System, method, and program for managing unmanned autonomous vehicles

Abstract

To operate an unmanned automatic driving vehicle with no driver inside without occurrence of battery exhaustion.SOLUTION: In a system 100, in a case where charging to an unmanned automatic driving vehicle, e.g., a robo-taxi 2 which travels with power is required, work for charging to the robo-taxi 2 is requested by using a smartphone 8 to a person 4 around a charging facility 30, e.g., a driver of an electric vehicle 6 being charged. In that case, the work for charging to the robo-taxi 2 may also be requested in exchange for granting incentive.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a system, method, and program for managing unmanned autonomous vehicles such as robotaxis, and more particularly, to a system, method, and program for managing charging of unmanned autonomous vehicles that run on electricity. [Background technology]

[0002] When an unmanned autonomous vehicle that runs on electricity operates as a robotaxi, it will need to be charged at some point. However, as disclosed in JP 10-144357 A, general charging equipment requires the connection / disconnection of a connector to the vehicle. For an unmanned autonomous vehicle without a driver on board, it is desirable for charging to be performed fully automatically. However, it is not easy to perform fully automatic connection / disconnection of a connector. If the battery runs out, not only will the unmanned autonomous vehicle be unable to operate as a robotaxi, but it will also be difficult for it to return to its owner. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-144357 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems. The present disclosure has an object to enable an unmanned autonomous vehicle without a driver to operate without running out of battery. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present disclosure provides a system for achieving the above object. The system of the present disclosure includes one or more processors and a memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing a plurality of executable instructions. The plurality of instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to execute, when it becomes necessary to charge an unmanned autonomous vehicle that runs on electricity, a request to a person in the vicinity of a charging facility using an HMI to perform work for charging the unmanned autonomous vehicle.

[0006] The present disclosure also provides a method for achieving the above object, which is a method for managing an unmanned autonomous vehicle that runs on electricity using a computer, and includes, when charging of the unmanned autonomous vehicle is required, using an HMI to request a person in the vicinity of a charging facility to perform the task of charging the unmanned autonomous vehicle.

[0007] The present disclosure also provides a program for achieving the above object. The program of the present disclosure is configured to cause a computer to execute a request for charging an unmanned autonomous vehicle that runs on electricity, using an HMI, to a person in the vicinity of a charging facility to perform the task of charging the unmanned autonomous vehicle. The program of the present disclosure can be stored in a computer-readable recording medium.

[0008] According to the system, method, and program of the present disclosure, an unmanned autonomous vehicle can operate without running out of battery by having a person assist in charging. In addition, if a person can assist in charging, there is an advantage that there is no need to perform fully automatic connection / disconnection of the connector, which is technically difficult.

[0009] In the system, method, and program disclosed herein, requesting a task for charging an unmanned autonomous vehicle may include requesting a user using a charging facility to perform the task for charging the unmanned autonomous vehicle. The user using the charging facility is the person closest to the unmanned autonomous vehicle, and can be said to be the person who is most likely to assist with charging.

[0010] In the system, method, and program disclosed herein, the request for charging the unmanned autonomous vehicle may be executed in response to detection that the unmanned autonomous vehicle is waiting at a charging facility. The person who is requested to perform the charging work can easily assist the unmanned autonomous vehicle because it only needs to perform the charging work for the unmanned autonomous vehicle that is already waiting. It becomes easier for the unmanned autonomous vehicle to receive assistance with charging from people in the vicinity of the charging facility.

[0011] In the system, method, and program disclosed herein, when charging of an unmanned autonomous vehicle becomes necessary, the unmanned autonomous vehicle may be directed to a charging facility where a user is present. If a user is present at the charging facility, the possibility of assistance being provided to the unmanned autonomous vehicle increases. If there are multiple charging facilities with users, the charging facility with the most users may be selected.

