Systems, apparatus, and methods

Abstract

We will improve the technology that assists in safety checks when automatically opening and closing vehicle doors. [Solution] An operation management system for a vehicle 10 carrying multiple people, comprising: an imaging unit that takes images of the inside of the vehicle; a person detection unit that determines whether there are people in a detection area 33 set in advance inside the vehicle based on the images taken by the imaging unit, and if it is determined that there are people in the detection area 33, determines whether predetermined safety conditions are met; and a notification unit that notifies a supervisor when the person detection unit determines that there are people in the detection area 33, wherein the notification unit does not notify the supervisor if the person detection unit determines that there are people in the detection area 33 and that predetermined safety conditions are met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to systems, devices, and methods.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, technologies for assisting in safety confirmation when automatically opening and closing vehicle doors are known. For example, in Patent Document 1, a technology is disclosed in which a scanning range is formed along the side surface of a vehicle by an optical scanner attached to the outer side surface of a railway vehicle, and a detection area for detecting an object being pinched into the door and a fall detection area are set.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Generally, a detection area for detecting an object being pinched or a fall detection area is set with a safety margin. Therefore, even when a passenger is located within the detection area, if conditions such as the passenger holding onto a handrail are satisfied, safety may be ensured. However, in the conventional technology, since the opening and closing of the automatic door are controlled according to whether a passenger is located within the detection area, the opening and closing of the automatic door may stop even though the passenger within the detection area is in a safe state. Therefore, there has been room for improvement in the technology for assisting in safety confirmation when automatically opening and closing vehicle doors.

[0005] In view of such circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to improve the technology for assisting in safety confirmation when automatically opening and closing vehicle doors.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A method according to one embodiment of this disclosure is: A vehicle operation management system for vehicles carrying multiple passengers, An imaging unit that takes images of the inside of the vehicle, A person detection unit determines whether there is a person in a detection area set in advance inside the vehicle based on the image captured by the imaging unit, and if it is determined that there is a person in the detection area, it determines whether predetermined safety conditions are met. The system includes a notification unit that notifies a supervisor when the person detection unit determines that there is a person in the detection area, The notification unit is characterized in that, if the person detection unit determines that there is a person in the detection area and that predetermined safety conditions are met, it does not notify the supervisor. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the technology for assisting in safety checks when automatically opening and closing vehicle doors is improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a traffic management system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This flowchart shows an example of the operation when a vehicle door is automatically opened and closed according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] This figure shows a state in which a passenger is present within a detection area according to one embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 4] This figure shows a state in which a passenger, according to one embodiment of this disclosure, satisfies predetermined safety conditions. [Figure 5] This figure shows the equipment inside a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of the display of a detection area according to one embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 7] This figure shows the structure of a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below.

[0010] (Outline of the embodiment) Referring to Figure 1, an outline of a vehicle according to the embodiment of this disclosure will be described. The vehicle 10 comprises a communication unit 11, an output unit 12, an input unit 13, a control unit 14, and a storage unit 15. The vehicle 10 may also be a remotely controlled vehicle. In that case, the vehicle 10 and the remote control unit 20 are connected to a network 30, including, for example, the Internet and a mobile communication network. The remote control unit 20 comprises a communication unit 21, an output unit 22, an input unit 23, and a control unit 24.

[0011] Vehicle 10 is, for example, an automobile, but is not limited to that and may be any vehicle. The automobile may be, but is not limited to, a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle), HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle), PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), or FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle). The number of vehicles 10 provided by the operation management system may be determined arbitrarily.

[0012] The vehicle 10 according to this embodiment includes an imaging device 50 that images a detection area 33 including the handrails 32 inside the vehicle, an automatically opening and closing door 31, and a notification unit for a monitor that monitors the inside of the vehicle 10. When the vehicle 10 stops and the door 31 is opened or closed, the imaging device 50 images the detection area 33 including the handrails 32 inside the vehicle. Based on the image captured by the imaging device 50, the control unit 14 determines whether or not there are passengers 34 in the detection area 33. If a passenger 34 is detected in the detection area 33, the control unit 14 determines whether or not the passenger 34 meets predetermined safety conditions. If the passenger 34 does not meet the predetermined safety conditions, the control unit 14 notifies the monitor via the communication unit 11 and stops the opening and closing of the door. On the other hand, if no passenger 34 is detected in the detection area 33, or if a passenger 34 is detected in the detection area 33 but the passenger 34 meets predetermined safety conditions, the control unit 14 does not notify the monitor and proceeds with opening and closing the door. The control unit 14 may also display the detection results within the detection area 33 on the in-vehicle monitoring display 51, along with the image captured of the detection area 33.

