Movement route guidance device and movement route guidance method

Abstract

To propose a movement route suitable for users whose movement burdens are high.SOLUTION: A movement route guidance device 2 includes a controller 11 that executes the processes of: acquiring at least departure information and destination information of a user 3; calculating a plurality of movement routes on the basis of the departure information and the destination information; calculating, for each of the calculated movement routes, a time variation which is a variation of movement times in the movement route; estimating a movement burden which is a physical or psychological burden of the user 3 due to movement; determining priority of a movement route to be presented to the user 3 among the plurality of movement routes on the basis of the calculated time variation and the estimated movement burden; and presenting the movement route included in the plurality of movement routes to the user 3 on the basis of the determined priority.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a travel route guidance device and a travel route guidance method. [Background technology]

[0002] In the vehicle dispatch method of Patent Document 1 below, application information including at least the boarding location, disembarking location, and number of passengers is received from a user, a vehicle that can insert the user's boarding location and disembarking location into the currently operating route is selected from among existing operations, and the vehicle currently operating the selected operation is dispatched to the user. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-020973 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, if the dispatched vehicle is late in arriving at the user's destination, the user may have less time to make up for the next appointment. If the physical or psychological burden of travel on the user (hereinafter referred to as "travel burden") is high, for example, the user may have difficulty making up for the next appointment due to a vehicle delay. The present invention aims to propose a travel route suitable for a user who has a high travel load. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A travel route guidance device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a controller that executes the following processes: acquiring at least departure information and destination information of a user; calculating multiple travel routes based on the departure information and destination information; calculating, for each calculated travel route, a time variance which is the variance in travel time along the travel route; estimating a travel load which is the physical or psychological load on the user associated with travel; determining a priority for presenting the multiple travel routes to the user based on the calculated time variance and the estimated travel load; and presenting a travel route included in the multiple travel routes to the user based on the determined priority. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to propose a travel route suitable for a user who has a high travel load. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an example of a mobility service system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of variation in travel time for each travel route. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a travel route guidance method according to an embodiment; [Figure 4] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a first controller in FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] 1 is a flowchart of an example of a route guidance method according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that each drawing is a schematic view and may differ from the actual one. In addition, the embodiment of the present invention shown below is an example of an apparatus and a method for embodying the technical idea of ​​the present invention, and the technical idea of ​​the present invention does not specify the structure, arrangement, etc. of the components as described below. The technical idea of ​​the present invention can be modified in various ways within the technical scope defined by the claims described in the claims.

[0009] (composition) FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an example of a mobility service system 1 according to an embodiment. In response to an inquiry from a user 3, the mobility service system 1 according to an embodiment provides information on a travel route from a departure point to a destination of the user 3. Furthermore, when the user 3 approves the presented travel route, the mobility service system 1 arranges the reservation of a public transportation means (e.g., an airplane, a train, a bus, a taxi, etc.) as a means of transportation included in the travel route, as necessary. Furthermore, when the travel route presented by the user uses a passenger transportation service using a vehicle provided by a business operator that operates the mobility service system 1, the mobility service system 1 dispatches a service vehicle 5 to be used for transporting the user.

[0010] The mobility service system 1 includes a server device 2, a user terminal device 4 used by a user 3, and a service vehicle 5. The server device 2 is an example of the "route guidance device" recited in the claims. The server device 2 includes a communication device 10 and a first controller 11. The communication device 10 provides a communication function between the server device 2 and an external device. The communication method used by the communication device 10 may be, for example, wired communication or wireless communication via a public mobile communication network, satellite communication, or road-to-vehicle communication with the service vehicle 5. The server device 2 transmits and receives data between the user terminal device 4 and the service vehicle 5 via the communication device 10.

[0011] The first controller 11 executes information processing in the server device 2. The first controller 11 may include a processor 11a and peripheral components such as a storage device 11b. The processor 11a may be, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a MPU (Micro-Processing Unit). The storage device 11b may include any one of a semiconductor storage device, a magnetic storage device, and an optical storage device. The storage device 11b may include a register, a cache memory, and a memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory) used as a main storage device. The functions of the first controller 11 described below are realized by, for example, the processor 11a executing a computer program stored in the storage device 11b. The first controller 11 may be formed by dedicated hardware for executing each information processing described below.

