JP6788454B2 - Vehicle dispatch system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle allocation system using an AVM (Automatic Vehicle Monitoring) system for vehicle allocation.

In recent years, with the development of wireless mobile communication systems, it has become possible to easily perform mobile data communication targeting a wide area. In addition, with the development of positioning technology using radio waves, it has become possible to obtain position information by a GPS (Global Positioning System) positioning system using artificial satellites.
By fusing these wireless mobile communication systems and positioning systems, mobile data transmission systems and position management systems have been put into practical use, and are used for the purpose of improving the efficiency of dispatching taxis and transportation vehicles through business radios and public radios.

A vehicle allocation system using a wireless mobile communication system and a positioning system will be described with reference to an example of a schematic configuration shown in FIG.
The vehicle allocation system shown in the figure includes a management center 101, a plurality of radio base stations 102 (102-1, 2, ..., L), and a plurality of mobile stations (vehicles) 104 (104-1, 2, 3, 3). 4, ..., N), a GPS satellite 105, and a vehicle allocation center 107 having a plurality of vehicle allocation terminals 106 (106-1, 2, ..., M).

Each radio base station 102 has an area (103-1, 2, ..., L) through which its own station can communicate. For example, the communication area 103-1 of the radio base station 102-1 is its own. It shows that the mobile station 104-1-104-N located in the communication area and the radio base station 102-1 can communicate with each other.
Each mobile station 104 can receive the position information (latitude, longitude) of the mobile station (vehicle) 104 itself by receiving the position information from the GPS satellite 105. The obtained position information is periodically sent to the management center 101 together with the dynamic information of the mobile station (vehicle) 104 through the radio base station 102 having the communication area 103 in which the mobile station (vehicle) 104 exists.
The management center 101 collects the position information and the dynamic information of the mobile station 104 existing in the communication area 103 through each of the plurality of radio base stations 102.

In such an AVM system for taxi dispatch, a customer contacts the dispatch center 107 and informs the operator of his / her pick-up destination, for example, current position information and necessary vehicle information, thereby making a vehicle dispatch request.
At the vehicle dispatch center 107, the operator operates the vehicle dispatch terminal 106 to transmit customer information and necessary vehicle information to the management center 101.
The management center 101 searches for the optimum vehicle based on the customer's current position information received from the vehicle dispatch center 107 and the collected position information of the mobile station 104, and dispatches the vehicle to the customer's current position. ..

Here, various inventions have been proposed so far regarding the vehicle allocation system as described above.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses, as an example of a method for improving vehicle allocation efficiency, a vehicle allocation system that estimates a customer's pick-up destination and searches for a vehicle that is a vehicle allocation candidate in advance when a call is received from a customer.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-158851

The conventional vehicle dispatching technique will be described with reference to FIG. In the figure, the taxi business area is divided into three areas, areas A, B, and C. Areas A and B are assumed to be areas where there are relatively many vehicle allocation requests and there are also many taxi vehicles. On the other hand, since area C is an area where there are relatively few vehicle allocation requests, it is assumed that there are few taxi vehicles.

The taxi crew (driver) boarded the customer X at the pick-up point of the area A, and on the way, passed through the passing point of the area B and headed for the area C, which is the destination of the customer X. It is assumed that the customer Y in the area C requests the vehicle to be dispatched while the vehicle carrying the customer X is heading for the area C. At this time, the vehicle dispatch center first searches for "empty" vehicles in the vicinity of customer Y in area C. Area C is an area with relatively few vehicles, so no "empty" vehicles can be found. In addition, the vehicle carrying customer X and heading for area C is a "real vehicle" even though the distance (traveling time) from the destination of customer X to the destination of customer Y is short, so it is a candidate for vehicle search. I was supposed to miss the opportunity to dispatch a car.

For this reason, customer Y will be asked to decide whether to refuse the dispatch by telling that the vehicle that can be prepared immediately cannot be found, or to search for a vehicle by expanding the search range although it takes time to arrive at the pick-up destination. .. When searching for a vehicle even if the search range is expanded, since there is no "empty" vehicle in area C in the example of FIG. 8, the "empty" vehicle in area A or B is used as the customer Y in area C. The vehicle will be dispatched. Not only does it take time for customer Y to arrive, and it also takes time for vehicles dispatched from other areas to arrive, but if customer Y's destination is another location in area C, the destination arrives. There was a problem that it took time to return to the area where there were relatively many requests for vehicle allocation later. Furthermore, even though the "actual vehicle" on which customer X is on board is not a candidate for a vehicle search even though the next customer is nearby, he was supposed to miss the opportunity to dispatch the vehicle.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and even if a vehicle suitable for vehicle allocation is not immediately found in the area including the customer's pick-up destination, the vehicle can be allocated to the customer. The purpose is to provide a vehicle dispatch system.

