JP7782809B2 - Hospital autonomous vehicle management system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an in-hospital autonomous vehicle management system that manages the operation of autonomous vehicles within a hospital.

Generally, in hospitals, the delivery or collection of used medical supplies such as surgical instruments, the delivery or collection of used linens such as sheets, towels, and pajamas, the delivery or collection of used medications including intravenous fluids, and even the collection of specimens, meals, and containers are often handled by external contractors. Some hospitals handle these medical supplies and supplies in-house in a central supply room or handle various medications in the pharmacy department. However, all medical supplies, supplies, medications, etc. are transported to hospitals by external contractors using trucks and other transport vehicles. For this reason, transport vehicle management systems are already in place that manage the vehicles of multiple external contractors and manage the arrival and departure times of each vehicle to avoid concentrating them.

However, some items, such as linens, require vendors to travel around the hospital to deliver and collect them, posing safety and hygiene management challenges.

In response to this, so-called hospital management systems that collectively manage the entire hospital business have been put into practical use in some areas.
A hospital management system, for example, digitizes patient medical care and manages it using electronic medical records. It also manages various departments, such as the food service department that provides meals to hospitalized patients, the injection department that stores intravenous injections, the medical supply storage department that stores medical supplies, the storage department that stores drugs and linens, and the testing department that tests samples taken from patients. It also arranges for the delivery of medical supplies, drugs, linens, meals, etc. to each department, manages inventory, and places orders, etc., as requested by staff. In response to requests from staff, this hospital management system arranges for the delivery of various items, such as medical supplies, drugs, linens, and meals, to the requested staff station, patient room, treatment room, or operating room, and the staff member delivers these items themselves or has a designated delivery company deliver them. Furthermore, the hospital management system also manages elevators and security within the hospital building.

For example, with regard to injectable medications for intravenous drips, automated injectable medication dispensing systems have been put into practical use. Trays containing the specified injectable medication are removed from the automated injectable medication dispensing system installed in the hospital's pharmacy, placed in a known injection cart, and transported to a designated staff station, etc. During routine morning operations, for example, a large number of injection carts need to be transported to each staff station. Currently, however, a notification is sent to each staff station that the injection cart is ready. Upon receiving this notification, staff at that staff station must go to the pharmacy to retrieve the injection cart and then manually push it back to the staff station, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive. After returning to the staff station, the staff must then perform the tedious task of removing each tray from the injection cart and placing it in an intravenous drip bag.

In addition, due to changes in the patient's symptoms, typically around 30% of the injectable solution becomes unnecessary and must be returned, and any injectable solution that is not yet in use must be discarded. Furthermore, if the patient's condition suddenly changes, new injectable solution may suddenly be required. In such cases, staff at the staff station may have to go to the automated injectable drug dispensing system to retrieve the necessary injectable solution.

On the other hand, within hospitals, people who are unable or have difficulty walking may be transported in wheelchairs, and patients who have been transported by ambulance may be placed on stretchers and transported to treatment rooms. In such cases, the wheelchairs and stretchers must be transported manually, requiring additional personnel to carry them.

Meanwhile, autonomous vehicles are also becoming practical, driving automatically along designated routes within hospitals to perform tasks such as patrol security, disinfection, and cleaning.

In light of the above, the present invention aims to provide an intra-hospital transport management system that uses autonomous vehicles to automate and contactless transport of medical supplies, medications including injectable solutions, linens, specimens, and meals within hospitals, as well as realize unmanned patient transport using autonomous vehicles, and further enable smooth interoperability between autonomous vehicles.

According to the present invention, the above object is achieved by providing a hospital system including an automated driving vehicle management unit that registers three-dimensional map data relating to the passageways within the hospital that automated driving vehicles can travel and the surrounding environment, an automated driving vehicle connected to the automated driving vehicle management unit via a network, a hospital management server that manages various facilities within the hospital, a plurality of staff terminals within the hospital that are connected to the hospital management server via the network, and a vendor management server that manages inventory, ordering, and delivery of various items within the hospital,
the autonomous vehicle management unit comprises a remote monitoring and/or remote operation unit that remotely monitors and/or remotely operates the autonomous vehicle, a driving route setting unit that sets a driving route for the autonomous vehicle, an operating status analysis unit that analyzes the operating status of the autonomous vehicle based on operation data of the autonomous vehicle , and an external linking unit that links the autonomous vehicle with an elevator control unit and a security door control unit via the hospital management server,
the network interconnects the autonomously driven vehicle and the autonomously driven vehicle management unit, the autonomously driven vehicle management unit and the hospital management server, and the hospital management server, the staff terminal, and the contractor management server;
The hospital includes departments including a pharmacy department connected to the vendor management server, a storage department for storing medical supplies such as medicines and linens, a food service department, and an inspection department,
request information transmitted from the hospital management server and the plurality of staff terminals is transmitted to the corresponding departments, and the departments prepare for the transportation of the various items requested based on the request information, and when the transportation preparations are completed, the departments transmit a notification to that effect to the hospital management server;
This is achieved by an in-hospital autonomous vehicle management system in which, upon request from the multiple staff terminals, the hospital management server creates transport information for an autonomous vehicle loaded with the requested items to travel from a first location, which is the source of the transport, to a second location, which is the destination, and sends the transport information to the autonomous vehicle management unit, which then creates a driving route from the first location to the second location based on the transport information and map data from the hospital management server and sends it to the autonomous vehicle, and the autonomous vehicle transports the requested items from the first location to the second location according to the driving route.

Preferably, one of the various items is an intravenous injection drug that has been removed from an injection drug dispensing unit of the injection drug department and placed on an injection tray, and an injection cart containing the injection tray at a first location is transported to a second location by an autonomous vehicle for cart transport, and an injection cart containing the empty injection tray from which the intravenous injection drug has been removed is transported from the second location to the first location by the autonomous vehicle for cart transport. Preferably, the autonomous vehicle management unit moves the autonomous vehicle to the hospital entrance in accordance with the various items included in the delivery information based on delivery information of the vehicle that will be delivered to the hospital entrance from the contractor management server.
Preferably, the autonomous vehicle management unit creates driving route information including elevator information or security door information from the hospital management server, and when the autonomous vehicle travels along the driving route, it uses elevators within the hospital and opens and closes security doors in accordance with this elevator information and security door information.
Preferably, the autonomous vehicle management unit transmits the driving status of the autonomous vehicle traveling from the first location to the second location to the hospital management server, and the hospital management server transmits the driving status of the autonomous vehicle to the staff terminal.
Preferably, one of the various items is a meal to be delivered to individual hospital rooms, etc., and the hospital management server transmits meal delivery information from the hospital's cafeteria to the autonomous vehicle management unit, which then causes an autonomous vehicle for delivering meals to transport the meals from the cafeteria as a first location to each hospital room, etc. as a second location where the meals should be delivered, based on the meal delivery information.
Preferably, one of the various items is medical supplies, medicines, linens, etc., and the hospital management server transmits transport information from the storage unit to the autonomous vehicle management unit, which, based on the transport information, transports the various items such as medical supplies, medicines, linens, etc. from the storage unit as a first location to a second location such as a hospital room, examination room, treatment room, etc. using an autonomous vehicle for transport, and the autonomous vehicle management unit also transports surplus and used items of the various items from the second location to the first location using an autonomous vehicle for transport.
Preferably, one of the various items is a specimen, and the hospital management server transmits transport information from the testing department to the autonomous vehicle management department, which transports empty specimen containers from the testing department as a first location to a second location based on the transport information using an autonomous vehicle for transport, and the autonomous vehicle management department transports specimen containers containing specimens from the second location to the testing department as the first location using an autonomous vehicle for transport.
Preferably, one of the various items is a stretcher carrying an emergency patient, the hospital management server transmits transport information from the hospital's emergency entrance to the autonomous vehicle management unit, and the autonomous vehicle management unit transports the stretcher carrying the emergency patient from the emergency entrance as a first location to an emergency room or the like as a second location based on the transport information using an autonomous vehicle for stretcher transport. Preferably, one of the various items is a patient who is unable to walk or has difficulty walking, the hospital management server transmits transport information to the autonomous vehicle management unit, and the autonomous vehicle management unit transports the patient from the first location to the second location based on the transport information using an autonomous vehicle for patient transport.
Preferably, the autonomous vehicle is an autonomous vehicle for patrol security, disinfection or cleaning within the hospital, and the hospital management server transmits transportation information based on request information regarding the autonomous vehicle for patrol security, disinfection or cleaning to the autonomous vehicle management unit, and the autonomous vehicle management unit drives the autonomous vehicle along a predetermined driving route based on the transportation information .
The elevator control unit preferably sends an elevator call operation signal when the autonomous vehicle approaches the elevator hall based on the autonomous vehicle's current location, elevator usage information, and elevator control information sent from the autonomous vehicle via the network through the autonomous vehicle management unit and hospital management server, and further sends an input signal for the destination floor when the autonomous vehicle enters the elevator car to allow the elevator to be used.
Preferably, the autonomous vehicle is provided with a storage unit that can be locked and unlocked and a reading means unit for authenticating staff in the hospital,
The ID information of the hospital staff is read by the reading means of the autonomous driving vehicle,
The Autonomous Vehicle Management Department queries the hospital management server for staff ID information,
The hospital management server receives this information and queries the hospital security management database for the staff member's ID information. When the hospital management server receives the staff member's ID authentication information from the hospital security management database, it transmits the staff member's ID authentication information to the autonomous driving vehicle management unit.
Upon receiving this, the Autonomous Vehicle Management Department will issue an order to unlock the storage area for the autonomous vehicle.
Preferably, the hospital management server generates transport information for traveling from the first location to a plurality of transport destinations in response to a request from the staff terminal;
the autonomous vehicle management unit creates a driving route from the first location to a plurality of destinations based on the transportation information and the map data, and transmits the route to the autonomous vehicle;
An autonomous vehicle transports various items from a first location to multiple destinations along a route.
Preferably, the self-driving vehicle is connected to a network and equipped with an on-board terminal operated by hospital staff, and the driving route from the first location to multiple destinations is displayed on the display of the on-board terminal.

