JP7655098B2 - Mobile Collection System - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a system that has a traveling unit and a carriage unit and that recovers a mobile object on which people can ride.

In recent years, systems have been devised that use autonomous vehicles to transport items such as luggage. Patent Document 1 discloses an autonomous vehicle that includes a front section with front wheels, a tail section with rear wheels, and a loading section that is connected between the front and tail sections to integrate the front and tail sections. When the front and tail sections are stopped, the loading section is configured to be detachable from the vehicle and connectable to the vehicle in a direction that intersects with the vehicle's traveling direction.

JP 2019-131039 A

In the system disclosed in Patent Document 1, when a server device receives a dispatch request from the outside, it determines an autonomous vehicle to be dispatched and generates an operation command according to the dispatch request. It is expected that a mobility system equipped with a vehicle with an autonomous driving function can provide useful services in a variety of situations. In recent years, services using small mobile objects, such as personal mobility, have begun to spread, and there is a demand for building a system for efficiently collecting small mobile objects after users have finished using them.

The object of the present invention is to provide a system for recovering moving objects.

In order to solve the above problems, one embodiment of the mobile object recovery system of the present invention is a mobile object recovery system that includes a traveling unit with an autonomous traveling function and a cart unit having a storage section for carrying a mobile object on which a person can ride, and includes a detection section that detects the loading state of the mobile object in the storage section, and a control section that determines the operation of the traveling unit based on the loading state detected by the detection section.

In addition, any combination of the above components, and expressions of the present invention converted between methods, devices, systems, computer programs, recording media on which computer programs are readably recorded, data structures, etc. are also valid aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of a mobility system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a running body according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which the traveling unit and the carriage unit are separated. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating an example of a door provided in a main body portion. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a configuration of a running body. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing functional blocks of the mobility system. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a small mobile body that a person can ride on. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a route connecting a nearest station and a company. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a rental cart unit. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a recovery cart unit. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a user moving on a small moving object. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which the small moving body has been returned to the cart unit. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a process in the server device. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the traveling unit pulling the bogie unit toward the nearest station. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the state in which the bogie unit is placed at the nearest station. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the traveling unit towing the cart unit toward the company. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the traveling unit pulling the bogie unit toward the nearest station. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the state in which the bogie unit is placed at the nearest station.

Figure 1 shows an overview of a mobility system 1 according to an embodiment. The mobility system 1 includes a driving unit 12, a cart unit 14, and a server device 6. The driving unit 12 has an autonomous driving function, whereas the cart unit 14 does not. The driving unit 12 and the cart unit 14 each have a wireless communication function, and are communicatively connected to the server device 6 via a network 2 such as the Internet via a wireless station 4, which is a base station. The driving unit 12 and the cart unit 14 can communicate with each other via the network 2, but may also communicate directly without going through the network 2.

In the mobility system 1, the traveling unit 12 and the bogie unit 14 are configured to be connectable and detachable, and the traveling body 10 is formed by connecting the traveling unit 12 and the bogie unit 14. Note that the traveling unit 12 having an automatic traveling function may be referred to as a traveling body by itself.

By configuring the traveling unit 12 and the bogie unit 14 to be connectable and detachable, the traveling unit 12 can tow the bogie unit 14 to the destination, then detach the bogie unit 14 and execute a different task. For example, if the different task is tow another bogie unit 14 to another destination, the traveling unit 12 moves to the location where the other bogie unit 14 is located, connects to the other bogie unit 14, tows it to the other destination, and detaches the other bogie unit 14. By configuring the traveling unit 12 and the bogie unit 14 to be connectable and detachable in this way, the traveling unit 12 can execute tasks related to different bogie units 14 one after another.

The detached cart unit 14 can provide services at that location. In the embodiment, the cart unit 14 provides a service for using a small mobile object that people can ride on.

The server device 6 manages the positions and states of the multiple traveling units 12 and the multiple cart units 14. The state of the traveling units 12 includes a state indicating whether a task is being executed, and the state of the cart units 14 includes a state indicating whether a small mobile object utilization service is being provided. The server device 6 determines the operation (task) of each traveling unit 12 based on the positions and states of the multiple traveling units 12 and the multiple cart units 14. The traveling units 12 operate based on operation instructions sent from the server device 6.

