Vehicle management device and vehicle management method

Abstract

This system prevents a decrease in service efficiency when a driverless, autonomous service vehicle experiences low tire pressure. [Solution] The vehicle management device manages vehicles that are operated by automatic driving with passengers on board and manages vehicle dispatch based on dispatch requests received from passengers, and includes a tire pressure detection sensor that detects the tire pressure and the rate of pressure reduction of the vehicle's tires. The calculation processing device acquires data including the detection result from the tire pressure detection sensor, calculates the drivable time and a first upper limit speed based on the current tire pressure and pressure reduction rate included in the acquired data, and when the calculated drivable time is less than or equal to a predetermined time and the demand for other vehicles at a second upper limit speed higher than the first upper limit speed is lower than the supply, it compares the drivable time with the travel time required to reach the maintenance facility, and based on the result of the comparison, sets a travel route to the destination including transfers with other vehicles within a predetermined service area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle management device and a vehicle management method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, for example, during highway driving or before starting highway driving, a tire pressure warning device for a vehicle has been proposed that displays a state of insufficient tire pressure to prompt a user to adjust the air pressure and promote appropriate tire pressure adjustment (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the tire pressure warning device for a vehicle described in Patent Document 1, for example, when a vehicle with a tire pressure drop due to a puncture or the like occurs in an unmanned autonomous driving service vehicle, immediately starting tire maintenance will lead to service interruption or a decrease in service efficiency.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle management device and a vehicle management method capable of preventing a decrease in service efficiency when a vehicle with a tire pressure drop occurs in an unmanned autonomous driving service vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A vehicle management device in one aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle management device comprising a processing unit that manages a vehicle operated by autonomous driving with passengers on board and manages vehicle dispatch based on dispatch requests received from passengers, comprising a tire pressure detection sensor that detects the air pressure of the vehicle's tires and the rate of air pressure reduction, the processing unit acquires data including the detection result from the tire pressure detection sensor, calculates the drivable time and a first upper limit speed based on the current tire pressure and the rate of air pressure reduction included in the acquired data, and when the calculated drivable time is less than or equal to a predetermined time and the demand for other vehicles at a second upper limit speed higher than the first upper limit speed is lower than the supply, compares the drivable time and the travel time required to reach a maintenance facility, and sets a travel route to the destination including transfers with other vehicles within a predetermined service area based on the result of the comparison.

[0007] Furthermore, in one aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle management method is provided in which a vehicle is equipped with a tire pressure detection sensor that detects the tire pressure and the rate of pressure reduction, and a processing unit manages the operation of a vehicle that is driven automatically with an occupant on board, and manages the dispatch of vehicles based on dispatch requests received from the occupant, wherein the processing unit acquires data including detection results from the tire pressure detection sensor, calculates the drivable time and a first upper limit speed based on the current tire pressure and pressure reduction rate included in the acquired data, and when the calculated drivable time is less than or equal to a predetermined time and the demand for other vehicles at a second upper limit speed higher than the first upper limit speed is lower than the supply, the processing unit compares the drivable time and the travel time required to reach a maintenance facility, and based on the result of the comparison, sets a travel route to the destination including transfers with other vehicles within a predetermined service area. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a vehicle management device and a vehicle management method that can prevent a decrease in service efficiency when a vehicle with low tire pressure occurs among unmanned automated driving service vehicles. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1]This figure illustrates an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This diagram illustrates the drivable time calculated in the vehicle management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the contents of a pneumatic pressure-upper limit speed corresponding database according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart showing the control procedure for an in-vehicle system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart showing the control procedure of the control system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is an example illustrating a scenario in which a vehicle is driven to its destination or a maintenance shop by a server of a control system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is an example illustrating a scenario in which a vehicle is driven to a destination or a repair shop using a control system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This is an example illustrating a scenario in which a vehicle is driven to a destination or repair shop using a control system according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below are merely illustrative, and there is no intention to exclude various modifications or applications of techniques not explicitly stated below. The present invention can be implemented by various modifications (for example, by combining each embodiment) without departing from its spirit. In the following drawings, identical or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals. The drawings are schematic and do not necessarily correspond to actual dimensions or proportions. There may be parts in the drawings where the dimensional relationships and proportions differ from those of other parts.

[0011] (First embodiment) Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the vehicle management system 1 consists of a plurality of on-board systems 100 mounted on a plurality of vehicles and a control system 200 provided outside the vehicle. Although Figure 1 shows an on-board system 100 mounted on a single vehicle, the vehicle management system 1 can be configured to include a plurality of on-board systems 100.

[0012] Multiple in-vehicle systems 100 and the control system 200 can communicate various types of information via communication lines. Examples of communication lines include mobile phone networks, wireless LAN networks, DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication) networks, and power line communication networks.

[0013] Vehicles equipped with the in-vehicle system 100 include electric vehicles powered by an electric motor, engine-powered vehicles powered by an internal combustion engine, and hybrid vehicles powered by both an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. Electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles powered by electric motors also include those powered by secondary batteries or fuel cells.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the in-vehicle system 100 includes an air pressure detection sensor 110 (an example of a tire air pressure detection sensor), an air pressure determination device 120, an in-vehicle communication device 130, an input device 140, a display device 150, and an autonomous driving vehicle controller 160. These devices are connected to each other by, for example, a CAN (Controller Area Network) or other in-vehicle LAN to exchange information. The air pressure determination device 120, the in-vehicle communication device 130, the input device 140, the display device 150, the autonomous driving vehicle controller 160, and the control system 200 constitute at least a part of the arithmetic processing unit.

[0015] The pneumatic pressure detection sensor 110 detects the pneumatic pressure of the vehicle's tire and the decompression rate of the pneumatic pressure. The detection result of the pneumatic pressure detection sensor 110 is output to the pneumatic pressure determination device 120. The pneumatic pressure determination device 120 includes an information acquisition function for acquiring the detection result of the pneumatic pressure detection sensor 110, a travelable time calculation function for analyzing the detection result of the pneumatic pressure detection sensor 110 to calculate the travelable time, and an upper limit speed calculation function for calculating the upper limit speed.

