Operation plan creating apparatus, operation plan creating system, and operation plan creating method

Abstract

To provide operation plan creating means which, in consideration of arrangement of various kinds of or a plurality of transportation means in a multi-kind transportation network, improves satisfaction of a passenger in transportation service, and can suppress operation costs of a transportation network provider.SOLUTION: The present invention is directed to an operation plan creating apparatus having a route selection unit for selecting a target route which satisfies a distance reference as to a reference route, a target operation plan creating unit for creating a target operation plan for the target route, a transportation route network creating unit for creating a transportation route network expression indicating, in the form of a graph, a recommended transportation route in the reference route and the target route, an out-of-service determination unit for generating transportation route out-of-service permission / denial information indicating whether or not the out-of-service in each of transportation routes in the transportation network is permitted or denied, a human flow prediction unit for generating predicted human flow information indicating a human flow predicted in the transportation network, and an operation plan creating unit for creating new operation plan information for the reference route and the target route.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an operation plan creation device, an operation plan creation system, and an operation plan creation method.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in the fields of logistics and passenger transportation, from the perspective of improving transportation efficiency, a transportation network (hereinafter, "multi-modal transportation network") that combines different or multiple transportation means such as trains, buses, and monorails has attracted attention. For example, by adopting a multi-modal transportation network, in passenger transportation, it is possible to reduce the travel time of passengers and ensure the flexibility and safety of travel.

[0003] Conventionally, proposals have been made to support passenger movement in a multi-modal transportation network. For example, in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0378772 (Patent Document 1), there is a method for preprocessing a set of feasible transfers executable at a given station of a multi-modal transportation network. For a trip in a multi-modal transportation network called the origin trip, (a) for each station (pti) of the origin trip (t), calculate the earliest arrival / transfer time associated with all transportation modes (m) of the multi-modal transportation network; (b) for at least one transfer of the set of feasible transfers from the station (pti) of the origin trip (t) to the reachable station (puj) of the target trip (u), at each station (puk>j) of the target trip (u) after the reachable station (puj), calculate the value of the earliest arrival / transfer time associated with the transportation mode (mu) of the multi-modal transportation network used by the target trip (u); (c) delete the transfer only if it is determined that each calculated value of the earliest arrival / transfer time is not improved by the transfer; (d) output a set of feasible movements to calculate at least one itinerary in the multi-modal transportation network; (e) when considering only trips from the set of trips available for the selected transportation mode and only transfers from the subset of feasible transfers between the considered trips, execute a route optimization algorithm to construct at least one optimal itinerary from a specific origin trip belonging to the set of possible origin trips to a specific final trip belonging to the set of possible final trips, among the steps having a main part, according to the earliest arrival time and the number of transfers, or the latest departure time and the number of transfers.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, in a transportation network, an "operation plan" (also called a "timetable") for managing the departure and arrival times of moving objects is used in consideration of the costs and demand for operation. However, in a multi-modal transportation network, since it includes different or multiple transportation means such as trains, buses, and monorails, the composition of the operation plan becomes quite complex. For a transportation network provider that operates a transportation network, it is necessary to formulate an operation plan while considering various factors such as the convenience of transfers, the maintenance of infrastructure and facilities, the allocation of moving objects, and the demand of passengers for the multiple transportation means provided. As a result, formulating an appropriate operation plan considering the above factors has become a major issue for transportation network providers.

[0006] Patent Document 1 describes means for determining an optimal route from a predetermined departure point to a predetermined destination in a multi-modal transportation network by a route optimization algorithm. According to the means described in Patent Document 1, although it is said that passengers can grasp an efficient moving route to the destination, it is not assumed to generate operation plan information for improving the cost-effectiveness of the transportation network provider in consideration of the composition of the multi-modal transportation network, the convenience of transportation means change, and the demand expected based on the moving preferences of passengers.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an operation plan creation means capable of improving the satisfaction of passengers with transportation services and suppressing the operation costs of transportation network providers by considering the composition of multiple transportation means in a multi-modal transportation network and generating an operation plan that meets the demand of passengers.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0008] To solve the above problems, a typical operation plan creation device of the present invention includes a processor, a memory, and a storage unit. The storage unit includes existing operation plan information indicating an existing operation plan regarding a reference route in a transportation network including a plurality of transportation means, transportation network configuration information indicating the configuration of the transportation network, passenger predicted movement information indicating the predicted movement of passengers using the transportation network, operation suspension rule information indicating operation suspension conditions in the transportation network, transportation means change information indicating a rule for regulating the movement of passengers from a first transportation means to a second transportation means different from the first transportation means in the transportation network, and movement preference information indicating the movement preference of passengers for the transportation network. The memory includes a route selection unit that selects a target route that satisfies a distance criterion for the reference route in the transportation network based on the existing operation plan information and the transportation network configuration information, a target operation plan creation unit that generates a target operation plan for the target route based on the existing operation plan information and the transportation network configuration information, a transportation itinerary network generation unit that generates a transportation itinerary network representation showing recommended transportation itineraries on the reference route and the target route in graph form based on the existing operation plan information, the target operation plan, the passenger predicted movement information, and the transportation means change information, an operation suspension determination unit that generates transportation itinerary operation suspension availability information indicating whether each transportation itinerary in the transportation network can be suspended based on the transportation itinerary network representation and the operation suspension rule information, a passenger flow prediction unit that generates predicted passenger flow information indicating the predicted passenger flow in the transportation network based on the transportation itinerary network representation, the passenger predicted movement information, and the movement preference information, and an operation plan generation unit that generates new operation plan information for the reference route and the target route based on the transportation itinerary network representation, the transportation itinerary operation suspension availability information, and the predicted passenger flow information, and includes processing instructions for causing the processor to function as such.

Advantages of the Invention

[0009] According to the present disclosure, by considering the configurations of multiple transportation means in a variety of transportation networks and generating an operation plan that meets the needs of passengers, it is possible to improve the satisfaction of passengers with transportation services and reduce the operating costs of transportation network providers, and an operation plan creation means can be provided. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be clarified by the description in the form for carrying out the following invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited by this embodiment. Also, in the description of the drawings, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. Also, terms such as "first", "second", "third", etc. may be used in the present disclosure to describe various elements or components, but it will be understood that these elements or components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element or component from another. Therefore, the first element or component discussed below can also be referred to as the second element or component without departing from the teachings of the inventive concept.

[0012] (Overview of the Present Disclosure) As described above, since a multi-modal transportation network including different or multiple transportation means such as trains, buses, and monorails has a complex configuration, when creating an operation plan, it is necessary to consider various factors for multiple transportation means, such as the convenience of transfers, the maintenance of infrastructure and facilities, the vehicle allocation of moving bodies, and the demand of passengers. Therefore, formulating an appropriate operation plan considering the above factors has become a major issue for transportation network providers.

[0013] Therefore, in the operation plan creation means according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, after a new route (target route) for which an operation plan is desired is selected, the target operation plan, which is the operation plan for the target route, is created based on the transportation network configuration information indicating the configuration of the multi-modal transportation network and the existing operation plan that has already been created for a reference route (for example, the route of another transportation means connecting to the target route). Then, by combining the existing operation plan and the target operation plan, a transportation itinerary network representation showing the transportation itineraries on the reference route and the target route in a graph format is generated. For this transportation itinerary network representation, the transportation itineraries and station information for which the transportation means can be changed can be reflected based on the pre-created transportation means change information. In addition, by suspending transportation itineraries that do not meet the predicted passenger demand and travel preferences from the transportation itinerary network representation generated in this way, it is possible to provide an operation plan creation means that can improve the satisfaction of passengers with the transportation service and reduce the operating costs of transportation network providers.

[0014] First, with reference to FIG. 1, the configuration of an operation plan creation system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an operation plan creation system 50 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The operation plan creation system 50 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a system for creating an operation plan for a transportation network and providing it to users such as transportation network providers. As shown in FIG. 1, it consists of an operation management platform 100 and a transportation platform 110.

[0016] In the present disclosure, a transportation network is a network consisting of a moving body, a route, and an infrastructure such as a station that provides services for transporting passengers, goods, and the like. The transportation network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be a so-called "multi-modal transportation network". Here, the multi-modal transportation network means a transportation network that provides transportation services by different or multiple transportation means such as trains, buses, monorails, airplanes, ships, drones, rental bicycles, and rental electric kick scooters. A passenger may transfer from one transportation means to another while moving towards a destination. In the present disclosure, the transfer from one transportation means to another is referred to as "transportation means change". Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the expression "transportation network" may be used, but it should be noted that this transportation network may be a multi-modal transportation network including a plurality of transportation means.

[0017] The operation management platform 100 shown in FIG. 1 is a collection of hardware and software for monitoring and managing the operation of moving bodies in a multi-modal transportation network. As shown in FIG. 1, the operation management platform 100 may include a monitoring unit 101, a moving body 102, a transportation network infrastructure 103, and operation information 104.

[0018] The monitoring unit 101 is a functional unit for monitoring the moving body 102 moving in the transportation network. As an example, the monitoring unit 101 may include, for example, a camera, a ticket gate, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) sensor, a lidar (LIDAR) sensor, and the like.

[0019] The moving body 102 is a moving body used to provide transportation services in the transportation network. As an example, the moving body 102 may include, for example, a train, a bus, an airplane, an automobile, a bicycle, a drone, and the like.

[0020] The transportation network infrastructure 103 is a structure used to provide transportation services in the transportation network. As an example, the transportation network infrastructure 103 may include, for example, stations, roads, railway lines, bus stops, charging spots, departure and arrival areas, parking lots, etc.

[0021] The operation information 104 is information used to operate a plurality of transportation means in the transportation network. The operation information 104 here may include various information used in operating transportation means, such as operation plans of transportation means, maintenance plans, departure and arrival timetables, etc.

[0022] The transportation platform 110 is a collection of hardware and software for managing the transportation services provided in the transportation network. As shown in FIG. 1, the transportation platform 110 mainly includes a passenger movement management device 111, an operation plan creation device 200, a traffic management device 113, and a transportation itinerary management device 114.

[0023] The passenger movement management device 111 is a device for generating passenger predicted movement information indicating the predicted future movement of passengers based on the past movement information of passengers acquired by the operation management platform 100. This passenger predicted movement information may be generated, for example, by a machine learning model or a deep learning model learned based on the past movement information of passengers, and is not particularly limited here. As will be described later, by using this passenger predicted movement information, an operation plan for the transportation network can be generated.

[0024] The operation plan creation device 200 is a device for creating an operation plan (for example, an operation schedule) for managing the operation of transportation itineraries in the transportation network based on the passenger predicted movement information generated by the passenger movement management device 111 and other information described later. In the present disclosure, the expression "transportation itinerary" means the movement performed by a moving body used in the transportation service, and as an example, may include the movement of a train from a specific departure place (Station A) to a specific arrival place (Station B).

[0025] The traffic management device 113 is a device for managing traffic in the transport service of a transport network provider based on the operation plan created by the operation plan creation device 200. In one embodiment, the traffic management device 113 may be owned and managed by a transport network provider. As an example, the traffic management device 113 may perform vehicle allocation, congestion management, etc. in the transport network according to the operation plan created by the operation plan creation device 200.

[0026] The transport itinerary management device 114 is a device for generating and providing a recommended movement route for a passenger who is a user of the transport network based on the predicted passenger movement information generated by the passenger movement management device 111, the operation plan created by the operation plan creation device 200, and the traffic information output from the traffic management device 113.

[0027] The client terminal 120 is a terminal device for confirming and evaluating the operation plan created by the operation plan creation device 200. In one embodiment, the client terminal 120 may be a computing device such as a smartphone, a notebook computer, or a desktop computer that can be used by a user of the transport network provider.

[0028] The passenger terminal 130 is a terminal device for confirming the recommended movement route of the transport network generated by the transport itinerary management device 114. In one embodiment, the passenger terminal 130 may be a computing device such as a smartphone, a notebook computer, or a desktop computer that can be used by a user of the transport service, similar to the client terminal 120.

[0029] Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the configuration of the operation plan creation device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0030] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the operation plan creation device 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As described above, the operation plan creation device 200 is a device that creates an operation plan for managing the operation of a transportation service (such as a train schedule), and as shown in FIG. 2, mainly includes a memory 210, a storage unit 220, a CPU 240, a display unit 250, and a communication unit 260.

[0031] The memory 210 may be, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory) or the like, and as shown in FIG. 2, includes an operation plan creation application 210P. This operation plan creation application 210P is composed of a plurality of functional units including instructions or descriptions for executing various processes for creating an operation plan on the CPU 240 described later. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the operation plan creation application 210P may include a KPI calculation unit 211, a route selection unit 212, a target operation plan creation unit 213, a transportation service network generation unit 214, an operation suspension determination unit 215, a movement route candidate determination unit 216, a passenger flow prediction unit 217, an operation plan creation unit 218, and an evaluation / visualization unit 219.

[0032] The KPI calculation unit 211 is a functional unit that calculates the current KPI value based on the existing operation plan information 221, transportation network configuration information 223, passenger expected movement information 230, and KPI information 232 stored in the storage unit 220, and outputs it to the KPI setting interface 2600 in FIG. 26 described later.

[0033] The route selection unit 212 is a functional unit that selects a target route of the transportation network for which an operation plan is desired to be created based on the existing operation plan information 221 and transportation network configuration information 223 stored in the storage unit 220. The target route selected here is a route that satisfies a predetermined distance criterion with respect to the reference route for which the existing operation plan information has already been created (for example, a route having a station within 100 meters from the station of the reference route, a route connecting to the reference route, etc.), and may be a route of the same transportation means as the reference route, or a route of a different transportation means from the reference route.

[0034] The target operation plan creation unit 213 is a functional unit for generating a target operation plan for the target route selected by the route selection unit 212 based on the existing operation plan information 221 and the transportation network configuration information 223 stored in the storage unit 220.

[0035] The transportation journey network generation unit 214 is a functional unit for generating transportation journey network information 225 indicating each transportation journey in the operation plans of the reference route and the target route based on the existing operation plan information 221 stored in the storage unit 220. Here, the transportation journey network information 225 may be in a table format or in a graph format consisting of nodes and edges. When the transportation journey network information 225 is in a graph representation, the transportation journey network generation unit 214 may assign a starting node and an ending node based on the passenger predicted movement information 230 and a transportation means change edge based on the transportation means change information 233 to the generated transportation journey network information.

