Vehicle control method, apparatus, device, and storage medium

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a vehicle control method, apparatus, device and storage medium. The method comprises: in response to receiving a return request for a target vehicle, determining at least one set of reference distances between the target vehicle and at least one reference vehicle, each set of reference distances comprising a plurality of reference distances corresponding to a plurality of first measurement points of the target vehicle, each reference distance indicating a distance between a corresponding first measurement point of the target vehicle and a second measurement point of a corresponding position of the respective reference vehicle; determining, based on the at least one set of reference distances, whether a relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the at least one reference vehicle meets a return condition; and based on determining that the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the at least one reference vehicle meets the return condition, performing a response to the return request.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to the field of computers, and particularly to vehicle control methods, apparatus, devices, computer-readable storage media, and computer program products. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, shared vehicles have become an important part of urban transportation. They allow users to temporarily rent vehicles for short-distance travel, offering high flexibility, convenience, and practicality. To maintain traffic order and the urban environment, service providers typically require users to park shared vehicles in designated return areas after use. However, the neatness of shared vehicle parking within these return areas still needs improvement. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In a first aspect of this disclosure, a vehicle control method is provided. The method includes: in response to receiving a return request for a target vehicle, determining at least one set of reference distances between the target vehicle and at least one reference vehicle, each set of reference distances including multiple reference distances corresponding to multiple first measurement points of the target vehicle, each reference distance indicating the distance between a corresponding first measurement point of the target vehicle and a second measurement point at a corresponding position of the corresponding reference vehicle; determining, based on the at least one set of reference distances, whether the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the at least one reference vehicle meets the return conditions; and executing a response to the return request based on the determination that the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the at least one reference vehicle meets the return conditions.

[0004] In a second aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus for vehicle control is provided. The apparatus includes: a receiving module configured to, in response to receiving a return request for a target vehicle, determine at least one set of reference distances between the target vehicle and at least one reference vehicle, each set of reference distances including multiple reference distances corresponding to multiple first measurement points of the target vehicle, each reference distance indicating the distance between a corresponding first measurement point of the target vehicle and a second measurement point at a corresponding position of the corresponding reference vehicle; a determining module configured to, based on the at least one set of reference distances, determine whether the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and at least one reference vehicle meets the return conditions; and an execution module configured to, based on the determination that the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and at least one reference vehicle meets the return conditions, execute a response to the return request.

[0005] In a third aspect of this disclosure, an electronic device is provided. The device includes at least one processing unit; and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processing unit and storing instructions for execution by the at least one processing unit. When executed by the at least one processing unit, the instructions cause the electronic device to perform the method of the first aspect.

[0006] In a fourth aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. A computer program is stored on the medium, which, when executed by a processor, implements the method of the first aspect.

[0007] In a fifth aspect of this disclosure, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the method of the first aspect.

[0008] It should be understood that the description in this section is not intended to limit the key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to restrict the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0009] The above and other features, advantages, and aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure will become more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. In the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements, wherein:

[0010] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an example environment in which embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented is shown;

[0011] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating a vehicle control process according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0012] Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating an example scenario of vehicle control according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0013] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating an example process of vehicle control according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0014] Figure 5 A schematic structural block diagram of a device for vehicle control according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; and

[0015] Figure 6 A block diagram of an electronic device that can implement one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0016] Embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While some embodiments of this disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that this disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of this disclosure. It should be understood that the accompanying drawings and embodiments of this disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0017] In the description of embodiments of this disclosure, the term "comprising" and similar terms should be understood as open-ended inclusion, i.e., "including but not limited to". The term "based on" should be understood as "at least partially based on". The term "one embodiment" or "the embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment". The term "some embodiments" should be understood as "at least some embodiments". Other explicit and implicit definitions may also be included below.

[0018] In this document, unless explicitly stated otherwise, performing a step in response to A does not mean that the step is performed immediately after A, but may include one or more intermediate steps.

[0019] It is understood that the data involved in this technical solution (including but not limited to the data itself, the acquisition, use, storage or deletion of the data) shall comply with the requirements of relevant laws, regulations and related provisions.

[0020] It is understood that before using the technical solutions disclosed in the various embodiments of this disclosure, relevant users should be informed of the type, scope of use, and usage scenarios of the information involved in this disclosure through appropriate means in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, and authorization should be obtained from the relevant users. Among them, relevant users may include any type of rights holder, such as individuals, enterprises, and groups.

[0021] For example, in response to receiving an active request from a user, a prompt message is sent to the relevant user to clearly inform the user that the requested operation will require obtaining and using the user's information, thereby enabling the relevant user to choose whether to provide information to the software or hardware such as the electronic device, application, server, or storage medium that performs the operation of the technical solution disclosed herein based on the prompt message.

