Movable body control system, method for controlling movable body control system, and program

Abstract

To deliver articles between a plurality of movable bodies through control of the movable bodies based on rules set up according to the situation.SOLUTION: A movable body control system comprises: control means that controls a plurality of movable bodies on the basis of rules set up in relation to delivery of articles delivered between the movable bodies; acquisition means that acquires situation information on the presence or absence of occurrence of a predetermined situation; and application means that applies the rules set up according to the situation information acquired by the acquisition means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a mobile object control system, a control method for a mobile object control system, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, there has been an increase in the use of mobile objects, such as low-speed ground mobility vehicles and airborne drones, to carry out tasks. These applications are being implemented in society, including services for delivering goods and assisting with construction site work, thereby improving convenience. Going forward, to further improve convenience, it is expected that multiple mobile objects will be used to carry out tasks that would be difficult for a single mobile object to perform alone. Patent Document 1 discloses a drone system in which a drone cooperates with another mobile object from which the drone can take off and land, and in which, when the drone lands on the mobile object, the landing position of the drone is determined based on the type of area in which the mobile object is located. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2020 / 149289 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Here, there are cases where mobile objects are controlled based on rules established for the delivery of goods handed over between multiple mobile objects. In such cases, if only a single rule is used to control the mobile objects, as in the technology of Patent Document 1, this rule may not be suitable for use in controlling the mobile objects depending on the situation.

[0005] The present invention aims to realize delivery of goods that are handed over between a plurality of mobile objects by controlling the mobile objects based on rules that are tailored to the situation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, the mobile object control system of the present invention comprises a control means for controlling mobile objects based on rules established regarding the delivery of goods handed over between multiple mobile objects, an acquisition means for acquiring status information regarding whether or not a predetermined situation has occurred, and an application means for applying the rules whose content corresponds to the status information acquired by the acquisition means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, delivery of goods that are handed over between a plurality of mobile objects can be realized by controlling the mobile objects based on rules that are tailored to the situation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a mobile object control system. [Figure 2] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an example of the functional configuration of each device. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a moving body. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of a rule management device, a mobile object control device, and an information holding device. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a rule / status management table. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a current status management table. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining area information. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining area information. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are sequence diagrams showing the flow from when a sender requests delivery of an item to when delivery of the item is completed. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a rule application process. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between situations that occur over time and rules that are applied by a rule application unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a mobile object control system 1. As shown in FIG. The mobile object control system 1 of this embodiment is a system that controls multiple mobile objects based on predetermined rules to deliver goods between multiple mobile objects. The mobile object control system 1 includes a rule management device 12, a mobile object control device 13, an information holding device 14, a mobile object 15, and a user terminal 21.

[0010] The rule management device 12 is a server that manages rules used to control the mobile object 15. The rule management device 12 applies rules according to the situation that occurs as rules used to control the mobile object 15 that delivers goods, and notifies the mobile object control device 13 of the content of the rules to be applied. Furthermore, when the rule management device 12 receives a request for delivery of goods sent from the user terminal 21, it notifies the user terminal 21 about the delivery of the goods. The mobile object control device 13, which is an example of a control means, is a server that controls the mobile object 15. More specifically, the mobile object control device 13 determines the mobile object 15 to be used for delivering goods and the route for delivering the goods by the mobile object 15 based on the rules applied by the rule management device 12, and causes the mobile object 15 to deliver the goods in accordance with the determined contents.

[0011] The information holding device 14 is a server that holds information regarding areas used by the mobile unit 15 as routes for delivering goods, areas used when the mobile unit 15 is not delivering goods, etc. The information holding device 14 holds information identifying an area, along with information identifying objects present in the area and information identifying the time at which the objects are present in the area. Examples of information identifying an area include information identifying which coordinates on Earth the area corresponds to. Information identifying an area, including information identifying objects present in the area and information identifying the time at which the objects are present in the area, may be referred to as area information hereinafter. The objects present in the area include the mobile unit 15. When the information holding device 14 receives a request for area information from the rule management device 12 or the mobile unit control device 13, it transmits the requested area information. The information holding device 14 also requests information about the mobile unit 15 from the mobile unit 15. If there is an area where no objects are present, only information identifying this area is held in the information holding device 14 as area information.

[0012] The mobile body 15 is a device that moves without being directly operated by a human. The mobile body 15 in this embodiment is composed of a delivery mobile body 15A and a receiving mobile body 15B. The delivery mobile body 15A delivers an item to be delivered to the receiving mobile body 15B. The receiving mobile body 15B delivers the item delivered by the delivery mobile body 15A to the delivery destination of the item. The delivery vehicle 15A and the receiving vehicle 15B may be of different types or functions. As an example of different types of the delivery vehicle 15A and the receiving vehicle 15B, the delivery vehicle 15A may be, for example, a ground mobility that moves on the ground at a low speed, and the receiving vehicle 15B may be, for example, a drone that moves in the air. As an example of different functions of the delivery vehicle 15A and the receiving vehicle 15B, the delivery vehicle 15A may be, for example, a vehicle that has the function of storing goods, and the receiving vehicle 15B may be, for example, a vehicle that has the function of receiving and delivering goods.

[0013] The user terminal 21 is a terminal device used by the requester 11 for item delivery. In response to an operation by the requester 11, the user terminal 21 transmits a request for item delivery to the rule management device 12 together with information identifying the item to be delivered, information identifying the location of the item recipient 16 as the delivery destination of the item, and information identifying the requester 11. Furthermore, when the user terminal 21 obtains information related to item delivery from the rule management device 12, it displays the obtained information. Note that information indicating a request for delivery of an item, including information identifying the item to be delivered, information identifying the location of the item recipient 16 as the delivery destination of the item, and information identifying the sender 11, may be referred to as request information hereinafter. Also, although the sender 11 and the recipient 16 are illustrated separately in Figure 1, the sender 11 and the recipient 16 may be the same person.

[0014] In this embodiment, the rule management device 12 applies rules according to the situation that occurs as rules used by the mobile object control device 13 to control the mobile object 15. Then, the mobile object control device 13 controls the multiple mobile objects 15 based on the rules applied by the rule management device 12. In this way, delivery of goods handed over between the multiple mobile objects 15 is realized by controlling the multiple mobile objects 15 based on rules according to the situation that occurs. The network connecting the devices in the mobile object control system 1 may be any network configured to enable the transmission and reception of information. Examples of the devices include the rule management device 12, the mobile object control device 13, the information holding device 14, and the user terminal 21. Examples of the devices include the mobile object control device 13, the information holding device 14, and the mobile object 15. Examples of the devices include the mobile object 15 and the information holding device 14. Examples of the devices include the delivering mobile object 15A and the receiving mobile object 15B. The network may be the Internet, a LAN, a WAN, a cellular network such as LTE or 5G, a wireless network, a dedicated digital line, Bluetooth (registered trademark), Bluetooth Low Energy, etc., or a combination thereof.

[0015] 2(A) and 2(B) are diagrams showing examples of the functional configuration of each device provided in the mobile object control system 1. FIG. The rule management device 12 includes a transmitter / receiver 121 , a storage unit 122 , a rule application unit 123 , an update unit 124 , an RTC 125 , and a situation identification unit 126 . The transmitting / receiving unit 121, which is an example of an acquisition means, transmits and receives information to and from devices external to the rule management device 12. The transmitting / receiving unit 121 transmits information indicating the rules applied to the delivery of goods to the mobile object control device 13. The transmitting / receiving unit 121 also transmits information related to the delivery of goods to the user terminal 21 that has transmitted the request for delivery of goods. Furthermore, when the transmitting / receiving unit 121 receives request information from the user terminal 21, it transmits the received request information to the mobile object control device 13. The storage unit 122 stores information indicating the content of rules used to control the moving object 15, information indicating predetermined situations that may occur, etc. The information stored in the storage unit 122 will be described in detail later.

[0016] The rule application unit 123, which is an example of an application means, applies rules used to control the mobile object 15. The rule application unit 123 periodically requests information about the occurring situation from the mobile object control device 13 and the information holding device 14. The rule application unit 123 then identifies which situation has occurred from the requested information and the information created by the rule management device 12, and if the identified situation satisfies the application conditions for a new rule, it applies a new rule with content corresponding to the identified situation. Furthermore, the determination of whether the situation identified by the rule application unit 123 satisfies the application conditions for a new rule is made by determining whether the situation identified by the rule application unit 123 corresponds to a situation indicated in information stored in the storage unit 122 as a predetermined situation.

[0017] The update unit 124, as an example of an update means, updates the content corresponding to a situation that satisfies the application conditions of a new rule. When the rule application unit 123 applies a new rule, the update unit 124 updates the situation that satisfies the application conditions of the next new rule by the rule application unit 123. Furthermore, in this embodiment, every time the rule application unit 123 applies a new rule, the update unit 124 updates the situation that satisfies the application conditions of the next new rule by the rule application unit 123. In this case, the update unit 124 determines the content of the situation that satisfies the application conditions of the next new rule by the rule application unit 123, depending on the situation that triggered the application of the new rule by the rule application unit 123. The RTC 125 manages the current time by counting the time.

