JP7064306B2 - Vehicle control device and vehicle control method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method for moving an unmanned vehicle to a standby place by unmanned travel when the vehicle is abandoned.

Patent Document 1 discloses a system using an autonomous driving vehicle (electric vehicle or the like) which is a vehicle capable of automatic traveling. Patent Document 1 discloses an autonomous vehicle that accepts a setting of behavior after getting off. It is also disclosed that by setting the behavior after getting off to "return", the self-driving car will return to a predetermined return place such as the parking lot of the nearest car rental company after being abandoned.

International Publication No. 2015/166811

In such a system, it is desired to place the abandoned vehicle in an appropriate position.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device or a vehicle control method capable of arranging an abandoned vehicle at an appropriate position.

In the vehicle control device according to one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle drop-off determination unit that determines whether the vehicle has been abandoned at a destination and a vehicle that can be automatically driven by the abandonment determination unit are abandoned based on the state of the vehicle. It is a vehicle control device that automatically moves the vehicle to a standby place when it is determined that the vehicle has been used. When the vehicle is abandoned, the current position of the vehicle and a plurality of standby units are used. Based on the waiting place position, which is the position of the place, and the demand forecast information of the vehicle, the moving destination determining unit that determines the moving destination from the plurality of waiting places, and instructing the vehicle to move to the moving destination. It is equipped with a movement instruction unit.

The present invention can provide a vehicle control device or a vehicle control method capable of arranging an abandoned vehicle at an appropriate position.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle control system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a vehicle and a waiting place according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the vehicle control device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the operation of the vehicle control system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of processing by the vehicle control device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the move destination determination process according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of standby location information according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of standby location information according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the movable range determination process according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a movable range determination process according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the movable range according to the first embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of demand forecast information according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of demand forecast information according to the first embodiment. FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining a move destination determination process according to the first embodiment. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of vehicle information according to the first embodiment. FIG. 16 is a flowchart of the move destination determination process according to the first embodiment. FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle control device according to a modified example of the first embodiment. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a configuration of a bicycle sharing system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the control device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing the operation of the bicycle sharing system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 21 is a flowchart of processing by the control device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of standby location information according to the second embodiment. FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of vehicle information according to the second embodiment. FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen according to the second embodiment. FIG. 25 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen according to the second embodiment.

The vehicle control device according to one aspect of the present invention is a vehicle control device that moves a vehicle capable of autonomous driving to a standby place by automatic driving when the vehicle is abandoned. The destination is determined from the plurality of standby locations based on the current position of the vehicle, the standby location positions of the plurality of standby locations, and the demand forecast information of the vehicle. The vehicle is provided with a unit and a movement instruction unit that instructs the vehicle to move to the destination.

According to this configuration, the vehicle control device can place the abandoned vehicle in an appropriate position by using the demand forecast information of the vehicle. Further, by being able to determine an appropriate position in this way, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of re-movement of the vehicle and the like, so that the fuel consumption of the vehicle can be reduced. In addition, since it is possible to suppress the generation of recalculations and instructions, the processing amount of the vehicle control device can be reduced.

For example, the moving destination determination unit determines a plurality of moving destination candidates included in a predetermined range from the current position among the plurality of waiting places, and the plurality of moving destination candidates are determined based on the demand forecast information. The destination may be determined from the destination candidates.

For example, the vehicle is an electric vehicle, a charger for the vehicle is installed in the standby place, and the destination determination unit determines the current position and the standby place when the vehicle is abandoned. The destination may be determined based on the position, the demand forecast information, and the current storage amount, which is the current storage amount of the vehicle.

According to this configuration, the vehicle control device can arrange the abandoned vehicle at an appropriate position based on the amount of electricity stored in the vehicle.

For example, the movement destination determination unit determines a plurality of movement destination candidates included in the range in which the current storage amount can travel from the current position among the plurality of standby locations, and based on the demand forecast information. , The destination may be determined from the plurality of destination candidates.

For example, when the vehicle is abandoned, the destination determination unit determines the destination based on the current position, the standby location position, the demand forecast information, and the information of a plurality of vehicles. You may.

According to this configuration, the vehicle control device can place the abandoned vehicle in an appropriate position by using the information of a plurality of vehicles.

For example, the vehicle control device may further include a demand forecast unit that determines the demand forecast information based on population information.

According to this configuration, the vehicle control device can generate appropriate demand forecast information.

For example, the vehicle control device may further include a demand forecasting unit that determines dynamic demand forecasting information based on dynamic power consumption data.

According to this configuration, the vehicle control device can generate dynamic demand forecast information based on power consumption data.

For example, the vehicle control device may further include a demand forecasting unit that determines the dynamic demand forecasting information based on the dynamic sales data of the store.

According to this configuration, the vehicle control device can generate dynamic demand forecast information based on sales data.

For example, the vehicle control device may further include a demand forecasting unit that dynamically determines the demand forecasting information based on the weather forecast information.

According to this configuration, the vehicle control device can generate dynamic demand forecast information based on the weather forecast information.

For example, the vehicle control device may further include a drop-off determination unit that determines whether or not the vehicle has been abandoned based on the state of the vehicle.

For example, the drop-off determination unit may determine whether the vehicle has been dropped off based on the speed of the vehicle, the weight change applied to the vehicle, the opening / closing of the door, or the lock of the door as the state of the vehicle.

According to this configuration, the vehicle control device can appropriately determine whether or not the vehicle has been dropped off.

Further, the vehicle control method according to one aspect of the present invention is a vehicle control method in which, when a vehicle capable of autonomous driving is abandoned, the vehicle is automatically moved to a standby place, and the vehicle is abandoned. In the case, the movement to determine the movement destination from the plurality of waiting places based on the current position which is the current position of the vehicle, the waiting place position which is the position of the plurality of waiting places, and the demand forecast information of the vehicle. It includes a predetermined step and a movement instruction step instructing the vehicle to move to the destination.

According to this, the vehicle control method can place the abandoned vehicle at an appropriate position by using the demand forecast information of the vehicle.

In addition, the configuration of arranging the vehicle at an appropriate position using the demand forecast information of the vehicle can also be applied to the bicycle sharing system.

In the bicycle sharing system, the user bicycles to a destination which is one of the plurality of waiting places based on the number of bicycles waiting in each of the plurality of waiting places and the demand forecast information of the bicycles. It is provided with an incentive determination unit for determining an incentive given to the user when the bicycle is moved, and a presentation unit for presenting the movement destination and the incentive to the user.

