Vehicle allocation management device

Abstract

To provide a vehicle allocation management device that easily allocates a suitable vehicle for the environment around the vehicle when the vehicle is in use.SOLUTION: A vehicle allocation management device 3 includes: a priority setting unit 42 that sets a priority for each of a plurality of candidate vehicles (2-1 to 2-n) that can be allocated according to the external environment around the vehicle and the characteristics of the candidate vehicle related to the external environment such that the higher the suitability of the characteristics for the external environment, the higher the priority; and an allocated vehicle determination unit 43 that determines a vehicle to be allocated from the plurality of candidate vehicles according to the priority of each of the plurality of candidate vehicles.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle allocation management device that allocates vehicles. [Background technology]

[0002] A technology for improving vehicle dispatch efficiency has been proposed (see Patent Document 1). The vehicle dispatch management control device disclosed in Patent Document 1 searches for candidate vehicles that match the conditions of order information including location information of the dispatch location, notifies each candidate vehicle of the occurrence of a dispatch order, obtains response information from each candidate vehicle as to whether or not the dispatch order can be accepted, and notifies one of the candidate vehicles that can accept the order of a dispatch instruction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-22260 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned technology, when determining a vehicle to be dispatched, the environment in which the vehicle will be used is not taken into consideration, and therefore, in some cases, a vehicle that is not necessarily suitable for the environment in which the vehicle will be used may be dispatched.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle dispatch management device that makes it easier to dispatch a vehicle that is suited to the environment around the vehicle when it is in use. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] As one embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle dispatch management device is provided, which has a priority setting unit that sets a priority for each of a plurality of dispatchable candidate vehicles according to an external environment around the vehicle and characteristics of the candidate vehicle related to the external environment such that the priority increases as the degree of suitability of the characteristics for the external environment increases, and a dispatch vehicle determination unit that determines a vehicle to be dispatched from among the plurality of candidate vehicles according to the priority of each of the plurality of candidate vehicles.

[0007] In this vehicle dispatch management device, the external environment includes the outside temperature and the characteristic is body color, and the priority setting unit, for each of a plurality of candidate vehicles, when the outside temperature is above a predetermined high temperature threshold, preferably sets a higher priority for the candidate vehicle the lower the intensity of the body color of the candidate vehicle, and conversely, when the outside temperature is below a predetermined low temperature threshold, preferably sets a higher priority for the candidate vehicle the higher the intensity of the body color of the candidate vehicle.

[0008] In addition, in this vehicle dispatch management device, the external environment includes the weather, the characteristic is the presence or absence of a solar power generation panel, and it is preferable that the priority setting unit increases the priority of a candidate vehicle equipped with a solar power generation panel among multiple candidate vehicles the more favorable the weather is.

[0009] Alternatively, in this vehicle dispatch management device, the external environment includes the outside temperature, the characteristic is the time elapsed since the last time of use, and when the outside temperature is below a predetermined temperature, the priority setting unit preferably sets a higher priority for each of a plurality of candidate vehicles the shorter the elapsed time of the candidate vehicle.

[0010] Alternatively, in this vehicle dispatch management device, when the external environment includes road surface conditions and the characteristic is drive system, it is preferable that the priority setting unit sets the priority of a candidate vehicle with a four-wheel drive system among multiple candidate vehicles to be higher than the priority of candidate vehicles with other drive systems when it is estimated that the friction coefficient of the road surface is lower than a predetermined value. Effect of the Invention

