JP2023118775A - Ride-hailing service management device, ride-hailing service management method, and ride-hailing service management system - Google Patents

Abstract

To mitigate a load a user incurs at a time of requesting a ride-hailing service.SOLUTION: A ride-hailing service management device 1 includes a request acquisition unit 132 that acquires a ride-hailing service request for a taxicab and a user's ride position from a user terminal 2 of a user who requests a ride-hailing service for a taxicab, a condition specification unit 131 that detects an unoccupied taxicab and the position of the unoccupied taxicab, a demand transmission unit 133 that transmits a ride-hailing service demand to the unoccupied taxicab located within a search range for an unoccupied vehicle that is a predetermined range from the user's ride position, and a setting unit 134 that, when a predetermined condition is met, sets the operation mode of the demand transmission unit 133, in which the request acquisition unit 132 has acquired a ride-hailing service request from the user terminal 2, to an unoccupied vehicle wait mode. When the operation mode is set to the unoccupied vehicle wait mode, compared with when the operation mode is not set to the unoccupied vehicle wait mode, the demand transmission unit 133 continues transmission of a ride-hailing service demand over a longer period of time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle allocation management device, a vehicle allocation management method, and a vehicle allocation management system for managing taxi allocation.

Conventionally, a system for managing taxi dispatch is known. For example, in Patent Document 1, a taxi status indicating whether or not the taxi is vacant and position information of the taxi are managed. Systems have been proposed for searching and notifying users of search results.

JP 2011-248848 A

In the system disclosed in Patent Document 1, if there are no available taxis around the user's current position, the user needs to search for an available taxi again or directly search for an available taxi. It was a burden.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of these points, and an object of the present invention is to reduce the burden on the user when requesting a vehicle allocation.

A vehicle allocation management apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a request acquisition unit that acquires a vehicle allocation request and a boarding position of the user from a terminal of a user requesting allocation of a vehicle for transporting the user; An empty vehicle detection unit for detecting an empty vehicle and the position of the empty vehicle, and a request for transmitting a dispatch request to an empty vehicle located within the empty vehicle search range which is within a predetermined range from the boarding position. a transmission unit, and a setting unit that sets an operation mode of the request transmission unit to an empty vehicle waiting mode when the request acquisition unit acquires the vehicle allocation request from the terminal when a predetermined condition is satisfied; When the operation mode is set to the vacant vehicle waiting mode, the transmission unit continues transmitting the vehicle allocation request for a longer period than when the operation mode is not set to the vacant vehicle waiting mode.

When at least a part of the search ranges corresponding to a plurality of users who are set to an empty waiting mode overlap, the request transmitting section detects an empty parking space within the overlapping search ranges. Alternatively, a request for dispatching a vehicle to a user for whom the waiting-for-vacation mode has been set relatively early may be sent to the vacant vehicle.

The request transmission unit sets the waiting mode for a first user, and does not set the waiting mode for a second user whose search range at least partially overlaps with the first user. In this case, when the empty vehicle detection unit detects an empty vehicle within the overlapping search range, a vehicle allocation request to the first user may be transmitted to the empty vehicle.

The setting unit receives an instruction to set the vehicle waiting mode from the terminal of the user, thereby setting the operation mode to the vehicle waiting mode when the request acquisition unit acquires the vehicle allocation request from the user. may

The vehicle allocation management device further includes a billing unit that charges the user for setting the vehicle waiting mode when the setting unit receives an instruction to set the vehicle waiting mode from the user's terminal. may
The setting unit may determine the charge corresponding to the setting of the waiting mode based on the supply amount of the vehicle with respect to the amount of the vehicle allocation request in the area to which the user belongs.

The setting unit sets the operation mode corresponding to the user without receiving a setting instruction from the user when the supply amount of the vehicle with respect to the amount of the vehicle allocation request in the area to which the user belongs is equal to or greater than a first amount. may be set to the vacant waiting mode.

When the request acquisition unit acquires the vehicle allocation request from the user's terminal, the setting unit sets the operation mode corresponding to other users within the search range corresponding to the user to a vehicle waiting mode. When the operation mode corresponding to the user is displayed on the terminal of the user, a setting screen for accepting the setting of the idle waiting mode is displayed, and an instruction to set the idle waiting mode is received via the setting screen. may be set to the vacant waiting mode.

The request acquisition unit determines whether the operation mode is set to the idle waiting mode based on the number of users who have set the idle waiting mode and the supply amount of vehicles located within the search range corresponding to the boarding position of the user. An estimated vehicle confirmation time, which is an estimated time from when the mode is set to when the vehicle is confirmed, may be calculated, and the calculated estimated vehicle confirmation time may be displayed on the terminal.

When the vehicle is confirmed, the request acquisition unit calculates an estimated arrival time until the vehicle arrives at the boarding position based on the amount of supply of the vehicle with respect to the amount of the vehicle allocation request in a predetermined range including the boarding position. The calculated expected time of arrival may be displayed on the terminal.

When an empty vehicle that has accepted the dispatch request transmitted by the request transmitting unit is found, the request acquisition unit replaces the expected arrival time with an estimated arrival time calculated based on the position of the empty vehicle. may be displayed on the terminal.

A vehicle allocation management method according to a second aspect of the present invention acquires a vehicle allocation request and a boarding position of the user from a terminal of a user requesting allocation of a vehicle for transporting the user, which is executed by a computer. detecting an empty vehicle and the position of the empty vehicle; and transmitting a dispatch request to an empty vehicle located within the empty search range within a predetermined range from the boarding position. and setting the operation mode of the computer to an empty vehicle waiting mode in the step of transmitting the vehicle allocation request when the vehicle allocation request is obtained from the terminal when a predetermined condition is satisfied, wherein the vehicle allocation request is provided. in the step of transmitting, when the operation mode is set to the idle vehicle waiting mode, the computer determines whether the vehicle allocation request is received for a longer period than when the operation mode is not set to the idle vehicle waiting mode. Continue sending.