[0012] The user terminal device 4 includes a communication device 20, a human machine interface (HMI) 21, and a second controller 22. The user terminal device 4 may be a mobile terminal device or a notebook personal computer carried by the user 3, or may be a stationary desktop computer. The communication device 20 provides a communication function between the user terminal device 4 and an external device. The communication method by the communication device 20 may be, for example, wireless communication by a public mobile communication network or satellite communication. The user terminal device 4 transmits and receives data to and from the server device 2 via the communication device 20.

[0013] The HMI 21 is an interface device that transmits and receives information between the user 3 and the user terminal device 4. The HMI 21 includes a display device, a speaker for outputting auditory signals, a voice input device (e.g., a microphone) for inputting voice signals from the user 3, and operators for accepting operational inputs by the user to the user terminal device 4. The operators may be buttons, switches, levers, dials, keyboards, touch panels, etc.

[0014] The second controller 22 is an electronic control unit that controls the operation of the user terminal device 4. The second controller 22 includes a processor 22a and peripheral components such as a storage device 22b. The processor 22a may be, for example, a CPU or an MPU. The storage device 22b may include a semiconductor storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, or the like. The functions of the second controller 22 described below are realized, for example, by the processor 22a executing a computer program stored in the storage device 22b. The second controller 22 may be formed of dedicated hardware for executing each information processing described below.

[0015] The service vehicle 5 is a vehicle used for a passenger transportation service provided by a business operator that operates the mobility service system 1. For example, the service vehicle 5 may be an on-demand transportation vehicle such as a shared taxi or a robot taxi. An on-demand transportation system may be, for example, a transportation system in which a user selects a boarding / alighting point from a preset list of candidate boarding / alighting points, a route that passes through the selected boarding / alighting point based on the boarding / alighting point selected by the user, and the service vehicle 5 runs along the calculated route.

[0016] For example, the service vehicle 5 may be an autonomous vehicle that is automatically driven by the third controller 36 according to route information transmitted from the server device 2 without the involvement of a driver. The service vehicle 5 may also be a manually driven vehicle that is driven by a driver (human). The service vehicle 5 includes an external sensor 30, a vehicle sensor 31, a positioning device 32, a map database (map DB) 33, a communication device 34, a human machine interface (HMI) 35, a third controller 36, and an actuator 37.

[0017] The external sensor 30 detects objects around the service vehicle 5. The external sensor 30 may include, for example, a camera that captures the surrounding environment of the service vehicle 5. The external sensor 30 may also include a distance measuring device such as a laser range finder (LRF), a radar, a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) laser radar, or a sonar. The external sensor 30 outputs surrounding environment information, which is information on the detected surrounding environment of the service vehicle 5, to the third controller 36.

[0018] The vehicle sensor 31 may include, for example, a vehicle speed sensor that detects the traveling speed (vehicle speed) of the service vehicle 5, a wheel speed sensor that detects the rotational speed of each tire equipped on the service vehicle 5, a three-axis acceleration sensor (G sensor) that detects the acceleration (including deceleration) in three axial directions of the service vehicle 5, a steering angle sensor that detects the steering angle (including the turning angle), a gyro sensor that detects the angular velocity generated in the service vehicle 5, and a yaw rate sensor that detects the yaw rate. The vehicle sensor 31 outputs vehicle state information to the third controller 36. The positioning device 32 measures the current position and attitude of the service vehicle 5. The positioning device 32 may include, for example, a Global Navigation System (GNSS) receiver. The GNSS receiver may be, for example, a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or the like. The positioning device 32 may include an inertial navigation system. The positioning device 32 outputs current position information of the measured current position to the third controller 36. The third controller 36 sequentially transmits the information of the current position to the server device 2 via the communication device 34.

[0019] The map DB 33 stores map information. The map information may include navigation map data and high-precision map data suitable as a map for automatic driving (hereinafter simply referred to as a "high-precision map"). The communication device 34 provides a communication function between the service vehicle 5 and an external device. The communication method by the communication device 34 may be, for example, wireless communication by a public mobile communication network, satellite communication, road-to-vehicle communication, etc. The service vehicle 5 transmits and receives data to and from the server device 2 by the communication device 34.

[0020] The HMI 35 is an interface device that transmits and receives information between the driver of the service vehicle 5 and the third controller 36 when the service vehicle 5 is a manually driven vehicle. The HMI 35 includes a display device that is visible to the driver, and a speaker and a buzzer that output an alarm sound, a notification sound, and audio information. The HMI 35 also includes an operator and a voice input device that accepts an operation input by the driver to the user terminal device 4. The operator may be a button, a switch, a lever, a dial, a keyboard, a touch panel, or the like. When the service vehicle 5 is an autonomous vehicle, the HMI 35 may be omitted.

