JP2000285367A - Vehicle operation system and vehicle operation method - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [PROBLEMS] To provide a vehicle operation system and a vehicle operation method having both high punctuality and flexibility and high operation efficiency. A dedicated road 4 is installed on the dedicated road 4,
A vehicle operation system 1 having a plurality of stations 5 for mutually entering vehicles between a dedicated road 4 and a general road 2, and capable of automatically running a plurality of vehicles 3 on the dedicated road 4. Among the plurality of vehicles 3,
One is assigned as a regular operation vehicle 3A that runs in a regular and automatic platoon on the dedicated road 4, the other is manually driven on the general road 2 in response to a passenger's request, and is also automatically driven on the dedicated road. Demand service vehicle 3
A central processing unit 16a of the central control device 16 is provided which is capable of changing the allocation ratio between the scheduled operation vehicle 3A and the requested operation vehicle 3B at a predetermined timing while being assigned as B.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle operation system and a vehicle operation method capable of automatically driving a vehicle on a dedicated road.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A vehicle group consisting of a plurality of vehicles that are mechanically connected to each other, such as a train or a train, is placed on a dedicated traveling line (track, rail) laid in advance according to a diagram (diagram) created in advance. In a vehicle operation system that runs on a regular basis, that is, at a fixed time (hereinafter, referred to as a regular operation system), it is possible to provide a stable transportation service with a fixed regularity.

[0003] In addition, by manually driving a car such as a bus on a general route (general road) in a city, passengers residing in different areas of the city can be diverted to various purposes according to their demands. Vehicle operation system to transport to the ground (hereinafter referred to as demand operation system)
Can provide a fine-grained transport service that meets the needs of passengers.

[0004]

However, in a scheduled operation system, a vehicle such as a train is constantly driven according to a fixed schedule, so that the vehicle is operated in accordance with the demand (passenger) for the scheduled operation system. Was not able to run, and the operation system was inflexible.

[0005] Further, in the demand operation system, there is a problem that the punctuality is deteriorated because frequent delays occur in accordance with traffic conditions on general roads.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a vehicle operation system and a vehicle operation method with high operation efficiency that combine the advantage of the punctuality of a regular operation system and the advantage of the flexibility of a demand operation system. Its purpose is to provide.

[0007] In particular, the present invention relates to a vehicle operation system and a vehicle operation method having punctuality and flexibility, wherein a passenger transportation service based on punctuality is provided to one of a plurality of vehicles in a flexible manner according to the demand of the passenger. Provided is a vehicle operation system and a vehicle operation method that enable the passenger transportation service to be shared and allocated to the other of the plurality of vehicles so that the opposing advantages of punctuality and flexibility can be achieved without offsetting each other. Its purpose is to

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dedicated road, and a vehicle is provided on the dedicated road for mutual entry of vehicles between the dedicated road and a general road. A vehicle operation system having a plurality of sections and capable of automatically driving a plurality of vehicles on the dedicated road, wherein one of the plurality of vehicles is regularly and automatically platooned on the dedicated road. And the other vehicle is manually operated on the general road in response to a passenger's request and is also automatically operated on a dedicated road, and the scheduled operation vehicle and the required operation vehicle are assigned. And an assignment changing unit that can change the assignment ratio between the two at a predetermined timing.

In the first invention, the scheduled operation vehicle and the required driving vehicle each include a traveling control unit for controlling traveling of the own vehicle, and the assignment changing unit includes:
When the demand on the general road increases, the allocation of the scheduled operation vehicle from the scheduled operation to the required operation is switched to the traveling control means of at least one scheduled operation vehicle on the dedicated road. Means for transmitting a command of
When the demand on the dedicated road increases, a command is issued to the travel control means of at least one requested operation vehicle on the general road to switch the allocation of the requested operation vehicle from the required operation to the scheduled operation. Means for transmitting the information.

