Abstract: An information processing method for use in a computer includes: acquiring a charging state and a deterioration state of a battery; determining an upper limit of the charging state of the battery based on the deterioration state; determining a charging plan of the battery based on the upper limit of the charging state determined and the charging state; and outputting the charging plan determined.

Abstract: A photon upconversion composition containing a naphthalene compound substituted with a substituent containing at least one selected from the group consisting of an alkynyl group, a substituted silyl group, a benzene ring, an heteroaromatic ring, a cyano group and a halogen atom can efficiently convert an excitation light into a UV light at a low excitation light intensity.

Abstract: An authentication method includes: receiving, from a terminal of a user, a user ID for identifying the user and a target vehicle ID for identifying a target vehicle that the user tries to authenticate; determining whether the target vehicle ID matches a reserved vehicle ID for identifying a reserved vehicle whose dispatch has been reserved by the user; in a case where the target vehicle ID matches the reserved vehicle ID, transmitting, to the target vehicle, an unlocking instruction to unlock a door of the target vehicle and causing the terminal to present a message indicating that the user is allowed to get on the target vehicle; and in a case where the target vehicle ID does not match the reserved vehicle ID, causing the terminal to present a message indicating that the target vehicle is not the reserved vehicle of the user.

Abstract: An information processing method includes: acquiring, from one or more first vehicles, manual driving information for each of the first vehicles; acquiring, from one or more second vehicles, automatic driving information for each of the second vehicles; calculating, for each area, a first value of a driving parameter correlated with a degree of difficulty in driving according to the manual driving information; calculating, for the each area, a second value of the driving parameter according to the automatic driving information; comparing the first value with the second value for the each area to determine at least one difficult area in which travel of a vehicle by automatic driving is difficult; and creating difficult area information.

Abstract: A vehicle authentication method, a recording medium storing a program, a terminal device, and a vehicle authentication system which may raise security level on vehicle authentication by a user are provided. In the vehicle authentication method, the terminal device acquires a vehicle authenticator for authentication of a reserved vehicle, sends a reference vehicle a request for a vehicle authenticator for authentication of the reference vehicle, and determines whether the vehicle authenticators of the reference vehicle and the reserved vehicle coincide. Then a message that the reference vehicle is the reserved vehicle is displayed on the display unit upon determination that the vehicle authenticators of the reference vehicle and the reserved vehicle coincide. And a message that the reference vehicle is not the reserved vehicle is displayed on the display unit upon determination that the vehicle authenticators of the reference vehicle and the reserved vehicle do not coincide.

Abstract: An information processing method causes a computer to execute acquiring a first delivery schedule generated based on a plurality of first destinations and a moving unit for providing delivery or service based on the first destinations, acquiring an attribute of the moving unit, acquiring a plurality of second destinations obtained from a revision in the first destinations after generating of the first delivery schedule, determining a fixed part regarding a destination that is not allowed to be changed on the first delivery schedule of the moving unit, in accordance with the attribute of the moving unit, and generating a second delivery schedule in accordance with the moving unit and the second destinations, without changing the fixed part.

Abstract: An apparatus is mounted on a vehicle that is autonomously driven and that is used for passenger transportation. The apparatus includes: a processor; and a memory storing thereon a computer program. When executed by the processor, the program causes the processor to perform operations including: selecting a target person who is at least one of humans who are present around the vehicle and are detected using sensing information about surroundings of the vehicle; acquiring a first state indicating a state of the selected target person; acquiring a second state indicating a state of the vehicle changing a speed setting of the vehicle in accordance with the first state and the second state; and controlling traveling of the vehicle at a speed indicated by the speed setting.

Abstract: An information processing method for use in a computer includes: acquiring a charging state and a deterioration state of a battery; determining an upper limit of the charging state of the battery based on the deterioration state; determining a charging plan of the battery based on the upper limit of the charging state determined and the charging state; and outputting the charging plan determined.

Abstract: An autonomous driving vehicle includes a main vehicle part, a processor, and a memory storing thereon a computer program, which when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform operations. The operations include detecting a gesture made, to try to stop the main vehicle part, by a person present near a road on which the main vehicle part is running, determining whether there is a passenger in the main vehicle part, and controlling autonomous driving of the main vehicle part. In a case where it is determined that there is no passenger in the main vehicle part, when a person making the gesture is detected, the controlling controls the main vehicle part to stop near the person.

Abstract: An information processing method enhancing running efficiency of a passenger transportation vehicle is provided. The information processing method includes acquiring first stop position information indicating a first desired stop position of a first user riding a vehicle and tolerable range information indicating a gap range from the first desired stop position, which the first user tolerates, acquiring second stop position information indicating a second desired stop position of a second user riding the vehicle, deciding the second route based on the first stop position information, tolerable range information, and second stop position information, transmitting an inquiry of whether the second route is approved to an apparatus controlled by the first user, or assigning a benefit or the cost to the first user in a case of receiving a response indicating that the second route is approved or not approved from the apparatus.

Abstract: Provided are a humidifying device and a corrugating machine whereby release of heat from heated water is suppressed and a liner paper is humidified. A humidifying device for humidifying a surface liner paper affixed to a core paper via a starch glue has a liquid application roller for applying heated water to the surface liner paper, provided downstream from a preheater for heating the surface liner paper prior to the affixing; and a chamber facing the peripheral face of the liquid application roller and provided with an internal space to which the heated water is supplied. The chamber further has an opening for supplying the heated water to the peripheral face of the liquid application roller, and is formed so that the length of the opening in the direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the liquid application roller is less than the diameter of the liquid application roller.

