One-way rent-a-car management system, device, and method

Abstract

To improve the efficiency of one-way rent-a-car vehicle use.SOLUTION: A user terminal transmits, to a one-way rent-a-car management device, one-way rental request information including the departure and destination entered by a user. The one-way rent-a-car management device generates one-way rental search result information, including multiple one-way routes that include high-demand vehicle locations as intermediate or return destinations, based on the departure and destination in the one-way rental request information received from the user terminal. The one-way rent-a-car management device transmits, to the user terminal, the generated one-way rental search result information. The user terminal transmits, to the one-way rent-a-car management device, selection result information including a one-way route selected by the user from the one-way rental search result information. When receiving the selection result information from the user terminal, the one-way rent-a-car management device executes one-way rental reservation completion processing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] TECHNICAL FIELD The embodiments described herein relate to techniques for managing one-way rental cars. [Background technology]

[0002] One-way rental car services are one-way rental services that allow you to return a rental car to a different location than the one you departed from (drop-off). One-way rental car services have the problem of inefficient operation when vehicles are unevenly distributed.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that allows a station set as a return location by one user to be used as a return location by other users, thereby improving the utilization rate of shared vehicles. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-184311 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, although Patent Document 1 relates to a system that streamlines vehicle use and management based on the departure and return stations set by the user, it is technology related to general car sharing services, not technology related to one-way rental car services.

[0006] The present invention provides a one-way rental car management system, management server, and method that enable efficient vehicle operation and reduced environmental impact. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention is a one-way rental car management system that has a user terminal and a one-way rental car management device connected via a network and provides a one-way rental car service from a departure point to a destination requested by the user, wherein the user terminal transmits one-way rental request information including the departure point and destination entered by the user to the one-way rental car management device, the one-way rental car management device generates one-way rental search result information including multiple one-way routes that include high-demand vehicle locations as intermediate or return locations based on the departure point and destination of the one-way rental request information received from the user terminal, the one-way rental car management device transmits the generated one-way rental search result information to the user terminal, and the user terminal transmits selection result information to the one-way rental car management device including the one-way route selected by the user from the one-way rental search result information, and when the one-way rental car management device receives the selection result information from the user terminal, it executes a one-way rental reservation completion process, and the one-way rental car management system makes vehicle operation more efficient by including the high-demand vehicle location as an intermediate or return location in the one-way route.

[0008] The present invention is a one-way rental car management device used in a one-way rental car management system that has a user terminal and a one-way rental car management device connected via a network and provides one-way rental car service from a departure point to a destination requested by the user, wherein the user terminal transmits one-way rental request information including the departure point and destination entered by the user to the one-way rental car management device, the one-way rental car management device generates one-way rental search result information including multiple one-way routes that include high-demand vehicle locations as intermediate or return locations based on the departure point and destination of the one-way rental request information received from the user terminal, the one-way rental car management device transmits the generated one-way rental search result information to the user terminal, and the user terminal transmits selection result information to the one-way rental car management device including the one-way route selected by the user from the one-way rental search result information, and when the one-way rental car management device receives the selection result information from the user terminal, it executes a one-way rental reservation completion process, and the one-way rental car management device makes vehicle operation more efficient by including the high-demand vehicle location as an intermediate or return location in the one-way route.

[0009] The present invention is a one-way rental car management method executed by a one-way rental car management system that has a user terminal and a one-way rental car management device connected via a network and that provides a one-way rental car service from a departure point to a destination requested by the user, in which the user terminal sends one-way rental request information including the departure point and destination entered by the user to the one-way rental car management device, the one-way rental car management device generates one-way rental search result information including a plurality of one-way routes that include high-demand vehicle locations as intermediate or return locations based on the departure point and destination of the one-way rental request information received from the user terminal, the one-way rental car management device sends the generated one-way rental search result information to the user terminal, and the user terminal sends selection result information to the one-way rental car management device including the one-way route selected by the user from the one-way rental search result information, and when the one-way rental car management device receives the selection result information from the user terminal, it executes a one-way rental reservation completion process, and the one-way rental car management method makes vehicle operation more efficient by including the high-demand vehicle location as an intermediate or return location in the one-way route. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the one-way rental car management system of the present invention, it is possible to improve the efficiency of vehicle use and reduce the environmental load. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a one-way rental car management device. [Figure 3] Block diagram of a user terminal. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart of a one-way rental car management process. [Figure 5] A diagram of the proposed one-way route. [Figure 6] A diagram of the proposed one-way route. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart for generating a one-way route plan. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart for generating a one-way route plan. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart for generating a one-way route plan. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart for calculating an environmental load reduction value. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a display screen of a user terminal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] An example of the system configuration of an embodiment is shown in Figure 1. The one-way rental car management system 1 includes a one-way rental car management device (simply referred to as a management device in the figure; the same applies below) 100 owned by an operator of a rental car management business, and user terminals 200 (200a to 200c) owned by users who wish to use one-way rental cars. Note that the number of one-way rental car management devices 100 and user terminals 200 is not limited to the number shown in Figure 1. The one-way rental car management system 1 provides a one-way rental car service to users.