[0010] In the first invention, the required operation vehicle includes a transmission means for transmitting a dedicated road traveling request including a station portion entering the dedicated road from the general road and a destination station portion on the dedicated road. In response to the transmitted dedicated road travel request, a determination is made as to whether or not there is an obstructed regularly operated vehicle in the travel request route from the entrance station to the destination station of the requested operation vehicle on the exclusive road. Means, and a traveling schedule transmitting means for transmitting a traveling schedule on a dedicated road to the requested traveling vehicle when it is determined by the determining means that the regularly operated vehicle serving as an obstacle exists in the traveling request route. The requested operation vehicle is configured to travel on the travel request route according to the transmitted travel diagram.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a dedicated road connected to an ordinary road and a vehicle installed between the exclusive road and the exclusive road for mutual entry of vehicles between the exclusive road and the ordinary road are provided. A vehicle operation method applied to a system having a plurality of sections and capable of automatically driving a plurality of vehicles on the dedicated road, comprising: A vehicle for platooning, and manually driving according to the request of the passengers on the general road, and dividing the vehicle into a vehicle that also automatically runs on a dedicated road, and driving the divided vehicles on the corresponding roads, The number of vehicles traveling on the exclusive road and the number of vehicles traveling on the general road are changed at a predetermined timing by changing a division ratio of the vehicle for the regular platoon traveling and the vehicle for the manual traveling. And a step of adjusting the number of vehicles.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of a vehicle operation system and a vehicle operation method according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an infrastructure facility of a vehicle operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a vehicle operation system 1 includes a plurality of vehicles traveling on a plurality of general routes (general roads) 2 in an urban area (urban area, etc.) such as a city, town, village, or the like. A dedicated route (road) 4 for driving a specific vehicle 3 such as a bus or a truck exclusively, and a plurality of three-dimensionally connected vehicles 3 between the general roads 2 and the dedicated roads 4 so that the vehicles 3 can enter each other. And a station section 5 as a section.

A plurality of station sections 5 are installed in a plurality of cities such as the above-mentioned cities, towns, and villages, and a dedicated road 4 is laid so as to connect the plurality of cities.

In the vehicle operation system 1, the dedicated road 4 is of a single-track type as shown in FIG. 1, and the dedicated road 4 runs on the dedicated road 4 between the stations 5 of the single-track dedicated road 4. Passing portions 7 as a plurality of sections for passing vehicles 3 passing each other are provided at appropriate intervals, and vehicles 3 running on a dedicated road 4 in the opposite direction are located in a station area. 5 or the passing section 7 allows the two-way operation on a single-line dedicated line.

The vehicle operation system 1 of the present embodiment
In, scheduled service and demand (request)
The contradictory service called the operation service is shared by a plurality of vehicles 3 that can travel on the dedicated road 4, and the sharing ratio between the vehicle 3A that performs the regular operation service and the vehicle 3B that performs the demand operation service is determined by the time zone or general. It can be changed at a predetermined timing according to the traffic demand of a road or a dedicated road.

That is, in the vehicle operation system 1 according to the present embodiment, when the vehicle 3A is allocated for the regular operation service, the vehicle 3A is moved only on the dedicated road 4 as shown in FIG. Automatically running (automatic platooning, platoon running) at regular intervals to form a platoon by mechanically and electronically detachable connection,
On a dedicated road 4, a regular operation service that emphasizes regularity is provided.

In a group of vehicles assigned for the above-mentioned regular operation service (hereinafter referred to as a group of regular operation vehicles 3AG), a crew member is in the leading vehicle along the traveling direction.

When the vehicle 3B is allocated for the demand operation service, the vehicle 3B is mainly operated between the bus stops on the general road 2 in the city area by the manual operation of the crew (driver, etc.). Non-stop via a dedicated road 4 from a place where passengers desire to ride (a nearby bus stop or station) to a destination (a nearby bus stop or station), such as between a bus stop and each station 5, such as a dedicated road 4
Stations 5 and passing sections 7 other than the above destination station are run without stopping, and provide an operation service emphasizing flexibility and high speed. The vehicle allocated for the demand operation service is referred to as a demand (request) operation vehicle 3B.

