Information processing device, system, and system action method

Abstract

To improve operation efficiently for travel management.SOLUTION: An information processing device comprises: a communication section; a storage section for storing information on a travel plan including a travel route at least a part of which is included in one or more areas concerning each one of a plurality of vehicles; and a control section for performing communication by the communication section. The control section transmits information indicating a first area with the occurrence of a predetermined reason to a terminal device after the vehicles start traveling on the respective travel routes, and transmits an instruction of an action corresponding to a travel stop instruction to the first vehicle traveling on the first travel route when the travel stop instruction on the first travel route at least a part of which is included in the first area is received from the terminal device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device, a system, and a method of operating the system. [Background technology]

[0002] Route buses and other vehicles begin operation according to pre-planned departure times. Various technologies have been proposed to support such operation management. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a system in which an operation management center sends a driving permit to an autonomous vehicle in order to appropriately deploy the autonomous vehicle on a driving route. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-009431 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In vehicle operation management, there may be cases where vehicle operation cannot be carried out as planned due to various factors, but in such cases there is room to improve the efficiency of operations by the operation manager to issue operation instructions.

[0005] The following describes an information processing device and the like that can improve operational efficiency for traffic management. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The information processing device of the present disclosure includes a communication unit, a memory unit that stores information on operation plans for each of a plurality of vehicles, including operation routes that include at least a portion of one or more areas, and a control unit that performs communication via the communication unit, and the control unit sends information indicating a first area in which a specified event has occurred to a terminal device after the plurality of vehicles have started operating on their respective operation routes, and when the control unit receives an instruction from the terminal device to suspend operation on a first operation route that includes at least a portion of the first area, sends an instruction to the first vehicle operating on the first operation route to perform an action in accordance with the instruction to suspend operation.

[0007] The system disclosed herein is a system having an information processing device that stores information on operation plans for each of a plurality of vehicles, including operation routes that include at least a portion of one or more areas, and a terminal device that communicates with the information processing device, wherein the information processing device sends information indicating a first area in which a specified event has occurred to the terminal device after the plurality of vehicles have started operating on their respective operation routes, the terminal device sends an instruction to the information processing device to suspend operation on the first operation route that includes at least a portion of the first area, and the information processing device sends an instruction to the first vehicle operating on the first operation route to operate in accordance with the instruction to suspend operation.

[0008] The system operation method of the present disclosure is a system operation method having an information processing device that stores information on operation plans for each of a plurality of vehicles, including operation routes that have at least a portion included in one or more areas, and a terminal device that communicates with the information processing device, and includes the information processing device sending information indicating a first area in which a specified event has occurred to the terminal device after the plurality of vehicles have started operating on their respective operation routes, the terminal device sending an instruction to the information processing device to suspend operation on the first operation route that has at least a portion included in the first area, and the information processing device sending an instruction to a first vehicle operating on the first operation route to operate in accordance with the instruction to suspend operation. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the information processing device and the like of the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the operational efficiency for operation management. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an operation management system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of operation plan information. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the traffic management system. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an operation management instruction screen. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an operation management instruction screen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The following describes the embodiments.

[0012] <Configuration of the traffic control system> FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a traffic management system according to an embodiment. The traffic management system 1 includes one or more server devices 10, one or more terminal devices 12, and a plurality of vehicles 13, which are connected to each other via a network 11 so as to be able to communicate information with each other. The server device 10 is, for example, a server computer that belongs to a cloud computing system or other computing system and functions as a server that implements various functions. The server device 10 corresponds to the "information processing device" in this embodiment. The terminal device 12 is an information processing terminal used by an operator of the traffic management system 1, i.e., a traffic manager, and exchanges various information with the server device 10. The terminal device 12 is, for example, a personal computer, a tablet terminal, or the like. The vehicle 13 is equipped with communication and information processing functions and is connected to the network 11 via a mobile communication network. The vehicle 13 is, for example, a bus that transports passengers and is operated based on a traffic plan. The vehicle 13 may be driven by a driver, or its driving may be automated at any level (for example, any of levels 1 to 5 in the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) standards). The vehicle 13 is an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle that uses battery power as at least a part of its energy for traveling. The network 11 is, for example, the Internet, but also includes an ad-hoc network, a local area network (LAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), or other networks, or any combination thereof.

[0013] In this embodiment, the traffic management system 1 supports the traffic management of multiple vehicles 13 by a traffic manager. Traffic management includes issuing instructions to execute or cancel the traffic plan for each vehicle 13. Each vehicle 13 is assigned a traffic plan including a traffic route, a start and end time of the traffic, etc. The traffic route is set in any block or district. Furthermore, the block or district is divided into one or more areas. The areas may be divided geographically, or may be divided by function, attribute, or administrative division. Furthermore, the areas may overlap with each other in part or in part. At least a part of the traffic route of each vehicle is included in one or more areas.

