JP2023029052A - Information processing device and information processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

To improve convenience of an article storage service using a vehicle.SOLUTION: Upon receipt of a first request from a first user, an information processing device controlling a vehicle providing a package storage service determines a first spot for the first user to unload a package from the vehicle. The first spot is selected from among a plurality of parking areas including a parking area offered by a second user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a luggage storage service by vehicle.

Attempts are being made to provide the service by dispatching self-driving vehicles designed for a variety of uses. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses an invention related to a system that allows luggage to be deposited and taken out at various locations by operating an automated vehicle equipped with a coin locker.

JP 2019-096201 A

An object of the present disclosure is to improve the convenience of an article keeping service by vehicle.

A first aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing device that controls a vehicle that provides a luggage storage service, wherein when a first request is received from a first user, the first user a control unit for determining a first point, which is a point for loading and unloading the luggage, the control unit having a plurality of parking areas including the parking area offered by the second user It is an information processing device that selects the first spot from among them.

A second aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing method executed by an information processing device that controls a vehicle that provides a luggage storage service, wherein when a first request is received from a first user, Determining a first point at which said first user will load and unload said goods from said vehicle, said first point being a parking offer offered by a second user. A method of processing information in which a parking area is selected from among a plurality of parking areas including an area.

Another aspect includes a program for causing a computer to execute the above information processing method, or a computer-readable storage medium that non-temporarily stores the program.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the convenience of the goods keeping service by a vehicle can be improved.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a mobile locker system according to a first embodiment; FIG. The figure which showed the external appearance of the storage apparatus which concerns on 1st embodiment. The figure which showed the system configuration|structure of a server apparatus. An example of vehicle data stored in a storage unit. An example of the operation plan data memorize|stored in a memory|storage part. An example of storage device data stored in the storage unit. An example of road data stored in the storage unit. The figure which showed the system configuration|structure of a user terminal. The figure which showed the system configuration|structure of a vehicle and a storage apparatus. FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram of processing corresponding to the first phase; FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram of processing corresponding to the second phase; The figure explaining generation of application data. FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram of processing corresponding to the third phase; The figure explaining generation of a dispatch request. 4 is a flowchart of processing performed in step S23. 4 is a flowchart of processing performed by a vehicle that has received an operation plan; The sequence diagram of the process corresponding to step S34.

An information processing device according to an embodiment is a device that manages a vehicle that is equipped with a storage device that stores articles and that travels. The storage device is a locker type device that has a plurality of compartments and can store items in each compartment. Each of the multiple compartments may be independently lockable. Vehicle-mounted storage devices are also referred to as mobile lockers. By operating a vehicle equipped with a storage device, it is possible to move the locker to a point desired by the user and load and unload the articles.

A vehicle according to an embodiment is, for example, a moving body having a plurality of wheels and power. The vehicle is configured with a storage device mounted in the passenger compartment.

In a system in which a vehicle is parked on the roadside and goods are deposited by the vehicle, securing a parking space is a problem. Although it is possible to stop or park on the road to load and unload luggage, there are not many such places, especially in urban areas. However, it is not realistic for the service provider to secure the land in terms of cost.
In order to solve this problem, the information processing apparatus according to the present disclosure allows the first user to load and unload the cargo using the land licensed for use by the second user.

An information processing device according to one embodiment is an information processing device that controls a vehicle that provides a luggage storage service, and when a first request is received from a first user, the first user receives the A control unit for determining a first point at which the vehicle is to be loaded and unloaded, wherein the control unit determines a plurality of parking areas including a parking area offered by a second user. The first point is selected from among.

The plurality of parking areas may be areas set on public roads, or may include private land or the like provided by the second user.
Also, the control unit may accept an offer to provide a parking area from the second user. In this case, an incentive may be given to the second user in response to the offer. For example, as an incentive, the second user may be provided with a discount for a luggage storage service. As a result, it is possible to encourage the use of the service.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below based on the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments.

(First embodiment)
An overview of the mobile locker system according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The mobile locker system according to this embodiment includes one or more autonomously traveling vehicles 300 , a server device 100 that controls the vehicles 300 , and one or more user terminals 200 .

Vehicle 300 is an autonomous vehicle equipped with storage device 400 .
The storage device 400 is a locker type device that has a plurality of compartments and can store luggage in each compartment. FIG. 2 shows the appearance of the storage device 400. As shown in FIG. As shown, enclosure 400 is configured to provide access to respective compartments through multiple doors. A user of the system can unlock a designated compartment via an interface provided in storage device 400 . The storage device 400 is mounted inside the vehicle 300 .

