Information processing device, method, and program

Abstract

To improve a technique for obtaining smooth traffic inside a parking lot.SOLUTION: An information processing device 20 includes a control section 23. The control section 23 performs: determining respective priorities of a plurality of first vehicles waiting to park in a parking lot; permitting one first vehicle with the highest priority among the first vehicles to park in a parking frame when detecting leaving of a second vehicle from a parking frame existing in the parking lot; and notifying a driver of the one first vehicle of a fact that the one first vehicle is permitted to park in the parking frame.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device, a method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are known techniques for smoothing traffic in a parking lot. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for estimating the possibility of a parked vehicle exiting a parking lot. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-070585 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] There was room for improvement in the technology used to smooth traffic through parking lots.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to improve technology for smooth traffic flow within parking lots. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An information processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: An information processing device including a control unit, The control unit is determining a priority of each of a plurality of first vehicles waiting to be parked in the parking lot; when detecting an exit of a second vehicle from a parking space in the parking lot, permitting one first vehicle having the highest priority among the plurality of first vehicles to park in the parking space; The driver of the one first vehicle is notified that the one first vehicle has been permitted to park in the parking space.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method includes: A method executed by an information processing device, comprising: determining a priority of each of a plurality of first vehicles waiting to be parked in the parking lot; When detecting an exit of a second vehicle from a parking space in the parking lot, permitting one first vehicle having the highest priority among the plurality of first vehicles to park in the parking space; notifying a driver of the one first vehicle that the one first vehicle has been permitted to park in the parking space; Includes.

[0008] A program according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: In the information processing device, determining a priority of each of a plurality of first vehicles waiting to be parked in the parking lot; When detecting an exit of a second vehicle from a parking space in the parking lot, permitting one first vehicle having the highest priority among the plurality of first vehicles to park in the parking space; notifying a driver of the one first vehicle that the one first vehicle has been permitted to park in the parking space; The method executes an operation including: Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, techniques for facilitating traffic in parking lots are improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle. [Diagram 3] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information processing device; [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the information processing device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5]10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the information processing device according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described.

[0012] (Overview of the embodiment) An overview of a system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The system 1 includes a vehicle 10 and an information processing device 20. The vehicle 10 and the information processing device 20 are communicatively connected to a network 30 including, for example, the Internet and a mobile communication network.

[0013] The vehicle 10 is, for example, an automobile, but is not limited thereto and may be any vehicle. The automobile may be any type of automobile, such as a gasoline vehicle, a diesel vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), a battery electric vehicle (BEV), or a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV). In this embodiment, the vehicle 10 is driven by a driver, but the driving may be automated at any level. The level of automation is, for example, any of levels 1 to 5 in the level classification of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). The vehicle 10 may be a vehicle dedicated to MaaS (Mobility as a Service). The number of vehicles 10 provided in the system 1 may be determined arbitrarily.

[0014] The information processing device 20 is, for example, a computer such as a server device. The information processing device 20 is capable of communicating with the vehicles 10 via a network 30. The information processing device 20 is capable of acquiring vehicle information from each vehicle 10. "Vehicle information" includes information indicating the position of the vehicle 10 (hereinafter also referred to as "vehicle position information"), the direction, the vehicle speed, the lamp illumination state, and ACC (accessory) / IGN (ignition)-ON / OFF, but is not limited thereto, and may include any information related to the vehicle.

[0015] First, an overview of this embodiment will be described, and details will be described later. The information processing device 20 determines the priority of each of a plurality of first vehicles waiting to be parked in a parking lot. When the information processing device 20 detects the exit of a second vehicle from a parking space in the parking lot, it allows one first vehicle with the highest priority among the plurality of first vehicles to park in the parking space. The information processing device 20 notifies the driver of one first vehicle that the one first vehicle has been allowed to park in the parking space.

