JP2018081575A - Vehicle management method and vehicle management system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle management method and a vehicle management system that suppresses the uneven distribution of vehicles.SOLUTION: A management method for a plurality of vehicles used by a plurality of users comprises: receiving user's use request for a vehicle; managing the use condition of the vehicle and the condition of the station of the vehicle; storing the use condition of the vehicle and the condition of the station of the vehicle; selecting, as a use station, a station where the vehicle is lent and a station where the vehicle is returned, on the basis of the use request received by the user; determining whether riding in the vehicle can be shared or not in accordance with the condition of the use station; and informing the user of information regarding vehicle ride sharing, when riding in the vehicle is determined to be able to be shared.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle management method and a vehicle management system.

  The following methods are known as conventional carpooling mediation methods. The brokerage management server refers to the carpool management database when taxi carpooling is requested from the user terminal via the network, and determines whether or not the user's desired carpooling conditions are met. If the user's preferred conditions for carpooling are, for example, “limited to women”, it is determined that the carpooling has been established only if the conditions are met, and notification to that effect is made to each user terminal (Patent Document 1). .

JP 2003-44702 A

  However, when the conventional carpooling intermediation method is applied to a vehicle management system such as a car sharing system, there is an uneven distribution of vehicles such that there are an excessive number of vehicles in a specific area and a shortage of vehicles in the specific area. There was a problem to do.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a vehicle management method and a vehicle management system that suppress the uneven distribution of vehicles.

  The present invention is a management method or a vehicle management system for a plurality of vehicles used by a plurality of users, receives a vehicle rental request from a user, manages the use state of the vehicle and the state of the station of the vehicle, Based on the usage request, the station that rents the vehicle and the station where the vehicle is returned are selected as the usage station, and whether the vehicle can be shared is determined according to the state of the usage station, and the vehicle can be shared When the determination is made, the above-mentioned problem is solved by notifying the user of information on carpooling.

  According to the present invention, there is an effect that uneven distribution of the vehicle can be suppressed.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a car sharing system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block configuration diagram illustrating functional blocks of the server-side control device. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a plurality of parking spaces are provided for each predetermined station. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a relationship between each station A to D shown in FIG. 3 and demand. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a control flow of the control device in the car sharing system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a plurality of parking spaces are provided for each predetermined station. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a control flow of a control device in a car sharing system according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a table showing a correspondence relationship between the departure-side carpool determination result, the arrival-side carpool determination result, and the final carpool determination result.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<< First Embodiment >>
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a car sharing system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block configuration diagram illustrating functional blocks of the server-side control device. As shown in FIG. 1, the car sharing system of this embodiment includes a management server 100, a plurality of shared vehicles 200 used for car sharing, and a plurality of users that can communicate with the vehicle management server 100 via the Internet 300. Terminal 400. In FIG. 1, only two shared vehicles 200 are shown, but the car sharing system of the present embodiment includes a large number of shared vehicles 200. And in the car sharing system of this embodiment, many shared vehicles 200 are each parked in the predetermined parking space provided in each place, and the specific many users are parked in the desired parking space. The vehicle 200 can be selected and used.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the shared vehicle 200 can communicate with the management server 100 and includes an in-vehicle device 210 and a communication device 220. The in-vehicle device 210 includes information on the use start time and use end time of the shared vehicle 200, travel distance information, own vehicle position information, vehicle speed information, battery remaining amount information, vehicle power switch on / off Information or the like is transmitted from the communication device 220 to the communication device 120 provided in the management server 100 by wireless communication. The communication device 220 receives information transmitted from the management server 100 as a signal.

  In addition, as a method for the in-vehicle device 210 to acquire information on the own vehicle position, for example, a radio wave transmitted from a positioning satellite by a GPS (Global Positioning System) provided in each shared vehicle 200 is received every predetermined time. Thus, a method of acquiring real-time position information of each shared vehicle 200 can be mentioned.

  The user terminal 400 is a terminal owned by a specific number of users who use the car sharing system of the present embodiment, and can communicate with the communication device 120 provided in the management server 100 via the Internet 300. In the car sharing system of the present embodiment, each user can make a use application for the shared vehicle 200 using the user terminal 400.

  Here, the use application of the shared vehicle 200 may be an immediate use application in which the user starts using the shared vehicle 200 immediately after the use application, or the use for the user to use the shared vehicle 200 in the future. You may apply for a reservation.

  Further, in the car sharing system of the present embodiment, when the user makes an application for use of the shared vehicle 200 using the user terminal 400, the user sets a planned return place for return after using the shared vehicle 200. .

  Examples of the user terminal 400 include various mobile terminals such as a mobile phone and a PDA in addition to a personal computer. When the user terminal 400 is a mobile phone, vehicle information communicated by the communication device 120 is read into the user terminal 400 by wireless communication based on various wireless device standards, and the user terminal 400 receives vehicle information and the like. You may transmit to the management server 100. In FIG. 1, four terminals are shown as examples of the user terminal 400. However, the number of users using the user terminal 400 and the car sharing system of the present embodiment is not particularly limited.

  The management server 100 includes a control device 110, a communication device 120, and a database 130.

  The communication device 120 is a device for communicating with the user terminal 400 owned by each user via the Internet 300 and the communication device 220 provided in the shared vehicle 200 by wireless communication. The communication device 120 wirelessly communicates information on the use start time and use end time of the shared vehicle 200, information on the travel distance, information on the vehicle position, and the like from the in-vehicle device 210, and information on the vehicle position from the user terminal 400. Information on the application for use of the shared vehicle 200, information on the planned return location selected by the user, and the like are acquired. The usage application information includes vehicle information desired to be used, service usage history, member registration information, and the like.