A vehicle allocation management system according to a second aspect of the present invention is a vehicle allocation management system comprising a terminal of the user for requesting allocation of a vehicle for transporting the user, and a vehicle allocation management device, wherein the terminal receives a request from the user. a vehicle allocation request unit that receives a boarding position and transmits the boarding position and a request for allocation of the vehicle to the boarding position to the vehicle allocation management device, wherein the vehicle allocation management device receives the vehicle allocation from the terminal; A request acquisition unit that acquires a request and the boarding position of the user; an empty vehicle detection unit that detects an empty vehicle and the position of the empty vehicle; and a search for the empty vehicle within a predetermined range from the boarding position. A request transmission unit that transmits a vehicle allocation request to an empty vehicle located within a range, and an operation mode of the request transmission unit when the request acquisition unit acquires the vehicle allocation request from the terminal when a predetermined condition is satisfied and a setting unit that sets the operation mode to the idle vehicle waiting mode, and the request transmission unit is configured to set the operation mode to the idle vehicle waiting mode when the operation mode is not set to the idle vehicle waiting mode. The transmission of the vehicle allocation request is continued for a longer period than .

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it is effective in the ability to reduce the burden on a user when requesting dispatch.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a figure for demonstrating the outline|summary of the dispatch management system which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the dispatch management apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the taxi information which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the user terminal which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the boarding position reception screen which concerns on this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a vehicle allocation request reception screen according to the embodiment; It is a figure which shows an example of the setting screen of the empty waiting mode which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the empty waiting information which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the waiting-for-vacation screen which concerns on this embodiment. 4 is a flow chart showing the flow of processing in the vehicle allocation management device according to the embodiment;

[Overview of Vehicle Allocation Management System]
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an outline of a vehicle allocation management system according to this embodiment. The vehicle allocation management system is a system for managing taxi allocation, and includes a vehicle allocation management device 1 , a user terminal 2 , and a crew terminal 3 . The dispatch management system may include other devices such as servers and terminals.

The dispatch management apparatus 1 is a computer such as a server that manages dispatch of taxis. The vehicle allocation management device 1 receives a vehicle allocation request from a user, selects a vehicle that can be allocated in response to the vehicle allocation request, and issues a vehicle allocation request. The dispatch management device 1 is connected to a plurality of user terminals 2 and a plurality of crew terminals 3 via a communication network such as the Internet.

The user terminal 2 is an information terminal such as a smart phone or a tablet terminal used by a user (also referred to as a passenger or passenger) who uses a taxi. The user terminal 2 has a display unit such as a liquid crystal display capable of displaying information, and an operation unit such as a touch panel capable of accepting human operations. The user terminal 2 is installed with a taxi dispatch application that accepts input of taxi dispatch conditions from the user.

The crew terminal 3 is an information terminal such as a smart phone or a tablet terminal used by a taxi crew (also referred to as a driver), and is provided for each taxi. The crew terminal 3 may be a device integrated with the vehicle, such as a car navigation system. The crew terminal 3 has a display unit such as a liquid crystal display capable of displaying information, and an operation unit such as a touch panel capable of accepting human operations. The crew terminal 3 is installed with a crew application for displaying a vehicle allocation request to the crew and accepting approval for vehicle allocation from the crew.

An outline of processing executed by the vehicle allocation management system according to the present embodiment will be described below. The user terminal 2 executes the dispatch application, and transmits a dispatch request for requesting dispatch of a taxi to the dispatch management apparatus 1 according to the user's operation.

The vehicle allocation management device 1 receives a vehicle allocation request from the user terminal 2 . The vehicle allocation management device 1 has a normal mode and an empty vehicle waiting mode as operation modes for the vehicle allocation request function. The normal mode is an operation mode in which dispatch requests are continuously transmitted for a first period (for example, 1 minute and 30 seconds).

During the operation in the normal operation mode, the dispatch management device 1, if no vacant taxi is found during the first period, or if approval for dispatch is not obtained from the vacant taxi within the first period, the dispatch management device 1 To change the operation mode of a requesting function from a normal mode to an empty waiting mode. The idle waiting mode is an operation mode in which the transmission of the dispatch request is continued for a longer period (that is, the second period longer than the first period) when the idle waiting mode is not set.

For example, when the dispatch management device 1 does not obtain approval for dispatch from an empty taxi within the first hour, it displays on the user terminal 2 information recommending switching to the waiting-for-empty mode, so that the user can wait for an empty taxi. It switches to the waiting mode according to the operation for switching to the mode. The dispatch management device 1 continues to transmit a delivery request to an unoccupied taxi during the operation in the waiting-for-empty mode until approval for the dispatch request is obtained, and when approval for dispatch is obtained from the unoccupied taxi. A dispatch instruction is issued to an empty taxi. By operating the vehicle allocation management device 1 in this manner, the user does not need to search for a taxi by using other means when an empty taxi cannot be arranged in the normal mode. It is possible to reduce the burden on the user when requesting vehicle dispatch.

[Configuration of Vehicle Allocation Management Device 1]
Next, the configuration of the vehicle allocation management device 1 will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle allocation management device 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2 , the vehicle allocation management device 1 includes a communication section 11 , a storage section 12 and a control section 13 . Control unit 13 includes state identification unit 131 , request acquisition unit 132 , request transmission unit 133 , setting unit 134 , billing unit 135 , and dispatch instruction unit 136 .

