JP7482685B2 - Boarding/Alighting Point Presentation Device and Boarding/Alighting Point Presentation Method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a boarding/alighting point presentation device and a boarding/alighting point presentation method.

A system that generates and manages traffic information based on probe information obtained from multiple vehicles has been known (see Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, in response to a vehicle dispatch request from a user, the system estimates the travel time required from the boarding point specified by the user to the disembarking point and the boarding point based on the travel time required between each stop point calculated from the probe information stored in a storage device, and creates a vehicle dispatch plan and a driving plan.

JP 2019-20928 A

However, the system disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not determine whether it is possible to stop the vehicle at the boarding/alighting point in the dispatch request.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a boarding/alighting location presentation device and a boarding/alighting location presentation method that extract boarding/alighting locations where a vehicle can be stopped without compromising the safety of the user when boarding and alighting, and presents the locations to the user.

The boarding and alighting point presentation device according to one aspect of the present invention identifies the period and phase of the change over time of the traffic conditions contained in the received dynamic data. Based on the period and phase of the change over time, the device calculates data indicating the traffic conditions at each of the candidate boarding and alighting points at the scheduled arrival time of the vehicle at each of the candidate boarding and alighting points, which is calculated from the desired time at which the user wishes to board and alight. Based on the calculated data indicating the traffic conditions, the device extracts boarding and alighting points from among the candidate boarding and alighting points, and transmits data indicating the extracted boarding and alighting points to a communication device held by the user.

It is possible to extract and present to the user boarding and disembarking locations where the vehicle can be stopped without compromising the safety of the user when boarding and disembarking.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a boarding/alighting point presentation device. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of the period/phase identification unit 32 of the stop presentation device shown in FIG. FIG. 3A shows a waveform representing the period and phase of the change over time in the number of other vehicles passing a candidate boarding/alighting point (point A) per unit time on a weekday. FIG. 3B shows waveforms of the period and phase of the change over time in the number of other vehicles passing through the candidate boarding/alighting point (point A) per unit time on each day of the week. FIG. 4 shows a process in which the boarding/alighting point presentation device according to the first embodiment extracts boarding/alighting points from among candidate boarding/alighting points. FIG. 5 shows possible values of evaluation data corresponding to a plurality of evaluation items set for each of the candidate boarding and alighting points, and the allocation of points to the possible values of the evaluation data. FIG. 6 shows a process in which the stop/alight presentation device according to the second embodiment extracts a stop from among stop/alight candidates. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for presenting a boarding/alighting point using the boarding/alighting point presentation device.

The embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same parts are given the same reference numerals and the description will be omitted.

First Embodiment
[Configuration of boarding/alighting point presentation device]
The overall configuration of the boarding/alighting point presentation device according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The boarding/alighting point presentation device is a device that extracts boarding/alighting points where a user gets on and off a vehicle from among predetermined boarding/alighting point candidates and presents them to the user. The boarding/alighting point presentation device includes a receiving unit 10 that receives data indicating a vehicle dispatch request requested by a user and dynamic data indicating traffic conditions, a storage unit 20 that stores the predetermined boarding/alighting point candidates, a calculation unit 30 that extracts boarding/alighting points, and a transmitting unit 40 that transmits data indicating the boarding/alighting points to a communication device held by the user.

The receiving unit 10 includes a dispatch request receiving unit 11 that receives data indicating a dispatch request, and a dynamic data receiving unit 12 that receives dynamic data indicating traffic conditions.

The dispatch request receiving unit 11 receives data indicating a dispatch request transmitted from a transmitter that transmits a dispatch request, including a communication device held by the user. The data indicating the dispatch request includes at least the desired time at which the user wishes to board and disembark. The data indicating the dispatch request may further include the boarding and disembarking locations at which the user wishes to board and disembark. Here, "boarding and disembarking" is a term that indicates at least one of the user boarding a vehicle and the user disembarking from a vehicle. Thus, "desired time at which the user wishes to board and disembark" indicates at least one of the desired time to board and the desired time to disembark. "Boarding and disembarking locations" indicates at least one of the boarding location where the user boards the vehicle and the disembarking location where the user disembarks from the vehicle.

The dynamic data receiving unit 12 receives dynamic data (hereinafter referred to as "dynamic data") indicating traffic conditions that change over time at each of the candidate boarding and alighting locations, which is distributed from a system that distributes road traffic conditions, including the Road Traffic Information and Communication System (VICS). The aforementioned VICS is a registered trademark. The dynamic data includes not only data distributed from VICS, but also other vehicle data measured by other vehicles traveling around the candidate boarding and alighting locations. Specifically, the dynamic data includes measurement data measured using cameras, LiDAR, and other radars mounted on other vehicles, and statistical data calculated based on each of these measurement data or a combination of multiple measurement data.

The storage unit 20 is a database that stores a list of potential boarding and alighting locations that have been determined in advance to be usable as boarding and alighting locations, and the storage unit 20 is composed of an information storage device that includes a database server.

The calculation unit 30 acquires the dynamic data received by the receiving unit 10 and data indicating the dispatch request, extracts the boarding and alighting points where the user will board and alight from among the candidate boarding and alighting points stored in the storage unit 20, and transfers the extracted boarding and alighting points to the transmitting unit 40. The calculation unit 30 is, for example, a computing device including a server or a microcontroller equipped with a CPU, memory, and input/output units, and constitutes multiple information processing units equipped in the boarding and alighting point presentation device by executing a computer program installed in advance.

The multiple information processing units configured by the calculation unit 30 include a candidate boarding and alighting point extraction unit 31, a period and phase identification unit 32, a traffic condition calculation unit 33, and a boarding and alighting point extraction unit 34.

The candidate boarding and alighting place extraction unit 31 extracts candidate boarding and alighting places from the list of boarding and alighting places stored in the storage unit 20 based on the boarding and alighting place where the user wishes to board and alight, which is included in the data indicating the dispatch request obtained from the dispatch request receiving unit 11. As a specific process for the candidate boarding and alighting place extraction unit 31 to extract candidate boarding and alighting places from the list of boarding and alighting places, the candidate boarding and alighting places can be extracted by searching for candidate boarding and alighting places that exist within a circular range with a radius set to a predetermined distance, centered on the boarding and alighting place where the user wishes to board and alight. The above-mentioned predetermined distance can be set arbitrarily by the user. It is also possible to set the candidate boarding and alighting place extraction unit 31 to automatically adjust the predetermined distance based on the number of candidate boarding and alighting places that exist in the surrounding area. Furthermore, if the data indicating the dispatch request does not include the boarding place where the user wishes to board, the candidate boarding and alighting places may be extracted from the list of boarding and alighting places stored in the storage unit 20 based on the user's own position using the GPS signal receiving function of the communication device held by the user.