[0016] The travelable time calculation function calculates the travelable time based on the current tire pneumatic pressure and the decompression rate included in the detection result of the acquired pneumatic pressure detection sensor 110. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the travelable time calculated in the vehicle management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. That is, FIG. 2 shows a graph of the travelable time based on the decompression rate of the tire pneumatic pressure at the timing of a puncture. In FIG. 2, the vertical axis represents the pneumatic pressure, and the horizontal axis represents the elapsed time. Threshold A represents the upper limit value of speed limitation, and threshold B represents the lower limit value of speed limitation. The vehicle can travel for, for example, 15 minutes until the pneumatic pressure reaches threshold B at which travel is impossible after a puncture occurs.

[0017] The upper limit speed calculation function includes a pneumatic pressure - upper limit speed correspondence database 121 shown in FIG. 3, and calculates the upper limit speed by referring to the pneumatic pressure - upper limit speed correspondence database 121 based on the current tire pneumatic pressure included in the detection result of the acquired pneumatic pressure detection sensor 110.

[0018] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the stored content of the air pressure - upper limit speed correspondence database 121. The air pressure - upper limit speed correspondence database 121 stores a table representing the correspondence relationship between air pressure and the upper limit speed. That is, when the current tire air pressure is 270 kPa, the vehicle can travel without restrictions. When the current tire air pressure is less than 270 kPa and not less than 260 kPa, the speed of the vehicle is limited to 80 km / h. When the current tire air pressure is less than 260 kPa and not less than 250 kPa, the speed of the vehicle is limited to 60 km / h. When the current tire air pressure is less than 250 kPa and not less than 240 kPa, the speed of the vehicle is limited to 40 km / h. Further, when the current tire air pressure is less than 240 kPa, the speed of the vehicle is limited to 5 km / h or the vehicle cannot travel.

[0019] Returning to FIG. 1, the travelable time information and upper limit speed information calculated by the air pressure determination device 120 are output to the autonomous vehicle controller 160. The in - vehicle communication device 130 is a device capable of communicating with the communication device 210 provided in the control system 200. Information on the position of the host vehicle, travelable time information, upper limit speed information, and information regarding the necessity of remote instructions is input to the in - vehicle communication device 130 from the autonomous vehicle controller 160. The in - vehicle communication device 130 transmits the information input from the autonomous vehicle controller 160 to the communication device 210. Also, the in - vehicle communication device 130 outputs the information regarding emergency vehicles on the travel route and the information regarding the stop position received from the communication device 210 to the autonomous vehicle controller 160. Each piece of information communicated by the in - vehicle communication device 130 will be described later. Note that the in - vehicle communication device 130 may transmit data including the detection result of the air pressure detection sensor 110 to the communication device 210 provided in the control system 200. In this case, the control system 200 has the same function as the air pressure determination device 120.

[0020] The input device 140 is used by customers (passengers) to input various operation instructions to the autonomous vehicle controller 160, such as specifying a driving route to a destination. It is also used to input instructions for sending dispatch requests for other vehicles and instructions for setting driving route information transmitted from the control system 200. When the above instruction for setting driving route information is input, the driving route information is set in the storage device (not shown) of the autonomous vehicle controller 160. The display device 150 displays the operation instructions input by the input device 140 and the driving route information transmitted from the control system 200, for example, using an OSD (on-screen display).

[0021] The autonomous vehicle controller 160 consists of a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores a program for controlling the vehicle's movement, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes the program stored in the ROM, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that functions as an accessible storage device. In addition, an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc., can be used as the operating circuit instead of or in conjunction with the CPU (Central Processing Unit).

[0022] The autonomous vehicle controller 160 implements information acquisition, surrounding area recognition, stopping necessity determination, stopping space identification, remote instruction necessity determination, autonomous driving, and emergency driving functions by executing a program stored in ROM using its CPU. Each function will be described below.

[0023] In this embodiment, automated driving refers to driving where the driving entity is not solely the driver. For example, this includes cases where the driving entity includes a driver and a driver support controller (not shown) that assists the driver in performing driving operations, or where an automated driving vehicle controller 160 performs driving operations on behalf of the driver. In this embodiment, the automated driving vehicle controller 160 will be described as the driving entity. Automated driving by the automated driving vehicle controller 160 will be described later.

[0024] The information acquisition function will now be explained. The autonomous vehicle controller 160 acquires driving information related to the vehicle's movement, surrounding environment information related to the environment around the vehicle, traffic rule information related to the traffic rules of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, and the vehicle's position information through its information acquisition function. Driving information includes vehicle speed information of the vehicle detected by a vehicle speed sensor (not shown), steering information of the vehicle detected by a steering angle sensor (not shown), etc. Surrounding environment information includes images of the area around the vehicle captured by an onboard camera (not shown), information on obstacles, etc.

[0025] Next, the surrounding area recognition function will be explained. The autonomous vehicle controller 160 recognizes the state of the area around its own vehicle through its surrounding area recognition function. Specifically, the autonomous vehicle controller 160 recognizes the presence or absence of obstacles in the area around its own vehicle, the direction in which the obstacles are located relative to its own vehicle, and the distance to the obstacles. The autonomous vehicle controller 160 also identifies parking spaces in the area around its own vehicle. For example, the autonomous vehicle controller 160 determines whether there is enough space around its own vehicle to park based on the distance from its own vehicle to road markings and the direction in which the road markings are located, as well as the distance to obstacles and the direction in which the obstacles are located. As a result, the autonomous vehicle controller 160 can identify parking lots, road shoulders, roadsides, etc., in the area around its own vehicle as parking spaces.