[0013] The configuration of the control system of a one-way rental car management device 100 owned by an operator of a one-way rental car business will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the one-way rental car management device 100 of this embodiment. A CPU 102 (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory) 103, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 104, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 105, and an external I / F (Interface) 106 are connected via a system bus 107. The CPU 102, ROM 103, and RAM 104 make up a control unit 101. The one-way rental car management device is a server or the like.

[0014] The ROM 103 stores in advance programs to be executed by the CPU 102 and threshold values.

[0015] The RAM 104 dynamically forms various memory areas, such as an area for expanding the programs executed by the CPU 102 and a work area that serves as a work area for data processing by the programs.

[0016] The HDD 105 is a hard disk device that uses a magnetic disk to permanently store large amounts of data. The data is retained even when the computer is turned off, and required files can be randomly accessed.

[0017] (One-way rental request information) The HDD 105 has a one-way rental request information storage area for saving one-way rental request information from the user terminal 200. The one-way rental request information to be stored in the one-way rental request storage area is received from the user terminal 200 via the external I / F .

[0018] The one-way rental request information stored in the one-way rental request information storage area includes the following information as shown in Table 1. (1) User ID: The serial number of the user requesting one-way rental (e.g., 1111) (2) Departure point: Departure point of one-way rental car (e.g. Maebashi) (3) Return location: The return location of the one-way rental car (e.g. Utsunomiya) (4) Departure date and time (e.g., April 1, 2023, 3:00 PM) (5) Return date and time (e.g., April 3, 2023, 12:00) (6) Vehicle type and options (e.g., vehicle type XXX, child seat)

[0019] It should be noted that the number of users in Table 1 is not limited to the number in Table 1, and other items may be included in the table.

[0020] Furthermore, the departure and return locations are not limited to the business office of the operator, but may be off-street parking lots, parking lots at facilities such as stations and airports, or other locations where parking is possible.

[0021] [Table 1]

[0022] (Account information) The HDD 105 has an account information storage area for storing account information related to registered users. The account information is received from the user terminal 200 via the external I / F 106.

[0023] As shown in Table 2, the account information includes the following: (1) User ID (e.g., 1234) (2) User information: User's address, name, gender, date of birth, phone number, email address, SNS account, driver's license information, etc. (3) Points information: Points (e.g., 5 points) based on the environmental impact reduction value calculated from the user's driving history (performance). (4) Usage history: Information about the user's past usage history, such as reservation date and time, route, and price (5) Ainori availability information: Information on whether Ainori is available.

[0024] The number of users in the account information is not limited to the number in Table 2, and the table may include other items.

[0025] [Table 2]

[0026] (Vehicle information) The HDD 105 has a vehicle information storage area for storing vehicle information related to registered users. The vehicle information includes the following: (1) Vehicle information: vehicle type, location where the vehicle is located, number of people appearing, license plate, etc. (2) Information on installed equipment: Information on the equipment installed in the vehicle, such as GPS, drive recorder, ETC, etc. (3) Key information: Information necessary to open the lock, such as the key number (4) Reservation information: Information on existing and unreserved reservations (5) CO2 information: The amount of CO2 emitted by the vehicle per unit distance traveled (6) CO2 emissions fluctuation ratio due to passenger numbers and outside temperature

[0027] (Route information) The HDD 105 has a route information storage area for storing route information. The route information includes the following: (1) Information on departure and arrival locations: Address, access, etc. of the parking lot at the departure and return locations (2) How to board and return: How to open and close the parking lot, and instructions for staffed stores, etc.

[0028] (Amount information) The HDD 105 has a price information storage area for storing price information. The price information includes the following: (1) Time: Time slot information such as 6 hours, 10 hours, etc. (2) Price: Price according to time and route, price for optional products (3) Options: Information on optional products attached to the vehicle, such as children's seats, and additional services, such as insurance.

[0029] (Existing reservation information) The HDD 105 has an existing reservation information storage area for storing existing reservation information. The existing reservation information includes the following contents. (1) Reservation information: Information linked to the user making the reservation, such as user ID (2) Reservation route information: departure point, return point, etc. (3) Reservation plan information: reservation date and time, reserved plan (time, etc.), price, etc. (4) Number of passengers (5) Weather information, outside temperature (6) Forwarding reservation information: ID of the reservation for which forwarding occurred

[0030] (Location information) The HDD 105 has a location information storage area for storing location information. The location information includes the following: (1) Location information: Parking lot address, business address, parking lot usage frequency and past usage history, surrounding area information, location popularity and demand analyzed based on past usage history, etc. (2) Vehicle location information: location information obtained from GPS, past movement history, etc.