In the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, the vehicle allocation system is configured as follows.
That is, the vehicle allocation system according to the present invention stores area information storage means for storing area information indicating the range of the area for each of the plurality of areas, and vehicle information indicating the position and dynamics of the vehicle for each of the plurality of vehicles. Vehicle information storage means to be stored, and a search means to search for vehicles with vacant dynamics in the area including the pick-up destination based on the area information and vehicle information in response to a vehicle allocation request including designation of the pick-up destination. There are vehicle allocation waiting information storage means that stores vehicle allocation request indicating a vehicle allocation request for which a vehicle was not found by means, and vehicle allocation waiting information that stores the vehicle in the area where the vehicle is located. When the information exists, the vehicle is provided with a vehicle dispatch waiting control means for dispatching the vehicle to the pick-up destination related to the vehicle dispatch waiting information.

As a result, even if a vehicle suitable for dispatch is not immediately found in the area including the customer's pick-up destination, the vehicle has changed to a state in which the vehicle can be dispatched in the area (or the vehicle can be dispatched soon). If there is a vehicle), the vehicle can be dispatched.
Therefore, even if the vehicle has a dynamic "actual vehicle", if the vehicle is heading for the same area as the customer requesting the next vehicle allocation, it is possible to give an opportunity for the vehicle to be allocated to this vehicle allocation request. For this reason, the arrival time of the vehicle is shortened for the customer, and the possibility for the crew to efficiently accept the next vehicle allocation in the destination area is increased.

Here, as a configuration example, the vehicle allocation waiting control means is a customer who has made a vehicle allocation request in the order in which the vehicle allocation request is received when there is a plurality of vehicle allocation waiting information in an area where there is a vehicle whose dynamics have changed to empty or payment. Select the vehicle allocation waiting information to be applied to the vehicle allocation according to the order of the least remaining waiting time, the order of the most frequently used customers, the order of the customers closest to the position of the vehicle, or a combination thereof. You may.

Further, as a configuration example, the vehicle dispatch waiting control means has a time set for the vehicle dispatch waiting information or a time set for an area related to the vehicle dispatch waiting information after the vehicle dispatch waiting information is stored in the vehicle dispatch waiting information storage means. When the above has passed, the vehicle may be dispatched from an area other than the area concerned.

According to the vehicle allocation system according to the present invention, even if a vehicle suitable for vehicle allocation is not immediately found in the area including the customer's pick-up destination, the vehicle can be allocated to the customer.

It is a figure which shows the schematic configuration example of a vehicle dispatch system. It is a figure which shows the configuration example of the management center in a vehicle dispatch system. It is a figure explaining the 1st vehicle dispatch example which dispatches a vehicle using the queue of an order slip. It is a figure explaining the 2nd vehicle dispatch example which dispatches a vehicle using the queue of an order slip. It is a figure explaining the 3rd vehicle dispatch example which dispatches a vehicle using the queue of an order slip. It is a figure explaining the 4th vehicle dispatch example which dispatches a vehicle using the queue of an order slip. It is a figure explaining the 5th vehicle dispatch example which dispatches a vehicle using the queue of an order slip. It is a figure explaining the conventional vehicle dispatching technique.

The vehicle allocation system according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The vehicle allocation system of this example includes a management center 101, a plurality of radio base stations 102 (102-1, 2, ..., L), and a plurality of mobile stations (L), as described above with reference to FIG. Vehicle) 104 (104-1, 2, ... N), GPS satellite 105, and a vehicle allocation center 107 having a plurality of vehicle allocation terminals 106 (106-1, 2, ..., M). It is configured.

