JP7526621B2 - Rental vehicle remote control system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a remote control system for rental vehicles.

2. Description of the Related Art Rental car services are provided in which various types of automobiles are rented to users for a fee.
When using a rental car service, a user goes to the office of the rental car store, completes administrative procedures in the presence of a store clerk, and then waits, for example, near the entrance of the store.
Meanwhile, the store clerk walks from the office to the location of the rental vehicle parked in the store's parking lot, gets in the rental vehicle, drives the rental vehicle to the vicinity of the store entrance/exit, and hands over the rental vehicle to the user.

JP 2007-334565 A

This means that store employees have to walk to a parking lot far from the office, wasting time before they can hand over the rented vehicle to the customer.
In addition, when it is raining or snowing, employees have to walk from the office to the parking lot while holding an umbrella, so there is room for improvement in terms of improving workability when handing over rented vehicles.
Therefore, it is conceivable that the rental vehicle could be modified so that it could be remotely controlled, allowing the rental vehicle to be driven without a store employee being in the vehicle.
However, if a rental vehicle is modified to enable remote control and then remote control is no longer required, it is not easy to return the rental vehicle to its pre-modification state, and this is costly.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a remote control system for a rental vehicle that enables the rental vehicle to be remotely controlled and allows a driver to sit in the driver's seat and drive the rental vehicle without having to return it to its original state.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a remote control system for a rental vehicle that remotely controls a rental vehicle used in a rental car service, comprising a plurality of actuators that each operate a plurality of operating members for driving the rental vehicle operated by a driver, a rental vehicle side communication unit that receives remote operation command information, and an operating member control unit that operates each of the plurality of actuators based on the remote operation command information received by the rental vehicle side communication unit, wherein the plurality of actuators are provided in locations that do not interfere with manual operation of the operating members by the driver seated in the driver's seat, and the operating member control unit is configured to be selectable between a remote operation mode in which the plurality of actuators are each controlled based on the remote operation command information to operate each of the plurality of operating members, and a manual operation mode that enables manual operation of each of the plurality of operating members by the driver.
The present invention also includes a plurality of detection units which detect the amounts of operation of the plurality of operating members by the plurality of actuators, respectively, and a servo control unit which performs servo control of the plurality of actuators based on the plurality of operation amounts detected by the plurality of detection units, respectively, and the remote operation mode of the operating member control unit is achieved by operating each of the plurality of actuators via the servo control unit, and the manual operation mode of the operating member control unit is achieved by disabling the control operation of the servo control unit and making the plurality of actuators servo-free.
The present invention also provides a remote control device in which the rented vehicle is provided with an image information generating unit that captures an image of the surroundings of the rented vehicle and generates image information, a command information generating unit that generates the remote control command information, a remote control side communication unit that is configured to communicate with the rented vehicle side communication unit and transmits the remote control command information to the rented vehicle side communication unit, and a display unit, wherein the rented vehicle side communication unit transmits the image information generated by the image information generating unit to the remote control side communication unit, and the display unit displays the image information received by the remote control side communication unit.
The present invention also provides a remote control device in which the rented vehicle is provided with a positioning unit that positions the position of the rented vehicle and generates positioning information, a command information generating unit that generates the remote control command information, a remote control side communication unit that is configured to communicate with the rented vehicle side communication unit and transmits the remote control command information to the rented vehicle side communication unit, a display unit, and a map database that stores map information, wherein the rented vehicle side communication unit transmits the positioning information generated by the positioning unit to the remote control side communication unit, and the display unit displays the position of the rented vehicle on the map information read from the map database based on the positioning information received by the remote control side communication unit.
Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that the map database stores destination information that identifies a destination in association with the map information, the remote control device includes an operation input unit that inputs the destination information, a position information identification unit that identifies position information of the destination from the map information based on the destination information input to the operation input unit, and a route search unit that searches for a driving route to be traveled from the map information based on the positioning information and the position information of the destination received by the remote control side communication unit, and the display unit displays road guidance based on the driving route searched for by the route search unit.
In addition, the present invention is characterized in that the multiple operating members include an engine switch for starting and stopping the engine installed in the rental vehicle, a handle for steering the rental vehicle, a shift lever for changing gears in the transmission, an operating button for unlocking the shift lever, a brake pedal for braking the rental vehicle, an accelerator pedal for controlling the engine speed, a parking brake pedal for braking when parking the rental vehicle, a turn signal lever for operating turn signals, and a light switch for turning on and off the headlights and small lights, and that the actuators are respectively provided in correspondence with the engine switch, handle, shift lever, operating button, brake pedal, accelerator pedal, turn signal lever, and light switch.
In addition, the present invention is characterized in that the plurality of actuators are detachably provided at locations that do not interfere with manual operation of the operating members by the driver seated in the driver's seat.

According to the present invention, a plurality of actuators which respectively operate a plurality of operating members for driving a rented vehicle used in a rental car service are provided in locations which do not interfere with manual operation of the plurality of operating members by a driver seated in the driver's seat, and by selecting a remote operation mode of the operating member control unit, the rented vehicle can be remotely controlled by controlling the plurality of actuators based on remote operation command information to operate the plurality of operating members, and by selecting a manual operation mode of the operating member control unit, the plurality of operating members can be manually operated.
Therefore, there is no need to modify the rental vehicle to perform remote control, the rental vehicle can be made remotely controllable, and the rental vehicle can be manually operated by sitting in the driver's seat without having to return it to its original state, which is advantageous in terms of improving usability.
That is, when a user visits a store that provides rental car services, the rental vehicle can be moved to the vicinity of the user by remote control and handed over to the user. Therefore, unlike the conventional method, the store clerk has to walk from the store office to the rental vehicle in the parking lot, get in the rental vehicle, move the rental vehicle to the user, and then hand over the rental vehicle to the user. The rental vehicle can be handed over to the user in a short time, which improves the convenience of the user and is advantageous in improving the operating efficiency of the rental vehicle. In addition, the store clerk does not need to walk from the office to the rental vehicle in the parking lot while holding an umbrella during rain or snow, which is advantageous in improving the workability when handing over the rental vehicle.
In addition, if the remote operation mode of the operating member control unit is achieved by operating each of the multiple actuators via the servo control unit, and the manual operation mode is achieved by disabling the control operation of the servo control unit and making the multiple actuators servo-free, this has the advantage of enabling switching between the remote operation mode and the manual operation mode with a simple configuration.
Furthermore, if the rental vehicle is provided with an image information generating unit that captures the surroundings of the rental vehicle and generates image information, and a display unit is provided in the remote control device, the situation around the rental vehicle can be grasped from the image information displayed on the display unit, which is advantageous for accurately remotely controlling the rental vehicle from a location away from the rental vehicle. Therefore, the rental vehicle can be dispatched to a location away from the rental store, or the rental vehicle that has been abandoned by the user at a location away from the store can be moved back to the store by remote control, which is advantageous for improving user convenience.
Furthermore, if the rental vehicle is provided with a positioning unit that measures the position of the rental vehicle and generates positioning information, and the remote control device is provided with a display unit and a map database, the display unit can display the position of the rental vehicle on map information read from the map database based on the positioning information, making it possible to grasp the current position of the rental vehicle, which is advantageous for accurately remotely controlling the rental vehicle from a location away from the rental vehicle. Therefore, the rental vehicle can be dispatched to a location away from the rental store, or the rental vehicle that has been abandoned by the user at a location away from the store can be moved to the store by remote control, which is advantageous for improving user convenience.
The map database stores destination information that identifies the destination in association with map information, and the remote control device includes an operation input unit that inputs destination information, a location information identification unit that identifies location information of the destination from the map information based on the destination information input to the operation input unit, and a route search unit that searches for a driving route to be traveled from the map information based on the positioning information received by the remote control communication unit and the location information of the destination, and the display unit displays road guidance based on the driving route searched by the route search unit, so that the rented vehicle can be remotely operated accurately from a location away from the rented vehicle and can be moved to the destination more accurately and in a short time. Therefore, the rental vehicle can be dispatched to a location away from the rental car store, or the rental vehicle that has been abandoned by the user at a location away from the store can be moved to the store by remote control in a short time, which improves the convenience of the user and is advantageous in improving the efficiency of the operation of the rental vehicle.
In addition, if the multiple operating members include an engine switch, a steering wheel, a shift lever, an operating button, a brake pedal, an accelerator pedal, a turn signal lever, and a light switch, and actuators are provided corresponding to each of the engine switch, the steering wheel, the shift lever, the operating button, the brake pedal, the accelerator pedal, the turn signal lever, and the light switch, this will be advantageous in accurately remotely controlling the rented vehicle.
Furthermore, if the multiple actuators are removably mounted in a location that does not interfere with manual operation of the operating members by a pilot seated in the driver's seat, the multiple actuators can be easily attached and detached, which is advantageous for efficiently performing maintenance work on the multiple actuators.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system of a rental vehicle to which a rental vehicle remote control system according to a first embodiment is applied. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a remote operation device of a remote control system for a rental vehicle according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams of a first actuator that operates the ignition switch of a rented vehicle, where (A) is a side view seen from the vehicle width direction, and (B) is a view seen from the arrows along line B-B of (A). 11A and 11B are explanatory diagrams of a second actuator that operates the steering wheel of a rented vehicle, in which (A) is a front view of the steering wheel, and (B) is a view taken along line XX of (A). 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams of a third actuator that operates the shift lever of a rented vehicle and a fourth actuator that operates the operating button, where (A) is a side view of the shift lever from the vehicle width direction of the rented vehicle, and (B) is a view viewed from the arrow B in (A). (A) is a side view of the fifth actuator that operates the brake pedal of the rented vehicle, viewed from the vehicle width direction; (B) is a side view of the sixth actuator that operates the accelerator pedal of the rented vehicle, viewed from the vehicle width direction; and (C) is a side view of the seventh actuator that operates the parking brake pedal of the rented vehicle, viewed from the vehicle width direction. 13 is an explanatory diagram of an 8th actuator that operates the turn signal lever and a 9th actuator that operates the light switch of a rented vehicle, in which (A) is a front view from the rear of the vehicle, and (B) is a view viewed from the arrow B in (A). FIG. 2 is a plan view of the premises of a rental car store, where (A) shows a rental vehicle parked in a parking lot, and (B) shows the rental vehicle being remotely controlled and moved to a parking space in front of the store. A block diagram showing the configuration of a control system of a rental vehicle to which a rental vehicle remote control system relating to a second embodiment is applied. A block diagram showing the configuration of a remote operation device of a remote control system for a rental vehicle in a second embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which image information and map information are displayed on a display screen of a display unit; A block diagram showing the configuration of a remote operation device of a remote control system for a rental vehicle in a third embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which image information and map information are displayed on a display screen of a display unit; 13 is an explanatory diagram of a second actuator in a remote control system for a rental vehicle in a fourth embodiment, where (A) is a front view of the steering wheel from the front, and (B) is a view taken along line B-B in (A).

