JP2021149541A - Vehicle management device, vehicle management method, and vehicle management program - Google Patents

Abstract

To estimate arrival time at a destination in consideration of a staying duration of a vehicle for a user to get on the vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicle management device includes: a travel plan management part configured to manage a travel plan including first scheduled arrival time that estimates time when a vehicle with a first user therein will arrive at a destination of the vehicle; and a staying duration estimation part configured to estimate a first staying duration in which the vehicle will remain at a first location to allow the first user to get on the vehicle, at the first location where the first user boards the vehicle. The travel plan management part estimates the first scheduled arrival time in consideration of the first staying duration.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle management device, a vehicle management method, and a vehicle management program.

Patent Document 1 describes "a vehicle operation management device for formulating a vehicle operation plan incorporating a vehicle travel route including a stop position of a vehicle on which a user gets on and off".
[Prior art literature]
[Patent Document]
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2019-128635

In the first aspect of the present invention, a vehicle management device is provided. The vehicle management device may include a travel plan management unit that manages a travel plan including a first estimated time of arrival that predicts the time when the first user will arrive at the destination of the vehicle on which the vehicle is boarded. The vehicle management device includes a stay time prediction unit that predicts the first stay time at which the vehicle stays at the first point for the first user to get on the vehicle at the first point where the first user gets on the vehicle. good. The travel planning management unit may predict the first estimated time of arrival in consideration of the first staying time.

The stay time prediction unit may predict the first stay time by increasing or decreasing from the preset default stay time. The staying time prediction unit may predict the first staying time based on the traffic condition at the first point. The stay time prediction unit may predict the first stay time based on the signal information in the vicinity of the first point. The stay time prediction unit may predict the first stay time based on the presence or absence of a railroad crossing in the vicinity of the first point and the opening / closing status.

The staying time prediction unit may predict the first staying time based on the attributes and the number of people of the first user. The staying time prediction unit may predict the first staying time based on the weather information of the first point. The stay time prediction unit may predict the first stay time based on the amount of luggage possessed by the first user. The first stay time may be the time when the vehicle stops. The first stay time may be a time including a time when the vehicle stops and a time when the vehicle travels at a predetermined speed or less.

In the second aspect of the present invention, a vehicle management method is provided. The vehicle management method may include a travel plan management stage for managing a travel plan including a first estimated time of arrival that predicts the time when the first user will arrive at the destination of the vehicle on which the vehicle is boarded. The vehicle management method includes a stay time prediction stage for predicting the first stay time at which the vehicle stays at the first point for the first user to get on the vehicle at the first point where the first user gets on the vehicle. good. The travel plan management stage may predict the first estimated time of arrival in consideration of the first stay time.

In a third aspect of the invention, a vehicle management program is provided. The vehicle management program may cause the computer to execute a travel plan management stage that manages a travel plan including a first estimated time of arrival that predicts the time when the first user will arrive at the destination of the vehicle. The vehicle management program is a stay time prediction stage in which the computer predicts the first stay time at which the vehicle stays at the first point in order for the first user to get on the vehicle at the first point where the first user gets on the vehicle. May be executed. The travel plan management stage may predict the first estimated time of arrival in consideration of the first stay time.

The outline of the above invention does not list all the necessary features of the present invention. Sub-combinations of these feature groups can also be inventions.

The vehicle management system 70 to which this embodiment is applied is conceptually shown. An example of the functional block of the user terminal 40 is shown. This is an example of the boarding request input screen 410 displayed on the display unit 406. An example of the functional block of the automatic vehicle 30 is shown. An example of the travel plan information stored in the travel plan storage unit 306 is shown. An example of the functional block of the vehicle management device 10 is shown. An example of user information stored in the user information storage unit 1043 is shown. The outline of the staying time of the automatic vehicle 30 for each user 50 and 52 to board the automatic vehicle 30 is shown. An example of the weighting table 1045 stored in the staying time prediction unit 1044 is shown. Table 1045a shows the details of the weighted values of the traffic congestion information for each time zone at the boarding point. FIG. 1045b shows the details of the weighted value of the amount of luggage possessed by the first user 50. An example of the travel plan information stored in the travel plan storage unit 1042 is shown. This is an example of a processing flow for processing boarding requests from the first user 50 and the second user 52 in the vehicle management device 10. An example of a computer 2200 in which a plurality of aspects of the present invention may be embodied in whole or in part is shown.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described through embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the inventions that fall within the scope of the claims. Also, not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the means of solving the invention.

FIG. 1 conceptually shows a vehicle management system 70 to which this embodiment is applied. The vehicle management system 70 provides a so-called MaaS (Mobility as a Service) that seamlessly connects movements by means of transportation other than private cars as one service. In the example of the vehicle management system 70 of FIG. 1, the vehicle management device 10, the automatic vehicles 30, 32, and the user terminals 40, 42 can communicate with each other via a network 20 such as the Internet. The user terminal 40 is a communication terminal used by the first user 50, for example, a smartphone. Similarly, the user terminal 42 is a communication terminal used by the second user 52. In the following description, the automatic vehicle will be described using only the automatic vehicle 30.

