Delivery plan generation device

Abstract

To provide a delivery plan generation device capable of suppressing a decrease in delivery efficiency in a delivery plan of a plurality of vehicles equipped with an electric motor or internal combustion engine.SOLUTION: A plurality of vehicles 10 include: a vehicle A provided not with an internal combustion engine but with an electric motor as a power source; and vehicles B to D provided with internal combustion engines as power sources. A total loading weight of loads loaded on the vehicle when delivery on a delivery route X2 starts is greater than a total loading weight of loads mounted on a vehicle when delivery on a delivery route X1 is started. A delivery plan generation device 100 performs processing of determining delivery routes of the vehicle A and vehicles B to D so as to preferentially allot the delivery route X1 of the delivery route X1 and the delivery route X2 to the vehicle A over the vehicles B to D.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a delivery plan generation device, and more particularly to a delivery plan generation device that generates a delivery plan for a plurality of vehicles that deliver packages. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Publication No. 2023-133750 (Patent Document 1) discloses a transportation planning system that assigns transportation routes to multiple vehicles equipped with different power sources, such as BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles) that do not have an internal combustion engine as a power source but an electric motor, and vehicles equipped with an internal combustion engine as a power source.

[0003] The transportation planning system is configured to assign a BEV to a first transportation route that passes through a first transportation destination within a first transportation area that is defined based on the location of a charging station where the vehicle is charged. This allows the BEV to stop at a charging station along the transportation route to charge so that the remaining charge does not run out. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-133750 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when charging is required along a transportation route (delivery route), the vehicle cannot move during that time, which reduces delivery efficiency.To prevent this reduction in delivery efficiency, there is still room for improvement in how vehicles, including BEVs, should be assigned to delivery routes.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a delivery plan generation device that can suppress a decrease in delivery efficiency in a delivery plan for multiple vehicles equipped with electric motors or internal combustion engines. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The delivery plan generation device of the present disclosure is a device that generates a delivery plan for multiple vehicles that deliver packages. The delivery plan generation device includes a processor and a memory that stores a program executable by the processor. The multiple vehicles include a first vehicle that does not have an internal combustion engine but has an electric motor as a power source, and at least one second vehicle that has an internal combustion engine as a power source. The delivery routes of the multiple vehicles include a first delivery route and a second delivery route. The total load weight of packages to be loaded on the vehicles when starting delivery on the second delivery route is greater than the total load weight of packages to be loaded on the vehicles when starting delivery on the first delivery route. The processor performs processing to determine delivery routes for the first vehicle and at least one second vehicle such that the first vehicle is given priority over at least one second vehicle in the first delivery route and the second delivery route.

[0008] A first vehicle that does not have an internal combustion engine as a power source but has an electric motor has a shorter range and takes longer to charge than a second vehicle that has an internal combustion engine as a power source. This configuration prioritizes allocating the first vehicle to a first delivery route with a smaller total load weight, thereby minimizing the deterioration of the power consumption of the first vehicle due to the weight of the cargo it carries and reducing the likelihood of the first vehicle stopping at a charging station to charge during delivery. This reduces the decline in delivery efficiency in a delivery plan for multiple vehicles equipped with electric motors or internal combustion engines.

[0009] In the above delivery plan generation device, the delivery destinations on a first delivery route include a first delivery destination and a second delivery destination. The weight of the package to be delivered to the second delivery destination is greater than the weight of the package to be delivered to the first delivery destination. When a first vehicle is assigned to the first delivery route, the processor performs processing to determine the delivery order for the first delivery route so that delivery is given priority to the second delivery destination over the first delivery destination.

[0010] With this configuration, the first vehicle prioritizes delivery to destinations with heavier packages, reducing the average load weight of packages along the delivery route and reducing the likelihood of charging during delivery, thereby preventing a decrease in delivery efficiency.

[0011] In the delivery plan generation device described above, the delivery routes of the multiple vehicles further include a third delivery route. The total load weight of cargo to be loaded on the vehicles when starting delivery along the third delivery route is greater than the total load weight of cargo to be loaded on the vehicles when starting delivery along the second delivery route. The at least one second vehicle includes a third vehicle having no electric motor as a power source but an internal combustion engine, a fourth vehicle having no external charging function but having an electric motor and an internal combustion engine as power sources, and a fifth vehicle that is externally chargeable and has an electric motor and an internal combustion engine as power sources. The processor performs processing to determine delivery routes for the third vehicle, the fourth vehicle, and the fifth vehicle such that, of the second delivery route and the third delivery route, the second delivery route is preferentially assigned to the third vehicle, the fourth vehicle, and the fifth vehicle in that order.