[0026] Next, the function for determining the necessity of stopping will be explained. The autonomous vehicle controller 160 uses the function for determining the necessity of stopping to determine whether or not to temporarily stop its own vehicle so as not to obstruct the movement of other vehicles. In this embodiment, the autonomous vehicle controller 160 determines whether or not it is necessary to stop based on the drivable time information and upper speed limit information acquired by the information acquisition function.

[0027] For example, the autonomous vehicle controller 160 understands the change in its own position each time its own position information is updated. At this time, the autonomous vehicle controller 160 superimposes its own position information onto map information, taking into account the surrounding environment, and makes a decision on whether it is necessary to stop the vehicle.

[0028] Next, the stopping space identification function will be described. The autonomous vehicle controller 160 uses the stopping space identification function to identify a space in which its own vehicle can stop without obstructing the movement of other vehicles. In this embodiment, the autonomous vehicle controller 160 determines whether or not there is a stopping space on the shoulder side of the road in which its own vehicle can stop.

[0029] Here, we will explain the actions taken to stop in a way that does not obstruct the movement of other vehicles. Generally, stopping actions for a vehicle include slowing down without changing the direction of travel of the vehicle, and changing the direction of travel of the vehicle towards the shoulder of the road and slowing down while moving close to the shoulder of the road. In this embodiment, the autonomous driving vehicle controller 160 uses a stopping space identification function to designate spaces located on the shoulder of the road where the vehicle can slow down or stop as target stopping spaces. If the vehicle is traveling in the lane closest to the shoulder, the autonomous driving vehicle controller 160 will designate spaces located closer to the shoulder than the current driving position on the lane (for example, the center of the lane) where the vehicle can slow down or stop as target stopping spaces.

[0030] For example, the autonomous vehicle controller 160 determines whether the vehicle can enter a space located on the shoulder of the road, ahead of the vehicle's direction of travel (on the vehicle's route), based on static information that does not change much, such as road width and number of lanes included in the map information, and dynamic information that changes according to the situation, such as obstacles in the road detected by an ambient detection device (not shown). If the autonomous vehicle controller 160 determines that the vehicle can enter the space located on the shoulder of the road based on the vehicle's total length and width, it identifies the space as a space where the vehicle can stop. Information regarding the size of the vehicle, such as its total length and width, is stored in memory such as ROM beforehand.

[0031] Furthermore, for example, if multiple stopping spaces are identified on the shoulder of the road, the autonomous vehicle controller 160 selects the space closest to the vehicle that the vehicle can enter at a predetermined speed or less from among the multiple stopping spaces. This allows the vehicle to change its direction of travel to head towards the stopping space as quickly as possible when it needs to stop, and as a result, the vehicle can stop as quickly as possible without obstructing the movement of other vehicles.

[0032] Next, the remote instruction necessity determination function will be explained. The autonomous vehicle controller 160 uses the remote instruction necessity determination function to determine whether or not a remote instruction from the server 220 of the control system 200 (described later) is necessary to stop the vehicle in a way that does not interfere with the movement of other vehicles.

[0033] If the autonomous vehicle controller 160 determines, based on its stop necessity determination function, that it is necessary to temporarily stop the vehicle, it will decide on a stopping action to stop the vehicle. Specifically, the autonomous vehicle controller 160 will decide whether to decelerate without changing the direction of travel of the vehicle, or to change the direction of travel of the vehicle toward the shoulder and decelerate while moving closer to the shoulder of the road. Alternatively, the autonomous vehicle controller 160 may decide to stop without changing the direction of travel of the vehicle, or to change the direction of travel of the vehicle toward the shoulder and stop while moving closer to the shoulder of the road, instead of decelerating.

[0034] The autonomous vehicle controller 160, using its remote instruction necessity determination function, transmits information regarding the necessity of remote instruction to the control system 200 (described later) via the in-vehicle communication device 130 if it determines that remote instruction is necessary from the server 220. The information regarding the necessity of remote instruction includes information indicating that remote instruction is necessary (remote instruction request information), vehicle location information, surrounding environment information, driving time information, maximum speed information, and information that can identify the vehicle (license plate number, vehicle color, vehicle type, etc.).

[0035] While the example given for determining when remote instruction is necessary was that a stopping space cannot be identified, the autonomous vehicle controller 160 may also determine that remote instruction is necessary if the stopping space is too small for the vehicle to enter, even if the space can be identified.

[0036] Next, the autonomous driving function will be described. The autonomous driving vehicle controller 160 automatically drives the vehicle to its destination in order to make it travel along the route. For example, when an occupant sets the destination of the vehicle using the input device 140, the autonomous driving vehicle controller 160 generates control signals to control each drive mechanism (e.g., brake control mechanism, accelerator control mechanism, engine control mechanism, etc.) in order to make the vehicle travel according to the target route and target speed. For example, the autonomous driving vehicle controller 160 generates steering amount, drive amount, and braking amount. The autonomous driving vehicle controller 160 outputs the generated control signals to a drive control device (not shown). Note that the method of automatically driving the vehicle as described above is just one example and is not particularly limited.

[0037] Next, the emergency driving function will be explained. The automated vehicle controller 160, using the emergency driving function, automatically drives the vehicle to the stopping position and then stops or slows down at the stopping position. The automated vehicle controller 160 receives information regarding the stopping position from the control system 200, which will be described later. The information regarding the stopping position includes at least the location information of the stopping position and information about the vehicle's route to the stopping position. The stopping position is indicated, for example, by latitude and longitude. The stopping position and the route to the stopping position will be described later.

[0038] Next, the control system 200 will be described. As shown in Figure 1, the control system 200 includes a communication device 210, a server 220, a map database 230, and a route generation device 240.

