JP7475985B2 - Vehicle allocation management device and vehicle allocation management method - Google Patents

Description

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

Conventionally, an automatic vehicle dispatch system is known that acquires information indicating the user's current location and information indicating the current location and usage status of a vehicle to be dispatched, determines a vehicle to be dispatched that can be dispatched to the user and a boarding location based on that information, and moves the vehicle to be dispatched to the boarding location (see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent No. 6413664

In the above conventional technology, the boarding location is determined based on the current locations of the user and the vehicle to be dispatched. However, if the boarding location is a frequently used location such as a station or commercial facility, a large number of users and vehicles to be dispatched may arrive at the boarding location, resulting in a queue of vehicles waiting for users to board and disembark, which may increase the stop time of the vehicles to be dispatched and contribute to congestion at the boarding location.

The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a vehicle dispatch management device and a vehicle dispatch management method that can reduce congestion at boarding locations and shorten waiting times for dispatched vehicles.

The present invention estimates the congestion degree of a desired boarding point where a user wishes to board a dispatch vehicle, and when the congestion degree is lower than a first congestion degree, sets a direct dispatch plan for moving from the desired boarding point to the desired disembarking point by a dispatch vehicle. Also, when the congestion degree of the desired boarding point is equal to or higher than the first congestion degree, detects a transfer point with a congestion degree lower than that of the desired boarding point, identifies a first dispatch vehicle that runs from the desired boarding point to the transfer point from dispatch vehicles dispatched to other users who use the desired boarding point, and identifies a second dispatch vehicle that runs from the transfer point to the desired disembarking point from dispatch vehicles other than the first dispatch vehicle. Then, sets a transfer dispatch plan including a first dispatch plan for a user to share a ride from the desired boarding point to the first dispatch vehicle and move to the transfer point by a second dispatch vehicle for a user who has transferred from the first dispatch vehicle to the second dispatch vehicle at the transfer point. Furthermore, in the present invention, when setting a transfer dispatch plan, user characteristic information regarding the user's use of dispatch vehicles is obtained, and from the dispatch plans set for other users, a transfer candidate location that is a candidate for the transfer boarding/disembarking location and a first candidate vehicle that is a candidate for the first dispatch vehicle are identified, from the dispatch vehicle reservation information, a second candidate vehicle that is a candidate for the second dispatch vehicle are identified, and based on the user characteristic information, the transfer candidate location, the first candidate vehicle, and the second dispatch vehicle are determined from the transfer candidate location, the first candidate vehicle, and the second candidate vehicle.

According to the present invention, the number of users who share a ride from their desired boarding location to a dispatched vehicle increases, which can alleviate congestion at the desired boarding location.

1 is a block diagram showing a vehicle allocation management system to which a vehicle allocation management device and a vehicle allocation management method according to the present invention are applied. 2 is a table showing an example of a vehicle dispatch request transmitted from the user terminal shown in FIG. 1 . 3 is a table showing an example of user characteristic information shown in FIG. 2 . 2 is a table showing an example of a connecting vehicle dispatch plan set in the vehicle dispatch plan unit shown in FIG. 1 . 2 is a map showing an example of an area where a vehicle dispatch service is provided by the vehicle dispatch management system shown in FIG. 1 . 4 is a flowchart showing a procedure for dispatching a vehicle by the vehicle dispatch management system shown in FIG. 1 . 7 is a flowchart showing a procedure for setting the transfer dispatch plan shown in FIG. 6 . 6 is a table showing an example of a vehicle dispatch plan with boarding and alighting points close to the shortest route of FIG. 5 . 8 is a table showing the times at which the first dispatched vehicle shown in FIG. 7 arrives at candidate transfer locations. 8 is a table showing the times at which the second dispatched vehicle shown in FIG. 7 arrives at potential transfer locations and drop-off locations. 2 is a table showing an example of a connecting vehicle dispatch plan set by the vehicle dispatch planner shown in FIG. 1 .

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. This embodiment relates to a vehicle dispatch management system that implements the vehicle dispatch management device and vehicle dispatch management method according to the present invention. The vehicle dispatch management system according to this embodiment is a system for providing a vehicle dispatch service that transports a user to a destination by acquiring a vehicle dispatch request from a user, setting a vehicle dispatch plan including a vehicle dispatched by the user and a vehicle dispatch route along which the vehicle dispatched will travel in response to the vehicle dispatch request, and running the vehicle dispatched based on the vehicle dispatch plan. In particular, the vehicle dispatch management system of this embodiment is characterized in that, when the congestion degree of the user's desired boarding location is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, a transfer vehicle dispatch plan is set for moving from the desired boarding location to the desired disembarking location by transferring vehicles. The vehicle dispatch request is request information for requesting the vehicle dispatch management system to dispatch a vehicle to be used by the user to travel to the destination.

In addition, in the vehicle dispatch management system of this embodiment, for example, a plurality of dispatch vehicles are arranged at dispatch stations installed in a plurality of locations. In the dispatch area where the vehicle dispatch management system provides the vehicle dispatch service, a plurality of boarding and alighting points where the vehicle dispatch vehicle can stop and where the user can board and alight from the stopped vehicle are set in advance. The user uses the vehicle dispatch service by specifying these dispatch stations or boarding and alighting points as the desired boarding point for boarding the vehicle dispatched and the desired alighting point to be transported by the vehicle dispatched, by making a vehicle dispatch request.

Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle dispatch management system 1 that implements the vehicle dispatch management device and vehicle dispatch management method according to the present invention. The vehicle dispatch management system 1 of this embodiment includes multiple user terminals 2 to which users input vehicle dispatch requests, a vehicle dispatch management device 3 that sets a vehicle dispatch plan in response to the vehicle dispatch requests, multiple dispatch vehicles 4 that run based on the vehicle dispatch plan, and a network NW that communicatively connects the user terminals 2, the vehicle dispatch management device 3, and the dispatch vehicles 4. The network NW uses a mobile phone communication network and a telecommunication line network such as the Internet.

The user terminal 2 in this embodiment is a mobile information terminal with a communication function, and may be, for example, a mobile phone such as a smartphone carried by the user, a tablet terminal, or a portable personal computer. In the following, an example will be described in which a smartphone is used as the user terminal 2. The user terminal 2 made of a smartphone has a touch panel type display panel (hereinafter referred to as a display) 21 that functions as an information input unit and a display unit, a communication unit 22 that communicates with the vehicle dispatch management device 3, a position detection unit 23 that detects the position of the user terminal 2, and a control unit 24 that controls the entire user terminal 2.

The location detection unit 23 is a so-called GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, and receives radio waves transmitted from multiple positioning satellites at predetermined time intervals to obtain location information of the user terminal 2, i.e., location information of the user carrying the user terminal 2. The control unit 24 is configured by a computer equipped with hardware and software, and is composed of a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores programs, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes the programs stored in the ROM, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that functions as an accessible storage device. The control unit 24 realizes various functions required for the smartphone to operate as the user terminal 2 by starting a vehicle dispatch application installed on the smartphone.

The control unit 24 accepts input of a vehicle dispatch request by the user and transmits the input vehicle dispatch request to the vehicle dispatch management device 3 via the communication unit 22. The vehicle dispatch request is input by the user by touching the display 21. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle dispatch request includes a "user ID", a "desired boarding location", a "desired departure time", a "desired disembarking location", and a "desired arrival time". The user ID is used to identify the user in the vehicle dispatch management device 3. As described above, the desired boarding location and the desired disembarking location are selected from among a plurality of dispatch stations and a plurality of boarding and disembarking locations. The desired departure time is the desired time at which the dispatch vehicle 4 departs from the desired boarding location. The desired arrival time is the desired time at which the vehicle 4 arrives at the desired disembarking location. The vehicle dispatch request may also include the number of passengers, intermediate locations, etc.