Here, the hardware configuration of the vehicle operation system 1 that can share the above-mentioned scheduled operation service and demand operation service to a plurality of vehicles 3 will be described with reference to FIG.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle operation system 1 includes a vehicle control unit 10 mounted on each vehicle 3 (3A, 3B) for automatic driving and a vehicle control unit 10 on a dedicated road 4 at regular intervals. Magnetic nail 11 for automatic vehicle steering continuously buried, station section 5 on dedicated road 4 and passing section 7
Road information between the vehicle 3 on the dedicated road 4 via the loop coils 12 installed near the loop coils 12 and the respective loop coils 12 for communication between the road and the vehicle embedded in the predetermined position corresponding to the vehicle Identification number (own vehicle ID),
The current travel position and the ID of the final destination (destination station) (hereinafter referred to as the destination station ID) are received, and the dedicated road 4
A local controller 13 for transmitting a travel control command (departure command, stop command, speed control command, etc.) and an operation service switching signal to the upper vehicle 3 by using the loop coil 12.
And a travel control unit 15 having

Further, the vehicle operation system 1 controls each vehicle 3 on the dedicated road 4 via the local controller 13 based on the traveling information received by the traveling control unit 15.
The central control device 16 that performs the traveling control processing of the vehicle is provided.

As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle control unit 10 is a vehicle running on a dedicated road 4 on a regular basis (platoon running) (own vehicle assigned as a regular operation vehicle).
A vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 20 capable of communicating with a vehicle ahead in the traveling direction, a road-to-vehicle communication device 21 capable of spot communication with the loop coil 12 on the dedicated road 4, A magnetic sensor 22 for detecting a magnetic field generated by the nail 11, a vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 20, and a road-to-vehicle communication device 21
And a vehicle control device 24 that is communicably connected to the magnetic sensor 22 via a bus 23 and performs an absolute position recognition process and a traveling control process of the own vehicle, and a vehicle ID, a destination station ID, and a traveling direction of the own vehicle. And a management device 25 for holding and managing the travel information.

The vehicle control device 24 has an arithmetic processing circuit having a CPU and a memory, and is transmitted from the inter-vehicle communication device 20 of the preceding vehicle based on the processing program stored in the memory, and the vehicle of the own vehicle. Based on the traveling information of the preceding vehicle received via the inter-vehicle communication device 20, the distance between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle is controlled to avoid a collision or the like, and at the dedicated road locating speed (for example, about 70 km / h). Based on the traveling function and the traveling control signal and the traveling service switching signal transmitted from the loop coil 12 and received via the road-to-vehicle communication device 21, traveling driving control of the own vehicle ｛manual driving / automatic driving switching control, It performs speed control (acceleration / deceleration control, etc.), automatic steering control, stop control, merging control for the dedicated road 4, branching control from the dedicated road 4 to the general road 2, etc. Noh and comprises respectively a function of determining the travel distance and the travel position of the vehicle based on the magnetic field detected through the magnetic sensor 22 emitted from the magnetic nails 11 (absolute position).

Further, the vehicle control device 24 has a function of transmitting the traveling information of the own vehicle to the local controller 13 via the loop coil 12, and the local controller 13 transmits the transmitted traveling information to the central control device 16 To be sent to.

The vehicle control unit 10 serves as a communication means between the own vehicle (own vehicle assigned as the demand operation vehicle) running on demand on the general road 2 (manual running) and the central control device 16, for example. A communication device 26 capable of transmitting information to the arithmetic processing unit 16a wirelessly (by a mobile phone line or the like) by manual operation and receiving information such as the operation service switching signal wirelessly transmitted from the central control device 16 Have.

The central control device 16 stores an arithmetic processing unit 16a having an interface for wirelessly transmitting and receiving information and a CPU, and a program for executing the processing of the arithmetic processing unit 16a. And a memory 16b for storing temporary data.

The arithmetic processing unit 16a transmits a travel control signal via the local controller 13 and the loop coil 12 to each of the above-mentioned regular operation vehicle groups in accordance with the operation schedule of the regular operation vehicle group 3AG on the dedicated road 4 stored in the memory 16b. 3A
G, and a predetermined vehicle 3A (for example, a leading vehicle or a trailing vehicle along the traveling direction) in the scheduled operation vehicle group 3AG is transmitted to a time zone, a general road,
A process of transmitting an operation service switching signal for switching from the regular operation service to the demand operation service at a predetermined timing according to the traffic demand of the dedicated road, and the like, and processing for the demand operation vehicle 3B traveling on the general road 2 Transmitting an operation service switching signal for switching from a demand operation service to a regular operation service at a predetermined timing according to a time zone or traffic demand on a general road / dedicated road; While the predetermined regular operation vehicle group 3AG is traveling between the groups, the process of preventing the regular operation vehicle 3A switched to the regular operation service on the other vehicle group 3 or the general road 2 from entering the closed section. (Blocking control processing).

