Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11900331-B2
Application number	US-202017109542-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2020
Priority date	Dec 5, 2019
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

An information processing apparatus disclosed has a controller configured to execute the processing of, when a first vehicle body unit on which a first vending machine is mounted is laid at a specific place, determining a time for maintenance defined as a time to perform maintenance of the first vending machine, and sending a replacement command to a chassis unit that is configured in such a way as to be capable of travelling autonomously and being coupled to and separated from a vehicle body unit, as per the time for maintenance. The replacement command is a command to transport a second vehicle body unit on which a second vending machine is mounted to the specific place and retrieve the first vehicle body unit from the specific place.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information processing apparatus comprising a controller configured to execute the processing of:
when a first vehicle body unit on which a first vending machine is mounted is laid at a specific place, determining a first time for maintenance defined as a time to perform maintenance of the first vending machine; and
sending a replacement command to a chassis unit that is configured in such a way as to be capable of travelling autonomously and being coupled to and separated from a vehicle body unit, as per the first time for maintenance, the replacement command being a command to transport a second vehicle body unit on which a second vending machine is mounted to the specific place and retrieve the first vehicle body unit from the specific place,
wherein the replacement command includes:
a command to couple the chassis unit with the second vehicle body unit
a command to cause the chassis unit to travel to the specific place:
a command to separate the chassis unit from the second vehicle body unit at the specific place;
a command to couple the chassis unit with the first vehicle body unit at the specific place; and
a command to cause the chassis unit to travel to a place where maintenance of the first vending machine is to be performed,
wherein the controller determines the first time for maintenance as a time when the remaining capacity of a battery that supplies electrical power on which the first vending machine operates becomes smaller than a predetermined lower limit.

2. An The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller determines a second time for maintenance defined as a time to perform maintenance of the first vending machine as a time when the number of products in stock in the first vending machine becomes smaller than a predetermined lower limit.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller determines a third time for maintenance defined as a time to perform maintenance of the first vending machine as a time when a product sold by the first vending machine is to be changed to another product.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller determines a fourth time for maintenance defined as a time to perform maintenance of the first vending machine as a time to perform inspection and maintenance of a product rented out by the first vending machine.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller determines a fifth time for maintenance defined as a time to perform maintenance of the first vending machine as a time to perform inspection and maintenance of the first vending machine.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller determines a sixth for maintenance defined as a time to perform maintenance of the first vending machine as a time when a trouble of the first vending machine occurs.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller determines a seventh time for maintenance defined as a time to perform maintenance of the first vending machine as a time when the number of coins or bills for change in stock in the first vending machine becomes smaller than a predetermined lower limit.

8. An information processing method comprising the following steps of processing executed by a computer:
the first determination step of, when a first vehicle body unit on which a first vending machine is mounted is laid at a specific place, determining a first time for maintenance defined as a time to perform maintenance of the first vending machine; and
the sending step of sending a replacement command to a chassis unit that is configured in such a way as to be capable of travelling autonomously and being coupled to and separated from a vehicle body unit, as per the first time for maintenance, the replacement command being a command to transport a second vehicle body unit on which a second vending machine is mounted to the specific place and retrieve the first vehicle body unit from the specific place,
wherein the replacement command includes:
a command to couple the chassis unit with the second vehicle body unit;
a command to cause the chassis unit to travel to the specific place:
a command to separate the chassis unit from the second vehicle body unit at the specific place;
a command to couple the chassis unit with the first vehicle body unit at the specific place; and
a command to cause the chassis unit to travel to a place where maintenance of the first vending machine is to be performed,
wherein in the first determination step, the first time for maintenance is determined as a time when the remaining capacity of a battery that supplies electrical power on which the first vending machine operates becomes smaller than a predetermined lower limit.

9. The information processing method according to claim 8 , the method further comprising the second determination step of processing executed by the computer,
wherein in the second determination step, a second time for maintenance defined as a time to perform maintenance of the first vending machine is determined as a time when the number of products in stock in the first vending machine becomes smaller than a predetermined lower limit.

10. The information processing method according to claim 8 , the method further comprising the third determination step of processing executed by the computer,
wherein in the third determination step, a third time for maintenance defined as a time to perform maintenance of the first vending machine is determined as a time when a product sold by the first vending machine is to be changed to a new product.

11. An information processing method according to claim 8 , the method further comprising the fourth determination step of processing executed by the computer,
wherein in the fourth determination step, a fourth time for maintenance defined as a time to perform maintenance of the first vending machine is determined as a time to perform inspection and maintenance of a product rented out by the first vending machine.

12. The information processing method according to claim 8 , the method further comprising the fifth determination step of processing executed by the computer,
wherein in the fifth determination step, a fifth time for maintenance defined as a time to perform maintenance of the first vending machine is determined as a time to perform inspection and maintenance of the first vending machine.

13. The information processing method according to claim 8 , the method further comprising the sixth determination step of processing executed by the computer,
wherein in the sixth determination step, a sixth time for maintenance defined as a time to perform maintenance of the first vending machine is determined as a time when a trouble of the first vending machine occurs.

14. The information processing method according to claim 8 , the method further comprising the seventh determination step of processing executed by the computer,
wherein in the seventh determination step, a seventh time for maintenance defined as a time to perform maintenance of the first vending machine is determined as a time when the number of coins or bills for change in stock in the first vending machine becomes smaller than a predetermined lower limit.

15. A vehicle comprising a controller configured to execute the processing of:
when a first vehicle body unit on which a first vending machine is mounted is laid at a specific place, determining a first time for maintenance defined as a time to perform

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yoshikawa Katsuhisa
• Suzuki Yuji
• Yamazaki Keita
• Matsumoto Kei
• Ito Hiroyuki
• Ogawa Takashi
• Sugiyama Yukiya
• Ando Masaru
• Fujiwara Yasushi
• Nakagame Azusa
• Toyama Erina

Classifications

• G06Q10/20 Primary

  Administration of product repair or maintenance · CPC title

• B60P3/0257

  the object being a vending stall, restaurant or food kiosk · CPC title

• G05D1/0088

  characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00) · CPC title

• G05D1/0212

  with means for defining a desired trajectory (involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287) · CPC title

• G05D1/0291

  Fleet control (monitoring fleets in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/127, G08G1/127) · CPC title