[0021] The third controller 36 is an electronic control unit that controls the service vehicle 5. For example, the third controller 36 performs autonomous driving control of the service vehicle 5. The third controller 36 includes a processor 36a and peripheral components such as a storage device 36b. The processor 36a may be, for example, a CPU or an MPU. The storage device 36b may include a non-transitory tangible storage medium such as a register, a cache memory, or a memory such as a ROM or RAM used as a main storage device. The function of the third controller 36 is realized, for example, by the processor 36a executing a computer program stored in the storage device 36b. The third controller 36 may be formed by dedicated hardware for executing each information processing described below.

[0022] The third controller 36 receives information on a target driving route along which the service vehicle 5 should travel from the server device 2, and assists the service vehicle 5 in traveling along the target driving route. For example, when the service vehicle 5 is an autonomous vehicle, the third controller 36 executes autonomous driving control to drive the service vehicle 5 according to a target driving route based on the surrounding environment information from the external sensor 30, the vehicle state information from the vehicle sensor 31, the positioning result of the positioning device 32, and the map information of the map DB 33. For example, the third controller 36 calculates a target driving trajectory for driving the service vehicle 5 based on the current position and attitude of the service vehicle 5, the target driving route, the map information, and the surrounding environment. For example, the third controller 36 generates a route space map that expresses the presence or absence of routes and objects around the service vehicle 5, and a risk map that quantifies the risk of the driving site, and generates a target driving trajectory for driving the service vehicle 5 based on the motion characteristics of the service vehicle 5, the vehicle state information, the route space map, and the risk map. The third controller 36 drives the actuator 37 so that the service vehicle 5 drives along the generated target driving trajectory.

[0023] In addition, when the driver manually drives the service vehicle 5, the third controller 36 may assist the driver in driving the service vehicle 5 along the target driving route by displaying the target driving route received from the server device 2 on the display device of the HMI 35 and presenting it to the driver. The actuator 37 operates the steering device, driving device and braking device of the service vehicle 5 in response to a control signal from the third controller 36 to drive the service vehicle 5. The actuator 37 includes a steering actuator, an accelerator opening actuator and a brake control actuator.

[0024] Next, a travel route guidance method according to the embodiment will be described. When using the travel service system 1, the user 3 transmits, from the user terminal device 4 to the server device 2, inquiry information for inquiring about a travel route from a departure point to a destination. For example, the inquiry information may include information on the user's 3 departure point, destination, and desired arrival time at the destination (or desired departure time from the departure point).

[0025] Furthermore, for example, the inquiry information may include user information regarding the status of user 3. For example, the user information may include the number of users 3 (i.e., whether or not they are accompanied), and information on the preferences and attributes of user 3. For example, the preferences of user 3 may be the preferences or requests of user 3, such as "I want to sit in a seat as much as possible," "I want to avoid crowded places," or "I don't want to bother others with my accompanying person (e.g., an infant or small child) or large luggage." For example, the attributes of user 3 may be age, whether or not they need assistance, whether or not they use a wheelchair, and the degree of their disability. Furthermore, for example, the inquiry information may include information regarding the size and weight of the luggage carried by the user as luggage information regarding the luggage of the user 3. Furthermore, for example, the inquiry information may include cost sharing information regarding the cost of travel. For example, the cost sharing information may be information on whether the cost is borne by the user 3 himself / herself, or whether the cost is borne by a person or organization other than the user 3.

[0026] The user 3 operates the HMI 21 to input the inquiry information to the user terminal device 4. The second controller 22 transmits the inquiry information input by the user 3 to the server device 2 via the communication device 20. The server device 2 calculates a travel route that can transport the user 3 from the departure point included in the inquiry information received from the user terminal device 4 to the destination and is scheduled to arrive at the destination by the desired arrival time (or calculates a travel route that can transport the user 3 to the destination and departs at a time after the desired departure time).

[0027] Here, the travel time required to travel from a departure point to a destination varies depending on the travel route, for example, depending on the travel distance and travel speed of the transportation means (e.g., airplane, train, bus, taxi, etc.) used on the travel route. In addition, the variation in travel time, or “time variation,” also varies depending on the travel route. For example, time variation varies depending on the transportation means used on the travel route and the time of day it is used.

