Vehicle management system and vehicle control method

Abstract

When encountering the scene of an accident involving other vehicles, the system will appropriately image the scene without disrupting traffic flow. [Solution] The present invention is a vehicle management system for managing vehicles traveling within a target area. The system comprises: an imaging information acquisition unit that acquires imaging information based on imaging of the space surrounding the vehicle by an imaging device; an emergency situation recognition unit that recognizes an emergency situation and the main causative elements of the emergency situation based on the acquired imaging information; a stopping point determination unit that determines at least one stopping point for the vehicle to stop based on the recognized emergency situation; and a vehicle control unit that controls the vehicle to stop at the determined stopping point. The stopping point determination unit determines the stopping point to be a point where the recognized main causative elements can be imaged by the imaging device and where the passage of other vehicles and / or pedestrians is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0007]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle management system and a vehicle control method.

Background Art

[0002] A mobility service is a service that smoothly provides transportation of passengers and the like by a vehicle. In a mobility service, there is a technology for obtaining an image of a scene and the like when a driverless vehicle (autonomous driving vehicle) encounters a traffic accident or the like while transporting passengers and the like.

[0003] The following Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for stopping an autonomous driving vehicle when the acceleration / jerk in the autonomous driving vehicle is not caused by autonomous driving, obtaining an image around the autonomous driving vehicle using a camera, and determining a notification destination based on the obtained image.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] When an emergency vehicle of a relevant institution rushes to the scene due to the occurrence of an emergency such as a traffic accident or a fire, a general vehicle other than the emergency vehicle needs to take evasive measures so as not to obstruct the travel of the emergency vehicle. The technique described in Patent Document 1 above assumes the case where the own vehicle has encountered a traffic accident or the like, and cannot appropriately respond even when encountering a traffic accident or the like of another vehicle.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique that can appropriately respond without obstructing the traffic flow when encountering the scene of an emergency such as a traffic accident of another vehicle.

[0007] More specifically, the present invention aims to provide a vehicle management system and a vehicle control method that, in the event of an emergency such as a traffic accident involving another vehicle or a fire, can move and stop a vehicle in an appropriate location without obstructing the passage of other vehicles, pedestrians, or emergency vehicles, capture images and sound of the situation at the scene, and share the captured video information and captured audio information with relevant organizations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention, which solves the above problems, is comprised of the following inventive features or technical characteristics.

[0009] The present invention, in accordance with a certain perspective, is a vehicle management system for managing vehicles traveling within a target area. The system comprises: an imaging information acquisition unit that acquires imaging information based on imaging of the space surrounding the vehicle by an imaging device; an emergency situation recognition unit that recognizes an emergency situation and the main causative elements of the emergency situation based on the acquired imaging information; a stopping point determination unit that determines at least one stopping point for the vehicle to stop based on the recognized emergency situation; and a vehicle control unit that controls the vehicle to stop at the determined stopping point. The stopping point determination unit determines the stopping point to be a point where the recognized main causative elements can be imaged by the imaging device and where the passage of other vehicles and / or pedestrians is ensured.

[0010] Furthermore, the present invention also functions as a vehicle control method in a vehicle management system for managing vehicles traveling in a target area, a computer program for executing the method, and a recording medium that non-temporarily stores the same. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, when a vehicle under a vehicle management system encounters an emergency situation such as a traffic accident involving another vehicle or a fire, it will be able to respond appropriately. In particular, according to the present invention, when a vehicle encounters an emergency situation such as a traffic accident involving another vehicle or a fire, it will be possible to move and stop the vehicle in an appropriate location without obstructing the passage of other vehicles, pedestrians, or emergency vehicles, capture images and sound of the situation at the scene, and share the captured video information and captured audio information with the relevant organizations.

[0012] Other technical features, objectives, and effects or advantages of the present invention will be illustrated by the following embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The effects described herein are illustrative and not limiting, and other effects may also occur. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle management system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration model of a vehicle management device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of emergency response processing by a vehicle management device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the process for determining a stopping point in emergency response processing by a vehicle management device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of a stopping point determination table in a vehicle management system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] 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.

[0015] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle management system according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the vehicle management system 1 includes a vehicle management device 10, a vehicle 20, and an information and communication terminal device 30, which are interconnected via a communication network N so as to be able to communicate with each other. The vehicle management system 1 may also be connected via the communication network N to a road traffic information management system 40 that provides various traffic information in real time. The vehicle management system 1 manages, for example, a mobility service using multiple vehicles 20 targeting a certain area. The mobility service includes, for example, a ride-hailing service that responds to a ride-hailing request from a user who wishes to travel by vehicle to a destination. In this disclosure, the vehicle 20 is assumed to be an unmanned, driverless vehicle (autonomous vehicle).