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
First, a rental vehicle according to this embodiment will be described.
In this embodiment, a case will be described in which the rental vehicle is a passenger car.
The present invention is not limited to passenger cars, but can be applied to various conventionally known vehicles such as trucks, vans, and wagons.

Next, the configuration of the rental vehicle will be described.
As shown in Figure 1, the rental vehicle 10 is a vehicle used for a rental car service and is configured to include a plurality of operating members, a plurality of actuators, and a rental vehicle side control device 12. In this embodiment, the rental vehicle 10 is an automatic transmission vehicle.
The multiple operating members are members that the driver operates to drive the rented vehicle 10, and in this embodiment, they are an engine switch 14, a handle 16 (steering wheel), a shift lever 18 (select lever), an operating button 20, a brake pedal 22, an accelerator pedal 24, a parking brake pedal 26, a turn signal lever 28, and a light switch 30.
In the following drawings, the symbol FR indicates the front of the vehicle, the symbol IN indicates the inside in the vehicle width direction, the symbol OUT indicates the outside in the vehicle width direction, and the symbol UP indicates the top of the vehicle.

The engine switch 14 is used to start and stop the engine installed in the rental vehicle 10, and is provided on the steering column 1002 (column cover), for example, as shown in Figures 3 (A) and (B).
The engine switch 14 includes a push button 1402 that is pressed.
The push button 1402 is normally biased to a protruding position, and when pressed, moves from the protruding position to a retracted position, thereby operating to start and stop the engine.
In the following drawings, the symbol FR indicates the front of the vehicle, the symbol IN indicates the inside in the vehicle width direction, the symbol OUT indicates the outside in the vehicle width direction, and the symbol UP indicates the top of the vehicle.

The steering wheel 16 is a member that is rotated to steer the rental vehicle 10.
As shown in Figures 4 (A) and (B), the handle 16 comprises a handle body 1602 having a circular cross section and extending in a circular ring shape, a handle shaft 1604 of the handle body 1602, and spokes 1606 connecting the handle shaft 1604 and the handle body 1602.
In addition, the handle shaft 1604 is covered by the steering column 1002 (see FIG. 3A).

The shift lever 18 is a member that is swung to change the gears of the transmission of the rental vehicle 10.
As shown in Figures 5(A) and (B), the shift lever 18 has a swing shaft 1802 that is swingably mounted on the center console 1004 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and a gripped portion 1804 (shift knob) that is mounted on the tip of the swing shaft 1802 and can be gripped by hand.
The shift positions of the shift lever 18 are, for example, P (parking) range, R (reverse) range, N (neutral) range, and D (drive) range.
The P range is selected when parking, and when the P range is selected, the transmission gears are locked.
The R range is selected when the vehicle is moving backwards.
The N range is selected when the vehicle needs to be towed in the event of a breakdown, and when the N range is selected, engine power is not transmitted to the drive wheels.
The D range is selected when the vehicle is moving forward.
The operation button 20 is provided on the outer side of the gripped portion 1804 in the vehicle width direction, and is pressed to unlock the shift lever 1810 when the position is locked.
The operation button 20 is normally biased to a protruding position, and when pressed, is moved from the protruding position to the retracted position, thereby unlocking the position of the shift lever 1810.

The brake pedal 22 is for braking the rental vehicle 10 .
As shown in FIG. 6A, the brake pedal 22 includes a pedal arm 2204 that is pivotally mounted via a support shaft 2202 on a bracket (not shown) that is attached to the lower part of the dash panel 1006 that separates the vehicle interior space from the engine room, and a pedal tread portion 2206 that is provided at the lower end of the pedal arm 2204 and against which the sole of the driver's foot comes into contact.

The accelerator pedal 24 is used to control the engine speed of the rental vehicle 10.
As shown in FIG. 6B , the accelerator pedal 24, like the brake pedal 22, has a pedal arm 2404 that is pivotally mounted via a support shaft 2402 on a bracket (not shown) attached to the lower part of the dash panel 1006, and a pedal tread portion 2406 that is provided at the lower end of the pedal arm 2404 and against which the sole of the driver's foot comes into contact.

The parking brake pedal 26 is for braking the rental vehicle 10 when parking.
As shown in FIG. 6C, the parking brake pedal 26, like the brake pedal 22, has a pedal arm 2604 that is pivotally mounted via a support shaft 2602 on a bracket (not shown) attached to the lower part of the dash panel 1006, and a pedal tread portion 2606 that is provided at the lower end of the pedal arm 2604 and against which the sole of the driver's foot comes into contact.

The turn signal lever 28 is used to operate the turn signal of the rented vehicle 10.
As shown in Figures 7(A) and (B), the turn signal lever 28 has a lever body 2802 that extends diagonally upward from a location on the outer side of the steering column 1002 in the vehicle width direction near the handlebar 16, and is arranged so as to be swingable up and down.
When the turn signal lever 28 is swung upward from the neutral position, the left turn signal blinks, when the turn signal lever 28 is swung downward from the neutral position, the right turn signal blinks, and when the turn signal lever 28 is in the neutral position, the left and right turn signal lights are turned off.

The light switch 30 is used to turn on and off the headlights and parking lights of the rented vehicle 10.
As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the light switch 30 is provided at the tip of a lever body 2802 so as to be able to swing integrally with the lever body 2802 and to be able to rotate about the central axis of the lever body 2802.
The light switch 30 can be rotated to three positions: a headlight-on position, a sidelight-on position, and a headlight and sidelight-off position.

The actuators are adapted to operate the operating members described above.
As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the following nine actuators are provided.
1) A first actuator 32 that operates the engine switch 14.
2) A second actuator 34 that operates the handle 16 .
3) A third actuator 36 that operates the shift lever 18.
4) A fourth actuator 38 that operates the operation button 20.
5) A fifth actuator 40 that operates the brake pedal 22.
6) A sixth actuator 42 that operates the accelerator pedal 24.
7) A seventh actuator 44 that operates the parking brake pedal 26.
8) An eighth actuator 46 that operates the turn signal lever 28.
9) A ninth actuator 48 that operates the light switch 30.