[0031] In addition, the storage means for storing one-way rental request information, account information, vehicle information, route information, price information, existing reservation information, and location information is not limited to an HDD, but may also be a ROM, RAM, or SSD (solid state drive).

[0032] The external I / F 106 is an interface for communicating with an external device such as the user terminal 200. The external I / F 106 may be any interface that performs data communication with the external device. For example, the external I / F 106 may be a device (such as a USB memory) that is locally connected to the external device, or may be a network interface for communication via a network. Furthermore, the data communication method may be Wi-Fi (registered trademark) communication or USB communication.

[0033] The user terminal 200 has a network interface that enables wireless communication, and enables each function by loading a program stored in a storage medium into memory and running the program on a CPU.

[0034] The following describes the configuration of the control system of a user terminal 200 owned by a user who wishes to rent a car for a one-way trip. The user terminal 200 is, for example, a smartphone, tablet, or notebook computer. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the user terminal 200 according to an embodiment. A CPU 202, ROM 203, RAM 204, external I / F 205, operation panel 206, and GPS sensor 208 are connected via a system bus 207. The CPU 202, ROM 203, and RAM 204 constitute a control unit 201.

[0035] The ROM 203 stores in advance programs and thresholds to be executed by the CPU 202. The ROM 203 stores in advance a program for acquiring position information (current location) of the user terminal 200 by the GPS sensor 208.

[0036] The RAM 204 dynamically forms various memory areas, such as an area for expanding programs executed by the CPU 202 and a work area that serves as a work area for data processing by the programs. The RAM 204 has a location storage area that stores latitude and longitude information of the current location of the user terminal 200. The location information stored in the location storage area includes information acquired by the GPS sensor 208.

[0037] The storage means is not limited to ROM and RAM, but may be a HDD (hard disk drive) or an SSD (solid state drive).

[0038] The external I / F 205 is, for example, an interface for communicating with an external device such as the management device 100. The external I / F 205 may be any interface that performs data communication with an external device. For example, the external I / F 205 may be a device (such as a USB memory) that is locally connected to the external device, or may be a network interface for communication via a network. Furthermore, the data communication method may be Wi-Fi (registered trademark) communication or USB communication.

[0039] Operation panel 206 is a user interface that integrates a display unit and a touch panel. Operation panel 206 is arranged on the front of the main body of user terminal 200, and has a display unit equipped with a touch panel. Control unit 201 controls the content displayed on the display unit of operation panel 206. Operation panel 206 outputs information input via the touch panel to control unit 201. Information related to each process input from operation panel 206 is stored as processing information in a predetermined area of ​​RAM 203.

[0040] The GPS sensor 208 acquires the latitude and longitude of the user terminal 200. In the embodiment, an example is shown in which a GPS is used as a sensor to acquire the latitude and longitude of the user terminal 200, but this is not limiting, and the latitude and longitude can also be calculated using information from, for example, a geomagnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a gyro sensor.

[0041] The user interface is not limited to an operation panel, but may be a display, a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, etc.

[0042] In the one-way rental car management system 1 (one-way rental car management device 100) of the embodiment having the above configuration, the one-way rental car management system 1 executes a one-way rental car management process (method) based on a program preset in each device (one-way rental car management device 100) in the system. Figure 4 is a flowchart of the one-way rental car management process (one-way rental car management method) of the embodiment.

[0043] (Acquisition of user data) The user terminal 200 transmits necessary account information, such as an email address, name, address, telephone number, and license information, entered by the user from the operation panel 206 to the one-way rental car management device 100 (STEP 1).

[0044] The one-way rental car management device 100 stores the account information received from the user terminal 200 in the account information storage area.

[0045] The user terminal 200 owned by the user who wishes to rent a one-way rental car sends one-way rental request information, including the departure point, arrival point, travel date and time, etc., entered by the user from the operation panel 206, to the one-way rental car management device 100 (a server dedicated to operating the rental car company website) (STEP 2). The contents of the one-way rental request information are listed in Table 1.

[0046] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 receives the one-way rental request information transmitted from the user terminal 200 via the external I / F 106, and stores it in the one-way rental request information storage area.

[0047] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 searches for a vehicle that meets the conditions for reservation and satisfies the presentation conditions of the departure place, arrival place, and travel date and time in the one-way rental request information based on the one-way rental request information sent from the user terminal 200 and the information stored in the vehicle information, route information, and price information, and executes a one-way route generation process.

[0048] (Generating relay-type one-way routes) The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 performs a one-way route generation process based on the departure point (A), return point (B), and usage date and time (T) in the one-way rental request information entered by the user, using information that uses another location (D) that has a high customer attraction from the departure point (A) and / or return point (B) as a stopover point, and uses the results of the vehicle search process to generate multiple one-way route plans (1 to 3 in Table 3) and add them to the one-way rental search result information (STEP 3). Note that such one-way routes are referred to here as relay routes.

