JP2019091274A - Taxi allocation supporting method, and taxi allocation supporting system using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a taxi allocation supporting method capable of properly allocating a taxi based on demand prediction information of estimated taxi users.SOLUTION: A taxi allocation supporting method comprises: a step of receiving travel information from each of a plurality of taxis 150 inside a predetermined service district 30 by a management server unit 110; a step of preparing taxi user's demand prediction information in the service district using external environmental information, inside the management server unit; a step of preparing optimization demand prediction information by making optimization calculation based on the demand prediction information and each travel information, inside the management server unit; and a step of transmitting the optimization demand prediction information to on-vehicle units 152 attached onto the plurality of taxis existing inside the service district; and a step in which the plurality of taxis existing in the service district each mutually transmit and receive the travel information via the on-vehicle unit as taxi travel information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for supporting taxi allocation and a taxi allocation support system using the same, and more specifically, it is possible to appropriately allocate taxis by predicting the demand of a preset area , A method for supporting taxi allocation, and a taxi allocation support system using the same.

  Taxis do not require large-scale infrastructure facilities compared to railways and aircrafts, and users can freely set destinations regardless of travel distance. In the modern society, taxis are one of the important means of transportation for the world including Japan.

  For example, in Japan, there are a plurality of sales methods called "waiting for waiting", "wireless dispatch", and "sinking" in the transportation business of users using taxis.

  In particular, “sink taxi” refers to a sales method in which a crew member travels in a preset area (also referred to as a sales area or sales section) and searches for a user. However, it has been pointed out that the conventional "sink taxi" operating method is likely to be influenced by the experience and intuition of the crew per day. For this reason, many taxi crews may need a longer sink to increase the number of passengers.

On the other hand, with the long "sink", increases and the fuel for running, adverse effects due to CO ₂ emissions to the environment associated therewith, the travel deterioration of the vehicle itself, even physical load, etc. of the crew by working long hours It can not be ignored. For this reason, more efficient user acquisition is desired for taxi crews and taxi operators (for example, business entities that conduct taxi business).

  In addition, there were delays or cancellations of transportation facilities such as railways, buses, and aircraft due to disasters, accidents, etc., around the venue when large-scale events such as sports events, concerts, festivals, and fireworks events were held. The demand for taxis may temporarily increase around stations, stops, airports, etc. It is thought that the efficiency of user acquisition by taxi will be further enhanced if information on such demand in the operating area can be obtained early.

  In order to increase the efficiency of user acquisition by such taxis, various techniques for performing taxi demand forecast have been proposed.

  For example, Patent Document 1 predicts the demand for vehicle allocation based on storage means for storing the time zone and the increase or decrease of the population for each area in the time zone, and the increase or decrease of the population for each area in the time zone for vehicle allocation. A demand forecasting device comprising a demand forecasting means is disclosed.

  However, the demand prediction device described in Patent Document 1 is disposed for each taxi vehicle. Therefore, if there are multiple taxis equipped with the demand forecasting device in the same business area, a large number of taxis will be concentrated at a specific location based on the demand forecast, and will also compete for a certain number of users. It's no good. In addition, since such a demand forecasting device needs forecasting for each taxi mounted, it must have a high-level information processing function to process a large amount of information in a short time, It must be miniaturized in consideration of space.

  Furthermore, such demand forecasting devices may increase the cost of installation for taxi operators. For this reason, the taxi operator must be cautious in introducing the device in consideration of the balance between the introduction cost and the expected number of acquired users.

  Therefore, there is a need for further technical development to support taxi allocation appropriately for areas where demand for taxi users can be efficiently predicted and demand is forecast.

JP, 2008-052455, A

  The present invention is intended to solve the above problems, and the purpose of the present invention is to estimate the forecasted demand forecast information for taxi users without introducing a large-sized device to a taxi while driving. The present invention is to provide a method for supporting taxi allocation and a taxi allocation support system using the method, which can appropriately allocate a taxi based on the taxi.

The present invention is a method for supporting taxi dispatch,
(A) receiving, at a management server unit, individual travel information from a plurality of taxis existing in a predetermined business area;
(B) creating demand forecast information of taxi users in the business area using the external environment information in the management server unit;
(C) creating optimization demand forecast information by performing optimization calculation based on the demand forecast information and the individual travel information in the management server unit;
(D) transmitting the optimization demand forecast information to an on-vehicle unit attached to the plurality of taxis existing in the business area;
(E) the plurality of taxis in the business area mutually transmit and receive the respective travel information as other taxi travel information via the in-vehicle unit; and (f) the plurality of taxis in the in-vehicle unit Updating the individual driving information based on the optimized demand forecast information and the other taxi driving information;
Is a method that includes

  In one embodiment, the individual travel information is at least one piece of information selected from the group consisting of taxi position information, travel speed, travel direction, and boarding or empty car information.

