JP7124382B2 - Vehicle remote assistance system and method - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to remote assistance systems for vehicles.

In recent years, techniques have been proposed for temporarily remote-controlling a vehicle by an operator at a remote location. For example, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, when a vehicle enters a place where traffic congestion is likely to occur or a crowded place, an operator remotely controls the vehicle.

JP 2017-147626 A

However, the prior art does not consider the operator's experience. Therefore, there is a possibility that the remote support cannot be efficiently performed depending on the target vehicle and the support point of the remote support.

The present disclosure has been made to solve at least part of the problems described above, and can be implemented as the following modes.

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a remote assistance system (100) for providing remote assistance to a vehicle (10). This remote support system remotely supports the vehicle based on an operator's operation when the vehicle arrives at a support point where operation of the vehicle is remotely supported, or when a call request is received from the vehicle. and an allocation control unit (64) for allocating an operator in charge of remote support for the vehicle from among a plurality of operators based on the matching value calculated based on the experience of each operator. , wherein the allocation control unit calculates the suitable value by taking into consideration the free time evaluation value determined by the operator's free time before the remote support .
According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a remote assistance system (100) for providing remote assistance to a vehicle (10). This remote support system remotely supports the vehicle based on an operator's operation when the vehicle arrives at a support point where operation of the vehicle is remotely supported, or when a call request is received from the vehicle. and an allocation control unit (64) for allocating an operator in charge of remote support for the vehicle from among a plurality of operators based on the matching value calculated based on the experience of each operator. , wherein the allocation control unit calculates the matching value by taking into account a follow-up evaluation value determined by the number of times the same operator takes charge of the same operation by the same vehicle.
According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a remote assistance system (100) for providing remote assistance to a vehicle (10). This remote support system remotely supports the vehicle based on an operator's operation when the vehicle arrives at a support point where operation of the vehicle is remotely supported, or when a call request is received from the vehicle. and an allocation control unit (64) for allocating an operator in charge of remote support for the vehicle from among a plurality of operators based on the matching value calculated based on the experience of each operator. and a schedule for remote assistance is scheduled for each operator, and the allocation control unit, when receiving the call request or incorporating a new schedule into the schedule, for each operator The operator is assigned to the call request or the new schedule by adjusting the schedule of each operator so that the value obtained by adding all the calculated matching values becomes large.

With such a form of remote support system, it is possible to assign an appropriate operator to each vehicle based on each operator's experience. Therefore, remote support for each vehicle can be efficiently performed.

The present disclosure can also be implemented in various forms other than the remote assistance system. For example, it can be implemented in the form of a method executed by a remote support system, a computer program for executing the method, a non-temporary tangible recording medium storing the computer program, or the like.

The figure which shows the concept of a remote assistance system. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a remote support system; FIG. 4 is a flowchart of remote support processing; The figure which shows an experience frequency|count database. FIG. 1 is a first diagram for explaining a method of calculating experience points. 2nd figure explaining the calculation method of an experience value point. A diagram showing an operator's schedule. The figure which shows the lookup table for time point calculation. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing pre-empty time points and post-time points for each operator; FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating modification of idle time points for a particular occupant; FIG. The figure which shows an observation database. The figure which shows the calculation result of a conformity value. A flowchart of database update processing. The figure explaining the outline|summary of the schedule adjustment change in 2nd Embodiment. 4 is a flowchart of schedule adjustment processing; Figure 2 shows all situations where new appointments are assigned to each operator; The figure which shows the calculation method of a whole viewing point. The figure which shows a mode that the schedule of each operator was updated. The 1st figure which shows the relationship of the frequency|count of experience and an experience value in 3rd Embodiment. The 2nd figure which shows the relationship of the frequency|count of experience and an experience value in 3rd Embodiment. The 3rd figure which shows the relationship of the frequency|count of experience and an experience value in 3rd Embodiment. The figure which shows the initial value of the number-of-experiences database in 4th Embodiment. The figure which shows the allocation permission database in 5th Embodiment. The figure which shows the structure of the remote assistance time in 6th Embodiment. The figure which shows a mode that remote assistance time overlapped. Another flowchart of remote support processing.

A. First embodiment:
As shown in FIG. 1, a remote support system 100 as an embodiment of the present disclosure, when a vehicle 10 arrives at a predetermined support point or when a call request is received from the vehicle 10, a remote support device 50 assigns an operator to provide remote assistance to the vehicle. In this embodiment, the remote support device 50 allocates operators based on the operator's experience and aptitude, thereby realizing efficient remote support.

