Vehicle allocation management device and vehicle allocation management method

Abstract

To instruct supply of energy to a vehicle in a service target area at an appropriate timing.SOLUTION: The present invention is a vehicle allocation management device comprising: a travel actual result information database that stores travel actual result information of each vehicle in a service target area; a vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information including the amount of energy remaining in each vehicle; a variation degree calculation unit that calculates, on the basis of the travel actual result information, the degree of variation of expected required time related to a movement between specific two points in the service target area; an energy supply reference value setting unit that sets an energy supply reference value for the vehicle on the basis of the degree of variation; an energy supply determination unit that determines whether supply of energy to the vehicle is necessary on the basis of the amount of energy remaining in each vehicle and the set energy supply reference value; and an energy supply instruction unit that performs energy supply instruction for a vehicle determined to require supply of energy.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle allocation management device and a vehicle allocation management method. [Background technology]

[0002] Mobility services are services that provide smooth transportation of passengers and / or luggage by vehicle. Mobility services require efficient use of vehicles to increase vehicle utilization rates and improve user convenience. For example, in a so-called on-demand vehicle dispatch service that dispatches a vehicle in a short time in response to a real-time dispatch request from a user, it is necessary to appropriately instruct each vehicle to replenish or refuel with driving energy according to the vehicle's remaining driving energy content (SOC) and the cruising distance based on the remaining fuel amount.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a technology in which a vehicle dispatch management device that dispatches shared vehicles in response to dispatch requests from users calculates the cruising range of each shared vehicle, calculates the total cruising range of the multiple shared vehicles, and if the total cruising range is less than a first predetermined value, determines whether the shared vehicles need to be replenished with their running energy, and based on the determination of whether the shared vehicles need to be replenished with their running energy, issues a replenishment instruction to shared vehicles that are determined to need replenishment. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2019 / 197854 https: / / www.j-platpat.inpit.go.jp / c1800 / PU / JP-7008802 / 6DFF3D40AE6491F0DA66379C93AFB81FECA375F37E40DF90241917BC49BA12F4 / 15 / ja Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not issue a command to replenish running energy in consideration of the degree of variability in the estimated travel time required for a shared vehicle to travel from a departure point to a destination in response to a user's dispatch request. Therefore, if a command to replenish running energy for a shared vehicle is not issued at the appropriate time, it may not be possible to dispatch a vehicle that satisfies the dispatch request. For example, even if it is determined that replenishment of running energy for a shared vehicle is not necessary at the time of dispatch, if there is a significant delay in the estimated travel time required for travel from the departure point to the destination, there is a risk that the necessary running energy will be insufficient.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle allocation management device and a vehicle allocation management method that can instruct vehicles in a service area to replenish energy at an appropriate timing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention, which aims to solve the above problems, comprises the following invention-specifying matters and technical features.

[0008] According to one aspect, the present invention provides a vehicle dispatch management device that manages the dispatch of vehicles in a service area. The vehicle dispatch management device includes: a driving history information database that stores driving history information for each of the vehicles in the service area; a vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information including at least the remaining energy amount of each of the vehicles; a variation calculation unit that calculates a variation in an estimated required time for travel between two specific points in the service area based on the driving history information; an energy replenishment reference value setting unit that sets an energy replenishment reference value for each of the vehicles based on the calculated variation; an energy replenishment determination unit that determines whether energy replenishment is required for each of the vehicles based on the acquired remaining energy amount of each of the vehicles and the set energy replenishment reference value; and an energy replenishment instruction unit that issues an energy replenishment instruction to the vehicle when it is determined that energy replenishment is required for the vehicle.

[0009] The present invention also provides a vehicle allocation management method using a vehicle allocation management device that manages vehicle allocation in response to a vehicle allocation request, a computer program for executing the method, and a recording medium on which the method is non-temporarily recorded.

[0010] In this disclosure, a "system" refers to a logical collection of multiple devices (or functional modules that realize specific functions), regardless of whether each device or functional module is contained within a single housing. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, the degree of variability in the expected travel time required for travel between two specific points in a service area is taken into consideration, so that it is possible to instruct a vehicle to replenish energy at an appropriate timing.

[0012] Furthermore, according to the present invention, even if there is a large degree of variability in the estimated travel time, it is possible to prepare in advance a vehicle that has a sufficient amount of energy required for a significant delay in the estimated travel time.

[0013] Other technical features, objects, and operational effects or advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The effects described in this specification are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting, and other effects may also be present. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle dispatch management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration model of a vehicle dispatch control device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of road link travel time information in the travel performance information database of the vehicle dispatch control device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of details of the vehicle dispatch plan creation unit of the vehicle dispatch management device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of a variation threshold value in the vehicle dispatch control device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6A] FIG. 6A is a flowchart for explaining an example of processing related to an energy replenishment instruction to a vehicle V by a vehicle dispatch management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a flowchart for explaining an example of processing related to an energy replenishment instruction to vehicle V by a vehicle dispatch management device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6C] FIG. 6C is a flowchart for explaining an example of processing related to an energy replenishment instruction to vehicle V by a vehicle dispatch management device according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below are merely examples, and are not intended to exclude various modifications or applications of techniques not explicitly described below. The present invention can be implemented in various modifications (e.g., combinations of the embodiments) without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, in the following description of the drawings, identical or similar parts are denoted by identical or similar reference numerals. The drawings are schematic and do not necessarily correspond to actual dimensions, ratios, etc. Parts in the drawings may have different dimensional relationships or ratios.

