Operation system and operation method

Abstract

To provide an operation system that enables a person with alighting difficulties to alight from a vehicle in consideration of the time it takes to alight from the vehicle in the operation of an automated vehicle.SOLUTION: An operation system manages first information indicating the service status of a service provider who undertakes to assist passengers in alighting from a bus upon request, and second information indicating a location of an assistance provision spot that can provide assistance in alighting from the bus. When a person with alighting difficulties is detected, the operation system calculates a first expected time at which the service provider arrives at an alighting point of the person with alighting difficulties when the request is made, and a second expected time at which an automated vehicle arrives at a target assistance provision spot when the target assistance provision spot near the alighting point is included in a destination. The operation system includes the target assistance provision spot as the destination when the second expected time is earlier than the first expected time by a predetermined amount of time or more, and the request is made when the second expected time is not earlier than the first expected time by the predetermined amount of time or more.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to technology for operating autonomous vehicles. [Background technology]

[0002] It is considered that autonomous vehicles will be operated as one of the means of public transportation. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an autonomous vehicle used as a bus for transporting passengers. In particular, Patent Document 1 discloses an autonomous vehicle equipped with a wheelchair boarding space. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-009452 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An autonomous vehicle can travel without the need for a driver to perform driving operations. For this reason, it is assumed that an autonomous vehicle will be operated as an unmanned vehicle without a crew member inside the vehicle. However, in the operation of an autonomous vehicle, a situation may arise in which some passengers have difficulty getting off the vehicle (a person who has difficulty getting off the vehicle). For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that wheelchair users can get on and off the autonomous vehicle using a retractable ramp. Here, it is considered that a wheelchair user may have difficulty getting off the vehicle if the ramp cannot be used after boarding. If there is a crew member inside the vehicle, the person who has difficulty getting off the vehicle can get off with the assistance of the crew member. However, in an unmanned vehicle, the person who has difficulty getting off the vehicle cannot receive assistance from the crew member. Thus, in the operation of an autonomous vehicle, how to deal with a person who has difficulty getting off the vehicle is an issue. In particular, from the viewpoint of the convenience of the operation service, it is desired that a person who has difficulty getting off the vehicle can get off more quickly and appropriately.

[0005] One objective of the present disclosure, in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, is to provide technology that enables people who have difficulty getting off an autonomous vehicle to get off while taking into account the time it takes to get off. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The first disclosure relates to a system for operating an autonomous vehicle that carries passengers and travels to one or more destinations. The operating system according to the first disclosure includes one or more processors and one or more storage devices. The one or more storage devices store first information indicating a service status of a service provider that accepts a request to assist passengers in disembarking, and second information indicating a location of an assistance providing location where assistance can be provided for passengers in disembarking. The one or more processors are configured to execute a process to detect passengers who are having difficulty disembarking, and when a passenger is detected, to calculate a first estimated time at which the service provider will arrive at the disembarkation point where the passenger is attempting to disembark if a request is made based on the first information, to obtain the location of a target assistance provision location near the disembarkation point based on the second information, to calculate a second estimated time at which the autonomous vehicle will arrive at the target assistance provision location if the target assistance provision location is included in the destination, to compare the first estimated time with the second estimated time, and if the second estimated time is earlier than the first estimated time by a predetermined time or more, to include the target assistance provision location in the destination, and if the second estimated time is not earlier than the first estimated time by a predetermined time or more, to make the request.

[0007] The second disclosure relates to a method for operating an autonomous vehicle that carries passengers and travels to one or more locations as destinations. The method includes managing first information indicating a service status of a service provider that accepts a request to assist passengers in disembarking and second information indicating a location of an assistance provision location where assistance can be provided to passengers, detecting a passenger who has difficulty disembarking among the passengers, calculating a first predicted time at which the service provider will arrive at the disembarking location where the passenger who has difficulty disembarking intends to disembark based on the first information when a request is made, acquiring a location of a target assistance provision location near the disembarking location based on the second information, calculating a second predicted time at which the autonomous vehicle will arrive at the target assistance provision location when the target assistance provision location is included in the destination, comparing the first predicted time with the second predicted time, and including the target assistance provision location in the destination if the second predicted time is earlier than the first predicted time by a predetermined time or more, and making a request if the second predicted time is not earlier than the first predicted time by a predetermined time or more. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a means of disembarking for passengers who are unable to disembark, taking into consideration the time it takes to disembark, thereby improving the convenience of the transportation service. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of operation of an autonomous vehicle by a driving system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a traffic system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a traffic system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a process executed in the travel system according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] 1. Operation of autonomous vehicles The operation system according to the present embodiment operates an autonomous vehicle. Fig. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of operation of an autonomous vehicle 200 by the operation system according to the present embodiment.