The vehicle 300 uses a storage device 400 mounted therein to provide a service of keeping luggage (hereinafter referred to as a keeping service) to a predetermined user. By calling the vehicle 300 via the server device 100, the user can check in and take out luggage at an arbitrary point.
Note that the vehicle 300 does not necessarily have to be an unmanned vehicle. For example, security personnel or the like may be on board. Further, vehicle 300 does not necessarily have to be a vehicle capable of completely autonomous driving. For example, it may be a vehicle in which a person drives or assists in driving depending on the situation.

The server device 100 is a device that manages operation of the vehicle 300 .
As described above, the vehicle 300 can carry the storage device 400 and move autonomously. When the server device 100 receives a vehicle dispatch request from the user terminal 200 possessed by the user who deposits the luggage, the server device 100 determines the vehicle 300 to be dispatched to the user and instructs the vehicle to operate. do.

Server device 100, user terminal 200, and vehicle 300 are interconnected by a network. The network may employ, for example, a WAN (Wide Area Network), which is a worldwide public communication network such as the Internet, or other communication networks. The network may also include a telephone communication network such as a mobile phone, and a wireless communication network such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

Next, the details of the server device 100 will be described.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the system configuration of the server device 100. As shown in FIG. The server device 100 includes a control unit 101 , a storage unit 102 and a communication unit 103 .

The server device 100 is composed of a general computer. That is, the server device 100 is a computer having a processor such as a CPU or GPU, a main storage device such as a RAM or ROM, an auxiliary storage device such as an EPROM, a hard disk drive, or a removable medium. The auxiliary storage device stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc. The programs stored there are loaded into the work area of the main storage device and executed. is controlled, it is possible to realize each function that meets a predetermined purpose, as will be described later. However, some or all of the functions may be realized by hardware circuits such as ASIC and FPGA. Note that the server apparatus 100 may be configured by a single computer, or may be configured by a plurality of computers that cooperate with each other.

The control unit 101 is an arithmetic device that controls the server device 100 . The control unit 101 can be realized by an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU.
The control unit 101 includes four functional modules: a vehicle management unit 1011 , a vehicle allocation management unit 1012 , a command unit 1013 and an area management unit 1014 . Each functional module may be realized by executing a program stored in the auxiliary storage means by the CPU.

Vehicle management unit 1011 collects information about vehicle 300 and updates the database constructed in storage unit 102 . Specifically, the vehicle management unit 1011 periodically communicates with a plurality of vehicles 300 to collect information about the vehicles 300 and information about the storage device 400 mounted on the vehicles 300 . The collected information is reflected in a database, which will be described later.

The vehicle allocation management unit 1012 receives a request for depositing and taking out luggage (that is, a request to dispatch a vehicle; hereinafter referred to as a vehicle allocation request) from the user terminal 200 . In addition, when receiving a vehicle allocation request, the vehicle allocation management unit 1012 sets the point at which luggage is deposited and taken out (that is, the point at which the vehicle 300 is dispatched; hereinafter referred to as the dispatch point) and the date and time thereof (hereinafter referred to as the dispatch date and time). is determined, and an operation plan for the vehicle 300 is generated.

The operation plan is data that instructs the vehicle 300 on tasks to be executed.
As a task, for example, a task of picking up luggage from a user and a task of handing over luggage to a user can be exemplified. Each task is associated with a dispatch location and a dispatch date and time.
The vehicle allocation management unit 1012 generates an operation plan that combines a plurality of tasks, and the vehicle 300 completes the tasks in order according to the operation plan, thereby providing a mobile locker service.
The vehicle allocation management unit 1012 generates an operation plan for the vehicle 300 corresponding to either the operation for picking up the luggage from the user or the operation for handing over the luggage to the user.
The dispatch point of the vehicle 300 is selected from among a plurality of parking areas managed by the area management unit 1014, which will be described later.

The command unit 1013 transmits the generated operation plan to the target vehicle 300 to command the vehicle 300 to operate. The vehicle 300 autonomously travels according to the operation plan transmitted from the server device 100 and provides services to the user.

The area management unit 1014 manages areas in which the vehicle 300 can be parked when baggage is deposited and taken out. Hereinafter, an area in which a vehicle can be parked will be referred to as a parking area.
The area management unit 1014 manages two types of parking areas: a first parking area and a second parking area. The first parking area is an area where parking is legally permitted on public roads. The second parking area is an area within private property provided (licensed) by the user as a parking area.

