Method for operating a parking place according to demand expectations and operating server using the same

Abstract

A method of anticipating operation of parking places according to demand and an operation server using the same are provided. The method can include anticipating n calls corresponding to a current time in a service area; deriving Nc assignment combinations assigning Nb vehicles on standby in the service area to Na parking places located in the service area; assigning the anticipated n calls to Nd vehicles in the service area including the Nb vehicles with respect to each of the Nc assignment combinations, and deriving Nd total travel times of the Nd vehicles; and assigning a corresponding parking place among the Na parking places to each of the Nb vehicles based on the Nd total travel times with respect to each of the Nc assignment combinations.

Description

[0001] Cross-referencing related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0161464, filed on November 26, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. Technical Field

[0003] This invention relates to a method for determining parking locations and an operating server utilizing that method. Background Technology

[0004] In ride-sharing services, vehicles that have completed their runs are parked at designated parking locations. These locations are preset, and the number and location of these locations are determined based on the service area. In reality, the number of parking locations is limited, and they can be located quite far from where the vehicle was picked up.

[0005] If a vehicle that has already received a call needs to move a considerable distance from its parking location to the passenger's origin, the increased travel distance may increase travel time and costs. Furthermore, parking locations limit the number of vehicles that can be parked, and currently parked vehicles may be in the same location. That is, when determining parking locations for vehicles that have completed a trip, simply choosing a location close to the vehicle's current position may result in the vehicle not being able to use the designated location, or the vehicle having to move a considerable distance for the next trip.

[0006] The information included in the background section of this invention is intended only to enhance the understanding of the general background of this invention and should not be construed as an admission or any implication that the information constitutes prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Various aspects of the present invention point to providing a method for determining parking locations and an operation server utilizing the method.

[0008] An exemplary method for operating a parking lot based on demand expectations may include: anticipating n calls in a service area corresponding to the current time; deriving Nc assignment combinations to assign Nb vehicles waiting in the service area to Na parking locations located in the service area; assigning the anticipated n calls to Nd vehicles in the service area, including the Nb vehicles, with respect to each of the Nc assignment combinations, and deriving Nd total travel times for the Nd vehicles; and assigning a corresponding parking location from the Na parking locations to each of the Nb vehicles based on the Nd total travel times with respect to each of the Nc assignment combinations.

[0009] Assigning, to each of the Nb vehicles, a corresponding one of the Na parking locations can include determining, relative to the Nc assignment combinations, Nc representative travel times from the sum of the Nd total travel times, and assigning, to each of the Nb vehicles, a corresponding one of the Na parking locations from the shortest of the Nc representative travel times.

[0010] Deriving the Nd total travel times can include generating, relative to one of the Nc assignment combinations, a plurality of allocation combinations that allocate the expected n calls to the Nd vehicles, and determining, relative to each of the plurality of allocation combinations, a total travel time for each of the Nd vehicles.

[0011] Determining the Nc representative travel times can include determining, relative to each of the plurality of allocation combinations, an aggregate travel time by summing the determined total travel times of the Nd vehicles, and selecting, as a representative travel time, the shortest of the plurality of aggregate travel times relative to the plurality of allocation combinations.

[0012] In determining the aggregate travel time, in determining the total travel time for the Nb vehicles, a time required for each of the Nb vehicles to move from a current location to a parking location assigned from the Na parking locations according to the Nc assignment combinations can be counted in the total travel time.

[0013] Determining the aggregate travel time by summing the total travel times of the Nd vehicles can include allocating, relative to each of the Nd vehicles, a plurality of passengers from one of the plurality of allocation combinations, generating, relative to each of the Nd vehicles, a plurality of complete paths for the allocated plurality of passengers, determining, relative to each of the Nd vehicles, a plurality of total travel times relative to the plurality of complete paths, and selecting, relative to each of the Nd vehicles, the shortest of the plurality of total travel times.

[0014] Determining the plurality of total travel times can include setting, relative to each of the plurality of passengers allocated to each of the Nd vehicles, a plurality of candidate pickup locations within a predetermined distance from an origination, setting a plurality of candidate drop-off locations within a predetermined distance from a destination, generating a plurality of pickup-dropoff pairs by combining the plurality of candidate pickup locations and the plurality of candidate drop-off locations, generating an obtainable plurality of complete paths by selecting one from among the plurality of pickup-dropoff pairs, and determining the plurality of total travel times relative to the plurality of complete paths.

[0015] Determining the plurality of total travel times can include, with respect to each of the plurality of complete paths, determining a passenger movement time based on a pre-boarding walk time from the origin to the candidate pick-up location, a post-dropping walk time from the candidate drop-off location to the destination, and a vehicle travel time for one of the Nd vehicles to travel from the candidate pick-up location to the candidate drop-off location, determining a vehicle operating time based on a cost for the one vehicle to travel through the candidate pick-up location and the candidate drop-off location, and determining the total travel time by summing the passenger movement time and the vehicle operating time. In determining the vehicle operating time, the vehicle can be one of the Nb vehicles, and a time for the vehicle to move from a current location to an assigned one of the Na parking locations can be included in the total travel time.

[0016] The example method can further include monitoring for an on-call vehicle of the Nd vehicles that has completed an operation. The expectation of n calls can be performed when the on-call vehicle occurs.

[0017] Expecting n calls can include deriving an expected demand at a current time by sampling a predetermined amount of data from call data of a predetermined time period including the current time among accumulated service call data.

[0018] Deriving the Nc assignment combinations can include generating the Nc assignment combinations by assigning each of the Nb vehicles to a corresponding one of the Na parking locations while allowing an overlap in the number of vehicles that can be parked in the parking locations.

[0019] Deriving the Nc assignment combinations can include, when a current parked vehicle exists in one of the Na parking locations, assigning, among the Nb vehicles, a remaining number of vehicles after excluding the current parked vehicle from a number of vehicles to be parked in the corresponding parking location.

[0020] The example method can further include, when a first vehicle of the Nb vehicles is within a threshold distance range with respect to a first parking location of the Na parking locations, assigning the first vehicle to the first parking location. The parking locations can be assigned with respect to a remaining number of vehicles of the Nb vehicles after excluding the first vehicle.

[0021] An exemplary operational server that provides transportation services upon receiving an origination and destination and a vehicle call request from a user terminal can include: a demand anticipation module configured to anticipate n calls corresponding to a current time within a service area; a vehicle assignment module configured to derive Nc assignment combinations that assign Nb vehicles on standby in the service area with respect to Na parking locations located in the service area; a vehicle allocation module configured to allocate, with respect to each of the Nc assignment combinations, the anticipated n calls to Nd vehicles in the service area including the Nb vehicles according to a plurality of allocation combinations; and a total travel time calculation module configured to determine, with respect to each of the plurality of allocation combinations, a plurality of total travel times of each of the Nd vehicles with respect to a plurality of complete paths; the vehicle assignment module can be configured to assign, to each of the Nb vehicles, a corresponding one of the Na parking locations based on the Nd total travel times with respect to each of the Nc assignment combinations.

[0022] The vehicle assignment module can be configured to select, with respect to each of the Nc assignment combinations, an optimal aggregate travel time based on the Nd total travel times, and to assign, to each of the Nb vehicles, a corresponding one of the Na parking locations according to a shortest representative travel time among Nc optimal aggregate travel times with respect to the Nc assignment combinations.