[0018] The situation identification unit 126 identifies the situation that the moving object 15 is in. After identifying the situation, the situation identification unit 126 transmits information indicating the identified situation to the rule application unit 123. An example of the function of the situation identification unit 126 will be described. When the mobile object control system 1 is used for delivering goods at a baseball stadium, the situation identification unit 126 identifies whether the home team or the visiting team is playing field during a baseball game. The home team is a team whose home base is the baseball stadium where the game is being played. The visiting team is a team whose home base is not the baseball stadium where the game is being played. For example, when the situation identification unit 126 identifies that spectators are seated in seats designated as the supporters' section for the home team, the situation identification unit 126 may identify that the home team is playing field. Furthermore, when the situation identification unit 126 identifies that spectators are standing in seats designated as the supporters' section for the home team, the situation identification unit 126 may identify that the visiting team is playing field. In this case, the situation identification unit 126 may be a camera, LiDAR (light detection and ranging), or the like. However, the situation identification unit 126 may be any means capable of identifying the situation in which the mobile object 15 is placed.

[0019] The mobile object control device 13 includes a transmitting / receiving unit 131 , a storage unit 132 , a determination unit 133 , a mobile object control unit 134 , and a mobile object management unit 135 . The transmitting / receiving unit 131 transmits and receives information to and from devices external to the mobile object control device 13. The transmitting / receiving unit 131 receives information indicating rules applied to the delivery of goods from the rule management device 12. The transmitting / receiving unit 131 also receives request information from the rule management device 12. The transmitting / receiving unit 131 also receives area information held in the information holding device 14 from the information holding device 14. The transmitting / receiving unit 131 also transmits instructions to the mobile object 15 to control the delivery of goods by the mobile object 15. The storage unit 132 stores information indicating the rules applied by the rule application unit 123 of the rule management device 12, information indicating the content of control of the mobile object 15 determined by the mobile object control device 13 to realize delivery of goods by the mobile object 15, etc. The storage unit 132 may also store area information transmitted from the information holding device 14.

[0020] The determination unit 133 determines which mobile object 15 to use for delivering the item. When the determination unit 133 receives request information via the transmission / reception unit 131, the determination unit 133 determines the mobile object 15 to use for delivering the requested item in accordance with the rules applied to the rule application unit 123 as the rules used to control the mobile objects 15. The determination unit 133 may acquire area information from the information holding device 14 via the transmission / reception unit 131, and determine the mobile object 15 to use for delivering the item based on the location of each mobile object 15 identified from the acquired area information and the location of the recipient 16 as the delivery destination of the item. In addition, the mobile object 15 determined by the determination unit 133 as the target to be used for delivering the item may be referred to as the target mobile object 15 below. In addition, the delivery mobile object 15A and the receiving mobile object 15B, which are the target mobile objects 15, may be referred to as the target delivery mobile object 15A and the target receiving mobile object 15B, respectively.

[0021] The determination unit 133 also determines an area through which the mobile object 15 passes or stays. Based on the rules applied to the rule application unit 123 and the area information acquired from the information holding device 14, the determination unit 133 determines the area through which the target mobile object 15 passes or stays, along with the time at which the target mobile object 15 passes or stays in this area. Examples of areas through which the mobile object 15 passes or stays include an area through which the mobile object 15 passes or stays while delivering an item by the mobile object 15, and an area through which the delivery mobile object 15A and the receiving mobile object 15B stay when delivering an item between them. Examples of areas through which the mobile object 15 passes or stays include an area through which the mobile object 15 passes after delivering an item by the mobile object 15, and an area through which the mobile object 15 stays while waiting for delivery by the mobile object 15. Note that the area determined by the determination unit 133 as the target through which the mobile object 15 passes or stays may be referred to as the target area hereinafter. The determination unit 133 creates new area information by associating information identifying the target moving body 15, information identifying the target area, and information identifying the time when the target moving body 15 passes through or stays in the target area. Then, the determination unit 133 transmits the created new area information to the information holding device 14 via the transmission / reception unit 131.

[0022] The determination unit 133 may acquire all area information including area information on areas where objects exist and area information on areas where no objects exist from the information holding device 14, and determine the area of ​​the target moving body 15 or the target from the acquired area information. Alternatively, the determination unit 133 may have in advance information identifying an area of ​​a predetermined range, and determine the target moving body 15 or the target area from this information and area information acquired from the information holding device 14 as information on an area where an object exists. Furthermore, the predetermined range may be an area where the moving body 15 may move or stay, etc.

[0023] The mobile object control unit 134 controls the mobile object 15. The mobile object control unit 134 transmits the area information created by the determination unit 133 to the target mobile object 15 via the transmission / reception unit 131, thereby controlling the target mobile object 15 so that the target mobile object 15 passes through or stays in the target area.

[0024] The mobile object management unit 135 manages the mobile object 15. The objects of management by the mobile object management unit 135 include the time related to the delivery of goods by the mobile object 15, the status of the mobile object 15, etc. Examples of the time related to the delivery of goods by the mobile object 15 include the time from when the mobile object 15 starts to when it completes the delivery of goods, and the time required for the mobile object 15 to travel to deliver the goods. Examples of the time related to the delivery of goods by the mobile object 15 may include the time required for the delivery of goods between the delivery mobile object 15A and the receiving mobile object 15B, and the time required for the delivery of goods from the receiving mobile object 15B to the recipient 16. Examples of the status of the mobile object 15 include whether or not there is a malfunction in the mobile object 15, and whether or not the mobile object 15 is currently delivering goods.

[0025] The mobile object management unit 135 has a timekeeping means such as an RTC. The mobile object management unit 135 also requests the target mobile object 15 to report the progress of delivery by the target mobile object 15 at predetermined time intervals. Each time the mobile object management unit 135 receives a report from the target mobile object 15, the mobile object management unit 135 identifies the above-mentioned time related to the delivery of the item by the target mobile object 15 based on the status identified from the report. Each time the mobile object management unit 135 identifies the time related to the delivery of the item by the target mobile object 15, the mobile object management unit 135 associates information identifying the identified time with information identifying the target mobile object 15 and transmits it to the rule management device 12. Note that the information identifying the time identified by the mobile object management unit 135 related to the delivery of the item by the target mobile object 15 may be referred to as delivery time information hereinafter.

[0026] Furthermore, the mobile object management unit 135 requests the mobile object 15 to report its status at predetermined time intervals. Then, every time the mobile object management unit 135 receives a report from the mobile object 15, it transmits information identifying the status of the mobile object 15 specified from this report to the rule management device 12 together with information identifying this mobile object 15. The predetermined time interval between requests from the mobile object management unit 135 to report the progress of delivery, the status of the mobile object 15, etc. may be any time, for example, 1 second. Also, information transmitted from the mobile object management unit 135 to the rule management device 12 in a manner associated with information identifying the mobile object 15, such as the time related to the delivery of goods by the target mobile object 15 or information identifying the status of the mobile object 15, may be referred to as mobile object information hereinafter.

[0027] The information holding device 14 includes a transmitting / receiving unit 141 , a storage unit 142 , an area management unit 143 , and a response unit 144 . The transmitting / receiving unit 141 transmits and receives information to and from devices external to the information holding device 14. The transmitting / receiving unit 141 transmits area information to the rule management device 12 and the mobile object control device 13. The transmitting / receiving unit 141 also acquires information indicating the position of the mobile object 15 from the mobile object 15. The storage unit 142 stores the region information for each region. The region information stored in the storage unit 142 will be described in detail later.

[0028] The region management unit 143 manages regions. The region to be managed by the region management unit 143 may be all regions existing on the Earth, or may be a region within a predetermined range. An example of the predetermined range is a range within which the mobile object 15 may move or stay. The region management unit 143 requests the mobile object 15 to report its position at predetermined time intervals. Furthermore, each time the region management unit 143 receives a report from the mobile object 15, it identifies the region in which the mobile object 15 is located from the received report. The region management unit 143 then creates new region information by associating information identifying the identified region with information identifying the mobile object 15 and information identifying the time at which the mobile object 15 is located in the identified region, and stores the created region information in the storage unit 142. The area management unit 143 may manage not only the positions of the moving object 15 but also the positions of other objects different from the moving object 15, such as humans and automobiles, and may create area information regarding the areas where the other objects are located.

[0029] The response unit 144 responds to requests from the rule management device 12 and the mobile body control device 13. When the response unit 144 receives a request for area information from the rule management device 12 or the mobile body control device 13 via the transmission / reception unit 141, the response unit 144 extracts the requested area information from the storage unit 142 and transmits the extracted area information to the request source via the transmission / reception unit 141.

[0030] The moving object 15 includes a transmitting / receiving unit 151 , a storage unit 152 , a detecting unit 153 , a driving unit 154 , a movement control unit 155 , a delivery unit 156 , and a status management unit 157 . The transmitting / receiving unit 151 transmits and receives information to and from devices external to the mobile object 15. The transmitting / receiving unit 151 receives area information, which is information indicating the content of the delivery of an item, from the mobile object control device 13. The transmitting / receiving unit 151 also transmits information indicating the progress of the delivery of an item by the mobile object 15 and the status of the mobile object 15 to the mobile object control device 13. The transmitting / receiving unit 151 also transmits information indicating the position of the mobile object 15 to the information holding device 14. The storage unit 152 stores the area information transmitted from the mobile object control device 13 .

