Security guard assignment system, security guard assignment method, and recording medium

Abstract

The present invention facilitates the securing and posting of personnel who board an automatic driving vehicle and perform security work.　This security guard assignment system comprises: a management means that manages an operation schedule of an automatic driving vehicle; a recruitment means that publicizes the publicized operation schedule, and that receives applications from users who wishes to board the automatic driving vehicle as a security guard; a selection means that selects, according to a predetermined rule, a user who will be requested to board the automatic driving vehicle as the security guard from among the users who have applied to be the security guard; and a transmission means that transmits, to the selected user, a guide for boarding the automatic driving vehicle.

Description

Security Personnel Assignment System, Security Personnel Assignment Method, and Recording Medium

[0001] The present invention relates to a security personnel assignment system, a security personnel assignment method, and a recording medium.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an information output method capable of quickly improving a situation where autonomous movement of a moving body and remote operation of an operator become difficult. In this information output method, a computer predicts whether an emergency situation in which autonomous movement and remote operation of the moving body become difficult occurs based on the state of the moving body and the environment around the moving body. Then, based on this prediction result, the computer outputs information regarding the dispatch of the security personnel to at least one of the operator or the security personnel. Here, the security personnel are personnel who go to the position of the moving body to respond to the emergency situation.

[0003] International Publication No. 2023 / 176903

[0004] As in Patent Document 1, there is also a method of dispatching security personnel to an autonomous vehicle in an emergency, but in order to prepare for unforeseen events, etc., it is also conceivable to arrange in advance personnel (hereinafter referred to as "security personnel") for performing operations related to ensuring the safety of the operation of the autonomous vehicle. However, ensuring and arranging security personnel may also result in losing the advantages of autonomous driving, and may also impose a significant burden on the operation manager of the autonomous vehicle.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a security personnel assignment system, a security personnel assignment method, and a recording medium that can contribute to facilitating the securing and arrangement of personnel who board an autonomous vehicle to perform security operations.

[0006] According to a first aspect, there is provided a security personnel assignment system including management means for managing the operation schedule of an autonomous vehicle, recruitment means for publishing the operation schedule and accepting applications from users who wish to board as security personnel in the autonomous vehicle, selection means for selecting, according to a predetermined rule, a user who is requested to board the autonomous vehicle as the security personnel from among the users who have applied as the security personnel, and transmission means for transmitting boarding guidance to the selected user to the autonomous vehicle.

[0007] From a second perspective, a security officer assignment system is provided, comprising: a user management means for receiving and managing applications from users who wish to ride in an autonomous vehicle as a security officer, specifying at least a boarding location and a desired disembarking location; a selection means for selecting users from among the users who have specified a boarding location and a desired disembarking location that are suitable for the departure and destination of the autonomous vehicle, at least a predetermined time before the departure time of the autonomous vehicle; and a transmission means for sending boarding instructions for the autonomous vehicle to the selected users.

[0008] From a third perspective, a method for assigning security personnel is provided, which involves publishing the operating schedule of autonomous vehicles, accepting applications from users who wish to ride in the autonomous vehicles as security personnel, selecting users from among the applicants according to predetermined rules to be asked to ride in the autonomous vehicles as security personnel, and sending boarding instructions for the autonomous vehicles to the selected users.

[0009] From a fourth perspective, a method for assigning security personnel is provided, which involves managing users who have applied to be security personnel to board an autonomous vehicle and perform security duties, specifying at least the boarding location and the desired disembarking location; selecting users from among the users to be asked to board the autonomous vehicle as security personnel according to predetermined rules at least a predetermined time before the departure time of the autonomous vehicle; and sending boarding instructions for the autonomous vehicle to the selected users.

[0010] From a fifth perspective, a recording medium is provided that contains a program that causes a computer to execute the following: a process for publishing the operating schedule of an autonomous vehicle; a process for receiving applications from users who wish to ride in the autonomous vehicle as security personnel; a process for selecting users from among those who applied to be security personnel, according to predetermined rules, to be asked to ride in the autonomous vehicle as security personnel; and a process for sending boarding instructions for the autonomous vehicle to the selected users.

[0011] From a sixth perspective, a recording medium is provided which contains a program that causes a computer to execute the following: a process for managing users who have applied to be security officers to board an autonomous vehicle and perform security duties, indicating at least the boarding location and the desired disembarking location; a process for selecting users from among the users, according to predetermined rules, to be asked to board the autonomous vehicle as security officers at least a predetermined time before the departure time of the autonomous vehicle; and a process for sending boarding instructions for the autonomous vehicle to the selected users.

[0012] This disclosure makes it possible to provide a security personnel allocation system, a security personnel allocation method, and a recording medium that can contribute to facilitating the securing and deployment of personnel to perform security duties while riding in autonomous vehicles.

