Route selection device, route selection method, and program

Abstract

To select a route capable of securing usability to some extent while coping with an abnormality of a vehicle.SOLUTION: A control section 150 of a vehicle control device includes: an abnormality detection section 1501 that detects an abnormality of a vehicle traveling toward a destination on the basis of vehicle information indicating a state of the vehicle; a travelable range calculation section 1502 that calculates a travelable range until the vehicle's travel is impaired on the basis of content of the detected abnormality; a repair point identification section 1503 that identifies a repair point reachable from a current position on the basis of the calculated travelable range; a route calculation section 1504 that calculates a plurality of routes from the current position to the destination via the repair point; and a route selection section 1505 that selects a route suitable for a user who is an occupant of the vehicle as an alternative route of a current travel route of the vehicle from among the plurality of routes calculated by the route calculation section 1504.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a route selection device, a route selection method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] There are known technologies for generating vehicle routes that ensure usability for users, such as ease of use, user-friendliness, suitability for a purpose, etc. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a route selection device that calculates multiple routes for a vehicle to travel from a departure point to a destination based on a request from a user, calculates a score for each route based on environmental information on or near the route and user information, and selects routes with higher scores as recommended routes. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-159942 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] If an abnormality occurs in a traveling vehicle, depending on the severity of the abnormality, the user (driver) may have to change the traveling route and move the vehicle to a repair point such as a maintenance shop. Therefore, even if the vehicle is traveling along the recommended route generated by the invention described in Patent Document 1, if such an abnormality occurs, the traveling route will deviate from the recommended route, and there is a risk that usability will not be ensured.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned situation, and aims to provide a route selection device, a route selection method, and a program that can select a route that can respond to vehicle abnormalities while also ensuring a certain degree of usability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, a route selection device according to the present invention includes a location information acquisition unit that acquires the current location of a vehicle, and a control unit. The control unit includes an abnormality detection unit, a driving range calculation unit, a repair point identification unit, a route calculation unit, and a route selection unit. The abnormality detection unit detects an abnormality in a vehicle traveling toward a destination based on vehicle information indicating the vehicle's condition. The driving range calculation unit calculates a driving range until the vehicle is unable to travel based on the content of the detected abnormality. The repair point identification unit identifies a repair point that is reachable from the current location based on the calculated driving range. The route calculation unit calculates multiple routes from the current location to the destination via the repair point. The route selection unit selects a route suitable for a user, who is an occupant of the vehicle, from the multiple routes calculated by the route calculation unit as an alternative route to the vehicle's current driving route. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, multiple routes are calculated that reach a destination from a current location identified based on the vehicle's driving range via reachable repair points. Then, from the multiple calculated routes, a route that is suitable for the user is selected as an alternative route, making it possible to select a route that can respond to vehicle abnormalities while ensuring a certain degree of usability. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a mobility management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a vehicle control device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a control unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a vehicle dispatch request screen. [Figure 5] 4 is a flowchart of a pre-traveling process according to an embodiment. [Figure 6]10 is a flowchart of a route selection process according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart of a process during travel according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart of a route selection process according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A route selection device and a mobility management system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or equivalent parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0010] (Embodiment) A mobility management system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a mobility service system that moves a user by vehicle. For example, the mobility management system 1 is a system that moves a user from a departure point to a destination by vehicle. The vehicles used in the mobility management system 1 are not limited to those that drive autonomously, but may also be those that control driving assistance such as braking assistance and steering assistance, or those that provide navigation assistance such as car navigation. Furthermore, the mobility management system 1 may be a ride-sharing system, car-sharing system, or the like that uses driving assistance or navigation assistance technology. In this embodiment, a case will be described in which the mobility management system 1 is a vehicle dispatch system that uses autonomously driving vehicles.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a mobility management system 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the mobility management system 1 includes a plurality of vehicles 10 each equipped with a vehicle control device 100 (described later), a mobile terminal 50 owned by a user, and a server 20 connected for communication with the vehicles 10 and the mobile terminal 50 via a wireless base station 30 and a network 40.

[0012] The server 20 is a server computer that manages information indicating the location and driving status of the vehicle 10, and has functions such as issuing driving instructions to the vehicle 10 in response to a user request and arranging for a replacement vehicle when a breakdown occurs in the vehicle 10. The server 20 may be a single physical server, or may be a cloud server including one or more physical servers.

