Parallel procedure administrative device and parallel procedure administrative procedure

Abstract

A parallel driving management device comprises: an order information procurement unit (104) to procure information specifying a goods order; a user vehicle arrival detection unit (106) to detect that a user vehicle (3) has arrived in a parallel driving zone (6); a parallel driving zone congestion detection unit (108) to detect a congestion situation in the parallel driving zone (6) when the user vehicle arrival detection unit (106) detects that the user vehicle (3) has arrived in the parallel driving zone (6); a route calculation unit (109) to calculate, based on a detection result from the parallel driving zone congestion detection unit (108), a route for the user vehicle (3) and a route for a delivery vehicle (4) at a time when the goods specified by the information procured by the order information procurement unit (104) are to be delivered;and a parallel driving control unit (110) to control the parallel driving of the user vehicle (3) and the delivery vehicle (4) based on a calculation result of the route calculation unit (109) and to instruct the delivery of the goods.;

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a parallel driving management apparatus and a parallel driving management method that deliver goods by controlling parallel driving of vehicles. BACKGROUND TO THE STATE OF THE ART

[0002] Typically, a drive-thru has a specific route and location for delivering goods, and users can usually only accept the goods if they stop their vehicles at the designated location once. Therefore, a traditional drive-thru cannot dynamically change delivery modes when demand or personal needs increase or decrease, causing waiting traffic congestion.

[0003] On the other hand, a system that delivers food and drinks using an unmanned aerial vehicle is known (see, for example, Patent Literature 1). The system disclosed in this Patent Literature 1 delivers food and drinks to users of a golf cart using the unmanned aerial vehicle loaded with the food and drinks, calculating a delivery route so as not to disrupt a competition. With this system, a delivery service without waiting time can be realized. REFERENCE LISTPATENT LITERATURE

[0004] Patent Literature 1: JP 2020-006949 A SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONTECHNICAL PROBLEM

[0005] As described above, the system disclosed in Patent Literature 1 delivers food and beverages using an unmanned aerial vehicle. This system can realize delivery services with shorter waiting times. However, even with this system, a user must stop a cart once and accept food and beverages.

[0006] In addition, when using the unmanned aerial vehicle, delivery in bad weather is impossible.

[0007] When using unmanned aircraft, it is also necessary to secure a location where the unmanned aircraft can land safely. However, it is not easy to prepare multiple locations at such a location, and therefore, waiting for the unmanned aircraft to land may result in traffic congestion.

[0008] Furthermore, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles carries a high risk of damage or deterioration of the cargo. Therefore, in this case, it is necessary to package the cargo extremely well, and actual operation requires manpower and preparation time for packing, unpacking, and the like.

[0009] The present disclosure is intended to solve the above problem, and it is an object of the present disclosure to provide a parallel travel management apparatus that enables acceptance of goods without stopping once while vehicles are moving. SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM

[0010] A parallel driving management device according to the present disclosure includes: an order information acquisition unit for acquiring information indicating a goods order; a user vehicle arrival detection unit for detecting that a user vehicle has arrived in a parallel driving zone; a parallel driving zone congestion detection unit for detecting a congestion situation in the parallel driving zone when the user vehicle arrival detection unit detects that the user vehicle has arrived in the parallel driving zone; a route calculation unit for calculating, based on a detection result of the parallel driving zone congestion detection unit, a travel route of the user vehicle and a travel route of a delivery vehicle at a time when the goods indicated by the information acquired by the order information acquisition unit are delivered;and a parallel driving control unit for controlling the parallel driving of the user vehicle and the delivery vehicle based on a calculation result of the route calculation unit and instructing the delivery of the goods; ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0011] According to the present disclosure, the above configuration is used so that it is possible to accept goods while a vehicle is moving without stopping once. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a parallel driving management system according to Embodiment 1. Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a provisioning device according to Embodiment 1. Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a user vehicle according to Embodiment 1. Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a delivery vehicle according to Embodiment 1. Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a parallel travel zone device according to Embodiment 1. Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a central management device according to Embodiment 1. Fig. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an operation example of the central management device according to Embodiment 1. Fig. 8A to 8C are diagrams illustrating examples of parallel driving modes of the user vehicle and the delivery vehicle according to Embodiment 1. Fig. 9A to 9C are diagrams illustrating examples of parallel driving modes of the user vehicle and the delivery vehicle according to Embodiment 1. Fig. 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating examples of parallel driving modes of the user vehicle and the delivery vehicle according to Embodiment 1. Fig. 11 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of operations of a route calculation unit and a parallel travel control unit according to Embodiment 1. Fig. 12 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of the operations of the route calculation unit and the parallel travel control unit according to Embodiment 1. Fig. 13A and Fig. 13B are diagrams showing examples of a hardware configuration of the central management device according to Embodiment 1. DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0012] An embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Embodiment 1.

[0013] Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a parallel driving management system according to Embodiment 1.

[0014] As in Fig. 1, the parallel driving management system includes a central management device 1, staging devices 2, a user vehicle 3, a delivery vehicle 4, and a parallel driving zone device 5.

[0015] The central management device 1 manages the delivery of goods to the staging facility 2 by managing the parallel driving of the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4 in the parallel driving zone 6. That is, in this case, the parallel driving management device is applied to the central management device 1. Note that a parallel driving zone 6 is a zone in which the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4 can drive in parallel, and a zone in which goods can be delivered between the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4.

[0016] Details of this central management device 1 will be described later.

[0017] Provision facility 2 is a facility for accepting a user's order for goods and delivering the goods. Examples of this provision facility 2 include shops in commercial establishments such as drive-throughs or snack bars, counters such as prescription counters in hospitals, or shops available in large-scale facilities. Examples of large-scale facilities include airports, golf courses, or promenades in tourist destinations.

[0018] This provision device 2 comprises a communication unit 201 and an order acceptance unit 202, as in Fig. 2 shown.

[0019] The communication unit 201 exchanges information with a communication unit 101 of the central management device 1 and a terminal, e.g., a portable terminal of the user.

[0020] The order acceptance unit 202 receives a goods order from the user. Information about the goods order accepted by this order acceptance unit 202 is sent to the central management device 1 via the communication unit 201. Note that information about the goods order includes, for example, information indicating the type of goods ordered and a time at which the goods order was accepted. Furthermore, information indicating the order of these goods may also include information about a parallel driving pattern of the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4 at the time of delivery of the goods. Note that specific examples of the parallel driving patterns will be described later.

