Prompt device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a prompting device and a prompting method for prompting a user to select a vehicle suitable for the user's planned travel route when the user utilizes a vehicle allocation service. The prompting device comprises: a vehicle prompting unit (35) for prompting the user with a vehicle for reservation via a user terminal (4); and a probability determination unit (36) for determining the probability that an area where the driving of an internal combustion engine is prohibited or restricted is included in the user's planned travel route. The vehicle prompting unit determines a prompting plan for the vehicle for reservation based on the probability determined by the probability determination unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a prompting device and a prompting method used for vehicle selection in a vehicle allocation service. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, to reduce air pollution, areas such as urban areas with heavy traffic have been designated where the operation of the internal combustion engine is prohibited or restricted. In these areas, EV driving is essentially performed, where the vehicle is driven solely by the electric motor, which receives power from the battery.

[0003] In this regard, Patent Document 1 describes that if it is determined that the location of the hybrid vehicle is within an air pollution prevention enhanced area, the internal combustion engine is stopped and EV travel is performed.

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-075210 Summary of the Invention

[0007] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0008] Car-assignment services that arrange vehicles based on user requests are becoming increasingly popular. Users can select their desired vehicle from a list of available vehicles. However, if a vehicle unsuitable for EV driving is assigned to a user, driving in areas where internal combustion engine operation is prohibited or restricted becomes difficult, potentially limiting the user's driving range.

[0009] In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to encourage a user to select a vehicle suitable for a planned travel route when the user utilizes a vehicle allocation service.

[0010] Means for solving problems

[0011] The gist of the present disclosure is as follows.

[0012] (1) A prompting device for use in a vehicle selection service, comprising:

[0013] a vehicle prompting unit for prompting a user to select a vehicle for reservation via a user terminal; and

[0014] a probability determination unit that determines the probability that the area where the driving of the internal combustion engine is prohibited or restricted is included in the planned driving route of the user,

[0015] The vehicle presentation unit determines a presentation plan for the reservation candidate vehicle based on the probability.

[0016] (2) According to the prompting device described in (1) above, the vehicle prompting unit will preferentially prompt the user of an EV-suitable vehicle that is capable of EV travel using only an electric motor that receives power from a battery as a power source when the possibility is high, compared to when the possibility is low.

[0017] (3) According to the notification device described in (2) above, the EV-compatible vehicle is a rechargeable vehicle in which the battery can be charged using an external power source.

[0018] (4) According to the prompting device described in (2) or (3) above, the vehicle prompting unit preferentially prompts the user with the EV-compatible vehicle having a larger remaining amount of the battery when the possibility is high, compared with when the possibility is low.

[0019] (5) The prompting device according to the above-mentioned (2) or (3) is further provided with a power calculation unit, which calculates the required power required for the EV-suitable vehicle to travel in the area included in the predetermined driving route by the EV driving, and the EV-suitable vehicle that is preferentially prompted to the user is a vehicle whose battery power reserve is greater than the required power.

[0020] (6) The prompting device according to (4) or (5) above further comprises a battery remaining capacity calculation unit that calculates an estimated value of the battery remaining capacity at the start time of use of the EV suitable vehicle as the battery remaining capacity.

[0021] (7) According to the notification device described in (6) above, the battery remaining charge calculation unit calculates the estimated value based on the amount of electricity consumed in the EV-compatible vehicle before the utilization start time and the amount of electricity that can be charged to the battery by the utilization start time.

[0022] (8) According to the prompting device described in any one of (2) to (7) above, the possibility determination unit determines the possibility based on information input to the user terminal when the user utilizes the vehicle allocation service, and the vehicle prompting unit prioritizes prompting the user of the EV-suitable vehicle when the user has declared entry into the area, compared to when the user has not declared entry into the area.

[0023] (9) According to any one of the presentation devices (1) to (7) above, the likelihood determination unit determines the likelihood based on information input to the user terminal when the user utilizes the car allocation service.

[0024] (10) According to any one of the presentation devices (1) to (7) above, the possibility determination unit determines the possibility based on the user's past driving history when the user used the car allocation service.

[0025] (11) A prompting method for use in vehicle selection in a vehicle allocation service, comprising: a step of determining the possibility that an area where the driving of an internal combustion engine is prohibited or restricted is included in a user's planned driving route; a step of determining a prompting plan for a reservation candidate vehicle based on the possibility; and a step of prompting the user via a user terminal for the reservation candidate vehicle based on the prompting plan.