[0031] The detection unit 153 detects the structure surrounding the moving object 15 and the position of the moving object 15. The detection unit 153 has an imaging means such as an image sensor and a measurement means for measuring distance, and detects the structure surrounding the moving object 15. Examples of the measurement means include a means for measuring distance based on the phase difference of light using multiple image sensors. Examples of the surrounding structure include terrain and the structure of objects such as obstacles. Examples of obstacles include the walls of buildings. The detection unit 153 also detects the position of the moving object 15 from the detected structure. If a captured image shows an object other than the moving object 15, the detection unit 153 may perform machine learning on the relationship between the image and the object shown in the image, and detect the type and position of the object shown in the captured image based on the results of the machine learning. In other words, the object detected by the detection unit 153 is not limited to the moving object 15. The detection unit 153 updates the area information stored in the storage unit 152 based on the detection results. More specifically, the detection unit 153 updates the detected object and the time of detection for area information indicating the area where the detected object is located, among the area information stored in the storage unit 152. The detection unit 153 also transmits information indicating the position of the detected object to the mobile object control device 13 via the transmission / reception unit 151. In this case, the detection unit 153 may transmit area information updated based on the detection result to the mobile object control device 13.

[0032] The detection of the structure and the position by the detection unit 153 may be realized by means of LiDAR (light detection and ranging) or a means having a self-location estimation function based on point cloud information of an object from which the structure is detected. Furthermore, the detection unit 153 may have a self-location detection function such as a global positioning system (GPS) and a direction detection function such as a geomagnetic sensor. The direction detection function may be realized by a method of measuring angular velocity using an inertial measurement unit such as an inertial measurement unit (IMU), calculating the amount of rotation, and detecting the direction. Furthermore, the detection unit 153 may perform self-location estimation based on the amount of movement calculated from the acceleration measured by the IMU, in addition to the amount of rotation. The driving unit 154 is made up of a driving device such as a motor, and generates a propulsive force for the moving body 15 .

[0033] The movement control unit 155 controls the movement of the mobile object 15, such as the running and direction changes of the mobile object 15. When a plurality of drive units 154 are provided, the movement control unit 155 may control the direction of the mobile object 15 by controlling the output of each drive unit 154. Furthermore, the movement control unit 155 controls the mobile object 15 so that the mobile object 15 passes through or stays in an area identified from area information stored in the storage unit 152 as information indicating the content of the delivery of the item. Furthermore, when the area information is updated based on the detection result by the detection unit 153, the movement control unit 155 controls the mobile object 15 based on the updated area information. Furthermore, the movement control unit 155 may obtain information regarding the area through which the mobile object 15 passes or stays via the Internet, and control the mobile object 15 based on the obtained information. An example of control by the movement control unit 155 will be described. The movement control unit 155 causes the moving object 15 to pass through or stay in an area identified from the area information transmitted from the moving object control device 13 and stored in the storage unit 152. In this case, the movement control unit 155 controls the moving object 15 so that the moving object 15 moves while maintaining a certain distance from the obstacle, based on the relationship between the position of the obstacle detected by the detection unit 153 and the position of the moving object 15. In this way, the movement of the moving object 15 is realized without a person directly operating the moving object 15.

[0034] The delivery unit 156 is made up of driving devices such as a motor, a stage, and a hand, and has a mechanism for setting up the delivery unit 156 to facilitate delivery of an article, and for receiving an article. The delivery unit 156 may have different mechanisms or shapes for the delivery mobile body 15A and the receiving mobile body 15B, and has a combination that allows delivery of an article between the delivery mobile body 15A and the receiving mobile body 15B. The status management unit 157 manages the status of the mobile object 15. Examples of the status of the mobile object 15 include whether or not there is a malfunction of the mobile object 15, whether or not the mobile object 15 is currently delivering an item, and the progress of the delivery by the mobile object 15. The status management unit 157 may have a sensor (not shown) that determines whether or not there is a malfunction of the mobile object 15. The status management unit 157 may also determine whether or not the mobile object 15 is currently delivering an item and the progress of the delivery by the mobile object 15 based on the relationship between the area information stored in the memory unit 152 and the position of the mobile object 15 detected by the detection unit 153. Each time a report on the status of the mobile object 15 is requested by the mobile object control device 13, the status management unit 157 determines the status of the mobile object 15 and transmits information indicating the determined status to the mobile object control device 13. In addition, the status management unit 157 may have a timing means such as an RTC, and may transmit information indicating the status identified regarding the mobile body 15 to the mobile body control device 13 in association with information identifying the time when the status regarding the mobile body 15 was identified.

[0035] The user terminal 21 includes a transmitter / receiver 211 , a storage unit 212 , a display unit 213 , an operation reception unit 214 , and a control unit 215 . The transmitting / receiving unit 211 transmits the request information to the rule management device 12. The transmitting / receiving unit 211 also receives a notification from the rule management device 12 regarding the delivery of the item. The storage unit 212 stores request information as a history of delivery requests, notifications received from the rule management device 12 regarding delivery, and the like. The display unit 213 displays information. The operation reception unit 214 is configured with a touch panel, key buttons, etc., and is used for inputting data by the sender 11. In this embodiment, the sender 11 operates the operation reception unit 214 in accordance with the information displayed on the display unit 213, thereby inputting information to the user terminal 21 and requesting delivery of an item. Note that the display unit 213 and the operation reception unit 214 may be a functional unit configured as an integrated unit such as a touch panel. The control unit 215 manages various services in the user terminal 21, inputs information, checks information, and controls communication processing.

[0036] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the delivery mobile body 15A and the receiving mobile body 15B. Note that the example shown in Fig. 3 is just one example of the configuration of the mobile body 15, and is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 3, the delivery mobile body 15A and the receiving mobile body 15B are each provided with at least two or more drive units 154. A movement control unit 155 controls the direction of movement of the mobile body 15 by changing the output of each drive unit 154 or by changing the direction of the drive unit 154 through the rotational drive of the shaft. The drive unit 154 moves forward or backward by rotating a rotating shaft such as a wheel or a propeller. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the delivery unit 156 of the delivery mobile body 15A has a mechanism for lifting an item from inside the delivery mobile body 15A to an upper position and placing the item outside the delivery mobile body 15A to facilitate delivery. The delivery unit 156 of the receiving mobile body 15B is configured with three arms to hand over the item to the recipient 16 while receiving the item from the delivery mobile body 15A. As described above, the mobile object 15 is equipped with, for example, SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) technology, and controls the mobile object 15 without direct human intervention based on the detection results of the detection unit 153 and information acquired via the Internet.

[0037] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the rule management device 12, the mobile object control device 13, and the information holding device 14. The rule management device 12, the mobile object control device 13, and the information holding device 14 each include a CPU 201, a storage device 202, a memory 203, an operation I / F 204, and a communication I / F 205. The CPU 201 controls the entire device. The CPU 201 performs various controls by loading programs from the storage device 202 into the memory 203 and executing them. The storage device 202 stores an operating system (OS), programs, management data, data collected from external systems and devices, etc. The memory 203 functions as a work area for the CPU 201, etc. The operation I / F 204 outputs various data and execution results of programs to a connected output device such as a display, and receives input from a connected input device. The communication I / F 205 is a network interface for communicating with external systems and devices.

[0038] 5 is a diagram showing a rule / situation management table. The rule / situation management table is a table for managing rules used to control the moving object 15, situations that may occur, etc. The rule / situation management table is stored in the memory unit 122 of the rule management device 12. In the following, it is assumed that the area where the moving object 15 is located and the delivery destination of the goods are both a baseball stadium. Furthermore, when the moving object 15 delivers goods through the baseball stadium, the rules used to control the moving object 15 and the situations that may occur are shown in the rule / situation management table. Furthermore, "..." in the rule / situation management table indicates that the description is omitted.

[0039] The rule and situation management table may have contents common to all moving bodies 15, or may have different contents for each group into which the moving bodies 15 are pre-classified, or may have different contents for the handing over moving body 15A and the receiving moving body 15B. The rule and situation management table may also have different contents depending on the environment in which the moving body 15 is used, such as different contents for moving bodies 15 used in a baseball stadium and moving bodies 15 used in places other than a baseball stadium.

[0040] The contents of the rule / status management table are explained in detail below. The rule / status management table shows "No." and "information." Furthermore, "information" is divided into "rules" and "status." Furthermore, "rules" are divided into "mobile object," "route," "handover area," "time," and "waiting area." Furthermore, "status" is divided into "occurrence status," "type," "comprehensive," and "change status." "Information" is information stored in the rule / status management table. "No." is a number that identifies the "information" shown in the rule / status management table. In the example shown, the "information" in the rule / status management table is associated with numbers "1" through "13," and these numbers identify the "information" shown in the rule / status management table.

[0041] When describing "information" associated with a specific "No." in the rule / situation management table, this "information" may be referred to together with the "No." For example, when describing a "rule" associated with the "No." "1" in the rule / situation management table, it may be referred to as "rule 1." As another example, when describing a "mobile object" associated with the "No." "7" in the rule / situation management table, it may be referred to as "mobile object 7."