In this way, the present invention makes it possible to provide an intra-hospital transport management system that uses autonomous vehicles to transport medical supplies, medications including injectable solutions, linens, specimens, and meals within a hospital, thereby eliminating contact and reducing the workload on staff, while also enabling unmanned transport of patients using autonomous vehicles and enabling smooth interoperability between autonomous vehicles.

1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an embodiment of an in-hospital autonomous driving vehicle management system according to the present invention; 2A and 2B show the external appearance of the basic configuration of the autonomous vehicle in the hospital autonomous vehicle management system of FIG. 1, where FIG. 2A is a front perspective view and FIG. 2B is a rear perspective view. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the autonomous driving vehicle of FIG. 2 . 2 is a diagram showing the transport operation of an intravenous injection solution in the hospital autonomous driving vehicle management system of FIG. 1. This is a diagram showing the process of subjecting the collected medical materials to processing such as washing, drying, and sterilization, and then dispensing the sterilized medical materials. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a first modified example of the intra-hospital autonomous driving vehicle management system according to the present invention. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a second modified example of the intra-hospital autonomous driving vehicle management system according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on the embodiments shown in the drawings.
1 shows the overall configuration of an embodiment of an in-hospital autonomous vehicle management system according to the present invention. The in-hospital autonomous vehicle management system (hereinafter referred to as the management system) 10 is composed of an autonomous vehicle 20, an autonomous vehicle management unit 30, a hospital management server 40, a staff terminal 50, a provider management server 60, and a network 70.

Although only one autonomous vehicle 20 and one staff terminal 50 are shown in Figure 1, in reality, multiple autonomous vehicles 20 and multiple staff terminals 50 are deployed. The multiple staff terminals 50 are carried by staff members such as doctors, nurses, and medical technicians assigned to various departments within the hospital, and can be operated as needed. The staff terminals 50 can be smart devices such as laptop or desktop personal computers (PCs), tablets, or mobile phones. The memory units of these various staff terminals 50 store programs that link with the management system 10 according to the tasks of staff members such as doctors, nurses, and medical technicians.

The network 70 can be a network of any configuration, and can be the Internet, a wireless network, a dedicated line network, a public line network, or a wireless LAN such as Wi-Fi. By interconnecting the autonomous vehicle 20 and the autonomous vehicle management unit 30, the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 and the hospital management server 40, and the hospital management server 40 and the staff terminal 50 and the contractor management server 60, various information can be sent and received between them.

As shown in Figure 2, the autonomous vehicle 20 is composed of a main body 21 that is roughly cubic in appearance and wheels 22 that serve as a running mechanism suspended from the main body 21. The main body 21 of the autonomous vehicle 20 is equipped with a display unit 23, a surveillance camera 24, a speaker 25, a storage unit 26 for items to be transported, lights 27, and turn signals 28. The lights 27 include front lights 27a and 27b at the front of the autonomous vehicle 20 and back lights 27c and 27d at the rear.

In the illustrated example, the autonomous vehicle 20 is depicted as an autonomous vehicle equipped with a storage section 26 for transporting various items such as meals, medical supplies, medication, linens, and specimens. However, if the autonomous vehicle 20 is equipped with a base for placing a cart or the like, it can be used as an autonomous vehicle 20 for transporting an injection drug dispensing section on the base, such as an injection cart containing an injection tray holding an injection drug for intravenous infusion retrieved from an automatic injection drug dispensing system, or a stretcher carrying a patient.

If the autonomous vehicle 20 is a cart type with a single seat, it can be used as an autonomous vehicle 20 for transporting patients who are unable or have difficulty walking. Alternatively, if the autonomous vehicle 20 is a vehicle for various tasks such as patrol surveillance, disinfection, cleaning, etc., it may be equipped with various functions depending on the application, such as an alarm, disinfectant sprayer, polisher, or cleaner.

The turn indicators 28 are arranged in the shape of ears on the upper left and right sides of the front of the autonomous vehicle 20 so that people around the autonomous vehicle 20 can see the direction of the turn from the front, sides, and rear. They consist of, for example, light-emitting diode (LED) lamps.

In Figure 2, the display unit 23 is provided on the front side of the main body unit 21 and displays an eye-shaped image, which will be described later. Here, the display unit 23 is composed of a display 83, which will be described later, and a pair of left and right openings 23a, 23b provided on the front side of the main body unit 21. As the display 83, a display device using liquid crystal, organic electroluminescence, or light-emitting diodes is preferred, and a full-color light-emitting diode display with a high density arrangement of high-brightness light-emitting diodes is even more preferred. A speaker 25 is provided below the display unit 23.

The surveillance cameras 24 are cameras that capture images of the surroundings of the autonomous vehicle 20, i.e., cameras that capture and monitor the conditions of the roads in front of, to the sides of, and behind the autonomous vehicle 20, as well as pedestrians, etc. The surveillance cameras 24 are composed of a pair of front surveillance cameras 24a, 24b installed on the left and right sides of the front of the main body 21, and a pair of side surveillance cameras 24c, 24d installed on the left and right sides of the main body 21. The surveillance cameras 24 can be monocular cameras, wide-area cameras, stereo cameras, etc.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, the surveillance camera 24 may include a pair of left and right rear surveillance cameras 24e, 24f behind the main body 21. By using monocular cameras for the front surveillance cameras 24a, 24b and the rear surveillance cameras 24e, 24f, it is possible to capture images of objects, people, other autonomous vehicles, etc. in a 360-degree area around the autonomous vehicle 20, thereby monitoring the surroundings. As shown in FIG. 2(B), a storage section 26 is provided on the rear side of the main body 21, and can be used to load various items to be transported, such as medical supplies, medicines, linens, specimens, and meals.

Figure 3 shows the configuration of the control system of the autonomous vehicle 20. The autonomous vehicle 20 has a CPU 81 as a control unit 29, to which a speaker 25, a battery 82, a display 83, a memory unit 84, a drive unit 85, and a detection unit 86 are connected. The detection unit 86 is composed of a surveillance camera 24 as an imaging unit, an attitude detection sensor 86a such as an IMU which is a sensor for controlling the driving state of the autonomous vehicle 20, a monitoring sensor 86b, a distance sensor 86c, a position sensor 86d, a bumper sensor 86e which detects contact with nearby pedestrians, bicycles, motorbikes, etc., and a status transmission/reception unit 86f which transmits and receives to and from the network 70.

The CPU 81 and memory unit 84 control each part of the device installed in the autonomously driven vehicle 20. The CPU 81 is composed of a microprocessor, microcontroller, etc.

The storage unit 84 is composed of non-volatile memory such as DRAM, a hard disk drive (HDD), flash memory, or a disk using flash memory (SSD). The CPU 81 may be connected to each component of the device using a well-known method, such as a CAN (Controller Area Network). Furthermore, the program that runs the autonomous vehicle 20 is recorded and stored on a storage medium readable by a computer that includes the CPU 81 and storage unit 84 that executes the program. Examples of storage media that can be used include a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, and USB memory. The program may be downloaded from the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 to the computer's storage unit 84 via the wireless network 70, for example.

The battery 82 is the power source for the autonomous vehicle 20. The battery 82 is connected to the CPU 81, and the remaining charge of the battery 82 and other information are monitored by the CPU 81.

The display 83 is a device that constitutes the display unit 23. In this embodiment, a predetermined eye-shaped image is displayed on the display unit 23 based on the state of the autonomous vehicle 20 and/or the image captured by the monitoring camera 24. Here, the state of the autonomous vehicle 20 refers to each driving operation state on the driving route, such as going straight, turning left, turning right, or stopping, as well as image information from the monitoring camera 24 and detection information from the detection unit 86 regarding the autonomous vehicle 20. The detection information from the detection unit 86 is information from the attitude detection sensor 86a, monitoring sensor 86b, distance sensor 86c, position sensor 86d, bumper sensor 86e, etc. The image information from the monitoring camera 24 and detection information from the detection unit 86 regarding the state of the autonomous vehicle 20 are transmitted as necessary by the status transmission/reception unit 86f to the autonomous vehicle management unit 30, which will be described later.

The device that displays the eye-shaped image is the display 83, and an image according to a predetermined eye-shaped pattern is displayed on the display 83 in response to a light-emitting command from the CPU 81 based on a detection signal from the surveillance camera 24. When the image is displayed on the display 83, a predetermined output linked to the display of the image from the speaker 25 may be generated. Furthermore, lights 27 and turn indicators 28 are displayed depending on the driving or stopped state of the autonomous vehicle 20. The lights 27 and turn indicators 28 are displayed by a light-emitting driver (not shown) in response to a light-emitting command from the CPU 81.

The drive unit 85 is composed of a motor 85a and a driver 85b that drives and controls the motor 85a, and the motor 85a drives the wheels 22. Specifically, driver L85b1 and driver R85b2 control motors 85a1 and 85a2, respectively, based on control signals from the CPU 81 to drive the left rear wheel 22c and the right rear wheel 22d. As described above, the speaker 25 is installed on the front of the main body 21 of the autonomous vehicle 20 and is a device that outputs a predetermined sound.

The attitude detection sensor 86a is, for example, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), which in this embodiment is an inertial measurement device that measures the angular velocity and angular acceleration of the movement of the autonomous vehicle 20 around the roll axis, pitch axis, and yaw axis.

