Information processing apparatus for hourly parking lot and computer program

Abstract

To perform reservation processing for an hourly parking lot that accepts reservations, while estimating the availability in a general hourly parking that does not accept a reservation for securing a parking space.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus includes: a reservation information receiving unit 11 which receives, from a user terminal, reservation information for an hourly parking lot in a region to be used; a parking lot reservation unit 12, and an availability information providing unit 13. The apparatus can execute reservation processing for a parking lot that accepts reservations, based on reservation information. In the case where the reservation cannot be secured, or similar cases, an available parking space estimation information generation unit 132 generates estimation information regarding an available parking space on a scheduled date and time included in the reservation information. Even if the reservation cannot be secured, a user can understand the availability of general hourly parking lots in the region to be used on the scheduled date and time and can quickly select a parking lot or securing a parking space to be actually used on the day of use.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device for hourly parking lots and a computer program for performing reservation processing for hourly parking lots. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose a system that transmits information about the time periods when the parking lot owner is not using the parking lot to a management system via the Internet, searches for vacant parking lots from the user's terminal, matches it with the user's desired use information, and reserves the matching parking lot. For the owner, this leads to effective use of assets, and for the user, it allows them to reliably use a convenient vacant parking lot for a short period of time.

[0003] Patent document 3 discloses a technology for storing information on a first parking lot that can be reserved (reservations can be accepted) separately from information on a second parking lot that cannot be reserved (reservations cannot be accepted), and for outputting information on the first parking lot and the second parking lot to a user terminal in a visually distinguishable manner in response to an output instruction from the user terminal.

[0004] Patent Document 4 discloses a system that searches for a route from a departure point to a destination by combining vehicular and non-vehicular sections, identifies relay facilities (railroad stations, etc.) that relay between the vehicular and non-vehicular sections on the searched route, and further recommends and guides to a specific parking lot from among multiple parking lots that exist in the vicinity of the identified relay facilities. The recommended parking lots are extracted from a parking lot arrival reference time that is calculated by considering, for example, the departure time, parking time, and walking time required at a train (non-vehicular) relay facility (station to be used), and if there are multiple parking lots, the recommended parking lots are narrowed down based on criteria such as past usage, availability, whether or not reservations are possible, and usage fees.

[0005] On the other hand, as shown in Non-Patent Document 1, there are websites that provide real-time availability information for general hourly parking lots that do not accept reservations. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-214265 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2018-84906 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2018-116622 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2012-202920 A [Non-patent literature]

[0007] [Non-Patent Document 1] "Times Parking Lot Search", searched on August 1, 2023, Internet, URL: https: / / times-info.net / Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] Incidentally, when using a general parking lot that does not accept reservations for parking spaces, the user usually travels around parking lots in the vicinity of the area where the user plans to use the parking lot, or travels around by referring to the real-time availability information disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1, and when the user finds a parking lot with an available parking space, the user uses the parking lot. Therefore, it may be impossible to secure a parking space in the vicinity of the area where the user plans to use the parking lot. In particular, if the date and time of visiting a specific area due to work or an event is decided in advance and it is necessary to secure a parking space in the area, but there is no parking lot accepting reservations in the vicinity of the destination, the user may feel uneasy about visiting the area by car. Even if there is a parking lot accepting reservations in the area, it may be impossible to reserve a parking space due to congestion.

[0009] However, Patent Documents 1 and 2 only disclose management systems for owner-owned reservable parking lots, and make no mention of general hourly parking lots that cannot be reserved. Patent Document 3 describes how, by simultaneously and visually distinguishing information on a first reservable parking lot and a second non-reservable parking lot, location information of a non-reservable second parking lot near the destination is provided to the user when a reservation for the first reservable parking lot cannot be secured. However, whether or not parking is possible in the non-reservable second parking lot near the destination cannot be known until the user actually heads to that second parking lot (hourly parking lot) on the date and time desired for reservation.

[0010] In Patent Document 4, parking lots around the transfer facility are extracted based on predetermined conditions, and if a reservable parking lot is extracted, the parking lot can be secured for the planned date and time of use by executing the reservation, but for other parking lots, the availability status is unknown or real-time availability status is shown. Therefore, for parking lots that cannot be reserved, it is difficult to predict the possibility of actually being available on the planned date and time of use until the real-time availability status immediately prior to the date and time is known. Non-Patent Document 1 is similar in this respect.

[0011] The present invention has been developed in consideration of the above, and has an objective to provide an hourly parking lot information processing device and computer program that, in addition to having a function for executing reservation processing for reservable hourly parking lots where reservations can be made to secure a parking space, can estimate the availability of general hourly parking lots in the planned area where reservations cannot be made to secure a parking space at the planned date and time of use that the user wishes to make a reservation, and provide this information to the user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a reservation information receiving unit that receives reservation information including a planned area and a planned date and time of use for a reservable hourly parking lot that is accepting reservations for securing a parking space from a user terminal; a parking lot reservation unit for making reservations for the reservable hourly parking lot; A parking lot information provider that provides information on available parking spaces at general hourly parking lots that do not accept reservations for parking spaces; having The parking lot reservation unit includes: A first parking lot extraction unit extracts one or more reservable hourly parking lots in the planned use area received by the reservation information receiving unit; a reservation processing unit that transmits extraction information to a user terminal when a reservable hourly parking lot is extracted by the first parking lot extraction unit, receives reservation confirmation information from the user terminal, and executes reservation processing; having The vacancy information providing unit is A second parking lot extraction unit that uses the reservation information received by the reservation information receiving unit to extract one or more general hourly parking lots in the planned use area included in the reservation information; A vacant parking space estimation information generation unit that generates estimation information regarding a vacant parking space at the scheduled date and time of use for each of the general hourly parking lots extracted by the second parking lot extraction unit; an output unit that outputs the extracted general hourly parking lot information together with the estimated information regarding vacant parking spaces to a user terminal; The present invention provides a time-share parking lot information processing device having the above-mentioned.

