Vehicle management system, and vehicle management method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10140858-B2
Application number	US-201414896540-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2014
Priority date	Jun 11, 2013
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle management system for managing vehicles used by users has a usage managing unit that accepts a user's request for using the vehicle and to set a return space among parking spaces as a planned return space when the user's request is accepted, the return space being a space to which the vehicle is to be returned by the user after the vehicle is used by the user, a return determining unit that determines whether or not the vehicle is returned to the planned return space set by the usage managing unit when the vehicle is actually used and returned by the user, a return permitting unit that permits a return of the vehicle in a case where the return determining unit determines that the vehicle is returned to the planned return space, and a notification unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle management system for managing vehicles used by users, comprising:
a controller comprising:
a usage managing unit that accepts a user's request for using the vehicle and to set a return space among parking spaces as a planned return space when the user's request is accepted, the return space being a space to which the vehicle is to be returned by the user;
a positional information acquiring unit that acquires information of a current position of the vehicle from a Global Positioning System when the vehicle is actually used and returned by the user;
a return determining unit that compares the current position obtained by the positional information acquiring unit with the planned return space set by the usage managing unit and determines whether or not the vehicle is returned to the planned return space set by the usage managing unit when the vehicle is actually used and returned by the user;
a return permitting unit that notifies the user of completion of return process for permitting a return of the vehicle in a case where the return determining unit determines that the vehicle is returned to the planned return space; and
a notification unit that notifies the user to return the vehicle to the planned return space,
wherein the return determining unit compares a parking position of the vehicle when the vehicle is parked in the parking space to execute the return process with the position of the planned return space set by the usage managing unit,
wherein the notification unit notifies the user of position information of the planned return space set by the usage managing unit in a case where the parking position of the vehicle is different from the position of the planned return space, and
wherein the usage managing unit limits setting of the planned return space so that the planned return space for one occupied vehicle is not set as the planned return space of any other vehicle while the one vehicle is occupied by the user.

2. The vehicle management system according to claim 1 , wherein a number of the parking space is more than the number of the vehicles that are available for the user.

3. The vehicle management system according to claim 1 , wherein the return determining unit determines whether or not the vehicle is returned to the planned return space by detecting a position of a returned vehicle by using the Global Positioning System and comparing a detected position of the vehicle with the planned return space of the vehicle.

4. A vehicle management system for managing vehicles used by users, comprising:
a controller comprising:
a usage managing unit that accepts a user's request for using the vehicle and to set a return space among parking spaces as a planned return space when the user's request is accepted, the return space being a space to which the vehicle is to be returned by the user;
a positional information acquiring unit that acquires information of a current position of the vehicle from a Global Positioning System when the vehicle is actually used and returned by the user;
a return determining unit that compares the current position obtained by the positional information acquiring unit with the planned return space set by the usage managing unit and determines whether or not the vehicle is returned to the planned return space set by the usage managing unit when the vehicle is actually used and returned by the user;
a return permitting unit that notifies the user of completion of return process for permitting a return of the vehicle in a case where the return determining unit determines that the vehicle is returned to the planned return space; and
a notification unit that notifies the user to return the vehicle to the planned return space,
wherein the return determining unit compares a parking position of the vehicle when the vehicle is parked in the parking space to execute the return process with the position of the planned return space set by the usage managing unit,

wherein the notification unit notifies the user of position information of the planned return space set by the usage managing unit in a case where the parking position of the vehicle is different from the position of the planned return space,
wherein the return determining unit determines whether or not the vehicle is returned to the planned return space by detecting a position of a returned vehicle by using the Global Positioning System and comparing a detected position of the vehicle with the planned return space of the vehicle, and
wherein the return determining unit determines that the vehicle is returned to the planned return space of the vehicle also in a case where the planned return space set for the returned vehicle is located within a position detecting error range of the Global Positioning System and the parking space other than the planned return space is not located within a position detecting error range of the Global Positioning System, in addition to the case where the position of the vehicle detected by using the Global Positioning System is located at the planned return space.

5. A vehicle management system for managing vehicles used by users, comprising:
a controller comprising:
a usage managing unit that accepts a user's request for using the vehicle and to set a return space among parking spaces as a planned return space when the user's request is accepted, the return space being a space to which the vehicle is to be returned by the user;
a positional information acquiring unit that acquires information of a current position of the vehicle from a Global Positioning System when the vehicle is actually used and returned by the user;
a return determining unit that compares the current position obtained by the positional information acquiring unit with the planned return space set by the usage managing unit and determines whether or not the vehicle is returned to the planned return space set by the usage managing unit when the vehicle is actually used and returned by the user;
a return permitting unit that notifies the user of completion of return process for permitting a return of the vehicle in a case where the return determining unit determines that the vehicle is returned to the planned return space; and
a notification unit that notifies the user to return the vehicle to the planned return space,
wherein the return determining unit compares a parking position of the vehicle when the vehicle is parked in the parking space to execute the return process with the position of the planned return space set by the usage managing unit,

wherein the notification unit notifies the user of position information of the planned return space set by the usage managing unit in a case where the parking position of the vehicle is different from the position of the planned return space,
wherein the return determining unit determines whether or not the vehicle is returned to the planned return space by detecting a position of a returned vehicle by using the Global Positioning System and comparing a detected position of the vehicle with the planned return space of the vehicle, and
wherein, in a case where whether or not the vehicle is returned to the planned returned space cannot be determined by using the Global Positioning System, the return determining unit causes a reading unit mounted in the vehicle to read a unique position specifying code disposed in each of the parking spaces in advance and determines whether or not the vehicle is returned to the planned return space of the vehicle on a basis of information of the unique position specifying code.

6. The vehicle management system according to claim 1 , wherein the return determining unit causes a reading unit mounted in the returned vehicle to read a unique position specifying code disposed in each of the p

Assignees

• Nissan Motor

Inventors

• Chinomi Satoshi
• Hara Kayoko

Classifications

• G08G1/137

  the indicator being in the form of a map · CPC title

• G08G1/065 Primary

  by counting the vehicles in a section of the road or in a parking area, i.e. comparing incoming count with outgoing count · CPC title

• G06Q10/08

  Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management · CPC title

• G08G1/144

  on portable or mobile units, e.g. personal digital assistant [PDA] · CPC title

• H04W4/046

  Electricity · mapped topic