Information processing method, information processor and program

Abstract

To provide an information processing method or the like which enables an operator such as an operation manager to easily confirm an operation plan.SOLUTION: An information processing method acquires an operation plan for operating a plurality of buses 30 including electric buses 31 traveling with mounted batteries 311, and fuel buses 32 traveling while consuming mounted fuels, and makes a computer 20 to execute processing of displaying a schedule with a work time of each of the buses 30 and a charging time of each of the electric buses 31 as a list, on the basis of the operation plan. The schedule includes: schedule columns which are arranged in parallel with a temporal axis and correspond to each of the buses 30; work schedule zones which are arranged inside the schedule columns and extend to an enter schedule time from a delivery schedule time relating to each of the works; and charge schedule zones which are arranged inside the schedule columns and extend to a finish time from a start time relating to the charging, when the schedule columns correspond to the electric buses 31.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing method, an information processing device, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] A traffic management device has been proposed that includes a traffic plan creation means for allocating multiple vehicles, including electric vehicles and non-electric vehicles, to multiple bus schedules (Patent Document 1). The traffic management device in Patent Document 1 can automatically create a traffic plan for electric vehicles to charge at multiple charging stations between travels on the bus schedule. This traffic plan assumes that the on-board batteries of electric vehicles are small in capacity, and that they will be charged at multiple charging stations along the route of the daily bus schedule. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-106745 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the requirements for the bus schedule are transportation demand consisting of routes and times, and do not include charging stations along the route of electric vehicles or charging amounts as requirements as described in Patent Document 1. When considering the operation of multiple electric and non-electric vehicles in a vehicle operation plan compiled on the premise of a bus schedule based on transportation demand, operators such as operation managers need to understand the changing operating conditions on public roads and change operations as necessary.

[0005] Another object of the present invention is to provide an information processing method that enables an operator such as an operations manager to easily check an operation plan. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The information processing method involves a computer acquiring an operation plan for operating a number of buses, including electric buses that run on on-board batteries and fuel buses that run by consuming on-board fuel, and executing a process to display a schedule that lists the working times of each bus and the charging times of the electric buses based on the operation plan. Effect of the Invention

[0007] In one aspect, it is possible to provide an information processing method that enables an operator such as an operations manager to easily check an operation plan. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration of a vehicle operation and charging management system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a record layout of an operation plan DB. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a record layout of an update plan DB. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the record layout of an operation record DB. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a record layout of a vehicle DB. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a record layout of a charging power DB. [Figure 7] This is an example of the screen when starting work. [Figure 8] This is an enlarged view of the schedule column and graph column extracted from FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of part IX in FIG. [Figure 10] This is a screenshot from the 5:30 time point. [Figure 11] 13 is an example of a work operation registration screen. [Figure 12] 13 is an example of a vehicle search screen. [Figure 13] This is a screenshot from the 10:40 time point. [Figure 14] This is a screenshot from the 10:40 time point. [Figure 15]FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of a portion XV in FIG. [Figure 16] 16 is a modified example of the screen shown in FIG. 15. [Figure 17] This is a screenshot from 21:40. [Figure 18] This is a screenshot from 21:40. [Figure 19] 13 is a screen example of a charging registration screen. [Figure 20] This is a modified example of the charging performance band. [Figure 21] 11 is a flowchart illustrating a process flow of a program. [Figure 22] 11 is a flowchart illustrating a process flow of a program. [Figure 23] 11 is a flowchart illustrating a process flow of a program. [Figure 24] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process flow of a subroutine for predicting charging power. [Diagram 25] 13 is a flowchart illustrating a process flow of a work change subroutine. [Figure 26] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process flow of a charge change subroutine. [Figure 27] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the configuration of a traffic support system according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] [Embodiment 1] By improving public transportation for short distance travel, we can promote urban development where everyone, including children and the elderly, can use cheap, safe, and sustainable transportation. Conventional route buses mainly use diesel vehicles. Conventional taxis mainly use LP (Liquefied Petroleum) gas vehicles. To prevent global warming, it is recommended that both types of vehicles be converted to electric vehicles.

[0010] However, replacing existing diesel and LPG vehicles with electric vehicles, even though they are still in good enough condition to be used, puts a strain on the management of the operating company and generates more waste than necessary. Replacing vehicles that have reached the time to be replaced with electric vehicles is effective in stabilizing the management of the operating company and maintaining a sustainable means of transportation, as well as reducing the amount of waste generated and implementing sustainable consumption and production.

[0011] In light of the above circumstances, this embodiment will be described by taking as an example a transportation and charging management system for a route bus office that uses both diesel vehicles and electric vehicles. Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the configuration of a transportation and charging management system 10. The route bus office is provided with a garage 36 where buses 30 can be parked and daily maintenance can be performed.

[0012] In FIG 1, one electric bus 31 and two fuel buses 32 are stored in a garage 36. The electric bus 31 runs using electric energy extracted from an on-board battery 311. It takes several hours to charge the battery 311. The fuel bus 32 runs by burning diesel in the on-board fuel tank 322 with a diesel engine. It takes several minutes to refuel the fuel tank 322.

[0013] The fuel in the fuel tank 322 may be LP gas or gasoline. The fuel bus 32 may be a fuel cell vehicle that runs on hydrogen in the fuel tank 322. The fuel bus 32 may be a so-called hybrid vehicle that includes both the fuel tank 322 and the battery 311. The electric bus 31 may be a so-called plug-in hybrid vehicle that includes both the fuel tank 322 and the battery 311 and allows charging of the battery 311 from an external source.

[0014] The operation and charging management system 10 includes an information processing device 20, and a gate sensor 37 and a charger 38 connected to the information processing device 20 via a network. The operation and charging management system 10 is connected to a traffic information server 18 via the network. The traffic information server 18 is a server that provides a traffic information service that receives the travel route of the bus 30 and transmits the estimated arrival time at the final destination. Traffic information services have been used for a long time, so detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0015] The gate sensor 37 detects buses 30 entering and leaving the garage 36, and transmits information relating to the vehicle number uniquely assigned to each bus 30 and the distinction between leaving and entering the garage to the information processing device 20. For example, an ETC (Electronic Toll Collection System) roadside device is used as the gate sensor 37. The roadside device communicates with an ETC in-vehicle device mounted on each bus 30, and transmits information relating to the buses 30 entering and leaving the garage 36 to the information processing device 20.

[0016] The charger 38 is connected to a commercial power source and charges the battery 311. First, the charger 38 acquires the vehicle number of the electric bus 31, for example, via short-range wireless communication. The vehicle number may be input to the charger 38 by a person who has performed the work of connecting the electric bus 31 and the charger 38.

[0017] The charger 38 reads the status, such as the remaining charge amount, of the connected battery 311. The charger 38 transmits information regarding the vehicle number of the connected electric bus 31 and the status of the installed battery 311 to the information processing device 20. The control unit 21 searches the update plan DB 52 to obtain a charging plan and transmits it to the charger 38.

[0018] The charger 38 charges the electric bus 31 in a charging mode instructed by the information processing device 20. The charger 38 may also charge the electric bus 31 in a charging mode instructed by the person who connected the electric bus 31 and the charger 38. When charging is completed, the charger 38 notifies the information processing device 20 that charging is complete. Note that even if the electric bus 31 and the charger 38 are disconnected during charging, the charger 38 still notifies the information processing device 20 that charging is complete and information such as the charge capacity at the time the connection was disconnected.

[0019] There are four types of charging modes, for example, "full charge mode," "power storage amount designated mode," "rapid charge mode," and "charging power designated mode." When "full charge mode" is designated, charger 38 charges battery 311 with the minimum charging power required to charge battery 311 to 100% in the designated charging time. When "power storage amount designated mode" is designated, charger 38 charges battery 311 to a designated power storage amount in the designated charging time. In the above two types of charging modes, charger 38 predicts whether the designated power storage amount will be reached within the designated time based on the remaining power detected from battery 311 before charging begins, and notifies information processing device 20.

[0020] When the "quick charge mode" is specified, the charger 38 charges the battery 311 to 100% in the minimum charging time. In the "quick charge mode", the charger 38 predicts the charging completion time based on the remaining charge amount detected in the battery 311 before charging started, and notifies the information processing device 20.

[0021] When the "charge power specification mode" is specified, the charger 38 charges the battery 311 with the specified charge power for the specified charge time. In the "charge power specification mode", the charger 38 predicts the amount of charge at the end of charging under the specified conditions based on the remaining amount of charge detected in the battery 311 before charging started, and notifies the information processing device 20 of the predicted amount of charge.

[0022] The charging modes described above are all examples and are not limited to these. In any charging mode, when the amount of charge in the battery 311 reaches a specified state or a 100% charged state, the charger 38 stops charging and notifies the information processing device 20. The charger 38 may transmit information such as the amount of charge to the information processing device 20 as needed during charging. A detailed description of the internal structure and operation of the charger 38 will be omitted.