According to this configuration, the bicycle sharing system can guide the user to properly position the vehicle by using the demand forecast information of the vehicle. Further, by being able to determine an appropriate position in this way, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of recalculations and instructions, so that the processing amount of the control device can be reduced.

Further, the incentive determination unit may increase the incentive as the distance from the current position of the bicycle to the destination is longer.

According to this configuration, the bicycle sharing system can determine an appropriate incentive.

Further, the incentive determination unit may increase the incentive as the number of bicycles existing in the destination is smaller than the demand forecast at the destination indicated by the demand forecast information.

According to this configuration, the bicycle sharing system can guide the user so that the vehicle is more appropriately positioned.

Further, in the bicycle sharing method, the user is moved to one of the plurality of waiting places based on the number of bicycles waiting in each of the plurality of waiting places and the demand forecast information of the bicycles. Includes an incentive determination step that determines an incentive given to the user when the bicycle is moved, and a presentation step that presents the destination and the incentive to the user.

According to this, the bicycle sharing method can guide the user so that the vehicle is appropriately positioned by using the demand forecast information of the vehicle.

It should be noted that these comprehensive or specific embodiments may be realized in a recording medium such as a system, method, integrated circuit, computer program or computer-readable CD-ROM, and the system, method, integrated circuit, computer program. And may be realized by any combination of recording media.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. In addition, all of the embodiments described below show a specific example of the present invention. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement positions and connection forms of the components, steps, the order of steps, and the like shown in the following embodiments are examples, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Further, among the components in the following embodiments, the components not described in the independent claim indicating the highest level concept are described as arbitrary components.

(Embodiment 1)
First, the configuration of the vehicle control system according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle control system 100 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle control system 100 includes a plurality of vehicles 102 and a vehicle control device 101 that controls the plurality of vehicles 102.

Each of the plurality of vehicles 102 is, for example, an electric vehicle such as an electric vehicle having an automatic driving function, and is capable of automatic traveling (for example, unmanned traveling).

For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 102 can be parked and charged in a small space in the city. As a result, the user can use the vehicle 102 parked in various waiting places in the city. For example, the user gets on the parked vehicle 102 and sets a destination. As a result, the vehicle 102 automatically travels to the set purpose with the user on board. The destination may be set in advance by the user via a mobile terminal or the like before the user gets on the vehicle 102. Then, when the user gets off at the destination, the vehicle 102 automatically travels to the standby place, and performs standby and charging. Note that the user getting off at the destination is called abandonment.

In the state where the user is on board, the user may drive the vehicle 102 instead of the automatic driving.

Further, the vehicle 102 may automatically travel to the boarding place designated by the user based on the user's instruction or reservation via the mobile terminal or the like instead of the user visiting the waiting place. In this case, the nearest vehicle 102 may be automatically moved from the boarding place designated by the user to the boarding place. Further, the vehicle 102 that automatically travels from the boarding place designated by the user to the boarding place may be determined based on the destination set by the user instead of the nearest vehicle 102. For example, efficient vehicle allocation can be realized by automatically moving the vehicle 102 being forwarded toward the destination set by the user to the boarding place.

Further, the waiting place is not limited to the individual parking space as shown in FIG. 2, and may be a parking space in which the business operator manages the parking lot business, a public parking space, or the like. Here, the charger of the vehicle 102 is installed in the standby place. Charging of the vehicle 102 is automatically performed, for example, by a method of physically connecting a charging connector or by non-contact charging. In addition, a part or all of the charging work may be performed by a worker or the like stationed in the waiting place.

The vehicle control device 101 can communicate with a plurality of vehicles 102 via a communication network or the like. When the vehicle 102 is abandoned, the vehicle control device 101 moves the vehicle 102 to a standby place by automatic traveling (for example, unmanned traveling).

Next, the configuration of the vehicle control device 101 will be described. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle control device 101. As shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle control device 101 includes a vehicle information acquisition unit 111, a drop-off determination unit 112, a storage unit 113, a movement destination determination unit 114, a movement instruction unit 115, and a standby location management unit 116. A demand forecasting unit 117 and a vehicle information management unit 118 are provided.

The vehicle information acquisition unit 111 acquires vehicle state information from the vehicle 102. The vehicle state information indicates, for example, the state and position of the vehicle.

The drop-off determination unit 112 determines whether or not the vehicle 102 has been abandoned based on the state of the vehicle 102 indicated by the vehicle state information acquired from the vehicle 102.

The storage unit 113 shows the waiting place information 121 indicating the waiting place position which is the position of the plurality of waiting places, the demand forecast information 122 indicating the demand forecast distribution of the vehicle, and the state and distribution (position) of the plurality of vehicles 102. Stores vehicle information 123.

When the vehicle 102 is abandoned, the destination determination unit 114 determines the destination of the vehicle 102 from a plurality of standby locations indicated by the standby location information 121. Specifically, the movement destination determination unit 114 determines the current position of the vehicle 102, the positions of a plurality of standby locations indicated by the standby location information 121, and the demand forecast of the vehicle indicated by the demand forecast information 122. Based on the distribution and the distribution of the plurality of vehicles indicated by the vehicle information 123, the destination is determined from the plurality of waiting places.

The movement instruction unit 115 instructs the vehicle 102 to move to the determined destination.

The standby location management unit 116 manages the status of a plurality of standby locations. For example, the waiting place management unit 116 periodically obtains information from a plurality of vehicles 102 indicating which waiting place the vehicle 102 is waiting for, or information indicating whether the waiting place is vacant from each waiting place. It manages whether each waiting place is vacant based on the obtained information.

The demand forecast unit 117 calculates the demand forecast distribution of the vehicle, and stores the calculation result as the demand forecast information 122 in the storage unit 113.

The vehicle information management unit 118 updates the vehicle information 123 based on the vehicle state information of the vehicle obtained from the plurality of vehicles 102.

Next, the operation of the vehicle control device 101 will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the operation of the vehicle 102 and the vehicle control device 101. In the following, for the sake of simplicity, the operation of the vehicle control device 101 with respect to one vehicle 102 will be described, but in reality, the following operations are performed for each vehicle 102.

As shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle 102 periodically transmits vehicle state information to the vehicle control device 101 (S101, S103). Further, the vehicle control device 101 uses the received vehicle state information to determine whether the vehicle 102 has been abandoned (S102, S104).

When it is determined that the vehicle 102 has been abandoned (S104), the vehicle control device 101 transmits a request for acquisition of the position information of the vehicle 102 and the storage amount information of the vehicle 102 to the vehicle 102 (S105). The vehicle 102 that has received the acquisition request transmits the position information and the storage amount information to the vehicle control device 101 (S106).