The monitoring sensor 86b is a sensor used to detect people, obstacles, etc. around the autonomous vehicle 20, particularly those ahead, and measure the distance to the people or obstacles, i.e., distance measurement, two-dimensional and three-dimensional image recognition of people and obstacles, shape and color recognition, and tracking the driving path of the autonomous vehicle 20. When the monitoring sensor 86b detects a person or obstacle, it acquires position information such as the position coordinates and the person's eye height. The display 83 may be controlled based on this position information. The monitoring sensor 86b may be configured using a module that acquires position information using a monocular camera or stereo camera, a lidar, etc. The module may be configured with a CPU or GPU (image processing unit) that processes image data acquired from the monocular camera or stereo camera to generate position information, a storage device, etc. The module using the monocular camera can recognize the shape, color, and pattern of people and obstacles and can also measure approximate distances. The module using the stereo camera is used for distance measurement, three-dimensional recognition of people, vehicles, obstacles, etc., and identifying shapes and colors.

LIDAR (Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging), also known as laser radar, is a sensor that performs laser image detection and ranging. Two-dimensional or three-dimensional LIDAR may be used. Three-dimensional LIDAR can detect laser images ahead of the autonomous vehicle 20, measure the distance to detected objects, and measure the shape of detected objects. When equipped with LIDAR, it detects objects ahead of the autonomous vehicle 20 and the distance thereto, and sends data on the distance between the laser image ahead and the detected object as a detection signal to the CPU 81.

Furthermore, the monitoring sensor 86b may be disposed at the front upper portion of the autonomous vehicle 20. The monitoring sensor 86b can detect images and measure distances to people, other autonomous vehicles, obstacles, etc. in front of the autonomous vehicle 20 over long distances.

The distance sensor 86c measures the distance between the autonomous vehicle 20 and obstacles, etc., and is positioned toward the front of the autonomous vehicle 20. It measures the distance to an obstacle ahead on the road by emitting ultrasonic or infrared waves toward the obstacle and detecting the reflected waves.

The position sensor 86d captures the current position of the autonomous vehicle 20. In this embodiment, the position sensor 86d uses a GNSS receiving unit. It is possible to select whether the position sensor 86d and the attitude detection sensor 86a use separate devices or whether a device that integrates GNSS receiving functions, gyro sensor functions, and acceleration sensor functions into a single package is used.

The bumper sensor 86e detects contact with nearby people, obstacles, other autonomous vehicles, etc. The bumper sensor 86e detects contact with nearby people, obstacles, or other autonomous vehicles, and can stop the autonomous driving of the autonomous vehicle 20 or make an emergency stop.

The status transmission/reception unit 86f is composed of a communication module capable of public communications, such as third generation (referred to as 3G), fourth generation (referred to as 4G), fifth generation (referred to as 5G), or wireless LAN.

Here, the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 is an operation server that can remotely monitor and/or remotely operate the operation of the autonomous vehicle 20 based on the current position of the autonomous vehicle 20 and the relative positions of the autonomous vehicles 20 with each other or between the autonomous vehicle 20 and the surrounding environment from the autonomous vehicle's current position and a previously created driving route, and can also control the elevator control unit 44 and security control unit 45 of the hospital building 40a via the hospital management server 40 described below. The security control unit 45 may control security doors 45a installed in the intensive care unit (ICU) through which the autonomous vehicle 20 enters and exits, facilities through which medical supplies, medications, specimens, etc. are brought in and taken out, and facilities through which access is made for disinfection and cleaning, such as storage rooms for medical supplies and medications, toilets, and bathrooms. With this configuration, the autonomous vehicle 20 is remotely monitored and/or operated by the autonomous vehicle management unit 30. When the autonomous vehicle 20 approaches an elevator 41 in a hospital building 40a, the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 controls the elevator control unit 44 of the hospital building 40a, allowing the autonomous vehicle 20 to smoothly use the elevator 41 in the hospital building along its travel route. Similarly, when the autonomous vehicle 20 approaches a security door 45a, the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 controls the security control unit 45 of the hospital building 40a to open or close the security door 45a, allowing the autonomous vehicle 20 to smoothly pass through the security door 45a in the hospital building 40a along its travel route. Note that while only one elevator 41, elevator control unit 44, security control unit 45, and security door 45a are shown in FIG. 1 , in reality, multiple elevators 41, multiple elevator control units 44, multiple security control units 45, and multiple security doors 45a are installed.

In the control circuit of the autonomous vehicle 20 configured in this manner, the CPU 81 controls the drive unit 85 to drive and drive the vehicle automatically along the driving route based on detection signals from sensors such as the attitude detection sensor 86a, monitoring sensor 86b, distance sensor 86c, and position sensor 86d, as well as the monitoring camera 24, and a driving route that has been created in advance.
Map data 31 for creating a driving route is registered in autonomous vehicle management unit 30, and a control unit 33 of autonomous vehicle management unit 30 selects an autonomous vehicle 20 closest to the origin of transfer from location information of the origin of transfer included in transfer information 47 based on transfer information 47 sent from hospital management server 40 (described later), and then reads map data 31 based on current location information 81a of autonomous vehicle 20 and location information of the origin and destination of transfer to create driving route 33a, which is sent to autonomous vehicle 20 via network 70. At this time, if driving route 33a includes elevator 41 and security door 45a in hospital building 40a, autonomous vehicle management unit 30 creates elevator usage information 33b, elevator control information 33c, and security control information 33d and sends them to hospital management server 40 via network 70. The elevator usage information 33b is information including boarding and disembarking floors for the elevator 41 in the hospital building 40a, and the elevator control information 33c is information including calling the elevator car 43 and specifying the disembarking floor after boarding. The security control information 33d is information for controlling the opening and closing of the security door 45a in the security system of the hospital building 40a.

The CPU 81 also transmits the current position 81a and driving status at that time to the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 via the network 70. This allows the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 to recognize the current position and driving status of the autonomous vehicle 20 and manage its operation.

In this embodiment, the autonomous vehicle 20 is an electric vehicle powered by a battery 82 and driven by the motors 85a of the drive unit 85 to drive the wheels 22 (left rear wheel 22c and right rear wheel 22d in the illustrated example). The autonomous vehicle 20 displays a predetermined eye-shaped image on the display unit 23 based on its driving status and images captured by the monitoring camera 24 and/or monitoring sensor 86b. Furthermore, the autonomous vehicle 20 is equipped with a speaker 25 on the front surface of the main body unit 21, and outputs a predetermined sound to the speaker 25 based on the driving status of the autonomous vehicle 20 and/or images captured by the monitoring camera 24.

The autonomous vehicle management unit 30 is a navigation server installed in an appropriate location, and is composed of a memory unit 32 that registers map data 31 necessary for creating a driving route for the autonomous vehicle 20, and a control unit 33 that reads and writes map data 31 from and to the memory unit 32 and controls the operation of the autonomous vehicle 20. The map data 31 is three-dimensional data containing data on the passageways and surrounding environment necessary for the autonomous vehicle 20 to travel within the area in which the autonomous vehicle 20 is capable of traveling, such as information on the location of passage boundaries. The map data 31 is registered as a database in the memory unit 32, and map data including the vicinity of the location can be read based on location information. Furthermore, if the hospital building 40a is equipped with elevators 41 and security doors 45a, the map data 31 also includes information on the location of elevators 41 that can be used to travel to other floors within the hospital building 40a, and the location of security doors 45a located along the driving route 33a.

The control unit 33 of the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 reads map data 31 of the area corresponding to the current location from the current location via the current location to the current destination based on the current location information 81a sent from the autonomous vehicle 20 and the location information of the destination and the destination from the transport information 47 described below, from the storage unit 32, creates a driving route 33a from the current location to the current location and from the current location to the current destination, and sends this to the autonomous vehicle 20 via the network 70. Furthermore, if the created driving route 33a includes the use of an elevator and passing through a security door within the hospital building 40a, the control unit 33 of the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 creates elevator use information 33b, elevator control information 33c, and security door use information 33d, and sends these to the hospital management server 40 via the network 70.

The hospital management server 40 manages electronic medical records, medical supplies, medications, linens, meals, and specimens related to the operations of each department (described below) located within the hospital building 40a, and also controls and manages the elevators 41 within the hospital building 40a.

As shown schematically in Figure 1, the elevator 41 is provided to enable easy movement between the multiple floors of the hospital building 40a, and is supported so that it can move up and down within a travel path 42 that runs vertically through the hospital building 40a. It is composed of an elevator car 43 that moves up and down by a drive unit (not shown), and an elevator control unit 44 that drives and controls the elevator car 43 up and down.

The elevator control unit 44 is connected to the hospital management server 40 via gateway 44a, and the hospital management server 40 is further connected to the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 via gateway 40b and network 70. As a result, the elevator control unit 44 controls the elevator 41 based on elevator usage information 33b and elevator control information 33c sent from the autonomous vehicle management unit 30.

The hospital management server 40 also has a security control unit 45 for controlling and managing the security system within the hospital building 40a. The security control unit 45 monitors people at the entrances and exits of the hospital building 40a, manages staff attendance, and manages the entry and exit of contractors, as well as managing the opening and closing of security doors 45a that regulate internal passage. The security control unit 45 is connected to the hospital management server 40 via a gateway 40c. As a result, the security control unit 45 controls the opening and closing of security doors 45a based on security door usage information 33d sent from the autonomous vehicle management unit 30.

Thus, in the in-hospital autonomous vehicle management system 10, the autonomous vehicle 20, autonomous vehicle management unit 30, and hospital management server 40 are interconnected with the hospital building 40a, elevator 41, and security door 45a. In this way, electrical equipment such as the elevator 41 and security door 45a within the hospital building 40a is controlled by the control unit 33 of the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 via the network 70.

Here, the elevator 41 can also be installed in a building that employs a so-called robot management platform, which allows facilities such as the elevator 41 to operate in conjunction with a robot, making it easier for the unmanned autonomous robot to move around for transport, security, disinfection, and cleaning. As a result, the elevator control unit 44 sends an elevator call operation signal when the autonomous vehicle 20 approaches the elevator hall, based on the current position 81a of the autonomous vehicle 20, elevator usage information 33b, and elevator control information 33c sent from the autonomous vehicle 20 via the network 70, the autonomous vehicle management unit 30, and the hospital management server 40, and also sends an input signal for the destination floor when the autonomous vehicle 20 enters the elevator car 43, allowing the elevator 41 to be used.