[0023] The charger 38 can simultaneously charge multiple electric buses 31. Multiple chargers 38 may be installed in the garage 36.

[0024] The information processing device 20 includes a control unit 21, a main memory device 22, an auxiliary memory device 23, a communication unit 24, an input unit 25, a display unit 26, and a bus. The control unit 21 is an arithmetic and control device that executes the program of this embodiment. The control unit 21 uses one or more central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), multi-core CPUs, or the like. The control unit 21 is connected to each hardware unit constituting the information processing device 20 via the bus.

[0025] The main memory device 22 is a storage device such as an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), a flash memory, etc. The main memory device 22 temporarily stores information required during processing performed by the control unit 21 and programs being executed by the control unit 21.

[0026] The auxiliary storage device 23 is a storage device such as an SRAM, a flash memory, a hard disk, or a magnetic tape. An operation plan DB (Database) 51, an update plan DB 52, an operation record DB 53, a vehicle DB 54, a charging power DB 55, a program to be executed by the control unit 21, and various data required for executing the programs are stored in the auxiliary storage device 23. The operation plan DB 51, the update plan DB 52, the operation record DB 53, the vehicle DB 54, and the charging power DB 55 may be stored in an external large-capacity storage device connected to the information processing device 20.

[0027] The communication unit 24 is an interface for communicating between the information processing device 20 and a network or other devices. The input unit 25 is, for example, a keyboard and a mouse. The display unit 26 is, for example, a liquid crystal display panel or an organic EL (electro-luminescence) panel. The input unit 25 and the display unit 26 may be stacked to form a touch panel. The information processing device 20 may include a microphone and a speaker that are interfaces for audio input and output.

[0028] The information processing device 20 is an information device such as a personal computer or a tablet that is used by an operator such as an operation manager at a route bus office. The information processing device 20 may be configured by a mainframe computer, a virtual machine running on a mainframe computer, a plurality of personal computers performing distributed processing, or a combination of a cloud computing system and a terminal device.

[0029] In a route bus office where multiple operation managers are stationed, multiple information processing devices 20 are connected via a network, and a database such as an operation plan DB51 stored in one of the information processing devices 20 or an external large-capacity storage device may be shared for use.

[0030] Information processing devices 20 installed at multiple bus offices are connected via a network, and a database such as an operation plan DB51 stored in one of the information processing devices 20 or an external large-capacity storage device may be shared and used.

[0031] 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the record layout of the operation plan DB 51. The operation plan DB 51 is a database that records an initial operation plan for each bus 30. The operation plan DB 51 is created or updated at predetermined intervals, such as every day or every week, and is stored in the auxiliary storage device 23.

[0032] The operation plan DB 51 has a vehicle number field, a type field, a start time field, an end time field, a duty number field, a content field, and a details field. The vehicle number field records a vehicle number uniquely assigned to each bus 30. The type field records the type of the bus 30. "EV" indicates an electric bus 31, and "DE" indicates a diesel fuel bus 32.

[0033] The start time field records the scheduled start time of a task, such as operating the bus 30 and charging. The end time field records the scheduled end time of the task. The job number field records a job number that is uniquely assigned to the job. A "-" in the job number field indicates a task other than a job, such as charging the electric bus 31. Specific examples of jobs will be described later. The content field records the content of the task. The details field records details of the task. The operation plan DB51 has one record for each task.

[0034] Here is a concrete example of a job. A job means a daily operating schedule assigned to each driver. The driver in charge of "job 545" is responsible for the task of driving route 101 using electric bus 31 with vehicle number 1551 between 6:30 and 10:00.

[0035] In one task, the 101 route may be operated multiple times. In one task, multiple routes may be operated sequentially. Details such as the arrival and departure times at each bus stop on the route are also specified, but they are not explained here. As recorded in the details field, the planned distance traveled is 21.1 kilometers, and the planned power consumption is 22.8 kWh.

[0036] After the 101 route service is completed, the driver returns the electric bus 31 with vehicle number 1551 to the garage 36. The driver himself, or a maintenance technician or the like connects the electric bus 31 to the charger 38. The charger 38 may be provided with a function to detect the electric bus 31 parked in a specified location and automatically connect to charge the bus.

[0037] In the following description, a task related to work recorded in one record of the operation plan DB 51 may be referred to as a work task, and the time from the start time to the end time of the work task may be referred to as a work time. Similarly, a task related to charging may be referred to as a charging task, and the time from the start time to the end time of the charging task may be referred to as a charging time.

[0038] As shown in the second row of Fig. 2, a task of charging in full charge mode is executed between 10:30 and 16:15. As recorded in the details field, the target SOC (State Of Charge) during charging is 100 percent, the charging capacity is 230 kWh, and the charging power is 30.5 kW. The battery 311 is expected to be fully charged by 16:15.

[0039] As shown in the fourth row of Figure 2, the charging task in full charge mode is executed again between 21:00 and 5:15 the next morning. As recorded in the details field, the target SOC during charging is 100%, the charging capacity is 230kWh, and the charging power is 30.5kW.

[0040] However, as "Not expected to reach" is recorded at the end of the details field, the battery 311 is not expected to reach full charge in this charging task. This is because the predicted amount of power that can be charged under the conditions defined in the task on the fourth line is smaller than the difference between the predicted remaining amount of charge at the time the task on the fourth line is started and the fully charged amount.

[0041] As shown in the second line from the bottom in Figure 2, the driver in charge of “Shi 545” is tasked with driving route 105 between 16:30 and 20:00 using fuel bus 32 with vehicle number 1678. As recorded in the details field, the planned mileage is 23.1 kilometers.

[0042] Similarly, the driver in charge of "Shi 570" will be responsible for driving route 208 using fuel bus 32 with vehicle number 1678 from 6:45 to 10:15. After that, he will be responsible for driving route 201 using electric bus 31 with vehicle number 1551 from 16:45 to 20:30.

[0043] By having each driver perform the tasks according to the assigned duties, the bus 30 can be operated according to the timetable on each route. However, there are cases where the tasks recorded in the operation plan DB 51 cannot be performed due to various reasons, such as a breakdown of the bus 30, a traffic accident, the driver's poor physical condition, and a significant delay due to traffic congestion.

[0044] 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the record layout of the update plan DB 52. The update plan DB 52 has the same fields as the operation plan DB 51, and in the initial stage, the same records as those in the operation plan DB 51 are recorded. The control unit 21 reflects various changes instructed by the operator when it is difficult to execute a task as recorded in the operation plan DB 51 in the update plan DB 52 as needed.

[0045] Specifically, for the record of vehicle number 1601 in the sixth row from the top of the operation plan DB 51 shown in Fig. 2, the vehicle number has been changed to 2001 in the update plan DB 52 shown in Fig. 3. A record indicating that vehicle number 1601 is under maintenance has been added to the bottom of the update plan DB 52. The other records are the same in the operation plan DB 51 and the update plan DB 52.

[0046] 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the record layout of the operation record DB 53. The operation record DB 53 is a DB that records information on tasks that have started to be executed at any time. The operation record DB 53 has a vehicle number field, a type field, a start time field, an end time field, a job number field, a content field, and a details field.

[0047] The vehicle number field records a vehicle number that is uniquely assigned to each bus 30. The type field records the type of the bus 30. The start time field records the actual start time of the task.

[0048] The end time field records the end time of the task. An end time without parentheses indicates the actual end time when the task was actually completed. An end time in parentheses indicates that the task has not yet been completed and is not the actual end time. "Undecided" indicates that the scheduled end time has not been determined.

[0049] The job number field records a job number that is uniquely assigned to a job. A "-" in the job number field indicates a task other than a job, such as charging or maintenance. The content field records the content of the task. The details field records the details of the task.

[0050] For example, the "Current SOC 60%, 180 kWh, 30.5 kW, Southeast 1, No. 1, Small" recorded in the details field of the record on the second line from the top means that charging is being performed with a charging power of 30.5 kW using charger 38 identified by "Southeast 1, No. 1, Small," and that the current amount of stored energy is 180 kWh, which is 60% of a full charge.

[0051] The third record from the top indicates that bus 30 with vehicle number 1582 is in operation for service "109" and that the expected end time of the service is 14:15. The expected end time is obtained from traffic information server 18, for example.

[0052] The record in the fourth line from the top records that bus 30 with vehicle number 1601 is undergoing maintenance, the end time of the maintenance is not yet determined, and that the bus was suspended before the start of work on March 22. The operation record DB 53 has one record for each task.

[0053] An outline of the procedure for recording information in the operation record DB 53 will be described below. The control unit 21 updates the operation record DB 53 as needed based on the information acquired from the gate sensor 37, the information acquired from the charger 38, and the information acquired from the traffic information server 18.