Next, the vehicle control device 101 determines the movement destination using the received position information and the stored amount information (S107), and transmits the movement instruction to the determined movement destination to the vehicle 102 (S108). The vehicle 102 that has received the movement instruction moves to the instructed destination (S109).

Here, an example of acquiring the position information and the storage amount information when it is determined to be abandoned is shown, but the position information and the storage amount information are included in the vehicle state information and are periodically transmitted from the vehicle 102. May be good.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vehicle control device 101. First, the vehicle information acquisition unit 111 acquires vehicle state information from the vehicle 102 (S111).

Next, the drop-off determination unit 112 determines whether or not the vehicle 102 has been abandoned using the acquired vehicle state information (S112).

Specifically, for example, when the user gets off the vehicle, he / she presses a button provided on the vehicle 102. Then, the vehicle state information includes information indicating that this button has been pressed. The drop-off determination unit 112 determines that the vehicle 102 has been dropped off when the vehicle status information includes information indicating that the button has been pressed. The operation performed by the user when getting off is not limited to pressing a button, but may be an input operation via another user interface such as a touch panel or voice input. Further, these user interfaces do not need to be provided in the vehicle 102, and may be input via, for example, a smartphone or a mobile terminal owned by the user.

Alternatively, the drop-off determination unit 112 may determine drop-off based on the state of the vehicle 102 indicated by the vehicle state information. For example, the vehicle state information indicates the speed of the vehicle 102, and the drop-off determination unit 112 may determine whether the vehicle 102 has been abandoned based on this speed. Specifically, the drop-off determination unit 112 determines that the vehicle has been dropped off when the speed of the vehicle 102 becomes zero (stopped state) and the state continues for a predetermined time or longer.

Alternatively, the drop-off determination unit 112 may detect the user's disembarkation based on the vehicle state information. For example, the drop-off determination unit 112 may determine that the door has been dropped off when the door is opened and closed and the door is locked after the door is opened and closed. Alternatively, the vehicle state information indicates the load applied to the tire, suspension, or seat, and the drop-off determination unit 112 may determine that the load has changed (decreased) by a predetermined amount or more. In this way, the drop-off determination unit 112 may determine whether the vehicle 102 has been dropped off based on the weight change applied to the vehicle 102, the opening / closing of the door, or the lock of the door. The drop-off determination unit 112 may be used in combination of two or more of the above-mentioned plurality of determination methods.

When it is not determined to be abandoned (No in S112), the vehicle information acquisition unit 111 acquires the vehicle state information from the vehicle 102 again after a predetermined time (S111), and the abandonment determination unit 112 acquires the acquired vehicle state information. Is used to determine whether or not the vehicle 102 has been abandoned (S112).

On the other hand, when it is determined that the vehicle is abandoned (Yes in S112), the destination determination unit 114 acquires the position of the abandoned vehicle 102, the amount of electricity stored in the vehicle 102, the information on the waiting place, and the demand forecast distribution. (S113). Specifically, information indicating the position of the abandoned vehicle 102 and the amount of electricity stored in the vehicle 102 is acquired from the vehicle 102 by the vehicle information acquisition unit 111. Further, the waiting place information and the demand forecast distribution are stored in the storage unit 113 as the waiting place information 121 and the demand forecast information 122.

Next, the destination determination unit 114 determines the destination using the acquired position of the abandoned vehicle 102, the amount of electricity stored in the vehicle 102, the information on the standby location, and the demand forecast distribution (S114). ). The details of this process will be described later.

Finally, the movement instruction unit 115 instructs the vehicle 102 to move to the determined destination (S115).

Next, the details of the move destination determination process (S114) by the move destination determination unit 114 will be described. In the following, first, the destination determination process using the demand forecast distribution and the amount of stored electricity will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of this process. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the standby location information 121.

As shown in FIG. 7, the standby location information 121 includes a standby location ID, which is information for identifying the standby location, and location information (position (x,)) indicating the position of the standby location for each of the plurality of standby locations. y)) and usage status information indicating whether the standby location is in use or free (usable). Although two-dimensional coordinates are shown here as position information, they may be three-dimensional coordinates, an address, or the like.

Further, the usage status information is sequentially updated by the waiting place management unit 116. Specifically, the waiting place management unit 116 periodically acquires position information from a plurality of vehicles 102, and when the obtained position information matches the position information of the waiting place, the waiting place is used. Judge that it is inside. The waiting place management unit 116 acquires information indicating that the vehicle 102 is in the standby state from each vehicle 102 and a waiting place ID of the waiting place currently in use, and is in a usage state based on these information. Information may be updated. Alternatively, the standby location management unit 116 acquires information indicating whether the standby location is in use or free from the device installed in the standby location via a communication network or the like, and updates the usage status information based on the acquired information. You may.

Further, the waiting place information 121 may be map information as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 6, the movement destination determination unit 114 first determines the current position, which is the position of the vehicle 102 at the time of being abandoned, and the current electricity storage amount, which is the amount of electricity stored in the vehicle 102 at the time of being abandoned. It is used to determine the movable range in which the vehicle 102 can currently travel based on the amount of electricity stored (S121).

For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the movement destination determination unit 114 determines a concentric circle centered on the current position of the vehicle 102 as a movable range. Further, the radius of this concentric circle increases in proportion to the amount of stored electricity. The relationship between the radius of the concentric circles and the amount of stored electricity may be preset or may be determined based on the past travel history of the vehicle 102. When the travel history is used, the relationship between the radius of the concentric circles different from each other and the storage amount may be set for each vehicle 102 based on the travel history of the vehicle.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 10, the movable range may be determined based on the road condition or the congestion condition in addition to the storage amount. Further, the congestion status is set for each day (day of the week, season or month) or time zone, and the congestion status corresponding to the current date and time may be used. In addition, information indicating the current congestion state may be acquired from another device via a communication network or the like. Further, the congestion situation may be one predicted from the past congestion situation. In addition, the sometimes predicted congestion situation when the vehicle 102 is about to move may be used.

For example, in the example shown in FIG. 10, the upper and right directions have a high degree of road congestion, so that the movable range is short, and the lower and left directions have a low degree of road congestion, so that the movable range is short. Is long.

Next, the movement destination determination unit 114 determines a plurality of movement destination candidates included in the movable range. First, the movement destination determination unit 114 determines whether or not the movable range includes a usable waiting place (S122). When the movable range does not include a usable waiting place (No in S122), the moving destination determination unit 114 transmits a waiting instruction to the vehicle 102 via the moving instruction unit 115 (S123). As a result, the vehicle 102 stands by on the spot. Further, the movement destination determination unit 114 updates the waiting place information 121 after a predetermined time (S124), and uses the updated waiting place information 121 to perform the process of step S122 again. As a result, when a waiting place near the vehicle 102 becomes available, a movement instruction to the waiting place is given.