[0011] The autonomous vehicle 200 automatically steers, accelerates, and decelerates without the need for a driver to perform a driving operation. The autonomous vehicle 200 is operated so that the autonomous vehicle 200 carries the passenger 1 and travels to one or more destinations. In the example shown in FIG. 1, four destinations 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D are shown. The autonomous vehicle 200 departs from the destination 2A with the passenger 1 on board, and travels to the destinations 2B, 2C, and 2D in this order. The passenger 1 gets off the autonomous vehicle 200 at the destinations 2C and 2D. Typically, the autonomous vehicle 200 is a bus operated for the purpose of transporting the passenger 1. For example, each destination destination is a bus stop where the passenger 1 gets on and off. For example, if the autonomous vehicle 200 is an on-demand bus, each destination destination is a boarding and alighting point requested by the passenger 1.

[0012] The autonomous vehicle 200 according to this embodiment includes a slope providing device 250. The slope providing device 250 provides a slope used for passengers 1 to get on and off. The slope providing device 250 may deploy and store a slope by electronic control of an actuator, or may deploy and store a slope by a mechanical mechanism. A passenger 1 (e.g., a wheelchair user) who requires a slope to get on and off can get on and off using the slope by operating the slope providing device 250 to deploy the slope. Hereinafter, a passenger 1 who gets on and off using the slope provided by the slope providing device 250 is referred to as a "slope user."

[0013] In this embodiment, the operation of the autonomous vehicle 200 is managed by the traffic management server 100. The traffic management server 100 communicates with the autonomous vehicle 200 and transmits command information related to the operation to the autonomous vehicle 200. For example, the traffic management server 100 transmits command information specifying a destination point of the autonomous vehicle 200 and a driving route of each point. The traffic management server 100 may be configured to manage the operation of a plurality of autonomous vehicles 200. The autonomous vehicle 200 calculates a driving route so as to satisfy the command information received from the traffic management server 100, and performs autonomous driving along the driving route. In this way, the operation system according to this embodiment is realized by cooperation between the traffic management server 100 and the autonomous vehicle 200.

[0014] The autonomous vehicle 200 according to this embodiment is particularly intended to be an unmanned vehicle with no driver on board. In an unmanned vehicle, if a problem occurs with a passenger 1, the driver cannot be called in to handle the problem. The operation system according to this embodiment is configured to provide a remote support function and to enable the use of a dispatch service in order to handle a problem with a passenger 1 in an unmanned vehicle.

[0015] The remote support function is a function that enables the passenger 1 to contact the remote support operator 3 outside the vehicle as necessary and receive support from the remote support operator 3. The autonomous vehicle 200 is equipped with a communication means for the passenger 1 to contact the remote support operator 3. The remote support operator 3 provides support in response to the contact from the passenger 1 at a remote support center. For example, the remote support operator 3 resolves any unclear points, such as how to get off the vehicle, through a call with the passenger 1. In addition, for example, the remote support operator 3 registers and changes the vehicle status of the autonomous vehicle 200 upon receiving a notification of a device failure or the like.

[0016] The dispatch service is a service that receives a request and dispatches a service provider 4 that undertakes to deal with the problem to the autonomous vehicle 200. The dispatch service is used for problems that require on-site handling. For example, the dispatch service is used to rescue the passenger 1, replace broken equipment, and the like. The dispatch service may be configured to be provided by a management system (dispatch service management system). In this case, the dispatch service management system manages the service status of the service provider 4. The service status is the availability of each service provider 4, the current location of each service provider 4, the services that each service provider 4 can provide, and the like. When the dispatch service management system receives a request, it assigns a service provider 4 based on the service status. Then, the dispatch service management system requests the assigned service provider 4 to perform the dispatch service. The service provider 4 rushes to the autonomous vehicle 200 in accordance with the request. The service provider 4 may head to the autonomous vehicle 200 from a specific waiting location, or may head to the autonomous vehicle 200 related to the current request from the location where the previous dispatch service was performed. In this manner, the dispatch service is realized by the dispatch service management system. In the operation system according to this embodiment, the dispatch service is used by the operation management server 100 sending a request to the dispatch service management system.