[0011] The vehicle dispatch management device according to the present disclosure has an effect of making it easier to dispatch a vehicle that is suitable for the environment around the vehicle when it is in use. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle dispatch management system in which a vehicle dispatch management device according to an embodiment is implemented; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a server, which is an example of a vehicle dispatch management device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a processor of a server related to vehicle dispatch management processing. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of determining a vehicle to be dispatched based on priority. [Diagram 5] 13 is an operational flowchart of a vehicle allocation management process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a vehicle dispatch management device, a vehicle dispatch management method, a computer program for vehicle dispatch management, and a vehicle dispatch management system including the vehicle dispatch management device will be described. This vehicle dispatch management device determines a vehicle to be actually dispatched from among a plurality of candidate vehicles, taking into consideration the environment (hereinafter referred to as the external environment) surrounding the dispatched vehicle when it is used. That is, this vehicle dispatch management device sets a priority for each candidate vehicle such that the higher the suitability of the characteristics of the candidate vehicle related to the external environment, the higher the priority, and determines a vehicle to be actually dispatched from among the plurality of candidate vehicles based on the priority set for each candidate vehicle.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle dispatch management system in which a vehicle dispatch management device according to one embodiment is implemented. The vehicle dispatch management system 1 has a plurality of vehicles 2-1 to 2-n (n is an integer of 2 or more) that can be dispatched, and a server 3 that is an example of a vehicle dispatch management device. Each of the plurality of vehicles 2-1 to 2-n can communicate with the server 3 via a communication network 4 and a wireless base station 5 that is connected to the communication network 4 via a gateway (not shown). The server 3 is connected to the communication network 4, for example, via a gateway (not shown). The server 3 then determines a vehicle to be dispatched from among the plurality of vehicles 2-1 to 2-n in response to a vehicle dispatch request from a user, and transmits a pick-up instruction to the determined vehicle.

[0015] The vehicle dispatch management system 1 may further include one or more mobile terminals (not shown) capable of communicating with the server 3 via the wireless base station 5 and the communication network 4. Such a mobile terminal may be, for example, a mobile phone carried by the user. The mobile terminal transmits a vehicle dispatch request including the user's identification information and information indicating the user's planned boarding location to the server 3 via the wireless base station 5 and the communication network 4 in accordance with the user's operation. The server 3 may also be connected to a user information server (not shown) that manages user information via the communication network 4. In this case, the server 3 may receive a vehicle dispatch request from the user information server via the communication network 4. The server 3 may also be connected to a weather information server (not shown) that distributes weather information such as the weather and temperature in various locations via the communication network 4. The server 3 may also receive weather information from the weather information server via the communication network 4.

[0016] In addition, the dispatch request may further include information representing at least one of the user's planned boarding date and time, the user's planned disembarking location, the planned route to be traveled from the planned boarding location to the planned disembarking location, the number of people planned to board, the desired vehicle type, and the desired options.

[0017] Each of the vehicles 2-1 to 2-n is capable of providing mobility services such as a taxi service, and can be an automatically-driven vehicle. For this purpose, each of the vehicles 2-1 to 2-n has, for example, a wireless communication terminal (not shown), an electronic control unit (ECU, not shown), and a positioning device (not shown). The wireless communication terminal has a wireless communication function and is configured to be able to communicate with a wireless base station 5. The ECU controls the automatic driving of the vehicle and controls each part of the vehicle. The positioning device is configured to measure the position of the vehicle, and may have, for example, a receiver that receives a Global Positioning System (GPS) signal and a calculation circuit that calculates the position of the vehicle from the GPS signal. Furthermore, each of the vehicles 2-1 to 2-n may have a storage device (not shown) that stores map information, and a navigation system (not shown) that determines a driving route from the current position of the vehicle to a destination. Furthermore, each of the vehicles 2-1 to 2-n may have an external sensor (not shown) for obtaining information about the surroundings of the vehicle. The external sensor may be, for example, a camera provided to capture images of the surroundings of the vehicle, or a distance measuring sensor such as a radar or LiDAR sensor for detecting the distance to an object present around the vehicle. The wireless communication terminal, the positioning device, the storage device, the navigation system, and the external sensor are communicatively connected to an ECU via an in-vehicle network (not shown) provided in the vehicle and conforming to a standard such as Controller Area Network (CAN).

