (MCU), a SoC (System-on-a-chip), a system LSI, or a chipset, etc. The above-mentioned processor 31, integrated circuit, and combination are each an example of circuitry.

[0045] Figure 3This is a diagram showing the structural example of the management server 6. The server 20 can operate as the management server 6 including the communication IF 33A, the processor 31, and the storage device 32 by the processor 31 executing programs stored in the storage device 32 and the like.

[0046] In the storage device 32, a network DB 32a, a vehicle DB 32b, a service database (service DB) 32c, and a management database (management DB) 32d are stored.

[0047] The network DB 32a stores information about various servers (cloud server 2, edge server 3, and other servers) that are sources for providing computing resources.

[0048] Figure 4A This shows an example of the data structure of the network DB 32a. The network DB 32a has a table structure composed of records (entries) for each server. The entries include "ID", "carrier information", "service category", "server category", "status (fault)", "CPU resources", "storage resources", and "resource usage status".

[0049] As "ID", the unique identification information (ID) assigned to each server is stored. As "carrier information", information associated with the carrier that operates or manages the server is stored. As "service category", information indicating the category of the service provided by the server is stored. In "status (fault)", information indicating the presence or absence of faults such as device faults or communication faults of the server (e.g., "normal" or "abnormal") is stored. In "CPU resources", information indicating the performance of the CPU (e.g., the amount of computation per unit time) is stored. In "resource usage status", for example, information indicating the usage status of computing resources such as the usage amount of the main storage device, the usage amount (usage rate) of the auxiliary storage device, the CPU usage rate, and the data transfer amount is stored.

[0050] In the vehicle DB 32b, information related to the registered vehicles is stored. Figure 4B This is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the vehicle DB 32b. The vehicle DB 32b has a table structure composed of records (entries) for each registered vehicle that is a source for providing computing resources. The entries include "vehicle ID", "user information", "vehicle information", "charging-related information", "status (fault)", "CPU resources", "storage resources", and "resource usage status".

[0051] In the "Vehicle ID", the inherent identification information of the registered vehicle, i.e., the vehicle ID, is stored. As the "User Information", information related to the user (vehicle owner) of the registered vehicle and associated with the manager of the registered vehicle is stored. As the "Vehicle Information", information associated with the registered vehicle is stored. As the "Charging-related Information", information indicating that the registered vehicle is in a parked state and charging (charging status), and information indicating the scheduled time of completion of charging are stored. As the "CPU Resources", "Storage Resources", and "Resource Usage Status", information indicating the CPU resources, storage resources, and resource usage status related to the registered vehicle is stored.

[0052] In the service DB32c, information indicating the service category, information indicating one or more tasks required for the provision of the service, information indicating the amount of computing resources required for the execution of each task, etc. are stored.

[0053] In the management DB32d, information indicating the computing resources used in the provision of services to the target vehicle is stored. Figure 4C An example of the data structure representing the management DB32d. The management DB32d has a table structure composed of records (entries) for each target vehicle. The entry includes "Vehicle ID", "Requested Service Category", "Requested Resource Amount", "Resource Provider", and "Processing Time".

[0054] As the "Vehicle ID", the inherent identification information of the target vehicle, i.e., the vehicle ID, is stored. As the "Requested Service Category", information indicating the category of the service (referred to as "requested service") requested (desired) to be provided by the target vehicle is stored. In addition, as the "Requested Resource Amount", information indicating the tasks required for the provision of the requested service and the amount of their computing resources is stored.

[0055] As the "Resource Provider", information indicating the servers and vehicles providing computing resources, and information indicating the amount of computing resources (CPU resources and storage resources) provided by each of the servers and vehicles, etc. are stored. In the processing time, information indicating the start time and scheduled end time of the task, etc., representing the processing time of the task (the time of providing (lending) computing resources) is stored.

[0056] Figure 5 A sequence diagram showing the processing example in the information processing system. In Figure 5 , the target vehicle sends a service request message ( Figure 5 <1>) to the management server 6. The management server 6 that receives the service request message collects various information including information related to computing resources from the server group (cloud server 2, edge server 3, and other servers), and the vehicle 4 that can provide computing resources ( Figure 5 <2>).