[0017] In the operation of the autonomous vehicle 200, a situation is assumed in which some passengers 1 have difficulty getting off the vehicle (hereinafter, referred to as "persons with difficulty getting off"). For example, if the slope providing device 250 is broken, passengers using the slope in the vehicle will have difficulty getting off. Alternatively, if the handrail at the exit is broken and cannot be used, passengers 1 who need to use the handrail to get off will have difficulty getting off. A person with difficulty getting off needs assistance from a human being, but in an unmanned vehicle, they cannot request assistance from a driver. If a person with difficulty getting off continues to be unable to get off, the convenience and reliability of the operation service will decrease. In this way, when the autonomous vehicle 200 is operated as an unmanned vehicle, how to deal with people with difficulty getting off is an issue. In the operation of the autonomous vehicle 200, it is necessary to at least avoid a situation in which people with difficulty getting off are never able to get off. Furthermore, in order to improve the convenience of the operation service, it is desirable to enable people with difficulty getting off to get off as quickly as possible. The operation system according to this embodiment provides a function (hereinafter referred to as the "disembarking support function") that allows passengers who are having difficulty disembarking to disembark, taking into account the time until disembarking.

[0018] 2. Configuration 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a traffic management system 10 according to this embodiment. The traffic management system 10 is composed of a traffic management server 100, an autonomous vehicle 200, a remote support center 300, and a dispatch service management system 400. The traffic management server 100, the autonomous vehicle 200, the remote support center 300, and the dispatch service management system 400 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a communication network 20. The communication network 20 is composed of, for example, the Internet or a mobile communication system.

[0019] The fleet management server 100 is a computer including a processor 110 and a storage device 120 .

[0020] The processor 110 executes various processes. The processor 110 is configured with, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), etc.

[0021] The storage device 120 is connected to the processor 110 and stores various information necessary for the processing executed by the processor 110. The storage device 120 is configured with a recording medium such as a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a solid state drive (SSD), or a hard disk drive (HDD).

[0022] The storage device 120 stores a computer program 130 and management data 140.

[0023] The computer program 130 describes the processes to be executed by the processor 110. The processor 110 and the storage device 120 may cooperate to realize information processing by the fleet management server 100. The computer program 130 may be recorded in a computer-readable recording medium.

[0024] The management data 140 records various management information related to the operation of the autonomously driven vehicle 200.

[0025] The autonomous vehicle 200 includes a control processing device 201, sensors 230, a traveling device 240, a slope providing device 250, a notification / communication device 260, and an operator calling device 270.

[0026] The control processing device 201 performs information processing related to the control of the autonomous vehicle 200 based on various information. The control processing device 201 generates and outputs a control signal through information processing. The control processing device 201 includes a processor 210 and a storage device 220. The processor 210 executes various processes. The storage device 220 stores various information required for the processes executed by the processor 210. The storage device 220 may store a computer program that describes the processes to be executed by the processor 210. The information processing by the control processing device 201 may be realized by cooperation between the processor 210 and the storage device 220.

[0027] The sensors 230 detect information related to the autonomous vehicle 200. The sensors 230 include an interior monitoring sensor 231 and a driving environment detection sensor 232. The interior monitoring sensor 231 monitors the situation inside the vehicle. In particular, the interior monitoring sensor 231 may be configured to detect information (number of passengers, attributes, status, location, etc.) of passengers 1 inside the vehicle. The interior monitoring sensor 231 is configured, for example, with a camera that captures the situation inside the vehicle. The driving environment detection sensor 232 detects information on the driving environment of the autonomous vehicle 200. Examples of the driving environment detection sensor 232 include a camera, a radar, a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging), a wheel speed sensor, an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) sensor, and the like.

[0028] The traveling device 240 provides a traveling function for the autonomous vehicle 200. The traveling device 240 includes a steering device that steers the wheels, a driving device that generates a driving force, and a braking device that generates a braking force. The traveling device 240 operates according to a control signal obtained from the control processing device 201. Each device of the traveling device 240 may include an actuator that can be controlled by the control processing device 201. The traveling device 240 operates according to the control signal, thereby realizing autonomous driving control by the control processing device 201.

