Information processing device

Abstract

To provide an information processing device capable of offering services easily usable by elderly people, etc.SOLUTION: In a server 1, which is an information processing device, a request acceptance unit 41 accepts each of requests (including prior booking and immediate boarding request) for the use of flat-rate taxis from a plurality of users. A vehicle allocation unit 42 performs processing for drafting a transportation plan by the flat-rate taxi so that the compensation when a flat-rate taxi carrying a user moves within a prescribed region becomes constant for users whose set sections are identical among a plurality of sections in a prescribed time unit (for example, on a monthly basis) on the basis of the contents of a request from each of the plurality of users and the section set in each of the plurality of users.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] Owning a car is not economical for those who do not use the car very often. Therefore, car sharing services have been available in the past in which a single car is shared among multiple users in an apartment building or the like (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-337354 [Patent Document 2] JP 2012-118705 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, conventional car sharing services are based on the premise that the user is the driver, and there are issues with elderly people and others who are unable to drive a car themselves, or even if they are able to drive, there are safety concerns.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a service that is easy for elderly people and the like to use. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, an information processing device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: An information processing device that supports the provision of a service in which a price for a moving object carried by a moving body moving within a predetermined area is constant for a same price payer for a set category among a plurality of categories in a predetermined time unit, A request receiving means for receiving requests for use of the mobile object from a plurality of price payers; a transportation planning means for formulating a plan for transportation by the mobile body based on the content of the request from each of the plurality of price payers and the classification set for each of the plurality of price payers; Equipped with. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide services that are easy for elderly people and others to use. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a region in which a flat-rate taxi can be dispatched according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 3 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a server in the information processing system of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 4 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of the server in FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] 5 is a diagram illustrating a first example of the fee to be paid to a user for the service provided by the server 1 having the functional configuration of FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an overview of a taxi sharing service to which the information processing system of FIG. 2 is applied. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an outline of a fee system for the taxi sharing service of FIG. 6. [Figure 8] 7 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of the server in FIG. 3 when the taxi sharing service in FIG. 6 is provided. FIG. [Figure 9]9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of a boarding point calculation process among a series of processes of a server having the functional configuration of FIG. 8. [Figure 10] 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of a reservation point calculation process among a series of processes of a server having the functional configuration of FIG. 8. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Before describing the embodiments of the present invention, a brief description will be given of the general services that are the premise of the present invention.

[0010] Japan is becoming an ultra-aging society, with one in four people being 65 years old or older, which is causing problems not only with medical care and welfare, but also with transportation. For example, according to the results of a survey by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the percentage of people aged between 65 and 74 who have difficulty walking more than 500 meters per day is about 20%, and for those aged 75 and older, the percentage is about 50%.

[0011] On the other hand, traffic accidents caused by elderly drivers are increasing year by year, and are predicted to continue to increase in the future. As the aging population continues, the number of licensed drivers aged 75 and over is predicted to reach 5.33 million in 2018, and measures must be taken to create an environment in which elderly people can live without problems without driving. One possible measure would be to consolidate various functions in the center and keep the urban area compact (compact city), but this is difficult to realize, especially in rural areas, where various bases and residences are scattered.

[0012] Due to these circumstances, elderly people, particularly in rural areas, often have problems and worries such as "the distances they can walk get shorter as they get older," "they are afraid of traffic accidents, but not being able to drive a car will interfere with their daily lives," and "they have no neighbors and end up confined to the house, and there is no one they can rely on if something happens."

[0013] Furthermore, for the elderly, and for most people in general, purchasing and maintaining a personal vehicle is usually expensive.

[0014] Therefore, in order to support the elderly in their community life, it is necessary to build a platform that provides the value of monitoring support, community life support, and community mobility support (free movement within the community) and to provide a comprehensive range of services for the elderly.

[0015] The service to which the information processing system of one embodiment of the present invention is applicable (hereinafter referred to as "this service") aims to realize a "life of freedom and desire" and a "life full of meaning" for users including the elderly, and to create a "circulation of meaning in life" for those who provide the service (such as employees of the service provider described below), who feel "utilized" and feel a "sense of accomplishment and fulfillment" while providing the service.

[0016] Next, I will briefly explain the local life support platform that will be built with the aim of creating this kind of "cycle of meaning in life." The local life support platform is a service proposed by the providers of this service, and is a service provision platform that works in collaboration with other businesses to provide comprehensive services to the elderly and others. In other words, it provides elderly people with value such as "monitoring support," "support for community life," and "free movement within a designated area." Specifically, the local life support platform will include services such as "concierge," "local transportation support," "collection and provision of local information," and "provision of outing tickets (local currency)."

[0017] Prior to the description of one embodiment of the present invention, the general services that are the premise of the present invention have been briefly described above. In the following description, the description will be centered on an example in which the "flat-rate taxi" service related to the "regional mobility support" among the various services described above is adopted.

