Mobile terminal device, method for operating an autonomous vehicle, and method for transmitting information

Abstract

Provided is technology that enables the operation of an autonomous vehicle to be suitably realized, in a case where the autonomous vehicle is used by a plurality of persons. This portable terminal device comprises: a controller that transmits, to an onboard device of an autonomous vehicle, an operation instruction for operating the autonomous vehicle; and a storage device that stores, for a plurality of portable terminal devices and a plurality of users constituting a group that uses the autonomous vehicle, setting information which includes information identifying each user terminal and ranking information setting a ranking pertaining to the operation of the autonomous vehicle. The portable terminal device: detects another user terminal in the group by communication with the other user terminal; using the portable terminal itself and the detected other terminal as candidate user terminals, determines whether the portable terminal has operation authority for transmitting an operation instruction, on the basis of the ranking information in the setting information; and if the portable terminal has operation authority, transmits an operation instruction to the onboard device on the basis of an input operation by the user.