[0029] The notification / communication device 260 issues various notifications to the passenger 1. The notification / communication device 260 is also connected to the communication device 310 of the remote support center 300, and provides a communication function between the passenger 1 and the remote support operator 3. The notification / communication device 260 is composed of a speaker, a microphone, a display, and the like.

[0030] The operator call device 270 is a device that allows the passenger 1 to call the remote support operator 3 of the remote support center 300. When the operator call device 270 calls the remote support operator 3, the notification / communication device 260 connects to the communication device 310 of the remote support center 300 and starts a call with the remote support operator 3. This allows the passenger 1 to talk to the remote support operator 3 via the notification / communication device 260. The operator call device 270 is composed of, for example, a button that can be operated by the passenger 1.

[0031] The remote support center 300 includes a communication device 310 and an input / output terminal 320 .

[0032] The communication device 310 receives a call from the autonomous vehicle 200 to the remote assistance operator 3 and connects to the notification / communication device 260 of the autonomous vehicle 200. The remote assistance operator 3 can communicate with the passenger 1 of the autonomous vehicle 200 via the communication device 310. The communication device 310 is composed of a microphone, a speaker, and the like.

[0033] The input / output terminal 320 receives various information input from the remote support operator 3, and outputs various information to the remote support operator 3. The input / output terminal 320 is a computer equipped with an input unit such as a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, etc., and an output unit such as a display, a speaker, etc.

[0034] There is no particular limitation on the configuration of the dispatch service management system 400. For example, the dispatch service management system 400 is composed of a server that performs information processing related to the dispatch service, and an information terminal that is connected to the server and transmits and receives information to and from the service provider 4.

[0035] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the operation system 10 according to this embodiment with respect to the alighting handling function.

[0036] In the fleet management server 100, the management data 140 stores service status information 141, assistance provision location information 142, vehicle status information 143, and passenger information 144.

[0037] The service status information 141 is information (first information) indicating the service status of the dispatch service provided by the dispatch service management system 400. The fleet management server 100 acquires the service status information 141 by communicating with the dispatch service management system 400.

[0038] The assistance provision location information 142 is information (second information) indicating the location of an assistance provision location where assistance can be provided to the passenger 1 for disembarking. For example, if it is assumed that a ramp user is the target of disembarking assistance, the assistance provision location is a location where a portable ramp is stored and personnel for disembarking assistance can be secured. Specifically, the assistance provision location is assumed to be a station, a nursing facility, a hospital, or the like. The traffic management server 100 may manage the assistance provision location information 142 by prior registration. However, the assistance provision location information 142 may be updated as needed by new registration or information update. The assistance provision location information 142 may further include other information related to the assistance provision location. For example, the assistance provision location information 142 may include information such as the operating days of the assistance provision location, the current availability status of the assistance provision location, and the like.

[0039] Vehicle status information 143 is management information related to the status of autonomously driven vehicle 200. Vehicle status information 143 includes information such as the current location of autonomously driven vehicle 200, the driving status, the next destination point, the driving route during driving, and the status of on-board devices. In particular, in this embodiment, vehicle status information 143 includes information on the failure status of slope providing device 250. Traffic management server 100 acquires vehicle status information 143 by communicating with autonomously driven vehicle 200.

[0040] Passenger information 144 is management information related to passengers 1. Passenger information 144 includes information such as the number of passengers 1, the attributes (age, gender, etc.) of each passenger 1, status (standing, sitting, etc.), characteristics, location, and the point where each passenger 1 intends to get off (getting off point). In particular, in this embodiment, passenger information 144 includes information for managing whether each passenger 1 is a slope user or not. Traffic management server 100 acquires passenger information 144 by communicating with autonomous vehicle 200.

[0041] The traffic management server 100 includes a difficulty in disembarking person detection unit 111, a traffic management unit 112, and a request transmission unit 113. The difficulty in disembarking person detection unit 111, the traffic management unit 112, and the request transmission unit 113 may each be realized by a processor 110 that executes processing.