As shown in FIG. 2, the remote support system 100 includes a vehicle 10, a remote support device 50 arranged at a control center, and an operator terminal 80 operated by an operator. The vehicle 10 in this embodiment is an automatically operated vehicle that operates automatically. In this embodiment, remote support means that the operator remotely operates the vehicle 10 or that the operator remotely monitors using the vehicle 10 . The support point is a point where it is difficult for the vehicle 10 to drive autonomously, or a point where the operator can remotely support the vehicle. Areas, parking areas, baggage collection points, toll booths, interchanges, and so on.

A remote support system 100 of this embodiment includes one or more vehicles 10 . Each vehicle 10 includes a vehicle-side communication device 12 , a camera 14 , a positioning device 16 and a vehicle-side controller 18 .

The vehicle-side communication device 12 performs wireless communication with the remote support device 50 .

Camera 14 photographs the surroundings of vehicle 10 . In this embodiment, the camera 14 photographs the front of the vehicle 10 .

The positioning device 16 includes a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver or a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver, and measures the current position of the vehicle 10 .

The vehicle-side control unit 18 controls the vehicle-side communication device 12 , the camera 14 , and the positioning device 16 . The vehicle-side control unit 18 is configured as a computer having a CPU and memory, and the CPU functions as an operation control unit 20, a route planning unit 22, and a calling unit 24 by executing programs stored in the memory. .

The motion control unit 20 controls the motion (acceleration, deceleration, braking, steering) of the vehicle based on remote control by the operator.

The route planning unit 22 searches for a route from the departure point to the destination for each vehicle 10 via the support points. In this embodiment, the route planning unit 22 searches for routes using a map database (not shown) provided in the vehicle 10 . Information representing the position of each support point is stored in this map database. A route searched by the route planning unit 22 is also called an operating route. Moving the vehicle 10 along the operation route is called "operation". The operating route determined by the route planning unit 22 is notified to the remote support device 50 . Note that the operation route search may be executed on the remote support device 50 side. The map database provided in the vehicle 10 may be periodically updated based on the map database stored in the remote support device 50. FIG.

The calling unit 24 makes a remote call through the vehicle-side communication device 12 when the vehicle 10 arrives at a support point determined on the operation route, or when the passenger performs a predetermined operation in an unexpected situation. An operator is called to the support device 50 . The call unit 24 transmits a call signal and vehicle information to the remote support device 50 when calling an operator. The call signal includes call type information for identifying the cause of the current call. The vehicle information includes, for example, a vehicle number for identifying the vehicle 10 , vehicle type information for identifying the vehicle type of the vehicle 10 , passenger information for identifying a passenger, and position information for indicating the current position of the vehicle 10 . In addition, when the operator remotely supports the vehicle 10 , the calling unit 24 transmits the image captured by the camera 14 to the operator terminal 80 via the remote support device 50 .

The remote support device 50 includes a control side communication device 52 , a control side control section 60 and a storage device 70 .

The control-side communication device 52 performs wireless communication with the remote support system 100 . Also, the control-side communication device 52 performs wired or wireless communication with the operator terminal 80 .

The storage device 70 stores a map database 72 and an operator information database 74 .

Positions of support points are registered in the map database 72 . The map database 72 also records traffic information including road data indicating intersections and connection states of roads, congestion information, traffic regulation information, and traffic volume at each support point. The traffic information is acquired from another server and stored, for example, through the control-side communication device 52 .

The operator information database 74 records, for example, the schedule of each operator who provides remote support for the vehicle. In addition, the operator information database 74 stores an experience number database, an observation database, and an operation route notified from each vehicle 10, which will be described later.

The control-side control unit 60 controls the control-side communication device 52 and the storage device 70 . The control-side control unit 60 is configured as a computer having a CPU and memory, and the CPU functions as a call control unit 62, an allocation control unit 64, and a remote support unit 66 by executing programs stored in the memory. .

The call control unit 62 receives a call signal from the remote support system 100 through the control side communication device 52 .

The assignment control unit 64 assigns an operator who provides remote support to the vehicle 10 that has transmitted the call signal based on a matching value (also referred to as a matching value) calculated based on the experience of each operator from among a plurality of operators. has a function to assign Details of the matching value will be described later. Also, the allocation control unit 64 has a function of formulating a schedule for each operator based on the operation route notified from each vehicle 10 and the remote support time expected at each support point. The allocation control unit 64 also has a function of predicting the timing at which the operator is called from each vehicle 10 based on the operation route notified from each vehicle 10 and the current traffic conditions.