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the running body 10 of the embodiment. The running body 10 is formed by connecting a running unit 12 to a cart unit 14. The cart unit 14 has a storage section 8 for carrying objects. The running body 10 may have a total length of about 2 m (meters) to 3 m, a total width of about 0.5 m to 1.8 m, and a total height of about 1.5 m to 2.5 m.

Figure 3 shows the traveling unit 12 and the bogie unit 14 in a separated state. The bogie unit 14 has a main body 40 that forms the storage section 8. The storage section 8 is defined by a base 40a on which the front wheels 42 and rear wheels 44 are provided, a ceiling section 40b that faces the base 40a, a front wall section 40c, and a rear wall section 40d, and is configured as a space that penetrates in the vehicle width direction. When the bogie unit 14 is separated from the traveling unit 12, the legs 46 of the bogie unit 14 contact the ground and are immobile, and the position of the bogie unit 14 is fixed.

Doors that can be opened and closed to separate the space may be provided on both sides of the storage section 8 .
4 shows an example of a door 60 provided on the main body 40. The door 60 may be a flip-up door with hinges provided on both sides of the ceiling 40b. By closing the door 60, the storage section 8 can be separated from the outside space, so that, for example, a small mobile object placed in the storage section 8 during movement can be prevented from falling outside. In addition, when the cart unit 14 is stopped, the door 60 can be opened to provide shade. The door 60 may be entirely or partially formed of a transparent or semi-transparent material so that the state inside can be confirmed from the outside when the door 60 is closed.

Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the running body 10. The running unit 12 has wheels 20, a main body 22, an object detection sensor 24, a coupling device 26, a processing device 30, a communication unit 32, a drive device 34, and a power supply device 36. The cart unit 14 has a main body 40, front wheels 42, rear wheels 44, legs 46, a coupled part 48, a power supply device 50, a processing device 52, a communication unit 54, and a moving body detection sensor 56.

In the traveling unit 12, a pair of wheels 20 are provided on the left and right sides, and are rotatably supported by the main body 22. A driving device 34 is provided on each of the pair of wheels 20. The driving device 34 includes a motor, and rotates the wheels 20 in response to a driving command generated by the processing device 30. As the pair of wheels 20 rotate independently of each other, the difference in the rotation speed of the pair of wheels 20 allows the traveling unit 12 to turn left and right. In addition to the pair of wheels 20, the main body 22 may be provided with one or more auxiliary wheels (not shown).

The main body 22 is composed of a body frame and a cover that covers the internal structure. The object detection sensor 24 is provided in the main body 22 and detects objects in the traveling direction. The object detection sensor 24 may be a camera, a millimeter wave radar, an infrared laser, a sonic sensor, etc., or a combination of these. The object detection sensor 24 may be provided not only in the front of the main body 22, but also in various positions on the main body 22 to detect objects in the rear or lateral directions. The object detection sensor 24 supplies the detection results to the processing device 30.

The coupling device 26 is provided at the rear of the main body 22 and is coupled to the coupled part 48 (see FIG. 3) of the cart unit 14. When the traveling unit 12 and the cart unit 14 are close to each other, the processing device 30 controls the drive of the wheels 20 to connect the coupling device 26 to the coupled part 48 and activates the locking mechanism to couple the coupling device 26 to the coupled part 48. When the coupling device 26 is coupled to the coupled part 48, it sends a signal indicating completion of coupling to the processing device 30. The locking mechanism that couples the coupling device 26 to the coupled part 48 may have a structure that mechanically couples the coupling device 26, for example, with a hook-shaped hook, but may also have a structure that couples the coupling device 26 electromagnetically. The processing device 30 releases the locking mechanism to separate the coupling device 26 from the coupled part 48.

The power supply unit 36 is a rechargeable battery that supplies power to each component mounted on the traveling unit 12. The power supply unit 36 may be capable of sending and receiving power to and from the power supply unit 50 of the carriage unit 14. The processing device 30 monitors the remaining amount of power in the power supply unit 36.

The processing device 30 controls the autonomous driving of the driving unit 12. Based on the detection results of the object detection sensor 24 and the position information of the driving unit 12, the processing device 30 drives the drive device 34 to realize the autonomous driving of the driving unit 12. The communication unit 32 is connected to the network 2 and communicates with the server device 6 and/or the cart unit 14. Note that when the driving unit 12 and the cart unit 14 are close to each other, the communication unit 32 of the driving unit 12 and the communication unit 54 of the cart unit 14 may communicate directly without going through the network 2.