  The database 130 is a storage device for storing, for each shared vehicle 200, usage acceptance information, return planned site information, position information of parking spaces that are parked, and the like. The usage acceptance information and the return planned site information are stored in the user terminal 400 when the user makes an application for the use of the shared vehicle 200, selects an available vehicle, and selects a planned return site via the user terminal 400. This is information generated for each shared vehicle 200 based on the information transmitted from. Further, when the user of the car sharing system is limited to members, the database 130 also stores registered member information, identification information of the user terminal 400 registered by the member, and the like.

  Further, the database 130 stores information on a plurality of parking spaces for parking the shared vehicle 200. Specifically, the database 130 stores position information of a plurality of parking spaces provided in a predetermined area. In the car sharing system of the present embodiment, the parking space is a parking lot for parking the shared vehicle 200, and an area where a plurality of parking spaces are provided is a parking station.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a plurality of parking spaces are provided for each predetermined station. Parking stations are not limited to public facilities such as stations and stadiums, but are also installed in facilities where people gather such as residential areas and office districts. For example, shared vehicles 200 are parked in four parking spaces a to d provided at station A (ST_A). For example, when the user moves from the station A to the station B using the shared vehicle 200, the user designates the station A as a rental place and designates the station B as a return place, and then the user terminal 400. Apply for usage via. When the server permits the usage application, the user can use the desired shared vehicle 200. In FIG. 3, one station is shown as a stadium, a residential area, a station, and an office area, but may be considered as an attribute of an area composed of a plurality of stations. You may be comprised by the some station which consists of one parking space called c and d.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the control device 110 of the management server 100 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 112 in which various programs are stored, and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) as an operation circuit for executing the programs stored in the ROM 112. ) 111 and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 113 that functions as an accessible storage device.

  In order to manage the car sharing system according to this embodiment, the control device 110 manages a reservation from a user, a vehicle management function that manages the shared vehicle 200, and a station management that manages the state of the station. Function and carpool determination function are provided. The control device 110 can execute each function by cooperation of software for realizing the above functions and the hardware described above. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the control device 110 includes a reservation management unit 11, a vehicle management unit 12, a station management unit 13, and a carpooling determination unit 14 as functional blocks for exhibiting these functions. Yes.

  Below, each function which the control apparatus 110 of the management server 100 implement | achieves is each demonstrated using FIG. Further, control on the vehicle side will be described as necessary. FIG. 2 is a block configuration diagram illustrating functional blocks of the control device 110.

  First, the control device 110 accepts an application for the use of a vehicle from the user by the reservation management unit 11. Specifically, when the user operates the user terminal 400 to apply for the use reservation of the shared vehicle 200, the reservation management unit 11 uses the use reservation information transmitted from the user terminal 400. Accept application.

  The use reservation information includes departure station information, arrival station information, scheduled departure time, estimated arrival time, and the like. The information on the departure station indicates the rental location of the vehicle, and the information on the arrival station indicates the planned return location of the vehicle. The scheduled departure time is the use start time of the vehicle, and the estimated arrival time is the scheduled return time of the vehicle. The user uses the user terminal 400 to specify a departure station and an arrival station from the station list. In addition, the user inputs the scheduled departure time and the estimated arrival time using the user terminal 400. At this time, the user terminal 400 may communicate with the server 100 and display a usable time zone on the display for the designated station.

  The reservation management unit 11 selects a station from which the vehicle is rented and a station to which the vehicle is to be returned from the management target stations based on the use reservation received from the user. The station where the vehicle is rented corresponds to the departure station designated by the user, and the station where the vehicle is returned corresponds to the arrival station designated by the user. The reservation management unit 11 manages use reservation information including information on the selected station.

  In addition to the above information, the use reservation information includes the user's current location and car sharing information. The user terminal 400 acquires the current location of the user with a GPS receiver provided in the user terminal. The carpool information indicates whether or not another person other than the owner (or user) of the user terminal 400 may get on the same shared vehicle 200 and move from the departure place to the destination. The carpool information indicates whether or not a plurality of users who have applied for use may ride on the same shared vehicle 200 and ride on the route from the departure point to the destination. When making a reservation for use, the user uses the user terminal 400 to indicate whether or not there is a desire for carpooling. When the user terminal 400 completes the input from the user, the user terminal 400 transmits the user's position information, carpool information, station information, and the like as usage reservation information to the server 100.

  When the reservation management unit 11 accepts the use reservation, the reservation management unit 11 stores the use reservation information in the database 130. The database 130 stores use reservation information after associating time, station, and user information.

  The control device 110 may accept an application for immediate use as a vehicle use request from a user, not limited to the use reservation application as described above. For example, when the user wants to use the shared vehicle 200 immediately, the user checks the current vacant state of the shared vehicle 200 and designates the vacant shared vehicle 200, the departure station, the arrival station, and the estimated arrival time. The departure station is a station where the designated shared vehicle 200 is currently parked. When receiving an immediate use application from the user, the control device 110 selects a departure station and an arrival station based on the use request.

  The vehicle management unit 12 manages the usage state of the shared vehicle 200 to be managed. In addition, the vehicle management unit 12 manages the position of the shared vehicle 200 by communicating with the shared vehicle 200 using the communication device 120 and acquiring position information of the shared vehicle 200. The usage state of the shared vehicle 200 includes at least two states, a state where the vehicle is currently being used and a state where the vehicle is not currently used. For example, when the user wants to know the vacant state of the shared vehicle 200, the vehicle management unit 12 creates a list of available vehicles and transmits the created list to the reservation management unit 11. The reservation management unit 11 transmits a list of available vehicles to the user using the communication device 120. An available vehicle is a vehicle that is not currently used. The user who has received the list can check the available vehicle and the parking position of the available vehicle by checking the list on the display screen of the user terminal 400.