The parking area can be set to any size. For example, when a privately-owned parking lot is provided as an area where the vehicle 300 can be parked, the entire parking lot may be used as the parking area, or each of a plurality of sections of the parking lot may be used as the parking area. good. Further, when setting a parking area on the road, each of a plurality of parking sections set in advance on the road may be set as the parking area, or the entire road segment may be set as the parking area.

Hereinafter, the user who uses the luggage storage service will be referred to as the first user, and the user who provides the parking area will be referred to as the second user. The first user and the second user may be the same. For example, a user who has registered for a luggage storage service may provide a parking area on land he or she owns for the convenience of other users.
When the second user offers a parking area, the parking area is managed by the area management unit 1014 .

The storage unit 102 includes a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device. The main storage device is a memory in which programs executed by the control unit 101 and data used by the control programs are expanded. The auxiliary storage device stores programs executed by the control unit 101,
It is a device in which data used by the control program is stored.

Furthermore, storage unit 102 stores vehicle data 102A, operation plan data 102B, storage device data 102C, and map data 102D.

Vehicle data 102A is data that records the status of vehicle 300 under the control of server device 100 .
FIG. 4A is an example of vehicle data 102A. The vehicle data 102A includes a vehicle identifier, update date and time, and status information. Status information is a field in which data representing the current state of vehicle 300 is stored. Specifically, the current position of the vehicle 300, information about the tasks that the vehicle 300 has completed so far, information about tasks that the vehicle 300 will perform from now on, information about the remaining battery capacity and the travelable distance of the vehicle 300, and information about the planned route of the vehicle 300. etc. is stored.
Vehicle data 102A is periodically updated with data transmitted from vehicle 300 (hereinafter referred to as status data).

The operation plan data 102B is data for recording the operation plan generated by the vehicle allocation management unit 1012 .
FIG. 4B is an example of the operation plan data 102B. The operation plan data 102B is defined for each vehicle 300, and records the type of task ("deposit" or "retrieve"), the dispatch point, the dispatch date and time, the identifier of the user who loads and unloads the luggage, and the like. The vehicle 300 provides services to the user by sequentially executing tasks included in the operation plan transmitted from the server device 100 .

In the illustrated example, the vehicle with the identifier V001 is
(1) At 12 o'clock at the point A, the user "U001" keeps the baggage,
(2) Receive luggage from user "U002" at point B at 13:00;
(3) Deliver the package to user "U001" at point C at 15:00,
(4) It is indicated that the package will be handed over to the user "U002" at the point D at 18:00.

The storage device data 102C is data in which the state of the storage device 400 mounted on the target vehicle 300 is recorded.
FIG. 4C is an example of storage device data 102C. The storage device data 102C is defined for each vehicle 300, and includes information (size of the partition, occupancy state (whether in use or not), identifier of the user, etc.) about a plurality of partitions that the storage device 400 has. Recorded.
Storage device data 102C is updated based on status data transmitted from vehicle 300 .

The map data 102D is a database in which data relating to the road network on which the vehicle 300 travels is stored. The map data 102D stores definitions of a plurality of road segments, position information of each road segment, connection relationships, and the like. A road segment is a road on which the vehicle 300 can travel, divided into predetermined unit sections.
Further, the map data 102D includes information about areas where the vehicle 300 can be parked. FIG. 4D is an example of such information. As illustrated, map data 102D includes a first area map and a second area map.

The first area map is a map that represents areas where parking or parking for loading and unloading of luggage is legally permitted. The hatched areas in the figure represent areas where stopping or parking for loading and unloading of luggage is not permitted. Such areas include, for example, no-stop areas and no-parking areas designated by road regulations.
It should be noted that it depends on the traffic laws of the target country whether a vehicle staying at a certain point for loading and unloading is classified as "stopping" or "parking".

The first area map may be a map representing an area on public roads where stopping or parking for loading and unloading of cargo is not permitted, or a map representing areas where stopping or parking for loading and unloading of cargo is permitted on public roads. It may be a map representing the area where the

The second area map is a map representing an area within private property registered in the system as an area where the vehicle 300 can be parked. The hatched portion in the figure means the parking area for which the second user has offered to provide. Each parking area may be associated with usage conditions. Examples of usage conditions can include dates and times when the parking area can be used (for example, "every day from 12:00 to 16:00", "all day except Saturday and Sunday", etc.).
The first area map is generated in advance based on traffic regulations and the like. The second area map is updated from time to time based on data obtained from the second user (for example, data for applying for provision of a parking area).