In addition, based on the current location 81a of the autonomous vehicle 20 and security usage information 33d sent from the autonomous vehicle 20 via the network 70, the autonomous vehicle management unit 30, and the hospital management server 40, the security control unit 45 sends a security door open signal 45b when the autonomous vehicle 20 approaches the security door 45a to open the security door 45a, and sends a security door close signal 45c to close the security door 45a after the autonomous vehicle 20 has passed through the security door 45a.

With the above configuration, when the autonomous vehicle 20 travels along the travel route 33a from a first location to a second location within the hospital, the elevator 41 can be called and the destination floor specified, and the security door 45a can be opened and closed in conjunction with the movement of the autonomous vehicle 20, allowing for smooth movement within the hospital.

Furthermore, when the hospital management server 40 receives request information 51 from the staff terminal 50, it selects each department 61-65 according to the types of items included in the request information 51, creates transport information 47 with each department 61-65 as the transport source and the transport destination included in the request information 51, and sends this to the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 via the network 70. The hospital management server 40 also creates request information 46 regarding medications, linens, meals, etc. based on, for example, electronic medical records, and sends this to the supplier management server 60. It also creates further transport information 47 similar to the request information 51 described above and sends this to the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 via the network 70.

When the hospital management server 40 receives delivery information 60a from the supplier management server 60 for the hospital's loading dock by a supplier, it selects from the types of items to be delivered and delivery dates and times included in this delivery information 60a those that correspond to undelivered request information 51, associates this with the request information 51, creates transport information 47, and sends this to the autonomous vehicle management unit 30. In response, the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 selects an appropriate autonomous vehicle 20, and uses the current position information 81a of the autonomous vehicle 20 to create a driving route 33a from the current position to the destination via the hospital's loading dock, and sends this to the autonomous vehicle 20.

Furthermore, when a request for emergency hospitalization is received, the hospital management server 40 creates transport information 47 for emergency transport and sends it to the autonomous vehicle management unit 30. In response, the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 selects an autonomous vehicle 20 for stretcher transport, and creates a driving route 33a from the current position of the autonomous vehicle 20 via the emergency entrance to an emergency room or the like, based on the current position information 81a of the autonomous vehicle 20, and sends this to the autonomous vehicle 20.

Furthermore, when the hospital management server 40 receives request information 51 for transporting a patient from the staff terminal 50, it creates transport information 47 for transporting the patient, etc., and sends it to the autonomous vehicle management unit 30. In response, the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 selects an autonomous vehicle 20 for transporting the patient, and creates a driving route 33a from the current position to the transport destination via the transport source based on the current position information 81a of the autonomous vehicle 20, and sends this to the autonomous vehicle 20.

The staff terminal 50 is a mobile terminal such as a PC, mobile phone, smartphone, or tablet, and is connected to the hospital management server 40 via network 70 or other networks such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) lines or wired LANs. By installing a dedicated app, staff can request various necessary items from the hospital management server 40. The staff terminal 50 is carried by staff members such as doctors and nurses in each department within the hospital. When operated by the staff member, the staff member can create request information 51 including the delivery destination and the type and quantity of various items required and send it to the hospital management server 40. The staff terminal 50 also receives arrival information 48 sent from the hospital management server 40. This allows the staff member to be aware of the arrival of various items being delivered by the autonomous vehicle 20 related to the various items they requested. This arrival information 48 is created by the hospital management server 40 and sent to the staff terminal 50 corresponding to the delivery destination when the autonomous vehicle 20 approaches the delivery destination.

The vendor management server 60 is connected to the hospital management server 40 and manages inventory, ordering, and delivery of various items in the injection drug department 61, medical supply storage department 62, storage department 63, food service department 64, and testing department 65. It also places orders with the appropriate vendors for items that are running low on stock and manages deliveries by those vendors. The injection drug department 61 is located within the pharmacy department and may also be called an injection drug room or injection room. The medical supply storage department 62 is also called a supply department or central supply room, and has the functions of collecting, cleaning, sterilizing, and dispensing medical supplies. The vendor management server 60 receives delivery information 60a from suppliers, including delivery items and delivery dates and times, and transmits this information to the hospital management server 40.
Furthermore, the vendor management server 60 transmits the request information 46 sent from the hospital management server 40 and the request information 51 sent from the staff terminal 50 to the corresponding departments, namely the injection drug department 61, medical material storage department 62, storage department 63, meal supply department 64, and inspection department 65. As a result, the injection drug department 61, medical material storage department 62, storage department 63, meal supply department 64, and inspection department 65 prepare to transport the various items requested based on the request information 51 and 46. Then, when the injection drug department 61, medical material storage department 62, storage department 63, meal supply department 64, and inspection department 65 have completed their preparations for transport, they notify the hospital management server 40 of this fact.

The injection drug section 61 uses, as an injection drug dispensing section, for example, a commercially available automatic injection drug dispensing system as shown in Figure 4, which removes the injection drug for infusion from the dispensing section 61a shown in Figure 4(A), places it on the injection tray 61b shown in Figure 4(B), and stores it in the injection cart 61c shown in Figure 4(C). If the injection drug section 61 is an existing injection drug dispensing section, staff may remove the injection drug for infusion from the existing injection drug dispensing section, place it on the injection tray 61b shown in Figure 4(B), and store it in the injection cart 61c shown in Figure 4(C). This injection cart 61c is placed on the base of the autonomous vehicle 20 for cart transport shown in Figure 4(D), and can be transported by the autonomous vehicle 20 shown in Figure 4(E).

With the above configuration, in the injection drug section 61, the injection cart 61c containing the injection tray 61b for intravenous infusion drugs removed from the injection drug dispensing section and placed on the injection tray 61b can be automatically transported, without contact or manual intervention, by the autonomous cart transport vehicle 20 from a first location, the injection drug section 61 as the source, to a second location, such as a staff station as the destination.

The medical supplies storage unit 62 utilizes a commercially available automated medical supply transport, cleaning, drying, and sterilization system. As shown in Figure 5, medical supplies collected by the autonomous vehicle 20 are sorted by type, washed, dried, and then the necessary sets of medical supplies are assembled, sterilized, and stored. The sterilized medical supplies are then dispensed and transported when required.

Storage unit 63 is a storage unit for medicines, linens, etc., where medicines, linens, etc. delivered by suppliers are stored, and when requested, the requested medicines, linens, etc. are dispensed and transported. Note that storage unit 63 may also be called a medicine storage unit, linen room, linen storage unit, etc. depending on the materials stored.

The food service department 64 prepares meals based on request information 46 from the hospital management server 40 and dispenses them, for example, on trays for each patient. The food service department is also sometimes called the nutrition department or nutrition department.

Based on request information 51 from the staff terminal 50 or request information 46 from the hospital management server 40, the testing unit 65 first dispenses empty specimen containers, then collects specimen containers containing specimens collected by the autonomous vehicle 20, and tests the specimens contained in the specimen containers.

The intra-hospital autonomous vehicle management system 10 according to the present invention is configured as described above.
According to the intra-hospital autonomous vehicle management system 10, in response to a request from a staff terminal 50, the hospital management server 40 confirms the inventory and storage location of the requested items with the vendor management server 60, creates transportation information 47 including the item name, transportation origin, and transportation destination of the items, and transmits it to the autonomous vehicle management unit 30. In response, the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 reads map data 31 from the transportation origin to the transportation destination included in the transportation information 47, creates a driving route 33a from the first location (origin) to the second location (destination) based on the transportation information 47 and the map data 31, and transmits it to the autonomous vehicle 20. As a result, after the various items are loaded at the first location, the autonomous vehicle 20 travels from the first location to the second location along the driving route 33a. In this way, the various items requested by the staff terminal 50 can be automatically transported by the autonomous vehicle 20 from the first location to the second location without contact or manual intervention.

With the above configuration, when a delivery vehicle arrives at the hospital's entrance (also called the backyard), the autonomous vehicle 20 moves to the entrance, allowing the various items unloaded from the delivery vehicle to be loaded onto the autonomous vehicle 20 and transported more quickly. Here, the transportation of the above-mentioned medical supplies, various medications, linens, specimen collection, meal delivery, or container collection to the hospital, or from the hospital to the outside, is all carried out by external companies using transport vehicles such as trucks.

First, the case of transporting an injection drug for intravenous drip will be described.
When a request for an intravenous injection drug is made by a staff member operating the staff terminal 50, request information 51 including the delivery destination and the type and quantity of the requested intravenous injection drug is created and sent to the hospital management server 40.

The hospital management server 40 selects an injection drug department 61 corresponding to the intravenous injection drug, which is one of the various items included in the request information 51, creates transport information 47 specifying the injection drug department 61 as the transport source and the transport destination included in the request information 51, and sends this information to the autonomous vehicle management department 30 via the network 70. At the same time, the hospital management server 40 sends the request information 51 to the selected injection drug department 61. As a result, the injection drug department 61 dispenses the requested intravenous injection drug, which is then placed on the injection tray 61b and stored in the injection cart 61c.

On the other hand, the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 selects an autonomous vehicle 20 for cart transport that is close to the source and destination included in the transport information 47 based on the transport information 47, reads map data 31 for the area corresponding to the driving route from the current location to the source and destination based on the current location information 81a of the autonomous vehicle 20, creates a driving route 33a, and sends it to the autonomous vehicle 20. As a result, the autonomous vehicle 20 drives along this driving route 33a from its current location to the injection solution unit 61, which is the source of transport, and the injection cart 61c is loaded onto the base at the injection solution unit 61.

