Remote operator terminal and remote support system

Abstract

To provide a remote operator terminal capable of effectively performing a remote support for each remote support request by a remote operator to which a plurality of remote support requests is assigned.SOLUTION: A remote operator terminal generates a remote support screen for a remote operator to perform a remote support, and displays the remote support screen on a display device. The remote support screen includes one or more monitoring images displaying a support status of a target vehicle for each of one or more remote support requests. The remote operator terminal sets a display priority for each of the one or more remote support requests. Then, the remote operator terminal displays one or more monitoring images so that attractiveness of the monitoring image of interest corresponding to the remote support request having the highest display priority among the one or more monitoring images on the remote support screen is higher than the attractiveness of the other monitoring images.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to remote assistance for vehicles. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, technologies have been developed that allow a vehicle operator to remotely control the vehicle from a remote location. In remote vehicle control, images captured by an on-board camera are generally displayed on a terminal used by the operator for remote control. The operator then remotely controls the vehicle while checking the vehicle's status from the image displayed on the terminal.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a remote monitoring control device that displays on a display means at least one of a monitoring screen that displays images (video data) captured by a camera for each of a plurality of moving bodies, and a remote control screen that displays images (video data) relating to a remotely controlled moving body among the plurality of moving bodies that has been determined to be incapable of autonomous driving. Patent Document 1 also discloses that the remote control screen is displayed with more emphasis than the monitoring screen. Other documents that demonstrate the technical level in this technical field include Patent Documents 2 and 3 below. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7290199 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2021-082295 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-161039 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Remote vehicle operation applies to remote vehicle assistance. In remote vehicle assistance, a remote assistance request is sent from the vehicle requesting assistance from an operator. The operator to whom the remote assistance request is assigned then provides remote assistance to the vehicle that is the target of the remote assistance request.

[0006] In particular, in the case of remote vehicle assistance, it has been considered to be possible to assign multiple remote assistance requests to a single operator for the purposes of improving assistance efficiency and reducing personnel costs. When multiple remote assistance requests are assigned to a single operator, images related to each of the multiple remote assistance requests are displayed on the operator's terminal. In the past, sufficient consideration has not been given to how each image should be displayed on the terminal in such a case. For example, when the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 is applied, multiple highlighted images are displayed when there are multiple target vehicles determined to be unable to drive autonomously. When multiple images are highlighted, the operator may become confused about which remote assistance request related to which image he or she should handle.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a technology that enables an operator assigned with multiple remote support requests to effectively provide remote support for each of the remote support requests. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A first aspect of the present disclosure relates to a remote operator terminal for a remote operator to provide remote assistance to a vehicle. The remote operator terminal includes a display device. The remote operator terminal also includes a processing circuit that generates a remote assistance screen for the remote operator to provide remote assistance in response to one or more remote assistance requests assigned to the remote operator and displays the remote assistance screen on the display device. The remote assistance screen includes one or more monitoring images that display the assistance status of the target vehicle for each of the one or more remote assistance requests. The processing circuit sets a display priority for each of the one or more remote assistance requests. The processing circuit also selects, from the one or more monitoring images, a monitoring image corresponding to the remote assistance request with the highest display priority as a focused monitoring image. The processing circuit is configured to display the one or more monitoring images on the remote assistance screen so that the focused monitoring image has a higher conspicuousness than the other monitoring images.

[0009] A second aspect of the present disclosure relates to a remote assistance system for providing remote assistance to a vehicle. The remote assistance system includes a remote operator terminal used by a remote operator to provide remote assistance. The remote assistance system also includes a processing circuit that generates a remote assistance screen on the remote operator terminal to enable the remote operator to provide remote assistance in response to one or more remote assistance requests assigned to the remote operator. The remote assistance screen includes one or more monitoring images that display the assistance status of the target vehicle for each of the one or more remote assistance requests. The processing circuit sets a display priority for each of the one or more remote assistance requests. The processing circuit also selects, from the one or more monitoring images, a monitoring image corresponding to the remote assistance request with the highest display priority as a focused monitoring image. The processing circuit is configured to display the one or more monitoring images on the remote assistance screen so that the focused monitoring image has a higher conspicuousness than the other monitoring images. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present disclosure, a display priority is set for each of one or more remote support requests. The attention monitoring image corresponding to the remote support request with the highest display priority on the remote support screen is more conspicuous than the other monitoring images. This urges the operator to handle the remote support request related to the attention monitoring image. In other words, it is possible to prevent the operator from becoming confused about which remote support request related to which monitoring image to handle. As a result, the remote operator can effectively provide remote support for each remote support request. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a remote support system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of allocation of remote support requests in the remote support system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a remote operator terminal according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a remote support screen that is generated when one remote support request is assigned to a remote operator. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a remote support screen that is generated when a plurality of remote support requests are assigned to a remote operator. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a remote support screen that is generated when a plurality of remote support requests are assigned to a remote operator. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a remote support screen that is generated when a plurality of remote support requests are assigned to a remote operator. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a remote support screen that is generated in consideration of the display priority set for each remote support request. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be simplified or omitted.