The communication unit 11 is a communication interface for communicating with the user terminal 2 and the crew terminal 3 via a communication network such as the Internet.
The storage unit 12 is a storage medium including ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. The storage unit 12 stores programs executed by the control unit 13 . For example, the storage unit 12 stores a dispatch request program that causes the control unit 13 to function as the state identification unit 131 , the request acquisition unit 132 , the request transmission unit 133 , the setting unit 134 and the charging unit 135 .

The storage unit 12 also stores taxi information that associates vehicle identification information that identifies a taxi, vehicle position information that indicates the position of the taxi, and state information that indicates the state of the taxi. The vehicle location information is, for example, information indicating the longitude and latitude at which the taxi is located. The status information also includes "empty vehicle", "dispatched vehicle", and "actual vehicle". Note that the status information may be, for example, code information combining numbers and symbols.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of taxi information according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, it can be confirmed that vehicle identification information, vehicle position information, and state information are associated with each of a plurality of taxis. In the present embodiment, the taxi information is classified by region, and the dispatch management device 1 determines the region based on the boarding position of the user, and refers to the taxi information corresponding to the region. .

The control unit 13 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 13 functions as a state identification unit 131, a request acquisition unit 132, a request transmission unit 133, a setting unit 134, a charging unit 135, and a vehicle allocation instructing unit 136 by executing the vehicle allocation management program stored in the storage unit 12. do.

The state identification unit 131 manages the state of each of the plurality of taxis by updating the taxi information stored in the storage unit 12 . Specifically, the state identification unit 131 receives taxi information from each of the plurality of crew terminals 3 and identifies vehicle identification information included in the received taxi information. For example, the state identification unit 131 functions as a vacant vehicle detection unit that detects vacant taxis, and by receiving taxi information, identifies taxis whose state information included in the taxi information is 'vacant' and the positions of the vacant taxis. to detect The state identification unit 131 updates the vehicle position information and state information associated with the identified vehicle identification information in the storage unit 12 to the vehicle position information and state information included in the received taxi information. This keeps the taxi information always up-to-date.

Details of the functions of the request acquisition unit 132, the request transmission unit 133, the setting unit 134, the billing unit 135, and the dispatch instruction unit 136 will be described later.

[Configuration of user terminal 2]
Next, the configuration of the user terminal 2 will be explained. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the user terminal 2 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4 , the user terminal 2 includes a communication section 21 , an operation section 22 , a display section 23 , a storage section 24 and a control section 25 .

The communication unit 21 is a communication interface for communicating with the vehicle allocation management device 1 via a communication network such as the Internet.
The operation unit 22 is, for example, a touch panel superimposed on the display unit 23 and receives operation input from the user.
The display unit 23 is configured by, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. The display unit 23 displays various information under the control of the control unit 25 .

The storage unit 24 is a storage medium including ROM, RAM, and the like. The storage unit 24 stores programs executed by the control unit 25 . For example, the storage unit 24 stores a passenger program that causes the control unit 25 to function as the dispatch request unit 251 .

The control unit 25 is, for example, a CPU. The control unit 25 functions as a dispatch requesting unit 251 by executing the passenger program stored in the storage unit 24 .

[Details of control unit]
Next, the details of the request acquisition unit 132, the request transmission unit 133, the setting unit 134, and the billing unit 135 included in the control unit 13 and the dispatch request unit 251 included in the control unit 25 will be described.

The dispatch requesting unit 251 receives a taxi boarding position from the user of the user terminal 2, and transmits dispatch request information including boarding position information indicating the boarding position to the dispatch management device 1, thereby requesting a taxi to the boarding position. make a dispatch request for The request acquisition unit 132 acquires the taxi allocation request and the user's boarding position by receiving the allocation request information from the user terminal 2 .

When the vehicle allocation request unit 251 receives a vehicle allocation request start operation from the user on the operation unit 22, the display unit 23 displays a boarding position reception screen for receiving the user's boarding position and a vehicle allocation request reception screen for receiving the vehicle allocation request. The boarding position and dispatch request are accepted through the screen. The request acquisition unit 132 acquires the taxi allocation request and the user's boarding position in response to the operation of the vehicle allocation request on the vehicle allocation request reception screen.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a boarding position reception screen according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5A, the boarding position acceptance screen displays a map of the vicinity of the position P of the user terminal 2 and a boarding position determination button B1 for determining the boarding position. When receiving the boarding position of the user on the map, the dispatch requesting unit 251 displays a mark M indicating the boarding position on the map as shown in FIG. Send to the management device 1 .

When the request acquisition unit 132 of the vehicle allocation management device 1 acquires the boarding position information via the boarding position reception screen, the estimated arrival time, which is the time required from the acquisition of the dispatch request until the empty taxi arrives at the boarding position. Calculate

The request acquisition unit 132 calculates the expected arrival time based on the amount of taxis supplied with respect to the amount of dispatch requests in a predetermined range including the boarding position. For example, an area to which the vehicle allocation management device 1 transmits a vehicle allocation request is divided into 1 km square mesh areas (a plurality of predetermined areas), and the request acquisition unit 132 obtains a plurality of mesh areas for each of the mesh areas. Relationship information is generated that indicates the relationship between the estimated time of arrival and the statistical value of the supply and demand balance of taxis, which indicates the amount of available taxis in relation to the amount of dispatch requests in each time zone. Then, the request acquisition unit 132 identifies the demand-supply balance value corresponding to the current time in the mesh including the boarding position, refers to the relationship information, and identifies the expected arrival time corresponding to the identified demand-supply balance value. By doing so, the vehicle allocation management device 1 can accurately calculate the current expected arrival time for the user's boarding position.

