Travel assist system, travel assist method, and travel-assist control program

1 . A travel assist system for assisting traveling of at least one autonomous vehicle in response to at least one assistance request sent from the at least one autonomous vehicle, the travel assist system comprising:

a plurality of terminals, each of which is configured to perform first function and a second function,

the first function of each of the terminals generating, based on input information entered by at least one of first operators belonging to a first group, instruction information related to traveling of the at least one autonomous vehicle,

the second function of each of the terminals reporting, based on input information entered by at least one of second operators belonging to a second group, information representing a working situation of each of the first operators belonging to the first group; and

a travel assist control unit comprising a computer and configured to selectively perform:

an off-peak task upon receiving the at least one assistance request during an off-peak situation where there are a predetermined number of free operators included in the first group, the off-peak task being configured to assign the at least one assistance request to a selected one of the free operators included in the first group; and

an on-peak task upon receiving the at least one assistance request during an on-peak situation where there are not the predetermined number of the free operators included in the first group, the at least one assistance request comprising a quantified priority level, the on-peak task being configured to:

determine whether the quantified priority level of the at least one assistance request is higher than or equal to a predetermined threshold priority level; and

analyze the assignment of the at least one assistance request to a selected one of the second operators included in the second group in response to a determination that the quantified priority level of the at least one assistance request is higher than or equal to the predetermined threshold priority level.

2 . The travel assist system according to claim 1 , wherein:

each of the first and second operators who logs in to a corresponding one of the terminals is categorized into a corresponding one of the first and second groups in accordance with a predetermined standard determined for the corresponding one of the first and second operators; and

the plurality of terminals are categorized into:

instruction terminals operatable by the first operators belonging to the first group; and

management terminals operatable by the second operators belonging to the second group.

3 . The travel assist system according to claim 1 , wherein:

the at least one assistance request comprises a plurality of assistance requests;

the quantified priority level comprises a plurality of qualified priority levels; and

the second function of each of the terminals includes a function of individually setting each of the plurality of assistance requests to a corresponding one of the plurality of priority levels.

4 . The travel assist system according to claim 1 , wherein:

the travel assist control unit is configured to:

determine, before execution of the on-peak task, whether pending assistance requests currently addressed by the terminals include at least one pending assistance request whose quantified priority level is lower than or equal to a predetermined threshold priority level; and

assign, upon determination that the pending assistance requests currently addressed by the terminals include the at least one pending assistance request whose quantified priority level is lower than or equal to the predetermined threshold priority level, the at least one assistance request to at least one terminal currently addressing the at least one pending assistance request.

5 . The travel assist system according to claim 4 , wherein:

the travel assist control unit includes an operator working-situation database that stores working-situation information indicative of a current working situation of each of the terminals; and

the travel assist control unit is configured to determine, based on the working-situation information stored in the operator working-situation database, whether the pending assistance requests currently addressed by the terminals include the at least one pending assistance request whose quantified priority level is lower than or equal to the predetermined threshold priority level.

6 . The travel assist system according to claim 1 , wherein:

the travel assist control unit is configured to:

predict, before execution of the on-peak task, completion time for each of pending assistance requests currently addressed by the terminals, the completion time for each of the pending assistance requests being required until addressing of the corresponding one of the pending assistance requests is completed; and

place, upon determination that the completion time for at least one of the pending assistance requests is smaller than or equal to a completion-time threshold, the at least one assistance request into a queue.

7 . The travel assist system according to claim 6 , wherein:

the travel assist control unit includes an assistance-log database that stores log information that includes (i) assistance-request logs and (ii) predicted remaining time length for each of pending assistance requests currently addressed by the terminals; and

the travel assist control unit is configured to predict, based on the log information stored in the assistance-log database, the completion time for each of the pending assistance requests currently addressed by the terminals.

8 . A program product for a computer, the program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

a set of computer program instructions embedded in the computer-readable medium, the instructions causing the computer to serve as the travel assist control unit according to claim 1 .

9 . The travel assist system according to claim 1 , wherein:

the at least one assistance request represents an occurrence of an event constituting a hindrance to an autonomous traveling of the at least one autonomous vehicle; and

the on-peak task being configured to:

determine whether the quantified priority level of the at least one assistance request is higher than or equal to the predetermined threshold priority level; and

analyze the assignment of the at least one assistance request to the selected one of the second operators included in the second group in response to determination that the quantified priority level of the at least one assistance request is higher than or equal to the predetermined threshold priority level,

wherein

at least one of the terminals is configured to perform, through operations of the selected one of the second operators, driving assistance of the at least one autonomous vehicle to cause the at least one autonomous vehicle to continuously travel.

10 . The travel assist system according to claim 1 , wherein:

one of the first operators and the second operators performs traveling assistance of the at least one autonomous vehicle.

11 . A travel assist system for assisting traveling of at least one autonomous vehicle in response to at least one assistance request sent from the at least one autonomous vehicle, the travel assist system comprising:

a plurality of instruction terminals, each of which is configured to perform an instruction function of generating instruction information in response to the at least one assistance request;

at least one management terminal configured to perform the instruction function, and manage an operating condition of each of the plurality of instruction terminals; and

a travel assist control unit comprising a computer and configured to selectively perform an off-peak task and an on-peak task in accordance with the operating condition of each of the plurality of instruction terminals,

the off-peak task being configured to, upon receiving the at least one assistance request during an off-peak situation where there are a predetermined number of free terminals included in the plurality of instruction terminals, assign the at least one assistance request to a selected one of the free terminals included in the plurality of instruction terminals, the at least one assistance request comprising a quantified priority level,

the on-peak task being configured to, upon receiving the at least one assistance request during an on-peak situation where there are not the predetermined number of the free terminals included in the plurality of instruction terminals, determine whether the quantified priority level of the at least one assistance request is higher than or equal to a predetermined threshold priority level, and analyze assignment of the at least one assistance request to the at least one management terminal in response to a determination that the quantified priority level of the at least one assistance request is higher than or equal to the predetermined threshold priority level.

