JP7158311B2 - Movement range limiter - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a movement range limiting device that limits the range in which a mobile object can move.

Rental cars, car sharing, and the like are widely used as services for renting mobile objects such as vehicles. Users of these services can use the vehicle during pre-booked time slots. The user must return the vehicle by the end of the reserved time slot.

If the user does not return the vehicle by the end time, the next user will not be able to use the vehicle. In order to solve this problem, Patent Literature 1 discloses a car sharing system that limits the driving range of vehicles within a preset service provision area.

In the system according to Patent Document 1, when a vehicle provided by a car sharing service leaves a preset service provision area, the system management unit determines that the vehicle has left the service provision area and returns to the service provision area. to the user.

JP 2015-69584 A

Depending on the purpose of use of the user, the user may wish to travel outside the service area. However, in the system according to Patent Document 1, it is difficult to change the service provision area according to the purpose of use of the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a movement range limiting device capable of flexibly changing the range in which a mobile body can move according to the user.

A first invention is a movement range limiting device used in a mobile rental service, comprising a movement range setting unit and an output unit. The movement range setting unit acquires user attribute data in which user attributes are recorded from the storage device, and based on the acquired user attribute data and a predetermined position, the moving object that the user plans to use can be moved. Set the movement range. The output unit outputs the movement range set by the movement range setting unit.

According to the first invention, since the movement range of the mobile body is set according to the attribute of the user, the range in which the mobile body can move can be flexibly changed according to the user.

In a second invention based on the first invention, the movement range setting unit is configured to, based on at least one of the user's occupation, age, and number of times of use of the mobile rental service recorded in the user attribute data, , to set the movement range.

According to the second invention, by using the occupation, age, and number of times of use of the user, it is possible to appropriately set the range of movement according to the attribute of the user.

A third invention is the first or second invention, wherein the user attribute data includes return time overtime information. The return time exceeded information indicates whether or not the user has returned the moving body past the preset return scheduled time. The moving range setting unit sets the moving range based on the return time exceeded information included in the user attribute data.

According to the third invention, the movement range setting unit sets the movement range based on whether or not the user has returned the moving body after the scheduled return time in the past. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the user from returning the moving body after the scheduled return time.

A fourth invention is any one of the first to third inventions, wherein the movement range setting unit sets the movement range such that the movement range becomes narrower as the scheduled return time of the moving body approaches from the current time. do.

According to the fourth invention, by reducing the range of movement according to the time from the current time to the scheduled return time, it is possible to prevent the user from returning the mobile object after the scheduled return time.

A fifth invention is any one of the first to fourth inventions, further comprising a position determination section and a time measurement section. The position determination unit determines whether or not the current position of the moving object is outside the set moving range based on the current position of the moving object and the moving range set by the moving range setting unit. The time measurement unit measures the time during which the current position of the mobile body is outside the set movement range when the position determination unit determines that the current position of the mobile body is outside the set movement range. If the time measured by the time measurement unit is longer than the predetermined time, the output unit outputs an alerting instruction prompting the moving object to move within the set movement range.

According to the fifth invention, it is possible to prevent the user from being immediately warned when the moving object temporarily moves out of the set range.

A sixth invention is any one of the first to fifth inventions, further comprising a position determination section and a distance calculation section. The position determination unit determines whether or not the current position of the moving object is outside the set moving range based on the current position of the moving object and the moving range set by the moving object setting unit. The distance calculation unit calculates a distance from the current position of the moving body to the boundary of the set movement range when the position determination unit determines that the current position of the moving body is outside the set movement range. When the distance calculated by the distance calculation unit is longer than the predetermined distance, the output unit outputs an alerting instruction prompting the moving object to move within the set movement range.

According to the sixth aspect, it is possible to prevent the user from being immediately warned when the moving body temporarily moves out of the set range.

A seventh invention is a movement range limiting system comprising a movement range limiting device and a set range notification device. The movement range limiting device limits the movement range of the moving body. The setting range notification device is mounted on a mobile object. The movement range limiting device includes a movement range setting section and an output section. The movement range setting unit acquires user attribute data in which user attributes are recorded from the storage device, and based on the acquired user attribute data and a predetermined position, the moving object that the user plans to use can be moved. Set the movement range. The output unit outputs the movement range set by the movement range setting unit to the set range notification device. The setting range notification device includes a notification unit. The notification unit notifies the movement range output from the output unit.

According to the seventh invention, since the movement range of the mobile body is set according to the attribute of the user, the range in which the mobile body can move can be flexibly changed according to the user.

An eighth invention is the seventh invention, wherein the setting range notification device further includes a position determination unit. The position determination unit determines whether or not the current position of the moving object is outside the movement range output from the output unit. When the position determination unit determines that the current position is outside the output movement range, the notification unit notifies the moving object to move within the output movement range.

According to the eighth invention, it is possible to specify in real time whether or not the moving body has moved out of the movement range. Therefore, when the mobile body moves out of the movement range, the eighth invention can quickly move the mobile body into the movement range.

A ninth invention is a moving range limiting method used in a mobile rental service, comprising a) steps and b) steps. In the a) step, user attribute data in which user attributes are recorded is acquired from a storage device, and based on the acquired user attribute data and a predetermined position, a moving object that the user plans to use can be moved. Set range. The b) step notifies the movement range that has been set.