[0057] The management server 6 stores the collected information in the network DB 32a and the vehicle DB 32b, thereby updating these DBs. Figure 5 <3>. That is, the processor 31 of the management server 6 uses the service category included in the received service request message to access the service DB 32c. The processor 31 reads (acquires) the following information from the service DB 32c, that is, the information indicating the tasks corresponding to the service category and the amount of computing resources, that is, the tasks required for the provision of the service and the requested resource amount. The processor 31 associates the information indicating the vehicle ID and the service category of the target vehicle included in the service request message with the information indicating the tasks and the requested resource amount read from the service DB 32c and stores them in the empty entry of the management DB 32d.

[0058] Based on the tasks and the requested resource amount related to the target vehicle stored in the management DB 32d and the information stored in the network DB 32a and the vehicle DB 32b, the processor 31 of the management server 6 selects the computing resources to be assigned to the tasks from the server group and the vehicle 4 in the parking state and the charging state. Figure 5 <4>. At this time, the processor 31 selects in such a way that the selection result of the source of the computing resource provision includes the server and the vehicle 4. However, there may be a case where the vehicle 4 is not included in the selection result (when one or more servers are selected), or a case where the server is not included in the selection result (only one or two or more vehicles 4).

[0059] Although the selection method is not particularly limited, it is preferably based on the usage status of the respective computing resources of the server and the vehicle 4 to implement the selection of computing resources. For example, the selection can also be implemented in a manner that does not cause deviations among operators. In addition, regarding the server and the vehicle 4, the priority order of selection can also be specified in advance. For example, the selection of the server or the vehicle 4 can also be implemented in the order from the largest to the smallest amount of computing resources that can be provided. In addition, regarding the vehicle 4, the selection can also be implemented in the order from the latest to the earliest scheduled charging completion time. In the selection, the processor 31 refers to the network DB 32a and the vehicle DB 32b, and excludes from the selection candidates the servers and vehicles for which "status (fault)" indicates an abnormality, that is, the servers and vehicles in a fault state. In addition, the processor 31 excludes from the selection candidates the vehicles in the vehicle 4 that are in a driving state and the vehicles that are not in a charging state (non-charging state). Further, the vehicle 4 in the vehicle 4 for which the time until the scheduled charging completion time is shorter than the threshold value can also be excluded from the selection candidates. In addition, the servers and the vehicle 4 for which the computing resources that can be provided (idle state) are less than the threshold value can also be excluded from the selection candidates.

[0060] In addition, it can also be a structure in which a service category is associated with the server and the vehicle in advance and a combination of the server and the vehicle corresponding to the service category is selected. In addition, it can also be a structure in which the server and the vehicle 4 are selected in the order from the closest to the farthest distance from the target vehicle. The management server 6 stores the information of the selected server and the vehicle 4 in the "resource provider" in the entry of the target vehicle in the management DB 32d, and stores the information indicating the tasks to be executed by each server and the vehicle 4 and their processing times in the "processing time" in the entry of the target vehicle.

[0061] The management server 6 sends a message of a task request to each of the server and the vehicle 4 selected as the provider of the computing resources ( Figure 5 <5> and Figure 5 <6>). In the management server 6, the network addresses of the server and the vehicle 4 are known. The message of the task request includes information indicating the content of the task (processing), information indicating the computing resources required for task execution, an instruction for task scheduling, etc. In the message of the task request, a specified processing time is included, and it is possible to instruct to implement scheduling in such a way that the execution of the task is completed within the specified processing time. In addition, the transmission destination (recipient) of the execution result of the task, that is, the information indicating the method (such as the network address of the recipient) for sending the information (generated) obtained through task execution to the target vehicle is also included in the message of the task request.

[0062] Upon receiving the message of the task request, each server implements the scheduling of the task requested to be executed according to the instructions in the message of the task request, and executes the task (processing). Figure 5 <7>). Then, as a processing result, each server sends the information obtained through the execution of the task (information related to service provision) to the target vehicle.

[0063] Each vehicle 4 that has received the message of the task request also implements the scheduling of the task (processing) requested to be executed according to the instructions in the message of the task request, and executes the task Figure 5 <7>). Then, as a processing result, each vehicle 4 sends the information obtained through the execution of the task (information related to service provision) to the target vehicle. The information related to service provision may also be different from the above and is sent to the target vehicle via the management server 6. The target vehicle can receive the provision of the requested service by receiving and using the information related to service provision.

