Vehicle allocation method, information processing device, and program

Abstract

To provide a technique for allocating a plurality of vehicles.SOLUTION: A vehicle allocation method implemented by an information processing device 10 comprises steps of: receiving simultaneous vehicle allocation requests including an allocation request for a plurality of vehicles from user terminals; and sequentially establishing allocation of vehicles among agreed vehicles on a one-by-one basis based on the number of the vehicles related to the simultaneous vehicle allocation requests.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle allocation method, an information processing apparatus, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, techniques for allocating taxis have been known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle allocation management apparatus that receives a first vehicle allocation request and a second vehicle allocation request from a user and does not receive the second vehicle allocation request when the specified date and time of the second vehicle allocation request is included in a predetermined period based on the specified date and time of the first vehicle allocation request. Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a taxi allocation system that receives pick-up request information from a user terminal and inquires of a communication terminal of a taxi company.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the prior art, when a user desires to allocate multiple vehicles, according to Patent Document 1, since multiple vehicle allocation requests whose specified date and time are included within a predetermined period are not received, the user's request to call multiple vehicles is not satisfied. Further, according to Patent Document 2, the number of available vehicles is inquired for each taxi company, and as a result of the inquiry, if the number of available vehicles is less than the required number, there is a possibility that no vehicle can be allocated finally. Thus, there has been room for improvement in the technology for allocating multiple vehicles.

[0005] In view of such circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to improve the technology for allocating multiple vehicles.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] (1) The vehicle allocation method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a vehicle allocation method executed by an information processing device, comprising: receiving a simultaneous vehicle allocation request including a plurality of vehicle allocation requests from a user terminal; establishing sequential vehicle allocations one by one with the committed vehicles based on the number of vehicles related to the simultaneous vehicle allocation request. It includes the above steps.

[0007] (2) The vehicle allocation method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is the vehicle allocation method described in (1), wherein: the priority of vehicle allocation for some or all of the vehicle allocation requests included in the simultaneous vehicle allocation request is set higher than that for a vehicle allocation request for only one vehicle.

[0008] (3) The vehicle allocation method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is the vehicle allocation method described in (1) or (2), wherein: even if the settlement related to some of the vehicle allocation requests included in the simultaneous vehicle allocation request fails, other vehicle allocation requests are not cancelled.

[0009] (4) The vehicle allocation method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a vehicle allocation method executed by an information processing device, comprising: receiving a continuous vehicle allocation request including a plurality of vehicle allocation requests within a predetermined time from a user terminal; establishing sequential vehicle allocations one by one with the committed vehicles based on the number of vehicles related to the continuous vehicle allocation request. It includes the above steps.

[0010] (5) The vehicle allocation method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is the vehicle allocation method described in (4), wherein: the priority of vehicle allocation for some or all of the vehicle allocation requests included in the continuous vehicle allocation request is set higher than that for a vehicle allocation request for only one vehicle.

[0011] (6) The vehicle allocation method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is the vehicle allocation method described in (4) or (5), wherein: Even if the settlement related to a part of the vehicle allocation requests included in the continuous vehicle allocation request fails, other vehicle allocation requests are not cancelled.

[0012] (7) An information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is an information processing apparatus including a processor, and the processor executes the vehicle allocation method according to any one of (1) to (6).

[0013] (8) A program according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a program executed by an information processing apparatus, which causes a computer to execute the vehicle allocation method according to any one of (1) to (6).

Advantages of the Invention

[0014] According to the vehicle allocation method, information processing apparatus, and program according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the technology for allocating a plurality of vehicles can be improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, the vehicle allocation technology according to the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, vehicle allocation refers to allocating vehicles to necessary locations such as pick-up points.

[0017] In each figure, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the description of the present embodiment, the description of the same or corresponding parts will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0018] Referring to FIG. 1, the outline and configuration of the system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0019] The system 1 according to the present embodiment includes an information processing device 10, a plurality of user terminals 20, and a plurality of vehicle terminals 30. The information processing device 10, the plurality of user terminals 20, and the plurality of vehicle terminals 30 are communicably connected to a network 40 including, for example, a mobile communication network and the Internet.

[0020] The information processing device 10 is a server device installed in, for example, a data center. For example, the information processing device 10 is a server belonging to a cloud computing system or other computing systems. The information processing device 10 can communicate with a plurality of user terminals 20 and a plurality of vehicle terminals 30 via the network 40. Although FIG. 1 shows an example in which the system 1 includes one information processing device 10, the present invention is not limited to this. The system 1 may include two or more information processing devices 10.

[0021] The user terminal 20 is an arbitrary device used by each user who desires vehicle allocation. For example, general-purpose electronic devices such as smartphones or tablet terminals, or dedicated electronic devices can be adopted as the user terminal 20. Although FIG. 1 shows an example in which the system 1 includes three user terminals 20, the present invention is not limited to this. The system 1 may include less than three user terminals 20, or may include four or more user terminals 20.

[0022] The vehicle terminal 30 is any device used by each driver of a vehicle to be dispatched, such as a taxi. For example, a general-purpose electronic device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal, or a dedicated electronic device can be adopted as the vehicle terminal 30. Although FIG. 1 shows an example in which the system 1 includes three vehicle terminals 30, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The system 1 may include less than three vehicle terminals 30, or may include four or more vehicle terminals 30.