  In one embodiment, the external environment information includes the total number of operating taxis existing in the business area, the vacant rate of taxis existing in the business area, the date, the day, the time, and the past rides in the business area. It is at least one information selected from the group consisting of performance information, weather, traffic information, operation information of public transportation, and event information in the business area.

In one embodiment, the demand forecast information generated in the step (b) is
(B1) transmitting the individual traveling information from the plurality of taxis and the external environment information from the management server unit to the upper management server unit;
(B2) In the upper management server unit, using the external environment information, other external environment information obtained from one or more other business areas, and the upper external environment information, the business area and the one Or create joint area demand forecast information in the joint area with multiple other sales areas,
(B3) the combined area demand forecasting information, the individual travel information from the plurality of taxis, and other individual travel information from other plurality of taxis obtained from the one or more other operating areas To calculate upper optimization demand forecast information, and (b4) obtaining the upper optimization demand forecast information from the upper management server unit to the management server unit. Information.

In one embodiment, the optimization demand forecast information created in the step (c) is at a predetermined time,
The number of empty car taxis present in one of the plurality of divided area cells from the operating area, and
The number of actual taxis present in the one area cell, the number of taxis that are vacant within a predetermined time in the one area cell,
The number of taxis moving from the one area cell to another adjacent area cell;
The number of taxis moving from the adjacent other area cell to the one area cell;
It is information calculated from the number of actual taxi users in units of one taxi, which are present in the one area cell.

In one embodiment, the optimization demand forecast information created in the step (c) is at a predetermined time,
The number of actual taxi users in units of one taxi in the section from the intersection to the next intersection located in the traveling direction of the road on which the individual taxis in the above sales area travel,
Estimated passing time of the taxi on the section from the intersection to the next intersection,
Is information calculated from

The present invention is also a system for supporting the dispatch of a plurality of taxis existing in a predetermined business area,
A management server unit, and an in-vehicle unit attached to each of the plurality of taxis;
Equipped with
The management server unit:
A supporting communication module that receives individual travel information from a plurality of taxis present in a predetermined business area and transmits optimization demand forecast information to the plurality of taxis;
Database means for storing external environment information related to the sales area; and demand forecast information of taxi users in the sales area using the external environment information, and the demand forecast information and the plurality of taxis Calculation means for creating optimization demand forecast information by optimization calculation based on the individual travel information;
And the in-vehicle unit comprises:
It transmits its own travel information as the respective travel information to the management server unit and the plurality of taxis, and receives the optimization demand forecast information from the management server unit, and the plurality of taxis from the plurality of taxis. An on-vehicle communication module that receives individual travel information from another taxi among the individual travel information;
In-vehicle database means for storing the optimization demand forecast information and the individual travel information from the other taxis;
Travel information updating means for updating the own travel information based on the optimization demand forecast information and the individual travel information from the other taxis; and the optimization demand forecast information from the other taxis A display for displaying individual traveling information and the own traveling information;
It is a system provided with

  In one embodiment, the individual travel information is at least one piece of information selected from the group consisting of taxi position information, travel speed, travel direction, and boarding or empty car information.

  In one embodiment, the external environment information includes the total number of operating taxis existing in the business area, the vacant rate of taxis existing in the business area, the date, the day, the time, and the past rides in the business area. It is at least one information selected from the group consisting of performance information, weather, traffic information, operation information of public transportation, and event information in the business area.

In one embodiment, the system of the present invention further comprises a higher management server unit,
The upper management server unit is:
The individual traveling information and the external environment information from the plurality of taxis existing in the sales area are received from the management server unit, and upper optimization demand forecast information is received from the management server unit. Higher-level support side communication module to transmit as optimization demand forecast information;
Host database means for storing upper external environmental information that can be rewritten by external information in the connection area between the business area and one or more other business areas; and the external environment information; one or more other business Using the other external environment information obtained from the area and the upper external environment information, create joint area demand forecast information in the joint area, and the joint area demand forecast information, the individual from the plurality of taxis The top optimization demand forecast information is calculated by performing optimization calculation based on the travel information of the vehicle and other individual travel information from other taxis obtained from the one or more other business areas. Top-level calculation means to create;
Equipped with

According to the present invention, it is possible to support taxi allocation by providing the taxi driver with demand forecast information in the sales area in accordance with the temporal change in demand of the taxi user in the sales area. Further, according to the present invention, since unnecessary "flow" travel of a taxi can be reduced, fuel required for travel can be reduced, and the amount of CO ₂ emission accompanying it can also be reduced. Furthermore, it can contribute to the improvement of the working environment of taxi crews.

