Vehicle allocation management device and vehicle allocation management method

Abstract

To improve willingness to use a mobility service by correcting a difference in total movement cost between users when getting off to secure fairness to the users who frequently use the mobility service.SOLUTION: A vehicle allocation management device 10 comprises: a result storage section for storing use results of users; a getting-on / off place determination section 140 for determining a getting-on / off place where the users get on / off a vehicle V; a getting-on / off place adjustment section 142 for adjusting a getting-off place shared by a plurality of users on the basis of use results of the plurality of users; and a vehicle allocation plan correction section 151 for correcting a vehicle allocation plan of the vehicle V on the basis of the adjusted getting-off place. The getting-on / off place adjustment section 142 uses a cost when moving from the getting-off place to a destination as a movement cost, derives a use frequency of each user on the basis of the use results during a period in which the plurality of users are riding together in the vehicle V when the destinations of the plurality of users are within a predetermined range, and adjusts the getting-off place so as to reduce the movement cost of the user as the use frequency is higher.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle allocation management technology, and more particularly to a vehicle allocation management device and a vehicle allocation management method for managing vehicle allocation on an on-demand basis. [Background technology]

[0002] Mobility services are services that provide smooth transportation of users and transport of luggage by vehicle. In mobility services, it is proposed that multiple users share a boarding point where they board a vehicle in order to increase the utilization rate of the vehicle and improve the convenience of users (passengers).

[0003] For example, the following Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for a ride-sharing service in which multiple passengers share a single moving object (bus), in which a boarding location (virtual bus stop) shared by multiple users is set to a location that minimizes the sum of the costs (travel costs) required for each of the multiple users to travel from their current locations. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6510007 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In mobility services (ride-sharing services), the more a user uses the service, the higher the total travel cost becomes, and as a result, the difference in the total travel cost between users widens. In other words, the burden of travel costs becomes unfair for users who use the service a lot. Therefore, in order to increase the willingness to use mobility services, it is important to ensure fairness in travel costs for users who use the service a lot. In addition, in ride-sharing services, multiple users with different destinations may use (share) a single bus stop as a drop-off point. In this case, the cost of traveling from the drop-off point to the destination corresponds to the travel cost.

[0006] However, while conventional technology ensures that travel costs are fair among users when boarding, it does not take into account the travel costs when disembarking, and is unable to correct the difference in total travel costs among users.

[0007] Therefore, the present disclosure aims to provide a vehicle dispatch management device and a vehicle dispatch management method that corrects the difference in total travel costs between users when disembarking, thereby ensuring fairness for users who make heavy use of mobility services and increasing their motivation to use mobility services. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A vehicle dispatch management device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle dispatch management device that manages a vehicle dispatch service in which vehicles are dispatched and operated based on a vehicle dispatch plan in response to a vehicle dispatch request from a user, and includes a track record storage unit that stores a usage track record of users in the vehicle dispatch service, a boarding and alighting point determination unit that determines boarding and alighting points that are points along a driving route included in the vehicle dispatch plan of a vehicle in which multiple users ride together and are points where each of the multiple users gets on and off the vehicle, based on the vehicle dispatch requests of the multiple users, and a boarding and alighting point determination unit that determines boarding and alighting points along the driving route that are points along which the multiple users get on and off, based on the usage track record of each of the multiple users. The system includes a drop-off location adjustment unit that adjusts a drop-off location shared by multiple users, and a correction unit that corrects the dispatch plan of the one vehicle based on the adjusted drop-off location, wherein a travel cost is defined as a cost incurred by each of the multiple users when traveling from the drop-off location to a destination included in the dispatch request, and when the destinations of the multiple users are within a predetermined range, the drop-off location adjustment unit derives a usage frequency of each of the multiple users based on the usage history during a period when the multiple users are riding together in the one vehicle, and adjusts the drop-off location so that the travel cost incurred by the user is reduced as the usage frequency is higher.

[0009] A vehicle dispatch management method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle dispatch management method by a vehicle dispatch management device that manages a vehicle dispatch service that dispatches and operates vehicles based on a vehicle dispatch plan in response to a vehicle dispatch request from a user, the vehicle dispatch management method including: storing a usage history of users in the vehicle dispatch service; determining boarding and alighting points that are points along a driving route included in the vehicle dispatch plan of a vehicle in which multiple users ride together and where each of the multiple users gets on and off the vehicle, based on the vehicle dispatch requests of the multiple users; and determining boarding and alighting points along the driving route that are points along which the multiple users get on and off, based on the usage history of each of the multiple users. and adjusting a drop-off point shared by the multiple users and correcting the dispatch plan of the one vehicle based on the adjusted drop-off point, wherein a travel cost is a cost incurred by each of the multiple users when traveling from the drop-off point to a destination included in the dispatch request, and adjusting the drop-off point includes, when the destinations of the multiple users are within a predetermined range, deriving a usage frequency of each of the multiple users based on the usage history during a period when the multiple users are riding in the one vehicle together, and adjusting the drop-off point such that the travel cost incurred by the user is reduced as the usage frequency is higher. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to correct the difference in total travel costs between users when disembarking, ensure fairness to users who make heavy use of mobility services, and increase motivation to use mobility services.

[0011] Other technical features, objects, and operational effects or advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The effects described in this specification are merely examples and are not limited thereto, and other effects may also be present. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a vehicle dispatch management system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a terminal device illustrated in FIG. [Figure 2B] 2 is a table showing an example of vehicle allocation request information transmitted from the terminal device shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration model of the vehicle dispatch management device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4A] 1 is a diagram illustrating existing locations of boarding and alighting points set by a vehicle dispatch management device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. [Figure 4B] 1 is a diagram illustrating adjustment of boarding and disembarking points by a vehicle dispatch management device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is a diagram showing an example of usage history information in a usage history database shown in FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a vehicle allocation management method according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a boarding and alighting point according to a first modified example of the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 11 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a vehicle allocation management method according to a first modified example of the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration model of a vehicle dispatch management device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10A] 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of attribute information stored in the user information database shown in FIG. 9. FIG. [Figure 10B] 10B is a diagram showing an example of attribute coefficients and weighted frequencies based on the attribute information shown in FIG. 10A. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a vehicle allocation management method according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] 13 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a vehicle allocation management method according to a first modified example of the second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 13] 13 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a vehicle allocation management method according to a second modified example of the second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 14] 13 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a vehicle allocation management method according to a third modified example of the second embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment described below is merely an example, and there is no intention to exclude various modifications and application of technologies not specified below. The present disclosure can be implemented by various modifications (for example, combining the respective embodiments) within the scope of the gist of the disclosure. In addition, in the following description of the drawings, the same or similar parts are represented by the same or similar symbols. The drawings are schematic and do not necessarily match the actual dimensions, ratios, etc. The drawings may also include parts with different dimensional relationships and ratios.

[0014] (First embodiment) 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a vehicle dispatch management system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in the figure, the vehicle dispatch management system 1 includes a vehicle dispatch management device 10, a terminal device 20 used by a user, and a vehicle V, which are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a communication network N. The vehicle dispatch management system 1 of the present disclosure provides, for example, an on-demand mobility service (vehicle dispatch service) using multiple vehicles V for a certain area.

[0015] In the present disclosure, an "on-demand vehicle dispatch service" is a service that immediately responds to a vehicle dispatch request from a user and assigns (dispatches) a specific vehicle to the user. In other words, in an on-demand vehicle dispatch service, there is no vehicle dispatch reservation time specified by the user. In addition, "immediate response" is a concept that includes not only dispatching a vehicle immediately in response to a vehicle dispatch request from a user, but also a certain degree of time that the user can normally tolerate. The vehicle dispatch management system 1 of the present disclosure is premised on such an "on-demand vehicle dispatch service", but is not limited to this, and may also be applied to a reservation-based vehicle dispatch service, for example. In the vehicle dispatch service of the present disclosure, one vehicle may be dispatched in response to vehicle dispatch requests from multiple users. In other words, the vehicle dispatch service of the present disclosure includes a ride-sharing service such as a carpooling service for multiple passengers.

[0016] The vehicle dispatch management device 10 is a computing device that centrally manages the vehicle dispatch service by multiple vehicles V in a target area where the vehicle dispatch service is provided by the vehicle dispatch management system 1. The vehicle dispatch management device 10, for example, implements a vehicle dispatch management server program and executes the vehicle dispatch management server program stored in a memory under the control of a processor, thereby realizing the vehicle dispatch service of the present disclosure. The vehicle dispatch management device 10 is also capable of inputting and outputting predetermined information related to the vehicle dispatch service via an interface.

[0017] The vehicle dispatch management device 10 includes various databases 12 that manage data necessary to realize such a vehicle dispatch service. As described later, the databases 12 include, for example, a user information database 12a, a usage record database 12b, a map database 12c, a vehicle information database 12d, and a vehicle dispatch plan database 12e (see FIG. 3). In this example, the databases 12 are configured as part of the vehicle dispatch management device 10, but are not limited to this, and all or a part of the databases 12 may be configured separately from the vehicle dispatch management device 10.

[0018] In general, the vehicle allocation management device 10 accepts or acquires a request for allocation of a vehicle V from a terminal device 20 of a user who desires to allocate a vehicle, creates and confirms a vehicle allocation plan for one vehicle V selectively allocated in response to the vehicle allocation request, and issues a vehicle allocation instruction according to the confirmed vehicle allocation plan to the one vehicle V. The vehicle allocation plan is confirmed, for example, in response to the consent of the user.

[0019] In the present disclosure, a vehicle dispatch request for a ride from a general user who is a passenger will be described as an example. Details of the vehicle dispatch request will be described later. The vehicle dispatch request may also be a vehicle dispatch request for luggage delivery from a user who is a shipper (luggage delivery business operator or general user). Therefore, a general user who is not a luggage delivery business operator may also make a luggage delivery vehicle dispatch request (including the luggage departure and arrival points, transportation contents, etc.) to have their luggage delivered.

[0020] The dispatch plan includes a driving route that defines a route from a location where vehicle V is waiting (a starting waiting location), passing through several points (boarding and disembarking points) along the way where users board and disembark, to a final waiting location (not necessarily the same as the initial waiting location). If vehicle V is waiting, the dispatch plan is newly created based on a new dispatch request, and if vehicle V is in operation, it may be updated based on a new dispatch request. In addition, the dispatch plan may be corrected in accordance with an adjustment to a disembarking point (a boarding and disembarking point where a user disembarks) while vehicle V is in operation.

[0021] The vehicle V is a vehicle registered in the vehicle information database 12d and used by a user. The vehicle V may be of any type (e.g., a sedan, a minivan, an SUV, etc.). The vehicle V may be an electric vehicle (EV) powered by an on-board battery. The vehicle V may also include a so-called manned vehicle driven by a driver and an unmanned vehicle capable of autonomous driving. The vehicle V may be an autonomous vehicle capable of completely autonomous driving, and the so-called level of automation may not matter. The vehicle V includes a control device 300 that controls the vehicle V itself or its on-board equipment (e.g., a navigation device) according to instructions from the vehicle dispatch management device 10 (see FIG. 2). The control device 300 acquires location information of the vehicle V via, for example, a GPS system, transmits the information to the vehicle dispatch management device 10, and receives dispatch instructions from the vehicle dispatch management device 10 to control the operation of various devices or equipment of the vehicle V. The control device 300 includes, for example, a navigation function that presents a driving route according to a vehicle dispatch plan, and an autonomous driving control function that follows the driving route of the vehicle V if the vehicle V is a fully autonomous vehicle.

[0022] The terminal device 20 is, for example, a computing device for a user wishing to ride to make a vehicle dispatch request by operating a user interface. The terminal device 20 is, for example, a smartphone, a pad computer, a notebook personal computer, a desktop computer, or the like, but is not limited to these.