[0012] With this configuration, the fourth and fifth vehicles that can use electric motors as their power source, and especially the fifth vehicle that frequently uses an electric motor as its power source, are preferentially assigned to the third delivery route with a large total load weight. Because delivery routes with a large total load weight also consume a lot of energy while traveling (long distances traveled with heavy loads), this configuration makes it possible to create a delivery plan that takes the natural environment into consideration and uses electric motors as its power source as much as possible.

[0013] In the delivery plan generation device, the driving modes of the fifth vehicle include a first mode in which the vehicle runs using an electric motor and an internal combustion engine, and a second mode in which the vehicle runs using the electric motor without using the internal combustion engine. When the fifth vehicle is delivering along an assigned delivery route, the processor performs processing to send to the fifth vehicle a command to run in the first mode when the current load weight of the fifth vehicle is equal to or greater than a specified value, and to run in the second mode when the current load weight of the fifth vehicle is less than the specified value.

[0014] According to this configuration, the fifth vehicle runs in a first mode using both the electric motor and the internal combustion engine when the current load weight is equal to or greater than a specified value, and runs in a second mode using the electric motor without the internal combustion engine when the load weight is less than the specified value. This avoids running in the second mode using only the electric motor when the load weight is heavy and electricity efficiency is poor, and allows running in the second mode when the load weight is light and electricity efficiency is good. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to suppress a decrease in delivery efficiency in a delivery plan for multiple vehicles equipped with electric motors or internal combustion engines. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating the overall configuration of a delivery plan generation system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining allocation of delivery routes according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of processing executed by the delivery plan generation system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of processing executed by the delivery plan generation system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 5] 11 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for mode-specific processing according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals and their description will not be repeated.

[0018] [First embodiment] 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating the overall configuration of a delivery plan generation system 1 according to the first embodiment. The delivery plan generation system 1 includes a plurality of vehicles 10 that deliver packages, and a delivery plan generation device 100. The plurality of vehicles 10 and the delivery plan generation device 100 are capable of communicating with each other via a communication network.

[0019] The delivery plan generating device 100 is a device that generates a delivery plan for multiple vehicles 10 that deliver packages. The delivery plan generating device 100 performs processing to determine a delivery vehicle from multiple vehicles 10 owned by the delivery company for each of multiple delivery areas (delivery routes) managed by the delivery company. The multiple vehicles 10 include vehicles 10a to 10d. Vehicle 10a shown in FIG. 1 will also be referred to as vehicle A, vehicle 10b will also be referred to as vehicle B, vehicle 10c will also be referred to as vehicle C, and vehicle 10d will also be referred to as vehicle D.

[0020] Here, vehicle 10a (vehicle A) corresponds to the "first vehicle" according to the present disclosure, vehicles 10b to 10d (vehicles B to D) correspond to the "at least one second vehicle" according to the present disclosure, vehicle 10b (vehicle B) corresponds to the "third vehicle" according to the present disclosure, vehicle 10c (vehicle C) corresponds to the "fourth vehicle" according to the present disclosure, and vehicle 10d (vehicle D) corresponds to the "fifth vehicle" according to the present disclosure.

[0021] Vehicle A (vehicle 10a) is an electric vehicle that can be externally charged from charging equipment (EVSE: Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) and is an electric vehicle (BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle) that does not have an internal combustion engine (engine) as a power source but has an electric motor 13a. On the other hand, vehicles B to D (vehicles 10b to 10d) are vehicles that can run using at least a power source other than an electric motor and have an internal combustion engine as a power source.

[0022] Vehicle A includes a battery 11, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 12, an electric motor 13a, a DCM (Data Communication Module) 14, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 15, and a navigation device 17 that processes position information detected by a GPS. The battery 11 stores power used for driving vehicle A. The battery 11 is, for example, a lithium-ion battery. The electric motor 13a is driven using the power from the battery 11. The DCM 14 is a module for communicating with an external device via a communication network, transmitting data from the ECU 12 to the external device and transferring data from the external device to the ECU 12. The HMI 15 is provided near the driver's seat of vehicle A, receiving information input by a user and outputting it to the ECU 12, and notifying the user of information from the ECU 12 by display or audio, and including, for example, a touch panel display.

