Patent Publication Number: US-2019195633-A1

Title: Information processing device and information processing method

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-250048 filed on Dec. 26, 2017, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to an information processing device and an information processing method for processing information. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Mobile office built by carrying a desk, a chair, a bookshelf, office automation equipment, communication equipment, etc. on automobiles are known see, for example, JP09-183334). The passenger of a mobile office can get the paperwork done: while the vehicle is traveling. 
     Where the above technology is used to allow a passenger to get the paperwork done while the vehicle is traveling toward a destination and deliver a completed document, etc. to the destination, a prolonged time may elapse since the completion of the paperwork until the arrival at the destination and may be consumed wastefully. 
     SUMMARY 
     The embodiments address the above-described issue, and a general purpose thereof is to provide an information processing device and an information processing method capable of reducing the time that elapses since the completion of a task performed by a user in a vehicle until the arrival at a destination. 
     An information processing device according to an embodiment includes: an acquisition unit configured to acquire a traveling time of a vehicle from a place of departure to a destination, and a period of time required for a task performed by a user; a derivation unit configured to derive a period of time required for a remaining task in accordance with the period of time required for the task acquired by the acquisition unit and a period of time that the user performed the task; and an output unit configured to output a suggestion for departure in the vehicle, when the period of time required for the remaining task derived by the derivation unit and the traveling time acquired by the acquisition unit meet a predetermined relationship. 
     According to this embodiment, a suggestion for departure in the vehicle is output when the period of time required for the remaining task and the traveling time meet a predetermined relationship. It is therefore possible to cause the vehicle to depart toward the destination at an appropriate point in time and allow the user to perform the remaining task in the vehicle. Accordingly, the time between completion of the task and the arrival at the destination is reduced. 
     The output unit may output a suggestion for departure when the period of time required for the remaining task becomes shorter than the traveling time. 
     The acquisition unit may acquire the traveling time from the place of departure to the destination by way of a transit site necessary for the remaining task. 
     The acquisition unit may acquire a desired time of arrival at the destination, and the output unit may output a task start time for the task to be completed at the desired time of arrival, based on the period of time required for the task. 
     Another embodiment relates to an information processing method. The method includes: acquiring a traveling time of a vehicle from a place of departure to a destination, and a period of time required for a task performed by a user; deriving a period of time required for a remaining task in accordance with the period of time required for the task acquired and a period of time that the user performed the task; and outputting a suggestion for departure in the vehicle, when the period of time required; for the remaining task derived and the traveling time acquired meet a predetermined relationship. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings which are meant to be exemplary, not limiting, and wherein like elements are numbered alike in several Figures, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a vehicle system according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing a configuration of the server device of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram showing a configuration of the vehicle-mounted device of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 4  shows a traveling route of the vehicle of  FIG. 1  from, a user&#39;s office to a destination. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     An embodiment will now be described. The embodiment is illustrative and is not intended to be limiting. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a vehicle system  1  according to an embodiment. The vehicle system  1  includes a plurality of vehicle-mounted devices  20 , a server device  40 , and a terminal device  60 .  FIG. 1  shows three vehicle-mounted devices  20  of a plurality of vehicle-mounted devices  20 . 
     The vehicle-mounted device  20  is carried on the vehicle  10 . The vehicle  10  is an automatically-driven car, and the user in the car can perform a task while the vehicle  10  is traveling. The vehicle  10  is equipped with facilities to perform tasks. The vehicle  10  is exemplified by, but not limited to, an electric car. The task is exemplified by, but not limited to, assembly of a product, preparation of food and drink, drafting of a manuscript, research, CAD design, programming, kimono dressing, etc. A teleconference may be held in the vehicle  10  along with assembly of a product. 
     It is assumed in the embodiment that, after starting the task outside the vehicle  10  (e.g., at an office where the user is working), the user leaves the office and gets in the vehicle  10  before the task is completed, performs the remaining task in the vehicle  10  traveling from the office to the destination, and delivers the completed product by performing a task sequence to the destination. 
     The vehicle-mounted device  20  communicates wirelessly with the server device  40 . The embodiment is non-limiting as to the standard for wireless communication. For example, wireless LAN, 3G (third-generation mobile communication system), 4G fourth-generation mobile communication system), or 5G (fifth-generation mobile communication system) is covered. The vehicle-mounted device  20  may communicate wirelessly with the server device  40  via a base station (not shown). 
     For example, the server device  40  is placed at an office or the like where the user is working. The server device  40  functions as an information processing device. 