[0013] This figure shows one configuration of the disclosure. This is a flowchart showing the operation of the disclosure. This figure shows another configuration of the disclosure. This is a flowchart showing the operation of another configuration of the disclosure. This figure shows the configuration of the disclosure including the security officer assignment server. This figure is for explaining the role of security officers in the disclosure. This is a functional block diagram showing one configuration of the security officer assignment server of the disclosure. This figure shows the operating schedule of an autonomous vehicle. This figure shows an example of a security officer application screen by the security officer assignment server of the disclosure. This is a sequence diagram for explaining the operation of the disclosure. This is a diagram for explaining the security officer assignment operation by the security officer assignment server of the disclosure. This figure shows an example of boarding instructions displayed on the terminal of a user selected as a security officer. This is a diagram for explaining the operation of the disclosure. This is a functional block diagram showing another configuration of the security officer assignment server of the disclosure. This figure shows an example of user information held in the security officer assignment server of the disclosure. This is a diagram for explaining how the security officer assignment server of the disclosure determines the compensation of security officers. This is a functional block diagram showing another configuration of the security officer assignment server of the disclosure. This figure shows an example of user information registered in the security officer assignment server of the disclosure. This is a sequence diagram for explaining another operation of the disclosure. This is a functional block diagram showing another configuration of the security officer assignment server of this disclosure. This is a diagram showing another example of user information registered with the security officer assignment server of this disclosure. This is a diagram showing the configuration of the computers that make up the security officer assignment server of this disclosure.

[0014] First, an overview of one embodiment of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In this disclosure, the drawings are associated with one or more embodiments. The reference numerals in the drawings appended to this overview are provided for convenience as examples to aid understanding and are not intended to limit this disclosure to the illustrated embodiments. In addition, the connecting lines between blocks in the drawings and other references referred to in the following description include both bidirectional and unidirectional lines. Unidirectional arrows schematically indicate the flow of the main signal (data) and do not exclude bidirectionality. The program is executed via a computer device, which includes, for example, a processor, a storage device, an input device, a communication interface, and a display device as needed. This computer device is also configured to communicate with devices (including computers) inside or outside the device via the communication interface, whether wired or wireless. In addition, there are ports or interfaces at the input / output connection points of each block in the figures, but these are omitted from the illustration.

[0015] This disclosure can be implemented in one embodiment by a security officer assignment system 10, as shown in Figure 1, comprising a management means 11, a recruitment means 12, a selection means 13, and a transmission means 14. More specifically, the management means 11 manages the operation schedule of the autonomous vehicle. The recruitment means 12 publishes the operation schedule and accepts applications from users who wish to ride in the autonomous vehicle as security officers. The selection means selects users from among the applicants to be asked to ride in the autonomous vehicle as security officers according to predetermined rules. The transmission means 14 sends boarding instructions for the autonomous vehicle to the selected users. Here, "security officer" refers to a person who rides in an autonomous vehicle to ensure the safety of its operation. Security officers are not expected to drive the autonomous vehicle, but may drive it if necessary. Security officers are also expected to report to the necessary contacts and follow instructions if any abnormalities occur in or outside the autonomous vehicle. Furthermore, in the following explanation, "autonomous vehicle" refers to a vehicle equipped with an autonomous driving function, which may also be equipped with a function for manual driving as needed.

[0016] The security officer assignment system 10, configured as described above, operates as follows. First, the security officer assignment system 10 publishes the operating schedule for autonomous vehicles (step S01 in Figure 2). This operating schedule includes the departure point, destination, and departure date and time. Users view this operating schedule and apply for assignments they are available to drive.

[0017] Next, the security personnel assignment system 10 receives applications from users who wish to ride in the autonomous vehicle as security personnel (step S02 in Figure 2). Users refer to the publicly available departure point, destination, departure date and time, etc., and decide whether or not to apply. If there are no applications, the security personnel assignment system 10 may assign security personnel provided by the autonomous vehicle operator to ride in the vehicle. Alternatively, if there are no applications, the security personnel assignment system 10 may cancel the operation of the autonomous vehicle or postpone its departure.

[0018] Next, the security officer assignment system 10 selects users from among the applicants to be asked to board the autonomous vehicle as security officers, according to predetermined rules (step S03 in Figure 2). The predetermined rules include selecting users based on the attributes of the applicants, their qualifications, their experience as security officers, etc.

[0019] Finally, the security officer assignment system 10 sends a boarding instruction to the selected user for the autonomous vehicle (step S04 in Figure 2). Upon receiving the boarding instruction, the user goes to the boarding location according to the instructions and boards the autonomous vehicle as a security officer.

[0020] Thus, according to this disclosure, users who wish to serve as security personnel can be recruited by referring to the operating schedule. Users can also ride in the autonomous vehicle instead of other means of transportation to reach their destination. Compensation for serving as security personnel may be unpaid or paid. If paid, both payment methods are possible: either the user is paid as compensation for serving as security personnel, or the user pays the autonomous vehicle operator as a fare. Furthermore, if paid, the autonomous vehicle operator or the user may specify the amount of compensation they desire. In this case, each party can apply or select a user based on the compensation offered by the other party.

[0021] In the explanations of Figures 1 and 2 above, the security personnel assignment system 10 first publishes the operating schedule and solicits applications from users. However, it is also possible to collect user preferences first and then assign them to the operating schedule.