As shown in Figures 3 (A) and (B), the first actuator 32 is composed of a direct-acting cylinder 32A (direct-acting electric cylinder) and includes a cylinder body 3202, a motor (not shown) incorporated in the cylinder body 3202, and a piston rod 3204 incorporated in the cylinder body 3202.
The linear cylinder 32A is detachably mounted via a bracket B1 at a location (steering column 1002) that does not interfere with manual operation of the engine switch 14 by a driver seated in the driver's seat.
The cylinder body 3202 is arranged so that the direction in which the piston rod 3204 projects and retracts coincides with the vehicle width direction.
A cover 3206 made of an elastic material such as rubber is attached to the tip of the piston rod 3204, and the tip of the piston rod 3204 is arranged so that it can abut against the surface of the push button 1402 of the engine switch 14 via the cover 3206, thereby protecting the push button 1402.
Therefore, when a drive signal is supplied to the motor by the rented vehicle side control device 12, the piston rod 3204 appears and disappears from the cylinder body 3202, and when the push button 1402 is pressed, the engine is started and stopped.
In addition, when the drive signal supplied to the motor is turned off by the rented vehicle side control device 12, the motor becomes servo-free, and the driver seated in the driver's seat can manually operate the engine switch 14.
In other words, since the push button 1402 is always biased to the protruding position, when the motor becomes servo-free, the piston rod is retracted by the push button 1402 biased to the protruding position, making it possible to manually operate the engine switch 14.

As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the second actuator 34 includes a motor 3402 and a drive roller 3404 .
The motor 3402 and the drive roller 3404 are detachably mounted via a bracket (not shown) in a location (instrument panel) that does not interfere with manual operation of the steering wheel 16 by a driver seated in the driver's seat.
The motor 3402 is attached to the instrument panel and is disposed so that its drive shaft 3406 is substantially perpendicular to the handle shaft 1604 of the handle 16 .
The drive roller 3404 is attached to the end of a drive shaft 3406 .
The drive roller 3404 is disposed diagonally downward at a portion of the circumference of the handle body 1602 in front of the vehicle, and engages with the handle body 1602, allowing the handle body 1602 to rotate as the drive roller 3404 rotates.
The drive roller 3404 has a groove 3408 that engages with the surface of the handle body 1602 facing diagonally downward at the front of the vehicle body, and is designed so that the rotational driving force of the motor 3402 is efficiently transmitted to the handle body 1602 via the groove 3408 of the drive roller 3404.

The motor 3402 rotates the handle 16 forward and reverse via a drive shaft 3406 and a drive roller 3404 when a drive signal is supplied from the rented vehicle side control device 12 .
Therefore, when the motor 3402 rotates forward or backward, the drive roller 3404 rotates the handle body 1602 forward or backward, and the steering angle of the rental vehicle 10 is adjusted.
In addition, when the drive signal supplied to the motor 3402 by the rented vehicle side control device 12 is turned off, the motor 3402 becomes servo-free, and the driver seated in the driver's seat can manually operate the steering wheel 16.

As shown in Figures 5 (A) and (B), the third actuator 36 is composed of a direct-acting cylinder 36A (direct-acting electric cylinder) and includes a cylinder body 3602, a motor (not shown) incorporated in the cylinder body 3602, and a piston rod 3604 incorporated in the cylinder body 3602.
The linear cylinder 36A is detachably mounted via a bracket (not shown) at a location (center console 1004) that does not interfere with manual operation of the shift lever 18 by a driver seated in the driver's seat.
The cylinder body 3602 is arranged so that the direction in which the piston rod 3604 protrudes and retracts coincides with the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle.
The tip of the piston rod 3604 is connected to the longitudinal middle portion of the pivot shaft 1802 of the shift lever 18 via a spherical bearing (not shown) of a connecting portion 3606 .
Therefore, when a drive signal is supplied to the motor by the rented vehicle side control device 12, the piston rod 3604 appears and disappears from the cylinder body 3602, and the shift lever 18 is tilted to each shift position, thereby changing gears in the transmission.
In addition, when the drive signal supplied to the motor by the rented vehicle side control device 12 is turned off, the motor becomes servo-free, and the driver seated in the driver's seat can manually operate the shift lever 18.

5(B), the fourth actuator 38 is constituted by a direct-acting cylinder 38A (direct-acting electric cylinder), and includes a cylinder body 3802, a motor (not shown) incorporated in the cylinder body 3802, and a piston rod 3804 incorporated in the cylinder body 3802. Note that the fourth actuator 38 is omitted from illustration in FIG. 5(A).
The linear cylinder 38A is detachably mounted via a bracket B2 at a location (the pivot shaft 1802 of the shift lever 18) that does not interfere with the manual operation of the operation button 20 by the driver seated in the driver's seat.
The cylinder body 3802 is arranged so that the direction in which the piston rod 3804 projects and retracts coincides with the vehicle width direction.
A cover 3806 made of an elastic material such as rubber is attached to the tip of the piston rod 3804, and the tip of the piston rod 3804 is arranged so as to be able to abut against the surface of the operation button 20 via the cover 3806, thereby protecting the operation button 20.
Therefore, when a drive signal is supplied to the motor by the rented vehicle side control device 12, the piston rod 3804 appears and disappears from the cylinder body 3802, and when the operation button 20 is pressed, the engine is started and stopped.
In addition, when the drive signal supplied to the motor by the rented vehicle side control device 12 is turned off, the motor becomes servo-free, and the driver seated in the driver's seat can manually operate the operation button 20.
In other words, since the operation button 20 is always biased to the protruding position, when the motor becomes servo-free, the piston rod is retracted by the operation button 20 biased to the protruding position, making it possible to manually operate the operation button 20.

As shown in FIG. 6(A), the fifth actuator 40 is composed of a direct-acting cylinder 40A (direct-acting electric cylinder) and includes a cylinder body 4002, a motor (not shown) incorporated in the cylinder body 4002, and a piston rod 4004 incorporated in the cylinder body 4002.
The linear cylinder 40A is detachably mounted via a bracket B3 at a location (dash panel 1006) that does not interfere with manual operation (depression) of the brake pedal 22 by a driver seated in the driver's seat.
The cylinder body 4002 is arranged so that the direction in which the piston rod 4004 projects and retracts coincides with the front-rear direction of the vehicle.
The tip of the piston rod 4004 is connected to the middle part of the pedal arm 2604 in the longitudinal direction via a spherical bearing (not shown) of a connecting part 4006 .
Therefore, when a drive signal is supplied to the motor by the rented vehicle control device 12, the piston rod 4004 appears and disappears relative to the cylinder body 4002, causing the pedal arm 2604 to swing, thereby braking the rented vehicle 10.
In addition, when the drive signal supplied to the motor is turned off by the rented vehicle side control device 12, the motor becomes servo-free, and the driver seated in the driver's seat can manually operate the brake pedal 22.

As shown in FIG. 6(B), the sixth actuator 42 is composed of a direct-acting cylinder 42A (direct-acting electric cylinder) and includes a cylinder body 4202, a motor (not shown) incorporated in the cylinder body 4202, and a piston rod 4204 incorporated in the cylinder body 4202.
The linear cylinder 42A is detachably mounted via a bracket B4 at a location (dash panel 1006) that does not interfere with manual operation (depression) of the accelerator pedal 24 by a driver seated in the driver's seat.
The cylinder body 4202 is arranged so that the direction in which the piston rod 4204 projects and retracts coincides with the front-rear direction of the vehicle.
The tip of the piston rod 4204 is connected to the middle part of the pedal arm 2604 in the longitudinal direction via a spherical bearing (not shown) of a connecting part 4206 .
Therefore, when a drive signal is supplied to the motor by the rented vehicle control device 12, the piston rod 4204 appears and disappears from the cylinder body 4202, causing the pedal arm 2404 to swing, thereby controlling the rotation of the engine of the rented vehicle 10.
In addition, when the drive signal supplied to the motor by the rented vehicle side control device 12 is turned off, the motor becomes servo-free, and the driver seated in the driver's seat can manually operate the accelerator pedal 24.

As shown in FIG. 6(C), the seventh actuator 44 is composed of a direct-acting cylinder 44A (direct-acting electric cylinder) and includes a cylinder body 4402, a motor (not shown) incorporated in the cylinder body 4402, and a piston rod 4404 incorporated in the cylinder body 4402.
The linear cylinder 44A is detachably mounted via a bracket B5 at a location (dash panel 1006) that does not interfere with manual operation (depressing operation) of the parking brake pedal 26 by the driver seated in the driver's seat.
The cylinder body 4402 is arranged so that the direction in which the piston rod 4404 projects and retracts coincides with the front-rear direction of the vehicle.
The tip of the piston rod 4404 is connected to the middle part of the pedal arm 2604 in the longitudinal direction via a spherical bearing (not shown) of a connecting part 4406 .
Therefore, when a drive signal is supplied to the motor by the rented vehicle control device 12, the piston rod 4404 appears and disappears from the cylinder body 4402, and the pedal arm 2604 is swung, thereby applying and releasing the brakes when the rented vehicle 10 is parked.
In addition, when the drive signal supplied to the motor by the rented vehicle side control device 12 is turned off, the motor becomes servo-free, and the driver seated in the driver's seat can manually operate the parking brake pedal 26.