  The station management unit 13 manages the state of the station. The state of the station represents the utilization rate of the vehicle at the station. The use of the vehicle includes not only the departure of the vehicle from the parking space but also the arrival of the vehicle in the parking space. The vehicle usage rate indicates the rate or probability of the user using the vehicle at a certain station, and is determined by the demand of the user. The vehicle utilization rate is determined according to the date and time and the location of the station.

  For stations A to D shown in FIG. 3, station A is a stadium, station B is a residential area, station C is a station, and station D is an office area. At station A, the vehicle utilization rate is determined according to the date and time of the event at the stadium. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when an event is held at a stadium between 14:00 and 17:00, a person who plans to participate in an event during a predetermined time zone before 14:00 (for example, between 13:00 and 14:00) Visits the stadium. Therefore, many shared vehicles 200 arrive at the parking spaces a to d of the station A. That is, the vehicle utilization rate related to arrival increases in a predetermined time zone before 14:00. Event participants leave the stadium during a predetermined time period from the end of the event (for example, from 17:00 to 18:00). Therefore, many shared vehicles 200 depart from the parking spaces a to d of the station A. That is, the utilization rate of the vehicle related to departure increases in a predetermined time zone after 17:00.

  Since station B is a residential area, the vehicle utilization rate for departure increases in the morning commute or school time zone (for example, between 7:00 and 8:00). In the evening commuting or school hours (for example, from 19:00 to 20:00), the vehicle utilization rate for arrival increases. It should be noted that the vehicle utilization rate at station B varies depending on the time zone of weekdays and the time zone of public holidays.

  Since station C is a station, the utilization rate of vehicles related to arrival increases during the morning commute or school hours (for example, from 7:00 to 8:00). In the evening commute or school hours (for example, from 18:00 to 19:00), the vehicle utilization rate for departure increases.

  Since station D is an office district, the utilization rate of vehicles related to arrival increases in a predetermined time zone (for example, between 8:00 and 9:00) before the scheduled start time. In a predetermined time zone (for example, between 17:00 and 18:00) after the scheduled end time, the vehicle utilization rate related to departure increases.

  The station management unit 13 manages the usage record for each station. The station management unit 13 manages the demand of the shared vehicle 200 by calculating the vehicle usage rate based on the usage record. And the station management part 13 estimates the state of a station from the demand of the shared vehicle 200. FIG. When estimating the status of the station, the station management unit 13 calculates the utilization rate of the station to be estimated for each time zone by the following method, for example. The time zone is, for example, every hour or every 15 minutes. Past usage records are stored in the database 130. The station management unit 13 acquires information on the usage record of the station management unit 13 from the database 130. The usage record information includes station identification information, the number of departures of the shared vehicle 200, the number of arrivals of the shared vehicle 200, and the like. The number of departures, the number of arrivals, and the parking time are associated with time zones.

  The station management unit 13 estimates the demand of the shared vehicle 200 in the station by calculating the number of departures and the number of arrivals for each time period using the acquired usage record information. For example, the greater the number of departures per hour or the greater the number of arrivals per hour, for example, the higher the utilization rate and the higher the demand for the shared vehicle 200. And the station management part 13 estimates the state of a station for every time slot | zone from the demand degree of the shared vehicle 200. FIG.

  The station management unit 13 may manage the demand of the shared vehicle 200 by calculating the vehicle utilization rate using the use reservation information managed by the reservation management unit 11. The station management unit 13 acquires use reservation information from the database 130. The station management unit 13 estimates the demand for the shared vehicle 200 in the station by calculating the number of reservations per hour using the acquired use reservation information. The number of reservations is calculated after distinguishing between departure and arrival. For example, the greater the number of reservations per hour, the higher the degree of demand for the shared vehicle 200. And the station management part 13 estimates the state of a station for every time slot | zone from the demand degree of the shared vehicle 200. FIG. Note that the station management unit 13 may estimate the state of the station by calculating the demand for the shared vehicle 200 by using both the usage record information and the reservation information.

  The carpool determination unit 14 determines whether or not the shared vehicle 200 can be shared, according to the state of the departure station and the state of the return station. First, when the reservation management unit 11 acquires the use reservation information from the user terminal 400, the use management information is transmitted to the carpool determination unit 14. The carpool determination unit 14 acquires the carpool information from the use reservation information and confirms the intention of carpooling with the user.

  When there is a request for carpooling, the carpooling determination unit 14 determines whether there is a user with a carpooling request other than the user who applied for the use reservation. Here, in the example of FIG. 3, it is assumed that the user V and the user W are scheduled to participate in the same event performed at the station A. It is assumed that the user V and the user W use the shared vehicle 200 to return to the same residential area where the station B is located. Assume that the user V uses the shared vehicle 200 to designate the departure station as station A, designates the arrival station as station B, indicates that there is a desire for carpooling, and has applied for a use reservation. It is assumed that the user W has applied for a usage reservation after the user V has applied for a usage reservation. It is assumed that the user W designates the departure station as the station A, designates the arrival station as the station B, indicates that there is a desire for carpooling, and has applied for a use reservation. It is assumed that the use start time (departure time) of the user V and the use start time (departure time) of the user W belong to the same time zone (16:00 to 17:00).

  In such a case, when an application for a use reservation is received from the user W, the carpooling determination unit 14 confirms that the user W has a desire for carpooling based on the carpooling information of the user W.

  Next, the carpool determination unit 14 determines whether or not there is another user who desires carpooling suitable for the conditions of the user W. Specifically, the carpool determination unit 14 sets an allowable range centered on the current location of the user W (hereinafter also referred to as a carpool allowable range). The carpool allowable range is represented by a circle centered on the current location of the user W and having a radius of, for example, 300 m. The center of the carpool allowable range is not limited to the current location of the user W, but may be the position of the departure station of the user W. The carpool determination unit 14 acquires use reservation information of other users stored in the database 130, compares the user position information included in the use reservation information with the carpool allowable range, Identify users. When there is no other user who wishes to share within the allowable range of sharing, the sharing is not established. In the example of FIG. 3, since the user V is in the vicinity of the current location of the user W, the carpool determination unit 14 specifies the user V who wants to share the car.

