Information processing system and program

Abstract

To allow multiple mobile bodies to accept requests for transportation while preventing transportation opportunities of specific mobile bodies from being significantly reduced compared with the case where only the specific mobile bodies accept the transportation requests.SOLUTION: An information processing system includes: acquisition means which acquires request information regarding a transportation request; and transmission means which transmits, when a rule in a specific area which is specified for a target object transported, out of a plurality of areas for which rules have been set in accordance with each area, is a predetermined rule, a request preferentially to a client business operator for mobile bodies belonging to a specific category out of multiple categories classified for mobile bodies.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9a

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing system and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 describes that when the vacant vehicle identification unit identifies multiple vacant taxis, the dispatch request unit makes dispatch requests corresponding to the dispatch requests, starting with the taxi closest to the location indicated by the boarding location information included in the dispatch request. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-201555 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] There is a technology for transmitting a request for transportation by a mobile object such as a car to a request destination. Here, for example, in a case where the number of mobile objects required for transportation is insufficient if only a specific mobile object, such as a taxi, among multiple mobile objects capable of transportation is the target of the transportation request, it may be preferable to also target mobile objects other than the specific mobile object among the multiple mobile objects for the transportation request. On the other hand, when not only the specific mobile object but also mobile objects other than the specific mobile object are the target of the transportation request, it may be necessary to prevent an excessive decrease in opportunities for transportation by the specific mobile object compared to when only the specific mobile object is the target of the transportation request. The present disclosure aims to realize transportation in response to a request by simultaneously allowing multiple mobile bodies to be the subject of transportation requests and preventing an excessive decrease in opportunities for transportation by a specific mobile body compared to when transportation requests are made only to a specific mobile body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The information processing system disclosed herein is an information processing system that includes an acquisition means for acquiring request information regarding a transportation request, and a transmission means for preferentially transmitting the request to a destination targeting a mobile body that belongs to a specific category out of multiple categories into which mobile bodies are divided, if the rules in a specific area identified for the object to be transported out of multiple areas each having rules defined according to the area are predetermined rules. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to realize transportation in response to a request by simultaneously making multiple moving bodies the subject of transportation requests and preventing an excessive decrease in opportunities for transportation by a specific moving body compared to when transportation requests are made only to a specific moving body. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a transportation system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a functional configuration of a management server. [Figure 3] 10A is a schematic diagram of each area in which rules for transportation requests are established in the management area, and FIG. 10B is a diagram showing an example of a rule management table. [Figure 4] 1A is a diagram showing an example of a taxi management table, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of a ride-share management table. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a history management table. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a map display process. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a request reception screen. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a request reception screen. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a moving object determination process. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a transportation notification screen. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a request reception screen. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a request reception screen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a transportation system 1. A transportation system 1, as an example of an information processing system, is a system that receives a transportation request from a user and transports the object using a mobile object, which is a means for moving and carrying the object. Examples of objects to be transported by a mobile object include people and luggage. Note that an object to be transported by a mobile object may be referred to as an object to be transported hereinafter. When the transportation system 1 receives a transportation request from a user, it determines which of multiple businesses operating businesses using different mobile objects to request transportation from, and sends the request to the determined business. If the business object accepts the request, the transportation system 1 transports the object to be transported using a mobile object used by the accepted business object.

[0009] The transportation system 1 includes a user terminal 10, a transportation management server 20, a taxi management server 30, a taxi 31, a ride-sharing management server 40, a ride-sharing car 41, a drone management server 50, a drone 51, and an other area management server 60. The management server 20, the user terminal 10, the taxi management server 30, the ride-sharing management server 40, the drone management server 50, and the other area management server 60 are each connected via a network. In addition, the taxi management server 30 and the taxi 31, the ride-sharing management server 40 and the ride-sharing car 41, and the drone management server 50 and the drone 51 are each connected via a network.

[0010] The user terminal 10 is a terminal owned by a user who has requested transportation. The user terminal 10 has a display unit 11 that displays information, a speaker 12 that outputs sound, and an identification means 13 that identifies the user's location. The user terminal 10 transmits information regarding the transportation request to the management server 20 in response to an operation by the user to request transportation. The information regarding the transportation request may be referred to as request information below. Furthermore, when the user terminal 10 acquires information regarding transportation from the management server 20, it outputs the acquired information via the display unit 11 and the speaker 12. Furthermore, the identification means 13 identifies the location of the user terminal 10, and transmits information indicating the identified location to the management server 20 as information indicating the user's location. Furthermore, the information indicating the location identified by the identification means 13 may be referred to as location information below. An example of the identification means 13 is a positioning means such as a GPS (Global Positioning system). The user terminal 10 is realized by a computer such as a smartphone or a tablet-type information terminal.

[0011] The management server 20 is a server that manages transportation in a predetermined area that is the subject of management. The predetermined area may be any area, such as a specific prefecture, a specific city, town, or village, or a specific country. The area that is predetermined as the subject of management by the management server 20 may be referred to as the "managed area" below. When the management server 20 receives request information from the user terminal 10 and the transportation requested by the user is transportation within the management area, the management server 20 determines a business operator to which the transportation should be requested and requests the business operator to perform the transportation by sending the request information to the server corresponding to the determined business operator. Furthermore, the transportation requested by the user may be transportation extending to an area other than the management area. In this case, the management server 20 not only requests transportation from a business operator operating a transportation business within the management area, but also requests transportation from a business operator operating a transportation business in an area other than the management area via the other area management server 60 by sending the request information to the other area management server 60. Furthermore, when the transportation request is accepted by the business operator, the management server 20 sends information indicating that the request has been accepted to the user terminal 10.

[0012] Furthermore, in the present disclosure, the management area is divided into multiple zones, and rules applicable to transportation requests are determined in advance for each divided zone. The management server 20 determines the business operator to request transportation in accordance with the rules applicable at the departure point, arrival point, etc. of the transportation. Furthermore, if the rules applicable at the departure point, arrival point, etc. of the transportation are specific rules, the management server 20 prioritizes the specific business operator as the destination for the transportation request. In other words, if the rules applicable at the departure point, arrival point, etc. of the transportation are specific rules, the management server 20 prioritizes mobile vehicles used by the specific business operator as the target for transportation requests.

[0013] Here, the hardware configuration of the management server 20 will be described. The management server 20 has a processor 21 that controls the overall operation of the management server 20, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 22 that is a storage area for storing a BIOS (Basic Input Output System) and the like, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 23 that is a working area for the processor 21. The management server 20 also has an auxiliary storage device 24 and a communication interface (communication IF) 25 that is used for communication with the outside.

[0014] The processor 21 is a device that realizes various functions through the execution of programs. The processor 21 includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), and a digital signal processor (DSP). The processor 21 may be configured by a single processor, or may be configured by multiple processors located at physically separate locations. The ROM 22 stores programs executed by the processor 21 and the like. The auxiliary storage device 24 stores programs and various data executed by the processor 21. Examples of the auxiliary storage device 24 include a volatile HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and semiconductor storage. Examples of the programs include an OS (Operating System), application programs, etc. The processor 21 and various devices (ROM 22, RAM 23, auxiliary storage device 24, communication IF 25) are connected via a bus or other signal lines. In the present disclosure, the processor 21 reads programs stored in the ROM 22 or the auxiliary storage device 24, and thereby various processes performed by the management server 20 are executed.

[0015] The taxi management server 30 is a server that manages taxis 31 as an example of a mobile object. Note that while FIG. 1 illustrates only one taxi 31, the number of taxis 31 managed by the taxi management server 30, i.e., the number of taxis 31 provided in the transportation system 1, may be multiple. In the present disclosure, it is assumed that multiple taxis 31 are provided in the transportation system 1. The taxi management server 30 acquires information about the transportation of each taxi 31 from the taxi 31, such as whether the taxi 31 is currently in transportation, and transmits the acquired information to the management server 20. Furthermore, upon acquiring request information from the management server 20, the taxi management server 30 determines whether to accept the transportation request. If the transportation request is accepted, the taxi management server 30 transmits information indicating the acceptance of the request to the management server 20, together with information identifying the taxi 31 to be used for transportation. Note that the information indicating the acceptance of the transportation request may be referred to as acceptance information hereinafter. Furthermore, when accepting a request for transportation, the taxi management server 30 sends a transportation instruction to the taxi 31, causing the taxi 31 to carry out the transportation.

[0016] The ride-sharing management server 40 is a server that manages ride-sharing cars 41, which are an example of a mobile object. The ride-sharing car 41 is a mobile object, such as a private car, that realizes ride-sharing. Ride-sharing refers to sharing a mobile object. In a broader sense, ride-sharing can also be understood as a service that matches a driver of a mobile object with a passenger. Note that while FIG. 1 illustrates only one ride-sharing car 41, the number of ride-sharing cars 41 managed by the ride-sharing management server 40, i.e., the number of ride-sharing cars 41 provided in the transportation system 1, may be multiple. In the present disclosure, it is assumed that multiple ride-sharing cars 41 are provided in the transportation system 1. For each ride-sharing car 41, the ride-sharing management server 40 acquires information about the transportation of the ride-sharing car 41, such as whether it is in transportation, from the ride-sharing car 41, and transmits the acquired information to the management server 20. Furthermore, when the ride-sharing management server 40 receives request information from the management server 20, it determines whether to accept the transportation request, and if the transportation request is accepted, it transmits the acceptance information to the management server 20 together with information identifying the ride-sharing car 41 to be used for transportation. Furthermore, if the ride-sharing management server 40 accepts the transportation request, it sends transportation instructions to the ride-sharing car 41, causing the ride-sharing car 41 to carry out the transportation.

[0017] The drone management server 50 is a server that manages drones 51 as an example of a moving object. Note that while FIG. 1 illustrates only one drone 51, the number of drones 51 managed by the drone management server 50, i.e., the number of drones 51 provided in the transportation system 1, may be multiple. In the present disclosure, it is assumed that multiple drones 51 are provided in the transportation system 1. The drone management server 50 acquires information about the transportation of each drone 51 from the drone 51, such as whether the drone 51 is currently in transportation, and transmits the acquired information to the management server 20. Furthermore, upon acquiring request information from the management server 20, the drone management server 50 determines whether to accept the transportation request depending on the status of the drone 51, such as whether the drone 51 is currently in transportation. If the request for transportation is accepted, the drone management server 50 transmits acceptance information to the management server 20 together with information identifying the drone 51 to be used for transportation. Furthermore, if the request for transportation is accepted, the drone management server 50 sends a transportation instruction to the drone 51, causing the drone 51 to perform the transportation.

[0018] When describing the taxi 31, the ride-share car 41, and the drone 51 without making any particular distinction, they may be referred to simply as mobile objects. When describing the taxi management server 30, the ride-share management server 40, and the drone management server 50 without making any particular distinction, they may be referred to as mobile object management servers. In addition, mobile objects that are the subject of management by a mobile object management server may be referred to as managed mobile objects hereinafter. An example of the relationship between a mobile object management server and managed mobile objects will be described below. When the mobile object management server is the taxi management server 30, the mobile object that is the subject of management by this mobile object management server is a taxi 31. When the mobile object management server receives request information from the management server 20, the mobile object management server may determine whether to accept the transportation request based on the status of the managed mobile object, such as whether the managed mobile object is currently in transportation, without inquiring of the managed mobile object as to whether to accept the transportation request. Alternatively, the mobile object management server may inquire of the managed mobile object as to whether to accept the transportation request. The mobile object management server may then determine whether to accept the transportation request by receiving from the managed mobile object a response in response to an operation by the driver of the managed mobile object regarding whether to accept the transportation request.

[0019] The other area management server 60 is a server that manages transportation in areas other than the area to be managed. Although not shown in the figure, the operation system 1 may be provided with a taxi management server 30, a taxi 31, a ride-sharing management server 40, a ride-sharing car 41, a drone management server 50, a drone 51, etc. for transportation in the area that is the subject of management by the other area management server 60. When the other area management server 60 receives the request information from the management server 20, it determines the business operator to request transportation according to the rules that apply to this transportation request, and requests transportation from the business operator by sending the request information to the mobile unit management server that corresponds to the determined business operator. In addition, if the transportation request is accepted, the other area management server 60 sends acceptance information to the management server 20.

