Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11610216-B2
Application number	US-202016803021-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2020
Priority date	Mar 25, 2019
Publication date	Mar 21, 2023
Grant date	Mar 21, 2023

Abstract

A control section of a server apparatus as an information processing apparatus in the disclosure executes: inquiring of a terminal of a user who desires to board a self-driving vehicle operating for pickup-delivery of an item, whether or not the user is able to handle work of pickup-delivery of the item at a pickup-delivery location between the self-driving vehicle and a pickup-delivery service user; and when a response indicating that the user is able to handle the work of pickup-delivery when the user is on board the self-driving vehicle is received from the terminal, transmitting to the self-driving vehicle an instruction to allow the user who desires to board and is able to handle the work of pickup-delivery to board the self-driving vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information processing system, comprising:
a self-driving vehicle that operates for pickup-delivery of an item; and
at least one processor configured to:
identify a user who desires to board the self-driving vehicle and desires a boarding place and an alighting place that are located within a predetermined range from a pickup-delivery route of the self-driving vehicle, the user being a registered user with a movement schedule that meets schedule information on the pickup-delivery;
inquire of a terminal of the user, whether or not the user is able to handle work of pickup-delivery of the item at a pickup-delivery location between the self-driving vehicle and a pickup-delivery service user;
when a response indicating that the user is able to handle the work of pickup-delivery when the user is on board the self-driving vehicle is received from the terminal, transmit an operation instruction to the self-driving vehicle to control the self-driving vehicle to autonomously travel to the boarding place of the user and allow the user to board the self-driving vehicle; and
grant an incentive to the user who accepts handling the work of pickup-delivery.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: in order to solicit the user who desires to board the self-driving vehicle, publicize the schedule information on the pickup-delivery on a predetermined site or notifying the schedule information to a terminal of the registered user; and accept a request for boarding from the user via the predetermined site or the terminal of the registered user.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to, when a response indicating that the work of pickup-delivery is unneeded is received from a terminal of the pickup-delivery service user, stop inquiring whether or not the user is able to handle the work of pickup-delivery.

4. The information processing system according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to, when the response indicating that the work of pickup-delivery is unneeded is received from the terminal of the pickup-delivery service user, grant the incentive to the pickup-delivery service user.

5. An information processing method, comprising: by at least one computer, identifying a user who desires to board a self-driving vehicle and desires a boarding place and an alighting place that are located within a predetermined range from a pickup-delivery route of the self-driving vehicle, the user being a registered user with a movement schedule that meets schedule information on the pickup-delivery; inquiring of a terminal of the user, whether or not the user is able to handle work of pickup-delivery of the item at a pickup-delivery location between the self-driving vehicle and a pickup-delivery service user; when a response indicating that the user is able to handle the work of pickup-delivery when the user is on board the self-driving vehicle is received from the terminal, transmitting an operation instruction to the self-driving vehicle to control the self-driving vehicle to autonomously travel to the boarding place of the user and allow the user to board the self-driving vehicle; and granting an incentive to the user who accepts handling the work of pickup-delivery.

6. The information processing method according to claim 5 , comprising: by the at least one computer, in order to solicit the user who desires to board the self-driving vehicle, publicizing the schedule information on the pickup-delivery on a predetermined site or notifying the schedule information to a terminal of the registered user; and accepting a request for boarding from the user via the predetermined site or the terminal of the registered user.

7. The information processing method according to claim 5 , further comprising: by the at least one computer, inquiring of a terminal of the pickup-delivery service user whether or not it is desired to have the work of pickup-delivery be handled; and when a response indicating that the work of pickup-delivery is unneeded is received from the terminal of the pickup-delivery service user, stopping inquiring whether or not the user is able to handle the work of pickup-delivery.

8. The information processing method according to claim 7 , further comprising: by the at least one computer, when the response indicating that the work of pickup-delivery is unneeded is received from the terminal of the pickup-delivery service user, granting the incentive to the pickup-delivery service user.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing therein a computer program for causing at least one processor to: identify a user who desires to board the self-driving vehicle and desires a boarding place and an alighting place that are located within a predetermined range from a pickup-delivery route of the self-driving vehicle, the user being a registered user with a movement schedule that meets schedule information on the pickup-delivery; inquire of a terminal of the user, whether or not the user is able to handle work of pickup-delivery of the item at a pickup-delivery location between the self-driving vehicle and a pickup-delivery service user; when a response indicating that the user is able to handle the work of pickup-delivery when the user is on board the self-driving vehicle is received from the terminal, transmit an operation instruction to the self-driving vehicle to control the self-driving vehicle to autonomously travel to the boarding place of the user and allow the user to board the self-driving vehicle; and grant an incentive to the user who accepts handling the work of pickup-delivery.

10. The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor further configured to: when the response indicating that the user is able to handle the work of pickup-delivery when the user is on board the self-driving vehicle is received from the terminal, transmit to the self-driving vehicle an instruction to transport the user to a predetermined point.

11. The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the pickup-delivery service user is different from the user who desires to board the self-driving vehicle.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Suzuki Koichi
• Nishitani Toru
• Usami Jun
• Yoda Minami
• Koike Kensuke
• Ogawa Tsuyoshi
• Tanigawa Yohei

Classifications

• G06Q30/0208 Primary

  Trade or exchange of goods or services in exchange for incentives or rewards · CPC title

• G06Q10/02

  Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events · CPC title

• G06Q10/08355 Primary

  Routing methods · CPC title

• G06Q30/0207 Primary

  Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates · CPC title

• G06Q50/30

  Physics · mapped topic