Vehicle operation supporting device, vehicle operation supporting system, vehicle, vehicle operation supporting method, and vehicle operation supporting program

Abstract

To obtain a vehicle operation supporting device capable of changing an operation plan of a vehicle, according to vehicle demand with which an operation route and operation time are predetermined.SOLUTION: A vehicle operation supporting device 2a for supporting an operation of a vehicle 6 in which operation time and an operation route including a plurality of stops therethrough are determined as an operation plan comprises: a reservation information receiving unit 26 for receiving reservation information including getting-on stops and getting-off stops; an operation time re-determination unit 23a for determining whether or not to use different operation time being operation time different from the operation time, based on the reservation information; and an operation plan re-determination unit 24a for re-determining the operation plan of the vehicle 6, based on a result determined by the operation time re-determination unit 23a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 22

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle operation support device, a terminal device, a vehicle operation support system, a vehicle-mounted terminal, a vehicle control device, a vehicle, a vehicle operation support method, and a vehicle operation support program for supporting the operation of a vehicle having a predetermined operation route and operation time.

Background Art

[0002] Vehicles such as route buses and community buses generally have their operation times and routes determined in advance by a timetable. Also, for taxis, there may be a pre-determined operation plan such as how many taxis to arrange at a fixed location such as in front of a station for each time period. On the other hand, at stops with few users, it is assumed that there may be no passengers getting on or off in reality, and in such cases, excessive operation of the vehicle will occur.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an automobile operation management system for providing a service that performs both scheduled route operation and demand operation. When it is determined to perform demand operation, if the user who reserved the demand operation allows sharing, the scheduled route operation scheduled in a time period close to the demand operation is suspended to reduce the operation load.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the above Patent Document 1, the target is a service that performs both scheduled fixed-route operation and demand operation, and the operation load is reduced by using the time difference between the demand operation and the scheduled fixed-route operation. Therefore, the technology described in Patent Document 1 cannot be applied to services that do not assume demand operation, and it is not possible to change the operation plan according to the expected demand of vehicles with a fixed route, that is, the operation route and operation time are determined in advance.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to obtain a vehicle operation support device capable of changing the operation plan of a vehicle according to the demand of a vehicle whose operation route and operation time are determined in advance.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, a vehicle operation support device according to the present disclosure is a vehicle operation support device that supports the operation of a vehicle in which an operation route including a plurality of stops to be passed through and an operation time are determined in advance as an operation plan, and includes a reservation information receiving unit that receives reservation information including a boarding stop that is a stop at which a passenger boards and a disembarking stop that is a stop at which a passenger gets off, an operation time re-determination unit that determines whether to use an alternative operation time that is an operation time different from the operation time based on the reservation information, and an operation plan re-determination unit that re-determines the operation plan of the vehicle based on the result determined by the operation time re-determination unit.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, there is an effect that the operation plan of a vehicle can be changed according to the demand of a vehicle whose operation route and operation time are determined in advance.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, a vehicle operation support device, a terminal device, a vehicle operation support system, a vehicle-installed terminal, a vehicle control device, a vehicle, a vehicle operation support method, and a vehicle operation support program according to an embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0011] Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle operation support system including a vehicle operation support device according to Embodiment 1. The vehicle operation support system 1 of the present embodiment supports the operation of a vehicle 6 in which an operation route including a plurality of stops to pass through and an operation time are determined in advance as an operation plan, and includes a vehicle operation support device 2 and a display device 3 for displaying the operation plan of the vehicle 6 and the like. The vehicle 6 of the present embodiment is, for example, a route bus, a community bus, a taxi with a defined boarding and departure time zone, etc., and is a vehicle with a pre-determined operation route and operation time. Note that the vehicle 6 is a vehicle traveling on a road and does not include a railway vehicle.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle operation support device 2 receives reservation information, which is information regarding the reservation of the vehicle 6, from a stop-installed terminal 4, which is a terminal device provided at a stop where the vehicle 6 can stop. Note that the stop is an example of a place where the vehicle 6 stops to pick up and drop off passengers, and any place where the vehicle 6 stops to pick up and drop off passengers may be used. The name is not limited to a stop and may be other named places such as a boarding place or a pick-up / drop-off place. The vehicle operation support system 1 may include a stop-installed terminal 4 and a vehicle-installed terminal 7.

[0013] The vehicle operation support device 2 re-determines the operation plan of the vehicle 6 by using the reservation information received from the station installation terminal 4 and a predetermined operation plan. The operation plan includes, for each vehicle 6, the arrival time when the vehicle 6 arrives at each station and the departure time when the vehicle 6 departs from each station. Note that depending on the reservation status, even if a re-determination is made, in actuality, it may not be updated from the predetermined operation plan. However, this case is also referred to as a re-determination. Further, the vehicle operation support device 2 re-determines the operation plan of the vehicle 6 using the reservation information and transmits, as a reservation result, the identification number of the vehicle 6 corresponding to the reservation identification number, which is a number for identifying the reservation information using the reservation information, and the departure time of the vehicle 6 to the station installation terminal 4.

[0014] Here, an example where a passenger needs to make a reservation to board the vehicle 6 will be described. Note that passengers who do not make a reservation may also be able to board, and an example including passengers who do not make a reservation will be described later. The vehicle operation support device 2 transmits operation plan-related information including the operation plan after the update process to the display device 3. Further, the vehicle operation support device 2 transmits the operation plan after the update process to the station installation terminal 4 and the vehicle installation terminal 7, which is a terminal device installed in the vehicle 6. Further, the vehicle operation support device 2 performs a reservation process using the reservation information and transmits the reservation result to the station installation terminal 4. Also, the vehicle operation support device 2 may receive position information indicating the current position of the vehicle 6 from the vehicle installation terminal 7 mounted on the vehicle 6 and transmit the received position information to the display device 3.

[0015] The display device 3 displays the operation plan and the like included in the operation plan-related information received from the vehicle operation support device 2. Although the details of the display method of the display device 3 will be described later, the display device 3 is provided at a location where an administrator who manages the operation of the vehicle 6 can visually recognize it. The display device 3 can present various types of information related to the operation of the vehicle 6 to the administrator of the operation of the vehicle 6 by displaying information including the operation plan. Also, the display device 3 may receive position information indicating the current position of the vehicle 6 from the vehicle operation support device 2 and display the received position information.

[0016] As described above, the stop-installed terminal 4 is set at, for example, a stop, receives a reservation for boarding the vehicle 6 from a passenger who plans to board the vehicle 6, and transmits reservation information regarding the received reservation to the vehicle operation support device 2. Further, the stop-installed terminal 4 receives a reservation result and an operation plan from the vehicle operation support device 2, and transmits the received reservation information and operation plan to, for example, a display device 5 provided at the stop. The display device 5 displays the reservation information and the operation plan. In FIG. 1, the display device 5 and the stop-installed terminal 4 are provided separately, but the display device 5 and the stop-installed terminal 4 may be integrated. Further, the stop-installed terminal 4 may include a display unit, and the reservation information may be displayed by the display unit, and the operation plan may be transmitted from the stop-installed terminal 4 to the display device 5 and displayed by the display device 5. In FIG. 1, one stop-installed terminal 4 is illustrated, but since the stop-installed terminal 4 is provided for each stop, there are generally a plurality of them.

[0017] The vehicle 6 is equipped with a vehicle-installed terminal 7, and the vehicle-installed terminal 7 transmits the operation plan received from the vehicle operation support device 2 to a display device 9 mounted on the vehicle 6. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 6 is not an autonomous vehicle but a vehicle driven by a driver. Examples of using an autonomous vehicle or a vehicle having a driving support function will be described later. Further, the vehicle-installed terminal 7 may transmit position information indicating the position of the vehicle 6 to the vehicle operation support device 2. For example, the vehicle 6 is equipped with a position detection device such as a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver that performs GPS positioning (not shown), and the vehicle-installed terminal 7 acquires the position information of the vehicle 6 from the position detection device. The display device 9 displays the operation plan received from the vehicle operation support device 2. Thereby, the driver of the vehicle 6 can grasp the operation plan. In addition, when the operation plan regarding the vehicle 6 on which the vehicle-installed terminal 7 is mounted is updated and changed from the operation plan received from the vehicle operation support device 2 last time, the vehicle-installed terminal 7 may transmit the operation plan to the display device 9 together with information indicating that the operation plan has been changed.

[0018] When the display device 9 receives information indicating that the operation plan has been changed, it may alert the driver by highlighting the changed part or displaying a message indicating that there has been a change. As a result, the driver of the vehicle 6 can grasp that the operation plan has been changed. Further, the display device 9 may be provided with a device that generates sound or other sounds, and when receiving information indicating that the operation plan has been changed, it may notify the change of the operation plan by sound. Further, a device that generates sound or other sounds may be provided separately from the display device 9, and the vehicle operation support device 2 may transmit information indicating that the operation plan has been changed to the device, and notify the change of the operation plan by sound. As a result, the driver and passengers can easily know that the operation plan has been changed.

[0019] In addition, in FIG. 1, the display device 9 and the vehicle-mounted terminal 7 are provided separately, but the display device 9 and the vehicle-mounted terminal 7 may be integrated. Further, in FIG. 1, one vehicle 6 is illustrated, but generally, a plurality of vehicles 6 are used for operation. The number of vehicles 6 may be any number.

[0020] Next, a functional configuration example of each device according to the present embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle operation support device 2 includes an operation plan determination unit 21, a reservation processing unit 22, an operation route re-determination unit 23, an operation plan re-determination unit 24, a storage unit 25, a reservation information reception unit 26, a reservation result transmission unit 27, an operation plan transmission unit 28, a display information transmission unit 29, and a position information reception unit 30.

[0021] The operation plan determination unit 21 creates an operation plan including information indicating a first route, which is a regular operation route, and the operation time, and stores the created operation plan in the storage unit 25. For example, the operation plan determination unit 21 determines the operation plan using the regular operation route (steady operation route) and the operation time input from the administrator. The administrator determines the operation route and the operation time based on, for example, the presence or absence of facilities and houses, and the usage status over a long period in the past. However, the method for determining the operation route and the operation time input to the operation plan determination unit 21 is not limited to this, and any method may be used. The operation route and the operation time in the operation plan created by the operation plan determination unit 21 are predetermined operation route and operation time, and the reservation status and the actual demand are not considered.

