Charge setting device

Abstract

To provide a charge setting device capable of suppressing a decrease in compensation due to shortening of a cruisable distance for a provider of a vehicle service using an electric vehicle.SOLUTION: When accepting usage of a taxi vehicle 10 from a user, a CPU 110 (arithmetic operation unit) sets a higher charge with a luggage 4b carried by the user and having first weight (X2 kg) than with the luggage 4b having second weight (X1 kg) that is lighter than the first weight. A communication unit 130 (output unit) outputs the charge set by the CPU 110.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a pricing device. [Background technology]

[0002] JP 2019-168922 A (Patent Document 1) discloses a vehicle dispatching system in which electric vehicles are used as taxis. In this vehicle dispatching system, the remaining battery charge is matched to the power required for traveling a route including the destination, and vehicles are dispatched while taking into account the waiting time. This is said to improve the overall transportation efficiency of electric vehicles. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-168922 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When a user uses a vehicle service (passenger transport service) such as a taxi, it is assumed that the user will travel with heavy luggage. If the luggage is heavy, the cruising distance of the vehicle used for the vehicle service will be shorter than usual.

[0005] When the vehicle is an electric vehicle, the battery needs to be charged more frequently due to the shorter driving range, but charging the battery takes longer than the time it takes to refuel a vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine. In this case, the operating rate of the electric vehicle providing the vehicle service may decrease, and as a result, there is a risk that the compensation that can be obtained by the provider of the vehicle service using the electric vehicle may decrease.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a fee setting device that can suppress a decrease in compensation to a provider of a vehicle service that uses an electric vehicle, which is caused by a shortened cruising distance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The fee setting device disclosed herein is a fee setting device that sets a fee for an electric vehicle that can be charged from a charging facility and transports a user from a boarding location to a disembarking location by paying a fee. When accepting use of the electric vehicle from a user, the calculation unit sets a fee higher when the weight of luggage carried by the user is a first weight than when the weight of the luggage is a second weight that is lighter than the first weight. The output unit outputs the fee set by the calculation unit.

[0008] When the weight of the luggage is the first weight, the cruising distance is shorter than when the luggage is the second weight, which causes the battery to be charged more frequently. In this case, the operating rate of the electric vehicle providing the vehicle service decreases, which may result in a decrease in the compensation obtained by the provider of the vehicle service using the electric vehicle. According to the above configuration, when accepting the use of the electric vehicle from the user, if the weight of the luggage carried by the user is the first weight, which is heavier than the second weight, a higher fee is set. This makes it possible to suppress a decrease in the compensation to the provider of the vehicle service using the electric vehicle, which is caused by a shorter cruising distance. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to suppress a reduction in the compensation paid to a provider of a vehicle service that uses an electric vehicle, which is caused by a shortened cruising distance. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a fee setting system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display on a user terminal. [Diagram 3] 11 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a process executed by the fee setting system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference characters and will not be described repeatedly.

[0012] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of a fare setting system 1. The fare setting system 1 includes a taxi vehicle 10, which is an electric vehicle, a fare setting device 100, and a user terminal 800 carried by a user who desires transportation by the taxi vehicle 10. The taxi vehicle 10, the fare setting device 100, and the user terminal 800 are capable of communicating with each other via a communication network.

[0013] The taxi vehicle 10 is an electric vehicle that can be charged from a charging facility (EVSE: Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment). The taxi vehicle 10 provides a service of transporting a user from a boarding location to an alighting location by paying a fare. The fare setting device 100 is a device that sets the fare for the taxi vehicle 10.

[0014] The taxi vehicle 10 includes a battery 11, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 12, a drive unit 13, a DCM (Data Communication Module) 14, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 15, and a navigation device 17. The battery 11 stores power used for traveling the taxi vehicle 10. The battery 11 is, for example, a lithium ion battery. However, the battery 11 is not limited to this, and may be other types of batteries, for example, a nickel-metal hydride battery or an all-solid-state battery.