[0016] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle dispatch management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the vehicle dispatch management system 1 includes a vehicle dispatch management device 10, a terminal device 20, and a vehicle V, which are interconnected via a communication network N so as to be able to communicate with each other. The vehicle dispatch management system 1 can also be connected via the communication network N to a road traffic information management system 30 that provides various types of traffic information in real time.

[0017] The vehicle dispatch management system 1 of the present disclosure provides, for example, a vehicle dispatch service using multiple vehicles V targeting a certain area. The vehicle dispatch service may be either an "on-demand" or "reservation" system. An "on-demand vehicle dispatch service" is a service that allocates (dispatches) a specific vehicle to a user in immediate response to a vehicle dispatch request from the user. In other words, in an on-demand vehicle dispatch service, there is no vehicle dispatch reservation time specified by the user. Furthermore, "immediate response" is a concept that not only means dispatching a vehicle immediately in response to a vehicle dispatch request from a user, but also includes a certain degree of time that the user can normally accept. In contrast, a "reservation vehicle dispatch service" is a service that dispatches a vehicle at a vehicle dispatch reservation time or within a time frame specified by the user.

[0018] The vehicle dispatch management device 10 is a computing device that comprehensively manages a vehicle dispatch service using multiple vehicles V in a target area of ​​the vehicle dispatch service (hereinafter referred to as the "service target area"). The service target area may be divided into several areas (sub-areas). The vehicle dispatch management device 10, for example, implements a vehicle dispatch management server program and realizes the vehicle dispatch service by executing the vehicle dispatch management server program under the control of a processor.

[0019] The vehicle dispatch management device 10 includes various databases 12 that accumulate and manage data necessary to realize such a vehicle dispatch service. The databases 12 may include, for example, a user information database 12a, a road map information database 12b, a vehicle information database 12c, a vehicle dispatch plan database 12d, and a driving performance information database 12e (see FIG. 2). The databases 12 may be configured as part of the vehicle dispatch management device 10, or all or part of the databases 12 may be configured separately from the vehicle dispatch management device 10.

[0020] In general, the vehicle allocation management device 10 refers to the vehicle information database 12c based on a vehicle allocation request received from a user who wishes to allocate a vehicle V to the user from among a plurality of vehicles V, creates a vehicle allocation plan for the vehicle V, and proposes the created vehicle allocation plan to the user. The vehicle allocation management device 10 confirms the proposed vehicle allocation plan upon the user's consent, and issues a vehicle allocation instruction to the vehicle V in accordance with the confirmed vehicle allocation plan.

[0021] The dispatch plan includes the driving route of vehicle V, which defines the route from the location where vehicle V is waiting (the starting waiting location), via several points along the way where users board and disembark (boarding and disembarking points (departure and destination)), to the final waiting location (which may not be the same as the initial waiting location), and the average value of the expected travel time to each point (hereinafter referred to as the "average expected travel time"). If vehicle V is waiting, the dispatch plan is created based on a new dispatch request, but if vehicle V is already operating with a user on board, it may be updated based on a new dispatch request. In the present disclosure, the dispatch plan of vehicle V is updated so that vehicle V stops at a specified service station to replenish energy when the remaining energy amount of vehicle V falls below an energy replenishment reference value. The energy replenishment reference value is a reference value for determining whether or not energy needs to be replenished for vehicle V during service.

[0022] The vehicle V is a vehicle registered in the vehicle information database 12c and available for use by a user. In the present disclosure, the vehicle V is a so-called electric vehicle (BEV), but is not limited thereto. It may also be a BEV, HV, PHEV, or ICEV. The vehicle V may also be a conventional manned vehicle. Alternatively, the vehicle V may be an unmanned vehicle capable of autonomous driving using an automated driving system, regardless of the level of automation. The vehicle V includes a control device CTL that controls the vehicle V itself or its onboard equipment in accordance with a dispatch instruction from the vehicle dispatch management device 10. Although not shown, the control device CTL includes a processor, memory, etc., and realizes various functions by executing a control program. For example, the control device CTL acquires geographical location information (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle location information") and remaining energy amount of the vehicle V via a GPS system, controls the transmission of this information to the vehicle dispatch management device 10, and receives dispatch instructions from the vehicle dispatch management device 10 and controls the operation of various devices or equipment of the vehicle V in accordance with the dispatch instructions. The ECU (Engine Control Unit) is one form of the control device CTL.

[0023] The terminal device 20 is, for example, a computing device through which a user wishing to ride makes a vehicle dispatch request by operating a user interface. The terminal device 20 is, for example, a smartphone, a pad computer, a laptop personal computer, a desktop computer, etc., but is not limited to these. The terminal device 20 implements, for example, a vehicle dispatch management client program (a so-called vehicle dispatch app). The terminal device 20 executes the vehicle dispatch app under the control of a processor, thereby enabling the user to use the vehicle dispatch service of the vehicle dispatch management device 10. For example, the user can make a vehicle dispatch request from a vehicle dispatch request screen (not shown) on the user interface of the terminal device 20 and, in response, accept the vehicle dispatch plan created by the vehicle dispatch management device 10, thereby making a reservation for a ride in the vehicle V.