[0026] Effects of the Invention

[0027] According to the present invention, when a user utilizes a vehicle allocation service, the user can be prompted to select a vehicle suitable for the user's planned travel route. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of the vehicle distribution system.

[0029] Figure 2 This is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a server.

[0030] Figure 3 This is a sequence diagram schematically showing a series of flows when allocating a vehicle in the vehicle allocation service.

[0031] Figure 4 This is a functional block diagram of a processor of the server in the first embodiment.

[0032] Figure 5 : is a flowchart showing a control routine of the vehicle prompting process.

[0033] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing an example of a reservation screen for a user to reserve a vehicle.

[0034] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing an example of a vehicle selection screen in which EV-compatible vehicles are emphasized over EV-uncompatible vehicles.

[0035] Figure 8 This is a functional block diagram of a processor of a server in the third embodiment.

[0036] Figure 9 This is a diagram showing an example of a vehicle selection screen in which an EV-compatible vehicle having a battery power level equal to or greater than a required power level is highlighted over other vehicles.

[0037] Description of Reference Numerals

[0038] 1. Vehicle distribution system

[0039] 2 vehicles

[0040] 3 servers

[0041] 34 processors

[0042] 35 Vehicle Reminder Department

[0043] 36 Possibility Determination Department

[0044] 4 User Terminal DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0046] <First embodiment>

[0047] First, refer to Figures 1 to 7 A first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0048] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of the vehicle distribution system 1. Figure 1 As shown, a vehicle allocation system 1 includes multiple vehicles 2, a server 3, and user terminals 4. Vehicle allocation system 1 provides a vehicle allocation service that arranges vehicles according to user requests. It should be noted that vehicle allocation services include car-sharing services, where multiple users take turns using vehicles waiting in parking lots, car rental services, where vehicles are loaned to users from manned businesses, and taxi services, where users are picked up at their desired location.

[0049] The provider of the vehicle allocation service owns multiple vehicles 2, and the vehicle 2 provided to the user in the vehicle allocation service is selected from the multiple vehicles 2. Each of the multiple vehicles 2 includes a communication device 21 (e.g., a data communication module (DCM)) that enables communication between the vehicle 2 and the outside of the vehicle 2. The communication device 21 connects to the communication network 6 via the wireless base station 5 by accessing the wireless base station 5. The vehicle 2 transmits and receives data to and from the server 3 via the communication device 21. It should be noted that the multiple vehicles 2 can also be directly connected to the communication network 6 without going through the wireless base station 5.

[0050] In this embodiment, the plurality of vehicles 2 include EV-compatible vehicles capable of EV travel (using only an electric motor powered by a battery) and EV-incompatible vehicles incapable of EV travel. Examples of EV-compatible vehicles include hybrid vehicles (HVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHVs) that utilize both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor as their vehicle power sources, and electric vehicles (EVs) that utilize only an electric motor as their vehicle power source. On the other hand, examples of EV-incompatible vehicles include conventional vehicles (gasoline vehicles, diesel vehicles, etc.) that utilize only an internal combustion engine as their vehicle power source.

[0051] User terminal 4 is, for example, a smartphone, tablet terminal, personal computer, etc., and is owned by the user. User terminal 4 includes a processor for performing various processes on user terminal 4, an input unit (touch panel, operation buttons, microphone, keyboard, mouse, etc.), an output unit (display, speakers, etc.), and a communication unit. The communication unit connects to communication network 6 via wireless base station 5 by accessing wireless base station 5. User terminal 4 transmits and receives data to and from server 3 via the communication unit. It should be noted that user terminal 4 can also be directly connected to communication network 6 without going through wireless base station 5.

[0052] When a user utilizes the car allocation service, he or she requests the allocation of a car via the user terminal 4. For example, an application for the car allocation service is installed in the user terminal 4, and the user inputs information related to the car allocation service on the application.

[0053] The server 3 can communicate with a plurality of vehicles 2 and user terminals 4 via a communication network 6 and a wireless base station 5. The server 3 is an example of a presentation device used for vehicle selection in a vehicle allocation service. The server 3 is managed by a company providing the vehicle allocation service.

[0054] Figure 2 This diagram schematically illustrates the configuration of server 3. Server 3 includes a communication interface 31, a storage device 32, a memory 33, and a processor 34. Communication interface 31, storage device 32, and memory 33 are connected to processor 34 via signal lines. It should be noted that server 3 may also include input devices such as a keyboard and mouse, output devices such as a display, and the like. Furthermore, server 3 may be composed of multiple computers.