Each mobile station 104 can receive a signal from the GPS satellite 105 and obtain position information including the position (latitude, longitude) and the traveling direction of its own vehicle. The position information obtained by the mobile station 104 is periodically transmitted to the management center 101 through the radio base station 102 having the communication area 103 in which the vehicle exists, together with the dynamic information of the mobile station 104 (vehicle).
As a mode for periodically transmitting the position information and the dynamic information to the management center 101, it can be transmitted in any mode such as every fixed time, every movement of a fixed distance, and a combination of a fixed time and a fixed distance.

The dynamic information refers to information indicating the dynamics of the vehicle, and is input by the crew member (driver) of the vehicle operating the mobile station 104. As for the dynamics of the vehicle, "empty vehicle" indicating the state of moving without the customer, "actual vehicle" indicating the state of moving with the customer, "payment" indicating the state of the customer paying the fare, and then Examples include "pick-up", which indicates the state of moving (dispatching) toward the customer's position (pick-up destination), and "rest", which indicates the state of taking a break without a customer.

Further, each mobile station 104 receives an input of the destination area (and a point) of the customer from the crew and transmits the input to the management center 101 when the customer is newly boarded and the dynamics is changed to the "actual vehicle". In addition, each mobile station 104 sends an empty vehicle schedule notification indicating that the vehicle dynamics are scheduled to be "empty" when the vehicle dynamics are "actual vehicle" but is scheduled to become "empty vehicle" soon. , By the operation of the crew or automatically to the management center 101.

For such processing, the mobile station 104 includes a device for detecting position information (for example, a navigation device), an operation device for receiving input of various information from the crew, and a wireless device for wireless communication with the wireless base station 102. And have.
As the mobile station 104, a dedicated wireless communication terminal may be used, but various mobile terminals such as a commercially available mobile phone terminal (for example, a smartphone) and a tablet terminal having a wireless communication function can be used as the above devices. An application for a vehicle dispatch system that realizes the above functions may be installed. Further, in the mobile station 104, the radio unit that communicates with the radio base station 102 and the operation unit that the crew inputs dynamic information and the like may be integrated or configured as a separate device.
In the following description, the mobile station 104 will be described as having the same meaning as or substantially the same as that of the vehicle, but the device as the mobile station 104 is provided in each vehicle.

The management center 101 collects position information, dynamic information, and the like of the mobile station 104 existing in the communication area 103 through each of the plurality of radio base stations 102, and manages each mobile station 104.
Further, when the management center 101 receives a vehicle allocation request including the position (and information of the desired vehicle) of the customer who requested the vehicle allocation (vehicle allocation destination), the management center 101 obtains the position information and dynamic information of each mobile station 104. Based on this, a vehicle suitable for vehicle allocation is searched (vehicle search) as a vehicle allocation candidate. After that, each of the searched vehicle allocation candidates is ordered according to a predetermined priority criterion, and a vehicle allocation instruction is transmitted to the mobile station 104 of the vehicle selected as the vehicle allocation target.

The vehicle allocation center 107 transmits a vehicle allocation request to the management center 101 in response to an operation of the vehicle allocation terminal 106 by an operator who has received a vehicle allocation request from a customer. After that, when the vehicle dispatch terminal 106 receives the vehicle list of vehicle allocation candidates from the management center 101, each vehicle of the vehicle allocation candidate is displayed on the screen according to the priority, and the vehicle selected by the operator from among them is set as the vehicle allocation target to the management center 101. Notify and send a vehicle allocation instruction to the mobile station 104 of the corresponding vehicle.

In addition to making a vehicle dispatch request to the operator of the vehicle dispatch center 107 by telephone, the customer also makes a vehicle dispatch request application installed on the homepage of the taxi company or various commercially available mobile terminals (mobile phone terminals and tablet terminals). By accessing the management center 101 through the Internet line, it is possible to make a vehicle allocation request directly to the management center 101 without going through the vehicle allocation center 107. In this case, the management center 101 automatically selects the vehicle having the highest priority among the vehicle allocation candidates as the vehicle allocation target, and transmits the vehicle allocation instruction.

The configuration of the management center 101 will be described with reference to the configuration example shown in FIG.
The management center 101 of this example includes a database server 200, a map server 220, and a vehicle allocation server 240. It should be noted that each component of the management center 101 does not have to exist in the same place, and may be installed on different networks.