The remote support unit 66 receives an operation signal of the operator terminal 80 by the operator, and based on the operation signal, remotely supports the vehicle 10 that has transmitted the call signal. At the time of remote support, the remote support unit 66 transmits vehicle information and images captured by the camera 14 provided in the vehicle 10 to the operator terminal 80 .

The operator terminal 80 is configured as a computer or mobile terminal having a CPU and memory. A remote support system 100 in this embodiment includes one or more operator terminals 80 . Each operator terminal 80 has an operation section 82 and a display section 84 . The operation unit 82 receives an operation for remotely supporting the vehicle 10 from an operator. The accepted operation is transmitted to the vehicle 10 through the remote support device 50 as an operation signal. The display unit 84 displays a user interface for operator operation. In addition, the image of the camera 14 transmitted from the vehicle 10 is displayed on the display unit 84 .

Remote support processing executed in the remote support system 100 will be described with reference to FIG. The remote support processing shown in FIG. 3 is processing that is repeatedly executed in a predetermined cycle by the remote support device 50 while the remote support system 100 is operating.

First, the call control unit 62 of the remote support device 50 determines whether or not there is a call request from the vehicle 10 (step S10). The call control unit 62 determines that there is a call request when the call signal is received. If there is no call request (step S10: No), the call control unit 62 repeats the process of step S10 until there is a call request. If there is a call request (step S10: Yes), the allocation control unit 64 of the remote support device 50 calculates the experience points of each operator based on the vehicle 10 that has transmitted the call signal and its operation route (step S12). ).

A method for calculating experience points will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. FIG. FIG. 4 shows the experience frequency database. This experience number database is recorded in the operator information database 74 . The number of times of experience is recorded for each operator in the number of times of experience by support point, by road structure type, by vehicle type, by vehicle (vehicle number), by road (route) on which the vehicle is traveling, and by type of support. . Each of these items is assigned a weighting factor W1 to W6, respectively.

The assignment control unit 64 first identifies an operator who is not currently providing remote assistance from the schedule stored in the operator information database 74 . Then, the cause of the call is specified based on the call type signal included in the received call signal. If the cause of the call is arrival at the support point, the assignment control unit 64 sets the weighting factors W2 and W5 in FIG. 4 to zero. Therefore, if the cause of the call is due to arrival at the support point, the road structure type and route experience times are not taken into account in subsequent calculations. This is because once the remote assistance point is reached, experience with these items is less important in selecting an operator. On the other hand, if the cause of the call is an accidental factor, the allocation control unit 64 sets the weighting factor W1 in FIG. 4 to zero. Therefore, when the cause of the call is a sudden factor, the number of times of experience of the support point is not taken into account in subsequent calculations. This is because the importance of the experience with respect to the support point is low in an emergency situation in which the support point has not yet been reached. It should be noted that the value of each weighting factor can be changed not only according to the factor of the call, but also can be set for each operator according to, for example, the characteristics of the operator.

FIG. 5 shows each operator extracted from the experience number database of FIG. shows the number of times of experience for each item. The allocation control unit 64 converts the number of experiences thus extracted into a normalized value as shown in FIG. Normalization is performed by dividing the number of experiences of each item by the total number of times for each operator.

After normalizing each number of times of experience, the allocation control unit 64 adds the normalized values of each item for each operator to calculate the experience point. As a result of calculating the experience points in this way, in FIG. 6, the experience point of the first operator is the highest value.

Return to FIG. After calculating the experience points of each operator, the allocation control unit 64 calculates the time points of each operator (step S14). A time point is an evaluation value determined according to the operator's free time before and after remote support, and is also called a free time evaluation value.

FIG. 7 shows an operator's schedule. The schedule shown in FIG. 7 indicates a case where the current call occurs between the predetermined break time and the remote support time. The allocation control unit 64 obtains points from different viewpoints, namely, the front vacant time point and the rear vacant time point for each operator. The pre-empty time points are points obtained by evaluating the recovery state of the operator during the free time before the call, and the post-empty time points are points obtained by evaluating the recovery state of the operator during the free time after the call. The recovery state of the operator means the degree of recovery of physical strength and concentration.