The dispatch request includes "user characteristic information" including the matters that the user considers important regarding the use of a dispatched vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "important matters"). As shown in FIG. 3, for example, the following three types of user characteristic information Pm1 to Pm3 can be selected. User characteristic information Pm1 is "early arrival time at desired disembarkation point". User characteristic information Pm2 is "low usage fee". User characteristic information Pm3 is "short waiting time at transfer points". When setting a dispatch plan based on a dispatch request, the dispatch management device 3 sets the dispatch plan so as to satisfy the important matters requested in the user characteristic information.

In addition to inputting the user characteristic information together with the dispatch request, the user characteristic information may be input as part of the user registration information, for example, when the user first registers with the dispatch management system 1. In addition, the user characteristic information input as part of the user registration information may be temporarily changed by the dispatch request.

When a dispatch request is sent and when a request is received from the dispatch management device 3, the control unit 24 of the user terminal 2 transmits the position information of the user terminal 2 detected by the position detection unit 23, i.e., the user's position information, to the dispatch management device 3 via the communication unit 22. The above-mentioned dispatch request and the position information of the user terminal 2 are used in setting a dispatch plan in the dispatch management device 3.

Furthermore, the control unit 24 receives the user-presented information transmitted from the vehicle dispatch management device 3 via the communication unit 22, and displays it on the display 21. The user-presented information is information about a vehicle dispatch plan set in the vehicle dispatch management device 3 based on a vehicle dispatch request. The display of the user-presented information by the user terminal 2 will be described in detail later.

When the user arrives at the meeting place for the dispatch vehicle 4 and performs an authentication operation, the control unit 24 communicates with the dispatch vehicle 4 using the communication unit 22 or a short-range wireless communication device (not shown) that the smartphone is equipped with, and performs user authentication. In this user authentication, a user ID or the like is used to determine whether the user who performed the authentication operation is the user who sent the dispatch request.

Instead of using the dispatch application, a dispatch website operated by the dispatch management system 1 may be used to input a dispatch request and display user-presented information. For example, the dispatch website may be accessed by a web browser on the user terminal 2, and a dispatch request may be input and transmitted to the dispatch management device 3 via this dispatch website. In addition, the dispatch website may be accessed by a web browser on the user terminal 2, and user-presented information may be received via this website and displayed on the display 21.

Next, the dispatch vehicle 4 of this embodiment will be described. The dispatch vehicle 4 of this embodiment is a vehicle equipped with an autonomous driving control function that allows the vehicle to drive autonomously without relying on driving operations by a driver. The dispatch vehicle 4 drives using autonomous driving control based on a dispatch plan transmitted from the dispatch management device 3, and transports users. Although not shown in detail, the dispatch vehicle 4 is equipped with a drive mechanism including drive wheels, a drive source that supplies drive force to the drive mechanism, a steering mechanism including steering wheels, a braking mechanism, and a driving control device that controls these mechanisms and the drive source to drive the dispatch vehicle 4 autonomously. The drive source is an electric motor or an internal combustion engine, or a hybrid drive source that combines an electric motor and an internal combustion engine.

The dispatch vehicle 4 of this embodiment is equipped with an on-board device 41 that receives a dispatch plan transmitted from the dispatch management device 3 and causes the driving control device of the dispatch vehicle 4 to execute autonomous driving control based on the dispatch plan. The on-board device 41 includes a communication unit 411 that communicates with the dispatch management device 3, a position detection unit 412 that detects the position of the dispatch vehicle 4, and a control unit 413 that performs overall control of the on-board device 41. The position detection unit 412 is a so-called GPS receiver, and obtains position information of the dispatch vehicle 4 by receiving radio waves transmitted from multiple positioning satellites at predetermined time intervals.

The control unit 413 is configured by a computer equipped with hardware and software, and is composed of a ROM that stores programs, a CPU that executes the programs stored in the ROM, and a RAM that functions as an accessible storage device. The control unit 413 operates based on a dispatch control software program created for the dispatch management system 1, thereby realizing various functions required for the in-vehicle device 41.

The control unit 413 transmits the position information of the dispatched vehicle 4 detected by the position detection unit 412 to the dispatch management device 3 via the communication unit 411 at predetermined intervals or in response to a request from the dispatch management device 3. The dispatch management device 3 uses the position information of the dispatched vehicle 4 to manage the dispatched vehicle 4 and set the dispatch plan. The control unit 413 also receives the dispatch plan set by the dispatch management device 3 via the communication unit 411, controls the driving control device based on the dispatch plan, and causes the dispatched vehicle 4 to drive autonomously. More specifically, the control unit 413 drives the dispatched vehicle 4 to the user's desired boarding location according to the dispatch plan and causes it to wait at the desired boarding location. When the user boards the dispatched vehicle 4 at the desired boarding location, the control unit 413 drives the dispatched vehicle 4 to the desired disembarking location according to the dispatch plan. Furthermore, if the dispatch plan is canceled by the dispatch management device 3 while waiting at the desired boarding location, the control unit 413 performs control in accordance with instructions from the dispatch management device 3 to return to the dispatch station, continue waiting at the desired boarding location to wait for another user, or travel to another boarding or alighting location to pick up another user.

Furthermore, when the user arrives at the desired boarding location of the dispatch vehicle 4 and performs an authentication operation using the user terminal 2, the control unit 413 communicates with the user terminal 2 using the communication unit 411 or a short-range wireless communication device (not shown) to perform user authentication. In this user authentication, it is determined whether the user who performed the authentication operation is the user who sent the dispatch request. If the control unit 413 determines that the user who performed the authentication operation is the user who sent the dispatch request, it allows the user to board the dispatch vehicle 4 and causes the driving control device to perform autonomous driving according to the dispatch plan. Furthermore, if the control unit 413 determines that the user who performed the authentication operation is not the user who sent the dispatch request, it notifies the user that the dispatch vehicle is not the one that was reserved using a voice output unit or display unit (not shown).

Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 3 of this embodiment will be described. The vehicle dispatch management device 3 of this embodiment is installed, for example, in a control center of a business that provides vehicle dispatch services. The vehicle dispatch management device 3 includes a database 31, a communication unit 32 that communicates with the user terminal 2 and the dispatch vehicle 4 via the network NW, and a control unit 33 (controller) that performs overall control of the vehicle dispatch management device 3.

The database 31 stores vehicle information 311, dispatch information 312, map information 313, and user information 314. The vehicle information 311 is information about each dispatch vehicle 4, and includes, for example, the current location information of each dispatch vehicle 4 and the current usage status of each dispatch vehicle 4. The current usage status of the dispatch vehicle 4 includes status information indicating whether the dispatch vehicle 4 is in a dispatched state or is vacant, and reservation information set according to the dispatch plan.

The dispatch information 312 of the database 31 stores dispatch requests acquired from the user terminal 2 in association with dispatch plans set in response to the dispatch requests. As will be described in detail later, dispatch plans include direct dispatch plans in which a single dispatch vehicle 4 takes the user directly from the desired boarding location to the desired disembarking location, and transfer dispatch plans in which the user travels from the desired boarding location to the desired disembarking location by transferring between multiple dispatch vehicles 4. The dispatch information 312 stores the direct dispatch plan or the transfer dispatch plan in association with the dispatch request.