The database server 200 is a server that manages various data related to the operation of the vehicle allocation system. The database server 200 of this example has an area information management unit 201 that stores and manages area information related to individual areas, a vehicle information management unit 202 that stores and manages vehicle information related to individual vehicles, and an order waiting for vehicle allocation (vehicle allocation). It has a queue management unit 203 that stores and manages queue information related to the request).

The area information of each area managed by the area information management unit 201 stores identification information of the area, information indicating the range of the area, information indicating search conditions of vehicles to be dispatched to customers in the area, and the like. .. In this example, it is assumed that the taxi company that uses this system divides the business area into several areas in advance and sets the area information of each area in the area information management unit 201. All locations within the business area will belong to any one of the areas set here. It should be noted that some areas may be specified and set within the business area, and the areas leaked from these areas may be set as one area as "other areas". It is also possible to include areas outside the business area in "other areas".

The vehicle information of each vehicle managed by the vehicle information management unit 202 includes vehicle identification information, current position information of the vehicle, information indicating the dynamics of the vehicle, and a destination area when the dynamics are "actual vehicles" ( And points) information, presence / absence of vacant vehicle schedule notification, etc. are stored. The management data by the vehicle information management unit 202 is updated at any time by communication with the mobile station 104.

The queue information managed by the queue management unit 203 (hereinafter, simply referred to as "queue") was searched according to the order (request for vehicle allocation), but a vehicle that is a candidate for vehicle allocation (vehicle suitable for vehicle allocation) was not found. In this case, order slips (vehicle allocation waiting information) recording orders obtained from customers who have agreed to wait for a while are arranged for each area. This order slip contains the order identification code (order number, etc.), order date and time, pick-up location (vehicle dispatch destination) location, customer name, customer contact information (phone number, email address, etc.), maximum waiting time, etc. Etc. are recorded.

The map server 220 is a server that manages map information including the business area of the taxi company. The map server 220 of this example has a route search unit 221 that calculates a travel distance or travel time between these points in response to input of a departure point and an arrival point.

The vehicle dispatch server 240 is a server that searches for vehicles to be dispatched by using the database server 200 and the map server 220. The vehicle allocation server 240 of this example has a candidate vehicle search unit 241 and a candidate vehicle search unit 241 that search for and order vehicles suitable for vehicle allocation as vehicle allocation candidates in response to a vehicle allocation request including the position of the pick-up destination (vehicle allocation destination). A vehicle allocation instruction unit 242 that transmits a vehicle allocation instruction to a vehicle (mobile station 104) selected as a vehicle allocation target from the vehicle allocation candidates searched by, and an order slip can be added to the queue in each area. It has a queue control unit 243 that gives a vehicle allocation instruction according to an area queue.

When the candidate vehicle search unit 241 receives a vehicle allocation request including the position of the vehicle allocation destination, the candidate vehicle search unit 241 accesses the database server 200 using the vehicle allocation request as a search condition, and allocates a vehicle including the position of the vehicle allocation destination specified in the vehicle allocation request. Based on the area information of the area, the position information of each mobile station 104, the dynamic information, and the like, a vehicle suitable for vehicle allocation is searched (vehicle search) as a vehicle allocation candidate, and each vehicle of the vehicle allocation candidate is ordered according to a predetermined standard.

When a distance index for the position of the dispatch destination and the position of each vehicle is required when searching and ordering the vehicles, the distance is provided to the map server 220 by the route search unit 221. The index is calculated, and the result is acquired and used for vehicle search and ordering.
In addition, if there is a request for front-end conditions such as vehicle characteristics (vehicle type, body color, etc.) and crew characteristics (gender, age, etc.) in the vehicle allocation request, priority is given to vehicles that meet those requests. Search and order vehicles.

The vehicle allocation instruction unit 242 makes a vehicle allocation request to the vehicle (mobile station 104) selected as the vehicle allocation target by the operator of the vehicle allocation center 107 (or automatically) from the vehicle allocation candidates searched by the candidate vehicle search unit 241. The position of the designated vehicle allocation destination is notified, and a vehicle allocation instruction is given to dispatch the vehicle to be allocated to that position.

The queuing control unit 243 creates an order slip on the condition that the customer has agreed that it is okay to wait for a while when the vehicle allocation candidate vehicle is not found by the search by the candidate vehicle search unit 241. Then, it is sent to the database server 200 and added to the queue of the corresponding area. The customer's agreement may be obtained in advance when receiving the vehicle allocation request, or may be obtained when the customer is informed that a candidate for the vehicle allocation vehicle has not been found.
In addition, the queue control unit 243 gives a vehicle allocation instruction to a vehicle satisfying a predetermined condition according to the vehicle allocation queue in each area, as described below. The order slip that is the target of the vehicle allocation instruction is deleted from the vehicle allocation queue.

