Vehicle control method, vehicle control system, and information processing device

1. A vehicle control method for controlling vehicles adapted to automated valet parking in a parking lot, the vehicle control method comprising:

acquiring map information of the parking lot and vehicle information indicating positions of the vehicles in the parking lot;

determining whether a retreating vehicle is present based on the map information and the vehicle information, the retreating vehicle being a vehicle that needs to move from a parking slot where the retreating vehicle is parked to move an exiting vehicle scheduled to exit the parking lot;

determining a retreating route through a retreating route determination process, the retreating route being a traveling route of the retreating vehicle when the retreating vehicle is moved to move the exiting vehicle, the retreating route determination process including

acquiring traveling route information indicating an exiting route that is a traveling route of the exiting vehicle,

searching, through a non-interfering route search process, for a non-interfering route that does not interfere with the exiting route based on the map information, the vehicle information, and the traveling route information, and

determining the non-interfering route as the retreating route; and

moving the retreating vehicle along the retreating route.

2. The vehicle control method according to claim 1 , wherein non-interference between the non-interfering route and the exiting route includes at least one of the following conditions:

a traveling direction of the retreating vehicle and a traveling direction of the exiting vehicle coincide with each other at a position where the non-interfering route and the exiting route overlap each other;

the non-interfering route and the exiting route do not intersect each other on a passageway except a vicinity of the parking slot where the retreating vehicle is parked; and

the retreating vehicle moving along the non-interfering route and the exiting vehicle moving along the exiting route are separated by a predetermined distance or more at any time.

3. The vehicle control method according to claim 1 , wherein:

the traveling route information further indicates a peripheral vehicle route that is a traveling route of a peripheral vehicle traveling in the parking lot; and

the retreating route determination process includes

searching for a first non-interfering route based on the map information, the vehicle information, and the traveling route information, the first non-interfering route being the non-interfering route that interferes with neither the exiting route nor the peripheral vehicle route, and

determining the first non-interfering route as the retreating route when the first non-interfering route is found.

4. The vehicle control method according to claim 3 , wherein non-interference between the non-interfering route and the peripheral vehicle route includes at least one of the following conditions:

a traveling direction of the retreating vehicle and a traveling direction of the peripheral vehicle coincide with each other at a position where the non-interfering route and the peripheral vehicle route overlap each other;

the non-interfering route and the peripheral vehicle route do not intersect each other; and

the retreating vehicle moving along the non-interfering route and the peripheral vehicle moving along the peripheral vehicle route are separated by a predetermined distance or more at any time.

5. The vehicle control method according to claim 3 , wherein the retreating route determination process includes determining a second non-interfering route as the retreating route when the first non-interfering route is not found, the second non-interfering route being the non-interfering route that does not interfere with the exiting route.

6. The vehicle control method according to claim 1 , wherein the non-interfering route is a circling route in which the retreating vehicle moves from an original parking slot and then returns to the original parking slot.

7. The vehicle control method according to claim 1 , wherein the non-interfering route is a relocation route in which the retreating vehicle moves from an original parking slot to another available parking slot.

8. The vehicle control method according to claim 1 , wherein the non-interfering route search process includes:

searching for a circling route, the circling route being the non-interfering route in which the retreating vehicle moves from an original parking slot and then returns to the original parking slot;

setting the circling route as the non-interfering route when the circling route is found;

searching for a relocation route based on parking status information indicating usage of each parking slot in the parking lot when the circling route is not found, the relocation route being the non-interfering route in which the retreating vehicle moves from the original parking slot to another available parking slot; and

setting the relocation route as the non-interfering route when the relocation route is found.

9. The vehicle control method according to claim 1 , wherein the non-interfering route search process includes:

searching for a circling route, the circling route being the non-interfering route in which the retreating vehicle moves from an original parking slot and then returns to the original parking slot;

determining whether a length of the circling route is less than a threshold when the circling route is found;

setting the circling route as the non-interfering route when the length of the circling route is less than the threshold;

searching, when the circling route is not found or when the length of the circling route is equal to or more than the threshold, for a relocation route based on parking status information indicating usage of each parking slot in the parking lot, the relocation route being the non-interfering route in which the retreating vehicle moves from the original parking slot to another available parking slot; and

setting the relocation route as the non-interfering route when the relocation route is found.

10. The vehicle control method according to claim 1 , wherein the non-interfering route search process includes:

searching for a circling route, the circling route being the non-interfering route in which the retreating vehicle moves from an original parking slot and then returns to the original parking slot;

determining whether an expected return time is earlier than a scheduled exit start time of the retreating vehicle when the circling route is found, the expected return time being a time when the retreating vehicle is expected to return to the original parking slot;

setting the circling route as the non-interfering route when the expected return time is earlier than the scheduled exit start time;

searching, when the circling route is not found or when the expected return time is later than the scheduled exit start time, for a relocation route based on parking status information indicating usage of each parking slot in the parking lot, the relocation route being the non-interfering route in which the retreating vehicle moves from the original parking slot to another available parking slot; and

setting the relocation route as the non-interfering route when the relocation route is found.

11. The vehicle control method according to claim 1 , wherein the non-interfering route search process includes:

searching for a relocation route based on parking status information indicating usage of each parking slot in the parking lot, the relocation route being the non-interfering route in which the retreating vehicle moves from an original parking slot to another available parking slot;

setting the relocation route as the non-interfering route when the relocation route is found;

searching for a circling route when the relocation route is not found, the circling route being the non-interfering route in which the retreating vehicle moves from the original parking slot and then returns to the original parking slot; and

setting the circling route as the non-interfering route when the circling route is found.

12. The vehicle control method according to claim 1 , further comprising moving the exiting vehicle along the exiting route after starting movement of the retreating vehicle.

13. A vehicle control system configured to control vehicles adapted to automated valet parking in a parking lot, the vehicle control system comprising:

one or more storage devices configured to store map information of the parking lot and vehicle information indicating positions of the vehicles in the parking lot; and

one or more processors configured to

determine whether a retreating vehicle is present based on the map information and the vehicle information, the retreating vehicle being a vehicle that needs to move from a parking slot where the retreating vehicle is parked to move an exiting vehicle scheduled to exit the parking lot,

determine a retreating route through a retreating route determination process, the retreating route being a traveling route of the retreating vehicle when the retreating vehicle is moved to move the exiting vehicle, the retreating route determination process including

acquiring traveling route information indicating an exiting route that is a traveling route of the exiting vehicle,

searching for a non-interfering route that does not interfere with the exiting route based on the map information, the vehicle information, and the traveling route information, and

determining the non-interfering route as the retreating route, and

move the retreating vehicle along the retreating route.

14. An information processing device configured to control vehicles adapted to automated valet parking in a parking lot, the information processing device comprising:

one or more storage devices configured to store map information of the parking lot and vehicle information indicating positions of the vehicles in the parking lot; and

one or more processors configured to

determine whether a retreating vehicle is present based on the map information and the vehicle information, the retreating vehicle being a vehicle that needs to move from a parking slot where the retreating vehicle is parked to move an exiting vehicle scheduled to exit the parking lot,

determine a retreating route through a retreating route determination process, the retreating route being a traveling route of the retreating vehicle when the retreating vehicle is moved to move the exiting vehicle, the retreating route determination process including

acquiring traveling route information indicating an exiting route that is a traveling route of the exiting vehicle,

searching for a non-interfering route that does not interfere with the exiting route based on the map information, the vehicle information, and the traveling route information, and

determining the non-interfering route as the retreating route, and

move the retreating vehicle along the retreating route.