Map information 313 includes information on roads and facilities, and facility information includes information on the structure of a building, such as the number of floors of the building, the passageways of the building, and the entrances and exits of the building. In addition, map information 313 in this embodiment includes location information on multiple dispatch stations and multiple boarding and alighting points, facility information around each dispatch station and each boarding and alighting point, and information on each dispatch station and boarding and alighting point, such as traffic conditions around each dispatch station and each boarding and alighting point, and the dispatch capacity of each dispatch station and each boarding and alighting point. Note that the dispatch capacity of each dispatch station and each boarding and alighting point indicates, for example, the number of dispatch vehicles 4 that can be parked or stopped to wait for users to board or alight.

User information 314 is information about all users who have registered to use the vehicle dispatch management system 1 of this embodiment. The user information includes the user ID, the user's name, gender, age, address, telephone number, email address, etc. In addition, when a user has sent a vehicle dispatch request and is using a vehicle dispatch service, location information of the user terminal 2 acquired from the user terminal 2 is stored in association with the user information. Note that when user characteristic information is input as part of the user registration information, the user registration information may be stored in user information 314.

The control unit 33 is configured by a computer equipped with hardware and software, and is composed of a ROM that stores programs, a CPU that executes the programs stored in the ROM, and a RAM that functions as an accessible storage device. The control unit 33 operates based on a vehicle dispatch management software program created for the vehicle dispatch system 1, thereby realizing various functions required by the vehicle dispatch management device 3.

The control unit 33 operates based on a vehicle dispatch management software program, and functions as a vehicle dispatch request acquisition unit 331, a congestion degree estimation unit 332, a congestion degree determination unit 333, a vehicle dispatch planning unit 334, and an information transmission unit 335.

The dispatch request acquisition unit 331 receives a dispatch request transmitted from the user terminal 2 through the communication unit 32. The congestion degree estimation unit 332 estimates the congestion degree of the desired boarding location included in the dispatch request. The congestion degree estimation unit 332 acquires the dispatch capacity of the desired boarding location from the map information 313 of the database 31, acquires the number of dispatched vehicles 4 that are dispatched or scheduled to be dispatched to the desired boarding location from the dispatch information 312 of the database 31, and estimates the congestion degree based on the acquired dispatch capacity and dispatch number. For example, when the dispatch capacity of the desired boarding location is 5 vehicles and the number of dispatched vehicles at the desired boarding location is 5 vehicles, the congestion degree is 100%. Also, when the dispatch capacity of the desired boarding location is 5 vehicles and the number of dispatched vehicles at the desired boarding location is 3 vehicles, the congestion degree is 60%. Similarly, when the dispatch capacity of the desired boarding location is 5 vehicles and the number of dispatched vehicles at the desired boarding location is 6 vehicles, the congestion degree is 120%. In addition, when estimating the congestion level of the desired boarding location, the estimation may be performed taking into consideration the number of dispatched vehicles as well as the number of users waiting to board dispatched vehicles at the desired boarding location. In addition, the congestion level of the desired boarding location may be estimated based on the number of dispatch requests using the desired boarding location, the number of reservations for dispatched vehicles using the desired boarding location, the current number of dispatched vehicles at the desired boarding location, etc., or the congestion level may be estimated by comparing these.

The example of estimating the congestion degree of the desired boarding point based on various information such as the usage status of the desired boarding point at the time of estimating the congestion degree, the usage status of the dispatched vehicles 4 (number of dispatched vehicles or number of reservations), or the number of dispatch requests has been described. However, the congestion degree of the desired boarding point may be estimated using past congestion degree data collected and accumulated in advance. In other words, the congestion degree of the desired boarding point varies not only depending on whether it is a weekday or a holiday, but also depending on the day of the week, time period, season, weather, temperature, etc. Therefore, congestion degree data under these different conditions may be collected in advance and stored in a database, and the congestion degree of the desired boarding point may be estimated using this congestion degree data. The condition used to estimate the congestion degree may be one type, or multiple types may be combined. For example, if the condition at the time of estimating the congestion degree is "Sunday", the congestion degree of "Sunday" is estimated by referring to the congestion degree data. Also, if the condition at the time of estimating the congestion degree is a combination of multiple conditions such as "Saturday", "13:00-14:00", "season: summer", "weather: rain" and "temperature: 30 degrees", the congestion degree corresponding to the combination of these conditions is estimated by referring to the congestion degree data. When estimating the congestion level from a combination of multiple conditions, each condition may be weighted according to the degree of influence on the congestion level. In addition, the congestion level data may be used to create a trained model using a known machine learning algorithm such as a neural network, and the trained model may be used to estimate the congestion level.

The congestion degree determination unit 333 compares the congestion degree estimated by the congestion degree estimation unit 332 with a first congestion degree that is set in advance and stored in the database 31 or the like, and determines whether the estimated congestion degree is equal to or greater than the first congestion degree. The first congestion degree may be, for example, 100% or more, or less than 100%. The first congestion degree may be set for each dispatch station and boarding/alighting point. For example, at dispatch stations and boarding/alighting points where the waiting time for the dispatch vehicle 4 to wait for the user to board or alight is short, the congestion degree decreases in a short time, so the first congestion degree may be set high. At dispatch stations and boarding/alighting points where the waiting time for the dispatch vehicle 4 is long, it takes time for the congestion degree to decrease, so the first congestion degree may be set low.

The vehicle dispatch planning unit 334 sets a vehicle dispatch plan based on the dispatch request transmitted from the user terminal 2. When the estimated congestion degree of the desired boarding location falls below the first congestion degree, the vehicle dispatch planning unit 334 sets a direct vehicle dispatch plan to move the user from the desired boarding location to the desired disembarking location by one dispatch vehicle 4 in response to the dispatch request. When the estimated congestion degree of the desired boarding location is equal to or higher than the first congestion degree, the vehicle dispatch planning unit 334 sets a transfer vehicle dispatch plan to move from the desired boarding location to the desired disembarking location by the user by transferring dispatch vehicles 4 in order to eliminate the congestion degree of the desired boarding location.

The dispatch plan unit 334 sets, as a direct dispatch plan, the dispatch vehicle 4 to be dispatched to the user, the scheduled departure time of the dispatch vehicle 4 from the desired boarding location, the scheduled arrival time of the dispatch vehicle 4 at the desired disembarking location, and the dispatch route of the dispatch vehicle 4. This direct dispatch plan is stored in the dispatch information 312 of the database 31 in association with the dispatch request.

In order to set a transfer dispatch plan, the dispatch planning unit 334 detects a transfer point with a smaller degree of congestion than the desired boarding point, identifies a first dispatch vehicle that runs from the desired boarding point to the transfer point from among dispatch vehicles 4 that are dispatched to other users who use the desired boarding point, and identifies a second dispatch vehicle that runs from the transfer point to the desired disembarking point from among dispatch vehicles 4 other than the first dispatch vehicle. The dispatch planning unit 334 then sets, as the transfer dispatch plan, a first dispatch plan for users to travel from the desired boarding point to the transfer point by sharing a ride in the first dispatch vehicle, and a second dispatch plan for users who have transferred from the first dispatch vehicle to the second dispatch vehicle at the transfer point to travel from the transfer point to the desired disembarking point by the second dispatch vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 4, the first dispatch plan constituting the transfer dispatch plan includes information about the first dispatch vehicle, a scheduled departure time of the first dispatch vehicle from the desired boarding location, a scheduled arrival time of the first dispatch vehicle at the transfer location, and a dispatch route from the desired boarding location to the transfer location. Furthermore, the second dispatch plan includes information about the second dispatch vehicle, a scheduled arrival time of the second dispatch vehicle at the transfer location, a scheduled departure time of the second dispatch vehicle from the transfer location, a scheduled arrival time of the second dispatch vehicle at the transfer location, and a dispatch route from the transfer location to the desired transfer location. This transfer dispatch plan is stored in the dispatch information 312 of the database 31 in association with the dispatch request.