[0021] At this time, the order acceptance unit 202 also accepts information enabling identification of the user vehicle 3 in which the user is located. Examples of information enabling identification of the user vehicle 3 include a vehicle number assigned to the user vehicle 3. The information accepted by this order acceptance unit 202, which enables identification of the user vehicle 3, is sent to the central management device 1 via the communication unit 201.

[0022] It should be noted that the user sends information about a goods order to the order acceptance unit 202, for example, using the terminal device such as the portable terminal that the user owns.

[0023] Similarly, the user sends information enabling identification of the user vehicle 3 to the order acceptance unit 202, e.g., using the terminal device, such as the portable terminal, that the user possesses.

[0024] When the central management device 1 sends information indicating a delivery availability time for goods, the order acceptance unit 202 can display the delivery availability time for the goods to the user. That is, the order acceptance unit 202 sends information indicating the delivery availability time of the goods to the terminal device, such as the user's portable terminal, via the communication unit 201.

[0025] When the central management device 1 sends information enabling the identification of the delivery vehicle 4 used for the delivery of goods, the provision device 2 forwards a notification of this information to a worker, a robot, or the like that loads the goods into the delivery vehicle 4.

[0026] In addition, the worker, robot, or similar who has accepted the above notification shall load the goods into the delivery vehicle 4 specified in the notification.

[0027] User vehicle 3 is a vehicle in which the user is located and which can drive in parallel driving zone 6. This user vehicle 3 is a personal mobility device that can drive autonomously.

[0028] The user receives the goods from the parallel delivery vehicle 4 by getting into the user vehicle 3 and driving to the order acceptance unit 202 after ordering goods in the parallel driving zone 6, or by driving to the order acceptance unit 202 after ordering the goods in the parallel driving zone 6 while the user is in the user vehicle 3.

[0029] As in Fig. 3, this user vehicle 3 comprises a communication unit 301, an external sensor 302 and a driving control unit 303.

[0030] The communication unit 301 exchanges information with the communication unit 101 of the central management device 1.

[0031] The off-vehicle sensor 302 is a sensor that can detect a situation in the surroundings of the user vehicle 3. For example, one or more sensors such as a camera sensor, a position sensor, a LiDAR, and a sonar are used as this off-vehicle sensor 302.

[0032] Data indicating a detection result of this off-vehicle sensor 302 is sent to the central management device 1 via the communication unit 301 when at least the user vehicle 3 is located in the parallel driving zone 6.

[0033] The travel control unit 303 controls the travel of the user vehicle 3 under the control of the central management device 1 when at least the user vehicle 3 is located in the parallel travel zone 6. That is, the travel control unit 303 controls a travel route, a travel speed, or the like of the user vehicle 3 under the above-mentioned control.

[0034] Delivery vehicle 4 is a vehicle that can load goods and is a vehicle that can drive in parallel driving zone 6. This delivery vehicle 4 is a robot that can drive autonomously.

[0035] After loading the goods in the provisioning facility 2, the delivery vehicle 4 travels parallel to the user vehicle 3 in the parallel driving zone 6 in order to deliver the goods to the user in the user vehicle 3.

[0036] As in Fig. 4, this delivery vehicle 4 comprises a communication unit 401, an external sensor 402 and a driving control unit 403.

[0037] The communication unit 401 exchanges information with the communication unit 101 of the central management device 1.

[0038] The vehicle-external sensor 402 is a sensor that can detect a situation in the surroundings of the delivery vehicle 4. For example, one or more sensors such as a camera sensor, a position sensor, a LiDAR, and a sonar are used as this vehicle-external sensor 402.

[0039] Data indicating a detection result of this off-vehicle sensor 402 is sent to the central management device 1 via the communication unit 401.

[0040] The travel control unit 403 controls the travel of the delivery vehicle 4 under the control of the central management device 1. That is, the travel control unit 403 controls the travel route, the travel speed, or the like of the delivery vehicle 4 under the above-mentioned control.

[0041] The parallel driving zone device 5 is a device provided in the parallel driving zone 6.

[0042] This parallel driving zone device 5 comprises a communication unit 501 and a roadside sensor 502, as shown in Fig. 5 shown.

[0043] The communication unit 501 exchanges information with the communication unit 101 of the central management device 1.

[0044] The roadside sensor 502 is a sensor that can detect a situation in the parallel driving zone 6. One or more sensors, such as a camera sensor, a LiDAR, and a millimeter wave sensor, are used as this roadside sensor 502. The one or more roadside sensors 502 are arranged in the parallel driving zone 6.

[0045] Data indicating a detection result of this roadside sensor 502 is sent to the central management device 1 via the communication unit 501.

[0046] Next, a configuration example of the central management device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 6 described.

[0047] As in Fig. 6, the central management device 1 includes the communication unit 101, a parallel driving zone information acquisition unit 102, a delivery vehicle information acquisition unit 103, an order information acquisition unit 104, a user vehicle information acquisition unit 105, a user vehicle arrival detection unit 106, a delivery vehicle identification unit 107, a parallel driving zone congestion situation detection unit 108, a route calculation unit 109, a parallel driving control unit 110, and a delivery confirmation unit 111.

[0048] The communication unit 101 exchanges information with the communication unit 201 of the provisioning device 2, the communication unit 301 of the user vehicle 3, the communication unit 401 of the delivery vehicle 4 and the communication unit 501 of the parallel driving zone device 5.

[0049] The parallel driving zone information acquisition unit 102 acquires information related to the parallel driving zone 6. The information related to the parallel driving zone 6 includes, for example, map information indicating the parallel driving zone 6 and information indicating installation locations and detection ranges of the roadside sensors 502 in the parallel driving zone 6.

[0050] It should be noted that the map information indicating the parallel driving zone 6 is not limited to fixed map information, but map information whose positions are updated in real time by moving objects such as people or vehicles can also be used.

[0051] The delivery vehicle information acquisition unit 103 acquires information related to the delivery vehicle 4 used in the parallel driving zone 6. The information related to the delivery vehicle 4 includes, for example, information enabling identification of the delivery vehicle 4 and information indicating an operating state of the delivery vehicle 4. Examples of the information enabling identification of the delivery vehicle 4 include a vehicle number assigned to the delivery vehicle 4. Note that the information indicating the operating state of the delivery vehicle 4 is preferably updated in real time.