[0039] The communication device 210 is a device that can communicate with the in-vehicle communication device 130 provided by the in-vehicle system 100 via a communication line. The communication device 210 outputs information received from the in-vehicle communication device 130 to the server 220 and transmits information input from the server 220 to the in-vehicle communication device 130. The information received from the in-vehicle communication device 130 includes driving time information, maximum speed information, and dispatch requests to other vehicles. The information input from the server 220 includes vehicle information acquired by the communication device 210, and driving route information and stopping position information generated by the server 220.

[0040] Furthermore, the communication device 210 can also communicate with entities other than vehicles. For example, the communication device 210 can communicate with the Road Traffic Information Communication System VICS (registered trademark) (Vehicle Information and Communication System, hereinafter simply referred to as VICS), and the server 220 can grasp the current traffic conditions and the status of traffic lights based on the information from VICS. The communication device 210 outputs the traffic information received from VICS to the server 220. Examples of traffic information include information on congested roads, the distance of congestion, and road closure sections. Traffic information also includes information on the current color of each traffic light and the timing of when each traffic light changes.

[0041] The map database 230 stores map information. This map information includes road information and traffic regulations. Road information is defined by nodes and links connecting those nodes.

[0042] In this embodiment, the road information is stored for each road link, associating it with the road type, road width, road shape, whether straight-ahead travel is permitted, priority of traffic, whether overtaking is permitted (whether entering an adjacent lane is permitted), whether lane changes are permitted, and other road-related information. Furthermore, the road information is stored for each road link, associating it with the intersection's location, direction of entry into the intersection, type of intersection, and other intersection-related information.

[0043] The traffic rule information in this embodiment consists of traffic rules that vehicles must observe while driving, such as stopping, no parking / stopping, slowing down, speed limits, and no lane changes along the route. Each rule is defined for each location (latitude, longitude) and each link. The traffic rule information may also include traffic signal information obtained from devices installed on the roadside. Furthermore, the map information is not limited to road information and traffic rule information, but may also include background information on the map (rivers, facilities, railways, place names, etc.).

[0044] Server 220 is a device for managing vehicles when a remote instruction request is received from the vehicle, and consists of a CPU, ROM, and RAM. By executing programs stored in ROM using the CPU, Server 220 realizes vehicle information acquisition, surrounding situation recognition, stopping position identification, driving route calculation, and notification functions.

[0045] The route generation device 240 calculates the requested vehicle's route from the map information in the map database 230 output from the server 220. The route generation device 240 also receives the driving time information and maximum speed information output from the server 220. Based on the driving time information, maximum speed information, the location information of the requested vehicle, and the location information of the destination, the route generation device 240 calculates a route that takes into account the tire pressure of the requested vehicle. The route information calculated by the route generation device 240 is output to the server 220.

[0046] The vehicle information acquisition function will now be explained. The server 220, using the vehicle information acquisition function, acquires information from the vehicle via the communication device 210, including the vehicle's location, surrounding environment, driving route, and information regarding the need for remote instruction. The server 220 is not limited to acquiring information from a single vehicle, but can acquire this information from multiple vehicles.

[0047] Next, the surrounding situation recognition function will be explained. The server 220 uses the surrounding situation recognition function to recognize the situation around the vehicle that transmitted the information (hereinafter also referred to as the target vehicle) based on information regarding the need for remote instructions. For example, the server 220 uses the target vehicle's location information, surrounding environment information, and driving route information to determine whether the target vehicle is driving near an intersection, whether there are other vehicles waiting to pull over or parked vehicles around the target vehicle, whether there is a parking lot where the target vehicle can temporarily pull over, and whether there is no median strip or other obstacles allowing an emergency vehicle to travel in the opposite lane. In addition, the server 220 also uses traffic information to determine the color of traffic lights around the target vehicle and the timing of traffic light changes.

[0048] Next, the stopping position determination function will be explained. The server 220 uses the stopping position determination function to determine the stopping position where the target vehicle should stop so as not to obstruct the movement of other vehicles. In doing so, the server 220 determines the stopping position based on the surrounding conditions of the target vehicle as recognized by the surrounding conditions recognition function.

[0049] Next, the route calculation function will be explained. The server 220 uses the route calculation function to calculate the route to the stop position identified by the stop position identification function.

[0050] Next, the notification function will be described. The server 220 transmits information regarding the stopping position to the target vehicle using the notification function. The information regarding the stopping position includes at least the location information of the stopping position and the travel route. The server 220 transmits the information regarding the stopping position to the target vehicle via the communication device 210. This allows the automated driving vehicle controller 160 installed in the target vehicle to drive the target vehicle to the stopping position without interfering with the movement of other vehicles. In addition to the stopping position and travel route, the information regarding the stopping position may also include instructions at the stopping position (such as stopping or slowing down) and information on the time spent stopped or slowing down at the stopping position.

[0051] (Operation of the vehicle management system) Next, the operation of the vehicle management system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be explained using Figures 4, 5, and 6. Figure 4 is a flowchart of the control procedure of the in-vehicle system 100. Figure 5 is a flowchart of the control procedure of the control system 200. In Figures 4 and 5, the information transmission and reception operations are shown by dotted lines, and the processing operations of the in-vehicle system 100 and the control system 200 are shown by solid lines. Figure 6 is an example to explain a scenario in which the server 220 of the control system 200 drives the vehicle V11 to destination OP1 or maintenance factory F1.

[0052] First, the in-vehicle system 100 acquires the vehicle's location information and surrounding environment information in the autonomous driving vehicle controller 160. The vehicle's location information includes the vehicle's current location and the vehicle's driving route. The surrounding environment information includes captured images of the area around the vehicle and information about obstacles present in the surrounding area.

[0053] The in-vehicle system 100 then transmits information related to remote instructions to the server 220 of the control system 200 at predetermined intervals. The information related to remote instructions includes the request for remote instructions, vehicle location information, surrounding environment information, vehicle travel route information, and information that can identify the vehicle.