[0023] The vehicle allocation module can be configured to generate, with respect to one of the Nc assignment combinations, a plurality of allocation combinations that allocate the anticipated n calls to the Nd vehicles; select a shortest total travel time from the determined plurality of total travel times of each of the Nd vehicles; determine an aggregate travel time by summing the shortest total travel times of each of the Nd vehicles; select, among a plurality of aggregate travel times with respect to the plurality of allocation combinations, a shortest aggregate travel time as a representative travel time; select, with respect to each of the Nc assignment combinations, a vehicle representative travel time; and select, among Nc representative travel times with respect to the Nc assignment combinations, a shortest one as the representative travel time.

[0024] The exemplary operational server can further include a complete path generation module configured to generate, with respect to each of the Nd vehicles, a plurality of complete paths for a plurality of passengers according to one of the plurality of allocation combinations. The total travel time calculation module can determine, with respect to each of the Nd vehicles, a plurality of total travel times with respect to the plurality of complete paths.

[0025] The complete path generation module can be configured to: set a plurality of candidate pick-up locations within a predetermined distance from the origin relative to each of the plurality of passengers in each of the Nd vehicles, and set a plurality of candidate drop-off locations within a predetermined distance from the destination, generate a plurality of pick-up and drop-off pairs by combining the plurality of candidate pick-up locations and the plurality of candidate drop-off locations, and generate a plurality of obtainable complete paths by selecting one of the plurality of pick-up and drop-off pairs.

[0026] The exemplary operations server can further include a passenger movement time calculation module configured to determine a passenger movement time relative to each of the plurality of complete paths based on a pre-pick-up walking time from the origin to a candidate pick-up location, a walking time from a candidate drop-off location to the destination, and a vehicle travel time required for one of the Nd vehicles to travel from the candidate pick-up location to the candidate drop-off location.

[0027] The exemplary operations server can further include a vehicle running time calculation module configured to determine a vehicle running time as a function of a cost of the one vehicle traveling through the candidate pick-up location and the candidate drop-off location. The vehicle running time calculation module can be configured to determine the vehicle running time to include a time for the vehicle to move from a current location to an assigned one of the Na parking locations when the vehicle is one of the Nb vehicles.

[0028] The total travel time calculation module can be configured to determine a total travel time relative to each of the Nd vehicles by summing the passenger movement time relative to each of the plurality of complete paths and the vehicle running time.

[0029] The demand expectation module can be configured to derive an expected demand at a current time by sampling a predetermined amount of data from call data in the accumulated service call data for a predetermined time period including the current time.

[0030] The vehicle assignment module can be configured to generate Nc assignment combinations by assigning each of the Nb vehicles to a corresponding one of the Na parking locations while allowing an overlap in the number of vehicles that can be parked in the parking locations.

[0031] The vehicle assignment module can be configured to exclude a currently parked vehicle from the number of vehicles remaining to be parked in a corresponding parking location among the Nb vehicles when a parking location among the Na parking locations has the currently parked vehicle.

[0032] The example operations server can further include a monitoring module configured to monitor for an on-call vehicle of the completed run appearing in the Nd vehicles. The monitoring module can be configured to transmit information regarding the on-call vehicle to the demand anticipation module when the on-call vehicle appears.

[0033] The total travel time calculation module can be configured to determine the total travel time to include a time required for each of the Nb vehicles to move from a current location to an assigned one of the Na parking locations when determining the total travel time for the Nb vehicles.

[0034] The operations server can be configured to assign a first vehicle of the Nb vehicles to a first one of the Na parking locations when the first vehicle is within a threshold distance range relative to the first parking location and assign the parking locations relative to the remaining vehicles of the Nb vehicles excluding the first vehicle.

[0035] An example method for operating parking locations based on demand anticipation can include anticipating n calls corresponding to a current time within a service area; deriving Nc assignment combinations that assign Nb vehicles on-call in the service area relative to Na parking locations located in the service area; distributing the anticipated n calls to the Nb vehicles and deriving Nb total travel times for the Nb vehicles relative to each of the Nc assignment combinations; and assigning a corresponding one of the Na parking locations to each of the Nb vehicles based on the Nb total travel times relative to each of the Nc assignment combinations.

[0036] Assigning the corresponding one of the Na parking locations to each of the Nb vehicles can include determining Nc optimal aggregate travel times based on a sum of the Nb total travel times relative to the Nc assignment combinations and assigning the corresponding one of the Na parking locations to each of the Nb vehicles according to a shortest one of the Nc optimal aggregate travel times.

[0037] Deriving the Nb total travel times can include generating a plurality of distribution combinations that distribute the anticipated n calls to the Nb vehicles relative to one of the Nc assignment combinations and determining a total travel time for each of the Nb vehicles relative to each of the plurality of distribution combinations.

[0038] Determining the Nc optimal aggregate travel times can include determining an aggregate travel time by summing the determined total travel times for the Nb vehicles relative to each of the plurality of distribution combinations and selecting a shortest one of the plurality of aggregate travel times relative to the plurality of distribution combinations as the optimal aggregate travel time.

[0039] The exemplary method can also include assigning a first vehicle to a first parking location when the first vehicle is located within a threshold distance range relative to the first parking location among the Na number of parking locations. Parking locations can be assigned relative to the remaining vehicles among the Nb number of vehicles excluding the first vehicle.

[0040] Various aspects of the present application provide a method for determining a parking location and an operation server using the same.

[0041] The method and apparatus of the present application has other features and advantages which will be apparent from or that will be more readily understood by those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0042] Figure 1 A passenger transportation service system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0043] Figure 2 An operation server according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application is schematically shown.

[0044] Figure 3 、 Figure 4 and Figure 5 are flowcharts showing a method for assigning a standby vehicle to a parking location according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0045] Figure 6 A method for assigning a standby vehicle to a parking location according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application is schematically shown.

[0046] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing a method for assigning a standby vehicle to a parking location according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0047] It is to be understood that the figures are not necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of various features illustrative of basic principles of the application. Specific design features as included in the application as herein described, including specific dimensions, orientations, locations and shapes, will to some extent be determined by the specific intended application and use environment.

[0048] In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views thereof. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] Reference will now be made in detail embodiments of the application, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below in the following detailed description. Although the application will be described with reference to the exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the description is intended not to limit the application to those embodiments. On the contrary, the application is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, equivalents, and other embodiments, which can be included within the spirit and scope of the application as defined by the appended claims.

[0050] Hereinafter, various exemplary embodiments disclosed in the specification will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the specification, the same or similar components will be designated by the same or similar reference numerals, and repetitive description thereof will be omitted. The component terms "module" and / or "unit" used in the following description are used only to easily describe the specification. Thus, the terms themselves do not have meaning or role distinguished from other terms. In describing the exemplary embodiments of the specification, when it is determined that a detailed description of well-known technology associated with the present application can obscure the gist of the present application, it will be omitted. The accompanying drawings are provided only to allow easy understanding of the exemplary embodiments disclosed in the specification, and are not to be construed as limiting the spirit of the specification, and it is understood that the present application includes all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions without departing from the scope and spirit of the present application.

[0051] The terms including ordinal numbers such as first, second, etc. will be used only to describe various components, and will not be construed to limit the components. The terms are used only to distinguish one component from other components.

[0052] It is understood that when a component is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another component, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other component, or can be connected or coupled to the other component with a further component interposed therebetween. Also, it is understood that when a component is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another component, the component can be directly connected or coupled to the other component without a further component interposed therebetween.

[0053] It will be further understood that the terms "include" and "have" used in the exemplary embodiments, designate the presence of the features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0054] In addition, the terms "-er", "-or", and "module" described in the specification mean a unit for processing at least one function and operation, and can be implemented by hardware components or software components, and combinations thereof.