A ninth invention is used for the first invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can provide a movement range limiting device capable of flexibly changing the range in which a moving object can move according to the user.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the movement range limitation system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the movement range limiting device shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the setting range notification device shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing the operation of the movement range limiting system shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a reservation table shown in FIG. 2; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an initial movement range displayed on the display device shown in FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an initial movement range setting process shown in FIG. 4; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a user attribute table shown in FIG. 2; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a coefficient table shown in FIG. 2; FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the attention calling determination process shown in FIG. 4; FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of movement range reduction processing shown in FIG. 4 ; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a reduced movement range displayed on the display device shown in FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of Modified Example 1 of the setting range notification device shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a CPU bus configuration; FIG.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The same reference numerals are given to the same or corresponding parts in the drawings, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

[1. Constitution]
[1.1. Configuration of Movement Range Limiting System 100]
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of movement range restriction system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, movement range restriction system 100 is used by businesses that provide vehicle rental services such as rental car services and car sharing services. In the following description, a company that provides a vehicle rental service is simply referred to as a "company".

Movement range restriction system 100 includes movement range restriction device 1 , storage device 2 , setting range notification device 3 , display device 4 , GPS (Global Positioning System) antenna 5 , and network 6 .

The movement range limiting device 1 and the storage device 2 are installed at the company's head office or business office. The setting range notification device 3, the display device 4, and the GPS antenna 5 are mounted on the vehicle A. The actual mounting positions of the setting range notification device 3, the display device 4 and the GPS antenna 5 on the vehicle A are different from the positions shown in FIG. Vehicle A is rented by a business operator. Movement range limiting device 1 and setting range notification device 3 communicate with each other via network 6 . Network 6 is a wide area network such as the Internet.

The movement range limiting device 1 is a server managed by an operator and sets a movement range 61 . The movement range 61 is a range in which the user is expected to drive the vehicle A and is set based on information about the user. The moving range limiting device 1 transmits the set moving range 61 to the setting range notification device 3 via the network 6 . Details of the movement range 61 will be described later.

The moving range limiting device 1 receives the current position PA of the vehicle A from the setting range notification device 3 and determines whether or not the received current position PA is outside the moving range 61 . If the current position PA is outside the moving range 61 , the moving range limiting device 1 transmits an alerting instruction 65 to the setting range notification device 3 via the network 6 . The alerting instruction 65 is a signal for alerting the user of the vehicle A that the position of the vehicle A is outside the movement range 61 .

The storage device 2 stores various data used by the movement range limiting device 1 to set the movement range 61 .

The setting range notification device 3 is, for example, a car navigation device. The set range notification device 3 receives the movement range 61 from the movement range limiting device 1 and notifies the user of the vehicle A of the received movement range 61 . The setting range notification device 3 acquires the current position PA of the vehicle A based on the GPS signal received by the GPS antenna 5 . Setting range notification device 3 transmits the acquired current position PA to movement range limiting device 1 via network 6 . Further, when receiving the attention calling instruction 65 from the movement range limiting device 1, the set range notification device 3 informs the user that the position of the vehicle A is outside the moving range 61 according to the received attention calling instruction 65. Notice.

The display device 4 is, for example, a liquid crystal display device. The display device 4 displays the movement range 61 output from the setting range notification device 3 . Also, the display device 4 displays a warning message output from the setting range notification device 3 . The alert message prompts that vehicle A is outside the travel range and to move vehicle A into travel range 61 .

[1.2. Configuration of Movement Range Limiting Device 1]
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the movement range limiting device 1 shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 1, movement range limiting device 1 includes movement range setting unit 11, position determination unit 12, distance calculation unit 13, time measurement unit 14, output unit 15, and communication unit 16. .

The movement range setting unit 11 sets the movement range 61 based on the user attribute table 21 , reservation table 22 and coefficient table 23 stored in the storage device 2 . When the vehicle A is rented, the movement range setting unit 11 reduces the movement range 61 over time.

Position determination unit 12 acquires movement range 61 set by movement range setting unit 11 and current position PA transmitted from set range notification device 3 . The position determination unit 12 determines whether or not the acquired current position PA is outside the acquired movement range 61 . The position determination unit 12 outputs the determination result 12</b>C and the acquired current position PA to the distance calculation unit 13 . The position determination section 12 outputs the determination result 12C to the time measurement section 14 .

Distance calculation unit 13 acquires movement range 61 set by movement range setting unit 11 , determination result 12C by position determination unit 12 , and current position PA acquired by position determination unit 12 . When the determination result 12C indicates that the current position PA is outside the movement range 61, the distance calculator 13 calculates the deviation distance, which is the distance from the current position PA to the boundary of the movement range 61. FIG. If the calculated deviation distance is greater than a distance threshold preset in the distance calculation unit 13 , the distance calculation unit 13 outputs an alerting instruction 65 to the output unit 15 .

The time measurement unit 14 acquires the determination result 12C by the position determination unit 12 . When the determination result 12C indicates that the current position PA is outside the movement range 61, the time measurement unit 14 measures the elapsed time from the measurement start time. The measurement start time is the time when the current position PA moves from inside the movement range 61 to outside. When the elapsed time exceeds a time threshold preset in the time measurement unit 14 , the time measurement unit 14 outputs an alerting instruction 65 to the output unit 15 .

The output unit 15 receives the movement range 61 from the movement range setting unit 11 and outputs the received movement range 61 to the set range notification device 3 via the communication unit 16 . The output unit 15 receives the attention calling instruction 65 from the distance calculating unit 13 or the time measuring unit 14 and outputs the received attention calling instruction 65 to the setting range notification device 3 via the communication unit 16 .

The communication unit 16 communicates with the setting range notification device 3 using TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol).

[1.3. Data stored in storage device 2]
Referring to FIG. 2, storage device 2 is non-volatile, such as flash memory or HDD (Hard Disk Drive). Storage device 2 is connected to movement range limiting device 1 . The storage device 2 stores a user attribute table 21 , a reservation table 22 and a coefficient table 23 . Note that the storage device 2 may be included in the movement range limiting device 1 .

The user attribute table 21 records the attributes of users who use the services provided by the business. User attributes include, for example, age, occupation, and number of times of use. The reservation table 22 records the contents of reservations received by the business operator. The coefficient table 23 is used to determine the distance from the origin of the movement range 61 to the boundary. Details of the user attribute table 21, reservation table 22, and coefficient table 23 will be described later.