[0013] The second parking lot extraction unit is It is preferable that the configuration be such that it operates when no reservable time-share parking lot is extracted by the first parking lot extraction unit, or when reservation processing is not performed by the reservation processing unit. The vacant vehicle space estimation information generating unit As the estimated information of the vacant parking space, for each of the general hourly parking lots extracted at the scheduled date and time of use, Estimated number of vacant parking spaces and the probability of being full It is preferable to generate at least one of the above.

[0014] The vacant vehicle space estimation information generating unit is configured to generate the vacant vehicle space estimation information, Past vehicle occupancy status on the same date and time as the scheduled date and time of use; Past parking space usage status for the same time period on the same day as the scheduled date and time of use; Parking space usage status for a certain period in the immediate vicinity, The vehicle cabin usage status under past weather conditions similar to the expected weather conditions on the scheduled date and time of use, and Event information for the scheduled date and time of use It is preferable to use at least one of the following:

[0015] a scheduled use date and time determination unit that determines whether or not a difference between the scheduled use date and time received by the reservation information receiving unit and a current time is within a predetermined time; It is preferable to have a current vacant parking space information providing unit that operates when the scheduled usage date and time determination unit determines that the usage date and time is within the specified time period, and provides current vacant parking space information to the user terminal for each of the one or more extracted general hourly parking lots.

[0016] A parking lot location information display execution unit that switches between displaying the location information of the reservable hourly parking lot on the map and the location information of the general hourly parking lot on the map on the user terminal or displays them on the same screen. It is preferred that the compound has the formula:

[0017] In addition, in the present invention, A computer program that causes a computer to function as an hourly parking lot information processing device, receiving reservation information from a user terminal, the reservation information including a planned area and planned date and time for using a reservable hourly parking lot that is accepting reservations to secure a parking space; A procedure for making a reservation for the reservable hourly parking lot; Procedures for providing vacant parking information for general hourly parking lots that do not accept reservations for parking spaces causing the computer to execute In the procedure for reserving a parking space, Extracting one or more reservable hourly parking lots in the intended use area; a step of transmitting extraction information to a user terminal when the reservable hourly parking lot is extracted, receiving reservation confirmation information from the user terminal, and executing reservation processing; causing the computer to execute In the step of providing vacancy information, Using the reservation information, extracting one or more general hourly parking lots in the area to be used that are included in the reservation information; generating estimated information regarding vacant parking spaces at the scheduled date and time of use for each of the extracted general hourly parking lots; outputting the extracted general hourly parking lot information together with the estimated information regarding vacant parking spaces to a user terminal; The present invention provides a computer program for causing the computer to execute the above steps.

[0018] The step of extracting one or more general hourly parking lots, The computer program according to claim 7 is executed when the reservable hourly parking lot is not extracted or when the reservation process is not performed.

[0019] moreover, a step of determining whether a difference between the scheduled use date and time and a current time is within a predetermined time; a step of providing current vacant parking space information to the user terminal for each of the one or more extracted general hourly parking lots, which is operated when it is determined that the time is within the predetermined time; It is preferable to have the computer execute the following:

[0020] moreover, A procedure for switching between displaying the location information of the reservable hourly parking lot on a map and the location information of the general hourly parking lot on a map on the user terminal or displaying them on the same screen. It is preferable to have the computer execute the following: Effect of the Invention

[0021] According to the present invention, the system has both a function of executing a reservation process for a reservable hourly parking lot that is accepting reservations for parking space reservation, and a function of providing a user with estimated information on available parking spaces at general hourly parking lots that are not accepting reservations for parking space reservation. When a user attempts to reserve a parking space and transmits reservation information including the area to be used and the planned date and time of use, the parking lot reservation unit executes the reservation process. If a reservation for a reservable hourly parking lot can be secured, the user's objective is achieved. However, in the present invention, if a reservable hourly parking lot cannot be secured, not only is location information of a general hourly parking lot that is not accepting reservations for parking space reservation simply provided, but general hourly parking lots are extracted using the user's reservation information transmitted at the time of reservation, and estimated information on available parking spaces at the planned date and time of use is provided to the user for the extracted parking lot. Even if the user is unable to secure a reservation, the user can know the possibility of using a general hourly parking lot in the area to be used and the planned date and time of use. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information processing device for hourly parking lots according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the steps performed when reserving a parking space in the hourly parking space information processing device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the process of providing vacant parking information in the hourly parking lot information processing device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a process of generating the estimation information by the vacant space estimation information generating unit. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 shows an example of the estimated information displayed on the screen of a user terminal. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing a case where a search is performed again using new use schedule information in the above embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 7(a) is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen when changing the planned area of ​​use when searching again, and FIG. 7(b) is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen when changing the planned date and time of use. [Figure 8] FIG. 8(a) is a diagram showing an example of a screen on a user terminal before changing the planned area of ​​use when searching again, and FIG. 8(b) is a diagram showing an example of a screen on a user terminal after changing the planned area of ​​use. [Figure 9] FIG. 9(a) is a diagram showing an example of a screen on a user terminal before the scheduled usage date and time is changed when searching again, and FIG. 9(b) is a diagram showing an example of a screen on a user terminal after the scheduled usage date and time is changed. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an information processing device for hourly parking lots according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11(a) is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a user terminal when reserving a parking space, and FIG. 11(b) is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a user terminal when providing vacancy information. [Figure 12] Figure 12(a) is a diagram showing an example of displaying reservable hourly parking spaces and general hourly parking spaces on the same screen, and Figure 12(b) is a diagram showing an example of displaying the same as Figure 12(a) together with estimated information on available parking spaces. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an example of how to construct a parking lot database. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] The present invention will be described in more detail below based on the embodiment shown in the drawings. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an hourly parking lot information processing device 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in this diagram, the hourly parking lot information processing device 1 according to this embodiment is composed of a processor 1a such as a CPU, a computer (the type of computer is not limited, and includes a personal computer, a microcomputer, a portable information terminal, etc.) equipped with a memory unit (when referred to as a "memory unit" in this specification, it means a memory, a storage, etc., and includes both volatile and non-volatile recording media, and is not limited to either) 1b, and is basically used as a server managed by the management of the hourly parking lot.

