Information processing apparatus and information processing method

Abstract

To improve a technique for creating a vehicle operation plan.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus 20 includes a control part 23 that estimates the number of getting on and off persons who get on and off a vehicle 10 at each of one or more stops installed in an operation section of the vehicle 10 within a predetermined period of time based on registered user information, and extends a stop time during which the vehicle 10 stops at the stop where the number of getting on and off persons exceeds a threshold value based on a predetermined criterion when there is the stop where the number of getting on and off persons exceeds the threshold value within the predetermined period of time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device and an information processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are known techniques for creating a vehicle operation plan. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for creating a vehicle operation plan based on the number of passengers who have chosen each route at each bus stop at the observation time up to the present and an estimate of the number of passengers who will choose each route after the observation time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2023-170964 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, on routes where vehicles carrying multiple passengers operate, if a large number of passengers get on and off at a particular stop, it takes time for passengers to get on and off, causing delays in the operation schedule. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the technology for creating vehicle operation plans.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to improve the technology related to creating vehicle operation plans. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is an information processing device that creates a vehicle operation plan, and is equipped with a control unit that estimates the number of passengers boarding and alighting from the vehicle at each of one or more stops located within the vehicle's operating area within a specified period based on registered user information, and if there is a stop within the specified period at which the number of passengers boarding and alighting exceeds a threshold, extends the stop time for the vehicle at the stop at which the number of passengers boarding and alighting exceeds the threshold based on a specified criterion.

[0007] An information processing method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is an information processing method executed by an information processing device that creates a vehicle operation plan, and includes estimating the number of people who will board and alight from the vehicle at each of one or more stops located within the vehicle's operating area within a specified period based on registered user information, and if there is a stop within the specified period at which the number of people boarding and alighting exceeds a threshold, extending the stop time for the vehicle at the stop at which the number of people boarding and alighting exceeds the threshold based on a specified criterion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a technique for creating a vehicle operation plan is improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration example of a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the information processing device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a vehicle operating section. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of extending a vehicle stopping time. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described.

[0011] (Outline of the embodiment) An overview of a system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The system 1 includes a vehicle 10, an information processing device 20, and a mobile terminal 30. The vehicle 10, the information processing device 20, and the mobile terminal 30 are communicably connected to a network 2 including, for example, the Internet and a mobile communication network.

[0012] The vehicle 10 is, for example, an automobile, but is not limited to this and may be any vehicle. The automobile may be, but is not limited to, a gasoline-powered vehicle, a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle), a HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle), a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), or a FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle). The number of vehicles 10 included in the system 1 may be determined arbitrarily. The vehicle 10 is capable of communicating with the information processing device 20 and the mobile terminal 30 via the network 2.

[0013] The information processing device 20 is, for example, a computer such as a server device, etc. The information processing device 20 is capable of communicating with the vehicle 10 and the mobile terminal 30 via the network 2.

[0014] The mobile terminal 30 is a smartphone, tablet, personal computer (PC), or the like carried by the user 3 of the vehicle 10, but is not limited to these and may be any information processing terminal. The mobile terminal 30 is capable of communicating with the vehicle 10 and the information processing device 20 via the network 2.

[0015] First, an overview of this embodiment will be described, and details will be described later. The information processing device 20 estimates the number of people getting on and off the vehicle 10 at each of one or more stops located within the operating area of ​​the vehicle 10 within a predetermined period based on registered user information, and if there is a stop where the number of people getting on and off exceeds a threshold within the predetermined period, the information processing device 20 extends the stop time of the vehicle 10 at the stop where the number of people getting on and off exceeds the threshold based on a predetermined criterion.

[0016] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to create an operation plan in which the vehicle stops at stops where it is estimated that a large number of passengers will board and alight for the time required for passengers to board and alight. Therefore, the technology related to creating vehicle operation plans is improved in that the probability of avoiding delays in the operation schedule of the vehicle 10 is improved.

[0017] Next, each component of the system 1 will be described in detail.

[0018] (Vehicle configuration) As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle 10 includes a communication unit 11, a positioning unit 12, an output unit 13, a storage unit 14, and a control unit 15.

[0019] The communication unit 11 is configured to include at least one communication interface connectable to the network 2. The communication interface corresponds to a mobile communication standard such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G, or 5G. However, the communication interface is not limited to this and may correspond to any communication standard. In this embodiment, the vehicle 10 communicates with the information processing device 20 and the mobile terminal 30 via the communication unit 11 and the network 2.