[0013] The mobile terminal 50 is, for example, a smartphone, and is used by a user to request a vehicle dispatch. An application for requesting a vehicle dispatch (hereinafter, a vehicle dispatch app) is pre-installed in the mobile terminal 50, and the user uses the vehicle dispatch app to specify a destination and the like to request a vehicle dispatch.

[0014] The vehicle control device 100 is mounted on the vehicle 10, selects a route to a destination, and controls the vehicle 10 to autonomously travel along the selected route. The vehicle control device 100 is an example of a route selection device of the present invention. The server 20 may implement the functions of the vehicle control device 100. Alternatively, a controller mounted on the vehicle 10 may implement some of the functions of the vehicle control device 100, and the server 20 may implement the remaining functions. As shown in FIG. 2 , the vehicle control device 100 includes a location information acquisition unit 110 that acquires location information of the vehicle 10, a storage unit 120 that stores various information, a communication module 130 that wirelessly communicates with external devices, a user interface (represented as a user IF in the figure) 140 that accepts user operation input, and a control unit 150 that controls the entire vehicle control device 100.

[0015] The position information acquisition unit 110 is any device, such as a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver, that can acquire the position of the vehicle 10. The GNSS receiver receives orbit information and time information from a plurality of positioning satellites, and outputs position information indicating the current position of the vehicle 10 calculated based on the received signals to the control unit 150.

[0016] The storage unit 120 is a non-volatile storage device such as a hard disk drive or a flash memory. The storage unit 120 stores various information required for processing by the vehicle control device 100. For example, the storage unit 120 stores a map DB (database) 121, an environment DB 122, and a vehicle information DB 123 as the various information.

[0017] The map DB 121 is a database that stores map information including road information, intersection information, facility information, etc. within the range in which the vehicle 10 travels. In this embodiment, the map information stored in the map DB 121 may also include information such as road speed limits, lane restrictions, and congestion information that is necessary for route generation.

[0018] The environment DB 122 is a database that stores environmental information indicating the roads and the environment near the roads within the range in which the vehicle 10 travels. In this embodiment, the environmental information stored in the environment DB 122 includes multiple types of information, such as "locations of open stores," "locations of security cameras," "population distribution," "event information," "locations of tourist spots," "topography data," and "road surface conditions." Note that the map information stored in the map DB 121 may also include environmental information.

[0019] The vehicle information DB 123 is a database that stores vehicle information indicating the state of each component of the vehicle 10. The vehicle information is, for example, a collection of output signals from various sensors provided in various devices such as the power train, suspension, air conditioning system, and electrical equipment of the vehicle 10, or internal signals from control units that control these devices.

[0020] The communication module 130 includes a wireless communication module that performs wireless communication according to any standard such as mobile phone communication, wireless LAN (Local Area Network), etc. The communication module 130 wirelessly connects the vehicle control device 100 to the mobile terminal 50 or a server to transmit and receive data.

[0021] The user interface 140 receives operation inputs from the user and outputs image signals or audio signals output by the control unit 150, and is, for example, a monitor, a touch panel, a microphone, or a speaker.

[0022] The control unit 150 is, for example, a control device such as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit), and performs various controls of the vehicle 10. In this embodiment, one control unit 150 is provided, but multiple control units 150 may be provided for each function. The control unit 150 includes a communication interface (represented as communication IF in the figure) 151, a RAM 152, a ROM 153, and a processor 154.

[0023] The communication interface 151 has an interface circuit for connecting the control unit 150 to an in-vehicle network that complies with standards such as CAN (Controller Area Network). The control unit 150 can communicate with actuators, on-board components, various sensors, and the like of the vehicle 10 via the communication interface 151. The RAM (Random Access Memory) 152 is a volatile semiconductor memory that serves as a work area when the processor 154 executes various processes. The ROM (Read Only Memory) 153 is a volatile semiconductor memory that stores control programs executed by the processor 154 and various data used when the processor 154 executes various processes.

[0024] The processor 154 includes one or more CPUs (Central Processing Units), and performs various processes by using the RAM 152 as a work area and executing control programs stored in the ROM 153. The processor 154 may further include an arithmetic circuit such as a logical arithmetic unit or a numerical arithmetic unit.