[0054] The control system 200 receives information regarding remote instructions from the automated driving vehicle controller 160 at the server 220 and identifies the vehicle requiring remote instructions as the target vehicle. Then, as shown in Figure 5, the server 220 grasps the vehicle status based on the information regarding remote instructions (step ST2a) and determines whether the target vehicle is normal or not (step ST2b).

[0055] Meanwhile, when the vehicle V11 shown in Figure 6 picks up passengers at boarding location BP1, the in-vehicle system 100 detects the tire pressure P of the vehicle using the tire pressure detection sensor 110 (step ST1a), as shown in Figure 4, and the tire pressure determination device 120 determines whether the tire pressure P exceeds the threshold A (270kPa) (step ST1b). If it is determined that the tire pressure P exceeds the threshold A (step ST1b:Y), the in-vehicle system 100 transmits information indicating that it is normal to the control system 200 and terminates the process.

[0056] On the other hand, if the in-vehicle system 100 determines that the air pressure P is below threshold A (step ST1b:N), it transmits information indicating an abnormality to the control system 200, and the air pressure determination device 120 determines whether the air pressure P exceeds threshold B (240kPa) (step ST1c). If it determines that the air pressure P exceeds threshold B (step ST1c:Y), the in-vehicle system 100 transmits information indicating a speed limit to the control system 200, and the air pressure determination device 120 calculates the drivable time and upper speed limit information (step ST1d), and the automated driving vehicle controller 160 transmits the drivable time and upper speed limit information to the control system 200 (step ST1e).

[0057] In response, when the control system 200 receives information from the in-vehicle system 100 indicating that everything is normal in step ST2b (step ST2b:N), it performs normal vehicle dispatch (step ST2c) and continues monitoring the vehicle status (END).

[0058] Meanwhile, in step ST2b, when the control system 200 receives information from the on-board system 100 indicating an abnormality (step ST2b:Y), it receives the remaining drivable time (T1) and upper speed limit information (V) from the on-board system 100 of the target vehicle, i.e., the vehicle with the flat tire, V11, and calculates the travel time (T2) for V11 to travel to the repair shop F1 (step ST2d).

[0059] The control system 200 then compares the drivable time (T1) with the travel time (T2) to determine the difference between the two and decides whether the difference is longer than the service continuation threshold time (Ta) (step ST2e). The service continuation threshold time (Ta) is set to, for example, 30 minutes. If it is determined that the difference is longer than the service continuation threshold time (Ta) (step ST2e:Y), the control system 200 calculates the estimated maintenance completion time (Tm) and the estimated service demand time (Td) (step ST2f) and decides whether the estimated maintenance completion time (Tm) is later than the estimated service demand time (Td) (step ST2g).

[0060] If the system determines that the estimated maintenance completion time (Tm) is later than the estimated service demand time (Td) (step ST2g:Y), the control system 200 determines whether the demand at the current location of other vehicle V21 is less than the supply or below a predetermined value, that is, whether it is cheaper to call other vehicle V21 to boarding point BP1 (step ST2h).

[0061] If the control system 200 determines that the demand for the current location of the other vehicle V21 is less than the supply or below a predetermined value (step ST2h:Y), it proposes a dispatch route (R11 → TP1 → R21) that includes the transfer point TP1 with the other vehicle V21 to the crew of its own vehicle V11 (step ST2i).

[0062] In response, when the onboard system 100 of the vehicle V11 receives suggested route information (R11→TP1→R21), it supplies a message indicating the suggestion and route information from the autonomous driving vehicle controller 160 to the display device 150, which then displays it on the OSD. As a result, the occupants can learn the route (R11→TP1→R21) from this display.

[0063] In this state, suppose the occupant inputs an acquisition instruction into the input device 140 to obtain dispatch route information. Then the automated driving vehicle controller 160 sends a request to the control system 200 to acquire dispatch route information.

[0064] In response, when the control system 200 receives a request from its own vehicle V11 to obtain dispatch route information (step ST2j:Y), it transmits information indicating the dispatch route (R11→TP1→R21) to its own vehicle V11 (step ST2l) and continues the transportation service to destination OP1 (step ST2l).

[0065] When the in-vehicle system 100 receives information indicating the dispatch route (R11→TP1→R21) from the control system 200 (step ST1f), it supplies the information indicating the dispatch route (R11→TP1→R21) from the autonomous driving vehicle controller 160 to the display device 150 and displays it on the OSD. In this state, suppose the occupant inputs a setting instruction into the input device 140 to set the dispatch route. Then the autonomous driving vehicle controller 160 sets the dispatch route (R11→TP1→R21) and continues service on the dispatch route (R11→TP1→R21) (step ST1g). In other words, the in-vehicle system 100 drives its own vehicle V11 at the upper speed limit corresponding to the current tire pressure.

[0066] In step ST1c above, if it is determined that the vehicle is not drivable (step ST1c:N), the in-vehicle system 100 transmits information indicating that the vehicle is not drivable and information indicating the current tire pressure to the control system 200 (step ST1h).

[0067] The control system 200, using the route generation device 240, calculates a suitable stopping location based on information received from the on-board system 100 indicating that the vehicle is unable to move, and information indicating the current tire pressure, and transmits information indicating the stopping location to the on-board system 100 of the vehicle V11. The control system 200 then uses the server 220 to predict the time until maintenance is required based on the tire pressure change and estimates the time when maintenance will be needed. At the time when maintenance is required, the control system 200 provides a replacement vehicle to the service interruption location from an area outside its own service area where supply exceeds demand.

[0068] When the in-vehicle system 100 receives information indicating the stopping position from the control system 200 (step ST1i), it stops its own vehicle V11 at the stopping position and interrupts the ongoing service (step ST1j).