[0042] "Rules" are rules used to control the mobile entity 15 in relation to the delivery of goods. The "mobile body" is a rule that indicates which delivery mobile body 15A and which receiving mobile body 15B are to be used for delivering an item. An example of the "mobile body" will be explained. The "shortest distance" shown for "Mobile object 1" is a rule that means that the delivery mobile object 15A and the receiving mobile object 15B located in the area with the shortest distance to the delivery destination will be used to deliver the item. "Mobile object 1" is an example of a rule regarding which mobile object 15 will be used for delivery. "Route" is a rule that indicates which route to use for delivering goods. An example of "route" is explained below. The "shortest distance" shown in "Route 1" is a rule that means that the area of ​​the route with the shortest distance from the target mobile unit 15 to the delivery destination will be used for delivering goods. "Route 1" is an example of a rule regarding the area that the mobile unit 15 passes through during delivery. The "handover area" is a rule that indicates which area is to be used for the handover of goods between the target delivery mobile body 15A and the target receiving mobile body 15B. An example of the "handover area" will be explained. The "non-same mobile body area" shown in "handover area 1" is a rule that means that an area that is not the same as the area where any mobile body 15 is located is to be used for the handover of goods between the target delivery mobile body 15A and the target receiving mobile body 15B. "Handover area 1" is an example of a rule regarding the area where the mobile body 15 stays during delivery.

[0043] "Time" is a rule that indicates the time required for the work of the mobile unit 15. As an example of "time," we will explain "Delivery 3, Transfer 2, Pickup 0.5, Delivery 0.5" shown in "Time 1." "Delivery 3" is a rule that means that the upper limit of the time required for the mobile unit 15 to travel from the start of delivery to the completion of delivery is 3 minutes. "Transfer 2" is a rule that means that the upper limit of the time required for the mobile unit 15 to travel in delivery is 2 minutes. "Pickup 0.5" is a rule that means that the upper limit of the time required for the delivery of an item between the delivery mobile unit 15A and the receiving mobile unit 15B is 0.5 minutes (30 seconds). "Delivery 0.5" is a rule that means that the upper limit of the time required for the delivery of an item from the receiving mobile unit 15B to the recipient 16 is 0.5 minutes (30 seconds). "Time 1" is an example of a rule regarding the time required for delivery. The time required for the delivery of an item between the delivery mobile body 15A and the receiving mobile body 15B may be the time from when the item to be delivered held by the delivery mobile body 15A is delivered to the receiving mobile body 15B until the receiving mobile body 15B starts moving toward the recipient 16. The time required for the delivery of an item between the delivery mobile body 15A and the receiving mobile body 15B may also be the time during which the delivery mobile body 15A and the receiving mobile body 15B are in a common area.

[0044] "Waiting area" is a rule that indicates in which area a mobile unit 15 will wait while waiting for delivery. An example of a "waiting area" will be explained. The "non-same mobile unit area" shown in "waiting area 1" is a rule that means that a mobile unit 15 will use an area that is not the same as the area where any mobile unit 15 is located while waiting for delivery. "Waiting area 1" is an example of a rule regarding the area where a mobile unit 15 will stay while waiting for delivery. Note that a "-" in the "rule" column means that no rule applies. However, the "rule" in the rule / state management table may indicate a rule that applies to all items.

[0045] The "situation" is the situation in which the moving object 15 is placed. In the rule / situation management table, the "situation" is shown in association with the above-mentioned "rule." An "occurrence situation" is a situation that occurs when the "rule" associated with it in the rule / situation management table is being applied. An example of an "occurrence situation" is explained below. "Occurrence situation 1" indicates that the time period "14:00 to 16:59 (during a baseball game)" falls within the time period from 14:00 to 16:59, and that the situation is during a baseball game. "Type" is information that identifies the type of "occurrence situation" associated in the rule / status management table. In the illustrated example, the type of "occurrence situation" is identified by the alphabetical character shown in "Type." Note that in the rule / status management table, the same "Type" may be assigned to "Types" associated with different "occurrence situations," such as "occurrence situation 2" and "occurrence situation 3."

[0046] "Inclusive" is information that indicates whether the "occurrence situation" associated in the rule / status management table is a situation that is included in the "occurrence situation" that is not associated. When an alphabetic character is displayed next to "Inclusive," it means that the "occurrence situation" associated with this "Inclusive" is a situation that is included in the "occurrence situation" that has the same alphabetic character as this "Inclusive" displayed in the "Type." Also, when an "occurrence situation" has a "-" next to "Inclusive," it means that there is no situation that it is included in.

[0047] An example of the relationship between "occurrence situation" and "coverage" is explained below. "Home team fielding" shown in "occurrence situation 3" means that "A" which is "coverage" is a situation that is covered by "14:00-16:59 (during baseball game)" shown in "type". "Home team fielding" means a situation in which the home team (HT) is fielding during a baseball game. Another example of the relationship between "occurrence status" and "inclusion" will be explained. "Area in use" shown in "occurrence status 5" means that "B" which is "inclusion" is a situation that is included in "Not on fielding," "Home Fielding," and "Vertical Tracking Fielding" shown in "Type." In other words, "Home Fielding" is a situation that includes "Area in use." Furthermore, "14:00-16:59 (during a baseball game)" is a situation that includes "Home Fielding" and "Area in use." Note that "Area in use" refers to a situation in which the area used for delivery by the target moving body 15 is being used by an object other than this moving body 15.

[0048] A "changed situation" is a situation that satisfies the conditions for applying a new rule. Therefore, a "changed situation" can be regarded as a situation that is predetermined as a condition for applying a new rule. Also, a "changed situation" can be regarded as a situation that is predetermined as a condition for changing an applied rule. The contents of the "change status" will be explained in detail. "Other than 2:00 PM to 4:59 PM" shown in "Change Status 1" refers to a situation where the time falls within a time period other than 2:00 PM to 4:59 PM. "Change Status 1" is an example of a situation where the time falls within a predetermined period. "Area in Use" shown in "Change Status 6" refers to a situation where the area used for delivery by the target mobile unit 15 is being used by a mobile unit 15 other than the target mobile unit 15. "Change Status 6" is an example of a situation defined for an area through which the mobile unit 15 passes or stays during delivery. "Time Exceeded" shown in "Change Status 9" and "Change Status 10" refers to a situation where the time related to delivery by the target mobile unit 15 exceeds the time shown in "Time 1." "Change Status 9" and "Change Status 10" are examples of situations defined for mobile units used for delivery. "Change Status 9" and "Change Status 10" are examples of situations defined for the time related to delivery.

[0049] In this embodiment, the administrator of the mobile object control system 1 associates an "occurrence situation" with a "rule" that is desirably applied when this "occurrence situation" occurs in the rule / state management table. Furthermore, the administrator associates the "rule" and "occurrence situation" with a "change situation" that is desirably applied to a new rule when the change situation occurs in the rule / state management table.

[0050] 6 is a diagram showing an in-applicable management table. The in-applicable management table is a table for managing rules that are in application and are used to control the moving object 15. The in-applicable management table is stored in the storage unit 122 of the rule management device 12. In this embodiment, of the "information" shown in the rule / state management table (see FIG. 5), the "information" showing the "rule" being applied by the rule application unit 123 is shown in the application management table.

[0051] In FIG. 6, the application management table shows "rule 1," "rule 3," "rule 9," and "rule 10." This means that "rule 1," "rule 3," "rule 9," and "rule 10" are being applied by the rule application unit 123. The application management table also shows "occurrence situation 1," "occurrence situation 3," "occurrence situation 9," and "occurrence situation 10." This means that the situations shown in "occurrence situation 1," "occurrence situation 3," "occurrence situation 9," and "occurrence situation 10" have occurred. The application management table also shows "change situation 1," "change situation 3," "change situation 9," and "change situation 10." This means that the situations shown in "change situation 1," "change situation 3," "change situation 9," and "change situation 10" satisfy the conditions for applying a new rule. Furthermore, although details will be described later, when a situation indicated in the "change status" of the in-use management table occurs, the update unit 124 updates the in-use management table by writing the newly applied rules into the in-use management table. Furthermore, if there are any rules that have already been applied but will no longer be applied due to the application of the new rules, the update unit 124 deletes the rules that will no longer be applied from the in-use management table.

[0052] Next, a description will be given of the area information held in the information holding device 14. Figures 7 and 8 are diagrams for explaining the area information. Each region identified from the region information is a region on the Earth, divided into predetermined ranges in three dimensions consisting of latitude, longitude, and altitude. Each divided region is stored in the memory unit 142 along with information identifying which region on the Earth it is. Here, one divided region 100 will be described. Region 100 is defined as a region centered at coordinate 101, with latitude 20 degrees north, longitude 140 degrees east, and height H, with a latitudinal width of D, a longitudinal width of W, and a vertical width of T. Note that regions are not limited to being divided around specific coordinates; for example, they may be centered around a corner of the region or the center of the bottom surface of the region. Furthermore, the shape of each divided region is not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped, but may be an approximately rectangular parallelepiped. Considering the division of regions on the surface of a sphere such as the Earth, the top surface may be wider than the bottom surface. Furthermore, the dimensions based on which regions are divided are not limited to the three dimensions of latitude, longitude, and altitude, but may be two-dimensional, such as a plane rectangular coordinate system.