[0023] Vehicle B is an engine vehicle (hereinafter also referred to as ICE (Internal Combustion Engine)) that does not have an electric motor as a power source but has an internal combustion engine 16b. Vehicle C is a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) that does not have an external charging function and has an electric motor 13c and an internal combustion engine 16c as power sources. Vehicle D is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) that can be externally charged from a charging facility and has an electric motor 13d and an internal combustion engine 16d as power sources.

[0024] The multiple vehicles 10 also include fuel cell vehicles (FCVs). The FCV includes a hydrogen tank (not shown) for storing hydrogen, a power generation device (not shown) including a fuel cell (not shown) that generates electricity through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, and a battery (not shown). The fuel cell generates electricity using hydrogen supplied from the hydrogen tank. The electricity generated by the power generation device is used to drive the FCV's traction motor or is stored in the battery. FCV users can refuel with hydrogen at hydrogen stations installed in town. The time required to refuel with hydrogen at a hydrogen station is short compared to the time required to charge the battery 11 of vehicle A (BEV).

[0025] The delivery plan generation device 100 includes a processor 110 (e.g., a CPU), a memory 120 that stores programs executable by the processor 110, a communication unit 130, and a mass storage device 140. The memory 120 includes a random access memory (RAM) and a read only memory (ROM). The communication unit 130 is capable of communicating with external devices via a communication network. The mass storage device 140 is configured with a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD), etc., and stores programs and data used by the processor 110. The processor 110 executes programs stored in the memory 120 or the mass storage device 140.

[0026] 2 is a diagram for explaining the allocation of delivery routes according to the first embodiment. The mass storage device 140 stores delivery route information 90, vehicle information 91, and allocation information 92.

[0027] The delivery route information 90 stores the total load weight of each delivery route, information about the delivery destinations on the delivery route, etc. Here, the "total load weight" indicates the total load weight (unit: kg) of the goods loaded onto the vehicle when starting the delivery for each delivery route (X1 to X4). The delivery routes of the plurality of vehicles 10 include the delivery routes X1 to X4. The delivery route information 90 records that the total load weight of the delivery route X1 is M1, the total load weight of the delivery route X2 is M2, the total load weight of the delivery route X3 is M3, and the total load weight of the delivery route X4 is M4.

[0028] When a vehicle 10 (any one of vehicles A to D, etc.) is assigned to a delivery route, the vehicle 10 travels on the assigned delivery route to perform the delivery.

[0029] Here, it is assumed that the total load weights are in the relationship of M1 < M2 < M3 < M4. For example, the total load weight M2 of the goods loaded onto the vehicle when starting the delivery of the delivery route X2 is greater than the total load weight M1 of the goods loaded onto the vehicle when starting the delivery of the delivery route X1. The total load weight M3 of the goods loaded onto the vehicle when starting the delivery of the delivery route X3 is greater than the total load weight M2 of the goods loaded onto the vehicle when starting the delivery of the delivery route X2. Here, the delivery route X1 corresponds to the "first delivery route" according to the present disclosure, the delivery route X2 corresponds to the "second delivery route" according to the present disclosure, and the delivery route X3 corresponds to the "third delivery route" according to the present disclosure, respectively.

[0030] The vehicle information 91 records the type of each vehicle. The vehicle information 91 records that vehicle A is a BEV, vehicle B is an ICE, vehicle C is a HEV, and vehicle D is a PHEV.

[0031] Based on the delivery route information 90 and the vehicle information 91, the allocation information 92 records the results of allocating any one of vehicles A to D, etc. to each delivery route, etc. The allocation information 92 records the allocated vehicle, type, etc. corresponding to each delivery route.

[0032] The allocation information 92 records that the assigned vehicle for delivery route X1 is vehicle A (BEV), the assigned vehicle for delivery route X2 is vehicle B (ICE), the assigned vehicle for delivery route X3 is vehicle C (HEV), and the assigned vehicle for delivery route X4 is vehicle D (PHEV). This is also illustrated in Figure 1.