[0022] The reservation information reception unit 26 receives reservation information from the stop installation terminal 4 and stores the received reservation information in the storage unit 25. The reservation processing unit 22 performs a reservation process of determining a vehicle 6 to be assigned to the reservation corresponding to the reservation information based on the reservation information. Specifically, the reservation processing unit 22 uses the reservation information stored in the storage unit 25 and the operation plan stored in the storage unit 25 to perform a reservation process of assigning the vehicle 6 to the user who has made the reservation, and stores the reservation result in the storage unit 25. The reservation result includes information for identifying the corresponding reservation information, information indicating the assigned vehicle 6, and information indicating the departure time. Note that the seat may or may not be specified. When the reservation result is stored in the storage unit 25, the reservation result transmission unit 27 transmits the reservation result to the stop installation terminal 4, which is the transmission source of the corresponding reservation information.

[0023] The route re-determination unit 23 determines whether to use an alternative route that is different from the first route and does not include at least one of the stops included in the first route. Specifically, the route re-determination unit 23 determines whether to use the alternative route by using the reservation information stored in the storage unit 25 and the operation plan stored in the storage unit 25. The alternative route is defined in advance, and the alternative route information indicating the alternative route is stored in the storage unit 25. The alternative route information is input by, for example, an administrator. A plurality of alternative routes may be defined. When a plurality of alternative routes are defined, the route re-determination unit 23 determines whether to use the alternative route and also determines which alternative route to use when using the alternative route. Details of the determination method for whether to use the alternative route will be described later.

[0024] The operation plan re-determination unit 24 re-determines the operation plan of the vehicle based on the result determined by the route re-determination unit 23. Specifically, the operation plan re-determination unit 24 re-determines the operation plan by using the determination result (judgment result) of whether to use the alternative route by the route re-determination unit 23 and the predefined operation plan stored in the storage unit 25. When the operation plan is changed by the re-determination, the operation plan re-determination unit 24 updates the operation plan stored in the storage unit 25 with the re-determined operation plan, and stores the operation plan before the update in the storage unit 25 as the operation plan before the update. In this way, when an operation plan other than the predefined operation plan is used, the updated operation plan and the operation plan before the update are stored as the operation plan in the storage unit 25. Details of the re-determination of the operation plan by the operation plan re-determination unit 24 will be described later.

[0025] The operation plan transmission unit 28 transmits the operation plan stored in the storage unit 25 to the stop installation terminal 4 and the vehicle installation terminal 7. The operation plan transmission unit 28 may transmit the operation plan at a fixed cycle, or may transmit the operation plan each time the operation plan is updated. For example, the operation plan transmission unit 28 may transmit the updated operation plan stored in the storage unit 25 at a fixed cycle, or may transmit the updated operation plan and a predetermined operation plan. Alternatively, for example, when the operation plan determination unit 21 determines the operation plan, that is, the predetermined operation plan, and stores it in the storage unit 25, the operation plan transmission unit 28 transmits the operation plan to the stop installation terminal 4 and the vehicle installation terminal 7. When the operation plan stored in the storage unit 25 is updated, that is, when the operation plan is updated by the operation plan re-determination unit 24, the updated operation plan may be transmitted to the stop installation terminal 4 and the vehicle installation terminal 7. At this time, the operation plan transmission unit 28 may also transmit the operation plan before the update to the stop installation terminal 4 and the vehicle installation terminal 7.

[0026] In addition, when the operation plan is updated, the operation plan transmission unit 28 may transmit the updated operation plan to the stop installation terminal 4 installed at the stop corresponding to the changed part of the operation plan, and not transmit the updated operation plan to the stop installation terminal 4 installed at the stop not affected by the change of the operation plan. Also, the operation plan transmission unit 28 may transmit the updated operation plan to the vehicle installation terminal 7 mounted on the vehicle 6 whose operation plan has been changed, and not transmit the updated operation plan to the vehicle installation terminal 7 mounted on the vehicle 6 not affected by the change of the operation plan.

[0027] The position information reception unit 30 receives the position information of the vehicle 6 from the vehicle installation terminal 7 and passes the received position information to the display information transmission unit 29.

[0028] The display information transmission unit 29 transmits operation plan-related information including the operation plan stored in the storage unit 25 to the display device 9. The operation plan-related information includes at least the updated operation plan when the operation plan is updated. Further, the operation plan-related information may include the updated operation plan and the operation plan before the update, that is, a predetermined operation plan. In the first transmission of the operation plan-related information after the operation plan is determined by the operation plan determination unit 21, the operation plan-related information includes the operation plan determined by the operation plan determination unit 21. Here, it is assumed that the operation plan-related information further includes at least one of reservation information and reservation results and the position information of the vehicle 6 received from the position information reception unit 30.

[0029] The storage unit 25 stores the above-described operation plan, alternative route information, reservation information, and reservation results. The storage unit 25 further stores vehicle information and vehicle operation information. The vehicle information includes information indicating whether the vehicle 6 is in operation or on standby for each vehicle 6. Note that the vehicle information may include information indicating the standby location of the standby vehicle 6. The vehicle operation information includes the operation plan and the seat usage status. Details of the information stored in the storage unit 25 will be described later.

[0030] The stop installation terminal 4 may be a reservation terminal provided at a stop where the vehicle 6 can stop. The stop installation terminal 4 includes a reservation reception unit 41, a reservation information transmission unit 42, a reservation result reception unit 43, an operation plan reception unit 44, and a display information transmission unit 45. The reservation reception unit 41 receives a reservation from a user who wishes to use the vehicle 6. The reservation reception unit 41 receives an input of a reservation including at least the alighting stop, which is the stop where the user gets off. The information received by the reservation reception unit 41 includes, for example, the boarding stop, which is the stop where the user boards, the alighting stop, which is the stop where the user gets off, the desired boarding time, and the number of passengers. Note that the information received by the reservation reception unit 41 only needs to include information indicating at least the alighting stop, and the other information may be automatically set by the stop installation terminal 4.

[0031] For example, the stop installation terminal 4 may regard the stop where it is installed as the boarding stop, the boarding desired time as the current time, that is, the time when the input is received, and the number of boarding passengers may be one. When fixing the number of boarding passengers to one, a reservation input is made for each passenger. Further, the stop installation terminal 4 prompts a display for selecting either the method of designating only the above-described alighting stop (the boarding stop, the boarding desired time, and the number of boarding passengers are fixed) or the method of designating all of the boarding stop, the alighting stop, the boarding desired time, and the number of boarding passengers. The reservation reception unit 41 may display a corresponding selection screen based on the selection result so that the user can select an input method. Further, when receiving the boarding stop, the alighting stop, the boarding desired time, and the number of boarding passengers, the stop installation terminal 4 displays the boarding stop, the boarding desired time, and the number of boarding passengers as the boarding stop where the stop installation terminal 4 is installed, the current time, and one, respectively, as default values, and allows the displayed default values to be changed so that the changed input can be received.

[0032] The reservation reception unit 41 outputs the received information, the reservation time, and the information for identifying the reservation as reservation information to the reservation information transmission unit 42. The reservation time can be, for example, the time when an operation such as reservation confirmation is performed after the input of the above-described information. However, it is not limited to this as long as it indicates the time when the reservation was made. The information for identifying the reservation is, for example, a reservation number represented by a numerical value. The reservation number may be a combination of a number and an alphabet, etc. Hereinafter, the information for identifying the reservation is referred to as a reservation number. However, the information for identifying the reservation may include alphabets, hiragana, katakana, Chinese characters, etc. The reservation reception unit 41 is not particularly restricted in the determination method as long as it can determine a reservation number so as to distinguish the reservations of each user. For example, the reservation reception unit 41 uses a defined period such as a daily unit or a weekly unit as a unit period, and assigns reservation numbers in ascending order from a young number in the order of receiving reservations within the unit period. Note that the stop installation terminal 4 set at each stop transmits the reservation information to the vehicle operation support device 2. For this reason, the reservation number may be determined so as not to overlap with the numbers received by the stop installation terminals 4 at other stops. For example, the reservation number may include a character indicating the stop where the input was received, or the range of numerical values used as the reservation number may be assigned so as not to overlap for each stop. Also, allowing overlap of reservation numbers between stops and managing the reservation number together with the information for identifying the transmitting stop installation terminal 4 when the vehicle operation support device 2 receives the reservation information may identify the reservation.

[0033] The reservation information transmission unit 42 adds at least the reservation time and the reservation identification number to the reservation information received from the reservation reception unit 41, and transmits the reservation information including the alighting stop, the reservation identification number, the boarding stop, and the desired boarding time to the vehicle operation support device 2. The reservation information received from the reservation reception unit 41 is transmitted to the vehicle operation support device 2. Also, the reservation information transmission unit 42 outputs the reservation information to the display information transmission unit 45.

[0034] The reservation result reception unit 43 receives the reservation result from the vehicle operation support device 2 and outputs it to the display information transmission unit 45. The operation plan reception unit 44 receives the operation plan from the vehicle operation support device 2 and outputs it to the display information transmission unit 45.

[0035] The display information transmission unit 45 transmits display information for displaying the reservation information received from the reservation information reception unit 42, the reservation result received from the reservation result reception unit 43, and the operation plan received from the operation plan reception unit 44 to the display device 5. That is, the display information transmission unit 45 transmits display information for displaying the reservation result, and transmits display information for displaying the re-determined operation plan received from the vehicle operation support device 2. The display device 5 displays the information received from the display information transmission unit 45.

[0036] The vehicle-mounted terminal 7 includes an operation plan reception unit 71, a display information transmission unit 72, and a position transmission unit 73. The operation plan reception unit 71 receives the operation plan from the vehicle operation support device 2 and outputs it to the display information transmission unit 72. The position transmission unit 73 acquires position information indicating the current position of the vehicle 6 and transmits it to the vehicle operation support device 2. The position transmission unit 73 may transmit the position information at regular intervals, or may transmit the position information when it arrives at a predetermined location, for example, every time it arrives at a stop. The display information transmission unit 72 transmits display information for displaying the operation plan to the display device 9. As described above, when the operation plan is updated, that is, when the operation plan changes from a predetermined operation plan, the display information transmission unit 72 notifies the display device 9 of information indicating that the change has occurred, and thereby the display device 9 may perform a display emphasizing that the operation plan has changed.

