Ride sharing possibility determination method and device

Abstract

To provide a ride sharing possibility determination method and device capable of reducing a sense of discomfort of a user getting on a vehicle beforehand.SOLUTION: When determining a possibility of getting-on of ride sharing on a ride sharable vehicle 1 by an arithmetic processing unit D, the arithmetic processing unit D calculates a movable range in which the vehicle 1 is movable within an allowable detour time, sets a ride sharing allowable range within the movable range on the basis of a planned route to a destination of the vehicle 1, determines that getting-on of ride sharing is possible in a case where a location of getting-on of ride sharing is within the ride sharing allowable range, and sets the ride sharing allowable range so as to reduce a maximum deviation distance from the planned route as the vehicle 1 gets closer to the destination.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and device for determining whether or not a ridesharing is possible. [Background technology]

[0002] In Patent Document 1 below, when a request for ride-sharing is made, whether or not the ride-sharing is permitted is determined based on whether or not the user who boarded earlier can arrive at the destination before the destination arrival time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-9514 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the case of determining whether or not a ride-sharing is possible according to the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, although the user who boards first may be able to arrive at the destination before the arrival time, the vehicle may take a long detour to the destination, and in such a case, the user who boards first may feel uncomfortable. The present invention aims to provide a method and device for determining whether or not a ridesharing is possible, which can reduce the discomfort felt by users who are already riding in a vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present invention is that when a processing device determines whether or not a ride-sharing ride is possible in a vehicle that is available for ride-sharing, the processing device calculates the range within which the vehicle can move within the allowable detour time, sets an allowable ride-sharing range within the allowable range based on the planned route to the vehicle's destination, and determines that ride-sharing is possible if the location of the ride-sharing ride is within the allowable ride-sharing range, and the allowable ride-sharing range is set so that the maximum deviation distance from the planned route becomes smaller as the vehicle approaches the destination. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, the ride-sharing boarding position defined by the ride-sharing tolerance range is restricted to be smaller the closer the vehicle is to the destination, thereby restricting vehicles from taking large detours from the destination, i.e., the planned route, thereby reducing the discomfort felt by users. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall diagram showing a schematic configuration of an operation management system for an autonomously driven vehicle according to the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a communication system between the operating establishment and users who will be passengers in autonomously driven vehicles in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the autonomous driving vehicle of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a seat of the autonomously driven vehicle of FIG. 3. [Figure 5] 3 is a flowchart of a calculation process executed by the calculation processing device of FIG. 2. [Figure 6] 6 is an explanatory diagram of a movable range and a ride-sharing allowable range in the calculation process of FIG. 5. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an example of an allowable range for carpooling set for a planned route. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of different examples of acceptable ranges for carpooling. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of yet another example of the ride-sharing tolerance range. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of another example of the allowable range of ride-sharing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that each drawing is a schematic diagram and may differ from the actual vehicle. The operation management system shown in FIG. 1 is based on the premise that an autonomous vehicle (hereinafter simply referred to as a vehicle) 1 is operated and managed by a specific operating establishment O, and the vehicle 1 operates autonomously along a specified route at a specified (approximate) date and time. In autonomous driving, a driver is not present, as a general rule. An overview of operation management of this vehicle 1 will be described. In this operation management, as an example of a general reserved ride operation, a user (user) who wishes to ride informs the operating establishment O of the desired route, date and time, etc. The route is specified by a departure point (boarding point) and a destination, and intermediate points are specified as necessary. This vehicle 1 allows ride-sharing. For example, when a user is riding and driving and a ride reservation including ride-sharing is accepted from another user, a ride-sharing permission determination, which will be described in detail later, is performed to determine whether ride-sharing is permitted. If ride-sharing is permitted, the vehicle 1 is detoured to the ride-sharing location and the ride-sharing is carried out.

