Bus information guide system, bus information guide method, and bus information guide program

Abstract

To make it possible to accurately predict an arrival time of a bus.SOLUTION: There is provided a bus information guide system that calculates a predicted destination arrival time, which is a predicted arrival time at which a bus arrives at a destination stop, wherein the bus travels on a route that passes through a plurality of stops including at least a boarding stop where a user boards and a destination stop of the user. The bus information guide system comprises: a communication processing unit that acquires passenger information including the number and a status of passengers at the stop, and arrival and departure times of the bus; and a time prediction unit that calculates, based on the passenger information, a predicted boarding completion time being a time at which the boarding will be completed at the stop, and that calculates the predicted destination arrival time, based on the predicted boarding completion time, an arrival time, and a departure time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a bus information guidance system, a bus information guidance method, and a bus information guidance program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a technology for notifying a user of the estimated arrival time of a bus at a bus stop, taking into consideration bus delays. Patent Document 1 discloses a system that determines a route bus delay by referring to the operation status and delivers the information to a user terminal, and displays the operation status of the route bus at the bus stop. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-174483 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Depending on the bus's operating conditions, delays due to road congestion, etc., could be resolved earlier than expected, causing the bus to arrive earlier than indicated. There were also cases where the delay was longer than expected, causing the bus to arrive later than indicated, resulting in a lack of accuracy.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to accurately predict bus arrival times. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the bus information guidance system of the present invention is, for example, a bus information guidance system that calculates a predicted destination arrival time, which is the predicted arrival time at the destination stop of a bus traveling on a route that passes through a plurality of stops including at least the boarding stop where a user boards and the user's destination stop, and is characterized by comprising: a communication processing unit that acquires passenger information including the number and status of passengers at the stop, and the arrival time and departure time of the bus; and a time prediction unit that calculates a predicted boarding completion time, which is the predicted time at which boarding will be completed at the stop, based on the passenger information, and calculates the predicted destination arrival time based on the predicted boarding completion time, the arrival time, and the departure time.

[0007] Another aspect of the bus information guidance method of the present invention is, for example, a bus information guidance method using a bus information guidance system that calculates a predicted destination arrival time, which is the predicted arrival time at which a bus traveling on a route that passes through a plurality of stops including at least the boarding stop where a user boards and the user's destination stop will arrive at the destination stop, and is characterized by being executed by a computer using a communication processing unit that acquires passenger information including the number and status of passengers at the stop, and the arrival time and departure time of the bus, and a time prediction unit that calculates a predicted boarding completion time, which is the predicted time at which boarding will be completed at the stop, based on the passenger information, and calculates the predicted destination arrival time based on the predicted boarding completion time, the arrival time, and the departure time.

[0008] Another aspect of the bus information guidance program of the present invention is, for example, a bus information guidance program that calculates a predicted destination arrival time, which is the predicted arrival time at which a bus traveling on a route that passes through a plurality of stops including at least the boarding stop where a user boards and the user's destination stop will arrive at the destination stop, and is characterized in that it causes a computer to function as a communication processing unit that acquires passenger information including at least the number and status of passengers at the stop, and the arrival time and departure time of the bus, and a time prediction unit that calculates a predicted boarding completion time, which is the predicted time at which boarding will be completed at the stop, based on the passenger information, and calculates the predicted destination arrival time based on the predicted boarding completion time, the arrival time, and the departure time. The computer program can be provided by downloading it via a network such as the Internet, or by recording it on various computer-readable recording media such as a CD-ROM.

[0009] In any of the above aspects of the present invention, the predicted arrival time at the destination is calculated based on the predicted boarding completion time, which is the predicted time it will take for boarding to be completed at the bus stop, so the bus arrival time can be predicted with high accuracy. In particular, the delay situation according to the congestion level at the bus stop can be reflected in the predicted arrival time at the destination.

[0010] The time prediction unit may calculate the predicted boarding completion time based on a passenger determination table in which the passenger's status is associated with a predicted boarding time, which is the time required for the passenger to board. This allows the predicted boarding completion time to be calculated accurately, reflecting the passenger's status.

[0011] The communication processing unit may acquire an arrival completion time, which is the time the bus arrives at the bus stop, and a departure completion time, which is the time the bus departs from the bus stop, and the time prediction unit may calculate the difference between the arrival completion time and the departure completion time as a stop time and calculate the predicted destination arrival time based on the stop time. This allows a delay situation in accordance with the congestion level at the bus stop to be reflected in the predicted arrival time at the destination. The time prediction unit may calculate the predicted destination arrival time based on a congestion determination table in which the stop time is associated with a congestion level.

[0012] The bus selection unit may further include a bus selection unit that, when there are multiple buses that arrive at the destination bus stop from the boarding bus stop, selects a bus that has an earlier predicted time of arrival at the destination or a bus that has a predicted time of arrival at the destination that is closest to a specified time. This allows the user to be guided to arrive at the destination bus stop efficiently, even when there are multiple bus routes heading to the destination bus stop.

[0013] The time prediction unit may calculate the predicted time of arrival at the destination based on an operation status table that is information indicating the operation status of a second bus that is different from the bus the user plans to board. This allows the arrival time to be predicted with high accuracy, taking into account the congestion status of oncoming lanes, etc. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to accurately predict the arrival time of a bus. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a bus information guidance system 1 including a bus information guidance system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a bus information guidance device 30. FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a bus information guidance device 30. FIG. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are examples of tables stored in the bus information guidance system 1, where (a) is an example of an operation status table T1 showing the operation status of each bus, and (b) is an example of a stop status table T2 showing the status of a bus stop. [Figure 5] 1A and 1B are examples of tables stored in the bus information guidance system 1, and are (a) an example of a congestion determination table T3 showing the congestion state at a bus stop, and (b) an example of a passenger determination table T4 showing the state of passengers on the bus. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a guidance output process performed by the bus information guidance system 1. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a guidance output process performed by the bus information guidance system 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a bus information guidance system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The bus information guidance system 1 is a device that provides information on the operating status of a bus to users of a bus, which is a form of transportation that stops at multiple stops and travels to a destination stop.