These data are used when determining the dispatch point of the vehicle 300 . Based on the first area map and the second area map, it is possible to determine a point suitable as a dispatch point.

A database storing these data is constructed by managing the data stored in the storage device by a database management system (DBMS) program executed by a processor. The database used in this embodiment is, for example, a relational database.

The communication unit 103 is a communication interface for connecting the server device 100 to a network. The communication unit 103 includes, for example, a network interface board and a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication.

Next, the user terminal 200 will be explained.
The user terminal 200 is a computer possessed by a user who uses the keeping service. A user can access the server apparatus 100 via the user terminal 200 and request dispatch of the vehicle 300 for depositing and removing baggage. The user terminal 200 is, for example, a personal computer, smart phone, mobile phone, tablet computer, personal information terminal, or the like.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the system configuration of the user terminal 200. As shown in FIG.
User terminal 200 includes control unit 201 , storage unit 202 , communication unit 203 , and input/output unit 204 .

The control unit 201 is an arithmetic device that controls the user terminal 200 . The control unit 201 can be realized by an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit).
The control unit 201 accesses the server device 100 and performs a function of interaction. The function may be implemented by a web browser running on the user terminal 200 or dedicated application software.

The storage unit 202 includes a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device. The main storage device is a memory in which programs executed by the control unit 201 and data used by the control programs are developed. The auxiliary storage device is a device that stores programs executed by the control unit 201 and data used by the control programs. The auxiliary storage device may store a program that is packaged as an application to be executed by the control unit 201 . Also, an operating system for executing these applications may be stored. A program stored in the auxiliary storage device is loaded into the main storage device and executed by the control unit 201 to perform processing described below.

The main memory may include RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory). The auxiliary storage device may also include an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM) or a hard disk drive (HDD). Furthermore, the auxiliary storage device may include removable media, ie, portable recording media.
The storage unit 202 stores authentication information for authenticating a user when depositing/retrieving luggage.

A communication unit 203 is a wireless communication interface for connecting the user terminal 200 to a network. The communication unit 203 is configured to be able to communicate with the server device 100 via, for example, a wireless LAN, 3G, LTE, 5G, or other mobile communication service.

The input/output unit 204 is a unit that receives an input operation performed by a user and presents information to the user. This embodiment consists of one touch panel display. That is, it is composed of a liquid crystal display and its control means, and a touch panel and its control means.
Input/output unit 204 may also have additional means for exchanging authentication information with storage device 400 . For example, it may have a camera for reading a two-dimensional bar code, short-range communication means for wireless transmission, and the like.

Next, vehicle 300 and storage device 400 mounted on vehicle 300 will be described.
Vehicle 300 is a vehicle platform that runs autonomously under the control of server device 100 . Specifically, a travel route is determined based on the operation plan transmitted from the server device 100, and the vehicle travels on the road in an appropriate manner while sensing the surroundings of the vehicle. Also, at the destination, a predetermined task (luggage deposit and delivery) related to the deposit service is executed.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a system configuration of vehicle 300 and storage device 400. As shown in FIG.
Vehicle 300 includes control device 301 , sensor 302 , communication unit 303 , drive unit 304 , position information acquisition unit 305 , and storage device 400 . Vehicle 300 and storage device 400 operate on power supplied from a battery.

The control device 301 is a computer that controls the vehicle 300 based on information acquired from a sensor 302, which will be described later. The control device 301 is configured by, for example, a computer having a CPU and a storage device.

The control device 301 has a route generation unit 3011, a travel control unit 3012, and a task control unit 3013 as functional modules. Each functional module stores a program stored in a storage means such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) in a CPU (Central Processing Unit).
It may be realized by executing by

The route generation unit 3011 generates a travel route for the own vehicle based on the operation plan transmitted from the server device 100 . The route generation unit 3011 generates a travel route so that the dispatch point specified in the operation plan can be toured according to the specified schedule. The route may be generated by referring to map data stored in advance, or by using an external service.

The travel control unit 3012 senses the surroundings of the vehicle and controls the travel of the own vehicle based on the obtained data.
The travel control unit 3012 detects the environment around the vehicle based on the data acquired by the sensor 302 and generates environment data. Objects to be detected include, for example, the number and positions of lanes, the number and positions of vehicles in the vicinity of the vehicle, and the number of obstacles (e.g. pedestrians, bicycles, structures, buildings, etc.) in the vicinity of the vehicle. Numbers, positions, road structures, road signs, etc., but are not limited to these. Any object may be detected as long as it is necessary for autonomous driving.
The travel control unit controls the autonomous travel of the vehicle using the generated environment data and the position information of the host vehicle acquired by the position information acquisition unit 305, which will be described later. For example, the vehicle is caused to travel along a predetermined route and to prevent obstacles from entering a predetermined safety area centered on the vehicle. A known method can be adopted as a method for causing the vehicle to travel autonomously.