[0016] In this way, according to the present embodiment, the driver of one first vehicle is notified that parking in the parking space has been permitted. Conventionally, for example, when there are multiple first vehicles waiting to park around a parking space, when the parking space becomes available, it was up to each driver to decide which first vehicle would secure the parking space. Since drivers tend to avoid being preempted by others, parking operations may be started simultaneously, which makes it easy for multiple vehicles to compete for access to the available parking space. In contrast, according to the present embodiment, the driver of one first vehicle is explicitly notified that parking in the available parking space has been permitted. Therefore, the driver of the one first vehicle who has received the notification can start parking in the permitted parking space with peace of mind. Therefore, the technology for smooth traffic in a parking lot is improved in that the probability of avoiding access competition between multiple vehicles for the parking space is improved.

[0017] Next, each component of the system 1 will be described in detail.

[0018] (Vehicle configuration) As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 10 includes a communication unit 11, a positioning unit 12, an output unit 13, an input unit 14, a storage unit 15, and a control unit 16.

[0019] The communication unit 11 includes one or more communication interfaces connected to the network 30. The communication interfaces correspond to mobile communication standards such as, but are not limited to, 4G (4th Generation) or 5G (5th Generation). In this embodiment, the vehicle 10 communicates with the information processing device 20 via the communication unit 11 and the network 30.

[0020] The positioning unit 12 includes one or more devices that acquire position information of the vehicle 10. Specifically, the positioning unit 12 includes, for example, a receiver compatible with the Global Positioning System (GPS), but is not limited thereto, and may include a receiver compatible with any satellite positioning system.

[0021] The output unit 13 includes one or more output devices that output information to notify the user. The output devices are, for example, but not limited to, a display that outputs information as a video or a speaker that outputs information as a sound.

[0022] The input unit 14 includes one or more input devices that detect user input. The input devices include, but are not limited to, physical keys, capacitive keys, a touch screen that is integrated with the display of the output unit 13, a microphone that accepts voice input, or a camera.

[0023] The storage unit 15 includes one or more memories. The memories are, for example, but not limited to, semiconductor memories, magnetic memories, or optical memories. Each memory included in the storage unit 15 may function, for example, as a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 15 stores any information used in the operation of the vehicle 10. For example, the storage unit 15 may store a system program, an application program, embedded software, and the like. The information stored in the storage unit 15 may be updatable, for example, with information acquired from the network 30 via the communication unit 11.

[0024] The control unit 16 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The processor is, for example, but is not limited to, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. The programmable circuit is, for example, but is not limited to, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). The dedicated circuit is, for example, but is not limited to, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The control unit 16 controls the operation of the entire vehicle 10.

[0025] (Configuration of information processing device) As shown in FIG. 3, the information processing device 20 includes a communication unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a control unit .

[0026] The communication unit 21 includes one or more communication interfaces connected to the network 30. The communication interface corresponds to, for example, a mobile communication standard, a wired LAN (Local Area Network) standard, or a wireless LAN standard, but is not limited to these and may correspond to any communication standard. In this embodiment, the information processing device 20 communicates with the vehicle 10 via the communication unit 21 and the network 30.

[0027] The storage unit 22 includes one or more memories. Each memory included in the storage unit 22 may function as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 22 stores any information used in the operation of the information processing device 20. For example, the storage unit 22 may store a system program, an application program, a database, map information, and the like. The information stored in the storage unit 22 may be updatable with information acquired from the network 30 via the communication unit 21, for example.

[0028] The control unit 23 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The control unit 23 controls the operation of the information processing device 20 as a whole.

[0029] (Operation flow of information processing device) The operation of the information processing device 20 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. The operation of Fig. 4 corresponds to the method according to the present embodiment. The operation of Fig. 4 is repeatedly executed, for example, at a predetermined cycle. The predetermined cycle can be arbitrarily determined.

[0030] Step S100: The control unit 23 of the information processing device 20 determines the priority of each of a plurality of first vehicles waiting to be parked in the parking lot.

