US 11,860,621 B2
Travel control device, travel control method, travel control system and computer program
Hideyuki Aisu, Kawasaki (JP); Shizu Sakakibara, Kawasaki (JP); Michio Yamashita, Inagi (JP); and Noriyuki Hirayama, Fuchu (JP)
Assigned to KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, Minato-ku (JP)
Filed by KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Sep. 9, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/015,535.
Claims priority of application No. 2019-197806 (JP), filed on Oct. 30, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0132627 A1, May 6, 2021
Int. Cl. G05D 1/02 (2020.01); G08G 1/16 (2006.01); G08G 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC G05D 1/0289 (2013.01) [G05D 1/0214 (2013.01); G05D 1/0291 (2013.01); G08G 1/166 (2013.01); G08G 1/22 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A travel control device comprising:
communication circuitry configured to communicate with a plurality of mobile objects in a travelling area including a plurality of areas and a plurality of traveling paths connecting among the areas; and
processing circuitry configured to
create travel timing schedules including information for specifying areas to pass through by each of the mobile objects and timings to pass through the areas by each of the mobile objects based on route plans of the mobile objects and a conflict condition at which conflict occur among the mobile objects,
determine passing order of the mobile objects to pass through a first area on a basis of the travel timing schedules, the first area being commonly included in the route plans of the mobile objects, and
control traveling of the plurality of mobile objects by transmitting movement command data via the communication circuitry to the mobile objects based on the passing order and the travel timing schedules, the movement command data including a command for controlling traveling of the at least one of the mobile objects,
wherein the conflict condition comprises one of:
(1) two or more of the mobile objects traveling in reverse directions on a traveling path exist at a same time;
(2) two or more of the mobile objects moving in a same direction on a traveling path collide, and
(3) two or more of the mobile objects arrive at an intersection portion leading to a traveling path at a same time, or in a state where one or more of the mobile objects waits at an intersection portion leading to the traveling path, another one of the mobile objects passes through the traveling path,
wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine, as the passing order, an order in which the conflict condition is not satisfied,
the route plans of the mobile objects include an order of areas through which each of the mobile objects passes among the plurality of areas in the traveling area, and
the processing circuitry is configured to create the travel timing schedules by determining timing at which the mobile objects pass through the areas included in respective route plans under a constraint that the order of the areas through which the mobile objects pass as indicated in respective route plans is not changed.