[0052] The order information acquisition unit 104 acquires information indicating a goods order sent from the order acceptance unit 202.

[0053] Furthermore, the order information acquisition unit 104 may calculate the availability time of the goods when acquiring the information indicating the order of the goods. In this case, for example, the order information acquisition unit 104 calculates the above-mentioned availability time of the goods by adding the preset availability time for the above-mentioned goods to the time at which the order of the goods was accepted. The information indicating the availability time of the goods calculated by this order information acquisition unit 104 is sent to the order acceptance unit 202 via the communication unit 101.

[0054] The user vehicle information acquisition unit 105 acquires information sent from the order acceptance unit 202 and enables identification of the user vehicle 3.

[0055] The user vehicle arrival detection unit 106 detects that the user vehicle 3 in which the user is located has arrived in the parallel travel zone 6. At this time, the user vehicle arrival detection unit 106 performs the above-mentioned detection based on one or more detection results of the roadside sensors 502 provided on the parallel travel zone device 5 and a detection result of the off-vehicle sensor 302 provided on the user vehicle 3.

[0056] For example, the user vehicle arrival detection unit 106 can detect the arrival of the user vehicle 3 by confirming that the user vehicle 3, to which information consistent with the information acquired by the user vehicle information acquisition unit 105 and enabling identification of the user vehicle 3 has been assigned, has entered the parallel travel zone 6 based on the detection results of the roadside sensors 502 provided to the parallel travel zone device 5.

[0057] In addition, the user vehicle arrival detection unit 106 can detect, for example, the arrival of the user vehicle 3 by confirming that the user vehicle 3 has entered an environment that matches an environment in the parallel travel zone 6 based on the detection result of the off-vehicle sensor 302 with which the user vehicle 3 is equipped.

[0058] Furthermore, for example, the user vehicle arrival detection unit 106 may detect the arrival of the user vehicle 3 based on a time point at which a vehicle identified as the user vehicle 3 entered the parallel travel zone 6, as well as the availability time of the goods calculated by the order information acquisition unit 104. That is, for example, the user vehicle arrival detection unit 106 may determine that the vehicle is the user vehicle 3 when the time point at which the vehicle identified as the user vehicle 3 entered the parallel travel zone 6 is within a predetermined time range of the availability time of the goods, and detect the arrival of the user vehicle 3.

[0059] The delivery vehicle designation unit 107 designates the delivery vehicle 4 used for delivering goods. At this time, the delivery vehicle designation unit 107 performs the above-mentioned designation based on an acquisition result of the order information acquisition unit 104 and an acquisition result of the delivery vehicle information acquisition unit 103.

[0060] The delivery vehicle designation unit 107 designates, for example, among the delivery vehicles 4, the delivery vehicle 4 onto which the goods specified by the information acquired by the order information acquisition unit 104 can be loaded and which is currently ready.

[0061] The information enabling identification of the delivery vehicle 4 identified by this delivery vehicle identification unit 107 is sent to the provisioning device 2 via the communication unit 101.

[0062] The parallel travel zone congestion detection unit 108 detects a congestion situation in the parallel travel zone 6 when the user vehicle arrival detection unit 106 detects that the user vehicle 3 has arrived in the parallel travel zone 6. At this time, the parallel travel zone congestion detection unit 108 performs the above-mentioned detection based on one or more of the detection results of the roadside sensors 502 provided on the parallel travel zone device 5, the detection result of the off-vehicle sensor 302 provided on the user vehicle 3, and a detection result of the off-vehicle sensor 402 provided on the delivery vehicle 4.

[0063] The route calculation unit 109 calculates, based on a detection result of the parallel travel zone congestion detection unit 108, a travel route of the user vehicle 3 at the time of goods delivery and a travel route of the delivery vehicle 4 designated by the delivery vehicle designation unit 107. At this time, the route calculation unit 109 performs the above calculation, referring to an acquisition result of the parallel travel zone information acquisition unit 102.

[0064] In this case, the route calculation unit 109 calculates, for example, a route that can safely deliver the goods in the shortest time as the travel route of the user vehicle 3 at the time of delivery of the goods and the travel route of the delivery vehicle 4. This means that the route calculation unit 109 calculates, for example, a route that has fewer people, fewer other user vehicles 3, or fewer delivery vehicles 4 in the parallel travel zone 6.

[0065] Note that the route calculation unit 109 preferably also performs the above calculation based on parallel driving patterns of the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4. Note that the parallel driving patterns of the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4 can be confirmed based on a commodity type indicated by the information acquired by the order information acquisition unit 104 or a parallel driving pattern selected by the user.

[0066] In addition, the route calculation unit 109 may further calculate the traveling speed of the user vehicle 3 at the time of delivery of the goods and the traveling speed of the delivery vehicle 4 designated by the delivery vehicle designation unit 107 based on the detection result of the parallel traveling zone congestion situation detection unit 108 in addition to the above.

[0067] The parallel driving control unit 110 controls the parallel driving of the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4 designated by the delivery vehicle designation unit 107 based on a calculation result of the route calculation unit 109 and instructs the delivery of the goods. At this time, the parallel driving control unit 110 dynamically controls the parallel driving based on one or more of the detection result of the off-vehicle sensor 302 provided for the user vehicle 3, the detection result of the off-vehicle sensor 402 provided for the delivery vehicle 4, and the detection results of the roadside sensors 502 provided for the parallel driving zone device 5.

[0068] The delivery confirmation unit 111 confirms that the delivery of the goods is completed under the control of the parallel driving control unit 110.

[0069] At this time, for example, after accepting goods, the user can send an acceptance confirmation notification to the central management device 1 using the terminal device such as the user's portable terminal. In this case, the delivery confirmation unit 111 can confirm the completion of the delivery of the goods by accepting this acceptance confirmation notification.

[0070] Furthermore, for example, a sensor such as a load sensor or an image sensor that can detect whether the goods are loaded or not may be mounted on the delivery vehicle 4, and the sensor may be configured to send a detection result to the central management device 1. In this case, the delivery confirmation unit 111 may confirm the completion of the delivery of the goods by confirming, based on the detection result of the above-mentioned sensor, a change indicating whether or not there are goods.

[0071] If it is confirmed that the delivery of the goods is not completed, that is, the delivery of the goods has failed, the delivery confirmation unit 111 instructs the parallel traffic jam detection unit 108 to perform the detection again. Subsequently, the central management device 1 instructs the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4 to deliver the goods again.