[0023] First, an overview of the present embodiment will be described. The vehicle dispatching technology according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is executed by the information processing device 10. The vehicle dispatching technology according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can be used, for example, when dispatching vehicles for transporting people or goods. Specifically, in the vehicle dispatching technology according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the information processing device 10 receives, via the network 40, a simultaneous dispatching request including a plurality of dispatching requests from the user terminal 20. Based on the number of vehicles related to the simultaneous dispatching request, the information processing device 10 sequentially establishes one-by-one dispatching between the vehicle terminals 30 and the committed vehicles. Thereby, the information processing device 10 can directly communicate with each vehicle terminal 30 and sequentially establish dispatching for a plurality of vehicles, improving the vehicle dispatching technology.

[0024] Here, the vehicle for transporting people may be a taxi or the like. A taxi or the like refers to a vehicle that picks up a passenger to a destination in response to the passenger's request. A taxi or the like may be an on-demand vehicle dispatched via a website, a mobile application, or the like. A taxi or the like may be, for example, a taxi, a hired car, a ride-sharing vehicle, or a ride-hailing vehicle. Further, the vehicle for transporting goods may be various vehicles such as a freight truck or a motorcycle delivery service. In the present embodiment, a taxi will be described as an example.

[0025] According to the vehicle dispatching technology according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, it is not necessary to summarize the number of available vehicles at a certain point in time for each taxi company. In other words, the information processing device 10 timely grasps the operation status of each vehicle that changes moment by moment, and sequentially establishes vehicle dispatching each time a committed vehicle appears. Thereby, the possibility that not a single vehicle can be dispatched can be reduced. Furthermore, the possibility of dispatching the number of vehicles desired by the user finally can be increased.

[0026] Thus, according to the vehicle dispatching technology according to this embodiment, by sequentially establishing vehicle dispatching each time a committed vehicle appears, the possibility that not a single vehicle can be dispatched can be reduced, and the vehicle dispatching technology is improved.

[0027] Hereinafter, the configuration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0028] (Configuration of Information Processing Device) Next, each configuration of the information processing device 10 will be described in detail. The information processing device 10 is an arbitrary device used by a user. For example, a personal computer, a server computer, a general-purpose electronic device, or a dedicated electronic device can be adopted as the information processing device 10.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing device 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication unit 13.

[0030] The control unit 11 includes at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination thereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (central processing unit) or a GPU (graphics processing unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for specific processing. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit). The control unit 11 executes processing related to the operation of the information processing device 10 while controlling each part of the information processing device 10.

[0031] The memory unit 12 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a RAM (random access memory) or a ROM (read only memory). The RAM is, for example, an SRAM (static random access memory) or a DRAM (dynamic random access memory). The ROM is, for example, an EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read only memory). The memory unit 12 functions as, for example, a main memory device, an auxiliary memory device, or a cache memory. The memory unit 12 stores data used for the operation of the information processing apparatus 10 and data obtained by the operation of the information processing apparatus 10.

[0032] The communication unit 13 includes at least one external communication interface. The communication interface may be either a wired communication or a wireless communication interface. In the case of wired communication, the communication interface is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface, a USB (Universal Serial Bus). In the case of wireless communication, the communication interface is, for example, an interface corresponding to a mobile communication standard such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th generation), or 5G (5th generation), or an interface corresponding to a short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). The communication unit 13 receives data used for the operation of the information processing apparatus 10 and transmits data obtained by the operation of the information processing apparatus 10.

[0033] The functions of the information processing apparatus 10 are realized by executing the program according to this embodiment on a processor corresponding to the information processing apparatus 10. That is, the functions of the information processing apparatus 10 are realized by software. The program causes a computer to execute the operations of the information processing apparatus 10, thereby making the computer function as the information processing apparatus 10. That is, the computer functions as the information processing apparatus 10 by executing the operations of the information processing apparatus 10 according to the program.

[0034] In this embodiment, the program can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium, and for example, a magnetic recording device, an optical disk, a magneto-optical recording medium, or a semiconductor memory. The distribution of the program is performed, for example, by selling, transferring, or lending a portable recording medium such as a DVD (digital versatile disc) or a CD-ROM (compact disc read only memory) on which the program is recorded. The distribution of the program may also be performed by storing the program in the storage of an external server and transmitting the program from the external server to another computer. The program may also be provided as a program product.

[0035] Some or all of the functions of the information processing apparatus 10 may be realized by a dedicated circuit corresponding to the control unit 11. That is, some or all of the functions of the information processing apparatus 10 may be realized by hardware.

[0036] (Configuration of User Terminal) As shown in FIG. 3, the user terminal 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, an input unit 23, an output unit 24, and a communication unit 25.

[0037] The control unit 21 includes at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination thereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (central processing unit) or a GPU (graphics processing unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for specific processing. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit). The control unit 21 executes processing related to the operation of the user terminal 20 while controlling each part of the user terminal 20.

[0038] The storage unit 22 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a RAM (random access memory) or a ROM (read only memory). The RAM is, for example, an SRAM (static random access memory) or a DRAM (dynamic random access memory). The ROM is, for example, an EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read only memory). The storage unit 22 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 22 stores data used for the operation of the user terminal 20 and data obtained by the operation of the user terminal 20.