As shown in Figures 7 (A) and (B), the eighth actuator 46 is composed of a direct-acting cylinder 46A (direct-acting electric cylinder) and includes a cylinder body 4602, a motor (not shown) incorporated in the cylinder body 4602, and a piston rod 4604 incorporated in the cylinder body 4602.
The direct acting cylinder 46A is detachably mounted via a bracket B6 at a location (steering column 1002) that does not interfere with manual operation (swinging operation) of the turn signal lever 28 by a driver seated in the driver's seat.
The cylinder body 4602 is arranged so that the direction in which the piston rod 4604 projects and retracts coincides with the vertical direction.
The tip of the piston rod 4604 is connected to the longitudinal middle portion of the lever body 2802 of the turn signal lever 28 via a spherical bearing (not shown) of a connecting portion 4606 .
Therefore, when a drive signal is supplied to the motor by the rented vehicle control device 12, the piston rod 4604 appears and disappears from the cylinder body 4602, and the turn signal lever 28 is swung, thereby controlling the flashing and turning off of the turn signal lights of the rented vehicle 10.
In addition, when the drive signal supplied to the motor is turned off by the rented vehicle side control device 12, the motor becomes servo-free, and the driver seated in the driver's seat can manually operate the turn signal lever 28.

As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the ninth actuator 48 includes a direct-acting cylinder 48A (direct-acting electric cylinder) and a rotating member 49.
The linear-acting cylinder 48A includes a cylinder body 4802, a motor (not shown) incorporated in the cylinder body 4802, and a piston rod 4804 incorporated in the cylinder body 4802.
The direct acting cylinder 48A is detachably mounted via a bracket B7 at a location (on the turn signal lever 28) that does not interfere with the manual operation of the light switch 30 by the driver seated in the driver's seat.
The cylinder body 4802 is arranged so that the direction in which the piston rod 4804 projects and retracts coincides with the front-rear direction of the vehicle.
The rotating member 49 has an annular shape and is attached so as to be rotatable integrally with the light switch 30 by clamping the outer periphery of the light switch 30. A connecting piece 4902 protrudes radially outward from the circumferential direction of the rotating member 49.
The tip of the piston rod 4804 of the linear cylinder 48A is connected to the rotating member 49 via a spherical bearing (not shown) of a connecting piece 4902.
Therefore, when a drive signal is supplied to the motor by the rented vehicle side control device 12, the piston rod 4804 appears and disappears from the cylinder body 4802, and the light switch 30 is rotated, thereby controlling the turning on and off of the headlights and parking lights of the rented vehicle 10.
In addition, when the drive signal supplied to the motor is turned off by the rented vehicle side control device 12, the motor becomes servo-free, and the driver seated in the driver's seat can manually operate the light switch 30.

Next, the remote control device 45 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.
The remote control device 45 includes first to ninth remote control levers 50A to 50I, first to ninth angle sensors 52A to 52I, a mode changeover switch 54, a control unit 56, and a remote control side communication unit 58.
The first to ninth remote control levers 50A to 50I are composed of remote control operating members (joysticks) that are swung to remotely control the engine switch 14, the handle 16 (steering wheel), the shift lever 18, the operating button 20, the brake pedal 22, the accelerator pedal 24, the parking brake pedal 26, the turn signal lever 28, and the light switch 30.
The first to ninth angle sensors 52A to 52I are provided corresponding to the first to ninth remote control levers 50A to 50I, and output detection signals indicating angles corresponding to the operating positions of the first to ninth remote control levers 50A to 50I.

The mode changeover switch 54 is operated to switch between a remote control mode (described later) and a manual operation mode.

The control unit 56 is composed of a CPU, a ROM for storing and remembering control programs, a RAM as an operating area for the control programs, an EEPROM for storing various data in a rewritable manner, the first to ninth angle sensors 52A to 52I, a mode change switch 54, an interface unit for interfacing with peripheral circuits, etc.
The control unit 56 executes the control program to function as a command information generating unit 56A.
The command information generating section 56A generates remote control command information based on the detection signals supplied from the first to ninth angle sensors 52A to 52I.
The command information generating section 56A generates mode switching command information based on an operation signal supplied from the mode switching switch 54.
The remote control side communication unit 58 is configured to be able to communicate with the rented vehicle side communication unit 60 described later via a wireless line, and transmits the remote operation command information and mode switching command information generated by the command information generating unit 56A to the rented vehicle side communication unit 60 via a wireless line.

As shown in FIG. 1, the rented vehicle control device 12 is configured to include a rented vehicle communication unit 60, first to ninth detection units 62A to 62I, a servo control unit 64, and a control unit 66.
The rented vehicle side communication unit 60 receives remote operation command information and mode switching command information transmitted from the remote control side communication unit 58 via a wireless line.
The first to ninth detection units 62A to 62I detect the amount of operation of the engine switch 14, the handle 16 (steering wheel), the shift lever 18, the operation button 20, the brake pedal 22, the accelerator pedal 24, the parking brake pedal 26, the turn signal lever 28, and the light switch 30 by the first to ninth actuators 32 to 48.

That is, the first detection unit 62A detects the amount of movement of the piston rod 3204 of the first actuator 32 (linear electric cylinder) 30 as the amount of operation.
The second detector 62B detects the amount of rotation (angle) of the drive shaft 3406 of the second actuator 34 (motor) as the amount of operation.
The third detection unit 62C detects the amount of movement of the piston rod 3604 of the third actuator 36 (linear electric cylinder) as the amount of operation.
The fourth detector 62C detects the amount of movement of the piston rod 3804 of the fourth actuator 38 (linear electric cylinder) as the amount of operation.
The fifth detection unit 62C detects the amount of movement of the piston rod 4004 of the fifth actuator 40 (linear type electric cylinder) as the amount of operation.
The sixth detection unit 62C detects the amount of movement of the piston rod 4204 of the sixth actuator 42 (linear type electric cylinder) as the amount of operation.
The seventh detection unit 62C detects the amount of movement of the piston rod 4404 of the seventh actuator 44 (linear electric cylinder) as the amount of operation.
The eighth detection unit 62C detects the amount of movement of the piston rod 4604 of the eighth actuator 46 (linear electric cylinder) as the amount of operation.
The ninth detection unit 62C detects the amount of movement of the piston rod 4804 of the ninth actuator (linear electric cylinder) 48 as the amount of operation.
The servo control section 64 performs servo control of the first to ninth actuators 32 to 48 based on the amounts of operation detected by the first to ninth detection sections 62A to 62I, respectively, under the control of the operating member control section 66A.

The control unit 66 is composed of a CPU, a ROM for storing and remembering control programs, a RAM as an operating area for the control programs, an EEPROM for storing various data in a rewritable manner, the first to ninth detection units 62A to 62I, the servo control unit 64, an interface unit for interfacing with peripheral circuits, etc.
The control unit 66 executes the control program to function as an operation member control unit 66A.
The operating member control unit 66A monitors the detection results of the first to ninth detection units 62A to 62I based on remote operation command information received via the rented vehicle side communication unit 60, and controls the servo control unit 64 to drive and control the first to ninth actuators 32 to 48 to move the engine switch 14, the handle 16 (steering wheel), the shift lever 18, the operating button 20, the brake pedal 22, the accelerator pedal 24, the parking brake pedal 26, the turn signal lever 28, and the light switch 30.

In addition, the operating member control unit 66A is configured to be able to select between a remote control mode and a manual operation mode by operating the mode switching switch 54 of the remote operation device 45 and receiving mode switching command information generated in the control unit 56 via the remote control side communication unit 58 and the rented vehicle side communication unit 60.
When the operation member control section 66A is set to the remote control mode in response to the mode switching command information, it performs remote control in response to the operation of the remote operation device 45 .
That is, the operating member control unit 66A controls the first to ninth actuators 32 to 48 based on the remote operation command information to operate the engine switch 14, the handle 16 (steering wheel), the shift lever 18, the operating button 20, the brake pedal 22, the accelerator pedal 24, the parking brake pedal 26, the turn signal lever 28, and the light switch 30.