[0024] The road traffic information management system 30 is an information and communication system that provides road traffic information in real time. For example, the road traffic information management system 30 collects road traffic data from vehicle sensors and cameras installed on roads, and also collects driving data from a control device CTL mounted on the vehicle V, and manages road traffic information that is processed and edited in an integrated manner. The edited road traffic information may include, for example, information on road closures and detour routes, and the required time between points via a specific route. The road traffic information management system 30 provides the road traffic information to the vehicle dispatch management device 10 and the vehicle V as appropriate.

[0025] In the vehicle dispatch management system 1 as described above, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 calculates the degree of variation (e.g., variance or standard deviation) of the estimated travel time required for travel between two specific points in the service area based on the travel history information stored in the travel history information database 12e, and sets an energy replenishment reference value for each vehicle V based on the calculated degree of variation. Furthermore, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 acquires the remaining energy amount of each vehicle V in the service area, and determines whether or not energy replenishment is required for the vehicle V based on the acquired remaining energy amount of the vehicle V and the energy replenishment reference value. Then, when it is determined that energy replenishment is required for the vehicle V, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 issues an energy replenishment instruction to the vehicle V. As a result, the energy replenishment reference value is set taking into consideration the degree of variation in the estimated travel time required for travel between two specific points in the service area, so that an energy replenishment instruction can be issued at an appropriate time to a vehicle V that does not have enough remaining energy for the vehicle dispatch service.

[0026] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration model of a vehicle dispatch management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 is configured as a functional configuration model including functional components such as a front-end processing unit 110, a vehicle dispatch planning unit 120, and a vehicle communication unit 130. As described above, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 also includes various databases 12. This functional configuration model is realized by the vehicle dispatch management device 10 executing a vehicle dispatch management server program under the control of a processor and cooperating with various hardware resources. The functional configuration model shown here is an example, and all or part of the functions of a certain functional component may be realized by other functional components. For ease of explanation, the figure also illustrates a user terminal device 20 and a control device CTL installed in the vehicle V.

[0027] The user information database 12a stores information about users who use the vehicle dispatch service (hereinafter referred to as "user information"). The user information includes, for example, a user ID and password, personal attributes (gender, age, etc.), and information about service usage status. The user information is registered in the user information database 12a under the control of the vehicle dispatch management device 10, for example, when the user inputs predetermined information when the vehicle dispatch app is first launched.

[0028] The road map information database 12b stores road map information for the target area of ​​the vehicle dispatch service. The road map information includes map data on addresses, place names, road networks (links and nodes), facilities, etc. The road map information may also include information necessary for searching for a driving route, such as road information (road type, road standards, traffic regulations, signal control information, etc.) and feature information. The road map information may also include information on predetermined service stations for replenishing energy for the vehicle V. The information on the predetermined service stations may include, for example, location information, the number of replenishing facilities (charging facilities and refueling facilities), the size of waiting areas, and other ancillary facilities.

[0029] The vehicle information database 12c stores information (vehicle information) about the vehicle V available for use by the user. The vehicle information includes, for example, a vehicle ID, vehicle attributes (vehicle registration number, vehicle model, maximum number of occupants / maximum load capacity, whether the vehicle is driven by a driver or not, etc.), vehicle characteristics, other specifications, a current vehicle dispatch plan, location and direction, service status, energy status (battery SOC and remaining fuel), cruising range, and information about the number of occupants. The vehicle information acquired from the vehicle V via the vehicle communication unit 130 can be updated as needed.

[0030] The vehicle allocation plan database 12d stores a vehicle allocation plan for each vehicle V created by the vehicle allocation plan formulation unit 120 based on a vehicle allocation request. As described above, the vehicle allocation plan includes a driving route from a waiting location serving as a starting point to a waiting location serving as a terminal point via several boarding and disembarking points (departure and arrival points), an estimated arrival time at each stopover point, etc. In addition, the vehicle allocation plan (driving route) is updated to stop at a predetermined service station in accordance with an energy replenishment instruction.

[0031] The driving history information database 12e stores information (hereinafter referred to as "driving history information") relating to the past driving history of each vehicle V. The driving history information includes, for example, various specification information for each vehicle V, such as the operating date and time (start and end times of operation, etc.), driving route, arrival and departure times at each point (e.g., destination), driving distance, and fuel efficiency (electricity cost). The driving route is, for example, made up of links and nodes traveled by the vehicle V. The driving history information also includes road link required time information indicating the required time for each link. The road link required time information is created, for example, by the driving history information management unit 129, which will be described later.

[0032] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of road link travel time information in the driving performance information database of a vehicle dispatch management device according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3(a), the road link travel time information includes the average travel time for each date type and time period for each link identified by an identifier (ID). The road link travel time information is used to calculate the degree of variation in the travel time from the departure point to the destination for each travel route based on a user's vehicle dispatch request. Note that FIG. 3(b) shows the average expected travel time between two points from the departure point to the destination calculated based on FIG. 3(a).

[0033] 2, the front-end processing unit 110 performs various processes with the user's terminal device 20. As an example, the front-end processing unit 110 refers to the user information database 12a and performs login authentication processing in accordance with a login request from a ride-hailing app on the user's terminal device 20. The front-end processing unit 110 also communicates with the terminal device 20 to respond to a ride-hailing request from the ride-hailing app on the user's terminal device 20.