[0039] The input unit 23 includes at least one input interface. The input interface is, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, or a touch screen provided integrally with a display. The input interface may also be, for example, a sound sensor that receives voice input, or a camera that receives gesture input. The input unit 23 receives an operation for inputting data used for the operation of the user terminal 20. Instead of being provided in the user terminal 20, the input unit 23 may be connected to the user terminal 20 as an external input device. As a connection method, for example, any method such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), HDMI (registered trademark) (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), or Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used.

[0040] The output unit 24 includes at least one output interface. The output interface is, for example, a display that outputs information as video. The display is, for example, an LCD (liquid crystal display) or an organic EL (electro luminescence) display. The output unit 24 performs a display output of data obtained by the operation of the user terminal 20. Instead of being provided in the user terminal 20, the output unit 24 may be connected to the user terminal 20 as an external output device. As a connection method, for example, any method such as USB, HDMI (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used.

[0041] The communication unit 25 includes at least one interface for external communication. The communication interface may be either a wired communication interface or a wireless communication interface. In the case of wired communication, the communication interface is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface or a USB (Universal Serial Bus). In the case of wireless communication, the communication interface is, for example, an interface corresponding to a mobile communication standard such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th generation), or 5G (5th generation), or an interface corresponding to a short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). The communication unit 25 receives data used for the operation of the user terminal 20 and transmits data obtained by the operation of the user terminal 20.

[0042] The functions of the user terminal 20 are realized by executing the program according to this embodiment on a processor corresponding to the user terminal 20. That is, the functions of the user terminal 20 are realized by software. The program causes a computer to execute the operations of the user terminal 20, thereby making the computer function as the user terminal 20. That is, the computer functions as the user terminal 20 by executing the operations of the user terminal 20 according to the program.

[0043] (Configuration of the vehicle terminal) As shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle terminal 30 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, an input unit 33, an output unit 34, and a communication unit 35.

[0044] The control unit 31 includes at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination thereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (central processing unit) or a GPU (graphics processing unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for specific processing. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit). The control unit 31 executes processes related to the operation of the vehicle terminal 30 while controlling each part of the vehicle terminal 30.

[0045] The storage unit 32 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a RAM (random access memory) or a ROM (read only memory). The RAM is, for example, an SRAM (static random access memory) or a DRAM (dynamic random access memory). The ROM is, for example, an EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read only memory). The storage unit 32 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 32 stores data used for the operation of the vehicle terminal 30 and data obtained by the operation of the vehicle terminal 30.

[0046] The input unit 33 includes at least one input interface. The input interface is, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, or a touch screen provided integrally with a display. The input interface may also be, for example, a sound sensor that receives voice input, or a camera that receives gesture input. The input unit 33 receives an operation for inputting data used for the operation of the vehicle terminal 30. Instead of being provided in the vehicle terminal 30, the input unit 33 may be connected to the vehicle terminal 30 as an external input device. As a connection method, for example, any method such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), HDMI (registered trademark) (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), or Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used.

[0047] The output unit 34 includes at least one output interface. The output interface is, for example, a display that outputs information as video. The display is, for example, an LCD (liquid crystal display) or an organic EL (electro luminescence) display. The output unit 34 performs a display output of data obtained by the operation of the vehicle terminal 30. Instead of being provided in the vehicle terminal 30, the output unit 34 may be connected to the vehicle terminal 30 as an external output device. As a connection method, for example, any method such as USB, HDMI (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used.

[0048] The communication unit 35 includes at least one interface for external communication. The communication interface may be either a wired communication interface or a wireless communication interface. In the case of wired communication, the communication interface is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface or a USB (Universal Serial Bus). In the case of wireless communication, the communication interface is, for example, an interface corresponding to a mobile communication standard such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th generation), or 5G (5th generation), or an interface corresponding to short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). The communication unit 35 receives data used for the operation of the vehicle terminal 30 and transmits data obtained by the operation of the vehicle terminal 30.

[0049] The functions of the vehicle terminal 30 are realized by executing the program according to the present embodiment on a processor corresponding to the vehicle terminal 30. That is, the functions of the vehicle terminal 30 are realized by software. The program causes a computer to execute the operation of the vehicle terminal 30, thereby causing the computer to function as the vehicle terminal 30. That is, the computer functions as the vehicle terminal 30 by executing the operation of the vehicle terminal 30 according to the program.

[0050] Generally speaking, in the present embodiment, first, the user terminal 20 receives an input from the user and executes a plurality of vehicle allocation requests. The information processing device 10 receives the vehicle allocation request and sequentially establishes vehicle allocation with the responding vehicles. Hereinafter, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 5, a vehicle allocation method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0051] Step S101: The control unit 11 of the information processing apparatus 10 receives a simultaneous vehicle allocation request including a plurality of vehicle allocation requests from the user terminal 20. For example, the control unit 11 may display an interface for vehicle allocation requests on the user terminal 20 via the network 40 and receive selections made by the user. In this case, the user can input the number of vehicles for which vehicle allocation is desired, etc. into the vehicle allocation request interface and send a vehicle allocation request for the desired number of vehicles from the user terminal 20 to the information processing apparatus 10 by pressing a vehicle allocation execution button such as "Call immediately".