[0037] In FIG. 1, an example is shown in which the vehicle 6 is a vehicle driven by a driver. However, when the vehicle 6 is an autonomous vehicle or a vehicle having a driving support function, the update of the operation plan is reflected in the autonomous driving or driving support function of the vehicle 6. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an autonomous vehicle or a vehicle having a driving support function in the present embodiment. The vehicle 6a shown in FIG. 2 is an autonomous vehicle or a vehicle having a driving support function, and includes a vehicle control device 7a. The vehicle control device 7a includes an operation plan receiving unit 71, a display information transmitting unit 72, and a position transmitting unit 73, similar to the vehicle installation terminal 7 shown in FIG. 1, and also includes a vehicle control unit 74 that controls various devices for traveling (not shown) mounted on the vehicle 6a. The operation plan receiving unit 71 outputs the operation plan received from the vehicle operation support device 2 to the vehicle control unit 74 as well. However, the operations of the other operation plan receiving unit 71, display information transmitting unit 72, and position transmitting unit 73 are the same as those in the example shown in FIG. 1. The vehicle control unit 74 performs autonomous driving control or driving support control based on the operation plan received from the operation plan receiving unit 71. For example, the vehicle control unit 74 sets an operation route and an operation time based on the operation plan and controls the devices of the vehicle 6a.

[0038] As described above, in the present embodiment, the vehicle operation support device 2 determines whether or not to use a second route that is different from a predetermined first route and does not include some of the stops passed through on the first route, based on reservation information, regarding the operation route of the vehicle. When it is determined to use the second route, an operation plan is determined to use the second route instead of the first route. Thereby, according to the reservation situation, that is, according to the expected demand of the vehicle 6 whose operation route and operation time are predetermined, the operation plan of the vehicle can be changed, and excessive operation can be avoided and the operation load can be suppressed. Note that it is difficult to define such an alternative route for a railway vehicle running on a railway line, but the vehicle 6 of the present embodiment is a vehicle 6 running on a road, so an alternative route can be defined. Further, in the present embodiment, an alternative route is also predetermined, and it is premised on the vehicle 6 whose operation route and operation time are predetermined, and demand operation in which operation is performed when there is a request from a user is not used in combination. In the present embodiment, the operation load can be suppressed in the operation service of the vehicle 6 with a predetermined operation route including an alternative route and a predetermined operation time.

[0039] Next, the operation route of the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the operation route of the present embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 3, corresponding stop installation terminals 4-1 to 4-5 and display devices 5-1 to 5-5 are provided at five stops 200-1 to 200-5, respectively. Each of the stop installation terminals 4-1 to 4-5 is the stop installation terminal 4 shown in FIG. 1, and each of the display devices 5-1 to 5-5 is the display device 5 shown in FIG. 1. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the display device 5 is described above the stop installation terminal 4, but the stop installation terminal 4 and the display device 5 may be separated as long as they can communicate, and the relative arrangement of the stop installation terminal 4 and the display device 5 is not limited to this example.

[0040] In the example shown in FIG. 3, vehicles 6-1 to 6-6, each of which is the vehicle 6 shown in FIG. 1, are illustrated. Vehicles 6-1 to 6-4 are in operation, and vehicles 6-5 and 6-6 are waiting at the vehicle base 201, which is the waiting location of the vehicle 6. Note that FIG. 3 is an example shown schematically, and the number of vehicles 6 used and the number of stops are not limited to the example shown in FIG. 3. Also, there may be a plurality of vehicle bases 201. Further, the operation route is not limited to the circular route shown in FIG. 3, and may be a route where the starting stop and the terminal stop are different.

[0041] The first route 202 shown by the solid line is a predetermined route determined by the operation plan determination unit 21, and the second route 203 shown by the broken line is another route that does not include some of the stops that the first route 202 passes through. As shown in FIG. 3, when the first route 202 departs from the vehicle base 201, it is a route that stops at the stops 200-1, 200-2, 200-3, 200-4, 200-5, and 200-1 in this order. In the example shown in FIG. 3, since the first route 202 is circular, the vehicle 6 can stop at the stop 200-1 after the stop 200-5 and travel on the first route 202 again. Note that the vehicle 6 can also head towards the vehicle base 201 without heading towards the stop 200-1 after the stop 200-5. Also, in the example shown in FIG. 3, the operation of the reverse route of the first route 202 is also being performed.

[0042] Also, the second route 203 indicated by the dashed line is a route that stops at the stops 200-1, 200-2, 200-3, 200-5, and 200-1 in this order, and does not stop at the stop 200-4. As shown in FIG. 3, the second route 203 is a shortened route compared to the first route 202 that does not pass through the stop 200-4, different from the first route 202 starting from the stop 200-3. In the present embodiment, when there is no user who plans to board or alight at the stop 200-4 using the reservation information, the vehicle operation support device 2 changes the operation plan so that the operation route of the vehicle 6 is changed from the first route 202 to the second route 203 which is an alternative route. Thereby, the operation load of the vehicle 6 can be suppressed, and the energy consumed by the vehicle 6 can be suppressed. Further, by shortening the operation route, it is possible to expect the effect of avoiding or recovering the operation delay due to traffic congestion or the like and realizing the scheduled operation.

[0043] Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the vehicle operation support processing procedure in the vehicle operation support device 2 of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle operation support device 2 receives reservation information including the boarding stop and the alighting stop (step S1). Specifically, the reservation information receiving unit 26 receives the reservation information from the stop installation terminal 4. Although step S1 is described before step S2 in FIG. 4, the process of step S1 is performed in parallel with the processes after step S2.

[0044] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the reservation information of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the reservation information includes the boarding stop, the alighting stop, the desired boarding time, the number of boarding passengers, the reservation time, and the reservation number. As described above, the alighting stop is input by the user to the stop installation terminal 4, and the boarding stop, the desired boarding time, and the number of boarding passengers may be automatically input by the stop installation terminal 4 or may be input by the user. The reservation number is assigned by the stop installation terminal 4.

[0045] Note that reservations may also be accepted from terminal devices other than the bus stop installation terminal 4. For example, the vehicle operation support device 2 or another device (not shown) has a function as a web server, and the user operates a terminal device such as a smartphone, tablet terminal, or personal computer managed by the user to access the corresponding web page, thereby accepting the input of the boarding bus stop, alighting bus stop, desired boarding time, and the number of boarding passengers. When another device accepts an input related to a reservation, the information accepted by the other device is transmitted to the vehicle operation support device 2. Alternatively, by installing a dedicated application on the terminal device, the terminal device may accept the input of the boarding bus stop, alighting bus stop, desired boarding time, and the number of boarding passengers and transmit it to the vehicle operation support device 2. In these cases, the reservation number is assigned by the vehicle operation support device 2 or another device (not shown).

[0046] Return to the description of FIG. 4. After step S1, the vehicle operation support device 2 determines whether to use an alternative route based on the reservation information (step S2). Specifically, the operation route re-determination unit 23 determines whether to use an alternative route using the reservation information, alternative route information, and operation plan stored in the storage unit 25. Details of step S2 will be described later.

[0047] Next, the vehicle operation support device 2 determines an operation plan using the determination result of whether to use an alternative route and a predetermined operation plan (step S3). Specifically, the operation plan re-determination unit 24 re-determines the operation plan using the determination result of whether to use an alternative route by the operation route re-determination unit 23 and the predetermined operation plan stored in the storage unit 25.

[0048] When the determination result by the operation route re-determination unit 23 is, for example, a determination result that no alternative route is used, the operation plan re-determination unit 24 determines to re-determine the operation plan by using the predefined operation plan stored in the storage unit 25 as the updated operation plan as it is. Also, when the determination result by the operation route re-determination unit 23 is a determination result that an alternative route is used, the operation plan is re-determined by using the alternative route information stored in the storage unit 25. Specifically, when the operation plan is changed by re-determination, the operation plan re-determination unit 24 updates the operation plan stored in the storage unit 25 with the re-determined operation plan, and stores the operation plan before the update in the storage unit 25 as the operation plan before the update. In this way, when an operation plan other than the predefined operation plan is used, the updated operation plan and the operation plan before the update are stored as operation plans in the storage unit 25. Also, the operation plan re-determination unit 24 reflects the update of the operation plan in the vehicle operation information stored in the storage unit 25.

[0049] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the alternative route information of the present embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the regular operation route which is the first route and the alternative route which is the second route are stored as alternative route information. As shown in FIG. 6, the alternative route information includes information indicating the stops passed through in each route. Also, "Stop 3 - Stop 5: 3 minutes" in the alternative route of FIG. 6 is information indicating the required time for traveling in a section different from the regular operation route in the alternative route. In this way, for a section passing through a route different from the regular operation route in the alternative route information, as shown in FIG. 6, the required time for the section may be included in the alternative route information, or the required time for the section passing through a route different from the regular operation route may be managed separately from the alternative route information. Also, here, the alternative route information includes information indicating the regular operation route, but the information indicating the stops in the regular operation route is stored in the storage unit 25 separately from the alternative route information, and the alternative route information may not include the information indicating the regular operation route.

[0050] The operation plan re-determination unit 24 uses the alternative route information to change the operation time of at least a part of the section where the route is changed from the regular operation route by the alternative route. For example, the operation plan re-determination unit 24 may adjust the arrival time and departure time of all stops after the section changed by using the alternative route, or change the arrival time of the stop immediately after the changed section and keep the departure time as the previous operation plan, that is, adjust the time so that the vehicle 6 waits at the stop, so as to adjust without changing the departure time from the operation plan.

[0051] When the operation plan is updated in step S3, the operation plan transmission unit 28 of the vehicle operation support device 2 transmits the updated operation plan, or the operation plans before and after the update, to the vehicle 6 and the stop installation terminal 4. At this time, the operation plan transmission unit 28 may transmit the updated operation plan to all vehicles 6, or transmit the updated operation plan of the vehicle 6 to the vehicle 6 whose operation schedule has been changed. Also, the operation plan transmission unit 28 may transmit the updated operation plan to all stop installation terminals 4, or transmit information regarding the arrival time and departure time of the corresponding stop for each stop installation terminal 4. Further, the operation plan transmission unit 28 may transmit information regarding the arrival time and departure time of the corresponding stop only to the stop installation terminal 4 corresponding to the stop where at least one of the arrival time and departure time has been changed.