It is a figure showing typically an example of the taxi dispatch support system of the present invention. It is a figure which represents typically an example of the vehicle-mounted unit which comprises the taxi dispatch assistance system of this invention shown in FIG. It is a figure which represents typically the other example of the taxi dispatch assistance system of this invention. It is a figure which represents typically another example of the system of this invention, Comprising: In order to perform dispatch allocation of the taxi in the joint area which several management server units manage collectively by arrange | positioning a high-order management server unit. Is an example of the system of FIG. FIG. 17 schematically shows still another example of the system of the present invention, and is more extensive by arranging management server units of multiple (m) layers with respect to multiple (n) business districts. It is a figure showing an example of a system for performing dispatching support of a taxi in a joint field in one.

  The invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a taxi allocation support system according to the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, the taxi allocation support system 100 includes a management server unit 110 and an on-vehicle unit 152 attached to a taxi 150.

  In the present invention, first, individual travel information from a plurality of taxis 150 present in a predetermined business area 30 is received by the management server unit 110.

  As used herein, the term "operating area" is the area in which a group implementing the method and / or system of the present invention (e.g., a taxi operator, a taxi association) performs a taxi business. When performing taxi business in a plurality of business areas into which the group is divided, for example, it may be each of the divided business areas or one business area where they are integrated.

  As used herein, the term "a plurality of taxis existing in a business area" refers to the taxis owned or controlled by a group in the business area, which are in operation, ie, when a taxi user is on board In addition, it also refers to taxis in the state of an empty car (hereinafter also referred to as “operating taxis”), including the case where a reservation travel is made for a taxi user's ride. Therefore, even if the taxi is owned or controlled by a group in the sales area, the taxi user gets out while the taxi user is riding and traveling outside the sales area while repairing or breaking down, changing the crew or taking a break Taxis on the way back to a business area from outside the business area will be excluded later. Furthermore, in addition to those traveling on the road (so-called "sink"), a plurality of taxis existing in the sales area are on standby at a given boarding station (so-called "waiting"), from taxi support center It includes any of those on dispatch (so-called "radio dispatch") in response to communications.

  The individual travel information from the taxi 150 is various information obtained from the taxi 150 in the sales area 30. As individual travel information, for example, position information (geographical position information) of taxi 150 obtained through GPS (global positioning system), travel speed, travel direction (for example, travel south on a road extending north to south) Medium), boarding or empty car information (for example, a taxi user is in the taxi, information about tolls being settled, a taxi user is not boarding a radio but is in an idle car, etc. ), Landing height of the day (sales), engine speed, fuel remaining amount, battery remaining amount, total number of taxi vehicle travel distance, outside temperature (air temperature), outside humidity, inside temperature, inside humidity, and crew temperature -Blood pressure, heart rate, total time for boarding work on the day, and combinations of them. In particular, position information of taxi 150, traveling speed, traveling direction, and boarding or empty car information, and combinations thereof are preferable.

  The individual travel information from the taxi 150 is wirelessly communicated to the support side communication module 112 of the management server unit 110 through an on-vehicle communication module described later provided in the on-vehicle unit 152 of the taxi 150 by a method known to those skilled in the art. Ru. The management server unit 110 is usually installed at a place separated from the taxi 150 (a sales office, a branch, a command center, etc. owned or controlled by a taxi company and / or a group).

  In the system 100 of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, the management server unit 110 comprises a support side communication module 112, database means 114 and calculation means 120. In the management server unit 110, the supporting communication module 112, the database means 114 and the calculation means 120 are connected in electrical communication.

  In the present invention, each piece of travel information received by the support side communication module 112 is temporarily stored in the database means 114 in the management server unit 110.

  The database means 114 is also connected in electrical communication with other database means 184 provided outside the management server unit 110 via the support side communication module 112, and the above individual received at the support side communication module 112. In addition to the travel information of the above, external environment information related to the sales area 30 is stored, for example, in a rewritable form. As such external environment information, for example, the total number of taxis owned or controlled in the sales area 30, the total number of operating taxis present in the sales area 30, the taxi empty rate in the sales area 30, the sales area 30 Boarding rate, date, day of the week, time, past boarding record information within the operating area (for example, a boarding record of a taxi user in the operating area 30 in the past (for example, boarding point and its date, Day of the week, time and / or weather; alighting point and its date, day of the week, time and / or weather), weather, traffic information in the sales area 30 (eg congestion information, construction information and accident information), sales Operating information of public transportation (for example, railways, buses, aircraft, and ships) in area 30, event information in operating area 30 (for example, sports events) The presence or absence of events such as concerts, festivals and fireworks displays, and the number of people mobilized, holding time, closing time (expected time), and combinations thereof, in particular, the total number of operating taxis present in sales area 30, sales Vacancy rates, dates, days, times, past boarding record information in sales area 30, weather, traffic information, public transport operation information, and event information in sales area 30, and taxi present in area 30 Their combination is preferred.

  In the present invention, demand forecast information of taxi users is created in the management server unit 110 using the external environment information stored in such database means 114.

  The generation of such demand forecast information is performed, for example, by the demand forecasting unit 116 in the calculation means 120.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the calculation means 120 is a computer. The taxi user's demand forecast information is created by a computer program including a predetermined algorithm implemented on a computer functioning as the demand forecast unit 116.