In the cart unit 14, a pair of front wheels 42 and a pair of rear wheels 44 are rotatably supported on the base 40a of the main body 40. The cart unit 14 does not have a drive device for driving the front wheels 42 and the rear wheels 44. The coupled part 48 is provided at the front of the main body 40 and is coupled to the coupling device 26 of the traveling unit 12. When the coupling device 26 and the coupled part 48 are coupled, the coupled part 48 may send a signal indicating completion of coupling to the processing device 52.

A pair of legs 46 are provided at the front of the main body 40 and are configured to be able to move forward and backward relative to the ground. When the legs 46 move forward and touch the ground, they function as stoppers that limit the movement of the cart unit 14. Therefore, when the cart unit 14 is separated from the running unit 12, the legs 46 move forward and touch the ground, serving as stoppers. On the other hand, when the cart unit 14 is connected to the running unit 12, the legs 46 move backward and are no longer in contact with the ground. For example, when the processing device 52 receives a signal from the connected part 48 indicating that connection is complete, the legs 46 may be moved backward and away from the ground.

The power supply unit 50 uses at least one of hydrogen, gasoline, electricity, etc. as a power source and supplies power to each component mounted on the cart unit 14. Figure 3 shows three hydrogen tanks inserted into three slots in the front of the main body 40. The processing device 52 monitors the remaining amount of power in the power supply unit 50.

In the embodiment, the cart unit 14 has a small mobile object on which a person can ride loaded in the storage section 8. The mobile object detection sensor 56 is provided in the main body 40 and acquires information for detecting the loading state of the small mobile object loaded in the storage section 8. For example, the mobile object detection sensor 56 may be an image sensor that acquires an image of the small mobile object loaded in the storage section 8. The mobile object detection sensor 56 may also be a weight sensor that measures the weight of the small mobile object loaded in the storage section 8. In this way, the mobile object detection sensor 56 acquires information for detecting the loading state of the small mobile object present in the storage section 8 and supplies it to the processing device 52.

The communication unit 54 is connected to the network 2 and communicates with the server device 6 and/or the traveling unit 12. Note that if the traveling unit 12 and the cart unit 14 are close to each other, the communication unit 54 of the cart unit 14 and the communication unit 32 of the traveling unit 12 may communicate directly without going through the network 2.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing functional blocks of the mobility system 1. The mobility system 1 of the embodiment includes a traveling unit 12, a bogie unit 14, and a server device 6. Although one traveling unit 12 and one bogie unit 14 are shown in Figure 6, the mobility system 1 may include multiple traveling units 12 and multiple bogie units 14.

In the propulsion unit 12, the position information acquisition unit 28 acquires the current position information of the propulsion unit 12 using a satellite positioning system, and supplies the acquired current position information to the processing device 30. The position information acquisition unit 28 may be a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver. The processing device 30 transmits the current position information of the propulsion unit 12 together with identification information (propulsion unit ID) of the propulsion unit 12 from the communication unit 32 to the server device 6. It is preferable that the current position information is transmitted periodically.

The map storage unit 38 stores map information indicating the road position. The processing device 30 controls each component in the traveling unit 12 based on the operation instruction sent from the server device 6. The operation instruction includes at least information indicating the destination (destination), and the processing device 30 derives a traveling route toward the destination included in the operation instruction using the map information stored in the map storage unit 38 and the current position information provided by the position information acquisition unit 28. The processing device 30 controls the driving of the drive device 34 so as to travel along the derived traveling route. The traveling route may be derived by the server device 6 and included in the operation instruction. During traveling to the destination, the processing device 30 acquires information about objects present around the traveling unit 12 based on the detection data by the object detection sensor 24. The processing device 30 determines the traveling direction and traveling speed so as to avoid collision with surrounding objects, and drives the drive device 34.

In the cart unit 14, the position information acquisition unit 58 acquires the current position information of the cart unit 14 using a satellite positioning system, and supplies the acquired current position information to the processing device 52. The position information acquisition unit 58 may be a GPS receiver. The processing device 52 transmits the current position information of the cart unit 14 together with identification information (cart unit ID) of the cart unit 14 from the communication unit 54 to the server device 6. It is preferable that the current position information is transmitted periodically.

The server device 6 includes a communication unit 70 and a processing device 72, and the processing device 72 includes a detection unit 74 and a control unit 80. The control unit 80 includes a determination unit 82, an operation determination unit 84, an operation instruction generation unit 86, and a unit management unit 88.