Next, the overall operation and features of the vehicle operation system 1 of the present embodiment will be described.

A plurality of regular operation vehicle groups 3AG assigned as regular operation vehicles are provided with a traveling control unit 15 and a vehicle control device 24 based on a traveling control signal according to an operation diagram of the central control unit 16 (the arithmetic processing unit 16a). As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle travels only at the dedicated road 4, that is, at the specified speed without entering the general road 2, and provides a scheduled operation service with a fixed timetable. can do.

Further, a plurality of regular operation vehicle groups 3AG traveling on the dedicated road 4 are driven by the traveling control process based on the block control of the central control device 16, the traveling control unit 15 and the vehicle control device 24, and the vehicle in front is controlled by the traveling control process. It is designed to run safely without colliding with groups.

In particular, the scheduled operation vehicle group 3 in the present embodiment
In the AG, the crew only rides on the leading vehicle 3A along the traveling direction, and the regular operation vehicle group 3AG normally travels only on the dedicated road 4, so that the crew is There is no need to get on and off at each station 5 on the dedicated road 4.

On the other hand, the demand operation vehicle 3B assigned as the demand operation vehicle is manually operated on the general road 2 by a passenger at a desired place to a destination, for example, a bus stop to a station installed in a city area where demand is high. The sections 5 are connected directly to travel.

Then, the demand service vehicle 3B, for example, gets on the dedicated road 4 from the desired boarding place on the general road (for example, the stop in the above-mentioned city area) via the station 5 near the desired boarding place. 4 destination locations (for example,
It is possible to travel at a high speed, for example, at about a dedicated road locating speed, without stopping at a passing section or a station on the way to a predetermined station on the dedicated road 4).

That is, the demand-operated vehicle 3B that has exited the stop at the desired boarding place is traveling toward a predetermined station (shown as a station 5A in FIG. 3) on the dedicated road 4 by manual driving.

At this time, when the demand-operated vehicle 3B arrives at a predetermined distance from the station 5A to be approached, the driver who is manually driving the vehicle 3B operates the communication device 26 to operate the dedicated road 4A. Entry station (entrance station 5
A) and a dedicated road travel request D including a destination station (represented by 5B in FIG. 3) is input. The input dedicated road travel request D is transmitted to the central control device 16 by the processing of the communication device 26 (see FIG. 3).

At this time, the arithmetic processing unit 16a of the central control unit 16 executes the interrupt processing according to the transmitted dedicated road travel request D to execute the all-time scheduled vehicle group 3AG on the dedicated road 4.
From the vehicle group 3AG to the road-to-vehicle communication device 21,
Reading via the local controller 13 or the like (FIG. 4;
Step S1) The demand operation vehicle 3B enters the entrance station 5A.
It is determined whether there is a regular vehicle group 3AG which becomes an obstacle when the vehicle travels on the traveling route from the vehicle to the destination station 5B at the standard speed (step S2).

If the result of the determination in step S2 is YES (the regular-operation vehicle group 3A serving as an obstacle exists), the arithmetic processing unit 16a executes, for example, a travel control command for deceleration control or a regular Operation schedule information P that does not hinder the operation of the operation vehicle group 3A is transmitted to the vehicle control device 24 of the demand operation vehicle 3B (step S3), and the process returns to the determination process of step S2. The traveling speed of the demand operation vehicle 3B is reduced, for example, by the processing of the vehicle control device 24 based on the traveling control command for the deceleration control in step S3 or the operation schedule information P, and the entry timing to the entrance station 5A is adjusted. That is, priority is given to the traveling of the regular service vehicle group 3A on the dedicated road 4, and the entry time of the demand service vehicle 3B is set so as not to hinder them.