[0052] Here, the simultaneous vehicle allocation request refers to a single vehicle allocation request received by the information processing apparatus 10 from the user terminal 20 that includes requests for allocating a plurality of vehicles. In other words, in a simultaneous vehicle allocation request, vehicle allocation requests are made for a plurality of vehicles simultaneously.

[0053] Even when the control unit 11 receives a simultaneous vehicle allocation request from the user terminal 20, it may perform processing in the same manner as when continuously receiving a single vehicle allocation request. By doing so, it is possible to process a plurality of vehicle allocation requests in the same way as processing a single vehicle allocation request. Hereinafter, in this embodiment, when the control unit 11 receives a simultaneous vehicle allocation request from the user terminal 20, it will be described as performing processing in the same manner as when continuously receiving a single vehicle allocation request.

[0054] Step S102: Based on the number of vehicles related to the simultaneous vehicle allocation request, the control unit 11 sequentially establishes vehicle allocations one by one with the committed vehicles. As a result, the control unit 11 will sequentially establish vehicle allocations one by one with the committed vehicles, with the number of vehicles related to the simultaneous vehicle allocation request as the upper limit. For example, the control unit 11 may send a pick-up request to each vehicle terminal 30 based on the simultaneous vehicle allocation request and receive a commitment signal from each vehicle terminal 30. Hereinafter, the vehicle terminal 30 that issued the commitment signal when the information processing apparatus 10 receives the commitment signal will also be referred to as the committed vehicle.

[0055] When a committed vehicle appears, the control unit 11 may sequentially establish the vehicle allocation for the committed vehicle. Here, establishing the vehicle allocation means that the control unit 11 determines the committed vehicle to be allocated for the vehicle allocation request received from the user terminal 20. As described above, in this embodiment, when a simultaneous vehicle allocation request is made, the control unit 11 processes the simultaneous vehicle allocation request in the same manner as when continuously receiving a single vehicle allocation request. In other words, in this embodiment, the control unit 11 establishes the vehicle allocation for each committed vehicle one by one. Specifically, for example, the control unit 11 makes a pick-up request for each vehicle allocation request one by one, and when a commitment is received, the vehicle allocation is established there. At this time, the control unit 11 may rank each vehicle terminal 30 and send a pick-up request one by one from the top-ranked vehicle. By doing so, it is not possible for multiple vehicles to respond to a single vehicle allocation request.

[0056] When the control unit 11 establishes the vehicle allocation, it may send a vehicle allocation establishment notice to the vehicle terminal 30 of the allocated committed vehicle. The vehicle allocation establishment notice for the committed vehicle may be shown together with, for example, the detailed information of the vehicle allocation request. Also, the control unit 11 may send a vehicle allocation establishment notice to the user terminal 20 each time the vehicle allocation is established. The vehicle allocation establishment notice for the user terminal 20 may include, for example, the number of the allocated committed vehicle, the driver information, etc.

[0057] Thus, according to the vehicle allocation technology according to this embodiment, the information processing device 10 can timely grasp the running status of each vehicle that changes every moment, and sequentially establish the vehicle allocation each time a committed vehicle appears, improving the vehicle allocation technology.

[0058] Referring to the flowchart of FIG. 6, a vehicle allocation method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0059] Step S201: The control unit 11 of the information processing apparatus 10 receives a continuous vehicle allocation request including a plurality of vehicle allocation requests from the user terminal 20 within a predetermined period. For example, the control unit 11 may display an interface for vehicle allocation requests on the user terminal 20 via the network 40 and accept selections made by the user. In this case, the user can input the number of vehicles for which vehicle allocation is desired, etc., into the vehicle allocation request interface and press a vehicle allocation execution button such as "Call immediately" to send a vehicle allocation request for the desired number of vehicles from the user terminal 20 to the information processing apparatus 10.

[0060] Here, the continuous vehicle allocation request refers to a situation where a plurality of vehicle allocation requests received by the information processing apparatus 10 from the user terminal 20 are made continuously within a predetermined period. In other words, in a continuous vehicle allocation request, vehicle allocation requests are made continuously for a plurality of vehicles within a predetermined period. The predetermined period may be, for example, the time interval from when a certain vehicle allocation request is made until the next vehicle allocation request is made. In this case, the predetermined period may be a predetermined time. The predetermined time may be, for example, 1 minute, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes, etc. As long as it can be evaluated as continuous, any other time may be adopted for the predetermined time.

[0061] Also, the predetermined period may be, for example, a period starting from the time when a certain vehicle allocation request is made and ending at the time when any event occurs during the period until the passenger service is completed. The end point may be, for example, the time when vehicle allocation is established, the time when the allocated vehicle arrives at the pick-up point, the time when a passenger boards the allocated vehicle, the time when the vehicle carrying the passengers arrives at the destination, the time when the passenger completes payment, the time when the passenger gets off, etc. The predetermined period may be, for example, the period from when a certain vehicle allocation request is made until a passenger boards the responding vehicle allocated for the vehicle allocation request, arrives at the destination, gets off, or finishes payment.

[0062] In other words, although the consecutive vehicle dispatching requests are not simultaneous vehicle dispatching, it may include cases where, from the first vehicle dispatching request until the actual vehicle for the first vehicle dispatching is completed (an example within a predetermined period), vehicle dispatching requests for the second and subsequent vehicles are made. Also, the consecutive vehicle dispatching requests, although not simultaneous vehicle dispatching, may include cases where vehicle dispatching requests for the second and subsequent vehicles are made within a predetermined time (an example within a predetermined period) from the first vehicle dispatching request. Note that the actual vehicle means picking up a passenger in a taxi, and the completion of the actual vehicle includes the passenger getting off or finishing the payment.