[0016] The vehicle management device 10 is a computing device that comprehensively manages mobility services provided by multiple vehicles 20 in a target area. The target area may be divided into several smaller areas (sub-areas). The vehicle management device 10 implements, for example, a vehicle management server program and, under the control of a processor, executes the vehicle management server program to realize various mobility services. In particular, the vehicle management server program of this disclosure includes a sub-program or module that enables the vehicle 20 to capture images of the scene / situation of an emergency, such as a traffic accident or fire, using the vehicle 20's imaging device, and to acquire imaging information based on said images, when the vehicle 20 encounters such an emergency while driving.

[0017] The vehicle management device 10 includes various databases 12 that store and manage various data necessary to realize mobility services. The databases 12 may include, for example, a user information database 12a, a road map information database 12b, a vehicle information database 12c, a dispatch plan database 12d, and a driving management information database 12e (see Figure 2). The databases 12 may be configured as part of the vehicle management device 10, or all or part of them may be configured separately from the vehicle management device 10.

[0018] Vehicle 20 is a vehicle registered in the vehicle information database 12c so that it can be used in mobility services. Vehicle 20 is an autonomous vehicle (unmanned vehicle) operated by an automated driving system, regardless of its level of automation. The type of vehicle 20 (e.g., sedan, minivan, SUV, etc.) is also irrelevant.

[0019] Furthermore, the vehicle 20 is equipped with a control unit (CTL) and a user interface (UI) that control the vehicle 20 itself or its onboard equipment in accordance with operation instructions from the vehicle management device 10. The control unit (CTL) is configured to include a processor and memory, and realizes various functions by executing a vehicle control program. The control unit (CTL) also acquires driving management information for the autonomous driving of the vehicle 20 from an imaging device (camera), a sound collection device (microphone), and various sensors, etc., and controls the autonomous driving of the vehicle 20, and transmits the acquired driving management information to the vehicle management device 10. The vehicle management device 10 monitors and controls the autonomous driving of the vehicle 20 in accordance with the driving management information transmitted from the vehicle 20. The driving management information includes, for example, imaging information via imaging frames of the surrounding space of the vehicle 20 by the camera and audio information of the surrounding space by the microphone. In this sense, the control unit (CTL) of the vehicle 20 can be considered as the imaging information acquisition unit of this disclosure. Furthermore, the driving management information includes spatial recognition information (point cloud information) from spatial recognition sensors such as LiDAR and RADAR, geographical location information of the vehicle 20 from a GPS system, and status information from status monitoring sensors that monitor the status of the vehicle 20, each device and part.

[0020] The information communication terminal device 30 is, for example, a computing device for a user who uses vehicle services to operate a user interface to make a vehicle allocation request. The information communication terminal device 30 is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet computer, a notebook personal computer, a desktop computer, etc., but is not limited thereto. The information communication terminal device 30 implements, for example, a vehicle allocation management client program (so-called vehicle allocation app). The information communication terminal device 30 typically has a positioning function of acquiring its own geographical position information in real time by means of a positioning system such as GPS. Under the control of a processor, the information communication terminal device 30 enables the user to use the vehicle allocation service of the vehicle management device 10 by executing the vehicle allocation app. During the execution of the vehicle allocation app, the information communication terminal device 30 transmits the position information acquired from the positioning system as user position information to the vehicle management device 10.

[0021] The road traffic information management system 40 is an information communication system that provides road traffic information in real time. For example, the road traffic information management system 40 collects road traffic data from various monitoring facilities installed on roads and also collects driving data from the control device CTL mounted on the vehicle 20, and manages road traffic information obtained by integrally processing and editing these. The monitoring facilities include, for example, live cameras and vehicle sensors, etc., but are not limited thereto. The edited road traffic information may include, for example, information on road closures and detour routes, the required time between points via a specific route, the occurrence status of emergencies, the response status of emergency vehicles, etc. The road traffic information management system 40 appropriately provides the road traffic information to the vehicle management device 10 and the vehicle 20. The road traffic information management system 40 may provide, as driving management information to the vehicle management device 10, in addition to weather information, traffic information, and road regulation information, etc., moving image information of live cameras obtained from the monitoring facilities, voice information of sound collection devices, and sensor information of vehicle sensors. Thereby, the vehicle management device 10 can appropriately monitor and guide the vehicle 20 based on various driving management information.

[0022] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration model of a vehicle management device according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the vehicle management device 10 may be configured as a functional configuration model that includes, for example, a front-end processing unit 110, a vehicle communication unit 120, a dispatch management unit 130, a driving management information acquisition unit 140, an emergency situation recognition unit 150, a stopping point determination unit 160, a related organization cooperation unit 170, and a vehicle control unit 180. In this example, the driving management information acquisition unit 140 is configured to include an imaging information acquisition unit 142. Furthermore, as described above, the vehicle management device 10 includes various databases 12. Such a functional model is realized by the vehicle management device 10 executing a vehicle management server program under the control of a processor, thereby cooperating with various hardware resources. The functional configuration model shown here is just one example, and all or part of the functions of one functional component may be realized by other functional components.