[0013] 1. Remote support system FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a remote assistance system 10 according to this embodiment. The remote assistance system 10 includes a plurality of vehicles 3, a plurality of remote operator terminals 100, and a management device 200. Each vehicle 3, each remote operator terminal 100, and the management device 200 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via a communication network 2. The communication network 2 is configured, for example, by the Internet or a mobile communication system. The management device 200 is also connected to each remote operator terminal 100 so that they can communicate with each other via a wired or wireless connection. Each remote operator terminal 100 is operated by a remote operator 1. The remote assistance system 10 is a system in which the remote operator 1 provides remote assistance to the vehicle 3 via operation of the remote operator terminal 100.

[0014] When the vehicle 3 encounters a situation requiring assistance from the remote operator 1, the vehicle 3 transmits a remote assistance request to the management device 200. The vehicle 3 is typically an autonomous vehicle. For example, when the autonomous vehicle 3 encounters difficulty in making autonomous driving decisions (e.g., starting, initiating a right or left turn, changing lanes, etc.), it transmits a remote assistance request to the remote operator 1 to request a driving decision. Consider a case in which the vehicle 3 is used as an unmanned public bus. In this case, for example, when the public bus vehicle 3 encounters difficulty in determining whether passengers are getting on or off at a bus stop, it transmits a remote assistance request to the remote operator 1 to request a decision on whether to open or close the passenger door. Furthermore, when a problem occurs with a passenger inside the vehicle, the public bus vehicle 3 transmits a remote assistance request to the remote operator 1 to request passenger assistance (e.g., checking the safety of the vehicle, communicating with the passenger, determining whether to report to an external agency, etc.). Thus, the remote assistance request transmitted from the vehicle 3 may include various types of assistance depending on the vehicle 3 and the situation of the vehicle 3. The remote assistance request includes at least the identification information (ID) of the vehicle 3 that is the target of remote assistance and information on the assistance content.

[0015] The management device 200 is a computer that manages the remote support system 10. The management device 200 may be configured with multiple servers that perform distributed processing.

[0016] The management device 200 stores operator management information 201. The operator management information 201 is information for managing multiple remote operators 1. For each remote operator 1, the operator management information 201 indicates the status of remote support, information on the remote operator terminal 100 being operated, identification information, a history of past remote support, etc.

[0017] The management device 200 receives remote assistance requests from each vehicle 3 at any time. The management device 200 assigns the received remote assistance request to an appropriate remote operator 1 based on the operator management information 201. For example, the management device 200 acquires the remote assistance status of each remote operator 1 from the operator management information 201, and assigns the remote assistance request to a remote operator 1 who has not yet provided remote assistance.

[0018] In the remote support system 10 according to this embodiment, the management device 200 can assign multiple remote support requests to one remote operator 1. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the assignment of remote support requests by the management device 200. The example shown in FIG. 2 shows a case where six remote support requests, #1 to #6, are assigned to three remote operators 1-A, 1-B, and 1-C. In the example shown in FIG. 2, three remote support requests, #1, #4, and #5, are assigned to the remote operator 1-A. Furthermore, two remote support requests, #3 and #6, are assigned to the remote operator 1-C. In this way, the management device 200 may assign multiple remote support requests to one remote operator 1.

[0019] When the management device 200 assigns a remote support request to a remote operator 1, it notifies the remote operator terminal 100 operated by the remote operator 1 of information about the assigned remote support request. Upon receiving the notification, the remote operator terminal 100 identifies the vehicle 3 that is to be remotely supported (hereinafter referred to as the "target vehicle 3-X") from the information about the remote support request and begins communication with the target vehicle 3-X. This allows the remote operator 1 to provide remote support to the target vehicle 3-X in response to the assigned remote support request through operation of the remote operator terminal 100.

[0020] 2 Remote Operator Terminal The remote operator terminal 100 according to this embodiment will be described in detail below. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the remote operator terminal 100 according to this embodiment. The remote operator terminal 100 includes an information processing unit 110, a communication interface (communication I / F) 120, a display device 130, and an input device 140.