[0025] 3 shows a functional block diagram of the control unit 150. The control unit 150 includes, as main functional components according to this embodiment, an abnormality detection unit 1501, a driving range calculation unit 1502, a repair point identification unit 1503, a route calculation unit 1504, a route selection unit 1505, a vehicle control unit 1506, and a loan car request unit 1507. These functional components of the control unit 150 are realized by the control unit 150 (processor 154) executing a control program.

[0026] The abnormality detection unit 1501 detects an abnormality that has occurred in the vehicle 10 based on the vehicle information stored in the vehicle information DB 123. The abnormality detection unit 1501 detects an abnormality, for example, when the detected values ​​of the output signals of various sensors included in the vehicle information are outside a predetermined range. The abnormalities detected by the abnormality detection unit 1501 include abnormalities that affect driving and abnormalities that do not affect driving. An example of an abnormality that affects driving is an engine abnormality in which the engine speed or engine humidity is outside the normal range. An example of an abnormality that does not affect driving is a malfunction of the power window. The abnormality detection unit 1501 may detect only abnormalities that affect driving.

[0027] Any method may be used as the method of anomaly detection performed by the anomaly detection unit 1501. For example, the anomaly detection unit 1501 may detect an engine anomaly when time-series data including engine speed and engine humidity falls outside the range of each signal according to predetermined conditions or rules. The anomaly detection unit 1501 may also detect an anomaly by performing invariant analysis. Invariant analysis involves constructing a model of the relationship between multiple sensor signals from vehicle information under normal conditions, and comparing values ​​predicted from the model with actual measured values ​​to detect whether the relationship model has collapsed. The anomaly detection unit 1501 may also use machine learning to detect normal or abnormal states based on vehicle information.

[0028] The driving range calculation unit 1502 calculates the driving range of the vehicle 10 until it becomes difficult to drive, based on the details of the abnormality detected by the abnormality detection unit 1501. The driving range is expressed as the distance (driving distance) until it becomes difficult to drive due to a breakdown or the like if the vehicle 10 is driven without repair, or as the time until it becomes difficult to drive (driving time). Depending on the type of abnormality, the driving range calculation unit 1502 may calculate either the driving distance or the driving time as the driving range, or may calculate the driving range as a combination of the driving distance and the driving time.

[0029] Any method can be used to calculate the driving range. For example, the causes of past failures that have interfered with driving for each part of the vehicle 10, vehicle information when the failures were predicted, the location of the failures, the part names, repair costs, etc. are stored in advance in the vehicle information DB 123, and the driving range is calculated by referring to the information in the vehicle information DB 123. Furthermore, the driving range calculation unit 1502 may perform machine learning using the vehicle information stored in the vehicle information DB 123 and calculate the driving range based on the generated learning model.

[0030] The repair point identification unit 1503 identifies a repair point that can be reached by the vehicle 10 based on the driveable range calculated by the driveable range calculation unit 1502. For example, if the driveable distance is calculated to be 10 kilometers as the driveable range, the repair point identification unit 1503 refers to the map data in the map DB 121 and identifies a repair point that is located within a distance along the road (road distance) of 10 kilometers from the current position of the vehicle 10. For example, if the driveable time is calculated to be 30 minutes as the driveable range, the repair point identification unit 1503 refers to the map data and identifies a repair point that is located within a road distance from the current position when the vehicle 10 drives at a predetermined speed (for example, an average speed) for 30 minutes.

[0031] Upon receiving a vehicle dispatch request from a user, the route calculation unit 1504 calculates multiple routes for the vehicle 10 from the departure point specified by the user to the destination by referring to the map data in the map DB 121. Furthermore, when the abnormality detection unit 1501 detects an abnormality in the vehicle 10 traveling toward the destination and the repair point identification unit 1503 identifies a repair point within a driving range, the route calculation unit 1504 calculates multiple routes from the current position to the destination via the repair point.

[0032] The routes calculated by the route calculation unit 1504 include not only the shortest route to the destination or repair point, but also various combinations of routes such as a route that passes in front of open stores, a route that passes through sections where security cameras are installed, a route that passes through as many tourist spots as possible, a route that avoids curves and turns, a route that passes through sections with few road irregularities, and other routes that are combinations of these. The route calculation unit 1504 comprehensively calculates multiple routes.