[0020] As described above, the management server 20 transmits and receives information to the taxi management server 30, the ride-share management server 40, the drone management server 50, and the other area management server 60. Therefore, the management server 20 can also be seen as a means that serves as the foundation for sharing information between the taxi management server 30, the ride-share management server 40, the drone management server 50, and the other area management server 60. In addition, the other area management server 60 can also be seen as a means of providing a basis for sharing information between the management server 20 and each mobile object management server, by sending and receiving information between the management server 20 and each mobile object management server used for transportation in the area managed by the other area management server 60.

[0021] The number of other area management servers 60 provided in the transportation system 1 is not limited to one. The transportation system 1 may be provided with a plurality of other area management servers 60, each managing a different area. In addition, the taxi management server 30, taxi 31, ride-share management server 40, ride-share car 41, drone management server 50, and drone 51 may be provided for each other area management server 60 with which information is shared.

[0022] Furthermore, an operator who operates a business using taxis 31 may hereinafter be referred to as a taxi operator. An operator who operates a business using ride-sharing cars 41 may hereinafter be referred to as a ride-sharing operator. An operator who operates a business using drones 51 may hereinafter be referred to as a drone operator. When explaining taxi operators, ride-sharing operators, and drone operators without making any particular distinction, they will simply be referred to as operators.

[0023] The management server 20, taxi management server 30, ride-sharing management server 40, drone management server 50, and other area management server 60 are implemented, for example, by computers. The management server 20, taxi management server 30, ride-sharing management server 40, drone management server 50, and other area management server 60 may be configured by a single computer or may be implemented by distributed processing using multiple computers. The management server 20 and other area management server 60 may also be configured by a single computer. The management server 20, taxi management server 30, ride-sharing management server 40, drone management server 50, and other area management server 60 may also be implemented on virtual hardware provided by cloud computing.

[0024] The type of network used to connect the devices in the transportation system 1 is not particularly limited as long as it is capable of transmitting and receiving data. Examples of networks include the Internet, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and mobile communication systems such as 4G (4th Generation Mobile Communication) and 5G (5th Generation Mobile Communication). The communication lines used to transmit and receive data in the network may be wired or wireless. The network may also be configured to connect the devices in the transportation system 1 via multiple communication lines.

[0025] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the management server 20. As shown in FIG. The management server 20 includes an acquisition unit 201, a storage unit 202, a timing unit 203, a map creation unit 204, a time calculation unit 205, a location identification unit 206, a transportation identification unit 207, a request destination determination unit 208, a control unit 209, and a transmission unit 210. These functional units are realized by cooperation between the hardware of the management server 20 and a program. When the management server 20 is configured by a plurality of devices, the above-described plurality of functional units are realized by the cooperation of the plurality of devices that configure the management server 20.

[0026] The acquisition unit 201, which is an example of an acquisition means, acquires information from a device external to the management server 20. Examples of information acquired by the acquisition unit 201 include request information transmitted from the user terminal 10, and acceptance information transmitted from the taxi management server 30, the ride-share management server 40, the drone management server 50, and the other area management server 60. The storage unit 202 stores information acquired by the acquisition unit 201, information generated by the management server 20, etc. The contents of the information stored in the storage unit 202 will be described in detail later. The timekeeping unit 203 measures time. The timekeeping unit 203 may be, for example, a real time clock (RTC).

[0027] The map creation unit 204 creates a map. More specifically, the map creation unit 204 creates a map showing areas as candidate departure and arrival points for transportation, and information identifying rules that apply to transportation requests. The map creation unit 204 also changes the areas shown on the map in response to user operations on the user terminal 10. Note that, hereinafter, the information showing the map created by the map creation unit 204 may be referred to as map information. The time calculation unit 205 calculates time based on the time measured by the timing unit 203. The time calculation unit 205 calculates, for example, the time that has elapsed since the management server 20 started making a transportation request, or the time from the current time to a predetermined time. An example of the predetermined time is the time at which a specific rule is applied to transportation requests.

[0028] The location identification unit 206 identifies the relationship between the location of the area designated as the departure point of the transportation and the location of a specific area. Examples of specific areas include areas where rules applied to transportation requests differ from those of the area designated as the departure point of the transportation. The transportation identification unit 207 performs identification related to transportation. The transportation identification unit 207 identifies the acceptance rate for transportation requests, the predicted time from when a transportation request is accepted until the mobile object arrives at the departure point, etc. The acceptance rate is the ratio of the number of transportation requests that are accepted to the number of transportation requests. Furthermore, the identification by the transportation identification unit 207 may be performed for each business operator or for each mobile object. The request destination determination unit 208 determines a business operator to which transportation is to be requested in accordance with rules for requesting transportation that apply to the area designated by the user as the departure point or destination of transportation.

[0029] The control unit 209, which is an example of a display control means, controls each functional unit in the management server 20. When map information is requested by the user terminal 10, the control unit 209 causes the map creation unit 204 to create map information and causes the created map information to be displayed on the user terminal 10. Furthermore, when request information is acquired by the acquisition unit 201, the control unit 209 causes the request destination determination unit 208 to determine a destination to which the transport should be requested, and requests transport from the determined destination. Furthermore, when the transport request is accepted, the control unit 209 causes acceptance information to be displayed on the user terminal 10. The transmitting unit 210, which is an example of a transmitting means, transmits information to the user terminal 10, the taxi management server 30, the ride-sharing management server 40, the drone management server 50, and the other area management server 60. Examples of information transmitted by the transmitting unit 210 include map information, request information, and acceptance information.

[0030] Next, we will explain each area where rules that apply to transportation requests in the management area are defined, and the rules that apply to each area. Figure 3(a) is a schematic diagram of each area where rules are defined for transportation requests within the management area. In the following, we will explain the case where the management area is "City A," which is one of the cities, wards, towns, and villages. As shown in Figure 3(a), the management area is divided into six areas: Area A, Area B, Area C, Area D, Area E, and Area F. Each of these six areas has its own rules that apply to transportation requests. Note that the area that serves as the unit for determining the rules that apply to transportation requests is sometimes referred to as the applicable area below. The six applicable areas described above can also be considered as multiple areas, each with its own rules.

[0031] FIG. 3(b) is a diagram showing an example of a rule management table. The rule management table is a table for managing rules that apply to transportation requests. The rule management table is stored in the memory unit 202 of the management server 20. The information shown in the rule management table is information entered by the administrator of the management server 20. The rule management table shown in FIG. 3(b) manages rules that apply in City A, which is the management area. The rule management table shows "area," "coordinates," and "request rules." Note that "..." in the rule management table indicates that the description is omitted.

[0032] The contents of the rule management table will now be described in detail. "Area" indicates the applicable area. "Coordinates" shows the range of coordinates that correspond to the location of the applicable area. The "Request Rules" define the rules that apply to transportation requests within the applicable area. The "Request Rules" are also defined for the following time periods: "00:00-6:59," "7:00-9:59," "10:00-18:59," and "19:00-23:59." Here, "Taxi Priority" in the "Request Rules" means that the rule stipulates that taxis 31 are given priority over ride-share cars 41 when requesting transportation. The "Taxi" in the "Request Rules" means that the rule stipulates that ride-share cars 41 are not eligible for transportation requests, but taxis 31 are eligible for transportation requests. The "Ride Share" in the "Request Rules" means that the rule stipulates that taxis 31 are not eligible for transportation requests, but ride-share cars 41 are eligible for transportation requests.

[0033] When the request destination determination unit 208 is instructed by the control unit 209 to determine a destination to request transportation, it refers to the rule management table. Then, the request destination determination unit 208 determines a destination to request transportation in accordance with the "request rule" that corresponds to the time period to which the time of the transportation request and the time specified as the start time of transportation belong, among the "request rules" associated with the "applicable area" that corresponds to the departure point of the transportation. Note that, below, a rule that stipulates that taxis 31 are given priority over ride-share cars 41 when receiving transportation requests may be referred to as a taxi priority rule. The taxi priority rule is an example of a predetermined rule. Also, a rule that stipulates that taxis 31 are the target of transportation requests but ride-share cars 41 are not the target of transportation requests may be referred to as a taxi rule. The taxi rule is an example of a first rule that is different from a predetermined rule. Also, a rule that stipulates that taxis 31 are the target of transportation requests but ride-share cars 41 are not the target of transportation requests may be referred to as a ride-share rule. The ride-share rule is an example of a second rule that is different from both the predetermined rule and the first rule.

[0034] 4(a) is a diagram showing an example of a taxi management table. The taxi management table is a table for managing the taxis 31. The taxi management table is stored in the storage unit 202. The taxi management table shows "taxi," "location," and "availability." Note that "..." in the taxi management table indicates that the entry is omitted.

[0035] The contents of the taxi management table will now be described in detail. "Taxi" indicates information identifying the taxi 31. "Location" indicates the coordinates where the taxi 31 is located. "Available" indicates the availability of the taxi 31. An "o" next to "available" means that the taxi 31 is not currently in transit but is available for a new journey. An "x" next to "available" means that the taxi 31 is currently in transit and is not available for a new journey. The taxi management server 30 acquires information indicating the location of the taxi 31 and information indicating the availability of the taxi 31 from the taxi 31 at predetermined time intervals, and transmits the acquired information to the management server 20. Furthermore, when the information transmitted from the taxi management server 30 is acquired by the acquisition unit 201, the control unit 209 inputs the acquired information into the taxi management table, thereby updating the contents of the taxi management table.

[0036] 4(b) is a diagram showing an example of a ride-share management table. The ride-share management table is a table for managing ride-share cars 41. The ride-share management table is stored in the storage unit 202. The ride-share management table shows "ride-share," "location," and "availability." Note that "..." in the ride-share management table indicates that the entry is omitted.

[0037] The contents of the ride-share management table will now be described in detail. "Rideshare" shows information that identifies the rideshare car 41. "Location" shows the coordinates where the ride-share car 41 is located. "Available" indicates the availability of the ride-share car 41. An "o" next to "available" means that the ride-share car 41 is not currently in transit and is available for new transportation. An "x" next to "available" means that the ride-share car 41 is currently in transit and is not available for new transportation. The ride-sharing management server 40 acquires information indicating the location of the ride-sharing car 41 and information indicating the availability of the ride-sharing car 41 from the ride-sharing car 41 at predetermined time intervals, and transmits the acquired information to the management server 20. In addition, when the information transmitted from the ride-sharing management server 40 is acquired by the acquisition unit 201, the control unit 209 updates the contents of the ride-sharing management table by inputting the acquired information into the ride-sharing management table.

[0038] When new request information is acquired by the acquisition unit 201, the control unit 209 instructs the transportation specification unit 207 to calculate the time required for the mobile object to arrive at the departure point after the request is accepted, if the transportation request is accepted. Based on the information indicated in the "position" field in the taxi management table or the ride-share management table, the transportation specification unit 207 calculates the time required for the mobile object to travel from its current location to the departure point of the requested transportation as the predicted time required for the mobile object to arrive at the departure point after the transportation request is accepted. In addition, the mobile objects for which the time is calculated by the transportation specification unit 207 are mobile objects indicated with "○" in the "Available" field in the taxi management table or the ride-share management table, i.e., mobile objects that are available for new transportation.

[0039] Although not shown, the memory unit 202 may store a table for managing drones 51. That is, the memory unit 202 may store a table for managing moving objects for each category into which moving objects are classified. Examples of categories include a taxi category to which taxis 31 belong, a ride-share category to which ride-share cars 41 belong, and a drone category to which drones 51 belong. In this way, moving object categories are categorized according to the type of moving object, regardless of the location of the moving object. The taxi category is an example of a first category, which is a specific category. The ride-share category is an example of a second category that is different from the first category. The ride-share category and the drone category can both be considered as other categories that are different from a specific category among multiple categories.