[0012] In the system, method, and program disclosed herein, the HMI used to request the work for charging may be a mobile terminal carried by a person in the vicinity of the charging facility, or may be an in-vehicle terminal of a vehicle in which a person in the vicinity of the charging facility is riding. More specifically, a person who has registered an application in a mobile terminal or an in-vehicle terminal may be requested to perform the work for charging via the application. By directly notifying the person of the work for charging via the application, the person who is notified has a higher sense of ownership regarding assistance for the unmanned autonomous vehicle. This increases the possibility of receiving assistance with the work for charging. In addition, the HMI used to request the work for charging may be an outward-facing HMI attached to the unmanned autonomous vehicle.

[0013] In the system, method, and program of the present disclosure, requesting the task of charging the unmanned autonomous vehicle may include requesting the task of charging the unmanned autonomous vehicle in exchange for providing an incentive. Providing the incentive increases the possibility of receiving assistance with the task of charging. If an application is registered in the mobile terminal or the in-vehicle terminal, the incentive may be provided using the application. Effect of the Invention

[0014] As described above, according to the system, method, and program disclosed herein, by getting people near the charging facility to help charge the unmanned autonomous vehicle, an unmanned autonomous vehicle without a driver can be operated without running out of battery. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a management system for an unmanned autonomous vehicle (robo-taxi) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an instruction to a robotaxi regarding charging facilities from a vehicle management server. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a smartphone screen that displays the status of nearby charging facilities to a potential collaborator. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing a flow of a request process performed by the charging facility management server to potential collaborators. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a smartphone screen for requesting a potential collaborator to assist with charging a robotaxi. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Below, a system for managing unmanned autonomous vehicles according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method executed by the management system, and a program for causing a computer to execute the method will be described with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, a system for managing unmanned autonomous vehicles will be referred to as a management system, and a method executed by the management system will be referred to as a management method. Also, a program for causing a computer to execute the management method will be referred to as a management program.

[0017] In this specification, an unmanned autonomous vehicle refers to an autonomous vehicle that does not have a person on board who can perform tasks to maintain the operation of the vehicle, such as a driver. However, it does not necessarily mean that the vehicle is always unmanned. For example, an autonomous vehicle owned by an individual and normally driven by that individual as the driver becomes an unmanned autonomous vehicle when it is used as an unmanned taxi when the individual is not planning to use the vehicle. An autonomous vehicle used as an unmanned taxi is generally called a robotaxi. In this embodiment, the unmanned autonomous vehicle that is managed by the management system is a robotaxi.

[0018] An autonomous vehicle serving as a robotaxi is equipped with an autonomous driving system capable of autonomous driving at level 4 or higher as defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) in the United States. The autonomous driving system is equipped with external sensors such as cameras and LiDAR that recognize the vehicle's surroundings, vehicle state sensors that detect vehicle states such as acceleration and yaw rate, and one or more ECUs that process information from these sensors to generate a target trajectory for the vehicle. The configuration and functions of an autonomous driving system are publicly known, and since the publicly known systems can be applied to autonomous vehicles, a detailed description of the autonomous driving system will be omitted.

[0019] A robotaxi in this specification is an electric vehicle that has a rechargeable battery and runs on electricity stored in the battery, such as a battery electric vehicle (BEV) or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). Therefore, the operation for maintaining operation in this specification typically refers to the operation for charging the electric vehicle, specifically, the operation of connecting the charger connector to the electric vehicle and the operation of removing the connector from the electric vehicle.

[0020] The configuration of the management system according to this embodiment is shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the management system 100 includes a vehicle management server 10 and a charging equipment management server 20. The vehicle management server 10 and the charging equipment management server 20 are connected via a network. However, the vehicle management server 10 and the charging equipment management server 20 may be integrated into a single server. Furthermore, each of the vehicle management server 10 and the charging equipment management server 20 may be composed of multiple servers connected via a network.

[0021] The vehicle management server 10 is a server that manages the operation of the robotaxis 2. The vehicle management server 10 manages the operation of multiple robotaxis 2 operating in a specified area. The vehicle management server 10 includes a processor 12 and a program memory 14. The processor 12 is communicatively coupled to the program memory 14. The program memory 14 is a non-transitory storage medium that stores multiple executable instructions 16. When at least a portion of the multiple instructions 16 are executed by the processor 12, the following functions are realized in the vehicle management server 10.