The vehicle management device 10 is, for example, a server such as a personal computer. The automatic vehicle 30 is, for example, an automobile, and the driving method thereof does not matter. Further, the automatic vehicle 30 may have a passenger car having a capacity of several people, or may be a bus having a capacity larger than that of the passenger car.

The automatic vehicle 30 is a vehicle in which a plurality of sets of users can ride together. Carpooling is sometimes called sharing, and while an automatic vehicle on which a user is riding is moving from the user's departure point to the destination, other users also get on the automatic vehicle and share the automatic vehicle. It is something to do. In carpooling, another user may disembark before the destination of the previous user, disembark at the same destination, or disembark farther. The user who gets on the automatic vehicle 30 first is called the first user 50, and the user who gets on the automatic vehicle 30 after the first user 50 gets on is called the second user 52. When three or more sets of users synergize with the automatic vehicle 30, all users other than the first user 50 who get on the automatic vehicle 30 first are referred to as the second user 52. The first user 50 and the second user 52 may each be accompanied by a passenger.

In the vehicle management device 10, when the automatic vehicle 30 carries a plurality of users together for transportation, it is preferable to accurately predict the arrival time of each user at the destination. Here, it is considered that the arrival time of each user at the destination is affected by the staying time of the vehicle staying at the boarding point in order for each user to board the vehicle. In the present embodiment, the arrival time at the destination is accurately predicted by considering the staying time at which the vehicle stays at the boarding point in order for each user to board the vehicle.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a functional block of the user terminal 40. The user terminal 40 has a communication unit 402, an input unit 404, and a display unit 406. The communication unit 402 communicates with the vehicle management device 10 via the network 20 to transmit and receive information. The input unit 404 receives inputs such as characters and numbers from the first user 50. The display unit 406 displays an image including characters, numbers, and the like. The input unit 404 and the display unit 406 may be integrated like a touch panel. The user terminal 42 may have the same configuration as the user terminal 40, and the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 3 is an example of the boarding request input screen 410 displayed on the display unit 406. The boarding request input screen 410 shows the user ID, departure place, desired time, destination, desired time, number of passengers, whether there is the opposite sex, smoking, eating and drinking, and luggage. It has an input field for quantity. Of these, whether or not to enter the desired time of the destination is optional. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the user ID "U002", the departure place "Aoyama X- △, Minato-ku, Tokyo", the desired time "12/4 10:30", and the destination "Central △ -X, Wako City, Saitama Prefecture" , The desired time is not entered, passenger "1 person", no opposite sex (that is, a man whose passenger is the same sex as himself), no smoking, drinking, and the amount of luggage "small" is entered There is.

The input unit 404 receives the input from the first user 50 for each input field, and displays the input information in the input field of the display unit 406. Among the above input fields, the user ID and the like accept text input, and the opposite sex and the like receive different input for selection and non-selection (so-called radio buttons). When the transmission button on the input screen 410 is pressed, the input information is transmitted from the communication unit 402 to the vehicle management device 10 as a boarding request.

In addition to the input screen 410, the display unit 406 displays reception information indicating that the boarding request has been accepted. As for the reception information, it is preferable that the same information as the input screen 410 is displayed so that it can be confirmed that the content of the boarding request has been accepted.

Further, the display unit 406 displays when the communication unit 402 receives the information on the carpooling candidate from the vehicle management device 10, and also displays an image prompting the input of whether or not the carpooling is possible. The display unit 406 further displays the usage charge information when the communication unit 402 receives the usage fee information from the vehicle management device 10.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the functional block of the automatic vehicle 30. The automatic vehicle 30 has an in-vehicle terminal 302, an automatic traveling unit 310, a current location information acquisition unit 312, and a boarding information acquisition unit 314.

The in-vehicle terminal 302 has a communication unit 304 that communicates with the vehicle management device 10, and a travel plan storage unit 306 that stores travel plan information received from the vehicle management device 10 by the communication unit 304. In addition, in order to simplify the following description, it is assumed that the automatic vehicle 30 is a vehicle capable of fully automatic driving (sometimes referred to as level 5 automatic driving). That is, an example will be described in which the automatic traveling unit 310 executes all the driving tasks of the automatic vehicle 30 according to the traveling plan stored in the traveling plan storage unit 306.

The current location information acquisition unit 312 acquires information on the current location of the automatic vehicle 30 at regular time intervals, including, for example, GPS. The current location information acquisition unit 312 associates the current location information with the travel ID and transmits the information to the vehicle management device 10 at regular time intervals. Instead of or in addition to this, when the current location information acquisition unit 312 arrives at the departure point by referring to the current location information and the departure point and destination information stored in the travel plan storage unit 306. May transmit information indicating that fact to the vehicle management device 10 in association with the travel ID when the vehicle arrives at the destination.

The boarding information acquisition unit 314 includes, for example, a camera that photographs the inside of the vehicle, and acquires an image of the inside of the vehicle at regular intervals as information indicating the riding status of the automatic vehicle 30. The boarding information acquisition unit 314 associates the image with the travel ID and transmits the image to the vehicle management device 10 at regular intervals. Instead of or in addition to this, the boarding information acquisition unit 314 analyzes the image by image recognition or the like, and provides information on whether or not the first user 50 and the second user 52 are on the automatic vehicle 30. Information on whether or not there is a person, information on whether or not the person has luggage, and the like may be determined, and information to that effect may be transmitted to the vehicle management device 10 in association with the travel ID.