[0018] Here, we will explain about flat-rate taxis. In the regional mobility support service, the price for traveling within a specific region using a specific taxi is set uniformly within the specific region. A taxi with a uniform price is called a flat-rate taxi. Here, the term "flat rate" means that the price paid when a taxi takes a passenger within a specified area is fixed for a specified unit of time (for example, one month). However, the price per unit of time (for example, one month) is not the same for everyone, and if multiple categories are set, such as the three categories of Shochikubai, the price will differ for each category. In the following example, a person using this service (hereinafter referred to as a "user") will use a flat-rate taxi service by paying a fixed amount every month (for example, an amount determined for each category). This allows users to pay a fixed amount each month and travel freely using fixed-rate taxis within a designated area without worrying about fares.

[0019] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a region in which a flat-rate taxi is dispatched according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1 shows areas A1 and A2. Note that the areas are merely examples and are not limited thereto, and may be any range of regions, that is, "areas."

[0021] Here, each flat-rate taxi is assigned to a predetermined area and travels within that area. For example, in the case of Figure 1, the flat-rate taxi dispatched to area A1 travels within area A1, and the flat-rate taxis T-1 and T-2 dispatched to area A2 travel within area A2. The drivers of the flat-rate taxis are also assigned to a predefined area, and in principle, they drive the flat-rate taxis in that area. For example, in area A2, three drivers take turns driving the flat-rate taxis T-1 and T-2. A user sets an area (e.g., area A2) that includes their home etc., and by paying a fixed amount each month (e.g., 30,000 yen), the user can freely use flat-rate taxis that cover the set area (e.g., flat-rate taxis T-1 and T-2 in area A2) within the set area (within the riding conditions set for each category).

[0022] In FIG. 1, only flat-rate taxis T-1 and T-2 serving area A2 are shown, but a predetermined number of flat-rate taxis (for example, two) also serve area A1. In the example of area A2, three drivers take turns driving two flat-rate taxis, T-1 and T-2. In this way, it is preferable to assign drivers to only a specific area and limit the number of drivers to a certain number, because this makes it possible to form a close personal relationship between the user and the driver, giving the user a sense of security.

[0023] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing system is configured to include a server 1 managed by a provider of this service, user terminals 2-1 to 2-m (m is any integer), and taxi terminals 3-1 to 3-n (n is any integer) installed in flat-rate taxis T-1 to Tn (n is any integer), respectively.

[0025] The server 1, each of the user terminals 2-1 to 2-m, and each of the taxi terminals 3-1 to 3-n are connected to one another via a predetermined network N such as the Internet.

[0026] In the following, when it is not necessary to distinguish between the user terminals 2-1 to 2-m, they will be collectively referred to as the "user terminal 2." When it is not necessary to distinguish between the flat-rate taxis T-1 to Tn, they will be collectively referred to as the "flat-rate taxi T." When the flat-rate taxi is called T, the taxi terminals 3-1 to 3-n will be collectively referred to as the "taxi terminal 3."

[0027] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a server in the information processing system of FIG.

[0028] The server 1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a bus 14, an input / output interface 15, an output unit 16, an input unit 17, a memory unit 18, a communication unit 19, and a drive 20.

[0029] The CPU 11 executes various processes according to a program recorded in the ROM 12 or a program loaded from the storage unit 18 into the RAM 13 .

[0030] The RAM 13 also stores data and the like necessary for the CPU 11 to execute various processes.

[0031] The CPU 11, ROM 12, and RAM 13 are connected to one another via a bus 14. An input / output interface 15 is also connected to this bus 14. An output unit 16, an input unit 17, a storage unit 18, a communication unit 19, and a drive 20 are connected to the input / output interface 15.

[0032] The output unit 16 is composed of a speaker, a display unit, etc., and outputs various information as images and sounds. The input unit 17 is composed of a keyboard, a mouse, etc., and is used to input various information.

[0033] The storage unit 18 is configured with a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or the like, and stores various data. The communication unit 19 controls communications with other devices (the user terminal 2 and the taxi terminal 3 in the example of FIG. 2) via a network N including the Internet.

[0034] Removable media 31, which may be a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a semiconductor memory, is appropriately attached to the drive 20. Programs read from the removable media 31 by the drive 20 are installed in the storage unit 18 as necessary. The removable media 31 can also store various data stored in the storage unit 18.

[0035] The configuration of the user terminal 2 or the taxi terminal 3 is basically the same as the configuration of the server 1, except that it may be equipped with a touch panel display, so a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0036] FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the server of FIG. In the CPU 11 of the server 1, a request receiving unit 41, a vehicle allocation planning unit 42, and a vehicle allocation instruction unit 43 function. As an area of ​​the storage unit 18, a user DB 51, a request DB 52, and a vehicle allocation plan DB 53 are provided.

[0037] The request receiving unit 41 receives requests for use of a fixed-rate taxi T from a plurality of price payers (here, a plurality of users who have set a predetermined area). That is, the request receiving unit 41 receives requests for use of a fixed-rate taxi T (including advance reservations and requests for immediate boarding) from each of the multiple users' user terminals 2 via the communication unit 19, and stores the requests in the request DB 52 in association with the classifications of the multiple users. The classifications are stored in the user DB 51 as one of the attribute information of each user, as will be described in detail later.