[0013] First, an overview of this embodiment will be given, and details will be described later. This is a vehicle operation management system for multiple passengers, comprising: an imaging unit that takes images of the inside of the vehicle; a person detection unit that determines whether there are people in a detection area 33 set in advance inside the vehicle based on the images taken by the imaging unit, and if it is determined that there are people in the detection area 33, determines whether predetermined safety conditions are met; and a notification unit that notifies a supervisor when the person detection unit determines that there are people in the detection area 33. The notification unit is characterized in that it does not notify the supervisor if the person detection unit determines that there are people in the detection area 33 and that predetermined safety conditions are met.

[0014] Thus, according to this embodiment, even if it is determined that there is a person within the detection area 33, if the predetermined safety conditions are met, no notification will be sent to the supervisor. Therefore, the operation management system's technology is improved by reducing unnecessary notifications to supervisors, thereby reducing their burden and preventing disruptions to the operation schedule.

[0015] Next, each component of the operation management system will be described in detail.

[0016] Referring to FIG. 1, the outline of the operation management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The operation management system includes a vehicle 10 and a remote control unit 20. The vehicle 10 and the remote control unit 20 are communicably connected to a network 30 including, for example, the Internet and a mobile communication network.

[0017] (Configuration of Vehicle 10) As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 10 includes a communication unit 11, an output unit 12, an input unit 13, a control unit 14, and a storage unit 15.

[0018] The communication unit 11 includes an interface for communicating with an external device. The interface may correspond to any wired communication standard or wireless communication standard.

[0019] The output unit 12 includes one or more output devices for outputting information. The output device is, for example, a display, a speaker, or an LED display, but is not limited thereto. Alternatively, the output unit 12 may include an interface for connecting an external output device.

[0020] The input unit 13 includes one or more input devices for detecting user input. The input device is, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device such as a mouse, a touch screen provided integrally with the display of the output unit 12, or a microphone for receiving voice input, but is not limited thereto. Alternatively, the input unit 13 may include an input interface for detecting user input via an external input device.

[0021] The control unit 14 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process, but is not limited to these. The programmable circuit is an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), but is not limited to this. The dedicated circuit is an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), but is not limited to this. Hereinafter, processors, programmable circuits, and dedicated circuits will not be particularly distinguished and will also be referred to as "processors, etc." The control unit 14 controls the operation of the entire vehicle 10.

[0022] The storage unit 15 includes one or more memories. These memories are, for example, semiconductor memories, magnetic memories, or optical memories, but are not limited to these. Each memory included in the storage unit 15 may function as, for example, a main memory, an auxiliary memory, or a cache memory. The storage unit 15 stores any information used in the operation of the vehicle 10. For example, the storage unit 15 may store system programs, application programs, and embedded software.

[0023] In this embodiment, the storage unit 15 also stores an object detection AI for detecting objects included in the captured image and a posture estimation AI for estimating the posture of the objects. The object detection AI may include any object detection model, such as R-CNN. The posture estimation AI may be any skeleton estimation model that estimates posture from the skeleton of a human being, for example.

[0024] (Configuration of the remote control unit 20) As shown in Figure 1, the remote control unit 20 comprises a communication unit 21, an output unit 22, an input unit 23, and a control unit 24.

[0025] The communication unit 21 includes an interface for communicating with external devices. This interface may support any wired communication standard or wireless communication standard.

[0026] The output unit 22 includes one or more output devices that output information. These output devices are, for example, a display or a speaker, but are not limited to these. Alternatively, the output unit 22 may include an interface for connecting an external output device.

[0027] The input unit 23 includes one or more input devices for detecting user input. These input devices are, but are not limited to, physical keys, capacitive keys, pointing devices such as mice, touchscreens integrated with the display of the output unit 22, or microphones that accept voice input. Alternatively, the input unit 23 may include an input interface for detecting user input via an external input device.