[0020] The positioning unit 12 includes one or more devices that acquire position information of the vehicle 10. Specifically, the positioning unit 12 includes, for example, a receiver compatible with GPS, but is not limited to this and may include a receiver compatible with any satellite positioning system.

[0021] The output unit 13 includes at least one audio output interface capable of outputting audio, and at least one display interface capable of displaying text or video. The audio output interface is, for example, a speaker. The display interface is, for example, a display screen such as an LCD or an organic EL display. However, the audio output interface and the display interface are not limited to these.

[0022] The storage unit 14 includes one or more memories. The memories may be, for example, semiconductor memories, magnetic memories, or optical memories, but are not limited to these. Each memory included in the storage unit 14 may function as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 14 stores any information used in the operation of the vehicle 10. For example, the storage unit 14 may store system programs, application programs, and operation plans distributed from the information processing device 20. The information stored in the storage unit 14 may be updatable with information obtained from the network 2 via the communication unit 11, for example.

[0023] The control unit 15 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The processor may be, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process, but is not limited to these. The programmable circuit may be, for example, but is not limited to, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). The dedicated circuit may be, for example, but is not limited to, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The control unit 15 controls the overall operation of the vehicle 10.

[0024] (Configuration of information processing device) As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing device 20 includes a communication unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a control unit .

[0025] The communication unit 21 includes one or more communication interfaces connected to the network 2. The communication interfaces correspond to, for example, a mobile communication standard, a wired LAN (Local Area Network) standard, or a wireless LAN standard, but are not limited to these and may correspond to any communication standard. In this embodiment, the information processing device 20 communicates with the vehicle 10 and the mobile terminal 30 via the communication unit 21 and the network 2.

[0026] The storage unit 22 includes one or more memories. Each memory included in the storage unit 22 may function as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 22 stores any information used in the operation of the information processing device 20. For example, the storage unit 22 may store a system program, an application program, and various algorithms for creating an operation plan for the vehicle 10. The storage unit 22 includes a database 22A that registers user information of multiple users, etc. The information stored in the storage unit 22 may be updatable with information obtained from the network 2 via the communication unit 21, for example.

[0027] The control unit 23 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The control unit 23 controls the operation of the information processing device 20 as a whole.

[0028] (Mobile device configuration) As shown in FIG. 1, the mobile terminal 30 includes a communication unit 31, an input unit 32, an output unit 33, a storage unit , and a control unit .

[0029] The communication unit 31 includes one or more communication interfaces connected to the network 2. The communication interfaces are compatible with, but not limited to, mobile communication standards such as 4G or 5G, the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard, or a wireless LAN standard. In this embodiment, the mobile terminal 30 communicates with the vehicle 10 and the information processing device 20 via the communication unit 31 and the network 2.

[0030] The input unit 32 is configured to include at least one input interface capable of accepting input from the user 3 of the vehicle 10. The input interface is, for example, a physical key, a capacitance key, a pointing device, a camera, a touch screen that is integrated with the display of the output unit 33 described below, or a microphone that picks up the voice of the user 3. However, the input interface is not limited to these.

[0031] The output unit 33 includes at least one audio output interface capable of outputting audio and at least one display interface capable of displaying data. The audio output interface is, for example, a speaker. The display interface is, for example, an LCD or an organic EL display, but is not limited to these.

[0032] The storage unit 34 includes one or more memories. Each memory included in the storage unit 34 may function as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 34 stores any information used in the operation of the mobile terminal 30. For example, the storage unit 34 may store a system program, an application program, a database, a boarding ticket for the vehicle 10, and an operation plan for the vehicle 10 distributed by the information processing device 20. The information stored in the storage unit 34 may be updatable with information obtained from the network 2 via the communication unit 31, for example.

[0033] The control unit 35 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The control unit 35 controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal 30.

[0034] (Operation flow of information processing device) The operation of the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. This operation relates to the creation of an operation plan for a vehicle.

[0035] S101: The control unit 23 accepts the purchase of tickets by a plurality of users 3.

[0036] In the present disclosure, the vehicle 10 is assumed to be an on-demand bus (shared bus) on which multiple users 3 ride, but is not limited to this. The multiple users 3 may use their mobile terminals 30 to purchase tickets online on a website published by the information processing device 20. However, the purchasing method is not limited to this.

[0037] S102: The control unit 23 registers the user information of each of the multiple users 3 in the database 22A.

[0038] When each of the multiple users 3 purchases a train ticket online, the users 3 input their user information on a website published by the information processing device 20. The control unit 23 accepts the user information entered by each of the multiple users 3 and registers the accepted user information in a database 22A provided in the storage unit 22.