As shown in FIG. 8, in the present embodiment, a lookup table for calculating the previous vacant time point and the later vacant time point is stored in the operator information database 74 in advance. For example, in the lookup table (upper left of the figure) for calculating the previous idle time point applied before remote assistance, the recovery state of the operator approaches the maximum value as time passes. In addition, in the lookup table (upper right of the figure) for calculating the previous free time point applied before the break, the recovery state is the maximum value regardless of the elapsed time. On the other hand, in the lookup table (bottom left of the figure) for calculating the free time point applied after remote support, the recovery state approaches the maximum value after the time has elapsed from the estimated time required for remote support. there is In addition, in the lookup table (bottom right of the figure) for calculating the free time point applied after the break, the recovery state is the maximum value regardless of the time.

The assignment control unit 64 uses the lookup table shown in FIG. 8 to obtain the pre-empty time point and the post-empty time point of each operator at the time of the call. FIG. 9 shows the pre-empty time point and the post-time point specified for each operator. The allocation control unit 64 calculates the time point by multiplying the previous free time point and the rear time point specified in this way for each operator. In the present embodiment, the allocation control unit 64 calculates the free time point by multiplying the previous free time point by the later time point. A time point may be calculated by Alternatively, the allocation control unit 64 may obtain only one of the preceding vacant time point and the subsequent vacant time point, and treat that value as the time point. In the present embodiment, the reason why the previous vacant time points and the later time points are multiplied instead of being added is that, for example, even if the added value of the previous vacant time points and the later time points is the same, , the closer the previous idle time point and the later time point are, the larger their product will be. Therefore, if the time points are obtained by multiplying the previous free time points by the later time points, it becomes easier to allocate operators whose free time points are evenly distributed before and after the remote support.

Return to FIG. After calculating the time point of each operator, the assignment control unit 64 determines whether the occupant of the vehicle 10 that has transmitted the call signal is a predetermined specific occupant from the vehicle information received at the same time as the call signal. It judges (step S16). If it is a specific passenger (step S16: Yes), as shown in FIG. 10, the allocation control unit 64 sets the time point of each operator calculated in step S14 to a uniform value ("1" in this embodiment). (step S18). By doing so, the availability of each operator is not reflected in the operator allocation for a particular crew member. A specific crew member can be set by the administrator or operator of the remote support device 50 . Note that the processing of steps S16 and S18 may be omitted.

If the occupant is not a specific occupant (step S16: No), or after correcting the time points in step S18, the assignment control unit 64 calculates the watching points of each operator (step S20). The follow-up point is an evaluation value determined by the number of times the same operator takes charge of the same operation by the same vehicle (the follow-up count), and is also called follow-up evaluation value. The follow-up point is calculated based on the follow-up database recorded in the operator information database. FIG. 11 shows an example in which it is recorded in the Mimitsu database that operator No. 2 was in charge of remote support for the same service twice. In the present embodiment, a value obtained by dividing the number of observations of each operator by the total value of the number of observations of all operators is calculated as the observation point. Therefore, in FIG. 11, the follow-up point of the second operator is calculated as "1 (=2/2)".

Return to FIG. After calculating the experience value points, the time points, and the follow-up points as described above, the assignment control unit 64 calculates the fitness value of each operator (step S22). As shown in FIG. 12, in the present embodiment, the time point and the observation point are multiplied by predetermined weighting factors Wt and Wc (both "1" in FIG. 12), and then the experience point is The matching value is obtained by adding (adding) the time point and the mimitsu point. As a result, in the example shown in FIG. 12, the second operator has the largest matching value. Note that the weighting factors Wt and Wc may be set to zero. In this case, fitness is determined by experience points only. Also, by setting one of the weighting factors Wt and Wc to 0, it is possible not to reflect one of the time point and the follow-up point in the experience point.

After calculating the conformity value, the allocation control unit 64 allocates the operator with the largest conformity value as the operator for this call (step S24), and updates the schedule of the operator (step S25). The operator uses the operator terminal 80 to provide remote support in response to the call request (step S26). When the remote support is completed, the remote support target vehicle 10 or the operator sends a report to the assignment control unit 64 as to whether the remote support has succeeded or failed. If remote assistance fails, information is also reported indicating the classification of the failure. When the remote support by the operator ends, the allocation control unit 64 performs database update processing for updating various information such as the number of times the operator has experienced and the number of times of follow-up, stored in the operator information database (step S28). With the series of processes described above, the remote support process shown in FIG. 3 ends.