[0023] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the terminal device 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the terminal device 20 implements, for example, a vehicle dispatch management client program (so-called vehicle dispatch application). The terminal device 20 executes the vehicle dispatch application stored in the memory under the control of the processor, thereby enabling the user to use the vehicle dispatch service of the vehicle dispatch management device 10. The terminal device 20 transmits and receives data to and from the vehicle dispatch management device 10 using a communication device that provides a communication function with an external device. The communication method of the communication device may be, for example, wired communication or wireless communication using a public mobile communication network, satellite communication, or road-to-vehicle communication with the vehicle V. The terminal device 20 may obtain position information of the current position of the terminal device 20 (i.e., the current position of the user) using a positioning device, and may use the position information in the vehicle dispatch application. The positioning device included in the terminal device 20 may be a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver or a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver.

[0024] For example, a user inputs information related to a vehicle dispatch request (vehicle dispatch request information) from a vehicle dispatch request screen (not shown) on a user interface (UI) of the terminal device 20, and sends a vehicle dispatch request (transmission of the vehicle dispatch request information) to the vehicle dispatch management device 10 via a communication device. In response to this, the user uses the terminal device 20 to approve the vehicle dispatch plan created by the vehicle dispatch management device 10, thereby making a reservation for a ride in the vehicle V.

[0025] In the target area of ​​the vehicle dispatch service, a plurality of boarding and alighting points (e.g., bus stops) are set where the vehicle V can stop and where the user can board and alight from the stopped vehicle V. In the present disclosure, the boarding and alighting points are points shown on a road map stored in the map database 12c, and are virtual bus stops set by the vehicle dispatch management device 10. A user uses the vehicle dispatch service by specifying one of the boarding and alighting points as the boarding and alighting point in a vehicle dispatch request.

[0026] Fig. 2 is a table showing an example of information (dispatch request information) transmitted in a dispatch request from the terminal device 20. As shown in Fig. 2, the dispatch request information in a dispatch request for boarding from a passenger (general user) includes, for example, "user identification information," "start point," "desired boarding point," "desired departure time," "destination," "desired drop-off point," "desired arrival time," and "number of passengers."

[0027] The user identification information is information used to identify the user in the vehicle dispatch management device 10, and may be a user ID or a combination of the user's name (user name) and other identification information (contact information, etc.). The departure point is, for example, the user's current location when the vehicle dispatch request information is sent from the terminal device 20. However, this is not limited to this, and the departure point (for example, the user's home or workplace) may be registered as user information when the user is registered. In this case, the vehicle dispatch request does not need to include information on the departure point. The desired boarding point and desired disembarking point are appropriately selected from the multiple boarding and disembarking points set, as described above. Note that input of the desired boarding point and desired disembarking point may be omitted. The destination is a facility or address that the user wishes to reach. The desired departure time is the desired time for vehicle V to depart from the desired boarding location. The desired arrival time is the desired time for vehicle V to arrive at the desired disembarking location. The number of passengers is the number of passengers who will board vehicle V from the desired boarding location. In addition to the above information, the dispatch request may also include intermediate destinations, etc.

[0028] In the vehicle dispatch service of the present disclosure, in order to operate the vehicle V safely and efficiently, a predetermined distance is provided between adjacent boarding and alighting points, and one boarding and alighting point is shared by multiple users as a boarding or alighting point. For example, multiple users whose destinations are nearby may share one boarding and alighting point as alighting point. Multiple users who share alighting point are called "disembarking users." Note that disembarking users must include one or more users with different destinations, and multiple users with the same destination do not qualify as disembarking users. Each disembarking user disembarks from the vehicle V at, for example, one boarding and alighting point that serves as a disembarking point, and then travels to the respective destinations specified in the vehicle dispatch request. That is, in the vehicle dispatch service of the present disclosure, each disembarking user incurs a cost (travel cost) required to travel from the disembarking location to their destination when disembarking from the vehicle V. In this embodiment, for example, the time required to travel from the disembarking location to the destination (travel time) corresponds to the travel cost.

[0029] As described above, the boarding and disembarking points are provided at predetermined distances in the target locations of the vehicle dispatch service. Therefore, there is no significant difference in travel cost (travel time) to the destination when using the vehicle dispatch service (when disembarking from the vehicle V) between disembarking users. However, since the total travel cost increases as the frequency of use of the dispatch service increases, the difference in the total travel cost may become large between disembarking users with different usage frequencies. In this case, there is a risk that users will be less willing to use the dispatch service due to the concern that the total travel cost will increase the more frequently they use the dispatch service.

[0030] Therefore, in the present disclosure, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 adjusts (reinstalls) the location of an existing drop-off point based on the destination and frequency of use of each disembarking user who shares a single boarding / drop-off point as a drop-off point, so as to reduce the travel costs of disembarking users who use the vehicle dispatch service frequently.

[0031] As a result, the vehicle dispatch management system 1 of the present disclosure can prevent the total travel cost of frequently-using disembarking users from increasing excessively, and correct the difference in the total travel cost at the time of disembarking (travel cost between users who share the same disembarking location). Therefore, it is possible to ensure fairness to users who frequently use the vehicle dispatch service, and to increase their willingness to use the vehicle dispatch service.

[0032] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration model of a vehicle dispatch management device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in the figure, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 is configured as a functional configuration model including functional components such as a front-end processing unit 110, a dispatch request acquisition unit 130, a boarding / alighting point determination unit 140, a vehicle dispatch plan creation unit 150, a travel route planning unit 160, and a vehicle communication interface (IF) unit 170. In addition, as described above, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 includes various databases 12. Such a functional model is realized by the vehicle dispatch management device 10 executing a vehicle dispatch management server program under the control of a processor, thereby cooperating with various hardware resources. The functional configuration model shown here is an example, and all or part of the functions of a certain functional component may be realized by other functional components. Note that in the figure, for convenience of explanation, the configuration of a user's terminal device 20 and part of the control device 300 in the vehicle V are also shown.

[0033] The user information database 12a stores user information on users who use the vehicle dispatch service. The user information includes, for example, a user ID and password, attribute information, and information on the service usage status. The user information is registered in the user information database 12a under the control of the vehicle dispatch management device 10, for example, when the user inputs predetermined information when the vehicle dispatch app is first started. The user information may also be updated based on information (vehicle dispatch request information or other additional information) transmitted from the terminal device 20 at the time of a vehicle dispatch request.

[0034] The usage history database 12b stores, for example, information (usage history information) regarding the past usage history of the ride-hailing service for each user. The usage history information includes, for example, at least information on the user's usage date and time (boarding date and time), disembarking place (the boarding and disembarking place where the user disembarks from the vehicle V), and destination (latitude / longitude). The usage history information may indicate the number of times the user has used the ride-hailing service in a certain period, i.e., the frequency of use of the ride-hailing service, based on the user's usage date and time.

[0035] The map database 12c stores map data for at least the target area of ​​the vehicle dispatch service. The map data includes information on addresses, place names, roads, boarding and alighting points, facility names, and the like. The information on roads may also include at least information indicating whether or not a stop is possible. The boarding and alighting points indicate geographical locations where a user can actually board and alight in the target area. In the map data, for example, information identifying the boarding and alighting points (boarding and alighting point ID) is associated with location information (latitude / longitude) of the boarding and alighting points, which are the physical locations, to configure information on the boarding and alighting points, and this association allows the boarding and alighting points to be set up in the target area as virtual stops. The information on the boarding and alighting points may include the update date and time of the location information.

[0036] A plurality of boarding and alighting points are provided at a predetermined interval within the area covered by the vehicle dispatch service. The predetermined interval may be any interval that does not hinder the smooth operation of the vehicle V, for example, about 150 m to 200 m. For example, the area covered by the vehicle dispatch service is divided into a predetermined range (for example, 150 to 200 m square) on the map data, and one boarding and alighting point may be set for each divided area (divided area). In addition, from the viewpoint of complying with traffic regulations and ensuring the safety of users who get on and off the vehicle V, the boarding and alighting point may be on a road where the vehicle V can be stopped. As will be described in detail later, the map database 12c may be updated with information on the boarding and alighting points as needed based on the position information of the boarding and alighting points generated by the boarding and alighting point determination unit 140. Furthermore, the map data may include information necessary for route search and environmental information such as road congestion conditions, etc. The map data may be any known data, and may be, for example, an external map database that can be connected via an API.

[0037] The vehicle information database 12d stores information (vehicle information) about the vehicle V that is provided for use by the user. The vehicle information includes, for example, information about the vehicle ID, vehicle attributes (vehicle registration number, vehicle type, maximum number of passengers / maximum load capacity, etc.), current dispatch plan, current location, and current status (service status, remaining battery capacity, number of passengers, luggage load capacity, etc.). The current location of the vehicle V is updated at any time based on location information transmitted from the vehicle V, as described below. In addition, the current status is updated at any time based on boarding information transmitted from the vehicle V (information indicating that the user has boarded the vehicle).

[0038] The vehicle dispatch plan database 12e stores a vehicle dispatch plan for each vehicle V based on a dispatch request. The vehicle dispatch plan includes an operation route from a waiting location as a starting point to a waiting location as an end point via several points (boarding and disembarking points), and an expected arrival time at each stop point. Note that the starting point and end point of the operation route of the vehicle dispatch plan are not limited to the waiting location.

[0039] The front-end processing unit 110 performs various processes with the user's terminal device 20. As one example, the front-end processing unit 110 refers to the user information database 12a and performs login authentication processing in accordance with a login request from a vehicle dispatch application on the user's terminal device 20. As another example, the front-end processing unit 110 accepts a vehicle dispatch request from the vehicle dispatch application on the user's terminal device 20, passes it to the vehicle dispatch request acquisition unit 130, and interacts with the terminal device 20 to receive the user's approval or disapproval of the vehicle dispatch plan created by the vehicle dispatch plan creation unit 150 in response to the request.

[0040] The dispatch request acquisition unit 130 receives and acquires a dispatch request from a user via the front-end processing unit 110. The time when the dispatch request acquisition unit 130 receives the dispatch request is the start time of counting various limit times as described below. The dispatch request acquisition unit 130 passes the acquired dispatch request to each of the boarding / alighting point determination unit 140 and the dispatch plan creation unit 150.

[0041] The boarding and alighting place determination unit 140 refers to the map database 12c based on the delivered dispatch request and determines the boarding and alighting place (e.g., a bus stop). That is, the boarding and alighting place determination unit 140 refers to the map database 12c and determines the actual boarding and alighting places for the desired boarding and alighting places specified by the dispatch request. If the desired boarding and alighting places are not specified in the dispatch request, the boarding and alighting places may be determined based on the departure place and destination in the dispatch request. The boarding and alighting place determination unit 140 refers to the map database 12c, for example, and determines the boarding and alighting places based on the boarding and alighting place information, environmental information, etc. around the departure place / destination in the dispatch request. In addition, if there is no boarding or alighting place in a divided area including the departure place or destination of the dispatch request, the boarding and alighting place determination unit 140 may set up a new boarding and alighting place in the divided area. The boarding / alighting point determination unit 140 transfers the determined boarding / alighting points to the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 150. Although details will be described later, the boarding / alighting point determination unit 140 determines boarding / alighting points that are points through which a travel route included in a vehicle allocation plan of a vehicle V in which multiple users ride together passes and where each of the multiple users gets on and off the vehicle V, based on the vehicle allocation requests of each of the multiple users.

[0042] The vehicle dispatch plan creation unit 150 creates and confirms a vehicle dispatch plan for a vehicle V selected from among multiple candidate vehicles v based on a new dispatch request and boarding and disembarking destination information, and issues dispatch instructions to the vehicle V in accordance with the confirmed vehicle dispatch plan. More specifically, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 150 first requests the travel route planning unit 160 to derive a route pattern in accordance with the acquired vehicle allocation request. The route pattern indicates a route that passes through all of the boarding and alighting points when a new boarding and alighting point is added to a route that passes through the already determined boarding and alighting points (waypoints). In response to the request to derive a route pattern, the travel route planning unit 160 refers to the map database 12c and the vehicle information database 12d, extracts one or more vehicles V that can meet the vehicle allocation request as candidate vehicles v, derives a route pattern for each of the extracted candidate vehicles v according to the boarding and alighting point information, and transfers the derived route pattern to the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 150.