[0033] Returning to Figure 1, the delivery destinations along delivery route X1 to which vehicle A is assigned include delivery destination D11 and delivery destination D12. The weight of the parcel delivered to delivery destination D11 is greater than the weight of the parcel delivered to delivery destination D12. The total load weight of the parcels delivered to delivery destinations D11 and D12 is M1, and these parcels are loaded at the departure point for delivery. Here, delivery destination D12 corresponds to the "first delivery destination" according to the present disclosure, and delivery destination D11 corresponds to the "second delivery destination" according to the present disclosure.

[0034] For delivery route X2, to which vehicle B is assigned, the total load weight of packages to be delivered to destinations D21 to D23 is M2, and these packages are loaded at the departure point for delivery. For delivery route X3, to which vehicle C is assigned, the total load weight of packages to be delivered to destinations D31 to D34 is M3, and these packages are loaded at the departure point for delivery. For delivery route X4, to which vehicle D is assigned, the total load weight of packages to be delivered to destinations D41 to D45 is M2, and these packages are loaded at the departure point for delivery.

[0035] In the example of FIG. 1, vehicle A (BEV), vehicle B (ICE), vehicle C (HEV), and vehicle D (PHEV) are assigned in order of lightest total load weight.

[0036] The delivery plan generation device 100 performs processing to determine delivery routes for vehicle A and vehicles B to D such that, of delivery route X1 and delivery route X2 (or X3, X4), delivery route X1 is preferentially assigned to vehicle A (BEV) over vehicles B to D (ICE, HEV, PHEV).

[0037] The following description will be made using a flowchart. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure executed by the generation system according to the first embodiment. Hereinafter, steps will simply be referred to as "S".

[0038] First, in S11, the delivery plan generating device 100 reads in a delivery plan. Explaining this based on a specific example using Figures 1 and 2, the delivery plan generating device 100 holds delivery route information 90 and vehicle information 91, and reads in information on delivery routes X1 to X4 and information on vehicles A to D (delivery route information 90, vehicle information 91) as a delivery plan.

[0039] In S12, the delivery plan generating device 100 calculates the total load weight for each delivery route. In this example, for example, the delivery destinations for delivery route X1 are delivery destinations D11 and D12 (see FIG. 1). The delivery plan generating device 100 calculates the total load weight M1 (weight of the package delivered to delivery destination D11 + weight of the package delivered to delivery destination D12) and records it in the delivery route information 90.

[0040] In S13, the delivery plan generation device 100 determines whether the total load weight is less than a specified value. In this example, it is assumed that the total load weight M1 on delivery route X1<specified value<total load weight M2 on delivery route X2<total load weight M3 on delivery route X3<total load weight M4 on delivery route X4.

[0041] If the total load weight on the delivery route is less than the specified value (YES in S13), the delivery plan generation device 100 assigns a BEV to the delivery vehicle (S14). In this example, since the total load weight M1 on delivery route X1 is less than the specified value, vehicle A (BEV) is assigned to delivery route X1 (see Figures 1 and 2). In other words, delivery route X1 is assigned to vehicle A (BEV) in preference to delivery routes X2 to X4.

[0042] If the total load weight on the delivery route is equal to or greater than a specified value (NO in S13), the delivery plan generation device 100 assigns vehicles other than BEVs to the delivery vehicles (S15). In this example, vehicles B to D (ICE, HEV, PHEV) are assigned to delivery routes X2 to X4, respectively, where the total load weight is equal to or greater than a specified value (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0043] To achieve carbon neutrality, delivery companies are also being forced to switch from conventional ICEs to BEVs. Vehicle A (BEV), which does not have an internal combustion engine as its power source but an electric motor 13a, has the inconvenience of a shorter driving range and longer charging times than vehicles B to D (ICE, HEV, PHEV) that have internal combustion engines as their power source. Due to their short driving range, BEVs are more likely to need to be charged during deliveries. Charging during deliveries results in downtime and increases labor costs, so charging should be avoided as much as possible. Furthermore, it is not good for delivery drivers' mental health to drive while worrying about their driving range. On the other hand, ICEs, HEVs, and PHEVs have longer driving ranges than BEVs, and even if refueling is necessary, the refueling time is shorter than that of a BEV.