Task control unit 3013 controls tasks executed by vehicle 300 . A task is a task for providing a custody service to the user using the storage device 400, and is typically a 'task of keeping baggage from the user' and a 'task of delivering baggage to the user'. Note that the task control unit 3013 may execute tasks associated with these. The task control unit 3013 may execute, for example, a task of calling a user, a task of authenticating a user, and the like.

Further, the task control unit 3013 periodically transmits data representing its own status (hereinafter referred to as status data) to the server device 100 .
The status data includes, for example, the following information.
・Identifier of vehicle 300 ・Current position of vehicle 300 ・Information about tasks completed up to now ・Information about remaining tasks ・Current battery level (SOC) or travelable distance )
Information on Packages Stored in Storage Device 400 Server device 100 (vehicle management unit 1011) updates vehicle data 102A and storage device data 102C based on the received status data.

The sensor 302 is means for sensing the surroundings of the vehicle, and typically includes a camera, laser scanner, LIDAR, radar, and the like. Information acquired by the sensor 302 is transmitted to the control device 301 . The sensor 302 includes a sensor for autonomous travel. Sensors 302 may include cameras provided on vehicle 300 . For example, an imaging device using an image sensor such as Charged-Coupled Devices (CCD), Metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) or Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) can be included.

Communication unit 303 is communication means for connecting vehicle 300 to a network. In this embodiment, mobile communication services such as 3G, LTE, and 5G can be used to communicate with other devices (for example, the server device 100) via a network. Note that the communication unit 303 may further have communication means for performing inter-vehicle communication with another vehicle.

Drive unit 304 is means for causing vehicle 300 to travel based on a command generated by travel control unit 3012 . The drive unit 304 includes, for example, a motor for driving wheels, an inverter, a brake, a steering mechanism, a secondary battery, and the like.

Position information acquisition unit 305 is means for acquiring the current position of vehicle 300, and typically includes a GPS antenna, a GPS module, and the like. The information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 305 is transmitted to the control device 301 .

The storage device 400 is a locker type device that has a plurality of compartments and can store luggage in each compartment. As described with reference to FIG. 2, enclosure 400 is configured to provide access to separate compartments through multiple doors. The storage device 400 is connected to a control device 301, and its operations (user authentication, locking/unlocking, etc.) are controlled by the control device 301 (task control unit 3013).
The storage device 400 has an input/output unit, and can interact with the user using the input/output unit. The input/output unit typically includes a touch panel, a liquid crystal display, a keyboard, and the like.

Next, a method for providing a storage service by the mobile locker system according to this embodiment will be described.
Here, the following three phases will be described with reference to sequence diagrams of processing executed by components included in the system and data to be exchanged.
(First phase) Based on the status data transmitted by the vehicle 300, the server device 100 updates the vehicle data and storage device data. A phase (third phase) in which the device 100 updates the map data (second area map). A phase in which the server device 100 instructs the vehicle 300 to operate based on a dispatch request from the first user.

FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram corresponding to the first phase.
Vehicle 300 periodically generates status data during operation (step S11A) and transmits the status data to server device 100 . The status data includes, in addition to the state of the vehicle 300, information on tasks completed so far, information on packages stored in the storage device 400, and the like.
Server device 100 (vehicle management unit 1011) that has received the status data updates vehicle data 102A and storage device data 102C based on the received status data (step S11B).

FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram corresponding to the second phase.
First, in step S<b>12</b>A, the second user generates data (hereinafter referred to as application data) to the effect that a parking area is offered via the user terminal 200 . FIG. 9A is an example of a user interface screen for generating application data. FIG. 9B is an example of application data. As illustrated, the application data includes data regarding user identifiers, parking area location information, parking area provision conditions, and the like.
Server device 100 (area management unit 1014) that has received the application data updates the second area map included in map data 102D based on the received application data (step S12B).

Next, the area management unit 1014 issues an electronic coupon that can be used in the keeping service to the second user who sent the application data (step S12C). The electronic coupon may discount the usage fee or may exempt the usage fee. The discount amount can be determined, for example, according to the provision period of the parking area, the provided area, and the like. The electronic coupon may be transmitted to the user terminal 200, or may be stored in the storage unit 102 in association with the user's identifier.

FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram corresponding to the third phase.
When a user who wishes to deposit/take out luggage generates a vehicle allocation request via the user terminal 200 (step S21), the vehicle allocation request is transmitted to the server device 100. FIG. The vehicle allocation request includes information on the type of request (“deposit” or “removal”), the area in which the vehicle 300 is desired to be allocated, the time period in which the vehicle 300 is desired to be allocated, the size of the luggage, and the like. FIG. 11(A) is an example of a screen presented by the user terminal 200 when a vehicle allocation request is generated, and FIG. 11(B) is an example of the generated vehicle allocation request. A desired area for vehicle allocation can be designated by, for example, a circle centered at a predetermined point.

In step S22, the vehicle allocation management unit 1012 determines the vehicle 300 to be dispatched to the user based on the vehicle allocation request. If the type of request is "take out", the vehicle 300 that is keeping the luggage of the user is determined as the dispatch target. Otherwise, the vehicle 300 dispatched to the user is determined by referring to the content of the dispatch request, the vehicle data 102A, and the storage device data 102C. Specifically, a vehicle 300 equipped with a storage device 400 capable of being dispatched to a designated area during a designated time period and capable of storing a package of a designated size is determined as a dispatch target.

In step S<b>23 , the dispatch management unit 1012 determines the dispatch point and the dispatch time of the vehicle 300 .
FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing in detail the process executed by the dispatch management unit 1012 in step S23.

First, in step S231, the first area map is referenced to extract parking areas on roads where parking is legally possible within the area specified by the user.
Next, in step S232, the second area map is referenced to extract the parking area provided by the second user within the area specified by the user.

In step S233, parking areas that do not satisfy the conditions are excluded from the parking areas extracted in both steps S231 and S232.
For example, if there is a parking area provided by the second user that does not satisfy the provision conditions for the desired time period specified by the dispatch request, the parking area is excluded. Also, if the parking area set on the road is prohibited from parking depending on the time of day, it can be excluded by this step.

In step S234, it is determined whether or not any available parking areas remain. If the determination in this step is affirmative, the process transitions to step S235. If the determination is negative, the process ends.
In step S235, a dispatch point is determined from one or more extracted parking areas. In this step, evaluation values may be given to one or more parking areas, and dispatch points may be determined based on the evaluation values. The evaluation value may be determined based on, for example, the amount of traffic in the corresponding parking area, the amount of flow of people, the size of the parking area, and the like. That is, a higher evaluation value may be given to a parking area that is easier to access and safer to access the vehicle.

In step S236, dispatch time is determined. The dispatch time can be selected, for example, from the time period designated by the user.

Returning to FIG. 10, the description is continued.
The determined dispatch point and dispatch time are notified to the user terminal 200 and presented to the user. If the user's wishes for the dispatch location and the dispatch time cannot be met, at least one of the dispatch location and the dispatch time may be corrected through interaction between the server device 100 and the user terminal 200. .

Next, in step S<b>24 , the vehicle allocation management unit 1012 generates or updates an operation plan corresponding to the vehicle 300 . Here, if the target vehicle 300 is not in operation (standby), the vehicle allocation management unit 1012 generates a new operation plan corresponding to the vehicle 300 in question. If the target vehicle 300 is in operation, that is, if an operation plan for the vehicle 300 has already been generated, the new task determined in step S13 is added to the operation plan. An operation plan corresponding to vehicle 300 is transmitted to vehicle 300 .

In step S25, vehicle 300 (control device 301) receives the operation plan. The control device 301 runs and executes tasks according to the received operation plan.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of processing performed by vehicle 300 that has received an operation plan. The process is started when vehicle 300 receives an operation plan from server device 100 .
First, in step S31, vehicle 300 (route generation unit 3011) generates a travel route for executing unprocessed tasks based on the received operation plan.

In step S32, the traveling control unit 3012 starts traveling to the target point (that is, the dispatch point designated by the server device 100) according to the generated route.

When the vehicle 300 approaches the target point (step S33), the travel control unit 3012 searches for a nearby place where the vehicle can be stopped, stops the vehicle, and executes the task (step S34). A task is either a task of picking up luggage from a user or a task of handing over luggage to a user.

When the task is completed, the travel control unit 3012 determines whether or not there is a next target point according to the operation plan (step S35), and continues operation if there is a next target point. If there is no next target point (when all the tasks included in the operation plan are completed), return to the base. Note that if there is a spare time between tasks, the vehicle 300 may be returned to the base once.

