Patent Publication Number: US-2019197472-A1

Title: Server device and vehicle dispatching method

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-250047 filed on Dec. 26, 2017, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to server devices that control vehicles and a vehicle dispatching method. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A technology is known where a small vehicle is dispatched when a package assigned to a temporarily-dispatched vehicle can be loaded in a vehicle that is smaller than the temporarily-dispatched vehicle at the time of shipping the package (see, for example, JP-A-2010-168205). 
     In the above technology, it takes a long time to start delivery since a small vehicle is dispatched after temporarily dispatching a vehicle so as to start the delivery. 
     SUMMARY 
     In this background, a purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a server device and a vehicle dispatching method that allow a vehicle of a proper size to start delivery in a short time. 
     A server device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: an acquisition unit configured to acquire information on the amount and respective delivery areas of a plurality of packages collected at a relay point, the packages being sorted at the relay point; and a dispatch unit configured to dispatch, for each delivery area, a vehicle of a size corresponding to the amount of packages for the delivery area to the relay point, based on the information on the amount and respective delivery areas of the plurality of packages acquired by the acquisition unit, before the plurality of packages are collected at the relay point. 
     According to this embodiment, for each delivery area, a vehicle of a size corresponding to the amount of packages for the delivery area is dispatched to the relay point before a plurality of packages are collected at the relay point, and a vehicle of a proper size can thus start delivery in a short time. 
     The plurality of packages may all have the same size, and the acquisition unit may acquire information on the number of the plurality of packages as information on the amount of the plurality of packages. 
     The size of each package may be a basic size or the size of a plurality of packages of the basic size that are arranged side by side, and the acquisition unit may acquire information on the number and respective sizes of the plurality of packages as information on the amount of the plurality of packages. 
     Another embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a vehicle dispatching method. This method includes: acquiring information on the amount and respective delivery areas of a plurality of packages collected at a relay point, the packages being sorted at the relay point; and dispatching, for each delivery area, a vehicle of a size corresponding to the amount of packages for the delivery area to the relay point, based on the information on the amount and respective delivery areas of the plurality of packages that has been acquired, before the plurality of packages are collected at the relay point. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings that are meant to be exemplary, not limiting, and wherein like elements are numbered alike in several figures, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram explaining the sorting of packages to a plurality of vehicles at a relay point according to a first embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a vehicle system including the vehicles of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a server device of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a vehicle-mounted device of  FIG. 2 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view illustrating an example of a plurality of packages according to a second embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments will now be described. The embodiments are illustrative and are not intended to be limiting. 
     First Embodiment 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram explaining the sorting of packages to a plurality of vehicles  10  at a relay point according to a first embodiment. The relay point is also referred to as a distribution center. At the relay point, a first vehicle  10   a,  a second vehicle  10   b,  a third vehicle  10   c,  a fourth vehicle  10   d,  and a fifth vehicle  10   e,  which are collectively referred to as vehicles  10 , are parked. The number of the vehicles  10  is not particularly limited. The vehicles  10  are automatically-driven vehicles. The vehicles  10  are, for example, electric-powered vehicles but are not particularly limited. 
     The first vehicle  10   a  and the second vehicle  10   b  are vehicles that have arrived at the relay point after loading a plurality of packages  100  from the place of shipment. The plurality of packages  100  all have the same size. An IC tag (not shown in the figures) is attached to each of the packages  100 . The IC tag holds information on the destination of the package  100  to which the IC tag is attached. 
     Packages  100  loaded in the first vehicle  10   a  and the second vehicle  10   b  are sorted into the third vehicle  10   c,  the fourth vehicle  10   d,  and the fifth vehicle  10   e  at the relay point for each delivery area. A delivery area is an area for delivering packages  100  using one vehicle  10  and includes one or more destinations. 
     At the time of the sorting, packages  100  may be loaded into the vehicles  10  in order starting with those with farther destination for each delivery area. Further, as the destination of a package  100  becomes farther away, the package  100  may be loaded toward the back of the vehicle  10 , and as the destination of a package  100  becomes closer, the package  100  may be loaded toward the front of the vehicle  10 . This makes it easier to take out the packages  100  from the vehicle  10  when delivering the packages  100  in order starting with a package  100  with the closest destination. 
     The sorting may be carried out by a worker or may be carried out by a cart that is capable of transporting the packages  100  automatically after loading the packages  100 . This cart is provided with a robot arm that reads the information of an IC tag and automatically loads and unloads the packages  100  based on the information that has been read. 