[1.4. Configuration of setting range notification device 3]
FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the setting range notification device 3 shown in FIG. With reference to FIG. 3 , setting range notification device 3 includes communication unit 31 , position acquisition unit 32 , and notification unit 33 .

The communication unit 31 communicates with the movement range limiting device 1 using TCP/IP. The position acquisition unit 32 receives GPS signals from the GPS antenna 5 and acquires the current position PA based on the received GPS signals. The position acquisition unit 32 transmits the acquired current position PA to the movement range limiting device 1 via the communication unit 31 .

The notification unit 33 acquires the moving range 61 transmitted from the moving range limiting device 1 via the communication unit 31 . The notification unit 33 notifies the user of the vehicle A of the transmitted range of movement 61 by displaying the acquired range of movement 61 on the display device 4 .

[2. motion]
[2.1. System operation]
FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing the operation of movement range restriction system 100 shown in FIG. The operation of the movement range limiting system 100 will be described with reference to FIG. In the following description, the user of vehicle A is simply referred to as "user".

When the user reserves the vehicle A, the movement range limiting device 1 creates reservation data (step S11). The movement range limiting device 1 registers the created reservation data in the reservation table 22 . Note that the device that creates reservation data is not limited to the movement range limiting device 1 . For example, a server dedicated to accepting reservations may create reservation data and store it in the storage device 2 .

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the reservation table 22 shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 5, the reservation data is data for one row in reservation table 22 . The reservation table 22 shown in FIG. 5 includes reservation data 221 and 222 .

In the reservation table 22, the user ID is identification information that identifies the user who reserved the vehicle. The vehicle ID is identification information that identifies the vehicle reserved by the user. The departure office is a base for renting the vehicle reserved by the user. The scheduled departure time is the time to start using the vehicle reserved by the user, and is designated by the user. The return office is a base where the vehicle reserved by the user is returned. The scheduled return time is the time designated by the user as the time at which the vehicle reserved by the user is to be returned. The departure flag indicates whether or not the user has started using the vehicle. The departure flag is set to 1 when the vehicle is put into service. The departure flag is set to 0 if the vehicle has not been started.

In the following description, the operation of the movement range limiting system 100 will be described by taking the case of setting the movement range 61 of the vehicle A as an example. Assume that the vehicle ID in reservation data 222 shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 4, when the user starts using vehicle A, movement range limiting device 1 changes the departure flag of reservation data 222 from 0 to 1 (step S12). Specifically, when the user completes the procedure for renting the vehicle A at the departure office, the movement range limiting device 1 determines that the user has started using the vehicle A.

After changing the departure flag, the movement range limiting device 1 sets the initial movement range of the vehicle A (step S13). The initial movement range is the movement range 61 that is initially set when the user starts using the vehicle A. FIG. The initial movement range is set based on the attribute of the user, the scheduled departure time of the vehicle A, and the scheduled return time of the vehicle A. Details of step S13 will be described later.

The movement range limiting device 1 transmits the initial movement range set in step S13 to the set range notification device 3 mounted on the vehicle A (step S14). In the setting range notification device 3 , the notification section 33 receives the initial movement range transmitted in step S<b>14 via the communication section 31 . The notification unit 33 displays the received initial movement range on the display device 4 mounted on the vehicle A (step S15).

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the initial movement range 62 displayed on the display device 4 shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 6, initial movement range 62 is a circle centered at origin 61A. The origin 61A is the departure office recorded in the reservation data 222. FIG. The set range notification device 3 displays the initial movement range 62 overlaid on the displayed map.

The radius 62R of the initial movement range 62 is determined based on the scheduled usage time and the user's average speed recorded in the user attribute table 21 . The scheduled use time is the time from the scheduled departure time to the scheduled return time. In addition, the notification unit 33 displays on the display device 4 a message indicating that the initial movement range 62 is a range that can be moved by the scheduled return time, together with the initial movement range 62 .

After the initial movement range 62 is displayed, the position acquisition unit 32 acquires the current position PA of the vehicle A based on the GPS signal received by the GPS antenna 5 (step S16). The position acquisition unit 32 transmits the current position PA acquired in step S16 to the movement range limiting device 1 using the communication unit 31 (step S17).

Movement range limiting device 1 receives current position PA transmitted in step S17. Movement range limiting device 1 executes attention calling determination processing based on received current position PA and initial movement range 62 (step S18). In step S<b>18 , the movement range limiting device 1 determines whether or not the current position PA is outside the initial movement range 62 . If the current position PA is outside the initial movement range 62 , the movement range limiting device 1 determines whether or not to alert the user of the vehicle A to move the vehicle A into the initial movement range 62 . Details of step S18 will be described later.

When the movement range limiting device 1 decides to call attention, it transmits an attention calling instruction to the setting range notification device 3 (step S19). When the setting range notification device 3 receives the attention calling instruction from the movement range limiting device 1, the notification unit 33 instructs the user of the vehicle A to return to the initial moving range 62 based on the received attention calling instruction. is displayed on the display device 4 (step S20). Note that when the movement range limiting device 1 determines not to call attention, step S19 is not executed.

In the movement range limiting device 1, the movement range setting unit 11 reduces the initial movement range 62 (step S21). A reduction movement range is set by step S21. Although the details will be described later, the radius of the reduced movement range is determined based on the scheduled usage time, the available time, and the radius 62R. The radius of the reduced range of motion is less than radius 62R. The movement range setting unit 11 transmits the reduced movement range set in step S21 to the set range notification device 3 (step S22).