[0072] For example, if the acceptance of the goods has failed at this time, the user can send an acceptance failure notification to the central management device 1 using the terminal device, such as the user's portable terminal. In this case, the delivery confirmation unit 111 can confirm an error in the delivery of the goods by accepting this acceptance failure notification.

[0073] Furthermore, for example, a sensor such as a load sensor or an image sensor that can detect whether the goods are loaded or not may be mounted on the delivery vehicle 4, and the sensor may be configured to send a detection result to the central management device 1. In this case, the delivery confirmation unit 111 may confirm the failure in the delivery of the goods if it is not confirmed based on the detection result of the above-mentioned sensor when a change corresponding to the presence or absence of goods is not confirmed even after a certain period of time has elapsed.

[0074] It should be noted that in Fig. 6 shows a case where the central management device 1 is provided with the delivery vehicle identification unit 107 and the delivery confirmation unit 111. However, the delivery vehicle identification unit 107 and the delivery confirmation unit 111 are not indispensable components of the central management device 1 and do not need to be provided in the central management device 1.

[0075] Next, an operation example of the central management device 1 according to Embodiment 1 shown in Fig. 6, based on Fig. 7 described.

[0076] Note that the parallel driving zone information acquisition unit 102 acquires the information related to the parallel driving zone 6. The information related to the parallel driving zone 6 includes, for example, the map information indicating the parallel driving zone 6 and information indicating the installation locations and detection ranges of the roadside sensors 502 in the parallel driving zone 6.

[0077] The delivery vehicle information acquisition unit 103 also acquires the information related to the delivery vehicle 4 used in the parallel driving zone 6. The information related to the delivery vehicle 4 includes, for example, the information enabling identification of the delivery vehicle 4 and the information indicating the operating status of the delivery vehicle 4. Note that the information indicating the operating status of the delivery vehicle 4 is preferably updated in real time.

[0078] In an example of operation of the central management device 1 according to the Fig. 6 illustrated embodiment 1, as in Fig. 7, the order information acquisition unit 104 first acquires the information indicating the order of the goods sent from the order acceptance unit 202 (step ST701).

[0079] Furthermore, the order information acquisition unit 104 may calculate the availability time of the goods when acquiring the information indicating the order of the goods. In this case, the order information acquisition unit 104 calculates the above-mentioned availability time of the goods by adding the preset availability time for the above-mentioned goods to the time at which the order of the goods was accepted. The information indicating the availability time of the goods calculated by this order information acquisition unit 104 is sent to the order acceptance unit 202 via the communication unit 101.

[0080] The user vehicle information acquisition unit 105 further acquires the information enabling identification of the user vehicle 3 sent from the order acceptance unit 202 (step ST702).

[0081] Next, the user vehicle arrival detection unit 106 detects that the user vehicle 3 in which the user is located has arrived in the parallel travel zone 6 (step ST703). At this time, the user vehicle arrival detection unit 106 performs the above-mentioned detection based on one or more detection results of the roadside sensors 502 provided on the parallel travel zone device 5 and a detection result of the off-vehicle sensor 302 provided on the user vehicle 3.

[0082] For example, the user vehicle arrival detection unit 106 can detect the arrival of the user vehicle 3 by confirming that the user vehicle 3, to which information consistent with the information acquired by the user vehicle information acquisition unit 105 and enabling identification of the user vehicle 3 has been assigned, has entered the parallel travel zone 6 based on the detection results of the roadside sensors 502 provided to the parallel travel zone device 5.

[0083] In addition, the user vehicle arrival detection unit 106 can detect, for example, the arrival of the user vehicle 3 by confirming that the user vehicle 3 has entered an environment that matches an environment in the parallel travel zone 6 based on the detection result of the off-vehicle sensor 302 with which the user vehicle 3 is equipped.

[0084] Furthermore, for example, the user vehicle arrival detection unit 106 may detect the arrival of the user vehicle 3 based on a time point at which a vehicle identified as the user vehicle 3 entered the parallel travel zone 6, as well as the availability time of the goods calculated by the order information acquisition unit 104. That is, the user vehicle arrival detection unit 106 may determine that the vehicle is the user vehicle 3 when the time point at which the vehicle identified as the user vehicle 3 entered the parallel travel zone 6 is within a predetermined time range of the availability time of the goods, and detect the arrival of the user vehicle 3.

[0085] The delivery vehicle designation unit 107 also designates the delivery vehicle 4 used for delivering goods (step ST704). At this time, the delivery vehicle designation unit 107 performs the above-mentioned designation based on the acquisition result of the order information acquisition unit 104 and the acquisition result of the delivery vehicle information acquisition unit 103.

[0086] The delivery vehicle designation unit 107 designates, for example, among the delivery vehicles 4, the delivery vehicle 4 onto which the goods specified by the information acquired by the order information acquisition unit 104 can be loaded and which is currently ready.

[0087] The information enabling identification of the delivery vehicle 4 identified by this delivery vehicle identification unit 107 is sent to the provisioning device 2 via the communication unit 101.

[0088] Subsequently, the provisioning device 2 accepts the information sent from the central management device 1 and enables identification of the delivery vehicle 4 used for delivering the goods, and forwards notification of the information to a worker, a robot, or the like that loads the goods into the delivery vehicle 4.

[0089] In addition, the worker, robot, or similar who has accepted the above notification shall load the goods into the delivery vehicle 4 specified in the notification.

[0090] Next, the parallel travel zone congestion situation detection unit 108 detects the congestion situation in the parallel travel zone 6 when the user vehicle arrival detection unit 106 detects that the user vehicle 3 has arrived in the parallel travel zone 6 (step ST705). At this time, the parallel travel zone congestion situation detection unit 108 performs the above-mentioned detection based on one or more of the detection results of the roadside sensors 502 provided on the parallel travel zone device 5, the detection result of the off-vehicle sensor 302 provided on the user vehicle 3, and a detection result of the off-vehicle sensor 402 provided on the delivery vehicle 4.

[0091] Next, based on the detection result of the parallel travel zone congestion detection unit 108, the route calculation unit 109 calculates the travel route of the user vehicle 3 at the time the goods are delivered and the travel route of the delivery vehicle 4 designated by the delivery vehicle designation unit 107 (step ST706). At this time, the route calculation unit 109 performs the above calculation, referring to an acquisition result of the parallel travel zone information acquisition unit 102.

