vehicle-mounted device

Abstract

To improve resilience to communication failures in the operation management of autonomous vehicles. [Solution] The in-vehicle device is an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle and comprises a communication unit capable of communicating with a server device via a mobile communication line, and a control unit that changes the route for autonomous driving of the vehicle in response to the occurrence of road traffic events and sends information of the changed route to the server device, wherein the control unit maintains the route even if a communication failure occurs in the line and the event occurs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an in-vehicle device.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a technology of an autonomous driving vehicle that communicates with an operation management center while autonomously driving using a communication line such as mobile body communication. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an example of an operation management system that causes an autonomous driving vehicle to travel along a target trajectory.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the operation management of an autonomous driving vehicle by an operation management center, there is room for improving the tolerance to communication failures.

[0005] Hereinafter, an in-vehicle device and the like that can improve the tolerance to communication failures in the operation management of an autonomous driving vehicle are disclosed.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An in-vehicle device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle, and includes a communication unit capable of communicating with a server device via a mobile body communication line, and a control unit that changes a route for autonomously driving the vehicle in response to the occurrence of a road traffic event and sends information on the changed route to the server device. When a communication failure occurs in the line, the control unit maintains the route even if the event occurs.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] The in-vehicle devices described in this disclosure make it possible to improve resilience to communication failures in the operation management of autonomous vehicles. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram illustrating the schematic configuration of the operation management system. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart showing the operation of the in-vehicle device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

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

[0010] (Summary of the embodiment) Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a vehicle dispatch management system according to one embodiment. The vehicle dispatch management system 1 comprises an in-vehicle device 11 installed in one or more vehicles 10, one or more server devices 12, one or more operator terminals 13, and one or more user terminals 14. The vehicle dispatch management system 1 is a system that supports the dispatch service of the vehicles 10. The vehicles 10 are, for example, passenger cars such as taxis and buses, or commercial vehicles. The in-vehicle device 11 is, for example, an information processing device that controls the vehicle, such as an EUC (Electronic Control Unit). The server device 12 is, for example, a server computer belonging to a cloud computing system or other computing system, and functions as a server that implements various functions. The server device 12 is a central server for a dispatch service provider and manages the operation of the vehicles 10. The operator terminals 13 and user terminals 14 are, for example, personal computers and tablet terminal devices. The operator terminals 13 and user terminals 14 are used by operators of the dispatch service provider and users of the dispatch service, respectively. The network 15 is, for example, the internet, a local area network, or a wide area network. The in-vehicle device 11, the server device 12, and the operator terminal 13 are connected to each other via the network 15 so that they can communicate with one another. The server device 12, the operator terminal 13, and the user terminal 14 are connected to each other via the network 15 so that they can communicate with one another.

[0011] In the operation management system 1 of this embodiment, the on-board device 11, in cooperation with the server device 12, uses an automatic driving function to autonomously drive the vehicle 10. The on-board device 11 sends information such as the location of the vehicle 10 and the route on which the vehicle 10 will travel to the server device 12. Furthermore, if the vehicle 10 becomes stuck due to road traffic events that make it difficult to autonomously drive along a given route, the on-board device 11 communicates with the operator terminal 13 via the server device 12, and resolves the stuck situation by changing the route based on remote instructions from the operator operating the operator terminal 13, or by changing the route autonomously, and sends information of the changed route to the server device 12. However, if a communication failure occurs in the line, the on-board device 11 will maintain the route even if a road traffic event occurs. Therefore, since the server device 12 stores information about the route maintained by the vehicle 10, if the vehicle 10 becomes unable to drive for any reason when a communication failure occurs in the line, the arrival at the destination or dispatch service base will be delayed, allowing the operator to understand the trouble with the vehicle 10 and dispatch rescue personnel along the route as appropriate. Therefore, it becomes possible to improve resilience to communication failures in the operation management of autonomous vehicles.