[0036] The operation suspension determination unit 215 is a functional unit for generating transportation journey operation suspension availability information 226 indicating the operation suspension availability of each transportation journey in the maintenance information 222 and the operation suspension rule information 227 stored in the storage unit 220. Here, the operation suspension determination unit 215 can generate the transportation journey operation suspension availability information 226 indicating the transportation journeys that can be suspended and the transportation journeys that cannot be suspended by considering the information on station facilities, event information, etc. shown in the maintenance information 222 and the operation suspension rule information 227. The operation suspension determination unit 215 may store the generated transportation journey operation suspension availability information 226 in the storage unit 220.

[0037] The movement route candidate determination unit 216 is a functional unit for generating movement route candidate information 231 indicating candidates for movement routes that conform to the movement preferences of passengers for each departure place and arrival place in the passenger predicted movement information 230 based on the transportation journey network information 225, the movement preference information 229, and the passenger predicted movement information 230 stored in the storage unit 220. As will be described later, by using a movement route that conforms to the movement preferences of passengers (such as a movement route with a shorter movement time), it becomes possible to more accurately show the predicted flow of people indicating the demand for transportation services. The movement route candidate determination unit 216 may store the generated movement route candidate information 231 in the storage unit 220.

[0038] The passenger flow prediction unit 217 is a functional unit that predicts the number of expected passengers, which is the number of people using each transportation journey, based on the transportation journey network information 225 and the movement route candidate information 231 stored in the storage unit 220. The passenger flow prediction information indicating the predicted number of expected passengers may be recorded, for example, in the new operation plan information 224 described later. The number of passengers for each movement route candidate shown in the movement route candidate information 231 may be displayed on an evaluation result interface of the movement route candidate information (see FIG. 26) described later. In a certain embodiment, the passenger flow prediction unit 217 calculates, for each movement route candidate in the movement route candidate information 231, the number of passengers for whom there is no movement route that conforms to the movement preference when the transportation journey determined as the target of service suspension by the service suspension determination unit 215 is suspended, and may store it in the storage unit 220 as the unmet demand information 228.

[0039] The operation plan creation unit 218 is a functional unit that generates new operation plan information 224 including the target route in addition to the reference route based on the transportation journey network information 225, the transportation journey service suspension availability information 226, and the movement route candidate information 231 stored in the storage unit 220. Here, the operation plan creation unit 218 may generate new operation plan information 224 in which transportation journeys that do not meet a predetermined demand criterion (such as transportation journeys with a small number of passengers) are suspended, and store the generated new operation plan information 224 in the storage unit 220.

[0040] The evaluation and visualization unit 219 is a functional unit that evaluates the new operation plan information 224 generated by the operation plan creation unit 218 and displays the results of the evaluation and other various information used in the operation plan creation device 200 on a user interface such as a GUI. In a certain embodiment, the evaluation and visualization unit 219 may evaluate the KPIs of the new operation plan information 224 such as the number of transportation journeys, the congestion rate, the unmet demand, and the transportation means change rate.

[0041] The storage unit 220 is a storage unit for storing various information used by each functional unit of the operation plan creation application 210P, and may be, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive). As shown in FIG. 2, the storage unit 220 may store existing operation plan information 221, maintenance information 222, transportation network configuration information 223, new operation plan information 224, transportation route network information 225, transportation route operation suspension availability information 226, operation suspension rule information 227, unfulfilled demand information 228, movement preference information 229, predicted passenger movement information 230, movement route candidate information 231, KPI information 232, and transportation means change information 233. Note that the storage unit 220 is not limited thereto, and may include information other than those shown in FIG. 2 (such as pedestrian flow prediction information). For details of the various types of information stored in the storage unit 220, see FIGS. 3 to 15, which will be described later, and thus the description thereof is omitted here.

[0042] The CPU 240 is a processor for executing instructions and commands from each functional unit constituting the operation plan creation application 210P stored in the memory 210. In one embodiment, the CPU 240 may include a CU (Control Unit), an ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit), and an IAS (Immediate Access Store).

[0043] The display unit 250 is a functional unit that displays a user interface for inputting information to the operation plan creation application 210P stored in the memory 210 and displaying information output from the operation plan creation application 210P. In one embodiment, the display unit 250 may include, for example, a single display screen, a television, a tablet, or a screen of a portable terminal.

[0044] The communication unit 260 is a functional unit for performing communication between the operation plan creation device 200 and external devices (for example, the passenger movement management device 111, traffic management device 113, transport itinerary management device 114, client terminal, and passenger terminal 130 shown in FIG. 1) via a communication network 300 such as the Internet. The external devices here include, for example, an input device for inputting settings of KPIs and parameters to the operation plan creation device 200, a monitoring device (ticket gate, sensor, station camera, track camera, radio, etc.) for acquiring information related to transport services, an application device that utilizes a transport service management system such as TMS (Traffic Management System), ETCS (European Traffic Control System), ATO (Automatic Train Operation System), PIS (Passenger Information System), and the like. The communication network 300 may include, for example, a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), satellite network, cable network, WiFi network, or any combination thereof.

[0045] According to the operation plan creation device 200 described above, for a multi-modal transport network including a plurality of transport means such as trains and buses, by considering the configurations of the plurality of transport means and generating an operation plan that meets the needs of passengers, it is possible to provide an operation plan creation means capable of improving the satisfaction of passengers with transport services and suppressing the operation costs of transport network providers.

[0046] Next, with reference to FIGS. 3 to 15, various types of information used in the operation plan creation device 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. As described above, these types of information may be stored in the storage unit 220 of the operation plan creation device 200. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and a configuration in which these types of information are stored in, for example, the cloud is also possible.

[0047] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an existing operation plan information table T221 that stores existing operation plan information 221 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The existing operation plan information 221 is information indicating an existing operation plan regarding a transportation network. As described above, one aspect of the operation plan creation means according to the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to creating an operation plan for a multi-modal transportation network including a number of transportation means such as buses and trains. Therefore, the existing operation plan information table T221 shown in FIG. 3 may include existing operation plan information 221 regarding a plurality of transportation means such as buses and trains. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the existing operation plan information table 221T that stores existing operation plan information may include information regarding a transportation trip ID, a train ID, a departure station ID, an arrival station ID, a departure time, an arrival time, and a capacity.

[0048] The transportation trip ID is information that uniquely identifies a specific transportation trip performed in a transportation service. As described above, in the present disclosure, the expression "transportation trip" means a movement performed by a moving body used in a transportation service, and as an example, it may include the movement of a train from a specific departure point (Station A) to a specific arrival point (Station B). The moving body ID is information that uniquely identifies a moving body (train, bus, etc.) for performing a transportation trip. Note that the train ID of a train remains the same during a transportation trip, but may be changed when starting a new transportation trip. Note that "tr" in the moving body ID means that the moving body is a "train", and "bs" in the moving body ID means that the moving body is a "bus".

[0049] The departure station ID is information that uniquely identifies the station that is the starting point of a transportation trip. The arrival station ID is information that uniquely identifies the station that is the end point of a transportation trip. Note that "t" in the departure station ID and the arrival station ID means that the station is a "train" station, and "b" means that the station is a "bus" station.

[0050] The departure time is information indicating the time to start a transportation trip. The arrival time is information indicating the time when the transportation journey ends. The seating capacity is information indicating the maximum number of passengers that can board a train in a specific transportation journey.

[0051] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a maintenance information table T222 that stores maintenance information 222 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The maintenance information 222 is information indicating a maintenance plan for a transportation service. As shown in FIG. 4, the maintenance information table T222 that stores the maintenance information 222 may include information regarding a moving body ID, a fleet state, an arrival station ID, a travel distance, and a maintenance operation.

[0052] The moving body ID is information that uniquely identifies a moving body such as a train or a bus for performing a transportation journey. The fleet state is information indicating whether the state of a fleet (a group of transportation means such as trains or buses) to which the moving body belongs is "old" or "new". The arrival station ID is information that uniquely identifies the station at which a moving body for which maintenance is scheduled arrives. The travel distance is information indicating the cumulative distance traveled by the moving body. The maintenance details are information indicating the content of the maintenance operation performed on the moving body. This maintenance content may be determined according to, for example, the state of the fleet to which the moving body belongs or the travel distance. As shown in the maintenance information table T222, this maintenance content may include, for example, regular inspections that can be completed in a short time or detailed inspections that require time.

[0053] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of transportation network configuration information tables T223a and T223b that store transportation network configuration information 223 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The transportation network configuration information 223 is information regarding infrastructure such as routes, stations, and facilities in a transportation network. As shown in FIG. 5, the transportation network configuration information table T223a may include information regarding a region, a route, a station, a transportation means, and a selection state. In addition, the transportation network configuration information table T223b may include information regarding station ID, station name, parking facilities, and facility types.

[0054] The area is information that identifies a specific area of the transportation network (e.g., "Tokyo", "Osaka", etc.). The route is information that identifies a specific existing route in the transportation network. The station is information that identifies a station on a specific route of the transportation network. The transportation means is information that identifies a specific transportation means (train, bus, rental bicycle, etc.) on a specific route of the transportation network. The selection state is information indicating whether a specific route of the transportation network is selected as the "reference route", the "target route", or not selected in the route selection process 1700 described later.

[0055] The station ID is information indicating an ID that uniquely identifies each station in the transportation network. The station name is information indicating the name of each station in the transportation service. The parking facility is information indicating whether there is a parking facility such as a parking lot at a specific station. The parking facility means a facility where maintenance and inspection of a moving body can be performed, such as a parking lot or a spare track. Here, "1" means there is a parking facility, and "0" means there is no parking facility. The facility type is information indicating the type of the parking facility for a station equipped with a parking facility. This facility type may include, for example, a parking lot, an inspection yard, a spare track, etc.

[0056] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a new operation plan information T224 that stores the new operation plan information 224 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The new operation plan information 224 is information indicating an operation plan in which, in addition to the existing operation plan information 221, information on the operation plan for the target route for which an operation plan is desired in the route selection process 1700 described later and information on the operation suspension status and the expected number of passengers for each transportation itinerary are added. As shown in FIG. 6, the new operation plan information table T224 for storing the new operation plan information 224 may include information regarding a transportation itinerary ID, a train ID, a departure station ID, an arrival station ID, a departure time, an arrival time, a seating capacity, an operation suspension status, and an estimated number of passengers. For the sake of convenience in explanation, the description of the information that is substantially the same as the above-described existing operation plan information 221 is omitted, and the information newly added in the new operation plan information 224 will be described.

[0057] First, in the new operation plan information T224 shown in FIG. 6, information regarding the target route (the transportation itinerary with the transportation itinerary ID of "7" in the new operation plan information T224) for which the creation of an operation plan is desired in the route selection process 1700 described later is added. As described above, this target route is a route that satisfies a predetermined distance criterion with respect to the reference route where the existing operation plan information already exists, and may be a route of the same means of transportation as the reference route or a route of a different means of transportation from the reference route. For example, in the new operation plan information T224 shown in FIG. 6, the newly added target route may be a route of "bus" instead of "train", which is different from the reference route.

[0058] The operation suspension status is information indicating whether each transportation itinerary in the new operation plan information 224 is subject to operation suspension. This operation suspension status may be determined in the new operation plan information creation process 2400 described later. The estimated number of passengers is information indicating the number of passengers predicted to use each transportation itinerary in the new operation plan information 224. This estimated number of passengers may be determined in the passenger flow prediction process 2300 described later.

[0059] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of transport route network information tables T225a, T225b, and T225c that store transport route network information 225 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The transport route network information 225 is information indicating transport routes of a reference route and a target route in a transport network. As described above, the transport route network information 225 here may be in a table format as shown in FIG. 7, or may be in a graph format including nodes and edges as shown in FIG. 20. In the present disclosure, the graph-format transport route network information is referred to as a "transport route network representation".

[0060] The transport route network representation in the present disclosure is a graph-format data structure that represents each transport route in the reference route and the target route of the transport network as a node, and represents the movement of passengers between transport routes as an edge. In the transport route network representation, the departure station of a specific transport route is represented as a source node, and the arrival station of a specific transport route is represented as a sink node. The node corresponding to the transport route (hereinafter, "transport route node") may be associated with node information indicating information such as the number of passengers and operation cost information.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 7, the transport route network information table T225a includes information regarding a movement route ID, a source node ID, and a sink node ID. The transport route network information table T225b includes information regarding a transport route ID, a transport route node ID, a moving body ID, a departure station ID, an arrival station ID, a departure time, an arrival time, and the number of passengers. The transport route network information table T225c includes information regarding an edge ID, a previous node ID, a next node ID, transport route directionality, and transport means change.

[0062] The movement route ID is information that uniquely identifies a passenger's movement route. Here, the "movement route" means the origin and destination of a passenger. The origin node ID is information that uniquely identifies the origin node corresponding to the departure station in the graph-based transport itinerary network representation. The destination node ID is information that uniquely identifies the destination node corresponding to the arrival station in the graph-based transport itinerary network representation.

[0063] The transport itinerary ID is information that uniquely identifies a specific transport itinerary performed in the transport network. The transport itinerary node ID is information that uniquely identifies the transport itinerary node corresponding to a specific transport itinerary in the graph-based transport itinerary network representation. The vehicle ID is information that uniquely identifies the vehicle for performing a transport itinerary in the transport network. The departure station ID is information that uniquely identifies the station that is the starting point of the transport itinerary. The arrival station ID is information that uniquely identifies the station that is the end point of the transport itinerary. The departure time is information indicating the time when the transport itinerary starts. The arrival time is information indicating the time when the transport itinerary ends. The seating capacity is information indicating the maximum number of passengers that can board the vehicle in a specific transport itinerary.

[0064] The edge ID is information for uniquely identifying the edge representing passenger movement between transport itineraries in the graph-based transport itinerary network representation. The previous node ID is information that uniquely identifies the node preceding a specific edge in the graph-based transport itinerary network representation. The subsequent node ID is information that uniquely identifies the node following a specific edge in the graph-based transport itinerary network representation.

[0065] The transport itinerary directionality is information indicating the direction (inbound or outbound) of the transport itinerary. The means-of-transportation change is information indicating whether a specific transportation journey includes a transfer from one means of transportation to another. Here, "0" means there is no change in the means of transportation, and "1" means there is a change in the means of transportation.

[0066] The transportation journey network information 225 stored in the above-described transportation journey network information tables T225a, T225b, and T225 is represented as a so-called MILP (Mixed Integer Linear Problem), and by analyzing it with an optimization algorithm such as the Exact method or the Non-Exact method, it is possible to create an operation plan considering the configuration of multiple means of transportation in a multi-modal transportation network, the preferences of passengers for movement, and the cost-effectiveness of the transportation network.