[0043] The vehicle allocation plan creation unit 150 attempts to create a vehicle allocation plan including a driving route that includes a waiting place as a starting point and a waiting place as an end point for the route pattern, based on each route pattern of the candidate vehicle v derived by the travel route planning unit 160. The vehicle allocation plan creation unit 150 further narrows down the candidate vehicles v.

[0044] The candidate vehicles v may include vehicles (passenger vehicles) in which a preceding user (a user who has confirmed a reservation for the vehicle V) is scheduled to ride or has already boarded. This provides a ride-sharing service in the vehicle dispatch service of the present disclosure. The vehicle dispatch plan creation unit 15 may narrow down the candidate vehicles v, including the passenger vehicle, by, for example, referring to the vehicle dispatch plan database 12e and excluding vehicle dispatch plans that meet specified exclusion conditions such as those exemplified by (i) to (iv) below.

[0045] (i) Passenger capacity requirements Vehicles V whose passenger numbers exceed a prescribed number due to new dispatch requests are excluded from the candidate vehicles v. (ii) Conditions regarding delays in boarding a preceding user If the boarding time of a preceding user (a user who has already confirmed a reservation for a ride in vehicle V) exceeds the boarding delay limit time due to a new dispatch request, the vehicle V is excluded from the candidate vehicles v. The boarding delay limit time is the time from the scheduled boarding time to the boarding limit time that the user can tolerate. (iii) Delay conditions for disembarking If the alighting time of the preceding user exceeds the alighting delay limit time due to a new dispatch request, the dispatch plan is excluded. The alighting delay limit time is, for example, the time from the scheduled departure time to the alighting limit time, and is set to, for example, 1.2 times the time it would take for the vehicle V to travel directly from the boarding point to the alighting point. (iv) Conditions regarding the vehicle dispatch delay limit of the following users If the time until dispatch to the following user (the user who made a new dispatch request) exceeds the dispatch delay limit time, the corresponding vehicle V is excluded from the candidate vehicles v. The dispatch delay limit time is, for example, the time from the dispatch request acceptance time to the scheduled boarding time.

[0046] In this manner, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 150 in the present disclosure creates a vehicle allocation plan for a vehicle V in which multiple users (a preceding user and a following user) ride together in response to vehicle allocation requests from the multiple users. Furthermore, boarding and alighting points, which are points along a travel route included in the vehicle allocation plan and points where each of the multiple users gets on and off the vehicle V, are determined by the boarding and alighting point determination unit 140 based on the vehicle allocation requests from the multiple users.

[0047] From the viewpoint of energy consumption efficiency, for example, the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 150 may select a candidate vehicle v located closest to the determined boarding location from among the candidate vehicles v that can arrive at the boarding location by the boarding date and time. The vehicle allocation plan creation unit 150 proposes the created vehicle allocation plan to the terminal device 20 via the front-end processing unit 110 to the user, and confirms the vehicle allocation plan for one vehicle V upon receiving the user's consent. The vehicle allocation plan creation unit 150 stores the confirmed vehicle allocation plan in the vehicle allocation plan database 12e, and notifies the vehicle allocation instruction unit 172 to instruct the vehicle V to be dispatched.

[0048] The vehicle communication interface unit 170 exchanges various information with the vehicle V via the communication network N. For example, the vehicle communication interface unit 170 includes a vehicle information acquisition unit 171 that acquires vehicle information including position information of the vehicle V, and a vehicle allocation instruction unit 172 that instructs the vehicle V to move according to a vehicle allocation plan.

[0049] The vehicle information acquisition unit 171 communicates with the communication unit 310 of the control device 300, and acquires the location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit 320, etc. Furthermore, the vehicle allocation instruction unit 172, following the instruction of the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 150, refers to the vehicle allocation plan database 12e, identifies a corresponding vehicle allocation plan, and transmits driving instructions to the vehicle V according to the identified vehicle allocation plan. The control device 300 of the vehicle V that has received the driving instructions uses a navigation function to display a driving route according to the vehicle allocation plan, for example, on a user interface (indicated as "UI" in the figure) 330. Furthermore, the UI 330 may include an input unit, and the control device 300 may transmit boarding information (boarding user ID, vehicle ID, boarding location) to the vehicle dispatch management device 10 via the communication unit 310 based on an input to the UI 330. Upon acquiring the boarding information, the vehicle information acquisition unit 171 updates the vehicle information (current state) of the vehicle V that transmitted the boarding information in the vehicle information database 12d. Furthermore, upon acquiring the boarding information, the vehicle information acquisition unit 171 registers a new usage history in the usage history database based on the boarding information and the dispatch request of the boarding user, etc. For example, the date and time when the boarding information was acquired becomes the "usage date and time" in the usage history.

[0050] Next, a detailed description will be given of each functional component of the boarding / alighting point determination unit 140. The boarding / alighting point determination unit 140 includes a boarding / alighting point setting unit 141 and a boarding / alighting point adjustment unit 142 (an example of an alighting point adjustment unit), for example. The boarding and alighting point setting unit 141 sets up a new boarding and alighting point in a divided area (uninstalled area) where no boarding and alighting point is installed in the target area of ​​the vehicle dispatch service. In addition, the boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 142 adjusts (relocates) the position of the boarding and alighting point set up by the boarding and alighting point setting unit 141 based on a predetermined condition.

[0051] Typically, the boarding and alighting point setting unit 141 sets up a new boarding and alighting point in an uninstalled area at the timing when the boarding and alighting point determination unit 140 determines a boarding and alighting point. For example, when the departure point or destination of the delivered vehicle dispatch request is in an uninstalled area, the boarding and alighting point setting unit 141 sets up a new boarding and alighting point in the uninstalled area. In this way, the boarding and alighting point determination unit 140 can determine the newly installed boarding and alighting point as the boarding point or the alighting point. Note that the departure point determined by the boarding and alighting point determination unit 140 based on the vehicle dispatch request is not limited to within a divided area including the departure point, and may be a boarding and alighting point in another adjacent divided area as long as it is in the vicinity of the departure point (within a radius of about 150 to 200 m from the departure point). Similarly, the alighting point determined by the boarding and alighting point determination unit 140 may be a boarding and alighting point in another adjacent divided area as long as it is in the vicinity of the destination (within a radius of about 150 to 200 m from the departure point). For example, when there is no boarding or alighting point near the departure point or destination of the dispatch request and the departure point or destination is a point within an uninstalled area, the boarding or alighting point installation unit 141 may install a boarding or alighting point within the uninstalled area.

[0052] 4A is a diagram illustrating a positional relationship between existing positions of boarding and alighting points in the vehicle dispatch service of this embodiment and a destination of a user riding in one vehicle V. As shown in FIG. 4A, one boarding and alighting point VS1 is installed by the boarding and alighting point installation unit 141 at a point P1 in a divided area Er within a target area of ​​the vehicle dispatch service by the vehicle dispatch management system 1. The vehicle V1 is a passenger vehicle, and a user U1, a preceding user, a user 2, a first following user, and a user 3, a second following user, are riding (sharing) on ​​the vehicle V1, and the vehicle V1 is traveling along a route toward the boarding and alighting point VS1 according to a vehicle dispatch plan. In this example, the destinations specified in the vehicle dispatch requests of the users, that is, the destination Pg_1 of the user U1, the destination Pg_2 of the user 2, and the destination Pg_3 of the user 3, are all located within the division area Er and within a predetermined range (for example, within 150 to 200 m). Therefore, the boarding and alighting point determination unit 140 determines the boarding and alighting point VS1, which is installed by the boarding and alighting point installation unit 141 in the division area Er, as the alighting point closest to the destination of each user based on the vehicle dispatch requests of the users U1, U2, and U3. In other words, the users U1, U2, and U3 riding on the vehicle V1 are alighting users who share the boarding and alighting point VS1 as the alighting point.

[0053] When the users U1, U2, and U3 get off the vehicle V1 at the boarding / alighting point VS1, they move to their respective destinations (destinations Pg_1, Pg_2, and Pg_3). That is, each disembarking user incurs the cost (travel cost) required to move from the boarding / alighting point VS1 to each destination when disembarking. As described above, the destinations Pg_1, Pg_2, and Pg_3 are located within a predetermined range (for example, within 150 to 200 m), and there is not much difference in the travel distance from the point P1, which is the existing location of the boarding / alighting point VS1, to each destination. For this reason, for example, if the attributes (age, sex, health condition, physical strength, etc.) of each disembarking user (users U1, U2, and U3) are equivalent, there is not much difference in the travel time (travel cost) from the boarding / alighting point VS1 to each of the destinations Pg_1, Pg_2, and Pg_3.

[0054] However, as described above, the total travel cost increases as the frequency of use of the ride-hailing service increases. Therefore, the difference in the total travel cost between disembarking users with different usage frequencies increases. For example, assume that the usage frequency (e.g., the frequency of disembarking at boarding / alighting point VS1) of user U3 among the disembarking users is higher than that of the other disembarking users (users U1 and U2). In this case, the total travel cost of user U3 increases compared to users U1 and U2, and the difference in the total travel cost between disembarking users may increase. In this case, there is a risk that the desire to use the ride-hailing service will decrease due to the concern that the total travel cost will increase the more the ride-hailing service is used.

[0055] Therefore, in this embodiment, the boarding and alighting place adjustment unit 142 adjusts one boarding and alighting place of the driving route (one example of a travel route) included in the vehicle dispatch plan, which is a boarding and alighting place of the alighting user, that is, a alighting place shared by the alighting users, based on the usage history of the alighting users (preceding users and following users) who are multiple users riding in one vehicle V (vehicle V1). Specifically, the boarding and alighting place adjustment unit 142 adjusts (reinstalls) the position of the existing alighting place so that the travel cost incurred by the alighting user is reduced as the frequency of use of the vehicle dispatch service increases. When the destination included in the dispatch request of each of the alighting users (preceding users and following users) is within a predetermined range, the boarding and alighting place adjustment unit 142 derives the usage frequency of each alighting user based on the usage history during the period when the alighting users are riding in one vehicle V, and adjusts the alighting place so that the travel cost incurred by the alighting user is reduced as the frequency of use increases (for example, the travel cost incurred by the alighting user with the highest frequency of use is reduced).

[0056] FIG. 4B is a diagram for explaining the adjustment of boarding and alighting points. As shown in FIG. 4B, the boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 142 adjusts (moves) the position of the boarding and alighting point VS1 shared as a disembarking point by users U1, U2, and U3, who are disembarking users, from the existing point P1 to point P2 within the divided area Er. Point P2 is closer to the current destination Pg_3 of the disembarking user (user U3) who uses the service most frequently than point P1. This reduces the travel cost incurred by the disembarking user who uses the service most frequently (for example, user U3), and can prevent the total travel cost from increasing excessively. Therefore, fairness to users who frequently use the ride-hailing service is ensured, and the willingness to use the mobility service can be improved.

[0057] The adjustment of boarding and disembarking points will be explained in more detail below. The boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 142 adjusts the boarding and alighting point (disembarking point), for example, when a new user (e.g., user U3) boards a vehicle (vehicle V1 in this example) in which a user (e.g., users U1 and U2) is already riding. The boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 142 adjusts the position of a certain boarding and alighting point based on the usage frequency of each disembarking user who uses the certain boarding and alighting point as a disembarking point. The boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 142 refers to the usage history database 12b, derives the usage frequency of each user (disembarking user) who has used a certain boarding and alighting point as a disembarking point based on the usage history information, and updates the position information of the disembarking points shared by the disembarking users (information on boarding and alighting points in the map database 12c) so that the travel cost (travel time) incurred by the disembarking users decreases as the derived usage frequency increases. This reliably prevents the total travel cost of users with high usage frequency from increasing excessively, and further corrects the difference in the total travel cost at the time of disembarking.