After that, the movement range restriction system 100 repeats steps S15 to S22 shown in FIG. The setting range notification device 3 displays the reduced movement range transmitted in step S22 on the display device 4 (step S15). The moving range limiting device 1 executes a warning call determination based on the current position PA transmitted in step S17 and the reduced moving range set in step S21 (step S19). The movement range limiting device 1 further reduces the reduced movement range based on the expected use time, the available time, and the radius of the reduced movement range (step S21).

By repeating steps S15 to S22 shown in FIG. 4, the radius of the reduced movement range becomes shorter over time. When the usable time becomes 0, the radius of the reduced movement range also becomes 0. This is because vehicle A must arrive at the return office at the scheduled return time.

[2.2. Initial movement range setting (step S13)]
Referring to FIG. 5, when the departure flag of reservation data 222 is changed from 0 to 1, movement range setting unit 11 sets initial movement range 62 of vehicle A to be rented based on reservation data 222 (step S13). Step S13 will be described in detail by taking as an example the case where the departure flag of the reservation data 222 shown in FIG. 5 is changed from 0 to 1. FIG.

(Determination of origin)
FIG. 7 is a flow chart of the movement range setting process (step S13) shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 7, movement range setting unit 11 identifies the second business office recorded in reservation data 222 as the return business office. The movement range setting unit 11 determines the specified position of the second business office as the origin of the initial movement range 62 (step S131). For example, the latitude and longitude of the second office are determined as the center of the initial travel range 62 . The latitude and longitude of the second business office are recorded in business office management data (not shown).

(Determination of radius)
The movement range setting unit 11 calculates the radius 62R of the initial movement range 62 (step S132). Specifically, the movement range setting unit 11 calculates the radius 62R based on the scheduled usage time of the vehicle A and the average speed of the user of the vehicle A.

First, the movement range setting unit 11 acquires the scheduled departure time and the scheduled return time recorded in the reservation data 222 . The movement range setting unit 11 calculates the time from the acquired scheduled departure time to the acquired scheduled return time as the scheduled usage time.

Next, the movement range setting unit 11 acquires the average speed of the vehicle A user. Movement range setting unit 11 identifies the user ID recorded in reservation data 222 . The movement range setting unit 11 acquires the average speed of the user of the vehicle A from the user attribute table 21 based on the specified user ID.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the user attribute table 21 shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 8, user attribute table 21 records information about users who use services provided by business operators. The user attribute table 21 includes attribute data 211, 212, 213, . . . created for each user. Attribute data 211 , 212 , 213 , . . . are data for one row of the user attribute table 21 . Attribute data 213 records attributes of the vehicle A user.

The attribute data includes the user ID, occupation, age, date of license issuance, number of times of use, rate of exceeding the scheduled return time, and average speed. In the following description, the rate of exceeding the scheduled return time is simply referred to as "overtime rate".

Since the user ID has already been explained, the explanation is omitted here. The occupation is the type of work that the user is engaged in. In addition to the occupations shown in FIG. 8, occupations include, for example, truck drivers, students, and housewives. The license issuance date is the date when the user first received the issuance of the license. The number of times of use is the number of times the vehicle rental service provided by the company is used. The rate of exceeding the scheduled return time is a value obtained by dividing the number of times the user has returned the vehicle past the scheduled return time by the number of times of use. The average speed is the average speed of the vehicle when the user drives the vehicle rented from the operator, and is obtained from the vehicle travel history provided by the operator, for example.

The movement range setting unit 11 acquires the attribute data 213 corresponding to the user ID “C48621” from the user attribute table 21 based on the user ID “C48621” recorded in the reservation data 222 . The movement range setting unit 11 reads out the average speed from the acquired attribute data 213 . The moving range setting unit 11 multiplies the read average speed per hour by the calculated expected use time to calculate the radius 62R of the initial moving range 62 .

(get coefficient)
Referring to FIG. 7 again, movement range setting unit 11 acquires a coefficient corresponding to the occupation of the user of vehicle A (step S133).

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the coefficient table 23 shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 9, coefficient table 23 records a coefficient corresponding to each item recorded in user attribute table 21 . Specifically, the coefficient table 23 records coefficients corresponding to occupation, age, date of license issuance, number of times of use, and excess rate.

The occupation recorded corresponding to the user ID "C48621" is sales, as shown in FIG. In this case, the movement range setting unit 11 refers to the coefficient table 23 shown in FIG. 9 and acquires "1.1" as the coefficient corresponding to the user of the vehicle A. If the occupation of the user is a salesperson, a truck driver, or the like, who is assumed to drive frequently on a daily basis, the coefficient corresponding to the occupation will be high. On the other hand, if the occupation of the user is a student, housewife, or the like who is assumed to drive less frequently on a daily basis, the coefficient corresponding to the occupation is low.

Referring to FIG. 7, movement range setting unit 11 acquires a coefficient corresponding to the age of the user of vehicle A (step S134). It is assumed that the user's driving skill improves with age. In the coefficient table 23 shown in FIG. 9, the coefficient corresponding to age is set to increase as the age increases.

The age recorded corresponding to the user ID "C48621" is 36 years old, as shown in FIG. In this case, the movement range setting unit 11 refers to the coefficient table 23 shown in FIG. 9 and obtains "1.05" as the coefficient according to the age of the user of the vehicle A.

Referring to FIG. 7, movement range setting unit 11 acquires a coefficient corresponding to the license issue date of the user of vehicle A (step S135). It is assumed that the user's driving skill will improve as the period from the date of license issuance increases. In the coefficient table 23 shown in FIG. 9, the coefficient corresponding to the date of license issuance is set to increase as the date of license issuance gets older.

The issue date recorded corresponding to the user ID "C48621" is March 26, 2002, as shown in FIG. In this case, the movement range setting unit 11 refers to the coefficient table 23 shown in FIG. 9 and acquires "1.1" as the coefficient corresponding to the date of issuance of the vehicle A user.

