Arrival time index estimation system and mobile body management system

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of providing an arrival time index estimation system and a mobile body management system that support the return of a borrowed mobile body at low cost and high precision. Wherein the center position of the shop in the grid (F) is set as a shop representative point (PSF), and the center position of the rented car in the grid (A) with the shop in the grid (F) as the return destination is set as a car representative point (PCA). A route (RA-F) from the vehicle representative point to the shop representative point and an expected arrival time of the shop representative point when traveling on the route with the current time as a departure time are calculated. A route from a current position to a return destination shop and an expected arrival time of a shop representative point when traveling on the route with the current time as a departure time are calculated only for a rented automobile before a time obtained by adding a predetermined time to the expected arrival time of the route among the rented automobiles, the return time of the rented automobile being the return time of the rented automobile before the expected arrival time of the route. And whether the risk of return delay exists or not is judged based on the expected arrival time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention mainly relates to a technology for supporting the return of a loaned mobile object such as a rental car. Background Art

[0002] As a technology for supporting the return of a rental car, the following technology is known: in a navigation device installed in the rental car, a route to the return location is searched using map data possessed by the navigation device, and an estimated arrival time at the return location is calculated when the vehicle travels along the route. If the estimated arrival time exceeds the return deadline, a message urging the user of the rental car to extend the return deadline is output (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] In addition, as a technology for supporting the return of rental cars, the following technology is known: in a rental car management server that manages the position of each rental car by collecting the current position from a rental car terminal installed in the rental car through communication, the time required for each rental car to travel from the position of the rental car to the return location of the rental car is estimated, and when the time obtained by subtracting the current time from the return deadline does not have a margin with respect to the travel time, a message indicating that the return deadline is imminent is output to the user of the rental car (for example, Patent Document 2).

[0004] Prior art literature:

[0005] Patent Literature:

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-270960

[0007] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-295392 Summary of the invention

[0008] Problems to be solved by the invention:

[0009] According to the above-mentioned technology of searching the route to the return place by the navigation device installed in the rental car and supporting the return of the rental car, it is necessary to have map data and a navigation device for each rental car. In addition, the more rental cars there are, the greater the cost required to install the navigation device.

[0010] On the other hand, in the above-mentioned technology for supporting the return of rental cars in the rental car management server, in order to accurately estimate the travel time required for each rental car, it is necessary to use map data to search for a route from the location of the rental car to the return location of the rental car, and then estimate the travel time required for the route. However, in such a case, a license fee for map data corresponding to the number of rental cars is required. In addition, the more the number of rental cars, the greater the cost required for the license fee for the map data. In addition, the more the number of rental cars, the greater the required processing volume.

[0011] Therefore, it is also possible to make a request to an external map service that provides a route or travel time estimation service in the rental car management server to obtain the travel time required to the return location for each rental car, but in this case, a map service usage fee corresponding to the number of requests is incurred. In addition, the more rental cars there are, the greater the cost required for the map service usage fee.

[0012] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to support the return of a loaned movable body with high accuracy at a low cost.

[0013] Means used to solve the problem:

[0014] In order to achieve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an arrival time index estimation system, which estimates the index value of the arrival time of multiple mobile bodies at a target destination set according to each mobile body, wherein it comprises: a representative point setting mechanism, which sets a target destination representative point in a first area including at least one target destination, and sets a mobile body representative point in a second area where multiple mobile bodies with target destinations set in the first area are located; and an index value estimation mechanism, which estimates the expected arrival time of the destination of a driving route explored with the current time as the departure time, the mobile body representative point as the departure point, and the target destination representative point as the destination, as the index value of the arrival time of each mobile body located in the second area and with a target destination set in the first area arriving at the target destination.

[0015] Here, the arrival time indicator estimation system can also be constructed as follows: in the representative point setting mechanism, when the first area includes multiple destinations, the centers of the multiple destinations are set as the destination representative points, and the centers of the multiple mobile bodies located in the second area and set as destinations within the first area are set as the mobile body representative points.