[0054] Specifically, when the control unit 21 acquires from the gate sensor 37 the vehicle number of the bus 30 that has departed from the garage 36, it searches the update plan DB 52 to extract a record related to the corresponding task. The control unit 21 copies the extracted record to the operation record DB 53. However, the control unit 21 records the departure time of the bus 30, i.e., the start time of the task, in the start time field. Similarly, the control unit 21 records the estimated end time of the task acquired from the traffic information server 18 in the end time field.

[0055] When the control unit 21 acquires the vehicle number of the bus 30 that has entered the garage 36 from the gate sensor 37, it searches the operation record DB 53 to extract a record related to the corresponding task. The control unit 21 updates the end time field of the extracted record to the entry time of the bus 30, i.e., the end time of the task.

[0056] When the control unit 21 acquires information regarding the vehicle number of the electric bus 31 connected to the charger 38 and the state of the installed battery 311, the control unit 21 searches the update plan DB 52 to extract a record related to the corresponding task. The control unit 21 transmits the charging conditions recorded in the content field and the details field to the charger 38. The charger 38 transmits the predicted charging completion time under the specified charging conditions, etc. to the information processing device 20.

[0057] The control unit 21 copies the extracted record to the operation record DB 53. However, the control unit 21 records in the start time field the time when the charger 38 starts charging the electric bus 31. Similarly, the control unit 21 records in the end time field the predicted charging end time obtained from the charger 38.

[0058] The control unit 21 updates the details field whenever necessary based on the information acquired from the charger 38. When the control unit 21 acquires information from the charger 38 that charging has been completed, the control unit 21 updates the completion time field to the charging completion time acquired from the charger 38.

[0059] The control unit 21 also receives input from the operator regarding the start and end of maintenance of the bus 30, and records the input in the operation record DB 53.

[0060] 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the record layout of the vehicle DB 54. The vehicle DB 54 is a DB that records various information related to the bus 30. The vehicle DB 54 has a vehicle number field, a type field, a size field, an entrance field, a non-step field, and a wrapping field.

[0061] The vehicle number field records a vehicle number uniquely assigned to each bus 30. The type field records the type of the bus 30. The size field records the size of the bus 30. The size of the bus 30 can be expressed using numbers such as the width of the bus or the number of seats. The size of the bus 30 may also be expressed using a character string such as the model of the bus 30.

[0062] The boarding entrance field records the location of the boarding entrance for the bus 30. "Front" indicates that the bus 30 is one where passengers board from the front, and "rear" indicates that the bus 30 is one where passengers board from the rear. The non-step field records whether the bus is a non-step bus or not. "YES" indicates that the bus is a non-step bus, and "NO" indicates that it is not a non-step bus.

[0063] The wrapping field records the wrapping status of the bus 30. "None" indicates that the bus is not wrapped. "Company A" and "Company B" indicate that the bus 30 is wrapped with advertisements for companies A and B, respectively.

[0064] 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the record layout of the charging power DB 55. The charging power DB 55 is a DB that records the charging power supplied by the charger 38 to the electric bus 31 for each time period. In the following explanation, an example will be described in which the power is recorded for each time period in 30-minute units.

[0065] The charging power DB 55 has a date field, a time period field, a reference value field, a vehicle number field, a total field, and a flag field. The time period field has a start field and an end field. The vehicle number field has fields corresponding to the vehicle numbers of the electric buses 31, such as a 1551 field, a 2002 field, etc.

[0066] The date field records the date. The start field records the start time of the time period. The end field records the end time of the time period. The reference value field records the reference value of the power used. The reference value is, for example, a threshold power at which the basic charge for power fluctuates according to a contract with an electric power company. For example, the contract specifies that if there is a period of time when the power used exceeds the reference value, the basic charge for that month will be higher. Figure 6 illustrates an example in which the reference value is 150 kW all day. The reference value may be set to be smaller during the day and larger at night, for example.

[0067] In each subfield of the vehicle number field, the power used to charge the electric bus 31 is recorded. For example, for vehicle number 1551, charging is performed with a charging power of 30.5 kW after 10:30. In the total field, the total value of the power used for charging is recorded. In the flag field, whether or not the total value recorded in the total field exceeds the reference value recorded in the reference value field is recorded. "N" indicates that the total value does not exceed the reference value, and "Y" indicates that the total value exceeds the reference value.

[0068] The control unit 21 updates the charging power DB 55 as needed based on information acquired from the charger 38. For example, if the remaining charge of the battery 311 when connected to the charger 38 is less than expected but the battery 311 is to be fully charged within a predetermined time, the charger 38 charges the battery with a charging power greater than expected. The control unit 21 records the changed charging power in the charging power DB 55.

[0069] Fig. 7 is an example of a screen displayed at the start of business. In this embodiment, the route bus office considers one day to run from 4am to 4am the following morning. Therefore, the hours from midnight to 3am are expressed as 24:00 to 27:00, respectively. Fig. 7 shows an example of a screen displayed at 4am.

[0070] A title line is displayed at the top of the example screen shown in Figure 7. The title "EV Bus Operation and Charging Management System" is displayed at the left end of the title line. A clock showing the date and current time is displayed at the right end of the title line.

[0071] A menu column 41 is displayed on the left edge of the example screen. The menu displayed in the menu column 41 is divided into three major items: "Operation registration," "Master registration," and "Import." A charging emergency stop button 61 is displayed at the bottom of the menu column 41. The charging emergency stop button 61 is used in the event of an emergency, such as an earthquake, fire, or accident. When the charging emergency stop button 61 is selected, charging from the charger 38 to the electric bus 31 is stopped safely and quickly.

[0072] In the "operation registration" item, three menus are displayed: "operation plan," "charging plan," and "maintenance plan." In FIG. 7, "charging plan" is selected. In the following explanation, the screen when "charging plan" is selected will be explained, and explanations of the screen when other items are selected will be omitted.

[0073] A schedule column 42 (see FIG. 8) displaying a "charging plan" and a graph column 43 (see FIG. 8) are displayed to the right of the menu column 41. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the schedule column 42 and the graph column 43 extracted from FIG. 7. A title row is displayed at the top of the schedule column 42. A date column 423 is displayed in the center of the title row.

[0074] Below the title line, a time column 424 is displayed. The time column 424 is displayed in three different formats, reflecting the difference in electricity metered rates depending on the time period: black text on a white background, black text with hatching, and white text on black text. For example, the metered rate is set low for the time period from 10 PM to 9 AM the following morning, shown in black text on a white background. The metered rate is set high for the time period from 1 PM to 5 PM, shown in white text on black text. The metered rate is set somewhere between the two for the time periods with black text and hatching.

[0075] The operation manager can save on the electricity fee required for charging the electric bus 31 by charging the electric bus 31 during the time period from 10 pm to 9 am when the metered rate is cheap whenever possible, and by formulating a charging plan so that there is no time period in which power is used that exceeds a reference value. Note that the time period divisions shown in FIG. 8 are an example of a contract with an electric utility company. The metered rate for each time period may be divided into two or four or more stages. The metered rate for each time period may be set so as to differ depending on the day of the week or the season.

[0076] A serial number and a vehicle number are displayed on the left side of the schedule section 42. Above the vehicle number, the type of bus 30 is displayed as a symbol, such as "EV" or "DE." "EV" indicates an electric bus 31, and "DE" indicates a diesel-fueled bus 32.

[0077] A plan column 421 and a result column 422 are displayed adjacent to each other vertically for each bus 30. The plan column 421 and the result column 422 are displayed parallel to the time axis, and the time column 424 functions as a scale for the plan column 421 and the result column 422.

[0078] A planned work time zone 71 surrounded by a solid line frame and a planned charging time zone 72 surrounded by a thick line frame are displayed in the plan field 421 corresponding to the electric bus 31. The planned work time zone 71 is displayed in the plan field 421 corresponding to the fuel bus 32.

[0079] The planned work time slot 71 is a band extending from a scheduled departure time to a scheduled entrance time for one work task using the bus 30 indicated by the vehicle number. The planned charging time slot 72 is a band extending from a scheduled start time to a scheduled end time for one charging task for the electric bus 31 indicated by the vehicle number. In the following description, the scheduled departure time for the work task may be referred to as the scheduled start time, and the scheduled entrance time may be referred to as the scheduled end time. The control unit 21 displays the planned work time slot 71 and the planned charging time slot 72 in the plan column 421 based on the operation plan DB 51.

[0080] A scroll bar is displayed on the right edge of the schedule table field 42. Triangular buttons for selecting the date one day before or one day after are arranged on the left and right of the date field 423. The control unit 21 may accept an instruction to scroll the date field 423 up and down and left and right, for example, by a drag operation or the like.

