IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,491,866
Granted Patent B2
US 12,491,866 · App. 18/297,642 · Granted Dec 9, 2025

Vehicle conveyance management system and vehicle conveyance management method and storage medium

Inventors: Masayuki Itoh (Nagoya, JP); Iwao Maeda (Nagoya, JP); Tatsuya Sugano (Susono, JP); Norinao Watanabe (Susono, JP); Yutaka Nakamura (Susono, JP); Yoshikazu Jikuhara (Susono, JP); Yuki Nishikawa (Susono, JP)
Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
B60W30/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,491,866
App. No.
18/297,642
Filed
Apr 10, 2023
Granted
Dec 9, 2025
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3667
USPC
701/23
Abstract

In an automated parking lot in which manual driving vehicles and automated driving vehicles can park, when entering the automated parking lot, the manual driving vehicle is conveyed by a vehicle conveyance robot to an empty parking space. When an automated driving vehicle breaks down and stops in the automated parking lot, the manual driving vehicle being conveyed is unloaded from the vehicle conveyance robot and the broken down automated driving vehicle is loaded on the vehicle conveyance robot. Due to this, the broken down automated driving vehicle is recovered by the vehicle conveyance robot.

Claims (130)

1 . A vehicle conveyance management system, comprising:

an automated driving vehicle conveyance robot configured to convey a vehicle, and

a management server configured to manage operation of the automated driving vehicle conveyance robot, wherein

the management server is configured to, in response to receiving a request for conveyance of another vehicle during conveyance of one vehicle by the automated driving vehicle conveyance robot,

automatically control the automated driving vehicle conveyance robot to unload the one vehicle being conveyed from the automated driving vehicle conveyance robot, and load and recover the another vehicle onto the automated driving vehicle conveyance robot.

2 . The vehicle conveyance management system according to claim 1 , wherein

the management server is configured to

manage entry into and exit from an automated parking lot for parking manual driving vehicles and automated driving vehicles,

at a time of entry into the automated parking lot,

set a running route for an automated driving vehicle of the automated driving vehicles to move to a set parking space by automated driving, and

automatically control the automated driving vehicle conveyance robot to convey a manual driving vehicle of the manual driving vehicles to the set parking space, and

in response to the automated driving vehicle breaking down and stopping inside the automated parking lot,

automatically control the automated driving vehicle conveyance robot to unload the manual driving vehicle being conveyed from the automated driving vehicle conveyance robot, and load and recover the automated driving vehicle which has broken down on the automated driving vehicle conveyance robot.

3 . The vehicle conveyance management system according to claim 2 , wherein

the management server is configured to

monitor a presence of the automated driving vehicle which has broken down and stopped, and

in response to recognizing the presence of the automated driving vehicle which has broken down and stopped,

automatically control the automated driving vehicle conveyance robot to unload the manual driving vehicle being conveyed for lot entry from the automated driving vehicle conveyance robot,

automatically drive the automated driving vehicle conveyance robot to the automated driving vehicle which has broken down, and

automatically control the automated driving vehicle conveyance robot to load the automated driving vehicle which has broken down on the automated driving vehicle conveyance robot.

4 . The vehicle conveyance management system according to claim 3 , wherein

the management server is configured to, in response to recognizing the presence of the automated driving vehicle which has broken down and stopped,

search, among a plurality of automated driving vehicle conveyance robots including the automated driving vehicle conveyance robot conveying the manual driving vehicles for lot entry, an automated driving vehicle conveyance robot present at a position closest to the automated driving vehicle which has broken down and stopped,

automatically control the searched automated driving vehicle conveyance robot to unload the manual driving vehicle being conveyed by the searched automated driving vehicle conveyance robot from the searched automated driving vehicle conveyance robot,

automatically drive the searched automated driving vehicle conveyance robot toward the automated driving vehicle which has broken down, and

automatically control the searched automated driving vehicle conveyance robot to load the automated driving vehicle which has broken down on the searched automated driving vehicle conveyance robot.

5 . The vehicle conveyance management system according to claim 4 , wherein

the automated driving vehicle conveyance robot includes:

a conveyance robot head having front drive wheels,

a bed part connected to the conveyance robot head and configured to ascend or descend in a vertical direction, the bed part including

a front bed part, and

a rear bed part slidingly coupled with the front bed part, wherein the rear bed part has rear drive wheels,

a lift link device arranged between the rear drive wheels and the rear bed part, and

pairs of wheel support arms configured to swing 90 degrees from retracted positions at both sides of the front bed part and the rear bed part for supporting wheels of the vehicle.