[0063] The consecutive vehicle dispatching requests are not limited to one vehicle dispatching request per time. The consecutive vehicle dispatching requests may be those in which multiple vehicle dispatching requests are continuously made within a predetermined period, and may include simultaneous vehicle dispatching requests in at least one of the vehicle dispatching requests.

[0064] Even when the control unit 11 receives a consecutive vehicle dispatching request from the user terminal 20, it may process it in the same way as when continuously receiving one vehicle dispatching request. By doing so, multiple vehicle dispatching requests can be processed in the same way as the processing for one vehicle dispatching request. Hereinafter, in this embodiment, when the control unit 11 receives a consecutive vehicle dispatching request from the user terminal 20, it will be described as processing it in the same way as when continuously receiving one vehicle dispatching request.

[0065] Step S202: Based on the number of vehicles related to the consecutive vehicle dispatching request, the control unit 11 sequentially establishes one-by-one vehicle dispatching with the committed vehicles. As a result, the control unit 11 will sequentially establish one-by-one vehicle dispatching with the committed vehicles with the number of vehicles related to the consecutive vehicle dispatching request as the upper limit. For example, the control unit 11 may send a pick-up request to each vehicle terminal 30 based on the consecutive vehicle dispatching request and receive a commitment signal from each vehicle terminal 30.

[0066] When a committed vehicle appears, the control unit 11 may sequentially establish the vehicle allocation for the committed vehicle. As described above, in this embodiment, when a continuous vehicle allocation request is made, the control unit 11 processes the continuous vehicle allocation request in the same manner as if it had continuously received a single vehicle allocation request. In other words, in this embodiment, the control unit 11 establishes the vehicle allocation for each committed vehicle one by one. Specifically, for example, the control unit 11 makes a pick-up request for each vehicle allocation request one by one, and when a commitment is received, the vehicle allocation is established there. At this time, the control unit 11 may rank each vehicle terminal 30 and send a pick-up request one by one from the top-ranked vehicle. By doing so, a commitment will not be received from a plurality of vehicles for each vehicle allocation request.

[0067] When the control unit 11 establishes the vehicle allocation, it may send a vehicle allocation establishment notice to the vehicle terminal 30 of the committed vehicle for which the vehicle allocation has been made. The vehicle allocation establishment notice for the committed vehicle may be shown together with, for example, the detailed information of the vehicle allocation request. Also, the control unit 11 may send a vehicle allocation establishment notice to the user terminal 20 each time the vehicle allocation is established. The vehicle allocation establishment notice for the user terminal 20 may include, for example, the number of the committed vehicle for which the vehicle allocation has been made, the driver information, etc.

[0068] Thus, according to the vehicle allocation technology according to this embodiment, the information processing device 10 can timely grasp the operating status of each vehicle that changes every moment, and sequentially establish the vehicle allocation each time a committed vehicle appears, improving the vehicle allocation technology.

[0069] Furthermore, when there is a simultaneous vehicle allocation request or a continuous vehicle allocation request, the control unit 11 may set the priority of establishing the vehicle allocation for a part or all of the vehicle allocation requests included in the simultaneous vehicle allocation request or the continuous vehicle allocation request to be higher than that for a single vehicle allocation request. The priority of establishing the vehicle allocation refers to the degree of preferentially searching for a taxi or the like for a certain vehicle allocation request compared to other vehicle allocation requests. The priority of establishing the vehicle allocation may be set by any method for searching for a taxi or the like.

[0070] Specifically, for example, the control unit 11 sets a business area for each vehicle terminal. The business area may be an operating area permitted by law in the case of a taxi or the like. When the control unit 11 receives a vehicle dispatch request from the user terminal 20, it ranks the vehicle dispatch requests received within a certain time interval (for example, within 3 seconds) for each business area. The control unit 11 preferentially establishes vehicle dispatch for the vehicle dispatch requests with higher ranks. In other words, the priority of vehicle dispatch establishment corresponds to the ranking of vehicle dispatch requests. The ranking may be performed based on the order in which the control unit 11 receives the vehicle dispatch requests. In other words, basically, they are arranged in the order in which the vehicle dispatch requests are received, and the upper and lower ranks may change from there due to conditional settings such as the application of a priority pass (a pass or ticket for preferentially performing vehicle dispatch). The control unit 11 may further optimize the combination (matching) so that the total estimated time until arrival at each pick-up point is the shortest when each vehicle is dispatched for each vehicle dispatch request.

[0071] In addition, when setting a higher priority for vehicle dispatch establishment, the control unit 11 may make it possible to send pick-up requests to a wider area than usual, so that pick-up requests can be sent to more vehicle terminals 30. The method of setting a higher priority for vehicle dispatch establishment is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 11 may send pick-up requests not only to vehicle terminals 30 in an empty state but also to vehicle terminals 30 that are expected to be in an empty state in the future. In addition, the control unit 11 may assign a committed vehicle located closer to the pick-up point. Also, the priority of vehicle dispatch establishment may be set according to the waiting time until a committed vehicle appears, or may be set according to the number of times and frequency of sending pick-up requests.