FIG. 5 shows an example of travel plan information stored in the travel plan storage unit 306. The travel plan storage unit 306 stores the travel plan generated by the vehicle management device 10 that uses the automatic vehicle 30, that is, the travel plan with the vehicle ID "A30".

However, in the user ID column, in addition to the ID itself, the image stored in the vehicle management device 10 is received and stored. The boarding information acquisition unit 314 determines whether or not the first user 50 and the second user 52 are on board by face recognition using the image.

FIG. 6 shows an example of the functional block of the vehicle management device 10. The vehicle management device 10 includes a reception unit 101, a boarding information acquisition unit 102, a travel information acquisition unit 103, a travel plan management unit 104, and an output unit 105. The travel plan management unit 104 includes a travel plan creation unit 1041, a travel plan storage unit 1042, a user information storage unit 1043, and a stay time prediction unit 1044. The output unit 105 includes a fare information output unit 1051, a travel plan output unit 1052, and a boarding availability information output unit 1053. The dwell time prediction unit 1044 includes a weighting table 1045.

The reception unit 101 receives a boarding request from the user terminal 40 used by the first user 50. The reception unit 101 receives the information of the first user 50 from the user terminal 40 prior to the reception of the boarding request or at the time of the first reception of the boarding request, and stores the information in the user information storage unit 1043 of the travel plan management unit 104. do. The reception unit 101 receives a boarding request from the user terminal 42 used by the second user 52. Similarly, the reception unit 101 stores the information of the second user 52 in the user information storage unit 1043 of the travel plan management unit 104.

FIG. 7 shows an example of user information stored in the user information storage unit 1043. The user information storage unit 1043 stores the user's terminal ID, name, gender, age, and user's face image in association with the user ID. The user ID may be specified by the first user 50, or may be automatically assigned when the reception unit 101 receives information from a new user. Further, in the example of FIG. 7, an e-mail address that can be received by the terminal is stored as a terminal ID.

In the example of FIG. 7, for example, in association with the user ID "U0001", the terminal ID "abc@edf.com", the name "Honda * ro", the gender "male", the age "32", and the image file as the face image are displayed. It is stored.

Returning to FIG. 6, the travel information acquisition unit 110 of the vehicle management device 10 acquires travel status information from the automatic vehicle 30. An example of the information on the traveling situation is the information on the current location of the automatic vehicle 30 acquired at regular intervals. The information on the current location of the automatic vehicle 30 is linked to the time information. In place of or in addition to this, the travel status information includes information on whether or not the automatic vehicle 30 has arrived at the departure point in the corresponding travel plan, and information on whether or not the vehicle has arrived at the destination. May be included.

The boarding information acquisition unit 112 acquires information indicating the boarding status from the automatic vehicle 30. An example of information indicating the riding situation is an image of the inside of the automatic vehicle 30 acquired at regular intervals. Instead of or in addition to this, the information indicating the riding situation includes information on whether or not the first user 50 and the second user 52 are on the automatic vehicle 30, and information on whether or not there is a passenger. , Information on whether or not you have luggage, etc. may be included.

When the travel plan management unit 104 receives the boarding request of the first user 50 from the reception unit 101, the travel plan creation unit 1041 of the travel plan management unit 104 plans the travel of the automatic vehicle 30 based on the boarding request of the first user 50. To create. In this case, the travel plan creation unit 1041 reads the user information stored in association with the user ID included in the boarding request from the user information storage unit 1043, and creates a travel plan using the information as well. do. Unless otherwise specified, the same method as that of the known route guidance device may be used as the method of creating the travel plan. Unless otherwise specified, a method for creating a travel plan in the case where carpooling is added to the previous travel plan may be the same method as in the case of adding a passing point to the travel route in a known route guidance device. When the travel plan creation unit 1041 creates a travel plan for the automatic vehicle 30, the travel plan management unit 104 transmits information to the effect that the boarding request has been accepted to the user terminal 40 of the first user 50 and the created travel plan.

When the travel plan creation unit 1041 determines that a travel plan satisfying the boarding request of the first user 50 cannot be created based on the current status of the plurality of automatic vehicles to be managed, the travel plan management unit 104 determines that the first user 50 is boarded. The request is rejected, and information to that effect is transmitted to the user terminal 40 of the first user 50.

The travel plan management unit 104 determines whether or not to accept the boarding request of the second user 52 for the automatic vehicle 30 based on the content of the boarding request of the second user 52 received from the reception unit 101. When the travel plan management unit 104 decides to accept the boarding request of the second user 52, the travel plan creation unit 1041 of the travel plan management unit 104 makes a travel plan of the automatic vehicle 30 based on the boarding request of the second user 52. change.

In creating the travel plan, the travel plan creation unit 1041 predicts the estimated time of arrival at the destination of the first user 50 based on the information included in the boarding request received from the user terminal 40 of the first user 50. .. In this case, the travel planning unit 1041 determines the departure time, the distance between the departure point and the destination, the assumed travel route, the number of signals on the travel route, the arrangement status of traffic signs such as temporary stop on the travel route, and the like. Predict the estimated time of arrival at the destination in consideration of the availability of toll roads, traffic congestion information for each time zone, blockage information of travel routes due to accidents, staying time for the automatic vehicle 30 to stay for each user to board, etc. .. A known method may be used for predicting the estimated time of arrival by the travel planning unit 1041.