[0014] The server device 10 includes a communication unit 101, a storage unit 102, and a control unit 103 that communicates via the communication unit 101. The storage unit 102 stores operation plan information 107 for each of the multiple vehicles 13, including operation routes whose portions are partially or completely contained in one or more areas. After the multiple vehicles 13 begin operation on their respective operation routes, the control unit 103 sends information indicating the area (hereinafter referred to as an operation-prohibited area) where a predetermined event (hereinafter referred to as an operation-prohibited event) has occurred to the terminal device 12. When the control unit 103 receives an instruction from the terminal device 12 to suspend operation on an operation route whose portions are partially or completely contained in an operation-prohibited area (hereinafter referred to as an operation-prohibited route), the control unit 103 sends an instruction to the vehicles 13 operating on the operation-prohibited route to perform an operation corresponding to the instruction to suspend operation. The operation manager can instruct the vehicles 13 operating in the operation-prohibited area to suspend operation for each of the operation-prohibited routes in the operation-prohibited area. Therefore, when multiple operation-prohibited routes correspond to an operation-prohibited area, it is possible to instruct the vehicles 13 to suspend operation in different ways for each operation-prohibited route. This improves the operational efficiency of operation management.

[0015] <Configuration of Server Device 10> The server device 10 includes a communication unit 101, a storage unit 102, and a control unit 103. The server device 10 is, for example, a single computer. Alternatively, the server device 10 may be configured with two or more computers that are communicably connected and operate in cooperation with each other. In this case, the configuration shown in FIG. 1 is appropriately arranged in the two or more computers.

[0016] The communication unit 101 includes one or more communication interfaces. The communication interface is, for example, a LAN interface. The communication unit 101 receives information used in the operation of the server device 10 and transmits information obtained by the operation of the server device 10. The server device 10 is connected to a network 11 by the communication unit 101 and communicates information with a terminal device 12 and a vehicle 13 via the network 11.

[0017] The storage unit 102 includes, for example, one or more semiconductor memories, one or more magnetic memories, one or more optical memories, or a combination of at least two of them, that function as a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a random access memory (RAM) or a read only memory (ROM). The RAM is, for example, a static RAM (SRAM) or a dynamic RAM (DRAM). The ROM is, for example, an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM). The storage unit 102 stores information used in the operation of the server device 10 and information obtained by the operation of the server device 10.

[0018] The information stored in the storage unit 102 includes operation plan information 107. As shown in FIG. 2, the operation plan information 107 includes, for example, vehicle information 21, service information 22, and operation route information 23. The vehicle information 21 includes, for each vehicle 13, a vehicle ID for identifying the vehicle and location information indicating the location of the vehicle 13. The vehicle ID may include the vehicle name. The service information 22 includes, for each service assigned to each vehicle 13, a service ID for identifying the service, a vehicle ID indicating the vehicle 13 to which the service is assigned, a service route ID for identifying the service route along which the service is set, and service times indicating the start and end times of the service. The service ID may include the service name. The service times may include arrival times and departure times at one or more stops on the service route. The service route information 23 includes, for each service route, a service route ID for identifying the service route, area information indicating an area including at least a portion of the service route, and situation information regarding the situation in the area. The service route ID may include the service route name. Area information includes information for identifying the area, information indicating the attributes of the area, etc. Status information is information indicating whether service is possible in the area. Status information includes, for example, the occurrence of road construction in the area, the occurrence of work such as accident response, the occurrence of an event that requires a road closure, and the occurrence of severe weather that affects road traffic. Among such situations, a situation that hinders service corresponds to a reason for service impossibility. Vehicle information 21 and service information 22, and service information 22 and service route information 23 are linked by a vehicle ID and a service ID, respectively. One service corresponds to one vehicle 13, but it is possible for one area to have multiple routes, or one route to have multiple routes. Furthermore, it is possible for one route to have multiple vehicles 13.

[0019] Returning to FIG. 1 , the control unit 103 includes one or more processors, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) specialized for a specific process. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), etc. The control unit 103 executes information processing related to the operation of the server device 10 while controlling each unit of the server device 10.

[0020] The functions of the server device 10 are realized by executing a control program on a processor included in the control unit 103. The control program is a program that causes a computer to execute processing of steps included in the operation of the server device 10, thereby causing the computer to realize functions corresponding to the processing of those steps. In other words, the control program is a program that causes a computer to function as the server device 10. Also, some or all of the functions of the server device 10 may be realized by a dedicated circuit included in the control unit 103. Also, the control program may be stored in a non-transitory recording / storage medium that is readable by the server device 10, and read by the server device 10 from the medium.