[0055] Figure 1 A passenger transportation service system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application is illustrated.

[0056] The passenger transportation service system 1 includes an operation server 10, user terminals 20_1 to 20_r, and vehicle terminals 30_1 to 30_n. Here, r and n are natural numbers greater than or equal to 1.

[0057] Each of the vehicles providing the passenger transportation service is provided with a vehicle terminal, and Figure 1 n vehicles are illustrated as providing the passenger transportation service, and r user terminals can generate a vehicle call request, i.e., a request to call a vehicle. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, when describing features applicable to any user terminal, the user terminal is denoted by reference numeral 20, and when describing features applicable to any vehicle terminal, the vehicle terminal is denoted by reference numeral 30, while reference numeral 20_j is used to denote a specific user terminal, and reference numeral 30_i or reference numeral 30_p is used to denote a specific vehicle terminal.

[0058] Information transmission and reception between the user terminals 20 and the operation server 10 and information transmission and reception between the vehicle terminals 30 and the operation server 10 can be performed through a communication network 40.

[0059] A user (hereinafter, also referred to as a passenger) who wishes to use the passenger transportation service can input information associated with a destination and location information related to the user to the user terminal 20, and the user terminal 20 can transmit the input data to the operation server 10. The location information related to the user can be based on a location currently recognized by a global positioning system (GPS) using the user terminal 20. Alternatively, the location information related to the user can be information associated with a location designated by the user through the user terminal 20.

[0060] The user terminal 20 can input a vehicle call, a destination, and an origin from the passenger, and can transmit the destination and the origin together with a notification of the vehicle call to the operation server 10. The origin can be a current location of the user terminal 20, and the current location can be recognized using a global positioning system (GPS) of the user terminal 20. In addition, the user terminal 20 can transmit the number of passengers, etc. together with the origin and the destination to the operation server 10.

[0061] The user terminal 20 can receive information related to a pickup location and a drop-off location from the operation server 10. The user terminal 20 can receive information such as a vehicle identification number, contact information of a vehicle driver, an expected arrival time of the vehicle to the pickup location (hereinafter, an expected pickup time), an expected arrival time of the vehicle to the drop-off location (hereinafter, an expected drop-off time), etc., and the pickup location and the drop-off location from the operation server 10.

[0062] The user terminal 20 can receive the billing information of the traffic service fee from the operation server 10 and pay the fee based on the billing information. The user terminal 20 can receive the identification information for identifying the passenger from the operation server 10 through the communication network 40 and can display the identification information on the display of the user terminal 20.

[0063] The user terminal 20 can be a smartphone, a notebook computer, a tablet PC, etc., and an application program for using the passenger transport service can be installed in the user terminal 20. The user terminal 20 can perform the aforementioned operations through the installed application program.

[0064] The vehicle terminal 30 is installed in each vehicle used in the passenger transport service. The vehicle terminal 30 can transmit the current location of the vehicle to the operation server 10 in real time and can receive information on the boarding location and the alighting location of each passenger using the vehicle and information on the expected boarding time of each boarding location and the expected alighting time of each alighting location from the operation server 10. The vehicle terminal 30 can also receive the identification information of each passenger using the vehicle from the operation server 10.

[0065] The identification information of each passenger can be transmitted from the operation server 10 to the user terminal 20 of each passenger and the vehicle terminal 30 of the vehicle to be used by each passenger.

[0066] The vehicle terminal 30 can be a smartphone, a notebook computer, a tablet PC, etc., and an application program for providing the passenger transport service can be installed in the vehicle terminal 30. The vehicle terminal 30 can perform the aforementioned operations through the installed application program.

[0067] The operation server 10 receives the information of the origin and the destination from the user terminal 20 and selects a vehicle to be used by the boarding location corresponding to the origin and the alighting location corresponding to the destination received from the user terminal 10 among the vehicles configured to provide the passenger transport service.

[0068] The operation server 10 can transmit the boarding location and the alighting location, the expected boarding time and the expected alighting time, and the passenger identification information to the vehicle terminal 30_i (here, i is a natural number from 1 to n) of the selected vehicle and the user terminal 20_j (here, j is a natural number from 1 to r) requesting the vehicle call. In addition, the operation server 10 can also transmit the vehicle identification number, the contact information of the vehicle driver, the billing information, etc. to the user terminal 20_j.

[0069] The operation server 10 can reflect the expected demand corresponding to the current time within the service area when assigning the parking location to the on-call vehicle (i.e., a vehicle not in operation).

[0070] Further, the user terminal 20 can perform operations required to request a passenger transport service, if applicable. The vehicle terminal 30 can perform operations required to provide a passenger transport service, if applicable. The operation server 10 can provide further services to the user terminal 20 or the vehicle terminal 30, if applicable. The matters described in various exemplary embodiments of the present application do not limit the application of the present application to technologies not described. That is, new services can be provided by combining the present application with currently known technologies, and the matters described in various exemplary embodiments of the present application do not limit such variations.

[0071] Figure 2 An operation server according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application is schematically illustrated.

[0072] Figure 3 、 Figure 4 and Figure 5 are flowcharts illustrating a method for assigning a standby vehicle to a parking place according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, respectively.

[0073] Figure 6 A method for assigning a standby vehicle to a parking place according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application is schematically illustrated.

[0074] As shown in Figure 2 , the operation server 10 includes a monitoring module 50, a demand anticipation module 60, a vehicle assignment module 70, a vehicle distribution module 80, a database, a complete path generation module 100, a passenger moving time calculation module 110, a vehicle running time calculation module 120, a total travel time calculation module 130, a boarding and alighting place selection module 140, and a communication module 150.

[0075] Referring to Figure 3 , at step SO, the monitoring module 50 monitors whether a standby vehicle that has completed a run has occurred. The monitoring module 50 can obtain standby vehicle information received from the vehicle terminal 30 through the communication module 150. When a standby vehicle occurs during the monitoring, the monitoring module 50 makes a determination of which parking place to assign the corresponding vehicle to in a service area. For example, as shown in Figure 6 , vehicles B and C are vehicles that have completed a run, and vehicle A is a vehicle that runs according to a path shown by an arrow 53. Accordingly, the vehicle terminal of each of vehicles B and C can transmit information indicating that it is a standby vehicle to the communication module 150.

[0076] At step S1, the demand expectation module 60 derives an expected demand at the current time in the service area using accumulated service call data (e.g., the number of calls n, where n is a natural number greater than or equal to 1). The demand expectation module 60 can receive information indicating how many on-duty vehicles have appeared from the monitoring module 50. The demand expectation module 60 can derive the expected demand at the current time by sampling a predetermined amount of data from the call data of a predetermined time period including the current time from the accumulated service call data. The predetermined amount can be a predetermined constant. For example, as shown in Figure 6

[0077] When there is no expected demand, the operation server 10 can assign the on-duty vehicle to the parking place where the travel time from the current position of the on-duty vehicle to the parking place is the shortest. The database can store the accumulated service call data.