The travel plan creation unit 1041 predicts the estimated arrival time when the automatic vehicle 30 arrives at the destination when the boarding request is received from the user terminal 40 of the first user 50. The time when the travel planning unit 1041 predicts the estimated time of arrival may be the time when the first user 50 gets on the automatic vehicle 30, and after the first user 50 gets on the automatic vehicle 30, the automatic vehicle 30 May be at the time of running.

When half of the travel time in the travel plan of the first user 50 has passed, the travel plan creation unit 1041 recreates the travel plan from the newly acquired traffic conditions and the delay status of the automatic vehicle 30 at that time, and the automobile The estimated time of arrival when both 30s arrive at the destination may be predicted again. By predicting again at the above time point, the newly acquired traffic condition and the delay status of the automatic vehicle 30 can be reflected in the estimated arrival time, and the estimated arrival time can be predicted more accurately. The travel time in the travel plan of the first user 50 is the time from the departure time to the estimated arrival time.

FIG. 8 shows an outline of the staying time of the automatic vehicle 30 for each user 50 and 52 to board the automatic vehicle 30. As shown in FIG. 8, the staying time of the automatic vehicle 30 changes depending on the traffic conditions at the boarding point and the like. In the case of boarding in normal times, the staying time tends to be short because the vehicle can depart immediately, but boarding in the automatic vehicle 30 is completed when boarding in a traffic jam, boarding at a traffic control place, or boarding near a railroad crossing. However, due to circumstances such as not being able to depart immediately, the length of stay tends to be longer. The staying time may be the time when the automatic vehicle 30 stops due to the boarding of the users 50 and 52, and the time when the automatic vehicle 30 stops and the time when the automatic vehicle 30 travels at a predetermined speed or less. It may be the time obtained by adding and.

The stay time prediction unit 1044 is a first stay time in which the automatic vehicle 30 stays at the first point in order for the first user 50 to get on the automatic vehicle 30 at the first point where the first user 50 gets on the automatic vehicle 30. Predict H1. The stay time prediction unit 1044 predicts the first stay time H1 based on the content of the boarding request received from the user terminal 40 of the first user 50. The first point is the departure point specified in the boarding request of the first user 50.

As shown in FIG. 8, the first stay time H1 in which the automatic vehicle 30 stays at the first point changes depending on a plurality of factors such as the traffic condition at the boarding point (first point) of the first user 50. In the present embodiment, the factors to be considered when the stay time prediction unit 1044 predicts the first stay time H1 are traffic congestion information for each time zone at the boarding point, the amount of luggage carried by the first user 50, the number of passengers, and so on. The age of the first user 50, the gender of the first user 50, the distance from the signal at the first point, the distance from the railroad crossing at the first point, and the weather information at the first point. The stay time prediction unit 1044 may further consider other factors when predicting the first stay time H1.

Each of the above factors has a different degree of influence on the first stay time H1. For example, "traffic jam information for each time zone at the boarding point" is a factor that greatly affects the first stay time H1, and "user's gender" is the first stay compared to "traffic jam information for each time zone at the boarding point". This is an element that has little effect on time H1. Therefore, a weighting value indicating the degree to which each of the above elements affects the first stay time H1 is set.

FIG. 9 shows an example of the weighting table 1045 stored in the stay time prediction unit 1044. The staying time prediction unit 1044 refers to the weighted value in the weighting table 1045 when predicting the staying time. As shown in FIG. 9, the weighted values of each element are the congestion information "0 to 1" for each time zone at the boarding point, the amount of luggage carried by the user "0 to 0.3", and the number of passengers "0 to 0". .3 ", user's age" 0-0.3 ", user's gender" 0-0.3 ", distance from the signal at the boarding point" 0-0.5 ", distance from the crossing at the boarding point" 0 " ~ 0.7 "and the weather information at the boarding point" 0-0.5 "are set. The weighted value of each element may be another value or may be updated at a predetermined time.

FIG. 10 is Table 1045a showing the details of the weighted values of the traffic congestion information for each time zone at the boarding point. The weighting table 1045 includes a table 1045a showing the detailed distribution of the weighted values of the congestion information for each time zone. As shown in FIG. 10, in Table 1045a, the degree of congestion is classified into five stages from A to E, and weighted values are assigned to each. In FIG. 10, A indicates the lowest degree of congestion, and E indicates the highest degree of congestion. The five-level classification from A to E is preset for each degree of congestion. A with the lowest degree of congestion is given a weighted value of "0", and E with the highest degree of congestion is given a weighted value of "1".

FIG. 11 is Table 1045b showing the details of the weighted values of the amount of luggage possessed by the first user 50. As shown in FIG. 11, in Table 1045b, the amount of cargo is classified into three stages from A to C, and weighted values are attached to each. The amount of luggage in Table 1045b corresponds to the amount of luggage specified in the boarding request of the first user 50 in FIG. When the amount of luggage is small (A), a weighting value "0" is attached, and when the amount of luggage is normal (B), a weighting value "0.15" is attached, and the amount of luggage When there are many (C), a weighting value "0.3" is attached.