     The terminal device  60  is exemplified by a personal computer or a smartphone and can communicate with the server device  40  by wire or wirelessly. The server device  40  may additionally be provided with the function of the terminal device  60 . Information on the user&#39;s task schedule and the user&#39;s task situation is input to the terminal device  60  by, for example, the user operation. The terminal device  60  outputs the input information to the server device  40 . 
     The user&#39;s task schedule includes information on a period of time required for a task performed by the user, one or more transit sites necessary for the task, the site where the product obtained as a result of the task is delivered, and the time and date of delivery, which is the desired time of arrival at the sate of delivery. 
     Transit sites necessary for the task differ from one task to another. For example, a transit site may be a shop or an office. In the case of assembly of a product, the transit site is exemplified by a site where a component necessary to assemble the product is available. In the case of preparation of food and drink, the transit site is exemplified by a site where goods necessary to prepare the food and drink is available. In the case of drafting of a manuscript, the transit site is exemplified by a site where information necessary to draft the manuscript is available. In the case of research, the the transit site is exemplified by a site where goods, information, and/or staff necessary for the research is available. 
     In the case of CAD design, the transit site is exemplified by a site where information necessary for the design, etc. is available. In the case of programming, the transit site is exemplified by a site where information necessary for the programming is available. In the case of kimono dressing, the transit site is exemplified by a site where a kimono, an obi belt, accessories, etc. necessary for kimono dressing are available. In case there is a constraint on the sequence of procurement of goods for the purpose of performing the task efficiently, information on the sequence of visits may be appended to the transit site. 
     In the case of assembly of a product, drafting of a manuscript, research, CAD design, and programming, the transit site(s) may include an office where a supervisor who authorizes the task is working. In this case, the user can have the task authorized by a signature or a seal of the supervisor on the document at the transit site. 
     The information on the user&#39;s task situation is information indicating that the user has started the task at an office or that the user has suspended the task. 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram: showing a configuration of the server device  40  of  FIG. 1 . The server device  40  includes a communication unit  42 , a processing unit  44 , and a storage unit  46 . The processing unit  44  includes an acquisition unit  50 , a derivation unit  52 , and an output unit  54 . 
     The storage unit  46  stores information on the position of the user&#39;s office and a map. The acquisition unit  50  acquires the user&#39;s task schedule and the information on the user&#39;s task situation from the terminal device  60 . The acquisition unit  50  acquires a traveling route of the vehicle  10  from the user&#39;s office that is the starting point, to the site of delivery that is the destination, via the transit site(s) and also acquires the traveling time from the starting point to the destination via the transit site(s). For example, the acquisition unit  50  acquires the shortest traveling route. It is assumed that the traveling time is shorter than the period of time required for the task. When the information on the sequence of visits is appended to the transit site(s), the acquisition unit  50  acquires the traveling route and the traveling time by way of the transit site(s) visited in that sequence. For acquisition of the traveling route and the traveling time, a route search technology may be used. The acquisition unit  50  causes the storage unit  46  to store these items of information. 
     The derivation unit  52  derives the task start time for the task to be completed at the desired time of arrival, based on the period of time required for the task acquired by the acquisition unit  50 . More specifically, the derivation unit  52  derives, as the task start time, the time that goes back from the desired time of arrival by the period of time required for the task. 
     Based on the desired time of arrival and the traveling time acquired by the acquisition unit  50 , the derivation unit  52  derives the departure time that should be observed to arrive at the destination at the desired time of arrival. 
     The derivation unit  52  derives a period of time that the user performed the task outside the vehicle  10 , based on the information on the user&#39;s task situation acquired by the acquisition unit  50 . The derivation unit  52  derives a period of time required for the remaining task in accordance with the period of time required for the task acquired by the acquisition unit  50  and the period of time that the user performed the task outside the vehicle  10 . More specifically, the derivation unit  52  derives the period of time required for the remaining task by subtracting the period of time that the user performed the task outside the vehicle  10  from the period of time required for the task. 
     The output, unit  54  outputs the task start time and the departure time derived by the derivation unit  52  to the terminal device  60 . When the period of time required for the remaining task derived by the derivation unit  52  and the traveling time acquired by the acquisition unit  50  meet a predetermined relationship, the output unit  54  outputs a suggestion for departure in the vehicle  10  to the terminal device  60 . More specifically, the output unit  54  outputs the suggestion for departure in the vehicle  10  when the period of time required for the remaining task becomes shorter than the traveling time. The output unit  54  may output a suggestion for departure in the vehicle  10  when the period of time required for the remaining task becomes substantially equal to the traveling time. 