[0017] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a bus information guidance system 1. The bus information guidance system 1 is composed of, for example, an in-vehicle device 10, a bus stop device 20, and a bus information guidance device 30. The user terminal 100, the in-vehicle device 10, the bus stop device 20, and the guidance device 60 are configured to be able to communicate with the bus information guidance device 30 via a communication network such as a mobile communication network or wireless communication network.

[0018] The user terminal 100 is a terminal used by a user using a bus, and is, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet terminal carried by the user. The user terminal 100 may also be a personal computer. The user terminal 100 accepts input of information on the bus stop where the user boards (hereinafter also referred to as the "boarding stop") and information on the bus stop of the user's destination (hereinafter also referred to as the "destination stop"). The user terminal 100 may obtain information on the bus stop where the user plans to board based on a connection with the bus stop device 20. The user terminal 100 may also function as a guidance device 60 (described later) and may receive information from the bus information guidance device 30 and display or output it as audio.

[0019] The in-vehicle device 10 is a device that is mounted on a transportation bus and is capable of communication (e.g., mobile communication). The in-vehicle device 10 includes, for example, a sensor group 11 that acquires information about the position or movement of the bus, and a communication device 16.

[0020] The sensor group 11 includes, for example, a speed sensor 12, an acceleration sensor 13, an accelerator opening sensor 14, and a position sensor 15. The speed sensor 12 is a sensor that measures the speed of the bus on which the in-vehicle device 10 is mounted. The acceleration sensor 13 is a sensor that measures the acceleration of the bus. The accelerator opening sensor 14 is a sensor that measures the accelerator opening of the bus.

[0021] The position sensor 15 is a sensor that acquires position information of the bus. The position sensor 15 acquires the position information by using, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System). The position sensor 15 may also acquire information input by the driver via an appropriate input unit (not shown) of the in-vehicle device 10.

[0022] Furthermore, when communication with a bus stop device 20 installed at each bus stop is established via the communication device 16, the position sensor 15 can estimate that the bus is near that bus stop. In this case, the communication device 16 also receives identification information of the bus stop device 20 with which communication has been established, i.e., identification information of the bus stop. Furthermore, in a situation where the bus is estimated to be near a bus stop, the position sensor 15 may estimate that the bus is heading toward that bus stop if the bus is moving, and may estimate that the bus has arrived at that bus stop if the bus stops.

[0023] When the GNSS accuracy is less than a predetermined value, the position sensor 15 can use the position estimation result via the communication device 16. Furthermore, the position sensor 15 may perform both acquisition of position information by the GNSS and estimation via the communication device 16.

[0024] The in-vehicle device 10 can also capture images and videos of the road on which the bus traveled or the oncoming lane. The in-vehicle device 10 may particularly capture images of the congestion situation or traffic regulations in the oncoming lane. The images or videos may be recorded automatically, or may be manually operated by receiving commands to start and stop recording from the bus driver or other administrator. The in-vehicle device 10 may also use known image analysis technology to obtain traffic information, including information on congestion situations and traffic regulations such as road closures, from the images or videos.

[0025] The communication device 16 is a functional unit that appropriately communicates with the bus information guidance device 30, and can communicate via a communication network such as a mobile communication network or a wireless communication network. The communication device 16 transmits information about bus movements and information about arrival, departure, or passing at each stop, along with bus identification information, to the bus information guidance device 30.

[0026] Furthermore, the communication device 16 may be capable of communicating with a bus (hereinafter referred to as a second bus) different from the bus on which the in-vehicle device 10 is installed. The second bus similarly has the in-vehicle device 10 described above, and is, for example, a bus traveling in the opposite lane of the in-vehicle device 10. For example, the communication device 16 may receive from the second bus information regarding the delay status of the second bus, or records, such as images or videos, acquired on the road on which the second bus traveled or on the opposite lane of the road. The images or videos may include traffic regulations.

[0027] The communication mode between the communication device 16 and the second bus is arbitrary, and for example, short-range wireless communication may be used.

[0028] Furthermore, the communication device 16 may be configured to refer to the location information via the bus information guidance device 30 and acquire location information and delay status of a second bus that is present within a predetermined range from the bus.

[0029] The bus stop device 20 is, for example, a device installed at a bus stop. A bus stop is a location where a bus stops temporarily to allow passengers to board and disembark. The bus stops include a boarding stop where a user boards a bus, a destination stop which is a stop at the user's destination, and the like.

[0030] The bus stop device 20 includes, for example, a passenger monitoring unit 21, a bus detection unit 22, and a communication device 23.

[0031] The passenger monitoring unit 21 is a device that monitors passengers waiting for a bus at a bus stop. The passenger monitoring unit 21 acquires passenger information including the number of passengers and their status. The passenger monitoring unit 21 includes an imaging unit such as an image recognition camera or an infrared sensor, and detects bus passengers around the bus stop from images captured by the imaging unit. The passenger monitoring unit 21 may also include a processing unit that uses an appropriate algorithm to extract people, i.e., passengers waiting for the bus, from the images captured by the imaging unit.

[0032] The passenger monitoring unit 21 can detect a person who is within a predetermined range near a bus stop as a passenger. The passenger monitoring unit 21 can also detect a person who remains within a predetermined range near a bus stop for a predetermined period of time or longer as a passenger.

[0033] The passenger monitoring unit 21 may detect the number of communication devices carried by passengers waiting in line at a bus stop, i.e., for example, the number of user terminals 100. The communication devices may be, for example, smartphones, mobile phone terminals, tablet terminals, etc. In this case, the passenger monitoring unit 21 may count the number of communication devices that have established a connection with the communication device 23 as the number of passengers.

[0034] The passenger monitoring unit 21 may analyze the acquired information and estimate the passenger's condition. The passenger's condition is characterized by different times required to board the bus, as stored in a passenger determination table T4 (see FIG. 5(b)) described later, and may be, for example, whether the passenger is elderly, using crutches, or in a wheelchair. For example, if the passenger monitoring unit 21 is equipped with an image capture device, the passenger monitoring unit 21 can estimate the passenger's condition by image recognition of the captured image.