[0028] 2 is a schematic diagram of an example of variation in travel time for each travel route. The dashed and dotted line shows a histogram of travel time for travel route A, and the solid line shows a histogram of travel time for travel route B, which is different from travel route A. The average travel time Ta for travel route A is shorter than the average travel time Tb for travel route B, and the variation in travel time for travel route A is greater than the variation in travel time for travel route B. For this reason, there is a higher chance that the user can arrive at the destination earlier by using travel route A than by using travel route B, but there is also a higher chance that the user will not arrive at the destination at the desired arrival time.

[0029] Here, for a user 3 with a high travel burden, if the arrival at the destination is delayed and the time to the next appointment is shortened, it may be difficult for the user to make the next appointment. Also, for example, if a transportation facility is delayed and the travel time is extended, it may be difficult to estimate how long the psychological burden associated with the travel will continue.

[0030] Therefore, the server device 2 of the embodiment executes the following processes: a process of acquiring at least departure point information and destination information of the user 3; a process of calculating multiple travel routes based on the departure point information and the destination information; a process of calculating a time variance, which is the variation in travel time along the travel route, for each calculated travel route; a process of estimating a travel load, which is the physical or psychological load on the user 3 associated with travel; a process of determining a priority for presenting the multiple travel routes to the user 3 based on the calculated time variance and the estimated travel load; and a process of presenting a travel route included in the multiple travel routes to the user 3 based on the determined priority.

[0031] For example, when the travel load of the user 3 is high compared to when it is low, the server device 2 may determine a higher priority for a travel route with small time variation than for a travel route with large time variation. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a route guidance method according to an embodiment, illustrating a case where routes Pth1 to Pth3 are calculated as candidates for a plurality of routes from a starting point Ps to a destination Pd of a user 3.

[0032] The travel distance, minimum travel time, maximum travel time, average travel time, time variance and number of transfers for the travel route Pth1 are "20km", "35 minutes", "45 minutes", "40 minutes", "10 minutes" and "2 times", respectively. The travel distance, minimum travel time, maximum travel time, average travel time, time variance and number of transfers for the travel route Pth2 are "10km", "10 minutes", "55 minutes", "20 minutes", "40 minutes" and "3 times", respectively. The travel distance, minimum travel time, maximum travel time, average travel time, time variance and number of transfers for the travel route Pth3 are "15km", "25 minutes", "50 minutes", "30 minutes", "25 minutes" and "1 time", respectively.

[0033] For example, when the travel load of a user 3 is higher than a predetermined threshold, the server device 2 may present to the user the travel route Pth1 with the smallest time variance in travel time as the first candidate, and present to the user the travel route Pth3 with the second smallest time variance in travel time as the second candidate. On the other hand, when the travel load of the user 3 is lower than a predetermined threshold, the server device 2 may not use the time variation as a condition for prioritizing the travel route, or may use the time variation as a condition for prioritizing the travel route. For example, the server device 2 may set the priority of the travel route based on predetermined conditions such as the average travel time and the number of transfers.

[0034] For example, when the travel load of user 3 is lower than a predetermined threshold, the server device 2 may present to the user the travel route Pth2 with the shortest average travel time as the first candidate, and present to the user the travel route Pth3 with the fewest number of transfers as the second candidate. In this way, the server device 2 of the embodiment can propose a travel route suitable for a user 3 with a high travel load by determining the priority of the travel route to be presented to the user 3 based on the time variation of the travel route and the travel load of the user 3.

[0035] 4 is a block diagram of an example of a functional configuration of the first controller 11 of the server device 2. The first controller 11 includes a reference information acquisition unit 40, a map database (map DB) 41, a travel route calculation unit 42, a time variation calculation unit 43, a cost burden condition acquisition unit 44, a travel load estimation unit 45, a priority determination unit 46, a travel route notification unit 47, a reservation arrangement unit 48, a vehicle allocation plan generation unit 49, and a vehicle allocation plan transmission unit 50.

[0036] The inquiry information acquiring unit 40 acquires the inquiry information transmitted from the user terminal device 4 and received by the communication device 10 . The map DB 41 is a database that stores road map information, route information and timetable information for transportation means (for example, airplanes, trains, buses, etc.). The travel route calculation unit 42 extracts information on the departure point, the destination, and the desired arrival time at the destination (or the desired departure time from the departure point) from the inquiry information acquired by the inquiry information acquisition unit 40.