Referring to FIG. 7, movement range setting unit 11 acquires a coefficient corresponding to the number of times of use (step S136). It is assumed that the greater the number of times of use, the faster the user can return the vehicle. Therefore, in the coefficient table 23, the coefficient is set to increase as the number of times of use increases.

The number of uses recorded corresponding to the user ID "C48621" is 17, as shown in FIG. In this case, the movement range setting unit 11 refers to the coefficient table 23 shown in FIG. 9 and acquires "1.1" as the coefficient corresponding to the number of times of use.

Referring to FIG. 7, movement range setting unit 11 acquires a coefficient corresponding to the excess rate (step S137). As the user's excess rate increases, it is assumed that the user is more likely to return the vehicle A after the scheduled return time. Therefore, in the coefficient table 23, the coefficient is set so that the higher the excess rate, the lower the coefficient.

The excess rate recorded corresponding to the user ID "C48621" is 5.9%, as shown in FIG. In this case, the movement range setting unit 11 refers to the coefficient table 23 shown in FIG. 9 and acquires "0.95" as the coefficient according to the excess rate. Since the radius 62R of the initial movement range 62 is set shorter than the radius set when the excess rate is 0, it is possible to prevent the vehicle A from being returned past the scheduled return time.

(Calculation of representative value)
The movement range setting unit 11 calculates a representative value of the coefficients obtained in each of steps S133 to S137 (step S138). The representative value is the average of the coefficients obtained in each of steps S133 to S137 in this embodiment. The representative value may be the median value or the mode value of the obtained coefficients.

The coefficient table 23 may define a weighting coefficient for each item of the coefficient table shown in FIG. In this case, the movement range setting unit 11 may calculate the weighted average of the coefficients obtained in steps S133 to S136 as the representative value. For example, it is conceivable to make the weight of the excess rate higher than the weight of other items.

(radius adjustment)
The movement range setting unit 11 adjusts the radius 62R based on the radius 62R calculated in step S132 and the representative value of the coefficients determined in step S138 (step S139). Specifically, the movement range setting unit 11 obtains the adjusted radius 62R by multiplying the radius calculated in step S132 by the representative value of the coefficients determined in step S138. The movement range setting unit 11 outputs data including the origin determined in step S131 and the radius 62R adjusted in step S139 to the output unit 15 as the initial movement range 62 (step S140). The output unit 15 transmits the initial movement range 62 received from the movement range setting unit 11 to the set range notification device 3 (step S14 shown in FIG. 4).

Thus, the movement range setting unit 11 sets the radius 62R of the initial movement range 62 according to the attribute of the vehicle A user. Even when a user other than the user of vehicle A rents a vehicle from a company, the movement range setting unit 11 acquires attributes corresponding to the user from the user attribute table 21, and based on the acquired attributes to set the radius 62R of the initial movement range 62. As a result, the movement range limiting device 1 can flexibly change the initial movement range 62 according to the user.

[2.3. Attention Calling Judgment (Step S18)]
Referring to FIG. 4, when movement range limiting device 1 receives current position PA from setting range notification device 3, movement range limiting device 1 executes attention calling determination processing (step S18). Hereinafter, the operation of the movement range limiting device 1 that executes step S18 will be described in detail, taking the case of using the initial movement range 62 as an example.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart of the warning determination (step S18) shown in FIG. The process shown in FIG. 10 is started when the position determination unit 12 receives the current position PA of the setting range notification device 3 from the setting range notification device 3 via the communication unit 16 .

The position determination unit 12 determines whether or not the received current position PA is outside the initial movement range 62 (step S181). Specifically, the position determination unit 12 determines whether or not the current position PA is inside a circle with a radius 62R centered on the origin 61A. Position determination unit 12 outputs current position PA and determination result 12C in step S181 to distance calculation unit 13 regardless of the result of step S181. The position determination section 12 outputs the determination result 12C to the time measurement section 14 .

If the current position is within the circle, position determination unit 12 determines that current position PA is within movement range 61 (No in step S181). The time measurement unit 14 sets a time measurement flag (not shown) to OFF based on the determination result 12C received from the position determination unit 12 (step S189).

The time measurement flag indicates whether or not the elapsed time since the current position PA moved out of the movement range 61 is being measured. When the time measurement unit 14 is measuring the elapsed time, the time measurement flag is ON. When measurement of elapsed time has not started, the time measurement flag is OFF. The time measurement unit 14 stops measuring the elapsed time by setting the time measurement flag to OFF.

Returning to the description of step S181. If the current position is outside the circle, position determination unit 12 determines that current position PA is outside movement range 61 (Yes in step S181). The distance calculator 13 calculates the distance from the current position PA to the boundary line of the initial movement range 62 (step S182). Specifically, the distance calculation unit 13 calculates a line segment connecting the current position PA and the origin 61A. The distance calculator 13 calculates an intersection point between the calculated line segment and a circle with a radius of 62R centered at the origin 61A. The shortest distance from the current position PA to the intersection is acquired as the distance from the current position PA to the boundary line of the initial movement range 62 .

The distance calculator 13 determines whether or not the distance calculated in step S13 is equal to or less than a preset distance threshold (step S183). If the calculated distance is greater than the distance threshold (No in step S<b>183 ), the distance calculation unit 13 outputs a warning instruction to the output unit 15 . This is because if the distance calculated in step S182 is maintained in the future, it will be difficult to return the vehicle A by the scheduled return time. The output unit 15 transmits the attention calling instruction received from the distance calculation unit 13 to the setting range notification device 3 via the communication unit 16 (step S187). Step S187 corresponds to step S19 shown in FIG. After that, the movement range limiting device 1 ends the processing shown in FIG.