[0012] Road traffic events include, for example, congestion, obstacles, accidents, narrowing or closure of the path ahead of the vehicle 10 in the direction of travel, etc. Obstacles include other vehicles that have become immobile due to an accident, and vehicles that are loading or unloading cargo while stopped. The on-board device 11 may determine that the vehicle ahead is an obstacle if it does not move for any period of time, for example, 3 to 5 minutes. Poor visibility includes cases where the on-board camera cannot detect the color of a traffic signal due to external environmental factors such as the setting sun or dense fog, or where other vehicles intersecting the path cannot be detected due to obstructions, etc.

[0013] (Configuration of in-vehicle equipment) As shown in Figure 1, the in-vehicle device 11 includes a communication unit 111, a storage unit 112, a control unit 113, an input unit 114, an output unit 115, a positioning unit 116, and a detection unit 117.

[0014] The communication unit 111 has a mobile communication module compatible with mobile communication standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), or 5G (5th Generation), and a communication module compatible with wireless LAN standards. The communication unit 111 connects to the network 15 and communicates with the server device 12 and the operator terminal 13. The communication unit 111 can also communicate with the road traffic information communication system and receive traffic information using any short-range wireless communication standard (e.g., BLE: Bluetooth Low Energy). The communication unit 111 can also connect to other vehicles 10 using the mobile communication module to send and receive various information about road traffic events, including traffic information. Traffic information includes, for example, congestion information, construction information, and accident information.

[0015] The storage unit 112 includes one or more memories. The memories are, for example, semiconductor memories, magnetic memories, or optical memories. Each memory included in the storage unit 112 functions, for example, as a main memory, an auxiliary memory, or a cache memory. The storage unit 112 stores information used for the operation of the in-vehicle device 11 and information obtained by the operation of the in-vehicle device 11. The information stored in the storage unit 112 may be updateable with information obtained from the network 15 via the communication unit 111, for example. The storage unit 112 stores, for example, a system program that controls the automatic driving function, a route for the vehicle 10 to travel, and so on.

[0016] The control unit 113 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The processor is, for example, 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. The programmable circuit is, for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). The dedicated circuit is, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The control unit 113 controls the operation of the entire in-vehicle device 11 while controlling each part of the in-vehicle device 11. The control unit 113 determines the route on which the vehicle 10 will travel and uses the automatic driving function to make the vehicle 10 autonomously drive along the determined route.

[0017] The input unit 114 includes one or more input devices that accept operations from an operator. The input devices are, for example, physical keys, capacitive keys, capacitive panels, touchscreens integrated with a display, or microphones that accept voice input. The input unit 114 accepts information used for the operation of the control unit 113 and sends the input information to the control unit 113. The input unit 114 accepts operations from passengers of the vehicle 10, for example, when a problem occurs with the vehicle 10.

[0018] The output unit 115 includes one or more output devices that output information. The output devices are, for example, a display that outputs information as images, or a speaker that outputs information as sound. The output unit 115 outputs information obtained by the operation of the control unit 113.

[0019] The positioning unit 116 includes one or more positioning modules. The positioning module is, for example, GPS (Global Positioning System), QZSS (Quasi-Zenith Satellite System), GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System), or Galileo. The positioning unit 116 acquires the position information of the vehicle 10 as information for the autonomous driving of the vehicle 10.

[0020] The detection unit 117 includes one or more sensors. The sensors are, for example, in-vehicle cameras, vehicle speed sensors, acceleration sensors, millimeter wave sensors, or angular velocity sensors. The in-vehicle cameras include, for example, front cameras, side cameras, or rear cameras. Also, the in-vehicle cameras include in-vehicle radars or in-vehicle LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). The detection unit 117 observes various events in each part of the vehicle 10 and acquires the observation results as information for the autonomous driving of the vehicle 10.

[0021] (Operation flow of in-vehicle device) FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining an operation example executed by the control unit 113 of the in-vehicle device 11. The procedure in FIG. 2 is executed by the control unit 113 at an arbitrary cycle, for example, a cycle of several seconds to several minutes, when the control unit 113 determines the route for the vehicle 10 to travel, sends the determined route to the server device 12, and autonomously drives the vehicle 10 along such a route.