On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S2 is NO (the regular operation vehicle group 3A that becomes an obstacle does not exist),
The arithmetic processing unit 16a issues a command for permitting the demand operation vehicle 3B to travel on the dedicated road 4 to the demand operation vehicle 3B.
And the process ends (step S4).

By the processing of the vehicle control device 24 based on the dedicated road traveling permission command in step S4, the demand operation vehicle 3B enters the dedicated road 4 from the entrance station 5A, and passes the passing part 7 and the station 5 on the way. Without stopping (non-stop), the vehicle can travel at high speed to the destination station 5B at a prescribed speed, and advance to the general road 2 via the destination station 5B.

As described above, according to the present embodiment,
The regular operation vehicle group 3AG traveling on the dedicated road 4 is independent of the demand operation vehicle 3B traveling on the general road 2,
Since the vehicle travels in a plateau only with the plurality of vehicles 3A assigned as the regular operation vehicles, the following description will be made in comparison with, for example, a system in which vehicles traveling on the general road 2 are joined at the station unit 5 to travel in a plateau. Has advantages.

That is, since the demand-operated vehicle travels on the general road 2, not only during peak times but also during off-peak times, for example, passengers getting on and off, waiting for traffic lights at intersections, traffic congestion in accidents, traffic congestion due to irregular weather, etc. Frequently delayed from.

Therefore, in order to join the demand-operated vehicles on the general road that is frequently delayed and cause the vehicles on the dedicated road to run in a plateau, at the junction station,
The driver must wait for a delayed vehicle, which deteriorates punctuality.

In order to maintain the punctuality, it is necessary to make a group of vehicles on a dedicated road run in a plateau without waiting for a delayed vehicle. You will have to wait further until you join.

Further, in order to maintain punctuality, if a group of vehicles is made to travel in a plateau without waiting for a vehicle traveling on a general road with a delay, the convoy length (platon length) of the vehicle group is planned as a result. Therefore, there is a possibility that the number of passengers that can be transported is reduced and peak demand cannot be handled.

However, according to the vehicle operation system 1 of the present embodiment, the regular operation vehicle group 3AG traveling on the dedicated road 4 is replaced with the demand operation vehicle 3 traveling on the general road 2.
Since the vehicle can be automatically driven at a constant platoon length without waiting for B, sufficient punctuality can be secured, and the passenger transportation service can be maintained at a high level.

Further, since the length of the plate tone can be kept constant without being reduced, it is possible to sufficiently cope with the case where the demand increases at the peak time.

Further, in a system in which demand-operated vehicles traveling on the general road 2 are joined at the station section 5 to travel in a plateau, it is necessary to reduce the labor of station staff and crew members and to reduce the cost by the labor saving. , Dedicated road 4
It is necessary to convert the upper vehicle into a plate tone, and for this to be performed, it is necessary to arrange the boarding / leaving timing at the merging station for each of the vehicles constituting the plate. Therefore, it becomes necessary to adjust the time for the vehicle that has traveled on the general road 2 to coincide with the getting on / off timing based on the platoon train at the junction station.

For this reason, for example, the vehicle stops only at a limited station on the dedicated road 4 {there is a station passing between the stopping stations (passing station)}. A demand vehicle that has entered the dedicated road 4 at a time when it cannot join the express platoon will be forcibly stopped at the transit station even though the express platoon is to be run, and the passengers will be on the boarding station. In addition, it may be difficult to make a high-speed connection between destination stations.

However, according to the vehicle operation system 1 of the present embodiment, the demand operation vehicle 3B is connected to the dedicated road 4
Since the vehicle can be made to travel nonstop to the destination station 5B at the standardized speed, it is possible to easily connect the passenger's boarding station and the destination station at high speed.

Further, in a system in which demand-operated vehicles traveling on the general road 2 are joined at the station section 5 to travel in a plateau, for example, each vehicle constituting a group of vehicles traveling on the dedicated road 4 has a corresponding function. When the vehicle reaches the destination station, the vehicle is sequentially separated as a demand-operated vehicle, and the separated demand-operated vehicle travels manually along the general road 2 to an area in the city.

In the case of such a system, from the viewpoint of labor saving and cost reduction of the crew, crew members are not arranged for all the regularly operated vehicles constituting the group of vehicles to be automatically driven on the dedicated road 4, For example, a crew member is arranged in a leading vehicle or the like along a traveling direction.

