US-12619261-B2 - Control device, control method, and storage medium controlling a module to deliver a product to a user in a travelling moving body

US12619261B2US 12619261 B2US12619261 B2US 12619261B2US-12619261-B2

Abstract

A control device provided in a vehicle allows reception of a load carried by a drone, determines a position of a user who has ordered the load, and causes a ceiling module to move to the determined position while the vehicle is traveling toward a destination.

Inventors

Rina Mukai
Tokuyuki NISHIKAWA
Richard Chung

Assignees

TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20240416
Priority Date: 20230620

Claims (8)

1 . A control device that controls a module which is provided to a vehicle and which is movable in an inside of the vehicle, the control device comprising: a memory; and a processor that, in cooperation with the memory, performs operations including: determining, on a basis of given information, a position of a seat on which a user sits, the user relating to a product placed on the module, wherein the module is provided to a ceiling of the vehicle and is movable inside the vehicle along a rail provided to the ceiling of the vehicle, the module has a box-shaped configuration that enables the product to be placed thereon, and the processor, in cooperation with the memory, further performs operations including: causing, based on a signal transmitted from a drone that carries the product, an opening/closing device, which is provided to a roof of the vehicle and is capable of opening and closing an opening of the roof, to slide so as to open the opening of the roof, causing the module to move toward the opening of the roof so that the module reaches a position in which the drone carrying the product is capable of placing the product on the module, and causing the module to move along the rail to the determined position of the seat.
2 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein: the product is a product ordered by the user who is traveling in the vehicle; the processor determines, on a basis of the given information, the position of the seat of the user who has ordered the product; and the processor causes the module to move to the determined position of the seat while the vehicle is traveling toward a destination.
3 . The control device according to claim 2 , wherein: the given information includes at least one of image information obtained by capturing an image of a gesture of the user, sound information of the user, signal information indicative of a signal transmitted from an input device which is provided to a seat on which the user sits and which accepts an input from the user, order information associated with a seat number of the seat on which the user sits, image information obtained by capturing an image of a screen while the user is ordering the product via the screen, and identification information of a user terminal that is owned by the user and that is paired with, through Bluetooth (registered trademark), the seat on which the user sits.
4 . The control device according to claim 2 , wherein: on a basis of at least one of a traveling state of the vehicle and a traveling environment of the vehicle, the processor makes at least one of (i) determination of whether or not movement of the module is possible while the vehicle is traveling toward the destination and (ii) determination of whether or not the user is able to receive the product from the module.
5 . The control device according to claim 4 , wherein: in a case where the processor determines that movement of the module is impossible or in a case where the processor determines that the user is not able to receive the product from the module, the processor calculates, on a basis of at least one of the traveling state of the vehicle and the traveling environment of the vehicle, a timing when movement of the module becomes possible while the vehicle is traveling toward the destination or a timing when the user becomes able to receive the product from the module.
6 . The control device according to claim 2 , wherein: the processor determines, on a basis of the given information, the position of the seat of the user who has requested collection of garbage involved in the product; and the processor causes the module to move to the determined position of the seat while the vehicle is traveling toward the destination.
7 . A control method used for a control device that controls a module which is provided to a vehicle and which is movable in an inside of the vehicle, the control method comprising: determining, on a basis of given information, a position of a seat on which a user sits, the user relating to a product placed on the module, wherein the module is provided to a ceiling of the vehicle and is movable inside the vehicle along a rail provided to the ceiling of the vehicle, the module has a box-shaped configuration that enables the product to be placed thereon, and the control method further comprises: causing, based on a signal transmitted from a drone that carries the product, an opening/closing device, which is provided to a roof of the vehicle and is capable of opening and closing an opening of the roof, to slide so as to open the opening of the roof; causing the module to move toward the opening of the roof so that the module reaches a position in which the drone carrying the product is capable of placing the product on the module; and causing the module to move along the rail to the determined position of the seat.
8 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a control program stored therein, the control program causing a computer to execute: determining, on a basis of given information, a position of a seat on which a user sits in a vehicle, the user relating to a product placed on a module, wherein the module is provided to a ceiling of the vehicle, is movable in an inside of the vehicle along a rail provided to the ceiling of the vehicle and has a box-shaped configuration that enables the product to be placed thereon; causing, based on a signal transmitted from a drone that carries the product, an opening/closing device, which is provided to a roof of the vehicle and is capable of opening and closing an opening of the roof, to slide so as to open the opening of the roof; causing the module to move toward the opening of the roof so that the module reaches a position in which the drone carrying the product is capable of placing the product on the module; and causing the module to move along the rail to the determined position of the seat.

Description

This Nonprovisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 on Patent Application No. 2023-100998 filed in Japan on Jun. 20, 2023, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a control device, a control method, and a storage medium. BACKGROUND ART Patent Literature 1 discloses a technique of opening a roof of a vehicle and receiving, from a drone, a load which is a product. CITATION LIST Patent Literature [Patent Literature 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication, Tokukai, No. 2021-195112 SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem However, the invention disclosed in Patent Literature 1 merely receives the load from the drone, and cannot deliver the received load to a user. An aspect of the present disclosure has an object to deliver a product to a user. Solution to Problem In order to solve the above problem, a control device in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure is a control device that controls a module which is provided to a moving body and which is movable in an inside of the moving body, the control device including: a controller, the controller determining, on a basis of given information, a position of a user relating to a product placed on the module, the controller causing the module to move to the determined position. In order to solve the above problem, a control method in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure is a control method used for a control device that controls a module which is provided to a moving body and which is movable in an inside of the moving body, the control method including the steps of: determining, on a basis of given information, a position of a user relating to a product placed on the module; and causing the module to move to the determined position. In order to solve the above problem, a storage medium in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure is a computer-readable storage medium having a control program stored therein, the control program causing a computer to execute: a process of determining, on a basis of given information, a position of a user relating to a product placed on a module which is provided to a moving body and which is movable in an inside of the moving body; and a process of causing the module to move to the determined position. A control device in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure can be realized by a computer. In this case, the present disclosure encompasses: a control program for causing a computer to function as each of the sections (software elements) included in the control device so as to realize the control device by the computer; and a computer-readable storage medium having the control program stored therein. Advantageous Effects of Invention According to an aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to deliver a product to a user. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view schematically illustrating a configuration of an example of a delivery management system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a view illustrating an example of a method for receiving a load from a drone and a method for delivering the load to a user. FIG. 3 is a view illustrating an example of a method for receiving a load from a drone and a method for delivering the load to a user. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a first management server. FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a second management server. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a control device of a vehicle. FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a user terminal. FIG. 8 is a view illustrating an appearance of a drone. FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a control device of the drone. FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a process of a delivery management system. FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a process of the delivery management system. FIG. 12 shows an example of an order screen via which a user orders a product. FIG. 13 is a view illustrating an example of a method for determining a position of a user who has ordered a product. FIG. 14 is a sequence chart illustrating a flow of a process of collecting garbage. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS First Embodiment The following description will discuss, with reference to the drawings, details of a delivery management system 100 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The same parts in the drawings are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted. (Configuration of Delivery Management System 100) The delivery management system 100 is a system with which a product ordered by a user who is in a vehicle is delivered to the user with use of a drone and a ceiling module provided to the vehicle. FIG. 1 is a view schematically illustrating a configuration of an example of the delivery management system 1