[0023] The user information database 12a stores information about users who use the ride-hailing service as a mobility service (hereinafter referred to as "user information"). User information includes, for example, user ID and password, personal attributes (gender, age, and address, etc.), and information about service usage status. User information is registered in the user information database 12a under the control of the ride-hailing management unit 130 when the user enters predetermined information when the ride-hailing application implemented on the user's information and communication terminal device 30 is first launched.

[0024] The road map information database 12b stores road map information for the area covered by the ride-hailing service. The road map information includes, for example, map data related to addresses, place names, road networks (links and nodes), and various facilities (e.g., police stations). The road map information also includes information necessary for searching for a driving route to a destination, such as road information, feature information, and environmental information. The road information includes, for example, road type such as local roads and main roads, and road attribute information such as road width, pedestrian / vehicle separation, median strip, and lanes.

[0025] The vehicle information database 12c stores information (vehicle information) about the vehicles 20 managed in the target area. The vehicle information includes information such as vehicle ID, vehicle attributes (vehicle registration number, vehicle type, and maximum passenger capacity / maximum load capacity, level of automation, etc.), vehicle characteristics, other specifications (overall length, overall width, vehicle height, and weight, etc.), current dispatch plan, current location, and current status (service status, battery capacity (driving range), and number of passengers, etc.). Vehicle information such as location information obtained from the vehicles 20 via the vehicle communication unit 120 can be updated as needed.

[0026] The dispatch plan database 12d stores dispatch plans for each vehicle 20, created by the dispatch management unit 130 based on user dispatch requests. The dispatch plan includes the route from the starting vehicle 20's waiting location, through several pick-up / drop-off points (departure / arrival points), to the final waiting location, as well as estimated arrival times at each intermediate point. The dispatch plan is created, for example, based on a user's dispatch request.

[0027] The driving management information database 12e stores driving management information transmitted from each vehicle 20 and the road traffic information management system 40. The driving management information is used by the vehicle control unit 180 for various controls of the vehicle 20.

[0028] The front-end processing unit 110 performs various processes with the user's information and communication terminal device 30. For example, the front-end processing unit 110 refers to the user information database 12a and performs login authentication processing in accordance with a login request from the dispatch application on the user's information and communication terminal device 30. The front-end processing unit 110 also receives a dispatch request from the user's dispatch application, passes it on to the dispatch management unit 130, and communicates with the information and communication terminal device 30 to obtain the user's acceptance or rejection of the dispatch plan created by the dispatch management unit 130 in response.

[0029] The vehicle communication unit 120 is an interface for exchanging various types of information with the vehicle 20 via the communication network N. The vehicle communication unit 120 acquires driving management information, including the location information of the vehicle 20, and stores it, for example, in the driving management information database 12e. The vehicle communication unit 120 also transmits operation instructions to the vehicle 20 in accordance with the dispatch plan by the dispatch management unit 130. Furthermore, the vehicle communication unit 120 transmits vehicle control commands from the vehicle control unit 180 to the vehicle 20.

[0030] The dispatch management unit 130 extracts candidate vehicles (candidate vehicles) from the vehicles 20 registered in the vehicle information database 12c based on the user's dispatch request and creates a dispatch plan. The dispatch management unit 130 proposes the created dispatch plan to the user via the front-end processing unit 110 and confirms it after receiving the user's approval. The dispatch management unit 130 then stores the confirmed dispatch plan in the dispatch plan database 12d and issues operation instructions to the corresponding vehicles 20 via the vehicle communication unit 120. This enables the system to assign the appropriate vehicle 20 to the user in response to the user's dispatch request.

[0031] In this disclosure, the dispatch management unit 130 modifies and updates the dispatch plan for the vehicle 20, with the user's consent, when the vehicle 20 carrying a user encounters an emergency scene, in order to stop for imaging of the emergency scene / situation. For example, when the vehicle 20 carrying a user encounters an emergency scene, the dispatch management unit 130 controls the system to prompt the user to confirm whether or not they consent to imaging of the emergency by an imaging device, by displaying this information on the user interface inside the vehicle 20. The user can choose whether or not to consent to the imaging.