Details of the database update process will be described with reference to FIG. The allocation control unit 64 extracts support items related to the remote support completed in step S26 of FIG. 3 (step S40). The support items are, for example, the support point where remote support was performed, road structure type, vehicle type, car number, route, operation, and support time (required time).

Then, the allocation control unit 64 determines whether the remote support has succeeded or failed based on the report from the vehicle 10 that is the target of the remote support or the operator (step S42). If the remote support fails, the assignment control unit 64 identifies the failure classification (step S44), and corrects the operator's experience count (FIG. 4) according to the identified classification (step S46). Examples of failure classifications A to D and corrections of the number of experiences corresponding to them are shown below. By making such corrections, it becomes possible to perform more appropriate operator assignments.

(Category A) Serious accident … Change the number of experiences to 0 (Category B) Damage accident … Reduce the number of experiences by 200 (Category C) Self-inflicted accident … Decrease the number of experiences by 100 (Category D) Accident damage・・・Reduces the number of experiences by 50.

After it is determined in step S42 that the remote support has succeeded, or after the operator's experience count is corrected in step S46, the assignment control unit 64 notifies the operator of the schedule that the current remote support has been completed. Record (step S48). Then, for the support items extracted in step S40, the experience frequency database (FIG. 4) is updated (step S50), and when the same operator performs remote support for the same operation, the follow-up database (FIG. 11 ) is updated (step S52).

According to the remote support system 100 of this embodiment described above, it is possible to assign an appropriate operator to each vehicle 10 based on each operator's experience. Therefore, remote support for each vehicle 10 can be efficiently performed. In particular, in this embodiment, operators are assigned according to the number of times they have experienced various items such as vehicles, support points, structure of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, vehicle type, route on which the vehicle is traveling, and type of remote assistance. operators can be assigned more appropriately. As a result, operators can be assigned according to their experience and characteristics, such as, for example, each operator has experience on this route, or has a lot of experience on remote support on a straight road.

Further, in this embodiment, operators are assigned not only based on the operator's experience, but also in consideration of the previous free time point determined by the operator's free time before remote support, so that the operator can be assigned more appropriately. As a result, for example, in a situation where an operator has experience but has provided remote support one minute ago, while another operator has some experience but has not provided remote support for 30 minutes, For example, the latter operator can be preferentially assigned.

Further, in the present embodiment, operators are assigned in consideration of the free time point determined by the free time of the operator after the remote support, so that the operator can be assigned more appropriately. As a result, for example, one operator has experience but has another schedule, such as finishing work in one minute, while another operator has some experience and has no particular schedule for the next 30 minutes. In some circumstances, for example, the latter operator may be assigned preferentially.

Further, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the lookup table for calculating the time point is changed depending on whether the schedule that continues during the vacant time is remote support or rest. In other words, the calculation method of the time point is changed depending on whether the schedule to be continued in the free time is remote support or a break. Therefore, for example, it is possible to assign immediately after a break, but to make assignment difficult for a while immediately after remote support.

Further, in the present embodiment, when the occupants of the vehicle 10 are specific occupants, the vacant time points are set to a uniform value so that the vacant time points are not reflected in the allocation of operators. Therefore, an operator can be assigned to a specific crew member (for example, an important person) by prioritizing judgment based on the number of times of experience.

Further, in the present embodiment, operators are assigned in consideration of a follow-up point determined by the number of times the same operator takes charge of the same operation by the same vehicle 10 . Therefore, for example, the same operator that has already been assigned during the same operation can be preferentially assigned to the calling vehicle 10 . As a result, the occupants of the vehicle 10 can receive remote support with more peace of mind than if the operator were changed each time.

B. Second embodiment:
An overview of the processing performed in the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 14 . The left side of the drawing shows the schedule of each operator determined based on the operation route notified from each vehicle 10 . An arrow pointing to the right indicates the time axis, and the frames shown on the time axis indicate scheduled appointments (breaks or remote assistance). For example, when the timing at which the first operator performs remote support B1 for the first time coincides with the timing of a call A1 due to a sudden cause, for example, as shown in the upper right of the figure, the remote support for that call is made available at that timing. It is possible to allocate to the second operator who is on time. However, when the experience points, time points, and watch points of the two operators are combined, as shown in the lower right of the figure, the number 1 operator provides remote support for the call, and the number 1 operator is reserved. It may be preferable to allocate the scheduled appointment (remote assistance B1) to the second operator. An embodiment capable of coping with such a situation will be described below. The configuration of the remote support system 100 in the second embodiment is the same as in the first embodiment.