[0055] The communication interface 31 includes an interface circuit for connecting the server 3 to the communication network 6 , and enables communication between the server 3 and the outside of the server 3 . The communication interface 31 is an example of a communication unit of the server 3 .

[0056] The storage device 32 includes, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid-state drive (SDD), or an optical recording medium and its access device. The storage device 32 stores various data, such as information related to the vehicle 2, information related to the user, map information (such as the location of the internal combustion engine restricted area described later), and computer programs for the processor 34 to execute various processes. The storage device 32 is an example of the storage unit of the server 3.

[0057] The memory 33 includes a nonvolatile semiconductor memory (eg, RAM). The memory 33 temporarily stores various data used when the processor 34 executes various processes. The memory 33 is an example of a storage unit of the server 3 .

[0058] The processor 34 includes one or more CPUs and their peripheral circuits, and executes various processes. It should be noted that the processor 34 may also include other arithmetic circuits such as a logical operation unit, a numerical operation unit, or a graphics processing unit.

[0059] Figure 3 This is a sequence diagram schematically showing a series of processes when allocating a vehicle in a vehicle allocation service. In this sequence diagram, communication between the user terminal 4 and the server 3 and communication between the server 3 and the vehicle 2 are performed via the communication network 6 and the wireless base station 5.

[0060] When a user launches a car-matching service application or accesses a website related to the car-matching service, the user terminal 4 displays a reservation screen for the user to reserve a car. The reservation screen includes input fields for necessary information for car-matching (such as desired boarding location, start time, and end time). The user operates the user terminal 4 to enter the necessary information. Alternatively, a map showing the location of a predetermined boarding location may be displayed on the user terminal 4, and the user may enter the desired boarding location by specifying the location on the map.

[0061] After completing the required input, the user terminal 4 transmits the vehicle allocation request information to the server 3 (step S2). The vehicle allocation request information includes the desired boarding location, the start and end time of the ride, and user information (such as user ID). User information is pre-registered by the user via the user terminal 4.

[0062] When the vehicle allocation request information is sent from the user terminal 4 to the server 3, the server 3 extracts a reservation candidate vehicle from the plurality of vehicles 2 based on the vehicle allocation request information (step S3). Then, the server 3 sends a vehicle selection screen including information on the reservation candidate vehicles to the user terminal 4 (step S4).

[0063] When the vehicle selection screen is transmitted from the server 3 to the user terminal 4, the user terminal 4 displays the vehicle selection screen (step S5). On the vehicle selection screen, the user is presented with the reservation candidate vehicles, and the user selects a desired vehicle from the reservation candidate vehicles.

[0064] After the user selects a vehicle to be used, the user terminal 4 sends the vehicle selection result to the server 3 (step S6). As a result, the reservation for the vehicle to be used is confirmed, and the server 3 sends a reservation completion notification to the user terminal 4 (step S7). After the reservation completion notification is sent from the server 3 to the user terminal 4, the user terminal 4 displays a reservation completion screen (step S8). In addition, the server 3 sends reservation information to the vehicle 2 reserved as a vehicle to be used (step S9). The reservation information includes the start time of use, user information (user ID, etc.). After the start time of use, the user can authenticate himself using the user terminal 4 or a card to board the vehicle.

[0065] As described above, when using the car-matching service, users select their desired vehicle from a list of available vehicles. However, taking into account the user's planned driving route, the characteristics of some vehicles may not match the user's needs. For example, the user's planned driving route may include an area where the operation of the internal combustion engine is prohibited or restricted during driving (hereinafter referred to as an "internal combustion engine restricted area"). It should be noted that internal combustion engine restricted areas are also called low emission zones (LEZs).

[0066] If an internal combustion engine is operated in this engine-restricted area, the driver of the vehicle may be fined, etc. Therefore, if a user's planned travel route includes an engine-restricted area, it is preferred to dispatch a vehicle capable of EV travel. Therefore, in this embodiment, when a user utilizes the vehicle allocation service, the possibility that the user's planned travel route includes a low engine-restricted area is considered, and a method for presenting a candidate vehicle to the user is determined. This process is executed by the processor 34 of the server 3 as follows.