[0024] Specifically, in the hourly parking lot information processing device 1 of this embodiment, a computer program that executes procedures for making the computer that is the hourly parking lot information processing device 1 function as a reservation information receiving unit 11, a parking lot reservation unit 12, a vacancy information providing unit 13, a parking lot position information display execution unit 14, etc. is stored in the storage unit 1b. The computer program is usually stored in a non-volatile recording medium such as a hard disk or SSD that is built into or external to the computer (hourly parking lot information processing device 1), and is read and executed by the processor 1a. The storage unit 1b is not limited to the above-mentioned storage unit built into or external to the hourly parking lot information processing device 1, but is also used to include the case where various storage devices connected via a communication line are used. The storage unit 1b of this embodiment is provided with a parking lot database 20 that stores various information such as location information and past usage status for each "hourly parking lot." In addition, information on whether or not reservations for parking space are being accepted is also linked to each "hourly parking lot." It is sufficient for the information on whether or not reservations are being accepted to be linked to each hourly parking lot, but as shown in Figure 1, the database may also be divided into a first parking lot memory unit 21, which stores information on reservable hourly parking lots that are accepting reservations, and a second parking lot information memory unit 22, which stores information on general hourly parking lots that are not accepting reservations. Here, when we simply say "hourly parking," it includes not only hourly parking that does not accept reservations to reserve a parking space (general hourly parking), but also reservable hourly parking that accepts reservations to reserve a parking space. Hereinafter, when we need to distinguish between the two, we will refer to hourly parking that does not accept reservations to reserve a parking space (cannot accept reservations) as general hourly parking, and hourly parking that accepts reservations to reserve a parking space (can accept reservations) as reservable hourly parking.

[0025] The reservation information receiving unit 11 receives reservation information for parking lots from a user terminal (portable information terminal such as a smartphone or tablet, car navigation system, etc.) 100. The reservation information includes reservation information for reservable hourly parking lots in the desired area (see FIG. 2).

[0026] The reservation information includes the planned area and planned date and time of use of the reservable hourly parking lot. The user accesses the website provided by the hourly parking lot information processing device 1 of this embodiment from the user terminal 100, and specifies, for example, "Nihonbashi 1-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo" on the screen for specifying the "planned area" for which the reservation is desired, and specifies, for example, "September 1, 2023, 13:00-14:00" on the screen for specifying the "planned date and time of use". This information is received by the reservation information receiving unit 11 via a communication line. It is to be noted that the "planned area of ​​use" may be specified in a wider range such as prefecture units or city / ward / town / village units, or in a narrower range including the address. The "planned date and time of use" is not limited to being specified by date and time, but may also be specified by day, week, etc.

[0027] The parking lot reservation unit 12 has a first parking lot extraction unit 121 and a reservation processing unit 122. The first parking lot extraction unit 121 extracts reservable hourly parking lots that are accepting reservations to secure a parking space, and accesses the first parking lot storage unit 21 based on the planned use area of ​​the reservation information received by the reservation information receiving unit 11 to extract one or more reservable hourly parking lots.

[0028] When the planned area is specific (for example, "Nihonbashi 1-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo"), the hourly parking lots to be extracted can be extracted from the area including the area and within a specified distance from the area (for example, within 1 km). When the planned area is wider, such as "Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture," the hourly parking lots to be extracted within the area (Kamakura City) can be extracted. However, this is only one example, and in the former case, for example, it is possible to set the area to be extracted only within the area of ​​"Nihonbashi 1-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo," and in the latter case, for example, it is possible to set the area to be extracted including areas several kilometers away from the city border of Kamakura City. In addition, the area range to be extracted can be set to be different depending on the number of parking lots in the specified "planned area of ​​use." For example, if the number of parking lots to be extracted exceeds 20, the area range can be narrowed to 20 or less, and if it is 5 or less, the area range can be widened to 10 or more.

[0029] When the reservation processing unit 122 extracts a reservable hourly parking lot in the first parking lot extraction unit 121 (when the result of the judgment step of S201 in FIG. 2 is "Yes"), the reservation processing unit 122 transmits the extraction information to the user terminal 100 (S202). When the reservation confirmation decision information is received from the user terminal 100 (S203), the decision step of the reservation confirmation in S204 becomes "Yes", and the reservation is confirmed. The extraction information transmitted in S202 includes attribute information such as the location and fee of the reservable hourly parking lot, and preferably includes the location information of the extracted reservable hourly parking lot on a map (see FIG. 11(a)). The user decides the reservable hourly parking lot to be reserved from the transmitted extraction information. When there is only one piece of extraction information, the user has no choice but to select the reservable hourly parking lot, but when there are two or more pieces of extraction information, the user decides the reservable hourly parking lot to be reserved by referring to the location information, fee information, etc. When the user decides the reservable hourly parking lot to be used, the decision information is transmitted to the hourly parking lot information processing device 1 (S203). When the reservation processing unit 122 receives the decision information to the effect that the reservation is secured, it confirms the reservation ("Yes" in S204). For example, for "reservable hourly parking lot X", which is a reservable hourly parking lot in "Nihonbashi 1-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo", it stores the fact that a reservation has been made for "September 1, 2023, 13:00-14:00" and makes it impossible to accept reservations from other users during the same time period. A message that the reservation has been confirmed is sent to the user terminal 100 of the user who made the reservation (S205). This establishes a reservation for the reservable hourly parking lot.

[0030] The reservation processing unit 122 also has various reservation processing functions such as cancellation processing and reservation change processing, but these functions can be similar to functions used in conventional well-known reservation systems.

[0031] As shown in Figure 1, the vacancy information providing unit 13 has a function of providing vacancy information for general hourly parking lots that are not accepting reservations for parking spaces, and has a second parking lot extraction unit 131, a vacant parking space estimation information generation unit 132, and an output unit 133.

