JP7579404B2 - Vehicle stop control device and vehicle stop control method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle stop control device and a vehicle stop control method.

Traditionally, in public buses, the driver or other crew members have been responsible for dealing with passengers. For example, if the bus needs to deal with a pedestrian running out into the street, or if it is unable to operate as scheduled, the driver can explain the situation and ease passengers' concerns when the bus is temporarily stopped.

However, there are plans to make shared buses driverless and self-driving. When no passengers are on board, it will be necessary for the bus to be connected to a control center via communication and for the control staff to remotely explain to passengers the reason for the bus's temporary stop via voice call.

In this case, after an event occurs that causes the bus to stop temporarily, it will take some time for communication between the bus and the control center to resume and for passengers to be able to talk to the control center staff. This raises concerns that passenger anxiety will continue for longer than before.

In addition, there are various possible reasons for temporary stops. If communication between the bus and the control center had to be connected in all cases and the controller had to respond by voice call, the controller would often be in charge of multiple buses, which would make monitoring work cumbersome and significantly reduce efficiency.

On the other hand, it has been proposed that when a vehicle is traveling autonomously and encounters a situation in which autonomous driving is not possible, the vehicle is controlled to stop while indicating that the vehicle will stop using an information presentation means that presents information around the vehicle (see Patent Document 1, etc.).

JP 2017-30518 A

However, although the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 discloses that the vehicle is notifying surrounding vehicles that the vehicle is stopping, there is no mention of application of the technology to vehicles carrying passengers, such as public buses, and the technology cannot be applied to alleviate the anxiety of passengers on board public buses.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide a vehicle stop control device and a vehicle stop control method that can simultaneously alleviate passenger anxiety and improve the efficiency of the monitoring work of control personnel.

One embodiment of the vehicle stop control device of the present invention comprises an abnormality diagnosis unit that diagnoses abnormalities in the vehicle, an automatic driving control unit that stops the vehicle when the abnormality diagnosis unit diagnoses an abnormality in the vehicle, and a communication control unit that controls a communication unit and causes communication to be performed with a control terminal used by a controller, wherein the communication control unit causes the communication unit to establish a communication connection with the control terminal after the automatic driving control unit stops the vehicle, and does not cause the communication unit to establish the communication connection if the abnormality is caused by the behavior of a passenger .

A vehicle stop control device according to one aspect of the present invention includes an automatic driving control unit that stops the vehicle when an obstacle is detected around the vehicle, a communication control unit that controls a communication unit to communicate with a control terminal used by a controller, and an information providing unit that causes the communication unit to transmit information about the vehicle to the control terminal, wherein the information providing unit is configured to cause the automatic driving control unit to transmit a first report including stop reason information indicating a reason for stopping the vehicle before the automatic driving control unit starts braking, and to transmit a second report including abnormal stop information while the vehicle is braking,
After the vehicle is stopped, a third report including vehicle behavior information regarding the behavior of the vehicle when the vehicle was stopped is transmitted.

One aspect of the present invention is a vehicle stop control method for stopping a vehicle by automatic driving executed by a computer , which includes the steps of: stopping the vehicle when an abnormality diagnosis unit that diagnoses abnormalities in the vehicle diagnoses an abnormality in the vehicle; and, after stopping the vehicle, controlling a communication unit to establish a communication connection with a control terminal used by a controller, and is characterized in that if the abnormality is caused by the behavior of a passenger , the communication unit is not caused to establish the communication connection.

One aspect of the present invention is a vehicle stop control method for stopping a vehicle by automatic driving executed by a computer , comprising the steps of: stopping the vehicle when an obstacle is detected in the vicinity of the vehicle; controlling a communication unit to establish a communication connection with a control terminal used by a controller; causing the communication unit to transmit a first report to the control terminal before the vehicle begins to brake, the first report including stop reason information informing the control terminal of the reason for stopping the vehicle; causing the communication unit to transmit a second report to the control terminal while the vehicle is braking, the second report including obstacle information related to the obstacle; and, after the vehicle has stopped, causing the communication unit to transmit a third report to the control terminal including vehicle behavior information related to the behavior of the vehicle when the vehicle was stopped.

This invention can alleviate passenger anxiety while improving the efficiency of air traffic control personnel's monitoring work.

1 is a schematic diagram showing an entire bus control system to which a vehicle stop control device according to a first embodiment is applied; FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating a bus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing main parts related to vehicle stop control in a bus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a control terminal according to the first embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing each process of an emergency stop process in the public bus control system according to the first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing each process of a normal stop process in the public bus control system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of a server and a terminal according to the first embodiment; FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram showing main parts related to vehicle stop control in a bus according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram showing a control terminal according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing data exchange in the public bus control system according to the second embodiment.

The following describes in detail an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that, in the following, an example will be described in which the vehicle stop control device and method according to the present invention are applied to an unmanned shared bus that operates on a fixed schedule, but the subject of application is not limited to this and can be changed. For example, the present invention may be applied to an unmanned vehicle such as a taxi that is dispatched at the request of a user and is assumed to be used only by the user and his/her companion. In addition, the type of vehicle is not particularly limited, and may be either a four-wheeled vehicle or a saddle-type vehicle such as a two-wheeled or three-wheeled vehicle. In addition, an unmanned vehicle may have a passenger on board.

(Summary of the Invention)
As a result of extensive research into solving the above-mentioned problems, the inventors discovered that when an abnormal stop is detected, establishing a communications connection between the vehicle and the control terminal used by the controller at an appropriate time depending on the cause of the abnormality, and determining the content and timing of the notification to passengers appropriately, can contribute to both alleviating passenger anxiety and improving the efficiency of the controller's monitoring work, and thus completed the present invention.

In other words, the vehicle stop control device of this embodiment comprises an automatic driving control unit that stops the vehicle when an obstacle is detected in the vicinity of the vehicle, and a communication control unit that controls a communication unit and causes communication to be performed with a control terminal used by a controller, and is characterized in that the communication control unit causes the communication unit to establish a communication connection with the control terminal after the automatic driving control unit stops the vehicle.
In addition, the vehicle stop control device of this embodiment includes an abnormality diagnosis unit that diagnoses abnormalities in the vehicle, an automatic driving control unit that stops the vehicle when the abnormality diagnosis unit diagnoses an abnormality in the vehicle, and a communication control unit that controls a communication unit and causes communication to be performed with a control terminal used by a control officer, and is characterized in that the communication control unit causes the communication unit to establish a communication connection with the control terminal after the automatic driving control unit stops the vehicle.

The vehicle stop control device according to this embodiment includes an automatic driving control unit that stops the vehicle when an obstacle is detected near the vehicle, a communication control unit that controls a communication unit and causes communication with a control terminal used by a control officer, and an information providing unit that causes the communication unit to transmit information about the vehicle to the control terminal, and is characterized in that the automatic driving control unit transmits a first report including stop reason information informing the driver of the reason for stopping the vehicle before the vehicle starts braking, transmits a second report including obstacle information about the obstacle while the vehicle is braking, and transmits a third report after the vehicle has stopped including vehicle behavior information about the behavior of the vehicle when the vehicle was stopped.