[0038] The dispatch planning unit 42 prepares a plan for transportation by flat-rate taxi T in a specified area based on the content of requests from each of a plurality of users and the categories set for each of the plurality of users, and stores the plan in the dispatch planning DB 53. Furthermore, the vehicle allocation planner 42 notifies, via the communication unit 19, each of the user terminals 2 of the multiple users as to whether or not the request is acceptable.

[0039] The dispatch instruction unit 43 refers to the dispatch plan DB 53 for a transportation plan by a flat-rate taxi T in a specified area, and based on this, generates dispatch instructions for the flat-rate taxi T that is responsible for the specified area, and notifies the taxi terminal 3 of the flat-rate taxi T via the communication unit 19.

[0040] Various examples of the compensation to be paid to a user who is provided with the service realized by the server 1 having the functional configuration of FIG. 4 will be described below.

[0041] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a first example of the fee to a user for which the present service implemented by the server 1 having the functional configuration of FIG. 4 is provided. In the first example, when using a flat-rate taxi T in a specific area, a fee system is adopted that provides multiple categories for a monthly fixed usage plan. The user can freely select the category that suits him / her by comparing the membership fee and the service content. The area selected by the user from multiple areas as the area in which the user will use the flat-rate taxi T is set as the "applicable area" in the example of FIG. 5. In the example of Figure 5, there are four categories for the fixed monthly usage plan: Tokumatsu (premium membership, 70,000 yen per month), Matsu (regular membership, 30,000 yen per month), Take (tablet membership, 20,000 yen per month), and Ume (free membership, 0 yen per month).

[0042] For example, with the Tokumatsu plan, which costs 70,000 yen per month, the user, as a premium member, can ride the fixed-rate Taxi T as much as he or she likes at any time within the applicable area.

[0043] For example, with the Matsu Plan, which costs 30,000 yen per month, the user can use the fixed-rate taxi T as a regular member within the applicable area in the following first to third usage methods. The first usage method allows unlimited use of taxis reserved in advance up to the previous month. The second usage method allows taxis reserved in advance up to the day before to be boarded at any time. The third usage method allows taxis to be boarded at any time, even if requested on the day.

[0044] For example, with the Take Plan, which costs 20,000 yen per month, the user can use the fixed-rate taxi T as a tablet member in the applicable area in the following fourth to sixth usage methods. The fourth usage method allows unlimited use of taxis reserved in advance up to the previous month. The fifth usage method allows taxis reserved in advance up to the day before to be boarded at any time. The sixth usage method allows taxis requested on the day to be boarded at any time.

[0045] For example, in the free Ume Plan, as a free member, the user cannot ride the flat-rate taxi T, but can receive local information tailored to (matched with) the user's registered information by using an application (described as "smartphone app" in the example of Figure 5) installed on the user terminal 2 if the user terminal 2 is a smartphone or the like.

[0046] In summary, the information processing device capable of providing the present service having a plurality of sections as in the example of FIG. 5 can take on a variety of different embodiments, including the server 1 of the above-described embodiment. Here, in the above example, the service that can be provided by the information processing device to which the present invention is applied is the service of using a flat-rate taxi T, but is not limited to this, and any service can be provided as long as the fee paid when a moving body carrying a moving object moves within a specified area is constant for the same fee payer for a specified time unit, for a set category out of multiple categories.

[0047] That is, the information processing device to which this service is provided is An information processing device (e.g., server 1 in FIG. 3) that supports the provision of a service (e.g., this service using a flat-rate taxi T) in which the price paid when a moving object (e.g., flat-rate taxis T-1 and T-2 in FIG. 2) moves within a predetermined area (e.g., area A2 in FIG. 1) with a moving object on board is constant for the same price payer (e.g., user) in a set category among multiple categories (e.g., categories in the example of FIG. 5) in a predetermined time unit (e.g., one month unit), A request receiving means (e.g., the request receiving unit 41 in FIG. 4) for receiving requests for use of the vehicle (including advance reservations and requests for immediate boarding) from a plurality of price payers; A transportation planning means (e.g., a vehicle allocation planning unit 42 in FIG. 4 ) that develops a plan for transportation by the mobile object based on the content of the request from each of the plurality of price payers and the classification set for each of the plurality of price payers; It will be enough if you have this. This makes it possible to provide a flat-rate transportation service that allows convenience to be enjoyed according to classification.

[0048] Here, if the number of users who can ride a flat-rate taxi T at one time is limited to one, if there are requests from users in the same area at the same time period that exceed the number of flat-rate taxis T available in that area, it will not be possible to respond to all requests. In such a case, the vehicle dispatch planning unit 42 can reject some of the requests based on a predetermined rule and create a transportation plan by a fixed-rate taxi T. As the predetermined rule, for example, a rule that prioritizes user classification can be adopted, but is not particularly limited. In addition, any rules can be adopted that take into consideration, for example, the number of passengers allowed to ride together if ride-sharing is allowed, the advance request period (early reservation), boarding and disembarking points (using a taxi stand, etc.), the urgency of the purpose of use, the user's physical disability or health condition, age, gender, convenience of residence, etc.