[0042] The person with difficulty getting off detection unit 111 detects people among the passengers 1 who will have difficulty getting off, based on the vehicle state information 143 and the passenger information 144. In particular, the person with difficulty getting off detection unit 111 acquires a malfunction state of the slope providing device 250 from the vehicle state information 143. When a malfunction of the slope providing device 250 is detected, the person with difficulty getting off detection unit 111 refers to the passenger information 144 and detects the slope user as a person who will have difficulty getting off. The person with difficulty getting off detection unit 111 may be configured to detect people who will have difficulty getting off by other means.

[0043] The operation management unit 112 manages the operation of the autonomous vehicle 200 based on the information in the management data 140. In the operation management, the operation management unit 112 performs the determination of the destination point and the operation route, the determination of the request for the dispatch service, the notification request to the passenger 1, and the like.

[0044] The request sending unit 113 generates a request for a dispatch service in accordance with a request from the operation management unit 112. The request sending unit 113 sends the generated request to the dispatch service management system 400.

[0045] The autonomous driving vehicle 200 includes a passenger information recognition unit 211, a vehicle state recognition unit 212, a driving route calculation unit 213, and a vehicle control unit 214. The passenger information recognition unit 211, the vehicle state recognition unit 212, the driving route calculation unit 213, and the vehicle control unit 214 may each be realized by a processor 210 that executes processing.

[0046] The passenger information recognition unit 211 recognizes passenger information 144 of passengers 1 inside the vehicle. The passenger information recognition unit 211 recognizes the passenger information 144 based on detection information acquired from the interior monitoring sensor 231. Moreover, the passenger information recognition unit 211 recognizes the passenger information 144 based on input information acquired from the input / output terminal 320 of the remote support center 300. In particular, the passenger information recognition unit 211 recognizes passenger information 144 regarding whether or not each passenger 1 is a slope user. The passenger information 144 recognized by the passenger information recognition unit 211 is transmitted to the operation management server 100.

[0047] The vehicle state recognition unit 212 recognizes the vehicle state of the autonomous driving vehicle 200. The vehicle state recognition unit 212 recognizes the vehicle state based on detection information acquired from the driving environment detection sensor 232. The vehicle state recognition unit 212 also recognizes the vehicle state based on input information acquired from the input / output terminal 320 of the remote support center 300. The vehicle state recognition unit 212 also recognizes the vehicle state based on the result of information processing by the control processing device 201. In particular, the vehicle state recognition unit 212 recognizes the vehicle state related to the failure state of the slope providing device 250. The vehicle state recognized by the vehicle state recognition unit 212 is transmitted to the fleet management server 100.

[0048] The driving route calculation unit 213 acquires the destination point and the driving route from the operation management unit 112, and calculates a driving route that satisfies the acquired destination point and driving route. The driving route calculated by the driving route calculation unit 213 is transmitted to the vehicle control unit 214.

[0049] The vehicle control unit 214 generates a control signal so that the autonomously driven vehicle 200 travels along the travel route acquired from the travel route calculation unit 213. The control signal generated by the vehicle control unit 214 is transmitted to the travel device 240.

[0050] When the operator calling device 270 is operated, the notification / communication device 260 connects to the communication device 310 of the remote support center 300 and starts a call with the remote support operator 3. In addition, the notification / communication device 260 notifies the passenger 1 in response to a request from the operation control unit 112.

[0051] 3. Processing flow 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for the disembarking function executed in the operation system 10 according to the present embodiment. The process according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 may be repeatedly executed at a predetermined processing cycle.

[0052] First, in step S100, the difficulty in getting off person detection unit 111 executes a process of detecting a person among the passengers 1 who will have difficulty getting off the vehicle.

[0053] If the person having difficulty getting off is not detected by the person having difficulty getting off detection unit 111 (step S110; No), the current process ends. If the person having difficulty getting off is detected by the person having difficulty getting off detection unit 111 (step S110; Yes), the process proceeds to step S120.