[0016] According to such an arrival time index estimation system, by only one route exploration, it is possible to estimate the approximate arrival time of each mobile body set to a destination in the first area when it departs from the destination at the current time, as an arrival time index value. In addition, in order to achieve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention includes a management server that manages the position and return deadline of each mobile body in a mobile body management system that manages the return deadline of a borrowed mobile body. The management server has a screening mechanism and a return delay risk judgment mechanism. An area in which a store serving as a return destination of a mobile body is located among each area formed by pre-dividing a geographical range as an object is set as a store-containing area, and each area in which a mobile body with a store located in the store-containing area as a return destination is located is set as a mobile body-containing area, the screening mechanism sets a store representative point in the store-containing area, sets a mobile body representative point in the mobile body-containing area for each mobile body-containing area, and obtains an expected arrival time at the destination of a driving route explored with the current time as the departure time, the set mobile body representative point as the departure place, and the store representative point of the store-containing area as the destination, and extracts, for each mobile body located in the mobile body-containing area and with the store in the store-containing area as the return destination, a mobile body whose time margin of the obtained expected arrival time relative to the return deadline of the mobile body is smaller than a specified level. In addition, the return delay risk judgment mechanism obtains, for each moving body extracted by the screening mechanism, an expected arrival time at the destination of the travel route explored with the current time as the departure time, the position of the moving body as the departure place, and the store at the return destination of the moving body as the destination, and judges whether the moving body is at risk of return delay based on the time margin of the obtained expected arrival time relative to the return deadline of the moving body.

[0017] Here, in the mobile body management system, there may also be a mobile body terminal installed in each mobile body and capable of communicating with the management server, and the management server may be provided with: an alarm mechanism, so that the mobile body terminal of the mobile body judged by the return delay risk judgment mechanism as having a risk of return delay reminds the user to pay attention to the return delay of the mobile body.

[0018] In the above mobile body management system, in the screening means, when a plurality of stores are located in the store-including area, the center of the plurality of stores may be set as the store representative point.

[0019] In addition, in the above mobile body management system, in the screening mechanism, for each mobile body-containing area, when a plurality of mobile bodies whose return destinations are stores in the store-containing area are located in the mobile body-containing area, the center of the positions of the plurality of mobile bodies may be set as the mobile body representative point.

[0020] In addition, in the above mobile body management system, in the screening mechanism, the center of the store-containing area may be set as the store representative point. In addition, in the above mobile body management system, in the screening mechanism, for each mobile body-containing area, the center of the mobile body-containing area may be set as the mobile body representative point. In addition, in the above mobile body management system, in the screening mechanism, for each mobile body-containing area, the store in the store-containing area farthest from the mobile body-containing area or the mobile body representative point set in the mobile body-containing area may be set as the store representative point used for the mobile body-containing area, and for each mobile body-containing area, the expected arrival time at the destination of the driving route explored with the current time as the departure time, the set mobile body representative point as the departure place, and the store representative point set for the mobile body-containing area as the destination is obtained.

[0021] In addition, in the above mobile body management system, it is characterized in that, in the screening mechanism, for each mobile body-containing area, the position among the positions of multiple mobile bodies that have the store in the store-containing area as the return destination, which is farthest from the store-containing area or the store representative point set for the store-containing area, is set as the mobile body representative point.

[0022] In addition, as the above mobile body management system, in the screening mechanism, the service provided by an external service provider server for exploring routes and calculating the expected arrival time of the explored routes can be used to obtain the expected arrival time of the destination of the driving route explored with the current time as the departure time, the set representative point of the mobile body as the departure place, and the representative point of the store in the store area as the destination. In the return delay risk judgment mechanism, the service provided by the external service provider server can be used to obtain the expected arrival time of the destination of the driving route explored with the current time as the departure time, the position of the mobile body as the departure place, and the store of the return destination of the mobile body as the destination.

[0023] In addition, in the screening mechanism, each area in which a store that is a return destination of the mobile body is located in each area formed by dividing the geographical range into areas is set as a store-containing area, and for each store-containing area, the area in which a mobile body that has a store located in the store-containing area as a return destination is located is set as a mobile body-containing area corresponding to the store-containing area, and for each store-containing area, a store representative point is set in the store-containing area, and for each mobile body-containing area corresponding to the store-containing area, a mobile body representative point is set in the mobile body-containing area, and an expected arrival time at the destination of a driving route explored with the current time as the departure time, the set mobile body representative point as the departure place, and the store representative point of the store-containing area corresponding to the mobile body-containing area as the destination is obtained, and for each mobile body located in the mobile body-containing area and having a store in the store-containing area corresponding to the mobile body-containing area as the return destination, mobile bodies whose time margin of the obtained expected arrival time relative to the return deadline of the mobile body is smaller than a specified level are extracted.