[0069] In step ST2e above, if it is determined that the difference between the available driving time (T1) and the travel time (T2) is shorter than the service continuation threshold time (Ta) (step ST2e:N), the control system 200 generates a dispatch route (R11→TP1→R31) consisting of "travel route to maintenance factory F1" + "discount amount" + "transfer to other vehicles" using the route generation device 240 (step ST2m), and transmits information indicating the dispatch route (R11→TP1→R31) to its own vehicle V11 (step ST2n). In addition to the fare discount amount, incentives such as increased usage points may also be included in the dispatch route.

[0070] When the in-vehicle system 100 receives information indicating the dispatch route (R11→TP1→R31) from the control system 200, it supplies the information indicating the dispatch route (R11→TP1→R31) from the automated driving vehicle controller 160 to the display device 150 and displays it on the OSD. In this state, suppose the occupant inputs a setting instruction into the input device 140 to set the dispatch route. Then the automated driving vehicle controller 160 sets the dispatch route (R11→TP1→R31) and continues service on the dispatch route (R11→TP1→R31). Now, suppose the occupant inputs a transmission instruction into the input device 140 to send a dispatch request for another vehicle. Then the automated driving vehicle controller 160 transmits the dispatch request for the other vehicle to the control system 200.

[0071] In response, when the control system 200 receives a dispatch request for another vehicle from its own vehicle V11 (step ST2o:Y), it collects tire pressure from each vehicle within its service area, detects another vehicle V21 from among candidates with drivable tire pressure that has a higher maximum speed than the maximum speed of its own vehicle V11 and demand is lower than supply, transmits information indicating the dispatch route including the transfer point TP1 (R41→TP1→R21) to the other vehicle V21 (step ST2p), and allows the passenger to continue the transportation service to destination OP1 by transferring to the other vehicle V21 (step ST2q). Therefore, the customer (passenger) can arrive at destination OP1 in a short time.

[0072] On the other hand, if the control system 200 does not receive a dispatch request for another vehicle from its own vehicle V11 after a predetermined time has elapsed, or if it receives a dispatch request from the crew for a route that does not include the route R31 towards the maintenance factory F1 (step ST2o:N), it will drive its own vehicle V11 to the maintenance factory F1 according to the dispatch route (R11 → TP1 → R31) (step ST2r). In this case, the condition is that the time it takes for vehicle V11 to travel to the maintenance factory F1 via the transfer point TP1 to the other vehicle V21 is shorter than the available driving time.

[0073] Furthermore, in step ST2g, if it is determined that the estimated maintenance completion time (Tm) is earlier than the estimated service demand time (Td) (step ST2g:N), in step ST2h, if it is determined that the demand at the current location of another vehicle V21 is greater than or equal to the supply or greater than a predetermined value (step ST2h:N), or in step ST2j, if it is not able to receive a request to acquire dispatch route information from its own vehicle V11 even after a predetermined time has elapsed (step ST2j:N), the control system 200 proceeds to the processing of step ST2m.

[0074] (Effects of the first embodiment) (1) As described above, according to the first embodiment, the air pressure determination device 120 calculates the drivable time and upper speed limit based on the current tire pressure and depressurization rate detected by the air pressure detection sensor 110, and through communication between the autonomous driving vehicle controller 160 and the control system 200, the drivable route is recalculated based on the calculated drivable time and upper speed limit, so that the vehicle V11 can continue to provide mobility services at the lowest possible cost in cooperation with other vehicles V21 on a drivable route.

[0075] (2) If the available driving time is longer than the driving time required to reach the maintenance facility F1, the control system 200 accepts the dispatch request and sets up a dispatch route to destination OP1, including a transfer to another vehicle V21. As a result, the operating time of our own vehicle V11 is extended, and although a transfer to another vehicle V21 is required, we can reach our destination OP1 faster.

[0076] (3) The control system 200 collects information on tire pressure from multiple other vehicles within the service area and selects another vehicle V21 that has tire pressure suitable for driving on the dispatch route as a candidate for a transfer between its own vehicle V11 and the other vehicle V21. Therefore, by collecting a large amount of tire pressure information from multiple other vehicles within the service area, and selecting other vehicles that meet the tire pressure requirements for the route from among the information provided, the efficiency of determining a drivable route can be further improved. Furthermore, the maximum speed can be estimated more accurately.

[0077] (4) The control system 200 sets a travel route only if the demand forecast at the location of the other vehicle V21 is below a predetermined value while traveling to the destination OP1 by transferring to another vehicle V21. Therefore, it will not hinder demand for other V21 vehicles.

[0078] (5) If the control system 200 is longer in distance or time than the route requested by the crew, it will propose a route to the crew, including an incentive. Therefore, even if the distance or travel time to destination OP1 increases in order to service the vehicle V11, it is expected that customers will be satisfied by proposing a travel route to the occupants (customers) that takes incentives into consideration.

[0079] (6) The incentive shall be a discount on the fee. Therefore, even if it takes a little longer, you can reach your destination at a low price.

[0080] (7) When the control system 200 receives a dispatch request from the crew for a route that does not include the route R31 to the maintenance factory F1, and the time it takes for its own vehicle V11 to travel to the maintenance factory F1 via the transfer point TP1 to another vehicle V21 is shorter than the available travel time, the system 200 sets a dispatch route that includes the transfer point TP1 (R11+TP1+R31). Therefore, it can meet a wider range of dispatch requests in the vicinity of the vehicle's V11.

[0081] (8) When the control system 200 becomes unable to continue service based on the available operating time, it shall provide a vehicle from an area other than the service area for at least the duration of maintenance. This allows us to increase the number of service vehicles available in our service area.

[0082] (9) The control system 200 predicts the time until maintenance is required based on the change in tire pressure and calculates the time when maintenance is required. This allows for the optimization of service area coverage time for other vehicles.

[0083] (10) The control system 200 will provide vehicles from areas where supply exceeds demand at times when maintenance is required. Therefore, it can meet the ride-hailing demand in multiple areas.

