JP2002042298A - Taxi allocating method and system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allocate a taxi suited to the taste of a user when the user uses the taxi. SOLUTION: This taxi allocating method is characterized by receiving location information for the allocation of a desired taxi and attribute information on the desired taxi by a server from a user terminal, retrieving a taxi to be allocated by the server based on the location information and attribute information, notifying each of the user terminal and a taxi terminal of the taxi to be allocated of the retrieval result and displaying the result.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system and a method for distributing a taxi that suits a user's preference when the user uses the taxi.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a user who wants to use a taxi is required to dispatch a taxi by using a telephone directory or 104.
It was necessary to use a telephone number guide service such as that to find out the telephone number of the local taxi company and then call the taxi company by itself. Also, at that time, a taxi that suits my taste was not dispatched, but I had to use a taxi dispatched by a taxi company.

[0003]

However, for example, when a woman uses a taxi, the user has a preference for a taxi, such as a desire for a female taxi driver. However, it is clear that it is not practically possible. Therefore, the present inventors have invented a system and method for distributing a taxi that matches the user's preference by matching the attribute information of the taxi registered in advance with the attribute information of the user.

[0004]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a server receives, from a user terminal, location information for requesting a taxi dispatch and attribute information of the desired taxi, and stores the location information and the attribute information in the server. The method is a taxi dispatch method in which the server searches for a taxi to be dispatched based on the taxi, and the server notifies the user terminal and the taxi terminal of the dispatched taxi, respectively, and displays the result of the search.

[0005] The invention of claim 2 is a taxi dispatching method, wherein the location information is a number or a place name assigned to a user terminal.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system in which a user terminal of a user who wants to dispatch a taxi, a taxi terminal of the taxi, and a server are connected via an open network. Means for transmitting location information and attribute information for which a taxi is to be dispatched, wherein the server receives the location information and the attribute information; and a taxi to be dispatched based on the location information and the attribute information. Means for searching;
A taxi dispatch system having means for notifying and displaying the result searched by the taxi searching means to the user terminal and the taxi terminal, respectively.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a taxi dispatching system having a server connected to a user terminal of a user who wants to dispatch a taxi and a taxi terminal of the taxi via an open network. Means for receiving location information and attribute information that the user wants to dispatch a taxi from the user terminal, means for searching for a taxi to be dispatched based on the location information and the attribute information, and means for searching for the taxi. Means for notifying and displaying the result to the user terminal and the taxi terminal, respectively.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided means for receiving, from a user terminal, location information for requesting a taxi dispatch and attribute information of the desired taxi, and the server dispatching the taxi based on the location information and the attribute information. A taxi dispatch system comprising: means for searching for a taxi to be provided; and means for the server notifying and displaying the result of the search to the user terminal and the taxi terminal of the dispatched taxi, respectively.

The invention according to claim 6 is a taxi dispatch system, wherein the location information is a number or a place name assigned to a user terminal.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 shows a system configuration diagram of the taxi selection system 1 according to the embodiment. The taxi selection system 1 is a mobile phone or PD directly operated by a user (user) who wants to use a taxi
A: User terminal 3 such as a notebook personal computer, taxi terminal 4 such as a mobile phone, a PDA, a notebook personal computer provided in a taxi, and data transmission / reception via the open network 5 such as the user terminal 3 and the taxi terminal 4 with the Internet. An example having at least the server 2 that can perform the following will be described.

When a user intends to use a taxi using the taxi selection system 1, a user terminal 3
The user inputs information on the location where he / she wants to dispatch a taxi, and information on the attributes he / she wants for taxi. At this time, a place name may be transmitted as the location, or a telephone number may be transmitted by using a location specifying service such as a mobile phone.

The server 2 searches for a suitable taxi based on the information input from the user terminal 3 and notifies the user terminal 3 and the taxi terminal 4 of the result.

The server 2 includes a user database 6, a location database 7, a taxi database 8, a user authentication unit 9, a location information transmission unit 10, a user attribute information transmission unit 11, a location information reception unit 12, a user information reception unit 13, and a taxi search. Means 14, user result notification means 1
5. Taxi result notification means 16.

The user database 6 stores user authentication information, such as a name, a telephone number, an e-mail address, an ID, and a password, which the user has, and user authentication information transmitted by the user authentication means 9 to the user terminal 3. In addition to input screens, user attribute information that the user desires for a taxi, for example, time required for dispatch, fee structure, taxi model, company to which the taxi belongs, smoking ban, presence or absence of TV,
This is a database that stores user-related information, such as user attribute history information input in the past from the user terminal 3 and user attribute information input screens transmitted to the user terminal 3 by the user attribute information transmitting unit 11.