[0054] In step S120, the operation management unit 112 refers to the passenger information 144 to check the status of other passengers 1 other than the person having difficulty getting off. Then, the operation management unit 112 judges whether the person having difficulty getting off can get off at the alighting point with the assistance of the other passengers 1 (step S130). For example, the operation management unit 112 judges that the person having difficulty getting off can get off with the assistance of the passengers when it is predicted that there are a predetermined number of other passengers 1 (e.g., two people) or more at the alighting point of the person having difficulty getting off. Furthermore, the operation management unit 112 may notify the other passengers 1 via the notification / communication device 260 to request the person having difficulty getting off to provide passenger assistance. Then, the operation management unit 112 may judge that the person having difficulty getting off can get off with the assistance of the passengers when there are a predetermined number or more of passengers 1 who have agreed to provide passenger assistance. Furthermore, when a passenger using a slope is expected to be a person having difficulty getting off, the operation management unit 112 may judge whether the person having difficulty getting off can get off with the assistance of the passengers depending on whether the person can get off without using a slope. In this case, when the operation management unit 112 determines that disembarking is not possible without using a slope, it may determine that disembarking with assistance from passengers is not possible. For example, the operation management unit 112 determines whether disembarking is possible without using a slope based on the characteristics of the person having difficulty disembarking.

[0055] If it is determined that disembarking with passenger assistance is possible (step S130; Yes), operation management unit 112 maintains the current operation of autonomous vehicle 200. Then, when autonomous vehicle 200 arrives at the disembarking point for the person who has difficulty disembarking, operation management unit 112 notifies passenger 1 via notification / communication device 260 to request passenger assistance for the person who has difficulty disembarking. This allows the person who has difficulty disembarking to disembark at the scheduled disembarking point with passenger assistance.

[0056] When it is determined that disembarking with assistance to the passenger is not possible (step S130; No), the operation management unit 112 calculates the estimated time (first estimated time) at which the service provider 4 will arrive at the disembarking point of the person having difficulty disembarking when a dispatch service request is made, based on the service status information 141 (step S150). The operation management unit 112 calculates the first estimated time, for example, based on the availability of the service provider 4 and the distance between the disembarking point and the current location of the service provider 4.

[0057] Next, in step S160, the operation management unit 112 searches for an assistance provision location near the drop-off point of the person who has difficulty getting off, based on the assistance provision location information 142. For example, the operation management unit 112 searches for an assistance provision location within a range where the distance to the drop-off point is equal to or less than a predetermined distance. The operation management unit 112 acquires the location of the searched assistance provision location (target assistance provision location).

[0058] Next, in step S170, operation management unit 112 calculates a predicted time (second predicted time) at which autonomous vehicle 200 will arrive at the target assistance-provision location when the target assistance-provision location is included in the destination of autonomous vehicle 200. Here, including the target assistance-provision location in the destination may mean changing the destination point that is the drop-off point to the target assistance-provision location, or may mean adding the target assistance-provision location as a destination point before or after the destination point that is the drop-off point. Alternatively, it may mean setting the next destination point as the target assistance-provision location. These may be determined from the perspective of the operating status of autonomous vehicle 200 and the convenience of the service.

[0059] Next, in step S180, the operation management unit 112 compares the first predicted time with the second predicted time. Then, the operation management unit 112 determines whether the second predicted time is earlier than the first predicted time by a predetermined time or more (step S190). The predetermined time may be set according to the distance between the target assistance provision location and the drop-off point. However, the predetermined time may be set to zero. That is, in step S190, the operation management unit 112 may determine whether the second predicted time is earlier than the first predicted time.

[0060] If the second predicted time is earlier than the first predicted time by at least a predetermined time (step S190; Yes), the operation management unit 112 includes the target assistance provision location in the destination and transmits the operation route to the autonomously driven vehicle 200 (step S200). This allows the person who has difficulty disembarking to disembark with disembarkation assistance at the target assistance provision location.

[0061] If the second predicted time is not earlier than the first predicted time by at least a predetermined time (step S190; No), the operation management unit 112 requests the request sending unit 113 to send a request for the service provider 4 to assist the person who has difficulty getting off at the disembarking point (step S210). The autonomously driven vehicle 200 waits for the arrival of the service provider 4 at the disembarking point. As a result, the person who has difficulty getting off can get off at the scheduled disembarking point with the disembarking assistance from the service provider 4.

[0062] By executing the process in this manner, the disembarking function of the operation system 10 according to the present embodiment is realized. Furthermore, the operation system 10 that executes the process in this manner realizes the operation method according to the present embodiment.