[0022] In S20, the control unit 113 determines whether or not a traffic event has occurred. For example, based on the traffic information received via the communication unit 111, the control unit 113 determines that an event has occurred on the condition that there is a traffic jam or an accident or both in the forward driving direction of the route. Alternatively, for example, based on the observation results obtained using the detection unit 117, the control unit 113 determines the presence or absence of an obstacle ahead or poor visibility, and may determine that an event has occurred on the condition that an obstacle exists or visibility is poor. When the control unit 113 determines that an event has occurred (step S20 - Yes), it proceeds to step S21. When the control unit 113 determines that an event has not occurred (step S20 - No), it proceeds to step S24.

[0023] In S21, the control unit 113 determines whether or not a communication failure has occurred in the mobile communication line. The occurrence of a communication failure is determined on the condition that, for example, any one or more of communication disconnection, communication slowdown, and communication delay occur (hereinafter referred to as a failure event). The failure event includes those caused by hardware or software failures or abnormalities that have occurred in communication-related devices. Communication-related devices are, for example, modules related to mobile communication of the in-vehicle device 11, modules constituting a base station of a mobile communication carrier, or a center server. Software abnormalities in communication-related devices include, for example, an increase in processing load due to a cyber attack or the like from the outside.

[0024] If the control unit 113 determines that no fault event has occurred (step S21-No), it proceeds to step S22. In S22, the control unit 113 changes the route. Specifically, the control unit 113 re-determines the optimal route based on the route conditions and changes the route to which the vehicle 10 travels along the re-determined route. The route conditions include, for example, the pick-up point, destination, and priority conditions for the route. The route conditions are specified or changed, for example, by a user of the ride-hailing service operating the user terminal 14 when making a reservation for the service or while riding. Priority conditions include, for example, the shortest time, lowest fare, and low rate of getting stuck. In S23, the control unit 113 sends the re-determined route to the server device 12 via the communication unit 111 (hereinafter referred to as the maintained route). This makes it possible for the ride-hailing service provider or operator to know the route the vehicle 10 is traveling on.

[0025] When the control unit 113 determines that a fault event has occurred (step S21-Yes), it proceeds to step S24. In S24, the control unit 113 maintains the maintenance route, that is, the current route sent to the server device 12, and allows the vehicle 10 to drive autonomously. In other words, when a fault event occurs, the control unit 113 does not change the route, including changing the destination, even if a road traffic event occurs. As a result, even if the server device 12 cannot obtain the location information of the vehicle 10 when a fault event occurs, it can find the vehicle 10 by searching for the vehicle 10 on the maintenance route or by following the maintenance route. Therefore, the dispatch service can be provided continuously, and the quality of service to the user can be improved. Furthermore, even when a fault event occurs, the control unit 113 can determine the direction of travel and the position of the vehicle 10 on the travel route using the positioning unit 116 and the detection unit 117, and allow the vehicle 10 to drive autonomously along the maintenance route.

[0026] The route includes a route connecting the base of vehicle 10 and a set destination. The base of vehicle 10 is, for example, a collection point for vehicle 10 managed by a ride-hailing service provider. That is, vehicle 10 departs from such base, picks up a user at a boarding point, takes the user to the destination, and arrives back at such base. Note that the departure base and the arrival base do not have to be the same place. This allows the server device 12 to determine that there is a problem with vehicle 10 if vehicle 10 does not arrive at the base or destination by the scheduled arrival time based on the maintenance route. Alternatively, the server device 12 may determine that there is a problem with vehicle 10 if no arrival report is sent to the server device 12 from the in-vehicle device 11 or the user, etc., after a predetermined period has elapsed from the scheduled arrival time. This predetermined period is, for example, any time such as 10 to 30 minutes. Alternatively, the server device 12 may predict the position of vehicle 10 on the maintenance route and set the predetermined period to the amount of delay in arrival caused by congestion or an accident ahead in the direction of travel based on that position. When the server device 12 determines that vehicle 10 is experiencing trouble, it sends a notification to, for example, the operator terminal 13, informing it that vehicle 10 may be stopped due to trouble. The operator terminal 13 can then receive an operator's command to dispatch a rescue team along the maintenance route. In this way, by knowing the maintenance route on which vehicle 10 is traveling, trouble with vehicle 10 can be detected even when communication with the server device 12 and the operator terminal 13 is impossible due to a malfunction. Furthermore, even if the location information of vehicle 10 cannot be obtained due to a malfunction, vehicle 10 can be freed from trouble by dispatching a rescue team along the maintenance route.