[0049] Here, the number of users who can ride in the fixed-price taxi T does not have to be limited to one person, but may be multiple people.

[0050] Here, there are car sharing services that transport multiple people. However, car sharing services are not suitable for elderly people because there are safety concerns about elderly people driving their own cars. Therefore, for such elderly people and others, a service that allows multiple users in the same applicable area to share the above-mentioned flat-rate taxi T (hereinafter referred to as a "taxi sharing service") is desirable.

[0051] In addition, the taxi sharing service allows the use of not only flat-rate taxis T, but also taxis that use the normal taxi fare system, that is, a system in which the fare is calculated in conjunction with the distance traveled and the duration of the ride. However, it is not appropriate to apply the normal taxi fare system to a taxi sharing service as is. In other words, if the conventional taxi fare calculation method were adopted for a taxi sharing service as is, taxi companies would lose revenue opportunities during peak demand periods, and the economic benefits for users would be reduced.

[0052] Therefore, in this embodiment, a fixed-rate taxi T is shared by a group of people, and a points system is introduced to limit exclusive use by a few users while making use of surplus vehicles during off-peak hours. First, if usage is concentrated among only a few users, a sense of unfairness will arise within the community. Secondly, both taxi companies and users want to enjoy economic benefits. Therefore, in this embodiment, a points system is adopted in which the travel distance and travel time are used as the basis for the amount of points consumed, while other factors (context, whether or not a reservation has been made) are also taken into account to vary the points consumed.

[0053] In this specification, the term "context" refers to all of the internal and external states of the flat-rate taxi T. The internal state of the flat-rate taxi T refers to the vehicle type, year, model, or the driver's physical condition, driving skills, or customer service attitude of the flat-rate taxi T. The external state of the flat-rate taxi T refers to the operating status, road traffic conditions, road surface conditions, and spatial or temporal location of the flat-rate taxi T (temporal location refers to the current time, for example), as well as specific states distributed in the spatial or temporal directions around the flat-rate taxi T (or distributed in either direction).

[0054] In this embodiment, the geographical range in which the taxi sharing service is provided is limited to a certain area. In this way, a strong personal relationship can be formed between the user and the provider, and between the users themselves, giving the users a sense of security.

[0055] In this embodiment, the fee for the taxi sharing service is a fixed-rate point system. The fixed-rate point system may be, for example, a monthly system, and multiple flat-rate plans can be set, ranging from high-price plans for heavy users to low-price plans for light users. In this embodiment, when a vehicle dispatch request or reservation conflicts between a user with a high-price plan and a user with a low-price plan, the vehicle dispatch request, etc. of the user with the high-price plan is given priority.

[0056] Here, the points do not necessarily have to be consumed by using the fixed-price taxi T, but may be used for other services. For example, when a user uses a fixed-rate taxi T to go to a hospital, the user may use the time while the user is visiting the hospital to request a proxy service such as shopping, thereby consuming points. In this way, the user can use the fixed-rate taxi T not just as a means of transportation, but also as a service similar to a handyman (assistant) that flexibly responds to various requests by consuming points. Additionally, the user may be able to specify a driver, eliminating the need to transmit a request each time the service is used. By doing this, the user and the driver gradually become acquainted with each other, and the driver can understand the various circumstances of the user and can propose various services according to those circumstances. In addition, when a user designates a driver, points may be consumed. Furthermore, a support system may be introduced that provides topics based on topics discussed during previous rides, requests, etc.

[0057] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an outline of a taxi sharing service to which the information processing system of FIG. 2 is applied. FIG. 6 shows an example of a taxi sharing service in which a community C consisting of 10 users in the same area uses n flat-rate taxis T-1 to Tn (n is any integer value equal to or greater than 1). Here, flat-rate taxis T-1 to T-(a-1) (where a is any integer value between 1 and n) have passengers on board, and flat-rate taxis Ta to Tn are empty with only the driver on board. Three users U1 to U3 of a community C are sharing a single flat-rate taxi T-1. In this situation, if another user U4 of community C wishes to ride, if it is possible for them to share a flat-rate taxi T-1 to T-(a-1) that is currently in use, the amount of payment consumed (e.g., points) can be kept low. On the other hand, if it is possible for the user to board one of the available flat-rate taxis Ta to Tn alone, the flat-rate taxi Ta is selected from the available taxis as the one that can board the user U4 most quickly, and the user can travel quickly to the destination. In the example of FIG. 6, a user U4 rides alone in an empty flat-rate taxi Ta, and pays the consumption price for one taxi by himself. On the other hand, three users U1 to U3 sharing a single flat-rate taxi T-1 can share the consumption price for one taxi. In this specification, ride-sharing is not limited to passengers boarding and disembarking at the same time, but also includes passengers boarding or disembarking along the way.