  When there is another user who wishes to share the vehicle within the allowable range, the vehicle sharing determination unit 14 compares the usage condition of the user W with the usage condition of the other user, and determines whether the vehicle is suitable for the shared vehicle. judge. When the use start time belongs to the same time zone, the departure station is the same, and the arrival station is the same, the carpooling determination unit 14 determines that the conditions for carpooling are satisfied.

  The conditions for permission of sharing may include a case where the distance between each user's departure stations is less than a predetermined distance, or a case where the distance between each user's arrival stations is less than a predetermined distance. The carpool determination unit 14 sets a predetermined range centered on the station A designated by the user W as an allowable range on the departure station side (hereinafter also referred to as a departure ST allowable range). The carpool determination unit 14 sets a predetermined range centered on the station B designated by the user W as an allowable range on the arrival station side (hereinafter also referred to as an arrival ST allowable range). The carpool determination unit 14 compares the departure ST allowable range with the position of the departure station of another user who desires the carpooling. The carpool determination unit 14 also compares the arrival ST allowable range with the position of the arrival station of another user who desires carpooling. When the position of the departure station is within the allowable range of departure ST and the position of the arrival station is within the allowable range of arrival ST, the ride determination unit 14 determines that the conditions for carpooling are satisfied.

  The station conditions and time conditions for user V's use reservation match the station conditions and time conditions for user W's use reservation. For this reason, the carpool determination unit 14 determines that the user V is suitable for carpooling with respect to the use application from the user W.

  Next, the carpooling determination unit 14 acquires information on the demand for the shared vehicle 200 at the departure station from the station management unit 13. Information on the demand for the shared vehicle 200 is divided for each time zone and each station. The carpool determination unit 14 specifies the demand for the vehicle in the next time zone from the acquired vehicle demand information. The next time zone is a time zone next to the time zone belonging to the use start time when applying for the use reservation. The use start time is indicated by the acquired use reservation information when applying for use reservation. In the above example of the user W, the use start time of the user W belongs to the time zone from 16:00 to 17:00, so the next time zone is from 17:00 to 18:00.

  Here, the relationship between each station A to D shown in FIG. 3 and the demand is shown in FIG. In FIG. 4, “departure demand increase” indicates that the utilization rate of departure increases in the corresponding time zone. “Increase in arrival demand” indicates that the utilization rate of arrival increases in the corresponding time zone. For example, the station A indicates that the number of users who wish to leave the station A using the shared vehicle 200 is increasing from 17:00 to 18:00. In addition, the station D indicates that the number of users who wish to arrive from the station D using the shared vehicle 200 is increasing from 8:00 to 9:00. In the time zone other than the “departure demand increase” time zone, the departure demand level is low, and in the time zone other than the “arrival demand increase” time zone, the arrival demand level is low.

  When the use start times of the users V and W in FIG. 3 belong to the time zone from 16:00 to 17:00, the next time zone (from 17:00 to 18:00) of the use start time of the user W is the station A This corresponds to the time period of “departure demand increase”. When the time zone next to the use start time is “departure demand increase”, demand for many vehicles is expected in a time zone after the use start time. Therefore, as many shared vehicles 200 as possible should be parked in the parking space of station A at 17:00. And when there are a plurality of users who can ride together, it is better to permit sharing in order to have as many vehicles parked as possible at the station after departure. And by permitting carpooling, the availability factor of the vehicle can be increased and the uneven distribution of the vehicle can be suppressed.

  On the other hand, for example, when the use start times of the user V and the user W belong to the time zone from 18:00 to 19:00, the next time zone (from 19:00 to 20:00) of the use start time of the user W is the station. A time period outside of the “starting demand increase” time zone in A becomes a time zone with less demand. In such a case, the use of the shared vehicle 200 is not expected at a time after the use start time, and therefore, more vehicles are left from the station A than when the shared vehicle 200 is left in the station A. Is good. Even when there are a plurality of users who can share a car, the car sharing is not permitted in order to prevent the station A from being in an excessive vehicle state after the use start time. Thereby, since many vehicles can be moved from the station where the demand increase of vehicles is not expected in the future, the operation rate of vehicles can be raised.

  The carpool determination unit 14 compares the utilization rate representing the demand in the next time zone with a predetermined determination threshold value. The utilization rate represents demand due to departure. At a certain station, the higher the utilization rate, the more users want to use the shared vehicle 200 parked at the station and start from the station. The predetermined determination threshold is a threshold for determining whether or not to allow carpooling, and is set in advance by a system administrator. When the usage rate in the next time zone is equal to or greater than the determination threshold, the carpool determination unit 14 permits carpooling. When the utilization rate in the next time zone is less than the determination threshold, the carpool determination unit 14 does not permit carpooling.

  The carpool determination unit 14 estimates the availability factor of the vehicle from the information related to the demand for the shared vehicle 200 at each station and the reservation information recorded in the database 130. The operation rate of the vehicle is the operation rate of all the common vehicles 200 to be managed, and is calculated by, for example, dividing the use time of all vehicles by the number of all vehicles. The use time of the shared vehicle 200 can be estimated from use reservation information. Therefore, the carpool determination unit 14, when the sharing of the shared vehicle 200 is permitted with respect to the demand of the shared vehicle 200 at each station, the operation rate of the shared vehicle 200 and the sharing of the shared vehicle 200 are not permitted. The availability of the shared vehicle 200 is compared with the availability of the shared vehicle 200 to determine whether the shared vehicle 200 can be shared. Thereby, the carpool determination unit 14 determines whether or not the shared vehicle 200 can be shared, so that the operation rate of the shared vehicle 200 is maximized. Then, the carpooling determination unit 14 transmits the carpooling determination result to the reservation management unit 11.