12 . The travel assist system according to claim 11 , wherein:

the on-peak task performed by the travel assist control unit is configured to assign, upon determination that the quantified priority level of the at least one assistance request is higher than or equal to the predetermined threshold priority level, the at least one assistance request to the at least one management terminal, and place, upon determination that the quantified priority level of the at least one assistance request is lower than the predetermined threshold priority level, the at least one assistance request into a queue.

13 . The travel assist system according to claim 11 , wherein:

the travel assist control unit is configured to:

predict, before execution of the on-peak task, a time period for which at least one new assistance request after the at least one assistance request will occur;

predict the quantified priority level of the at least one new assistance request;

calculate a probability that the at least one new assistance request, whose quantified priority level is higher than the predetermined threshold priority level, will occur for the time period; and

assign the at least one assistance request to the at least one management terminal upon determination that the calculated probability is higher than or equal to a predetermined threshold.

14 . The travel assist system according to claim 13 , wherein:

the travel assist control unit includes an assistance-occurrence prediction database that stores big data, the big data comprising:

first information including past positions of the at least one autonomous vehicle;

second information including past travel routes of the at least one autonomous vehicle;

third information including past traffic situations related to traveling of the at least one autonomous vehicle;

fourth information including past weather conditions related to traveling of the at least one autonomous vehicle;

fifth information including at least one past assistance for the at least one autonomous vehicle; and

sixth information indicative of a time length required to execute the at least one past assistance; and

the travel assist control unit is configured to predict (i) the time period for which the at least one new assistance request after the at least one assistance request will occur, and (ii) the quantified priority level of the at least one new assistance request in accordance with the big data stored in the assistance-occurrence prediction database.

15 . The travel assist system according to claim 11 , wherein:

the at least one assistance request represents an occurrence of an event constituting a hindrance to an autonomous traveling of the at least one autonomous vehicle; and

the on-peak task being configured to:

determine whether the quantified priority level of the at least one assistance request is higher than or equal to the predetermined threshold priority level; and

analyze the assignment of the at least one assistance request to the selected one of the free terminals in response to determination that the quantified priority level of the at least one assistance request is higher than or equal to the predetermined threshold priority level,

wherein

at least one of the terminals is configured to perform, through operations of the selected one of the free terminals, driving assistance of the at least one autonomous vehicle to cause the at least one autonomous vehicle to continuously travel.

16 . The travel assist system according to claim 11 , wherein:

the selected one of the free terminals performs traveling assistance of the at least one autonomous vehicle.

17 . A method of assisting traveling of at least one autonomous vehicle in response to at least one assistance request sent from the at least one autonomous vehicle in a system comprising a plurality of terminals, each of which has a first function and a second function,

the first function of each of the terminals generating, based on input information entered by at least one of first operators belonging to a first group, instruction information related to traveling of the at least one autonomous vehicle,

the second function of each of the terminals reporting, based on input information entered by at least one of second operators belonging to a second group, information representing a working situation of each of the first operators belonging to the first group,

the method comprising

performing, upon receiving the at least one assistance request during an off-peak situation where there are a predetermined number of free operators included in the first group, an off-peak task of assigning the at least one assistance request to a selected one of the free operators included in the first group; and

performing, upon receiving the at least one assistance request during an on-peak situation where there are not the predetermined number of the free operators included in the first group, an on-peak task, the at least one assistance request comprising a quantified priority level,

the on-peak task comprising:

determining whether the quantified priority level of the at least one assistance request is higher than or equal to a predetermined threshold priority level; and

analyzing the assignment of the at least one assistance request to a selected one of the second operators included in the second group in response to a determination that the quantified priority level of the at least one assistance request is higher than or equal to the predetermined threshold priority level.

18 . A method of assisting traveling of at least one autonomous vehicle in response to at least one assistance request sent from the at least one autonomous vehicle in a system comprising (i) a plurality of instruction terminals, each of which is configured to perform an instruction function of generating instruction information in response to the at least one assistance request; and (ii) at least one management terminal configured to perform the instruction function, and manage an operating condition of each of the plurality of instruction terminals,

the method comprising:

performing, upon receiving the at least one assistance request during an off-peak situation where there are a predetermined number of free terminals included in the plurality of instruction terminals, an off-peak task of assigning the at least one assistance request to a selected one of the free terminals included in the plurality of instruction terminals, the at least one assistance request comprising a quantified priority level; and

performing, upon receiving the at least one assistance request during an on-peak situation where there are not the predetermined number of the free terminals included in the plurality of instruction terminals, an on-peak task of:

determining whether the quantified priority level of the at least one assistance request is higher than or equal to a predetermined threshold priority level; and

analyzing assignment of the at least one assistance request to the at least one management terminal in response to a determination that the quantified priority level of the at least one assistance request is higher than or equal to the predetermined threshold priority level.