[0028] The control unit 24 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process, but is not limited to these. The programmable circuit is an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), but is not limited to this. The dedicated circuit is an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), but is not limited to this. Hereinafter, processors, programmable circuits, and dedicated circuits will not be particularly distinguished and will also be referred to as "processors, etc." The control unit 24 controls the overall operation of the vehicle 10, including the opening and closing of the doors. Furthermore, when the vehicle 10 is controlled remotely, the control unit 24 remotely controls the overall operation of the vehicle 10, including the opening and closing of the doors. (Operation flow of vehicle 10) Referring to Figure 2, the operation flow of the vehicle 10 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0029] Step S100: Image the interior of the vehicle.

[0030] A vehicle 10 that can accommodate multiple passengers 34 is equipped with handrails 32 and other assistive devices for standing passengers 34 near the doors 31. When the doors 31 are opened and closed, the imaging device 50 images the detection area 33, including the handrails 32. The control unit 14 acquires the images captured by the imaging device 50 via the communication unit 11. The images captured by the imaging device 50 may be moving images. The control unit 14 acquires the latest frame of the moving image, that is, the latest still image that constitutes the moving image. In the example in Figure 5, the imaging device 50 is installed near the doors 31 of the vehicle 10, but it may be installed at any position inside the vehicle so as to capture the entire detection area 33, including the handrails 32. The detection area 33 will be described later.

[0031] Step S101: Based on the image captured by the imaging device 50, it is determined whether there is a person in the detection area 33 that has been set in advance inside the vehicle.

[0032] The control unit 14 inputs the image captured by the imaging device 50 to the object detection AI stored in the storage unit 15 via the communication unit 11. The object detection AI determines whether or not there are passengers 34 in the detection area 33. The detection area 33 is pre-set as an area where there is a risk of passengers 34 falling or being caught in the door when the door 31 is opened or closed. In the example in Figure 3, the detection area 33 is rectangular, but any shape such as an ellipse can be used. Also, as will be described later, the detection area 33 may include one or more detection areas, such as a first detection area 60 and a second detection area 61.

[0033] Step S102: Based on the image captured by the imaging unit, if it is determined that there is a person in the detection area 33, it is determined whether predetermined safety conditions are met.

[0034] If it is determined in step S101 that a passenger 34 is within the detection area 33, step S102 is executed. The control unit 14 inputs the image captured by the imaging device 50 to the posture estimation AI stored in the storage unit 15 via the communication unit 11. The posture estimation AI estimates the posture of the passenger 34 within the detection area 33 and determines whether predetermined safety conditions are met. Specifically, the predetermined safety conditions may include the standing passenger 34 grasping the handrail 32 or grasping any auxiliary device such as a strap. In the example shown in Figure 4, it is estimated whether the passenger 34's hand 40 is grasping the handrail 32 based on skeletal estimation, but any estimation method can be used. If the predetermined safety conditions are met, it can be determined that the risk of the passenger 34 falling from the vehicle or being caught in the door when the door 31 opens or closes is sufficiently low, even if they are within the detection area 33.

[0035] Step S103: If the human detection unit determines that there is a person in the detection area 33, it notifies the monitoring officer.

[0036] If it is determined in step S102 that the predetermined safety conditions are not met, step S103 is executed. The vehicle 10 may have a monitor to keep an eye on multiple passengers 34. The control unit 14 determines whether there are passengers 34 in the detection area 33 and notifies the monitor if the predetermined safety conditions are not met. The notification may be made by speaker or the like. Alternatively, any method can be used, such as receiving the notification on the in-vehicle monitoring display 51 described later. The monitor may be riding inside the vehicle 10 or remotely controlling it from outside the vehicle 10. If remote control is used, the monitor may receive notifications regarding the vehicle 10 via the network 30. The monitor can know in advance whether there is a risk of passengers 34 falling from the vehicle or being caught in the door when the door 31 is opened or closed. On the other hand, even if it is determined that there are passengers 34 in the detection area 33, the monitor will not receive a notification if the predetermined safety conditions are met. This reduces unnecessary notifications, which reduces the burden on the monitor, and when remote control is used, one monitor can monitor multiple vehicles. Furthermore, by reducing unnecessary notifications, it becomes possible to prevent disruptions to the operating schedule of vehicle 10.