[0058] 5 is a diagram showing an example of the usage history information in the usage history database 12b. In this example, only information related to the arrangement of the drop-off point (boarding / alighting point ID, usage date and time, and location information of the destination (latitude / longitude)) is displayed among the usage history information, but the usage history information may further include location information of the boarding point (boarding / alighting point where each user boarded) and the departure point. The departure point and destination in the usage history information are information specified in the dispatch request, and the cost required to travel from the drop-off point in the usage history information to the destination (travel time in this example) is the actual value of the travel cost of each disembarking user.

[0059] The boarding and alighting place adjustment unit 142 refers to the usage history database 12b and derives the number of times (usage frequency) that the disembarking user uses the ride-hailing service in a predetermined tallying period. The tallying period is, for example, a period going back from the time when the boarding and alighting place adjustment unit 142 adjusts the boarding and alighting place, and may be in units of weeks, months, or years. The boarding and alighting place adjustment unit 142 extracts usage history information for the tallying period (for example, the past one week) in which the boarding and alighting place to be adjusted is the disembarking place at the timing of adjusting the boarding and alighting place (any time during the period when the disembarking user is riding in the vehicle V) from the usage history database 12b, and tally up the number of extracted usage history information for each user (disembarking user). The boarding and alighting place adjustment unit 142 derives the number of usage history information (number of records) aggregated for each disembarking user as the number of times (usage frequency) that the ride-hailing service is used for each disembarking user in the tallying period.

[0060] The above-mentioned period is not particularly limited, and may be appropriately determined according to the usage status of the boarding and alighting point to be adjusted. The number of times the dispatch service is used in a predetermined period may be, for example, the number of times the dispatch service itself is used (including cases where the user boards the vehicle from a boarding and alighting point other than the boarding and alighting point to be adjusted). In this case, for each disembarking user, the number of cases of all usage history information (including usage history information in which the boarding and alighting point to be adjusted is the disembarking point) in the aggregation period may be set as the usage frequency. The boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 142 may derive the number of times the destination is used in a predetermined period as the usage frequency. That is, the number of times the dispatch service is used may be the number of times the destination is used. In this case, the number of records of the destination (destination specified in the dispatch request) most used by each disembarking user in the usage history information in the aggregation period may be set as the usage frequency. In addition, the number of times the destination most used by the disembarking user in the usage history information in which the disembarking point is one of the boarding and alighting points to be adjusted in the aggregation period may be set as the usage frequency.

[0061] FIG. 5 shows usage history information with the boarding / alighting point VS1 as the alighting point extracted by the boarding / alighting point adjusting unit 142 from the usage history database 12b, and is collected for a period of one week from June 1 to June 8, 2023. In this example, the number of records of usage history information per week of user U1 (ID = 001) among the alighting users is 5 (usage frequency = 5 times / week). The number of records of usage history information per week of user U2 (ID = 002) among the alighting users is 2 (usage frequency = 2 times / week), and the number of records of usage history information per week of user U3 (ID = 003) is 10 (usage frequency = 10 times / week). Therefore, user U3 corresponds to the user with the highest usage frequency among the alighting users (users who get on the vehicle V1 and get off at the boarding / alighting point VS) who share the boarding / alighting point VS1 as a alighting point. In other words, in this example, the boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 142 adjusts the location of the alighting point using the usage frequency of each alighting user so that the travel cost (travel time from boarding and alighting point VS1 to the destination) incurred by user U3, who has the highest usage frequency among the alighting users who share a single alighting point VS1, is reduced, i.e., the higher the usage frequency, the lower the travel cost incurred by the alighting user. In addition, if there are multiple users who have the same destination (current destination) in their latest usage records among the disembarking users, the boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 142 may add up the usage frequencies of these users. For example, if the destinations of users U1 and U2 are the same location (e.g., the same facility), the number of records of usage history information for the two users will be 7 (= 5 records for user U1 + 2 records for user U2).

[0062] First, the boarding and alighting place adjustment unit 142 weights the location information (latitude / longitude) of the destination of each alighting user in the dispatch request using the derived usage frequency value ("5", "2", "10") as a frequency coefficient for each alighting user (users U1, U2, U3) extracted from the usage history database 12b. The boarding and alighting place adjustment unit 142 updates the location information of the alighting place (adjusts the alighting place) using the location information of the destination weighted by the usage frequency and the location information of the current alighting place (one boarding and alighting place).

[0063] Furthermore, the usage history information is updated, for example, based on each user getting on to vehicle V. Therefore, the usage history information with the latest usage date and time (2023 / 06 / 08 in this example) reflects the latest dispatch request information of the disembarking user who is on board vehicle V (vehicle V1 in this example). The boarding and alighting location adjustment unit 142 acquires the destination location information of the latest usage history information of each disembarking user and weights it according to the frequency of use. Note that the usage history information may be updated based on each user getting off vehicle V. In this case, the boarding and alighting location adjustment unit 142 may acquire the destination location information based on the dispatch request of each user. Furthermore, the destination location information may be included in the dispatch plan of vehicle V.

[0064] In Fig. 5, for ease of understanding, the latitude / longitude of the destination (destination Pg_1 in Fig. 4 and Fig. 4B) in the usage history information of user U1 is written as "lat_1" and "lоn_1", respectively. Similarly, the latitude / longitude of the destination (destination Pg_2) in the usage history information of user U2 is written as "lat_2" and "lоn_2", respectively, and the latitude / longitude of the destination (destination Pg_3) in the usage history information of user U3 is written as "lat_3 / lоn_3". The values ​​of the latitude and longitude of the destination in the usage history information are actually decimal numbers (e.g. latitude / longitude = 37.4960985 / 141.0002726).

[0065] The boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 142 weights (multiplies) the latitude / longitude of the destination (latest destination) in the latest usage record information of user U1 by a frequency coefficient of "5", which is the value of the usage frequency, to calculate a weighted latitude (=5×lat_1) and a weighted longitude (=5×lоn_1). Similarly, it calculates a weighted latitude (=2×lat_2) and a weighted longitude (=2×lоn_2) of the latest destination of user U2 weighted (multiplied) by a frequency coefficient of "2". Furthermore, it calculates a weighted latitude (=10×lat_3) and a weighted longitude (=10×lоn_3) of the latest destination of user U3 weighted (multiplied) by a frequency coefficient of "10". Furthermore, as mentioned above, if some of the disembarking users have the same destination (a single destination is common to multiple users), the latitude / longitude of that single destination can be weighted by a frequency coefficient based on the combined frequency of use, and the weighted latitude and weighted longitude of that single destination can be calculated.

[0066] The boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 142 calculates an adjusted position that serves as an indication of the adjusted position of the alighting point based on the location information (weighted latitude / weighted longitude) of the destination for each alighting user weighted by a frequency coefficient and the current location information of the alighting point to be adjusted. At this time, it is preferable that the boarding / alighting point adjustment unit 142 weights the current latitude=VS_lat and longitude=VS_lоn of the alighting point with a reference coefficient (e.g., 10). This makes it possible to suppress a sudden change in position due to the adjustment of the alighting point and adjust the position of the alighting point in stages. The reference coefficient is not particularly limited, and may be determined appropriately based on the usage record of the alighting point to be adjusted by the alighting user. For example, the boarding / alighting point adjustment unit 142 refers to the map database 12c to obtain the position information (position information of point P1) of the current alighting point (boarding / alighting point VS1), and calculates the weighted latitude=(10×VS_lat) and the weighted longitude (=10×VS_lоn).

[0067] The boarding / alighting point adjustment unit 142 calculates an adjusted latitude (NVS_lat) and an adjusted longitude (NVS_lоn) indicating the latitude / longitude of the adjusted position (adjusted position point) by dividing the weighted sum of the latitude / longitude of the current alighting point (e.g., boarding / alighting point VS1) and the latitude / longitude of the destination of each alighting user (e.g., users U1, U2, U3) by the sum of the coefficients (reference coefficient, frequency coefficient) used for weighting. This calculates an adjusted position (NVS_lat / NVS_lоn) that is closer to the destination of the alighting user with the highest usage frequency than the current alighting point position (VS_lat / VS_lоn), that is, an adjusted point that is a guideline for the position of the boarding / alighting point (alighting point) after adjustment.

[0068] In this example, the boarding / alighting point adjustment unit 142 calculates the adjusted latitude (NVS_lat) of the boarding / alighting point VS1 by the following formula (1). The boarding / alighting point adjustment unit 142 calculates, as the adjusted latitude (NVS_lat), a value closer to the latitude of the destination Pg_3 of the most frequently used alighting user (user U3 in this example) than the latitude (VS_lat) of the current alighting point by the following formula (1). NVS_lat={(10×VS1_lat)+(5×lat_1)+(2×lat_2)+(10×lat_3)} / (10+5+2+10)...Equation (1)

[0069] In this example, the boarding / alighting point adjustment unit 142 calculates the adjusted longitude (NVS_lON) of the boarding / alighting point VS1 by the following formula (2). The boarding / alighting point adjustment unit 142 calculates, using the above formula (2), the adjusted longitude (NVS_lON) that is closer to the longitude of the destination Pg_3 of the most frequently used alighting user (in this example, user U3) than the longitude (VS_lON) of the current alighting point. NVS_lоn={(10×VS_lоn)+(5×lоn_1)+(2×lоn_2)+(10×lоn_3)} / (10+5+2+10)...Equation (2)

[0070] In addition, in the usage history information, the destination of one disembarking user who uses one disembarking point is not always the same, and for example, the destination may be different places in the same divided area. The boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 142 may use the average value or the most frequent value of the location information (latitude / longitude) of the destination of each disembarking user (when using one disembarking point) in the usage history information as the location information of the destination when calculating the adjusted position.

[0071] In this way, the boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 142 calculates adjusted position information indicating the above-mentioned adjustment point as new position information based on the location information of the destination of each disembarking user weighted by a frequency coefficient indicating the frequency of use and the location information of the current disembarking point weighted by a reference coefficient. The boarding / alighting point adjustment unit 142 updates the position information of the alighting point (in this example, boarding / alighting point VS1) shared by the alighting users based on the adjusted position information, which is the new position information. More specifically, the boarding / alighting point adjustment unit 142 derives a point on the road nearest to the adjusted position information (a point where the vehicle V can stop) and adjusts (relocates) the position of the target alighting point (boarding / alighting point VS1) to the point on the road derived in the map database 12c. This updates the information related to the one boarding / alighting point (boarding / alighting point VS1) that is the target alighting point.

[0072] If the adjusted position (the point indicated by the adjusted position information) calculated as described above is on a road, the position of the drop-off point to be adjusted may be updated to the adjusted position. In addition, the boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 142 may update the update date and time in accordance with the update of the position information of the drop-off point. The boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 142 transfers the adjusted location information of the alighting point to the vehicle dispatch plan correction unit 151 described later. As a result, the adjusted location information of the alighting point is transmitted to the terminal device 20 via the front-end processing unit (an example of a notification unit) 110, and is notified to each alighting user.

[0073] Next, the details of each functional component of the vehicle allocation plan creation unit 150 will be described. The vehicle allocation plan creation unit 150 includes a vehicle allocation plan correction unit 151 (an example of a correction unit), for example. When an opportunity arises to adjust the boarding / alighting point (alighting point), the vehicle allocation plan correction unit 151 requests the boarding / alighting point adjustment unit 142 to make the adjustment. For example, when a new user boards a passenger vehicle (vehicle V1 in this example) in addition to the user already aboard, the vehicle allocation plan correction unit 151 requests the boarding / alighting point adjustment unit 142 to adjust the boarding / alighting point (alighting point). For example, the vehicle allocation plan correction unit 151 acquires the current vehicle allocation plan and current state (service state) of the passenger vehicle (vehicle V1 in this example) from the vehicle information database 12d, and when it determines that a new user has boarded the vehicle V in which a user already aboard is present, the vehicle allocation plan correction unit 151 requests the boarding / alighting point adjustment unit 142 to adjust the boarding / alighting point (alighting point).