Specifically, the demand forecast information is, for example:
A) It is not possible to get in the area cell (i) in a finite section from time t to time t + T with respect to one area cell (i) of the area cells divided into plural from the sales area The number of taxi users minimized is calculated based on the current and / or past external environment information described above; or B) one of the area cells divided into a plurality of areas from the business area (i ) For the number of taxi users who can get on the area cell (i) in the finite interval from time t to time t + T, the current and / or past of the above external Calculate based on environmental information;
By doing this, each divided area cell of the sales area can be created.

  The demand forecasting information created by the demand forecasting unit 116 is created by combining the present and / or past boarding record information in the business area 30 and the current and / or past external environment information as described above. It is done. The taxi crew may obtain a taxi user newly by obtaining the information and moving to a specific place (within a specific area cell) in the sales area 30 based on the information. is there. However, such demand forecast information is information that can be commonly received by a plurality of taxis in the sales area, which is found only from the external environment information, and therefore the taxi crew can be determined based on the demand forecast information. Even if the taxi is moved to the location of another taxi that received the same demand forecast information in the same business area first acquires a taxi user, etc., the accuracy of the demand forecast falls. Is considered.

  For this reason, in the present invention, the accuracy of the demand forecasting is further enhanced by “optimizing” the demand forecasting information created above using individual traveling information from a plurality of taxis existing in the sales area. be able to.

  That is, in the present invention, optimization demand forecast information is created by performing optimization calculation based on demand forecast information and individual traveling information from a plurality of taxis existing in the sales area in the management server unit 110. Be done.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the optimization is performed by causing a computer program including a predetermined algorithm implemented in the calculation means 120 to function as the optimization unit 118.

  The optimization in the optimizer 118 can be modeled, for example, using mixed theory dynamical systems known in the art. The model predictive control can be applied to obtain the optimal movement distribution of the taxi in a partial area (area cell) configured by dividing the sales area into a plurality of areas.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the optimization demand forecast information is for a predetermined time (from t to t + T)
The number (x _i (k)) of empty taxis present in an area cell (i) of one of the area cells divided into a plurality of areas from the operating area,
The number of taxis present in one area cell (i) (s _i (k)) and the number of taxis (e _i (k)) that are empty within a predetermined time in one area cell (i),
The number of taxis (u _{i, j} (k)) moving from one area cell (i) to another adjacent area cell (j),
The number of taxis (u _{j, i} (k)) moving from another adjacent area cell (j) to one area cell (i),
Present in one region the cell (i), which is information that is calculated from the actual taxi customer number in units of taxis each one _{(d i (k + 1)} ).

  Specifically, using the above, the following taxi movement model can be constructed, and optimization of a finite section from time t to time t + T is performed.

Here, in each of the expressions (1) to (7),
x _i (k) represents the number of empty taxis present in an area cell (i) of one of the area cells divided into plural from the sales area,
s _i (k) represents the number of vehicle taxis present in one area cell (i),
e _i (k) represents the number of taxis that are vacant within a predetermined time in one area cell (i),
u _{i, j} (k) represents the number of taxis moving from one area cell (i) to another adjacent area cell (j),
u _{j, i} (k) represents the number of taxis moving from another adjacent area cell (j) to one area cell (i),
d _i (k + 1) represents the number of actual taxi users in units of taxis, which exist in one area cell (i),
p _i (k) represents the number of new taxi users present in one area cell (i),
β _i represents the percentage of taxis taking a ride from a ride in one area cell (i),
α _i represents the percentage of taxi users who can ride in one area cell (i), and

Represents the total number of vehicles in one area cell (i) in the time interval [k k + 1].

  A method of such optimization calculation is known. For example, Hiromoto et al., "Formulation of optimal allocation problem of taxi by model predictive control", The Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers, 2017, p. 113-116.

  Alternatively, instead of the above, the present invention can perform the following optimization calculation.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the optimization demand forecast information is at a predetermined time:
Achievement taxis in units of one taxi in the section from intersection (i) to the next intersection (j) located in the direction of travel of the road (l; feasible route) on which each taxi in the operating area travels The number of users (a _{i, j} ),
Estimated taxi passage time (t _{i, j} ) in the section from intersection (i) to the next intersection (j),
Is information calculated from

  Specifically, optimization is performed as follows:

  Thus, optimization demand forecast information is created.

  Next, in the present invention, the optimization demand forecast information obtained above is transmitted to the in-vehicle unit 152 attached to a plurality of taxis 150 existing in the business area 30.

  In FIG. 1, the optimization demand forecast information created by the optimization unit 118 of the calculation means 120 is preferably present in the sales area 30 through the support side communication module 112 provided in the management server unit 110. It is transmitted to the on-vehicle unit 152 of the taxi 150.