[0015] The ECU 12 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory. The memory includes a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory) and stores programs and data used by the CPU. The CPU executes predetermined processing defined by a program according to the programs and data stored in the memory and data input from the outside, and stores data resulting from the execution in the memory or outputs it to the outside.

[0016] The navigation device 17 includes a GPS (Global Positioning System). The GPS detects the position information of the taxi vehicle 10. The navigation device 17 transfers the position information detected by the GPS to the CPU.

[0017] The drive unit 13 includes a motor generator and an inverter that drives the motor generator using power from the battery 11 and charges the battery 11 with regenerative power from the motor generator. In this embodiment, the taxi vehicle 10 is an electric vehicle that can be charged from a charging facility and is a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) that does not have an engine.

[0018] The DCM 14 is a module for communicating with external devices via a communication network, transmitting data from the ECU 12 to the external devices and transferring data from the external devices to the ECU 12 .

[0019] The HMI 15 is provided near the driver's seat of the taxi vehicle 10, receives information input by the user and outputs it to the ECU 12, and displays or audibly notifies the user of information from the ECU 12, and is configured to include, for example, a touch panel display.

[0020] The fee setting device 100 includes a CPU 110 as a calculation unit, a memory 120, a communication unit 130, and a large-capacity storage device 140. The fee setting device 100 manages the dispatch status of the taxi vehicle 10. The memory 120 includes a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory). The communication unit 130 can communicate with an external device via a communication network, transmits data from the CPU 110 to the external device, and transfers data from the external device to the CPU 110. The large-capacity storage device 140 is composed of a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive), and stores programs and data used by the CPU 110. The CPU 110 executes a predetermined process defined by a program according to the programs and data stored in the memory 120 or the large-capacity storage device 140 and data input from the external device to the communication unit 130, and causes data resulting from the execution to be stored in the memory 120 or the large-capacity storage device 140 or output from the communication unit 130 to the external device.

[0021] The user terminal 800 includes a CPU 810, a memory 820, a communication unit 830, an input unit 840, and an output unit 850. The functions of the memory 820 and the communication unit 830 of the user terminal 800 are the same as those of the memory 120 and the communication unit 130 of the fee setting device 100 described above. The input unit 840 is composed of a touch panel, an operation button, and a microphone, and transfers data input from the touch panel, the operation button, or the microphone to the CPU 810. The output unit 850 is composed of a display and a speaker, and outputs data from the CPU 810 from the display or the speaker. The CPU 810 executes a predetermined process defined by the program according to the program and data stored in the memory 820, data input from an external device to the communication unit 830, and data input from the input unit 840, and stores data of the execution result in the memory 820, outputs the data from the communication unit 830 to an external device, or outputs the data from the output unit 850.

[0022] A vehicle dispatch application, which is an application program for receiving a vehicle dispatch service in the pricing system 1, is pre-installed in a memory 820 of a user terminal 800 used by a user. The vehicle dispatch application is executed by a CPU 810 of the user terminal 800.

[0023] When the taxi vehicle 10 transports the user to the drop-off location, if the user is carrying heavy luggage, the taxi vehicle 10's subsequent cruising distance (the distance it can travel using the power of the battery 11) will be shortened.

[0024] For example, as shown in Fig. 1, when a user is carrying X2 kg of baggage 4b ​​(>50 kg) compared with when a user is carrying X1 kg of baggage 4a (<50 kg), the cruising distance after the taxi vehicle 10 transports the user to the drop-off location is shorter. When the cruising distance is shorter, the frequency of charging the battery 11 increases.

[0025] When the taxi vehicle 10 travels the cruising distance, it needs to connect to a charging facility to charge the battery 11, but it takes time to charge the battery 11 compared to the time it takes to refuel a vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine. In this case, the operating rate of the taxi vehicle 10 may decrease, and as a result, the compensation that the vehicle service provider can obtain may decrease.