[0078] At step S2, the vehicle assignment module 70 derives Nc (a natural number greater than or equal to 1) assignment combinations that assign Nb (a natural number greater than or equal to 1) vehicles on duty in the service area to Na (a natural number greater than or equal to 1) parking places located in the service area. At this time, the Nb vehicles refer to vehicles that have completed a run and are to be parked at the Na parking places. The vehicle assignment module 70 can receive parking place information including information on the number of vehicles that can be parked at each parking place, the number of vehicles currently parked at each parking place, the location of each parking place, and the like, through the communication module 150. The parking place is a place where a vehicle is parked, and can be located within the service area. For example, as shown in Figure 6

[0079] Furthermore, when there is a currently parked vehicle at the parking place, the vehicle assignment module 70 can generate an assignment combination that assigns as many vehicles as the number obtained by subtracting the number of currently parked vehicles from the number of vehicles that can be parked at the parking place. For example, in Figure 6 ​​If the number of vehicles that can be parked in the parking spot 51 is 2, and 1 vehicle has already been parked, the number of vehicles that can be parked in the parking spot 51 is only 1, and thus, the combination of B-51 and C-51 in the above example is excluded.

[0080] At step S3, when the expected demand is received from the demand expectation module 60, and Nc assignment combinations are received from the vehicle assignment module 70, the vehicle allocation module 80 generates, with respect to one of the Nc assignment combinations, a plurality of allocation combinations that allocate n expected calls with respect to all vehicles in the service area. The vehicle allocation module 80 can receive the expected demand at the current time derived from the demand expectation module 60. At this time, all vehicles in the service area include the Nb vehicles to be allocated parking spots, and for ease of description, the number of all vehicles in the service area can be Nd (a natural number of 1 or more). All Nd vehicles within the service area refer to all operable vehicles that can provide the shared ride service. Thus, among all vehicles for the shared ride service, vehicles that are not operable due to reasons such as vehicle inspection, suspension, and the like are excluded. For example, the number of vehicles that can be derived to be operable in the service area at the current time can be 3 (Nd = 3). Figure 6 All combinations in which the five expected demands shown are allocated to vehicles A, B, and C are shown. Thus, the total number of cases can be a value of 3 5 .

[0081] At step S4, the operation server 10 determines the total travel time of each of the Nd vehicles with respect to each of the plurality of allocation combinations, and determines the aggregate travel time by summing the determined total travel times of the Nd vehicles. When the total travel time of the Nb vehicles is determined by the operation server 10, the time required for each of the Nb vehicles to move from the current location to the parking spot assigned from among the Na parking spots according to one of the Nc assignment combinations is counted in the total travel time.

[0082] At step S5, the operation server 10 can select the shortest aggregate travel time among the plurality of aggregate travel times with respect to the plurality of allocation combinations as the optimal aggregate travel time.

[0083] At step S6, the operation server 10 can select the optimal aggregate travel time with respect to each of the Nc assignment combinations, and can select the shortest one among the Nc optimal aggregate travel times with respect to the Nc assignment combinations as the representative travel time.

[0084] At step S7, the operation server 10 can assign one of the Na parking spots to each of the Nb vehicles according to the selected representative travel time.

[0085] Hereinafter, reference will be made to Figure 4 and Figure 5 The steps S3 to S7 and the configuration of the operation server 10 are explained in detail.

[0086] First, in step S10, the user terminal 20 receives a vehicle call request from a passenger and an origin and a destination, and transmits information of the vehicle call request and the origin and the destination to the operation server 10.

[0087] Subsequently, in step S11, the communication module 150 of the operation server 10 receives the origin, the destination, and the vehicle call request from the user terminal 20.

[0088] In step S12, the operation server 10 selects one from the Nc assignment combinations. Accordingly, the operation server 10 proceeds to determine an optimal aggregate travel time with respect to the assignment combination selected in step S12.

[0089] In step S13, the complete path generation module 100 searches for candidate pickup locations and candidate drop-off locations for pickup and drop-off around the multiple origins and the multiple destinations based on each call assigned to each vehicle according to one of the multiple assignment combinations with respect to the Nd vehicles. The complete path generation module 100 can receive the multiple assignment combinations based on the assignment combination selected in step S12 from the vehicle assignment module 80, can receive information on the origin and the destination of each expected demand from the demand expectation module 60, and can receive the origin, the destination, and the vehicle call request from the user terminal 20 through the communication module 150. Accordingly, the complete path generation module 100 functions to search for the multiple origins and the multiple destinations for candidate pickup and drop-off locations, including the origin and the destination received from the user terminal 20, and the origin and the destination of each expected demand received from the demand expectation module 60.

[0090] The complete path generation module 100 can search for the candidate pickup locations within a predetermined distance from the origin based on a straight-line distance, a walking distance, a walking time, etc. from the origin to the candidate pickup and drop-off locations, and can search for the candidate drop-off locations within a predetermined distance with respect to the destination based on a straight-line distance, a walking distance, a walking time, etc. to the destination. The operation server 10 can preset candidate pickup and drop-off locations for each point in a service area of the transportation service in consideration of a distance from each point to the pickup and drop-off locations where the vehicle can stop. The operation server 10 finds a candidate pickup and drop-off location close to the origin as a candidate pickup location and a candidate pickup and drop-off location close to the destination as a candidate drop-off location among the multiple candidate pickup and drop-off locations.

[0091] At step S14, the complete path generation module 100 generates a plurality of pickup and drop-off pairs by combining each of the plurality of candidate pickup locations and each of the plurality of candidate drop-off locations corresponding to each call assigned to each vehicle with respect to the Nd vehicles, and generates a complete path by combining the plurality of pickup and drop-off pairs related to the plurality of calls assigned to each vehicle. When there are two or more calls, the complete path generation module 100 generates a plurality of pickup and drop-off pairs for each call, selects one from the plurality of pickup and drop-off pairs for each call, and generates a complete path for the plurality of calls. The complete path generation module 100 generates a plurality of complete paths for all combinations available by selecting one from the plurality of pickup and drop-off pairs for each of the plurality of calls.

[0092] The operation server 10 determines a plurality of total travel times of the plurality of complete paths for each vehicle with respect to the Nd vehicles. The total travel time can be determined considering the first walking distance from the origin to the candidate pickup location; the second walking distance from the candidate drop-off location to the destination; the first walking time required to walk the first walking distance; the second walking time required to walk the second walking distance; the vehicle travel time of the vehicle moving from the origin to the destination, the passenger preference based on the profile of the passenger and the situation of the provided transportation service, the vehicle operation time, the detour cost of the existing passenger in the case of a shared ride available, etc.

[0093] At step S15, the passenger movement time calculation module 110 determines a passenger movement time for each of the plurality of complete paths for each vehicle with respect to the Nd vehicles. The passenger movement time calculation module 110 determines a plurality of passenger movement times of all the plurality of complete paths by using map information and traffic condition information, etc. The passenger movement time includes the first walking distance from the origin to the candidate pickup location; the second walking distance from the candidate drop-off location to the destination; the first walking time required to walk the first walking distance; the second walking time required to walk the second walking distance; and the vehicle travel time from the candidate pickup location to the candidate drop-off location.

[0094] The passenger movement time calculation module 110 determines a passenger movement time with respect to each of the plurality of calls from one of the plurality of complete paths for each vehicle with respect to the Nd vehicles, and determines a passenger movement time with respect to one complete path by summing a plurality of passenger movement times with respect to the plurality of calls.

[0095] The vehicle running time calculation module 120 determines, with respect to the Nd vehicles, a vehicle running time for each of the plurality of complete paths of each vehicle, taking into account the total travel time, fuel cost, and the like of the vehicle. The vehicle running time corresponds to the running cost of the vehicle, and the vehicle running time calculation module 120 can generate the vehicle running time by converting the vehicle running cost for each of the plurality of complete paths into time. At this time, when the corresponding vehicle is a vehicle assigned to the parking place, the vehicle running time calculation module 120 determines the vehicle running time to include a time corresponding to the vehicle running cost required to move from the current position of the vehicle to the parking place, according to one of the Nc assignment combinations determined in step S3.