  FIG. 2 is a view schematically showing an example of an in-vehicle unit constituting the taxi allocation support system of the present invention.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the in-vehicle unit 152 includes an in-vehicle communication module 158, an in-vehicle database means 154, a travel information updating means 160, and a display 162. In the in-vehicle unit 152, the in-vehicle communication module 158, the in-vehicle database means 154, the travel information updating means 160, and the display 162 are connected in electrical communication.

  The optimization demand forecast information transmitted from the support side communication module 112 provided in the management server unit 110 shown in FIG. 1 is the in-vehicle communication module 158 in the in-vehicle unit 152 provided in each taxi 150 shown in FIG. 2. , And temporarily stored in the on-vehicle database means 154.

  The in-vehicle database means 154 is also connected in electrical communication with other database means 184 provided outside the in-vehicle unit 152 via the in-vehicle communication module 158, and the optimization demand received from the support side communication module 112 Other than forecast information, travel information of the taxi 150 itself that travels (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "the travel information of oneself") and travel information from other taxis present in the business area (hereinafter "the other taxi travel information") Is stored, for example, in a rewritable manner. Here, the “own travel information” and the “other taxi travel information” are the same as the “individual travel information”.

  In the present invention, individual travel information of a plurality of taxis 150 in the business area is mutually transmitted and received as other taxi travel information via the on-vehicle unit 152.

  The transmission and reception are performed via the in-vehicle communication module 158 of the in-vehicle unit 152. As a result, the taxi 150 in the sales area travels with other taxis from other taxis in the sales area, together with the optimized demand forecast information obtained from the support side communication module 112 of the management server unit 110 shown in FIG. Information can also be obtained. Other taxi travel information thus received is also temporarily stored in the in-vehicle database means 154 via the in-vehicle communication module 158.

  The optimization demand forecast information and other taxi travel information temporarily stored in the in-vehicle database means 154 are displayed on the display 162, for example, through the travel information update means 160, and the taxi crew sees the optimization demand by visual inspection of the display 162. Along with the prediction information, traveling information (for example, position, traveling direction, boarding or empty car information) of another taxi traveling in the sales area can be acquired. Alternatively, the optimization demand forecast information may be converted to audio information using means known in the art instead of or in addition to the display by the display 162 through the on-vehicle speaker (not shown) May be communicated to taxi crew.

  In the present invention, in the on-vehicle units 152 of a plurality of taxis, individual travel information is updated based on the optimization demand forecast information and other taxi travel information.

  The taxi crew in contact with the optimization demand forecast information and other taxi travel information, for example, travel speed and travel direction of the taxi 150 which he / she drives based on such information, for the efficient acquisition of taxi users. Etc. (ie, their own travel information) can be changed. Or, independently of the intention of the taxi crew, a plurality of taxis existing in the sales area change their traveling information by autonomously coordinating with each other using a means known to those skilled in the art. May be

  In addition to the on-vehicle database means 154, the travel information updating means 160 shown in FIG. 2 is connected, for example, electrically or in electrical communication with other instruments (not shown) not shown. As described above, when there is a change in one's own travel information, the information associated with the change is transmitted to the travel information update means 160 through the onboard database means 154 and / or the instruments. Examples of instruments include, but are not necessarily limited to, the instruments provided in the taxi 150 itself (e.g. speedometer, tachometer, fuel meter, battery meter, ride / empty car indicator, toll meter, thermometer, and hygrometer And various sensors (for example, a temperature sensor, a blood pressure sensor, and a heart rate sensor) worn by taxi drivers, and combinations thereof.

  Thus, the travel information updating means 160 updates the travel information of the taxi 150. Thereafter, the individual running information of the updated taxi 150 is temporarily stored in the in-vehicle database means 154 and, through the in-vehicle communication module 158, the management server unit 110 of the sales area 30 shown in FIG. Sent to a taxi.

  The in-vehicle unit 152 is not limited to one specially provided for the taxi 150, and may be, for example, a mobile phone terminal, a smartphone, a tablet, or an in-vehicle device for car navigation.

  In the present invention, in consideration of the location of the taxi in the sales area, the taxi user's getting on and off, and fluctuations in the taxi user's demand, the above-mentioned update is performed at a certain time interval. Is preferred. The time interval for performing the update varies depending on the area of the sales area targeted, the number of taxis present in the sales area, the size and ability of the management server unit, etc. Preferably, it is set to 1 minute to 2 minutes.

  In the system 100 of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, optimized demand forecast information is created for a plurality of taxis 150 existing in the sales area 30 by the management server unit 110 apart from the taxis 150. As a result, the taxi 150 in the sales area 30 does not have to create its own demand forecast information, the load on the on-vehicle unit 152 of the taxi 150 can be reduced, and the on-vehicle unit 152 can be miniaturized. . Moreover, processing speed can be further increased by adopting a large-scale computer as the management server unit 110 as necessary.