[0081] The control unit 21 may accept an instruction to narrow down the buses 30 to be displayed in the schedule section 42, for example, to only buses 30 used in operation of a specific route, only electric buses 31, only fuel-powered buses 32, only buses 30 in operation, or only buses 30 waiting in the garage 36. The control unit 21 may accept an instruction from the operator, for example, via a right-click menu, a voice command, or the like.

[0082] The time column 424 and the plan column 421 corresponding to a plurality of buses 30 are an example of a plan table that lists the start times of the buses 30 and the charging times of the electric buses 31 based on the operation plan DB 51.

[0083] Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of part IX in Fig. 8. Details of the scheduled work time slot 71 and the scheduled charging time slot 72 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. The scheduled work time slot 71 and the scheduled charging time slot 72 shown in Fig. 9 correspond to the tasks in the first to fourth rows of the operation plan DB 51 described with reference to Fig. 2, respectively.

[0084] A job number column 45 is displayed in the upper left corner of the job schedule zone 71, showing the job number in white letters on a black background, for example, "job 545." A route number column 46 is displayed in the upper right corner of the job schedule zone 71, showing the route number in black letters, for example, "route 101."

[0085] The scheduled start time of the work is displayed in numbers at the left end of the middle section of the scheduled work band 71. The scheduled end time of the work is displayed in numbers at the right end of the middle section of the scheduled work band 71. As described above, the scheduled work band 71 is a band that extends from the scheduled start time to the scheduled end time of the work, so the operator can intuitively grasp the relationship between the scheduled start times and scheduled end times of multiple tasks. Furthermore, the scheduled start time and scheduled end time are displayed in text within the scheduled work band 71, so the operator can accurately grasp the exact scheduled start time and scheduled end time down to the minute.

[0086] At the bottom of the scheduled work zone 71, the scheduled number of kilometers to be traveled and the amount of electricity consumed by the electric bus 31 taken from the operation record DB 53 are displayed.

[0087] A charging mode field 47 is displayed in the upper right corner of the charging schedule zone 72, showing the planned charging mode in black letters surrounded by a frame. The planned start time and planned end time of charging are displayed in numbers in the center of the middle section of the charging schedule zone 72. As with the work schedule zone 71, the planned start time may be displayed in the left end of the middle section of the charging schedule zone 72, and the planned end time may be displayed in the right end of the middle section. Similarly, the planned start time and planned end time of work may be displayed in the center of the middle section of the work schedule zone 71. Details regarding the planned charging are displayed in the lower section of the charging schedule zone 72.

[0088] The difference in display mode between the charging schedule band 72 shown second from the top in Fig. 9 and the charging schedule band 72 shown at the bottom indicates whether or not the specified charging capacity is expected to be reached, i.e., whether charging is expected to be completed, depending on the charging mode shown in the charging mode field 47. In Fig. 9, the charging schedule band 72 that is expected to be reached is shown with black characters on a white background, and the charging schedule band 72 that is not expected to be reached is shown with white characters on a black background.

[0089] Instead of the background color, whether charging is expected to be completed may be displayed by changing the mode of any display element, such as the color of characters, the font of characters, the color of the border, or the line type of the border. Whether charging is expected to be completed may be displayed by changing the mode of the charging mode field 47. Characters, symbols, icons, or the like indicating whether charging is expected to be completed may be displayed inside the charging schedule zone 72. By displaying the charging schedule zone 72 that is not expected to be completed in a manner that can be distinguished from the charging schedule zone 72 that is expected to be completed, it is possible to provide a transportation charging management system 10 that attracts the attention of the operator.

[0090] The operator may check that charging is not expected to be completed and may, for example, change the charging mode or the immediately preceding task, etc. If the operator determines that the amount of stored power at the end of the charging task is at least somewhat high and will not affect the next scheduled task, the operator may leave the situation as it is.

[0091] Continuing the explanation by returning to FIG. 8, the graph column 43 displays the predicted charging power values ​​in a vertical bar graph for every 30 minutes. The horizontal axis, which is the first axis, is the time axis, and the time column 424 also serves as the scale of the horizontal axis of the graph column 43. The vertical axis, which is the second axis, is the predicted charging power value. The predicted charging power value is, for example, the predicted total charging power value obtained by adding up the predicted values ​​of the power to charge each electric bus 31 for each 30-minute time slot. Specifically, the graph column 43 displays, in a vertical bar graph, the total value of the power to be used for charging, which is recorded in the total field of the charging power DB 55 described using FIG. 6.

[0092] Furthermore, in the graph column 43, the reference value of power recorded in the reference value field of the charging power DB 55 described using Fig. 6 is displayed in the form of a line graph. Figs. 6 and 8 show a case where the reference value of power is 150 kW in all time periods.

[0093] The predicted charging power may include the power consumed for lighting, information devices, air conditioning, and the like in the route bus office, in addition to the power used to charge the electric bus 31. The graph section 43 may display a graph showing the actual power usage, obtained by subtracting the power generated by solar power generation equipment, wind power generation equipment, and the like installed in the route bus office from the predicted charging power.

[0094] In Fig. 8, during the time period from 23:00 to 23:30, the predicted charging power value shown by the vertical bar graph exceeds the reference power value shown by the line graph. By showing the bar graph for this time period in a different manner from the bar graphs for other time periods, specifically by showing it in black, it is possible to alert the operator that the predicted charging power value exceeds the reference value.

[0095] Fig. 10 is an example of a screen at 5:30. In Fig. 10, the schedule column 42 and the graph column 43 are extracted and shown, as in Fig. 8. In the schedule column 42, a current time line 79 indicating the current time is displayed by a dashed line.

[0096] 10 shows a case where, for example, a driver in charge of "Service 211" discovers a malfunction in the fuel bus 32 with vehicle number 1601 during a pre-work inspection. A maintenance zone 77 indicating "under maintenance" is displayed in the plan column 421. The maintenance zone 77 hides part of the work schedule zone 71, so that the operator can easily understand that this bus 30 cannot be used.

[0097] The control unit 21 may change, for example, the display mode of the job number column 45 for the job scheduled time slot 71 in which the operation has been suspended. It is possible to provide the operation and charging management system 10 that can easily identify the job numbers of jobs affected by the malfunction of the bus 30.

[0098] Fig. 11 is an example of the work operation registration screen. When the operator selects the work scheduled time slot 71 on the screen of Fig. 10 by, for example, double-clicking or right-clicking, the control unit 21 displays the work operation registration screen shown in Fig. 11. Fig. 11 shows an example of the screen when the selection of the work scheduled time slot 71, in which the vehicle number 1601 was scheduled to be used, is received from the operator.

[0099] The job operation registration screen displays information related to the vehicle, such as the job number, route, vehicle number, departure time, arrival time, operation distance, and the size of the bus 30. A vehicle search button 62 is displayed to the right of the vehicle number. A save button 63 and a close button 64 are displayed at the bottom right of the screen. "Size" accepts the specification of the maximum size of the bus 30 via a pull-down menu. This is because large buses 30 cannot be used on routes that pass through narrow roads.

[0100] The control unit 21 obtains information corresponding to the scheduled work time slot 71 selected by the operator from the update plan DB 52, and displays it on the work operation screen. As described using Fig. 10, the bus 30 with the vehicle number 1601 is undergoing maintenance and cannot be used, so the operator needs to operate a substitute bus. The operator selects the vehicle search button 62 to determine the vehicle to be used as the substitute bus.

[0101] 12 is an example of a vehicle search screen. When the control unit 21 receives the selection of the vehicle search button 62 by the operator, the control unit 21 displays the vehicle search screen shown in FIG.

[0102] The upper half of the vehicle search screen contains buttons for accepting conditions for extracting an alternative bus 30. A circle indicates a button for accepting one selection from options displayed in a horizontal row. A square indicates a button for accepting an on / off switch. Each square button accepts an independent selection by the operator.

[0103] "Boarding location" is a button that accepts three options for the location of the boarding entrance. "Non-step" is a button that accepts the selection to limit to non-step buses. "Non-wrapped vehicles" is a button that accepts the selection to limit to buses 30 that are not wrapped.

[0104] The buttons "Do not display vehicles under maintenance", "Do not display vehicles in operation", and "Only vehicles with required SOC charged" are all used for the purpose of extracting vehicles that are ready for immediate use. When the control unit 21 accepts the selection of the close button 64, it closes the vehicle search screen.

[0105] The lower half of the vehicle search screen displays in a list format the vehicle number, name, size, SOC, mileage, entry time, next job, and departure time of the vehicle extracted based on the conditions. Specifically, the control unit 21 extracts buses 30 that meet the specified conditions such as size and boarding position from the vehicle DB 54. The control unit 21 refers to the operation record DB 53 and excludes buses 30 that meet the conditions specified for exclusion by the operator, such as vehicles under maintenance. Thereafter, the control unit 21 displays a list of the remaining buses 30 on the vehicle search screen. As a result of the above, candidates for available electric buses 31 and fuel buses 32 are displayed on the vehicle search screen.