The location database 7 includes location information on locations, facilities, shops, etc. used by the user, service information on facilities, additional information on events, popular spots, etc., and history information on locations previously input from the user terminal 3. And a database storing location information such as a location information input screen transmitted by the location information transmitting means 10 to the user terminal 3.

The taxi database 8 stores information on taxis, such as the current position of the taxi, the operating status, and the presence / absence of attributes desired by the user.

The user authentication means 9 transmits information relating to user authentication, such as the above-mentioned user authentication information / user authentication information input screen, and registers the user authentication information input from the user terminal 3 and the user database 6 in the user database 6. This is a known authentication unit that authenticates a user by comparing the user authentication information with the user authentication information.

The location information transmitting means 10 is a means for transmitting information relating to the location, such as the location information, additional information, location history information, and input screens thereof.

The user attribute information transmitting means 11 is a means for transmitting information relating to the attributes desired by the user, such as the user attribute information, the user attribute history information and their input screens.

The location information receiving means 12 is a user terminal 3
The start location, use end location, transit location, etc.
This is a means for receiving information about the location.

The user information receiving means 13 includes a user terminal 3
This is a means for receiving information about the user, such as user attribute information and vehicle allocation request notification input from the user.

The taxi search means 14 searches the taxi database 8 based on information received from the location information receiving means 12 and the user information receiving means 13 by, for example, a keyword search, a forward match search, a backward match search, a concept search and the like. A known search means such as a search engine for transmitting the taxi search result to the user result notification means 15 and the taxi result notification means 16, and mediates transmission and reception of information between the user terminal 3 and the taxi terminal 4.

The user result notifying means 15 is a means for notifying the user terminal 3 of information such as a taxi search result and a notice of dispatch acceptance from the taxi.

The taxi result notifying means 16 is a means for notifying the taxi terminal 4 of information such as a taxi search result and a dispatch request notification from the user.

Although not shown, transmission and reception in the present system are performed by temporarily storing data in a storage means such as a memory or a cache via an open network 5 such as the Internet or a public telephone line network, and when necessary. It goes without saying that it is the one that pulls out the data. Also, each database and means may be connected via an open network and exist on another server instead of being provided on one server.

The input method in this system is a well-known input method such as selection input such as a pull-down method as shown in FIG. 3, direct character input, voice input and the like. In the present embodiment, a pull-down input method is used, but it goes without saying that direct character input, voice input and the like may be used as described above.

Next, the operation of the taxi selection system 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 1 and the system configuration diagram of FIG.

When the user accesses the user authentication means 9 from the user terminal 3 via the open network 5, the user authentication means 9 displays the user authentication screen (FIG. 3) stored in the user database 6 on the user terminal 3. Send. Although not shown here, when the user newly registers, the user inputs and transmits the above-described user authentication information to the user terminal 3, and the user authentication unit 9 registers the user authentication information in the user database 6. At this time, it is preferable to use an ID, a password, or a telephone number in the case of a mobile phone as the user authentication information. If the user has already been registered, the user authentication means 9 authenticates the user (S100). If the user has not been authenticated, the user authentication means 9 sends a notification of the authentication failure to the user terminal 3.

If the user is authenticated, the location information transmitting means 10 transmits the location information input screen stored in the location database 7 to the user terminal 3 (S110).

When the user uses a new location, the location information transmitting means 10 transmits the location information input screen stored in the location database 7 to the user terminal 3 (FIG. 4).
Is transmitted (S120), and the user inputs location information such as a use start place, a use end place, and a transit point from the user terminal 3, and transmits the information.

When the user uses the location history information,
The location information transmitting means 10 transmits the location history selection screen (FIG. 6) stored in the location database 7 to the user terminal 3 (S130), and the user inputs location information for requesting a taxi dispatch from the location history selection screen. And send. At this time, a place name may be transmitted as the location information, or a telephone number may be transmitted by using a location specifying service such as a mobile phone.

The location information receiving means 12 receives, from the user terminal 3, location information newly input or input from location history information (S140).

Next, the user attribute information transmitting means 11 transmits the attribute information input screen (FIG. 5) stored in the user database 6 to the user terminal 3 (S150).