[0034] Based on the given vehicle allocation request, the vehicle allocation planning unit 120 extracts candidate vehicles (candidate vehicles) to be allocated to the user from among the vehicles V in the target area and provisionally creates a vehicle allocation plan. The vehicle allocation planning unit 120 proposes the provisional vehicle allocation plan to the user and confirms it upon receiving the user's approval. The vehicle allocation planning unit 120 then stores the confirmed vehicle allocation plan in the vehicle allocation plan database 12d and issues a vehicle allocation instruction to the corresponding vehicle V via the vehicle communication unit 130. When the vehicle V that has been allocated (dispatched) based on the vehicle allocation request completes the vehicle allocation service, it transmits driving history information to the vehicle allocation management device 10, and the vehicle allocation planning unit 120 stores this in the driving history information database 12e.

[0035] In the present disclosure, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 calculates the degree of variation in the estimated travel time required for travel between two specific points in the service area based on the travel performance information stored in the travel performance information database 12e, and issues an energy replenishment instruction to vehicles V having a remaining energy amount below an energy replenishment reference value set according to the calculated degree of variation. As a result, the energy replenishment reference value is set in consideration of the degree of variation in the estimated travel time required for travel between two specific points in the service area, and it becomes possible to issue an energy replenishment instruction at an appropriate time to vehicles V having a low remaining energy amount when providing a vehicle dispatch service.

[0036] The vehicle communication unit 130 exchanges various types of information with the vehicle V via the communication network N. For example, the vehicle communication unit 130 acquires vehicle information including vehicle position information and remaining energy amount of the vehicle V and passes it on to the vehicle allocation planning unit 120, and also transmits driving instructions to the vehicle V in accordance with the vehicle allocation plan by the vehicle allocation planning unit 120. In addition, the vehicle communication unit 130 acquires driving performance information from the vehicle V that has completed the vehicle allocation service and passes it on to the vehicle allocation planning unit 120.

[0037] Next, details of the vehicle allocation planning unit 120 will be described. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of details of the vehicle allocation plan creation unit of a vehicle allocation management device according to one embodiment of the present invention. In the example shown in Fig. 4, the vehicle allocation planning unit 120 includes a vehicle allocation request acquisition unit 1201, a driving route determination unit 1202, a vehicle information acquisition unit 1203, a vehicle selection unit 1204, a vehicle allocation plan creation unit 1205, a vehicle allocation plan proposal unit 1206, a vehicle allocation instruction unit 1207, a driving performance information management unit 1208, a demand amount calculation unit 1209, a variation calculation unit 1210, an energy replenishment reference value setting unit 1211, an energy replenishment determination unit 1212, and an energy replenishment instruction unit 1213.

[0038] The vehicle dispatch request acquisition unit 1201 acquires or accepts a vehicle dispatch request from a user via the front-end processing unit 110. The time when the vehicle dispatch request acquisition unit 1201 acquires the vehicle dispatch request becomes the time when timing of various limit times (for example, the boarding limit time and the disembarking limit time, which are the limit times by which the user must board or disembark) begins.

[0039] The driving route determination unit 1202 determines an optimal driving route based on the vehicle dispatch request. Typically, a driving route is associated with its average expected travel time. For example, the driving route determination unit 1202 determines a driving route by having a route search engine perform a route search while referring to the road map information database 12b based on the boarding location (departure location) and disembarking location (destination) indicated in the vehicle dispatch request, and also calculates the average expected travel time by referring to the driving performance information database 12e. When the energy replenishment determination unit 1212 determines that the vehicle V needs to be replenished with energy, the driving route determination unit 1202 updates the driving route so that the vehicle V stops at a predetermined service station.

[0040] The vehicle information acquisition unit 1203 acquires vehicle information from each vehicle V via the vehicle communication unit 130 at a predetermined timing. The vehicle information may include vehicle position information and remaining energy amount of the vehicle V. For example, the vehicle information acquisition unit 1203 may acquire vehicle information transmitted from each vehicle V periodically, or may request a specific vehicle V to transmit vehicle information periodically or irregularly, and acquire vehicle information transmitted from the specific vehicle V in response to the request. The vehicle information acquisition unit 1203 stores the acquired vehicle information of each vehicle V in the vehicle information database 12C.

[0041] The vehicle selection unit 1204 selects a vehicle V to be allocated to a user based on the received vehicle allocation request. For example, the vehicle selection unit 1204 selects a vehicle V that is available for allocation and travels in the vicinity based on the boarding and disembarking points (starting point and destination) of the travel route indicated in the vehicle allocation request and the vehicle position indicated by the vehicle position information of the vehicle V.

[0042] The vehicle allocation plan creation unit 1205 creates a vehicle allocation plan based on the travel route and the assigned vehicle V. At this point, the vehicle allocation plan is provisional because it has not yet been approved by the user. The vehicle allocation plan creation unit 1205 passes the provisional vehicle allocation plan to the vehicle allocation plan proposal unit 1210.

