Patent ID: 11966861
Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Field: IT methods for management (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 6:
7. An operation planning method of creating an operation plan for each of a plurality of vehicles that autonomously travel, wherein the plurality of vehicles include a rechargeable vehicle with a rechargeable battery as a travel energy source and a fuel vehicle which includes other than the rechargeable battery as the travel energy source, the operation planning method comprising:
receiving request information including a departure location and a destination from a user terminal device of a user via a communication unit;
deriving an operation plan based on the request information, wherein the operation plan includes an operation section and a charging section, wherein the charging section is a charging schedule which does not occur at a same time as the operation section of the operation plan, wherein the operation section includes the departure location as a start point and the destination as an end point, and a scheduled travel distance from the start point to the end point of the operation section;
acquiring a state of charge of the rechargeable battery which is mounted in the rechargeable vehicle;
deriving a state of charge shortage before the rechargeable vehicle starts the operation section, wherein the state of charge shortage is an estimated shortage of the rechargeable battery of the rechargeable vehicle to complete travel in the operation section, based on the acquired state of charge of the rechargeable vehicle, wherein the charge section allows the rechargeable battery to be charged an amount of the estimated shortage; and
creating the operation plan by allocating the rechargeable vehicle to the operation section, based on the rechargeable vehicle being able to be charged with the derived state of charge shortage before the operation of the rechargeable vehicle starts;
creating the operation plan by allocating the fuel vehicle rather than the rechargeable vehicle, to the operation section, when the scheduled travel distance is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance; and
transmitting, using the communication unit, the operation plan automatically to an onboard vehicle device of the allocated rechargeable vehicle or the allocated fuel vehicle so as to control the allocated rechargeable vehicle or the allocated fuel vehicle to automatically travel autonomously in accordance with the operation plan.