The period/phase identification unit 32 acquires the dynamic data of each of the candidate boarding/alighting locations extracted from the dynamic data receiving unit 12. Then, it identifies the period and phase of the change over time in the traffic conditions contained in the dynamic data of each of the candidate boarding/alighting locations.

Specifically, the period/phase identification unit 32 acquires from each data indicating the candidate boarding/alighting locations a number of evaluation items set for each of the extracted candidate boarding/alighting locations for extracting boarding/alighting locations from among the candidate boarding/alighting locations. Then, it extracts each traffic condition corresponding to the acquired number of evaluation items from the dynamic data of each candidate boarding/alighting location. The period/phase identification unit 32 sorts each of the extracted traffic conditions into data by day of the week (weekday/holiday) and month (season), and identifies the period and phase of the time-dependent change in the traffic conditions using a data analysis method including a Fourier transform or least squares method for each sorted data. The specific configuration of the period/phase identification unit 32 and the specific processing content for the period/phase identification unit 32 to identify the period and phase of the time-dependent change in the traffic conditions will be described later with reference to Figures 2, 3A, and 3B.

The traffic condition calculation unit 33 acquires the period and phase of the time-dependent change in the traffic condition identified by the period/phase identification unit 32. Then, based on the period and phase of the time-dependent change in the traffic condition, the traffic condition calculation unit 33 calculates data indicating the traffic condition of each of the candidate boarding/alighting locations at the scheduled arrival time when the vehicle will arrive at each of the candidate boarding/alighting locations, which is calculated from the desired time when the user wishes to board/alight and obtained from the dispatch request receiving unit 11. That is, the traffic condition calculation unit 33 first calculates the scheduled arrival time when the vehicle will arrive at each of the candidate boarding/alighting locations from the desired time when the user wishes to board/alight and obtained from the dispatch request receiving unit 11. Then, based on the period and phase of the time-dependent change in the traffic condition, the traffic condition calculation unit 33 calculates data indicating the traffic condition of each of the candidate boarding/alighting locations at the scheduled arrival time when the vehicle will arrive at each of the candidate boarding/alighting locations. The specific processing content for calculating the data indicating the traffic condition of each of the candidate boarding/alighting locations will be described later with reference to FIG. 3A.

A car navigation device can be used as a specific means for calculating the estimated arrival time at each of the candidate boarding and alighting points, which is calculated from the desired time at which the user wishes to board and alight. The car navigation device acquires the destination input by the user and extracts a driving route from the current location to the destination. The estimated arrival time at the destination can be calculated by calculating the required time to travel the extracted driving route taking into account the departure time. The car navigation device may select a driving route from among multiple driving routes to the destination, whose estimated arrival time does not exceed the desired time and is closest to the desired time. The required time to travel the extracted driving route can be calculated by acquiring traffic conditions distributed from a road traffic information and communication system (VICS), taking into account the traffic conditions of the driving route. The car navigation device may be installed, for example, in the traffic condition calculation unit 33 in the boarding and alighting point presentation device, or may be arranged externally and receive and use the estimated arrival time calculated by communication.

The boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 extracts boarding/alighting points from among the candidate boarding/alighting points based on the traffic conditions of each of the candidate boarding/alighting points at the scheduled arrival time of the vehicle calculated by the traffic condition calculation unit 33, and transfers data indicating the extracted boarding/alighting points to the transmission unit 40. The specific processing content for extracting boarding/alighting points from among the candidate boarding/alighting points will be described later with reference to Figures 4 and 5.

The transmission unit 40 transmits data indicating the boarding and alighting points extracted by the boarding and alighting point extraction unit 34 to a communication device held by the user.

The receiving unit 10 receives the boarding/alighting location selected by the user. The transmitting unit 40 then transmits the boarding/alighting location selected by the user to the vehicle the user is boarding or alighting from.

(Configuration of Period/Phase Identification Unit 32)
2, a specific configuration of the period/phase identification unit 32 will be described. The period/phase identification unit 32 includes an evaluation item acquisition unit 321, a traffic condition extraction unit 322, and a data analysis unit 323.

The evaluation item acquisition unit 321 acquires, from each of the data indicating the candidate boarding/alighting locations, a plurality of evaluation items set for each of the candidate boarding/alighting locations extracted by the candidate boarding/alighting location extraction unit 31. The plurality of evaluation items include common evaluation items set for all the candidate boarding/alighting locations, and evaluation items set according to the road structure surrounding each of the candidate boarding/alighting locations.

Common evaluation items set for all potential boarding and alighting locations include the number of other vehicles passing the potential boarding and alighting location per unit time, the average speed of the other vehicles, and the density of other vehicles stopped or parked on the shoulder of the potential boarding and alighting location.

As an evaluation item set according to the road structure, if there is a vehicle entrance/exit between the road and a facility facing the road around the candidate boarding/alighting point, the multiple evaluation items include the number of other vehicles entering and exiting through the entrance/exit. The surroundings of the candidate boarding/alighting point refers to, for example, a circle with a radius of 50 m centered on the candidate boarding/alighting point.

In addition, if there is an intersection around the potential boarding and alighting point where a turn lane that crosses over oncoming traffic lanes branches off from a straight-travel lane, the multiple evaluation items include whether congestion in the turn lane that crosses over oncoming traffic lanes extends to the straight-travel lane.

The traffic condition extraction unit 322 acquires the dynamic data received by the dynamic data receiving unit 12, and extracts from the dynamic data the traffic conditions that correspond to the multiple evaluation items set for each of the candidate boarding and alighting locations acquired by the evaluation item acquisition unit 321.

The data analysis unit 323 sorts the traffic conditions corresponding to the multiple evaluation items set for each of the candidate boarding and alighting points extracted by the traffic condition extraction unit 322 into time series data by day of the week (weekdays/holidays) and month (season). Then, it applies a data analysis method including a Fourier transform or the least squares method to each data to identify the period and phase of the change in the traffic conditions over time.

(Processing for identifying the period and phase of changes in traffic conditions over time)
3A and 3B, a specific process of the data analysis unit 323 for identifying the period and phase of the change over time of the traffic situation will be described. Fig. 3A shows a plot showing the number of other vehicles passing the candidate boarding/alighting point (point A) per unit time extracted by the candidate boarding/alighting point extraction unit 31 by day of the week, and a waveform showing the period and phase of the change over time of the number of other vehicles passing the candidate boarding/alighting point (point A) per unit time on a weekday. Fig. 3B shows the waveform showing the period and phase of the change over time of the number of other vehicles passing the candidate boarding/alighting point (point A) per unit time by day of the week.