The vehicle stop control method for stopping a vehicle by autonomous driving according to this embodiment is characterized by including a step of stopping the vehicle when an obstacle is detected around the vehicle, and a step of controlling a communication unit after the vehicle has been stopped to establish a communication connection with a control terminal used by a control officer.

The vehicle stop control method for stopping a vehicle by autonomous driving according to this embodiment is characterized by including a step of stopping the vehicle when an abnormality diagnosis unit that diagnoses abnormalities in the vehicle diagnoses an abnormality in the vehicle, and a step of controlling a communication unit after stopping the vehicle to establish a communication connection with a control terminal used by a control officer.

Also, according to this embodiment, there is provided a vehicle stop control method for stopping a vehicle by autonomous driving, which includes the steps of: stopping the vehicle when an obstacle is detected around the vehicle; transmitting a first report including stop reason information indicating the reason for stopping the vehicle before the vehicle starts braking; transmitting a second report including obstacle information related to the obstacle while the vehicle is braking; and transmitting a third report including vehicle behavior information related to the behavior of the vehicle when the vehicle is stopped after the vehicle has stopped.

First Embodiment
Hereinafter, a public bus operation system to which a vehicle stop control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG.

(Entire system)
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an entire bus control system to which a vehicle stop control device according to a first embodiment is applied. The bus control system 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a vehicle control server 3 arranged in a cloud 2. A bus 5 is communicatively connected to the vehicle control server 3 via a mobile communication network 4, which is an example of a network. A control terminal 6 is also connected to the vehicle control server 3 via the Internet (not shown). The control terminal 6 is installed in a vehicle control center and communicatively connected to the bus 5 via the mobile communication network 4. The bus 5 is configured to be able to receive a GNSS signal from a GNSS satellite 7. The bus 5 is also configured to be able to receive a VICS signal from a VICS transmitter (e.g., a VICS (registered trademark) beacon) 8. Although FIG. 1 shows one bus 5 and one control terminal 6 for convenience, a plurality of buses 5 and a control terminal 6 may be present.

(Vehicle control server)
The vehicle control server 3 includes a communication unit and is configured to control the communication connection between the bus 5 and the control terminal 6. The vehicle control server 3 is also configured to receive various information transmitted from the bus 5 and store it in a memory unit. As will be described later, each function of the vehicle control server 3 can be realized by a processor 1001 of a computer device 1000 (see FIG. 9 ) for realizing the vehicle control server 3 executing a program, controlling the communication unit to send and receive signals, etc., or writing and reading data, etc. to and from the memory unit.

(bus)
2 is a functional block diagram showing the bus 5 according to the first embodiment. Note that only components that are naturally provided in the bus 5 (e.g., wheels, seats, headlights) and optional components (e.g., air conditioning device) that are necessary for explaining the present embodiment are shown and omitted.

As shown in FIG. 2, the bus 5 includes an automatic driving control unit 501, an abnormality diagnosis unit 502, a current position acquisition unit 503, a drive control unit 504, a braking control unit 505, a steering control unit 506, a communication control unit 507, a traffic information acquisition unit 508, and an operation reception unit 509 as functions realized by the calculation unit 51.

The automatic driving control unit 501 is configured to automatically drive the bus in an unmanned manner along a route in accordance with the operation plan contained in the information related to the operation plan stored in the memory unit 53, stop at bus stops where boarding reservations have been made, and perform a pick-up operation to pick up passengers.

First, the autonomous driving control unit 501 refers to the map data stored in the memory unit 53 and drives the vehicle along the route specified in the operation plan.

When the bus is traveling autonomously and unmanned, the automatic driving control unit 501 causes the drive control unit 504 to control the drive unit 54, such as an electric motor, to accelerate and decelerate the bus 5. The automatic driving control unit 501 also causes the braking control unit 505 to control the braking unit 55, such as a brake, to brake and stop the bus 5. The automatic driving control unit 501 also causes the steering control unit 506 to control the steering unit 56, such as a steering motor, to turn the bus 5 right or left, etc.

More specifically, the autonomous driving control unit 501 grasps the distance to the vehicle ahead according to a detection signal from a forward sensor, which is one of the sensors 57, and controls the drive unit 54 and the braking unit 55 (constant speed driving/vehicle distance control) to maintain the distance between the vehicles. Here, as the forward sensor, for example, a forward camera, a millimeter wave radar, or a LIDAR can be used alone or in combination.

When the automatic driving control unit 501 detects an obstacle around the bus 5 based on a detection signal from the forward sensor, it controls the braking unit 55 to stop the bus 5, or controls the steering unit 56 to change the direction of the bus 5 and avoid the obstacle.

In this way, the autonomous driving control unit 501 is configured to be able to perform autonomous driving equivalent to autonomous driving level 4 or 5 defined by SAE International, but is not limited thereto.

The abnormality diagnosis unit 502 is configured to diagnose abnormalities (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle system errors") in the drive control unit 504 and drive unit 54 (hereinafter referred to as the "drive system"), the braking control unit 505 and braking unit 55 (hereinafter referred to as the "control system"), and the steering control unit 506 and steering unit 56 (hereinafter referred to as the "steering system"). In a typical vehicle, the ECU (described below) is provided with an abnormality diagnosis function and is configured to detect a vehicle system error and turn on a warning light such as a Malfunction Indication Lamp (MIL). In the following description, the drive system, control system, and steering system are collectively referred to as the "vehicle system".

The abnormality diagnosis unit 502 is also configured to diagnose an abnormality (hereinafter, referred to as a "communication system error") caused by communication by the communication unit 52 based on a signal from the communication control unit 507. A communication system error includes, but is not limited to, an abnormality in which communication between the bus 5 and the control terminal 6 is not possible due to a problem occurring in either the communication unit 52, the mobile communication network 4, or a network such as the Internet.

The current position acquisition unit 503 is configured to receive GNSS signals from the GNSS satellites 7 (see Figure 1) via the GNSS receiving unit 58 and acquire current position information.

The drive control unit 504 is configured to control the drive unit 54. For example, it can control the speed of the bus 5 by changing the output of the electric motor, the accelerator opening of the gasoline engine, and torque in the transmission.

The braking control unit 505 is configured to control the braking unit 55. For example, it can start and stop the brakes and adjust the braking force, start and stop the engine brakes and adjust them, and control and stop the speed of the bus 5.

The braking unit 55 may be equipped with a device for stabilizing the running of the bus 5, such as an ABS (Antilock Brake System) or an ESP (Electronic Stability Program) (registered trademark).

The steering control unit 506 is configured to control the steering unit 56. For example, it can control the steering motor and change the steering angle to allow the bus 5 to turn.

The communication control unit 507 is configured to control the communication unit 52, communicate with the control terminal 6 via the mobile communication network 4 (Figure 1) and the vehicle control server 3, and enable the controller to talk to the user. For example, in the bus 5, a microphone, which is one of the input units 59, receives the user's voice, and a speaker, which is one of the output units 61, outputs the controller's voice. Instead of or in addition to the voice, text may be displayed on the display.