[0009] To achieve this, a user can contact an operating agency O from a terminal T such as a smartphone or a personal computer (hereinafter also referred to as a PC) (a communications agency is involved in the actual communication). The operating agency O can also communicate with a vehicle 1. The operating agency O can also communicate with another agency C. The vehicle 1 can also perform road-to-vehicle communication with infrastructure equipment E such as a roadside unit, and can also perform vehicle-to-vehicle communication with another vehicle M. Road-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-to-vehicle communication can exchange road information such as traffic signal information, regulation information, congestion and congestion, and can also obtain information on objects in the blind spot of the vehicle 1, for example. Communication between the operating agency O and vehicle 1 is also included as part of road-to-vehicle communication.

[0010] FIG. 2 shows an outline of a communication system between a terminal T of a user who will be a passenger and a terminal D, such as a PC, within an operating establishment O. The terminal D within the operating establishment O can also communicate with a database B within the operating establishment O and a database B managed by another establishment C, and various information about the user is stored in this database B. In this embodiment, the purpose is to dispatch a vehicle 1 to a user who has made a reservation for a ride (their boarding location) and take them to their destination. However, as described above, if another user has made a reservation (acceptance) for a ride-sharing ride and the ride-sharing is permitted, the purpose is to detour-dispatch the vehicle 1 to the user's boarding location. For this purpose, when a user makes a ride reservation, the operating establishment O acquires the user's boarding location, destination, and planned boarding time (date and time), etc. In addition, when the ride reservation is made, an allowable detour coefficient or an allowable detour time may be acquired. When a user makes a reservation for a ride, they are aware that the vehicle operation style of this operating company O allows for ride-sharing. Therefore, when boarding, they are permitted to decide whether or not to allow other users to ride with them, and if so, to obtain an allowable detour coefficient or allowable detour time. For example, if the required travel time from the boarding point to the destination is 30 minutes and 1.5 times that time is allowed for a ride-sharing detour, then "1.5" is the allowable detour coefficient, and 30 minutes multiplied by 1.5 is 45 minutes, which is the "allowable detour time." The allowable detour coefficient and allowable detour time are, in other words, indicators of how long the passenger (the user) is willing to wait, and depend on factors such as the characteristics of the town. Terminal D is a computer system (processing device) such as a personal computer, and is equipped with a processor for performing calculations and a storage device for storing programs and data.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle 1 is equipped with a drive unit 2 for driving the vehicle 1, a braking unit 3 for braking the vehicle 1, and a steering unit 4 for steering the vehicle 1. The drive unit 2 is equipped with a drive source (not shown) such as an engine or an electric motor, and is also equipped with a drive controller 2a for controlling the drive force of the vehicle 1 generated by the drive source. The drive controller 2a is equipped with a processor P that handles arithmetic processing for electronically controlling the operating state of the drive source, and a storage device R that stores programs executed by the processor P. The braking unit 3 is equipped with a braking mechanism (not shown) such as a hydraulic brake mechanism or an electric brake mechanism, and is also equipped with a brake controller 3a that controls the braking force of the vehicle 1 generated by the braking mechanism. The brake controller 3a is equipped with a processor P that handles arithmetic processing for electronically controlling the operating state of the braking mechanism, and a storage device R that stores programs executed by the processor P. The steering device 4 is equipped with a steering mechanism (not shown) such as a hydraulic steering mechanism or an electric steering mechanism, and is also equipped with a steering controller 4a for controlling the steering state of the vehicle 1 by the steering mechanism. The steering controller 4a is equipped with a processor P that controls the calculation processing for electronically controlling the operating state of the steering mechanism, and a storage device R that stores programs executed by the processor P, etc.

[0012] The vehicle 1 also includes an environment recognition system 5 for recognizing the surrounding environment and a communication system 6 for performing the road-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-to-vehicle communication described above. The environment recognition system 5 includes a surrounding environment information acquisition means (not shown), such as a camera, radar, or sensor, as well as an environment recognition controller 5a that detects where things are around the vehicle 1 based on the surrounding environment information acquired by the surrounding environment information acquisition means. The environment recognition controller 5a includes a processor P that performs arithmetic processing for analyzing the surrounding environment information and a storage device R that stores programs executed by the processor P. Note that technology for analyzing surrounding environment information and detecting where things are has already been fully developed. The communication system 6 includes a communication device (not shown), such as a wireless communication device, as well as a communication controller 6a that controls communication targets and communication states of the communication device. The communication controller 6a includes a processor P that performs arithmetic processing for controlling communication targets and communication states, i.e., communication timing and communication time, and a storage device R that stores programs executed by the processor P. Necessary information is exchanged through communication with an operating establishment O via the communication system 6.