     After the packages  100  are loaded, the third vehicle  10   c,  the fourth vehicle  10   d,  and the fifth vehicle  10   e  deliver the packages  100  to different delivery areas, respectively. For example, the delivery area of the third vehicle  10   c  is a convenience store. In this case, the delivery area may include destinations indicating one or more convenience stores. For example, the delivery area of the fourth vehicle  10   d  is a mid-size city, and the delivery area of the fifth vehicle  10   e  is a small village. 
     The size of the first vehicle  10   a  and the size of the second vehicle  10   b  are large. The size of the fourth vehicle  10   d  is smaller than the size of the first vehicle  10   a  and is a medium size. The size of the third vehicle  10   c  and the size of the fifth vehicle  10   e  are smaller than the size of the fourth vehicle  10   d  and are compact. The respective sizes of the vehicles  10  are not limited to the three types. 
     As will be described later, before the first vehicle  10   a  and the second vehicle  10   b  arrive at the relay point, that is, before a plurality of packages  100  are collected at the relay point, the third vehicle  10   c,  the fourth vehicle  10   d,  and the fifth vehicle  10   e  of sizes respectively corresponding to the number of packages  100  for respective delivery areas are dispatched to the relay point on a delivery area to delivery area basis. 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a vehicle system  1  including the vehicles  10  of  FIG. 1 . The vehicle system  1  includes a plurality of vehicle-mounted devices  20  and a server device  40 . In  FIG. 2 , three vehicle-mounted devices  20  among the plurality of vehicle-mounted devices  20  are illustrated. 
     The vehicle-mounted device  20  is mounted in the vehicle  10 . The vehicle-mounted device  20  performs wireless communication with the server device  40 . Although the standard of the wireless communication is not particularly limited, the standard includes, for example, wireless LAN, 3G (third generation mobile communication system), 4G (fourth generation mobile communication system) or 5G (fifth generation mobile communication system). The vehicle-mounted device  20  may perform wireless communication with the server device  40  via a base station (not shown). 
     The server device  40  is arranged, for example, at the relay point. The server device  40  controls the vehicles  10 . The server device  40  may be arranged in a data center or the like. 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the server device  40  of  FIG. 2 . 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  and a dispatch unit  52 . 
     The communication unit  42  performs wireless communication with a plurality of vehicle-mounted devices  20 . Before the first vehicle  10   a  and the second vehicle  10   b  arrive at the relay point, the communication unit  42  receives information on the amount and destinations of a plurality of packages  100  collected at the relay point in a predetermined time period. More specifically, the communication unit  42  acquires information on the number of the plurality of packages  100  as information on the amount of the plurality of packages  100 . For example, the respective vehicle-mounted devices  20  of the first vehicle  10   a  and the second vehicle  10   b  acquire information on the destinations and the number of packages  100  from IC tags attached to the respective packages  100  loaded at the shipping place and transmit this information to the server device  40 . Alternatively, a terminal device at the shipping place may acquire the Information on the destinations and the number of the packages  100  from IC tags attached to the packages  100  loaded in the first vehicle  10   a  and the second vehicle  10   b  at the shipping location and transmit the information to the server device  40 . The predetermined time period is a time period before the time when the third vehicle  10   c,  the fourth vehicle  10   d,  and the fifth vehicle  10   e  should depart from the relay point toward each destination. 
     The storage unit  46  stores a relationship between a plurality of destinations and delivery areas including each destination. The storage unit  46  stores the respective sizes of the plurality of vehicles  10 . 
     The acquisition unit  50  acquires the information on the destinations and the number of the plurality of packages  100  received by the communication unit  42 . The acquisition unit  50  acquires information on the delivery areas of the plurality of packages  100  based on the information stored in the storage unit  46  and the destinations of the plurality of packages  100 . The IC tags attached to the packages  100  may hold the information on the delivery areas instead of or in addition to the destinations of the packages  100 . In this case, the communication unit  42  receives the information on the delivery areas of the plurality of packages  100 , and the acquisition unit  50  acquires the information on the delivery areas of the plurality of packages  100  received by the communication unit  42 . 
     Before a plurality of packages  100  are collected at the relay point, the dispatch unit  52  dispatches, for each delivery area, a vehicle  10  of a size corresponding to the number of packages  100  for the delivery area to the relay point, via the communication unit  42 , based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit  50  and the respective sizes of the plurality of vehicles  10  stored in the storage unit  46 . More specifically, for each delivery area, the dispatch unit  52  determines the size of a vehicle  10  for the delivery area according to the number of packages  100  for the delivery area and derives a travel instruction that causes the vehicle  10  of the determined size to automatically travel to the relay point. The travel instruction for travelling to the relay point includes positional information for the relay point. The positional information includes latitude and longitude. Since the packages  100  have the same size, the size of the vehicle  10  can be appropriately determined based on the number of packages  100  in the delivery area so that wasted space is reduced. 