[0064] The server and the vehicle respectively send information (completion report) indicating that information related to service provision has been sent to the target vehicle to the management server 6 ( Figure 5 <11> and Figure 5 <12>). When the management server 6 receives the completion report from the vehicle 4 (registered vehicle), it sends information indicating a reward for the user (vehicle owner) of the registered vehicle ( Figure 5 <13>). For the information indicating the reward, for example, a coupon indicating a discount on the fee when the user (vehicle owner) of the registered vehicle receives the service provision, or a discount when purchasing goods, etc. can be considered. However, the content of the reward can be set appropriately. The provision of such information indicating the reward is an optional item.

[0065] In addition, the management server 6 may also send a response message to the target vehicle at a predetermined timing such as when sending the message of the task request to the server and the vehicle 4, or when receiving the information indicating the sending of the processing result from the server and the vehicle.

[0066] Figure 6 It is a flowchart showing a processing example related to the redistribution of computing resources. Figure 6 The processing shown is implemented by the management server 6 (processor 31). In step S001, the management server 6 waits for the reception of a failure message. The failure message is a message indicating a device failure of the server or the vehicle 4 (terminal 5), or a network failure. The failure message includes information about the server or the vehicle 4 that is the source of the failure, information indicating the time point of the occurrence of the failure (log), and information indicating the category of the failure, etc.

[0067] The source of the failure message is the server or vehicle 4, or the monitoring device of the server or vehicle 4. In addition, the failure message can adopt the following structure, that is, in the case of a failure other than a device failure and a network failure, such as the charger being removed before the secondary battery of the vehicle 4 is fully charged, etc., when the charging state is released before the scheduled full charge time, it is published (sent). Or, the failure message can also adopt the following structure, that is, in the case where it is determined that the appropriate execution of the task cannot be performed due to an increase in load caused by exception handling in the server or vehicle 4, etc., it is published. That is, it can also adopt a structure in which reallocation (redistribution) of computing resources is implemented based on the usage status of the computing resources in the server or vehicle 4.

[0068] In step S002, when the management server 6 receives a failure message, based on the information indicating the source of the failure, it updates the "status (failure)" of the entry of the server or vehicle 4 that is the source of the failure message. That is, when receiving a failure message indicating a server failure, it updates the corresponding server entry in the network DB32a, and when receiving a failure message indicating a failure of the vehicle 4, it updates the corresponding vehicle entry in the vehicle DB32b.

[0069] In step S003, the management server 6 determines whether reallocation of computing resources is required. That is, the management server 6 determines whether a failure has occurred before the completion of the task execution based on the log indicating the time point of the failure included in the failure message and the processing time in the task request. The time point of the failure occurrence refers to the time point when it is inferred that the device failure, network failure, release of the charging state, etc., which damages the condition for the computing resource provider to continue. If the failure occurrence time point is earlier than the scheduled task completion time, it is determined that no reallocation is required. In contrast, if the failure occurrence time point is later than the scheduled task completion time, it is determined that reallocation of computing resources (redistribution of computing resources for the target vehicle) is required.

[0070] In step S003, when it is determined that no reallocation is required, Figure 6 the processing ends. In contrast, when it is determined that reallocation is required, the processing proceeds to step S004.

[0071] In step S004, the management server 6 performs a redistribution process. That is, it selects a server or vehicle 4 to replace the source of the failure considering the content of the task (the content of the task request) that has been assigned to the source of the failure. At this time, one or more servers and vehicle 4 are selected.

[0072] In step S005, the management server 6 sends a message of a task request to the server or vehicle 4 selected in step S004. In step S006, the management server 6 sends a response message for the failure message. Thus, the situation where the processing corresponding to the failure message has been implemented is notified to the source of the failure message.