[0022] In the example shown in Figure 3, a security officer assignment system 30 is provided, comprising a user management means 31, a selection means 32, and a transmission means 33. The user management means 31 receives and manages applications from users who wish to board an autonomous vehicle as a security officer, specifying at least a boarding location and a desired disembarking location. The selection means 32 selects from the users at least a predetermined time before the autonomous vehicle's departure time a user has specified a boarding location and a desired disembarking location that are suitable for the autonomous vehicle's departure and destination locations. The transmission means 33 transmits boarding instructions for the autonomous vehicle to the selected user.

[0023] The security officer assignment system 30, configured as described above, operates as follows. First, the security officer assignment system 30 receives and manages applications from users who wish to board an autonomous vehicle as a security officer, specifying at least a boarding location and a desired disembarking location (step S11 in Figure 4). For example, a user applies by specifying a place where they can board and a place they want to go.

[0024] Next, the security officer assignment system 30 selects a user from among the users who has specified a boarding location and a desired disembarking location that matches the departure and destination of the autonomous vehicle, at least a predetermined time before the departure time of the autonomous vehicle (step S12 in Figure 4). If multiple users apply under the same conditions, the security officer assignment system 30 can select a user using the user's attributes, qualifications, and experience as a security officer.

[0025] Finally, the security officer assignment system 30 sends a boarding instruction to the selected user for the autonomous vehicle (step S13 in Figure 4). Similar to the examples in Figures 1 and 2, the user who receives the boarding instruction goes to the boarding location according to the instruction and boards the autonomous vehicle as a security officer.

[0026] As described above, this disclosure allows for a configuration in which the security officer assignment system 30 first solicits applications from users and then assigns them to autonomous vehicles before departure. Furthermore, the security officer assignment system can be modified to combine the configurations of the security officer assignment system 10 in Figure 1 and the security officer assignment system 30 in Figure 3. In this case, the security officer assignment system will perform both the recruitment of security officers by publishing the operation schedule and the selection of security officers from users who have applied to be security officers.

[0027] [First Embodiment] Next, the first embodiment of this disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, the logistics by autonomous vehicles and the roles expected of security personnel will be described. The autonomous vehicle V in Figure 5 transports goods from base A to base B by autonomous driving. Bases A and B are, for example, cargo collection points or logistics terminals located in places that have easy access to expressways or dedicated roads. The security personnel assignment server 100 selects security personnel SP from the user to board the autonomous vehicle V. The security personnel SP boards the assigned autonomous vehicle V and moves from base A to base B. During the aforementioned movement, the autonomous vehicle V drives autonomously, so the security personnel SP do not need to drive. However, if an abnormality occurs in the autonomous vehicle V or the surrounding environment during the operation of the autonomous vehicle V, the security personnel SP will take actions such as notifying the remote monitoring center 400 that manages the operation of the autonomous vehicle V, or moving the autonomous vehicle V to a safety area PA, as shown in Figure 6. The movement of the autonomous vehicle V to the safety area PA may be performed by a remote control operator at the remote monitoring center 400. In this case, the security officer may monitor and report on the status of the remote control operation by the remote control operator, and take action according to the instructions from the remote control operator. Such actions may include, for example, tasks to ensure visibility and tasks to ensure the safety of cargo. Examples of safety areas PA include highway service areas (SA), parking areas (PA), emergency parking areas, and other parking lots. In most cases, no abnormalities occur in the autonomous vehicle V, so the autonomous vehicle V arrives at base B as scheduled. After that, the security officer SP disembarks from the autonomous vehicle V at base B and is relieved of duty.

[0028] Furthermore, the autonomous vehicle V transmits images captured by cameras mounted on the autonomous vehicle V to the remote monitoring center 400. Preferably, the cameras include one that captures the outside of the vehicle and another that captures the inside of the vehicle. When performing remote control operations, the remote control personnel at the remote monitoring center 400 can refer to the images captured by the cameras that capture the outside and the cameras that capture the inside of the vehicle. In addition to the use of the cameras that capture the inside of the vehicle, the images obtained from the cameras that capture the inside of the vehicle can also be used to check on the condition and health of security personnel. This allows the personnel at the remote monitoring center 400 to notice early, for example, that a security personnel is sleeping or is in poor health.

[0029] Figure 7 is a functional block diagram showing one configuration of the security officer assignment server 100 of this disclosure. Referring to Figure 7, the security officer assignment server 100 is shown to include a flight schedule management unit 101, a recruitment unit 102, a selection unit 103, and a transmission unit 104.

[0030] The operation schedule management unit 101 manages the operation schedule of the autonomous vehicle V. Figure 8 shows an example of the operation schedule of the autonomous vehicle V held in the operation schedule management unit 101. The first entry in Figure 8 shows that autonomous vehicle V of flight 0103 departs Tokyo at 07:10, passes through Kyoto at 14:47, and arrives at its destination, Osaka, at 15:43. The destinations of the managed autonomous vehicles V may be different. For example, the fourth entry from the top in Figure 8 shows the operation schedule of autonomous vehicle V from Tokyo to Nagoya. In addition, although omitted in Figure 8, the operation schedules for the return trip from Osaka or Nagoya to Tokyo are also set. This operation schedule management unit 101 corresponds to the management means 11 described above.