[0018] In each of the vehicles 2-1 to 2-n, when the vehicle receives a pick-up instruction from the server 3 via a wireless communication terminal, the ECU returns a signal indicating that the vehicle has received the pick-up instruction to the server 3 via the wireless communication terminal. In addition, when the vehicle that received the pick-up instruction cannot fulfill the pick-up request, such as when the remaining fuel or remaining battery capacity is less than a predetermined lower limit threshold, the ECU may return a signal indicating that the vehicle cannot be picked up to the server 3 via the wireless communication terminal. Furthermore, when there is no reason for not being able to fulfill the pick-up instruction, the ECU notifies the navigation system of the planned boarding position specified in the pick-up instruction. Then, the navigation system refers to map information to determine a travel route from the current position of the vehicle measured by the positioning device to the planned boarding position. Similarly, when the user gets on the vehicle at the notified planned boarding position, for example, the navigation system refers to map information to determine a planned travel route from the planned boarding position to the user's planned disembarking position. Then, the navigation system notifies the ECU of the determined planned travel route. The ECU automatically controls the vehicle so that the vehicle moves to the planned boarding location or the planned disembarking location along the planned travel route. At this time, the ECU may control the speed of the vehicle, etc., using information about the vehicle's surroundings obtained by an external sensor, so that the distance between the vehicle and other objects around the vehicle is kept at a certain level or more. If the pickup instruction received from the server 3 includes a planned driving route, the ECU may automatically control the vehicle so that the vehicle moves to the planned boarding position or the planned disembarking position along the planned driving route included in the pickup instruction. Furthermore, the ECU transmits the current position of the vehicle measured by the positioning device to the server 3 via the wireless communication terminal together with the identification information of the vehicle at a predetermined period (e.g., 30 seconds, 1 minute, or 5 minutes). Furthermore, when the ECU detects that the user has boarded the vehicle at the planned boarding position notified by the server 3, it transmits a signal indicating that the user has boarded the vehicle, the position of the vehicle when the user boarded the vehicle measured by the positioning device, and the time at that time obtained from the on-board clock (not shown) together with the identification information of the vehicle to the server 3 via the wireless communication terminal.Similarly, when the ECU detects that the user has got off the vehicle, the ECU transmits a signal indicating that the user has got off, the vehicle position when the user got off measured by the positioning device, and the time obtained from the vehicle clock, together with the vehicle identification information, to the server 3 via the wireless communication terminal. Note that the ECU determines that the user has got on the vehicle when, for example, a door opening / closing sensor (not shown) detects that the door of the vehicle has been opened at the planned boarding position. Similarly, the ECU determines that the user has got off the vehicle when, for example, a door opening / closing sensor detects that the door of the vehicle has been opened at the planned boarding position of the user. The ECU may detect that the user has gotten on or off the vehicle based on a sensor signal obtained by another sensor provided in the vehicle cabin, for example, a camera for monitoring the interior of the vehicle cabin or a seating sensor.

[0019] Each of the plurality of vehicles 2-1 to 2-n may be a vehicle that is manually driven by a driver.

[0020] The server 3 selects one or more candidate vehicles from among the multiple vehicles 2-1 to 2-n in response to the received vehicle allocation request, and sets a priority for each of the selected candidate vehicles. The server 3 then determines which vehicle to allocate from among the candidate vehicles based on the priority of each candidate vehicle, and transmits a pick-up instruction to the determined vehicle via the communication network 4 and the wireless base station 5.

[0021] 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a server 3, which is an example of a vehicle dispatch management device. The server 3 has a communication interface 31, a storage device 32, a memory 33, and a processor 34. The communication interface 31, the storage device 32, and the memory 33 are connected to the processor 34 via signal lines.

[0022] The communication interface 31 is an example of a communication unit, and has an interface circuit for connecting the server 3 to the communication network 4. The communication interface 31 is configured to be able to communicate with the wireless communication terminals of the vehicles 2-1 to 2-n and the mobile terminals carried by the users via the communication network 4 and the wireless base station 5. The communication interface 31 is also configured to be able to communicate with the user information server and the weather information server via the communication network 4. The communication interface 31 passes a signal indicating the current location of the vehicle, etc., received from the wireless communication terminal of any of the vehicles via the wireless base station 5 and the communication network 4, to the processor 34. The communication interface 31 also passes a dispatch request received from the mobile terminal or the user management server via the communication network 4 (and the wireless base station 5) to the processor 34. Furthermore, the communication interface 31 passes weather information received from the weather information server via the communication network 4 to the processor 34. Furthermore, the communication interface 31 transmits a pick-up instruction to the specified vehicle received from the processor 34 to the vehicle via the communication network 4 and the wireless base station 5.