[0067] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a transportation journey operation-availability information table T226 that stores the transportation journey operation-availability information 226 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The transportation journey operation-availability information 226 stored in the transportation journey operation-availability information table T226 is information indicating the operation-availability of each transportation journey in the transportation journey network information table 225b shown in FIG. 7, and is generated by the operation suspension determination unit 215 based on the operation suspension rule information 227 described later. As shown in FIG. 8, the transportation journey operation-availability information table T226 may include information regarding a transportation journey ID, a transportation journey node ID, a moving body ID, operation-availability, and an operation suspension rule ID.

[0068] The transportation journey ID is information that uniquely identifies a specific transportation journey performed in a transportation service. The transportation journey node ID is information for uniquely identifying a transportation journey node corresponding to a specific transportation journey in the transportation journey network information in graph form. The moving body ID is information that uniquely identifies a moving body for performing a transportation journey. The operation-availability is information indicating whether a specific transportation journey can be suspended or cannot be suspended. The operation suspension rule ID is information that uniquely identifies an operation suspension rule that defines whether a specific transportation journey can be suspended or cannot be suspended.

[0069] According to the transport schedule cancellation availability information 226 described above, it is possible to store information on whether each transport schedule in the transport service can be cancelled and information on the cancellation rules used to determine whether each transport schedule can be cancelled.

[0070] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a cancellation rule information table T227 that stores the cancellation rule information 227 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The cancellation rule information 227 is information indicating cancellation rules for the transport service. As shown in FIG. 9, the cancellation rule information table T227 that stores the cancellation rule information 227 may include information on a rule number, cancellation availability, and cancellation target.

[0071] The rule number is information that uniquely identifies a specific cancellation rule. The cancellation availability is information indicating whether a specific transport schedule can be cancelled or cannot be cancelled. The cancellation target is information specifying a station, transport schedule, time frame, etc. to which the cancellation rule applies.

[0072] As an example, the cancellation rule information table T227 may include a cancellation rule RC1 that defines that a transport schedule using a station equipped with a parking facility such as a parking lot is "cancellable", and a cancellation rule RC2 that defines that another transport schedule connected to a transport schedule cancellable by the cancellation rule RC1 is "cancellable". Further, the cancellation rule information table T227 may include a cancellation rule RC3 indicating that the transport schedule of the target transport schedule node connected to the reference transport schedule node by the transport means change edge is "cancellable". Furthermore, the cancellation rule information table T27 may include a cancellation rule RU1 that defines that a transport schedule passing through a special operation section such as a section with high travel demand, a section targeted by a travel campaign, or a section where a sightseeing event is being held is "non-cancellable", and a cancellation rule RU2 that defines that the first train and the last train are "non-cancellable".

[0073] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an insufficient demand information table T228 that stores insufficient demand information 228 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The insufficient demand information 228 stored in the insufficient demand information table T228 is information regarding the number of passengers predicted to become unable to use the transportation service of the transportation network by suspending a transportation itinerary determined to be "suspension possible" in a transportation itinerary suspension availability information creation process 2100 described later. As shown in FIG. 10, the insufficient demand information table T228 may include information regarding a movement route ID and the number of unaccommodated passengers.

[0074] The movement route ID is information that uniquely identifies the movement route of a passenger. The number of unaccommodated passengers is information indicating the number of passengers predicted to become unable to use the transportation service of the transportation network by suspending a transportation itinerary determined to be "suspension possible" in a transportation itinerary suspension availability information creation process 2100 described later. This number of unaccommodated passengers may be calculated as the difference between the expected number of passengers before suspending a specific transportation itinerary and the expected number of passengers after suspending the transportation itinerary in a passenger flow prediction process 2300 described later. In this way, by calculating the number of unaccommodated passengers, it is possible to grasp the number of passengers predicted to cancel the use of the transportation service, for example, because there is no candidate for a movement route that meets the transportation itinerary usage conditions shown in the movement preference information 229 described later, and it becomes possible to more accurately predict the actual demand of passengers.

[0075] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a movement preference information table T229 that stores movement preference information 229 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The movement preference information 229 is information indicating the movement preferences of passengers who are users of the transportation service.

[0076] The movement preference information table T229a may include a preference ID and movement preferences. The preference ID is information that uniquely identifies a specific movement preference of a passenger. Mobility preference is information indicating the characteristics of the mobility preferred by a specific passenger. As an example, as shown in FIG. 11, the mobility preference information table T229a may include mobility preferences that define "B1: Transportation itinerary with the shortest travel time", "B2: Transportation itinerary with less congestion", "B3: The most reliable (less likely to have service disruptions or delays) transportation itinerary", and "B4: Transportation itinerary with fewer transfer times (change of transportation means).

[0077] The mobility preference information table 229b may include the transportation itinerary usage conditions and transportation itinerary cancellation conditions of the passenger for each preference ID. In the present disclosure, the "transportation itinerary usage conditions" and "transportation itinerary cancellation conditions" may be collectively referred to as "preference conditions". The transportation itinerary usage condition is information indicating the condition for using a transportation itinerary with respect to a specific mobility preference indicated by a preference ID. As an example, the transportation itinerary usage condition may include "when it is possible to arrive at the destination by a predetermined time", "when the congestion rate is less than a predetermined rate", "when the transportation itinerary passes through a major station", and "when it is possible to arrive at the destination within a predetermined number of transfers".

[0078] The transportation itinerary cancellation condition is information indicating the condition for canceling a transportation itinerary with respect to a specific mobility preference indicated by a preference ID. As an example, the transportation itinerary cancellation condition may include "when it is not possible to arrive at the destination by a predetermined time", "when the congestion rate is equal to or higher than a predetermined rate", "when there is bad weather and the likelihood of service disruption is high", and "when it is not possible to arrive at the destination within a predetermined number of transfers".

[0079] Regarding the preference conditions with a preference ID of "B1", whether the transportation itinerary usage condition or the transportation itinerary cancellation condition is satisfied may be determined based on, for example, the "arrival time" in the new operation plan table T224 shown in FIG. 6. As an example, when the arrival time is earlier than the passenger's desired arrival time (8:40), the transportation itinerary usage condition is satisfied, and when the arrival time is later than the passenger's desired arrival time, the transportation itinerary cancellation condition is satisfied. Regarding the preference conditions with a preference ID of "B2", whether the transportation itinerary usage condition or the transportation itinerary cancellation condition is satisfied may be determined based on, for example, the "expected number of passengers" in the new operation plan table T224 shown in FIG. 6. As an example, when the congestion rate based on the expected number of passengers is less than or equal to the desired congestion rate of passengers (75%), the transportation itinerary usage condition is satisfied, and when the congestion rate exceeds the desired congestion rate of passengers (75%), the transportation itinerary cancellation condition is satisfied.

[0080] Regarding the preference conditions with a preference ID of "B3", whether the transportation itinerary usage condition or the transportation itinerary cancellation condition is satisfied may be determined based on, for example, the operability of the transportation itinerary shown in FIG. 8. As an example, for a specific transportation itinerary, when the operability shown in FIG. 8 is "not cancellable", since the possibility of the transportation itinerary being cancelled is low, the transportation itinerary usage condition is satisfied, and when the operability shown in FIG. 8 is "cancellable", since the transportation itinerary may be cancelled, the transportation itinerary cancellation condition is satisfied. Regarding the preference conditions with a preference ID of "B4", whether the transportation itinerary usage condition or the transportation itinerary cancellation condition is satisfied may be determined based on the "number of transportation means changes (new)" in the passenger expected movement information shown in FIG. 12. As an example, when the number of transportation means changes is less than or equal to the desired number of transportation means changes of passengers (1 time), the transportation itinerary usage condition is satisfied, and when the number of transportation means changes exceeds the desired number of transportation means changes of passengers, the transportation itinerary cancellation condition is satisfied.

[0081] Note that the information regarding the movement preferences of passengers shown in the movement preference information tables T229a and T229b may be determined, for example, by performing a predetermined statistical analysis on the passenger movement information obtained in the past, or may be determined based on public opinion surveys, opinions of experts, etc.

[0082] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a passenger predicted movement information table T230 that stores passenger predicted movement information 230 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The passenger predicted movement information 230 is information regarding a movement route that passengers of a transportation network are expected to use. As shown in FIG. 12, the passenger predicted movement information table T230 that stores the passenger predicted movement information 230 may include a movement route ID, a departure time, a departure station ID, an arrival station ID, the number of passengers, the number of transportation means changes (old), and the number of transportation means changes (new). Note that the passenger predicted movement information 230 stored in the passenger predicted movement information table T230 may be generated by analyzing past passenger movement information obtained from sensors such as ticket gates, Bluetooth terminals, cameras, and GPS that constitute the monitoring unit 101 of the operation management platform 100 shown in FIG. 1 by a machine learning method by the passenger movement management device 111, and is not particularly limited in the present disclosure.

[0083] The movement route ID is information that uniquely identifies a movement route consisting of a passenger's departure place and arrival place. The departure time is information indicating the departure time of a transportation journey on a specific movement route. The departure station ID is information that uniquely identifies the station that is the starting point of a specific movement route. The arrival station ID is information that uniquely identifies the station that is the end point of a specific movement route. The number of passengers is information indicating the number of passengers moving on a specific movement route. The number of transportation means changes (old) is information indicating the number of transportation means changes when moving on a specific movement route according to the existing operation plan information 221 shown in FIG. 3. The number of transportation means changes (new) is information indicating the number of transportation means changes when moving on a specific movement route according to the new operation plan information 224 shown in FIG. 6.

[0084] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a travel route candidate information table T231 that stores travel route candidate information 231 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The travel route candidate information 231 stored in the travel route candidate information table T231 is information indicating candidates for travel routes that are available for each travel route in the passenger predicted travel information 230 and that conform to the passenger's travel preference information 229. This travel route candidate information 231 is generated, for example, by a travel route candidate information creation process 2200 described later.

[0085] As shown in FIG. 13, the travel route candidate information 231 may include information on a travel route group ID, a departure station ID, an arrival station ID, a first travel route candidate, a second travel route candidate, and a third travel route candidate. The travel route group ID is information that uniquely identifies a set of travel routes grouped at predetermined time intervals. The departure station ID is information that uniquely identifies the station that is the starting point of the travel route. The arrival station ID is information that uniquely identifies the station that is the end point of the travel route. The first travel route candidate, the second travel route candidate, and the third travel route candidate are candidates for recommended transportation schedules for traveling on a specific travel route, determined based on the passenger's travel preferences.

[0086] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a KPI information table T232 that stores KPI information 232 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The KPI information 232 is information indicating KPIs for evaluating operation plan information. As shown in FIG. 14, the KPI information table T232 may include information on a KPI number, a KPI name, a current value, a target value, and a selection state.

[0087] The KPI number is information that uniquely identifies a specific KPI (Key Performance Indicator). Here, the KPI is an indicator for quantitatively evaluating the performance of the operation plan. The KPI name is information indicating the name of a specific KPI. The current value is information indicating the value of the KPI calculated based on the existing operation plan information 221. The target value is information indicating the target value of a specific KPI and is used to evaluate the new operation plan information 224. The selection state is information indicating whether a specific KPI is selected as an evaluation item.

[0088] As an example, as shown in FIG. 14, the KPI information table T232 may include KPIs such as "the number of transport trips", "congestion rate", "unsatisfied demand", and "change rate of transport means". "The number of transport trips" indicates the number of transport trips in the operation plan information. In principle, the more the number of transport trips, the higher the operation cost of the transport trips. Therefore, the operation plan creation means according to the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to creating an operation plan for reducing the operation cost by reducing the transport trips with low demand while suppressing the congestion rate and the unsatisfied demand. "The number of transport trips" can be calculated by counting the transport trip nodes in the transport trip network representation corresponding to the operation plan information. Also, in the KPI setting interface 2600 described later, "the number of transport trips" may be shown as a percentage of the number of transport trips in the existing operation plan information.

[0089] The "congestion rate" is the ratio of the number of passengers to the seating capacity of the transport trip. In the KPI setting interface 2600 described later, the "congestion rate" may be shown as a percentage of the ratio of the number of passengers to the seating capacity of the transport trip. The "unsatisfied demand" is the number of passengers who cancel the use of the transport service because there is no transport trip that meets the travel preference of the passengers, and is calculated in the passenger flow prediction process 2300 described later. Also, in the KPI setting interface 2600 described later, the "unsatisfied demand" may be expressed as a percentage of the number of passengers in the existing operation plan information of the number of passengers who cancel the use of the transport service because there is no transport trip that meets the travel preference. The "transportation means change rate" is information indicating the ratio of transportation trips that require a change in the transportation means (e.g., from a train to a bus, etc.) among all transportation trips defined in the operation plan. Note that since there may be cases where multiple changes in the transportation means are required for a single transportation trip, the "transportation means change rate" may exceed 100% when the number of changes in the transportation means exceeds the number of transportation trips.

[0090] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of transportation means change information T233 that stores transportation means change information 233 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The transportation means change information 233 is information used to identify transportation trips in which a change in the transportation means is possible in a multi-modal transportation network including a plurality of transportation means such as trains and buses. In one embodiment, this transportation means change information 233 may be predefined by a user such as a transportation network provider. As shown in FIG. 15, the transportation means change information 233 may include a rule number and information on the transportation means change rule.

[0091] The rule number is information for uniquely identifying a specific transportation means change rule, and may be represented in the form of, for example, "RT1", "RT2",... "RTn". The transportation means change rule is information for identifying transportation trips in which a change in the transportation means is possible. In one embodiment, the transportation means change rule may indicate information on the transportation trip ID, edge ID, and time frame (departure / arrival time) that identify the transportation trips in which a change in the transportation means is possible. In one embodiment, in a graph-based representation of the transportation trip network, a transportation means change edge indicating a transfer of the transportation means can be assigned to a transportation means change node in which a change in the transportation means is possible, as specified by the transportation means change rule.

[0092] As described above, the transportation means change rule for identifying transportation trips in which a change in the transportation means is possible may include rules defined by the user. As an example, the transport means change rule RT1 may be a rule that identifies a transport itinerary in which the transport means at the departure station is different from the transport means at the arrival station as a transport itinerary in which the transport means can be changed. The transport itinerary in which the transport means at the departure station is different from the transport means at the arrival station may be determined based on, for example, the predicted passenger movement information 230. Further, the transport means change rule RT2 may be a rule that identifies a transport itinerary in which the transport means at the departure station is the same as the transport means at the arrival station as a transport itinerary in which the transport means cannot be changed. The transport itinerary in which the transport means at the departure station is the same as the transport means at the arrival station may be determined based on, for example, the predicted passenger movement information 230. Further, the transport means change rule RT3 may be a rule that identifies a transport itinerary in which a transfer time of a predetermined time standard (10 minutes, 15 minutes) or more can be secured as a transport itinerary in which the transport means can be changed. Further, the transport means change rule RT4 may be a rule that identifies a transport itinerary in which the distance between stations of each transport means is within a predetermined distance standard (100 meters, 500 meters) as a transport itinerary in which the transport means can be changed. Further, the transport means change rule RT5 may be a rule that identifies a temporary transport itinerary (a transport itinerary provided on a specific day or a specified period according to demand, such as a special train) as a transport itinerary in which the transport means can be changed.