The information transmission unit 335 transmits information related to the dispatch plan to the user terminal 2 and the in-vehicle device 41 via the communication unit 32. When a direct dispatch plan is set in the dispatch planning unit 334, the information transmission unit 335 transmits direct dispatch presentation information including the items set in the direct dispatch plan to the user terminal 2. The user terminal 2 displays the direct dispatch presentation information received by the communication unit 22 on the display 21. Furthermore, when a direct dispatch plan is set in the dispatch planning unit 334, the information transmission unit 335 transmits the direct dispatch plan to the in-vehicle device 41 of the dispatch vehicle 4. The in-vehicle device 41 causes the dispatch vehicle 4 to drive autonomously based on the direct dispatch plan.

When a transfer vehicle dispatch plan is set in the vehicle dispatch plan unit 334, the information transmission unit 335 transmits transfer vehicle dispatch presentation information including the items set in the transfer vehicle dispatch plan to the user terminal 2. The user terminal 2 displays the transfer vehicle dispatch presentation information received by the communication unit 22 on the display 21. When a transfer vehicle dispatch plan is set in the vehicle dispatch plan unit 334, the information transmission unit 335 transmits a first vehicle dispatch plan to the on-board device 41 of the first vehicle dispatch vehicle and transmits a second vehicle dispatch plan to the on-board device 41 of the second vehicle dispatch vehicle.

Next, a specific method for setting a transit dispatch plan will be described with reference to Figs. 5 to 11. Fig. 5 is a map showing a part of a dispatch area in which a dispatch service is provided by the dispatch management system 1 of this embodiment. Figs. 6 and 7 are flowcharts showing the procedure for setting a transit dispatch plan by the dispatch management device 3.

In the dispatch area shown in FIG. 5, roads R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5 are located. Roads R1 and R2 intersect, roads R2 and R3 intersect, roads R3 and R4 and R5 intersect, and road R5 intersects with road R1. A boarding and alighting point A for the dispatch vehicle 4 is located on road R1, and boarding and alighting points B, C, and D are located on road R2. Furthermore, boarding and alighting points E and F are located on road R3, boarding and alighting point G is located on road R4, and boarding and alighting point H is located on road R5. A dispatch station ST is located on road R1. The dispatch vehicle 4 travels between boarding and alighting points A and B, B and C, C and D, C and E, C and F, and F and G in about 5 minutes. The travel time of dispatch vehicle 4 between boarding and alighting points F and H is approximately 10 minutes. At boarding and alighting point A, multiple dispatch vehicles 4A1 to 4An are waiting, and multiple users U1 to Un are waiting to board dispatch vehicle 4. Additionally, vacant dispatch vehicles 4B1, 4C1, 4F1, etc. are parked at dispatch station ST.

In the above-mentioned dispatch area, assume that user Us who has arrived at boarding/alighting point A operates user terminal 2 and transmits a dispatch request to dispatch management device 3 at 12:50. In the dispatch request of user Us, for example, the desired boarding point is boarding/alighting point A, the desired departure time is 13:00, the desired disembarking point is boarding/alighting point H, and the desired arrival time is 13:25. In step S1 shown in FIG. 6, the dispatch request acquisition unit 331 of the dispatch management device 3 acquires the dispatch request of user Us via the communication unit 32.

In step S2, the congestion degree estimation unit 332 obtains the vehicle allocation capacity of the boarding/alighting point A from the map information 313 in the database 31, obtains the number of vehicles 4 that have been allocated or are scheduled to be allocated to the boarding/alighting point A from the vehicle allocation information 312 in the database 31, and estimates the congestion degree of the boarding/alighting point A based on the obtained vehicle allocation capacity and number of vehicles. For example, if the vehicle allocation capacity of the boarding/alighting point A is 5 vehicles and the current number of vehicles allocated to the boarding/alighting point A is 5 vehicles, the congestion degree of the boarding/alighting point A is 100%.

In step S3, the congestion degree determination unit 333 compares the congestion degree estimated by the congestion degree estimation unit 332 with a first congestion degree that is set in advance and stored in the database 31 or the like, and determines whether the estimated congestion degree is equal to or greater than the first congestion degree. For example, if the congestion degree at boarding/alighting point A is 100% and the first congestion degree is 100%, the congestion degree determination unit 333 determines that the congestion degree at boarding/alighting point A is equal to or greater than the first congestion degree. If the congestion degree at boarding/alighting point A is equal to or greater than the first congestion degree, a transfer dispatch plan is set in step S4.

If the congestion level at the boarding/alighting point A is less than the first congestion level, the transfer dispatch plan is not set, and in step S9, a direct dispatch plan is set to move the user from the desired boarding point to the desired disembarking point by one dispatch vehicle 4. In the example shown in FIG. 5, since multiple users U1 to Un are already waiting at the boarding/alighting point A, the earliest scheduled departure time from the boarding point at which the user Us can depart from the boarding/alighting point A according to the direct dispatch plan is, for example, 13:40, and the scheduled arrival time at the disembarking point H is 14:05. In the next step S10, the information transmission unit 335 transmits direct dispatch presentation information including the items set in the direct dispatch plan to the user terminal 2. The user terminal 2 displays the direct dispatch presentation information received by the communication unit 22 on the display 21. The information transmission unit 335 also transmits the direct dispatch plan to the vehicle-mounted device 41 of the dispatch vehicle 4. The on-board device 41 drives the dispatch vehicle 4 autonomously according to the direct dispatch plan.

Next, the setting of the transfer dispatch plan in step S4 will be described. In step S20 shown in FIG. 7, the dispatch plan unit 334 of the dispatch management device 3 acquires the dispatch plans of other users who use the boarding/disembarking point A from the dispatch information 312 in the database 31. In addition, in step S21, the dispatch plan unit 334 acquires user identification information of the user Us from the dispatch request included in the dispatch information 312.

In the next step S22, the vehicle dispatch planning unit 334 calculates the shortest route from the user Us's desired boarding point A to the desired disembarking point H. This shortest route Sr is, for example, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 5, a route that turns right from boarding point A on road R1 onto road R2, passes boarding points B and C, turns right onto road R3, passes boarding point F, turns left onto road R5, and heads toward boarding point H.

In the next step S23, the vehicle dispatch plan unit 334 identifies, from the vehicle dispatch route of the vehicle dispatch plan set for another user who uses the boarding/alighting point A, boarding/alighting points that are on the vehicle dispatch route and are within a predetermined distance range from the shortest route Sr or within a predetermined time range of travel time from the shortest route Sr as nearby boarding/alighting points. Note that within a predetermined distance range from the shortest route Sr or within a predetermined time range of travel time from the shortest route Sr means a distance range or travel time range that the user Us can travel relatively easily on foot. In the example shown in FIG. 5, for example, the vehicle dispatch route Dr1 shown by the rough dashed line and the vehicle dispatch route Dr3 shown by the dashed line in the figure have boarding/alighting points B and C as nearby boarding/alighting points for the shortest route Sr. Also, the vehicle dispatch route Dr4 shown by the dashed line in the figure has boarding/alighting points B, C, and F as nearby boarding/alighting points. Note that the vehicle dispatch route Dr2 shown by the fine dashed line does not have a nearby boarding/alighting point because it turns left at the first intersection.