Therefore, it is necessary to manually drive a crew such as a driver on each demand-operated vehicle separated from the group of vehicles on the dedicated road 4.

Further, the vehicle travels on the general road 2 and the exclusive road 4
It is necessary to lower the crew from the demand-operated vehicle that has entered into the platoon connection with the group of vehicles on the dedicated road 4 from the viewpoint of labor saving of the crew.

However, it takes a considerable amount of time to get on and off the crew members, which may adversely affect the realization of high-speed transportation. In addition, at each station on the dedicated road that constitutes the interchange section, the general road 2
If the number of vehicles going out and the number of vehicles entering dedicated road 4 are not balanced, it is necessary to secure a large number of spare crew at each station or move crew between stations On the contrary, it may hinder labor saving and cost reduction.

On the other hand, according to the vehicle operating system 1 of the present embodiment, the crew only enters the leading vehicle 3A into the vehicle group 3AG on the dedicated road 4 assigned as the regular operation vehicle group. There is no need to get on and off the crew. Also, a crew member such as a driver is always in the vehicle 3B assigned as the demand operation vehicle, and there is no need to get on and off the crew member.

Accordingly, labor saving of the crew, cost reduction accompanying the labor saving of the crew, and speeding up of the passenger transportation service can be achieved.

Then, the vehicle operation system 1 of the present embodiment
According to the vehicle group 3A assigned as the regular operation vehicle group
A predetermined vehicle in G (for example, a leading vehicle or a trailing vehicle) 3A1 is switched to a demand service vehicle 3B1 at a predetermined timing according to a time zone, traffic demand on a general road 2, traffic demand on a dedicated road 4, and the like. be able to.

That is, the arithmetic processing unit 16a of the central control unit 16 determines whether the current time has entered a preset time zone (a time zone in which the demand on the general road 2 increases) or the demand on the general road 2 The traffic demand information indicating that the demand on the general road 2 has increased from the operating vehicle 3B via the communication device 26, or the timing when the current time enters the set time zone, the traffic demand transmission timing, and By the interrupt processing according to the traffic demand increase timing and the like, the arithmetic processing unit 16a communicates with the vehicle control device 24 of, for example, the leading vehicle 3A1 in the vehicle group 3AG assigned as the regular operation vehicle group on the dedicated road 4 for communication. An operation service switching signal C1 is transmitted via the loop coil 12 and the road-to-vehicle communication device 21 (see FIG. 5).

At this time, the leading vehicle 3A1 on the dedicated road 4
Of the leading vehicle 3A in the vehicle group 3AG by the processing of the vehicle control device 24 according to the operation service switching signal C1 in the vehicle group 3AG.
The vehicle 1 is separated from the vehicle group 3AG, travels on the general road 2, and travels on the general road 2 as the demand operation vehicle 3B.

Similarly, the arithmetic processing unit 1 of the central control unit 16
6a is a time zone in which the current time is set in advance (exclusive road 4
The demand on the dedicated road 4 increases through the road-to-vehicle communication device 21 or the communication loop coil 12 from the regular operation vehicle 3A on the dedicated road 4 Is transmitted, the arithmetic processing unit 16a causes the demand operation vehicle on the general road 2 to execute the interrupt processing according to the timing when the current time enters the set time zone or the traffic demand transmission timing. The operation service switching signal C2 is transmitted via the communication device 26 to the vehicle control device 24 of the vehicle 3B1 assigned as (see FIG. 6).

At this time, the vehicle 3B1 enters the dedicated road 4 via the station 5 by the processing of the vehicle control device 24 according to the operation service switching signal in the demand operation vehicle 3B1 on the general road 2, and the regular operation is performed. The vehicle 3A joins the regular operation vehicle group 3AG and travels in a plate tone.

That is, according to this embodiment, the timing according to the time zone when the demand on the general road 2 increases or the time zone where the demand on the special road 4 increases, the vehicle 3A on the special road 4 and the general road The ratio between the vehicle allocated for the scheduled operation service and the vehicle allocated to the demand operation service can be changed according to a predetermined timing such as a timing based on the traffic demand information transmitted from the vehicle 3B on the second.