[0022] As an optional but non-restrictive implementation, in response to a user's active request, a prompt message can be sent to the user, such as a pop-up window, where the prompt message can be presented in text format. Furthermore, the pop-up window can also include a selection control allowing the user to choose "agree" or "disagree" to provide information to the electronic device.

[0023] It is understood that the above notification and user authorization process are merely illustrative and do not constitute a limitation on the implementation of this disclosure. Other methods that comply with relevant laws and regulations may also be applied to the implementation of this disclosure.

[0024] As mentioned earlier, shared vehicles have become an important part of urban transportation. They allow users to temporarily rent vehicles for short-distance travel, offering high flexibility, convenience, and practicality. Regarding parking, service providers typically require users to park shared vehicles in designated return areas after use. However, the neatness of vehicle parking within these areas still needs improvement. To maintain traffic order and the urban environment, manual tidying of shared vehicles in each return area is usually required. This not only results in high maintenance costs and low efficiency but also increases the risk of vehicles not being neatly arranged due to untimely maintenance by personnel.

[0025] In view of this, embodiments of the present disclosure provide an improved vehicle control scheme. In this scheme, if a return request for a target vehicle is received, at least one set of reference distances between the target vehicle and at least one reference vehicle is determined. Each set of reference distances includes multiple reference distances corresponding to multiple first measurement points of the target vehicle, each reference distance indicating the distance between a corresponding first measurement point of the target vehicle and a corresponding second measurement point of the corresponding reference vehicle. Based on the at least one set of reference distances, it is determined whether the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and at least one reference vehicle meets the return conditions. If it is determined that the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and at least one reference vehicle meets the return conditions, a response to the return request is executed.

[0026] According to embodiments of this disclosure, by detecting reference distances between multiple measurement points of the target vehicle and multiple measurement points of the reference vehicle, the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the reference vehicle is automatically determined to meet the return conditions. This guides users to properly arrange vehicles, improves maintenance efficiency for shared vehicles, reduces operating costs, and helps maintain traffic order and the urban environment.

[0027] Example Environment

[0028] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an example environment 100 in which embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented is shown. For example... Figure 1 As shown, environment 100 involves vehicle management platform 110, which can provide a management environment for vehicle 130, such as supporting the leasing, operation and maintenance and management of vehicle 130, etc.

[0029] In some embodiments, the vehicle management platform 110 can be deployed on a server device 120, a vehicle 130, or a terminal device 140. For example, the vehicle management platform 110 can run on the server device 120, and a vehicle client corresponding to the vehicle management platform 110 can run on the vehicle 130. The vehicle management platform 110 can provide services to the vehicle client running on the vehicle 130 based on the communication connection between the server device 120 and the vehicle 130. Alternatively, the vehicle management platform 110 can run on the server device 120, and a client of the vehicle management platform 110 can run on the terminal device 140. The vehicle management platform 110 can provide services to the client running on the terminal device 140 based on the communication connection between the server device 120 and the terminal device 140.

[0030] In some embodiments, the server device 120 may be a standalone physical server, a server cluster or distributed system composed of multiple physical servers, or a cloud server providing basic cloud computing services such as cloud services, cloud databases, cloud computing, cloud functions, cloud storage, network services, cloud communication, middleware services, domain name services, security services, content delivery networks, and big data and artificial intelligence platforms. The server device 120 may, for example, include computing systems / servers such as mainframes, edge computing nodes, computing devices in a cloud environment, etc.

[0031] In some embodiments, vehicle 130 may include "automobile," "vehicle," and "complete vehicle," or other similar terms, encompassing general motor vehicles such as sedans, sports utility vehicles (SUVs), multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs), buses, trucks, and other freight or passenger vehicles. This includes two-wheeled vehicles (e.g., electric two-wheelers), three-wheeled vehicles, four-wheeled vehicles, six-wheeled vehicles, etc., and includes hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, gasoline vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles, fuel cell vehicles, and other alternative fuel vehicles, etc. Hybrid vehicles refer to vehicles with two or more power sources, and electric vehicles include pure electric vehicles, range-extended electric vehicles, etc., which are not specifically limited in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0032] In some embodiments of this disclosure, vehicle 130 may be equipped with a positioning unit 132, which can determine the vehicle's location. In some examples, the positioning unit 132 may include, but is not limited to, satellite positioning systems, cellular network positioning systems, WIFI positioning systems, Bluetooth positioning systems, inertial measurement units, etc., and the embodiments of this disclosure do not specifically limit this.