[0027] Examples of vehicle 10 troubles include hardware failure or hang-up of the onboard device 11. Alternatively, other examples include passenger troubles. Passenger troubles include, for example, problems with fare payment, such as non-payment due to insufficient cash on the passenger, or malfunction of the payment equipment installed in vehicle 10. Alternatively, other examples include situations where road traffic events cannot be resolved autonomously. The assistance dispatched by the operator terminal 13 includes road service, dispatch of technicians to perform various repairs on vehicle 10, and dispatch of operational staff to deal with passenger troubles.

[0028] As a variation, the order in which the determination of the occurrence of a road traffic event in step S20 and the determination of the occurrence of a communication failure in step S21 are reversed.

[0029] Although this disclosure has been explained using an example where vehicle 10 is a taxi, it can be applied to any vehicle 10 that autonomously travels along a set route to a destination. Examples of such vehicles 10 include logistics vehicles that transport goods to a destination, and advertising vehicles that broadcast advertisements.

[0030] Furthermore, an embodiment is also possible in which the configuration and operation of the in-vehicle device 11 and the server device 12 are distributed among multiple computers that can communicate with each other.

[0031] 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 can be rearranged in a logically consistent manner, and multiple components or steps can be combined into one or divided into two.

[0032] Furthermore, it is also possible to implement an embodiment in which a general-purpose computer functions as the in-vehicle device 11 according to the above-described embodiment. Specifically, a program describing the processing content that realizes each function of the in-vehicle device 11 according to the above-described embodiment is stored in the memory of the general-purpose computer, and the processor reads and executes the program. Therefore, this disclosure can also be implemented as a program that can be executed by a processor, or as a non-temporary computer-readable medium that stores said program. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0033] 1 Operation management system, 10 Vehicle, 11 On-board equipment, 12 Server equipment, 13 Operator terminal, 14 User terminal, 15 Network, 111 Communication unit, 112 Storage unit, 113 Control unit, 114 Input unit, 115 Output unit, 116 Positioning unit, 117 Detection unit

Claims

1. An in-vehicle device installed in a vehicle, A communication unit capable of communicating with a server device via a mobile communication line, The vehicle has a control unit which, when it is autonomously driven, receives information indicating the occurrence of at least one of the following events in the path ahead of the vehicle: traffic congestion, an accident, the presence of an obstacle, and poor visibility, changes the path and sends information about the changed path to the server device. When the control unit determines that a communication failure has occurred in the line, it maintains the route even if it receives information indicating the occurrence of the event. In-vehicle device.

2. An in-vehicle device installed in a vehicle, A communication unit capable of communicating with a server device via a mobile communication line, The system includes a control unit that changes the autonomous route of the vehicle in response to the occurrence of road traffic events and sends information of the changed route to the server device, The control unit, when a communication failure occurs in the line, maintains the route even if the event occurs. In-vehicle device.

3. The in-vehicle device according to claim 2, wherein the aforementioned event is at least one of the following: traffic congestion, an accident, the presence of an obstacle, and poor visibility ahead of the vehicle in the direction of travel along the route.

4. The in-vehicle device according to claim 2, wherein the route is a route connecting the base of the vehicle and a set destination.

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