[0021] <Configuration of terminal device 12> The terminal device 12 includes a communication unit 121 , a storage unit 122 , a control unit 123 , an input unit 125 , and an output unit 126 .

[0022] The communication unit 121 includes a communication module compatible with wired or wireless LAN standards, a module compatible with mobile communication standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), or 5G (5th Generation), etc. The terminal device 12 is connected to the network 11 by the communication unit 121 via a nearby router device or a mobile communication base station, and communicates information with other devices via the network 11.

[0023] The storage unit 122 includes one or more semiconductor memories, one or more magnetic memories, one or more optical memories, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memories are, for example, RAM or ROM. The RAM is, for example, SRAM or DRAM. The ROM is, for example, EEPROM. The storage unit 122 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 122 stores information used in the operation of the control unit 123 and information obtained by the operation of the control unit 123.

[0024] The control unit 123 has, for example, one or more general-purpose processors such as a CPU, an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), or one or more dedicated processors specialized for specific processing. Alternatively, the control unit 123 may have one or more dedicated circuits such as an FPGA, an ASIC, or the like. The control unit 123 performs overall control of the operation of the terminal device 12 by operating according to a control / processing program or operating according to an operating procedure implemented as a circuit. The control unit 123 then transmits and receives various information to and from the server device 10, etc. via the communication unit 121, and performs the operation according to this embodiment.

[0025] The input unit 125 includes one or more input interfaces. The input interfaces include, for example, physical keys, capacitive keys, a pointing device, a touch screen integrated with a display, a camera that captures images or image codes, or an IC card reader. The input interface may also include a microphone that accepts voice input. The input unit 125 accepts input of information used for the operation of the control unit 123 and sends the input information to the control unit 123.

[0026] The output unit 126 includes one or more output interfaces. The output interface is, for example, a display or a speaker. The display is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. The output unit 126 outputs information obtained by the operation of the control unit 123.

[0027] The functions of control unit 123 are realized by a processor included in control unit 123 executing a control program. The control program is a program for causing the processor to function as control unit 123. In addition, some or all of the functions of control unit 123 may be realized by a dedicated circuit included in control unit 123.

[0028] <Example of vehicle 13 configuration> The vehicle 13 has a communication unit 131, a storage unit 132, a control unit 133, a positioning unit 134, an input unit 135, and an output unit 136. One or more of these may be configured as a single control device, or may be configured as a personal computer including a tablet terminal, a smartphone terminal, or a navigation device. Alternatively, each unit may be connected to be able to communicate information via an in-vehicle network that complies with a standard such as CAN (Controller Area Network).

[0029] The storage unit 132, the control unit 133, the input unit 135, and the output unit 136 have the same configurations as the storage unit 122, the control unit 123, the input unit 125, and the output unit 126 of the terminal device 12, respectively.

[0030] The communication unit 131 includes one or more communication interfaces. The communication interfaces are interfaces compatible with mobile communication standards such as LTE, 4G, or 5G. The communication unit 131 receives information used in the operation of the control unit 133 and transmits information obtained by the operation of the control unit 133. The control unit 133 is connected to the network 11 via a mobile communication base station by the communication unit 131, and communicates information with other devices via the network 11.

[0031] The positioning unit 134 includes one or more GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receivers. GNSS includes, for example, at least one of GPS (Global Positioning System), QZSS (Quasi-Zenith Satellite System), BeiDou, GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System), and Galileo. Based on the information acquired by the positioning unit 134, the position information of the vehicle 13 is obtained.

[0032] The control unit 133 controls the communication unit 131, the memory unit 132, the positioning unit 134, the input unit 135, and the output unit 136 while exchanging various types of information with these units, and also controls the operation of the vehicle 13. When the vehicle 13 is operating, the control unit 133 controls the operation of the vehicle 13 by presenting various types of information necessary for driving to the driver via the output unit 136 and by controlling the automatic driving of the vehicle 13.

[0033] <Operation of Traffic Control System 1> FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a procedure for the cooperative operation of the server device 10, the terminal device 12, and the vehicle 13. Steps relating to various information processing by the server device 10, the terminal device 12, and the vehicle 13 in FIG. 3 are executed by the respective control units 103, 123, and 133. Furthermore, steps relating to the transmission and reception of various information by the server device 10, the terminal device 12, and the vehicle 13 are executed by the respective control units 103, 123, and 133 transmitting and receiving information to each other via the respective communication units 101, 121, and 131. In the server device 10, the terminal device 12, and the vehicle 13, the control units 103, 123, and 133 appropriately store the information to be processed and transmitted and received in the respective storage units 102, 122, and 132. Furthermore, in the terminal device 12 and the vehicle 13, information input by user operation is accepted by the input units 125 and 135, respectively, and various information intended for the user is output by the respective output units 126 and 136.