[0084] (Second embodiment) The second embodiment is an example of setting a route when the route including transfers is shorter than calling other vehicles to the boarding location. The vehicle management system 1 according to the first embodiment is applicable to the vehicle management system according to the second embodiment. Below, an example of the vehicle management system according to the second embodiment to which the vehicle management system 1 according to the first embodiment is applied will be described.

[0085] Figure 7 is an example illustrating a scenario in which the vehicle V12 is driven to destination OP2 or maintenance factory F2 by the control system 200A according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0086] When the vehicle V12 shown in Figure 7 picks up passengers at boarding location BP2, the in-vehicle system 100 uses the tire pressure detection sensor 110 to detect the tire pressure P of the vehicle, and the tire pressure determination device 120 determines whether the tire pressure P exceeds threshold A (270 kPa). If it is determined that the tire pressure P is less than or equal to threshold A (270 kPa) but exceeds threshold B (240 kPa), the in-vehicle system 100 uses the tire pressure determination device 120 to calculate the remaining driving time and upper speed limit information, and the automated driving vehicle controller 160 transmits the remaining driving time and upper speed limit information to the control system 200A.

[0087] The control system 200A receives the remaining driving time (T1) and maximum speed information (V) from the onboard system 100 of its own vehicle V12, and calculates the travel time (T2) for its own vehicle V12 to travel to the maintenance factory F2.

[0088] The control system 200A then calculates the difference between the drivable time (T1) and the travel time (T2), and determines whether the difference is longer than the service continuation threshold time (Ta). If it determines that the difference is longer than the service continuation threshold time (Ta), it calculates the estimated maintenance completion time (Tm) and the estimated service demand time (Td), and determines whether the estimated maintenance completion time (Tm) is later than the estimated service demand time (Td).

[0089] If the control system 200A determines that the estimated maintenance completion time (Tm) is later than the estimated service demand time (Td), it will determine whether the demand at the current location of the other vehicle V22 is less than or below the supply, and whether it would be quicker to bring the other vehicle V22 to the transfer point TP2 than to bring it to the boarding point BP1.

[0090] If the demand for the other vehicle V22's current location is less than or below a predetermined value, and it is determined that it would be quicker to call the other vehicle V22 to the transfer point TP2, the control system 200A proposes a dispatch route (R12 → TP2 → R22) that includes the transfer point TP2 with the other vehicle V22 to the crew of vehicle V12.

[0091] When control system 200A receives a request from its own vehicle V12 to obtain dispatch route information, it transmits information indicating the dispatch route (R12 → TP2 → R22) to its own vehicle V12 and continues the transportation service to destination OP2.

[0092] Furthermore, if the control system 200A determines that the difference between the available driving time (T1) and the travel time (T2) is shorter than the service continuation threshold time (Ta), the route generation device 240 generates a dispatch route (R12→TP2→R32) consisting of "travel route to maintenance factory F2" + "discount amount" + "transfer to other vehicles," and transmits information indicating the dispatch route (R12→TP2→R32) to its own vehicle V12.

[0093] When control system 200A receives a dispatch request for another vehicle from its own vehicle V12, it collects tire pressure from each vehicle within its service area, detects another vehicle V22 from among candidates with drivable tire pressure that has a higher maximum speed than vehicle V12's maximum speed and demand is lower than supply, transmits information indicating the dispatch route (R42 → TP2 → R22) including the transfer point TP2 to vehicle V22, and allows the passenger to continue the transportation service to destination OP2 by transferring to vehicle V21. As a result, the customer (passenger) can arrive at destination OP2 in a short time.

[0094] (Effects of the second embodiment) The control system 200A sets the dispatch route (R12+TP2+R22) including the transfer point TP2 if it is shorter than calling another vehicle V22 to the boarding point BP2 where the crew boards their own vehicle V12. Therefore, we can reach destination OP2 quickly.

[0095] (Third embodiment) The third embodiment is an example of accepting a dispatch request when the route includes a path to a maintenance factory as part of the route. The vehicle management system 1 according to the first embodiment is applicable to the vehicle management system according to the third embodiment. An example of the vehicle management system according to the third embodiment to which the vehicle management system 1 according to the first embodiment is applied will be described below.

[0096] Figure 8 is an example illustrating a scenario in which the vehicle V13 is driven to destination OP3 or maintenance factory F3 by the control system 200B according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0097] When the vehicle V13 shown in Figure 8 picks up passengers at boarding location BP3, the in-vehicle system 100 detects the tire pressure P of the vehicle using the tire pressure detection sensor 110, and the tire pressure determination device 120 determines whether the tire pressure P exceeds threshold A (270 kPa). If it is determined that the tire pressure P is less than or equal to threshold A (270 kPa) but exceeds threshold B (240 kPa), the in-vehicle system 100 calculates the remaining driving time and upper speed limit information using the tire pressure determination device 120, and the automated driving vehicle controller 160 transmits the remaining driving time and upper speed limit information to the control system 200B.

[0098] The control system 200B receives the remaining driving time (T1) and maximum speed information (V) from the onboard system 100 of its own vehicle V13, and calculates the travel time (T2) for its own vehicle V13 to travel to the maintenance factory F3.

[0099] The control system 200B then calculates the difference between the drivable time (T1) and the travel time (T2), and determines whether the difference is longer than the service continuation threshold time (Ta). If it determines that the difference is longer than the service continuation threshold time (Ta), it calculates the estimated maintenance completion time (Tm) and the estimated service demand time (Td), and determines whether the estimated maintenance completion time (Tm) is later than the estimated service demand time (Td).

[0100] If the control system 200B determines that the estimated maintenance completion time (Tm) is later than the estimated service demand time (Td), it will determine whether the demand at the current location of other vehicles V23 is less than or equal to the supply or a predetermined value.

[0101] If the control system 200B determines that the demand for the current location of the other vehicle V23 is less than or below a predetermined value, it proposes a dispatch route (R13 → TP3 → R23) to the crew of its own vehicle V13, where the maintenance facility F3 is in the same direction as the destination OP3 and also includes the transfer point TP3 with the other vehicle V23.