The autonomous vehicle 20 then travels automatically along travel route 33a from the injection drug department 61, which is the source of transport, to the destination. If an elevator 41 or security door 45a is included in travel route 33a, when the autonomous vehicle 20 approaches the elevator 41 or security door 45a, the hospital management server 40 transmits elevator use information 33b and elevator control information 33c or security control information 33d to the elevator control unit 44 or security control unit 45, respectively, thereby allowing the autonomous vehicle 20 to use the elevator 41 or open or close the security door 45a to pass through.

When the autonomous vehicle 20 approaches the destination, the hospital management server 40 transmits arrival information 48 to the staff terminal 50 at the destination of the transport information 47 based on the current location information 81a of the autonomous vehicle 20. This causes the staff member carrying the staff terminal 50 to wait at the destination in preparation for the arrival of the autonomous vehicle 20. When the autonomous vehicle 20 arrives at the destination, the staff member removes the injection cart 61c from the base of the autonomous vehicle 20, removes the injection tray 61b, and receives the requested intravenous injection. This completes the transport of the intravenous injection.

Next, the case of transporting medical materials will be described.
When a request for medical supplies is made by a staff member operating the staff terminal 50, request information 51 including the type and quantity of the requested medical supplies is created and sent to the hospital management server 40. The hospital management server 40 creates transport information 47 specifying the medical supply storage unit 62 as the transport source and the transport destination included in the request information 51, corresponding to the various items of medical supplies included in the request information 51, and sends this information to the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 via the network 70. At the same time, the hospital management server 40 sends the request information 51 to the selected medical supply storage unit 62. As a result, the medical supply storage unit 62 dispenses the medical supplies that have already been sterilized and stored.

On the other hand, the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 selects an autonomous vehicle 20 for transport that is close to the source and destination included in the transport information 47 based on the transport information 47, and reads map data 31 for the area corresponding to the driving route from the current location to the source and destination using the autonomous vehicle 20's current location information 81a, creates a driving route 33a, and sends this to the autonomous vehicle 20. As a result, the autonomous vehicle 20 drives along this driving route 33a from its current location to the medical material storage unit 62, which is the source of the transport, and the medical materials are loaded into the storage unit 26 at the medical material storage unit 62. The autonomous vehicle 20 then automatically drives along the driving route 33a from the injection drug unit 61, which is the source of the transport, to the destination.

When the autonomous vehicle 20 approaches the destination, the hospital management server 40 transmits arrival information 48 to the staff terminal 50 at the destination of the transport information 47 based on the current location information 81a of the autonomous vehicle 20. This allows the staff member carrying the staff terminal 50 to wait at the destination in preparation for the arrival of the autonomous vehicle 20. When the autonomous vehicle 20 arrives at the destination, the staff member unloads the medical supplies from the storage section 26 of the autonomous vehicle 20, removes the injection tray 61b, and receives the requested intravenous injection.

The staff then places the used medical supplies in the storage section 26 of the autonomous vehicle 20. After confirming that the storage section 26 is closed, the autonomous vehicle 20 returns from its destination to its origin, the medical supply storage section 62. In the medical supply storage section 62, the used medical supplies are removed from the storage section 26 and collected. The collected medical supplies are sorted, washed, dried, set, and sterilized in the medical supply storage section 62, and then stored for the next use. This completes the transport of the medical supplies.

Next, the transportation of medicinal liquids and linens will be explained. When a request for medicinal liquids or linens is made by a staff member using the staff terminal 50, request information 51 including the type and quantity of the requested medicinal liquids or linens is created and sent to the hospital management server 40. The hospital management server 40 creates transportation information 47 specifying the storage unit 63 as the source of transportation and the destination included in the request information 51, corresponding to the medicinal liquids or linens, which are various items included in the request information 51, and sends this to the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 via the network 70. At the same time, the hospital management server 40 sends the request information 51 to the selected storage unit 63. As a result, the storage unit 63 dispenses the stored medicinal liquids or linens.

On the other hand, the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 selects an autonomous vehicle 20 for transport that is close to the source and destination included in the transport information 47 based on the transport information 47, reads map data 31 for the area corresponding to the driving route from the current location to the source and destination using the current location information 81a of the autonomous vehicle 20, creates a driving route 33a, and sends it to the autonomous vehicle 20. As a result, the autonomous vehicle 20 drives along this driving route 33a from its current location to the storage unit 63, which is the source of transport, and the medicines or linens are loaded into the storage unit 26 in the storage unit 63. The autonomous vehicle 20 then automatically drives along the driving route 33a from the storage unit 63, which is the source of transport, to the destination.

When the autonomous vehicle 20 approaches the destination, the hospital management server 40 transmits arrival information 48 to the staff terminal 50 at the destination of the transport information 47 based on the current location information 81a of the autonomous vehicle 20. This allows the staff member carrying the staff terminal 50 to wait at the destination in preparation for the arrival of the autonomous vehicle 20. When the autonomous vehicle 20 arrives at the destination, the staff member receives the requested medication or linen from the storage section 26 of the autonomous vehicle 20.

Then, staff members store any unused surplus medications or used linens in the storage section 26 of the autonomous vehicle 20. After confirming that the storage section 26 is closed, the autonomous vehicle 20 returns from its destination to its origin, the storage section 63. In the storage section 63, the unused medications are stored there, while the used linens are collected from the storage section 26 and either sorted within the hospital or handed over to a linen laundering service. This completes the transport of the medications or linens.

With the above configuration, based on transport information 47 for specified items such as medical supplies, medications, linens, etc., an autonomous transport vehicle 20 loaded with the specified items from a first location, such as the medical supply storage unit 62 or storage unit 63, travels along the travel route 33a to a second location. This allows the specified items to be automatically transported by the autonomous transport vehicle 20 without contact or manual intervention.

Next, the transportation of meals will be described.
Hospital management server 40 creates request information 46 that includes food service department 64, which is the source of transport, and the destination to which the meal should be delivered, in accordance with the specified meal time, and also creates transport information 47 that specifies food service department 64 as the source of transport and the destination included in request information 46, corresponding to the various items of meal included in request information 46, and sends this information to autonomous vehicle management department 30 via network 70. At the same time, hospital management server 40 sends request information 46 to food service department 64. As a result, food service department 64 places the meals on trays for each destination and dispenses them.

On the other hand, the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 selects an autonomous vehicle 20 for transport that is close to the source and destination included in the transport information 47 based on the transport information 47, reads map data 31 for the area corresponding to the driving route from the current location to the source and destination using the current location information 81a of the autonomous vehicle 20, creates a driving route 33a, and sends it to the autonomous vehicle 20. As a result, the autonomous vehicle 20 drives along this driving route 33a from its current location to the food supply unit 64, which is the source of the transport, and the meal is loaded into the storage unit 26 at the food supply unit 64. The autonomous vehicle 20 then automatically drives along the driving route 33a from the source of the transport to the destination of the transport.

When the autonomous vehicle 20 approaches the destination, the hospital management server 40 transmits arrival information 48 to the staff terminal 50 at the destination of the transport information 47 based on the current location information 81a of the autonomous vehicle 20. This allows the staff member carrying the staff terminal 50 to wait at the destination in preparation for the arrival of the autonomous vehicle 20. When the autonomous vehicle 20 arrives at the destination, the staff member receives the meal from the storage section 26 of the autonomous vehicle 20.

After that, if there is a tray with used dishes on it, the staff member will store this tray in the storage section 26 of the autonomous vehicle 20. After confirming that the storage section 26 is closed, the autonomous vehicle 20 returns from its destination to its origin, the catering section 64. In the catering section 64, the dishes placed on the tray are collected, and if any food remains in the dishes, they are discarded, and the used dishes are washed and stored in the dish storage area. This completes the meal transport.

With the above configuration, based on the transport information 47, the autonomous meal transport vehicle 20 loaded with meals at the food service department 64 (first location) travels along the travel route 33a to the hospital rooms, etc., where the meals should be delivered (second location). As a result, the meals are automatically transported by the autonomous meal transport vehicle 20 without contact or manual intervention.

Next, the transport of the sample will be described.
When a request for specimen collection is made by a staff member on the staff terminal 50, request information 51 including the requested specimen collection is created and transmitted to the hospital management server 40. The hospital management server 40 creates transport information 47 specifying the testing unit 65 as the transport source in accordance with the specimen collection item included in the request information 51 and the transport destination included in the request information 51, and transmits the transport information 47 to the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 via the network 70. At the same time, the hospital management server 40 transmits the request information 51 to the selected testing unit 65. As a result, the testing unit 65 dispenses an empty specimen container that is stored.

On the other hand, the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 selects an autonomous vehicle 20 for transport that is close to the source and destination included in the transport information 47, based on the transport information 47 sent from the hospital management server 40, and reads map data 31 for the area corresponding to the driving route from the current location to the source and destination using the current location information 81a of the autonomous vehicle 20. It then creates a driving route 33a and sends it to the autonomous vehicle 20. As a result, the autonomous vehicle 20 drives along this driving route 33a from its current location to the testing unit 65, which is the source of the transport, and the empty specimen container is loaded into the storage unit 26 at the testing unit 65. The autonomous vehicle 20 then automatically drives along the driving route 33a from the testing unit 65, which is the source of the transport, to the destination.

When the autonomous vehicle 20 approaches the destination, the hospital management server 40 transmits arrival information 48 to the staff terminal 50 at the destination of the transport information 47 based on the current location information 81a of the autonomous vehicle 20. This allows the staff member carrying the staff terminal 50 to wait at the destination in preparation for the arrival of the autonomous vehicle 20. When the autonomous vehicle 20 arrives at the destination, the staff member receives the empty specimen container from the storage unit 26 of the autonomous vehicle 20.

Then, the staff member places the specimen in a specimen container and places the specimen container in the storage section 26 of the autonomous vehicle 20. After confirming that the storage section 26 is closed, the autonomous vehicle 20 returns from its destination to its origin, the inspection section 65. At the inspection section 65, the specimen container containing the specimen is removed from the storage section 26 and the specimen is inspected in the inspection section 65. This completes specimen collection.