[0031] The recruitment unit 102 reads the flight schedules for which recruitment is underway from the flight schedule management unit 101 and publishes them on the security officer recruitment website. The flight schedules to be read can be selected, for example, those that are a certain amount of time away from the departure time. Figure 9 shows an example of the application screen displayed on the security officer recruitment website. In the example in Figure 9, two job postings for security officers are displayed. Users access the security officer recruitment website using a mobile terminal 200 such as a smartphone and view the job postings for security officers. For example, a user who wants to go to Osaka can click the "Apply" button BT for flight 0103 in the upper part of Figure 9 and complete the application for security officer by entering the necessary information. In addition to name and contact information, the information that users are asked to enter when applying may also include the type of driver's license they hold. Of course, it is also possible to adopt a membership system where each user registers their name, contact information, type of driver's license held, etc. when joining. This recruitment unit 102 corresponds to the recruitment means 12 described above.

[0032] When a predetermined timing arrives, the selection unit 103 selects users from among those who applied to be security officers, according to predetermined rules, to be asked to board the autonomous vehicle as security officers. The predetermined timing can be a pre-set application deadline. The predetermined rules may be rules that select users to be asked to board the autonomous vehicle on a first-come, first-served basis or randomly from among users who meet certain conditions. The selection unit 103 may also transmit the information of the selected security officers to the operation schedule management unit 101, causing the security officer information to be recorded in the operation schedule. This selection unit 103 corresponds to the selection means 13 described above.

[0033] The transmitting unit 104 transmits boarding instructions for the autonomous vehicle to the selected user's mobile terminal 200, such as a smartphone. This transmitting unit 104 corresponds to the transmitting means 14 described above.

[0034] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation of this disclosure. First, the security officer assignment server 100 updates the list of available security officer positions at predetermined timings (step S001). For example, the security officer assignment server 100 makes available positions as the departure date approaches, and makes unavailable positions as the application deadline has passed.

[0035] The user accesses the website for recruiting security personnel and views the available positions (Step S002). In the following description, we will assume that two users, User A and User B, access the security personnel assignment server 100 using User Terminal A and User Terminal B respectively and apply for security personnel positions (Step S003).

[0036] When the application deadline arrives, the security officer assignment server 100 selects a user from among the applicants, user A and user B, to be asked to board the autonomous vehicle V as a security officer (step S004).

[0037] For example, suppose that user A and user B have applied for flight 0103, as shown in Figure 11. In this case, the security officer assignment server 100 may select a user to board the autonomous vehicle V based on the qualifications held by the applicant users. For example, if priority is given to users who hold a towing license, user A will be selected. Alternatively, since security officers are not expected to drive the autonomous vehicle, they may select a user regardless of their qualifications.

[0038] In the example shown in Figure 10, the security officer assignment server 100 selects user B. In this case, the security officer assignment server 100 sends boarding information to user B's user terminal B (step S005).

[0039] Figure 12 shows an example of boarding instructions displayed on user terminal B, which has been selected as a security officer. User B, selected as a security officer, will refer to these boarding instructions and head to base A, the assembly point for security officer duties, by the assembly time to board flight 0103. Clicking on the security officer duties guide at the bottom of Figure 12 will display instructions regarding security officer duties. These instructions may be explanatory materials using text and images, or they may consist of videos. It is also possible that access to bases A and B may be difficult. In this case, the operator of the autonomous vehicle V may operate a shuttle bus or similar service from the nearest station.

[0040] Furthermore, to prevent substitution of the user selected as a security officer, the aforementioned boarding instructions may include a password that only the user who received the boarding instructions would know. Then, when boarding the autonomous vehicle V, the user can be required to enter the aforementioned password to prevent substitution. To verify the user's identity more securely, biometric authentication of the security officer may be performed using cameras or other devices installed inside the autonomous vehicle V. The biometric information used for biometric authentication can be obtained from the user when applying to be a security officer or when selected as a security officer, and the security officer assignment server 100 can distribute it to the autonomous vehicle V and the remote monitoring center 400.

[0041] User B then boards the autonomous vehicle V and travels to Osaka, where base B is located (see Figure 13). After disembarking from the autonomous vehicle V, User B is free to move around as they please. Since the autonomous vehicle is expected to operate with high punctuality, User B can travel to a major station and transfer to other modes of transportation.

[0042] As explained above, users selected as security personnel will be able to travel and perform other activities by riding in the autonomous vehicle V. Furthermore, the operator of the autonomous vehicle V will be able to recruit security personnel without incurring costs. This is because the system employs a mechanism that matches the needs of users who want to travel with the needs of the operator of the autonomous vehicle V who want to deploy security personnel while keeping costs down.

[0043] [Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment in which the experience value of a user as a security guard is considered when selecting a security guard will be described. FIG. 14 is a functional block diagram showing another configuration of the security guard allocation server 100a of the present disclosure. The first difference from the security guard allocation server 100 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 7 is that a user management unit 105 is added to the security guard allocation server 100a. The second difference from the security guard allocation server 100 of the first embodiment is the operations of the operation schedule management unit 101a and the selection unit 103a. Since other configurations are substantially the same as those of the first embodiment, the following description will focus on the operational differences.

