# US 11,993,268 B2 · Information processing apparatus, moving body, computer-readable recording medium and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,993,268 B2 - Document ID: US11993268B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/486,853 - Filed: 2021-09-27 - Published: 2022-01-13 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2019-03-29 - Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Kazunori Tokunaga; Mafuyu Koseki; Takashi Yamada; Toshiaki Takano; Satoshi Onodera - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11993268B2 ## CPC - B60W 40/08: related to drivers or passengers - B60W 50/082: {Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling} - B60W 50/14: Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention - B60W 60/0059: {Estimation of the risk associated with autonomous or manual driving, e.g. situation too complex, sensor failure or driver incapacity} - G06Q 30/06: Buying, selling or leasing transactions - G06Q 40/08: Insurance - G06Q 50/40: Business processes related to the transportation industry (shipping G06Q10/083) - G08G 1/207: {with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries} - H04W 4/40: for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P] - B60L 2240/70: Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres - B60W 2040/0809: {Driver authorisation; Driver identity check} - B60W 2050/007: {Switching between manual and automatic parameter input, and vice versa} - B60W 2540/043: Identity of occupants - B60W 2556/45: External transmission of data to or from the vehicle - Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility - Y02T 90/16: Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract In an information processing apparatus for managing or controlling a moving body used by a user based on a predetermined use condition, the moving body is configured to be switchable between an automatic driving mode and a manual driving mode, and the information processing apparatus comprises a use condition acquisition section for acquiring information related to the use condition of the moving body, a switch command acquisition section for acquiring a switch command for switching a driving mode of the moving body, and a switch judgment section for judging permission/prohibition of switching of the driving mode indicated by the switch command, based on the use condition of the moving body. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An information processing apparatus for managing or controlling a moving body used by a user based on a predetermined use condition, wherein: the moving body is configured to be switchable between an automatic driving mode and a manual driving mode, the information processing apparatus comprises: at least one processor; a use condition acquisition section for acquiring information related to the use condition of the moving body, using the at least one processor, a switch command acquisition section for acquiring a switch command for switching a driving mode of the moving body, using the at least one processor, and a switch judgment section for judging permission/prohibition of switching of the driving mode indicated by the switch command, based on the use condition of the moving body, using the at least one processor, wherein the information related to the use condition includes information that indicates a content of a use contract defining a condition related to a use of the moving body by the user, the use contract concluded by the user, and the switch judgment section judges the permission/prohibition of switching of the driving mode indicated by the switch command, based on the condition defined by the use contract. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a first instruction output section for outputting a first instruction for causing the moving body to execute a first switch processing for switching a driving mode of the moving body, using the at least one processor, when the switch judgment section judges that switching of the driving mode indicated by the switch command is permitted. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, configured to present to the user a condition for switching of the driving mode indicated by the switch command to be permitted to a communication terminal utilized by the moving body or the user, when the switch judgment section judges that switching of the driving mode indicated by the switch command is not permitted. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a consent information acquisition section for acquiring consent information indicating that the user has given a consent to the condition for the driving mode to be permitted to be switched, using the at least one processor, wherein, the first instruction output section outputs the first instruction, when the consent information acquisition section has acquired the consent information. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, configured to present to the user a condition for switching of the driving mode indicated by the switch command to be permitted to a communication terminal utilized by the moving body or the user, when the switch judgment section judges that switching of the driving mode indicated by the switch command is not permitted. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising: a consent information acquisition section for acquiring consent information indicating that the user has given a consent to the condition for switching of the driving mode to be permitted, using the at least one processor, and an instruction output section for outputting a first instruction for causing the moving body to execute a first switch processing for switching the driving mode of the moving body, using the at least one processor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein: a condition for switching of the driving mode indicated by the switch command to be permitted includes information indicating that at least one of the amount of an insurance premium, a commission and a compensation for use of the moving body increases, compared to a case where the user uses the moving body in the automatic driving mode. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein: a condition for switching of the driving mode indicated by the switch command to be permitted includes an information indicating that at least one of the amount of an insurance premium, a commission and a compensation for use of the moving body increases, compared to a case where the user uses the moving body in the automatic driving mode. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein: a condition for switching of the driving mode indicated by the switch command to be permitted includes information indicating an area or a pathway for which the user is permitted to use the moving body in the manual driving mode or an attribute of the area or the pathway. ### Claim 10 (depends on 4) The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein: a condition for switching of the driving mode indicated by the switch command to be permitted includes an information indicating an area or a pathway for which the user is permitted to use the moving body in the manual driving mode or an attribute of the area or the pathway. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a user attribute acquisition section for acquiring user attribute information indicating an attribute of the user, using the at least one processor, wherein: the information processing apparatus is configured to determine the area or the pathway for which the user is permitted to use the moving body in the manual driving mode or the attribute of the area or the pathway, based on the attribute of the user indicated by the user attribute information. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising: a position information acquisition section for acquiring information indicating a current position or movement history of the moving body, using the at least one processor, a position judgment section for judging, based on the information acquired by the position information acquisition section: (i) whether or not the moving body exists in the area or the pathway for which the user is permitted to use the moving body in the manual driving mode, or (ii) whether or not an attribute of an area or a pathway in which the moving body exists matches with the attribute of the area or the pathway for which the user is permitted to use the moving body in the manual driving mode, using the at least one processor, and a second instruction output section for outputting a second instruction for causing the moving body to execute a second switch processing for switching the driving mode of the moving body from the manual driving mode to the automatic driving mode, when judged that: (i) the moving body does not exist in the area or the pathway for which the user is permitted to use the moving body in the manual driving mode, or (ii) an attribute of an area or a pathway in which the moving body exists does not match with the attribute of the area or the pathway for which the user is permitted to use the moving body in the manual driving mode, using the at least one processor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an accident detection section for detecting occurrence of an accident between the moving body acting in the manual driving mode and another moving body acting in an automatic driving mode, using the at least one processor, and a disposition determination section for determining a disposition for the user when the accident detection section detects the occurrence of the accident, using the at least one processor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the switch judgment section judges that switching of the driving mode indicated by the switch command is permitted, when information indicating that manual driving by the user is permitted is included in the use condition. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein: information indicating that manual driving by the user is permitted includes information indicating that the user may possibly manually drive the moving body, at least partially in a use period of the moving body. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the switch command is a command for switching a driving mode of the moving body from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the moving body is configured to be switchable between an automatic driving mode and a manual driving mode, based on a command by the user. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) A moving body, comprising: an information processing apparatus according to claim 1. ### Claim 19 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing: a program for causing a computer to function as an information processing apparatus for managing or controlling a moving body used by a user, based on a predetermined use condition, wherein the moving body is configured to be switchable between an automatic driving mode and a manual driving mode, the information processing apparatus comprising: at least one processor; a use condition acquisition section for acquiring information related to the use condition of the moving body, using the at least one processor, a switch command acquisition section for acquiring a switch command for switching a driving mode of the moving body, using the at least one processor, and a switch judgment section for judging permission/prohibition of switching of the driving mode indicated by the switch command, based on the use condition of the moving body, using the at least one processor, wherein the information related to the use condition includes information that indicates a content of a use contract defining a condition related to a use of the moving body by the user, the use contract concluded by the user, and the switch judgment section judges the permission/prohibition of switching of the driving mode indicated by the switch command, based on the condition defined by the use contract. ### Claim 20 A method for managing or controlling a moving body used by a user, based on a predetermined use condition, wherein: the moving body is configured to be switchable between an automatic driving mode and a manual driving mode, the method comprising: acquiring a use condition, for acquiring information related to the use condition of the moving body, acquiring switch command, for acquiring a switch command for switching a driving mode of the moving body, and judging permission/prohibition of switching of the driving mode indicated by the switch command, based on the use condition of the moving body, wherein the information related to the use condition includes information that indicates a content of a use contract defining a condition related to a use of the moving body by the user, the use contract concluded by the user, and the judging includes judging the permission/prohibition of switching of the driving mode indicated by the switch command, based on the condition defined by the use contract. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information that indicates the content of the use contract includes information indicating permission/prohibition of use in the manual driving mode. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a contract condition alteration section for altering the use contract in order that a condition under which a manual driving by the user is permitted can be satisfied, when the switch judgment section judges that switching from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode is not permitted.