[0092] For example, when the number of goods orders increases, the delivery of goods in the parallel travel zone 6 increases, and thus, congestion occurs in the parallel travel zone 6. For example, the route calculation unit 109 calculates a route that makes it possible to avoid a waiting traffic jam depending on the congestion situation detected by the parallel travel zone congestion situation detection unit 108.

[0093] Note that the route calculation unit 109 preferably also performs the above calculation based on the parallel driving patterns of the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4. Note that the parallel driving patterns of the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4 can be confirmed based on a commodity type indicated by the information acquired by the order information acquisition unit 104 or a parallel driving pattern selected by the user.

[0094] In addition, the route calculation unit 109 may further calculate the traveling speed of the user vehicle 3 at the time of delivery of the goods and the traveling speed of the delivery vehicle 4 designated by the delivery vehicle designation unit 107 based on the detection result of the parallel traveling zone congestion situation detection unit 108 in addition to the above.

[0095] Next, the parallel driving control unit 110 controls the parallel driving of the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4 designated by the delivery vehicle designation unit 107 based on the calculation result of the route calculation unit 109, and instructs the delivery of the goods (step ST707). At this time, the parallel driving control unit 110 dynamically controls the parallel driving based on one or more of the detection result of the off-vehicle sensor 302 provided for the user vehicle 3, the detection result of the off-vehicle sensor 402 provided for the delivery vehicle 4, and the detection result of the roadside sensor 502 provided for the parallel driving zone device 5.

[0096] This parallel driving control unit 110 delivers the goods in a state where the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4 drive in parallel without stopping once.

[0097] Furthermore, by using the detection results of the roadside sensors 502, the parallel driving control unit 110 can perform detection in an area that constitutes a blind spot for the off-vehicle sensor 302 and the off-vehicle sensor 402, compared to a case where only the detection result of the off-vehicle sensor 302 and the off-vehicle sensor 402 are used. In this case, the parallel driving control unit 110 can control parallel driving more accurately.

[0098] The following are based on the Fig. 8 to 12, specific examples of the operation of the route calculation unit 109 and the parallel travel control unit 110 are described.

[0099] Examples of the parallel driving modes of the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4 controlled by the parallel driving control unit 110 are the Fig. 8 shown parallel driving facing each other in front of each other, which in Fig. 9 shown parallel driving one after the other and the Fig. 10 shown parallel driving side by side. It should be noted that the Fig. 8 to 10, the reference numeral 7 stands for goods. In addition, the arrows indicated by dashed lines in the Fig. 8 to 10 show the route of the user vehicle 3 and the route of the delivery vehicle 4.

[0100] The Fig. The parallel driving facing each other, illustrated in Figure 8, refers to a parallel driving style in which the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4 drive in parallel in a convoy in a state where the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4 drive in front of each other and face each other. This parallel driving facing each other, facing each other, is the effective parallel driving style when, for example, the goods are goods that require declaration at the time of delivery. Goods that require declaration at the time of delivery include, for example, pharmaceuticals.

[0101] According to this parallel driving control facing each other, the parallel driving control unit 110, for example, first causes the delivery vehicle 4 into which the goods have been loaded, as shown in Fig. 8A, to move in a forward direction, facing the front of the user vehicle 3, and then causes the delivery vehicle 4 to switch to reverse and move so that the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4 are facing each other.

[0102] The parallel driving control unit 110 then causes, as shown in Fig. 8B, the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4 travel in an identical (i.e., substantially identical) direction and at an identical (i.e., substantially identical) speed to travel in tandem in parallel in a state where the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4 are facing each other. Note that, in order to safely deliver the goods between the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4, the parallel travel control unit 110 may reduce the traveling speeds of the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4 compared to a traveling speed during normal traveling. In addition, the delivery vehicle 4 places the goods in a tray (not shown) provided at the front of the user vehicle 3, or the user himself receives the goods. In addition, the delivery vehicle 4 may, for example, provide the user vehicle 3 with a receipt.Display or audibly explain explanations regarding the delivery of target goods.

[0103] In addition, after the delivery of the goods, the parallel driving control unit 110 moves the delivery vehicle 4 away from the user vehicle 3, as shown in Fig. 8C.

[0104] In addition, the Fig. 9 refers to a parallel driving mode in which the delivery vehicle 4 drives parallel to the user vehicle 3 and follows the user vehicle 3 from behind in tandem. This consecutive driving is the effective parallel driving mode if, for example, the goods are goods that do not require explanation at the time of delivery and the goods are deposited in a tray (not shown) at the rear of the user vehicle 3.

[0105] According to this sequential driving, the parallel driving control unit 110 first causes, for example, as shown in Fig. 9A shows that the delivery vehicle 4, into which the goods have been loaded, drives around to the right behind the user vehicle 3 and then drives behind the user vehicle 3.

[0106] The parallel driving control unit 110 then causes, as shown in Fig. 9B, the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4 travel in tandem in parallel, one behind the other, in an identical (i.e., substantially identical) direction and at an identical (i.e., substantially identical) speed. Note that, in order to safely deliver the goods between the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4, the parallel travel control unit 110 may reduce the traveling speeds of the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4 compared to the traveling speed during normal operation. Furthermore, the delivery vehicle 4 deposits the goods in the tray provided at the rear of the user vehicle 3.

[0107] In addition, after the delivery of the goods, the parallel driving control unit 110 moves the delivery vehicle 4 away from the user vehicle 3, as shown in Fig. 9C.

[0108] In addition, the Fig. 10 refers to a parallel driving style in which the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4 drive parallel in a row in a state in which the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4 are side by side. This side by side parallel driving style is the effective parallel driving style when, for example, the goods are goods that do not require explanation at the time of delivery and the goods are placed in a tray (not shown) at the front of the user vehicle 3 or the user himself accepts the goods.

[0109] According to this side-by-side parallel driving, the parallel driving control unit 110 first causes the delivery vehicle 4 to Fig. 10A, to drive diagonally behind the user vehicle 3 and then follow the user vehicle 3 to bring the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4 into a state where the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4 are adjacent to each other.

[0110] The parallel driving control unit 110 then causes, as shown in Fig. 10B, the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4 travel in an identical (i.e., substantially identical) direction and at an identical (i.e., substantially identical) speed to travel in parallel in a state where the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4 are adjacent to each other. Note that, in order to safely deliver the goods between the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4, the parallel travel control unit 110 may lower the traveling speeds of the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4 compared to those during normal operation. In addition, the delivery vehicle 4 deposits the goods in the tray provided at the rear of the user vehicle 3, or the user himself receives the goods.