A schedule adjustment process for adjusting the schedule will be described with reference to FIG. First, the allocation control unit 64 determines whether or not to adjust the schedule (step S70). In this embodiment, the allocation control unit 64 determines to adjust the schedule when receiving a call request with an unexpected cause. Alternatively, the allocation control unit 64 may determine to adjust the schedule when incorporating a new schedule into the schedule in response to a request from the administrator of the vehicle 10 or the remote support device 50 . If the schedule is not to be adjusted, the allocation control unit 64 repeats the process of step S70 and waits until it determines to adjust the schedule.

When it is determined that the schedule is to be adjusted, the assignment control unit 64 first identifies all situations when a call request or a new schedule associated with the addition of a new schedule is assigned to each operator's schedule (step S72). ).

Figure 16 shows all the situations where new appointments are assigned to each operator. In FIG. 16, "Call A1" indicates a new schedule. In situations 1 and 3, the second operator is assigned a new appointment, and in situations 2 and 4, the first operator is assigned a new appointment. In situations 3 and 4, the first operator's schedule for remote monitoring C1 and the second operator's schedule for remote support D1 are changed from the original scheduled times shown on the left side of FIG.

Return to FIG. The allocation control unit 64 performs the overall experience point calculation process (step S74), the overall time point calculation process (step S76), the overall viewing point calculation process (step S78), and the overall suitable value calculation process (step S80) in steps It is executed for all situations specified in S72 (step S82).

In the overall experience value point calculation process in step S74, for example, in situation 2 shown in FIG. Further, the experience value points for the second operator's scheduled remote monitoring B1 and the experience value points for the scheduled remote monitoring D1 are determined by the same method as the method described in the first embodiment. It is obtained by the same method as the method described in the embodiment. Then, the total experience points are calculated by adding all the experience points calculated for each schedule of the first and second operators. In other words, in step S74, the experience value points are calculated and totaled for all schedules of all operators to which a new schedule can be assigned, not for each operator.

In the total time point calculation process in step S76, time points (=previous free time point x rear free time point) for all schedules of all operators to which new schedules can be assigned are calculated in the same manner as in the first embodiment. and sum them to calculate the total time point.

In the overall viewing point calculation process in step S78, the overall viewing point is calculated by obtaining the viewing points for each operator's schedule that can be assigned to a new schedule and totaling them. As shown in FIG. 17, in the present embodiment, the number of times of watching is counted in past and future schedules. Then, by dividing the product of the factorial of the number of visits for each operator by the factorial of the total number of operations that the operator is in charge of, the observation points for each operator are obtained, and by totaling them, Calculate the overall observation points.

In the overall matching value calculation process in step S80 of FIG. 15, the overall experience point calculated in step S74, the overall time point calculated in step S76, and the overall time point calculated in step S78 are The overall matching point is added to calculate the overall matching value. However, in Equation (1), the total time point and the total observation point are multiplied by predetermined weighting factors Wt and Wc, respectively, as in the first embodiment.

Overall conformity value = Overall experience point + Overall time point x Wt + Overall observation point x Wc Formula (1)

After obtaining the overall fitness value for each of the situations specified in step S72 as described above, the allocation control unit 64 selects the situation with the largest overall fitness value among the overall fitness values. (Step S84). Then, as shown in FIG. 18, each operator's schedule is updated according to the situation with the largest overall adaptation value (step S86). The allocation control unit 64 records the updated schedule in the operator information database.

According to the second embodiment described above, when a remote support schedule is scheduled in advance for each operator, the remote support device 50 receives a call request or schedules a new schedule. When incorporated, each operator's schedule is adjusted such that the sum of all the fitness values calculated for each operator is greater, and operators are assigned to call requests or new appointments. Therefore, the optimal operator can be assigned to a call request or new appointment while optimizing each operator's schedule.

C. Third embodiment:
In the first embodiment described above, the allocation control unit 64 obtains experience points based on the number of times of experience of the operator shown in FIG. On the other hand, the allocation control unit 64 may calculate the experience value points using the experience value having a predetermined relationship with the number of times of experience of the operator. The number of times of experience and the experience value may have a linear relationship or a non-linear relationship. As a non-linear relationship, for example, as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, at least a part of the relationship may be represented by a curved line. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 21, it may be in a relationship of increasing in stages. The curve in FIG. 20 can be freely defined by the administrator of the remote support device 50 and can be called a self-defined curve.