[0034] The procedure in Fig. 3 is an example of a procedure executed when an operations manager uses the terminal device 12 to manage the operation of the vehicle 13 via the server device 10. The procedure in Fig. 3 is executed, for example, at an arbitrary interval (for example, every several tens of seconds to several minutes) after the vehicle 13 starts operating on each working day.

[0035] In step S30, the server device 10 acquires situation information for each area. For example, the server device 10 acquires information such as the occurrence of road construction, the occurrence of work such as accident handling, the occurrence of an event involving a road closure, the occurrence of inclement weather, etc. from the server of a business that distributes road traffic information, event information, weather information, etc., and updates the situation information in the travel route information 23 with the acquired information.

[0036] In step S31, the server device 10 acquires the position information of each vehicle 13. When the server device 10 sends a request for position information to each vehicle 13 using the vehicle ID of each vehicle 13, each vehicle 13 sends its position information to the server device 10 in response to the request. In each vehicle 13, the position information is acquired by, for example, the positioning unit 134 and sent to the server device 10. The server device 10 updates the position information of the vehicle information 21 using the information sent from each vehicle 13.

[0037] In step S32, the server device 10 sends operation information to the terminal device 12. The operation information sent from the server device 10 includes at least a part of the operation plan information 107. For example, the operation plan information includes updated position information of each vehicle 13 and situation prediction information for each area.

[0038] In step S33, the terminal device 12 displays an operation instruction screen and accepts operation management operations from the operations manager. Based on the operation information received from the server device 10, the terminal device 12 displays, for example, an operation schedule 40 as shown in Fig. 4 and area status information 51 as shown in Fig. 5 as the operation instruction screen.

[0039] The bus schedule 40 in FIG. 4 includes information such as the route name, bus name, departure time at the starting stop, arrival time at the ending stop, vehicle name, vehicle current location, and area name including part of the route. The area status information 51 in FIG. 5 also includes information indicating the area name and status. By checking the operation instruction screen, the operations manager can recognize that, for example, a flooded section due to heavy rain will cause an operational impossibility in "Area 3," and can determine that "Area 3" is an operational impossibility area. On the other hand, the operations manager can recognize that no operational impossibility has occurred in "Area 1" and "Area 2," and therefore, operation is possible. For example, the operations manager can input an instruction to "continue operation" (i.e., continue operation) or "cancel" the operation corresponding to each area in the "Operation / Cancel Instruction" field in the area status information 51. For example, the operations manager can input an instruction to "continue operation" or "cancel" the operation corresponding to each area by selecting one of the displayed "continue" or "cancel" options or by directly inputting the instruction. The default value for the "Operation Execution / Cancellation Instruction" field is "Execute," and the operations manager may enter a value of "Cancel" for areas where operation is to be canceled. In this example, the instruction is to "Cancel" operation for "Area 3," an area where operation is not permitted, and to "Execute" operation for "Area 1" and "Area 2."

[0040] Furthermore, in response to the instruction to "suspend" operation in "Area 3," the terminal device 12 displays an instruction input screen 52 for each operation route. The instruction input screen 52 provides an interface for inputting operation routes corresponding to areas and instructions for each operation route. For example, the instruction input screen 52 displays "Operation Route 2" and "Operation Route 4" corresponding to "Area 3." The operations manager sets instructions for the "Instructions" item by selecting or inputting, such as "Operate to the end point" or "Operate to the nearest stop." The "Instructions" may include, for example, "Wait at current location." The operations manager can set instructions to suspend operation in different ways for the vehicle 13 for each operation route.

[0041] Returning to FIG. 3, in step S34, the terminal device 12 sends to the server device 10 an instruction to stop operation that has been set for each area and each operation route.

[0042] In step S35, the server device 10 distinguishes between inoperable vehicles 13 and operable vehicles 13. Using the operation plan information 107, the server device 10 distinguishes between vehicles 13 associated with services in the area and operation route instructed to be suspended as inoperable vehicles and other vehicles 13 as operable vehicles.

[0043] In step S36, the server device 10 sends an instruction to stop operation to each vehicle 13 that is unable to operate, along with the operation schedule based on the service information 22. The instruction to stop operation includes information on the instruction content set on the instruction content input screen 52.