[0033] In some embodiments of this disclosure, vehicle 130 may be equipped with multiple sensors, such as sensor 134-1, sensor 134-2, ..., sensor 134-N, etc., where N is a positive integer. For ease of description, one or more sensors may be collectively referred to as sensor 134 herein. The sensing data acquired by the sensors can be used, at least independently or in conjunction with sensors of other vehicles, to detect distance. For example, a sensor on one vehicle may interact with a sensor on another vehicle to detect the distance between the two sensors. The types of sensors can be diverse. In some examples, sensors may include, but are not limited to, radio frequency identification (RFID) readers, Bluetooth modules, ultra-wideband (UWB) tags, laser rangefinders, ultrasonic rangefinders, etc.

[0034] In some embodiments, terminal device 140 may be any type of mobile terminal, fixed terminal, or portable terminal, including mobile phones, desktop computers, laptop computers, notebook computers, netbook computers, tablet computers, media computers, multimedia tablets, personal communication system (PCS) devices, personal navigation devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), audio / video players, digital cameras / camcorders, positioning devices, television receivers, radio broadcast receivers, e-book devices, gaming devices, or any combination thereof, including accessories and peripherals of these devices or any combination thereof.

[0035] It should be understood that the structure and function of the various elements in environment 100 are described for illustrative purposes only and do not imply any limitation on the scope of this disclosure.

[0036] Example process

[0037] Some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0038] Figure 2 A flowchart of a vehicle control process 200 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Process 200 can be implemented on a vehicle management platform 110 or other remote device. For ease of discussion, the following will be combined with… Figure 1 Some embodiments of this disclosure are described in the context of environment 100 and from the perspective of vehicle management platform 110, but these are merely exemplary.

[0039] In block 210, if the vehicle management platform 110 receives a return request for the target vehicle, it determines at least one set of reference distances between the target vehicle and at least one reference vehicle. A reference vehicle can be understood as a vehicle capable of providing a reference for detecting the target vehicle's parking direction (e.g., heading angle) and parking position. In some embodiments, the reference vehicle may include a predetermined reference vehicle in the return area. As an example, the predetermined reference vehicle may be a vehicle (which may be referred to as a sentry vehicle) that the service provider has pre-positioned in the return area according to a predetermined parking direction.

[0040] As another example, the designated reference vehicle could also be a vehicle whose detected parking direction matches the designated parking direction of the return area. For instance, the vehicle management platform 110 can determine the vehicle's heading angle based on the detection results from the vehicle's positioning sensors, motion sensors, etc. Based on the vehicle's heading angle, it can determine whether the vehicle's parking direction matches the designated parking direction of the corresponding return area. If the vehicle's parking direction matches the designated parking direction of the parking area, the vehicle can be designated as the designated reference vehicle for the corresponding return area.

[0041] In some embodiments, the reference vehicle can be any one or more vehicles parked in the return area. Generally, most users choose to park their vehicles relatively neatly in the return area. Based on this, the vehicles in the return area can provide a reference for detecting the vehicle's placement orientation to some extent. In particular, when multiple vehicles are already parked in the return area, if the parking directions of the multiple vehicles are the same or substantially the same (e.g., the angle difference is less than a predetermined angle), it can be assumed that the multiple vehicles are placed according to the predetermined parking direction of the return area.

[0042] In some embodiments, the at least one set of reference distances may include one or more sets of reference distances. Generally, if the target vehicle can sense one reference vehicle, it can send one set of reference distances to the vehicle management platform 110. If the target vehicle can sense multiple reference vehicles, it can send multiple sets of reference distances to the vehicle management platform 110. Each set of reference distances includes multiple reference distances corresponding to multiple first measurement points of the target vehicle, and each reference distance indicates the distance between the corresponding first measurement point of the target vehicle and the corresponding second measurement point of the corresponding reference vehicle.

[0043] Specifically, the target vehicle can have multiple first measurement points, which can be understood as locations on the target vehicle used to measure reference distances. The reference vehicle can have multiple second measurement points, which can be understood as locations on the reference vehicle used to measure reference distances. There is a one-to-one correspondence between the positions of the multiple first measurement points on the target vehicle and the positions of the multiple second measurement points on the reference vehicle. Each reference distance indicates the distance between the corresponding first measurement point and the corresponding second measurement point on the reference vehicle.

[0044] As an example, the target vehicle can have measurement points P11, P12, ..., P1M, and the reference vehicle can have measurement points P21, P22, ..., P2M, where M is a positive integer. Each set of reference distances can have M reference distances, which can include reference distances (P11, P21), (P12, P22), ..., (P1M, P2M). Reference distance (P11, P21) indicates the distance between measurement point P11 of the target vehicle and measurement point P21 of the reference vehicle, reference distance (P12, P22) indicates the distance between measurement point P12 of the target vehicle and measurement point P22 of the reference vehicle, and so on.