[0035] In addition, the process of estimating the status of passengers may be performed by the bus information guidance device 30 based on images captured by the imaging unit of the passenger monitoring unit 21, instead of or in addition to the configuration performed by the passenger monitoring unit 21.

[0036] Furthermore, the passenger monitoring unit 21 may communicate with the user terminals 100 of passengers waiting in line at a bus stop, and may also receive information on the status of passengers holding the user terminals 100.

[0037] The bus detection unit 22 is a functional unit that detects buses at bus stops and acquires information about the detected buses, such as information about buses that have stopped at or passed through a bus stop. Regarding information about buses that have stopped at a bus stop, the bus detection unit 22 communicates with the in-vehicle device 10 via the communication device 23, for example, to acquire the bus's arrival time (arrival completion time) and departure time (departure completion time). The bus detection unit 22 may determine the time when communication with the in-vehicle device 10 is established as the bus's arrival time and the time when the established communication is disconnected as the bus's departure time. Furthermore, the bus detection unit 22 may, for example, assume that the bus has passed if the bus's stay time at the bus stop is less than a predetermined time, and acquire the passing time. Furthermore, the bus detection unit 22 may, for example, include an imaging unit that photographs the roadway, and may detect the arrival, departure, and passing of the bus based on the captured images, and acquire information such as the arrival time, departure time, and passing time.

[0038] The bus information as described above may be detected by the position sensor 15 or the communication device 16 of the in-vehicle device 10 instead of the bus detection unit 22 and transmitted to the bus information guidance device 30.

[0039] The communication device 23 is a functional unit that appropriately communicates with the bus information guidance device 30, and can communicate via a communication network such as a mobile communication network or a wireless communication network. The communication device 23 transmits passenger information (information including the presence and number of passengers, and the status of passengers) detected by the passenger monitoring unit 21 to the bus information guidance device 30, for example.

[0040] Furthermore, the communication device 23 can transmit the arrival time, departure time, or passing time of the bus detected by the bus detection unit 22 to the bus information guidance device 30. In this case, the communication device 23 may also transmit the identification information of the bus or the identification information of the route on which the bus runs. Furthermore, the communication device 23 transmits each piece of information to the bus information guidance device 30 together with the identification information of the bus stop.

[0041] The bus information guidance device 30 is a device that predicts bus operation status. The bus information guidance device 30 predicts bus operation status based on, for example, information acquired from the in-vehicle device 10 or the bus stop device 20, and information stored in the bus information guidance device 30, and outputs the predicted status to the guidance device 60. The bus information guidance device 30 is capable of linking with multiple in-vehicle devices 10 and multiple bus stop devices 20 to acquire information.

[0042] The bus information guidance device 30 may also obtain information about the surrounding environment from an appropriate external server and use that information for predictions. The external server may be, for example, a traffic information server 40 or a weather information server 50. The traffic information server 40 stores at least traffic information about the bus route and its surrounding area. The traffic information includes, for example, information about road congestion and traffic regulations. The weather information server 50 stores at least weather information about the bus route and its surrounding area. The bus information guidance device 30 will be described in detail later.

[0043] The guidance device 60 is a device that provides information calculated by the bus information guidance device 30 to the user. The guidance device 60 may be installed, for example, inside the bus, or at a bus stop or other appropriate location visible to passengers intending to use the bus. The guidance device 60 may also be a device carried by the user, and may be realized by a portable device such as a smartphone, mobile phone, or tablet terminal. The user terminal 100 may also be equipped with the functions of the guidance device 60.

[0044] The guidance device 60 mainly includes an output unit 61 and a communication processing unit 62. The output unit 61 is, for example, a functional unit that outputs information transmitted from the bus information guidance device 30. The output unit 61 may be, for example, a display device such as a monitor. Alternatively, instead of or in addition to a display device, the output unit 61 may be a device that outputs information audibly, that is, a speaker.

[0045] The output unit 61 outputs, by voice, text or video, the predicted time when the bus will arrive at the bus stop or destination, or the optimal route for heading to the specified destination.

[0046] The communication processing unit 62 communicates with, for example, the bus information guidance device 30. The communication mode between the communication processing unit 62 and the bus information guidance device 30 is arbitrary, and in addition to mobile communication, appropriate short-range communication technology can be adopted. Communication between the bus information guidance device 30 and the guidance device 60 may be direct communication, or communication via the in-vehicle device 10 or the bus stop device 20. For example, if the guidance device 60 is installed in a bus, the communication processing unit 62 may communicate with the bus information guidance device 30 via the in-vehicle device 10. Furthermore, if the guidance device 60 is installed at a bus stop, the communication processing unit 62 may communicate with the bus information guidance device 30 via the bus stop device 20.

[0047] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the bus information guidance device 30. The bus information guidance device 30 includes a control device 70, a communication device 72, and a storage device 74. The control device 70 mainly includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 76 and a memory 78.

[0048] The control device 70 functions as various functional units, which will be described later, by the CPU 76 executing predetermined programs stored in the storage device 74, memory 78, or the like.

[0049] The communication device 72 is configured with a communication interface for communicating with an external device, etc. The communication device 72 transmits and receives various information to and from the user terminal 100, the in-vehicle device 10, etc.

[0050] The storage device 74 is configured by a hard disk, etc. This storage device 74 stores various programs and various information required for executing the processes in the control device 70, as well as information on the results of the processes.

[0051] The bus information guidance device 30 can be realized using an information processing device such as a dedicated or general-purpose server computer. This server is, for example, a cloud server owned by a bus management company. The bus information guidance device 30 may be configured with a single information processing device, or may be configured with multiple information processing devices distributed over a communication network. The bus information guidance device 30 may be installed in a location different from the bus on which the on-board device 10 is installed, or may be installed on the bus together with the on-board device 10. The on-board device 10 and the bus information guidance device 30 may be realized by a single hardware configuration.

[0052] The bus information guide device 30 may be installed at a bus stop together with the bus stop device 20. The bus stop device 20 and the bus information guide device 30 may be realized by a single hardware configuration. Furthermore, part or all of the configuration of the bus information guide device 30 may be realized by the user terminal 100.