[0032] The second parking lot extraction unit 131 operates when no reservable time-share parking lot is extracted by the first parking lot extraction unit 121 ("No" in S201 of FIG. 2) or when the reservation process is not performed by the reservation processing unit 122 ("No" in S204). The latter refers to a case where a reservable time-share parking lot is extracted by the first parking lot extraction unit 121 and output to the user terminal 100, but the user does not ultimately confirm the reservation for the extracted reservable time-share parking lot.

[0033] In this way, the second parking lot extraction unit 131 operates when a reservation for a reservable hourly parking lot is not secured. At this time, in this embodiment, the reservation information used when making the reservation in the parking lot reservation unit 12 has already been received by the reservation information receiving unit 11. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the second parking lot extraction unit 13 does not accept new reservation information from the user terminal 100, but executes a predetermined process using the reservation information used at the time of reservation. In this embodiment, since there is no need to request new reservation information in this way when operating the vacancy information providing unit 13, the user can obtain estimated information on vacant parking spaces for general hourly parking lots when a reservation is not established during the series of reservation actions.

[0034] 3, the second parking lot extraction unit 131 accesses the parking lot database 20 and extracts, from the second parking lot information storage unit 22, one or more general hourly parking lots that are not accepting reservations for parking space reservation, based on the planned use area of ​​the reservation information received by the reservation information receiving unit 11. The area range of the general hourly parking lots to be extracted is the same as that of the first parking lot extraction unit 121.

[0035] The vacant parking space estimation information generating unit 132 generates estimated information on vacant parking spaces at the scheduled date and time of use included in the reservation information received by the reservation information receiving unit 11 for each general hourly parking lot extracted by the second parking lot extraction unit 131. As the estimated information on vacant parking spaces, at least one of the "estimated number of vacant parking spaces" and "probability of being full" for each general hourly parking lot can be used. Before generating the estimated information in the vacant parking space estimation information generating unit 132, a step of displaying selection information on the user terminal 100 regarding which information or both information is desired can be provided. Depending on whether or not the user is a member of the operating company of the hourly parking lot, only one of the pieces of information can be generated if the user is not a member, and both pieces of information can be generated if the user is a member.

[0036] The generated vacant parking space estimation information is, for example, information such as "estimated number of vacant parking spaces: 1-2" and "probability of being full: 70-80%" for "general hourly parking lot A" that is a 2-minute walk from the nearest station extracted based on the "expected use area" when the "expected use date and time" is "September 1, 2023, 13:00-14:00" that was requested to be reserved, and information such as "estimated number of vacant parking spaces: 4-6" and "probability of being full: 10% or less" for "general hourly parking lot B" that is a 10-minute walk from the nearest station (see Figure 5). Note that "full parking space" does not only mean that all parking spaces in the extracted general hourly parking lot are full, but also includes a setting such that the parking space is full when about 90% of the parking spaces are full, but also includes a setting such that the parking space is full when the parking space utilization rate reaches 90%, in cases where it is expected that the current vacant parking spaces will be filled soon due to cars moving in the parking lot or cars waiting in line.

[0037] The "scheduled date and time of use" can be specified not only by date and time but also by day, week, etc. However, when specified by day, week, etc., the estimated information (estimated number of vacant spaces, etc.) is inevitably rougher than when specified by date and time. However, such estimated information can be used as a guide to indicate a trend.

[0038] The information on which the vacant parking space estimation information generating unit 132 generates the vacant parking space estimation information is not limited, but is preferably generated using at least one of the following: (a) past parking space usage status at the same date and time as the scheduled date and time of use, (b) past parking space usage status at the same time on the same day of the week as the scheduled date and time of use, (c) parking space usage status during a fixed period in the immediate vicinity, (d) parking space usage status under past weather conditions similar to the expected weather conditions of the scheduled date and time of use, and (e) event information at the scheduled date and time of use (see FIG. 4). The same date and day of the week in the past may show a similar tendency, and the most recent usage status and usage status under similar weather conditions in the past may also show a similar tendency. The presence or absence of an event has a large impact on the usage status of the parking lot, as described below.

[0039] Therefore, the information on hourly parking lots stored in the first parking lot storage unit 21 and the second parking lot storage unit 22 of the parking lot database 20 includes location information and the like, as well as the past usage status of each parking space for each hourly parking lot. The vacant parking space estimation information generation unit 132 accesses the parking lot database 20, and if the planned usage date and time is, for example, "Friday, September 1, 2023, 13:00-14:00", when (a) is used as the basis information, reference is made to the usage status of "September 1, 2022 (2021, 2020...) 13:00-14:00". For example, for general hourly parking lot A, information on the number of vacant parking spaces for the past five years and the number of times the parking lot has been full for the same date and time is read, and the estimated number of vacant parking spaces is calculated from the average number of vacant parking spaces for the past five years, for example. If the number of times the parking lot has been full in the past five years is three, the probability of the parking lot being full is calculated as 60%. When (b) is used as the basis information, the number of vacant parking spaces on "Fridays" for the most recent few weeks or months and the number of times the parking space has been full are read and similarly calculated as estimated information.When (c) is used as the basis information, the number of vacant parking spaces for the most recent week or several weeks, regardless of the day of the week, and the number of times the parking space has been full are read and similarly calculated as estimated information.

[0040] When the "vehicle space usage status under past weather conditions similar to the forecast weather conditions for the planned date and time of use" in (d) is used as the basis information, the forecast weather conditions for the planned date and time of use are obtained from a local weather observation system, etc., and information on the date and time when past weather conditions similar to the forecast weather conditions occurred is obtained from the local weather observation system, etc. Once the date and time when similar past weather conditions occurred are identified, the usage status of each hourly parking lot on that date and time is obtained by accessing parking lot database 20 to read information on the number of vacant parking spaces and the number of times the parking lot was full, and estimated information is obtained in the same manner as in (a) to (c).

[0041] For information regarding climatic conditions, a climatic condition information acquisition unit 1321 is provided as a function of the vacant space estimation information generation unit 132 (see FIG. 4). When (d) is used as the basis information, the climatic condition information acquisition unit 1321 accesses a database of meteorological observation data provided by the Japan Meteorological Agency, a private weather company, etc., acquires the above information, and generates estimation information.