[0021] The information processing unit 110 executes various information processes of the remote operator terminal 100. The information processing unit 110 includes a processing circuit 111 and a storage device 112.

[0022] The processing circuitry 111 performs various processes. The processing circuitry 111 may be, for example, a general-purpose processor, a special-purpose processor, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), an integrated circuit, a conventional circuit, or a combination of one or more of these. In general, a processor including transistors and other circuits is an example of the processing circuitry 111. The processing circuitry 111 may also be referred to as circuitry or processing circuitry. Circuitry is hardware that is programmed to realize the functions described in this disclosure or that executes those functions.

[0023] The storage device 112 stores various information necessary for the processing circuit 111 to execute processing. The storage device 112 is configured with a storage medium such as a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a solid state drive (SSD), or a hard disk drive (HDD). The storage device 112 stores a computer program 113 executable by the processing circuit 111 and request management information 114. The computer program 113 is configured with a plurality of instructions that describe the processing to be executed by the processing circuit 111. The computer program 113 may be recorded on a computer-readable storage medium. The processing circuit 111, which executes the computer program 113, and the storage device 112 cooperate to realize the functions of the information processing unit 110. The request management information 114 manages remote assistance requests assigned to the remote operator 1 operating the remote operator terminal 100. The information processing unit 110 can obtain the ID and assistance content of the target vehicle 3-X for each remote assistance request assigned to the remote operator 1 by referring to the request management information 114.

[0024] The communication I / F 120 is an interface for connecting to and communicating with devices external to the remote operator terminal 100. The remote operator terminal 100 communicates with the vehicle 3 and the management device 200 via the communication I / F.

[0025] The display device 130 is a device for displaying various information to the remote operator 1. The display on the display device 130 is controlled by the information processing unit 110. The display device 130 is configured by a display, a touch screen, or the like.

[0026] The input device 140 is a device for receiving various inputs from the remote operator 1. The inputs received by the input device 140 are transmitted to the information processing unit 110. The input device 140 is composed of a keyboard, a pointing device, a touchpad, switches, etc.

[0027] Based on the above configuration, the remote operator terminal 100 realizes remote assistance of the target vehicle 3-X by the remote operator 1 as follows.

[0028] First, the information processing unit 110 acquires vehicle information VEH from the target vehicle 3-X via the communication I / F 120. The vehicle information VEH is information detected by various sensors mounted on the target vehicle 3-X. The vehicle information VEH includes at least images captured by an on-board camera of the target vehicle 3-X. The on-board camera of the target vehicle 3-X may include multiple cameras with different imaging directions (e.g., front camera, rear camera, side camera, interior camera, etc.). The vehicle information VEH may further include the driving state (e.g., speed, steering angle, etc.) and position of the target vehicle 3-X.

[0029] Next, the information processing unit 110 generates a remote support screen for the remote operator 1 to provide remote support in response to the remote support request assigned to the remote operator 1, and displays the generated screen on the display device 130. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the remote support screen 20 displayed on the display device 130. Note that FIG. 4 shows a case where one remote support request is assigned to the remote operator 1. The remote support screen 20 displayed when multiple remote support requests are assigned to the remote operator 1 will be described later.

[0030] The remote assistance screen 20 includes a monitoring image 21 that displays the assistance status of the target vehicle 3-X, and an operation member 22 that accepts remote assistance operations by the remote operator 1.

[0031] The monitoring image 21 is typically composed of an image captured by an on-board camera of the target vehicle 3-X. The monitoring image 21 may be composed of a plurality of images. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the monitoring image 21 is composed of two images captured by a front camera and a rear camera. The monitoring image 21 may further be configured to display information on the driving state and position of the target vehicle 3-X.

[0032] The configuration of the monitoring image 21 is determined according to the support content of the corresponding remote support request. The information processing unit 110 configures the monitoring image 21 based on the support content of the corresponding remote support request and the vehicle information VEH. The example shown in FIG. 4 assumes that the support content of the corresponding remote support request is "determine whether to start driving." In this case, the information processing unit 110 configures the monitoring image 21 using at least an image captured by the front camera, as shown in FIG. 4. On the other hand, consider a case where the support content of the corresponding remote support request is "check safety inside the vehicle." In this case, the information processing unit 110 configures the monitoring image 21 using at least an image captured by the in-vehicle camera.