[0053] The storage unit 142 stores information identifying each area including the above-mentioned one area 100 as area information, in association with information identifying an object present in the target area and information identifying the time when the object is present in the target area. The information holding device 14 may be provided with a detection means such as a camera or LiDAR, and the area management unit 143 may update the area information by inputting the results of detection by the detection means into the area information. The area information is also shared with devices external to the information holding device 14, such as the mobile object control device 13. The area managed as area information may be divided into areas smaller than the area in which the mobile object 15 is located, or may be divided into areas larger than the area in which the mobile object 15 is located.

[0054] The determination unit 133 of the mobile object control device 13 uses the above-mentioned area information to determine the content of the delivery of the item, including the area through which the mobile object 15 will pass or stay. Here, the area information may identify the presence of another object in a candidate area through which the mobile object 15 will pass or stay. Even in this case, if the time at which the other object will be present in the candidate area is in the past or future with respect to the time at which the mobile object 15 will pass or stay in the candidate area, the determination unit 133 can determine this candidate area as the area through which the mobile object 15 will pass or stay. In other words, the determination unit 133 determines the area through which the mobile object 15 will pass or stay, taking into account not only the area in which the object is present but also the time at which the object is present in the area.

[0055] Next, a flow from when the sender 11 requests delivery of an item to when delivery of the item is completed will be described. Figures 9(A) and 9(B) are sequence diagrams showing the flow from when the sender 11 requests delivery of an item to when delivery of the item is completed. When the user terminal 21 receives an operation from the sender 11, it transmits request information to the rule management device 12 to request delivery of an item (S101). The rule management device 12 transmits the request information received from the user terminal 21 and information indicating the applied rule to the mobile object control device 13 (S102). At this time, the information that the rule management device 12 transmits to the mobile object control device 13 as information indicating the rule is information shown in the applied rule management table (see FIG. 6).

[0056] The mobile object control device 13 requests area information from the information holding device 14 (S103). The area information requested by the mobile object control device 13 may be all area information stored in the memory unit 142 of the information holding device 14, or may be limited to specific area information. Examples of specific area information include area information related to areas that may be used for delivery of the requested item. Examples of areas that may be used for delivery of the requested item include areas that include the range from the position of each mobile object 15 to the delivery destination of the item. The information holding device 14 extracts the area information requested by the mobile object control device 13 from the storage unit 142, and transmits the extracted area information to the mobile object control device 13 (S104).

[0057] The mobile object control device 13 determines the details of the delivery of the goods based on the area information received from the information holding device 14 and the rules currently being applied (S105). The details of the delivery of the goods determined by the mobile object control device 13 include which mobile object 15 will be used to deliver the goods, which areas will be used as areas through which the mobile object 15 will pass or stay, etc. The mobile object control device 13 transmits area information indicating the content of the delivery as instructions for the content of the delivery to the target mobile objects 15, that is, the delivery mobile object 15A and the receiving mobile object 15B (S106A, S106B). At this time, the target delivery mobile object 15A includes information identifying the target receiving mobile object 15B and information indicating the area through which the target delivery mobile object 15A will pass or stay from the current location to the delivery of the item. Also, at this time, the target receiving mobile object 15B includes information identifying the target delivery mobile object 15A and information indicating the area through which the target receiving mobile object 15B will pass or stay from the current location to the delivery of the item to the recipient 16 after delivery of the item with the delivery mobile object 15A.

[0058] The target delivery mobile object 15A and the target receiving mobile object 15B meet up and hand over the item in accordance with delivery instructions from the mobile object control device 13 (S107). This meeting may be achieved by the target receiving mobile object 15B moving into the area where the target delivery mobile object 15A is staying, or by the target delivery mobile object 15A and the target receiving mobile object 15B approaching each other. The target recipient mobile object 15B delivers the item to the recipient 16 in accordance with the delivery instructions from the mobile object control device 13 (S108). Furthermore, when the target recipient mobile object 15B has completed delivery of the item to the recipient 16, it notifies the mobile object control device 13 that the delivery has been completed (S109). When the mobile object control device 13 receives a notification from the target recipient mobile object 15B that delivery has been completed, it notifies the rule management device 12 that delivery has been completed (S110). When the rule management device 12 receives a notification from the mobile object control device 13 that the delivery has been completed, it notifies the user terminal 21 that the delivery has been completed (S111).

[0059] Next, the rule application process will be described. The rule application process is a process in which the rule management device 12 applies a new rule. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of the rule application process. In this embodiment, the rule application process is started at predetermined time intervals. The predetermined time may be any time, for example, one second. In this embodiment, the CPU 201 of the rule management device 12 loads a program stored in the storage device 202 into the memory 203 and executes the program, thereby realizing each step in the rule application process.

[0060] The rule application unit 123 of the rule management device 12 determines whether the rule management device 12 has newly acquired status information (S201). Status information is information indicating an occurring status. The rule application unit 123 determines, based on the status information, whether the status identified from the status information is a "change status" indicated in the application management table (see FIG. 6). Therefore, the status information can also be regarded as information regarding whether or not a "change status" indicated in the application management table has occurred. Examples of status information include information indicating the time determined by the RTC 125, information indicating a status determined by the status determination unit 126, delivery time information and mobile object information transmitted from the mobile object management unit 135 to the transceiver unit 121, etc. The status information also includes area information transmitted from the information holding device 14 to the transceiver unit 121. Therefore, the transceiver unit 121, the RTC 125, and the status determination unit 126 can all be regarded as acquisition means for acquiring status information. As described above, the timing of the RTC 125, the identification of the situation by the situation identification unit 126, the transmission of delivery time information and mobile object information from the mobile object management unit 135 to the transmitting / receiving unit 121, and the transmission of area information from the information holding device 14 to the transmitting / receiving unit 121 are performed periodically. Therefore, the rule management device 12 repeatedly acquires situation information.

[0061] If the rule management device 12 has not acquired new status information (NO in S201), the rule application process ends. In this case, the rule application unit 123 does not apply a new rule. Furthermore, when the rule management device 12 acquires new status information (YES in S201), the rule application unit 123 determines whether or not the status identified from the newly acquired status information corresponds to the "change status" shown in the application management table (see FIG. 6) (S202). When the status identified from the newly acquired status information does not correspond to the "change status" (NO in S202), the rule application process ends. In this case, the rule application unit 123 does not apply a new rule.

[0062] On the other hand, if the situation identified from the newly acquired situation information corresponds to a "changed situation" (YES in S202), the rule application unit 123 newly applies a rule having content corresponding to the situation identified from the situation information (S203). More specifically, the rule application unit 123 refers to the rule / situation management table (see FIG. 5). Then, the rule application unit 123 applies a "rule" associated with an "occurrence situation" corresponding to the situation identified from the newly acquired situation information as a new rule to be used by the mobile body control device 13 to control the mobile body 15.

[0063] When the rule application unit 123 applies new rules, there are cases where the application of the already applied rules continues and cases where the application of the already applied rules does not continue. The case where the application of the already applied rules continues is when it is preferable for the mobile object control device 13 to determine the content of the delivery of the goods based on the newly applied rules in addition to the already applied rules. The case where the application of the already applied rules does not continue is when it is difficult for the mobile object control device 13 to determine the content of the delivery based on both rules, for example, when the already applied rules and the newly applied rules are contradictory. The case where the application of the already applied rules does not continue can also be interpreted as the rule application unit 123 changing the rules from the previously applied rules to rules whose content corresponds to the situation information acquired by the acquisition means.

[0064] The update unit 124 updates the contents of the in-apply management table (S204). More specifically, the rule application unit 123 writes, from among the "information" shown in the rule / status management table, "information" including the "rule" newly applied in S203 into the in-apply management table. This also updates the "change status" shown in the in-apply management table. Note that, if the application of a new rule means that the application of an already applied rule will no longer continue, the update unit 124 deletes "information" including the "rule" that will no longer continue to be applied from the in-apply management table.

[0065] The update unit 124 notifies the mobile object control device 13 of the latest applied rule (S205). More specifically, the update unit 124 notifies the mobile object control device 13 of the latest applied rule by transmitting information indicated in the latest in-applicable management table updated in S204 to the mobile object control device 13 via the transmission / reception unit 121.

[0066] As described above, the rule application unit 123 applies rules according to the situation information. Then, the mobile object control unit 134 controls the mobile object 15 based on the applied rules. This makes it possible to realize delivery of goods handed over between multiple mobile objects 15 by controlling the mobile object 15 based on rules according to the situation. Furthermore, the rule application unit 123 changes the rule used to control the mobile object control device 13 from a previously applied rule to a rule whose content corresponds to the situation information. In this case, it is possible to prevent the mobile object 15 from being controlled based on a rule whose content is not suitable for the situation, compared to when the previously applied rule continues to be applied regardless of the situation.

[0067] The change situation may be a situation of a predetermined period, a situation defined for the mobile object 15 used for delivery, a situation defined for the time related to delivery, or a situation defined for an area through which the mobile object 15 passes or stays while making delivery or waiting for delivery. In this case, it is possible to realize control of the mobile object 15 based on rules whose content corresponds to the relevant situation. In the application management table, the "change status" that is predefined as the application condition for a new rule is not limited to including all of the above-mentioned example situations. The "change status" may include at least one of the above-mentioned example situations.