[0023] The storage device 32 is an example of a storage unit, and includes, for example, a solid state drive (SSD). The storage device 32 may also include a hard disk device or an optical recording medium and an access device therefor. The storage device 32 stores vehicle information for each of the vehicles 2-1 to 2-n. The vehicle information includes vehicle identification information, the vehicle model, characteristic information representing the characteristics of the vehicle, the current location of the vehicle, the presence or absence of various optional equipment, and a status flag representing the service provision status (for example, waiting, picking up, user riding). The storage device 32 also stores map information. The storage device 32 further stores a priority table representing the relationship between the characteristics of the vehicle, the external environment, and the priority. The storage device 32 may also store a computer program for executing a vehicle dispatch management process.

[0024] The characteristic information may include, for example, at least one of the following: body color, presence or absence of solar panels and sunshades, drive system, type of power source, center of gravity height, passenger capacity, and the time elapsed since the vehicle was last in standby mode (i.e., the time elapsed since the vehicle was last used).

[0025] The memory 33 is another example of a storage unit, and includes, for example, a non-volatile semiconductor memory and a volatile semiconductor memory. The memory 33 stores various data generated during the execution of the vehicle dispatch management process and various data received from other devices.

[0026] The processor 34 is an example of a control unit and has one or more central processing units (CPUs) and their peripheral circuits. The processor 34 may further have other arithmetic circuits such as a logical operation unit or a numerical operation unit. The processor 34 stores the received weather information in the memory 33 or the storage device 32 every time it receives weather information from the weather information server. When the processor 34 receives information indicating the current position of one of the vehicles 2-1 to 2-n from the vehicle, the processor 34 stores the current position of the vehicle together with the vehicle's identification information in the storage device 32. When the processor 34 transmits a pick-up request to one of the vehicles and receives a signal from the vehicle indicating that the pick-up request has been received, the processor 34 updates the value of the vehicle's status flag to a value indicating that the vehicle is being picked up. When the processor 34 receives a signal from one of the vehicles 2-1 to 2-n indicating that the user has boarded the vehicle, the processor 34 updates the value of the vehicle's status flag to a value indicating that the user is boarding the vehicle. Similarly, when the processor 34 receives a signal indicating that the user has disembarked from any of the vehicles 2-1 to 2-n, the processor 34 updates the value of the status flag of the vehicle to a value indicating that the vehicle is waiting. Furthermore, when the processor 34 receives a vehicle allocation request, the processor 34 executes a vehicle allocation management process.

[0027] 3 is a functional block diagram of the processor 34 related to the vehicle dispatch management process. The processor 34 has a selection unit 41, a priority setting unit 42, a dispatch vehicle determination unit 43, and a pick-up instruction unit 44. Each of these units in the processor 34 is, for example, a functional module realized by a computer program that runs on the processor 34. Alternatively, each of these units may be a dedicated arithmetic circuit provided in the processor 34.

[0028] When the server 3 receives a dispatch request, the selection unit 41 selects one or more vehicles that can satisfy the dispatch request from among the vehicles 2-1 to 2-n as candidate vehicles. To this end, the selection unit 41 refers to the status flag of each vehicle to identify a vehicle whose status flag value indicates that the vehicle is waiting. Furthermore, the selection unit 41 selects one or more vehicles that can move to the planned boarding position specified in the dispatch request within a predetermined time (for example, within 10 minutes or within 15 minutes) from the identified vehicles as candidate vehicles. To this end, the selection unit 41 refers to map information for each identified vehicle, searches for a route from the current position of the vehicle to the planned boarding position by a predetermined route search method such as Dijkstra's algorithm, and predicts the required time required to move to the planned boarding position based on the searched route. Then, the selection unit 41 selects, from each identified vehicle, a vehicle whose predicted required time is equal to or less than the predetermined time as a candidate vehicle. When the dispatch request includes the planned boarding date and time, the selection unit 41 may select, as a candidate vehicle, a vehicle having a predicted required time shorter than the period from the current time to the planned boarding date and time among the identified individual vehicles. When the dispatch request includes the number of people planned to board, the selection unit 41 excludes, from the candidate vehicles, a vehicle having a passenger capacity smaller than the number of people planned to board.

[0029] The selection unit 41 notifies the priority setting unit 42 of the identification information of each candidate vehicle.