[0037] Step S104: On the in-vehicle monitoring display 51 for the monitor to monitor the inside of the vehicle 10, an image is displayed in which the image captured by the imaging unit is superimposed with information that the detection unit has determined whether there is a person in the detection area 33 and information that the detection unit has determined whether predetermined safety conditions are met.

[0038] As shown in Figure 5, the vehicle 10 may be equipped with an in-vehicle monitoring display 51 for a supervisor to monitor the inside of the vehicle 10. In step S101, the control unit 14 superimposes information on whether a passenger 34 is in a detection area 33 pre-set inside the vehicle, and in step S102, if it is determined that a passenger 34 is in the detection area 33, information on whether predetermined safety conditions are met, onto the image captured by the imaging device 50. The control unit 14 also displays the superimposed image on the in-vehicle monitoring display 51 via the communication unit 11. In the example shown in Figure 5, the in-vehicle monitoring display 51 is installed at the front of the vehicle, but it may be installed at any position visible to the supervisor. Furthermore, when remote control is performed, the in-vehicle monitoring display 51 may be installed outside the vehicle 10 and the superimposed image may be displayed via the network 30. The supervisor will be able to easily grasp whether a passenger 34 is in the detection area 33 and whether the passenger 34 meets predetermined safety conditions. This will reduce the burden on supervisors, and when remote control is required, one supervisor will be able to monitor multiple vehicles.

[0039] Step S105: When the door 31 is opening or closing, a first detection area 60 is displayed which stops the opening or closing operation of the door 31 even if predetermined safety conditions are met, and a second detection area 61 is displayed which does not stop the opening or closing operation of the door 31 if predetermined safety conditions are met.

[0040] As described above, detection area 33 is pre-set as an area where there is a risk of passengers 34 falling or being caught in the door when the door 31 is opened or closed. This detection area 33 may be displayed on the floor 70 inside the vehicle when the door is opened or closed. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 6, detection area 33 may include one or more detection areas, such as a first detection area 60 and a second detection area 61. Here, the first detection area 60 is an area where, even if predetermined safety conditions are met, the supervisor is notified and the opening and closing operation of the door 31 is stopped. The second detection area 61 is an area where the opening and closing operation of the door 31 is not stopped if predetermined safety conditions are met. By displaying detection area 33, it becomes easy to understand the area where passengers 34 are at risk of falling or being caught in the door. It is also expected to have the effect of encouraging passengers 34 who are inside detection area 33 to move outside of detection area 33. In the example shown in Figure 6, the first detection area 60, the second detection area 61, and the detection area 33 are shown as rectangles, but any shape can be used, such as an ellipse that maintains a distance from the door as it moves towards the center of the door.

[0041] Step S106: Do not stop the opening and closing operation of door 31.

[0042] If the control unit 14 determines that there is a passenger 34 in the detection area 33 and that predetermined safety conditions are met, it does not stop the opening and closing operation of the door 31.

[0043] Step S107: Stop the opening and closing operation of door 31.

[0044] If the control unit 14 determines that there is a passenger 34 in the detection area 33 and that the predetermined safety conditions are not met, it stops the opening and closing operation of the door 31. Then, it returns to step S100. The vehicle 10 repeats the operation flow shown in Figure 2 until it performs the opening and closing of the door 31 in step S106.

[0045] As shown in Figure 7, the interior floor 70 of the vehicle 10 may be flat without any steps. A flat floor allows for efficient use of the interior space and facilitates boarding and alighting of passengers 34 and wheelchairs, etc., or movement within the vehicle. The doors 31 of the vehicle 10 may also be sliding doors that open outwards. Sliding doors that open outwards allow for efficient use of the interior space. Furthermore, because the doors 31 can be fully opened, it facilitates boarding and alighting of passengers 34 and loading and unloading of large luggage. In addition, sliding doors that open outwards can also be expected to improve durability.