[0032] The driving management information acquisition unit 140 acquires driving management information transmitted from the vehicle 20 via the vehicle communication unit 120. The driving management information acquisition unit 140 stores the acquired driving management information in the driving management information database 12e. In this disclosure, the driving management information acquisition unit 140 may include an imaging information acquisition unit 142. The imaging information acquisition unit 142 acquires imaging information based on the driving management information. The imaging information acquisition unit 142 may acquire audio information synchronized with the imaging information. The imaging information acquisition unit 142 hands over the acquired imaging information to the emergency situation recognition unit 150. Furthermore, as will be described later, the imaging information acquisition unit 142 performs tracking control of the imaging device in conjunction with the movement of the vehicle 20 at the scene of the emergency, so that the scene of the emergency (especially the main causative element) can be appropriately imaged. The main causative element may be, for example, the accident vehicle in the case of a traffic accident, or the source of the fire (building, vehicle, etc.) in the case of a fire.

[0033] Furthermore, the imaging information acquisition unit 142 controls the vehicle's imaging device to take images of the emergency scene only when it determines that the user has consented to the imaging. This allows the user to choose whether or not to consent to imaging if a vehicle in the dispatch service encounters an emergency scene, and imaging of the emergency scene is only possible if consent is given. In addition, users who choose not to have imaging taken can expedite their arrival at their destination.

[0034] The emergency situation recognition unit 150 recognizes, based on acquired imaging information, the situation in which an emergency has occurred or is occurring on or along the road where the vehicle 20 is traveling. Emergency situations include, for example, traffic accidents involving objects and / or people by other vehicles (e.g., general vehicles), road closures due to falling objects, roadside fires, road collapses, landslides, and road flooding. In addition, when recognizing an emergency situation, the emergency situation recognition unit 150 further identifies or recognizes the main causal elements thereof.

[0035] Furthermore, the emergency situation recognition unit 150 can recognize the extent of the emergency on the road at the scene of the emergency based on the acquired imaging information. For example, based on the acquired imaging information, the emergency situation recognition unit 150 can recognize whether the road at the scene of the emergency is completely blocked and impassable, or whether there is enough width for other vehicles or emergency vehicles to pass. As a result, vehicle 20 can stop at a point that does not obstruct the passage of vehicles and / or pedestrians or emergency vehicles, and vehicle 20 can take images of the emergency situation.

[0036] Furthermore, the emergency situation recognition unit 150 can recognize the degree of danger of the emergency situation based on the acquired imaging information. For example, the emergency situation recognition unit 150 recognizes a relatively high degree of danger in cases such as when it recognizes that a vehicle fire has occurred due to a traffic accident involving another vehicle, when it recognizes that the flames at the fire scene are intense, or when an explosion is confirmed. The degree of danger is indicated, for example, on a 10-level scale. This allows the vehicle 20 to determine whether or not there is danger to the surroundings from the situation of the emergency, and to move to a location where there is no danger while simultaneously imaging the situation of the emergency.

[0037] Furthermore, the emergency situation recognition unit 150 can determine whether other vehicles and / or pedestrians are allowed to pass based on the scope and / or degree of danger of the recognized emergency situation.

[0038] The stopping point determination unit 160 determines at least one stopping point for the vehicle 20 to stop, based on the recognized emergency situation. For example, depending on the recognized emergency situation, the stopping point determination unit 160 determines a stopping point that satisfies the stopping point conditions according to a stopping point determination table, such as the one shown in Figure 5.

[0039] Specifically, the stopping point determination unit 160 determines a stopping point as a point where it is determined that other vehicles and / or pedestrians can pass (stopping point condition 1). This allows the vehicle 20 encountering an emergency situation to capture images of the emergency situation using the imaging device without obstructing the passage of other vehicles and / or pedestrians.

[0040] Furthermore, the stopping point determination unit 160 may determine one of the following points (a) to (b) as a stopping point if the road at the scene of the emergency is relatively narrow, specifically if it is a single lane in each direction and less than or equal to a predetermined road width (Stopping point condition 2). (a) A point where the shoulder of the road at the site is wider than the specified width. (b) Points on detour roads to the road at the site (c) Location of the parking lot of the facility adjacent to the road at the site This makes it possible to image the emergency situation without obstructing traffic flow as much as possible, even if the emergency site is on a relatively narrow road. For example, the stopping point determination unit 160 may determine one of the above points (a) to (b) as a stopping point when the expected arrival time of the emergency vehicle at the scene of the emergency is approaching, or when the sound of the emergency vehicle's siren is detected and it is recognized that the emergency vehicle is approaching the scene of the emergency.

[0041] Alternatively, the stopping point determination unit 160 determines a point on the shoulder of the road as the stopping point if it determines that the road at the scene of the emergency has two or more lanes in one direction, or one lane in one direction and is wide enough for oncoming vehicles to pass each other in that lane (stopping point condition 3). For example, if a vehicle is stopped due to a single-vehicle accident such as colliding with an object on the side of the road, and the road is relatively wide (i.e., has a shoulder), oncoming vehicles can pass each other, so the stopping point determination unit 160 can determine a point on the shoulder of the road as the stopping point. This makes it possible to image the scene of the emergency without obstructing the flow of traffic of other vehicles.