  Next, the control flow of the control device 110 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a control flow of the control device 110. Note that the control flow shown in FIG. 5 is executed when a user makes an application for a reservation for use.

  In step S <b> 1, the reservation management unit 11 acquires use reservation information from the communication device 120 and accepts a use reservation for a vehicle. In step S2, the reservation management unit 11 selects a departure station and an arrival station designated by the reservation user based on the use reservation information. The reserved user is a user who has applied for a new reservation.

  In step S3, the carpool determination unit 14 receives the use reservation information from the reservation management unit 11, and acquires the carpool information from the use reservation information. The reservation management unit 11 determines whether there is a desire for carpooling from the carpool information. If the reserved user wishes to ride together, the control flow proceeds to step S4. The control flow proceeds to step S14.

  In step S4, the carpool determination unit 14 sets a carpool allowable range centering on the current location of the reserved user.

  In step S5, the carpool determination unit 14 determines whether there is another user who permits carpooling within the carpool tolerance range. If another user who permits carpooling is within the carpooling allowable range, the control flow proceeds to step S6. If another user who permits carpooling is not within the carpooling allowable range, the control flow proceeds to step S12.

In step S <b> 6, the carpool determination unit 14 acquires information on the demand for the shared vehicle 200 at the departure station from the station management unit 13. The carpool determination unit 14 specifies the demand for the vehicle at the departure station for each time zone based on the acquired information about the demand for the vehicle. The departure station is a station designated by the reservation user and selected in the control flow in step S2. The carpool determination unit 14 specifies the demand for the next time period among the demands of the vehicle for each specified time period. The next time zone is a time zone next to the time zone belonging to the use start time. Thereby, the carpool determination part 14 estimates the demand of the next time slot | zone. The demand in the next time zone is represented by the vehicle utilization rate.

  In step S <b> 7, the carpool determination unit 14 determines whether or not the usage rate in the next time zone is equal to or greater than a predetermined determination threshold. The carpool determination unit 14 also transmits the carpool determination result to the reservation management unit 11. When the usage rate in the next time zone is equal to or greater than the determination threshold, the carpool determination unit 14 permits carpooling. The control flow proceeds to step S8. When the utilization rate in the next time zone is less than the determination threshold, the carpool determination unit 14 does not permit carpooling. The control flow proceeds to step S11.

  In step S8, the reservation management unit 11 determines whether the departure station and the arrival station can be reserved. For example, the reservation management unit 11 compares the number of reservations and the allowable number of reservations at the time zone of the use start time specified by the reservation user and the departure station specified by the reservation user. The number of reservations is the number of reservation applications up to now, including reservation user applications. The allowable number is set based on the number of parking spaces set in the station, the demand for vehicles in the station, and the like. When the number of reservations is less than the allowable number, the reservation management unit 11 determines that the departure station can be reserved. If the number of reservations is equal to or greater than the allowable number, the reservation management unit 11 determines that the departure station cannot be reserved. The reservation management unit 11 compares the number of reservations in the time zone of the estimated arrival time designated by the reservation user with the allowable number for the arrival stations as well. When the reserved reservation number is less than the allowable number, the reservation management unit 11 determines that the arrival station can be reserved, and when the reserved reservation number is equal to or larger than the allowable number, the reservation management unit 11 11 determines that the arrival station cannot be reserved.

  If both the departure station and arrival station can be reserved, the control flow proceeds to step S9. If at least one of the departure station and the arrival station cannot be reserved, the control flow proceeds to step S11.

  In step S <b> 9, the reservation management unit 11 stores the confirmed use reservation information in the database 130. The stored use reservation information indicates a departure station, an arrival station, a scheduled departure time, an estimated arrival time, a reservation by carpooling, and the like.

  In step S <b> 10, the reservation management unit 11 uses the communication device 120 to notify the reservation user that the reservation has been completed by carpooling. Then, the control flow ends.

  In step S11, the reservation management unit 11 notifies the reservation user that the reservation is not possible using the communication device 120. Then, the control flow ends.

  If the reservation user does not wish to share in the control flow of step S3, if the other user who permits sharing in the control flow of step S5 is not within the allowable sharing range, or the control flow of step S7 In step S12, the reservation management unit 11 determines whether or not the departure station and the arrival station can be reserved. judge. The control flow in step S12 is the same as the control flow in step S8.

  If both the departure station and the arrival station can be reserved, the reservation management unit 11 stores the confirmed use reservation information in the database 130 in step S13. In step S <b> 14, the reservation management unit 11 uses the communication device 120 to notify the reservation user that the reservation that is not carpooling has been completed. Then, the control flow ends.

  If at least one of the departure station and the arrival station cannot be reserved, the reservation management unit 11 notifies the reservation user that reservation is not possible using the communication device 120 in step S15. Then, the control flow ends.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, a usage request for the shared vehicle 200 is received from a user, and the usage state of the shared vehicle 200 and the state of the station of the shared vehicle 200 are managed. Remember state. Based on the usage request received from the user, the station that lends the shared vehicle 200 and the station where the vehicle is returned are selected. Whether the shared vehicle 200 can be shared is determined according to the state of the selected station, and when it is determined that the shared vehicle 200 can be shared, the user is notified of information regarding the shared vehicle. Thereby, the driving | running state of a car share service becomes appropriate, and it can suppress the uneven distribution of a vehicle, reducing the loss of a user's use opportunity.

  By the way, in the system which manages the vehicle used by a some user, there exists a request of wanting to increase the frequency | count of use of a vehicle, ensuring a user's utilization opportunity. Allowing carpooling means that a plurality of users who want to use the shared vehicle 200 are handled by a single vehicle, so that the number of uses is reduced for the business operator side, and there is a possibility that revenue will decrease. . For example, when there is little demand for vehicle use in a certain time zone of the station, there are many available vehicles parked, or there is a shortage of available vehicles despite high demand for vehicle use. That is, when the vehicle is unevenly distributed, the user's request cannot be fully accepted.