[0074] In this example, it is assumed that the user U1 gets on the vehicle V1, which is a passenger vehicle, first, and then the users U2 and U3 get on in succession. In this case, the vehicle allocation plan correction unit 151 may request the boarding and alighting place adjustment unit 142 to adjust the boarding and alighting place each time the users U2 and U3 get on after the user U1 gets on, or may make the request when all the users (users U1, U2, and U3) who are scheduled to board the vehicle V1 get on.

[0075] Furthermore, the vehicle allocation plan correction unit 151 corrects (updates) the vehicle allocation plan stored in the vehicle allocation plan database 12e based on the position information of the adjusted drop-off point delivered from the boarding / alighting point adjustment unit 142. That is, it updates the position information of the drop-off point of the operation route in the vehicle allocation plan. The vehicle allocation plan correction unit 151 notifies the vehicle allocation instruction unit 172 of information (e.g., a vehicle ID) that identifies the corrected vehicle allocation plan. As a result, the vehicle allocation instruction unit 172 refers to the vehicle allocation plan database 12e, identifies a vehicle allocation plan corresponding to the passenger vehicle, and transmits a driving instruction to the passenger vehicle (vehicle V1) according to the identified vehicle allocation plan. As a result, the passenger vehicle can travel to the adjusted drop-off point.

[0076] Furthermore, the vehicle dispatch plan correction unit 151 transmits the corrected vehicle dispatch plan to the terminal device 20 via the front-end processing unit 110, and notifies the user of the adjusted drop-off location. As described above, the drop-off location adjustment is performed while the disembarking users are aboard (passenger) the vehicle V. Therefore, each disembarking user can recognize the updated boarding / alighting location (drop-off location) while aboard (before disembarking) the vehicle V (e.g., vehicle V1), and can move smoothly to the destination after disembarking. Also, for example, the disembarking user who uses the vehicle most frequently among the disembarking users may be more willing to use the vehicle dispatch service because the adjusted boarding / alighting location (drop-off location) is closer to the destination specified in the vehicle dispatch request.

[0077] 6 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a vehicle dispatch management method (a method for coordinating boarding and disembarking points) by the vehicle dispatch management device according to this embodiment. This process is realized by the vehicle dispatch management device 10 executing a vehicle dispatch management server program under the control of a processor, in cooperation with various hardware resources.

[0078] As shown in the figure, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 judges whether or not there is a fellow passenger in a vehicle V (e.g., vehicle V1) that is a passenger vehicle (S601). For example, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 refers to the vehicle information database 12d and judges whether or not a new user (e.g., user U3) has boarded the vehicle V (whether there is a fellow passenger) in which a user (e.g., user U1, U2) is already boarding. If no new user has boarded, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 waits until a new user boards (No in S601). In contrast, when the vehicle dispatch management device 10 judges that a new user has boarded (there is a fellow passenger) (Yes in S601), it judges whether or not the destination of the fellow user is close (within a predetermined range) (S602).

[0079] When the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that the destinations of two or more users among the users riding in the vehicle V are close (within a predetermined range and not the same destination), that is, that there is a disembarking user among the users who shares a boarding / alighting point (e.g., boarding / alighting point VS1) as a disembarking point (Yes in S602), it acquires information (e.g., location information) about the disembarking point (boarding / alighting point to be adjusted) from the map database 12c (S603). The vehicle dispatch management device 10 refers to the vehicle dispatch plan database 12e to identify the disembarking point in the vehicle dispatch plan of the vehicle V, and refers to the map database 12c to acquire location information about the identified disembarking point (disembarking point to be adjusted). On the other hand, when the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that the destinations of the users riding in the vehicle V are outside the predetermined range and that there are no users who will disembark (S602 No), it does not execute the subsequent processes and ends the boarding / disembarking point adjustment process. Note that the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that there are no users who will disembark even if the destinations of all the users riding in the vehicle V are the same.

[0080] Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 refers to the usage history database 12b and derives the usage frequency of the disembarking users in the counting period (for example, the past week from the present) (S604). The usage frequency is, for example, the number of times that each disembarking user has used the disembarking location (or destination) in the counting period. If there are users with the same destination among the disembarking users, the usage frequency may be added together. Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 acquires the destination (latitude / longitude) of each disembarking user based on the latest usage history information of each disembarking user from the usage history information extracted in step S603 (S605). Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 weights the location information of the destination based on the usage frequency of each disembarking user (S606). That is, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 multiplies the value of the usage frequency of each disembarking user (frequency coefficient) by the latitude / longitude of the destination to calculate the weighted latitude / weighted longitude.

[0081] Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 uses the position information of the weighted destination to calculate an adjustment point (a point indicated by the above-mentioned adjusted position information) that is a guide to the position of the boarding / alighting point (disembarking point) after adjustment (S607). As described above, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 calculates an adjustment position (adjusted latitude (NVS_lat) and adjusted longitude (NVS_lоn)) indicating the adjustment point using, for example, the latitude / longitude of the adjustment target weighted by a reference coefficient and the weighted latitude / longitude of each disembarking user. The adjustment point calculated in this way is a point closer to the destination of the most frequently used user (e.g., user U3) among the disembarking users than the current installation point (e.g., point P1) of the target boarding / alighting point (disembarking point).

[0082] Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 sets (updates) the position of the target boarding / alighting point (drop-off point) to a point on the road closest to the calculated adjustment point (for example, point P2) (S608). At this time, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 may update the update date and time of the boarding / alighting point to be adjusted in the map database 12c. Note that this is not limited to the above, and the vehicle dispatch management device 10 may update only the position information of the drop-off point of the disembarking user in the vehicle dispatch plan, without updating the map database 12c. This makes it possible to limit the impact of the adjustment of the drop-off point to only the disembarking users who are riding in one vehicle V. Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 notifies each disembarking user of the updated (adjusted) boarding and alighting points (disembarking points) (S609). That is, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 transmits the updated position information of the boarding and alighting points to the terminal device 20 of each disembarking user, and in response, the terminal device 20 displays the position information on the map shown on the user interface. At this time, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 also corrects the dispatch plan of the vehicle V (e.g., vehicle V1) that is the passenger vehicle, and issues an operating instruction to the vehicle V based on the corrected dispatch plan.

[0083] In this way, as illustrated in Fig. 4B, for example, the boarding / alighting point VS1 that was installed at the existing position P1 is adjusted (relocated) to a position P2 that is closer to the destination Pg_3 of the most frequently used user U3 among the disembarking users (users U1, U2, U3). In other words, for the most frequently used user U3, the position of the disembarking point is adjusted from the initial position P1 to the adjusted position P2 so that the travel time from the disembarking point (boarding / alighting point VS1) to the destination Pg_3 is reduced (travel distance is shortened).

[0084] That is, in the vehicle dispatch service according to the present embodiment, the travel cost is reduced as an incentive for frequently used disembarking users. Furthermore, if the frequent use of the vehicle by user U3 continues, the travel cost to the destination is reduced each time the user boards the same vehicle and uses boarding / disembarking point VS1 as a disembarking point. Therefore, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 in the present disclosure prevents the total travel cost of frequently used user U3 from increasing excessively, and the more frequently the user uses the vehicle (the higher the frequency of use), the more the user can benefit from reduced travel costs. Furthermore, the difference in the total travel cost at the time of disembarking can be reliably corrected. Therefore, fairness to users who frequently use the vehicle dispatch service is ensured, and the willingness to use the vehicle dispatch service can be further increased.

[0085] In addition, if the travel costs of frequent disembarking users are reduced by adjusting the boarding and disembarking locations, the travel costs of relatively infrequent disembarking users may increase. As described above, the boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 142 derives the number of times the alighting point (or destination) is used in a predetermined period as the usage frequency of the alighting user. This allows the boarding and alighting points to be flexibly adjusted according to the usage situation of each alighting user. Therefore, even if a user has a low usage frequency and the travel cost from the alighting point to the destination increases, the travel cost will be reduced if the usage frequency increases, so that the willingness to use the ride-hailing service can be increased.

[0086] [First Modification] In the vehicle dispatch service of the above embodiment, one boarding / alighting point is set in one sectional area, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and multiple boarding / alighting points may be set in one sectional area. That is, in this modified example, multiple boarding / alighting points may be registered in one sectional area in the map database 12c. For example, in urban areas, there are many facilities that can be the user's destination, and there are limited points where the vehicle V can safely stop and the user can board / alight. For this reason, when adjusting the alighting point, it is preferable to set multiple boarding / alighting points in advance and select one boarding / alighting point from among them, rather than adjusting the position of the one boarding / alighting point itself.

[0087] In this modified example, in the vehicle dispatch plan before correction (before the drop-off point is adjusted), one boarding / alighting point selected from a plurality of boarding / alighting points in a division area including the destination of each disembarking user may be included as a drop-off point in the operation route of the vehicle dispatch plan of the vehicle V1. The drop-off point may be, for example, a boarding / alighting point at which the distances to the destinations of each disembarking user riding in the vehicle V, which is a fellow vehicle, are equal, that is, the travel costs (travel times) are equal. In addition, in this modified example, when the disembarking point is adjusted, one disembarking point may be selected from multiple disembarking points within a specified range (for example, within a range of 150 to 200 m) so as to reduce the travel cost (travel time) incurred by the user with the highest frequency of use.

[0088] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of boarding and alighting points installed in one partitioned area in this modified example. In Fig. 7, the same components as those shown in Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B are denoted by the same reference numerals. In this example, boarding and alighting points VS5, VS6, and VS7 are located at points P5, P6, and P7 in the divided area Er, respectively. In the vehicle dispatch plan before correction for the vehicle V1, boarding and alighting point VS5, which is equally distant from the destinations Pg_1, Pg_2, and Pg_3 of each disembarking user (users U1, U2, and U3), is selected as the disembarking point.

[0089] In this example, the boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 142 selects one boarding and alighting point VS6 to be used as a disembarking point from boarding and alighting points VS5, VS6, and VS7 that are multiple boarding and alighting points within a predetermined range so as to reduce the travel cost (travel time) incurred by user U3 who uses the vehicle most frequently among the disembarking users. Boarding and alighting point VS6 is a boarding and alighting point that is closer to user 3's destination Pg_3 than the other boarding and alighting points. This reliably prevents the total travel cost of user U3 who uses the vehicle frequently from increasing excessively, and further corrects the difference in the total travel cost at the time of disembarking.

[0090] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a first modified example of the vehicle allocation management method according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 8, the same processes as those in the vehicle allocation management method according to the first embodiment (see FIG. 6) are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate. Specifically, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 calculates an adjustment point that is a guideline for the position of the boarding / alighting point (drop-off point) after adjustment (S607). The position information of the current drop-off point used in calculating the adjustment point is the position information of the boarding / alighting point (in this example, boarding / alighting point VS5) selected as the drop-off point in the current vehicle dispatch plan. Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 selects one boarding / alighting point from multiple boarding / alighting points as the drop-off point based on the calculated adjustment point (S801). In this example, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 calculates a point close to the destination Pg_3 of the user 3, which has a high usage frequency, as the adjustment point, and selects the boarding / alighting point VS6 closest to the adjustment point as the drop-off point. In this modified example, since a drop-off point shared by the disembarking users is selected from multiple boarding / alighting points, it is not necessary to update the position information of the drop-off point as in the first embodiment. That is, the process of step S608 is not performed.

[0091] Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 notifies each disembarking user of the boarding / alighting point (disembarking point) after the update (adjustment) (S609). That is, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 notifies each disembarking user of the boarding / alighting point selected in step S801 as the disembarking point. The vehicle dispatch management device 10 also corrects the dispatch plan of the vehicle V (e.g., vehicle V1) that is the passenger vehicle (updates the disembarking point to the selected boarding / alighting point), and issues an operation instruction to the vehicle V based on the corrected dispatch plan.