The request acquisition unit 132 notifies the user terminal 2 of the calculated expected arrival time, thereby causing the user terminal 2 to display the expected arrival time. The vehicle allocation request unit 251 displays the expected arrival time notified from the vehicle allocation management device 1 on the boarding position reception screen, as shown in FIG. 5(b).

When the boarding position determination button B1 is pressed, the vehicle allocation request unit 251 displays a vehicle allocation request reception screen on the display unit 23 and receives a vehicle allocation request from the user. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a dispatch request reception screen according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the dispatch request reception screen displays a position P of the user terminal 2, a mark M indicating the taxi boarding position, and a dispatch request reception button B2 for accepting a taxi dispatch request. When the dispatch request acceptance button B2 is pressed, the dispatch request unit 251 sends dispatch request information including the taxi boarding position and the user identification information for identifying the user and indicating a request for taxi dispatch to the dispatch management device. Send to 1. The request acquisition unit 132 acquires the taxi allocation request and the user's boarding position by receiving the allocation request information from the user terminal 2 .

Here, the user identification information is, for example, the name of the user. The user identification information is notified to the taxi driver when the dispatch request is made. Note that the user identification information is not limited to the name, and may also include information such as age and sex for the taxi driver to identify the user of the user terminal 2 .

The request transmission unit 133 transmits a dispatch request to an empty taxi located within a search range for an empty vehicle within a predetermined range from the boarding position acquired by the request acquisition unit 132 . When the request acquisition unit 132 acquires the vehicle allocation request information, the request transmission unit 133 first operates in the normal mode. Specifically, when the request transmitting unit 133 operates in the normal mode, the request transmitting unit 133 refers to the taxi information stored in the storage unit 12, and determines that the status information is “vacant” and the boarding information acquired by the request acquiring unit 132. A taxi whose vehicle position information is located within a search range for empty taxis, which is a circular area within a predetermined distance from the position, is specified.

When the request transmission unit 133 operates in the normal mode and detects an empty vehicle located within the search range for an empty vehicle within the first time period, the request transmission unit 133 transmits a dispatch request to the empty taxi. When a plurality of taxis are located within the search range for empty taxis corresponding to the boarding position acquired by the request acquiring unit 132, the request transmitting unit 133 transmits a dispatch request to the taxi closest to the boarding position. The request transmission unit 133 transmits a dispatch request including the user's boarding position and user identification information to the crew terminal 3 used by the taxi crew. Here, the request transmission unit 133 may notify the crew terminal 3 of the optimum route from the location of the taxi to the user's boarding location.

After the request transmission unit 133 transmits the dispatch request to the empty taxi, the crew terminal 3 of the empty taxi receives from the taxi crew whether or not to approve the dispatch corresponding to the dispatch request. When the crew terminal 3 accepts the approval of the vehicle allocation, the crew terminal 3 transmits the approval information indicating that the vehicle allocation has been accepted. When the dispatch instruction unit 136 receives the consent information from the crew terminal 3 of the empty taxi, it transmits a dispatch instruction to the crew terminal 3 .

By the way, in the conventional technology, if no empty taxi located within the empty taxi search range is detected within the first time period, or if a dispatch request is sent to one or more empty taxis within the first time period, these empty taxis are detected. When consent information is not received from the taxi, information indicating that the dispatch request could not be transmitted to the taxi is displayed on the user terminal 2, and the dispatch request is reacquired from the user terminal 2.例文帳に追加On the other hand, in the vehicle allocation management device 1 according to the present embodiment, the setting unit 134 enables the operation mode to be changed from the normal mode to the vacant waiting mode, so that the request transmitting unit 133 does not set the vacant waiting mode. Continue sending dispatch requests for a longer period of time than usual.

The request transmission unit 133 continues transmitting the dispatch request for a longer period when the operation mode is set to the vacant vehicle waiting mode than when the operation mode is not set to the vacant vehicle waiting mode. When the operation mode is set to the vacant taxi waiting mode, the request transmitting unit 133 transmits the vacant taxi request to the vacant taxi even after the lapse of the first time from the acquisition of the vacant taxi request. A vehicle allocation request is transmitted in response to detection of an empty vehicle over a longer period than when the waiting mode is not set.
Processing related to the setting of the vacant waiting mode will be described below.

When the predetermined condition is satisfied, the setting unit 134 sets the operation mode of the request transmitting unit 133 when the request acquiring unit 132 acquires a dispatch request from the user to the vehicle waiting mode. Specifically, first, the request acquisition unit 132 detects that no empty car located within the empty car search range has been detected within the first time period, or the request transmission unit 133 detects one or more empty car A dispatch request is transmitted to a taxi, and on the condition that consent information is not received from these vacant taxis, the user terminal 2 is caused to display an empty waiting mode setting screen. The request acquisition unit 132 causes the user terminal 2 to display the setting screen for the waiting mode by transmitting instruction information to the user terminal 2 to display a setting screen for receiving the setting of the waiting mode from the user. .

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen for an empty waiting mode according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, the setting screen for the waiting mode displays a message "Would you like to set the waiting mode?" In the example shown in FIG. 7, the message "Would you like to set the waiting mode?" For example, words different from the name of the system, mechanism, service, etc., such as "Would you like to make a priority vehicle allocation request?" and "Would you like to wait for vehicle allocation?"

The request acquisition unit 132 displays on the user terminal 2 a setup screen for the waiting-for-vacation mode, which includes the expected vehicle confirmation time, which is the expected time from when the operation mode is set to the waiting-for-vacation mode to when the taxi that transmits the dispatch request is confirmed. Let For example, the request acquisition unit 132 sets the operation mode to the idle waiting mode based on the number of users who have set the idle waiting mode and who are located within the search range corresponding to the boarding position of the user and the amount of taxis supplied. A vehicle determination expected time is calculated, which is an estimated time from when the taxi is sent until the taxi that transmits the dispatch request is determined.