[0058] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an outline of a fee system for the taxi sharing service of FIG. FIG. 7(a) is a diagram showing the usage status of one user who has used the taxi sharing service and the corresponding details of points consumed. Regarding the points consumed by a user who rides in a taxi, any calculation method may be adopted that is linked to, for example, the distance traveled or the duration of the ride. In the following explanation, it is assumed that 1 point is consumed for a 1 km (2 minutes) ride. In addition, the points consumed are adjusted depending on the context (situation) of the N taxis.

[0059] FIG. 7(b) shows a specific example of a consumption point adjustment table. In the point consumption adjustment table, "+α" represents the adjustment amount to be added to the base point consumption amount based on the distance and time traveled, and a number with a "+" indicates an increase or decrease in the point consumption amount, while a number with a "-" indicates an increase or decrease in the point consumption amount.

[0060] Returning to the consumed point details in FIG. 7(a), the "time" item indicates an ascending chronological order. At time=1, since the user was in a hurry, he requested priority ride dispatch, took a 10 km, 20 minute ride, and consumed 40 points as payment. In this embodiment, the user can request preferential vehicle dispatch by paying more points depending on the degree of urgency. The degree of urgency is specified by a value between 0 and 1. When requesting a ride, the current usage status of the Flat Rate Taxi T can be displayed and checked in advance. In addition, when n flat-rate taxis T are fully operational and a vehicle must be waited for dispatch, or when a vehicle dispatch request becomes possible due to a cancellation, etc., the user is notified. Event information that is considered to be of interest to the user, such as pension payment information, is also displayed or notified to the user. This is because points are earned through priority dispatch in addition to the 10 points earned for a 10km (20 minute) ride.

[0061] According to the consumption point adjustment table in Figure 7(b), the points generated by priority dispatch are 30 points, so the total consumption points is 40 points. At time=2, the user traveled 20 km in 40 minutes during rush hour and consumed 30 points for the trip. This is because points are earned for use during rush hour in addition to the 20 points earned for a 20km (40 minute) ride. According to the consumption point adjustment table in Figure 7(b), the points generated by using the service during commuting hours are 10 points, so the total consumption points is 10 points.

[0062] Here, since many elderly people are not limited by time constraints, in this embodiment, the amount of points consumed during off-peak hours is set low to utilize the surplus number of units during off-peak hours; however, there are cases where there is no opportunity to consume points within the validity period, resulting in surplus points that would otherwise disappear. Furthermore, elderly people come in all shapes and sizes, with some having many time constraints and in an economic situation where expensive point consumption is not a problem. In such cases, it is more convenient for users to be able to use the service without time restrictions, regardless of economic considerations, even if it is more expensive. The present embodiment takes the above points into consideration.

[0063] At time=3, the user traveled 30 km in 60 minutes during off-peak hours and consumed 20 points for the trip. This is because the points earned during off-peak hours are deducted from the 30 points earned for a 30km (60-minute) ride. According to the consumption point adjustment table in Figure 7(b), the points incurred due to use during off-peak hours are minus 10 points, so the total consumption points is 20 points. At time=4, the user traveled 20 km in 40 minutes during off-peak hours and consumed 30 points for the trip. This is because points earned for same-day reservations are calculated separately from the 20 points earned for a 20km (40-minute) ride, and points earned for use during off-peak hours are deducted.

[0064] In this embodiment, a reservation means securing the use of a taxi vehicle in advance by applying for it. In this embodiment, a reservation is made by specifying the date and time of use, the number of vehicles to be used, the number of passengers, the boarding location, the disembarking location, etc., and the longer the period until the date and time of use, the fewer points will be consumed in connection with the reservation. When making a reservation, an adjustment range can be set, for example, five hours, for the date and time of use, and the larger the adjustment range, the fewer points will be consumed for the reservation. When making a reservation, the predicted usage status and reservation status of the flat-rate taxi T can be displayed in advance, and the available reservation times can be confirmed. In addition, when n fixed-rate taxis T are fully operational and cannot be reserved, or when reservations become possible due to cancellations, etc., the user is notified.

[0065] According to the consumption point adjustment table in Figure 7(b), the points generated by booking on the day are 20 points, and the points generated by using the facility during off-peak hours are minus 10 points, so the total points consumed is 30 points. At time=3, the user shared a 30km ride with two other people for 60 minutes and spent 10 points for the ride. This is because the 30 points earned for a 30km (60 minute) ride are divided into thirds based on the number of passengers.

[0066] The point consumption adjustment table in Figure 7(b) also shows that the points earned for a reservation the day before are 10 points, the points earned for a reservation two days before are 5 points, the points earned for using a designated taxi stand are minus 5 points, the points earned for passengers requiring assistance are 10 points, the points earned for a pass-of-passenger boarding and alighting (the previous passenger and the next passenger board and alight at the same location with no time in between) are minus 10 points, the points earned for a reservation with a time adjustment range of 3 hours or more are minus 5 points, and the points earned for a reservation with a time adjustment range of 5 hours or more are minus 10 points. Furthermore, the adjustment of the consumption points was performed by addition and subtraction in the above example, but it may be performed by various other calculations, such as multiplication by 1.1 (increasing by 10%).

