Management device, management method, and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12093035-B2
Application number	US-202217960413-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2022
Priority date	Dec 3, 2021
Publication date	Sep 17, 2024
Grant date	Sep 17, 2024

Abstract

A management device manages remote support for a vehicle. The management device executes assigns a remote operator to a target vehicle in response to a support request from the target vehicle. Vehicle information includes a position and a travel plan of the target vehicle. When receiving a plurality of support requests in a same period respectively from a plurality of target vehicles scheduled to pass through a predetermined area, the management device recognizes, based on the vehicle information, an entry direction into the predetermined area and an exit direction from the predetermined area for each target vehicle. Based on a combination of the entry direction and the exit direction, the management device determines whether to assign a same remote operator to the plurality of target vehicles or assign different remote operators to the plurality of target vehicles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A management device that manages remote support for a vehicle,
the management device comprising:
one or more processors configured to execute an operator assignment process that assigns a remote operator to a target vehicle in response to a support request from the target vehicle;
one or more memory devices configured to store vehicle information including a position and a travel plan of the target vehicle, wherein
when receiving a plurality of support requests in a same period respectively from a plurality of target vehicles scheduled to pass through a predetermined area, the one or more processors are configured to:
recognize, based on the vehicle information, an entry direction into the predetermined area and an exit direction from the predetermined area for each of the plurality of target vehicles; and
determine, based on a combination of the entry direction and the exit direction, whether to assign a same remote operator to the plurality of target vehicles or assign different remote operators to the plurality of target vehicles.

2. The management device according to claim 1 , wherein
when the plurality of target vehicles are same in at least one of the entry direction and the exit direction, the one or more processors assign the same remote operator to the plurality of target vehicles.

3. The management device according to claim 1 , wherein
when the plurality of target vehicles are different in both the entry direction and the exit direction, the one or more processors assign the different remote operators to the plurality of target vehicles.

4. The management device according to claim 1 , wherein
the one or more processors are further configured to:
receive the support request from a first target vehicle scheduled to pass through the predetermined area;
assign a first remote operator to the first target vehicle in response to the support request from the first target vehicle;
receive the support request from a second target vehicle scheduled to pass through the predetermined area, after assigning the first remote operator to the first target vehicle and before completion of the remote support for the first target vehicle;
recognize the entry direction and the exit direction of each of the first target vehicle and the second target vehicle based on the vehicle information of each of the first target vehicle and the second target vehicle; and
determine whether or not to assign the first remote operator to the second target vehicle based on the combination of the entry direction and the exit direction of each of the first target vehicle and the second target vehicle.

5. The management device according to claim 4 , wherein
when the first target vehicle and the second target vehicle are same in at least one of the entry direction and the exit direction, the one or more processors assign the first remote operator to the second target vehicle.

6. The management device according to claim 5 , wherein
first information includes the support request from the first target vehicle and the vehicle information regarding the first target vehicle,
second information includes the support request from the second target vehicle and the vehicle information regarding the second target vehicle, and
when performing a sequential connection process, the one or more processors provide a first remote operator terminal operated by the first remote operator with the first information, and then provide the first remote operator terminal with the second information after completion of the remote support for the first target vehicle by the first remote operator.

7. The management device according to claim 6 , wherein
when the entry direction of the first target vehicle and the entry direction of the second target vehicle are same, the one or more processors perform the sequential connection process.

8. The management device according to claim 5 , wherein
first information includes the support request from the first target vehicle and the vehicle information regarding the first target vehicle,
second information includes the support request from the second target vehicle and the vehicle information regarding the second target vehicle, and
when performing a parallel connection process, the one or more processors provide a first remote operator terminal operated by the first remote operator with the second information together with the first information simultaneously.

9. The management device according to claim 8 , wherein
when the entry direction of the first target vehicle and the entry direction of the second target vehicle are different from each other and the exit direction of the first target vehicle and the exit direction of the second target vehicle are same, the one or more processors perform the parallel connection process.

10. The management device according to claim 5 , wherein
first information includes the support request from the first target vehicle and the vehicle information regarding the first target vehicle,
second information includes the support request from the second target vehicle and the vehicle information regarding the second target vehicle, and
when performing a priority connection process, the one or more processors provide a first remote operator terminal operated by the first remote operator with the first information and the second information sequentially in accordance with traffic priority of the first target vehicle and the second target vehicle in the predetermined area.

11. The management device according to claim 10 , wherein
when the entry direction of the first target vehicle and the entry direction of the second target vehicle are different from each other and the exit direction of the first target vehicle and the exit direction of the second target vehicle are same, the one or more processors perform the priority connection process.

12. A management method by a computer that manages remote support for a vehicle,
the management method comprising:
an operator assignment process that assigns a remote operator to a target vehicle in response to a support request from the target vehicle; and
a process of acquiring vehicle information including a position and a travel plan of the target vehicle, wherein
when receiving a plurality of support requests in a same period respectively from a plurality of target vehicles scheduled to pass through a predetermined area, the operator assignment process includes:
recognizing, based on the vehicle information, an entry direction into the predetermined area and an exit direction from the predetermined area for each of the plurality of target vehicles; and
determining, based on a combination of the entry direction and the exit direction, whether to assign a same remote operator to the plurality of target vehicles or assign different remote operators to the plurality of target vehicles.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium on which management program that manages remote support for a vehicle is recorded,
the management program, when executed by a computer, causing the computer to execute:
an operator assignment process that assigns a remote operator to a target vehicle in response to a support request from the target vehicle; and
a process of acquiring vehicle information including a position and a travel plan of the target vehicle, wherein
when receiving a plurality of support requests in a same period respectively from a plurality of target vehicles scheduled to pass through a predetermined area, the operator assignment process includes:
recognizing, based on the vehicle information, an entry direction into the predete

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hotta Daichi
• Hayashi Yusuke
• Kawanai Taichi

Classifications

• G05D1/692

  involving a plurality of disparate vehicles · CPC title

• G05D1/223

  Command input arrangements on the remote controller, e.g. joysticks or touch screens · CPC title

• G05D1/2247

  providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras · CPC title

• G05D1/0038 Primary

  by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation (images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246) · CPC title

• G05D1/0297

  by controlling means in a control room · CPC title