Granted Patent B2

US 12,205,469 · App. 17/838,876 · Granted Jan 21, 2025

Inventors: Takahiro Yoneda (Osaka, JP); Motoshi Anabuki (Hyogo, JP); Yuki Matsumura (Kyoto, JP); Toshiya Arai (Osaka, JP)

Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

G08G1/202B60W40/09G05D1/0027G05D1/0061G06Q10/02G06Q50/40B60W2040/0872B60W2540/041B60W2540/221B60W2556/10

Abstract

Claims (78)

1. An information processing method to be executed by a computer, the information processing method comprising:

receiving first rider information of a first rider who books allocation of a self-driving vehicle from a terminal device connected to the computer, wherein the first rider information includes: a first driving skill indicating whether the first rider is capable of driving; place-of-departure information indicating a place of departure desired by the first rider; and destination information indicating a destination desired by the first rider; and

obtaining, from a database, an allocatable self-driving vehicle list indicating a plurality of self-driving vehicles allocatable to the first rider, and a rider list indicating a plurality of second riders who has booked the plurality of self-driving vehicles indicated in the allocatable self-driving vehicle list,

wherein, in the database, a plurality of scheduled routes corresponding to the plurality of self-driving vehicles are further stored, the plurality of scheduled routes each being a scheduled route set for a second rider who has booked a corresponding one of the plurality of self-driving vehicles, the second rider being included in the plurality of second riders,

the information processing method further comprises:

obtaining a second driving skill of each corresponding to the plurality of second riders included in the rider list, the second driving skill indicating whether each of the plurality of second riders is capable of driving;

extracting a self-driving vehicle allocatable to the first rider from among the plurality of self-driving vehicles booked by the plurality of second riders, using a plurality of first driving skills and a plurality of second driving skills corresponding to the plurality of second riders, the plurality of second driving skills each being the second driving skill;

determining the self-driving vehicle extracted as a booked self-driving vehicle to be allocated in response to the booking made by the first rider;

changing the scheduled route set for a second rider who has booked the booked self-driving vehicle, from among the plurality of second riders, to allow the booked self-driving vehicle to arrive at the place of departure indicated in the place-of-departure information and the destination indicated in the destination information; and

transmitting, by the computer, to the booked self-driving vehicle, a dispatch instruction and an operation schedule including the scheduled route changed, to cause the booked self-driving vehicle to move along the scheduled route changed,

wherein, in the extracting:

when the first driving skill indicates that the first rider is incapable of driving, executing a first determination for determining: whether a first self-driving vehicle is present, the first self-driving vehicle: having been booked by a third rider who is capable of driving among the plurality of self-driving vehicles booked by the plurality of second riders; and having a seat allocatable to the first rider;

when it is determined in the first determination that the first self-driving vehicle is present in the plurality of self-driving vehicles, extracting the first self-driving vehicle as the self-driving vehicle allocatable to the first rider;

when it is determined in the first determination that the first self-driving vehicle is not present in the plurality of self-driving vehicles, executing a second determination for determining whether a second self-driving vehicle is present, the second self-driving vehicle: not having been booked by the third rider among the plurality of self-driving vehicles booked by the plurality of second riders; and having a seat allocatable to the first rider; and

when it is determined in the second determination that the second self-driving vehicle is present in the plurality of self-driving vehicles, extracting the second self-driving vehicle as the self-driving vehicle allocatable to the first rider.

2. The information processing method according to claim 1 ,

wherein, each of the plurality of self-driving vehicles includes a presentation device, and

the information processing method further comprises:

when the first rider is capable of driving, at a time when the first rider is riding on the booked self-driving vehicle, causing the presentation device of the booked self-driving vehicle to present presentation information that guides the first rider toward a driver's seat of the booked self-driving vehicle.

3. The information processing method according to claim 1 ,

wherein each of the plurality of self-driving vehicles includes a presentation device, and

the information processing method further comprises:

when the first rider is incapable of driving, at a time when the first rider is riding on the booked self-driving vehicle, causing the presentation device of the booked self-driving vehicle to present presentation information that guides the first rider toward a seat other than a driver's seat of the booked self-driving vehicle.

4. The information processing method according to claim 1 ,

wherein each of the plurality of self-driving vehicles is capable of switching from automatic driving to manual driving, and

the information processing method further causes the computer to executing processing of:

when one of the first rider and the second rider who have booked the booked self-driving vehicle is a fourth rider who is capable of driving, and when the booked self-driving vehicle on which the third rider is riding becomes unable to perform the automatic driving, generating presentation information requesting the fourth rider to perform manual driving of the booked self-driving vehicle; and causing the presentation device of the booked self-driving vehicle to present the presentation information generated.

5. The information processing method according to claim 4 ,

wherein the information processing method further causes the computer to execute processing of:

when the booked self-driving vehicle on which the fourth rider is riding becomes unable to perform the automatic driving, generating driver assist information for assisting driving of the fourth driver, and

causing the presentation device to present the driver assist information generated.

6. The information processing method according to claim 4 , further comprising:

providing a benefit to the fourth rider, based on a result of manual driving performed by the third rider.

7. The information processing method according to claim 1 ,

wherein vehicle information generated as bookable vehicle information further includes presentation information indicating that a benefit is available for each of one or more self-driving vehicles included in the vehicle information.

8. The information processing method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a monitoring priority of the booked self-driving vehicle; and

notifying a monitoring person of information on the self-driving vehicle in accordance with the monitoring priority determined.