[0031] The "first vehicle" corresponds to a vehicle 10 that is stopped or moving on the roadway of the parking lot and waiting for a parking space to become available. Based on the vehicle position information received from each vehicle 10 that can communicate via the communication unit 21 and the parking lot map, the control unit 23 identifies each vehicle 10 that is stopped or moving on the roadway of the parking lot as a first vehicle waiting to be parked in the parking lot. The parking lot map may include information indicating the position of each parking space in the parking lot and the shape, position, and direction of the roadway, but is not limited to these examples, and may include any information related to traffic in the parking lot, such as the positions of pillars and walls in the parking lot. The parking lot map may be stored in the storage unit 22 in advance, or may be received from the parking lot management server via the communication unit 21, for example. The "priority" is a value that determines the order in which first vehicles are permitted to park in each parking space, and first vehicles with higher priority are permitted to park in the parking spaces in order. When determining the priority, the control unit 23 calculates a score of the first vehicle for each combination of one first vehicle and one parking space by using at least one method described later. The control unit 23 increases the priority of the first vehicle for the parking space as the total score, which is the total value of the scores calculated by each method, increases. For example, the control unit 23 may regard the total score of the first vehicle as the priority of the first vehicle.

[0032] Here, a specific example of a method for calculating the score will be described. In a first method, the control unit 23 calculates a first score of the first vehicle for the parking space based on a relative positional relationship between the parking space and the first vehicle.

[0033] For example, for each identified first vehicle, the control unit 23 calculates the distance between the first vehicle and each parking space based on the vehicle position information of the first vehicle and the map inside the parking lot. The calculated distance may be the straight-line distance between the first vehicle and the parking space, or the distance along the roadway inside the parking lot. The control unit 23 increases the first score of the first vehicle for the parking space as the distance between the first vehicle and the parking space is shorter. As a result, when an exit from a parking space is detected, the closer the first vehicle is to the parking space, the more likely it is that parking will be permitted, which makes it easier to shorten the time from the detection of exit to the completion of entry per parking space.

[0034] For example, the control unit 23 determines the ease of parking for each of the identified first vehicles in each parking frame. "Ease of parking" means that the parking operation of the first vehicle in a parking frame starts with a forward movement rather than a backward movement. The control unit 23 increases the first score of the first vehicle for the parking frame determined to be easier to park in the parking frame. In this case, the control unit 23 acquires information indicating the orientation of each first vehicle in addition to the vehicle position information and the parking lot map. Any method can be adopted to acquire the information indicating the orientation of each first vehicle. For example, the control unit 23 may directly acquire information indicating the orientation of the first vehicle from the first vehicle, or may specify the traveling direction of the roadway in which the first vehicle is located as the orientation of the first vehicle based on the parking lot map. As an example, when two first vehicles are waiting to park around a parking frame, the parking frame is located behind one of the first vehicles and in front of the other first vehicle. In one first vehicle, the parking operation into the parking space starts with a backward movement, but in the other first vehicle, the parking operation into the parking space starts with a forward movement. In other words, the other first vehicle is in a situation where it is easier to park. Therefore, the control unit 23 makes the first score of the one first vehicle lower than that of the other first vehicle. This makes it easier to shorten the time from the detection of the exit from the parking space to the completion of the entry while ensuring the safety of the entry operation when the exit from the parking space is detected.

[0035] In the second method, the control unit 23 calculates the second score of the first vehicle based on the waiting time of the first vehicle. Specifically, the control unit 23 measures the waiting time of the first vehicle waiting to park around a certain parking space. Here, any method can be adopted to identify the first vehicle waiting to park around a parking space. For example, the control unit 23 calculates the distance between the first vehicle and the parking space for each combination of one first vehicle and one parking space based on the vehicle position information received from each first vehicle and the map inside the parking lot. If the calculated distance is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, the control unit 23 identifies the first vehicle as the first vehicle waiting to park around the parking space. In addition, any method can be adopted to measure the waiting time. For example, the control unit 23 may measure the accumulated value of the time that the first vehicle is stopped on the roadway inside the parking lot as the waiting time of the first vehicle. Alternatively, the control unit 23 may measure the accumulated value of the time that the first vehicle is located on the roadway inside the parking lot as the waiting time. The control unit 23 sets a higher second score as the measured waiting time becomes longer. As a result, when an exit from a parking space is detected, the first vehicle that started waiting for parking at an earlier stopping time is more likely to be permitted to park, which makes it easier to ensure fairness among drivers.