Similarly, the weighting table 1045 includes a distribution table 1045c for the number of passengers, a distribution table 1045d for the age of the user, a distribution table 1045e for the gender of the user, a distribution table 1045f for the distance from the signal at the boarding point, and a distribution table 1045f for the boarding point. It has a distribution table of 1045 g for the distance from the railroad crossing and a distribution table of 1045 h for the weather information of the boarding point. The distribution table 1045c to 1045h is not shown.

In the distribution table 1045c for the number of passengers, a higher weighting value is set as the number of passengers increases. The number of passengers is determined by the number of passengers entered by the user. In the distribution table 1045d for the age of the user, a higher weighting value is set as the age of the user increases. In the distribution table 1045e regarding the gender of the user, a lower weighting value is set for the male user than for the female user. In the distribution table 1045f regarding the distance from the signal at the boarding point, a higher weighting value is set as the distance from the signal at the boarding point becomes shorter.

In the distribution table 1045g regarding the distance from the railroad crossing at the boarding point, a higher weighting value is set as the distance from the railroad crossing at the boarding point becomes shorter when the traveling route passes through the railroad crossing. In the distribution table 1045h for the weather information of the boarding point, a higher weighting value is set as the weather at the boarding point gets worse.

The staying time prediction unit 1044 calculates the corresponding weighting value from each distribution table 1045a to 1045h, and totals the weighted values to calculate the total value E1. The staying time prediction unit 1044 multiplies the total value E by a predetermined coefficient α to obtain the increase αE1 of the staying time. The staying time prediction unit 1044 stores the default value F of the staying time, and predicts the first staying time H1 of the first user 50 by adding the increase αE1 of the staying time to the default value F. That is, H1 = F + αE1. The default value F of the staying time indicates the staying time when the boarding is performed most smoothly, that is, when the increase of the staying time αE1 is not added. The default value F of the staying time is preset and stored in the staying time prediction unit 1044. The default value F of the staying time is updated at a predetermined time.

The travel plan creation unit 1041 predicts the estimated time of arrival at the destination of the first user 50 in consideration of the first stay time H1 of the first user 50, and creates a travel plan for the first user 50. The travel plan management unit 104 stores the travel plan information created by the travel plan creation unit 1041 in the travel plan storage unit 1042.

When the travel plan management unit 104 receives a shared ride request of the second user 52 for the travel plan of the first user 50, the stay time prediction unit 1044 is at the second point where the second user 52 gets on the automatic vehicle 30. , The second stay time H2 in which the automatic vehicle 30 stays at the second point in order for the second user 52 to get on the automatic vehicle 30 is predicted. The stay time prediction unit 1044 predicts the second stay time H2 based on the content of the boarding request received from the user terminal 40 of the second user 52. The prediction of the second stay time H2 is performed in the same manner as the prediction of the first stay time H1. The second stay time H2 is a value obtained by adding the increase αE2 of the stay time to the default value F of the stay time. That is, H2 = F + αE2.

The travel plan creation unit 1041 predicts the estimated time of arrival at the destination of the first user 50 again in consideration of the second stay time H2 of the second user 52, and changes the travel plan of the first user 50. The travel plan management unit 104 stores the travel plan information changed by the travel plan creation unit 1041 in the travel plan storage unit 1042.

FIG. 12 shows an example of travel plan information stored in the travel plan storage unit 1042. The travel plan storage unit 1042 has a vehicle ID, carpooling information, a user ID, a departure place, a departure time, a destination, a travel route, an arrival time, the number of passengers, and the presence or absence of the opposite sex, in association with the travel ID. Contains information about smoking and drinking. The arrival time in FIG. 12 is the estimated arrival time predicted when the travel plan management unit 104 receives the boarding request from the user terminal 40 of the first user 50.

The vehicle ID identifies the automatic vehicle used in the travel plan specified by the travel ID. In the example of FIG. 12, since the vehicle ID "A30" is associated with the travel ID "D001", the automatic vehicle specified by the vehicle ID "A30" in the travel plan, for example, the automatic vehicle 30 of FIG. Is used.

The carpooling information stores whether or not there is carpooling in the running plan specified by the running ID, and if there is carpooling, the running ID of the other party's running plan to be carpooling. In the example of FIG. 12, since the traveling ID "U0002" is stored in the carpooling information column of the traveling ID "D001", it is shown that these are carpooling. If there is no carpool, an invalid value is stored.

In the user ID column, a user ID that uses the travel plan specified by the travel ID is stored. When the automatic vehicle 30 is forwarded, that is, when none of the users board the vehicle, the user ID "U9999" indicating that the automatic vehicle 30 is forwarded is stored. In the example of FIG. 12, the user ID "U9999" is stored corresponding to the travel ID "0003" being forwarded.

The fields of departure place, time, destination, number of passengers, presence / absence of the opposite sex, presence / absence of smoking and presence / absence of drinking were entered in the boarding request by the first user 50 and the second user 52 specified by the user ID. Information is stored. The travel route stores information set by the travel plan storage unit 1042 based on the departure place, the time, the destination, the travel route, and other information.