[0049] One-way route plans 1 to 3 in Figure 5 and Table 3 are examples of relay routes. As shown in Figure 5 and Table 3, one-way route plan 1 is a one-way route that goes directly from a departure point (e.g., Takasaki) to a destination (e.g., Utsunomiya) using vehicle A. One-way route plan 2 is a one-way route that does not go directly from Takasaki to Utsunomiya, but instead changes from vehicle A to vehicle B at waypoint 1 (e.g., Omiya). One-way route plan 3 is a one-way route that does not go directly from Takasaki to Utsunomiya, but instead changes from vehicle A to vehicle C at waypoint 2 (e.g., Tokyo).

[0050] The shortest route is one-way route plan 1. However, as in one-way route plans 2 and 3, routes passing through high-demand hubs, such as those in large cities, have more vehicles available and are more likely to accommodate users' preferences regarding vehicle type and time. Having a stopover often benefits users. It also improves the efficiency of rental car companies' vehicle operations and reduces the environmental impact of unnecessary vehicle movement. In other words, one-way routes between low-demand hubs in regional cities often involve both the advance dispatch of vehicles to the low-demand hub and the subsequent forwarding of vehicles from the low-demand hub to the high-demand hub after service use, resulting in unnecessary vehicle movement (and the associated increased environmental impact) due to vehicle dispatch and forwarding. By using a one-way route passing through a high-demand hub, travel from a low-demand hub to a high-demand hub can be used to forward vehicles left at the low-demand hub to the high-demand hub, and travel from a high-demand hub to a low-demand hub can reduce the need for advance vehicle dispatch. High-demand locations are those located in large cities, airports, Shinkansen stations, popular locations, and locations with good transportation access. Also, when demand fluctuates depending on the time of day or season, a location may be considered high-demand from a time perspective.

[0051] On the other hand, travel between low-demand hubs such as Takasaki and Utsunomiya, as in One-Way Route Option 1, requires vehicles to be deployed in advance, which makes vehicle operation by rental car companies less efficient and increases the environmental burden. Also, since there are fewer vehicles at low-demand hubs, it has the disadvantage of being difficult to accommodate users' specific requests, such as the type of vehicle and time.

[0052] FIG. 7 shows the detailed flow of the relay type one-way route generation process in STEP 3.

[0053] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 extracts the departure point, destination, and departure time entered by the user from the one-way rental request information received from the user terminal 200 (STEP 3.1).

[0054] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 searches for rental locations (parking lots, offices, etc.) near the departure point based on the location information in the location information (STEP 3.2).

[0055] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 searches for vehicles available for rental at the rental base based on the reservation information in the vehicle information (STEP 3.3).

[0056] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 searches for one or more intermediate bases (parking lots, offices, etc.) between the departure point and the destination based on the base information in the location information (STEP 3.4).

[0057] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 searches for a rentable vehicle at a stopover location that can connect with the return time of the vehicle at the rental location based on the reservation information of the vehicle information (STEP 3.5).

[0058] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 searches for a return location (parking lot, business office, etc.) near the destination based on the location information in the location information (STEP 3.6).

[0059] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 generates a one-way route plan by combining the rental base, intermediate base, return base, vehicles between the departure base and intermediate base, and vehicles between the intermediate base and return base searched in STEPs 3.2 to 3.6, and stores this in the one-way rental search result information (STEP 3.7).

[0060] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 calculates the fee for each one-way route plan based on the price information, and adds the fee for each one-way route plan to the one-way rental search result information (STEP 3.8).

[0061] (One-way route generation for return to a different destination) The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 additionally searches existing reservation information and location information for the departure point (A), return point (B), and usage date and time (T) of the one-way rental request information entered by the user. If the departure point (C) of the next reservation in the existing reservation information is relatively close to the return point (B), it performs a one-way route generation process to return the vehicle to the departure point (C) rather than the return point (B). Using the results of the vehicle search process, it generates multiple one-way route proposals (4 and 5 in Table 3) and adds them to the one-way rental search result information (STEP 4). Note that such one-way routes are referred to here as non-destination return routes.

[0062] One-way route plans 4 and 5 in Figure 6 and Table 3 are examples of non-destination return routes. As shown in Figure 6, one-way route plan 4 is a one-way route in which the vehicle is returned at return location 1 (e.g., Omiya) rather than going directly from Takasaki to Utsunomiya, and the vehicle is then self-resolved (e.g., by changing to a bus) to reach the destination. One-way route plan 5 is a one-way route in which the vehicle is returned at return location 2 (e.g., Tokyo) rather than going directly from Takasaki to Utsunomiya, and the vehicle is then self-resolved (e.g., by changing to a train) to reach the destination.