[0036] In the third method, the control unit 23 calculates the third score of the first vehicle at the head of a group of first vehicles waiting in a queue based on the number of first vehicles included in the group of first vehicles. Specifically, the control unit 23 acquires information indicating the lamp lighting state and orientation of each first vehicle in addition to the vehicle position information and the map inside the parking lot, and identifies two or more first vehicles that are stopped facing the same traveling direction at a predetermined inter-vehicle distance with their hazard lights on as the group of first vehicles waiting in a queue. The method for identifying the group of first vehicles is not limited to this example, and any method can be adopted, such as identifying a plurality of first vehicles whose inter-vehicle distance along the roadway inside the lot is equal to or less than a threshold (e.g., 2 m or less) as the group of first vehicles. The control unit 23 increases the third score of the first vehicle at the head of the queue as the number of first vehicles included in the identified group of first vehicles increases. For example, when a first matrix including four first vehicles and a second matrix including two first vehicles are specified, the control unit 23 sets the score of the first vehicle at the head of the first matrix to be relatively higher than that of the first vehicle at the head of the second matrix. As a result, when an exit from a parking space is detected, first vehicles that belong to a longer matrix that obstructs traffic in the parking lot are more likely to be permitted to park, making it easier to avoid crowding of first vehicles in the parking lot.

[0037] In the fourth method, the control unit 23 calculates the fourth score of each of the first vehicles based on the relative positional relationship between the first vehicles. Specifically, the control unit 23 calculates the fourth score of a first vehicle based on the number of other first vehicles (hereinafter, also referred to as "visible vehicles") that exist in positions where the first vehicle can be seen. Here, any method can be adopted to determine whether a first vehicle is visible to other first vehicles. For example, the control unit 23 determines whether the following conditions are met based on the vehicle position information of two first vehicles A and B and a map of the parking lot: there is no obstacle (e.g., a wall, a pillar, or a vehicle 10 other than the first vehicles A and B) between the vehicles, and the distance between the vehicles along the roadway in the parking lot is equal to or less than a threshold (e.g., 20 m or less). When it is determined that the first vehicles A and B satisfy the condition, the control unit 23 determines that the first vehicles A and B are in positions where they can see each other, and increases the number of vehicles in the visible range for each of the first vehicles A and B by 1. After it is determined that the first vehicles A and B satisfy the condition, when one or both of the first vehicles A and B move and no longer satisfy the above condition for some reason, the control unit 23 may decrease the number of vehicles in the visible range for the corresponding first vehicle by 1. The control unit 23 lowers the fourth score of one first vehicle as the number of vehicles in the visible range counted in this way increases. For example, it is assumed that there are two first vehicles C and D waiting to park around a certain parking space, and the waiting time of the first vehicle C is shorter than that of the first vehicle D. Here, the priority of each first vehicle for the parking space is determined based on the total score, which is the total value of the scores calculated by each of the above-mentioned methods. Therefore, when an exit from the parking space is detected, the first vehicle C with a short waiting time may be permitted to enter the parking space, instead of the first vehicle D with a long waiting time. In such a case, if the first vehicle C with a short waiting time is visible to the driver of the first vehicle D with a long waiting time, the driver of the first vehicle D with a long waiting time may feel that the parking space has been preempted and may become dissatisfied. Therefore, the control unit 23 lowers the fourth score of one first vehicle as the number of vehicles in the visible range increases. This makes it easier to smooth traffic in the parking lot while minimizing the dissatisfaction of the drivers of the other first vehicles.