[0068] The rules applied by the rule application unit 123 include rules regarding which mobile object 15 will be used for delivery, rules regarding the time of delivery, and rules regarding the area through which the mobile object passes or stays while making delivery or waiting for delivery. In this case, delivery of goods handed over between multiple mobile objects 15 can be realized by controlling the mobile object 15 based on rules whose content is appropriate for the situation. The rules applied by rule application unit 123 are not limited to including all of the above-mentioned rule examples, but may include at least one of the above-mentioned rule examples.

[0069] Furthermore, the "changed status" shown in the application management table includes multiple statuses, and when the status identified from the status information corresponds to one of the multiple "changed status" statuses, the rule application unit 123 applies a new rule with content appropriate to the corresponding status. In this case, it is possible to realize control of the mobile body 15 by the mobile body control device 13 based on a rule with content appropriate to the status, compared to when a new rule with a single content is applied regardless of which of the multiple "changed status" statuses the status identified from the status information corresponds to.

[0070] Next, a description will be given of the relationship between situations that occur over time and rules that are applied by rule application unit 123. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing the relationship between situations that occur over time and rules that are applied by rule application unit 123. 11(A) shows the relationship between the time period to which the time belongs and the rules applied by the rule application unit 123. First, the situation occurring when the time is in the time period from 14:00 to 16:59 is "14:00 to 16:59 (during a baseball game)" shown in "occurrence situation 1" in the rule / situation management table. At this time, the rule application unit 123 applies "rule 1" shown in the rule / situation management table. More specifically, the rules applied are "mobile object 1," "route 1," "handover area 1," "time 1," and "waiting area 1." In this case, "information 1" is managed in the application management table.

[0071] Next, the time passes and it becomes 5:00 PM. The situation occurring at this time is "5:00 PM to 6:59 PM" which is shown in "Occurrence Status 11" in the rule / status management table. At this time, the rule application unit 123 changes the applied rule from "Rule 1" to "Rule 11." Furthermore, the update unit 124 erases "Information 1" shown in the in-apply management table and writes "Information 11" shown in the rule / status management table into the in-apply management table. This updates the content managed in the in-apply management table. In this way, the rule application unit 123 applies rules with content appropriate to the passage of time. In this case, the mobile object control device 13 can control the mobile object 15 based on rules with content appropriate to the time.

[0072] Next, the time passes and it becomes 7:00 PM. The situation occurring at this time is "7:00 PM to 8:59 PM," which is shown in "Occurrence Status 12" in the rule / status management table. At this time, the rule application unit 123 changes the rule to be applied from "Rule 11" to "Rule 12." The update unit 124 also erases "Information 11" shown in the in-apply management table, and writes "Information 12" shown in the rule / status management table into the in-apply management table as new information. Next, the time passes and it becomes 9:00 PM. The situation occurring at this time is "9:00 PM to 11:59 PM," which is shown in "Occurrence Status 13" in the rule / status management table. At this time, the rule application unit 123 changes the rule to be applied from "Rule 12" to "Rule 13." The update unit 124 also erases "Information 12" shown in the in-apply management table, and writes "Information 13" shown in the rule / status management table into the in-apply management table.

[0073] FIG. 11(B) also shows the relationship between situations that occur during the time period from 2:00 PM to 4:59 PM, i.e., during a baseball game, and the rules applied by the rule application unit 123. First, from 2:00 PM to time t1, the rule application unit 123 applies "Rule 2" shown in the rule / state management table. In this case, "Information 2" is managed in the in-applicability management table. Note that "Not on fielding" shown in "Occurrence Status 2" of "Information 2" means a situation in which neither team is on fielding in the baseball game. Also, "On fielding" shown in "Change Status 2" of "Information 2" means a situation in which one of the teams is on fielding in the baseball game.

[0074] Next, assume that at time t1, the home team (HT) begins fielding in a baseball game. This situation corresponds to "Changed Situation 2" shown in the in-progress management table and "Occurrence Situation 3" shown in the rule / state management table. In this case, the rule application unit 123 changes the rule to be applied from "Rule 2" to "Rule 3." The update unit 124 also erases "Information 2" shown in the in-progress management table and writes "Information 3" shown in the rule / state management table into the in-progress management table. At this time, "Rule 1" continues to be applied, and "Information 1" is managed in the in-progress management table. In this way, when the rule application unit 123 newly applies a rule, the update unit 124 updates the content corresponding to the "changed situation" in the application management table. The "changed situation" after the update includes a first situation that is different from the "changed situation" before the update, and a second situation that may occur in the "changed situation" before the update. An example of the "changed situation" before the update is "defensive," which is "changed situation 2." An example of the first situation is "not defending with hot-ball," which is "changed situation 3." An example of the second situation is a situation that is included in "defensive with hot-ball," which is "occurrence situation 3," and is indicated in the "occurrence situation" and "changed situation," such as "changed situation 5" to "changed situation 10." In this case, it is possible to provide more diversity to situations involving the application of new rules by rule application unit 123 than when there is only one change situation.

[0075] Next, at time t2, a change of offense and defense occurs in the baseball game, and neither team is playing defense. This situation corresponds to "Changed Situation 3" shown in the in-progression management table and "Occurrence Situation 2" shown in the rule / state management table. In this case, the rule application unit 123 changes the rule to be applied from "Rule 3" to "Rule 2." The update unit 124 also deletes "Information 3" shown in the in-progression management table and writes "Information 2" shown in the rule / state management table into the in-progression management table. Next, at time t3, the visiting team (VT) begins fielding in the baseball game. This situation corresponds to "Changed Situation 2" shown in the in-progress management table and "Occurrence Situation 4" shown in the rule / state management table. In this case, the rule application unit 123 changes the rule to be applied from "Rule 2" to "Rule 4." The update unit 124 also deletes "Information 2" shown in the in-progress management table and writes "Information 4" shown in the rule / state management table into the in-progress management table. Next, at time t4, a change of offense and defense occurs in the baseball game, and neither team is playing defense. This situation corresponds to "Changed Situation 4" shown in the in-progression management table and "Occurrence Situation 2" shown in the rule / state management table. In this case, the rule application unit 123 changes the rule to be applied from "Rule 4" to "Rule 2." The update unit 124 also deletes "Information 4" shown in the in-progression management table and writes "Information 2" shown in the rule / state management table into the in-progression management table.

[0076] As described above, in this embodiment, the appropriate rule may change depending on changes in the situation over time. In addition, in a baseball game, supporters are more likely to cheer for the team on offense than for the team on defense, so supporters of the team on defense may be more likely to request delivery of an item than supporters of the team on offense. Therefore, in this embodiment, the rule application unit 123 applies different rules depending on whether the home team or the visiting team is on defense. As a result, the rule used by the mobile object control device 13 to control the mobile object 15 is applied so as to realize efficient delivery in response to a request for delivery of an item from a supporter of the team on defense.

[0077] 11(B) belongs to the time period from 14:00 to 16:59. Therefore, regardless of which situation occurs as the time shown in FIG. 11(B) passes, "Rule 1" is applied, and "Information 1" is managed in the application management table.

[0078] 11(C) shows the relationship between the situation that occurs during the time period from 2 PM to time t1, that is, when neither team is playing defense during a baseball game, and the rules applied by the rule application unit 123. First, from 2 PM to time t11, the rule application unit 123 applies "rule 6," "rule 9," and "rule 10" shown in the rule / state management table. In this case, "information 6," "information 9," and "information 10" are managed in the rule application management table. Furthermore, from 2 p.m. to time t11, task c1 and task c2 are performed by the target mobile unit 15 in relation to the delivery of goods requested by client 11. Furthermore, the time T1 required for task c1 and task c2 is assumed to be shorter than the upper limit time set for "Time 1" shown in the rule / state management table. In this case, the fact that task c1 and task c2 took time T1 does not fall under "Change Status 9" and "Change Status 10" shown in the application management table.

[0079] Next, assume that at time t11, a situation occurs in which the area used for delivery by the target moving body 15 is being used by an object other than this moving body 15. This situation corresponds to "Changed Status 6" shown in the in-applicability management table and "Occurrence Status 5" shown in the rule / state management table. In this case, the rule application unit 123 changes the rule to be applied from "Rule 6" to "Rule 5." Furthermore, the update unit 124 erases "Information 6" shown in the in-applicability management table and newly writes "Information 5" shown in the rule / state management table to the in-applicability management table. Even in this case, "Rule 9" and "Rule 10" continue to be applied, and "Information 9" and "Information 10" continue to be managed in the in-applicability management table.

[0080] Furthermore, from time t11 to time t12, task c3 is performed by the target mobile unit 15 in relation to the delivery of an item requested by the client 11. Furthermore, the time T2 required for task c3 is longer than the upper limit time set for "Time 1" in the rule / state management table. Even in this case, because "Time 5" of "Rule 5" is applied by the rule application unit 123, the fact that task c3 took time T2 does not fall under "Change Status 9" and "Change Status 10" in the application management table. Additionally, the "add time in use" set for "Time 5" is a rule that means that the value obtained by adding the time to which "Rule 5" is applied to the time set for "Time 1" becomes the upper limit time required for the task by the mobile unit 15.

[0081] Next, at time t12, it is assumed that the area that the target mobile unit 15 used for delivery at time t11 becomes vacant. This situation corresponds to "change status 5" shown in the application management table and "occurrence status 6" shown in the rule and status management table. In this case, the rule application unit 123 changes the rule to be applied from "rule 5" to "rule 6." Furthermore, the update unit 124 erases "information 5" shown in the application management table and newly writes "information 6" shown in the rule and status management table to the application management table.

