AUTONOMOUS CAR, TRAVELING CONTROLLER, TRAVELING CONTROL METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM STORING CONTROL PROGRAM

• US 20190011926A1
• Filed: 06/28/2018
• Published: 01/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Konishi, Kazunobu, Matsui, Shuhei, Shimotsuma, Yuta
• Granted Patent: US 11,409,300 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/62 Vehicle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/68 Traffic data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/32 Auto pilot mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/58 Departure time prediction
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3476 using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0217 in accordance with energy consumption, time reduction or distance reduction criteria
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/00 Traffic control systems for road vehicles arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00 ; automatic vehicle control B62D
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

Various embodiments are provided for controlling an autonomous car. The embodiments acquire meeting information indicating a place of a meeting and a time of the meeting. A remaining time between the time of the meeting and a current time is calculated. A waiting time for waiting in a waiting place by the autonomous car and a traveling time for traveling to the place of the meeting by the autonomous car are determined. The waiting and traveling times are determined to minimize a total cost and to make a total time within the remaining time. The total cost includes a cost of the traveling and a cost of the waiting. The total time includes the waiting and traveling times. A route along which the autonomous car is to travel to the place of the meeting within the traveling time is determined.

Claims

1. An autonomous car, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor that, in operation, performs operations including;

acquiring meeting information indicating a place of a meeting with a user and a time of the meeting with the user;

calculating a remaining time between the time of the meeting and a current time;

determining a waiting time for waiting in a waiting place by the autonomous car and a traveling time for traveling to the place of the meeting by the autonomous car, the determining being performed to minimize a total cost and to make a total time within the remaining time, the total cost including a traveling cost of the traveling and a waiting cost of the waiting, the total time including the waiting time and the traveling time; and

determining a route along which the autonomous car is to travel to the place of the meeting within the traveling time.

2. The autonomous car according to claim 1,

wherein the autonomous car is an electric vehicle configured to use electricity as a source of energy for the traveling, and

wherein the total cost includes an electrical cost of electricity consumed in the traveling

3. The autonomous car according to claim 2, further comprising:

a battery that supplies power to the autonomous car,

wherein the operations further include;

calculating a charging time for charging the battery, the total time including the charging time, the waiting time, and the traveling time, and

wherein the route is for causing the electric vehicle to travel to the place of the meeting after the charging of the battery and within the traveling time.

4. The autonomous car according to claim 1,

wherein the operations further include:

calculating the waiting cost based on a waiting charge incremented every predetermined unit time.

5. The autonomous car according to claim 1,

wherein the operations further include:

calculating the traveling cost based on fuel efficiency performance or electrical cost needed for traveling per unit time, the traveling cost being a cost of a source of energy consumed in the traveling to the place of the meeting, and

wherein the fuel efficiency performance or the electrical cost needed for traveling per unit time is based on a carrying capacity of the autonomous car.

6. The autonomous car according to claim 1,

wherein the autonomous car is an automatic-driving delivery car that is automatically driven and that delivers a package to the user, and

wherein the place of the meeting is where the package to the user is to be delivered to the user.

7. The autonomous car according to claim 1,

wherein the autonomous car is an automatic-driving transport car that is automatically driven and that transports the user, and

wherein the place of the meeting is where the user is to begin transport in the autonomous car.

8. The autonomous car according to claim 1,

wherein the waiting place is the place of the meeting.

9. The autonomous car according to claim 1,

wherein the waiting cost of the waiting includes a parking cost incurred until the time of the meeting with the user.

10. The autonomous car according to claim 9,

wherein the memory stores in advance a plurality of parking lots and parking costs associated with the plurality of parking lots.

11. The autonomous car according to claim 1,

wherein the operations further include:

calculating a ratio of the waiting time to the traveling time, the ratio indicating a minimum cost within a range in which the total time is within the remaining time.

12. The autonomous car according to claim 1,

wherein the operations further include:

calculating the traveling cost of the traveling based on fuel efficiency performance, the fuel efficiency performance including at least one of traveling conditions, type of fuel, a traveling pattern, road surface state, and a tire air pressure.

13. The autonomous car according to claim 1, further comprising:

a battery that supplies power to the autonomous car,

wherein the operations further include;

calculating the waiting cost; and

determining whether to charge the battery at a charging station during the waiting to maximize the waiting time and minimize the waiting cost.

14. The autonomous car according to claim 1,

wherein the processor determines the route with the waiting place being along the route, and

wherein the waiting place includes free and temporary parking.

15. A traveling controller that controls traveling of an autonomous car, the traveling controller comprising:

a memory; and

a processor that, in operation, performs operations including;

acquiring meeting information indicating a place of a meeting with a user and a time of the meeting with the user;

calculating a remaining time between the time of the meeting and a current time;

determining a waiting time for waiting in a waiting place by the autonomous car and a traveling time for traveling to the place of the meeting by the autonomous car, the determining being performed to minimize a total cost and to make a total time within the remaining time, the total cost including a traveling cost of the traveling and a waiting cost of the waiting, the total time including the waiting time and the traveling time; and

determining a route along which the autonomous car is to travel to the place of the meeting within the traveling time.

16. A traveling control method for controlling traveling of an autonomous car, the traveling control method comprising:

acquiring meeting information indicating a place of a meeting with a user and a time of the meeting with the user;

calculating a remaining time between the time of the meeting and a current time;

determining a waiting time for waiting in a waiting place by the autonomous car and a traveling time for traveling to the place of the meeting by the autonomous car, the determining being performed to minimize a total cost and to make a total time within the remaining time, the total cost including a traveling cost of the traveling and a waiting cost of the waiting, the total time including the waiting time and the traveling time; and

determining a route along which the autonomous car is to travel to the place of the meeting within the traveling time.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a control program causing a computer to function as a traveling controller that controls traveling of an autonomous car,

the control program causing the computer to perform operations including:

acquiring meeting information indicating a place of a meeting with a user and a time of the meeting with the user;

calculating a remaining time between the time of the meeting and a current time;

determining a waiting time for waiting in a waiting place by the autonomous car and a traveling time for traveling to the place of the meeting by the autonomous car, the determining being performed to minimize a total cost and to make a total time within the remaining time, the total cost including a traveling cost of the traveling and a waiting cost of the waiting, the total time including the waiting time and the traveling time; and

determining a route along which the autonomous car is to travel to the place of the meeting within the traveling time.