[0045] In some embodiments, first measurement points are respectively set at the front and rear of the target vehicle, and second measurement points are respectively set at the front and rear of the reference vehicle. Based on this, each set of reference distances may include two reference distances, which may be referred to as the first reference distance and the second reference distance, respectively. The first reference distance indicates the distance between the first measurement point located at the front of the target vehicle and the second measurement point located at the front of the reference vehicle. The second reference distance indicates the distance between the first measurement point located at the rear of the target vehicle and the second measurement point located at the rear of the reference vehicle.

[0046] As an example, Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an example scenario 300 of vehicle control according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 3 As shown, example scenario 300 illustrates a reference vehicle 320 and a vehicle 130 (i.e., a target vehicle). Measurement point 311 is located at the handlebars of vehicle 130, and measurement point 312 is located at the rear of vehicle 130. Measurement point 321 is located at the handlebars of reference vehicle 320, and measurement point 322 is located at the rear of vehicle 320. A set of reference distances between vehicle 130 and reference vehicle 320 may include reference distance D1 and reference distance D2, where reference distance D1 indicates the distance between measurement point 311 and measurement point 321, and reference distance D2 indicates the distance between measurement point 312 and measurement point 322. It is understood that each set of reference distances is not limited to two reference distances, but may include three, four, or other numbers of reference distances; the embodiments of this disclosure do not limit this.

[0047] It should be noted that the specific locations of the measurement points mentioned above are merely illustrative. The "front" and "rear" locations mentioned earlier should be understood as positions near the front and rear of the vehicle, respectively, and should not be interpreted as limited to the very front and rear ends. Taking a two-wheeled vehicle as an example, measurement points can be selected from locations such as the front axle, handlebar axle, front fender, headlight, rear axle, and rear fender. Furthermore, in practical applications, measurement points are not limited to the front and rear; multiple measurement points can also be set at intervals along the middle of the vehicle or along its length.

[0048] In some embodiments, multiple first sensors may be deployed at multiple first measurement points of the target vehicle. Upon receiving a request to return the target vehicle, the vehicle management platform 110 sends a request for a reference distance to the target vehicle. In response to the request, the target vehicle controls multiple first sensors to perform distance detection operations against the at least one reference vehicle to acquire at least one set of sensing data, each set of sensing data including multiple sensing data points. The target vehicle may send the at least one set of sensing data to the vehicle management platform 110 based on the communication connection between the target vehicle and the server device 120. Based on the at least one set of sensing data, the vehicle management platform 110 determines at least one set of reference distances between the target vehicle and the at least one reference vehicle.

[0049] In some embodiments, multiple second sensors are deployed at multiple second measurement points on the reference vehicle. Each sensing data is generated by interaction between a corresponding first sensor on the target vehicle and a corresponding second sensor on the corresponding location of the reference vehicle. As an example, such as... Figure 3 As shown, sensors 134-1 and 134-2 can be deployed at measurement points 311 and 312 of vehicle 130, respectively. Similarly, sensors 331-1 and 331-2 can be deployed at measurement points 321 and 322 of vehicle 320, respectively. Sensor 134-1 can interact with sensor 331-1 to generate one set of sensing data, and sensor 134-2 can interact with sensor 331-2 to generate another set of sensing data.

[0050] The content of the sensed data depends primarily on the type of sensor. In some examples, both the first and second sensors can include Bluetooth modules. Phase-Based Ranging (PBR) can be used to detect a reference distance between the two Bluetooth modules. Specifically, the target vehicle's Bluetooth module can transmit a wireless signal to the reference vehicle's Bluetooth module. Upon receiving the wireless signal, the reference vehicle's Bluetooth module transmits a wireless signal back with the same phase. After receiving the returned wireless signal, the target vehicle's Bluetooth module determines the phase difference between the transmitted and received wireless signals. The sensed data can include this determined phase difference.

[0051] In other examples, both the first and second sensors may include UWB tags. The two UWB tags can detect a reference distance based on two-way time-of-flight (TW-TOF). Specifically, the target vehicle's UWB tag can transmit a request signal and generate a timestamp based on the transmission time of the request signal. Upon receiving the request signal, the reference vehicle's UWB tag transmits a response signal. Upon receiving the response signal, the target vehicle's UWB tag generates another timestamp based on the reception time of the response signal. The sensing data may include the two timestamps or a time difference determined based on the two timestamps.

[0052] It should be noted that the types of sensors described above are merely exemplary. In practical applications, the first and second sensors can be any suitable sensors capable of measuring distance, and the corresponding sensing data may also include other data content; the embodiments disclosed herein do not limit this. Furthermore, the target vehicle can determine the reference distance based on the sensing data, and the vehicle management platform 110 can directly receive the reference distance from the target vehicle.