[0044] As described above, the delivery plan generation device 100 performs processing to determine delivery routes for vehicle A and vehicles B-D, such that, of delivery route X1 and delivery route X2 (X3, X4), vehicle A (BEV) is preferentially assigned delivery route X1 over vehicles B-D (ICE, HEV, PHEV). This configuration prioritizes allocating vehicle A to delivery route X1, which has a smaller total load weight. This reduces the deterioration of vehicle A's power consumption due to the weight of the cargo it carries, and reduces the likelihood of vehicle A stopping at a charging station to charge during delivery. This reduces the decline in delivery efficiency in a delivery plan for multiple vehicles 10 equipped with electric motors or internal combustion engines. Note that the "vehicles other than BEVs" in S15 also include fuel cell vehicles (FCVs). The time required to fill an FCV with hydrogen at a hydrogen station is also shorter than the charging time for a BEV, so the above-mentioned issues associated with BEVs do not arise.

[0045] Note that allocation to BEVs is not limited to cases where the total load weight on a delivery route is less than a specified value, and delivery routes may be allocated to BEVs preferentially in order of the lowest total load weight. In this case, delivery routes may be allocated to BEVs even if the total load weight is equal to or greater than a specified value, or may be allocated to vehicles other than BEVs even if the total load weight is less than the specified value, as long as delivery routes with a low total load weight are allocated preferentially to BEVs. Furthermore, when allocating to BEVs, delivery routes may be determined so that the total load weight is less than a specified value. Note that a configuration may be adopted in which a vehicle 10 is allocated to each delivery area and a delivery route for delivery within the allocated delivery area is determined, or a configuration may be adopted in which a vehicle 10 is allocated to each delivery route.

[0046] [Second embodiment] In the second embodiment, when a vehicle A (BEV) is assigned to a delivery route X1, the delivery plan generation device 100 performs a process of determining the delivery order of the delivery route X1 so that delivery to destination D11, which has a heavier cargo to be delivered than destination D12, is given priority.

[0047] Furthermore, the delivery plan generation device 100 performs processing to determine delivery routes for vehicles B, C, and D such that, of delivery route X2 and delivery route X3, delivery route X2 with the lighter total load weight is preferentially assigned to vehicle B (ICE), vehicle C (HEV), and vehicle D (PHEV) in that order. Similarly, when comparing delivery route X3 and delivery route X4, delivery route X3 with the lighter total load weight is assigned to the ICE, HEV, and PHEV in that order. Conversely, the delivery route with the heavier total load weight is assigned to the PHEV, HEV, and ICE in that order.

[0048] Below, differences from the first embodiment will be described, and a description of commonalities with the first embodiment will be omitted. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of processing executed by the delivery plan generation system 1 according to the second embodiment.

[0049] In S21, the delivery plan generation device 100 reads a delivery plan. In S22, the delivery plan generation device 100 calculates the total load weight for each delivery route. If the total load weight on the delivery route is less than a specified value (YES in S23), the delivery plan generation device 100 assigns a BEV to the delivery vehicle (S24).

[0050] The processes of S21 to S24 are the same as the processes of S11 to S14, so detailed explanations will be omitted. In the above example, in S24, vehicle A (BEV) is assigned to delivery route X1. The weight of the package to be delivered to delivery destination D11 on delivery route X1 is greater than the weight of the package to be delivered to delivery destination D12.

[0051] In S25, the delivery plan generating device 100 determines the delivery order so that delivery destinations with heavier packages are given priority. In this example, as shown in Figure 1, on delivery route X1, delivery is made to delivery destination D11, and then to delivery destination D12.

[0052] If the total load weight on a delivery route is equal to or greater than a specified value (YES in S23), the delivery plan generation device 100 arranges the delivery routes in descending order of total load weight (S26). In this example, the delivery routes with total load weights equal to or greater than the specified value are delivery routes X2 to X4. Total load weight M4 of delivery route X4 > total load weight M3 of delivery route X3 > total load weight M4 of delivery route X2. In this case, the delivery routes are arranged in the order of delivery routes X4, X3, X2.

[0053] In S27, the delivery plan generation device 100 assigns priority to the listed delivery routes, starting from the first one (in descending order of total load weight), in the order of PHEV, HEV, and ICE. In this example, vehicle B is an ICE, vehicle C is an HEV, and vehicle D is a PHEV. Therefore, vehicle D (PHEV), which has the highest priority, is assigned to the first delivery route X4. Next, vehicle C (HEV), which has the next highest priority, is assigned to the second delivery route X3. Finally, vehicle B (ICE), which has the lowest priority and is the last remaining vehicle, is assigned to the third delivery route X2.