[0033] The route selection unit 1505 selects a route suitable for the user that can ensure usability from among the multiple routes calculated by the route calculation unit 1504. Specifically, the route selection unit 1505 acquires attributes of the users who are occupants of the vehicle 10 and environmental information on and around the route. Then, based on the acquired information, the route selection unit 1505 calculates a score for each route calculated by the route calculation unit 1504 and selects the route with the highest score as the route suitable for the user. Here, the route selected by the route selection unit 1505 at the time of a vehicle dispatch request (route from the departure point to the destination) becomes the route that the vehicle 10 will travel from now on. The route selected by the route selection unit 1505 when an abnormality is detected during travel (route from the current point to the destination via a repair point) becomes an alternative route to switch from the current travel route.

[0034] The vehicle control unit 1506 is communicatively connected to various actuators that operate the vehicle 10, and transmits control signals to the various actuators to control the vehicle 10. For example, the vehicle control unit 1506 controls the vehicle 10 so that the vehicle 10 travels along the route selected by the route selection unit 1505.

[0035] If the repair point specifying unit 1503 is unable to specify a repair point that the vehicle 10 can reach, the loan car request unit 1507 requests the server 20 to arrange for a replacement vehicle (loan car).

[0036] Next, the operation of the vehicle control device 100 configured as above will be described. First, the pre-traveling process will be described. The pre-traveling process is a process executed by the vehicle control device 100 of the vehicle 10 when the user requests the dispatch of the vehicle 10.

[0037] A user who wants to travel to a destination in a vehicle 10 of the mobility management system 1 moves their mobile terminal 50 to a location where wireless communication with the vehicle 10 is possible. Then, the user activates a vehicle dispatch app on the mobile terminal 50 and displays a vehicle dispatch request screen 2000 for requesting a vehicle dispatch. FIG. 4 illustrates an example of the vehicle dispatch request screen 2000. Using the vehicle dispatch request screen 2000, the user inputs a departure point and a destination. Note that, in this example, the current location of the vehicle is used as the departure point, so inputting the departure point may be omitted. Furthermore, on the vehicle dispatch request screen 2000 shown in FIG. 4, the user can optionally input user information such as gender, age, purpose, whether or not there are people who are prone to car sickness, and whether or not there are kindergarten or elementary school children. After inputting the necessary information into the vehicle dispatch request screen 2000, the user touches a "Vehicle Dispatch Request" button. As a result, a vehicle dispatch request including the information entered into the vehicle dispatch request screen 2000, such as the departure point and destination, is sent to the vehicle control device 100. If the mobile terminal 50 is located in a position where it cannot communicate with the vehicle 10, the user may make a vehicle dispatch request from the mobile terminal 50 to the server 20. In this case, the server 20 makes a vehicle dispatch request to the vehicle control device 100 of the vehicle 10 that is closest to the mobile terminal 50. Upon receiving the vehicle dispatch request, the vehicle control device 100 executes pre-travel processing shown in FIG. 5.

[0038] First, the control unit 150 of the vehicle control device 100 acquires information indicating the departure point and the destination based on the vehicle dispatch request received from the mobile terminal 50 (step S101).

[0039] Next, the route calculation unit 1504 refers to the map information in the map DB 121 and calculates a plurality of routes from the departure point to the destination (step S102).

[0040] Next, the route selection unit 1505 executes a route selection process to select a route suitable for the user from the plurality of calculated routes (step S103). Details of the route selection process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0041] First, the route selection unit 1505 acquires user information (step S10). For example, if the vehicle dispatch request received from the mobile terminal 50 includes user information (see FIG. 4), the route selection unit 1505 may acquire the user information. Alternatively, if the vehicle 10 is equipped with an image sensor inside the vehicle, known face recognition technology may be used to acquire user information such as the user's gender and age from a face image captured by the image sensor.

[0042] Next, the route selection unit 1505 determines the user's attributes from the acquired user information according to predetermined criteria (step S20). If the user information cannot be acquired, the route selection unit 1505 may determine the user's attributes as "standard." Examples of user attributes include "kindergartener / children," "tourist," "people who get carsick easily," and "standard."

[0043] Next, for each calculated route, the route selection unit 1505 acquires environmental information on and around the route from the environment DB 122, and generates an "environment vector" from the acquired environmental information (step S30). For example, assume that seven types of environmental information are acquired: "locations of open stores," "locations of security cameras," "population distribution," "event information," "locations of tourist spots," "topography data," and "road surface conditions." In this case, the route selection unit 1505 determines, from each of these pieces of information, the "number of open stores," "number of security cameras," "population density," "number of held events," "number of tourist spots," "number of curves and turns," and "size and number of road surface irregularities" on or near the route, and generates a seven-dimensional environmental vector using these as components.