D. Fourth embodiment:
In the first embodiment, when calculating the experience points, the experience points are calculated by adding the normalized number of experiences of each item. In other words, the experience value points of the above embodiment are calculated by the following formula (2). Items 1, 2, 3, . . . are values after normalization of each item shown in FIG.

Experience point = (item 1) x W1 + (item 2) x W2 + (item 3) x W3... Formula (2)

On the other hand, the experience value points may be calculated by multiplying the number of experiences of each item or its normalized value as shown in the following formula (3). In this case, the weighting factor for each item is raised to the power of the value of each item.

Experience point = (item 1) ^ W1 x (item 2) ^ W2 x (item 3) ^ W3... Formula (3)

When obtaining the experience value points by multiplication, the initial value of the number of times of experience for each item is set to 1, as shown in FIG. If 0 is set instead of 1 as the number of times of experience, the total experience points will be 0, so that operator can be excluded from assignment. Therefore, if the operator does not have permission to allocate to a certain support point or has no time to respond, regardless of the operator's actual number of experiences, if the operator is set to 0 as the number of experiences, the operator can be It can definitely be deallocated.

E. Fifth embodiment:
In the first embodiment described above, an allocation permission database may be recorded in the operator information database as shown in FIG. By referring to this allocation permission database, the allocation control unit 64 allows a specific operator to operate a specific vehicle, a specific support point, a specific road structure, a specific vehicle type, a specific route, and a specific remote support. can be prevented from being assigned to at least one of the types of As a result, it is possible, for example, not to assign operators who have not seen a particular route to remote assistance taking place on that route.

F. Sixth embodiment:
When the allocation control unit 64 formulates the operator's schedule, the time for the operator to provide remote assistance can be defined as shown in FIG. In other words, the total time required for support response can be defined as being composed of the margin for time error, the preparation time for support, and the actual support time. In this case, the allocation control unit 64 can formulate a schedule with a larger margin for time error as the period from the present to the time when support is provided is longer. In other words, for example, if the time until the start of support is 10 minutes and the margin for time error is set to 1 minute, if the time until the start of support is 60 minutes, the time error The margin may be set to be longer than 1 minute, for example 5 minutes. Note that the preparation time for assistance can be arbitrarily set according to the difficulty level of assistance, the operator's experience, and the like.

As shown in the upper part of FIG. 25, if the timings of two remote assistance do not overlap, the allocation control unit 64 can allocate those remote assistance to the same operator. However, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 25, when the actual support time of earlier remote support overlaps with the margin of time error of later remote support, allocation control Unit 64 assigns subsequent remote assistance to other operators. By doing so, the operator can take care of the assigned remote assistance with time to spare.

G. Other embodiments:
(G-1) In the above embodiment, when the administrator of the remote support device 50 instructs a specific operator to reduce the number of experiences of a specific item, the assignment control unit 64 Experience counts may be decremented for specified items of specified operators in the count database. By doing so, for example, it is possible to prevent the assignment of an operator who has a lot of experience but is not proficient in remote control.

(G-2) In the above embodiment, when the vehicle 10 arrives at the support point, the calling unit 24 of the vehicle 10 transmits a call request to the remote support device 50 . On the other hand, the vehicle 10 may always transmit the position information to the remote support device 50, and the remote support device 50 may determine whether the vehicle 10 has arrived at the support point and make a call. By doing so, the configuration of the vehicle 10 can be simplified.

(G-3) In the above embodiment, the vehicle 10 may be an automatically operated vehicle that is unmanned. If the vehicle 10 is an automatic driving vehicle, the operator can cover the driving at a point where it is difficult for the vehicle 10 to autonomously determine the driving operation. If the vehicle 10 is a vehicle driven by a driver, it is possible to reduce the burden on the driver by having the operator drive the vehicle at the support point.