On the other hand, when the movable range includes a usable waiting place (Yes in S122), the moving destination determining unit 114 determines whether the movable range includes a plurality of usable waiting places (S125). When the movable range does not include a plurality of available waiting places, that is, when the movable range includes only one available waiting place (No in S125), the move destination determination unit 114 determines the waiting place. Is determined as the destination (S126).

On the other hand, when the movable range includes a plurality of usable waiting places (Yes in S125), the move destination determination unit 114 uses the demand forecast distribution to use the multiple available waiting places included in the movable range. The destination is determined from a plurality of destination candidates (S127).

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a move destination candidate. Note that FIG. 11 shows only the waiting place that can be used as the waiting place. In this example, there are three destination candidates of the waiting place 1, the waiting place 2, and the waiting place 3 for the vehicle A.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the demand forecast information 122. As shown in FIG. 12, the demand forecast information 122 indicates, for example, a spot where the passengers frequently appear. The frequency of appearance of passengers may be set in stages.

Further, the demand forecast information 122 may be determined based on the population distribution as shown in FIG. That is, the demand forecast unit 117 determines the demand forecast distribution based on the population distribution acquired from the outside. Specifically, the demand forecasting unit 117 determines that the larger the population, the higher the demand.

Further, the demand forecasting unit 117 may determine the population distribution or the demand forecast in consideration of the distribution of the building (for example, the planar information of the building). For example, the demand forecasting unit 117 may determine the population distribution or the demand forecast in consideration of the distribution of the building volume or the floor area. Specifically, the demand forecasting unit 117 may determine that the larger the building volume or the larger the floor area, the larger the population or the higher the demand.

In addition, the demand forecasting unit 117 may determine the population distribution or the demand forecast in consideration of the resident map. That is, the demand forecasting unit 117 may determine that the larger the number of residents, the larger the population or the greater the demand.

Further, the demand forecast unit 117 may determine a different demand forecast distribution for each time. For example, the demand forecast unit 117 may generate a demand forecast distribution for daytime using a daytime population map, and may generate a demand forecast distribution for nighttime using a nighttime population map.

Further, the demand forecast unit 117 may generate a dynamic demand forecast distribution using real-time information. For example, the demand forecast unit 117 may generate a dynamic population distribution using real-time information, and may generate a dynamic demand forecast distribution based on the generated population distribution.

For example, the demand forecast unit 117 may determine a dynamic demand forecast distribution based on dynamic (real-time) power consumption data. For example, the demand forecasting unit 117 generates a dynamic population distribution by analyzing the power data of the smart meter in the corresponding area. That is, the demand forecasting unit 117 determines that the area with higher power consumption has a larger population (higher demand).

Alternatively, the demand forecast unit 117 may determine a dynamic demand forecast distribution based on the dynamic sales data of the store. Specifically, the demand forecasting unit 117 generates a dynamic population distribution by analyzing the sales situation of the stores in the corresponding area. That is, the demand forecasting unit 117 determines that the area with higher sales has a larger population (higher demand). For example, the demand forecasting unit 117 collects POS (Point Of Sales) data of stores and analyzes the collected data to generate a dynamic population distribution.

Alternatively, the demand forecast unit 117 may generate a demand forecast distribution using the past usage history. Specifically, the demand forecasting unit 117 identifies the past usage start position based on the GPS data of each vehicle 102, and determines that the area more frequently used as the usage start position has higher demand.

Alternatively, the demand forecasting unit 117 may acquire information on the tendency of getting on and off the taxi, and may determine that the area with more passengers has higher demand.

Alternatively, the demand forecast unit 117 may determine a dynamic demand forecast distribution based on the current weather or weather forecast information. Specifically, the demand forecasting unit 117 determines that the demand is higher in the area where it is raining or in the area where it is going to rain.

The demand forecasting unit 117 may combine two or more of the above-mentioned plurality of methods.

FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining the operation when the demand forecast distribution is information indicating spots with high appearance frequency of passengers as shown in FIG. 12. In the example shown in FIG. 14, there are three waiting places 1 to 3 within the movable range. Further, the distances from the vehicle A to the waiting places 1 to 3 are almost the same. In this case, the moving destination determination unit 114 determines the waiting place 1 close to the spots 1 and 2 where the passengers frequently appear as the moving destination.

In the above description, an example is described in which a standby place within a movable range determined according to the amount of electricity stored is determined to be a move destination candidate, but a standby place included in a predetermined range is a move destination candidate. The destination may be determined from a plurality of destination candidates based on the determination and the demand forecast distribution.

For example, when the stored amount is larger than a predetermined threshold value, the stored amount may not be used. Further, in a specific area where there are many waiting places, the amount of electricity stored may not be used.

Further, the movement destination determination unit 114 may further determine the movement destination using the distribution of a plurality of vehicles 102. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of vehicle information 123. As shown in FIG. 15, the vehicle information 123 includes a vehicle ID for identifying the vehicle 102, a current position (position (x, y)) of the vehicle 102, and use of the vehicle 102 for each vehicle 102. The state and the destination of the vehicle 102 are shown.

Here, the usage states are the state where the vehicle is stopped at the waiting place (usable), the state where the user is using it (using), the state where the user is moving to the waiting place after abandonment (returning), and the state where the user is moving to the waiting place (returning). Includes the state of waiting (waiting). In addition, the destination is set as the destination when it is in use, and the waiting place of the destination is set as the destination when it is returning.

Further, these pieces of information are periodically transmitted from the plurality of vehicles 102 to the vehicle control device 101. Although two-dimensional coordinates are shown as the current position and the destination, they may be three-dimensional coordinates, an address, or the like. Further, when the current position or the moving destination is the waiting place, the waiting place ID may be used.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart of the movement destination determination process by the movement destination determination unit 114 when the distribution of the vehicle 102 is used. First, the destination determination unit 114 determines the first evaluation value of each destination candidate based on the demand forecast distribution (S131). Specifically, the movement destination determination unit 114 sets the first evaluation value higher as the waiting place in the area where the demand forecast is high or the waiting place closer to the area where the demand forecast is high. When the demand level is indicated by the demand forecast, the destination determination unit 114 sets the first evaluation value higher as the waiting place in the area where the demand level is high or the waiting place closer to the area where the demand level is high. do.