  For example, as in the prior art, when it is determined whether or not carpooling is possible in consideration of only the user's desired conditions, the vehicle is unevenly distributed and service operation efficiency is reduced.

  In the present embodiment, whether or not the vehicle can be shared is determined according to the state of the station used. Therefore, for example, when accepting a use reservation from a user who wishes to share, depending on the state of the station to be used, to allow sharing to prevent a shortage of vehicles, or to prevent an excessive state of vehicles Do not allow carpooling. Thereby, the request from a user can be fully received, preventing uneven distribution of vehicles.

  In the present embodiment, the state of the selected station is estimated from the demand of the vehicle, and whether or not the shared vehicle 200 can be shared is determined according to the estimated state of the station. Thereby, the request from a user can be fully received, preventing uneven distribution of vehicles.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the demand of the shared vehicle 200 for every time zone is estimated, from the usage time of the shared vehicle 200 indicated by the use request from the user, and the demand for the shared vehicle 200 for each estimated time zone, Estimate the state of the user station. Thereby, the uneven distribution of vehicles can be prevented while grasping the demand of the shared vehicle 200 which changes every time zone.

  In the present embodiment, a request for using the shared vehicle 200 is received as a use reservation from a plurality of users, information on the use reservation is stored in the database 130, and the demand of the shared vehicle 200 is determined from the use reservation information stored in the database 130. Is estimated. Thereby, the uneven distribution of the vehicle can be prevented while improving the prediction accuracy of the demand of the shared vehicle 200.

  In the present embodiment, information on the usage record of the shared vehicle 200 is stored in the database 130, and the demand of the shared vehicle 200 is estimated from the usage record information on the shared vehicle 200 stored in the database 130. Thereby, the uneven distribution of the vehicle can be prevented while improving the prediction accuracy of the demand of the shared vehicle 200.

  In the present embodiment, whether or not the vehicle can be shared is determined so that the operation rate of the rented vehicle is maximized. Thereby, the uneven distribution of the shared vehicle 200 can be prevented while increasing the operating rate of the shared vehicle 200.

  In the present embodiment, when the vehicle usage rate is larger than the determination threshold, it is determined that the shared vehicle 200 can be shared. Thereby, uneven distribution of vehicles can be prevented.

  In the present embodiment, when the use reservation is accepted from the user, whether or not the carpooling is possible is determined. However, the timing for determining whether or not the carpooling is possible may be any timing. For example, the use reservation is accepted without determining whether or not the car can be shared, and the car sharing determination unit 14 determines whether or not the car can be shared for each of the received use reservations based on the use reservation received by the previous day and the demand for the vehicle. . Further, the station management unit 13 estimates vehicle demand at a predetermined timing (for example, every hour), and the carpool determination unit 14 determines whether or not to allow carpooling based on the estimated demand at the timing when the vehicle demand is estimated. Determine. In the present embodiment, the management server 100 may propose carpooling to the user, not limited to the carpooling request from the user. For example, when the availability factor of the vehicle increases due to carpooling with respect to vehicle demand, the carpooling determination unit 14 proposes carpooling to a user who does not indicate the user's wishes. At this time, for example, a reduction in system usage fee may be proposed.

  The sharing of the shared vehicle 200 is not limited to two people, but may be three or more users as long as the number of the shared vehicle 200 is within the capacity, and the present embodiment is not limited to two people but may be shared by three or more users. It is possible.

<< Second Embodiment >>
A car sharing system according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the present embodiment, part of the control for determining whether or not a vehicle can share a vehicle is different from the first embodiment. Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment described above, and the description thereof is incorporated.

  The carpool determination unit 14 determines whether or not there is a user who wishes to share other than the user who has applied for the use reservation. This determination is the same as in the first embodiment.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a plurality of parking spaces are provided for each predetermined station. Stations A to D are a stadium, a residential area, a station, and an office area, as in the first embodiment. Further, the departure demand and arrival demand at each station are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the demand increases in the time zone shown in FIG.

  Here, in the example of FIG. 6, it is assumed that the user X and the user Y designate the station C as the departure place and the station D as the arrival place using the shared vehicle 200. Further, it is assumed that both user X and user Y have applied for a use reservation while showing a desire for carpooling. Suppose user Y has applied for a usage reservation after user X has applied for a usage reservation. It is assumed that the use start time (departure time) of user X and the use start time (departure time) of user Y belong to the same time zone.

  Similarly to the first embodiment, when the carpooling determination unit 14 accepts the reservation application from the user Y, the carpooling determination unit 14 confirms that the user W has a carpooling request based on the carpooling information of the user W, The user X is specified as a user. In addition, the carpooling determination unit 14 compares the usage conditions of the user X with the usage conditions of the user Y, and determines that the user Y is suitable for carpooling with the user X.

  Next, the carpooling determination unit 14 acquires information on the demand for the shared vehicle 200 at the arrival station from the station management unit 13 and calculates the utilization rate at the arrival station using the acquired information. The utilization rate is a departure utilization rate and an arrival utilization rate. The departure utilization rate represents the demand for vehicles that depart from the station, and is calculated, for example, based on the actual number of use of the calculation target station as the departure station. The arrival utilization rate represents the demand for vehicles arriving at the station, and is calculated, for example, based on the number of achievements using the calculation target station as the arrival station. Each utilization rate is calculated for each time zone. Note that the demand of each station may be estimated from the number of reservations instead of the actual number.