[0082] Next, assume that at time t13, task c4 is being performed by the target mobile unit 15 in relation to the delivery of an item requested by the requester 11, and that a malfunction occurs in the target mobile unit 15, causing the target mobile unit 15 to stop in the area where task c4 is being performed. Furthermore, assume that the time T3 required for task c4 is longer than the upper limit time set for time 1. This situation corresponds to "Change Status 9" and "Change Status 10" shown in the in-use management table and "Occurrence Status 7" and "Occurrence Status 8" shown in the rule / state management table. In this case, the rule application unit 123 changes the rules to be applied from "Rule 9" and "Rule 10" to "Rule 7" and "Rule 8." Furthermore, the update unit 124 erases "Information 9" and "Information 10" shown in the in-use management table and newly writes "Information 7" and "Information 8" shown in the rule / state management table to the in-use management table. The moving body 15 on which the operation c4 was performed, i.e., the moving body 15 on which the malfunction occurred, will be referred to below as the specific moving body 15. Also, the area where the specific moving body 15 is stopped due to the malfunction will be referred to below as the stop area.

[0083] Here, it is assumed that a new item delivery request is made by the sender 11 between time 13 and time 14. In this case, the mobile object control device 13 determines a new mobile object 15 other than the specific mobile object 15 as the mobile object 15 to be used for the item delivery, in accordance with the rule "Mobile object 7" of the applied "Rule 7." Additionally, the "other than malfunctioning" indicated for "Mobile object 7" is a rule meaning that a mobile object 15 other than the malfunctioning mobile object 15 will be used for the item delivery. The newly determined mobile object 15 will be referred to as the new target mobile object 15 hereinafter. Furthermore, in accordance with the rules "Route 8," "Handover area 8," and "Waiting area 8" of the applied "Rule 8," the mobile object control device 13 determines an area other than the stop area through which the new target mobile object 15 will pass or stay for the item delivery. In addition, the "other than stopping area" shown in "route 8," "handover area 8," and "waiting area 8" is a rule that means that the area through which the moving body 15 passes or stays must be an area other than a stopping area.

[0084] In this way, when the situation identified from the situation information is a "changed situation" defined for the specific moving body 15, the mobile body control device 13 restricts the transfer of goods to or from the specific moving body 15 or the use of a stopping area in controlling the new target moving body 15. Here, the specific moving body 15 is regarded as the first moving body. Also, the new target moving body 15 is regarded as the second moving body. In this case, it is possible to prevent the first moving body 15 from interfering with the delivery of goods by the second moving body 15.

[0085] In this embodiment, the rule management device 12 applies a new rule, which restricts the transfer of goods between a specific moving body 15 and the use of a stopping area in controlling the new target moving body 15, but this is not limited to this. The mobile body control device 13 may be notified that the situation identified from the situation information is a "changed situation" defined for the specific mobile body 15. Then, upon receiving this notification, the mobile body control device 13 may restrict the transfer of items to and from the specific mobile body 15 or the use of stopping areas when controlling the new target mobile body 15. In other words, the restriction on the transfer of items to and from the specific mobile body 15 or the use of stopping areas when controlling the new target mobile body 15 may be realized without applying rules.

[0086] Next, assume that at time t14, a specific moving object 15 leaves the stopping area. This situation corresponds to "change situation 8" shown in the application management table and "occurrence situation 10" shown in the rule and state management table. In this case, the rule application unit 123 changes the rule to be applied from "rule 8" to "rule 10." Furthermore, the update unit 124 deletes "information 8" shown in the application management table and newly writes "information 10" shown in the rule and state management table to the application management table. Next, assume that at time t15, a malfunction of a specific mobile object 15 is resolved. This situation corresponds to "changed status 7" shown in the in-use management table and "occurrence status 9" shown in the rule and state management table. In this case, the rule application unit 123 changes the rule to be applied from "rule 7" to "rule 9." Furthermore, the update unit 124 deletes "information 7" shown in the in-use management table and newly writes "information 9" shown in the rule and state management table to the in-use management table.

[0087] As described above, in this embodiment, the situation can change depending on the state of the mobile object 15, and the rule and situation management table defines a "rule" and a "situation" for each situation that can change depending on the state of the mobile object 15. The rule management device 12 then applies rules whose contents correspond to the situation that can change depending on the state of the mobile object 15, and updates the contents of the "changed situation" shown in the application management table. Furthermore, all of the times shown in Figure 11(C) belong to the time slot from 2:00 PM to 4:59 PM, more specifically, the time slot from 2:00 PM to time t1. Therefore, regardless of which situation occurs as the time passes in Figure 11(C), "Rule 1" and one of the rules shown in Figure 11(B) are applied. Furthermore, regardless of which situation occurs as the time passes in Figure 11(C), "Information 1" and a "Situation" associated with one of the rules shown in Figure 11(B) are managed in the application management table.

[0088] In this way, when a new rule is applied by the rule application unit 123, the "change status" in the application management table is updated, and the content of this update is determined according to the "occurrence status" corresponding to the situation that triggered the application of the new rule. The situation that triggered the application of the new rule is situation information acquired by the rule management device 12, and is situation information used in the application of the new rule by the rule application unit 123. In other words, when a rule is newly applied, the update unit 124 updates the content corresponding to the "change status" to content according to the situation information used in the new application of the rule. In this case, the situation that satisfies the conditions for applying the rule to be used for future control of the moving object 15 can be determined depending on the situation that triggers the new rule to be applied.

[0089] In this embodiment, when the rule management device 12 receives a request for delivery of an item from the user terminal 21, it notifies the mobile object control device 13 of which rule is being applied, but this is not limiting. When a new rule is applied, the rule management device 12 only needs to notify the mobile object control device 13 of this rule, and does not need to notify the mobile object control device 13 of the rule being applied when a request for delivery of an item is received from the user terminal 21.

[0090] In addition, in this embodiment, the user terminal 21 requests the rule management device 12 to deliver an item, but this is not limiting. The user terminal 21 may request the mobile object control device 13 to deliver an item.

[0091] In addition, in this embodiment, the rule management device 12 applies rules such as "Rule 6" shown in the rule / status management table to prevent the target moving body 15 from passing through or staying in an area that is already in use, but this is not limited to this. For example, the mobile object control device 13 may determine a delivery route without newly using an area that is already in use, thereby preventing the target mobile object 15 from passing through or staying in an area that is already in use. Also, for example, the mobile object 15 may move so as not to pass through or stay in an area that is already in use, thereby preventing the target mobile object 15 from passing through or staying in an area that is already in use. In other words, the means for preventing the target mobile object 15 from passing through or staying in an area that is already in use is not limited to the application of rules by the rule management device 12.

[0092] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the rule application process (see FIG. 10) is started at predetermined time intervals, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the rule application process may be started when the rule management device 12 acquires situation information.

[0093] In addition, when applying a rule for the first time, i.e., when no rule has been applied, the rule management device 12 may apply all rules stored in the rule / situation management table that are associated with the "occurrence situation" that corresponds to the current situation. Furthermore, when applying a new rule, the rule management device 12 may cancel the application of all rules before applying the new rule. In other words, when applying a new rule, the rule management device 12 may reset the application of rules before applying the new rule.

[0094] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the mobile object control device 13 instructs the target mobile object 15 on the delivery route, but this is not limiting. The mobile object control device 13 may notify the target mobile object 15 of the area as the delivery destination, but may not notify the target mobile object 15 of the delivery route. In this case, the mobile object 15 may have area information by generating or acquiring the area information. Then, the target mobile object 15 may determine the delivery route and delivery time by itself based on the area information and the delivery destination.

[0095] Furthermore, the content of the rules applied by rule application unit 123 is not limited to the above-mentioned examples. For example, individual moving bodies 15 or individual delivery routes may be defined as rules. In addition, after determining the content of delivery of an item based on the applied rules, if new rules are applied by the rule application unit 123, the mobile control device 13 may modify the determined content of delivery based on the new rules.

[0096] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the rule management device 12 identifies the status of the mobile body 15 by acquiring information about the status of the mobile body 15 from the mobile body control device 13 or the information holding device 14, but this is not limited to this. The rule management device 12 may directly request a report about the status of the mobile body 15 from the mobile body 15 and identify the status of the mobile body 15 based on the report received from the requested mobile body 15. Furthermore, the rule management device 12 may identify the status of the mobile body 15, such as a malfunction of the mobile body 15, based on the fact that no report about the status of the mobile body 15 is received from the information request destination within a predetermined period of time. Examples of destinations for the information request include the mobile body control device 13, the information holding device 14, the mobile body 15, etc.

[0097] In addition, in the present embodiment, the area information is described as associating information identifying the area information with information identifying an object present in the area and information identifying the time at which the object is present in the area, but this is not limited to this. The area information may be associated with information identifying an object that can enter the area and information identifying the time at which the object can enter the area. The determination unit 133 of the mobile object control device 13 may then identify the area that the object can enter and the time at which the object can enter the area from the area information, and based on the identification results, determine the content of the delivery of the item, including the area through which the mobile object 15 passes or stays.