[0092] [Other Modifications] As another modification of the first embodiment, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 may have a boarding / alighting point database that stores position information of boarding / alighting points as the database 12. The vehicle dispatch management device 10 may virtually set boarding / alighting points by storing boarding / alighting point IDs, position information (latitude / longitude) indicating the position information of the boarding / alighting point, and update date and time in the boarding / alighting point database in association with each other. When adjusting a boarding / alighting point, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 may update the position information and update date and time associated with the boarding / alighting point ID indicating the boarding / alighting point to be adjusted.

[0093] As yet another modified example, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 may determine an excluded period during which the frequency of use is not counted. The boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 142 may be configured to determine whether the current time is within a predetermined excluded period or not, and not adjust the positions of the boarding and alighting points if the current time is within the excluded period. For example, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 may be configured to set periods during which a temporary increase in users is expected due to an increase in tourists or people returning home (for example, summer (July and August), the year-end and New Year holidays, periods when events are held, etc.) as excluded periods and not adjust boarding and disembarking points. The excluded periods may be set for each divided area in the target area of ​​the vehicle dispatch service, or for the entire target area. This reduces the impact of a temporary increase in users in each divided area on the frequency of use by users who regularly use the vehicle dispatch service (disembarking users), and allows the frequency of use by such regular users to be correctly reflected in the adjustment of boarding and disembarking points.

[0094] Second embodiment 9 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration model of the vehicle allocation management device 10 according to the second embodiment. The vehicle allocation management device 10 according to the second embodiment has a similar configuration to the vehicle allocation management device 10 according to the first embodiment, and the same or similar components are given the same reference symbols and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0095] The vehicle dispatch control device 10 according to the second embodiment differs from the vehicle dispatch control device 10 according to the first embodiment in that the boarding / alighting place determination unit 140 is configured to include a boarding / alighting place adjustment unit 242. The boarding and alighting place adjustment unit 242 is similar to the boarding and alighting place adjustment unit 142 in the above-mentioned first embodiment in that it adjusts the position of the alighting place so as to reduce the travel cost of a frequently-used alighting user. In addition, when adjusting the position of the alighting place, the boarding and alighting place adjustment unit 242 refers to the user information database 12a to extract attribute information indicating the attributes of the alighting user, and derives the usage frequency of the alighting user based on the extracted attribute information and the usage record information. In this respect, the boarding and alighting place adjustment unit 242 differs from the boarding and alighting place adjustment unit 142 in the above-mentioned first embodiment.

[0096] FIG. 10A is a diagram showing an example of attribute information showing attributes of an alighting user. In this example, the attribute shows the physical condition of the alighting user related to the energy consumed when the alighting user moves from the alighting point to the destination. In a ride-hailing service, when the alighting user moves to the destination, the alighting user will also consume energy according to the travel distance and time from the alighting point. In other words, the energy consumed for the movement can also be included in the movement cost.

[0097] The amount of physical energy consumed when traveling from the drop-off point to the destination increases or decreases depending on the health condition of each disembarking user (presence or absence and severity of injury / illness / disability, etc.) and the strength of the physical strength of each disembarking user. Therefore, the attributes indicated by the attribute information are broadly divided into "health condition" and "physical strength", and the level of "health condition" is divided into three levels, "good", "slightly poor", and "poor", in order of decreasing physical energy consumed during travel. Here, physical strength consumed indicates the amount of physical strength consumed (the degree of depletion of physical strength). Furthermore, the "stamina" level is divided into three stages, "strong," "medium," and "weak," in order of decreasing stamina consumption during movement. Note that the levels of attribute information (health state / stamina) shown in FIG. 10A are merely an example, and are not limited to three stages, and may be two or four stages or more. Furthermore, each level of attribute information may be expressed in numerical values ​​or Roman letters. Furthermore, the attributes in the attribute information are not limited to "health state" and "stamina," and may be either one of them, or may further include other attributes.

[0098] The attribute information (health condition / physical strength) may be input (selected) at any of the above levels in the terminal device 20 when requesting a vehicle dispatch, and transmitted as additional information from the terminal device 20 of each disembarking user. The attribute information is stored in the user information database 12a in association with user identification information (user ID). In addition to being transmitted at the time of a vehicle dispatch request, the attribute information may be input (transmitted from the terminal device 20) as part of the user registration information, for example, when the user first registers in the vehicle dispatch management system 1. The attribute information stored in the user information database 12a may be updated at the time of a vehicle dispatch request. Alternatively, there may be an attribute information database that stores only attribute information.

[0099] FIG. 10A illustrates, as an example, attribute information of four users, user U11 (user ID=0011), user U12 (user ID=0012), user U13 (user ID=0013), and user U14 (user ID=0014), who are disembarking users. These disembarking users have destinations in the same divided area and share one boarding and disembarking point as a disembarking point. For example, user U11's health condition is "good" and his physical strength is "strong", both of which indicate the lowest level of physical strength consumed when traveling. That is, user U11 has an attribute of low physical strength consumed when traveling. On the other hand, user U12's health condition level is "poor" and his physical strength is "weak", both of which indicate the highest level of physical strength consumed when traveling. That is, user U12 has an attribute of high physical strength consumed when traveling.

[0100] Even if the travel distance from the drop-off point to the destination is the same, there may be a difference in consumption energy (travel cost) between user U11 and user U12 due to differences in attributes. Furthermore, for user U12, who has attributes with high consumption energy, the total (accumulated) travel cost is likely to increase the more frequently he uses the ride-hailing service. In other words, the difference in total travel cost may become large between drop-off users with different attributes.

[0101] Therefore, in order to correct the difference in the total travel cost caused by the difference in attributes, the boarding and alighting place adjustment unit 242 weights the usage frequency according to the attribute information of each alighting user when adjusting the location of the alighting place. Then, the boarding and alighting place adjustment unit 242 adjusts the alighting place so that the physical energy consumption of the alighting user who moves from the alighting place with the highest weighted usage frequency to the destination is reduced. In this way, the attributes (health condition, physical energy) of the alighting users are reflected in the usage frequency, and the difference in the total travel cost (physical energy consumption) caused between the alighting users can be corrected. Therefore, fairness to alighting users who have attributes with high physical energy consumption can be ensured, and the willingness to use the ride-hailing service can be improved.

[0102] When weighting the usage frequency, the boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 242 acquires an attribute coefficient corresponding to the attribute of the alighting user, and derives the usage frequency of the alighting user based on the attribute coefficient and the usage record information. When deriving the use frequency of the disembarking user based on the performance information, the boarding and alighting place adjustment unit 242 refers to the user information database 12a and extracts attribute information corresponding to the disembarking user whose use frequency is to be derived. The boarding and alighting place adjustment unit 242 converts the level of physical energy consumption indicated by each attribute information (health state, physical energy) into attribute coefficients (health attribute coefficient, physical energy attribute coefficient) used to weight the use frequency. As a result, the attribute (level of physical energy consumption) of the disembarking user is converted into use frequency via the attribute coefficients.

[0103] Fig. 10B is a diagram showing an example of weighting the frequency of use of disembarking users by the health attribute coefficient and the physical strength attribute coefficient. As shown in Fig. 10A and Fig. 10B, in this example, the health state level "good" with the least physical strength consumed is converted to a health attribute coefficient "1", the health state level "slightly poor" with a medium level of physical strength consumed is converted to a health attribute coefficient "2", and the health state level "poor" with a large amount of physical strength consumed is converted to a health attribute coefficient "3". Similarly, the physical strength level "strong" with the least physical strength consumed is converted to an attribute coefficient "1", the physical strength level "medium" with a medium level of physical strength consumed is converted to a physical strength attribute coefficient "2", and the physical strength level "weak" with a large amount of physical strength consumed is converted to a physical strength attribute coefficient "3". In this way, the level of each attribute in the attribute information is converted into an attribute coefficient with a larger value as the consumption energy increases. In other words, the higher the consumption energy of an alighting user, the greater the degree of increase in the usage frequency due to weighting.

[0104] After converting the attribute information into an attribute coefficient, the boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 242 multiplies the usage frequency (actual frequency) of the alighting user based on the actual information in the usage history database 12b by the attribute coefficient to weight the usage frequency. Specifically, as shown in the following formula (3), the actual frequency (A), the health attribute coefficient (Hc), and the physical strength attribute coefficient (Pc) are multiplied together. As a result, the weighted frequency (W_Freq) is calculated as shown in FIG. 10B. W_Freq=A×Hc×Pc (3)

[0105] For example, using formula (3) above, the weighted frequency of user U11 is calculated as "10 (times / week) (= 10 (times / week) × 1 × 1". Similarly, the weighted frequency of user U12 is calculated as "18 (times / week) (= 2 (times / week) × 3 × 3", the weighted frequency of user U13 is calculated as "16 (times / week) (= 4 (times / week) × 2 × 2", and the weighted frequency of user U14 is calculated as "6 (times / week) (= 3 (times / week) × 1 × 2".

[0106] In this example, user U12 with the attribute of high consumption energy has the smallest actual frequency value (2 times / week), but the largest weighted frequency value (18 times / week). In other words, as described above, the greater the consumption energy, the larger the attribute coefficient becomes, and by calculating the weighted frequency using the attribute coefficient, the weighted frequency of a disembarking user with the attribute of high consumption energy can be the largest among disembarking users with a high probability.

[0107] The boarding / alighting point adjustment unit 242 calculates an adjustment point that is a guide for the position of the boarding / alighting point (disembarking point) after adjustment in the same manner as the boarding / alighting point adjustment unit 142 in the first embodiment, except that the weighting frequency is used instead of the actual frequency for weighting the destination. As a result, the adjustment point is close to the destination of the most frequently used disembarking user (e.g., user U12) among the disembarking users.

[0108] Depending on the actual frequency of each alighting user, the weighting frequency of the alighting user with the attribute of high consumption energy may not be maximized. In this case, for example, the value of the attribute coefficient corresponding to each level of the attribute information may be appropriately adjusted according to the usage history of the alighting user, thereby improving the probability that the weighting frequency of the alighting user with the attribute of high consumption energy will be maximized.

[0109] Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a vehicle allocation management method according to the second embodiment. The vehicle allocation management method (a method for adjusting a boarding position) according to the second embodiment differs from the vehicle allocation management method according to the first embodiment (see Fig. 6) in that attribute information indicating attributes of a user is acquired (S1105) and weighting of the frequency of use is performed based on the acquired attribute information (S1106).

[0110] Specifically, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that there is a passenger in vehicle V, which is the same vehicle, as in step S601 (Yes in S1101), determines that the destinations of the fellow passengers are close (the fellow passengers are disembarking users) (Yes in S1102), and, as in step S603, refers to the map database 12c to obtain information (location information) about the disembarking location shared by the disembarking users (the boarding and disembarking location to be adjusted) (S1103), and, as in step S604, derives the usage frequency (actual frequency) of the disembarking users during the aggregation period (S1104).

[0111] Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 acquires attribute information indicating the attributes of the user (S1105). For example, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 refers to the user information database 12a and acquires attribute information corresponding to the user ID of the disembarking user in the usage record information. Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 weights the usage frequency (actual frequency) of each disembarking user based on the acquired attribute information (S1106). The vehicle dispatch management device 10 converts the attribute information (health state, physical strength) into attribute coefficients (health attribute coefficient, physical strength attribute coefficient), and multiplies the actual frequency by each attribute coefficient to calculate a weighted frequency (see formula (3) above).

[0112] Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 acquires the destination (latitude / longitude) of each disembarking user based on the latest usage history information of each disembarking user (S1107), as in step S605, and weights the location information of the destination based on the usage frequency (weighting frequency) of each disembarking user (S1108), as in step S606. Next, similar to step S607, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 uses the position information of the weighted destination to calculate an adjustment point that serves as an indication of the position of the adjusted boarding / alighting point (drop-off point) (S1109), and similar to step S608, sets (updates) the position of the target boarding / alighting point (drop-off point) to a point on the road closest to the calculated adjustment point (S1110). Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 notifies the disembarking user of the boarding / alighting point (disembarking point) after the update (adjustment) in the same manner as in step S609 (S1111).