Thus, when the distance from the current position PA to the boundary line of the initial movement range 62 is greater than the distance threshold, the movement range limiting device 1 transmits an alerting instruction to the set range notification device 3 . The set range notification device 3 outputs to the display device 4 a warning message prompting the user to return to the initial movement range 62 . As a result, the movement range limiting device 1 can prevent the vehicle A from being returned after the scheduled return time.

Returning to the description of step S183. If the calculated distance is equal to or less than the distance threshold (Yes in step S183), the time measurement unit 14 determines whether or not a time measurement flag (not shown) is OFF (step S184).

If the time measurement flag is OFF (Yes in step S184), the time measurement unit 14 initializes the elapsed time to zero (step S185), and changes the time measurement flag from OFF to ON (step S186). This starts the measurement of the elapsed time. After step S186, the movement range limiting device 1 ends the processing shown in FIG.

If the time measurement flag is ON (No in step S184), the time measurement unit 14 is measuring the elapsed time. The time measurement unit 14 determines whether or not the elapsed time is equal to or less than a preset time threshold (step S188).

If the elapsed time is equal to or less than the time threshold (Yes in step S188), the movement range limiting device 1 terminates the process shown in FIG. 10 without instructing the setting range notification device 3 to call attention. This is because, in this case, the vehicle A is considered to have temporarily or accidentally moved out of the movement range 61 .

If the elapsed time is longer than the time threshold (No in step S<b>188 ), the time measurement unit 14 outputs an alerting instruction to the output unit 15 . This is because it is assumed that the vehicle A will continue to be positioned outside the movement range 61 for a period after the current time. The output unit 15 transmits the attention calling instruction received from the time measurement unit 14 to the setting range notification device 3 via the communication unit 16 (step S187). After that, the movement range limiting device 1 ends the processing shown in FIG.

In this way, when the elapsed time after the vehicle A moves out of the moving range 61 is longer than the time threshold, the moving range limiting device 1 transmits a warning instruction to the setting range notification device 3 . The setting range notification device 3 outputs to the display device 4 a warning message prompting the user to return to the movement range 61 . As a result, the movement range limiting device 1 can prevent the vehicle A from being returned after the scheduled return time.

The movement range limiting device 1 has explained the alerting determination (step S18) based on the initial movement range 62 as described above. Note that the movement range limiting device 1 operates in the same manner as described above when the attention calling determination (step S18) is performed based on the reduced movement range.

[2.4. Movement range reduction (step S21)]
Referring to FIG. 4 , movement range limiting device 1 reduces movement range 61 (step S21) after the determination of alerting (step S18). Hereinafter, step S21 will be described in detail, taking as an example the case of reducing the initial movement range 62 set based on the reservation data 222 shown in FIG. The operation of the movement range limiting device 1 in step S21 is the same when reducing the initial movement range 62 and when further reducing the reduced movement range.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of movement range adjustment (step S21) shown in FIG. The processing shown in FIG. 11 is started after the judgment of calling attention (step S18).

The movement range setting unit 11 acquires the scheduled departure time and the scheduled return time from the reservation data 222 shown in FIG. The movement range setting unit 11 calculates the time from the scheduled departure time to the scheduled return time as the scheduled usage time (step S211). The expected use time calculated in step S211 is the same as the expected use time used in calculating the radius 62R of the initial movement range 62 described above.

The movement range setting unit 11 calculates the time from the current time to the scheduled return time as the remaining time (step S212). The movement range setting unit 11 calculates the ratio between the expected usage time calculated in step S131 and the remaining time calculated in step S132 (step S213). The ratio calculated in step S213 is obtained by dividing the remaining time by the scheduled use time. Since the current time is later than the scheduled departure time, the remaining time is shorter than the scheduled use time. Therefore, the ratio calculated in step S213 is a numerical value of 0 or more and 1 or less.

The movement range setting unit 11 reduces the radius 62R of the initial movement range 62 using the ratio calculated in step S213 (step S214). The reduced radius 62R is obtained by multiplying the radius 62R of the initial movement range 62 by the ratio calculated in step S213. The radius 62R reduced in step S214 is smaller than the radius 62R adjusted in step S138 shown in FIG. In other words, the radius of the movement range 61 decreases each time the movement range adjustment process (step S21) is executed.

The moving range setting unit 11 outputs data including the radius 62R reduced in step S214 and the origin 61A determined in step S131 shown in FIG. 7 to the output unit 15 as a reduced moving range (step S215). The output unit 15 transmits the reduced movement range received from the movement range setting unit 11 to the setting range notification device 3 via the communication unit 16 . (Step S22 shown in FIG. 4).

In the setting range notification device 3 , the notification section 33 receives the reduced movement range 63 via the communication section 31 . The notification unit 33 displays the received reduced movement range 63 on the display device 4 (step S15 shown in FIG. 4).

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a reduced movement range 63 displayed on the display device 4. As shown in FIG. In order to clearly show the positional relationship between the initial movement range 62 and the reduced movement range 63, the initial movement range 62 is displayed in FIG. In practice, the initial movement range 62 is not displayed on the display device 4 when the reduced movement range 63 is displayed.

Referring to FIG. 12 , radius 63R of reduced movement range 63 is smaller than radius 62R of initial movement range 62 . This is because the radius of the movement range 61 is adjusted according to the ratio between the remaining time and the expected usage time. Since the radius 63R of the reduced movement range 63 decreases over time, the reduced movement range 63 shrinks over time. The user can grasp in real time whether or not the vehicle A can be returned by the scheduled return time. Further, by displaying the range in which the vehicle A can be returned by the scheduled return time, the set range notification device 3 can prevent the user from returning the vehicle A after the scheduled return time.

Thus, the movement range setting unit 11 decreases the radius of the movement range 61 over time. The user of the vehicle A can move the vehicle A so that the vehicle A can be returned by the scheduled return time by checking the movement range 61 that decreases with the passage of time on the display device 4 . Thereby, it is possible to prevent the vehicle A from being returned past the scheduled return time.