[0040] 5 is a diagram showing an example of a history management table. The history management table is a table for managing the history of transportation requests. The history management table is stored in the storage unit 202. The history management table shows "Request," "Request Date and Time," "Request Area," "Request Rules," "Accepting Company," and "Arrival Time." Note that "..." in the history management table indicates that the entry has been omitted.

[0041] The contents of the history management table will now be described in detail. "Request" indicates information identifying a shipping request. The "Request Date and Time" indicates the date and time when the request information transmitted from the user terminal 10 was acquired by the acquisition unit 201 of the management server 20. The "Requested Area" indicates the applicable area corresponding to the requested transportation's departure point. "Request Rules" indicates the rules that apply to the request for transportation.

[0042] "Accepted Business" indicates the business that accepted the transportation request. "Taxi" indicated in "Accepted Business" means that a taxi business has accepted the transportation request. "Ride-share" indicated in "Accepted Business" means that a ride-share business has accepted the transportation request. "X" indicated in "Accepted Business" means that the transportation request was not accepted, for example, because the request was canceled by the user before it was accepted. "Ride-share" indicated in "Accepted Business" associated with "Taxi Priority" as a "Request Rule" means that the transportation request was not accepted by the taxi business, and then transportation was requested to a ride-share business, and the request was accepted by the ride-share business. The "arrival time" indicates the time required for the mobile object that is the subject of the request to arrive at the departure point of the transportation after the request for transportation is accepted. The time calculation unit 205 calculates the time required for the mobile object that is the subject of the request to arrive at the departure point of the transportation by referring to the time measured by the timing unit 203, and writes the calculated time in the "arrival time". The time calculation unit 205 also regards the timing when the acceptance information is acquired by the acquisition unit 201 as the timing when the request for transportation is accepted.

[0043] The control unit 209 instructs the transportation specification unit 207 to specify the acceptance rate of the request each time a new request history is written to the history management table. The transportation specification unit 207 specifies the acceptance rate of the request for each mobile body and the acceptance rate of the request for each classification into which the mobile bodies are classified, by referring to the history management table.

[0044] 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of map display processing. The map display processing is processing in which the management server 20 displays map information on the user terminal 10. In the present disclosure, the map display processing is started when the management server 20 receives a request for map information from the user terminal 10 in response to the user's operation of the user terminal 10. In this case, the user terminal 10 transmits location information relating to the latest location identified by the identification means 13 to the management server 20.

[0045] The map creation unit 204 of the management server 20 determines whether the rule applied to the provisional departure point of the transportation at the provisional time of the transportation is the taxi priority rule (step (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "S") 101). If immediate transportation is specified as the desired date and time of transportation, the provisional time of transportation is the current time. If transportation at a future date and time is specified as the desired date and time of transportation, the provisional time of transportation is the specified date and time. The provisional time of transportation may be referred to as the provisional time below. The provisional departure point of the transportation is a location specified as the departure point of the transportation by the user's operation on the user terminal 10. If the departure point of the transportation is not specified by the user, the location identified from the latest location information acquired by the acquisition unit 201, i.e., the user's current location, is set as the provisional departure point of the transportation. The provisional departure point of the transportation may be referred to as the provisional departure point below. The map creation unit 204 determines in the rule management table (see Figure 3(b)) that the "request rule" that corresponds to the time zone to which the provisional time belongs, among the "request rules" associated with the applicable area corresponding to the provisional departure point, as the rule to be applied to the provisional departure point at the provisional time. The current time as provisional time is the assumed time of the transportation request. Therefore, the current time as provisional time can be regarded as both the time related to the request and the time related to the start of transportation. Furthermore, the date and time specified as provisional time is the assumed time of the start of transportation. Therefore, the date and time specified as provisional time can also be regarded as both the time related to the request and the time related to the start of transportation.

[0046] If the rule applied to the provisional departure point at the provisional time is the taxi priority rule (YES in S101), the map creation unit 204 creates map information showing the area including the provisional departure point and the surrounding area of ​​the provisional departure point, and information indicating that the rule applied to the provisional departure point is the taxi priority rule (S102). Furthermore, if the rule applied to the temporary departure point at the temporary time is not the taxi priority rule (NO in S101), the map creation unit 204 determines whether the rule applied is the taxi rule (S103). If the rule applied is not the taxi rule (NO in S103), the map creation unit 204 creates map information indicating an area including the temporary departure point and the surrounding area of ​​the temporary departure point, and information indicating that the rule applied to the temporary departure point is the ride-sharing rule (S104).

[0047] Furthermore, if the rules applied to the temporary departure point at the temporary time are taxi rules (YES in S103), the map creation unit 204 creates map information indicating an area including the temporary departure point and the surrounding area of ​​the temporary departure point, and information indicating that the rules applied to the temporary departure point are taxi rules (S105). Furthermore, the control unit 209 determines whether or not a notification condition is satisfied (S106). The notification condition is a condition used by the control unit 209 to determine whether or not to notify the user of the conditions under which the taxi priority rule applies when the rules applied to the departure point of the transportation are different from the taxi priority rule. If the notification condition is satisfied, the control unit 209 decides to notify the user of the conditions under which the taxi priority rule applies. Furthermore, in the present disclosure, two conditions, a time condition and a location condition, are defined as notification conditions. Furthermore, in the present disclosure, if at least one of the time condition and the location condition is satisfied, the notification condition is considered to be satisfied.

[0048] The time condition will be explained. The time condition is a condition set for the time at which the taxi priority rule applies. In the present disclosure, the time condition is set such that the time from the tentative time to the time at which the taxi priority rule applies at the tentative departure point is equal to or shorter than a predetermined time. The predetermined time may be any time, but is, for example, 5 minutes. The control unit 209 causes the time calculation unit 205 to calculate the time from the tentative time to the time at which the taxi priority rule applies at the tentative departure point, and determines whether the time condition is satisfied based on whether the calculated time is equal to or shorter than the predetermined time. In addition, there are cases where the desired date and time of transportation and the departure point of transportation have already been determined, such as when a transportation request has already been made. In this case, the time condition is set such that the time from the desired date and time of transportation that has been determined until the time at the departure point of transportation at which the taxi priority rule applies is equal to or less than a predetermined time.

[0049] An example of the relationship between the provisional time and the time condition will be described. For example, assume that the tentative time is 9:50 and the tentative departure location is Area A. In this case, the rule that applies to the tentative departure location at the tentative time is the taxi rule (see Figure 3(b)). Furthermore, the time from the tentative time to 10:00, which is the time period when the taxi priority rule applies at the tentative departure location, is 10 minutes. In this case, the time condition is not satisfied because the time from the tentative time to the time when the taxi priority rule applies at the tentative departure location is longer than the predetermined time. Also, for example, assume that the tentative time is 9:58 and the tentative departure location is Area A. In this case, the time from the tentative time to 10:00, which is the time period in which the taxi priority rule applies at the tentative departure location, is 2 minutes. In this case, the time condition is met because the time from the tentative time to the time in which the taxi priority rule applies at the tentative departure location is less than the predetermined time. In other words, the notification condition is met.

[0050] The position condition will be explained. The location condition is a condition set for a location to which the taxi priority rule applies. In the present disclosure, the location condition is set such that the shortest distance from the temporary departure point to the area to which the taxi priority rule applies is equal to or less than a predetermined distance. The predetermined distance may be any distance, but is assumed to be 30 m, for example. The control unit 209 causes the location identification unit 206 to calculate the shortest distance from the temporary departure point to the area to which the taxi priority rule applies, and determines whether the location condition is satisfied based on whether the calculated distance is equal to or less than the predetermined distance. The location identification unit 206 also calculates the shortest distance from the temporary departure point to the area to which the taxi priority rule applies by referring to the position of each applicable area indicated in the "coordinates" field of the rule management table (see FIG. 3(b)). In addition, there are cases where the departure point of the transportation has already been determined, such as when a transportation request has already been made. In this case, the location condition is set such that the shortest distance from the determined departure point of the transportation to the area where the taxi priority rule applies is equal to or shorter than a predetermined distance.

[0051] If the notification conditions are met, in other words, if at least one of the time condition and the location condition is met (YES in S106), the control unit 209 creates information for notifying the user of the conditions under which the taxi priority rule applies (S107). Note that, hereinafter, the information for notifying the user of the conditions under which the taxi priority rule applies may be referred to as notification information. If the notification conditions are not met, that is, if neither the time condition nor the location condition is met (NO in S106), or after step 107, the control unit 209 transmits information such as map information created in the map creation unit 204 to the user terminal 10 via the transmission unit 210, thereby displaying the information on the user terminal 10 (S108). Note that if notification information has been created in step 107, the control unit 209 displays the notification information together with the map information on the user terminal 10 in step 108.

[0052] 7(a) is a diagram showing a request reception screen 70. The request reception screen 70 is an image for receiving a transportation request from a user. In the present disclosure, when a map display process (see FIG. 6) is performed, the request reception screen 70 is displayed on the display unit 11 of the user terminal 10. In the following, it is assumed that the request reception screen 70 shown in Fig. 7(a) is displayed as a result of the map display process being performed when the tentative time is 19:10 and the tentative departure point is Area D. In this case, the rule applied to the tentative departure point is the taxi priority rule (see Fig. 3(b)).

[0053] As shown in FIG. 7(a), a request reception screen 70 displays a time display section 71, a map image 72, and a request reception image 73. The current time is displayed in the time display section 71. In the illustrated example, the time display section 71 displays the text "19:10", which is the current time. The map image 72, which is an example of map information, is an image showing a map including areas that are candidates for the departure point of transportation. Although detailed explanation will be omitted, the map shown in the map image 72 is displayed with its orientation (north, south, east, and west directions) rotated in response to a user's operation on the display unit 11. The map image 72 also shows a map display area 721, a departure point display area 722, a current location display area 723, a boundary area 724, and an application rule display area 725.

[0054] The map display unit 721 displays a map of an area including the temporary departure point and the surrounding area of ​​the temporary departure point. In the illustrated example, the map display unit 721 displays an area D display unit 721D that is a map of area D that corresponds to the temporary departure point, and an area A display unit 721A that is a map of area A that corresponds to the surrounding area of ​​the temporary departure point. Note that in the illustrated example, map details such as roads are omitted for areas of the map display unit 721 that are different from the area that corresponds to the temporary departure point, but this is not limited to this. Map details may be displayed for any of the areas displayed in the map display unit 721. The departure point display section 722 is an image showing a position within the area shown in the map display section 721 that corresponds to the tentative departure point. The current location display section 723 is an image showing the user's current location. The user's current location shown in the current location display section 723 is a location identified by the identification means 13 of the user terminal 10. In the illustrated example, the departure location display section 722 and the current location display section 723 show the same location. In other words, the tentative departure location is the user's current location.

[0055] Boundary 724 is an image showing the boundary between the two application areas. In the illustrated example, boundary 724 is shown by a dashed line at the boundary between area D display area 721D and area A display area 721A. The applicable rule display section 725 is an image showing the rules that apply to the applicable area. In the illustrated example, the part of the map image 72 that overlaps with the area A display section 721A displays the text "'Taxi' applicable area," which indicates that the rules that apply to area A at the current time, 7:10 p.m., are taxi rules (see FIG. 3(b)). When only the area corresponding to the tentative departure point is displayed in the map display portion 721, the boundary portion 724 and the applicable rule display portion 725 are not displayed in the map image 72.

[0056] The request reception image 73 receives a transportation request from a user. The request reception image 73 includes a rule display section 731, a departure point reception section 732, an arrival point reception section 733, a time reception section 734, a target reception section 735, and a request reception section 736. The rule that applies to the tentative departure point at the tentative time is displayed in the rule display section 731. In the illustrated example, the rule display section 731 displays the text "Rule applied to departure point: 'Taxi priority'", which indicates that the rule that applies to the tentative departure point at the tentative time is the taxi priority rule.

