IP Library Granted Patent US 12679419
Granted Patent B2
US 12679419 · App. 17/255,720 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Alighting point determination method and alighting point determination device

Inventors: Shuyang Jia (Kanagawa, JP); Naoki Kojo (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
B60W60/00253G06Q10/06311G08G1/123H04W4/40B60W2540/041B60W2556/45
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12679419
App. No.
17/255,720
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An alighting point determination method is used in a vehicle allocation system configured to move a vehicle to a predetermined point in response to a request from a user. The vehicle allocation system includes a processor. The processor operates to: set a predetermined range including a point associated with a first user; specify a second user who is expected to alight in the predetermined range; acquire a request point included in the request from each user; calculate an access cost for each user to reach the request point from a common point at which the users including at least the first user and the second user alight; and calculate as the predetermined point the common point obtained based on the calculated access cost for each of the first user and the second user.

Claims (60)

1 . An alighting point determination method for allocating a vehicle in response to requests from users, the method comprising:

setting, by a processor of the vehicle, a predetermined range based on coordinates on a map information, the predetermined range including:

a first request point where a first user desires to alight from the vehicle and

a second request point where a second user desires to alight from the vehicle;

calculating, by the processor, a predetermined point at which to move the vehicle, based on the first request point and the second request point;

specifying, by the processor:

the first user based on the first request and

the second user based on the second request;

calculating, by the processor, an access cost for the first user based on any one or more of:

a distance from the predetermined point to a first destination of the first user,

a time from the predetermined point to the first destination, and

a load from the predetermined point to the first destination;

calculating, by the processor, an access cost for the second user based on any one or more of:

a distance from the predetermined point to a second destination of the second user,

a time from the predetermined point to the second destination, and

a load from the predetermined point to the second destination;

calculating, by the processor, the access cost for the first user as higher when the first user carries large baggage, based on the request from the first user including a form of baggage carried by the first user, compared to when the first user does not carry large baggage;

calculating, by the processor, the access cost for the second user as higher when the second user carries large baggage, based on the request from the second user including a form of baggage carried by the second user, compared to when the second user does not carry large baggage;

comparing the access cost for the first user with the access cost for the second user different from the first user;

calculating, by the processor, a common point as the predetermined point at which the first user and the second user alight from the vehicle and the access cost for the first user and the access cost for the second user are determined to be equivalent;

wherein the processor operates to:

notify each user of the common point;

make an inquiry to each user about an acceptance of the common point; and

set the common point as a predetermined position when the acceptances are obtained from each user.

2 . The alighting point determination method according to claim 1 ,

wherein each request includes a request point of the user and

wherein the processor operates to specify the users based on one or more of the request points.

3 . The alighting point determination method according to claim 1 , wherein the processor operates to:

calculate an access cost for the vehicle from an access difficulty level for the vehicle to reach the common point; and

calculate as the common point a point to which the access cost for the vehicle is a lower value than a predetermined value.

4 . The alighting point determination method according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined range is an area that is preliminarily set.

5 . The alighting point determination method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the request from the first user includes a request point of the first user and

wherein the processor operates to determine the predetermined range so as to include the request point.

6 . The alighting point determination method according to claim 1 , wherein the processor operates to set the predetermined range on a basis of an attribute of the user who made the request.

7 . The alighting point determination method according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle has an autonomous travel function.

8 . An alighting point determination apparatus for allocating a vehicle in response to requests from users, the alighting point determination apparatus comprising a processor, configured to:

set a predetermined range based on coordinates on a map information, the predetermined range including:

a first request point where a first user desires to alight from the vehicle and

a second request point where a second user desires to alight from the vehicle;

calculate a predetermined point at which to move the vehicle, based on the first request point and the second request point;

specify:

the first user based on the first request and

the second user based on the second request;

calculate an access cost for the first user based on any one or more of:

a distance from the predetermined point to a first destination of the first user,

a time from the predetermined point to the first destination, and

a load from the predetermined point to the first destination;

calculate an access cost for the second user based on any one or more of:

a distance from the predetermined point to a second destination of the second user,

a time from the predetermined point to the second destination, and

a load from the predetermined point to the second destination;

calculate the access cost for the first user as higher when the first user carries large baggage, based on the request from the first user including a form of baggage carried by the first user, compared to when the first user does not carry large baggage;

calculate the access cost for the second user as higher when the second user carries large baggage, based on the request from the second user including a form of baggage carried by the second user, compared to when the second user does not carry large baggage;

compare the access cost for the first user with the access cost for the second user different from the first user;

calculate a common point as the predetermined point at which the first user and the second user alight from the vehicle and the access cost for the first user and the access cost for the second user are determined to be equivalent,

wherein the processor operates to:

notify each user of the common point;

make an inquiry to each user about an acceptance of the common point; and

set the common point as a predetermined position when the acceptances are obtained from each user.