[0030] The priority setting unit 42 sets a dispatch priority for each candidate vehicle. In this embodiment, an item priority is set for each candidate vehicle for at least one item, and the weighted sum of the item priorities set for each item becomes the priority of the candidate vehicle. In this embodiment, an item priority is set for each of the suitability degrees of the characteristics of the candidate vehicle for a plurality of external environments described later (hereinafter, for convenience, these may be referred to as external environment suitabilities). Note that item priorities do not necessarily need to be set for all of the external environment suitabilities described later, and it is sufficient to set an item priority for at least one of these external environment suitabilities, for example.

[0031] In addition, the items for which the item priority is set may include any of the desired vehicle model, the presence or absence of a desired option, and the time required to reach the planned boarding position, in addition to the external environment suitability. For example, when the desired vehicle model is included in the dispatch request, the priority setting unit 42 sets the item priority for the desired vehicle model for each candidate vehicle with reference to the vehicle information of each candidate vehicle. For example, the priority setting unit 42 sets the item priority for the desired vehicle model for each candidate vehicle such that the item priority for a candidate vehicle of the same vehicle model as the desired vehicle model is higher than the item priority for a candidate vehicle of a different vehicle model from the desired vehicle model. Similarly, when the dispatch request includes a desired option, the priority setting unit 42 sets the item priority for the desired option for each candidate vehicle with reference to the vehicle information of each candidate vehicle. For example, the priority setting unit 42 sets the item priority for the desired option for each candidate vehicle such that the item priority for a candidate vehicle having a desired option is higher than the item priority for a candidate vehicle not having the desired option. Furthermore, the priority setting unit 42 sets the item priority for the required time for each candidate vehicle such that the item priority for a candidate vehicle having a shorter required time to reach the planned boarding position is higher. In addition, when item priorities are not set for items other than external environment suitability, the item priorities set based on external environment suitability become the priorities themselves.

[0032] The details of the item priority setting regarding the suitability for the external environment will be described below. The priority setting unit 42 sets the item priority regarding the suitability for the external environment for each candidate vehicle by referring to the vehicle information, weather information, and the priority table of each candidate vehicle. In this embodiment, the priority table shows the relationship between the external environment, the characteristics of the vehicle, and the item priority. In addition, when there are multiple items for which suitability for the external environment should be evaluated, the item priority may be set for each of the multiple items. In the following, for convenience, the item priority regarding the suitability for the external environment may be simply called the item priority. In addition, in the example described below, the planned boarding position specified in the dispatch request and the external environment when the server 3 receives the dispatch request are referred to as the external environment at the place and date and time when the dispatched vehicle is used. However, this is not limited to this, and when the dispatch request includes the planned boarding date and time, the external environment at the planned boarding date and time may be referred to as the external environment at the date and time when the dispatched vehicle is used. In addition, when the dispatch request includes a planned drop-off location or a planned driving route, the external environment at the planned drop-off location or the external environment at any location on the planned driving route may be referenced as the external environment at the location where the dispatched vehicle will be used.

[0033] The priority setting unit 42 sets the item priority for each candidate vehicle based on, for example, the outside temperature of the planned boarding location and the body color of each candidate vehicle, which are included in the weather information. In this case, when the outside temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined high temperature threshold (for example, 25°C or 30°C), the priority setting unit 42 sets the item priority for the candidate vehicle lower as the density of the body color of the candidate vehicle increases. In other words, the item priority of a candidate vehicle having a light body color such as white, silver, light gray, or light blue is set higher than the item priority of a candidate vehicle having a dark body color such as black, dark blue, or dark gray. This is because when the outside temperature is high, the temperature inside the vehicle cabin is likely to rise if the density of the body color is high, and as a result, the power consumption of the air conditioner also increases. Therefore, by setting the item priority as described above, the priority setting unit 42 can set the item priority of a candidate vehicle whose air conditioner consumes relatively little power when the outside temperature is high.

[0034] Furthermore, when the outside air temperature is equal to or lower than a predetermined low temperature threshold, the higher the darkness of the body color of the candidate vehicle, the higher the item priority setting unit 42 may set the item priority for that candidate vehicle. The low temperature threshold is set to a temperature (e.g., 10°C or 15°C) lower than the high temperature threshold. As a result, the item priority of a candidate vehicle having a dark body color, the interior temperature of which is relatively likely to rise when the outside air temperature is low, is set to be high. In order to set item priority for the suitability of body color to the outside air temperature in this manner, the priority table shows item priority values ​​for each body color when the outside air temperature is equal to or higher than the high temperature threshold, and item priority values ​​for each body color when the outside air temperature is equal to or lower than the low temperature threshold.