The data analysis unit 323 rearranges the number of other vehicles passing the candidate boarding and alighting point (point A) per unit time extracted by the traffic condition extraction unit 322 as data from 0:00 to 23:59 for each day of the week (weekdays) to create time series data for each day of the week. Then, data at one-hour intervals from 0:00 to 23:00 is extracted from each of the created time series data for each day of the week. The plot shown in FIG. 3A shows the number of other vehicles passing per unit time at one-hour intervals from 0:00 to 23:00 for each extracted day of the week. The data analysis unit 323 performs digital filtering using a Fourier transform for each day of the week on the extracted time series data at one-hour intervals from 0:00 to 23:00 for each day of the week to identify the period and phase of the time-dependent change for each day of the week shown in FIG. 3B.

The waveforms shown in FIG. 3A, which represent the period and phase of the change over time of other vehicles passing per unit time on weekdays, are calculated based on the period and phase of the change over time for each day of the week shown in FIG. 3B. The data analysis unit 323 calculates the number of other vehicles passing per unit time at each hourly time from midnight to 11:00 p.m. for each day of the week, from the period and phase of the change over time for each day of the week. Then, the average value of the calculated number of other vehicles passing per unit time at the same time from Monday to Friday is calculated. By performing digital filtering using a Fourier transform on the calculated average value, the period and phase of the change over time of other vehicles passing per unit time on weekdays at the candidate boarding and alighting point (point A) shown in FIG. 3A can be identified.

Above, using Figures 3A and 3B, a method for identifying the period and phase of change over time of other vehicles passing through a candidate boarding/alighting point (point A) per unit time on weekdays has been described as an example of how the data analysis unit 323 identifies the period and phase of change over time of traffic conditions. The data analysis unit 323 can identify the period and phase of change over time on holidays (Saturdays and Sundays) using a similar method. The data analysis unit 323 similarly processes the traffic conditions that correspond to the multiple evaluation items set for each of the extracted candidate boarding/alighting points, and identifies the period and phase of change over time of each traffic condition.

The method for identifying the period and phase of the change in traffic conditions over time is not limited to the method exemplified above. As another example, the period and phase of the change in traffic conditions over time can be identified by using the least squares method for the data by day of the week described above.

(Process of calculating data showing traffic conditions)
3A , a specific process of calculating data indicating the traffic conditions at each of the candidate boarding/alighting points at the estimated arrival time of the vehicle at each of the candidate boarding/alighting points by the traffic condition calculation unit 33 will be described. As an example, a process of calculating the number of other vehicles passing through the candidate boarding/alighting point (point A) per unit time at 4 p.m. when the estimated arrival time of the vehicle at the candidate boarding/alighting point (point A) is calculated to be 4 p.m. will be described.

The traffic condition calculation unit 33 acquires the period and phase of the change over time of other vehicles passing the candidate boarding/alighting point (point A) per unit time on weekdays identified by the data analysis unit 323. The traffic condition calculation unit 33 calculates the number of other vehicles passing per unit time at 4 p.m. from the acquired period and phase. From the period and phase of the change over time of the number of other vehicles passing the candidate boarding/alighting point (point A) per unit time on weekdays, the number of other vehicles passing the candidate boarding/alighting point (point A) per unit time at 4 p.m. is calculated to be 790.

The traffic condition calculation unit 33 performs a similar process to calculate data indicating the traffic conditions at each of the candidate boarding and alighting locations at the scheduled arrival time when the vehicle will arrive at each of the candidate boarding and alighting locations, which is calculated from the desired time when the user wishes to board and alight.

(Process of extracting boarding and alighting points from boarding and alighting point candidates)
A specific process in which the boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 extracts boarding/alighting points from the boarding/alighting point candidates will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 shows the process in which the boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 extracts boarding/alighting points from the boarding/alighting point candidates (points A, B, and C), and Figure 5 shows possible values of evaluation data corresponding to a plurality of evaluation items set for each of the boarding/alighting point candidates, and the allocation of points to each of the possible values of the evaluation data.

The boarding and alighting point extraction unit 34 acquires dynamic data indicating the traffic conditions at each of the candidate boarding and alighting points (points A, B, and C) shown in FIG. 4 at the scheduled arrival time of the vehicle at each of the candidate boarding and alighting points, and static data that does not change over time indicating the road structure of each of the candidate boarding and alighting points. The boarding and alighting point extraction unit 34 scores each of the acquired dynamic and static data according to predetermined scoring criteria, and extracts boarding and alighting points from among the candidate boarding and alighting points based on a total value obtained by aggregating the scoring results related to the dynamic and static data.

The dynamic data receiving unit 12 of the receiving unit 10 can be configured to receive static data as well, making it possible to acquire static data. Alternatively, the data indicating the candidate boarding and alighting locations stored in the memory unit 20 can be linked to static data about the areas surrounding the locations in advance, making it possible to acquire static data from the data indicating the candidate boarding and alighting locations.

The boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 acquires multiple evaluation items set for each of the candidate boarding/alighting points from the evaluation item acquisition unit 321, and extracts data indicating the road structure corresponding to the multiple evaluation items set for each of the candidate boarding/alighting points from the static data.

Static data evaluation items include, for example, the number of lanes, lane width, lane color, presence or absence of a median strip, presence or absence of obstacles between the sidewalk and the roadway, presence or absence of a pedestrian crossing, presence or absence of a bus stop, and presence or absence of a fire hydrant. The static data evaluation items are set in common for each candidate boarding and alighting location.

The evaluation items for evaluating each of the candidate boarding/alighting locations include evaluation items of static data related to the road structure of each of the candidate boarding/alighting locations, and evaluation items of dynamic data related to the traffic conditions at the scheduled arrival time of the vehicle at each of the candidate boarding/alighting locations. The evaluation items of the static data shown in FIG. 4 include the lane width and the presence or absence of obstacles between the sidewalk and the roadway, and the evaluation items of the dynamic data include the number of other vehicles passing per unit time, the average speed of other vehicles, and the density of other vehicles stopped or parked on the shoulder of the candidate boarding/alighting location. Furthermore, the evaluation items of the dynamic data, which are set according to the road structure, include the number of other vehicles entering and exiting through the vehicle entrance/exit between the road and a facility facing the road, and the presence or absence of congestion in the right/left turn lane that turns right or left across the oncoming lane formed by branching off from the straight lane.

The boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 acquires data indicating the road structure corresponding to each evaluation item and data indicating the traffic conditions at the estimated arrival time of the vehicle at each boarding/alighting point (hereinafter referred to as "evaluation data"), and scores each evaluation item according to the score corresponding to each piece of evaluation data.