[0043] The vehicle allocation plan proposal unit 1206 proposes to the user a vehicle allocation plan for vehicle V created based on the determined driving route, and upon receiving the user's acceptance of the proposal, finalizes the vehicle allocation plan. That is, the vehicle allocation plan proposal unit 1206 transmits the vehicle allocation plan for vehicle V to the user's terminal device 20 via the front-end processing unit 110, and causes the terminal device 20 to display the vehicle allocation plan on the user interface. The user accepts or rejects the vehicle allocation plan, and in response, the terminal device 20 transmits a notification of acceptance or rejection. Upon receiving the user's acceptance notification via the front-end processing unit 110, the vehicle allocation plan proposal unit 1206 finalizes the vehicle allocation plan and registers it in the vehicle allocation plan database 12d.

[0044] The vehicle dispatch instruction unit 1207 issues dispatch instructions to the vehicle V according to the confirmed dispatch plan. The control device CTL of the vehicle V that has received the dispatch instruction uses a navigation function to display a travel route according to the dispatch plan, for example, on a user interface. Alternatively, in the case of an unmanned vehicle, the control device CTL determines a detailed actual travel route according to the travel route in the dispatch plan and performs control so that the vehicle V travels autonomously along the actual travel route.

[0045] When the driving history information management unit 1208 acquires, via the vehicle communication unit 130, driving history information transmitted from the vehicle V that has completed the dispatch service in accordance with the dispatch plan, the driving history information management unit 1208 stores the information in the driving history information database 12e. In addition, the driving history information management unit 120811 creates road link required time information such as that shown in FIG. 3 based on the driving history information acquired from the vehicle V.

[0046] The demand amount calculation unit 1209 calculates the demand amount for the dispatch of a vehicle V in a predetermined time period, for example, by referring to various databases 12. The demand amount may include the current demand amount and / or the predicted future demand amount for the dispatch of a vehicle V. For example, the current demand amount may be the number of vehicles V (waiting) for which a dispatch plan is being created based on another dispatch request and for which a dispatch service is being performed at the time when a certain dispatch request is received, based on the dispatch plan database 12d. Furthermore, the future demand amount may be the number of vehicles V for which demand (dispatch requests) is expected at a specific future time or time period, such as 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, or 1 hour after a reference time (e.g., the current time), based on the driving performance information in the driving performance information database 12e. As will be described later, for example, when the current and / or future demand amount is high, the energy replenishment reference value setting unit 1211 sets a low energy replenishment reference value. Time periods with high demand may include, for example, commuting hours and time periods when events are held. This makes it possible to secure a sufficient number of vehicles V available for the vehicle dispatch service when demand for dispatching vehicles V is high. Furthermore, the demand calculation unit 1209 may calculate the demand taking into consideration, in addition to the driving performance information, for example, time / seasonal factors and environmental factors such as the holding of an event. The demand calculation unit 1209 may include a demand prediction model that has been subjected to machine learning according to a predetermined machine learning algorithm, with, for example, operation performance information and the like as explanatory variables and the predicted demand as a target variable.

[0047] The variability calculation unit 1210 calculates the variability of the estimated travel time for travel between specific two points, for example, based on the travel performance information stored in the travel performance information database 12e. More specifically, the variability calculation unit 1210 calculates the variability of the average estimated travel time by calculating a probability distribution of the average estimated travel time for travel between specific two points, based on the road link travel time information stored in the travel performance information database 12e. In other words, the variability calculation unit 1210 calculates the variability based on the difference between the average estimated travel time (average value) for travel between specific two points and the effective estimated travel time corresponding to a predetermined variability threshold. As a result, by appropriately setting the predetermined variability threshold, it becomes possible to calculate the variability of a desired estimated travel time. The variability calculation unit 1210 calculates the variability, for example, at predetermined time intervals. Alternatively, the variation calculation unit 1210 may be configured to calculate the variation when it is determined that the demand amount related to the dispatch of the vehicle V exceeds a predetermined demand threshold value.

[0048] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the degree of variability in estimated travel times calculated by a vehicle dispatch management device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, the diagram illustrates a graph of the probability distribution of estimated travel times based on actual travel history information for a point-to-point route AB connecting a departure point A and a destination B and a point-to-point route CD connecting a departure point A and a destination B at a certain timing. The variability threshold is a value indicating the probability of deviation from a reference value (average value). For example, |±σ| and |±2σ| in the standard normal distribution are examples of the variability threshold. In other words, the variability is the difference between the average value of the estimated travel times in the probability distribution of estimated travel times and the travel time corresponding to the variability threshold. Therefore, as shown in the diagram, the range from the average value to the variability threshold is larger for the point-to-point route AB than for the point-to-point route CD, and therefore the variability of the estimated travel times is larger. Note that the variability may be calculated using the third quartile instead of the standard deviation as described above. The figure also shows a first predetermined value and a second predetermined value for the probability distribution between two points A and B. The first predetermined value and the second predetermined value indicate the lower and upper limits of the degree of variation.

[0049] It is also possible to calculate a probability distribution of the estimated travel time for a travel route connecting two specific points. The estimated travel time for a travel route may be determined, for example, by referring to the road map information database 12b, and then determined for the determined travel route based on the travel history information in the travel history information database 12e. When a travel route is not determined, the variation calculation unit 1210 simply uses the estimated travel time for traveling between two points, thereby reducing the amount of calculation. On the other hand, when the estimated travel time for a travel route connecting two specific points is used, the variation calculation unit 1210 can more accurately calculate the variation.