Next, the movement destination determination unit 114 determines the second evaluation value of each movement destination candidate based on the distance from the current position to the waiting place (S132). Specifically, the movement destination determination unit 114 sets the second evaluation value higher as the distance becomes shorter. When the congestion situation is taken into consideration, the time required for movement may be used instead of the distance. In this case, the movement destination determination unit 114 sets the second evaluation value higher as the time is shorter.

Next, the destination determination unit 114 determines the third evaluation value of each destination candidate based on the distribution of vehicles (S133). Specifically, the movement destination determination unit 114 sets the third evaluation value lower in an area where many vehicles exist or in an area where many vehicles exist in the vicinity of the area. The vehicle used for the determination here is a usable vehicle (for example, a usable vehicle in FIG. 15). The movement destination determination unit 114 may determine the third evaluation value based on the vehicle distribution after a predetermined time, taking into account the vehicle currently moving.

Finally, the move destination determination unit 114 determines the move destination based on the first evaluation value, the second evaluation value, and the third evaluation value (S134). For example, the move destination determination unit 114 calculates the final evaluation value by adding the first evaluation value, the second evaluation value, and the third evaluation value, and selects the move destination candidate having the highest final evaluation value. Decide on the destination.

In the above explanation, the first evaluation value and the third evaluation value are calculated separately. For example, the number of vehicles lacking in each area is calculated based on the demand forecast and the vehicle distribution. The evaluation value may be determined based on the number of vehicles that are in short supply. That is, the movement destination determination unit 114 sets the evaluation value higher in the waiting place in the area where the vehicle is insufficient or closer to the area.

Further, FIG. 3 shows an example in which the vehicle control device 101 is realized as a single device (for example, a server) different from the vehicle 102, but the functions of the vehicle control device 101 are a plurality of functions capable of communicating with each other. It may be realized by the device of. For example, the waiting place management unit 116, the demand forecasting unit 117, and the vehicle information management unit 118 are provided in different devices, and the vehicle control device 101 is the waiting place information 121 and the demand forecast information generated by the device. 122 and vehicle information 123 may be acquired and the acquired information may be stored in the storage unit 113.

Further, a part of the function of the vehicle control device 101 may be provided in the vehicle 102. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example in which a part of the functions of the vehicle control device 101 is provided in the vehicle 102. In the example of FIG. 17, the vehicle control device 101 in the vehicle 102 includes the vehicle information acquisition unit 111, the drop-off determination unit 112, the movement destination determination unit 114, and the movement instruction unit 115. Further, the management device 130, which is a server or the like provided outside the vehicle 102, includes the above-mentioned storage unit 113, a standby place management unit 116, a demand forecast unit 117, and a vehicle information management unit 118.

Further, the vehicle control device 101 includes a communication unit 131 that communicates with the management device 130. The communication unit 131 transmits vehicle status information and receives standby location information 121, demand forecast information 122, and vehicle information 123.

As described above, in the vehicle control device 101 according to the present embodiment, when the vehicle 102 is abandoned, the current position which is the current position of the vehicle 102 and the waiting place position which is the position of a plurality of waiting places , Determine the destination from multiple waiting locations based on the vehicle demand forecast distribution. As a result, the vehicle control device 101 can arrange the abandoned vehicle at an appropriate position by using the demand forecast distribution of the vehicle.

Further, when the vehicle 102 is abandoned, the vehicle control device 101 determines the destination based on the current charge amount, which is the current charge amount of the vehicle 102. As a result, the vehicle control device 101 can arrange the vehicle 102 at an appropriate position in consideration of the amount of electricity stored in the abandoned vehicle 102.

Further, when the vehicle 102 is abandoned, the vehicle control device 101 determines the destination based on the distribution of the plurality of vehicles 102. As a result, the vehicle control device 101 can arrange the abandoned vehicle 102 at an appropriate position in consideration of the distribution of the plurality of vehicles 102.

Here, at the time when the vehicle 102 is abandoned, the distribution of the vehicle 102 is biased, and the arrangement may not match the distribution of the users who want to use it. In this case, the vehicle 102 may not be arranged near the user who wants to use the vehicle 102, and the user cannot use the vehicle 102.

On the other hand, as described above, the vehicle control device 101 according to the present embodiment moves the vehicle 102 in preparation for the next user's use after a certain user finishes using the vehicle 102. That is, the vehicle control device 101 arranges a plurality of vehicles 102 according to the distribution of users who want to use the vehicle. As a result, it is possible to realize an environment in which the vehicle 102 is always located nearby when the user wants to use it.

The above system can also be applied to the following systems.

First, the user instructs his / her current position and destination with a tablet terminal or the like. Based on the instructed conditions, the vehicle 102, which is a community car, is delivered to the user's current position.

After the end of use, when the user presses the end button provided on the vehicle 102 or the like, the usage fee is settled by credit.

The used vehicle 102 is forwarded to the parking place or the next user's calling place according to the instruction of the center.

The destination to be forwarded is determined based on the time zone, the weather forecast, the demand forecast, the destination forecast, etc. based on the past usage status as described above.

If there is a usage reservation, the most suitable vehicle for use will be dispatched in consideration of the contents of the reservation. Specifically, the time required for picking up the vehicle, the mileage, and the like are taken into consideration. In addition, when returning from the destination, the next usage forecast etc. will be taken into consideration.

For example, even if the user uses the same destination from the same point, he / she may wait after the use or return to a different destination depending on the time zone and the subsequent weather forecast. For example, in the evening, many vehicles are arranged around the station, and in the morning, many vehicles are arranged around the residential area.

If a usage reservation is made while driving to the return destination, or if a usage application is made on the planned route while driving, the route will be changed with the approval of the center.

Further, machine learning may be used for the above demand forecast. For example, machine learning is performed using various parameters such as time zone and weather and historical information of points actually used as inputs. Since the demand changes, machine learning may be performed so that the newer parameters and historical information have higher priority.

Although the vehicle control device 101 and the vehicle control system according to the present embodiment have been described above, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

For example, in the above description, the case of transporting a person has been described as an example, but the method of the present embodiment can also be applied to the case of transporting goods.

Further, in the above description, the case where the vehicle 102 is an electric vehicle has been described as an example, but the power source of the vehicle 102 is not limited to electric power, and any known power source may be used. Further, it may be a hybrid car or the like that uses a plurality of power sources.

(Embodiment 2)
In this embodiment, a bicycle sharing system capable of suppressing a bias in the distribution of a plurality of bicycles will be described.

First, the configuration of the bicycle sharing system according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a configuration of a bicycle sharing system 200 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 18, the bicycle sharing system 200 includes a control device 201, a plurality of bicycles 202, a plurality of docking stations 204, and a user terminal 205.