[0057] The departure point receiving unit 732 is an image for receiving a user's designation of the departure point of the transportation. In the present disclosure, the user can input the location of the departure point into the departure point receiving unit 732 by operation, and the location input into the departure point receiving unit 732 is designated as the departure point of the transportation. Note that if the user does not designate the departure point of the transportation, the departure point receiving unit 732 displays the location identified by the identification means 13 of the user terminal 10 as the user's current location. The destination reception unit 733 is an image for receiving a user's designation of the destination of transportation. In the present disclosure, the location of the destination can be input into the destination reception unit 733 by a user's operation, and the location input into the destination reception unit 733 is designated as the destination of transportation. Note that even if no information is input into the destination reception unit 733, a transportation request is accepted.

[0058] The time accepting section 734 is an image for accepting a desired time of transportation. The time accepting section 734 includes an immediate accepting section 7341, a designated time accepting section 7342, and a selection identifying section 7343. The immediate acceptance section 7341 is an image for accepting a request for immediate delivery. When the user presses the immediate acceptance section 7341, the request for immediate delivery is accepted. The designated time accepting section 7342 is an image for accepting a designation of a desired time for future transportation. In the present disclosure, a time can be input into the designated time accepting section 7342 by a user operation, and the time input into the designated time accepting section 7342 is accepted as the desired time for future transportation. The selection identification portion 7343 is an image for identifying whether the immediate reception portion 7341 or the specified item reception portion 7342 is selected. In the illustrated example, a thick frame as the selection identification portion 7343 surrounds the immediate reception portion 7341, allowing the user to recognize that the immediate reception portion 7341 has been selected.

[0059] The object receiving section 735 is an image for receiving the designation of an object to be transported. The object receiving section 735 includes a person receiving section 7351, a parcel receiving section 7352, and a selection identifying section 7353. The person accepting section 7351 is an image for accepting the designation of a person as an object to be transported. When the user presses the person accepting section 7351, the designation of a person as an object to be transported is accepted. The luggage receiving section 7352 is an image for receiving the designation of luggage as an object to be transported. When the user presses the luggage receiving section 7352, the designation of luggage as an object to be transported is received. Note that luggage as an object to be transported is luggage that is not a person. Selection identification section 7353 is an image for identifying whether person reception section 7351 or luggage reception section 7352 is selected. In the illustrated example, a thick frame as selection identification section 7353 surrounds person reception section 7351, allowing the user to recognize that person reception section 7351 has been selected.

[0060] The request receiving unit 736 receives a transportation request. When the request receiving unit 736 is pressed by the user, the user terminal 10 transmits information including the content shown in the request receiving image 73 to the management server 20 as request information. In addition, the request information includes information indicating a location designated as the departure point of the transportation, information indicating a location designated as the arrival point of the transportation, information indicating a desired time of transportation, and information indicating whether the object to be transported is a person or a package. Furthermore, the map shown in the map image 72 is displayed enlarged or reduced in accordance with the user's operation of the display unit 11. When the request reception screen 70 shown in Fig. 7(a) is displayed on the display unit 11 of the user terminal 10 and the user operates the display unit 11 to enlarge the map shown in the map image 72, the map shown in the map image 72 is displayed enlarged, as shown in Fig. 7(b).

[0061] In the example shown in Figure 7(b), the map display portion 721 of the map image 72 displays an area D display portion 721D, an area A display portion 721A, an area B display portion 721B which is a map of area B, and an area E display portion 721E which is a map of area E. Furthermore, a boundary portion 724 is displayed at each boundary between the area D display portion 721D, the area A display portion 721A, the area B display portion 721B, and the area E display portion 721E. Furthermore, in the portion overlapping with the area D display portion 721D, an application rule display portion 725 is displayed, which is made up of the text "'Taxi Priority' Applicable Area," indicating that the rule that applies to area D at the current time, 7:10 p.m., is the taxi priority rule (see Figure 3(b)). In addition, the portion overlapping with the B area display portion 721B displays an applicable rule display portion 725 consisting of the text "'Taxi Priority' Applicable Area," which indicates that the rule that applies to the B area at the current time, 7:10 p.m., is the taxi priority rule. In addition, in the portion overlapping with the E area display portion 721E, an applicable rule display portion 725 consisting of the text "'Ride Share' Applicable Area," which indicates that the rule that applies to the E area at the current time, 7:10 p.m., is the ride share rule. The applicable rule display portion 725 also continues to be displayed in the portion overlapping with the A area display portion 721A. In addition, as the map shown in the map image 72 is enlarged, map details such as roads are omitted from the D area display section 721D, while the departure point display section 722 and current location display section 723 continue to be displayed.

[0062] As described above, in the present disclosure, the control unit 209 displays information about a plurality of applicable areas on the user terminal 10 in a manner that makes it possible to distinguish between areas to which predetermined rules apply and areas to which predetermined rules do not apply (see FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b)). As described above, an example of a predetermined rule is the taxi priority rule. In this case, the user can be made aware of whether or not a predetermined rule is applied to each applicable area.

[0063] Note that the manner in which it is possible to distinguish between areas where the taxi priority rule applies and areas where the taxi priority rule does not apply is not limited to the examples shown in FIGS. 7( a) and 7(b). For example, the control unit 209 may enable the distinction between areas where the taxi priority rule applies and areas where the taxi priority rule does not apply by displaying the map display section 721 relating to areas where the taxi priority rule applies and the map display section 721 relating to areas where the taxi priority rule does not apply in different colors. Furthermore, the control unit 209 may enable the distinction between areas where the taxi priority rule applies and areas where the taxi priority rule does not apply by displaying the map display section 721 relating to areas where the taxi priority rule applies and the map display section 721 relating to areas where the taxi priority rule does not apply in different display sizes. For example, the control unit 209 may display the map display section 721 relating to areas where the taxi priority rule applies larger than the display size of the map display section 721 relating to areas where the taxi priority rule does not apply. In addition, the control unit 209 may make it possible to distinguish between areas where the taxi priority rule applies and areas where it does not apply, for example, by displaying a symbol indicating whether the taxi priority rule applies or not for each map display unit 721 with a different applicable area. Furthermore, the information regarding the multiple applicable areas is not limited to information in the form of a map, but may be information in the form of text. Furthermore, the timing at which information regarding multiple applicable areas is displayed on the user terminal 10 in a manner that makes it possible to distinguish between areas to which predetermined rules apply and areas to which predetermined rules do not apply may be not only before the user terminal 10 requests transportation from the management server 20, but also during the request.

[0064] Next, the information displayed on the request reception screen 70 when the notification conditions are met in the map display process (see FIG. 6) will be described. Fig. 8(a) is a diagram showing an example of the request acceptance screen 70 displayed on the display unit 11 when the time condition is satisfied. In the following, it is assumed that the map display process is performed when the tentative time is 9:59 and the area corresponding to the tentative departure point is Area A, resulting in the request acceptance screen 70 shown in Fig. 8(a) being displayed. In this case, the rules applied to the tentative departure point at the tentative time are taxi rules (see Fig. 3(b)).

[0065] 8(a) on the request reception screen 70, the rule display section 731 displays the text "Rule applied to departure point: 'Taxi'" indicating that the rule applied to the tentative departure point at the tentative time is the taxi rule. The time display section 71 also displays the text "9:59" which is the current time. Furthermore, the map image 72 of the request reception screen 70 shown in FIG. 8(a) shows a priority time notification section 726. The priority time notification section 726, which is an example of notification information, is information for notifying the user of the time conditions for when the taxi priority rule applies. That is, in this example, the time from the tentative time of 9:59 to 10:00 (see FIG. 3(b)), the time when the taxi priority rule applies at the tentative departure point, is less than or equal to the predetermined time, and the time condition is met, so the priority time notification section 726 is displayed. In the example shown, the priority time notification section 726 shows the text "At 10:00, the rule applied to the departure point becomes 'taxi priority'." which includes information indicating the time when the taxi priority rule applies.

[0066] FIG. 8(b) is a diagram showing an example of the request reception screen 70 displayed on the display unit 11 when the location condition is satisfied. In the following, it is assumed that the map display process is performed when the tentative time is 20:00 and the area corresponding to the tentative departure point is Area A, resulting in the request reception screen 70 shown in FIG. 8(b) being displayed. In this case, the rules applicable to the tentative departure point at the tentative time are taxi rules (see FIG. 3(b)). In addition, in this example, it is assumed that the shortest distance from the tentative departure point to Area B is 20 m. In addition, in the illustrated example, only the Area A display portion 721A is displayed on the map display unit 721, and no map of an applicable area other than Area A is displayed. 8(b) on the request reception screen 70, the rule display section 731 displays the text "Rule applied to departure point: 'Taxi'," indicating that the rule applied to the tentative departure point is the taxi rule. The time display section 71 displays the text "20:00," which is the current time.

[0067] Furthermore, a priority position notification section 727 and a direction display section 728 are displayed on the map image 72 of the request reception screen 70 shown in FIG. 8(b). The priority location notification unit 727, which is an example of notification information, is information for notifying the user of the location conditions of the departure location to which the taxi priority rule applies. That is, in this example, the shortest distance of "20 m" from the provisional departure location to Area B (see FIG. 3(b)) to which the taxi priority rule applies at the provisional time is less than or equal to the predetermined distance, and the location condition is satisfied, so the priority location notification unit 727 is displayed. In the example shown, the priority location notification unit 727 displays the text "If an area 20 m away is specified as the departure location, the 'taxi priority' rule will apply." which includes information indicating the location of the departure location to which the taxi priority rule applies. The direction display unit 728, which is an example of notification information, is information indicating the direction of the location of an applicable area where the taxi priority rule applies, relative to the location indicated by the departure point display unit 722. In the illustrated example, an upward arrow is displayed as the direction display unit 728, suggesting that Area B, where the taxi priority rule applies, is located in the upward direction in the map display unit 721, relative to the location indicated by the departure point display unit 722. In this way, even when only a map of the area corresponding to the tentative departure point is displayed on the map display unit 721, the location of the applicable area where the taxi priority rule applies is recognized by the user by displaying the direction display unit 728.

[0068] In the present disclosure, map display processing (see FIG. 6) is performed every time the tentative time or tentative departure point changes, even when the request reception screen 70 is displayed on the user terminal 10. In this case, the request reception screen 70 displayed on the user terminal 10 is updated to content according to the result of the latest map display processing. Therefore, for example, after the request reception screen 70 shown in Figure 8(a) is displayed on the user terminal 10, when the tentative time becomes 10:00 or the tentative departure point becomes Area B, the rule display section 731 displays the text "Rule applicable to departure point: 'Taxi priority'", indicating that the rule applicable to the tentative departure point at the tentative time is the taxi priority rule. Also, for example, after the request reception screen 70 shown in Figure 7(a) is displayed on the user terminal 10, when the tentative time becomes 00:00 or the tentative departure location becomes Area C, the rule display section 731 displays the text "Rule applicable to departure location: Ride share," indicating that the rule applicable to the tentative departure location at the tentative time is a ride share rule. In addition, when the location of the destination of the transportation is input into the destination reception section 733, the map image 72 may display a map display section 721 showing a map including the departure point of the specified transportation and the destination of the specified transportation.

[0069] 9(a) and 9(b) are flowcharts showing the flow of the mobile object determination process. The mobile object determination process is a process in which the transportation system 1 determines a mobile object to be used for requested transportation. In the present disclosure, the mobile object determination process is started when the management server 20 acquires request information, that is, when the request reception unit 736 is selected on the request reception screen 70 (see FIG. 7(a)). The control unit 209 of the management server 20 determines whether the object to be transported for the requested transportation is a person (S201). The control unit 209 determines whether the object to be transported is a person from the request information acquired by the acquisition unit 201.