[0044] Next, the route selection unit 1505 generates a "weighting coefficient vector" whose components are weighting coefficients for evaluating the calculated multiple routes based on the determined user attributes (step S40). Here, a "weighting coefficient" is a quantity that represents the degree to which a user with that attribute prefers various types of environmental information. A "weighting coefficient" is set for each component of the aforementioned "environmental vector." Therefore, following the above example, the "weighting coefficient vector" is a seven-dimensional vector consisting of seven components: a weighting coefficient for the "number of open stores," a weighting coefficient for the "number of security cameras," a weighting coefficient for the "population density," a weighting coefficient for the "number of events being held," a weighting coefficient for the "number of tourist spots," a weighting coefficient for the "number of curves and turns," and a weighting coefficient for the "size and number of road surface irregularities." For example, if the user attribute is "tourist," the "weighting coefficient vector" is generated so that the weighting coefficient for the "number of tourist spots" is larger than the others. Also, for example, if the user's attribute is "someone who is prone to car sickness," a "weighting coefficient vector" is generated so that the weighting coefficients for "number of curves and turns" and "size and number of road surface irregularities" are smaller than the others.

[0045] Next, the route selection unit 1505 calculates the inner product of the generated "environment vector" and "weighting coefficient vector" for each calculated route as the score of that route (step S50). Then, the route calculation unit 1504 selects the route with the highest score (step S60). This makes it possible to select a route that can ensure usability suitable for the user. This completes the route selection process.

[0046] 5, the vehicle control unit 1506 then confirms with an image sensor or the like that the user has boarded the vehicle 10, and then controls the vehicle 10 to travel along the route selected in step S103 (step S104). This completes the pre-travel processing.

[0047] Next, the in-travel processing will be described using the flowchart in Fig. 7. The in-travel processing is processing that is repeatedly executed at predetermined time intervals by the vehicle control device 100 of the vehicle 10 that is traveling to the destination with the user on board through the pre-travel processing described above.

[0048] First, the abnormality detection unit 1501 of the vehicle control device 100 determines whether or not an abnormality exists in the vehicle 10 based on the vehicle information acquired from the vehicle information DB 123 (step S201). Specifically, the abnormality detection unit 1501 acquires vehicle information such as detected values ​​of output signals from various sensors provided in various devices such as the powertrain, suspension, air conditioning system, and electrical components, or detected values ​​of internal signals of a control unit that controls these, from the vehicle information DB 123. Then, the abnormality detection unit 1501 acquires in advance from the server 20 the vehicle information or its statistical information, or a threshold value of a range for detecting an abnormality that is set based on these, and determines that an abnormality exists if the acquired various detected values ​​are outside the predetermined range.

[0049] If it is determined that there is no abnormality in the vehicle 10 (step S201; No), the in-travel processing ends. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is an abnormality in the vehicle 10 (step S201; Yes), the driving range calculation unit 1502 calculates the driving range until the vehicle 10 is unable to travel, based on the nature of the abnormality (step S202). Note that if the destination is located within the calculated driving range, the in-travel processing may end without executing the subsequent steps.

[0050] Next, the repair point specifying unit 1503 refers to the map data in the map DB 121 based on the calculated driving range and specifies a repair point that the vehicle 10 can reach (step S203).

[0051] If the repair point can be identified in step S203 (step S204; Yes), the route calculation unit 1504 refers to the map data in the map DB 121 and calculates multiple routes from the current position to the destination via the repair point (step S205).

[0052] Then, the route selection unit 1505 executes a route selection process to select a route suitable for the user from the calculated multiple routes (step S206). The route selection process in step S206 is substantially the same as the route selection process executed in step S103 of the pre-driving process (see FIG. 5), except for the route to be selected.

[0053] Next, the vehicle control unit 1506 controls the vehicle 10 to travel along the route selected in step S206 as the alternative route (step S207), and the process then returns to step S202.

[0054] On the other hand, if a reachable repair point cannot be identified in step S203 (step S204; No), the vehicle 10 may stop on the road due to a breakdown or the like caused by the detected abnormality. Therefore, the loan car request unit 1507 notifies the server 20 of the current location of the vehicle 10 and requests a loan car (step S208).