[0026] For this reason, in this embodiment, the CPU 110 (computation unit) is configured to set a higher fee when the weight of the luggage 4b ​​carried by the user is a first weight (X2 kg) than when the weight of the luggage 4b ​​is a second weight (X1 kg) that is lighter than the first weight, when the CPU 110 (computation unit) accepts a request to use the taxi vehicle 10 from a user. The communication unit 130 (output unit) outputs the fee set by the CPU 110. Note that the fee may be set higher as the weight of the luggage 4b ​​becomes heavier.

[0027] Specifically, the user inputs the weight of the baggage 4b ​​to the user terminal 800 when reserving a vehicle. When the fee setting device 100 accepts a reservation for dispatching a taxi vehicle 10 from the user terminal 800 used by the user, if the weight of the baggage 4b ​​carried by the user is X2 kg, the fee setting device 100 sets a higher fee than if the weight of the baggage is X1 kg. The communication unit 130 of the fee setting device 100 transmits the fee set by the fee setting device 100 to the user terminal 800. A specific description will be given below.

[0028] 2 is a diagram showing an example of a display on the user terminal 800. The user launches a ride-hailing app on the user terminal 800 to make a ride-hailing reservation. The output unit 850 of the user terminal 800 displays a screen on which the user can set the boarding location and disembarking location and input the weight of their luggage.

[0029] For example, a map including the current location is displayed on the screen, and the user can set the boarding and disembarking locations by clicking these locations on the map. If the user's luggage weight is X2 kg, the user enters "X2". When the user clicks the "Send" button, the user terminal 800 transmits this information to the fee setting device 100 as vehicle dispatch request (vehicle dispatch reservation) information.

[0030] When the fee setting device 100 receives a vehicle dispatch request (vehicle dispatch reservation), it determines a vehicle to be dispatched and its usage fee. Then, the fee setting device 100 transmits this information to the user terminal 800. For example, as shown in the figure, the output unit 850 of the user terminal 800 displays that the fee is Y1 yen. In this case, since the user's baggage 4b ​​weighs Y2 kg, which is 50 kg or more, the fee Y1 yen including the surcharge Y2 yen is displayed.

[0031] The following description will be given with reference to a flowchart. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the processing steps executed by the fee setting system 1. Hereinafter, steps will be abbreviated as "S".

[0032] In S11, the user terminal 800 sets the boarding location and the disembarking location. In S12, the user terminal 800 sets the weight of the luggage. As described with reference to FIG. 2, for example, the user sets the boarding location and the disembarking location by clicking these locations on the map. In the example of FIG. 2, the luggage weight is set to "X2" kg.

[0033] In S13, the user terminal 800 transmits a vehicle dispatch request (vehicle dispatch reservation) to the fee setting device 100. As a result, the boarding location and the disembarking location, and the weight of the baggage are transmitted to the fee setting device 100.

[0034] Meanwhile, the fee setting device 100 receives a vehicle dispatch request (vehicle dispatch reservation) in S21. The fee setting device 100 calculates a vehicle to be dispatched and a usage fee in S22. For example, the fee setting device 100 selects a vehicle that is close to the boarding location and is available from among multiple taxi vehicles 10, and assigns it as a vehicle to be dispatched. The fee setting device 100 calculates the usage fee according to the distance from the boarding location to the disembarking location, etc.

[0035] In S23, the fee setting device 100 determines whether the weight of the user's luggage is 50 kg or more. If the weight of the user's luggage is 50 kg or more (YES in S23), the fee setting device 100 advances the process to S24. On the other hand, if the weight of the user's luggage is less than 50 kg (NO in S23), the fee setting device 100 advances the process to S26.

[0036] The fee setting device 100 calculates the surcharge in S24. The fee setting device 100 adds the surcharge to the usage fee in S25. In the above example, the user's package 4b ​​weighs X2 kg, which is 50 kg or more, so the surcharge is calculated as Y2 yen. This surcharge is added to the usage fee calculated in S22 to determine the usage fee as Y1 yen. If the weight of the user's package is less than 50 kg, no surcharge is added.