[0033] The remote assistance operation received by the operation unit 22 is typically performed by the remote operator 1 making a decision on the assistance content of the remote assistance request. Therefore, the configuration of the operation unit 22 is also determined according to the assistance content of the corresponding remote assistance request. The information processing unit 110 configures the operation unit 22 based on the content of the corresponding remote assistance request. In the example shown in FIG. 4, a "start permission" button for making a start determination is shown as the operation unit 22. The remote operator 1 can make a decision on the "start determination" by appropriately pressing the "start permission" button. Meanwhile, consider a case where the assistance content of the corresponding remote assistance request is "opening and closing passenger doors." In this case, the information processing unit 110 configures the operation unit 22 with, for example, an "open door" button and a "close door" button. The remote operator 1 can make a decision on "opening passenger doors" by appropriately pressing the "open door" button and the "close door" button, respectively.

[0034] In this way, the remote operator 1 checks the assistance status of the target vehicle 3-X from the monitoring image 21 on the remote assistance screen 20 displayed on the display device 130. In addition, the remote operator 1 performs remote assistance operations in response to a remote assistance request by operating the operation members 22 on the remote assistance screen 20 via the input device 140.

[0035] Referring again to FIG. 3, the information processing unit 110 determines the remote support operation of the remote operator 1 in response to the remote support request based on the input received by the input device 140. The information processing unit 110 generates command information INS in response to the remote support operation of the remote operator 1. For example, the command information INS indicates permission to start in response to a remote support request for "determine start." The information processing unit 110 then transmits the generated command information INS to the target vehicle 3-X via the communication I / F 120. The target vehicle 3-X operates in accordance with the received command information INS. For example, the target vehicle 3-X starts starting in response to receiving the command information INS indicating permission to start.

[0036] In this way, the remote operator terminal 100 according to this embodiment realizes remote assistance by the remote operator 1 for the target vehicle 3-X.

[0037] An example of the remote support screen 20 displayed on the display device 130 has been described above in the case where one remote support request is assigned to the remote operator 1 (see FIG. 4). As described above, in the remote support system 10 according to this embodiment, the management device 200 can assign multiple remote support requests to one remote operator 1. Below, a description will be given of the remote support screen 20 generated by the information processing unit 110 in the case where multiple remote support requests are assigned to the remote operator 1.

[0038] 3. Generating remote support screens for multiple remote support requests When multiple remote support requests are assigned to the remote operator 1, the information processing unit 110 generates a remote support screen 20 including a monitoring image 21 corresponding to each remote support request. That is, the remote support screen 20 is generated to include multiple monitoring images 21. Each monitoring image 21 displays the support status of the target vehicle 3-X of the corresponding remote support request.

[0039] Now, consider the display of multiple monitoring images 21 on the remote support screen 20. If the multiple monitoring images 21 were displayed uniformly on the remote support screen 20, the remote operator 1 might become confused as to which monitoring image 21 a remote support request should be handled for. As a result, the remote operator 1 might make an erroneous operation or make an incorrect decision.

[0040] Therefore, the information processing unit 110 sets a "display priority" for each of the multiple remote support requests assigned to the remote operator 1. The information processing unit 110 further selects one monitoring image 21 corresponding to the remote support request with the highest set display priority from the multiple monitoring images 21 (hereinafter, the selected monitoring image 21 will be referred to as the "attention monitoring image"). Then, the information processing unit 110 is configured to display the multiple monitoring images 21 on the remote support screen 20 so that the attention monitoring image has higher visibility than the other monitoring images 21.

[0041] This urges the remote operator 1 to handle the remote support request related to the monitoring image of interest. In other words, it is possible to prevent the remote operator 1 from becoming confused about which monitoring image 21 the remote support request should be handled for. Furthermore, since the remote support screen 20 includes the monitoring image 21 corresponding to each remote support request, the remote operator 1 can recognize the allocation status of the remote support request to himself / herself from the remote support screen 20. As a result, erroneous operations and incorrect decisions by the remote operator 1 are prevented, and the remote operator 1 can effectively provide remote support for each remote support request.

[0042] The "display priority" set for a remote support request can be considered to be the priority for displaying the monitoring image 21 corresponding to that remote support request as the featured monitoring image. The information processing unit 110 can set the display priority for each remote support request, for example, from the perspective of the order in which the remote support requests were assigned. From this perspective, the information processing unit 110 sets a higher display priority for a remote support request that was assigned earlier. Therefore, from this perspective, the monitoring images 21 are displayed as featured monitoring images in the order in which the remote support requests were assigned. In other words, the remote operator can be prompted to deal with a remote support request that was assigned earlier in the order.