[0055] Upon receiving a request for a replacement vehicle from the vehicle 10, the server 20 detects another vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the replacement vehicle) that is closest to the current location of the vehicle 10 and that can be transferred to, and sets a transfer point to the replacement vehicle. Specifically, the server 20 sets a point near the midpoint between the vehicle 10 and the replacement vehicle where the vehicle can safely stop as the transfer point. The server 20 then notifies the replacement vehicle and the vehicle 10 of the set transfer point. When the vehicle control device 100 acquires information about the transfer point from the server 20 (step S209), the vehicle control unit 1506 controls the vehicle 10 to travel toward the transfer point (step S210). This allows the user to transfer from the vehicle 10 to the replacement vehicle at the transfer point. This ends the in-travel processing.

[0056] As described above, according to the vehicle control device 100 of this embodiment, the driving range calculation unit 1502 calculates the driving range of the vehicle 10 until the vehicle 10 is unable to drive, based on the details of the abnormality detected by the abnormality detection unit 1501. The repair point identification unit 1503 identifies a repair point for the vehicle 10 that is reachable from the current location based on the driving range. The route calculation unit 1504 calculates multiple routes that pass through the repair point and reach the destination. Then, the route selection unit 1505 selects, from the multiple calculated routes, a route that is suitable for the user, who is the occupant, as an alternative route. In other words, even if an abnormality occurs in the vehicle 10, a route that is as suitable as possible for the user is selected from multiple routes that pass through reachable repair points. Therefore, it is possible to select a route that can respond to the abnormality in the vehicle 10 while ensuring a certain degree of usability.

[0057] Furthermore, according to the vehicle control device 100 of this embodiment, the route selection unit 1505 calculates a score for each route based on environmental information on or near the route and the attributes of the user, and selects the route with the highest score as an alternative route. This makes it possible to select an optimal route for the user, taking the attributes of the user into consideration.

[0058] Furthermore, according to the vehicle control device 100 of this embodiment, if a repair point reachable from the current location cannot be identified when an abnormality is detected, the loaner car request unit 1507 requests a loaner car from the server 20. This enables the user to switch to a loaner car and continue driving to the destination before the vehicle 10 stops on the road due to a breakdown before reaching the repair point.

[0059] (Variation) The hardware configuration, functional configuration, flowchart, etc. shown in the above embodiment are merely examples and can be modified or applied as desired. For example, the above embodiment describes a vehicle dispatch system using an autonomous vehicle 10, but the present invention can also be applied to other systems such as a car sharing system and a ride sharing system.

[0060] For example, in the above embodiment, when the route selection unit 1505 selects a route, the vehicle control unit 1506 immediately controls the vehicle 10 to travel according to the selected route. However, the vehicle 10 may be controlled after waiting for confirmation from the user. For example, the route selected by the route selection unit 1505 may be displayed on a touch panel, which is the user interface 140, for the user to confirm, and the vehicle 10 may be controlled when a confirmation operation is received from the user. The route selection unit 1505 may also select multiple routes. For example, the route selection unit 1505 may select the three routes with the highest scores or multiple routes with scores equal to or higher than a threshold, and display these multiple routes selectably on the touch panel. Then, when a route selection operation is received from the user, the vehicle 10 may be controlled according to the selected route. The route selected by the route selection unit 1505 may be displayed on a monitor or the like, and the user may drive the vehicle 10.

[0061] For example, in the above embodiment, in the route selection process, a score for each route is calculated based on the user's attributes and the route's environmental information, and the route with the highest score is selected. However, the route selection method is not limited to this. For example, the route selection process during driving (step S206 in FIG. 7) may be executed according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 8 instead of that shown in FIG. 6. In this case, first, the route selection unit 1505 calculates the degree of deterioration of the drivable range over time (step S1). For example, the route selection unit 1505 calculates the rate or amount of deterioration of the drivable range per minute from the history of calculations of the drivable range by the drivable range calculation unit 1502 as the degree of deterioration of the drivable range over time. Then, if the degree of deterioration of the drivable range is not equal to or greater than the threshold (step S2; No), the score for each route is calculated, as in the route calculation process of FIG. 6, and the route with the highest score is selected (steps S10 to S60). On the other hand, if the degree of decrease in the driving range is equal to or greater than the threshold (step S2; Yes), the route selection unit 1505 selects, from the multiple calculated routes, the route with the shortest distance (road distance) between the current location and the repair point (step S3), and the route selection process ends. In this way, if the driving range has significantly decreased over time, the route with the highest probability of reaching the repair point is selected regardless of the score, thereby reducing the probability that the vehicle 10 will become unable to drive due to a sudden deterioration of the malfunction and will not be able to reach the repair point.