[0052] Returning to the description of FIG. 4. After step S3, the vehicle operation support device 2 executes a reservation process based on the reservation information and the vehicle operation information (step S4). Specifically, the reservation processing unit 22 assigns the vehicle 6 to the reservation information for which the reservation process has not been completed, using the reservation information and the vehicle operation information stored in the storage unit 25.

[0053] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of vehicle operation information according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, the vehicle operation information includes an operation plan and information indicating the seat usage status. In FIG. 7, information regarding "Vehicle 01", which is vehicle 6 with an identification number of 01, is illustrated. However, in the vehicle operation information, for each vehicle 6, information indicating the corresponding operation plan and seat usage status is stored. The seat usage status has the number of columns provided according to the number of seats in vehicle 6. When the corresponding seat is not reserved, each column is blank, and when the seat is reserved, the corresponding column is updated to "occupied". Note that the method of indicating whether each seat is vacant or reserved is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 7. For example, it may be indicated by a numerical value of 0 or 1 whether it is vacant or reserved. Also, when no seat is specified, the total number of seats in each vehicle 6 and the number of reserved seats may be shown as the seat usage status.

[0054] The reservation processing unit 22 refers to the vehicle operation information and selects an operating vehicle 6 suitable for the reservation information to be processed. For example, the reservation processing unit 22 refers to the boarding stop, alighting stop, number of passengers, and desired boarding time of the reservation information, and among the vehicles 6 traveling on a route that passes through the alighting stop after passing through the boarding stop, there are vacancies for the number of seats specified by the number of passengers, and the vehicle 6 that departs from the boarding stop at the time closest to the desired boarding time after the desired boarding time is selected. The reservation processing unit 22 changes the seat usage status of the selected vehicle 6 in the vehicle operation information from "vacant" to "occupied" for the number of seats indicated by the number of passengers in the reservation information to be processed. Thereby, the reservation processing unit 22 determines the vehicle 6 corresponding to the reservation information, and stores a reservation result including the identification number of the determined vehicle 6 in the storage unit 25. Note that when performing the processing shown in FIG. 4 each time a plurality of reservation information is received, the reservation processing in step S4 is performed in order from the reservation information with an earlier reservation time.

[0055] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a reservation result stored in the storage unit 25 of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the reservation result stored in the storage unit 25 includes the reservation time, vehicle identification number, boarding stop, boarding time, alighting stop, and number of passengers for each reservation number. The reservation time, boarding stop, alighting stop, and number of passengers are information included in the reservation information. The vehicle identification number is the identification number of the vehicle 6 assigned by the above-described reservation process. The boarding time is the time when the assigned vehicle 6 departs from the boarding stop. The reservation processing unit 22 stores these pieces of information in the storage unit 25 as a reservation result using the reservation information and the result of the reservation process.

[0056] Return to the description of FIG. 4. After step S4, the vehicle operation support device 2 transmits the reservation result (step S5). Specifically, the reservation result transmission unit 27 transmits the reservation result stored in the storage unit 25 to the stop installation terminal 4 corresponding to each reservation number.

[0057] Next, the vehicle operation support device 2 transmits operation plan-related information (step S6) and ends the process. Specifically, in step S6, the display information transmission unit 29 transmits the operation plan and reservation result stored in the storage unit 25 and the position information of the vehicle 6 received from the position information reception unit 30 to the display device 3 as operation plan-related information. The operation plan-related information is display information including the re-determined operation plan. Note that the position information reception unit 30 may transmit the position information of the vehicle 6 separately from the operation plan and reservation result, for example, each time the position information is received. Further, the vehicle operation support device 2 may acquire road construction information, road traffic jam information, weather information, etc. from other devices (not shown) and include these pieces of information in the operation plan-related information and transmit them to the display device 3.

[0058] Next, the determination process of whether to use the alternative route in step S2 described above will be explained. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the determination process of whether to use the alternative route in the present embodiment. The operation route re-determination unit 23 determines whether it is the determination timing (step S11). If it is not the determination timing (step S11 No), the process ends. The determination timing is, for example, when the vehicle operation support device 2 receives reservation information, when it receives a predetermined number of reservation information, when a certain period of time has elapsed, and the like.

[0059] If it is the determination timing (step S11 Yes), the operation route re-determination unit 23 performs provisional reservation processing by provisionally determining the vehicle 6 for each reservation based on the vehicle operation information during operation and the reservation information (step S12). The vehicle operation information during operation means the vehicle operation information including the currently used operation plan, and is the vehicle operation information before the reservation processing in step S4 based on the reservation information to be processed. In step S12, specifically, the operation route re-determination unit 23 uses the vehicle operation information and the reservation information stored in the storage unit 25 to assign the vehicle 6 to the reservation information to be processed, in the same manner as the reservation processing in step S4 described above. However, this assignment result is not stored in the reservation result of the storage unit 25, but is held as temporary information in the storage unit 25. For example, the vehicle operation information is copied and temporarily stored in the storage unit 25 as provisional reservation information. The operation route re-determination unit 23 updates the seat usage status in the provisional reservation information to assign the vehicle 6, and temporarily stores in the storage unit 25 the same information as the reservation result in the reservation processing as the provisional reservation result. The provisional reservation result is the result of the provisional reservation corresponding to the newly received reservation information. Here, although the operation route re-determination unit 23 is assumed to perform the process in step S12, the reservation processing unit 22 may perform the process in step S12.

[0060] Next, the operation route re-determination unit 23 determines whether there is a stop that is omitted by an alternative route at the alighting stop (step S13). That is, the operation route re-determination unit 23 determines whether the alighting stop, which is the stop where alighting is included in the reservation, is included in the stops where stopping is omitted by an alternative route. Specifically, for example, the operation route re-determination unit 23 uses the provisional reservation results and reservation results stored in the storage unit 25 and the alternative route information to determine whether there is a reservation number in the provisional reservation results and reservation results where the alighting stop is a stop that is omitted by an alternative route. Note that the processing from step S13 to step S16 is performed for each vehicle 6.

[0061] If there is a stop that is omitted by an alternative route at the alighting stop (step S13 Yes), the operation route re-determination unit 23 ends the process. If there is no stop that is omitted by an alternative route at the alighting stop (step S13 No), the operation route re-determination unit 23 determines whether there is a boarding schedule at the stop that is omitted by an alternative route (step S14). That is, the operation route re-determination unit 23 determines whether the boarding stop, which is the stop where boarding is included in the reservation, is included in the stops where stopping is omitted by an alternative route. Specifically, for example, the operation route re-determination unit 23 uses the provisional reservation results and reservation results stored in the storage unit 25 and the alternative route information to determine whether there is a reservation number in the provisional reservation results and reservation results where the boarding stop is a stop that is omitted by an alternative route.

[0062] If there is a boarding schedule at the stop that is omitted by an alternative route (step S14 Yes), the operation route re-determination unit 23 ends the process. If there is no boarding schedule at the stop that is omitted by an alternative route (step S14 No), the operation route re-determination unit 23 determines whether it is full (step S15). Specifically, for example, the operation route re-determination unit 23 uses the provisional reservation results and reservation results stored in the storage unit 25 to determine whether it is full.

[0063] When it is not full (No in step S15), the operation route re-determination unit 23 ends the process. When it is full (Yes in step S15), the operation route re-determination unit 23 decides to use an alternative route (step S16) and ends the process. Note that when ending the process without going through step S16, the operation route re-determination unit 23 decides not to use an alternative route.

[0064] As described above, the processes from step S13 to step S16 are performed for each vehicle 6, but the processes from step S13 to step S16 may be performed for all vehicles 6 that can be operated on the day, or for example, for vehicles 6 that will operate within a certain time from now, the processes from step S13 to step S16 may be performed for each vehicle 6.

[0065] Also, the process of step S15 may be omitted. In this case, after performing the determination process of whether to use an alternative route, there may be a possibility of receiving reservation information for boarding or alighting at an alternative route. For example, setting the deadline for accepting reservations for boarding or alighting from stops omitted by the alternative route to a certain time before the arrival time of vehicle 6, etc., and performing the determination process (the process of step S2) of whether to use an alternative route after the deadline can omit the process of step S15.

[0066] In this way, the operation route re-determination unit 23 performs a provisional reservation process of tentatively determining the vehicle 6 to be assigned to the reservation corresponding to the reservation information using the reservation information and the operation plan. Then, the operation route re-determination unit 23 uses the result of the provisional reservation process and the reservation result that has been finalized by the reservation process, and when it is determined that there is a vehicle 6 that has not been assigned to a reservation with a boarding stop that is not included in the alternative route and has not been assigned to a reservation with an alighting stop that is not included in the alternative route, it decides to use an alternative route for the operation of the vehicle. The reservation processing unit 22 will perform the reservation process corresponding to the reservation information that was the target of the provisional reservation process using the operation plan in which this determination result is reflected.

[0067] Next, an example of the display of the operation plan at a stop that is included in the regular operation route but not in other routes will be described. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the display of the operation plan at a stop that is included in the regular operation route but not in other routes in the present embodiment. The display device 5 installed at the stop that is included in the regular operation route but not in other routes displays the operation plan received from the stop installation terminal 4 as a timetable, for example, as shown in FIG. 10, so that it is possible to know the train that is omitted from stopping by using other routes. In the example shown in FIG. 10, in the pre-determined operation plan, a stop at the stop corresponding to 9:15 on weekdays is scheduled, but by the process shown in FIG. 4 described above, it is determined that other routes will be used and the stop at 9:15 is omitted, and the omission is indicated by a cross mark. Note that the method of indicating that the stop is omitted is not limited to the example of FIG. 10, and other methods such as displaying the time of the train for which the stop is omitted in a color different from other numbers may be used.

[0068] Next, an example of the display on the display device 3 will be described. The display device 3 displays the operation plan received from the vehicle operation support device 2. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the display screen of the operation plan on the display device 3 of the present embodiment. The stop numbers 301 arranged horizontally at the top of FIG. 11 indicate the numbers of the stops that identify the stops. In FIG. 11, although the number 4 surrounded by a rectangle is marked, the numbers 0 to 3 and 5 surrounded by rectangles in the same way also indicate the stop numbers. The vehicle identification number 302 in FIG. 11 indicates the identification number of the vehicle 6. The numbers such as 02 surrounded by other rectangles at the left end of FIG. 11 also indicate the vehicle identification number 302 in the same way. The operation start time 303 shown to the right of the vehicle identification number 302 indicates the time when the operation of the corresponding train starts in a state where boarding is possible at each departure stop. Also, the time surrounded by a thick line rectangle marked with "now" indicates the current time.