As described above, the movement range limiting device 1 sets the movement range 61 within which the vehicle A can be moved according to the attribute of the user who uses the vehicle A. FIG. Thereby, the movement range limiting device 1 can flexibly change the movement range 61 according to the user. Further, when the current position PA of the vehicle A is outside the moving range 61, the moving range limiting device 1 sends a warning instruction to the set range notification device 3 to prompt the user to return to the moving range 61. do. The moving range limiting device 1 reduces the moving range 61 over time and notifies the moving range limiting device 1 of the reduced moving range 61 . Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the vehicle A from being returned after the scheduled return time.

[3. Modification]
[3.1. Modification 1]
In the above embodiment, the moving range limiting device 1 includes the position determining unit 12, the distance calculating unit 13, and the time measuring unit 14. However, the moving range limiting system 100 is not limited to this example.

FIG. 13 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of a setting range notification device 3A according to Modification 1 of the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 12, setting range notification device 3A includes position determination unit 12A, distance calculation unit 13A and time measurement unit 14A in addition to the configuration shown in FIG.

When the position acquisition unit 32 acquires the current position PA, the position determination unit 12A, the distance calculation unit 13A, and the time measurement unit 14A execute the processing shown in FIG.

If the distance calculated in step S182 is greater than the distance threshold (No in step S183), the distance calculator 13A outputs a warning message to the display device 4. Further, the distance calculation unit 13A notifies the communication terminal operated by the operator of the business that the distance calculated in step S182 is greater than the distance threshold. In this case, the operator can contact the communication terminal possessed by the user of vehicle A to prompt the user to change the scheduled return time or explain that the scheduled return time cannot be changed. A communication terminal is, for example, a mobile phone.

If the measured time is longer than the time threshold (No in step S188), the time measurement unit 14A outputs a warning message to the display device 4. Also, the time measurement unit 14A notifies the operator of the company that the elapsed time is longer than the time threshold. The operation of the operator in this case is the same as described above.

[3.2. Modification 2]
As with the set range notification device 3 according to Modification 1, the movement range restriction device 1 may notify the communication terminal operated by the operator that the vehicle A may not be returned at the scheduled return time. Specifically, the distance calculator 13A notifies that the distance calculated in step S182 is greater than the distance threshold. Alternatively, the time measuring unit 14A notifies the operator of the company that the elapsed time is longer than the time threshold.

[3.3. Modification 3]
In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the set range notification device 3 displays a warning message on the display device 4 based on the warning instruction received from the movement range limiting device 1. However, the movement range limiting system 100 It is not limited to this example.

When the vehicle A has an automatic driving function, the setting range notification device 3 may instruct the vehicle A to stop at a safe place. The stop instruction by the setting range notification device 3 is performed after the warning message is displayed. After the vehicle A stops, the set range notification device 3 notifies the communication terminal operated by the operator of the business operator of the stop position of the vehicle A. The operator of the company can prompt the user to return the vehicle A promptly or change the scheduled return time.

[3.4. Modification 4]
In the above-described embodiment, an example in which movement range limiting device 1 is a server managed by an operator has been described, but movement range limiting system 100 is not limited to this example. Vehicle A may be equipped with movement range limiting device 1 . In this case, the reservation data of the vehicle A and the user attribute data of the user of the vehicle A are obtained from the server managed by the operator. The movement range setting unit 11 may hold the coefficient table 23 in advance. As a result, even if the vehicle A cannot communicate with the movement range limiting device 1 while the vehicle A is traveling, the user can grasp in real time whether the vehicle A is outside the movement range.

[3.5. Modification 5]
In the above embodiment, the example in which the scheduled return time of vehicle A is recorded in the reservation table 22 has been described. may be When the user determines that the vehicle A cannot be returned by the scheduled return time, the user contacts the operator of the company and applies for a change of the scheduled return time. The business operator changes the scheduled return time recorded in the reservation data 222 of vehicle A to the scheduled return time requested by the user. In this case, the movement range setting unit 11 may reset the movement range 61 based on the changed scheduled return time.

[3.6. Other Modifications]
In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the origin of the range of movement 61 is the office where the return is scheduled, but the range of movement restriction system 100 is not limited to this example. The origin of the movement range 61 may be, for example, the user's home. In this case, the time required to move from home to the office where the vehicle is scheduled to be returned is subtracted from the scheduled usage time, and the radius is determined based on the subtracted scheduled usage time. Alternatively, the origin of the movement range 61 may be a position designated by the user by operating the set range notification device 3 . In this case, the setting range notification device 3 notifies the moving range limiting device 1 of the origin specified by the user.

In the above embodiment, the initial moving range 62 is a circle centered on the origin, but the moving range limiting system 100 is not limited to this example. The boundary of the municipality through which the circumference of the circle centered at the origin passes may be set as the boundary of the movement range.

In the above-described embodiment, when the current position of the vehicle A is outside the movement range 61 and the distance from the current position to the boundary line of the movement range 61 is greater than the distance threshold, the distance calculation unit issues a warning instruction. I explained the output example. An example has been described in which the time measurement unit and the distance calculation unit output an attention instruction when the time period during which the current position of the vehicle A is outside the movement range 61 is longer than the time threshold. However, movement range restriction system 100 is not limited to these examples. The position determination unit may output a warning instruction when determining that the current position of the vehicle A is outside the movement range 61 . Even in this case, it is possible to prevent the vehicle A from being returned past the scheduled return time.

In the above embodiment, an example in which the reservation data records the excess rate has been described, but movement range restriction system 100 is not limited to this example. The reservation data may record the number of times the user has returned the vehicle past the scheduled return time instead of the excess rate. That is, the user attribute data only needs to include return time overtime information indicating whether or not the user has returned the vehicle past the scheduled return time.