[0037] The travel route calculation unit 42 refers to the map DB 41 to calculate multiple candidate travel routes that can transport the user 3 from the departure point to the destination and are scheduled to arrive at the destination by the desired arrival time (or calculates multiple candidate travel routes that can transport the user 3 to the destination and depart at a time after the desired departure time). The time variation calculation unit 43 calculates the time variation of the travel time for each of the multiple travel route candidates calculated by the travel route calculation unit 42. For example, the time variation calculation unit 43 may calculate the variance (standard deviation) of the travel time as the time variation.

[0038] For example, the time variation calculation unit 43 may include a traffic information acquisition unit 43a and a travel time database (travel time DB) 43b. The traffic information acquisition unit 43a acquires road congestion information and crowding information, for example, from an ITS (Intelligence Transport System). Also, for example, it acquires operation information from an airline or a railway company. The time variation calculation unit 43 evaluates the travel time for each transportation facility for each time period based on the congestion information, crowding information, and operation information, and accumulates the history of the travel time in the travel time DB 43b.

[0039] The time variation calculation unit 43 calculates the time variation of each of the multiple travel routes calculated by the travel route calculation unit 42 during the time period in which the user 3 travels along each of the multiple travel routes, based on the travel time for each mode of transportation stored in the travel time DB 43b. Furthermore, for example, when any of the travel routes calculated by the travel route calculation unit 42 includes a combination of multiple means of transportation, the time variation calculation unit 43 may calculate the time variation of this travel route based on the number of transfers of the means of transportation. For example, a longer time variation may be calculated when the number of transfers is large compared to when the number of transfers is small.

[0040] Furthermore, for example, when any of the travel routes calculated by the travel route calculation unit 42 includes a combination of multiple transportation means, the time variation calculation unit 43 may calculate the time variation of this travel route based on the transfer time of the transportation means. For example, when the number of transfers is long compared to when the transfer time is short, a longer time variation may be calculated.

[0041] The cost sharing condition acquisition unit 44 acquires cost sharing conditions based on the cost sharing information included in the inquiry information. The cost sharing conditions are used as conditions for determining the priority of candidate travel routes. For example, the cost sharing condition acquisition unit 44 may acquire "self-pay" or "no self-pay" as the cost sharing conditions. The travel load estimating unit 45 estimates the travel load of the user 3. For example, the travel load estimating unit 45 may include a time condition determining unit 45a, a physical load estimating unit 45b, and a mental load estimating unit 45c.

[0042] The temporal condition determination unit 45a estimates the physical or psychological travel load of the user 3 associated with the travel, according to the time period during which the user 3 travels from the departure point to the destination, based on the desired arrival time or the desired departure time included in the inquiry information. For example, the temporal condition determination unit 45a may estimate a larger travel load when the travel time period is a peak time period than when the travel time period is a low-peak time period.

[0043] The physical load estimating unit 45b estimates the physical travel load of the user 3 based on the user information and baggage information included in the inquiry information. For example, if the user 3 has large or heavy luggage, the travel load may be estimated to be greater than if the luggage is small or light. Also, if the user 3 is accompanied by or has many companions, the travel load may be estimated to be greater than if the user 3 has no companions or has few companions.

[0044] The physical load estimating unit 45b may estimate the physical movement load of the user 3 based on the attribute information of the user 3. For example, if the user 3 is elderly, the movement load may be estimated to be greater than if the user 3 is not elderly. If the user 3 requires assistance or a wheelchair, the movement load may be estimated to be greater than if the user 3 does not require assistance or a wheelchair. If the user 3 has a severe disability, the movement load may be estimated to be greater than if the user 3 has no disability or a mild disability.

[0045] The mental load estimator 45c estimates the mental load of travel of the user 3 based on the user information included in the inquiry information. For example, the mental load estimation unit 45c may estimate the mental travel load of the user 3 based on information on the preferences of the user 3. For example, if the user 3 has preferences such as "I want to sit in a seat as much as possible," "I want to avoid crowded places," or "I don't want to bother others with my companion (e.g., an infant or small child) or large luggage," the mental load estimation unit 45c may estimate a larger travel load than if the user does not have these preferences.

