JP2022142554A - vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a vehicle capable of improving convenience of a user.SOLUTION: A vehicle 40 is associated with a paring vehicle. The vehicle 40 includes a control device 42 for controlling the travel of the vehicle 40. When a parking zone of the vehicle 40 is separated at a predetermined distance or more from a parking zone of the paring vehicle, the control device 42 acquires information indicating that a vacant zone is found at a predetermined distance or less from the parking zone of the paring vehicle, and allows the vehicle 40 to move to the vacant zone.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present disclosure relates to vehicles.

Conventionally, there has been known a system capable of notifying a user of a vacant parking space that meets the user's request (see, for example, Patent Literature 1).

JP 2006-107147 A

A user may wish to park multiple vehicles nearby when traveling with multiple vehicles. It is desired to control a vehicle so that multiple vehicles can be parked nearby.

An object of the present disclosure made in view of such circumstances is to improve user convenience.

A vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is associated with a paired vehicle. The vehicle includes a control device that controls travel of the vehicle. When the parking space of the vehicle is separated from the parking space of the paired vehicle by a predetermined distance or more, the control device acquires information that an empty space has occurred within the predetermined distance from the parking space of the paired vehicle, Move the vehicle to the vacant lot.

A vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure improves user convenience.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an information processing system according to an embodiment; FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing an example procedure of an information processing method according to an embodiment;

(Configuration example of information processing system 1)
As shown in FIG. 1, an information processing system 1 according to one embodiment includes a server 10, a terminal device 50, and a vehicle 40. As shown in FIG.

In the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment, the server 10 associates the vehicle 40 with another vehicle 40 . Other vehicles 40 associated with vehicle 40 are also referred to as paired vehicles. The server 10 searches for an empty space in the parking lot so that the vehicle 40 and the paired vehicle can park nearby, and notifies the terminal device 50 or the vehicle 40 of information about the found space. Each configuration of the information processing system 1 will be described below.

<Server 10>
The server 10 includes a server control section 12 and a server communication section 14 .

The server control unit 12 controls each component of the server 10 . The server control unit 12 is also simply called a control unit. The server control unit 12 may be configured including one or more processors. In this embodiment, the "processor" is a general-purpose processor, a dedicated processor specializing in specific processing, or the like, but is not limited to these. The server control unit 12 may be configured including one or more dedicated circuits. The dedicated circuit may include, for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The server control unit 12 may include a dedicated circuit instead of the processor, or may include a dedicated circuit together with the processor.

The server 10 may further include a storage unit. The storage unit is, for example, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic memory, an optical memory, or the like, but is not limited to these. The storage unit may function, for example, as a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit may include an electromagnetic storage medium such as a magnetic disk. The storage unit may include non-transitory computer-readable media. The storage unit stores arbitrary information used for operation of the server 10 . For example, the storage unit may store system programs, application programs, or the like. The storage unit may be included in the server control unit 12 .

The server communication unit 14 outputs information, data, etc. from the server control unit 12 and inputs information, data, etc. to the server control unit 12 . The server communication unit 14 is also simply called a communication unit.

The server communication unit 14 may include a communication module capable of communicating with the terminal device 50 or the vehicle 40 via the network 30 . The communication module may correspond to a mobile communication standard such as 4G (4th Generation) or 5G (5th Generation). The communication module may correspond to a communication standard such as LAN (Local Area Network). The communication module may support wired or wireless communication standards. The communication module is not limited to these, and may support various communication standards. The server communication unit 14 may be configured to be connectable to a communication module.

Server 10 may include one or more server devices that can communicate with each other. The server 10 is also called an information processing device.

<Terminal device 50>
The terminal device 50 includes a terminal control section 52 and a terminal communication section 54 .

The terminal control unit 52 controls each component of the terminal device 50 . The terminal control unit 52 is also simply called a control unit. The terminal controller 52 may be configured identically or similarly to the server controller 12 of the server 10 . The terminal control unit 52 may be configured including one or more processors. The terminal control unit 52 may be configured including one or more dedicated circuits. Dedicated circuitry may include, for example, FPGAs or ASICs. The terminal control unit 52 may include a dedicated circuit instead of the processor, or may include a dedicated circuit together with the processor.