[0096] The vehicle running time calculation module 120 can determine, with respect to the Nd vehicles, a plurality of vehicle running times with respect to all of the plurality of complete paths of each vehicle. For example, the vehicle running time calculation module 120 can determine, with respect to one of the plurality of complete paths, a vehicle running time by summing the total travel time of the vehicle for providing the transportation service and the time converted from the fuel consumed for the vehicle running.

[0097] In determining the total travel time, in the case where shared rides are available for the vehicle, the operation server 10 can take into account the detour time of the existing passengers and the detour time according to the detour distance according to the addition of the candidate boarding places and the candidate alighting places. The passenger movement time calculation module 110 adds all of the plurality of vehicle travel times according to the plurality of vehicle call requests, whereby the time in which the existing passengers detour due to the shared rides can be reflected. In determining the passenger movement time, all of the vehicle travel times of each passenger are summed. However, the vehicle actually travels according to the complete paths, and thus the result of the sum of all of the vehicle travel times of each passenger can differ from the actual travel time of the vehicle traveling for transporting the passengers. That is, there is time overlap between the vehicle travel times of each passenger on the passenger movement time. As the number of passengers increases due to the shared rides, the number of vehicle travel times increases in determining the passenger movement time, resulting in more time overlap. Through this, the detour time, the detour distance, and the like of the existing passengers can be reflected in the passenger movement time.

[0098] The total travel time calculation module 130 can determine the total travel time with respect to the Nd vehicles, taking into account the passenger preference based on the passenger's profile and the provided transportation service situation, and the passenger moving time and the vehicle running time with respect to each of the plurality of complete paths of each vehicle. The provided transportation service situation includes the day of the week, the time, the weather, and the like, and the passenger's profile includes the passenger's gender, age bracket, and the like. For example, the total travel time calculation module 130 can set a higher preference for the candidate boarding location and the candidate alighting location for which a shorter walking time can be provided on a rainy day or availability of moving in a building, and can set a higher preference for the candidate boarding location and the candidate alighting location on a wider street in the case of a female passenger during late night. The higher the preference, the higher the weight value of the factor in determining the total travel time.

[0099] In step S16, the total travel time calculation module 130 can select the shortest total travel time from among the plurality of total travel times of the plurality of complete paths of each vehicle with respect to the Nd vehicles. The total travel time calculation module 130 includes a memory 131, and can store the plurality of total travel times of the plurality of complete paths with respect to each of the plurality of vehicles in the memory 131. The total travel time calculation module 130 selects the shortest total travel time from among all the plurality of total travel times with respect to each of the vehicles stored in the memory 131.

[0100] In step S17, the vehicle allocation module 80 determines the aggregate travel time by summing the shortest total travel times with respect to the Nd vehicles with respect to each of the plurality of allocation combinations.

[0101] By repeatedly performing steps S13 to S17 with respect to the plurality of allocation combinations, a plurality of aggregate travel times for all the plurality of allocation combinations is obtained. In step S18, the vehicle allocation module 80 increases a count value cntl each time an aggregate travel time is obtained, and in step S19, the vehicle allocation module 80 determines whether the count value cntl has reached the number of the plurality of allocation combinations.

[0102] When the count value cntl has not reached the number of the plurality of allocation combinations (S19-NO), the process returns to step S13. When the count value cntl has reached the number of the plurality of allocation combinations (S19-YES), in step S20, the vehicle allocation module 80 stores the plurality of aggregate travel times of the plurality of allocation combinations, and selects and stores the shortest aggregate travel time among the plurality of aggregate travel times as the optimal aggregate travel time.

[0103] The vehicle allocation module 80 can include a memory 81 to store the plurality of aggregate travel times, the optimal aggregate travel time, and the like.

[0104] Steps S12 to S18 are repeatedly performed with respect to Nc assignment combinations, and Nc optimal total travel times with respect to all Nc assignment combinations are obtained. In step S21, the vehicle assignment module 80 increases a count value cnt2 each time an optimal total travel time is obtained. In step S22, the vehicle assignment module 80 determines whether the count value cnt2 has reached the number Nc of complete assignment combinations.

[0105] When the count value cnt2 has not reached Nc (S22-No), the process returns to step S12. When the count value cnt2 reaches Nc (S22-Yes), in step S23, the vehicle assignment module 80 stores the Nc optimal total travel times in the memory 81, and selects the shortest one among the stored Nc optimal total travel times as a representative travel time.

[0106] In step S24, the boarding and alighting location selection module 140 finally determines a vehicle that runs a complete path corresponding to the representative travel time selected from the vehicle assignment module 80 as a vehicle that transports passengers, determines a candidate boarding location included in the corresponding complete path as a boarding location where each passenger boards; and determines a candidate alighting location included in the corresponding complete path as an alighting location where each passenger alights.

[0107] In step S25, the communication module 150 can transmit the vehicle, each boarding location, and each alighting location determined by the boarding and alighting location selection module 140 to each user terminal 20_j. Accordingly, in step S26, the communication module 150 can transmit information related to the complete path and the boarding and alighting locations of each passenger to the vehicle terminal 30_i of the determined vehicle.

[0108] In step S27, the vehicle assignment module 70 assigns a corresponding one of the Na parking locations to each of the Nb vehicles according to the selected representative travel time, and transmits this information to the communication module 150. In step S28, the communication module 150 can transmit information about the assigned parking location to the on-call vehicle terminal 30_p.

[0109] The modules introduced in the operation server 10 can be logical parts of programs executed by the operation server 10 to perform a specific function, which can be stored in the memory of the operation server 10 and can be processed by the processor of the operation server 10. Such a module can be implemented as software or a combination of software. The memory of the operation server 10 stores data related to information, and can include various types of memory, such as a high-speed random access memory, a disk storage device, a flash memory device, and a non-volatile memory such as a non-volatile solid state storage device, etc.

[0110] In one instance of the vehicle call, there can be more than two passengers using the vehicle. Even if more than two passengers request the use of the vehicle through the vehicle call, they move along the same path. Therefore, the number of passengers using the vehicle through one vehicle call does not affect the passenger moving time. However, since the number of people who can ride the vehicle is limited, the number of passengers who can use the vehicle through one vehicle call can be limited.

[0111] The number of passengers of the actual vehicle can not be exactly the same as the number of vehicle call requests. That is, the number of passengers using the vehicle through one vehicle call request can be more than two. Hereinafter, it will be described that "passenger" and "vehicle call request" correspond to each other 1:1. That is, although there can be several passengers using the vehicle through one vehicle call request, hereinafter the term "passenger" refers to one representative passenger who actually requests the vehicle call, not all passengers who get on the vehicle. Also, each passenger should have an origin and a destination.

[0112] Hereinafter, the method of determining the total travel time by the operation server will be described in detail with reference to a specific example. As described above, the total travel time is the cost of one of a plurality of complete paths that can transport all passengers of a corresponding one of the plurality of assignment combinations with respect to each of the Nd vehicles, with respect to each of the Nc assignment combinations. Therefore, when the number of cases of a plurality of complete paths corresponding to one assignment combination is m, m total travel times are determined. Since the plurality of candidate boarding and alighting pairs can be different for each vehicle according to the assignment combination, the plurality of complete paths can be derived differently for each vehicle.