[0013] Furthermore, the vehicle 1 is equipped with an automatic driving control device 7 that sets a target driving trajectory and target speed profile for the vehicle 1 during automatic driving and, accordingly, controls the control states of the control objects in the drive device 2, braking device 3, and steering device 4. This automatic driving control device 7 achieves automatic driving of the vehicle 1 from the departure point (boarding point) to the destination, including intermediate points. The logic for this automatic driving is configured, for example, with current automatic driving logic of level 3 or higher. As an example of automatic driving, a driving behavior plan is prepared in advance for the driving trajectory and driving speed of the vehicle 1. For this driving behavior plan, the vehicle 1 is equipped with a positioning device that detects the position and attitude of the vehicle 1, high-precision map data, and the like. The positioning device is configured, for example, with a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, and receives radio waves from multiple navigation satellites to measure the current position of the vehicle 1. The high-precision map data includes, for example, road-by-road information, such as road node information indicating reference points on road reference lines (e.g., center lines of roads) and road link information indicating the section configurations of roads between the road nodes. A driving action plan is a lane-level driving action plan for a medium- to long-distance range that specifies the driving lane in which vehicle 1 will travel and the driving actions required to travel in this lane. To achieve this, a route space map representing the route around vehicle 1 and the presence or absence of objects, and a risk map quantifying the risk level of the driving area are generated based on the position and attitude of vehicle 1, the positions and attitudes of objects around vehicle 1, and a high-precision map. Using this route space map and risk map, a driving action plan is generated for vehicle 1 to automatically travel along a predetermined planned route. If it is determined that another vehicle is approaching vehicle 1, a driving action plan is generated that includes stopping or decelerating vehicle 1 or evasive steering. Then, based on this driving action plan, the motion characteristics of vehicle 1, and the route space map, candidate driving trajectories and speed profiles for vehicle 1 are generated. The future risk of each candidate is evaluated based on the risk map, and the optimal driving trajectory and speed profile are selected and set as the target driving trajectory and target speed profile for vehicle 1.In order to perform this calculation processing, the automatic driving control device 7 is equipped with an automatic driving controller 7a, which is configured with a processor P that controls the calculation processing and a memory device R that stores programs executed by the processor P, etc.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle 1 is configured with a plurality of seats 10, each divided for one occupant, and all of the seats 10 face forward. Similar to typical seats, a seat back 54 is erected on the rear side of a seat cushion 53, and a headrest 55 is attached to the upper end of the seat back 54. For example, as shown in the figure, if two rows of seats 10 are arranged, a monitor (display device) 9 is attached to the rear side of the headrest 55 of the first row at the front of the vehicle. A monitor 9 is also provided for each seat 10 in the front row of the vehicle, on the front side of the vehicle. These monitors 9 display moving images such as television broadcasts and movies during autonomous driving of the vehicle 1, and also display information such as the current operating status of the vehicle 1, the vehicle's current position on the route, and the arrival time at intermediate points and destinations, in response to a request from the occupants. A luggage compartment (luggage room) with sufficient size (capacity) is provided at the rear of the vehicle 1. The luggage compartment may be located somewhere other than the rear of the vehicle.

[0015] Next, the calculation process for dispatching a vehicle in response to a ride reservation, which is executed on terminal D of the operating establishment O, will be described using the flowchart of Figure 5. This calculation process aims to dispatch a vehicle 1 in response to a ride reservation, but as mentioned above, if there is a vehicle 1 available for ride sharing, it is configured to dispatch the vehicle with slight priority to the available vehicle (ride sharing is denied if the ride sharing conditions are not met). The program for this calculation process is stored in advance in terminal D as application software (hereinafter simply referred to as an app), and is executed by, for example, an operator launching the app when accepting a ride reservation. Note that the app is configured to be able to access database B at any time to obtain necessary information. Also, it will be easier to understand if you refer to the explanatory diagram of Figure 6 together with the explanation of the calculation process below.