[0063] The shortest distance is one-way route plan 1, but returning the vehicle to a high-demand base, such as a base in a large city, as in one-way routes plans 4 and 5, would improve the efficiency of rental car companies' vehicle operations and reduce the environmental impact of unnecessary vehicle movement. In other words, one-way routes between low-demand bases in regional cities often involve both pre-allocation of a vehicle to the low-demand base and forwarding the vehicle from the low-demand base to the high-demand base after service use, resulting in unnecessary vehicle movement (and the associated increased environmental impact) due to vehicle allocation and forwarding. By using a one-way route with a high-demand base as the return point, travel from the low-demand base to the high-demand base can be used to forward the vehicle left at the low-demand base to the high-demand base, and by using the high-demand base as the return point, the need to forward the vehicle after service use can be reduced.

[0064] FIG. 8 shows the detailed flow of the one-way route generation process for a non-destination return route in STEP 4.

[0065] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 extracts the departure point, destination, and departure time from the one-way rental request information received from the user terminal 200 (STEP 4.1).

[0066] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 searches for rental bases (parking lots, offices, etc.) near the departure point based on the base information in the location information (STEP 4.2).

[0067] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 searches for vehicles available for rental at the rental base based on the reservation information in the vehicle information (STEP 4.3).

[0068] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 searches for a return location (parking lot, business office, etc.) between the departure point and the destination based on the location information in the location information (STEP 4.4).

[0069] If the vehicle cannot be rented as a result of STEP 4.3 and STEP 4.4, the control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 searches for another return location (parking lot, business office, etc.) near the destination based on the location information (STEP 4.5).

[0070] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 searches again for a vehicle between a different rental location and a return location, which is different from the search content in STEP 4.1 (STEP 4.6).

[0071] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 generates a one-way route plan by combining the rental location, the return location, and the vehicle between the rental location and the return location, and adds the one-way route plan to the one-way rental search result information (STEP 4.7).

[0072] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 calculates the fee for each one-way route plan based on the price information, and adds the fee for each one-way route plan to the one-way rental search result information (STEP 4.8).

[0073] (Ainori-style one-way route generation) Furthermore, in one-way route plan 5 in Table 3, the control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 may check the reservation information of other users based on the existing reservation information and generate a one-way route using vehicle D as transportation means 1, which will be a shared ride with another user (here, a shared ride route). Even if a user's departure and destination do not match those of another user, if they are traveling in the same direction and for the same time, the control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 may recommend new prices or discounts to the user in conjunction with the use of the same vehicle by multiple users. Furthermore, if the usage times are not the same but are close, the control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 may recommend that both users adjust their schedules to enable a shared ride. Shared rides may also be recommended when generating the relay-type one-way route. Including shared rides in one-way routes is expected to reduce CO2 emissions and reduce environmental impact.

[0074] The detailed flow of the Ainori-type one-way route generation process in STEP 5 is shown in FIG.

[0075] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 receives the departure point, destination, and departure time of user 1 from the one-way rental request information received from the user terminal 200a of user 1 (STEP 5.1).

[0076] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 searches for rental bases (parking lots, offices, etc.) near the departure point based on the base information in the location information (STEP 5.2).

[0077] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 searches for reservations by another user 2 near the departure point and departure time of user 1 based on the reservation user information, reserved route, and reservation plan information of the existing reservation information (STEP 5.3).

[0078] In addition to STEP 5.3, the control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 checks whether User 1's departure point is located along User 2's one-way route and whether User 1's destination is located along User 2's one-way route based on the reservation party information, reserved route, and reservation plan information in the existing reservation information (STEP 5.4).

[0079] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 searches whether or not User 2 is a user who is eligible for Ainori, based on the Ainori availability information in User 2's account information (STEP 5.5).

[0080] Based on the result of STEP 5.5, if user 2 is able to share a ride, the control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 generates a one-way route plan based on the result of STEP 5.4, including share rides on the entire route from the departure point to the destination and boarding and disembarking along the one-way route, and adds the one-way route plan to the one-way rental search result information (STEP 5.6).

[0081] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 calculates the fare for the ride based on the amount information and adds it to the one-way rental search result information. The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 notifies the one-way rental search result information to the user terminal 200a of User 1 (STEP 5.7).

[0082] Based on the reservation information and price information, the control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 notifies the user terminal 200b of user 2 of the information about the ride request and the financial benefits that can be received by approving the ride (STEP 5.8).

[0083] User 1's user terminal 200a and user 2's user terminal 200b transmit information approving (or rejecting) the ride-along proposal within the time frame of user 1 and user 2 to the one-way rental car management device 100, and the one-way rental car management device 100 receives the information approving (or rejecting) the ride-along proposal (STEP 5.9).