[0067] FIG. 7(c) is a diagram showing the relationship between the points consumed and the usage amount for one user who has used the taxi sharing service. The amount is fixed up to a certain point of consumption during a given period, but the amount increases accordingly for any points consumed beyond that. The example in FIG. 7(c) shows that up to 100 points are available for flat-rate use. In the example of the consumed point details in FIG. 7(a), 40 points have been consumed at time=1, which is within the flat-rate usage limit. At time=2, 30 points are consumed, and the total number of consumed points is 70. At this point, the usage is still within the flat-rate usage limit. At time=3, 20 more points are consumed, bringing the total number of consumed points to 90. At this point, the user is still within the flat-rate usage limit. At time=4, an additional 30 points are consumed, bringing the total number of consumed points to 120. At this point, the flat-rate usage limit of 100 points is exceeded, so the user will be charged an additional 20 points.

[0068] FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of the server in FIG. 3 when a taxi sharing service is provided. In addition, since the taxi sharing service is based on the flat-rate taxi T in this embodiment, the CPU 11 of the server 1 also functions as appropriate in the above-mentioned functional blocks of FIG. In the CPU 11 of the server 1, a points management unit 150, a transportation record acquisition unit 151, a context acquisition unit 152, a ride details acquisition unit 153, a reservation acceptance unit 154, a consumption amount calculation unit 155, and a context presentation unit 156 function. As one area of ​​the memory unit 18, a taxi vehicle management DB 171 and a points management DB 172 are provided.

[0069] The point management unit 150 further includes a point allocation unit 161 and a point consumption unit 162, and manages points that can be used as a payment by passengers for taxi services for each user who may become a passenger. The point allocating unit 161 allocates points to each user according to the fee plan. The point consumption unit 162 consumes the points calculated by the consumption amount calculation unit 155 (to be described later) for each user.

[0070] The transportation record acquisition unit 151 acquires transportation record information of the flat-rate taxi T from the taxi terminal 3 via the communication unit 19, and accumulates it in the taxi vehicle management DB 171. The context acquisition unit 152 acquires a context related to the flat-rate taxi T from the pickup and drop-off record information accumulated in the taxi vehicle management DB 171. The ride details acquisition unit 153 acquires the ride distance and ride time of the fixed-rate taxi T in which the passenger is riding from the pickup and drop-off record information accumulated in the taxi vehicle management DB 171. The reservation reception unit 154 receives a reservation for using a taxi from the user terminal 2 via the communication unit 19.

[0071] The consumption amount calculation unit 155 receives the context, the travel distance, and the travel time as input parameters from the context acquisition unit 152 and the ride details acquisition unit 153, and calculates the consumption amount (e.g., points) based on a predetermined function that outputs the consumption amount (e.g., points) as the price paid by the passenger. In addition, the consumption amount calculation unit 155 calculates a consumption amount (for example, points) as a reservation fee to be paid by the user for the utilization reservation accepted by the reservation acceptance unit 154 based on the context accepted from the context acquisition unit 152.

[0072] The context presenting unit 156 transmits the content of the context received from the context acquiring unit 152 to the user terminal 2 via the communication unit 19 .

[0073] The taxi vehicle management DB 171 stores information for identifying a taxi vehicle and information relating to the taxi vehicle in association with each other. The point management DB 172 stores information for identifying a user in association with point information owned by the user.

[0074] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of a boarding point calculation process among the processes of the server having the functional configuration of FIG.

[0075] In step S11, the point management unit 150 manages, for each user who may become a passenger, the amount of compensation (for example, points) that can be used as compensation paid by the passenger for the taxi service.

[0076] In step S12, the CPU 11 determines whether or not a predetermined user has used a fixed-rate taxi T. If the flat-rate taxi T is not used, the result of step S12 is determined to be NO, the process returns to step S11, and the series of processes thereafter are repeated. On the other hand, if a fixed-rate taxi T is used, the answer is determined as YES in step S12, and the process proceeds to step S13.

[0077] In step S13, the context acquisition unit 152 acquires a context related to the flat-rate taxi T from the pickup and drop-off record information accumulated in the taxi vehicle management DB 171. In step S14, the ride details acquisition unit 153 acquires the ride distance and ride time of the flat-rate taxi T in which the passenger is riding from the pickup and drop-off record information accumulated in the taxi vehicle management DB 171. In step S15, the consumption calculation unit 155 receives the context, the travel distance, and the travel time as input parameters, and calculates the consumption points based on a predetermined function that outputs the consumption points as the price paid by the passenger.

[0078] In step S16, the CPU 11 determines whether or not there is an instruction to end the process. The processing end instruction is not particularly limited, and for example, a sleep instruction can be adopted as the processing end instruction. If there is no instruction to end the process, the result of step S16 is determined to be NO, and the process returns to step S11, and the series of processes thereafter are repeated. On the other hand, if there is an instruction to end the process, the result of the determination in step S16 is YES, and the process of the server 1 ends.

[0079] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of reservation point calculation processing among the processing of the server having the functional configuration of FIG.

[0080] In step S21, the point management unit 150 manages points that can be used as a payment by a passenger for the flat-rate taxi T service for each user who may become a passenger.