     The communication unit  42  transmits to the target vehicle  10  the travel instruction for travelling to the relay point derived by the dispatch unit  52  and the destinations of the plurality of packages  100  in the delivery area acquired by the acquisition unit  50 . Information for identifying the vehicle  10  at the destination of the transmission is attached to the travel instruction and the like. The target vehicle  10  is, for example, an unoccupied vehicle on standby at a standby place near the relay point, and, in the example of  FIG. 1 , the target vehicle  10  is the third vehicle  10   c,  the fourth vehicle  10   d,  or the fifth vehicle  10   e.    
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a vehicle-mounted device  20  of  FIG. 2 . 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  performs wireless communication with the server device  40 . When information such as a travel, instruction for travelling to the relay point is transmitted from the server device  40  to the own vehicle, the communication unit  22  receives this information. 
     The external sensor  26  periodically detects information on obstacles such as pedestrians around the own vehicle and outputs the detection result to the processing unit  24 . The external sensor  26  includes, for example, at least one of a camera, a lidar (LIDAR: Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging), and a radar. 
     The GPS receiver  28  receives a signal from a GPS satellite and derives the position and direction of the own vehicle. The position includes latitude and longitude. The GPS receiver  28  outputs information on the position and direction of the own vehicle to the processing unit  24 . 
     The acquisition unit  32  acquires information such as a travel instruction for travelling to the relay point received by the communication unit  22 . The acquisition unit  32  acquires a first travelling route from the current position to the relay point, based on the travel instruction for travelling to the relay point, the position of the own vehicle, and map information stored in a storage unit (not shown). Further, the acquisition unit  32  acquires a second travelling route passing through the respective destinations of the plurality of packages  100  from the relay point, based on the respective destinations of the plurality of packages  100  and the map information stored in the storage unit (not shown). A publicly-known route search technology can be used for the acquisition of the first and second travelling routes. 
     When the travel instruction for travelling to the relay point is acquired by the acquisition unit  32 , the vehicle controller  34  controls a driving motor, a braking device, a steering device, and the like (not shown) according to the first travelling route and the information on the position and direction of the own vehicle so as to cause the own vehicle to automatically travel along the first travelling route. When there is no obstacle in the traveling direction based on the information on obstacles around the own vehicle detected by the external sensor  26 , the vehicle controller  34  moves the own vehicle. For such control, a well-known automatic driving technology can be used. 
     When the position of the own vehicle reaches the relay point acquired by the acquisition unit  32 , the vehicle controller  34  parks the own vehicle. As described above, the packages  100  are loaded inside the vehicle  10  at the relay point. 
     When the packages  100  are loaded inside the vehicle  10  at the relay point, the vehicle controller  34  causes the own vehicle to travel along the second travelling route in accordance with the second travelling route and the information on the position and direction of the own vehicle. When the position of the own vehicle reaches the destination position of a package  100 , the vehicle controller  34  stops the own vehicle. At the destination, the cart mounted in the vehicle  10  may take out a package  100  from the vehicle  10  using a robot arm and transport the package  100  to a predetermined position, or the person at the destination may take out the package  100  from the vehicle  10 . The delivery person may drive the vehicle  10  and deliver a package  100  from the relay point to each destination. 
     The configuration is implemented in hardware by any CPU of a computer, memory or other LSI&#39;s, and in software by a program or the like loaded into the memory. The figure depicts functional blocks implemented by the cooperation of hardware and software. Thus, a person skilled in the art should appreciate that there are many ways of accomplishing these functional blocks in various forms in accordance with the components of hardware only, software only, or the combination of both. 
     As described above, according to the present embodiment, for each delivery area, a vehicle  10  of a size corresponding to the number of packages  100  in the delivery area is dispatched to the relay point before a plurality of packages  100  are collected at the relay point, allowing a vehicle  10  of a proper size to start delivery in a short time. 
     Further, since the respective sizes of the plurality of packages  100  are equal to one another, the size of the vehicle  10  to be dispatched can be easily and appropriately determined based on the number of packages  100  in the delivery area. 
     Second Embodiment 
     A second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that packages  100  of a plurality of sizes are handled. An explanation will be given in the following mainly regarding differences from the first embodiment. 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view illustrating an example of a plurality of packages  100  according to the second embodiment. The size of each package  100  collected at a relay point is a basic size ox the size of a plurality of vertically or horizontally arranged packages  100   a  of the basic size. The size of a package  100   b  is the size of two vertically arranged packages  100   a  of the basic size. The basic size is represented by height h 1 , length  11 , and width w 1 . The size of the package  100   b  is represented by height h 2 , length  11 , and width w 1 . The height h 2  is twice the height h 1 . The size of each package  100  is not limited to the two types. Such sizes allow a plurality of packages  100  to be loaded into a vehicle  10  while being in close contact with one another, and wasted space is thus hard to be created. 