[0039] The user information includes at least the date and time and bus stop where each of the multiple users 3 boarded the vehicle 10 in the past, and the date and time and bus stop where each of the multiple users 3 disembarked. The user information also includes basic information such as the address, name, and contact information (telephone number, email address) of each of the multiple users 3. Furthermore, the user information may also include the destination of each of the multiple users 3 after disembarking.

[0040] S103: Based on the registered user information, the control unit 23 estimates the number of passengers N who will board and alight from the vehicle 10 at each of one or more bus stops located within the vehicle 10's operating area r within a specified period of time.

[0041] The control unit 23 may estimate the number of passengers N who will board and alight for each day of the week and time period within a predetermined period. The predetermined period is, for example, seven days (one week) from Monday to Sunday, but may also be five weekdays (Monday to Friday), Saturday (all day), or Sunday (all day). The control unit 23 reads out user information from the database 22A and estimates the number of passengers N who will board and alight at each stop installed within the operating area of ​​the vehicle 10 for each day of the week and time period. The estimation of the number of passengers N who will board and alight may be based on user information for any past period, such as the past month or the past year.

[0042] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an operating section r of vehicle 10. The operating section r of vehicle 10 includes one or more stops, for example, from stop s1 to stop s5 via stops s2, s3, and s4. As shown in FIG. 3, a commercial facility 5 is located near stop s2, a school 4 is located near stop s3, and a hospital 6 is located near stop s4, with stops s2 to s4 being the stops nearest to these facilities. Therefore, it is estimated that the number of passengers N getting on and off at the nearest stop increases during the hours of the day when students are going to and from school 4, the hours of the day when commercial facility 5 is open, or the hours of the day when hospital 6 is open.

[0043] S104: The control unit 23 determines whether or not there is a bus stop where the number of passengers N getting on and off exceeds the threshold value α within a predetermined period. If there is a bus stop that satisfies the condition, the process proceeds to S105; if there is not, the process proceeds to S106.

[0044] The threshold value α is the upper limit of the number of passengers who can get on and off the vehicle 10 at each of one or more stops in order to comply with the operation plan of the vehicle 10. In the operation plan of the vehicle 10, a predetermined stop time T is set at each stop where the vehicle 10 stops. As shown in the following formula (1), the threshold value α is calculated by multiplying the predetermined stop time T by the boarding and alighting time T per passenger. tran For example, in the present disclosure, if the predetermined stop time T is 20 seconds and the boarding / alighting time per person is T tran is 2 seconds, the threshold α is set to 10 people. α=T / T tran (1)

[0045] S105: The control unit 23 extends the stop time for the vehicle 10 to stop at a bus stop where the number of passengers N getting on and off exceeds the threshold value α, based on a predetermined standard.

[0046] The predetermined standard is a predetermined stopping time T, the number of people N estimated by the control unit 23 minus a threshold α, and the boarding and alighting time T per person. tranHowever, the predetermined standard is not limited to this, and any standard may be adopted.

[0047] As shown in the following formula (2), if the predetermined stop time T is 20 seconds, the control unit 23 multiplies the number of people obtained by subtracting the threshold α from the estimated number of people getting on and off, by 20 seconds, and the boarding and alighting time per person T tran The time obtained by multiplying and adding is the stopping time T e Calculate. T e =20+(N-α)×T tran (2)

[0048] 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of extending the stopping time of the vehicle 10. As shown in FIG. 4, if the estimated number of people N getting on and off at a certain bus stop is 10 (or 10 or less), N-α≦0, so the control unit 23 determines whether to extend the stopping time T e On the other hand, if the estimated number of passengers N is 15, N-α is 5, so the stop time T e is 30 seconds, and if the estimated number of passengers N is 20, the stop time T e is 40 seconds, and if the estimated number of passengers N is 25, the stop time T e is 50 seconds, and if the estimated number of passengers N is 30, the stop time T e The stopping time T is extended to 60 seconds. However, the method of extending the stopping time is not limited to this, and any method may be used. For example, the control unit 23 may extend the stopping time T by 10 seconds every time the number of people N getting on and off exceeds the threshold value α of 10 and increases by 5 people. e may be extended.

[0049] The control unit 23 may extend the stop time for the vehicle 10 to stop at a stop where the number of passengers N getting on and off exceeds the threshold value α during the time period of the day of the week when the number of passengers getting on and off exceeds the threshold value α. By extending the stop time during the time period of the day of the week when the number of passengers getting on and off is estimated to increase, unnecessary time extensions are eliminated, and the accuracy of the operation plan is more likely to be improved.

