Control system and control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12498728-B2
Application number	US-202318503694-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2023
Priority date	Aug 24, 2017
Publication date	Dec 16, 2025
Grant date	Dec 16, 2025

Abstract

There is provided a control system and a control method that can improve the convenience of delivery service by reducing the number of redeliveries by using an automatic home delivery locker vehicle that goes around in a region. A control system that manages running of an automatic driving home delivery locker going around in a specified region by automatic driving, the control system includes a communication unit that receives notification showing that the automatic driving home delivery locker has received a home delivery article and a control unit that controls such that an inquiry is made to a terminal device of a consignee of the home delivery article via the communication unit in accordance with reception of the notification so as to estimate a current position of the consignee.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A control system, comprising:
processing circuitry configured to:
control transmission of an inquiry to a terminal device of a first consignee of a first home delivery article based on a reception of a first notification, wherein
the first notification indicates reception of the first home delivery article by an automatic driving home delivery locker vehicle, and
the automatic driving home delivery locker vehicle runs by automatic driving;

estimate a current position of the first consignee based on the transmission of the inquiry;
calculate a first running path on which the automatic driving home delivery locker vehicle travels a vicinity of the current position of the first consignee, wherein the first running path is calculated based on the current position of the first consignee;
transmit the calculated first running path to the automatic driving home delivery locker vehicle;
control the automatic driving home delivery locker vehicle to switch a route from a specific steady route to the calculated first running path based on the transmitted calculated first running path;
calculate, based on a specific request from a second consignee, a second running path on which the automatic driving home delivery locker vehicle travels through a vicinity of a sending destination of a second home delivery article within a specific time interval before the second consignee arrives at the sending destination of the second home delivery article, wherein the second consignee receives the second home delivery article before the second consignee arrives at the sending destination of the second home delivery article; and
transmit the calculated second running path to the automatic driving home delivery locker vehicle.

2 . The control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the processing circuitry is further configured to transmit, based on a receipt notification of the first home delivery article to the first consignee, a reroute instruction to the automatic driving home delivery locker vehicle; and the reroute instruction corresponds to an instruction to return to the specific steady route.

3 . The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to transmit the second running path to the second consignee.

4 . The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
estimate a current position of the second consignee; receive a current position of the automatic driving home delivery locker vehicle; and notify the second consignee of an approach of the automatic driving home delivery locker vehicle based on the automatic driving home delivery locker vehicle that has approached the second consignee.

5 . The control system according to claim 1 , wherein based on the second consignee is on a way home and comes within a specific distance from a dwelling place, the processing circuitry is further configured to:
confirm intent of the second consignee to receive the second home delivery article; calculate, based on the second consignee having the intent of receipt, the second running path on which the automatic driving home delivery locker vehicle travels through the vicinity of the sending destination of the second home delivery article at a time instant at which the second consignee arrives at the sending destination of the second home delivery article; and transmit the calculated second running path to the automatic driving home delivery locker vehicle.

6 . The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
receive a request from the first consignee; calculate the first running path on which an unmanned transporter runs to the vicinity of the current position of the first consignee; and transmit the calculated first running path to the unmanned transporter.

7 . The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the automatic driving home delivery locker vehicle carries a purchasable commodity.

8 . The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
settle a meeting point for the automatic driving home delivery locker vehicle and a home delivery agent based on a request from a terminal device of the home delivery agent, a current position of the automatic driving home delivery locker vehicle, and a current position of the home delivery agent; transmit information of the settled meeting point to the terminal device of the home delivery agent; calculate a new running path based on the settled meeting point; and transmit the calculated new running path to the automatic driving home delivery locker vehicle.

9 . The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
control transmission of a second notification to the first consignee, wherein the second notification indicates that the automatic driving home delivery locker vehicle has approached the first consignee; receive, based on the transmitted second notification, a request from the first consignee to stop the automatic driving home delivery locker vehicle; and transmit, to the automatic driving home delivery locker vehicle, a control signal of an instruction to stop automatic driving of the automatic driving home delivery locker vehicle.

10 . A control method, comprising:
controlling transmission, by a processing circuitry, of an inquiry to a terminal device of a first consignee of a first home delivery article based on a reception of a notification, wherein
the notification indicates reception of the first home delivery article by an automatic driving home delivery locker vehicle, and
the automatic driving home delivery locker vehicle runs by automatic driving;
estimating, by the processing circuitry, a current position of the first consignee based on the transmission of the inquiry; calculating, by the processing circuitry, a first running path on which the automatic driving home delivery locker vehicle travels a vicinity of the current position of the first consignee, wherein the first running path is calculated based on the current position of the first consignee; transmitting, by the processing circuitry, the calculated first running path to the automatic driving home delivery locker vehicle, wherein the automatic driving of the automatic driving home delivery locker vehicle is controlled based on the transmitted calculated first running path; switching a route of the automatic driving home delivery locker vehicle from a specific steady route to the calculated first running path based on the transmitted calculated first running path; calculating, by the processing circuitry, a second running path on which the automatic driving home delivery locker vehicle travels through a vicinity of a sending destination of a second home delivery article within a specific time interval before a second consignee arrives at the sending destination of the second home delivery article, wherein
the calculation of the second running path is based on a specific request from the second consignee, and
the second consignee receives the second home delivery article before the second consignee arrives at the sending destination of the second home delivery article; and
transmitting, by the processing circuitry, the calculated second running path to the automatic driving home delivery locker vehicle.

Assignees

• Sony Group Corp

Inventors

• Ono Hideyuki

Classifications

• B60W60/001

  Planning or execution of driving tasks · CPC title

• G06Q10/0836

  Recipient pick-ups · CPC title

• G06Q10/0833 Primary

  Tracking · CPC title

• G06Q10/047

  Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem · CPC title

• G01C21/3407

  specially adapted for specific applications · CPC title