[0046] As described above, the operation management system for a vehicle carrying multiple people comprises: an imaging unit that takes images of the inside of the vehicle; a person detection unit that determines whether there is a person in a detection area 33 set in advance inside the vehicle based on the images taken by the imaging unit, and if it determines that there is a person in the detection area 33, determines whether predetermined safety conditions are met; and a notification unit that notifies a supervisor when the person detection unit determines that there is a person in the detection area 33. The notification unit is characterized in that it does not notify the supervisor if the person detection unit determines that there is a person in the detection area 33 and that predetermined safety conditions are met.

[0047] With this configuration, even if it is determined that there is a passenger 34 within the detection area 33, if the predetermined safety conditions are met, no notification will be sent to the supervisor. Therefore, the operation management system's technology is improved by reducing unnecessary notifications to supervisors, thereby reducing their burden and preventing disruptions to the operating schedule.

[0048] While this disclosure has been described based on the drawings and embodiments, it should be noted that those skilled in the art may make various modifications and alterations based on this disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are within the scope of this disclosure. For example, the functions, etc., included in each component or step, etc., can be rearranged in a logically consistent manner, and multiple components or steps, etc., can be combined into one, divided, or omitted.

[0049] For example, in the embodiment described above, it is also possible to have an embodiment in which the configuration and operation of the remote control unit 20 are distributed among multiple computers that can communicate with each other. Also, for example, the navigation device of the vehicle 10 may include some or all of the components of the configuration and operation of the vehicle 10.

[0050] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, step S103 notifies the supervisor if it is determined that predetermined safety conditions are not met. However, even if it is not determined that there are passengers 34 in the detection area 33, or if it is determined that there are passengers 34 in the detection area 33 and that predetermined safety conditions are met, the supervisor may be notified to open or close the door 31. This allows the supervisor to make safety judgments about passengers 34, rather than relying solely on safety judgments made by the vehicle operation management system.

[0051] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, step S104 displays the same content superimposed on the in-vehicle monitoring display 51 whether the door 31 is opened or closed, or whether the door 31 is stopped from opening or closing. However, the image superimposed on the in-vehicle monitoring display 51 may be changed depending on whether the door 31 is opened or closed, or whether the door 31 is stopped from opening or closing. For example, if it is determined that there is a passenger 34 in the detection area 33 and predetermined safety conditions are not met, a display that draws the attention of the monitor may be shown. Specifically, a warning message may be displayed, or the passenger 34 may be shown with a red frame, etc. This will enable the monitor to operate the vehicle 10 more safely.

[0052] Furthermore, in step S105, in the embodiment described above, the detection area 33 is displayed in the same way whether the door 31 is opened or closed, or whether the door 31 is stopped from opening or closing. The display of the detection area 33 may be changed depending on whether the door 31 is opened or closed, or whether the door 31 is stopped from opening or closing. For example, if it is not determined that there is a passenger 34 in the detection area 33, or if it is determined that there is a passenger 34 in the detection area 33 and that predetermined safety conditions are met, the detection area 33 may not be displayed, or the detection area 33 may be displayed in blue or green, or a similar color, to give an impression of security or calmness. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is a passenger 34 in the detection area 33 and that the predetermined safety conditions are not met, a color such as red or yellow may be displayed to draw the attention of the passenger 34. In addition, the display of the detection area 33 may be limited to showing only the first detection area 60. This reduces unnecessary notifications to the supervisor, thereby reducing the burden on the supervisor and preventing disruptions to the operating schedule.

[0053] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, step S105 is set to display the detection area 33 when the door is opened or closed, but the detection area 33 may also be displayed while the vehicle 10 is in motion. Additionally, a GUI (Graphical User Interface) that can be operated by a supervisor may be provided, allowing the supervisor to select the timing for displaying the detection area 33. This allows passengers 34 to be informed of the presence of the detection area in advance, thereby preventing disruptions to the train schedule.

[0054] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, if door opening and closing is stopped in step S107, the system returns to step S100. However, instead of returning to step S100, the supervisor may make the decision to open or close the doors and perform the operation. This can prevent disruptions to the operating schedule.