[0042] The reason why the "event information at the scheduled date and time of use" in (e) is used as the basis information is that, for example, when an event such as a festival, a sports match, or a concert is held in the area to be used at the scheduled date and time, the utilization rate of the hourly parking lot will be high in the area to be used and at the scheduled date and time. Therefore, when such event information is held, the estimated information is obtained taking that into consideration. If there is data on the past utilization status when a similar event was held, the information is stored in the parking lot database 20 as the past utilization status, so the number of vacant parking spaces at that time and the number of times the parking lot was full are read, and the estimated information is obtained in the same manner as above. If no data on the past utilization status of the event is stored, the utilization status when an event of a similar scale was held is read, and the estimated information is created based on that. Alternatively, the estimated number of vacant parking spaces considering the scale of the event (number of spectators, duration) and the probability of the parking lot being full may be set to appropriate values ​​based on the position (distance) between each hourly parking lot and the event venue.

[0043] Incidentally, event information can be stored in the parking lot database 20 at the beginning of a fiscal year in association with each hourly parking lot. Event information that is subsequently determined and announced can also be handled by updating the data on the associated hourly parking lots. Such event information may also be known by city / ward / town / village offices and other public institutions, ticket agencies, department stores, supermarkets, convenience stores, etc., and it is also possible to obtain the information from these related institutions on a regular or irregular basis.

[0044] As described above, the vacant vehicle space estimation information generating unit 132 can generate the estimated information by using the basis information (a) to (e) individually, but it is also possible to generate the estimated information by appropriately combining two or more of these pieces of basis information. The method of combination is not limited, and for example, the estimated number of vacant vehicle spaces or the probability of being full obtained based on each piece of basis information can be averaged and output to the user terminal 100 as the estimated information. In addition, it is also possible to accumulate these pieces of information, statistically analyze them, and use the estimated information obtained by taking into consideration the priority of each piece of information, or to create a trained model in which each piece of basis information is an explanatory variable and the "estimated number of vacant vehicle spaces" or the "probability of being full" is an objective variable, and the estimated information is obtained using this model.

[0045] The vacant parking space estimation information generating unit 132 is for generating estimated information on vacant parking spaces in general hourly parking lots. The past usage status can be stored only in the information on general hourly parking lots stored in the second parking lot storage unit 22, but the past usage status can also be stored in the reservable hourly parking lots in the first parking lot storage unit 21. When generating estimated information on a general hourly parking lot to be targeted, the vacant parking space estimation information generating unit 132 can use the reservation rate of nearby reservable hourly parking lots for the same time period on the same date and time as reference information. For example, if the reservation rate for the same time period is high, the estimated number of vacant parking spaces required as estimated information can be corrected by underestimating it.

[0046] The output unit 133 outputs the general hourly parking lot information extracted by the second parking lot extraction unit 131 together with the estimated information on the vacant parking lot generated by the vacant parking lot estimation information generation unit 132 (see FIG. 3). For example, as described above, the contents such as "general hourly parking lot A, estimated number of vacant parking spaces: 1-2, probability of being full: 70-80%" and "general hourly parking lot B, estimated number of vacant parking spaces: 4-6, probability of being full: 10% or less" are output. When the user terminal 100 is accessing a website operated by the hourly parking lot information processing device 1 of this embodiment, these pieces of information are displayed as output results on the website, and the user can understand them. The output unit 133 can also be configured to transmit the output results to the user terminal 100 separately via e-mail or the like.

[0047] According to this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, a user accesses a website operated by the hourly parking lot information processing device 1 of this embodiment by using a user terminal 100, and transmits reservation information including the planned area and planned date and time of use of the hourly parking lot that the user wishes to reserve. When the reservation information receiving unit 11 of the hourly parking lot information processing device 1 receives the information, the first parking lot extraction unit 121 of the parking lot reservation unit 12 accesses the first parking lot storage unit 21, and extracts reservable hourly parking lots that correspond to the planned area of ​​use and that have not been reserved for the planned date and time of use (S201). This information on reservable hourly parking lots is transmitted to the user terminal 100 (S202).

[0048] When a selection is made from the user terminal 100 to reserve a specific reservable hourly parking lot, the reservation processing unit 122 executes reservation processing (S204) based on that information (S203). When the reservation is completed by executing the reservation processing, information to that effect is sent to the user terminal 100 (S205), and the reservation procedure is completed. If the user heads to the reserved reservable hourly parking lot on the reserved date and time of use, he or she can park his or her car in a specified parking space in the reservable hourly parking lot.

[0049] On the other hand, if the first parking lot extraction unit 121 does not extract any reservable hourly parking lots, or if one is extracted but the reservation processing is not performed by the reservation processing unit 122, the vacant information providing unit 13 operates as shown in Figure 3, and first, the second parking lot extraction unit 131 extracts general hourly parking lots within or near the intended use area based on the information of the intended use area obtained at the time of the reservation.

[0050] The vacant parking space estimation information generating unit 132 generates, for each of the extracted general hourly parking lots, at least one of the estimated number of vacant parking spaces at the scheduled date and time of use and the probability of the parking space being full, as estimated information. Next, the output unit 133 outputs the extracted general hourly parking lot information and the vacant parking space estimation information for the general hourly parking lots to the user terminal 100.

[0051] FIG. 5 shows an example of the estimated information displayed on the screen of the user terminal 100. When the information is displayed on the user terminal 100, the user can obtain information with a certain degree of certainty as to whether or not a general hourly parking lot can be used, even if a reservable hourly parking lot cannot be secured in the area and the scheduled date and time of the user's planned use. For example, when receiving estimated information such as "General hourly parking lot A, estimated number of vacant parking spaces: 1-2, probability of being full: 70-80%" and "General hourly parking lot B, estimated number of vacant parking spaces: 4-6, probability of being full: 10% or less", the user can understand that there is a high possibility that at least general hourly parking lot B can be used in the area and the scheduled date and time of use. As a result, the user can use his / her car as planned when going to the area that he / she plans to use on that day, even if a reservable hourly parking lot cannot be secured. After arriving at the planned use area, even if general hourly parking lot B is somewhat farther from the destination than general hourly parking lot A, the user can quickly head to general hourly parking lot B after arriving near the planned use area and park there, since there is a high possibility that general hourly parking lot B can be used. Also, if general hourly parking lot A is closer to the user's destination, the above estimated information indicates that there is a possibility that general hourly parking lot A can be used, so the user can first head to general hourly parking lot A after arriving near the planned use area, and if it is full, head to general hourly parking lot B.