[0016] As an example, this calculation process is executed when a ride reservation is accepted. First, in step S1, ride reservation information, particularly information about the user's boarding location, is acquired according to a separate calculation process (not shown). Next, the process proceeds to step S2, where a vehicle under consideration for ride-sharing is selected according to a separate calculation process (not shown). A "vehicle under consideration for ride-sharing" refers to, for example, a vehicle 1 traveling in the direction of the boarding location acquired in step S1 within a predetermined radius of the boarding location. As will be described later, vehicles under consideration for ride-sharing are selected sequentially from several vehicles 1 available for ride-sharing. For example, vehicles 1 closest to the boarding location may be considered as vehicles under consideration for ride-sharing. When a vehicle under consideration for ride-sharing is selected, the location (current location) of the vehicle 1 and the destination are acquired along with the planned route. In this embodiment, since the vehicle 1 is an autonomous vehicle, the planned route is obtained from the target driving trajectory. Furthermore, the location (current location) of the vehicle under consideration for ride-sharing may be the boarding location of the user who will board the vehicle 1 first. Next, the process proceeds to step S3 to determine whether or not there is a vehicle being considered for ride-sharing. If there is, the process proceeds to step S4. If not, the process proceeds to step S14. In step S4, a travelable range within the allowable detour time is calculated from the location of the vehicle being considered for ride-sharing and the destination according to a separate calculation process (not shown). When calculating the travelable range, a straight line segment is used to connect the vehicle's location and the destination to form a planned route, and a travelable range according to the allowable detour time is set around this planned route. For example, as described below, if the actual planned route consists of a series of winding roads, the planned route can be considered as a linear connection (continuation) of these winding roads. For example, in Figure 6, the ellipse indicated by the two-dot chain line represents the travelable range. However, the closer the allowable detour time is to the actual travel time to the destination, i.e., the smaller the allowable detour coefficient, the smaller the travelable range becomes.

[0017] Next, the process proceeds to step S5, where it is determined whether a perpendicular line can be drawn from the reservation holder's boarding position to the planned route (itself). If a perpendicular line can be drawn to the planned route, the process proceeds to step S6; if not, the process proceeds to step S15. In step S6, a line segment (distance) b of the perpendicular line set in step S5 is calculated. As described above, since the planned route is a linear connection of actual travel routes, this line segment (distance) b indicates how far the reservation holder's boarding position is from the planned route. Next, the process proceeds to step S7, where a line segment (distance) a is calculated, according to a separate calculation process (not shown), that intersects the planned route at the position of the vehicle (the vehicle being considered for ride-sharing) at right angles and with the outer edge of the movable range. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, if the movable range is represented by an ellipse with the extension direction of the planned route as the major axis, the line segment (distance) a is the distance of the ellipse in the minor axis direction at the vehicle's position. Next, proceed to step S8 to determine whether (distance) a / 2 is less than the remaining distance of the planned route, i.e., the distance from the vehicle position to the destination, and if a / 2 is less than the distance from the vehicle position to the destination, proceed to step S10, otherwise proceed to step S9. In step S9, the line segment (distance) a is corrected so that (distance) a / 2 becomes the remaining distance of the planned route, and then proceed to step S10.