In FIG. 12, for the sake of simplicity, the characters such as "route S" are simply shown. As for the time of the destination, information predicted by the travel plan storage unit 1042 based on the departure place, the time, the destination, the travel route, and other information is stored. Other information includes information on traffic congestion on the travel route. Known methods may be used for setting the travel route and predicting the time of the destination.

Returning to FIG. 6, the charge information output unit 1051 of the output unit 105 setstles the usage charge for the first user 50 and the second user 52 using the automatic vehicle 30, and charges the corresponding user terminals 40 and 42. Send information about. In this case, the fare information output unit 1051 setstles the usage fee based on the travel status information from the travel information acquisition unit 103 and the boarding status information from the boarding information acquisition unit 102.

The fare information output unit 1051 may calculate the rate at which the fare of the first user 50 is discounted by the shared ride of the second user 52 on the automatic vehicle 30 and output it to the user terminal 40 of the first user 50. The rate at which the charge of the first user 50 is discounted may increase according to the number of receptions of the second user 52.

The travel plan output unit 1052 of the output unit 105 transmits the created travel plan of the first user 50 to the in-vehicle terminal 302 of the automatic vehicle 30 and the user terminal 40 of the first user 50. When the travel plan output unit 1052 receives the boarding request of the second user 52, the travel plan output unit 1052 transfers the travel plan changed by accepting the ride of the second user 52 to the automatic vehicle 30 with the in-vehicle terminal 302 of the automatic vehicle 30. The transmission is performed to the user terminals 40 and 42 of the first user 50 and the second user 52.

Boarding availability information of the output unit 105 The output unit 1053 transmits information on whether or not to accept the boarding request of the first user 50 to the user terminal 40 of the first user 50. The boarding availability information output unit 1053 provides information on whether or not to accept the boarding request of the second user 52 to the in-vehicle terminal 302 of the automatic vehicle 30 and the user terminals 40 and 42 of the first user 50 and the second user 52. Send.

FIG. 13 is an example of a processing flow for processing boarding requests from the first user 50 and the second user 52 in the vehicle management device 10.

The reception unit 101 of the vehicle management device 10 receives the boarding request from the first user 50, and the travel plan management unit 104 receives the boarding request of the first user 50 from the contents of the boarding request received by the reception unit 101. Is determined (S01). For example, the boarding request is input by launching a dedicated application installed on the user terminal 40, and the user terminal 40 transmits the boarding request to the reception unit 101 of the vehicle management device 10.

The stay time prediction unit 1044 of the travel plan management unit 104 predicts the first stay time H1 based on the boarding request of the first user 50 (S02). The travel plan creation unit 1041 of the travel plan management unit 104 predicts the estimated arrival time in consideration of the first stay time H1 and creates a travel plan that satisfies the boarding request from the user terminal 40 of the first user 50 (S03). ).

The reception unit 101 of the vehicle management device 10 receives the boarding request from the second user 52, and the travel plan management unit 104 receives the boarding request of the second user 52 from the contents of the boarding request received from the reception unit 101. Is determined (S04). The stay time prediction unit 1044 of the travel plan management unit 104 predicts the second stay time H2 based on the boarding request of the second user 52 (S05).

The travel plan creation unit 1041 of the travel plan management unit 104 predicts the estimated arrival time in the travel plan of the first user 50 again in consideration of the second stay time H2, and changes the travel plan of the first user 50 ( S06). The processes from S04 to S06 are performed until there are no other second users 52 to board later (S07).

As described above, according to the present embodiment, since the staying time of the automatic vehicle 30 for each user 50 and 52 to board the automatic vehicle 30 is predicted, the arrival time at the destination can be accurately predicted.

Although the above-mentioned automatic vehicle 30 has been described as an example of a vehicle capable of fully automatic driving, the automatic vehicle 30 may be a vehicle that is not fully automatic driving. That is, it may be a vehicle (sometimes referred to as level 0 to 4 automatic driving) in which the driver performs at least a part of the driving task of the automatic vehicle. The driver may be the first user 50 and the second user 52. A part or all the functions of the vehicle management device 10 may be mounted on the in-vehicle terminal 302 or the like. As a result, the in-vehicle terminal 302 and the like may function as the vehicle management device 10.

When the first stay time H1 or the second stay time H2 predicted by the stay time prediction unit 1044 is larger than the preset threshold time, the travel plan management unit 104 may board the automatic vehicle 30 at the boarding point. If it is determined that it is not appropriate, the user terminals 40 and 42 of the first user 50 or the second user 52 may be instructed to change the boarding location. When instructing the user terminal 40 of the first user 50 to change the boarding location, it is desirable to specify a new boarding point within a predetermined distance from the initial boarding point. Further, when instructing the user terminal 42 of the second user 52 to change the boarding location, the new boarding point to be designated is within a range in which the mileage in the travel plan of the first user 50 is not changed by a predetermined distance or more. It is desirable to have.

The staying time prediction unit 1044 predicts the staying time in consideration of the distance from the railroad crossing, but when the railroad crossing is within a predetermined distance from the boarding point, the staying time at the boarding point is predicted by further considering the opening / closing status of the railroad crossing. You may. If the railroad crossing is closed, αE1 may be increased by the increase in staying time.