Hereinafter, vehicle allocation using the queue of order slips will be specifically described.
An example of the first vehicle allocation using the queue of the order slip will be described with reference to FIG.
In the figure, the taxi business area is divided into three areas, areas A, B, and C, and the taxi vehicle picks up customer X at the destination of area A, passes through area B, and goes to the destination of customer X. This shows a case where another new customer Y in the area C requests a vehicle allocation when moving to the area C. In the figure, the driving route is shown as a straight line in order to explain in an easy-to-understand manner that the vehicle runs in the order of customer X's pick-up destination, passing point, customer X's destination, and customer Y's pick-up destination from the current vehicle position. Actually, the route from point to point is a road that vehicles can pass through, and it is not always a straight line. Further, the point set as the passing point in the area B is considered as one passing point of the route considered to be optimal for the taxi vehicle to deliver the customer X from the pick-up destination to the destination (destination).

When an order (vehicle allocation request) is received from customer Y in area C, a search for "empty" vehicles is performed in area C. If the "empty" vehicle is not found by the search, the operator of the vehicle allocation center 107 inquires to the customer Y and asks the customer Y to decide the maximum waiting time. Then, when the waiting time is determined under the agreement with the customer Y, the order slip is created and the order slip is added to the queue in the area C.

After that, when the vehicle carrying customer X arrives at the destination in area C and the dynamics of the vehicle change from "actual vehicle" to "empty vehicle" through "payment", the next customer's order is placed in area C. It is checked whether it exists, and if there is an order slip in the queue in area C, a vehicle allocation instruction is sent to this vehicle. As a result, the vehicle can be dispatched to the customer Y's pick-up destination.

At the timing when the dynamics of the vehicle arriving at the destination in Area C changed from "actual vehicle" to "payment" (the timing when it was soon found to be "empty"), check the queue in Area C and wait. If there are order slips lined up in a queue, a vehicle allocation instruction may be sent. In this case, in the vehicle, the information of the vehicle allocation instruction is displayed at the timing when the dynamics is switched from "payment" to "empty vehicle".
In addition, if there is a taxi sales office in area C, the taxi vehicle that will start operations will open the on-board unit, and when the vehicle dynamics change from "closed" to "empty", in area C You may check the queue and send a vehicle allocation instruction if there are order slips in the queue.

Here, when a plurality of order slips are registered in the queue, the criteria for selecting the order slips to be dispatched (criteria for selecting which customer to dispatch the vehicle to) are, for example, the following (A1) to (A5). ) Can be considered. Note that these are examples, and other criteria may be used.
(A1) Select in the order in which orders are received (in order of earliest order date and time).
(A2) Select in ascending order of the remaining waiting time allowed by the customer. The rest of the waiting time can be calculated by subtracting the "waiting time until now (= current date and time-order date and time)" from the "maximum waiting time" agreed with the customer.
(A3) Customers are ranked in advance according to their frequency of use, and the customers are selected in descending order of rank (priority). That is, the customers are selected in order of frequency of use.
(A4) Select the customer closest to the position of the vehicle that can be dispatched. That is, the customers are selected in the order of the customers closest to the positions of the vehicles that can be dispatched.
(A5) The vehicle allocation target is selected by combining the above criteria (A1) to (A4).

It should be noted that the confirmation of whether or not there are order slips lined up in the queue is performed at the timing when the vehicle becomes "empty" (or "payment") by monitoring the change in the dynamics of each vehicle on the management center 101 side. Alternatively, when the vehicle side notifies the change in dynamics, the management center 101 side may be inquired at the same time.

An example of the second vehicle allocation using the queue of the order slip will be described with reference to FIG.
The figure shows a case where the taxi business area is divided into three areas A, B, and C, and a vehicle dispatch request is made by customer Y in area C.
We received an order (request for vehicle allocation) from customer Y in area C and searched for "empty" vehicles in area C, but since no "empty" vehicle was found, the waiting time was decided under agreement with customer Y. The order slip is created and added to the queue in area C. In addition, a similar order slip is added to the queues of areas A and B that are preset as peripheral areas of area C.