The docking station 204 is provided in each of the plurality of waiting areas. The bicycle 202 is connected to and locked to the docking station 204 during standby.

The user terminal 205 is a terminal carried by the user 203, for example, a smartphone. The user terminal 205 is not limited to a smartphone, and may be a smart watch, a dedicated terminal, a head-mounted display, or the like.

For example, the user 203 installs a dedicated application on the user terminal 205 and registers it in the bicycle sharing system in advance. Next, the user 203 performs user authentication by holding the user terminal 205 over the reader or the like provided on the docking station 204 or the bicycle 202 at any docking station 204. As a result, the lock is released and the user 203 can use the bicycle 202. Note that this usage method is an example, and user authentication may be performed using an authentication card, a passcode notified in advance, or the like.

Further, after using the bicycle 202, the user 203 returns the bicycle 202 by locking the bicycle 202 at an arbitrary docking station 204.

The control device 201 can communicate with a plurality of docking stations 204, a plurality of bicycles 202, and a user terminal 205 via a communication network or the like. It should be noted that these communications may be indirectly performed via other devices. The control device 201 manages the user as described above.

With such a system, a plurality of bicycles 202 can be shared by a plurality of users 203. Further, the user 203 does not need to return the bicycle 202 to the place where the bicycle 202 is rented, and can return the bicycle to any docking station 204, so that the convenience of the user 203 can be improved.

On the other hand, since the user 203 can return the bicycle 202 to any docking station 204, there arises a problem that the distribution of the bicycle 202 may be biased. As a result, there may be a case where the bicycle 202 does not exist in the place where the user 203 wants to rent, and the convenience of the user 203 is reduced. Alternatively, there arises the problem of incurring costs for moving the bicycle 202. In this embodiment, a method capable of reducing such a bias in the distribution of the bicycle 202 will be described.

FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device 201. As shown in FIG. 19, the control device 201 includes a standby location information acquisition unit 211, a position information acquisition unit 212, a storage unit 213, an incentive determination unit 214, a presentation unit 215, a standby location management unit 216, and the like. It includes a demand forecasting unit 217, a vehicle information acquisition unit 218, and a vehicle information management unit 219.

The waiting place information acquisition unit 211 acquires the waiting number information indicating the number of bicycles 202 waiting at the waiting place from the docking station 204.

The storage unit 213 includes standby location information 221 indicating the number of bicycles 202 waiting in each of the plurality of standby locations, demand forecast information 222 indicating the demand forecast distribution of bicycles, positions and states of the plurality of bicycles 202, and the like. The vehicle information 223 indicating the above is stored.

The waiting place management unit 216 manages the states of a plurality of waiting places. Specifically, the waiting place management unit 216 updates the waiting place information 221 using the waiting number information acquired by the waiting place information acquisition unit 211.

The position information acquisition unit 212 acquires the current position of the user 203 from the user terminal 205 or the bicycle 202.

The incentive determination unit 214 determines a recommended point which is a waiting place where an incentive is given to the user 203 when the user 203 moves to the waiting place from a plurality of waiting places (that is, when the bicycle 202 is returned). .. Further, the incentive determination unit 214 determines the incentive given to the user when the user 203 moves to the recommended point.

Specifically, the incentive determination unit 214 determines a recommended point and an incentive based on the number of bicycles 202 waiting in a plurality of waiting places and the bicycle demand forecast information 222.

The presentation unit 215 presents the determined recommended points and incentives to the user 203.

The demand forecast unit 217 calculates the demand forecast distribution of the bicycle 202, and stores the calculation result as the demand forecast information 222 in the storage unit 213.

The vehicle information acquisition unit 218 acquires vehicle state information from the bicycle 202. The vehicle state information indicates, for example, the state and position of the vehicle.

The vehicle information management unit 219 updates the vehicle information 223 based on the vehicle state information obtained from the plurality of bicycles 202.

Next, the operation of the bicycle sharing system 200 will be described. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing the operation of the bicycle sharing system 200.

As shown in FIG. 20, the docking station 204 transmits standby number information indicating the number of bicycles 202 waiting at the docking station 204 to the control device 201 periodically or based on an instruction from the control device 201. (S201). Although only one docking station 204 is shown in FIG. 20, information on the number of standby units is transmitted from each of the plurality of docking stations 204.

Further, the user terminal 205 periodically or based on a predetermined trigger, transmits position information indicating the position of the user terminal 205 (that is, the position of the user 203) to the control device 201. Here, the predetermined trigger is an operation by the user 203 on the user terminal 205, a case where the user terminal 205 is held over the docking station 204, and the like. Further, the position information is obtained by, for example, GPS possessed by the user terminal 205.

The location information does not necessarily have to be transmitted. Further, the position information may be obtained by GPS or the like included in the bicycle 202 or the docking station 204.

Next, the control device 201 determines a recommended point and an incentive using the received standby unit information and position information (S203). Next, the control device 201 notifies the user terminal 205 of the determined recommended point and incentive (S204). The user terminal 205 presents the notified recommended point and incentive to the user 203. For example, the user terminal 205 displays a recommended point and an incentive on the display unit of the user terminal 205.

The control device 201 may notify the bicycle 202 or the docking station 204 of the recommended point and the incentive, and the bicycle 202 or the docking station 204 may present the notified recommended point and the incentive to the user 203. For example, the bicycle 202 or the docking station 204 is provided with a display unit, and the recommended points and incentives are displayed on the display unit.

FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device 201. First, the vehicle information acquisition unit 218 acquires a plurality of standby unit information from a plurality of docking stations 204 (S211).

Next, the waiting place management unit 216 calculates the current distribution of the plurality of bicycles 202 using the plurality of waiting place number information, and updates the waiting place information 221 (S212).

FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of standby location information 221. As shown in FIG. 22, the waiting place information 221 includes a waiting place ID which is information for identifying the waiting place and a position information (position (x,) indicating the position of the waiting place) for each of a plurality of waiting places. y)), the standby number information indicating the number of bicycles 202 that can stand by at the waiting place, and the waiting number information indicating the number of bicycles 202 currently waiting at the waiting place are included. Although two-dimensional coordinates are shown here as position information, they may be three-dimensional coordinates, an address, or the like. Further, the waiting number information is sequentially updated by the waiting place management unit 216. Further, the waiting place information 221 may be map information as shown in FIG.

Next, the demand forecast unit 217 calculates the optimum distribution of the plurality of bicycles 202 and stores it in the storage unit 213 as the demand forecast information 222 (S213). The demand forecast information 222 may be calculated in advance, or the demand forecast information 222 acquired from the outside may be used.