[0018] In step S10, a line segment (distance) c is calculated from the foot (perpendicular) of the line segment b set in step S5 to the destination. Next, proceeding to step S11, a line segment (distance) a' is calculated that satisfies a:planned route = a':c (both distances) and is parallel to line segment a. Next, proceeding to step S12, a determination is made as to whether the (distance) a' / 2 calculated in step S11 is equal to or greater than line segment b. If a' / 2 is equal to or greater than line segment b, proceed to step S13; otherwise, proceed to step S15. In step S13, the planned route of the vehicle under consideration for ride-sharing is changed to match the reserved user's ride-sharing according to a separate calculation process (not shown), and the system communicates this change before returning. This communication includes communication with the automatic driving control device 7 of the vehicle 1 selected as the vehicle under consideration for ride-sharing and communication with the user who has reserved the ride-sharing and will board later. Upon receiving this communication, the vehicle 1 notifies the user (occupant) on board that the planned route has been changed, for example, via the monitor 9. Meanwhile, in step S15, the selected vehicle under consideration for ride-sharing is removed from the vehicles under consideration, and then the process proceeds (returns) to step S2. In contrast, in step S14, an available vehicle 1 is dispatched to the boarding location of the person who made the reservation according to individual calculation processing (not shown), and a communication to that effect is sent before returning. The communication includes communication with the automatic driving control device 7 of the vehicle 1 selected as an available vehicle, and communication with the user who has reserved a ride and will board later.

[0019] According to this calculation process, when a ride reservation including ride-sharing is made, a vehicle under consideration is selected. If the vehicle under consideration meets certain conditions, it is deemed eligible for ride-sharing, and the planned route of that vehicle 1 is changed to accommodate the ride-sharing of the user who made a later reservation. As a result, the user who made a later reservation will ride in that vehicle 1. To meet this condition, as shown in Figure 6, a range of movement according to the allowable detour time is first set around the planned route. Furthermore, an allowable range of ride-sharing is set as an isosceles triangle with the line segment (distance) a as the base and the planned route as the height in Figure 6. (In principle, ride-sharing is determined to be eligible if the boarding position of the later-booking reservation user is within this allowable range.) If the allowable range of movement is represented by an ellipse with the long axis extending in the direction of the planned route, the distance along the short axis of the ellipse from the vehicle position of the vehicle under consideration is set as the line segment (distance) a corresponding to the base of the allowable range of ride-sharing. Half the distance a / 2 of this line segment (distance) a can be considered the maximum deviation from the planned route within the allowable range for ridesharing at the vehicle's location. However, if this distance a / 2 is equal to or greater than the remaining distance of the planned route, i.e., the distance from the vehicle's location to the destination, the distance a is corrected so that the remaining distance of the planned route is equal to a / 2. This is to prevent ridesharing from taking a detour to a location farther than the remaining distance of the planned route, regardless of the vehicle's location on the planned route. To put it simply, a detour route that takes a ridesharing location 2 km away from the remaining distance of the planned route, i.e., the destination, when it is only 1 km away, can cause discomfort to the previous user (passenger). For example, if the allowable detour time (allowable detour coefficient) is set large, the distance along the minor axis of the ellipse's allowable range of movement may be longer than the remaining distance of the planned route. Therefore, if the allowable range of movement is simply set based on the allowable range of movement, the detour distance for ridesharing will be longer than the remaining distance of the planned route, which can be uncomfortable. To eliminate this sense of incongruity, the maximum deviation distance in the direction of the base of the isosceles triangle of the allowable range for ride-sharing is restricted.