[0084] If both user 1 and user 2 are approved, the control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 sends a message to user 1's user terminal 200a and user 2's user terminal 200b indicating that the ride has been approved, along with ride information including the boarding and disembarking points, and the date and time (STEP 5.10).

[0085] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 calculates the predicted environmental load reduction value for each one-way route plan (STEP 6).

[0086] Fig. 10 shows the detailed flow of calculation of the predicted environmental load reduction value.

[0087] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 extracts vehicles between the departure point and the intermediate point, vehicles between the intermediate point and the return point, and vehicles between the rental point and the return point for each one-way route plan in the one-way rental search results information (STEP 6.1).

[0088] Based on the CO2 information of the vehicle information, the control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 calculates the amount of CO2 emitted by the vehicle between the departure point and the intermediate point, the vehicle between the intermediate point and the return point, and the vehicle between the rental point and the return point for each one-way route plan in the one-way rental search result information (STEP 6.2).

[0089] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 extracts stopover points or return points for each one-way route plan in the one-way rental search result information (STEP 6.3).

[0090] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 extracts the demand for the intermediate bases or return bases for each one-way route plan in the one-way rental search results information based on the base information in the location information, and calculates the degree of improvement in vehicle utilization efficiency by using the intermediate bases or return bases with high demand from this demand (STEP 6.4).

[0091] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 calculates the amount of CO2 emissions reduction based on whether or not Ainori is used for each one-way route plan, and the degree to which the number of vehicles used is reduced by multiple people using one vehicle (STEP 6.5).

[0092] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 calculates the predicted environmental load reduction value for each one-way route plan from the CO2 amount, the improvement in vehicle utilization efficiency, and the CO2 emission reduction amount due to the use of Ainori for each one-way route plan (STEP 6.6).

[0093] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 generates one-way rental search result information that combines the results of the vehicle traveling directly from the departure point (A) to the return point (B), as well as the results of the departure point (C) and intermediate points (D), and the expected environmental load reduction value for each one-way route, and transmits the one-way rental search result information to the user terminal 200 (STEP 6.7).

[0094] The one-way rental search result information generated by the above steps 1 to 6 is shown in Table 3. Note that the contents of Table 3 are merely an image of the display and are not an actual example.

[0095] As shown in Table 3, the one-way rental search results include: (1) One-way route plan (2) Fees for each one-way route (3) Ainori Information (4) Estimated reduction in environmental impact The one-way rental search result information is stored in the HDD 105.

[0096] [Table 3]

[0097] In Table 3, for a one-way trip from Takasaki to Utsunomiya, the fares for one-way route plans 2 to 5, which use high-demand hubs as intermediate and return points, are lower than the fares for one-way route plan 1, which travels directly, in an effort to encourage users to use high-demand hubs. Furthermore, by presenting the predicted environmental impact reduction figures, environmentally conscious users are guided to the one-way route plans that offer the greatest environmental impact reduction. This demonstrates to users the contribution to reducing CO2 emissions, and aims to raise their awareness of the significance of participating in one-way rental car services and their environmental awareness.

[0098] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 transmits the one-way rental search result information to the user terminal 200 via the external I / F 106 (STEP 7).

[0099] The control unit 201 of the user terminal 200 displays the one-way rental search result information received from the one-way rental car management device 100 on an operation panel 206 such as a touch panel display.

[0100] 11 shows a display screen displayed on the operation panel 206 of the user terminal 200. The display contents of the operation panel 206 are as follows. (1) One-way route information: departure point, intermediate points, return point, departure date and time, return date and time (deadline), vehicle type (including Ainori), options, fare, environmental impact reduction value, points, etc. (2) Selection button: This is the button that the user touches to select a one-way route.

[0101] The user views the one-way rental search result information displayed on the operation panel 206, and selects whether to accept the results of the departure point (C) and intermediate point (D) or to select the return point (B), and chooses the one-way route for the rental reservation. If the user wants to reserve a one-way route, the user touches the "selection button" displayed on the operation panel 206. At this point, the rental car reservation is completed. When the user touches the "selection button" displayed on the operation panel 206, the control unit 201 of the user terminal 200 sends the one-way route selection information (selection result information) to the one-way rental car management device 100 via the external I / F 205 (STEP 8).

[0102] When the control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 receives one-way route selection information from the user terminal 200 via the external I / F 105, the control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 determines that the rental car reservation has been made and executes the one-way rental reservation completion process (STEP 9).

[0103] The user rents a car for the reserved one-way route. If the reserved one-way route includes a stopover, the user changes vehicles at the stopover. If the reserved one-way route includes a return location, the user will arrange their own transportation from the return location to the destination.