[0043] The information processing unit 110 may be configured to set the display priority of each remote support request based on other considerations. For example, the information processing unit 110 may set a low display priority for a remote support request that only requests confirmation of the remote support status, based on the support status of the remote support request. The information processing unit 110 may also be configured to randomly set the display priority for each remote support request.

[0044] 5 to 7 are diagrams showing specific examples of the remote support screen 20 generated by the information processing unit 110 when multiple remote support requests are assigned to the remote operator 1. In FIGS. 5 to 7, the remote support screen 20 includes four monitoring images 21-A, 21-B, 21-C, and 21-D. That is, the case is when four remote support requests are assigned to the remote operator 1. In particular, it is assumed that the monitoring images 21-A, 21-B, 21-C, and 21-D have the highest display priority set for the corresponding remote support requests in this order. Therefore, FIGS. 5 to 7 show the case when the monitoring image 21-A is selected as the target monitoring image.

[0045] Fig. 5 shows a specific example in which the size of each monitoring image 21 is changed to make the attention monitoring image more attractive than the other monitoring images 21. In the example shown in Fig. 5, the size of monitoring image 21-A is made larger than the other monitoring images 21-B, 21-C, and 21-D. This makes it clear that the attention monitoring image 21-A has a higher attractiveness than the other monitoring images 21-B, 21-C, and 21-D.

[0046] Fig. 6 shows a specific example in which the placement of each monitoring image 21 is changed to make the attention monitoring image more attractive than the other monitoring images 21. In the example shown in Fig. 6, the monitoring image 21-A is placed in the center, and the other monitoring images 21-B, 21-C, and 21-D are placed in small window-like positions in the upper right corner of the monitoring image 21-A. This makes it clear that the attention monitoring image 21-A has a higher attractiveness than the other monitoring images 21-B, 21-C, and 21-D.

[0047] 7 shows a specific example in which the visual appeal of the target monitoring image 21 is increased relative to the visual appeal of the other monitoring images 21 by changing the appearance of the frame of each monitoring image 21. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the frame of monitoring image 21-A is made thicker, while the frames of the other monitoring images 21-B, 21-C, and 21-D are made thinner. Alternatively, the color of the frame of monitoring image 21-A may be made more visually appealing (e.g., red, yellow, orange, etc.), and the colors of the frames of the other monitoring images 21-B, 21-C, and 21-D may be made less visually appealing (e.g., blue, light blue, purple, etc.). This makes it clear that the visual appeal of monitoring image 21-A, the target monitoring image, is greater than the visual appeal of the other monitoring images 21-B, 21-C, and 21-D.

[0048] The specific examples shown in Figures 5 to 7 can also be combined. For example, in the example shown in Figure 5, the thickness of the frame of monitoring image 21-A can be made thicker, and the thickness of the frames of the other monitoring images 21-B, 21-C, and 21-D can be made thinner. By combining these, the eye-catching nature of the target monitoring image can be further enhanced.

[0049] In this way, the information processing unit 110 can be configured to generate a remote support screen 20 in which the attention of the monitoring image 21 is more conspicuous than the attention of the other monitoring images 21 by changing at least one of the size, arrangement, and frame appearance of each monitoring image 21.

[0050] 5 to 7, the remote support screen 20 includes an operation member 22-A. The operation member 22-A is an operation member 22 that accepts a remote support operation by the remote operator 1 for a remote support request corresponding to the monitoring image 21-A, which is the monitoring image of interest. On the other hand, the remote support screen 20 does not include an operation member 22 that accepts a remote support operation by the remote operator 1 for another remote support request. In this way, the information processing unit 110 may be configured to generate the remote support screen 20 that includes only the operation member 22 related to the remote support request corresponding to the monitoring image of interest. With this configuration, erroneous operations and erroneous judgments by the remote operator 1 can be further suppressed.

[0051] The information processing unit 110 may further be configured to change the conspicuity of the monitoring images 21 other than the focused monitoring image on the remote support screen 20, taking into account the display priority set for each remote support request. In particular, the information processing unit 110 may be configured to increase the conspicuity of the monitoring images 21 as the display priority set for each remote support request increases. FIG. 8 shows a specific example in which the conspicuity of the monitoring images 21 other than the focused monitoring image is changed, taking into account the display priority set for each remote support request. FIG. 8 illustrates a case similar to FIGS. 5 to 7. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the monitoring images 21-B, 21-C, and 21-D other than the focused monitoring image 21-A increase in size in this order. This indicates that the conspicuity of the other monitoring images 21-B, 21-C, and 21-D increases in this order. By employing such a configuration, the remote operator 1 can recognize the monitoring image 21 of the remote support request to be handled next. As a result, the operability of the remote operator 1 can be improved.