[0054] The delivery plan generating device 100 executes mode-specific processing in S28. In the second embodiment, this processing (S28) is not performed, but in the third embodiment, the processing described in FIG.

[0055] As described above, when vehicle A (BEV) is assigned to delivery route X1, the delivery plan generation device 100 performs processing to determine the delivery order for delivery route X1 such that delivery to destination D11 takes precedence over delivery to destination D12. With this configuration, delivery of heavier packages takes precedence over route optimization. Because vehicle A (BEV) takes precedence over delivery to destination D11, which carries heavier packages, the average load weight of packages along delivery route X1 decreases, reducing the likelihood of charging during delivery. This reduces the likelihood of a decrease in delivery efficiency. While delivery destinations may be determined in descending order of package weight, the delivery order may also take into account the distance to the destination to avoid generating routes that are unnecessarily detours.

[0056] Furthermore, the delivery plan generation device 100 performs processing to determine delivery routes for vehicles B, C, and D such that, of delivery route X2 and delivery route X3, delivery route X2 is preferentially assigned to vehicle B (ICE), vehicle C (HEV), and vehicle D (PHEV) in that order. With this configuration, vehicles C and D that can use electric motors as a power source, and of these, vehicle D that frequently uses an electric motor as a power source, are preferentially assigned to delivery route X3, which has a large total load weight. Delivery routes with a large total load weight are also delivery routes that consume a lot of energy for traveling (long distances traveled with heavy loads), so with this configuration, a delivery plan can be created that takes the natural environment into consideration and uses electric motors as a power source as much as possible.

[0057] [Third embodiment] In the third embodiment, the processing shown in Fig. 4 is executed, as in the second embodiment. In the third embodiment, the mode-specific processing executed in S28 is as shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the mode-specific processing according to the third embodiment.

[0058] The driving modes of the vehicle D (PHEV) include an HEV mode in which the vehicle runs using the electric motor 13d and the internal combustion engine 16d, and an EV mode in which the vehicle runs using the electric motor 13d without using the internal combustion engine 16d. Here, the HEV mode corresponds to the "first mode" according to the present disclosure, and the EV mode corresponds to the "second mode" according to the present disclosure.

[0059] In the third embodiment, the delivery plan generation device 100 performs processing to transmit to vehicle D, while vehicle D is delivering along an assigned delivery route, a command to run in HEV mode when the current load weight of vehicle D is equal to or greater than a specified value, and to run in EV mode when the current load weight of vehicle D is less than the specified value. Below, differences from the second embodiment will be described, and a description of commonalities with the second embodiment will be omitted.

[0060] If the assigned vehicle is a PHEV (YES in S31), the delivery plan generation device 100 proceeds to S32, and if the assigned vehicle is not a PHEV (NO in S31), the delivery plan generation device 100 ends this process. For example, in the above example, the processes from S32 onwards are executed for vehicle D (PHEV) assigned to delivery route X4.

[0061] If the current load weight is equal to or greater than the specified value (YES in S32), the delivery plan generating device 100 sends a command to the PHEV to travel in HEV mode (S33). If the current load weight is less than the specified value (NO in S32), the delivery plan generating device 100 sends a command to the PHEV to travel in EV mode (S34). On delivery route X4, the total load weight M4 for vehicle D (PHEV) is equal to or greater than the specified value. Therefore, vehicle D is set to HEV mode and starts traveling on delivery route X4 (see FIG. 1).

[0062] If delivery along the delivery route is complete (YES in S35), the delivery plan generation device 100 ends this process, and if delivery along the delivery route is not complete (NO in S35), the process returns to S32. As a result, when the cargo is unloaded at the delivery destination and the current load weight falls below a specified value, the vehicle switches from HEV mode to EV mode. In the above example, vehicle D traveling along delivery route X4 delivers to destinations D41, D42, D43, D44, and D45 in that order (see FIG. 1). For example, if the load weight falls below the specified value when the cargo is unloaded at destination D42, the vehicle switches to EV mode from destination D42 onwards.

