US 12,033,511 B2
Server, vehicle operation management method, vehicle, and vehicle operation management system
Changyi Luo, Kokubunji (JP); Ayana Takeshita, Kasugai (JP); Yuhei Suzuki, Kariya (JP); Michael C. Edwards, McKinney, TX (US); and Chris Risberg, Flower Mound, TX (US)
Assigned to TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed by Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota (JP)
Filed on Aug. 4, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/393,734.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-135384 (JP), filed on Aug. 7, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0044571 A1, Feb. 10, 2022
Int. Cl. G08G 1/00 (2006.01); B60W 60/00 (2020.01); G06Q 50/00 (2024.01)
CPC G08G 1/202 (2013.01) [B60W 60/0013 (2020.02); B60W 60/00253 (2020.02); G06Q 50/01 (2013.01); G08G 1/205 (2013.01); G08G 1/22 (2013.01); B60W 2556/65 (2020.02)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A server that manages operation of a plurality of vehicles that are autonomous and used for transporting a plurality of users, the server comprising:
a server communication interface configured to be able to transmit/receive information to/from the plurality of vehicles; and
a server controller configured to be able to transmit, via the server communication interface, an instruction to couple a first vehicle and a second vehicle which are included in the plurality of vehicles to thereby form a vehicle group which includes the first vehicle and the second vehicle in a coupled state, and control the first vehicle and the second vehicle so that a user in either one vehicle of the first vehicle and the second vehicle can move to another vehicle, and an instruction to release at least part of the coupled state of the vehicle group;
wherein the server controller is configured to control the vehicle group so that vehicles in the vehicle group drive together while the first vehicle and the second vehicle are in the coupled state;
wherein the first vehicle and the second vehicle are configured to be mechanically coupled during the coupled state;
wherein the first vehicle and the second vehicle are configured so that, during driving, the user can move between an inside of the first vehicle and an inside of the second vehicle while the first vehicle and the second vehicle are in the coupled state;
wherein the server controller is configured to cause a message prompting the user to move between the first vehicle and the second vehicle to be displayed on a display; and
wherein the server controller is configured to cause the display to display options that may be inputted through an input interface, the options including coupling with another vehicle, coupling with a service provision vehicle, and release of coupling with the vehicle and the service provision vehicle.