[0035] The priority setting unit 42 may set item priorities for each candidate vehicle based on the weather at the planned boarding location and the presence or absence of a solar power generation panel of each candidate vehicle, which are included in the weather information. In this case, the priority setting unit 42 sets a higher item priority for a candidate vehicle equipped with a solar power generation panel as the degree of good weather at the planned boarding location is higher, that is, as the probability of precipitation included in the weather information is lower. This increases the possibility that the dispatched vehicle can generate power while in use, and thus improves fuel efficiency and electricity consumption of the entire system. Note that, when the weather at the planned boarding location is rainy or snowy, such that power generation by a solar power generation panel is not expected, the priority setting unit 42 may set the item priority of a candidate vehicle equipped with a solar power generation panel lower than the item priority of a candidate vehicle without a solar power generation panel.

[0036] Furthermore, the priority setting unit 42 may set an item priority for each candidate vehicle based on the outside temperature of the planned boarding location and the time elapsed since the last use of each candidate vehicle (hereinafter, for convenience, may be simply referred to as the elapsed time) contained in the weather information. In this case, if the outside temperature is below a predetermined temperature (e.g., 10°C or 15°C), the priority setting unit 42 sets a higher item priority for the candidate vehicle the shorter the elapsed time of the candidate vehicle. This shortens the warm-up time of the dispatched vehicle, which is expected to improve the fuel efficiency and electricity efficiency of the entire vehicle dispatch management system.

[0037] Furthermore, when the outside temperature at the planned boarding location included in the weather information is equal to or higher than a predetermined high temperature threshold and the weather is sunny, the priority setting unit 42 sets the item priority of the candidate vehicle equipped with a sunshade higher than when the outside temperature is lower than the high temperature threshold or the weather is not sunny. Furthermore, when the outside temperature at the planned boarding location is equal to or higher than a predetermined high temperature threshold and the weather is sunny, the priority setting unit 42 preferably sets the item priority of the candidate vehicle equipped with a sunshade higher than the item priority of the candidate vehicle not equipped with a sunshade. This increases the possibility that a vehicle equipped with a sunshade will be dispatched when the outside temperature is high and the weather is sunny, which is expected to improve the comfort of the user.

[0038] Furthermore, the priority setting unit 42 may set item priorities for each candidate vehicle based on the road surface conditions assumed from the weather at the planned boarding location included in the weather information and the drive system of each candidate vehicle. In this case, when the priority setting unit 42 estimates that the friction coefficient of the road surface at the planned boarding location is lower than a predetermined value, the priority setting unit 42 may set the item priority of a candidate vehicle with a four-wheel drive system higher than the item priority of a candidate vehicle with another drive system, particularly a front-wheel drive system. Note that the priority setting unit 42 estimates that the friction coefficient of the road surface will be lower than a predetermined value when the weather is snowy, or when the weather at the planned boarding location is rainy or snowy within the most recent predetermined period and the outside air temperature is a temperature that may cause the road surface to freeze. This increases the possibility that a vehicle that is less slippery will be dispatched even when the road surface condition has a low friction coefficient, and is expected to improve safety.

[0039] Furthermore, when the predicted wind speed at the planned boarding location, which is included in the weather information, is equal to or higher than a predetermined speed, the priority setting unit 42 preferably sets the item priority of a candidate vehicle whose center of gravity is equal to or higher than a predetermined height lower than the item priority of a candidate vehicle whose center of gravity is lower than the predetermined height. This makes it easier for a vehicle with a low center of gravity to be dispatched when the wind is strong, which is expected to improve safety.

[0040] Furthermore, the priority setting unit 42 may set a lower item priority for a candidate vehicle that is a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) the lower the outside temperature of the planned boarding location included in the weather information. When the outside temperature is low, BEVs, which consume more energy for heating, are less likely to be dispatched, and this improves the efficiency of fuel and electricity consumption of the vehicle dispatch management system as a whole.