For example, an area to which the vehicle allocation management device 1 transmits a vehicle allocation request is divided into 1 km square mesh areas (a plurality of predetermined areas), and the request acquisition unit 132 obtains a plurality of mesh areas for each of the mesh areas. Generate relational information indicating the relationship between the number of users who have set the waiting mode for each time period, the statistical value of the supply and demand balance of taxis that indicates the supply of empty taxis, and the estimated time to confirm the vehicle. do. Then, the request acquisition unit 132 identifies the demand-supply balance value corresponding to the current time in the mesh that includes the boarding position, refers to the relationship information, and determines the identified demand-supply balance value and the number of users who have set the waiting mode. Identify the expected vehicle confirmation time corresponding to .

After calculating the estimated vehicle confirmation time, the request acquisition unit 132 includes the estimated vehicle confirmation time in the instruction information for displaying the setting screen for the waiting-for-vacation mode. The vehicle allocation requesting unit 251 of the user terminal 2 displays the estimated vehicle confirmation time included in the instruction information on the setting screen of the vehicle waiting mode. In FIG. 7, it can be confirmed that "Can be arranged in about 10 to 15 minutes." By doing so, the vehicle allocation management device 1 can allow the user to grasp the estimated vehicle confirmation time. By confirming the expected vehicle fixed time displayed on the user terminal 2, the user can decide whether to continue the request for dispatch or to search for a taxi by other means.

When the setting acceptance button B3 is pressed, the dispatch requesting unit 251 sends a setting request for waiting mode, including the taxi boarding position, the user identification information, and the terminal identification information for identifying the user terminal 2, to the dispatch management device. Send to 1. Here, the terminal identification information is, for example, character string information specific to the user terminal 2, which is set when installing the passenger application.

The request acquisition unit 132 receives a setting request for the waiting mode from the user terminal 2 . Upon receiving the setting request for the idle waiting mode, the request acquiring unit 132 instructs the setting unit 134 to set the idle waiting mode. The setting unit 134 receives a request for setting the vehicle waiting mode from the user terminal 2, and sets the operation mode to the vehicle waiting mode when the request acquisition unit 132 acquires a vehicle allocation request from the user. Specifically, when the request acquisition unit 132 receives the setting request for the idle waiting mode, the setting unit 134 sets the set time, which is the time when the request for setting the idle waiting mode is received, and the user who set the idle waiting mode. user identification information, terminal identification information for identifying the user terminal 2, and boarding position information indicating the boarding position are associated with each other and stored in the storage unit 12 as vacant waiting information. Here, the boarding position information is, for example, information indicating longitude and latitude.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of vacant waiting information according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, it can be confirmed that the setting time of the empty waiting mode, the boarding position of the user set in the waiting for empty mode, the user identification information of the user, and the terminal identification information of the user terminal 2 are associated.

Note that the request acquisition unit 132 causes the user terminal 2 to display a waiting-for-vacation screen including the estimated time for confirming the vehicle when the operation mode corresponding to the user is set to the waiting-for-vacancy mode. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of an empty car waiting screen according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 9, it can be confirmed that the elapsed time since the operation mode corresponding to the user was set to the idle waiting mode is displayed together with the estimated vehicle confirmation time. By displaying the estimated vehicle fixed time, the user can easily grasp how long it will take for the taxi to be assigned.

After that, the request acquisition unit 132 finds an empty taxi that has accepted the dispatch request transmitted by the request transmission unit 133, and when the taxi is confirmed to be dispatched in response to the dispatch request, the estimated arrival time Alternatively, the user terminal 2 is caused to display the estimated time of arrival of the taxi calculated based on the position of the empty vehicle and the user's boarding position instead of the confirmed estimated time of the vehicle. This allows the user to easily grasp how long it will take for the taxi to arrive.

Further, the setting unit 134 may set the taxi waiting mode for a fee when the demand-supply balance of taxis is tight in the region to which the user belongs. The example shown in FIG. 7 shows a setting screen when the supply and demand balance of taxis is tight in the region to which the user belongs. ” is displayed.

Here, it is assumed that the setting fee for the waiting mode when the supply and demand balance of taxis is tight in the area to which the user belongs is a predetermined fixed fee. The fare corresponding to the setting of the waiting mode may be determined based on the supply amount of vehicles with respect to the amount of dispatch requests in , that is, the supply and demand balance of taxis. For example, a charge is determined in advance for the ratio of the amount of vehicles supplied to the amount of vehicle allocation requests in the region to which the user belongs. Then, the setting unit 134 determines the charge corresponding to the setting of the waiting mode based on the ratio of the supply amount of vehicles to the amount of the vehicle allocation request at the time when the request acquisition unit 132 acquires the vehicle allocation request. The request acquisition unit 132 includes the fee in the instruction information for displaying the setting screen of the waiting-for-vacation mode. The vehicle allocation request unit 251 of the user terminal 2 displays the charge included in the instruction information on the setting screen of the vehicle waiting mode. By doing so, the dispatch management device 1 can flexibly set the fare for the waiting mode in accordance with the supply and demand balance of taxis.