[0050] Returning to FIG. 4, the energy replenishment reference value setting unit 1211 sets an energy replenishment reference value for the vehicle V based on the calculated degree of variation. For example, when the calculated degree of variation exceeds a first predetermined value, the energy replenishment reference value setting unit 1211 may change the energy replenishment reference value so that the energy replenishment reference value becomes higher. Here, the first predetermined value is a predetermined width in the probability distribution of the estimated required time (e.g., the length on the horizontal axis of the graph in FIG. 3). For example, the first predetermined value is set to a value that is approximately 1.3 times the estimated average required time. This makes it possible to set the energy replenishment reference value taking into account the degree of variation in the estimated required time, and to issue an energy replenishment instruction at an appropriate time to a vehicle V with a low remaining energy amount.

[0051] Furthermore, the energy replenishment reference value setting unit 1211 may change the energy replenishment reference value so that the greater the degree of variation, the higher the energy replenishment reference value becomes. This makes it possible to issue an energy replenishment instruction earlier to a vehicle V with a low remaining energy amount.

[0052] Furthermore, the energy replenishment reference value setting unit 1211 may change the energy replenishment reference value so that it increases until the degree of variation reaches a second predetermined value. The second predetermined value is a value greater than the first predetermined value. For example, the second predetermined value is set to a value approximately twice the expected average required time. In other words, the energy replenishment reference value setting unit 1211 may change the energy replenishment reference value in accordance with the degree of variation, with the second predetermined value as the upper limit. For example, the energy replenishment reference value may be changed so that it increases as the degree of variation increases. This reduces the number of energy replenishments and the number of vehicles V whose service is temporarily interrupted due to such replenishment. Therefore, it is possible to reduce congestion at the refueling facilities of a specified service station while ensuring the number of vehicles V available for dispatch.

[0053] Furthermore, the energy replenishment reference value setting unit 1211 may change the energy replenishment reference value so that the energy replenishment reference value is higher for some of the vehicles V among all the vehicles V under the vehicle dispatch service. For example, the energy replenishment reference value setting unit 1211 may change the energy replenishment reference value so that the energy replenishment reference value is higher for a vehicle V having a higher remaining energy amount than the average remaining energy amount of all the vehicles V under the vehicle dispatch service. This makes it possible to reduce the number of energy replenishments and the number of vehicles V whose service is temporarily interrupted for this purpose. Therefore, it is possible to ensure the number of vehicles V available for dispatch while reducing congestion at the refueling facilities of a specified service station.

[0054] Furthermore, when the demand amount calculated by the demand amount calculation unit 1209 exceeds a predetermined demand threshold, the energy replenishment reference value setting unit 1211 can set the energy replenishment reference value according to the demand amount in addition to the degree of variation. This makes it possible to suppress the number of vehicles V whose dispatch service is temporarily suspended for energy replenishment when demand for dispatch of vehicles V is high, thereby ensuring the number of vehicles V available for the dispatch service.

[0055] The energy replenishment determination unit 1212 determines whether or not energy replenishment is required for each vehicle V based on the remaining energy amount of the vehicle V and the energy replenishment reference value. Specifically, the energy replenishment determination unit 1212 compares the remaining energy amount of each vehicle V acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 1203 with the energy replenishment reference value set by the energy replenishment reference value setting unit 1211, and determines that energy replenishment is required for the vehicle V if the result of the comparison indicates that the remaining energy amount of the vehicle V is below the energy replenishment reference value. The energy replenishment determination unit 1212 may also calculate an average value of the remaining energy amounts for all vehicles V under the vehicle dispatch service, and determine whether or not energy replenishment is required for each vehicle V based on the average value and the energy replenishment reference value. This makes it possible to avoid unintended service suspension due to a lack of remaining energy amount of the vehicle V.

[0056] The energy replenishment instruction unit 1213 issues an energy replenishment instruction to a vehicle V that is determined to need energy replenishment via the vehicle communication unit 130. Specifically, when it is determined that energy replenishment for a vehicle V is necessary, the energy replenishment instruction unit 1213 requests an update of the vehicle V's dispatch plan (driving route) so that the vehicle V stops at a predetermined service station, and in response thereto, issues an energy replenishment instruction to the vehicle V according to the updated dispatch plan. In this case, the dispatch plan creation unit 1205 may update the dispatch plan so that each vehicle V does not gather at a specific service station. A vehicle V that has received an energy replenishment instruction will move to the predetermined service station according to the updated dispatch plan. Typically, a vehicle V that is traveling to a destination with a user on board drops the user off at the destination and then heads to the predetermined service station. The energy replenishment instruction unit 1213 may issue an energy replenishment instruction to a vehicle V that has a low remaining energy amount, for example. Specifically, the energy replenishment instruction unit 1213 gives priority to issuing an energy replenishment instruction to a vehicle with a lower current remaining energy amount among the vehicles V determined to need energy replenishment. As a result, the vehicles V whose remaining energy amount is below the energy replenishment reference value will head to the specified service station with a time lag, thereby avoiding congestion at the specified service station.