[0067] Figure 4 This is a functional block diagram of the processor 34 of the server 3 in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the processor 34 includes a vehicle notification unit 35 and a likelihood determination unit 36. The vehicle notification unit 35 and the likelihood determination unit 36 ​​are functional modules implemented by the processor 34 of the server 3 executing a computer program stored in the storage device 32 of the server 3. It should be noted that the vehicle notification unit 35 and the likelihood determination unit 36 ​​may also be implemented by a dedicated computing circuit provided in the processor 34.

[0068] The vehicle presenting unit 35 generates a vehicle selection screen for the user to select a desired vehicle from the reservation candidate vehicles, and transmits the vehicle selection screen including the reservation candidate vehicle information to the user terminal 4. That is, the vehicle presenting unit 35 presents the reservation candidate vehicles to the user via the user terminal 4.

[0069] The probability determination unit 36 ​​determines the probability that an internal combustion engine restricted area is included in the user's planned driving route (hereinafter referred to as the "probability of entering the internal combustion engine restricted area"). When generating the vehicle selection screen, the vehicle presentation unit 35 determines a presentation plan for candidate vehicles for reservation based on the probability of entering the internal combustion engine restricted area determined by the probability determination unit 36. This allows the user to select a vehicle suitable for their planned driving route when utilizing the vehicle allocation service.

[0070] Figure 5 2 is a flowchart showing a control routine for the vehicle notification process. This control routine is repeatedly executed by the processor 34 of the server 3 at predetermined execution intervals.

[0071] First, in step S101, the vehicle presentation unit 35 determines whether it has received vehicle allocation request information. Vehicle allocation request information is transmitted from the user terminal 4 to the server 3 in response to an operation by a user requesting the vehicle allocation service. The vehicle allocation request information includes information such as the desired boarding location, the start and end times of the service, and user information (such as user ID). If it is determined that the vehicle allocation request information has not been received, the control routine ends. On the other hand, if it is determined that the vehicle allocation request information has been received, the control routine proceeds to step S102.

[0072] In step S102, the vehicle presentation unit 35 extracts a reservation candidate vehicle from the plurality of vehicles 2 based on the vehicle allocation request information. Specifically, the vehicle presentation unit 35 extracts a vehicle 2 as a reservation candidate vehicle that is waiting at the user's desired boarding location, or that is able to move to the desired boarding location before the start time of the ride, and that has not been reserved between the start time and the end time of the ride. It should be noted that, if a specific vehicle 2 is deployed for the vehicle allocation service at each predetermined boarding location (such as a parking lot such as a coin-operated parking lot, a store, etc.), the reservation candidate vehicle is extracted from the specific vehicle 2 deployed at the user's desired boarding location.

[0073] Next, in step S103, the probability determination unit 36 ​​determines the probability of entering the ICE-restricted area. For example, the probability determination unit 36 ​​determines the probability of entering the ICE-restricted area based on information input to the user terminal 4 when the user utilizes the ride allocation service. Specifically, the probability determination unit 36 ​​determines the probability of entering the ICE-restricted area based on the positional relationship between the desired boarding location input to the user terminal 4 and the ICE-restricted area. In this case, the closer the desired boarding location is to the boundary of the ICE-restricted area, the higher the probability of entering the ICE-restricted area. If the desired boarding location is within the ICE-restricted area, the probability determination unit 36 ​​sets the probability of entering the ICE-restricted area to 100%.

[0074] Furthermore, if a destination input field is provided on the reservation screen displayed on the user terminal 4, the probability determination unit 36 ​​may determine the probability of entering the ICE-restricted area based on the positional relationship between the desired boarding location and the destination input to the user terminal 4 and the ICE-restricted area. In this case, the probability determination unit 36 ​​increases the probability of entering the ICE-restricted area if the travel route connecting the desired boarding location and the destination includes the ICE-restricted area, and sets the probability of entering the ICE-restricted area to 100% if the desired boarding location or the destination is within the ICE-restricted area.

[0075] Alternatively, an input field related to the user's planned driving route may be provided on the reservation screen, and the user may declare in advance whether or not to enter the internal combustion engine restricted area. Figure 6 The reservation screen shown is displayed on user terminal 4. The user inputs whether or not the vehicle has entered the internal combustion engine restricted area into user terminal 4. This information is then transmitted to server 3 as vehicle allocation request information. Probability determination unit 36 ​​increases the probability of entry into the internal combustion engine restricted area (e.g., 90-100%) if entry into the internal combustion engine restricted area has been reported, and decreases the probability of entry into the internal combustion engine restricted area (e.g., 0-10%) if entry into the internal combustion engine restricted area has not been reported.