[0038] Then, the control unit 23 calculates a total score, which is the sum of the scores thus determined, for each first vehicle. The control unit 23 may determine the score using at least one of the first method to the fourth method. When all of the first method to the fourth method are used, the total score is the sum of the first score to the fourth score. However, the method for determining the score is not limited to the first method to the fourth method, and any method that facilitates smooth traffic in the parking lot can be adopted. The control unit 23 considers a first vehicle with a higher total score to have a higher priority. The control unit 23 stores the first score to the fourth score, the total score, and the priority of the first vehicle for each parking space in a database (hereinafter also referred to as a "priority database") of the storage unit 22 for each first vehicle.

[0039] Step S101: The control unit 23 detects the exit of the second vehicle from a parking space in the parking lot. If the exit of the second vehicle is not detected (step S101-No), the process ends. If the exit of the second vehicle is detected (step S101-Yes), the process proceeds to step S102.

[0040] The "second vehicle" corresponds to a vehicle 10 parked in any of the parking spaces in the parking lot. For example, the control unit 23 identifies each vehicle 10 that is determined to be located within a parking space based on the vehicle position information received from each vehicle 10 and the map of the parking lot as the second vehicle.

[0041] Any method may be used to detect the exit of the second vehicle. For example, the control unit 23 may determine that the exit of the second vehicle has been detected when it detects that the IGN of the second vehicle has been switched from OFF to ON, or when it detects that the vehicle speed of the second vehicle has exceeded 0 km / h. Alternatively, the control unit 23 may determine that the exit of the second vehicle from the parking space has been detected when it receives information indicating the parking space from a parking management system managed by a company that operates the parking space, for example.

[0042] Step S102: If the exit of a second vehicle from a parking space is detected (Step S101-Yes), the control unit 23 permits one first vehicle among the multiple first vehicles that has the highest priority determined in Step S100 to park in the parking space.

[0043] Specifically, the control unit 23 compares the priorities of the first vehicles for the parking frame by referring to the priority database in the storage unit 22. Then, the control unit 23 permits one first vehicle having the highest priority for the parking frame to park in the parking frame.

[0044] Step S103: The control unit 23 notifies the driver of the first vehicle having the highest priority identified in step S102 that the first vehicle is permitted to park in the parking frame.

[0045] Specifically, the control unit 23 transmits permission information to one first vehicle that has been permitted to park in the parking space in step 102, and outputs the permission information via the output unit 13 of the first vehicle, thereby notifying the driver of the first vehicle that parking in the parking space has been permitted. When the control unit 16 of the first vehicle 10 receives the permission information from the information processing device 20 via the communication unit 11, it outputs the permission information via the output unit 13. Note that the destination of the permission information is not limited to the first vehicle, and may be, for example, a terminal device of the driver associated with the first vehicle or a navigation device mounted on the first vehicle. In addition, the permission information may include, for example, position information of the parking space and a message indicating that parking in the parking space has been permitted, but is not limited thereto, and may include any information that encourages parking in the parking space, such as information indicating the parking space number and information indicating a recommended route to the parking space.

[0046] The operation of the information processing device 20 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. The operation in Fig. 5 corresponds to a method according to a modified example of this embodiment. The processes from steps S200 to S203 are similar to steps S100 to S103 described in the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described. The following mainly describes the differences from the first embodiment.

[0047] Step S204: The control unit 23 judges whether there is another first vehicle waiting to park around the parking frame other than the one first vehicle identified in step 203. If it is judged that there is no other first vehicle (step S204-No), the process ends. If it is judged that there is another first vehicle (step S204-Yes), the process proceeds to step S205.

[0048] Specifically, the control unit 23 calculates the distance between each first vehicle and each parking space for each combination of the first vehicle and the parking space based on the vehicle position information received from each first vehicle and the parking space map. The control unit 23 determines whether there is a first vehicle whose calculated distance is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold (e.g., the distance from the center of the parking space). The control unit 23 identifies the first vehicle whose calculated distance is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold as another first vehicle waiting to park in the vicinity of the parking space.