[0052] In addition, if information such as "estimated number of vacant parking spaces: 0 to 1, probability of being full: 90% or more" is received for general hourly parking lot C, the user can quickly head to general hourly parking lot B or general hourly parking lot A without heading to general hourly parking lot C in the first place, which can contribute to minimizing the time required to select a parking lot and secure a parking space.

[0053] In addition, if there is some kind of event in the planned area and on the planned date and time of use, and the estimated number of vacant parking spaces in the general hourly parking lot in the planned area is, for example, 0 to 1, and the probability of being full is 90% or more, it is highly likely that you will not be able to park even if you drive to the planned area on that day. Even if there is a sufficient number of vacant parking spaces according to the estimated situation, the user may decide that they would rather not use the parking lot if possible, for example, because the parking lot is difficult to park in or it is too far to walk to the building they plan to visit, based on their experience, etc.

[0054] In such a case, as shown in FIG. 6, after receiving the first output result as described above (S601), a search is performed again ("Yes" in S602), and new planned use information is transmitted from the user terminal 100 to the hourly parking lot information processing device 1 of this embodiment, specifying a surrounding area different from the original planned use area including the destination as the planned use area. The hourly parking lot information processing device 1 receives the new planned use information (S603), and the second parking lot extraction unit 131 and the vacant parking lot estimation information generation unit 132 extract new general hourly parking lots in the same manner as described above, and generate new estimated information (S604). After that, the information is output from the output unit 133 (S605), and is received as a new output result by the user terminal 100 (S606). This makes it possible to grasp the possibility of securing a general hourly parking lot in the surrounding area. As a result, the user can also consider the selection of a means, such as driving to a surrounding area, parking there, and then using other means of transportation such as a train to reach the destination. If it is difficult to secure a general hourly parking space even in the surrounding area, the user can either change the area to be used and perform the search again ("Yes" in S602), or end the parking space search operation without performing the search again ("No" in S602).

[0055] However, for example, if a large-scale event results in an extremely low probability of securing a general hourly parking lot not only in the planned area including the original destination but also in the surrounding areas, for example, if the "probability of all general hourly parking lots in the surrounding area including the planned area being full" is estimated to be 90% or more, this can be used as a reference for choosing to switch the means of transportation when traveling to the planned area on the planned date and time to train, bus, etc. As a result, it can contribute to avoiding a situation where, when there is unavoidable work or event in the planned area, a person travels by car but is unable to secure a parking lot on the day, causing disruption to subsequent plans.

[0056] When re-searching and changing the area to be used, it is possible to search by area name, but it is also possible to specify the surrounding areas of the original target area by dragging and moving button 110 indicating the center point displayed on the map as shown in Figure 7(a) or by operating arrow button 111.Various area specification methods used in known map information can be used.

[0057] For example, as shown in FIG. 8(a), the down arrow button 111a is pressed. As a result, the map displayed on the display screen of the user terminal 100 moves downward from the range displayed in FIG. 8(a), and for example, a map as shown in FIG. 8(b) is displayed. Then, on the user terminal 100, the general hourly parking lot D, which was not displayed in FIG. 8(a), is included in the map of FIG. 8(b). As a result, the user can understand that the general hourly parking lot D exists in an area shifted downward (for example, southward) from the range displayed in FIG. 8(a), and that the estimated information thereof is, for example, "estimated number of vacant parking spaces: 10-15, probability of being full: 5% or less." For example, if the user plans to participate in an event held in a building located near the general hourly parking lot C but slightly south of it, referring to the estimated information of the general hourly parking lot C in FIG. 8(a) indicates that it is highly likely that the parking lot C is unavailable, but by changing the planned area to be used as shown in FIG. 8(b), the user can find the general hourly parking lot D, which is highly likely to have vacant parking spaces.

[0058] According to this embodiment, when the display range of FIG. 8(a) is moved to the display range of FIG. 8(b), not only the location of the general time parking lot but also the estimated information is displayed for the general time parking lot included in the range. Specifically, a new general time parking lot is extracted from the range, and new estimated information is generated and transmitted to the user terminal 100 (S602 to S606 in FIG. 6). In actual operation, when the screen is switched from FIG. 8(a) to FIG. 8(b), the information and estimated information of the new general time parking lot are displayed immediately. As a result, in a general time parking lot where a parking space cannot be reserved by reservation, the availability of a parking space at a specified scheduled date and time can be easily and quickly known.

[0059] In addition, the scheduled time at the user's visit location may change, and the scheduled date and time of use of the general hourly parking lot may be changed when searching again. In that case, a new general hourly parking lot and new estimated information can be obtained by sending the changed scheduled date and time of use to the hourly parking lot information processing device 1. The operation for changing the scheduled date and time of use is not limited to inputting the date and time, but may also be performed by using the date and time specified at the time of the initial search and specifying 30 minutes or 1 hour before, or conversely, 30 minutes or 1 hour after, by operating the arrow button 112, as shown in FIG. 7(b).

[0060] For example, referring to the estimated information of "September 1, 2023, 13:00-14:00" in FIG. 9(a), it is possible that the general hourly parking lot B can be secured among the three general hourly parking lots A to C, but when the "1 hour later" button is selected, it is possible to know that the general hourly parking lot C is likely to be available, as shown in FIG. 9(b). In this case, by re-searching, new information on the general hourly parking lot (however, if only the time is changed, the same parking lot as the previous time) and new estimated information are generated and transmitted to the user terminal 100 (S602-S606 in FIG. 6). In actual operation, when the screen is switched from FIG. 9(a) to FIG. 9(b), the information on the new general hourly parking lot (however, if only the time is changed, the same parking lot as the previous time) and the estimated information are immediately displayed. If the user plans to visit a place close to the general hourly parking lot C, it can be determined that there is a high possibility that the general hourly parking lot C closer to the destination can be used by shifting the visit time. As described above, according to this embodiment, even if the time is changed, the estimated information corresponding to the changed time is displayed, which is highly convenient for the user.