  Although FIG. 1 demonstrated the case where one management server unit 110 was provided with respect to one sales area 30, this invention is not necessarily limited only to such a structure.

  FIG. 3 is a view schematically showing another example of the taxi allocation support system of the present invention.

  The taxi allocation support system 200 shown in FIG. 3 includes a management server unit 210 and in-vehicle units 152a, 152b, 152c attached to taxis 150a, 150b, 150c, and exists in a plurality of business areas 30a, 30b, 30c. Dispatching of a plurality of taxis 150a, 150b, 150c can be supported for each of the business areas 30a, 30b, 30c.

  In the system 200 shown in FIG. 3, first, individual travel information from a plurality of taxis 150 a, 150 b and 150 c existing in each of the predetermined sales areas 30 a, 30 b and 30 c is transmitted to the support side communication module 212 in the management server unit 210. Received through

  The individual travel information received by the support side communication module 212 is temporarily stored in the database means 214 in the management server unit 210.

  On the other hand, the demand prediction unit 216 in the calculation means 220 uses the external environment information obtained from the other database means 184 to create, for example, demand prediction information for each of the business areas 30a, 30b, 30c. Thereafter, as for the demand forecast information created for each sales area 30a, 30b, 30c, the optimization calculation similar to the above is performed in the sales area 30a, 30b, 30c in the optimization unit 218 in the calculation means 220.

  The optimization demand forecast information for each of the obtained business areas 30a, 30b, 30c is obtained by using the plurality of taxis 150a, 150b existing in each of the business areas 30a, 30b, 30c through the support side communication module 212 of the management server unit 210. It transmits to the on-vehicle units 152a, 152b and 152c attached to 150c, respectively.

  Thereafter, in the same manner as described above, taxi crews of a plurality of taxis 150a, 150b, 150c existing in the business areas 30a, 30b, 30c are the optimization demand forecast information of the respective business areas through the on-vehicle units 152a, 152b, 152c. And other taxi driving information existing in the same business area can be acquired. Then, the own traveling information updated based on these pieces of information can be transmitted to the management server unit 210 again through the in-vehicle units 152a, 152b, and 152c.

  In this manner, the system 200 of the present invention can support the allocation of a plurality of taxis 152a, 152b, 152c in a plurality of sales areas 30a, 30b, 30c.

  As described above, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the allocation of the plurality of taxis 152 a, 152 b, and 152 c in the plurality of sales areas 30 a, 30 b, and 30 c is independent for each sales area using one management server unit 210. Support.

  FIG. 4 is a view schematically showing still another example of the taxi allocation support system of the present invention.

  The taxi allocation support system 300 shown in FIG. 4 includes an upper management server unit 310 that can integrate and manage these as well as the systems 100a, 100b and 100c similar to FIG.

  The upper management server unit 310 includes an upper support side communication module 312, an upper database means 314, and an upper calculation means 320. In the upper management server unit 310, the upper supporting communication module 312, the upper database means 314, and the upper calculating means 320 are connected in electrical communication.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the individual travel information received by the support side communication modules 112a, 112b and 112c of the systems 100a, 100b and 100c, together with the external environment information of each of the business areas 30a, 30b and 30c The information is temporarily transmitted to the upper management server unit 310 through the supporting communication modules 112a, 112b and 112c of each system, and temporarily stored in the upper database means 314 in the upper management server unit 310.

  The upper database means 314 is also electrically connected to other database means 184 provided outside the upper management server unit 310 via the upper assisting communication module 312, and the upper assisting communication module 312 is connected to the upper assisting communication module 312. In addition to the above-mentioned individual travel information and external environment information (for example, external environment information obtained from operating area 30a and external environment information obtained from each of operating areas 30b and 30c other than operating area 30a), The upper external environment information separately obtained from the other database means 184 is stored, for example, in a rewritable manner.

  As the upper external environment information, for example, operation information of the business area concerned (for example, a railway having a departure station outside the business area as expected) interlocked with the operation of public transportation in areas other than the business areas 30a, 30b, 30c Information that the arrival delay of the railway at the arrival station in the sales area will occur due to the departure delay of the city); traffic information such as weather information, event information, and traffic congestion in areas other than the sales area 30a, 30b, 30c; And combinations thereof.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, using the external environment information and the upper external environment information, connection area demand forecast information of taxi users in the connection area of the business areas 30 a, 30 b, 30 c is stored in the upper calculation means 320. The upper demand forecasting unit 316 creates it. Here, in one embodiment of the present invention, the upper level calculation means 320 is a computer, and in the combined area demand forecast information, a computer program including a predetermined algorithm implemented in the computer functions as the upper level demand forecasting unit 316. Are created in the same manner as above.