The communication unit 70 receives current position information from the multiple traveling units 12 and the multiple cart units 14. The unit management unit 88 manages the current positions of the multiple traveling units 12 and the multiple cart units 14 based on the current position information transmitted from the multiple traveling units 12 and the multiple cart units 14.

In FIG. 6, each element described as a functional block that performs various processes can be configured in hardware as a circuit block, memory, or other LSI, and in software as a program loaded into memory. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms using only hardware, only software, or a combination of both, and are not limited to any one of them.

In recent years, services using small mobile objects, such as personal mobility, have started to become widespread.
Fig. 7 shows an example of a small mobile body 100 that a person can ride. The small mobile body 100 shown in Fig. 7 is an electric two-wheeled stand-up vehicle that is operated by a user in a standing position. Note that, in addition to electric two-wheeled stand-up vehicles, mobile bodies that are operated by a user in a seated position have also been put to practical use, and the small mobile body 100 of the embodiment may be any type of mobile body that can be placed in the storage unit 8.

The service of using the small mobile body 100 includes a "round-trip system" in which the user returns the small mobile body 100 to the station (parking lot) where the small mobile body 100 was rented, and a "one-way (trip) system" in which the user returns the small mobile body 100 to a station different from the station where the small mobile body 100 was rented. The one-way system is also called the "drop-off system" and improves the convenience of the service of using the small mobile body 100. The mobility system 1 of the embodiment uses the cart unit 14 as a parking lot for the small mobile body 100 in the one-way system. The user unloads the small mobile body 100 to be used from the cart unit 14, uses it, and returns the small mobile body 100 to another cart unit 14 when he or she has finished using it.

The following describes a usage scenario in which a user gets on the small vehicle 100 when commuting to work and travels from the nearest station to the company to the company.
8 shows an example of a route connecting the nearest station and the company. At the nearest station, cart units 14a and 14b are installed for lending out the small mobile body 100, and at the company, cart units 14c and 14d are installed for collecting the small mobile body 100 that the user has finished using.

Figure 9 shows an example of cart units 14a, 14b for rental placed at the nearest station. A plurality of small mobile objects 100 are loaded in the storage section 8 of the cart units 14a, 14b. The mobile object detection sensor 56 provided in the main body 40 acquires information for detecting the loading state of the small mobile objects 100 in the storage section 8. In the example shown in Figure 9, the mobile object detection sensor 56 is an image sensor that acquires image information captured inside the storage section 8, but it may also be a weight sensor that acquires weight information of the small mobile objects 100 loaded in the storage section 8.

Figure 10 shows an example of collection cart units 14c and 14d that are installed in a company. It is preferable that the storage section 8 of the cart units 14c and 14d does not initially carry a small mobile object 100.

When the user arrives at the nearest station to the company by train on the way to work, the user unloads the small mobile body 100 from the cart unit 14a or the cart unit 14b and gets on the small mobile body 100 to travel to the company.

Figure 11 shows a user traveling on the small mobile unit 100. When the user arrives at the company, he or she returns the small mobile unit 100 to the storage unit 8 of the cart unit 14c or cart unit 14d.

Figure 12 shows the state in which the small mobile objects 100 have been returned to the cart unit 14c. In this example, two small mobile objects 100 have been returned to the storage section 8 of the cart unit 14c. In this embodiment, multiple users travel on small mobile objects 100 along a route from the nearest station to their workplace, and the mobility system 1 is used as a mobile object recovery system that recovers the small mobile objects 100 used by the users.

In each cart unit 14, the mobile object detection sensor 56 acquires sensor information for detecting the loading state of the small mobile objects 100 in the storage section 8. The sensor information acquired by the mobile object detection sensor 56 is supplied to the processing device 52, which periodically transmits the sensor information acquired by the mobile object detection sensor 56 together with the cart unit ID from the communication unit 54 to the server device 6. If the processing device 52 has a function for detecting a change in the number of small mobile objects 100 loaded, the sensor information acquired by the mobile object detection sensor 56 may be transmitted from the communication unit 54 to the server device 6 at that timing.

When the storage section 8 of the cart units 14c, 14d that collect the small mobile objects 100 becomes fully loaded with small mobile objects 100, the cart units 14c, 14d have no space to carry more small mobile objects 100, so there is no point in the cart units 14c, 14d being in the company that is the collection site. Therefore, when the number of small mobile objects 100 that can be loaded reaches a predetermined number, the cart units 14c, 14d are preferably moved to the nearest station and then used as cart units 14c, 14d for lending out small mobile objects 100.