[0081] In step S22, the CPU 11 determines whether or not a predetermined user has used a fixed-rate taxi T. If the fixed-rate taxi T is not used, the result of step S12 is determined to be NO, and the process returns to step S21, and the series of processes thereafter are repeated. On the other hand, if a fixed-rate taxi T is used, the answer is determined as YES in step S22, and the process proceeds to step S23.

[0082] In step S23, the reservation acceptance unit 154 accepts a reservation for the flat-rate taxi T from the user terminal 2 via the communication unit 19. In step S24, the context acquisition unit 152 acquires a context related to the flat-rate taxi T from the pickup and drop-off record information accumulated in the taxi vehicle management DB 171. In step S25, the consumption calculation unit 155 calculates consumption points as a reservation fee to be paid by the user for the usage reservation accepted by the reservation acceptance unit 154, based on the context accepted from the context acquisition unit 152.

[0083] In step S26, the CPU 11 determines whether or not there is an instruction to end the process. The processing end instruction is not particularly limited, and for example, a sleep instruction can be adopted as the processing end instruction. If there is no instruction to end the process, the result of step S26 is determined to be NO, and the process returns to step S21, and the series of steps thereafter are repeated. On the other hand, if there is an instruction to end the process, the result of the determination in step S26 is YES, and the process of the server 1 ends.

[0084] The taxi sharing service is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can also be realized as a service that uses any taxi other than the flat-rate taxi T. In other words, users of the taxi sharing service are not limited to elderly people in a specific area. People who do not have a driver's license, beginners who are not confident in driving a car, and paper drivers can also become users of the taxi sharing service. In addition, when calculating the consumption value (e.g., points), distances other than the riding distance and time other than the riding time may be considered. For example, the distance and time of transportation before and after boarding, the time from getting off the bus to getting back on, etc. may be considered. Furthermore, a service such as shopping on behalf of the user may be provided during the time from getting off the bus at a destination such as a hospital until getting back on the bus for the round trip.

[0085] Furthermore, it will be possible to provide services similar to the taxi sharing services described above not only for services that use taxis, but also for passenger transportation services.

[0086] To summarise, The information processing device that calculates the price paid by a passenger for a passenger transportation service may be any device as described below. That is, the information processing device A management unit (e.g., a points management unit 150 in FIG. 8 ) that manages a value (e.g., points) that can be used as the value for each user who can become a passenger; A context acquisition means (e.g., the context acquisition unit 152 of FIG. 8 ) for acquiring a context related to a passenger transport vehicle; A ride details acquisition means (e.g., the ride details acquisition unit 153 in FIG. 8) for acquiring a ride distance and a ride time for the passenger transport vehicle in which the passenger is riding; a consumption amount calculation means (e.g., the consumption amount calculation unit 155 in FIG. 8 ) for calculating a consumption amount (e.g., points) based on a predetermined function that uses the context, the travel distance, and the travel time as input parameters and outputs the consumption amount (e.g., points) as a consideration paid by the passenger; It can be provided with: This will enable the effective use of surplus taxis during off-peak times, increasing revenue and establishing technology that makes it possible to provide a taxi sharing service that is easy for elderly people and others to use.

[0087] Moreover, the above-mentioned information processing device The context acquisition means (for example, the context acquisition unit 152 in FIG. 8) acquires at least the number of passengers as the context, The consumption amount calculation means (for example, the consumption amount calculation unit 155 in FIG. 8) can calculate the consumption price amount by using a function that outputs the consumption price amount per passenger as the predetermined function. This will encourage more users to take advantage of ride-sharing, further increasing revenue and establishing technology that makes it possible to provide a taxi-sharing service that is easy for elderly people and others to use.

[0088] Furthermore, the above-mentioned information processing device The context acquisition means (for example, the context acquisition unit 152 in FIG. 8) acquires at least a boarding time zone as the context, The consumption calculation means (e.g., the consumption calculation unit 155 in FIG. 8) can calculate the consumption price using, as the predetermined function, a function that outputs a different consumption price depending on the riding time zone even if the riding distance and the riding time are the same. This will encourage users to refrain from using the service during peak hours, and instead encourage more use during off-peak hours. Furthermore, the surplus number of taxis during off-peak hours can be effectively utilized to increase revenue, establishing technology that makes it possible to provide a taxi sharing service that is easy for elderly people and others to use.

[0089] The information processing device can also have the following configuration, and can have various other embodiments including the above-mentioned embodiment. That is, the information processing device that calculates the price paid by the passenger for the passenger transportation service includes: A management unit (e.g., a points management unit 150 in FIG. 8 ) that manages a value (e.g., points) that can be used as the value for each user who can become a passenger; A reservation receiving means (e.g., the reservation receiving unit 154 in FIG. 8) that receives reservations for passenger transport vehicles from users; A context acquisition means (e.g., the context acquisition unit 152 of FIG. 8 ) for acquiring a context related to a passenger transport vehicle; A consumption amount calculation unit (e.g., the consumption amount calculation unit 155 in FIG. 8 ) that calculates a consumption amount (e.g., points) as a reservation fee to be paid by the user for the accepted use reservation based on the context; It can be provided with: This will encourage users to make reservations in advance, making it possible to effectively utilize surplus taxis during off-peak hours, increasing revenue, and establishing technology that makes it possible to provide a taxi sharing service that is easy for elderly people and others to use.