In the next step S24, the vehicle allocation planning unit 334 estimates the congestion level of a nearby boarding/alighting point in order to have the user Us transfer at a boarding/alighting point that is less crowded than boarding/alighting point A. The congestion level of the nearby boarding/alighting point is estimated using a method similar to that used to estimate the congestion level of the desired boarding/alighting point in step S2. Specifically, the vehicle allocation capacity of the nearby boarding/alighting point is obtained from the map information 313 of the database 31, the number of vehicles 4 that have been allocated or are scheduled to be allocated to the nearby boarding/alighting point is obtained from the vehicle allocation information 312 of the database 31, and the congestion level of the nearby boarding/alighting point is estimated based on the obtained vehicle allocation capacity and number of vehicles. Note that other methods for estimating the congestion level of the desired boarding point described above may also be used to estimate the congestion level of the nearby boarding/alighting point.

In the next step S25, the vehicle dispatch planning unit 334 compares the congestion degree of the nearby boarding/alighting point estimated in step S24 with a second congestion degree that is set in advance and stored in the database 31 or the like, and determines whether the estimated congestion degree is less than the second congestion degree. The second congestion degree is used to set a transfer boarding/alighting point that is less crowded than the desired boarding point (boarding/alighting point A), so a value smaller than the first congestion degree is used. In the example shown in FIG. 5, for example, it is assumed that the congestion degrees of nearby boarding/alighting points B, C, and F are less than the second congestion degree. In the next step S26, the vehicle dispatch planning unit 334 identifies nearby boarding/alighting points that have a congestion degree less than the second congestion degree as candidate transfer points that are candidates for transfer boarding/alighting points.

If there is no nearby boarding or disembarking point with a congestion level less than the second congestion level, in step S33, the vehicle dispatch planning unit 334 stops setting the transfer vehicle dispatch plan and proceeds to step S5 shown in FIG. 6. In step S5, the completion of setting the transfer vehicle dispatch plan is confirmed. However, if the setting of the transfer vehicle dispatch plan is stopped in step S34, in step S9, the vehicle dispatch planning unit 334 sets a direct vehicle dispatch plan.

The second congestion degree may be set for each dispatch station and each boarding/disembarking point. For example, the second congestion degree may be set higher at dispatch stations and boarding/disembarking points where the waiting time for the dispatch vehicle 4 to wait for users to board or disembark is short, since the congestion degree decreases in a short time. Also, the second congestion degree may be set lower at dispatch stations and boarding/disembarking points where the waiting time for the dispatch vehicle 4 is long, since it takes time for the congestion degree to decrease. The second congestion degree may be set to the same value as the first congestion degree.

Returning to FIG. 7, in the next step S27, the vehicle dispatch planning unit 334 detects dispatched vehicles that run through the potential transfer point as a stopover or destination from the dispatch plans set for other users who use the boarding/disembarking point A, and identifies the detected dispatched vehicles as first candidate vehicles that will be candidates for the first dispatched vehicle. FIG. 8 shows direct dispatch plans DP1, DP3, and DP4 in the example shown in FIG. 5, with the boarding/disembarking points B, C, and F identified as potential transfer points as stopovers or destinations. The vehicle dispatch planning unit 334 identifies dispatched vehicles 4A1, 4A3, and 4A4 of the direct dispatch plans DP1, DP3, and DP4 as first candidate vehicles that will be candidates for the first dispatched vehicle.

In addition, in the same step S27, the vehicle allocation planning unit 334 identifies a second candidate vehicle that is a candidate for the second vehicle to be allocated. The vehicle allocation planning unit 334 identifies an empty vehicle to be allocated from the reservation information of the vehicle to be allocated 4 stored in the vehicle information 311 of the database 31, and identifies the identified empty vehicle to be allocated as the second candidate vehicle. Here, the vehicle allocation planning unit 334 identifies empty vehicles to be allocated 4B1, 4C1, and 4F1 parked at the vehicle allocation station ST as the second candidate vehicles.

In the next step S28, the vehicle allocation planning unit 334 calculates the first candidate location arrival time at which the first candidate vehicle will arrive at the transfer candidate location. The vehicle allocation planning unit 334 acquires the driving route to the transfer candidate location, the speed limit and congestion status of the road to be traveled from the map information 313 in the database 31, and calculates the first candidate location arrival time based on this information.

Figure 9 shows the first candidate location arrival times at which the first candidate vehicles 4A1, 4A3, and 4A4 identified above arrive at the candidate transfer locations B, C, and F. The first candidate vehicle 4A1 arrives at the candidate transfer location B at 13:10, and at the candidate transfer location C at 13:15. The first candidate vehicle 4A3 arrives at the candidate transfer location B at 13:20, and at the candidate transfer location C at 13:25. The first candidate vehicle 4A4 arrives at the candidate transfer location B at 13:25, at the candidate transfer location C at 13:30, and at the candidate transfer location F at 13:35.

In the next step S29, the vehicle allocation planning unit 334 identifies the first candidate vehicle that has the earliest arrival time at the first candidate location. As shown in FIG. 9, the first candidate vehicle that has the earliest arrival time at the first candidate location for the transfer candidate location B is the first candidate vehicle 4A1. The first candidate vehicle that has the earliest arrival time at the first candidate location for the transfer candidate locations B and C is the first candidate vehicle 4A1. The first candidate vehicle that has the earliest arrival time at the first candidate location for the transfer candidate location F is the first candidate vehicle 4A4.

In the next step S30, the vehicle allocation planning unit 334 calculates the second candidate location arrival time at which the second candidate vehicle will arrive at the transfer candidate location and the drop-off location arrival candidate time at which the second candidate vehicle will arrive at the desired drop-off location. The vehicle allocation planning unit 334 acquires the driving route to the transfer candidate location, the speed limit and congestion status of the road to be traveled from the map information 313 in the database 31, and calculates the second candidate location arrival time and the drop-off location arrival candidate time based on this information.

Figure 10 shows the arrival times at the second candidate locations and the arrival times at the disembarking locations of the second candidate vehicles 4B1, 4C1, and 4F1 identified in step S27. The second candidate vehicle 4B1 arrives at the transfer candidate location B at 13:20 and arrives at the boarding/disembarking location H at 13:40. The second candidate vehicle 4C1 arrives at the transfer candidate location C at 13:30 and arrives at the boarding/disembarking location H at 13:45. The second candidate vehicle 4F1 arrives at the transfer candidate location F at 13:45 and arrives at the boarding/disembarking location H at 13:55.