[0093] Next, with reference to FIG. 16, the operation plan management process according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0094] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of the operation plan management process 1600 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. The operation plan management process 1600 is a process for managing each process for generating an operation plan for managing the operation of transport itineraries (such as train schedules) in, for example, a multi-modal transport network, and may be implemented by each functional unit included in the operation plan creation application 210P shown in FIG. 2.

[0095] First, in step F200, the operation plan creation application 210P of the operation plan creation device 200 is activated.

[0096] Next, in step F201, the operation plan creation application 210P acquires the existing operation plan information 221, the transportation network configuration information 223, and the passenger predicted movement information 230 from the storage unit 220.

[0097] Next, in step F202, the KPI calculation unit 211 of the operation plan creation application 210P calculates the current value of the KPI based on the existing operation plan information 221, the transportation network configuration information 223, and the passenger predicted movement information 230 acquired from the storage unit 220 in step F201. More specifically, the KPI calculation unit 211 can calculate the KPI related to the congestion rate based on the "number of passengers" in the passenger predicted movement information 230 shown in FIG. 12 and the "seating capacity" in the existing operation plan information 221. In addition, the KPI calculation unit 211 can calculate the KPI related to the number of transportation trips based on the number of transportation trips in the existing operation plan information 221. In addition, the KPI calculation unit 211 can calculate the KPI related to the change rate of the means of transportation based on the "number of changes in the means of transportation (old)" in the passenger predicted movement information 230.

[0098] Next, in step F203, the KPI calculation unit 211 of the operation plan creation application 210P sets the target value of the KPI. Here, the KPI calculation unit 211 may set the target value of the KPI based on a predetermined setting criterion, or may set the target value of the KPI based on a setting request input from the user of the transportation network provider via the client terminal 120. Thereafter, the KPI calculation unit 211 may generate KPI information 232 based on the current value of the KPI calculated in step F202 and the target value of the KPI set in step F203, and store it in the storage unit 220.

[0099] Next, in step F204, the route selection unit 212 of the operation plan creation application 210P executes a route selection process 1700 for selecting a reference route and a target route to be used for creating an operation plan. Note that since the details of the route selection process 1700 will be described with reference to FIG. 17, the description thereof will be omitted here.

[0100] Next, in step F205, the target operation plan creation unit 213 of the operation plan creation application 210P executes a target operation plan creation process 1800 for creating target operation plan information for the target route selected in step F204. Note that since the details of the target operation plan creation process 1800 will be described with reference to FIG. 18, the description thereof will be omitted here.

[0101] Next, in step F206, the transport route network generation unit 214 of the operation plan creation application 210P executes a transport route network generation process 1900 for generating transport route network information 225 indicating the transport routes in the existing operation plan information 221 and the target operation plan information created in step F205. Note that since the details of the transport route network generation process 1900 will be described with reference to FIG. 19, the description thereof will be omitted here.

[0102] Next, in step F207, the operation suspension determination unit 215 of the operation plan creation application 210P executes a transport route operation suspension availability information creation process 2100 for generating transport route operation suspension availability information 226 indicating the operation suspension availability of each transport route in the transport route network information 225 generated in step F206. Note that since the details of the transport route operation suspension availability information creation process 2100 will be described with reference to FIG. 21, the description thereof will be omitted here.

[0103] Next, in step F208, the movement route candidate determination unit 216 of the operation plan creation application 210P executes a movement route candidate information creation process 2200 for generating movement route candidate information 231 indicating candidates for movement routes that match the movement preferences of passengers. Note that since the details of the movement route candidate information creation process 2200 will be described with reference to FIG. 22, the description thereof will be omitted here.

[0104] Next, in step F209, the KPI calculation unit 211 of the operation plan creation application 210P acquires the KPI target value set in step F203 from the KPI information 232 stored in the storage unit 220.

[0105] Next, in step F210, the passenger flow prediction unit 217 of the operation plan creation application 210P executes a passenger flow prediction process 2300 for determining the passenger flow (number of passengers) predicted in each transportation journey of the transportation network. Note that the details of the passenger flow prediction process 2300 will be described with reference to FIG. 23, so the description thereof is omitted here.

[0106] Next, in step F211, the operation plan creation unit 218 of the operation plan creation application 210P executes a new operation plan information creation process 2400 for generating new operation plan information 224 that reflects the results of the transportation journey operation suspension determination information creation process 2100, the movement route candidate information creation process 2200, and the passenger flow prediction process 2300. Note that the details of the new operation plan information creation process 2400 will be described with reference to FIG. 24, so the description thereof is omitted here.

[0107] Next, in step F212, the evaluation and visualization unit 219 of the operation plan creation application 210P performs an evaluation of the new operation plan information 224, and executes an evaluation and visualization process 2500 for displaying the result of the evaluation and other various information used in the operation plan creation apparatus 200 on a user interface such as a GUI (see FIGS. 27 to 29). Note that the details of the evaluation and visualization process 2500 will be described with reference to FIG. 25, so the description thereof is omitted here.

[0108] Next, in step F213, the evaluation and visualization unit 219 determines whether the new operation plan information 224 generated in step F211 satisfies the KPI target value acquired in step F209. When it is determined that the new operation plan information 224 meets the KPI target value, this process proceeds to step F214. On the other hand, when it is determined that the new operation plan information 224 does not meet the KPI target value, this process returns to step F209, prompts the user to reset the KPI target value, and obtains the modified KPI target value again.

[0109] Next, in step F214, a user such as a transportation network provider checks the new operation plan information 224 and determines whether the new operation plan information 224 is feasible. The determination of whether the new operation plan information 224 is feasible may be made based on any element such as, for example, the operating cost of the new operation plan information 224, the degree of KPI fulfillment, and the maintenance schedule. When it is determined that the new operation plan information 224 is feasible, this process proceeds to step F215. On the other hand, when it is determined that the new operation plan information 224 is infeasible, this process returns to step F209, prompts the user to reset the KPI target value, and obtains the modified KPI target value again.

[0110] Next, in step F215, the operation plan creation application 210P transmits the new operation plan information 224 to the traffic management device 113, the transport itinerary management device 114, and the client terminal 120 shown in FIG. 1.

[0111] Next, in step F216, the operation plan creation application 210P ends.

[0112] According to the operation plan management process 1600 described above, by considering the configuration of a plurality of transportation means in a variety of transportation networks and generating an operation plan that meets the needs of passengers, it is possible to improve the satisfaction of passengers with the transportation service and provide an operation plan creation means capable of suppressing the operating costs of transportation network providers.

[0113] Next, with reference to FIG. 17, the route selection process according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0114] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of route selection process 1700 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The route selection process 1700 is a process for selecting a reference route and a target route used for creating an operation plan, and is implemented by the route selection unit 212 shown in FIG. 2. In the present disclosure, the "target route" is a route of a transportation network for which creation of an operation plan is desired. The "reference route" is a route of a transportation network for which an existing operation plan has already been created, and is used as a reference when creating an operation plan for the target route.

[0115] First, in step F300, the route selection unit 212 of the operation plan creation application 210P is activated.

[0116] Next, in step F301, the route selection unit 212 acquires the existing operation plan information 221 and the transportation network configuration information 223 from the storage unit 220.

[0117] Next, in step F302, the route selection unit 212 displays the transportation network configuration information 223 on the client terminal 120 of the user such as a transportation network provider in a map display as shown in FIG. 27, for example, and receives information indicating selection of a route for which creation or change of an operation plan is desired from the user. Here, the user may select a plurality of routes.

[0118] Next, in step F303, the route selection unit 212 determines whether an operation plan corresponding to the route selected in step F302 exists in the existing operation plan information 221.

[0119] Next, in step F304, the route selection unit 212 determines whether or not there is one or more existing operation plans that satisfy a predetermined stability criterion in the existing operation plan information 221 for the route (for example, the first route) selected in step F302. The stability criterion here is a criterion for evaluating the possibility of changing the existing operation plan, and may be defined based on, for example, the creation date of the existing operation plan, the frequency of modification, etc. As an example, an existing operation plan with a creation date more than six months ago, an operation plan that has not been modified in the last month, an operation plan whose content is locked by the user, etc. may be determined to satisfy the stability criterion. If it is determined that there is one or more existing operation plans that satisfy a predetermined stability criterion in the existing operation plan information 221 for the route selected in step F302, this process proceeds to step F305. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no existing operation plan that satisfies a predetermined stability criterion in the existing operation plan information 221 for the route selected in step F302, this process returns to F302, and the route selection unit 212 receives a selection of a different route from the user.

[0120] Next, in step S305, the route selection unit 212 selects, as a reference route, a route among the routes selected in step F302 for which it is determined in step F304 that there is one or more existing operation plans that satisfy a predetermined stability criterion in the existing operation plan information 221. In this way, by selecting, as a reference route, a route that has an existing operation plan that satisfies the stability criterion and has a low possibility of being changed, it becomes possible to create a reliable new operation plan with a low possibility of being changed.

[0121] Next, in step F306, the route selection unit 212 determines a route (for example, the second route) that satisfies a predetermined distance criterion with respect to the reference route selected in step S305 among the routes selected in step F302. The distance criterion here is a criterion for evaluating the distance from the reference route of a specific route, and may be defined based on, for example, whether or not there is a station within 100 meters from any station on the reference route, whether or not it connects to the reference route, etc. In this way, it is possible to determine a route for which a transfer from the reference route is realistically possible from the perspective of the passenger.

[0122] Next, in step F307, the route selection unit 212 determines whether an existing operation plan exists in the existing operation plan information 221 for the route determined in step F306. If the existing operation plan does not exist in the existing operation plan information 221 for the route determined in step F306, this process proceeds to step F308. On the other hand, if the existing operation plan exists in the existing operation plan information 221 for the route determined in step F306, this process proceeds to step F309.

[0123] Next, in step F308, for the route for which the route selection unit 212 determines in step F307 that the existing operation plan does not exist in the existing operation plan information 221, the transportation means, the departure place, and the arrival place are determined. If the transportation means, the departure place, and the arrival place regarding the route exist in the transportation network configuration information 223, the route selection unit 212 may determine these based on the transportation network configuration information 223. Also, in an embodiment, the route selection unit 212 may receive information on the transportation means, the departure place, and the arrival place regarding the route from the user such as transportation network provision via the client terminal 120.

[0124] Next, in step F309, the route selection unit 212 selects, as the target route, the route for which it is determined in step F306 that the existing operation plan exists in the existing operation plan information 221, or the route for which the information on the transportation means, the departure place, and the arrival place could be determined in step F308. Also, here, the route selection unit 212 may reflect the information on the route selected as the reference route and the information on the route selected as the target route in the above-described transportation network configuration information table T223.

[0125] Next, in step F310, the route selection unit 212 ends.

[0126] According to the route selection process 1700 described above, it is possible to select a target route for which creation or modification of an operation plan is desired, and a reference route used as a reference when creating an operation plan for the target route.

[0127] Next, with reference to FIG. 18, the target operation plan creation process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0128] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of a target operation plan creation process 1800 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The target operation plan creation process 1800 is a process for generating a target operation plan, which is an operation plan for the target route selected in the route selection process 1700 described with reference to FIG. 17, and is executed by the target operation plan creation unit 213 shown in FIG. 2.

[0129] First, in step F400, the target operation plan creation unit 213 of the operation plan creation application 210P is activated.

[0130] Next, in step F401, the target operation plan creation unit 213 acquires information on the target route selected in the route selection process 1700 described with reference to FIG. 17, the transport network configuration information 223, and the existing operation plan information 221 from the storage unit 220.

[0131] Next, in step F402, the target operation plan creation unit 213 determines the departure station and arrival station of the target route in the transport network based on the departure place and arrival place of the target route determined in step F308 of the route selection process 1700. Here, the target operation plan creation unit 213 may determine a station that satisfies a predetermined distance criterion (for example, within a radius of 100 meters) with respect to the departure place determined in step F308 of the route selection process 1700 as the departure station of the target route, and determine a station that satisfies a predetermined distance criterion (for example, within a radius of 100 meters) with respect to the arrival place determined in step F308 of the route selection process 1700 as the arrival station of the target route.

[0132] Next, in step F403, the target operation plan creation unit 213 determines whether there is an available parking facility for each of the departure station and the arrival station determined in step F402. This is because, in principle, it is desirable that a station that serves as the starting point or the arrival point of a transport journey in a transport network has facilities for stopping, evacuating, or maintaining moving bodies such as trains and buses. In an embodiment, for each of the departure station and the arrival station, the presence or absence of an available parking facility may be determined based on the transport network configuration information 223. If there is an available parking facility for each of the departure station and the arrival station determined in step F402, this process proceeds to step S405. On the other hand, if there is no available parking facility for each of the departure station and the arrival station determined in step F402, this process proceeds to step F404.

[0133] Next, in step F404, the target operation plan creation unit 213 changes the departure station or the arrival station determined to have no available parking facility in step F403 to the nearest station having an available parking facility. The determination of the nearest station having an available parking facility may be made, for example, based on the transport network configuration information 223. In this way, the departure station and the arrival station of the target route can be set to stations having available parking facilities.

[0134] Next, in step F405, the target operation plan creation unit 213 determines whether an operation plan corresponding to the target route acquired in step F401 exists in the existing operation plan information 221. If an operation plan corresponding to the target route exists in the existing operation plan information 221, this process proceeds to step F410. On the other hand, if an operation plan corresponding to the target route does not exist in the existing operation plan information 221, this process proceeds to step F406.

[0135] Next, in step F406, the target operation plan creation unit 213 acquires information regarding the fleet of mobile units used to provide transportation services on the target route. Here, the information regarding the fleet of mobile units may include, for example, information regarding the number of mobile units, vehicle types, specifications, seating capacities, traveling speeds for each means of transportation, etc., and may be acquired from, for example, the operation management platform shown in FIG. 1.

[0136] Next, in step F407, the target operation plan creation unit 213 determines the stopping stations and the travel times of the transportation trips on the target route based on the transportation network configuration information 223. The travel times of the transportation trips may be determined based on the information of the mobile units used to provide transportation services by the means of transportation.