[0106] The control unit 21 accepts the operator's selection of the replacement bus 30. When the control unit 21 accepts the selection of the save button 63, the control unit 21 records the operator's selection in the update plan DB 52. When the control unit 21 accepts the selection of the close button 64, the control unit 21 closes the replacement operation registration screen.

[0107] The operator may set a bus 30, such as vehicle number 1551, whose start time of operation is approaching as a substitute for vehicle number 1601, and assign another bus 30 to the job that was scheduled to use 1551. By using the screens described using Figures 10 to 12, an operator who is familiar with the operation route of the bus 30 can appropriately rearrange the operation schedule and instruct the driver in the event of an unforeseen event such as a breakdown of the bus 30.

[0108] It is possible to provide a transportation and charging management system 10 that can present the operator with many options for the replacement bus 30 by extracting and displaying candidates for the replacement bus 30 from both the electric bus 31 and the fuel bus 32. Therefore, it is possible to provide a transportation and charging management system 10 that appropriately supports operators who have experience in managing the transportation of fuel buses 32, even in the early stages of the introduction of electric buses 31.

[0109] The operator may, for example, print out the schedule that reflects the changes to the bus 30 to be used and the operation plan, and hand it to the driver. The operator may transmit information about the schedule that reflects the changes to a smartphone used by the driver or a car navigation device or the like installed in the bus 30.

[0110] 13 and 14 are example screens at 10:40. FIG. 14 shows the state in which the schedule column 42 in FIG. 13 has been scrolled upward. In FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, the schedule column 42 and the graph column 43 are extracted and shown in the same manner as in FIG. 8. A work result band 73 corresponding to work tasks that have been issued before the current time indicated by the current time line 79 is displayed in the result column 422. The work result band 73 is surrounded by a solid line frame with hatching applied inside.

[0111] A charging record band 74 corresponding to a charging task for which connection to the charger 38 has been made before the current time is also displayed in the record column 422. The charging record band 74 is surrounded by a thick frame and has a hatched interior. If the charging task is performed as planned in the operation plan DB 51, the planned charging band 72 and the charging record band 74 immediately below it have the same length.

[0112] 14, in this embodiment, the fuel bus 32 of vehicle number 2001 is used for "work 211" instead of the fuel bus 32 of vehicle number 1601 that is under maintenance. Therefore, for vehicle number 2001, the work schedule zone 71 is not displayed in the plan column 421, and only the work performance zone 73 is displayed in the performance column 422.

[0113] In the graph section 43, the actual value of the charging power is shown by hatched vertical bars for the time period including the current time and for past time periods. The actual value is, for example, the total value of the charging power for each time period determined by detecting the remaining capacity of the battery 311 to which the charger 38 is connected. The actual value may be an actual value of the power measured by the charger 38. The actual value may be an actual value of the power measured by a power meter attached to a switchboard or distribution board connected to the charger 38.

[0114] Fig. 15 is an enlarged view of the XV portion in Fig. 13. The charging schedule period 72 and the charging record period 74 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 15. The charging schedule period 72 and the charging record period 74 shown in Fig. 15 correspond to the tasks in the first to third rows of the operation record DB 53 described with reference to Fig. 4, respectively. Note that Fig. 4 shows the state of the operation record DB 53 at 10:40, similar to Figs. 13 to 15.

[0115] A job number column 45 is displayed in the upper left corner of the job history band 73, showing the job number in white letters on a black background, for example, "job 545." A route number column 46 is displayed in the upper right corner of the job history band 73, showing the route number in black letters, for example, "route 101."

[0116] The start time of the job is displayed in numbers at the left end of the middle section of the job performance band 73. The end time or scheduled end time of the job is displayed in numbers at the right end of the middle section of the job performance band 73. In the example shown in FIG. 15, the job "Job 545" was completed at 10:15, 15 minutes later than planned. The job "Job 109" is predicted to be completed at 14:15, 15 minutes later than planned.

[0117] Below the completed job record band 73, the actual values ​​of the number of kilometers traveled and the amount of power consumed are displayed for the electric bus 31, and the actual value of the number of kilometers traveled is displayed for the fuel bus 32. Below the incomplete job record band 73, the planned values ​​of the number of kilometers traveled and the amount of power consumed are displayed for the electric bus 31, and the planned value of the number of kilometers traveled is displayed for the fuel bus 32.

[0118] A charging mode field 47 indicating the charging mode being executed and a stop button 65 covering the charging mode field 47 are displayed at the upper right of the charging result band 74. The stop button 65 is an example of a charging stop button associated with the charging result band 74.

[0119] When the control unit 21 receives the selection of the stop button 65 by the operator, it transmits a command to stop charging to the corresponding charger 38. For example, when the charging power becomes too high, the operator can select a charging task that has a smaller adverse effect on the operation plan and stop charging.

[0120] A charger column 48 showing information about the connected charger 38 is displayed in the upper left of the charging result band 74. Between the charging mode column 47 and the charger column 48, the progress of charging is displayed using text such as "charging" or "charging completed".

[0121] The actual start time and actual end time of charging, or the actual start time and scheduled end time of charging, are displayed in numbers in the middle section of the charging result band 74. Details of the charging being performed are displayed in the lower section of the charging result band 74.

[0122] When the operation record DB 53 is updated, the control unit 21 promptly updates the display in the record column 422. When the vehicle DB 54 is updated, the control unit 21 promptly updates the display in the graph column 43. As described above, it is possible to provide the operation and charging management system 10 that enables the operator to quickly grasp the latest situation.

[0123] FIG. 16 is a modified example of the screen shown in FIG. 15. In FIG. 16, the amount of power consumption is displayed below the work schedule band 71 and the work record band 73 for the fuel bus 32. This amount of power consumption is a representative value of the amount of power consumption when the electric bus 31 runs the same work task. For example, of the representative values ​​calculated for each condition such as season, day of the week, or weather, a representative value corresponding to conditions close to the work task may be displayed. The operator can determine the type of bus 30 to assign to each task while being aware of the power consumption when the electric bus 31 is used for the same work.

[0124] Figures 17 and 18 are example screens at 21:40. As with Figure 8, Figures 17 and 18 also show the schedule column 42 and graph column 43 extracted. Figure 18 shows the schedule column 42 and graph column 43 in Figure 17 scrolled to the right by 7 hours. In Figures 17 and 18, the zigzag lines encircle the area to represent flashing with strong brightness.

[0125] The fuel bus 32 with vehicle number 1633 stopped its work task of operating the "104 route" at 18:00 due to a problem such as an accident or breakdown. A maintenance period 77 starting from 18:00 is displayed at the bottom of the results column 422. By displaying the maintenance period 77 in the plan column 421 for vehicle number 1601, which was in a maintenance state before the work task began, and displaying the maintenance period 77 in the results column 422 for vehicle number 1633, which was in a maintenance state during the work task, it is possible to provide a traffic charging management system 10 that allows an operator to intuitively understand that there is a difference in the circumstances that led to the maintenance.

[0126] Note that the job number field 45 in the planned job zone 71 and the job performance zone 73 that have been changed midway may be displayed in a different color or font, etc., from the other job number fields 45. For example, by displaying the normal job number field 45 in white letters on a black background and displaying the job number field 45 of the planned job zone 71 and the job performance zone 73 that have been changed midway in white letters on a red background, it is possible to provide a transportation charging management system 10 that allows the operator to quickly understand that a state that is different from normal has occurred.

[0127] In the time slot from 21:00 to 21:30, the actual value of the charging power exceeded the reference value, and the predicted value of the charging power in the time slot from 23:00 to 23:30 fell below the reference value. The control unit 21 makes the charging mode column 47 and the start time and end time of the charging schedule time slot 72 related to the charging task that was started immediately before the actual value exceeded the reference value, i.e., the charging task that caused the actual value to exceed the reference value, flash with high brightness to alert the operator.

[0128] Note that the control unit 21 also blinks the charging schedule band 72 related to the charging task that was started immediately before when the predicted value of the charging power for each time period calculated based on the charging information acquired from the charger 38 to which the electric bus 31 is connected exceeds a reference value. The operator can stop charging, for example, by selecting the stop button 65, before the charging power actually exceeds the reference value.

[0129] Furthermore, the control unit 21 displays the work number field 45 of the work scheduled zone 71 related to the work task scheduled to be operated after the blinking charging task is completed in a different manner from the other work scheduled zones 71, for example, by blinking it with high brightness as shown in Fig. 18, to alert the operator. The operator can easily grasp the work tasks that will be affected if the blinking charging task is interrupted.