[0055] Furthermore, while the above-described embodiment explained the case where a passenger 34 is within the detection area 33, it is also possible to determine whether or not luggage brought in by the passenger 34 is within the detection area 33 and whether or not it meets predetermined safety conditions. In that case, based on the captured image, the object detection AI may be used to detect the luggage, and the posture estimation AI may be used to estimate whether or not the luggage is being held in the passenger 34's hand. This reduces unnecessary notifications to security personnel, thereby reducing their burden and preventing disruptions to the train schedule.

[0056] Furthermore, the floor 70 inside the vehicle 10 may have steps. Also, the doors 31 of the vehicle 10 may be folding doors or the like, and there may be multiple doors. If there are multiple doors, a detection area can be set near each door, and an imaging device 50 can be installed to capture images of each detection area, thereby enabling door opening and closing control for each door. This makes it possible to adopt the operation management system disclosed herein even in existing vehicles.

[0057] Furthermore, the imaging device 50 may be installed to image the detection area 33 from outside the vehicle, rather than from inside. Also, the imaging device 50 may not be installed in the vehicle 10, but rather on the ceiling of a station or the like. This reduces the number of cameras and allows the operation management system of this disclosure to be adopted even in vehicles that are not equipped with the imaging device 50. [Note 1] A vehicle operation management system for vehicles carrying multiple passengers, An imaging unit that takes images of the inside of the vehicle, A person detection unit determines whether there is a person in a detection area set in advance inside the vehicle based on the image captured by the imaging unit, and if it is determined that there is a person in the detection area, it determines whether predetermined safety conditions are met. The system includes a notification unit that notifies a supervisor when the person detection unit determines that there is a person in the detection area, The notification unit is characterized in that, if the person detection unit determines that there is a person in the detection area and that predetermined safety conditions are met, it does not notify the supervisor. [Note 2] The system described in Appendix 1, The vehicle further includes a door control unit that stops the opening and closing of the doors for passengers to board and alight when the person detection unit determines that a person is present in the detection area. The door control unit is characterized in that, when the person detection unit determines that there is a person in the detection area and that predetermined safety conditions are met, it does not stop the opening and closing operation of the door. [Note 3] The system described in Appendix 1 or 2, The vehicle is further equipped with a display for the aforementioned supervisor to monitor the interior of the vehicle, The system is characterized in that the display shows an image in which the image captured by the imaging unit is superimposed with information determined by the detection unit regarding whether or not there is a person in the detection area, and information determined by the detection unit regarding whether or not predetermined safety conditions are met. [Note 4] A system described in any one of the appendices 1 to 3, The detection area includes a first detection area that stops the opening and closing operation of the door even if predetermined safety conditions are met, and a second detection area that does not stop the opening and closing operation of the door if predetermined safety conditions are met. [Note 5] The system described in Appendix 4, The system further includes a display that shows the first detection area and the second detection area when the door is opened or closed. [Note 6] A system described in any one of the appendices 1 to 5, A system characterized in that the floor of the vehicle is flat, and the doors are of the sliding type and open outwards. [Note 7] A system described in any one of the appendices 1 to 6, The system is characterized in that the vehicle is a remotely monitored, autonomously driven vehicle. [Note 8] A vehicle operation management system for vehicles carrying multiple passengers, An imaging unit that takes images of the inside of the vehicle, A person detection unit determines whether there is a person in a detection area set in advance inside the vehicle based on the image captured by the imaging unit, and if it is determined that there is a person in the detection area, it determines whether predetermined safety conditions are met. The system includes a notification unit that notifies a supervisor when the person detection unit determines that there is a person in the detection area, The notification unit is characterized in that, if the person detection unit determines that there is a person in the detection