Furthermore, in the cart units 14a and 14b that lend out the small mobile units 100, when all the small mobile units 100 have been lent out, there is no point in the cart units 14c and 14b being at the nearest station. Therefore, when the number of small mobile units 100 loaded reaches zero, the cart units 14a and 14b are preferably moved to the company and then used as cart units 14a and 14b for collecting the small mobile units 100.

The operation of the mobile object recovery system will be described below, focusing on the processing related to the recovery cart unit 14c.
13 shows a flowchart of the process in the server device 6. In the server device 6, the communication unit 70 receives sensor information acquired by the moving body detection sensor 56 in the collection cart unit 14c (S10). The detection unit 74 detects the loading state of the small moving body 100 from the sensor information acquired by the moving body detection sensor 56 (S12). Specifically, the detection unit 74 detects the loading amount of the small moving body 100, and the detected loading amount may be the number of small moving bodies 100 or the total weight of the small moving bodies 100.

A case will be described where the sensor information acquired by the moving object detection sensor 56 is image information obtained by photographing the storage unit 8. The detection unit 74 has an image recognition function, and detects the number of small moving objects 100 loaded from the image information. For example, from the image information obtained by photographing the storage unit 8 shown in FIG. 12, the detection unit 74 detects that the number of small moving objects 100 loaded is two.

The determination unit 82 determines whether the loading state detected by the detection unit 74 is in a predetermined state (S14). Specifically, the determination unit 82 determines whether the number of loaded vehicles detected by the detection unit 74 is equal to or greater than a predetermined number. For example, if a maximum of four vehicles can be loaded in the storage unit 8, the threshold value for the predetermined number may be the maximum number of loaded vehicles, which is four, but it may also be a number less than four (for example, three). In the state shown in FIG. 12, that is, when the number of loaded vehicles is two, the determination unit 82 determines that the number of loaded vehicles is less than the predetermined number (N in S14).

On the other hand, if the judgment unit 82 judges that the number of loaded vehicles is equal to or greater than the predetermined number (Y in S14), the operation decision unit 84 decides the operation of the traveling unit 12 (S16). Here, the operation decision unit 84 decides the operation of moving the cart unit 14c, which is now in the predetermined loaded state, to the destination (here, the nearest station to the company).

The unit management unit 88 identifies the traveling units 12 that are present around the cart unit 14c and that have not been assigned an operation (task) (S18). The unit management unit 88 notifies the operation instruction generation unit 86 of the traveling unit ID of the identified traveling unit 12 and the current position information of the cart unit 14c to be moved. The operation instruction generation unit 86 generates an operation instruction to move to the position of the cart unit 14c, couple with the cart unit 14c, and tow it to the nearest station to the company. The operation instruction generation unit 86 transmits an operation instruction including the current position information of the cart unit 14c to be moved to the traveling unit 12 of the notified traveling unit ID from the communication unit 70 (S20).

In the traveling unit 12 having the traveling unit ID, the communication unit 32 receives the operation instruction. Based on the operation instruction, the processing device 30 derives a traveling route toward the destination included in the operation instruction (the current position of the cart unit 14c) using the map information stored in the map storage unit 38 and the current position information of the traveling unit 12 supplied from the position information acquisition unit 28. During traveling to the destination, the processing device 30 determines the traveling direction and traveling speed along the traveling route based on the detection data by the object detection sensor 24 so as to avoid collisions with surrounding objects, and controls the driving of the drive device 34.

When the traveling unit 12 moves to the position of the cart unit 14c to be moved, the processing device 30, with the traveling unit 12 and the cart unit 14c in close proximity, controls the drive of the wheels 20 to connect the coupling device 26 to the coupled part 48, and activates the locking mechanism to couple the coupling device 26 to the coupled part 48. When the coupling device 26 is coupled to the coupled part 48, it sends a signal to the processing device 30 indicating that coupling is complete.

When the coupled part 48 of the bogie unit 14c is coupled to the coupling device 26, the coupled part 48 sends a signal indicating that coupling is complete to the processing device 52. When the processing device 52 receives a signal indicating that coupling is complete from the coupled part 48, it retracts the leg 46 and moves it away from the ground.