In the next step S31, the vehicle dispatch planning unit 334 identifies a combination of the first candidate vehicle and the second candidate vehicle that will result in the shortest waiting time at the transfer candidate location based on the first candidate location arrival time and the second candidate location arrival time. In the example shown in FIG. 5, as shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the first candidate vehicle 4A1 arrives at the transfer candidate location B at 13:10, and the second candidate vehicle 4B1 arrives at the transfer candidate location B at 13:20, so the waiting time is 10 minutes. In addition, the first candidate vehicle 4A4 arrives at the transfer candidate location F at 13:35, and the second candidate vehicle 4F1 arrives at the transfer candidate location F at 13:45, so the waiting time is 10 minutes. In contrast, the first candidate vehicle 4A3 arrives at the transfer candidate location C at 13:25, and the second candidate vehicle 4C1 arrives at the transfer candidate location C at 13:30, so the waiting time is 5 minutes. Therefore, the waiting time when transferring from the first candidate vehicle 4A3 to the second candidate vehicle 4C1 at the transfer candidate point C is the shortest.

In the next step S32, the vehicle allocation plan unit 334 determines the transfer destination, the first vehicle allocation vehicle, and the second vehicle allocation vehicle from the transfer destination, the first candidate vehicle, and the second candidate vehicle based on the arrival time at the first candidate destination, the arrival time at the second candidate destination, and the arrival time at the disembarking destination so as to satisfy the important items in the user characteristic information, and sets a transfer allocation plan.

When the user Us places importance on "Pm1: early arrival time at the desired alighting point" based on the user characteristic information, the vehicle dispatch plan unit 334 determines the transfer destination, the first dispatch vehicle, and the second dispatch vehicle from the transfer candidate destination, the first candidate vehicle, and the second candidate vehicle so that the arrival time at the desired alighting point is the earliest based on the alighting point arrival candidate time calculated above, and sets a transfer dispatch plan. In the example shown in FIG. 5, as shown in FIG. 8 to FIG. 10, the user rides in the dispatch vehicle 4A1 at the desired boarding destination A, departs at 13:05, arrives at the boarding destination B at 13:10, waits 10 minutes for the dispatch vehicle 4B1 to arrive at 13:20 at the boarding destination B, and arrives at the boarding destination H, the desired alighting point, at 13:40 by the dispatch vehicle 4B1. Therefore, when the user Us places importance on "early arrival time at the desired disembarkation point," the vehicle allocation plan unit 334 sets a transfer vehicle allocation plan by selecting the boarding/disembarking point B as the transfer boarding/disembarking point, the vehicle allocation vehicle 4A1 as the first vehicle to be allocated, and the vehicle allocation vehicle 4B1 as the second vehicle, as shown in FIG. 11.

In addition, when the user Us places importance on "Pm2: low usage fee" based on the user characteristic information, the vehicle allocation plan unit 334 determines the transfer boarding/alighting point, the first vehicle allocation vehicle, and the second vehicle allocation vehicle from the transfer candidate points, the first candidate vehicle, and the second candidate vehicle so that the shared ride section is the longest based on the above-calculated candidate arrival time at the alighting point, and sets a transfer vehicle allocation plan. In the example shown in FIG. 5, as shown in FIG. 8 to FIG. 10, the user rides in the vehicle allocation vehicle 4A4 at the desired boarding point A, departs at 13:20, arrives at the boarding/alighting point F at 13:35, waits 10 minutes for the vehicle allocation vehicle 4F1 to arrive at 13:45 at the boarding/alighting point F, and arrives at the desired alighting point H by the vehicle allocation vehicle 4F1 at 13:55, making the shared ride section longer and the usage fee cheaper. Therefore, when the user Us places importance on "low usage fees," the vehicle allocation plan unit 334 sets a transfer vehicle allocation plan by selecting the boarding/disembarking point F as the transfer boarding/disembarking point, the vehicle allocation vehicle 4A4 as the first vehicle to be allocated, and the vehicle allocation vehicle 4F1 as the second vehicle to be allocated, as shown in FIG. 11.

Furthermore, when the user Us places importance on "Pm3: short waiting time at the transfer point" based on the user characteristic information, the vehicle dispatch plan unit 334 determines the transfer point, the first dispatch vehicle, and the second dispatch vehicle from the transfer candidate points, the first candidate vehicle, and the second candidate vehicle so that the waiting time at the transfer point is the shortest based on the above-calculated candidate arrival time at the alighting point, and sets a transfer dispatch plan. In the example shown in FIG. 5, as shown in FIG. 8 to FIG. 10, the user rides in the dispatch vehicle 4A3 at the desired boarding point A, departs at 13:15, arrives at the boarding point C at 13:25, waits for 5 minutes for the dispatch vehicle 4C1 to arrive at 13:30 at the boarding point C, and arrives at the boarding point H, the desired alighting point, at 13:45 by the dispatch vehicle 4C1, thereby minimizing the waiting time at the transfer point. Therefore, when the user Us places importance on "short waiting time at the transfer point," the vehicle allocation plan unit 334 sets a transfer vehicle allocation plan by selecting the transfer point C as the transfer point, the vehicle allocation vehicle 4A3 as the first vehicle, and the vehicle allocation vehicle 4C1 as the second vehicle, as shown in FIG. 11.

Returning to FIG. 6, in the next step S5, it is confirmed whether the setting of the transfer vehicle allocation plan has been completed. If the setting of the transfer vehicle allocation plan has been completed, in step S6, the information sending unit 335 sends transfer vehicle allocation presentation information including the items set in the transfer vehicle allocation plan to the user terminal 2 of the user Us. The user terminal 2 displays the transfer vehicle allocation presentation information received by the communication unit 22 on the display 21. The user Us checks the transfer vehicle allocation presentation information, and if the user Us agrees to the transfer vehicle allocation plan, operates the user terminal 2 to send approval information to the vehicle allocation management device 3.

In step S7, if the user Us accepts the transfer dispatch plan, the dispatch planning unit 334 transmits the first dispatch plan shown in FIG. 4 to the on-board device 41 of the first dispatch vehicle in the next step S8, and transmits the second dispatch plan to the on-board device 41 of the second dispatch vehicle. The on-board device 41 that has received the first dispatch plan autonomously drives the first dispatch vehicle according to the first dispatch plan, and drives from the desired boarding point to the transfer point with the original user and the user Us sharing the vehicle. In addition, the on-board device 41 that has received the second dispatch plan autonomously drives the second dispatch vehicle according to the second dispatch plan, and drives to the desired alighting point with the user Us boarding at the transfer point. Note that, in step S7, if the user Us does not accept the transfer dispatch plan, the dispatch planning unit 334 sets a direct dispatch plan in step S9.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which a user Us rides in a single first dispatch vehicle, then rides in a single second dispatch vehicle to travel to a desired drop-off point. However, the present invention also includes an example in which a user rides in multiple first dispatch vehicles, then transfers to a second dispatch vehicle to travel to a desired drop-off point. The present invention also includes an example in which multiple users with different destinations ride in a first dispatch vehicle, and each user transfers to a different second dispatch vehicle at multiple transfer points.

Furthermore, a transfer dispatch plan is set according to user characteristic information. For example, a transfer dispatch plan that prioritizes "early arrival time at the desired disembarking point," a transfer dispatch plan that prioritizes "low usage fee," and a transfer dispatch plan that prioritizes "short waiting time at the transfer point" may be set, and these multiple transfer dispatch plans may be transmitted to the user terminal of the user so that the user can select one.