[0057] 6A to 6C are flowcharts illustrating an example of processing related to an energy replenishment instruction for vehicle V by a vehicle dispatch management device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6B shows details of process S603 shown in FIG. 6A, and FIG. 6C shows details of process S604 shown in FIG. 6A. Such processing is realized by the vehicle dispatch management device 10 executing a vehicle dispatch management server program under the control of a processor, thereby cooperating with various hardware resources. For example, the vehicle dispatch planning unit 120 of the vehicle dispatch management device 10 executes such processing at predetermined times (e.g., every 30 minutes, every 60 minutes, or every 3 hours).

[0058] As shown in FIG. 1A, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 acquires vehicle information from each vehicle V (S601). Here, the vehicle information may include vehicle position information and remaining energy amount of the vehicle V. Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 calculates the degree of variation in the estimated travel time for travel between two specific points based on, for example, the travel history information stored in the travel history information database 12e (S602). The degree of variation depends on the difference between the average estimated travel time in the probability distribution of the estimated travel time and the travel time corresponding to a predetermined variation threshold value.

[0059] Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 sets or updates an energy replenishment reference value based on the calculated degree of variation (S603). That is, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines whether the degree of variation is greater than a first predetermined value (S6031 in FIG. 6B). When the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that the degree of variation is not greater than the first predetermined value (No in S6031), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 proceeds to an energy replenishment determination processing step (S604) described below. That is, at this timing, the energy replenishment reference value is not set based on the degree of variation, and the need for energy replenishment for vehicle V is determined based on the current energy replenishment reference value.

[0060] On the other hand, if the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that the degree of variation is greater than the first predetermined value (Yes in S6031), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 then determines whether the degree of variation is less than a second predetermined value (S6032). Also, if the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that the degree of variation is not less than the second predetermined value (No in S6032), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 proceeds to the energy replenishment determination processing step (S604) described below. In other words, if the degree of variation has reached the second predetermined value, the energy replenishment reference value is no longer changed.

[0061] On the other hand, if the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that the degree of variation is smaller than the second predetermined value (Yes in S6032), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 then calculates the demand amount related to the dispatch of vehicle V in a predetermined time period (S6033). The demand amount is calculated based on, for example, the driving performance information in the driving performance information database 12e. Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines whether the calculated demand amount is larger than a predetermined demand threshold value (S6034).

[0062] If the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that the calculated demand amount is greater than the predetermined demand threshold value (Yes in S6034), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 sets an energy replenishment reference value based on the degree of variation and the demand amount (S6035). For example, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 may temporarily set the energy replenishment reference value according to the degree of variation, and then further adjust or modify the energy replenishment reference value according to the demand amount, thereby setting the energy replenishment reference value. In this case, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 may set the energy replenishment reference value so that the greater the degree of variation, the higher the energy replenishment reference value.

[0063] On the other hand, if the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that the calculated demand amount is not greater than the predetermined demand threshold (No in S6034), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 sets an energy replenishment reference value based on the degree of variation (S6036).

[0064] After the energy replenishment reference value setting process step (S603) as described above, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 performs an energy replenishment determination process (S604). That is, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 compares the acquired remaining energy amount of each vehicle V with the energy replenishment reference value (S6041 in FIG. 6C). The remaining energy amount may be the average value of the remaining energy amounts for all vehicles V under the vehicle dispatch service. Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines, as a result of the comparison, whether there is any vehicle V whose remaining energy amount is below the energy replenishment reference value (S6042).

[0065] If the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that there is no vehicle V whose remaining energy amount is below the energy replenishment standard value (No in S6042), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 does not issue an energy replenishment instruction to the vehicle V at this timing and terminates the processing.

[0066] On the other hand, if the vehicle dispatch management device 10 determines that there is a vehicle V whose remaining energy amount is below the energy replenishment reference value (Yes in S6042), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 then selects a vehicle V to be the target of energy replenishment (S6043). Typically, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 selects all vehicles V whose remaining energy amount is below the energy replenishment reference value, but if, for example, congestion at a specified service station is expected, only some of the vehicles V may be selected. As an example, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 may select vehicles in order, giving priority to vehicles with the lowest current remaining energy amount. Therefore, vehicles V whose remaining energy amount is below the energy replenishment reference value will head to the specified service station with a time lag, thereby avoiding congestion at the specified service station.

[0067] After the above-described energy replenishment determination processing step (S604), the vehicle dispatch management device 10 updates the vehicle dispatch plan for the vehicle V selected as the energy replenishment target (S605). That is, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 changes the driving route so that the selected vehicle V stops at a predetermined service station, and updates the vehicle dispatch plan.

[0068] Next, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 issues an energy replenishment instruction to the vehicle V that is the target of energy replenishment in accordance with the updated vehicle dispatch plan (S606). The vehicle V that has received the energy replenishment instruction will move to a predetermined service station in accordance with the updated vehicle dispatch plan.

[0069] As described above, according to this embodiment, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 sets an energy replenishment reference value based on the degree of variability in the estimated travel time between specific two points in the service area, and determines whether the remaining energy amount of the vehicle V has fallen below the energy replenishment reference value, so that it is possible to issue an energy replenishment instruction at an appropriate time to a vehicle V that does not have enough remaining energy for the vehicle dispatch service. In particular, according to this embodiment, when the degree of variability in the estimated travel time for travel is large, the vehicle dispatch management device 10 sets the energy replenishment reference value high accordingly, so that it is possible to prepare in advance a vehicle V that has a sufficient amount of energy required for a significant delay in the estimated travel time.