[0024] According to the above mobile body management system, for one store-containing area, according to each mobile body-containing area where the mobile body with the store in the store-containing area as the return destination store is located, a route search is used to find the approximate arrival time of each mobile body with the store in the store-containing area as the return destination when it departs from the store in the store-containing area to the return destination store at the current time, and the mobile body whose approximate arrival time has a time margin smaller than a prescribed level with respect to the return deadline is extracted. Then, for only the extracted mobile bodies, the expected arrival time when it departs from the return destination store at the current time is found with high accuracy by using the route search, and it is judged whether there is a risk of delay in the return.

[0025] Therefore, compared with the case where route exploration is used for each mobile body to determine whether there is a risk of return delay, it is possible to determine whether there is a risk of return delay with the same accuracy as the case where route exploration is used for each mobile body, with fewer route exploration uses, less processing volume, and lower cost.

[0026] Effect of the invention:

[0027] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to support the return of a loaned movable body with high accuracy at a low cost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 It is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 2It is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 3 It is a block diagram showing the structure of a vehicle position information management server involved in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing a grid used in the return alarm process according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 5 Detailed Description of the Invention This is a flowchart showing a target vehicle mesh setting process according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 6 Detailed description of the invention The following is a flowchart showing the screening process according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 7 It is a flowchart showing the detailed determination process according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 8 It is a diagram showing a processing example of the return alarm processing according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Description of reference numerals:

[0037] 1... vehicle terminal, 2... store management terminal, 3... vehicle location information management server, 4... WAN, 5... map service server, 11... GNSS receiver, 12... mobile communication device, 13... voice output device, 14... control unit, 31... vehicle location management unit, 32... return alarm processing unit, 33... store management unit, 34... vehicle lending status management unit, 35... vehicle status information providing unit, 36... Web API, 37... WAN interface, 100... vehicle management system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described.

[0039] Figure 1 The following shows the configuration of a vehicle management system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] As shown in the figure, the vehicle management system 100 includes a vehicle terminal 1 mounted on each rental car, a store management terminal 2 installed in each store that serves as a lender or return destination of the rental car, and a vehicle position information management server 3.

[0041] The vehicle terminal 1 and the vehicle position information management server 3 , and the store management terminal 2 and the vehicle position information management server 3 can communicate with each other via a WAN 4 configured to include a mobile communication network or the Internet.

[0042] The vehicle position information management server 3 can also utilize services of an external map service server 5 via the WAN 4. The map service server 5 provides map services such as provision of map information, route search, and estimation of expected arrival time or required travel time.

[0043] Next, Figure 2 The configuration of the vehicle terminal 1 is shown.

[0044] The vehicle terminal 1 is a terminal that is fixedly mounted on a rental car, or is borrowed from each store together with a rental car and mounted on a rental car.

[0045] As shown in the figure, the vehicle terminal 1 includes a GNSS receiver 11 for positioning by satellite positioning, a mobile communication device 12 for mobile communication, a voice output device 13 for outputting voice messages, and a control unit 14 for controlling the above components.

[0046] The control unit 14 periodically transmits the positioning position of the GNSS receiver 11 to the vehicle position information management server 3 via the WAN 4 by mobile communication using the mobile communication device 12 .

[0047] In addition, when the control unit 14 receives an instruction to output a return alarm from the vehicle position information management server 3, a voice message urging the return of the rental car, such as "The return time of the rental car is approaching", is output from the voice output device 13. A display device may be provided in the vehicle terminal 1, and when the control unit 14 receives an instruction to output a return alarm, a display reminding the user that the return time is approaching is displayed on the display device instead of or in addition to outputting the voice message.

[0048] Next, Figure 3 The structure of the vehicle position information management server 3 is shown.

[0049] As shown in the figure, the vehicle location information management server 3 has a vehicle location management unit 31, a return alarm processing unit 32, a store management unit 33, a vehicle lending status management unit 34, a vehicle status information providing unit 35, a Web API (network API) 36, and a WAN interface 37, wherein the Web API (network API) 36 enables the store management unit 33, the vehicle lending status management unit 34 and the vehicle status information providing unit 35 to be used as a browser-based system from the store management terminal 2, and the WAN interface 37 provides communication functions of each part via WAN4.