As described above, according to the vehicle dispatch management system 1 of this embodiment, the vehicle dispatch management device 3 that sets a vehicle dispatch plan based on a vehicle dispatch request of the user Us is equipped with a congestion degree estimation unit 332 that estimates the congestion degree of the desired boarding point of the user Us, a congestion degree determination unit 333 that determines whether the congestion degree is equal to or greater than a predetermined first congestion degree, and a vehicle dispatch plan unit 334 that sets, as a vehicle dispatch plan, a direct vehicle dispatch plan for traveling from the desired boarding point to the desired disembarking point by one dispatch vehicle 4 when the congestion degree is below the first congestion degree, and sets, as a vehicle dispatch plan, a transfer vehicle dispatch plan for traveling from the desired boarding point to the desired disembarking point by transferring between dispatch vehicles 4 when the congestion degree is equal to or greater than the first congestion degree. Then, the vehicle allocation planning unit 334 detects a transfer point with a smaller degree of congestion than the desired boarding point as a transfer vehicle allocation plan, identifies a first vehicle that runs from the desired boarding point to the transfer point from the vehicle allocation vehicles 4 that are allocated to other users other than the user Us who use the desired boarding point, and identifies a second vehicle that runs from the transfer point to the desired disembarking point from the vehicle allocation vehicles 4 other than the first vehicle allocation vehicle. Furthermore, the vehicle allocation planning unit 334 sets a transfer vehicle allocation plan including a first vehicle allocation plan for the user Us to travel from the desired boarding point to the transfer point by sharing a ride in the first vehicle allocation and a second vehicle allocation plan for the user Us who has transferred from the first vehicle allocation to the second vehicle at the transfer point to travel from the transfer point to the desired disembarking point by the second vehicle allocation.

As a result, the number of users who ride-pool from the desired boarding location to the dispatched vehicle increases, and congestion at the desired boarding location can be alleviated. Furthermore, by alleviating congestion at the desired boarding location, the waiting time for users to board the dispatched vehicle from the desired boarding location is shortened. Furthermore, since users move from the crowded desired boarding location to a transfer location that is less crowded than the desired boarding location and then change to a dispatched vehicle, the transfer to the dispatched vehicle can be made smoothly. Furthermore, if the desired boarding location is not congested, users can go directly to the desired disembarking location without sharing a ride-pool with dispatched vehicle 4 or transferring, and therefore travel can be made based on a more optimal dispatch plan according to the congestion level of the desired boarding location.

According to the vehicle dispatch management system 1 of this embodiment, the vehicle dispatch plan unit 334 acquires user characteristic information regarding the use of dispatch vehicles by the user Us, and sets a transfer stop, a first dispatch vehicle, and a second dispatch vehicle based on the user characteristic information. Therefore, a transfer dispatch plan that matches the preferences of the user Us can be set.

According to the vehicle dispatch management system 1 according to this embodiment, the vehicle dispatch plan unit 334 sets the transfer destination, the first vehicle dispatched, and the second vehicle dispatched based on the user characteristic information so that the arrival time at the desired destination is the earliest, the section in which the first vehicle dispatched is shared is the longest, or the waiting time at the transfer destination is the shortest. Therefore, if the user Us wants to arrive at the desired destination early, the transfer dispatch plan can be set so that the arrival time at the desired destination is the earliest. Also, if the user Us wants to travel to the desired destination at a low usage fee, the transfer dispatch plan can be set so that the section in which the first vehicle dispatched is shared is the longest. Furthermore, if the user Us wants to transfer smoothly at the transfer destination, the transfer dispatch plan can be set so that the waiting time at the transfer destination is the shortest.

According to the vehicle dispatch management system 1 of this embodiment, the vehicle dispatch plan unit 334 identifies a transfer candidate location that is a transfer candidate location and a first candidate vehicle that is a first vehicle from the vehicle dispatch plan set for another user, identifies a second candidate vehicle that is a second vehicle from the reservation information of the vehicle dispatch, and determines a transfer candidate location, a first vehicle, and a second vehicle from the transfer candidate location, the first candidate vehicle, and the second vehicle based on the user characteristic information. Therefore, a transfer dispatch plan that is more suited to the preferences of the user Us can be set based on multiple transfer candidate locations, the first candidate vehicle, and the second candidate vehicle.

According to the vehicle dispatch management system 1 of this embodiment, the vehicle dispatch plan unit 334 calculates the shortest route Sr from the desired boarding point to the desired disembarking point, identifies as nearby boarding points those boarding points on a vehicle dispatch route included in a vehicle dispatch plan set for another user that are within a predetermined distance range from the shortest route Sr or within a predetermined travel time range from the shortest route Sr, estimates the congestion level of the nearby boarding points, determines whether the congestion level is less than a second congestion level that is smaller than the first congestion level, and sets as transfer candidate points those nearby boarding points that are less than the second congestion level. This allows the transfer boarding point to be set at a position relatively close to the shortest route Sr, so that the travel time to the desired disembarking point is not long. In addition, the second congestion degree used to determine the congestion degree of the transfer destination is smaller than the first congestion degree used to determine the congestion degree of the desired boarding destination, so that the passenger can move from the crowded desired boarding destination to a transfer destination with a lower congestion degree than the desired boarding destination and change dispatch vehicles, allowing for a smooth transfer of dispatch vehicles.

According to the vehicle dispatch management system 1 of this embodiment, the vehicle dispatch plan unit 334 detects a dispatch vehicle that runs through the potential transfer location as a stopover or destination from the vehicle dispatch plan set for another user, and sets the detected dispatch vehicle as the first candidate vehicle. Therefore, by identifying the potential transfer location, the first candidate vehicle can be easily identified, thereby reducing the load on the process of setting the vehicle dispatch plan for the transfer.

According to the vehicle dispatch management system 1 of this embodiment, the vehicle dispatch plan unit 334 calculates the first candidate location arrival time when the first candidate vehicle arrives at the transfer candidate location, the second candidate location arrival time when the second candidate vehicle arrives at the transfer candidate location, and the drop-off location arrival candidate time when the second candidate vehicle arrives at the desired drop-off location, and determines the transfer boarding/alighting location, the first dispatch vehicle, and the second dispatch vehicle from the transfer candidate location, the first candidate vehicle, and the second candidate vehicle based on the first candidate location arrival time, the second candidate location arrival time, and the drop-off location arrival candidate time, and the user characteristic information. Therefore, a transfer dispatch plan can be set based on the specific arrival times of the first candidate vehicle and the second candidate vehicle, so that a transfer dispatch plan with little deviation in scheduled dispatch times and high time accuracy can be set.

The vehicle dispatch management system 1 according to this embodiment includes an information transmission unit 335 that transmits transfer dispatch presentation information related to a transfer dispatch plan to the user terminal 2 of the user Us, transmits the first dispatch plan to the first dispatch vehicle, and transmits the second dispatch plan to the second dispatch vehicle. Therefore, a transfer dispatch plan can be appropriately proposed to the user Us. In addition, since only the necessary dispatch plans are transmitted to the first dispatch vehicle and the second dispatch vehicle, the process of issuing instructions regarding the dispatch plan to the dispatch vehicle 4 is simplified, and the processing load is reduced.