[0130] The operator can select, for example, the stop button 65 to stop the charging task. The operator may change the settings of the charging task to reduce the charging power. In the situation shown in Fig. 17 and Fig. 18, the situation in which the charging power exceeds the reference value has already been resolved, so the operator may simply click or perform an operation such as clicking on the blinking charging schedule band 72 to indicate that he or she has confirmed the situation.

[0131] After accepting the operation by the operator, the control unit 21 stops blinking of the work schedule zone 71 and the charging schedule zone 72. By notifying the operator when the charging power exceeds a reference value, it is possible to provide a transportation and charging management system 10 that urges the operator to stop charging, which incurs a high basic fee, and reduces the operation costs of the electric bus 31.

[0132] For example, if stopping the charging of the electric bus 31 would cause a disruption to work the next morning, the operator can reorganize the operation schedule to use the fuel bus 32 instead of the electric bus 31. The operator may also decide to continue charging as is. In either case, the operator can comprehensively assess the situation and select the appropriate action.

[0133] Fig. 19 is an example of the charging registration screen. When the operator selects the charging schedule 72 by, for example, double-clicking or right-clicking on the screen of Fig. 17 or 18, the control unit 21 displays the charging registration screen shown in Fig. 19. Fig. 19 shows an example of the screen when the selection of the flashing charging schedule 72 is received from the operator.

[0134] The charge registration screen displays information related to charging, such as the vehicle number, charge mode, start time, end time, charge time, charge power, SOC, and charge amount. A save button 63 and a close button 64 are displayed at the bottom right of the screen. The control unit 21 accepts changes made by the operator to the start time, end time, and charge mode.

[0135] In the charging mode row, the "Full charge" button accepts the selection of "full charge mode," the "Quick charge" button accepts the selection of "quick charge mode," the "Charge with specified power storage amount" button accepts the selection of "Charge with specified power storage amount mode," and the "Charge with specified charging power" button accepts the selection of "Charge with specified charging power mode."

[0136] The control unit 21 acquires information corresponding to the planned charging time slot 72 operated by the operator from the operation plan DB 51, and displays it on the charging registration screen. In Fig. 19, since the "full charge" button is selected, the control unit 21 only accepts changes to the start time and end time, and automatically calculates and displays items such as the charging time and charging power.

[0137] For example, when the charging mode "charge with specified power storage amount" is selected, the control unit 21 accepts changes to the charging power in addition to the start time and end time, and automatically calculates and displays the SOC and charging power.

[0138] When the control unit 21 receives the selection of the save button 63, the control unit 21 records the selection of the operator in the update plan DB 52. When the control unit 21 receives the selection of the close button 64, the control unit 21 closes the job operation registration screen.

[0139] 20 shows a modified example of the charging result band 74. A charging mode field 47 indicating the charging mode being executed is displayed at the top right of the charging result band 74. A charger field 48 indicating information on the connected charger 38 is displayed at the top left of the charging result band 74. The charging progress is displayed between the charging mode field 47 and the charger field 48 by using characters such as "charging" or "charging completed".

[0140] In the center of the charging result band 74, in addition to the charging start time and charging end time, the time from the charging start time to the charging end time, i.e., the time spent charging, is displayed. In the lower center of the charging result band 74, the latest charging power is displayed. In the lower left of the charging result band 74, the latest SOC value and charged amount are displayed. In the lower right of the charging result band 74, the target SOC and target charged amount at the time of charging completion are displayed.

[0141] Fig. 21 and Fig. 22 are flow charts for explaining the flow of program processing. Fig. 21 and Fig. 22 are programs for continually updating the operation record DB 53. The programs in Fig. 21 and Fig. 22 are executed continuously during business hours of the office.

[0142] The control unit 21 determines whether or not information that the bus 30 has left the depot has been received from the gate sensor 37 (step S501). If it is determined that information that the bus 30 has left the depot has been received (YES in step S501), the control unit 21 searches the update plan DB 52 using the vehicle number of the bus 30 that has left the depot as a key to extract a record. From the extracted records, the control unit 21 selects a record in which a work task whose start time is close to the current time is recorded. In this way, the control unit 21 extracts from the update plan DB 52 a record in which a work task related to the bus 30 that has left the depot is recorded (step S502).

[0143] The control unit 21 transmits the operation route corresponding to the service number recorded in the service number field to the traffic information server 18 (step S503). The traffic information server 18 receives the operation route (step S701). The traffic information server 18 refers to congestion information and nearby event information, and transmits the expected time when the operation of the operation route will end, that is, the expected time when the bus 30 will enter the depot (step S702).

[0144] The control unit 21 receives the predicted entry time (step S504). The control unit 21 creates a new record in the operation record DB 53, and copies the data recorded in the corresponding fields of the record extracted in step S502 to the fields other than the start time field and end time field. The control unit 21 records the time when the departure is detected by the gate sensor 37 in the start time field. The control unit 21 records the predicted entry time received from the traffic information server 18 in parentheses in the end time field (step S505). After that, the control unit 21 returns to step S501.

[0145] When it is determined that the information indicating that the bus 30 has left the depot has not been received (NO in step S501), the control unit 21 determines whether or not the information indicating that the bus 30 has entered the depot has been received from the gate sensor 37 (step S506). When it is determined that the information indicating that the bus 30 has entered the depot has been received (YES in step S506), the control unit 21 searches the operation record DB 53 using the vehicle number of the entered bus 30 as a key, and extracts a record.

[0146] From the extracted records, the control unit 21 selects records in which parentheses remain in the end time field, that is, records in which the actual entry time is not recorded. In this manner, the control unit 21 extracts records in which tasks related to the entered bus 30 are recorded from the operation record DB 53 (step S507).

[0147] The control unit 21 records the entry time received from the gate sensor 37 without parentheses in the end time field of the record extracted in step S507 (step S508). After that, the control unit 21 returns to step S501.

[0148] When it is determined that the information indicating that the electric bus 31 has been stored has not been received (NO in step S506), the control unit 21 determines whether or not information indicating that the electric bus 31 has been connected has been received from the charger 38 (step S511).

[0149] When it is determined that information that the electric bus 31 is connected to the charger 38 has been received (YES in step S511), the control unit 21 searches the update plan DB 52 using the vehicle number of the electric bus 31 connected to the charger 38 as a key to extract a record. From the extracted records, the control unit 21 selects a record in which a charging task whose start time is close to the current time is recorded. In this way, the control unit 21 extracts from the update plan DB 52 a record in which a charging task related to the electric bus 31 connected to the charger 38 is recorded (step S512).

[0150] The control unit 21 transmits the charging mode recorded in the content field to the charger 38 (step S513). The charger 38 starts charging. The charger 38 transmits charging information determined according to the charging mode, such as the scheduled charging end time in the specified mode or the expected SOC at the end of the charging time, to the information processing device 20. The control unit 21 receives the charging information (step S514).

[0151] The control unit 21 creates a new record in the operation record DB 53 and copies, to the fields other than the start time field and end time, the data recorded in the corresponding fields of the record extracted in step S512. The control unit 21 records the time when the electric bus 31 was connected to the charger 38 in the start time field. The control unit 21 records the scheduled charging end time received from the charger 38 in parentheses in the end time field (step S515). After that, the control unit 21 returns to step S501.

[0152] When it is determined that the information that the electric bus 31 is connected to the charger 38 has not been received (NO in step S511), the control unit 21 determines whether or not information that charging has been completed has been received from the charger 38 (step S516). When it is determined that the information that charging has been completed has been received (YES in step S516), the control unit 21 searches the operation record DB 53 using the vehicle number of the bus 30 that has completed charging as a key, and extracts a record.

[0153] From the extracted records, the control unit 21 selects records in which parentheses remain in the end time field, that is, records in which the fact that charging has been completed is not recorded. In this manner, the control unit 21 extracts records in which tasks related to the electric bus 31 that has completed charging are recorded from the operation record DB 53 (step S517).

[0154] The control unit 21 records the charging end time received from the charger 38 without parentheses in the end time field of the record extracted in step S517 (step S518). After that, the control unit 21 returns to step S501.

[0155] When it is determined that the information indicating that charging has been completed has not been received (NO in step S516), the control unit 21 determines whether or not an instruction from the operator to start editing the operation record DB 53 has been accepted (step S521). For example, when a bus 30 becomes inoperable due to an accident or the like, the operator inputs an instruction to start editing the operation record DB 53 via, for example, a right-click menu or the like.

[0156] When it is determined that an instruction to start editing has been received (YES in step S521), the control unit 21 displays an editing screen for the operation record DB 53 and receives editing by the operator. The editing screen is, for example, a screen similar to that of a known spreadsheet software. The control unit 21 saves the edited operation record DB 53 (step S522). The control unit 21 also reflects the changed content in the update plan DB 52. Thereafter, the control unit 21 returns to step S501.