[0046] The travel load estimation unit 45 estimates an overall travel load of the user 3 based on the travel loads estimated by the time condition determination unit 45a, the physical load estimation unit 45b, and the mental load estimation unit 45c. For example, the travel load estimation unit 45 may calculate, as the overall travel load, any one of the sum, weighted sum, average value, maximum value, and median value of the travel loads estimated by the time condition determination unit 45a, the physical load estimation unit 45b, and the mental load estimation unit 45c.

[0047] The priority determination unit 46 determines the priority for presenting to the user 3 the multiple candidate travel routes calculated by the travel route calculation unit 42 based on the time variation calculated by the time variation calculation unit 43, the travel load estimated by the travel load estimation unit 45, and the cost burden conditions acquired by the cost burden condition acquisition unit 44. For example, when the travel load estimated by the travel load estimating unit 45 is high compared to when it is low, the priority determining unit 46 determines a higher priority for a travel route with small time variation than for a travel route with large time variation.

[0048] For example, when the travel load is higher than a threshold, the priority determination unit 46 may determine the travel route with the smallest time variation in travel time as the first candidate, and may determine the travel route with the second smallest time variation in travel time as the second candidate. For example, when the cost sharing condition is "self-pay," the priority determination unit 46 may set a higher priority to a travel route with a low transportation fee than to a travel route with a high transportation fee.

[0049] For example, when the travel load is lower than a threshold and the cost burden condition is "self-pay," the travel route with the lowest transportation fee may be determined as the first candidate, and the travel route with the shortest average travel time may be determined as the second candidate. For example, when the travel load is higher than a threshold and the cost burden condition is "self-pay," the route with the smallest travel time variance may be determined as the first candidate, and the travel route with the cheapest transportation fee may be determined as the second candidate. Alternatively, the travel route with the smallest weighted sum of time variance and transportation fee may be determined as the first candidate, and the route with the second smallest weighted sum may be determined as the second candidate.

[0050] When the travel load is lower than the threshold, the priority determination unit 46 may not use the time variation as a condition for determining the priority of the travel route, or may use the time variation as a condition for determining the priority of the travel route. For example, the priority determination unit 46 may set the priority of the travel route based on a predetermined condition such as an average travel time or the number of transfers. For example, when the travel load of user 3 is lower than a predetermined threshold and the cost burden condition is "no out-of-pocket expense," the priority determination unit 46 may determine the travel route with the shortest average travel time as the first candidate, and the travel route with the fewest number of transfers as the second candidate.

[0051] The travel route notification unit 47 transmits travel route candidates included in the multiple travel routes calculated by the travel route calculation unit 42 to the user terminal device 4 via the communication device 10 based on the priorities determined by the priority determination unit 46. For example, the travel route notification unit 47 transmits to the user terminal device 4 travel route candidates in the order of decreasing priority determined by the priority determination unit 46, the number of which is equal to or less than a predetermined upper limit.

[0052] 1, the second controller 22 of the user terminal device 4 presents the travel route candidates received by the communication device 20 from the server device 2 to the user 3. For example, the second controller 22 displays the travel route candidates received from the server device 2 on the display device of the HMI 21. Furthermore, the second controller 22 accepts an approval operation by the user 3 to approve any of the presented travel route candidates. When the user 3 approves any of the travel route candidates, the second controller 22 transmits information on the approved travel route to the server device 2 via the communication device 20.

[0053] Please refer to Fig. 4. When the communication device 10 of the server device 2 receives information on the travel route approved by the user 3, the reservation arrangement unit 48 judges whether or not the travel route approved by the user 3 includes a public transportation means other than the transportation service provided by the business operator that operates the mobility service system 1. If the travel route approved by the user 3 includes public transportation, the reservation arrangement unit 48 arranges a reservation for the use of public transportation.

[0054] The vehicle dispatch plan generating unit 49 judges whether or not the travel route approved by the user 3 includes a transportation service provided by the operator of the mobile service system 1. If the travel route approved by the user 3 includes a transportation service provided by the operator of the mobile service system 1, a vehicle dispatch plan for the service vehicles 5 to be used by the user 3 is generated. For example, the vehicle allocation plan generating unit 49 extracts information on the boarding point, the scheduled boarding time, and the disembarking point where the user 3 boards the service vehicle 5 from the information on the travel route approved by the user 3. The vehicle allocation plan generating unit 49 also selects a service vehicle 5 to be provided for use by the user 3, and calculates a target driving route from the boarding point to the disembarking point. The vehicle allocation plan generating unit 49 generates vehicle allocation plan information including information on the boarding point, the scheduled boarding time, the disembarking point, and the target driving route of the user 3.