  Here, when the scheduled arrival times of the user X and the user Y shown in FIG. 6 belong to the time zone from 16:00 to 17:00, the next time zone (from 17:00 to 18:00) of the scheduled arrival time. ) Corresponds to the “starting demand increase” time zone at station D. When the time zone next to the estimated arrival time is “departure demand increase”, the departure demand of many vehicles is expected in the time zone after the estimated arrival time. Therefore, it is better that as many shared vehicles 200 as possible are parked in the parking space of the station D in order to prevent a vehicle shortage state at 17:00. When there are a plurality of users who can share a vehicle, in order to have as many vehicles as possible parked at the station after arrival, the vehicle sharing is not permitted, and separate vehicles are assigned to the user X and the user Y. You should lend it. By rejecting the carpooling, many vehicles can be moved to the station where the departure demand is increasing, so that the operation rate of the vehicle is increased.

  On the other hand, when the scheduled arrival times of the user X and the user Y shown in FIG. 6 belong to the time zone from 15:00 to 16:00, the next time zone from the scheduled arrival time (from 16:00 to 17:00) Is out of the time zone of “departure demand increase” at station D and becomes a time zone with little departure demand. In such a case, the use of the shared vehicle 200 is not expected at a time later than the estimated arrival time, and therefore, the person who left the vehicle at the station C rather than moving many shared vehicles 200 to the station D Is good. When there are a plurality of users who can share the vehicle, the vehicle is allowed to share the vehicle in order to prevent the station D from being in an excessive vehicle state after the estimated arrival time. As a result, it is possible to prevent a large number of vehicles from moving to a station where an increase in vehicle demand is not expected in the future, and to suppress a reduction in the operating rate of the vehicle.

  In addition, when the scheduled arrival times of the user X and the user Y shown in FIG. 6 belong to the time zone from 7:00 to 8:00, the next time zone (from 8:00 to 9:00) of the scheduled arrival time Corresponds to the “arrival demand increase” time zone at station D. When the time zone next to the estimated arrival time is “increased arrival demand”, the arrival demand of many vehicles is expected in the time zone after the estimated arrival time. That is, when many vehicles arrive at the station D at the scheduled time before the “arrival demand increase” time zone, the station D becomes in an excessive vehicle state during the “arrival demand increase” time zone. turn into. Therefore, at station D, it is better to leave as many parking spaces as possible at 8 o'clock. When there are a plurality of users who can share the vehicle, it is better to positively allow the vehicle to be shared in order to leave as many parking spaces as possible in the station after arrival. By permitting the carpooling, the number of vehicles moving to the station where the arrival demand is increasing is suppressed, so that many vehicles can be parked during the “arrival demand increase” time zone. In addition, the desires of a plurality of users X and Y can be satisfied. As a result, the uneven distribution of the vehicle can be suppressed while reducing the loss of the user's use opportunity.

  On the other hand, when the scheduled arrival times of the user X and the user Y shown in FIG. 6 belong to the time zone from 10:00 to 11:00, the next time zone (from 11:00 to 12:00) of the scheduled arrival time. Is out of the time zone of “increased arrival demand” at station D and becomes a time when there is little arrival demand. In such a case, since the arrival of the shared vehicle 200 is not expected at a time later than the estimated arrival time, many shared vehicles 200 may be moved to the station D. And when there are a plurality of users who can ride together, it is not necessary to leave a lot of parking space at the station after arrival. Therefore, the number of vehicles moving from station C to station D is increased without allowing sharing. This increases the operating rate of the vehicle.

  The carpool determination unit 14 compares the departure utilization rate representing the departure demand in the time zone next to the estimated arrival time with a predetermined departure determination threshold. The departure determination threshold is a threshold for determining whether or not to allow carpooling, and is set in advance by a system administrator. When the departure utilization rate in the next time zone is equal to or less than the departure determination threshold, the carpool determination unit 14 permits carpooling. When the departure usage rate in the next time zone is higher than the departure determination threshold, the carpooling determination unit 14 determines whether or not carpooling is possible based on the arrival usage rate and the arrival demand.

  The carpool determination unit 14 compares an arrival utilization rate that represents an arrival demand in a time zone next to the estimated arrival time with a predetermined arrival determination threshold value. The arrival determination threshold is a threshold for determining whether or not to allow carpooling, and is set in advance by a system administrator. When the arrival usage rate in the next time zone is equal to or greater than the arrival determination threshold, the carpool determination unit 14 permits carpooling. When the arrival utilization rate in the next time zone is less than the arrival determination threshold, the carpool determination unit 14 does not permit carpooling.

  Next, the control flow of the control device 110 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a control flow of the control device 110. Note that the control flow shown in FIG. 7 is executed when there is an application for a use reservation from the user.

  Among the control flows from step S21 to step S35, the control flows of steps S21 to S26 and steps S28 to S35 are the same as the control flows of steps S1 to S6 and steps S8 to S15 according to the first embodiment.

  In step S27, the carpool determination unit 14 determines whether or not the departure utilization rate in the time zone next to the estimated arrival time is equal to or less than the departure determination threshold value, and the arrival utilization rate in the next time zone after the estimated arrival time arrives. It is determined whether or not the determination threshold value is exceeded. The first condition is that the departure utilization rate in the time zone next to the estimated arrival time is equal to or less than the departure determination threshold, and the second condition is that the arrival utilization rate in the time zone next to the estimated arrival time is equal to or greater than the arrival determination threshold. And The carpool determination unit 14 permits carpooling when either one of the first condition and the second condition is satisfied. The control flow proceeds to step S28. On the other hand, the carpool determination unit 14 does not permit carpooling when neither the first condition nor the second condition is satisfied. The control flow proceeds to step S29.

  As described above, in this embodiment, based on the usage request received from the user, the station that lends the shared vehicle 200 and the station where the vehicle is returned are selected. Whether the shared vehicle 200 can be shared is determined according to the state of the selected arrival station. Thereby, the driving | running state of a car share service becomes appropriate, and it can suppress the uneven distribution of a vehicle, reducing the loss of a user's use opportunity.