[0090] Moreover, the above-mentioned information processing device The device may further include a presentation means (for example, the context presentation unit 156 in FIG. 8) for presenting the content of the acquired context to the user. This allows the user to check the predicted usage status and reservation status before making a reservation in advance, further promoting the use of the service by users through advance reservations.

[0091] Furthermore, the above-mentioned information processing device The consumption amount calculation means (for example, the consumption amount calculation unit 155 in FIG. 8) can calculate the consumption value amount based on the urgency in addition to the context. This allows users who should be given priority in boarding to be given priority, thereby improving convenience for users.

[0092] Furthermore, the above-mentioned information processing device The consumption amount calculation means (for example, the consumption amount calculation unit 155 in FIG. 8) can calculate the consumption price amount based on an adjustment width in addition to the context. This makes it possible to appropriately resolve conflicts between reservations made by different users, thereby improving the convenience for users through advance reservations.

[0093] Furthermore, the above-mentioned information processing device The consumption amount calculation means (for example, the consumption amount calculation unit 155 in FIG. 8) can calculate the consumption amount based on the preceding period in addition to the context. This allows the user to know the reservation trends of others from an early stage, improving the convenience for the user through advance reservations.

[0094] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and modifications and improvements within the scope of the present invention that can achieve the object of the present invention are included in the present invention.

[0095] For example, the above-described series of processes can be executed by hardware or software. In other words, the functional configurations of Fig. 4 and Fig. 8 are merely examples and are not particularly limited. That is, it is sufficient that the server 1 is provided with a function capable of executing the above-mentioned series of processes as a whole, and the type of functional block used to realize this function is not particularly limited to the examples of Fig. 4 and Fig. 8. Furthermore, one functional block may be configured as a single piece of hardware, a single piece of software, or a combination of both.

[0096] When the series of processes is executed by software, the program constituting the software is installed into a computer or the like from a network or a recording medium. The computer may be a computer built into dedicated hardware, or may be a computer capable of executing various functions by installing various programs, such as a general-purpose personal computer.

[0097] The recording medium including such a program is not only constituted by the removable medium 31 in FIG. 3 that is distributed separately from the device main body in order to provide the user with the program, but also constituted by a recording medium provided to the user in a state in which it is pre-installed in the device main body. The removable medium 31 is constituted by, for example, a magnetic disk (including a floppy disk), an optical disk, or a magneto-optical disk. The optical disk is constituted by, for example, a CD-ROM (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), or the like. The magneto-optical disk is constituted by, for example, an MD (Mini-Disk), or the like. The recording medium provided to the user in a state in which it is pre-installed in the device main body is constituted by, for example, the ROM 12 in FIG. 3 and the ROM 12 in FIG. 3 in which the program is recorded, the storage unit 18 in FIG. 3, and a hard disk included in the storage unit 18 in FIG. 3, or the like.

[0098] In this specification, execution processing in the order from this application to other applications includes not only processing that is performed chronologically in that order, but also processing that is executed in parallel or individually, even if not necessarily processed chronologically. In addition, in this specification, the term "system" refers to an overall device that is composed of a plurality of devices, a plurality of means, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] 1...server, 2...user terminal, 3...taxi terminal, 11...CPU, 12...ROM, 13...RAM, 14...bus, 15...input / output interface, 16...input section, 17...display section, 18...storage section, 19...communication section, 20...drive, 31...removable media, 41...request reception section, 42...vehicle dispatch planning section, 43...vehicle dispatch instruction section, 51...user DB, 52...request DB, 53... vehicle dispatch plan DB, 150... point management unit, 151... pick-up and drop-off record acquisition unit, 152... context acquisition unit, 153... ride content acquisition unit, 154... reservation reception unit, 155... consumption amount calculation unit, 156... context presentation unit, 161... point allocation unit, 162... point consumption unit, 171... taxi vehicle management DB, 172... point management DB, N... network, T... flat-rate taxi

Claims

[Claim 1] A passenger for a passenger transportation service who has a contract under which, in exchange for paying a fixed amount of compensation for each specified period, he or she is able to ride a passenger transportation vehicle multiple times during the specified period by consuming an amount of compensation up to a maximum amount of compensation during the specified period, and the maximum amount of compensation is granted during the specified period, the information processing device calculates an amount of compensation for a reservation of a ride during the specified period, a management means for managing a history of the maximum consideration amount and the consumption consideration amount during the predetermined period for each user who may become a passenger; A ride information acquisition means for acquiring a predicted ride distance and ride time for the passenger transport vehicle when making a reservation for the predetermined period; a value calculation means for calculating the value for the reservation independently of other reservations based on a predetermined function that outputs the consumption value and is stipulated by the contract, using the predictions of the travel distance and the travel time at the time of the reservation as input parameters; An information processing device comprising:

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