[0042] The Inter-Agency Liaison Unit 170 provides the acquired imaging information to designated inter-agency organizations in accordance with the emergency situation. For example, if an emergency situation is recognized by the Emergency Situation Recognition Unit 150, and the recognized emergency situation is a traffic accident, the Inter-Agency Liaison Unit 170 will provide the imaging information in real time to designated inter-agency organizations such as police, fire, and ambulance services. The Inter-Agency Liaison Unit 170 may also notify designated inter-agency organizations of the emergency situation and provide them with the imaging information. This allows designated inter-agency organizations such as police, fire, and ambulance services to understand the situation in real time by receiving the imaging information and to respond to the emergency situation quickly and appropriately.

[0043] Furthermore, the Inter-Agency Liaison Department 170 may obtain information on the response to the emergency from designated relevant organizations. For example, the Inter-Agency Liaison Department 170 may obtain information from designated relevant organizations regarding the arrangement and movement of emergency vehicles dispatched to the scene of the emergency.

[0044] The related agency liaison unit 170 calculates the estimated arrival time of emergency vehicles to respond to the emergency. For example, the related agency liaison unit 170 calculates the estimated arrival time of emergency vehicles based on the acquired movement status of emergency vehicles. In addition to or instead of this, the related agency liaison unit 170 may also calculate the estimated arrival time of emergency vehicles to the emergency site based on road traffic information acquired from the road traffic information management system 40. This makes it possible to move the vehicle 20 that is imaging the emergency situation to an appropriate parking location in line with the estimated arrival time of the emergency vehicles, so as not to obstruct the passage of emergency vehicles.

[0045] The vehicle control unit 180 works in conjunction with the vehicle control unit CTL of the vehicle 20 to control the autonomous driving of the vehicle 20 and the operation of various onboard equipment. In this disclosure, if the vehicle control unit 180 determines that the vehicle 20 is in motion and has encountered an emergency, it instructs the vehicle 20 to stop at a stopping point appropriate to the emergency situation, and the vehicle control unit CTL of the vehicle 20, in response, controls the vehicle 20 to stop at the stopping point. More specifically, the vehicle control unit 180 controls the vehicle 20 to move to another stopping point and stop while the vehicle 20 is being imaged by the imaging device under the control of the control device CTL, while simultaneously controlling the imaging by the imaging device to follow the main cause of the emergency in conjunction with the movement of the vehicle 20. This makes it possible to image the main cause of the emergency from multiple angles and acquire effective imaging information.

[0046] Furthermore, the vehicle control unit 180 controls the vehicle to move to one of the stopping points in order to yield to the emergency vehicle, based on the estimated arrival time calculated by the related agency coordination unit 170, before the emergency vehicle arrives at the scene of the emergency. For example, when the estimated arrival time is approaching (for example, 3 minutes before the estimated arrival time), the vehicle control unit 180 controls the vehicle to move to a stopping point that will not obstruct the passage of the emergency vehicle. This makes it possible to move the vehicle 20, which is imaging the emergency situation, to an appropriate stopping point in line with the estimated arrival time of the emergency vehicle, so as not to obstruct the passage of the emergency vehicle. Alternatively, the vehicle control unit 180 may control the vehicle to move to one of the stopping points in order to yield to the emergency vehicle when the emergency vehicle approaches the scene of the emergency. This makes it possible to image the main causal elements of the emergency from multiple angles without interfering with the activities of the emergency vehicle.

[0047] Furthermore, the vehicle control unit 180 can control the vehicle 20 to stop at a determined stopping point if the emergency recognition unit 150 determines that the vehicle ahead and / or pedestrians are able to pass. For example, the vehicle control unit 180 can control the vehicle 20 to stop at a stopping point on a road that is sufficiently wide and has a sidewalk. This ensures that, in cases where there is no spread of fire and the risk is low, a passage is secured for other vehicles and / or pedestrians to pass, minimizing disruption to traffic flow.

[0048] Furthermore, the vehicle control unit 180 may control the vehicle 20 so that it notifies the surrounding area of ​​an emergency situation via the human-machine interface (HMI) of the vehicle 20 when it has stopped at the stopping point. For example, the vehicle control unit 180 may work in cooperation with the control device CTL to notify the surrounding area of ​​an emergency situation using an external display and speaker, along with imaging by the vehicle 20's imaging device. This prevents secondary damage resulting from the emergency situation and allows those responsible for responding to the emergency to respond quickly.

[0049] Furthermore, if the emergency recognition unit 150 determines that it is not possible for other vehicles and / or pedestrians to pass, the vehicle control unit 180 may control the vehicle 20 to notify the surroundings via a human-machine interface that passage is difficult or impossible. For example, if the road is blocked by a vehicle involved in a traffic accident or if it is determined that approaching the scene is dangerous, the vehicle control unit 180 may, in cooperation with the control device CTL, notify the surroundings that passage is difficult using an external display and speaker, along with imaging by the vehicle 20's imaging device. This ensures that other vehicles and pedestrians are notified that passage is difficult, thereby preventing traffic congestion.