Next, a detailed description will be given of the process of transmitting a dispatch request by the request transmitting unit 133. FIG. The request transmission unit 133 sets the waiting mode for the first user and does not set the waiting mode for the second user whose search range at least partially overlaps with the first user. When an empty vehicle is detected within the overlapping search range between the user and the second user, a vehicle allocation request for the first user is transmitted to the empty vehicle. That is, when the waiting mode for the first user is set to the waiting mode for the first user and the waiting mode for the second user whose search range overlaps at least a part of the first user, the request transmission unit 133 does not set the waiting mode for the first user. Priority is given to the first user, and a dispatch request corresponding to the first user is transmitted to an empty taxi. By doing so, even if an empty car is detected in the overlapping search range between the first user and the second user at the moment when the second user makes the dispatch request, the first user A dispatch request can be sent to the vacant taxi in response to the request.

Further, when at least a part of search ranges corresponding to a plurality of users who are set to the vacant waiting mode overlap, the request transmitting unit 133 detects a vacant car within the overlapping search range among the plurality of users. Then, a request for dispatching a vehicle to the user whose time is set to the waiting-for-vacation mode relatively early may be transmitted to the vehicle of the vacant vehicle. Specifically, the request transmission unit 133 refers to the taxi information stored in the storage unit 12 and the boarding position included in the waiting-for-vacation information, and searches for an available taxi search range in order from the user with the earliest set time. Then, it is determined whether or not there is a taxi whose status information is "vacant". The request transmission unit 133, when an empty vehicle located within the search range for an empty vehicle is detected, transmits a dispatch request to the empty taxi. By doing so, the vehicle allocation management device 1 can fairly transmit a vehicle allocation request based on the set time when an empty taxi is detected within a search range that overlaps among a plurality of users. .

[Another example of setting to vacant waiting mode]
In the example described above, the setting unit 134 sets the operation mode to the idle waiting mode when the request acquiring unit 132 acquires a dispatch request from the user by accepting a setting request for the idle waiting mode via the setting screen. However, the condition for setting the vehicle waiting mode is not limited to this. The setting unit 134, when the supply of taxis to the amount of dispatch requests in the area to which the user belongs is less than the first amount, that is, on the condition that the supply and demand balance of taxis is tight, waits for an empty taxi from the user terminal 2. A mode setting instruction may be received.

Further, when the supply and demand balance of taxis is not tight, the setting unit 134 sets the operation mode in the case of acquiring a request for dispatching to the waiting mode without accepting the setting request of the waiting mode from the user terminal 2. may By doing so, the user can wait for the vehicle allocation without performing an operation to set the vehicle waiting mode even after the first period or more has passed since the vehicle allocation request.

In addition, the setting unit 134 determines that no empty taxi is detected within the first time after the request acquisition unit 132 acquires the dispatch request from the user terminal 2, or that an approval for dispatch cannot be obtained from an empty taxi. Although the setting of the waiting mode is performed via the setting screen for accepting the setting of the waiting mode under the condition, the setting is not limited to this. When the operation mode corresponding to another user within the search range corresponding to the user is set to the vehicle waiting mode, the setting unit 134 sends the user The terminal 2 may be caused to display a setting screen for receiving the setting of the waiting mode. By doing so, the vehicle allocation management device 1 can allocate a vehicle with priority over a user who has set the vehicle waiting mode.

[Billing when using waiting mode]
When receiving an instruction to set the idle waiting mode from the user terminal 2, the billing unit 135 charges the user for setting the idle waiting mode. For example, the billing unit 135 notifies the fare corresponding to the waiting mode to the crew terminal 3 of the vacant taxi that transmitted the dispatch request, so that the fare corresponding to the setting of the waiting mode can be collected at the time of payment of the fare. to Note that if the user has registered credit card information and the like in the vehicle allocation application, the billing unit 135 may bill the user for the fee corresponding to the setting of the waiting-for-empty mode using the credit card information. good.

[Flow of processing in vehicle allocation management device 1]
Next, the flow of processing in the vehicle allocation management device 1 will be described. FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing the flow of processing in the vehicle allocation management device 1 according to this embodiment. In parallel with the processing in this flowchart, the taxi information stored in the storage unit 12 is updated by the state identification unit 131, and the taxi information is always kept up-to-date. .

First, the request acquisition unit 132 acquires a taxi dispatch request from the user terminal 2 (S1).
Subsequently, the request transmitting unit 133 determines whether or not an empty taxi exists within a predetermined range from the boarding position acquired together with the dispatch request by the request acquiring unit 132 (S2). If the request transmitting unit 133 determines that there is an empty taxi, the process moves to S3, and if it determines that there is no empty taxi, the process moves to S6.

In S3, the request transmission unit 133 transmits a dispatch request to an empty taxi. Subsequently, the request transmission unit 133 determines whether or not the driver terminal 3 of the empty taxi that has transmitted the dispatch request has consented to dispatch (S4). If the request transmission unit 133 determines that the vehicle allocation has been approved, the process proceeds to S5, and if it determines that the vehicle allocation has not been approved, the process proceeds to S6.

In S5, the vehicle allocation instruction unit 136 transmits a vehicle allocation instruction to the crew terminal 3 of the empty taxi that has accepted the vehicle allocation.
In S6, the request transmission unit 133 determines whether or not the first period has passed since the request acquisition unit 132 acquired the vehicle allocation request. If the request transmission unit 133 determines that the first period has passed, the process moves to S7, and if it determines that the first period has not passed, the process moves to S2.

In S7, the request acquisition unit 132 causes the user terminal 2 to display a setting screen for the waiting mode. Subsequently, the request acquisition unit 132 determines whether or not a request for setting the waiting-for-empty mode has been acquired from the user terminal 2 within a predetermined period (S8). When the request acquisition unit 132 determines that the setting request for the idle waiting mode has been acquired, the process proceeds to S9, and if it determines that the setting request for the idle waiting mode has not been acquired, the process related to this flowchart is terminated.