[0022] Functions realized by the vehicle management server 10 include performing operations necessary for operating the robotaxi 2, such as accepting reservations from taxi users, dispatching the robotaxi 2 to the taxi user, creating a route for the robotaxi 2 to the destination, and grasping the current location of the robotaxi 2. The vehicle management server 10 also has a function for managing the charging state of the battery 2a of the robotaxi 2. According to this management function, the vehicle management server 10 obtains information on the charging state of the battery 2a (SOC information) from the robotaxi 2 at regular time intervals. Then, when it is detected that the SOC has dropped below a threshold, it issues an instruction to go to a charging facility 30.

[0023] The charging facility management server 20 is a server that manages the charging facility 30. The charging facility 30 is a facility provided within a city for charging electric vehicles. One or more chargers 34 are installed in the charging facility 30. The chargers 34 are manually operated chargers that require a person to connect the connector to the electric vehicle when charging starts and to disconnect the connector from the electric vehicle when charging ends. However, in addition to the manually operated charger 34, a fully automatic charger that does not require human intervention, such as a non-contact charger, may be installed in the charging facility 30.

[0024] The charging equipment management server 20 manages the operation of one or more charging equipment 30. The charging equipment management server 20 includes a processor 22 and a program memory 24. The processor 22 is communicatively coupled to the program memory 24. The program memory 24 is a non-transitory storage medium that stores a plurality of executable instructions 26. The following functions are realized in the charging equipment management server 20 by at least a portion of the plurality of instructions 26 being executed by the processor 22. The plurality of instructions 26 stored in the program memory 24, together with the plurality of instructions 16 stored in the program memory 14 of the vehicle management server 10, constitute at least a portion of a management program.

[0025] Functions realized in the charging equipment management server 20 include communication with the charging equipment management server 20, communication with a communication terminal 32 installed in the charging equipment 30, and communication with a mobile terminal carried by a person 4 in the vicinity of the charging equipment 30. The communication terminal 32 is a device that transmits information regarding the availability of the charger 34 and information about the vehicle connected to the charger 34 to the charging equipment management server 20. The charging equipment management server 20 and the communication terminal 32 are connected via the Internet or a dedicated line. The person 4 in the vicinity of the charging equipment 30 is a user of the charging equipment 30 and is also a driver of the electric vehicle 6 that charges at the charging equipment 30. The mobile terminal is typically a smartphone 8. Communication between the charging equipment management server 20 and the smartphone 8 is performed by an application registered in the smartphone 8.

[0026] As described above, the charger 34 installed in the charging facility 30 is a charger that requires human intervention to attach and detach the connector. Therefore, it can be said that a robotaxi 2 without a driver is not suitable for use with the charging facility 30. However, there are not many charging facilities equipped with fully automatic chargers. Therefore, the management system 100 makes it possible to use charging facilities that do not have fully automatic chargers by requesting potential collaborators in the vicinity of the charging facility 30 to perform the work of charging the robotaxi 2.

[0027] A potential collaborator is a person 4 in the vicinity of the charging facility 30, and is typically a user of the charging facility 30, i.e., a driver of an electric vehicle 6 being charged at the charging facility 30. The charging facility management server 20 determines a potential collaborator based on the current location of the robotaxi 2 identified by GPS. For example, a person within a predetermined area including the current location of the robotaxi 2 is determined as a potential collaborator. When assistance is required for charging the robotaxi 2, the charging facility management server 20 transmits a work request to the smartphone 8 of the potential collaborator.

[0028] Hereinafter, a series of processes in the management system 100 from when the need for charging the robotaxi 2 arises until the robotaxi 2 is actually charged will be described.

[0029] The necessity for charging the robotaxi 2 is determined by the vehicle management server 10 based on the SOC information transmitted from the robotaxi 2 to the vehicle management server 10. When the SOC of the battery 2a drops below a threshold, the vehicle management server 10 determines that charging is necessary. The vehicle management server 10 instructs the robotaxi 2 that needs charging to enter the charging facility 30.