[0072] When there is a simultaneous vehicle allocation request or a continuous vehicle allocation request, the priority of vehicle allocation establishment may always be set high on the condition that the number of vehicle allocation requests is plural. For example, when there are three simultaneous vehicle allocation requests, all of them may be set in the arranged order to increase the probability of all vehicle allocations being established. Also, when there is a continuous vehicle allocation request, for the orders from the second one onwards, for each vehicle allocation request of one vehicle, it may be raised by a predetermined rank or raised to a predetermined rank.

[0073] For example, when initially only a vehicle allocation request for one vehicle is made, at that time, it is not treated as a continuous vehicle allocation request. If, as a result of making the next vehicle allocation request (the second one) after making this first vehicle allocation request (the first one), it comes to be treated as a continuous vehicle allocation request, the control unit 11 may set a high priority only for the vehicle allocation requests from the second one onwards. Also, when the vehicle allocation for the first vehicle allocation request has not been established, the priority may be set high including the first vehicle allocation request. In this case, it may be the order in which a plurality of vehicle allocation requests are arranged, similar to the simultaneous vehicle allocation request.

[0074] The priority of vehicle allocation establishment may be set high for at least one or more among a plurality of vehicles based on the user's selection. The priority of vehicle allocation establishment may be set based on the user's billing status, and a priority pass may be applicable by making a payment.

[0075] Also, when there is a simultaneous vehicle allocation request or a continuous vehicle allocation request, the control unit 11 may not cancel other vehicle allocation requests even if the settlement related to a part of the vehicle allocation requests included in the simultaneous vehicle allocation request or the continuous vehicle allocation request (for example, a vehicle allocation request for one vehicle) fails. Here, the settlement related to a vehicle allocation request refers to the settlement of freight and the like for the vehicle allocated for the vehicle allocation request. Also, other vehicle allocation requests refer to those among the vehicle allocation requests included in the simultaneous vehicle allocation request or the continuous vehicle allocation request for which the settlement has not failed.

[0076] For example, when the user makes a request for three simultaneous rides or consecutive rides, even if the settlement related to one of the ride requests fails, the control unit 11 may not cancel all of the three simultaneous ride requests or the consecutive ride requests. Also, for example, the ride request for the one ride that has failed in settlement may be cancelled, but the ride requests for the other two rides that have not failed in settlement may not be cancelled. By doing so, the ride requests for the other two rides that have not failed in settlement will be maintained and will not affect the rides provided for them.

[0077] Here, examples of settlement failures are as follows. As a premise, the user can select a fare determination method and a settlement means on the user terminal 20 when making a ride request. The type of fare can be selected from a meter fare or a pre-determined fare. A meter fare refers to a fare determined based on elements such as distance and time by turning the meter. A pre-determined fare refers to a fare that is determined to a specific amount before boarding. The settlement means can be selected from in-vehicle settlement or cashless settlement. In-vehicle settlement refers to determining the payment method and making the settlement after boarding. Cashless settlement refers to making the settlement with a pre-set credit card or the like.

[0078] As a first example, when a meter fare is selected at the time of the ride request and in-vehicle settlement is selected, and the settlement of the definite payment amount (determined upon arrival at the destination) including the meter fare cannot be made when making the in-vehicle settlement. Specific examples of when the settlement cannot be made include, for example, when the payment ability (remaining balance) of a cashless settlement means such as a credit card is insufficient or there is a malfunction and the settlement cannot be made, and further when the settlement in cash cannot be made either.

[0079] As a second example, there is a case where, after previously setting a cashless payment method as the payment method (for example, using GO Pay (registered trademark), etc.), when the meter fare is selected at the time of a ride request, the set payment method for the definite payment amount including the meter fare (which is determined upon arrival at the destination) is determined to have insufficient payment capacity and payment cannot be made. In this case, although the payment fails once, it may be possible to finally make the payment by making an in-vehicle payment.

[0080] Furthermore, when a cashless payment is selected as the payment method, the control unit 11 may determine at the time of the ride request whether the payment capacity of the set cashless payment method is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount.

[0081] As a third example, there is a case where, after previously setting a cashless payment method as the payment method, when the meter fare is selected at the time of a ride request, it can be determined that payment cannot be made because the payment capacity is less than a predetermined amount (for example, 10,000 yen) at the time of the ride request, and thus it is determined that there is insufficient payment capacity. In this case, the control unit 11 may cancel the ride request. Alternatively, even in this case, when the payment method is switched to in-vehicle payment, the control unit 11 may maintain the ride request without canceling it. When the payment method is switched to in-vehicle payment, it includes the case where the control unit 11 switches itself on the condition that insufficient payment capacity has been determined, and the case where the vehicle terminal 30 obtains the user's consent and switches.

[0082] As a fourth example, there is a case where, after previously setting a cashless payment method as the payment method, when a pre-determined fare is selected at the time of a ride request, it can be determined that payment cannot be made because the set payment method for the definite payment amount including the pre-determined fare at the time of the ride request is determined to have insufficient payment capacity. In this case, the control unit 11 may cancel the ride request, or may maintain the ride request without canceling it by switching to in-vehicle payment (automatically or by obtaining the user's consent and switching).

