US 12,071,131 B2
Electronic towing system and method for controlling route planning apparatus
Satoshi Koike, Wako (JP); Ryuichi Hata, Wako (JP); Naoyuki Kubo, Wako (JP); Takayuki Sakata, Wako (JP); Masayasu Yoshida, Wako (JP); Mitsuru Nonaka, Tokyo (JP); Seiichi Kato, Tokyo (JP); and Masanori Yoshihira, Wako (JP)
Assigned to HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD., Tokyo (JP)
Filed by HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD., Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Feb. 16, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/176,481.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-044373 (JP), filed on Mar. 13, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0284155 A1, Sep. 16, 2021
Int. Cl. B60W 30/165 (2020.01); G01C 21/34 (2006.01); G06Q 30/0283 (2023.01)
CPC B60W 30/165 (2013.01) [G01C 21/343 (2013.01); G01C 21/3476 (2013.01); G06Q 30/0283 (2013.01); B60W 2556/65 (2020.02)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electronic towing system in which a leading vehicle electronically tows a following vehicle using inter-vehicle communication, the electronic towing system comprising:
a first information processing apparatus that is used by an occupant of the leading vehicle;
a second information processing apparatus that is used by an occupant of the following vehicle; and
a route planning apparatus configured to create a travel plan that includes a planned travel route in which the electronic towing is performed;
wherein the second information processing apparatus includes:
one or more memories storing instructions; and
one or more processors executing the instructions to:
accept an input for making a request to stop at a waypoint during traveling by the electronic towing and an input for designating a stay time at the waypoint, and
transmit the request to the route planning apparatus, and
generate a target travel locus following a travel locus of the leading vehicle and actuate the following vehicle to follow the generated target travel locus,
the route planning apparatus includes:
one or more memories storing instructions; and
one or more processors executing the instructions to:
create the travel plan,
calculate a fee to be paid by the occupant of the following vehicle for the electronic towing according to the travel plan,
search, for a waypoint according to the request, the planned travel route and a surrounding region of the planned travel route,
recreate the travel plan based on the information regarding the waypoint and the route to the waypoint and information regarding the stay time,
recalculate the same amount of fee as that of the original travel plan, if the travel plan has been recreated and a travel time obtained after the recreation of the travel plan is in a predetermined range from a travel time obtained before the recreation of the travel plan,
transmit information regarding a found waypoint and a route to the waypoint to the first information processing apparatus, and
the first information processing apparatus includes
one or more memories storing instructions; and
one or more processors executing the instructions to:
notify, of the occupant of the leading vehicle, information regarding the waypoint and the route to the waypoint that has been received from the route planning apparatus.