The terminal device 50 may further include a storage unit. The storage unit of the terminal device 50 may be configured the same as or similar to the storage unit of the server 10 . The storage unit is, for example, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic memory, an optical memory, or the like, but is not limited to these. The storage unit may function, for example, as a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit may include an electromagnetic storage medium such as a magnetic disk. The storage unit stores arbitrary information used for the operation of the terminal device 50 . For example, the storage unit may store system programs, application programs, or the like. The storage unit may be included in the terminal control unit 52 .

The terminal communication unit 54 outputs information, data, etc. from the terminal control unit 52 and inputs information, data, etc. to the terminal control unit 52 .

The terminal communication unit 54 may be configured the same as or similar to the server communication unit 14 . The terminal communication unit 54 may include a communication module capable of communicating with other devices such as the server 10 via the network 30 . The communication module may include, but is not limited to, a communication module compatible with mobile communication standards such as 4G or 5G. The terminal communication unit 54 may be configured to be connectable to a communication module.

The terminal device 50 further includes an input/output unit 56 . The input/output unit 56 may include an input device that receives input of information, data, or the like from the user. The input device may include, for example, a touch panel or touch sensor, or a pointing device such as a mouse. The input device may be configured including physical keys. The input device may include an audio input device such as a microphone.

The input/output unit 56 may be configured to be able to acquire the position information of the terminal device 50 itself. The input/output unit 56 may be configured including a receiver compatible with the satellite positioning system. The satellite positioning system compatible receiver may include, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver.

The input/output unit 56 may output the acquired information to the server 10 via the terminal communication unit 54 . The terminal control section 52 may cause the terminal communication section 54 to output the information acquired by the input/output section 56 .

The input/output unit 56 may include an output device that outputs information, data, or the like to the user. Output devices may include, for example, display devices that output visual information such as images or text or graphics. The display device may include, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display or an inorganic EL display, or a PDP (Plasma Display Panel). The display device is not limited to these displays, and may be configured to include other various types of displays. The display device may include a light emitting device such as an LED (Light Emission Diode) or an LD (Laser Diode). The display device may be configured including other various devices. The output device may include, for example, an audio output device such as a speaker that outputs auditory information such as sound. Output devices are not limited to these examples, and may include other various devices.

The input/output unit 56 may output information acquired from the server 10 via the terminal communication unit 54 . The terminal control section 52 may cause the input/output section 56 to output the information acquired by the terminal communication section 54 .

The number of terminal devices 50 included in the information processing system 1 is not limited to one, and may be two or more. It is assumed that the terminal device 50 is mounted on the vehicle 40 . The terminal device 50 may be configured as a car navigation device that provides navigation functions for the vehicle 40 . The terminal device 50 may be carried by a user riding in the vehicle 40 . The terminal device 50 may be configured including a mobile terminal such as a smart phone or a tablet, or a PC such as a notebook PC (Personal Computer) or a tablet PC. The terminal device 50 is not limited to these examples, and may be configured including various devices.

<Vehicle 40>
The vehicle 40 includes a control device 42 and a position information acquisition device 44 . The control device 42 is communicably connected to the position information acquisition device 44 via an in-vehicle network such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) or a dedicated line. The control device 42 may be communicably connected to the terminal device 50 via an in-vehicle network, a dedicated line, or the network 30 . Vehicle 40 may include a four-wheeled vehicle such as an automobile. Vehicle 40 may include a two-wheeled vehicle such as a bicycle or motorcycle, or may include a tricycle.

The control device 42 controls traveling of the vehicle 40 . Controller 42 may include one or more processors. Controller 42 may include one or more dedicated circuits in place of the processor, or may include one or more dedicated circuits in conjunction with the processor. The control device 42 may further include a storage unit.

Also, the control device 42 may be configured including a communication module configured to be capable of communicating with the server 10 or the terminal device 50 via the network 30 . The communication module may include, but is not limited to, a communication module compatible with mobile communication standards such as 4G or 5G. The control device 42 may be configured including, for example, an in-vehicle communication device.

The position information acquisition device 44 acquires position information of the vehicle 40 itself. The position information acquisition device 44 may include a receiver compatible with a satellite positioning system. The satellite positioning system compatible receiver may include, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver. The vehicle 40 may output the position information of the vehicle 40 itself acquired by the position information acquisition device 44 from the control device 42 to the server 10 .