[0053] 2 only shows a portion of the main hardware configuration of the bus information guidance device 30, and the bus information guidance device 30 may also have other configurations that are generally included in server devices. Similarly to the bus information guidance device 30, the in-vehicle device 10 and the bus stop device 20 may also have the hardware configuration shown in FIG.

[0054] 3 is a diagram showing an outline of the electrical functional blocks of the bus information guidance device 30. The bus information guidance device 30 mainly includes, as functional units, a communication processing unit 31, a memory unit 32, a boarding completion time prediction unit 33, a time prediction unit 34, a bus selection unit 35, and an output control unit 36.

[0055] The communication processing unit 31 communicates with the user terminal 100, the in-vehicle device 10, the bus stop device 20, the traffic information server 40, or the weather information server 50 to receive information.

[0056] The communication processing unit 31 receives information about the user's boarding stop and destination stop, for example, from the user terminal 100. The communication processing unit 31 receives information about the bus's position or movement, i.e., position information, speed information, acceleration information, accelerator position, etc., from the in-vehicle device 10. The communication processing unit 31 receives, for example, the passing time, arrival time, and departure time of each bus from the bus stop device 20. The passing time, arrival time, and departure time of each bus may be estimated by an appropriate processing unit of the bus information guidance device 30 based on the information received from the in-vehicle device 10 or the bus stop device 20.

[0057] The communication processing unit 31 receives, for example, traffic regulation information, congestion information, or jam information from the traffic information server 40. The communication processing unit 31 receives, for example, information about weather from the weather information server 50.

[0058] The storage unit 32 is a functional unit that stores at least information necessary for predicting the operation status of buses. The storage unit 32 stores predetermined information in advance, as well as information received by the communication processing unit 31. The data stored in the storage unit 32 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0059] FIG. 4 shows an example of tables stored in the bus information guidance system 1, where (a) is an operation status table T1 showing the operation status of each bus, and (b) is a bus stop status table T2 showing the status of bus stops.

[0060] The operation status table T1 is a table that stores, for each bus, the scheduled arrival time, scheduled departure time, predicted arrival time, predicted departure time, completed arrival time, and completed departure time at each stop on the operation route.

[0061] The scheduled arrival time and scheduled departure time are so-called timetable information, which are set in advance and stored in the operation status table T1 in association with the identification information of the bus stop (here, the bus stop ID). The predicted arrival time and predicted departure time are calculated by the time prediction unit 34 (described in detail later) and stored in the operation status table T1 in association with the bus stop ID. The arrival completion time and departure completion time are received by the communication processing unit 31 from each on-board device 10 or each bus stop device 20 and stored in the operation status table T1 in association with the bus stop ID.

[0062] The operation status table T1 only needs to store information indicating the operation status, and may store scheduled passage times, predicted passage times, and passage completion times in addition to the items shown in FIG. 4(a).

[0063] The bus stop status table T2 is a table that stores, for each bus stop, information acquired by the bus stop device 20. The bus stop status table T2 stores, for example, predicted boarding completion time, predicted stop time, stop time, arrival delay time, and departure delay time in association with a bus stop ID. In the bus stop status table T2, even bus stops with the same name are stored with different stop IDs for the outbound side, i.e., the side in the direction of travel of the bus the user boards, and the return side, i.e., the side in the opposite direction from the bus the user boards.

[0064] The predicted boarding completion time is a time calculated based on information obtained by the passenger monitoring unit 21 of the bus stop device 20, and is a predicted time when boarding will be completed at the bus stop. The predicted boarding completion time is calculated by the boarding completion time prediction unit 33 (described in detail later) based on the number of passengers lining up at the bus stop and the status of the passengers, and the calculated value is stored in the bus stop status table T2 in association with the bus stop ID.

[0065] The predicted stop time is the predicted stop time at each bus stop, and is predicted based on, for example, the predicted boarding completion time. A predetermined standard stop time (for example, 60 seconds) is stored as the initial value of the predicted stop time. Furthermore, the predicted stop time is calculated as a value that reflects the delay time determined by the time prediction unit 34, and the calculated value is stored in the bus stop status table T2 in association with the bus stop ID.

[0066] The stop time is the difference between the arrival completion time and departure completion time in the operation status table T1, and is the actual stop time. The stop time is calculated by the time prediction unit 34 based on the operation status table T1, and the calculated value is stored in the stop status table T2 in association with the bus stop ID.

[0067] The arrival delay time is the difference between the scheduled arrival time and the arrival completion time in the operation status table T1, and indicates the amount of time the arrival was delayed. The departure delay time is the difference between the scheduled departure time and the departure completion time in the operation status table T1, and indicates the amount of time the departure was delayed. The arrival delay time and departure delay time are calculated by the time prediction unit 34 based on the operation status table T1, and the calculated values ​​are stored in the stop status table T2 in association with the bus stop ID.

[0068] 5 shows examples of tables stored in the bus information guidance system 1. (a) is a congestion determination table T3 showing the congestion state at bus stops, and (b) is a passenger determination table T4 showing the state of passengers on the bus. The congestion determination table T3 and the passenger determination table T4 are stored in advance in the storage unit 32.

[0069] The congestion determination table T3 stores the stop time and the congestion state in association with each other. The congestion determination table T3 also stores the operation delay time according to the congestion state. For example, if the stop time at the bus stop is 60 seconds or less, the congestion state is normal and no delay will occur. On the other hand, if the stop time at the bus stop is more than 60 seconds but less than 120 seconds, the congestion state is "minor congestion 1" and a 60-second delay will occur.

[0070] The passenger determination table T4 stores the passenger status and the time required for the passenger to board, i.e., the predicted boarding time, in association with each other. For example, if the passenger is an ordinary person, the predicted boarding time per person is 5 seconds. On the other hand, if the passenger is elderly, the predicted boarding time is set to 10 seconds, which is longer than for ordinary people, because there is a high possibility that the passenger will move slowly.

