CAR SHARING SYSTEM

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle-sharing system that can effectively monitor the driving status of a vehicle driven by a specific driver authorized to drive, and can limit overloading or unlawful use. The vehicle-sharing system identifies a specific driver and allows driving a motorized vehicle as a driving source, and includes: an authentication device (1) which allows or disallows driving according to specific personal data; a load weight detection device (5) which detects the load weight of the vehicle in real time when a specific driver authorized to drive by the authentication device (1) is driving; a determination device (3) which determines whether the load weight detected by the load weight detection device (5) is within a predefined range; and a limiting device (4) which, when the determination device (3) determines that the load weight is not within a predefined range, can limit the predefined function required for the specific driver to drive.

Description

Vehicle sharing system

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle sharing system that recognizes a specific driver and permits the driving of a vehicle powered by a motor.

[0002] In a car sharing system (vehicle sharing system) in which a vehicle is shared by multiple people, a specific driver who has registered as a member in advance makes a reservation for the system via a computer, smartphone, or the like, and is then permitted to drive a vehicle parked in a designated parking lot, with the driver being charged according to the distance traveled. A conventional car sharing system is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1. Such a vehicle sharing system has become increasingly popular in recent years because users can use a vehicle at any time.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-14312

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned conventional technology, when a specific driver who is authorized to drive a vehicle is driving, the vehicle may be overloaded with larger luggage or more passengers than expected. In such cases, the above-mentioned conventional technology has the disadvantage that the vehicle and parts deteriorate significantly, necessitating frequent replacement, and increasing the operating costs of the sharing system. Furthermore, in the above-mentioned conventional technology, if a person other than the specific person registered is granted permission to drive by falsely representing themselves as the registered person due to fraud or other reasons, it is difficult to detect the fraud, especially while the vehicle is in operation.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a vehicle sharing system that can effectively monitor the driving status of vehicles by specific drivers who are authorized to drive the vehicles, and can prevent overloading and fraudulent use.

[0006] The invention described in claim 1 is a vehicle sharing system that recognizes specific drivers and allows them to drive vehicles powered by a motor, and is characterized by comprising: authentication means that recognizes specific drivers and registers them as specific personal data, and allows or disallows the vehicle to be driven depending on the specific personal data; load weight detection means that detects the vehicle's load weight in real time when the vehicle is being driven by a specific driver who has been allowed to drive the vehicle by the authentication means; judgment means that judges whether the load weight detected by the load weight detection means is within a predetermined range; and restriction means that can restrict certain functions necessary for the specific driver to drive the vehicle if the judgment means determines that the load weight is not within the predetermined range.

[0007] The invention of claim 2 is characterized in that, in the vehicle sharing system of claim 1, it is provided with acceleration detection means capable of detecting the acceleration of the vehicle, and the time when the vehicle starts moving is detected based on the acceleration of the vehicle detected by the acceleration detection means, and the determination means determines whether the load weight at the time when the vehicle starts moving is within a predetermined range.

[0008] The invention of claim 3 is characterized in that in the vehicle sharing system of claim 1, the load weight detection means comprises load detection means that detects the load applied to a vehicle seat, or displacement detection means that detects the displacement of a spring in the vehicle suspension.

[0009] The invention of claim 4 is characterized in that in the vehicle sharing system of claim 1, the load weight detection means detects the load weight based on the current supplied to a motor that is the drive source of the vehicle and the acceleration of the vehicle.

[0010] The invention of claim 5 is characterized in that, in the vehicle sharing system of claim 1, the restriction means forcibly stops the motor that is the vehicle's driving source or restricts the driving speed to below a predetermined value when the determination means determines that the load weight is not within a predetermined range.

[0011] The invention of claim 6 is characterized in that, in the vehicle sharing system of claim 1, the restriction means not only restricts predetermined functions necessary for a specific driver to drive the vehicle, but also issues a warning to the driver or charges the driver based on the load weight.

[0012] The invention described in claim 7 is characterized in that, in the vehicle sharing system described in claim 1, it is provided with a server that stores the driving history of the specific driver, including the judgment result by the judgment means, linked to the specific personal data.

[0013] The invention of claim 8 is characterized in that in the vehicle sharing system of claim 7, the server constitutes a cloud system accessible via the Internet.

[0014] According to the invention of claim 1, when a specific driver who has been authorized by the authentication means is driving a vehicle, the vehicle's load weight can be detected in real time, and it can be determined whether the detected load weight is within a predetermined range. If it is determined that the vehicle's load weight is not within the predetermined range, the invention of claim 1 can restrict certain functions necessary for the vehicle to run, so that the driving status of the vehicle by the specific driver who has been authorized to run the vehicle can be effectively monitored, and overloading and fraudulent use can be prevented.