[0113] In this way, the boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 242 acquires an attribute coefficient corresponding to the attribute (health condition, physical strength) of each disembarking user, and weights the usage frequency of each disembarking user by the attribute coefficient. This causes the usage frequency (weighted frequency) value of disembarking users who have an attribute of consuming a lot of physical strength when traveling to increase significantly, and can be the largest among disembarking users with a high probability. This makes it possible to correct the difference in the total travel cost (physical strength consumed) that occurs between users when disembarking. In other words, by converting the amount of physical strength consumed when traveling into usage frequency, fairness to disembarking users with a high usage frequency (weighted frequency) can be ensured, and motivation to use the ride-hailing service can be improved.

[0114] In addition, the present embodiment may apply the configuration of the first modified example of the first embodiment. That is, instead of the above step S1110, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 may select one of the multiple boarding and alighting points as a disembarking point based on the calculated adjustment point as in the above step S801. This is the same in each of the following modified examples.

[0115] [First Modification] In the vehicle dispatch management method according to the second embodiment, the location of the drop-off point may be adjusted based on user attribute information so as to reduce the travel cost (energy consumption) of a drop-off user (specific drop-off user) who needs special consideration, such as being in extremely poor health or having extremely low physical strength. For example, the location of the drop-off point may be adjusted so that the distance between the drop-off point and the destination of the specific drop-off user is equal to or less than a predetermined limit value.

[0116] In this modification, when the attribute of the disembarking user with the highest weighting frequency satisfies a specific condition (the user is a specific disembarking user), the boarding and alighting place adjustment unit 242 restricts the adjustment position of the disembarking place so that the distance from the disembarking place to the destination of the disembarking user falls within a predetermined range so that the travel cost (expenditure) of the disembarking user is reduced. This makes it possible to further reduce the travel cost (expenditure) of disembarking users who require special consideration, and to provide a flexible car dispatch service according to the state of each user.

[0117] For example, the boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 242 refers to the attribute information of a disembarking user with the highest weighting frequency value, and if the level of consumed physical energy indicated by at least one of the health condition or physical strength in the attribute information is the lowest (health condition = "poor" and / or physical strength = "weak"), determines that the disembarking user is a specific disembarking user. The boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 242 adjusts the position of the alighting point so that the distance between the alighting point of the specific alighting user having the maximum weighting frequency value and the destination is equal to or less than a predetermined limit value (e.g., 100 m). By setting a limit value for the distance between the alighting point of the specific alighting user and the destination, the position of the alighting point can be brought closer to the destination of the specific alighting user by a single position adjustment, and the travel cost (energy consumption) of the specific alighting user can be quickly reduced.

[0118] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a first modified example of the vehicle allocation management method according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 12, the same processes as those in the vehicle allocation management method according to the second embodiment (see FIG. 11) are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate. Specifically, when the vehicle dispatch management device 10 (boarding / alighting point adjustment unit 242) calculates an adjustment point that serves as an indication of the location of the adjusted boarding / alighting point (disembarking point) (S1109), it determines whether to apply a limit value to the distance between the adjusted disembarking point location and the destination of a disembarking user who meets specific conditions (S1201).

[0119] In step S1201, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 refers to the attribute information of the disembarking user whose weighting frequency value calculated in step S906 is the maximum, and judges whether the attribute information satisfies a specific condition. In this example, when the attribute information of the disembarking user indicates that the health condition is "bad" and / or the physical strength is "weak", the vehicle dispatch management device 10 judges that the disembarking user is a specific disembarking user and is a target for the application of the limit value (Yes in S1201), and sets (updates) the position of the target boarding / alighting point (disembarking point) to a point on the road based on the calculated adjustment point and limit value (S1202). Specifically, the boarding / alighting point adjustment unit 242 updates the position of the disembarking point to a point on the road that is the nearest point to the adjustment point and is the point on the road where the distance to the destination of the specific disembarking user is equal to or less than the limit value. Note that when applying the first modification of the first embodiment to this modification, the nearest boarding / alighting point to the point on the road may be selected from a plurality of boarding / alighting points. On the other hand, when the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that the disembarking user with the highest weighting frequency value is not a specific disembarking user and is not subject to the application of the limit value (No in S1201), it sets (updates) the position of the target boarding / alighting point (disembarking point) to a point on the road nearest to the calculated adjustment point (S1110), as in the second embodiment described above.

[0120] [Second Modification] In addition, in the vehicle dispatch management method according to the second embodiment, the travel route from the drop-off point to the destination may be considered so as to reduce the travel cost (expenditure) of the specific disembarking user. For example, the boarding and disembarking point adjustment unit 242 may determine the presence or absence of geographical factors that increase the travel cost (expenditure) on the travel route from the drop-off point to the destination of the specific disembarking user, that is, geographical factors to be avoided (avoidance factors), and may limit the position (adjustment position) to which the drop-off point is rearranged so as to reduce the avoidance factors on the travel route. The avoidance factors are recommended for specific disembarking users, particularly for users who have difficulty walking. Therefore, in this modified example, the user attribute information may include a "walking condition" and may be classified into three levels: "good," "slightly difficult," and "difficult." In this case, for example, the boarding and alighting place adjustment unit 242 may determine the specific disembarking users based on the "walking condition."

[0121] The avoidance factors are, for example, gradients (including stairs), unpaved roads, wide roads (for example, main roads), bridges, rivers, etc., and are included in the map database 12c. When applying the above-mentioned route restriction when adjusting a drop-off point, for example, the boarding / drop-off point adjustment unit 242 derives a point on a road that is within a predetermined range from the adjustment point and can reach the destination of the specific disembarking user by a travel route that does not include an avoidance factor, by referring to the map database 12c. The boarding / drop-off point adjustment unit 242 sets (updates) the position of the drop-off point to the derived point.

[0122] That is, the boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 242 may limit the adjusted position to a point that satisfies the route condition (the movement route to the destination of the specific alighting user does not include the avoidance factor). As a result, the alighting point is adjusted to a point that can be reached by, for example, a flat and easy-to-walk movement route, and the movement cost (energy consumption) of the specific alighting user can be further reduced. Here, the restriction of the adjusted position of the alighting point based on the above route condition is referred to as a "route restriction." In route restriction, taking into consideration a specific disembarking user who is not in good walking condition, priority is given to not including avoidance factors in the movement route over short movement distance. Therefore, if there is no point that satisfies the above route conditions within a predetermined range from the adjustment point, the boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 242 may set a point that satisfies the above route conditions and is farther from the adjustment point to the destination as the adjustment position. Also, if there is no point that satisfies the above route conditions within a predetermined range from the adjustment point, a point that can be reached by a movement route with the fewest avoidance factors may be set as the adjustment position.

[0123] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a second modified example of the vehicle allocation management method according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 13, the same processes as those in the vehicle allocation management method according to the second embodiment (see FIG. 11) are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate. Specifically, when the vehicle dispatch management device 10 (boarding / alighting point adjustment unit 242) calculates an adjustment point that is an indication of the position of the boarding / alighting point (drop-off point) after adjustment (S1109), it determines whether or not to apply a route restriction (S1301).

[0124] In step S1301, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 refers to the attribute information of the disembarking user with the maximum weighting frequency value, as in S1001, and determines that the disembarking user is a specific disembarking user and is subject to the route restriction (Yes in S1301), and sets (updates) the position of the target boarding / alighting point (disembarking point) to a point on the road based on the calculated adjustment point and the above route conditions (S1302). Specifically, the boarding / alighting point adjustment unit 242 refers to the map database 12c, and updates the position of the disembarking point to a point on the road that is within a predetermined range from the adjustment point and satisfies the above route conditions. Note that when applying the first modification of the first embodiment to this modification, the boarding / alighting point closest to the point on the road may be selected from a plurality of boarding / alighting points.

[0125] On the other hand, when the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that the disembarking user with the highest weighting frequency value is not a specific disembarking user and is not subject to route restrictions (No in S1301), it sets (updates) the position of the target boarding / alighting point (disembarking point) to a point on the road closest to the calculated adjustment point (S1110), as in the second embodiment described above. Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 notifies each disembarking user of the updated (adjusted) boarding and disembarking points (S911). At this time, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 may transmit, to the terminal device 20 of the specific disembarking user, information on the travel route from the updated disembarking point to the destination of the specific disembarking user, in addition to the location information of the updated disembarking point (boarding and disembarking point). In response to this, the terminal device 20 displays the location information and the travel route on a map shown on the user interface. This allows the specific disembarking user to reach the updated destination via a travel route that does not include (or has the fewest) avoidance factors.

[0126] [Third Modification] In the vehicle dispatch management method according to the second embodiment, other disembarking users may be specific disembarking users (users who satisfy specific conditions) rather than the user with the largest weighting frequency value (highest weighting frequency), i.e., the disembarking user who benefits from the reduction in travel costs (consumption energy). In this case, the provision of the benefit (travel cost reduction) to the user with the largest weighting frequency value may be stopped. For example, in order to correct the difference in the total actual travel costs (expenditure) to the destination between disembarking users and to achieve fairness in the ride-hailing service, the disembarking location may be adjusted so that specific disembarking users benefit from reduced travel costs, rather than the boarding user with the highest weighting frequency.

[0127] Therefore, in this modified example, when the attributes of a disembarking user other than the disembarking user with the highest weighting frequency satisfy a specific condition (the disembarking user is a specific disembarking user), the boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 242 may restrict the position at which the disembarking point is set so that the travel cost (consumption energy) of the specific disembarking user is reduced. In other words, the adjustment point serving as a guide for the adjustment position may be corrected to restrict the adjustment position of the disembarking point so that the specific disembarking user can benefit from the reduction in travel cost. Here, the specific disembarking user who benefits from the reduction in travel cost due to the correction of the adjustment point is called a correction target user.

[0128] The boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 242 corrects the position of the adjustment point based on the correction condition when there is a correction target user other than the disembarking user with the highest weighting frequency. The correction condition may be application of the limit value in the above-mentioned first modified example. In other words, the boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 242 may set the adjustment point as a point on a road that is the closest point to the adjustment point and whose distance to the destination of the correction target user is equal to or less than a limit value (for example, 100 m). The correction condition is not limited to this, and may be the route condition in the above-mentioned modified example 2. In other words, the boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 242 may limit the adjustment position to a point within a predetermined range from the adjustment point and that satisfies the route condition (the avoidance factor is not included in the movement route to the destination of the correction target user).

[0129] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a third modified example of the vehicle allocation management method according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 14, the same processes as those in the vehicle allocation management method according to the second embodiment (see FIG. 11) are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate. Specifically, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 (boarding / alighting point adjustment unit 242) calculates an adjustment point that serves as an indication of the position of the adjusted boarding / alighting point (drop-off point) (S1109), and then determines whether there is a user to be corrected (S1401).

[0130] In step S3001, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 refers to the attribute information of each disembarking user acquired in step S1105, and if the specific disembarking user is a disembarking user other than the disembarking user with the maximum weighted frequency value, determines the specific disembarking user as a correction target user (Yes in S1401), and sets (updates) the position of the target boarding / alighting point (disembarking point) to a point on the road based on the calculated adjustment point and correction condition (S1402). Specifically, the boarding / alighting point adjustment unit 242 refers to the map database 12c, applies the limit value or route condition as the correction condition to the adjustment point, and updates the position of the disembarking point to a point on the road that satisfies the correction condition. Note that when applying the first modification of the first embodiment to this modification, the boarding / alighting point closest to the point on the road may be selected from a plurality of boarding / alighting points. On the other hand, when the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that there is no user to be corrected (No in S1401), it sets (updates) the position of the target boarding / alighting point (drop-off point) to a point on the road closest to the calculated adjustment point (S1110), as in the second embodiment described above.