For example, as the optimum distribution, a distribution in which the bicycles 202 are evenly arranged on a map may be used. Further, the demand forecast unit 217 may calculate the demand forecast information 222 by using the same method as the calculation method of the demand forecast information 122 used in the first embodiment. Specifically, the demand forecast information 222 indicates the required number of bicycles 202 at each waiting place.

Next, the incentive determination unit 214 determines the recommended point and the incentive using the location information and the demand forecast information 222 (S214). Specifically, the incentive determination unit 214 determines a standby place where the number of standby units is less than the required number as a recommended point. In the incentive determination unit 214, when the number of standby places is less than the required number and the number of standby places is larger than the predetermined number, the number of standby units is in descending order of the required number, or the ratio of the number of standby units to the required number. The waiting places may be selected by the predetermined number in ascending order, and the selected predetermined number of waiting places may be determined as recommended points.

Further, the incentive determination unit 214 may target the waiting place included in the predetermined range from the current position of the user 203 indicated by the position information as the target of the above determination.

Next, the incentive determination unit 214 determines the incentive for each recommended point. Here, the incentive is, for example, a point given to the user 203. For example, the user 203 can use the bicycle sharing system 200 by using the points instead of cash. The method of using the points may be arbitrary, and may be used for exchange with other services or goods. Further, the incentive may be a discount on the usage fee of the bicycle sharing system 200 by the user 203 this time or after the next time.

Specifically, the incentive determination unit 214 increases the incentive as the distance from the current position of the user 203 (bicycle 202) to the recommended point becomes longer. Here, the distance may be a straight line distance or a distance on a road. As a result, the incentive according to the effort of the user 203 can be determined.

Alternatively, the incentive determination unit 214 increases the incentive as the number of bicycles 202 existing at the recommended points decreases with respect to the demand forecast at the recommended points indicated by the demand forecast information 222. That is, the incentive determination unit 214 increases the incentive as the number of shortages to the required number increases or the ratio of the standby number to the required number decreases. Thereby, the shortage of the bicycle 202 can be further solved.

The incentive determination unit 214 may use the vehicle information 223 to predict the distribution of the bicycle 202 after a predetermined time. FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of vehicle information 223. As shown in FIG. 23, the vehicle information 223 includes a vehicle ID for identifying the bicycle 202, a current position (position (x, y)) of the bicycle 202, and a state of the bicycle 202 for each bicycle 202. And the destination of the bicycle 202. The vehicle information 223 is updated by the vehicle information acquisition unit 218 based on the information acquired from the bicycle 202, the docking station 204, or the user terminal 205.

Here, the state includes a state of waiting at the waiting place (available) and a state of being used by the user 203 (using). If the waiting place or the like of the destination of the bicycle 202 can be predicted, the destination is indicated. For example, when the user terminal 205 or the bicycle 202 has a navigation function and a destination is set for the navigation function, the destination is set as a destination. If the destination can be estimated from the direction or locus of the bicycle 202, the estimated destination is shown. In addition, past movement history and the like may be used for this estimation.

The incentive determination unit 214 calculates the distribution of the bicycle 202 after a predetermined time using the estimated destination information, and determines the recommended point and the incentive using the obtained distribution and the demand forecast information 222. do.

Further, the incentive determination unit 214 may estimate the distribution of the bicycle 202 after a predetermined time by using the past distribution. For example, in the past distribution, when the number of specific waiting places tends to decrease in a certain time zone, the incentive determination unit 214 corrects the number of the specific waiting places to be smaller than the current number. Then, the comparison with the demand forecast information 222 may be performed.

In addition, since the number of recommended points presented to other users in the immediately preceding period may increase, the incentive determination unit 214 corrects the number of recommended points to a larger number than the current number. Then, the comparison with the demand forecast information 222 may be performed. Alternatively, when the presentation unit 215 presents the recommended points to a plurality of users within a predetermined period, the presenting unit 215 may present different recommended points to each user.

Next, the presentation unit 215 presents the determined recommended points and incentives to the user 203 (S215). FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the user terminal 205. For example, if the user 203 approaches the bicycle 202 or the docking station 204 within a predetermined range in order for the user 203 to start using the bicycle 202, or the user 203 attaches the user terminal 205 to the bicycle 202 or the docking station 204. When you hold it over, the screen is displayed. It should be noted that these information may be displayed on the display unit of the bicycle 202 or the docking station 204, or may be displayed based on another trigger such as an operation by the user 203.

For example, as shown in FIG. 24, a plurality of recommended points and incentives (points) for each recommended point are displayed in the map information. In this case, by setting a limit on the number of recommended points to be presented as described above, it is possible to prevent the displayed information from becoming complicated.

As shown in FIG. 25, the recommended points may be highlighted among the plurality of waiting places, and when the user taps the recommended points, the information of the recommended points including the incentive may be displayed.

Further, as described above, when limiting the number of recommended points, a predetermined number of recommended points may be selected from the waiting places included in the range of the currently displayed map. That is, the recommended points to be displayed may be changed when the displayed map range is scrolled or the display magnification of the map is changed.

Further, when the user 203 moves to the recommended point using the bicycle 202 and returns the bicycle 202 to the recommended point, the incentive is given to the user 203.

As described above, the bicycle sharing system 200 is one of the plurality of waiting places based on the number of bicycles 202 waiting in the plurality of waiting places and the demand forecast information 222 of the bicycle 202. The incentive given to the user 203 when the user 203 moves the bicycle 202 to the destination (recommended point) is determined, and the movement destination (recommended point) and the incentive are presented to the user 203.

As a result, the user 203 can be guided to move the bicycle 202 to the recommended point. Therefore, the bias of the bicycle 202 can be reduced. For example, when there are two waiting places near the destination of the user 203 and one of them is set as the recommended point, the case where the user 203 selects to move to the recommended point increases. In this way, the bicycle 202 can be moved to a standby place where the number of bicycles is insufficient without increasing the load on the user 203. Further, in sightseeing, when the user intends to visit a plurality of sightseeing spots in order, it is possible to assume a case where the tourist spots set as recommended points are visited first.

In the above description, an example of a system in which a predetermined waiting place (docking station 204) is set has been described, but the waiting place is not provided and the bicycle 202 is dropped off at an arbitrary place. The method of this embodiment can also be applied to the system. In such a system, for example, the key attached to the bicycle 202 is opened and closed by the user terminal 205 or the like.