[0137] Next, in step F408, the target operation plan creation unit 213 generates a target operation plan indicating the recommended transportation trips (departure and arrival times at each station, etc.) on the target route based on the information regarding the fleet of mobile units acquired in step F406 and the stopping stations and the travel times of the transportation trips on the target route determined in step F407. The target operation plan here is information indicating the recommended transportation trips on the target route, and may include, for example, information such as the mobile unit ID, departure station ID, arrival station ID, departure time, arrival time, and seating capacity used to carry out the transportation trips on the target route. As an example, in order to generate the target operation plan, the target operation plan creation unit 213 identifies the stations on the target route based on the transportation network configuration information 223, identifies the existing transportation trips passing through the stations based on the existing operation plan information 221, identifies the time and time intervals of the transportation trips based on the existing operation plan information 221, generates a speed profile for the mobile units on the target route based on the distances between the stations on the target route and the stopping times at each station, generates an initial operation plan for one mobile unit based on the speed profile, identifies the maximum number of mobile units in the fleet at the departure and arrival stations on the target route, and may create a final target operation plan for the target route based on the maximum number of mobile units in the fleet and the initial operation plan.

[0138] Next, in step F409, the target operation plan creation unit 213 stores the target operation plan generated in step F408 in the storage unit 220.

[0139] Next, in step F410, the target operation plan creation unit 213 ends.

[0140] According to the target operation plan creation process 1800 described above, based on the existing operation plan information 221, it is possible to create a target operation plan corresponding to a target route for which creation or change of the operation plan is desired.

[0141] Next, with reference to FIG. 19, the transportation itinerary network information creation process according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0142] FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of the transportation itinerary network generation process 1900 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. The transportation itinerary network generation process 1900 is a process for generating transportation itinerary network information 225 indicating each transportation itinerary in the transportation network, and may be implemented by the transportation itinerary network generation unit 214 of the operation plan creation application 210P shown in FIG. 2.

[0143] First, in step F500, the operation plan creation application 210P activates the transportation itinerary network generation unit 214.

[0144] Next, in step F501, the transportation itinerary network generation unit 214 acquires from the storage unit 220 the existing operation plan information 221, the target operation plan indicating the operation plan for the target route generated in the target operation plan creation process 1800 described with reference to FIG. 18, and the passenger predicted movement information 230.

[0145] Next, in step F502, the transport route network generation unit 214 starts generating a graph-form transport route network representation for each of the operation plan (hereinafter referred to as the "reference operation plan") corresponding to the route selected as the reference route in step F305 of the route selection process 1700 in the existing operation plan information 221 and the target operation plan generated in the target operation plan creation process 1800. Note that it should be noted that the processes from step F503 to step F508 are executed for each of the reference operation plan and the target operation plan.

[0146] Next, in step F503, the transport route network generation unit 214 converts each transport route ID in the reference operation plan and the target operation plan into a transport route node in the network graph in graph form. The expression of converting a transport route ID into a transport route node means generating a transport route node representing the transport route identified by the transport route ID in the network graph in graph form. Here, the transport route network generation unit 214 may assign a transport route node ID in the form of "TN_n" to each transport route node as shown in the transport route network information table T225 of FIG. 7 described above.

[0147] Next, in step F504, the transport route network generation unit 214 assigns node information such as the departure time, departure station, arrival time, arrival station, passenger capacity, and operation cost of the transport route to each transport route node created in the network graph in step F503. Here, the direction of the transport route node may be set based on the departure time and arrival time of the preceding node and the succeeding node. Note that the assignment of node information to the transport route node may be performed by existing network graph generation means and is not particularly limited here.

[0148] Next, in step F505, the transportation itinerary network generation unit 214 groups the movement routes in the passenger predicted movement information 230 at predetermined time intervals and assigns a movement route group ID. For example, in an embodiment, the transportation itinerary network generation unit 214 may group movement routes with close departure times (within the same 5 minutes or 10 minutes) as the same group.

[0149] Next, in step F506, the transportation itinerary network generation unit 214 determines a movement route with a change in transportation means. Here, the transportation itinerary network generation unit 214 may determine a movement route with a change in transportation means by identifying a movement route in which the transportation means at the departure station and the transportation means at the arrival station are different based on the departure station ID and the arrival station ID of each movement route in the passenger predicted movement information 230. As an example, for the movement route with the movement route ID of "OD_4" shown in FIG. 12, since the departure station ID is "t1" and the transportation means is a train, while the arrival station ID is "b5" and the transportation means is a bus, it can be determined that the movement route of "OD_4" has a change in transportation means.

[0150] Next, in step F507, the transportation itinerary network generation unit 214 converts the departure station ID in the passenger predicted movement information 230 into a starting point node in the network graph, and converts the arrival station ID in the passenger predicted movement information 230 into an ending point node in the network graph. Here, the expression of converting the departure station ID or the arrival station ID into a starting point node or an ending point node means generating a node representing the station identified by the departure station ID and the arrival station ID in the network graph in graph form.

[0151] Next, in step F508, the transportation itinerary network generation unit 214 assigns edges between each transportation itinerary node in the network graph. The edge here represents the movement (transfer) of passengers between transportation itineraries.

[0152] Next, in step F509, the transport route network generation unit 214 finishes generating the graph-form transport route network representation. By executing the processes from step F503 to step F508 for each of the reference operation plan and the target operation plan, a reference network graph showing the transport routes in the reference operation plan of the reference route in graph form and a target network graph showing the transport routes in the target operation plan of the target route in graph form can be generated.

[0153] Next, in step F510, the transport route network generation unit 214 acquires the transport means change information 233 from the storage unit 220, and by applying the transport means change rules in the transport means change information 233 to each of the reference network graph and the target network graph, for the transport means change nodes where the change of transport means is possible, a transport means change edge indicating the movement between the transport means change nodes is added. In this way, by adding the transport means change edges that connect the transport means change nodes, a transport route network representation combining the reference network graph and the target network graph can be generated. As an example, according to the transport means change rule "RT1" in the transport means change information 233, by determining the transport routes of the movement paths where the transport means at the departure station and the transport means at the arrival station in the passenger predicted movement information 230 are different, the transport routes can be specified as transport means change nodes, and the transport means change edges can be added.

[0154] Also, the transport means change edge assigned to the transport route specified by "RT1" may be associated with edge information including, in addition to the transport route ID indicating the transport route, an edge ID in the E_n format and a transport means change attribute in the EM_n format indicating the type of transport means (from train to bus, from bus to monorail, etc.). Similarly, the transport means change edge assigned to the transport route specified by the transport means change rule "RT2" may be associated with the edge ID in the E_n format. The transport means change edge assigned to the transport itinerary specified by the transport means change rule "RT3" may be associated with the station ID indicating the station where the transport means can be changed, or the edge information indicating the attribute of the time frame showing the arrival time or departure time of the transport itinerary. The transport means change edge assigned to the transport itinerary specified by the transport means change rule "RT4" may be associated with the edge information indicating the travel time between stations for changing the transport means. The transport means change edge assigned to the transport itinerary specified by the transport means change rule "RT5" may be associated with the edge information indicating the characteristics specific to the transport itinerary.

[0155] Next, in step F511, the transport itinerary network generation unit 214 assigns an edge between the origin node and the destination node in the transport itinerary network representation generated in step F510 based on the passenger predicted movement information 230 and the transport means change information 233. Note that the edge assignment in step F511 may be performed based on the departure time from the origin node of the transport itinerary node and the arrival time at the destination node. Referring to the above-described transport itinerary network information table T225, an example will be described. When the departure time (08:03) of the transport itinerary node of "tn_0" is later than the departure time of the origin node "s_0", in the transport itinerary network representation, an edge connecting the transport itinerary node of "tn_0" to the origin node "s_0" may be assigned.

[0156] Next, in step F512, the transport itinerary network generation unit 214 converts the generated transport itinerary network representation into a table format and stores it in the storage unit 220 as the transport itinerary network information 225.

[0157] Next, in step F513, the operation plan creation application 210P terminates the transport itinerary network generation unit 214.

[0158] According to the above-described transport route network generation process 1900, it is possible to generate transport route network information 225 indicating the transport routes in each of the reference operation plan corresponding to the reference route and the target operation plan corresponding to the target route. By treating this transport route network information as a so-called MILP (Mixed Integer Linear Problem) and analyzing it using optimization algorithms such as the Exact method, Non-Exact method, branch-and-cut method, heuristic method, and genetic algorithm, it is possible to create an operation plan considering the complex configuration of a multi-modal transport network including multiple transport means, the preferences of passengers for movement, and the cost-effectiveness of transport services.

[0159] Next, with reference to FIG. 20, an example of the transport route network generation process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0160] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of the transport route network generation process 1900 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 20 shows an operation plan F501a, a transport network configuration diagram F501b, a network graph F509a, and a multi-modal transport route network representation F510a.

[0161] The operation plan F501a is a time-distance diagram showing the operation plan according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this time-distance diagram format, stations (stations A, B, C) are shown on the vertical axis, time is shown on the horizontal axis, and diagonal lines between stations represent transport routes (x 1 ~x n ). Here, as an example of the operation plan, a time-distance diagram of a general operation plan is shown. However, as described above, in order to generate the transport route network representation, two operation plans, namely, the reference operation plan corresponding to the reference route and the target operation plan corresponding to the target route, are used.

[0162] The transport network configuration information F501b is a configuration diagram showing an example of the transport network configuration information 223 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. As described above, this transport network information F501b may indicate the connection between stations (such as railway stations and bus stops) of a plurality of transport means in the transport network.

[0163] By using the above-described operation plan F501 and transport network configuration information F501b to execute steps F500 to F509 in the transport route network generation process 1900 shown in FIG. 19, a network graph F509a obtained by converting the transport route in the operation plan F501 into a graph format can be generated. However, it should be noted that this network graph F509a is a network graph showing the transport route in a single transport means.

[0164] By using a plurality of network graphs showing the transport routes in a plurality of different transport means and executing steps F510 to F13 in the transport route network generation process 1900 shown in FIG. 19, a multi-modal transport route network representation F510a obtained by combining these plurality of network graphs can be generated. As an example, as described above, for example, by using a reference network graph showing the transport route in a reference route, which is a route of a transport means such as a "train", in a graph format, and a target network graph showing the transport route in a target route, which is a route of a transport means such as a "bus", in a graph format, and executing steps F510 to F513 in the transport route network generation process 1900 shown in FIG. 19, a multi-modal transport route network representation F510 showing the transport routes in a plurality of transport means such as trains and buses can be obtained.

[0165] In the multi-modal transport route network representation F510, nodes such as "x 1 ", "x 2 ", "x 3 "... "x n " correspond to the transport routes in the reference route, and "bt 1 1 ", "bt 21 」「bt 3 1 」...「bt n m Nodes such as 」 etc. correspond to the transportation trips on the target route. Also, the edges shown by thin solid lines indicate transfers that do not require a change in the means of transportation, and the edges shown by thick solid lines indicate transfers that require a change in the means of transportation.

[0166] Next, with reference to FIG. 21, the transportation trip suspension availability information creation process according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0167] FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of the transportation trip suspension availability information creation process 2100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. The transportation trip suspension availability information creation process 2100 is a process for generating transportation trip suspension availability information 226 indicating the suspension availability of each transportation trip, and may be implemented by the suspension determination unit 215 shown in FIG. 2.

[0168] First, in step F600, the operation plan creation application 210P activates the suspension determination unit 215.

[0169] Next, in step F601, the suspension determination unit 215 acquires the maintenance information 222, the suspension rule information 227, and the transportation trip network information 225 from the storage unit 220.

[0170] Next, in step F602, the suspension determination unit 215 defines a group of nodes that can be suspended and a group of nodes that cannot be suspended as categories for classifying the nodes in the transportation trip network information 225.

[0171] Next, in step F603, the suspension determination unit 215 starts a node search for the transportation trip network information 225. This node search is a process for classifying each node into either a group of nodes that can be suspended or a group of nodes that cannot be suspended by applying the suspension rules shown in the above-described suspension rule information 227 to each node in the transportation trip network representation obtained by converting the transportation trip network information 225 into a graph network format.

[0172] Next, in step F604, the suspension determination unit 215 adds, to the group of nodes determined to be suspendable, the nodes in the transport route network representation showing the transport route network information 225 in graph form that are determined to be suspendable by the suspension rules shown in the above-described suspension rule information 227. Here, when applying the suspension rules to a specific node, the suspension determination unit 215 may refer to the maintenance information 222 shown in FIG. 4 and the transport network configuration information 223 shown in FIG. 5.

[0173] As an example, when the suspension determination unit 215 refers to the transport network configuration information 223 and determines that a specific transport route node uses a station equipped with a parking facility, the suspension determination unit 215 may add the transport route node to the group of nodes determined to be suspendable according to rule RC1 of the suspension rule information 227 shown in FIG. 9. In addition, the suspension determination unit 215 may add, to the group of nodes determined to be suspendable, other transport route nodes connected to the transport route node determined to be suspendable by rule RC1 according to rule RC2. In addition, the suspension determination unit 215 may add, to the group of nodes determined to be suspendable, the transport route nodes of the target route connected to the transport route nodes of the reference route by the transport means change edge according to rule RC3.

[0174] Next, in step F605, the suspension determination unit 215 adds, to the group of nodes determined to be non-suspendable, the nodes in the transport route network representation showing the transport route network information 225 in graph form that are determined to be non-suspendable by the suspension rules shown in the above-described suspension rule information 227. As described above, here, when applying the suspension rules to a specific node, the suspension determination unit 215 may refer to the maintenance information 222 shown in FIG. 5 and the transport network configuration information 223 shown in FIG. 13.

[0175] As an example, when the operation suspension determination unit 215 refers to the transportation network configuration information 223 and determines that a specific transportation route node has high demand (the number of passengers exceeds a predetermined number of passengers), it may add the transportation route node to the group of nodes that cannot be suspended according to rule RU1 of the operation suspension rule information 227 shown in FIG. 9.

[0176] Next, in step F606, the operation suspension determination unit 215 ends the node search.

[0177] Next, in step F607, the operation suspension determination unit 215 adds the starting node and the ending node in the transportation route network representation showing the transportation route network information 225 in graph form to the group of nodes that cannot be suspended. Note that the starting node and the ending node correspond to the first and last transportation routes (first train and last train) of the day, and if they are suspended, it may affect all transportation routes of the day. Therefore, it is desirable to add the starting node and the ending node to the group of nodes that cannot be suspended according to rule RU2 of the operation suspension rule information 227.

[0178] Next, in step F608, the operation suspension determination unit 215 adds the nodes of the transportation routes that could not be classified into either the category of the group of nodes that can be suspended or the group of nodes that cannot be suspended by the above-described processing to the group of nodes that can be suspended.