[0050] S106: The control unit 23 creates an operation plan for the vehicle 10.

[0051] The control unit 23 creates an operation plan that extends the stop time at stops where the estimated number of passengers N boarding and alighting exceeds the threshold value α for all days of the week and time periods during a specified period when the vehicle 10 operates on the operation section r.

[0052] S107: The control unit 23 notifies the mobile terminal 30 carried by the user 3 of the created operation plan.

[0053] The control unit 23 publishes the created operation plan on a website set up on the information processing device 20 and notifies the mobile terminals 30 owned by each of the multiple users 3 whose user information (names and contact details) is registered in the database 22A.

[0054] As described above, the information processing device 20 of this embodiment estimates the number of passengers N who will board and alight from the vehicle 10 at each of one or more stops located within the vehicle 10's operating area within a specified period based on registered user information, and if there is a stop within the specified period at which the number of passengers N who will board and alight from the vehicle 10 exceeds a threshold value α, the information processing device 20 extends the stop time of the vehicle 10 at the stop at which the number of passengers N who will board and alight from the vehicle 10 exceeds the threshold value α based on a specified standard.

[0055] This configuration makes it possible to create an operation plan in which the bus stops for the time required for passengers to board and disembark at stops where it is estimated that there will be a large number of passengers N. This improves the probability that delays in the operation schedule of vehicle 10 will be avoided, thereby improving the technology for creating vehicle operation plans.

[0056] Although the present disclosure has been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art may make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component or step can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent, and multiple components or steps can be combined or divided into one.

[0057] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration and operation of the information processing device 20 may be distributed among multiple computers that can communicate with each other. Also, for example, an embodiment in which some or all of the components of the information processing device 20 are provided in the vehicle 10 is possible.

[0058] Also, for example, an embodiment is possible in which a general-purpose computer functions as the information processing device 20 according to the above-described embodiment. Specifically, a program describing the processing content for realizing each function of the information processing device 20 according to the above-described embodiment is stored in the memory of the general-purpose computer, and the program is read and executed by a processor. Therefore, the present disclosure can also be realized as a program executable by a processor, or a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing the program.

[0059] In one example, the information processing device 20 may be used to provide MaaS (Mobility as a Service), which is a service that utilizes mobility.

[0060] 1 System 2 Network 3 User 4 school 5. Commercial facilities 6. Hospital 10 vehicles 11 Communications Department 12 Positioning unit 13 Output section 14 Storage section 15 Control Unit 20 Information processing equipment 21 Communications Department 22 Memory section 22A Database 23 Control Unit 30 Mobile Devices 31 Communications Department 32 Input section 33 Output section 34 Storage section 35 Control Unit

Claims

1. An information processing device that creates a vehicle operation plan, An information processing device comprising: a control unit that estimates the number of passengers boarding and alighting from the vehicle at each of one or more stops located within the vehicle's operating area within a specified period based on registered user information; and if there is a stop within the specified period at which the number of passengers boarding and alighting exceeds a threshold, extends the stop time for the vehicle at the stop at which the number of passengers boarding and alighting exceeds the threshold based on a specified criterion.

2. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, The control unit estimates the number of passengers boarding and alighting for each day of the week and time period within the specified period, and extends the stop time for the vehicle at a stop where the number of passengers boarding and alighting exceeds a threshold during a time period on a day of the week when the number of passengers boarding and alighting exceeds a threshold.

3. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, The user information includes at least the date and time and bus stop at which each of a plurality of users boarded the vehicle in the past, and the date and time and bus stop at which each user disembarked.

4. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, the threshold is an upper limit of the number of passengers who can get on and off the vehicle at each of the one or more stops in order to comply with the operation plan of the vehicle; The information processing device, wherein the specified criterion is to add a specified stop time and the time obtained by multiplying the number of people obtained by subtracting the threshold from the estimated number of people boarding and alighting by the boarding and alighting time per person.

5. An information processing method executed by an information processing device that creates a vehicle operation plan, Based on the registered user information, estimate the number of passengers getting on and off the vehicle at each of one or more bus stops located within the operating section of the vehicle within a predetermined period of time; If there is a bus stop where the number of passengers getting on and off exceeds a threshold within the predetermined period, extending the stop time for the vehicle to stop at the bus stop where the number of passengers getting on and off exceeds the threshold based on a predetermined standard; An information processing method, including:

6. A method for providing MaaS (Mobility as a Service) using the information processing device according to claim 1.

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