[0157] For example, the record related to vehicle number 1601 shown in the fourth row from the top of FIG. 4 is an example of a record added from step S521 to step S522.

[0158] When it is determined that the instruction to start editing has not been received (NO in step S521), the control unit 21 determines whether or not to end the process (step S523). For example, when an instruction to end the process is received from the operator, the control unit 21 determines that the process is to end.

[0159] When it is determined that the process is to be ended (YES in step S523), the control unit 21 ends the process. When it is determined that the process is not to be ended (NO in step S523), the control unit 21 returns to step S501.

[0160] Fig. 23 is a flowchart explaining the flow of the program processing. Fig. 23 is a program that displays the screen explained using Fig. 7 etc. and accepts changes to the operation plan etc. The program in Fig. 23 is executed continuously during business hours of the sales office in parallel with the programs explained using Fig. 21 and Fig. 22.

[0161] The program in Fig. 23 may be executed by the same hardware as the program described using Fig. 21 and Fig. 22, or may be executed by separate hardware. In the following explanation, an example will be described in which both programs are executed by control unit 21.

[0162] The control unit 21 starts a subroutine for predicting charging power (step S531). The subroutine for predicting charging power is a subroutine for creating the charging power DB 55 described with reference to Fig. 6 based on the update plan DB 52. The processing flow of the subroutine for predicting charging power will be described later.

[0163] The control unit 21 displays a screen including the schedule column 42 and the graph column 43 (step S532). Specifically, the control unit 21 acquires a record from the operation plan DB 51, repeats the process of creating the scheduled work time slot 71 or the scheduled charging time slot 72 in the plan column 421 corresponding to the vehicle number, and displays the schedule column 42.

[0164] The control unit 21 displays the graph column 43 based on the charging power DB 55 created in step S531. Specifically, the control unit 21 displays the charging power recorded in the total field of the charging power DB 55 as a vertical bar graph, and displays the reference value recorded in the reference value field as a line graph. Step S532 displays the screen described using FIG. 7.

[0165] The control unit 21 determines whether or not an instruction to change the work task plan has been received from the operator (step S537). For example, when the operator selects the work schedule 71 by double-clicking or right-clicking, the control unit 21 determines that an instruction to change the work task has been received.

[0166] When it is determined that an instruction to change the plan of the work task has been accepted (YES in step S537), the control unit 21 starts a subroutine for changing the work task (step S538). The subroutine for changing the work task is a subroutine for accepting a change in the plan of the work task and recording it in the update plan DB 52. The processing flow of the subroutine for changing the work task will be described later.

[0167] When it is determined that an instruction to change the work task plan has not been received (NO in step S537), the control unit 21 determines whether an instruction to change the charging task plan has been received from the operator (step S541). For example, when the operator selects the charging schedule 72 by an operation such as double-clicking or right-clicking, the control unit 21 determines that an instruction to change the charging task has been received.

[0168] When it is determined that an instruction to change the plan of the charging task has been received (YES in step S541), the control unit 21 starts a subroutine for changing the charging (step S542). The subroutine for changing the charging is a subroutine for receiving a change in the plan of the charging task and recording it in the update plan DB 52. The processing flow of the subroutine for changing the charging will be described later.

[0169] When it is determined that an instruction to change the plan of the charging task has not been received (NO in step S541), the control unit 21 determines whether or not an instruction to stop charging has been received from the operator (step S543). For example, when the control unit 21 receives a selection of the stop button 65 described using Fig. 15, the control unit 21 determines that an instruction to stop charging has been received.

[0170] When it is determined that an instruction to stop charging has been received (YES in step S543), the control unit 21 instructs the charger 38 to stop charging the electric bus 31 related to the charging task for which the instruction has been received (step S544). The control unit 21 searches the update plan DB 52 and the operation record DB 53 to extract records related to the charging task for which the instruction has been received, and records the time when charging was stopped in each end time field (step S545).

[0171] After step S538, step S542, or step S545 is completed, the control unit 21 returns to step S531. If it is determined that the instruction to stop charging has not been received (NO in step S543), the control unit 21 determines whether or not to end the process (step S546). For example, if an end instruction has been received from the operator, the control unit 21 determines that the process is to be ended.

[0172] When it is determined that the process is to be ended (YES in step S546), the control unit 21 ends the process. When it is determined that the process is not to be ended (NO in step S546), the control unit 21 returns to step S537.

[0173] In step S532, the control unit 21 may acquire a record from the update plan DB 52 instead of the operation plan DB 51 and display the schedule column 42. It is possible to provide an operation and charging management system 10 that displays the latest operation plan in the plan column 421. By displaying the latest operation plan, it is possible to change the same task multiple times.

[0174] The schedule section 42 may have a section for displaying the latest operation plan based on the update plan DB 52 between a plan section 421 for displaying an original operation plan based on the operation plan DB 51 for each vehicle and a result section 422 for displaying the result. It is possible to provide a operation and charging management system 10 that simultaneously displays the original operation plan, the latest operation plan, and the result.

[0175] 24 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of processing of a charging power prediction subroutine. The charging power prediction subroutine is a subroutine for creating the charging power DB 55 described with reference to FIG.

[0176] The control unit 21 acquires one record related to a charging task from the update plan DB 52 (step S551). The control unit 21 acquires the charging start time from the start time field of the acquired record (step S552). The control unit 21 acquires the charging end time from the end time field of the acquired record (step S553). The control unit 21 acquires the charging power from the details field of the acquired record (step S554).

[0177] The control unit 21 extracts records in the time zone field from the charging power DB 55, starting from the time zone including the start time acquired in step S552 to the time zone including the end time acquired in step S553. For each of the extracted records, the control unit 21 records the charging power acquired in step S554 in the vehicle number field corresponding to the planned charging time zone 72 selected and accepted in step S551 (step S555).

[0178] The control unit 21 determines whether or not the processing of the records related to the charging task has been completed (step S556). If it is determined that the processing has not been completed (NO in step S556), the control unit 21 returns to step S551. If it is determined that the processing has been completed (YES in step S556), the control unit 21 calculates the sum of the charging power recorded in the vehicle number field for each record recorded in the charging power DB 55, and records it in the total field (step S557). Thereafter, the control unit 21 ends the processing.

[0179] 25 is a flowchart for explaining the process flow of the work change subroutine. The work change subroutine is a subroutine for accepting a plan change of a work task and recording it in the update plan DB 52.

[0180] The control unit 21 acquires information about the scheduled work time slot 71 for which the change instruction has been received from the operation plan DB 51 (step S561). The control unit 21 displays the work operation registration screen described with reference to Fig. 11 (step S562). The control unit 21 receives change instructions, for example, for the departure time and the boarding position.

[0181] The control unit 21 determines whether or not selection of the vehicle search button 62 has been accepted (step S563). If it is determined that selection of the vehicle search button 62 has been accepted (YES in step S563), the control unit 21 displays substitute vehicle candidates using the vehicle search screen described using Fig. 12 (step S564). The control unit 21 accepts the selection of a substitute vehicle (step S565).

[0182] If it is determined that the selection of the vehicle search button 62 has not been accepted (NO in step S563), or after the completion of step S565, the control unit 21 waits for the operator to select the save button 63. After accepting the selection of the save button 63, the control unit 21 records the input contents from the operator in the update plan DB 52 (step S566). Then, the control unit 21 ends the process.

[0183] 26 is a flowchart illustrating the process flow of the charge change subroutine. The charge change subroutine is a subroutine that accepts a plan change of the charging task and records it in the update plan DB 52.

[0184] The control unit 21 acquires information about the charging schedule 72 for which the change instruction has been received from the operation plan DB 51 (step S571). The control unit 21 displays the charging registration screen described using Fig. 19 (step S572). The control unit 21 receives an instruction to change, for example, the start time, the end time, or the charging mode (step S573).

[0185] The control unit 21 calculates parameters such as the charging time, charging power, SOC, and amount of stored electricity based on the changed conditions (step S574). For example, a simulation program that simulates the operation of the charger 38 is used to calculate the parameters.

[0186] The control unit 21 waits for the operator to select the save button 63. After accepting the selection of the save button 63, the control unit 21 records the input contents from the operator and the calculated parameters in the update plan DB 52 (step S575). After that, the control unit 21 ends the process.

[0187] It should be noted that a GPS (Global Positioning System) device mounted on the bus 30 may be used instead of the gate sensor 37. The control unit 21 receives GPS information from each bus 30 at any time and calculates the change in the positional relationship with the garage 36, thereby making it possible to identify the bus 30 entering or leaving the garage 36.