[0179] Next, in step F609, the operation suspension determination unit 215 generates the transportation route operation suspension availability information 226 by aggregating the group of nodes that can be suspended and the group of nodes that cannot be suspended, and stores it in the storage unit 220.

[0180] Next, in step F610, the operation plan creation application 210P terminates the operation suspension determination unit 215.

[0181] According to the transportation schedule cancellation availability information creation process 2100 described above, it is possible to generate transportation schedule cancellation availability information 226 indicating candidates for transportation schedules that can be cancelled (such as transportation schedules with low demand) in order to reduce the operating costs of the transportation network provider. As will be described later, by using this transportation schedule cancellation availability information 226, it becomes possible to generate an operation plan that matches the actual travel demand.

[0182] Next, with reference to FIG. 22, the travel route candidate information creation process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0183] FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of the travel route candidate information creation process 2200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The travel route candidate information creation process 2200 is a process for generating travel route candidate information 231 indicating candidates for travel routes that match the travel preferences of passengers for each travel route in the above-described passenger predicted travel information 230, and may be implemented by the travel route candidate determination unit 216 shown in FIG. 2.

[0184] First, in step F700, the operation plan creation application 210P activates the travel route candidate determination unit 216.

[0185] Next, in step F701, the travel route candidate determination unit 216 acquires the transportation schedule network information 225 and the passenger predicted travel information 230 from the storage unit 220.

[0186] Next, in step F702, the travel route candidate determination unit 216 identifies all available travel routes between each pair of the origin node and the destination node in the transportation schedule network graph based on the passenger predicted travel information 230 and the transportation schedule network information 225 acquired in step F701. Here, the expression of all available travel routes means travel routes that can reach each destination node from each origin node.

[0187] Next, in step F703, the travel route candidate determination unit 216 acquires the travel preference information 229 from the storage unit 220.

[0188] Next, in step F704, the movement route candidate determination unit 216 determines, as movement route candidates, movement routes that match the passenger's movement preference information 229 from among all available movement routes between each pair of the starting node and the ending node specified in step F702. Here, the movement route candidate determination unit 216 can determine movement route candidates that satisfy the transport itinerary usage conditions in the movement preference information table T229 shown in, for example, FIG. 11, by applying a network search algorithm such as BFS (Breadth First Search), DFS (Depth First Search), Dijkstra's algorithm, or A* search algorithm to the transport itinerary network graph. As an example, the movement route candidate determination unit 216 may determine, as movement route candidates, movement routes that can reach the destination by a predetermined time, movement routes with a congestion rate less than a predetermined rate, movement routes that can reach the destination within a predetermined number of transfers, and movement routes with a number of transport means changes within a predetermined number, from among all available movement routes between each pair of the starting node and the ending node.

[0189] Next, in step F705, the movement route candidate determination unit 216 determines whether movement route candidates that match the passenger's movement preference information 229 are specified between each pair of the starting node and the ending node of the transport itinerary network graph. If movement route candidates that match the passenger's movement preference information 229 cannot be determined in step F704 in the transport itinerary network graph, this process proceeds to step F706. If movement route candidates that match the passenger's movement preference information 229 are determined in step F704 in the transport itinerary network graph, this process proceeds to step F707.

[0190] Next, in step F706, if movement route candidates that match the passenger's movement preference information 229 cannot be determined in step F704, the movement route candidate determination unit 216 sets the available movement routes specified in step F702 as movement route candidates to be the target of the crowd flow prediction described later. After that, this process proceeds to step F708.

[0191] Next, in step F707, when a movement route candidate that matches the movement preference information 229 of the passenger can be determined in step F704, the movement route candidate determination unit 216 updates the transportation itinerary network information table 225b and the transportation itinerary network representation based on the movement route candidate determined in step F704. This updated transportation itinerary network representation is used in the crowd flow prediction process 2300 and the new operation plan information creation process 2400 described later.

[0192] Next, in step F708, the movement route candidate determined in step F706 or step F707 is stored in the storage unit 220 as the movement route candidate information 231 described above.

[0193] Next, in step F709, the operation plan creation application 210P terminates the movement route candidate determination unit 216.

[0194] According to the movement route candidate information creation process 2200 described above, for each departure place and arrival place in the above-described passenger predicted movement information 230, movement route candidate information 231 indicating candidates for movement routes that match the movement preferences of passengers can be generated. Further, by performing crowd flow prediction (crowd flow prediction process 2300 described later) based on the movement route candidate information 231 generated in this way, it becomes possible to generate an operation plan that meets the actual movement demand in consideration of the preferences of passengers regarding movement time, number of transfers, etc. (that is, conditions under which passengers use transportation services and conditions under which passengers cancel the use of transportation services, etc.).

[0195] Next, with reference to FIG. 23, the crowd flow prediction process according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0196] FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of the passenger flow prediction process 2300 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The passenger flow prediction process 2300 is a process for generating an expected number of passengers, which is the number of passengers predicted in the transportation service, and may be implemented by the passenger flow prediction unit 217 shown in FIG. 2.

[0197] First, in step F800, the operation plan creation application 210P activates the passenger flow prediction unit 217.

[0198] Next, in step F801, the passenger flow prediction unit 217 acquires the transportation route network information 225 and the movement route candidate information 231 from the storage unit 220.

[0199] Next, in step F802, the passenger flow prediction unit 217 updates the transportation route network information 225 (for example, the transportation route network representation showing the transportation route network information 225 in a graph format) based on the movement route candidate information 231 acquired in step F701. Here, the passenger flow prediction unit 217 may specify the movement route candidates shown in the movement route candidate information 231 as the targets of passenger flow prediction in the transportation route network information 225, or may generate a new transportation network graph including only the movement route candidates shown in the movement route candidate information 231.

[0200] Next, in step F803, the passenger flow prediction unit 217 sets passenger flow constraints based on the movement route candidate information 231. The passenger flow constraints here are information that restricts the flow of passengers in passenger flow prediction. For example, in the simulation of passenger flow, it may be a constraint that stipulates that the number of input passengers (the number of passengers starting to move from any origin node of the transportation network) and the number of output passengers (the number of passengers ending their movement at any destination node of the transportation network) are the same. As another example, the passenger flow prediction unit 217 may set the passenger capacity of the moving body that restricts the flow of passengers or the usage fee of the transportation service as the passenger flow constraints.

[0201] Next, in step F804, the passenger flow prediction unit 217 performs a passenger flow simulation on the transportation itinerary network representation indicating the movement route candidates generated in step F802, thereby predicting the number of passengers for each movement route candidate and generating an expected number of passengers, which is the number of passengers predicted in the transportation service. Here, the passenger flow prediction unit 217 assigns a predetermined number of passengers to the origin node of each movement route candidate in the transportation network graph, and applies a linear solver using an Exact method such as the so-called Ford-Fulkerson algorithm, whereby the number of passengers passing through each node and the number of passengers for each movement route candidate can be predicted.

[0202] Next, in step F805, based on the expected number of passengers generated in step F704 and the above-described passenger expected movement information 230, the passenger flow prediction unit 217 generates unmet demand information 228 indicating the number of passengers predicted to cancel the use of the transportation service because there is no movement route that conforms to the movement preference information 229. Here, the passenger flow prediction unit 217 may generate unmet demand information 228 indicating the number of passengers predicted to cancel the use of the transportation service because there is no movement route that conforms to the movement preference information 229 by subtracting the predicted number of passengers for each movement route candidate (the first number of passengers), which is obtained as a result of the passenger flow simulation performed in step F704, from the number of passengers (the second number of passengers) indicated in the existing operation plan information 221 and corresponding to the movement route.

[0203] Next, in step F806, the passenger flow prediction unit 217 stores the predicted number of passengers generated in step F804 in the storage unit 220. This predicted number of passengers is information included in the new operation plan information 224 in the new operation plan information creation process 2400 described later. Next, in step F807, the operation plan creation application 210P terminates the passenger flow prediction unit 217.

[0204] According to the passenger flow prediction process 2300 described above, it is possible to calculate the predicted number of passengers using each of the movement route candidates that match the movement preferences of the passengers. Further, by using the predicted number of passengers generated in this way, it is possible to generate an operation plan that meets the actual movement demand, taking into account the movement preferences of the passengers regarding the movement time, the number of transfers, etc. (that is, the conditions under which the passengers use the transportation service, the conditions under which the passengers cancel the use of the transportation service, etc.).

[0205] Next, with reference to FIG. 24, the new operation plan information creation process according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0206] FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of the new operation plan information creation process 2400 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. The new operation plan information creation process 2400 is a process for generating new operation plan information 224 indicating recommended transportation schedules for a plurality of routes (reference route and target route) with different transportation means, and may be implemented by the operation plan creation unit 218 shown in FIG. 2. Here, the "new operation plan information indicating the recommended transportation schedule" means an operation plan for improving the cost effectiveness of the transportation network provider, in which transportation schedules with low demand are suspended, taking into account the configuration of the multi-modal transportation network, the convenience of changing transportation means, and the demand predicted based on the movement preferences of the passengers.

[0207] First, in step F900, the operation plan creation application 210P activates the operation plan creation unit 218.

[0208] Next, in step F901, the operation plan creation unit 218 acquires the transportation schedule network information 225, the transportation schedule operation suspension availability information 226, and the unsatisfied demand information 228 from the storage unit 220.

[0209] Next, in step F902, the operation plan creation unit 218 analyzes the various information acquired in step F901 and performs parameter setting for the solver used to generate the new operation plan information 224. Here, the operation plan creation unit 218 may set the number of transport trips, the congestion rate, the unmet demand, and the transport means change rate as KPI parameters to be optimized. The solver here is a solver that solves an optimization problem formulated as a MILP (Mix Integer Linear Problem), and may be, for example, Gurobi Optimizer or the like. Also, in an embodiment, when formulating the optimization of the KPI as a multi-objective optimization problem, the STOM (satisficing trade off method) may be used.

[0210] Next, in step F903, the operation plan creation unit 218 sets constraints regarding the flow of people and the operation suspension rules for the solver based on the transport trip operation suspension availability information 226. Here, the operation plan creation unit 218 may set constraints for the solver that define the transport trips that can be suspended and the transport trips that cannot be suspended indicated in the transport trip operation suspension availability information 226. As an example, the operation plan creation unit 218 may set constraints such as a constraint to suspend a transport trip when the number of passengers is less than 10% of the capacity, and constraints that define the lower and upper limits of the capacity, demand, unmet demand, and transport means change rate. Here, by setting the constraints, it is possible to more easily generate an operation plan that satisfies the target value of the KPI.

[0211] Next, in step F904, the operation plan creation unit 218 acquires the KPI target value set in step F203 of the operation plan management process 1600 described above from the storage unit 220.

[0212] Next, in step F905, the operation plan creation unit 218 performs analysis by the solver with the parameters and constraints set in steps F902 and F903. Here, the solver obtains a solution that minimizes the number of transport trips while suppressing the congestion rate, unmet demand, and transport means change rate for the objective function targeting the number of transport trips, congestion rate, unmet demand, and transport means change rate. An example of the objective function formulated as a MILP and its constraints optimized by the solver is shown below.

Number

Number

Number

Number

Number

[0213] Through the analysis by the solver performed in step F905, a solution can be obtained that minimizes the number of transport trips while suppressing the congestion rate, unmet demand, and transport means change rate. Next, in step F906, the operation plan creation unit 218 generates new operation plan information 224 based on the solution obtained as a result of the analysis by the solver performed in step F905 and stores it in the storage unit 220. As described above, this new operation plan information 224 shows an operation plan with, for example, information on routes with different transport means added compared to the existing operation plan information 221 shown in FIG. 3, while suppressing the congestion rate, unmet demand, transport means change rate, and the number of transport trips.

[0214] Next, in step F906, the operation plan creation application 210P terminates the operation plan creation unit 218. In a certain embodiment, when the operation plan creation unit 218 determines that the unmet demand information (that is, the number of passengers predicted to cancel the use of the transportation service because there is no travel route that matches the travel preference information 229) exceeds a predetermined unmet demand threshold, it determines that the new operation plan information 224 is not acceptable, and by adjusting the parameters and constraints of the solver, it is possible to generate modified operation plan information that is modified to exceed the unmet demand threshold. Here, the unmet demand threshold may be a value indicating the upper limit of the acceptable number of unaddressed passengers. Also, the operation plan creation unit 218 may perform similar modifications on the KPI of the change rate and congestion rate of the transportation means.

[0215] According to the new operation plan information creation process 2400 described above, considering the configuration of various transportation networks, the convenience of transportation means change, and the demand predicted based on the travel preferences of passengers, new operation plan information 224 for improving the cost-effectiveness of the transportation network provider is generated by suspending transportation trips with low demand, etc. This new operation plan information 224 shows an operation plan in which the number of passengers (unmet demand) who cancel the use of the transportation service due to the absence of a transportation trip that matches the travel preference, the congestion rate, and the change rate of the transportation means are suppressed, and transportation trips that do not meet a predetermined demand standard (for example, transportation trips with low demand) are reduced. Therefore, compared with the existing operation plan information 221 shown in FIG. 3, for example, the satisfaction of passengers with the transportation service can be improved, and the operating costs of the transportation network provider can be suppressed. Also, since transportation trips that do not meet a predetermined demand standard, etc. are reduced in this new operation plan information 224, it is possible to perform a pedestrian flow simulation on the new operation plan information 224 again and determine the change in unmet demand due to the reduced transportation trips.

[0216] Next, with reference to FIG. 25, the evaluation and visualization process according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0217] FIG. 25 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of the evaluation / visualization process 2500 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The evaluation / visualization process 2500 is a process for evaluating the new operation plan information 224 and displaying the result of the evaluation and various other information used in the operation plan creation device 200 on a user interface such as a GUI, and is implemented by the evaluation / visualization unit 219 shown in FIG. 2.

[0218] First, in step F1000, the operation plan creation application 210P activates the evaluation / visualization unit 219.

[0219] Next, in step F1001, the evaluation / visualization unit 219 acquires the new operation plan information 224 generated by the above-described new operation plan information creation process 2400 from the storage unit 220.

[0220] Next, in step F1002, the evaluation / visualization unit 219 evaluates the KPIs (number of transport trips, congestion rate, unmet demand, and change rate of transport means) of the new operation plan information 224. Here, the evaluation / visualization unit 219 may evaluate the KPIs of the new operation plan information 224 by comparing the KPIs of the new operation plan information 224 with, for example, the KPI target values set by the user in the above-described operation plan management process 1600.