[0015] According to the invention of claim 2, the time when the vehicle starts moving is detected based on the acceleration of the vehicle detected by the acceleration detection means, and the judgment means judges whether the load weight at the time when the vehicle starts moving is within a predetermined range, so that the load weight when the vehicle is moving, excluding when stopped, can be accurately judged.

[0016] According to the invention of claim 3, the load weight detection means comprises a load detection means for detecting the load applied to the vehicle seat, or a displacement detection means for detecting the displacement of the spring of the vehicle suspension, so that the load weight during driving can be detected using a general-purpose and simple detection means.

[0017] According to the invention of claim 4, the load weight detection means detects the load weight based on the current supplied to the motor which is the drive source of the vehicle and the acceleration of the vehicle, so that the load weight during driving can be detected without the need for a separate detection sensor or the like.

[0018] According to the invention of claim 5, when the determination means determines that the load weight is not within a predetermined range, the limiting means forcibly stops the motor that is the vehicle's driving source or limits the driving speed to a predetermined value or less, thereby reliably preventing overloading and fraudulent use.

[0019] According to the invention of claim 6, the restriction means not only restricts the specified functions necessary for a specific driver to drive the vehicle, but also warns the driver or charges the driver according to the load weight, which is expected to have a deterrent effect against overloading and fraudulent use.

[0020] According to the invention of claim 7, a server is provided that stores the driving history of a specific driver, including the judgment results by the judgment means, linked to specific personal data, so that the driving history of a specific driver can be effectively utilized.

[0021] According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the server constitutes a cloud system that can be accessed via the Internet, so that personal data including the driving history of a specific driver can be easily accessed via the Internet.

[0022] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a vehicle sharing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the control process of the vehicle sharing system.

[0023]

[0016] The vehicle sharing system according to the present embodiment is a system for sharing a vehicle among multiple people by recognizing a specific driver and permitting the vehicle to be driven by a motor, and as shown in Figure 1, the system includes a cloud C having an authentication means 1, a server 2, a determination means 3, and a restriction means 4, a vehicle B having a load weight detection means 5, an acceleration sensor 6, and a communication means 7, and a smartphone F (terminal) carried by the driver (user of the sharing system).

[0024] By registering with the vehicle sharing system, a driver is permitted to rent and drive a vehicle B owned by the sharing system. That is, in this embodiment, the driver can rent the vehicle by operating the smartphone F held by the driver and registering specific personal data. In addition, in this embodiment, the registered specific driver operates the smartphone F to communicate with the cloud C, and the specific personal data is checked and vehicle B is permitted to drive.

[0025] After driving vehicle B, the driver ends the rental of the vehicle by operating smartphone F, and the driver is charged according to the distance traveled by vehicle B. The charge can be made, for example, by a payment means and payment method registered in advance by a specific driver. Note that instead of smartphone F, registration and charging may be performed using another terminal owned by the driver (such as a dedicated terminal or tablet).

[0026] Vehicle B applied to this embodiment is an electric two-wheeled vehicle (electric motorcycle) equipped with a battery and using a motor driven by the battery as a drive source, and is equipped with a load weight detection means 5, an acceleration sensor 6, and a communication means 7. The load weight detection means 5 detects the load weight of the vehicle (the weight of the vehicle itself excluding the weight of the vehicle) in real time when the vehicle is being driven by a specific driver who has been authorized to drive vehicle B by authentication means 1 of cloud C. Specifically, the load weight detection means 5 can be configured with a load detection means (load sensor) that detects the load on the seat of vehicle B, or a displacement detection means (displacement sensor) that detects the displacement of a suspension spring of vehicle B.

[0027] When a load detection means is used as the load weight detection means 5, the load detection means is disposed on the underside of a seat on which the driver and passengers can sit or a seat on which luggage can be placed in the vehicle B, and can detect a load corresponding to the weight of the driver, passengers, and luggage. When a displacement detection means is used as the load weight detection means 5, the displacement detection means can detect a load corresponding to the weight of the driver, passengers, and luggage by detecting the displacement of a specific portion of a spring in the vehicle suspension that accompanies expansion and contraction of the spring.