[0055] The vehicle allocation plan transmitting unit 50 transmits the vehicle allocation plan information generated by the vehicle allocation plan generating unit 49 to the service vehicle 5 . Refer to Fig. 1. The third controller 36 of the service vehicle 5 acquires the dispatch plan information received by the communication device 34 from the server device 2. The third controller 36 supports the driving of the service vehicle 5 that transports the user 3 according to the dispatch plan information. For example, when the service vehicle 5 is an autonomous vehicle, the third controller 36 automatically controls the service vehicle 5 so that the service vehicle 5 drives along a target driving route included in the dispatch plan information. When the driver manually drives the service vehicle 5, the third controller 36 supports the driver to drive the service vehicle 5 according to the target driving route by presenting the target driving route to the driver.

[0056] (operation) FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an example of a route guidance method according to the embodiment. In step S1, the server device 2 receives the inquiry information transmitted from the user terminal device 4. In step S2, the inquiry information acquisition unit 40 acquires information on the departure point and destination of the user 3 from the received inquiry information. In step S3, the inquiry information acquisition unit 40 acquires information on the desired arrival time of the user 3 from the inquiry information. In step S4, the inquiry information acquiring unit 40 acquires user information (number of users, preferences, attributes) from the inquiry information. In step S5, the inquiry information acquisition unit 40 acquires package information from the inquiry information.

[0057] In step S6, the travel route calculation unit 42 calculates a plurality of candidate travel routes that can transport the user 3 from the departure point to the destination and are scheduled to arrive at the destination by the desired arrival time. In step S7, the time variation calculation unit 43 calculates the time variation of the travel time for each of the multiple travel route candidates calculated by the travel route calculation unit . In step S8, the travel load estimating unit 45 estimates the travel load of the user 3.

[0058] In step S9, the priority determination unit 46 determines whether the travel load estimated by the travel load estimation unit 45 is greater than a predetermined threshold. If the travel load is greater than the predetermined threshold (step S9: Y), the process proceeds to step S10. If the travel load is not greater than the predetermined threshold (step S9: N), the process proceeds to step S11.

[0059] In step S10, the priority determination unit 46 sets the priority of a candidate travel route with small time variation higher than the priority of a candidate travel route with large time variation. The travel route notification unit 47 transmits the travel route candidates included in the multiple travel routes calculated by the travel route calculation unit 42 to the user terminal device 4 via the communication device 10 based on the priority determined by the priority determination unit 46. The second controller 22 of the user terminal device 4 presents the received travel route candidates to the user 3. After that, the process proceeds to step S12.

[0060] On the other hand, in step S11, the priority determination unit 46 sets priorities among multiple travel route candidates based on a predetermined condition. The travel route notification unit 47 transmits travel route candidates included in the multiple travel routes calculated by the travel route calculation unit 42 to the user terminal device 4 via the communication device 10 based on the priorities determined by the priority determination unit 46. The second controller 22 of the user terminal device 4 presents the received travel route candidates to the user 3. After that, the process proceeds to step S12.

[0061] In step S12, the second controller 22 of the user terminal device 4 accepts an approval operation by the user 3 to approve one of the candidate travel routes. The server device 2 acquires information on the travel route approved by the user 3 from the user terminal device 4. In step S13, the reservation arrangement unit 48 of the server device 2 judges whether or not public transportation is included in the travel route approved by the user 3. The reservation arrangement unit 48 arranges a reservation for the use of the public transportation included in the travel route approved by the user 3.

[0062] The vehicle dispatch plan generating unit 49 judges whether or not the travel route approved by the user 3 includes a transportation service provided by the operator of the mobility service system 1. If the travel route approved by the user 3 includes a transportation service provided by the operator of the mobility service system 1, a vehicle dispatch plan for the service vehicles 5 to be provided for use by the user 3 is generated. The vehicle allocation plan transmitting unit 50 transmits the vehicle allocation plan information generated by the vehicle allocation plan generating unit 49 to the service vehicles 5, and operates the service vehicles 5 according to the vehicle allocation plan. After that, the process ends.