9. The information processing method according to claim 8 ,

wherein, when one of the first rider and the second rider who have booked the booked self-driving vehicle is a rider who is capable of driving, in the determining, a first monitoring priority is determined as the monitoring priority,

when the one of the first rider and the second rider who have booked the booked self-driving vehicle is a rider who is incapable of driving, in the determining, a second monitoring priority is determined as the monitoring priority, and

the first monitoring priority is lower than the second monitoring priority.

10. An information processing system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory in which a program is recorded,

wherein, when the program is executed by the processor, the program causes the processor to execute:

receiving first rider information of a first rider who books allocation of a self-driving vehicle from a terminal device connected to the processor, wherein the first rider information includes: a first driving skill indicating whether the first rider is capable of driving; place-of-departure information indicating a place of departure desired by the first rider; and destination information indicating a destination desired by the first rider; and

obtaining, from a database, an allocatable self-driving vehicle list indicating a plurality of self-driving vehicles allocatable to the first rider, and a rider list indicating a plurality of second riders who has booked the plurality of self-driving vehicles indicated in the allocatable self-driving vehicle list,

wherein, in the database, a plurality of scheduled routes corresponding to the plurality of self-driving vehicles are further stored, the plurality of scheduled routes each being a scheduled route set for a second rider who has booked a corresponding one of the plurality of self-driving vehicles, the second rider being included in the plurality of second riders,

the program further causes the processor to execute:

obtaining a second driving skill of each corresponding to the plurality of second riders included in the rider list, the second driving skill indicating whether each of the plurality of second riders is capable of driving;

extracting a self-driving vehicle allocatable to the first rider from among the plurality of self-driving vehicles booked by the plurality of second riders, using a plurality of first driving skills and a plurality of second driving skills corresponding to the plurality of second riders, the plurality of second driving skills each being the second driving skill;

determining the self-driving vehicle extracted as a booked self-driving vehicle to be allocated in response to the booking made by the first rider;

changing the scheduled route set for a second rider who has booked the booked self-driving vehicle, from among the plurality of second riders, to allow the booked self-driving vehicle to arrive at the place of departure indicated in the place-of-departure information and the destination indicated in the destination information; and

transmitting, by the processor, to the booked self-driving vehicle, a dispatch instruction and an operation schedule including the scheduled route changed, to cause the booked self-driving vehicle to move along the scheduled route changed,

wherein, in the extracting:

when the first driving skill indicates that the first rider is incapable of driving, executing a first determination for determining: whether a first self-driving vehicle is present, the first self-driving vehicle: having been booked by a third rider who is capable of driving among the plurality of self-driving vehicles booked by the plurality of second riders; and having a seat allocatable to the first rider;

when it is determined in the first determination that the first self-driving vehicle is present in the plurality of self-driving vehicles, extracting the first self-driving vehicle as the self-driving vehicle allocatable to the first rider;

when it is determined in the first determination that the first self-driving vehicle is not present in the plurality of self-driving vehicles, executing a second determination for determining whether a second self-driving vehicle is present, the second self-driving vehicle: not having been booked by the third rider among the plurality of self-driving vehicles booked by the plurality of second riders; and having a seat allocatable to the first rider; and

when it is determined in the second determination that the second self-driving vehicle is present in the plurality of self-driving vehicles, extracting the second self-driving vehicle as the self-driving vehicle allocatable to the first rider.

11. The information processing method according to claim 1 ,

wherein, in the extracting:

when the first driving skill indicates that the first rider is capable of driving, executing a third determination for determining whether a third self-driving vehicle is present, the third self-driving vehicle: not having been booked by the third rider among the plurality of self-driving vehicles booked by the plurality of second riders; and having a seat allocatable to the first rider; and

when it is determined in the third determination that the third self-driving vehicle is present in the plurality of self-driving vehicles, extracting the third self-driving vehicle as the self-driving vehicle allocatable to the first rider.

12. The information processing method according to claim 11 ,

wherein, when the first rider is capable of driving, in the receiving, a first driving acceptability is further received, the first driving acceptability indicating whether the first rider is willing to drive the self-driving vehicle switched to a state for the manual driving,

the third determination is executed when the first driving skill indicates that the first rider is capable of driving, and when the first driving acceptability indicates that the first driver is willing to perform the manual driving on the self-driving vehicle, and

the first determination is executed when (i) the first driving skill indicates that the first rider is incapable of driving or (ii) the first driving skill indicates that the first rider is capable of driving, and when the first driving acceptability indicates that the first driver is not willing to perform the manual driving on the self-driving vehicle.

13. The information processing method according to claim 11 ,

wherein, when the first rider is capable of driving, in the receiving, first physical condition information is further received, the first physical condition information indicating whether the first rider is in a good physical condition,

the third determination is executed when the first driving skill indicates that the first rider is capable of driving, and when the first physical condition information indicates that the first driver is in a good physical condition, and

the first determination is executed when (i) the first driving skill indicates that the first rider is incapable of driving or (ii) the first driving skill indicates that the first rider is capable of driving, and when the first physical condition information indicates that the first driver is not in a good physical condition.

14. The information processing method according to claim 1 ,

wherein, the information processing method further comprises:

generating vehicle information including the self-driving vehicle extracted as bookable vehicle information,

transmitting the bookable vehicle information to the terminal device to cause the terminal device to present the bookable vehicle information, and

receiving, from the terminal device and in response to the transmitting, determination information including information indicating that it is desired to allocate the self-driving vehicle extracted,

wherein in the determining, the computer is caused to execute processing of determining, as the booked self-driving vehicle, the self-driving vehicle extracted based on the determining information.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (27)