According to the above configuration, based on the transport information 47, the autonomous transport vehicle 20 loaded with empty test containers at the inspection unit 65 (first location) travels along the travel path 33a to the second location, the empty test containers are unloaded at the second location, and the autonomous transport vehicle 20 loaded with specimen containers containing specimens at the second location travels along the travel path 33a from the second location to the inspection unit 65 (first location). As a result, the empty specimen containers are transported from the inspection unit 65 (first location) to the second location by the autonomous transport vehicle 20, and the specimen containers containing specimens are transported from the second location to the inspection unit 65 (first location) by the autonomous transport vehicle 20, and the specimen containers are automatically transported between the first and second locations without contact or manual intervention.

Next, the transportation of emergency patients will be described.
When a request for emergency admission or emergency examination is received, the hospital management server 40 creates transport information 47 specifying the hospital's emergency entrance as the transport origin and an emergency treatment room or the like as the transport destination, and sends this information to the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 via the network 70. At the same time, the hospital management server 40 sends emergency admission information to the hospital's emergency department. As a result, the emergency department prepares at least a stretcher to accept the emergency patient at the emergency entrance.

On the other hand, the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 selects an autonomous vehicle 20 for stretcher transport that is close to the source and destination included in the transport information 47, based on the transport information 47 sent from the hospital management server 40, reads map data 31 for the area corresponding to the driving route from the current location to the source and destination using the current location information 81a of the autonomous vehicle 20, creates a driving route 33a, and sends it to the autonomous vehicle 20. As a result, the autonomous vehicle 20 drives along this driving route 33a from its current location to the emergency entrance, which is the source of the transport, and a stretcher carrying the emergency patient is loaded at the emergency entrance. The autonomous vehicle 20 then automatically drives along the driving route 33a from the emergency entrance, which is the source of the transport, to the destination, such as an emergency room.

When the autonomous vehicle 20 approaches the destination, the hospital management server 40 transmits arrival information 48 to a staff terminal 50 of the emergency room or other location indicated in the transport information 47, based on the current location information 81a of the autonomous vehicle 20. This causes staff at the emergency room or other location carrying the staff terminal 50 to wait in the emergency room or other location for the arrival of the autonomous vehicle 20. When the autonomous vehicle 20 arrives at the emergency room or other location, the staff unloads the stretcher from the autonomous vehicle 20. This completes the transport of the emergency patient. With this configuration, based on the transport information 47, a stretcher carrying an emergency patient at a first location, the emergency entrance, can be automatically transported from the emergency entrance to a second location, the emergency room or other location, by the autonomous vehicle 20 for stretcher transport, without contact or manual intervention.

Next, the transportation of the patient will be described.
When a request for patient transport is made by a staff member operating the staff terminal 50, request information 51 including the origin and destination of the requested patient transport is created and sent to the hospital management server 40. The hospital management server 40 creates transport information 47 specifying the origin and destination included in the request information 51 and sends it to the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 via the network 70. At the same time, the hospital management server 40 sends the request information 51 to the origin of transport. As a result, the origin of transport prepares to transport the patient.

On the other hand, the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 selects an autonomous vehicle 20 for transporting the patient that is close to the source and destination included in the transport information 47, based on the transport information 47 sent from the hospital management server 40, and reads map data 31 for the area corresponding to the driving route from the current location to the source and destination using the current location information 81a of the autonomous vehicle 20. It then creates a driving route 33a and sends it to the autonomous vehicle 20. As a result, the autonomous vehicle 20 drives from the current location to the source along this driving route 33a, and the patient boards the autonomous vehicle 20 at the source. The autonomous vehicle 20 then automatically drives from the source to the destination along the driving route 33a.

When the autonomously driven vehicle 20 approaches the destination, the hospital management server 40 transmits arrival information 48 to the staff terminal 50 at the destination of the transport information 47 based on the current location information 81a of the autonomously driven vehicle 20. This causes the staff member carrying the staff terminal 50 to wait at the destination in preparation for the arrival of the autonomously driven vehicle 20. When the autonomously driven vehicle 20 arrives at the destination, the patient gets out of the autonomously driven vehicle 20. In this way, the transport of the patient is completed.
According to this configuration, based on the transport information 47, an autonomous patient transport vehicle 20 carrying a patient who is unable to walk or has difficulty walking travels from a first location along a travel route 33a to a second location, and the patient who is unable to walk or has difficulty walking is automatically transported by the autonomous patient transport vehicle 20 without contact or manual intervention.

When the vendor management server 60 receives notification of delivery from a supplier regarding the various items it has ordered, it creates delivery information 60a including the type, quantity, and delivery date and time of the various items and sends it to the hospital management server 40. In response, the hospital management server 40 selects the type and delivery date and time of the various items to be delivered included in the delivery information 60a that correspond to the undelivered request information 51, associates it with the request information 51, creates transport information 47, and sends it to the autonomous vehicle management unit 30. Based on the transport information 47, the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 selects an autonomous vehicle 20 closest to the hospital's loading entrance, and creates a driving route 33a from the current position, via the hospital's loading entrance, to the delivery destination using the autonomous vehicle's 20's current position information 81a, and sends it to the autonomous vehicle 20.

As a result, the autonomous vehicle 20 travels along this travel route 33a from its current location to the entrance of the hospital where the items are being delivered, and the various delivered items are loaded into the storage section 26 at the entrance. The autonomous vehicle 20 then travels automatically along the travel route 33a from the entrance of the hospital where the items are being delivered to the destination.

When the autonomous vehicle 20 approaches the destination, the hospital management server 40 transmits arrival information 48 to the staff terminal 50 at the destination of the transport information 47 based on the current location information 81a of the autonomous vehicle 20. The staff member carrying the staff terminal 50 waits at the destination in preparation for the arrival of the autonomous vehicle 20, and when the autonomous vehicle 20 arrives at the destination, the staff member receives the various delivered items from the storage section 26 of the autonomous vehicle 20.

Finally, the work of patrol security, disinfection, or cleaning performed by the autonomous vehicle 20 will be described.
The hospital management server 40 creates request information 46 regarding patrol security, disinfection or cleaning work along a specified driving route 33a, for example, at specified time intervals, creates transportation information 47 that returns to the starting point (second location) via a specified patrol route, with the waiting location of the autonomous vehicle 20 for patrol security, disinfection or cleaning work as the starting point (first location), and transmits this information to the autonomous vehicle management department 30 via the network 70.

Based on the transport information 47 sent from the hospital management server 40, the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 selects an autonomous vehicle 20 for patrol security, disinfection, or cleaning that is close to the starting point included in the transport information 47. Using the autonomous vehicle's current location information 81a, the autonomous vehicle management unit 30 reads map data 31 for the area corresponding to the driving route from the current location to the starting point via a predetermined patrol route, creates a driving route 33a, and transmits it to the autonomous vehicle 20. The autonomous vehicle 20 then starts driving from its current location along this driving route 33a, automatically driving back to its current location while performing patrol security, disinfection, or cleaning. With this configuration, the autonomous vehicles 20 for patrol security, disinfection, or cleaning coexist with the autonomous vehicles 20 for transport, including the aforementioned cart transport, meal transport, and stretcher transport, and drive along the predetermined driving route 33a within the hospital, thereby ensuring safety and maintaining cleanliness within the hospital. Thus, the autonomous vehicle 20's patrol security, disinfection, or cleaning work is completed.

The present invention provides an intra-hospital transport management system 10 that uses autonomous vehicles 20 to automate the transport of medical supplies, medications including injections, linens, specimens, and meals within a hospital, thereby eliminating contact and reducing the workload of staff. It also enables autonomous transport of patients using autonomous vehicles 20, and allows each autonomous vehicle to operate smoothly with another vehicle.

(First modified example of the intra-hospital transport management system)
Next, a modified example of an in-hospital autonomous vehicle management system having an autonomous vehicle management unit 30A that can cooperate with facilities and operations within the hospital will be described.
Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a first modified example of an intra-hospital autonomous vehicle management system according to the present invention. The intra-hospital autonomous vehicle management system 10A shown in Figure 6 differs from the autonomous vehicle operation system 10 shown in Figure 1 in that the autonomous vehicle management unit 30A further includes a remote monitoring and/or remote operation unit 35, a driving route setting unit 36, an operating status analysis unit 37, an external linkage unit 38, and a user interface 39. The remote monitoring and/or remote operation unit 35 has the same functions as the intra-hospital autonomous vehicle management system 10 described above, and further has an alarm issuing function in the event of an emergency.

The autonomous vehicle management unit 30A is a server installed in an appropriate location. It is composed of a computer equipped with a storage device with a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device, a calculation device that performs arithmetic operations such as four basic operations, and a control device 33A that controls the storage device 32A and the calculation device. Like the autonomous vehicle management unit 30, the storage device 32A stores map data 31, as well as a settings database 32a, an analysis database 32b, and an external linkage database 32c. The auxiliary storage device stores the data processing program for the intra-hospital autonomous vehicle management system, i.e., the intra-hospital autonomous vehicle program (also referred to as the management app). When the management app program is loaded into the calculation device, the control device 33A, storage device 32A, remote monitoring and/or remote operation unit 35, driving route setting unit 36, operating status analysis unit 37, external linkage unit 38, and user interface 39 of the autonomous vehicle management unit 30A shown in FIG. 6 operate.

The remote monitoring and/or remote operation unit 35 has the function of remotely monitoring and/or remotely operating the operation of the autonomous vehicles 20A, similar to the intra-hospital autonomous vehicle management system 10 described above, and further has the function of issuing alarms in emergencies. The remote monitoring and/or remote operation unit 35 can monitor the status of each autonomous vehicle 20i, such as its current position, in real time using image information from the surveillance cameras 24 of each autonomous vehicle 20i and current position information 81a from the position sensor 86d. For example, the current position of each autonomous vehicle 20i can be displayed on a two-dimensional or three-dimensional map based on the map data 31 on the display of the autonomous vehicle management unit 30A.