[0073] In the information processing system according to the embodiment, for the management server 6, the network DB32a, the vehicle DB32b, the service DB32c, and the management DB32d are provided in the storage device 32, and the computing resources of the servers and the vehicle 4 (registered vehicle) are centrally managed. The management server 6 centrally manages the computing resources (first computing resources) respectively possessed by one or more vehicles 4 and the computing resources of each server, i.e., the computing resources (second computing resources) placed on the network 1. The management server 6 receives a message of a service request and collects (acquires) information indicating the first and second computing resources ( Figure 5 <2>). Then, the processor 31 (control unit) of the management server 6 outputs information indicating the computing resources selected from the first computing resources and the second computing resources and used in providing a service to the target vehicle ( Figure 5 <4>). At this time, the vehicle 4 that is in a parking state and in a charging state of the secondary battery that supplies power to the motor possessed by the registered vehicle is treated as a registered vehicle and as a source for providing computing resources. Thus, more computing resources can be provided in a state where the position of the vehicle 4 is stable than that of the vehicle 4 in a traveling state. Thus, the computing resources for providing a service to the target vehicle can be appropriately selected.

[0074] The processor 31 (control unit) of the management server 6 can allocate the computing resources (second computing resources) of the server and the computing resources (first resources) of the registered vehicle as the computing resources related to the target vehicle. The processor 31 (control unit) of the management server 6 can select the first computing resources based on the respective charging times (predetermined charging completion times) of one or more vehicles 4 ( Figure 5 <4>). For example, the vehicle 4 with a later predetermined charging completion time can be preferentially selected.

[0075] The second computing resources can be selected from at least one of the computing resources possessed by the cloud server 2, the computing resources possessed by the edge server 3, and the computing resources possessed by a server other than the cloud server 2 and the edge server 3 (e.g., the management server 6) ( Figure 5 <4>).

[0076] In an embodiment, the second computing resource is a set of computing resources possessed by respective devices of multiple carriers related to the provision of services. The processor 31 (control unit) of the management server 6 can determine the computing resources allocated to the target vehicle from among the second computing resources based on a network-related failure monitoring result common among the multiple carriers. Figure 5 <4>

[0077] The processor 31 (control unit) of the management server 6 can determine (select) the first and second computing resources allocated to the target vehicle according to the usage status of the centrally managed computing resources. Figure 5 <4> Figure 6 )

[0078] The processor 31 (control unit) of the management server 6 can output information indicating a reward for the owner or user of the vehicle 4 (registered vehicle) that provides the first computing resource to the target vehicle. Figure 5 <13>) Thus, it is possible to promote the provision of the vehicle 4 as a registered vehicle by the owner or user of the vehicle 4.

[0079] According to the embodiment, it is possible to centrally manage the computing resources (computing resources) of the vehicle 4, the server, etc., and optimally allocate the required amount from the centrally managed resources according to the processing amount required in the services used by each vehicle 4, suppressing the securing of resources more than necessary and reducing costs. In addition, compared with the case where multiple carriers manage the computing resources separately, it is possible to minimize the processing load for switching connections to the computing resources when a failure or the like occurs, and compared with the case of effectively using one carrier, the performance can be improved.

[0080] In addition, in the embodiment, failure monitoring across multiple carriers is implemented. In addition, it is possible to grasp the resource status and adjust the failure avoidance or optimal allocation of the entire processing resources, or optimize the load dispersion between processing systems. In addition, when effectively using the computing resources of multiple carriers, it is possible to achieve consistent security assurance. That is, in the Figure 1 information processing system shown, it is possible to implement consistent security measures for the servers and vehicles that are the sources of the centrally managed computing resources.

[0081] In addition, the order of processing in the sequence diagrams and flowcharts in this specification can be changed within a non-contradictory range.

[0082] In the present disclosure, the processes or means described can be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradiction is generated. In addition, the processes described as being implemented by one device can also be executed by sharing among multiple devices. Or, the processes described as being implemented by different devices can also be executed by one device without problem. In a computer system, it is possible to flexibly change the hardware structure (server structure) for implementing each function.

[0083] The present disclosure can also be implemented by supplying a computer program installed with the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer and having one or more processors of the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program can be provided to the computer either through a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the system bus of the computer or via a network. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media include, for example, any type of disk such as a magnetic disk (e.g., floppy disk (registered trademark), hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (e.g., CD-ROM, DVD disk, Blu-ray disk, etc.), read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), EPROM, EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), magnetic card, flash memory, optical card, and any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions.