[0061] Fig. 10 relates to an hourly parking lot information processing device according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the vacancy information providing unit 13 for when a reservable hourly parking lot cannot be secured includes a scheduled use date and time determining unit 134 that determines whether the current time is within a predetermined time period for the scheduled use date and time, and when the scheduled use date and time determining unit 134 determines that the scheduled use date and time is within the predetermined time period for the current time (when the determination step of reference numeral S1001 in Fig. 10 is "Yes"), a current vacant parking lot information providing unit 135 operates.

[0062] For example, if the planned use date and time determination unit 134 determines that the planned use date and time is 15 minutes or less from the current time, the current vacant parking space information providing unit 135 transmits current vacant parking space information for the general hourly parking lots extracted by the second parking lot extraction unit 131 to the user terminal 100. The user who receives this information immediately heads to the general hourly parking lot that currently has a vacant parking space. This current vacant parking space information providing unit 135 is functionally equivalent to the system disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1, but can be used in conjunction with the present invention when the planned use date and time is approaching.

[0063] The "current time" to be compared with the scheduled use date and time in the scheduled use date and time determination unit 134 can be the time when the reservation information received by the reservation information receiving unit 11 is received. This time is the timing when the user transmits reservation information to use the hourly parking lot information processing device 1 of this embodiment, and if it is already within a specified time at that timing, current vacant parking space information is provided. However, since a reservation by the parking lot reservation unit 12 can be processed in tens of seconds to a few minutes even if all steps are performed, reservation processing can be performed in parallel. It is also possible to use the time when the reservation processing is attempted but a reservable hourly parking lot cannot be secured as the "current time" to be compared.

[0064] If the scheduled usage date and time determination unit 134 determines that there is more than a predetermined amount of time from the current time to the scheduled usage date and time (if the determination step S1001 in Figure 10 is "No"), the vacant parking space estimation information generation unit 132 operates and generates estimation information as described above.

[0065] In addition, if a reservable hourly parking lot cannot be secured, it is preferable that the planned use date and time determination unit 134 is configured to operate constantly or at an appropriate timing even after the estimated information is generated. As a result, if the planned use date and time is approaching but information indicating that the extracted general hourly parking lot has started to be used is not transmitted to the hourly parking lot information processing device 1 (if information is not transmitted from the user terminal 100 or the management device of the hourly parking lot), the determination step of S1001 in Fig. 10 becomes "Yes", and the current vacant parking lot information providing unit 135 operates to provide the user terminal 100 with current vacant parking lot information.

[0066] The location information of the reservable hourly parking lots and the general hourly parking lots is stored in the parking lot database 20 (the first parking lot storage unit 21 and the second parking lot storage unit 22) as described above. When a reservation is made by the parking lot reservation unit 12, the reservable hourly parking lots are extracted by the first parking lot extraction unit 121, and when an estimate regarding vacant parking spaces is made by the vacancy information providing unit 13, the general hourly parking lots are extracted by the second parking lot extraction unit 131, and each is displayed on the website displayed on the screen of the user terminal 100. The parking lot location information display execution unit 14 creates display data for the location information of each parking lot so that it is displayed on a map on the display screen of the user terminal 100 such as a smartphone.

[0067] The parking lot position information display execution unit 14 can perform control so that, at the time of accessing the website of the hourly parking lot information processing device 1 of this embodiment, the position information of the reservable hourly parking lots and the general hourly parking lots is displayed on a map on the display screen of the user terminal 100. In addition, when the website is accessed from the user terminal 100 and the menu screen is displayed, and then a mode for displaying the positions of the parking lots on a map is selected, the position information of the reservable hourly parking lots and the general hourly parking lots can also be displayed on the map.

[0068] In any case, when it becomes necessary to display the location information of the reservable hourly parking lot and the general hourly parking lot, the parking lot location information display execution unit 14 may control to switch between the two, or to display them on the same screen. In addition, it is preferable to control to display both with icons using different figures, symbols, etc., so that they can be distinguished from each other, and it is particularly preferable to use different icons when displaying them on the same screen (see Figures 11(a), (b) and 12(a), (b)).

[0069] In this embodiment, the parking lot reservation unit 12 performs processing, and then the vacancy information providing unit 13 performs processing. The former is for reservable hourly parking lots only, and the latter is for general hourly parking lots only. Therefore, when the parking lot reservation unit 12 performs processing, as shown in FIG. 11(a), only the location information of the reservable hourly parking lots X and Y is displayed on the map, and when the vacancy information providing unit 13 performs processing, as shown in FIG. 11(b), only the location information of the general hourly parking lots A and B is displayed on the map. However, for example, as shown in FIG. 12(a), if the location information of the general hourly parking lots A and B as well as the reservable hourly parking lots X and Y are displayed on the map during reservation processing, the user can visually grasp how far the general hourly parking lots A and B are located from the reservable hourly parking lots X and Y in the planned use area. In this way, for example, when the reservation cost is high when using the reservable hourly parking lot X, Y, or when it is determined that the reservable hourly parking lot X, Y is farther away from the user's destination than the nearby general hourly parking lots A, B, even if the reservable hourly parking lot X, Y is extracted by the first parking lot extraction unit 121, the user can proceed to the processing of the vacancy information provision unit 13 without executing the reservation process, and the information can be used as one of the decision-making factors for smooth processing.

[0070] In addition, in both cases where both reservable hourly parking lots and general hourly parking lots are displayed on the same screen, or where the screen is switched to display only general hourly parking lots, once the planned use area and planned use date and time are read by receiving reservation information, the vacancy information providing unit 13 always or periodically estimates the vacancy information of general hourly parking lots, and it is also possible to display the estimated information for the planned use date and time on the screen, as shown in Fig. 12(b), not only when the reservation is not established. In this case, it is possible to consider whether to make a reservation while taking into account the possibility of the vacancy status of the general hourly parking lots.