[0050] The vehicle position management unit 31 manages the current position of each rental car based on the positioning position transmitted from the vehicle terminal 1 of each rental car.

[0051] The return alarm processing unit 32 performs a return alarm process in which a rental car with a risk of delayed return is detected, a return alarm is outputted to the vehicle terminal 1 of the detected rental car, and the detected rental car with a risk of delayed return is registered with the vehicle lending state management unit 34. The store management unit 33 receives registration of information of each store such as name and location from the store management terminal 2 and manages it.

[0052] The vehicle lending state management unit 34 receives the lending period including the return period, the return destination store, and the setting of whether or not the rental car is returned from the store management terminal 2 for each rental car, and manages whether each rental car is being lent, the lending period of each rental car being lent, and the return destination store.

[0053] The vehicle loan status management unit 34 also manages the status of each rental car, such as the overdue period when the return deadline has been exceeded and the occurrence of the return delay risk registered from the return warning processing unit 32 .

[0054] Next, the vehicle status information providing unit 35 transmits and displays a management screen that lists the status of each rental car managed by the vehicle lending status management unit 34 to the store management terminal 2. In addition, the vehicle status information providing unit 35 transmits and displays a map screen that shows the current position of the designated rental car managed by the vehicle position management unit 31 on a map in response to the operation of the store management terminal 2.

[0055] When the return warning processing unit 32 registers the occurrence of a return delay risk, the vehicle state information providing unit 35 causes the store management terminal 2 to output a warning indicating the occurrence of a return delay risk of the rental car in a manner such as a pop-up display so that the rental car can be identified.

[0056] Next, the store management terminal 2 includes a web browser for utilizing the vehicle position information management server 3 as a browser-based system.

[0057] Next, the return alarm processing periodically performed by the return alarm processing unit 32 of the vehicle position information management server 3 will be described.

[0058] First, the mesh used in the return alarm process will be described.

[0059] Figure 4 An example of this grid is shown.

[0060] As shown in the figure, the vehicle management system 100 divides the geographical range of the object into square grids in the latitude and longitude directions according to a certain area (for example, 10 km×10 km). Figure 4 9 grids from A to I are shown in FIG.

[0061] Each store and each rental car is located in a certain grid. In the example shown in the figure, stores s1, s2, and s3 are located in grid F, and stores s4 and s5 are located in grid G. In addition, rental cars c1, c2, c3, and c4 are located in grid A, rental cars c5 and c6 are located in grid C, and rental cars c7 and c8 are located in grid H.

[0062] Here, in the figure, the return destination of rental cars c1, c3, c4, c7, and c8 represented by white is one of the stores s1, s2, and s3 in grid F, the return destination of rental cars c2, c5, and c6 represented by black is one of the stores s4 and s5 in grid G, and the return destination of rental car c3 is store s3 in grid F.

[0063] Based on the location of each store managed by the store management unit 33, the location of each rental car managed by the vehicle location management unit 31, and the return destination store and return deadline of each rental car managed by the vehicle loan status management unit 34, the return alarm process is performed as follows.

[0064] That is, in the return warning process, each grid in which a store exists is regarded as a target store grid, and the target vehicle grid setting process is performed on the target store grid.

[0065] exist Figure 4 In the case of , the meshes in which there are stores are mesh F and mesh G, so the target vehicle mesh setting process is performed using mesh F as the target store mesh, and the target vehicle mesh setting process is performed using mesh G as the target store mesh.

[0066] Figure 5 This shows the process of mesh setting for the target vehicle.

[0067] As shown in the figure, in the target vehicle grid setting process, the center coordinates of the position of each store in the target store grid are set as the store representative point (step 502). The center coordinates of the position of each store can be obtained as the average value of the coordinates of the position of each store.

[0068] Next, among the rental cars being loaned out and returned to stores within the target store grid, the rental cars for which no instruction to output a return alarm is given to the vehicle terminal 1 within a predetermined period are set as screening target vehicles (step 504).

[0069] Here, for example, in the object store grid is Figure 4 If any rental car does not output a return alarm instruction to the vehicle terminal 1 within the specified period, the rental cars c1, c3, c4, c7, and c8 whose return destination is one of the stores s1, s2, and s3 in the grid F will become screening target vehicles. Figure 8 As shown in a, the centers of stores s1, s2, and s3 are set as store representative points PS_F.