At this point, there are no "empty" vehicles in any of areas A, B, and C, but since the "actual vehicle" is running, the dynamics of the vehicle running in any area is from the "actual vehicle". At the timing when the vehicle changes to "empty" after "payment" (or when the vehicle changes from "real vehicle" to "payment"), check whether the next customer's order exists, and queue in the area where the vehicle is located. If there is an order slip lined up in, send a vehicle allocation instruction to this vehicle. As a result, the vehicle can be dispatched to the customer Y's pick-up destination.

An example of a third vehicle allocation using the queue of the order slip will be described with reference to FIG.
The figure shows a case where the taxi business area is divided into three areas A, B, and C, and a vehicle dispatch request is made by customer Y in area C.
We received an order (request for vehicle allocation) from customer Y in area C and searched for "empty" vehicles in area C, but since no "empty" vehicle was found, the waiting time was decided under agreement with customer Y. The order slip is created and added to the queue in area C. In addition, a similar order slip is added to the queues of areas A and B that are preset as peripheral areas of area C.

After that, if the maximum waiting time agreed with the customer is exceeded (or the maximum waiting time minus the preset fixed time in the system is exceeded), a re-search is performed, and in this case, the customer's The vehicle is searched not only from the pick-up area but also from other areas (for example, adjacent areas). In the case of FIG. 5, one empty vehicle in area A and two empty vehicles in area B are searched as vehicle allocation candidates.

When a plurality of vehicle allocation candidates are found by the re-search, the vehicle to be allocated may be determined according to the criteria such as (B1) to (B3) below. Note that these are examples, and other criteria may be used.
(B1) As a result of the route search, it is determined that the vehicle is close to the customer's pick-up destination or can arrive at the pick-up destination in a short time.
(B2) When there is a waiting place in each area, the priority of the waiting place is decided in advance, and the vehicle is decided according to the priority. (For example, determine the vehicle waiting at the highest priority waiting area.)
(B3) The priority of the area to be additionally searched is determined in advance, and the vehicle is searched under the conditions of the area determined according to the priority.

An example of the fourth vehicle allocation using the queue of the order slip will be described with reference to FIG.
The figure shows a case where the taxi business area is divided into four areas A, B, C, and D, and a vehicle dispatch request is made by customer Y in area C. As a search condition for area C (search condition for vehicles to be dispatched to customers in area C), first search within area C and second search for areas A and B (adjacent areas of area C). Is set.
We received an order (request for vehicle allocation) from customer Y in area C and searched for "empty" vehicles in area C, but since no "empty" vehicle was found, the waiting time was decided under agreement with customer Y. The order slip is created and added to the queue in area C.

After that, if the maximum waiting time agreed with the customer is exceeded (or the maximum waiting time minus the preset fixed time in the system is exceeded), the search is re-searched according to the preset search conditions. Do. That is, the first search searches for vehicles in area C, and if no "empty" vehicle is found, the second search searches for vehicles in areas A and B. If the "empty" vehicle is still not found, the operator finally decides to select one of the two "empty" vehicles in the area D and dispatches the vehicle to the customer Y's pick-up destination.

An example of the fifth vehicle allocation using the queue of the order slip will be described with reference to FIG. 7.
The figure shows a case where the taxi business area is divided into four areas A, B, C, and D, and a vehicle dispatch request is made by customer Y in area C. In each area, a waiting time is set for re-searching when a vehicle is not found for an order from a customer in the area. In the figure, the waiting time in area C is 15 minutes, the waiting time in areas A and B is 10 minutes, and the waiting time in area D is 5 minutes. Further, as a search condition for the area C, it is set that the area C is searched first and the areas A and B (adjacent areas of the area C) are searched second.

After receiving an order (request for vehicle allocation) from customer Y in area C, we searched for "empty" vehicles in area C, but since no "empty" vehicles were found, the customer had to wait 15 minutes or more before re-searching. An order slip is created on the condition that the agreement is reached with Y, and is added to the queue in area C.
After that, if the waiting time agreed with the customer exceeds 15 minutes (or exceeds the waiting time of 15 minutes minus the preset fixed time in the system), the search is performed again according to the preset search conditions. .. That is, the first search searches for vehicles in area C, and if no "empty" vehicle is found, the second search searches for vehicles in areas A and B. If the "empty" vehicle is still not found, the operator finally decides to select one of the two "empty" vehicles in the area D and dispatches the vehicle to the customer Y's pick-up destination.