     Upon receiving the task start time and the departure time, the terminal device  60  notifies the user of the task start time and the departure time by means of a character, an image, sound, etc. When the departure time draws near, the the terminal device  60  notifies the user that the departure time is near. Upon receiving a suggestion for departure in the vehicle  10 , the terminal device  60  notifies the user of the suggestion by way of a character, an image, a sound, etc. 
     The communication unit  42  communicates wirelessly with a plurality of vehicle-mounted devices  20 . The communication unit  42  transmits information on a place of departure, transit site(s), a destination, and a traveling route to the target vehicle  10 . Information identifying the vehicle  10  at the destination of transmission is appended to these items of information. 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram showing a configuration of the vehicle-mounted device  20  of  FIG. 1 . The vehicle-mounted device  20  includes a communication unit  22 , a processing unit  24 , an external sensor  26 , and a GPS receiver  28 . The processing unit  24  includes an acquisition unit  32  and a vehicle controller  34 . 
     The communication unit  22  communicates wirelessly with the service device  40 . When the information on the place of departure, the transit site, the destination, and the traveling route is transmitted from the server  24  to the host vehicle, the communication unit  22  receives these items of information. 
     The external sensor  26  periodically detects information on obstacles such as a pedestrian around the host vehicle and outputs a result of detection to the processing unit  24 . For example, the external sensor  26  includes at least one of a camera, LIDAR (Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging), and a radar. 
     The GPS receiver  28  receives a signal from a GPS satellite and calculates the position and orientation of the host vehicle. The position includes the latitude and the longitude. The GPS receiver  28  outputs information on the position and orientation of the host vehicle to the processing unit  24 . 
     The acquisition unit  32  acquires the information on the place of departure, the transit site, the destination, and the traveling route received by the communication unit  22 . 
     When the user gets in the host vehicle, the vehicle controller  34  causes the host vehicle to travel automatically along the traveling route by controlling the drive motor, the braking device, the steering device, etc. (not shown) in accordance with the information acquired by the acquisition unit  32  and the information on the position and orientation of the host vehicle. When it is determined that there are no obstacles in the direction of travel by referring to information on obstacles around the host vehicle detected by the external sensor  26 , the vehicle controller  34  causes the host vehicle to move. For control, automatic driving technology may be used. 
     When the host vehicle arrives at the transit site acquired by the acquisition unit  32 , the vehicle controller  34  temporarily stops the host vehicle. The user of the vehicle  10  temporarily stopped receives goods, etc. from the shop employee or the worker at the transit site. 
     When goods, etc. have been received at the transit site, the vehicle controller  34  causes the host vehicle to travel to the next transit site of the destination. When the host vehicle arrives at the position of the destination acquired by the acquisition unit  32 , the vehicle controller causes the host vehicle to stop. 
     The features are implemented in hardware such as a CPU, a memory, or other LSI&#39;s, of any computer and in software such as a program loaded into a memory. The figure depicts functional blocks implemented by the cooperation of these elements. Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the functional blocks may be implemented in a variety of manners by hardware only, software only, or by a combination of hardware and software. 
     A description will now be given of an overall operation of the vehicle system  1  having the above configuration.  FIG. 4  shows a traveling route P 1  of the vehicle  10  of  FIG. 1  from a user&#39;s office  100  to a destination  110 . The traveling route Pi leads from the office  100  to the destination  110  via transit sites  102 - 108 . Assembly of a product will be described as an example of the task performed by the user. The transit point  102  is a sales outlet where the first component is available. The transit point  104  is a sales outlet where the second component is available. The transit point  106  is a sales outlet where the third component is available. The transit point  108  is a sales outlet where the fourth component is available. The first through fourth components are not available in the office  100  and differ, for example, depending on the customer of the product. 
     The user, etc. inputs a task schedule in the terminal device  60  in advance. The vehicle  100  stands by in front of the office  100 . 
     The terminal device  60  notifies the user of the task start time when the task should be started and the departure time when the user should depart in the vehicle  10 . The user thus notified: starts the task in the office  100  before the task start time, for example. The user makes an input in the terminal device  60  to indicate that the task is started. When the task is suspended, after it is started, the user makes an input in the terminal device  60  to indicate that the task is suspended. As the period of time required for the remaining task is decreased until the period of time required for the remaining task is shorter than the traveling time, the terminal device  60  gives a suggestion for departure in the vehicle  10  to the user. This allows the user to recognize that the time for departure in the vehicle  10  has arrived. 