[0102] When control system 200B receives a request from its own vehicle V13 to obtain dispatch route information, it transmits information indicating the dispatch route (R13 → TP3 → R23) to its own vehicle V13 and continues the transportation service to destination OP3.

[0103] Furthermore, if the control system 200B determines that the difference between the available driving time (T1) and the travel time (T2) is shorter than the service continuation threshold time (Ta), the route generation device 240 generates a dispatch route (R13→TP3→R33) consisting of "travel route to maintenance factory F3" + "discount amount" + "transfer to other vehicles," and transmits information indicating the dispatch route (R13→TP3→R33) to its own vehicle V13.

[0104] When control system 200B receives a dispatch request for another vehicle from its own vehicle V13, it collects tire pressure from each vehicle within its service area, detects another vehicle V23 from among candidates with drivable tire pressure that has a higher maximum speed limit than vehicle V13 and demand is lower than supply, transmits information to vehicle V23 indicating the dispatch route including the transfer point TP3 (R43 → TP3 → R23), and allows the passenger to continue the transportation service to destination OP3 by transferring to vehicle V23. As a result, the customer (passenger) can arrive at destination OP3 in a short time.

[0105] (Effects of the third embodiment) Control system 200B accepts dispatch requests if the route includes a section toward maintenance facility F3. Therefore, vehicle V13 can reach maintenance facility F3 within the available driving time.

[0106] The embodiments described above are provided to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Therefore, each element disclosed in the above embodiments is intended to include all design modifications and equivalents that fall within the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0107] 1. Vehicle Management System 100 In-vehicle systems 110 Air pressure detection sensor 120 Pneumatic pressure determination device 121 Air Pressure - Maximum Speed ​​Database 130 In-vehicle communication device 140 Input devices 150 Display device 160 Autonomous Vehicle Controller 200, 200A, 200B control system 210 Communication equipment 220 servers 230 Map Databases 240 Route Generator BP1, BP2, BP3 boarding locations F1, F2, F3 Repair Shop OP1,OP2,OP3 Destination TP1, TP2, TP3 Transit points V11, V12, V13 My Vehicle V21, V22, V23 and other vehicles

Claims

1. A vehicle management device equipped with a processing unit that manages vehicles operated by autonomous driving with passengers on board, and manages vehicle dispatch based on dispatch requests received from passengers, The vehicle is equipped with a tire pressure detection sensor that detects the air pressure of the vehicle's tires and the rate at which the air pressure is reduced. The aforementioned arithmetic processing unit is Data including the detection result is obtained from the tire pressure detection sensor. Based on the current tire pressure included in the acquired data and the depressurization rate, the drivable time and the first upper limit speed are calculated. When the calculated drivable time is less than or equal to a predetermined time and the demand for other vehicles with a second upper speed higher than the first upper speed is lower than the supply, the drivable time is compared with the driving time required to reach the maintenance facility, and based on the result of the comparison, a driving route to the destination including transfers with other vehicles within a predetermined service area is set. Vehicle management system.

2. The vehicle management device according to claim 1, wherein the calculation processing unit receives the dispatch request and sets a driving route to the destination, including transfers to other vehicles, when the available driving time is longer than the driving time required to reach the maintenance facility.

3. The vehicle management device according to claim 2, wherein the processing unit collects information indicating the tire pressure from a plurality of other vehicles within the service area and selects other vehicles that meet the tire pressure requirements for driving along the driving route as candidates for vehicles to transfer to.

4. The vehicle management device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit sets the travel route when the travel route including the transfer is shorter than calling the other vehicle to the boarding location where the occupant boards the vehicle.

5. The vehicle management device according to claim 1, wherein the calculation processing unit sets the travel route only when the demand forecast at the location of the other vehicle is below a predetermined value during the journey to the destination by transferring to the other vehicle.

6. The vehicle management device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit proposes a driving route to the occupant, including an incentive, when the driving route toward the maintenance yard is longer in distance or driving time than the driving route requested by the occupant.

7. The vehicle management device according to claim 6, wherein the incentive is a discount on fees.

8. The vehicle management device according to claim 2, wherein the processing unit receives a dispatch request when the dispatch request includes a route toward the maintenance facility as part of the travel route.

9. The vehicle management device according to claim 2, wherein when the processing unit receives a dispatch request from the occupant for a route that does not include the route to the maintenance facility, the processing unit sets a route that includes the transfer point if the time it takes for the vehicle to travel to the maintenance facility via the transfer point to another vehicle is shorter than the available travel time.

10. The vehicle management device according to claim 2, wherein the calculation processing unit, when it becomes impossible to continue the service based on the drivable time, provides a vehicle from an area other than the service area, at least for the duration of maintenance.

11. The vehicle management device according to claim 10, wherein the processing unit predicts the time until maintenance is required from the change in tire pressure and calculates the time when maintenance is required.

12. The vehicle management device according to claim 11, wherein the processing unit provides vehicles from areas where supply exceeds demand at the time when maintenance is required.

13. The vehicle is equipped with a tire pressure detection sensor that detects the air pressure of the tires and the rate at which the air pressure decreases, and the vehicle management method is performed by a processing unit that manages the vehicle being operated by autonomous driving with passengers on board and manages the dispatch of the vehicle based on dispatch requests received from the passengers, The aforementioned arithmetic processing unit is Data including the detection result is obtained from the tire pressure detection sensor. Based on the current tire pressure included in the acquired data and the depressurization rate, the drivable time and the first upper limit speed are calculated. A vehicle management method that, when the calculated drivable time is less than or equal to a predetermined time and the demand for other vehicles with a second upper speed higher than the first upper speed is lower than the supply, compares the drivable time with the driving time required to reach the maintenance facility, and based on the result of the comparison, sets a driving route to the destination including transfers with other vehicles within a predetermined service area.

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