[0049] Step S205: If it is determined that there is another first vehicle waiting to park in the vicinity of the parking space (Step S204-Yes), the control unit 23 notifies the driver of the other first vehicle that a first vehicle has been permitted to park in the parking space.

[0050] Specifically, the control unit 23 notifies the driver of the position information of the parking space in which one first vehicle is permitted to park in step 202 by transmitting the position information to the other first vehicle identified in step 204 and outputting the information. As described in step S103, any method can be adopted to notify the driver of the other first vehicle of the position information of the parking space.

[0051] Step S206: The control unit 23 detects the exit of the third vehicle from another parking frame in the parking lot. If the exit of the third vehicle is not detected (step S206-No), the process ends. If the exit of the third vehicle is detected (step S206-Yes), the process proceeds to step S207.

[0052] The "third vehicle" corresponds to a vehicle 10 parked in a parking space different from the second vehicle in step S201. Based on the vehicle position information received from each vehicle 10 and the parking lot map, the control unit 23 determines whether or not there is a vehicle 10 that has left a parking space different from the parking space of the vehicle 10 corresponding to the second vehicle whose exit was detected in step S201. The control unit 23 identifies the vehicle 10 determined to have left the parking space as the third vehicle.

[0053] Step S207: When the exit of the third vehicle is detected (Step S206-Yes), the control unit 23 determines whether or not to permit the different first vehicle to park in the different parking frame.

[0054] Specifically, the control unit 23 specifies a relative positional relationship between the first parking frame corresponding to the parking frame from which the exit of the second vehicle was detected in step S201 and the second parking frame corresponding to the other parking frame from which the exit of the third vehicle was detected in step S206, based on the map in the parking lot. The control unit 23 judges whether the specified relative positional relationship will cause an obstacle to traffic in the parking lot. The control unit 23 judges whether to permit the other first vehicle to park in the other parking frame according to the judgment result. For example, when the first parking frame and the second parking frame are located in opposing positions, from the viewpoint of safety, the third vehicle cannot start parking operation in the second parking frame until the entry of the second vehicle into the first parking frame is completed. That is, a certain waiting time occurs in the third vehicle, making it difficult to smooth traffic in the parking lot. In this case, the control unit 23 judges that the specified relative positional relationship will cause an obstacle to traffic in the parking lot. Then, the control unit 23 decides not to permit the other first vehicle to park in the other parking frame. On the other hand, if the first parking space and the second parking space are located far enough apart that the third vehicle does not have to wait for a certain time, the control unit 23 determines that the specified relative positional relationship does not cause any disruption to traffic in the parking lot. Then, the control unit 23 determines to permit the different first vehicle to park in the different parking space.

[0055] Step S208: If it is decided to permit another first vehicle to park in another parking space (Step S207-Yes), the control unit 23 notifies the driver of the other first vehicle that the other first vehicle has been permitted to park in the other parking space.

[0056] Specifically, the control unit 23 notifies the driver of another first vehicle that has decided in step 207 to be permitted to park in the other parking space by transmitting and outputting the location information of the other parking space to the other first vehicle.

[0057] As described above, the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment determines the priority of each of a plurality of first vehicles waiting to be parked in a parking lot. When the information processing device 20 detects the exit of a second vehicle from a parking space in the parking lot, it allows one first vehicle with the highest priority among the plurality of first vehicles to park in the parking space. The information processing device 20 notifies the driver of the one first vehicle that the one first vehicle has been allowed to park in the parking space.

[0058] According to this configuration, the driver of the one first vehicle is notified that parking in the parking space is permitted. In other words, the driver of the one first vehicle is explicitly notified that parking in the vacant parking space is permitted. Therefore, the driver of the one first vehicle who has received the notification can confidently start parking in the permitted parking space. Therefore, the technology for smoothing traffic in the parking lot is improved in that the probability of avoiding access competition between multiple vehicles for the parking space is improved.