[0071] Returning to the explanation of Figure 3, the boarding completion time prediction unit 33 is a functional unit that predicts the time required to complete boarding at a bus stop, i.e., the boarding completion time, based on passenger information of passengers queuing at the bus stop. The boarding completion time prediction unit 33 predicts the boarding completion time based on passenger information of passengers queuing at the bus stop (such as the number of passengers queuing at the bus stop and the status of each passenger) acquired from the bus stop device 20. More specifically, the boarding completion time prediction unit 33 calculates the predicted boarding time of each passenger based on the passenger determination table T4 (see Figure 5(b)). Furthermore, the boarding completion time prediction unit 33 adds up the predicted boarding times of each passenger and sets this as the predicted boarding completion time at the bus stop.

[0072] This predicted ride completion time is stored in the bus stop status table T2 (see FIG. 4(b)). If a previously calculated predicted ride completion time has already been stored in the bus stop status table T2, the ride completion time prediction unit 33 may record the average value of the past predicted ride completion time and the latest calculated predicted ride completion time, or may overwrite and record the latest predicted ride completion time.

[0073] The ride completion time prediction unit 33 may vary the predicted ride completion time for passengers depending on the weather. For example, in rainy weather, passengers may take more care than usual due to the need to handle rain gear and slippery floors, so there is a high probability that the ride time per passenger will be longer than in sunny weather. Therefore, in rainy weather, the ride completion time prediction unit 33 may uniformly add or multiply a predetermined value to the predicted ride time in the passenger determination table T4. By varying the predicted ride time per passenger depending on the weather, the ride time at a bus stop can be predicted more accurately.

[0074] The memory unit 32 may store multiple passenger determination tables T4 that differ depending on the weather, and the boarding completion time prediction unit 33 may refer to different tables depending on the weather. The boarding completion time prediction unit 33 may also individually set a value to be added to or multiplied by the predicted boarding time in the passenger determination table T4 depending on the state of the passenger.

[0075] The time prediction unit 34 is a functional unit that calculates the predicted time at which the bus will arrive at each stop, including the boarding stop and the destination stop. For each stop, the time prediction unit 34 calculates the difference between the arrival completion time and the departure completion time at the stop, i.e., the stop time. The stop time is stored in the stop status table T2. Note that if past stop times have already been stored in the stop status table T2, the average of the past stop times and the latest stop time may be stored in the stop status table T2, or the latest stop time may be overwritten and recorded in the stop status table T2.

[0076] The time prediction unit 34 also calculates the delay time based on the calculated stopping time. Specifically, the time prediction unit 34 estimates the congestion state based on the stopping time and the congestion determination table T3 (see FIG. 5(a)).

[0077] For example, in item number 1 (stop ID is STOP-A) in bus stop status table T2 (see FIG. 4(b)), the stop time is 100 seconds. According to congestion determination table T3 (see FIG. 5(a)), in the case of item number 1 in bus stop status table T2, the stop time falls under "more than 60 seconds and less than 120 seconds", the congestion state is small-scale congestion 1, and the delay time is 60 seconds. Therefore, the time prediction unit 34 determines that the delay time in item number 1 in bus stop status table T2 is 60 seconds.

[0078] Also, for example, at item number 2 in bus stop status table T2 (bus stop ID is STOP-B), the stop time is 20 seconds, and referring to congestion determination table T3, the congestion state is normal and the delay time is 0 seconds. Therefore, it is assumed that no delay due to boarding will occur at the bus stop with item number 2 in bus stop status table T2 (delay time is 0 seconds).

[0079] The time prediction unit 34 also calculates the predicted stop time based on the delay time. For example, in the case of item number 1 in the bus stop status table T2 (the bus stop ID is STOP-A), the delay time is 60 seconds, so the time prediction unit 34 calculates the predicted stop time as 120 seconds, which is the predicted boarding completion time of 60 seconds (see the bus stop status table T2) plus the delay time of 60 seconds. Also, for example, in the case of item number 2 in the bus stop status table T2 (the bus stop ID is STOP-B), the delay time is 0 seconds, so the time prediction unit 34 calculates the predicted stop time as 30 seconds, which is the predicted boarding completion time of 30 seconds plus the delay time of 0 seconds.

[0080] The calculated predicted stop time is stored in the bus stop status table T2. If past predicted stop times have already been stored in the bus stop status table T2, the average value of the past predicted stop times and the latest predicted stop time may be stored in the bus stop status table T2, or the latest predicted stop time may be overwritten and recorded in the bus stop status table T2.

[0081] The time prediction unit 34 calculates the arrival delay time when arriving at the next scheduled stop on the operation route based on the difference between the scheduled arrival time and the arrival completion time in the operation status table T1, and stores the calculated arrival delay time in the stop status table T2. For example, in the case of item number 1 in the operation status table T1 (stop ID is STOP-A), the difference between the scheduled arrival time and the arrival completion time indicates a delay of one minute, so the time prediction unit 34 calculates the arrival delay time to be 60 seconds and stores the calculated arrival delay time in association with the stop ID in the stop status table T2.

[0082] In addition, if past arrival delay times are recorded in the bus stop status table T2, the time prediction unit 34 may record the average value of the past arrival delay time and the latest arrival delay time, or may overwrite and record the latest arrival delay time.

[0083] Furthermore, the time prediction unit 34 calculates the departure delay time when the bus departs for the next bus stop on the operation route based on the difference between the scheduled departure time and the departure completion time in the operation status table T1, and stores the calculated delay time in the bus stop status table T2. Note that if past departure delay times are recorded in the bus stop status table T2, the time prediction unit 34 may store the average value of the past departure delay time and the latest departure delay time, or may overwrite and store the latest departure delay time.

[0084] Furthermore, if the arrival completion time and departure completion time are recorded in the operation status table T1, the time prediction unit 34 calculates a delay time based on the on-time arrival time and arrival completion time, or the on-time departure time and departure completion time, and predicts the bus arrival time (calculates the predicted arrival time) based on the delay time. For example, since the difference between the on-time departure time and departure completion time for item number 2 in the operation status table T1 (stop ID is STOP-B) is one minute, the time prediction unit 34 adds one minute to the on-time arrival time to set the predicted arrival time as the time.

[0085] If the arrival completion time and departure completion time are not recorded in the operation status table T1, the time prediction unit 34 calculates the predicted arrival time based on the difference between the predicted departure time of the previous stop and the scheduled departure time. For example, since the difference between the scheduled departure time and the predicted departure time for item number 4 in the operation status table T1 (stop ID is STOP-D) indicates a delay of one minute, the time prediction unit 34 calculates the predicted arrival time by adding one minute to the scheduled arrival time for item number 5 in the operation status table T1 (stop ID is STOP-E).