[0044] The user management unit 105 holds user information that records the qualifications held by users who have boarded as security guards and the time they boarded as security guards. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the user information held in the user management unit 105. In the example of FIG. 15, for each user, the qualifications held and the boarding time as a security guard are recorded. The qualifications can be obtained by having the user declare (input) them at the time of the first application or the like. The boarding time can be updated by adding the time of service at the timing when the work of the security guard ends. In the example of FIG. 14, the user management unit 105 is provided within the security guard allocation server 100a, but the user management unit 105 may be arranged on a network accessible from the security guard allocation server 100a or the like.

[0045] The selection unit 103a selects a user from among the users who applied to be a security officer to be asked to ride in the autonomous vehicle by referring to the user information held in the user management unit 105. For example, the selection unit 103a selects a user using rules such as selecting the user with the longest boarding time or the user with the shortest boarding time. For example, in the example in Figure 15, if the user with the longest boarding time is selected, user B will be selected. This makes it possible to assign a security officer with a lot of boarding experience. Also, for example, in the example in Figure 15, if the user with the shortest boarding time is selected, user A will be selected. This makes it possible to give less experienced security officers more experience and raise the overall experience level of the users. The selection unit 103a also transmits the information of the selected security officer to the operation schedule management unit 101a, which records the security officer's information in the operation schedule.

[0046] The operation schedule management unit 101a updates the boarding time of the corresponding user in the user management unit when the operation of the autonomous vehicle V carrying the security officer has ended.

[0047] As described above, this embodiment makes it possible to select security personnel that take into account the user's experience level.

[0048] Also, in the above-described first and second embodiments, the remuneration for the security guard was not particularly limited, but the remuneration for the security guard may be determined using the above-described boarding time. FIG. 16 is an example of a graph for obtaining the remuneration of the security guard according to the boarding time. In the example of FIG. 16, until the boarding time exceeds a predetermined threshold value th1, the remuneration of the security guard takes a negative value. That is, a security guard with a short boarding time will pay the price (fare) for transportation by the self-driving vehicle V. After that, when the boarding time exceeds a predetermined threshold value th1, the remuneration of the security guard takes a positive value. That is, a security guard with a certain amount of experience or more will receive the price for serving as the security guard of the self-driving vehicle V. By doing so, it becomes possible to give an incentive for the security guard to repeatedly apply. In the example of FIG. 16, when the boarding time exceeds a predetermined threshold value th2, the remuneration is made constant. This is to suppress the burden on the operation manager of the self-driving vehicle V.

[0049] In the above-described embodiment, although the boarding time has been described as being used as an index for measuring the experience value of the security guard, the number of boardings can also be used instead of the boarding time. Also, when the traveling distance of the self-driving vehicle V can be obtained from the self-driving vehicle V, instead of the boarding time or the number of boardings, the boarding distance as a security guard can also be managed. Further, as the traveling distance of the self-driving vehicle V, an approximate distance between the departure place and the destination of the operation schedule may be adopted.

[0050] [Third Embodiment] In the above-described first and second embodiments, the security guard allocation server 100 solicits applications after publicly announcing a case. However, a form in which a user first registers a boarding request indicating a destination or the like and selects a security guard as needed can also be adopted. Hereinafter, a third embodiment of selecting a security guard from among users who wish to board as a security guard in advance will be described.

[0051] FIG. 17 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the security guard allocation server 300 of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 17, a security guard allocation server 300 including a user management unit 301, a selection unit 302, a transmission unit 303, a solicitation unit 304, and an operation schedule storage unit 305 is shown.

[0052] The recruitment unit 304 receives applications from users who wish to ride in an autonomous vehicle as a security officer, specifying at least a boarding location and a desired disembarking location, and registers them in the user management unit 301. Figure 18 shows an example of application information registered in the user management unit 301. As shown in Figure 18, users access the security officer assignment server 300 and register their desired boarding location (departure location), desired disembarking location (destination), desired departure date and time, qualifications held, etc. In the example in Figure 18, all users register a desired departure date and time, but the desired departure date and time may be specified not as an exact date and time, but as a day of the week (e.g., Tuesday) or week (e.g., the third week), etc. This makes it easier to achieve matching. In the example in Figure 17, the user management unit 301 is located within the security officer assignment server 300, but the user management unit 301 may be located on a network accessible from the security officer assignment server 300. The recruitment unit 304 and user management unit 301 described above correspond to user management means that receive and manage applications from users who wish to ride in an autonomous vehicle as a security officer, specifying at least the boarding location and the desired disembarking location.

[0053] The operation schedule storage unit 305 stores the operation schedule of the autonomous vehicle V. The operation schedule itself is the same as in the first embodiment (see Figure 8).