In addition, when the operation member control unit 66A is set to the manual operation mode in response to the mode switching command information, it controls the servo control unit 64 to turn off the drive signals to the motors of the first to ninth actuators 32 to 48, i.e., by disabling the servo control of the servo control 64, the first to ninth actuators 32 to 48 become servo-free, thereby enabling manual operation of the engine switch 14, the handle 16 (steering wheel), the shift lever 18, the operation button 20, the brake pedal 22, the accelerator pedal 24, the parking brake pedal 26, the turn signal lever 28, and the light switch 30.
In addition, the mode changeover switch 54 may be provided in the rented vehicle side control device 12, and the operation member control unit 66A that receives operation of the mode changeover switch 54 may select between the remote control mode and the manual operation mode.

Next, a case where the rental vehicle 10 is remotely controlled using the remote control system of this embodiment will be described.
It should be noted that the remote operation of the rental vehicle 10 by the driver (a rental car store clerk) is performed while the driver monitors the rental vehicle 10 within his or her field of vision.
When the driver operates the first to ninth remote control levers 50A to 50I of the remote control device 45, the command information generating unit 56A generates remote operation command information based on the detection signals detected by the first to ninth angle sensors 52A to 52I. The remote operation command information is transmitted from the remote control side communication unit 58 to the rented vehicle side communication unit 60 via a wireless line.
In the rented vehicle 10, remote operation command information received via the rented vehicle side communication unit 60 is supplied to the operating member control unit 66A, and the operating member control unit 66A monitors the detection results of the first to ninth detection units 62A to 62I based on the remote operation command information, and controls the servo control unit 64 to drive and control the first to ninth actuators 32 to 48 to operate the engine switch 14, handle 16 (steering wheel), shift lever 18, operating button 20, brake pedal 22, accelerator pedal 24, parking brake pedal 26, turn signal lever 28, and light switch 30.
That is, the engine switch 14 is operated by the first actuator 32 to stop and start the engine 1404 .
In addition, the steering angle of the rental vehicle 10 is adjusted by operating the steering wheel 16 using the second actuator 34, and the rental vehicle 10 is steered.
In addition, the shift lever 18 is operated by the third actuator 36, and the operation button 20 is operated by the fourth actuator 38, thereby shifting gears in the transmission of the rented vehicle 10.
In addition, the brake pedal 22 is operated by the fifth actuator 40, thereby braking the rental vehicle 10.
In addition, the sixth actuator 42 operates the accelerator pedal 24 to control the engine speed of the rental vehicle 10.
In addition, the seventh actuator 44 operates the parking brake pedal 26, thereby braking the rental vehicle 10 when parking.
In addition, the turn signal lever 28 is operated by the eighth actuator 46, thereby controlling the direction indicators of the rented vehicle 10.
In addition, the light switch 30 is operated by the ninth actuator 48, thereby controlling the turning on and off of the headlights and parking lights of the rented vehicle 10.

A specific example of remote control of the rental vehicle 10 at a rental car store will now be described.
8A and 8B are plan views showing a typical example of a rental car store.
The store site 62 includes a parking lot 64 and an office 66.
A large number of rental vehicles 10 are parked in the parking lot 64.
The office 66 is located near an entrance/exit 70 facing a road 68, and a parking space 72 is provided between the office 66 and the entrance/exit 70 where the rental vehicle 10 can be parked.
A user of the rental car service visits the store, decides on a rental vehicle 10 to be rented in the presence of a store clerk at the office 66, and completes administrative procedures.

As shown in FIG. 8A, the clerk and the user go outside the office 66, move to a location where the rental vehicle 10 to be rented can be seen, such as a parking space 72, and wait there.
Next, as shown in Figure 8 (B), the clerk remotely controls the rental vehicle 10 to be rented by operating the first to ninth remote control levers 50A to 50I of the remote control device 45, and drives the rental vehicle 10 to the parking space 72 and stops it.
Then, the mode changeover switch 54 of the remote control device 45 is operated to switch from the remote control mode to the manual control mode, and the rental vehicle 10 is handed over to the user at the parking space 72.
Thereafter, the user sits in the driver's seat of the rental vehicle 10 and drives, moves the rental vehicle 10 from the entrance/exit 70 onto the road 68, and drives on the road 68.

After the user returns the rental vehicle 10 to the parking space 72 in the store and gets out of the vehicle, the store attendant operates the mode change switch 54 of the remote control device 45 to switch from manual operation mode to remote operation mode, and then operates the first to ninth remote control levers 50A to 50I of the remote control device 45 to remotely control the rental vehicle 10, driving the rental vehicle 10 to an empty space in the parking lot 64 and parking it, completing the series of operations.

Next, we will explain the case where a user (hereinafter referred to as the driver) who is in the rented vehicle 10 uses the remote control system of this embodiment to manually operate the engine switch 14, steering wheel 16, shift lever 18, operation buttons 20, brake pedal 22, accelerator pedal 24, parking brake pedal 26, turn signal lever 28, and light switch 30.
It is assumed that the rented vehicle side control device 12 is set in advance to the manual operation mode by the mode changeover switch 54.
When the driver sitting in the driver's seat manually presses the engine switch 14, the engine 1404 is stopped and started.
In addition, the rental vehicle 10 is steered by the driver manually operating the steering wheel 16.
In addition, the driver manually operates the shift lever 18 and the operation button 20 to change gears in the transmission of the rental vehicle 10.
In addition, the driver manually operates the brake pedal 22 to brake the rental vehicle 10.
In addition, the driver manually operates the accelerator pedal 24 to control the engine speed of the rental vehicle 10.
In addition, the driver manually operates a parking brake pedal 26 to brake the rental vehicle 10 when parking.
In addition, the turn signal of the rental vehicle 10 is operated by manually operating the turn signal lever 28 by the driver.
In addition, the driver manually operates the light switch 30 to control whether the headlights and parking lights of the rented vehicle 10 are turned on or off.
At this time, since the first to ninth actuators 32 to 48 are servo-free, manual operation of the engine switch 14, the handle 16 (steering wheel), the shift lever 18, the operation button 20, the brake pedal 22, the accelerator pedal 24, the parking brake pedal 26, the turn signal lever 28, and the light switch 30 is not impeded.
In this manner, the driver can drive the rental vehicle 10 by manual operation in the same way as for a normal vehicle, and can use the rental car service.

According to this embodiment, the first to ninth actuators 32 to 48 that operate the operating members for driving the rental vehicle 10 operated by the driver are detachably provided at locations that do not interfere with the manual operation of the operating members by the driver seated in the driver's seat, and by selecting the remote operation mode of the operating member control unit 66A, the first to ninth actuators 32 to 48 are controlled based on remote operation command information to operate the engine switch 14, the steering wheel 16 (steering wheel), the shift lever 18, the operating button 20, the brake pedal 22, the accelerator pedal 24, the parking brake pedal 2 6. The rental vehicle 10 can be remotely controlled by operating the turn signal lever 28 and the light switch 30, and by selecting the manual operation mode of the operation member control unit 66A, the first to ninth actuators 32 to 48 are made servo-free so that the engine switch 14 (ignition key 2004), steering wheel 16, shift lever 18, operation button 20, brake pedal 22, accelerator pedal 24, parking brake pedal 26, turn signal lever 28, and light switch 30 can be manually operated by the driver seated in the driver's seat.
In other words, the driver can sit in the driver's seat and operate the rented vehicle 10 without returning the rented vehicle 10 to its original state, and the vehicle can also be remotely controlled without the driver being in the vehicle, which is advantageous in improving the usability of the rented vehicle 10.
Therefore, when using the rental car service, the store clerk does not need to walk from the store office 66 to the location of the rented vehicle 10 in the parking lot 64, which is far from the store office 66, and the time required to hand over the rented vehicle 10 to the user can be shortened, which improves convenience for the user and is also advantageous in increasing the operational efficiency of the rented vehicle 10.
In addition, the store clerk does not need to walk with an umbrella from the store office 66 to the location of the rented vehicle 10 in the parking lot 64 when it is raining or snowing, which is advantageous in improving workability when handing over the rented vehicle 10.
The first to ninth actuators 32 to 48 may be provided in a non-detachable manner in a location that does not interfere with manual operation of the operating members by the driver seated in the driver's seat; however, providing them in a detachable manner as in this embodiment allows the first to ninth actuators 32 to 48 to be easily removed, which is advantageous in terms of efficiently carrying out maintenance work on the first to ninth actuators 32 to 48.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the servo control unit 64 performs servo control of the first to ninth actuators 32 to 48 based on the amounts of operation detected by the first to ninth detection units 62A to 62I, respectively, and the remote operation mode of the operating member control unit 66A is achieved by operating the first to ninth actuators 32 to 48 via the servo control unit 64, while the manual operation mode is achieved by disabling the control operation of the servo control unit 64 and setting the first to ninth actuators 32 to 48 servo-free.
This is therefore advantageous in that a simple configuration can be used to switch between the remote control mode and the manual control mode.
The first to ninth actuators 32 to 48 may be configured to be engageable and detachable with respect to the respective operating members, or to be capable of being brought into contact with and separated from the respective operating members, so that a remote operation mode and a manual operation mode can be switched.
However, in this case, multiple actuators and complex mechanisms are required, which is disadvantageous in that costs increase.
In contrast, in the present embodiment, it is sufficient to switch between servo control and servo free for the first to ninth actuators 32 to 48, which is advantageous in terms of reducing such costs.