[0044] In step S37, each vehicle 13 that is unable to operate suspends operation in accordance with the operation schedule and the operation suspension instruction sent from the server device 10. In each vehicle 13, the control unit 133 controls the vehicle 13 to suspend operation based on the information sent from the server device 10. Alternatively, the control unit 133 may output the operation schedule and the operation suspension instruction by display or the like, and the occupant may perform an operation to suspend operation. Note that information identical to the bus schedule information 22 in the operation plan information 107 stored in the server device 10 may be stored in advance in each vehicle 13, and each vehicle 13 may operate based on that information. For example, the vehicle 13 that is unable to operate performs an operation such as operating to the end point, operating to the nearest stop, or waiting at its current location, depending on the instruction to suspend operation. For example, in accordance with the operation instruction screens in Figures 4 and 5, vehicles 13 operating on "operation route 2," i.e., "autonomous vehicle 2" and "autonomous vehicle 4," will operate to the end point, and vehicles 13 operating on "operation route 4," i.e., "autonomous vehicle 5," will operate to the nearest bus stop and then cease operation.

[0045] According to the above procedure, the dispatcher can issue an instruction to suspend the operation of vehicles 13 operating in a non-operational area for each non-operational area and for each route. Therefore, even when multiple vehicles 13 are scheduled to operate on each route, the dispatcher can issue an instruction to suspend operation to multiple vehicles 13. Therefore, when multiple vehicles 13 operate on one or more routes in a non-operational area, the dispatcher does not need to issue an instruction to suspend operation for each vehicle 13. Furthermore, even when multiple vehicles 13 with different specifications operate in a non-operational area, the dispatcher can issue an instruction to suspend operation for all vehicles 13 collectively by configuring the server device 10 and each vehicle 13 to communicate with each other. Furthermore, by issuing an instruction to suspend operation in a different manner for each route, for example, by operating a vehicle 13 that operates most of the route to the end of the route or to the nearest stop, passenger convenience can be maximized through detailed dispatching. This improves operational efficiency for dispatching.

[0046] Although the embodiments have been described above based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art can easily make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each means, step, etc. can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent, and multiple means, steps, etc. can be combined or divided into one. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1. Traffic management system 10 Server device 11 Network 12 Terminal equipment 13 vehicles 101, 121, 131 Communications Department 102, 122, 132 storage section 103, 123, 133 Control unit 125, 135 input section 126, 136 Output section 134 Positioning Unit

Claims

1. The Communications Department and a storage unit that stores information about operation plans for each of a plurality of vehicles, the operation plans including operation routes that include at least a portion of one or more areas; a control unit that performs communication using the communication unit, the control unit sends information indicating a first area in which a predetermined event has occurred to a terminal device after the plurality of vehicles have started operating on their respective operating routes, and when receiving an instruction from the terminal device to suspend operation on a first operating route the first operating route of which part or all of which is included in the first area, sends an instruction to a first vehicle operating on the first operating route to perform an operation in accordance with the instruction to suspend operation; Information processing device.

2. In claim 1, When a plurality of the first operation routes correspond to the first area, the control unit receives different operation suspension instructions for each of the first operation routes, and sends different operation instructions corresponding to each operation suspension instruction to the first vehicle for each of the first operation routes. Information processing device.

3. In claim 1, When a plurality of the first vehicles correspond to the first operating route, the control unit sends the instruction for the operation to the plurality of first vehicles. Information processing device.

4. A system including an information processing device that stores information on operation plans for each of a plurality of vehicles, the operation plans including operation routes that include at least a portion of one or more areas, and a terminal device that communicates with the information processing device, the information processing device sends information indicating a first area in which a predetermined event has occurred to a terminal device after the plurality of vehicles have started operating on their respective operating routes; the terminal device sends an instruction to the information processing device to stop operation of a first operation route, at least a part of which is included in the first area; the information processing device sends an instruction to a first vehicle operating on the first operating route to perform an operation in response to the instruction to stop operating; system.

5. An operation method of a system having an information processing device that stores information on operation plans for each of a plurality of vehicles, the operation plans including operation routes that include at least a portion of one or more areas, and a terminal device that communicates with the information processing device, the information processing device transmits, to the terminal device, information indicating a first area in which a predetermined event has occurred after the plurality of vehicles have started operating on their respective operating routes; The terminal device sends an instruction to the information processing device to stop operation of a first operation route, at least a part of which is included in the first area; the information processing device sends an instruction to a first vehicle operating on the first operating route to perform an operation in accordance with the instruction to stop operating; The method of operation of the system, including

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