The traffic information acquisition unit 508 is configured to, for example, receive a VICS signal from the VICS transmitter 8 (see FIG. 1) via the VICS receiver 62 and acquire traffic information including traffic signal information and congestion information for the travel route.

The operation reception unit 509 is configured to receive operations by passengers, for example, via a touch panel of a touch panel display, which is an example of the input unit 59.

(Vehicle stop control)
3 is a functional block diagram showing main parts related to vehicle stop control in the bus 5 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, a stop condition determination unit 101 is provided which monitors the temporary stop control of the bus 5 by the automatic driving control unit 501 and determines whether the temporary stop of the bus 5 satisfies a vehicle stop condition.

The automatic driving control unit 501 may temporarily stop the bus 5 in the following cases.
(A) Stopping the vehicle to avoid a collision with an obstacle This includes a case where, when the forward sensor 102, which is an example of the sensor 57 (see Figure 2), detects an obstacle in front of the bus 5, the automatic driving control unit 501 causes the braking control unit 505 to perform emergency braking and stop the bus.

(B) Vehicle Stop Based on Traffic Information This includes a case where the operation management unit 103, which manages the operation of the bus 5, causes the automatic driving control unit 501 to stop the bus 5 based on traffic information including traffic signal information and congestion information acquired by the traffic information acquisition unit 508. For example, the operation management unit 103 recognizes from the traffic information that a traffic accident has occurred ahead of the bus 5 on the operation route, and the automatic driving control unit 501 stops the bus 5 in a safe location.

(C) Vehicle Stop Due to System Error This includes a case where the abnormality diagnosis unit 502 diagnoses that there is a vehicle system error or a communication system error, and the automatic driving control unit 501 stops the bus 5. The vehicle system error includes, for example, a braking system error, such as brake malfunction due to a brake oil leak, or a steering system error, such as a tire puncture or burst that causes the steering to stick, making steering impossible.

(D) Vehicle Stop for Operation Time Adjustment This includes a case where the operation management unit 103 determines, based on the operation plan and current location information, that the bus 5 is operating earlier than the operation plan, and causes the automatic driving control unit 501 to temporarily stop the bus 5. When a regularly scheduled public bus is operating earlier than the operation plan, it needs to temporarily stop at a bus stop or the like and adjust the time.

(E) Vehicle Stop Due to Passenger Behavior This includes a case where the passenger monitoring unit 104 detects that an abnormality has occurred due to a passenger's behavior and causes the automatic driving control unit 501 to temporarily stop the bus 5 in order to ensure the safety of the passenger. For example, the passenger monitoring unit 104 can detect that a seat belt has been unfastened by the seat belt fastening sensor 105, which is an example of the sensor 57, or detect that a stop request button, which is an example of the input unit 59, has been pressed by a passenger, thereby detecting the occurrence of an abnormality due to a passenger's behavior. The stop request button may be a mechanical push button switch or a software button displayed on a touch panel display.

(F) Stopping temporarily following the stop of a preceding vehicle at a stop position or a traffic signal When the forward sensor 102, which is an example of the sensor 57 (see FIG. 2 ), detects that a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the bus 5 has stopped, the automatic driving control unit 501 instructs the braking control unit 505 to stop following the preceding vehicle. The braking control unit 505 applies the brakes to stop the bus 5.

The stop condition determination unit 101 is configured to determine that an abnormal stop as described above has occurred, i.e., that any one of the abnormal stop conditions A to F has been established, and to control the notification control unit 106, which is an example of a notification unit of the present invention, to provide information (notify) to passengers via the output unit 61. In this embodiment, the notification means used by the notification unit is, for example, a voice notification, but is not particularly limited.

When the stop condition determination unit 101 determines that any one of the abnormal stop conditions A to F is satisfied, the stop condition determination unit 101 causes the communication control unit 507 to control the communication unit 52 to establish a communication connection with the control terminal 6, and also causes the call control unit 107, which is an example of a voice call control unit, to use the communication with the control terminal 6 to make a voice call with the control personnel.

Each function of the bus 5 as described above can be realized by an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) and/or an on-board computer. For example, the configuration of the on-board computer is basically the same as the computer device 1000 (see FIG. 8) for realizing the control terminal 6 as described below. Therefore, each function of the bus 5 can be realized by the processor 1001 executing a program and controlling the communication unit 52 to send and receive signals, or by writing and reading data to and from the memory unit 53. Also, each function of the bus 5 may be realized by a microcontroller (microcomputer) like an ECU.

(Control terminal)
Fig. 4 is a functional block diagram showing the control terminal 6 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 4, the control terminal 6 includes a display control unit 201, a communication control unit 203, a call control unit 204, and an operation reception unit 202 as functions realized by the calculation unit 21.

The display control unit 201 is configured to display various information on a display unit, which is an example of the output unit 23.

The communication control unit 203 is configured to control the communication unit 22 and communicate with the bus 5 via the mobile communication network 4 (Figure 1) and the vehicle control server 3.

The call control unit 204, which is an example of a voice call control unit, is configured to use communication with the bus 5 to allow the controller to make a voice call with the passengers on the bus 5 via a microphone, which is an example of the input unit 24, and an earphone, which is an example of the output unit 23.

The operation reception unit 202 is configured to receive operations by the control personnel via the touch panel of a touch panel display, which is an example of the input unit 24.

Each function of the control terminal 6 as described above can be realized by a processor 1001 of a computer device 1000 (see FIG. 8) for implementing the control terminal 6, which will be described later, executing a program and controlling the communication unit 22 to send and receive signals, etc., or by writing and reading data, etc., to a memory unit (not shown).

In particular, when the control terminal 6 is capable of implementing various functions by application programs executed on an operating system (OS), such as a personal computer, smartphone, or tablet, some or all of the functions described with reference to FIG. 3 may be implemented by the application programs. In addition, some or all of the functions of the control terminal 6 may be implemented by application programs executed on another server.

(Vehicle stop processing)
The stop condition determination unit 101 (see FIG. 3) determines whether or not any one of the above-mentioned abnormal stop conditions A to F is satisfied.

The notification control unit 106 implements automatic notification 0 (zero). Automatic notification 0 notifies passengers that the bus 5 will make a temporary stop. For example, this is done by outputting an alarm sound from a speaker, which is an example of the output unit 61. The notification means is not particularly limited. For example, instead of an alarm sound, a voice message may be output, or text may be displayed on a display installed inside the bus 5. Any notification means may be used for the notifications mentioned in the following description unless otherwise specified.

(Abnormal stop condition A)
Next, the stop condition determination unit 101 will be described below with reference to a case where the bus 5 is stopped due to an obstacle (abnormal stop condition A).
In order to avoid a collision with an obstacle, the automatic driving control unit 501 (see FIG. 2) makes an emergency stop of the bus 5. Details of such an emergency stop process will be described later.

Because bus 5 is making an emergency stop, it is required that bus 5 undergo a large deceleration acceleration (deceleration G), which may cause shock to passengers. Therefore, it is desirable to inform passengers that braking is about to occur and that braking is already occurring, and to have them assume a safe position.