Therefore, in response to the increase in demand on the general road 2 or the dedicated road 4, the number of vehicles that provide services on the route whose demand has increased can be increased, and the passenger transportation service can be greatly improved. it can.

In the present embodiment, the dedicated road is a single track having a station section and a passing section. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is not limited to this. The vehicle operation system of the present invention can also be applied to a multi-track system.

Further, in this embodiment, the plurality of predetermined sections on the exclusive road are the station section and the passing section. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is not limited to this.・ Including junctions.

[0068]

As described above, according to the vehicle operation system and the vehicle operation method of the present invention, the timely operation service for ensuring the timeliness of one of a plurality of vehicles capable of automatic traveling. And the other vehicle is provided with a request operation service for ensuring flexibility in response to a passenger's request, so that the mutually contradictory advantages of punctuality and flexibility can be provided to each of the divided vehicles ( (A scheduled operation vehicle and a required operation vehicle) can be realized without adversely affecting each other.

As a result, the passenger transportation efficiency (operating efficiency), the passenger satisfaction and the passenger transportation speed can be respectively improved, and the labor and the cost of the crew can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an infrastructure facility of a vehicle operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of the vehicle operation system shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an operation process when the demand operation vehicle travels through a dedicated road.

FIG. 4 is a schematic flowchart showing an example of a process of an arithmetic processing unit of the central control device when the demand operation vehicle travels through a dedicated road.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an operation process in a case where a regular operation vehicle is assigned to a demand operation vehicle.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an operation process when changing the assignment of the demand operation vehicle to the regular operation vehicle.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle operation system 2 General road 3 Vehicle 4 Dedicated road 5 Station part 7 Passing part 10 Vehicle control unit 11 Magnetic nail for lane detection 12 Communication loop coil 13 Local controller 15 Travel control unit 16 Central control unit 16a Arithmetic processing unit 16b Memory Reference Signs List 20 inter-vehicle communication device 21 road-to-vehicle communication device 22 magnetic sensor 23 bus 24 vehicle control device 25 management device 26 communication device

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] April 20, 2000 (200.4.2
0)

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] Claims

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[Claims]

[Procedure amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0008

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dedicated road and a plurality of sections on the dedicated road for mutual entry of vehicles between the dedicated road and a general road. A vehicle operation system in which a plurality of vehicles can automatically travel on the dedicated road, and among the plurality of vehicles operating on the road, some of the vehicles are provided to passengers only on the dedicated road. Assigned as a regular operation vehicle that follows the published operation schedule and runs in platoon automatically, and other parts are manually driven on the general road, and also automatically driven on the dedicated road, and further requested by passengers. Is assigned as a required operation vehicle that may change the operation schedule and operation route on the general road according to the required operation vehicle. Means for transmitting a dedicated road travel request including at least a planned route on the dedicated road to the vehicle operation system at the time of approaching, and the vehicle operation system is configured to communicate with the database or the vehicle, Means for confirming the operation schedule and the current position of the vehicle, and performing automatic operation of the requested operation vehicle so as not to hinder the operation schedule of the regularly operated vehicle in accordance with the result of the check, wherein the scheduled operation vehicle and the requested operation vehicle are provided. At least one of them is operated at the same time, and means are provided for notifying to the passengers whether the vehicle stopped at the boarding station on the dedicated road is a regular operation vehicle or a required operation vehicle, and the passenger has a regular operation service or a required operation service. Is configured to be selectable.

[Procedure amendment 3]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0009

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[0009] In the first invention, an allocation changing means capable of changing the allocation ratio between the regular operation vehicle and the required operation vehicle at a predetermined timing, and an allocation notifying means for notifying the allocation-changed vehicle of the allocation. It has.

