Automatic Vehicle Operation Management Device for Interval Restoration

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Solution Overview

Problem

In automatic running vehicle systems, delayed vehicles can lead to shorter operation intervals, increasing boarding times and passenger dissatisfaction, as well as potential safety risks during overtaking maneuvers.

Innovation Solution

An operation management device that identifies delayed vehicles and instructs a following vehicle to overtake, ensuring safe overtaking by having the delayed vehicle stop before the overtaking occurs, thereby restoring operation intervals according to a predetermined schedule.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a delayed vehicle continues running without stopping, then the operation interval between vehicles remains short, but passenger satisfaction decreases due to prolonged boarding times

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperation intervalVSAvoidboarding time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The delayed vehicle stops in advance at a predetermined location before the scheduled boarding point, allowing the following vehicle to overtake and board passengers earlier, thus reducing overall boarding time while maintaining operational efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

A management device coordinates the overtaking maneuver by communicating stop instructions to the delayed vehicle and overtaking instructions to the following vehicle, enabling safe and efficient interval restoration

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If a following vehicle overtakes a delayed vehicle, then operation interval is restored, but safety risks increase during the overtaking maneuver

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperation interval restorationVSAvoidovertaking safety

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The delayed vehicle stops in advance at a predetermined location before the overtaking point, ensuring that the following vehicle can overtake safely without collision risk while maintaining schedule efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The management device receives position information from both vehicles and dynamically adjusts instructions based on real-time conditions, ensuring safe overtaking execution while restoring operational intervals

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If the delayed vehicle stops before overtaking, then overtaking safety is improved, but the complexity of vehicle coordination increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveovertaking safetyVSAvoidvehicle coordination system

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A centralized management device coordinates the stop and overtake instructions, simplifying the coordination complexity by providing a single point of control that manages communication between delayed and following vehicles

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11524699B2Operation management device for automatic running vehicle and automatic running vehicle

Publication Date: 2022.12.13 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK

AI summary

An operating situation obtaining unit obtains the operating situation information of a plurality of operating vehicles along a predetermined route. A delayed vehicle extraction unit extracts a delayed vehicle that is delayed in actual operation relative to the operation schedule from among the plurality of operating vehicles, based on the operating situation information of the respective operating vehicles. An overtaking instruction unit outputs an overtaking instruction to overtake the delayed vehicle to a following vehicle that immediately follows the delayed vehicle.