[0104] (Calculation of actual CO2 emission reductions) The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 calculates the actual environmental load reduction value for each user (STEP 10). At the beginning of each month, the control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 calculates the CO2 emissions for the previous month and the CO2 emission reduction amount due to the one-way rental car service as follows:

[0105] (Calculating vehicle CO2 emissions) The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 obtains the CO2 emissions from the vehicle information, and multiplies this by the total mileage for the round trip on the reserved route for the current month from the reservation information to calculate the CO2 emissions (A) for the round trip for the current month for each vehicle (STEP 10.1). Note that the period for calculating the CO2 emissions is not limited to months, and may be, for example, years, weeks, or days.

[0106] (Varies depending on number of passengers and outside temperature) The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 obtains the number of passengers and outside temperature information (referred to as B) for each reservation in STEP 10.1 from the reservation information, obtains the CO2 emission fluctuation ratio due to the number of passengers and the CO2 emission fluctuation ratio due to the outside temperature (referred to as C) from the vehicle information, calculates the fluctuation value based on the table of (B) and (C) (Table 3: Example table for vehicle type A (per vehicle), number of passengers 1), and multiplies it by (A) to correct the emissions for each reservation (STEP 10.2).

[0107] (Emissions calculated equivalent to a round trip) The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 calculates the total CO2 emissions for the entire one-way rental car service for the current month by adding up the adjusted CO2 emissions for the round trips for each reservation calculated in STEP 10.2 for all reservations (STEP 10.3).

[0108] (Calculation of the return ratio) The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 calculates the total mileage for the current month (D) from the reservation information and the total mileage for reservations that require forwarding (E), and calculates the forwarding ratio for the current month (F) by dividing (D) by (E) (STEP 10.4).

[0109] (Calculation of improvement in the out-of-service ratio by relay type) The forwarding ratio of the route between low-demand bases in the original reservation request (regional city⇔regional city) in the relay route generation method of STEP 3 is three times larger than the forwarding ratio of the route including high-demand bases in the alternative route (large city⇔regional city).The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 calculates the number of uses (referred to as G) of the alternative route generated by the relay route generation method of STEP 3 from the reservation information.

[0110] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 calculates the total number of reservations for the current month (referred to as H) from the reservation information, and calculates the ratio (referred to as I) of the total number of reservations (referred to as G) / (H). Multiplying (I) by three gives the improved forwarding ratio (referred to as J) achieved by (the relay route generation method of STEP 3).

[0111] The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 performs (F)-(I)+(J) to calculate the forwarding ratio (K) for the current month, taking into account the relay route generation method of STEP 3 (STEP 10.5).

[0112] (Compared to regular rental cars and calculation of savings) Subtract (K) from the 10% usage rate of one-way rental cars among general rental cars, and use this as the avoided forwarding rate (L) due to the one-way rental car service. Multiply the total CO2 emissions calculated in STEP 10.3 by (L) to calculate the CO2 emission reduction (M) due to the avoided forwarding due to the one-way rental car service (STEP 10.6).

[0113] (Calculation of emission reductions for each user) The control unit 101 of the one-way rental car management device 100 divides (M) proportionally based on the reservation information according to the mileage of each user for the current month, and calculates the actual CO2 emission reduction amount (N) for each user due to avoiding forwarding (STEP 10.7).

[0114] The actual CO2 emission reduction amount for the entire one-way rental car service may be calculated by adding the CO2 emission reduction amount calculated in STEP 6.6 by Ainori and (assumed to be O). The actual CO2 emission reduction amount for each user is sent to user terminal 200 and displayed to each user on their personal page, thereby showing the user that they are contributing to the reduction of CO2 emissions, and promoting the significance of participating in the one-way rental car service and environmental awareness.

[0115] In addition, points may be awarded based on the actual value of the reduction in environmental load (CO2 emission reduction) due to the use of the one-way rental car service, and transmitted to the user terminal 200. These points may be used for discounts on services, etc., and returned to the user.

[0116] [Table 4]

[0117] As described above, the one-way rental car management system of the embodiment allows users to change vehicles at high-demand transit points such as large cities, allowing one-way rental car companies to deploy and operate vehicles more efficiently, thereby improving vehicle utilization rates and reducing the burden on the environment.

[0118] According to the one-way rental car management system of the embodiment, users return vehicles at specific high-demand locations along their travel route. This reduces unnecessary vehicle mileage and reduces CO2 emissions. In addition, vehicles have a high turnover rate at popular locations and in areas with good transportation access, thereby reducing environmental impact.

[0119] According to the one-way rental car management system, management device, program, and method of the embodiments, the vehicle utilization rate can be improved and the environmental load can be reduced.