[0098] In the above example, the time period to which the point in time belongs is the most comprehensive "change status," but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a sensor (not shown) that detects aging deterioration of the mobile object 15 may be provided in the mobile object control system 1, and the situation in which the aging deterioration of the mobile object 15 is identified by this sensor may be defined as a "change situation" that is more comprehensive than the time period to which the current point in time belongs. In this way, the "change situation" managed in the application management table may be defined as any situation.

[0099] In the above example, the mobile object control system 1 is used in a baseball stadium, but is not limited thereto. The mobile object control system 1 may be applied not only to a wide area such as a baseball stadium, but also to small-scale deliveries in a narrow area such as an outlet mall or an apartment building. The mobile object control system 1 may also be used for deliveries not only in closed areas, but also in open areas where the range of movement is not limited.

[0100] Furthermore, the delivering mobile body 15A and the receiving mobile body 15B are not limited to the types described above. The delivering mobile body 15A and the receiving mobile body 15B may be, for example, different mobile bodies among a mobile body that moves in water, a mobile body that moves in the air, and a mobile body that moves on land. Furthermore, the mobile body 15 may be a four-legged mobile body, etc.

[0101] In addition, in this embodiment, the mobile object control device 13 and the information holding device 14 are separate devices, but this is not limiting, and the mobile object control device 13 and the information holding device 14 may be one device. In addition, in this embodiment, the rule management device 12 and the mobile object control device 13 are separate devices, but this is not limiting. The rule management device 12 and the mobile object control device 13 may be a single device. In addition, in this embodiment, the rule management device 12 and the information storage device 14 are separate devices, but this is not limiting, and the rule management device 12 and the information storage device 14 may be one device. Furthermore, the rule management device 12, the mobile object control device 13, and the information holding device 14 may be integrated into one device.

[0102] The present invention also includes cases where a software program that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device having a computer that can execute the program directly from a recording medium or via wired / wireless communication, and the program is executed. Therefore, the program code itself, supplied and installed on a computer to implement the functional processes described above, also embodies the present invention. In other words, the computer program itself for implementing the functional processes of the present invention is also included in the present invention. In this case, the program may take any form, such as object code, a program executed by an interpreter, or script data supplied to an OS, as long as it has the program's functionality. Recording media for providing the program may include, for example, a hard disk, a magnetic recording medium such as a magnetic tape, an optical / magneto-optical storage medium, or a non-volatile semiconductor memory. Another possible method for providing the program is to store the computer program forming the present invention on a server on a computer network, and then download the computer program to a connected client computer.

[0103] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configuration of an imaging device. (Configuration 1) a control means for controlling the mobile objects based on rules established for the delivery of goods to be handed over between a plurality of mobile objects; an acquisition means for acquiring situation information regarding whether a predetermined situation has occurred; an application means for applying the rule according to the situation information acquired by the acquisition means; A mobile object control system comprising: (Configuration 2) the acquisition means repeatedly acquires the situation information; The mobile object control system according to configuration 1, wherein the application means changes the rules used for the control of the control means from the rules that have been applied in advance to rules whose content corresponds to the situation information newly acquired by the acquisition means. (Configuration 3) the application means applies the rule having content corresponding to the situation information when the situation specified by the situation information is the predetermined situation; The mobile object control system of configuration 1 or 2, wherein the predetermined situation includes at least one of a situation that is a predetermined period, a situation that is defined for a mobile object used for the delivery, a situation that is defined for a time related to the delivery, and a situation that is defined for an area through which a mobile object passes or stays while the delivery is being performed. (Configuration 4) the acquisition means repeatedly acquires the situation information; the application means, when a situation identified from the situation information newly acquired by the acquisition means is the predetermined situation, newly applies the rule having content corresponding to the situation information; further comprising an update unit that updates content corresponding to the predetermined situation when the application unit newly applies the rule; The mobile object control system according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, wherein the predetermined situation after the update includes a first situation that is different from the predetermined situation before the update, and a second situation that may occur in the predetermined situation before the update. (Configuration 5) A mobile object control system described in any one of configurations 1 to 4, wherein the rules include at least one of rules regarding which mobile object will be used for the delivery, rules regarding the time related to the delivery, and rules regarding the area through which the mobile object will pass or stay while the delivery is being carried out or while waiting for the delivery. (Configuration 6) The predetermined situation may include a plurality of situations, A mobile object control system described in any one of configurations 1 to 5, wherein the application means applies a new rule having content corresponding to the corresponding situation when the situation identified from the situation information corresponds to any of the plurality of situations. (Configuration 7) the acquisition means repeatedly acquires the situation information; the application means, when a situation identified from the situation information newly acquired by the acquisition means is the predetermined situation, newly applies the rule having content corresponding to the situation information; A mobile object control system according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, further comprising an update means for updating, when the rule is newly applied, the content corresponding to the predetermined situation to content corresponding to the situation information used for the new application of the rule. (Configuration 8) The rules include at least one of a rule indicating a mobile object to be used for the delivery and a rule indicating an area through which the mobile object passes or stays while performing the delivery or waiting for the delivery; The predetermined situation includes at least a situation defined for a mobile object used for the delivery; A mobile object control system described in any one of configurations 1 to 7, wherein the control means, when controlling a second mobile object, restricts the delivery of goods between the second mobile object and the first mobile object or the use of the area in which the first mobile object is located if the situation identified from the situation information is a situation defined for the first mobile object used for the delivery. (Configuration 9) A control method for a mobile object control system including a control means for controlling mobile objects based on rules established for delivery of goods delivered between a plurality of mobile objects, comprising: acquiring situation information regarding whether or not a predetermined situation has occurred; applying the rule according to the acquired situation information; A control method for a mobile object control system, comprising: (Configuration 10) On the computer, A function of acquiring situation information regarding whether or not a predetermined situation has occurred; a function of applying rules to be used by a control means for controlling the mobile objects with respect to delivery of goods handed over between the mobile objects, the rules having contents corresponding to the acquired situation information; A program to make this happen.

[0104] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 11 Client 12 Rule management device 13 Mobile control device 14 Information retention device 15 Mobile 16. Recipient 21 User terminals

Claims

1. a control means for controlling the mobile objects based on rules established for the delivery of goods to be handed over between a plurality of mobile objects; an acquisition means for acquiring situation information regarding whether a predetermined situation has occurred; an application means for applying the rule according to the situation information acquired by the acquisition means; A mobile object control system comprising:

2. the acquisition means repeatedly acquires the situation information; 2. The mobile object control system according to claim 1, wherein the application means changes the rule used for the control of the control means from the rule that was previously applied to a rule whose content corresponds to the situation information newly acquired by the acquisition means.

3. the application means applies the rule having content corresponding to the situation information when the situation specified by the situation information is the predetermined situation; The mobile object control system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined circumstances include at least one of a situation that is a predetermined period, a situation that is defined for a mobile object used for the delivery, a situation that is defined for a time related to the delivery, and a situation that is defined for an area through which the mobile object passes or stays while the delivery is being carried out.

4. the acquisition means repeatedly acquires the situation information; the application means, when a situation identified from the situation information newly acquired by the acquisition means is the predetermined situation, newly applies the rule having content corresponding to the situation information; further comprising an update unit that updates content corresponding to the predetermined situation when the application unit newly applies the rule; 2. The mobile object control system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined situation after the update includes a first situation that is different from the predetermined situation before the update, and a second situation that may occur in the predetermined situation before the update.

5. The mobile object control system of claim 1, wherein the rules include at least one of a rule regarding which mobile object will be used for the delivery, a rule regarding the time related to the delivery, and a rule regarding an area through which the mobile object will pass or stay while performing the delivery or waiting for the delivery.

6. The predetermined situation may include a plurality of situations, 2. The mobile object control system according to claim 1, wherein when the situation specified from the situation information corresponds to one of the plurality of situations, the application unit newly applies the rule having content corresponding to the corresponding situation.

7. the acquisition means repeatedly acquires the situation information; the application means, when a situation identified from the situation information newly acquired by the acquisition means is the predetermined situation, newly applies the rule having content corresponding to the situation information; 2. The mobile object control system according to claim 1, further comprising an update means for updating, when the rule is to be newly applied, the content corresponding to the predetermined situation to content corresponding to the situation information used for the new application of the rule.

8. The rules include at least one of a rule indicating a mobile object to be used for the delivery and a rule indicating an area through which the mobile object passes or stays while performing the delivery or waiting for the delivery; The predetermined situation includes at least a situation defined for a mobile object used for the delivery; The mobile object control system of claim 1, wherein the control means, when controlling a second mobile object, restricts the transfer of goods between the second mobile object and the first mobile object or the use of the area in which the first mobile object is located when the situation identified from the situation information is a situation defined for the first mobile object used for the delivery.

9. A control method for a mobile object control system including a control means for controlling mobile objects based on rules established for delivery of goods delivered between a plurality of mobile objects, comprising: acquiring situation information regarding whether or not a predetermined situation has occurred; applying the rule according to the acquired situation information; A control method for a mobile object control system, comprising:

10. On the computer, A function of acquiring situation information regarding whether or not a predetermined situation has occurred; a function of applying rules to be used by a control means for controlling the mobile objects with respect to delivery of goods handed over between the mobile objects, the rules having contents corresponding to the acquired situation information; A program to make this happen.

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