[0020] Once the distance of the base of the isosceles triangle of the ride-sharing tolerance range has been restricted (defined) in this way, a ride-sharing tolerance range similar to the ride-sharing tolerance range at the vehicle's position is set at the ride-sharing boarding position in step S11 of the circle processing in Fig. 5 (see Fig. 6). Then, in step S12 of the calculation processing in Fig. 5, the maximum deviation distance a' / 2 from the planned route of the ride-sharing tolerance range at the ride-sharing boarding position is compared with the vertical distance b from the planned route to the boarding position, and if the vertical distance b is equal to or less than the maximum deviation distance a' / 2, ride-sharing is permitted, and if not, ride-sharing is not permitted. This condition stipulates that the ride-sharing tolerance range, which allows ride-sharing regardless of where the ride-sharing location is on the planned route, is similar to an isosceles triangle with base a and height equal to the planned route. Therefore, the two sides of the apex angle of the isosceles triangle, which correspond to the maximum deviation distance of the ride-sharing tolerance range from the planned route, are straight line segments that gradually narrow toward the destination. Therefore, the maximum deviation distance of the ride-sharing tolerance range from the planned route becomes uniformly smaller toward the destination. For example, as shown in Figure 7, if the planned route is a series of winding roads, the ride-sharing tolerance range is an area that gradually narrows on both sides of each winding road, as shown by the dashed lines in the figure. If the ride-sharing location is within this area, ride-sharing is permitted. Therefore, steps S7, S9, S10, and S11 of the calculation process in FIG. 5 correspond to a ride-sharing permission range setting step or a ride-sharing permission range setting means, and step S12 corresponds to a ride-sharing determination step or a ride-sharing determination means for determining whether or not ride-sharing is permitted. Meanwhile, step S5 of the calculation process in FIG. 5 also determines whether or not ride-sharing is permitted based on whether or not a perpendicular line can be drawn from the ride-sharing passenger's boarding position to the planned route. In other words, step S5 also corresponds to a ride-sharing determination step or a ride-sharing determination means. Since the planned route can be considered to be a linear connection (continuation) of the winding roads shown in FIG. 7, the ride-sharing passenger's boarding position, which cannot be drawn perpendicular to the planned route, will be either further back from the vehicle's position on the planned route with respect to the destination, or further ahead than the destination.In this embodiment, the purpose is to reduce or eliminate the discomfort felt by passengers when sharing a ride, so driving patterns that turn back from the direction (orientation) of the destination or driving patterns that pass the destination should be avoided.If a perpendicular line cannot be drawn to the planned route as described above, it is determined that this is one of these two patterns, and the passengers can be denied ride-sharing, thereby eliminating any discomfort felt by the passengers.

[0021] The above describes a vehicle operation management system according to an embodiment, particularly a system for dispatching an autonomous vehicle 1 in response to a ride reservation. However, the present invention is not limited to the configuration described in the above embodiment and various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the maximum deviation distance from the planned route of the ride-sharing permission range for allowing ride-sharing is set to uniformly decrease as the distance to the destination decreases. Setting the maximum deviation distance from the planned route of the ride-sharing permission range in this manner effectively alleviates the discomfort felt by users (occupants) who board the vehicle 1 first. To reduce the discomfort felt by users who board the vehicle first, it is sufficient that the maximum deviation distance from the planned route of the ride-sharing permission range decreases at least as the vehicle approaches the destination. Examples of this include a curve in which the maximum deviation distance from the planned route of the ride-sharing permission range is expressed as a convex curve on the side moving away from the planned route, as shown in FIG. 8, or a curve in which the maximum deviation distance from the planned route of the ride-sharing permission range is expressed as a convex curve on the side moving closer to the planned route, as shown in FIG. 9. As a unique example, as shown in FIG. 10, the maximum deviation distance of the ride-sharing permission range from the planned route can be gradually reduced as the destination is approached. For example, if the allowable detour time or allowable detour coefficient can be obtained when a user who boarded vehicle 1 earlier makes a reservation, and the user's requested allowable detour time or allowable detour coefficient is small, the user may be considered to be in a hurry to reach the destination. Therefore, the ride-sharing permission range, as shown in FIG. 9, can be set so that the detour distance decreases as the destination is approached. On the other hand, if the user who boarded vehicle 1 earlier requests a large allowable detour time or allowable detour coefficient, the user may be considered to be in a less hurry to reach the destination. Therefore, the ride-sharing permission range, as shown in FIG. 8, can be set so that the degree of reduction in the detour distance to the destination decreases. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, vehicle 1 has been described as an autonomously driven vehicle operated by autonomous driving, but vehicle 1 does not have to be an autonomously driven vehicle.

[0022] Thus, in this embodiment, when the arithmetic processing device D determines whether or not a user can ride-share in a vehicle 1 that is available for ride-sharing, the arithmetic processing device D calculates the range within which vehicle 1 can move within the allowable detour time, sets an allowable range for ride-sharing within the allowable range based on the planned route to the destination of vehicle 1, determines that ride-sharing is available if the position of the ride-share is within the allowable range, and sets the allowable range for ride-sharing so that the maximum deviation distance from the planned route becomes smaller as vehicle 1 approaches the destination. This prevents vehicle 1 from making a large detour from the destination, i.e., the planned route, and reduces the discomfort of users who board vehicle 1 first.