In this case, the control device 201 manages the position of the bicycle 202 obtained by GPS or the like possessed by the bicycle 202. For example, the control device 201 determines the position of the waiting bicycle 202 based on the vehicle information 223 shown in FIG. 23. Then, the control device 201 calculates the current distribution of the plurality of bicycles 202 based on the positions of the waiting bicycles 202. Further, instead of the above-mentioned waiting place, for example, a section obtained by dividing the map into a mesh is used. The incentive determination unit 214 determines the recommended section corresponding to the recommended point and the incentive for each recommended section by the same method as described above, using the current number and the required number of each section. The section is not limited to the mesh shape, and may have any shape. Further, an object such as a building or an intersection and its surroundings may be set as one section. Even when such a drop-off is performed, a waiting place where the drop-off is possible, such as around a road, is specified. Therefore, even in such a case, it can be said that the recommended point is determined from a plurality of waiting places.

Although the vehicle control device 101 and the vehicle control system, the bicycle sharing system 200, and the control device 201 according to the present embodiment have been described above, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

Further, each processing unit included in the vehicle control device, the control device, or the like according to the above embodiment is typically realized as an LSI which is an integrated circuit. These may be individually integrated into one chip, or may be integrated into one chip so as to include a part or all of them.

Further, the integrated circuit is not limited to the LSI, and may be realized by a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) that can be programmed after the LSI is manufactured, or a reconfigurable processor that can reconfigure the connection and settings of the circuit cells inside the LSI may be used.

Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, each component may be configured by dedicated hardware or may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU or a processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory.

Further, the present invention may be realized as a vehicle control method executed by a vehicle control device. Further, the present invention may be realized as a bicycle sharing method or a control method executed by a bicycle sharing system or a control device.

In addition, the numbers used above are all exemplified for the purpose of specifically explaining the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the exemplified numbers.

In addition, the division of functional blocks in the block diagram is an example, and multiple functional blocks can be realized as one functional block, one functional block can be divided into multiple, and some functions can be transferred to other functional blocks. You may. Further, the functions of a plurality of functional blocks having similar functions may be processed by a single hardware or software in parallel or in a time division manner.

Further, the order in which each step in the flowchart is executed is for exemplifying the present invention in detail, and may be an order other than the above. Further, a part of the above steps may be executed at the same time (parallel) with other steps.

Although the vehicle control device according to one or more embodiments has been described above based on the embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. As long as it does not deviate from the gist of the present invention, a form in which various modifications conceived by those skilled in the art are applied to the present embodiment or a form constructed by combining components in different embodiments is also within the scope of one or a plurality of embodiments. May be included within.

The present invention can be applied to a vehicle control device, for example, a transportation system using an electric vehicle capable of automatic driving, a bicycle sharing system, or the like.

100 Vehicle control system 101 Vehicle control device 102 Vehicle 111 Vehicle information acquisition unit 112 Drop-off judgment unit 113 Storage unit 114 Movement destination determination unit 115 Movement instruction unit 116 Standby location management unit 117 Demand forecasting unit 118 Vehicle information management unit 121 Standby location information 122 Demand forecast information 123 Vehicle information 130 Management device 131 Communication section 200 Bicycle sharing system 201 Control device 202 Bicycle 203 User 204 Docking station 205 User terminal 211 Standby location information acquisition section 212 Location information acquisition section 213 Storage section 214 Incentive decision section 215 Presenting Department 216 Waiting place management department 217 Demand forecasting department 218 Vehicle information acquisition department 219 Vehicle information management department 221 Waiting place information 222 Demand forecast information 223 Vehicle information

Claims (13)

It is a vehicle control device that moves the vehicle to the waiting place by automatic driving when the vehicle capable of automatic driving is abandoned.
Based on the state of the vehicle, a drop-off determination unit that determines whether the vehicle has been abandoned at the destination, and a drop-off determination unit.
When it is determined by the drop-off determination unit that the vehicle has been dropped off, the current position, which is the current position of the vehicle, the waiting place position, which is the position of a plurality of waiting places, and the demand forecast information of the vehicle. Based on the move destination determination unit that determines the move destination from the plurality of standby locations,
A vehicle control device including a movement instruction unit for instructing the vehicle to move to the destination. The destination is a place other than the plurality of waiting places.
The vehicle control device according to claim 1. The destination determination unit determines a plurality of destination candidates included in a predetermined range from the current position among the plurality of standby locations, and based on the demand forecast information, the plurality of destinations. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the destination is determined from the candidates. The vehicle is an electric vehicle
A charger for the vehicle is installed in the waiting area.
When the vehicle is abandoned, the movement destination determination unit is based on the current position, the standby location position, the demand forecast information, and the current storage amount which is the current storage amount of the vehicle. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the destination is determined. The destination determination unit determines a plurality of destination candidates included in the range in which the vehicle can travel with the current storage amount from the current position among the plurality of standby locations, and based on the demand forecast information, the destination determination unit determines a plurality of destination candidates.
The vehicle control device according to claim 4, wherein the destination is determined from the plurality of destination candidates. A claim that the moving destination determination unit determines the moving destination based on the current position, the waiting place position, the demand forecast information, and the information of a plurality of vehicles when the vehicle is abandoned. 1. The vehicle control device according to 1. The vehicle control device further
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a demand forecast unit that determines the demand forecast information based on population information. The vehicle control device further
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a demand forecasting unit that determines the dynamic demand forecasting information based on dynamic power consumption data. The vehicle control device further
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a demand forecasting unit that determines the dynamic demand forecasting information based on the dynamic sales data of the store. The vehicle control device further
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a demand forecasting unit that determines the dynamic demand forecasting information based on the weather forecast information. The drop-off determination unit determines whether the vehicle has been dropped off based on information indicating an operation performed by the user when the user gets off, a weight change applied to the vehicle, opening / closing of a door, or a lock of the door as the state of the vehicle. Item 1. The vehicle control device according to item 1. It is a vehicle control method that moves the vehicle to the waiting place by automatic driving when the vehicle that can drive automatically is abandoned.
Based on the state of the vehicle, a drop-off determination step for determining whether the vehicle has been abandoned at the destination, and a drop-off determination step.
When it is determined in the drop-off determination step that the vehicle has been dropped off, the current position, which is the current position of the vehicle, the waiting place position, which is the position of a plurality of waiting places, and the demand forecast information of the vehicle. Based on the destination determination step that determines the destination from the plurality of standby locations,
A vehicle control method including a movement instruction step for instructing the vehicle to move to the destination. The drop-off determination step determines whether the vehicle has been dropped off based on the information indicating the operation performed by the user when the user gets off, the weight change applied to the vehicle, the opening / closing of the door, or the lock of the door as the state of the vehicle.
The vehicle control method according to claim 12.

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