[0028] Furthermore, instead of the load detection means or displacement detection means described above, the load weight detection means 5 can be configured to detect the load weight based on the current supplied to the motor that is the drive source of vehicle B and the acceleration of vehicle B (vehicle acceleration). For example, if F is force, T is torque, P is power, ω is angular velocity, N rpm is rotation speed, r is wheel radius, and a is gravitational acceleration, then m (weight) can be calculated from the following equations: F = ma (Equation 1), T = Fr Sin θ (Equation 2), P = Tω (Equation 3), T = P / ω (Equation 4), P = VI (Equation 5), and ω = 2πN rpm / 60 (Equation 6). Note that in Equation 5, V represents the battery voltage, and I represents the current supplied from the battery to the motor.

[0029] Using the above equations 1 to 6 and known parameters, the following calculation formula can be obtained to calculate the load weight of vehicle B (load weight when the vehicle is moving) using the current supplied to the motor and the vehicle acceleration as parameters. (Calculation formula) According to this calculation formula, the load weight of vehicle B can be detected by detecting the current supplied from the battery to the motor and the vehicle acceleration, and substituting the detected current and acceleration of vehicle B into the calculation formula.

[0030] The acceleration sensor 6 (acceleration detection means) is a sensor attached to vehicle B that is capable of detecting acceleration, and is capable of detecting not only the acceleration of vehicle B while it is traveling, but also any impacts applied to vehicle B. In this embodiment, by also detecting the vehicle speed, it is possible to detect the time when vehicle B started traveling based on the acceleration of vehicle B detected by the acceleration sensor 6. That is, if acceleration is detected by the acceleration sensor 6 immediately after vehicle B's speed is zero (vehicle B is stopped), it can be assumed that vehicle B has started traveling, and this time can be detected as the time when vehicle B started traveling.

[0031] The communication means 7 is capable of communicating information between the vehicle B and the cloud C via the Internet, and is composed of an antenna, an interface, etc. for transmitting and receiving wireless signals. The communication means 7 transmits the load weight detected in the vehicle B and various driving histories (driving history) to the cloud C, and also transmits a function restriction signal from the restriction means 4 of the cloud C to the vehicle B to remotely control the microcomputer that drives the motor, etc.

[0032] Cloud C is a system that allows on-demand use of various IT sources, such as databases, storage, and applications, via the Internet. In this embodiment, cloud C has, as IT sources, authentication means 1, server 2, determination means 3, and restriction means 4. Note that in this embodiment, authentication means 1, determination means 3, and restriction means 4 are made up of computer control and calculation units and applications, and server 2 is made up of storage that can utilize a database.

[0033] The authentication means 1 recognizes specific drivers and registers them as specific personal data, and allows or disallows the vehicle to run depending on the specific personal data. For example, the authentication means 1 registers personal data in advance to the sharing system using a terminal such as a personal computer or smartphone, and when the specific driver who has registered the personal data uses vehicle B, the driver operates the driver's smartphone F to communicate with the authentication means 1 in the cloud C to authenticate the personal data, thereby allowing vehicle B to run.

[0034] In this sharing system, if a third party who has not registered their personal data in advance communicates with authentication means 1, their personal data will not be authenticated and they will not be permitted to drive vehicle B. In addition, even if a person has registered their personal data in advance, if, for example, they have neglected to pay past charges, this information is linked to their personal data and they will not be permitted to drive vehicle B even if their personal data has been authenticated.

[0035] The server 2 constitutes a cloud system accessible via the Internet, and stores the driving history of a specific driver, including the determination result by the determination means 3, linked to specific personal data. That is, the load weight detected by the load weight detection means 5 of the vehicle B is transmitted to the cloud C by the communication means 7 and stored in the server 2 together with other information (history) of the specific driver's driving.

[0036] The determination means 3 determines whether the load weight detected by the load weight detection means 5 is within a predetermined range. For example, an upper threshold and a lower threshold for the load weight can be set in advance. This allows the determination means 3 to determine whether the load weight is between the upper threshold and the lower threshold, whether it exceeds the upper threshold, or whether it is below the lower threshold. That is, the load weight detected by the load weight detection means 5 of vehicle B is transmitted to the cloud C by the communication means 7 and stored in the server 2. Then, the determination means 3 determines that the load weight is within the predetermined range if the received load weight is between the upper threshold and the lower threshold, and determines that the load weight is not within the predetermined range if the received load weight is above the upper threshold or below the lower threshold.

[0037] Furthermore, the determination means 3 according to this embodiment is configured to determine whether the load weight is within a predetermined range at the time when vehicle B starts to travel. That is, as described above, in this embodiment, the time when vehicle B starts to travel is detected based on the acceleration of vehicle B detected by the acceleration sensor 6, and therefore the determination means 3 determines the load weight at the detected time when vehicle B starts to travel. This makes it possible to avoid the determination of the load weight by the determination means 3 when vehicle B is stopped, and allows the determination means 3 to determine the load weight only when vehicle B is traveling.