[0188] The gate sensor 37 may be a license plate reader arranged at the entrance / exit of the garage 36. The bus 30 entering and exiting the garage 36 can be identified based on the license plate and the passing direction of the bus 30 passing through the entrance / exit.

[0189] When an attendant is stationed at the entrance and exit of the garage 36, the attendant may wirelessly transmit information about the buses 30 that have left and entered the garage, thereby fulfilling the role of the gate sensor 37. For example, the control unit 21 can obtain the vehicle numbers of the buses 30 that enter and leave the garage 36 by performing audio analysis of the attendant's voice. Instead of an attendant at the garage 36, the driver may act as the gate sensor 37 by wirelessly transmitting information about the departure and arrival of the bus 30 while driving.

[0190] The work schedule zone 71, the charging schedule zone 72, the work performance zone 73, and the charging performance zone 74 are not limited to a mode in which various information is written within a rectangular frame. For example, the start time and the end time may be displayed by a thick line or a double-sided arrow, etc., and necessary information may be arranged near the thick line or the double-sided arrow, etc.

[0191] According to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide an information processing method that allows an operator such as an operations manager to easily check an operation plan. Furthermore, it is possible to provide an information processing method that allows an operator to easily change the operation plan to deal with an unexpected problem, etc.

[0192] Because the electric buses 31 and the fuel buses 32 can be managed by a single operation and charging management system 10, it is possible to provide an operation and charging management system 10 that is easy to use even during the transitional period from the fuel buses 32 to the electric buses 31. Because the electric buses 31 and the fuel buses 32 can be easily used in combination, it is possible to provide an operation and charging management system 10 that stabilizes the management of the operating company, maintains a sustainable means of transportation, and reduces the amount of waste generated, thereby contributing to the realization of sustainable consumption and production.

[0193] By distinguishing and displaying time periods when the price of electricity used for charging is low from time periods when it is high, it is possible to provide an operation charging management system 10 that allows the operation manager to create a charging plan taking into account fluctuations in electricity prices. The charging mode is not limited to "full charge mode," but the operator can change the charging mode for each charging task. Furthermore, the operator can appropriately select the electric bus 31 and the fuel bus 32 and incorporate them into the operation plan. As described above, it is possible to provide an operation charging management system 10 that supports the operator in determining an appropriate operation plan by taking into account the demand for the bus 30 and electricity prices.

[0194] Since the operation manager has a high degree of freedom to change the operation plan, it is possible to provide an operation charging management system 10 that supports the operation manager to fully demonstrate his / her capabilities even when an unforeseen situation occurs.

[0195] By displaying the plan column 421, which displays the initial plan, and the result column 422, which displays the actual results, side by side, it is possible to provide an operation and charging management system 10 that allows the operator to easily understand whether smooth operation in accordance with the initial plan is being achieved.

[0196] The charging emergency stop button 61 can provide the operation charging management system 10 that quickly stops power consumption when an abnormality occurs in the power system due to a disaster or the like, thereby reducing the load on the power system.

[0197] [Embodiment 2] Fig. 27 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the configuration of the traveling and charging management system 10 of the second embodiment. This embodiment relates to a form in which the traveling and charging management system 10 is realized by combining and operating a general-purpose computer 90 and a program 97. Explanations of parts common to the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0198] The computer 90 includes a reading unit 29 in addition to the control unit 21, main memory device 22, auxiliary memory device 23, communication unit 24, input unit 25, display unit 26 and bus described above.

[0199] The program 97 is recorded in a portable recording medium 96. The control unit 21 reads the program 97 via the reading unit 29 and stores it in the auxiliary storage device 23. The control unit 21 may also read out the program 97 stored in a semiconductor memory 98 such as a flash memory implemented in the computer 90. Furthermore, the control unit 21 may download the program 97 from a server computer (not shown) connected via the communication unit 24 and a network (not shown), and store it in the auxiliary storage device 23.

[0200] The program 97 is installed as a control program for the computer 90, and is executed by being loaded into the main storage device 22. In this manner, the vehicle traveling and charging management system 10 described in the first embodiment is realized.

[0201] A program is an example of a program product. A computer program can be deployed to be executed on a single computer or on multiple computers that are located at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communications network.

[0202] The technical features (constitutive elements) described in each embodiment can be combined with each other, and by combining them, new technical features can be formed. The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered as limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above meaning, and is intended to include all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the claims.

[0203] Independent claims and dependent claims described in the claims may be combined with each other in any combination, regardless of the reference format. Furthermore, the claims may be written in a format in which a claim references two or more other claims (multiple claim format), but this is not limited to this format. The claims may also be written in a format in which a multiple claim references at least one other claim (multiple multiple claim format). [Explanation of symbols]

[0204] 10. Vehicle operation and charging management system 18 Traffic Information Server 20 Information processing equipment (computer) 21 Control section 22 Main storage 23 Auxiliary storage device 24 Communications Department 25 Input section 26 Display section 29 Reading unit 30 Bus 31 Electric Bus 311 Batteries 32 Fuel Bus 322 Fuel Tank 36 Garage 37 Gate Sensor 38 Charger 41 Menu column 42 Schedule column 421 Planning column 422 Achievements column 423 Date column 424 Time field 43 Graph column 45 Job Number Column 46 Route number column 47 Charging mode column 48 Charger column 51 Operation plan DB 52 Update Plan DB 53 Operation record DB 54 Vehicle DB 55 Charging power DB 61 Emergency charging stop button 62 Vehicle search button 63 Save button 64 Close button 65 Stop button 71 Work schedule 72 Charging schedule 73 Work Performance Zone 74 Charging performance range 77 Under construction 79 Current Time Line 90 Computer 96 Portable recording media 97 Program 98 Semiconductor Memory

Claims

1. Obtaining an operation plan for operating a plurality of buses including an electric bus that runs on an on-board battery and a fuel bus that runs by consuming an on-board fuel; Based on the operation plan, a schedule is displayed that lists the operating times of each bus and the charging times of electric buses. An information processing method in which processing is performed by a computer.

2. The schedule is: A schedule column for each bus is arranged parallel to the time axis, A work schedule time period extending from a scheduled departure time to a scheduled arrival time for each work, the time period being arranged within the plan column; and a charging schedule extending from a start time to an end time for charging, the charging schedule being disposed within the planning field when the planning field corresponds to an electric bus. The information processing method according to claim 1 .

3. Accept the selection of the work schedule, Displaying electric buses and fuel-powered buses that can be used instead of the bus corresponding to the selected scheduled work time slot; Accept alternative bus selection The information processing method according to claim 2 .

4. A planned charging mode is displayed within the charging schedule band; The charging schedule is displayed in a manner that allows distinction between a case where a charging capacity designated in a planned charging mode is reached and a case where the charging capacity is not reached. The information processing method according to claim 2 .

5. The plan table includes a result column arranged adjacent to a plan column corresponding to each bus, A work performance band arranged in the performance column and extending from the departure time of a bus that has already left the depot to the arrival time or scheduled arrival time of the bus; When the plan field corresponds to an electric bus, the field includes a charging result band extending from a charging start time of the electric bus connected to the charger to a charging end time or a scheduled charging end time, the charging result band being arranged in the result field.

5. The information processing method according to claim 2.

6. Obtaining charging information including a charging time and a charging power from a charger to which the electric bus is connected; Update a total charging power for each time slot based on the charging information; When there is a time period during charging of the electric bus in which the total charging power exceeds a predetermined threshold, a charging performance band corresponding to the electric bus is displayed in a manner different from other charging performance bands. The information processing method according to claim 5.

7. When there is a time period during charging of the electric bus in which the total charging power exceeds a predetermined threshold, a scheduled work time slot in which the electric bus is scheduled to operate after charging is completed is displayed in a manner that can be distinguished from other scheduled work time slots. The information processing method according to claim 6.

8. Display a charging stop button in association with the charging result band. The information processing method according to claim 5.

9. The charging power for each electric bus is added up for each time period to obtain the total charging power for each time period. A graph using a time axis as a first axis and a total charging power for each time period as a second axis is displayed alongside the plan table in a manner that allows distinction between time periods in which the total charging power exceeds a predetermined threshold and time periods in which it does not exceed the threshold.

5. The information processing method according to claim 1.

10. An information processing device including a control unit, The control unit is Obtaining an operation plan for operating a plurality of buses including an electric bus that runs on an on-board battery and a fuel bus that runs by consuming an on-board fuel; Based on the operation plan, a schedule is displayed that lists the operating times of each bus and the charging times of electric buses. Information processing device.

11. Obtaining an operation plan for operating a plurality of buses including an electric bus that runs on an on-board battery and a fuel bus that runs by consuming an on-board fuel; Based on the operation plan, a schedule is displayed that lists the operating times of each bus and the charging times of electric buses. A program that causes a computer to carry out processing.

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