In addition, in this embodiment, the operating members include an engine switch 14, a handle 16 (steering wheel), a shift lever 18, operating buttons 20, a brake pedal 22, an accelerator pedal 24, a parking brake pedal 26, a turn signal lever 28, and a light switch 30, which is advantageous for accurate remote control of the rental vehicle 10.

In addition, in this embodiment, the first actuator 32 is configured to include a direct-acting cylinder 32A having a piston rod 3204 that can abut against the engine switch 14 and a cylinder body 3202 that moves the piston rod 3204 in a direction that causes the swing shaft 1802 to swing. This simplifies the configuration of the first actuator 32, which is advantageous in accurately operating the engine switch 14.

In addition, in this embodiment, the second actuator 34 is configured to include a drive roller 3404 that engages with a portion of the circumference of the handle 16 to enable rotation of the handle 16, and a motor 3402 that drives and rotates the drive roller 3404. This simplifies the configuration of the second actuator 34, which is advantageous in accurately operating the handle 16.

In addition, in this embodiment, the third actuator 36 is configured to include a direct acting cylinder 36A having a piston rod 3604 connected to the pivot shaft 1802 of the shift lever 18 and a cylinder body 3602 that moves the piston rod 3604 in a direction that pivots the pivot shaft 1802. This simplifies the configuration of the third actuator 36, which is advantageous for accurately operating the shift lever 18.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fourth actuator 38 is configured to include a direct acting cylinder 38A having a piston rod 3804 that can contact the operation button 20 of the shift lever 18 and a cylinder body 3802 that moves the piston rod 3804 in a direction that presses the operation button 20. This simplifies the configuration of the fourth actuator 38, which is advantageous in accurately operating the operation button 20.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fifth actuator 40 is configured to include a direct acting cylinder 40A having a piston rod 4004 connected to the pedal arm 2204 of the brake pedal 22 and a cylinder body 4002 that moves the piston rod 4004 in a direction that causes the pedal arm 2604 to swing. This simplifies the configuration of the fifth actuator 40, which is advantageous for accurately operating the brake pedal 22.

In addition, in this embodiment, the sixth actuator 42 is configured to include a direct acting cylinder 42A having a piston rod 4204 connected to the pedal arm 2404 of the accelerator pedal 24 and a cylinder body 4202 that moves the piston rod 4204 in a direction that causes the pedal arm 2404 to swing. This simplifies the configuration of the sixth actuator 42, which is advantageous for accurately operating the accelerator pedal 24.

In addition, in this embodiment, the seventh actuator 44 is configured to include a direct acting cylinder 44A having a piston rod 4404 connected to the pedal arm 2604 of the parking brake pedal 26 and a cylinder body 4402 that moves the piston rod 4404 in a direction that causes the pedal arm 2604 to swing. This simplifies the configuration of the seventh actuator 44, which is advantageous for accurately operating the parking brake pedal 26.

In addition, in this embodiment, the eighth actuator 46 is configured to include a direct acting cylinder 46A having a piston rod 4604 connected to the turn signal lever 28 and a cylinder body 4602 that moves the piston rod 4604 in a direction that causes the turn signal lever 28 to swing. This simplifies the configuration of the eighth actuator 46, which is advantageous in accurately operating the turn signal lever 28.

In addition, in this embodiment, the ninth actuator 48 is configured to include a direct acting cylinder 48A having a piston rod 4804 connected to the light switch 30 and a cylinder body 4802 that moves the piston rod 4804 in a direction that rotates the light switch 30. This simplifies the configuration of the ninth actuator 48, which is advantageous for accurately operating the light switch 30.

In the first embodiment, the second actuator 34 is described as including a drive roller 3404 that engages with a portion of the circumference of the handle 16 to enable rotation of the handle 16, and a motor 3402 that drives and rotates the drive roller 3404. However, various conventionally known configurations can be used as an actuator that drives and rotates the handle 16, as exemplified below.
1) The drive shaft of a motor is connected to the steering shaft 1604, and the steering shaft 1604 (steering wheel 16) is rotated by the rotational driving force of the motor to perform steering.
2) A plurality of drive rollers 3404 and motors 3402 shown in FIG. 4 are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction of the handle body 1602, and each drive roller 3404 is driven to rotate by each motor 3402 to rotate the handle 16 for steering.
3) A ring extending in a circular shape around the rotation axis of the handle shaft 1604 is provided so as to be rotatable integrally with the handle shaft 1604, a drive roller that engages with a portion of the circumference of the ring to enable rotation of the ring, and a motor that drives and rotates the drive roller are provided, and the handle 16 is rotated via the ring by the rotational driving force of the motor to perform steering.
4) A driven sprocket is provided on the handle shaft 1604, a drive sprocket is provided on the drive shaft of the motor, and a chain is looped between the driven sprocket and the drive sprocket. The rotational driving force of the motor rotates the handle shaft 1604 (handle 16) via the drive sprocket, chain, and driven sprocket, thereby performing steering.
5) A driven pinion is provided on the handle shaft 1604, a drive pinion is provided on the drive shaft of the motor, and a rack is provided that meshes with the driven pinion and drive pinion. The rotational driving force of the motor rotates the handle shaft 1604 (handle 16) via the drive pinion, rack, and driven pinion, thereby performing steering.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
In the following embodiments, the same parts and members as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.
In the first embodiment, a case was described in which the operator (store clerk) performing remote operation performs remote operation while monitoring the rented vehicle 10 within his or her field of vision. In the second embodiment, however, it is made possible to perform remote operation outside the field of vision of the operator performing remote operation, where the rented vehicle 10 cannot be seen by the operator performing remote operation.
Specifically, it enables the rental vehicle 10 parked in a store's parking lot 64 to be remotely dispatched to the location of the user who made the rental car reservation (e.g., a home, station, airport, facility), or the rental vehicle 10 that the user has abandoned can be remotely returned to the store's parking lot 64.
Therefore, in the second embodiment, image information of the surroundings of the rented vehicle 10 and positioning information of the rented vehicle 10 are obtained, and based on the image information and positioning information, image information is displayed on the remote control device 45A side, and the current position of the rented vehicle 10 is displayed on a map.

As shown in FIG. 9, the rental vehicle 10 is equipped with four cameras, a front camera 74A, a rear camera 74B, a left camera 74C, and a right camera 74D, which constitute an image information generating unit, and a positioning unit 76.
The front camera 74A captures images of the area in front of the rental vehicle 10 and generates image information.
The rear camera 74B captures images of the rear of the rented vehicle 10 and generates image information.
The left camera 74C captures images of the left side of the rented vehicle 10 and generates image information.
The right camera 74D captures images of the right side of the rented vehicle 10 and generates image information.
These four pieces of image information are transmitted from the rented vehicle communication unit 60 to the remote control device communication unit 58 of the remote control device 45A via a wireless line.
The image information may be a moving image or a still image generated at regular time intervals.

The positioning unit 76 determines the position of the rented vehicle 10 based on a positioning signal received from a positioning satellite, and generates positioning information.
Such positioning satellites are used in Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSSs), such as GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), and one of the positioning satellites used in these positioning systems may be used, or two or more positioning satellites may be used in combination.
The positioning information generated by the positioning unit 76 is transmitted from the rented vehicle side communication unit 60 to the remote control device side communication unit 58 of the remote control device 45A via a wireless line.

As shown in FIG. 10, the remote control device 45A is provided with an operation input unit 78, a map database 80, and a display unit .
The operation input unit 78 accepts operations from an operator performing remote control, and is composed of, for example, a touch panel provided on the display surface of the display unit 82 or key switches provided independently of the display unit 82.
The operation input unit 78 instructs a notification unit 56B (described later) to switch the information displayed on the display unit 82 in response to an operation.