[0076] Alternatively, the probability determination unit 36 ​​may calculate the probability of entry into an internal combustion engine restricted area based on the user's past driving history when the user used the ride-sharing service. The user's driving history is, for example, a driving route generated based on the position information of vehicle 2 obtained during the use of the ride-sharing service, and is stored in the storage device 32 of the server 3 for each user. The position information of vehicle 2 is obtained by a GPS receiver or the like installed in vehicle 2 and is periodically transmitted from vehicle 2 to the server 3. The probability determination unit 36 ​​calculates the probability of entry into the internal combustion engine restricted area, for example, by using the ratio of the number of entries into the internal combustion engine restricted area to the number of uses of the ride-sharing service (entry probability = 100 × number of entries / number of uses). In this case, the probability of entry into the internal combustion engine restricted area may also be calculated for each boarding location used by the user.

[0077] For example, the probability determination unit 36 ​​may set the probability of entering the engine restricted area to two levels (large or small) or three levels (large, medium, or small).

[0078] Following step S103, in step S104, the vehicle presentation unit 35 determines a presentation plan for candidate vehicles for reservation based on the likelihood of entry into the internal combustion engine restricted area determined by the likelihood determination unit 36. Specifically, the vehicle presentation unit 35 prioritizes EV-compatible vehicles for presentation to the user when the likelihood of entry into the internal combustion engine restricted area is high, compared to when the likelihood of entry into the internal combustion engine restricted area is low. For example, if the user has reported entry into the internal combustion engine restricted area, the vehicle presentation unit 35 prioritizes EV-compatible vehicles for presentation to the user when the user has not reported entry into the internal combustion engine restricted area. This can encourage the user to select an EV-compatible vehicle as their vehicle of choice when the likelihood of entry into the internal combustion engine restricted area is high.

[0079] As a specific example, when the possibility of entering the internal combustion engine restricted area is high, the vehicle presentation unit 35 displays the reservation candidate vehicles on the user terminal 4 in a manner that emphasizes EV-compatible vehicles over EV-incompatible vehicles, compared to when the possibility of entering the internal combustion engine restricted area is low. When emphasizing EV-compatible vehicles over EV-incompatible vehicles, the vehicle presentation unit 35 may, for example, display the EV-compatible vehicles before the EV-incompatible vehicles, assign a smaller number (priority) to the EV-compatible vehicles than to the EV-incompatible vehicles, or increase the display intensity (brightness, brightness, color saturation, etc.) of the EV-compatible vehicles over the display intensity of the EV-incompatible vehicles. Figure 7This figure shows an example of a vehicle selection screen in which EV-compatible vehicles (HVs) are emphasized over EV-incompatible vehicles. It should be noted that the vehicle display unit 35 may display only EV-compatible vehicles as reservation candidate vehicles on the user terminal 4 when the probability of entering an internal combustion engine restricted area is greater than a predetermined value (e.g., 60-80%).

[0080] On the other hand, the vehicle presentation unit 35 may prioritize presenting an EV-incompatible vehicle to the user when the likelihood of entering an internal combustion engine restricted area is low, rather than when the likelihood of entering an internal combustion engine restricted area is high. This can encourage users to select an EV-incompatible vehicle as their vehicle of choice when the likelihood of entering an internal combustion engine restricted area is low, while ensuring an EV-compatible vehicle for users with a high likelihood of entering an internal combustion engine restricted area.

[0081] As a specific example, when the likelihood of entering an internal combustion engine restricted area is low, the vehicle presentation unit 35 displays reservation candidate vehicles on the user terminal 4 in a manner that emphasizes EV-incompatible vehicles over EV-compatible vehicles, compared to when the likelihood of entering an internal combustion engine restricted area is high. It should be noted that when the likelihood of entering an internal combustion engine restricted area is below a predetermined value (e.g., 20-40%), the vehicle presentation unit 35 may display only EV-incompatible vehicles as reservation candidate vehicles on the user terminal 4.

[0082] Next, in step S105, the vehicle presentation unit 35 presents the candidate vehicles to the user via the user terminal 4 based on the presentation plan for the candidate vehicles determined in step S104. Specifically, the vehicle presentation unit 35 generates a vehicle selection screen according to the presentation plan for the candidate vehicles determined in step S104 and transmits the vehicle selection screen to the user terminal 4. After step S105, this control routine ends.