[0053] In some embodiments, if a return request for a target vehicle is received, the vehicle management platform 110 can obtain the location information of the target vehicle and determine whether the target vehicle is located within a predetermined return area based on the location information. If it is determined that the target vehicle is located within the predetermined return area, at least one set of reference distances between the target vehicle and at least one reference vehicle is determined. This ensures that the target vehicle is parked within the return area.

[0054] As an example, such as Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4A flowchart of an example process 400 for vehicle control according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. At block 405, the vehicle management platform 110 may receive a vehicle return request from the terminal device 140. At block 410, the vehicle management platform 110 may send a request for location information to the target vehicle and obtain location information, such as latitude and longitude coordinates, from the target vehicle in response to the request. At block 415, the vehicle management platform 110 determines whether the target vehicle is located in a predetermined return area based on the target vehicle's location information. If it is determined at block 415 that the target vehicle has not entered the predetermined return area, process 400 may proceed to block 420. At block 420, the vehicle management platform 110 may generate a first prompt message to prompt the user to park the target vehicle in the predetermined return area. If it is determined at block 415 that the target vehicle is located in the predetermined return area, process 400 proceeds to block 425. At block 425, the vehicle management platform 110 determines a first reference distance and a second reference distance between the target vehicle and at least one reference vehicle.

[0055] Return to reference Figure 2 In block 220, the vehicle management platform 110 determines, based on at least one set of reference distances, whether the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and at least one reference vehicle meets the return conditions. In some embodiments, the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the reference vehicles may indicate the angular difference between the parking direction of the target vehicle and the parking direction of the reference vehicles. The return conditions may include an angle threshold set for the angular difference. The vehicle management platform 110 may determine whether the angular difference exceeds the angle threshold. If it is determined that the angular difference does not exceed the angle threshold, the vehicle management platform 110 determines that the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the corresponding reference vehicle meets the return conditions. If it is determined that the angular difference exceeds the angle threshold, the vehicle management platform 110 determines that the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the corresponding reference vehicle does not meet the return conditions.

[0056] In some embodiments, the vehicle management platform 110 determines the distance differences between multiple reference distances in each set of reference distances. Then, it determines whether at least one distance difference corresponding to the at least one set of reference distances exceeds a difference threshold. If it is determined that at least one difference distance does not exceed the difference threshold, it indicates that the parking direction of the target vehicle is the same as or substantially the same as the parking direction of the at least one reference vehicle, and the vehicle management platform 110 determines that the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the at least one reference vehicle meets the return conditions.

[0057] Continue to refer to Figure 4 In example process 400, at box 430, the vehicle management platform 110 determines whether the distance difference between the first reference distance and the second reference distance exceeds a difference threshold. For example, as... Figure 3As shown, the vehicle management platform 110 can determine the absolute value of the distance difference between reference distance D1 and reference distance D2, i.e., |D1-D2|. The vehicle management platform 110 can determine whether the absolute value of this distance difference exceeds a difference threshold. If it is determined in box 430 that the distance difference exceeds the difference threshold, process 400 proceeds to box 435. In box 435, the vehicle management platform 110 generates a second prompt message to prompt the user to adjust the parking direction of the target vehicle. If it is determined in box 430 that the distance difference exceeds the difference threshold, the vehicle management platform 110 can determine that the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the corresponding reference vehicle meets the return conditions. For example, if it is determined that |D1-D2| does not exceed the difference threshold, it can be determined that the relative positional relationship between vehicle 130 and reference vehicle 320 meets the return conditions.

[0058] In some embodiments, the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the at least one reference vehicle can indicate the relative distance between the target vehicle and the at least one reference vehicle. Return conditions may include a distance threshold set for this relative distance. The vehicle management platform 110 can determine whether multiple reference distances in each set of reference distances are less than the distance threshold. If it is determined that multiple reference distances in at least one set of reference distances are less than the distance threshold, the vehicle management platform 110 can determine that the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the at least one reference vehicle meets the return conditions. This not only ensures that the parking direction of the target vehicle conforms to the predetermined parking direction of the return area, but also guides the user to park the vehicle closely.

[0059] Continue to refer to Figure 2 In the process 200 shown, at block 230, the vehicle management platform 110 executes a response to a return request based on determining that the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and at least one reference vehicle meets the return conditions. In some embodiments, if it is determined that the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and all or some of the at least one reference vehicle meets the return conditions, indicating that the parking direction of the target vehicle is the same as or substantially the same as the parking direction of all or some of the at least one reference vehicle, the vehicle management platform 110 may execute a response to a return request.