[0037] The method of calculating the usage fee is not limited to the above, but may be any method that calculates the usage fee so that the usage fee increases as the weight of the baggage carried by the user increases.

[0038] In S26, the fee setting device 100 transmits information on the usage fee, etc., including the surcharge, to the user terminal 800. In S14, the user terminal 800 displays the information on the usage fee, etc. In the example of Fig. 2, it is displayed that the usage fee is Y1 yen with the surcharge of Y2 yen added.

[0039] As described above, the fee setting device 100 is a device that sets the fee for the taxi vehicle 10 (electric vehicle) that can be charged from a charging facility and transports the user from the boarding location to the disembarking location by paying a fee. When the CPU 110 (calculation unit) accepts the use of the taxi vehicle 10 from the user, if the weight of the luggage 4b ​​carried by the user is a first weight (X2 kg), the CPU 110 sets the fee higher than when the weight of the luggage 4b ​​is a second weight (X1 kg) that is lighter than the first weight. The output unit outputs the fee set by the CPU 110.

[0040] When the weight of the luggage 4b ​​is X2 kg, the cruising distance is shorter than when the weight is X1 kg, and this causes the battery 11 to be charged more frequently. In this case, the operating rate of the taxi vehicle 10 providing the vehicle service decreases, and as a result, the compensation that the provider of the vehicle service using the electric vehicle can obtain may decrease. According to the above configuration, when accepting the use of the taxi vehicle 10 from a user, if the weight of the luggage carried by the user is X2 kg, which is heavier than X1 kg, the fee is set higher. This makes it possible to suppress the reduction in the compensation to the provider of the vehicle service using the electric vehicle, which is caused by the shortened cruising distance.

[0041] More specifically, when the CPU 110 accepts a reservation for dispatching a taxi vehicle 10 from a user terminal 800 used by a user, if the weight of the luggage 4b ​​carried by the user is X2 kg, the fee is set higher than when the luggage weighs X1 kg, and the communication unit 130 is configured to transmit the fee set by the CPU 110 to the user terminal 800.

[0042] In addition, "when the use of the taxi vehicle 10 is accepted from the user" is not limited to when a reservation for dispatching is accepted from the user terminal 800, but may also refer to a timing when the user does not make a reservation for dispatching and directly stops the taxi vehicle 10 and gets in (for example, when the taxi driver sets the start of the user's use in the taxi vehicle 10). In this case, the taxi vehicle 10 may be provided with the function of the fare setting device 100. For example, the ECU 12 of the taxi vehicle 10 may be configured to operate as the calculation unit instead of the CPU 110. The taxi vehicle 10 may be provided with a weight measuring device, and the weight of the baggage 4b ​​may be measured by the weight measuring device. The ECU 12 calculates the fare based on the measured weight of the baggage 4b. In this case, the output unit may be a fare display device provided in the taxi vehicle 10 instead of the communication unit 130. The fare is displayed on the fare display device.

[0043] The vehicle service may be a ride-sharing service. In this case, the user terminal 800 is a terminal used by a ride-sharing user. An application for ride-sharing (a vehicle dispatching application) is installed in the user terminal 800.

[0044] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not by the description of the embodiments described above, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1 Fare setting system, 4a, 4b luggage, 10 taxi vehicle, 11 battery, 12 ECU, 13 drive unit, 14 DCM, 15 HMI, 17 navigation device, 100 Fare setting device, 110 CPU, 120 memory, 130 communication unit, 140 mass storage device, 800 user terminal, 810 CPU, 820 memory, 830 communication unit, 840 input unit, 850 output unit.

Claims

[Claim 1] A fee setting device that sets a fee for an electric vehicle that can be charged from a charging facility and transports a user from a boarding location to a disembarking location by paying the fee, the fee setting device comprising: a calculation unit that, when a request for use of the electric vehicle is received from the user, sets the fee higher when a weight of luggage carried by the user is a first weight than when the weight of the luggage is a second weight that is lighter than the first weight; and an output unit that outputs the fee set by the calculation unit.

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