[0111] In addition, after the delivery of the goods, the parallel driving control unit 110 moves the delivery vehicle 4 away from the user vehicle 3, as shown in Fig. 10C.

[0112] In addition, Fig. 11 shows an example of a case in which the supply facility 2 is a prescription counter of a hospital that has the parallel travel zone 6. In addition, in this Fig. 11, the two roadside sensors 502 are provided in the parallel driving zone 6 of the provisioning device 2. Furthermore, in Fig. 11, the user vehicles 3a to 3d and the delivery vehicles 4a to 4d are shown as the processing target for the user vehicles 3 and the delivery vehicles 4 of the route calculation unit 109 and the parallel driving control unit 110. In addition, Fig. 11, reference numeral 8 represents a person, reference numeral 9 represents a bench, and reference numeral 10 represents a congestion area. The congestion area is an area determined by the parallel driving zone congestion situation detection unit 108 as a particularly congested area.

[0113] In this case, the route calculation unit 109 calculates, for example, a linear route because there is no congestion area that poses an obstacle to the user vehicle 3a and the delivery vehicle 4a. Similarly, the route calculation unit 109 calculates, for example, a linear route because there is no congestion area that poses an obstacle to the user vehicle 3b and the delivery vehicle 4b. Similarly, the route calculation unit 109 calculates, for example, a linear route because there is no congestion area that poses an obstacle to the user vehicle 3c and the delivery vehicle 4c.

[0114] On the other hand, the route calculation unit 109 calculates, for example, a route that avoids this congestion area, since there is a congestion area that is an obstacle to the user vehicle 3d and the delivery vehicle 4d.

[0115] It should be noted that in Fig. 11 assumes a case where the goods are pharmaceuticals, and facing-to-face parallel driving is selected as the parallel driving mode. Furthermore, the parallel driving control unit 110 controls the parallel driving of the user vehicles 3a to 3d and the delivery vehicles 4a to 4c according to routes calculated by the route calculation unit 109 as described above.

[0116] In addition, Fig. 12 shows an example of a case in which the supply facility 2 is a shop in a commercial facility having the parallel travel zone 6. In addition, in this Fig. 12, the three roadside sensors 502 are provided in the parallel driving zone 6 of the provisioning device 2. Furthermore, in Fig. 12, the user vehicles 3a to 3d and the delivery vehicles 4a to 4d are shown as the processing targets for the user vehicles 3 and the delivery vehicles 4 of the route calculation unit 109 and the parallel driving control unit 110. In addition, in Fig. 12 the reference number 11 a table group, the reference number 12 a system and the reference number 13 a donut-shaped bench.

[0117] In this case, the route calculation unit 109 calculates, for example, a linear route because there is no congestion area that poses an obstacle to the user vehicle 3a and the delivery vehicle 4a. Similarly, the route calculation unit 109 calculates, for example, a linear route because there is no congestion area that poses an obstacle to the user vehicle 3b and the delivery vehicle 4b. Similarly, the route calculation unit 109 calculates, for example, a linear route because there is no congestion area that poses an obstacle to the user vehicle 3c and the delivery vehicle 4c.

[0118] On the other hand, the route calculation unit 109 calculates, for example, a route that avoids this congestion area, since there is a congestion area that is an obstacle to the user vehicle 3d and the delivery vehicle 4d.

[0119] It should be noted that in Fig. 12 assumes a case where the goods are goods that do not require declaration at the time of delivery, and where parallel driving is selected as the parallel driving mode. Furthermore, the parallel driving control unit 110 controls the parallel driving of the user vehicles 3a to 3d and the delivery vehicles 4a to 4c according to routes calculated by the route calculation unit 109 as described above.

[0120] Next, the delivery confirmation unit 111 confirms that delivery of the goods is completed (step ST708).

[0121] When the delivery confirmation unit 111 confirms in this step ST708 that delivery of the goods is completed, the sequence is terminated.

[0122] At this time, for example, after accepting goods, the user can send an acceptance confirmation notification to the central management device 1 using the terminal device such as the user's portable terminal. In this case, the delivery confirmation unit 111 can confirm the completion of the delivery of the goods by accepting this acceptance confirmation notification.

[0123] Furthermore, for example, a sensor such as a load sensor or an image sensor that can detect whether the goods are loaded or not may be mounted on the delivery vehicle 4, and the sensor may be configured to send a detection result to the central management device 1. In this case, the delivery confirmation unit 111 may confirm the completion of the delivery of the goods by confirming, based on the detection result of the above-mentioned sensor, a change indicating whether or not there are goods.

[0124] If the delivery confirmation unit 111 further confirms in step ST708 that the delivery of the goods is not complete, that is, the delivery of the goods has failed, the sequence returns to step ST705 to instruct the parallel travel zone congestion situation detection unit 108 to perform the detection again. Subsequently, the central management device 1 causes the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4 to deliver the goods again.

[0125] For example, if the acceptance of the goods has failed at this time, the user can send an acceptance failure notification to the central management device 1 using the terminal device, such as the user's portable terminal. In this case, the delivery confirmation unit 111 can confirm an error in the delivery of the goods by accepting this acceptance failure notification.

[0126] Furthermore, for example, a sensor such as a load sensor or an image sensor that can detect whether the goods are loaded or not may be mounted on the delivery vehicle 4, and the sensor may be configured to send a detection result to the central management device 1. In this case, the delivery confirmation unit 111 may confirm the failure in the delivery of the goods if it is not confirmed based on the detection result of the above-mentioned sensor when a change corresponding to the presence or absence of goods is not confirmed even after a certain period of time has elapsed.

[0127] Thus, the central management device 1 according to Embodiment 1 calculates the routes on which the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4 travel in parallel in the parallel travel zone 6, and controls the parallel travel of the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4 depending on these routes to deliver the goods. Consequently, the central management device 1 according to Embodiment 1 can calculate optimal delivery routes in response to an increase or decrease in demand without specifying a delivery location for goods, and deliver the goods while the vehicles travel in parallel without stopping once. As a result, the central management device 1 according to this Embodiment 1 can eliminate waiting time and waiting traffic congestion, freely change the delivery space, and increase an operation rate compared to a conventional technique.

[0128] It should be noted that the system disclosed in Patent Literature 1 delivers food and beverages using an unmanned aerial vehicle. This system can realize a delivery service with a shorter waiting time. However, even with this system, a user must stop a vehicle once and accept food and beverages.