[0054] The selection unit 302 retrieves the operation schedule from the operation schedule storage unit 305 a predetermined time before the departure time of the operation schedule. Then, the selection unit 302 selects users from among the users who have applied to be security officers, according to predetermined rules, to be asked to board the autonomous vehicle in the operation schedule as security officers. The predetermined rules may be rules that select users to be asked to board the autonomous vehicle on a first-come, first-served basis or randomly from among users who meet certain conditions. This selection unit 302 corresponds to the selection means 32 described above.

[0055] The transmitting unit 303 transmits boarding instructions for the autonomous vehicle to the selected user's mobile terminal 200, such as a smartphone. This transmitting unit 303 corresponds to the transmitting means 33 described above.

[0056] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 19 is a sequence diagram illustrating another operation of this disclosure. First, the security officer assignment server 300 retrieves an unassigned security officer from the operation schedule storage unit 305 (step S101).

[0057] Next, the security officer assignment server 300 selects a user from among the users registered in the user management unit 301 to be asked to board the autonomous vehicle on the operating schedule as a security officer, according to a predetermined rule (step S102). Here, it is assumed that the security officer assignment server 300 has selected user B as the user to be asked to board the autonomous vehicle.

[0058] Finally, the security officer assignment server 300 sends boarding information to the user terminal B of the selected user B (step S103).

[0059] As explained above, this embodiment also makes it possible to match the needs of users who want to travel with the needs of the operator of the autonomous vehicle V who wants to deploy security personnel at a low cost. In particular, in this embodiment, since users register their boarding requests indicating their destination etc. in advance, it is easy for users with a lot of free time to use, and it has the advantage for the operator of the autonomous vehicle V that it is less likely to result in a shortage of security personnel. In a more desirable form, in order to encourage applications from a large number of users, coupons that can be used at the drop-off location may be distributed to applicants.

[0060] [Fourth Embodiment] The third embodiment can also be modified to take into account the user's experience as a security officer, similar to the second embodiment. Figure 20 is a functional block diagram showing another configuration of the security officer assignment server 300a of this disclosure. The first difference from the security officer assignment server 300 of the third embodiment shown in Figure 17 is that the user management unit 301a is capable of recording boarding time. The second difference from the security officer assignment server 300 of the third embodiment is that the selection unit 302a selects a security officer by referring to boarding time. The other configurations are almost the same as those of the third embodiment, so the differences in operation will be explained below.

[0061] The user management unit 301a stores user information, including the time spent on board as a security officer, in addition to the information from the user management unit 301 of the third embodiment. Figure 21 shows an example of user information stored in the user management unit 301a. The boarding time can be updated by adding the time spent on board, for example, when the security officer's duties are completed.

[0062] The selection unit 302a selects a user from among the users who have applied to be a security officer to be asked to ride in the autonomous vehicle by referring to the user information held in the user management unit 301a. For example, in the example in Figure 21, if the user with the longest riding time is selected, user B will be selected. This makes it possible to assign a security officer with more riding experience. Also, for example, in the example in Figure 21, if the user with the shortest riding time is selected, user A will be selected. This makes it possible to give less experienced users more experience and raise the overall experience level of all users who are candidates for security officer. Furthermore, the selection unit 103a updates the riding time of security officers in the user management unit 301a based on the operation schedule, such as when the security officers have finished their duties.

[0063] As described above, this embodiment makes it possible to select security personnel that take into account the user's experience level.

[0064] While the embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and further modifications, substitutions, and adjustments can be made without departing from the basic technical concept of this disclosure. For example, the network configurations, element configurations, and data representations shown in the drawings are examples to aid in understanding this disclosure and are not limited to the configurations shown in these drawings.

[0065] Furthermore, in the first to fourth embodiments described above, it was explained that the security personnel assignment servers 100, 100a, 300, and 300a select one security personnel for one operation schedule, but multiple security personnel may be assigned to one operation schedule. Also, reserve personnel without a specified destination may be recruited at the recruitment stage. Then, the security personnel assignment servers 100, 100a, 300, and 300a select the reserve personnel for multiple autonomous vehicles (operation schedules) with the same departure point and send boarding information. By doing so, the possibility of a security personnel shortage can be reduced.

[0066] (Hardware Configuration) In each embodiment of this disclosure, each component of each device represents a functional unit block. Some or all of each component of each device is realized by any combination of an information processing device 900 and a program, for example, as shown in Figure 22. Figure 22 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 900 that realizes each component of each device. The information processing device 900 includes, as an example, the following configuration: ・CPU (Central Processing Unit) 901 ・ROM (Read Only Memory) 902 ・RAM (Random Access Memory) 903 ・Program 904 loaded into RAM 903 ・Storage device 905 that stores the program 904 ・Drive device 907 that reads and writes to the recording medium 906 ・Communication interface 908 that connects to a communication network 909 ・Input / output interface 910 that performs data input and output ・Bus 911 that connects each component

[0067] Each component of each device in each embodiment is realized by the CPU 901 acquiring and executing a program 904 that realizes these functions. That is, the CPU 901 in Figure 22 executes a security officer recruitment program and a security officer selection program, and performs update processing of each calculation parameter held in RAM 903, storage device 905, etc. The program 904 that realizes the functions of each component of each device is, for example, stored in storage device 905 or ROM 902 in advance and read by the CPU 901 as needed. The program 904 may be supplied to the CPU 901 via a communication network 909, or it may be stored in a recording medium 906 in advance, and the drive device 907 may read the program and supply it to the CPU 901.