The boarding and alighting point extraction unit 34 scores the evaluation data corresponding to each evaluation item according to the score corresponding to each evaluation data shown in FIG. 5. The evaluation data shown in FIG. 5 indicates a range of values that can actually be obtained for each evaluation item, and the scores are determined from the perspective of the level of safety when the user gets on and off and the ease of stopping the vehicle, and indicate values that have been assigned in advance corresponding to the range of values that can be obtained for each evaluation data. For each evaluation item, the evaluation data set as the standard state is assigned 0.9 points (standard value), and higher scores are assigned to evaluation data that is better than the standard state, and lower scores are assigned to evaluation data that is worse than the standard state. Specific scores assigned to the evaluation data for each evaluation item are explained below.

The score for the lane width, which is an evaluation item of static data, is determined based on the vehicle width at the vehicle door opening angle at which the user can get on and off the vehicle without feeling inconvenience. The vehicle width is determined in advance by performing a boarding and alighting test that simulates a user getting on and off the vehicle and measuring the vehicle width at the vehicle door opening angle at which the user can get on and off the vehicle without feeling inconvenience. In this embodiment, the standard lane width at which the user can get on and off the vehicle without feeling inconvenience is set to "3 m", and a score of "0.9 points" is assigned. Note that the vehicle width at the vehicle door opening angle at which the user can get on and off the vehicle without feeling inconvenience varies depending on the vehicle, so the lane width as the standard value may be set according to a representative vehicle used by the user. Alternatively, the vehicle width at the vehicle door opening angle at which the user can get on and off the vehicle without feeling inconvenience for each vehicle used by the user may be measured in advance by the boarding and alighting test, and the boarding and alighting place extraction unit 34 may change the lane width as the standard value according to the vehicle used by the user.

The standard value for points based on whether or not there is an obstacle between the sidewalk and the roadway is set to "presence" of the obstacle, and if there is "absence" of the obstacle, a score of "0.95" is assigned, indicating a better than standard condition.

The score for the number of other vehicles passing per unit time, which is an evaluation item of dynamic data, is determined based on the ratio of the traffic capacity of the road at the candidate boarding/alighting point. For example, if the traffic capacity of the road at the candidate boarding/alighting point (point A) is 800 vehicles/hour, the evaluation data when the number of other vehicles passing the candidate boarding/alighting point (point A) per unit time is 800 is set to 100%, and 0.9 points are assigned as the standard value. Using the standard value as a standard, if the ratio of the number of other vehicles passing per unit time to the road's traffic capacity is low, a higher score than the standard value is assigned, and if the ratio of the number of other vehicles passing per unit time to the road's traffic capacity is high, a lower score is assigned.

The score assigned to the average speed of other vehicles is determined based on the legal speed of the road at the candidate boarding/alighting point. For example, if the legal speed of the road at the candidate boarding/alighting point (point A) is 60 km/h, the evaluation data when the average speed of other vehicles traveling at the candidate boarding/alighting point (point A) is 60 km/h is set to 100%, and 0.9 points are assigned as the standard value. Using the standard value as a standard, if the average speed of other vehicles is lower than the legal speed of the road, a higher score than the standard value is assigned, and if the average speed of other vehicles is higher than the legal speed of the road, a lower score is assigned.

The density of other vehicles stopped or parked on the shoulder is determined based on the ratio of the area occupied by other stopped or parked vehicles to the area of the shoulder of the candidate boarding/alighting location. For example, if 50% of the area of the shoulder of the candidate boarding/alighting location is occupied by stopped or parked vehicles, the evaluation data for the density of vehicles stopped or parked on the shoulder of the candidate boarding/alighting location is set to 100%, and 0.9 points are assigned as the standard value. Using the standard value as a standard, if the ratio of the area occupied by stopped or parked vehicles is low, a higher point than the standard value is assigned, and if the ratio is high, a lower point is assigned.

The number of other vehicles entering and exiting through vehicle entrances and exits between the road and the facility facing the road, which is an evaluation item set according to the road structure, is determined based on the number of other vehicles entering and exiting per unit time. For example, if there is one or more other vehicles entering and exiting per 10 minutes from the entrances and exits that exist around the candidate boarding and alighting location, the evaluation data will be "high" and a score of 0 will be given. If the number of other vehicles entering and exiting per 10 minutes is one or less, the evaluation data will be "low", no score will be given and a "-" will be displayed. Also, if the candidate boarding and alighting location does not have the applicable road structure, the evaluation data will be "not applicable", no score will be given and a "-" will be displayed.

The presence or absence of congestion in the right-turn lane, which branches off from the straight lane and turns right or left across the oncoming lane, is an evaluation item set according to the road structure, and is determined by whether the congestion in the right-turn lane extends to the straight lane. For example, if congestion in the right-turn lane, which branches off from the straight lane, extends to the straight lane, the evaluation data will be "congested" and a score of 0 will be given. If the congestion does not extend to the straight lane, the evaluation data will be "no congestion", no score will be given and a "-" will be displayed. Furthermore, if the candidate boarding/alighting location does not have a corresponding road structure, the evaluation data will be "not applicable", no score will be given and a "-" will be displayed.

The evaluation items set according to the road structure are evaluation items for excluding candidate boarding/alighting points from the boarding/alighting points presented to the user. If a score of 0 is scored for any of the evaluation items set according to the road structure, the boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 does not extract the candidate boarding/alighting point that has been scored 0 as a boarding/alighting point, i.e., excludes the candidate boarding/alighting point.

Referring to FIG. 4, the process in which the boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 scores multiple evaluation items set for a candidate boarding/alighting point, and determines whether or not to extract the candidate boarding/alighting point as a boarding/alighting point based on the scoring results, will be described.

The evaluation items of the candidate boarding/alighting point (point A) include the number of other vehicles entering and exiting through the vehicle entrance/exit between the road and the facility facing the road, which are evaluation items set according to the road structure, and the presence or absence of congestion in the right/left turn lane that turns right or left across the oncoming lane branched off from the straight lane. At the estimated arrival time (16:00) when the vehicle arrives at the candidate boarding/alighting point (point A), the evaluation data indicating the number of other vehicles entering and exiting through the entrance/exit is "low," and the evaluation data indicating the presence or absence of congestion in the right/left turn lane is "no congestion." Therefore, since no evaluation items among the evaluation items set according to the road structure are scored with a score of 0, the candidate boarding/alighting point (point A) does not meet the exclusion condition for being excluded from the boarding/alighting points presented to the user.

First, the boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 scores each piece of evaluation data corresponding to a number of evaluation items set for the candidate boarding/alighting point (point A) based on a score that is pre-assigned to each piece of evaluation data in accordance with the range of values that each piece of evaluation data can obtain.

Next, the boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 determines whether or not to exclude the candidate boarding/alighting point (Point A) from the boarding/alighting points presented to the user based on the state of the "exclusion condition applicable flag." The exclusion condition applicable flag set for each evaluation item set according to the road structure is "TRUE" if a "0 point" is scored, and is "FALSE" otherwise. The boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 excludes the candidate boarding/alighting point from the boarding/alighting points presented to the user when the exclusion condition applicable flag is "TRUE" for any of the evaluation items set according to the road structure for which the exclusion condition applicable flag is set.