[0060] In some embodiments, the vehicle management platform 110 may determine whether the at least one reference vehicle includes a predetermined reference vehicle in the return area where the target vehicle is located, such as a vehicle pre-placed in the return area, or a vehicle whose parking direction is detected to conform to the predetermined parking direction of the return area. If it is determined that the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the predetermined reference vehicle meets the return conditions, the vehicle management platform 110 executes a response to the return request. Since it can be determined that the parking direction of the predetermined reference vehicle conforms to the predetermined parking direction of the return area, if it is determined that the parking direction of the target vehicle is the same as or substantially the same as the parking direction of the predetermined reference vehicle, it can be accurately determined that the parking direction of the target vehicle is the same as or substantially the same as the predetermined parking direction of the return area (e.g., the angle difference is less than a predetermined value).

[0061] In some embodiments, at least one reference vehicle includes multiple reference vehicles. If it is determined that the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the multiple reference vehicles meets the return conditions, a response to the return request is executed. As mentioned above, most users will choose to park their vehicles relatively neatly in the return area. If it is determined that the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the multiple reference vehicles in the return area meets the return conditions, it indicates that the parking direction of the target vehicle is consistent with the parking direction of the multiple reference vehicles, and to a certain extent, it can be considered that the parking direction of the target vehicle conforms to the predetermined parking direction of the return area.

[0062] Continue to combine Figure 4 In the process 400 shown, if it is determined in box 430 that the distance difference between the first reference distance and the second reference distance does not exceed the difference threshold, the vehicle management platform can determine that the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the at least one reference vehicle meets the return conditions, and process 400 can proceed to box 440. In box 440, the vehicle management platform 110 can send a locking command to the target vehicle to instruct it to switch to a locked state. In box 445, the vehicle management platform 110 can provide the terminal device 140 with the virtual resources obtained when the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the at least one reference vehicle meets the return conditions. These virtual resources may include, but are not limited to, virtual points, discount coupons, etc. This can incentivize users to park vehicles properly, which is beneficial to improving the management efficiency of shared vehicles.

[0063] In summary, according to the embodiments of this disclosure, by detecting the reference distances between multiple measurement points of the target vehicle and multiple measurement points of the reference vehicle, the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the reference vehicle is automatically determined to meet the return conditions. This guides users to properly arrange vehicles, improves the maintenance efficiency of shared vehicles, helps reduce the operation and maintenance costs of shared vehicles, and contributes to maintaining traffic order and the urban environment.

[0064] Example devices and equipment

[0065] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide corresponding apparatus for implementing the above methods or processes. Figure 5 A schematic structural block diagram of a vehicle control device 500 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The device 500 may be implemented in or included in a vehicle management platform 110. Various modules / components in the device 500 may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof.

[0066] like Figure 5 As shown, the apparatus 500 includes: a receiving module 510 configured to, in response to receiving a return request for a target vehicle, determine at least one set of reference distances between the target vehicle and at least one reference vehicle, each set of reference distances including multiple reference distances corresponding to multiple first measurement points of the target vehicle, each reference distance indicating the distance between a corresponding first measurement point of the target vehicle and a corresponding second measurement point of the corresponding reference vehicle; a determining module 520 configured to, based on at least one set of reference distances, determine whether the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and at least one reference vehicle meets the return conditions; and an execution module 530 configured to, based on determining that the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and at least one reference vehicle meets the return conditions, execute a response to the return request.

[0067] In some embodiments, the receiving module 510 is further configured to: in response to receiving a return request for a target vehicle, send a request for a reference distance to the target vehicle; receive at least one set of sensing data from the target vehicle, each set of sensing data including multiple sets of sensing data collected by multiple first sensors deployed at multiple first measurement points on the target vehicle; and determine the at least one set of reference distances between the target vehicle and the at least one reference vehicle based on the at least one set of sensing data.

[0068] In some embodiments, multiple second sensors are deployed at multiple second measurement points of the reference vehicle, and each sensing data is generated by the interaction between the corresponding first sensor of the target vehicle and the corresponding second sensor at the corresponding position of the reference vehicle.

[0069] In some embodiments, the receiving module 510 is further configured to: in response to receiving the return request for the target vehicle, determine whether the target vehicle is located within a predetermined return area based on the location information of the target vehicle; and in response to determining that the target vehicle is located within the predetermined return area, determine the at least one set of reference distances between the target vehicle and the at least one reference vehicle.

[0070] In some embodiments, each set of reference distances includes at least a first reference distance and a second reference distance, wherein the first reference distance indicates the distance between a first measurement point located at the front of the target vehicle and a second measurement point located at the front of the reference vehicle, and the second reference distance indicates the distance between a first measurement point located at the rear of the target vehicle and a second measurement point located at the rear of the reference vehicle.