[0086] Furthermore, the time prediction unit 34 calculates the predicted departure time based on the predicted arrival time in the operation status table T1 and the predicted stop time in the stop status table T2. In the case of item number 5 in the operation status table T1 (stop ID is STOP-E), referring to the stop status table T2, the predicted stop time when the stop ID is STOP-E is 60 seconds, so the time prediction unit 34 adds one minute to the predicted arrival time to set the predicted departure time. Since the predicted stop time is a value calculated based on the actual current situation at each stop, it is possible to realize arrival prediction that conforms to the actual delay situation.

[0087] The time prediction unit 34 stores the calculated predicted arrival time and predicted departure time in the operation status table T1 of each bus in association with the bus stop ID.

[0088] The time prediction unit 34 may compare the predicted stop time and the departure delay time, and reflect the larger delay in the predicted departure time. For example, the time prediction unit 34 may add the larger of the predicted stop time and the departure delay time to the predicted arrival time to determine the predicted departure time. Also, for example, the time prediction unit 34 may add the average of the predicted stop time and the departure delay time to the predicted arrival time to determine the predicted departure time.

[0089] In addition, either the departure delay time or the arrival delay time in the bus stop status table T2 may be reflected in the predicted arrival time or predicted departure time in the operation status table T1, and may be selectable by settings.

[0090] Furthermore, the time prediction unit 34 may calculate the predicted arrival time at the bus stop by taking into account traffic information acquired from the traffic information server 40. For example, the time prediction unit 34 may delay the predicted arrival time if traffic restrictions or congestion occur on the bus route between the bus and the destination bus stop. The time prediction unit 34 may delay the predicted departure time of the bus the user plans to board and the predicted arrival time at the user's destination bus stop, depending on the level of the factor causing the traffic restrictions. Furthermore, the time prediction unit 34 may delay the predicted departure time from the boarding bus stop and the predicted arrival time at the destination bus stop, depending on the level of congestion.

[0091] Furthermore, the time prediction unit 34 may calculate the predicted arrival time at a bus stop taking into account weather information acquired from the weather information server 50. In bad weather, road conditions deteriorate, making it highly likely that delays will occur. Therefore, for example, when the weather is bad or bad weather is forecast, the time prediction unit 34 delays the predicted arrival time.

[0092] The time prediction unit 34 may predict the arrival time based on the distance from the current position of the bus to each stop or the distance along the route.

[0093] The bus selection unit 35 is a functional unit that selects a bus that is recommended for the user to ride (hereinafter referred to as a recommended bus). When there are multiple buses that pass through the user's destination bus stop, the bus selection unit 35 selects the recommended bus to ride.

[0094] The bus selection unit 35 selects the bus whose predicted arrival time at the destination bus stop (see operation status table T1) is closest to the current time, that is, the bus that will arrive at the destination bus stop earliest, as the recommended bus to ride. Furthermore, if the user specifies a planned disembarkation time from the user terminal 100, the bus selection unit 35 may select the bus whose predicted arrival time at the destination bus stop is closest to the specified time as the recommended bus to ride.

[0095] When there are multiple buses that stop at the same bus stop (in other words, buses that have the same bus stop defined in the operation status table T1), the bus selection unit 35 calculates the departure delay time or arrival delay time at the bus stop from the operation status table T1 of each bus, and preferentially extracts the information on the bus with the smallest delay as the recommended bus.

[0096] The operation status table T1 searched by the bus selection unit 35 may be one in which the departure completion time at the boarding stop is within a certain range from the current time. By searching only relatively new information, the accuracy of the information can be ensured. Note that instead of the departure completion time, only operation status tables T1 in which other time data within a certain range from the current time is stored may be searched.

[0097] The bus selection unit 35 may refer to the operating company of each route and preferentially extract buses operated by an operating company that is preset by the user.

[0098] The output control unit 36 ​​is a functional unit that outputs the information calculated by the time prediction unit 34 and / or the information selected by the bus selection unit 35 to the guidance device 60. The output control unit 36 ​​may transmit the information to the guidance device 60 via the communication processing unit 31.

[0099] The output control unit 36 ​​outputs, for example, the predicted bus departure time from the user's bus stop and the predicted arrival time at the user's destination bus stop to the guidance device 60. The output control unit 36 ​​may also output information obtained by the bus selection unit 35 that enables identification of routes that pass through the user's destination bus stop and have the smallest delay from the scheduled time to the guidance device 60. The output control unit 36 ​​may output information on the route with the smallest delay, or may output information on multiple routes listed in order of the least delay.

[0100] The output control unit 36 ​​may output different types of information depending on the type of location where the guidance device 60 is installed. For example, when the user terminal 100 is used as the guidance device 60, the output control unit 36 ​​outputs the predicted departure time at the bus stop where the passenger plans to board, but does not output the predicted departure time when the guidance device 60 is installed on a bus.

[0101] Here, we will explain the flow of the process by which the bus information guidance device 30 outputs information about the bus operation status. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the process of outputting information about arrival times by the bus information guidance system 1. In the following explanation, the order of steps can be changed as appropriate.

[0102] (Step SP11) The user terminal 100 transmits information about the boarding stop and the destination stop to the bus information guidance device 30, and the communication processing unit 31 of the bus information guidance device 30 receives this information. Note that the user terminal 100 may also transmit information about the bus the user plans to board to the bus information guidance device 30. Then, the process proceeds to step SP12.

[0103] (Step SP12) The in-vehicle device 10 transmits the operation status of each bus, such as the arrival time and departure time at each stop for each bus, to the bus information guidance device 30, which is received by the communication processing unit 31 of the bus information guidance device 30. The bus information guidance device 30 stores the acquired information as an operation status table T1 in the memory unit 32. The process then proceeds to step SP13.