[0113] The complete path generation module 100 sets a plurality of boarding and alighting pairs (x_1, y_1), …, (x_1, y_z), …, (x_s, y_1), …, and (x_s, y_z) according to a combination of candidate boarding locations (x_1, …, x_s) and candidate alighting locations (y_1, …, y_z) with respect to passengers (calls) assigned to each of the Nd vehicles according to one of the plurality of assignment combinations, where s and z are natural numbers greater than or equal to 1. In the case of more than two passengers (calls), the complete path generation module 100 can select one of the plurality of boarding and alighting pairs for each passenger (call) assigned to each of the Nd vehicles, and can combine the selected boarding and alighting pairs by considering the boarding and alighting order of each passenger's boarding location and alighting location to generate one complete path for all passengers (calls) assigned to each vehicle.

[0114] The complete path generation module 100 can select one of a plurality of boarding and alighting pairs with respect to each of all passengers of a corresponding vehicle with respect to the vehicle, and can generate a plurality of complete paths with respect to all derivable cases of a boarding and alighting order considering a boarding location and an alighting location of each passenger. For example, although the passengers assigned to the corresponding vehicle can be e, and the number of the plurality of boarding and alighting pairs with respect to each passenger can be different, for convenience of description, it is assumed that the number of the plurality of boarding and alighting pairs with respect to each passenger is f. Accordingly, the number of cases of all complete paths of all passengers assigned to the corresponding vehicle becomes e!*fe.

[0115] The complete path generation module 100 can perform generation of all complete paths with respect to each of the Nd vehicles according to the assignment combination with respect to all Nd vehicles, and accordingly, can generate a plurality of complete paths for the Nd vehicles with respect to one of the plurality of assignment combinations. When the assignment combination is changed, the passengers assigned to each vehicle are also changed, and the complete path generation module 100 can generate a plurality of complete paths for each assignment combination unit.

[0116] The total travel time calculation module 130 can receive the passenger moving time and the vehicle running time of each of the plurality of complete paths from the passenger moving time calculation module 110 and the vehicle running time calculation module 120, and then can determine the total travel time using Equation 1 shown below. In Equation 1, the detour cost of the shared ride passengers is not explicitly included, but this is reflected in the passenger moving time. That is, when there are shared ride passengers, the complete path is changed, and the overlapping time between the vehicle travel times of all passengers is increased according to the changed complete path, whereby the detour cost according to the path change can be reflected. The total travel time calculation module 130 can receive the passenger moving time and the vehicle running time of each of the plurality of complete paths from the passenger moving time calculation module 110 and the vehicle running time calculation module 120, and then can determine the total travel time using Equation 1 shown below. In Equation 1, the detour cost of the shared ride passengers is not explicitly included, but this is reflected in the passenger moving time. That is, when there are shared ride passengers, the complete path is changed, and the overlapping time between the vehicle travel times of all passengers is increased according to the changed complete path, whereby the detour cost according to the path change can be reflected.

[0117] [Equation 1]

[0118]

[0119] In Equation 1, h denotes the total number of passengers, and g is a variable representing each of all passengers. The vehicle running time calculation module 120 applies the time of all passengers in the transportation vehicle and the cost-based vehicle running time to Equation 1 for each of the plurality of complete paths. That is, in various exemplary embodiments of the present application, the vehicle running cost is converted into time according to the unit of the total travel time. Here, a is a weight value considering the relative importance between passenger convenience and running cost reduction. For example, when the proportion of passenger convenience relatively increases, the total travel time calculation module 130 can adjust a to be less than 1, and when the proportion of running cost reduction relatively increases, the total travel time calculation module 130 can adjust a to be greater than 1. In addition, the vehicle running time calculation module 120 can adjust the a value according to the increase or decrease of the fuel cost per unit time. For example, when the fuel cost per unit time increases, the vehicle running time calculation module 120 can increase the a value, and when the fuel cost per unit time decreases, the vehicle running time calculation module 120 can decrease the a value.

[0120] The passenger moving time calculation module 110 determines the passenger moving time of each passenger by using Equation 2.

[0121] [Equation 2]

[0122] Passenger moving time = (Walking time * β) + Vehicle travel time

[0123] In Equation 2, the walking time is the sum of the walking time of the passenger from the departure place to the candidate boarding place and the time of walking from the candidate alighting place to the destination. The vehicle travel time is the time required for the corresponding passenger to travel from the candidate boarding place to the candidate alighting place. Here, β is a weight value of the walking time, which is 1 by default but can vary according to the situation in which the transportation service is provided. For example, on a rainy day, passengers tend to prefer a boarding and alighting place closer to the departure place and the destination even if the travel time is longer. In this case, the passenger moving time calculation module 110 adjusts the weight value β of the walking time to a value greater than 1. Therefore, since the total travel time relatively decreases as the walking time becomes shorter, it is more likely to select a boarding place and an alighting place having a shorter walking time.

[0124] The passenger moving time calculation module 110 can consider the profile of the passenger when determining β. For example, when the passenger is a woman and uses the vehicle at midnight, the preference for the candidate boarding place and the candidate alighting place on a wider street is higher for safety considerations. At this time, the passenger moving time calculation module 110 can reduce β with respect to the candidate boarding place and the candidate alighting place on a wider street.

[0125] In determining the vehicle running time of Equation 2, the vehicle running time calculation module 120 can determine the vehicle running time by converting the vehicle running cost including the fuel cost required for the vehicle to run through the corresponding complete path, etc., into time. At this time, when the corresponding vehicle refers to the vehicle assigned to the parking place, the vehicle running time calculation module 120 can determine the vehicle running time to include the time corresponding to the vehicle running cost required to move from the current location of the vehicle to the parking place assigned to the corresponding vehicle. Accordingly, the accurate cost required for the vehicle operation can be reflected in the determination of the parking place, considering the cost of the corresponding vehicle passing through the complete path from the parking place and the cost of the corresponding vehicle moving from the current location to the assigned parking place.

[0126] The total trip time calculation module 130 determines the total trip time according to Equation 1, and determines the total trip time for all cases of the complete path. Accordingly, the total trip time calculation module 130 determines the shortest total trip time among a plurality of total trip times of each of the Nd vehicles with respect to one of the plurality of assignment combinations.

[0127] The vehicle assignment module 80 can determine the aggregate trip time by summing the shortest total trip times with respect to the Nd vehicles with respect to each of the plurality of assignment combinations, and can select the shortest aggregate trip time among all the aggregate trip times of the plurality of assignment combinations as an optimal aggregate trip time. The determination of the optimal aggregate trip time is performed with respect to all the Nc assignment combinations, and the vehicle assignment module 80 selects the shortest one among the Nc optimal aggregate trip times as a representative trip time. The vehicle assignment module 80 determines the complete path for the Nd vehicles according to the selected representative trip time, and determines the boarding and alighting places of each of the plurality of passengers according to the complete path.

[0128] The vehicle assignment module 70 assigns the parking place to the Nb vehicles based on the selected representative trip time.

[0129] Since the distance between the origin and the destination, the walking time, the case of providing the transportation service, the user profile, etc. are considered in selecting the boarding and alighting places of the passengers in the passenger transportation service, it is possible to conveniently and safely board and alight from the perspective of the passengers. At the same time, from the perspective of providing the transportation service, the trip cost of the vehicle is also considered, thereby minimizing the cost. In addition, the expected demand is reflected in determining the parking place, and the trip time of the standby vehicle can be reduced.