[0070] The above-described embodiments are merely examples for explaining the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention to these embodiments. The present invention can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0071] For example, in the methods disclosed herein, steps, operations, or functions may be performed in parallel or in a different order unless the results are inconsistent. The steps, operations, and functions described are provided merely as examples, and some of the steps, operations, and functions may be omitted or combined into one, or other steps, operations, or functions may be added, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0072] Furthermore, although various embodiments are disclosed in this specification, specific features (technical matters) in one embodiment can be added to or substituted for specific features in other embodiments, with appropriate modifications, and such forms are also included in the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 1...Vehicle dispatch management system 10...Vehicle dispatch management device 110...Front-end processing unit 120... Vehicle Allocation Planning Department 1201...Vehicle dispatch request acquisition unit 1202...Route determination unit 1203...Vehicle information acquisition unit 1204...Vehicle selection section 1205... Vehicle Allocation Planning Department 1206... Vehicle Allocation Planning Proposal Department 1207…Dispatch Instruction Department 1208...Driving Performance Information Management Department 1209…Demand quantity calculation section 1210...Variation calculation unit 1211...Energy supply reference value setting unit 1213...Energy Supply Judgment Department 1214...Energy Supply Instructions Section 130...Vehicle communication unit 12...Database 12a...User information database 12b...Road map information database 12c...Vehicle information database 12d... Vehicle dispatch plan database 12e...Driving performance information database 20...Terminal device 30...Road traffic information management system N: Communication network V...Vehicle CTL: Control unit

Claims

1. A vehicle allocation management device that manages vehicle allocation in a service area, a driving record information database that stores driving record information of each of the vehicles in the service area; a vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information including at least a remaining energy amount of each of the vehicles; a variation calculation unit that calculates a variation in an expected travel time for travel between two specific points in the service area based on the travel history information; an energy replenishment reference value setting unit that sets an energy replenishment reference value for the vehicle based on the calculated degree of variation; an energy replenishment determination unit that determines whether or not energy replenishment is required for each vehicle based on the acquired remaining energy amount of each vehicle and the set energy replenishment reference value; an energy replenishment instruction unit that issues an energy replenishment instruction to the vehicle when it is determined that energy replenishment to the vehicle is necessary; Vehicle dispatch management device.

2. the energy replenishment reference value setting unit changes the energy replenishment reference value so as to increase the energy replenishment reference value when the degree of variation exceeds a first predetermined value. The vehicle dispatch control device according to claim 1 .

3. the energy replenishment reference value setting unit changes the energy replenishment reference value so that the energy replenishment reference value becomes higher as the degree of variation increases. The vehicle dispatch control device according to claim 2.

4. the energy replenishment reference value setting unit changes the energy replenishment reference value so as to increase the energy replenishment reference value until the degree of variation reaches a second predetermined value that is greater than the first predetermined value. The vehicle allocation management device according to claim 3.

5. the energy replenishment reference value setting unit changes the energy replenishment reference value for some of the plurality of vehicles. The vehicle dispatch control device according to claim 1 .

6. a demand amount calculation unit that calculates a demand amount related to the dispatch of the vehicle in a predetermined time period; The vehicle dispatch control device according to claim 1 .

7. the energy replenishment reference value setting unit sets the energy replenishment reference value in accordance with the demand amount when the demand amount exceeds a predetermined demand threshold value. The vehicle allocation management device according to claim 6.

8. the energy replenishment determination unit determines whether or not energy replenishment is required for each vehicle based on an average value of the remaining energy amounts of all the vehicles and the energy replenishment reference value. The vehicle dispatch control device according to claim 1 .

9. the energy replenishment instruction unit gives an energy replenishment instruction preferentially to a vehicle having a low remaining energy amount among all of the vehicles. The vehicle dispatch control device according to claim 8.

10. the variation calculation unit calculates the variation of the predicted required time for the travel route between the specific two points; The vehicle dispatch control device according to claim 1 .

11. A vehicle allocation management method for managing vehicle allocation in a service area, comprising: managing driving history information of each of the vehicles in a driving history information database; acquiring vehicle information including at least a remaining energy amount of each of the vehicles; Calculating a degree of variation in an expected travel time between two specific points in the service area based on the travel history information; setting an energy replenishment reference value for the vehicle based on the calculated degree of variation; determining whether or not energy replenishment is required for each vehicle based on the acquired remaining energy amount of each vehicle and the set energy replenishment reference value; When it is determined that the vehicle needs to be replenished with energy, issuing an energy replenishment instruction to the vehicle. Vehicle allocation management method.

12. 1. A computer program product causing a computing device, under control of a processor, to perform a method for managing the dispatch of vehicles in a service area, the computer program product comprising: The method comprises: managing driving history information of each of the vehicles in a driving history information database; acquiring vehicle information including at least a remaining energy amount of each of the vehicles; Calculating a degree of variation in an expected travel time between two specific points in the service area based on the travel history information; setting an energy replenishment reference value for the vehicle based on the calculated degree of variation; determining whether or not energy replenishment is required for each vehicle based on the acquired remaining energy amount of each vehicle and the set energy replenishment reference value; When it is determined that the vehicle needs to be replenished with energy, issuing an energy replenishment instruction to the vehicle. Computer program.

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