In S9, the setting unit 134 sets the operation mode of the request transmitting unit 133 when the request acquiring unit 132 acquires a dispatch request from the user to the waiting mode.
After that, the request transmission unit 133 determines whether or not there is an empty taxi within the search range of an empty taxi within a predetermined range from the boarding position of the user (S10). If the request transmission unit 133 determines that there is an empty taxi, the process proceeds to S11, and if it determines that there is no empty taxi, the request transmission unit 133 re-executes S10.

In S11, the request transmission unit 133 transmits a dispatch request to an empty taxi. Subsequently, the request transmission unit 133 determines whether or not the driver terminal 3 of the empty taxi that has transmitted the dispatch request has consented to dispatch (S12). If the request transmission unit 133 determines that the vehicle allocation has been approved, the process proceeds to S13, and if it determines that the vehicle allocation has not been approved, the process proceeds to S10.
In S13, the vehicle allocation instruction unit 136 transmits a vehicle allocation instruction to the crew terminals 3 of the empty taxis that have approved the vehicle allocation.

[Modification]
In the above-described embodiment, the description has been given on the premise that taxis are running in the area to which the user belongs, but the present invention is not limited to this. The request acquisition unit 132 may accept the setting of the waiting-for-availability mode for a fee or free of charge when there is no available taxi in the area to which the user belongs. In this case, the setting unit 134 may cause the storage unit 12 to store the vacant waiting information in response to receiving the setting of the vacant waiting mode. Then, when an empty taxi is detected in the area to which the user belongs, the request transmission unit 133 refers to the waiting information stored in the storage unit 12, and selects the set taxi among the users existing in the area. An empty taxi may be instructed to dispatch a taxi corresponding to the user with the earliest time. By doing so, the user can wait for a taxi to be dispatched without performing multiple operations when taxis are not running in the area to which the user belongs.

Further, when the request acquisition unit 132 acquires boarding position information via the boarding position reception screen, the request acquisition unit 132 calculates the expected arrival time based on the amount of taxis supplied with respect to the amount of dispatch requests in a predetermined range including the boarding position. is not limited to The request acquisition unit 132 sets the taxi information stored in the storage unit 12, the boarding position indicated by the boarding position information, and the waiting mode in which the taxi is located within the search range corresponding to the boarding position indicated by the boarding position information. The estimated time of arrival may be calculated based on the number of users present. By doing so, it is possible to accurately calculate the expected arrival time in consideration of the number of users who have set the waiting mode.

Further, when the estimated time until the taxi is arranged for an empty taxi exceeds the second threshold value, the request acquisition unit 132 determines that the taxi allocation is not established, and sets the user terminal 2 to the waiting-for-vacation mode. The setting screen may not be displayed. In this case, the request acquisition unit 132 controls not to transmit to the user terminal 2 the instruction information for displaying the setting screen of the waiting-for-vacation mode when the estimated vehicle confirmation time exceeds the second threshold.

Alternatively, the setting unit 134 may accept cancellation of the setting of the empty car waiting mode after accepting the setting of the empty car waiting mode. For example, the setting unit 134 accepts cancellation of the setting of the waiting-for-empty mode free of charge from the time the setting for the waiting-for-empty mode is accepted until the dispatch request corresponding to the waiting-for-available taxi is transmitted to an empty taxi. Further, the request acquisition unit 132 accepts cancellation of the setting of the idle waiting mode for a fee after the dispatch request is issued to the empty taxi in response to the setting of the idle waiting mode.

The setting unit 134 may receive a selection of whether or not to continue waiting for an empty vehicle from the user when a vehicle allocation request is not transmitted even after the second predetermined time has passed since the setting of the empty vehicle waiting mode is accepted. good. For example, the setting unit 134 refers to the empty waiting information, specifies the terminal identification information of the user whose second predetermined time (for example, 15 minutes) has passed from the set time, and assigns the terminal identification information to the user terminal 2 , to display a continuation reception screen for accepting a selection of whether to continue waiting for a vacant car or cancel the setting of the vacant car waiting mode. In this case, the setting unit 134 accepts cancellation of the setting of the empty waiting mode free of charge.

When the request acquisition unit 132 receives a selection indicating to cancel the setting of the idle waiting mode on the continuation acceptance screen, it deletes the idle waiting information corresponding to the user who canceled the setting from the storage unit 12 . In this case, the vehicle allocation management device 1 may give a privilege such as a coupon to the user who has canceled the setting of the waiting-for-vacation mode. By doing so, the vehicle allocation management device 1 can reduce user's dissatisfaction and reduce the number of users who set the vehicle waiting mode.

[Effects of this embodiment]
As described above, the vehicle allocation management apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment changes the operation mode of the request transmission unit 133 when the request acquisition unit 132 acquires a vehicle allocation request from the user terminal 2 to the vehicle waiting mode when the predetermined condition is satisfied. set to When the operation mode is set to the vacant vehicle waiting mode, the request transmission unit 133 continues transmitting the vehicle allocation request for a longer period than when the operation mode is not set to the vacant vehicle waiting mode. By doing so, the vehicle allocation management device 1 can reduce the burden on the user when requesting vehicle allocation.

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, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist thereof. For example, all or part of the device can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in arbitrary units. In addition, new embodiments resulting from arbitrary combinations of multiple embodiments are also included in the embodiments of the present invention. The effect of the new embodiment caused by the combination has the effect of the original embodiment.