In addition, in the above 1st to 5th vehicle allocation examples, if there is a "real vehicle" in the area (vehicle allocation destination area) where the customer who placed the order (vehicle allocation request) is located or in the surrounding area, or the vehicle allocation destination area is selected. The order may be accepted and the order slip may be added to the queue in the dispatch area or the queue in the surrounding area only when there is a running "real vehicle" as the destination area. By doing so, it becomes possible for the customer to decide whether to direct a distant vehicle at that time or refuse to dispatch the vehicle.

In the past, when ordering from an area where there are few vehicles with "empty" dynamics, customers often have to wait even if the waiting time is relatively long, and vehicles whose dynamics change from "real" to "empty" are selected. In many cases, the operator dispatched the vehicle while checking the map of the vehicle dispatch system.
On the other hand, in the vehicle allocation system of this example, when a vehicle that can meet the customer's order is not found, the order slips are arranged in a queue for a certain period of time, and the vehicle running in the "actual vehicle" is displayed. In order to check the order slip in the queue at the timing when it changes to "empty vehicle" (or "payment"), and if there is an order waiting to be dispatched, send a vehicle allocation instruction to the vehicle and dispatch it to the customer's pick-up destination. Opportunities for dispatching vehicles to customers in areas where there are fewer vehicles than in other areas are constantly increased. Also, for taxi vehicles, in the past, after delivering customers to the destination, they often returned empty, but this will increase the chances of targeting customers who are relatively close to the destination. Therefore, the effect of improving the vehicle allocation efficiency can be expected.
In addition, even when the dispatch center is flooded with orders on bad weather days (rainy days), it is possible to load orders for each area and dispatch the vehicles as soon as they become empty.
In addition, as in the past, the operator can always check the map and save the trouble of allocating a vehicle aiming for a vehicle whose dynamics are "empty", and it is possible to respond to another vehicle allocation order by that amount. Therefore, the effect of improving the vehicle allocation efficiency can be expected.

As described above, in the vehicle allocation system of this example, the area information management unit 201 stores area information indicating the range of the area for each of the plurality of areas, and the vehicle information management unit 202 stores the area information indicating the range of the area for each of the plurality of vehicles. , The vehicle information indicating the position and dynamics of the vehicle is stored, and the candidate vehicle search unit 241 responds to the vehicle allocation request including the designation of the pick-up destination, based on the area information and the vehicle information, in the area including the pick-up destination. The queue management unit 203 searches for a vehicle whose dynamics are empty, and the queue control unit 243 stores the vehicle allocation waiting information indicating the vehicle allocation request that the vehicle was not found by the search by the candidate vehicle search unit 241 for each area. If there is a vehicle whose dynamics have changed to "empty" (or "payment") and there is information waiting for dispatch in the area where the vehicle is located, the vehicle will be dispatched to the pick-up destination related to the waiting information. It has become.
With such a configuration, even if a vehicle suitable for dispatch is not immediately found in the area including the customer's reception, the vehicle has changed to a state where it can be dispatched in the area (or the vehicle can be dispatched soon). If there is a vehicle that is in a state), that vehicle can be dispatched.

Here, as an example of the configuration, the queue control unit 243 receives a vehicle allocation request in the order in which the vehicle allocation request is received when there are a plurality of vehicle allocation waiting information in the area where the vehicle whose dynamics has changed to "empty" (or "payment"" exists. Waiting for vehicle allocation to be applied to vehicle allocation according to the order of the customer who requested the vehicle allocation with the least remaining waiting time, the order of the customer who uses the vehicle most frequently, the order of the customer closest to the position of the vehicle, or a combination of these. You may choose the information.
With such a configuration, even if there are a plurality of waiting for vehicle allocation, it is possible to automatically determine the vehicle allocation destination without bothering the operator.