Regarding remote control, multiple autonomous vehicles 20A (20a-20i-20n) may be controlled using algorithms such as group control, optimal route generation, and optimal route search to prevent collisions between each other.

When a person or obstacle is detected by the monitoring sensor 86b of the autonomous vehicle 20, the remote monitoring and/or remote control unit 35 may display an alarm on the display of the autonomous vehicle management unit 30A indicating that a person or obstacle has been detected.

As described above, the driving route setting unit 36 has the function of selecting an autonomous vehicle 20A closest to the origin of transport from the origin location information included in the transport information 47 based on the transport information 47 sent from the hospital management server 40, then reading map data 31 based on the current location information 81a of the autonomous vehicle 20A and the origin and destination location information to create a driving route 33a and send it to the autonomous vehicle 20A via the network 70. It also has functions such as managing multiple autonomous vehicles 20A and managing the schedules of each autonomous vehicle 20A. Setting data related to the management and schedules of multiple autonomous vehicles 20A is stored in the setting database 32a of the memory unit 32A.

The operating status analysis unit 37 has functions such as collecting and reporting data related to the operating status of the autonomous vehicle, simulating using this data, and optimizing the operating status. The operating data related to the operating status of the autonomous vehicle 20A is used to analyze the operation of multiple autonomous vehicles 20A by date, and includes the usage rate of each operating mode, operating time, remaining battery power, total distance traveled, and the number of errors. The operating data is stored in the analysis database 32b of the memory unit 32A.

The external linking unit 38 has the functions of linking with multiple elevators 41A, multiple security doors 45a, and the hospital management server 40, and linking (notifications, calls, etc.) with the hospital's electronic medical records and business systems. These links are performed by an API (Application Program Interface, also known as an application programming interface) stored in the external linking database 32c in the memory unit 32A.

The external linking unit 38 has the function of connecting multiple autonomous vehicles 20A with multiple elevators 41A within the hospital, and security doors 45a and the like as necessary. The external linking unit 38 supports various communication protocols to accommodate communication methods specific to the manufacturers of the multiple autonomous vehicles 20A. Communication methods include MQTT (short for MQ Telemetry Transport, a protocol used for communication between devices), PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), and OPC UA (an open source industrial interface by the OPC Foundation).

The user interface 39 is an interface for sending the remote monitoring screen of the autonomous vehicles 20 acquired by the remote monitoring and/or remote control unit 35 to the display 40c of the hospital management server 40. In this case, staff managing the autonomous vehicles 20 at the hospital can monitor the operating status of multiple autonomous vehicles 20A by visually checking the display 40c. The display 40c may be installed not only on the hospital management server 40, but also on the management server of a company outside the hospital that has been entrusted with monitoring by the hospital.

(Second modified example of the hospital autonomous vehicle management system)
Next, a modified example of the in-hospital autonomous vehicle management system that can manage the locking and unlocking of the storage compartment of the autonomous vehicle 20 will be described.
7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a second modified example of an intra-hospital autonomous vehicle management system according to the present invention. The intra-hospital autonomous vehicle management system 10B shown in FIG. 7 differs from the intra-hospital autonomous vehicle management system 10 shown in FIG. 1 in that it further includes an autonomous vehicle 20B equipped with a mechanism 26a capable of locking and unlocking a storage unit 26B and a reading unit 87 that authenticates hospital staff, an autonomous vehicle management unit 30B equipped with a storage unit management database 32d in a memory unit 32B, and a hospital management server 40B equipped with a hospital security management database 49. Other configurations are the same as those of the intra-hospital autonomous vehicle management system 10 shown in FIG. 1.

In storage unit 26B of autonomous vehicle 20B, mechanism 26a, which can automatically unlock and lock, is composed of an electromagnetic lock for securing the doors (not shown) of storage unit 26B of autonomous vehicle 20B, and operating devices such as plungers for automatically opening and closing each door. A sensor for detecting the presence or absence of medical supplies or medications stored within storage unit 26B may also be provided.

The reading unit 87, which authenticates hospital staff, has the function of reading, for example, a QR code (registered trademark) displayed on an ID card or an ID card with built-in near-field communication (hereinafter referred to as NFC) carried by hospital staff. A scanner can be used to read the QR code (registered trademark). The surveillance camera 24 of the autonomously driven vehicle 20B may also be used as the scanner. By holding an ID card carried by a hospital staff member over the reading unit 87 of the autonomously driven vehicle 20B, the hospital staff member's ID information 87a can be read. The read staff member's ID information 87a is transmitted by the CPU 81 of the autonomously driven vehicle 20B to the autonomously driven vehicle management unit 30B via the status transmission/reception unit 86f and network 70.

In response to this, the control unit 33B of the autonomous vehicle management unit 30B queries the hospital management server 40B for the received staff ID information 87a. The hospital management server 40B queries the hospital security management database 49 for the received staff ID information 87a and authenticates the received staff ID information 87a. The hospital management server 40B receives staff ID authentication information 87b from the hospital security management database 49. In other words, once authentication is successful, the hospital management server 40B transmits the staff ID authentication information 87b to the autonomous vehicle management unit 30B via the network 70B. The control unit 33B of the autonomous vehicle management unit 30B reads the staff member's ID card in the hospital based on the staff member ID authentication information 87b and transmits an instruction to unlock the storage unit 26B to the autonomous vehicle 20B. In response to this, the autonomous vehicle 20B causes the unlocking mechanism 26a via the CPU 81 to unlock the storage unit 26B, allowing the staff member to retrieve the medical supplies, medicines, etc. delivered from the storage unit 26B of the autonomous vehicle 20B. The staff member then stores the used medicines and medical supplies in storage unit 26B of autonomous vehicle 20B. After confirming that storage unit 26B is closed, autonomous vehicle 20B returns from the destination to the injection drug section 61 or medical supply storage section 62, which is the source of the transport.

Records of staff ID authentication information 87b from staff within the hospital 40a, i.e., access logs, can be stored in the accommodation unit management database 32d of the autonomous vehicle management unit 30B and/or the hospital security management database 49 of the hospital management server 40B.

The present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention.
For example, in the embodiment described above, arrival information 48 is transmitted to staff terminal 50 when autonomous vehicle 20 approaches the transport source, but this is not limited to this; instead, the current location of autonomous vehicle 20 may be notified successively as a driving status instead of arrival information 48. With this configuration, when autonomous vehicle 20 is driving to transport various items, the driving status of autonomous vehicle 20 is transmitted to staff terminal 50, and hospital staff carrying staff terminal 50 can successively grasp transport status 47 of various items by autonomous vehicle 20, and can therefore perform various preparatory work in preparation for the arrival of the various items to be transported.

In the embodiment described above, the autonomously driven vehicle 20 includes a status transmission/reception unit 86f that transmits and receives information to and from the network 70. However, this is not limited to this. The status transmission/reception unit 86f of the autonomously driven vehicle 20 may also be configured as an in-vehicle terminal 90 (see FIG. 7 ) that transmits and receives information to and from the network 70 and on which staff members perform various operations. The in-vehicle terminal 90 is an information terminal device such as a commercially available tablet terminal, and its display unit 90a is positioned in a location that is easily visible to staff members. The in-vehicle terminal 90 may also include a reader 90b for the staff member ID information 87a described above.
In the above-described embodiment, autonomous vehicle 20 travels according to travel route 33a created by autonomous vehicle management unit 30. However, this travel route 33a may be displayed on the display unit 90a of the in-vehicle terminal 90 of autonomous vehicle 20B. As described above, autonomous vehicle 20B travels to a second location along travel route 33a after being loaded with the various items at a first location. However, autonomous vehicle 20B may also travel from the second location to a third location to transport intravenous injection drugs, medical supplies, medicinal solutions, linens, meals, etc. In this case, after receiving the intravenous injection drugs, medical supplies, meals, etc. from autonomous vehicle 20B, the staff member may automatically drive autonomous vehicle 20B to the next destination displayed on the display unit 90a of the in-vehicle terminal 90. If the display unit 90a is a touch panel, the staff member can automatically drive autonomous vehicle 20B to the next destination by touching the display of the next destination displayed on the touch panel.

(Transportation to multiple destinations)
According to the intra-hospital autonomous vehicle management system 10B, in response to a request from a staff terminal 50, the hospital management server 40B confirms the inventory and storage locations of the requested items with the vendor management server 60, creates transportation information 47A including the item names, transportation origin, and multiple transportation destinations of the various items, and sends this information to the autonomous vehicle management unit 30B. In response, the autonomous vehicle management unit 30B reads map data 31 from the transportation origin to the transportation destinations included in this transportation information 47A, and creates driving routes 33a from a first location, which is the transportation origin, to the multiple transportation destinations based on the transportation information 47A and the map data 31, and sends this information to the autonomous vehicle 20B. In other words, in response to a request from the staff terminal 50, the hospital management server 40B creates transport information 47A for travel from a first location to multiple destinations, and the autonomous vehicle management unit 30B creates a driving route 33a from the first location to the multiple destinations based on the transport information 47A and map data 31 and sends it to the autonomous vehicle 20B, and the autonomous vehicle 20B can transport various items from the first location to the multiple destinations according to the driving route 33a.

