Information processing apparatus, non-transitory storage medium, and information processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11975778-B2
Application number	US-202117166092-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2021
Priority date	Feb 4, 2020
Publication date	May 7, 2024
Grant date	May 7, 2024

Abstract

An information processing apparatus disclosed has a controller configured to execute the processing of accepting a request for retrieving a target vehicle body unit that is laid at a specific place, selecting a chassis unit for retrieval from among chassis units in the state separated from any vehicle body unit, the chassis unit for retrieval being a chassis unit to be used to retrieve the target vehicle body unit, and sending a retrieval command to the chassis unit for retrieval, the retrieval command being a command to retrieve the target vehicle body unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information processing apparatus for managing a separable vehicle including a vehicle body unit and a chassis unit adapted to be coupled to and decoupled from the vehicle body unit and capable of travelling autonomously, comprising a controller equipped with at least one processor,
the controller configured to execute processing of:
accepting a request for retrieving a target vehicle body unit that is laid at a specific place;
selecting a chassis unit for retrieval from among chassis units in a state separated from any vehicle body unit, the chassis unit for retrieval being a chassis unit to be used to retrieve the target vehicle body unit; and
sending a retrieval command to the chassis unit for retrieval, the retrieval command being a command to retrieve the target vehicle body unit.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein after selecting the chassis unit for retrieval, the controller further executes processing of:
sending a use request requesting permission of a use of the chassis unit for retrieval to a terminal used by a user of the chassis unit for retrieval; and
when receiving a signal indicating permission of the use of the chassis unit for retrieval from the terminal, sending the retrieval command to the chassis unit for retrieval.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the use request contains information about an incentive that will be given to the user if the user permits the use of the chassis unit for retrieval.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein if receiving a signal indicating disapproval of the use of the chassis unit for retrieval from the terminal, the controller selects a chassis unit other than the chassis unit for retrieval from among the chassis units in the state separated from any vehicle body unit as a new chassis unit for retrieval.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the request for retrieval contains information indicating a location of the specific place, information indicating a destination of transportation to which the target vehicle body unit is to be transported, and information indicating a desired time of retrieval at which the target vehicle body unit is to be retrieved from the specific place.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the retrieval command includes:
a command to cause the chassis unit for retrieval to travel in such a way as to arrive at the specific place by the desired time of retrieval;
a command to couple the chassis unit for retrieval to the target vehicle body unit at the specific place; and
a command to cause the chassis unit for retrieval to travel from the specific place to the destination of transportation.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the controller selects a chassis unit located within a specific range from the specific place from among the chassis units in the state separated from any vehicle body unit as the chassis unit for retrieval.

8. A non-transitory storage medium storing an information processing program for managing a separable vehicle including a vehicle body unit and a chassis unit adapted to be coupled to and decoupled from the vehicle body unit and capable of travelling autonomously,
the information processing program configured to cause a computer to execute steps of:
accepting a request for retrieving a target vehicle body unit that is laid at a specific place;
selecting a chassis unit for retrieval from among chassis units in a state separated from any vehicle body unit, the chassis unit for retrieval being a chassis unit to be used to retrieve the target vehicle body unit; and
sending a retrieval command to the chassis unit for retrieval, the retrieval command being a command to retrieve the target vehicle body unit.

9. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 8 , wherein after the chassis unit for retrieval is selected, the information processing program causes the computer to further execute steps of:
sending a use request requesting permission of a use of the chassis unit for retrieval to a terminal used by a user of the chassis unit for retrieval; and
when receiving a signal indicating permission of the use of the chassis unit for retrieval from the terminal, sending the retrieval command to the chassis unit for retrieval.

10. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 9 , wherein the use request contains information about an incentive that will be given to the user if the user permits the use of the chassis unit for retrieval.

11. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 9 , wherein if a signal indicating disapproval of the use of the chassis unit for retrieval is received from the terminal, the information processing program causes the computer to execute the step of selecting a chassis unit other than the chassis unit for retrieval from among the chassis units in the state separated from any vehicle body unit as a new chassis unit for retrieval.

12. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 8 , wherein the request for retrieval contains information indicating a location of the specific place, information indicating a destination of transportation to which the target vehicle body unit is to be transported, and information indicating a desired time of retrieval at which the target vehicle body unit is to be retrieved from the specific place.

13. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 12 , wherein the retrieval command includes:
a command to cause the chassis unit for retrieval to travel in such a way as to arrive at the specific place by the desired time of retrieval;
a command to couple the chassis unit for retrieval to the target vehicle body unit at the specific place; and
a command to cause the chassis unit for retrieval to travel from the specific place to the destination of transportation.

14. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 13 , wherein in the step of selecting the chassis unit for retrieval, a chassis unit located within a specific range from the specific place is selected as the chassis unit for retrieval from among the chassis units in the state separated from any vehicle body unit.

15. An information processing method for managing a separable vehicle including a vehicle body unit and a chassis unit adapted to be coupled to and decoupled from the vehicle body unit and capable of travelling autonomously, executed by a computer, comprising:
accepting a request for retrieving a target vehicle body unit that is laid at a specific place;
selecting a chassis unit for retrieval from among chassis units in a state separated from any vehicle body unit, the chassis unit for retrieval being a chassis unit to be used to retrieve the target vehicle body unit; and
sending a retrieval command to the chassis unit for retrieval, the retrieval command being a command to retrieve the target vehicle body unit.

16. The information processing method according to claim 15 , wherein after selecting the chassis unit for retrieval, the computer further executes steps of:
sending a use request requesting permission of a use of the chassis unit for retrieval to a terminal used by a user of the chassis unit for retrieval; and
when receiving a signal indicating permission of the use of the chassis unit for retrieval from the terminal, sending the retrieval command to the chassis unit for retrieval.

17. The information processing method according to claim 16 , wherein the use requ

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

• B62D65/04 Primary

  Joining preassembled modular units composed of sub-units performing diverse functions, e.g. engine and bonnet (B62D65/06 - B62D65/16 take precedence) · CPC title

• B62D21/12

  assembled from readily detachable parts · CPC title

• B62D27/06

  readily releasable · CPC title

• B62D65/022

  Transferring or handling sub-units or components, e.g. in work stations or between workstations and transportation systems · CPC title

• G05D1/0225

  involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay (parking aids B62D15/027) · CPC title