The candidate boarding/alighting point (Point A) has not been scored "0 points" for any of the evaluation items set according to the road structure, and the exclusion condition applicable flag is "FALSE." Therefore, the boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 does not exclude the candidate boarding/alighting point (Point A) from the boarding/alighting points presented to the user.

In the example shown in FIG. 4, the exclusion condition applicable flags are also set for the dynamic data evaluation items "number of other vehicles passing the candidate boarding/alighting location per unit time," "average speed of other vehicles," and "density of other vehicles stopped or parked on the shoulder of the candidate boarding/alighting location." In this way, the exclusion condition applicable flags may also be set for the evaluation items of other dynamic data, and when the value exceeds a predetermined value and traffic conditions deteriorate, the candidate boarding/alighting location may be excluded from the boarding/alighting locations presented to the user.

Finally, the boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 tally up the scoring results of each of the evaluation data corresponding to the multiple evaluation items set for the boarding/alighting point candidate (point A), and based on the tally of the scoring results, determines whether or not to extract the boarding/alighting point candidate (point A) as a boarding/alighting point to be presented to the user. Specifically, the boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 determines whether or not the tally of the scoring results of the boarding/alighting point candidate (point A) is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, and decides whether or not to extract the boarding/alighting point candidate (point A).

The threshold value is set to a value indicating a state in which the vehicle can be stopped without compromising the safety of the user when getting on and off. It is preferable that the threshold value is set commonly to each of the candidate boarding and alighting locations. However, if a common threshold value is used for a candidate boarding and alighting location, the frequency with which the candidate is extracted as a boarding and alighting location may be reduced even though the vehicle can be stopped without compromising the safety of the user when getting on and off. In such a case, the threshold value may be set individually.

As a specific method for setting the threshold, for example, the threshold can be set by grasping the minimum road structure and traffic conditions that allow the vehicle to be stopped without compromising the safety of the user when getting on and off. Alternatively, evaluation data can be obtained for a time when the vehicle can be stopped without compromising safety at a boarding/alighting location that has already been proven to be able to do so, and the threshold can be set based on the evaluation data. In the example shown in Figure 4, there are five evaluation items for which the scoring results are tallied, and the threshold is set to "4.4 points."

The boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 tally up the scores of the evaluation items of the boarding/alighting point candidate (point A) and calculates the tally of the scoring results as "4.45 points." The tally of the boarding/alighting point candidate (point A) is higher than the threshold value "4.4 points," so the boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 extracts the boarding/alighting point candidate (point A) from the boarding/alighting point candidate as a boarding/alighting point to be presented to the user.

The boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 performs similar processing on the boarding/alighting point candidate (point B) and the boarding/alighting point candidate (point C) to determine whether or not to extract the boarding/alighting point candidate (point B) and the boarding/alighting point candidate (point C) as boarding/alighting points to be presented to the user.

The candidate boarding/alighting point (point B) has a "congestion in the right/left turn lane that crosses the oncoming lane branching off from the straight lane" setting set to "congested," and the exclusion condition applicable flag is set to "TRUE." Therefore, the boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 detects that the exclusion condition applicable flag is "TRUE," and excludes the candidate boarding/alighting point (point B) from the boarding/alighting points to be presented to the user.

The candidate boarding/alighting point (Point C) has no evaluation items with the exclusion condition applicable flag set to "TRUE". However, the evaluation items of the dynamic data, "number of other vehicles passing the candidate boarding/alighting point per unit time", "average speed of other vehicles", and "density of other vehicles stopped or parked on the shoulder of the candidate boarding/alighting point", are all below the standard value of "0.9 points". Furthermore, the evaluation item of the static data, "lane width", is 2.75 m, which is below the standard value. Therefore, the aggregated value of the scoring results of each evaluation item at the candidate boarding/alighting point (Point C) is "4.35 points". Therefore, since the aggregated value of the scoring results of each evaluation item at the candidate boarding/alighting point (Point C) is below the threshold value of "4.4 points", the boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 does not extract the candidate boarding/alighting point (Point C) as a boarding/alighting point to be presented to the user.

The boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 extracts candidate boarding/alighting points (point A) to be presented to the user, and transfers the extracted boarding/alighting points to the transmission unit 40.

[How to display boarding and alighting points]
Next, a method for presenting a boarding/alighting point using the boarding/alighting point presentation device shown in Fig. 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. The operation of the boarding/alighting point presentation device shown in the flowchart of Fig. 7 starts at the same time as receiving data indicating a vehicle dispatch request from a user, and ends when the boarding/alighting point selected by the user is transmitted to a communication device mounted on the vehicle in which the user gets on or off.

In step S10, the candidate boarding and alighting location extraction unit 31 acquires data indicating a vehicle dispatch request from the vehicle dispatch request receiving unit 11 included in the receiving unit 10. Proceeding to step S20, the candidate boarding and alighting location extraction unit 31 extracts candidate boarding and alighting locations from the list of boarding and alighting locations stored in the memory unit 20 based on the boarding and alighting location at which the user wishes to board and alight, which is included in the data indicating the vehicle dispatch request.

Proceeding to step S30, the evaluation item acquisition unit 321 acquires multiple evaluation items set for each of the candidate boarding and alighting locations extracted by the candidate boarding and alighting location extraction unit 31 from the data indicating each of the candidate boarding and alighting locations.

The process proceeds to step S40, where the traffic condition extraction unit 322 acquires dynamic data for each of the extracted candidate boarding and alighting locations from the dynamic data receiving unit 12. The process proceeds to step S50, where the traffic condition extraction unit 322 extracts from the dynamic data traffic conditions that correspond to the multiple evaluation items set for each of the candidate boarding and alighting locations.

Proceeding to step S60, the data analysis unit 323 sorts the traffic conditions corresponding to the multiple evaluation items set for each of the candidate boarding and alighting points into data by day of the week (weekdays/holidays) and month (season). Then, a data analysis method including a Fourier transform or the least squares method is applied to each data to identify the period and phase of the change in the traffic conditions over time.

Proceeding to step S70, the traffic condition calculation unit 33 obtains the desired time at which the user wishes to board and alight from the dispatch request receiving unit 11. Then, using the car navigation device, it calculates the estimated arrival time at which the vehicle will arrive at each of the candidate boarding and alighting locations when the vehicle travels along a route that results in an estimated arrival time closest to the desired time, taking into account traffic information from the current vehicle position to each of the candidate boarding and alighting locations. The traffic condition calculation unit 33 calculates data indicating the traffic conditions at each of the candidate boarding and alighting locations at the estimated arrival time at which the vehicle will arrive at each of the candidate boarding and alighting locations, based on the period and phase of the change over time in the traffic conditions corresponding to the multiple evaluation items set for each of the candidate boarding and alighting locations identified by the data analysis unit 323.