[0120] Although the embodiment has been described above, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This novel embodiment can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. This embodiment and its modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the inventions and their equivalents as set forth in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0121] 1 One-way rental car management system 100 Management device 102 CPU 103 ROM 104 RAM 105 HDD 106 External I / F 200 user terminals

Claims

1. A one-way rental car management system that has a user terminal and a one-way rental car management device connected via a network and provides a one-way rental car service from a departure point to a destination requested by a user, The user terminal transmits one-way rental request information including the departure point and destination input by the user to the one-way rental car management device; The one-way rental car management device generates one-way rental search result information including one-way routes that include a high-demand location as a stopover or return location based on the departure point and destination of the one-way rental request information received from the user terminal, the one-way rental car management device transmits the generated one-way rental search result information to the user terminal; the user terminal transmits selection result information including a one-way route selected by the user from the one-way rental search result information to the one-way rental car management device; When the one-way rental car management device receives the selection result information from the user terminal, it executes a one-way rental reservation completion process, A one-way rental car management system that makes vehicle operation more efficient by including a high-demand location for the vehicle as a stopover or return location in the one-way route.

2. 2. The one-way rental car management system according to claim 1, wherein the high-demand base is a base located in a large city, an airport, a bullet train station, a popular spot, or a location with good transportation access.

3. The one-way rental car management system according to claim 1 , wherein the return location is a high-demand location outside the user's destination.

4. The one-way rental car management system according to claim 1, wherein the one-way rental search result information includes rental cars using Ainori on part of the one-way route.

5. The one-way rental car management device 2 Calculate the amount of emission reductions, The one-way rental car management device 2 transmitting the one-way rental search result information including the emission reduction amount to the user terminal; The one-way rental car management system according to claim 1 .

6. The one-way rental car management device 2 6. A one-way rental car management system as described in claim 5, wherein the amount of emission reduction is calculated based on the degree of improvement in vehicle utilization efficiency due to the use of the high-demand base, or the degree of reduction in the number of vehicles used due to Ainori.

7. The one-way rental car management device CO2 for round trips per vehicle over a specified period 2 Calculate emissions, The round trip CO 2 By adding up the emissions for all reservations, the total CO2 emissions for the one-way car rental service during the specified period can be calculated. 2 Calculate the total emissions, A first forwarding ratio is calculated by dividing the total mileage for the specified period by the total mileage for the reservations for which forwarding has occurred, and a second forwarding ratio is calculated by dividing the number of uses of a one-way route that includes the high-demand base as a route destination by the total number of reservations for the specified period, Calculating a forwarding ratio from the first forwarding ratio and the second forwarding ratio; The forwarding ratio is subtracted from the general one-way rental car usage ratio to calculate the forwarding avoidance ratio due to the one-way rental car service, CO2 of the entire one-way car rental service for the specified period 2 The total emissions are multiplied by the avoided transport ratio to calculate the CO2 emissions resulting from avoided transport. 2 Calculate the amount of emission reductions, CO due to avoidance of the aforementioned forwarding 2 By allocating the emission reduction amount to the driving distance of each user during the specified period, the CO 2 The one-way rental car management system according to claim 1 , wherein an actual emission reduction amount is calculated.

8. The one-way rental car management device CO per user 2 The one-way rental car management system according to claim 7, wherein points are awarded to the user according to an actual emission reduction amount.

9. A one-way rental car management device used in a one-way rental car management system that has a user terminal and a one-way rental car management device connected via a network and provides a one-way rental car service from a departure point to a destination requested by a user, The user terminal transmits one-way rental request information including the departure point and destination input by the user to the one-way rental car management device; The one-way rental car management device generates one-way rental search result information including a plurality of one-way routes that include a high-demand location for the vehicle as a stopover or return location based on the departure point and destination of the one-way rental request information received from the user terminal, the one-way rental car management device transmits the generated one-way rental search result information to the user terminal; the user terminal transmits selection result information including a one-way route selected by the user from the one-way rental search result information to the one-way rental car management device; When the one-way rental car management device receives the selection result information from the user terminal, it executes a one-way rental reservation completion process, A one-way rental car management device in which the one-way route includes a high-demand location for the vehicle as a stopover or return location, thereby making vehicle operation more efficient.

10. A one-way rental car management method executed by a one-way rental car management system that has a user terminal and a one-way rental car management device connected via a network and provides a one-way rental car service from a departure point to a destination requested by a user, The user terminal transmits one-way rental request information including the departure point and destination input by the user to the one-way rental car management device; The one-way rental car management device generates one-way rental search result information including a plurality of one-way routes that include a high-demand location for the vehicle as a stopover or return location based on the departure point and destination of the one-way rental request information received from the user terminal, the one-way rental car management device transmits the generated one-way rental search result information to the user terminal; the user terminal transmits selection result information including a one-way route selected by the user from the one-way rental search result information to the one-way rental car management device; When the one-way rental car management device receives the selection result information from the user terminal, it executes a one-way rental reservation completion process, A one-way rental car management method in which the one-way route includes a high-demand location for the vehicle as a stopover or return location, thereby making vehicle operation more efficient.

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