Thereafter, the processing device 30 of the traveling unit 12 derives a traveling route toward the destination (nearest station) included in the operation instruction, using the map information stored in the map storage unit 38 and the current position information of the traveling unit 12 provided from the position information acquisition unit 28. The processing device 30 controls the driving of the drive device 34 so as to travel along the traveling route.
FIG. 14 shows the traveling unit 12 towing the bogie unit 14c toward the nearest station.

When the traveling unit 12 moves to the nearest station, the processing device 30 notifies the carriage unit 14c that it has arrived at the destination. In response to this notification, the processing device 52 in the carriage unit 14c causes the legs 46 to land on the ground.

Then, the processing device 30 releases the locking mechanism that connects the coupling device 26 and the coupled part 48. When the processing device 30 completes the operation (task) according to the operation instruction sent from the server device 6, it notifies the server device 6 of the task completion. In the server device 6, the unit management section 88 receives this notification and manages the traveling unit 12 as a traveling unit that has not been assigned an operation (task).

Figure 15 shows the state where the cart unit 14c is placed at the nearest station. The cart unit 14c is loaded with the small mobile body 100, so that a user who arrives at the nearest station by train can use the small mobile body 100 placed on the cart unit 14c.

In the above example, in S16, the operation decision unit 84 decides on a movement operation in which the traveling unit 12 moves to the position of the cart unit 14c, couples with the cart unit 14c, and tows it to the nearest station, which is the destination. In another example, an operation may be added in which the traveling unit 12 tows the cart unit 14a, in which all of the small mobile bodies 100 have been rented out, to the position of the cart unit 14c, and replaces the cart unit at that position.

That is, in another example, in S18, the unit management unit 88 identifies the traveling units 12 that are present in the vicinity of the bogie unit 14a to be moved that have not been assigned an operation (task). The unit management unit 88 notifies the operation instruction generation unit 86 of the traveling unit ID of the identified traveling unit 12 and the current position information of the bogie units 14a and 14c to be moved. In S20, the operation instruction generation unit 86 generates an operation instruction to couple to the empty bogie unit 14a, tow to the position of the bogie unit 14c that is fully loaded with the small mobile body 100, to separate the bogie unit 14a, and then couple to the bogie unit 14c and tow to the location where the bogie unit 14a was located, that is, to the nearest station. The operation instruction generation unit 86 may transmit an operation instruction including the current position information of the bogie units 14a and 14c to the traveling unit 12 of the notified traveling unit ID from the communication unit 70.

In the traveling unit 12 having the traveling unit ID, the communication unit 32 receives the operation instruction. Based on the operation instruction, the processing device 30 uses the map information stored in the map storage unit 38 and the current position information of the traveling unit 12 supplied from the position information acquisition unit 28 to derive a traveling route toward the destination included in the operation instruction (the current position of the cart unit 14a not carrying the small mobile body 100). The processing device 30 controls the driving of the drive device 34 so as to travel along the traveling route.

When the traveling unit 12 moves to the position of the cart unit 14a, the processing device 30 connects the coupling device 26 to the coupled part 48 of the cart unit 14a. When the coupling device 26 connects to the coupled part 48, it sends a signal indicating completion of coupling to the processing device 30.

When the coupled part 48 of the bogie unit 14a is coupled to the coupling device 26, the coupled part 48 sends a signal indicating that coupling is complete to the processing device 52. When the processing device 52 receives a signal indicating that coupling is complete from the coupled part 48, it retracts the leg 46 and moves it away from the ground.

Thereafter, the processing device 30 of the traveling unit 12 derives a traveling route toward the destination included in the operation command (the current position of the cart unit 14c fully loaded with the small mobile object 100) using the map information stored in the map storage unit 38 and the current position information of the traveling unit 12 supplied from the position information acquisition unit 28. The processing device 30 controls the driving of the drive device 34 so as to travel along the traveling route.
FIG. 16 shows the traveling unit 12 towing the cart unit 14a towards the company.

When the traveling unit 12 moves to the position of the cart unit 14c, the processing device 30 notifies the cart unit 14a that it has arrived at the destination. In response to this notification, the processing device 52 in the cart unit 14a places the legs 46 on the ground.

Then, the processing device 30 releases the locking mechanism that connects the coupling device 26 to the coupled part 48 of the cart unit 14a. The processing device 30 then moves the traveling unit 12 closer to the cart unit 14c that is fully loaded with small mobile objects 100, and connects the coupling device 26 to the coupled part 48 of the cart unit 14c. Once the coupling device 26 is connected to the coupled part 48, it sends a signal to the processing device 30 indicating that connection is complete.