[0129] In contrast, according to the parallel driving management system according to Embodiment 1, the delivery vehicle 4 can drive parallel to the user vehicle 3 and deliver the goods without stopping once. The central management device 1 according to this Embodiment 1 thus shortens the time for the delivery work of goods compared to the conventional technology.

[0130] Furthermore, the parallel driving management system according to Embodiment 1 delivers goods using the delivery vehicle 4, so that the goods can be delivered even in bad weather, compared to the case where an unmanned aerial vehicle is used. Furthermore, the parallel driving management system according to Embodiment 1 delivers goods by using the delivery vehicle 4 capable of autonomous driving and causing it to drive parallel to the user vehicle 3, so that it is not necessary to ensure a location where the delivery vehicle 4 stops once, and it is possible to avoid waiting traffic congestion, compared to the case where the unmanned aerial vehicle is used.

[0131] Moreover, the parallel driving management system according to Embodiment 1 delivers the goods using the delivery vehicle 4, so that a risk that the goods are damaged or deteriorated is low and it is not necessary to excessively package the goods, compared with the case where the unmanned aerial vehicle is used.

[0132] Furthermore, the central management device 1 according to Embodiment 1 allows the user vehicle 3 to accept goods while traveling without stopping, so that the user can accept the goods without noticeable waiting time.

[0133] Furthermore, the central management device 1 according to Embodiment 1 provides a certain degree of freedom at a delivery location for goods. Therefore, the central management device 1 according to this Embodiment 1 can avoid congestion at the time of delivery and increase the operational efficiency for providing goods.

[0134] Furthermore, in the case where the provisioning device 2 is, for example, a prescription counter of a hospital, the central management device 1 according to Embodiment 1 can control driving without requiring people to stay for a long time, thus providing the effect of preventing infectious diseases. Note that although the case where the provisioning device 2 is the prescription counter of the hospital has been described, other provisioning devices 2 can also provide the same effects as the above effect.

[0135] Furthermore, in the case where the provisioning device 2 is, for example, the prescription counter of the hospital, the central management device 1 according to Embodiment 1 can deliver goods using the delivery vehicle 4, which is a robot, and provide the effect of a preventive measure against infectious diseases. Note that although the case where the provisioning device 2 is the prescription counter of the hospital has been described, the other provisioning devices 2 can also provide the same effects as the above effect.

[0136] In addition, when the supply facility 2 is, for example, a snack area, the central management device 1 according to Embodiment 1 can avoid congestion in the delivery of goods at peak times such as lunchtime or dinnertime.

[0137] Furthermore, according to the central management device 1 of Embodiment 1, if the delivery facility 2 is, for example, a store of a large commercial establishment, the delivery vehicle 4 automatically places the goods ordered by the user in advance in the tray of the user vehicle 3, thus saving the user the labor required for delivering the goods. Thus, the user can use the saved time to purchase other products or the like.

[0138] Note that the above described a case where the parallel driving management device is applied to the central management device 1, which is a device different from the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the parallel driving management device may be applied to the user vehicle 3 or the delivery vehicle 4.

[0139] Furthermore, the case where all components in the parallel driving management device are applied to one device has been described above. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the components included in the parallel driving management device are divided and applied to two or more devices of the central management device 1, the user vehicle 3, or the delivery vehicle 4.

[0140] As described above, the parallel driving management system according to this Embodiment 1 includes the order information acquisition unit 104 that acquires information indicating a goods order, the user vehicle arrival detection unit 106 that detects that the user vehicle 3 has arrived in the parallel driving zone 6, the parallel driving zone congestion situation detection unit 108 that detects a congestion situation of the parallel driving zone 6 when the user vehicle arrival detection unit 106 detects that the user vehicle 3 has arrived in the parallel driving zone 6, the route calculation unit 109 that calculates the travel route of the user vehicle 3 and the travel route of the delivery vehicle 4 at a time when the goods indicated by the information acquired by the order information acquisition unit 104 are delivered, based on a detection result of the parallel driving zone congestion situation detection unit 108.and the parallel driving control unit 110, which controls the parallel driving of the user vehicle 3 and the delivery vehicle 4 based on a calculation result of the route calculation unit 109 and instructs the delivery of the goods. Thus, the parallel driving management system according to Embodiment 1 enables the acceptance of goods while vehicles are moving without stopping the vehicles once.

[0141] Finally, examples of the hardware configuration of the central management device 1 according to Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 13 described.

[0142] The functions of the communication unit 101, the parallel driving zone information acquisition unit 102, the delivery vehicle information acquisition unit 103, the order information acquisition unit 104, the user vehicle information acquisition unit 105, the user vehicle arrival detection unit 106, the delivery vehicle identification unit 107, the parallel driving zone congestion situation detection unit 108, the route calculation unit 109, the parallel driving control unit 110, and the delivery confirmation unit 111 of the central management device 1 are implemented by a processing circuit 51. The processing circuit 51 may be dedicated hardware, as shown in Fig. 13A, or a CPU (also referred to as a central processing unit, central processing device, processing device, arithmetic operation device, microprocessor, microcomputer, processor or DSP (Digital Signal Processor)) 52 which executes programs stored in a working memory 53, as shown in Fig. 13B.

[0143] In a case where the processing circuit 51 is dedicated hardware, the processing circuit 51 corresponds, for example, to a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or a combination thereof.The function of each of the communication unit 101, the parallel driving zone information acquisition unit 102, the delivery vehicle information acquisition unit 103, the order information acquisition unit 104, the user vehicle information acquisition unit 105, the user vehicle arrival detection unit 106, the delivery vehicle designation unit 107, the parallel driving zone congestion situation detection unit 108, the route calculation unit 109, the parallel driving control unit 110, and the delivery confirmation unit 111 may be implemented by the processing circuit 51, or the functions of the units may be jointly implemented by the processing circuit 51.