[0083] <Second embodiment>

[0084] The configuration and control of the presentation device of the second embodiment are basically the same as those of the presentation device of the first embodiment except for the points described below. Therefore, the second embodiment of the present invention will be described below, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0085] In the case where the user's planned driving route includes an internal combustion engine restricted area, in order to avoid power shortage in the internal combustion engine restricted area, it is preferred that the battery can be charged using an external power supply. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the vehicle prompting unit 35 preferentially prompts the user with a rechargeable vehicle that can use an external power supply to charge the battery among EV-suitable vehicles when the possibility of entering the internal combustion engine restricted area is high, compared with a case where the possibility of entering the internal combustion engine restricted area is low. As a result, when the user uses the vehicle allocation service, the user can be prompted to select a vehicle that is more suitable for the user's planned driving route. Examples of rechargeable vehicles include plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHVs) and electric vehicles (EVs), and examples of non-rechargeable vehicles that do not have a battery that can be charged using an external power supply include hybrid vehicles (HVs) and traditional vehicles (gasoline vehicles, diesel vehicles, etc.).

[0086] As a specific example, when the likelihood of entering an internal combustion engine restricted area is high, the vehicle display unit 35 displays the reservation candidate vehicles on the user terminal 4 in a manner that emphasizes charging vehicles over non-charging vehicles, compared to when the likelihood of entering an internal combustion engine restricted area is low. It should be noted that when the likelihood of entering an internal combustion engine restricted area is greater than a predetermined value (e.g., 60-80%), the vehicle display unit 35 may also display only charging vehicles as reservation candidate vehicles on the user terminal 4.

[0087] In the second embodiment, the same as the first embodiment is performed. Figure 5 In the control routine of the vehicle presentation processing, when the possibility of entering the internal combustion engine restricted area is high, in step S104, a presentation plan for the reservation candidate vehicle is determined as described above.

[0088] <Third embodiment>

[0089] The configuration and control of the presentation device of the third embodiment are basically the same as those of the presentation device of the first embodiment, except for the points described below. Therefore, the following description of the third embodiment of the present invention will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0090] Figure 8 This is a functional block diagram of the processor 34 of the server 3 in the third embodiment. In the third embodiment, the processor 34 includes a vehicle notification unit 35 and a probability determination unit 36, as well as a power calculation unit 37 and a remaining battery level calculation unit 38. The vehicle notification unit 35, probability determination unit 36, power calculation unit 37, and remaining battery level calculation unit 38 are functional modules implemented by the processor 34 of the server 3 executing a computer program stored in the storage device 32 of the server 3. It should be noted that these functional modules may also be implemented by dedicated arithmetic circuits provided in the processor 34.

[0091] The power calculation unit 37 calculates the required power (e.g., the required SOC (State of Charge) of the battery) required for the EV-suitable vehicle to travel on the prescribed route without driving the internal combustion engine. In other words, the power calculation unit 37 calculates the required power required for the EV-suitable vehicle to travel on the prescribed route by EV driving. For example, the power calculation unit 37 calculates the required power based on the distance of the prescribed route. It should be noted that the power calculation unit 37 may also calculate the required power based on the distance of the prescribed route and the average speed of the EV-suitable vehicle when traveling on the prescribed route. In addition, the power calculation unit 37 may also calculate the required power based on the power consumed by the EV-suitable vehicle when traveling on the prescribed route in the past.

[0092] If the user's planned driving route includes an internal combustion engine restricted area, it is necessary to minimize battery power shortages within the internal combustion engine restricted area. Therefore, in the third embodiment, the power calculation unit 37 calculates the required power required for the EV-suitable vehicle to travel in the internal combustion engine restricted area included in the user's planned driving route through EV driving. The driving route within the internal combustion engine restricted area is estimated based on the user's driving history, or is set to a predetermined route for each internal combustion engine restricted area (e.g., the most typical driving route when traveling through the internal combustion engine restricted area).

[0093] Furthermore, when the likelihood of entering an internal combustion engine restricted area is high, the vehicle presentation unit 35 prioritizes presenting to the user an EV-compatible vehicle whose battery remaining charge (e.g., battery SOC) exceeds the required charge level, compared to when the likelihood of entering an internal combustion engine restricted area is low. This encourages the user to select an EV-compatible vehicle whose battery remaining charge level exceeds the required charge level as the vehicle to be used, thereby preventing battery power shortages for EV travel within the internal combustion engine restricted area.