[0084] Symbol Explanation

[0085] 1... Network; 2... Cloud server; 3... Edge server; 4... Vehicle; 5... Terminal; 6... Management server; 31... Processor; 32... Storage device.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising a control unit that performs the following processing: Obtaining information representing, respectively, the first computing resources possessed by each of one or more vehicles, which are computing resources to be centrally managed, and the second computing resources, which are computing resources placed on a network; Outputting information representing the computing resources selected from the first computing resources and the second computing resources and used in providing services to the target vehicle; Each of the one or more vehicles is in a parked state and in a charging state of a secondary battery that supplies power to an electric motor provided in each of the one or more vehicles.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The control unit allocates the first computing resources and the second resources as the computing resources related to the target vehicle.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The control unit selects the first computing resources based on the charging time of each of the one or more vehicles.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The second computing resources are selected from at least one of the computing resources possessed by a cloud server, the computing resources possessed by an edge server, and the computing resources possessed by a server other than the cloud server and the edge server.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The second computing resources are a set of computing resources possessed by devices of respective multiple operators related to the provision of the service, The control unit determines the computing resources allocated to the target vehicle from the second computing resources based on a failure monitoring result related to the network that is common among the multiple operators.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The control unit determines the first computing resources and the second computing resources allocated to the target vehicle according to the usage status of the centrally managed computing resources.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The control unit outputs information representing a reward for the owner or user of the vehicle that provides the first computing resources to the target vehicle.

8. An information processing method, in which An information processing apparatus performs the following processing: Obtaining information representing, respectively, the first computing resources possessed by each of one or more vehicles, which are computing resources to be centrally managed, and the second computing resources, which are computing resources placed on a network; Outputting information representing the computing resources selected from the first computing resources and the second computing resources and used in providing services to the target vehicle; Each of the one or more vehicles is in a parked state and in a charging state of a secondary battery that supplies power to an electric motor provided in each of the one or more vehicles.

9. The information processing method according to claim 8, wherein The information processing apparatus allocates the first computing resources and the second resources as the computing resources related to the target vehicle.

10. The information processing method according to claim 8, wherein The information processing device selects the first computing resource based on the charging time of each of the one or more vehicles.

11. The information processing method according to claim 8, wherein the second computing resource is selected from at least one of the computing resources possessed by a cloud server, the computing resources possessed by an edge server, and the computing resources possessed by a server other than the cloud server and the edge server.

12. The information processing method according to claim 8, wherein the second computing resource is a set of the computing resources possessed by devices of respective multiple operators related to the provision of the service, and the information processing device determines the computing resources allocated to the target vehicle among the second computing resources based on a failure monitoring result related to the network that is common among the multiple operators.

13. The information processing method according to claim 8, wherein the information processing device determines the first computing resource and the second computing resource allocated to the target vehicle according to the usage status of the centrally managed computing resources.

14. The information processing method according to claim 8, wherein the information processing device outputs information indicating a reward for the owner or user of the vehicle that provides the first computing resource to the target vehicle.

15. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium storing a program, wherein the program causes a computer to perform the following processing: acquire information respectively indicating a first computing resource possessed by each of one or more vehicles as the centrally managed computing resources and a second computing resource which is a computing resource placed on a network; output information indicating the computing resource used in the provision of the service to the target vehicle, which is selected from the first computing resource and the second computing resource, wherein each of the one or more vehicles is in a parked state and in a charging state of a secondary battery that supplies power to an electric motor provided in each of the one or more vehicles.

16. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium storing a program according to claim 15, wherein the computer is caused to perform the following processing: allocate the first computing resource and the second resource as the computing resources related to the target vehicle.

17. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium storing a program according to claim 15, wherein the computer is caused to select the first computing resource based on the charging time of each of the one or more vehicles.

18. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium storing a program according to claim 15, wherein the second computing resource is selected from at least one of the computing resources possessed by a cloud server, the computing resources possessed by an edge server, and the computing resources possessed by a server other than the cloud server and the edge server.

19. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium storing a program according to claim 15, wherein the second computing resource is a set of the computing resources possessed by devices of respective multiple operators related to the provision of the service Cause the computer to determine, based on fault monitoring results related to the network that are common among the multiple operators, the computing resources in the second computing resources that are allocated to the target vehicle.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program according to claim 15, wherein Cause the computer to determine the first computing resource and the second computing resource allocated to the target vehicle according to the usage status of the centrally managed computing resources.

Images