In this embodiment, if abnormality stop condition A is met, a notification is issued before braking begins and during braking. For example, the notification control unit 106 is caused to execute automatic notification 1. Automatic notification 1 can be performed by outputting a warning sound from a speaker (for example, an intermittent sound such as "beep, beep, beep, beep").

Next, the stop condition determination unit 101 determines whether braking has started. This determination can be made based on, for example, whether the automatic driving control unit 501 has instructed the braking control unit 505 to perform braking.

When braking is initiated, the stop condition determination unit 101 causes the notification control unit 106 to perform automatic notification 2. Automatic notification 2 can be performed, for example, by outputting a warning sound (e.g., a continuous sound such as a beep) from a speaker.

Then, the stop condition determination unit 101 determines whether the bus 5 has stopped. This determination continues until the bus 5 has stopped, for example, based on whether the acceleration sensor 606, which is an example of the sensor 57, determines whether the acceleration has become 0.

When the stop of the bus 5 is confirmed, the stop condition determination unit 101 instructs the communication control unit 507 to control the communication unit 52 and start a communication connection for a voice call with the control terminal 6. When the communication connection for a voice call with the control terminal 6 is not started, the stop condition determination unit 101 continues the communication connection process repeatedly until a predetermined time T has elapsed.

As described above, when bus 5 is stopped to avoid a collision with an obstacle (when abnormal stop condition A is met), passengers should assume a safe posture and ensure their own safety before and during braking of bus 5, and voice communication with the control officer should be possible only after the bus has stopped.

(Abnormal Stop Condition C)
Next, a case where the bus 5 stops due to a system error (abnormal stop condition C) is established will be described.

A system error is a state in which the bus 5 cannot continue to operate safely. However, the urgency of the error is low, such as a collision with an obstacle. For this reason, it is preferable to prioritize the safety of passengers and slowly stop the bus 5. For this reason, the automatic driving control unit 501 safely stops the bus 5 while checking that there are no obstacles around the bus 5. Details of this normal stopping process will be described later.

If a system error (abnormal stop condition C) is detected in bus 5, a determination is made as to whether it is a vehicle system error or a communication system error, and processing is performed according to the cause of the error.

If there is a vehicle system error, the stop condition determination unit 101 instructs the communication control unit 507 to control the communication unit 52 and start a communication connection for a voice call with the control terminal 6. Next, the stop condition determination unit 101 determines whether the communication connection has been completed. If the voice call connection with the control terminal 6 has not been completed, the stop condition determination unit 101 continues processing associated with the voice call connection with the control terminal 6 for a predetermined time T.

The stop condition determination unit 101 causes the notification control unit 106 to execute automatic notification 1. After automatic notification 1 notifies passengers that braking will begin, the stop condition determination unit 101 requests the automatic driving control unit 501 to begin braking.

As described above, when bus 5 stops due to a system error (when abnormal stop condition C is met), bus 5 stops slowly. For this reason, passengers are relatively safe before and during the braking of bus 5, and if there is no communication system error, it is preferable for passengers to have a voice call with the controller so that the controller can directly respond to passengers and explain the situation. This makes it possible to prevent bus 5 from operating due to a vehicle system error, and encourage passengers to transfer to bus 5.

Even when the bus 5 slowly stops, there is a possibility that an impact may occur when braking begins, so it is preferable to implement automatic notification 1 and notify passengers of the start of braking. If there is a communication system error, or if the communication connection is not completed within time T, automatic notification 1 is implemented, so that passengers can prepare for the deceleration acceleration (deceleration G) caused by braking.

(Abnormal stop condition E)
Next, a case where a stop due to a passenger's behavior (abnormal stop condition E) is met will be described.

For example, if a passenger unfastens their seat belt, there is a concern that the safety of the passengers may not be ensured if operation continues as is. Therefore, the passenger monitoring unit 104 recognizes that the seat belt has been unfastened in response to a detection signal from the seat belt fastening sensor 105. When it is recognized that the seat belt has been unfastened, the automatic driving control unit 501 temporarily stops the bus 5 by normal stop processing, and the notification control unit 106 notifies the passenger of the reason for the stop, such as that the seat belt has been unfastened, and allows the passengers to fasten their seat belts.

Then, the stop condition determination unit 101 causes the notification control unit 106 to issue a voice notification 1 such as "The seat belt is unfastened. The bus will be temporarily stopped." After that, the stop condition determination unit 101 causes the notification control unit 106 to issue an automatic notification 1, and requests the automatic driving control unit 501 to start braking.

As described above, when the bus 5 stops due to passenger actions (when abnormal stop condition E is met), it is due to passenger actions, and therefore a relatively simple response can provide a sense of security to the passengers. Therefore, no communication connection with the control terminal 6 is established, and voice notification 1 by the notification control unit 106 is sufficient. Also, when a passenger's seat belt remains unfastened for a predetermined period of time or longer, it may be determined that a voice notification is insufficient, and a voice call connection with the control terminal 6 may be established.

In addition, because the bus 5 stops slowly, there is no risk of passengers being subjected to large deceleration acceleration while the bus 5 is braking, so it is sufficient to notify passengers of the start of braking using automatic notification 1 and have them prepare for the deceleration acceleration (deceleration G) during braking.

(Abnormal Stop Condition D)
Next, a case where a stop condition caused by time adjustment based on the operation management of the bus 5 (abnormal stop condition D) is satisfied will be described.

When bus 5 stops temporarily to adjust the time, there is no problem with the operation of bus 5, and the safety of passengers is also ensured. Therefore, it is sufficient to temporarily stop bus 5 using normal stopping processing, and to notify the driver that the stop is for adjusting the time.

Then, the stop condition determination unit 101 causes the notification control unit 106 to issue a voice notification 2 such as "The bus will be temporarily stopped to adjust the time." After that, the stop condition determination unit 101 causes the notification control unit 106 to issue an automatic notification 1, and requests the automatic driving control unit 501 to start braking.

As described above, when the bus 5 is stopped due to time adjustment (when abnormal stop condition D is met), no communication connection is made with the control terminal 6, and audio notification 2 by the notification control unit 106 is sufficient.

In addition, because the bus 5 stops slowly, there is no risk of passengers being subjected to large deceleration acceleration while the bus 5 is braking, so it is sufficient to notify passengers of the start of braking using automatic notification 1 and have them prepare for the deceleration acceleration (deceleration G) during braking.

(Abnormal stop condition B)
Next, a case where a stop condition caused by a stop based on traffic information (abnormal stop condition B) is satisfied will be described.

When the bus 5 stops temporarily based on traffic information, including traffic signal information and congestion information, the safety of passengers is ensured. Therefore, it would be sufficient if the traffic information could be notified at the same time as the bus 5 is temporarily stopped by the normal stopping process.

Then, the stop condition determination unit 101 causes the notification control unit 106 to issue a voice notification 3 such as "A vehicle accident has occurred in the direction in which the bus is traveling. The bus will be temporarily stopped." After that, the stop condition determination unit 101 causes the notification control unit 106 to issue an automatic notification 1, and requests the automatic driving control unit 501 to start braking.

As described above, when the bus 5 stops based on traffic information (when abnormal stop condition B is met), no communication connection is made with the control terminal 6, and audio notification 3 by the notification control unit 106 is sufficient.