[0030] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining instructions from the vehicle management server 10 to the robotaxi 2 regarding the charging facilities 30. When the robotaxi 2 needs to be charged, the vehicle management server 10 searches for the charging facilities 30 based on map information. The charging facilities 30 searched for are those within a certain distance from the driving route to the destination of the robotaxi 2. In the example shown in FIG. 2, there are four charging facilities 30A to 30D near the driving route to the destination. The vehicle management server 10 requests information about these charging facilities 30A to 30D from the charging facility management server 20.

[0031] Upon receiving a request from the vehicle management server 10, the charging facility management server 20 provides the vehicle management server 10 with information on the degree of congestion (congestion degree information) of each of the charging facilities 30A to 30D. The congestion degree information includes, for example, information such as the usage rate of the charger, the number of electric vehicles being charged, and the number of electric vehicles waiting to be charged. The vehicle management server 10 determines the charging facility 30 to which the robotaxi 2 should be directed based on the congestion degree information and location information of each of the charging facilities 30A to 30D.

[0032] In the example shown in Fig. 2, there are no electric vehicles using the charging facility 30A. Therefore, even if the robotaxi 2 enters the charging facility 30A, it is highly likely that no potential helper will be found to assist with the work of charging the robotaxi 2. In contrast, in the case of charging facilities 30B to 30D, there are electric vehicles currently charging, and at least the drivers of these vehicles are potential helpers. In other words, if the robotaxi 2 enters any of the charging facilities 30B to 30D, there is a possibility that someone there will be able to help with charging the robotaxi 2.

[0033] Next, comparing the charging facilities 30B to 30D, the number of electric vehicles charging at the charging facilities 30C and 30D is greater than the number of electric vehicles charging at the charging facility 30B. This means that the charging facilities 30C and 30D have more potential collaborators than the charging facility 30B. Therefore, by entering the robotaxi 2 into either the charging facility 30C or 30D, the possibility that someone will assist in charging the robotaxi 2 becomes higher.

[0034] The number of electric vehicles being charged is the same in the charging facility 30C and the charging facility 30D, so the number of potential helpers is the same. In addition, the usage rate of the chargers is also the same, so the waiting time until charging is completed is also the same probabilistically. However, while the charging facility 30C is on the driving route to the destination, the charging facility 30D is located away from the driving route. Therefore, in order to reduce waste of time and power consumption, it is preferable to park the robotaxi 2 in the charging facility 30C rather than the charging facility 30D. Based on the above judgment, the vehicle management server 10 designates the charging facility 30C as the destination of the robotaxi 2 that needs to be charged.

[0035] Next, a method of getting a potential collaborator to assist the robotaxi 2 will be described. A potential collaborator who is actively trying to assist the robotaxi 2 searches for a robotaxi 2 that is seeking assistance on the smartphone 8. FIG. 3 shows an example of a screen of the smartphone 8. The potential collaborator starts an application on the smartphone 8 and searches for nearby charging facilities. The search is performed by the charging facility management server 20, and information on the availability of chargers at each charging facility and whether or not assistance for the robotaxi 2 is desired is downloaded from the charging facility management server 20 to the smartphone 8. The screen of the smartphone 8 shown in FIG. 3 displays that three out of five chargers are available at a nearby charging facility and that the robotaxi 2 is seeking assistance. By looking at this display, the potential collaborator can know which charging facility to go to in order to assist the robotaxi 2.

[0036] Assistance for the robotaxi 2 is typically realized by the charging equipment management server 20 requesting assistance from a potential helper, and the potential helper accepting the request. When the charging equipment management server 20 requests assistance for the robotaxi 2 from a potential helper, a request process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4 is executed.

[0037] In step S101, the charging facility management server 20 determines whether the potential helper has started charging at the target charging facility 30. The target charging facility 30 is a charging facility specified by the vehicle management server 10 as the destination of the robotaxi 2. Here, the driver of the electric vehicle 6 is assumed to be the potential helper. When charging of the electric vehicle 6 has started at any of the chargers 34, that information is transmitted from the communication terminal 32 to the charging facility management server 20. Subsequent processes are skipped until the start of charging is detected.