     An IC tag attached to each package  100  holds information on the destination and size of the package  100  to which the IC tag is attached. The information on the size is information indicating how many times more the size is compared to the basic size. The IC tag may hold information on the delivery area of the package  100  to which the IC tag is attached. 
     Since the configurations of the vehicle system  1 , the server device  40 , and the vehicle-mounted device  20  are the same as those in  FIGS. 2 to 4 , illustration thereof is omitted. In the server device  40 , in addition to information on the respective destinations of a plurality of packages  100  collected at the relay point in a predetermined time period, the communication unit  42  receives Information on the number and sizes of the plurality of packages  100  as information on the amount of the plurality of packages  100 . The acquisition unit  50  acquires information on the destinations, the number, and the sizes of the plurality of packages  100 . 
     Before the plurality of packages  100  are collected at the relay point, for each delivery area, the dispatch unit  52  dispatches to the relay point a vehicle  10  of a size corresponding to the number and sizes of packages  100  for the delivery area. More specifically, for each delivery area, the dispatch unit  52  determines the size of a vehicle  10  for the delivery area according to the number and sizes of packages  100  for the delivery area and derives a travel instruction that causes the vehicle  10  of the determined size to automatically travel to the relay point. 
     As described above, according to the present embodiment, the size of each package  100  is the basic size or the size of a plurality of packages  100  of the basic size that are arranged side by side, and, for each delivery area, a vehicle  10  of a size corresponding to the number and sizes of packages  100  for the delivery area is dispatched to the relay point; thus, it is possible to deal with the packages  100  of a plurality of sizes, and a vehicle  10  that has a proper size can be dispatched. 
     Described above is an explanation based on exemplary embodiments. The embodiments are intended to be illustrative only, and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications to a combination of constituting elements or processes could be developed and that such modifications also fall within the scope of the present disclosure. 
     For example, the acquisition unit  32  of the vehicle-mounted device  20  may acquire a travelling route based on road information. The road information includes the position of a road closure and the time required until the road closure is removed. The vehicle-mounted device  20  can acquire such road information from a different server (not shown) using wired communication or wireless communication. The different server acquires information on the time required until the road closure is removed, which has been entered by the worker, and the position of road closure from, e.g., a terminal device possessed by the worker. The position of the road closure includes, for example, a position where construction is going on, a position where accident processing is going on, a position where signal trouble is happening, a position where a falling object is being removed, a position where a fallen tree is being handled, and the like. 
     When the vehicle  10  is expected to arrive at the position of a road closure before the passing of the time required until the road closure is removed based on the speed of the vehicle  10 , the acquisition unit  32  acquires a travelling route that does not pass through the position of the road closure. When the vehicle is expected to arrive at the position of the road closure after the passing of the time required until the road closure is removed, the acquisition unit  32  acquires a travelling route that passes through the position of the road closure if the travelling route that passes through the position of the road closure is the shortest. 
     According to this exemplary variation, the vehicle  10  can travel on an appropriate traveling route even when there are roads that are closed. 
     Further, in the first embodiment, the third vehicle  10   c,  the fourth vehicle  10   d,  and the fifth vehicle  10   e  may each carry a package  100  including vehicle parts. The size of the package  100  including the vehicle parts is also equal to the size of the other packages  100 . The vehicle parts are parts of a vehicle  10  and include, for example, a battery, a power unit, a steering device, and the like. The vehicle parts are used, for example, to replace failed parts in case of failure of the vehicle  10 . In this exemplary variation, it is possible to easily deal with failure of the vehicle  10  while appropriately determining the size of the vehicle  10  so as to reduce wasted space. 
     Further, when a package  100  is designated with a delivery date, the IC tag attached to this package  100  may hold information on the designated delivery date. In this case, the communication unit  42  of the server device  40  also receives information on the respective designated delivery dates of a plurality of packages  100  collected at the relay point. The acquisition unit  50  also acquires the information on the respective designated delivery dates of the plurality of packages  100 . For each delivery area, the dispatch unit  52  dispatches to the relay point a vehicle  10  of a size corresponding to the number and sizes of packages  100  for the delivery area, excluding packages  100  whose designated delivery date is later than the date of the delivery. The packages  100  whose designated delivery date is later than the date of the delivery performed by the vehicle  10  that has been dispatched are not loaded into the vehicle  10  that has been dispatched. In this exemplary variation, even in a case where a delivery date is designated for a package  100 , it is possible to appropriately deal with the case. 
     Further, a vehicle  10  that carries and transports a plurality of packages  100  to the relay point from the shipping place may not be an automatically-driven vehicle and may be driven by a driver.