[0104] (Step SP13) The bus stop device 20 transmits, for example, the arrival and departure times of each bus, as well as the number or status of passengers waiting at the bus stop, to the bus information guidance device 30, which is received by the communication processing unit 31 of the bus information guidance device 30. The bus information guidance device 30 stores the acquired information as a bus stop status table T2 in the memory unit 32. The process then proceeds to step SP14.

[0105] Steps SP12 and SP13 may be performed simultaneously and in any order. Steps SP12 and SP13 may be performed each time information to be transmitted is generated, or may be performed periodically regardless of when the information is generated.

[0106] (Step SP14) The boarding completion time prediction unit 33 calculates the boarding completion time at each bus stop based on the number or status of passengers queuing at the bus stop obtained from the bus stop device 20. Then, the process proceeds to step SP15.

[0107] (Step SP15) The time prediction unit 34 calculates the difference between the arrival completion time and the departure completion time as the stop time (see bus stop status table T2) based on the operation status table T1. The time prediction unit 34 also calculates the delay time at each bus stop based on the congestion determination table T3 and the stop time. For bus stops that have already been passed, the time prediction unit 34 calculates the delay time based on the scheduled arrival time and arrival completion time, or the scheduled departure time and departure completion time. Then, the process proceeds to step SP16.

[0108] (Step SP16) The time prediction unit 34 calculates the delay time based on the traffic information from the traffic information server 40 and the weather information from the weather information server 50. Then, the process proceeds to step SP17.

[0109] (Step SP17) The time prediction unit 34 calculates the predicted arrival time at the bus stop based on the delay time calculated in steps SP15 and SP16. First, the time prediction unit 34 calculates the predicted stop time (see bus stop status table T2) based on the delay time at each stop. Then, the time prediction unit 34 calculates the predicted departure time based on the predicted arrival time and the predicted stop time (see bus stop status table T2). Then, the time prediction unit 34 calculates the predicted arrival time based on the difference between the predicted departure time from the previous stop (see operation status table T1) and the scheduled departure time.

[0110] In step SP17, only the delay time calculated in step SP15 may be used, or a final delay time may be calculated from the delay times calculated in steps SP15 and SP16. The final delay time may be calculated by simply superimposing the delay times calculated in steps SP15 and SP16, or by weighting and adding the delay times calculated in steps SP15 and SP16 at an appropriate ratio. The specific manner in which the final delay time is calculated from multiple delay times may be adjusted by settings.

[0111] (Step SP18) The bus selection unit 35 selects a bus that the user who owns the user terminal 100 plans to board (planned boarding bus) from the information on the boarding stop and the destination stop acquired in step SP11.

[0112] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the guidance process in step SP18. (Step SP21) The bus selection unit 35 extracts operation status tables T1 of one or more candidate buses to be boarded from the storage unit 32. For example, the bus selection unit 35 extracts operation status tables T1 of buses (candidate buses to be boarded) that run on a route that passes through multiple stops including the boarding stop and the destination stop and whose predicted arrival time at the boarding stop calculated in step SP17 is close to the current time from the storage unit 32. Note that in step SP21, it is desirable to extract multiple (as many as possible) candidate buses to be boarded.

[0113] If the information transmitted from the user terminal 100 includes information about a bus operating company, the bus selection unit 35 may extract candidates for the bus to be boarded from buses operated by that operating company. Then, the process proceeds to step SP22.

[0114] (Step SP22) The bus selection unit 35 selects a bus that is recommended for boarding from among the planned buses extracted in step SP21, based on the predicted arrival time calculated in step SP17. For example, the bus selection unit 35 prioritizes the multiple planned bus candidates in descending order of the earliest predicted arrival time at the destination bus stop calculated in step SP17. Alternatively, the bus selection unit 35 may prioritize the multiple planned bus candidates in descending order of the closest predicted arrival time at the destination bus stop calculated in step SP17 to the specified time. The bus selection unit 35 then selects any number (e.g., three) of the top planned bus candidates as the planned buses. The process then proceeds to step SP23.

[0115] (Step SP23) The bus selection unit 35 generates information that associates information about the planned bus selected in step SP22, the predicted arrival time at the boarding stop calculated in step SP17, and the predicted arrival time at the destination stop calculated in step SP17, as information to be output to the guidance device 60. Then, the process proceeds to step SP19.

[0116] (Step SP19) Returning to the explanation of Fig. 6, the output control unit 36 ​​outputs the information generated in step SP23 to the guidance device 60. For example, the output control unit 36 ​​outputs to the guidance device 60 information about the bus the user plans to board, the predicted arrival time at the boarding stop calculated in step SP17, and the predicted arrival time at the destination stop calculated in step SP17. This completes the process of outputting information about the bus arrival time of the bus the user plans to board.

[0117] According to this embodiment, the estimated time of arrival of the bus at the boarding stop or destination stop is calculated by reflecting the congestion at the stops that the bus passes through on the way to the boarding stop or destination stop, so the scheduled arrival time of the bus can be predicted with high accuracy.

[0118] In this embodiment, in step SP16, the time prediction unit 34 calculates the delay time based on traffic information from the traffic information server 40, but the time prediction unit 34 may also calculate the delay time based on traffic information such as image information and congestion status from the in-vehicle device 10.

[0119] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in step SP19, the predicted arrival times of the bus to be boarded at the boarding stop and the destination stop are output to the guidance device 60. However, image information and congestion status acquired from the in-vehicle device 10 may also be output to the guidance device 60. This allows the user to understand the congestion status or the state of traffic regulations. In particular, information acquired from the in-vehicle device 10 of a bus (second bus) traveling in the opposite lane of the lane in which the bus to be boarded is scheduled to travel may be output to the guidance device 60. This allows the user to understand the future road conditions. In particular, by outputting an image showing the congestion status to the guidance device 60, the user can visually understand the state of the lane in which the bus will be heading.

[0120] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the time prediction unit 34 calculates the delay time, predicted arrival time, or predicted departure time based on the delay time calculated based on the bus stop conditions (step SP15). However, the delay time may also be calculated based on the operating conditions, etc., obtained from the onboard device 10 or the bus stop device 20 of a bus other than the bus the passenger plans to board (a second bus), such as a bus traveling in the oncoming lane or a bus already traveling on the planned route of the bus the passenger plans to board (hereinafter referred to as a preceding bus). This allows the scheduled arrival time of the bus to be predicted more accurately. A specific example will be described below.

