US 12,435,983 B2
Vehicle allocation control device, vehicle allocation control system, and vehicle allocation control method
Hidenori Boutani, Kanagawa (JP); Masayasu Suzuki, Kanagawa (JP); and Tomoki Hirabayashi, Kanagawa (JP)
Assigned to Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Kanagawa (JP); and RENAULT S.A.S., Boulogne-Billancourt (FR)
Appl. No. 17/996,172
Filed by Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Kanagawa (JP); and RENAULT S.A.S., Boulogne-Billancourt (FR)
PCT Filed Apr. 16, 2020, PCT No. PCT/IB2020/000373
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 13, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/209781, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 21, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0221129 A1, Jul. 13, 2023
Int. Cl. G01C 21/34 (2006.01); G06Q 10/02 (2012.01)
CPC G01C 21/3453 (2013.01) [G01C 21/3407 (2013.01); G06Q 10/02 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle allocation control device, comprising:
a controller configured to control a travel route of a vehicle allocated in response to a vehicle allocation request received from a network,
wherein the controller is configured to:
receive a signal indicating that a forgotten item in the vehicle has been detected, via the network, after setting a first travel route including a drop-off place,
calculate a first time at which the vehicle arrives at the drop-off place by travelling along the set first travel route,
set at least one second travel route which is different from the first travel route and goes through a facility for depositing the forgotten item,
calculate a second time at which the vehicle arrives at the drop-off place by travelling along the second travel route,
determine whether a time difference between the first time and the second time is equal to or less than a permissible time,
when the time difference between the first time and the second time is equal to or less than the permissible time, change the first travel route to the second travel route where the time difference between the first time and the second time is equal to or less than the permissible time,
set an acceptable range of change in which it is acceptable for the first travel route to be changed, such that the time difference between the first time and the second time is equal to or less than the permissible time,
acquire a map database including position information of the facility,
extract the facility existing within the acceptable range of change by using the map database,
set the second travel route going through the extracted facility,
set respective travel route candidates going through a plurality of facilities when the respective facilities are extracted within the acceptable range of change,
autonomously select and set, as the second travel route, a travel route candidate having a smaller loss relating to at least either time or distance from a current position of the vehicle to arrival at the drop-off place, over a travel route candidate having a larger loss relating to at least either time or distance from the current position of the vehicle to arrival at the drop-off place, among the respective travel route candidates,
transmit a command to the vehicle and control the vehicle to autonomously travel along the second travel route,
notify, to a first terminal device installed at the facility, a time at which the vehicle arrives at the facility, and
notify, to a second terminal device possessed by the user who has forgotten the item, of a time at which the forgotten item is to be delivered to the facility.