In the above embodiment, each functional block of the movement range limiting device 1 and the setting range notification device 3 may be individually integrated into one chip by a semiconductor device such as LSI, or may be integrated into one chip so as to include part or all of them. may be changed. Although LSI is used here, it may also be called IC, system LSI, super LSI, or ultra LSI depending on the degree of integration.

The method of circuit integration is not limited to LSI, and may be realized by a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) that can be programmed after the LSI is manufactured, or a reconfigurable processor that can reconfigure the connections and settings of the circuit cells inside the LSI may be used.

Also, part or all of the processing executed by the movement range limiting device 1 and the set range notification device 3 may be implemented by a program. Part or all of the processing of each functional block in each of the above embodiments is performed by a central processing unit (CPU) in a computer. A program for performing each process is stored in a storage device such as a hard disk or ROM, and is read from the ROM or RAM and executed.

Further, each process of the above embodiment may be realized by hardware, or may be realized by software (including cases where it is realized together with an OS (operating system), middleware, or a predetermined library). . Furthermore, it may be realized by mixed processing of software and hardware.

For example, when the functional blocks of the movement range limiting device 1 and the setting range notification device 3 are implemented by software, the hardware configuration shown in FIG. Each functional unit may be realized by software processing using a hardware configuration connected by a Bus.

Also, the execution order of the processing methods in the above embodiments is not limited to the description of the above embodiments, and the execution order may be changed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A computer program that causes a computer to execute the method described above and a computer-readable recording medium that records the program are included in the scope of the present invention. Examples of computer-readable recording media include flexible disks, hard disks, CD-ROMs, MOs, DVDs, DVD-ROMs, DVD-RAMs, large-capacity DVDs, next-generation DVDs, and semiconductor memories. .

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above-described embodiments are merely examples for carrying out the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented by appropriately modifying the above-described embodiment without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

100 movement range limitation system 1 movement range limitation device 2 storage device 3 setting range notification device 4 display device 11 movement range setting units 12, 12A position determination units 13, 13A distance calculation units 14, 14A time measurement unit 15 output units 16, 31 Communication unit 32 Position acquisition unit 33 Notification unit

Claims (8)

A movement range limiting device used in a mobile rental service,
User attribute data in which user attributes are recorded is acquired from a storage device, and based on the acquired user attribute data and a predetermined position, a movement range in which the mobile body to be used by the user can move is set. a movement range setting unit;
an output unit that outputs the movement range set by the movement range setting unit ,
The user attribute data includes return time overtime information indicating whether or not the user has returned the mobile object past the preset scheduled return time,
The range of movement setting unit sets the range of movement based on return time exceeded information included in the user attribute data.
Movement range limiting device. A movement range limiting device according to claim 1,
A movement range limiting device, wherein the movement range setting unit sets the movement range based on at least one of the user's occupation, age, and the number of times the service is used recorded in the user attribute data. The movement range limiting device according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The moving range setting unit sets the moving range such that the moving range narrows as the scheduled return time of the moving body approaches from the current time. The movement range limiting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , further comprising:
a position determination unit that determines whether the current position of the moving object is outside the set movement range based on the current position of the moving object and the movement range set by the movement range setting unit; ,
When the position determining unit determines that the current position of the moving object is outside the set movement range, the time for measuring the time during which the current position of the moving object is outside the set movement range. a measuring unit,
When the time measured by the time measurement unit is longer than a predetermined time, the output unit outputs a warning instruction prompting the moving object to move within the set movement range. . The movement range limiting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , further comprising:
a position determination unit that determines whether the current position of the moving object is outside the set movement range based on the current position of the moving object and the movement range set by the movement range setting unit; ,
A distance for calculating a distance from the current position of the moving body to the boundary of the set moving range when the position determining unit determines that the current position of the moving body is outside the set moving range. a calculation unit;
When the distance calculated by the distance calculation unit is longer than a predetermined distance, the output unit outputs a warning instruction prompting the moving object to move within the set movement range. . a movement range limiting device that limits the movement range of a mobile body;
and a setting range notification device mounted on the mobile body,
The movement range limiting device is
User attribute data in which user attributes are recorded is acquired from a storage device, and based on the acquired user attribute data and a predetermined position, a movement range in which the mobile body to be used by the user can move is set. a movement range setting unit;
an output unit that outputs the movement range set by the movement range setting unit to the set range notification device,
The setting range notification device
a notification unit that notifies the movement range output from the output unit ;
The setting range notification device further
a position determination unit that determines whether the current position of the moving object is outside the movement range output from the output unit;
When the position determination unit determines that the current position is outside the output movement range, the output unit notifies the moving body to move within the notified movement range.
movement limit system. A movement range limitation method executed by a computer and used in a mobile rental service, comprising:
User attribute data in which user attributes are recorded is acquired from a storage device, and based on the acquired user attribute data and a predetermined position, a movement range in which the mobile body to be used by the user can move is set. a step;
a step of notifying the set movement range ;
The user attribute data includes return time overtime information indicating whether or not the user has returned the mobile object past the preset scheduled return time,
In the step of setting the range of movement, the range of movement is set based on return time excess information included in the user attribute data.
Movement range limitation method. a movement range limiting device that limits the movement range of a mobile body;
and a setting range notification device mounted on the mobile body,
The movement range limiting device is
User attribute data in which user attributes are recorded is acquired from a storage device, and based on the acquired user attribute data and a predetermined position, a movement range in which the mobile body to be used by the user can move is set. a movement range setting unit;
an output unit that outputs the movement range set by the movement range setting unit to the set range notification device,
The setting range notification device
a notification unit that notifies the range of movement output from the output unit;
The user attribute data includes return time overtime information indicating whether or not the user has returned the mobile object past the preset scheduled return time,
The range of movement setting unit sets the range of movement based on return time exceeded information included in the user attribute data.
movement limit system.

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