[0041] The priority setting unit 42 sets the weighted sum of the individual item priorities set for each candidate vehicle as the final priority of the candidate vehicle. The weight coefficients for each item priority may all be the same, or the weight coefficient for any item may be greater than the weight coefficients for the other items. For example, the weight coefficient for an item related to vehicle safety may be set greater than the weight coefficients for the other items. The priority setting unit 42 then notifies the dispatched vehicle determination unit 43 of the priority set for each candidate vehicle.

[0042] The vehicle to be allocated determination unit 43 determines a vehicle to be allocated from among the candidate vehicles based on the priority set for each candidate vehicle. In this embodiment, the vehicle to be allocated determination unit 43 determines the candidate vehicle with the highest priority among the candidate vehicles as the vehicle to be allocated. When the server 3 receives a signal from the vehicle to which the pick-up instruction was sent indicating that the vehicle cannot be picked up, the vehicle to be allocated determination unit 43 determines the candidate vehicle with the next highest priority as the vehicle to be allocated.

[0043] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of determining a vehicle to be dispatched based on priority. In the example shown in FIG. 4, it is assumed that there are three candidate vehicles 401, 402, and 403. In this example, it is assumed that item priority regarding external environment suitability is set based on the suitability of the body color of the candidate vehicles for the outside temperature, which is the external environment. Furthermore, in this example, it is assumed that the outside temperature is higher than the high temperature threshold, and the body colors of the candidate vehicles 401 to 403 are black, dark gray, and white, respectively. In FIG. 4, the vertical axis represents priority, and the priorities 411 to 413 of the candidate vehicles 401 to 403 are shown, respectively.

[0044] In this case, since the concentration of the body colors of the candidate vehicles 401 and 402 is high, the suitability of the body colors of the candidate vehicles 401 and 402 for the outside temperature is low. Therefore, the item priority 421 of the candidate vehicle 401 and the item priority 422 of the candidate vehicle 402 for the outside temperature are relatively small values. In contrast, the concentration of the body color of the candidate vehicle 403 is low, so the suitability of the body color of the candidate vehicle 403 for the outside temperature is high. Therefore, the item priority 423 of the candidate vehicle 403 for the outside temperature is also relatively large. As a result, of the priorities 411 to 413 of the candidate vehicles 401 to 403, the priority 413 of the candidate vehicle 403 is the highest. Therefore, the candidate vehicle 403 is determined as the vehicle to be dispatched.

[0045] The dispatched vehicle determination unit 43 notifies the pick-up instruction unit 44 of the identification information of the vehicle to be dispatched.

[0046] The pick-up instruction unit 44 creates a pick-up instruction including the planned boarding position included in the dispatch request for the vehicle specified by the identification information notified from the dispatch vehicle determination unit 43. Then, the pick-up instruction unit 44 transmits the created pick-up instruction to the vehicle to be dispatched via the communication interface 31, the communication network 4, and the wireless base station 5. Note that the pick-up instruction may include identification information of the user who transmitted the dispatch request, the planned drop-off position of the user, and information indicating the planned driving route.

[0047] 5 is an operational flowchart of the vehicle allocation management process. Each time the processor 34 receives a vehicle allocation request, the processor 34 executes the vehicle allocation management process in accordance with the operational flowchart shown below.

[0048] The selection unit 41 selects one or more vehicles that can satisfy the dispatch request as candidate vehicles from among the multiple vehicles 2-1 to 2-n (step S101). The priority setting unit 42 sets a priority for each candidate vehicle such that the higher the suitability of the characteristics of the candidate vehicle for the external environment, the higher the priority (step S102). The dispatch vehicle determination unit 43 determines a vehicle to be dispatched from among the candidate vehicles based on the priority set for each candidate vehicle (step S103). Then, the pick-up instruction unit 44 transmits a pick-up instruction to the vehicle to be dispatched via the communication network 4 or the like (step S104). Then, the processor 34 ends the dispatch management process.

[0049] As described above, the vehicle allocation management device sets a priority for each candidate vehicle as a criterion for determining a vehicle to be allocated, such that the higher the suitability of the characteristics of the candidate vehicle for the external environment, the higher the priority. Therefore, the vehicle allocation management device can determine a vehicle to be allocated from among the candidate vehicles so that a vehicle suitable for the external environment is more likely to be allocated.