The map database 80 stores map information including the locations where the rental vehicle 10 will be traveling, and the map information is associated with positioning information (location information) on the earth.
Map information includes information necessary for vehicles to travel, such as roads, intersections, and traffic lights, as well as information on stores, facilities, apartment complexes, etc. that are the vehicle's starting point or destination, and information on the terrain, such as mountains, rivers, and harbors.

The display unit 82 displays image information of the surroundings of the rented vehicle 10 based on the control of the notification unit 56B described later, and also displays the position of the rented vehicle 10 on map information read from the map database 80 based on the positioning information received by the remote control communication unit 58.

The control unit 56 of the remote control device 45A executes a control program to function as a command information generating unit 56A as well as a notification unit 56B.
The notification unit 56B displays image information transmitted from the rented vehicle communication unit 60 via a wireless line on the display unit 82, and also reads map information from the map database 80 based on the positioning information transmitted from the rented vehicle communication unit 60 via a wireless line, and superimposes an icon indicating the current position of the rented vehicle 10 onto the map information based on the positioning information and displays it on the display unit 82.
Furthermore, the notification unit 56B causes the display unit 82 to display image information and map information in response to an operation of the operation input unit 78 .

In the display example shown in Figure 11, the display screen 8202 of the display unit 82 is divided into two parts, left and right, with image information Dg of the front being displayed on the left side of the display screen 8202 and map information Dm being displayed on the right side. In the figure, symbol 84A indicates a road, and symbol 84B is an arrow icon indicating the direction of travel and position of the rented vehicle 10.
The display of the image information Dg may be such that, among the image information Dg of the front, rear, left, and right of the rented vehicle 10, only the front image information Dg is always displayed, and the image information Dg selected from the rear, left, and right image information Dg is switched and displayed in response to the operation of the operation input unit 78. Alternatively, all of the front, rear, left, and right, or two or more image information Dg selected from the front, rear, left, and right, may be displayed.
The display form of the image information Dg and the map information Dm is not limited to this example.
For example, various display formats known in the art can be employed, such as a display format in which image information Dg is displayed on most of the display screen 8202, and map information Dm is displayed in a small display area in one corner of the display screen 8202.

The remote control device 45A may be configured as follows.
That is, a driver's seat similar to that of the rental vehicle 10 is provided in the store's office, and a large display unit 82 is provided in front of the driver's seat.
Instead of the first to ninth remote control levers 50A to 50I of the remote control device 45A, remote control members simulating the engine switch 14, the handle 16 (steering wheel), the shift lever 18, the operation button 20, the brake pedal 22, the accelerator pedal 24, the parking brake pedal 26, the turn signal lever 28, and the light switch 30 are provided near the driver's seat.
Instead of the first to ninth angle sensors 52A to 52I, first to ninth operation amount detection sensors are provided for detecting the operation amounts of the respective remote control members.
The command information generating unit 56 generates remote operation command information based on the operation amounts detected by the first to ninth operation amount detection sensors.
In this way, the rental vehicle 10 can be remotely operated using the same operations as when driving an actual rental vehicle 10, which is advantageous in improving operability when remotely operating the rental vehicle 10.

Next, an example of the operation of remotely controlling the rental vehicle 10 using the remote control device 45A will be described.
Specifically, we will explain the case where a store employee (driver) dispatches a rental vehicle 10 parked at the store to a user who has made a rental car reservation and is located away from the store.

To explain using Figures 8 (A) and (B), first, the operator operates the first to ninth remote control levers 50A to 50I of the remote control device 45A to drive the rental vehicle 10 from the parking lot 64 toward the entrance/exit 70 and onto the road 74.
At this time, as shown in Figure 11, the driver operates the remote control device 45A while visually checking the image information Dg, for example, captured by the forward camera 74A displayed on the display unit 82, and the map information Dm, in which the current position of the rented vehicle 10 is displayed with an arrow icon 84B, to drive the rented vehicle 10 toward the destination.
Therefore, the rented vehicle 10 can be remotely operated outside the driver's field of vision based on the image information Dg displayed on the display unit 82 and the map information Dm showing the current position of the rented vehicle 10 with an arrow icon 84B, so that the rented vehicle 10 can be dispatched to a location away from the store.
This is advantageous in terms of improving user convenience by saving users the trouble of having to go to a store.
Furthermore, even if the user abandons the rented vehicle 10 at a location far from the store, the rented vehicle 10 can be remotely operated outside the driver's field of vision based on the image information Dg displayed on the display unit 82 and the map information Dm showing the current position of the rented vehicle 10 with an arrow icon 84B, so that the rented vehicle 10 can be driven from a location far from the store toward the store.
This is advantageous in that it saves the user the trouble of driving the rental vehicle 10 to the store, thereby improving user convenience.

Furthermore, even if the positioning unit 76 and the map database 80 are omitted and only the image information Dg is displayed on the display unit 82, the driver can remotely operate the rented vehicle 10 while visually checking the image information Dg displayed on the display unit 82.
However, in the present embodiment, by providing a positioning unit 76 and a map database 80, and displaying image information Dg and map information Dm showing the current position of the rented vehicle 10 on the display unit 82, the position of the rented vehicle 10 can be grasped on the map information Dm even if the location is unknown to the driver, which is advantageous for easily and reliably remotely operating the rented vehicle 10.

Third Embodiment
Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
The third embodiment is a modification of the second embodiment, in which a route is searched for by setting a destination, and road guidance is provided based on the searched route.
In the third embodiment, the configurations of the rented vehicle 10 and the rented vehicle side control device 12 are the same as those in the second embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 12, the map database 80 stores, in addition to the map information Dm described in the second embodiment, destination information that specifies a destination and the map information Dm in association with each other.
Here, the destination information includes the names, addresses, telephone numbers, etc. of facilities and houses linked to the destination, and it becomes possible to identify map information Dm corresponding to the destination from the map database 80 based on the destination information.
The operation input unit 78 also has a function of inputting destination information, which will be described later, in response to an operation and providing the information to a position information specifying unit 56C, which will be described later.
The display unit 82 also has a function of displaying road guidance based on a driving route searched for by a route search unit 56D, which will be described later.

The control unit 56 of the remote control device 45B executes a control program to function as a command information generating unit 56A, a notification unit 56B, a position information identifying unit 56C, and a route searching unit 56D.
The location information specifying section 56C specifies the location information of the destination from the map information Dm based on the destination information inputted to the operation input section 78 .
The route search section 56D searches for a route to be traveled from the map information Dm based on the positioning information received by the remote control communication section 58 and the location information of the destination.

Next, an example of the operation of remotely controlling the rental vehicle 10 using the remote control device 45B will be described.
As in the second embodiment, we will explain the case where a store employee (driver) dispatches a rental vehicle 10 parked at the store to a user who has made a rental car reservation and is located away from the store.

First, the operator operates the operation input unit 78 to input destination information corresponding to the user's location.
As a result, the position information identifying unit 56C identifies the position information of the destination from the map information Dm based on the destination information input to the operation input unit 78.
Furthermore, the route search unit 56D searches for a route to be traveled from the map information Dm based on the positioning information received by the remote control communication unit 58 and the location information of the destination.
The display unit 82 then displays road guidance based on the driving route searched for by the route search unit 56D.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, the destination is indicated by a destination icon 86, an arrow icon 84 indicating the current location of the rented vehicle 10 is displayed, and a driving route 88 connecting the destination and the current location is displayed in a form (color and thickness) different from other roads.
Next, the operator operates the first to ninth remote control levers 50A to 50I of the remote control device 45B to drive the rental vehicle 10 from the parking lot 64 towards the entrance/exit 70 and onto the road 74.
At this time, as shown in Figure 13, the driver operates the remote control device 45B while visually checking road guidance using image information Dg and map information Dm captured by the front camera 74A, rear camera 74B, left camera 74C, and right camera 74D displayed on the display unit 82, and drives the rented vehicle 10 toward the destination.
Therefore, since the rented vehicle 10 can be remotely operated outside the driver's field of vision based on road guidance (driving route 88) using image information Dg and map information Dm displayed on the display unit 82, the rented vehicle 10 can be dispatched more accurately and in a shorter time to locations away from the store.
This not only improves convenience for users by saving them the trouble of having to go to the store, but also has the advantage of improving the efficiency of operation of the rental vehicle 10.
Furthermore, even if the user abandons the rented vehicle 10 at a location far from the store, destination information identifying the store can be input into the operation input unit 78 and a route can be searched for using the route search unit 56D, allowing the rented vehicle 10 to be remotely operated outside the driver's field of vision based on road guidance using image information Dg and map information Dm displayed on the display unit 82, thereby allowing the rented vehicle 10 to be driven more accurately and in a shorter time from a location far from the store toward the store.
This not only improves convenience for the user by eliminating the need for the user to return the rented vehicle 10 to the store, but also has the advantage of improving the efficiency of the operation of the rented vehicle 10.