[0059] Although the present disclosure has been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art may make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component or step can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent, and multiple components or steps can be combined or divided into one.

[0060] In the above-described embodiment, the configuration and operation of the information processing device 20 may be distributed among multiple computers that can communicate with each other. For example, the components of the information processing device 20 according to the above-described embodiment may be distributed among a first server managed by an operator who operates a facility such as a store attached to a parking lot, and a second server managed by an operator who operates the parking lot itself. In addition, for example, an embodiment in which some or all of the components of the information processing device 20 are provided in the vehicle 10 may be possible. For example, a navigation device mounted on the vehicle 10 may include some or all of the components of the information processing device 20.

[0061] In the above-described embodiment, the priority of a certain first vehicle may be set higher than that of other first vehicles for some parking spaces. For example, the priority of a first vehicle corresponding to a welfare vehicle may be set higher than that of a first vehicle that is not a welfare vehicle for one or more parking spaces located near the entrance of a store. According to such a configuration, even if it is considered appropriate from the viewpoint of smooth traffic in the parking lot to allow the first vehicle with the highest calculated total score to park in the vacant parking space, if there is an inconvenience from another viewpoint, such as legal or socially accepted reasons, the priority determination process can be appropriately modified to reduce the likelihood of the inconvenience occurring.

[0062] Also, for example, an embodiment is possible in which a general-purpose computer functions as the information processing device 20 according to the above-described embodiment. Specifically, a program describing the processing contents for realizing each function of the information processing device 20 according to the above-described embodiment is stored in the memory of the general-purpose computer, and the program is read and executed by a processor. Therefore, the present disclosure can also be realized as a program executable by a processor, or a non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores the program. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 1 System 10 Vehicles 11 Communications Department 12 Positioning unit 13 Output section 14 Input section 15 Storage section 16 Control section 20 Information processing device 21 Communications Department 22 Memory section 23 Control Unit 30 Network

Claims

1. An information processing device including a control unit, The control unit is determining a priority of each of a plurality of first vehicles waiting to be parked in the parking lot, the priority of a first vehicle at the head of a queue of first vehicles waiting to be parked, based on the number of first vehicles included in the group of first vehicles; When detecting an exit of a second vehicle from a parking space in the parking lot, permitting one first vehicle having the highest priority among the plurality of first vehicles to park in the parking space; an information processing device that notifies a driver of the one first vehicle that the one first vehicle has been permitted to park in the parking space;

2. An information processing device having a control unit, The control unit is determining whether or not a relative positional relationship between the first vehicles is such that the first vehicles can be visually recognized relative to one another, and determining a priority of each of the first vehicles based on the number of other first vehicles that are visually recognized relative to one another; When detecting an exit of a second vehicle from a parking space in the parking lot, permitting one first vehicle having the highest priority among the plurality of first vehicles to park in the parking space; an information processing device that notifies a driver of the one first vehicle that the one first vehicle has been permitted to park in the parking space;

3. 3. The information processing device according to claim 1, The control unit determines a priority of the first vehicle based on a relative positional relationship between the parking space and the first vehicle.

4. 4. The information processing device according to claim 1, The control unit determines a priority of the first vehicle based on a waiting time of the first vehicle.

5. 5. The information processing device according to claim 1, The control unit is an information processing device that notifies a driver of another first vehicle waiting to park in the vicinity of the parking space that the one first vehicle has been permitted to park in the parking space.

6. 6. The information processing device according to claim 5, The control unit is When detecting the exit of a third vehicle from another parking frame in the parking lot, determine whether a relative positional relationship between the parking frame and the other parking frame will cause an interruption to traffic in the parking lot, and determine whether to permit the other first vehicle to park in the other parking frame according to the determination result; When it is determined that the different first vehicle is permitted to park in the different parking space, a driver of the different first vehicle is notified that the different first vehicle is permitted to park in the different parking space. Information processing device.