[0071] In some embodiments, the determining module 520 is further configured to: determine the distance difference between a plurality of reference distances in each set of reference distances; determine whether at least one distance difference corresponding to the at least one set of reference distances exceeds a difference threshold; and, in response to determining that the at least one difference distance does not exceed the difference threshold, determine that the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the at least one reference vehicle meets the return conditions.

[0072] In some embodiments, the execution module 530 is further configured to: determine whether the at least one reference vehicle includes a predetermined reference vehicle in the return area where the target vehicle is located; and, in response to determining that the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the predetermined reference vehicle meets the return conditions, execute the response to the return request.

[0073] In some embodiments, the at least one reference vehicle includes a plurality of reference vehicles, and the execution module 530 is further configured to: in response to determining that the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the plurality of reference vehicles meets the return conditions, execute the response to the return request.

[0074] In some embodiments, the execution module 530 is further configured to: send a locking command to the target vehicle to instruct the target vehicle to switch to a locked state, or provide virtual resources obtained when the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the at least one reference vehicle meets the return conditions.

[0075] The units and / or modules included in device 500 can be implemented in various ways, including software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more units and / or modules can be implemented using software and / or firmware, such as machine-executable instructions stored on a storage medium. In addition to or as an alternative to machine-executable instructions, some or all of the units and / or modules in device 500 can be implemented at least partially by one or more hardware logic components. By way of example and not limitation, exemplary types of hardware logic components that can be used include field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), application-specific standard products (ASSPs), systems-on-chips (SoCs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), and so on.

[0076] Figure 6 A block diagram of an electronic device 600 in which one or more embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented is shown. It should be understood that... Figure 6 The electronic device 600 shown is merely exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the functionality and scope of the embodiments described herein. Figure 6 The illustrated electronic device 600 may include or be implemented as Figure 1 The vehicle management platform 110 or Figure 5 The device 500.

[0077] like Figure 6 As shown, electronic device 600 is in the form of a general-purpose electronic device. Components of electronic device 600 may include, but are not limited to, one or more processors or processing units 610, memory 620, storage device 630, one or more communication units 640, one or more input devices 650, and one or more output devices 660. Processing unit 610 may be a physical or virtual processor and is capable of performing various processes according to programs stored in memory 620. In a multiprocessor system, multiple processing units execute computer-executable instructions in parallel to improve the parallel processing capability of electronic device 600.

[0078] Electronic device 600 typically includes multiple computer storage media. Such media can be any accessible media that is accessible to electronic device 600, including but not limited to volatile and non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media. Memory 620 can be volatile memory (e.g., registers, cache, random access memory (RAM)), non-volatile memory (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory), or some combination thereof. Storage device 630 can be removable or non-removable media and can include machine-readable media, such as flash drives, disks, or any other media that can be used to store information and / or data and can be accessed within electronic device 600.

[0079] Electronic device 600 may further include additional removable / non-removable, volatile / non-volatile storage media. Although not explicitly stated... Figure 6 As shown, disk drives for reading from or writing to removable, non-volatile disks (e.g., "floppy disks") and optical disk drives for reading from or writing to removable, non-volatile optical disks can be provided. In these cases, each drive can be connected to a bus (not shown) via one or more data media interfaces. Memory 620 may include computer program product 625 having one or more program modules configured to perform various methods or actions of various embodiments of this disclosure.

[0080] The communication unit 640 enables communication with other electronic devices via a communication medium. Additionally, the functionality of the components of the electronic device 600 can be implemented using a single computing cluster or multiple computing machines capable of communicating via communication connections. Therefore, the electronic device 600 can operate in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more other servers, network personal computers (PCs), or another network node.

[0081] Input device 650 can be one or more input devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, trackball, etc. Output device 660 can be one or more output devices, such as a monitor, speaker, printer, etc. Electronic device 600 can also communicate with one or more external devices (not shown) via communication unit 640 as needed. These external devices include storage devices, display devices, etc., and can communicate with one or more devices that enable user interaction with electronic device 600, or with any device that enables electronic device 600 to communicate with one or more other electronic devices (e.g., network card, modem, etc.). Such communication can be performed via input / output (I / O) interface (not shown).

[0082] According to an exemplary implementation of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores computer-executable instructions thereon, wherein the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor to implement the methods described above. According to an exemplary implementation of this disclosure, a computer program product is also provided, which is tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and includes computer-executable instructions, which are executed by a processor to implement the methods described above.

[0083] Various aspects of this disclosure are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatuses, devices, and computer program products implemented according to this disclosure. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer-readable program instructions.