  Next, the combined area demand forecasting information created by the upper demand forecasting unit 316 is optimized calculation using individual travel information from a plurality of taxis 150a, 150b, 150c existing in the business areas 30a, 30b, 30c. The upper optimization demand forecast information is created. Here, in one embodiment of the present invention, this optimization calculation is performed by a computer program including a predetermined algorithm implemented in the upper calculation means 320 functioning as the upper optimization unit 318. The optimization calculation in the upper optimization unit 118 can be performed, for example, in the same manner as the calculation in the optimization unit 118 described in FIG.

  After that, the obtained upper optimization demand forecast information is transmitted to the support side communication of each management server unit 110a, 110b, 110c in the sales area 30a, 30b, 30c through the upper support side communication module 312 of the upper management server unit 310. It is transmitted to the modules 112a, 112b and 112c, respectively, and treated as demand forecast information of each management server unit 110a, 110b and 110c.

  The demand forecast information created in this manner is stored in each management server unit 110a, 110b, 110c using the travel information of each of the taxis 150a, 150b, 150c existing in the sales area 30a, 30b, 30c. The optimization calculation similar to FIG. 1 is performed, and optimization demand forecast information in each sales area is created.

  The optimized demand forecast information for each sales area 30a, 30b, 30c thus obtained exists in each of the sales areas 30a, 30b, 30c through the support side communication modules 112a, 112b, 112c of the management server units 110a, 110b, 110c. The vehicle-mounted units 152a, 152b, 152c attached to the plurality of taxis 150a, 150b, 150c are respectively transmitted.

  Thereafter, in the same manner as described above, taxi crews of a plurality of taxis 150a, 150b, 150c existing in the business areas 30a, 30b, 30c are the optimization demand forecast information of the respective business areas through the on-vehicle units 152a, 152b, 152c. And other taxi driving information existing in the same business area can be acquired. Then, the own running information updated based on these pieces of information can be transmitted again to the management server units 110a, 110b, and 110c through the on-vehicle units 152a, 152b, and 152c.

  In this manner, the system 300 of the present invention can support the dispatch of a plurality of taxis 152a, 152b, 152c in a plurality of sales areas 30a, 30b, 30c.

  As described above, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the management server units 110a, 110b and 110c corresponding to the plurality of sales areas 30a, 30b and 30c are provided, and the upper management server unit 310 is provided above them. It is done. Then, by providing the upper management server unit 310, a wider range of information than the system 100 shown in FIG. 1 (for example, external environment information of the sales areas 30b and 30c with respect to the sales area 30a or the upper rank as described above) Demand prediction based on external environment information) and optimization calculation using it. Furthermore, optimization may be performed that reflects the specific operating mode in each of the plurality of operating areas 30a, 30b, and 30c. Here, “optimization reflecting the specific sales form” means that, in the optimization problem, cost function settings and restrictions are added separately based on the reason specific to each of the plurality of sales areas 30a, 30b, and 30c. Represents that the optimization demand forecast information is created. For example, among operating areas 30a, 30b, and 30c, in operating areas 30a and 30b, taxi users are mainly acquired by the flow of taxis, whereas in operating area 30c, the area concerned is more than a taxi running It is assumed that it may be easier to obtain taxi users if waiting at a predetermined waiting place within 30c. In such a case, while the optimization calculation in the sales area 30c introduces a separate penalty for variables related to taxi movement, the optimization calculation in the sales area 30a, 30b introduces such a penalty. It can not be mentioned.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the case where two management server units (management server units 110a, 110b, 110c and higher management server unit 310) are used for three sales areas 30a, 30b, 30c will be described. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to such a configuration. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, in the system of the present invention, m management server units are provided for n sales areas 30 (1), 30 (2),... 30 (n). You may

  According to the present invention, the taxi user's demand information (optimized demand forecast information) can be provided to the taxi crew with higher accuracy in accordance with the temporal change in demand of the taxi user in the sales area. Also, taxi crews are provided with travel information for other taxis within the operating area. Thus, whether or not the taxi crew should distribute his taxi to a location where the demand for taxi users is predicted, taking into account both the optimization demand forecast information and the travel information of other taxis in the sales area. It becomes possible to make a decision. According to the present invention, unnecessary "sinking" travel of a taxi can be reduced, and fuel required for traveling can be reduced. The present invention can also contribute to the improvement of the working environment of taxi drivers.

30, 30a, 30b, 30c Operating area 100, 200, 300, 400 Taxi dispatch support system 110, 210 Management server unit 112, 212 Support side communication module 114, 214 Database means 116, 216 Demand forecasting unit 118, 218 Optimization unit 120, 220 Calculation means 150, 150a, 150b, 150c Taxi 152, 152a, 152b, 152c In-vehicle unit 154 In-vehicle database means 158 In-vehicle communication module 160 Running information update means 162 Display 184 Other database means 310 Upper management server unit 312 Upper support Communication module 314 upper database means 316 upper demand forecasting unit 318 upper optimization unit 320 upper calculation means

Claims (10)