(G-4) In the remote support process in the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the calculation of experience points (step S12) is executed at a timing prior to the calculation of time points (step S14). . However, the execution order of each step of remote support processing is not limited to such an order. For example, as shown in FIG. 26, after determining whether or not there is a call request (step S10), the remote support device 50 first calculates the time points of each operator (step S14). It is also possible to select an operator with a large number (step S15), and calculate the experience point (step S12) and the follow-up point (step S20) only for the selected operator. By executing remote support processing in this order, operators with zero time points, that is, operators with no response time, can be excluded from assignment in advance, so the amount of calculation for calculating the matching value can be greatly reduced. can be reduced. The step number of each process shown in FIG. 26 corresponds to the step number of each process shown in FIG. The same process is executed in processes with the same step number.

The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various configurations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, in order to solve some or all of the above problems, or to achieve some or all of the above effects, it is possible to appropriately replace or combine technical features. Also, if the technical features are not described as essential in this specification, they can be deleted as appropriate.

10 vehicle, 12 vehicle side communication device, 14 camera, 16 positioning device, 18 vehicle side control unit, 20 operation control unit, 22 route planning unit, 24 calling unit, 50 remote support device, 52 control side communication device, 60 control side Control Unit 62 Call Control Unit 64 Allocation Control Unit 66 Remote Support Unit 70 Storage Device 72 Map Database 74 Operator Information Database 80 Operator Terminal 82 Operation Unit 84 Display Unit 100 Remote Support System

Claims (9)

A remote assistance system (100) for remotely assisting a vehicle (10),
When the vehicle arrives at a support point where operation of the vehicle is remotely supported, or when there is a call request from the vehicle, a remote support unit (66) remotely supports the vehicle based on an operator's operation. )When,
an allocation control unit (64) for allocating an operator in charge of remote support of the vehicle from among a plurality of operators based on a fitness value calculated based on the experience of each operator;
with
The remote support system , wherein the allocation control unit calculates the suitable value by taking into consideration the free time evaluation value determined by the operator's free time before the remote support. The remote support system according to claim 1,
The allocation control unit has experience with at least one of the vehicle, the support point, the structure of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, the type of vehicle, the route on which the vehicle is traveling, and the type of remote assistance. A remote support system that determines the fitness value according to the number of times. The remote support system according to claim 1 or claim 2,
The assignment control unit assigns a specific operator to at least one of a specific vehicle, a specific support point, a specific road structure, a specific vehicle type, a specific route, and a specific remote support type. A remote assistance system that makes said assignments so as not to The remote support system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
The remote support system, wherein the allocation control unit calculates the suitable value by taking into consideration the free time evaluation value determined by the free time of the operator after the remote support. The remote support system according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The remote support system, wherein the assignment control unit changes the calculation method of the free time evaluation value depending on whether the schedule continuing the free time is remote support or rest. The remote support system according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
The remote support system, wherein the allocation control unit does not reflect the idle time evaluation value in the allocation when the occupants of the vehicle are predetermined specific occupants. A remote assistance system (100) for remotely assisting a vehicle (10),
When the vehicle arrives at a support point where operation of the vehicle is remotely supported, or when there is a call request from the vehicle, a remote support unit (66) remotely supports the vehicle based on an operator's operation. )When,
an allocation control unit (64) for allocating an operator in charge of remote support of the vehicle from among a plurality of operators based on a fitness value calculated based on the experience of each operator;
with
The remote support system, wherein the allocation control unit calculates the suitable value by adding a follow-up evaluation value determined by the number of times the same operator takes charge of the same operation of the same vehicle. A remote assistance system (100) for remotely assisting a vehicle (10),
When the vehicle arrives at a support point where operation of the vehicle is remotely supported, or when there is a call request from the vehicle, a remote support unit (66) remotely supports the vehicle based on an operator's operation. )When,
an allocation control unit (64) for allocating an operator in charge of remote support of the vehicle from among a plurality of operators based on a fitness value calculated based on the experience of each operator;
with
Remote assistance appointments are scheduled for each operator,
When the call request is received or when a new schedule is incorporated into the schedule, the assignment control unit adjusts the schedule of each operator so that the value obtained by adding all the calculated adaptation values for each operator becomes large. to assign an operator to said call request or said new appointment. A method executed by a remote assistance system for providing remote assistance to a vehicle, comprising:
a step of remotely supporting the vehicle based on an operation by an operator when the vehicle arrives at a support point for remotely supporting the operation of the vehicle, or when a call request is received from the vehicle;
a step of assigning an operator in charge of remote support of the vehicle from among a plurality of operators based on a fitness value calculated based on the experience of each operator;
with
In the assigning step, the matching value is calculated in consideration of an available time evaluation value determined by an operator's available time before the remote support .

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