[0062] For example, in the route selection process during driving (step S206 in FIG. 7), the degree of coincidence with the current route (the route selected in the pre-driving process) may be calculated for each calculated route, and the route with the highest degree of coincidence may be selected. In this way, the route will head toward the repair point while remaining close to the original route, so that a route that ensures usability can be selected without causing discomfort to the user.

[0063] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the control unit 150 executes a control program to realize each function, but the control unit 150 may also be configured with dedicated hardware that realizes each function.

[0064] Furthermore, a control program for executing the operations of the above-described embodiments may be stored and distributed on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), an MO (Magneto Optical Disc), or a memory card, and the program may be installed on a computer to configure control unit 150 that can realize each function. When each function is realized by sharing the work between an OS (Operating System) and an application, or by cooperation between the OS and an application, only the parts other than the OS may be stored on the recording medium.

[0065] The present invention allows various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to explain the present invention and do not limit the scope of the present invention. In other words, the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the meaning of the disclosure equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1 mobility management system, 10 vehicle, 20 server, 30 wireless base station, 40 network, 50 mobile terminal, 100 vehicle control device, 110 location information acquisition unit, 120 memory unit, 121 map DB, 122 environment DB, 123 vehicle information DB, 130 communication module, 140 user interface, 150 control unit, 151 communication interface, 152 RAM, 153 ROM, 154 processor, 1501 abnormality detection unit, 1502 driving range calculation unit, 1503 repair point identification unit, 1504 route calculation unit, 1505 route selection unit, 1506 vehicle control unit, 1507 loaner car request unit, 2000 vehicle dispatch request screen.

Claims

1. A route selection device including a location information acquisition unit that acquires a current location of a vehicle and a control unit, The control unit an abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality in the vehicle traveling toward a destination based on vehicle information indicating a state of the vehicle; a driving range calculation unit that calculates a driving range within which the vehicle can continue to drive until the vehicle is unable to drive, based on the detected abnormality; a repair point identification unit that identifies a repair point that is reachable from the current location based on the calculated driving range; a route calculation unit that calculates a plurality of routes from the current location to the destination via the repair point; a route selection unit that selects, from the plurality of routes calculated by the route calculation unit, a route suitable for a user who is an occupant of the vehicle as an alternative route to a current driving route of the vehicle; Route selection device.

2. the route selection unit calculates a score for each of the routes based on environmental information on or near the route and attributes of the user, and selects the route with the highest score as the alternative route. The route selection device according to claim 1 .

3. the route selection unit selects, as the alternative route, the route having the shortest distance between the current location and the repair point when a degree of decrease in the driving range over time is equal to or greater than a threshold value; The route selection device according to claim 1 .

4. the route selection unit selects the route having the highest degree of coincidence with the current route of the vehicle as the alternative route; The route selection device according to claim 1 .

5. The control unit includes a loaner vehicle request unit that requests a replacement vehicle when the repair point identification unit cannot identify the repair point. The route selection device according to claim 1 .

6. Detecting an abnormality in a vehicle traveling toward a destination based on vehicle information indicating the state of the vehicle; Calculating a driving range of the vehicle before the vehicle is unable to travel based on the detected abnormality; Identifying a repair point that is reachable from the current position of the vehicle based on the calculated driving range; calculating a plurality of routes from the current location to the destination via the repair point; selecting a route suitable for a user who is an occupant of the vehicle from the plurality of calculated routes as an alternative route to the current driving route of the vehicle; Route selection method.

7. Computer, an abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality in the vehicle traveling toward a destination based on vehicle information indicating a state of the vehicle; a driving range calculation unit that calculates a driving range within which the vehicle can be driven before the vehicle is unable to drive, based on the detected abnormality; a repair point identification unit that identifies a repair point that can be reached from the current position of the vehicle based on the calculated driving range; a route calculation unit that calculates a plurality of routes from the current location to the destination via the repair point; a route selection unit that selects, from the plurality of routes calculated by the route calculation unit, a route suitable for a user who is an occupant of the vehicle as an alternative route to a current traveling route of the vehicle; A program that functions as a

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