In addition, because the bus 5 stops slowly, there is no risk of passengers being subjected to large deceleration acceleration while the bus 5 is braking, so it is sufficient to notify passengers of the start of braking using automatic notification 1 and have them prepare for the deceleration acceleration (deceleration G) during braking.

(Abnormal stop condition F)
Next, a case where a stop condition caused by a stop based on a stopping operation of a vehicle traveling in front of the bus 5 (abnormal stop condition F) is satisfied will be described.

When a vehicle traveling ahead of bus 5 stops at a stop sign or a traffic signal, it is sufficient to have bus 5 stop temporarily using normal stopping processing and to notify the driver of the reason for the stop.

Then, the automatic driving control unit 501 (see FIG. 2) stops the bus 5 so that it follows the vehicle ahead. Details of this normal stopping process will be described later.

The following Table 1 shows the relationship between abnormality stop conditions A to F in the first embodiment, the type and timing of notification, and the timing of communication connection for voice calls.

A judgment table equivalent to that shown in Table 1 can be prepared and stored in the memory unit 53 of the bus 5, and the stop condition judgment unit 101 can refer to the judgment table to determine the type and timing of the notification, as well as the timing of the communication connection for voice calls.

For example, the stop condition determination unit 101 determines whether or not abnormal stop conditions A to F are satisfied in S1 shown in FIG. 5, and then refers to the determination table shown in Table 1 using the satisfied abnormal stop condition as a key to determine the corresponding type of notification (upper row in the notification column in Table 1) and implementation timing (lower row in the notification column in Table 1). The stop condition determination unit 101 then causes the notification control unit 106 to issue a notification of the determined type according to the determined implementation timing, and can also cause the communication control unit 507 to establish a communication connection between the bus 5 and the control terminal 6 for voice calls at the determined implementation timing.

(Emergency stop processing)
5 is a flow chart showing each process of the emergency stop process in the public bus control system 1 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG 5, first, the automatic driving control unit 501 determines an upper limit deceleration (S101).

Next, the autonomous driving control unit 501 determines the time to collision (TTC) (S102). The TTC is the value obtained by dividing the distance between the bus 5 and the obstacle at a certain point in time by the relative speed.

The upper deceleration limit and TTC may be determined in the opposite order, or simultaneously.

Next, the automatic driving control unit 501 causes the braking control unit 505 to control the braking unit 55 according to the upper deceleration limit and the TTC to perform braking control processing (S103). After that, the automatic driving control unit 501 determines whether the bus 5 has stopped (S104). If the determination in S104 is No, the process returns to S104 and the same process is repeated. If the determination in S104 is Yes, the process ends.

(Normal stop processing)
6 is a flow chart showing each process of the normal stop process in the public bus control system 1 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the automatic driving control unit 501 judges whether or not there is a braking start request from the stop condition judgment unit 101 (S200). If the judgment in S200 is No, the process returns to S200 and repeats the same process.

If the determination in S200 is Yes, the presence or absence of an obstacle is determined based on the detection result by the front sensor 102 in order to confirm that there is no obstacle within the detectable distance of the front sensor 102 of the bus 5 (S201).

If the determination in S201 is Yes and an obstacle is present, the automatic driving control unit 501 sets a deceleration rate α (S202). If the determination in S201 is No and an obstacle is not present, the automatic driving control unit 501 sets a deceleration rate β (S203). Here, the relationship between the deceleration rates α and β is α>β, and if there is no obstacle, the bus 5 is stopped relatively slowly, ensuring the safety of passengers and increasing their sense of security.

Next, the automatic driving control unit 501 causes the braking control unit 505 to control the braking unit 55 according to the set deceleration α or β, and performs braking control processing (S204). After that, the automatic driving control unit 501 determines whether the bus 5 has stopped (S205). If the determination in S205 is No, the process returns to S205 and repeats the same processing. If the determination in S205 is Yes, the process ends.

(Examples of emergency stops due to road obstacles)
In the first embodiment as described above, when an obstacle (a fallen object, a moving object, a vehicle, etc.) is present on the road ahead of the bus 5, the automatic driving control unit 501 executes emergency stop processing. Specifically, first, when an obstacle is detected within the detectable distance of the front sensor 102 of the bus 5, the automatic driving control unit 501 decides to execute emergency stop processing. Next, based on the decision, the stop condition determination unit 101 determines that abnormal stop condition A is satisfied. Next, the notification control unit 106 executes automatic notification 0. This calls the attention of passengers.

Next, the automatic driving control unit 501 starts the braking control process (S103 in FIG. 5) when the TTC reaches a predetermined time. In response to this, the notification control unit 106 executes automatic notification 1 before braking starts when it determines that abnormal stop condition A is met. This allows passengers to be notified before braking starts, preventing them from being surprised and anxious due to the sudden start of braking.

Then, the automatic driving control unit 501 performs braking control of the bus 5 so as not to exceed the upper limit deceleration. At this time, the notification control unit 106 continuously performs automatic notification 2. This allows passengers to prepare for the deceleration acceleration (deceleration G) if a large deceleration occurs during braking.

(Example of normal stop due to system error)
Furthermore, in the first embodiment as described above, when a vehicle system error occurs in the bus 5, the automatic driving control unit 501 executes normal stop processing. Specifically, when the abnormality diagnosis unit 502 (see FIG. 3) diagnoses the occurrence of a vehicle system error (e.g., steering is locked), the automatic driving control unit 501 decides to execute normal emergency stop processing. Next, based on the decision, the stop condition determination unit 101 determines that the abnormal stop condition C is satisfied. Next, the notification control unit 106 executes automatic notification 0. This calls the attention of passengers.

Next, the stop condition determination unit 101 determines that the stop is due to a vehicle system error other than a communication system error, and establishes a communication connection. After that, the notification control unit 106 performs automatic notification 1. After that, the stop condition determination unit 101 requests the automatic driving control unit 501 to start braking. The automatic driving control unit 501 starts braking in response to the request to start braking. As a result, braking starts after a notification is given to passengers, and it is possible to prevent passengers from becoming anxious when braking starts.

In addition, the communication connection is established before braking begins, and voice communication with the control officer becomes possible during braking or before bus 5 comes to a stop, allowing the company to start responding to passengers as soon as possible.

(Braking control based on attribute information)
In the first embodiment, in order to reduce passenger anxiety, it is preferable to further adjust the braking conditions in accordance with the attributes of the passengers.

Here, passenger attribute information includes, but is not limited to, for example, age, pregnancy, whether the person is certified as disabled, whether the person uses a wheelchair, and whether the person uses a stroller. Passenger attribute information can be obtained, but is not limited to, for example, from a passenger database stored in the memory of a boarding reservation management server (not shown) installed in cloud 2.

First, in the emergency stop process (see FIG. 5), it is desirable for the autonomous driving control unit 501 to determine the upper deceleration limit based on the passenger's attribute information. For example, if a passenger using a wheelchair or a stroller is on board, the upper deceleration limit can be set low, and the maximum deceleration limit for the passenger can be reduced.