     If it is OK to arrive at the destination before the time and date of delivery, the user may depart in the vehicle  10  immediately after the notification. Alternatively, when it is necessary to arrive at the destination substantially at the time and date of delivery, the user may suspend the task and perform a different task until the departure time. In this case, the terminal device  60  notifies the user that the departure time is near when the departure time draws near. Therefore, the user can depart in the vehicle  10  at a proper point in time. 
     In a situation where the user starts the task in the office  100  substantially at the task start time, the terminal device  60  notifies the user that the departure time is near when the departure time draws near. The period of time required for the remaining task becomes shorter than the traveling time, and, when the terminal device  60  gives a suggestion for departure in the vehicle  10  to the user, the departure time will have arrived substantially. Therefore, the user can depart in the vehicle  10  at a proper point of time. 
     When the user gets in the vehicle  10 , the vehicle  10  starts at the office  100  and travels along the traveling route P 1 . While the vehicle  100  is traveling, the user performs the remaining task by using the facilities in the vehicle  10 . The vehicle  10  stops at the transit site  102 , here, the user in the vehicle  10  receives the first component. Subsequently, the vehicle  10  travels along the traveling route PI and stops at the transit site  104 . Here, the user in the vehicle  10  receives the second component. 
     Similarly, the user in the vehicle  10  receives the third component at the transit site  106  and receives the fourth component at the transit site  108 . The user assembles the product by using the first through fourth components. Subsequently, the vehicle  10  travels along the traveling route P 1  and arrives at the destination lie before the time and date of delivery or substantially at the date and time of delivery. At the destination  110 , the user of the vehicle  10  delivers the completed product to the customer. 
     Thus, according to this embodiment, a suggestion for departure in the vehicle  10  is output when the period of time required for the remaining task becomes shorter than the traveling time. It is therefore possible to cause the vehicle  10  to depart toward the destination at an appropriate point in time and allow the user to perform the remaining task in the vehicle  10 . Accordingly, the time that elapses since the user completes the task in the vehicle  10  until the user arrives at the destination is reduced. The embodiment further reduces the likelihood that the task is not completed until the vehicle  10  arrives at the destination. 
     Since the transit site necessary for the task is visited during the travel to the destination, goods, etc. necessary for the remaining task are obtained at the transit site and the efficiency of performing the task until the arrival at the destination is increased. 
     Still further, the output unit  54  outputs the task start time for the task to be completed at the desired time of arrival so that the user can know when the task should be started in the office at the latest. 
     Described above is an explanation based on an exemplary embodiment. The embodiment is intended to be illustrative only and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications to constituting elements and processes could be developed and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present disclosure. 
     For example, the acquisition unit  50  of the server device  40  may acquire the traveling route based on road information. The road information includes the position of a blocked road and a period of time elapsed until the road is unblocked. The server device  40  can acquire such road information form a further server (not shown) through wired or wireless communication. The further server refers to a terminal device etc. possessed by a worker to acquire information, entered by the worker, on the period of time elapsed until the road is unblocked and the position of the blocked road. The position of the blocked road may be the position where the road is under repair, the position where an accident is being dealt with, the position where a signal is being in trouble, the position where a fallen object is being removed, the position where a fallen tree is being dealt with, etc. 
     When it is predicted based on the speed of the vehicle  10  that the vehicle  10  arrives at the position of the blocked road before the period of time elapses, the acquisition unit  50  acquires a traveling route that does not pass the position of the blocked road. When it is predicted that the vehicle  10  arrives at the position of the blocked road after the period of time elapses, the acquisition unit  50  acquires the traveling rotate that passes the position of the blocked road, provided that the traveling route passing the position of the blocked road is the shortest. 
     According to this variation, the vehicle  10  can travel on an appropriate traveling route even if a road is blocked. 
     In the case of a task that does not require a transit site, the vehicle  10  may travel from the place of departure to the destination without visiting a transit site. 
     The processing unit  24  of the vehicle-mounted device  20  may be provided with the acquisition unit  50 , the derivation unit  52 , and the output unit  54  of the server device  40 . The vehicle-mounted device  20  having this configuration functions as an information processing device. In this case; the server device  40  may also be provided with the function of the terminal device  60 . The server device  40  may transmit information on the user&#39;s task schedule and the user&#39;s task situation to the vehicle-mounted device  20  and may receive the task start time, the departure time, and a suggestion for departure in the vehicle  10  output from the output unit of the vehicle-mounted device  20 . According to this variation, the flexibility of the configuration of the vehicle system  1  is improved.