[Procedure amendment 4]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0010

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dedicated road, and the dedicated road includes a plurality of sections for mutually entering vehicles between the dedicated road and a general road. A vehicle operation method in which a plurality of vehicles can be automatically driven on a dedicated road, wherein a part of the plurality of vehicles operating on the road is operated based on an operation schedule disclosed to passengers only on the dedicated road. Allocating as a regular service vehicle that protects and runs in platoon automatically;
Another requirement is that the vehicle may be driven manually on the general road, and may be automatically driven on a dedicated road, and may change an operation schedule or an operation route on the general road according to a passenger's request. Allocating the vehicle as an operating vehicle, and when the requested operating vehicle is traveling on a general road or entering a dedicated road, transmitting a dedicated road travel request including at least a planned route on the dedicated road to a vehicle operating system; By communicating with the database or the vehicle via the vehicle operation system,
Confirming the operation schedule and the current position of the vehicle traveling on the dedicated road, and performing automatic traveling of the requested operation vehicle so as not to disturb the operation schedule of the regular operation vehicle according to the result of the confirmation; Simultaneously operating at least one of the vehicle and the requested operation vehicle, and notifying the passenger whether the vehicle stopped at the boarding station on the dedicated road is a regular operation vehicle or a request operation vehicle, and the passenger Selectively making available a service or a requested operation service.

[Procedure amendment 5]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0011

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the method further comprises a step of changing an allocation ratio between the scheduled operation vehicle and the requested operation vehicle at a predetermined timing, and a step of notifying the allocation-changed vehicle of the allocation.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Satoshi Sekine 70, Yanagicho, Saiwai-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture Inside the Toshiba Yanagimachi Plant Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Yoshikazu Oba 1 Toshiba-cho, Fuchu City, Tokyo Toshiba Fuchu Plant (72) Inventor Yoshiro Seki 1-1-1, Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo F-term in Toshiba head office (reference) 5H180 AA27 CC18 FF01 FF13 FF17 FF40 LL01 LL04 LL09

Claims (4)

[Claims] A vehicle has a dedicated road and a plurality of sections installed on the dedicated road for mutual entry of vehicles between the dedicated road and a general road, and a plurality of vehicles can be automatically driven on the dedicated road. A vehicle operation system, wherein one of the plurality of vehicles is assigned as a regularly operated vehicle that runs in a platoon on the dedicated road automatically and automatically, and the other is allocated on the general road in response to a passenger request. In addition to allocating as a requested operation vehicle that travels in a manual operation and that also automatically runs on a dedicated road, an allocation change unit that can change an allocation ratio between the scheduled operation vehicle and the required operation vehicle at a predetermined timing is provided. Characterized vehicle operation system. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the regular operation vehicle and the demand driving vehicle each include a traveling control unit that performs traveling control of the own vehicle, and wherein the allocation changing unit increases a demand on the general road. Means for transmitting to the travel control means of at least one scheduled operation vehicle on the dedicated road an instruction for switching the assignment of the scheduled operation vehicle from the scheduled operation to the required operation; and Means for transmitting, to the traveling control means of at least one requested operation vehicle on the general road, a command to switch the allocation of the requested operation vehicle from the required operation to the scheduled operation when the demand increases. The vehicle operation system according to claim 1, comprising: 3. The request operation vehicle includes a transmission unit that transmits a dedicated road traveling request including a station section entering the dedicated road from the general road and a destination station section on the dedicated road. In response to the dedicated road travel request, a determining means for determining whether there is a regularly operated vehicle serving as an obstacle in a travel request route from an entrance station of the requested operation vehicle to a destination station on the dedicated road, Traveling time transmission means for transmitting a traveling timetable of a dedicated road to the requesting operation vehicle when it is determined by the determining means that the regular operation vehicle serving as an obstacle is present in the traveling request route, The vehicle operation system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is configured to travel along the travel request route according to the transmitted travel schedule. 4. A private road connected to a general road, and a plurality of sections installed on the private road for mutually entering vehicles between the private road and the general road, and a plurality of sections on the private road. A vehicle operation method applied to a system capable of automatically driving a vehicle, wherein the plurality of vehicles are regularly and automatically platooning vehicles on the dedicated road, and passengers on the general road. Manually driving according to the request, and dividing the vehicle into a vehicle that also automatically travels on a dedicated road, and running the divided vehicles on the corresponding road, respectively, a vehicle for the regular platooning and a vehicle for the manual traveling Adjusting the number of vehicles traveling on the dedicated road and the number of vehicles traveling on the general road by changing a vehicle split ratio at a predetermined timing. Vehicle operation wherein the.