[0050] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of emergency response processing by a vehicle management device according to one embodiment of the present invention. This processing is realized by the vehicle management device 10 executing a vehicle management server program under the control of a processor, in cooperation with various hardware resources and the vehicle 20.

[0051] As shown in the figure, the vehicle management device 10 monitors whether or not an emergency has been recognized (whether or not the vehicle 20 has encountered an emergency) while monitoring and controlling the vehicle 20's movement (S301). That is, the vehicle 20 autonomously travels along a predetermined route under the monitoring and control of the vehicle management device 10, while transmitting the collected driving management information to the vehicle management device 10. The vehicle management device 10 acquires the driving management information transmitted from the vehicle 20 and determines whether or not the vehicle 20 has recognized an emergency based on the acquired driving management information (e.g., image information). Alternatively, the vehicle 20's control device CTL may determine whether or not an emergency has been recognized while it is traveling, and if it determines that an emergency has been recognized, it may notify the vehicle management device 10 of this fact.

[0052] If the vehicle management device 10 determines that it has recognized an emergency (Yes in S301), it then determines whether or not a user is currently in the vehicle 20 (S302). In other words, the vehicle management device 10 determines whether or not the vehicle 20 is currently in the process of providing a ride-hailing service. Furthermore, if the vehicle management device 10 determines that it has recognized an emergency, it may notify the designated relevant authorities. If the vehicle management device 10 determines that there is no user in the vehicle 20 (No in S302), it then determines the degree and extent of the danger of the emergency in order to image the scene of the emergency (S305).

[0053] On the other hand, if the vehicle management device 10 determines that a user is riding in the vehicle 20 (Yes in S302), the vehicle management device 10 then confirms with the user whether they consent to imaging the scene of the emergency (S303). For example, the vehicle management device 10 controls the system so that a message asking whether or not to consent to imaging the scene of the emergency is displayed on the user interface inside the vehicle 20. The user can then choose whether or not to consent via the user interface.

[0054] If the vehicle management device 10 determines that the user has not consented to imaging (No. in S304), the vehicle management device 10 will continue the dispatch service to transport the user to their destination without imaging the scene of the emergency, and will terminate the emergency response process.

[0055] On the other hand, if the vehicle management device 10 determines that the user has consented to imaging (Yes in S304), the vehicle management device 10 then recognizes the degree and extent of the emergency based on the imaging information transmitted from the vehicle 20 (S305). In this case, the vehicle management device 10 can recognize the main causal elements from the situation at the scene of the emergency.

[0056] Next, the vehicle management device 10 determines whether the perceived danger level of the emergency is lower than a predetermined threshold (S306). If the vehicle management device 10 determines that the perceived danger level of the emergency is not lower than the predetermined threshold (i.e., the danger level is high) (No in S306), it leaves the scene of the emergency without taking images of the scene in order to avoid danger, and the emergency response process ends.

[0057] On the other hand, if the vehicle management device 10 determines that the risk level of the recognized emergency is lower than a predetermined threshold (Yes in S306), the vehicle management device 10 determines a stopping point for imaging the scene of the emergency (S307). Details of the stopping point determination process (S307) will be described later with reference to Figures 4 and 5.

[0058] Next, the vehicle management device 10 controls the vehicle 20 to move to the determined stopping point (S308), and further controls the imaging device to track the main causative element in conjunction with the movement of the vehicle 20 (S309). This makes it possible to image the main causative element of the emergency from multiple angles and obtain effective imaging information. For example, the vehicle management device 10 instructs the vehicle 20 to move to the stopping point, and the control device CTL of the vehicle 20 receives this instruction and controls the imaging device to track the main causative element of the emergency while moving the vehicle 20 to the designated stopping point. Note that if the current position of the vehicle 20 is the designated stopping point, the vehicle 20 does not need to move.

[0059] As described above, the vehicle management device 10 controls the vehicle 20, which has moved to the stopping point, to continue imaging the scene of the emergency. Furthermore, if the degree of danger of the emergency increases while imaging the scene of the emergency, the vehicle management device 10 may control the vehicle 20 to interrupt imaging and take evasive action to avoid danger.

[0060] Next, the process for determining the stopping point in the vehicle management system 1 will be explained using Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of emergency response processing by a vehicle management device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, this figure shows the details of the stopping point determination process (S307) shown in Figure 3. Figure 5 shows the data held by the vehicle management device 10.