7. A method executed by an information processing device, comprising: determining a priority of each of a plurality of first vehicles waiting to be parked in the parking lot, the priority of a first vehicle at the head of a queue of first vehicles waiting to be parked being determined based on the number of first vehicles included in the group of first vehicles; when detecting an exit of a second vehicle from a parking space in the parking lot, permitting one first vehicle having the highest priority among the plurality of first vehicles to park in the parking space; notifying a driver of the one first vehicle that the one first vehicle has been permitted to park in the parking space; A method comprising:

8. A method executed by an information processing device, comprising: determining a priority of each of a plurality of first vehicles waiting to be parked in a parking lot, by determining whether or not a relative positional relationship between the plurality of first vehicles is a positional relationship in which the first vehicles can be visually recognized relative to each other, and determining a priority of each of the plurality of first vehicles based on the number of other first vehicles that are in a positional relationship in which the first vehicles can be visually recognized; when detecting an exit of a second vehicle from a parking space in the parking lot, permitting one first vehicle having the highest priority among the plurality of first vehicles to park in the parking space; notifying a driver of the one first vehicle that the one first vehicle has been permitted to park in the parking space; A method comprising:

9. 9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, The method includes determining a priority of each of a plurality of first vehicles waiting to be parked in the parking lot, the method including determining a priority of the first vehicles based on a relative positional relationship between the parking space and the first vehicles.

10. 10. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, comprising: The method, wherein determining a priority for each of a plurality of first vehicles waiting to park in the parking lot includes determining a priority for the first vehicles based on a waiting time of the first vehicles.

11. 11. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 10, comprising: The method further includes notifying a driver of another first vehicle waiting to park in the vicinity of the parking space that the one first vehicle has been permitted to park in the parking space.

12. 12. The method of claim 11, When detecting the exit of a third vehicle from another parking frame in the parking lot, determine whether or not a relative positional relationship between the parking frame and the other parking frame will cause an interruption to traffic in the parking lot, and determine whether or not to permit the other first vehicle to park in the other parking frame according to the determination result; When it is determined that the different first vehicle is permitted to park in the different parking space, notifying a driver of the different first vehicle that the different first vehicle is permitted to park in the different parking space; The method further comprises:

13. In the information processing device, determining a priority of each of a plurality of first vehicles waiting to be parked in the parking lot, the priority of a first vehicle at the head of a queue of first vehicles waiting to be parked being determined based on the number of first vehicles included in the group of first vehicles; when detecting an exit of a second vehicle from a parking space in the parking lot, permitting one first vehicle having the highest priority among the plurality of first vehicles to park in the parking space; notifying a driver of the one first vehicle that the one first vehicle has been permitted to park in the parking space; A program that causes an operation including

14. An information processing device comprising: determining a priority of each of a plurality of first vehicles waiting to be parked in a parking lot, by determining whether or not a relative positional relationship between the plurality of first vehicles is a positional relationship in which the first vehicles can be visually recognized relative to each other, and determining a priority of each of the plurality of first vehicles based on the number of other first vehicles that are in a positional relationship in which the first vehicles can be visually recognized; when detecting an exit of a second vehicle from a parking space in the parking lot, permitting one first vehicle having the highest priority among the plurality of first vehicles to park in the parking space; notifying a driver of the one first vehicle that the one first vehicle has been permitted to park in the parking space; A program that causes an operation including

15. 15. The program according to claim 13 or 14, The program includes determining the priority of each of a plurality of first vehicles waiting to be parked in the parking lot, the program including determining the priority of the first vehicles based on a relative positional relationship between the parking space and the first vehicles.

16. 16. The program according to claim 13, The program, wherein determining a priority of each of a plurality of first vehicles waiting to be parked in the parking lot includes determining a priority of the first vehicles based on a waiting time of the first vehicles.

17. 17. The program according to any one of claims 13 to 16, The program, wherein the operation further includes notifying a driver of another first vehicle waiting to park in the vicinity of the parking space that the one first vehicle has been permitted to park in the parking space.

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