In the second and third embodiments, four cameras, a front camera 74A, a rear camera 74B, a left camera 74C, and a right camera 74D, are provided. However, the number and arrangement of the cameras is optional. Also, instead of providing multiple cameras, it is optional to use a spherical camera or a semi-spherical camera with a wide imaging range.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
The fourth embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment, and differs from the first embodiment in the configuration of the second actuator 90 that operates the handle 16.

As shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, the second actuator 90 includes two direct-acting cylinders 90A and 90B (direct-acting electric cylinders).
Each of the direct acting cylinders 90A, 90B includes a cylinder body 9002, a motor (not shown) incorporated in the cylinder body 9002, and a piston rod 9004 incorporated in the cylinder body 9002.
As shown in FIG. 14A, when the steering wheel 16 is in the neutral position (the steering angle is 0 degrees), the connecting portion 92 is attached to the upper portion of the steering wheel main body 1602.
A handle side support shaft 1610 extending parallel to the central axis of the handle shaft 1604 protrudes from the connecting portion 92 toward the rear of the rental vehicle 10.
In addition, when the steering wheel 16 is viewed from the rear of the rented vehicle 10, vehicle body side support shafts 1010A and 1010B extending parallel to the central axis of the steering wheel shaft 1604 are each protruded toward the rear of the rented vehicle 10 at two locations on the instrument panel that sandwich the steering wheel 16 in the vehicle width direction, and these two vehicle body side support shafts 1010A and 1010B are provided via brackets not shown in positions that are point-symmetrical with respect to the central axis of the steering wheel shaft 1604.

Of the two linear cylinders 90A, 90B, one linear cylinder 90A has a base end of its cylinder body 9002 supported for swinging motion via one of the vehicle body side support shafts 1010A, and a tip end of a piston rod 9004 supported for swinging motion on the handle side support shaft 1610.
Of the two linear cylinders 90A, 90B, the other linear cylinder 90B has a base end of its cylinder body 9002 supported for swinging motion via the other vehicle body side support shaft 1010B, and a tip end of a piston rod 9004 supported for swinging motion on the handle side support shaft 1610.
Therefore, each of the linear cylinders 90A, 90B is detachably provided at a location (instrument panel) that does not interfere with the manual operation of the steering wheel 16 by the driver seated in the driver's seat.

To explain the control system of the fourth embodiment using Figure 1, the second detection unit 62B detects the movement amounts of the piston rods 9004 of the two linear cylinders 90A, 90B that constitute the second actuator 90 as operation amounts.
The servo control section 64 performs servo control of the second actuators 90 (linear cylinders 90A, 90B) based on the amounts of operation detected by the second detection sections 62B under the control of the operating member control section 66A.
Specifically, as one piston rod 9004 protrudes and the other piston rod 9004 contracts, each linear cylinder 90A, 90B swings about the vehicle body side support shaft 1010A, 1010B, respectively, as a fulcrum, and a rotational force acts on the handle 16 from each piston rod 9004 via the handle side support shaft 1610 and the connecting portion 92, thereby rotating the handle 16.
In remote operation mode, the rented vehicle side control device 12 supplies a drive signal to the motors of each linear cylinder 90A, 90B, causing the piston rod 9004 to appear and disappear from the cylinder body 9002, and the steering angle of the rented vehicle 10 is adjusted by rotating the handle 16 forward and backward.
In the manual operation mode, the drive signal supplied to the motor of each linear cylinder 90A, 90B is turned off by the rented vehicle side control device 12, thereby making each linear cylinder 90A, 90B servo-free, and the driver seated in the driver's seat can manually operate the steering wheel 16.
The fourth embodiment as described above also provides the same effects as the first embodiment.

In the embodiment, the present invention has been described as being applied to a rental car service, but the application is arbitrary, such as moving a car owned by a repair shop within the field of view at a repair shop.

10 Rented vehicle 12 Rented vehicle side control device 14 Engine switch 1402 Push button 16 Steering wheel (steering)
1602 Handle body 18 Shift lever 1802 Oscillating shaft 1804 Grasped portion 20 Operation button 22 Brake pedal 24 Accelerator pedal 26 Parking brake pedal 28 Blinker lever 2802 Lever body 30 Light switch 32 First actuator 34 Second actuator 36 Third actuator 38 Fourth actuator 40 Fifth actuator 42 Sixth actuator 44 Seventh actuator 46 Eighth actuator 48 Ninth actuator 45, 45A, 45B Remote control device 50A to 50I First to ninth operation levers 52A to 52I First to ninth angle sensors 54 Mode changeover switch 56 Control unit 56A Command information generation unit 56B Notification unit 58 Remote control side communication unit 60 Rented vehicle side communication unit 74A Front camera 74B Rear camera 74C Left camera 74D Right camera 76 Positioning unit 78 Operation input unit 80 Map database 82 Display unit 8202 Display screen Dg Image information Dm Map information 84A Road 84B Arrow icon 86 Destination icon 88 Travel route 90 Second actuator

Claims (6)

A rental vehicle remote control system for remotely controlling a rental vehicle used in a rental car service, comprising:
A plurality of actuators each operating a plurality of operating members for driving the rental vehicle operated by a driver;
A rental vehicle communication unit that receives remote operation command information;
An operation member control unit that operates each of the actuators based on the remote operation command information received by the rental vehicle side communication unit,
the actuators are detachably provided at locations that do not interfere with manual operation of the operating members by the driver seated in the driver's seat,
The operation member control unit is configured to be selectable between a remote operation mode in which the operation members are operated by controlling each of the actuators based on the remote operation command information, and a manual operation mode in which the driver can manually operate each of the operation members.
A remote control system for a rental vehicle. a plurality of detection units each detecting an amount of operation of the plurality of operation members by the plurality of actuators;
a servo control unit that performs servo control of each of the actuators based on the operation amounts detected by each of the detection units,
the remote operation mode of the operation member control unit is achieved by operating each of the plurality of actuators via the servo control unit,
The manual operation mode of the operation member control unit is achieved by disabling the control operation of the servo control unit and making the actuators servo-free.
2. The rental vehicle remote control system according to claim 1. The rental vehicle is provided with an image information generating unit that captures an image of the periphery of the rental vehicle and generates image information,
A remote control device is provided that includes a command information generating unit that generates the remote control command information, a remote control side communication unit that is configured to be able to communicate with the rental vehicle side communication unit and transmits the remote control command information to the rental vehicle side communication unit, and a display unit,
The rental vehicle side communication unit transmits the image information generated by the image information generation unit to the remote control side communication unit,
The display unit displays the image information received by the remote control communication unit.
3. The rental vehicle remote control system according to claim 1 or 2. A positioning unit is provided in the rental vehicle to measure the position of the rental vehicle and generate positioning information,
A remote control device is provided that includes a command information generating unit that generates the remote control command information, a remote control communication unit that is configured to be able to communicate with the rental vehicle communication unit and transmits the remote control command information to the rental vehicle communication unit, a display unit, and a map database that stores map information;
The rental vehicle side communication unit transmits the positioning information generated by the positioning unit to the remote control side communication unit,
The display unit displays the position of the rental vehicle on the map information read from the map database based on the positioning information received by the remote control side communication unit.
4. The rental vehicle remote control system according to claim 3. The map database stores destination information that identifies a destination and the map information in association with each other,
The remote control device is
an operation input unit for inputting the destination information;
a location information identifying unit that identifies location information of the destination from the map information based on the destination information input to the operation input unit;
a route search unit that searches for a route to be traveled from the map information based on the positioning information and the location information of the destination received by the remote control side communication unit,
The display unit displays road guidance based on the travel route searched by the route search unit.
5. The rental vehicle remote control system according to claim 4. The plurality of operating members include an engine switch for starting and stopping the engine installed in the rental vehicle, a steering wheel for steering the rental vehicle, a shift lever for changing the transmission, an operating button for unlocking the shift lever, a brake pedal for braking the rental vehicle, an accelerator pedal for controlling the engine speed, a parking brake pedal for braking when parking the rental vehicle, a turn signal lever for operating a turn signal, and a light switch for turning on and off the headlights and small lights,
The actuators are provided corresponding to the engine switch, the steering wheel, the shift lever, the operation buttons, the brake pedal, the accelerator pedal, the turn signal lever, and the light switch, respectively.
6. A remote control system for a rental vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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