[0094] As a specific example, when the possibility of entering the internal combustion engine restricted area is high, the vehicle prompt unit 35 displays the reservation candidate vehicles on the user terminal 4 in a manner such that EV-suitable vehicles with a battery power reserve greater than the required power are emphasized more than EV-suitable vehicles with a battery power reserve less than the required power and EV-unsuitable vehicles, compared to a case where the possibility of entering the internal combustion engine restricted area is low. Figure 9This figure shows an example of a vehicle selection screen in which EV-compatible vehicles with a battery remaining charge of at least the required charge (50% SOC in this example) are highlighted compared to EV-compatible vehicles with a battery remaining charge of less than the required charge and EV-incompatible vehicles. It should be noted that the vehicle presentation unit 35 may display only EV-compatible vehicles with a battery remaining charge of at least the required charge as reservation candidate vehicles on the user terminal 4 when the probability of entering an internal combustion engine restricted area is greater than a predetermined value (e.g., 60-80%).

[0095] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the battery remaining charge calculation unit 38 calculates an estimated value of the battery's remaining charge at the time the EV-compatible vehicle begins use (hereinafter referred to as the "initial estimated value") as the battery remaining charge. Specifically, the vehicle presentation unit 35 uses the initial estimated value calculated by the battery remaining charge calculation unit 38 as the battery remaining charge. Specifically, when the likelihood of entering an internal combustion engine restricted area is high, the vehicle presentation unit 35 prioritizes presenting an EV-compatible vehicle with an initial estimated value exceeding the required charge level to the user, compared to when the likelihood of entering an internal combustion engine restricted area is low.

[0096] For example, the battery remaining charge calculation unit 38 calculates an initial estimate based on the amount of power consumed by the EV-compatible vehicle before the start of use (hereinafter referred to as "consumed power") and the amount of power that can be charged to the battery up to the start of use (hereinafter referred to as "charged power"). Specifically, the battery remaining charge calculation unit 38 calculates the initial estimate by adding the consumed power (negative value) and the charged power (positive value) to the battery's remaining power at the time when the vehicle allocation request information is transmitted from the user terminal 4 to the server 3 (the scheduled time). For example, the battery remaining charge calculation unit 38 calculates the initial estimate by adding the change in SOC corresponding to the consumed power (negative value) and the change in SOC corresponding to the charged power (positive value) to the battery's SOC at the scheduled time. It should be noted that the current value of the battery's remaining power (e.g., battery SOC) is calculated for each EV-compatible vehicle using a known method and is periodically transmitted from the EV-compatible vehicle to the server 3.

[0097] If the EV-compatible vehicle is currently being used by another user, the remaining battery charge calculation unit 38 calculates the power consumption based on the distance between the current location of the EV-compatible vehicle and the next user's desired boarding location, the outside temperature, and the like. It should be noted that if the EV-compatible vehicle is not moved until the start time of use, that is, if the EV-compatible vehicle is waiting at the user's desired boarding location until the start time of use, the power consumption is set to zero. Furthermore, if the EV-compatible vehicle (charged vehicle) can be charged by an external power source located at the desired boarding location, etc., the remaining battery charge calculation unit 38 calculates the charged power based on the charging capacity of the external power source (e.g., charging output), the estimated charging time, and the like. It should be noted that if the EV-compatible vehicle is a non-charged vehicle or if the battery of the EV-compatible vehicle (charged vehicle) is not charged before the start time of use, the charged power is set to zero.

[0098] In the third embodiment, the same as the first embodiment is performed. Figure 5 In the control routine of the vehicle presentation processing, when the possibility of entering the internal combustion engine restricted area is high, in step S104, a presentation plan for the reservation candidate vehicle is determined as described above.

[0099] Note that in the third embodiment, the power calculation unit 37 may be omitted. The vehicle presentation unit 35 may prioritize presenting an EV-compatible vehicle with a high battery charge level to the user when the likelihood of entering an internal combustion engine restricted area is high, compared to when the likelihood of entering an internal combustion engine restricted area is low. This encourages the user to select an EV-compatible vehicle with a high battery charge level as their vehicle of choice, thereby preventing battery power shortages for EV travel within an internal combustion engine restricted area.