[0063] (Effects of the embodiment) (1) The travel route guidance device includes a controller that executes the following processes: acquiring departure point information and destination information of a user; calculating multiple travel routes based on the departure point information and the destination information; calculating, for each calculated travel route, a time variance which is the variance in travel time along the travel route; estimating a travel load which is the physical or psychological load on the user associated with travel; determining a priority for presenting the multiple travel routes to the user based on the calculated time variance and the estimated travel load; and presenting a travel route included in the multiple travel routes to the user based on the determined priority. In this way, by determining the priority of travel routes to be presented to a user based on the time variation of travel routes and the travel load of the user, it is possible to propose travel routes suitable for users with a high travel load.

[0064] (2) When the travel load of a user is high compared to when it is low, the controller may determine a higher priority for a travel route with a small time variance than for a travel route with a large time variance. This makes it possible to propose a travel route suitable for a user with a high travel load. (3) The controller may estimate the travel load based on the user's state, thereby making it possible to estimate the physical or mental travel load of the user associated with the movement.

[0065] (4) The controller may estimate the travel load based on the user's luggage or accompanying persons, thereby estimating the physical travel load of the user associated with the movement. (5) The controller may estimate the travel load based on the user's preferences, thereby making it possible to estimate the user's psychological travel load associated with the travel.

[0066] (6) The controller may calculate the variance of the travel time along the travel route as the time variation, thereby making it possible to quantitatively calculate the time variation of the travel time. (7) The controller may calculate the time variance based on the number of transfers of transportation means along a travel route, thereby enabling more accurate calculation of the time variance when a certain travel route includes a combination of multiple transportation means.

[0067] (8) When any one of the multiple travel routes includes a combination of multiple transportation means, the controller may calculate the time variance of any one of the multiple travel routes based on the transfer times of the multiple transportation means. This makes it possible to more accurately calculate the time variance when a certain travel route includes a combination of multiple transportation means. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1...mobile service system, 2...server device, 3...user, 4...user terminal device, 5...service vehicle, 10, 20, 34...communication device, 11...first controller, 11a, 22a, 36a...processor, 11b, 22b, 36b...storage device, 21, 35...human machine interface, 22...second controller, 30...external sensor, 31...vehicle sensor, 32...positioning device, 33, 41...map database, 36...third controller Roller, 37... actuator, 40... inquiry information acquisition unit, 42... travel route calculation unit, 43... time variation calculation unit, 43a... traffic information acquisition unit, 43b... travel time database, 44... cost burden condition acquisition unit, 45... travel load estimation unit, 45a... time condition determination unit, 45b... physical load estimation unit, 45c... mental load estimation unit, 46... priority determination unit, 47... travel route notification unit, 48... reservation arrangement unit, 49... vehicle allocation plan generation unit, 50... vehicle allocation plan transmission unit

Claims

1. A process of acquiring at least a user's departure point information and destination information; A process of calculating a plurality of travel routes based on the departure point information and the destination information; A process of calculating a time variance, which is a variance in travel time along each of the calculated travel routes; A process of estimating a travel load, which is a physical or psychological load on the user caused by travel; determining a priority for presenting the plurality of travel routes to the user based on the calculated time variation and the estimated travel load; A process of presenting a travel route included in the plurality of travel routes to the user based on the determined priority; A route guidance device comprising: a controller that executes the above-mentioned steps.

2. The travel route guidance device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the travel load of the user is high compared to when it is low, the controller determines a higher priority for a travel route with small time variance than for a travel route with large time variance.

3. The route guidance device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller estimates the travel load based on a state of the user.

4. The route guidance device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller estimates the travel load based on baggage or a companion of the user.

5. The route guidance device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller estimates the travel load based on the user's preferences.

6. 2. The route guidance device according to claim 1, wherein the controller calculates a variance of travel time along the travel route as the time variation.

7. 2. The route guidance device according to claim 1, wherein the controller calculates the time variance based on the number of transfers of transportation means on the route.

8. The controller: The travel route guidance device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when any of the plurality of travel routes includes a combination of a plurality of transportation means, a time variation of any of the travel routes is calculated based on transfer times of the plurality of transportation means.

9. A process of acquiring at least a user's departure point information and destination information; A process of calculating a plurality of travel routes based on the departure point information and the destination information; A process of calculating a time variance, which is a variance in travel time along each of the calculated travel routes; A process of designating a travel load, which is a physical or psychological load of the user associated with travel; determining a priority for presenting the plurality of travel routes to the user based on the calculated time variation and the estimated travel load; A process of presenting a travel route included in the plurality of travel routes to the user based on the determined priority; A route guidance method comprising: causing a controller to execute the above steps.

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