According to the vehicle dispatch management system 1 of this embodiment, the congestion degree estimation unit 332 estimates the congestion degree of the desired boarding location based on at least one of the following information: the usage status of the desired boarding location at the time of estimating the congestion degree, the usage status of the dispatched vehicles 4 (the number of dispatched vehicles or the number of reservations), and the number of dispatch requests, or based on past congestion degree data collected in advance under different conditions. Therefore, the congestion degree can be estimated from various situations and conditions, and the congestion degree estimation accuracy can be improved.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 vehicle dispatch management system 2 user terminal 21 touch panel type display panel 22 communication unit 23 position detection unit 24 control unit 3 vehicle dispatch management device 31 database 311 vehicle information 312 vehicle dispatch information 313 map information 314 user information 32 communication unit 33 control unit (controller)
331: vehicle dispatch request acquisition unit 232: congestion degree estimation unit 333: congestion degree determination unit 334: vehicle dispatch plan unit 335: information transmission unit 4: vehicle dispatching vehicle 41: vehicle-mounted device 411: communication unit 412: position detection unit 413: control unit

Claims (8)

A vehicle dispatch management device that sets a vehicle dispatch plan including a vehicle to be dispatched to a user based on a vehicle dispatch request from the user and a vehicle dispatch route for driving the vehicle from a desired boarding location of the user to a desired disembarking location of the user,
A congestion degree estimation unit that estimates a congestion degree of the desired boarding location;
a congestion degree determination unit that determines whether the congestion degree is equal to or greater than a first congestion degree;
a vehicle dispatch plan unit that, when the congestion degree is lower than the first congestion degree, sets, as the vehicle dispatch plan, a direct vehicle dispatch plan for moving from the desired boarding point to the desired disembarking point by the vehicle dispatching vehicle, and, when the congestion degree is equal to or higher than the first congestion degree, sets, as the vehicle dispatch plan, a transfer vehicle dispatch plan for moving from the desired boarding point to the desired disembarking point by transferring the vehicle dispatched,
The vehicle dispatch planning unit, as the transfer vehicle dispatch plan,
A transfer point having a smaller congestion degree than the desired boarding point is detected,
Identifying a first dispatch vehicle that runs from the desired boarding location to the transfer location from among dispatch vehicles that are dispatched to other users other than the user who use the desired boarding location;
Identifying a second dispatch vehicle that runs from the transfer location to the desired disembarkation location from among the dispatch vehicles other than the first dispatch vehicle;
A first vehicle allocation plan is set for the user to travel from the desired boarding location to the transfer location by sharing the first vehicle allocation vehicle, and a second vehicle allocation plan is set for the user who has transferred from the first vehicle allocation vehicle to the second vehicle at the transfer location to travel from the transfer location to the desired disembarking location by the second vehicle allocation vehicle ;
The vehicle dispatch plan unit acquires user characteristic information regarding the use of the vehicle dispatched by the user when setting the transfer vehicle dispatch plan,
Identifying a transfer candidate location that is a candidate for the transfer pick-up and drop-off location and a first candidate vehicle that is a candidate for the first vehicle to be allocated from a vehicle allocation plan set for the other user;
Identifying a second candidate vehicle that is a candidate for the second vehicle to be allocated from the reservation information of the vehicle to be allocated;
A vehicle dispatch management device that determines the transfer location, the first dispatch vehicle, and the second dispatch vehicle from the transfer candidate locations, the first candidate vehicle, and the second candidate vehicle based on the user characteristic information. The vehicle dispatch management device of claim 1, wherein the vehicle dispatch planning unit sets the transfer destination, the first vehicle dispatch vehicle, and the second vehicle based on the user characteristic information so as to shorten the arrival time at the desired transfer destination, so as to lengthen the section in which the first vehicle dispatch vehicle is shared, or so as to shorten the waiting time at the transfer destination . The vehicle dispatch planning unit is
Calculate the shortest route from the desired boarding point to the desired disembarking point;
Identifying, as nearby boarding and alighting points, boarding and alighting points that are on a vehicle dispatch route included in a vehicle dispatch plan set for the other user and that are within a predetermined distance range from the shortest route or within a predetermined time range in travel time from the shortest route;
Estimating the degree of congestion at the nearby boarding and alighting point;
determining whether the congestion degree is less than a second congestion degree that is less than the first congestion degree;
The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the nearby boarding and alighting points whose congestion degree is less than the second congestion degree are set as the transfer candidate points. The vehicle dispatch planning unit is
Detecting a dispatched vehicle that travels through the candidate transfer location as a stopover or a destination from a dispatch plan set for the other user;
The vehicle dispatch management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the detected vehicle to be dispatched is set as the first candidate vehicle. The vehicle dispatch planning unit is
Calculating a first candidate location arrival time at which the first candidate vehicle arrives at the transfer candidate location, a second candidate location arrival time at which the second candidate vehicle arrives at the transfer candidate location, and a drop-off location arrival candidate time at which the second candidate vehicle arrives at the desired drop-off location;
A vehicle dispatch management device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, which determines the transfer destination, the first dispatch vehicle, and the second dispatch vehicle from the transfer destination candidate locations, the first candidate vehicle, and the second candidate vehicle based on the arrival time at the first candidate location, the arrival time at the second candidate location, and the arrival time at the disembarking destination candidate location, and the user characteristic information. The vehicle dispatch management device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising an information transmitting unit that transmits transfer dispatch presentation information regarding the transfer dispatch plan to the user terminal of the user, transmits the first dispatch plan to the first dispatch vehicle, and transmits the second dispatch plan to the second dispatch vehicle. The vehicle dispatch management device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the congestion degree estimation unit estimates the congestion degree of the desired boarding location based on at least one of information on the utilization status of the desired boarding location at the time of estimating the congestion degree, the utilization status of the dispatched vehicle, and the number of dispatch requests, or based on past congestion degree data collected in advance under different conditions. A vehicle dispatch management method for setting, using a controller, a vehicle dispatch plan including a vehicle to be dispatched to a user based on a vehicle dispatch request from the user and a vehicle dispatch route for driving the vehicle from a desired boarding location to a desired disembarking location of the user, the method comprising:
The controller:
Estimating the degree of congestion at the desired boarding location;
determining whether the congestion degree is equal to or greater than a first congestion degree;
When the congestion degree is lower than the first congestion degree, a direct vehicle dispatch plan for moving from the desired boarding point to the desired disembarking point by the vehicle dispatching plan is set as the vehicle dispatch plan;
When the congestion degree is equal to or greater than the first congestion degree, a transfer vehicle dispatch plan for moving from the desired boarding point to the desired disembarking point by transferring the vehicle dispatched, is set as the vehicle dispatch plan;
In setting the transfer dispatch plan,
A transfer point having a smaller congestion degree than the desired boarding point is detected,
Identifying a first dispatch vehicle that runs from the desired boarding location to the transfer location from among dispatch vehicles that are dispatched to other users other than the user who use the desired boarding location;
Identifying a second dispatch vehicle that runs from the transfer location to the desired disembarkation location from among dispatch vehicles other than the first dispatch vehicle;
As the vehicle allocation plan, a transfer vehicle allocation plan is set, which includes a first vehicle allocation plan for the user to travel from the desired boarding location to the transfer location by sharing a ride in the first vehicle allocation vehicle, and a second vehicle allocation plan for the user who has transferred from the first vehicle allocation vehicle to the second vehicle at the transfer location to travel from the transfer location to the desired disembarking location by the second vehicle allocation plan ;
The controller acquires user characteristic information regarding the use of the vehicle by the user when setting the transfer vehicle dispatch plan,
Identifying a transfer candidate location that is a candidate for the transfer pick-up and drop-off location and a first candidate vehicle that is a candidate for the first vehicle to be allocated from a vehicle allocation plan set for the other user;
Identifying a second candidate vehicle that is a candidate for the second vehicle to be allocated from the reservation information of the vehicle to be allocated;
A vehicle dispatch management method that determines the transfer location, the first dispatch vehicle, and the second dispatch vehicle from the transfer candidate locations, the first candidate vehicle, and the second candidate vehicle based on the user characteristic information.

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