6 . The vehicle conveyance management system according to claim 3 , wherein

the management server is configured to, in response to recognizing the presence of the automated driving vehicle which has broken down,

search, among a plurality of automated driving vehicle conveyance robots including the automated driving vehicle conveyance robot conveying the manual driving vehicles for lot entry, an automated driving vehicle conveyance robot moving behind the automated driving vehicle which has broken down,

automatically control the searched automated driving vehicle conveyance robot to unload the manual driving vehicle being conveyed by the searched automated driving vehicle conveyance robot from the searched automated driving vehicle conveyance robot,

automatically drive the searched automated driving vehicle conveyance robot toward the automated driving vehicle which has broken down, and

automatically control the searched automated driving vehicle conveyance robot to load the automated driving vehicle which has broken down on the searched automated driving vehicle conveyance robot.

7 . The vehicle conveyance management system according to claim 3 , wherein

the management server is configured to, in response to recognizing the presence of the automated driving vehicle which has broken down, control the automated driving vehicle conveyance robot to unload the manual driving vehicle being conveyed from the automated driving vehicle conveyance robot at a location not interfering with traffic.

8 . The vehicle conveyance management system according to claim 3 , wherein

the management server is configured to, in response to recognizing a presence of another broken down automated driving vehicle,

automatically control the automated driving vehicle conveyance robot to unload the automated driving vehicle which has broken down being conveyed from the automated driving vehicle conveyance robot, and

automatically control the automated driving vehicle conveyance robot to load and recover the another broken down automated driving vehicle on the automated driving vehicle conveyance robot.

9 . The vehicle conveyance management system according to claim 1 , wherein

the automated driving vehicle conveyance robot includes:

a conveyance robot head having front drive wheels,

a bed part connected to the conveyance robot head and configured to ascend or descend in a vertical direction, the bed part including

a front bed part, and

a rear bed part slidingly coupled with the front bed part, wherein the rear bed part has rear drive wheels,

a lift link device arranged between the rear drive wheels and the rear bed part, and

pairs of wheel support arms configured to swing 90 degrees from retracted positions at both sides of the front bed part and the rear bed part for supporting wheels of the vehicle.

10 . A vehicle conveyance management method, comprising:

in response to a management server receiving a request for conveyance of another vehicle during conveyance of one vehicle by a vehicle conveyance robot for conveying a vehicle,

unloading, through the management server automatically controlling the vehicle conveyance robot, the one vehicle being conveyed from the vehicle conveyance robot, and

loading and recovering, through the management server automatically controlling the vehicle conveyance robot, the another vehicle onto the vehicle conveyance robot.

11 . The vehicle conveyance management method according to claim 10 , wherein

the vehicle conveyance robot includes:

a conveyance robot head having front drive wheels,

a bed part connected to the conveyance robot head and configured to ascend or descend in a vertical direction, the bed part including

a front bed part, and

a rear bed part slidingly coupled with the front bed part, wherein the rear bed part has rear drive wheels,

a lift link device arranged between the rear drive wheels and the rear bed part, and

pairs of wheel support arms configured to swing 90 degrees from retracted positions at both sides of the front bed part and the rear bed part for supporting wheels of the vehicle.

12 . The vehicle conveyance management method according to claim 10 , wherein the vehicle conveyance management method further comprises:

managing entry into and exit from an automated parking lot for parking manual driving vehicles and automated driving vehicles;

at a time of entry into the automated parking lot,

setting a running route for an automated driving vehicle of the automated driving vehicles to move to a set parking space by automated driving, and

automatically controlling the vehicle conveyance robot to convey a manual driving vehicle of the manual driving vehicles to the set parking space, and

in response to the automated driving vehicle breaking down and stopping inside the automated parking lot,

automatically controlling the vehicle conveyance robot to unload the manual driving vehicle being conveyed from the vehicle conveyance robot, and load and recover the automated driving vehicle which has broken down on the vehicle conveyance robot,

the vehicle conveyance management method further comprises:

monitoring a presence of the automated driving vehicle which has broken down and stopped, and

in response to recognizing the presence of the automated driving vehicle which has broken down and stopped,

automatically controlling the vehicle conveyance robot to unload the manual driving vehicle being conveyed for lot entry from the vehicle conveyance robot,

automatically driving the vehicle conveyance robot to the automated driving vehicle which has broken down, and

automatically controlling the vehicle conveyance robot to load the automated driving vehicle which has broken down on the vehicle conveyance robot, and

the vehicle conveyance management method further comprises:

in response to recognizing the presence of the automated driving vehicle which has broken down and stopped,

searching, among a plurality of vehicle conveyance robots including the vehicle conveyance robot conveying the manual driving vehicles for lot entry, a vehicle conveyance robot present at a position closest to the automated driving vehicle which has broken down and stopped,