[0070] If the object to be transported is a person (YES in S201), the control unit 209 determines whether the rule applied to the departure point of the transportation is the taxi priority rule (S202). The control unit 209 identifies the departure point of the transportation and the desired time of transportation from the request information. Then, the control unit 209 references the rule management table (see FIG. 3(b)) and determines whether the rule applied to the departure point at the desired time of transportation is the taxi priority rule. Note that, if a transportation request is generated by selecting the request reception unit 736 while the immediate reception unit 7341 is selected on the request reception screen 70, the desired time of transportation is the current time, which can also be regarded as the time when the request was generated. Also, if a transportation request is generated by selecting the request reception unit 736 while the specified time reception unit 7342 is selected on the request reception screen 70, the desired time of transportation is the time input into the specified time reception unit 7342 as the start time of transportation. Here, the time when the transportation request is generated can be regarded as both the time of request and the start time of transportation. Furthermore, the time input into the designated time receiving section 7342 can also be regarded as the time of the request or the start time of the transportation. In other words, the request information includes information relating to the time of the request or the start time of the transportation. In addition, the departure point of the transportation specified in the request that is the target of the mobile unit determination process may be referred to as the target departure point below.In addition, the desired time of the transportation specified in the request that is the target of the mobile unit determination process may be referred to as the target time below.

[0071] If the rule applied to the target departure point at the target time is the taxi priority rule (YES in S202), the control unit 209 determines whether the restriction condition is satisfied (S203). The restriction condition is a condition that restricts the application of the taxi priority rule to a transportation request. In this disclosure, two conditions are defined as the restriction condition: an acceptance condition and a time condition. Furthermore, in this disclosure, the restriction condition is considered to be satisfied when both the acceptance condition and the time condition are satisfied. In other words, if at least one of the acceptance condition and the time condition is not satisfied, the restriction condition is considered not to be satisfied.

[0072] The acceptance conditions are set forth in terms of the taxi company's acceptance rate for transportation requests. More specifically, the acceptance conditions are set forth in terms of the taxi company's acceptance rate for past transportation requests in which the desired transportation time falls within the same time period as the target time and the departure point of the transportation falls within the same applicable area as the target departure point, being less than a predetermined rate. The same time period as the target time is the time period to which the target time belongs, among the time periods separated for the "request rule" in the rule management table (see Figure 3(b)). The predetermined rate may be any value, but is, for example, 50%. The control unit 209 causes the transportation specification unit 207 to specify an acceptance rate based on the results for each request, that is, whether or not a past transportation request in which the departure point of the transportation falls within the same applicable area as the target departure point was accepted by the taxi 31. Then, the control unit 209 determines whether or not the acceptance condition is met based on whether or not the acceptance rate specified by the transportation specification unit 207 is less than a predetermined rate. Furthermore, the transportation specification unit 207 specifies the acceptance rate by referring to the history management table (see FIG. 5). The acceptance conditions are conditions related to each taxi 31. Therefore, the acceptance conditions can be regarded as conditions determined for each taxi 31, and also as conditions determined for each taxi category.

[0073] The time condition is set as the time from when the transportation request is accepted until when the taxi 31 arrives at the target departure point. More specifically, the time condition is set as a condition that, when the transportation request is accepted by the taxi 31, there is no taxi 31 whose predicted time from when the transportation request is accepted until when the taxi 31 arrives at the target departure point is less than a predetermined time. The predetermined time may be any time, but is, for example, 15 minutes. The control unit 209 causes the transportation specification unit 207 to specify a predicted time from when the transportation request is accepted until the taxi 31 arrives at the target departure point, when the transportation request is accepted by the taxi 31, in order from the taxi 31 closest to the target departure point. Then, the control unit 209 determines whether the time condition is satisfied based on whether there is any taxi 31 for which the predicted time specified by the transportation specification unit 207 is less than a predetermined time.

[0074] If the restriction condition is not satisfied (NO in S203), the control unit 209 requests transportation from a taxi company with priority over a ride-sharing company (S204). More specifically, the control unit 209 requests transportation from a taxi company by causing the transmission unit 210 to transmit request information to the taxi management server 30. The control unit 209 determines whether the transportation request has been accepted by the requested party (S205). The control unit 209 determines whether the transportation request has been accepted based on whether acceptance information has been acquired by the acquisition unit 201. Furthermore, if the transportation request is accepted (YES in S205), the control unit 209 notifies the user terminal 10 of information about the transportation by the accepted carrier by transmitting the information to the user terminal 10 via the transmission unit 210 (S206). This ends the moving object determination process.

[0075] Furthermore, if the transportation request has not been accepted (NO in S205), the control unit 209 determines whether the update condition is met (S207). The update condition is a condition under which the rule applied to the target departure point at the target time is updated. In the present disclosure, the update condition is defined as the current time arriving in a time zone that is different from the time zone to which the time when the request destination is determined belongs, among the time zones defined for the "request rule" in the rule management table (see FIG. 3(b)). If the update condition is met (YES in S207), the process is repeated from step 202. In other words, if the update condition is met, the rules that apply to the target departure point at the target time are updated, and then the target business operator to which transportation is requested is determined again.

[0076] If the update condition is not satisfied (NO in S207), the control unit 209 determines whether the change condition is satisfied (S208). The change condition is a condition under which the control unit 209 stops the preferential request to the taxi company and changes the transportation request destination from the taxi company to a ride-sharing company. In the present disclosure, the change condition is defined as a time period that has elapsed since the request to the taxi company for transportation was initiated without the request being accepted being equal to or greater than a predetermined time. The predetermined time period may be any time period, but is, for example, five minutes. The control unit 209 causes the time calculation unit 205 to calculate the time period that has elapsed since the request to the taxi company for transportation was initiated without the request being accepted, and determines whether the change condition is satisfied based on whether the calculated time period is equal to or greater than a predetermined time period. If the change condition is not satisfied (NO in S208), the process is repeated from step 205. In other words, the control unit 209 continues to request the taxi company for preferential transportation until the time that has passed since the request for transportation to the taxi company was initiated without the request being accepted reaches or exceeds a predetermined time.

[0077] Furthermore, if the restriction condition is satisfied (YES in S203) or if the change condition is satisfied (YES in S208), the control unit 209 determines whether the destination of the transportation is an area outside the management area (S209). The control unit 209 determines whether the destination of the transportation identified from the request information is an area outside the management area by referring to the request information acquired by the acquisition unit 201. Note that if the request acceptance unit 736 is selected without inputting the destination of the transportation in the destination acceptance unit 733 of the request acceptance screen 70, in other words, if the request information does not include information indicating the destination of the transportation, a negative result is obtained in step 209 (NO in S209).

[0078] If the destination of the transportation is not outside the management area (NO in S209), the control unit 209 requests transportation from the ride-sharing operator by having the transmission unit 210 send request information to the ride-sharing management server 40 (S210). The control unit 209 determines whether the transportation request has been accepted by the requested party (S211). If the transportation request is accepted (S211), the control unit 209 notifies the user terminal 10 of information about the transportation by the accepted carrier by transmitting the information to the user terminal 10 via the transmission unit 210 (S206). This ends the moving object determination process. If the transportation request has not been accepted (NO in S211), the control unit 209 determines whether the update condition is satisfied (S212). If the update condition is met (YES in S212), the process from step 202 is repeated. If the renewal condition is not satisfied (NO in S212), the process is repeated from step 211. In other words, the control unit 209 continues to request transportation from the business operator until the renewal condition is satisfied.

[0079] Furthermore, in step 209, if the destination of the transportation is an area outside the management area (YES in S209), the control unit 209 requests transportation from the ride-sharing business operator and the area outside the management area via the transmission unit 210 (S213). More specifically, the control unit 209 requests transportation in the management area from the ride-sharing business operator, and requests transportation from the business operator via the other area management server 60 by connecting from the management area to the area outside the management area. After this, the process proceeds to step 211. In step 211 after step 213, a positive result is obtained (YES in S211) only if both the request for transportation in the management area and the request for transportation by connecting from the management area to an area outside the management area are accepted. In other words, in step 211 after step 213, a negative result is obtained (NO in S211) if at least one of the request for transportation in the management area and the request for transportation by connecting from the management area to an area outside the management area is not accepted.

[0080] Furthermore, if the rule applied to the target departure point at the target time is not the taxi priority rule (NO in S202), the control unit 209 determines whether the rule applied to the target departure point at the target time is the taxi rule (S214). If the rule applied to the target departure point at the target time is not the taxi rule (NO in S214), it means that the rule applied to the target departure point at the target time is the ride-share rule. In this case, proceed to step 209.

[0081] Furthermore, if the rule applied to the target departure point at the target time is the taxi rule (YES in S214), the control unit 209 determines whether the notification condition (see step 106 in FIG. 6) is satisfied (S215). If the notification condition is met (YES in S215), the control unit 209 transmits the notification information to the user terminal 10 via the transmission unit 210, thereby causing the notification information to be displayed on the display unit 11 of the user terminal 10 (S216). If the notification condition is not satisfied (NO in S215) or after step 216, the control unit 209 requests transportation from the taxi company by having the transmission unit 210 transmit request information to the taxi management server 30 (S217). After this, the process proceeds to step 211.

[0082] Also, if the object to be transported is not a person (NO in S201), that is, if the object to be transported is luggage, the control unit 209 requests transportation from the drone operator by having the transmission unit 210 send request information to the drone management server 50 (S218). If the request to the drone operator is accepted (YES in S218), the control unit 209 notifies the user terminal 10 by transmitting information about the transportation by the drone operator to the user terminal 10 via the transmission unit 210 (S206). This ends the moving object determination process. Also, if the request to the drone operator is not accepted, the process is repeated from step 218.

[0083] As described above, in the present disclosure, when the rules in a specific area specified for the transportation object among multiple areas are predetermined rules, the transmission unit 210 of the management server 20 transmits a request preferentially to a request destination targeted at a mobile object belonging to a specific category among multiple categories into which the mobile object is divided. In other words, the transmission unit 210 transmits a request targeted at a mobile object classified according to the specific area. Examples of the specific area include an area corresponding to the current location of the user who is the transportation object, and an area corresponding to a location designated as the departure point for transportation of the transportation object. As described above, examples of the predetermined rule include the taxi priority rule. Examples of the specific category include the taxi category. Examples of the request destination targeted at a mobile object belonging to a specific category include a taxi company.

[0084] Here, for example, depending on the area, it may be preferable to not only make taxis 31 the subject of transportation requests, but also to make mobile units other than taxis 31 the subject of transportation requests. An example of a case where it is preferable to make mobile units other than taxis 31 the subject of transportation requests is when, in a specific area, the number of taxis 31 is insufficient to meet transportation demand if only taxis 31 are the subject of transportation requests. On the other hand, when not only taxis 31 but also mobile units other than taxis 31 are subject to transportation requests, it may be necessary to prevent an excessive decrease in transportation opportunities by taxis 31 compared to when only taxis 31 are the subject of transportation requests. Therefore, in the present disclosure, when the rule in a specific area is a taxi priority rule, the transmission unit 210 transmits the request to a taxi business operator with priority. In this case, not only taxis 31 but also ride-share cars 41 can be the targets of transportation requests. Furthermore, compared to a configuration in which the transmission unit 210 requests transportation equally from taxi businesses and ride-share businesses, an excessive decrease in opportunities for transportation by taxis 31 can be suppressed. Therefore, transportation in response to a request can be realized by simultaneously targeting multiple categories of mobile bodies for transportation requests and suppressing an excessive decrease in opportunities for transportation by taxis 31 compared to a case in which transportation requests are made only to taxis 31.

[0085] In addition, when the transmission unit 210 has sent a request to a taxi company as a priority and the change condition is met (see Figure 9(a)), it stops sending the request to the taxi company and sends the request to the ride-sharing company. Furthermore, if the rules in a specific area are different from the taxi priority rules, the management server 20 does not give priority to requests to taxi businesses.

[0086] Furthermore, in the present disclosure, when the rules in the specific area are taxi rules, the transmission unit 210 transmits a request to a taxi company without transmitting a request to a ride-sharing company that is the request recipient for the ride-sharing car 41. And, when the rules in the specific area are ride-sharing rules, the transmission unit 210 transmits a request to a ride-sharing company without transmitting a request to a taxi company. In this case, the operator that is given the opportunity to transport goods can be switched depending on the regulations in a particular area.

[0087] Furthermore, in the present disclosure, if the rule for the specific area that is applied at the time regarding the start of transportation or the time of the request is a taxi priority rule, the transmission unit 210 transmits the request to the taxi business operator with priority. In this case, it is possible to realize transportation in response to a request by simultaneously making multiple categories of mobile vehicles the subject of transportation requests depending on the time of the start of transportation or the time of the request, and preventing an excessive decrease in opportunities for transportation by taxis 31 compared to when transportation requests are made only to taxis 31.