[0050] According to a modified example, the item priority may be set based on an external environment other than the outside temperature and weather. For example, the item priority may be set based on the type of road included in the planned driving route and the suitability of the vehicle characteristics. In this case, when the length of the expressway section included in the planned driving route specified in the vehicle allocation request is a predetermined distance or more (e.g., 10 km, 20 km, or 1 / 2 of the total length of the planned driving route, etc.), the priority setting unit 42 may set the item priority of the candidate vehicle that is a BEV lower than the item priority of the candidate vehicle of a type of power source other than a BEV. As a result, when the allocated vehicle travels on the expressway for a certain length or more, an engine vehicle or a hybrid vehicle that is more fuel-efficient than a BEV during high-speed steady driving is more likely to be allocated, and thus the fuel efficiency and electric efficiency of the vehicle allocation management system as a whole are expected to improve.

[0051] Conversely, if the planned travel route passes through an urban area and the planned boarding date and time specified in the dispatch request is included in a time period corresponding to nighttime or early morning (for example, 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM), the priority setting unit 42 may set the item priority of a candidate vehicle that is a BEV higher than the item priority of a candidate vehicle with a power source type other than a BEV. This makes it easier to dispatch a candidate vehicle that is a BEV, which makes relatively little noise while traveling, thereby suppressing noise when the dispatched vehicle travels through urban areas.

[0052] Furthermore, the external environment may be the presence or absence of a charging station within a predetermined distance from the planned driving route. If no charging station is confirmed within a predetermined distance from the planned driving route, the priority setting unit 42 may set the item priority of a candidate vehicle that is a BEV lower than the item priority of a candidate vehicle having a power source type other than a BEV. This reduces the risk of the battery remaining charge being insufficient while the dispatched vehicle is traveling.

[0053] A computer program for causing a computer to execute the processes executed by the processor 34 of the server 3 described above may be distributed in a state recorded on a recording medium such as an optical recording medium or a magnetic recording medium.

[0054] As described above, those skilled in the art can make various modifications to the embodiments within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 1. Vehicle dispatch management system 2-1~2-n Vehicles 3 Server (vehicle dispatch management device) 4. Communication Network 5. Radio base station 31 Communication Interface 32 Storage Device 33 Memory 34 processors 41 Selection section 42 Priority setting section 43 Vehicle Allocation Decision Department 44 Oncoming vehicle indication section

Claims

1. a priority setting unit that sets a priority for each of a plurality of candidate vehicles that can be dispatched in accordance with an external environment around the vehicle and characteristics of the candidate vehicle related to the external environment such that the priority is higher as the suitability of the characteristics with respect to the external environment becomes higher; a vehicle allocation determination unit that determines a vehicle to be allocated from among the plurality of candidate vehicles in accordance with the priority of each of the plurality of candidate vehicles; A vehicle dispatch management device having the above configuration.

2. 2. The vehicle dispatch management device of claim 1, wherein the external environment includes an outside temperature, the characteristic is a body color, and the priority setting unit, for each of the plurality of candidate vehicles, when the outside temperature is above a predetermined high temperature threshold, sets a higher priority for the candidate vehicle the lower the intensity of the body color of the candidate vehicle, and conversely, when the outside temperature is below a predetermined low temperature threshold, sets a higher priority for the candidate vehicle the higher the intensity of the body color of the candidate vehicle.

3. 2. The vehicle dispatch management device of claim 1, wherein the external environment includes weather, the characteristic is the presence or absence of a solar power generation panel, and the priority setting unit sets a higher priority for a candidate vehicle equipped with a solar power generation panel among the multiple candidate vehicles the higher the degree of good weather.

4. 2. The vehicle dispatch management device of claim 1, wherein the external environment includes an outside temperature, the characteristic is the elapsed time since the last use, and the priority setting unit, when the outside temperature is below a predetermined temperature, sets a higher priority for each of the multiple candidate vehicles the shorter the elapsed time of the candidate vehicle.

5. 2. The vehicle dispatch management device of claim 1, wherein the external environment includes road surface conditions, the characteristic is a drive system, and the priority setting unit sets a priority of a candidate vehicle having a four-wheel drive system among the multiple candidate vehicles higher than a priority of candidate vehicles having other drive systems when it is estimated that a friction coefficient of the road surface is lower than a predetermined value.

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