[0038] The limiting means 4 can limit predetermined functions necessary for a specific driver to drive the vehicle B when the determining means 3 determines that the load weight is not within a predetermined range, and is capable of transmitting a control signal for limiting the predetermined functions to the vehicle B. Specifically, the limiting means 4 according to this embodiment is configured to forcibly stop the motor that is the drive source of the vehicle B, or limit the speed during driving to a predetermined value or less when the determining means 3 determines that the load weight is not within the predetermined range.

[0039] For example, if the load weight received by cloud C exceeds an upper threshold, the limiting means 4 may limit the traveling speed to a predetermined value or less, since there is a possibility of overloading due to the loading of heavier luggage than expected or the number of people on board exceeding expected. Furthermore, if the load weight received by cloud C falls below a lower threshold, the limiting means 4 may forcibly stop the motor that is the drive source of vehicle B, since there is a possibility of fraud by a third party other than the registered driver (for example, a child who is not capable of driving vehicle B).

[0040] In addition, the specified range of the load weight at the time of judgment by the judgment means 3 can only be set to an upper threshold, and if the load weight received by cloud C exceeds the upper threshold, there is a high possibility of overloading, so the restriction means 4 can restrict specified functions necessary for the driving of vehicle B by forcibly stopping the motor, which is the driving source of vehicle B, or by limiting the speed during driving to below a specified value.

[0041] Furthermore, the restriction means 4 can not only restrict predetermined functions necessary for a specific driver to drive the vehicle B, but also issue a warning to the driver or charge a fee according to the load weight. The warning to the driver can be issued by displaying an overloaded message on the driver's smartphone F or on a display means attached to the vehicle B. The fee according to the load weight imposed on the driver is a fee collected separately from the fee for renting the vehicle, and is intended to punish (penalize) overloading or fraudulent use.

[0042] Next, the control of the vehicle sharing system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart in Figure 2. When a specific driver registered in this sharing system operates smartphone F and is authenticated by authentication means 1 in S1, information about the registration and personal information about the specific driver are queried, and a determination is made in S2 as to whether vehicle B is permitted to travel. If it is determined in S2 that vehicle B is permitted to travel, the process proceeds to S3, where vehicle B is remotely operated to permit vehicle B to travel. Note that if it is determined in S2 that vehicle B is not permitted to travel (is not permitted), the process ends without carrying out the series of controls.

[0043] Thereafter, the process proceeds to S4, where the load weight detected by the load weight detection means 5 and other information during driving are received in real time as data during driving of vehicle B, and the load weight and other information during driving received in S5 are successively stored in the server 2. Then, in S6, the determination means 3 determines whether the received load weight (i.e., the load weight detected by the load weight detection means 5) is within a predetermined range, and in S7, it is determined whether to restrict a predetermined function necessary for driving of vehicle B.

[0044] However, if it is determined in S6 that the load weight is within a predetermined range, it is determined in S7 that the predetermined functions necessary for vehicle B to travel will not be restricted, and the process skips S8 and proceeds to S9. If it is determined in S6 that the load weight is not within the predetermined range, it is determined in S7 that the predetermined functions necessary for vehicle B to travel will be restricted, and the predetermined functions necessary for vehicle B to travel are restricted by remote control in S8 (such as stopping the motor or limiting the vehicle speed), and then the process proceeds to S9.

[0045] Thereafter, in S9, it is determined whether or not the specific driver who has driven vehicle B has performed an end operation (i.e., ended the rental of vehicle B) by operating smartphone F. If an end operation has been performed, the series of controls is ended, and if an end operation has not been performed, the process returns to S4, from which the series of controls is repeated. Here, in this embodiment, in the process of repeating the series of controls, the driving history of the specific driver, including the determination result by determination means 3, is linked to specific personal data and stored in server 2.

[0046] According to the above embodiment, when a specific driver who is permitted to drive vehicle B by the authentication means 1 is driving the vehicle, the load weight of vehicle B can be detected in real time, and it can be determined whether the detected load weight is within a predetermined range. Then, in this embodiment, if it is determined that the load weight is not within the predetermined range, it is possible to restrict predetermined functions necessary for the specific driver to drive vehicle B, so that it is possible to effectively monitor the driving status of the vehicle by the specific driver who is permitted to drive vehicle B, and to prevent overloading and fraudulent use.