[0130] In the above-described exemplary embodiment of the present application, when determining the parking locations of the on-call vehicles, the total travel times are determined by allocating the expected demands to the vehicles currently operating in the service area as well as to the on-call vehicles. In contrast, when determining the parking locations of the on-call vehicles, the operating server can determine the total travel times by considering only the expected demands for the on-call vehicles.

[0131] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing a method for assigning on-call vehicles to parking locations according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0132] In the description of the exemplary embodiment according to Figure 7 the repetitive explanations described above will be omitted. For example, Figure 1 and Figure 2 the configuration of the passenger transport service system and the operating server shown in Figure 3 the steps S0 to S2, Figure 4 and Figure 5 the steps shown in Figure 7 are also applicable to the exemplary embodiment of the operating server according to

[0133] At step S31, when the expected demands are received from the demand expectation module 60, and when the Nc assignment combinations are received from the vehicle assignment module 70, the vehicle allocation module 80 generates a plurality of allocation combinations that allocate the expected n calls with respect to the Nb vehicles allocated with the parking locations, according to one of the assignment combinations.

[0134] At step S32, the operating server 10 determines the total travel time of each of the Nb vehicles with respect to each of the plurality of allocation combinations, and determines the aggregated travel time by summing the determined total travel times of the Nb vehicles. When determining the total travel times of the Nb vehicles, the operating server 10 determines the total travel time including the time required for each of the Nb vehicles to move from the current location to the assigned parking location among the Na parking locations, according to one of the Nc assignment combinations.

[0135] At step S33, the operating server 10 can select the shortest aggregated travel time among the plurality of aggregated travel times for the plurality of allocation combinations. Hereinafter, the shortest aggregated travel time among the plurality of aggregated travel times is referred to as an optimal aggregated travel time.

[0136] At step S34, the operating server 10 can select the optimal aggregated travel time with respect to each of the Nc assignment combinations, and can select the shortest one among the Nc optimal aggregated travel times as a representative travel time with respect to the Nc assignment combinations.

[0137] At step S35, the operation server 10 can assign one of the Na parking places to each of the Nb vehicles according to the selected representative travel time. Further, in determining the parking place, the total travel time of each vehicle is determined taking into account the expected demand and also taking into account the sum of the total travel times of the vehicles.

[0138] However, the present application is not limited thereto, and when a current position of a standby vehicle is located within a threshold distance range with respect to a specific parking place among the plurality of parking places, the operation server 10 can assign the standby vehicle to the specific parking place. According to one of the above-described exemplary embodiments, the operation server 10 can exclude a specific vehicle assigned to the specific parking place among the standby vehicles, and can determine the parking place with respect to the remaining vehicles.

[0139] For the purposes of facilitating explanation and precise definition in the appended claims, the terms "above", "below", "inner", "outer", "over", "under", "upward", "downward", "front", "rear", "back", "inward", "outward", "internal", "external", "inside", "outside", "inwardly", "outwardly", "frontward", and "rearward" are used to describe the features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the positions of these features as shown in the drawings. It should be further understood that the term "connected" or its derivatives refer both to direct and indirect connections.

[0140] The foregoing description of specific exemplary embodiments of the application has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the application to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain certain principles of the application and their practical application, to enable others skilled in the art to make and utilize the application, and various exemplifying embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. The scope of the application is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for operating parking locations according to demand expectations, the method comprising: expecting, by an operating server, n calls corresponding to a current time in a service area; determining, by the operating server, Nc assignment combinations that assign, with respect to Na parking locations located in the service area, Nb vehicles on standby in the service area; allocating, by the operating server, with respect to each of the Nc assignment combinations, the n expected calls to Nd vehicles in the service area including the Nb vehicles, and determining Nd total travel times of the Nd vehicles; and assigning, by the operating server, to each of the Nb vehicles a corresponding parking location among the Na parking locations based on the Nd total travel times with respect to each of the Nc assignment combinations, wherein n, Na, Nb, Nc, and Nd are natural numbers greater than or equal to 1, wherein assigning to each of the Nb vehicles a corresponding parking location among the Na parking locations comprises: determining Nc representative travel times from a sum of the Nd total travel times with respect to the Nc assignment combinations; and assigning to each of the Nb vehicles a corresponding parking location among the Na parking locations according to a shortest representative travel time among the Nc representative travel times. determining the Nd total travel times comprises:

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, generating, with respect to one of the Nc assignment combinations, a plurality of allocation combinations that allocate the n expected calls to the Nd vehicles; and determining the total travel time of each of the Nd vehicles with respect to each of the plurality of allocation combinations. determining the Nc representative travel times comprises:

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, determining, with respect to each of the plurality of allocation combinations, an aggregate travel time by summing the determined total travel times of the Nd vehicles; and selecting, among a plurality of aggregate travel times with respect to the plurality of allocation combinations, a shortest aggregate travel time as a representative travel time. in determining the aggregate travel time, in determining the total travel time of the Nb vehicles, counting, in the total travel time, a time required for each of the Nb vehicles to move from a current location to an assigned parking location among the Na parking locations according to the Nc assignment combinations.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, determining the aggregate travel time by summing the total travel times of the Nd vehicles comprises:

5. The method of claim 3, wherein, allocating, for each of the Nd vehicles, a plurality of passengers according to one of the plurality of allocation combinations; generating, for each of the Nd vehicles, a plurality of complete paths for the allocated plurality of passengers; determining, for each of the Nd vehicles, a plurality of total travel times with respect to the plurality of complete paths; and selecting, for each of the Nd vehicles, a shortest total travel time among the plurality of total travel times. ​ 6. The method of claim 5, wherein, determining the plurality of total travel times includes determining, with respect to each of the plurality of passengers assigned to each of the Nd vehicles, setting a plurality of candidate pickup locations within a predetermined distance from the origin and a plurality of candidate drop-off locations within a predetermined distance from the destination; generating a plurality of pickup and drop-off pairs by combining the plurality of candidate pickup locations and the plurality of candidate drop-off locations; generating a plurality of available complete paths obtainable by selecting one of the plurality of pickup and drop-off pairs; and determining the plurality of total travel times with respect to the plurality of complete paths.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, determining the plurality of total travel times includes determining, with respect to each of the plurality of complete paths: determining a passenger movement time based on a pre-pickup walking time from the origin to a candidate pickup location, a post-drop-off walking time from a candidate drop-off location to the destination, and a vehicle travel time for one of the Nd vehicles to travel from the candidate pickup location to the candidate drop-off location; determining a vehicle operation time according to a cost for the one vehicle to travel through the candidate pickup location and the candidate drop-off location; and determining a total travel time by summing the passenger movement time and the vehicle operation time, wherein, in determining the vehicle operation time, the vehicle is one of the Nb vehicles and a time for the vehicle to move from a current location to an assigned one of the Na parking locations is counted in the total travel time.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: the operations server monitoring for an occurrence of a standby vehicle of the Nd vehicles that has completed an operation, wherein, when the standby vehicle occurs, the anticipation of the n calls is performed.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein, anticipating the n calls includes: determining an anticipated demand at the current time by sampling a predetermined amount of data from call data in a predetermined time period containing the current time from accumulated service call data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein, determining the Nc assignment combinations includes: generating the Nc assignment combinations by assigning each of the Nb vehicles to a corresponding one of the Na parking locations while allowing an overlap in the number of vehicles that can park in a parking location.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein, determining the Nc assignment combinations includes: when a current parked vehicle exists in one of the Na parking locations, assigning, among the Nb vehicles, a remaining number of vehicles from a number of vehicles that are to be parked in the corresponding parking location excluding the current parked vehicle.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising: when a first vehicle exists among the Nb vehicles that is within a threshold distance range with respect to a first parking location of the Na parking locations, assigning the first vehicle to the first parking location, wherein parking locations are assigned with respect to a remaining vehicle of the Nb vehicles excluding the first vehicle.