[0071] In the above description, the parking lot database 20 including the first parking lot storage unit 21 and the second parking lot storage unit 22 stores information on hourly parking lots managed by the operating company of the hourly parking lot information processing device 1, but is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, a computer program for crawling and scraping can be set as the web data collection unit 17 in the hourly parking lot information processing device 1, and the computer program can be executed at an appropriate timing to collect parking lot information from various websites and web pages accessible via the Internet, etc. The collected parking lot information can be stored in the parking lot database 20, and the information can be used. In addition, the parking lot database 20 in this specification includes a data storage means such as a data warehouse on the cloud. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1. Hourly parking lot information processing device 11 Reservation information receiving section 12 Parking Reservation Department 121 First Parking Lot Extraction Unit 122 Reservation Processing Unit 13 Vacancy Information Department 131 Second Parking Lot Extraction Unit 132 Vacant vehicle space information generating unit 133 Output section 134 Scheduled use date and time determination unit 135 Vacant Car Space Current Information Department 14 Parking lot location information display execution unit 17 Web Data Collection Department 20 Parking Database 21 First Parking Lot Memory Unit 22 Second Parking Lot Memory Unit 100 user terminals

Claims

1. a reservation information receiving unit that receives reservation information including a planned area and a planned date and time of use for a reservable hourly parking lot that is accepting reservations for securing a parking space from a user terminal; a parking lot reservation unit for making reservations for the reservable hourly parking lot; A parking lot information provider that provides information on available parking spaces at general hourly parking lots that do not accept reservations for parking spaces; having The parking lot reservation unit includes: A first parking lot extraction unit extracts one or more reservable hourly parking lots in the planned use area received by the reservation information receiving unit; a reservation processing unit that transmits extraction information to a user terminal when a reservable hourly parking lot is extracted by the first parking lot extraction unit, receives reservation confirmation information from the user terminal, and executes reservation processing; having The vacancy information providing unit is A second parking lot extraction unit that uses the reservation information received by the reservation information receiving unit to extract one or more general hourly parking lots in the planned use area included in the reservation information; a vacant parking space estimation information generating unit that generates estimation information regarding a vacant parking space at the scheduled use date and time for each of the general hourly parking spaces extracted by the second parking space extraction unit; an output unit that outputs the extracted general hourly parking lot information together with the estimated information regarding vacant parking spaces to a user terminal; A time-share parking lot information processing device having the above-mentioned.

2. The second parking lot extraction unit is This operates when the first parking lot extraction unit does not extract a reservable hourly parking lot, or when the reservation processing unit does not perform a reservation process.

2. The hourly parking lot information processing device according to claim 1.

3. The vacant vehicle space estimation information generating unit As the estimated information of the vacant parking space, for each of the general hourly parking lots extracted at the scheduled date and time of use, Estimated number of vacant parking spaces and the probability of being full Generate at least one of 2. The hourly parking lot information processing device according to claim 1.

4. The vacant vehicle space estimation information generating unit is configured to generate the vacant vehicle space estimation information, Past vehicle occupancy status on the same date and time as the scheduled date and time of use; Past parking space usage status for the same time period on the same day as the scheduled date and time of use; Parking space usage status for a certain period in the immediate vicinity, The vehicle cabin usage status under past weather conditions similar to the expected weather conditions on the scheduled date and time of use, and Event information for the scheduled date and time of use Generate using at least one of 4. The hourly parking lot information processing device according to claim 3.

5. a scheduled use date and time determination unit that determines whether or not a difference between the scheduled use date and time received by the reservation information receiving unit and a current time is within a predetermined time; and a current vacant parking space information providing unit that provides current vacant parking space information to the user terminal for each of the one or more extracted general hourly parking lots, the current vacant parking space information providing unit being operable when the scheduled use date and time determining unit determines that the scheduled use date and time is within the predetermined time period.

2. The hourly parking lot information processing device according to claim 1.

6. A parking lot location information display execution unit that switches between displaying the location information of the reservable hourly parking lot on the map and the location information of the general hourly parking lot on the map on the user terminal or displays them on the same screen.

6. The hourly parking lot information processing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

7. A computer program that causes a computer to function as an hourly parking lot information processing device, receiving reservation information from a user terminal, the reservation information including a planned area and planned date and time for using a reservable hourly parking lot that is accepting reservations to secure a parking space; A procedure for making a reservation for the reservable hourly parking lot; Procedures for providing vacant parking information for general hourly parking lots that do not accept reservations for parking spaces causing the computer to execute In the procedure for reserving a parking space, Extracting one or more reservable hourly parking lots in the intended use area; a step of transmitting extraction information to a user terminal when the reservable hourly parking lot is extracted, receiving reservation confirmation information from the user terminal, and executing reservation processing; causing the computer to execute In the step of providing vacancy information, A step of extracting one or more general hourly parking lots in the intended use area included in the reservation information using the reservation information; generating estimated information regarding vacant parking spaces at the scheduled date and time of use for each of the extracted general hourly parking lots; outputting the extracted general hourly parking lot information together with the estimated information regarding vacant parking spaces to a user terminal; A computer program that causes the computer to execute the above.

8. A procedure for extracting one or more general hourly parking lots, 8. The computer program according to claim 7, which is executed when the reservable hourly parking lot is not extracted or when the reservation process is not performed.

9. moreover, a step of determining whether a difference between the scheduled use date and time and a current time is within a predetermined time; a step of providing current vacant parking space information to the user terminal for each of the one or more extracted general hourly parking lots, which is operated when it is determined that the time is within the predetermined time; The computer program product according to claim 7, which causes the computer to execute the steps of:

10. moreover, A procedure for switching between displaying the location information of the reservable hourly parking lot on a map and the location information of the general hourly parking lot on a map on the user terminal or displaying them on the same screen. The computer program according to any one of claims 7 to 9, which causes the computer to execute the steps.

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