[0070] Next, each grid in which a screening target vehicle exists is regarded as a target vehicle grid, and screening processing is performed on the target vehicle grid (step 506). Figure 4 When rental cars c1, c3, c4, c7, and c8 are screening target vehicles, grid A and grid H containing screening target vehicles become target vehicle grids, and screening processing is performed on grid A as the target vehicle grid and screening processing is performed on grid H as the target vehicle grid.

[0071] Then, when the narrowing process is completed for all target vehicle meshes, the target vehicle mesh setting process is terminated.

[0072] Next, in step 506 of the object vehicle grid setting process, the screening process for each object vehicle grid is as follows: Figure 6 shown.

[0073] As shown in the figure, in the screening process, the center coordinates of the screening target vehicle position in the target vehicle grid are set as the vehicle representative point (step 602). The center coordinates of the screening target vehicle position can be obtained as the average value of the coordinates of the positions of each screening target vehicle.

[0074] Then, a request for route search with the vehicle representative point as the departure point, the store representative point as the destination and the departure time as the current time is sent to the external map service server 5 providing the map service, so as to obtain the expected arrival time of the route (step 604).

[0075] Here, for example, Figure 4 In the case where the grid F is the target store grid, the grid A is the target vehicle grid, and the screening target cars in the grid A are rental cars c1, c3, and c4, as Figure 8As shown in FIG. 1 , the center of the rental cars c1, c3, and c4 is set as the vehicle representative point PC_A. Then, the map service server 5 searches for a route R_A-F from the vehicle representative point PC_A to the store representative point PS_F of the target store grid F according to the request, and estimates the expected arrival time at the store representative point PS_F when the vehicle representative point PC_A is set as the departure time along the route R_A-F, and provides it to the return alarm processing unit 32.

[0076] Here, the estimated arrival time represents the approximate arrival time when the rental cars c1, c3, c4 depart for the return destination stores at the current time, and can be used as an index value of the arrival time.

[0077] Then, if the expected arrival time is obtained (step 604), based on the expected arrival time, it is investigated whether there is a vehicle showing a probability of delayed return among the screening target vehicles in the target vehicle grid (step 606). Here, the screening target vehicles whose return deadline is before the expected arrival time + the specified time are regarded as screening target vehicles showing a probability of delayed return. The specified time is set to be enough time to cross the grid between two diagonal corners (if the size of the grid is 10km×10km, it is set to 30 minutes, for example).

[0078] Then, if there is no vehicle showing a possibility of return delay among the screening target vehicles in the target vehicle grid, the screening process is terminated.

[0079] On the other hand, when there are screening target vehicles that are likely to have a delayed return, each screening target vehicle that is likely to have a delayed return is regarded as a target vehicle, and detailed determination processing is performed on each target vehicle (step 608).

[0080] So, for example, in Figure 4 When the target store grid is grid F, the target vehicle grid is grid A, and the screening target vehicles showing the possibility of return delay in grid A are rental cars c1 and c3, detailed judgment processing is performed on rental car c1 as the target vehicle and detailed judgment processing is performed on rental car c3 as the target vehicle, respectively.

[0081] Then, when the detailed determination process is completed for all target vehicles, the screening process is terminated.

[0082] Next, in step 608 of the screening process, the detailed determination process for each target vehicle is as follows: Figure 7 shown.

[0083] As shown in the figure, a request for route exploration with the object vehicle as the departure point, the return destination store of the object vehicle as the destination and the departure time as the current time is sent to the external map service server 5 that provides the above-mentioned map service, so as to obtain the expected arrival time of the route (step 702).

[0084] Here, for example, Figure 4 If the rental car c3 is the target vehicle and the return destination store of the rental car c3 is the store s2, the map service server 5 performs the following operations according to the request: Figure 8 As shown in b, the route R_c3-s2 from the position of the rental car c3 to the store s2 is explored, and the expected arrival time at the store s2 is estimated when the rental car c3 takes the current time as the departure time and travels along the route R_c3-s2 from the position of the rental car c3 to the store s2, and the estimated arrival time is provided to the return alarm processing unit 32.

[0085] return Figure 7 Next, if the expected arrival time is obtained (step 702), it is investigated whether the target vehicle has a risk of delayed return (step 704). Here, if the return deadline of the target vehicle is before the expected arrival time + the margin time, it is assumed that there is a risk of delayed return. The margin time is, for example, set to a time of about 0 minutes to 10 minutes.