[0047] Furthermore, the time when vehicle B starts traveling is detected based on the acceleration of vehicle B detected by the acceleration sensor 6 (acceleration detection means), and the determination means 3 determines whether the load weight at the time when vehicle B starts traveling is within a predetermined range, so that the load weight can be accurately determined while traveling, except when stopped. In particular, since vehicle B according to this embodiment is applied to an electric motorcycle, when vehicle B is stopped, the driver's feet are on the ground, and in this state the load weight cannot be accurately detected. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the load weight is determined only when vehicle B is traveling, so that the determination means 3 can make an accurate determination.

[0048] Furthermore, since the load weight detection means 5 according to this embodiment is composed of a load detection means for detecting a load applied to a seat of vehicle B or a displacement detection means for detecting a displacement of a spring in the suspension of vehicle B, it is possible to detect the load weight while traveling using a general-purpose and simple detection means. Furthermore, since the load weight detection means 5 according to this embodiment detects the load weight based on the current supplied to the motor that is the drive source of vehicle B and the acceleration of vehicle B, it is possible to detect the load weight while traveling without requiring a separate detection sensor or the like.

[0049] In addition, when the determination means 3 determines that the load weight is not within a predetermined range, the limiting means 4 according to this embodiment forcibly stops the motor that is the drive source of the vehicle B or limits the traveling speed to a predetermined value or less, thereby reliably preventing overloading and fraudulent use. Furthermore, the limiting means 4 according to this embodiment not only limits predetermined functions necessary for a specific driver to travel the vehicle, but also warns the driver or charges the driver according to the load weight, so that it is expected to have a deterrent effect against overloading and fraudulent use.

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the server 2 is provided which stores the driving history of a specific driver, including the determination result by the determination means 3, in association with specific personal data, so that the driving history of a specific driver can be effectively utilized. Furthermore, the server 2 according to this embodiment constitutes a cloud system accessible via the Internet, so that personal data including the driving history of a specific driver can be easily accessed via the Internet.

[0051] Although the present embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the vehicle to which the present invention is applied is not limited to an electric two-wheeler but may be an electric vehicle (EV) or other electric vehicle, and the authentication means 1, server 2, determination means 3, and restriction means 4 are not limited to the cloud C, and may constitute other systems not via the Internet. Furthermore, the load weight detection means 5 is not limited to that of the present embodiment, and may be other detection means that detects the load weight of vehicle B by detecting various parameters that change depending on the load weight.

[0052] The present invention can also be applied to devices with different external shapes or devices with additional functions, provided that they have the same gist as the present invention.

[0053] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Authentication means 2 Server 3 Determination means 4 Restriction means 5 Load weight detection means 6 Acceleration sensor (acceleration detection means) 7 Communication means C Cloud B Vehicle F Smartphone (terminal)

Claims

1. A vehicle sharing system that recognizes a specific driver and permits the driving of a vehicle powered by a motor, comprising: an authentication means that recognizes the specific driver and registers him / her as specific personal data, and permits or prohibits the driving of the vehicle depending on the specific personal data; a load weight detection means that detects the load weight of the vehicle in real time when the specific driver who has been permitted to drive the vehicle by the authentication means is driving the vehicle; a determination means that determines whether the load weight detected by the load weight detection means is within a specified range; and a restriction means that can restrict specified functions necessary for the driving of the vehicle by the specific driver if the determination means determines that the load weight is not within the specified range.

2. A vehicle sharing system as described in claim 1, further comprising an acceleration detection means capable of detecting the acceleration of the vehicle, the time when the vehicle starts moving is detected based on the acceleration of the vehicle detected by said acceleration detection means, and said determination means determines whether or not the load weight is within a predetermined range at the time when the vehicle starts moving.

3. A vehicle sharing system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the load detection means comprises a load detection means for detecting a load applied to a vehicle seat, or a displacement detection means for detecting a displacement of a spring in the vehicle suspension.

4. A vehicle sharing system according to claim 1, wherein the load weight detection means detects the load weight based on the current supplied to a motor which is a drive source of the vehicle and the acceleration of the vehicle.

5. A vehicle sharing system as described in claim 1, characterized in that the limiting means, when the determining means determines that the load weight is not within a predetermined range, forcibly stops the motor that is the drive source of the vehicle, or limits the traveling speed to a predetermined value or less.

6. A vehicle sharing system as described in claim 1, characterized in that the restriction means, in addition to restricting certain functions necessary for a specific driver to drive the vehicle, issues a warning to the driver or charges the driver according to the load weight.

7. A vehicle sharing system as described in claim 1, further comprising a server that stores the driving history of the specific driver, including the result of the judgment by the judgment means, in association with the specific personal data.

8. The vehicle sharing system according to claim 7, wherein the server constitutes a cloud system accessible via the Internet.

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