Abstract: A mapping method includes: acquiring first map information created in advance, including information about a surrounding area of a mobile robot; acquiring second map information including information about the surrounding area by a sensor of the mobile robot; receiving third map information including information about the surrounding area from an environmental sensor node; (i) in the third map information, if a place exists in which an amount of change over time is equal to or greater than a certain threshold value, removing information about the place in each of the first and the second map information corresponding to that place, or alternatively, increasing the variance of information about the place in each of the first and the second map information corresponding to that place; and (ii) creating map information using the first and the second map information subjected to the removal or the variance increase.

Abstract: A method includes, with a sensor mounted on a vehicle, measuring information of an infrastructure used by the vehicle, and first drive assisting information that is used to perform a drive assisting operation of the vehicle, transmitting the information of the infrastructure to an infrastructure inspection apparatus mounted in the infrastructure when the sensor measures the information of the infrastructure, receiving, from the infrastructure inspection apparatus, second drive assisting information that is used to perform the drive assisting operation of the vehicle, performing the drive assisting operation of the vehicle in response to the first drive assisting information if the sensor measures the first drive assisting information, and performing the drive assisting operation of the vehicle in response to the second drive assisting information if the sensor measures the information of the infrastructure.

Abstract: A laundry washing machine includes a wash tub that allows laundry and water to be loaded therein, a holding unit that separates some of the water in the wash tub and holds the some of the water, where the water contains a substance that was attached to the laundry and that is dissolved therein, a detection unit that detects a predetermined substance contained in the some of the water held by the holding unit and outputs information indicating a result of detection, and a laundry detergent dispenser that dispenses a laundry detergent into the wash tub or instructs a user to add the laundry detergent to the wash tub after the some of the water is separated.

Abstract: An autonomous driving vehicle includes a main vehicle part, a processor, and a memory storing thereon a computer program, which when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform operations. The operations include detecting a gesture made, to try to stop the main vehicle part, by a person present near a road on which the main vehicle part is running, determining whether there is a passenger in the main vehicle part, and controlling autonomous driving of the main vehicle part. In a case where it is determined that there is no passenger in the main vehicle part, when a person making the gesture is detected, the controlling controls the main vehicle part to stop near the person.

Abstract: An apparatus is mounted on a vehicle that is autonomously driven and that is used for passenger transportation. The apparatus includes: a processor; and a memory storing thereon a computer program. When executed by the processor, the program causes the processor to perform operations including: selecting a target person who is at least one of humans who are present around the vehicle and are detected using sensing information about surroundings of the vehicle; acquiring a first state indicating a state of the selected target person; acquiring a second state indicating a state of the vehicle changing a speed setting of the vehicle in accordance with the first state and the second state; and controlling traveling of the vehicle at a speed indicated by the speed setting.

Abstract: An authentication method includes: receiving, from a terminal of a user, a user ID for identifying the user and a target vehicle ID for identifying a target vehicle that the user tries to authenticate; determining whether the target vehicle ID matches a reserved vehicle ID for identifying a reserved vehicle whose dispatch has been reserved by the user; in a case where the target vehicle ID matches the reserved vehicle ID, transmitting, to the target vehicle, an unlocking instruction to unlock a door of the target vehicle and causing the terminal to present a message indicating that the user is allowed to get on the target vehicle; and in a case where the target vehicle ID does not match the reserved vehicle ID, causing the terminal to present a message indicating that the target vehicle is not the reserved vehicle of the user.

Abstract: A vehicle authentication method, a recording medium storing a program, a terminal device, and a vehicle authentication system which may raise security level on vehicle authentication by a user are provided. In the vehicle authentication method, the terminal device acquires a vehicle authenticator for authentication of a reserved vehicle, sends a reference vehicle a request for a vehicle authenticator for authentication of the reference vehicle, and determines whether the vehicle authenticators of the reference vehicle and the reserved vehicle coincide. Then a message that the reference vehicle is the reserved vehicle is displayed on the display unit upon determination that the vehicle authenticators of the reference vehicle and the reserved vehicle coincide. And a message that the reference vehicle is not the reserved vehicle is displayed on the display unit upon determination that the vehicle authenticators of the reference vehicle and the reserved vehicle do not coincide.

Abstract: An information processing method enhancing running efficiency of a passenger transportation vehicle is provided. The information processing method includes acquiring first stop position information indicating a first desired stop position of a first user riding a vehicle and tolerable range information indicating a gap range from the first desired stop position, which the first user tolerates, acquiring second stop position information indicating a second desired stop position of a second user riding the vehicle, deciding the second route based on the first stop position information, tolerable range information, and second stop position information, transmitting an inquiry of whether the second route is approved to an apparatus controlled by the first user, or assigning a benefit or the cost to the first user in a case of receiving a response indicating that the second route is approved or not approved from the apparatus.

Abstract: An aspect of the present disclosure relates to an autonomous moving machine which may maintain the self-location with high reliability. Operations of the moving machine include acquiring sensor information about the self-location, estimating the self-location based on the sensor information, calculating the reliability of the estimated self-location, recording the reliability in association with the estimated self-location. When the reliability satisfies a given condition, the operations include moving the moving machine to a position at which the reliability is high, based on the reliability.