[0084] These computer-readable program instructions can be provided to a processing unit of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine such that, when executed by the processing unit of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, they create means for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram. These computer-readable program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that causes a computer, programmable data processing apparatus, and / or other device to operate in a particular manner. Thus, the computer-readable medium storing the instructions comprises an article of manufacture that includes instructions for implementing aspects of the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0085] Computer-readable program instructions can be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby causing the instructions that execute on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to perform the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of a flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0086] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of this disclosure. In this regard, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of an instruction, which contains one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function. In some alternative implementations, the functions indicated in the blocks may occur in a different order than those indicated in the drawings. For example, two consecutive blocks may actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each block in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, may be implemented using a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or action, or using a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0087] Various implementations of this disclosure have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, nor are they limited to the disclosed implementations. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described implementations. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical applications, or improvements to technology in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the various implementations disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A vehicle control method, comprising: In response to receiving a request to return a target vehicle, at least one set of reference distances is determined between the target vehicle and at least one reference vehicle. Each set of reference distances includes multiple reference distances corresponding to multiple first measurement points of the target vehicle. Each reference distance indicates the distance between a corresponding first measurement point of the target vehicle and a second measurement point at a corresponding position of the corresponding reference vehicle. Based on the at least one set of reference distances, determine whether the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the at least one reference vehicle meets the return conditions; as well as Based on the determination that the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the at least one reference vehicle meets the return conditions, a response is executed to the return request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the at least one set of reference distances comprises: In response to receiving a request to return the target vehicle, a request for a reference distance is sent to the target vehicle; At least one set of sensing data is received from the target vehicle, each set of sensing data including multiple sensing data, which are collected by multiple first sensors deployed at multiple first measurement points on the target vehicle; as well as Based on the at least one set of sensing data, the at least one set of reference distances between the target vehicle and the at least one reference vehicle are determined.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of second sensors are deployed at the plurality of second measurement points of the reference vehicle, and each sensing data is generated by interaction between the corresponding first sensor of the target vehicle and the corresponding second sensor at the corresponding position of the reference vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the at least one set of reference distances comprises: In response to receiving the return request for the target vehicle, determine whether the target vehicle is located within the predetermined return area based on the location information of the target vehicle; as well as In response to determining that the target vehicle is located within a predetermined return area, the at least one set of reference distances between the target vehicle and the at least one reference vehicle is determined.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein each set of reference distances includes at least a first reference distance and a second reference distance, the first reference distance indicating the distance between a first measurement point located at the front of the target vehicle and a second measurement point located at the front of the reference vehicle, and the second reference distance indicating the distance between a first measurement point located at the rear of the target vehicle and a second measurement point located at the rear of the reference vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining whether the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the at least one reference vehicle meets the return conditions includes: Determine the distance differences between multiple reference distances in each set of reference distances; Determine whether at least one distance difference corresponding to the at least one set of reference distances exceeds a difference threshold; as well as In response to determining that the at least one difference distance does not exceed the difference threshold, it is determined that the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the at least one reference vehicle meets the return conditions.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein executing a response to the vehicle return request comprises: Determine whether the at least one reference vehicle includes a predetermined reference vehicle in the return area where the target vehicle is located; as well as In response to determining that the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the predetermined reference vehicle meets the return conditions, the response to the return request is executed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one reference vehicle comprises a plurality of reference vehicles, and wherein performing a response to the return request comprises: In response to determining that the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the plurality of reference vehicles meets the return conditions, the response to the return request is executed.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the response to the vehicle return request comprises at least one of the following: Send a lock command to the target vehicle to instruct it to switch to a locked state, or Virtual resources are provided when the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the at least one reference vehicle meets the return conditions.

10. A device for vehicle control, comprising: The receiving module is configured to, in response to receiving a return request for a target vehicle, determine at least one set of reference distances between the target vehicle and at least one reference vehicle, each set of reference distances including multiple reference distances corresponding to multiple first measurement points of the target vehicle, each reference distance indicating the distance between a corresponding first measurement point of the target vehicle and a second measurement point at a corresponding position of the corresponding reference vehicle. The determination module is configured to determine, based on the at least one set of reference distances, whether the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the at least one reference vehicle meets the return conditions; as well as The execution module is configured to execute a response to the return request based on determining that the relative positional relationship between the target vehicle and the at least one reference vehicle meets the return conditions.

11. An electronic device, comprising: At least one processing unit; as well as At least one memory, coupled to the at least one processing unit and storing instructions for execution by the at least one processing unit, which, when executed by the at least one processing unit, cause the electronic device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

12. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program being executable by a processor to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

13. A computer program product comprising a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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