[0131] In this way, when there is a correction target user whose attributes of a disembarking user other than the disembarking user with the highest usage frequency (weighting frequency) satisfy certain conditions, the boarding and disembarking point adjustment unit 242 restricts the location at which the disembarking point is set so as to reduce the travel cost (physical energy consumption) of the correction target user. This allows the benefit of reduced travel costs to be stopped for frequently used disembarking users, and the benefit of reduced travel costs to be given to correction target users. Therefore, the difference in the total actual travel costs (consumption energy) of disembarking users can be corrected more reliably, and fairness in the ride-hailing service can be achieved. Therefore, the willingness to use the ride-hailing service can be further increased.

[0132] The above-described embodiments are merely examples for explaining the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure to these embodiments. The present disclosure can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. For example, in the methods disclosed herein, steps, operations, or functions may be performed in parallel or in a different order, provided that the results are consistent. The steps, operations, and functions described are provided merely as examples, and some of the steps, operations, and functions may be omitted or combined into one, or other steps, operations, or functions may be added, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0133] In addition, although various embodiments are disclosed in this specification, specific features (technical matters) in one embodiment can be added to or substituted for specific features in other embodiments, with appropriate modifications, and such forms are also included in the gist of the present disclosure.

[0134] (Effects of the embodiment) (1) A vehicle dispatch management device 10 and a vehicle dispatch management method by the vehicle dispatch management device 10, which manage a vehicle dispatch service that dispatches and operates a vehicle V in response to a user's dispatch request, store a user's usage history in the vehicle dispatch service, determine boarding and alighting points that are points along a travel route included in a dispatch plan of a vehicle V in which multiple users are riding together and where each of the multiple users boards and alights from the vehicle V based on the dispatch requests of the multiple users, adjust a disembarking point shared by disembarking users among the boarding and alighting points along the travel route based on the usage history of each of the multiple users, and correct the dispatch plan of the vehicle V based on the adjusted disembarking point. Furthermore, the cost incurred by each disembarking user when moving from the disembarking point to a destination included in the dispatch request is set as a travel cost, and when the destination of the disembarking user is within a predetermined range, the frequency of use of each disembarking user is derived based on the usage history during a period in which the disembarking user is riding together with the vehicle V, and adjust the disembarking point so that the travel cost incurred by the disembarking user is reduced as the frequency of use is higher. This prevents excessive increases in travel costs for users who make frequent use of ride-hailing services, corrects the difference in total travel costs between users when disembarking, ensures fairness for users who make frequent use of ride-hailing services, and increases their willingness to use ride-hailing services. (2) The vehicle dispatch management device 10 (boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 142) updates the location information of the alighting points shared by alighting users so as to reduce the travel costs incurred by the most frequently used alighting users. This makes it possible to reliably prevent the total travel costs of users who use the service frequently from increasing excessively, and further correct the difference in the total travel costs when disembarking.

[0135] (3) The vehicle dispatch management device 10 (boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 142) weights the destination location information for each disembarking user using the frequency of use as a coefficient, and updates the disembarking point location information shared by disembarking users using the weighted destination location information and the current disembarking point location information. This allows a location close to the destination of a frequently used disembarking user to be registered in the map database 12c as a disembarking location, making it possible to reliably adjust the boarding location. (4) The vehicle dispatch management device 10 (boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 142) selects a boarding and alighting point shared by disembarking users from multiple boarding and alighting points within a predetermined range so as to reduce the travel cost incurred by the most frequently used disembarking users. This makes it possible to reliably reduce the travel costs of frequent users who disembark when multiple boarding and disembarking points are located within a single divided area. (5) The vehicle dispatch management device 10 (boarding and alighting point coordinating unit 142) derives the number of times the alighting point has been used in a predetermined period as the frequency of use. This allows the number of times each disembarking user has used the disembarking location to be converted into a usage frequency, which can be reflected in adjustments to the disembarking locations. (6) The vehicle dispatch management device 10 (boarding and alighting point coordinating unit 142) derives the number of times a destination is used in a predetermined period as the frequency of use. This allows the number of times each disembarking user has used the destination to be converted into a frequency of use, which can be reflected in adjustments to the disembarking locations. (7) Travel cost is the time required to travel from the starting point to the said destination. This allows the location of the boarding location to be adjusted so as to reduce the travel time of a user who frequently uses ride-hailing services, thereby preventing the user's travel time from increasing excessively. (8) The vehicle dispatch management device 10 transmits the adjusted location of the drop-off location to the terminal device 20 of each of the drop-off users. This allows the disembarking user to recognize the location of the disembarking point after the adjustment (relocation), and allows the user to move smoothly to the destination after disembarking.

[0136] (9) The vehicle dispatch management device 10 (boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 242) acquires a coefficient corresponding to the attributes of each alighting user, and weights the usage frequency of each alighting user by the coefficient. This makes it possible to correct the difference in total travel costs (energy consumption) between disembarking users with different attributes. (10) The travel cost is the physical energy consumed by the disembarking user when traveling from the disembarking point to the destination, and the vehicle dispatch management device 10 (boarding and disembarking point adjustment unit 242) adjusts the disembarking point so that the physical energy consumed by the most frequently used disembarking user when traveling from the disembarking point to the destination is reduced. This ensures fairness to disembarking users who have attributes that allow them to spend more, and increases their willingness to use the ride-hailing service.

[0137] (11) When the attributes of a disembarking user with the highest frequency of use satisfy certain conditions, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 (boarding and disembarking point adjustment unit 242) restricts the adjustment position of the disembarking point so that the distance from the disembarking point of the disembarking user to the destination is within a predetermined range. This makes it possible to further reduce the travel costs (expenditure) of specific disembarking users who require special consideration due to their attributes, and to provide a flexible ride-hailing service that is tailored to the individual circumstances of each user. (12) The vehicle dispatch management device 10 (boarding and alighting point adjustment unit 242) limits the adjustment position of the alighting point so as to reduce geographical factors that increase physical energy consumption on the route from the alighting point to the destination. This allows the drop-off location to be adjusted to a location that can be reached via an easy-to-walk route, further reducing the physical energy consumption of the specific drop-off user. (13) When the attributes of other disembarking users other than the most frequently used disembarking user satisfy certain conditions, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 (boarding and disembarking point adjustment unit 242) restricts the location at which the disembarking point is set so as to reduce the travel cost for the other disembarking users. This makes it possible to more reliably correct the difference in the total actual travel costs (expenditure) of users who get off the ride, thereby realizing fairness in the ride-hailing service and further increasing motivation to use the ride-hailing service. [Explanation of symbols]

[0138] 1. Vehicle dispatch management system 10...Vehicle allocation management device 110...Front-end processing unit 130…Dispatch request acquisition unit 140, 240…Boarding and alighting point determination section 141…Passing and alighting point installation section 142, 242…Passport Control Section 150…Vehicle Allocation Planning Department 151…Vehicle Allocation Plan Correction Department 160…Route planning section 170...Vehicle communication interface unit 171…Vehicle information acquisition unit 172…Dispatch Instructions Department 12. Database 12a…User information database 12b…Usage history database 12c…Map database 12d…Vehicle information database 12e…Vehicle dispatching database 20...Terminal device N: Communication network V…Vehicle 300...Control device 310…Communications Department 320...Location information acquisition unit 330...User interface section

Claims

1. A vehicle dispatch management device that manages a vehicle dispatch service that dispatches and operates vehicles based on a vehicle dispatch plan in response to a user's vehicle dispatch request, A record storage unit that stores a user's usage record of the vehicle dispatch service; a boarding and alighting point determination unit that determines boarding and alighting points, which are points along a travel route included in the vehicle dispatch plan of a vehicle in which a plurality of users ride together, and are points where each of the plurality of users gets on and off the vehicle, based on the vehicle dispatch requests of the plurality of users; a drop-off point adjustment unit that adjusts drop-off points shared by the plurality of users among the boarding and alighting points through which the travel route passes, based on the usage history of each of the plurality of users; A correction unit that corrects the vehicle dispatch plan of the one vehicle based on the adjusted drop-off location; Equipped with A travel cost is a cost incurred by each of the plurality of users when traveling from the drop-off location to the destination included in the vehicle dispatch request, The disembarkation location adjustment unit, When the destinations of the plurality of users are within a predetermined range, During a period when the plurality of users are riding together in the one vehicle, a usage frequency of each of the plurality of users is derived based on the usage record, and the drop-off point is adjusted so that the higher the usage frequency, the lower the travel cost incurred by the user. A vehicle dispatch management device comprising:

2. The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 1, characterized in that the drop-off location adjustment unit updates the location information of the drop-off locations shared by the multiple users so as to reduce the travel cost incurred by the user with the highest usage frequency.

3. The disembarkation location adjustment unit, The location information of the destination is weighted for each of the plurality of users using the frequency of use as a coefficient, and the location information of the drop-off point shared by the plurality of users is updated using the weighted location information of the destination and the current location information of the drop-off point.

3. The vehicle allocation management device according to claim 2.

4. The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 1, characterized in that the drop-off location adjustment unit selects the drop-off location shared by the multiple users from multiple boarding and alighting locations within the specified range so as to reduce the travel cost incurred by the user with the highest usage frequency.

5. The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 1 , wherein the drop-off location adjustment unit derives, as the usage frequency, the number of times the drop-off location is used in a predetermined period.

6. The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 1 , wherein the drop-off location adjustment unit derives, as the usage frequency, the number of times the destination has been used in a predetermined period of time.

7. 5. The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 1, wherein the travel cost is a time required for travel from the drop-off location to the destination.

8. 5. The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 1, further comprising a notification unit that transmits the location of the drop-off point adjusted by the drop-off point adjustment unit to a terminal device of each of the users.

9. The disembarkation location adjustment unit, A coefficient corresponding to an attribute of each of the plurality of users is obtained, and the use frequency of each of the plurality of users is weighted by the coefficient.

2. The vehicle allocation management device according to claim 1.

10. The travel cost is a physical energy consumed by each of the plurality of users when traveling from the drop-off point to the destination, The disembarkation location adjustment unit, The drop-off point is adjusted so that the user with the highest frequency of use reduces the energy consumed when moving from the drop-off point to the destination.

10. The vehicle allocation management device according to claim 9.

11. The disembarkation location adjustment unit, The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 10, characterized in that, when the attributes of the user with the highest usage frequency satisfy certain conditions, the drop-off point of the user is adjusted so that the distance from the drop-off point to the destination of the user is within a predetermined range.

12. The disembarkation location adjustment unit, determining whether or not there is a geographical factor that increases the consumption energy on the route from the drop-off point to the destination; The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 10, further comprising: adjusting the drop-off locations so as to reduce the geographical factors on the travel route.

13. The disembarkation location adjustment unit, The vehicle dispatch management device according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, when attributes of users other than the user with the highest usage frequency among the plurality of users satisfy certain conditions, the drop-off location is adjusted so as to reduce the travel cost for the other users.

14. A vehicle dispatch management method by a vehicle dispatch management device that manages a vehicle dispatch service that dispatches and operates vehicles based on a vehicle dispatch plan in response to a user's vehicle dispatch request, storing a usage record of the user in the vehicle dispatch service; determining boarding and alighting points that are points along a travel route included in the vehicle dispatch plan of a vehicle in which a plurality of users ride together, and that are points where each of the plurality of users gets on and off the vehicle, based on the vehicle dispatch requests of the plurality of users; Adjusting a drop-off point shared by the plurality of users among the boarding and alighting points along the travel route based on the usage history of each of the plurality of users; correcting the dispatch plan for the one vehicle based on the adjusted drop-off location; Including, A travel cost is a cost incurred by each of the plurality of users when traveling from the drop-off location to the destination included in the vehicle dispatch request, Adjusting the drop-off point includes: When the destinations of the plurality of users are within a predetermined range, deriving a usage frequency of each of the plurality of users based on the usage record during a period in which the plurality of users are riding in the one vehicle, and adjusting the drop-off location such that the travel cost incurred by the user is reduced as the usage frequency is higher; A vehicle allocation management method comprising:

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