area and that predetermined safety conditions are met, it does not notify the supervisor. [Note 9] The apparatus described in Appendix 8, The vehicle further includes a door control unit that stops the opening and closing of the doors for passengers to board and alight when the person detection unit determines that a person is present in the detection area. The door control unit is characterized in that, when the person detection unit determines that there is a person in the detection area and that predetermined safety conditions are met, it does not stop the opening and closing operation of the door. [Note 10] The apparatus described in Appendix 8 or 9, The vehicle is further equipped with a display for the aforementioned supervisor to monitor the interior of the vehicle, The apparatus is characterized in that the display shows an image in which the image captured by the imaging unit is superimposed with information determined by the detection unit regarding whether or not there is a person in the detection area, and information determined by the detection unit regarding whether or not predetermined safety conditions are met. [Note 11] The apparatus described in any one of the appendices 8 to 10, The detection area includes a first detection area that stops the opening and closing operation of the door even if predetermined safety conditions are met, and a second detection area that does not stop the opening and closing operation of the door if predetermined safety conditions are met. [Note 12] The apparatus described in Appendix 11, The apparatus further comprises a display unit that displays the first detection area and the second detection area when the door is opened or closed. [Note 13] The apparatus described in any one of the appendices 8 to 12, The device is characterized in that the floor of the vehicle is flat, and the doors are of the sliding type and open outwards. [Note 14] The apparatus described in any one of the appendices 8 to 13, The device is characterized in that the vehicle is a remotely monitored, autonomously driven vehicle. [Note 15] A method for operating a vehicle operation management system for vehicles carrying multiple passengers, Taking images inside the vehicle, Based on the image captured by the aforementioned operation management device, it is determined whether there is a person in a detection area set in advance inside the vehicle, and if it is determined that there is a person in the detection area, it is determined whether predetermined safety conditions are met. The operation management device notifies a supervisor when it determines that there is a person in the detection area, The method is characterized in that, when the operation management device determines that there is a person in the detection area and that predetermined safety conditions are met, it does not notify the supervisor. [Note 16] The method described in Appendix 15, The operation management device further includes stopping the opening and closing of the doors for passengers to board and alight when it determines that there are people in the detection area. The method is characterized in that the operation management device does not stop the opening and closing operation of the door when it determines that there is a person in the detection area and that predetermined safety conditions are met. [Note 17] The method described in Appendix 15 or 16, The aforementioned supervisor further provides that the vehicle's interior is monitored, The operation management device is characterized by displaying an image in which information determining whether there are people in the detection area and information determining whether predetermined safety conditions are met are superimposed on the captured image. [Note 18] The method described in any one of the appendices 15 to 17, The aforementioned operation management device includes a first detection area that stops the opening and closing operation of the door even if predetermined safety conditions are met, and a second detection area that does not stop the opening and closing operation of the door if predetermined safety conditions are met. A method further comprising displaying the first detection area and the second detection area when the door is opened or closed. [Note 19] The method described in any one of the appendices 15 to 18, A method characterized in that the floor of the vehicle is flat, and the doors are of the sliding type and open outwards. [Note 20] The method described in any one of the appendices 15 to 19, A method characterized in that the vehicle is a remotely monitored autonomous vehicle. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0058] 10 vehicles 11 Communications Department 12 Output section 13 Input section 14 Storage section 15 Control Unit 20 Remote Control Unit 21 Communications Department 22 Output section 23 Input section 24 Control Unit 30 Networks 31 doors 32 Handrails 33 detection areas 34 passengers 40 Passenger's hands 50 Imaging device 51 In-car monitoring display 60 First detection area 61 Second detection area 70 Floor inside the car