In addition, various embodiments of the present invention may be described with reference to flowcharts and block diagrams, wherein the block serves (1) the stage of the process in which the operation is performed or (2) the role of performing the operation. It may represent a section of the device it has. Specific stages and sections are implemented by dedicated circuits, programmable circuits supplied with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium, and / or processors supplied with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium. It's okay. Dedicated circuits may include digital and / or analog hardware circuits, and may include integrated circuits (ICs) and / or discrete circuits. Programmable circuits are memory elements such as logical AND, logical OR, logical XOR, logical NAND, logical NOR, and other logical operations, flip-flops, registers, field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), programmable logic arrays (PLA), etc. May include reconfigurable hardware circuits, including, etc.

The computer readable medium may include any tangible device capable of storing instructions executed by the appropriate device, so that the computer readable medium having the instructions stored therein is specified in a flowchart or block diagram. It will be equipped with a product that contains instructions that can be executed to create means for performing the operation. Examples of computer-readable media may include electronic storage media, magnetic storage media, optical storage media, electromagnetic storage media, semiconductor storage media, and the like. More specific examples of computer-readable media include floppy® disks, optical discs, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), Electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), static random access memory (SRAM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray (RTM) disc, memory stick, integrated A circuit card or the like may be included.

Computer-readable instructions are assembler instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, or object-oriented programming such as Smalltalk, JAVA®, C ++, etc. Contains either source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including languages and traditional procedural programming languages such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages. good.

Computer-readable instructions are applied locally to a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, or the processor or programmable circuit of another programmable data processor, or a wide area network (WAN) such as a local area network (LAN), the Internet, etc. ) May be executed to create a means for performing the operation specified in the flowchart or block diagram. Examples of processors include computer processors, processing units, microprocessors, digital signal processors, controllers, microcontrollers and the like.

FIG. 14 shows an example of a computer 2200 in which a plurality of aspects of the present invention may be embodied in whole or in part. The program installed on the computer 2200 can cause the computer 2200 to function as an operation associated with the device according to an embodiment of the present invention or as one or more sections of the device, or the operation or the one or more. Sections can be run and / or the computer 2200 can be run a process according to an embodiment of the invention or a stage of such process. Such a program may be run by the CPU 2212 to cause the computer 2200 to perform certain operations associated with some or all of the blocks in the flowcharts and block diagrams described herein.

The computer 2200 according to this embodiment includes a CPU 2212, a RAM 2214, a graphic controller 2216, and a display device 2218, which are interconnected by a host controller 2210. The computer 2200 also includes input / output units such as a communication interface 2222, a hard disk drive 2224, a DVD-ROM drive 2226, and an IC card drive, which are connected to the host controller 2210 via the input / output controller 2220. There is. The computer also includes legacy input / output units such as the ROM 2230 and keyboard 2242, which are connected to the input / output controller 2220 via an input / output chip 2240.

The CPU 2212 operates according to the programs stored in the ROM 2230 and the RAM 2214, thereby controlling each unit. The graphic controller 2216 acquires the image data generated by the CPU 2212 in a frame buffer or the like provided in the RAM 2214 or itself so that the image data is displayed on the display device 2218.

The communication interface 2222 communicates with other electronic devices via the network. The hard disk drive 2224 stores programs and data used by the CPU 2212 in the computer 2200. The DVD-ROM drive 2226 reads the program or data from the DVD-ROM 2201 and provides the program or data to the hard disk drive 2224 via the RAM 2214. The IC card drive reads programs and data from the IC card and / or writes programs and data to the IC card.

The ROM 2230 contains a boot program or the like executed by the computer 2200 at the time of activation, and / or a program depending on the hardware of the computer 2200. The input / output chip 2240 may also connect various input / output units to the input / output controller 2220 via a parallel port, serial port, keyboard port, mouse port, and the like.

The program is provided by a computer-readable medium such as a DVD-ROM 2201 or an IC card. The program is read from a computer-readable medium, installed on a hard disk drive 2224, RAM 2214, or ROM 2230, which is also an example of a computer-readable medium, and executed by the CPU 2212. The information processing described in these programs is read by the computer 2200 and provides a link between the program and the various types of hardware resources described above. The device or method may be configured to perform manipulation or processing of information in accordance with the use of computer 2200.

For example, when communication is executed between the computer 2200 and an external device, the CPU 2212 executes a communication program loaded in the RAM 2214, and performs communication processing on the communication interface 2222 based on the processing described in the communication program. You may order. Under the control of the CPU 2212, the communication interface 2222 reads and reads transmission data stored in a transmission buffer processing area provided in a recording medium such as a RAM 2214, a hard disk drive 2224, a DVD-ROM 2201, or an IC card. The data is transmitted to the network, or the received data received from the network is written to the reception buffer processing area or the like provided on the recording medium.

Further, the CPU 2212 causes the RAM 2214 to read all or necessary parts of a file or database stored in an external recording medium such as a hard disk drive 2224, a DVD-ROM drive 2226 (DVD-ROM2201), or an IC card. Various types of processing may be performed on the data on the RAM 2214. The CPU 2212 then writes back the processed data to an external recording medium.