In addition, in the normal stop process (see FIG. 6), it is desirable for the automatic driving control unit 501 to adjust the timing for starting braking based on passenger attribute information. For example, if an elderly person is on board, it is expected that it will take some time for the elderly person to recognize that they have been notified by automatic notification 1, so it is preferable to delay the start of braking.

Furthermore, in the normal stop process (see FIG. 6), it is desirable for the autonomous driving control unit 501 to correct the deceleration β based on the passenger attribute information. For example, if an elderly person is on board, the deceleration β can be corrected to be smaller, so that the deceleration acceleration (deceleration G) due to braking can be more appropriately suppressed.

However, the adjustment of the timing to start braking and the correction of the deceleration β are subject to the condition that no obstacle is detected in front of the bus 5.

As described above, in the first embodiment, an emergency stop process is performed to avoid the bus 5 colliding with an obstacle, so there is a possibility that a large deceleration (deceleration G) is required for the bus 5. In such a situation, there is a concern that passengers will not be able to talk to the controller. However, according to the first embodiment, communication is established after the bus 5 has stopped, so the controller can respond appropriately to the passengers.

In addition, when the bus 5 stops temporarily to avoid colliding with an obstacle, the automatic notification 1 notifies passengers that braking will occur before braking begins, so passengers can prepare for the deceleration acceleration (deceleration G) when braking begins.

In addition, when the bus 5 is forced to stop temporarily due to a vehicle system error, normal stopping processing is performed, so it is unlikely that a large deceleration will be required of the bus 5, but there is a concern that braking may cause the vehicle behavior of the bus 5 to become unstable. However, according to the first embodiment, a communication connection is established before the bus 5 stops, allowing the control personnel to respond to passengers early, thereby increasing the sense of security of passengers. In addition, since it is predicted that the notification control unit 106 will not be able to notify passengers if a vehicle system error occurs, this is preferable in that the control personnel can respond to passengers by voice call even during braking.

In addition, according to the first embodiment, if there is a communication system error, the communication connection is not established, but by notifying passengers of the start of braking by automatic notification 1, passengers can be prepared for the impact caused by the start of braking, which increases the sense of security of passengers.

In addition, if the bus 5 stops temporarily due to passenger actions, there is no vehicle system error, so a notification can be made by the notification control unit 106. In the first embodiment, in such a case, voice notification 1 is made to inform the passengers of the reason for the temporary stop, and no communication connection is made. This makes it possible to avoid unnecessary communication connections and improve the efficiency of the monitoring work of the control personnel. Furthermore, if the bus 5 has a stop request button, when the stop request button is pressed, a voice call connection with the control terminal 6 may be made so that the control personnel can respond.

(Hardware configuration)
The functional block diagrams used in the description of the above embodiments show functional blocks. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of hardware and/or software. The means for realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized by one physically combined device, or may be realized by two or more physically separated devices connected by wire or wirelessly.

Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the server and terminal according to the first embodiment. The computer device 1000 constituting the vehicle control server 3, the onboard computer of the bus 5 (hereinafter simply referred to as "bus 5"), and the control terminal 6 may be physically configured as the computer device 1000 including a processor 1001, memory 1002, storage 1003, communication device 1004, input device 1005, output device 1006, sensor 1007, internal bus 1008, etc.

In the following description, the term "apparatus" can be interpreted as a circuit, device, unit, etc. The hardware configuration may be configured to include one or more of the devices shown in the figure, or may be configured to exclude some of the devices.

For example, although only one processor 1001 is shown, there may be multiple processors. Also, processing may be performed on one processor, or processing may be performed on one or more processors simultaneously, sequentially, or in other manners.

The functions of the vehicle control server 3, bus 5, control terminal 6, etc. are realized by loading specific software (programs) onto hardware such as the processor 1001 and memory 1002, causing the processor 1001 to perform calculations and control communications via the communication device 1004 and the reading and/or writing of data in the memory 1002 and storage 1003.

The processor 1001, for example, runs an operating system to control the entire computer. The processor 1001 may be configured as a central processing unit (CPU) including an interface with peripheral devices, a control device, an arithmetic unit, registers, etc. The processor 1001 may be implemented in one or more chips.

The processor 1001 also reads out programs (program codes), software modules, and data from the storage 1003 and/or the communication device 1004 into the memory 1002, and executes various processes according to these. The programs used are those that cause a computer to execute at least some of the operations described in the above-mentioned embodiments.

Memory 1002 is an example of storage unit 53 (see FIG. 2) and is a computer-readable recording medium, and may be composed of at least one of, for example, ROM (Read Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), EEPROM (Electrically EPROM), RAM (Random Access Memory), and other suitable storage media. Memory 1002 may also be called a register, cache, main memory (primary storage device), etc. Memory 1002 can store executable programs (program codes), software modules, etc. for realizing the ride reservation user support device according to the present invention.

Storage 1003 is an example of storage unit 53 (see FIG. 2) and is a computer-readable recording medium, and may be composed of at least one of, for example, a flexible disk, a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a magneto-optical disk (e.g., a compact disk (CD-ROM (Compact Disc ROM)), a digital versatile disk, a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disk), a removable disk, a hard disk drive, a smart card, a flash memory device (e.g., a card, a stick, a key drive), a magnetic stripe, a database, a server, and other suitable storage media. Storage 1003 may also be referred to as an auxiliary storage device.

The communication device 1004 is an example of the communication unit 22, 52 (see Figures 2 and 4), and is hardware (transmitting/receiving device) for communicating between computers via a wired and/or wireless network, and is also called, for example, a network device, network controller, network card, or communication module.

The input device 1005 is an example of the input unit 24, 59 (see Figures 2 and 4), and is an input device (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, etc.) that accepts input from the outside. The output device 1006 is an example of the output unit 23, 61 (see Figures 2 and 4), and is an output device (e.g., a display, a speaker, etc.) that outputs to the outside. Note that the input device 1005 and the output device 1006 may be integrated into one structure (e.g., a touch panel).

In addition, each device such as the processor 1001 and memory 1002 is connected by an internal bus 1008 for communicating information.

The vehicle control server 3, bus 5, and control terminal 6 may be configured to include hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), and a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and some or all of the functional blocks may be realized by the hardware. For example, the processor 1001 may be implemented by at least one of these pieces of hardware.

In the first embodiment, the network used for communication between the cloud 2 (see FIG. 1) and the control terminal 6 includes various networks such as the Internet, a mobile network, a LAN (Local Area Network), and a WAN (Wide Area Network). The network may be wireless, wired, or a combination of these. For example, the wireless communication method may be Bluetooth (registered trademark), a wireless LAN (e.g., compliant with the IEEE 802.11 standard), LTE (Long Term Evolution), or other wireless communication methods.

Furthermore, the mobile communication network 4 (see FIG. 1) can use, for example, LTE or other wireless communication methods.

Second Embodiment
Next, the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 10, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. In the following description, the same reference numerals are used for configurations similar to those of the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

Figure 8 is a functional block diagram showing the main parts related to vehicle stop control in a bus 5 according to a second embodiment. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that various information related to the temporary stop of the bus 5 is collected and provided to the control terminal 6.