automatically controlling the searched vehicle conveyance robot to unload the manual driving vehicle being conveyed by the searched vehicle conveyance robot from the searched vehicle conveyance robot,

automatically driving the searched vehicle conveyance robot toward the automated driving vehicle which has broken down, and

automatically controlling the searched vehicle conveyance robot to load the automated driving vehicle which has broken down on the searched vehicle conveyance robot, and

the vehicle conveyance robot includes:

a conveyance robot head having front drive wheels,

a bed part connected to the conveyance robot head and configured to ascend or descend in a vertical direction, the bed part including

a front bed part, and

a rear bed part slidingly coupled with the front bed part, wherein the rear bed part has rear drive wheels,

a lift link device arranged between the rear drive wheels and the rear bed part, and

pairs of wheel support arms configured to swing 90 degrees from retracted positions at both sides of the front bed part and the rear bed part for supporting wheels of the vehicle.

13 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program that causes a computer to:

in response to receiving a request for conveyance of another vehicle during conveyance of one vehicle by a vehicle conveyance robot for conveying a vehicle,

unload, by automatically controlling the vehicle conveyance robot, the one vehicle being conveyed from the vehicle conveyance robot, and

load and recover, by automatically controlling the vehicle conveyance robot, the another vehicle onto the vehicle conveyance robot.

14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13 , wherein

the vehicle conveyance robot includes:

a conveyance robot head having front drive wheels,

a bed part connected to the conveyance robot head and configured to ascend or descend in a vertical direction, the bed part including

a front bed part, and

a rear bed part slidingly coupled with the front bed part, wherein the rear bed part has rear drive wheels,

a lift link device arranged between the rear drive wheels and the rear bed part, and

pairs of wheel support arms configured to swing 90 degrees from retracted positions at both sides of the front bed part and the rear bed part for supporting wheels of the vehicle.

15 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13 , wherein the program further causes the computer to:

manage entry into and exit from an automated parking lot for parking manual driving vehicles and automated driving vehicles;

at a time of entry into the automated parking lot,

set a running route for an automated driving vehicle of the automated driving vehicles to move to a set parking space by automated driving, and

automatically control the vehicle conveyance robot to convey a manual driving vehicle of the manual driving vehicles to the set parking space, and

in response to the automated driving vehicle breaking down and stopping inside the automated parking lot,

automatically control the vehicle conveyance robot to unload the manual driving vehicle being conveyed from the vehicle conveyance robot, and load and recover the automated driving vehicle which has broken down on the vehicle conveyance robot,

the program further causes the computer to:

monitor a presence of the automated driving vehicle which has broken down and stopped, and

in response to recognizing the presence of the automated driving vehicle which has broken down and stopped,

automatically control the vehicle conveyance robot to unload the manual driving vehicle being conveyed for lot entry from the vehicle conveyance robot,

automatically drive the vehicle conveyance robot to the automated driving vehicle which has broken down, and

automatically control the vehicle conveyance robot to load the automated driving vehicle which has broken down on the vehicle conveyance robot, and

the program further causes the computer to:

in response to recognizing the presence of the automated driving vehicle which has broken down and stopped,

search, among a plurality of vehicle conveyance robots including the vehicle conveyance robot conveying the manual driving vehicles for lot entry, a vehicle conveyance robot present at a position closest to the automated driving vehicle which has broken down and stopped,

automatically control the searched vehicle conveyance robot to unload the manual driving vehicle being conveyed by the searched vehicle conveyance robot from the searched vehicle conveyance robot,

automatically drive the searched vehicle conveyance robot toward the automated driving vehicle which has broken down, and

automatically control the searched vehicle conveyance robot to load the automated driving vehicle which has broken down on the searched vehicle conveyance robot, and

the vehicle conveyance robot includes:

a conveyance robot head having front drive wheels,

a bed part connected to the conveyance robot head and configured to ascend or descend in a vertical direction, the bed part including

a front bed part, and

a rear bed part slidingly coupled with the front bed part, wherein the rear bed part has rear drive wheels,

a lift link device arranged between the rear drive wheels and the rear bed part, and

pairs of wheel support arms configured to swing 90 degrees from retracted positions at both sides of the front bed part and the rear bed part for supporting wheels of the vehicle.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 10, 2023
From: ITOH, MASAYUKI; MAEDA, IWAO; SUGANO, TATSUYA; WATANABE, NORINAO; NAKAMURA, YUTAKA; JIKUHARA, YOSHIKAZU; NISHIKAWA, YUKI
To: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 063267/0274 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2022-065166 · Apr 11, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230322210A1 · Oct 12, 2023
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