[0069] Here, an example is shown in which the first route 202 and the second route 203 shown in FIG. 3 are used as the steady operation route and the alternative route, respectively. The stop number 0 indicates the vehicle base 201, and the stop numbers 1 to 5 correspond to the stops 200-1 to 200-5, respectively. In this example, the stop 200-1 is both the starting stop and the ending stop. As shown in FIG. 11, after the stop 200-4, it arrives at the stop 200-1 via the stop 200-5.

[0070] The train operation 304 shows the operation plan of the vehicle 6 with the vehicle identification number 01. The train operations indicated by the dotted lines, such as the train operation 304, indicate the trains that have already completed their operations. The lines connecting each stop indicate the movement between stops. The train operation 305 shows the operation plan of the vehicle 6 with the vehicle identification number 03, the train operation 306 shows the operation plan of the vehicle 6 with the vehicle identification number 04, and the train operation 307 shows the operation plan of the vehicle 6 with the vehicle identification number 06. Also, the current position 308 shown by the rectangle indicates the current position of the vehicle 6 with the vehicle identification number 03. The current position 308 is above the current time indicated by now, indicating that the vehicle 6 with the vehicle identification number 03 is running behind the operation plan.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 11, since the vehicle 6 with the vehicle identification number 03 is planned to travel on the first route 202 in FIG. 3, it is scheduled to stop at all of the stops 200-1 to 200-5. However, since the vehicle 6 with the vehicle identification number 04 is planned to travel on the second route 203 in FIG. 3, the stop at the stop 200-4 is omitted. In the example shown in FIG. 11, only the updated operation plan is shown for the vehicle 6 with the vehicle identification number 04 that is planned to travel on the second route 203, but the display method of the operation plan is not limited to this example.

[0072] Figs. 12 to 14 are diagrams showing an example of the display method before and after the change of the operation plan. Figs. 12 to 14 are the enlarged views of only a part of one train for easy understanding among the displays shown in Fig. 11. Also in this example, the first route 202 shown in Fig. 3 is used as the regular operation route, and the second route 203 shown in Fig. 3 is used as an alternative route. Fig. 12 shows an example of the display of the operation plan before the change of the present embodiment, and Fig. 13 shows an example of the display of the operation plan 310 after being changed to use the alternative route. Fig. 14 shows an example of the display showing the operation plan 311 before the change together with the operation plan 310 after the change shown in Fig. 13. The display device 3 can thus display the redetermined operation plan of the vehicle 6 and the operation plan of the vehicle 6 before the redetermination in a distinguishable manner. As shown in Fig. 13, the display device 3 may display only the operation plan after the change, or as shown in Fig. 14, may display the operation plan after the change together with the operation plan before the change.

[0073] Further, the display device 3 may display the reservation result together with the operation plan. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen that displays the operation plan of the present embodiment together with the reservation result. The upper part of FIG. 15 shows the same operation plan as FIG. 11, and the reservation result 320 is shown in the lower part of FIG. 15. The numbers 1 to 5 enclosed by the upper rectangle in the reservation result 320 indicate the stop numbers, and the vehicle identification number 321 indicates the identification number of the vehicle 6. Also, the numbers described as the reservation order 322 are numbers indicating the reservation order. The reservation order indicates the order of the reservation times. For example, as the reservation order, a number assigned so that the earlier the reservation time corresponding to each reservation number, the smaller the number can be used as the number indicating the reservation order. Thereby, it is possible to confirm whether the vehicle 6 that departs earlier after the desired boarding time is assigned in the order of the earlier reservation times. For example, assume that both the reservation with the reservation order number 001 and the reservation with the reservation order number 006 are reservations to board at stop 200-1 and get off at stop 200-3, and the desired boarding times of the reservation with the reservation order number 001 and the reservation with the reservation order number 006 are the same. In this case, as shown in FIG. 11, it can be seen that the reservation with the reservation order number 001, which is younger than the reservation order number 006, is assigned the vehicle 6 with the vehicle identification number 03 that departs earlier than the vehicle 6 with the vehicle identification number 04 assigned to the reservation order number 006. Note that the display device 3 may also display the desired boarding time together with the reservation order, such as by writing the desired boarding time beside the reservation order.

[0074] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing another display example of the reservation result according to the present embodiment. Also in the example shown in FIG. 16, similar to the example shown in FIG. 15, an operation plan similar to that in FIG. 11 is displayed at the upper part, but the illustration at the upper part is omitted in FIG. 16. At the lower part of the display screen, as shown in FIG. 16, a reservation result 323 is displayed. In the reservation result 323, instead of showing the reservation order by numbers, the reservation order is shown by the order of the horizontal lines shown in the reservation order display area 324. The horizontal lines shown in the reservation order display area 324 indicate that the upper line has an earlier reservation order. The arrow shown as reservation 325 is connected to one of the horizontal lines in the reservation order display area 324, and the corresponding reservation order is shown by the vertical order in the reservation order display area 324 of the connected horizontal line. In this way, by including information indicating the reservation order in the reservation result, the display device 3 can display information indicating the reservation order together with the reservation result. Note that the display method of displaying the reservation result together with the operation plan is not limited to the examples shown in FIGS. 15 and 16.

[0075] Next, the hardware configuration of the vehicle operation support device 2 according to the present embodiment will be described. The vehicle operation support device 2 according to the present embodiment is a computer system on which a vehicle operation support program, which is a computer program describing the processing in the vehicle operation support device 2, is executed, so that the computer system functions as the vehicle operation support device 2. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a computer system that realizes the vehicle operation support device 2 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 17, this computer system includes a control unit 101, an input unit 102, a storage unit 103, a display unit 104, a communication unit 105, and an output unit 106, which are connected via a system bus 107.

[0076] In FIG. 17, the control unit 101 is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and executes a vehicle operation support program in which the processing in the vehicle operation support device 2 of the present embodiment is described. The input unit 102 is composed of, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, etc., and is used by a user of the computer system to input various kinds of information. The storage unit 103 includes various memories such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a storage device such as a hard disk, and stores the program to be executed by the control unit 101, necessary data obtained in the process of processing, etc. Further, the storage unit 103 is also used as a temporary storage area for the program. The display unit 104 is composed of a display, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display Panel), etc., and displays various screens to the user of the computer system. The communication unit 105 is a receiver and a transmitter that perform communication processing. The output unit 106 is a printer, a speaker, etc. Note that FIG. 17 is an example, and the configuration of the computer system is not limited to the example of FIG. 17.

[0077] Here, an operation example of the computer system until the vehicle operation support program of the present embodiment becomes executable will be described. In a computer system having the above-described configuration, for example, the vehicle operation support program is installed in the storage unit 103 from a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM set in a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM drive or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM drive (not shown). Then, when the vehicle operation support program is executed, the vehicle operation support program read from the storage unit 103 is stored in the main storage area of the storage unit 103. In this state, the control unit 101 executes the processing as the vehicle operation support device 2 of the present embodiment according to the program stored in the storage unit 103.

[0078] In the above description, a program that describes the processing in the vehicle operation support device 2 is provided using a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM as a recording medium. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and depending on the configuration of the computer system, the capacity of the program to be provided, etc., for example, a program provided via a transmission medium such as the Internet via the communication unit 105 may be used instead.

[0079] The operation plan determination unit 21, reservation processing unit 22, operation route re-determination unit 23, and operation plan re-determination unit 24 shown in FIG. 1 are realized by the vehicle operation support program stored in the storage unit 103 shown in FIG. 17 being executed by the control unit 101 shown in FIG. 17. The storage unit 25 shown in FIG. 1 is a part of the storage unit 103 shown in FIG. 17. The reservation information reception unit 26, reservation result transmission unit 27, operation plan transmission unit 28, display information transmission unit 29, and position information reception unit 30 shown in FIG. 1 are realized by the communication unit 105 shown in FIG. 17. The vehicle operation support device 2 may be realized by a plurality of computer systems. For example, the vehicle operation support device 2 may be realized by a cloud computer system.

[0080] For example, the vehicle operation support program of the present embodiment causes a vehicle operation support device 2 that supports the operation of a vehicle in which an operation route including a plurality of stops to pass through and an operation time are determined in advance as an operation plan to execute a step of receiving reservation information including a boarding stop and an alighting stop, a step of determining whether to use an alternative route that is a route different from the predetermined operation route and does not include at least one of the stops included in the predetermined operation route based on the reservation information, and a step of re-determining the operation plan of the vehicle based on the determination result of whether to use the alternative route.

[0081] In addition, the bus stop installed terminal 4 is also realized by a computer system exemplified in FIG. 17, similar to the vehicle operation support device 2. Note that the computer system realizing the bus stop installed terminal 4 may not include the display unit 104 and the output unit 106. The reservation reception unit 41 is realized by the control unit 101 and the input unit 102 shown in FIG. 17, and the reservation information transmission unit 42, the reservation result reception unit 43, the operation plan reception unit 44, and the display information transmission unit 45 are realized by the communication unit 105 shown in FIG. 17.

[0082] In addition, the vehicle installed terminal 7 is also realized by a computer system exemplified in FIG. 17, similar to the vehicle operation support device 2. Note that the computer system realizing the vehicle installed terminal 7 may not include the display unit 104 and the output unit 106. The operation plan reception unit 71, the display information transmission unit 72, and the position transmission unit 73 are realized by the communication unit 105 shown in FIG. 17.

[0083] In addition, the vehicle control device 7a is also realized by a computer system exemplified in FIG. 17, similar to the vehicle operation support device 2. Note that the computer system realizing the vehicle control device 7a may not include the display unit 104 and the output unit 106. The vehicle control unit 74 is realized by the control unit 101 shown in FIG. 17 when the vehicle control program stored in the storage unit 103 shown in FIG. 17 is executed. The operation plan reception unit 71, the display information transmission unit 72, and the position transmission unit 73 are realized by the communication unit 105 shown in FIG. 17.