[0068] There are various variations in how each device is implemented. For example, each device may be implemented by any combination of a separate information processing device 900 and a program for each component. Alternatively, multiple components of each device may be implemented by any combination of a single information processing device 900 and a program. In other words, each part (processing means, function) of the security officer assignment system described above can be implemented by a computer program that causes a processor mounted on the device to execute the above-described processes using its hardware.

[0069] Furthermore, some or all of the components of each device are realized by other general-purpose or dedicated circuits, processors, etc., or combinations thereof. These may consist of a single chip or multiple chips connected via a bus.

[0070] Some or all of the components of each device may be realized by a combination of the circuits and programs described above.

[0071] When some or all of the components of each device are implemented by multiple information processing devices or circuits, these multiple information processing devices or circuits may be centrally located or distributed. For example, the information processing devices or circuits may be implemented in a form in which each is connected via a communication network, such as a client-and-server system or a cloud computing system.

[0072] The embodiments described above are preferred embodiments of this disclosure and do not limit the scope of this disclosure to these embodiments alone. That is, a person skilled in the art can modify or substitute the embodiments described above to construct various modified forms without departing from the gist of this disclosure.

[0073] Some or all of the above embodiments may also be described as follows, but are not limited to these.

[0074] [Note 1] A security officer assignment system comprising: management means for managing the operation schedule of an autonomous vehicle; recruitment means for publishing the operation schedule and accepting applications from users who wish to board the autonomous vehicle as security officers; selection means for selecting users from among the applicants to be asked to board the autonomous vehicle as security officers according to predetermined rules; and transmission means for sending boarding instructions for the autonomous vehicle to the selected users. [Note 2] The operation schedule of the security officer assignment system described above may be configured to include a departure point, destination, and departure time. [Note 3] The recruitment means of the security officer assignment system described above may be configured to accept input of the qualifications held by the users, and the selection means may be configured to select the users based on the qualifications held. [Note 4] The security officer assignment system described above may further be able to access data recording the number of times or the duration of boarding as a security officer by the user, and the selection means may be configured to select the users based on the number of times or the duration of boarding. [Note 5] The above-described security officer assignment system may be configured to increase the security officer's compensation as the number of times or the duration of the security officer's rides increases. [Note 6] The above-described security officer assignment system may be configured to charge a fare to the user who has become the security officer if the number of times or the duration of the security officer's rides is below a predetermined threshold. [Note 7] A security officer assignment system comprising: a user management means for receiving and managing applications from users who wish to ride in an autonomous vehicle as a security officer, specifying at least a boarding location and a desired disembarking location; a selection means for selecting a user from among the users who has specified a boarding location and a desired disembarking location that are suitable for the departure location and destination of the autonomous vehicle, at least a predetermined time before the departure time of the autonomous vehicle; and a transmission means for transmitting boarding instructions for the autonomous vehicle to the selected user.[Appendix 8] A method for assigning security personnel, comprising: publishing the operating schedule of an autonomous vehicle; accepting applications from users who wish to ride in the autonomous vehicle as security personnel; selecting users from among the applicants according to predetermined rules to be asked to ride in the autonomous vehicle as security personnel; and sending boarding instructions for the autonomous vehicle to the selected users. [Appendix 9] A method for assigning security personnel, comprising: accepting and managing applications from users who wish to ride in an autonomous vehicle as security personnel, specifying at least a possible boarding location and a desired disembarking location; selecting users from among the applicants who have specified a possible boarding location and a desired disembarking location that are compatible with the departure and destination locations of the autonomous vehicle, at least a predetermined time before the departure time of the autonomous vehicle; and sending boarding instructions for the autonomous vehicle to the selected users. [Note 10] A recording medium that records a program causing a computer to execute the following: a process for publishing the operating schedule of an autonomous vehicle; a process for receiving applications from users who wish to ride in the autonomous vehicle as security personnel; a process for selecting users from among the applicants to be asked to ride in the autonomous vehicle as security personnel according to predetermined rules; and a process for sending boarding instructions for the autonomous vehicle to the selected users. [Note 11] A recording medium that records a program causing a computer to execute the following: a process for receiving and managing applications from users who wish to ride in the autonomous vehicle as security personnel, specifying at least a boarding location and a desired disembarking location; a process for selecting users from among the users who have specified a boarding location and a desired disembarking location that are suitable for the departure and destination of the autonomous vehicle, at least a predetermined time before the departure time of the autonomous vehicle; and a process for sending boarding instructions for the autonomous vehicle to the selected users. The forms described in each of the above notes can be combined with each other after making the necessary modifications. For example, a configuration that combines the contents described in Appendix 2 and the contents described in Appendix 3 is also included within the scope of disclosure of this specification. In this case, the security personnel assignment system publishes a travel schedule that includes the destination, departure time, and other details, and selects users to request to board the autonomous vehicle based on the user's qualifications.Furthermore, the forms described in appendices 7 to 11 above can be expanded into the forms described in appendices 2 to 6, similar to appendice 1.