[0052] The information processing unit 110 may further be configured to accept a predetermined operation by the remote operator 1 on each monitoring image 21 other than the target monitoring image on the remote support screen 20. Then, in response to a predetermined operation by the remote operator 1 being performed on any one of the monitoring images 21, the information processing unit 110 may be configured to change the target monitoring image to the monitoring image 21 that is the target of the predetermined operation. The predetermined operation may be, for example, clicking on the monitoring image 21, hovering the mouse over the monitoring image 21, etc. Also, for example, the information processing unit 110 may display a switching button for each monitoring image 21 other than the target monitoring image on the remote support screen 20. In this case, the information processing unit 110 may accept pressing of the switching button displayed corresponding to the monitoring image 21 as the predetermined operation. The information processing unit 110 can determine whether or not the remote operator 1 has performed a predetermined operation based on the input received by the input device 140.

[0053] By adopting such a configuration, the remote operator 1 can switch the focused monitoring image and handle the remote support request related to the switched focused monitoring image when there is time before the remote support request related to the current focused monitoring image can be handled. As a result, the efficiency of remote support can be improved. In addition, in this embodiment, the focused monitoring image is selected according to the display priority of each remote support request set by the information processing unit 110, thereby preventing the remote operator 1 from becoming confused about which monitoring image 21 to handle the remote support request related to. On the other hand, by adopting the above configuration, the remote operator 1 can arbitrarily select the focused monitoring image, and the remote operator 1 can handle the remote support request from a perspective other than the display priority set by the information processing unit 110. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1 remote operator, 3 vehicles, 10 remote support systems, 20 remote support screens, 21 monitoring image, 22 operation member, 100 remote operator terminal, 111 processing circuit, 112 storage device, 113 computer program, 130 display device, 140 input device

Claims

1. A remote operator terminal for a remote operator to remotely assist a vehicle, a display device; a processing circuit for generating a remote assistance screen for the remote operator to perform the remote assistance in response to one or more remote assistance requests assigned to the remote operator, and displaying the remote assistance screen on the display device; Equipped with the remote assistance screen includes one or more monitoring images displaying an assistance status of the target vehicle for each of the one or more remote assistance requests; The processing circuitry setting a display priority for each of the one or more remote support requests; selecting a monitoring image corresponding to the remote support request having the highest display priority from the one or more monitoring images as a monitoring image of interest; The one or more monitoring images are displayed on the remote support screen so that the attention monitoring image has higher visibility than other monitoring images. It is configured as follows: Remote operator terminal.

2. 2. A remote operator terminal according to claim 1, The processing circuitry At least one of the size, arrangement, and frame appearance of each of the one or more monitoring images is changed to make the attentional monitoring image more conspicuous than the other monitoring images. It is configured as follows: Remote operator terminal.

3. 3. A remote operator terminal according to claim 1 or 2, comprising: The remote support screen includes an operation member for accepting a remote support operation by the remote operator for a remote support request corresponding to the target monitoring image among the one or more remote support requests, and does not include an operation member for accepting a remote support operation by the remote operator for other remote support requests. Remote operator terminal.

4. 3. A remote operator terminal according to claim 1 or 2, comprising: The processing circuitry further comprises: In response to a predetermined operation by the remote operator being performed on any one of the one or more monitoring images other than the target monitoring image on the remote support screen, the target monitoring image is changed to the monitoring image that was the target of the predetermined operation. It is configured as follows: Remote operator terminal.

5. A remote assistance system for providing remote assistance to a vehicle, a remote operator terminal for a remote operator to provide the remote support; a processing circuit for generating a remote assistance screen for the remote operator to perform the remote assistance in response to one or more remote assistance requests assigned to the remote operator, and displaying the remote assistance screen on the remote operator terminal; Equipped with the remote assistance screen includes one or more monitoring images displaying an assistance status of the target vehicle for each of the one or more remote assistance requests; The processing circuitry setting a display priority for each of the one or more remote support requests; selecting a monitoring image corresponding to the remote support request having the highest display priority from the one or more monitoring images as a monitoring image of interest; The one or more monitoring images are displayed on the remote support screen so that the attention monitoring image has higher visibility than other monitoring images. It is configured as follows: Remote support system.

Images