[0084] The display devices 3, 5, and 9 shown in FIG. 1 are displays or the like, but the display device 3 may be a computer system exemplified in FIG. 17 that includes a display.

[0085] <Modification Example 1> In the above example, it was assumed that a reservation is made before boarding the vehicle. However, even a user who has not made a reservation may be allowed to board the vehicle from a stop. In this case, when boarding or after boarding, the input of the alighting stop is received inside the vehicle. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the vehicle according to Modification 1 of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 18, the vehicle 6b of the present embodiment includes a vehicle-mounted terminal 7b instead of the vehicle-mounted terminal 7 shown in FIG. 1 and includes a reception device 10. The reception device 10 is an input device for inputting the alighting stop. When the reception device 10 receives the input of the alighting stop, it transmits information indicating the alighting stop and the number of passengers to the vehicle-mounted terminal 7b. When the reservation information transmission unit 75 of the vehicle-mounted terminal 7b receives the information indicating the alighting stop from the reception device 10, it sets the boarding stop as the next stop to stop, sets the boarding desired time and the reservation time as the current time, and transmits reservation information including the boarding stop, the alighting stop, the number of boarding passengers, and the reservation time to the vehicle operation support device 2.

[0086] The vehicle operation support device 2 that constitutes the vehicle operation support system 1a of Modification Example 1 has the same configuration as the vehicle operation support device 2 shown in FIG. 1, but the operation of also processing the reservation information received from the vehicle-mounted terminal 7b is different from the example shown in FIG. 1. The vehicle operation support system 1a includes a vehicle operation support device 2a and a display device 3. The vehicle operation support system 1a may further include a station-mounted terminal 4 and a vehicle-mounted terminal 7b. The reservation information receiving unit 26 receives reservation information from the vehicle-mounted terminal 7b and stores it in the storage unit 25. Note that, for the reservation information transmitted from the vehicle-mounted terminal 7b, since boarding has already been confirmed, no reservation processing is performed, but the reservation processing unit 22 reflects the content of the reservation information in the reservation result. Also, the reservation information transmitted from the vehicle-mounted terminal 7b is used for determining whether to use a different route, similar to the reservation information transmitted from the station-mounted terminal 4. In Modification Example 1, in order to prevent a passenger who has made a reservation to board later from being unable to board due to a non-reserved passenger boarding, for a vehicle 6b that is scheduled to be full with reservations, non-reserved users are not allowed to board, and non-reserved users are allowed to board only when the vehicle is not full including reservations. Also, in the reservation process, some of the seat numbers may be reserved without allocating all the seats of the vehicle 6b for users who board without a reservation. Also, restrictions may be placed on the number of users who board without a reservation at one time. In Modification Example 1, when a non-reserved user is scheduled to get off at a station that is omitted by a different route, the corresponding vehicle 6b is not operated by the different route, and when a non-reserved user is scheduled to get off at a station other than the station that is omitted by the different route, it may be operated by a different route depending on the reservation status of other reservations. Note that Modification Example 1 may be applied to a vehicle having an automatic driving or driving support function shown in FIG. 2.

[0087] <Modification Example 2> Next, Modification 2 will be described. The configuration of each device in Modification 2 is the same as that in FIG. 1. In Modification 2, the timing of the reservation process and the determination of the alternative route is different from the process shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing an example of the vehicle operation support process procedure in the vehicle operation support device 2 according to Modification 2 of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 19, the vehicle operation support device 2 determines whether it is the timing for determining whether to use an alternative route (step S21). Specifically, the operation route re-determination unit 23 determines whether it is the determination timing, and if it is not the determination timing (step S21 No), the process ends. Note that the determination timing is, for example, when the vehicle operation support device 2 receives a predetermined number of reservation information, or when a certain period of time has elapsed.

[0088] If it is the determination timing (step S21 Yes), the operation route re-determination unit 23 determines whether to use an alternative route (step S22). The details of step S22 will be described later. Next, step S3 and step S6 shown in FIG. 4 are executed, and the process ends.

[0089] FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing an example of the reservation process procedure in Modification 2 of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 20, the vehicle operation support device 2 determines whether it is the reservation process timing (step S23), and if it is not the reservation process timing (step S23 No), the process ends. Specifically, in step S23, the reservation process unit 22 determines that it is the reservation process timing when the reservation information is added to the storage unit 25 by receiving the reservation information, or when a predetermined number of reservation information is added to the storage unit 25 by receiving the reservation information.

[0090] When it is the reservation processing timing (Yes in step S23), the vehicle operation support device 2 executes reservation processing based on the unprocessed reservation information among the received reservation information and the latest vehicle operation information (step S24). Specifically, the reservation processing unit 22 performs reservation processing in the same manner as step S4 in FIG. 4 using the vehicle operation information stored in the storage unit 25 and the unprocessed reservation information among the received reservation information. At this time, the vehicle operation information includes the operation plan updated based on the reservation results determined up to that point. Therefore, when the reservation information to be reservation-processed includes information indicating boarding or alighting at an alternative route, the vehicle 6 will be assigned from among the vehicles 6 excluding the vehicles 6 that have already been determined to operate on an alternative route. After step S24, the same step S5 as in FIG. 4 is performed, and the reservation processing ends. When processing a plurality of reservation information in step S24, the reservation processing unit 22 performs the processing in ascending order of the reservation time.

[0091] Next, the determination process of whether to use the alternative route in step S22 described above will be explained. FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing an example of the determination process of whether to use the alternative route in Modification 2 of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 21, the operation route re-determination unit 23 performs steps S13 to S16 for each vehicle 6 in the same manner as the example shown in FIG. 9. However, in Modification 1, since the provisional reservation process is not performed, in step S13, the operation route re-determination unit 23 uses the reservation results stored in the storage unit 25 and the alternative route information to determine whether there is a reservation number among the reservation results where the alighting stop is a stop omitted by the alternative route. Similarly, in step S14, the operation route re-determination unit 23 uses the reservation results stored in the storage unit 25 and the alternative route information to determine whether there is a reservation number among the reservation results where the boarding stop is a stop omitted by the alternative route.

[0092] As described above, in Modification 2, when the operation route re-determination unit 23 determines that there is a vehicle 6 that has not been assigned to a reservation with a stop not included in the alternative route as the boarding stop and has not been assigned to a reservation with a stop not included in the alternative route as the alighting stop, using the reservation results that have been finalized through the reservation process, it decides to use an alternative route for the operation of the vehicle 6. When using the procedure of Modification 2, the same effects as those in the example shown in FIG. 9 can be achieved.

[0093] Note that in Modifications 1 and 2 described above, reservations may also be accepted from terminal devices other than the stop installation terminal 4.

[0094] As described above, in the present embodiment, the vehicle operation support device 2 determines, based on reservation information, whether to use a second route that is different from a predetermined first route regarding the operation route of the vehicle and does not include some of the stops passed through in the first route. When it is determined to use the second route, an operation plan is determined to use the second route instead of the first route. Thereby, according to the reservation situation, that is, according to the expected demand for the vehicle 6 whose operation route and operation time are predetermined, the operation plan of the vehicle can be changed. Therefore, excessive operation can be avoided and the operation load can be suppressed.

[0095] Embodiment 2. FIG. 22 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle operation support system including the vehicle operation support device according to Embodiment 2. The vehicle operation support system 1b of the present embodiment includes a vehicle operation support device 2a that supports the operation of the vehicle 6 and a display device 3 that displays the operation plan of the vehicle 6 and the like. The vehicle operation support system 1b may further include a stop installation terminal 4 and a vehicle installation terminal 7. The configurations of the stop installation terminal 4 and the vehicle 6 are the same as those in Embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 1. Components having the same functions as those in Embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals as in Embodiment 1, and redundant descriptions are omitted. Hereinafter, the differences from Embodiment 1 will be mainly described.

[0096] As shown in FIG. 22, the vehicle operation support device 2a of the present embodiment includes an operation time re-determination unit 23a and an operation plan re-determination unit 24a instead of the operation route re-determination unit 23 and the operation plan re-determination unit 24, and is the same as that of the first embodiment except that the storage unit 25 stores different time information instead of the different route information.

[0097] FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing an example of a vehicle operation support processing procedure in the vehicle operation support device 2a of the present embodiment. Step S1 is the same as that of the first embodiment. The vehicle operation support device 2a determines whether to use a different operation time based on the reservation information (step S31). Although the details of step S31 will be described later, the operation time re-determination unit 23a determines whether to use a different operation time, and also determines whether to increase or decrease the number of trains when using a different operation time.

[0098] After step S31, the vehicle operation support device 2a determines the operation plan using the determination result of whether to use a different operation time and a predetermined operation plan (step S32). Specifically, when the result is not to use a different operation time, the operation plan re-determination unit 24a re-determines the operation plan using the determination result of whether to use a different operation time by the operation route re-determination unit 23 and the predetermined operation plan stored in the storage unit 25.

[0099] When the determination result by the operation time re-determination unit 23a is, for example, a determination result that no alternative operation time is used, the operation plan re-determination unit 24a determines to re-determine the operation plan by using the predetermined operation plan stored in the storage unit 25 as the updated operation plan as it is. Also, when the determination result by the operation time re-determination unit 23a is a determination result that an alternative operation time is used and additional trips are to be made, the operation plan is re-determined by using the alternative time information stored in the storage unit 25. The alternative time information stores information indicating the time of additional trips in the case of additional trips due to a high boarding rate for each trip in the regular operation plan. Also, when the determination result by the operation time re-determination unit 23a is a determination result that an alternative operation time is used and trips are to be reduced, the operation plan is re-determined to omit the target trip from the operation plan stored in the storage unit 25. When the operation plan is changed by re-determination, the operation time re-determination unit 23a updates the operation plan stored in the storage unit 25 with the re-determined operation plan, and stores the operation plan before the update in the storage unit 25 as the operation plan before the update. Also, the operation plan re-determination unit 24 reflects the update of the operation plan in the vehicle operation information stored in the storage unit 25. After step S32, steps S4 to S6 are carried out in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0100] Next, the determination process of whether to use the alternative operation time in step S31 described above will be explained. FIG. 24 is a flowchart showing an example of the determination process of whether to use the alternative operation time in the present embodiment. The operation time re-determination unit 23a carries out steps S11 and S12 in the same manner as in the first embodiment. After step S12, it is determined whether the boarding rate of the vehicle 6 that arrives earliest after the desired boarding time is equal to or higher than the first threshold value (step S41). Specifically, the operation time re-determination unit 23a refers to the operation plan stored in the storage unit 25 to obtain the vehicle 6 that arrives earliest after the desired boarding time in the reservation information provisionally reserved in step S12, refers to the vehicle operation information stored in the storage unit 25 to calculate the boarding rate of the vehicle 6, and determines whether the calculated boarding rate is equal to or higher than the first threshold value.