When the user uses the new user attribute information, the user attribute information transmitting means 11
The input screen of the new user attribute information stored in the user database 6 is transmitted (S160), and the user inputs and transmits the new user attribute information.

When the user uses past user attribute history information, the user attribute information transmitting means 11
Then, the user attribute history information stored in the user database 6 is transmitted (S170), and the user inputs and transmits the desired user attribute information.

The user attribute information receiving means 13 receives the user attribute information newly input or input from the user attribute history information from the user terminal 3 (S180).

As a matter of course, the location information transmission / reception (S
110-S140) and transmission / reception of user attribute information (S150)
To S180) are interchangeable.

The taxi search means 14 searches the taxi database 8 based on the location information received in S140 and the user attribute information received in S180, for example, by a known means such as keyword search, forward search, backward search, concept search, etc. Is searched for (S190).

The taxi search means 14 transmits the taxi search results to the user terminal 3 via the user result notification means 15 (S200). FIG. 7 shows an example of a taxi search result screen displayed on the user terminal 3.

The user inputs taxi information to be used based on the taxi search results, and transmits the information again. The user information receiving means 13 receives the taxi information input by the user terminal 3 and notifies the taxi terminal 4 of the result via the taxi search means 14 and the taxi result notifying means 16 (S
210).

In this embodiment, a case has been described in which the user terminal 3 and the taxi terminal 4 transmit and receive data via the server 2. However, after the user receives the taxi search result, the user terminal 3 issues a taxi dispatch request. A server between the user terminal 3 and the taxi terminal 4, such as transmitting information such as information to the taxi terminal 4 to the taxi terminal 4, and transmitting information such as dispatch assignment from the taxi terminal 4 to the user terminal 3 after the taxi receives the result notification. Data transmission and reception may be performed via the open network 5 or the like without using the communication network 2.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of this embodiment.
The system configuration diagram in FIG. 2 and the screens in FIG. 3 to FIG. 7 are all examples, and it goes without saying that a realization method other than this embodiment may be used.

[0043]

According to the present invention, a user who wants to use a taxi can get on a taxi that matches the user's own preference. In addition, since the taxi company can grasp the user's preference, it is possible to improve the taxi service.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the process of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user authentication screen.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a location information input screen.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an attribute information input screen.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a location history selection screen.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a taxi selection screen.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Taxi dispatch system 2 Server 3 User terminal 4 Taxi terminal 5 Open network 6 User database 7 Location database 8 Taxi database 9 User authentication means 10 Location information transmission means 11 User attribute information transmission means 12 Location information reception means 13 User information reception means 14 Taxi search means 15 User result notification means 16 Taxi result notification means

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A server receives, from a user terminal, location information of a taxi to be dispatched and attribute information of the desired taxi, and searches for a taxi to be dispatched by the server based on the location information and the attribute information. Wherein the server notifies and displays the result of the search to the user terminal and the taxi terminal of the taxi to be distributed, respectively, and displays the taxi. 2. The taxi dispatch method according to claim 1, wherein the location information is a number or a place name assigned to a user terminal. 3. A system in which a user terminal of a user who wants to dispatch a taxi, a taxi terminal of the taxi, and a server are connected via an open network, wherein the user terminal desires to dispatch a taxi. Means for transmitting location information and attribute information, wherein the server receives the location information and the attribute information, and means for searching for a taxi to be dispatched based on the location information and the attribute information, Means for notifying the user terminal and the taxi terminal of a result searched by the taxi searching means and displaying the result, respectively. 4. A taxi dispatching system having a user terminal of a user who wants to dispatch a taxi, and a server connected to the taxi terminal of the taxi via an open network, wherein the server is provided from the user terminal. A means for receiving location information and attribute information for which a taxi is to be dispatched; a means for searching for a taxi to be dispatched based on the location information and the attribute information; and a search result for the taxi to be retrieved by the user. A taxi dispatch system comprising: a terminal and a means for notifying and displaying the taxi terminal. 5. A means for receiving, from a user terminal, location information for requesting a taxi dispatch and attribute information of the desired taxi, and searching for a taxi dispatched by the server based on the location information and the attribute information. And a means for the server notifying and displaying the result of the search to the user terminal and the taxi terminal of the taxi to be distributed, respectively, and displaying the taxi. 6. The taxi dispatch system according to claim 3, wherein the location information is a number or a place name assigned to a user terminal.