[0221] Next, in step F1003, the evaluation / visualization unit 219 generates an evaluation result of the new operation plan information 224 including the evaluation result of the KPIs of the new operation plan information 224 performed in step F1002 and the movement route candidate information 231 generated in the above-described movement route candidate information creation process 2200, and presents it to the user via the GUI. Here, the evaluation / visualization unit 219 may display the generated evaluation result of the new operation plan information 224 on the evaluation result interface 2800 of the new operation plan information described later. Note that, as will be described later, in addition to the evaluation result interface 2800 of the new operation plan information shown in FIG. 28, the evaluation / visualization unit 219 may also display the KPI setting interface 2600, the route selection interface 2700, and the evaluation result interface 2900 of the movement route candidate information.

[0222] According to the evaluation and visualization process 2500 described above, it is possible to provide users such as transport network providers with the results of evaluations performed on the new operation plan information and various other information used in the operation plan creation device 200.

[0223] Next, with reference to FIG. 26, the KPI setting interface according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0224] FIG. 26 is a diagram showing an example of a KPI setting interface 2600 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The KPI setting interface 2600 is a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for setting target values of KPIs for an operation plan, and may be displayed on the display unit 250 of the operation plan creation device, the client terminal 120, or the screen of other external devices described above.

[0225] As shown in FIG. 26, the KPI setting interface 2600 includes a mode menu G101 and a KPI setting window G102. The mode menu G101 is a menu for switching the display screen of the GUI. According to the mode menu G101, the GUI can be switched among a KPI setting mode for setting KPIs, a route selection mode for selecting a route, a result display mode for displaying the evaluation results of an operation plan, and an evaluation result mode of movement route candidate information for showing the evaluation results of movement route candidate information.

[0226] The KPI setting window G102 is a GUI window for setting the target value of a KPI with respect to the current value of the KPI for an operation plan. As shown in FIG. 26, the KPI setting window G102 displays the current value and the target value of the KPI for each KPI. The user can input a new KPI and set the KPI target value with respect to this KPI setting window G102. As an example, the user may set target values for each of the KPIs of the number of transport trips, the congestion rate, the unsatisfied demand, and the transport means change rate.

[0227] Also, the user can save the set KPI to a file by pressing the "Save to File" button G103. By pressing the "Complete" button G104, the set KPI can be saved and the KPI setting can be terminated. By pressing the "Cancel" button G105, the set KPI can be canceled and the KPI setting can be terminated.

[0228] Next, with reference to FIG. 27, the route selection interface according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0229] FIG. 27 is a diagram showing an example of a route selection interface 2700 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The route selection interface 2700 is a GUI used for selecting a route for which creation or change of an operation plan is desired in the route selection process 1700 described with reference to FIG. 17, for example, and may be displayed on the display unit 250 of the operation plan creation device, the client terminal 120, or the screen of other external devices described above.

[0230] As shown in FIG. 27, the route selection interface 2700 mainly includes a mode menu G201, a transportation network configuration information reading button G202, a route selection screen G203, a route selection menu G204, and a route addition menu G205. The mode menu G201 is a menu for switching the display screen of the GUI. According to the mode menu G201, the GUI can be switched to a KPI setting mode for setting a KPI, a route selection mode for performing route selection, a result display mode for displaying the evaluation result of the operation plan, and an evaluation result mode of the movement route candidate information for showing the evaluation result of the movement route candidate information.

[0231] The transportation network configuration information reading button G202 is a button for reading the selected transportation network configuration information 223 from the storage unit 220 and converting it into a map display as shown in FIG. 27.

[0232] The route selection screen G203 is a GUI window for displaying the transport network configuration information 223 selected by the transport network configuration information reading button G202 to the user in a map format. As shown in FIG. 27, the route selection screen G203 can select a route for which operation plan creation or change is desired from among the transport network configuration information 223 in a map format. Also, on the route selection screen G203, the predicted passenger demand for a route may be indicated by a solid line representing the route (for example, a route with high demand may be indicated by a thicker line, and a route with low demand may be indicated by a thinner line).

[0233] The route selection menu G204 is a menu for displaying information regarding the route number, means of transportation, departure station, and arrival station of the route selected by the user on the route selection screen G203. The route addition menu G205 is a menu showing the means of transportation, departure location, and arrival location of routes for which a new operation plan can be created.

[0234] Also, the user can save the selected route to a file by pressing the "Save to File" button G205. By pressing the "Create Operation Plan" button G206, creation of a new operation plan is executed based on the routes selected in the route selection menu G204 and the route addition menu G205.

[0235] Next, with reference to FIG. 28, an evaluation result interface for new operation plan information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0236] FIG. 28 is a diagram showing an example of an evaluation result interface 2800 for new operation plan information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The evaluation result interface 2800 for new operation plan information is a GUI showing the evaluation result of new operation plan information generated by performing KPI evaluation on the new operation plan information, such as the evaluation and visualization process 2500 shown in FIG. 25, and may be displayed on the display unit 250 of the operation plan creation device, the client terminal 120, or the screen of other external devices described above.

[0237] The mode menu G301 in the evaluation result interface 2800 of the new operation plan information is a menu for switching the display screen of the GUI. According to the mode menu G301, the GUI can be switched among a KPI setting mode for setting KPIs, a route selection mode for selecting a route, a result display mode for displaying the evaluation result of the operation plan, and an evaluation result mode of the movement route candidate information for showing the evaluation result of the movement route candidate information.

[0238] In the operation plan selection window 303, the user can select whether to display the existing operation plan information 221 or the new operation plan information 224 in the display windows G305 to G310.

[0239] When the new operation plan information is selected in the operation plan selection window 303, the train diagram display window G305 shows a time-distance diagram representing the reference operation plan in the new operation plan information 224. In the time-distance diagram displayed in this train diagram display window G305, the vertical axis indicates stations, the horizontal axis indicates time, and the diagonal lines indicate transport trips. In FIG. 28, the thickness of the lines in the time-distance diagram indicates the congestion rate of the transport trips. Also, the suspended transport trips are shown on the right side of the time-distance diagram.

[0240] The KPI display G306 shows the KPI evaluation result of the new operation plan information. In an embodiment, the KPI display G306 may show the KPI evaluation result for the reference operation plan in the new operation plan information in a radar chart G307, a table format, or the like. As described above, the KPI evaluation result for the reference operation plan in the new operation plan information shown in the KPI display G307 can be obtained by performing a KPI evaluation on the new operation plan information, such as the evaluation and visualization process 2500 shown in FIG. 25.

[0241] When the new operation plan information is selected in the operation plan selection window 303, the train diagram display window G308 shows a time-distance diagram representing the target operation plan in the new operation plan information 224.

[0242] The KPI display G309 shows the KPI evaluation results of the new operation plan information. In an embodiment, the KPI display G309 may show the KPI evaluation results for the target operation plan in the new operation plan information in a radar chart G310, a tabular format, or the like.

[0243] In the operation plan selection window 311, the user can select the operation plan (reference operation plan or target operation plan) to be displayed in the operation plan display window G312.

[0244] When the reference operation plan is selected in the operation plan selection window 311, the operation plan display window G312 shows the information of the reference operation plan in a tabular format.

[0245] The user can save the evaluation results of the new operation plan information to a file by pressing the "Save to File" button G313. Also, the user can return to the KPI setting interface 2600 shown in FIG. 26 and re-set the target value of the KPI by pressing the "Return to KPI Setting" button G314. Furthermore, the user can proceed to the evaluation result interface 2900 of the movement route candidate information shown in FIG. 29 by pressing the "Display Movement Route Candidate Information" button G315.

[0246] Next, with reference to FIG. 29, the evaluation result interface of the movement route candidate information according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0247] FIG. 29 is a diagram showing an example of the evaluation result interface 2900 of the movement route candidate information according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. The evaluation result interface 2900 of the movement route candidate information is a GUI showing information related to the movement route candidate information 231, and may be displayed on the display unit 250 of the operation plan creation device, the client terminal 120, or the screen of other external devices described above.

[0248] The mode menu G401 in the evaluation result interface 2900 of the movement route candidate information is a menu for switching the display screen of the GUI. According to the mode menu G201, the GUI can be switched in the KPI setting mode for setting KPIs, the route selection mode for selecting a route, the result display mode for displaying the evaluation results of the operation plan, and the evaluation result mode of the movement route candidate information for showing the evaluation results of the movement route candidate information.

[0249] The movement preference setting window G402 is a menu for setting information related to movement preferences. The movement route candidate information corresponding to the movement preferences set in the movement preference setting window G402 is displayed on the evaluation result interface 2900 of the movement route candidate information. The filter setting display window G403 is a menu for narrowing down the displayed movement route candidates based on conditions such as the departure station, arrival station, departure time, and arrival time. The result display button G404 is a button for displaying the movement route candidate information that matches the conditions set in the movement preference setting window G402 and the filter setting display window G403.

[0250] The movement route candidate window G405 is a GUI window for showing the movement routes that match the conditions set in the movement preference setting window G402 and the filter setting display window G403, for each passenger group selected in the passenger group selection menu G409, using the movement route candidate map G407 and the movement route candidate list G408. The movement route candidate map G407 is a time-distance diagram that shows stations on the vertical axis, time on the horizontal axis, and the transportation itinerary as diagonal lines. Also, the numbers in the diagonal line brackets indicate the number of passengers for that transportation itinerary.

[0251] The KPI display G406 shows the KPI evaluation results of the movement route candidate information. As shown in FIG. 29, the KPI display G406 may include a KPI analysis graph G410 that shows, in graph form, the utilization rate for each movement route based on the number of passengers in the existing operation plan information 221, the number of passengers in the new operation plan information 224, and the number of passengers obtained from a crowd flow simulation considering the transportation trips reduced in the new operation plan information 224.

[0252] When all the movement route buttons G411 are selected, for all movement routes, the transportation trip operation suspension availability information 226 including information on the transportation trip, train ID, operation suspension status, and the number of passengers may be shown. On the other hand, when the filtered movement route button G412 is selected, the transportation trip operation suspension availability information 226 related only to the movement routes that match the conditions set in the filter setting display window G403 can be displayed.

[0253] In the movement route candidate information window G413, the above-described movement route candidate information 231 is displayed in tabular form.

[0254] The user can save the evaluation results of the movement route candidate information to a file by pressing the "Save to File" button G414. Also, the user can end the analysis of the existing operation plan information 221, the new operation plan information 224, and the movement route candidate information 231 by pressing the "End Analysis" button G415.

[0255] According to the evaluation result interface 2900 of the movement route candidate information described above, the recommended movement routes can be visualized and displayed according to changes in the movement preferences of passengers. Also, by using the information on the movement routes considering the movement preferences of passengers in this way, it becomes possible to generate an operation plan corresponding to fluctuations in movement demand, so that the cost-effectiveness of operation and the satisfaction of passengers can be improved.

[0256] Also, according to the GUI shown in FIGS. 26 to 29 described above, a user such as a transportation network provider can check the operation plan for the routes of a multi-modal transportation network including multiple transportation means such as buses and trains, and the results of KPI evaluation regarding the operation plan.

[0257] As described above, a multi-modal transportation network including different or multiple transportation means such as trains, buses, and monorails has a complex configuration. Therefore, when creating an operation plan, it is necessary to consider various elements for multiple transportation means, such as the convenience of transfers, the maintenance of infrastructure and facilities, the allocation of vehicles, and the demand of passengers. For this reason, formulating an appropriate operation plan considering the above elements has become a major issue for transportation network providers.

[0258] According to conventional means such as those described in Patent Document 1 mentioned above, although passengers are supposed to be able to grasp an efficient travel route to the destination, generating an appropriate operation plan considering elements such as the complex configuration of the multi-modal transportation network, the maintenance of infrastructure and facilities, the allocation of vehicles, and the demand of passengers is not assumed.

[0259] On the other hand, in one aspect of the operation plan creation means according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, after a new route (target route) for which an operation plan is desired is selected, the target operation plan, which is the operation plan for the target route, is created based on the transportation network configuration information indicating the configuration of the multi-modal network and the existing operation plan that has already been created for a reference route (for example, a route of another transportation means connected to the target route). Then, by combining the existing operation plan and the target operation plan, a transportation itinerary network representation showing the transportation itineraries on the reference route and the target route in a graph format is generated. Regarding this transportation itinerary network representation, information on transportation itineraries and stations where transportation means can be changed can be reflected based on the pre-created transportation means change information. In addition, by canceling transportation trips that do not meet the predicted passenger demand and travel preferences from the transportation trip network representation generated in this way, it is possible to provide an operation plan creation means that can improve the satisfaction of passengers with the transportation service and reduce the operating costs of the transportation network provider.

[0260] Users such as transportation network providers can use the operation plan created in this way to provide a transportation service that meets the actual demand even in a diverse transportation network with a complex configuration, thereby suppressing the operating costs for transportation trips with low demand and achieving business efficiency improvement. In addition, passengers who are users of the transportation service can use transportation trips with low congestion, short travel time to the destination, or few changes in transportation means, so that the satisfaction with the transportation service can be improved. In addition, by generating a new operation plan that simultaneously and comprehensively considers elements such as the complex configuration of a diverse transportation network, the maintenance of infrastructure and facilities, the vehicle allocation of moving bodies, and the passenger demand, it is possible to reduce the processing time and save computing resources compared to the conventional operation plan creation means that considers each element separately.

[0261] As described above, according to the present disclosure, based on the configuration of a diverse transportation network, the convenience of changing transportation means, and the demand predicted based on the travel preferences of passengers, and considering transportation trips with low demand, etc., it is possible to provide an operation plan creation means that can improve the cost-effectiveness of the transportation network provider.

[0262] As described above, the operation plan creation means according to the embodiment of the present disclosure includes the following aspects.

[0263] (Aspect 1) An operation plan creation device, comprising a processor, a memory, and a storage unit, wherein the storage unit stores existing operation plan information indicating an existing operation plan for a reference route in a transportation network including different or a plurality of transportation means, Transport network configuration information indicating the configuration of the transport network, and Passenger predicted movement information indicating the predicted movement of passengers using the transport network, and Service suspension rule information indicating service suspension conditions in the transport network, and Transport means change information indicating rules for the movement of passengers from a first transport means to a second transport means different from the first transport means in the transport network, and Movement preference information indicating the movement preferences of passengers with respect to the transport network, and including the memory is a route selection unit that selects a target route satisfying a distance criterion for the reference route in the transport network based on the existing operation plan information and the transport network configuration information; a target operation plan creation unit that creates target operation plan information for the target route based on the existing operation plan information and the transport network configuration information; a transport itinerary network generation unit that generates a transport itinerary network representation showing recommended transport itineraries on the reference route and the target route in a graph format based on the existing operation plan information, the target operation plan information, the passenger predicted movement information, and the transport means change information; a service suspension determination unit that generates transport itinerary service suspension availability information indicating the service suspension availability of each transport itinerary in the transport network based on the transport itinerary network representation and the service suspension rule information; a passenger flow prediction unit that generates predicted passenger flow information indicating the predicted passenger flow in the transport network based on the transport itinerary network representation, the passenger predicted movement information, and the movement preference information; an operation plan generation unit that generates new operation plan information for the reference route and the target route based on the transport itinerary network representation, the transport itinerary service suspension availability information, and the predicted passenger flow information, An operation plan creation device characterized by including processing instructions for causing the processor to function as described above.