[0075] Furthermore, each disclosure in the above-mentioned patent documents is incorporated into this document by reference and may be used as the basis or part of this disclosure as necessary. Within the framework of this disclosure (including the claims), further modifications and adjustments to the embodiments or examples are possible based on their fundamental technical concept. Also, within the framework of this disclosure, various combinations or selections (including partial deletions) of various disclosure elements (including each element of each claim, each element of each embodiment or example, each element of each drawing, etc.) are possible. In other words, this disclosure naturally includes the entire disclosure, including the claims, and various modifications and alterations that a person skilled in the art could make in accordance with the technical concept. In particular, with respect to the numerical ranges described in this document, any numerical value or sub-range included within that range should be interpreted as being specifically described, even if not otherwise stated. Furthermore, each disclosure item of the above-mentioned cited documents may, as necessary, be used in part or in whole as part of this disclosure, in accordance with the spirit of this disclosure, and this is also considered to be included in the disclosure items of this application.

[0076] 10, 30 Security personnel assignment system 11 Management means 12 Recruitment means 13 Selection means 14 Transmission means 31 User management means 32 Selection means 33 Transmission means 100, 100a, 300, 300a Security personnel assignment server 101, 101a Operation schedule management unit 102, 304 Recruitment unit 103, 103a, 302, 302a Selection unit 104, 303 Transmission unit 105 301, 301a User management unit 200 Mobile terminal 305 Operation schedule storage unit 900 Information processing device 901 CPU (Central Processing Unit) 902 ROM (Read Only Memory) 903 RAM (Random Access) Memory) 904 Program 905 Storage device 906 Recording medium 907 Drive device 908 Communication interface 909 Communication network 910 Input / output interface 911 Bus BT Button PA Safety area SP Security officer V Autonomous vehicle

Claims

1. A security officer assignment system comprising: a management means for managing the operation schedule of an autonomous vehicle; a recruitment means for publishing the operation schedule and accepting applications from users who wish to board the autonomous vehicle as security officers; a selection means for selecting users from among the applicants to be asked to board the autonomous vehicle as security officers according to predetermined rules; and a transmission means for sending boarding instructions for the autonomous vehicle to the selected users.

2. The security officer assignment system according to claim 1, wherein the operation schedule includes a departure point, a destination, and a departure time.

3. The security officer assignment system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the recruitment means accepts input of the qualifications held by the user, and the selection means selects a user to request to board the autonomous vehicle based on the qualifications held.

4. The security officer assignment system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising the ability to access data recording the number of times or the duration of a user's service as a security officer, wherein the selection means selects the user based on the number of times or duration of service.

5. A security officer assignment system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the compensation for the security officer increases as the number of times or the duration of the security officer's flight increases.

6. A security officer assignment system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein if the number of times or the duration of the security officer's travel is less than a predetermined threshold, the security officer charges a fare to the user who became the security officer.

7. A security officer assignment system comprising: a user management means for receiving and managing applications from users who wish to board an autonomous vehicle as a security officer, specifying at least a boarding location and a desired disembarking location; a selection means for selecting a user from among the users who has specified a boarding location and a desired disembarking location that are suitable for the departure and destination of the autonomous vehicle, at least a predetermined time before the departure time of the autonomous vehicle; and a transmission means for sending boarding instructions for the autonomous vehicle to the selected user.

8. A method for assigning security personnel, comprising: publishing the operating schedule of autonomous vehicles; accepting applications from users who wish to ride in the autonomous vehicles as security personnel; selecting users from among the applicants according to predetermined rules to be asked to ride in the autonomous vehicles as security personnel; and sending boarding instructions for the autonomous vehicles to the selected users.

9. A method for assigning security personnel, comprising: receiving and managing applications from users who wish to board an autonomous vehicle as security personnel, specifying at least a boarding location and a desired disembarking location; selecting users from among the users who have specified a boarding location and a desired disembarking location that are compatible with the departure and destination locations of the autonomous vehicle, at least a predetermined time before the departure time of the autonomous vehicle; and sending boarding instructions for the autonomous vehicle to the selected users.

10. A recording medium that contains a program that causes a computer to execute the following: a process for publishing the operating schedule of an autonomous vehicle; a process for receiving applications from users who wish to ride in the autonomous vehicle as security personnel; a process for selecting users from among those who applied to be security personnel, according to predetermined rules, to be asked to ride in the autonomous vehicle as security personnel; and a process for sending boarding instructions for the autonomous vehicle to the selected users.

11. A recording medium that records a program causing a computer to execute the following: a process of receiving and managing applications from users who wish to board the autonomous vehicle as security personnel, specifying at least a boarding location and a desired disembarking location; a process of selecting from the users at least a predetermined time before the autonomous vehicle's departure time the users have specified a boarding location and a desired disembarking location that are suitable for the autonomous vehicle's departure location and destination; and a process of sending boarding instructions for the autonomous vehicle to the selected users.

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