[0023] In addition, by setting the allowable range for carpooling so that the maximum deviation distance from the planned route is less than or equal to the distance to the destination of vehicle 1, the discomfort felt by users who board vehicle 1 first can be further reduced. In addition, by setting the permitted ride-sharing range so that the maximum deviation distance from the planned route decreases uniformly as the distance to the destination of vehicle 1 decreases, the discomfort felt by users who board vehicle 1 first can be further reduced.

[0024] Furthermore, by determining that carpooling is permitted when the vertical distance between the carpooling position and the planned route is equal to or less than the maximum deviation distance from the planned route within the carpooling tolerance range, the discomfort felt by users who board vehicle 1 first can be further reduced, and users who board vehicle 1 first can understand the validity of the detour route when carpooling is implemented. In addition, if the position of the rideshare is opposite to the direction of travel of the planned route, it is determined that the rideshare is not permitted, so that the user who has boarded vehicle 1 before does not feel uncomfortable. In addition, if the location of the ride-sharing is on the other side of the destination on the planned route, it is determined that the ride-sharing is not permitted, so that the user who has boarded vehicle 1 before does not feel uncomfortable. [Explanation of symbols]

[0025] 1...vehicle, 7...automatic driving control device, 7a...automatic driving controller, B...database, D...terminal (arithmetic processing device)

Claims

1. A ride-sharing availability determination method for determining whether or not a ride-sharing ride is available in a vehicle that allows ride-sharing by a calculation processing device, comprising: a movable range calculation step of calculating a range within which the vehicle can move within an allowable detour time; a ride-sharing tolerance setting step of setting a ride-sharing tolerance within the movable range based on a planned route to the destination of the vehicle; a ride-sharing determination step of determining that ride-sharing is permitted when the position of the ride-sharing is within the ride-sharing allowance range, A method for determining whether or not a vehicle can be shared, characterized in that the allowable range for sharing is set so that the maximum deviation distance from the planned route becomes smaller as the vehicle approaches the destination.

2. 2. The method for determining whether or not a ride-sharing is possible according to claim 1, wherein the allowable range of ride-sharing is set so that the maximum deviation distance from the planned route is equal to or less than the distance to the destination of the vehicle.

3. 3. The method for determining whether or not a ride-sharing is possible according to claim 2, wherein the allowable range of ride-sharing is set so that the maximum deviation distance from the planned route uniformly decreases as the distance to the destination of the vehicle decreases.

4. The carpooling possibility determination method according to claim 3, characterized in that the carpooling determination step determines that carpooling is possible if the vertical distance between the carpooling position and the planned route is less than or equal to the maximum deviation distance from the planned route.

5. The method for determining whether or not to allow a ride-sharing trip according to claim 1, characterized in that the ride-sharing decision step determines whether or not to allow a ride-sharing trip if the position of the ride-sharing trip is in the opposite direction to the direction of travel of the planned route.

6. The method for determining whether or not to allow a ride-sharing trip according to claim 1, characterized in that the ride-sharing decision step determines whether or not to allow a ride-sharing trip if the position of the ride-sharing trip is beyond the destination on the planned route.

7. A ride-sharing availability determination device that determines whether or not a ride-sharing ride is possible in a ride-sharing available vehicle using a calculation processing device, a movable range calculation means for calculating a range within which the vehicle can move within an allowable detour time; a ride-sharing allowance range setting means for setting a ride-sharing allowance range within the movable range based on a planned route to the destination of the vehicle; and a ride-sharing determination means for determining that ride-sharing is permitted when the position of the ride-sharing is within the ride-sharing allowance range, A ride-sharing possibility determination device characterized in that the allowable range for ride-sharing is set so that the maximum deviation distance from the planned route becomes smaller as the vehicle approaches the destination.

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