As shown in FIG. 8, an information providing unit 601 is provided to collect various information from the automatic driving control unit 501 and the stop condition determination unit 101 of the bus 5 (see FIG. 1). The information providing unit 601 is configured to cause the communication control unit 507 to control the communication unit 52 and transmit the collected various information to the vehicle control server 3 using the mobile communication network 4.

The information providing unit 601 is configured to collect, from the stop condition determination unit 101, any one of the abnormal stop conditions A to F that has been satisfied as an example of the stop reason information of the present invention.

The information providing unit 601 is also configured to collect a forward image of the bus 5 from the forward camera 607 as an example of obstacle information. In addition to the forward image captured by the forward camera 607, images of the surroundings of the bus 5 captured by another external camera (not shown) may also be collected.

The information providing unit 601 is also configured to collect, as examples of vehicle behavior information, whether the airbag 603 is deployed, whether the ABS 604 and ESP 605 of the braking unit 55 are activated, and the maximum deceleration (maximum G) detected by the acceleration sensor 606.

In addition, the information providing unit 601 is configured to collect images of the interior of the bus 5 from the in-vehicle camera 602.

Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the call control unit 107 is configured to be able to make a video call with the control terminal 6 using the in-vehicle camera 602 and the display unit.

The bus 5 also includes a remote operation control unit 608. The remote operation control unit 608 is configured to receive remote operation commands from the control terminal 6 and cause the automatic driving control unit 501 to perform control in accordance with the remote operation commands.

Figure 9 is a functional block diagram showing a control terminal 6 according to the second embodiment. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the control terminal 6 includes an information output control unit 611 and a remote command control unit 612.

The information output control unit 611 is configured to display various information transmitted from the information providing unit 601 of the bus 5, for example, on a display unit.

The remote command control unit 612 is also configured to generate a remote operation command in accordance with the operation from the control personnel received by the operation reception unit 202, and transmit the command to the bus 5 via the network and the mobile communication network 4 using the communication unit 22.

The call control unit 204 is also configured to be able to make video calls with the bus 5 using the front camera, which is an example of the input unit 24, and the display unit.

In the public bus control system 1 according to the second embodiment configured as described above, abnormal stop information is transmitted from the bus 5 to the control terminal 6 via the vehicle control server 3 at an appropriate time. FIG. 12 is a sequence diagram showing data exchange in the public bus control system 1 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 12, first, in the bus 5, the stop condition determination unit 101 determines whether any of the abnormal stop conditions A to F is satisfied (S501). In this example, it is assumed that the abnormal stop condition A is satisfied. If the abnormal stop condition A is satisfied, the notification control unit 106 performs automatic notification 0 (S502).

Next, the information providing unit 601 (see FIG. 1) transmits the abnormal stop information including the stop reason information (satisfaction of abnormal stop condition A) to the vehicle control server 3 as a first report (flash report) (S503). The first report only needs to include the stop reason information, and can be text information, for example, so there is an advantage that the amount of data is reduced and communication problems are less likely to occur.

The vehicle control server 3 records the first report in the memory unit (S504). After that, the vehicle control server 3 transmits the first report to the control terminal 6 (S505). In the control terminal 6, the information output control unit 611 causes the display unit to display the stop reason information included in the first report (S506).

After that, in the bus 5, the stop condition determination unit 101 determines whether the automatic driving control unit 501 has started braking (S507). This determination corresponds to S22 shown in FIG. 6. When braking has started, the information provision unit 601 transmits abnormal stop information including a forward image and an interior image to the vehicle control server 3 as a second report (S508). The vehicle control server 3 records the second report in the storage unit (S509). The vehicle control server 3 then transmits the second report to the control terminal 6 (S510). In the control terminal 6, the information output control unit 611 displays the forward image and the interior image included in the second report on the display unit (S511). At this time, it is preferable that the forward image and the interior image are still images from the viewpoint of transmitting data in a short time. If they are still images, the forward image and the interior image can be transmitted simultaneously. The control person determines whether to instruct a communication connection for a call based on the displayed forward image and the interior image.

In the control terminal 6, the operation reception unit 202 (see FIG. 4) receives a connection request instruction (S512). Specifically, the operation reception unit 202 receives, for example, a touch operation by the control personnel on a communication connection button displayed on a touch panel display, which is an example of the display unit and input unit 24. Next, the communication control unit 203 requests the vehicle control server 3 to establish a communication connection with the bus 5 (S513).

Meanwhile, in the bus 5, the stop condition determination unit 101 (see FIG. 3) determines whether the bus 5 has stopped (S514). This determination corresponds to S24 shown in FIG. 6. If the vehicle has stopped, the information provision unit 601 transmits vehicle behavior information related to the behavior of the bus 5 when the bus 5 has stopped as a third report to the vehicle control server 3 (S515). The vehicle behavior information includes, for example, whether the airbag 603 has been deployed, whether the ABS 604 and ESP 605 of the braking unit 55 have been activated, and the maximum deceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 606. The vehicle control server 3 records the third report in the storage unit (S516). Thereafter, the vehicle control server 3 transmits the third report to the control terminal 6 (S517). In the control terminal 6, the information output control unit 611 causes the display unit to display the vehicle behavior information included in the third report (S518).

On the other hand, the vehicle control server 3 determines whether or not to establish a communication connection between the bus 5 and the control terminal 6 based on the vehicle behavior information (S519). More specifically, if the maximum deceleration, which is one piece of vehicle behavior information, exceeds a threshold value, it determines that a communication connection should be established. In addition to the vehicle behavior information, the information providing unit 601 can also transmit an interior image of the bus 5 after it has stopped to the vehicle control server 3, and an image analysis processing unit (not shown) provided in the vehicle control server 3 can check the status of the passengers from the interior image and determine whether or not a communication connection should be established. If it is determined that a communication connection should not be established as a result of this determination, the voice call and video call described below are not performed.

When the vehicle control server 3 determines in S519 that a communication connection should be established, communication between the bus 5 and the control terminal 6 is established, and a voice call is established (S520). Next, the information providing unit 601 (see FIG. 9) transmits the in-vehicle video image and the forward image captured by the in-vehicle camera 602 as a fourth report to the vehicle control server 3 (S521). The vehicle control server 3 records the fourth report in the memory unit (S522). The vehicle control server 3 then transmits the fourth report to the control terminal 6 (S523). In the control terminal 6, the information output control unit 611 causes the display unit to display the in-vehicle video image and the forward image included in the fourth report (S524). Here, since the in-vehicle video image has a large amount of data, it is preferable that it be transmitted with priority over the forward image.

After that, a video call (S525) and remote control (S526) are performed between the bus 5 and the control terminal 6.

As described above, the second embodiment provides the same advantages as the first embodiment, as well as the following advantages:

First, when the bus 5 performs an emergency stop process to avoid colliding with an obstacle, it may be necessary to decelerate the bus 5 significantly (deceleration G), which may lead to a concern that the bus 5 may not be able to establish a communication connection and respond appropriately to passengers. In the second embodiment, after the bus 5 has stopped, the bus 5 establishes a communication connection and makes a voice call (S520) and a video call (S525), ensuring the safety of passengers and reducing the workload of the controller. In addition, the first report (S503) and the second report (S508) provide the controller with appropriate information at the appropriate time, allowing the controller to grasp the situation on the bus 5 at an early stage, and when the bus 5 has stopped and voice calls (S520) and video calls (S525) become possible, the controller can respond quickly and appropriately to passengers.