[0144] In a case where the processing circuit 51 is the CPU 52, the functions of the communication unit 101, the parallel driving zone information acquisition unit 102, the delivery vehicle information acquisition unit 103, the order information acquisition unit 104, the user vehicle information acquisition unit 105, the user vehicle arrival detection unit 106, the delivery vehicle designation unit 107, the parallel driving zone congestion detection unit 108, the route calculation unit 109, the parallel driving control unit 110, and the delivery confirmation unit 111 are implemented by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software and firmware are described as programs and stored in the working memory 53. The processing circuits 51 implement the functions of each functional unit by reading and executing the programs stored in the working memory 53.That is, the central management device 1 includes the working memory 53 in which programs are stored which are executed by the processing circuit 51 so that each, for example, in . Fig.7 is executed. Furthermore, these programs cause a computer to execute a procedure and method of the communication unit 101, the parallel travel zone information acquisition unit 102, the delivery vehicle information acquisition unit 103, the order information acquisition unit 104, the user vehicle information acquisition unit 105, the user vehicle arrival detection unit 106, the delivery vehicle designation unit 107, the parallel travel zone congestion situation detection unit 108, the route calculation unit 109, the parallel travel control unit 110, and the delivery confirmation unit 111.Here, the working memory 53 corresponds to, for example, a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a flash memory, an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) or an electrical EPROM (EEPROM), a magnetic disk, a flexible disk, an optical disk, a compact disk, a mini disk, a DVD or the like.

[0145] It should be noted that the functions of the communication unit 101, the parallel driving zone information acquisition unit 102, the delivery vehicle information acquisition unit 103, the order information acquisition unit 104, the user vehicle information acquisition unit 105, the user vehicle arrival detection unit 106, the delivery vehicle identification unit 107, the parallel driving zone congestion situation detection unit 108, the route calculation unit 109, the parallel driving control unit 110, and the delivery confirmation unit 111 may be partially implemented by dedicated hardware and partially implemented by software or firmware.The function of the communication unit 101 can be implemented, for example, by the processing circuit 51, which is dedicated hardware, and the functions of the parallel driving zone information acquisition unit 102, the delivery vehicle information acquisition unit 103, the order information acquisition unit 104, the user vehicle information acquisition unit 105, the user vehicle arrival detection unit 106, the delivery vehicle designation unit 107, the parallel driving zone congestion situation detection unit 108, the route calculation unit 109, the parallel driving control unit 110, and the delivery confirmation unit 111 can be implemented by the processing circuit 51 by reading and executing the programs stored in the working memory 53.

[0146] Thus, the processing circuit 51 may implement any of the functions described above as hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof.

[0147] It should be noted that it is possible to modify any components in the embodiment or to omit any components in the embodiment. INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0148] Therefore, the parallel driving management device according to the present disclosure is suitable for use as a parallel driving management device or the like that enables acceptance of goods while vehicles are moving without stopping once and delivers the goods by controlling the parallel driving of the vehicles. LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0149] 1: central management device, 2: staging device, 3: user vehicle, 4: delivery vehicle, 5: parallel driving zone device, 6: parallel driving zone, 7: goods, 8: person, 9: bench, 10: congestion area, 11: table group, 12: facility, 13: donut-shaped bench, 51: processing circuit, 52: CPU, 53: memory, 101: communication unit, 102: parallel driving zone information acquisition unit, 103: delivery vehicle information acquisition unit, 104: order information acquisition unit, 105: user vehicle information acquisition unit, 106: user vehicle arrival detection unit, 107: delivery vehicle identification unit, 108: parallel driving zone congestion situation detection unit, 109: route calculation unit, 110: parallel driving control unit, 111: Delivery confirmation unit, 201: Communication unit, 202: Order acceptance unit, 301: Communication unit, 302: Vehicle-external sensor, 303: Driving control unit, 401: Communication unit,402: vehicle-external sensor, 403: driving control unit, 501: communication unit, 502: road-side sensor, QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] JP 2020-006949 A

[0004]

Claims

[1] A parallel driving management device comprising: an order information acquisition unit for acquiring information indicating an order for goods; a user vehicle arrival detection unit for detecting that a user vehicle has arrived in a parallel travel zone; a parallel driving zone congestion situation detection unit for detecting a congestion situation in the parallel driving zone when the user vehicle arrival detection unit detects that the user vehicle has arrived in the parallel driving zone; a route calculation unit for calculating, based on a detection result of the parallel driving zone congestion situation detection unit, a travel route of the user vehicle and a travel route of a delivery vehicle at a time when the goods specified by the information acquired by the order information acquisition unit are delivered; and a parallel driving control unit for controlling the parallel driving of the user vehicle and the delivery vehicle based on a calculation result of the route calculation unit and instructing the delivery of the goods. [2] The parallel driving management device according to claim 1, wherein the route calculation unit further calculates, based on the detection result of the parallel driving zone congestion situation detection unit, a traveling speed of the user vehicle and a traveling speed of the delivery vehicle at the time point when the goods indicated by the information acquired by the order information acquisition unit are delivered. [3] The parallel driving management device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the parallel driving control unit dynamically controls the parallel driving based on one or more of a detection result of an off-vehicle sensor provided on the user vehicle and configured to detect a surrounding situation, a detection result of an off-vehicle sensor provided on the delivery vehicle and configured to detect a surrounding situation, and a detection result of a roadside sensor provided in a parallel driving zone and configured to detect a situation in the parallel driving zone. [4] The parallel driving management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the user vehicle arrival detection unit performs the detection based on one or more detection results of a roadside sensor provided in a parallel driving zone and configured to detect a situation in the parallel driving zone and a detection result of an off-vehicle sensor provided on the user vehicle and configured to detect a surrounding situation. [5] The parallel driving management device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a delivery confirmation unit for confirming that the delivery of the goods is completed after the control by the parallel driving control unit, wherein, when the delivery confirmation unit confirms that the delivery of the goods has failed, the parallel driving zone congestion situation detection unit again detects the congestion situation in the parallel driving zone. [6] Parallel driving administrative procedure, comprising: a step of obtaining, by an order information obtaining unit, information indicating an order for goods; a step of detecting, by a user vehicle arrival detecting unit, that a user vehicle has arrived in a parallel travel zone; a step of detecting, by a parallel travel zone congestion situation detecting unit, a congestion situation in the parallel travel zone when the user vehicle arrival detecting unit detects that the user vehicle has arrived in the parallel travel zone; a step of calculating, by a route calculation unit, based on a detection result of the parallel driving zone congestion situation detection unit, a travel route of the user vehicle and a travel route of a delivery vehicle at a time when the goods specified by the information acquired by the order information acquisition unit are delivered; and a step of controlling, by a parallel driving control unit, the parallel driving of the user vehicle and the delivery vehicle based on a calculation result of the route calculation unit and instructing the delivery of the goods.

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