A method to support taxi dispatch,
(A) receiving, at a management server unit, individual travel information from a plurality of taxis existing in a predetermined business area;
(B) creating demand forecast information of taxi users in the business area using the external environment information in the management server unit;
(C) creating optimization demand forecast information by performing optimization calculation based on the demand forecast information and the individual travel information in the management server unit;
(D) transmitting the optimization demand forecast information to an on-vehicle unit attached to the plurality of taxis existing in the business area;
(E) the plurality of taxis in the business area mutually transmit and receive the respective travel information as other taxi travel information via the in-vehicle unit; and (f) the plurality of taxis in the in-vehicle unit Updating the individual driving information based on the optimized demand forecast information and the other taxi driving information;
Method, including   The method according to claim 1, wherein the individual travel information is at least one information selected from the group consisting of taxi position information, travel speed, travel direction, and boarding or empty car information.   The external environment information includes the total number of operating taxis existing in the sales area, the vacant rate of taxis existing in the sales area, the date, the day, the time, the past boarding record information in the sales area, weather, traffic The method according to claim 1 or 2, which is at least one piece of information selected from the group consisting of information, operation information of public transportation facilities, and event information in the business area. The demand forecast information created in the step (b) is
(B1) transmitting the individual traveling information from the plurality of taxis and the external environment information from the management server unit to the upper management server unit;
(B2) In the upper management server unit, using the external environment information, other external environment information obtained from one or more other business areas, and the upper external environment information, the business area and the one Or create joint area demand forecast information in the joint area with multiple other sales areas,
(B3) the combined area demand forecasting information, the individual travel information from the plurality of taxis, and other individual travel information from other plurality of taxis obtained from the one or more other operating areas To calculate upper optimization demand forecast information, and (b4) obtaining the upper optimization demand forecast information from the upper management server unit to the management server unit. Information,
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3. In the predetermined time, the optimization demand forecast information created in the step (c)
The number of empty car taxis present in one of the plurality of divided area cells from the operating area;
The number of actual taxis present in the one area cell, the number of taxis that are vacant within a predetermined time in the one area cell,
The number of taxis moving from the one area cell to another adjacent area cell;
The number of taxis moving from the adjacent other area cell to the one area cell;
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the information is calculated from the number of actual taxi users in units of taxis existing in the one area cell. In the predetermined time, the optimization demand forecast information created in the step (c)
The number of actual taxi users in units of one taxi in the section from the intersection to the next intersection located in the traveling direction of the road on which the individual taxis in the business area travel,
Estimated passing time of the taxi on the section from the intersection to the next intersection,
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the information is calculated from A system for supporting allocation of a plurality of taxis existing in a predetermined sales area,
A management server unit, and an in-vehicle unit attached to each of the plurality of taxis;
Equipped with
The management server unit:
A supporting communication module that receives individual travel information from a plurality of taxis present in a predetermined business area and transmits optimization demand forecast information to the plurality of taxis;
Database means for storing external environment information related to the sales area; and demand forecast information of taxi users in the sales area using the external environment information, and the demand forecast information and the plurality of taxis Calculation means for creating optimization demand forecast information by optimization calculation based on the individual travel information;
And the in-vehicle unit comprises:
It transmits its own travel information as the respective travel information to the management server unit and the plurality of taxis, and receives the optimization demand forecast information from the management server unit, and the plurality of taxis from the plurality of taxis. An on-vehicle communication module that receives individual travel information from another taxi among the individual travel information;
In-vehicle database means for storing the optimization demand forecast information and the individual travel information from the other taxis;
Travel information updating means for updating the own travel information based on the optimization demand forecast information and the individual travel information from the other taxis; and the optimization demand forecast information from the other taxis A display for displaying individual traveling information and the own traveling information;
A system comprising:     The system according to claim 7, wherein the individual travel information is at least one information selected from the group consisting of taxi position information, travel speed, travel direction, and boarding or empty car information.   The external environment information includes the total number of operating taxis existing in the sales area, the vacant rate of taxis existing in the sales area, the date, the day, the time, the past boarding record information in the sales area, weather, traffic The system according to claim 7 or 8, which is at least one piece of information selected from the group consisting of information, service information of public transportation facilities, and event information in the business area. Furthermore, it has a higher management server unit,
The upper management server unit:
The individual traveling information and the external environment information from the plurality of taxis existing in the business area are received from the management server unit, and upper optimization demand forecast information is received from the management server unit. Higher-level support side communication module to transmit as optimization demand forecast information;
Host database means for storing upper external environmental information that can be rewritten by external information in the connection area between the business area and one or more other business areas; and the external environment information; one or more other business Using the other external environment information obtained from the area and the upper external environment information, create joint area demand forecast information in the joint area, and the joint area demand forecast information, the individual from the plurality of taxis The top optimization demand forecast information is calculated by performing optimization calculation based on the travel information of the vehicle and other individual travel information from other taxis obtained from the one or more other business areas. Top-level calculation means to create;
The system according to any one of claims 7 to 9, comprising

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