[0088] In addition, if the rules for a specific area that apply at a time not related to the start of transportation or when there is no request are taxi priority rules, but the rules for a specific area that apply at a time related to the start of transportation or when there is a request are rules that are different from the taxi priority rules, the management server 20 will not prioritize requests to taxi operators.

[0089] Furthermore, in the present disclosure, when the destination of the requested transportation is an area outside the management area, the control unit 209 requests a ride-sharing business operator for transportation in the management area via the transmission unit 210, and requests a business operator for transportation via a transfer from the management area to an area outside the management area via the other area management server 60. In this case, the request for transportation from the departure point and the request for transportation to the arrival point are targeted at different mobile bodies. In other words, when the arrival point satisfies predetermined conditions, the transmission unit 210 transmits the request for transportation from the departure point and the request for transportation to the arrival point to different mobile bodies. Examples of information regarding the transportation destination include information input to the arrival point reception unit 733. Examples of predetermined conditions include the arrival point being an area outside the management area. In the case of transportation by ride-share vehicle 41 departing from a management area, transportation outside the management area by ride-share vehicle 41 may be restricted, for example, if transportation outside the management area by ride-share vehicle 41 is not permitted. Even in this case, according to the present disclosure, management server 20 requests transportation not only within the management area, but also to areas outside the management area. Therefore, the user does not need to make separate requests for transportation within the management area and for transportation to areas outside the management area.

[0090] Also, in the present disclosure, when the object to be transported is luggage, the transmission unit 210 transmits a request to a drone operator, rather than to a taxi operator. In this case, it is possible to switch between a plurality of moving bodies belonging to different categories to be used for transportation depending on the object to be transported.

[0091] In addition, in the present disclosure, when the restriction condition is satisfied (see step 203 in FIG. 9(a)), the request for transportation to the taxi company is restricted. In other words, when the restriction condition is satisfied, even if the rule in the specific area is a taxi priority rule, the transmission unit 210 restricts the transmission of a priority request to the taxi company and transmits the request to the ride-sharing company. In this case, compared to a configuration in which requests are unconditionally sent to taxi operators as a priority if the rules in a specific area are taxi priority rules, flexibility can be provided in the operation of multiple mobile bodies belonging to different categories.

[0092] The content of the limiting condition is not limited to the above example. For example, the limiting condition may be that all taxis 31 located within a predetermined distance from the departure point of the transportation are currently in transportation and therefore cannot provide new transportation. The predetermined distance may be any distance, for example, 5 km. Furthermore, for example, a limiting condition may be set such that, for past transportation requests accepted by a taxi 31, the average time from when the transportation request was accepted until the taxi 31 arrived at the target departure point is equal to or longer than a predetermined time. The predetermined time may be any time, for example, 10 minutes. Furthermore, the target past transportation may be a transportation for which a desired time for transportation was specified that falls within a time period to which the same rules as the target time apply, and whose departure point was in the same applicable area as the target departure point. In this way, the restriction conditions may be any conditions defined for the taxi 31 or the taxi classification.

[0093] In addition, the "restrictive condition that none of the taxis 31 located within a predetermined distance from the departure point of the transportation are able to provide transportation" and the above-mentioned "time condition" can also be considered as conditions set forth regarding the situation of the taxi 31. In addition, "as a restrictive condition, for past transportation requests accepted by taxi 31, the average time from when the transportation request was accepted until taxi 31 arrived at the target departure point must be greater than or equal to a predetermined time," and the above-mentioned "acceptance condition" can also be considered as conditions set for taxi 31's history.

[0094] Furthermore, although not shown in the figures in this disclosure, the other area management server 60 has a similar configuration to the management server 20, although the area it manages is different from that of the management server 20. Additionally, in this disclosure, if the transportation request received from the user terminal 10 extends to an area different from the area under management, the management server 20 requests the other area management server 60 to provide transportation via a transfer. On the other hand, if the transportation request received from the user terminal 10 extends to the area under management of the management server 20, the other area management server 60 requests the management server 20 to provide transportation via a transfer. In this case, the management server 20 determines the business operator to request transportation from in accordance with the rules applicable to this transportation request, and requests transportation from the business operator by sending request information to the mobile unit management server corresponding to the determined business operator. Furthermore, if the transportation request is accepted, the management server 20 sends acceptance information to the other area management server 60.

[0095] FIG. 10(a) is a diagram showing an example of a transportation notification screen 80. The transportation notification screen 80 is a screen for notifying the user of information related to transportation for which a request has been accepted. In the present disclosure, when a transportation request is accepted in the moving object determination process (see FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b)), the transportation notification screen 80 is displayed on the display unit 11 of the user terminal 10. The transportation notification screen 80 shows a time display section 81, an acceptance notification section 82, and a transportation notification image 83. Note that FIG. 10(a) shows an example of the transportation notification screen 80 that is displayed when transportation is completed in a management area. The time display section 81 shows the current time. The acceptance notification section 82 is an image for notifying the user that the transportation request from the user has been accepted. In the illustrated example, the acceptance notification section 82 displays the text "Request accepted."

[0096] The transportation notification image 83 is an image for notifying the user of information regarding the transportation request that has been accepted. The transportation notification image 83 shows an object display area 831, a position display area 832, an arrival time display area 833, a moving object display area 834, and a price display area 835. The object display section 831 displays information indicating whether the object to be transported is a person or a parcel. In the illustrated example, the object display section 831 displays the text "Object to be transported: Person", which means that the object to be transported is a person. If the object to be transported is a parcel, the object display section 831 displays the text "Object to be transported: Parcel", which means that the object to be transported is a person.

[0097] The departure point and arrival point of the transportation are displayed in the location display section 832. In the illustrated example, the location display section 832 displays the text "Departure point: 4-15-4, City A," which indicates the departure point of the transportation, and the text "Arrival point: 6-3-4, City A," which indicates the arrival point of the transportation. The arrival time display unit 833 displays the predicted time when the mobile body used for transportation will arrive at the departure point. In the illustrated example, the arrival time display unit 833 displays the text "Predicted time of arrival at departure point: 7:15 PM," which means the predicted time when the mobile body will arrive at the departure point. The time displayed in the arrival time display unit 833 is the time determined by the transportation determination unit 207 based on the predicted time from when the transportation request is accepted until when the mobile body will arrive at the departure point.

[0098] The type of vehicle used for transportation is displayed in the vehicle display section 834. In the illustrated example, the text "Vehicle Type: Ride Share" is displayed, which means that the vehicle used for transportation is a ride share car 41. The predicted amount of the transportation fee is displayed in the amount display section 835. In the illustrated example, the amount display section 835 displays the text "Predicted amount: 980 yen", which indicates the predicted transportation fee. Note that the predicted amount of the transportation fee displayed in the amount display section 835 may be calculated by the management server 20 or may be calculated by the mobile object used for transportation.

[0099] Figure 10(b) is a diagram showing an example of a transportation notification screen 80. Figure 10(b) shows an example of the transportation notification screen 80 that is displayed when the departure point of the transportation is in a management area and the arrival point of the transportation is in an area outside the management area. Regarding the transportation notification screen 80 shown in Figure 10(b), the configuration that differs from the transportation notification screen 80 shown in Figure 10(a) will be described, and a description of the configuration that is the same as the transportation notification screen 80 shown in Figure 10(a) will be omitted. The location display section 832 of the transportation notification screen 80 shown in FIG. 10(b) displays the text "Destination: 2-10-6, City B," which means that the destination of the transportation is outside the management area.

[0100] 10(b) shows the type of vehicle used for transportation from the departure point to the location where the vehicle transfer occurs, and the type of vehicle used for transportation from the location where the vehicle transfer occurs to the arrival point. In the example shown, the vehicle display section 834 shows the text "Departure point - Transfer point: Rideshare," which means that the vehicle used for transportation from the departure point to the location where the vehicle transfer occurs is a rideshare car 41. The vehicle display section 834 also shows the text "Transfer point - Arrival point: Rideshare," which means that the vehicle used for transportation from the location where the vehicle transfer occurs to the arrival point is a rideshare car 41.

[0101] In addition, in the fare display section 835 of the transportation notice screen 80 shown in FIG. 10(b), the predicted fare from the departure place to the place where the transfer of the moving body is made and the predicted fare from the place where the transfer of the moving body is made to the arrival place are shown. In the illustrated example, the fare display section 835 shows the text "Departure place ~ Transfer place: 1,350 yen", which means the predicted fare for transportation from the departure place to the place where the transfer of the moving body is made. Also, in the illustrated example, the fare display section 835 shows the text "Transfer place ~ Arrival place: 720 yen", which means the predicted fare for transportation from the place where the transfer of the moving body is made to the arrival place. Further, in the illustrated example, the fare display section 835 shows the text "Total: 2,070 yen", which means the predicted total fare for transportation from the departure place to the arrival place.

[0102] Next, an example of the request reception screen 70 displayed on the display unit 11 of the user terminal 10 when the update condition is satisfied during the transportation request by the user terminal 10 will be described. FIG. 11(a) is a diagram showing the request reception screen 70. Hereinafter, the case where the transportation request is started with the area of D area designated as the departure place at 23:59 will be described. Also, regarding the request reception screen 70 shown in FIG. 11(a), the configuration different from the request reception screen 70 shown in FIG. 7(a) will be described, and the description of the same configuration as the request reception screen 70 shown in FIG. 7(a) may be omitted.

[0103] As shown in FIG. 11(a), the time display section 71 of the request reception screen 70 shows the text "23:59", which is the current time. At this time, since the taxi priority rule is applied to the transportation request, the transportation request is preferentially made to the taxi operator, and on the request reception screen 70, instead of the request reception section 736 (see FIG. 7(a)), a request-in progress display section 737 is shown. The request-in progress display section 737 is an image indicating that the transportation request is in progress. In the illustrated example, the request-in progress display section 737 shows the text "Requesting taxi operator", which means that the transportation request has been made to the taxi operator.

[0104] Next, time passes without the transportation request being accepted by the taxi service provider, and the time reaches 0:00. The time display unit 71 displays the text "0:00," which is the current time. In other words, the current time reaches a time period defined for the "request rule" that is different from the time period to which the transportation request was initiated (see FIG. 3(b)), and the update condition is satisfied (see step 207 in FIG. 9(a)). In this case, the ride-sharing rules are applied to the transportation request (see FIG. 3(b)). Therefore, the transportation request destination is switched from the taxi service provider to the ride-sharing service provider, and the request acceptance screen 70 shown in FIG. 11(b) is displayed on the display unit 11. In the request acceptance screen 70 shown in FIG. 11(b), the rule display unit 731 displays the text "Rule "Ride-share" applicable to the departure point," which means that the rule applicable to the departure point of the transportation is the ride-sharing rule. Also, on the request reception screen 70 shown in Figure 11(b), the request display section 737 displays the text "Requesting ride sharing operator," which means that a transportation request has been made to the ride sharing operator.

[0105] Furthermore, if the update conditions are met, an update notification section 729 is displayed on the request reception screen 70. The update notification section 729 is an image indicating that the requested transportation destination has changed as a result of the update conditions being met. In the illustrated example, the update notification section 729 displays the text "The requested transportation destination has been changed because the time has come when the rules for 'ride sharing' will apply," which means that the requested transportation destination has changed to a ride sharing business operator as a result of the update conditions being met.

[0106] Note that even if the update conditions are met, if the business operator to which transportation is requested remains unchanged, the update notification section 729 may not be displayed on the request reception screen 70. Furthermore, if the update conditions are met and the business operator to which transportation is requested remains unchanged, the update notification section 729 may display information indicating that the business operator to which transportation is requested remains unchanged even if the update conditions are met.