[0101] When the boarding rate of the vehicle 6 that arrives earliest after the desired boarding time is equal to or higher than the first threshold (Yes in step S41), the operation time re-determination unit 23a determines whether there is a vehicle 6 to be assigned (step S44). Specifically, for example, the operation time re-determination unit 23a refers to the vehicle information in the storage unit 25 to determine whether there is a vehicle 6 waiting at the vehicle base 201 or another location after the operation time of the vehicle 6 that arrives earliest after the desired boarding time.

[0102] When there is a vehicle 6 to be assigned (Yes in step S44), the operation time re-determination unit 23a decides to use an alternative operation time (extra service) (step S45) and ends the process. When there is no vehicle 6 to be assigned (No in step S44), the operation time re-determination unit 23a ends the process.

[0103] When the boarding rate of the vehicle 6 that arrives earliest after the desired boarding time is less than the first threshold (No in step S41), the operation time re-determination unit 23a determines whether the boarding rate is equal to or less than the second threshold (step S42). That is, the operation time re-determination unit 23a determines whether the boarding rate of the vehicle 6 that arrives earliest after the desired boarding time is equal to or less than the second threshold. Note that the second threshold is smaller than the first threshold. When the boarding rate is equal to or less than the second threshold (Yes in step S42), the operation time re-determination unit 23a decides to use an alternative operation time (service reduction) (step S43) and ends the process. When the boarding rate is not equal to or less than the second threshold (No in step S42), the operation time re-determination unit 23a ends the process. If the process ends without going through either step S45 or step S43, the operation time re-determination unit 23a decides not to use an alternative operation time. Through the above process, the operation time re-determination unit 23a can determine the operation time so as to perform extra service when congestion of the vehicle 6 is expected and perform service reduction when few passengers are expected in the vehicle 6. When congestion of the vehicle 6 is expected, it is assumed that the user will be assigned a vehicle 6 that arrives considerably after the desired boarding time. In such a case, by performing extra service, the user can use a vehicle 6 that operates as close as possible to the desired boarding time.

[0104] Alternatively, instead of step S41, the operation time re-determination unit 23a may determine whether the difference between the arrival time of the vehicle 6 that arrives earliest after the desired boarding time and the desired boarding time is greater than the threshold. Or, when at least one of the determination in step S41 and the determination of whether the difference between the arrival time of the vehicle 6 that arrives earliest after the desired boarding time and the desired boarding time is greater than the threshold is Yes, the operation time re-determination unit 23a may perform the process of step S44.

[0105] In this way, when the operation time re-determination unit 23a determines to use an alternative operation time, it determines whether to increase or decrease the number of trips based on the boarding rate of the vehicle 6 based on the reservation information. Specifically, the operation time re-determination unit 23a performs a provisional reservation process of tentatively determining the vehicle 6 to be assigned to the reservation corresponding to the reservation information using the reservation information and the operation plan, and calculates the boarding rate using the result of the provisional reservation process and the reservation result that has been finalized by the reservation process.

[0106] FIG. 25 is a diagram showing an example of an operation plan displayed by the display device 3 of the present embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 25, similar to the example shown in FIG. 11, the stop number 301 and the vehicle identification number 302 are shown. FIG. 25 shows an example in which the number of trips has been reduced. Since the trip between the operation plan 331 of the vehicle 6 with the vehicle identification number 02 and the operation plan 332 of the vehicle 6 with the vehicle identification number 04 is omitted, there is a larger gap during this period compared to other times. Also in the present embodiment, the display device 3 can simultaneously display the operation plan and the reservation result in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0107] FIG. 26 is a diagram showing an example of an operation plan displayed on the stop display device 5 of the present embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 26, an example is shown in which the display device 5 displays a timetable that is an operation plan at the stop 200-1 corresponding to the reduction in the number of trains in FIG. 25. As shown in FIG. 26, since the operation of the train departing from the stop 200-1 at 9:15 is reduced so as to be omitted, a cross mark is attached to the corresponding number. Further, in the example shown in FIG. 26, since an additional train at 10:15 is added due to an increase in the number of trains between 10:00 and 10:30, the corresponding number is circled. In this way, the display device 5 can display the operation plan so that the operation plans changed by the increase and decrease in the number of trains can be identified respectively.

[0108] <Modification Example 1> Next, Modification Example 1 of the present embodiment will be described. The configuration of each device in Modification Example 1 is the same as that in FIG. 22. In Modification Example 1, the determination process of whether to use the alternative operation time is different from the process shown in FIG. 23. FIG. 27 is a flowchart showing an example of a determination process procedure for whether to use the alternative operation time in Modification Example 1 of the present embodiment. Steps S11, S12, S41, and S42 are the same as the example shown in FIG. 24.

[0109] As shown in FIG. 27, when it is determined Yes in step S42, the operation time re-determination unit 23a determines to use the alternative operation time (extended operation interval) (step S51) and ends the process. That is, the operation time re-determination unit 23a determines to use the alternative operation time and also determines to extend the operation interval. Further, when it is determined Yes in step S41, the operation time re-determination unit 23a determines to use the alternative operation time (shortened operation interval) (step S52) and ends the process. That is, the operation time re-determination unit 23a determines to use the alternative operation time and also determines to shorten the operation interval. In this way, in Modification Example 1, when the operation time re-determination unit 23a determines to use the alternative operation time, it determines whether to shorten or extend the operation interval based on the boarding rate of the vehicle based on the reservation information.

[0110] In Modification Example 1, the additional time information includes information indicating the running intervals in the case of extending the running interval and the case of extending the running time for each interval of the running time in a predetermined train operation plan. FIG. 28 is a diagram showing an example of the additional time information of Modification Example 1 of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 28, the additional time information includes information indicating the running intervals in the case of shortening the running interval and the case of extending the running interval for each current running interval, that is, for each running interval in the running time in a predetermined train operation plan.

[0111] In Modification Example 1, when it is determined by the running time re-determination unit 23a to use an alternative running time, the train operation plan re-determination unit 24a updates the train operation plan to change the running interval of the corresponding vehicle 6, that is, the interval from the running time of the previous vehicle, using the additional time information. Note that when the running interval is changed in this way, even if the running interval of the next vehicle 6 to be operated is made the same as the running interval in the predetermined train operation plan, the departure time itself will shift. In this case, the running time re-determination unit 23a also reflects such a change in the departure time.

[0112] FIG. 29 is a diagram showing an example of the train operation plan displayed on the platform display device 5 in Modification Example 1 of the present embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 29, in the train operation plan before the change, similar to the example shown in FIG. 26, the 9 o'clock hour has intervals of 15 minutes and the 10 o'clock hour has intervals of 30 minutes. In the example shown in FIG. 29, the running interval of the train scheduled to depart at 9:15 in the train operation plan before the change is shortened, and the subsequent trains in the 9 o'clock hour have intervals of 15 minutes as in the train operation plan before the change. Also, from 9:55 to 10:40, the running interval is extended from 30 minutes to 45 minutes. In the example shown in FIG. 29, an upward arrow is attached to the departure time changed to shorten the running interval, and a downward arrow is attached to the departure time changed to extend the running interval. Thereby, the user can grasp the trains whose running intervals have been changed.

[0113] Note that Modification 1 may be combined with increasing or decreasing the number of trips. That is, when shortening the operation interval, the number of vehicles 6 to be operated may be increased, and when lengthening the operation interval, the number of vehicles 6 to be operated may be decreased.

[0114] FIG. 30 is a diagram showing a display example of an operation plan displayed on the display device 3 when Modification 1 of the present embodiment is combined with increasing the number of trips. The current position 335 indicates the current position of the vehicle 6. In the example shown in FIG. 30, the vehicle 6 with vehicle identification number 03 has been added to the schedule and the operation interval has been shortened. In the example shown in FIG. 30, the vehicle 6 with vehicle identification number 03 moves from the vehicle base 201 corresponding to the stop number 0 to the stop 200-1 and operates as shown by the movement 333. The operation trip 330 shown in FIG. 30 indicates the added trip. After that, after the operation trip 336, the operation interval returns to the original state. Therefore, after the operation of the operation trip 330 ends, the vehicle 6 with vehicle identification number 03 returns to the vehicle base 201 as shown by the movement 334. As can be seen from the movement from the vehicle base 201 due to the addition of trips in this way, in the example shown in FIG. 30, the movement from the vehicle base 201 is shown by a line different from the line type indicating the movement by operation. Similarly, the movement back to the vehicle base 201 due to the reduction of trips is also shown by a line type different from the line type indicating the movement by operation. Note that the display method of the different lines is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 30, and methods such as changing the color, changing the thickness, and describing identifying characters nearby may be used, and any method may be used.

[0115] FIG. 31 is a diagram showing a display example of shortening the operation interval in Modification 1 of the present embodiment. Similar to FIG. 30, the current position 335 indicates the current position of the vehicle 6. In the example shown in FIG. 31, the trips with the operation interval shortened are indicated by triangles in the change display area 337, and the trips with the operation time changed due to the influence of the shortened operation interval are indicated by circles. Triangles pointing in the opposite direction may be used to indicate similar trips with the operation interval lengthened, and circles may be used to indicate the trips with the operation time changed due to the influence of the lengthened operation interval. In this way, the display device 3 can display in a distinguishable manner the trips with the operation interval shortened and the operation interval lengthened, and the trips with the operation time changed due to the influence of these.

[0116] Further, the display device 3 may display so as to distinguish between the time zone in which the operation time is changed due to the shortening of the operation interval and the time zone in which the operation time is changed due to the extension of the operation interval. FIG. 32 is a diagram showing an example of displaying the time zone in which the operation time is changed due to the shortening of the operation interval in Modification 1 of the present embodiment. FIG. 33 is a diagram showing an example of displaying the time zone in which the operation time is changed due to the extension of the operation interval in Modification 1 of the present embodiment. In the examples shown in FIGS. 32 and 33, the train whose operation time is changed due to the shortening of the operation interval is shown by a triangle having a vertex upward, and the train whose operation time is changed due to the extension of the operation interval is shown by a triangle having a vertex downward.