Next, the details of the process executed by vehicle 300 in step S34 will be described.
FIG. 14 is a sequence diagram of processing executed when a user deposits and takes out luggage. The illustrated process is started by the task control unit 3013 at the timing when the vehicle 300 is parked to allow the user who deposits/takes out luggage to board.

First, in step S41, user authentication is performed.
When the user arrives at the vehicle 300 parked at a predetermined spot, the storage device 400 acquires the first authentication information via the input/output unit, and checks it against the second authentication information stored in advance. conduct. Each piece of authentication information may be pre-stored in the user terminal 200 and the storage device 400 , or may be generated by the server device 100 at the timing of issuing the dispatch request and distributed to the user terminal 200 and the storage device 400 .
The first authentication information may be obtained as character data via a keyboard or touch panel, or may be obtained as image data via a camera or scanner. Alternatively, it may be acquired from the user terminal 200 via wireless communication. If the matching is successful, the process transitions to step S42. If the matching fails, the process ends.
Here, it was confirmed that the user who got on the vehicle 300 was a pre-registered user. , user authentication is not required.

When the user's authentication is completed, in step S42, the luggage is stored or taken out.
When a new package is to be stored, a section for storing the package may be determined in this step. The compartments in which packages are stored may be determined based on the size of the packages. For example, if the size of the parcel is known in advance, then an appropriately sized compartment may be assigned. Also, the user may specify the section in which the luggage is stored. Note that if the server device 100 has previously determined the compartments for storing the packages, the process of determining the compartments may be omitted.
Once the luggage has been stowed, the compartment where the luggage was deposited will be locked.

Also, when taking out the luggage, in this step, based on the authentication result, the compartment where the luggage was deposited is unlocked, and the luggage is taken out.

In step S<b>43 , status data is generated and transmitted to server device 100 . The status data includes information about packages stored in the storage device 400, such as the occupancy status of multiple compartments, the weight of the package, the identifier of the user in use, and the like. Server device 100 that has received the status data reflects the data in storage device data 102C (step S44).

If the package is taken out in step S43, the server device 100 settles the usage fee in step S45. The usage fee can be determined based on the size of the luggage, the period of deposit, and the like. The billing destination is the user authenticated in step S41. In this step, the usage fee may be billed by communicating with an external device that performs fee settlement.
If an electronic coupon has been issued to the user who used the service (see step S12C), the usage fee may be discounted or exempted in this step. The electronic coupon may be acquired from the user terminal 200 or may be acquired from the storage unit 102 .
When payment of the usage fee is completed, a usage completion notification is sent to the user terminal 200 .

As described above, according to the first embodiment, the server device 100 manages information about the parking areas provided by the second user in addition to the parking areas set on the road. A dispatch point for the vehicle 300 is determined from the parking area. As a result, it becomes possible to dispatch the vehicle 300 to a more suitable point for loading and unloading the cargo. Further, by providing an incentive, it is possible to motivate the second user to provide a parking area.

(Modified example of the first embodiment)
In the first embodiment, the electronic coupon is issued at the timing when the second user offers the parking area, but the server device 100 may issue the electronic coupon at other timings.
For example, the server device 100 may issue an electronic coupon when the parking area provided by the second user is actually used. The server device 100 may issue an electronic coupon of a predetermined amount each time the parking area is used, or may issue an electronic coupon of a different amount based on the total number of times of use in a predetermined period. may For example, the more parking areas provided are utilized, the greater the amount of incentives may be.

(Second embodiment)
In the first embodiment, the second user previously specified the provision condition of the parking area. On the other hand, the second embodiment asks the second user for permission to use the parking area each time the server apparatus 100 receives a vehicle allocation request.

In the second embodiment, after the server device 100 extracts the parking area in step S232, the user terminal 200 associated with the second user who provided the parking area is licensed to use the parking area. Send a request message. The message may include the scheduled date and time of use of the parking area, the number of people scheduled to use the parking area, and the like.
When the second user responds to the message, whether or not the conditions are met is determined in step S233 based on the response. That is, when the second user permits the use, it is determined that the parking area satisfies the conditions. If the second user does not approve the parking area, it is determined that the parking area does not meet the conditions and is excluded from the candidates.