[0061] As shown in the figure, the vehicle management device 10 acquires the movement status of emergency vehicles dispatched from designated related organizations to the scene of an emergency and calculates the estimated arrival time of the emergency vehicles at the scene (S401). Alternatively, the vehicle management device 10 may calculate the estimated arrival time of the emergency vehicles at the scene of an emergency based on road traffic information acquired from the road traffic information management system 40. Next, the vehicle management device 10 determines whether there is a predetermined amount of time or more until the emergency vehicles arrive at the scene based on the calculated estimated arrival time (S402). Alternatively, the vehicle management device 10 may determine whether the emergency vehicles will arrive soon based on the detection of the siren or other signals of the emergency vehicles.

[0062] If the vehicle management device 10 determines that there is more than a predetermined amount of time before an emergency vehicle arrives at the scene (Yes in S402), the vehicle management device 10 then refers to the stopping point determination table shown in Figure 5 to determine whether there is a point that satisfies stopping point condition 1 (S403). Stopping point condition 1 is whether or not the point is passable by other vehicles and / or pedestrians. If the vehicle management device 10 determines that there is a point that satisfies stopping point condition 1 (Yes in S403), the vehicle management device 10 determines that point to be a stopping point (S404).

[0063] On the other hand, if the vehicle management device 10 determines that there is less than a predetermined amount of time until the emergency vehicle arrives at the scene (No. in S402), the vehicle management device 10 then refers to the stopping point determination table to determine whether there is a location that satisfies the stopping point condition 2 (S405). The stopping point condition 2 is whether the location is a single-lane road in each direction with a road width of less than or equal to a predetermined width, and is (a) a location where the shoulder of the road at the scene is wider than or equal to a predetermined width, (b) a location on a detour road to the road at the scene, or (c) a location in the parking lot of a facility adjacent to the road at the scene.

[0064] If the vehicle management device 10 determines that there is a location that satisfies the stopping location condition 2 (Yes in S405), it designates the shoulder of the road or that location as the stopping location (S406). On the other hand, if the vehicle management device 10 determines that there is no location that satisfies the stopping location condition 2 (No in S405), the vehicle management device 10 leaves the scene of the emergency without taking images of the scene in order to take measures to yield to emergency vehicles, and the emergency response process is terminated (Terminal A).

[0065] On the other hand, if the vehicle management device 10 determines that there is no location that satisfies the stopping location condition 1 (No. in S403), the vehicle management device 10 then determines whether there is a location that satisfies the stopping location condition 3 (S407). The stopping location condition 3 is whether the road at the scene of the emergency has two or more lanes in one direction or one lane in one direction and is wide enough for oncoming vehicles to pass each other in that lane. If the vehicle management device 10 determines that there is no location that satisfies the stopping location condition 3 (No. in S407), the vehicle management device 10 determines the current position of the vehicle 20 as the stopping location (S409). In this case, the vehicle management device 10 controls the vehicle 20 to notify the surroundings, for example, via a human-machine interface (HMI), that an emergency has occurred and the road is impassable.

[0066] Having determined the stopping point in this manner, the vehicle management device 10 controls the vehicle 20 to move to the determined stopping point. Alternatively, the vehicle management device 10 may also control the vehicle 20, which has been stopped at one stopping point, to move to another stopping point based on the traffic flow at the site. In this case as well, the imaging device of the vehicle 20 is controlled to track the main causal elements of the emergency situation as it moves.

[0067] As described above, according to this embodiment, when a vehicle 20 under the management of the vehicle management system 1 encounters an emergency situation such as a traffic accident involving another vehicle or a fire, it will be able to respond appropriately. In particular, according to this embodiment, when a vehicle 20 encounters an emergency situation such as a traffic accident involving another vehicle or a fire, it will be able to move and stop the vehicle 20 in an appropriate location without obstructing the passage of other vehicles, pedestrians, or emergency vehicles, capture images and sound of the situation at the scene, and share the captured video information and captured audio information with the relevant organizations.

[0068] The embodiments described above are illustrative examples for illustrating the present invention and are not intended to limit the invention to these embodiments only. The present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from its spirit.

[0069] For example, in the methods disclosed herein, steps, operations, or functions may be performed in parallel or in different orders, as long as this does not result in a contradiction in the outcome. The steps, operations, and functions described are provided merely as examples, and some of the steps, operations, and functions may be omitted, combined with each other to form a single unit, or other steps, operations, or functions may be added, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0070] Furthermore, although various embodiments are disclosed herein, specific features (technical matters) in one embodiment can be added to or replaced in other embodiments, with appropriate modifications, and such forms are also included in the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0071] 1…Vehicle Management System 10…Vehicle management system 110…Front-end processing unit 120... Vehicle Communications Department 130... Dispatch Management Department 140... Driving Management Information Acquisition Unit 150…Emergency Recognition Department 160... Stopping point determination section 170... Department for Liaison with Related Organizations 180... Vehicle Control Unit 12…Database 12a...User Information Database 12b...Road Map Information Database 12c... Vehicle Information Database 12d... Vehicle dispatch planning database 12d... Vehicle dispatch planning database 20... Vehicles 30… Information and communication terminal equipment 40…Road Traffic Information Management System N...communication network CTL...Control Unit