[0083] As an example of a settlement failure related to some of the vehicle allocation requests included in the simultaneous vehicle allocation request or the continuous vehicle allocation request, the case of the third example described above can be cited. For example, assume that the balance (payment ability) of the credit card is 10,000 yen. When the user makes three vehicle allocation requests by a simultaneous vehicle allocation request, or a continuous vehicle allocation request, or a combination thereof, and assuming that the definite payment amounts for each vehicle allocation request are 2,000 yen (vehicle allocation request 1), 9,000 yen (vehicle allocation request 2), and 4,000 yen (vehicle allocation request 3), the total of the definite payment amounts for vehicle allocation requests 1 to 3 will exceed the balance of the credit card.

[0084] In this case, the settlement related to at least one vehicle will fail. In this case, the control unit 11 may select the vehicle allocation requests for which the settlement is successful so that the number of vehicles for which the allocation is confirmed increases. For example, the control unit 11 may succeed in the settlement related to vehicle allocation request 1 and vehicle allocation request 3 and fail in the settlement related to vehicle allocation request 2. Alternatively, the control unit 11 may succeed in the settlement for the vehicle allocation requests sequentially without considering the settlement, confirm the vehicle allocation, and cause the settlement to fail when the balance of the credit card becomes insufficient for the required amount. For example, when a promised vehicle first appears for vehicle allocation request 2, the control unit 11 may perform the settlement related to vehicle allocation request 2 and confirm the vehicle allocation for vehicle allocation request 2, and cause the settlements related to vehicle allocation request 1 and vehicle allocation request 3 to fail.

[0085] Alternatively, the control unit 11 may succeed in the settlement related to the vehicle allocation requests sequentially in accordance with the priority of the vehicle allocation establishment and establish the vehicle allocation.

[0086] Also, if the definite payment amount for the vehicle dispatch request 2 is assumed to be 12,000 yen, similarly, the total definite payment amount due to vehicle dispatch requests 1 to 3 will exceed the balance of the credit card, and even if it is only the definite payment amount for vehicle dispatch request 2, it will exceed the balance of the credit card. Therefore, the settlement related to vehicle dispatch request 2 will fail. In this case, even if the settlement related to vehicle dispatch request 2 fails, the settlements related to vehicle dispatch requests 1 and 3 can succeed. Therefore, since vehicle dispatch can be confirmed for vehicle dispatch requests 1 and 3, vehicle dispatch for vehicle dispatch requests 1 and 3 is sequentially confirmed.

[0087] In any of the cases described above, even if the settlement related to a part of the vehicle dispatch requests included in the simultaneous vehicle dispatch request fails, the other vehicle dispatch requests are not cancelled.

[0088] Further, when there are vehicle dispatch requests for which vehicle dispatch has not been established among the number of vehicle dispatch requests, the control unit 11 may retry the vehicle dispatch. In other words, the control unit 11 may continue to send pick-up requests to each vehicle terminal 30 until vehicle dispatch is established for all the vehicle dispatch requests. In this case, the control unit 11 may continue to send pick-up requests to each vehicle terminal 30 within a predetermined range from the position of the user terminal 20. The number and frequency of the pick-up requests sent by the control unit 11 are arbitrary. The transmission may be continuous or intermittent and intermittent.

[0089] Referring to the flowchart of FIG. 7, a specific example of the vehicle dispatch method when retrying vehicle dispatch is shown.

[0090] Step S301: The control unit 11 of the information processing apparatus 10 receives a simultaneous vehicle allocation request or a consecutive vehicle allocation request from the user terminal 20. Step S301 may be the same as Step S101 or Step S201. For example, the control unit 11 may display an interface for vehicle allocation requests on the user terminal 20 via the network 40 and receive a selection by the user. In this case, the user can send a vehicle allocation request for the desired number of vehicles from the user terminal 20 to the information processing apparatus 10 by inputting, for example, the number of vehicles for which vehicle allocation is desired into the vehicle allocation request interface. Even when the control unit 11 receives a simultaneous vehicle allocation request or a consecutive vehicle allocation request from the user terminal 20, it may perform the same processing as when it continuously receives a single vehicle allocation request. By doing so, multiple vehicle allocation requests can be processed in the same way as for a single vehicle allocation request. Hereinafter, in this embodiment, when the control unit 11 receives a simultaneous vehicle allocation request or a consecutive vehicle allocation request from the user terminal 20, it will be described as performing the same processing as when it continuously receives a single vehicle allocation request.

[0091] Step S302: Based on the number of vehicles related to the simultaneous vehicle allocation request or the consecutive vehicle allocation request, the control unit 11 sequentially establishes vehicle allocations one by one with the committed vehicles. As a result, the control unit 11 will sequentially establish vehicle allocations one by one with the committed vehicles, with the number of vehicles related to the simultaneous vehicle allocation request or the consecutive vehicle allocation request as the upper limit. Step S302 may be the same as Step S102 or Step S202. For example, the control unit 11 may send a pick-up request to each vehicle terminal 30 based on the simultaneous vehicle allocation request or the consecutive vehicle allocation request and receive a commitment signal from each vehicle terminal 30. The control unit 11 may rank each vehicle terminal 30 and send pick-up requests one by one starting from the top-ranked vehicle.