[0107] As described above, in the present disclosure, the rules for a specific area include a fourth rule, which is a predetermined rule applied during a first period, and a fifth rule, which is a rule applied during a second period following the first period and is different from the predetermined rule. An example of the first period is a period from 7:00 PM to 11:59 PM. An example of the fourth rule is a taxi priority rule. An example of the second period is a period from 12:00 AM to 6:59 AM. An example of the fifth rule is a ride-sharing rule. When the time of the request falls within the first period, if the time falls within the second period after the request is sent to a taxi service provider with priority but before the request is accepted, the transmission unit 210 restricts the priority transmission of the request to the taxi service provider and transmits the request to the ride-sharing service provider. In this case, compared to a configuration in which priority requests to taxi operators are not restricted, it is possible to prevent opportunities for transportation by ride-share car 41 during the second period from being lost.

[0108] In addition, when a new business operator to be requested to carry out transportation is determined as a result of the update conditions being met, the sending unit 210 may continue to send the request to the previous business operator that was determined before the update conditions were met, or may stop sending the request to the previous business operator. For example, the transmission unit 210 may transmit a transportation request to a taxi operator with priority in accordance with the rules of the specific area being taxi priority rules, and then, if the rules of the specific area become ride-sharing rules before the request is accepted, the transmission unit 210 may transmit the request to the ride-sharing operator. In this way, if the priority transmission of the request to the taxi operator is restricted, the transmission of the request to the taxi operator may be continued or the transmission of the request to the taxi operator may be stopped.

[0109] 12(a) is a diagram showing an example of a request acceptance screen 70 displayed on the display unit 11 when a time condition is satisfied during a transportation request made by the user terminal 10. The following describes a case where a transportation request is started at 9:59 with Area A designated as the departure point for transportation. Regarding the request acceptance screen 70 shown in FIG. 12(a), differences in configuration from the request acceptance screen 70 shown in FIG. 8(a) will be described, and explanations of the same configuration as the request acceptance screen 70 shown in FIG. 8(a) may be omitted.

[0110] 12(a), the current time, "9:59," is displayed in the time display section 71 of the request reception screen 70. At this time, transportation is being requested to a taxi company because taxi regulations apply to transportation requests, and the request in progress display section 737 of the request reception screen 70 displays the text "Requesting taxi company," which means that a transportation request has been made to a taxi company.

[0111] Furthermore, the time from 9:59, the desired time of transportation, to 10:00 (see Figure 3(b)), the time at which the taxi priority rule applies at the departure point of the transportation, is less than the predetermined time, and the time condition is met. In this case, the priority time notification section 726 is displayed on the request reception screen 70. In the illustrated example, the priority time notification section 726 displays the text "At 10:00, the rule applied to the departure point will become 'taxi priority'," which includes information indicating the time at which the taxi priority rule applies.

[0112] 12(b) is a diagram showing an example of a request acceptance screen 70 displayed on the display unit 11 when a location condition is satisfied during a transportation request made by the user terminal 10. The following describes a case where a transportation request is started at 20:00, with an area in Area A that is 20 meters away from Area B designated as the departure point for transportation. Regarding the request acceptance screen 70 shown in FIG. 12(a), differences in configuration from the request acceptance screen 70 shown in FIG. 8(b) will be described, and explanations of the same configuration as the request acceptance screen 70 shown in FIG. 8(b) may be omitted.

[0113] 12(b), the current time, "20:00," is displayed in the time display section 71 of the request reception screen 70. At this time, transportation is being requested to a taxi company because taxi regulations apply to transportation requests, and the request in progress display section 737 of the request reception screen 70 displays the text "Requesting taxi company," which means that a transportation request has been made to a taxi company.

[0114] Furthermore, as described above, the shortest distance from the departure point of the transportation to Area B, where the taxi priority rule applies, is equal to or shorter than the predetermined distance, and the location condition is satisfied. In this case, the request reception screen 70 displays a priority location notification section 727 and a direction display section 728. In the illustrated example, the priority location notification section 727 displays the text "If an area 20 meters away is specified as the departure point, the 'taxi priority' rule will apply." This text includes information indicating the location of the departure point where the taxi priority rule applies. In addition, in the illustrated example, an upward arrow is displayed as the direction display section 728, suggesting that Area B, where the taxi priority rule applies, is located in the upper direction of the map display section 721 relative to the location indicated by the departure point display section 722.

[0115] As described above, in the present disclosure, the rules for the specific area include the sixth rule, which is a rule that is applied in the third period and is different from the predetermined rule, and the seventh rule, which is a predetermined rule that is applied in the fourth period that is different from the third period. When the time related to the request or the time related to the start of transportation is within the third period, the transmission unit 210 transmits to the user terminal 10 information regarding the fourth period and a moving object that is not included in the request target when the time related to the request or the time related to the start of transportation is within the third period but is included in the request target when the time related to the request or the time related to the start of transportation is within the fourth period (see FIGS. 8(a) and 12(a)). An example of the third period is a period from 7:00 to 9:59. An example of the sixth rule is a taxi rule. An example of the fourth period is a period from 10:00 to 18:59. An example of the seventh rule is a taxi priority rule. Information regarding the fourth period and a moving object that is not included in the request target during the third period but is included in the request target during the fourth period includes information from the priority time notification unit 726. Furthermore, examples of the time related to the request include the current time as a tentative time, the time when the request was made, etc. Examples of the time related to the start of transportation include the specified date and time as a tentative time, the time input to the specified time receiving unit 7342, etc. In this case, even at times when the taxi priority rule does not apply, the user can be made aware of the conditions under which the taxi priority rule applies.

[0116] In the present disclosure, the multiple applicable areas include a first area, which is a specific area, and a second area to which a predetermined rule is applied. If the rule applied in the first area is different from the predetermined rule, the transmission unit 210 transmits to the user terminal 10 information about the second area and a moving object that is not included in the request target in the first area but is included in the request target in the second area (see FIG. 8(b) and FIG. 12(b)). An example of the first area is area A, etc. An example of the second area is area B, etc. Information about the second area and a moving object that is not included in the request target in the first area but is included in the request target in the second area is provided by the priority position notification unit 727, etc. In this case, even in an area where the taxi priority rule does not apply, the user can be made aware of the conditions under which the taxi priority rule applies.

[0117] In addition, if the rules applied to a specific area are different from the taxi priority rules, the transmitting unit 210 may notify the user terminal 10 as notification information information indicating the time or applicable area as a condition for applying the taxi priority rules, regardless of whether the notification conditions are met or not.

[0118] Furthermore, in the present disclosure, it has been described that the time input into the designated time acceptance section 7342 of the request acceptance screen 70 (see FIG. 7(a) etc.) is the start time of transportation, but this is not limited to this. The time input into the designated time receiving unit 7342 may be the time when the preparation of the mobile body to start transportation is completed, such as the time when the mobile body arrives at the departure point of transportation. Furthermore, the time input into the designated time receiving unit 7342 does not have to be the actual start time of transportation, as long as it is the time reserved as the start time of transportation. The time when the preparation of the mobile body to start transportation is completed and the time reserved as the start time of transportation are considered to be times related to the start of transportation. In other words, the time specified from the request information does not have to be the start time of transportation, as long as it is a time related to the start of transportation.

[0119] Furthermore, in the present disclosure, it has been explained that the information input into the destination reception section 733 of the request reception screen 70 is information indicating the location designated as the destination of transportation, but this is not limited to this. As long as information indicating whether the destination of transportation is an area outside the management area is input to the destination reception unit 733, information indicating the location designated as the destination of transportation does not need to be input. Even in this case, the management server 20 can determine whether the destination of transportation is an area outside the management area based on the request information in the moving body determination process (see FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b)) (see step 209 in FIG. 9(b)). In other words, the information included in the request information does not need to be information indicating the destination of transportation as long as it is information related to the destination of transportation.

[0120] The request reception screen 70 may also receive input of a user's preference or designation for the category of mobile objects to be used for transportation. When the user inputs the category of mobile objects, the management server 20 may prioritize transportation requests for mobile objects that belong to the input category, regardless of rules that apply to the specific area. Note that, when the rule in the specific area is a taxi priority rule, the transmission unit 210 may transmit the request to the taxi business operator with priority, regardless of whether or not the user has input the category of the mobile body used for transportation. Also, when the rule in the specific area is a taxi priority rule, the transmission unit 210 may transmit the request to the taxi business operator with priority only if the user has not input the category of the mobile body used for transportation.

[0121] Furthermore, in the present disclosure, it has been described that when the rules in a specific area are ride-sharing rules, the transmitting unit 210 transmits a request to a ride-sharing operator without transmitting a transportation request to a taxi operator, but this is not limited to this. Even if the rules in a specific area are ride-sharing rules, the transmission unit 210 may transmit a transportation request to a taxi operator if the conditions set forth for requests to ride-sharing operators are met. The conditions set forth for requests to ride-sharing operators include a predetermined time period elapsed since the transmission unit 210 made a transportation request to the ride-sharing operator without the request being accepted, the request being rejected by the ride-sharing operator, or the request being rejected by one or more ride-sharing vehicles 41. The predetermined time period may be any time period, for example, 60 seconds.

[0122] Furthermore, in the above example, when the object to be transported is luggage, transportation is carried out by a single mobile vehicle regardless of whether the destination of the transportation is an area outside the management area, but this is not limited to this. Even if the item to be transported is luggage, if the destination of the transportation is an area outside the managed area, the control unit 209 may request the operator via the other area management server 60 to transport the item by connecting from the managed area to an area outside the managed area.

[0123] In addition, in this disclosure, it has been explained that when the destination of the transportation is an area outside the managed area, the control unit 209 requests the operator via the other area management server 60 to arrange transportation by connecting from the managed area to an area outside the managed area, but this is not limited to this. If the regulations applicable to the destination of transportation are specific regulations, transportation by a single mobile vehicle may be performed from the point of departure of transportation, which is a controlled area, to the destination of transportation, even if the destination of transportation is an area outside the controlled area.Specific regulations include regulations that indicate that transportation by a single mobile vehicle is permitted from the point of departure of transportation, which is a controlled area, to the destination of transportation, which is an area outside the controlled area.

[0124] Furthermore, a rule applicable to a specified applicable area within the management area may stipulate that transportation from an area outside the applicable area to the applicable area is not permitted. In this case, if the departure point of the transportation is in a management area different from the specified applicable area and the arrival point of the transportation is in the specified applicable area, the transmission unit 210 transmits a request for transportation from the departure point and a request for transportation to the arrival point to different mobile bodies. In this way, the predetermined condition regarding the arrival point is not limited to the arrival point being in an area outside the management area.

[0125] Furthermore, the rules applied to the applicable area are not limited to the above-mentioned examples. For example, there may be a ride-sharing priority rule that stipulates that ride-sharing cars 41 are given priority over taxis 31 in transportation requests. If the rule in a specific area is the ride-sharing priority rule, the transmission unit 210 may preferentially transmit requests to ride-sharing operators that are the request recipients for mobile objects belonging to a specific category. In this case, the specific category is the ride-sharing category. In this case, the ride-sharing priority rule can also be considered as a predetermined rule. In this case, the ride-sharing category can also be considered as the first category. In this case, the taxi category can also be considered as another category different from the specific category, or as the second category. In this case, the ride-sharing rule can also be considered as the first rule. In this case, the taxi rule can also be considered as the second rule. In this case, the taxi rule and the taxi priority rule can also be considered as the fifth rule. In addition, if the rules for the specific area that apply at the time of the start of transportation or the time of the request are ride-sharing priority rules, the transmission unit 210 may transmit the request to the ride-sharing operator with priority. The change condition may also be a condition used by the control unit 209 to determine whether to stop the preferential request to the ride-sharing service provider and change the requested transportation service provider from the ride-sharing service provider to a taxi service provider. In this case, for example, the change condition may be that a predetermined time or more has elapsed since the request for transportation to the ride-sharing service provider was initiated without the request being accepted. The predetermined time may be any time, but is, for example, five minutes.