[0086] Then, if there is no risk of delayed return of the target vehicle, the detailed determination process ends.

[0087] On the other hand, if there is a return delay risk, the vehicle terminal 1 of the target vehicle is instructed to output a return alarm (step 706). In addition, the occurrence of the return delay risk of the target vehicle is registered in the vehicle state information providing unit 35 (step 708), and the detailed determination process is terminated.

[0088] Here, as described above, the vehicle terminal 1 instructed to output the return alarm outputs a voice message or display urging the rental car to be returned, such as "The return time of the rental car is approaching", from the voice output device 13. In addition, the vehicle state information providing unit 35 in which the occurrence of the return delay risk is registered causes the store management terminal 2 to output the alarm of the rental car return delay risk in a manner such as a pop-up display so that the rental car as the target vehicle can be identified.

[0089] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above.

[0090] In addition, the store representative point in the above embodiment may be set as the center of the target store grid. Alternatively, the vehicle representative point in the above embodiment may be set as the center of the target vehicle grid.

[0091] In addition, the vehicle representative point in the above embodiment may be the position of the screening target vehicle that is located farthest from the store representative point or the target store grid.

[0092] In addition, in the above embodiment, the store representative point may be set in each screening process performed for each target vehicle grid instead of in the target vehicle grid setting process. That is, for example, in each screening process, the position of a store in the target store grid that is farthest from the vehicle representative point of the target vehicle grid or the target vehicle grid may be set as the store representative point for use.

[0093] As described above, in this embodiment, for one grid (target store grid) where a store is located, a map service is used once for each grid (target vehicle grid) where a rental car with a store in the target store grid as a return destination is located, to obtain an approximate arrival time of each rental car with a store in the target store grid as a return destination when it departs from the return destination store at the current time, and to determine whether each rental car has a probability of a return delay. Then, for only the rental cars that have a probability of a return delay, the map service is used to obtain the expected arrival time when they depart from the return destination store at the current time with high accuracy, and to determine whether there is a risk of a return delay.

[0094] Therefore, according to this embodiment, compared with the case where the map service is used for each rental car to determine whether there is a risk of delayed return, it is possible to determine whether there is a risk of delayed return with less usage of the map service, less processing volume, and lower cost, and with the same accuracy as the case where the map service is used for each rental car.

[0095] Here, in the above embodiment, Figure 6 Step 604 of the screening process or Figure 7 In step 702 of the detailed judgment processing, the estimated arrival time is obtained by using the map service provided by the external map service server 5, but it can also be set to set the function of route search or estimation of the estimated arrival time of the explored route in the vehicle position information management server 3, and the estimated arrival time is calculated by the vehicle position information management server 3 itself. In this way, the following effect can be obtained: the risk of return delay can be judged with less processing volume than the case of performing route search or estimation of the expected arrival time for each rental car, and with the same accuracy as the case of performing route search for each rental car.

[0096] In addition, in the above embodiment, the location or return deadline of a rental car is managed, and the user or manager of the rental car is notified of the risk of a return delay. However, the present embodiment can also be applied to any mobile body that is borrowed and used, such as a shared car, a rental motorcycle, a rental bicycle, or a rental personal mobile device, to manage its location or return deadline and notify the user or manager of the mobile body of the risk of a return delay.

Claims

1. An arrival time index estimation system for estimating an index value of an arrival time of a plurality of mobile bodies arriving at a destination set for each mobile body, It is characterized in that have: A representative point setting means sets a destination representative point in a first area including at least one destination, and sets a moving body representative point in a second area where a plurality of moving bodies for which the destinations in the first area are set are located; as well as An index value estimation mechanism estimates an expected arrival time at a destination of a driving route explored with the current time as a departure time, the representative point of the mobile body as a departure point, and the representative point of the target point as a destination, as an index value of the arrival time of each mobile body located in the second area and having a target point set in the first area at the target point.

2. The arrival time index estimation system according to claim 1, It is characterized in that When the first area includes a plurality of destinations, the representative point setting mechanism sets the centers of the plurality of destinations as the destination representative points, and sets the centers of a plurality of moving bodies located in the second area and having the destinations set in the first area as the moving body representative points.