[0063] 4. Effects As described above, according to this embodiment, when a person having difficulty in disembarking is detected, the person can at least be assisted in disembarking at the target assistance providing location or by the service provider 4. In turn, it is possible to prevent a situation in which a person having difficulty in disembarking is unable to disembark. In particular, according to this embodiment, the first predicted time is compared with the second predicted time, and if the second predicted time is earlier than the first predicted time by a predetermined time or more, disembarking assistance is provided at the target assistance providing location. On the other hand, if the second predicted time is not earlier than the first predicted time by a predetermined time or more, disembarking assistance is provided by the service provider 4. In this way, it is possible for a person having difficulty in disembarking to disembark by a faster means while taking into consideration the presence or absence of a change from the scheduled disembarking point. In turn, it is possible to improve the convenience of the operation service.

[0064] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, if disembarking at the disembarking point is possible with the assistance of other passengers 1, the current operation of autonomous vehicle 200 is maintained without comparing the first predicted time with the second predicted time. Then, at the disembarking point, passenger 1 is notified to request assistance for the person having difficulty disembarking. This makes it possible to provide a faster means of disembarking for the person having difficulty disembarking. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 1 Passenger, 4 Service provider, 10 Traffic system, 100 Traffic management server, 110 processor, 120 storage device, 130 computer program

Claims

1. A system for operating an autonomous vehicle that carries passengers and travels to one or more destinations, one or more processors; one or more storage devices; Equipped with The one or more storage devices include First information indicating a service status of a service provider that receives the request and undertakes to assist the passenger in getting off the vehicle; Second information indicating a location of an assistance providing location where assistance for disembarking the passenger can be provided; Remember, The one or more processors: Execute a process to detect passengers who are having difficulty getting off the vehicle, When the person having difficulty getting off the vehicle is detected, calculating a first predicted time at which the service provider will arrive at the drop-off point, which is the point at which the person having difficulty getting off will try to get off if the request is made, based on the first information; obtaining a location of a target assistance provision location that is the assistance provision location near the drop-off point based on the second information; calculating a second predicted time at which the autonomous vehicle will arrive at the target assistance provision location when the target assistance provision location is included in the destination; The first predicted time is compared with the second predicted time, and if the second predicted time is earlier than the first predicted time by a predetermined time or more, the target assistance provision location is included in the destination, and if the second predicted time is not earlier than the first predicted time by the predetermined time or more, the request is made. It is configured as follows: Operating system.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1, The autonomous vehicle includes a slope providing device that provides a slope used for passengers to get on and off, The one or more processors: In the process of detecting a person having difficulty getting off the vehicle, Manage slope users who use the slope among the passengers; When a failure of the slope providing device is detected, the slope user is determined to be the person having difficulty getting off the vehicle. It is configured as follows: Operating system.

3. The operation system according to claim 1 or 2, The one or more processors: When the person having difficulty getting off the vehicle is detected, determining whether the person having difficulty disembarking is able to disembark at the disembarkation point with the assistance of the passenger; When it is determined that the person having difficulty in disembarking can disembark at the disembarking point by the passenger assistance, the comparison between the first predicted time and the second predicted time is not performed. It is configured as follows: Operating system.

4. The operation system according to claim 3, The one or more processors: When it is determined that the passenger who has difficulty disembarking can disembark at the disembarkation point by the passenger assistance, the autonomous vehicle further notifies the passenger to request the passenger assistance when the autonomous vehicle arrives at the disembarkation point. It is configured as follows: Operating system.

5. A method for operating an autonomous vehicle that carries passengers and travels to one or more destinations, comprising: Managing first information indicating a service status of a service provider who accepts a request to assist the passenger in getting off the vehicle and second information indicating a location of an assistance providing location where assistance can be provided to the passenger; Detecting passengers who are having difficulty getting off the vehicle among the passengers; Calculating a first predicted time at which the service provider will arrive at the drop-off point, which is the point at which the person having difficulty getting off will try to get off when making the request, based on the first information; obtaining a location of a target assistance provision location that is the assistance provision location near the drop-off point based on the second information; calculating a second predicted time at which the autonomous vehicle will arrive at the target assistance provision location when the target assistance provision location is included in the destination; and comparing the first predicted time with the second predicted time, and if the second predicted time is earlier than the first predicted time by a predetermined time or more, including the target assistance provision location in the destination, and if the second predicted time is not earlier than the first predicted time by the predetermined time or more, making the request; Includes Operation method.

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