[0264] (Aspect 2) The reference route is the route of the first transportation means, The target route is the route of the second transportation means, The operation plan creation device according to aspect 1, characterized in that.

[0265] (Aspect 3) The route selection unit, Based on the transportation network configuration information, identify route candidates in the transportation network, Among the route candidates, select as the reference route the first route where the existing operation plan information satisfying a predetermined stability criterion exists, Select as the target route a second route that satisfies a predetermined distance criterion with respect to the reference route, Based on the transportation network configuration information, determine the transportation means, departure place, and arrival place of the target route, The operation plan creation device according to aspect 1 or 2, characterized in that.

[0266] (Aspect 4) The target operation plan creation unit, Based on the departure place determined for the target route and the transportation network configuration information, determine as the departure station of the target route a station that satisfies a predetermined distance criterion with respect to the departure place and where a parking facility is available, Based on the destination determined for the target route and the transportation network configuration information, determine as the arrival station of the target route a station that satisfies a predetermined distance criterion with respect to the arrival place and where a parking facility is available, Based on the transportation means determined for the target route and the transportation network configuration information, determine the stop stations and travel time of the target route, Generate the target operation plan information for the target route based on the departure station, arrival station, stop stations, and travel time, The operation plan creation device according to aspect 3, characterized in that.

[0267] (Aspect 5) The transportation itinerary network generation unit, Convert the existing operation plan information into a reference route representation that uses the transport itinerary as the reference transport itinerary node, the departure station as the starting node, the arrival station as the ending node, and the movement between the transport itineraries of passengers as the edge between the nodes. Convert the target operation plan information into a target route representation that uses the transport itinerary as the target transport itinerary node, the departure station as the starting node, the arrival station as the ending node, and the movement between the transport itineraries of passengers as the edge between the nodes. Based on the transport network configuration information, identify transport means change nodes where a change from the first transport means to the second transport means is possible in the reference route representation and the target route representation. Generate the transport itinerary network representation that combines the reference route representation and the target route representation by assigning transport means change edges indicating movement between the transport means change nodes to the transport means change nodes based on the transport means change information. The operation plan creation device according to aspect 4, characterized by the above.

[0268] (Aspect 6) The operation suspension determination unit By analyzing the transport itinerary network representation based on the operation suspension rule information, show transport itineraries that satisfy the operation suspension rules in the operation suspension rule information as transport itineraries that can be suspended, and generate the transport itinerary operation suspension availability information that shows transport itineraries that do not satisfy the operation suspension rules as transport itineraries that cannot be suspended. The operation plan creation device according to aspect 5, characterized by the above.

[0269] (Aspect 7) The operation suspension rules in the operation suspension rule information are Indicate that a transport itinerary where a parking facility is available can be suspended. Indicate that a transport itinerary where the number of passengers satisfies a predetermined demand threshold cannot be suspended. Indicate that the transport itinerary of the target transport itinerary node connected to the reference transport itinerary node by the transport means change edge can be suspended. The operation plan creation device according to aspect 6, characterized by the above.

[0270] (Aspect 8) The memory of the operation plan creation device Based on the transportation route network representation, for each departure location and arrival location in the passenger predicted movement information, determines the available movement routes between the departure location and the arrival location, By analyzing the determined available movement routes based on the movement preference information, identifies movement route candidates that satisfy the preference conditions in the movement preference information from among the available movement routes, Generates the identified movement route candidates as movement route candidate information, The operation plan creation device according to any one of Aspects 1 to 7, characterized in that.

[0271] (Aspect 9) The movement preference information Indicates preference conditions regarding movement time, preference conditions regarding congestion level, and preference conditions for discontinuing the use of transportation services, The operation plan creation device according to Aspect 8, characterized in that.

[0272] (Aspect 10) The crowd flow prediction unit For each movement route candidate in the movement route candidate information, generates prediction crowd flow information indicating the predicted number of passengers who are predicted to use the movement route candidate, The operation plan creation device according to Aspect 9, characterized in that.

[0273] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been explained. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0274] 200 Operation plan creation device 210 Memory 210P Operation plan creation application 211 KPI calculation unit 212 Route selection unit 213 Target operation plan creation unit 214 Transportation Route Network Generation Unit 215 Service Suspension Judgment Unit 216 Candidate Route Judgment Unit 217 Passenger Flow Prediction Unit 218 Operation Plan Creation Unit 219 Evaluation and Visualization Unit 220 Memory Unit 221 Existing Operation Plan Information 222 Maintenance Information 223 Transportation Network Configuration Information 224 New Operation Plan Information 225 Transportation Route Network Information 226 Transportation Route Service Suspension Feasibility Information 227 Service Suspension Rule Information 228 Unsatisfied Demand Information 229 Movement Preference Information 230 Passenger Expected Movement Information 231 Candidate Route Information 232 KPI Information 233 Transportation Means Change Information 240 CPU 250 Display Unit 260 Communication Unit 300 Communication Network

Claims

1. An operation plan creation device, comprising a processor, a memory, and a storage unit, wherein the storage unit includes existing operation plan information indicating an existing operation plan regarding a reference route in a transportation network including heterogeneous or a plurality of transportation means, transportation network configuration information indicating the configuration of the transportation network, passenger predicted movement information indicating the predicted movement of passengers using the transportation network, operation suspension rule information indicating operation suspension conditions in the transportation network, transportation means change information indicating a rule that defines the movement of passengers from a first transportation means to a second transportation means different from the first transportation means in the transportation network, movement preference information indicating the movement preference of passengers for the transportation network, and the memory includes a route selection unit that selects a target route satisfying a distance criterion for the reference route in the transportation network based on the existing operation plan information and the transportation network configuration information, a target operation plan creation unit that generates target operation plan information for the target route based on the existing operation plan information and the transportation network configuration information, a transportation itinerary network generation unit that generates a transportation itinerary network representation showing recommended transportation itineraries on the reference route and the target route in a graph format based on the existing operation plan information, the target operation plan information, the passenger predicted movement information, and the transportation means change information, an operation suspension determination unit that generates transportation itinerary operation suspension availability information indicating the operation suspension availability of each transportation itinerary in the transportation network based on the transportation itinerary network representation and the operation suspension rule information, a passenger flow prediction unit that generates predicted passenger flow information indicating the passenger flow predicted in the transportation network based on the transportation itinerary network representation, the passenger predicted movement information, and the movement preference information, and an operation plan generation unit that generates new operation plan information for the reference route and the target route based on the transportation itinerary network representation, the transportation itinerary operation suspension availability information, and the predicted passenger flow information, and includes processing instructions for causing the processor to function as such, characterized in that it is an operation plan creation device.

2. The reference route is a route of the first transportation means, and the target route is a route of the second transportation means, characterized in that it is the operation plan creation device according to Claim 1.

3. The route selection unit identifies route candidates in the transportation network based on the transportation network configuration information, Among the route candidates, a first route with the existing operation plan information that meets a predetermined stability criterion is selected as the reference route, a second route that meets a predetermined distance criterion with respect to the reference route is selected as the target route, based on the transport network configuration information, the transport means, departure place, and arrival place of the target route are determined. The operation plan creation device according to claim 1, characterized in that.

4. The target operation plan creation unit, based on the departure place determined for the target route and the transport network configuration information, a station that meets a predetermined distance criterion with respect to the departure place and where a parking facility is available is determined as the departure station of the target route, based on the arrival place determined for the target route and the transport network configuration information, a station that meets a predetermined distance criterion with respect to the arrival place and where a parking facility is available is determined as the arrival station of the target route, based on the transport means determined for the target route and the transport network configuration information, the stopping stations and travel time of the target route are determined, based on the departure station, the arrival station, the stopping stations, and the travel time, the target operation plan information for the target route is generated. The operation plan creation device according to claim 3, characterized in that.

5. The transport itinerary network generation unit, converts the existing operation plan information into a reference route expression that shows the transport itinerary as a reference transport itinerary node, the departure station as an origin node, the arrival station as a destination node, and the movement between the transport itineraries of passengers as an edge between nodes, converts the target operation plan information into a target route expression that shows the transport itinerary as a target transport itinerary node, the departure station as an origin node, the arrival station as a destination node, and the movement between the transport itineraries of passengers as an edge between nodes, based on the transport network configuration information, a transport means change node where a change from the first transport means to the second transport means is possible is specified in the reference route expression and the target route expression, based on the transport means change information, a transport means change edge indicating the movement between the transport means change nodes is assigned to the transport means change nodes, thereby generating the transport itinerary network expression combining the reference route expression and the target route expression. The operation plan creation device according to claim 4, characterized in that.

6. The operation suspension determination unit, By analyzing the transportation itinerary network representation based on the service suspension rules information, the transportation itineraries that meet the service suspension rules in the service suspension rules information are shown as service-suspension-possible transportation itineraries, and the transportation itinerary service suspension availability information is generated that shows the transportation itineraries that do not meet the service suspension rules as service-suspension-impossible transportation itineraries. The operation plan creation device according to claim 5, characterized in that.

7. The service suspension rules in the service suspension rules information are indicating that a transportation itinerary where a parking facility is available is service-suspension-possible, indicating that a transportation itinerary where the number of passengers meets a predetermined demand threshold is service-suspension-impossible, indicating that the transportation itinerary of the target transportation itinerary node connected to the reference transportation itinerary node by the transportation means change edge is service-suspension-possible. The operation plan creation device according to claim 6, characterized in that.

8. The memory of the operation plan creation device Based on the transportation itinerary network representation, for each departure place and arrival place in the passenger predicted movement information, determines the available movement routes between the departure place and the arrival place, By analyzing the determined available movement routes based on the movement preference information, identifies movement route candidates that meet the preference conditions in the movement preference information from among the available movement routes, Generates the identified movement route candidates as movement route candidate information. The operation plan creation device according to claim 1, characterized in that.

9. The movement preference information Indicates preference conditions regarding movement time, preference conditions regarding congestion level, and preference conditions for discontinuing the use of transportation services. The operation plan creation device according to claim 8, characterized in that.

10. The crowd flow prediction unit For each movement route candidate in the movement route candidate information, generates prediction crowd flow information indicating the predicted number of passengers that is predicted to use the movement route candidate. The operation plan creation device according to claim 9, characterized in that.

11. The operation plan generation unit In the transportation itinerary network representation, generates the new operation plan information that indicates the transportation itineraries where the predicted number of passengers shown in the prediction crowd flow information does not meet a predetermined passenger number standard and that are indicated as service-suspension-possible in the transportation itinerary service suspension availability information as reduction candidate itineraries. The operation plan creation device according to claim 10, characterized in that.

12. A transportation network administrator terminal that manages a transportation network, An operation plan creation system in which an operation plan creation device that generates an operation plan for managing the transportation process of the transportation network is connected via a communication network, The operation plan creation device, Comprises a processor, a memory, and a storage unit, The storage unit, Existing operation plan information indicating an existing operation plan regarding a reference route in a transportation network including a plurality of transportation means, Transportation network configuration information indicating the configuration of the transportation network, Passenger predicted movement information indicating the predicted movement of passengers using the transportation network, Operation suspension rule information indicating operation suspension conditions in the transportation network, Transportation means change information indicating a rule that defines the movement of passengers from a first transportation means to a second transportation means different from the first transportation means in the transportation network, Movement preference information indicating the movement preference of passengers for the transportation network, Including, The memory, Based on the existing operation plan information and the transportation network configuration information, a route selection unit that selects a target route that satisfies a distance criterion for the reference route in the transportation network, Based on the existing operation plan information and the transportation network configuration information, a target operation plan creation unit that generates target operation plan information for the target route, Based on the existing operation plan information, the target operation plan information, the passenger predicted movement information, and the transportation means change information, a transportation route network generation unit that generates a transportation route network representation showing recommended transportation processes on the reference route and the target route in graph form, Based on the transportation route network representation and the operation suspension rule information, an operation suspension determination unit that generates transportation route operation suspension availability information indicating the operation suspension availability of each transportation process in the transportation network, Based on the transportation route network representation, the passenger predicted movement information, and the movement preference, a predicted passenger flow generation unit that generates predicted passenger flow information indicating the predicted passenger flow in the transportation network, Based on the transportation route network representation, the transportation route operation suspension availability information, and the predicted passenger flow information, an operation plan generation unit that generates new operation plan information for the reference route and the target route, An operation plan creation system characterized by including processing instructions for causing the processor to function as such.

13. An operation plan creation method implemented in an operation plan creation device, The operation plan creation device, Comprises a processor, a memory, and a storage unit, The storage unit, Existing operation plan information indicating an existing operation plan for a reference route in a transportation network including a plurality of transportation means, Transportation network configuration information indicating the configuration of the transportation network, Passenger predicted movement information indicating the predicted movement of passengers using the transportation network, Operation suspension rule information indicating the operation suspension conditions in the transportation network, Transportation means change information indicating rules that regulate the movement of passengers from a first transportation means to a second transportation means different from the first transportation means in the transportation network, Movement preference information indicating the movement preferences of passengers with respect to the transportation network, including, The operation plan creation method is, by the processing instructions stored in the memory, Based on the existing operation plan information and the transportation network configuration information, in the transportation network, a step of selecting a target route that satisfies the distance standard for the reference route, Based on the existing operation plan information and the transportation network configuration information, a step of generating target operation plan information for the target route, Based on the existing operation plan information, the target operation plan information, the passenger predicted movement information, and the transportation means change information, a step of generating a transportation itinerary network representation showing recommended transportation itineraries on the reference route and the target route in graph form, Based on the transportation itinerary network representation and the operation suspension rule information, a step of generating transportation itinerary operation suspension availability information indicating whether each transportation itinerary in the transportation network can be suspended, Based on the transportation itinerary network representation, the passenger predicted movement information, and the movement preference information, a step of generating predicted passenger flow information indicating the predicted passenger flow in the transportation network, Based on the transportation itinerary network representation, the transportation itinerary operation suspension availability information, and the predicted passenger flow information, a step of generating new operation plan information for the reference route and the target route, characterized in that the processor is caused to execute the operation plan creation method.

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