[0100] As a specific example, when the probability of entering an internal combustion engine restricted area is greater than a specified value (e.g., 60-80%), the vehicle presentation unit 35 presents the user with candidate vehicles for reservations in descending order of battery charge level. Note that in this case, the battery charge level of EV-incompatible vehicles is set to zero. Alternatively, when the probability of entering an internal combustion engine restricted area is greater than a specified value (e.g., 60-80%), the vehicle presentation unit 35 may display the candidate vehicles for reservations on the user terminal 4 in a manner that emphasizes EV-compatible vehicles with battery charge levels greater than the specified level over EV-compatible vehicles and EV-incompatible vehicles with battery charge levels less than the specified level. Furthermore, when the probability of entering an internal combustion engine restricted area is greater than a specified value (e.g., 60-80%), the vehicle presentation unit 35 may display only EV-compatible vehicles with the highest battery charge levels or EV-compatible vehicles with battery charge levels greater than the specified level as candidate vehicles for reservations on the user terminal 4.

[0101] In the third embodiment, the battery remaining capacity calculation unit 38 may be omitted, and the vehicle presentation unit 35 may use the battery remaining capacity (eg, battery SOC) at the time when the vehicle allocation request information is transmitted from the user terminal 4 to the server 3 as the battery remaining capacity.

[0102] <Other Implementation Methods>

[0103] While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the claims. For example, the vehicle presentation unit 35 may determine the optimal vehicle 2 (EV-compatible vehicle or EV-incompatible vehicle) based on the likelihood of entering an internal combustion engine restricted area, and display only the optimal vehicle 2 as a reservation candidate on the user terminal 4.

[0104] Alternatively, the vehicle 2 used in the ride-hailing service may be an autonomous vehicle in which acceleration, steering, and deceleration (braking) are all automatically controlled. In this case, the vehicle 2 selected as the vehicle to be used moves autonomously to the desired boarding location specified by the user.

[0105] Furthermore, the above-described embodiments may be implemented in any combination. For example, when the likelihood of entering an internal combustion engine restricted area is high, the vehicle notification unit 35 may prioritize notification to the user of a charging vehicle whose battery remaining charge (e.g., battery SOC) exceeds the required charge level, compared to when the likelihood of entering an internal combustion engine restricted area is low. Furthermore, when the likelihood of entering an internal combustion engine restricted area is high, the vehicle notification unit 35 may prioritize notification to the user of a charging vehicle whose battery remaining charge level is high, compared to when the likelihood of entering an internal combustion engine restricted area is low.

Claims

1. A prompt device for use in vehicle selection in a vehicle allocation service, wherein: have: A vehicle prompting unit, which prompts a user to reserve a candidate vehicle via a user terminal; and a probability determination unit that determines the probability that the area where the driving of the internal combustion engine is prohibited or restricted is included in the planned driving route of the user, The user terminal is owned by the user and is configured outside the vehicle, The vehicle presenting unit determines a presentation plan for the reservation candidate vehicle based on the probability. The possibility determination unit determines the possibility based on a positional relationship between a desired boarding point input to the user terminal when the user utilizes the ride allocation service and the area. The closer the distance between the desired boarding point and the boundary of the area, the higher the possibility. The possibility determination unit determines the possibility based on information input to the user terminal when the user utilizes the car allocation service. The vehicle prompting unit preferentially prompts the user with an EV-compatible vehicle capable of EV driving when the possibility is high, compared to when the possibility is low. The EV driving is a mode of driving using only an electric motor supplied with electric power from a battery as a power source.

2. The prompting device according to claim 1, The EV-compatible vehicle is a charging vehicle capable of charging the battery using an external power source.

3. The prompting device according to claim 1 or 2, The vehicle presentation unit presents the EV-compatible vehicle having a larger remaining amount of the battery to the user preferentially when the likelihood is high, compared to when the likelihood is low.

4. The prompting device according to claim 1 or 2, The device further comprises a power calculation unit for calculating a required power required for the EV to travel in the area included in the predetermined travel route by the EV. The EV-compatible vehicle preferentially presented to the user is a vehicle in which the remaining power level of the battery is equal to or greater than the required power level.

5. The prompting device according to claim 3, The vehicle further includes a battery remaining amount calculation unit that calculates an estimated value of the battery remaining amount at a start time of use of the EV suitable vehicle as the battery remaining amount.

6. The prompting device according to claim 5, The battery remaining charge calculation unit calculates the estimated value based on an amount of electricity consumed in the EV-compatible vehicle before the utilization start time and an amount of electricity that can be charged to the battery by the utilization start time.

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