As a result, after loading the various items at the first location, autonomous vehicle 20B travels in a circular movement along travel route 33a from the first location to multiple destinations such as a second location, a third location, etc. In this way, various items requested by staff terminal 50 can be automatically transported by autonomous vehicle 20B from the first location to multiple destinations in a non-contact manner without human intervention.
Specifically, autonomous vehicle management unit 30B reads map data 31 from the transport origin to the multiple transport destinations, which is included in transport information 47A, and creates a driving route 33a from a first location, which is the transport origin, to the multiple transport destinations (predetermined locations such as second and third locations), based on transport information 47A and map data 31, and transmits this to status transmitting/receiving unit 86f of autonomous vehicle 20 or in-vehicle terminal 90. In response to this, CPU 81 of autonomous vehicle 20B controls drive unit 85 to cause autonomous driving along driving route 33a that includes the multiple transport destinations.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10, 10A, 10B In-hospital autonomous vehicle management system 20, 20A, 20B Autonomous vehicle 21 Main body 22 Wheels 23 Display 24 Surveillance camera 25 Speaker 26, 26B Storage section 26a Locking and unlocking mechanism 27 Light 28 Turn indicator 29 Control section 30, 30A, 30B Autonomous vehicle management section 31 Map data 32 Memory section 32a Setting database 32b Analysis database 32c External linkage database 32d Storage section management database 33, 33A, 33B Control section 33a Travel route 33b Elevator usage information 33c Elevator control information 33d Security control information 35 Remote monitoring and/or remote operation section 36 Travel route setting section 37 Operational status analysis section 38 External linkage section 39 User interface 40, 40B Hospital management server 40a Hospital building 40c Display 40b, 44a Gateway 41, 41A Elevator 42 Travel path 43 Elevator car 44 Elevator control unit 45 Security control unit 45a Security door 45b Security door opening signal 46, 51 Request information 47, 47A Transport information 48 Arrival information 49 Hospital security management database 50 Staff terminal 60 Vendor management server 60a Delivery information 61 Injection drug unit 61a Dispensing unit 61b Injection tray 61c Injection cart 62 Medical material storage unit 63 Storage unit 64 Food supply unit 65 Inspection unit 70 Network 81 CPU
81a Current location information 82 Battery 83 Display 84 Memory unit 85 Drive unit 85a Motor 85b Driver 86 Detection unit 86a Attitude detection sensor 86b Monitoring sensor 86c Distance sensor 86d Position sensor 86e Bumper sensor 86f Status transmission/reception unit 87 Reading unit 87a Staff ID information 87b Staff ID authentication information 90 In-vehicle terminal 90a Display unit 90b Reading unit

Claims (15)

The hospital includes an autonomous vehicle management unit that registers three-dimensional map data relating to the surrounding environment and the paths that autonomous vehicles can travel within the hospital, a plurality of autonomous vehicles connected to the autonomous vehicle management unit via a network, a hospital management server that manages various facilities within the hospital, a plurality of staff terminals within the hospital that are connected to the hospital management server via the network, and a vendor management server that manages inventory, ordering, and delivery of various items at the hospital,
The autonomous driving vehicle management unit ,
a remote monitoring and/or remote operation unit that remotely monitors and/or remotely operates the autonomous driving vehicle ;
a travel route setting unit that sets a travel route for the autonomously driven vehicle ;
an operating state analysis unit that analyzes an operating state of the autonomously driven vehicle based on operation data of the autonomously driven vehicle ;
an external linking unit that links the autonomous driving vehicle with an elevator control unit and a security door control unit via the hospital management server;
the network interconnects the autonomously driven vehicle and the autonomously driven vehicle management unit, the autonomously driven vehicle management unit and the hospital management server, and the hospital management server, the plurality of staff terminals, and the contractor management server;
The hospital includes departments including a pharmacy department connected to the vendor management server, a storage department for storing medical supplies such as medicines and linens, a food service department, and an inspection department,
request information transmitted from the hospital management server and the plurality of staff terminals is transmitted to the corresponding departments, and the departments prepare for the transportation of the various items requested based on the request information, and when the transportation preparations are completed, the departments transmit a notification to that effect to the hospital management server;
The hospital management server, in response to requests from the plurality of staff terminals, creates transport information for an autonomous vehicle loaded with the requested items to travel from a first location that is the transport origin to a second location that is the transport destination, and transmits the transport information to the autonomous vehicle management unit;
the autonomous driving vehicle management unit creates a driving route from the first location to the second location based on the transport information and the map data from the hospital management server, and transmits the created route to the autonomous driving vehicle;
An intra-hospital autonomous vehicle management system, wherein the autonomous vehicle transports various requested items from the first location to the second location according to the driving route. One of the various items is an intravenous injection drug taken out from an injection drug dispensing unit and placed on an injection tray, and an injection cart containing the injection tray at the first location is transported to the second location by an automated cart transport vehicle,
The in-hospital autonomous vehicle management system according to claim 1, wherein an injection cart containing an empty injection tray after the intravenous injection drug has been removed is transported from the second location to the first location by an autonomous vehicle for transporting the cart. The intra-hospital autonomous vehicle management system of claim 1, wherein the autonomous vehicle management unit moves autonomous vehicles to the hospital entrance in accordance with various items included in delivery information about vehicles entering the hospital entrance from the vendor management server. the autonomous driving vehicle management unit creates driving route information including elevator information or security door information from the hospital management server,
2. The in-hospital autonomous vehicle management system according to claim 1, wherein the autonomous vehicle uses elevators within the hospital and opens and closes security doors according to the elevator information and security door information when traveling along the travel route. the autonomous vehicle management unit transmits to the hospital management server a driving status of the autonomous vehicle traveling from the first location to the second location;
The in-hospital autonomous vehicle management system according to claim 1 , wherein the hospital management server transmits the driving status of the autonomous vehicle to the staff terminal. One of the various items is a meal to be delivered from the food service department to individual hospital rooms, etc.
The hospital management server transmits transportation information regarding meals to be delivered from the hospital's food service department to the autonomous vehicle management department,
The in-hospital autonomous vehicle management system described in claim 1, wherein the autonomous vehicle management unit causes an autonomous vehicle for transporting meals to transport meals from a first location, the cafeteria, to a second location, such as each hospital room where the meals should be served, based on the transport information. One of the various items is medical supplies, medicines, linens, etc.
the hospital management server transmits transportation information from the storage unit to the autonomous driving vehicle management unit;
The automated driving vehicle management unit transports various items such as medical supplies, medicines, linens, etc. from the storage unit as a first location to a second location such as a hospital room, examination room, or treatment room using an automated driving vehicle for transport based on the transport information,
The in-hospital autonomous vehicle management system according to claim 1 , wherein the autonomous vehicle management unit transports surplus and used items of various types from the second location to the first location using an autonomous vehicle for transportation. One of the various items is a specimen to be collected from a patient or the like and tested in the testing unit,
The hospital management server transmits transport information from the examination department to the autonomous driving vehicle management department,
The automated vehicle management unit transports empty specimen containers from the testing unit as a first location to a second location by an automated vehicle for transport based on the transport information,
The in-hospital autonomous vehicle management system according to claim 1, wherein the autonomous vehicle management unit transports a specimen container containing a specimen from the second location to the testing unit as the first location using an autonomous vehicle for transport. One of the various items is a stretcher carrying an emergency patient,
The hospital management server transmits transport information from the hospital's emergency entrance to the autonomous driving vehicle management unit,
2. The intra-hospital autonomous vehicle management system according to claim 1, wherein the autonomous vehicle management unit transports a stretcher carrying an emergency patient from an emergency entrance as a first location to an emergency treatment room or the like as a second location based on the transport information by an autonomous vehicle for stretcher transport. One of the various items is a patient who is unable to walk or has difficulty walking,
The hospital management server transmits transport information to the autonomous driving vehicle management unit,
The in-hospital autonomous vehicle management system according to claim 1, wherein the autonomous vehicle management unit transports a patient who is unable to walk or has difficulty walking from a first location to a second location using an autonomous vehicle for patient transport based on the transport information. The autonomous vehicle is an autonomous vehicle for patrol security, disinfection, or cleaning in a hospital,
The hospital management server transmits transportation information based on request information regarding the autonomous vehicle for patrol security, disinfection, or cleaning to an autonomous vehicle management unit,
The in-hospital autonomous vehicle management system according to claim 1 , wherein the autonomous vehicle management unit causes the autonomous vehicle to travel along a predetermined travel route based on the transportation information. 2. The in-hospital autonomous vehicle management system according to claim 1, wherein the elevator control unit sends a signal for an elevator call operation when the autonomous vehicle approaches an elevator hall based on the current position of the autonomous vehicle , elevator usage information, and elevator control information sent from the autonomous vehicle via the network, the autonomous vehicle management unit, and the hospital management server, and further sends an input signal for a destination floor when the autonomous vehicle gets into an elevator car, thereby allowing the elevator to be used. The autonomous vehicle is provided with a storage unit that can be locked and unlocked and a reading means unit for authenticating staff in the hospital,
ID information of staff in the hospital is read by the reading means unit of the autonomous driving vehicle,
The autonomous driving vehicle management unit queries the hospital management server for ID information of the staff member,
Upon receiving this, the hospital management server queries a hospital security management database for the staff member's ID information, and upon receiving the staff member's ID authentication information from the hospital security management database, transmits the staff member's ID authentication information to the autonomous driving vehicle management unit;
The in-hospital autonomous vehicle management system according to claim 1 , wherein the autonomous vehicle management unit receives the instruction to unlock the storage unit of the autonomous vehicle. the hospital management server creates the transport information for travel from the first location to a plurality of transport destinations in response to a request from the staff terminal;
the autonomous vehicle management unit creates a driving route from the first location to the plurality of destinations based on the transportation information and the map data, and transmits the created driving route to the autonomous vehicle;
The hospital autonomous vehicle management system according to claim 1 , wherein the autonomous vehicle transports the various items from the first location to the multiple destinations according to the driving route. 15. The in-hospital autonomous vehicle management system of claim 14, wherein the autonomous vehicle is connected to the network and has an in-vehicle terminal operated by staff in the hospital , and a driving route from the first location to the multiple transport destinations is displayed on a display unit of the in-vehicle terminal.