Vehicle 40 may be configured to be driven by a user. The vehicle 40 may be configured to be operable by automatic operation. Automated driving may be performed at any level from level 1 to level 5 defined in SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers), for example. Automatic driving is not limited to the exemplified definition, and may be implemented based on other definitions. When the vehicle 40 is controlled by automatic driving, the control device 42 controls traveling of the vehicle 40 . By designating the destination of the vehicle 40, the user can board the vehicle 40 that runs automatically and travel to the destination.

<Detector 60>
The information processing system 1 further comprises a detection device 60, although this is not essential. The detection device 60 detects an empty section of the parking lot. The detection device 60 may include, for example, a camera that photographs the parking lot. The detection device 60 may detect an empty section based on the image captured by the camera. The sensing device 60 may comprise various sensors such as weight sensors, optical sensors, or proximity sensors installed in each parking bay of the parking lot. The detection device 60 may detect an empty section based on the detection result of the sensor. The detection device 60 outputs the detection result of the empty section to the server 10 via the network 30 .

Even if the information processing system 1 does not include the detection device 60, the server 10 may acquire information about vacant spaces in the parking lot from another device.

(Example of operation of information processing system 1)
In the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment, the server 10 may operate as described below to allow the user to park multiple vehicles 40 in nearby parking spaces in the parking lot.

Assume that the user intends to park the vehicle 40 and the paired vehicle associated with the vehicle 40 in a parking lot. For example, when the user rides in a plurality of vehicles 40 in a split manner, the user may park each vehicle 40 in a parking lot. The server control unit 12 of the server 10 may associate the vehicles 40 with each other in advance based on the input to the terminal device 50 by the user. The server control unit 12 may associate the vehicles 40 with each other based on information acquired from the vehicles 40 . The server control unit 12 may associate the multiple vehicles 40 with each other when the user intends to park the multiple vehicles 40 in the parking lot.

In this case, the server control unit 12 searches for an empty section in which the vehicle 40 and the paired vehicle are to be parked, and notifies the vehicle 40 of information regarding the empty section, including the position of the found empty section. That is, the server control unit 12 searches for a plurality of vacant sections and notifies the vehicle 40 or the terminal device 50 of the user of information regarding the vacant sections, including the positions and the like of each of the plurality of vacant sections found. The user may recognize information about the empty space on the terminal device 50 and park the vehicle 40 and the paired vehicle in the empty space based on the information. In addition, when the vehicle 40 runs by automatic driving, the vehicle 40 may control the running of the vehicle 40 so that the vehicle 40 and the pairing vehicle are parked in the vacant space based on the information about the vacant space.

The server control unit 12 may search for a plurality of empty sections so that the distance between the plurality of empty sections is less than a predetermined distance. By doing so, when the user is taking action by dividing into a plurality of vehicles 40 , it becomes easier for the user to take action when parking the vehicle 40 and getting off the vehicle 40 . The server control unit 12 may set the predetermined distance based on information input to the terminal device 50 by the user. The server control unit 12 may set the predetermined distance based on the configuration of the user. The server control unit 12 may acquire information about the user configuration from the vehicle 40 or the terminal device 50 . The information about the configuration of the user may include various attribute information such as the age group, sex, or body shape of the people sharing the vehicle 40 and the pairing vehicle, for example.

In some cases, the server control unit 12 can find a plurality of vacant spaces only in parking spaces separated by a predetermined distance or more. In this case, the server control unit 12 notifies the vehicle 40 or the terminal device 50 of information regarding the plurality of empty sections that have been found. It is assumed that the vehicle 40 and the paired vehicle are parked in vacant lots separated from each other based on the vacant lot information.

The server control unit 12 continues to acquire information about empty parking spaces in the parking lot when the parking space of the vehicle 40 and the parking space of the paired vehicle are separated. When the server control unit 12 acquires information indicating that a parking space located less than a predetermined distance from the paired vehicle has become a vacant space, the server control unit 12 acquires information about a newly generated vacant space in the vehicle 40 or the terminal device 50 of the user. to notify you.

The user may recognize with the terminal device 50 that an empty section has occurred near the paired vehicle, and move the vehicle 40 to the empty section near the paired vehicle. Further, when the vehicle 40 runs by automatic driving, the vehicle 40 may be controlled to move to the newly generated vacant section based on the information regarding the newly generated vacant section. When the vehicle 40 moves to a newly generated vacant section by automatic driving, the server control unit 12 notifies the terminal device 50 of the user that the vehicle 40 has moved.