Various types of information, such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases, may be stored on recording media and processed. The CPU 2212 describes various types of operations, information processing, conditional judgment, conditional branching, unconditional branching, and information retrieval described in various parts of the present disclosure with respect to the data read from the RAM 2214. Various types of processing may be performed, including / replacement, etc., and the results are written back to RAM 2214. Further, the CPU 2212 may search for information in a file, a database, or the like in the recording medium. For example, when a plurality of entries each having an attribute value of the first attribute associated with the attribute value of the second attribute are stored in the recording medium, the CPU 2212 specifies the attribute value of the first attribute. Search for an entry that matches the condition from the plurality of entries, read the attribute value of the second attribute stored in the entry, and associate it with the first attribute that satisfies the predetermined condition. The attribute value of the second attribute obtained may be acquired.

The program or software module described above may be stored on or near a computer 2200 on a computer-readable medium. Also, a recording medium such as a hard disk or RAM provided in a dedicated communication network or a server system connected to the Internet can be used as a computer readable medium, thereby providing the program to the computer 2200 over the network. do.

Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is clear from the description of the claims that such modified or improved forms may also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

The order of execution of operations, procedures, steps, steps, etc. in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specification, and drawings is particularly "before" and "prior to". It should be noted that it can be realized in any order unless the output of the previous process is used in the subsequent process. Even if the scope of claims, the specification, and the operation flow in the drawings are explained using "first", "next", etc. for convenience, it means that it is essential to carry out in this order. It's not a thing.

10 vehicle management device, 30 automatic vehicle, 40, 42 user terminal, 50 first user, 52, 52A to 52C second user, 70 vehicle management system, 101 reception unit, 102 boarding information acquisition unit, 103 driving information acquisition unit, 104 Driving plan management unit, 105 output unit, 302 in-vehicle terminal, 304 communication unit, 306 driving plan storage unit, 310 automatic driving unit, 312 current location information acquisition unit, 314 boarding information acquisition unit, 402 communication unit, 404 input unit, 406 Display unit, 410 input screen, 1041 travel plan creation unit, 1042 travel plan storage unit, 1043 user information storage unit, 1044 stay time prediction unit, 1045 weighting table, 1051 charge information output unit, 1052 travel plan output unit, 1053 boarding availability Information output unit, 2200 computer, 2201 DVD-ROM, 2210 host controller, 2212 CPU, 2214 RAM, 2216 graphic controller, 2218 display device, 2220 input / output controller, 2222 communication interface, 2224 hard disk drive, 2226 DVD-ROM drive, 2230 ROM, 2240 input / output chip, 2242 keyboard

Claims (14)

A travel plan management unit that manages a travel plan including the first estimated time of arrival, which predicts the time when the first user will arrive at the destination of the vehicle on which the vehicle is boarded.
At the first point where the first user gets on the vehicle, a stay time prediction unit that predicts the first stay time for the vehicle to stay at the first point for the first user to get on the vehicle, and With
The travel plan management unit is a vehicle management device that predicts the first estimated time of arrival in consideration of the first stay time. The vehicle management device according to claim 1, wherein the stay time prediction unit predicts the first stay time by increasing or decreasing from a preset default stay time. The vehicle management device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the stay time prediction unit predicts the first stay time based on the traffic condition at the first point. The vehicle management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the stay time prediction unit predicts the first stay time based on signal information in the vicinity of the first point. The vehicle management device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the stay time prediction unit predicts the first stay time based on the presence / absence of a railroad crossing in the vicinity of the first point and the opening / closing state. The vehicle management device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the stay time prediction unit predicts the first stay time based on the attributes and the number of people of the first user. The vehicle management device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the stay time prediction unit predicts the first stay time based on the weather information of the first point. The vehicle management device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the stay time prediction unit predicts the first stay time based on the amount of luggage possessed by the first user. The vehicle management device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first stay time is a time when the vehicle stops. The vehicle management device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first stay time is a time including a time when the vehicle stops and a time when the vehicle travels at a predetermined speed or less. The travel plan management unit manages the travel plan including the second user synergizing with the first user and the vehicle.
The stay time prediction unit further increases the second stay time at which the vehicle stays at the second point in order for the second user to board the vehicle at the second point where the second user gets on the vehicle. Predict and
The vehicle management device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the travel plan management unit predicts the first estimated time of arrival in consideration of the second stay time. The vehicle management device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the vehicle is an automatic vehicle that automatically drives. A travel plan management stage that manages a travel plan including the first estimated time of arrival, which predicts the time when the first user will arrive at the destination of the vehicle on which the vehicle is boarded.
At the first point where the first user gets on the vehicle, a stay time prediction stage for predicting the first stay time for the vehicle to stay at the first point for the first user to get on the vehicle, and With
The travel plan management stage is a vehicle management method for predicting the first estimated time of arrival in consideration of the first stay time. On the computer
A travel plan management stage that manages a travel plan including the first estimated time of arrival, which predicts the time when the first user will arrive at the destination of the vehicle on which the vehicle is boarded.
At the first point where the first user gets on the vehicle, a stay time prediction stage for predicting the first stay time for the vehicle to stay at the first point for the first user to get on the vehicle, and It is a vehicle management program to execute
The travel plan management stage is a vehicle management program that predicts the first estimated time of arrival in consideration of the first stay time.

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