3. A mobile object management system that manages the return period of a borrowed mobile object. It is characterized in that The mobile object management system includes a management server for managing the position and return deadline of each mobile object. The management server has a screening mechanism and a return delay risk judgment mechanism. The area where the store that is the return destination of the moving body is located among the areas formed by pre-dividing the geographical range as the object is defined as the store-containing area, and each area where the moving body that has the store located in the store-containing area as the return destination is located is defined as the moving body-containing area, The screening mechanism sets a store representative point in the store-containing area, sets a mobile body representative point in each mobile body-containing area, and obtains an expected arrival time at the destination of a driving route explored with the current time as the departure time, the set mobile body representative point as the departure place, and the store representative point in the store-containing area as the destination. For each mobile body located in the mobile body-containing area and with the store in the store-containing area as the return destination, extracts a mobile body whose time margin of the obtained expected arrival time relative to the return deadline of the mobile body is smaller than a specified level. The return delay risk judgment mechanism obtains, for each moving body extracted by the screening mechanism, an expected arrival time at the destination of the travel route explored with the current time as the departure time, the position of the moving body as the departure place, and the store at the return destination of the moving body as the destination, and judges whether the moving body is at risk of return delay based on the time margin of the obtained expected arrival time relative to the return deadline of the moving body.

4. The mobile body management system according to claim 3, It is characterized in that The mobile object management system includes a mobile object terminal mounted on each mobile object and capable of communicating with the management server. The management server includes an alarm unit configured to cause the mobile terminal of the mobile body determined by the return delay risk determination unit to have a risk of return delay to alert a user of the return delay of the mobile body.

5. The mobile body management system according to claim 3, It is characterized in that When a plurality of stores are located within the store-containing area, the screening mechanism sets the center of the plurality of stores as the store representative point.

6. The mobile body management system according to claim 3, It is characterized in that For each moving body-containing area, the screening mechanism sets the center of the positions of the plurality of moving bodies as the moving body representative point when a plurality of moving bodies whose return destinations are the stores in the store-containing area are located in the moving body-containing area.

7. The mobile body management system according to claim 3, It is characterized in that The screening mechanism sets the center of the area containing the store as the representative point of the store.

8. The mobile body management system according to claim 3, It is characterized in that The screening mechanism sets the center of each moving body-containing region as the moving body representative point.

9. The mobile body management system according to claim 3, It is characterized in that The screening agency, For each moving body-containing area, a store in a store-containing area that is farthest from the moving body-containing area or the moving body representative point set in the moving body-containing area is set as the store representative point used for the moving body-containing area. For each mobile body-containing area, the estimated arrival time of the destination of the travel route explored with the current time as the departure time, the set mobile body representative point as the departure place and the set store representative point used for the mobile body-containing area as the destination is obtained.

10. The mobile body management system according to claim 3, It is characterized in that For each mobile body area, the screening mechanism sets the position among the positions of multiple mobile bodies that have the stores in the store area as the return destination, which is farthest from the store area or the store representative point set for the store area, as the mobile body representative point.

11. The mobile body management system according to claim 3, It is characterized in that The screening mechanism uses a service provided by an external service provider server to explore routes and calculate the expected arrival time of the explored routes, and obtains the expected arrival time of the destination of the explored driving route with the current time as the departure time, the set representative point of the moving body as the departure place, and the representative point of the store in the store area as the destination. The return delay risk judgment mechanism uses the service provided by the external service provider server to obtain the expected arrival time of the destination of the travel route explored with the current time as the departure time, the position of the moving body as the departure place and the store at the return destination of the moving body as the destination.

12. The mobile body management system according to any one of claims 3 to 11, It is characterized in that The screening agency, Each area in which a store serving as a return destination of the moving body is located among the areas formed by dividing the geographical range is defined as a store-containing area, and for each store-containing area, an area in which a moving body that has a store in the store-containing area as a return destination is located is defined as a moving body-containing area corresponding to the store-containing area. For each of the store-containing areas, a store representative point is set in the store-containing area; for each of the mobile body-containing areas corresponding to the store-containing area, a mobile body representative point is set in the mobile body-containing area, and an expected arrival time at the destination of the driving route explored with the current time as the departure time, the set mobile body representative point as the departure place, and the store representative point of the store-containing area corresponding to the mobile body-containing area as the destination is obtained; for each mobile body located in the mobile body-containing area and with the store in the store-containing area corresponding to the mobile body-containing area as the return destination, extract mobile bodies whose time margin of the obtained expected arrival time relative to the return deadline of the mobile body is smaller than a specified level.

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