The process proceeds to step S80, where the boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 extracts boarding/alighting points from among the candidate boarding/alighting points based on data indicating the traffic conditions of each of the candidate boarding/alighting points calculated by the traffic condition calculation unit 33. We will now discuss a method for extracting boarding/alighting points from among the candidate boarding/alighting points using the process for extracting boarding/alighting points from among the candidate boarding/alighting points of the first embodiment described with reference to Figures 4 and 5.

First, the boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 acquires evaluation data, which is data indicating the road structure corresponding to each evaluation item of the boarding/alighting point candidate and data indicating the traffic conditions at the scheduled arrival time of the vehicle at each boarding/alighting point. Then, the boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 scores the evaluation data for each evaluation item according to the score corresponding to each of the evaluation data shown in FIG. 5.

Next, the boarding/alighting location extraction unit 34 refers to the state of the exclusion condition applicable flag set for each of the boarding/alighting location candidates. Then, the boarding/alighting location extraction unit 34 excludes from the boarding/alighting locations to be presented to the user any of the boarding/alighting location candidates for which the exclusion condition applicable flag is set to "TRUE" in any of the evaluation items for which the exclusion condition applicable flag is set.

Finally, the boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 tally up the scoring results of each piece of evaluation data corresponding to the multiple evaluation items set for each of the boarding/alighting point candidates, and extracts the boarding/alighting point candidates whose tally of the scoring results is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value as boarding/alighting points to be presented to the user.

The process proceeds to step S90, where the transmission unit 40 transmits data indicating the extracted boarding and disembarking locations to a communication device held by the user.

The process proceeds to step S100, where the boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 determines whether the user has selected a boarding/alighting point. If the user has selected a boarding/alighting point (YES in S100), the process proceeds to step S110, where the boarding/alighting point selected by the user is transmitted to the vehicle the user is boarding/alighting from, and the process ends.

If the user has not selected a boarding or alighting point (NO in S100), the process proceeds to step S120. If the user has not selected a boarding or alighting point without canceling the boarding or alighting point recommendation by the boarding or alighting point recommendation device (NO in S120), it is expected that the user is in a state of considering which boarding or alighting point to select from the boarding or alighting points recommended. Therefore, the boarding or alighting point recommendation device sets a predetermined time required for the user to select a boarding or alighting point, and returns to S70 to continue the process. The predetermined time is, for example, about 10 minutes.

Even while the user is considering where to board and alight, the traffic conditions at each of the candidate boarding and alighting locations and the estimated arrival time of the vehicle at each of the candidate boarding and alighting locations change over time. Therefore, by continuously performing the process from S70, the boarding and alighting location presentation device can continue to extract boarding and alighting locations using the latest traffic conditions and the estimated arrival time of the vehicle at each of the candidate boarding and alighting locations.

If the user is not satisfied with the presented boarding/alighting points and the estimated arrival times at those points and performs a cancellation operation to cancel the boarding/alighting point presentation device's presentation of the boarding/alighting points (YES in S120), the process ends.

In addition, if the user leaves the boarding/alighting location selection unselected without performing the cancellation operation described above (YES in S120), the process ends when the set predetermined time has elapsed.

[Modification of boarding/alighting point presentation method]
Next, a modified example of the method for indicating boarding and alighting locations will be described. The difference from the method for indicating boarding and alighting locations described above is that the processing from step S30 to step S60 is performed in advance before receiving data indicating a vehicle dispatch request from a user.

In addition, due to the change in the processing order from step S30 to step S60, the processing content of step S30 and step S40 differs from the method for presenting boarding and alighting points described above. Therefore, only the processing content of step S30 and step S40 will be described, and other common processing will be omitted.

In step S30, the evaluation item acquisition unit 321 acquires data indicating candidate boarding and alighting locations from the storage unit 20. Then, the evaluation item acquisition unit 321 acquires a plurality of evaluation items set for each of the candidate boarding and alighting locations acquired from the storage unit 20 from the data indicating each of the candidate boarding and alighting locations.

Proceeding to step S40, the traffic condition extraction unit 322 acquires dynamic data for each of the candidate boarding and alighting locations from the storage unit 20. The dynamic data acquired from the storage unit 20 is dynamic data that was received in advance by the dynamic data receiving unit 12 and stored in the storage unit 20 before receiving data indicating a vehicle dispatch request from the user.

As described above, in the modified boarding/alighting point presentation method, the processes from steps S30 to S60 may be performed in advance before receiving data indicating a ride dispatch request from a user. In the modified example, the dynamic data indicating traffic conditions acquired in step S40 is older data acquired at a time when compared to the boarding/alighting point presentation method described above. However, the dynamic data indicating traffic conditions does not fluctuate significantly on a weekly basis, and has little effect on the period and phase of the change over time in traffic conditions identified based on the dynamic data indicating traffic conditions.

Therefore, in the modified method of presenting boarding and alighting points, it is not necessary to calculate the period and phase of the change in traffic conditions over time each time data indicating a ride-hailing request from a user is received, and the processing load after receiving data indicating a ride-hailing request from a user can be further reduced.

As explained above, the first embodiment provides the following effects:

The period/phase identification unit 32 identifies the period and phase of the change over time in the traffic conditions contained in the dynamic data, so that the traffic condition calculation unit 33 can calculate data indicating the traffic conditions at each of the candidate boarding/alighting locations at the scheduled arrival time when the vehicle will arrive at each of the candidate boarding/alighting locations, which is calculated from the desired time when the user wishes to board/alight. The boarding/alighting location extraction unit 34 extracts boarding/alighting locations from the candidate boarding/alighting locations based on the traffic conditions at each of the candidate boarding/alighting locations at the scheduled arrival time, so that boarding/alighting locations where the vehicle can be stopped without compromising the safety of the user when boarding/alighting can be presented to the user.

The number of other vehicles passing through the candidate boarding/alighting location per unit time, the average speed of the other vehicles, and the density of other vehicles stopped or parked on the shoulder of the candidate boarding/alighting location are traffic conditions that change over time depending on weekdays and holidays, daytime and nighttime, seasons, etc., and function effectively as judgment factors for determining whether the vehicle can be stopped without compromising the safety of the user when boarding and alighting. Therefore, by extracting boarding/alighting locations based on dynamic data indicating these traffic conditions, it is possible to extract boarding/alighting locations where the vehicle can be stopped without compromising the safety of the user when boarding and alighting.