<< Third Embodiment >>
A car sharing system according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the present embodiment, part of the control when determining whether or not a vehicle can share a vehicle is different from the first and second embodiments. Other configurations are the same as those in the first and second embodiments described above, and the description thereof is incorporated as appropriate.

  When the management server 100 accepts a use reservation from a user who wishes to share a car, the car sharing determination unit 14 determines whether the car can be shared based on the demand of the departure station, and determines whether the car sharing is possible based on the demand of the arrival station. judge. Then, the carpooling determination unit 14 finally determines whether or not the carpooling is possible by combining the determination result of the carpooling on the departure side and the determination result of the carpooling on the arrival side. The control other than the determination of whether or not the car can be shared is the same as the control of the control device 110 in the first embodiment.

  The determination method for the carpool on the departure side is the same as the determination method according to the first embodiment. Moreover, the determination method of the carpool on the arrival side is the same as the determination method according to the second embodiment.

  FIG. 8 is a table showing a correspondence relationship between the departure-side carpool determination result, the arrival-side carpool determination result, and the final carpool determination result. In FIG. 8, a circle indicates that sharing is permitted, and a cross indicates that sharing is not permitted. The triangle mark indicates that additional information is added and whether or not carpooling is possible is determined.

  As illustrated in FIG. 8, the carpool determination unit 14 permits carpooling when the determination result on the departure side is carpooling permission and the determination result on the arrival side is carpooling permission. The carpool determination unit 14 does not permit carpooling when the determination result on the departure side is carpool rejection and the determination result on the arrival side is carpool rejection.

  When the determination result on the departure side is carpooling permission and the determination result on the arrival side is carpooling rejection, the carpooling determination unit 14 determines whether or not the carpooling is permitted according to the deviation of the vehicle in all the management target stations. judge. When the determination result on the departure side is carpooling rejection and the determination result on the arrival side is carpooling permission, the carpooling determination unit 14 determines whether or not the carpooling is permitted according to the deviation of the vehicle in all the management target stations. judge. The deviation of the vehicle in all stations is represented by, for example, a variance value of the vehicle occupation ratio of the stations. The vehicle occupancy rate represents how many vehicles are parked out of a plurality of parking spaces installed at a certain station. Note that the variance value may be calculated for each time zone.

  When the variance value is less than the predetermined threshold, the carpooling determination unit 14 does not permit carpooling because the shared vehicle 200 is biased toward a specific station. Thereby, since the number of moving vehicles is increased by not permitting carpooling, it is possible to eliminate the unevenness of the vehicle at a specific station. When the variance value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the carpool determination unit 14 permits carpooling.

  As described above, in this embodiment, in this embodiment, based on the usage request received from the user, the station that lends the shared vehicle 200 and the station where the vehicle is returned are selected. Whether the shared vehicle 200 can be shared is determined according to the state of the selected departure station and arrival station. Thereby, the driving | running state of a car share service becomes appropriate, and it can suppress the uneven distribution of a vehicle, reducing the loss of a user's use opportunity.

  As a modification of the present embodiment, when the determination result indicated by a triangle in FIG. 8 is obtained, the carpool determination unit 14 does not permit carpooling. Thereby, since the number of vehicles to move increases, the operation rate of a vehicle can be raised.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Reservation management part 12 ... Vehicle management part 13 ... Station management part 14 ... Carpool determination part 100 ... Management server 110 ... Control apparatus 111 ... CPU (Central Processing Unit)
112 ... ROM (Read Only Memory)
113 ... RAM (Random Access Memory)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 120 ... Communication apparatus 130 ... Database 200 ... Shared vehicle 210 ... In-vehicle apparatus 220 ... Communication apparatus 300 ... Internet 400 ... User terminal

Claims (8)

A method for managing a plurality of vehicles used by a plurality of users,
While receiving the use request of the vehicle from the user, managing the use state of the vehicle and the state of the station of the vehicle,
Memorize the use state of the vehicle and the state of the station;
Based on the use request received from the user, the station that rents the vehicle and the station where the vehicle is returned are selected as a use station,
According to the state of the use station, determine whether the vehicle can be shared,
A vehicle management method of notifying the user of information related to carpooling when it is determined that the vehicle can be shared. The vehicle management method according to claim 1, comprising:
Estimating the state of the user station from the demand of the vehicle;
A vehicle management method for determining whether or not the vehicle can share a car according to the estimated state of the use station. A vehicle management method according to claim 2,
Estimate the demand of the vehicle for each time zone,
A vehicle management method for estimating a state of the use station from a use time of the vehicle indicated by the use request and a demand of the vehicle for each estimated time zone. The vehicle management method according to claim 2 or 3,
From the plurality of users, accepting the use request of the vehicle as a use reservation,
Storing the use reservation information in a database;
A vehicle management method for estimating demand of the vehicle from information on the use reservation stored in the database. The vehicle management method according to claim 2 or 3,
Storing information on the vehicle usage record in a database;
A vehicle management method for estimating the demand of the vehicle from information on the usage record stored in the database. A vehicle management method according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A vehicle management method for determining whether or not the vehicle can share a vehicle so that an operation rate of the rented vehicle is maximized. A vehicle management method according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A vehicle management method that determines that the vehicle can be shared when the utilization rate of the vehicle indicated by the state of the utilization station is greater than a predetermined value. A vehicle management system for managing a plurality of vehicles used by a plurality of users,
A controller for receiving a use request of the vehicle from a user, and managing a use state of the vehicle and a state of the station of the vehicle;
A database for storing the state of use of the vehicle and the state of the station;
The controller is
Based on the use request received from the user, the station that rents the vehicle and the station where the vehicle is returned are selected as a use station,
According to the state of the use station, determine whether the vehicle can be shared,
A vehicle management system for notifying the user of information related to carpooling when it is determined that the vehicle can be shared.

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