Claims

1. A vehicle management system for managing vehicles operating within a target area, An imaging information acquisition unit that acquires imaging information based on imaging of the surrounding space of the vehicle by an imaging device, An emergency situation recognition unit recognizes an emergency situation and the main causative elements of the emergency situation based on the acquired imaging information, A stopping point determination unit that determines at least one stopping point for the vehicle to stop based on the recognized emergency situation, The system includes a vehicle control unit that controls the vehicle to stop at the determined stopping point, The stopping point determination unit determines the stopping point to be a location where the recognized main causative element can be imaged by the imaging device, and where the passage of other vehicles and / or pedestrians is ensured. Vehicle management system.

2. The vehicle control unit, While the imaging device is imaging the main causative element, the vehicle is controlled to move to another stopping point and stop. The imaging device is controlled to track the main causal element in conjunction with the movement of the vehicle. The vehicle management system according to claim 1.

3. The emergency situation recognition unit recognizes the extent of the emergency situation on the road at the scene of the emergency based on the imaging information. The vehicle management system according to claim 1.

4. The emergency situation recognition unit recognizes the degree of danger of the emergency situation based on the imaging information. The vehicle management system according to claim 1.

5. The emergency situation recognition unit determines, based on the scope and degree of danger of the emergency situation, whether other vehicles and / or pedestrians are allowed to pass. The vehicle control unit, when it determines that the other vehicle and / or the pedestrian can pass, controls the vehicle to stop at the stopping point. The vehicle management system according to claim 4.

6. The system further includes a related organization coordination unit that provides the acquired imaging information to designated related organizations in accordance with the emergency situation. The vehicle management system according to claim 1.

7. The aforementioned Department for Liaison of Related Organizations calculates the estimated arrival time of emergency vehicles to respond to the emergency situation at the scene of the emergency, Based on the calculated estimated arrival time, the vehicle control unit controls the vehicle to move to one of the stopping points in order to yield to the emergency vehicle before the emergency vehicle arrives at the scene. The vehicle management system according to claim 6.

8. The vehicle control unit controls the vehicle to move to one of the stopping points in order to allow the emergency vehicle to move when the emergency vehicle approaches the scene of the emergency. The vehicle management system according to claim 7.

9. The aforementioned stopping point determination unit, when the road at the scene of the emergency is one lane in each direction and less than or equal to a predetermined road width, (a) A point where the shoulder of the road at the site is wider than a specified width. (b) A point on a detour road to the road at the site. (c) The location of the parking lot of the facility adjacent to the road at the aforementioned site. One of the following is determined as the stopping point: The vehicle management system according to claim 1.

10. The stopping point determination unit determines a point on the shoulder of the road as the stopping point if the road at the scene of the emergency has two or more lanes in one direction or one lane in one direction with a road width that allows two oncoming vehicles to pass each other in that lane. The vehicle management system according to claim 1.

11. The vehicle control unit controls the vehicle so that the human-machine interface of the vehicle, which has stopped at the designated stopping point, notifies the surrounding area that the emergency situation has occurred. The vehicle management system according to claim 1.

12. The emergency situation recognition unit determines whether or not other vehicles and / or pedestrians can pass based on the circumstances of the emergency situation. The vehicle control unit controls the vehicle so as to notify the surroundings via the human-machine interface that passage is difficult when it determines that passage is not possible for other vehicles and / or pedestrians. The vehicle management system according to claim 11.

13. The system further includes a dispatch management unit that dispatches the vehicle to the user in response to the user's request for a vehicle to travel to a destination. The vehicle management system according to claim 1.

14. The aforementioned dispatch management department, If the vehicle in which the user is riding encounters the scene of the emergency, the user will be presented with a confirmation to confirm whether or not they consent to the imaging device taking images of the emergency. The imaging information acquisition unit controls the imaging device to perform imaging of the emergency scene when it determines that the user has consented to the imaging. The vehicle management system according to claim 13.

15. A vehicle control method in a vehicle management system for managing vehicles traveling in a target area, To acquire imaging information based on imaging by the imaging device of the space surrounding the vehicle, Based on the acquired imaging information, the emergency situation and the main causal elements of the emergency situation are recognized, Based on the recognized emergency situation, determine at least one stopping point for the vehicle to stop, This includes controlling the vehicle so that it stops at the determined stopping point, Determining the aforementioned stopping point is This includes determining the stopping point to be a point where the recognized primary causative element fits within the imaging frame of the imaging device, and where the passage of other vehicles and / or pedestrians is ensured. Vehicle control method.

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