The number of other vehicles entering and exiting through an entrance/exit is a traffic condition that changes over time depending on weekdays and holidays, daytime and nighttime, seasons, etc., and is an effective factor for determining whether or not it is possible to stop a vehicle without compromising the safety of users when getting on and off. Therefore, by extracting boarding and alighting locations based on dynamic data indicating this traffic condition, it is possible to extract boarding and alighting locations where a vehicle can be stopped without compromising the safety of users when getting on and off.

Whether congestion in the right/left turn lanes extends to the straight lanes is a traffic condition that changes over time depending on weekdays and holidays, daytime and nighttime, seasons, etc., and is an effective factor in determining whether the vehicle can be stopped without compromising the safety of users when getting on and off. Therefore, by extracting boarding and alighting points based on dynamic data indicating this traffic condition, it is possible to extract boarding and alighting points where the vehicle can be stopped without compromising the safety of users when getting on and off.

The traffic conditions and road structure are divided into multiple evaluation items, each candidate boarding and alighting point is scored according to a predetermined scoring standard for each evaluation item, and a boarding and alighting point is extracted from the candidate boarding and alighting points based on the aggregate score of the scoring results for each evaluation item. This makes it possible to more accurately extract boarding and alighting points where the vehicle can be stopped without compromising the safety of the user when boarding and alighting.

Second Embodiment
[Configuration of boarding/alighting point presentation device]
A stop presentation device according to the second embodiment will be described. The only difference from the first embodiment is the processing of the stop extraction unit 34. Therefore, only the processing of the stop extraction unit 34 will be described, and the description of other common processing will be omitted.

(Process of extracting boarding and alighting points from boarding and alighting point candidates)
The process in which the boarding/alighting place extraction unit 34 extracts boarding/alighting places from among the boarding/alighting place candidate candidates will be described with reference to Fig. 6. The boarding/alighting place candidate candidates, the evaluation items of the boarding/alighting place candidate candidates, the evaluation data corresponding to each of the evaluation items, and the scoring results of the evaluation data shown in Fig. 6 are the same as those in Fig. 4. Also, in the second embodiment, the process in which the boarding/alighting place extraction unit 34 refers to the state of the exclusion condition applicable flag and excludes the boarding/alighting place candidate candidates from the boarding/alighting places presented to the user is the same as that in the first embodiment. Therefore, the process thereafter will be described.

The boarding and alighting point extraction unit 34 multiplies each of the scoring results related to the dynamic data and the static data by a coefficient determined for each of the dynamic data and the static data from the viewpoint of the safety when the user gets on and off the vehicle and the ease of parking the vehicle, and extracts boarding and alighting points based on the average value of the aggregated values of the scoring results after multiplication by the coefficients.

The coefficients of the dynamic data and static data, which are determined from the perspective of the safety of users getting on and off the vehicle and the ease of parking the vehicle, correspond to the weights (hereafter referred to as "weights") shown in the processing items in Figure 6. The method for setting the weights is explained in detail below.

The weights are broadly divided into static data weights and dynamic data weights, and are set so that the total weight is 1. When setting equal weights for static data and dynamic data, a weight of 0.5 is set for each data. The weights are determined based on the relationship between the road structure and traffic conditions of the candidate boarding and alighting locations, taking into account the relationship between the safety when the user gets on and off and the ease of parking the vehicle.

For example, in the case of the candidate boarding/alighting point (point A), the lane width is wide (3.25 m), and the safety of the user when boarding/alighting is high. However, since the candidate boarding/alighting point (point A) is a main road, the traffic capacity of the road is large and the legal speed limit (60 km/h) is high. Therefore, it can be said that it is difficult to park a vehicle at the candidate boarding/alighting point (point A). In such road structure and traffic conditions, the evaluation item related to the ease of parking a vehicle is highly important. Therefore, for the candidate boarding/alighting point (point A), the weight of dynamic data is set higher than that of static data.

In the case of the candidate boarding/alighting point (point B), the lane width is a standard value (3 m), and the safety of the user when boarding/alighting can be said to be standard. In addition, the traffic capacity of the road is smaller than that of the candidate boarding/alighting point (point A), and the legal speed limit (50 km/h) is also low. Therefore, the ease of parking the vehicle at the candidate boarding/alighting point (point B) can be said to be standard. With such a road structure and traffic conditions, it is not necessary to prioritize either the safety of the user when boarding/alighting or the ease of parking the vehicle in the evaluation. Therefore, for the candidate boarding/alighting point (point B), equal weights are set for both static data and dynamic data.

In the case of the candidate boarding/alighting point (point C), the lane width is narrow (2.75) and user safety meets the minimum standard. However, the traffic capacity of the road is lower than that of the candidate boarding/alighting point (point B), and the legal speed limit (30 km/h) is also low. Therefore, it can be said that it is easy to park a vehicle at the candidate boarding/alighting point (point C). In such a road structure and traffic conditions, it can be said that the degree of impact that changes in traffic conditions have on the ease of parking a vehicle is low. Therefore, for the candidate boarding/alighting point (point C), the weight of dynamic data is set low relative to static data.

The boarding/alighting location extraction unit 34 multiplies each of the scoring results related to the dynamic data and static data by a weight determined based on the safety of each candidate boarding/alighting location when users board and alight, and the ease of parking the vehicle, and calculates the average value of the aggregated values of the scoring results after multiplication by the weight. The boarding/alighting location extraction unit 34 then determines whether or not the average value of the aggregated values of the scoring results after multiplication by the weight of each candidate boarding/alighting location is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, and decides whether or not to extract the candidate boarding/alighting location as a boarding/alighting location to be presented to the user.

The threshold value is the value obtained by dividing the threshold value (4.4 points) set in the first embodiment by the number of evaluation items for which the scoring results are to be tallied. In the example shown in FIG. 6, there are five evaluation items for which the scoring results are to be tallied, and the threshold value is set to "0.88 points."

The average of the aggregated score results after multiplying the weight of the boarding/alighting point candidate (point A) is "0.88 points", which is a value above the threshold value. Therefore, the boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 extracts the boarding/alighting point candidate (point A) from the boarding/alighting point candidate as a boarding/alighting point to be presented to the user.

The average of the aggregated score results after multiplying the weight of the boarding/alighting point candidate (point C) is "0.88 points", which is a value above the threshold value. Therefore, the boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 extracts the boarding/alighting point candidate (point C) from the boarding/alighting point candidate as a boarding/alighting point to be presented to the user.

In the first embodiment, the candidate boarding/alighting point (Point C) is a candidate boarding/alighting point that was not extracted as a boarding/alighting point to be presented to the user because the aggregated value of the scoring results of the evaluation items was below the threshold value. However, in the second embodiment, weights can be set for each of the dynamic data and static data, taking into account the relationship between the safety when the user gets on and off and the ease of parking the vehicle, so that candidate boarding/alighting points can be extracted more flexibly than in the first embodiment.

The boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 extracts a potential boarding/alighting point (point A) and a potential boarding/alighting point (point C) as boarding/alighting points to be presented to the user, and transfers the extracted boarding/alighting points to the transmission unit 40.

[How to display boarding and alighting points]
A method for presenting a boarding/alighting point using a boarding/alighting point presentation device according to the second embodiment will be described. The only difference from the first embodiment is the process of extracting a boarding/alighting point from among boarding/alighting point candidates in step S80 shown in the flowchart of Fig. 7. Therefore, only the process in step S80 will be described, and other common processes will not be described.

In step S80, the boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 extracts boarding/alighting points from among the candidate boarding/alighting points based on data indicating the traffic conditions of each of the candidate boarding/alighting points calculated by the traffic condition calculation unit 33. We will mention a method of extracting boarding/alighting points from among the candidate boarding/alighting points using the process of extracting boarding/alighting points from among the candidate boarding/alighting points of the second embodiment described with reference to FIG. 6.

The process up to step S80 in which the boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 excludes from the boarding/alighting points to be presented to the user those candidate boarding/alighting points for which the exclusion condition applicable flag is set to "TRUE" in any evaluation item for which the exclusion condition applicable flag is set is the same as in the first embodiment. Therefore, the process after this step will be described.

The boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 multiplies each of the scoring results related to the dynamic data and static data by a coefficient (weight) determined from the viewpoint of the safety when users board and alight at each candidate boarding/alighting point and the ease of parking the vehicle, and calculates the average value of the aggregated values of the scoring results after multiplication by the coefficient.

Then, the boarding/alighting point extraction unit 34 extracts boarding/alighting point candidates whose average value of the aggregated score results of each of the boarding/alighting point candidates is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value as boarding/alighting points to be presented to the user.

As described above, the second embodiment provides the following advantages:

The scoring results for each evaluation item are multiplied by a coefficient determined from the viewpoint that should be taken into consideration in order to stop the vehicle without compromising the safety of users when boarding and disembarking, and boarding and disembarking points are extracted based on the average of the aggregated values of the scoring results after multiplication by the coefficient. This allows weighting to be assigned to the viewpoints that should be taken into consideration, making it possible to flexibly extract boarding and disembarking points by taking various factors into consideration.

As described above, an embodiment of the present invention has been described, but the descriptions and drawings that form part of this disclosure should not be understood as limiting this invention. Various alternative embodiments, examples, and operating techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Receiving unit 11 Vehicle dispatch request receiving unit 12 Dynamic data receiving unit 20 Storage unit 30 Calculating unit 31 Candidate boarding/alighting point extracting unit 32 Period/phase identifying unit 33 Traffic condition calculating unit 34 Boarding/alighting point extracting unit 40 Transmitting unit

Claims (6)

A boarding/alighting point presentation device that extracts a boarding/alighting point where a user gets on and off a vehicle from among predetermined boarding/alighting point candidates and presents the extracted boarding/alighting point to the user,
The device includes a receiving unit, a computing unit, and a transmitting unit,
A plurality of evaluation items are set for extracting the boarding and alighting points from the boarding and alighting point candidates,
The plurality of evaluation items include the number of other vehicles passing through the candidate boarding/alighting location per unit time, an average speed of the other vehicles, and a density of other vehicles stopped or parked on the shoulder of the candidate boarding/alighting location;
The receiving unit is
receiving dynamic data that changes over time, the dynamic data being indicative of traffic conditions at each of the potential boarding and alighting locations;
receiving data indicating a vehicle dispatch request in which the user requests the vehicle to be dispatched, the data including a desired time at which the user wishes to board and disembark;
The calculation unit is
Identifying a period and a phase of a change over time of the traffic conditions included in the received dynamic data;
calculating data indicating a traffic situation at each of the candidate boarding and alighting locations at a scheduled arrival time at which the vehicle will arrive at each of the candidate boarding and alighting locations, the scheduled arrival time being calculated from the desired time, based on a period and a phase of the time-varying change;
extracting the boarding and alighting point from the boarding and alighting point candidates based on the calculated data indicating the traffic conditions;
The boarding/alighting point presentation device is characterized in that the transmission unit transmits data indicating the extracted boarding/alighting point to a communication device held by the user. The boarding and alighting location presentation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when there is a vehicle entrance/exit between a facility facing the road and the road around the candidate boarding and alighting location, the multiple evaluation items include the number of other vehicles entering and exiting through the entrance/exit . The boarding and alighting location presentation device described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that if there is an intersection around the potential boarding and alighting location where a right- or left-turn lane that turns right or left across an oncoming lane branches off from a straight-through lane, the multiple evaluation items include whether or not congestion in the right- or left-turn lane extends to the straight-through lane . The receiving unit further receives static data that does not change over time and indicates a road structure of each of the candidate boarding and alighting locations;
Scoring each of the dynamic data and the static data according to a predetermined scoring criterion;
The boarding/alighting point presentation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the boarding/alighting point is extracted from the boarding/alighting point candidates based on a total value obtained by aggregating the scoring results related to the dynamic data and the static data. The boarding and alighting location suggestion device according to claim 4, characterized in that each of the scoring results relating to the dynamic data and the static data is multiplied by a coefficient determined for each of the dynamic data and the static data from the standpoint of safety when the user gets on and off and ease of parking the vehicle, and the boarding and alighting locations are extracted based on an average value of the aggregated values of the scoring results after multiplying the coefficients . A method for presenting a boarding/alighting location where a user gets on and off a vehicle is extracted from among predetermined boarding/alighting location candidates and presented to the user,
A plurality of evaluation items are set for extracting the boarding and alighting points from the boarding and alighting point candidates,
The plurality of evaluation items include the number of other vehicles passing through the candidate boarding/alighting location per unit time, an average speed of the other vehicles, and a density of other vehicles stopped or parked on the shoulder of the candidate boarding/alighting location;
receiving dynamic data that changes over time, the dynamic data being indicative of traffic conditions at each of the potential boarding and alighting locations;
receiving data indicating a vehicle dispatch request in which the user requests the vehicle to be dispatched, the data including a desired time at which the user wishes to board and disembark;
Identifying a period and a phase of a change over time of the traffic conditions included in the received dynamic data;
calculating data indicating a traffic condition at each of the candidate boarding and alighting locations at a scheduled arrival time at which the vehicle will arrive at each of the candidate boarding and alighting locations, the scheduled arrival time being calculated from the desired time, based on a period and a phase of the time-varying change;
Extracting the boarding and alighting point from the boarding and alighting point candidates based on the calculated data indicating the traffic conditions;
A method for presenting boarding and alighting points, comprising transmitting data indicating the extracted boarding and alighting points to a communication device held by the user .

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