[0117] FIG. 34 is a diagram showing another example of displaying the time zone in which the operation time is changed due to the shortening of the operation interval in Modification 1 of the present embodiment. FIG. 35 is a diagram showing another example of displaying the time zone in which the operation time is changed due to the extension of the operation interval in Modification 1 of the present embodiment. In the examples shown in FIGS. 34 and 35, the time zone in which the operation time is changed due to the shortening of the operation interval and the time zone in which the operation time is changed due to the extension of the operation interval are shown by rectangles with different colors and thicknesses. In the example shown in FIG. 34, a rectangle that is thicker and darker than the example shown in FIG. 35 is shown to the right of the vehicle identification number and the time. Note that the figures showing the trains whose operation times are changed due to the shortening and extension of the operation intervals respectively are not limited to the examples shown in FIGS. 32 to 34, and any method may be used as long as the time zone in which the operation time is changed due to the shortening of the operation interval and the time zone in which the operation time is changed due to the extension of the operation interval can be displayed by another display method.

[0118] In this way, the display device 3 can display so as to be able to distinguish between the time zone in which the operation time is changed due to the shortening of the operation interval and the time zone in which the operation time is changed due to the extension of the operation interval.

[0119] <Modification 2> Next, Modification Example 2 will be described. The configuration of each device in Modification Example 2 of the present embodiment is the same as that in FIG. 22. In Modification Example 2, the timing of the reservation process and the determination (judgment) of the separate operation time is different from the process shown in FIG. 23. FIG. 36 is a flowchart showing an example of the vehicle operation support processing procedure in the vehicle operation support device 2a of Modification Example 2 of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 36, step S21 is performed in the same manner as in Modification Example 2 of Embodiment 1. If Yes in step S21, the operation time re-determination unit 23a determines whether to use the separate operation time (step S61). Details of step S61 will be described later. Next, the operation plan re-determination unit 24a determines the operation plan using the determination result of whether to use the separate operation time and a predetermined operation plan (step S62). The process of step S62 is the same as the process of step S32. Thereafter, in the same manner as in Embodiment 1, step S6 is performed and the process ends.

[0120] Also, the reservation process shown in FIG. 20 is performed in the same manner as in Modification Example 2 of Embodiment 1. Next, the determination process of whether to use the separate operation time in step S61 described above will be explained. FIG. 37 is a flowchart showing an example of the determination process of whether to use the separate operation time in Modification Example 2 of the present embodiment.

[0121] The operation time re-determination unit 23a determines whether the boarding rate of vehicle 6 is equal to or higher than the first threshold (step S71). Specifically, the operation time re-determination unit 23a refers to the reservation result stored in the storage unit 25, obtains the boarding rate of vehicle 6, and determines whether the calculated boarding rate is equal to or higher than the first threshold. If the boarding rate of vehicle 6 is equal to or higher than the first threshold (Yes in step S71), steps S44 and S45 are performed in the same manner as in FIG. 24. If the boarding rate of vehicle 6 is less than the first threshold (No in step S71), the operation time re-determination unit 23a determines whether the boarding rate of vehicle 6 is equal to or lower than the second threshold (step S72). If the boarding rate of vehicle 6 is equal to or lower than the second threshold (Yes in step S72), step S43 is performed in the same manner as in FIG. 24. If the boarding rate of vehicle 6 is greater than the second threshold (No in step S72), the operation time re-determination unit 23a ends the process.

[0122] Note that, by combining Modification Example 1 and Modification Example 2 of the present embodiment, it may be possible to perform the determination of whether to use a reserved processing and a separate operation time without making a provisional reservation in Modification Example 1 in parallel. Also, in the present embodiment, a vehicle 6a similar to FIG. 2 of Embodiment 1 may be used. Further, similar to Modification Example 1 of Embodiment 1, by providing the vehicle with the reception device 10 and the reservation information transmission unit 75, it may be possible to allow a user to board without a reservation. Also, in the example shown in FIG. 22 of the present embodiment and Modification Example 1 and Modification Example 2, similar to what was described in Embodiment 1, reservations may be accepted from terminal devices other than the stop installation terminal 4.

[0123] As described above, in the present embodiment, it is determined whether to use a separate operation time different from a predetermined operation time based on reservation information, and when it is determined to use the separate operation time, the operation plan is re-determined using the separate operation time. As a result, according to the reservation situation, that is, according to the expected demand for the vehicle 6 whose operation route and operation time are predetermined, the operation plan of the vehicle can be changed.

[0124] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and it is possible to combine them with other known technologies, combine the embodiments with each other, and omit or change a part of the configuration without departing from the gist.

Explanation of Signs

[0125] 1, 1a, 1b Vehicle operation support system, 2, 2a Vehicle operation support device, 3, 5, 9 Display device, 4 Platform installation terminal, 6, 6a, 6b Vehicle, 7, 7b Vehicle installation terminal, 7a Vehicle control device, 10 Reception device, 21 Operation plan determination unit, 22 Reservation processing unit, 23 Operation route re-determination unit, 23a Operation time re-determination unit, 24, 24a Operation plan re-determination unit, 25 Memory unit, 26 Reservation information reception unit, 27 Reservation result transmission unit, 28 Operation plan transmission unit, 29, 72 Display information transmission unit, 30 Position information reception unit, 41 Reservation reception unit, 42, 75 Reservation information transmission unit, 43 Reservation result reception unit, 44, 71 Operation plan reception unit, 45, 72 Display information transmission unit, 73 Position transmission unit, 74 Vehicle control unit.

Claims

1. A vehicle operation support device that supports the operation of a vehicle whose operation route including a plurality of stops and operation times are determined in advance as an operation plan, A reservation information receiving unit that receives reservation information including a boarding stop that is the bus stop at which the passenger boards the bus and a disembarking stop that is the bus stop at which the passenger disembarks; an operation time re-determination unit that determines whether or not to use another operation time that is another operation time than the operation time based on the reservation information; an operation plan redetermining unit that redetermines an operation plan for the vehicle based on a result determined by the operation time redetermining unit; A vehicle operation support device comprising:

2. The vehicle operation support device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the operation time redetermining unit decides to use a different operation time, it determines whether to increase or decrease the number of services based on the occupancy rate of the vehicle based on the reservation information.

3. The vehicle operation support device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the operation time redetermining unit determines to use a different operation time, it determines whether to shorten or extend the operation interval based on the occupancy rate of the vehicle based on the reservation information.

4. a reservation processing unit that performs reservation processing to determine the vehicle to be assigned to the reservation corresponding to the reservation information based on the reservation information; 4. The vehicle operation support device according to claim 2, further comprising:

5. the operation time redetermining unit performs a provisional reservation process to provisionally determine the vehicle to be assigned to the reservation corresponding to the reservation information by using the reservation information and the operation plan, and calculates the occupancy rate by using a result of the provisional reservation process and a reservation result confirmed by the reservation process; The vehicle operation support device according to claim 4, characterized in that the reservation processing unit carries out the reservation processing corresponding to the reservation information that was the subject of the tentative reservation processing using an operation plan that reflects a determination result based on the result of the tentative reservation processing by the operation time redetermining unit.

6. The operation time redetermining unit calculates the occupancy rate by using a reservation result confirmed by the reservation processing, The vehicle operation support device according to claim 4, characterized in that the reservation processing unit performs the reservation processing of the reservation information to be processed using an operation plan that reflects the determination result by the operation time redetermining unit.

7. A vehicle operation support device that supports the operation of a vehicle whose operation route including a plurality of stops and operation times are determined in advance as an operation plan; A display device; Equipped with The vehicle operation assistance device includes: A reservation information receiving unit that receives reservation information including a boarding stop that is the bus stop at which the passenger boards the bus and a disembarking stop that is the bus stop at which the passenger disembarks; an operation time re-determination unit that determines whether or not to use another operation time that is another operation time than the operation time based on the reservation information; an operation plan redetermining unit that redetermines an operation plan for the vehicle based on a result determined by the operation time redetermining unit; a display information transmission unit that transmits display information including the re-determined operation plan of the vehicle to the display device; Equipped with A vehicle operation support system, characterized in that the display device displays the re-determined operation plan for the vehicle.

8. A vehicle whose operation route including a plurality of stops and operation time are determined in advance as an operation plan, an operation plan receiving unit that receives, from the vehicle operation support device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, an operation plan that is redetermined based on a decision result by the vehicle operation support device as to whether or not to use another operation time that is another operation time based on the reservation information of the vehicle; a display information transmission unit that transmits display information for displaying the operation plan; A vehicle comprising:

9. A vehicle whose operation route including a plurality of stops and operation time are determined in advance as an operation plan, an operation plan receiving unit that receives, from the vehicle operation support device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, an operation plan that is redetermined based on a decision result by the vehicle operation support device as to whether or not to use another operation time that is another operation time based on the reservation information of the vehicle; A vehicle control unit that performs automatic driving control or driving assistance control based on the re-determined operation plan; A vehicle comprising:

10. A vehicle operation support method in a vehicle operation support device that supports the operation of a vehicle whose operation route including a plurality of stops and operation time are determined in advance as an operation plan, comprising: Receiving reservation information including a boarding stop which is the bus stop at which the passenger boards the bus and a disembarking stop which is the bus stop at which the passenger disembarks; determining whether to use an alternative operating time that is an alternative operating time to the operating time based on the reservation information; Re-determining an operation plan for the vehicle based on a result of the determination of whether or not to use the alternative operation time; A vehicle operation support method comprising:

11. A vehicle operation support device that supports the operation of a vehicle whose operation route including a plurality of stops and operation times are determined in advance as an operation plan, Receiving reservation information including a boarding stop which is the bus stop at which the passenger boards the bus and a disembarking stop which is the bus stop at which the passenger disembarks; determining whether to use an alternative operating time that is an alternative operating time to the operating time based on the reservation information; Re-determining an operation plan for the vehicle based on a result of the determination of whether or not to use the alternative operation time; A vehicle operation assistance program that causes a vehicle to execute the above steps.

Images