[0126] In addition, in this disclosure, it has been explained that the notification conditions (see Figure 6, etc.) are conditions used by the control unit 209 to determine whether or not to notify the user of the conditions under which the taxi priority rule applies, but this is not limited to this. The notification condition may be a condition used by the control unit 209 to determine whether to notify the user of the conditions under which the predetermined rule applies when the rules applied to a specific area are different from the predetermined rule. The notification information may be information for notifying the user of the conditions under which the predetermined rule applies. In this case, the time condition may be that the time from the provisional time to the time at the provisional departure point at which the predetermined rule applies, or the time from the desired time of the determined transportation to the time at the departure point of the determined transportation at which the predetermined rule applies, is equal to or shorter than a predetermined time. The location condition may be that the shortest distance from the provisional departure point to the area to which the predetermined rule applies, or the shortest distance from the departure point of the determined transportation to the area to which the predetermined rule applies, is equal to or shorter than a predetermined distance. Examples of predetermined rules include taxi rules, ride-sharing rules, and ride-sharing priority rules. In this case, the rule different from the predetermined rule may also be considered as Rule 6. The predetermined rule may also be considered as Rule 7. In addition, if the rule applied to a specific area is different from the specified rule, the transmitting unit 210 may notify the user terminal 10 as notification information information indicating the time or applicable area as a condition for applying the specified rule, regardless of whether the notification condition is satisfied or not.

[0127] Furthermore, the notification conditions are not limited to the above. For example, the notification conditions may be that a predetermined time or more has elapsed since the sending unit 210 requested the destination to transport the item without the request being accepted. The predetermined time may be any time, but is, for example, 60 seconds. Furthermore, for example, the notification condition may be that the transportation request is rejected by the requested business operator. Also, for example, the notification condition may be that the request is rejected by one or more mobile objects managed by the requested business operator. Furthermore, the notification condition may be that both the time condition and the location condition are satisfied.

[0128] The change condition is not limited to the above-described examples. For example, the change condition may be that the transportation request is rejected by the business operator. Also, the change condition may be that the transportation request is rejected by one or more mobile bodies.

[0129] Furthermore, the rules in each applicable area are not limited to the example shown in Figure 3(b). For example, there may be multiple applicable areas to which the same rules apply regardless of the time of day. Furthermore, for example, rules according to the time of day may be defined across multiple applicable areas. Furthermore, the predetermined rule, which is an example of the taxi priority rule, is not limited to the example shown in Fig. 3(b). The storage unit 202 may store the rule for each applicable area as a flag indicating whether or not it is a predetermined rule.

[0130] Furthermore, although the present disclosure has described that the rules applied to the applicable area change depending on the time of day, this is not a limitation. The rules applied to the applicable area may vary from day to day, from day to day of the week, or from month to month, and may also vary by hour, minute, or second. Furthermore, the same rules may be applied to the applicable area regardless of the time of day.

[0131] In addition, in the present disclosure, each applicable area is an area having a range of coordinates (see FIG. 3(b)), but is not limited to this. There may be an applicable area consisting of a single coordinate. Also, all applicable areas may be areas consisting of a single coordinate.

[0132] Furthermore, in the present disclosure, when the object to be transported is luggage, the control unit 209 requests the drone operator to transport it, but this is not limited to this. If the object to be transported is luggage, the control unit 209 may request transportation from a business other than the drone business, such as a ride-sharing business. Furthermore, the ride-share cars 41 may include a first ride-share car 41 that is not a vehicle that transports luggage, and a second ride-share car 41 that is a vehicle that transports luggage. In this case, the ride-share category may include a first ride-share category to which the first ride-share car 41 belongs, and a second ride-share category to which the second ride-share car 41 belongs. When the object to be transported is luggage, the control unit 209 may request transportation from the operator of the second ride-share car 41 without requesting transportation from the operator of the first ride-share car 41. In this case, the operator of the first ride-share car 41 and the operator of the second ride-share car 41 may be the same operator or different operators. Furthermore, when requesting transportation from the operator of the second ride-share car 41, the control unit 209 may also request transportation from a drone operator. In addition, when the object to be transported is luggage, the control unit 209 may request transportation from only one of the operator of the second ride-share car 41 and the drone operator.

[0133] Furthermore, the specific area is not limited to the above-mentioned example. In the case where the object to be transported is a package, the specific area may be an area corresponding to the current location of the package, which is designated as the departure point of the transport. In addition, although the present disclosure has described that when the object to be transported is luggage, transportation is not requested to a taxi company, this is not limited to this. Even when the object to be transported is luggage, the transmission unit 210 may transmit a transportation request to a taxi company if the rules in the specific area are taxi rules or taxi priority rules.

[0134] Furthermore, in the present disclosure, it has been explained that when the rules in a specific area are predetermined rules, requests are preferentially sent to request destinations targeting mobile bodies belonging to a specific category, but this is not limited to this. Regardless of whether rules are defined for each area, it is sufficient if there are multiple areas including areas in which requests to request destinations targeting mobile objects belonging to a specific category are prioritized and areas in which requests to request destinations targeting mobile objects belonging to a specific category are not prioritized. In other words, the transmission unit 210 may preferentially transmit a request to a request destination targeting mobile objects belonging to a specific category when the specific area satisfies conditions defined for the request. Examples of conditions defined for the request include that the specific area be an area in which preferential transmission of requests to either a taxi operator or a ride-sharing operator is applied. Even in this case, it is possible to realize transportation in response to a request by simultaneously making multiple mobile bodies the subject of transportation requests and preventing an excessive decrease in opportunities for transportation by a specific mobile body compared to when transportation requests are made only to a specific mobile body.

[0135] Furthermore, the ride-sharing car 41 described in this disclosure may be a four-wheeled motor vehicle or a two-wheeled motor vehicle. Furthermore, the moving body is not limited to the above-mentioned examples. The moving body may be an aircraft such as an airplane, or a ship. The moving body may be moved by a person touching and operating the moving body, or may move independently without a person touching the moving body.

[0136] Furthermore, when a requesting business operator is determined in the mobile object determination process, requests for transportation to the mobile objects may be made simultaneously to all mobile objects managed by the requesting business operator, or may be made for each mobile object, such as by making requests for transportation to the mobile objects closest to the specific area in order. Furthermore, requests may be made for each of multiple mobile objects, such as by dividing the mobile objects into specific number groups according to their proximity to the specific area, and requests for transportation may be made for the mobile objects in the group closest to the specific area in order. The specific number may be any number, for example, 5.

[0137] In addition, in the present disclosure, the management server 20 displays the above-mentioned various information as images on the display unit 11 of the user terminal 10, but is not limited to this. The management server 20 may also output the above-mentioned various information as sounds to the speaker 12 of the user terminal 10.

[0138] Furthermore, in the present disclosure, the management server 20 is configured to cause the user terminal 10 to output various pieces of information, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the user terminal 10 may have the functions of the management server 20. In other words, the user terminal 10 may have the functions of the management server 20, such as the acquisition unit 201, storage unit 202, timing unit 203, map creation unit 204, time calculation unit 205, position identification unit 206, transportation identification unit 207, request destination determination unit 208, control unit 209, and transmission unit 210.

[0139] Furthermore, a program for realizing the present disclosure may be provided in a state where it is stored on a computer-readable recording medium such as a magnetic recording medium (such as a magnetic tape or a magnetic disk), an optical recording medium (such as an optical disk), a magneto-optical recording medium, a semiconductor memory, etc. The program may also be provided using a communication means such as the Internet.

[0140] Although the present disclosure has been described above, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the scope of the above description. It is clear from the claims that various modifications and improvements to the above description are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0141] 1...Transportation system, 10...User terminal, 20...Management server, 30...Taxi management server, 40...Ride-share management server, 50...Drone management server, 60...Other area management server

Claims

1. An acquisition means for acquiring request information regarding a transportation request; a transmitting means for preferentially transmitting the request to a request destination for a mobile object belonging to a specific category among a plurality of categories into which mobile objects are divided, when the rule in a specific category specified for the object to be transported among a plurality of categories in which rules corresponding to the category are respectively defined is a predetermined rule; An information processing system comprising:

2. the rules include a first rule that is different from the predetermined rule, a second rule that is different from both the predetermined rule and the first rule, and a third rule that is the predetermined rule; The divisions include a first division that is the specific division and a second division that is different from the first division, The information processing system of claim 1, wherein the transmitting means, when the rule in the specific area is the first rule, transmits the request to the request destination targeted at the mobile body belonging to the first category without transmitting the request to the request destination targeted at the mobile body belonging to the second category, and when the rule in the specific area is the second rule, transmits the request to the request destination targeted at the mobile body belonging to the second category without transmitting the request to the request destination targeted at the mobile body belonging to the first category.

3. The rules are applied according to time, The request information includes information regarding the time of the start of the transportation or the time of the request, The information processing system of claim 1, wherein the transmitting means transmits the request to the request destination targeting the mobile body belonging to the specific category with priority when the rules for the specific area that apply at the time related to the start of the transportation or the time of the request are the predetermined rules.

4. The rules for the specific area include a fourth rule that is applied during a first period and is the predetermined rule, and a fifth rule that is applied during a second period after the first period and is different from the predetermined rule, the time of the request is a time in the first period, 4. The information processing system of claim 3, wherein the transmitting means, if the time reaches the second period after the request has been sent to the request recipient with priority but before the request is accepted, restricts the priority sending of the request to the request recipient and sends the request to a request recipient that targets a mobile body belonging to a category other than the specific category among the multiple categories.

5. The rules for the specific area include a sixth rule that is applied in a third period and is different from the predetermined rule, and a seventh rule that is applied in a fourth period that is different from the third period and is the predetermined rule, The information processing system described in claim 3, wherein the transmitting means transmits to the user's terminal information regarding a moving object that is not included in the request if the time related to the request or the time related to the start of the transportation is a time within the third period, and information regarding the fourth period if the time related to the request or the time related to the start of the transportation is the fourth period.

6. The request information includes information about the destination of the transportation, 2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting means transmits the request for transportation from the departure point and the request for transportation to the arrival point to different mobile bodies when the arrival point satisfies predetermined conditions.

7. The information processing system described in claim 1, wherein when the object to be transported is a package, the sending means does not send the request to the request recipient that targets the mobile object belonging to the specific category, but instead sends the request to a request recipient that targets a mobile object that belongs to another category other than the specific category among the multiple categories.

8. the plurality of zones include a first zone which is the specific zone and a second zone to which the predetermined rule applies, 2. The information processing system of claim 1, wherein the transmitting means transmits to the user's terminal information regarding a moving object that is not included in the request in the first area but is included in the request in the second area when the rule applied in the first area is different from the predetermined rule.

9. The information processing system of claim 1, wherein the transmitting means restricts the prioritized transmission to the requested destination when the conditions specified for the mobile body belonging to the specific category or the specific category are met, even if the rule in the specific area is the predetermined rule, and transmits the request to a request destination targeted at a mobile body belonging to another category other than the specific category among the multiple categories.

10. The information processing system of claim 1, further comprising a display control means for displaying information regarding the plurality of areas on the terminal of the user who requested the transportation in a manner that makes it possible to distinguish between areas to which the predetermined rules apply and areas to which the predetermined rules do not apply.

11. An acquisition means for acquiring request information regarding a transportation request; a transmitting means for preferentially transmitting the request to a request destination for a mobile object belonging to a specific category among a plurality of categories into which mobile objects are divided, when a category specified for the object to be transported among a plurality of categories satisfies a condition set for the request; Equipped with An information processing system, wherein whether or not the condition is satisfied is determined in advance for each of the plurality of areas.

12. On the computer, A function to obtain request information regarding transportation requests; a function of preferentially transmitting the request to a request destination that targets a mobile object belonging to a specific category among a plurality of categories into which mobile objects are divided, when the rule in the specific category specified for the object to be transported among a plurality of categories in which rules according to the category are respectively defined is a predetermined rule; A program to make this happen.

13. On the computer, A function to obtain request information regarding transportation requests; a function of preferentially transmitting the request to a request destination for a mobile object belonging to a specific category among a plurality of categories into which mobile objects are divided, when the category among a plurality of categories that is specified for the object to be transported satisfies the conditions set for the request; A program for realizing the above, The program, wherein it is predetermined whether or not the condition is satisfied for each of the plurality of areas.

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