Claims

1. A vehicle operation management system for vehicles carrying multiple passengers, An imaging unit that takes images of the inside of the vehicle, A person detection unit determines whether there is a person in a detection area set inside the vehicle based on the image captured by the imaging unit, and if it is determined that there is a person in the detection area, it determines whether predetermined safety conditions are met. The system includes a notification unit that notifies when the person detection unit determines that there is a person in the detection area, The notification unit is characterized in that it does not send a notification if the person detection unit determines that there is a person in the detection area and that predetermined safety conditions are met.

2. The system according to claim 1, The vehicle further includes a door control unit that stops the opening and closing of the doors for passengers to board and alight when the person detection unit determines that a person is present in the detection area. The door control unit is characterized in that, when the person detection unit determines that there is a person in the detection area and that predetermined safety conditions are met, it does not stop the opening and closing operation of the door.

3. The system according to claim 2, It also includes a display for monitoring the inside of the vehicle, The system is characterized in that the display shows, on the image captured by the imaging unit, information indicating whether the detection unit has determined whether there is a person in the detection area, and information indicating whether predetermined safety conditions have been met.

4. The system according to claim 3, The system is characterized in that the information displayed on the display is an image in which the information determined by the detection unit as to whether or not there is a person in the detection area is superimposed with information determined as to whether or not predetermined safety conditions are met.

5. The system according to claim 4, The detection area includes a first detection area that stops the opening and closing operation of the door even if predetermined safety conditions are met, and a second detection area that does not stop the opening and closing operation of the door if predetermined safety conditions are met.

6. The system according to claim 5, The system further includes a display that shows the first detection area and the second detection area when the door is opened or closed.

7. The system according to claim 6, A system characterized in that the floor of the vehicle is flat, and the doors are of the sliding type and open outwards.

8. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, The system is characterized in that the vehicle is a remotely monitored, autonomously driven vehicle.

9. A vehicle operation management system for vehicles carrying multiple passengers, An imaging unit that takes images of the inside of the vehicle, A person detection unit determines whether there is a person in a detection area set inside the vehicle based on the image captured by the imaging unit, and if it is determined that there is a person in the detection area, it determines whether predetermined safety conditions are met. The system includes a notification unit that notifies when the person detection unit determines that there is a person in the detection area, The notification unit is characterized in that it does not send a notification if the person detection unit determines that there is a person in the detection area and that predetermined safety conditions are met.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, The vehicle further includes a door control unit that stops the opening and closing of the doors for passengers to board and alight when the person detection unit determines that a person is present in the detection area. The door control unit is characterized in that, when the person detection unit determines that there is a person in the detection area and that predetermined safety conditions are met, it does not stop the opening and closing operation of the door.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, It also includes a display for monitoring the inside of the vehicle, The apparatus is characterized in that the display shows, on the image captured by the imaging unit, information indicating whether the detection unit has determined whether there is a person in the detection area, and information indicating whether predetermined safety conditions have been met.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, The device is characterized in that the information displayed on the display is an image in which information determined by the detection unit as to whether or not there is a person in the detection area is superimposed with information determined as to whether or not predetermined safety conditions are met.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, The detection area includes a first detection area that stops the opening and closing operation of the door even if predetermined safety conditions are met, and a second detection area that does not stop the opening and closing operation of the door if predetermined safety conditions are met.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, The apparatus further comprises a display unit that displays the first detection area and the second detection area when the door is opened or closed.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, The device is characterized in that the floor of the vehicle is flat, and the doors are of the sliding type and open outwards.

16. The apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 15, The device is characterized in that the vehicle is a remotely monitored, autonomously driven vehicle.

17. A method for operating a vehicle operation management system for vehicles carrying multiple passengers, Taking images inside the vehicle, Based on the image captured by the aforementioned operation management device, it is determined whether there is a person in a detection area set inside the vehicle, and if it is determined that there is a person in the detection area, it is determined whether predetermined safety conditions are met. The operation management device provides a notification when it determines that there is a person in the detection area. The method is characterized in that the operation management device does not send a notification if it determines that there is a person in the detection area and that predetermined safety conditions are met.

18. The method according to claim 17, The operation management device further includes stopping the opening and closing of the doors for passengers to board and alight when it determines that there are people in the detection area. The method is characterized in that the operation management device does not stop the opening and closing operation of the door when it determines that there is a person in the detection area and that predetermined safety conditions are met.

19. The method according to claim 18, Furthermore, the vehicle's interior is equipped with the ability to monitor it. The operation management device is characterized by displaying information on the captured image indicating whether there is a person in the detection area and information indicating whether predetermined safety conditions are met.

20. The method according to claim 19, The method is characterized in that the information displayed by the operation management device is an image in which information determining whether there is a person in the detection area and information determining whether predetermined safety conditions are met are superimposed.

21. The method according to claim 20, The aforementioned operation management device includes a first detection area that stops the opening and closing operation of the door even if predetermined safety conditions are met, and a second detection area that does not stop the opening and closing operation of the door if predetermined safety conditions are met. A method further comprising displaying the first detection area and the second detection area when the door is opened or closed.

22. The method according to claim 21, A method characterized in that the floor of the vehicle is flat, and the doors are of the sliding type and open outwards.

23. A method according to any one of claims 17 to 22, A method characterized in that the vehicle is a remotely monitored autonomous vehicle.

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