[0121] For example, if the bus to be boarded is a bus that runs on a circular route, the time prediction unit 34 may refer to the operation status table T1 of the return bus, and if there is a delay in the departure time or arrival time of the return bus, the time prediction unit 34 may take this delay time into consideration when calculating the predicted arrival time or departure time stored in the operation status table T1 of the outgoing bus at the bus stop. For example, the predicted arrival time or departure time may be calculated based on the delay time calculated based on the situation at the bus stop plus the delay time of the return bus.

[0122] Furthermore, for example, if the bus the passenger plans to board is a bus that runs on a circular route, the time prediction unit 34 may calculate the delay time, predicted arrival time, or predicted departure time based on the status of the bus stop in the oncoming lane. The time prediction unit 34 may acquire information on the stop ID of the oncoming lane in the bus stop status table T2, and for stops where an arrival delay time or departure delay time is recorded, the time prediction unit 34 may calculate the predicted arrival time or advance departure time for each stop in the bus operation status table T1 for the outbound route, taking this delay time into consideration.

[0123] Furthermore, for example, the time prediction unit 34 may calculate the delay time, predicted arrival time, or predicted departure time based on the operating status of the preceding bus. For example, the time prediction unit 34 may refer to the operating status table T1 of the preceding bus, and if a delay has occurred in the departure completion time or the arrival completion time, the time prediction unit 34 may calculate the predicted arrival time or the advance departure time at each stop in the operating status table T1 of the bus the passenger plans to board, taking this delay time into consideration.

[0124] In addition, in this embodiment, the operation status table T1, the bus stop status table T2, the congestion determination table T3, and the passenger determination table T4 are stored in the memory unit 32, but the operation status table T1, the bus stop status table T2, the congestion determination table T3, and the passenger determination table T4 may be stored in a location other than the memory unit 32. For example, the operation status table T1, the bus stop status table T2, the congestion determination table T3, and the passenger determination table T4 may be stored in a server device or the like that can communicate with the bus information guidance system 1 and the bus information guidance device 30, and the bus information guidance device 30 may acquire the operation status table T1, the bus stop status table T2, the congestion determination table T3, and the passenger determination table T4 from the server device.

[0125] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design changes and the like are also included within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0126] 1: Bus information system 10: In-vehicle device 11: Sensor group 12: Speed ​​sensor 13: Acceleration sensor 14: Accelerator opening sensor 15: Position sensor 16: Communication device 20: Stop device 21:User monitoring department 22: Bus detector 23: Communication device 30: Bus information display device 31: Communication processing unit 32: Storage section 33: Ride completion time prediction section 34: Time prediction section 35: Bus selection section 36: Output control section 40: Traffic information server 50: Weather information server 60: Guidance device 61: Output section 62: Communication processing unit 70: Control device 72: Communication equipment 74: Storage device 76:CPU 78: Memory 100: User terminal

Claims

1. A bus information guidance system that calculates a destination arrival predicted time, which is a predicted arrival time at which a bus traveling along a route that passes through a plurality of stops including at least a boarding stop where a user boards and a destination stop of the user arrives at the destination stop, a communication processing unit that acquires passenger information including the number and status of passengers at the bus stop, and the arrival and departure times of the bus; a time prediction unit that calculates a predicted boarding completion time, which is a predicted time when boarding will be completed at the bus stop, based on the passenger information, and calculates the predicted destination arrival time based on the predicted boarding completion time, the arrival time, and the departure time; A bus information guidance system comprising:

2. The time prediction unit calculates the predicted boarding completion time based on a passenger determination table in which the passenger's state is associated with a predicted boarding time, which is the time required for the passenger to board the vehicle.

2. The bus information system according to claim 1.

3. the communication processing unit acquires an arrival completion time, which is the time when the bus arrives at the bus stop, and a departure completion time, which is the time when the bus departs from the bus stop; The time prediction unit calculates a difference between the arrival completion time and the departure completion time as a stopping time, and calculates the predicted destination arrival time based on the stopping time.

3. The bus information system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The time prediction unit calculates the predicted destination arrival time based on a congestion determination table in which the stopping time and the congestion state are associated with each other.

4. The bus information system according to claim 3.

5. The bus selection unit further includes a bus selection unit that selects, when there are multiple buses that arrive at the destination stop from the boarding stop, a bus that has an earlier predicted time of arrival at the destination or a bus that has a predicted time of arrival at the destination that is closer to a specified time.

5. The bus information system according to claim 1, wherein the bus information system is a system for providing information on a route to a destination.

6. The time prediction unit calculates the predicted destination arrival time based on an operation status table that is information indicating the operation status of a second bus that is different from the bus that the user plans to board.

6. The bus information guidance system according to claim 1, wherein the bus information guidance system is a system for providing information on a route to a destination.

7. A bus information guidance method using a bus information guidance system that calculates a destination arrival predicted time, which is a predicted arrival time at which a bus traveling on a route that passes through a plurality of stops including at least a boarding stop where a user boards and a destination stop of the user will arrive at the destination stop, a communication processing unit that acquires passenger information including the number and status of passengers at the bus stop, and the arrival and departure times of the bus; a time prediction unit that calculates a predicted boarding completion time, which is a predicted time when boarding will be completed at the bus stop, based on the passenger information, and calculates the predicted destination arrival time based on the predicted boarding completion time, the arrival time, and the departure time; A bus information guidance method characterized by being executed by a computer.

8. A bus information guidance program that calculates a destination arrival predicted time, which is a predicted arrival time at a destination stop of a bus traveling along a route that passes through a plurality of stops including at least a boarding stop where a user boards and a destination stop of the user, Computer, at least a communication processing unit that acquires passenger information including the number and status of passengers at the bus stop, and the arrival and departure times of the bus; a time prediction unit that calculates a predicted boarding completion time, which is a predicted time at which boarding will be completed at the bus stop, based on the passenger information, and calculates the predicted destination arrival time based on the predicted boarding completion time, the arrival time, and the departure time; A bus information guide program characterized by causing the program to function as a bus information guide program.

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