[0063] As explained above, the driving modes of vehicle D (PHEV) include an HEV mode in which vehicle D runs using electric motor 13d and internal combustion engine 16d, and an EV mode in which vehicle D runs using electric motor 13d without using internal combustion engine 16d. When vehicle D is delivering along an assigned delivery route, the delivery plan generating device 100 performs processing to send to vehicle D a command to run in HEV mode when the current load weight of vehicle D is equal to or greater than a specified value, and to run in EV mode when the current load weight of vehicle D is less than the specified value. Note that this processing may be performed by vehicle D instead of by the delivery plan generating device 100.

[0064] According to this configuration, when the current load weight of vehicle D is equal to or greater than a specified value, the vehicle runs in HEV mode using the electric motor 13d and the internal combustion engine 16d, and when the load weight is less than the specified value, the vehicle runs in EV mode using the electric motor 13d without using the internal combustion engine 16d. If the delivery vehicle is a PHEV, running in EV mode when the load is heavy is inefficient, so the vehicle is switched to EV mode when the load is reduced. This avoids running in EV mode using only the electric motor when the load weight is heavy and electricity consumption is poor (running in HEV mode), and allows the vehicle to run in EV mode when the load weight is light and electricity consumption is good. Note that the mode-specific processing shown in FIG. 5 may be executed after S15 in the first embodiment.

[0065] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not by the description of the above embodiments, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1 Generation system, 10, 10a to 10d Vehicle, 11 Battery, 12 ECU, 13a, 13c, 13d Electric motor, 14 DCM, 15 HMI, 16b, 16c, 16d Electric motor, 17 Navigation device, 90 Delivery route information, 91 Vehicle information, 92 Allocation information, 100 Generation device, 110 Processor, 120 Memory, 130 Communication unit, 140 Mass storage device.

Claims

1. A delivery plan generation device that generates a delivery plan for a plurality of vehicles that deliver packages, a processor; a memory that stores a program executable by the processor; the plurality of vehicles include a first vehicle that does not have an internal combustion engine but has an electric motor as a power source, and at least one second vehicle that has an internal combustion engine as a power source; the delivery routes of the plurality of vehicles include a first delivery route and a second delivery route; a total load weight of the cargo to be loaded onto the vehicle when starting delivery along the second delivery route is greater than a total load weight of the cargo to be loaded onto the vehicle when starting delivery along the first delivery route; The processor performs processing to determine delivery routes for the first vehicle and the at least one second vehicle such that, of the first delivery route and the second delivery route, the first vehicle is preferentially assigned to the first delivery route over the at least one second vehicle.

2. the delivery destinations on the first delivery route include a first delivery destination and a second delivery destination; The weight of the package to be delivered to the second delivery destination is greater than the weight of the package to be delivered to the first delivery destination, 2. The delivery plan generation device according to claim 1, wherein when the first vehicle is assigned to the first delivery route, the processor performs processing to determine a delivery order for the first delivery route such that delivery is given priority to the second delivery destination before delivery to the first delivery destination.

3. the delivery routes of the plurality of vehicles further include a third delivery route; a total load weight of the cargo to be loaded onto the vehicle when starting delivery along the third delivery route is greater than a total load weight of the cargo to be loaded onto the vehicle when starting delivery along the second delivery route; The at least one second vehicle includes a third vehicle that does not have an electric motor but has an internal combustion engine as a power source, a fourth vehicle that does not have an external charging function and has an electric motor and an internal combustion engine as power sources, and a fifth vehicle that can be externally charged and has an electric motor and an internal combustion engine as power sources, 3. The delivery plan generation device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the processor performs processing to determine delivery routes for the third vehicle, the fourth vehicle, and the fifth vehicle such that, of the second delivery route and the third delivery route, the second delivery route is preferentially assigned to the third vehicle, the fourth vehicle, and the fifth vehicle in that order.

4. the fifth vehicle running mode includes a first mode in which the vehicle runs using an electric motor and an internal combustion engine, and a second mode in which the vehicle runs using the electric motor without using the internal combustion engine; 4. The delivery plan generation device according to claim 3, wherein the processor performs processing to transmit to the fifth vehicle, while the fifth vehicle is making a delivery along an assigned delivery route, a command to travel in the first mode when a current load weight of the fifth vehicle is equal to or greater than a specified value, and to travel in the second mode when a current load weight of the fifth vehicle is less than the specified value.

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