13. An operations server that provides a transportation service upon receiving an origin and a destination and a vehicle call request from a user terminal, the operations server comprising: a demand anticipation module configured to anticipate n calls corresponding to a current time within a service area; a vehicle assignment module configured to determine Nc assignment combinations that assign Nb vehicles on standby in the service area relative to Na parking locations in the service area; a vehicle allocation module configured to allocate, relative to each of the Nc assignment combinations, the anticipated n calls to Nd vehicles in the service area including the Nb vehicles according to a plurality of allocation combinations; and a total travel time calculation module configured to determine, relative to each of a plurality of the allocation combinations, a plurality of total travel times of each of the Nd vehicles relative to a plurality of complete paths, wherein the vehicle assignment module is configured to assign, to each of the Nb vehicles, a corresponding parking location among the Na parking locations based on Nd total travel times relative to each of the Nc assignment combinations, wherein n, Na, Nb, Nc, and Nd are all natural numbers greater than or equal to 1, wherein the vehicle assignment module is configured to: select an optimal aggregate travel time based on the Nd total travel times relative to each of the Nc assignment combinations; and assign, to each of the Nb vehicles, the corresponding parking location among the Na parking locations according to a shortest representative travel time among Nc optimal aggregate travel times relative to the Nc assignment combinations.

14. The operating server of claim 13, wherein, The vehicle allocation module is configured to: generate a plurality of the allocation combinations that allocate the anticipated n calls to the Nd vehicles relative to one of the Nc assignment combinations; select a shortest total travel time from among the determined plurality of total travel times of each of the Nd vehicles; determine an aggregate travel time by summing the shortest total travel time of each of the Nd vehicles; select a shortest aggregate travel time among a plurality of the aggregate travel times relative to a plurality of the allocation combinations as a representative travel time; select the representative travel time relative to each of the Nc assignment combinations; and select a shortest one among Nc representative travel times relative to the Nc assignment combinations as the representative travel time.

15. The operation server of claim 14, further comprising: a complete path generation module configured to generate, relative to each of the Nd vehicles, a plurality of complete paths for a plurality of passengers according to one of the plurality of allocation combinations, wherein the total travel time calculation module is configured to determine, relative to each of the Nd vehicles, the plurality of total travel times relative to the plurality of complete paths. The complete path generation module is configured to, relative to each of the plurality of passengers assigned to each of the Nd vehicles:

16. The operating server of claim 15, wherein, set a plurality of candidate pickup locations within a predetermined distance from the origin and a plurality of candidate drop-off locations within a predetermined distance from the destination; and generate the plurality of complete paths for the plurality of passengers according to the plurality of candidate pickup locations and the plurality of candidate drop-off locations. generating a plurality of pickup and drop-off pairs by combining the plurality of candidate pickup locations and the plurality of candidate drop-off locations; and generating a plurality of available complete paths by selecting one of the plurality of pickup and drop-off pairs.

17. The operation server of claim 16, further comprising: a passenger movement time calculation module configured to determine, for each of the plurality of complete paths, a passenger movement time based on a pre-pickup walking time from the origin to a candidate pickup location, a post-drop-off walking time from a candidate drop-off location to the destination, and a vehicle travel time for one of the Nd vehicles to travel from the candidate pickup location to the candidate drop-off location.

18. The operation server of claim 17, further comprising: a vehicle operation time calculation module configured to determine a vehicle operation time based on a cost for the one vehicle to travel through the candidate pickup location and the candidate drop-off location, wherein the vehicle operation time calculation module is configured to determine the vehicle operation time to include a time for the one vehicle to move from a current location to an assigned one of the Na parking locations when the vehicle is one of the Nb vehicles.

19. The operating server of claim 18, wherein, the total travel time calculation module is configured to determine, for each of the Nd vehicles, the total travel time by summing the passenger movement time and the vehicle operation time for each of the plurality of complete paths.

20. The operating server of claim 13, wherein, the demand anticipation module is configured to determine an anticipated demand for the current time by sampling a predetermined amount of data from call data in a predetermined time period including the current time in accumulated service call data.

21. The operating server of claim 13, wherein, the vehicle assignment module is configured to generate the Nc assignment combinations by assigning each of the Nb vehicles to a corresponding one of the Na parking locations while allowing an overlap in the number of vehicles that can be parked in the parking locations.

22. The operating server of claim 13, wherein, the vehicle assignment module is configured to, when a parking location of the Na parking locations has a currently parked vehicle, exclude the currently parked vehicle from a number of vehicles to be parked in the corresponding parking location in assigning a remaining number of vehicles from the Nb vehicles to the corresponding parking location.

23. The operation server of claim 13, further comprising a monitoring module configured to monitor for an on-call vehicle that has completed a run in the Nd vehicles, wherein, the monitoring module is configured to, when the on-call vehicle is present, send information about the on-call vehicle to the demand anticipation module.

24. The operating server of claim 13, wherein, the total travel time calculation module is configured to determine the total travel time for the Nb vehicles to include a time for each of the Nb vehicles to move from a current location to an assigned one of the Na parking locations in determining the total travel time for the Nb vehicles.

25. The operating server of claim 13, wherein, The operations server is configured to assign a first vehicle among the Nb vehicles to a first parking place among the Na parking places when the first vehicle is within a threshold distance range relative to the first parking place, and assign the parking places relative to the remaining vehicles among the Nb vehicles excluding the first vehicle.

26. A method for operating parking places according to demand expectations, the method comprising: expecting, by an operations server, n calls corresponding to a current time within a service area; determining, by the operations server, Nc assignment combinations that assign Nb vehicles on standby in the service area relative to Na parking places located in the service area; allocating, by the operations server relative to each of the Nc assignment combinations, the expected n calls to the Nb vehicles, and determining Nb total travel times of the Nb vehicles; and assigning, by the operations server based on the Nb total travel times relative to each of the Nc assignment combinations, a corresponding parking place among the Na parking places to each of the Nb vehicles, wherein n, Na, Nb, and Nc are all natural numbers greater than or equal to 1, wherein assigning a corresponding parking place among the Na parking places to each of the Nb vehicles comprises: determining Nc optimal aggregate travel times based on a sum of the Nb total travel times relative to the Nc assignment combinations; and assigning a corresponding parking place among the Na parking places to each of the Nb vehicles according to a shortest optimal aggregate travel time among the Nc optimal aggregate travel times.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein, determining the Nb total travel times comprises: generating a plurality of allocation combinations that allocate the expected n calls to the Nb vehicles relative to one of the Nc assignment combinations; and determining a total travel time of each of the Nb vehicles relative to each of the plurality of allocation combinations.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein, determining the Nc optimal aggregate travel times comprises: determining an aggregate travel time by summing the determined total travel times of the Nb vehicles relative to each of the plurality of allocation combinations; and selecting a shortest aggregate travel time among the plurality of aggregate travel times relative to the plurality of allocation combinations as an optimal aggregate travel time.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising: assigning, by the operations server, a first vehicle among the Nb vehicles to a first parking place among the Na parking places when the first vehicle is within a threshold distance range relative to the first parking place, wherein the parking places are assigned relative to the remaining vehicles among the Nb vehicles excluding the first vehicle.

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