In addition, in S508, after braking has started, an image of the front and interior of the bus 5 are sent to the control terminal 6 as a second report, allowing the control personnel to grasp the situation of the bus 5 and passengers at an early stage, and therefore allowing appropriate responses to passengers even if voice calls (S520) and video calls (S525) are made after the bus 5 has stopped.

In addition, in S515, after the bus 5 has stopped, vehicle behavior information when the bus 5 was braked is sent as a third report to the control terminal 6, so that the control personnel can respond to passengers more appropriately and can take appropriate measures remotely by remote operation (remote manual driving, etc.).

In addition, in S512, a connection request instruction is received from the control officer indicating that a communication connection is to be established between the bus 5 and the control terminal 6 for voice calls, video calls, and remote operation, and in S513, a communication connection request is made from the control terminal 6 to the vehicle control server 3. This makes it possible to prevent unnecessary communication connections and improve the monitoring work of the control officer.

In addition, various information contained in the first report (S503), second report (S508), third report (S515), and fourth report (S521) is stored in the memory unit of the vehicle control server 3. This makes it possible to record the occurrence of an abnormality on the bus 5, its cause, the effects of emergency braking, and the situation in front of and inside the bus 5 as an event recorder.

Although the present embodiment and its modified examples have been described, other embodiments of the present invention may be combinations of the above-described embodiments and modified examples in whole or in part.

Furthermore, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and may be modified, substituted, or altered in various ways without departing from the spirit of the technical idea of the present invention. Furthermore, if the technical idea of the present invention can be realized in a different way due to technological advances or derived other technologies, it may be implemented using that method. Therefore, the claims cover all embodiments that may fall within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, an obstacle is detected by the forward sensor 102, which is an on-board sensor, but the obstacle may be detected from outside the bus 5. For example, the obstacle may be detected by a road monitoring sensor installed on the roadside.

In addition, traffic information can also include past road information, rainfall information from weather forecasts, and flooding information collected by the road management center or vehicle control center from other vehicles.

As described above, the present invention has the effect of relieving passenger anxiety while improving the efficiency of monitoring work for control personnel, and is particularly useful for autonomous shared buses.

LIST OF SYMBOLS 1 Bus control system 2 Cloud 3 Vehicle control server 4 Mobile communication network 5 Bus 6 Control terminal 7 GNSS satellite 8 VICS transmitter 21, 51 Calculation unit 22, 52 Communication unit 23, 61 Output unit 24, 59 Input unit 53 Memory unit 54 Drive unit 55 Braking unit 56 Steering unit 57 Sensor 58 GNSS receiver 62 VICS receiver 101 Stop condition determination unit 102 Forward sensor 103 Traffic management unit 104 Passenger monitoring unit 105 Seat belt fastening sensor 106 Notification control unit 107 Call control unit 201 Display control unit 202 Communication control unit 203 Call control unit 204 Operation reception unit 501 Automatic driving control unit 502 Abnormality diagnosis unit 503 Current position acquisition unit 504 Drive control unit 505 Braking control unit 506 Steering control unit 507 Communication control unit 508 Traffic information acquisition unit 509 Operation reception unit 601 Information provision unit 602 In-vehicle camera 603 Airbag 604 ABS
605 ESP
606 Acceleration sensor 607 Front camera 608 Remote operation control unit 609 Operation reception unit 611 Information output control unit 612 Remote command control unit 1000 Computer device 1001 Processor 1002 Memory 1003 Storage 1004 Communication device 1005 Input device 1006 Output device 1007 Sensor 1008 Internal bus

Claims (9)

an abnormality diagnosis unit that diagnoses abnormalities in a vehicle;
an automatic driving control unit that stops the vehicle when the abnormality diagnosis unit diagnoses that the vehicle is abnormal;
A communication control unit that controls the communication unit and communicates with a control terminal used by a control person,
The communication control unit causes the communication unit to establish a communication connection with the control terminal after the autonomous driving control unit stops the vehicle,
A vehicle stop control device characterized in that, when the abnormality is an abnormality caused by passenger behavior , the communication unit is not caused to make the communication connection. an automatic driving control unit that stops the vehicle when an obstacle is detected in the vicinity of the vehicle;
a communication control unit that controls the communication unit and communicates with a control terminal used by a control person;
an information providing unit that causes the communication unit to transmit information about the vehicle to the control terminal;
The information providing unit is
The automatic driving control unit transmits a first report including stop reason information informing the driver of a reason for stopping the vehicle before the vehicle starts braking;
transmitting a second report including abnormal stop information during braking of the vehicle;
A vehicle stop control device characterized in that, after the vehicle is stopped, a third report including vehicle behavior information relating to the behavior of the vehicle when the vehicle is stopped is transmitted. 3. The vehicle stop control device according to claim 2 , wherein the second report includes only a still image of a front image of the vehicle or a still image of an interior of the vehicle. 3. The vehicle stop control device according to claim 2 , wherein the second report is both a still image of a front view of the vehicle and a still image of an interior of the vehicle. 3. The vehicle stop control device according to claim 2 , wherein the vehicle behavior information includes information regarding the deployment of an airbag in the vehicle or a maximum deceleration. A voice communication control unit for performing voice communication with the control terminal,
the voice call control unit causes the communication control unit to establish a communication connection for making the voice call after transmitting the third report;
5. The vehicle stop control device according to claim 3 , further comprising: a fourth report including an image of a front side of the vehicle and a moving image of an interior of the vehicle, after the communication connection is established. 7. The vehicle stop control device according to claim 6 , wherein a moving image of the inside of the vehicle is transmitted as the fourth report in preference to the forward image. A vehicle stop control method for stopping a vehicle by automatic driving executed by a computer , comprising:
a step of stopping the vehicle when an abnormality diagnosis unit that diagnoses an abnormality in the vehicle diagnoses an abnormality in the vehicle;
and after stopping the vehicle, controlling the communication unit to establish a communication connection with a control terminal used by a control person.
A vehicle stop control method, characterized in that, when the abnormality is an abnormality caused by passenger behavior , the communication unit is not caused to make the communication connection. A vehicle stop control method for stopping a vehicle by automatic driving executed by a computer , comprising:
stopping the vehicle when an obstacle is detected in the vicinity of the vehicle;
A step of controlling the communication unit to establish a communication connection with a control terminal used by a control person;
before the vehicle starts braking, causing the communication unit to transmit a first report including stop reason information informing the control terminal of a reason for stopping the vehicle;
causing the communication unit to transmit a second report including obstacle information regarding the obstacle to the control terminal while the vehicle is braking;
After the vehicle is stopped, causing the communication unit to transmit a third report including vehicle behavior information regarding a behavior of the vehicle when the vehicle is stopped to the control terminal;
A vehicle stop control method comprising:

Images