[0038] If the determination result in step S101 is positive, the charging facility management server 20 executes the determination in step S102. In step S102, the charging facility management server 20 determines whether the robotaxi 2 is waiting at the target charging facility 30. Whether the robotaxi 2 is in the target charging facility is determined by acquiring the current position of the robotaxi 2 identified by GPS from the vehicle management server 10. The robotaxi 2 being waiting means that it is waiting for assistance with charging operations. The charging operations include connecting the connector to the robotaxi 2 when charging starts, and removing the connector from the robotaxi 2 when charging ends. Subsequent processes are skipped until a waiting robotaxi 2 appears.

[0039] When the determination result of step S102 is positive, charging equipment management server 20 executes the process of step S103. In step S103, charging equipment management server 20 requests the potential helper identified in step S101 to perform the task of charging the robotaxi 2. The request from charging equipment management server 20 to the potential helper is made via smartphone 8 as an HMI.

[0040] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a screen of the smartphone 8 for requesting a potential collaborator to assist in charging the robotaxi 2. If an application is registered in the smartphone 8, a pop-up appears when a request arrives from the charging equipment management server 20. The pop-up states a request for assistance in charging the robotaxi 2. Furthermore, the pop-up shown in FIG. 5 states that points will be given as an incentive if the robotaxi 2 is assisted. The incentive increases the possibility of receiving assistance with the charging work. The points are given as an incentive by the application. Points can be accumulated and can be exchanged for services or products with a value according to the number of accumulated points.

[0041] As described above, according to the management system 100 of this embodiment, by getting people in the vicinity of the charging facility 30 to help charge the robotaxi 2, a robotaxi 2 without a driver can be operated without running out of battery.

[0042] The HMI for requesting assistance from nearby people for the robotaxi 2 is not limited to a mobile terminal such as the smartphone 8. For example, assistance may be requested from people inside the vehicle using an in-vehicle terminal mounted on the electric vehicle. Assistance may also be requested from an unspecified number of people outside the vehicle using an outward-facing HMI attached to the exterior of the robotaxi 2, such as a display panel or speaker. Alternatively, the robotaxi 2 may directly request assistance from potential helpers for charging. In this case, the request may be made by short-range wireless communication from the robotaxi 2 to the smartphone 8 or by using an outward-facing HMI.

[0043] Note that an attendant may be dispatched to the site when a certain time has elapsed since the robotaxi 2 arrived at the charging facility 30. This can prevent a situation in which the robotaxi 2 is not charged. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 2. Robotaxi (unmanned self-driving vehicle) 2a battery 4 people (potential collaborators) 6. Manned electric vehicles 8 Smartphone (HMI) 10 Vehicle management server 20 Charging equipment management server 30 Charging equipment 32 Communication terminals 34 Charger 100 Management Systems

Claims

1. one or more processors; a memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing a plurality of executable instructions; The instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to, when it becomes necessary to charge an unmanned autonomous vehicle that runs on electricity, direct the unmanned autonomous vehicle to a charging facility where a user is present, and to use an HMI to request the user who is using the charging facility to perform work to charge the unmanned autonomous vehicle. A system characterized by:

2. In the system according to claim 1, The HMI is a mobile terminal carried by the user. A system characterized by:

3. In the system according to claim 1, The HMI is an in-vehicle terminal of the vehicle in which the user is riding. A system characterized by:

4. In the system according to claim 1, Requesting the work for charging the unmanned autonomous vehicle includes requesting the work for charging the unmanned autonomous vehicle in exchange for providing an incentive. A system characterized by:

5. A method for managing an unmanned autonomous vehicle that runs on electricity using a computer, comprising: When charging of the unmanned autonomous vehicle becomes necessary, the unmanned autonomous vehicle is directed to a charging facility where a user is present, and a request is made to the user using the charging facility, using an HMI, to perform the work of charging the unmanned autonomous vehicle. A method comprising:

6. When it becomes necessary to charge an unmanned autonomous vehicle that runs on electricity, the computer is configured to direct the unmanned autonomous vehicle to a charging facility where a user is present, and to request, using an HMI, the user who is using the charging facility to perform work to charge the unmanned autonomous vehicle. A program characterized by:

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