Further, as a configuration example, the queue control unit 243 is set for the time set for the vehicle allocation waiting information or the area related to the vehicle allocation waiting information after the vehicle allocation waiting information is stored in the queue management unit 203. When the time has passed, the vehicle may be dispatched from an area other than the area concerned.
More specifically, vehicles in an area adjacent to the area related to vehicle allocation waiting information are automatically selected and allocated. If the vehicle is still not found, the operator selects and dispatches a vehicle in another area.
With such a configuration, it is possible to reliably dispatch a vehicle to a customer waiting to be dispatched. The time set for the vehicle dispatch waiting information may be, for example, a waiting time agreed with the customer, or a time obtained by subtracting a predetermined time from the waiting time. Further, as the time set for the area, for example, a waiting time set in advance for each area can be used.

Further, as a configuration example, the queue management unit 203 stores the vehicle allocation waiting information indicating the vehicle allocation request in which the vehicle was not found by the search by the candidate vehicle search unit 241 for the area including the pick-up destination related to the vehicle allocation waiting information. At the same time, the area adjacent to the area may be stored.
With such a configuration, it is possible to immediately dispatch a vehicle that has become "empty" in an area adjacent to the area where the customer is.

Further, as an example of the configuration, the queue management unit 203 has a vehicle of an actual vehicle in the area including the pick-up destination or an area adjacent thereto, or a vehicle of the actual vehicle traveling in the area including the pick-up destination. If there is, the vehicle dispatch waiting information related to the pick-up destination may be stored.
With such a configuration, if the customer is not in a situation where the vehicle can be dispatched within a certain period of time, the vehicle allocation remains unclear and the customer does not have to wait. That is, it is possible to dispatch a vehicle that is far away at that time, or to decline the dispatch.

The present invention can also be provided as a method or method for executing the process according to the present invention, a program for realizing such a method or method, a storage medium for storing the program, or the like.
Further, the configurations of the system, the apparatus, and the like according to the present invention are not necessarily limited to those shown above, and various configurations may be used.

The present invention can be used for various types of vehicle allocation systems that instruct vehicle allocation in response to a vehicle allocation request.

101: Management center, 102 (102-1,2, ..., L): Radio base station, 103 (103-1,2, ..., L): Communication area, 104 (104-1,2, ... N): Mobile station (vehicle), 105: GPS satellite, 106 (106-1,2, ..., M): Vehicle dispatch terminal, 107: Vehicle dispatch center,
200: Database server, 201: Area information management department, 202: Vehicle information management department, 203: Queue management department, 220: Map server, 221: Route search department, 240: Vehicle allocation server, 241: Candidate vehicle search department, 242 : Vehicle allocation instruction unit, 243: Queue control unit

Claims (3)

Area information storage means for storing area information indicating the range of an area for each of a plurality of areas,
A vehicle information storage means for storing vehicle information indicating the position and dynamics of the vehicle for each of a plurality of vehicles,
A search means for searching for a vehicle whose dynamics are empty in the area including the pick-up destination based on the area information and the vehicle information in response to a vehicle allocation request including designation of the pick-up destination.
A dispatch waiting information storage means for vehicle allocation waiting information indicating the vehicle allocation request was not found the vehicle, stored separately in the plurality of each area in accordance with the search said search means,
At the timing when the dynamics of the vehicle in the vehicle information storage means change from an actual vehicle to an empty vehicle or payment, it is confirmed whether the vehicle allocation waiting information in the area where the vehicle is located is stored in the vehicle allocation waiting information storage means , and the corresponding vehicle allocation wait is confirmed. dispatch system information if that is stored, characterized by comprising a vehicle allocation wait control means for dispatching the vehicle to pick the destination relating to the dispatch wait information. In the vehicle allocation system according to claim 1,
The vehicle allocation waiting control means is the remaining waiting time allowed by the customer who made the vehicle allocation request in the order in which the vehicle allocation request was received when there are a plurality of vehicle allocation waiting information in the area where the vehicle whose dynamics have changed to empty or paid. A vehicle allocation system characterized in that the vehicle allocation waiting information to be applied to the vehicle allocation is selected according to the order of the least number of vehicles, the order of the most frequently used customers, the order of customers closest to the position of the vehicle, or a combination thereof. In the vehicle allocation system according to claim 1 or 2.
The vehicle allocation waiting control means is used when the time set for the vehicle allocation waiting information or the time set for the area related to the vehicle allocation waiting information elapses after the vehicle allocation waiting information is stored in the vehicle allocation waiting information storage means. Is a vehicle allocation system characterized in that vehicles are dispatched from an area different from the area concerned.

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