IP Library Granted Patent US 12,391,177
Granted Patent B2
US 12,391,177 · App. 18/123,743 · Granted Aug 19, 2025

Control method and control device

Inventors: Hiroshi Yahata (Osaka fu, JP); Tomoyuki Hirota (Hyogo ken, JP); Takahiro Nishi (Nara ken, JP); Tadamasa Toma (Osaka fu, JP); Toshiyasu Sugio (Osaka fu, JP)
Assignee: PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
B60Q3/80B60Q3/217B60Q3/233B60Q3/30B60Q3/731G06Q10/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,391,177
App. No.
18/123,743
Granted
Aug 19, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

According to the present disclosure, a control method of a vehicle including a communication circuit capable of communicating with a computer via a network includes: acquiring, from the computer via the communication circuit, first reservation information including first boarding area information indicating a first boarding area, first seat information indicating a first seat, and first color information indicating a first color; causing the vehicle to travel to the first boarding area based on the first boarding area information; and causing, in the first boarding area, at least two lighting devices to emit light of the first color based on the first color information, the at least two lighting devices being selected from a group consisting of a first door light indicating a first door, a first seat light indicating the first seat, and a first baggage light indicating an installation position or a lock.

Claims (18)

1. A control method of a vehicle including a communication circuit capable of communicating with a computer via a network, the method comprising:

acquiring, from the computer via the communication circuit, first reservation information including first boarding area information indicating a first boarding area for a first user who has reserved the vehicle to board, first seat information indicating a first seat reserved by the first user among a plurality of seats of the vehicle, and first color information indicating a first color selected from a plurality of colors to identify the first user from other users who ride in the vehicle;

causing the vehicle to travel to the first boarding area based on the first boarding area information; and

causing, in the first boarding area, at least two lighting devices to emit light of the first color based on the first color information, the at least two lighting devices being selected from a group consisting of a first door light provided on a side surface of the vehicle and indicating a first door where the first user is to board, a first seat light provided in the vehicle and indicating the first seat reserved by the first user, and a first baggage light provided in a trunk of the vehicle and indicating an installation position where a first baggage of the first user is to be placed or a lock to be attached to the first baggage, wherein

the vehicle includes, in the trunk, a plurality of locking wires that are respectively to be attached to and locked to pieces of baggage of a plurality of users, and

the first baggage light is provided on a first locking wire that is to be attached to and locked to the first baggage of the first user.

2. A control method of a vehicle including a communication circuit capable of communicating with a computer via a network, the method comprising:

acquiring, from the computer via the communication circuit, first reservation information including first boarding area information indicating a first boarding area for a first user who has reserved the vehicle to board, first seat information indicating a first seat reserved by the first user among a plurality of seats of the vehicle, and first color information indicating a first color selected from a plurality of colors to identify the first user from other users who ride in the vehicle;

causing the vehicle to travel to the first boarding area based on the first boarding area information; and

causing, in the first boarding area, at least two lighting devices to emit light of the first color based on the first color information, the at least two lighting devices being selected from a group consisting of a first door light provided on a side surface of the vehicle and indicating a first door where the first user is to board, a first seat light provided in the vehicle and indicating the first seat reserved by the first user, and a first baggage light provided in a trunk of the vehicle and indicating an installation position where a first baggage of the first user is to be placed or a lock to be attached to the first baggage, wherein

the first reservation information further includes baggage information indicating whether or not the first user requests to use the trunk of the vehicle, and

the control method further comprises:

when the first user requests to use the trunk based on the baggage information,

causing the first baggage light to emit the light of the first color after detecting the first user,

turning off the first baggage light after the first user places the first baggage at the installation position or attaches the lock to the first baggage, and

causing the first door light to emit the light of the first color after turning off the first baggage light; and

when the first user does not request to use the trunk based on the baggage information,

causing the first door light to emit the light of the first color without causing the first baggage light to emit the light after detecting the first user.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 1, 2024
From: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 066709/0752 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 1, 2023
From: YAHATA, HIROSHI; HIROTA, TOMOYUKI; NISHI, TAKAHIRO; TOMA, TADAMASA; SUGIO, TOSHIYASU
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 064459/0234 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2022-051845 · Mar 28, 2022 · national
JP 2023-007248 · Jan 20, 2023 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230302990A1 · Sep 28, 2023
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