1 Vehicle allocation management device 11 Communication unit 12 Storage unit 13 Control unit 131 State identification unit 132 Request acquisition unit 133 Request transmission unit 134 Setting unit 135 Charging unit 136 Vehicle allocation instruction unit 2 User terminal 21 Communication unit 22 Operation unit 23 Display unit 24 Storage unit 25 Control unit 251 Vehicle allocation request unit 3 Crew terminal S Vehicle allocation management system

Claims (13)

a request acquisition unit that acquires a vehicle allocation request and a boarding position of the user from a terminal of a user requesting allocation of a vehicle for transporting the user;
an empty vehicle detection unit that detects an empty vehicle and the position of the empty vehicle;
a request transmission unit that transmits a vehicle allocation request to an empty vehicle located within the empty vehicle search range that is within a predetermined range from the boarding position;
a setting unit configured to set an operation mode of the request transmission unit to an empty vehicle waiting mode when the request acquisition unit acquires the vehicle allocation request from the terminal when a predetermined condition is satisfied;
has
When the operation mode is set to the vacant vehicle waiting mode, the request transmission unit continues transmitting the vehicle allocation request for a longer period than when the operation mode is not set to the vacant vehicle waiting mode. ,
Dispatch management device. When at least a part of the search ranges corresponding to a plurality of users who are set to an empty waiting mode overlap, the request transmitting section detects an empty parking space within the overlapping search ranges. , sending a dispatch request to the user whose time is set to the waiting-for-vacation mode relatively early to the vacant vehicle;
The vehicle allocation management device according to claim 1. The request transmission unit sets the waiting mode for a first user, and does not set the waiting mode for a second user whose search range at least partially overlaps with the first user. In this case, when the empty vehicle detection unit detects an empty vehicle within the overlapping search range, a vehicle allocation request for the first user is transmitted to the empty vehicle.
The vehicle allocation management device according to claim 1 or 2. The setting unit receives an instruction to set the vehicle waiting mode from the terminal of the user, thereby setting the operation mode to the vehicle waiting mode when the request acquisition unit acquires the vehicle allocation request from the user. ,
The vehicle allocation management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The setting unit further comprises a billing unit that charges the user for setting the idle waiting mode when an instruction to set the idle waiting mode is received from the user's terminal.
The vehicle allocation management device according to claim 4. The setting unit determines a fee corresponding to the setting of the waiting mode based on the supply amount of the vehicle with respect to the amount of the vehicle allocation request in the area to which the user belongs.
The vehicle allocation management device according to claim 5. The setting unit sets the operation mode corresponding to the user without receiving a setting instruction from the user when the supply amount of the vehicle with respect to the amount of the vehicle allocation request in the area to which the user belongs is equal to or greater than a first amount. is set to the waiting mode,
The vehicle allocation management device according to any one of claims 4 to 6. When the request acquisition unit acquires the vehicle allocation request from the user's terminal, the setting unit sets the operation mode corresponding to other users within the search range corresponding to the user to a vehicle waiting mode. When the operation mode corresponding to the user is displayed on the terminal of the user, a setting screen for accepting the setting of the idle waiting mode is displayed, and an instruction to set the idle waiting mode is received via the setting screen. is set to the waiting mode,
The vehicle dispatch management device according to any one of claims 4 to 7. The request acquisition unit determines whether the operation mode is set to the idle waiting mode based on the number of users who have set the idle waiting mode and the supply amount of vehicles located within the search range corresponding to the boarding position of the user. calculating the expected vehicle confirmation time, which is the expected time from when the mode is set until the vehicle is confirmed, and displaying the calculated estimated vehicle confirmation time on the terminal;
The vehicle allocation management device according to any one of claims 1 to 8. When the vehicle is confirmed, the request acquisition unit calculates an estimated arrival time until the vehicle arrives at the boarding position based on the amount of supply of the vehicle with respect to the amount of the vehicle allocation request in a predetermined range including the boarding position. calculating and causing the terminal to display the calculated expected time of arrival;
The vehicle allocation management device according to claim 9. When an empty vehicle that has accepted the dispatch request transmitted by the request transmitting unit is found, the request acquisition unit replaces the expected arrival time with an estimated arrival time calculated based on the position of the empty vehicle. is displayed on said terminal,
The vehicle allocation management device according to claim 10. the computer runs
a step of obtaining a vehicle allocation request and a boarding position of the user from a terminal of a user requesting allocation of a vehicle for transporting the user;
detecting an empty vehicle and the position of the empty vehicle;
a step of transmitting a dispatch request to a vacant vehicle located within the vacant vehicle search range within a predetermined range from the boarding position;
setting the operation mode of the computer to an empty vehicle waiting mode in the step of transmitting the vehicle allocation request when the vehicle allocation request is obtained from the terminal when a predetermined condition is satisfied;
In the step of transmitting the vehicle allocation request, when the operation mode is set to the vehicle waiting mode, the computer performs the above-described continue to send ride requests,
Dispatch management method. A vehicle allocation management system comprising a user terminal for requesting allocation of a vehicle for transporting the user, and a vehicle allocation management device,
The terminal is
a vehicle allocation request unit that receives a boarding position from the user and transmits the boarding position and a request for dispatching the vehicle to the boarding position to the vehicle allocation management device;
The dispatch management device,
a request acquisition unit that acquires a dispatch request for the vehicle and a boarding position of the user from the terminal;
an empty vehicle detection unit that detects an empty vehicle and the position of the empty vehicle;
a request transmission unit that transmits a vehicle allocation request to an empty vehicle located within the empty vehicle search range that is within a predetermined range from the boarding position;
a setting unit configured to set an operation mode of the request transmission unit to an empty vehicle waiting mode when the request acquisition unit acquires the vehicle allocation request from the terminal when a predetermined condition is satisfied;
has
When the operation mode is set to the vacant vehicle waiting mode, the request transmission unit continues transmitting the vehicle allocation request for a longer period than when the operation mode is not set to the vacant vehicle waiting mode. ,
dispatch management system.

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