Any one of the following methods can be adopted as a method of requesting permission from the second user.
(1) Approval is sought when a vehicle allocation request that meets the conditions for providing a parking area is received, and requests that do not meet the conditions for providing a parking area are automatically rejected (2) Vehicle allocation that meets the conditions for providing a parking area If a request is received, it will be automatically granted, and if a request that does not meet the provision conditions is received, permission will be sought. It may be obtained each time a request is received, or may be obtained at a predetermined timing.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, the usability of the second user can be improved because the second user can be inquired about whether or not the parking area can be used in advance.
Note that the provision of the electronic coupon may be performed on the condition that the second user permits the use of the parking area. In this case, the message sent to the user terminal 200 may contain information about the electronic coupons that can be given. For example, the message may include the details (amount, contents, etc.) of the electronic coupon given when the use of the parking area is permitted. As a result, it becomes possible to prompt the second user to approve the use of the parking area.

(Modification)
The above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the present disclosure can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
For example, the processes and means described in the present disclosure can be freely combined and implemented as long as there is no technical contradiction.

Also, in the embodiment, an individual is exemplified as the second user, but the second user does not necessarily have to be an individual. For example, the second user may be an organization, corporation, or the like. In this case, individuals belonging to the association or legal entity may enjoy the incentive.

Also, the processing described as being performed by one device may be shared and performed by a plurality of devices. Alternatively, processes described as being performed by different devices may be performed by one device. In a computer system, it is possible to flexibly change the hardware configuration (server configuration) to implement each function.

The present disclosure can also be implemented by supplying a computer program implementing the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and reading and executing the program by one or more processors of the computer. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer by a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the system bus of the computer, or may be provided to the computer via a network. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media include, for example, magnetic disks (floppy (registered trademark) disks, hard disk drives (HDD), etc.), optical disks (CD-ROMs, DVD disks, Blu-ray disks, etc.), any type of disk, Including read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), EPROM, EEPROM, magnetic cards, flash memory, optical cards, any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100... Server apparatus 101,201... Control part 102,202... Storage part 103,203,303... Communication part 104... Input/output part 200... User terminal 300... Vehicle 301... Control device 302... Sensor 304... Drive unit 305... Position information acquisition unit 400... Storage device

Claims (20)

An information processing device that controls a vehicle that provides a luggage storage service,
a control unit that determines a first point at which the first user loads and unloads the luggage from the vehicle when a first request is received from the first user;
The control unit selects the first point from among a plurality of parking areas including a parking area offered by the second user.
Information processing equipment. The control unit obtains a second request to offer the parking area from the second user.
The information processing device according to claim 1 . The second request includes information on the date and time when use of the parking area is permitted,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 2. The first request includes information on the desired date and time for loading and unloading of the baggage,
The control unit selects the first spot from parking areas permitted to be used on the date and time specified by the first request.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 3. The first request includes information on the desired date and time for loading and unloading of the baggage,
The control unit inquires of the second user who has offered to provide the parking area whether or not permission to use the parking area on the date and time specified by the first request is granted.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 2. The control unit provides an incentive related to the service to the second user who has offered to provide the parking area.
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5. The control unit provides an incentive related to the service to the second user when the parking area offered by the second user is used by the first user.
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5. The incentive is a discount on the usage fee of the service,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 or 7. further comprising a storage unit that stores first data describing the plurality of parking areas;
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 8. The control unit updates the first data based on the second request.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 9 . The control unit generates a command to dispatch the vehicle to the first point,
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10. An information processing method executed by an information processing device that controls a vehicle that provides a luggage storage service,
determining a first point at which the first user will unload the package from the vehicle upon receiving a first request from the first user;
the first point is selected from among a plurality of parking areas including parking areas offered by the second user;
Information processing methods. further comprising obtaining a second request from the second user offering the parking area;
The information processing method according to claim 12. The second request includes information on the date and time when use of the parking area is permitted,
The information processing method according to claim 13. The first request includes information on the desired date and time for loading and unloading of the baggage,
Selecting the first location from parking areas permitted to be used at the date and time specified by the first request;
The information processing method according to claim 14. The first request includes information on the desired date and time for loading and unloading of the baggage,
further comprising the step of inquiring of the second user who offered to provide the parking area whether or not permission to use the parking area on the date and time specified by the first request is obtained;
The information processing method according to claim 13. further comprising providing an incentive related to the service to the second user who offers the parking area;
The information processing method according to any one of claims 13 to 16. further comprising providing an incentive related to the service to the second user when the parking area offered by the second user is used by the first user;
The information processing method according to any one of claims 13 to 16. The incentive is a discount on the usage fee of the service,
The information processing method according to claim 17 or 18. further comprising generating a command to dispatch the vehicle to the first location;
The information processing method according to any one of claims 12 to 19.

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