When the coupled part 48 of the bogie unit 14c is coupled to the coupling device 26, the coupled part 48 sends a signal indicating that coupling is complete to the processing device 52. When the processing device 52 receives a signal indicating that coupling is complete from the coupled part 48, it retracts the leg 46 and moves it away from the ground.

Thereafter, the processing device 30 of the traveling unit 12 derives a traveling route toward the destination (nearest station) included in the operation instruction, using the map information stored in the map storage unit 38 and the current position information of the traveling unit 12 provided from the position information acquisition unit 28. The processing device 30 controls the driving of the drive device 34 so as to travel along the traveling route.
FIG. 17 shows the traveling unit 12 towing the bogie unit 14c toward the nearest station.

When the traveling unit 12 moves to the nearest station, the processing device 30 notifies the carriage unit 14c that it has arrived at the destination. In response to this notification, the processing device 52 in the carriage unit 14c causes the legs 46 to land on the ground.

Then, the processing device 30 releases the locking mechanism that connects the coupling device 26 and the coupled part 48. When the processing device 30 completes the operation (task) according to the operation instruction sent from the server device 6, it notifies the server device 6 of the task completion. In the server device 6, the unit management section 88 receives this notification and manages the traveling unit 12 as a traveling unit that has not been assigned an operation (task).

Figure 18 shows the state where the cart unit 14c is placed at the nearest station. The cart unit 14c is loaded with the small mobile body 100, so that a user who arrives at the nearest station by train can use the small mobile body 100 placed on the cart unit 14c.

The present invention has been described above based on an embodiment. This embodiment is merely illustrative, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications are possible in the combination of each of the components and each of the processing processes, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention. In the embodiment, it is assumed that the traveling unit 12 and the cart unit 14 are configured to be connectable and separable, but the traveling unit 12 and the cart unit 14 may be configured to be inseparable. Also, in the embodiment, the server device 6 is equipped with the processing device 72, but in a modified embodiment, the function of the processing device 72 in the server device 6 may be provided in the traveling unit 12.

The cart unit 14 may have a function of charging the small mobile object 100. By having the cart unit 14 have a charging function, the time when the small mobile object 100 is placed on the storage section 8 can be effectively utilized.

In the embodiment, an example is shown in which the cart unit 14 is placed in one of two locations, but the cart unit 14 may be placed in any location by an operational instruction from the server device 6. For example, the server device 6 may decide to place the cart unit 14 carrying the small mobile object 100 in a location with many people.

When a user transmits a request to use the small mobile unit 100 to the server device 6, the server device 6 may generate an operation instruction to tow the cart unit 14 carrying the small mobile unit 100 to the user's location and transmit the operation instruction to the traveling unit 12. When a user transmits a request to retrieve the small mobile unit 100 to the server device 6, the server device 6 may generate an operation instruction to tow the cart unit 14 capable of carrying the small mobile unit 100 to the location from which the user transmitted the retrieval request and transmit the operation instruction to the traveling unit 12.

1: Mobility system, 6: Server device, 8: Storage section, 10: Running body, 12: Running unit, 14: Cart unit, 26: Coupling device, 30: Processing device, 34: Driving device, 46: Legs, 48: Connected part, 52: Processing device, 56: Mobile body detection sensor, 72: Processing device, 74: Detection section, 80: Control section, 82: Determination section, 84: Operation decision section, 86: Operation instruction generation section, 88: Unit management section, 100: Small mobile body.

Claims (3)

A mobile object recovery system including a traveling unit having an autonomous traveling function and a cart unit having a storage section for carrying a mobile object on which a person can ride,
a detection unit that detects a loading state of a moving object in the storage unit of the carriage unit ;
A control unit that determines an operation of the traveling unit based on the loading state detected by the detection unit ,
When the loading state detected by the detection unit is in a predetermined state, the control unit determines an operation in which the traveling unit tows another cart unit capable of carrying a moving body to a position of the cart unit, detaches the other cart unit at the position, and tows the cart unit to a destination.
A mobile object recovery system. The traveling unit is configured to be connectable to the carriage unit,
The control unit determines an operation of connecting the other cart unit to the cart unit after disconnecting the other cart unit.
2. The mobile object recovery system according to claim 1 . The cart unit is used as a parking lot for a moving object.
3. A mobile object recovery system according to claim 1 or 2 .

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