[0092] When a committed vehicle appears, the control unit 11 may sequentially establish the vehicle allocation for the committed vehicle. Even when a simultaneous vehicle allocation request or a consecutive vehicle allocation request is made, the control unit 11 may perform the same processing as when it continuously receives a single vehicle allocation request. In other words, the control unit 11 may establish the vehicle allocation for each committed vehicle one by one.

[0093] When the vehicle allocation is established, the control unit 11 may send a vehicle allocation establishment notice to the vehicle terminal 30 of the committed vehicle that has been allocated. The vehicle allocation establishment notice for the committed vehicle may be shown together with, for example, the detailed information of the vehicle allocation request. Further, each time the control unit 11 establishes vehicle allocation, it may send a vehicle allocation establishment notice to the user terminal 20. The vehicle allocation establishment notice for the user terminal 20 may include, for example, the number of the allocated committed vehicle, the driver information, etc.

[0094] Step S303: The control unit 11 determines whether there is an unestablished portion among the number of vehicles related to the vehicle allocation request. For example, if the number of vehicles related to the vehicle allocation request is 3 and the vehicle allocation has already been established with 3 committed vehicles in step S302, there is no unestablished portion, and the process ends. On the other hand, if only 2 vehicles have been allocated even after step S302 is executed, it can be said that there is an unestablished portion for the remaining one vehicle.

[0095] Step S304: If there is an unestablished portion, the control unit 11 retries the vehicle allocation. Retrying the vehicle allocation means resending the pick-up request for the request with the unestablished portion.

[0096] Furthermore, the control unit 11 may retry the vehicle allocation only within a predetermined time after receiving the vehicle allocation request. In other words, the control unit 11 does not have to execute the retry of the vehicle allocation when a predetermined time has elapsed since the reception of the vehicle allocation request.

[0097] It is also possible to combine the simultaneous vehicle allocation request and the consecutive vehicle allocation request.

[0098] For example, as an example of a combination, first, two vehicle allocation requests are made by a simultaneous vehicle allocation request, and then a third vehicle allocation request is made within a predetermined period. Also, as another example of a combination, first, a single vehicle allocation request is made, and then simultaneous vehicle allocation requests for the second and third vehicles are made within a predetermined period. Note that it is also possible to use multiple simultaneous vehicle allocation requests. For example, when the specification allows the vehicles allocated to the vehicle allocation requests to be in the actual vehicle state simultaneously up to a maximum of four vehicles, as an example of a combination, first, two vehicle allocation requests are made by a simultaneous vehicle allocation request, and then another two simultaneous vehicle allocation requests are made within a predetermined period.

[0099] Further, the control unit 11 may prepare, for example, two types of user accounts: a private account and a business account. For example, with a private account, up to a maximum of three simultaneous vehicle allocation requests and / or consecutive vehicle allocation requests can be made, and with a business account, up to a maximum of seven simultaneous vehicle allocation requests and / or consecutive vehicle allocation requests can be made. Furthermore, by using both accounts together, up to a maximum of ten simultaneous vehicle allocation requests and / or consecutive vehicle allocation requests can be made.

[0100] Although the present disclosure has been described based on the drawings and embodiments, it should be noted that those skilled in the art can easily make various modifications and corrections based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and corrections are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each means or each step, etc. can be rearranged so as not to be logically contradictory, and a plurality of means or steps, etc. can be combined into one or divided.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0101] 1 System 10 Information Processing Apparatus 11 Control Unit 12 Storage Unit 13 Communication Unit 20 User Terminal 21 Control Unit 22 Storage Unit 23 Input section 24 Output section 25 Communication section 30 Vehicle terminal 31 Control section 32 Memory section 33 Input section 34 Output section 35 Communication section 40 Network

Claims

1. A vehicle allocation method executed by an information processing apparatus, comprising: receiving a simultaneous vehicle allocation request including a plurality of vehicle allocation requests from a user terminal; establishing sequential vehicle allocations one by one with committed vehicles based on the number of vehicles related to the simultaneous vehicle allocation request; A vehicle allocation method comprising the above.

2. The vehicle allocation method according to Claim 1, further comprising: setting the priority of vehicle allocation establishment for some or all of the vehicle allocation requests included in the simultaneous vehicle allocation request to be higher than that for a vehicle allocation request for only one vehicle.

3. The vehicle allocation method according to Claim 1, wherein: even if the settlement related to some of the vehicle allocation requests included in the simultaneous vehicle allocation request fails, other vehicle allocation requests are not cancelled.

4. A vehicle allocation method executed by an information processing apparatus, comprising: receiving a continuous vehicle allocation request including a plurality of vehicle allocation requests within a predetermined period from a user terminal; establishing sequential vehicle allocations one by one with committed vehicles based on the number of vehicles related to the continuous vehicle allocation request; A vehicle allocation method comprising the above.

5. The vehicle allocation method according to Claim 4, further comprising: setting the priority of vehicle allocation establishment for some or all of the vehicle allocation requests included in the continuous vehicle allocation request to be higher than that for a vehicle allocation request for only one vehicle.

6. The vehicle allocation method according to Claim 4, wherein: even if the settlement related to some of the vehicle allocation requests included in the continuous vehicle allocation request fails, other vehicle allocation requests are not cancelled.

7. An information processing apparatus comprising a processor that executes the vehicle allocation method according to any one of Claims 1 to 6.

8. A program for causing an information processing apparatus to execute the vehicle allocation method according to any one of Claims 1 to 6.

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