By moving the vehicle 40 to a vacant section generated near the pairing vehicle, it becomes easier for the user to get on the vehicle 40 after getting off the vehicle 40 and then to get on the vehicle again, and to load the baggage. As a result, convenience is improved when the user gets on the vehicle 40 and the paired vehicle again. Also, the user can temporarily park the vehicle 40 and the paired vehicle regardless of the distance between the empty compartments. As a result, the user can quickly park the multiple vehicles 40 and get off the vehicle 40 .

The server control unit 12 may regard any vehicle 40 among the plurality of vehicles 40 shared by the user as the pairing vehicle. Therefore, the server control unit 12 may search for a newly generated vacant section near each of the plurality of vehicles 40 . By doing so, it becomes easier to find a newly generated vacant section near the associated vehicle 40 .

The server control unit 12 may acquire information about the area in the parking lot where the user wishes to park. The server control unit 12 may search for an empty section within the area desired by the user. Further, when a newly generated vacant section is found, the server control unit 12 may notify the vehicle 40 or the terminal device 50 of information about the vacant section limited to the vacant section generated in the area desired by the user. . By doing so, user convenience is improved.

<Example of procedure for information processing method>
The server control unit 12 may execute an information processing method including the procedure of the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 2, for example. The server control unit 12 can notify the vehicle 40 or the terminal device 50 of the information about the empty section by executing the illustrated information processing method. The information processing method may be implemented as an information processing program to be executed by the server control unit 12 .

The server control unit 12 acquires information about the association between the vehicles 40 (step S1). The server control unit 12 determines whether a plurality of mutually associated vehicles 40 have entered the parking lot (step S2). If a plurality of mutually associated vehicles 40 have not entered the parking lot (step S2: NO), the server control unit 12 terminates execution of the procedure of the flowchart of FIG. When a plurality of mutually associated vehicles 40 enter the parking lot (step S2: YES), the server control unit 12 searches for an empty section in which each of the plurality of vehicles 40 can be parked (step S3). The server control unit 12 notifies the vehicle 40 or the terminal device 50 of information about the found empty section (step S4).

The server control unit 12 determines whether the distance between the found empty sections is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance (step S5). When the distance between the empty sections is not equal to or greater than the predetermined distance (step S5: NO), that is, when the distance between the empty sections is less than the predetermined distance, the server control unit 12 performs the procedure of the flowchart of FIG. End execution. If the distance between the empty sections is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance (step S5: YES), the server control unit 12 determines whether a new empty section has occurred near the parking section of the paired vehicle (step S6). . The server control unit 12 repeats the determination procedure of step S6 when no new vacant section is generated near the parking section of the paired vehicle (step S6: NO). When a new vacant space occurs near the parking space of the paired vehicle (step S6: YES), the server control unit 12 notifies the vehicle 40 or the terminal device 50 of information on the new vacant space (step S7). . After executing the procedure of step S7, the server control unit 12 ends the execution of the procedure of the flowchart of FIG.

<Summary>
As described above, in the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment, when the user wishes to park a plurality of vehicles 40, the information regarding a plurality of vacant sections located within a predetermined distance is sent to the vehicle 40 or the terminal device 50. Notice. By doing so, the user can easily park a plurality of vehicles 40 nearby. As a result, user convenience is improved.

Further, the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment temporarily parks the vehicle 40 and the paired vehicle in parking spaces separated from each other, and then transmits information regarding a newly generated vacant space near the paired vehicle to the vehicle 40. Alternatively, the terminal device 50 is notified. By doing so, the vehicle 40 can be moved to a parking space near the paired vehicle. As a result, it is possible for the user to quickly park and get off the multiple vehicles 40 and to improve the convenience when re-entering the vehicle.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to drawings and examples, it should be noted that a person skilled in the art can make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these variations and modifications are included within the scope of this disclosure. For example, functions included in each means or each step can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent, and multiple means or steps can be combined into one or divided. .

1 information processing system 10 server (12: server control unit, 14: server communication unit)
30 network 40 vehicle (42: control device, 44: position information acquisition device)
50 terminal device (52: terminal control unit, 54: terminal communication unit, 56: input/output unit)
60 detector

Claims (1)

A vehicle associated with a paired vehicle,
A control device for controlling travel of the vehicle,
When the parking space of the vehicle is separated from the parking space of the paired vehicle by a predetermined distance or more, the control device acquires information that an empty space has occurred within the predetermined distance from the parking space of the paired vehicle, A vehicle that moves the vehicle to the vacant lot.

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